We have fewer than six weeks until race day. Six weeks. It sounds like a long way off, but when I look at the calendar and see only two more runs with double-digit mileage before we begin the taper, I realize just how close we are.

It's been a busy season as captain of the Diablo Valley team, but I'm really pleased to report that we exceeded our target for recommitted runners (those who were willing to commit to meeting their fundraising goals).

As a team, we have already raised more than $130,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's research and patient support programs. I'm proud to be a part of that, but I want to exceed my own personal goal of raising $2,000. I can't do it without your help.

Also, if you happen to be in Moraga on September 8, Richmond on September 22, Lafayette on October 6, or San Francisco on October 14, come on out and cheer us on. We'd love to have your support!

You've come to this page because, like me, you want to help blood cancer patients by supporting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). Or maybe because I've guilted you into doing it. Either way, thank you for coming. I'm happy that you're here.

This is my third season with Team in Training, and my first as a Training Captain for the team of 150 East Bay runners training for the Nike Women's Marathon or the Kauai Half Marathon. What does a Training Captain do? I'm responsible for behind-the-scenes coordination that keeps our workouts running smoothly, and keeps our runners running. This is a very important job; last year, the runners participating in the Nike Women's Marathon raised $12.7 millon to find cures and better treatments for blood cancers, as well as offering an array of support services to patients' families.

But for me, this role is about more than the patients and their families. I also do this for the Team members that I'm now supporting. Some of our participants have never run a single step before joining the Team, yet a few months later are able to successfully and proudly complete a endurance event like the Nike Women's Half Marathon (and trust me, 13.1 miles through the hills of San Francisco is no easy task). I'm proud to watch the newbies make a commitment to improving their health and fitness by attempting something that they never before thought possible, all while raising money for an excellent cause.

You can learn more about the research into cures for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma on the LLS website.

Please make a donation in support of my efforts with Team In Training and help advance the research for cures. You can even keep track of my training on my blog, http://whatwouldbettydo.com/training/

On behalf of the patients, families and runners that I'm supporting, I thank you with all my heart.

Go Team!

Photo: Me, with my mentor Olivia after the 2011 Nike Women's Half Marathon.