Thanks to all of your amazing support, on March 24, 2013, I finally completed my first marathon! You can read all about my race. It might have taken me an extra 3 years, but that's okay. I'm pretty sure I cut about 2 hours off my hypothetical time, and since my first season with TNT and through today, I have raised $19,000 dollars (!) toward finding a cure for cancer and improving the lives of those undergoing treatment. In fact, I'm at 96% of my fundraising goal for this season!! [And it's not too late to bring it up to 100% or even higher!]

This season I ran for Art Wilhelm, Max Harris, and my friend and TNT honoree, Larry Russo. An LLS-funded drug, Rituxan, saved Larry 10 years ago and then again this year. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank all of you for your generous support of LLS, without which many people wouldn't be here today. Your support means the world to me and to many people living with cancer - both blood cancers and otherwise - and to the families of those with us and those who are not. LLS is an extremely effective organization, and you can be sure your money is put to good use.

And finally, on behalf of little old me, I just want to thank you for your moral and emotional support on my journey towards 26.2 (and 100 and 40k and 13.1). Thanks for bearing with me all these years!

Welcome to my Team in Training home page!

I am about to embark on my 6th season with TNT. Since my inauspicious start in 2009, I have run 3 half marathons and completed 3 century rides and a 40k ski marathon with my TNT family (and also sailed for a cure). This doesn't include the numerous events I have completed on my own since TNT got me started.

This season I plan to run my first full marathon - that's 26.2 miles - at the Oakland Running Festival in March 2013. See below to learn about my up-til-now failure to complete a full marathon.

How You Can Help

Of course, I can never do it without your help. Since 2009, I have raised over $15,000 for LLS, and I hope you will continue your support this year. I know everyone has their own causes dear to their hearts, just as LLS is dear to mine, but if you have room to support one more, I would truly appreciate it. Just click on the link to your right, or feel free to send along a check made out to LLS. Just give me a shout-out if you need my address.

Perhaps you are intersted in joining TNT yourself? Just let me know. TNT has training groups around the country, not just in the Bay Area. The benefits, both personal and for the Cause, are endless, and I'd be more than happy to discuss them with you.

Fun Facts

Here are some of my favorite facts from LLS that help you know the value of your donations:

• To date, Team in Training has raised more than $1.32 billion to support blood cancer research and patient services.

• Since the early 1960s, the survival rate for many blood cancer patients in North America has doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled.

• In the last reported year, over 251,000 individuals participated in LLS national telephone or web education programs.

• LLS provided direct financial aid to 30,603 patients in 2012.

And for those of you who may not have a connection to someone with blood cancer, these facts make a world of difference to thousands of others:

• • Nearly half of all cancer drugs newly approved by the FDA since 2000 were first developed for blood cancer patients.

• Critical cancer treatment innovations such as multi-drug chemotherapy and stem-cell transplation started with blood cancer therapies.

Honorees

Every year I learn about more and more people living with blood cancer, and I participate in their honor. This includes Max Harris, Art Wilhelm, Larry Russo, and so many others. In addition, as many of you know, my mother is a breast cancer survivor. I attempted to venture into the world of breast cancer walks this past summer but found that my true home really does lie with TNT. Therefore, I participate in my mom's honor as well, and hope that the treatments funded by LLS continue to benefit other cancer patients, including those with breast cancer.

The Elusive Full Marathon

Below you can read my post from March 11, 2012, entitled "The Elusive Full Marathon." I promise to do everything in my power to capture this elusive beast this coming March (2013). It is my primary focus for the winter season. I know that in exchange for your donations, I make a commitment to complete a physical challenge, and I don't want to let you down. But I do want to share my history with this race distance and hopefully give you a sense of what a challenge it is for me and how much it will mean.

***

Today I sent an email request to downgrade my Oakland Running Festival entry from full to half. This makes the 3rd marathon for which I have been signed up but will not complete. The marathon remains elusive.

The first one, San Diego, I had been hurt early in the season and was woefully unprepared for my first half marathon that season at Avenue of the Giants. After those 13.1 miles, I ran-walked a 19 mile training run, which actually went fine. But I was still nervous about attempting to run a marathon on only one run longer than a half marathon. So I downgraded that entry. Looking back on it, I probably just should have done it that time. There were other people running it with whom I probably could have kept up. I was no longer hurt at the time. But I was reasonable instead.

The second one, Big Sur, I trained well for. I completed a lot of runs over 13 miles, including an 18 mile run in 3 hours. But that proved to be my downfall. After that run, my toe started hurting, and it eventually got to the point where I could not run more than 4 miles without pain. I saw a doctor and a physical therapist in hopes I could complete the race. One suggested I could and one suggested I shouldn't. The course was an out and back without many spectators, and I worried that if the pain started during the race I would not have much recourse. Then my grandmother's memorial service was scheduled for the weekend of the race. So I bailed.

This time I thought I was going to make it happen. It occurs just 3 weeks after my ski marathon, so I knew I would be in good shape, and I had been told by a coach that I could replace some long runs with skis. That meant fewer opportunities for repetitive stress injuries. I ran a fabulous half marathon, but when I went out for a 15 mile run the next week, my toe pain returned and I completed only 6 miles. In an effort to preserve myself for my primary event, the ski marathon, I stopped running. No 15 or 17 mile runs as I had planned. I kept telling people maybe I would just go out for the full anyway and take a bus home when my joints complained, because after all, the race is in Oakland. I went out for a 6 mile run yesterday and felt quite fine.

But then I realized that was silly. Even run-walking, I am sure my joints are woefully unprepared to jump from 13.1 miles to 26.2 with nothing in between except skiing (up to 25 miles!). So I did the reasonable thing and asked for a downgrade to the half. Maybe I can even attempt a PR. But for now, again, there will be no marathon. That charm remains in its case, waiting to be added to my running charm bracelet. Maybe someday!