Next Big Race

I have decided to take on another crazy running challenge this summer. Some of my theater friends decided that they wanted to put together a team to run the 2nd Annual Mass Dash 200 Mile Relay. Yep, it is just like the relay I ran in New Hampshire. This team is going to be made up of some serious runners and some not so serious runners. Our goal is to finish the race with smiles on our faces and to have a lot of laughs along the way. Isn't that what running is really all about?

We will be running the Mass Dash on Saturday and Sunday, July 16th and 17th. We are not sure what time we will be starting but we do know we will be running over 200 miles in a non-stop relay race comprising 36 legs across Massachusetts --- from the Berkshires to Boston. On Saturday morning, our first runners will ascend Mount Greylock, Massachusetts’ highest point, and then explore the woods of the Savoy Mountain Forest. On Saturday afternoon, our runners will run along the Deerfield River and by the Shelburne Falls. Saturday evening we will be running through the college towns of Northampton and Amherst --- with a bonfire and some music at the University of Massachusetts --- and then over the Winsor Dam on the Quabbin Reservoir and along the Quaboag Pond in the moonlight.

On Sunday morning, our runners will run through the beautiful colonial towns of Westborough (I am hoping to get that leg), Hopkinton, Sherborn and Wellesley. And Sunday afternoon we will be running (mostly on fumes) through the Arnold Arboretum and Franklin Park in Boston, finishing the race and our adventure in the shadow of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, overlooking Boston Harbor on the grounds of the UMass Boston. We will have run almost the entire length of the state in a 24 hour period. Now doesn't that sound like fun.

Other than the fun I know I am going to have with my friends, the race is an event to help raise money for the Jimmy Fund. If you don't know, the Jimmy Fund is part of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a cause of which I am a huge supporter. Since its founding in 1948, the Jimmy Fund has supported the fight against cancer in children and adults at Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, helping to raise the chances of survival for cancer patients around the world. The Mass Dash was "conceived as a two-day team adventure race with a very significant purpose, the Mass Dash will bring together hundreds of runners, sharing their time, their thoughts and themselves while racing across Massachusetts on a summer weekend, all dedicated to raising awareness and funds to support family, friends and neighbors in the fight against cancer."

If you want to support my run this summer, you can donate on-line by going to this link:

http://www.active.com/donate/massdash2011

I have been training hard to be prepared for this event. I will post pictures and maybe video from the race when it is over. What I am most proud of is being part of the running community that does so much to help to raise money to hopefully someday find a cure for this dreaded disease. "The visual tapestry of today's running scene now comes to us largely from the efforts of cancer survivors and their supporters. Indeed, the current running boom itself is in no small way indebted to the efforts of people getting involved in races to raise awareness for cancer research. Perhaps more important than that, though, is the financial contribution these runners and donors are making to fight the disease. More than $650 million annually. That's right: $650 million." (from Runner's World)

I believe that running for me is the ultimate celebration of life. Isn't that what we are raising the money for --- to help others be able to celebrate their lives as well, cancer free. I realize that my running for charity will not cure cancer in and of itself. But I feel like I am helping in my own small way to win the race to find a cure.

Jun. 5 – 8.10 miles (1:11:59, 8:53 pace)
Jun. 6 – 6.10 miles (54:03, 8:52 pace)
Jun. 7 – 5.00 miles (41:57, 8:23 pace) – Speed Work
Jun. 9 – 6.20 miles (49:23, 7:58 pace) – Tempo Run
Jun. 10 – 6.10 miles (55:41, 9:08 pace)
Jun. 11 – 10.10 miles (1:33:13, 9:08 pace)
Jun. 12 – 10.30 miles (1:33:37, 9:05 pace)
Jun. 13 – 6.10 miles (55:14, 9:03 pace)
Jun. 14 – 5.00 miles (42:06, 8:25 pace) – Speed Work
Jun. 16 – 6.20 miles (50:02, 8:04 pace) – Tempo Run
Jun. 17 – 6.20 miles (54:57, 8:52 pace)
Jun. 18 – 10.20 miles (1:29:47, 8:54 pace)

Total Miles: 85.6 miles
2011 YTD Miles: 734.1 miles

Carpe Deim!

For those who actually read this blog, I am sorry I have not been a diligent in posting. It has been a wild couple of weeks. I am going to repost something my daughter Mara wrote that will explain everything. It is from her Tumblr post. I have to admit, I don't really understand how Tumblr works. But, it is a place where she can talk about her passion for Disney. She hopes someday to work for them and I am definitely hoping her dreams do come true. Since she posted it in a public forum, I am sure it is ok to post it here.

I almost died today.

I went to NYC with my school theater group, and I had a smoothie from Jamba Juice. When I ordered what I always ordered, I specifically said: “Hi, I’m allergic to dairy, so could I have the Berry Fulfilling with NO MILK OR ANY DAIRY” I took a couple of sips and started to feel like an allergic reaction was coming on. Usually I just throw up and then it’s better, but this…this was worse. In my 16 years of having life-threatening allergies, I have never had anaphylaxis (which is a deathly reaction that closes your throat) so I assumed my tightness of breath was just asthma. But it wasn’t. 45 minutes after I drank the smoothie, I was getting worse so I ran into a Verizon Wireless Store and asked to use the bathroom, I wasn’t getting better. So I told someone to call 911 and I asked someone to help me with my Epipen. The ambulance showed up and helped me. I felt so bad for my friends who had to see me like that. When the reaction calmed down, the doctor told me that if I waited any longer, (at most: 15 minutes) I wouldn’t be here. He said that it would have been fatal. I’ve never experienced that before. Ever. And now I’m just really overwhelmed at the thought of almost dying because what would I have done? I wouldn’t get to see Nathan (my brother) or my Mommy again, let alone all of my friends. My friends. My friends are my heroes today. They saved my life. And when I got out of the hospital, they bombarded me with 30 Disney toys and trinkets. The Disney Store in Times Square was what I was most excited about, besides seeing Daniel Radcliffe in “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” (which my friends bought me a shirt from since I missed the show) I love them so much. <3 I just can’t handle the fact that I almost died today. (http://maradreamsofdisney.tumblr.com/post/5952347375).

The good news is that I was with them in New York and was able to ride to the hospital with her and be there for her. We did spend over 6 hours in the Pediatric Emergency Room at Bellevue Hospital in New York City. Not a lot of fun. The good news is, she is fully recovered. It took a couple of days for me to get back to normal. I obviously had to remain calm through the whole ordeal. All those hours of Boy Scout training sure came in handy. But, I have to admit I felt helpless. I am so grateful to Danny Rodriguez, Assistant Manager at the Verizon Wireless store at 125 W. 42nd St. I am sure his actions saved Mara's life that day.

As I rode home on the bus, I could not help but think about the famous Horace quote, "Carpe diem! Rejoice while you are alive; enjoy the day; live life to the fullest; make the most of what you have. It is later than you think.” I intend to seize the day every day because I know the sands in my hour glass are running low.

May 15 – 6.30 miles (54:38, 8:40 pace)
May 16 – 6.20 miles (54:52, 9:00 pace)
May 17 – 3.50 miles (28:01, 8:00 pace) – Speed Work
May 19 – 6.10 miles (51:10, 8:23 pace) – Tempo Run
May 20 – 6.10 miles (53:16, 8:44 pace)
May 23 – 6.10 miles (55:10, 9:03 pace)
May 28 – 6.20 miles (54:06, 8:43 pace)
May 29 – 8.20 miles (1:13:15, 8:56 pace)
May 30 – 6.20 miles (55:02, 9:02 pace)
May 31 – 3.50 miles (27:28, 7:51 pace) – Speed Work
Jun. 2 – 6.20 miles (50:10, 8:05 pace) – Tempo Run
Jun. 3 – 6.50 miles (56:10, 8:39 pace)
Jun. 4 – 10.10 miles (1:29:07, 8:50 pace)

Total Miles: 81.2 miles
2011 YTD Miles: 648.5 miles