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On Sunday, June 1, 2008, at 6:30 AM, 17,828 runners at the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon, in 70° weather, ran 26.2 miles with an average time of 5:01:08 and raised $12.5 million for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

I was one of the 17,828 runners at the San Diego Rock n' Roll Marathon. It was a beautiful day for a run, and I was thrilled to be a part of the event and be surrounded by people with a common interest. I was a little speck in the sea of purple, which is Team In Training's signature color. "Running-Girl" was printed on my running number. Bystanders yelled out, "Go team!" and "Go Running-Girl!" They even called out my real name, which was printed on my singlet in white letters, to show their support. Having strangers cheer me on was very encouraging, touching, and emotional.

Earlier on in the race, I found myself behind a man sporting a t-shirt with the verse: "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13). It was the perfect prelude to my run. I meditated on that verse. For a moment, the cheer of the crowd was muffled by the intensity of my thoughts. As I entered into a world of my own, all I could hear was the cadence of my foot striking the asphalt. All I felt was my chest rising and falling with every breath. All I could taste was the saltiness of my perspiration rolling to the corners of my lips. And all I could smell was the freshness of the open air. I was beside myself. All my focus was on the quietness of the moment with my time with God. Each step was a thanksgiving with Christ, my Savior.

I thanked God for my health and for my ability to run 26.2 miles, especially during a milestone in my life. I declared my run in San Diego as a rite of passage as I entered into my 40^th year of life. Not coincidentally, San Diego is my birthplace.

I absorbed the beauty that San Diego had to offer. On my run, I enjoyed the sites as I passed by the Seaport Village, Petco Park, Downtown San Diego, Balboa Park, the San Diego Zoo, Fashion Valley Center, Fiesta Island/Mission Bay, and Sea World.

Running 26.2 miles doesn't come easy, but I cannot complain. There is someone wishing they could be in my shoes going through the challenges I am faced with on my run, rather than suffering through the emotional struggles of cancer and the physical pain of chemotherapy.

Mile 21 was the toughest for me. That's when I thought about my personal honoree, Minnie, and the strength and courage she had shown over the 4 years battling cancer. One of my team honoree, Gregg, once told me, "Cancer survivors and runners have one thing in common. They both have to find the inner strength to continue on, no matter what the circumstances."

At mile 23, my inner strength grew weary. Then, at the right moment, God sent me a messenger on foot. I approached another runner wearing a shirt with a message, "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me." Yes, the same message I read at the beginning of the race. I knew God was with me.

My finishing time was 4 hours, 26 minutes, and 43 seconds-a personal record for me. The fascinating thing about running is that it's really a race against oneself. Each runner has their own agenda. One runner said it best, "There can be tens of thousands of marathoners sharing the same course, experiencing the same weather, covering the same mileage, but no one runs the same race."

In a place where life began for me 40 years ago, I felt as if my life has only just begun. Running 26.2 miles reminded me that I am capable of doing anything. My run is a celebration of life. Through Team-In Training, I got to fulfill my personal goal and be able to give a part of myself to make a difference in this world. I raised a total of $7810 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society with the help of family and friends. My run is not just for personal glory, but also for the fight against cancer so that others may celebrate life year after year.

The rewards for running a race through Team In Training are priceless. I've gained new friendships, helped raise money for cancer research, fulfilled my desire to mentor young runners, experienced the thrill of crossing the finish line, and gained a heightened respect for runners and the sport of running.

Now that my marathon is over, I can truly say that I had a great run. But the race isn't over yet. There is still research to be done. Until there is a cure for cancer, I will continue to run.

Happy Running!

Running-girl signing off....

To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit my fundraising page . Every penny counts. Thank you for making a difference!

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The Running World- Cult or Culture?

Posted by Running-Girl May 3, 2008

Being a part of Team In Training (TNT) has been a great experience for me. The participants of TNT have a commonality- 1) to impact our own lives by training for an endurance sport, and 2) to impact the lives of others by helping to raise money to fight cancer. TNT is a wonderful organization full of spirit and comradery. Being a part of TNT makes me look forward to my runs and my training. I enjoy running with my fellow teammates.

You can often spot a fellow TNT participant. You'll find them in their team shirts or caps. Sometimes you'll find them running with their names printed on their shirts. If you look closely, you can spot a tag on their shoe bearing the name, Team In Training. You may even find a badge pinned somewhere on their clothing or shoe honoring a loved one who is battling cancer. It's not uncommon for TNTers to sport the colors green and purple together, which most fashion afficionados would shun. TNT participants usually can recognize each other. Our secret handshake "GO TEAM!" (well, not so secret now), is often exchanged as we pass by each other. The secret handshake is one of many rituals we go through.

I have this ritual that I go through a week before an event or a long run. For five days prior to my event, I would eat a healthy serving of fresh fruits, vegetables, chicken, fish and grains. I make sure my stomach is satisfied at each meal. I make sure I eat 3 full meals a day with 2 satisfying snacks in-between. Two days before my run, I will eat a dinner of spaghetti with turkey meat sauce. The night before my run, I will eat my traditional dinner of brown rice, baked chicken, steamed green beans or broccoli. My morning breakfast, an hour before my run, will consist of an almond butter and acai or blueberry jelly on whole-wheat toast, banana, and an electrolyte drink. My water pack is layed out and prepared with an electrolyte drink (GU2O or Cytomax), Shot Blocks, tissue, a band-aid, cell phone, and ID. In my after-run bag, I carry extra clothing and socks, towel, water, and a protein bar. My dry-fit clothing and cap will change each time, but one thing remains the same. I will always wear my double layered, blister-free sock! Sounds crazy? I know.

I sometimes find it disturbing that I go through this ordeal for a run. However, even if running is an individual sport, we, runners, pretty much follow similar rituals and have similar beliefs and that we've established through our own experience and through experiences of others. So I am reminded that I am not alone. I've discovered that running is a culture in itself.

Webster defines culture as the "integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon man's capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations." We runners like to share tips and advice on how to improve our runs, run successfully, and to run safely. And that's what we do at TNT.

The funny thing is that the more I run, the more runners I encounter, and the more interesting the running culture has become. It leads me to question the world of running. Is it a cult or is it a culture?

Webster defines cult as a system of religious beliefs and rituals regarded as unorthodox. Some of the behaviors I've witness on my runs show me how unorthodox the running world may be. Here is a list I've compiled to show you what I mean:

ACCEPTABLE RUNNING HABITS NOT ACCEPTABLE ELSEWHERE

wiping your face and nose with your shirt
taking your shirt off in public
pouring water on your head
peeing wherever you can find a bush
running around in your bra (women)
following the person of the opposite sex while breathing heavily
carrying food in your shorts
digging around in your shorts for your keys
stopping in the middle of the sidewalk to stretch
running through sprinklers on purpose
stashing water bottles in ditches in 3-mile increments
running in place while waiting for the light to change at a busy intersection
running with nothing but shorts and a t-shirt and maybe gloves in the middle of winter

So tell me, is it a cult or is it a culture? Because I am an active part of it, I'd like to vote for the latter. Yes, I admit that I may follow a few of these practices. Okay, tease me. Nevertheless, I find running fun and very rewarding. So come join me. and together we can add to this list of acceptable and unorthodox behavior. Welcome to the runner's world....