Dear Friends and Family,
Surviving 13.1 miles...
Yup, what "they" say is true, running 13.1 miles is no small feat. But on Saturday, January 10th, with the help of my running partner, my enthusiastic Drumm/Morse cheerleading squad, and my teammates, I'm happy to say that I completed my very first half-marathon!
I'll spare you the gory details of the blisters on my feet, or the soreness I feel ever time I stand up or sit down today, not to mention the chaffing. What I will tell you is that crossing that finish line was an amazing experience.
I ran the half-marathon as part of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training® (TNT) , an organization that raises money to help cure blood-related cancers.
Here are the top ten things I learned over the last four months (while training):
10. Gu and Gatorade make a great mid-morning snack
9. Eating a packet of salt is not as gross as it sounds
8. Falling down (twice) on a training run is no excuse for quitting
7. I don't particularly enjoy running for three hours straight
6. Those "go team" cheers that TNT people shout out while you're running are actually not so annoying in the end
5. Running with a team is much better than running on your own
4. Spending hours in the gym lifting weights means nother - it's all about cardio
3. A long run can sometimes really clear your mind
2. You really can do (almost) anything you set your mind to do
1. There is nothing more important than the support of family and friends.
--Allison
