I would never in a million years think that running, which is technically labeled as an "individual" sport, could be such a team effort. Participating as a member of Team McGraw in November, I learned just what "taking one for the team" meant. As I trained over the summer months preparing for the ING New York City Marathon 2007, I became astutely aware of the remarkable runners [on our team] and what they were running for.

On Sunday mornings, as I hobbled in from a long run, I felt a surge of excitement come over me; I wanted to see who else did their run and their result. As I opened up my e-mail, I could not wait to see what story Joanne had or what Cindy had experienced. Even Julie's blog - I always looked forward to reading up on her, too.

When November finally arrived and we all sat and waited in our corrals, we sat as a TEAM. Via email, we had already come to know what we were capable of in terms of endurance; now we had time to reflect on what and who we were running for. It is here that we shared our stories of why we were running…and these stories were in my thoughts throughout the race. Emotionally, as a brain cancer survivor, I always thought that I was running brain cancer out of me and that nobody understood what my family and I have been through. After running with my team, I could not have been more wrong.

Team McGraw pushed me through the whole way - physically, mentally and emotionally. The New York City Marathon is where my best finishing time was, and that was fantastic. But more importantly, I found 35 people who have it in them to do what I have been trying to do for the past 5 years: find meaning and find hope.

They say that there is nothing better than crossing the finish line and I am here to tell you that there is nothing better than crossing that finish line with a TEAM behind you.

Photo notes and/or caption: [Pending Julie's photography choice.]

I know what it's like to take on the marathon alone. In both '06 and '07, I ran the Chicago Marathon on my own, and I felt a great deal of personal accomplishment from those experiences. Now, to be fair, my entire family lives in the Chicago area, and they all came out on race day to support me.

So when I learned that our friends Glen and Jen were headed to New York to run the marathon with Team McGraw in November of 2007, my wife and I went to support them. We thought they'd be all alone, and, being in a foreign city, could really use a familiar face. While I know they appreciated us making the trip, along with a couple other family members, the support they received from "the Team" was more than they needed.

That weekend, I decided to join Team McGraw.

I ran my first marathon with Team McGraw this past April [2008] in Nashville. I had high hopes for the weekend and all of my expectations were exceeded. It was like running with a very large family. Everyone was very friendly and accepted both me and my family like they had known us for years. In addition to the great team dynamic, I was moved by the various people that would actually holler "Thank you!" as we ran by. I look forward to being a part of Team McGraw for a long time and continuing to make new friends while strengthening the relationships my family has developed so far with the team.

Photo notes and/or caption: [Cheers from the sidelines and encouragement from his teammates helped Chris sail to the finish line of the 2008 Country Music Marathon.]

Completing my first marathon was one of the greatest feelings I have ever experienced. Knowing that all of my training had paid off, that I hadn't let all those that donated towards me down, and that I had done my best job to honor those who must deal with brain tumors was an indescribable feeling. Add that to the fact that I once had a brain tumor myself - and it felt as if things had come full circle.

After once having been the one that needed help, I was now able to do a small part in helping others who must face this battle.

Getting to see New York City for the first time in itself was a memorable experience, but it was nothing compared to meeting the rest of Team McGraw. It was obvious [to me] that everyone that was part of Team McGraw had the primary goal of helping do what they could to help in the battle against brain tumors. Team McGraw is what a team is supposed to be. It's a group of people coming together for a common goal to benefit more than just themselves.

I was thoroughly impressed with how well Team McGraw was organized, especially considering this was the first time the Tug McGraw Foundation had assembled a team like this. I especially liked the fact that Team McGraw had people set up to help encourage us at many of the mile markers.

One of the most memorable things to me? The day I first received my Team McGraw jersey. I felt like a kid putting on his little league uniform for the first time; "AWESOME!"

Photo notes and/or caption: [Pending Julie's pick of photograph.]

Almost 40,000 people ran the New York City Marathon in 2007. I was one of them. I can imagine it might feel a little lonely and overwhelming for someone running alone; happily, I didn't.

I was running with an amazing group of people - Team McGraw. At every mile, a Team McGraw volunteer stood on the sidelines to cheer us all on. All of my teammates in matching jerseys were like my family for a day (or for the weekend). Having that support system to train with and to run with on the day of the race really got me through.

And the best part? Knowing that every step I took was for a purpose much greater than myself. It wasn't just me, telling myself to get through, just so that I could finish. Every time I got tired and felt like I might not make it, I drew strength from the people we were running for.

And for me…it was my mom.

I know that people with brain tumors struggle through pain and exhaustion almost every day, so any pain or exhaustion I felt during the race was a small sacrifice towards helping these people. Knowing that there is a chance that my effort will help someone else to live a full and healthy life helped me make it through to the end.

Photo notes and/or caption: [Julie (at right) found spirit and motivation to complete her first marathon by running in her mother's (pictured at left) memory.]

It was an early, cool, and rainy morning on April 26th, 2008. I anxiously waited in my corral, along with hundreds of other people, for the starting gun to begin the 1/2 Country Music Marathon in Nashville, TN. This was going to be a first for me, and the adrenaline was flowing, but I knew I could do this: "Ya Gotta Believe."

That is the mantra that Tug McGraw himself said and lived by throughout his career in baseball and as he was confronted with a brain tumor. As an honored member of Team McGraw supporting the Tug McGraw Foundation, I walked the 13.1 scenic miles of Nashville, proud to wear the bright red "Team McGraw" shirt.

On the front, the shirt reflected Tug's words of "Ya Gotta Believe," and on the back his baseball number of "45" stood strong and tall. The shouts of "Go, Team McGraw!" and "Ya Gotta Believe!" from people on the sidelines were so welcome and uplifting! These cheers were what carried me through to the finish line.

Being a part of Team McGraw was a life-changing experience for me in three ways. First, I was challenged to train and do something that I thought I could never do. Second, I met new friends on the team: one is both a runner and brain cancer survivor; others are each individuals dedicated to the Tug McGraw Foundation.

Thirdly, I learned that if you want to make a difference in something or someone's life, you couldn't sit idle on the sidelines; you need to take action! I believe in the Tug McGraw Foundation and their mission for quality of life for individuals and their caregivers confronted with brain tumors.

Photo notes and/or caption: [Christine (at left) joins Team McGraw for the first time with teammate Carrie Blake for the Country Music ˝ Marathon in Nashville, TN on April 26, 2008.]