Home > Living a Better LIFE > Archives > 2009 > July > 14 > Entry
Run until you can’t run anymore
This is long overdue.
I have been back from a vacation in Alaska for more than two weeks, and friends keep asking me, ‘When are you going to talk about your trip?’ The idea of condensing a 10-day vacation into a few paragraphs that are interesting for people who weren’t there to read was daunting, but I am doing it. I decided to split it into two blogs so I could justify posting more pictures. (I took 1,500.)
I went to Alaska in June as a member of Team in Training. The national program helps people train for marathons, half marathons, triathlons and century bike rides while they fundraise for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. For five months, my main focus was to raise $5,500 to reach my goal and train to walk and jog 13.1 miles in the Mayor’s Half Marathon in Anchorage.
Race day was beautiful. The temperature started off in the low 60s with a light rain, so I was a little cold. (The Alaskans were in shorts marveling at the warm day.) As the race got underway, though, I warmed up just enough to be comfortable for the three and a half hours it took me to finish.
The half marathon course took the participants on a road bordering the airport and down a coastal trail. Highlights included having planes take off directly over my head, seeing a moose on the trail and being encouraged by all the volunteers who showed up to cheer us on and work the water stations. By the end of the race, my feet had not hurt so much since I was a grocery store cashier in high school, but crossing that finish line made it all worth it.
This was my first race, so I have no doubt it would have felt special regardless of whom I was with or where it took place. However, doing the race as part of Team in Training added an extra dimension I didn’t fully understand until I attended the inspiration and victory parties the nights before and following the race.
I learned that about 400 people from across the nation participated in this race through Team in Training. Many were cancer survivors or had lost loved ones to the disease. Together we raised $1.8 million to help fight blood cancers such as leukemia, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma. I will carry the knowledge that I was part of that for the rest of my life.
The day after the race, many of my teammates were headed home or off on their own travels. My adventure included renting a car and doing a little exploring on my own for six days. I will save the highlights of that adventure for my next blog.
Have you ever participated in a race such as a 5K, marathon or triathlon? Share your memories here or by e-mailing me at lmcfarland@coxnc.com.
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