Well the thoughts going through my head are  "this training season didn't go as planned!".  Also we can't take a selfie is an understatement. 

When you signed up as a team member to run a half marathon all you are thinking is you have 6 plus months to train and get to your peak condition.  Nowhere in you thoughts are that sh@t will happen and continue to happen to the point where putting on your shoes to go for that training run become difficult at best. 

We started out this training season with high hope and injuries (definately the problem of getting older combined with the setintary lifestyle of tax season), Eric recovered faster than I did but by the end of August I was finally feeling better. Okay so South Florida summer heat was still in the mid-90s at 5 am but at least I wasn't crying in pain after each training run.  What happen next was Irma bringing down not just South Florida but the entire state with her punch.  Training is now getting serious as we have lost so many days, our runing group scheduled their 10 mile run in Weston the week after Irma hit.  To make a long story longer, in the wee dark hours of the morning my foot found the only place in the sidewalk which was cracked and down I went at a 1.25 miles so much for the 10 mile run.  Let just say it wasn't pretty and I needed to stay off my leg for a few days.  With the debris in the roads and sidewalk, running become a hazard which I was afraid to do so I did the next best thing I walked.  Eric in the meanwhile was having a problem on the ball of his foot.  Weekday runs become impossible because of the backlog of work  due to Irma and a many more personal emergencies. 

Fast forward to 3 week prior to our race, I'm starting to feel stronger but I'm still behind in my training schedule.  Eric's foot swells and he needs to go to the peditrist who cuts out a chunk of the bottom of his foot.  He can't walk, put of shoes or drive a car so running is out.  He went of his first test run this Saturday for an easy 6 mile run.

On Saturday morning, we will both put on our shoes, our team shirt and join our fellow TNT team members to participate in the Savannah Rock n Roll Half Marathon and one way or another we will cross the finish line for the team, for my Dad who I miss everyday, for my mother and for everyone else who has battled cancer whether they have won or lost. 

We thank everyone for your support whether large or small.

Until a cure is found,

Carol & Eric
(poorly trained, overworked runners)

We realize how truly fortunate we are to have the terrific support of our friends and family. With everyone’s generosity over the last four years we have raised an amazing $17,728 for the fight against blood cancers. On behalf of those who benefit from these dollars we offer our heartfelt “Thanks” as we prepare to commit for a 5^th time to Team In Training and participate in the Savannah Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in Savannah, Georgia on November 4, 2017. This year, with your help, we have again set a family goal to raise $5,000 for the benefit of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS, Inc.) and to cross the finish line strong on Carol’s 10^th and Eric’s 9^th half marathon.

Those of you who have known us for a while are aware that we run in memory of Carol’s father, Stuart Mintzer, who was himself a runner. Dad lost his fight with T-Cell Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma over 18 years ago as his family stood helplessly by. With the subsequent advances in medical science helped by LLS research Dad would have survived.  But this is not the case with all blood cancers so we continue to fight for the futures of others.  This year we will again run in memory of Stuart and in remembrance of others both known and unknown to us who were so unfortunate in their brushes with these terrible diseases. We shall also run in honor of those who are fighting and those who have survived their battles with cancer. Dad may have lost the battle but we continue to fight the war! We are Team Running for Life.

So yes, we’ve joined Team In Training again!  And yes, we will continue to fundraise until cancer becomes a thing of the past.  But this can only occur with the continued financial support of people like you. We will be spending the next four months training in the early hours of mornings and late hours of evenings in the heat and humidity of South Florida. It’s so hot even before/after sunrise/sunset.  We are not asking you to join us (though you are always welcome) instead we ask that you make a $100 donation to our fundraising campaign (or any other amount – no donation is too large or too small).

On behalf of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society thank you very much for your support.  We greatly appreciate your generosity.

With warmest regards,  

Carol and Eric