“I have to warn you, I don’t usually swear but I’m about to now.”

This is how our teammate Aric begins his mission moment. A gust of cool air bursts off of the lake, swooshing and bending the trees around our group circle. Aric looks down at the ground, swallows hard and as the wind settles, he looks up at us defiantly.

“Cancer fucking sucks.”

In 2009, Aric and his wife Karen received terrible news: Karen had Leukemia.

Every Saturday I see Karen and Aric run together, side by side. A few times I’ve run with them and listened as they chat and joke. When Karen is tired, he slows down the pace - but not for too long. He encourages her and coaches her onward - to keep going - to not give up.

Three years after treatment and a stem cell transplant, Karen is still in complete remission.

“Cancer doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t care about your age, gender, race or family history,” said Aric. “It doesn’t care if you’re a bad person or a wonderful person. That’s why it is so important that we never stop searching for a cure. That we never stop helping people survive this shitty disease.”

Aric knows firsthand the difference that the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society has made in the fight against cancer. Without the unyielding pursuit of treatments and a cure, there are many wonderful people that would not be here today. And tomorrow, who knows who will benefit from this good and invaluable work.

And as long as there is search for a cure – there is hope.

Donate today for hope.

I am officially committed to raising $2,700 and to running the Nike Women's Half Marathon in October. This means that if I don't hit that goal, I will pay the remaining balance out of pocket. This also means that I will still be running A LOT. So below is a helpful chart to help you in case you happen to encounter me post run.

Ethan Tempera is only 13-years-old, he lives in North Texas and he loves playing football. And since October of 2011, he has been battling rapidly progressing Leukemia. Ethan needs a Bone Marrow transplant, which means Ethan needs a donor.

Ethan is also half-Hispanic, half-white, which makes the likelihood of finding his life-saving donor much more complicated. Despite having a set of twin brothers and a response of 500 volunteer potential donors, Ethan still has not found his DNA match.

Yes, we ran seven miles on Saturday – another personal milestone – But that’s not the story. The story is the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The story is helping to find a cure and helping to provide the support for those suffering from cancer.

Please donate today. Don’t donate to qualify me to run in a race. Donate to help people like Ethan.

What Will My Donation Do?

• Encourage scientists to pursue blood cancer research. Grants to young scientists help grow research talent even as federal research funding becomes increasingly limited.
• Develop "targeted therapies" that kill cancer cells selectively. By hitting specific molecular targets, these treatments don't harm patients' healthy cells, resulting in fewer dangerous side effects.
• Test immunotherapies. Immunotherapies strengthen a patient's own immune system so it can better fight infections and attack cancer cells, reducing the need for damaging chemotherapy.
• Improve the safety of today's cures. LLS funds research to predict, manage and prevent complications in patients most at risk for long-term and late effects of treatment.
• Help patients and their families make informed decisions. LLS supplies information and counseling to help guide patients through their cancer journey and access current treatment and clinical trial options.
• Provide financial aid and co-pay assistance. A cancer diagnosis is hard enough without having to deal with its financial burden. We provide programs to help relieve the economic strain of a blood cancer diagnosis.
• Offer community services. Among the wide array of programs LLS provides are those that link newly diagnosed patients with trained volunteers and that help young cancer patients return to school after an absence resulting from treatment.
• Encourage our state and federal legislators to support blood cancer issues. With your help, LLS brings to the attention of lawmakers the urgent need for increased government funding and support of research and patient access to affordable treatment and quality care.

What Can YOU do?

DONATE today and REGISTER to become a bone marrow donor. It’s is a simple process that takes about 15 minutes. No blood is taken for the registry. It’s just a simple swab of the inside of your cheek.

It was my first race. And I didn’t come in last – I came in 60th place – out of 90... and as I inspect the result list I see that I finshed right after a 70-year-old man. But that’s OK – good for him! I’m just glad I wasn’t last.

The Summer Solstice 5K at White Rock Lake sounded like a good first race – a small group, familiar territory. I registered the day before the race because my friend Sylvia mentioned it on Facebook, so I thought I’d tag along and maybe learn a thing or two. Sylvia is a two-time Ironman finisher – need I say more?

The morning of the race, I woke up early to gingerly safety pin my racing number to my bright blue racing shirt that I’d received at registration.

Now most people know that wearing the band shirt to that band’s concert is way dorky. Is it that way with these small races – or races in general? I don’t know – but I do know I felt like an L 7 weenie decked out in my loose fitting royal blue jersey once I quickly noticed that pretty much everyone had on their cool high tech racing gear.

Oh well – shake it off, I told myself. Scanning the crowd I found Sylvia and her husband Hugh. Together we perused the free energy samples and I snatched up a tasty looking red mix to add to my water. A few good shakes and the red substance dribbled down my hand and wrist. I looked like I’d just shoved my hand in the garbage disposal. Not a great look for running!

The race was fun – I “ran” three miles without stopping. Something I’ve never come close to achieving before. And my running buddy Sylvia finished first in her age group! She’s a super star!

Lessons Learned:

1. Don’t wear dorky racing jersey

2. Stay away from “True Blood” energy drinks

3. You’re never too old to run

4. In six weeks I’ve accomplished so much – I know I’ll conquer the half marathon!

“We’re in our sixth week of training,” says Claire, our training coach. “The “easy” part is almost done.”

Next week we start hills and then we start increasing our mileage and speed. I can now say, five miles - piece of cake! But will I say that about 9? 13?

Our speaker today is a representative from the bone marrow donation center, DKMS. It’s the place “where Leukemia meets it match.”

Each year, as many as 3,000 people in the U.S. die waiting for a bone marrow donor match. Finding a bone marrow donor match isn't as simple as finding a blood donor match; bone marrow donors must be compatible on a deep genetic level — something that is especially hard to find for minorities.

Only two percent of Americans are on the national bone marrow donor registry, which makes finding a perfect donor match like finding a needle in a haystack.

All it takes it a simple swabbing of the mouth and the donor is placed on the bone marrow donor registry. And according to the DKMS website, “Every day, thousands of patients search a list of all registered donors hoping to find a donor with a matching tissue type. Less than 1% of registered donors are ever found to be a match for a patient.”

If a donor is a match, they’ll be asked to donate in one of two ways: Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Donation, which is collected through the blood stream, or Bone Marrow Donation, which is collected from the pelvic bone. The worst possible side effects from donating are flu-like symptoms and soreness in your tail bone.

“That’s why we say, it’s a pain in the butt to save a life,” quips the DKMS rep.

You could be the match that saves a life – donate to LLS today and/or join the bone marrow registry.

She stands off to the side of the group, a nervous smile on her face. She’s someone new - well - new to me. We form a circle to kick off our fourth group run. She takes a small step forward and clears her throat.

Her name is Barbara and she says that the good part of her story is that she is still here, raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma foundation.

Who isn’t here anymore is her son who passed away from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, leaving behind a wife and children.

And more recently, who isn’t here anymore, is her husband who also passed away from Leukemia.

Her story is tragic and heartbreaking. It’s a story where things began to seem hopeful but then collapsed.

She is strong – her eyes brim with tears but she holds back even though many in the group who listen cannot as tears stream silently down cheeks.

Her son and her husband are her heroes. And though she may have lost them both, she has not given up the fight against Leukemia.

With a renewed purpose, we start our run. It’s a five mile distance today. And we complete it.

Please donate today.

Hello. My name is Valerie Garcia and welcome to my Team In Training home page.

This will be my first half marathon and will be by far the farthest distance I've ever travelled on foot! But I hope that with each step, I can feel renewed knowing that I'm supporting the fight against cancer. And in order to do that, I need help from all of you.

Donations in any amount, will be greatly appreciated.

I have a mission-to help find cures and more effective treatments for blood cancers. To accomplish that mission, I’m participating in a sports endurance event as a member of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Team In Training. Like the other members of TNT, I will be raising funds to help find cures and better treatments for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma. I’m improving the quality of my life by participating and with your support, I can help improve the quality of life for patients and their families as well.

Please make a donation in support of my efforts with Team In Training and help advance the research for cures.

And check back often to follow my training journey!

May 19, 2012

“We’re running four miles today,” announces Claire, our running coach.

Today, and for the rest of our training, TNT is meeting at White Rock Lake. Tucked in the Lakewood neighborhood of east Dallas, the lake features jogging and bike paths that hug the coast and offer spectacular views of the water.

This is the lake that I will run around and around and around for the next four months and while she winks at me now with her twinkling water eyes, I know that she is not my friend.

Today the weather is a crisp perfect 68 degrees at 7 a.m. but summer is approaching with those infamous 90 degree lows.

Heat turns me red. Heat makes me nauseous. Heat discourages me.

“I can do this,” I tell myself.

Our team forms a circle and we discuss our fundraising progress and goals. And then one of our teammates volunteers to speak about why she is involved in Team in Training.

She tells us about her father. About how he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Leukemia and had received a two months left to live diagnosis.

That was over ten years ago and her father is still with us - alive and very well. Through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) – the very society we are raising money for – he received an experimental treatment that saved his life.

I’m not worried about the heat (too much) and I know I will raise the money I need to make my goal. LLS is saving lives and it is worth the hard work it takes to support.

“I will do this,” I tell myself.

Please help me today with a donation.

May 12, 2012

Today was day one of my half-marathon training. I'm starting out at a 10.5 minute mile - not too bad! Everyone in the group was so friendly and inspiring. There were people from all ages and fitness levels, each with a unique story and motivation and all striving toward a common goal- to raise money for Leukemia and other cancers.

If you can donate to my cause I'll be forever grateful - $5, $10 is great. And you'll know you're donating to help save lives.