As I pack and make all my last minute preparations, the same random thoughts keep going through my head.
I have had such a wonderful experience training with the team; do I have what it takes to do another?
Do you?
To my followers and friends, if I signed up for another event with the Team, could I count on you to help me make my fundraising committment?
To my family, could you deal with me training for another one of these? With the early mornings, and the tired (and crabby) afternoons, and the endless piles of stinky sweaty clothes (none of which can go in the dryer)? How about the missed weekends, and softball games, and the fact that I have a tendency to fall asleep by 9:00 PM every night?
I just don't know.
And then...
I hear from my best friend Randi, about her friend Jen Rutansky.
Jen was first diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma 13 years ago, when she was only 25. She underwent radiation treatments, but a year later she was sick again. Doctors told her that Chemotherapy was her best hope, but she was resistant because she knew that chemo would most likely make her infertile. She was then offered the opportunity to ripen, harvest, and freeze her eggs so that sometime in the future, when she was well (and presumably married), she could still have children. She took a chance, and froze her eggs. In 2005, she and her husband welcomed their son into the world. The first child EVER to be born to a cancer patient from her own frozen eggs.
I'd like to think that some of my predecessors with team in Training helped fund the amazing advances that allowed Jen to realize her dream of becoming a mother.
I remember when this happened, because it was a really big deal. Jen was on the Today Show and in newspapers all over the world with her husband and their two children.
Wait, two children?
Jen only had 14 eggs frozen, and their surrogate had already miscarried twice. Just in case the last set of eggs didn't make it, the Rutanskys were also going through the adoption process. As luck would have it, they adoped a daughter just a few short months before their son was born. They felt so incredibly blessed to have two darling, healthy babies only a few months apart.
It wasn't an easy road, and Jen battled her Hodgkin's again and again. She had many treatments, including a stem cell transplant, that would put her cancer into remission for a short time.
Unfortunately Jen lost her battle this week. She leaves behind her loving family, her husband, and two children who will know that their mom wanted them so much, she was willing to do anything to make them a part of her family.
I will race on Sunday, not just for my honored hero, Kim Russo, but also in memory of Jennifer Rutansky.
I will race for Kim's and Jen's children, and the hope that they will someday live in a world without cancer.
I will race knowing that the money I raised helps to fund the research that allowed Jen and others like her to realize their dream of becoming a mother.
I will race because I can.
Thank you for this opportunity.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Has it really been a month?
Since my last post?
Well, three and a half weeks actually.
And yes, I was right about the training schedule being kicked up a notch.
I told my coach that these workouts were being filed in the "Is she kidding me?" section. But, who am I to question my coach? That's one of the reasons I signed up with Team in Training in the first place - so someone else was in charge of my training schedule.
It is very nice to have someone else tell you how far to go and how hard to push it. In my previous workouts, I was the one who got to decide how long my runs would take me, and I was really good at talking myself out of a few miles. Not anymore.
35 mile bike, followed by a six mile run? You got it!
500 yd warm up swim, followed by a one-mile timed swim and then some sprints just for "fun?" Yes, ma'am!
I got my official Athlete's package from the Nation's Triathlon yesterday.
Let the butterflies begin!
My race number is 5710 (I think there are only 6,000 athletes) and I don't start my swim until 8:52 AM.
The race begins at 7:00 AM, and I get to stand around for almost two hours before I can even get my feet wet. Do you realize that this means some of the elite athletes will actually FINISH the race before I can even start? More importantly, I will probably not start my 6 mile run until 11:00 AM (or so).
Do you know that today in Washington, DC it was 90 degrees at 11:00 AM?!
It is scheduled to cool off a bit by next weekend, but still! Good thing I did all my training in S. Florida!
And... the temperature in the Potomac is 84 degrees, so I probably won't get to wear my fancy new Team in Training wetsuit. Boo! I think the water has to be 76 before you are allowed a wetsuit.
Although, you never know, if Hurricane Earl dumps enough rain in the area tonight maybe the water will cool off a bit. I do feel kind of bad that my friends and family along the east coast are under Hurricane watches and warnings, while I am looking at a nice blue sky. But, have you seen the map of the tropics? There's a new storm coming off the coast of Africa every day, and one of them is bound to make landfall (or close to it) in S. Florida. I just hope that Gaston stays far away and doesn't ruin any travel or race plans for next weekend.
Well, there is no sense in worrying about it, right? Like Isabella's pre-school teachers used to say, "You get what you get, and you don't get upset!"
Speaking of Isabella and school...
All of my prayers have been answered!
First grade started with a smile (yaay!); and ended with the statement, "Mom, 1st grade is so exciting!"
Nothing makes a parent happier than knowing their child is happy, right? Considering that she had been whining and worried about starting school for at least two weeks, I was so relieved to hear how great school is going. Of course the second day of school was her birthday, and nothing guarantees new friends like bringing cupcakes to school!
She has made lots of new friends and we even discovered that one of her new buddies lives a few blocks away from us. She's even at Isabella's bus stop. So happy about that!
Of course Isabella can't have a birthday without the obligagtory trip to Disney. Funny, because we had told her that we wouldn't be going for her birthday this year - it gets too expensive and we had just come home from a two week whirlwind tour of the Northeast. Of course, once I found out that my best friend was driving down from S. Carolina for a family event in S. Florida and taking an extra day on the way home to stop at the Magic Kingdom, well...
Needless to say, we had a wonderful two days with our friends. Usually Isabella is the only kid, so it was a totally new experience for her to have three other kids to play with, go on rides with, sit with at dinner...
I do have to share one photo, just because it is so funny. You'd think that since I've been on this ride at least 20 times, I would eventually get used to the drop...
Yes, that's me, in the front seat of Splash Mountain, screaming my head off. You'll notice that daredevil Isabella is simply grinning - she may even have her eyes closed, enjoying the moment of weightlessness. Behind us are the Shanes - Randi, Zac, Dylan, and Becca - who all seem to be enjoying the ride. Well, except Becca who hates the big drop, but loves the rest of the ride.
I e-mailed this picture to Ray, who laughed and remarked that he could see my tonsils.
This is very ironic, because my tonsils are the reason I am updating my blog on a Thursday afternoon.
I am home sick with... wait for it...
Tonsillitis!
Do you think there is a connection? Hmmm? Maybe I got some of that germy water in my throat (perish the thought!).
All I know is that as soon as we got home on Tuesday afternoon, I went straight to bed and have only recently been able to sit upright and swallow. I did manage to drag myself to the Doc this morning so he could check out the petri dish growing at the back of my throat. It's never a good sign when your doctor shines the light, depresses your tongue and says, "Eww!" Then immediately runs to his desk, shoves a prescription in your hand and begins sanitizing the office.
So while I sit at home, isolating myself from the rest of the healthy world, I wonder...
I just have to trust Coach Lisa.
I'm ready.
I've done the work, put in the miles, and raised the money. Now it's time to just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Can't wait!
Well, three and a half weeks actually.
And yes, I was right about the training schedule being kicked up a notch.
I told my coach that these workouts were being filed in the "Is she kidding me?" section. But, who am I to question my coach? That's one of the reasons I signed up with Team in Training in the first place - so someone else was in charge of my training schedule.
It is very nice to have someone else tell you how far to go and how hard to push it. In my previous workouts, I was the one who got to decide how long my runs would take me, and I was really good at talking myself out of a few miles. Not anymore.
35 mile bike, followed by a six mile run? You got it!
500 yd warm up swim, followed by a one-mile timed swim and then some sprints just for "fun?" Yes, ma'am!
I got my official Athlete's package from the Nation's Triathlon yesterday.
Let the butterflies begin!
My race number is 5710 (I think there are only 6,000 athletes) and I don't start my swim until 8:52 AM.
The race begins at 7:00 AM, and I get to stand around for almost two hours before I can even get my feet wet. Do you realize that this means some of the elite athletes will actually FINISH the race before I can even start? More importantly, I will probably not start my 6 mile run until 11:00 AM (or so).
Do you know that today in Washington, DC it was 90 degrees at 11:00 AM?!
It is scheduled to cool off a bit by next weekend, but still! Good thing I did all my training in S. Florida!
And... the temperature in the Potomac is 84 degrees, so I probably won't get to wear my fancy new Team in Training wetsuit. Boo! I think the water has to be 76 before you are allowed a wetsuit.
Although, you never know, if Hurricane Earl dumps enough rain in the area tonight maybe the water will cool off a bit. I do feel kind of bad that my friends and family along the east coast are under Hurricane watches and warnings, while I am looking at a nice blue sky. But, have you seen the map of the tropics? There's a new storm coming off the coast of Africa every day, and one of them is bound to make landfall (or close to it) in S. Florida. I just hope that Gaston stays far away and doesn't ruin any travel or race plans for next weekend.
Well, there is no sense in worrying about it, right? Like Isabella's pre-school teachers used to say, "You get what you get, and you don't get upset!"
All of my prayers have been answered!
First grade started with a smile (yaay!); and ended with the statement, "Mom, 1st grade is so exciting!"
Nothing makes a parent happier than knowing their child is happy, right? Considering that she had been whining and worried about starting school for at least two weeks, I was so relieved to hear how great school is going. Of course the second day of school was her birthday, and nothing guarantees new friends like bringing cupcakes to school!
She has made lots of new friends and we even discovered that one of her new buddies lives a few blocks away from us. She's even at Isabella's bus stop. So happy about that!
Of course Isabella can't have a birthday without the obligagtory trip to Disney. Funny, because we had told her that we wouldn't be going for her birthday this year - it gets too expensive and we had just come home from a two week whirlwind tour of the Northeast. Of course, once I found out that my best friend was driving down from S. Carolina for a family event in S. Florida and taking an extra day on the way home to stop at the Magic Kingdom, well...
Needless to say, we had a wonderful two days with our friends. Usually Isabella is the only kid, so it was a totally new experience for her to have three other kids to play with, go on rides with, sit with at dinner...
I do have to share one photo, just because it is so funny. You'd think that since I've been on this ride at least 20 times, I would eventually get used to the drop...
Yes, that's me, in the front seat of Splash Mountain, screaming my head off. You'll notice that daredevil Isabella is simply grinning - she may even have her eyes closed, enjoying the moment of weightlessness. Behind us are the Shanes - Randi, Zac, Dylan, and Becca - who all seem to be enjoying the ride. Well, except Becca who hates the big drop, but loves the rest of the ride.
I e-mailed this picture to Ray, who laughed and remarked that he could see my tonsils.
This is very ironic, because my tonsils are the reason I am updating my blog on a Thursday afternoon.
I am home sick with... wait for it...
Tonsillitis!
Do you think there is a connection? Hmmm? Maybe I got some of that germy water in my throat (perish the thought!).
All I know is that as soon as we got home on Tuesday afternoon, I went straight to bed and have only recently been able to sit upright and swallow. I did manage to drag myself to the Doc this morning so he could check out the petri dish growing at the back of my throat. It's never a good sign when your doctor shines the light, depresses your tongue and says, "Eww!" Then immediately runs to his desk, shoves a prescription in your hand and begins sanitizing the office.
So while I sit at home, isolating myself from the rest of the healthy world, I wonder...
- Will I be well enough for the Team bike ride tomorrow night?
- If so, should I ride?
- If not, will I be ready for Nation's?
I just have to trust Coach Lisa.
I'm ready.
I've done the work, put in the miles, and raised the money. Now it's time to just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Can't wait!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)