Yesterday it was 108 degrees...

Small Kintoki, with Green Tea Powder!

And I got a kintoki! Seeing the little kids getting their snow cones made me think of all the times over the past 20 years I've been to Osaka-Ya with mom, and how much she loved it.

Cautious optimism, and anxiety

On my way to marathon training yesterday, I heard a story on NPR about Pulmonary Fibrosis. It was a much better piece than the one on the Today Show, but featured the same man (Bob O'Rourke). This segment was very clear that there is no known cause, cure or treatment for this disease, and that it is a death sentence.

I was somewhat excited to hear that researchers have found a genetic mutation they think may cause rapid aging of lung tissue, which causes the scars indicative of PF. They said that the early stages of scarring is evident in people over 100 years old, so PF may just be a premature aging of lung tissue.

While narrowing a cause is promising, it just makes me wonder if this is something I could get. If it is genetic, how big is my risk? Ever since mom got sick, every time I cough or get short of breath I get anxious. I feel the same way about breast cancer- what if I am at a heightened risk for both?

CIM

So I've signed up for the CIM, and joined a training group. I started a blog to write about my experiences training, and titled it Pioneer Spirit.

I was struggling to come up with a name, and was thinking about what would be a meaningful way to note the effort involved in training, and maybe tribute mom a little. I suddenly thought of something Rosemarie had said to me in the hospital, or maybe after. She said she had asked mom how she stayed so strong and carried on with her life in the time when she was sick, but before she came to the hospital. She got very serious, and said "Its the pioneer spirit." Though I wasn't there for this conversation, I know exactly her expression and tone when she said it. It reminds me of how strong she was.

I hope to think of her strength as I train, and know that nothing I'm doing is difficult compared to what she dealt with for so long.