Team AllEars Profile: Julie’s Story – 13.1 Meets 30: My First Half-Marathon

by Team AllEars Member Julie Loiselle

January 8th haunted me and excited me. But it all started in April, nine months before. I read the AllEars Newsletter about the call for Team AllEars members for WDW Marathon Weekend. Even though I never considered myself a runner, the challenge of it excited me and knowing I’d have a lot of support really enticed me to enter. And the piece that put it over the top: it was in my favorite place, Disney. Could I do the 13.1 miles? Why not? Others had.

Our Team AllEars commitment has two parts: the running and the reason.

We ran and trained on our own then came together online to motivate and support each other. I set my playlist, grabbed my hat and had to dig deep each training run. One. Foot. At. A. Time. Even though running a race was on my Bucket List, I was not a runner until I started this journey. Now I consider myself a runner. I had always frequented the gym but with no goal. This was tangible, measurable and an image I could hold onto: crossing that finish line!

The reason we all came together was to fight breast cancer with Deb Wills at our helm. All of us took it to heart. For me it was close to home. This summer my mother in law celebrated being 5 years breast cancer free. My mom’s best friend wasn’t so lucky many years ago. Joan found a lump and was too afraid to get it checked out. By the time she was diagnosed, it was too late. I have wonderful memories of her and those memories drive me to travel and to further my education. My husband’s Nana also was fortunate to beat cancer the first time, but a second round, 20 years later, was too strong. To be able to give back to these three women, as well as others, pushed me beyond any mental or physical barrier I had.

I had all these reasons to run: my Bucket List, these women, and my 30th birthday the week of the race. But my IT band gave me a darn good reason to consider not running. I had problems a few years ago with my IT band, the muscle that runs from the outside of the hip connecting just below the outside of the knee. My goal became to finish the 13.1 miles and finish the race healthy. I spent a few hours researching training plans and advice for first-timers, and consulted a trainer at my gym.

After I reached the 6 mile mark, I registered for the race. “I made it half way and could go the rest of the way” was my thinking. A little more than a month after I registered, I reached 10 miles for the first time. It was an unbelievable run. The sun warmed the morning and brought out all the furry friends to greet me as I lapped the neighborhoods. Neighbors used to seeing me were waving at me. I felt what everyone talked about in the blogs: my body was in a rhythm and it was doing its thing. I had a mile left when I felt that thing I was dreading: the pang of pain in my left hip.

I kept going at my pace, not paying the pain any attention. After my cool down routine my IT band became tight and it hurt to flex. Cautiously, I took a week off from running, but I still used the elliptical and the bike. On my next scheduled run I could not run longer than 1 minute. One minute! I had logged 2 hours and 20 minutes two weeks ago and now I couldn’t make my feet carry me any farther than 1 minute. Failure, that’s all I could think. I walked the 8 mile route which was possibly the stupidest thing I’ve ever done. I had trouble walking now. Pain shot up my leg.

It was July; I had 6 months to rehab and build up my miles. I could do it, but at what cost? The month of August was spent stretching, icing and doing hip strengtheners. I biked and hit the elliptical harder to keep up my cardio. Each time a nice morning or beautiful evening graced the sky, I told myself I would get out running soon. It was not over until I crossed the finish line!

My training schedule went through a huge makeover. Jeff Galloway’s walk-run program became my program but with smaller mileage increments. Building up the distance the second time took twice as long. By November, I ran only once a week and used the elliptical for the other 2 runs to reduce the strain on my newly healed IT band. Before the race I had only run 11 miles, never the 13 miles of the race.

Frustrated and angry I turned to music to motivate me through the second training. Did you know that Disney has a handful of songs about working? “Whistle while you work”, “Hi-ho”, “Happy Working Song”, “Spoonful of Sugar” and the next song is what became my theme song: “Go the distance” from Hercules. I knew that every mile in training would be worth my while for the race (I’m paraphrasing from the song). My 3 inspirational women and countless more had gone through so much and truly inspired me to kick up my efforts fundraising and training.

Jump ahead to the month before the race: I cut back to only using the elliptical to save my IT band, I made my packing lists, I enlisted my husband, Jeff, and friends Jess & Jon, for Team AllCheers, and I made my final playlist. “Go the Distance” was my lead song, my halfway song and my last song.

We arrived for the Saturday race on Wednesday. I had two full days to relax. Yeah, right. I was getting up early in preparation for the event and constantly listening to my body. Questioning: was I thirsty, hungry, did my leg hurt, should I take my allergy medicine, are the alarms set, will Jeff, Jon & Jess get up in time to see me go by, what time should I go to the Team meets, and it went on and on. There was no relaxing before the race, but I did do 2 things that made me very happy. I met my team members in person and I bought KT tape.
It was so exciting to see people I only knew electronically. Stephanie’s voice was so familiar to me and her worries mirrored my own on the last team call. As soon as I met her, I felt like I belonged. Silly, huh? To be talking and typing to so many people for months, but not feeling the “team” until then? Then I met all the other wonderful people I was dying to see, Deb, Mike, Michelle, Melanie and Julie, Mike Paxton, Jamison, Helen & Helen, Brad G, and that is only naming the ones I can think of as I write this. EVERYONE made me feel part of the cause and a valued member.

KT tape & Michelle are my new favorite things. I am convinced that if Michelle had not taped my leg before the race, then I would not have been able to finish. The morning of the race my hip was tight. Not good. After my warm up I headed off in the wee hours to meet the team. I should note here that my cheerleaders Jeff, Jess & Jon, put up with me getting up early the past 2 mornings in prep for the race. Kudos to them!

My husband found Google Latitude, an application for the Driod that would broadcast my position during the race. Jeff, Jess, and Jon would all see me real time during the race. I felt a little pressure from it, but also thought that after all the support my family and friends gave that I should share this with them too. My parents, family members, friends and survivor mother-in-law all signed up to watch too.

At the race start I stretched and tried to stay as warm as possible. Even though I am a New Englander, I hate the cold and it crept into my bones. My corral moved to the front and excitement and doubt filled me. As flames of fire lit over the start banner, I gave up on my doubt. I would finish the race. Cue “Go the Distance” cue stop watch, off I went!

It was the most magical morning I have ever experienced. The cheerers, the characters, the sunrise over Florida. I will never pass under the Magic Kingdom toll archway again without thinking about my first race.

One of my fears would be that everything would happen so quickly and I wouldn’t be able to absorb it all. So my trusty camera came with me every step of the way. I videoed and took tons of pictures, including my corral start. The most important reason I had my camera was so I could video my run down Main Street. I didn’t care where I was in the walk-run split. When the time came I would run down with my legs pumping.

Here is where I cried. Not at the mass of people cheering or ay my first glimpse of the castle. I cried when I saw Team AllCheers members at the walkway just before the bridge to Tomorrowland. Bells clanged, cheers went up and I saw Stephanie there, holding our sign. I was bursting with the emotion of the moment. I had made it through my training – twice! – and fought my doubt and injury to be right here, right now, to give everything I could. This moment is what I will cherish the most.

The tough battle would come once I left the Magic Kingdom. I maintained my 13 minute per mile pace until mile 8. When I slowed to a walk to take a picture of that mile marker I felt my hip and my knee scream out, “No more!”. I texted my husband one word “pain”. He said he could tell something was the matter via Google Latitude, since I slowed down so much. By mile 9 I knew I was walking the rest. The good news was I had 2 more cheerleading locations to go – and I had a ton of time on the clock. Making use of the time I stopped frequently for stretching and for BioFreeze.

I heard “Go the distance” for a third time and I was only at mile 10, not 13. In the pictures from the event photographers you can see how pissed I am, head down, jaw set and a frown pulled at my mouth. I used up my sunny, motivational thoughts and could only focus on crossing the finish line. That was when I could stop, not now. My husband was checking on me via text “where are you, you can do it, are you on the off ramps ye, charge the finish!” It surprised me then and even now how his texts were like bits of gold.

The second of the AllCheers stops was at mile 11.5 with Deb and company. I blew by them, walking much quicker than I ever had in my life, a whopping 14.30min/mile! My short goal was my husband, Jess & Jon at the top of the last hill. As I came up, there they were, clanging the bells, cheering and I knew I was only 1.1mi away from the finish. I cried, I waved and I blew a kiss but didn’t stop for a hug. If I did stop I wasn’t going to start moving again. They gave me the same burst of emotion and energy that the Main Street peeps did. I could do this, I would finish!

“We are the champions” sang the gospel choir as I came around the bend. Then viola! The finish line was there. I was going to cross this baby! I started singing with the choir and kicked up my feet to walk a little faster. I was going to do it! Out of the corner of my eye I saw Goofy at the finish line. Giving him a high five at the end was icing on the cake.

Afterwards with ice bags taped to my leg and the finisher’s medal around my neck, I hugged my husband and friends. I am damn glad I have family and friends to motivate me and support me, and a circle of supportive teammates who fought the same fight. As we were ready to leave, Jeff gave me the 40th Anniversary Duffy Bear to celebrate 13.1 miles and my 30th birthday. I made only one character photo stop. I guess my husband and I were channeling each other!

In memory of: My Auntie & Jeff’s Nana and in honor of Jeff’s mom. Three of the strongest fighters I know.

Comments (3)