Chicago Marathon Commitment
On July 17th, I wrote about my fellow Women In Networking (WIN) member, Christy Suerth and her commitment to her run with a LUNGevity team in the Chicago Marathon. Christy was training and
running to find a cure for lung cancer, which is the leading cancer
killer, and to honor her mom, Kay Barmore’s legacy.
Last Sunday, October 12, 2008 Christy ran in the Chicago Marathon. She was on my mind all day and emailed her to let her know I was thinking about her. On Tuesday, October 14th, I received the following email. I was so proud of Christy when I read her message. I hope you will find her words and fortitude as inspirational as I did…
“Was it June that I first announced that I would run the 2008 Chicago Marathon? Now it is October. What an incredible time it has been! I’d love to share some highlights of the last four months with you.
* God’s wondrous creation on the trails – the sounds of summer cicadas, the blaze of autumn in the trees, curious and bold deer at dusk, garden snakes winding sideways to avoid my feet, katydids leaping carefree, a dried up old turtle on the side of the path, and the smells of the wood.
* Much, much support and love along the way – your prayers, your encouragement, your notes, your questions and your financial support of LUNGevity Foundation. Together we raised $4,334.20 to find a cure for lung cancer!
* A time of healing and gradual peace as I ran in physical solitude, but in the spiritual company of my mother.
* The anticipation of the night before the marathon – adding the words, “For Mom” on the back of my LUNGevity running shirt, pinning the marathon bib onto it, making sure it was pinned just right, lacing the time chip securely into my shoelace, and hardly sleeping at all with the excitement of the day to come.
* Standing at the start line, heart pounding, with my running partner, Lisa. Sorely missing my other running partner, Laura, who was ill and unable to run. Ending the race with a new friend, Erin, who needed encouragement at Mile 19.
* The sights of the neighborhoods in Chicago – the hullabaloo as we ran under the bridge in the first mile where traditionally everyone yells at the top of their lungs, sounds crashing into the cement walls and threaten to make our ears bleed, the Chinese dragons, the enthusiasm (and probable prayers) of the Moody Bible Institute students, the generosity of the people from Pilsen as they cheered in Spanish and shared water and fresh oranges from their home, the man in the bikini, the millions of strangers who encouraged me by name, the store owners who ran hoses into the streets to cool us down, the volunteers who tirelessly passed out water, Gatorade and bananas for hours and received only half-drunk cups and banana peels thrown back at them as their thanks.
* The last 1.2 miles – you pass the 25-mile marker and you taste your victory, knowing that you surely have 1.2 miles left in your twisted, cramped calves; you hear the cheers from people who will stay six hours to cheer the last one home; you see the finish line and an emotion that you never experienced before fully engulfs you.
* You cross the finish line – you thank the high school athlete who unties your shoes because you really can’t bend over to do it yourself, you eagerly and gratefully accept the heavy, red-ribboned medal another student places around your neck, you grab more water, more Gatorade and even a cold beer, you stand there among millions silently thanking God for getting you through this, stating for the record that you’ll never do this again. Then you make your way to the after-race party to meet your family who sacrificed all summer while you ran for three and four hours at a time, who worried, who cheered and supported you every step of the way.
Yes, it was a great summer… a great journey. Thank you so much for being there through it with me.
With love, Christy”
Christy, BRAVA FOR YOUR AWESOME ACCOMPLISHMENTS!!
Sheila N. Glazov ~ Author ~ Speaker ~ Educator ~ Personality Type Expert
Please, visit my website to learn more about your Brain Colors, my What Color Is Your Brain? book and workshops. 10% of the royalties from the sale of my book is allocated to JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation)
Finish Line Flickr Credit
chicago marathon
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christy suerth
women in networking
sheila glazov
lung cancer
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