Friday, January 11, 2008

Back by popular demand... My blog!!!

Ok, well that may be stretching the truth a bit seeing as I don't think anyone even read this before I stopped doing it in October (although I do recall my roommate, Ashley, expressing some regret when I stopped doing it... I think she read it for laughs). Anyways... for the first month or two after I stopped doing the blog, not a whole lot of progress was made on the training front. I was doing pretty well for a while there and then the holidays hit, I got sick and it got cold. Come New Year's I was definitely feeling VERY behind in my training. But with the start of the new year also came a renewed dedication to training and I've definitely gotten myself back on track.

Now, I can't say that this has all been a result of self motivation. In fact, that has probably only been about half of it. I've also started running with some great people who I have met through Dana-Farber and they have really helped to push me when I feel like I can't possibly take another step. Last night specifically, I had one of the greatest running experiences to date, on a Thursday night Crossroads run. Let me explain: Thursday night runs start at a bar called Crossroads which is in Back Bay on the corner of Mass Ave and Beacon Street. There are runners from all different marathon groups there, but DFMC runners were definitely in the majority, at least last night anyway. So after we drop off all of our stuff upstairs at Crossroads, everyone hops on the T and takes it allllll the way out to the Woodland T stop, the second to last stop on the D line. To a person who has never done this run before, it seemed like the longest T ride of my life. Then, from Woodland, we all run back into the city via the marathon route. This run takes you through the last 9 miles of the marathon- over the hills in Newton, up heartbreak hill, by BC, down Beacon Street, and through Kenmore square- and it is not an easy course, but being there with fellow DFMCers made all the difference in the world, and I felt better on this run (I believe, my longest yet) than I have felt on any of my others. The best part of Crossroads runs is the ending. You end your run at Crossroads (obviously) and everyone hangs around and has free pizza and beer. How can you beat that! It's a great way to meet fellow runners and definitely makes running that whole nine miles worth it. Pizza never tasted so good...

Which brings me to now. I was talking to a woman last night who told me that we should definitely keep some sort of journal or blog or scrapbook or something in order to remember all of our marathon memories because there was no way to remember all of the great experiences that we have had and will have in the coming months. So, armed with that inspiration, the blog is back... and hopefully I'll actually write it this time.

In fundraising news: I have passed the $1000 mark! Huge thank you's to everyone who has donated thus far. I am so grateful for how generous everyone has been and I hope the generosity keeps on coming! I still have 0ver $7000 to go...

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