Racing to Save Lives

Welcome to my Team-In-Training home page.

I'm training to participate in an endurance event as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team-In-Training. All of us on Team-In-Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives.

Vacation Rental RAFFLE Win 2-nights at a fun Beach Bungalow in Santa Cruz's Pleasure Point, or an Elegant English Tudor Manor near the Rio Del Mar Beach for an Anniversary or Birthday celebration with up to 22 of your closest friends and relatives or a wonderful Home in Lake Tahoe to enjoy the Spring wildflowers or the Fall Colors. Only 50 tickets will be sold per home so your chances of wining are good! Go to the website: http://www.agreatplacetostay.net/Team-In-Training--Leukemia---Lymphoma-Society.html for pictures and information about the homes. Winners of each home will be drawn by one of our coaches on Tues at 7:30pm on Sept 1st 2009.

I am completing this event in honor of all individuals who are battling blood cancers. These people are the real heroes on our team, and we need your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure!

I am doing this in honor of my wonderful mother-in-law who passed away from a blood cancer, way too early.

Please make a donation to support my participation in Team-In-Training and help advance LLS's mission.

I hope you will visit my web site often. Be sure to check back frequently to see my progress below. Thanks for your support!

June 6th - First TNT training at Soquel High, got basics on how to eventually walk 13.1 miles. Also found out that Broccoli has more protein per oz than steak!!

June 13 - Walked a beautiful 4-mile trail along the river and through the Redwoods at Henry Cowell St Park. Had a fun potluck after and won a bottle of wine for knowing facts about several people who have shared their battles with different blood cancers.

Trainings are every Tues at 6:15 with longer and longer walks each Sat mornings.

The next walk was June 20 starting at Natural Bridges St Beach Park and I brought Blaze, our new 9mo old rescued puppy. I had stopped to re-tie my shoe and was jogging to catch back up to my team when Blaze got between my feet and I went SPLAT on the pavement. When I landed, I somehow managed to unhook Blazes leash and so off he went. My team all stopped to help me, but I asked them to catch Blaze instead as he was running into street. They all helped stop traffic on West Cliff and Blaze enjoyed all the people chasing him through several yards. I was finally able to coax him to me by crinkling some plastic wrap that sounded like the doggie treats and I was able to re-attach to his leash. Wonderful to have great teammates!

The next Sat, June 27, we started from Dominican Hospital and took a hill climb up through DeLavega Park for 3-miles in and 3-miles out. I was walking with my Mentor, Meredith Hammon (a fun librarian that works in San Mateo) and we did the whole walk in just 2-hrs.

Saturday, the 4th of July found us started off near Hwy 1 and the Nob Hill Market parking lot at the East end of Capitola and going through this charming Village by the Sea, and up the other side past our Bungalow on Pleasure Point to Moran Lake and back. Blaze was a perfect puppy on this walk. I wore my Team-In-Training tee shirt to the 4th of July celebration at the Women’s Clubhouse in La Selva Beach later that day (as Buck's band Cruzin' was playing) and many people came and talked to me about TNT and how it had been a positive force in their lives!

Each Tuesday night at 6:15pm, we train for 2-hrs at the Soquel High School track. Last week, July 28th, we did time trials of how fast we could walk a mile. There are about 15 walkers and about 50 runners. So of the walkers I had the 5th fastest time of 15 min, 15 seconds, and since I am easily the oldest person in the group, it felt pretty good! This Saturday, we will be doing an 8-9 mile walk starting at Harvey West Park and walking through a beautiful park called Pogonip near the University of Santa Clara.

... More to come... thanks for your donations! Judith