Team In Training

So, you might have noticed a little Team In Training fundraising bar on the right of my blog.  Or maybe you didn't notice - but take a look!

In March one of my favorite uncles was diagnosed with leukemia.  It was a complete shock, but I guess cancer always is.  I really felt the need to do something for him and show him how much his family and friends loved and supported him, I just wasn't exactly sure what. 

Then a few days later I got a brochure in the mail for the Leukemia and Lymphoma's Team In Training.  A friend of mine had done the program while we were in grad school in honor of her cousin and I had always admired her for this.  I thought about it for a while and hubs and I decided it couldn't hurt for me to go to the informational session and then make a decision.

Well, after the first ten minutes of the informational session I knew that this was something I HAD to do.  One of the sponsored events was the Marine Corps Marathon and my uncle is a retired Marine - it was definitely a perfect fit.  However, I was a little nervous about the whole thing.

One of my mottos has always been "Don't let fear stand in the way of your dreams" and when trying to make very important decisions in my life, I always think of that quote.  I try my best to think about what I would do if I wasn't scared...it's amazing how much fear holds you back.

So, I had two main fears about this decision: that I wouldn't be able to raise the required money and that I wouldn't have time to train.  However, if I took fear out of the equation I really wanted to run this marathon for my uncle.  That decided it - I pushed my fear aside and signed myself up.

I realize that running a marathon isn't going to cure my uncle's cancer, but it will keep him close to me in spirit.  I also hope that it helps to motivate him on his bad days and when he feels discouraged or like the fight is too hard.  When I think about running for him, I can feel him in my heart.  I know that it will be tough at times, fitting in hours after hours of running and asking friends and family for money over and over again...but I know in the end it will be worth it.  Because my uncle is worth it.

So, if you are at all compelled, take a trip to my fundraising page and make a donation.  If you can't make a donation, leave some encouraging comments.  I know that I'm gonna have some hard running days ahead of me and could use all the motivation you have to offer.

If there is someone battling cancer that you would like me to honor on my page, please leave a comment and I would be more than happy to add them.