Welcome to my blog!
Hello and welcome to my blog!
For those of you who may have stumbled here, I am a singer/songwriter in Brooklyn, NY (check out my website at www.megbraun.com), who has taken up running. Okay, “taken up” might not be the right way to put it, but in any case, I have decided that I want to run the New York Marathon in 2010. I plan to run on “Fred’s Team” to raise money for cancer research, and my inspiration is my dear friend Victoria, who has been diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. More on that later in the post.
I have not remotely considered myself an athletic person since high school when I briefly swam on the swim team. A couple of years ago, I took a short term foray into cycling, completing the Five Borough Bike Tour in 2008, but haven’t taken on any sort of physical challenge since.
So, how did a rather non-athletic person such as myself get into running? I did start running on the “dreadmill” last November, however, I found it dreadfully boring (which is why I call it a “dreadmill”) and didn’t really keep up with it. Then, in the early part of this summer, I had a significant relationship in my life end. Yes, I was dumped. Well, we really dumped each other, but it still sucked. The way I began to deal with my hurt and anger was to start running. I found it cleared my head and made me feel a bit more in control.
Then, after about a month, I realized it had become something that I genuinely enjoyed for myself. It was much needed time alone, and I even began to get song ideas during my runs. And I just generally liked the way I felt.
I have also always liked challenges. I think you learn something about yourself when you challenge yourself to do something you never thought you would or could do. I decided I would run a 10K. Then, when I realized one weekend that I had run the distance of a 10K, I decided I needed something longer. So, I looked into a half marathon. Then I thought to myself, why not try for a marathon?!
I credit a friend of mine for that idea. Two years ago, my friend Emily Anne inspired me with her marathon run for cancer research. She decided to run the marathon after her father succumbed to kidney cancer. I was so proud of her. And she got hooked, and this November will run her 5th marathon!
Well, when I decided I wanted to run one, it was too late to properly train for the 2009 marathon in NYC. Plus, I decided that I wanted to build to the 26.2 miles. And to really make sure I didn’t back out I decided to start this blog. Nothing like the potential of failing in public to drive a person to succeed! Ha!
Then, last week, I got a call from my friend Victoria Lavington. She said she had some bad news. I thought maybe she was joining the ranks of my many unemployed friends. It was far worse. She had just been diagnosed with breast cancer and it had spread to her lymph nodes. I was in shock and felt completely helpless.
Victoria is one of my singer/songwriter friends. I am part of a women’s songwriting group that has been meeting since 2002 (I think), and we call ourselves “Chicks with Dip.” Over the years we have met monthly (more recently semi-monthly) to eat chips and dip, drink wine, talk about life and share our songs. These women have become some of my closest friends. My friend Sharon wrote about this a lot more eloquently on her blog (www.songwritingscene.com).
While Vic has insurance to cover many of her medical expenses, insurance unfortunately does not cover living expenses. She and her husband Mike are also the parents of a beautiful one-year-old, Sylvia. With Victoria unable to work, even with disability payments, they will really be struggling financially. So, we (her friends and family) want to fundraise to help them out during this time.
For my part, I will be helping to put together a fundraising concert for her (a large team is already in place!), but there will also be a link on this blog for readers, if so inspired and financially able, to donate to her expenses.
Once I am signed up for “Fred’s Team”, there will also be a link to donate to my fundraising goal. Though I have lost friends and family members to various cancers over the last few years, because it is Victoria’s fight that has inspired me, I plan to designate “breast cancer” as the area of research that I want the funds I raise directed.
What will you find in future blogs? Well, I plan to post my training stats (average pace, mileage run), nutrition to fuel my runs, racing stats (I plan to run 9 to 11 races before the 2010 marathon), as well as some of the random things I overhear or think about on my runs. I also will post any new songs, either lyrics or if I am able to get rough recordings up, you will get to listen to those. In 2011, I plan record my second CD, so this will be a place to preview some of songs that might end up on it.
I would also welcome training advice, nutrition advice and any other comments (be nice please!) that you might want to share!!!
This blog is very much in process and its look will change as I get to work on it more. Big thanks to my friend Devyn Caldwell for getting me started! I’ll post a link to his blog soon as well!!!
Thanks and hope to see you back here.
