I wanted to send out an update and special thanks to all of you that supported my recent adventure into fundraising and run/ walking a half marathon.
Most importantly our little team of around 30 people rose just over $90,000!!!!!
At the dinner on race eve, the speaker was a doctor who sits on the board of the Melanoma Research Foundation, she told us that we raised enough money to fund a grant. They were so excited at our results, they love us!!! There we were at our carb loading pasta dinner, packed elbow to elbow at the tables listening to how much good will come from this money. They've been doing some cutting edge research but they need so much more. It was an amazing experience to be a part of this team. Our coach has melanoma and is in a program with NIH. Two of his nurses were on the team. He's also retired Navy and several Navy people joined us (good military discipline). We had seasoned athletes and we had newbies that never THOUGHT about doing this or that they actually could. (ahem as in moi)
I'll start with the ending
My official results - YES I met my goal time!!!
http://results.active.com/pages/oneResult.jsp?pID=46046277&rsID=73380
Mark's official results (he didn't fund raise this year, he joined me for the race and was a great motivating force).
http://results.active.com/pages/oneResult.jsp?pID=46045355&rsID=73380
The morning started off FREEZING!!! It was in the 20's, we were all just thankful that it wasn't the day before when it was freezing AND really windy.
We all met in the lobby at 6:00 AM sharp and did the team photo. I was wearing two layers on the bottom and 4 on top, plus a hat, gloves and a gater around my neck. I also slathered on super thick moisturizer and chapstick. Mark and I headed over to the race start and got right into the porta-pottie line. We promptly got separated from the rest of the team. From there we headed over to the runners corrals, smooched each other good luck (he was in a faster corral then me) and off we went into the crowd. I was in the last corral, this corral has no number, and it's called "The last wave". It's where the slow people start from; it's also a good 20 mins after the clock starts. So you wait and freeze and talk to other waiting freezing strangers. You try to stretch but it's pretty crowded, eventually you shuffle along and hear that soon the last wave will get to go. We heard the Rocky theme song more times than I can count. Suddenly I realize that I'm on the wrong side, I'm in with the full marathoners, but I'm stuck in the crowd and see lots of others with red half marathoner bibs, we all decide that this is not a big deal. It wasn't as the full and the half run together for the first 13 miles.
We finally get out of the gate and we're off. I can't describe the feeling of starting something like this with some 18,000 other people. It's a bit overwhelming! There were so many spectators cheering us on. I had my name written on my shirt and I'd hear people call out to me. I mostly walk fast and then add in some slow jogging. Pretty soon into the race the cold air got to my lungs and I could feel the asthma kicking in, I ripped out my inhaler and settled it down (I was prepared for this). Then around mile 3 my nose started running faster than my feet and I started hacking. These 3 angels from New Jersey gave me some tissues; I really treasured those little tissues. I shared the story of our little fundraising team with them and several other runners. I'd share the story with anyone that looked at me with interest.
The spectators were awesome!!! There was a man who rode his bicycle and would meet us at various points in the route just too high five us. I think I high fived him about 5 times during the course of the race. There was the row of frat houses with the guys banging on pots and screaming at us about how great we were doing. At mile 5 I saw Coach Stenny; I got so excited I started to go faster and he had to tell me to slow down. He stayed with me a bit and off I went again on my own. At mile 9 I met Coach Don, he was there to escort each and every one on the team up the big hill. I had visions of jogging up the hill with Don, but my lungs didn't share this vision, we walked it. The sun came out and the day seemed glorious!!! At mile 12 there was Stenny again, he gave me the scoop on the rest of the race and off I went. Right before Mile 13 was my Mark, he was so proud of me. I was kind of out of it, but he said to meet him at the photos, I got that. That last .1 was the hardest. You feel like you're there, but where's the finish line??? You're circling around the park and still no finish line. I wanted a big finish; I wanted to run over that thing with hands up in the air cheering, if only I could reach it. Finally there it was, I picked up the pace, shot my hands in the air and smiled at the cameras 
Once I stopped running on came the coughing, the nausea. I felt awful (I hear this is common) as I kept walking along just following the crowds, someone handed me a medal, someone handed me some Advil, another handed me a plastic blanket, and some water appeared out of nowhere, Mark was by the photos and we got our picture taken together, we smiled and raised our fists in victory (Stenny likes when we show enthusisasm). We got some food in the tent; the bananas they served were frozen. The chicken broth with rice was really good!!!! We were done, we were glowing and we were totally spent.
We are doing it again with Coach Stenny and Coach Don next year; they tell us that we're going someplace different they just haven't picked where yet. Mark is going to join the team and fundraise with me. TEAM DREW!!!
Some things I learned along the way
· If it is cold make sure your base layers are long enough, because if they aren't they WILL ride up and FREEZE your belly and lower back. BRRRRRRRR
· When putting on a sports bra step into it like a bathing suit, this avoids the strangulation method that I used to use.
· If you go to training and listen to the coaches, you WILL improve, get faster and stronger
· While training, I found the highest percentage of good looking, shirtless, muscular men on the Mount Vernon trail near the Airport, worth training just for that view 
· Eat carbs before the workout and protein after. Hammer gels in Raspberry taste like the center of a jelly donut! YUM
· Always train with a hydration system!!
· There will be one training session that you will bonk, one when it's going to be miserable weather and one where you'll feel sick, pray all three don't happen on the same day. Lucky for me, they didn't
How I got into this
In closing I just wanted to share that I've been very fit in the past, but had really gotten out of shape. I went for my physical last spring and was counseled strongly by my doctor that I had gained too much weight and my triglycerides were border line elevated. I was trying to go to the gym and not finding the dedication or the motivation to keep going. Then I met Coach Stenny and his wife Kendal at the gym, they were recruiting people for the race. Every excuse that I could come up with was met with a solution from the coach. He wasn't pushy, he was nice and welcoming. Kendall told me about his cancer and how they were motivated to help fund more research into cures, she was so friendly. Some wild emotion came over me and I signed up. I just had to be a part of this, I thought I'd lost my mind. Instead I lost 18 pounds and gained discipline, motivation, a great team of friends and a sense of accomplishment!!
Once again, thank you to all of you who were there for me over the last 6 months. BTW – I'll need you guys again next year 
