A Rookie's Journey to Run the Boston Marathon
By: Kelly Carson (OA), Contributing Writer
Just one more mile… OK, maybe just a few blocks more… well, how about to that stop sign? God, I hate running.
Two years ago, this was the dialogue that ran through my head whenever I tried to run. Although I was in good shape, I could only run about half a mile before doubling over in pain, and I usually ended up curled on the floor with debilitating cramps when I got home. I was convinced that running was for masochists, and I laughed at my friends when they tried to convince me to sign up for races with them. Running is terrible - I would tell them. Who would ever do a marathon on purpose?
Today, as I train for my first marathon, I couldn't feel more differently. As I found out two years ago, I had a medical condition that made distance running next to impossible for me. A few months later, after a painful surgery and recovery, I decided to give running one more chance. That day, I jogged three amazing miles through the Colorado foothills and ran up the steps to my house overjoyed, humming the Rocky theme and pumping my hands above my head. While I wasn't exactly marathon material, I felt free - and so excited about my newfound ability to run.
When I entered HBS, I reluctantly agreed when two wonderful and motivated friends convinced me to train for my first half-marathon. After that, I was hooked, running two more half-marathons in the next seven months. For me, running was a release, a privilege, a testament to the power of quality medical care. Suddenly, I was that crazy runner girl that I used to make fun of - the one who tries to convince people to sign up for races and actually wears one of those nerdy hydration belts in public!
When I found out about the Dana Farber Marathon Challenge through a case study in my "Leading and Governing High Performing Nonprofits" class, I was instantly determined to join the team. After seeing the devastating impact that cancer had on my life and that of my family and friends, I knew it was the perfect way to combine my newfound love of running with a great cause - raising funds for cutting-edge cancer research.
Over the coming months, I invite you to follow me through my ups and downs, my triumphs and my frustrations, as I work to raise $7,000 for the Dana Farber Marathon Challenge - and as I prepare for 26.2 miles of excitement, joy and, well, pain on Marathon Monday. With your help, we can move closer to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute's ultimate finish line: a world without cancer.
Visit www.rundfmc.org/2010/kellyc to find out more and to donate.
AUTHOR'S BIOGRAPHY
Kelly Carson is a proud member of Old A from Littleton, Colorado. When not running, you can find her singing with the She-E-O's, walking backwards while leading campus tours for the admissions office, or (most likely!) waiting in the sushi line at Spangler.
© Copyright 2010 Harbus
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