Hope the Weather is Nice!

Just a little more than 3 weeks until the 3rd annual "26.2 with Donna". It's hard to believe it is the third year. I'm training for the half-marathon, I love the distance and the course!

I hope we will once again get a large turnout from the Central Florida area. This is such a wonderful event. Donna Deegan has once again worked tirelessly to ensure everyone has a fantastic time in Jacksonville.

It's still not too late to register for the race. Please, do all you can to support this cause!

I would like the weather to be "cool" this year. I was in New York earlier this year and experienced "cold" as the photo illustrates. How about a nice 50 degree day!

There will be more posts to this blog and a recap following the race.

We're Getting Close

As we approach mid-December, we are less than 90 days away from marathon Sunday, February 21, 2010. Once again, I hope we can "recruit" a large number of runners from Orlando to be there. I'm registered and have my hotel room reserved!

Please make every effort to join us for the "26.2 with Donna - The National Marathon to Finish Breast Cancer".

The photo is from 2009 after the award ceremony.

Donna in Orlando at Track Shack

On Saturday, November 7th, we were blessed to have Donna Deegan, visit the Track Shack here in Orlando. She was here to promote her new book, "Through Rose Colored Glasses", and to visit with runners. Many of the people who stopped to see her have run the "26.2 with Donna - The National Marathon to Finish Breast Cancer".

If you have been a follower of this blog you are very familiar with Donna Deegan. Her story is one of courage and determination. Assisting Donna was "our" own Donna, Donna Nelson. Both of these ladies have been such motivators for the running communities in Orlando, Jacksonville, Florida and across this country.

There are links on this blog to the websites for Donna's book and to the marathon. Please support this "fight" and register to run with Donna on February 21, 2010.

The photo is of Donna Nelson, Donna Deegan and me.

A quote from the book, "Fear Not; Only Believe" Mark 5:36

Donna to Visit Orlando

Donna Deegan will be at the Track Shack in Orlando, FL, on Saturday, November 7th, from 11:00am to 3:00pm. She will be signing copies of her new book, "Through Rose Colored Glasses". There are many Donna fans in the Central Florida area and we hope they will come out for this event.

Dedicated to Cathy Johnson

"When I first met my mother-in-law, she was already going through breast cancer treatment for over two years. Over the next five years, she would prove to be one of the bravest, most positive people I've ever known. Never did she complain or ask, "why me", and her response to our questions of how she felt was always, "I'm hanging in there!", with a big smile on her face.

She showed me that you have choices in your life. You can choose to succumb to your fears and stresses or you can fight. You can take a stand and believe in yourself. She always wore a yellow LiveSTRONG bracelet, and that was her commitment. She challenged herself to LiveSTRONG through the good and the bad.

Cathy lost her battle to breast cancer in May, but her resilience and attitude in the face of adversity has given me a new perspective and given me the chance to look at distance running in a new way. I now look at marathon running as a choice and a chance. I purposely put the long miles under my feet, but many men and women who are given the diagnosis of cancer never had the chance to accept or deny the diagnosis.

The last hill in the "Breast Cancer Marathon", as you're approaching the finish, seems to go on forever. By that point in the race, your legs hurt and you're usually just about out of gas. During last year's race, as I came up the hill, panting and walking, I passed a woman wearing a pink "Survivor" bib and something big occurred to me ..........

That hill is over in just a few minutes. I can walk it, run it or even crawl up it and soon enough, I'm on the down slope and across the finish line. For those who are going through cancer treatment, many times there is no down slope, or the journey to get to the easy parts is very long and not easy. So that day, I ran the hill, and never stopped until I finished, where my husband was waiting to welcome me.

I can't wait for the 2010 "26.2 with Donna - The National Marathon to Finish Breast Cancer", because I know my mother-in-law will be there with me in spirit, reminding me to keep going and to LiveSTRONG.

I LiveSTRONG in memory of Cathy Johnson."

This post was written by Mari Costea-Johnson and published with her permission. The photo is of Mari and her husband Dave, at the finish of the 2009 marathon.

"Through Rose Colored Glasses"

Donna's new book, "Through Rose Colored Glasses", is now available for pre-sale.

Please visit the "Breast Cancer Marathon" website to see all available merchandise.

Please Share Your Story

As we move beyond the halfway point toward February 21, 2010, it is time for me to be more diligent in updating this blog. I am in the process of reaching out to friends for stories about their family members or friends who have battled breast cancer. Or, if you have a story about your involvement with the "26.2 with Donna - The National Marathon to Fight Breast Cancer", please share your story with me for the blog.

I will be back in Jacksonville for year number three. I have run 10 marathons and numerous half-marathons. There is not one that is as inspirational as the "26.2 with Donna."

Having friends who are survivors and are running in this event. Having friends who are running in memory of a loved one who tragically lost their battle to this disease. Reading all the t-shirts and signs the runners and spectators carry on race day. So much inspiration. So many reasons to participate.

As I write this, I recall coming upon a runner with less than two miles to go. On the back of his shirt he had a small sign that said simply, "please say a prayer for my sister."

Motivation is everywhere. To me, the hills don't seem as high, the heat is not too hot, and my body can and will endure a short period of "pain". Any discomfort I feel is nothing compared to what a cancer patient must endure.

If you have a story, please e-mail it to me at: jimny1045@juno.com