Race Report – Reach the Beach NH Sept 14/15

Before I begin this post I want to thank everyone who read, shared, commented and emailed me about last week’s post dedicated to Laura Linehan.  We all have our own ways of paying tribute and it was very special to have some many of you enjoy mine.  Thank you.

Last week Chasing Tail was back on the road for the Reach the Beach Relay, this time we were competing on the original New Hampshire course which starts at Cannon Mountain and runs all the way down to Hampton Beach. 

We were thrilled to welcome back Duncan and Mike back to the team but we lost Dennis just a couple of weeks before the race.  Thankfully we had two new female recruits to round out the team giving us 6 men and 6 women so we would be a true Mixed Team again.  What we didn’t realize was that we’ve all gotten a little older and Stacey (our token 20 something) had a family obligation so we ended up a Mixed Master Team.  Yikes!  I guess that explains why Chasing Tail doesn’t play drinking games the night before the relay anymore. 

We left Thursday night in two packed vans for another 24+ hours of insanity.  After some carb loading at Olive Garden we made it to our hotel in time to reconnect and get to know our new teammates before getting some sleep.  After all, it was going to be a long couple of days. 

Apparently, RTB has caught on to the fact that the Tails are getting a little faster because we had our latest start time yet, 11:40.  We were at the start nice and early so we had plenty of time to hear orientation, hand in our paperwork, take a team photo and of course, spend some time in the Merch Tent.  I remember in past years bundling up in winter hats and gloves or standing in front of big bonfire at the mountain to keep warm, but this year the sun got hot very fast and we were sweating in our team hoodies.  Team Rookie, Alex, was our Leg #1 runner and we all cheered her on as she sped by for her first leg.  We hugged Van 2 good bye and headed off to the course. 

View of Leg 3 - photo courtesy of RTB Relay

I was runner 3, which are the same legs I ran in my very first Reach the Beach back in 2008 when I ran with Dangerous Monkey’s Del Fuego.  My first leg was less than 4 miles and labeled Easy on the course description.  I was reminded by Mike that the leg was definitely more challenging than described but I still felt great going into it.  Like I mentioned, it was very warm Friday afternoon and I didn’t start running until after 2pm.  I already felt my energy draining in the first mile but pressed on reminding myself that it was only a few miles.  This run was actually quite pleasant with beautiful views of Mt Washington until the very end when you climb a steep hill and then run through grass in what looked like someone’s backyard to get to the transition area.  The hill and heat took a toll on me and I averaged a somewhat disappointing 9:03 pace for my first leg. 

The next three runners flew through their legs and we finished up our first set at Attitash Ski Resort passing the RTB slap bracelet to Van 2.  After spending a little time with the other half of our team we took off to find some dinner and rest before our night legs.  We ended up at the same 99 Restaurant we always do.  I have no idea what we did for the next few hours but time seems to go by much quicker during RTB.  One minute you’ve got 5 hours to kill, the next minute you are scrambling to beat your runner to the TA.  It’s fascinating.

The VTA (Van Transition Area) was the Kenneth Brent School in Tamworth (Go Tigers!).  Every year the volunteers there offer the best food in the school’s cafeteria.  The mac n cheese is legendary.  Many of the Transition Areas are staffed with volunteers who offer food, baked goods, coffee, soda, water, etc. for a donation.  Some of them are there throughout the night supporting the runners.  It’s so helpful for the runners and an inspiring example of communities going above and beyond to support the event.  RTB gets an incredible amount of love from all the cities and towns we visit along the way but it takes a lot of work, flexibility and understanding to make it work.  The entire operation is impressive to say the least.

It was already late at night by the time Van 1 began our second set which means we wear a reflector vest, blinking lights on the front and back and also a head lamp.  It sounds like a lot but when you are running on the rural backroads of New Hampshire it’s important to be safe and cautious.  As intimidating as running in the middle of the night sounds, it’s actually pretty great.  On Friday night the air was nice and cool making the running temperature perfect.  My 4.92 mile leg had some rolling hills that were challenging but fun.  There were quite a few people running in front and behind me which made me feel a little more comfortable but mostly I could just focus on my own run.  I felt awesome and during the last mile I saw a bank clock that said 11:52 so I raced the last bit to hit the TA before midnight.  As soon as I got there and passed the bracelet to Bob I checked my watch…11:58.  ‘Yes!’ I yelled ‘I really wanted to finish while it was still Friday!’  After my run, I cleaned up and changed into some comfy clothes for a while.  I ended up in the front seat of the van but turned out to be a terrible co-pilot.  That last run knocked me out and I couldn’t keep my eyes open.  Every time I woke up someone else was running which made my updates to Van 2 completely useless.  We got Kate out for the final leg of the set and then finished up around 2:30 on Saturday morning at New Hampshire Technical College.  

Van 1 before the rain washed all the fun away

Next, we headed off to Bear Brook State Park to get some sleep.  New Balance sponsors ‘Tent City’ here where you can escape the van a few hours and stretch out in a camping tent.  Mike, Eric and Kate took advantage of this while Alex, Bob and I each lied down on a bench in the van.  We got almost 3 hours sleep before we were woken up by a rain storm.  I immediately started to worry about our van-mates since I didn’t know for sure they got a tent.  It wasn’t until a while later that I remembered a couple of the Tails in Van 2 were running in the storm!  Luckily, everyone did fine and the only major issue of the rain was all of our Van decorations were washed off. 

The sun came out an hour later and it was time to tackle our final set.  I started to mentally prepare for what was my longest run, 8.52 miles, and according to the course map, my toughest.  After Alex and Mike finished up their last runs I took off.  The course was very difficult with a few tough hills but it was also really beautiful and I great way to end my running portion of the race.  I was doing great with a 8:20 pace for most of the run until I hit the steepest hill at the end.  I averaged a respectable 8:48 pace which I’m happy with considering the distance, the difficulty and the fact that I had only slept a few hours squished in a van.  Van 1 finished up at Sanborne Regional High School which opens up its locker rooms to the runners for $5.  It’s the first time I have ever had an opportunity to shower at Reach the Beach and it was definitely well worth it.  I felt like a million bucks after washing the dirt and sweat off with actual soap and not the baby wipes we had been using all weekend.  I haven’t appreciated shampoo that much in a long time.  Now that we were clean, it was time to start heading to the beach.

Van 1 teammates in the beer tent
Alex, Mike, Kate, Laura, Bob and Eric

At Hampton Beach we grabbed some food courtesy of Boloco and headed straight for the beer tent.  We were all pretty exhausted and anxious for Van 2 to meet us there.  Unfortunately, some wires got crossed and our last runner, Kristina, made it to the finish line before the rest of us.  We finally got everyone together to celebrate our finish…we Reached The Beach! 

Some important notes from this year’s RTB:

After the spring relay Call Me Maybe craze we were hoping there would be another great song for the fall.  We speculated if it might be Pound the Alarm or Good Time…and then Gangnam Style came out of nowhere!  There was a whole lot of pony riding going on this year.  Pretty awesome.

Our Chasing Tail hoodies were such a hit in the spring that we bought knit hats for this relay.  They came out awesome (Thank You Watertown Sportwear!) and we were excited to have them for the cold nights.  Well, it was by far the warmest RTB in a long time so we didn’t get as much use out of them as we thought but they will come in handy soon enough. 

I want Hello Kitty Athletic Club to know that they were missed this year.  I hear they chose to race 100 on 100 in VT instead.  There was always something very special and fun about spotting Hello Kitty in their pink bathrobes and girl scout sashes along the course.  They sometimes hand out stickers or whisper words of encouragement like 'hello kitty loves you' as they fly by you on a leg.  I hope they come back.  Are you listening Hello Kitty? 

As unofficial costume coordinator for Chasing Tail you would think by now I would have learned to protect my tail (costume tail that is) from toilets.  Nope, I ruined at least two this year.  Next season I will be more responsible.  

Chasing Tail completed Reach the Beach: NH 2012 in 28 hours, 39 minutes and 13 seconds.  As always it was a great trip and we can’t wait to do it again!  We are currently working on our official video for this relay and it will be entered into a contest for a free entry.  Be on the lookout for that coming soon.  

I have to admit that I was a little disappointed with my personal performance in this race.  I was hoping to be a little stronger since I’ve been training so hard for NY but the speed just wasn’t consistently there.  It’s hard to perform your best in a situation like this and thankfully I am on a team that puts less emphasis on our final time and more on fun, teamwork and of course…Chasing Tail!

Chasing Tail NH 2012:
Van 1: Alex Swan, Mike Tatian, Laura Dempsey, Bob Cassin, Eric Bristol, Kate O'Malley
Van 2: Linda Saccone, Brian Yoon, Nancy Rucio-Bell, Duncan Warden, John Gianitsis, Kristina  Ingram

Thank you to all the RTB organizers, towns, volunteers, sponsors and fellow teams who were a part of making the relay so much fun.  We love this course and will be back next year. 

In the meantime, the BAA Half Marathon is coming up in just a few weeks and we are less than 7 weeks away from the NYC Marathon!  Remember, if you would like to support my fundraising campaign please visit: http://go.liverfoundation.org/goto/LauraNYC

Lets Make The Best Out of Our Lives

These are the moments – These are the Times – Let’s Make the Best Out Of Our Lives

I often think of these lyrics as the last words Laura Linehan spoke to me.  Standing at Mt Auburn Cemetery surrounded by her friends, her family, and everyone that loved her, the song played as we said goodbye.  It was a specific request that if she wasn’t to survive this battle she had been fighting for so long, to play the song at her funeral. 

In 2005 I decided I wanted to run another Boston Marathon but had no idea how I would score a number like I did two years before, by luck.  A friend told me to call the American Liver Foundation to see if they had entries.  I completed the application and sent it in, then emailed, and then called and called again until finally they agreed to offer me a space on the Run for Research team.  I would be responsible for raising a minimum of $2500 for ALF which seemed daunting but manageable.  I planned to send letters and emails to friends and family asking for their support.   I attended team meetings to learn more about liver disease – I knew very little and, like many people do, simply associated liver disease with alcoholism.

Laura gets ready for Prom with her parents, Ann and Jim

I decided to sign up for the Patient Match Program which introduced me to the Morea family from NY.  I found their story incredibly inspiring and started to take more interest in the cause I was running and raising funds for.  Then, I received a call from my mother.  She had mentioned to family friend, Mary Brotherton, that I would be running for ALF and Mary shared that her niece had liver disease.  Mary suggested I talk to her sister about their experiences.  A couple of months later I received a call from Ann Linehan… and my life was never the same again.

Laura Linehan was born with tyrosinemia, a rare disorder that prevents the body from breaking down an amino acid which then builds to dangerous levels, possibly leading to liver and kidney failure.  At two years old, Laura received what was thought to be a life saving liver transplant.  She lived the normal life of a little girl until a registered letter arrived from Children’s Hospital.  A blood transfusion she received during the transplant was infected with hepatitis C and she had to be tested.  Laura, a fifth grader at the time, tested positive for hepatitis C.  She began treatments to fight the virus but they proved to be unsuccessful and her transplanted liver was destroyed. 

In 2005 when I met Laura for the first time she was like any high school student.  She talked about her friends, fashion and the upcoming prom.  The Linehan family offered to get involved with my fundraising campaign and reached out to their friends and loved ones to contribute.  The Linehans and I raised $5500 that year and I was incredibly proud to run the marathon in honor of her fight.  I crossed the finish line of the race but felt compelled to continue my work for ALF.  A few months later I accepted a position at ALF as the coordinator of the marathon team and continued running Boston with RFR for the next six years. 

 It felt great to be able to share with Laura all of the things we were doing to help fight liver disease.  She once sent me an email after a pre marathon dinner where she told me how amazing it was to see all of those people working to help her and everyone affected by liver disease.  I used to bring her t-shirts and silly giveaways from ALF in the hospital.  A postcard I gave her that said ‘Livers Are Cool’ always hung on the wall of her hospital room.  It was even rescued when one of the rooms flooded!  I was glad to offer a bit of comic relief even when things were tough. 

Laura with Jenna Atturio

In the fall of 2006, Laura was listed for a second liver transplant.  Within that time she fell in and out of the right MELD score to be active on the list and one of her best friends, Jenna Atturio, passed away.  Jenna was also waiting for a liver transplant.  In 2008, Ann and Laura packed up and moved to Jacksonville Florida.  The Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville did significantly more liver transplants than here in New England and the chances of her receiving a new liver in time would be much greater there.  Leaving their family, friends and support system behind, they moved south with hopes that it would save her life.  Daily reports were published on CaringBridge to keep us all up to date on how she was doing, the new friends they were meeting and the efforts made to make Jacksonville a home away from home. 

Laura’s health was declining but we never gave up hope and kept praying that she would receive her transplant.  Ann and her husband Jim even appeared on a local news station in Jacksonville pleading for help.  Then, on Friday April 4 all of our prayers seemed answered when a liver became available.  Laura when into the O.R. at 8:00 am and we all held our breath.  I remember so clearly that the American Liver Foundation Gala was that evening and my friend Dr. Doug Horst spoke at the event.  He talked about Laura and how she was receiving her transplant that day.  Although busy at the gala, my phone never left my sight desperately waiting to get the call that the transplant went well and Laura would be okay.   That call never came.   The next morning my phone rang and I knew immediately who it was.  Ann wanted me to hear from her that Laura passed away the night before.  She was too sick to survive the surgery and her poor body simply couldn’t take anymore.  I sobbed while Ann thanked me for everything I had done for Laura and assured me that she was in a better place, no longer in pain.  I swore to Ann that morning that I wasn’t done; I would keep working and fighting for Laura every way I knew how.  Two weeks later I ran the Boston Marathon, this time in memory of Laura.  The Boston Globe even ran a story on my run for her called Legacies of Endurance.  I was interviewed for that article moments after stumbling into the Westin after finishing the race.  I’m so thankful Adrian Walker found some good quotes in my delirious ramblings.  This November I will be running for Laura again, this time in the NYC Marathon and with the Greater NY Division of ALF.  You can learn more about that campaign here: NYC Marathon Campaign.  

Running the 2008 Boston Marathon for Laura

It’s been over four years since we lost Laura.  I think of her every day and her story inspires me to do the best work I can at New England Organ Bank.  Her family remains active with the Liver Foundation and with NEOB doing volunteer work.  They share their story encouraging others to be registered organ donors.  She may be gone but our fight continues.  

Today, September 11, would have been Laura’s 25^th birthday.  Ironically, it’s a day they we associate with destruction and terror since the 2001 attacks, but for those of us who knew and loved Laura Linehan, today belongs to a special young woman.  A woman who was able to focus on the positive and find the light in even the worst of scenarios.  She laughed a lot and lived her short life to the fullest.  In her honor, I will continue each day to try and do the same.  If you are not currently a registered organ donor please visit www.donatelifenewengland.org to educate yourself about donation and sign up to potentially save lives.  

Cause these are the days worth living

These are the years we're given

And these are the moments 

These are the times

Let's make the best out of our lives

Our Lives, The Calling

In loving memory of Laura Christine Linehan

September 11, 1987 – April 4, 2008

Two months out!

It’s the Tuesday after Labor Day weekend and the unofficial end to summer.  I love autumn with the cooler temperatures, beautiful foliage and obviously the fun fashion, but I still have a hard time saying goodbye to summer.  As of today, fall is truly almost here and we are exactly two months away from the NYC Marathon!

The past few months have been incredibly busy with something on the calendar every weekend but it was all fun events and I somehow managed to stay on track with my training.  Back in June I posted a training check in that set some goals for July and August including increasing mileage to 16 and 18, incorporating more hills and getting rid of the cold I thought I had.  Well, the cold turned out to be allergies so that was easily taken care of.  I have been somewhat successful with the hills by trading the comfort of the Charles River for a few Saturdays on the Boston Marathon course.  It’s not only strategic to prepare for the NYC course but it’s also a nice change of pace.  The 15 miler I did with Jared on Nantucket earlier this month also had some inclines so I’m feeling confident there.  In regards to distance, I am right where I should be.  Last weekend I managed to run my first 18 miler of the season.  I took it slow and stayed on the Charles River so it was relatively flat but it’s a nice feeling to get that major milestone of an 18 out of the way without any drama. 

This past weekend I was looking forward to bring the mileage back down to a manageable 12.  A group from Somerville Road Runners was planning a 10.5 mile run starting in Davis Square so I did a 2 mile warm up on my own and then met them for the rest of the course.  It was a good size group and very refreshing to replace the sound of my ipod with voices chatting.  Several of them just returned from Iceland where they ran the Reykjavik Marathon.  They were still so excited and had great stories to tell which made the run go by quickly.  By the time I hit 12 my legs were ready to stop.  I was hoping this run would be a little more comfortable since it was shorter than what I’ve been running but clearly my body was telling me something.  I think it might be time for a sports massage and possibly some ART therapy. 

The mileage will go back up this coming weekend to stay on track and then a few days later I leave for Reach the Beach Relay – NH with Chasing Tail.  I love this relay and incorporating it into fall marathon training.  It’s a great confidence booster which I definitely need after the Falmouth Road Race disaster last month.  Its so important to feel good about your training and confident that you are capable of reaching your goals.  There are only 61 days until the big race and a lot to accomplish in that time.  I feel like I might be in danger of over thinking it and stressing out about the mileage, aches and pains, goals and of course running 26.2 miles.  Instead, I try to stay relaxed, stick to my schedule and stay healthy – I should be in great shape for November 4.  Here is a great song from the musical Pippen about keeping cool confident that you’re On The Right Track.  I love this version with Ben Vereen and William Katt (aka The Greatest American Hero).  

Thanks to some very generous donations I received over the weekend I have raised over $2000 for the American Liver Foundation.  I am quickly closing in on my $2500 commitment and getting closer to my $3500 goal.  Thank you everyone who has contributed and for those of you who would like to make a donation, please visit my ALF Fundraising Page. 

I’m sad that I don’t have any photos that are relevant to this week’s post but instead I will share this great photo of Brittany playing with a tree branch.  I call it ‘Go Big Or Go Home’!

Britt says - sticks are for babies, I want the whole branch!