My Running Blog and Other Stuff

Taper nuttiness has begun.  Coach Steve tells me to take it real easy the next two weeks.  I’m gonna try. Tapers are just so blankedly hard.  I can’t get through it easily.  Never have.  But again, i’m gonna try.

TNT long run on Saturday is my last one before the marathon.  I think its 8 or so miles.  Its what on the schedule anyway.  It’ll calm me down.  The folks i’m running with are so awesome.  I’m making friends, and that is really what long distance running is all about.  Friendship and fellowship. I’m told a PR is mine for the asking.  I have to agree.  The training has been going SO good since London.  I’m in really good shape right now… my legs are a little mini rocks….  c

Speaking of friendship and fellowship… i can’t wait to see my LCAR buddies again.  We’re going to have a good time. Granted, the group has changed dramatically in the past year, but somehow, i think all will be forgiven and forgotten at the get togethers, the race and all that.  Doesn’t really matter, ya know.  Its a great race and a great time.  Besides, I’m doing this race for mom, and her memory.  I know she’s gonna be watching and encouraging me to be strong and go faster….  My only wish is that i’m not a royal mess by the time i get to the finish line…..

Work folks know that i’m tapering and have given me all sorts of new projects to keep me occupied for the next couple of weeks so that the cutting down on the miles isn’t too painful…..

Birthday thoughts in a couple of days…..  I want that BQ within the next two years.  I would love to run boston in 2009.  we’re already talking about going up then.  speaking of the boston area, yeah, we really miss our friends there.  its hard down here.  but who knows, we may get some good friendships getting settled through tnt.   This year will be a little tough.  no phone call from mom to wish me a happy birthday.  hope dave realizes how hard thats gonna be.  cuz it will…

happy taper thoughts… happy taper thoughts….

I just posted an edit to last week’s post on TNT.  I feel really bad that I used someone else’s hard work for my own. It should not be that way, ya know.  I’m supposed to ask permission for these things.  I put an edit note on the last post, and am doing it again right here—  Jeff, I’m really sorry I did that, and hopefully you will forgive me for that.  They keep telling us at TNT to acknowldege the other folks if you “borrow” something from them….. but did I listen, NO….

Here is his link to the blog (once again) to his training blog.  If you so desire, please donate something to him….  Thanks!

 http://tucsonorbust.livejournal.com

(Edit – 9/24/07):   This is a public apology to the original writer of this post, Jeff.  I used this post from his training blog without his permission.  I feel really really bad about this.  I should have known better.  To read about his training, and to support him, visit his blog at

http://tucsonorbust.livejournal.com.    I would really appreciate it..

********************************

What are we raising this money for, exactly? Well, that’s a more complicated answer than many people realize. It’s simple enough to say that it’s going toward treatment and other services for people who have already been diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, Hodgkins, and other blood disorders – and toward research to prevent and cure these diseases. Those are certainly the two greatest priorities the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has, with government lobbying a close third.

But not all of the research is genetic or even purely medical in nature, like the breakthrough at Ohio State —Cornell Medical College  in New York City, and the Cornell University College of Agriculture & Life Sciences in Ithaca – announced an innovative new collaborative study called “IMPACT,” or “Improving Methods for Patient Accrual to Clinical Trials.”

It doesn’t sound very sexy, and it’s really quite meta – in a way, it’s a study of studies. When a new treatment is developed for any kind of cancer, it must go through clinical trials, and hundreds or even thousands of real patients suffering from these very real diseases must volunteer to participate. Often they volunteer because their cases are “refractory,” meaning there’s no good alternative available – but often it’s because they see a real opportunity to help others down the road while they battle their own affliction, or because of lower treatment costs to themselves, or simply because the new treatment has great potential. Yet fewer than 2% of cancer patients choose to participate in clinical trials across the United States – often for fear of randomization or side-effects, distrust of doctors, or lack of familiarity with clinical trials.

Even an increase to 4% or 5% could mean the difference between completing a clinical trial in three years and completing it in two years. Any new treatment could save thousands more lives if the standard of care is improved more quickly. So this collaborative study “will seek to uncover new means for improving recruitment and better serving patients,” according to Dr. John Leonard, one of the professors at Weill Cornell leading the study. Because the study involves not just medicine but issues of communication, the Ag School’s Communication department is involved as well, including a doctoral student focusing in the area.

Funding for the first phase of the project – for a national survey on attitudes toward participation in clinical trials, and for the doctoral student – came from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The money you give today to support my running of the Disney Marathon on January 12 might help someone suffering from leukemia right now. But it also might help treat people you care about ten years from now, because we’ve been able to develop a better understanding of how to bring innovative new treatments to the people who need them, faster and more safely.

What we are doing, you and me, is having a very real impact. People’s lives will be better because of what we do right now, today.

Thanks for helping.

OK, a couple of things to talk about. First and foremost. Training with TNT. With the exception of the fundraising… why didn’t I do this ages ago is beyond me….  its gonna do me a world of good.  I just wish that I could do the weekday runners—its hard, but hopefully, there will be a bunch of ones coming up soon in Brandon as its MUCH easier to get to… esp with the morning schedule the way it is…. Chicago is in 4 weeks.  CANNOT wait for that.  Esp hanging with LCAR.

Dragon*Con.  what an awesome time.  Waiting for the panels—well… boring. But for all the ones that we had to wait for, SO well worth it.  Esp the Stargate one.  You just had to know that the folks on the panel were having a blast (did read that they were wasted, but still looked like they enjoyed being there….. ).  We know we’re heading back next year.  doesn’t matter who the guests are.  we know we’ll find something to see and enjoy…

guess that is about it for now…..