Welcome to my (new) Team In Training home page

Yes, I'm still nuts...

I'm training to participate in my first full marathon (finally!), the 2010 San Diego Rock 'N Roll Marathon, as a member of The Leukemia &

Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training!

Blood cancers have had a great impact on my life, my father (David Dilts), is a 13+ year Hairy Cell Leukemia survivor and has himself completed three marathons, as a survivor, 2 in support of Team in Training (my parents supporting me and my husband after the Houston Half pictured). My father has inspired me to keep up the momentum by supporting this great cause. Though I watched my father fight, and thankfully win (thus far), his fight with leukemia, however, others in my family haven't been so lucky. My father's older brother, Robert (Robbie) Dilts, died at the age of 3 of childhood leukemia. More recently, in April 2009 I lost my grandmother-in-law, Margaret Spathelf, to AML.

Donating to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is a great way to ensure the advancement of treatments and increase survival rates to these devastating diseases. In fact,the drug that treated my father's leukemia wouldn't have been found if it weren't for research supported by LLS!

As with any donation, you have a right to know where your money is going. I can assure you that at least 75 cents of every dollar donated will go to research and patient support (not to overhead). 100% of all money I raise past my fundraising minimum, $2900 for this event, will go directly to benefit research and patient support.

For example, with $4000 in donations, 82% of every dollar donated will go directly to research and patient support!

Additionally, due to my generous company match program, any donations you personally make to support my cause will be matched!

So, for $4000 in donations from friends and family, 91% of every dollar donated will go directly to research and patient support! Win, win for blood cancers!

I hope you will visit my web site often.

Thanks so much for your support, it means a great deal to my family!

Update:

4/6/10 - This past weekend (2 days after my 28th birthday), I finally broke through the "half marathon barrier" and ran 14 miles! It feels great to be able to see all of the progress I've made these past few months with my strength training to keep myself happy and healthy to complete my first 26.2 with a smile on my face, supporting a cause I care about deeply! Getting closer to my fundraising goal too and really could use all the help I can get. Go Team!

4/21/10 - Lots of new exciting news to report! On 4/11/10, I ran the Angie's Half Crazy Half Marathon in Clear Lake, TX. I'm pleased to report that in this half marathon, the first one completed injury-free (it was my 3rd overall) was a successful one. My main goal of the race was to have fun and not injure myself, mission achieved (with a PR to boot)! Less than a week later, on 4/17/10 I ran my longest distance to date, 16 miles!! It was a rough run for me, but I listened to my body and came out on the other end stronger. At this point I know I will be completing 26.2 in June and couldn't be happier!

Exciting news!

My hilarious and inspirational colleague, Elena, wrote a great (not to mention hilarious) book documenting her fight with Lymphoma. She has been selling it to help support the American Cancer Society's Katy Relay for Life. Now that Relay for Life is coming to a close, she's graciously offering to donate copies of her book to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through my Team in Training Fundraising campaign.

There are two ways to purchase the book, one is directly through my fundraising page and the other is by the following website:

https://www.createspace.com/3431262.

Or purchase directly here on my fundraising site (discounted to $10; please note in comments that you are purchasing Elena's Book)

As an added incentive, if purchased directly from my fundraising site, a higher percentage goes directly to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (Elena buys in bulk, therefore receives a bulk discount). Any books purchased directly from my fundraising site, I can either deliver locally in Houston. (Attention Lancaster friends...I will be in town April 30th-May 2nd if you are interested in purchasing online and I can deliver then)

The perfect gift for those who have been touched personally by cancer of any type!