On June 26th, I will be running 26.2 miles in Seattle, Washington as a member of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training in an effort to find a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, myeloma and other blood cancers.

I will be running in honor of Diego Lizalde, who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia on Nov 9th, 2007 when he was just 23 months old, with 95% of his marrow infected. He has undergone numerous rounds of chemotherapy that began almost immediately after his diagnosis. His chemotherapy is going well and his future looks promising. Diego has a tremendous spirit and continues to be an inspiration to his friends and family.

My life has also been touched in a very personal way by this disease. My uncle was diagnosed with leukemia in May 2003 and lost his battle to this disease less than 2 years later in February 2005. Cancer has also touched my life. My father was diagnosed with prostate cancer in the summer of 1994 and lost his battle just one year later on August 21, 1995.

Please support me as I train for this endurance event. I am certain there will be days when I would rather be sleeping in or hanging out at the beach, but on those days I will think of all those people who are bravely battling this disease and those that have fought the good fight. While my discomfort will be temporary, many of those diagnosed with leukemia and other blood cancers face a lifetime of discomfort.

Your donation to this tremendous cause is fully tax-deductible (you will receive a receipt you can use when filing your taxes) and will contribute to the search for a cure!