I DID IT!!!!!!!

It's over and I've finished my first marathon! What an experience. As I look back, I can honestly say it was worth EVERYTHING and I’m glad to have been able to do this. I learned so much, met awesome people, and the support I’ve received from my family and friends has been phenomenal.

Betty, my running partner, and I arrived in SF on Saturday afternoon. We checked into our hotel and went down to Union Square to pick up our race packets. It was a beautiful sunny day in the city. It was fun seeing all the women and shopping at the Nike exhibits. We had a huge Pasta dinner that night at the Moscone Center. There were 5,000 other runners from Team in Training from all over the United States. It was an inspirational night, full of testimonies from cancer survivors and people running in honor of a loved one. I left there feeling inspired and excited to be running for this cause. Thank you for all who prayed that I would be able to sleep on Saturday night because Betty and I got back to our room, laid out all our running gear, and went to bed. We both slept soundly until the alarm went off at 4:00 am. Betty even said that she’s usually unable to sleep the night before her marathons, so we were both very happy about getting a good night’s sleep.

Arriving at Union Square at 5:30 am was quite an experience. There were 24,000 women and 1,000 men warming up to run, plus all the spectators there to watch. It was so awesome when the National Anthem was sung and there was complete silence as everyone watched our Flag blowing in the wind. We were ready!! We took off at 7:00 am. It was a foggy morning but perfect weather to run in. The first 8 miles were really good. I felt strong and didn't even mind the hills. It was so motivating to see all the runners, especially those who had lost loved ones to cancer. Mothers with their child’s picture on their backs, running in their memory. People on the sidelines with banners and signs cheering us on. It was an incredible sight. Around mile 8 I started getting a pain in my side that I had when I had gotten sick just weeks before the race. The pain got worse as time went on and I was disappointed that I couldn't run like I wanted to. At mile 18 I was so excited to see family and friends and that got me going again…even my youngest grandchild Beau Robert was there. Betty and I ran together all the way until mile 22 when I had to slow for a bit because of the pain. At mile 23 I hit 'the wall', and out of the blue a guy came up beside me and started running with me, talking to me, cheering me on and making me laugh and forget about the pain. I think he was an angel sent to me because he ran with me for about 1 mile and then he was gone. I kept going, but the last 2 miles seemed so far away! At mile 25, my sons Jon and Mark came in from the sidelines and ran with me for little ways, until my coach ran up along side me and we ran the last mile together. The last 2 tenths of the race, I met up with Betty again and we crossed the finish line at the same time.

I was so overwhelmed with emotion all I could do was cry. It was crazy!! The SF firemen were all dressed in Tuxedos and handed us our Tiffany necklaces as we passed. My legs felt like jello and my side was still hurting, but I was so excited. Bob and all of my kids and spouses were there and handed me yellow roses. Robin and Brian were there with hugs and support. Vanessa's sisters, Christa and Melissa, were also there. It was awesome!! We all went back to Union Square to celebrate. John & Jeanette Krick and Cathy Tuxon met us there. John was one of my inspirations for running also. The whole experience was amazing.

I was also excited to find out that my time of 3hrs 50 minutes qualified me for the Boston Marathon! I also came in second place in my age group, which was really exciting news and means I’ll receive another gift from Tiffany's. I never thought I would run another marathon, but after talking to my running team, I have decided to run in the Boston Marathon. It is a privilege to qualify and who knows when the opportunity would ever come up again. I signed up this morning, so I guess I’m committed!

I visited Betsy this week and she was doing so much better. Her chemotherapy treatments are finished and she starts radiation treatments next week for 4 weeks. She still has a long road ahead of her so please continue to keep her in your prayers.

Thanks again to all of you for your support and prayers. Eighteen million dollars were raised at this marathon for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, thanks to all of you!!

Countdown to the BIG DAY!

Race day is finally here. All these months of training and preparing...with all the ups, the downs, and all the setbacks... I am going for it. In two days I will be running a marathon! A marathon!!

We had our final meeting last night and received all the details of the race. I will be 1 of 24,000 women running on Sunday. It's hard to imagine what that's going to be like. I've been calmer than I thought I was going to be...it probably helps that I try not to think about it too much. I finally have a real peace about the whole race and it's because of the overwhelming support and prayers I've received from all of you. You will never realize what a tremendous help you've been and how much it means to me. I know I'll be too anxious to sleep on Saturday night, which is probably not a good thing considering we have to meet at 4:00 am to catch our bus to the starting area. I'll have a lot of "standing around trying not to psych myself out" time before the race. If you think of me on Sunday morning, keep me in your prayers... that I won't get too anxious and I'll be able to finish strong.

Betsy had a setback this week and we really need to keep her in our prayers. She had her last chemotherapy session two weeks ago, but last Tuesday was admitted into the hospital. She was running a high fever and her white blood cell count was almost nothing. She is extremely weak and very anemic. I talked to her last Friday before she became so ill and, as always, her attitude is amazing. She's a fighter. I will be thinking of her on Sunday morning, and if I have half the fight I've seen in her and so many incredible people...well, it's going to be an amazing race. :)

See you at the finish line!

Bump in the Road

Last Friday night I had a setback that could potentially affect my running the marathon on October 19. I was getting everything together for my Saturday morning 22 mile run when I started having terrible stomach pain. It came on suddenly, but within 1 hour I could hardly stand up. I started getting chills and was running a fever. Bob was helping me walk from one room to another when I actually passed out from the pain. It was only for a few seconds, but I have never passed out before. On Saturday we went to the hospital emergency room and after tests and a CT Scan I was diagnosed with Diverticulitis. I’m not supposed to run for 10 days and unfortunately that leaves about a week to complete my training for the marathon. I have another CT Scan scheduled for Monday. Although there is a slight chance I may have to back out of the race, I’m very hopeful that with all the medication I’m taking I’ll be well enough to run my marathon!

I really don’t understand why this is happening and at first it was hard not to feel a little depressed about it, especially so close to race day. I called Betsy to see how she was doing and shared with her that I may not run this marathon in her honor. She is going through her fourth chemotherapy treatment today (so soon after her last difficult treatment), and yet she still managed to be an encouragement to me. She helped me to remember and embrace all the positive lessons and experiences I’ve encountered throughout my training. I have learned incredible discipline (it takes a lot getting up in the early mornings and running when I don't want to!), and I have met so many exemplary, selfless people who are willing to put their bodies through intense challenges just to bring honor and remembrance to the names and lives of the people they cherish. It has made me more aware of the pain my honorees have gone through and has instilled a sense of duty to do whatever I can to prevent others from having to experience their kind of pain. Whatever the outcome, I am finally at peace about it.

Thanks again for all your support and prayers…

Knights Ferry Speed Team!

Well, I have about three weeks until the BIG DAY. Training is getting more intense… or else this old body of mine is starting to feel the consequences of my training! This Saturday will be our last long run. We’re running 22 miles in Knights Ferry, with lots of hills. I am so thankful the weather is turning cooler. It helps so much. Two weeks ago we had our 20 mile run and it went well. My knee and my hip started to hurt around mile 18 so I was a little concerned, but after soaking in the freezing water in the river afterwards I felt good and wasn't sore on Sunday. I went straight to the hospital after my run because Vanessa was in labor. We spent the whole night in the waiting room until Sunday morning when Beau Robert Kesterson was born! We came home and slept for 3 hours and then I got up to run my 4 miles ‘recovery run’. It was a very busy and eventful weekend. I think this was why I started feeling discouraged the rest of the week. Hopefully it was just from lack of rest.

This picture is of my running teammates in the river after our Saturday run. Betty is my running partner. She’s already run four marathons and is qualified for the Boston Marathon next year. She keeps me on my toes. I don't think I can keep up with her pace for the whole marathon, but so far we have done well keeping each other pumped up and mentally on task. Wednesday nights are really getting hard for me. We meet at MJC Track to do drills, run bleachers and do timed sprints, 400's and 800's. I think that’s harder than running for 10 miles. We only have three of those left and I am so happy about that!

Mentally, I get discouraged and doubt myself at times but then I think of Betsy. I received an email from her yesterday and she is running the marathon of her life. She wrote to ask for prayer because the chemo is getting to her. Her last chemo was three weeks ago and she is barely able to walk from her bed to the couch. Usually by this time she has recouped some energy. Lately though, the exhaustion has been mind-numbing and has been robbing her of encouragement. Please keep her in your prayers. She is having a PET scan on October 4th to view her lymph nodes and see if the chemo is doing its job. Hopefully, there will be no cancer seen in the lymph nodes and she could stop her chemo treatments.

I want to thank all of you for your support. I have my doubts at times but I always have someone giving me a word of encouragement or just being there for me. Our Modesto and Stockton teams have raised over $80,000.00 and that is going to help so many.

Thanks again for your support and prayers!

Evidence

Two months until race day and training is still going well.  Our longest run to date was 16 miles last Saturday.  We ran in Knights Ferry on Sonora Road and were able to practice running on hills.  The first 8 miles were really good.  Even though it was hot, the wind was blowing and we had a ton of energy!  And then we made the turn...there was NO wind and it was VERY hot.  Our coach had us get into the river when we were finished and the ice cold water really helped our muscles and legs from becoming sore.  The run was more difficult than I thought it might be, but I pressed in and was able to finish strong.  My running partner was late so I ran with the Mendes brothers.  They are really good runners and a ton of fun to be around.  They had a brother, Paul, who had leukemia and passed away in January.  The disease was very swift and gave no warning, leaving his friends and family in shock.  Running this race is their way of honoring their brother's memory.

Betsy had her second chemo treatment last Thursday.  She was really sick during her first treatment, so she had a lot of people praying specifically for this second treatment.  I talked to her on Tuesday and although she is still very weak and losing weight, she felt much better this time around.  Please continue to keep her in your prayers.  Even though she's battling sickness, Betsy continues to be an uplifting encouragement to others.  Betsy had recently shared a story of the amazing evidence of love and care that was displayed when one of her physical needs was met.  Which got me thinking....   We care, but it's got to be more than words.  What are we doing to display the evidence of our compassion, or love, or duty?  That's why I'm running this marathon.

Thank you to everyone for helping me reach my financial goal of $2,400.00.  You have been such a blessing to me and I appreciate all your support!  

Until next time. 

Beauty for Ashes

Training is going well and I am meeting a lot of great people! This week our recommitment form is due. That means I am now committed to raising $2,400.00 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and running a full marathon on October 19th. With your generous support and encouragement, I’m close to reaching my goal. I was a little nervous about recommitting until I read Betsy's last e-mail regarding her progress and what she is going through. I realized that I am doing nothing compared to what she is experiencing. Betsy recently visited a wig shop in preparation for chemotherapy. Although she didn't purchase the wig in the photo, she had a blast trying on all sorts of styles. She talked about how her battle with lymphoma has become like a race of sorts, and that these past months have been training for the months to come. That really put things into perspective for me. At the end of all this, I’m going to get a t-shirt, a medal, and hopefully my name in the record books for making great time. Betsy’s finish line holds a greater reward. I look at her smile that is so genuine even while dealing with hair loss, nausea, chemo treatments, and the unknown. I’m humbled by her strength and will gladly continue on this journey to do what I can to fight this beast called cancer.

Sometimes I get tired of getting up so early for those early morning runs but once I'm out there it's fine. Saturday, we ran 14 miles at 6:30 am, so I had to get up at 5:00 to get to Modesto in time. This means that my Friday nights aren't too late anymore! The run was easier than I thought it would be and I made good time, so I was pleased. Our next long run is 16 miles on the hills in Knights Ferry. I’ll try not to think about it until that morning so I don't get too anxious!

Thanks for all your support and prayers, and especially for Betsy.
Until next time....

I Think I Can, I Think I Can

My training is going well and starting to get more intense. We practice together as a team twice a week, on Wednesday nights at the MJC track for drills and timed runs,(this is really hard for me, because I am not used to this type of running) and on Saturday mornings for our long runs.

We all participated in the 10K RUN at the Escalon Park Fete on Saturday the 12th. That was fun but I always get so nervous before a race. I need to get over that. Then, last Saturday we had our 1st run in Knights Ferry, to start training for the hills in SF for the Marathon. It was a 12 mile run and it was a lot better than I thought it was going to be. We will start increasing our mileage each week now.

My running partner wasn't here this week so I ran by myself the whole hour and 45 minutes. Betsy had emailed on Friday night asking that we pray for her upcoming bone marrow biopsy (which is a very painful procedure), so I was able to spend the entire time in prayer for her while I was running. This is what keeps me going to do this marathon.

You too can help! Betsy starts her 1st Chemo treatment on Thursday and she could really use your prayers and support during this time.

Marathon!!??

I am doing the unthinkable! I am participating in a MARATHON!! I have never had the desire to run a marathon until this year. I’ve always thought people who ran marathons were crazy to put their bodies through so much pain. Good news is I’m not doing it alone! I have joined The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program and will run in the Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco, CA on October 19th, 2008.

Aside from trying to conquer my biggest challenge yet, this journey has a much greater purpose. As part of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, we are raising money to support research that will find a cure to blood related cancers. I will be running and fundraising in honor and memory of some very extraordinary people…like Betsy Stowe. Betsy is an amazing wife, mother, grandmother, friend, and teacher who was diagnosed last week with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The doctors have given her a 50/50 chance of being cured, but I am believing for a complete recovery just as my friends John Krick and Pam Riddle recovered. I am honored to know her and for the opportunity to run on her behalf. I am also running in memory of 2 of my best friends' husbands who have passed away from cancer, Jim Redden and Mike Tuxson.

I’m hoping all of you will take this opportunity to run with me and be part of the team! Don’t worry, you won’t have to struggle through early morning workouts and countless miles! :) My personal goal is to raise $2,400 by October 3rd, 2008 and your generous donations will help make this happen. Your contribution, whatever you can give, is fully tax deductible and will go directly to research, education, and patient services.

Please visit my Team in Training website at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sac/nikesf08/jkesterson and join me in this fight by contributing to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and help advance the mission to FIND A CURE!!!