About Me

My Goal: Run the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2019 with the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge. Raise $17,000 (or more!) where 100% of funds raised benefit the Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research. I run in honor of my friend Chris Davie who is battling brain cancer. I also run in honor for my friend RJ and his continued cancer-free life, in memory of Heather Thomson, and for other family and friends who are or have battled cancer. Together we can help Dana-Farber Cancer Institute reach the ultimate finish line: a world without cancer

Barr Program Impact Statements

Barr Program Impact Statements

Immunotherapies: New Ways to Activate the Immune System—An important area of cancer research asks why the human body's defense systems do not always attack and destroy tumors as they form. Funded by the Claudia Adams Barr Program, Glenn Dranoff, MD, discovered complex regulatory pathways in the human immune system that cancers exploit in order to escape destruction. Reversal of these effects can lead to the development of vaccines against cancer, like Provenge for prostate cancer. This research has also enabled the development of immune-activating drugs such as ipilimumab, which showed striking effects in melanoma in a trial led by Dana-Farber scientists and is now approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Blizzard Run and Milestone

The milestone piece of the weekend was hitting the $4,000 mark for fundraising!  This is huge as it is the minimum required by the BAA for runners doing charity runs.  My goal is to still raise $10K and hopefully I can hit that mark for Dana-Farber and the research that they support.  We also learned that as a team, we've reached the $1 million mark the quickest of any group thus far!  A huge Thank You to all those that have helped support me in this effort!

This was the 4th week of the DFMC group run and wow, what a day to run.  The first winter snow of the year came in moderate force and made for an interesting run.  We started at the Longfellow Club in Wayland and even at 8AM were concerned about the road conditions.  The run was an out and back with moderate hills.  Perhaps foolishly I did the full 16 mile run, but come Marathon Monday I won't have a choice in the distance or the weather.  Running in the slush and snow is never the most enjoyable, but b/c of the weather, we tended to run slower and in groups, so it was a great way to meet and chat with people.  It might seem crazy that we were running in this weather, but the volunteers manning the water stops for 2+ hours deserve even more credit!  I'll also thank the drivers that slowed down, moved over and put up with us.  This does not include the one driver that felt necessary to demonstrate their true character by not moving over, not slowing down and spraying a few of us with slush.  We may be annoying, but we're running for a good cause! The cause helped me forget about the slushy sock and shoe over the last 4 miles.  Once back at the club, it was nice to have the icicles start melting from my face and change into some dry clothes.  Overall, a 16mi run that felt more like a 20mi effort, but one that felt good overall where I met a bunch of new people and avoided any injuries - I'd say a success!
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2 comments:

  1. KimJanuary 22, 2012 at 6:42 PM

    You continue to amaze me and inspire me on a weekly basis. There aren't that many people that would attempt and succeed at a 16 mile run in the slushy snow and the bitter cold. Keep up the good work. We are all so proud of you!

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  2. but it's so cozy indoorsJanuary 22, 2012 at 9:28 PM

    Running slow and in a tight herd. Smart, just like the antelope.
    A friend of mine carries lug nuts to wing at less-then-curtious drivers.

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