On the Shoulders of Giants

Hellooooooo!!

Yesterday morning I ran 8 miles. That's right, 8 freaking miles!!! That's the longest I've ever run!!! Sorry, I have to include that obligatory statement... It was 75 and sunny, even at 8am (yes we practice at 8am on Saturdays) and it felt amazing. We ran the west side highway for the first time, which is delightfully F-L-A-T. That's right, no northwest hill this week! I met these 2 girls Susan and Sara and we ran the entire thing together, chatting along the way. You know, I never thought I'd like running with other people, I was always an "iPod runner", but I have to say it's really awesome running with other people! As long as you're meant to run around the same pace, there's no competition and there's no pressure to run faster, particularly on the long runs.

After the run, all the current Team in Training teams (summer season, spring season, runners, cyclists, tri-athletes) met up at a local junior high. Coach Mike gave an injury prevention clinic and then we had a Connection to the Cause event, which is where some of the honorees present their experiences with cancer. The first presenter was a teacher, a single mom, a science geek, and non-Hodgkins lymphoma survivor. Her story was powerful to hear; she talked about needing to have control in a situation where she really had none. For example, she shaved her head, instead of waiting for her hair to fall out. That's why she runs with TNT - to feel like she has some control over keeping her cancer in remission. She explained a lot of the expenses of her treatment, which would blow your mind. She held up a very small pill bottle, that measured about 100 mL, and that amount of treatment cost her $138,000. Yes, you read that figure correctly. Think about that number, and think about how you would afford something like that.

She also emphasized that cancer never really goes away. Yes it goes into remission, but it's never really gone. And every time she sees a small mark, feels a little sick, maybe gets a strange bump or bruise, feels anything even slightly abnormal, she wonders "Is this the day the cancer is coming back?". But, she is grateful to be healthy today. She quoted Isaac Newton, who said "If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants," and she explained that her giants are doctors, nurses, researchers, patient advocates, and the thousands of TNT participants. It really reminds us all why we're there, why we struggle through the hill workouts and the speed work and the 6am wakeup calls on Saturday mornings. If we can help even a single patient or family have an easier time with their cancer battle, it is 100% worth it.

I unfortunately had to leave the Connection to the Cause early to deal with a work issue, and I'll just leave you with this word: priorities. Really think about yours, hold tight to them, and don't let go.