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| Brady, Mom (Becky) and Brooke after the Twin Cities 10-mile (2007) |
Tick tock. With the Chicago Marathon only 23 days away, Brooke and I have reached the final countdown to 10.10.10.
As we anticipate running the marathon in memory of our dad, we know that once we cross the finish line, this experience comes to an end. Despite the ups (getting to share our story) and downs (getting injured) of the past few months, this has been one heck of a ride. We’ll be sad when it’s over.
Fund-raising
After our last update, donations to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation poured in. Friends, family and several people we’ve never met stepped up to donate! Thank you for believing in us and the cause!
We’re pleased to share that in late August, we reached our goal of $4,000. Cori Ann and Nate Dahlager generously capped off our total so we could hit the $4,000-mark. To date, we have raised about $4,300. This includes $150 in proceeds from “Kicking Cancer’s Butt” T-shirt sales. Over Labor Day weekend, our cousin, Drew Hebig, sold approximately 30 T-shirts to friends and community members attending our annual hometown celebration, Box Car Days!
Though we reached our goal, we will gladly accept contributions through Oct. 24 – the final date to submit donations. Every dollar matters, and no amount is too small. Ninety-three percent of each contribution helps accelerate the cure because it goes toward the development of new multiple myeloma treatments.
Training
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| At the Twin Cities 10-mile, Brooke nears the finish line (2007) |
Getting excited to run the race is still a struggle for Brooke. Simply, she doesn’t enjoy running. Her husband Tony has been a huge supporter and always encourages her to run. He continues to run two to three miles with her and then hops on his bike for the rest of the run. They also bring their dog Cyrus, a 35-pound puggle, with them for their first few miles...but he can only run two :) Although Brooke isn’t looking forward to running for five hours, she said, she can’t wait to see all of our friends and family along the race course and at the finish line supporting us.
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| Brady is just steps away from the state Capitol at the Twin Cities 10-mile (2007) |
My husband Ben and I recently spent 12 days in the Pacific Northwest, where I was adamant about continuing to train. The running highlights included a 20-mile training run along Lake Washington in Seattle, the Oregon Wine Country Half-Marathon and the Bear Water Run in White Bear Lake, MN, where I had the opportunity to run with my former Pioneer Press colleague, Maria Reeve.
This weekend, I will participate in the Chicago Area Runners Association Ready-to-Run 20-miler before slowing down for the final three weeks leading up to the marathon. My tired legs welcome the break. Training, however, doesn't end for me after the Chicago Marathon. I will run the Philadelphia Marathon on Nov. 21.
Race Day
If any of you are interested in cheering for us in person or tracking us from afar, look for an e-update from us the week of the marathon. We will provide pace, race attire and bib information, as well as links to a map and a tracking tool.
We have already counted approximately 17 friends and family who are planning to travel from Minnesota to Chicago for the race! We can’t wait to see you!
Best,
Brady and Brooke
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