My Peeps

When Amy was diagnosed with breast cancer and it became impossible for her to train and complete the NYC Marathon with me, she still wanted to support me. Support me she did.

She not only lent me her home and yard for 2 yard sale to raise funds for the Run2Remember team, she asked many of her friends and clients to donate 'stuff' to the sale. She spent hours and hours cleaning and tagging the stuff.

She was with me for 3 of my long runs. Once in a golf cart with my dad and twice on a bike.

When I was paralyzed with upset and failure after my second injury, she asked me what other medical help I could get. That is what spurred me to find MAH and Heather is who steered me to Dr Gennaro. No doubt that without Amy, I would not have found them and without them, I would not have completed the marathon the way I did.

Then she asked what support I would like during the marathon. I told her that if I could have it my way(and in life, I rarely have it totally my way) I would want a friend at each mile from 8 on. I would want to have that to look forward to. I would like to be able to tell myself "Just one more mile and you will see (friend's name).

Amy put together a plan for me to have what I wanted. It was very much like the time and effort I put together to find the prefect 5 Phone a Friends when I was on Who Wants to be a Millionaire?. My structure of support was in place and all I needed to do was keep moving.

The plan looked like this:

Mile 8 - Steve and Kevin

Mile 9 - Kyle, Michelle and Melissa

Mile 10 - Robin and Yvette

Mile 11 - Amy and Betti Lu

Mile 12 - Doreen and Alex

Mile 13 - Kyle, Michelle and Melissa

Mile 14 - Kevin and Steve

Mile 15 - Carrie

Mile 16 - Amy and Betti Lu

Mile 17 - Kevin and Steve

Mile 18 - Skoop, Donna and Kay

Mile 19 - Doreen and Alex

Mile 20 - Amy and Betti Lu

Mile 21 - Kyle, Michelle and Melissa

Mile 22 - Doreen and Alex

Mile 23 - Steve, Kevin, Michelle and Kyle

Mile 24 - Marc, Lois, Amy and Betti Lu

Mile 25 - Doreen and Alex

Mile 26 - Steve and Kevin

Doreen ran in the 2009 NYC Marathon and sent out an e-mail to all my peeps telling them what they might encounter, what I might be experiencing at various spots on the course and gave them this valuable advice: If things don't go as planned, roll with it. If you miss Lynn at some mile marker, move on - it will be fine.

That was great advice for all of us - including me.

Mile 13