I did it! I walked 13.1 miles and my body didn't rebel too much! I am so psyched!

I really was afraid that my arthritis would hurt too much to carry this old soul across the finish line, but I was wrong. I love it when I'm wrong this way.

And did I mention I am psyched? I'm psyched because there have been so many of you who have selflessly donated to the LLS so they can find a cure and help patients and families all across America. It was each of you who spurred me on to carry out my mission. I can't tell you how close I came to backing out. But then I knew you'd be asking me, "Barb - how was the Half?" And I just couldn't picture myself telling you that I chickened out. Now it's a non-issue - yes!

So thank you one and all! I have gained a tremendous amount from participating in Team In Training, and I would encourage you all to become involved. It's simple, it gives you another reason to keep in shape, and it brings all sorts of unexpected rewards. One thing I know for sure, it's so much more fun to walk with friends than walk alone. Call me, text me, or pop in on Facebook and let's get walkin'!!!

Starting to get nervous. When I started this adventure back in February, little did I know that our daughter, Jessica, would be packing up and moving away from home on the very same weekend as the Half Marathon. What rotten timing! But as is typical of life, you just roll with the punches and some way or another come out the better because of it.

Check list time.

I've got my body wear, my under wear, my Body Glide, my water bottle and fanny pack, my throw-away sweats, cell phone, cap and sun screen. I'll take my iPod, but doubt I'll use it. I'm walking with friends, and the path is all new to me, so I'm hopeful the 13 miles will pass by quickly. Also hopeful that my body will not pass out somewhere along the 11th mile or so! Come on body - you can do this! You can, you can, you can!

The race day is exactly how it was for me back in February, when I pledged to raise $2,000 for this worthy cause. I had no idea if I could do that or not, but I figured if I didn't shoot a little higher than I thought I could reach, I may not have reached the lower goal.

And that's why I chose to do a Half Marathon - because back in February I thought if I complete it, it would be quite a stretch for me. Even at walking, it will be a stretch.

I still seem to have a shread of doubt about completing this walk. My body doesn't always surrender to what my brain wants it to do. But dang it all, I'll be sore after walking two hours, so might as well be sore by walking four hours!

I'm now in search of a black Sharpie. I need to decorate my walking jersey with a few names - 18 to be exact. These are the people I am walking for Saturday. And these are the ones that will carry me across that finish line. Thanks again for all your support out there. Together, many things are possible!

Here I am at 18 days until the Big Event! I have been walking and walking, but it doesn't seem like enough. Guess I will just take it slow and easy - my mission is not to be first, or second, or third. My mission is to finish the darn thing!

This past weekend we have a brief glimpse of spring in the valley. We were up in Stanley and found a good spot beneath our giant Doug Fir where the snow had melted. There was still 2-3 feet of snow in front of us, but sitting in a lawn chair, sipping a nice glass of fine wine and kickin' back, the warmth off the snow made it feel more like 70 degrees rather than the actual 45 degrees. Heavenly.

But all this walking has not come with a price. I have blisters on my heels (from walking 4 miles through the snow-pitted, muddy Fisher Creek Road), and now I'm getting troubles with my feet - verging on full-blown plantar fasceitis. So I am tenderly caring for my feet so they won't be an unwelcome visitor on race day.

Great news! It seems my pledge to walk has not only garnered donations to this fantastic cause, but it has instilled excitement with some of my friends! I have a Boise friend who will join me, two friends from home, plus now my daughter will be striding by my side. Talk about motivational! How cool is this to get 4 people who want to be part of the action? Way cool. With two weeks to go, I am getting excited. I will hope for a nice, but not too hot day, and that the Boise River stays in its banks so everyone can walk the normal course.

Thanks again for all your support. You can see that I have nearly met my pledge goal - thank you, thank you, thank you all!

Be sure to scroll down to read the rest of my journey!

What an odd year - April showers mean snow showers this year. Every day! While the gray skies are, shall I say "gray," they're not dampening my spirit to get on with my training for the upcoming Half Marathon May 14.

I had a little surgery Wednesday for a carpal tunnel release on my left hand, That has slowed me up somewhat, but maybe by tomorrow or Monday I can get a good walk in again. I want to do a nine-miler, and then if I can walk from Ketchum to Hailey (13 miles), I know I can manage the Half Marathon along the Boise greenbelt. I have some friends who have stepped up to the plate to walk with me - go you! - and of course, the Team In Training folks are right there as well.

It has been great being part of a nation-wide team to assist, in this small way, in knocking cancer down to its knees. One person can make a difference!

Don't forget to scroll down and read more of my journey.

The photo below is ME standing smack dab in the center on the walkway of the new bridge at the Hoover Dam. If you know how timid I am about heights, you'll appreciate my accomplishment. It's 800 feet to the river!!!!

April is here, and the snow in the valley is all but gone. Still lots on the mountains, but even Quigly Road is bare now - YES! Tomorrow I plan to do an 8-mile walk, because Wednesday I have a carpal tunnel release surgery and so want to get the longer walk in first.

It's only 5 weeks until the Half Marathon in Boise! Unbelievable that it is almost here. Also unbelievable is the fact that I am near to reaching my personal fundraising goal for the LLS. I know that when I am walking the Half, all I'll need to do is think of all of you who have supported me in this great cause, and there's no way I will fall short of reaching the finish line!

So, I'm heading over to grab my tennie runners and I'm outta here. Make today count!

Be sure to scroll down to read more of my journey.

A flock of robins graced our trees yesterday with a chorus of tweets (not the 110 character kind of tweets - the good ones!) If they were searching for worms, they probably should have flown to some other town because we are still dealing with a foot of snow in the yard. It is melting, though. I am just wishing for warmer weather because it will help my arthritic old bones - they don't like 40 degrees with a wind chill factor of 30.

Enough griping. The fact is, I am getting on with my training. And you are getting on with your contributions. Thank you, everyone, who has already contributed to my fundraising goal. I feel so delighted each and every time I receive a check in the mail or go online and see that another friend has donated to this very worthy cause. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I am going to be in Las Vegas for a week, so I'm planning on taking my sneakers and my Bodybugg and step away the miles in the warm sunshine there. Here's a great photo that a friend took last year. I'm just sharing it in hopes that spring will get here just a tee bit sooner.

Don't forget to scroll down to read more about this journey.

Hallelujah! The snow is beginning to melt. Slowly. Surely. Another 3-4 weeks and it should be gone. At least right now I can put my training miles in on dry pavement - YES!

Keep scrolling down to read more.

The photo on the right is of my mom, Jeane Carlton, way back in 1994 when we had the great pleasure of enjoying vacation with her at her favorite spot in the world - Cannon Beach, Oregon. She was a scavenger and loved finding shells and stones, and delighted in taking pictures of seagulls. She named them all "George".

The photo on the left is of of yours truly and was taken in 2010, right back at Cannon Beach, but without my mom. Right now I am just 10 years younger than she was when she fell victim to Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in 1995. I want to live way longer than age 66, and so I am taking on this fundraising challenge to help researchers come up with cures for blood cancers of all types. I don't know about you, but 66 is just too young to go!

I realize times are tough, but any pledge that you can offer would be so greatly appreciated and put to good use.

I am working to get rid of this cold so I can seriously start my Walking Training for the Half Marathon that I have committed to complete on May 14 in Boise. Now if the snow would just melt a tad so I can walk on the streets, I'd be A-OK!

Stay Strong Out There!

Barb

You can also follow my progress on my Blog at

www.walktofightlymphoma.blogspot.com

Racing to Save Lives

Welcome to my Team In Training home page!

I'm training to participate in an endurance event 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!

As many of you know, my mother dealt with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and it is something nobody should have to go through. It pains me to even think about it now, 16 years later. But that's not the only blood cancer that has affected our family. Her aunt suffered with leukemia, and Barry's grandfather had leukemia as well. That is why it is so important to help researchers find a cure for these blood cancers - too many great people have suffered from these cancers.

On May 14, I will be walking a half marathon in Boise. Wow - 13.1 miles! Can I actually walk that far? All in one morning? I've never tried that distance, but I am going all out to do this, whether my arthritis starts yelling at me or not. Team in Training has a great coaching and mentoring staff, and I know I will succeed in this personal challenge. Holy, moly, what am I thinking of - 13.1 miles? Shoot, I can do this. I am in training! And it is for such a worthy cause - a win-win situation.

So please make a donation to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance LLS's mission. I'm aiming to raise $2,000, a lofty goal, but an important one.

I hope you'll visit my web site often. Bookmark my page and be sure to check back frequently to see my progress. Thank you so much for your support! You will all be walking with me in spirit on May 14!

Barb Neiwert