May 8, 2011

We did it! My first triathlon is behind me and collectively we raised 1.5 million dollars for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through St. Anthony's Triathlon! THANK YOU for supporting LLS and my triathlon. It was truly an experience of a lifetime and for such an important cause. GO TEAM!

March 19, 2011

Along with my amazing teammates, I am fundraising in honor of those who have made a big impact in my life and are survivors of blood cancers. Lela Reichert-Klein, one of my closest friends, her mother Julia Reichert (pictured below) and friend and colleague Stamatina Gregory (pictured 2nd down, with newborn Nico!).

These three women are the survivors I am focused on for St. Anthony’s Triathlon. I am so honored to have them in my life and in my thoughts as I move forward through tough practices, long runs, swim drills, and asking people for money—rather inconsequential considering the battles Lela, Julia, and Stamatina, have faced and won. I am thankful for

them and to everyone who has made LLS a part of their lives in the fight to eradicate blood cancers. Thank you to everyone who has supported this endeavor.

February 12, 2011

An early spring and more sunlight later in the afternoon and early evenings means more time outside pounding the pavement! A teammate captured this picture of me practicing some sprints. Swimming drills continue for us every Saturday; biking will start in the next couple of weeks. I am hoping that a Valentine's Day themed fundraiser, hosted along with good friends Julia Blaukopf and Jill Katz, will help me to reach my goal and help me be 100% focused on my running, biking and swimming!

January 16, 2011

I am humbled to almost be at my half-way point in fundraising--thank you all for your support! Training is going really well: I am finally getting the hang of swimming, and with the several hours of swimming I am doing per week, am feeling a lot less like the swimming cat in the picture below! Running and biking are on track; I'm running mostly outside, and biking at the gym until the streets are free of ice and snow!

December 18, 2010

Today was last team practice of 2010--I'll be biking, swimming, and running on my own for the next two weeks! THANK YOU to everyone who has donated thus far; I am thrilled to already be at $645!

December 4, 2010

First team swim: we all survived, but wow! What a challenge. We did about 20+ laps, focusing on technique. Our coaches said they would be comfortable throwing us into a race next week--no one was at a beginner level. I guess that is reassuring, however I have included a photo of me during practice (see below). You can see how tough it was on me.

November 2010

Welcome to my Team In Training home page. This is my 3rd offical TNT event since I joined in 2009, and I am so excited to be participating again!

I'm training to participate in an endurance event--an Olympic distance triathlon--as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training. My goal is to raise $3,900 to contribute to research to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma. It's amazing that it is 2010 and still approximately every 4 minutes one person in the US is diagnosed with a blood cancer; every 10 minutes, someone in the US dies from a blood cancer.

This is why I am swimming/biking/running with Team in Training...and in honor of three amazing survivors that have touched my life: Lela Reichert Klein, Julia Reichert, and Stamatina Gregory.

75% of the money raised from my event will go directly to research and advocacy in my area of Eastern PA; it will go to places in my neighborhood including the University of Pennsylvania and other nearby cancer treating clinics and research institutions. The other 25% goes towards getting me ready for my event--I get three amazing triathlon coaches, all the GUs and Gatorade I can handle, TNT support staff, and so much more. In all, I am accomplishing something remarkable in honor of three amazing women, and effecting the lives of 1,000+ more people touched by a blood cancer.

Be a part of this! 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.

Wish me luck and thank you for your support!

Shayna