My journey to Team in Training started about eight years ago. A few weeks after I finshed my first half marathon I got a flyer in the mail from 

LLS about this awesome program called Team in Training. I looked over the brochure and thought, "Wow. What a neat program. But man, I don't think I can run a marathon. That's only something crazy people do."

HA! The brocure sat on my desk for a couple of weeks before I finally threw it away. I just wasn't ready.

Fast forward five years. I was sitting at a park with my mom's group watching my kids make themselves sick on the merry-go-round and new woman came to visit our group. One of the first things I learned when I met her was that her son had Lukemia. We had a lot in common and became fast friends. In the process of getting to know her and her son I learned all about Lukemia, the treatment, the statistics and the complete lack of funding for pediatric cancer. I helped her with fundraisers for other cancer non-profits. She is now one of my best friends. 

This year, I was given the opportunity, once again, to join Team in Training. This time with Team Grace at the Austin Half Marathon on February 18. Unlike last time, now, I'm ready.

Though I don't need the actual "training" part of Team in Training I wouldn't miss the opportunity to fundraise to support my friend and others in my community whose kids are fighting this stupid disease. Because there's more than just her son.

It's easy to think, as a parent of healthy children, that Lukemia and pediatric cancer in general, is what happens to other people. That won't happen to my kids.

Yeah. I've met the other peple. They're just like me, their kids are just like mine. They were prefectly healthy...until they weren't. There's really no way to know. 

Pediatric cancer research is massively underfunded. Most of the drugs given to children fighting cancer were developed for adults 50 years ago and less than 4% of the National Cancer Institute's research dollars are directed at childhood cancer. More than 2/3 of childhood cancer patients will suffer long-term effects from treatment including vision and hearing loss, learning disabilities, infertility and secondary cancer. Yeah, secondary cancer. Because having cancer once as a child isn't enough.

Which is why I/we need to step up. It won't happen if we don't make it happen. 

Please consider making a donation to this awesome organization. It's easy and only a few seconds. You never know whose life you might save!