The Silent Mile

Today was a Team Richmond first – we did an all-team training with a silent mile. The run/walk, cycling, and triathlon teams all met this morning, and survivors of cancer all told our stories in brief. Then, for the first mile of training, we did not talk and some of us survivors held signs for the rest of the team.

Not being a part of the fall team, for me it was almost like a little training reunion. I know only a few of the cyclists, but many of the triathletes, because so many of them started as runners. Several of them were on my very first team, the summer team of 2005 when I trained for my first marathon. So it was great to see so many old friends on this hot, muggy day.

Fellow Hodgkins survivor Kristi and I held our signs as some of the marathon team went by, and then we started walking together. I am a fast walker but Kristi is amazingly fast, so she slowed down a bit so I could keep up. We walked 6 miles, which felt really good. I had not seen her since we did the Nashville half marathon together. To give you an idea of her walking speed, she walked it in something like 2 hours and 54 minutes, not running a single step for 13.1 miles.

We chatted a lot about our next event, but I will write a separate post sometime later about that.

Here are some photos of this fun day with all the teams together for a little while.


Nicki, my friend and teammate - and a real inspiration to me - and her mom Sue - both cancer survivors.

From left: Amanda, Susan (my "Triple Crown Friend", little Emma, Emma's grandma, and Emma's mom Holly. Emma had leukemia at age 10 weeks and is now 10 years old yesterday. Susan, Amanda, and Holly were all on my first team and are going to be doing a half-ironman triathlon in five weeks.


Some of the survivors who were there and who spoke at the start. Everyone of us, including little Emma, has done one or more marathons, triathlons, and/or 100 mile bike races as cancer survivors. From left: Art, Rob, Emma, Nicki, Kristi, Ed, and Paul.

The whole team for all sports was a nice sized group.

Kristi - a double cancer survivor - walks along on our route.

Leslie and Coach Betty walking as part of 9 miles this morning.

Three amazing ladies - Holly, Jen, and Amanda - will all be doing a half ironman in five weeks in Augusta, Georgia. That is 1.2 miles swim, 56 miles bike, and 13.1 miles running. I am in awe of them and their teammates. Holly and Amanda were on my first team in aught-5, and Jen was our LLS team coordinator for my just past season. They are all tremendous!