Racing to Save Lives

Welcome to my Team In Training home page.

I'm training to participate in the Walt Disney World Half Marathon on 1/10/09 as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training. As a long-time Disney fan and a new running enthusiast, I can't imagine a more appropriate event for me!

However, the main reason I am preparing to run 13.1 miles is because of the Team In Training mission: to raise funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. I am completing this event in honor of all individuals who are battling blood cancers. As our Team t-shirts read, "If you think training is hard... try chemotherapy." That puts it all into perspective. These people are the real heroes on our team, and we need your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure!

Please make a donation to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance LLS's mission.

I hope you will visit my web site often. Be sure to check back frequently to see my progress. Thanks for your support!

August 29 Update

Many, many thanks to everyone who has donated thus far. I am deeply touched by your generosity and proud to run in memory and in honor of the loved ones you've told me about.

This coming week marks the beginning of my official training, and I'm going to start off with a bang! The Nike Human Race 10K will take place on Sunday, and I'm registered to run in Homewood at 6:30 AM. A 10K is 6.2 miles == just under half the distance I'll face on January 10 == and I know it will be a challenge at this stage in my training. Wish me luck!

I'll end the week with my first official Team in Training run on Saturday. I'm looking forward to meeting my new teammates and hope to learn some helpful hints as we train for our upcoming races.

September 7 Update

I survived my first 10K! I was just about the last finisher, but I did win a door prize == some high-tech Nike running socks, which I was ecstatic about. (Guess that means I'm a true runner now!)

The rest of the week was tough. From this point on, two miles are on the schedule every day except Friday, when there is no running whatsoever. Who ever would have thought I could enjoy Fridays any more than usual? I was thrilled to log Thursday's mileage, however, as it marked over 100 miles run in 2008. I'm sure I'll double that in no time!

In the ultimate display of solidarity, my husband, Chuck, shaved his head on Friday. He has been collecting donations from everyone who asks why he did it. Not only does it raise the awareness level of those around us, but it serves as a visual reminder for the reason I am in training. His bald head keeps us both mindful of those who have lost their hair due to the effects of chemotherapy rather than personal choice.

My first official Team in Training run was a lot of fun. We have a great group of run/walkers and it was so inspiring hearing other runners shout "Go Team" when they saw us on the trail. The pace was perfect for me, but after those 4 miles yesterday, it was tough to crank out my 2 miles today. I hope it gets easier once my body figures out that I'm serious about doing this!

October 1 Update

Wow. Only 3 more flips of the calendar until Race Month. Yikes! But I'm happy to report that the training is going well. My group logged 6 miles on Saturday morning, and we all finished smiling. I hope to report the same when we have our 11-mile training run a mere 74 days from now!

I'll be at the Southern Women's Show this weekend, asking for donations for LLS. If you'll be in the area, swing by our booth! We're going to have some great giveaways and raffle prizes thanks to our generous local businesses, so I'm hopeful that the "Funds Raised" thermometer will soon rise noticeably.

Thanks, as always, for your moral and financial support of this worthy cause!

October 17 Update

I am now the proud owner of my very first Disney race medal! Chuck and I ran the Walt Disney World Race for the Taste 10K (6.2 miles) on Sunday, October 12. I finished in 1:15:32 == a personal record! It was so much fun to run in my "home away from home." There were fireworks at the start, lots of high-energy music pumped throughout the course, characters at the finish, a great post-race party... and, of course, the scenery couldn't be beat. Special thanks to Chuck's parents who not only babysat the kids during our run but also got them ready for the Kids' Race afterward. We are now a 4-medal family.

Disney property is flat, which makes for fairly easy running. There were a few bridges and ramps that slowed others down, but they were nothing compared to the hills I've been facing at home. I now find myself looking forward to the Half Marathon even more. Bring it on, Mickey!

October 25 Update

It's been a banner week. I just finished my longest run ever: a whopping 9 miles! The best part is, I felt like I could have kept going another 4.1 if I absolutely had to. Truly amazing, when you consider the fact that earlier this year, I couldn't run for more than 5 minutes without stopping to walk.

Another milestone is that I hit the 200-mile mark earlier in the week. As expected, the second 100 went much faster than the first 100.

I also had to "recommit" to Team in Training this week, which means I've put my money where my mouth is. Whatever I don't raise through my fundraising efforts, I have promised to pay out of my own pocket. Luckily, I am now at almost 40% of my goal. Thanks for helping me get closer!

November 14 Update

The 9-mile run was such a confidence booster, I've already signed up to run another half marathon! This one will be in Disneyland (the one in California) over Labor Day weekend. The best part is, if you run a half or full marathon at Disney World and then do the half at Disneyland that same year, you get a bonus "Coast to Coast" medal. I'm all about that!

Now that the running is going well, it's time to buckle down on the fundraising. The halfway mark is less than $140 away, thanks to your help. This week, I partnered with Heads N Tails Seafood Grill. They have been donating 20% of the meal price for everyone who brings in one of my flyers. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that lots of our friends were hungry this week!

Tomorrow is the Belk Charity Sale. I managed to get one of the coveted spots selling tickets at the door and look forward to manning the table with a few of my teammates. We plan to run 7 miles afterward. I hope we're not too tired!

If you have any additional fundraising suggestions, please let me know. I'm desperate for new ideas!

December 9 Update

Our 11-mile run is scheduled for this Saturday. I'm excited but scared because I've been sick and had to skip the past few weeknight runs. I hope I'm feeling well enough to push myself through the full mileage on Saturday!

We did the Jingle Bell Run 5K this past Saturday to benefit the Arthritis Foundation and had a lot of fun except for the uphill parts and the chilly temperatures. It was kind of fun to run with jingle bells on our shoes == not nearly as annoying as it sounds. ; )

The fundraising is still a cause for concern. Chuck became a corporate sponsor, so the Hoover Foot Center logo will have a nice spot on the back of all our jerseys. I hope it comes out OK, since I was the one who provided the graphic. (No pressure there, right?)

I'm wrapping gifts at Barnes and Noble in exchange for donations. This is not going as well as I'd hoped because 2 of my 5 shifts took place during the biggest Alabama University games of the season. Curse my lack of college football schedule knowledge!

Next up, we will be hosting a raffle. Disney donated a collection of cute souveniers (Mickey tote bag, photo album, picture frame, mouse pad, luggage tag and light-up button) and for those people who don't love Disney as much as I do, we also have the option of a tooth whitening / massage / skin care / tanning gift basket. I will post more details shortly.

December 15 Update

I survived the 11-mile run! Tacking on another 2.1 on race day should be a piece of cake, especially with all the adrenaline that will be flowing. I can't wait to hear the spectators shout "Go TEAM" and remember all the people I'm running in honor and in memory of. That will certainly keep me going to the finish line.

Raffle details are as follows:

The first raffle item is a Disney gift bag full of goodies that were donated by my contacts at the Walt Disney Travel Company.

The other gift basket contains the following:

• Gift certificate for Smile Whitening System from Mountain Brook Smiles
• 30-minute Massage from BodyWorks
• 30-day Tanning Package from Suntime/Palm Beach Tan
• MaryKay Timewise Miracle Set from Independent Beauty Consultant Shae Bunn

I'd like to thank all our sponsors for their generous donations!

January 3 Update

The raffle winners are Rebecca Hatten-Carr for the Disney gift bag and Michelle Parker for the gift basket. Congratulations, ladies!

In other news, we spent part of our Christmas vacation at Disney World and had a wonderful time, as always. I cannot believe I'm going back again in only 5 days!

My Team in Training group met for our last pre-race training run this morning It was a nice, easy 6 miles... and yes, I am fully aware of how strange it sounds to have "easy" and "6 miles" in the same sentence!

January 8 (Happy Birthday, Chuck!) Update

I can't believe it, but I will actually be boarding the airplane tonight! Race weekend is finally here. Thanks, everyone, for being a part of my journey to the 2009 Walt Disney World Half Marathon. I thank you for your emotional support and blood cancer patients and researchers everywhere thank you for your financial support. I will post a final update when I return on Monday, January 12.

(I DID IT!) Final Update

I was one of the 12,434 finishers of the 2009 Walt Disney World Half Marathon on January 10. The pack was so large, I didn't even set foot over the starting line until 20 minutes after the clock started ticking.

Speaking of the start, it was COLD at the beginning. Luckily, once we got moving, I started to warm up and conditions were virtually perfect once the sun rose.

The course couldn't be beat. We ran from just east of Epcot, up to the Magic Kingdom parking lot toll booths, past the Contemporary Resort, and into the Magic Kingdom for the best part of the race. We ran up Main Street with lots of cheering spectators, crossed into Tomorrowland and Fantasyland, ran through the castle, crossed into Liberty Square and Frontierland, and then before we knew it, we were out of the park. We proceeded past the Grand Floridian, the Wedding Pavilion (where the spectators wore bride and groom Mickey Mouse ears!) and just west of the Polynesian Resort. From there, it was all highway -- including two hilly overpasses -- until we got back to Epcot. We ran in to the theme park and back out again and then the finish line was in sight!

Three of my teammates and I did the entire race together. We crossed the finish line hand in hand. It was really special to complete the journey with the women I had trained with since September. You can see some of our photos here: http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_event.asp?EVENTID=40337&BIB=45206&S=230&PWD=

I'm the one in the white hat. I had such a blast, I'm planning to return in 2010 for the FULL marathon.

Many thanks to you all for being a part of my TEAM. I couldn't have done it without your encouragement, your stories of loved ones who have battled or are battling blood cancers, or your generous donations. It was an honor to run a half marathon and be a part of something larger than myself at the same time. Team in Training participants raised over $7 million for the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend alone. This will go a long way toward fighting blood cancers and supporting patients and their families. Thanks for being a part of this most worthy endeavor!

-Kim

magickimdom @ yahoo. com