Words to run by

Lately, VTNT members have been circulating group emails reporting on their training and encouraging one another on. One email tonight made me want to cry and laugh and yell "whoopee" all at the same time. It came from my teammate Gill Grant who will be running the Chicago Marathon as well. Here's an excerpt:

When I run feeling good about myself, when I run with a friend who makes me laugh or who just listens, when I run after a good sleep, when I run without the pressure to be an elite kenyan champion....then I breathe better, my shoulders loosen up and man oh man do I love running. I am a blood cancer survivor. I felt the same ups and downs in chemo. But back then, I chose to believe in myself. What I need to remember now is that I can choose to believe in myself running this race...I can choose to be me on these long runs....I can feel good about simply making the effort. I run because I can....perhaps your honouree isn't so lucky. WE can do THIS. WE CAN and WE WILL! I'm going to do it slowly, I'm going to do it talking the whole way, I'm going to do it and complain about my knee, I'm going to blow kisses at the crowd, I'm going to think purple and think of me and think of all of you and think about cancer and think about the cure and think: YAH BABY!!!

Thanks, Gill. We all needed that! I can hardly wait to meet you in person.