Thank you so much for donating to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and providing the support I needed to run 26.2 miles at the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll marathon on Sunday.

When I started my training with the team I had 2 goals: to cross the finish line with a smile on my face and to raise five thousand dollars. I'm happy to say that I exceeded both of my goals! With the help of your donations, I raised over $6,500 (and counting!) making me the top fundraiser in San Francisco/Marin County. And I crossed the finish line not just smiling, but with my hands in the air, glowing, shouting "Go Team!" - the official Team in Training cheer - and generally overwhelmed with excitement. Below is a recap of the race and my 4-month, incredible journey with Team in Training (TNT).

Race Weekend

The weekend started on Friday night, with an exclusive invitation to a Top Fundraiser reception at Sea World. We had a nice dinner with a private Shamu show and the best part? I got to meet Ali and Roberto from the Bachelorette! I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I watched that season, but can you blame me? She's also a San Francisco tech girl!

The next day I attempted to rid a nasty cold that had been looming for about a week. There was no WAY that four months of training was going to be ruined by a little sickness. Luckily, Kellen saved the day by recommending the Neti Pot! It was weird to use at first, but it worked so much better than any pill I've ever taken.

That night my parents, Dave and the rest of my team went to the TNT Inspiration Dinner which was full of carbs and tears. There was one speaker in particular that told the story of his teenage daughter and her fight with Leukemia. She eventually lost her battle with cancer and wrote an eloquent and thoughtful "10 Life Tips" before she passed. The story brought the room of thousands to tears and to their feet.

Finally, race day! I don't think i slept a wink so when the alarm went off at 3:30am, I was ready to pop out of bed and get the day started. Dave was in charge of coffee and I was in charge of fueling and getting ready in time to meet my team and coaches at 4am. We took the bus to the start line, did some final stretches and awaited the start gun. I was in my corral with 3 other teammates so we kept each other pumped up and excited for the 26.2 miles ahead of us.

And we're off! We loved hearing the rock 'n' roll bands every mile, the cheerleading squads, the endless supply of "Go Team!" shouts, the moms with orange slices, the "Beerade" station and the Pac-Man water stop. But my favorite part of the race was approaching a giant tent with a block "M" on it along with ~15 people in Michigan apparel handing out water. As much as I love hearing "Go Team", there's nothing like "Go Blue" when you're hundreds of miles away from home. And the best decision I made was to run without my iPod!

As I approached mile 22, I see my parents, Dave and my teammates cheering for me. This is where I needed them the most! For the last four miles, I'm convinced I ran with something other than my exhausted legs. It was all heart, dedication, and thinking about the struggle of our honorees that are fighting cancer. If they can go through that pain, I surely can run a few extra miles.

Crossing the finish line was a bit euphoric. I was completely overwhelmed with excitement and was ready to celebrate with a cold drink and hugs from family, friends and teammates. I did it!!!

Fundraising Success

As of today, I individually raised $6,522.22 (THANK YOU!!!) which contributed to my 100+ team in SF/Marin raising a total of $200,000! The 3,100 TNT participants in the Rock 'n' Roll marathon on Sunday raised $9 MILLION for the LLS! Incredible!

I was successful in my fundraising by soliciting donations from generous family and friends and also organizing a date auction. The date auction was an enormous success and a ton of fun! I worked with local businesses to have unique dates donated for each of my 10 volunteers. Tennis lessons, rock climbing, wine tasting, comedy shows, etc. were some of the dates that were auctioned. I also had about 10 silent auction items ranging in value of $20 to $2,500! My boyfriend, Dave, helped organize the event and we made it a fun Run Team/Triathlon Team mixer. On a rainy Monday night, we had 150 people show up! Read more of the details on my "Date Auction" post.

Running for a Cause

The whole Team in Training experience was incredible. I met so many positive, friendly, upbeat and selfless people! We planned fun events together, we encouraged each other and we told stories about our family or friends that have battled Leukemia and/or Lymphoma. Each 'long run' Saturday we ran in honor of someone with blood cancer and wore their pictures on our shirts, as a reminder for our inspiration. I didn't know much about blood cancers before I started with TNT, but through this process, I have met so many people that have been affected by this terrible disease and heard their stories. It was those stories that gave me the motivation to fight through the pain of running a full marathon and to raise so much money along the way.

I can honestly say this was a life-changing experience that I will remember forever. I think I'll be back for more TNT seasons - maybe eventually try my hand at a triathlon or mentor for another Run season. We'll see!

Final Thank You

Thank you again for your generous donations and supporting me for the past four months. I couldn't have done it without you. If you have ever considered running a marathon/half marathon, completing a triathlon, a century ride or hike, check out http://www.teamintraining.org/ I guarantee there is a local chapter that you can join and make a difference for those with blood cancers. Thanks again and GOOO TEAM!!!

I'm 25 today! No more rental car fees!!

So...what better way to feel better about getting older than accomplishing the #1 thing on the ol' bucket list? I'm running a full marathon this weekend! Running 26.2 miles isn't something that most people think to do on their birthday - but I love a good challenge, I love to run and I love sunny weather... so I'm spending my birthday weekend doing what I love!

So far I have raised $6,472, making me the top fundraiser this season. That is the best feeling to have on my birthday - knowing that I have helped make a difference to those with Leukemia and Lymphoma.

3 Days until the big day!! Hopefully this dang cold goes away!

Last Saturday I ran 20 miles! I'm no longer a running teenager! The run felt really great and was an amazing confidence booster for the marathon. It also helped that I won the Spirit Award last week along with Sean (see photo) and got to decorate something meaningful on the TNT snuggie :-) With less than 3 weeks to go, I finally feel like I'm physically and mentally ready for the race. I know those last 6.2 miles are going to be difficult, but I'm willing to bet that the motivation from my parents, Dave, teammates, coaches and rockstar entertainment will push me to the finish line.

After the 20-miler, I took a verrrrrrry cold ice bath, complete with some hot tea, a very funny Moth podcast episode and a warm sweatshirt (thanks for the tip, Laura!). It was painfully cold, but it helped with the soreness the next day.

As for the mental part of the marathon, I've been reading a new book called "Running on Empty" which provides some great tips for staying mentally focused even when your body is telling you to STOP! The book highlights Marshall Ulrich's ultrarunning career and his quest to run from San Francisco to New York in less than 2 months! He does this by running the equivalent of 2 marathons and a 10K every single day. If he can do that, hell, I can run 26.2 miles!

Here are Marshall's "Ten Commandments of Endurance":

1. Expect a journey and a battle

2. Focus on the present and set intermediate goals

3. Don't dwell on the negative

4. Transcend the physical

5. Accept your fate

6. Have confidence that you will succeed

7. Know that there will be an end

8. Suffering is okay

9. Be kind to yourself

10. Quitting is not an option

I especially enjoy numbers 3, 7 and 10. I often like to remind myself that the run is temporary and there is an end - you just have to power through the uncomfortable nature of the sport for a period of time before you can reap the reward of crossing the finish line or the runners high. Once you start dwelling on things or feeling sorry for yourself, the run is over.

Only 18 days to go until San Diego!! Please donate to my fundraiser and help me power through that finish line!!

No, it's not my 16th birthday and no i'm not throwing a lavish MTV party. For me, this past weekend was a different kind of 'sweet sixteen'. I ran sixteen miles (the furthest I have ever run in my entire life) and it felt...sweet! I have a bit of a sweet tooth so I had some 'sweet' chocolate Gu and gummi bears on the run...sweet to taste but not-so-sweet for my stomach.

We started the run by doing a lap around Lake Merced (beautiful!) then we ran through Golden Gate Park to the Conservatory of Flowers, back to Ocean Beach then finished at the Lake. Sweet views!

I was pretty nervous the night before the run and the usual fears came rushing to mind - 'what if my legs/shins/knees start hurting? what if i get too tired? what if I can't finish?' Luckily, dave was there to calm my nerves with a little pep talk and some SWEET So Delicious coconut ice cream and a homemade carb-friendly dinner. Yummmm.

I ended up running (and chit-chatting) the entire time with Emily, who runs about the same pace as me. We kept each other focused, motivated and distracted during the run which was very helpful.

After the run, I felt strong, excited and motivated to run the marathon. Only six more weeks until the race! SWEET!!

I'm beginning to realize that long distance running ultimately comes down to confidence. Yeah, physical strength and endurance are important, too, but having a positive attitude can outweigh the negative impact of a weak hip or knee. This is just my opinion, of course.

When I first started running a few years ago, I had zero confidence. I was a tennis player that preferred short sprints to slow, sustained jogging. During my first attempts at long distance running, I would slow down, sometimes stop at the first hint of exhaustion, convinced that I wasn't built for this sport. But then a weird thing happened - I started to enjoy it because I was improving. I ran a 5K in Grosse Pointe, then a 10K in Ann Arbor then eventually a half marathon in San Francisco - all the while building my running confidence. If I could do a 5K, I could do a 10K. And if I can do a 10K I could do a half marathon!

This past weekend, I ran my fifth and best half marathon. In fact, every half marathon that I have run has been a PR, better than the last one. I attribute this to confidence. Before a race, I set out with a goal and the attitude that "I can do this because I've done it before". I also stay focused on long runs with a little mantra that I say to myself "Stay strong and carry on".

The moral of this post is that, if I can do a half marathon, I can do a full marathon. So bring it on San Diego!! 7 Weeks until the big day!!