5/25/10

Another 10 days closer to June 6th! Two weeks from today I will be resting up back at home following my 1/2 marathon! We are so much closer to my goal and I have a good feeling that it will all come together in the end.

I have been thinking a lot lately about whether or not I would take on a challenge like this again. I still haven't decided. On one had, it's so overwhelming with the running schedule and the fundraising, and just life in general all put togethre, but on the other hand, what a rush! How many times in a normal person's life will they get to raise $3000 for anything, much less a cause as great as this? How many times in a normal person's life will they run a 1/2 marathon? I just feel like this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I am so thankful to have been given this chance! Maybe it will be a twice or three-time in a life deal? Who knows?!?

Thank you to everyone who has donated so far, and if you are kind enough to stop by I ask two things: Please leave a note, and please tell a friend!!

5/15/10

Wow! What a difference 10 days makes! I have done the ten mile trek twice and survived! Today's run went 8 minutes faster than last week! That's progess!

We had a fundraiser last weekend and raised $250! It is on it's way to be counted and when it is added to my fundraising total, along with $50 that I have received from the best dentist ever, Dr. Michael Kotopka at Williamsburg Dental I will be up to $2,162 which is about $800 short of my goal. I will be powering through the next couple of weeks to get up to my goal of $3000 so if you were bullied into coming to my website, I was successful!!

My school will be sponsoring "Jeans week" since next week is the last week of the year! Teachers who want to be involved will be donating $5. Cory's work (MDS) is also sponsoring a Friday jeans day so I am hoping that those will be a big help!

I thank all of you for your assistance, and I can't wait for the big day! Three weeks!

5/4/10

Phew! It's been awhile since I updated! It's now only one month until the big day! I have hit a few snags in my training, but I haven't stopped...just slowed down a bit! :) It's not about how fast it gets done, just that I finish (in under 4 hours:)).

The past month has been chock full of STUFF! I sponsored prom, co-directed the spring play, made a trip to St. Louis and ran and ran!! This weekend is my first 10-mile run, and about 5 minutes ago I finished running 6 miles! --on a TUESDAY! Holy bananas!

My brother was awesome enough to sponsor a fundraiser, along with a generous donation of beverages from his company, Double Eagle Beverage, and this weekend I am hosting a badminton and pitch tournament at my house! There are goign to be prizes donated from Star City Recycling, Kylie Kubicek, Alison Mumaugh's Ten Tiny Toes, and more!! I can't wait to see everyone who comes!

Although I am a month out, I still have a long way to go, and I appreciate you checking in on my progress! Drop me a line and let me know you were here!

Much love!

Lara

4/1/10

Well, three months ago, this would have seemed like an April Fool's joke, but I am seriously in it for real! Next week I will sign my recommitment paperwork, and will be bound to raise $1500 more by June 1st for a total of $3000! In two months, I will also be packing to fly to San Diego to run 13.1 miles! Phew.

I would once again like to thank everyone who has contributed, and to encourage those of you who are just perusing to throw in whatever you can afford! $5 adds up!

Special thanks go to Dorchester Public School, whose penny drive helped raise over $300!

3/6/10

My marathon is officially 3 months from today! I ran an all time best/all time high of 6 miles today in 1 hour and 20 minutes. I have also surpassed the 20% mark on my fundraising goal! Thanks so much to everyone who has donated, or who plans to donate! Your support helps me get through!

3/5/10

So, here I am. It's been over one month since I started this journey, and only three more remain. Sometimes I think that I am insane, and others I can't stop smiling!

So many crazy and amazing things have happened over the past month, the first of which is Gabe, my honored patient, has been listed as in remission! I don't have an in-depth knowledge of all of the cancer terms, but I know that is cause for celebration!!

In addition to all of this, Cory and I have been trying to decide on some major life things...Cory's job officially ends on June 30th (they have sold his company), so move to Denver, don't move to Denver. Sell the house, don't sell the house. Once, I asked Cory if I had picked the wrong time to do this marathon, and he said, "Lara, there would never be a perfect time." I tend to agree. At least this way I get a few hours a week to do some thinking while I am on my runs!

I just counted them up, and so far, I have run 45 miles in my training. That's almost to home in Daykin, and it is past my work in Dorchester. Tomorrow I have my first 6 mile run, and it just continues up from there! On the day of prom, I will be running 10 miles. On the weekend of my very good friend Darci's wedding, I will have an "off" week where I run only 8 miles, but get to look forward to 12 miles the next weekend!

So, overall, this is such an insance, but rewarding journey and I feel so blessed to be taking it for a cause that I strongly support!

I appreciate you taking the time to stop by my site!

2/20/10

Well, the longest - shortest month is almost over! February has been brutal weather -wise but I have managed to get in all of my runs, and I am pretty proud. My fundraising is starting off slowly, but surely, and I am so thankful for all of my friends and family who have donated. Your financial support seems to tranlate into moral support, and it means so very muc to me, and to the cause!!

I still have a long way to go, both with fundraising and training. This morning I went out and walked almost the entire 4 miles. But I did it. I woke up early to go train, and for that I am proud of myself. I

told my trainer a funny story this morning about how my life has been. It started when I was 6 or 8 years old, and we were doing a CROP walk for church. We had fundraised, and I think we were walking from Herman to Blair, which is 10 miles. I quit in the middle, and made my mom send someone to pick me up. I was a cute kid, and I pretty much got my way. :)

I have hated pretty much all physical activity since then, but I feel such a drive to do this. I might not have the fastest time, I might be the last to cross the finish line. But I WILL cross it, and when I do, I will feel that I have honored all of those people who have suffered from cancer, in one small way...and just so everyone's ready. I will probably cry...a lot.

2/12/10

As promised, here is the info about my honored patient, Gabe. I hope to have a picture scanned soon as well.

This is his mother's story about his illness:

Gabe had been dealing with what we thought was Osgood

Schlauter a disease kids get when they grow too fast. On

Sept. 15th I noticed he was in so much pain during a junior

high football game that he could hardly get up when he was

tackled. (he was the quarterback) One of the moms at the

game suggested we get him into a physical therapist to help

with the disease because the only real cure was to grow but

therapy would lessen the pain.In the process of getting him

into a physical therapist I insisted upon an x-ray. We took

him in on Sept. 17 and the radiologist didn't like what he

saw so on the 18th, his dad's birthday, we got the initial

diagnosis of osteo-carcenoma which was then changed to

non-Hodgkins type B lymphoma after the patholgists worked on his biopsy for 8 days. We started chemo treatments on Oct.5. and finished them on Jan. 4. During those treatments he lived through H1N1, infections, shingles and a hole in

stomach.

He's pretty popular at the hospital because he has

such a positive attitude. We are now doing 14 radiation

treatments to finish up the job. His case has been atypical

in that he did not have some of the symptoms people with his type of cancer have and then on the other hand had some

issues they don't see. (ulcers in his stomach)They said he

was some where between stage 2 and 3. He kept up with his

school work by Skype which the hospital staff found very

interesting and he kept the top math grade in a high school

course(Algebra) throughout the semester although he missed about 3/4 of first semester. In Oct. and Nov. he was in the hospital more than home. He should finish radiation on Febr. 18 which is two days before his 14th birthday.

THANKS for including us in this wonderful journey of

yours!!!!

Diane

2/6/10

Wowzers! So, week one is down the tubes! I did a total of 10 miles this week, and this is going to be my shortest week of training. By May I will be doing 20+ miles every week! It feels good though and I feel like I am really accomplishing something.

I am excited to announce that I have an honored patient. His name is Gabe Fisher, and he is an 8th Grader from McCool Junction. I will post his story for you soon, but I am really honored to have Gabe and his family be a part of my journey!

I am also going to be sending out my fundraising letter soon. I have a ton of work to do in that area, but I am so excited and I am really proud of myself for taking the initiative to raise money for a good cause! I talk the talk and now I am going to walk the walk...literally - get it? :)

2/2/10

Ran 3 miles today! Time was 48 minutes! I feel really good, but we will see how I feel tomorrow! I have my fundrasing letter almost complete, and am looking forward to finishing it tomorrow and maybe even getting some letters mailed! I have a long way to go, but I really feel like this is the right thing to do, and that I can make it happen!

1/31/10

I just ran my first 2 miles. This is going to be a loooooong road, but I am ready, and super excited!! Truthfully, it took me 35 minutes today! Yikes! I think that I would like to do my 1/2 marathon in 3 hours. We will see though...maybe that will change!

Allissa wins firsties on donations!

1/29/10

Ok, so you realize that picture isn't me, but it will be in about 4 MONTHS!!!! June 6th I will be traveling to San Diego, where I will run/walk (I have to be honest!) 13.1 MILES!!!

Thanks for visiting! I will update more soon!!!!

Love you all!!

Lara

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. 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!

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. Thanks for your

support!