Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - 11:19 PM

The best way to see San Francisco is to run through it!

Last May at the National Capital Marathon Race Weekend I went to the Race Expo to pick up my racing kit as I was running in the 10 km and 2 km races that weekend. I came across the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada’s kiosk promoting the “Team In Training” program which has people doing endurance events such as running marathons to raise money for blood cancers. This caught my attention because I had the desire for a long time to run a marathon to raise money for cancer. My parents were taken by blood cancers; my Mom passed away in February, 2004 after a battle with leukemia and my Dad passed away in October, 1998 from Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. I was still mourning the recent loss of my Mom and running helped me to deal with the grief.

I wanted to run a marathon in honour of my parents so I signed up for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada’s “Team In Training” to run in the Nike 26.2 Marathon which took place in San Francisco on October 24, 2004. I had around five months to train for the Nike 26.2 Marathon and six months to meet my fundraising target which was $5,200. Given my state of mind at the time, I had wondered if I had bitten off more than I could chew but the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada were very supportive and gave me the strategies to succeed. I began training and fundraising in earnest in June.

I knew I could do the marathon as I had run numerous marathons when I was younger and knew the training involved but it had been a long time since I ran or raced anything over ten kilometres. However, I was intimidated by the fundraising I had to do but I received invaluable support from the charity and exceeded my target and raised over $6,000 amidst a Public Service strike and a downturn in the high-tech sector.

This was a rewarding experience and my family, relatives, friends, colleagues and community were very supportive! My sisters; Suzie Nuttall and Patti Dipietrantonio helped fundraise. Two friends; Lana Marjama and Dave Madill stepped up to the plate to do the long runs with me so I never experienced the “loneliness of the long distance runner”. As well, my family; Benoit, my husband and our three sons; Richard, Philippe and Michel were supportive. The boys were old enough so they wouldn’t feel like “running orphans” with Mom doing all the long runs which are the mainstay of marathon training.

Time flew as it always does and the training and fundraising went well. All of a sudden I, along with a small contingent of “Team In Training” runners from all over Canada found ourselves on the starting line at Ocean Beach in San Francisco early on the morning of October 24th awaiting the 7:00 A.M. start for the Nike 26.2 Marathon. We were a small group but big on camaraderie. There were thousands of runners and walkers; 9,000 in this event and 3,000 wore purple singlets identifying them as part of “Team In Training.” Dance music was playing and the mood was festive.

The gun fired and the runners headed out along the Great Highway, on the edge of the Pacific at San Francisco’s Ocean Beach. The sun was rising, perfect weather. I could smell the refreshing scent of the ocean as I ran. The first two miles were uphill so there was no danger of me starting off too fast which is the kiss of death in a marathon. It took me twenty minutes to get through the first two miles but I was having a blast. I was talking to other runners and it was like a cocktail party. People noticed the purple “Team In Training” singlet I was wearing and asked me where I was from. A cancer survivor who was running came up to me and thanked me for running. This encounter brought a tear to my eye. I was overwhelmed with emotion and replied that it was an honour to be in this race.

The miles rolled by and we ran through the posh neighbourhood of Sea Cliff where a young boy perched on his veranda was inviting all the runners for a pancake breakfast at his house. We proceeded through the Presidio’s historical military base. We hugged the Pacific’s edge as we ran towards San Francisco’s skyline where the Golden Gate came into view. It was like being in a postcard albeit a hilly one. We passed the yachts at Green’s Harbour, zipped by Fort Mason, through Aquatic Park and along Fisherman’s Wharf. What a spectacular course it was and a musical one as well with various bands playing along the route.

The “Team In Training” folks were like the Borg in Star Trek, they were everywhere along the route and the hills cheering us on! Having this support in a marathon made all the difference in the world.

I ran through the Financial District and then headed towards the inner district of San Francisco’s Little Italy. There were lots of hills where I would run up a street, turn a corner and still be climbing and turn another corner and still be ascending! I could not believe how long these hills were and I was wise to make hills a key part of my training as this could have been a deal breaker. I found the best strategy to cope with the seemingly endless hills was not to look up and be horrified at the height of the hill but to focus on one step at a time.

There were some yummy scents around here with all the bakeries, coffee shops and restaurants. North Beach zipped by. The legendary hilly Lombard Street loomed in the distance. This was probably the only hill we didn’t run up. Whew! I could see the Palace of Fine Arts and being an art buff it was hard to run by it without lingering. I looped back to the wooded Presidio where the scenery was familiar including a different view of the Golden Gate Bridge. I sauntered through the streets of old San Francisco’s Richmond District and into the lush greens of Golden Gate Park. Somewhere around here I could smell eucalyptus trees. This part was very pastoral with the beautifully landscaped ponds and parks.

Around the eighteen mile mark I had no doubt about finishing the marathon and I felt joyful. A bit of eating, walking and lots of fluids during this marathon helped my well-being and it was the first marathon that I enjoyed running and did not hit the wall. I was feeling creaky and my hips and quads were feeling the effect of running down all the hills but I could still run. Some runners coped with the numerous downhills by walking or running backwards.

Six miles to go! This part was psychologically demanding because it was three miles out and back and I was close to the finish line but still had a way to go. I could see people heading towards the finish (there was a half-marathon happening as well) and I was going in the opposite direction. It was getting warm by this point. I got through this part by dedicating a mile a piece to people who I was running in memory of. The first mile I thought of my Mom, the next, my Dad, after that, Erin Gannon, Carol Shields…

Two miles to go! Ocean Beach to my left and I could almost hear the fanfare at the finish. I managed to calculate (a mental challenge at the tail end of a marathon) if I ran the last two in under twenty minutes I would get under four hours so I dug deep in the well.

A mile to go! I couldn’t believe I’m almost finished. I could see the finish line and hear the fanfare and I dug in. I managed to get under four hours (3:57) and I’m still standing! What a feeling of accomplishment that words cannot express! Cheryl Pollock, our “Team In Training” coordinator magically appeared and steered me to the “Team In Training” recovery tent where I discovered there were chocolate and other refreshments. I collected my race medallion which was a silver necklace designed by Tiffanys and my race shirt with a beautiful graphic of the Golden Gate Bridge. Christy Holtby, our “Team In Training” coordinator made sure I found the shuttle bus to the hotel so I could have a post-marathon nap.

My hat is off to Nike and all the volunteers for such an excellent event and their support to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s “Team In Training” coordinators Cheryl Pollock, Christy Holtby who organized the trip to San Francisco and did everything to ensure our success. Cheers for the 3,000 “Team In Training” athletes who rose well before the crack of dawn to run or walk in the Nike26.2 Marathon or Half-Marathon and raised ten million dollars for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I highly recommend being a part of “Team In Training” for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada. It is the opportunity to raise money for blood cancers and enhance your fitness. To find out more please contact www.teamintraining.org/tor

Louise Hamelin
November, 2004