Our little Charlottesville Team flew to San Diego this past weekend to truly rock the Rock ‘n Roll 1⁄2 Marathon and Full Marathon. In training, you never really get to see the full scope of an organization like TNT. The local races and events give you an idea, but in San Diego, the mission came into full view for us.
We traveled to San Diego on Friday with the excitement brewing. After many months of training, the realization was sinking in…we’re going to run 26.2 miles on Sunday! Yikes! We arrived at our hotel to discover TNT had our weekend completely set. No worrying about transportation, race morning, or logistics. Team In Training had everything taken care of for us. We were “heroes” this weekend, so they said.
We traveled to San Diego on Friday with the excitement brewing. After many months of training, the realization was sinking in…we’re going to run 26.2 miles on Sunday! Yikes! We arrived at our hotel to discover TNT had our weekend completely set. No worrying about transportation, race morning, or logistics. Team In Training had everything taken care of for us. We were “heroes” this weekend, so they said.
Saturday began with a quick run to loosen up. This didn’t seem like work because we ran along the boardwalk and saw marinas full of yachts, including one with a helicopter on the back! The expo was only steps away from the hotel (thanks, TNT!), so we browsed the expo and picked up our race packets.
Our inspiration event was so large, TNT needed 3 seatings! San Diego welcomed 4,000 TNT participants and together we raised $12 million dollars for cancer research! It was amazing to learn those figures at the Inspiration Lunch. Things were really starting to sink in learning about the families who are dealing with these cancers and the survivors who were in the audience (some participating the next day!).
Sunday morning we were up bright and early at 3 AM. The routine began and we rode the elevator to the lobby at 3:45. My husband and I started to get emotional because our hard work was going to pay off and it was about so much more than us. I pinned on my “In Memory of” bib because I got started in all of this because we lost our greyhound to lymphoma in February of 2009.
The race was amazing but kind of a blur. I remember so many people and coaches screaming my name and Go Team! We ran through downtown San Diego, the famous Balboa Park, on a major freeway, and through the Padres stadium! Pretty neat. For me, the race was wonderful, without stomach trouble, and right at my goal to finish a marathon.
Our inspiration event was so large, TNT needed 3 seatings! San Diego welcomed 4,000 TNT participants and together we raised $12 million dollars for cancer research! It was amazing to learn those figures at the Inspiration Lunch. Things were really starting to sink in learning about the families who are dealing with these cancers and the survivors who were in the audience (some participating the next day!).
Sunday morning we were up bright and early at 3 AM. The routine began and we rode the elevator to the lobby at 3:45. My husband and I started to get emotional because our hard work was going to pay off and it was about so much more than us. I pinned on my “In Memory of” bib because I got started in all of this because we lost our greyhound to lymphoma in February of 2009.
The race was amazing but kind of a blur. I remember so many people and coaches screaming my name and Go Team! We ran through downtown San Diego, the famous Balboa Park, on a major freeway, and through the Padres stadium! Pretty neat. For me, the race was wonderful, without stomach trouble, and right at my goal to finish a marathon.
Our San Diego trip was full of amazing memories, but the biggest memories will be of all of the people. All of the people affected by these blood cancers. The many people who are trying to find a cure…the many people fighting. We are all part of a bigger picture in the TNT family and in life. Working hard to do what we can on a small scale to make a huge difference on a grand scale. We work hard and sometimes ask why. Team In Training teaches us the why. Finishing a marathon was just icing on the cake!
Thank you again, TNT! Go Team!
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