Let the Training Begin!

The reality has finally arrived. It’s time to start training for the Rock ‘n Roll San Diego half marathon in which I’ll be participating on Sunday, June 6.

Today was the kickoff meeting for the local Team in Training (TNT) group with which I’ll be training for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). Even though the rest of Team Shrinking Jeans will be doing the VTNT (Virtual Team in Training) program, I’m actually training with the local group here in southern California since there is one available.

So, this week I’ll be doing three training walks. If this were a normal training week, I would be four training walks. However, since I’m participating in the Surf City 5k next Sunday, the coach recommended that I not participate in the group training on Saturday. I’ll still head down to meet up with the team and take part in the training clinic they will be presenting.

Now, you may be asking yourself, “What on earth is this woman thinking by signing up for a half marathon?!” Well, it’s actually a couple of things. As I mentioned earlier, I’m doing this event with several other ladies from the online community Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans. I love the idea of us all training together for this event even though we are spread out all across the country. It’s going to be so great meeting all of them on race weekend!

The second reason, which is more important to me personally, is the fact that this past year marked the 20th anniversary of my dad being in remission from Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL). I remember all too well the pain & struggles he went through during his courses of chemo. Not only would I never want him to have to go through that again, but I hope for the day when NO ONE has to hear their doctor utter the word “cancer” to them as a diagnosis.

How does LLS help in this cause? When LLS was founded in 1949, the survival rate of children diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) was less than 3%. But with today’s advancements funded through organizations like LLS, the survival rate (PDF) has increased to nearly 90%! But the battle is still not won. Every four minutes, another person is diagnosed with a blood cancer. Sadder still, every ten minutes, someone dies.

Since it’s inception, LLS has invested over $680 million in the fight against blood cancers, with more than $69 million of that being invested in fiscal year 2009 alone! I’m excited to work with TNT because 75% of the funds spent by LLS go directly to fund research, patient services, and education programs.

Now I know you may be thinking that I’ve lost my mind (which may very well be true ), but my challenge of walking 13.1 miles is NOTHING compared to the daily challenges of those dealing with leukemia or other types of cancer. Won’t you please join me in this fight by contributing to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society? If you would prefer to donate by check rather than online, just drop me an email and I can provide information on how to donate via snail mail. Also, please remember that all donations are tax-deductible, too.

Even though the race isn’t until June, my goal is to have as much of my fundraising as possible completed by March 1st. By doing that, I can then focus all of my attention on training to prepare for my half marathon rather than having to divide my attention between training and fundraising. I will be doing the physical part, but I ask for your generous financial support and encouragement for this endeavor. Every little bit counts, and together we can all make a big difference in the lives of so many.

I know most of you who read this blog are friends of mine from the online stitching community. We all know that we have far more stash than we’ll ever know what do to with in a lifetime. I want to challenge each of you to please donate (at least) an amount equal to the cost of a chart & fibers. Stitch from your stash this month, and instead put that money toward a good cause in helping find a cure for people with these cancers, especially the young children battling leukemia.

I’ve also been blessed over the past several years of blogging to have received many wonderful birthday presents from my fellow stitchers. As you may be aware, my birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks (Feb. 17). This year, I want to ask all of you to instead make a donation as a birthday gift to me.

So, now that I’ve thrown out these challenges to you, here’s a little added incentive. For all donations received between January 31 and February 17 of at least $25, I will draw the name of one (1) winner to receive a $50 gift card/gift certificate to either Amazon, the online stitching shop of their choice, or, if they prefer, I will donate the $50 back to TNT to go toward the cause. The winner will be announced on Thursday, February 18.

Until next time …