Yep, I'm at it again, folks. But this season... well, it's different. This season, it's personal.

What's the same?

Yes, the Sunday ritual of waking up to attend practice while others sleep in will be the same. Yes, the miles, the TMI conversations, and the unstoppable appetite that come with training for a marathon will be more or less the same. And I find myself once again lucky enough to be a part of a support staff that gets the privilege of guiding an entire team of runners and walkers to new highs (including the elusive runner's variety), countless personal accomplishments, and of course, raising thousands of dollars for a cure!

So what's different?

In 2009, I originally joined Team in Training (TNT) to run a marathon. That was it. And if we're being completely honest, when I attended my first TNT practice, I didn't even plan on joining the Team. I just showed up because I told my friend Lori (@LJ3000) I would.

That was nearly 2 years ago. Fast forward 6 marathons, 10 half marathons, and countless miles of training runs later, and I find myself approaching this next season in a new light because my family has been touched by cancer once again.

Just over a month ago, my Uncle Rodney (my mom's brother) was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL), and before I knew it, my family was tossed into the whirlwind of doctors, hospital visits, timelines, and a collection of medical terminology most of us could barely pronounce. (Luckily, my Auntie Kathy is a pharmacist, so she interprets a lot of it for us.)

Both of my mom's sisters, my Auntie Karen and Auntie Kathy, have battled breast cancer in the past, but for some reason, I never thought of my Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) fundraising as being directly connected to the fights they endured. However, over the past seasons, I've learned that cancer is cancer, and when we find a cure for one, it means we are that much closer to finding a cure for all cancers.

The bottom line

Initially, I was skeptical about embarking on my third Team in Training season in three years. But my Uncle Rodney's diagnosis and current battle is a very real reminder that cancer is one bad motherfucker and if it's not going to stop, then neither am I. And neither is my Team.

I will be completing this season of Team in Training to benefit the LLS in honor of my Uncle Rodney and to train for the Goofy Challenge at Walt Disney World on January 7-8, 2012.

Donations of any size are truly appreciated. No contribution to the cause is too small (nor too large)! :D I hope you will check back often to see updates on my Uncle Rodney and my training - both of which I hope to be predominantly positive!

Thank you in advance for your support!