I have run this race for the past 4 years on the Albany Law School team.

When the Susan J. Komen organization pulled the plug on financial contributions to Planned Parenthood (although they did change their mind), Albany Law School decided not to support this cause and not to sponsor a team for the race.

I still feel strongly about finding a cure for breast cancer. It is very dear to my heart as I said last year.  The photo below shows 8 of my friends who are breast cancer survivors.

Since last year, another one of my quilting friends, Mary, has been diagnosed and is currently undergoing treatment.

Mary is on the right

This year I am running the race on the AHN team.  I taught French there for 22 years and their team is running in honor of  a woman who went to AHN and also graduated from Albany Law School, where I currently work. Here’s her story:

At age 25, Erin’s life changed when she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer after a self exam discovered a lump. She had just graduated from law school and never thought her life would take the direction it did. Her father told her, “Even though it’s your body with the cancer, we all have cancer now and we will fight this together.”
After many unsuccessful surgeries to remove the cancerous cells Erin decided to go ahead with chemotherapy treatments. “My family and I were devastated but would not let this beat us.  I did not want cancer to define who I was. I was a young woman with cancer, not just a cancer patient. I wanted to live my life as normal as possible. And to my surprise, there was a way to make that possible.”  Erin’s father had come across a newspaper article about a local woman who just ended chemotherapy and used Cold Cap Therapy. Invented in London, it is not yet approved by the FDA so Erin is only the 47th person in US to use procedure.  Cold icepack-like hats wrap around the entire head to freeze the hair follicles during chemotherapy. The theory is that chemotherapy attacks fast growing cells and hair falls out because it is one of the fastest growing cells in the body. Hair cells/follicles are frozen, protecting them from the chemotherapy drugs.  It is a very painful procedure as the cold ice packs reaching -15 to -26.  The hats had to be changed every half hour to keep the follicles at the right temperature. Erin had a team of family members helping with the cold cap therapy during and after the chemotherapy treatment.  Her entire immediate family and wonderful husband would care for her after the treatments on a daily basis; whether it was rubbing her feet or just sitting with her while she was too weak to move.  Her hair thinned but she could go out in public without the cancer defining her. “I did not want to look like cancer beat me.  If I looked strong it helped me feel strong.”

After 16 long weeks of chemotherapy, she had a successful surgery to remove the remaining cancer cells.  Next step was 34 radiation treatments. For precautionary purposes, she will need to take a chemo pill everyday for five years. She has already hit the two year mark and is hopeful that she will be cured forever.

After completing all of her treatments, Erin and her husband Blair both sat for the NYS Bar Exam and both passed! “After my cancer battle, I did not know if I had enough strength to pass the exam but, I did not let cancer win. I want others to know that it will not defeat you if you fight. Every step of the way, I fought, my family fought.  Through the pain, the heartache, and the life changes, we cannot become defeated.  I am now married to my biggest supporter, expecting a baby early next year, and a working attorney.  My life was derailed but with support, strength, and faith we can overcome!” 

This is a huge race.  You don’t run it for a PR.  You just do it to feel good.

Happy Running!  Have you ever run in the Race for the Cure?

on Sept 8, 2012 at 8:30 am

Well, I signed up for this race to feel better about my running. That is was my goal.  (We know also that to feel better would be to run well and improve my speed.)

I knew nothing about the course except that they changed it back to the first year’s course (the one with the hill.)

At least it started early so the day wasn’t shot.

The weather was far from perfect.  It was VERY humid, in the 70’s and VERY VERY windy.  It felt like a hurricane was on the way.

I got there about 20 minutes early…just enough time to get a parking spot and put my swag bag back  in my car. I bumped into the same 2 ladies from last week’s race. (They do 5ks every week.) Otherwise I didn’t know anyone else.  (Most of my running friends are  running  long runs while training for half or full marathons.)

heading toward the start/finish line

As I said in a previous post, I didn’t really have any written goals.  In the back of my mind was the wish to finish under 30 minutes but with the wind and the fact that I only ran 2 lackluster training runs this week, I would be just glad to finish strong.

The course meandered around the campus (which they said before the race started was worth $4 billion!!!).  There were some uphills but nothing really steep.

I tried not to look at my Garmin but they called out times at every mile so I knew that I was running under 10 minute miles.  I was surprised at that since it was hard running into the wind. I felt at times like I wasn’t even moving.

There were 2 water stops.  I stopped at the first one and walked a bit and then ignored the 2nd one (I did think about it, though.)

When I came toward the finish line, I heard the announcer say “If you run faster, you can still finish under 30 minutes.”

And so I did – 29:53!! Another post-injury PR.

The refreshments were very nice: bagels, cider donuts, whole oranges, bananas, chocolate milk, orange juice.

I hung around with those 2 ladies who always win because they are in the next age group.  And sure enough, they did and I did not.  I came in 7th in 50-59 and would have come in 2nd in the next age group.

 They gave the winners $25 gift certificates to a local diner and they randomly gave huge gift baskets to runners who finished 100. 115, 200, 350, etc.

race swag – lst time I’ve gotten a towel

So 5K #6 is done and at each one I am a little faster.  I guess that’s progress. And I left the race feeling better than before I started (mentally, that is.)

my splits – all under 10 min 🙂

after the race in the windy parking lot

As I did last week, I stopped at the Mohawk Towpath to run some more.

It was very windy but I decided to just grin and bear it – take it slow and walk if necessary.

I headed west and ran along the trail along the Mohawk River.

 When the  trail ended, instead of running along the road, I took a path which turned out to be great since the trees shielded  me from the wind.

I turned back at 1.5 miles and ran the same way back to my car (including a brief stop at a garage sale.)

running on a new path

On my way home, I stopped at Target…love Target!  (needed only a few things and spent almost $200)

Now I am watching the US Open on TV and waiting for the storm to arrive.

Happy Running!  Did you get any rain or did you race or both?

on Sept 1, 2012 in Saratoga

I didn’t have high hopes for this race since my run on Thursday was the worst ever.

Nevertheless, I love racing and I was determined to do my best and have fun.

The weather was more summer-like than September and the race didn’t start  until 10am.

I headed up to Saratoga and arrived there around 9:30.  Already near 80 degrees (& humid.)

before the race

There were real bathrooms – love that! I bumped in to 2 ladies (in their 60’s) who like me ran a race every weekend.

cotton tee shirt – ick!

view from the warming hut facing the start

The course began on the trail and then went out to route 9.  We were running on sidewalk (which made my ankle hurt)  Then we went back into the park and ran on asphalt or trails.

I can’t say that I felt strong during this race cuz I didn’t.  I was determined to just plod along as fast as I could.  I knew without looking at my Garmin that I was getting slower and slower and slower.

I paced myself with a lady around my age and I am proud to say that she was ahead the whole race until mile 3 and then I finished way ahead.

I was hoping to run the whole thing but the water stop half way was too tempting and I walked.

Unfortunately the race ended on the trail and I find it very hard to run fast on trails.

I finished in 30:55.  Not near a PR but a post injury PR by 3 seconds.

There was lots to eat after the race: water, gatorade, bananas, apples, donuts, bagels, crumb cake, granola bars & brownies (I ate 3!)

I hung around for awhile.  I came in 8th in my age group (50-59) but I was one year away from 1st in the next age group.  The also raffled away some great gifts but I didn’t win.

So what about my race goals:

1. Have fun. Of course.
2. Finish. Yes.
3. Feel good during the race. Not too bad.
4. Run the whole thing.  Walked once.
5. Only walk at water stop(s). Yes and good thing, there was only one.
6. Run faster than my previous 5Ks this year (beat 30:58 ). Yes, 30:55
7. Run faster than my RFTH 5k time (beat 30:40) . Nope.

After the race, I didn’t drive up to Lake George as I usually do.  It is a 3 day weekend so I decided to go up later and spend Sunday & Monday there.

On the way home, I felt like running more so I stopped in Crescent along the Mohawk River.  I always wondered if it was a nice trail.

It was definitely scenic but my legs didn’t agree with my brain.  They wre shot.  So I ran/walked them only 2 miles.

Mohawk River

the bridge that I run by on the Nisky trail (in the distance)

I will defintely try this run again. The river views are nice and you are running on soft ground.

Happy Running! Any exciting plans for the Labor Day weekend?