Wow! What can I say?

I am thrilled to announce that as of today, I reached the fundraising minimum set by TNT to participate in the NYC Half Marathon!

Over the past week I have been awestruck by the generosity of so many friends, family members and colleagues. I could not have reached this milestone so quickly without the love and support of each of you. Thank you for the notes of encouragment (even the inspiring, 'what the hell are you doing running in the winter?...you're nuts!'). Thank you for donating so quickly and so much.

But, the work is not over. The big race is just over 2 months away and I'll continue to fundraise until then! Every dollar helps our team reach its fundraising goal and helps LLS fund their cancer research.

So, I'm upping the ante. Starting today, I've set a personal fundraising goal for this event. I hope to raise an additional $1000 (in excess of the $1800 minimum) before March 1st.

Seventy-five percent of all monies raised goes directly to LLS for research.

This means the more money we raise, the more time families can spend with their loved ones as they battle their disease.

So please, help me reach the next mile marker on this journey!

Much love,

Jules

On Sunday, January 9th, I ran my first ever race, The Fred Lebow Classic.

In the freezing cold and on icy pavement, I ran a 5 mile loop of Central Park along with my best friend, Jenn Goldstone, and a few thousand brave souls/lunatics.

Read all about it on my blog...there are pictures too!

Thanks for your love and support!

Greetings Friends & Family!

I'm embarking on a journey to complete my first (and hopefully not last) half marathon on March 20, 2011 through the streets of New York City.

I'm training as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training. All of us on Team In Training 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!

I've never been a part of an event like this (does dashing towards a shoe sale count as training?) and am thrilled to have the support and encouragment of my team, coaches, mentors and fellow TNTers as I spend the cold winter months training and raising funds to help cure cancer.

I would be honored if you could please make a donation to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance LLS's mission. Your generous donation, as small or large as you can manage, will make a big difference in the lives of people battling cancer and their families.

Throughout the next few months I'll blog about my training & milestones - all the aches & pains, tales of early morning runs, ancedotes about people I meet along the way and the efforts of LLS. Please check in frequently to see my progress.

You can find my blog at Jules - The Reluctant Runner.

To learn more about LLS and their amazing work, please click here.

Thanks for your support!

Now, it's time to pound the pavement!

Lots of love and thanks,

Jules