The Blanding Bugle

Volume 20 Issue 6

June 2011

Rocked the House

Mid April Doreen received an email from the Seattle chapter of Team in Training asking her if she wanted to be the keynote speaker at the Vancouver BMO Marathon's Inspiration Dinner.

Of course she said yes, and then spent days wondering what she got herself into.  She wrote and rewrote a talk. She cut it to pieces trying to fit it into the 7-10 minute window they gave her, but she couldn't. "How can I tell my story in seven minutes?" she asked.  She couldn't and she didn't. 

She rocked the crowd with her TNT cancer story.  She told them how much TNT had meant to her and her family and how they had helped her when it was so difficult to even get up.  She did an excellent job. 

To hear her talk you can go here:

part 1
part 2

The gal who was putting the whole thing together was very worried about the length of her speech, but Doreen didn't put them to sleep, instead she inspired them.

Go TEAM!

Under FIVE!

Doreen had set a private mark for her to run during the Vancouver marathon and she made it. She wanted to be under five hours and she did it!! She ran it in 4:56!  Just barely but it still counts.  The race was crazy!

The first ten miles were nice and steady. Weather was perfect and the day was going great.  Then it started getting warmer.  It had been months since Doreen was able to train in "heat". The cramps started, but she was able to muscle through them with electrolytes and water.  She made it through the beautiful Stanley Park.  She hung with the 4:30 people as long as she could and just outside of Stanley Park they finally pulled away from her.   

The the out and back. That was killer! Seeing all those people coming back and knowing she still had to go out was torture.  This part of the course is not the pretty course so she just had to concentrate on staying focused and find her rhythm.

As she ran by this one little house, there were two little girls with a water stand for the runners. She had to stop, give them high five, take some water and say thanks. They were so cute!

She hit the "bite me mile" while coming back and a short text from Steve told her to "Suck it up, Princess" and she finished as strong as she could. 

As she rounded the corner of the home stretch she felt alive again and as she heard the announcer count of the time, she just put the pedal down and gave everything she could to finish in under five! She did it!

And then immediately went to the medical tent. The last five miles she was fighting cramps like she was back in the chemo chair. Her toes were curling under and she couldn't get her calves to stop the spasms.  She spent about 30 minutes in the tent and was finally released.  The heat had really stripped her of salts and electrolytes. 

Steve was able to see her just before she crossed the bridge (about mile 17) and again right after (about mile 26) and then again when she was released from the tent. Those were perfect places for him to be. Right when she needed a boost he was there to give her one.  She did miss the kids, but they were on her shirt and in her heart.

Once again she did it! Wonder what her next race will be? 

Crossing the finish line.

Meet Roxana

She is the newest member of the Blanding Clan. All two pounds of her fluffiness.  Doreen picked her up after the Ostler Family Reunion in Richland from an old high school classmate.

The Blandings are so excited to have her part of their family, well, all except Alex.  Alex isn't quite sure if he likes her yet. She is so full of energy and spunk that the old man isn't quite sure he likes her.  They will keep her because she is so darn cute!

Jessie at her violin performance. She had only been playing for three months and rocked the house!