I did it!! But not without the support of my friends & family!

I would like it to be known that I, Joy Ann Castanares on the 5th day of Septemember in the year 2010, enjoyed and completed 13.1 miles in the beautiful city of Anaheim and throughout the Disneyland Resort for the 5th annual Disneyland Half-Marathon!

If you would have told me at the beginning of the year that:

1. you actually enjoy running

2. you would do a half-marathon

3. have consistently woken up before 7am on Saturday for more than 3 months

4. single-handely raised $2,200 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

I would have thought you were crazy!

But here I am at the end of September with 4 races under my belt(1-5k, 2-10ks & 1-1/2 marathon) and wanting more! I have definitely been bit by the running bug. I signed up to run the First annual Los Angeles Rock n Roll half marathon on Oct. 24th this week!

All in all I had such a positive experience with Team in Training that I am returning next season to be a mentor/co-web captain for next season. I will be running the LA marathon next year and will be surrounded by my amazing Disney teammates!

I know that this is a truly-unique and gratifying experience. It's funny because when I think of Team in Training I think of running as a small portion of it, because the reason we are all brought together is to save lives.

I will be honest with you, I had no idea what Leukemia & Lymphoma really was until I joined the team. I didn't know how widespread it was until I started my fundraising and one-by-one I came across about 15 people that have been affected by it. I knew then, that this is a cause that I could be passionate about. If I could offer a family one less thing to worry about while they are dealing with the reality of this disease then I know that all the money I've raised will give them hope.

Thank you for being a part of my journey!

This list of people are the reason why I run. I have been given an amazing opportunity to raise money & awareness for something that is worth fighting and running for!

You are awesome....

I'd like to take the time to thank the people who are helping me in the fight!

Carlos!- Is an amazing person and is a super talented illustrator/designer/animator you should check out his site and see what the hype is all about! www.mrricardez.com

GC Charity Team- I am thankful to work for a company that supports my extra-curricular activities. Plus the people I work with are kind of amazing ;)

GC Foodies- If it weren't for your appetites and buying everything from Porto's potato balls, cheese rolls, See's chocolates, lollipops, or the Chi3 energy drink I would not have made it this far!

Mardo- To the second most interesting man in the world....thank you for being so entertaining while being a big supporter of the cause!

Polistic- A great place to get a good workout and an amazing group of strong women. When I'm not running you can find me here. www.polistic.com Thank you Katie for your support :D

Dr. Best Friend Sara- I know you are busy studying for your test, but I wanted to say thank you for all your support! You may not know this but you are kind of amazing, and now the world wide web knows it!

Daddy, Mommy & Ate- I know things haven't been easy financially, so I really appreciate whatever support you can give! This year has been tough in general and I hope that this will help people that have it tougher than us.

Siyan- Miss masters degree! I have mad respect for transribers, but it was the least I could do to get you through your dissertation. Hope you enjoyed your DESSERT-tation!

Tito Dong & Tita Annabelle- Thank you! You have been a tremendous support of my family and I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. Its family like you that have pulled us through a tough time and I appreciate it.

Tita Em- Thank you for being supportive and my closest tie to the family. I don't say it enough, THANK YOU!

William Chan- I know you share an office with my Tita Em and that you have a generous heart. Thank you for your support!

Jocelyn- Thank you! Just wanted you to know that I wouldn't have been as confident leading Program Board if it wasn't for your leadership. Thank you for your continued support!

Joe- You are the best next door neighbor there is! Thank you!

Tin- Thank you for being my first donation! I was scared to even ask people until I knew it was possible to get a donation!

Tin's friend Jimmy- I don't know you, but I think you're good people. Just wanted you to know.

Deb- Sorry for the mishap when it came to donating :( I am forever grateful for your support!

Shenee- My running buddy! I hope those cards are working well for you! You are kicking butt in fundraising!

Kirit- Thank you to my co-worker I have not formally met! I appreciate the support from a member of my TNT family!

Jane- I know this year has been tough, so I appreciate all the support you have given me throughout this year!

Racing to Save Lives

Welcome to my Team In Training home page.

I'm training to run 13.1 miles in the Disney half-marathon on September 5th as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training. All of us on Team In Training are raising 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. 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 and forward this to anyone that you know and help spread awareness. No donation is too small and all donations are 100% tax deductable!

I hope you will visit my web site often. Be sure to check back frequently to see my progress.

You can also visit my blog where I talk about this amazing experience....

Joy's TNT running blog

Thank you again for your support!

:D Joy Castanares

Feel free to email me at runjoyrun@gmail.com if you have any questions!

NEW FUNDRAISING EVENTS!

Want to get an amazing workout & HAVE FUN?

Betty & I have teamed up with Polistic to offer our family & friends a discount to an Intro Class. When you call in & mention that you are with TNT you get $10 off the Intro throughout the months of July & August! Intro classes are held on Tuesdays at 8:30pm & Thursdays at 6:30pm. You can arrive up to 30 minutes earlier for complimentary champagne!

To rsvp please call 818.769.4364 don't forget to mention TNT for your discount!

For more information please visit: www.polistic.com

PAST FUNDRAISING EVENTS!

BAJA FRESH- Eat Fresh, Raise Funds!

Thank you for coming out that day!

Just by enjoying lunch we raised about $50 to fight cancer!

PICK UP STIX

Thank you Guitar Center folks for coming out for lunch!

InsiderPages

Thanks to all for writing your reviews...I know I'm exhausted!

Together we raised $190.75. Woohoo! it's definitely more than I expected :)