***** POST-RACE UPDATE *****

I wanted to update everyone on how my marathon went two Sundays ago. I ran fairly well -- 3 hours and 54 minutes or a less than a 9 minutes per mile average over the 26.2 mile course -- but, more importantly, was the top fundraiser out of 100 Team In Training participants that collectively raised $200,000 at the event in Virginia Beach.

And John Park's Champions achieved our $100,000 goal by race weekend, which means a blood cancer research grant will soon be named in my friend and fellow coach's memory by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

I have been humbled and moved by the generosity of those of you who have donated. But I am not done yet! Reinvigorated by the experience on race day and all of the encouragement I received from the TNT coaches, staff, and honored teammates, I am intent on reaching my revised personal goal of $10,000. I can continue to raise funds for the cause until a month after the event, so you have until about April 15th to contribute if you have not already done so.

Thank you again for all of the support I have already received. GO TEAM!

Craig

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On March 18th, I will be running the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach—26.2 miles—to raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team In Training program. I have committed not only to running the distance, but also reaching my personal fundraising goal of $7500 to help finance research on a cure and to provide assistance to those battling blood cancers. I hope that I can count on your support.

Although I have run three full marathons and two half marathons and raised $18, 650 to help fund a cure for blood cancers, most recently I have served as a coach for Team In Training, the world’s largest endurance sports training and fundraising program which has raised over $1 billion since its inception in 1988.

During seven seasons, my fellow coaches and I have trained more than 2000 runners and walkers, who completed one or more of 20 marathon and half marathon events and cumulatively raised $6.8 million, just from the National Capital Area chapter alone.

I will be running in honor of Malissa Lash—a coworker at Population Action International and mother of two young daughters who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in June. I am pleased to report that Malissa is doing well and is back a work after several grueling months of chemotherapy. Her diagnosis, seemingly without warning, was a sobering personal reminder to me of the number of people afflicted with a blood cancer each year.

I will also be raising money in memory of John Park—a friend and fellow coach for many of those training seasons who collapsed on the cycle course and died during the Nation’s Triathlon this past September 11th. John was a tireless and dedicated coach who helped many of our athletes fulfill their goal of completing an endurance event. But he was also passionate advocate of the mission of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in honor of his son Dan, a blood cancer survivor, and participated and raised money himself at many TNT running, cycling, and triathlon events along with his beloved wife Pam.

John’s friends are joining together to form a joint fundraising team—John Park’s Champions. Our goal is to collectively raise $100,000 in his memory in order to have the Society name a medical research grant after John in recognition of his service to the fight against blood cancer.

Please make a donation to support my fundraising for Team In Training and help advance LLS’s mission. All donations are tax deductible, and at least 75 percent of every dollar I raise will go directly to help find a cure for blood cancers.

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

Thank you in advance for your support.

Craig

February 6th Update

Up until last Thursday, training had been going quite well. I had worked up to a 35-mile training week, concluding with a 16-mile run on Saturday, the 28th, with the team on the Mount Vernon Trail. Finished the run in less than two-and-a-quarter hours. This is too fast for a training run as it is only slightly lower than my goal marathon pace. But I caught up to a considerably younger teammate Jessice as the turnaround, and she ran me into the ground on the last eight miles. Now I am recovering from an overuse injury, details of which I will spare you.

On the fundraising front, due to the generosity of my friends and donors, I reached 44 percent of my personal fundraising goal in two weeks, jumping from $100 to $3300 raised or promised. Please keep it coming. Any amount gratefully accepted.

Before signing off, here is a picture of my honored teammate Malissa and her two daughters, Lilia and Madeline.

February 14th Update

Happy Valentine's Day. With $300 in checks submitted and $300 in hand but not yet showing up in my fundraising amount to the right, my total is now in excess of $3,300. Thank you to all who have responded to my appeal.

Last Saturday, the runners preparing for Shamrock and Rock'n'Roll USA Marathons were slated to run 18-miles on the W&OD Trail. I felt pretty good for the first 14 miles, until I started to have some hip flexor pain. I managed to push through it and averaged an 8:50 per mile pace. Hopefully, I will be able to arrive at the start line uninjured, rested, and ready.

February 28th Update

The marathon is 19 days from today. I just had a 43-mile training week, capped off with a 20 mile run this past Saturday. I ran it with my fastest teammate Jessica again against a strong headwind for the middle 10 miles. We still managed to even split a 2 hour and 47 minute 20-miler. That is only slightly slower than I hope to be out in on race day.

So far so good as I feel remarkably recovered, perhaps as a result of taking a 15-minute bath with a 16-pound bag of ice as soon as I got home on Saturday. I seem to be ready, but just need to stay healthy and uninjured between now and the race.

Although it is not showing up on the website yet, I have hit the $6,000 mark thanks to your generosity. At the rate I am going, I may need to up my fundraising goal above $7,500! Go TEAM!

March 4 Update

I just decided to increase my fundraising goal to $10,000. The arrival in the mail of several generous contributions has put me just $25 short of my previous target of $7,500. I have been incredibly overwhelmed by the response to my appeals.

I ran 12 miles with the team on Saturday on a hilly and wet trail, but still managed a pace of just over eight-and-a half minutes per mile pace. Now we are tapering by cutting back significantly in preparation for the marathon two weeks from today.

Please help me hit ten grand by St. Patrick's Day!