2013 Goofy Challenge – I run because I can and for those who can’t

I am sitting here at the airplane on my way home to Seattle, with very sore feet, couple blister on my pinkie toes, and the biggest grin on my face.

I just completed 39.3 miles in two days.   That’s THIRTY NINE POINT THREE miles.  Half marathon and full marathon, back to back.

That’s a milestone that I can’t even comprehend a few months ago.   Let me give you some background story for those who don’t know.    Last September, I had to endure three weeks of radiation treatment to battle pesky little cells that took over my body shortly after I signed up with Team in Training for the winter season of Goofy Challenge.   I was bummed and disappointed, but I didn’t let that discourage me.  In fact, I looked at it as a challenge and determined to make it happened.

So I had it plan.   I looked at my training schedule carefully and work with my doctor’s office to schedule the treatment.   I was lucky that I have the luxury to do that.   I did Disneyland Half Marathon a weekend prior the treatment and started my first round the Tuesday after for three weeks.   It was brutal.   It did wonder to my muscle, to my body and most importantly, to my mind.   I started to doubt myself and unsure that I am going to be able to do that.    I was so tired and fatigued and I wasn’t able to eat.  I lost 11lbs in three weeks, not in a healthy way.   I was weak, and I had a hard time to even walk, let alone run.

I am so grateful that I am surrounded by people who constantly lift my spirit up.   There are so many prayers, support, people rallied together to bring my family meals, encouraging notes and slowly but sure, my stubbornness were back.   I started to focus my mind to this race.   It was my distraction.   Whenever I felt really down, I imagined myself crossing the finish line and I picked myself up.   I forced myself to be out in the trail and just be there.   There were days that I can only walked for a very short time due to fatigued but I kept coming back to the trail until the end of the treatment.

That was 15 weeks ago.

Today, I looked back and can’t help but getting so emotional about the whole thing.   I have won, and this is why I run.

I run because I can, and I run for those who can no longer run because they are no longer with us (Tyler and Dawn, this is for you) or they faced serious health challenge that prevent them from doing so (Tom, this is also for you)

Someday is today.

I am Goofy!

I am Goofy!

Half Marathon Recap

My husband woke me up at 2am EST.   It was brutal because of the time different.   We were told to meet at the lobby at 3am and head out to the bus together with the Team In Training group.   By 4am, we were hanging out by the bag check tent to have last minute gathering.   Our coaches kept reminding us to hydrate and pace ourselves well due to the heat.   My teammate, Tim, and I are in the same corral and we agreed to stay together and did 2:30/1 run-walk ratio.   The gun went off at 6:03am and off we went.   The first 5 miles went by so quickly.   We were very conservative and pace ourselves well.   We got to Magic Kingdom about an hour or so after we started and I saw my husband right in front of the castle.   I literally leaped on his arm and gave him a hug.

Can you tell that I'm excited?

Can you tell that I’m excited?

We stopped for a few pictures and ran around the Magic Kingdom.   There were so many people that cheered us and it was a lot of fun.    I stopped in every water station and took at least one cup of water and one cup of PowerAde.

Around 7:30am – the sun was up and I could feel the heat was rising.   It was really, really hot.   The air was thick and it was very humid.    We slow our pace a bit but kept the same ratio.   Tim and I entertained each other throughout the course and before we knew it, we crossed the finish line.

I was dancing away as I crossed the finish line and high-fived Donald.   It took me 3:03 to finish but it was exactly where I want it to be due to the heat.

I got my medal, head out to the race retreat tent and met my husband there.   I hung out there for a while and ate before we hopped back at the resort.    I took the ice bath, stretched and napped.   It was a good day!

Marathon Recap

Second days in a row to be woken up at 2am really did wonder to my mood.   I was cranky.   I wasn’t happy and the blister on my pinky toes from yesterday’s run wasn’t really a big help either.   I slowly got myself ready and hopped on the bus.

It was already humid when I was waiting at my corral.   Tim and I agreed that we were going to stick together again and even did a bit lower pace from the beginning.   I can feel the thick air and it was really, really warm at 5:30am.

IMG_2988

My friend Tim and I, in front of Magic Kingdom

The first five miles went by fairly quick as well.   I was drenched in sweat when I saw my husband in front of the Magic Kingdom castle again.   I leaped to his arm (again) and kept on running.   We took 10 minutes bathroom stop at Magic Kingdom for Tim as he wasn’t feeling all too well and I waited for him.    We took a few more pictures with the character throughout the park and kept on going.

Shortly before we enter Animal Kingdom, it was my turn to take the bathroom break.  The lines were so long, and I was drenched in sweat.   I splashed the water on my face and felt better afterwards and continued to run.

There were a lot of runners that stopped and rode the Everest ride at Animal Kingdom but we decided not to do that, as I was afraid that I would get cramp if I sat down.   Shortly after we left Animal Kingdom, I felt a sharp pain in my chest.   I slowed down a bit and tried to figure out where the pain came from.   Then, I breathed fast during my run which causes my chest to hurt even more.    I slowed down even more and eventually I told Tim to go ahead.   He didn’t want to leave me behind, but I knew it at the time that I might have to walk the rest of the course so he took off.

Me at Animal Kingdom

Me at Animal Kingdom

After Tim and I split, I walked for 15 minutes or so and my chest felt better so I started to run again, but the pain came back so I finally stopped at the medical tent around mile 18.    I had a suspicion on what caused my pain, but I wanted someone to confirm it.    I told the nice lady at the medical tent that I had ‘congested chest’ (way to play it down, I know) and she gave me a very cold bottle of water, and grabbed her statoscope and listened to my chest and told me that she heard crackled and suspected fluid in my lungs.   She also suspected that my ‘congested chest’ might turn into pneumonia and told me that I should probably go to the hospital so they can order an x-ray for further observation.    I politely told her that I don’t want to and when she went to get something at the other side of the tent, I quietly got up and walked away.

That was exactly what I suspected.   See, I had fluid in my lung cavity so many times as that was one of the side effects of my medication and went through the whole routine more than I want to count.  My body usually re-absorbs the fluid by itself.   In a few occasions that it didn’t, I had to undergo some procedures to drain the fluid.   I didn’t want to go to the hospital during the race and I had 8 miles to go.   However, I knew that running is no longer an option because of this.   So, yes, I was being stubborn, but I was within my boundaries (yes, this is me justifying my action – stop judging me)

I stopped at the next medical tent and took a couple Tylenol and kept on walking.  I texted my husband and told him what’s going on and told him that I was no longer running.   He told me that he love me and I kept on walking.

At mile 20, I started to get a bit worry about time because I knew that the sweeper would pick the runners up as they were closing the course.   I knew that I need to get to Hollywood Studio.   It was safe zone for all the runners because you were not going to get picked up anymore.

I looked at my watch, and I saw the 7:00 pacer run past me.  I decided to follow them.  They were doing 40/30 run-walk ratio.    It was very conservative, and I didn’t feel as much pain so I followed them.   I got to Hollywood Studio and was so relieved.   I made it thus far!  I was safe!   I dropped out from the 7:00 pacer group and started to walk again.   There were so many people cheered us inside the park and that lifted my spirit quite a bit.   The tweets from all my friends (thank you so very much for that, by the way) were a HUGE moral boost.   I was exhausted at that point.   The bottoms of my feet were very, very sore and I just wanted to be done.

That's me.  Crying.  When I spotted my husband

That’s me. Crying. When I spotted my husband

My husband was waiting for me by the boardwalk, which was a short walk after Hollywood Studio.   I spotted him as soon as I crossed the bridge and I started to cry.   I was so emotional and I was really, really tired.   He walked with me until the end of the boardwalk and I entered Epcot area and spotted my two coaches, Siri and Nadine.   They walked with me throughout the Epcot and all the way to the mile 26 which I broke down into tears again with both of them on my side.     I took a deep breath, and started to run the last 0.2 miles towards the finish line.    7 hours and 25 minutes later, I crossed the finish line.    I walked towards one of the volunteer who gave me the Mickey medal and proceed to the Goofy tent to get my Goofy medal.

I finished!!

I finished!!

I could care less about how long it took for me to finish it.   I FINISHED.

I texted my husband to meet me at the race retreat tent and as soon as I saw him, I leaped into his arm and I lost it.   I was bawling in his arm.     I made it.   I did something awesome.   I overcome my challenge and did it with the flying color.

Thank you SO very much for those who constantly cheer me throughout my race.   I had so many tweets and Facebook messages that in some point, it actually overtook my music.   It was epic.   I love it and it helped me tremendously.    There were so many of you to list here but you know who you are and I know who you are.  I am very grateful to have that much support and full with gratitude.   This is something that I will never take for granted.

Thank you!

Thank you!

If you read all the way here, I hope that I inspire you to dream big and live your life to the fullest.   I hope that I inspire you to overcome whatever challenge you have in front of you by perseverance and commitment to success.   The only thing that stands between you and your goal is yourself.

Dream big.  Smile often.  Make a difference.   Know that YOU can accomplish anything that you set your mind into.

Go you.

Until the next race.

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2013 Goofy Challenge: The day before the Race(s)

Wow.  The day finally here.  6 months of training, a little over 500 miles and it all comes down to this weekend.   It’s a race weekend!!   I’m here sitting at the poolside of my resort, and having an emotional moment when I look back from the beginning of the time when I committed myself to do this race.  The health challenge that I have to endure in the past six months, the outpouring support that I have from everybody and the determination that I have to get here are so huge and meant a lot to me.  I won.   Whatever happen tomorrow and Sunday, I have won.   THAT meant the world to me.

39.3 miles.  Bring it on!

39.3 miles. Bring it on!

I get even emotional when I look a bit further when I decided to buy a pair of running shoes and did my first run.   It was August 2, 2011.   By the end of that first miles when I went out and run for the first time, I become a runner.    18 months later — I finished 3 (three) 10K races, 4 (four) Half-marathon and 1 (one) full marathon.   By Sunday, I (hopefully) will finish another half AND full marathon.

I have many people asked me “Are you ready”?   Well, I am as ready as I can be.   My last long run is 22 miles and I felt great.   I did my training the best I can, despite of the health challenge, awful treatment that I have to endure, injury and illness — I made it here.   I am ready.

I have a long list of people to thank you.   A very, very long list.  It start with my husband, John, who constantly support me and challenge me.  He rode his bike with me during my training run, in cold and rain, heat and sunshine and drove me to every single one of my team practice run and wait patiently until I was done.  He kept me focus during my treatment to my goal and constantly reminded me that I am bigger than my challenge.  He’s my biggest supporter and I love him dearly.    My two daughters, who are my biggest cheerleaders and waited for me on the finish line of my races with the biggest smile (I miss them dearly this weekend as they are not coming with me to the race weekend) and my friends, from the Team and Training runners, coaches and mentors, to my SQLFamily, a technical community that I am so proudly belong to,  who kept me on my toes and held me accountable with my commitment when I really, really don’t want to go out and running.

Special thank you for those who believe in my cause and donate to my fundraising.    Your donation made a different.   I am a living proof of what the Leukemia and Lymphoma Socienty can do.   They funded research for clinical trial for future cure and one of those medicine is the one that made it possible for me to do all this challenge.

My corporate sponsor, LobsterPot Solutions and InfoAdvisors, for Rob Farley and Karen Lopez for generously sponsor me for this run.   You both are not only my corporate sponsor, but my great friends and I appreciate your generosity very much.   From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

My purple jersey!

My purple jersey!

For those who want to get a live tracking of my race, you can register your email/phone number via the runner tracking tools here.   Just put my name and it will pull my registration.   My bib number is 25892.    The other way to support me during the race is by following me at Twitter (@YanniRobel) or if you are my Facebook friends, you can keep an eye of my wall status.   I will run with my phone that will have both runmeter and runtastic app with me.   Runmeter app will post my mileage every 2 miles and every tweet and facebook message you send me will be read to me via my phone.   So tweet me, message me, tell me I’m awesome and I kick some butt, and tell me especially after mile 18 or so that I can do this.   That I have done so much and so far that I will finish this race(s) because I probably will question myself.    Runtastic app will give you a live map of my course, and the exact position of where I will be.    You have to watch out for that link on my twitter stream though to see it.

Prayers are always welcome as I will always need it for my strength and injury-free race.

This is it, people.   It’s game time.

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2013 Goofy Challenge: I’m still going!

Wow.   I’m a major slacker.   No, not in the running front cause I’ve been running and training and running and more running to prepare myself for this race.   It’s documenting my training.  It’s updating this blog.  I’m big slacker for that.

A lot of things happen since, well, week 9.   I was facing with serious health challenge, took some serious time and did serious thing to battle it, came out okay and still standing,  kept on running,  drove 14 hours to San Francisco to run half-marathon with my good friends, twisted my ankle (again),  ran 10k, and managed to ran 159 miles in the month of December!

I did my longest run last Saturday.   TWENTY TWO miles of awesome.   I felt great the entire time, did 2:30-1 run/walk and averaging at 12:10 pace.   Not too shabby!   That run just boast my confidence and I know I can do this.

This week and next are my taper week.    I will still have 30 miles schedule between last Sunday and Sat (yes, that’s taper week) but no more long, long run.   This Saturday we’ll only have to do a short 7-miler.   See what I did there?    I just called 7-miles run as a short run.   Heh

Aren't they shiny?

Aren’t they shiny?

Well, I’m excited.   Above are the medals for the race.   The donald is for half marathon, the mickey is for marathon and the goofy, well, it’s only if you complete both.

On the fundraising front — I’m still short for my goal.    For those who want to support me (run with me in spirit), I welcome you to join me via my fundraising site:   http://tinyurl.com/GoodyChallenge

NINE DAYS to the first race!

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