Hi Everyone,
I just wanted to send out a final update on this year’s race and fundraising amounts. Well, it has been just about a week since the race on Monday. Most of you know I finished in about 4:32. I had numerous problems leading up to the race and they stuck around for race day as well. I will spare you guys the details as I really don’t want to talk about it, but I was able to finish and that was good enough for me this year. It was a bit disappointing for me from a physical standpoint because I didn’t hit my goal time, but considering I didn’t even know if I would be able to run the race 6 weeks beforehand, I was just concentrating on getting to the finish.
However, the best news of the week came on the Thursday following the race when Lina had her Jimmy Fund appointment and everything continues to go well. You wouldn’t believe how nerve racking those days still are for all of us. It’s something I hope none of you ever have to go through. My father is also heading to Italy this year for a long overdue vacation. He had to cancel his trip last year to go through his treatment and he was extremely disappointed because of it. This year, he will be healthy and be able to travel back there for four months. The progress both of them make continues to amaze me and you should all feel that you are a part of their success!
It also looks like when we are all said and done, we will have risen close to 5500 dollars this year. When added to previous years we will be right around 28000 dollars…AMAZING. I know the financial situation for many people this year was difficult, but you guys stepped up and I want to thank all of you for your generosity both this year and for previous years as well. The support all of you have given me both financially and emotionally has been awesome and it has really touched me. Thank you all so much from the bottom of my heart.
God Bless,
John
I hope....
"Well I wont back down, no I wont back down, You can stand me up at the gates of hell But I wont back down, Gonna stand my ground, wont be turned around And Ill keep this world from draggin me down, Gonna stand my ground, and I wont back down...." Tom Petty
Well 5 days before the maraton, I can't believe its almost here. It has been a difficult 6 weeks on the injury front. My knee completely blew up after my 18 mile run in Grafton. I've been able to run a total of 4 times since that Grafton run. Luckily, I was able to get through the 20 mile run, it was difficult to walk for 3 days after it, but I needed to get those miles in from a mental standpoint. I've pretty much stuck to the elliptical for my cardio training, so I still wonder if I have logged enough running miles on these legs.
At this point it doesn't really matter, the race will be here on Monday regardless of how I feel. The only thing I know is I will get to the finish line. I don't know how long it will take me to get there, but I will get there. One of the questions I always get when people know I'm training for a marathon is how hard is it to actually run and finish the race? I've thought about that a lot and I will answer it this way. Training for a marathon is a difficult physical and mental challenge, but it is SIGNIFICANTLY easier than making that trip to Childrens hospital cancer ward. Those nightly trips were more difficult that any of you could ever imagine. If I could somehow make it so nobody ever has to make that trip then I would truly be happy. That is why I run and that is the difference I hope to make...THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR GENEROSITY AND SUPPORT. Don't underestimate how much a part all of you are in helping reach this goal!
Ok, now for my marathon information. My BIB number this year is 22951. You can track my progress at www.baa.org on race day. It will be under the athlete alert portion of the page. If you choose, you can also have my times sent to you rather text on your cell phone. Simply text RUNNER to 41234. You will then receive an SMS text message confirming how to complete registration, again my BIB number is 22951. My personal goal is still to run under 4 hours, lets see if it can happen this year. I honestly have no idea how this is going to go this year with the injury. All I can promise is I will give it my all. Thanks again for everything. Look for a post race e-mail sometime shortly after the race.
God Bless,
John
This Years donation website is: http://pages.teamintraining.org/ma/boston09/jsganga
This training season has gone by so fast, we have two weeks until our 20 Mile run and about 5 weeks until the marathon. This is the time when you start to realize that you are actually going to be running this race. The weather starts to get warm, you begin to run outside and your treadmill running begins to get less and less. I got out of work the other night, inhaled my dinner and was out the door for a 7 mile run. I wanted to get out and enjoy a run without having to bundle up head to toe (I actually wore shorts and a long sleeve dry fit shirt). I think I enjoy the 7-10 mile runs the most. I do most of my running on the Minuteman Bike trail, there are great landscapes to view and you would never know its in the middle of suburban towns. When I am on my runs, it is the time I do most of my reflection. There is something about being out on a run that puts me at peace with everything. I do lots of thinking about everything that we've gone through as a family over the past 6 years. I'm not sure I'll ever get over all of it, I think when something like this happens, it sticks with you and is always in the back of your mind. You know everytime I see Lina and the strides she has made, and now my dad as well, it makes me really feel that all this running and fundraising has made difference. I want all of you to know, that you guys are just as much a part of it as I am. I'll shoot out another update with my marathon information shortly before the marathon. Thank you all for your donations up to this point, we have raised $2300 so far this year. You can read my training blog here.
This years pledge site can be found here http://pages.teamintraining.org/ma/boston09/jsganga
Thanks and God Bless,
John
Ok, so I bet none of you were expecting to hear from me this year. Well, I wasn't too sure you guys were going to hear from me either. I've struggled a bit this year with my decision to run. I've swayed back and forth since last years disaster on the marathon course. I've been battling knee issues since August of 08 but those have finally seemed to have been taken care of. So, I didn't know if I would be able to physically do it because of the injury...actually I am still not sure I can but I'm gonna give it my all. I guess ice and ibuprofen will soon become my best friends over the next 3 1/2 months :)
A couple of other things finally pushed me in the direction of running again this year. One thing that many of you probably don't know which is that my father was diagnosed with Lymphoma last May. He went through 4 months of chemotherapy and has come through it stronger than ever. To have two family members battle a blood cancer over the past 5 years has been extremely difficult and eye opening. But since both of them are doing so well, it also shows that research is paying off. Which brings me to Lina. Since the stem cell bone marrow transplant, everything has gone to the liking of the doctors. She is now a beautiful freshman in high school. Her life has finally returned to that of a normal teenager. That is EXTREMELY COOL and we continue to hope and pray that it continues to stay normal. You can see the latest picture of Lina at the top of the web page.
None of this would be possible without all of your donations, and since the team needed runners I wasn't going to abandon them. So that brings us to now, I am gonna try my best again this year to break the dreaded 4 hour time...who knows if I'll hit...who cares. What is important is if I can inspire you guys as much as you inspired me to keep running. So I know I said I wasn't going to run but like some football coach used to say around here, "I reserve the right to change my mind". I know ecomomic times are tough and you guys have already given so much. But, if you can and would like to donate then my pledge site is:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/ma/boston09/jsganga
Thanks and God Bless,
John
I run for hope
I run to feel
I run for the truth
For all that is real
I run for your mother your sister your wife
I run for you and me my friend I run for life
It's a blur since they told me about it
How the darkness had taken its toll
And they cut into my skin and they cut into my body
But they will never get a piece of my soul
And now I'm still learning the lesson
To waken when I hear the call
And if you ask me why I am still running
I'll tell you I run for us all
And someday if they tell you about it
If the darkness knocks on your door
Remember her remember me
We will be running as we have before
Running for answers
Running for more"
--Melissa Etheridge
My mission to run 5 Boston marathons began on July 14, 2003. On that day, my life as well as that of our family was changed forever. My 9 year old niece Lina was diagnosed with Leukemia. After that day, I watched Lina go through things that no child should ever have to go through. My family and I spent the following 3 weeks making numerous trips to Childrens Hospital's child cancer ward. During those trips, I started to see how amazing both Lina and all people battling cancer really are. No matter how much pain and suffering they go through, all of them always had a smile on their face. They fight the battle and never ask why this has happened to them. They take things one day at a time and truly are special people. So, why run a marathon? Well, people say that one of the hardest things to do in life is to run a marathon. They say you never really know how difficult it is until you actually experience it. Well, I believe a child (or anyone for that matter) battling cancer has it harder than running any road race. So I said if Lina can fight cancer, then I can do something considered almost as difficult and run a marathon. I committed to run and raise as much as I could for cancer research. During my training over the past 3 marathons one quote on a charity runners shirt always stood with me. It went like this:
"If you think running a marathon is difficult, try chemotherapy."
That pretty much sums up nicely why many of us charity runners are out there. These people fighting the disease are true inspirations and heros. If they can fight we can run and we'll both reach our goal.
Well I been deep down in that darkness
I been down to my last match
Felt a hundered different demons
Breathing fire in my back
And I knew that if I stumbled
I'd fall right into the trap that they were laying, Yeah
But the good news
Is there's angels everywhere out on the street
Holding out a hand to pull you back upon your feet
The one's that you been dragging for so long
You're on your knees
You might as well be praying
Guess what I'm saying
If you're going through hell
Keep on going, Don't slow down
If you're scared, don't show it
You might get out
Before the devil even knows you're there..." -Rodney Atkins
In April of 04 I ran my first Boston Marathon (in record heat) for Lina and raised over $1500.00 for cancer research. In April of 05 I ran my second marathon and raised $2505.00 for research. In April 06 I ran number 3 and raised $4967.00 running for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. April 07 was a fantastic year, as we raised $8675.00. In 08 we raised $6300.00 which brings our total to around 23000 dollars. That is absoulutely unbelievable and could never envisioned that number when I started this four years ago..My goal this year is to raise another $5000.
This year, I will once again be part of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program.
"...This world ain't fair,
It can knock you on your butt
You can just lie there,
Or you can get back up
You gotta get back up
There are times in life when you gotta crawl,
Lose your grip, trip an' fall
When you can't lean on no-one else:
That's when you find yourself
I've been around an' I've noticed that,
Walkin's easier when the road is flat
Them danged old hills will get you every time
Yeah, the good Lord gave us mountains,
(The good Lord gave us mountains)
So we could learn how to climb..." -Lonestar
I will be keeping a training blog this year. The blog will contain updates on my training and random thoughts. If you would like to read it, you can click here.
All of us on Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. I would like to not only run for Lina and our Team in Training honored team mates, but I would also like to honor or remember anyone you know who is battling or has battled cancer. These people truly are an inspiration to me. So with each donation that I get, if you would like, provide a name of a loved one who has battled or is battling cancer. On race day I will pin a ribbon with their name on my shirt and I will carry their strength with me. After you submit a donation via my pledge site, please fill out the form below with the name of a loved one that you would like me to honor or remember.
Please, help me in this cause to find a cure. I will be truly happy when NO family has to make daily trips to the cancer ward in our hospitals. To make a donation or check progress of donations please visit my donation site at http://pages.teamintraining.org/ma/boston09/jsganga
If you are unable to make a donation via credit card but would still like to donate, please mail your donation to me. If paying by check, make the check payable to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Mail the check along with your name and e-mail address to
John Sganga
88 Cliffe Ave
Lexington, MA 02420
Please fill out the form below so that I can honor a friend or family member battling cancer. On race day, I will pin a ribbon with their name to my shirt. I would love to have a shirt filled with ribbons that day.
