Racing to Save Lives

Welcome to my Team In Training home page.

Thank you everyone for your support! I have reached my $1200 goal! WOOHOO!If you were still planning to donate, please do. Your money will go to the same great cause. :-)

I'm training to participate in Portland's half marathon (that's 13.1 miles!) called Race for the Roses. All of us on The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) 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 "Pawpaw" Leeland Studdard, my husband's grandpa who lost his battle to leukemia last year. I also run on behalf of my high school math teacher, Darrin Canfield. He is an awesome Christian guy who has been fighting Leukemia and is now in remission!

I have a great respect for all individuals 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 want to send my love and prayers to the parents and family of Hunter, our 3yr old honored teammate who died Monday, March 8th after a long and difficult battle with leukemia. I cannot imagine the pain of your loss. Hunter's strength will be an inspiration to me as I continue this journey. I pray that the money we raise will fund the amazing research to find a cure, so other children will not have to endure what Hunter did. To learn more about Hunter's story, visit healinghunter.com.

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

I hope you will visit my web site often. I plan to blog about my training as I do something amazing--become an athlete for the first time in my life, and give back to people fighting for their lives! Be sure to check back frequently to see my progress.

Thank you so much for your support!

Fri 1/15/10 9PM

Training officially starts a week from tomorrow, so I thought I'd take a little jog to see what I could do on my own. I set the trip meter on my car to chart a one mile course, and set off with high hopes. I thought I could run about 3 miles with a little struggle. I made it one mile! And I didn't even run the whole way! I had to give myself a big pep talk during my cool down to make sure I can do this. It's going to take a lot of prayer and a lot of hard work, but I am determined to cross that finish line in 86 days!

Mon 1/18/10 1PM

I spent the night at my in-laws house in Centralia, and they were so nice to watch Luke while I went for a run. They live on a huge hill, so I knew I'd have my work cut out for me. The weather was very nice, everyone I saw was friendly, and I really enjoyed myself. I ran down the hill, around some back roads, and managed to trudge back up the hill. I probably wouldn't have made it back up at all, but an elderly couple was out walking their dog and I vowed to beat them back up the hill or die trying. :-) I drove my car along my route later in the day and discovered...I made it 3 miles! That's good because my first saturday training is coming up and we have to run 3 miles with the team.

Wed 2/3/10 11PM

It has been so long since I posted because I've been so crazy busy training for my event! My first saturday training I ran my 3 miles-yay! And this Saturday I will be running 5 miles! I have been in the gym nearly everyday doing 3o min runs or cross training or track night. It is hard work, but well worth it. It feels so good to be doing a good thing for my body and changing others' lives at the same time! Next weekend I will have my first fundraising event for my race. I'm doing a Valentine's weekend child watch at my house, with all proceeds benefitting LLS. You can go out on a date knowing your kids are safe and you are helping a good cause as well! Get in touch with me (woohaabria@hotmail.com) if you're interested and tell your friends!

GO TEAM!

Wed 2/24/10 5PM

I made it through the 5 mile run and just ran 7 miles last saturday! My training is really working because somehow the 7 mile run was easier than the 5! In just 3 days I will run 8 miles. Every week I am setting new personal records. And I'm doing it all for a cure! I appreciate your support.

Mon 3/15/10 1PM

ohmigoodness! I actually ran 10 miles on Saturday! Not easy, but I made it. Between our dessert night and poker night fundraisers, we collected almost $350 for LLS. The Race for the Roses is in just 27 days. Sabrina and I have 11 days to raise our remaining $675 to meet our $2400 goal. I know we can do it-- the run and the fundraising!

Sat 3/20/10

Ran/walked 14 miles today! So long and difficult, but now I know I can finish this marathon no matter what. Sabrina and I ran together most of the way. I'm so proud o us!

Sat 3/27/10 10PM

Injured my back doing some yard work yesterday and was unable to participate in today's 8-12 mile training run. I am going to take it easy this week, so I can heal up and run next weekend and have a great race on the 11th!

Sat 4/3/10 3PM

Had an awesome 7 mile run today! No Back pain at all. Can't say the same for my knees, but a liitle ice did the trick for me. I have made so many friends on my team that I am sad to see the season coming to an end. Very excited for race day, though.

Thurs 4/8/10

I've been thinking back on the season and can't believe how far I've come in just 83 days of training. 83 days ago I tried to run a mile and could not. I am so proud of all I've trained my body to do. I had my "AHA moment" early in the season when I was talking to a new friend at my mom's group. I had told her all about my training and half-marathon goals. She replied, "You know, I'm a runner, too. I really need to get back into it....." She kept talking, but I was no longer listening. Her earlier comment was playing back in my head, "I'm a runner, TOO...." And I said to myself for the first time, "Wow, I'm a runner!" Thank you to my family who put up with my crazy schedule, my coaches who taught me, my new friends who trained along side me, and my old friends and extended family who provided the financial support to make it all happen. I am truly blessed to have all of you wonderful people in my life and to be a part of Team in Training.