The race was an absolute success! It's impossible for me to imagine having a better first half marathon experience with such awesome folks and for a great cause. Thanks for everyone that supported me in this journey. I enjoyed it so much, I'm now on to the next one!

Much has happened since I last wrote. My running app tells me I've logged about 80 miles in training for this event. In those 80 miles I ran through rain, hills, and forests; harlem shaked; discovered my "wall"; learned the power of pace; realized what a difference a few words make to get through the seemingly impossible; ran my knee into the ground and briefly felt like a kid again; witnessed the passion of the TNT team; and discovered how exponentially better food tastes after a really long run!

Improving health and well-being is satisfying on a personal level; knowing that it's for something even bigger makes it even better. Survival rates for those diagnosed with blood cancers have increased significantly over the years, due to improvements in patient care and treatments, made possible through research. That's what I'm running for.

My race is about a month away and I'm more than halfway in reaching my fundraising target. I know I will reach this goal with your help and I'm looking forward to the run on race day!

Go Team!

Learning a new drill.

Pumped up to do the shake.

Battling the hills.

Getting through the "wall".

It's been 3 days since running a 7-mile trail at Nisene Marks in Santa Cruz with Team In Training and I still feel exhilarated. It's true what they say; you never know what you can accomplish unless you try. Before TNT, I didn't think I could run more than a mile without stopping. Perhaps it was the monotony of the treadmill that kept me from attempting to. Insufficient endurance and exhaustion probably played a role too. But now, after about a month of training with our expert coaches, captains, and mentors--on the track, on beautiful trails, in the open air, with teammates cheering me on--how can I not try? And try I have. I've now been able to run 4, 6, and 7 miles continuously!

TNT has helped me to realize that the biggest obstacles we have is ourselves. And once over it, things happen. With the help of others, even greater things happen. During this past month, cancer survivors (our honorees) have inspired me with their stories. I don't know what it's like to wake up one day with vision completely lost in one eye, or what it's like to tell your loved ones you may have to depend on them indefinitely. But our honorees know what it's like, and the courage they've shown in fighting cancer is incomparable. Knowing that I can help them in their fight by raising money with TNT makes this journey even more meaningful.

When I first signed up to run the half-marathon, it was because I wanted to see if I can do it. Now it’s not so much seeing what I can do as it is doing something for a cause worth fighting. If there’s something I learned from our honorees, it’s that even the strongest of individuals ask for the help of others. I'm thrilled I can help our honorees and other cancer survivors by running further than I ever have before. Will you help me by donating to this cause?

Hi Everyone!

Thanks for visiting my fundraising page.

I'm participating in a sports endurance event as a member of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training (TNT) to help find cures and more effective treatments for blood cancers. I've never ran a marathon before, so what better way to motivate myself than for a great cause. Along with other members of TNT, I'll be raising funds to help find cures and better treatments for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma. I’m improving the quality of my life by training for and participating in this event and with your support, I can help improve the quality of life for patients and their families as well.

Please make a donation in support of my efforts and help advance the valuable research for cures.

Vince