12 Sets of Wonderful Memories

What a wonderful year I enjoyed throughout the "12 in 12" mission. I want to again thank all of those that made the year possible - through economic, emotional, spiritual and many other kinds of support. As I have told many of you, I gained far more than I gave this year. Getting to know more about the disease, more about those fighting it, meeting new people, seeing different places, uniting with family, and learning more about the limits of my own physical and emotional capabilities are experiences that are beyond priceless.

I am especially grateful for Ed, Dylan, Emma, Caroline, Paige, Ray, Leonard, Chase, Jonathan, Christina and Zach. They are the true heroes of 12-in-12. The courage and determination that you and your families have shown are an inspiration to us all. The fact that you shared your stories for the betterment of this project means more to me than I can ever express. Please know that your spirit carried me through the 314.4 miles and will be with me for days and years to come.

Many of you have asked a series of questions about the overall marathoning experiences. Below, I'll try to give you some highlights of the year.

January - PF Chang's - Phoenix, AZ
It was wonderful having a Kansas City Team-in-Training crew there to share the initial marathon of the year. A sore left knee didn't derail the project at its outset.
February - Mercedes Marathon - Birmingham, AL
I'll never forget the 16 degree weather and 20 m.p.h. winds. Also, snow flurries at mile 15. So much for going to Alabama for a bit warmer weather in February. Thanks to Rick Knight for making the trip with me. We enjoyed a visit to the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame the day before the marathon.
March - Ocean Drive Marathon - Cape May, NJ
The course was about as pretty as you can find - up the coast of New Jersey and past harbors, marinas, beaches, and boardwalks. However, it was brutally cold and rainy. It was nice to have my wife, daughter, mom, and Uncle Doug and Aunt Alice there with me. We enjoyed a nice pre-race pasta dinner and a quick snack after the race before our mad dash for the airport.
April - Eisenhower Marathon - Abiliene, KS
This was a wonderful small town race with great organization. It would be hard to find a flatter course anywhere. It was nice to have Erin and Ellie with me again. This marked the first of many photos and rhymes that my nephew Charlie sent me before the marathons.
May - Green Bay Marathon - Green Bay, WI
A dream come true for a life-long Packers fan. I toured Lambeau Field on Saturday, then got to run through it at mile 25 of the marathon. The people in Wisconsin were terrific - warm, friendly, and eager to talk about the Packers. Friend Larry Butler drove up from Kansas City to run the marathon.
June - Grandma's Marathon - Duluth, MN
The attempt to avoid the summer heat in Minnesota failed miserably. Race temperatures were over 80 degrees with 90+ percent humidity. Runners were dropping like flies. This was my worst finishing time of the year. Nevertheless, we spent the following day - Father's Day - on the shores of Lake Superior and had a wonderful family weekend. I met new friend Laurie Comstock who qualified for Boston here despite the heat and humidity.
July - Sea Fair Marathon - Bellvue, WA
Erin, Ellie and I got to spend a nice weekend in Seattle with our sister and brother in law and their family. We had wonderful meals, toured Pike Place Market, and toured a beautiful winery. Heat was again a factor making this the second slowest finishing time of the year. The hills in this race were also pretty tough - steep up and steep down.
August - Park City Marathon - Park City, UT
A gorgeous mountain course that took us from 6300 feet to 7100 feet above sea level. Despite the altitude and climb, this was a very enjoyable race. Park City is a quaint little town that I'd love to return to in either the summer or winter. At the pasta dinner the night before the race, four of us sat down randomly for our meal. We got to talking and realized it was the 8th marathon of the year for each of us. Thus, the table of 8's was born. Jim, Tony and Martin are the kind of new friends that make marathoning such a great experience and that made the 12-in-12 project so memorable.
September - Lake City Marathon - Warsaw, IN
I was privileged to have my sister Beth and her daughter Sarah come down from Michigan to cheer me on. It was great to catch up with them and have their support. I suffered from the stomach bug for 3 days before this marathon and could not hold any food. As the temperatures during the run rose, I began getting dehydrated. Beth drove ahead and kept feeding me water and keeping me going. What a treat.
October - Kansas City Marathon - Kansas City, MO
I got to run the first 6 miles with great friends and running partners Norm Happ and Mark Copeland. They made the first quarter of the race fly bye. At mile 7.5, I was greated by most of the members from my law firm having a lawn party to cheer me on. What a boost. Several of them stayed the entire day and joined me for lunch after the marathon. Although I do not like to double up on states when running marathons (I already ran KC in 2003), I am glad I stayed home for this experience.
November - Philadelphia Marathon - Philadelphia, PA
I had the support of my east coast family and my honored patient and her family during and after this race. I was also treated to a great pasta dinner and Ohio State v. Michigan party the day before the race at the Dix's home. It was a nice tour of the city and a treat to see so many familiar faces. I pushed hard to break the 4 hour mark and missed it by 34 seconds. A stress fracture in my right foot became an issue, but not bad enough to stop the project before its conclusion.
December - Las Vegas Marathon - Las Vegas, NV
What a family affair. 20 members of my family made the trip. I could not have been more blessed than to finish the mission with them at my side. We had a wonderful weekend including a victory celebration after the race. The memory of eeing the various members of my family as I came down the last several tenths of a mile will be with me for the rest of my life.

For all of you reading this and who have followed the progress of this mission, I again thank you for your kindness. Although the 12 marathons are now completed, the fight is not over. There will be another project, another goal. As long as Leukemia and Lymphoma continue to affect the lives of so many wonderful people, I will continue to try to raise awareness and funding for research and cures.

December's Finale - A Family Affair In Vegas

No Mr. French the butler, no Buffy, but definitely a "family affair." What a weekend! I could not have been more proud and more pleased than to have had my entire family - both blood and vowed - in Las Vegas for the conclusion of 12 in 12. The weekend was terrific - family meals, tours of the amazing casinos, rides in the gondolas, pictures, walks, etc. We developed a special affinity for the Eiffel Tower Restaurant at Paris Casino just next door. It ended up being a place where people could meet, eat, drink and just stop to take in the view of the entire strip and the surrounding areas. An oasis for mind and body.

On race day, my brother Dave and father-in-law Bill joined me at 5:00 a.m. and rode to the start with an angry taxi driver - a hacked off hack if you are into puns. The gambling, drinking, party crowd was not in a god mood condsidering that the north-bound lanes of the Las Vegas strip were closed for the runners who would be headed that way in about an hour. It seems that traffic had been diverted all over town because of the race and nobody, except those running up the Strip were pleased. Dave and Bill waited until the masses of people took over the start area and made them begin to wonder if they had to leave or be forced to run at least a 5k. Opting to take pictures and lend advice, they soon began their 1.5 mile walk all the way back to Bally's to meet the rest of the family. What a blessing to have them with me for company and supply needs. To again show what a small world it is, as we walked to the start, I ran into a guy I met in August in Park City. Within the first three miles of the race, I saw Tony (who you've read about several times - Park City, KC, Philly), Glenn (Park City) and a man I met back in July in Washington state.

The first 2 miles of the race were wonderful - up the Strip after a fire works display. At mile 1.5 I saw Erin, Ellie, my dad and his wife, my mom, my sister, my sister-in-law Honey , niece Maggie, nephew Sam, and sisters-in-law Megan and Kara. They wore 12 in 12 shirts, held banners, waived pom-poms, and wore buttons - all in a color green to match my shirt. What a treat. I've run marathons with only 39 finishers in years past. On Sunday, I had 20 people cheering me on along the way of this marathon.

As we got to the end of the Strip, I saw the "run through" wedding chapel. People were actually getting married during the marathon. Several runners stopped to renew their vows or to get married for the first time. No, I did not ask Erin to consider this as a legitimate idea.

After the Strip and the Freemont Street Experience, I figured I was in for the most boring WINDY course I could ever imagine. Temperatures remained cool and drizzle began to fall. I certainly did not expect to see any of my family support crew, as nobody rented a car. I could not have been more wrong. Various family members met at a breakfast spot and mapped out where each of several small groups would go via taxi cab. Family members paid tremendous amounts of money to get to spots where they were able to watch me run by for only a few seconds (no, not because I'm fast - simply because gravity would get me if I didn't move forward).

At mile 18, I was treated to the sight of my mom, my brother, and my sister. At that point, I realized I was picking up the pace and again had a shot to break the 4 hour barrier. I saw them and told them nothing more than "I've got a shot to break it." I just couldn't say anything else. My brother and sister responded by telling me to "keep the pace - that I was going to make it." They both knew that the 4 hour mark was a feather in the cap for me and this project. They didn't push but added precisely the right amount of subtle encouragement.

At mile 21, I passed another section of family members. By that point, I could not muster enough oxygen to say much. I waved and tried to let them know that I was lucky to have their support. I was still barely on pace to beat 4 hours and could not stop to chat. At mile 23, I turneed a corner to the south and again picked up some of the worst wind I'd ever encountered during a marathon. It was straight into us, standing us up, making us search f0r cover behind fellow runners.

Again, I knew I was borderline on breaking the 4 hour threshold. Thus, when I saw my dad and ML at mile 25.5, I thought I acknoweldged them. Afterwards, my dad wondered if I'd even seen them at all. I guess I was not as obvious in my gestures as I'd thought. I continued on to see Megan and Daniel and kids, then my brother and his family, then the rest of the crew as I got to the finish. An unbelievable treat to see them as the last tenths ticked off. I crossed the line in 3:56:40, my fastest time of the year. I guess I didn't have anything to save it for.

Afterwards, we toured the shark exhibit, had a "hotel party" and went to a wonderful steak dinner. The weekend could not have been any better.

Zach Davidson was a tremendous inspiration. After I posted his story this month, I learned that he has also touched the lives of many people that I know. It seems that his spirit has reached throughout the community and extended all the way to Las Vegas. He is currently in remission and is a shining example of how money and time can make a difference. With the right combination of both, people can and will defeat leukemia.

Over the holidays, I will post a "summary" of the year. In the mean time, I thank every reader of this page for the kindness and support throughout 2006. In as many ways as it has been a long year, it has been a very short year. I would not trade the experience for the world and sincerely hope that it makes a difference, no matter how small.

Happy Holidays to all and to all good health.

Steve Gorny

The "Attack for Zach" in December's Finale!

Good friends of mine introduced me to the story of a young boy in Kansas City named Zach Davidson. As the Las Vegas Marathon this month brings about the "grand finale" of the 12-in-12 mission, I am proud to run in Zach's honor and want you to hear his story for several reasons. Importantly, the Davidson family's battle with Leukemia is so recent that you can still hear the struggle in their voices, see the strain on their faces, and sense the urgency in their demeanor. This family has unfairly been exposed to cancer during what should be the happiest time of the year. Three-year-old Zach was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) on November 8, 2006. That's right, less than one month ago, Zach, his parents Jeff and Laura, and Zach's 7-year-old sister Samantha started down a road they never imagined would be laid out before them.

In early November, Zach had a low grade fever and flu like symptoms along with some leg pain that lasted for a few days. Jeff took him to his pediatrician. Wisely, the doctor ran several routine blood tests. Please try to imagine what Jeff Davidson experienced that morning. He sat in the doctor's office waiting for a basic prescription or the doctor to simply tell him to put Zach in bed for a few days to let his flu symptoms subside. To the alarming contrary, within minutes, Jeff sat there holding his child while listening to a doctor tell him that his boy had cancer. Jeff was instructed to immediately take Zach to Childrens' Mercy Hospital in downtown Kansas City. Once there, doctors conducted bone marrow tests, spinal taps, a battery of blood tests, and delivered a host of transfusions. What began as a routine "sick child" visit to the pediatrician had, in the course of a few hours, turned into an intense hospital stay and a fight against cancer. Chemotherapy on the three-year-old began just four days later.

Zach is now out of the hospital, but as Jeff and Laura describe, the little guy has a "tough road" to navigate over the holidays and in the days and months that follow. He is immuno-compromised which means that he is extremely succeptible to illness and infection. People that visit him are required to wear hospital masks and carefully wash their hands and faces. How do you explain that to a 3-year-old just before Christmas?

The other reason I feel that it is important to share Zach's story is to remind you that "ALL" is now one of the more curable types of Leukemia. Statistics (and as Jeff points out - they are just numbers, Zach is a real little boy) indicate that almost 90% of kids with "ALL" achieve remission and outright cures. Why is that material? Because such success would not be possible without the support of people like those of you reading this - people who give of their money, their time, their efforts, and their kindness to bring about a day when no child, no family has to endure a life with Leukemia.

As you spend this holiday season with your loved ones, please remember people like Zach and the Davidsons. They will beat this disease. They are a strong, caring family. But, they could use your support, your prayers, your good "karma", and your well wishes. In this, the "Season of Giving", I am blessed that Zach has given me overwhelming motivation to endure the final 26.2 miles of this year-long journey. His tremendous spirit, that I am sure you can recognize from his pictures, will guide me through December's marathon. Of that, I am certain. My hope is that I can give him, in some small part, a quicker path to recovery and to Leukemia being a memory much farther than 314.4 miles in his rear-view mirror.

Please Donate to "12-in-12-makes-24" and the LLS

We are getting very close to reaching our goal, both in dollars raised and miles run. We would very much appreciate your donation by following this link: www.active.com/donate/stevegorny

100% of the donation goes to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

The Streets of Philadelphia

"I was bruised and battered, and I couldn't tell what I felt. I was unrecognizable to myself. I saw my reflection in a window. I didn't know my own face. Oh brother, are you gonna leave me wastin' away - on the Streets of Philadelphia." (Bruce Springsteen). Sunday's run felt a bit like that at the end, but was for the most part one of the more enjoyable marathons I've run this year or any other. The weather was perfect. A nice, cool, sunny morning in Philadelphia. The course was relatively flat compared to some others such as Park City. However, there were far more hills than advertised in the race brochure. Crowd support was pretty good, even on the out-and-back section along the river. The first part of the course ran through the historic parts of the city, along the Delaware River, through my brother's alma mater - Drexel University, by the zoo, and in front of the art museum. The second half took us up and down the Schuylkill River on Kelly Drive. It was a beautiful place to run, as we passed the famous Boathouse Row. Strangely, my 11th marathon of the year was also my fastest of the year. I got to the 20 mile mark and realized I had an outside chance to run under 4 hours. Thus, I emptied the tank on the last six miles. The stress fracture in my right foot started acting up at about mile 21. However, for some reason, I found that the faster I went, the less it hurt. Thus, I decided not to let it slow me down. Unfortunately, I missed the 4 hour mark by 34 seconds. However, I caught up to my friend Tony (who I met in Park City and saw again at the Kansas City Marathon) with about 15 yards to go, and we crossed the finished line shaking hands. Pretty cool way to end a tough but enjoyable 26 mile trek.

As ideal as the conditions were, the experience would not have been the same without the people in Philadelphia that made the trip so memorable. Saturday night, Dr. Scott Dax and his wife Carrie hosted my brother and me for an Ohio State v. Michigan party. Carrie, an accomplished chef, was kind enough to cook a tremendous meal of pasta and chicken. It's hard to imagine a better pre-race meal than that one. My brother stayed downtown with me on Saturday night. Despite horrendous snoring, I was lucky to have him with me the next morning. He went with me to the start, carried clothes and supplies, and was a great all around help. At the 10 mile mark, I was greeted with signs and bells from none other than my mom, my sister-in-law Honey, their children Maggie and Sam, and Christina Loeffler and her entire family - Dad Dave, Mom Sue, and sisters Britney and Bridget. It was such a boost to meet them and have their support during the race. The signs were neon green like my race jersey and seeing Christina holding one that said "Run This One For Me" melted my heart. The crew greeted me again at the 20 mile mark. I was not too sociable, as I was pushing about as hard as I could at that point.

After the race, my family and the Loefflers went out for pizza. It was a true pleasure to get to know them a little bit better. Sue told me how strong Christina has been through her entire battle with cancer. Their story again shows how much we can learn by watching our children. Throughout this year, I firmly believe that my honored patients and their families have taught me far more than I could ever teach them. If you would like to learn more about Christina's story, you can visit her web page at www.caringbridge.org - page name Christina.

A Run For Christina In The City of Brotherly Love

This month, I am proud to run in honor of Christina Loeffler, a 10-year-old girl from Pennsylvania who continues to win her battle against a life-threatening brain tumor. Christina was diagnosed with the tumor on March 17, 2005, and was rushed into surgery the following day. The procedure lasted 8.5 hours, but because the tumor was so entrenched, the surgeons could only remove about 20% of it. Another 13.5 hour surgery followed shortly thereafter. Surgeons were able to remove approximately all but 10% of the tumor.

The surgeries were, to put it mildly, brutal. They left her face and head so swollen that her parents, Dave and Sue, could hardly recognize her for days. The surgeries robbed her of some of the sight in her left eye. She had to undergo speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. Toward the end of the lengthy hospital stays, a joyous celebration ensued after Christina walked the lenght of her hospital hallway - a distance of 220 feet - by herself. With the wonderful treatment, she was able to slowly regain her normal routine. Last winter, she began going to school part time and is now in the 4th grade. She has continued to increase her activity, despite countless follow-up CT scans, MRI's, spinal taps and other examinations.

Although she contined to make progress, a small portion of the tumor was still present. Christina underwent a host of treatments including extensive chemotherapy and radiation. She traveled around the east coast, to Maryland, Delaware, and Boston, to meet with oncologists and discuss the best way to treat her cancer. Many doctors and nurses offered advice to her concerned parents. They settled upon a physician in Boston to go after the remaining tumor with radiation. In order for them to administer the radiation treatments, they had to make a special device to hold Christina's head still. They fitted her jaw with a mold and a brace. They then use the contraption to fix her head to the table so that it remained in the same spot during the radiation.
Like with the rest of her medical ordeal, Christina endured this process with hardly a complaint. In fact, she became so accustomed to the treatments that she began assisting the nurses in removing IV lines and changing dressings. She is another remarkable example of a person with strength and courage well beyond her years. Christina has been so good through all of this that her mother considers her - the child - to be the rock and the hero. Please add me to the list of people who think Christina is remarkable. There is no way I will quit during the 26 miles in Philadelphia with Christina as my inspiration.

This will not be the first time this wonderful child motivated somebody to run 26 miles. Last year, I had the priviledge of running in the Marine Corps Marathon with my sister Beth and brother Dave. For his 40th birthday, Dave brought us together to run the marathon and he did so in honor of Christina. As you can see, this girl touches a lot of lives and a lot of hearts.

HOMETOWN TREK MAKES TEN

The Waddell and Reed Kansas City Marathon was an enjoyable morning jaunt around my home town. It was great to sleep in my own bed the night before the marathon, drive my own car to the start, and see so many familiar faces along the way. I told people that I ran with for a while that it didn't seem like an actual marathon. It had been years since I ran on the streets comprising the course, but I drive on them all the time. I guess, in a way, it almost seemed too comfortable. The weather at the start was perfect - in the mid 50's. It got a bit warm during the second half of the run, but not enough to completely drain my tank before finishing.

Huge kudos to the many people from my firm who came out at the 7 mile mark to lend their support. Oh yeah, they were also having an early morning party. I was happy to provide them with an excuse to tip a cup so early in the day. Kim, Kacy, Lisa, and Kylie were the ultimate troopers by sticking around for the entire race and waiting for me at the finish. I really appreciated them being there and enjoyed the lunch afterwards at the Cashew.

Many of you also know my friend and former co-worker Peter Obetz and his wife Christie. At the firm "yard party" I was stunned to look up on a ladder and see Peter there taking pictures. Christie was at his side manning the equipment. Leaving no stone unturned, Team Obetz had mapped out my mile times on a course diagram. Using their plan, they met me at several more locations during the run. They too were waiting at the finish line.

I had the pleasure of running the first six miles with two great friends, Norm Happ and Mark Copeland. They were running the half marathon as a training run for upcoming races. Norm and Mark were kind to slow their pace and keep me company. They even waited while I made a little call to Mother Nature at about the 3 mile mark. Talking and laughing with them made the first quarter of the race go by in a flash. It was a huge boost.

I was also lucky enough to see many other familiar faces along the way. My father-in-law Bill came out and took pictures. He also carried my camera after an equipment malfunction. My brother-in-law Andrew and nephew Charlie also walked over to the course to lend a hand. Proof that this journey has forged new friendships, I saw two guys I met at the Park City Marathon - Glenn and Tony - who came to run in Kansas City. When the heat and hills started mounting at mile 20, I ran into Jen, a TNT friend who was riding her bike along with a nearby runner. Talking with her helped get me through the toughest part of the course.

Perhaps one of the best moments of the race came at mile 8. My assistant Mary and her boys made a huge poster with Jonathan Shipp's picture on it. Under the photo read "This one's for Jonathan." That image stayed with me for the rest of the marathon. I have said many times that I truly enjoy the actual races (I could do without all the training sometimes). This one was certainly no exception. I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to get through the tenth leg of the journey here in my hometown, and I hope that it eventually makes a difference for people like Jonathan and his family.