We are Back at It
I began training for the Boston Marathon once again back in
December, as a member of the Dana Farber Marathon Challenge Team. After the
events of last year, it is with many mixed emotions that I entered this
training season. Perhaps this is why it has been so challenging to find the
time and space to log all the miles and returning to documenting my experience through this blog. After
yesterday’s 13.1 mile training run in the snow with my training buddy Steve and the many reminders of why we
do what we do, I have found a renewed sense of purpose and my way back to the blog. I hope you will join me
again on this journey.
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| Mile 8 on our 13.1 mile Training Run in Wayland, MA 1/19/2014 |
Slow Out of the Gate
It is with a heavy heart fueled by optimism, resilience and
the collective strength that gives meaning to the words “Boston Strong” that I
have started to retrace my steps and embark on another journey to cross the
Boston Marathon finish line. At the core of all my efforts are the funds we
raise for Dana Farber and the amazing research that is made possible because of
the miles logged and the collective generosity of our many friends, family and
supporters. While the training season has not started off as smoothly as I would like, running and life has taught me that a smooth start is not always indicative
of what the journey holds. So I am applying that same reasoning to accept that
a slow start also does not have to define the journey. As of today we are 91
days away from the Boston Marathon 2014 which means I have 91 more days to
prepare myself to log the final 26.2 miles on April 21, 2014 and to raise
$15,000 to support cancer research. While I have logged a number of miles and
experienced some challenging long runs these last two weekends, I am ready to
dig deep and find both the heart and the strength to kick it up a notch because
I believe so strongly in the work that is being done at Dana Farber and the
overall goal that drives each and every training mile and every dollar raised- A world without
Cancer. I am Boston Strong. I am DFMC Strong.
Fundraising Update: “It always seems impossible until it is done.”
As of today I have raised $3,275 towards my goal of $15,000.
Thank you so much to all of you have already contributed! Your generosity and continued support is greatly appreciated and makes the impossible seem possible. We may still have a way to go and at this point in our journey the
miles seem long. My longest run has been 13.1 miles. On April 21st I
will run double that. The fundraising
dollars seem equally as far off in the distance. We are $11,725 away from our goal of $15,000. However, as Nelson Mandela so wisely reminded
us that “it always seems impossible until it is done.” I find his words very
fitting and you can expect to read more references to him this year. As we
entered 2014, I have made one of my goals to study his life and to try in
whatever ways I can to incorporate his ideas and strength of spirit into my own
life and experience. His life certainly
exemplified all that is possible (even when the current conditions suggest otherwise) and an enduring strength of spirit that I find
so aspirational and yet so difficult to comprehend.
During
our run yesterday, I found myself thinking a lot
about Mandela. As the snow fell and the conditions became more
challenging, I, like many of my teammates,
was tired and cold. I kept at it and found myself saying “27 years.”
This is how long Mandela was in prison. As I repeated it in
my head it moved from a demonstrative statement to more of a question,
“27
years?” This really helped keep me focused on putting one foot in front
of the
other.
After all, I would only be running for several hours. Any discomfort or
struggle I felt seemed so small and insignificant when thinking about the enduring
spirit of Mandela. Then of course there were the many reminders of the lives
impacted by cancer and the day-to-day struggles they endure and have endured
that enter my mind when I am running with my DFMC teammates. Perhaps, it is
because most of my teammates run “in honor of” or “in memory of” someone they
love. Some are cancer survivors. Or maybe it is because my good friend Sandy and her family (aka TEAM MATTY) always seem to find time
to volunteer for our runs, to host blood drives, and to continue to honor the
memory of Matty who left us way too soon. So even when my feet are tired or
when I think I cannot possible run that far, I think of Sandy and her enduring
spirit to keep going even when like Mandela, I do not know how she does what
she does. This keeps me going, one step at a time, one mile at a time and one dollar at a time.
While finding a cure may seem impossible to some, the
collective sound of Dana Farber Marathon Challenge Team members’ feet hitting
the pavement this past Saturday in the midst of a New
England snow storm and the many volunteers who were there with
water and Gatorade are reminders that we have not accepted it as impossible. I
hope you will continue to support us in whatever way you can! Collectively we can
make a world without cancer possible. Each mile logged and each donation made
helps to bring us one step closer to the ultimate goal- A world without cancer.
You can visit my fundraising page by clicking this link http://www.runDFMC.org/2014/kerryd.
With Gratitude,
Kerry D
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