In Honour of Martha: Family history of cancer

Jan 7, 2008

Family history of cancer

As well as Martha having cancer, what I know of from my Dad, Paul Clemens's side of the family, is that his youngest sister, Aunt Lillian, died of pancreatic cancer in her 40’s. My Aunt Dorothy, (Martha’s grandmother) had breast cancer but died of pancreatic cancer as well. And my Uncle Johnnie died from colerectoral cancer.

My Mom also died of cancer at the end which we discovered because the medicine for the congestive heart failure wouldn't work. She died 6 months before I became pregnant with Noah and I often wonder how much her spirit helped guide that!

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Thank you

Thanks to all our friends, and our neighours in the co-op who are so supportive.

A special thanks to Lani Russwarum, who is taking care of Noah EVERY Sunday morning starting at 8:00 a.m so I can be there for stretching and hellos before we start walking.

Thank you to Sarah Leary who is picking Noah up every Sunday this month to get him to his baseball practice.

Thank you to Laura Lamb for lending me her scanner to I can finally add Martha's photo and other family photos to this blog.

Thank you to coach Lisa and mentor Tove, as well as the rest of the team who have shared and taught so much!

But especially, thank you to cousins Joni and Larry for agreeing to let me dedicate my efforts to their daughter, Martha, as my “Hero”. (The coincidences involved in my asking Joni are another story which will be included.)

When I first was walking December 30th, 2007 and feeling so exhausted at the end - especially climbing the stairs to get up to Burrard Bridge - I would just think of what she must have gone through; and my walk suddenly felt a lot easier.

Training Journal

April 7, 2008

I am sorry I haven't been adding to this.Yesterday we did the max before we start going down getting ready for the Marathon.

I did 19 K in 4 hours!!! Imagine, I can't.

February 19, 2008

Sunday the 17th was a beautiful day. We 1/2 marathon walkers did 12 K once again; in 2 hours and 15 minutes. My body felt good after too! Well, except for my feet; hopefully by the end of this month I'll be able to afford to get new runners. That should make a huge difference!

February 6, 2008

Well, did well again Sunday at around 12 k.

But I think I have to lower my sights to the half marathon. It's still 21 k!

My reality: which I tend to forget sometimes, is I am almost 55, I did just have my spleen removed September 27th, major abdominal surgery! and my gall-bladder only one year before, plus I do have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome!
Considering everything, I’m doing great too! And I definitely will be able to do the ½.
As my coach, Lisa wrote back, "I fully support your decision to switch to the half. I am a firm believer in setting yourself up to succeed and have no doubt in my mind that you will complete the half with a great sense of accomplishment."

And she's right.

I also updated a short one-pager notice about what I am doing which I can email and give out with envelopes and sponsor-forms. It's kind of humourous contacting people I haven't seen for awhile just to ask for money! If it wasn't such a good cause, that could be pretty tacky! I wonder what they think when they get these requests from me?

It is snowing again - is this really Vancouver?? And I am going to the Nutrition Clinic which starts at 7:00 and still don't have anyone for Noah!

Sunday, January 27th, 2008

What a beautiful day it was, sunny and bright! Cold for Vancouver, it was funny to see Kits pool frozen over with the ducks and other birds walking and resting on the ice. And we also had to deal with ice; watching out for icy patches especially black ice.

One part of the walking group went ahead doing 15k today! Tove, Lisa and I just 10k and I'm glad I listened to coach's advice because instead of beng worn out, I feel envigorated and more confident.

Plus, we did the 10 K in 1 hour and 55 minutes; so 5k an hour is really good; especially considering the ice we had slow done for.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Did well yesterday and it certainly was more pleasant than two Sundays ago! These walks remind me how grateful I am to be living here with the physical beauty of Vancouver's natural landscape. I didn't train last week as I was too tired so I didn't do the longer distance. Just did 10 k. again with Tove and Mervatto from Granville Island to Point Grey Road and Alma, then back again; that was just right. Mervat is new, a survivor! and is planning on doing the 1/2 marathon. She is one more amazing person.

Taking that break was good. It was the first time since I started in December that my body wasn't aching. I don't know if that was related to a flare-up of CFS from exercising, which is what it felt like, or, if it was all just being so out-of-shape from being sick the last 2 years especially.)

The understanding and experience I gained from all the hard work we do to help Noah with his fine and gross motor motor skill disorders, helps me in understanding the best way for me to progress while honouring my body's true limits and abilities.

For Noah and children like him, you work first on helping them develop the basic body movement or body position. And in his case, lots of hands-on physiotherapy. Only after those basics are correct do you slowly lengthen the amount of time. Last of all comes distance and speed.

That is why, although it was suggested I might want to do only the 1/2 marathon, I feel I will be able and ready to do the full.
(I also have stopped eating ice-cream and cookies! Noah isn't too pleased but I told him we will have them as treats but just not very often. Plus, as I am slowly developing more energy and getting more full-night's sleeps I don't seem to need the fast pick-up as well as the comfort.)

Anyways, it was encouraging that my leg muscles weren't aching and are fine today. Although my shins and feet are a little bit sore so it is good I can finally afford to buy new proper running/walking shoes. Supposedly one should have two different pairs for training.I finally bought some "real training" pants a week ago and now my clothes sort of, almost, a little bit, blend in with those who have all the proper gear. Except of course, my clothes are filled out quite a bit more than the other woman's!

The TNT people really make sure you have the chance to learn everything you need to know to do endurance training and marathons properly. And the same goes for the fundraising - the main point of all this! They all work so hard, office staff, trainers and mentors are all very good at what they do - and good people as well.

There is a lot of work: meetings, education, socializing, all which is suggested and almost necessary, as well as interesting. But sometimes it is difficult to fit it all in with the rest of Noah's and my schedules. So there are times when, grateful as I am for all the help, instead of feeling encouraged, I begin to feel pressured, or that I'm not doing enough and so overwhelmed by it all!

But that is my own "stuff" I can change and I know enough to get back to myself and accepting I can only go at my speed, literally as well! I am certainly getting clear on what what needs to be done and have other ideas for fundraising as well but don't yet feel comfortable discussing them with others.

A few more donations have come in and I am surprised at how inspiring it is when something arrives and how much it strengthens my commitment!

Monday January 7, 2008

Yesterday we did 10 K. in 1 hour and 50 minutes, in the rain, through puddles and with hail at times! What intrepid women! Endurance walking is not the same as a stroll!

Lisa, our trainer, also me taught more breathing, walking and "mind-set" techniques, as has Tovek, our mentor. They and the rest of our walking group, are open, encouraging, warm women and I don't even feel too different because of my present material life-realities.

Doing this in honour of Martha is the core of my commitment though; at the forefront of my goals. That keeps my ego drives, if not out of the way completely,at least at a lower level!

I am determined to complete this. I know the times in my life when I've reached this feeling of deep inner certitude about something, that's it and it never changes. But I also wonder if, at 54, with everything my life and health have gone through in the past 2 decades, I really will be able to cross the finish line at 42.2 K. I pray that the Chronic Fatigue doesn't start up again. I had always thought I would like to run a marathon before I was 50; that turned out to be impossible. So now, hopefully, I will walk one when I am 55.

Today I received an email of encouragement from a friend whose family has experienced too much cancer and whose own daughter-in-law is dealing with Multiple Myeloma right now.
Another reason to keep going and hopefully raise the money. Money makes all the difference for everything, doesn't it?