Run with me wherever you are in the world!

Thrilled to announce the inaugural

Banana's Splits virtual race September 2013

Who: You! Rock Stars. Family. Friends. Heroes. Runners. Walkers. Run walkers. Newbies.

What: The virtual "race" will be held during the month of September. Any time and anywhere you're ready to run, walk or run/walk 5K, 10K, a half-marathon or any distance you feel comfortable doing. All it takes is one step at a time.

Where: Anywhere. In your hometown. While on vacation. On location. With me in New York.

When: September 2013 (October okay too!)

Why: a fun way to support me and fundraise for my Team In Training Fall 2013 campaign. Anna "Banana" my nickname of course and I hope to run "negative splits" during the New York (a.k.a Big Apple) marathon on Sunday, November 3rd, 2013.

How: Registration is $25, click here to register.

Medal: Other than feeling like a total Rock Star post-race, your contribution is going towards the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The bonus, you get your very own Banana's Splits Medal to commemorate your accomplishment. Photo above. You know you want one. Limited edition.

Notes: Special thanks to PIC for designing the fab medal and for making this happen. Send us your post-race photos.

Run with your heart! I thank you with all of mine.

xo

On Wednesday, June 12th, my NYC Marathon 2013 life status changed from I-can't-believe-I'm-doing-this-again-but-without-my-PIC to pure joyful bliss. The A-Team is committed and on our way to the Finish line. Ms. Abby, a.k.a. my running P-I-C (Partner-in-crime), invited me to join her at a special screening of Spirit of the Marathon II. It has been about two years since we first watched Spirit of the Marathon together with our Team In Training and we were both anxious as ever as we were training for our first half-marathons. My have we grown. The sequel was just as inspiring and moving (yes, tears were involved) but a little closer to heart as we are both marathoners and P-I-C had decided earlier this year that she was not going to run NYC this year. I've been praying that she would change her mind but when the NYRR deadline to register had past and she didn't mention anything. After the screening as we were debriefing in the movie theatre lobby (and me whining that I wasn't sure if I could run NYC without her), PIC run-posed to me with such a beautiful box with a beautiful Under Armour headband (purple, TNT's official color) and the question of a runner PIC lifetime. Miracles do happen. Of course I said YES!!!

Ms. Abby has a hugely popular blog Abby's Road to Amazingness, you should follow her -- you'll read about all our running adventures and I'm sure she vents when she's frustrated with me and running in this heatwave.

Prior to the screening, I attended the Team In Training Fall Season kick-off event and was reunited with a lot of TNT family members I haven't seen in awhile including Ms. Ali (a Mentor this season) who recently completed her first Ironman Triathalon in Mont Tremblanc, Quebec. Wahoo! Congrats Rock Star!

On my way out to meet Ms. Abby at the screening, 92.3 FM had a booth to spin the wheel and of all things, I won two tickets to the New Kids On The Block, 98 Degrees and Boys II Men concert. Ms. Abby joined me to celebrate our run-posal and we traveled back to the 90's with the now man-bands. FUN!

"Teams are made up of individuals. Without them, there is no team."

Welcome to my Team In Training home page for the ING New York City Marathon 2013.

(Left to Right: Ms. Abby, Anna & Coach Mike)

Since Hurricane Sandy forced the City of New York and NYRR to cancel the ING New York City Marathon 2012, The A-Team (Ms. Abby and I) ran the marathon distance anyways as we had trained hard for five months to prepare for it. We rocked our first marathon in true A-Team style. With another opportunity to officially run it this year, I met up with Coach Mike to discuss training options and as always, he gave some oh-so-wise advice. So here I am comitted to training with the great Team In Training family for my fourth event (Vancouver, San Francisco and New York times two) for the world's largest marathon on Sunday, November 3, 2013. I would have never predicted back in December 2010, the runner/marathoner that I have become thanks to all of you.

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 support me by running/training with me, cheerleading me through this journey and/or make a donation in support of my efforts with Team In Training and help advance the research for cures. As always, I thank you with all my heart.

Love + smiles,

Anna