My New Adventure

Today marks one week since I began with Team in Training. For anyone who knows me very well, this is truly a remarkable event that I would participate in anything involving running. And after today’s run, I would even use the words awesome and run in the same sentence.

Let me back up a little. I am one of those people some love to hate. I have been able to maintain a reasonably slim figure without ever being one of “those” people who work out. In fact, I am embarrassed now to recall some of my comments regarding hapless victims I’ve seen running on the road or plodding away on treadmills.

Now I’ve chosen to dive in with both feet and join Team in Training, the largest endurance training program in the world. In addition to endurance training, Team in Training is primarily a fundraising program for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Over the next 4 ½ months I will be physically training for a marathon in January while raising money to fund research in the hopes of there being a cure one day for blood cancers.

My motivation for beginning with Team in Training has been my fantastic mom. She was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in June of 2004. She underwent numerous types of chemotherapy and then a stem cell transplant in March. Because of the advanced stage and aggressive form of her disease and her age and physical condition at the time of the transplant, she has not recovered as we had hoped. She is currently in intensive care at OHSU in Portland. Her prognosis is not good. With me being over 400 miles away, I have felt so helpless in this out of control situation. Although I do know that ultimately God is in control and my mom is in His hands, I am the type of personality that feels better having something tangible to do to help in difficult circumstances. Through Team in Training I have found a way to grab ahold of this situation and feel like I’m doing something that matters. I may not be able to directly help my mom, but I pray that the work I’m doing here, the money that is raised through my team and teams like mine, will be the key to help someone else’s mom, sister, cousin, child or friend.

Having never run a step, this is all just a little terrifying. However, I cannot say enough about the Team in Training program and my fellow teammates. In one short week, I’ve gone from a dread of running and gasping like Jack Bauer on 24 to feeling tired after a 4 mile run/walk, but feeling so positive that I think I might actually be able to do this!

Please take the time to visit my fundraising site and consider making a donation. By financially supporting my efforts and benefiting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, you will become an irreplaceable part of the team.

www.active.com/donate/tntidmo/jam

I would also very much appreciate your prayers and thoughts as I’m out running and most importantly for my mom as she continues to fight for her life.