Racing to Save Lives and to Remember

Welcome to my Team In Training home page.

As a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training, I'm getting ready to run a half marathon this fall. All of us on Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives.

On November 22, I will run the Women's Running Half Marathon in St. Petersburg, FL, in memory of my cousin Billy, who died of leukemia when he was only 22, and of my dad, Ben, who battled lymphoma before succumbing to skin cancer at age 38. Also on my mind during my training will be the real heroes of my team, those who are fighting blood cancers today.

Please donate as much as you can to help me to make it to St. Pete's and to help LLS continue to support patients and to find a cure for blood cancers.

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

Thanks for your support!

Hi again everyone!

I'm still as excited as ever about my training and about this cause. It was awesome to go to the Team in Training winter season kick-off at Boston U. last Saturday. I was inspired to hear the stories of a myeloma survivor and past TNT participants. And it was wonderful to finally meet the rest of my training team and my coaches. Since then, I've started my first official week of training. It has been going okay, but I realize that I am not in the running shape that I once was because I'm out of practice. But, I'm confident that I'll build back up to it and beyond though, following my training schedule. My wish now is that it will stop being 90 degress and super humid everyday so that running outside is a bit more pleasant....

Thanks to all of you who have so graciously donated money to support me so far. I still have a long way to go to meet my fundraising goal (I'm at 17% as of today), but I have a few things planned to help me make up the difference. For one, my best friend from college, Johanna, has started a fundraising drive for me on her cooking blog. For each person who comments on the yummy veggie recipes that she posts in my honor (I'm a vegetarian and love food!), Joh will donate a certain amount to my cause. So, please get on her site to get some delicious and healthy new dinner ideas and leave a note to help me raise some more money! http://www.prettygirlsuseknives.com/johanna/?p=228

Other fudraising projects will include a letter writing campaign and a speech at the Marblehead Rotary club on Sept. 24. Most of the letters should be going out in the mail early next week. So hopefully, you'll have gotten yours and it will have brought you here, by the time you reach this page.

Have a great weekend everyone! I will be enjoying birthday festivities-- and of course more training this coming week!

Best,

Alex

Hi All,

I can't believe it has been so long since I've updated my page! With how much I talk about my fundraising, race, and training (how much? A LOT), it is nutty that I haven't come back and jotted a little something here since August! Now October and well into training, I'm happy to say that it's going really well! I'm really loving my workout routine and feel like it has made me feel great way more than I ever used to without it. Long runs (i.e.-- 8 miles this week, 7 the week before and 9 next) with my team on Saturdays are helping me increase my mileage and confidence that I'll be able to do the full 13 miles come race day. Speaking of which, race day is fast approaching: a little over a month away!

I still have a lot of fundraising to do before then, but I am so greatful to all of you who've already given because you've brought me half way there already! Thanks again. The fundraising stuff that I've done so far has actually been fun and pushed me to reconnect with some friends that I haven't talked to in awhile. My roommate and I also held a fundraising party at our house a few weeks back. Several friends had a great time and helped to raise some dough at our Beirut/Pong for Charity FUNdraiser.

But, if you have any other great fundraising ideas or training tips feel free to pass them along my way. I'd love to hear them! Also, if you have friends/family who you think may like to help the cause, please direct them to this website. The more support and encouragement I get, whether monetary or words, the better!

Thank you all,

Alex

Hi Everyone!

This morning, I just did my longest run that I'll do before the race: 10 miles! Woo-hoo! Leading up the run this week, I was nervous about being too sore or being able to finish, but it went great! And to think that I was worried about having to run this far by myself too-- I ended up running almost all of it with the other people on my training team who are preparing for other races. It was great to have their support today, even as they ran a shorter distance than I did today because their races are a little farther off. And of course it's been great to have your support too! With only a few weeks left and some worries about how I'll get all the way to my 100% fundraising goal, I am amazed by the new donations that pour in from friends and family like you everyday. Thank you so much! It's making such a difference to me, and will make an even bigger impact on the cancer patients and their families whom your money helps! I'll probably be thanking you all everytime I see you now. I hope you don't get tired of hearing it!

Best wishes,

Alex

99%!! Thank you all for getting me this far! Your support has been amazing. (I hope there is a font size bigger than this for when I hit 100%...)

Perdictably perhaps, considering yesterday's post, we did it! With your help, WE raised $3600 to help LLS continue to research cancer treatments and cures and to continue aiding the families struggling to beat blood cancers everyday. Thank you all so much for getting me to 100% of my fundraising goal. If you'd like to continue to donate to the cause, don't let my $3600 minimum stop you. I will continue accepting donations on this page until at least my Nov. 22 race. Thank you all again for your generous support and friendship. And go Team in Training!

Best wishes,

Alex