All You Need Is Love

Wishing everyone a Happy Valentine's Day tomorrow!  Consider giving a gift of love in honor of those battling cancer this Valentine's Day- together we can make a difference and find a cure!

-S

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Be Kind

"Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other's eyes for an instant?"

–Henry David Thoreau

We often are told to be kind to others because we don’t know what they are going through in their lives, but how often do we truly take the time to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes?  As I was walking to work this week, I watched a family going their separate ways for the day- a father in a suit with his briefcase in tow hugging his wife and child as they got into a taxi.  The mother and child were headed off to the child’s chemotherapy, while the father was headed to work.  Unfortunately, this is the sad reality for many families who have a loved one undergoing cancer treatment.  The family doesn’t get much time together between working to try to pay medical bills, doctor’s appointments and other errands/tasks that must be done.  It made me rethink how “rushed and stressed” I had felt that morning before leaving the house.  My struggles of the morning compared to what this family was going through that day.  This was an excellent reminder for me to keep my patience throughout my day with people who may seem irritated, cranky, flustered, etc.  For all I know these people may be caring fully for a loved one at home who is ill, trying to figure out how they will pay a massive medical bill, going through family struggles or perhaps all of the above.  The rest of the week, I made an extra effort to give a smile and go above and beyond for those around- a smile is enough to make a huge difference in someone’s day!

The little acts of kindness we all do for one another will help to make the world a better place.  

It was a great week of training- Tuesday I braved the rain for a soaking wet run, while Thursday left me with better weather to run along the Charles River at dusk.  Will and I came home to a wonderful roast we had put together in the slow cooker before we set out for our long run on the river.  It was a little windy, but overall great weather for a run!

Please consider making a donation to the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge which raises money to fund innovative cancer research by clicking the link below

www.runDFMC.org/2014/sarah

Every donation makes a huge impact and can help bring us closer to a world without cancer.  Instead of that venti latte, consider a donation to help fund research that aims to make the world a better place for all of us.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

-S 

New Year, New Goals

This weekend was a beautiful weekend for training in Boston- the temperatures were in the 40's which I find to be perfect running weather. My boyfriend Will and I set out on a 7 mile run today along the Emerald Necklace and were able to enjoy the scenery along the way. 

I am looking forward to getting back into the double digits for mileage soon and exploring new running routes throughout Boston! 

I hope everyone had a wonderful time over the holidays and a Happy New Year! As we enter into 2014, many of us have set new goals and resolutions to make this year better than the last. Some of my goals are to raise $7,000 for the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge and to cross the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 21. With less than 100 days to go until race day, it has become time to focus on training and fundraising to reach both of these goals. 

On February 23, I will be running the Hyannis Half Marathon as a part of my training and would love to be halfway to my fundraising goal at that time. With the support of all of you we can make this happen together and help make strides towards a cure for cancer. Donating is a quick and easy process, simply click this link to be directed to my personal fundraising page. Every single dollar donated goes straight to funding cancer research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.  Please consider supporting this cause- every donation whether large or small makes a huge impact.  

Stay tuned for more updates all the way up until race day! 

Thanks for all of your support!

-S

There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays

I've made it back to Minnesota for a relaxing week with the family to celebrate Christmas!  It is one of my favorite times of year, not because of the presents, but all the love that goes around (picture the airport scene in the movie Love Actually). It is a time for multiple family gatherings of celebration, remembering our loved ones that have passed and teaching the young ones the magic of Christmas.  To me the greatest gift is being able to be home to hug my family. 

The holidays do bring an interesting challenge to marathon training- it is very hard to keep up with in between family gatherings, snow storms and another glass of that special egg nog!  I was able to step outside yesterday and hop on one of my favorite running routes as a light snow dusted the ground.  

The run was along the Mississippi in St. Paul.  I ran the farthest distance I have been able to since surgery without stopping to rest which was a big milestone for me.  I was taken back to the days when I first fell in love with this distance running as this was the course where I ran my first 10k and first half marathon.  I envisioned my family along the course cheering me on just as they were 6 years ago.  The crisp (others may say frigid...) air was refreshing as I reflected back on how far I've come with running since then.  The thoughts of all the people who I am running for in this upcoming Boston Marathon were on my mind as well- it truly puts your life into perspective and makes you value the little things more than ever before.  I hope to have many more runs like this during my time home that take me back to those special memories.  

I'll can't say enough how much running with the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team has changed my life and my running for the better.  It makes running seem more purposeful and life changing knowing that every step you take both running and in fundraising makes a huge impact on someone battling cancer.  It truly is a challenge in multiple ways, but the rewards are priceless when it helps bring us closer to a cure for cancer by funding those incredible, hard-working researchers!

Click here to donate to the DFMC.

I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday and are able to spend time with the ones you love!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

-S

Thankful

I've been taking this time before Thanksgiving arrives to sit back and reflect on the things I am thankful for.  Sure, I can list all the things I am sure most of us are thankful for: family, friends, health, pets, etc.  I would like to expand beyond this and say I am very thankful for researchers and medical staff like the ones at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.  Without people like them doing what they've been doing through the years, my parents may not have been as fortunate to have the success stories they are now able to share.  There are also so many other people who are fortunate enough to be able to say "I am a survivor".  To see how far research has come over the years to improve cancer treatments and bring us closer to a cure brings joy to my heart.  I know far too many people affected either directly or indirectly by cancer and I wish for them all to be able to have these success stories.  While research has a long way to go, we have made such great strides over the years that I feel extremely optimistic about the future.

Show your thanks to these ambitious, driven and hard-working researchers by making a donation today by clicking here to go to my fundraising page through the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge.  Every single penny you donate goes directly towards funding innovative cancer research.  Please consider a donation- every single donation, no matter the amount brings us one step closer to a cure.  

Another thing I have been thankful for over the last couple weeks is the ability to be back to running.  I have finally been able to run without discomfort from surgery and have been slowly building up my miles!  It feels wonderful to be back at it, although I have a lot of work to do to get back into full training mode by December.  I am so blessed to be healthy enough to be able to run as I desire, something that brings great exhilaration to my life.  Running for the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge has brought a whole new meaning to my passion for racing.  Knowing that the effort put in through fundraising and training makes a tremendous difference in the lives of others is truly rewarding.  I cannot wait to see what this 2014 DFMC season brings!

I'll leave you with a few pictures from the last couple of weeks...

 I am so lucky to have this beautiful reservoir to run around right by my apartment!

 I couldn't resist stopping for pictures on this run

Onyx is still celebrating the Red Sox championship ;)

I hope you all have a safe and enjoyable weekend as the brisk fall weather has arrived!  

-S

Ready for April 21, 2014!

I am pleased to announce that the 2014 season of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge has begun.  I am thrilled to be back running for such an amazing organization.  This year will be very special to all of us in many ways.  I look forward to being able to finish my journey I began last season with my thoughts and prayers going out to those affected by April's tragic events and those who have battled or are currently battling cancer.

For those who haven't checked out my blog before, the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge raises money to support innovative cancer research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.  Every penny of your donation goes directly to the cause- how awesome is that!?  Last season, our marathon team raised 4.74 million dollars to directly fund research at DFCI.  We couldn't have done this without the help of all of you, our wonderful supporters!  Thank you!

The link to my 2014 fundraising page is:  www.runDFMC.org/2014/sarah 

Please share this with your family and friends while we work together to bring us closer to a cure!

Onto personal updates...

I am recovering well from my surgery- it is hard to believe nearly a month has passed by already!  I attempted to go for my first run yesterday of about 2 miles.  It was a slow going and I had some soreness afterwards, but I know I will get back into my training one step at a time.  

Last weekend was the Maine Marathon that I had been training to run, but due to surgery was unable to.  However, Onyx and I enjoyed a relaxing weekend in York checking out the beach and some views from the Mount Agamenticus summit.

I look forward to sharing my journey with you as I make my way to the Boston Marathon on April 21, 2014!  Please consider making a donation to support this wonderful cause- every donation truly does make a difference!  

Hope everyone had a great weekend! :)

-S

An Eventful Week: DFMC Check Presentation and Surgery

Monday evening was  the DFMC check presentation for the 2013 team.  It was a wonderful event and it was so rewarding to see the final result of all our hard work throughout the season!  We couldn't have done it without the help of all of you- thank you!

Unveiling of the check...

4.74 million dollars were raised by DFMC to help fund cancer research!

While we took time to reflect on the tragic events that occurred on April 15, we also took time to reflect on and celebrate the positives, such as the difference this money will make in helping make strides with cancer treatments/cures.  It was great to see some faces I hadn't seen since Marathon Monday and catch up with them.  It is such an honor to run with the Dana-Farber organization and I cannot wait to begin training/fundraising for the upcoming season!  I have been officially accepted back to the DFMC 2014 and will be returning to Hopkinton on April 21, 2014 to once again run the Boston Marathon.  I could not be more excited!

Unfortunately while I was at the check presentation banquet, I began to not feel well and knew something was wrong.  I wound up sweaty and lightheaded in the middle of the banquet and had to step out for a minute to sit down.  I made it home that evening, but spent the entire night up with abdominal pain and general discomfort.  I went into MGH urgent care on Tuesday morning and was quickly admitted to the emergency department for observation.  After multiple scans and tests, I was found to have appendicitis, luckily catching it before it ruptured.  I went into surgery in the early hours of the morning Wednesday.  All went as smoothly as possible during surgery which was great.  I had many wonderful guests while I was in the hospital.  I was able to go home Wednesday evening as I had my friend Amy with me during surgery who was available to stay over night and help me out the following day as well.

Beautiful flowers and chocolate from my coworkers

Onyx thinks she is a nurse...

But she fell asleep on the job.

A surprise delivery midday Thursday from another good friend

I am so blessed to have such amazing people in my lives.  My friend Tarryn stayed with my last night and my cousin Lena is coming in from NYC to spend the weekend with me.  Hopefully the recovery process continues to go quickly and smoothly!  Thank you all who have sent kind messages, etc.- they have all brightened the past few days up for me!

I have been a little bummed out because this surgery means I won't be able to run the upcoming Maine Marathon on October 6 that I had been training for.  I am not sure how long I will be out of running, but I'm sure I'll get all of that information at my follow up on the 30th.

Thank you all again for your generous donations to the 2013 DFMC!  It is greatly appreciated!  I look forward to passing the amount raised this year in 2014!

Hope everyone is well!  Have a wonderful weekend :)

-S