7 Weeks To Go

This past Saturday was a gorgeous day for a run.  It was SuperHero Saturday, so there were a lot of charity teams out for their training runs and a number of people running in costume.  Given the warmth, most of us were removing layers, and though I didn't get a picture, the guy running in a complete Jon Snow costume, including sword and cape (i.e. Ikea throw rug) was the most impressive.
I dropped my mileage to only 13.1 miles as planned.  At the 1/2 way point, I met up with a DFMC 1st-timer who was a bit faster.  We pushed the pace on the 2nd 1/2 (~1min/mi faster) so in the end, less mileage but a faster run.

At the run, we learned that the team had raised more than $2.5 million thus far! With 7 weeks to go, we've also seen the singlet for this year.  I'll save that picture for a future post :)

Recovery Week

This coming Saturday is a group run with mileage that we haven't seen in a month..only 12-14 miles!  Woohoo! 😊  I may have started the recovery weekend a bit early though...
Last Saturday's group run was a good one.  We covered 18 miles and our volunteer's cheered us on while celebrating National Margarita Day.  It was a gorgeous day for a run and we enjoyed it.  I pushed the effort on Tuesday as well during a speed workout. With some snow falling this afternoon and things getting a little slippery, I decided to rest up a bit, choosing to hop on my bike for a recovery workout.  With 52 days until the marathon, I'm feeling good overall and looking forward to a nice group run this weekend.

 I haven't talked about fundraising recently, but we're making good progress. With the generosity of ~50 donors we've raised over $7300 thus far, nearing 50% of our $15,000 goal! This $7300 is part of the more than $2M raised by the DFMC team thus far. Unlike past years, I'm not planning a large fundraiser event.  I'm hoping that my last email in March and support from previous donors will help push us to the $15,000 mark and Dana-Farber closer toward the ultimate goal: a world without cancer.

Another Group Run & Speed Work

After 16+ miles on Feb 3, I had hoped to translate that into getting back in to weekday runs.  Unfortunately, that didn't happen.  I played it safe on the 5th and did a bike workout to give my ribs & back some more time to heal.  A day later I came down with a cold and rested the rest of the week.  Luckily I was feeling a bit better on Saturday morning and although it was a slow run, I got 16.5 miles done.  I planned to drop down to 14 miles but running with friends and teammates can make you forget about those extra 2+ miles.  I was drained after the run, but that's to be expected after 16 miles and recovering from a cold.

After Saturday's group run, I finally felt 95+% on Tuesday.  I decided 3 weeks on the bike had been enough and ventured out for a speed workout last night.  First success was not tripping during my warm up!  Small victories :)  It felt good to power through the speed work and get back into training.  I'm feeling a bit tired from the hard workout last night but otherwise good.  I'll enjoy the warmer weather tomorrow with another weekday run, though likely take it a bit easier.  Finger crossed that the small victories keep accumulating and this weekend's group run (14-18mi) goes well!

Patient Partners & Banners of Encouragement

As most know, I ran my first 5 years in honor of RJ, my patient partner.  Numerous people have asked about the program and though I've written about it before, I wanted to mention it again.  The Patient Partner program, and it's sister program - the In Memory Of program, are a part of the DFMC experience that only a limited number of runners experience firsthand.  Runners are encouraged to apply to the programs, but there are a limited number of families that participate.  The Patient Partners are kids going through or who have gone through cancer treatment at Dana-Farber and they choose to participate in the program.  The In Memory Of program is similar, but participating families have lost a child to cancer.  Both programs are incredibly moving and though RJ and I have "graduated" from the program, we have a lot of memories from our experience.

I mention these programs as a precursor to our DFMC banners.  Every week at our group runs, we sign several banners for individuals battling cancer.  These banners carry words of encouragement to runner's family members, friends, or even the family dog.  I've requested several banners for friends in the past and they are greatly appreciated.  Pictured here are the banners for just some of this year's Patient Partners.  We signed ~18 after a group run and hopefully our words of encouragement help these kids in their weeks and months ahead.  These banners and the stories that accompany them will continue to motivate me and all of this year's runners as we continue our training and fundraising.

Thank you to everyone who has donated thus far, helping raise more than $6,500 for innovative cancer research.  Hopefully we'll pass the 1/2 way mark soon and $15,000 will soon follow!

A Better Run

Yesterday was another group run and this time, I hit my goals!  After last week's shortened run, I stayed inside during the week and cross-trained on the bike.  I started to feel slightly better, but my back and ribs were still sore and achy.  Luckily, the sports med chiropractor that has helped me multiple times before came through again on Thursday.  After 15 minutes of work, my back felt slightly better and this improved throughout the day.  Things were looking up for the long run.

Our group run started in Wellesley and ran on the marathon route in to Newton and Brookline.  We had a cold start (~10F) and a stiff breeze at our backs but set out on our 12-18 miles.  As I started, I wasn't sure how I'd feel or what to expect, but I felt pretty good.  Chatting with some friends helped pass the first few miles at a good but slow pace.  After 2 miles though, I started chatting with a 1st-timer and before I knew it, we had picked the pace up.  We continued the quicker pace throughout the run and the 16-miles "flew" by.  I wasn't sure what mileage I wanted to hit but am glad to have tackled 16 this past Saturday.

These runs are enjoyable in large part due to the volunteers who stand in the cold, pour water and gatorade, and cheers us on.  The Dubucs are a staple at the runs and love to support us, even on the coldest days.  Matty battled cancer, eventually losing his battle, but his family & friends are out there every week supporting all the DFMC runners.  They have been regulars throughout my 6 DFMC years and we can't thank them, and all the volunteers, enough for spending their Saturday mornings pouring water and gatorade!