It's funny how when you do not have something good or positive to write about, how less of a hurry you are in to write about it. Thus I am posting Monday's blog on Wednesday. And to be honest, I do not want to spend a lot, if not hardly any time on any negative stuff, so let's just get this out of the way now. Last week sucked. It sucked for Bonnie and it sucked for me. We both ran fine, but the after affects are not bueno. I ran 9 miles on the trail and it ripped up my knees pretty good. I have been pretty much limping or half limping up until today (Wed). I am not sure why this trail kills me, but it does. But I am seeing someone awesome tomorrow from TNT who can look at them and see what's up. Both my knees are banged up, it really does suck to have this right now.

But I shouldn't complain really. Poor Bonnie is dealing with serious foot issues. She has been for the last 3 weeks or so, and it has gotten worse. The arch of her foot now kills her. She is trying to ice it regularly and all, and it is getting better supposedly, but it is still a concern. Mark is up in Seattle with knee issues that he has been dealing with all season. I talk to Mark all the time and he should have been doing a blog, his runs are hilarious too. He has had some classic runs like me, and half of his long runs have been really hard bc of his knee. He has finished every one of them. And our poor friend Dave is now just going balls out and saying the hell with my knee problem, which by the way is the worst injury of all by a lot probably, and he is just going out to the marathon like a warrior takes his battlefield. It is a battlefield in a lot of ways. You go out and put everything you can muster up to finish this one task. And on this one day, you just know there is not one ounce of holding back. I have never tested myself this much, but it is so great to take on such a huge challenge.

So we are less than 2 weeks away form the big dance. I cannot even tell you how crazy it is for this to be as close as it is. We had our Team in Training (TNT) send off party tonight. And it was awesome bc I had the best day today. So this awesome person from TNT opened up her house to us for the party. It started at 6:30, I was an hr late, that sucked. We went over all the details of the weekend for us. Then the coaches and mentors spoke to us. It was really cool. Karl, who I have written about, shows up just after me with our other coach julie (rockstar). They both spoke and were awesome. So did Joe, our running coach for Anchorage. He has been coaching TNT for the last four years, and this is his last one. I did not know til the party, we were losing one of their best coaches. He has us all very well prepared.

So Karl starts talking about the TNT Rock-n-Roll marathon that he and Julie were just coaching at in San Diego. Karl is talking about the race and just starts getting choked up talking about the runners. And how some of the members had a hard time, and how he and Julie were out there looking for them and walking or running with them the whole day. And how they both walked and ran about 20 miles each as coaches. And how one girl from Portland took 7 hours to finish, and how all the Portland runners that we ran and trained with (Krazy Kurt, Cassie etc.) stayed at the finish line until she came across. That is what TNT is all about, the ultimate team. And you just have to really try and picture how amazing ALL of these people are involved. I said to one of the people I was running with this earlier this year, that it's great how awesome everyone involved in this TNT thing is. And they said well, think about it, it is one big group of selfless people. And it really is.

I know I am starting to write a lot in these, I appologize. I recently realized that this is going to be something I will look back on for the rest of my life to remember this whole experience from. So I guess I write these for me too, sorry. By the way, the emails that I have received from all of you are the best. The support I have recieved from you all is something I will continue to reference and it's only bc all of your support has gotten me to this stage. I would not be here, mentally or pysically, without all of you guys.

So at the party, the coaches finish talkiing and then I find out Laura, my new friend and teamate, is a cancer survivor. I had no idea. Mary, Laura's best friend, who is also awesome, spoke about why she is doing TNT. Her son Brian has Lynphopma and was diagnosed with it 13 months ago. Since then he has completed 2 triathalons and a full marathon, all somewhat recently. Can you believe that? And he is currently undergoing chemo. Mary and Laura are running the half marathon in Anchorage, and her son Brian is doing the full with us. I plan on running next to him the whole time....HA! I mean does it get any tougher than that? The one he ran 13 months ago, he won! And he told Mary, his mom that he was tired afterwards. She said you should be you, just ran a marathon. He said no ma, that guy almost caught me. Brian had a lump and went to get it checked out. He is in stage 4 of Lymphoma. My eyes, like everyone else's in the room, all welled up as Mary spoke. And I remember Mary from my first day running with TNT, and I knew about Brian already. We had a turn and meet people deal for a few minutes, and Mary and I kind of bonded that day. But then you hear about what he is going through today, from her, and it really hits ya. So Mary and Laura are just the sweetest and cutest people you could ever meet.

Then the coaches finished speaking and I asked if I could say a few words. I knew I was going to kinda lose it, but I knew that was ok with these people. I had no idea I was going to completely lose it though. But I had something I had to say to everyone of these people, and there was never going to be a better time to say it. I don't even get more than "I" out of my mouth and I started to lose it. I tell everyone there that this has been the most amazing experience I have ever had. I am already in a full flood of tears. At least I knew I didn't have to try and fight them back with these guys. And the main thing I just wanted to say was that it was an honor to run with all of them. It was the hardest thing to say. I am so emotional at this point that nothing but big breaths are coming out. I am borderline speechless. I, in a midst of tears, tell everyone there, twice somehow, how honored I am to have shared this with them, and to run with them. And then I said how much Bonnie wanted to be here, and how sad she was to have to miss it. It's nice to not have to feel embarassed about outbursts of emotion like that with these people. They are like a second family.

So that's it, and again, sorry it was so long. Before I go, I wanted to say hello in a huge way to my new friends I made recently up here ion Portland, Tracey and Caren. Life is so great when it puts you in situations that allow you to meet amazing people. Thanks for reading guys. Cheers!

Sean