Just Six Weeks from Today!

Where has the time gone? As I write this, six weeks from today I should have the finish line in sight with only a few hundred yards more to go as I move down Boylston Street with an unbelievable mix of emotions swirling within. But between now and then, there remain just about 200 miles of training, and the Marathon, before I can experience that thrill.

Last Thursday, Tara Murray, a local runner, Boston veteran, and regular participant on the local Centre Volunteers in Medicine team that annually raises funds for a clinic to help those who cannot afford needed medical care (all team members are Boston qualifiers; each year there are twenty or more running in Boston), wrote a nice column in the local paper. She described the adjustments being made by those CVIM runners who were shut out as a result of the quick closing of Boston applications this year. These community-minded folks simply added two other spring marathons scheduled for about the same time as Boston as events where those who missed Boston will run in support of the clinic. Tara also generously included a couple of paragraphs on my participation on the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge Team. You can read her column at http://www.centredaily.com/2011/03/03/2557074/boston-closing-puts-runners-on.html

That pampered rodent over in Punxsutawney, Phil, didn’t see his shadow this year (one of the relatively few times that has happened; guess not enough photographers with flash bulbs turned out this year on a nasty weather day!), so the word is that we will have an early spring. In general, he seems to have been right. We had a few days up into the low 60’s last month, but then a return to more normal temperatures with a few pretty cold overnights mixed in. Several days had very strong winds as well – so strong that, for brief periods, it was actually difficult to make forward progress into the teeth of the wind as I chugged along the edge of the road. A couple of times the Gatorade I carry with me on training runs has turned to slush because of the cold. But those days should be behind us by now. Training hasn’t been interrupted or missed yet because of weather, and I have been outside each day rather than having to resort to a treadmill or indoor track. It hasn't always been easy. Fortunately today is a ‘day off,’ as we had 10” of fresh, heavy snow yesterday afternoon and evening. With bright sun today, and warming temperatures, a lot of it is melting, and I expect that by tomorrow this latest storm won’t have left any problem areas on my usual training routes.

I splurged at Christmas and bought a Garmin Forerunner 405. Among its many advantages is that I can, if I want, strike out in any direction and don’t have to try to measure distances after I finish a session. Everything is all nicely recorded for me – distance, time, and pace (which is calculated automatically). While I have tended to stay more or less on my usual routes (in large part because there are few major roads I have to cross so am not delayed by lights and traffic), I have explored a few new hills and loops. Happy Valley (as our area is known) has lots of hills anyway, so it is a great area to train for a Boston kind of a course, and I figure a few more won’t hurt. Even with some additional terrain challenges, I am still maintaining a pace that varies from nicely below 12:00/mile to, on a slow day, maybe 20 or so seconds/mile above that pace.

State College has a strong and active running community, so I usually see a reasonable number of others out putting in their miles. As a University town, of course there are also many students who jog around our neighborhoods. Must admit that I would love to know the thoughts behind some of the faces of some of the ‘kids’ I see. They seem to take in stride the fact that someone 50 years (or more) older than they are can still get out and enjoy power walking as much as they enjoy their runs, but occasionally their looks are a bit quizzical.

But that’s the training end of things. Not a whole lot that is exciting, but it is rewarding and, most days, quite enjoyable too. My ‘long run’ so far has been 16 miles (and I realized at the end of that one that I still need lots of additional training to be ready for 26.2, even though my pace was among the best long run paces I have recorded). I am one of those lucky persons who doesn’t have to worry much about weight. Even so, I have dropped a few pounds since I began training in earnest. Actually I am today at my playing weight when I was on the intercollegiate volleyball team as an undergraduate – a little over 50 years ago. Not too shabby!

The fundraising has been slower this year than last. While Kenzie and I do not plan to reduce our goal for ‘Team Cameron,’ we do need your help to reach it. You can donate through our Dana-Farber joint web site at http://www.runDFMC.org/2011/cameron/ Please do so. Every contribution is not only greatly appreciated, but also much needed to assure the continuation of the innovative basic research that very bright and creative scientists are pursuing in their quest to get us to the ultimate goal, a world without cancer.

Until I post again, enjoy each day. Life is too short not to make the most of all of our opportunities, and there are so many good things that we can do. Cheers!