Last Saturday morning, I met up with my teammates and set off on the longest run I have ever attempted. After a really bad week of training, I thought that I might be nervous about this run. However, once my feet started moving I realized that I was looking forward to reaching this milestone.

The first few miles are always my hardest, trying to find my rythmn and thinking about the long distance ahead. Then I thought back to the reason I was running with Team In Training... For the men, women and children who are fighting cancer.

I chose to run a half marathon, even though I knew that it would be hard. Some days, running just a mile seems impossible. Other days, a 10 mile run becomes a new personal distance record. But what kept me going last Saturday was realizing that cancer patients did not choose to have this disease. They are fighting against it every day, and it is much harder than pounding out a few miles a few times a week. They are not even sure they are going to reach the finish line and they are counting on the doctors and nurses to care for them, to cure them, to make them survivors.

So that is why my 10 mile run didn't seem so hard last Saturday. Knowing that I am raising money to help find a cure is a great motivator to keep moving, taking one step at a time, racing towards that finish line.

This past weekend was officially my longest run to date... 7 miles in at our "home base" in Grapevine. Our Team In Training group runs in Oak Grove Park on Saturday mornings and our long runs are really starting to ramp up in mileage. The full marathon runners had to put in 10 miles but the Heels and Hills team ran 7 miles this weekend. The next few weeks will be more unchartered territory for me... 9 miles, 10 miles, and 11 mile training runs!

Last Tuesday, we had a meeting to go over the remaining paperwork for our Team In Training event. Which really means as of tomorrow, I will officially be registered for the Heels and Hills event! I will be staying at the Omni Mandalay Bay in Las Colinas the night before the race. After a pre-race pasta dinner on Saturday night, I hope to get a good night's sleep so I can get up extra early and warm-up for the 7:30 AM start time.

Thanks again for everyone's support - in addition to the miles, your donations have really been adding up. I am so proud to be able to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and know that we are making a difference.

Stephanie

Thanks to everyone who donated this past week - I can't believe that I have reached 40% of my goal of raising $1,400! When I joined Team In Training, I knew that fundraising who be one of my biggest challenges so I appreciate everyone who is making this race possible for me AND impacting the lives of those families affected by blood cancer.

On Saturday morning, I ran the Cowtown 10K race in Fort Worth with several other members of Team in Training. It was my first 10K race so I was a little nervous that I would not be able to run the entire 6.2 miles. Thanks to my coaches and the training that we have put in the past two weeks, I not only completed the race but I reached my goal of finishing in under 1 hour! My official chip time was 57:28 (a personal record). For a complete race recap, including pictures, you can check out my blog.

If you live in the Dallas area, another great way to contribute is to come to dinner at Sweet Tomatoes in Irving on Wednesday, March 9th between 5:00 and 8:00 PM. Bring in a flyer and 15% of your total check will be donated in my name to the Leukemia & Lymphoma society (Send me an email at ssuire@gmail.com and I will send you a flyer - you must have a flyer for me to receive your donation). I will be at the restaurant the entire time so come by and say hello. Hope to see you there.

Thanks again and have a great week!

One of my co-workers, Janet Norvell, has a personal connection to the Leukemia Society. Her grandson, Jacob, was diagnosed with Leukemia at a very young age. When I decided to join Team In Training, I asked Janet to tell me more about Jacob's illness and his journey to recovery. In her own words, here is Janet's (and Jacob's) story:

"Have you ever heard the expression, life can turn on a dime? Well that's exactly what happened to my grandson, Jacob Norvell. In May 2006 at the age of 4, Jacob was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). ALL is the most common type of blood cancer in children. They do not know what causes it, but they have come a very long way in treating it. Thirty years ago, this diagnosis was a death sentenxce. Jacob spend the next 3 years and 3 months in chemotherapy, received steroids 5 days a week for six weeks, spinal taps and unending blood tests. That is a lot for four year old to handle! It's a very complicated diagnosis based on age, the cell it starts in, the chromosomes, and if it has reached the brain or spinal column. Jacob was very lucky because he fell into the best of all categories.

Jacob has been off all treatment since July 2009 and is cancer free. For a blood cancer, this is great news. He still goes for montly blood checks and will for a long time. He is in a program at Children's Medical called ACE (after cancer experience) that will monitor him for several years in order to help future patients and their familites know what to expect.

My family can never repay the Leukemia Society for saving his life through their research. They really do make a difference in people's lives. Thank you Stephanie for helping them make this possible."

Thank you Janet, for allowing me to run my race in honor of Jacob! I feel that running a few miles and raising a small amount of money is simple compared to what families of young children dealing with cancer have to go through.

I would be honored if you would join me in this journey by making a donation to my compaign (there is no donation too big or too small). Also, all contributions are tax deductible. Thanks for your support in finding a cure!

Don't forget to follow me on my blog (Suiresphere) so you can keep up with my training program.

Thanks! Stephanie

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Welcome to Stephanie's Team In Training home page.

On May 1, 2011, I will be competing in the Heels and Hills Half Marathon as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training (TNT). Yes, I said a HALF MARATHON which means I will be running 13.1 miles. In a row. Hopefully without stopping. As a relatively new runner, this will be a huge challenge for me which is why I have chosen to train with TNT. The best part is that I will be running this race here in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, so my husband and children will be there to watch me cross the finish line.

Another challenge that I need your help with, is raising funds for Team In Training. All of us on TNT are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. I am completing this event in honor of all individuals who are battling blood cancers. These people are the real heroes on our team, and we need your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure!

Please make a donation to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance LLS's mission by clicking on DONATE NOW on the right side of this page. I need to reach my fundraising goal by April 1st, 2011 to ensure my participation in this race.

I hope you will visit my web site often. Be sure to check back frequently, as I will be posting updates about my training, progress (I hope) and challenges that I face as I prepare to run 13.1 miles. You can also check out more details and pictures from my training journey on my blog.

Thanks for your support!

Stephanie