Feeling Hot Hot Hot!

Texas heat is here and its not even officially summer yet! This week was so hard because of how hot and humid it has been. Ok, so the mid to upper 90's won't feel so bad once the triple digit heat begins...but the humidity was crazy. It has been raining here a lot. This time last year, we were already on stage 2 water restrictions...this year our aquifer is at a record high....and so are the humidity levels!

So the Texas heat is bad regardless of humidity, but the humidity just makes the heat so much worse! I ran on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday! I started running in the winter and I think that I like wearing gloves and thick clothing more than running in the heat...I mean, when its cold, just put more on...and your workout will warm you up too. Ugh!

But I just kept on reminding myself why I am doing this. For the kids, for all the people who have suffered and who are suffering from Leukemia and Lymphoma. What they endure - chemotherapy, radiation, etc...that is so much more painful and agonizing that running a few miles in the Texas Heat.

I did some research on Chemotherapy. Basically, it is a cocktail of chemicals designed to interfere with the growth of rapidly-multiplying cancer cells. The problem is that it cannot tell the difference between cancer cells and other cells.

The cells that are most often affected by the chemotherapy are the cells in the bone marrow which are responsible for forming blood, hair follicles, cells in the mouth, digestive tract and reproductive organs. Therefore, the most common chemotherapy side effects are nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, a feeling of lethargy and sickness, and abdominal discomfort. More disturbing side effects may be hair loss or thinning, which is usually temporary, mouth or gum ulcers or sores, anaemia, or sterility. The skin may become dry and discolored. (Source)

That is why the Mission of the Leukemia and Lymphoma society is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.

I never really thought about how terrible the cancer treatment can be - what the patient must go through to get cured and what the family endures in trying to support their loved one. It's like what's worse? The cancer itself or the side-effects of cancer treatment?

I recently met a gentleman named, Rocky Waller. He was diagnosed with Non-Hogkin Lymphoma in 2008. He is a survivor and he is also participating in Team in Training. I met him a few weeks ago and he told me about his treatment. About how he wasn't able to button his own shirts because his finger nails had come off. I never thought about how difficult it might be to button something without finger nails - I never thought about a lot of the things Cancer patients have to endure.

So what is running in 90 degree heat with a ton of humidity? The pain I feel in my feet, my knees, etc - it is all nothing compared to what they go through - and they are why I am doing this.

This Saturday I did not participate in the Team in Training run as I ran in the Carrabbas Half Marathon Relay. I ran with Joey, Jose and Gloria. We called ourselves 'The Mighty Joe Sandwich.' We had a good time. We ran 13.1 miles in a 4 person relay and we finished in 2 hours and 40 minutes. The run was tough because of the heat and humidity and because I wasn't feeling well. But it is just a matter of attitude and I kept my mind on my goal - saving lives.

"Attitude is a little think that makes a big difference." Winston Churchill.

Hope you have a great week!

Julia


Training Log for Week Two:

• Mon, Jun 14: Ran 1.78 miles at Phil Hardberger Park in 25 minutes (14 min/mile)
• Wed: Jun 16: Ran 3.0 miles at Brackenridge Park. Did the run in 40 minutes (13 min/mile)
• Thurs, Jun 17: Ran 4.02 miles on NW Military Highway in 54 minutes (13.5 min/mile)
• Sat: Jun 19: Ran 3.08 miles in the Carrabbas Half Marathon Relay. Finished in 47 minutes (15 min/mile).