Video Uploaded

Finally the video is uploaded so you can take a look. I had to split it into two parts. If you are reading this on Facebook you will have to link to my blog to see it by going to the button that says "View Original Post".

Final Blog? Who knows...but here is what you have been waiting for!

Alrighty - here it is...the final results. If you are reading this on Facebook click on the link above to read the original post or you won't be able to see any of the videos, stats etc. Here are the final run stats from my IPOD. As you will see in my video, my quads seized up at about the 28km mark and my pace dropped. At this point the IPOD got a little out of wack, so it says I ran 45km. The race was only 42km, so trust me, although it felt like it, I didn't run any more than that! :)



The team from Vancouver raised $142,000 in total for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! Of the 182 participants who were in Maui for either the Half or Full Marathon we raised almost $800,000, and a large chunk was from Vancouver! In fact, I was named as one of the top five fundraisers among all 182 participants, thanks to the generosity of so many people! Thank you soooo much.

You can see my race results by clicking this text.

I was 757 of a total of 1057 runners, and I was 327 of 526 men in the race...which although not as good as I would like personally, was amazing overall! In fact, the fact that I finished at all was incredible to me. :)

It has been INCREDIBLY difficult to walk these past few days...it has been four days and I am finally not grimacing when I walk down stairs! But it was all well worth it.

And now for my final video blog...thanks for watching, and thanks for all of your support!!!! Mostly thanks to those who are still fighting the good fight - the money's raised will go to support further research so that the world can be rid of blood cancers.

There was a bit of a glitch, but finally here is the video...



And this video is my final blog...

HOME!!!

OK, so I made it home! I know, I know - you are DYING to hear all about it...and I am dying to tell you...but I will update tomorrow after class. I just wanted to thank everyone for all the e-mails of encouragement! Needless to say - it was AMAZING! I will write more tomorrow...and upload my video!

Hugs, Steven

Three Days and Counting!!!

Mum, me and David four days after he was born!

So...I finally got my personal computer in New York today - thank god! So I am finally able to actually do some updating here properly. But of course it is 9pm, and I am getting picked up to go to the airport at 3am, so I have to get to bed. I just wanted to write something quickly to thank everyone for their support! I leave in a few hours, and the run is on Sunday. Keep an eye out on this blog for my final run times! I am a little nervous - I am so sore at the moment - my first week of classes, and dance class has killed me. My hamstrings and TOES are actually killing from class on TUESDAY. So I am trying to take it easy so I don't kill myself on Sunday. Wish me luck, and Mum grant me the strength to finish. This race is for my friends, family, Derek "Lek" Lekenby, Gregory Austin Whyte, Bob Smidt, Cody Belliveau, and especially Mum...but it's also for everyone who is affected by a cancer. Let's go TEAM!!

THE BIG UPDATE

Alrighty…here it is…what you’ve all been waiting for…an update from me! Yes, I know it’s true that you’ve all been dying to know what’s going on in my life. I’m sure that certainly your child’s school performance, and your annual Mexican Riviera holiday planning really pale in comparison to finding out just what I’ve been up to. Never fear – I’m back! J

So with that build up I will get right into the nitty gritty, and straight to the most important event of the past few months. That’s right – the marathon! As most of you know I have been training to run my first marathon on September 16, in Maui. This is no ordinary marathon, but a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada. I began by running to honor the memory of my mother who passed away from Leukemia in 1995. This soon turned into something bigger than myself, and I am now also running to honor the memory of not only my mother, but also that of Derek “Lek” Leckenby, a friends father, and Gregory Austin Whyte, another friends younger brother, who both passed away from blood cancers. I am also running to honor the struggles of two people who are currently battling blood cancers – Cody Belliveau, and Bob Smidt. The day that I run Maui I will be not only wearing white ribbons to honor these individuals but will have them on my mind throughout the race to help me cross that finish line after 42kms (26.2miles).

My initial goal was to raise a total of $6000 for the Society, but thanks to the generosity of friends, family, and even strangers I have raised almost $10,000!!! I held a cabaret fundraiser with performances by myself and four other incredibly talented guests and in that one night alone raised almost $3000. As I write this I am currently sitting at $9300, with days to go before the race, and I know that I will hit $10,000!

I want to thank all those who have donated thus far, or who have sent me words of encouragement…or who have simply read my daily blogs (the link is below if you would like to catch up). The support I have had has been overwhelming, and incredible, and I can’t tell you how many times that I have been sick, or tired, or exhausted, and have still continued training faithfully because I know that I have your support. It’s been amazing! I also know that there are people who have not donated simply because they aren’t able to financially or who may already contribute to other charities. I totally understand, but I still appreciate your words of support. J For those of you who have yet to donate and would like to you still can by going to www.active.com/donate/tntvan/stevenbidwell. Wish me luck!

I can’t believe that it’s already September – the summer has flown by so quickly! For those of you who I haven’t spoken with lately, I have some other news. I have moved to NYC! I have finally found the courage to follow my heart and attend a full time theatre school. It’s been a long time in coming, but it’s the right thing to do. It’s either now or never! So I left Vancouver on the 29th of August, and am now living in Harlem. Yes, Harlem. It’s like living in a Spike Lee movie! I’m living with a girlfriend from my cruise ship days in an incredibly beautiful three bedroom apartment with hardwood floors, and exposed red brick walls. There are a lot of interesting characters in the “hood”…and yes, the neighborhood does feel a tad unsafe, but only a few blocks away are new residences for Columbia Medical students and about 10 blocks south is North Central Park. So I am really in my element at the moment.

The program is at Circle in the Square Theatre school, and it is a two year program. So I will be here for some time. However, I will be back in Vancouver in the summer, and have two jobs waiting for me on my return which is phenomenal. The program is well respected, and well known, and in fact I did their summer program last year so I know it well and am excited to be back. Classes begin on September 10, so in advance of that I have a couple of days in Ottawa visiting family, and I leave to go back to NY tomorrow (Saturday).

So that, my friends, is me in a nutshell. Certainly there is a lot more that I could go into, but I do encourage you to check out my blog to find catch up on everything else. I don’t want to go on more than I already have. If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading! I know that these are impersonal letters, and I do apologize. With all that is going on, it’s the easiest way of catching up so I can stop getting messages from people who are finding out things through the grapevine – this way you can hear it directly from the horses mouth. So…at that…I will go. The next letter that you get should be telling you my time for Maui!

Thanks, be well, Steven

10 DAYS!!!

This is crazy - it's down to the wire - only 10 more days left till Maui and the big race! Life has been SO hectic that it's been really hard to focus mentally on the upcoming race. I've been asked by so many people if I'm getting excited for the race, and it hasn't really set in yet. However, being in Ottawa at the moment (yes, New York on the weekend, Ottawa now, Montreal yesterday...the glam life? not really lol) I have really had a lot of moments of recalling why I am doing this.

I have been running twice now in Ottawa (the heat has been a great training tool) and it's incredible the memories flooding back to me. The first day I ran a 45 minute run that took me first past the house that my mother owned when she passed away 13 years ago and it brought back so many memories. That was a house of love - it was always a home that was welcoming and bright - my mother seemed to know everyone in the neighbourhood, and it was after my mum had a little front porch build (by my dad!) that the neighbours began to do the same, and it really helped to develop a much friendlier neighbourhood. Suddenly everyone was enjoying their front porch rather than the backyard...and it was all begun by mum.

I ran up to my old high school, and actually into the school. I haven't actually stepped foot inside in perhaps 15 years, and it was eerie. It was in fact the first day of school, and although all the students had long gone for the day, it was such a reminder of my own first day of high school. I was so shy, and so incredibly insecure. I was so afraid of "teenagers" and felt so awkward. I remember an older student - he was a punk rocker (yes, this was the 80's) and for whatever reason I remember a leather bracelet that he wore and he had hair spiked up like he was from so English punk band - he looked menacing, but he was so incredibly nice and helped me find a classroom. Wow - so strange to be thinking about all of these things! I went into the gym and had horrible memories of ditching gym class - I was so small and so nonathletic! So ironic now since I am actually doing a marathon and I have had people referring to me as an "athlete". My adult life has been full of athletic endeavours, but imagine that in high school I eventually was allowed to skip gym class all together in exchange for writing three papers on three different sports. That was so long ago!

My life has changed so much. Although I think I still have some of the same insecurities - I'm just better at masking them, and I've had much more life experience. Running Nepean (the part of Ottawa my family lives in) has just been such a strange experience all together - the church that my mother had her funeral in; the church that I sang in the choir; my primary school; my intermediate school. These are all places that I have driven by so many times, but running by them with this marathon so close at hand has been a reminder of why I left Ottawa - I wanted to find myself, try to find my place in the world, but I think even more so to try to let go of memories of my mum. Of course that didn't happen - I just pushed them to the back of my mind. But all this focus on her these past few months - all this training, and hearing stories of others that have been affected - has really helped me to finally find peace. This run is going to be incredible. I have such incredible support from friends, family and even strangers...and equally importantly I have four other heroes who inspire me as well, and who I have not forgotten about - Cody, Bob, Gregory, and Lek. These five people are going to help me through.

Today I ran again today - incredible heat, and I was exhausted (I need sleep and I am fighting a cold from too many weeks of too much to do) but I was again reminded of a promise that I made to myself - that I will cross that finish line no matter what. That the pain that I endure is nothing compared to the pain of chemotherapy. That if I can do this I can do anything that I put my mind to. Four months ago I was intimidated by 10km...today I am EXCITED about running 42km!!! I say bring it on! God - and I have met some incredible people along the way. What a journey!

Well, this journey isn't over yet...and I will end this incredibly long blog with some more positive news. I saw the doctor today that is meant to do the excision on my tongue to remove a displastic area (pre-cancerous). Today he isn't so sure that it isn't something that urgent. He is going to speak with my doctor in Vancouver, but perhaps Christmas will be something to look forward to rather than something to dread because of a surgery. I may not have to do it, and I have fingers crossed that I don't. Again...I have someone watching over me...and I know that she will keep me safe - both in the race and in my overall health. Lord knows I will need it now that I live in Harlem! :)

14 days and counting...

Alrighty - I did it! My first long run on my own. I did the 21km today by myself. It turns out that 21km isn't that far - I ran from my apartment in Harlem and then around Central Park twice. It wasn't that bad - although my legs are suffering for it now! While running I also had the best experience ever - I ran past Lance Armstrong who was running in the opposite direction! I should have turned around and run with him, but I didn't want to be bothersome. But it was pretty inspirational for my run. I spoke with a friend last night who lives here in NY and her mother has been diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, sarcoma, and another type of cancer. Needless to say, it's pretty devastating, and while running I had her on my mind as well. Cancer is too prevalent today, and we can't begin to just accept it as part of life. It's horrible. On the subway I met a woman from NC who had trained with Team in Training doing a Century Ride (100 mile bike ride) and we struck up a conversation. It was great to hear her stories, and to realize that even though I'm not with my team that I am still being supported by people - even strangers.

15 days to go!

Wow - this move to NY was probably just what I needed for my training. Central Park is very hilly, and so my legs are getting a very different workout. It's also nice to be running in the heat - it will hopefully get me a little more aclimatized for Hawaii...although I think the actual day will likely be very different.

I am currently sitting just below $9300 in donations - I am ALMOST at my goal of $10000! I can't believe that everyone has been so generous. It just goes to show that I have good people in my life!