Part 1-Team in Training!!
Team in Training.
Wow. Just Wow. This was my first official Team in Training
race, 1 of the 3 that I will end up doing over the course of my 12 halfs this
year. If you have ever considered doing
Team in Training, just go ahead and do it, they will amaze you. At first, I was starting to get skeptical
about all the events and places to be with Team in Training during the
weekend. I’ve done a few races and I
have a certain way of doing things. I’m
a little stubborn and when I’m told where to be and at what time, I have a
tendency to rebel! But at some point, I
finally realized that maybe these folks know better than me (shocker!) and I
should go with it! I’m so glad that I
did, because they do know better than me!
We started the weekend with an inspirational dinner in which
we were welcomed by whistles, clapping and general heralding! You feel like a rock star at the Team in
Training events. Somehow, they make you
feel like you have made the biggest difference in the world and that you are
truly an amazing person. By the end of
the weekend, I felt like I was! At the
dinner, we sat with our Virginia teammates
and listened to stories from survivors/family members affected by blood cancers and heard racing
tidbits and humor from John Bingham “The Penguin”. The inspiration dinner
did just what it is supposed to do, it inspired me and reminded me as to why we
fight and beg for every dollar for LLS.
After the dinner, we met with the entire Virginia team and talked about
race strategies and what would happen the next day. Our Coach, Chuck, went over many things
including that it would be hotter than what we had expected. And then off to bed we went. 
I have to give a shout out to Ms. Jeannie
Dennis for being my partner in crime this weekend. I feel like I have worked pretty hard these
last months and at some point, you just want someone that knows you to see your
effort and really understand what it means.
You want to be able to share your efforts with someone and I realized
during the inspiration dinner how thankful I was that Jeannie was there. She blindly came along to all the events with
our TNT Team and happily became a part of us, we even stenciled TNT Groupie on
her arm for the race. Big huge thanks to
Jeannie, you are awesome! 
I had decorated my jersey with pictures of
Uncle Pat and his family. What I
remember most of finding out about Uncle Pat’s Leukemia was the fear in my
Cousin Anne’s voice in that my Uncle Pat might never get to hold his
grandchildren or be a part of their lives.
I remember Annie and I crying on the phone multiple times over this
simple yet huge fear over the uncertainty of how much time we might have with
him. Not only did I run with Uncle Pat’s
picture on my jersey, but Uncle Pat’s family, including my Aunt Patty and my
cousins Anne, Patrick and John. I grew
up down the street from them and they were my constant playmates, my Uncle Pat
and Aunt Patty were my secondary parents.
We would do anything for each other.
My cousin John once told me when we were little, that when he was older
he would buy me the horse that I always wanted but instead gave me a picture of
a horse that he had made as his promise.
Such a simple gesture, it always stayed with me that even as children,
we wanted to make each other’s dreams come true. So, I run for all of them, not just Uncle
Pat. Having lost my brother when I was
24, I am fully aware of the pain of losing someone and I run with Team in
Training in order to have my cousins not lose their father. It’s painful to write that sentence, but
that sentence is my motivation. That
sentence is the only thing I can do for them.
Our Coach had mentioned during our pre-race
meeting to remember at mile 8 or 11 when you are hurting that you aren’t in
chemo and that you have the ability to run.
And sure enough, after the heat and the many hills in Nashville, at mile
8, I thought of my Uncle Pat and his family.
During the race, you can’t help but notice all the purple jersey’s on
the course. It is truly a TEAM. All others might be running solo, but when
you see the purple jersey, the person from Nebraska isn’t a stranger, they are
a teammate. And you smile at them and
tell them they are looking good. You see
Coaches along each stretch and they shout out your name for you. At mile 11, Coach Chuck found me and ran with
me some to check in on me. I have to say
that seeing his face at mile 11 was quite the boost. Having someone give me a little attention and
a little boost was an amazing feeling. I
asked him about our Virginia team because somewhere along this journey, you
turn into a team. You care about each other
and want to know they are doing well.
Overall this wasn’t my best race time wise. It was hot and hilly. I know I complain a lot about hills, but they
really do wear on you when you aren’t used to them. But this was my strongest race physically and
mentally. I was able to sprint the
finish, which was my real goal. I was so
disappointed after the DC race that I didn’t do my signature ‘want to throw up
sprint’ at the end. I was proud to do it
this time, no matter my race time. After
the race, I wandered over to the Team in Training tent to notify them that I
had finished and was greeted with cheers and whistles. The love and attention they shower on you is
breath taking. I don’t like to be the
center of attention, I want to work hard and let my work speak for itself. But I tried to bask in this praise that is
literally being showered upon you. And
it felt good. The after race Team in
Training tent is basically a VIP tent complete with yummy food, ice baths and
private port-a-potties. Seriously, Team
in Training makes you feel like a rock star.
But that is what these folks are…they are rock stars in purple jerseys
that are fighting for those with, affected or even may potentially have blood
cancers. I am so proud to be a part of
the Team!
Part 2 - The Soccer Gals
The
soccer gals!! Somewhere along the way of
doing these races, it came to my attention that one of my favorite college
soccer teammates, Beth, was also running in Nashville. Then a few other soccer gals decided to run
it and it quickly turned into a Soccer reunion!
Four of us ended up running (Beth, Lindsey, Rebecca and myself) while 4
others (Amy, Jennifer, Christie and Kyra) came in town to either cheer us on or
offer post-race emotional support and fun!
I had mentioned to my best friend, Amy, that I’d never had a sign made
for me during a race and sure enough, at some point in her busy life, she
managed to make me two! She got out
there to the race with Jennifer and they cheered us on! What a boost it was to see them along the
course!! Jennifer even allowed me to
give her sweaty hugs without complaint!
I love these girls with all my heart but there
was a part of me that was nervous about seeing everyone. Much like any reunion, you wonder what people
will think of you ten years later. I’ve
kept up with some of the girls for years but there are others which I haven’t
kept up with as I should. Shame on me
for that. Hopefully, I’ve always made it
apparent to them that I would come running if they needed me. I’d drop everything for any of them.
But I was still nervous to run the same race
they were running! Let me emphasize that we all played collegiate soccer
together and are super competitive at heart.
You have to be competitive in order to play any sport. You have to have that drive to beat other
people, to pass them, to be faster and stronger than your competitor. And the soccer gals who decided to come run
this race are in incredibly good shape.
They were always the fastest girls.
Beth, Rebecca and Lindsey were the forwards and mid-fielders who could
run all day and who shot by defenders like it was a Sunday morning jaunt. These gals are FAST!! I am not!! Never have been. So, I felt a little out of my element and had
to fight down the competitive girl in my mind who still has insecurities that
she isn’t the fastest on the team. And
partially because of those insecurities, I knew I wanted to run this race on my
own. I wanted to be solely responsible
for my performance and I wanted to concentrate on running for Team in
Training. So, I didn’t start with them
and I did run it alone, just as I had wanted to. As I’ve been reminded many times during this
journey ‘Running is not a team sport’, although I wish it was!!
In the end, we all had a tough time with the
hills and the heat of the race.
Although, I think of these girls as superhuman, we all are still very
human. We are all getting older. Our bodies are starting to betray us a
little. But I’m still mesmerized by
these women in their physical abilities.
My pride in them overcomes any insecurity that I have, which was the
exact same 10 years ago. I still feel
the same overwhelming pride in them when they finish a half marathon just as I
did when they scored a goal. I still
feel the old protective nature in me that has always prevailed over my
competitive nature. All I want to do is see them succeed. I still want to sit them down and tell them
what phenomenal women they are and that the world is theirs for the
taking. That they can do anything they
put their mind to doing. That it makes
me so incredibly happy to see them happy in their life choices.
I’ve always known that during College soccer,
my physical abilities were not my strongest asset for the team. I’d like to think it was my leadership
abilities. I’d like to believe that it
was my ability to pull our team together. I’d like to believe it was that I could
inspire someone to be a better version of them self. And that as their Captain, I could make them
see each other as more than teammates…I could make them sisters. And it still put an immediate smile on my
face to hear Beth say ‘Oh Captain, My Captain’ to me. I hope that at some point in their college soccer
career, I inspired them in some way. That
maybe I helped put them on the amazing paths that they are all on today. I’d like to think that I did something right
as a leader if we all still want to see each other years later!!
I walked away from the race and the weekend not upset that I was slower
than them, but feeling inspired by them.
They make me want to run faster, push harder and keep at it. They remind me that I’ve never been a quitter
and never will be. Because at the end of
my day, I still want to be their Captain.
I still want to take care of them and inspire them. I can only hope that I do!
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