A Marathon Dream Comes True!

Event: San Diego Marathon

Distance Run: 26.2 miles

Date: 31-MAY-2009

Historic Moment (L-R): Caroline, Tich, Mohan, Katie & MaryAnne

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!!!! Many Thanks to Meeting Expectations and OAUG for adveritisng their logo on my race gear !!!!

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A BILLION THANKS!

Ever since I started training for my first full marathon, I have been waiting to write this update for the last four months. There were two great miracles in May. Thanks to generous donors, I was successful in collecting enough donations to meet my fundraising minimum. The second miracle happened on the last Sunday in May. I crossed the finish line at the San Diego marathon after 26.2 miles and became what 1 out of every 1000 Americans are - a marathoner.

Over the last 21 years, more than 390,000 participants like me have raised nearly a billion dollars for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). Perhaps one of my donations this year will help cross the $1 Billion mark. A billion thanks to all my donors for this stupendous achievement. I have raised a total of nearly nine thousand dollars in 2008 and 2009.

I feel blessed and thankful for the support to help me achieve this near impossible personal dream of running a marathon. With profound gratitude from the world's newest marathoner.

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Please read my marathon run blog - One Mile More and listen to some music while you read about my dream to run a race that was first run in 490 B.C. on the same day as my birthday!

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$$Update #1 (02.09.09) - 111 days to race day. Reached 18.5% of fundraising goal. Will send out first batch of 55 e-mails to 2008 donors $$

$$Update #2 (02.14.09) - 106 days to race day. Ran 5k time trial in sub-40 min (39:30). Please keep the donations coming! $$

$$Update#3 (02.25.09) - 95 days to race day. Just crossed 25% of fundraising goal. Still a long way to go. Please help! $$

$$Update#4 (03.13.09) - 78 days to race day. Ran 8.27 miles at Pacifica on 03.07.09. Just crossed 39% of fundraising goal. If I'm lucky to get all corporate matches till now then I have 60% of my fundraising done. Sending out requests to co-workers today! $$

$$Update#5 (03.24.09) - 67 days to race day. Ran 12 miles at Portolla Valley on 03.21.09. If I get all the corporate matches, I will be 2/3rds done at $2009 and counting! $$

$$Update#6 (04.07.09) - 54 days to race day. Ran 14 miles at Pillar Point, Half Moon Bay on 04.04.09$$

$$Update#7 (04.15.09) - 45 days to race day. Crossed 50% of my fundraising minimum$$

$$Update#8 (04.19.09) - 41 days to race day. Ran 16 miles at Woodside on 04.18.09$$

$$Update#9 (04.22.09) - 38 days to race day. Sent out 333 fundraiser e-mails. I am so lucky to have generous friends! Now at 61% of my fundraising with another 22% of corporate matches waiting to appear online someday soon$$

$$Update#10(05.13.09) - 17 days to race day. Got corporate sponsorship from OAUG and ME! I will wear their logo. Now at 88% of my fundraising and that does NOT include corporate matches. Once those show up, I will be crossing my fundraising finish line. In today's economy, it is indeed a miracle! I am so fortunate to know so many who have taught me that the art of giving is the art of living$$

$$Update#11(05.18.09) - 12 days to race day. Ran 20 miles at Coyote Hills, San Jose on 05.16.09$$

$$Update#12(05.19.09) - 11 days to race day. Reached fundraising minimum after 105 days. At last, a miracle in May! Corporate matches still to appear to boost the total$$

$$Update#13(06.01.09) - Today is the day after. Enjoying the surreal feeling of being a marathoner. Yes! I ran 26.2 miles!$$

I can't cure cancer by running a marathon, but as part of a team of thousands of people working together with focus, determination and heart, we can find a cure. That's what Team In Training is all about. It is about being part of something much bigger and more powerful and more important than oneself.