 Ann
Vaughn lives in Mallory Square and enjoys walking through our
neighborhood . . . but in addition to the normal motivation of
exercise, Ann is training to walk for the Leukemia and Lymphoma
Society in a Marathon! She and her Mallory Square Team of
Walkers (Her team consists of other Mallory neighbors who are also
training and gathering monetary support to walk in the Marathon with
Ann) are motivated because of the cause they support and the
supporters behind them!
Ann was
featured in an article in the Daily Sun written by Donna Rile-Lein
as she prepares to walk in the 2007 Disney World Marathon.
Mallory Square Social-lites are so proud of her ambition that they
wanted to get behind her with monetary support!
Nell and Terry Heselius donated a bicycle to be raffled off with the funds to be divided equally between the Mallory Square Marathon Walker's fundraising coffers. (Raffle Tickets are $1.00 each and can be purchased at any of the Mallory Square Monthly Social-lites Events. NOTE The drawing was held at our Christmas Dinner and Dance and the raffle proceeds was $500.00. John Hall was the happy recipient! Pictures of the drawing can be seen on our Christmas Album Page.) Numerous other individual families within Mallory signed up to support Ann and the group as they "Walk the Walk! Ann's husband,
Sidney, has leukemia, and she said that she felt led to to this. She
says that when he was diagnosed, they learned that more than 750,000
Americans have leukemia, and a large number of those people are
adults over the age of 60. When Ann and her team finish the
Marathon, the battle won't be over, but they are hoping that someday
they will rejoice in the news that leukemia and
If you would like additional information on how you can help, or just want to send Ann and Sidney an email of support, you can contact them at avaughn@thevillages.net. Ann says that any support she receives from the Mallory Social-lites will be divided among her team. Notes from Ann as the training for the marathon progresses . . . (Note from your webmaster - I don't know about the rest of you out there but just putting these weekly reports on the website has been a blessing to me. Thank you Ann and Sidney for sharing this special gifting time in your life with all of us! Our prayers and our hearts go with you both to the marathon!)
WOW - what a week it's been. The training
has been going very well. Saturday is our official team
training day and the rest of the week we are on our own.
Yesterday was the first time the entire team walked a 6 mile
route together. It was a lot of fun to walk with the group.
There are 12 walkers and 6 runners. The walkers start at 6:00
am and the runners start at 7:00. Everyone made it the full 6
miles and for some this was a challenge. Sidney did great. He
and I started walking this 6 mile route about 3 month ago when
he mentioned he might want to give the marathon a try. So he's
actually an old hand.
During the week we are on our own and per the
schedule we should be walking two 3 mile walks. Well, we've
been walking three or four 4 to 5 mile walks. At this point in
the training, the walks do not have to be timed. We'll get into
that probably next month.
Last week we went to a shoe clinic to learn
more about walking and proper shoes. It's amazing how many
different types of shoes there are and how many different ways
there are to tie a shoe. After the shoe clinic we took a drive
into Orlando and purchased some decent running shoes for the
marathon. They recommend that walkers who are doing long
distances, wear running shoes - more support. Also, most
running shoes are lighter than walkers. Every ounce will count
when you're walking 13 to 26 miles.
That's it for now. Have a great week.
Love you all,
Ann & Sidney
Yesterday's training
went well. Our core group of walkers are really bonding.
It's amazing to see how excited we all were at 6:00 AM
getting ready to conquer a new distance - we did 8 miles.
The weather was pretty nice except for a few little patches
of fog at the onset. The worst part of the 8 mile
walk was having to cross under a main road via a tunnel.
Now generally the tunnels in The Villages are not bad
because there's usually a light at the other end (no pun
intended). But this particular tunnel has no light and it
also has bats. I'm told they are harmless, but nonetheless,
they're there. The trick is to get through the tunnel
before they return from their night out. If I get to the
tunnel when they're flying around I generally run through
screaming at the top of my lungs - it's not a good use of
energy, but it works for me. Sidney, on the other hand,
thinks I'm crazy and he just strolls through as if they
aren't there. And so the adage opposites attract
is a very true statement.
I was a bit concerned about this
walk because during the week I dropped a Corian cutting
board on my right foot. It was a little sore on the top of
the foot, but after some ice and elevating it, all is well
and it didn't bother me during the walk. Other than that
it's been a great week of training. We've walked 5 of the 7
days and are faithfully following our training schedule.
From a fundraising standpoint we
are getting closer to our October 15 goal everyday. Thanks
for your help with this deadline. We hope to reach our
dollar commitment very soon.
That's all for now. Keep us in
your prayers.
Love you all,
Ann & Sidney
GREAT NEWS - the bats are gone! I
guess they moved for the winter. Do bats go south or
north??? We've walked that tunnel a number of times over
the past week and again on Saturday and no bats. Yeah!
Someone did mention they thought they saw them in a
different tunnel. I just hope it's one I don't have to walk
through.
This Saturday our mileage dropped back
a little so we could concentrate on speed. The half
marathoners did 6 miles, full marathoners 8. There were
only three of us walking the 8 miles and we really hoofed
it. We completed it in an average 13.6 minute mile. It was
a great workout. While we don't have to walk the marathon
that fast, we do have a 16 minute per mile time limit. Just
as last year, if you don't keep up you'll get swooped -
pulled off the course. Disney is very strict on their time
limit rules, so that's why we periodically cut back on
mileage and work on speed.
After the walk Sidney and I sold raffle
tickets in front of a local grocery store as part of our
group fundraising effort. This is the first time I've
actually had to "sell" something. Not as easy as I thought
it would be. You have to take a lot of rejection before
some kind soul buys your raffle ticket. But all in all we
did well and had a lot of fun doing it. Can't complain -
for 4 hours of our time and constant rejection, we raised
$300. Not a bad rate per hour and another chunk of
money goes to a great cause. We have lots of other group
fundraising projects coming up.
Have a great week. Keep us in your
thoughts and prayers.
Love,
This Saturday we not only had a
fantastic walk - the weather was perfect (low 60's - low
humidity), full marathoners did 12 miles and half
marathoners did 9 miles, but we also had a fabulous
breakfast. The team got together after the walk for a
"recommitment" breakfast. They call it "recommitment"
because that's the time you sign on the dotted line saying
you really are going to walk in this marathon. By signing
on that dotted line you are also saying you are committed to
raising the full $2,200 or in our case $4,400. There's no
turning back once you sign. You're obligated for the full
amount.
Well, you can congratulate yourself
because you helped Sidney and I raise not only our
recommitment funds, but also the full amount that we need to
participate in the marathon in January. We are so blessed
to have such wonderful family and friends who have helped us
through this piece of the event. And the bigger bonus is
that our fundraising doesn't stop. We continue to raise
funds through December and any money that's raised over and
above the $4,400 is used 100%
for research and patient services. So if you still have a
desire in your heart to help with this, please know your
contribution is not only welcome, but will be greatly
appreciated by Sidney and I and the thousands of folks who
have leukemia/lymphoma.
We really enjoyed
the breakfast. The food was delicious - after all, we just
walked 9 to 12 miles, so eating a little extra is okay - and
we also had a chance to get to know our fellow team members
a little better. It was so nice to talk with these
folks without having to worry about breathing or sweating.
We heard an interesting talk that morning. The Mom of one
of our runners has a form of leukemia/lymphoma. She talked
about her illness and how grateful she was to the team for
helping fight this disease. It makes our event even more
meaningful.
Y'all did great! Give yourselves a
big round of applause and a big hug. We want to thank each
and every one of you for your generosity, your support and
your prayers. Please continue to pray for us.
We love you all,
Ann & Sidney
We are always happy and amazed when
the team walks seven miles and we think it's easy. It's
proof that the training does work and is starting to take
hold. Saturday was a very relaxed walk and was the first
time in a while that the entire team walked together. Over
the past few weeks the full marathoners and the half
marathoners walked different distances and routes. Everyone
is walking close to or better than a 16 minute mile.
There's lots of camaraderie, lots of team spirit and lots of
laughs. Walking as early as we do, it's still dark and it's
very quiet, that is, until we start out on the trail. Many
of us wear flashing red lights on our waist bands or arms to
alert golf carts, bicycles, or other pedestrians that we're
there. So from a distance you can't really see people, you
just see red flashing lights and hear a lot of laugher and
chatter.
I personally love walking through
our town center before the sun comes up. We pass all types
of businesses; a bank, clothing stores, restaurants, the
movie theater, etc. Starbucks is opening, the coffee is
brewing, The Villages radio station is broadcasting and
there's a great peace to it all. What a joy to be out and
about at this crazy hour. The little pleasures of life make
it so enjoyable.
Have a fantastic week. We love you
all,
Ann & Sidney
Being part of the Team In Training
group is a lot like delivering the mail - you train
regardless of the weather. Saturday morning was not your
typical Florida morning. It rained a lot and the wind was
blowing. We almost canceled the walk, but since there was
no lightening and by the time most of the team arrived it
was down to a very soft drizzle, we decided to follow the
rules and walk. Now the rule says you walk regardless of
the weather, with the exception of lightening.
The good news is that it stopped
raining about 10 minutes into the walk. The worst part was
going over the Morse Street bridge. Now this is ordinarily
a very nice bridge, but there was a low spot with lots of
water and no way around, so we trekked through water almost
ankle deep and just as we were doing that a very nice driver
splashed us as he sped by. This hit at about the 2 mile
point and the full marathoners had 14 miles to do and the
halfers had 9. Needless to say, it was wet feet most of the
way. One of the tricks they tell you about is to lather
your feet in Vaseline to help prevent socks/shoes from
rubbing and causing blisters. This really works.
Considering the weather and the soggy shoes, all went well.
At least it wasn't cold or snowing or sleeting. And it was
great training in the event that it rains the day of the
actual marathon. It's always to your advantage to have
practiced in all types of weather conditions.
Our next big fund raising event is a
pancake breakfast on Saturday, November 11th from 7:00 am to
10:00 am. The breakfast will be held at a local restaurant
- Up The Creek Fish Camp & Grill. For just $5 you get a
delicious breakfast, will be waited on by the marathoners
and will be eligible for all sorts of door prizes. Let me
know if any of you local folks want tickets. I'm told these
breakfasts sell out fast.
Have a great week. Thanks for your
continued support.
Love,
Ann & Sidney
Time for another weekly update.
Saturday the half marathoners did a 10 mile walk. This is
the longest distance most of them have covered and everyone
did well. Sidney said he was a little tired, but felt
good.
The full marathoners did 16 miles.
Now I would normally walk with the team, but this past
Saturday morning I had to work in Orlando, so I had the
pleasure of covering my 16 miles myself on Sunday morning.
There are two challenges to walking a long distance by
yourself. The first is the water issue. You really can't
carry enough water to cover your fluid needs for 16 miles.
The second issue is that you have no one to talk with to
make the time pass faster. If you average a 15 minute mile,
16 miles takes you about 4 hours. Well, I am the luckiest
walker in the group, because not only did Sidney help me
with the water, he was also good company. There's a reason
we own a golf cart. Originally it was for golf, but since
I've been doing marathon training it's become the water
wagon. My dear husband positions himself two miles ahead of
me and has water poured in a little paper cup. I even get
to toss it on the ground, just like in the real marathon,
and he picks up the trash. Then he drives slowly and talks
with me for a while before he dashes off to get set up at
the next water stop. What a great guy!
All in all the 16 miles went well.
I finished in a great time, had no blisters or sore muscles,
but I was more than a little tired after it was all over.
I'd forgotten just how long 16 miles is.
Have a great week.
Love you all,
Ann & Sidney
What a weekend. Saturday was
our big group fundraiser. Now we've had a series of
little ones along the way, but Saturday we did the
pancake breakfast. It turned out to be a great event.
The team, who is doing really well with the training
piece, learned at 6:00 am, how little we know about
serving, busing tables and general restaurant "stuff".
It was a bit of a challenge getting started, but once we
kicked into gear, we were on a roll. We served close to
300 folks pancakes, sausage, syrup, and beverages. We
had to do everything but cook (thank goodness for
the patrons), including wash dishes. In addition to the
breakfast, we also gave away door prizes and raffled off
all kinds of things including gift certificates to
Carrabbas Italian Restaurant and Target. What F-U-N!
We all agreed that it was one of the best times we've
had together as a team and we made a lot of money for
leukemia/lymphoma. We are working toward a Villages
team goal of $50,000. We get closer with each event and
each contribution. For those of you who attended the
breakfast - a big THANK YOU. Hope you enjoyed the food
and camaraderie as much as we did.
Now just because you have a big
fundraiser on Saturday doesn't mean you don't have to
train. So early this morning (6:00 am) we gathered at
our usual spot and did our team distance walk. This
week it wasn't too long. Halfers did 7 miles - full
marathoners did 10. It was a fabulous morning to walk
and actually we needed it because we had to work off all
those pancakes we ate yesterday.
One of the greatest
things Sidney and I have experienced is the amazing
amount of dedication and excitement our team has. We
all work hard to stay focused on our goal and the
reasons we are training and fundraising. The rewards
are so great - I can't even begin to explain them.
We love you all,
Ann & Sidney
18 miles and what do you
get.....another day older and deeper in....oops that's
16 tons. Yes, full marathoners did an 18 mile walk this
weekend and the halfers did 10. There were two
interesting things about this Saturday - first it was
pretty cold starting out in the morning (mid 40's) and
second we had to drink lots of water and eat while we
walked.
One of the biggest decisions you
have to make on cold mornings is what to wear. Clothes
that are too heavy may feel good at the start but can
really slow you down as the sun comes up and the temps
rise. The best thing I've learned is to layer and be
prepared to remove these layers as necessary. There are
a few tricks to layering. First, whatever you peel off
has to be carried, so make sure it's something you can
tie around your waist. Second, it's easier if you don't
have to pull if off over your head. If you wear gloves
or a hat, be sure they fit in a pocket and they don't
get in the way when you walk. Anything you put in a
pocket can be uncomfortable when you are doing distance
and can also rub and blister in places you would never
dream. Most of us opted for shorts and some layering on
the top half. That seemed to work best.
The second problem of course
is drinking and eating as you walk. 18 miles requires a
lot of water, so to make it a little easier for
everyone, the 18 milers walked a 6 mile loop three
times. That allowed our coach to set up two water
stations. One of them was unmanned (cooler with
bottles), the other one was manned and we were
handed water or Gatorade. After the halfers finished
their 10 miles, Sidney and Coach Jen hopped in our golf
cart and had water available for us about every 2
miles. Talk about going the extra mile! WOW! The more
water we were able to get, the easier the walk.
The eating part isn't really
that difficult, but it should be practiced before the
race. It's recommended you have something to boost your
energy after about 8 miles and then periodically after
that as needed. We normally do power gel, energy bars
and pretzels. The eating has to be coordinated with the
water.
I clearly remember doing this
distance last year and I have to say, it was a lot
easier this year. Maybe because I've had experience
with these distances, maybe because I've trained a lot
more this year or maybe because I have the best water
boy on the planet.
Enjoy your week. Love you all,
Sidney and Ann
I ran across this quote and it
really made me think about our Saturday morning walk.
There are two things in life
to aim for:
First to have a goal and
second to enjoy achieving it.
The wisest of people
remember the first and
concentrate on the second.
Author Unknown
Sometimes I don't like to get up
early. I am not naturally a "morning" person, although
I've had to become one over the years. Sidney, on the
other hand, is an early riser. It runs in his family.
At any rate, I was tired, it was a little cold outside,
it was dark and I sat in the car with the seat reclined
until the last possible second before I had to do my
warm-ups (5:45 am). I was silently moaning and groaning
about having to be awake and also coherent. But then an
interesting thing happened. As I warmed up and started
talking with the group, I realized how special and how
important it all was. And I started enjoying it. Let's
face it, we have two important goals: help find a cure
for leukemia through our fundraising and finish the
marathon. So, Saturday was a success because I was able
to concentrate on the second - enjoying the journey,
enjoying the camaraderie, enjoying achieving these
goals.
Saturday morning the halfers did
8 miles, the full marathoners did 10. A short distance
compared with last Saturday. Weather was cool, we
needed a jacket at the start, but warmed up as we got
into the walk. Everyone is doing so well. Most of us
are finishing under a 15 minute mile. That's really
terrific for this time in the training. And speaking of
this time in the training, the marathon is only 6 weeks
away. Yipes!
This Thanksgiving, Sidney and I
felt so blessed to know each and every one of you.
Thank you for making this journey possible.
Have a great week.
Love,
Ann & Sidney
Walking and eating; eating and walking. This week it
was all about food. Since the full marathon will take
more than 6 hours to walk, we practiced eating along the
trail. What fun. The rule is you never try anything
new the day of the race. Sooooooo I tested some
different things that I haven't eaten while
walking. The coaches recommend having some salty treats
that are easy to eat and will boost your energy. I've
used both power bars and gels before, so this time I
wanted to try some "real" food. It's a good idea not to
select anything that melts easily, is overly
sticky or drips. I had part of a peanut butter and
jelly sandwich and some pretzels. Both worked well and
didn't bother the tummy. So these could be some of the
little bits of food we will actually carry the day of
the race.
The full marathoners did 14 miles this week and the
halfers got a break, only 6.
Hope you all have a great week.
Ann & Sidney
From Ann -
December 11
What a weekend! The full marathoners walked 13 miles and the halfers did 10. Now this is only one less mile than I did last week, so it should have been a piece of cake, so to speak. But instead it was darn hard work, because I walked all 13 on a treadmill. Yipes!
Friday, I flew to New York for my nephews wedding.
Now you know you're getting old when your nephew gets
married, but that's another story all together. And
just because you have a life and activities, the
training still has to happen, especially since next
Saturday is the longest walk of the training before the
big event. So like a good marathoner, I planned on
getting in the 13 miles one way or another. I had hoped
to walk on the streets, but two factors got in my way:
I was staying in a VERY busy area with no easy walking
paths or routes and it was in the low 20's (yes, that's
below freezing). So I hit the treadmill at 6:00 when
the other walkers were starting here in The Villages.
It was a whole new experience for me. Now I've walked
on a treadmill before, but I haven't "trained" on a
treadmill. Big difference. There are a few things that
really make it more difficult in my mind. First, the
speed stays constant - you can't slow down to look at
the scenery and then catch up. Second, it's just plain
boring and monotonous. I had access to a TV so that
helped, but the darn drone from the motor made it hard
to hear without the volume turned to the max. Also, 13
miles is a long way to walk without seeing or talking to
other folks. Needless to say, I missed my teammates a
lot. But considering all these factors, it was still
better than skipping the training or walking in below
freezing temps. The other plus is that it gave me
freedom to enjoy ALL the food at the wedding that
evening.
Sidney and the team did great. The weather in The
Villages was a little chilly, but not all that bad. He
told me there was a family of cranes (7 of them) that
were out in full force on Saturday morning. They were
hanging out with the golfers and enjoying the day. The
walkers in The Villages also his a bit of golf cart
traffic because there was a local tournament and the
walking/golf paths were very busy. They had great fun
waving to the golfers and enjoyed their festive Santa
hats, etc. Some of the carts were even decorated.
That's all for now. Enjoy your week.
Love to all,
Ann & Sidney
The longest walk of the training! Saturday was
quite the day. We started out at 5:30 AM (stretches
as 5:15). If you have to walk 20 miles you really
want all of the conditions to be just right and boy
were we lucky - mild temperature (about 58), no
wind, no rain, and when daylight hit, there wasn't
even a lot of sun. This was perfect weather. The
halfers did 12 miles. Now in the big scheme of
things, this is like 20 for the full marathoners.
So everyone had a big day.
The most difficult part of the walk was the last
2 miles. The full marathoners did three 6 mile
loops and then tacked on 2 extra miles to get to the
20. Those last two miles seemed to take more time
than the first 18. There's a water tower that acts
as a landmark for us and when we see that tower we
know we're close. The water tower never looked
better than it did on Saturday morning. Now, it's
not that we didn't enjoy the walk, but we were just
ready to be finished.
Our coaches did a great job of providing frequent
water stations. Volunteers manned
these stations and they were our oasis in the
desert. We love our water volunteers because the
one thing you can not do without is water. Lack of
water makes you not only dehydrated, but also very,
very tired.
Just a quick note on our fundraising. You all
have made an amazing impact on the race to find a
cure. As of today, Sidney and I have a combined
total of $6,970. This is $2, 570 over our required
minimum. WOW!! You are all so terrific and we
appreciate your support from the bottom of our
hearts.
Three weeks and counting. It's almost here.
Keep us in your prayers.
Love you all,
Ann & Sidney
Rain rain go away. Saturday morning
we started out at 5:00 am and it was raining on and off.
And it was the type of rain that poured down for a few
minutes and then stopped and then poured down for a few more
minutes and then stopped. Very annoying if you have to walk
13 miles. But as you know you train regardless of the
weather, so off we went hoping when we had to start the
walk, the rain would stop. And sure enough it did. Oh
maybe a few light sprinkles, but that lasted for only the
first half mile and then it was over. As a matter of fact,
it was a very pleasant morning to walk. Sidney and I were
the only two walkers this week (most were out of town for
Christmas), so we walked our miles together. We had a blast
and finished in record time.
Well only one more Saturday
morning of training and we are off to Disney. Woo hoo!
Hope you had a wonderful Christmas.
Love you all,
Six, five, four, three, two,
one...............Woo hoo. Six more days and we participate
in the Disney marathons. We can hardly believe it. Time
flies when you're having fun. It doesn't seem possible that
we started our training in August. After next weekend, we
won't be setting the alarm and getting up at 4:00 am. While
we'll miss the friendship and the group walks, we won't miss
the early wake up call.
Saturday morning was the last
official team training session for any of us in town this
holiday weekend. The full marathoners did 10 miles and the
halfers did 6. It was an easy walk. Sidney and I tested
the singlet we have to wear. These are purple, sleeveless,
V-neck tops made of that quick dry fabric that have the
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society logo and all of the sponsors.
You have to wash them first (get all that nasty sizing out
of them) and then take them for a test walk before you
officially wear them during the race. You are testing to
make sure they don't rub your skin or cause any other
discomfort. You really don't want to be wearing anything
that will give you grief for 13.1 or 26.2 miles.
I've been checking the extended
forecast for Orlando. Keep those fingers crossed that we
will have favorable weather (no rain, no freezing temps and
no unseasonably hi temps) the weekend of the race.
This week we will concentrate on
easier walks and will also be getting the things ready we
will need to bring - clothing, Band-Aids, Vaseline, power
gels, etc. You have to be prepared for all possibilities.
Each race starts at 6:00 am. We are
taken to the "staging" area at 4:30. Please keep us in your
prayers this week and during the race. We'll need all the
help we can get. Sidney walks Saturday morning and I walk
Sunday morning.
We love you all and will let you
know the outcome. Until next week.......
So what do you all think Sidney and
I did this Monday morning? We slept in! The marathon
weekend was what we would call interesting. Here's how it
went........
Friday morning we headed off to
Disney. Arriving before noon, we went directly to the
Disney Wide World of Sports complex to pick up our race
packets. The race packet includes your bib number and also
your chip, a little device you put on your shoe that
registers your time as you cross the start line, certain
check points and the finish line. To get the packet you
have to show them a photo ID and sign saying you did, in
fact, receive these items. The chip comes in a little white
bag and you are not to remove it before you need to put it
on your shoe. The bag is scanned as you leave the area to
make sure the chip works. It's really amazing. After
picking up the packets, they send you downstairs to pick up
your official Disney Marathon shirt. And then you can spend
some time at the sports expo, where they sell every kind of
running/walking stuff you could ever imagine.
Friday night we went to the Team In
Training pasta party, sponsored by the Leukemia & Lymphoma
Society. A high-carb feast that the runners and walkers
love. It's a license to eat without worrying about
calories. After all, if you walk a half marathon the
average person burns 1000 to 1200 calories and a full
marathoner burns 1800 - 2200 calories. So eat up and eat up
we did.
Now the real fun begins. It is wise
to get everything organized the night before the race
because on Saturday morning the alarm goes off at 2:00
am. Sidney had to be in the hotel lobby at 3:00. A few
quick pictures are taken and then the racers are bused to a
parking lot at Epcot. You get to wait there until 5:00 and
then you walk to yet another parking lot and wait until
5:30. At 5:30 you start walking to the chorals - the
"holding pens". The half marathoners were divided by what
they call waves. This year 16,000 people ran/walked the
half marathon so they needed 3 waves. Each wave starts at a
different time: 6:00, 6:15 and 6:30. Sidney was in the
third wave starting at 6:30. Each wave takes the same
course, but the staggered start times eliminates some of the
bottle necks that form from the shear number of
participants. The first thing you do when you get to the
parking lot is to get on line to use the port-a-potty. And
then after you finish, you get on line again. While there
seems to be hundreds of these units, there's thousands of
people needing to make a quick stop before the gun goes
off.
The weather was warm this
weekend, actually hot, even for Florida. The good news
was that we didn't have any problems trying to stay warm
before the start of the race. Sidney did so well. He
finished in record time (3 hours, 2 minutes, 21
seconds) and felt great. Over the 13.1 mile course, he
averaged a 13.54 minute mile. The maximum time
requirement was a 16 minute mile, so he done good for a
72 year old!!
The full marathon was Sunday
morning. Same routine - up at 2:00, hotel lobby at
3:00, etc. etc. It was also hot on Sunday morning and
it got even hotter throughout the day. Sunday the temp
reached 82 degrees and it was full sun in the
afternoon. Another 16,000 of our closest friends
participated in the full marathon. The full marathoners
were split into two groups, with each group starting at
the same time, but taking a different route. The
routes came together after the first few miles, again
helping to avoid bottle necks.
All went well thought the first
half and then we hit a bit of a snag. They ran out of
water. Five of the water stops had no water. Ouch -
80+ degree temps, walking at a pretty fast pace and
getting dehydrated makes for an interesting experience.
So mile 19 to the finish line was really tough. The did
have water for the last two water stops so that was
good, but a lot of us were already dehydrated. I was
never so happy to see the finish line. Considering all,
I managed to finish the 26.2 miles in 6 hours, 28
minutes, 14 seconds, which was a 14.48 minute mile. At
one point I remember thinking I couldn't continue, but
then I saw the back of a shirt that read.....if you
think running a marathon is tough, try chemo. You are
really driven to kick it back into gear, pull out all
the stops and draw energy from places you didn't know
you had it.
So that was our weekend. It was
an experience we will never forget and we are so glad we
had the opportunity to participate. 200 participants
from the Orlando Chapter (our group) raised over
$400,000 for leukemia/lymphoma. Together, Sidney and I
raised $7,100. We want to once again thank each of you
for all of your prayers, your thoughts, your
contributions. We could not have done this without your
help.
We love you all and wish you a
wonderful year of health and happiness.
Love,
Ann & Sidney
*Note from your webmaster - Each week as Ann sent her reports of their training to us I have typed and added the reports to our website with awe and pride but this final report - really touched my heart! I prayed for Sidney and Ann this week-end as the temperature soared as I am sure that many of you did and it is with tears in my eyes and pride in these wonderful and courageous neighbors that I sign off on this article. It will remain on our website as long as I am the webmaster to remind us all of what a big heart and and a lot of courage can accomplish!!
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lymphoma
have been conquered and they had a part in raising research monies.
Currently Sidney's leukemia is not aggressive and is being monitored
and there is even hope that he will be able to participate in the
half marathon this year. Sidney and Ann are positive people
and grateful for each day that God gives them instead of just giving
in to this vicious disease. We are proud of the Vaughn's and
glad they live in Mallory!