I’m excited for the coming weekend on so many levels.
I first conceived of running a distance longer than 26.2
miles to fundraise for lymphedema, while running the Big Sur Marathon, last
April. A runner/writer whose blog
I follow has written about dedicating each mile of a marathon to people in her
life. So, when I was tired in high
mileage along gorgeous Highway One, I thought about some of the many people for
whom I’m grateful, and about the strength they demonstrate. Around mile 19, as I rounded a
particularly windy and foggy outcropping, the idea came to me that I could run
an ultramarathon to raise money for lymphedema research.
The couple of months prior to the race had been tough as, through many consultations with some of the nation’s leading
experts, it was confirmed that the swelling in Kati’s leg is lymphedema. It frustrated and confused me that
there is no known cure for this condition. Thus, the prospect of offering something of which I’m capable—running—as
a means to support research excited me.
And, to me, running a 50k (31.07 miles) made/makes perfect sense. I’ve run marathons, but I’ve never run
further. Now, I want to go longer, and
dig deeper, to express my belief that a cure for lymphedema is possible and that I am committed to help moving toward it.
I understand that, likely, the cure won’t be discovered tomorrow. Nor the next day, nor the day of the
race, nor the day after that.
Perhaps there will still be months, even years, of research and trials. But I believe that better treatments
and, ultimately, a cure for lymphedema are possible. And, as I wrote in my second blog, Accretion, I also believe
in the cumulative efforts of many people.
Together, we will help to propel medical research of lymphedema toward a
cure. Because, in our efforts and our giving, not only are we sponsoring research at the Lymphatic Research Foundation, but we are also
making a statement, as a collective: a lot of people care about finding a cure
for lymphedema.
Almost exactly one year since the notion of a run for
lymphedema occurred to me, I am so looking forward to a full weekend of
lymphedema awareness, through the Hike + Run to Cure Lymphedema. Next Saturday (rain or shine!), a group
comprised of friends and family will hike in the Oakland Hills. And on Sunday, Christine and I will run
in the Grizzly Peak 50k, in Berkeley. In the two months that we’ve been fundraising, a cohort of
120 people have raised over $11,570 to support lymphedema research. It brings me so much joy that we’re
able to send this sizable contribution to the Lymphatic Research Foundation,
where postdoctoral fellows are working to better understand this mysterious and
under-researched condition. I’m
also really excited about the fact that this means that the word is spreading
about lymphedema.
This is an exciting time and, as the Lymphatic Research Foundation says, “There has never been a time of greater optimism in the field
of lymphatic research.” Thank you
and I hope to see you next weekend!
With love,
Marissa
Hike Sign Up here: http://www.lymphedemarun.org/#!hike-sign-up/c1rd5
Donate here: http://lymphatic.donorpages.com/LRFFriendsandEvents/lymphedemarun/
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| On the Grizzly Peak course! |
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