Triton field hockey coach Donna Andersen didn't feel an overwhelming urge to share her plans to run the Portland Marathon with her team.
That is, until the Portland Marathon's date — Oct. 5 — overlapped with a field hockey fundraiser she typically organizes each year. In years past, the Vikings have participated in the Apple Harvest Road Race in West Newbury, which this year is scheduled for the same day as the Portland race. When Andersen broke the news to her team, she was flattered by the response.
"I wasn't planning on telling them because it's my personal thing, not the team's thing," Andersen said. "I don't want to call attention to myself and say, 'Look what I'm doing.' But they asked why we weren't running in the Apple Harvest race, I told them why, and they've been great. They're talking about going up to Portland to run the last couple miles with me."
This will be the first marathon attempt for Andersen, 48, barring any unforeseen injuries in the next two weeks. She will run with Team In Training in support of leukemia and lymphoma — two forms of cancer. One of her best friend's mother, Pauline Dawe, is battling lymphoma. Andersen must raise $2,100 for the cause.
"That's my personal connection. But it's been amazing, in reaching out for friends and family to sponsor my race, how many are affected by cancer," Andersen said. "Everyone seems to send a note asking to keep someone in mind while I'm running."
Andersen surely has the athletic background as a former Division 1 dual-sport athlete at University of New Hampshire, but she has struggled with injuries in her previous attempts to train for a marathon. The former field hockey and lacrosse standout has completed half marathons while battling a strained ilotibial (IT) band and achilles tendinitis.
"I have micro tears in my achilles that just happen," Andersen said. "But I've avoided it this time with the help of deep tissue massages and pretty strict stretching."
Andersen, a Triton Regional High School alumnus who is also the school's boys lacrosse coach, began training in late June and reached her peak 10 days ago when she completed a 43-mile training week. She is scaling back her mileage as part of a taper, which is allowing for more free time between teaching and coaching.
"For the first three weeks of school, I got up at 4:15 a.m. because there was no way I could get in eight miles after being on my feet all day," said Andersen, who teaches physical education. "It was tough, but I had to do it because I already had the base."
Completing a marathon has always been a lifelong goal for Andersen, but she is no longer satisfied with simply crossing the finish line. She has set a goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon by running the course in the less than four hours. Then she would like to run Boston in April before calling it a marathon career.
"When you get old like me, there aren't very many opportunities to compete," Andersen said. "It's nice to come up with some kind of challenge. That's why I like it. But it takes so much time, I can't see myself continuing after Boston."
Support Andersen's cause
If you would like to contribute to Triton Regional High School teacher/coach Donna Andersen's fundraising effort for lymphoma and leukemia, visit http://pages.teamintraining.org/ma/maine08/dandersen.
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