[4/25/12] Today's update: Thank you note, picture of my race day gear, donation updates, and plans for this upcoming weekend!

First I would like to sincerely thank my friend Denise Veloria for her generous gift to my cause! Denise, I'm so honored that you are supporting my cause and I will continue training my as hard as I can! You're awesome!!

As promised here is a picture of me in race day gear! Thanks to my friends for taking these embarassing pictures of me! :)

Donation updates! It's humbling for me to say that so far my friends, family, and loved ones have helped me reach the 2/3 mark to my goal! I recently received a thank you letter from World Vision along with some snazzy new orange laces that, I think, I'll be using on race day (we'll see!) Here's a picture of what came in the mail! Thank you for all your continuing support! I'll keep working really hard!!

Now for my training plans: Last Sunday I ran about 7 miles in 40-45 degree weather with 30-40 mph gusts of winds along the lake front... Lesson learned! If the weather doesn't hold up this weekend, I'm planning on doing my usual gym workouts while adding more distance and time to my cardio workouts. If I'm able to run this weekend, I'll be doing a run to the lakefront, one 5K run at race pace (I was told that two back to back wasn't good for me right now), then run however long I can. I'll post the results if I do go!

Take care everyone! Remember... please spread the word and thank you all for your love! I'm so blessed to have your support!

God bless!

Marc :)

[4/22/12] Ugh what a day...

Today I learned a valuable lesson: when it is cold and windy make sure to wear warmer clothes especially if it is 45 degrees outside with 30-40 mph gusts of winds. I unfortunately fell far short of my target goals today. I ran 7 miles basically frozen solid. I had thought that moving my body for a long period of time would help against the cold... I'll be better prepared next time.

I can't blame the weather, however. I should have known better and paid the price for it. I'm currently sick with a fever, probably as a direct result of being unprepared. I will resume training at the gym tomorrow. I will also plan on running my baseline 5Ks sometime soon (most likely before the end of the week) so sit tight!

Today I was humbled. I realize how much more work I have to put in and how mentally frail I currently am. I will strive to become better, stronger, and more focused. I only have 6 weeks left in my M1 year... I want to make certain that I grow and embrace the challenges ahead. Now that I'm more informed... we'll see what the future holds. I will continue to pray and to reflect on the road ahead :)

Take care and God bless,

Marc

[4/20/12] Hi Everyone! Updates for the weekend!

Finally done with my Genitourinary block exam! I think it was probably one of the most challenging tests I've taken in medical school so far... Gotta keep studying hard but definitely enjoying the rigorous journey :)

I would like to personally thank Fadwa Samara for your support! I'm truly grateful for your support and I will continue working hard to honor your gift to my cause! I'm also excited that there are people following along with my journey! :)

As a friendly reminder: Please spread the word and the love to anyone who you might think would be interested in supporting my cause! I'm training incredibly hard and using all of your love and support to push through the most challenging times. If you are interested in donating, please follow this link:

http://support.worldvision.org/site/TR?type=fr_personal&fr_id=1680&px=1215447&bpg=list&pg=personal 

Thank you!! :)

This weekend will be an intense one and I'm looking forward to it. After studying for this past exam and gathering a lot of pent up energy, I feel ready to start my speed training to get myself down to a comfortable 6:50, or better, mile split for the half marathon. To start doing this, I will run back and forth along the lakefront (weather permitting) from Navy Pier to Soldier Field on Sunday afternoon after church which, by the way, I'm SUPER excited for because I get to experience one of my amazing classmates' talents as she and her sister lead worship that morning! Shout out to them! ^_^

My apartment is about 2.5 miles away from the start point so I will do an easy jog to the start area, stretch, then start the clock. I'm going to do two 5Ks back to back with a short break in between each to see how fast I can do this :) Afterward I'll take a nice cooldown run back to my apartment. Total mileage on Sunday should be around 12 miles. Hope it goes well! I'll post the results, for better or for worse, on Sunday!

Take care! Have a wonderful weekend!

With great joy,
Marc

1 Corinthians 6:20 “Glorify God in your body”

[4/13/12] Ahhh Friday the 13th never felt so... GREAT! :)

Just a couple of quick updates! I would like to thank my mom's friend Fadwa Samara for supporting my cause and my training! Thank you so much for your contribution! :)

Once again... I'm happy to say that I'm right on track with my training! Here's the result of my long run on Thursday!

So... this one definitely has a story... I actually hadn't prepared to run that far yesterday but after looking at the weather this upcoming weekend, I decided to just up my timetable a little bit and do my long run earlier rather than later (because I have an exam coming up next Friday!). This was both a good idea and a bad idea... Good idea because this run really showed me that I'm still on track (even though I'm a second slower per mile split, something that I'll be addressing during my next long run). Bad idea, however, because I don't think I prepared for this long run as well as I should have. I ended up with a really bad stomach ache because of what I ate earlier in the day and a sore right knee. I'm currently taking a lot of precautions with the knee because the last thing I need is to get injured so I will not do another long run for a couple of weeks to give it time to heal!

This doesn't mean, however, that I will stop training! I will be going to the gym like normal and I will continue riding the bike and using the elliptical to take the pressure off my knees. Since I'm pretty confident now with my ability to complete 13.1 miles, I'm going to start focusing on speed training to increase my running stride and turnover rate (how fast I transition from the left foot strike to the right foot strike). What this means is I'm going to begin running 5K/10K distances on my own and testing my ability to complete those runs in a decent time. That will be my focus starting at the end of April/beginning of May. I will probably transition back into doing half marathon distances once I start hitting the 6:50 mile pace at the 5K and 10K levels I need to complete a sub 1:30:00 half marathon. I definitely believe I can do it and I'm praying that God will keep me healthy throughout this journey!

Stay tuned! Till next time!!

Marc :)

[4/12/12] A little quiet time after studying the night away before I finally go to sleep :)

I wanted to first sincerely thank one of my best friends in the world, Bryan Takei, for supporting my cause! Your donation means the world to me, as I know it will mean the world for the kids in Africa who will receive clean water for an entire generation!

Due to my block exam that is looming over the horizon (next Friday), I will probably end up doing a long run on Sunday and then lightly train throughout next week to give myself enough time to study while also trying to help my friends and colleagues in the anatomy lab. It is such a pleasure each day to be able to use my experience and abilities to help as many people as I can in different theatres of my life.

Unfortunately, yesterday afternoon I became hypoglycemic because I didn't eat enough the night before and throughout the day before I trained. It's really challenging to eat enough (3000-3500 calories per day...) to train while keeping up with school and all of the other extracurricular activities that I do at Rush. Still, I enjoy the challenge and although I'm starting to get pretty tired, I still find great joy in almost everything I do and that keeps me passionate and hungry for more.

One thing that I've been thinking about that I'm greatly thankful for is the fact that those who have donated, or will donate, believe in my ability to complete this half marathon. It has been keeping me dedicated to the cause and very adamant about training even though my days are getting longer and longer (I'm still awake at almost 3:30 in the morning, been out and about since 8am!). Instead of letting that discourage me, I try to continuously remind myself every day that my life and my body is no longer just my own anymore because I've dedicated myself to those kids in Africa and to inspire you to donate your hard earned money to them... That knowledge for me has kept me strong. It has kept me wanting to stay as healthy as possible so come September 9th (race day), I'll ready to put everything on the line to reach my goal.

Keep spreading the word, continue to pray for the kids in Africa, and thank you all for your support. I'll post my run on Sunday morning this weekend: My goal is to run 8-9 miles at a faster pace (aiming for a 7:20 or below) but I'll let God take me where He will on that day.

Thank you everyone! Much love!

Marc :)

1 Corinthians 6:20: "Glorify God in Your Body" <== Something that I'm currently trying to do :)

[4/8/12]

First of all: Happy Easter Sunday!! Low key day full of laundry... apartment cleaning... and other not so fun tasks. On to the fun part!!

Thank you to the following for donating and supporting my cause!!

Jacob Arcelona
Tita Ludy Baltero
Jessery Lacerna
Tita Jessie Lacerna

You are all super inspirational and I'll do my best to make you all proud!

So, since the last time I ran outdoors and long distance, I was able to reach my time goal and I decided to commit to a more challenging goal. Today was important for me because I wanted to make sure that my 13.4 mile run at 7:26 per mile pace wasn't a fluke. Here is today's result:

Considering that this past week I was sick with a cold and sore throat (and still currently feeling that way...) this wasn't that bad of a result :). I also didn't drink enough water so that's something that I should adapt to in the future. Other than that my body was holding up relatively well but I do have a lot more work to do so I'll continue to train!

Other than that... this week will be pretty intense with a presentation at Loyola University Chicago tomorrow and lotsa studying but should be fun! Looking forward to it! Till next time!

Thank you everyone for your support!

Marc

[4/6/12]: Reminders are a great way to stay motivated and focused on the task at hand! I decided to re-post my initial e-mail in my blog as a reminder to myself as to why I'm training so hard because I can occasionally lose sight of why I'm doing what I'm doing! I will periodically do this so those who are just starting to view my blog can see why I'm doing this! Next update will be on Easter Sunday! Have a wonderful Easter everyone!

Dear friends, family, and loved ones,

Hi everyone! My name is Marc Dadios and I just wanted to let you all know that I recently signed up to run my first half marathon with Team World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to raising money to help provide clean water to the poorest communities in Africa.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team_World_Vision
http://support.worldvision.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Impact_WhyCleanWater

A little bit about myself: I am a first year medical student studying at Rush Medical College in Chicago. I decided to commit to this race because it has been my dream to run a half marathon/full marathon but, unfortunately, I had to have ankle reconstruction surgery over the past 3 years. My podiatrist and surgeon told me because of my condition, I would most likely not be able to run that distance. Instead of becoming discouraged, however, it has inspired me to go against the odds and religiously train for this event. I have attached a few photos post-procedure, including X-rays showing some bones that they removed. My goal for this half marathon is to run it under 1:40:00 (7:30 mile splits for 13.1 miles) and, with my pre-existing condition, it is going to be a challenging road ahead.

Pre-surgery

Post-surgery (Note the missing bone and the difference in the anatomy after reconstruction)

My inspiration to give this undertaking my all, however, is to dedicate my body and soul to the kids living in very poor communities in Africa who fight to survive on a daily basis. My overall dream is to become a caring, empathetic, and active doctor who makes an impact in someone's life. I strongly feel that one of the ways I can actively make a difference right now is to become an instrument of good in the world. The following link is a testimony from kids who have benefited from the money raised by Team World Vision.

http://support.worldvision.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Impact_Africa

I also plan to actively update a blog that details every aspect of my journey from training, to my comments, to injuries, and to medical school up until the race on September 9th. If all goes well, I plan on trying to run a full marathon the upcoming year! Please send any love, encouragement, and support because I definitely know I cannot undertake this endeavor alone!

My blog link is:

http://md-twvchicagohalfmarathon.blogspot.com/ 

If you would like to support my cause please follow the following link to my personal fundraising site! If you are hesitant to donate to this wonderful cause... think of it like an early Birthday or Christmas gift to me! Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns regarding your donation! If you would like to donate by check, please let me know as well so I can properly record your donation and personally thank you for your generosity!

http://support.worldvision.org/site/TR?type=fr_personal&fr_id=1680&px=1215447&bpg=list&pg=personal 

Love you all! God bless! Please feel free to forward this e-mail to your other friends and family to spread the word! Also, forgive me if I send a few e-mails reminding you all about this over the course of the next 6 months!

Sincerely and with great joy,

Sincerely,

Marc Dadios

1 Corinthians 6:20 “Glorify God in your body”

[4/5/12] Updates!!

Hi everyone! Thank you all for your generous donations!! I will be sending personal thank you e-mails to you all soon so sit tight! Here is a quick list of those who have donated to support my cause:

Auntie Flor Hotchkiss
Uncle Nelson Castalone
Uncle Gener Dizon
Auntie Doris Woodruff
Auntie Chal Del Sol

My cuzzo CJ Alicante
Tita Norma Santos

If you are interested in supporting my cause, please follow the link below! Each time I get the notification that a donation was placed I get REALLY excited and that much more inspired to continue working hard!

http://support.worldvision.org/site/TR/TeamWorldVision/General?px=1215447&pg=personal&fr_id=1680

Chicago weather is kind of bipolar in that it was really nice earlier last week when I ran my last run outside but now it's a windy, chilly 40+ degrees outside and I unfortunately got sick... Even sick, however, I still decided to do some indoor training so I've been keeping up with the program. To help me recover every day, I went to Costco and decided to buy a few supplements that will help me recover faster so I can stay as healthy as possible during this time! I bought Clif Bars (sustained energy), Muscle Milk powder (recovery protein and carbs), and energy drinks (!!).

For those who don't know, I'm hyper sensitive to anything with caffeine! Still, for some reason I feel a lot better if I drink less than 1/4 of it! During my previous workouts, I felt like I was falling asleep and my heart rate would drop down so I decided to try to add a little caffeine into the mix (not too much) to counteract that. Since then, I haven't looked back! Adaptation at its best! Time to study the night away! I'll be updating my blog this weekend with a picture of me in my gear for the half marathon! :)

LOVE YOU ALL! :)

[4/1/12] Just a quick update!

WOW! Just had an amazing experience yesterday (3/31/12)! Had RU Caring's health fair and it was incredibly successful :) It was such an inspirational event! Now I'm going to have to play catch up and study like crazy to make sure I don't fall behind with school work. Also... training is going to be on the uptick again! I'm planning on going to the gym till Thursday when I attempt another long run! Stay tuned!

[3/28/12] ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING THINGS EVER!! Here is the copy of my e-mail that I sent to my family/friends about my first recorded run (and... apparently, half-marathon lol)

Dear family and friends,

I just wanted to update you on my journey thus far with my training, my dedication, and my passion toward this cause! On Wednesday, 3/28/12, I intended to run 7 or 8 miles to try out my new shoes. This was the result on that 60 degree, clear blue sky, slightly windy day:

This result gave me a lot of hope and a lot of courage to continue training and fighting for those Kids living in Africa. If you remember my first e-mail... my goal was to run 13.1 miles in under 1:40:00 (7:30 mile splits). I ran 13.4 miles last Wednesday in with 7:26 mile splits... meaning that the goal I've been training for 5 months from now has already been reached! What I'm going to do is to continue to commit to training and to update my target time goal: I will train to run this half-marathon at a sub 1:30:00 pace (6:50 mile splits).

I firmly believe I can do it... and your support has been incredible! Please continue to spread the word and help me raise money for my cause! Thank you!!

Marc :)

Going to update more after this weekend! :) Take care!!