Aug. 4--Megan McShea was intent on finishing the Mayor's Midnight Sun Marathon in Anchorage.
She stayed true to her word. The Murrysville woman ran 26.2 miles in the Alaskan race, raising $6,500 for blood-related cancer research in the process.
"It was just amazing," said McShea, a 2002 graduate of Franklin Regional High School. "It was one of the coolest things I've ever done in my life. I was just elated by the whole experience. I was just so happy."
McShea, 23, gets a lot of enjoyment from running. She was a member of the track and cross country teams at Franklin Regional and at Allegheny College in Meadville.
She joined another squad for the marathon, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training, the largest sports endurance training program in the world.
Each participant was required to raise $5,800 to participate in the marathon, which she easily surpassed.
"It was fantastic. It's a great run, and Megan did a phenomenal job," said Chrysia Repasky, Team in Training run/walk coordinator, who was with McShea in Anchorage. "When people come into this program, you see them start and then to see them crossing the finish line, it's amazing."
Chris Gibson, the head running coach for Team in Training's Western Pennsylvania chapter, ran about 11 miles of the marathon with McShea.
"She is what is right with today's youth," Gibson said of McShea. "When I started running with her, I saw how strong she was running, maintaining a good pace. I was trying to stress that to her, trying to pump her up. I was very happy she continued and actually increased her speed."
McShea ran her first marathon in four hours and 17 minutes. Her time was the 117th fastest of 716 women who participated in the June event.
She accomplished that time while battling an upper respiratory infection for which she was taking medication.
"I was on two antibiotics. I didn't even know if I was going to finish the whole race," McShea said. "But I kept thinking, if I can't run I'll walk it. I was going in with that mindset. My goal was to finish. I prayed all along the way. I was given the strength to finish."
However, there were times the marathon was grueling for her.
"I reached the Jell-O stage after about 24 miles," she recalled. "My legs got real wobbly, but I knew I had just two miles left so I just kind of plowed through that. I wasn't in too much pain or I wasn't processing the pain I was in."
There was a surprise encounter.
About 16 or 17 miles in, McShea encountered a bear and two cubs. She said she didn't fear the creatures, or as she admitted, perhaps she was not processing any fear.
"We moved into the left lane into oncoming traffic to avoid any possibilities (of confrontation from the bears)," McShea said. "They were just hanging out. They just sat there watching the runners, probably about 20 feet away. They were just up on this little ledge."
McShea's inspiration for the marathon came from someone she never met -- Elora Geier, of McCandless, Allegheny County. Geier died of leukemia in April 2006 at age 14, but participated in 5K races in her young life, although a head injury suffered at 22 months old gave her balance problems. McShea's mother, Cheryl, was a co-worker of Elora's father, Dan Geier.
"It's always a pleasure to hear that someone, not having attempted that sort of distance, went through the training and was able to do it and enjoyed herself," Dan Geier said. "Doing it in honor of my daughter makes it extra special. (Elora) would have been amazed that anyone would have bothered to take an interest and would do that in her honor. She would be so grateful for anything like that at all. She would have been thrilled."
McShea took about a 10-day break after Anchorage, but is slowly getting back to a regimen that had her running about 30 miles a week. She said there will be more marathons in her future, but she'll always have the memories of finishing her first one.
"I cried," McShea said. "I was sobbing. I didn't think I'd have that reaction. It was an overwhelming sense of accomplishment I never had before. My parents were there. It was probably one of the best moments of my life." To see more of the Tribune-Review or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/. Copyright (c) 2008, Tribune-Review, Greensburg, Pa. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
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