TNT Wrap-up

Where, oh where, did the month of June go? I can hardly believe it has been nearly a month since the Rock n Roll marathon! I just started running again after taking more than three weeks off. I didn't originally intend to wait that long, but in some ways it was good for me. I had been feeling a little burned out with training, and waiting made me want to go. If I had pushed myself to go too soon, I might have burned out completely and never want to run again! It felt good to hit the trail again last week, though. And now I've committed to the Chuckanut Footrace on July 7, and the Bellingham Bay Marathon (the half!) on October 7. So I will continue to blog as I maintain for those events.

I want to say a few words about my Team in Training experience. Team in Training is the largest endurance sports training program in the world, and with good reason. First, it supports a really great organization, The Leukemia Lymphoma Society. A second, it provides coaching, fitness, health, and training advice and information, a TNT-alum mentor, and a team to train with. I can honestly say it was a great experience, and I would recommend the program to anyone who would make the commitment.

I said in my blogs that I often felt alone on the trail because most of my teammates were walking. And while that was true, when I got to San Diego, and espcially in the hours before and after the race, I really did feel like part of the team. We all shared in our excitement before the race, and our joy (and fatigue) afterwards. We were really rooting each other on, even if we weren't together through the race!

TNT was the perfect project for me while I was not working. I really wanted to do something productive to help other people, but it also kept me dedicated to myself too. There were many days when I would not have gone running if I hadn't been committed to the marathon. (And I never would have tried running more than 5 miles if I hadn't been training!) But more than that, as a participant I helped raise more than $.5 million dollars for the Washington/Alaska chapter, and $12.5 million nationwide--and that's just from the participants in the Rock n Roll marathon! That will go a long way for research and patient care services!

I should mention Coach Terry. She wasn't able to make it to San Diego, but otherwise she was there for all of us every (pounding) step of the way. We met at 8 a.m., and for her that meant arriving even earlier to set up water stations along our routes, and putting out signage so we could find our meeting points. And she had to drive from Everson! She made a point to get to know us, and to check in regularly about how our individual training and fundraising was going. She has completed several marathons, many with TNT.

Kim was a great mentor, too. She also checked in frequently about fundraising. She participated in the same event last year, and she lent her own perspectives gleaned from her experience. I don't think Kim missed one practice throughout the four months; she is very dedicated and passionate about LLS.

I will say I was disappointed in our Event Liason in San Diego. All of us from the Bellingham Team felt overlooked; we didn't have a coach with us where other groups did, and no one stepped up to fill that position. Our liason should have seen to it that we were taken care of; the reason coaches are at the events is because they are needed. I would have benefited from one during my few miles of delirium during the race. That said, my overall experience with the organization and on event weekend was so great that I won't let that aspect taint the whole season.

Thank You again to everyone who donated. This was one of the largest seasons for Team in Training. I couldn't have done it without you!

Photo by Nancy, Fred's wife. Pictured are: Erica, Kim, Fred (one of our honored teammates, and a Leukemia survivor who is cancer-free!), Sherry, Me, Alysaa, Sherri, Kelsi. This was taken before 4 a.m. on race day, before we left for the starting area.