50/50 -- Will YOU be next?

It's finally time to pass along the highly motivating 50/50 book!! I know some of you are wondering why the book was stuck in Texas soo long. Partially because I didn't have time to read as much each night as I wanted, and partially because it refused to be sent back to freezing temps where it came from.

The book has seen some cool places so far, including the beautiful provinces of Canada (thanks Sonia!). And now it's time to pass it along! This awesome idea was piloted by Ted and, as all wonderful things in life, has a few simple rules:

1. Respond to my post in order to be the next in line to read the book. (First to respond wins!)
2. I will mail the book to you.
3. Read the book.
4. After reading the book, create a post in your blog and find out who wants to be next in line to read the book.
5. Ship the book to the next blogger.
6. You must take a picture of yourself with the book.
7. Write a small comment of what you think of the book in it.
8. Ship the book to the next blogger.
9. Lastly, you must use any form of human power (i.e, walk, run, skateboarding, bike) in order to take the book to the post office. Exception: If you live very far to the Post Office, use car. HAVE FUN !!!!

I enjoyed soo many things about Dean Karnazes' book: his stories, his humor, his running tips, his personal growth, how he touched those around him, how he was touched by those around him. Dean's message is a good one -- it goes beyond the typical "how" and explores the "why". Why run? Besides for your own health benefit, it sets a good example for those around you. It gets kids off the couch and out the door. It connects the outer you to the inner you.

In Dean's words, "Adventure happens the moment you step out the front door ... Step outside. Be active. Get back to nature. Explore wild places." Good luck!

Why I Run

Since I've started my training and fundraising with TNT, I've had many people ask why. Why I get up at 5:30 every Saturday morning, why I bombard friends and family with donation letters, why I set my sights at $1,800 and 26.2 miles.

There are many personal reasons why I initially joined. And now I have many other reasons that keep me going. Kids like Austin Moreno is one of them -- I mentioned his mom and one of our TEAM mentors, Kim, in my last post. Austin is now more than half-way through his three-year treatment for Leukemia and just celebrated his fifth birthday in December.

I had the pleasure of meeting this amazing kid last month while at Run On. He reminded me of my nephew -- running around with his buddy playing tag, shooting imaginary guns, toting around his Thomas the Train backpack. I noticed he was wearing colorful beaded necklaces and just figured he had made them himself for fun. I wasn't even close to being right. My coach, Mark, told our TEAM later that Austin participates in a program called Beads of Courage.

Beads of Courage is a unique program designed to honor the challenging journey kids take while experiencing cancer and related treatments. Through the program, the collection of beads symbolizes courage and serves to honor milestones achieved along each unique treatment path. Each individual bead Austin wears has special significance about his treatment:

• Beige - A Bone Marrow Biopsy/Aspiration
• White - A course of Chemotherapy
• Orange - Central Line/port insertion or removal
• Blue - Clinic Visit
• Magenta - Emergency/Ambulance/Unusual Occurrence
• Brown - Hair loss/thinning
• Lime - Isolation/fever/neutropenia
• Tortoise- Lumbar Puncture
• Purple - Morphine/Dopamine/PCA Infusion
• Silver/Black - Pokes (IV starts, Blood Draws, IM Injections, Port Access)
• Glow in the Dark - Radiation treatment
• Light Green - Test/Scans (EKG, ECG, MRI, CT, Bone Scan)
• Red - Transfusions
• Aqua - tube Insertion (Catheter, Chest)
• Yellow - Overnight at Hospital/ Inpatient Admission
• Dark Green - Stem Cell Harvest/Dialysis/TPN
• Silver - Surgery & Dressing Change
• Square Heart - Transfer to PICU

This picture speaks louder than anything I could say:

So when people ask me why, all I can think is -- Why Not?

Team In Training

"The people I’ve met through Team In Training have been some of the most compassionate, kind, strong, and dedicated people that have ever crossed my path. Some are survivors like me and our bond was immediate – and is for life. But survivor or not, we’re all united by the common goal of wanting to find a cure for cancer." ~ Natasha Wieschenber, Triathlete and Cancer Survivor

I did it. I went to a Team In Training informational meeting and committed to running 26.2 miles on behalf of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in the Big D Marathon in Dallas. This won't be my first marathon -- I ran ... er, hobbled ... the Cowtown Marathon in Ft Worth. But that was eight years ago, and I've eaten a lot and have broken in a few couches since then.

The Big D will be different for many reasons. This time I'm running for a greater cause: to help find a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma. I'm running to help improve the lives of blood cancer patients and their families. I'm running for our Team Hero, a cancer survivor who we'll get to meet at the next meeting. I'm excited. After I got home last night, hubby and I jogged around the neighborhood. Side cramps and numb feet aside, it felt good. It's nice to have something to strive for, a goal to reach, a cause to dedicate yourself to. In a way, a sense of purpose.

I started this blog to help raise awareness, to connect with others who are training, to hold myself accountable for my runs, to gain motivation from others. Hope you'll join me on my journey ... only four months to go!