Cheerleaders

I had my siblings and nephews and nieces over the other night. We worked on an honouree board for the Team In Training pasta party and tent. We put together pictures of my Mom and my Mom and us and my Mom and her sisters and my Mom and her parents and my Mom and Dad and had words to describe what and who Mom is to us and everyone who knows her.

Here are some words we chose:
Strong
Brave
Spiritual
Admirable
Fun-loving
Friendly
Honourable
Positive
Faithful

I found that these words aren’t just who she is, but what she has made us. Even without her being here, she has made us just like her. Those of us who were old enough to have learned something from her taught those of us who were still too young to understand. She’d be proud of that.

This weekend, I’m excited to have such a huge support team to cheer for me and TNT as we run kilometers and kilometers for such a wonderful cause. I know that I really am going to cross that finish line because I have their love all the time. It goes without saying.

I’m excited to have my parents cheering for me too. They’re not always able to make it to these crazy things I do, but I’m totally looking forward to seeing them carry signs, clapping, pumping fists, and all that other stuff.

Sunday’s going to be one of the best days of my life.

As my reward, after the marathon the TNT victory party, then a baby shower, I’ll be heading down to the Janet Jackson Rock Witchu concert, which I’ve been looking forward to for years. I’ve wanted to see her in concert since my cousins and sisters were raving about her years ago. I’ll keep enough energy in my legs to jump up and down when she gets on stage!

Here it comes!

I am actually running a marathon in 6 days.

At this point, I know I’m physically prepared, so the trick is to keep my head in check. I know what this means and I know what is required of me, yet, I find myself wondering if the preparations I’m making mentally are the ones I should be making. I know there isn’t an exact science on how to psyche yourself up before something like this, but I’ve never done a long race like this in my life.

If I had to sum up how I’ve been feeling lately, the word is nervous. I am nervous. I’m not sure why. I know once we start, that feeling will subside, but it’s just the anxiety of the starting line. In the other runs I’ve done before, I’ve always felt the adrenaline of the group, but all those times, I was running with someone, namely my brother. This time, I’ve got my team with me, but I do wish I had someone close to run with me…

…and I do. This time I’ve got my Mom to run beside me the whole way and I know that maybe not everyone will be able to run with her, but I know she’ll be right beside me, even if it is on a Segway or something…whatever fun forms of transportation she decides to bring from Heaven.

So what I ask is this – please pray for my peace of mind and that in the days to come, I’ll continue to think positive thoughts and my nervousness will be replaced by total excitement.

Runnersworld.com's Daily Kick In The Butt

"You were born to run. Maybe not that fast, maybe not that far, maybe not as efficiently as others. But to get up and move, to fire up that entire energy-producing, oxygen-delivering, bone-strengthening process we call running."
-FLORENCE GRIFFITH JOYNER and JON HANC, Running For Dummies

Katrina, you've got mail from TNT

Each week, all TNT members get a newsletter from our TNT friends at the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It has information about how much the team has raised, news, exceptional fundraisers for the week, and also an honouree section entitled "Mission Moment", where the story of one member of the team is featured.

Last week, I got lucky and had my story featured. Here it is:

Katrina's Story...

I wanted to do something different this year. For the past few years, I've done different things to raise money for a cure for cancer - held fundraisers, shaved my head, donated my hair, 10K runs....this year was different.

I decided to join Team in Training in 2007 focused on running a full marathon in 2008, my first ever, and the longest distance I've ever run. I decided to focus my efforts this year on helping find a cure for blood cancers, including leukemia, which my mother fought bravely for 10 months before she passed away.

My mother was in and out of the hospital from what I remember, and at the time, I wasn't old enough to know that this wasn't normal. I had thought my classmates would be going to the hospital to visit their moms after school too and if they were lucky, their moms would get to come home for the weekend. I didn't know. We spent a lot of time in the hospital, my dad, my four older sisters, my baby brother and our countless aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. We were all there for her. When it got to a point where she was no longer coming home for periods of time and instead, stayed at the hospital, it occurred to me that she was getting more sick, but I had no idea that meant I wouldn't get to see her. All I knew about her sickness at the time was that it was called leukemia, it was a type of cancer, and it meant that something was wrong with her blood.

Just a week short of her birthday, my mother lost her battle with leukemia. When we lost her, it was hard for all of us. We went through many changes, big and small, happy and sad, good and bad, but after it all, we became stronger and an even bigger happier family. Through my mother's loss came a much stronger bond among all of us and we always remember the importance of keeping intact all the things she taught us, her values, her lessons and and all wanted for us. She has become our inspiration.

This year marks her 20th anniversary. It's hard to believe that I haven't seen my mother in 20 years, but that doesn't mean that she isn't here. All the big milestones in my life that I've experienced so far, I've never seen her sitting in the crowd, but instead, she stands beside me at each one. She's a silent cheerleader in everything I do.

In September, when I run the marathon with TNT, I will take every step in memory of her, Tini Limgenco, and the honourees I've met since I began this journey with TNT- Bill Stacey, Carolyn Tam, and our honoured teammate, Nicholas Gorys. I'm grateful that in the midst of the fight our loved ones who have blood cancers face, in the sadness of our losses, and in the pain in our strong knees, there stands invincible hope that we will find the cure.

Training update

It's been a while since I posted, I'm sorry to say. I've been pretty swamped lately -- a lot of things have been going on lately. Anyway, training has been quite intense, running lllllong distances and needing to ice various parts of my legs from Saturday to Tuesday. It's all about R.I.C.E. (Rest, Isolate, Cold, Elevate).

Last weekend, I actually had a huge meltdown after having to end my 32K run 10K early because I had done something nasty to my right knee...or at least it felt that way. After going to see a walk-in doctor since my doctor's office was closed, it turned out that my ligaments were all fine, I just had a strain...and since then, Advil has been my best friend. And of course, by Tuesday, I was fine.

This weekend was good. I ate very well on Friday night and did a good run, in good time. I'm finding that the whole psychological aspect really is the trick to this whole thing and what really helps after that 20K, when my knees start to hurt and I start to feel tired, my mind is really what keeps me going, especially remembering that I'm doing this for my Mom and 3 others, Nicholas, Bill and Carolyn. Each step gets easier when I remember that.

This is gonna be so much fun!