Team In Training

As many of you know, one of the comforts of being diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease was that I knew all about it from my years of working at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. From 1996-2003 I worked in Portland and then the Hawaii office helping people raise over 3 million dollars for cures for blood cancers.

What I now know about funding research is that the money raised today is used for the cures of tomorrow. I am lucky to be diagnosed with Hodgkin's - it has a 90% survival rate. That didn't used to be the case. Just 30 years ago (say if I would have had it when I was a baby) Hodgkin's was a death sentence. Now, as soon as I was diagnosed, you know I asked many of you to pray that it was Hodgkin's, because the research of the past has made it one of the easiest cancers to cure.

There are still many cures to be found, and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is still raising money for those cures. One of the programs that allows people to fight against blood cancers and what they have done to a friend or family member is the Team In Training program. It trains every day people to do an endurance event. In the months that they are training and preparing they are also fund raising to a specific dollar goal.

There are many comparisons to marathon training and going through cancer treatment, but the one that sticks in my mind the most is that you are not the same person you were before you started. It is not that you are better or worse than before, you are just changed. I know for me, when I completed my marathon for TNT in 2008 I felt like I could do anything I set my mind to (walk from the far end of Portland to the WA border), and now being diagnosed with cancer, I am way more particular about what it is exactly that I do set my mind to (ie looking for the blessings in each day, rather than being bogged down by the upsets).

So below are the links to some very special people who I know and love that are currently involved with TNT. The average donation is $26.20 (a dollar for every mile). If you feel so led, please support these people so in the future Hodgkin's isn't the only cancer we can pray is our diagnosis.

Kathy Neal is my mother-in-law. I doubt this is the apparel she will be wearing for her marathon, but it was great for putting in the installation in our house. She is doing the Phoenix 1/2 Marathon in January. If you would like to support Kathy please go to her web page at

http://pages.teamintraining.org/or/pfchangs09/kneal

Katie Duman is a cousin. She is doing the Honolulu Marathon in December. She has some great stuff she is knitting for donations. Take a look. If you would like to support Katie go to her web page at:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/or/honolulu08/kduman

Christy and Cheryl are my soon to be in laws, because (YEA!) my brother is marrying Christy next year and Cheryl is her mom. They just completed the Nike Women's Marathon on October 19th. They completely surpassed their fundraising goals. This is Christy's second marathon with TNT. She was supposed to take it easy because she just had shoulder surgery a couple month ago. She didn't and PR'ed. Amazing! This is Cheryl's 1st marathon. At one point she didn't know how it was going to all turn out. But I heard it all turned out great. She finished and even made it to the victory party later that night. Great job you guys! Check their pages for their comments on their marathon training experiences.

Their web pages are as follows:

http://pages.teamintraining.org/sac/nikesf08/christychandler

http://pages.teamintraining.org/sac/nikesf08/ckramer