Yes!!! Thanks to my amazing supporters, I have now reached my $5,000 fundraising goal!! Thank you all so much for your donations and your encouragement. I set my goal high and am so excited to have met it. I will be thinking about all of my supporters as I run the streets of NY on November 7th!

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I am so thrilled to be training to participate in the NEW YORK CITY MARATHON (wow!) as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training. What an adventure!

Ten years ago I joined the Des Moines, Iowa, Team In Training and completed the San Diego Rock N Roll Marathon. It was an amazing experience to have as a college freshman and I'm so happy to be doing it again in 2010!

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!

There are many different charity endurance training programs to choose from now - many more than when I first discovered Team In Training in 2000 - but I chose TNT again because of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's commitment to research, education, and patient services. Seventy-four percent of every dollar raised goes directly toward these activities.

Please make a donation to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's mission. Your support means so much to me. Thank you.

Running the marathon in 2000.

Training Update - July:

So, I have officially been training with TNT for over a month now. It has been so much fun! That may sound silly, but it is the simple truth. I have met so many nice people and been to inspiring bi-weekly practices. On Tuesday nights we mix things up and do speed and strength training, then on Saturday mornings we focus on our long runs. The longest I have run so far is 8 miles. It was tough because it has been so hot in NYC, but I made it! I have been encouraged by how "doable" all the training has been so far... because I am certainly not an athlete!

We already ran one race in Central Park. It was five miles and was a breeze. I have another race coming up this Saturday - wish me luck!

Stretching at practice.

Training Update - July II:

The race in Central Park on Saturday (July 17th) went really well! Our coaches had us run 3-4 miles beforehand in order to get all of our mileage in for the day... I was worried that the preliminary running would wipe me out for the four mile race. It sort of did, but my friend, Lauren, and I actually achieved our goal of beating an 11 min/mile pace. She motivated me to sustain the "fast" pace. It doesn't sound very fast, but it is a good time for me! I hope to run the marathon in under 11 min/mile pace... otherwise it will take a REALLY long time!

Lauren was pushing me at the end - she looks great & I am struggling!

In fundraising news, last week I offered a nice bag of Swap-bot swag to any of my Swap-bot members who donated $5, or more. I have been blown away by the amazing response! I have sent out over 40 packs of goodies and have gotten much closer to reaching my fundraising goal. Thank you, Swap-bot friends!

The Brooklyn Team in Training at Coney Island on July 24th. Fun times!

Training Update - August:

At the very end of July I went on vacation for a week. I was worried that the week away from my marathon training would set me far behind. I am happy to report that wasn't the case! I jumped right back into my running as soon as I got back, and last Sunday I ran my first offical half marathon of the season! I ran 13.1 miles with many of my teammates in the NYRR Bronx Half Marathon. It was actually a lot of fun. My time was not impressive (2:30), but I felt strong the entire race and even "sprinted" in at the end.

Jessica, me, and Lauren running the Bronx Half Marathon. August 15, 2010

These photos from the Bronx Half crack me up! I look like I am just strolling along socializing! Maybe I need to start pushing myself a little more... I have a 10 mile race this Sunday in Brooklyn and I hope to run it in under 1 hr 50 min.

Training Update - September:

Time has been flying by and my marathon training has been getting tougher! There are only 45 more days until the NYC marathon - I can't believe it! This month I have increased my long runs, the longest being 18 miles. I have run over the George Washington Bridge, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the Manhattan Bridge. We have also increased our speed training and I was happy to have run a timed 5k in 30:20 and a timed mile in 8:40 - pretty fast, for me.

Pasta Dinner at my house.

I have had a lot of fun with my team, but I have also been really sore. Travis helps me take ice baths after my long runs to soothe my sore muscles. They are almost too cold to withstand, but they really help!

Ice bath

Luckily, I am still feeling strong and I'm starting to feel prepared to take on the full 26.2 miles!

Training Update - October

Today is October 7th, excatly one month away from the NYC marathon. I am extremely excited, but I am also starting to feel nervous. I have one more official race (the Staten Island Half Marathon this weekend) and then one more long training run... then it is time to taper and rest! This is really happening! Thank you to everyone for your support.

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You can read more about my training experience on my blog, rachel & the city.