Racing for Hope Journal Entry 19
So marathon 8 was not a fun run!
If you watched my last recap, you know that Mandy’s cancer is back and I hadn’t trained since I ran the July marathon.
I started this run at 5:55 am with my Noxgear safety vest turned to green, because it’s my favorite and most hated color! Why do I hate the color because it is the e color for cholangiocarcinoma and I hate that fucking cancer. I hate what that color represents for my family and so many others. Why do I love that color because it’s associated with the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation and I couldn’t get through this journey without them. So as much as I hate it, I wear it to every doctor’s appointment, every run, and pretty much every day.
Once I started to run Sunday, I knew my legs were not going to like these 26.2 miles and neither would my mind. About mile 5 I knew that running wasn’t going to happen very much, that my run/walk was going to be walk/faster walk when I could. Mile 5 was also the first time during this run that I couldn’t hold my emotions in check and I was jogging and ugly crying. I got through that spell and felt ok to run some so I did. I got to mile 8 and I went into a gas station and got some Gatorade, an energy drink, and some berries. I walked while I enjoyed the berries and that much needed energy drink. Then I called Mandy because I saw that our oldest Luna was awake.
About mile 12 I was stopped by a nice lady asking if I was working out or if I needed a ride, as much as I wanted that ride, I explained what I was doing and directed her to the website so if you are reading this hi and thanks for the offer! Then it was back to moving forward and at mile 15 I got to FaceTime with all 3 of my girls and that made the run a little easier for a little bit.
At mile 18 I stopped at another gas station and got pizza, water, ice, and a coke. That pizza was the best thing I had ever had lol! After that, it was just finish which I did and that finish is always amazing because I get to my driveway where Mandy, and my little girls are there and they are yelling go daddy it brings tears of joy every time.
Two days after the marathon I’m so sore and sitting in the car while Mandy is in the hospital getting a petscan. She doesn’t get to hold her babies for 24 hours after this scan. If you know her then you know this is the worst possible thing for her. She doesn’t want to give up one second of time with her girls and now she is losing 24 hours with them. We don’t know how long it takes for these results, and we have no clue what the next step is, but what I do know is that I will be there next to her. I’ll be the shoulder to cry on, I’ll be her cheerleader, I’ll help her fight, because no matter what this cancer tries to take from us it will never take the love that I have for her.
