Racing to Save (More) Lives

Welcome to my Team In Training homepage - again!

Here we are again, ready to undertake another season with Team in Training and I couldn't be more excited to begin training for the Deuces Wild HALF IRONMAN (it is in fact as crazy as it sounds)!!!!! What I'm not so excited about is that we still don't have a cure for these horrible forms of cancer and families are still losing their loved ones.

Training for an Olympic Distance takes upwards of 10 hours a week in training, so doing a half Ironman (double the distance of an Olympic) is going to take even more time and dedication.

Here are just some of the things I sacrifice during my training:

• Sleeping in. It doesn't happen - ever
• Staying up past 9:00 PM - actually that's late
• Seeing my friends who aren't Triathletes
• Visiting my family on the weekends because I can't miss practice
• Spending time with my latch key dog Maxxi.
• Legs without bruises, cuts, scratches
• Feet and hands without massive blisters
• Muscles that aren't strained
• Being able to watch TV without an ice pack strapped to some body part
• Buying pretty much anything that isn't training related - all the money goes there

Why sacrifice? Its tough and it takes its toll, but I do this training and fundraising so no one else will lose their child, their brother or sister, their cousin, their spouse or their friend.

When you hear a parent talk about their 5 year old having surgery after surgery and then their tiny body just giving out because the cancer came back again and there weren't anymore options or when you hear about your friend's cousin not making it and leaving behind a wife and children, it breaks your heart and you want to do whatever you can to make sure it doesn't happen to someone else.

I've been with TEAM for a year and a half and when I started I didn't know anyone who was affected by blood cancers and now I know so many, I can't even put a number to it. Its just really tragic how many people this still affects and while some do make it through treatment, not everyone does.

What can you do to make a difference? Oh - good I'm glad you asked!

Obviously the first thing you can do is make a donation*. Its quick, easy and painless to do online with your credit or debit card.

Checks can be mailed to:

Payable to: LLS (Leukemia and Lymphoma Society)

Elizabeth Apodaca

ASU-COPP

411 N. Central AVE, STE 650

Phoenix, AZ 85004

*Check and see if your company does matching donations!

This year, because so many friends and family have been so generous in the past and may not be able to help out monetarily, I am planning on hosting a Bachelor Auction in January.

We will be auctioning off all the straight, single, employed, attractive men we can round up!

I'm looking for ladies to come as bidders and bring your friends for a great night out!

I'm looking for guys (and your friends) to come out and be auctioned off for a great cause - and a great date.

There will be a Silent Auction that night, if you have a business that can donate a gift certificate or anything really cool that we can include in the auction - that would be very much appreciated. Let me know!

Details on the Bachelor Auction are forthcoming!

I'll be posting updates on my training once it begins in January along with details on the Bachelor and Silent Auctions. Keep checking for updates!

Thank you so much for your support in whatever form it comes in!

I'm relentless for a cure!