A lot of elite athletes talk about endurance. Don’t get me wrong, they have great physical and athletic endurance. It the movie Spirit of the Marathon there is a quote that marathon training is basically training for life. You’re going to have bad spots in the marathon and in life. The outcome depends on how you handle those bad spots.
I know several people with Cystic Fibrosis. I can say, that in my humble opinion, the elite athletes of the world cannot endure nearly what someone with CF can. Now, don’t get me wrong, nobody with CF is ever going to outperform an elite athlete. But, I contend that no elite athlete could handle what some of my friends handle on a daily basis.
Let’s see, what in the world could I be talking about. I’ll start simple…meds. Lots and lots of meds. Pills, MDI’s, Inhalations, Shots, IV’s, etc., etc., etc. The near constant battle of not feeling “well.” The stomach that hurts so much you can’t even think about eating. The coughing. Oh, my, the coughing.
I remember my sister Judy coughing so hard sometimes, in a futile attempt to prolong her life a few months, she would actually break a blood vessel or two in her lung. She’d turn blue, she’d cough up quite literally cups of thick, bloody mucus. Day after day, week after week, for 30 years.
That’s endurance. Not running 26.2 miles, not swimming for hours, and not biking 112 miles. Oh, those all take endurance, but we do those for a challenge. For the most part, our lives are not on the line. For my sister, and many other people with CF (and MANY other illnesses), it quite literally was.
Now, I speak from experience on some of this stuff. I’ve taken lots of meds. I’ve coughed up some blood, and I’ve felt sick before. But honestly, I’m not sick like most others with CF. Don’t get me wrong, my Pulmonary Functions Test isn’t perfect. It’s about 75-78%, almost normal. But, when I get sick…I typically get better without meds, etc.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately (can you tell?). I’m working toward another marathon journey soon. My goal is to break 4 hours. I’ll be 40 years old when I run the 2011 Flying Pig Marathon. These are two numbers that many with CF will never see. Making 40 years old will be a celebration for me. Making a 4 hour marathon will be my feat of endurance. But, it won’t begin to come close to matching the endurance displayed by some of my brothers and sisters in the CF world.
Great blog man. I think you hit the nail on the head! I look forward to seeing you break 4 hours.
Ronnie
I’m not sure if you will see this posting, but if you do… I used to work with your Dad at General Electric. I have thought about him often over the years (I was his secretary for many years)…. and was around when he fell off the roof – remember that? I just started thinking about him again today and googled him and saw that he had passed away in 2006… I just cried…
Linda in VA
Mark,
Great blog. I need your help. My very best friend in the world, Kevin, wants to run the NYC Marathon next year. Actually, he is going to run the NYC Marathon next year. I have run it the past two years and after this year’s race he decided he really wants to do it. He is 38 and has CF. He is going to run with Team Boomer. He already has started adding miles (he was not much of a runner to begin with) and, of course, just had to start two weeks of IV. He really needs to plug into a CF-specific training plan to follow or, at least, plug into a resource who can get him through this year while facing the usual obstacles that come along with the disease. I know he can do it. And I am going to be there with him to watch it happen. Can you email me any information or resources that I can pass along? Thanks. And congratulations to you for all that you have accomplished and for your strength of spirit.
Terry Ahearn