Now is the time for GRT to turn up the mileage and tune in to how our bodies feel as we approach taper week.
Long distant running for many, including myself, is a meditative act. When I run I think; Â processing things and ideas. You learn what you are made of and you strive to keep moving forward. Working with such great teammates and patient partners has given me the extra motivation and strength needed to push my training to the next level 
this week. I am so thankful to have the opportunity to run for Elijah aka Eli and the Ramirez family.
Sunday I logged a 4hour run and had Eli and his family on my mind throughout.  As team-mate Shay Zukowski. put it right “We can’t do it aloneâ€.  Every step I ran I gained strength thinking of Eli. With every connection made along this journey, we will surely move as one on marathon Monday.
I also had the pleasure of a FaceTime call with Eli and the Ramirez family last Sunday. Eli made sure he introduced me to all the members of his extended family that were there visiting. Eli and his family also got to meet my sister, Camden. She is an ER pediatric nurse at Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Rhode Island. It was a heartwarming feeling to have members of both our families meet each other through the wonders of technology. We had a great time talking and laughing with each other. We also decided its a pink Mohawk for Boston! It was all smiles, yes’s and thumbs up from Eli, Sophia and the Ramirez family.
Eli and his dad were excited to give me a tour of his new room and his secret fort/play area. Eli showed my sister and I all the sneaky ways to climb in and around it. Â He is one energized guy! I was also able to snap some pictures of him 
showing off his karate chop skills in the fort. His smile is contagious and his silly side is evident as he sticks out his tongue. Eli gets close up into the phone when he is over joyed at the sight of my sister’s 2 dogs.
Needless to say we had a great talk. My sister still mentions it about a week later and is so grateful to have had the opportunity to meet Eli and the Ramirez family.  We are looking forward to the possibility of meeting some members of Eli’s family on marathon Monday.
Now is the time to dig deep on the mileage and enjoy the taper weeks to come. All of my teammates and patient partners and their families help motivate me to push myself further every day I am training. I will be keeping Eli and the Ramirez family, along with the entire rare disease community, in my thoughts throughout the 26.2 miles. I wish everyone on the Genzyme Boston Marathon Team best wishes at the start line on Monday April 21. 2014. Remember “Alone we are rare. Together we are strong”!
P.S.- Check out the love from Eli blowing kisses good-bye at the end of our chat. 🙂
Good luck Kelsey and the rest of the GRT with the last long run Saturday! Clearly this is bigger than just running and everyone’s accomplished so much already but I’m sure after all the training you want to run Marathon Monday at your very best as well. I imagine the coming period will be key in getting your mind and body truly ready for the marathon test. Keep up the focus and get ready to fly! The fans are behind you.
Thanks Emma!
Kelsey, it was so wonderful to meet you today! You are one lucky lady to have met Eli and the Ramirez family! I can not think of a bigger or better motivation to keep you running on Marathon Monday! Thank you for running for the Ramirez family and Rothmund-Thomson Syndrome!! We will be there cheering you on!
Laurie it was a pleasure to meet Shauna and yourself as well on the charity run last week! Thank-you and your family for all the support!! I’ll keep my eye out for everyone on that special day!!