Running with Bubbles

Half-marathon training
Week two, day one

As I was lacing up my shoes for my 1/2 mile this morning, I was thinking about the kickoff session on August 11, where we were encouraged to really think about the people affected by this disease, and not just the numbers. And in the short time I’ve been working on this goal, I’ve learned that many of my friends have been affected by blood cancer. My best friend from junior high, who is training for her fourth half-marathon with the Houston team in honor of her daughter, who was diagnosed at 2 and is now starting first grade cancer free. My friend and tireless bar none director, who lost her father to leukemia. The TNT campaign manager, who lost his mother after her transplant. Just last night, I was talking to some good friends about helping me with a fundraising event and found out that her mother had lymphoma.

Grandfathers, mothers, brothers, wives, sons, daughters, friends…so many people dealing with the same awful disease that took Angi from us much too soon. It took me about 6 minutes to run a half-mile this morning. During that time, 1.5 people in the US were diagnosed with a blood cancer. I’m so happy to help try to find a cure.

Half-marathon training
Week one, day four

“What if I sleep through my alarm or have car trouble and am late?” “What if everyone else knows each other and I stand around feeling awkward?” “What if my hip acts up, I have to walk the whole way, and people wonder why I’m in the running group if I can’t even run?”

Man, my brain comes up with some stupid stuff when I’m trying to fall asleep.

So, today was our first group training run. Met at RunOn at 7 for a quick session on shoes and clothing, then jogged over to SMU to run what Coach Joe calls a “magic mile.” Four times around the track to decide on your speed group for future runs. On the way there I met Ryan, who told me she was running intervals. 3 minutes running, one minute walking. Sounded like a great idea and she invited me to run with her if I liked. I did and final mile time was 12:15 (when I run by myself and run the whole time, I run about 13:30). Whoo!

Jogged back to RunOn (well, I walked, as my hip had enough by then) for some retail therapy. More on that later. I had way more fun than I thought possible at 7 a.m. and met some great people too.

I probably won’t be able to sleep next Friday either. But instead of nerves, it will be due to excitement. Can’t wait!

Half-marathon training
Week one, day three

Normally today would have been another 2.5 miles but I had to stick to the 1/2 mile listed on my schedule. The twinge in my hip Tuesday has turned into a full-on “OW.” So I ran 1/2 mile, walked 1/2 mile, and finished my workout on the bike.

This has happened before and usually means I was lax on my stretching earlier in the week. The first time it happened I tried to run through it and ended up not being able to run at all for a few weeks. Now I just need to get it better in time for Saturday’s group training run.

I think it’s my IT band. Yeah, I know, “dammit, Liz, you’re a lawyer, not a doctor.” On the other hand, I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

So, stretching, advil, maybe some ice. Any of my runner friends had this problem before or have any specific advice?

Half-marathon training
Week one, day two

Today, my schedule said to run one mile. My running coach said that if we were already running, we should keep up our old mileage until the schedule catches up with us. So I ran the 2.5 miles I always run. Which was awesome, because it made me feel like an over-achiever.

Where I would LOVE to be an over-achiever is in fundraising. I’m required to raise a certain amount to stay on the team ($3000). Honestly, I intend to blow that away. But I have to admit I’m a little worried about it. I’m far from a natural fundraiser or salesperson. I was the kid who showed up at your door in a Girl Scout uniform and said, “you probably don’t want any cookies, do you?”

As y’all know, this race is way more important than summer camp, as much as I love camping. So, I’m asking for your help. (Bubble up, Liz.) Please go to my fundraising page athttp://pages.teamintraining.org/ntx/wdw13/estepp and make a donation. I know not everyone can give $50 or $100 (thanks, Mom, Dad, and Carol!) Maybe you can give $25 or $10. Heck, even if you can give $5, that would be awesome.

See, I don’t just want to raise a lot of money for LLS. I also want to have a lot of donors to represent the many people Angi touched in her lifetime. With all of that support behind me and Bubbles above me, how can I not fly across the finish line?

My training schedule today said to run “one-half mile, easy.” Of course I can run a half mile, but no pace would have been easy today. It turns out it’s not so easy to run with a broken heart and tears in your eyes.

Yesterday, Angi Ring, aka Bubbles, passed away from complications that set in after her bone marrow transplant in March. She was 42. I wish I had to words to tell those of you who didn’t know her how special she was. She was the kindest, happiest, most optimistic person I ever met. The kind of person who made you want to be a better person every second you were around her. The kind of person who was always there with a warm smile, a helping hand, a loving word.

I had planned to run this race and raise funds in her honor. Instead, I will be doing it in her memory. I am working on my fundraising page today and will post a link to it when I am done. I wish that no one else would ever have to go through the pain that Angi did and the loss her family and friends feel today, and maybe my efforts can help make that happen.

Until then, “keep your head up. That’s where the bubbles are.”