Posted on March 5, 2008 by kjohnson
Filed Under Marathon, Running | Leave a Comment
Boston 08 will be my 8th consecutive Marathon. I tell you that there is plenty of pain to be had along the 26.2 miles, but the aftermath gain is indescribable. I believe that the miracle of running is that it delivers improvement, no matter what shape you’re in or how old you are, regardless of injuries or shortcomings from birth; your gender doesn’t matter nor does your intelligence, simply grab your running shoes and head for the door!
Hassan Haydar
Quincy, MA
Posted on February 12, 2008 by kmckeon
Filed Under Marathon, Running, Sports | Leave a Comment
In August 
2005 I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. It was a difficult time for me and my family but the experience helped prepare me for much worse news which followed just 5 months later. Shortly after completing my treatment, I had a seizure while on vacation with my wife Diane and 3 year old daughter Ava. After some tests we learned I had brain tumor. A more specific diagnosis could not be made until after surgery.We returned home to Cohasset the next morning. Ten days after surgery the pathology report indicated my tumor was malignant. I underwent 6 1/2 weeks of radiation and 14 months of chemo, which I completed in May 2007. During chemo, I wanted to find ways to prevent the brain tumor from returning and also wanted to find ways to help others who were fighting cancer. Diane and I combed through nutrition books and medical studies and found that the survival rates for some forms of cancer have shown to be higher in people with healthy diets and active lifestyles. After overhauling my diet and starting a running plan, I feel better now than I did before my diagnosis. As the months went on, I started adding more and more mileage to my weekly running schedule. I am now a member of the Dana Farber Marathon Challenge Team and will be running in the Boston Marathon on April 21st with a team of over 500 other runners in our quest to raise $4.5 million for the Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute where I am still a patient today. So far I have raised over $6,000 and hope to raise much more before the big day. You can read more about my story online at my Dana Farber fundraising page atwww.rundfmc.org, click on “Support A Runner” and enter my name, Kevin McKeon.
Register To Participate
