• Welcome to Kelli's Team In Training home page.
• "Courage has nothing to do with your determination to be great. It has to do with what you decide in that moment when you are called upon. No matter how small the moment, or how personal, it is the moment when your life takes a turn and the lives of those around you take a turn because of you." Rita Dove

• As many of you know, I lost my father to Lymphoma in July 2008. In memory of my father, my hero I have decided to take on a new challenge.

I'm training to participate in an endurance event - Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco,CA this October 2009 - as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training (TNT). All of us on Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives.

I'm asking for your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure! This way the story of my father and countless others are not forgotten, but remembered as we raise funds to help find the cure that wasn't there when they were battling to survive their fight with Lymphoma and other blood cancers.

Please make a donation to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance LLS's mission.

To those of you returning to the site, thank you for your support not just financially but emotionally too. I have been overwhelmed by everyone's support and I'm really looking forward to this challenge.

One step, One mile, One dollar, One life at a time!

I hope you will visit my web site often. Be sure to check back frequently to see my progress. Thanks for your support!

With Gratitude!

Kelli

• Friday October 9- I can hardly believe it, one week from today I will be on an airplane headed for San Francisco. Tomorrow will be our last Saturday training as a team, we will only be doing 8 miles. Yes, I said only 8 miles. Six months ago I never thought I would be saying only 8. Last Sunday I had the honor of being at the Portland Marathon to cheer my team mates that did that event. I'm so proud of ALL of them !!!GO TEAM! I' m still in disbelief, that I will be doing a marathon in 9 days.

• Sunday September 27- Well, we did it! Yesterday was our longest training before the marathon. The Nike team completed 22 miles. It was an amazing day for me.....lots of tears and laughter. This whole journey I have been so proud to be honoring my father. Yesterday I was not so proud, I was angry that I had a reason to be walking in memory of him.....Cancer. My first 4 miles were filled with tears and I wasn't so sure I had it in me yesterday. Then what happened was truly amazing, I had the opportunity to walk with one of my team mates who has leukemia and we were able to talk about our feelings of why we were out there doing this thing. It is "funny" to me how Karen and I have been on the team for 5 months together and it was just yesterday that we really had an opportunity to share our stories. Just when I really needed her. Thanks Karen!! Thanks too, to all of the coaches and mentors. I know my Dad is so proud of all of us and I know he was cheering all of us on yesterday.

"The greatest use of a life is to spend it for something that will outlast it." William James

• Monday September 14- Thanks to everyone that participated in The Frank Zook Memorial Tournament/BBQ. I have just finished adding everthing up and last night brought in $1015.00!!!!! That total does not include the entry fees that have already posted to this page. The combined total for The Frank Zook Memorial comes to $1675.00. That amount far exceeds what I could have hoped for. I know Frank is smiling down on all of us for our great efforts. He would have loved our party. It makes me smile to remember the way he used to dance. I know he was dancing last night!!! I'm excited to watch the dollar amount on this page change once LLS has received and posted the $$ from last night.
• Only 34 more days until the marathon and I can't tell you what a relief it is to know that with all of your help , I only have to worry about training until the big day.
• Friday September 11- Ok, so I know I'm not very good at updating my page. My brother Ryan is the writer in the family.....Speaking of writers, my coach Sue always has a great way with words to encourage us during these tough training times. This is what she has shared with us this week to prepare us for our long training tomorrow "There's no way to sugar-coat how difficult the rest of our training will be. But we can do it. We are part of something far bigger than ourselves, & that will get us through the rough spots. As we walk, let's remember each ribbon attached to the honoree vest and the moving story that accompanied it. Think of the heartbreaking message Margaret shared last Saturday. Celebrate Wes' strength & survival. Think of your own story and the memories you have locked tightly in your heart. Think of how we are united, and of our courage and the nobility of what we are doing. Feel the support and love of our teammates wrapped tightly around us as we help each other complete these last difficult walks. "

The crazy thing is I'm already thinking about what marathon I want to train for next(I will give you my final answer after San Fran.)

Last Saturday I did 20 miles in the pouring rain and I had to keep reminding myself that those fighting Cancer don't get a choice to continue their fight based on the weather. They just keep fighting everyday no matter what! So, I will continue to train one mile at a time, no matter what! I'm looking forward to The Frank Zook Memorial Golf Tournament on Sunday . I could not have done it without everyones help.

• Sunday August 23- To those of you returning to my page, I will do my best to post a new picture soon. I'm just really having a hard time removing my fathers picture knowing that he is what keeps pushing me when I don't think I can do another mile. Yesterday, I did a 17 mile training. I have never been one to chant or repeat a mantra but, let me tell you I did yesterday. I felt a little silly at first but it worked."My feet are fast, my legs are strong and I can do this all day long". I have to remember that I have a choice to wake up and do those long trainings at 7am on a Saturday morning. People fighting Cancer didn't get a choice about having the disease. I can't thank everyone enough for all of their love and support during this life changing experience.
• Sunday August 2- Thanks to everyone for their continued support. Last Sunday, I particicpated in the Lacamas Lake half marathon. I had a wonderful experience and now I'm really exicted about the marathon in October. With every passing day I feel a little more confident about my abilitly to complete a full marathon. I never thought I would say something like that. I beat my goal last Sunday by almost 9 minutes...that was pretty exciting. I'm getting excited about the golf tournament, I don't think we will have as many players as I had hoped for but, I know it will still be a lot of fun .
• Friday July 17- It has been almost a week since our "Mission Mile" and I'm still thinking about it a lot. Last Saturday we did our regular training and then we met with the other teams for a potluck. Along a path at the park there were posters with names, pictures and encouraging words from our honored teammates. There were also posters with pictures of our "Hereos", those we are walking in memory of. I miss my Dad everyday but with everyday I spend with Team in Training the pain of loosing him gets a little better. I will never stop missing him and the pain will never go away but my hope is that with efforts of Team in Training and LLS there will be fewer Daughters and Sons missing their Fathers in the future
• Monday July 6- I'm proud to say that on Friday July 3rd I did a 10 mile training(and lived to tell about it). It was a wonderful experience and very exciting to hit double digits. I'm actually looking forward to adding miles each week. I'm so grateful to be involved with such an incredible organization. Everyday I learn a little more about the great things LLS is doing. I know my Dad would be proud...he is "with me" with every step I take during this time in training.
• Monday June 22- On Saturday we did 8 miles along the Springwater Trail. Everyone was talking about their previous adventures along the trail. Just when I was about to say I had never been on the trail, I remembered that about 5 years ago my dad and I had volunteered on a "clean-up" project with the church we had been attending at that time. It brought a smile to my face as I remembered that time we had spent together. My teammates are so amazing!!!! One of the women who had lost her father about 10 years ago gave me a card to let me know she was thinking of me as Fathers Day was approaching. It was a tough day...but every day is tough without him. I can not say enough about the coaches, mentors and teammates. They all have a special place in my healing and training process. I now know without a doubt that TNT was the right thing for me.
• Thursday June 11- "The really happy man is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour"-Anonymous
• I have really enjoyed the scenery while training. Last Saturday we did 6 miles in Vancouver along the Columbia River and through Ft. Vancouver. I'm looking forward to 7 miles starting in the Pearl District this Saturday. I have also been amazed by the new things I have discovered in my own neighborhood while getting my miles in during the week.
• Tuesday June 2- I can't believe it is June already!! On Saturday I had the honor of wearing "the vest" at training. It is a vest that on each of our group walks someone gets to wear, put a ribbon on it in someones memory and tell the group a little about the person before our walk. It was a very bitter -sweet experience but, very powerful and it helps us to "remember the reason" at 7:30 am on a Saturday morning! I smiled and said a little prayer(anything to help me walk one more lap) as I added a ribbon with my Dad's name. The ribbons will remain on the vest the whole season.

• Wednesday May 27- Well, I'm officially one week in to my training and the journey is becoming more exciting everyday. I have so many wonderful teammates and to date I only have one blister!!!!! I'm sure the blister count has only begun.

• "God, grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference."