Fundraising is a great reason to run -

There are a number of different reasons to run races but for the last couple of years I have been involved in a cause that has been very rewarding. I decided that as part of my training for a marathon I would also fundraise for cancer research and the Huntsman Cancer Institute.

Asking people of money is not something that I have every enjoyed so initially the idea of fundraising was not an idea that I normally would entertain. However, the Huntsman Cancer Institute and cancer research are near to my heart and I found courage in the hope of assisting in cancer research.

My father was diagnosed with Colon Cancer in the fall of 2004. Before his cancer was detected, it had also spread to his liver and his lungs. The doctor that diagnosed my father referred him to the Huntsman Cancer Institute because he believed that the treatment methods used by the institute's doctors were the best around. From the beginning of my father's treatments, the doctors were clear with him. They told him that because of how advanced his cancer was before treatments began their goal was to extend his life and improve the quality of his remaining time.

Even thought the prognosis was grim throughout his treatments the care provided was wonderful. The doctors didn't take hope from my father and his health during the treatments was remarkably good. In addition, during his two years of treatments, we saw advances in the drugs used by the doctors. One of the nurses commented to my mother that she had worked in the field for ten years. During her first seven years, the treatments were pretty much standard but for the last three years many new drugs and treatment strategies were being introduced. The Huntsman Cancer Institute is in the middle of the research that benefited my family. I am grateful for the blessing of time that my family enjoyed with my father.

Training for a marathon is very time consuming. However, I enjoy the process of outlining the miles and types of runs I feel are necessary for me to reach my running goals. I start with a calendar and work backwards making sure that I run enough long runs to give myself the strength and mental toughness required to finish well. I also outline the speed workouts that I think I will need to increase my speed so I can try to improve my PR. I find it to be very exhilarating to look at my calendar and feel that I am on track. Marathon running is a process of setting hundreds of little goals. When fundraising is added to the process, the race takes on new meaning. Now instead of the race being about you the race seems to be much more. As I ran the race last year, I felt the increased meaning. I had people cheer because not only was I a marathoner but also I heard them say look there is a Huntsman Hometown Hero. I have also had contributors say, "you know you are running this race in honor of my father/mother". Cancer seems to have affected us all.

According to the American Cancer Society, in the United States, 1 in 4 deaths are from cancer. Men have an approximate lifetime risk of 1 in 2 of developing cancer; for women, the lifetime risk of is 1 in 3. In the state of Utah, there will be approximately 6,360 new cases of cancer diagnosed this year. Most people have been affected by cancer in some way or statistically speaking will be at some point in their lifetime.

At the finish of last year's race, I had a bittersweet feeling. The day's temperatures were much higher then I had trained in and I had found the run to be very difficult. I also had not come close to running the race as fast as I had wanted. However instead of a feeling of discouragement which is the normal feeling I have when I fall short on my goals. I had a very strong feeling of accomplishment because as a Hometown Hero I had doubled my fundraising goal. It was also the first race that I had run since my father had passed away and so as I worked my way through the crowd looking for family. I felt like my dad was there cheering me on. Dad would have been cheering me on not because I am the fastest person in the race but because as a Hometown Hero I was doing something that could bring hope.

Sincerely

Mark McNeely