Updates:

Less than two weeks to go. I finished my longest training run (20 miles!), I've done shorter, faster tempo runs, hill repeats and speed intervals. I've taken ice baths, Aleve and lots of sports drinks. Now it's taper time, which means shorter, easier runs, lots of yoga and stretching, eating nourishing foods, getting lots of sleep and drinking plenty of water. Taper time apparently is also the time to panic and wonder if I trained enough, and also, why in the world did I think this was a good idea?! The support of everyone around me, helps so much! THANK YOU!

9/10: We're finally having summer in Portland with the temperature hitting over 90 degrees! I decided to head to the coast to escape the heat, not to mention the smoke from forest fires on Mt Hood. I ran almost 16 miles, from Pacific City to Woods to Cloverdale and back to PC. It was a lovely route. Saw a doe and two fawns, lots of birds and several dairy farmers waved as I ran by.

9/3: I was back to running with my LLS TEAM this morning. We were all over Vancouver, and I hit a new milestone distance for me of 18 miles. The 26.2 miles of the marathon are beginning to seem possible.

8/27: Everything turned upside down last week when I received a call that my Dad died suddenly, and unexpectedly. My LLS TEAM has been so supportive and caring, unfortunately they are all too familiar with loss.

I also have a new understanding of what people mean when they say running is their therapy. On 8/24 I ran from my home in Portland to my childhood home in Oregon City (over 17 miles) to be with my family and finish up the preparations for Dad's funeral the next day. They all came out to cheer me up the big hill at the finish. I got a taste of the exhiliration I'll feel at the marathon, as well as the sadness that my dad won't be there to see me cross the finish line.

8/12: Training is intensifying and I've been hitting new milestone distances pretty regularly. I recently ran a 14+ mile loop from the Sellwood bridge to the Steel bridge, that five years ago was a difficult bike ride for me!

~~~~~

(my first race, Race for the Roses half marathon, 4/2011)

On October 9th I’ll be running my first marathon. For the next four months I’ll be running all over Portland, increasing my miles each week so that I can ultimately run all 26.2 miles of the Portland Marathon.

I knew I couldn't do it alone, so I'm doing it as a member of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training. I also need your help.

Your donation will help improve the quality of life for patients with leukemia and related blood cancers to aid in search for a cure, to improve public and professional education, along with advocacy and community service.

In fact, a large portion of donations to The Society stay here in Oregon in the form of a grant to OHSU’s Dr. Brian Druker. Dr. Druker developed Gleevac, the medication that prevents and stops the growth of cancer cells. If you would like further information on The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society please visit www.lls.org.

While your donations will help everyone with blood cancers, I'll be running in honor of my friends and family who are dealing with Leukemia and Lymphoma, including:

Naomi Parker, John Herman and Stella Monteverde-Cakebread

I will also be running in memory of those I know who died from these cancers, including:

Herb Newman and Scott VanZyl

Your donation of any size will help make a difference. In fact, if 80% of my Facebook friends donated the cost of one latte ($3.75) I will meet my goal of $1500.00.

Please make a donation today to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance LLS's mission. It would also mean a lot to me if you'd help spread the word by sharing this page on Facebook, twitter, or via email, whether or not you can donate.

Thank you!