HOLY COW!!!!

I CAN'T BELIEVE MY EYES!!

Not only am I over HALF of my fundraising minimum......I am over HALF of my fundraising GOAL!!!

This is all thanks to you guys for all of your support, let's KEEP IT COMING!!

This weekend, I hosted a "cocktails for a cause" fundraiser at my lovely home! We had about 40 guests come and support me and my efforts to raise money to find a cure for blood cancer. Overall, we raised $855.00!!! I have to give a shout out to my Mom and Dad for all of their help and support with making this such a successful night!! It was truly amazing!!

I also just want to share a little something I learned from the LLS website....and if you're curious to know where it is that your money that you've donated goes to, let me enlighten you....

$50.00

Makes a Family Support Group Possible with a trained facilitator for families in need.

$100.00

10 Kaiser visits Co-Pays

$300.00

Parking for 6 weeks of daily radiation treatment at UCLA/Children’s Hospital

$400.00

Covers the 20% co-pay on a months supply of Gleevec.

$500.00

Covers an annual Patient Financial Grant to help cover transportation, drugs, and other treatments not covered by insurance.

$1,000.00

Transports 2 out of state bone marrow donors

Thank you all so much again for your support and GO TEAM!!!

XOXO

GILLIAN

This is a note I recieved yesterday and one of the reasons I am continuing my journey with Team in Training:

You go Gillian! Thank you from a grateful Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma survivor!! Susan (my wife) and I did the Maui Marathon; she, after a sucessful fundraising effort and I, after my first bout wth NHL. My cancer returned after 8 1/2 years and a stem-cell transplant at City of Hope allowed me to live to tell about it. So thank you Team in Training!!

This is another reason I am continuing my journey with Team in Training:

I get to go on AWESOME hikes with AWESOME people!!!

Hello Family, Friends, and Supporters!!

I can't believe my training is already hitting week 4! It's crazy to me how fast time is flying!

Thanksgiving was just last week and it hit me that the holiday season is finally here! (Although, you wouldn't know it with this 80 degree weather we've been having!) On that note, I've been thinking a lot about what it is I want for the holidays.

I want to hit my fundraising minimum, I want to fight blood cancer, and I want to help make a difference in somebody's life.

I can make this happen with your help! (and if you've already helped, I love you so much and am so thankful for you!)

You're donations are what keep pushing me to get up early every Saturday morning! So as long as the donations keep coming in, I will keep training.....and who knows? Maybe even go for the FULL MARATHON IN MARCH?!

LETS HELP FIGHT CANCER TOGETHER!!!!!

GO TEAM!!!!

XOXOXO

So, week 1 was a success! I ran my first 3 miles in 33 minutes. My butt's a little sore, and my lungs hate me, but hey, I'm still here to tell you all about it....so here it goes!

When I arrived at practice at 6:58am on Saturday, I thought to myself "O no...is it too late to get back in my car and go home?" but I knew this was something I had to do. I grabbed my water bottle, finished my banana, and walked over to the group of people I knew I would be spending every Saturday with for the next 3 months.

Before the running got started, we were called in for a team meeting. It was then that I remembered why I signed up for Team in Training in the first place. Everybody has a different reason of joining this team, me especially, but we all had one thing in common and that is to fight cancer. When the meeting ended, we huddled in for a quick cheer. A cheer for those that we are honoring. "Go Jane! Go Steve! Go Bob! (etc.) followed by a "GO TEAM!" It was powerful, and moving.

Finally, we were off and running! No headphones allowed, so all I had with me was the sound of my feet hitting the pavement and the obnoxious breathing that was coming out of my body. I wanted to stop running and cry after only a few minutes (I've been known to do that) but I couldn't stop. All I kept thinking about was all of the people we were cheering for a few minutes earlier. The people that are stuck in hospital beds, undergoing painful procedures and surgeries, that don't have the luxury of getting out and running around a beautiful park, or even worse, the people that didn't survive and never had a chance to walk or run around a park one last time. It pushed me to run faster and before I knew it, my 3 miles had come to an end. It was such a rush, I can't wait to see what next Saturday has in store for me.

I know my journey has just begun, but I hope you guys will continue to follow and support me throughout.

Thanks for reading! LOVE YOU ALL. Let's raise some money to BEAT CANCER.

GO TEAM!

Michaela and Alex (2 new TNT friends) and Myself right before run time!

Yep, I bedazzled my team shirt! :)

Hello Family and Friends!!!

Yes, it's true.....I have joined TNT, and will be fighting Leukemia & Lymphoma and other related blood cancers, by RUNNING (or walking) the Tinker Bell Half Marathon at Disneyland on January 29, 2012!

Over the next 3 months I will pound the pavement, running and raising funds to find a cure for this disease that claims nearly 1,200 victims a week, all while getting myself into good shape!

Throughout my journey I will blog, post pictures, and share stories in hopes that you will see my hard work and support me by donating to this wonderful cause!

Stay tuned, our first practice is coming up on Saturday, November 12! GO TEAM!!