I'm off!

There's been a long silence since I started this blog -- but not because I haven't been doing anything. In fact, my training is well underway, and tonight I set up my official fundraising page. Time to get serious about raising some money.

I've set myself an ambitious goal of $6,000, and I'd like to raise most of that before the training gets too onerous. I've found it's pretty hard to focus after a 32 km run in the heat -- and there are several of those in my future. :-)

For now, the weather is cool, my long runs are relatively short (only 9km last weekend), and I am optimistic I can meet both my goals - to raise a lot of money and to run my best race ever.

My application is in!

So, I've done it. I've sent my application and registration fee to Team in Training. Now, I just have to work up the nerve to tell people I'm doing it.

This isn't the first time I've trained for a marathon. It's the fifth time in fact. But this time it feels scarier somehow. Mostly, I suppose, because this one matters more than the others. This time, if I fail, I won't just be letting myself down.

As I said in my first post, one of the reasons I've taken on this challenge is to honour the memory of a former colleague, Jonathan Kenyon, who died of leukemia in December of 2007. I didn't know Jonathan well but I liked him enormously, and was saddened by his passing. He was a funny, warm, kind person, greatly liked and respected by all of us who had the pleasure of knowing with him. Aside from our work, the one thing Jon and I had in common was that we both loved running. Whenever our paths crossed in the lunchroom, we'd swap stories -- about our long runs, about recent events in which we'd participated, or about the races we'd like to run one day. It was in fact Jon who first told me I should run the Chicago Marathon.

Another very important reason for me to do this is to celebrate the fact that my old friend and roommate, Kirsi Munck, has recently survived her own battle with lymphoma. I've known Kirsi since we were teenagers. She is a warm, funny, creative and loving person who has had too much tragedy in her life, and has faced it all with tremendous courage and grace. It doesn't seem fair that she has also had to deal with cancer -- but then that's the trouble with cancer -- fairness has nothing to do with it. I'm just glad that treatments have gotten to the point where we all have reason to hope she'll be around for a long time.

I've already told Kirsi, as well as Jon's wife and parents, about my plan to run Chicago, and now I've sent off the forms. So, I guess that means I really am committed. Time to get busy working out the details of my training schedule.

Almost ready

So, I've almost decided I can do it. I've almost decided it's not the craziest thing I ever contemplated. I've almost overcome my fear enough to say it out loud.

I want to run another marathon.

I want to run the Chicago Marathon.

I want to train harder than I ever have.

And I want to raise a lot of money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada.

To express heartfelt gratitude for the fact that my dear friend Kirsi's prognosis is so bright following her battle with lymphoma, and to celebrate the life of my former colleague and fellow runner, Jonathan, who died of leukemia in December 2007.