Welcome, my friends, to my Team In Training donation page!

I'm training to participate in an endurance event, the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco, as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training. Oct. 18 is my big day.

Though I initially signed up for the Rock N Roll Seattle Marathon in June, the universe had other plans, and I endured what I call "the big crash" just before go-time... but we'll get to that in a moment.

My initial interest in training was for the personal physical challenge, but Team in Training is so much bigger than me. TNT is the Society's largest fund-raiser, and it exists to find a cure for for blood cancers. That research translates well to other types of cancer too, and one kind is just as nasty as the next... To me, cancer is cancer, and it all SUCKS.

I lost my Mom to lung cancer on July 1. Through her two-year battle, I watched this awful disease sap the strength of the strongest woman I've ever known. I saw her body deteriorate, and then worse, her mind. I know the emotional toll it took on her, my family and myself.

Since shortly after Mom was diagnosed, I've struggled to find ways to do my part, to help in some way. Her battle was a constant rollercoaster with more downs than ups. Through her, I learned to not take my healthy body for granted. I shed 50 lbs and gave up cigarettes in just the past year. Now, I'm not just ready to pound some pavement... I want to help pound cancer too!!

To that end, I'll be raising money over the course of my training... and YOU can help by making a donation to support my TNT participation and help advance the LLS mission. Please pass this Web site along to all your friends, family, coworkers and contacts too! If you would prefer to mail a check, simply e-mail me at mamasrockineve@hotmail.com for the address. No amount of support is too small, and it all is appreciated.

My first fundraising experience was amazing: When Mom was diagnosed, I needed a focus, something to do with myself. So I set out to throw a party in her honor and raise money for her treatment costs. We received overwhelming support, and I was hooked... and I'm going to need that kind of support again now, as I continue to mourn her loss and attempt to make small strides in ensuring that less families will have to experience what we did.

Mom will continue to inspire me to keep running until I cross the finish line in San Francisco. But we all - myself, the Team and our heroes - need your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure!

Cindy Mahurin - "Mom," whose strength and optimism in her battle

against lung cancer was - and continues to be - my ultimate source of inspiration.

Mama Patty, Sandy, Debbie and Karen - I come from a long line of tough ladies who have all played a role in shaping who I am, and they've each waged their own battle against various forms of cancer.

Madison Merola - an adorable 4-year-old who never had a chance to experience life before leukemia - fighting cancer is all she knows.

Tim Fox - a personal friend who has defied the odds in his fight against pancreatic cancer to live WELL for years beyond his prognosis.

Pam Davis - another personal friend who beat lymphoma while caring for her son, then just a toddler.

Michael Patrick - the TNT Honored Patient Hero for the fall season, a little cutie with a head full of curls and a handful of card tricks up his sleeve. His sunny disposition is a reminder that there are always reasons to smile, despite the darkness.

Tammy Hlinak - a friend to my mother and hers hubby, whose family is never short on love and support.

Mama McKinney and Mama Hazel - more strong-willed women in my heritage, both of whom lived years past their doctors' expectations.

"Big Tony" Genaro - my former boss, father to the family who still employs my brother. I had only begun to know him when he died... but I knew he was a cool, cool dude.

Hooray, for the official re-launch my fund-raising page. After a long break from updates and a struggle to get back into training, I am excited to say... I'm back!! Though my heart still aches, my world is looking brighter. I am determined now more than ever to finish what I've started. Lookout, San Francisco, here I come!!

When I started my 8-month journey with Team in Training, my goal was to complete a half marathon. I hoped to be able to run the entire distance... but that task seemed daunting. I told myself I'd be okay with just finishing, though that was never really true.

I met that initial goal on Sept. 6, 2009, when I jogged the entire distance of the Rock N Roll Half Marathon in Virginia Beach. My sweet future sister-in-law joined me for the trip, and we had a BLAST!! Check out the photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jzbell79/sets/72157622329849896/

Somehow, in my mind, this takes some pressure off San Francisco. I've already done what I set out to do. Now, I'm simply finishing the marathon to be able to say that I did it, and so that I can proudly display a "26.2" sticker on my car. Am I still a little nervous? Of course. But am I confident that I'll pull it off? Absofrakkinglutely.

Re-booked my flight this morning... crazy to think that it's only a few weeks away!

I'm having a really hard time at the moment with staying on top of workouts... After coming home from Va. Beach with a (slightly) injured ankle and taking a "few" much-deserved days off, getting back on track has been near-impossible. But ready or not, Oct. 18 is quickly creeping up on me! I have just one more super-long training run - 16 miles this Saturday - and then just a couple weeks to work out and nurse any lingering injuries before the big day.

An LLS newsletter I received yesterday, telling the story of a patient who received aid from the society... along with a recent message from my chapter's staffer, describing brand-spanking new advancements in chemo drug development paid for by society funds... prompted me to make one final fund-raising pitch before the marathon. As I composed the e-mail this morning, these words came to mind:

Only 24 days left!!!

This weekend, I was reminded of the dedication it takes to wear TNT purple...

I was super nervous going into Saturday morning's 16-miler. Sure, I did longer training runs for Seattle. But I had a partner then, someone I paced well with to co-miserate on those long and painful miles. And I was in better shape too, as I've been sorely slacking on my workouts lately, on top of having some nagging injury issues with my feet and ankles. So while I knew I could complete the mileage, I expected to walk quite a lot of it, and I expected it to be painful. And if I was dreading the 16 mile training run... well, I'm sure you can imagine that my anxiety about the marathon was at a peak.

When I arrived at our usual starting place, it was cool and damp... and the mist would continue all morning. Darren, who has a very personal vendetta against blood cancers, had a few special words to say to me and to Audrey, the only other participant present, in place of our regular "mission moment," words that reflected on each of our personal situations and aaalmost made me cry.

After a big GO TEAM, I headed out with Erica, my training twin from the Seattle season who is now a coach-in-training. She's not doing the crazy-high mileage at the moment though, so after 3 miles or so, I broke off on my own. But a couple more miles down the road, Kelly (another awesome coach) showed up. She chatted with me at the water stop and promised to meet me a little later on the route. So I trucked on alone for a little while until, just as promised, she showed up again. She checked in several more times too, and even walked a couple miles with me... and of course, then Darren popped in to check up on me... and then Erica cruised by in her car to see how things were going... and finally Steve, another alumni who is now coaching and whose wife was an "honored patient" for a past season, showed up to run a while and see me through those last few miles.

In all, it took me about 4 hours to finish... and it wasn't as rough as I'd feared. I know that my determination to see this through is the biggest factor in my ability to keep going... but I also know that it's made much easier by the awesome and dedicated individuals who contribute so much of their time to seeing myself and others like me through to the finish line.

So just in case I don't say it enough: Thanks, Team... y'all ROCK.

Went for a short run yesterday evening and had a familiar feeling... As I jogged along, breathing in the cool air and crunching on the fallen leaves, I noticed a jack-o-lantern on a neighbor's porch - first one I've seen this season. Fall is absolutely my favorite time of year, and I felt a little surge of joy at that moment. Then I realized it was much like a feeling I had early on in my training, many long months ago, when I realized that spring was coming to my fair city. As I marvelled at the blooming flowers and dewey mornings on those March and April Saturdays, I appreciated the gorgeous place I call home more than before. It's so easy in our busy lives to put off such small stuffs... I'm glad I have running to make me pay attention.

As I headed to the Charlotte airport before sunrise on Friday, Oct. 15, I struggled to wrap my brain around this thought: this is it. It's finally here. My extended journey with Team in Training is coming to an end. All week it had seemed surreal.

I joined TNT in January 2009. Mom had just been diagnosed with cancer... again. She'd already been battling for a year and a half, and her sickness had been a wake-up call for me — I'd been working out for months and had recently quit smoking, and I was ready to do something bigger with my new healthy lifestyle.

My goal was to run a half-marathon at the inaugural Seattle Rock-N-Roll race in June, and I had a fund-raising goal of $4,500. It seemed so daunting at the start.

But I set out to finish, sacrificing Saturday morning sleep for training runs and forgoing social engagements to work on fund-raising letters. I made friends with the girls on my team right away, and within a few weeks, I'd raised my goals — I wanted to complete the full marathon and raise $5,500, enough to qualify for "Rockstar" status.

As the months wore on and the big day drew closer, Mom's health steadily deteriorated. She insisted I stay with the team though; she was so very proud of my efforts and wanted me to see it through. By early June, we knew that her treatments were no longer working, that we would lose her soon. I wondered if I'd made the right decision, giving so much of those precious last months to the team, and I hoped that she would live to see me cross the finish line.

Turns out, the universe had other plans.

Less than 48 hours before I was to board the plane to Seattle, Mom's health took a dramatic turn for the worse. I chose to cancel the trip and spend her final days by her side... but I vowed to still finished what I'd started, and soon.

Mom died July 1.

I took a few weeks off to take care of family business and recover a bit physically before jumping back into my runs. I settled on San Francisco before long, and I decided to run a half-marathon in Va. Beach just for kicks in the meantime. (See those photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jzbell79/sets/72157622329849896/)

Though I met my initial goal in Va. Beach, the trip told in these photos are the culmination of nearly a year of struggles and successes, of joy and heartache, of a long and exhausting journey. And somehow I pulled it off — I exceeded my fund-raising goal, bringing in nearly $5,600 and placing first in my chapter. And I finished the marathon in 6 hours, 39 minutes.

As I stated in one of my last fund-raising letter/updates: "Every step adds up to a greater journey... every bit of support adds up to a greater contribution... and that, my friends, is how we are making a real difference."

Turns out, I was right on, even more than I realized... and those words buzzed in my brain as I heard the totals announced at the TNT Inspiration Dinner: my chapter alone had raised $55,000, and all TNT participants brought in a total of $14 million for the fight against blood cancers... and that's just for this one event! I think that's pretty incredible.

That I was able to revel in this accomplishment in a place like San Francisco was icing on the cake. I fell in love with Chinatown and the way the weather can go from warm to cold and clear to foggy in seconds flat. I marveled at the old, decorative building architecture and the crazy-hilly landscape and the breathtaking views of the bay. I took in all the sights and sounds and smells I could in my short time there, and I captured as much as my camera could to bring home. (Those photos are posted here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jzbell79/sets/72157622572917057/)

So thanks for sharing the journey with me.  =)

When the time comes to decorate my race singlet, I'll have ribbons named for these heroes flapping in my breeze...

Cindy Mahurin - "Mom," whose strength and optimism in her battle against lung cancer is a daily source of inspiration.

Mama Patty, Sandy, Debbie and Karen, - I come from a long line of tough ladies who have all played a role in shaping who I am, and they've each waged their own battle against various forms of cancer.

Madison Merola - an adorable 4-year-old who never had a chance to experience life before leukemia - fighting cancer is all she knows.

Tim Fox - a personal friend who has defied the odds in his fight against pancreatic cancer to live WELL for years beyond his prognosis.

Pam Davis - another personal friend who beat lymphoma while caring for her son, then just a toddler.

Mama McKinney and Mama Hazel - more strong-willed women in my heritage, both of whom lived years past their doctors' expectations.

1/31/09: Off to a good start! I signed up with
the Team this week, started my lists of folks to beg money from and
invested in a good pair of running shoes. And today, Saturday, I
had my first run with my teammates. For me, just getting out of bed
at 6 am on a c-o-l-d Saturday morning is an accomplishment... so
imagine how stoked I was to finish the full 3 miles at a jog!!!
That's a first... and a year ago, I would have never even
attempted. Now I can hardly wait to get out there again!


2/7/09: Making progress already, both in my
training and my fund-raising. The lovely Linnea popped my
donation-cherry, and with that, the contributions are starting to
come in. (Thanks, Linnea!!!) I have lots of emails and letters out
to friends and family and lots of ideas on fun events and such. And
to top that off, I ran FOUR miles instead of my assigned 3 this
morning! I was still in step with one of my teammates who's
training for the full when we reached the 3-mile turn-around
point... and still feeling strong... so I decided to go for it.


2/14/09: Thank goodness the rain didn't last
all morning; if it had, I probably wouldn't have made the whole 4
miles this morning. I did though, and I felt great afterwards. Now
that the weeks are ticking past though, the magnitude of the time
commitment I've made is becoming clear... It's going to take a
serious adjustment to my schedule, for sure, as the training gets
more intense. Not only are the workouts getting longer and more
frequent, but I'm also noticing that I need more sleep to avoid
feeling like I'm dragging around all day. It's time to kick my
fundraising into high gear too, so stay tuned for the fun events
I'm working on... I started making some solid plans today and
hopefully will have details in place in the next week or two.


2/18/09: Whew! It's been a busy couple of days!
In my poking about for photos of past TNT events, I spied some
singlets that had been decorated for race day with ribbons bearing
the names of cancer patients, in honor of survivors and in memory
of those who succombed. What a lovely idea, I thought,
to give names to each of the many reasons for supporting this
cause... and so I'm starting a ribbon campaign of my own. I've
already listed the names of several people in my life who've been
faced with the fight, and I'll add to it as I encounter more people
who have their own stories to tell...

On a different note, we had our nutrition clinic last night, and
I was stoked to have my very healthy diet confirmed. I'm already
eating all the right foods... just perhaps not quite enough. I'll
have to monitor my calories for the next few weeks to make sure I'm
getting enough "fuel" for my increasingly intense workouts and that
my carb-protein-fat intake is appropriate for an athlete (sooo
strange that I'm now calling myself an "athlete!"), but considering
all I've already learned over the past year, I don't expect that to
be difficult. The biggest challenge will be the complete reversal
of thought process - I've been in weight-loss mode for a long time
now, so keeping calories to a minumum was my focus... I was working
from a "no more than" perspective. Now, I have to shift gears and
approach from an "at least" point of view. 'Twill be interesting,
to be sure, and educational.

And in fundraising news - my first event is confirmed! My
teammate, Erica, and I will make a "guest bartender" appearance at
Encore Bistro in Blakeney on March 30, 7-9 p.m. All tips (and any
additional donations!) will be split between our two accounts...
which, of course, are going to the same cause anyway. Repeat
visitors to this page may have noticed that my goal has been raised
too... I'm now shooting for $5,500, as that will bring me "ROCKSTAR
status." And I am ALL about being the rockstar. ;-)


2/21/09: Ran SIX MILES this morning...
craaazy!!! I stuck with the girls training for the full instead of
with my fellow half-ers... again... and the general consensus among
my coaches and teammates now is that I should just go ahead and
train for the full myself. And I'm thinking about it... have I lost
my mind?? Maybe.

Am I ready to start seeing some color fill that lil bar at the
top right? For SURE.


3/03/09: The good news is that I've made up my
mind to stick with the full training schedule, at least for now.
The bad news is that I've been sick for a week now, so I haven't
been up for working out at all. I was pretty disappointed about
missing our run on Saturday, but hopefully I'll be back on my game
this week. Cross your fingers for me!


3/06/09: Just one quick note for today - I LOVE
Thirsty Thursday runs with the triathlon team.  


3/17/09: I seem to always have a harder time coming up with words for my
updates when the news I have to share is not all good... so I'm
gonna just throw this out there and then move on: Mom was diagnosed
AGAIN this week, fourth time, with more cancer in her lung. She's
been in the hospital since last Tuesday, and it SUCKS. While I'm
glad she's there getting care rather than lying at home, in pain
and struggling to breathe, it hurts to see her there because I know
she would never go if she didn't feel just awful. She's just tough
like that... so when it shows, I know it's BAD. Her doctors are
formulating a plan now, so hopefully we'll be moving towards
recovery again soon.

On lighter notes, I ran 8 miles Saturday... in the rain!! And
despite my crankiness to start, it really was exhilerating. Mom's
latest news just served to amplify my determination, and one of my
teammates just passed the anniversary of her husband's death by
leukemia this week too, so it was a supercharged, emotional run for
all of us... and it felt craaazy good to finish.

After our Saturday run, I rushed home to change into some flashy
greenness and head uptown to take advantage of the St. Pat's crowds
for fundraising. I had purchased a TON of beads online for
supercheap, so my plan was to hit a couple of bars with a custom
tshirt (designed with a sharpie by yours truly!) and an armload of
green bling. Unfortunately the rain dampened my enthusiasm pretty
quickly - amazing how quickly my mindset can change, considering
that I'd just run all morning in it, eh? - but I did manage to make
a (hopefully) valuable contact, and I collected $30 over my cost. I
still have most of the beads too, so I'll be heading out again -
tonight to the pubs and Saturday to the parade. So Happy St.
Patrick's Day to all... I'm off to run and then sling some more
green plastic bling. Hope the luck o' the Irish be with me!


03/24/09: Man, that 9-miler was ROUGH! Saturday was the first time since
I started training that I had to walk part of the mileage. And was it
ever painful to start running again after that lil break! In fact,
I was sore for the whole rest of the day... but I've got my mind on
doing the 10 miles scheduled for this week. After that, we drop
back to a shorter mileage week... only 6 miles! If I'd heard
someone say "ONLY 6 miles" just a few short months ago, I'd have
fallen over.

On fundraising - my "Shamrockin'" campaign pulled in a $150
profit! And a sweet donation from the Merolas put me just past the
$2K mark. The check arrived with a nice note and a photo of
Madison, who looks absolutely ADORABLE with a head full of dark
hair! It made my evening to see her looking so well.

Mom's doing better too - she started her new, more aggressive
chemo yesterday, and she was in better shape mentally and
physically when I saw her Sunday than I've seen her in weeks. She's
ready to fight it again now... and she called me first thing this
morning, excited to report a good night.

Next up for events - March 30 is my "guest bartender" appearance
at Encore Bistro in Blakeney, 7-9 pm. And Easy Eddie's in
Huntersville is hosting a bike wash for us on April 4, 11 am-2
pm.


03/25/09: Had a "eureka!" moment last night after our team workout at the
track... I mentioned being sore after our last long run in the
previous update, but I didn't get specific - while (of course) my
whole body felt worn out and achey, the main problem was my right
foot. The pain subsided by the following day, so I just chalked it
up to having taken a bad step or something... until after
yesterday's run, when it returned. Without getting into a looong
description, I realized last night that there have been other signs
of a problem that I hadn't really noticed, and I'm now afraid I may
have my first injury in the making... yikes!!! I'm awaiting input
from one of my coaches at the moment, but I may be headed to the
sports doctor very soon... and I may be forced to take it easy
until then.  


3/30/09: TEN MILES. I don't know why that milestone seems so
much more significant than all the others so far... I mean, really,
almost every training run we've had has been my "longest ever" to
date, even starting with that very first 3-miler. It's so strange
to think that was only two months ago... So yes, 10 miles on
Saturday... in a yucky, misty kind of rain... and no walking this
time. I hadn't even planned on doing the full mileage this week,
because of my foot! I really do surprise myself sometimes.

Speaking of my... um... injury? It does still hurt a lil, but I
followed my coach's advice and "iced the s*** out of it" as soon as
I got home, and it's no worse than last week. I have an appointment
with Dr. Dan tomorrow.

Spent Saturday afternoon with Mom - she's having a much rougher
go of it this time around. Our new thing is fingernails - I only
get to see her a time or two each week, so I always redo her nails,
file 'em up if needed and paint them. She says her pretty nails
garner lots of compliments from her nurses... and I think that's
important, since she's always been so conscious of her looks. She
needs to feel pretty right now, so I'm glad I can help her out with
that. I'm also looking into getting her some nutrition suppliments
- protein powder, so she can make shakes and smoothies, and maybe a
vegetable juicer. She has a hard time eating, so we'll just have to
make everything drink-able. Cancer SUCKS.

Busy fundraising week ahead - tonight is my appearance as "guest
bartender" at Encore, and everything is all set for our bike wash
on Saturday... here's hoping for nice weather!!


4/17/09: Wow, has it really been nearly three weeks since I updated? Guess it's true that time flies when you're... INSANELY busy!

First things first - it's official! I turned in my recommitment and registration forms today... I'm signed up for the full marathon, and my flight is booked... Seattle, here I come!! All week, the girls and I have been a-buzz with trip plans and excitement...

... but it hasn't all been so sweet. As my teammates pointed out in one of her updates - it's amazing how close we've become in such a short period of time. I just met these girls a few short months ago, and already they've become dear friends. So it was heartbreaking when one made the excruciating decision to drop out today. I know that we'll all have her in our hearts on the big day.

Mom continues to struggle; this is the worst it's been. Her breathing is difficult and painful, and she's too sick to eat most of the time. Her hair is falling out again, and it seems every day, there is some new ailment. JW is amazing; he's like a full-time homenurse these days. I sometimes feel guilty, that maybe I should be spending more time just chillin' by her side.

On a lighter note, I've passed the half-way mark to my fundraising goal! I know that I still have a looong way to go... but sometimes my heard-headedness and dogged determination pays off... this'll just have to be one of those times.  

That's all I've got for now... in the morning: 12 MILES.

4/20/09: Sooo weird to be the person running the highest mileage this week... a title I'm not used to holding! With part of the team doing Racefest, a couple in recovery and one doing the half,  I was on my own for the last half of my 12-miler. I really thought I'd walk a bit, but I wanted to pass the 10-mile mark first. When that point came and went, I just kept thinking of a nearby landmark and thinking to myself, I'll run to that point, then I'll walk. Then I'd reach my landmark and decide I could go just a little farther... until eventually, I was too close to the end to let me legs stop ponding. When I started up the last (UPHILL, of course!) block back to Owen's, I broke into a hard run and finished up  strong. Wowza.

Sunday, on the other hand, was not so exhilerating...

I try to spend a whole afternoon with Mom on the weekends, to be with her and to let JW have some time off. For the past couple months, her deteriorating condition has been obvious... I didn't need someone to tell me it's bad; I can see it plainly. But I was hit Sunday with the staggering words I'd not been allowing my brain to think: she might not ever really beat this. Of course she's still fighting. Of course her doctors are doing all they can, and she's still taking treatments, and we all are hoping and praying and wishing and thinking and doing every other energy-channeling and encouraging thing we know to do... but fighting gets harder and harder as the chemo takes its nasty toll, especially when she can't even eat. I'm  trying the vegetable juicer this week, and maybe supplements... anything to give her just a lil more strength.

On the one hand, I feel as though I might should've dropped out instead of recommitting.... at least I would have more time to spend with her. But on the other hand, I know how proud she is of all that I'm doing, and that somehow makes my need to see this through even greater. She would hate it if I'd quit...

And so I won't.

4/29/09: What a rough week... Scan results show that Mom's cancer is not responding AT ALL to the nasty chemo that's been wracking her body for the past two months. In fact, the tumor has continued to grow. I'm not even sure I'm capable right now of processing what all of this means in the bigger picture, only that it means changing strategies AGAIN right away. She's now scheduled to start a different chemo next week, and she was given a prescription for a THC-extract pill that will (hopefully) boost her appetite. I joined her and JW at the doctor this week, something I usually don't do... I think somehow I knew it wouldn't be a happy visit. She told me later that she'd been prepared for that too.

Saturday's run was the worst so far... it was HOT... seriously, close to 90 degrees. And apparently I have not been hydrating properly because I felt PARCHED all morning... and my mid-week workouts have been sorely slacking too. Oh... and it was 14.2 MILES... that probably adds a lil something too, eh? Anyway, I did complete the mileage... but I walked quite a bit of it.

Add to all that an extra stressful week at work and a fast-approaching fundraising deadline (ONLY SIX WEEKS TO GO!!!!), and you have one tired, frazzled, overwhelmed Jen... one who's on the verge of tears more than she cares to admit.

But hey, nobody said this was gonna be easy, right??

So I'm diving right into another insanely busy week!

I've gotten my workouts (mostly) back on track this week too and am really looking forward to Saturday's run... 12 miles at the McMullen Creek Greenway in Pineville. Nice change of scenery, a lil bit of shade, and a slightly shorter course... I can DO this!

As for my family woes... well... we'll take all the prayers and vigilance and happy thoughts you can send us!!!

5/3/09: I must say, I ROCKED that greenway yesterday. The fuel belt I picked up on Friday made a huge difference, and I finished up 12 miles feeling awesome... well, except for an achey pair of legs, but that's to be expected, right? And as much as I love running in the city, truckin' along the boardwalks and swamps and wooded trails of the greenway was refreshing... and flat.  ;-)

On fundraising - I just passed the $3,000 mark! And with that, I believe I am starting to see the light at the end... whew.

5/15/09: The Official Update Letter
In February, when I first reached out to all my friends and family, I began my plea with this line:

It's amazing what a difference 12 months can make...

And I had no idea what an understatement that would turn out to be.

When I signed up to train for a half-marathon with Team in Training just four short months ago, a newly quit ex-smoker who'd been exercising for less than a year, the very first Saturday morning training run on the schedule — 3 miles — was my longest ever. Since then, I’ve redefined "pushing myself" in terms of physical feats, mental focus, time management and more. I've found wonderful new friends in my teammates and been awed by stories of the various experiences that brought them to this same place as me. I've watched spring blossom in my fair city over many, many early-morning miles. I've been reminded what amazing and supportive people I am blessed with having in my life. I've learned about limits and listening to my body… about endurance and attitude and how the two are entwined… and about myself.

Literally and figuratively, I've come a long way. In fact, I've come so far that I decided to raise the bar.

With my official recommitment date and a 16-miler already behind me, with registration papers signed and flights booked, I am now training to complete the FULL 26.2 miles of the Rock N Roll Seattle Marathon. And having passed the $3,000 with just 4 weeks left to raise funds, I have nearly $2,500 left to my goal.

Some folks reading this have donated already — thank you. My intention is not to ask for more, but to share how huge the difference your support has made and how far it has helped me come already. And some folks have expressed a willingness to donate but haven't yet —  to you, I'm sending this reminder to please do so before the deadline, June 15.

As I stated in my first letter, no amount is too small (or large! haha…) — indeed, the $3,000 I've raised already has come in small increments.

Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart, for sharing this awesome journey with me. Keep rockin'!!

6/9/09: I haven't been able to update lately because my page got stuck - I didn't know I had to stick to a a word count! Haha...

To say that it's been an emotional few weeks is an understatement. And rather than try to catch up on all the details of training and hanging with Mom and raising money... I'll just say, it's been one wild ride. And I am sure now that I made the right decision in making this commitment seeing it through.

The girls and I completed our 20-miler yesterday... OUCH!!! But we did it, and that's it - as far as we go before marathon day... which, by the way, is less than three weeks out! We are now officially in taper, which means we'll run shorter distances and do lighter workouts for the next few weeks to allow our bodies to rest and heal before the big race day.

My fundraising deadline is near too - one week from today. I have some funds that haven't cleared this page yet... but with $4,500 promised or in hand, my goal is very close to being within reach. That means the next few days are CRUNCHTIME!!

Some of our teammates ran San Diego a couple weeks ago; they came home with tales of the fun they had and the overwhelming feeling of being a tiny little soldier in a massive army in this fight against cancer. Tears are welling in my eyes as I type this second-hand account... so I know I'll be choked up when it's my turn!!

So long as my Web site doesn't get stuck again, I'll update more as I get ready for my trip.... sooo EXCITING!!!

Till then, I'll leave you with a few random things I've learned so far this season:

♥Charlotte's streets are far more hilly than one can realize while traversing them in a car.

♥A marathon is named after the fabled run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides, a messenger from the Battle of Marathon to Athens, though Wikipedia says that the "historical accuracy" of the legend is questionable. I also read someplace that the distance was later changed slightly. Interesting, no?

♥I'm not sure of the accuracy of this statistic either... but I keep hearing (and reading) from various sources that only around 1% of the population will complete a marathon. So I need to remind myself often to not forget that this is a huge, extraordinary thing I'm doing.