Team In Training Georgia Chapter

Working Together as a TEAM by Patricia Hernandez

2011-05-10T07:32:00.000-07:00

The 2nd annual Kids Dig a Cure! fun run...And they're off!

The Second Annual Kids Dig a Cure fun run presented by Dig It! Athletics started much like the first. With excitement and hard to contain anticipation, the youngest of runners lined up at the start. Before “Ready, Set…” could be announced, they were gone!

Fifty four kids, ages two through sixteen, participated in this year’s run. Some were faster than others, but all were incredibly determined. I was reminded of many a GTS when it wasn’t always easy, but we always finished. All of the kids were thrilled to reach the finish line and proudly don their finisher medals. We are so thankful to our dedicated sponsors, 360 Venture Law, Watkins, Lourie, Roll & Chance, PC and Property Works for both the medals and t-shirts.

This year’s event surpassed the last both in participation and enjoyment. We were happy to be joined by Dean Donut, a local kids DJ and entertainer. He kept the crowd moving by playing music and announcing the play by play for each running age group.

Smiles all around.

Also popular was the silent auction and bake sale. With the combination of all of these events, we were able to raise over $2,000 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and many Team In Training volunteers (to whom I am incredibly grateful) fundraising for current endurance events.

I am always impressed by these young runners who give all that they have to finish their distance. However, it was those who struggled a bit but never stopped moving forward that made the biggest impact on me. I began to run the final lap with one of our participants in the 10-12 year old group who not only crossed the finish line strongly but did so while encouraging another young runner who was with him. Once he finished, I put up my hand for a high five and said to him, “that’s what it’s all about, never giving up.” His response, “…and working together as a TEAM!”

TNT Alumna and Honored Hero, Tricia Hernandez is the race director for the Kids Dig a Cure fun run to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Congratulations Tricia on another successful event and thank you to all of the volunteers and alumni that supported! Tricia is also planning on rejoining the TEAM for the 2011 El Tour de Tucson century ride in November.

Holistic Strength Training for Triathlon by Andrew Johnston

2011-04-04T08:02:00.000-07:00

My name is Andrew Johnston, and I am a Leukemia Survivor.

I'm also a former professional cyclist, current Ironman triathlete, the first Corrective Exercise Kinesiologist in the state of Georgia, and twice voted one of the Top 100 Trainers in the U.S. I give you those credentials only to highlight my authority on the subject of sports training, rehabilitation, and wellness. Indeed, my skills in those three areas helped me return to my roots as a competitor and become the first Leukemia Survivor to qualify for and compete in the Hawaii Ironman World Championships. But before I did that, I started writing a book--Holistic Strength Training for Triathlon.

See, the only reason I was able to pursue my passion and compete in triathlons again is because of Team In Training. The efforts of everyone involved in this organization helped raise over a billion dollars which went directly to research to combat blood cancers with innovative therapies like Gleevec, the drug I take today. My fight against leukemia became instantly less daunting when I realized the world's largest endurance organization was behind me.

And I wanted to give back.

First it started with being an Honored Hero and giving speeches at TNT events. Next it was raising almost 20 grand for LLS the year I raced Hawaii. Then it evolved into my desire to help the individual athletes who were sweating through all types of endurance events simply so I could toe the line of life.

So I began writing. I combined my years of athletic experience with my knowledge of physiology (along with my degree in creative writing) to write what I envisioned being the bible for TNT participants everywhere. If they were going to be pounding out miles to save my life, the least I could do was save them the pounding. I and thousands of other Survivors have a vested interest in keeping the volunteers of TNT healthy. My book will show them how. I've committed to giving 10% of the proceeds of all sales to the organization which saved my life, and the impact will increase exponentially with the number of people who read it. So it looks like LLS and I have even more reason to be allies.

I'd like your help. I can write each chapter of LLS in the U.S. and Canada. And I'm confident they will all be eager to combine our efforts, especially once they see my book, and finally win the battle against blood cancers forever. But that will take time. And as anyone who suffers from leukemia or lymphoma will tell you, time is a commodity we just don't have. Let's get my book to the people who need it: the TnT participants who are struggling to the finish line--and the many brave Survivors who aren't finished living.

"The only limitations we have are the ones we set for ourselves." ~Osho

You can pick up Andrew Johnston's book, Holistic Strength Training for Triathlon, through his website, www.triumphtraining.com or through Amazon. 10% of all sales benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. You can also follow Andrew's blog at http://blog.triumphtraining.com/.

The Power of TEAM by Claudia Gibbs

2011-03-15T11:54:00.000-07:00

Claudia on the course at Rock 'n' Roll
Mardi Gras Marathon in New Orleans

Below is my story of my Rock 'n' Roll Mardi Gras Marathon experience in New Orleans and more importantly below is why, in addition to many other things, Team In Training will always be important to me. I learned on February 13th what TEAM means and honestly, not because I finished the race, but because of HOW and WHY I finished the race that will I forever remember this marathon and value this organization.

So the basics - Rock 'n' Roll Mardi Gras Marathon in New Orleans on Sunday, February 13th at 7am. Three weeks prior to the race my foot was really killing me and I spoke to TNT Coach Gretchen Owens and she recommended I go to local Atlanta pediatrist, Dr. Peebles. Diagnosis - Metatarsal Bursitis. I got my pads and instructions that after the race I needed to get new shoes.

The race started and it was a beautiful day, by the end of the race it was hot nearly 70 degrees. The first half of the race was uneventful and I was on a pretty good pace compared to my past half marathons and was moving along. By the time I got to mile 13 I had been out there 2:45. My foot was beginning to hurt and the flat nature of the course was killing me mentally and physically... very different than Atlanta.

Miles 13-17: In a word DIFFICULT. It was definitely a run/walk situation. Mentally, I was beginning to go a little crazy. Oddly, I knew I could do it and remembered my 20 mile training day in ATL which went really well - this was another story. Put it this way, there were tears at some point of this four mile stretch.

Mile 18: I saw my boyfriend and he jumped in and walked with me about 25 yards providing the encouragement like only a loved one can, but I wasn't buying it. The fact that this now became a loop course where I could see those closing in on mile 25 about ten feet across the road, it made me want to walk right across that line and be done. I didn't do it, but I was truly tempted.

Mile 19: Just at the start of this mile a TNT Coach from the virtual team named Joe came up to me. He asked me how I was feeling, if I needed anything, etc. After discussing a few things, in the conversation it came up that I was an "unofficial" TNT participant (I guess the TNT shirt I was wearing threw him!). He asked me if he was OK to leave me, he needed to go ahead and find the last "official" TNT participants. He told me not to worry that he was going to send someone to check on me. I told him no worries go, I'm totally just out here with a friend and don't worry about me, but thanks for stopping and checking on me.

Mile 20-something (or so, about 15 minutes later): Another virtual TNT coach named Debbie from LA met up with me. She told me the other coach told her about me and she wanted to make sure I was OK. She did that and even more. She stayed with me the entire time until I crossed the finish line.

Miles 22.5 -25: I began to have a panic attack. In a word this stretch was hellacious. Since this is a loop course, I could see the race sweepers on the other side at mile 20. Full.On.Tears. That is what happened. I told Tammy I had been training for too long and been out here on the course for nearly six hours at this point to have them drive me in. She calmly told me I was totally fine and would make it, the sweepers were about 30 minutes off my pace and I had nothing to worry about. Just like that, calm and cool. Well at that point my foot was in so much pain and I was so tired I just wanted to be done so I looked at her and just started running really hard. She said don't push it but if I wanted to run then we would run. And we ran on and off until Mile 25.

Mile 25.3ish: Coach Joe from mile 18 came back. He had gotten the last official TNT participants across the line, but knew I was still on the course and came back to check on me and Debbie. Unreal - me and two TNT coaches. I told them I was fine and I could make it the rest of the way, but they told me they were going to stay with me and see me finish this race.

Around Mile 25.6ish: two more coaches showed up. They were the local coaches, Rachel and Brandi, who had gotten everyone across and been in touch with Coach Joe. At this point it was me and four TNT coaches.

Finally, I could see the finish line. Along with the race volunteers and my boyfriend cheering, these coaches cheered and ran with me to the finish line.

7:05 that is how long it took and for probably what was the last two hours I had at least one TNT coach with me. That still blows my mind. Really it is all because I was wearing my TNT Georgia Chapter running shirt and that identified me as one of the TEAM. There is no way I would have finished this race without them and their support. I learned the true power of TEAM.

Claudia Gibbs first joined Team In Training last year for the ING Georgia Marathon & Half Marathon and also for The Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco. Claudia is currently a TNT Mentor for the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon & 1/2 Marathon team. Thanks Claudia for sharing this story about our wonderful coaches!

Light The Night Goes Purple by Jessica Reijmer

2011-02-11T12:25:00.000-08:00

TNT Mentor Nicola with Mary, Jessie and Whitney.

Working for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, I get an insiders view of each of our unique campaigns that play a crucial role in our mission of finding a cure and improving the quality of life for patients and their families. As a recent addition to our Light The Night department, my role is to encourage and teach participants on how to raise funds for blood cancer research and patient services programs every day, but I have never actually fundraised for anything myself.

When I was first approached about joining the TNT Disney Princess Half Marathon Team, I thought hmm maybe, but then I asked the crucial question, “Exactly how long is a half marathon?” In my mind I was thinking 6 or 8 miles, but after hearing 13.1 miles, my mind was made up or so I thought. Not being an athlete and despising even the thought of running; my immediate answer was “NO WAY JOSE!” Even after the peer pressure from my fellow co-workers, I stood firm in my decision. It was not until a meeting with the mother of our 2010 Light The Night Honored Hero, Jordan, that I began to change my mind. I thought of Jordan and every other person I have met throughout my journey at LLS. I’ve heard so many stories since I began my career at LLS; stories of hope and inspiration, stories of tremendous faith and strength, but also stories of loss and grief. Some fight and lose, but others battle and come out victorious.

On Saturday, November 13th at approximately 2pm, I decided to sign my name on the dotted line and run for a cause. Although I was determined to finish, my mind was heavily filled with self doubt. Reaching the fundraising minimum of $2,800 seemed like a very lofty goal. So let’s face it, I was really nervous. But I felt like I needed to do this. I desperately wanted to show my support for the mission and prove to myself that I could stick to my guns and finish. That was nearly 3 months ago. Today, I can tell you that because of the support of my family, friends, coworkers, coaches, my team and a few complete strangers, I have reached my fundraising goal. Not only have I reached it, I have actually increased it twice and set a new goal, which I plan to exceed!

The TNT Disney Princess Half Marathon team

Last Saturday at our GTS, I ran 12 miles for the first time in my life! Shortly afterwards I called my Mom with both tears and an enormous sense of pride. Never in a million years would I ever have thought that I could accomplish this task, but as I struggled and huffed and puffed up the hills in the cold, I remembered why I was doing this, not just for me, but for every single person who has been affected by cancer. I didn’t let my mind get the best of me! It has definitely not been an easy road. At times I swear I might have become a hypochondriac, name an injury and I have overcome it while training. I have cried, complained and not been able to move on numerous occasions. I have persevered and now I am almost at the finish line!

I have met some of the most amazing people since beginning my journey with Team In Training. This experience has touched me inside and out and opened my eyes to life’s possibilities. I could not have done it without my team and I am so excited to run in the Disney Princess Half Marathon on February 27, 2011. While I can’t say that I have fallen in love with running, I can say that I will never forget this experience and look forward to participating in future TNT events!

Jessica Reijmer, Mary Martin and Whitney Schaffner are all LLS staff that normally work on The Light The Night Walk every year. For a few months, they have also dedicated themselves to furthering our Mission by participating with Team In Training in the 2011 Disney Princess Half Marathon. Jessie, Mary and Whitney, we are so proud of you! Good luck at Disney and Go Team!

Surviving and Thriving by Dan Gennari

2011-02-08T10:33:00.000-08:00

Dan and his friend, Joe

It was March 16, 2010, and I was panting like a German Shepherd on a hot July day, but I was standing straight up, at the top of a snow covered mountain in Colorado. Approximately 6 months before, I was seated in a big recliner, a clear tube running from an IV bag into my chest port and wondering if I would ever enjoy skiing the way I always had after 16 doses of bleomycin and other toxic chemo drugs had been pumped into my veins. I had followed my two friends off the top of the chairlift as they unclipped their skis and began hiking to the peak at around 13,000 feet. The climb took about 20 minutes but felt like hours to me. After pausing a few minutes to catch my breath and take a few pictures of the moment, we all clipped back into our bindings and plowed into the powder of the open bowl, and then the glade of trees. It was a liberating experience for me.

That was when I knew, or thought I knew that I could overcome the evils of cancer and continue to live a thriving life. I knew that despite the things I had lost and the pain I had suffered, Hodgkins Lymphoma was only a part of my life and that I still had unlimited potential to succeed in pursuing my dreams. I also knew then, that it was time I responded to one of those numerous purple brochures and postcards hitting my mailbox and trying to recruit me for Team In Training. That day on the mountain renewed my confidence in myself and my body and I was ready to take on the world. Before I would get that chance though, I would have to take on cancer once again.

After only an eight month break, scans revealed that my mediastinal mass was growing aggressively, and my doctor recommended beginning salvage treatment in preparation of a stem cell transplant. I was devastated that I would not get to train for the century ride, because I think I wanted it for myself, as much as I wanted to help the Society. I wanted to validate the feeling of health and recovery that I felt on the mountain in March. I had already started my fundraising, and decided I would go ride with the TNT team on their first cycling ride of the summer, even though I knew it would be my only ride with them.

Although my memory of that afternoon high in the Rockies is as vivid as if it happened yesterday, the summer that followed is a fuzzy patchwork of recollected moments and feelings. I was in and out of the hospital several times, and visited the clinic almost daily from June through August. I finally completed my stem cell transplant process in mid September and checked out of the hospital for the last time.

I got through my first 100 days post transplant with several colds and a brush with pneumonia, and I am starting to feel good again. I started to ride my bike at the tail end of December and joined the TNT Georgia Chapter once again and will be training for the America's Most Beautiful Bicycle Ride in Lake Tahoe this June.

Throughout my 2 year cancer experience, I have received an incredible outpouring of goodwill from friends, colleagues, family, neighbors and even strangers. So, with the fundraising minimums of TNT looming, I am hesitant to once again ask for help from those who have already done so much for me. Instead, I have partnered with The Ski Channel, to premier their documentary, "The Story" in Alpharetta (an Atlanta suburb).

The film will be shown on February 17, at Studio Movie Grill and tickets cost $25.00 per person. The $25.00 ticket gets you admission to the movie, food and drinks, and benefits The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. If you or someone you know are interested in supporting my fundraising for the Society, please link to the ticket sales portal through my blog site, http://www.dangennari.com/. If you cannot attend the film, it is also possible to make a direct TNT donation through that website link.

Dan Gennari is riding with TNT for the 2011 America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride at Lake Tahoe, NV this coming June. Dan, you inspire us and thank you for sharing your story! TNT'ers, please support "The Story" movie screening on February 17th.

Keep Focused by Marie Ferrell

2011-01-24T11:51:00.000-08:00

TNT coaches Ed and Marie Ferrell

Keep focused. You will hear it often but what does it mean? For me it use to be all about getting to the finish line, but lately it has changed. I have gotten much more confident in my running. There is no question that I will finish a race so now I can focus on bettering my time. After all, I have had a string of good (for me) half marathons including one where I fell down at mile four, got back up and finished just short of my best time.

So as I prepared for the Donna Half Marathon I had nothing to worry about, right? Wrong!! I was feeling a little sick on race morning, but I always get a little nervous so this was normal. I started out okay but as the miles progressed I felt more and more sick and weak. Was this just my head getting to me? Everyone must face the fact that at some time prior to or during a race your head is going to tell you that you can't do this. It lies! Maybe this was my only problem. Nope, my head was still telling me I could set a new pr. However, my body was telling me that if I ran one more step I was going to be sick. So I started walking. This was not at "Marie, the walk coach" pace but rather at "that lady you can't get around at the mall" pace. It is at this time focus becomes critical. You concentrate on getting past the next group of spectators, to get to the next water stop or maybe even to get up to that cute puppy so you can stop and pet it. In my case I began to think about Rutger Beke. Who is Rutger Beke you ask? He is an Ironman. For those of you who don't know about the Ironman Triathalon it is a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride and a full marathon. I think anyone who tries this is amazing and Beke is one of the best. He came into the 2007 Ironman World Championship confident. After all, he was wearing the number 4, denoting what place he had finished in the previous year's event. Race day proved to be very rough for many of the leaders. Several had to drop out, some throwing temper tantrums as they did so. Beke did well in both the swim and the bike and was in contention for a top finish. Then came the marathon and as he said his legs "just wouldn't fire". So he started walking. He was passed over and over again by "age group" runners and he accepted their encouragement graciously with a smile and a wave. One older lady passed him and encouraged him to run with her but he had to say "you are just to fast for me".

He kept his focus on the finish line and when he finished hours later than expected and in 188th place, the smile on his face looked much like it did in 2008 when he came in 3rd at the same event. My smile could have matched his on that Sunday. It would have been so easy to quit. I hadn't raised money to get to the race, no one was counting on me and at mile ten I passed my hotel. I finished, 43 minutes later than I planned, but I finished. Much like the people we run for, I didn't quit and compared to what they go through on a daily basis, this was easy. So focus on the finish line and much more importantly focus on why you are doing this. Remember one of my favorite phrases, "Run, Walk or Crawl. Just Finish!!!"

Marie Ferrell is a TNT alumna and coach. She first joined TNT in 2007 for the Country Music Marathon in honor of her sister Julie. TNT is a family affair for Marie. Her husband Ed is also a coach and she is currently coaching her nephew Dustin (Julie's son) for the 2011 Publix Georgia Marathon.

New Year Brings New Language by Dani

2011-01-06T10:51:00.000-08:00

Dani and her daughter at the 2010 Light The Night Walk

Last year’s language was the jargon of doctors and hospitals. Even the joy of discovering we were once again pregnant was overshadowed by the fear of whether or not my body would be capable of handling the stress. Last year’s language was that of a soldier in the trenches; attempting to lighten the situation by looking up and saying “well at least the sun is out.” My words of last year were my saving grace that created a language that brought me catharsis and human connection.

I am grateful that we have the opportunity to change our voice and create new words, new language, and new life. I look towards this year so differently than I did the last. Last year I was scared of what stood before me. Our future was uncertain. This year I have no more answers than I did last year; nor guarantees of anything. What we have is hope, faith and a little good news to set us on our path.

As the New Year rolled in I was overwhelmed by emotion. I looked to my future and I saw my husband and I growing old together, two little children playing with one another, family dinners, date nights where Mike and I try not to talk about some cute thing the kids did but just cannot seem to refrain, scrapped knees, first bikes, broken bones, broken hearts, family pets, bedtime stories, family vacations, “five more minutes,” road trips, kindergarten, grade school, high school, college visits, caps and gowns, weddings and more babies. I looked to my future and I saw my loving husband by my side, my beautiful children, my family, my friends. I saw hope and joy. I did not see cancer. Over the last year and a half, I often wondered if there would ever be a time when cancer was not a thread that wove its way through my every thought. The moment finally came.

I am sure that in the months and years to come, as PET scans and blood tests are due, there will be a breath of fear that grazes my cheek like a soft breeze. However, in this moment I was not only cancer free but free of cancer. They say it takes the body a year to recover from chemotherapy. They do not pontificate on the time it takes one’s brain or soul to recover from the experience of cancer. This hope for the future was my first real indication the healing has truly begun. The fortuitous thoughts coupled with prenatal hormones were too much for one healing soul to bear and I laughed as the warm tears streamed down my cheeks. Entering the New Year with tears of joy; I can think of no better language.

Happy New Year to you all and I hope your 2011 is filled with the language of love, peace and laughter, thank you for your continued support and love.

Dani, a non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma survivor, was the 2010 Summer triathlon team Honored Hero. Thank you for sharing with us Dani. You are our inspiration!

What A Difference A Year Makes by Karen Cole

2010-11-22T07:55:00.000-08:00

Karen Cole leaping for joy at the 2010 Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco.

Like many of you, I had received those aspirational Team in Training brochures in the mail – the ones with pictures of triumphant athletes, proudly wearing their race numbers affixed to their purple Team jerseys. I remember thumbing through them thinking: these people just ran and biked a very large number of miles, yet they still look glowing and fabulous. Could I bottle this in a face cream, I wondered? I always just stacked those brochures in a “I’ll-get-to-that-one-day” pile.

Then that “one day” came suddenly last year in September, and I went digging through my pile. This time I was driven by a promise I wanted to make to my oldest and dearest friend. Evie was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma just a few short weeks before her wedding last October. Talk about the highest of highs, and the lowest of lows. For Evie’s bridal shower, the plan was to not give her gifts that we purchased, but instead give meaningful expressions or tokens of friendship and love. Driven by fear and a sense of helplessness for what to do, I decided that my gift to Evie was doing a race in her honor and raising money for LLS.

As I sit here writing, it dawns on me that this week marks my one year involvement with TNT. I saved my “Welcome to Team In Training” email and I recently opened it and a smile came across my face. The person who opened that email exactly a year ago was, lets just say, a little frightened wondering how the heck she was going to fundraise and run more than…well, to her mailbox. I remember driving home from the information meeting thinking, what have I done?! But the email I received the next day confirmed I had indeed signed myself up for my first race, the ING half marathon on March 21, 2010. It was official and in bold letters, so it was true.

Opening that same email today, I feel a huge sense of accomplishment and pride. Little did I know, I would actually run WAY past my mailbox and exceed my fundraising goals. My Team in Training journey this year includes completing three half marathons, one marathon and mentoring a team of new participants. Whew! Evie has been my inspiration through it all, propelling me farther than I thought was even possible. She’s still battling lymphoma, so I keep going for her putting good TNT vibes into the universe.

As the winter TNT season is winding down, and the participants I’m helping to mentor are achieving their goals, it’s hard to believe I was in their exact running shoes just a year ago. I was with my mentees at the ZOOMA half marathon at Chateau Elan a few weekends ago, and it was so awesome to see the excitement of race day through their eyes and all the hard work pay off. While I know to a lot of veteran TNTers, one year maybe isn’t a lot, but it feels like I’ve been wearing purple forever!

Well, a year later I am still sort of wondering about that miracle face cream – but on second thought…nah, I don’t need it. I’m wearing my own post-race glow.

Karen Cole has been busy with Team In Training in 2010 having finished the Nike Women's Marathon with the TEAM back in October and even more recently having acted as mentor for the ZOOMA Atlanta Half Marathon TEAM. As she puts it, it's almost as if she's been wearing purple forever. Follow her blog at http://www.teampurpletrain.blogspot.com/. Thanks Karen for sharing and for being a part of Team In Training!

I Can't Believe I Can Call Myself a Marathoner by Jenny Li

2010-11-19T12:26:00.000-08:00

Jenny Li (left) and Sherrie Dougherty celebrate after crossing the finish line during the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, October 17, 2010.
Photo: Laura Morton / Special to The Chronicle

As my breaths puff in and out of my tortured lungs, I think, "My legs are hurting; my shoulders are sore and this rain will not stop." But the people are cheering me on and I know, deep down that I will not give up. Because when I think back on the days I have trained for this moment—this fleeting, evanescent moment—I know that this was what I was meant to do, to finish this race strong.

To this day, I can’t believe I can call myself a marathoner—a title of less than one percent of the world's population can claim. Running the 26.2 miles of the Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco, California transformed me inside and out in four hours and thirty-nine minutes.

During the summer when I first began training, I was skeptical about my chances of finishing the race. When I was younger, my parents had insisted that I take tennis and karate lessons. This experience seemed to dilute my natural passion for sports. However, as I undertook the marathon training, I found that passion being created and my drive to succeed being restored. Now, I understand the difference between having to do something you are supposed to do and simply doing something that you love. No matter how hard, how painful, and how incredibly impossible that sport is, you will always want to keep going when you love it—when your heart is there. In all, it took six hard months of training, incredible guts, strict endurance, and swollen feet for me to reach the starting line.

Still, despite all I had done to prepare, I found it difficult to outrun my own vicious doubts. By the 13th mile, my lungs burning and my feet as heavy as ingots of lead, I began to question myself. Can I really do this? Will I be able to run another 13 miles? Suddenly, an image appeared in my head. It was of my close friend, Doris. She was a girl I had met in China who had suffered from Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia in 2009. She was the key reason I had signed up for the race. When I found out about Doris’ illness, I had felt so helpless. This terrible disease was slowly killing my friend in China while I was in Georgia unable to even see her. So as I struggled to confront my doubts, I realized that my race, my pain, and even my fears were not about me. They were about a friend I love and millions of other cancer victims. It was about the lives that were saved with the money that was donated by generous hearts. And with that, my feet and legs began to feel better—muscles pumping, heart throbbing with emotion. Ironically at that moment, my friend had saved me.

They say that a marathon is divided in halves: the first twenty miles and the last 6.2. Thoughts of Doris had revived my flagging spirits, but in the final 6.2 miles my flagging body became an issue all on its own. All I could do was keep moving. These miles were a blur. There were people who were cheering but I could not hear them. The volunteers handed out water but I could not even drink. The scene was moving fast and I did not know where I was going. My leaden head tilted up and the finish line was 50 feet away... 25 feet away... 10 feet away. Swoosh. All of sudden, I could hear cheering, but my eyes were still a blur. I touched my cheek to wipe off the sweat, only to realize there were tears streaming down my face.

The first thing I felt was pain. When you stop running, your muscles immediately condense and the lactic acid fills the muscles. I felt the pain in my legs first when I started walking. But then, it became worse. I felt the pain in my shoulders and in my feet and in my arms and in my back. For the first time, I felt the cold. And I felt the rain.

But even then, this whole experience from beginning to end was worth every ache in my entire body, every tear that was shed, and every bead of sweat that coursed down my face. In this unique and solitary moment I felt truly alive, filled with a universal energy. I knew that these moments of unimaginable bliss was what I wanted to experience again, and that I could infuse each moment of my life with this depth and power.

There is a saying that goes something like “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breaths away.” At that split second when I crossed that finish line, I genuinely and wholeheartedly experienced what that quote truly means. In those seconds, I knew I could do anything. I knew I could take on the world. And I knew that I would succeed.

Jenny Li joined thousands of other Team In Training participants from around the country at the 2010 Nike Women's Marathon to complete her first marathon. A High School Senior, Jenny wrote and submitted the essay above with her college applications. Great job Jenny and good luck!

The photo above appeared on www.sfgate.com on October 18, 2010 and is credited to Laura Morton.

Ironman 70.3 Augusta: Deke & Brittany Share Their TNT Experience

2010-09-26T05:49:00.000-07:00

Deke Copenhaver is the mayor of Augusta and is set to do his first Team In Training event at the 2010 Ironman 70.3 Augusta. Deke draws his inspiration for TNT from two local boys in Augusta who are both dealing with leukemia.

Brittany Banker, a TNT alumnus since running her first event in 2008, is a cancer survivor and single mom. Now also an assistant coach with the TEAM, Brittany shares her recent Ironman Louisville finish experience.

It's Time to Ride by Julian Cowart

2010-09-15T13:02:00.000-07:00

Coach Julian with his wife, Catherine,
and son, Lawrence.

“Daddy, it’s not wake up time. The sun is still asleep”, said my three year old, momentarily befuddling his intensely drowsy father. He was right, and sitting on the side of a strange bed in Peachtree City, I was overwhelmed by the urge to heed his advice. But a glance at the desk brought my jersey into focus, the Team In Training jersey soon to be on the backs of so many remarkable friends. It was time to ride.

I have had the good fortune to wake up next to my beautiful wife most mornings for the past six years as well. More mornings than I care to recall, however, the rail of hospital bed separated us as she fought through her latest treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma. But on the morning of August 29th we rose together, along with our son, to be a part of the Team In Training that has meant so much to us, that has raised, nationally, over $1,000,000,000 for blood cancer research.

After overwhelming the stunned breakfast steward at our hotel, the green and purple swarm rolled south, to East Coweta Middle School. Local and regional rides generally abound with warmth and energy, and the Wilson 100 proved an excellent example from the moment we were shepherded though our arrival by the multitude of volunteers. The team coalesced on our blue minivan, a mix of multi event veterans, century virgins, supporters, and one tricycling three year old. Our venerable coach called the team to order, and following the reading of “Close the Door When You Leave”, our traditional inspirational poem, we were off. As the team turned right and headed out for mile one, my son implored his mother to push him along with us on his tricycle. His mother later informed me of his immense disappointment when he could not keep up.

Our ride followed some roads southwest of Atlanta, roads we had seen in our training. As the miles passed by we settled into the pace groups forged over the season and passed the miles singing badly and telling bawdy jokes.

When hunger or thirst arose, we soon found ourselves under the care of locals wielding water and peanut butter sandwiches. After chattering along the chip seal from Greenville to Warm Springs, team members glared at the Warm Spring Wall that had proven such a formidable training foe, enjoyed the support of the Team In Training SAG stop, and turned for home. Enduring a torrential downpour at mile 65, a flat tire soon after (the changing of which was truly a team event), an uncooperative rear derailleur, and an unplanned extra hill climb, we powered through the closing miles of the ride. As made our last turn towards the finish, our first time participants moved alongside each other at the front of the pack, and we followed these newly minted century riders across the finish.

Barbeque, beverages, hugs and pictures closed our Wilson 100. Following my group’s arrival, our teammates rolled in to rousing cheers until our final participant, struggling through injury but unbowed, turned left into Coweta Middle School. She too was feted with hugs and pictures, testament to the enduring power of fellowship and support.

Close the Door When You Leave

I never asked you to visit ... at least I don't believe I did
Maybe...I don't know
It's so confusing

At any rate, you're a rude guest
You take my energy, rob my sleep, and with a stick
You swirl and distort my dreams

All right, you are here --- for now
But understand
There are two places that are forever off limits

You may not tread on my spirit
You may not occupy my soul

I have heard of your visits to others
I know the damage you leave in your path
The wanton disregard for innocence, value, and what some would call fairness

Also, I hear that laughter confuses you; that good foods make you feel bad, and
That nothing causes you more distress than an autumn sunset, the forever blue of a summer sky,
Or the unconditional radiance of a child's smile

Listen and understand
You might pilfer my closets, empty all the drawers, and trash my house
But there are two places forever off limits

You may not tread on my spirit
You may not occupy my soul

Do not mistake my nausea, weakness, and pain as signs of your victory
They are simply small dents in the armor I wear to fight you
Instead, look deeply into my eyes

They will once again remind you that there are two places forever off limits

You must not...

May not...

Will not tread on my spirit

You must not...

May not...

Will not occupy my soul

Copyright © 2000 by Michael Hayes Samuelson
Author of "Voices from the Edge: Life Lessons from the Cancer Community"
Longstreet Press, www.TheNationalCenter.com

Julian Cowart first joined Team In Training in 2005 and has completed almost a dozen events with the Team. Now a coach for the cycling program, Julian is leading the Team at the 2010 Six Gap Century Ride.

The People You Meet on the Way to the Finish Line by Bruce Scruggs

2010-09-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of being able to address the Atlanta TEAM at this season's All Sport GTS. One of the messages I hoped to convey was the all too often unrealized, sheer awesomeness of the group of people we train with every week. I've had the opportunity to be part of several TEAMs over the past two years, and I continue to be amazed by the people I have met, so, since public speaking isn't my forte', and some of you may not have been at the All Sport, I wanted to share this story with you again.

Bruce & cancer survivor, fellow
teammate, Mallory Chandler

It is difficult to tell much about someone when you first arrive at a Saturday morning run. You may be wearing the same TEAM jersey that many of them are also wearing, so it's hard to tell who's who. It may be a little intimidating waiting for the coach to address everyone; some of the people seem to know everyone and talk about upcoming races, while others are nervously anticipating the start of the run. But if you take a little time once the group gets started, and talk to one person, you will quickly realize you are in the presence of some of the most incredible people you will ever meet in your life!! Trust me, it happens to me several times every season, and it is not because they are all gifted runners (although you may meet some that have run over 100 marathons). They are incredible just because they are there, as are you, and you will help each other throughout the season (often without even knowing you're helping).

You won't know at first that they are lawyers, vice presidents of corporations, doctors and even celebrities. They won't tell you they have been participating and supporting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for over ten years, or they've been acknowledged nationally for their contributions, they're far too humble to boast. If you take the time however, you may find out one of them is an alumni in your college fraternity or sorority, or they just took a week off their job to travel across the country supporting a TEAM on the Race Across America. You may have an opportunity to hear they are participating because they lost a loved one at some point, or they participate because they can't cure the disease but they can run, so that's what they'll do. You might not even meet the person who inspires you "in person" at first, you may become friends with them because you saw their story on the TNT Georgia Facebook page, and became friends with them via the internet until you have an opportunity to meet them at an event.

I know this because every one of these has happened for me in the short time I have been on the TEAM, and each person I have met along the way to my finish line now have a special place in my life forever. So I urge you, take time to get to know someone each week at your GTS and you will be rewarded with relationships that will last a lifetime. By the way, if you are reading this blog, I now consider you my friend, and I hope to get a chance to talk to you sometime soon at a GTS or event to hear your story. Until then, Train, Endure, Achieve, Matter, and GO TEAM!!

Bruce Scruggs first joined Team In Training in 2009 and has quickly racked up several TNT events under his belt. Next up for Bruce, the 2010 Chicago Marathon.

Open Letter to the TNT Fall Season Teams by Mitzi Jiles

2010-09-08T09:11:00.000-07:00

Mitzi with her mom and dad at the Nike Women's Marathon

I can't believe that the Nike Women's Marathon is only six weeks away! What a season we have had so far! Friendships have been made, miles have been logged, money has been raised and we are hopefully only going to have cooler temps from here on out!. I just wanted to say with the race so close--Nike Team, it has been my honor to be your honored hero, THANK YOU! The encouragement, tenacity and support you all have graciously bestowed upon me has made me even more appreciative to be apart of the Team In Training family. So, with that, I wanted to share another aspect of why I am apart of TNT.

Yes, being a cancer survivor is a blessing. Yes, research for a cure is important. Yes, it's for those patients still fighting and those who lost their lives. But it's also so much more.

I've flashbacked to when I was sitting in the emergency room over 10 years ago waiting anxiously for my test results. At that moment I wish I could have been alone. I wish it could have just been me, the doctors nurses and anyone else who worked at the hospital, but it wasn't.

As I was in a daze being told terrible, change your life in a second, type of news.... there sat my mom.

Her eyes filled with tears, her heart breaking, her world crumbling...she had to witness the "you have cancer" diagnosis. The fact that she was a mere bystander to the words that I had Leukemia and that I could die in two weeks still haunts me! It's one of the most painful memories I have from my entire experience with cancer.

Parents should NEVER have to hear that the son/daughter they have raised, loved, and nurtured get diagnosed with a deadly disease. No matter how old they are.

When those words "you have cancer" came out of Dr. Morris's mouth I turned to my mom and I smiled. I told her that it was going to be ok. I was going to be fine and she had nothing to worry about. I became the parent. I comforted her. I was watching her watch me and all she saw was my life flashing before her eyes.

Why am I a part of Team In Training? Lance Armstrong said, it's because I have an obligation as a cancer survivor, but for me it's for the parents, siblings, family members, friends and caregivers. I hope there comes a day that they no longer have to hear someone they love is sick.

To all the members of Team In Training Fall events, what you have done this season has not only helped those who are sick but those caregivers who have been just as affected.... so, Thank You, Good Luck and GO TEAM!

Mitzi Jiles has been a part of Team In Training since 2007 and is doing her third TNT event with the 2010 Nike Women's Marathon, her first marathon. As an acute myeloid leukemia survivor for the last nine years, Mitzi is one of our Honored Heroes and motivates us all to continue the fight against cancer. Thank you Mitzi for the inspiration!

Honored Heroes, Jill, Dani and Lyndon Inspire

2010-08-27T08:14:00.000-07:00

Below you will read several first hand perspectives from Team In Training Honored Heroes, Jill, Dani and Lyndon. The first is Jill's speech to a room full of TNT triathletes as they prepared to tackle the TriLatta Triathlon a couple of months ago. The second is an email from Dani to the Fall Season triathlon teams and the last is an email Lyndon sent to the Wilson 100 TNT cycling team. Prepare to be inspired! Thank you Jill, Dani and Lyndon.

Jill and Dani with the entire TriLatta triathlon team. Jill is cross legged
on the front left and Dani is in the white top in the front row.

Jill's Speech at the Tri-Latta Triathlon Inspiration Dinner on June 12, 2010

Welcome all the TNT Tri-athletes and athletic supporters (I’ve always wanted to say that!)

My name is Jill Powers and I’ve been invited to be your Honored Hero Speaker for this evening’s festivities. I’m a Non- Hodgkin’s Follicular Lymphoma Survivor and -- with your help -- I will continue to fight and one day I hope to live “Lymphoma Free” without the threat of the cancer coming back or developing another cancer as a side effect. Let’s just eradicate the crap out of cancer all together!!!

Let me share with you a little bit about what TNT means to me. I started participating in TNT events in late 2004 all because my sister, Annette, signed up for the Vancouver ½ Marathon in my honor shortly after I was diagnosed. This was one way she felt she could help me in my battle. I was so charged by her ambition, that I signed up as well for the Alaska ½ Marathon, which I completed in June 2005. Since then, I’ve become what I call “a TNT Junkie!” I can’t seem to get enough. It’s not about the events themselves or the challenges (ok maybe, a little,) but it’s about the mission, people, and family that I have made through my TNT journey – TNT just seems to be my kind of “Group Therapy.”

“Group Therapy” – you think I’m joking – but it’s no joke. TNT is the most positive place I could have put myself on this lifelong frustrating journey in the blood cancer battle. You see, my cancer is not curable. At least not today anyway. How many times will I have to make it to the treatment finish line? I have been through chemo and remission once…. I’ve already been there, done that and now I’m starting the journey all over again in July as a patient in a clinical trial.

I will be relocating to Houston, TX in July for 2-3 months for a clinical trial at MD Anderson Cancer Center and you can bet on it that TNT will be my “group therapy” while I am there. Keep your fingers crossed that it works. I’m doing my best to keep physically & mentally healthy so I won’t have to venture in to the land of a Bone Marrow Transplant any time soon.

You should be proud to know that the money you raise through TNT helps fund research and trials, like the one I will be doing.

So on the eve of this event , whether it’s your 1st or your 11th TNT event like me; be proud and hold your head up high (ok, not for the swim part unless spotting) and know that you are making a difference in the lives of many!! You may not have had a personal connection to blood cancers when you started your training 4 months ago, but I’m sure that’s changed now.

It always amazes me to hear the stories people share when you reach out to do something good for others. You learn so much not only about yourself, but about how small the world is and how connected we all are. Cancer is not picky; no one escapes this life without knowing someone who has it or is personally affected by it.

People tell me they are amazed by my attitude towards life & my cancer - let me tell you I’ve got “TUDE” and I’m sure that’s what gets me through sometimes or maybe it’s my stubbornness, but I’m going to kick cancer’s butt as many times as it takes! No pity party here! Move on with life, live it, take chances, and make the most of it. Just LIVE and enjoy the little moments as well as the big ones. And all of you help make it possible for me to have this attitude.

I am proud to call all of you teammates & more importantly teammates in the battle against Blood Cancers. I wish I would be able to see all of your shiny/salty faces as you cross the finish line tomorrow, but I think it will be the other way around; you will probably be waiting for me. As my Georgia Team can attest, I am pretty pokey. But I will finish with a smile on my face and a hug for each and every one of you! You are all rockstars and heroes in my book!!

Tomorrow morning as you get up early, correction-very early, enjoy every minute of the day! Even when you think you can’t go any further and want to give up – don’t – you’ve trained for this – you’ll get to the finish line!!

Again, many thanks for the millions of us whose lives are touched by the struggle with cancer. Every stroke you swim, mile you ride & run or walk tomorrow is one mile closer to a cure!!!!

One final note – I would like to personally dedicate my event tomorrow to Dani, the Georgia Chapter’s Honored Hero. She joins us this weekend with her family to celebrate life. Dani is currently in treatment and I wish her a long and happy life filled with love, laughter, health and only good memories of her cancer journey. Yes, there can and will be good, if not great memories.

Now go out there and kick some TNT Butt!!! GO TEAM!!!! ~ Jill

Dani's email sent to the TNT Triathlon Team on August 25, 2010

After the first week of classes, I am trying to go back to regular life. After practically falling apart in my first class, and actually falling apart in my second class; I am beginning to realize that this year really happened. I guess I thought that I may wake up some day and Ashton Kutcher would be there with a megaphone and a trucker hat telling me I had been punked. Alas, I don’t think I will find Ashton in my bedroom any morning (damn) and this really did happen.

I drove home from class, wondering if I had any business trying to help anyone considering my own current state of hysteria. If a graduate level class and a simple assignment to state my fears can produce such emotional unrest perhaps I am only suited to cook dinner and knit blankets. I daydream about becoming a Stepford wife, with no emotions, then remember that they all had long, beautiful hair and quickly rejoin reality.

I am realizing there is no going back after cancer. It is now a part of who I am. It has changed the way I view the world and interact with people. I am no longer the same person I was, I am trying so hard to get back to who I was, to move on and away from this year, but perhaps I just cannot. Perhaps, I am a different person now and I simply have to pick up and move forward, discovering myself all over again.

I find myself getting angry; did I really spend a year kicking this thing physically just to turn around and have to process things emotionally? Can we just be done? I am sick of the word cancer, I am sick of cancer. I am angry that my family and the family of so many others have been put through hell. I am angry that I will forever live in fear that the cancer may come back in me or in someone I love. I am scared that there will never be a day that cancer does not touch for the rest of my life. I AM OVER CANCER.

Then I hear my beautiful daughter shrill from behind me and I am reminded, ever so quickly, what this is truly all about. I am one of the lucky ones who get to be sick of cancer. I am one of the lucky ones who have survived thus far. Each breath I take is a gift, each day I have is another victory.

So I have traded my combat boots for flip-flops and I move about the day, trying to navigate the best I can. I am reminded that I am no different from any other person on this planet; I do the best I can each day with the information and strength I have at the moment.

I guess, for all who are willing, I am welcoming you to join me on the journey back to life. The journey after a cancer free diagnosis but not quite free of cancer. The beauty of this process is that it is so cathartic for me; the fact that someone reads it is simply frosting. Writing this stuff out, processing through and then sending it out to the universe (or cyberspace) is the most healing thing I do. Thanks for loving us and praying for us! We love each of you! ~ Dani

Lyndon

Lyndon's email sent to the TNT Wilson 100 Cycling Team on August 23, 2010

I'll be getting my second bone marrow transplant on Tuesday, August 31. The good news is, my 100 days of seclusion while my immune system rebuilds will be over in December, in plenty of time for the next cycling season. 100 days, like 100 miles, will go by one at a time, except for those parts where I'm totally in a daze and don't even realize how far I've gone. I think you know you're a cyclist when the last 20 miles get to be the bittersweet conclusion of months of preparation with the team instead of "Oh my god I'm not sure I can go 20 more miles..."

I'm not usually one to make a fuss, but if you want to follow my progress, look me up on http://www.caringbridge.com/. Where it says "Visit a website," enter my name, lsilloway.

To those who are riding this weekend's Century, may the wind be at your back, the gravel off the road, the dogs behind their fences, and the Gatorade cool and sweet like southern iced tea at a fine BBQ joint with red plaid plastic tablecloths. ~ Lyndon

I'm on the IronTeam! by Katie Aguilar

2010-08-19T13:32:00.000-07:00

Katie and her parents after the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon

This past Monday I called my parents all excited with terrific news….I had joined the TNT IronTeam to train and participate in Ironman Arizona in November, 2011. Not sure if that is the news most parents expect to hear from their daughter, but mine sounded like they were expecting it…and very supportive. They were not, however, as excited as me. I could hear it in their voices: they had a few questions like why?

The why for me is simple…because I know I am ready for the challenge. How do I know? Because my Team In Training family has been there to help me realize what I can do. I joined TEAM with no connection to blood cancers. Throughout training I realized I was amongst an amazing group of people. I was hooked, but hadn’t put everything together yet.

While training for my second marathon with TEAM I learned of a friend, Matt Uday, fighting testicular cancer. I followed his blog; captivated at his optimism, love for life, and firm belief he would beat cancer. As I trained, I thought these things …and I started connecting the dots between my life, Matt Uday, and the amazing people I consider my Team In Training family. I realized that when I train, I feel very much alive and that I am living the example set by the many survivors and fallen heroes.

As I connected the dots, my coaches quietly proved to me that I was capable of running faster, longer and achieving more than I thought possible. I started to believe that I could achieve goals I set for myself. I started to realize these goals add an extra zest and thrill for life. I may not reach all goals I set, but working for them is fantastic!

While training for Ironman 70.3 Augusta with TEAM (my first triathlon) I have been surrounded by many teammates and coaches who are like me…at least they look like me…a “normal” person. On my team there are a few that have done something I have not: Ironman. I started to realize that I too can do Ironman. I was amazed and surprised at this revelation…but it feels right. I am ready.

This is the year of Georgia Chapter’s inaugural IronTeam. I am ready for the challenge…and excited beyond belief. I get to be a part of IronTeam and train for an Ironman! I can think of no better way to train for Ironman then by helping give hope to those who have made my life richer, while training amongst those who have encouraged me to reach higher: my TNT family.

I know that my fabulous TNT coaches Mary and Mike will give me the tools and guidance so that I can succeed at Ironman. I know that my teammates and I will support each other and celebrate many personal and team victories along the way. I know that my teammates and I will continue to give hope to the heroes battling blood cancers. I know that this will be an experience of a life time…and I can’t wait.

Katie Aguilar first joined TNT in May of 2008 to train for the Chicago Marathon. After running three marathons with the TEAM, she is currently training for her first triathlon, the ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta. Katie will begin training for the 2011 Ironman Arizona with TNT in January of 2011. (Blog post originally posted to www.ironteamgeorgia.blogspot.com.)

There IS an I in TEAM by John Dapper

2010-07-26T12:10:00.000-07:00

Since playing grouped sports as a kid, I have been told that “There is no I in Team”. The notion was that each member had a role to play and the whole was bigger than an individual. This conjures up the image of the poster that says, “TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More”. I still believe that to be true but I would like to promote a different spin. I believe that there is an I in Team and that “I” stands for Inspiration. This is particularly true for Team In Training.

I am still proud and Inspired fifteen years later by how my father dealt with his diagnosis of CML and with the manner and grace he lived out his shortened final days. His inspiration is what eventually got me into the Team In Training program. I am just as inspired with how my mother, a cancer survivor herself, managed through losing her husband and carrying on alone these last fifteen years.

We are greatly Inspired by our current honored heroes and each of the honored heroes from previous seasons. They have opened up their lives and struggles to us as they manage through what must be a very, very scary thing. Their courage is amazing.

I find Inspiration in my fellow lane one swimmers. You will not find a group with more heart. By the way when my mother asked me how my swim training was going, I proudly told her that I was in lane one. She thought that was great. I chose not to correct her thought that the speedsters were in the other end of the pool. If you see my mother, let’s keep that our secret!

Great Inspiration is found by all of our fellow teammates who initially had the courage to commit to raise money while preparing for an endurance sport and then the additional courage to recommit through the event. The dollar tally announced at the Inspiration Dinner that represents the aggregate of all of the hard work from their silent auctions, garage sales, bake sales, car washes, letter writing campaigns, et cetera being still provides goose bumps. Extra inspiration comes from those Alumni that do this season after season after season.

We receive Inspiration by our TNT coaches, mentors and LLS staff, who give so much of themselves, well beyond what is asked but because they want to, so that we may be successful in our journey.

Don’t forget the Inspiration by the efforts of the researchers that our raised dollars fund and the progress that is being made every day. We are inspired that some day cancer will be a disease of the past and that we will have a grand last event celebration where we will claim victory.

I am proud and Inspired to be your teammate, John

John Dapper is currently training for The Nation's Triathlon 2010 team and has been involved with Team In Training in a number of roles including participant, mentor and now coach. John brings extensive experience from having participated with various chapters of Team In Training and has a strong passion for the cause.

What Can Happen in Five Years? by Mallory Chandler

2010-07-19T08:15:00.000-07:00

I've always heard the saying that a lot can happen in five years. So I started thinking, what all can happen in five years? Well, it takes nine months for a baby to be born. You can start and finish college; well at least that's the theory anyway. In my case, you can graduate from college, move to a new city, train for and complete two half-marathons and a marathon with Team In Training. Oh yeah and be in the middle of training for your second marathon. It seems like I've done a lot in those five years and to be honest, I'm not sure where the time has gone. However, in five years, I still have not learned how to come to grips with losing a friend to a blood cancer.

You see, I recently celebrated my seventh year off chemo anniversary in April. While going through chemo, I met a lot of kids who were also fighting the terrible c-word. One of the people that I met who was also battling cancer, Todd, ended up becoming my best friend. I met Todd when I was fifteen and he was sixteen. He was diagnosed in May of 2000 and I was diagnosed in September of 2000. We both had ALL (acute lymphocytic leukemia). As Forest Gump would say, we went together like peas and carrots. We were completely opposite but yet, it worked. I was always really feisty (and still am); Todd was more laid back and would roll with the punches. I was an athlete and he was in the band. I was (and still am) an Ole Miss fan; he was an Auburn fan (which in the state of Alabama, things like that can make or break a friendship). The one main thing we had in common was that we each needed a friend, someone who knew what the other was going through and would take each other’s mind off of the reality of what was happening. You see, we didn't need sympathy, we needed normalcy and we provided that for each other.

It took us each about three years to finish chemo. I completed my chemo regiment before graduating high school, but Todd had to enter his freshman year at Auburn still on treatments. I finished with relatively few setbacks. Todd had a harder time. I was lucky enough to have never relapsed. Todd relapsed and needed a bone marrow transplant. He traveled to Boston for his transplant and I remember being a freshman in college and spending my weekends talking to him over the computer so he could have some company, so-to-speak. I remember one Saturday in particular, we talked for twelve straight hours, with only a few breaks to go to the bathroom or get something to eat. Needless to say, he was my best friend and I loved him dearly.

After he finished his transplant, he was allowed to come back to Alabama and start his sophomore year of college. He had decided to transfer to a school closer to his Alabama doctors, so he chose to enroll at Samford University in Birmingham. I was really excited about this, because I too was going to be a sophomore at Samford. That summer, I had to decide to stay at Samford or transfer to another school. I made the painful decision to transfer, but I knew that one day, the stars would finally align and we would find our way back to each other. Todd stayed right on track though and enrolled for the Fall 2004 semester. At least he was right on track until he hit another detour. A few months into the semester, he relapsed for the second time. This was not a good thing. The leukemia started showing up all over his body, not just his blood. I saw him a couple of times during this go-round and we would talk periodically. I just knew he was going to be OK. He would bounce back just like he did the previous two times.

Unfortunately, five years ago today, July 19th, Todd passed away. To say that I was devastated was an understatement. How could this happen? We were Mal and Todd, The Dynamic Chemo Duo. We were supposed to grow old together and conquer the world, because if we could conquer cancer, then the only thing left was the world. But I guess it wasn't in the cards for us. I had to learn a hard lesson in life, that sometimes things don’t go the way you plan.

Sometimes I catch myself wondering what could have been and how different the past five years would have been if he were still around. Last Wednesday, I really started thinking about how much I missed him. I called my mom and she told me the one thing I needed to hear. She told me that Todd would be mad at me for being sad and dwelling on it. And she's right. He would've wanted me to take that pain and sadness and turn it in to something good. I have finally started to realize that just because Todd's not here to conquer the world with me, I can still conquer it. People who find out that I run half-marathons and marathons ask me why I run. I usually tell them that I run because I can. What I should probably say is that I run because Todd can't, but more importantly, because I can and that's what he would want me to do.

Mallory Chandler celebrated her seventh year anniversary as a survivor at the 2010 Country Music Marathon. She is now set to do the 2010 Chicago Marathon with Team In Training. Mallory, thank you for continuing to inspire us all! You, Todd and so many others are why we do what we do.

I'm A Hero Too! by Elizabeth Kalifeh

2010-07-07T07:57:00.000-07:00

I can't believe its all over. I ran 26.2 miles. I raised almost $5000 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. A year ago I would have told you neither was possible. I had originally signed up with Team In Training to run the Seattle Rock n Roll 1/2 marathon to have new people to run with and to get involved with a charity. I got way more than I signed up for...

After only a few weeks of group runs and getting to know my new "team" I knew I had found friends for life as well as the courage to switch from my 1/2 marathon to a full marathon. The fundraising it turned out, was the easy part. When I had signed up to run, I didn't think I knew anyone that had battled a blood cancer-most of my family members who have been affected by cancer were usually fighting a different type. Throughout the several months of training I quickly realized how wrong I was and that I knew several people that were my new honored heroes that were battling, have battled, or lost their battle to a blood cancer. I was also really touched by another survivor, one of my new teammates, Ryan Watton.

I knew that once I got to Seattle and began my 26.2 mile adventure that things would be emotional. Seeing the many other TNT'ers from across the country dressed in their purple and hearing "Go Team" cheers along the way really helped get me through my run. I also knew my knee and foot pain wasn't nearly as bad as a chemo treatment and thinking about my honored heroes and what they have been through, or what they are currently going through didn't compare. I knew that all of my training, hard work, and fundraising was for them. Crossing the finish line was an amazing experience that brought me to tears, but what really moved me came later that night.

After the race our team went out to celebrate. We got into the conversation of honored heroes and why we do what we do. Throughout training (and my race) I was asked why I was running and who I was running for. I was doing this for a cause greater than me and didn't think much more about it. Ryan brought it all into perspective. I quickly came to realize that I am a hero too. Our heroes think we are heroes. They are so thankful that we would spend our time and be so dedicated to running for them and are inspired that we would do this in their honor. Throughout the whole experience I never really looked at it this way. I never thought what I did could compare to what they were going through. I was wrong. We both inspire each other, but in different ways.

Team In Training has been a life changing experience that I will never forget. Not only did I make great friends, I learned a lot about myself, my capabilities, and the fight against cancer. I can't wait to do it all again. Big Sur anyone??

Elizabeth Kalifeh is a first time Team In Training participant and we are very proud of her accomplishment. Congratulations Elizabeth! Thank you for your commitment to Team In Training and sharing your story.

Paying It Forward by Danielle Howard

2010-06-17T04:47:00.000-07:00

“It is not the magnitude of our actions but the amount of love that is put into them that matters.” ~Mother Teresa

It is seldom in life that we are able to give back to the people that have given to us. Often, when we give back it is by paying it forward to another person. Yes, we have reciprocal friendships and familiar relationships, but returning kindness given to you from a stranger is rare.

This weekend, I was given the opportunity to do just this. Many months ago, I wrote of a wonderful group of men and women who were racing in a triathlon to raise money for Leukemia and Lymphoma. They have taken the time to get to know me, cheer me on as a move through the different phases of treatment, threw me a baby shower after Collins was born and have raised over 50,000 dollars towards research to find a cure for this horrible disease. Well, this was THEIR weekend! The triathlon was in Charlotte and I was able to attend. I was able to listen to THEIR stories of how they got involved with this wonderful cause, as they had been listening to my stories for the last six months.

The night before race day, I sat with them as they were given instructions for the following day. I saw expressions of fear, worry, self-doubt and I was able to place my hand on THEIR shoulder to say they can do this, as they had written to me so many times previously. I traveled with them to the track in the morning and watched as they prepared for their upcoming day. I listened to the prayers and pep talks. I watched this TEAM take their places as they began their swim. As each teammate surfaced from the water, I cheered. We cheered and cheered until the LAST teammate came from the water. It was at that point that the lump in my throat began to take form. I was the last one of my cancer friends to come out of the water. I cheered as each of them finished chemo and radiation, wondering if it would ever be my turn. As that last teammate made their way up the shore, I screamed and cheered as these teammates had done for me.

They biked, they ran, and as they did I was there to cheer them on. Each teammate passed with a smile. I watched as coaches ran along side their team to cheer them on. I made my way to the finish line to be present as Susan crossed the finish line. I watched as the ENTIRE team waited for their last member to cross the finish line. This team member has a special place in my heart. She is a fellow non-Hodgkiner whose cancer has recently relapsed. She raced knowing that in July she will begin treatment again. As she rounded the corner towards the finish line, to find a mass of her teammates waiting for her, she smiled huge and shouted “GO” to which the “TEAM!” was quickly given back to her.

It was this moment where the lump that had been slowly growing in my throat, grew wings and became tears. I stepped back from the crowd, took a quick stock of all that had transpired over the last nine months, six months, week and day. I smiled, raised my arms in the air, screamed out loud and let my tears flow.

This was an amazing experience. I am so grateful to the TEAM for loving me and letting me be a part of this. When this journey began I wanted nothing to do with this process. The thought of being called a “hero” was entirely too self-serving for me. However, as I sat in chemo and watched the number of people that were treated I realized that a cure needed to be found. From my chemo chair there was little that I could do, but I could lend my face and my story to a cause that could potentially keep another from enduring the torture of my last nine months.

I have undoubtedly strengthened the bond between my self and Susan, who I now consider Momma Bear, as she is always thinking of others before herself. She took amazing care of me this weekend and is a remarkable woman. I have made friends with people on the team I would have never met if cancer had not been placed in my life. Jo, one of the coaches, and my sister from another mister, said it best – I hate the way I met you but I’m glad you’re in my life. To everyone on the team, I love you! I have images from this weekend that will travel with me for my entire life! You have each made a mark on my heart and are amazing people, you will help find a cure, of that I have no doubt. And to my fellow and hero Jill – see ya in 2012!

This post is published here with permission by Danielle Howard and taken from her blog http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/michaeldanihoward. Thank you for sharing and inspiring us Dani!

Four Men, Four Bikes, One Cause!

2010-06-10T13:19:00.001-07:00

This Saturday, four local men will start riding across the country—on two wheels! With a goal of cycling from Oceanside, California to Annapolis, Maryland in less than a week, the dedicated men are participating in Race Across America (RAAM). Beginning June 12, Dave Armento, Frank Fuerst, Tony Myers and Jerome Rossetti, will ride through 16 states, rotating shifts 24 hours a day.
This is the second year the men have participated in this event. In 2009, they crossed the finish line in seven days, eight hours, six minutes, first in the four-man 50-59 age group, and fifth among all four man teams.
Known as the Georgia Chain Gang, the team is using the event to raise money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The men are supported by a team of ten crew members, including two time Non Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor Warren Bruno, owner of Atkins Park Restaurant in the Virginia Highlands area of Atlanta. The team’s fundraising goal is $160,000 but they have already raised more than $90,000 even before the race has started!! Having Warren on their team and others in their hearts, serves as an incredible inspiration to continue to fundraise even harder.
Cyclist Dave Armento lost a sister, uncle and father-in-law to leukemia. "I am looking forward to the ride itself again but I am also looking forward to making a difference," he says. "Research has come a long way in treating blood cancers—there are now 85% success rates---so hopefully we can help raise awareness and success rates even higher."
The four men are all avid endurance athletes—having completed marathons, Ironman triathlons and long-distance cycling events. To prepare for this race, the men have trained inside about 7-10 hours per week and have completed multiple 60-100-mile rides outside averaging at least 300-400 miles week.
"We wish these committed and dedicated men the best of luck on their race," says Dick Brown, executive director of the Georgia Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. "But most of all, on behalf of the 900,000 Americans now living with a blood cancer, we thank them. They are making a tremendous difference in the lives of so many people—one every four minutes—that are diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma."

Learn more about the Georgia Chain Gang at http://www.gachaingang.org/
Learn more about Race Across America at http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/
Donate online at http://pages.teamintraining.org/ga/raceacro10/GeorgiaChainGang
Follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gachaingang

Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/gachaingang

Julie's Challenge by Bruce Scruggs

2010-06-09T14:22:00.000-07:00

Sugar and spice, and everything nice, isn't that what we were told girls are made of when we were young?!! I happen to still believe this is true, and for reasons unknown, I still prescribe to the "girls should have long hair, and boys should have short hair" theory. So when my friend Julie Wolfe, decided to chop her hair off to raise money for her Chicago Marathon campaign, it was a natural reaction for me to challenge her on it. Of course, as soon as I did, another friend, Mallory Chandler, reminded me I had contributed to her cause by paying her to cut her hair just a couple of weeks ago!! As Scooby would say, "Rut Ro!!", what to do now? I've told one friend she should cut her hair, and another one she shouldn't. Boy, did I get myself into a pickle.

Of course, this is all in good fun, and as anyone who has subscribed to receive this blog knows, we all have the same goal, to cure this cancer!! Julie's initial goal was to raise $500 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society by taking donations to encourage her to cut her hair. As many of you know, I'm always up for some fun, and a good challenge, so I threw down the gauntlet and pledged to get Julie to her goal if she DIDN'T cut her hair. So Julie agreed to amend the rules of her poll and allow people to donate and vote for which direction she should go with her hair cut!!

Now I need everyone's help!!! Since posting the challenge, I've been steadily losing ground on my efforts to save the pony tail. Let's have some fun, and get the word out about the challenge, if you have an opinion on the topic, make a donation and vote your conviction. Will it be "pixie" or pony tail? The "long and short" of it is that we can all help make a difference while having some fun!!

Julie Wolfe is one of our 2010 Chicago Marathon TNT Mentors, but is an 11Alive News backpack reporter by day. You may have seen some of her news pieces featuring TNT'ers in the past. Follow Julie as she blogs about her Team In Training experience and running in general at http://11aliveblogs.com/index.php/category/running/.

Bruce Scruggs first joined Team In Training in 2009 and has quickly racked up several TNT events under his belt. Next up for Bruce, the 2010 Chicago Marathon.

What I Learned in San Diego by Sally Last

2010-06-09T08:36:00.000-07:00

Prior to this weekend, I had completed three marathons with Team In Training and when I think back to event weekend for each of those races I have some great memories of friends made and goals accomplished. Looking back on this past weekend in San Diego with TNT at the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon, I once again have some amazing memories, but these ones are a little different.

As a captain, I had the opportunity to spend the day out on the course cheering for and running with our Atlanta participants and other people whom I met along the way. I have always loved the spirit of event day and annoyingly yelled "Go Team!" to anyone who looked like they might care. However, I’ve always still had my race to run, so I’ve never been able to fully take in the sites. This weekend was different as I logged over 31 miles all over the race course in whatever direction (I got a quite a few looks while walking the wrong way) and at whatever pace seemed fit for the situation. Along the way I saw most of our full marathoners and met some amazing people from around the country. My experience made me truly realize the power of Team In Training and the amount of heart it takes to complete an endurance event.

Serving as captain of this team has been an extremely rewarding experience for me and I would highly recommend that others consider being a member of a team’s support staff. There’s something truly special about advising and encouraging others and watching them work towards and achieve their goals. There are several moments from this weekend that stand out in my mind and truly remind me of the value of our TEAM. I wanted to share a few moments from my race day to give others a different perspective of an endurance event:

I got to photograph an Atlanta team member with his honored hero who was out on the course supporting him.
I met a Southern California TNT participant in his 70s. When I asked him if he had done a marathon before he said yes and that he had stopped counting because he was over 50 marathons. He told me that he had come to value just doing an event and was long past getting concerned about time. It was a great reminder that a marathon is about much more than the amount of time it takes you to go 26.2 miles.
I ran with the number one fundraiser in the nation who raised over $50,000 and talked to her about how she had been so successful with her fundraising.
I was reminded of the power of my all-star team of mentors as I saw them encourage other team members and refuse to let them fall behind.
I exchanged text messages with a team member who couldn’t make the trip and got to share his words of encouragement with one of our participants on the course.
Around mile 24 I told a participant that it was ok to cry at that point if she needed to as I have done so myself around that point. About 30 seconds later we came across a participant with one leg and no arms and our Atlanta participant quickly pointed out that she had nothing to cry about.
I got to show off my awful vocal skills while "singing" "Livin’ on a Prayer" for an Atlanta participant as we ran through the finish chute, which brought back memories of my amazing Nike coach doing the same for me on multiple occasions.
I got to cross the finish line with our coaches Tommy, Kimberly, Lisa, and also Jessica, a first-time marathoner on our team. She followed her finish with the best victory dance I’ve ever seen.

Sally Last, a TNT Georgia alumnus and mentor, just finished her fourth season with Team In Training as Captain of the 2010 Rock 'n' Roll San Diego TNT team. Sally is moving soon and leaving the team, but we are sure that she will make herself at home with her new chapter in her new destination. Sally, you'll be missed and thank you for your commitment to the team.

Jessica Cohen is a first time TNT Georgia participant. We are thrilled to call her a marathoner...congratulations Jessica! Jessica has also raised close to $3,000 this season for LLS.

Inspired? Team In Training Georgia is currently recruiting for our Fall and Winter season events. Visit www.teamintraining.org/ga or call (404) 720-7842 for details.

Rose's Quest to Reach $80K Before Her 80th Birthday by Lori Rasmussen

2010-06-01T07:49:00.000-07:00

Can you raise $80,000 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society by the time you turn 80? You think so? What if you were 79? Could you do it then?

If you were Rose Rolfsen, you’d find a way!

In 2003, Rose Rolfsen of Baton Rouge traveled to Florida to watch her youngest daughter, Beth Rolfsen, compete in the St. Anthony’s Triathlon. Beth is a member of the Georgia Chapter of Team In Training and this was her first triathlon. She was learning the ropes of triathlons and was raising money to help fight blood cancer.

In the triathlon world, your age is written on your legs in large black numbers. As Rose watched the race, she was intrigued to see people of all sizes, shapes and ages! "I can do this," she said to herself.

A few years later, to celebrate her 75th birthday, she joined Beth on a triathlon relay team. Beth trained for the swimming and cycling portions and Rose trained for the running/walking portion. They have been doing this event together ever since!

Since her first triathlon, Rose has raised over $50,000 for LLS by canvassing her neighborhood on foot and tapping local business leaders in Baton Rouge. She trains for the event by walking 2 to 3 miles each week day and 5 to 6 miles on the weekend. Once each week, she walks 1 ½ miles to a gym, works out with weights, and then walks home again!

This year, she hatched a bold plan: 80 by 80! In honor of turning 80 this year, she plans to raise an additional $30,000 to make a grand total of $80,000.

Rose is mother of 7 and grandmother of 20! She is active in her community and keeps a schedule that is not for the faint of heart. Since cooking is something she enjoys, she uses that talent each month to feed the 20 residents at Boys Hope/Girls Hope and the 40 residents at the Bishop Ott shelter in Baton Rouge. Once a week, she also helps to serve lunch to 300-400 people at the St. Vincent de Paul Dining Hall. And if that isn’t enough, on Tuesday nights her college-aged grandchildren come to her home with their friends to enjoy a home cooked meal!

When you talk to Rose about her goal, she sounds motivated and confident. According to Beth, once she makes up her mind to do something, she does it! Fortunately for LLS, Rose has made up her mind about this challenge!

Beth Rolfsen is a long time Georgia Chapter TNT alumnus and is also one of our triathlon team coaches. She is currently riding with the cycling team and heading to Lake Tahoe to ride the America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride on June 6th.

Rose Rolfsen has completed five St. Anthony relay triathlons with Beth. She will once again compete with her daughter in the 2011 St. Anthony's triathlon. Help Rose reach her goal of $80,000 by making a donation here.

A Family Affair: Maureen's 20 Years of Being Cancer-Free by Genie Quinn

2010-05-21T10:04:00.000-07:00

Flash back to twenty years ago… My daughter Maureen, who was 10 at the time, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. After two years of chemo and then three weeks of radiation therapy she was considered in remission. Out of the ashes of that horrible time our family has risen like a phoenix to a new life. From bitterness to joy we have progressed. It seems such a dichotomy that joy can come from sadness but it does. Maureen’s illness changed what was important to our family. We faced some scary times and came out of them stronger and closer.

Fast forward… As the years progressed we stayed a very close family. As a group we were keenly aware of the fragility of life and celebrated each other every chance we could get. Then in 2002, Maureen and her sister Kristen got a card in the mail from Team In Training of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and our family life mission took yet another turn. We found an organization where we could make a difference using our passion to fight cancer. Maureen and Kris completed that marathon, oh so many years ago, and we were all hooked.

Since 2002, as a family, we have completed many TNT events. They include marathons, triathlons, half-Ironman triathlons, and century rides. Also, during this time we have taken the LLS Mission to a new level by speaking at TNT meetings about “the Mission” and how anyone participating in a TNT event can truly make a difference in the lives of cancer patients. We have done “water stop” duties for group training sessions, and lugged change to CoinStar for Pennies for Patients.

However, the jewel in our family’s crown will come this TNT summer season when Maureen, Matt (her husband), my husband Jim, and I will ride together with the cycle team at Lake Tahoe for the America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride to celebrate life, 20 more years of it. Maureen’s sister Kris will be there cheering us on (she is injured and needs recovery time). We will celebrate the love of a family that has gotten us through good times and bad, and in thanksgiving for people who both do events and contribute to events for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. You are making a difference. Maureen is alive today due to research into drugs that could kill cancer cells. That research is still going on thanks to funds raised by Team In Training. As my family and I traverse the many hills of Tahoe, we will be thankful for all that we have and for a mission so special in this world. We are one lucky family to be able to help make a difference, to have found Team In Training, to ride with people who care, and to know people who give from the heart.

One lucky lady, Genie Quinn

Genie Quinn, Jim Quinn, Kris Quinn, Maureen Davidson Quinn and Matt Davidson are all long time Team In Training Georgia Chapter alumni and together have participated in countless events with the Team and raised thousands of dollars for LLS. From all of us at the LLS Georgia Chapter office, we'd like to wish them all a wonderful adventure in Lake Tahoe and we celebrate Maureen's 20 years and counting of being cancer free. Thank you to all of you!

If you're inspired by the Quinns to join the TEAM, visit www.teamintraining.org/ga.

A Win-Win Situation by Lori Rasmussen

2010-05-13T10:54:00.001-07:00

Despite my somewhat driven personality, I am not too keen on contests and competitions. That said, I learned about one recently that really intrigued me. It’s a contest where even if you lose, you win!

My friend Jen Moss is participating in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Man & Woman of the Year contest. This is a 10-week campaign where she will try to out earn her fellow competitors and raise money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).

Her goal: $20,000!

Team Moss is a family affair. It includes Jen’s parents, brother and his family (the Shireys), her mom’s sisters and their families (the McCaffertys), and some of Jen and Bill’s Team In Training (TNT) family! Her parents are hosting an event at Lake Oconee and her sister-in-law is hosting one in Alameda, California. Closer to home, Jen is busy spreading the word, gathering silent auction prizes, planning events, and selling gala tickets. In other words, she is working like crazy to make sure that she pulls in some big dollars—more than she has earned during her nine years as a TNT participant. She is doing all of this, while keeping her own race training going and building her business: Baby Boot Camp.

Jen is competing against other entrepreneurs and business women in the metro-Atlanta area. Each participant is leveraging their social and business networks to get the word out about LLS and raise serious money. The campaign culminates with a gala event on June 17 where the highest earning man and woman are declared the Man & Woman of the Year.

I had a chance to chat with Jen recently and she shared with me what drives her. Jen’s grandmother raised seven wonderful daughters while battling leukemia and succumbed to the illness at age 59. Jen was just a toddler at the time of her death, but Nana’s memory drives her to do everything with strength and energy. In addition, this year marks the 10th anniversary of Bill’s mother losing her life to leukemia. This fight is personal and they are fighting it hard.
Jen, Bill, and their daughter Delainy, were one of the first TNT families I met when I became a mentor. They showed me the ropes of water stop duty and have always had an encouraging word for my training efforts. As a friend and alum, I wanted to know how we could help. It’s easy. We can donate—as little as $10 helps. We can secure silent auction items. We can buy tickets to attend the gala on June 17, or we can simply offer our arms and legs to one of the many events that Jen is planning.

Win or lose, Jen and her team will make a huge difference in the fight to cure these cancers. Let’s rally around one of our alums and help her succeed!

----------------------------------------------------

Upcoming events for Jen's Man & Woman of the Year campaign:
Dine for a Cure on Monday, May 17 at Crepe Revolution, 4600 W Village Way, Smyrna, Georgia 30080 (a percentage will be donated to Jen’s Campaign)
Family Field Day on Saturday, June 12th at 11am, Smyrna (by Market Village). Watch for details and volunteer opportunities!

To donate directly: http://ga.mwoy.llsevent.org/pledge/index.cfm?mid=JENNIFERMOSS/t_blank
Contact Jen: jennifer.moss@babybootcamp.com ; 404-274-3148
Learn more about The Man & Woman of the Year campaign at http://www.mwoy.org/ga/

About the author: Lori Rasmussen is a TNT Georgia alumnus and is currently a mentor for the 2010 Nike Women's Marathon team.

The Difference A Year Makes by Lori Rasmussen

2010-05-06T13:08:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday May 11th, I will be attending the Fall Season Kick Off meeting for Team In Training. It will be my second year participating in the Nike Women’s Marathon/Half Marathon event, and my second season as a mentor. This year is stacking up to be another fabulous event. I have already been assigned a great group of mentees and am excited to get started.

But, I also find myself looking back and reflecting on last year. In May 2009, I drove to the kick-off with Nike team co-captain Carol Osterman and new participant Kelly Simmons. Carol, a 30 year leukemia survivor was complaining of some numbness following a spill she took on her bicycle that day. Kelly and I felt she should see a doctor, but ever-stoic Carol wasn’t so sure. No one who saw her that night would have expected anything was wrong. She smiled, laughed and was her usual self. At midnight, I received a call from husband Jim. He had convinced Carol to let him take her to the emergency room. Jim was calling to ask for prayer and let me know that they found "something" in Carol’s brain. That something turned out to be a brain tumor. It was removed and the recovery started.

Fast forward to October 2009…

Kelly and I finished running the half marathon and sat in the TNT tent relaxing with our teammates. A short time later, Carol Osterman crossed the finish line.

Remarkable!

Even more remarkable? She crossed it with Mitzi Jiles, a 34 year old leukemia survivor, and Lori St. Germain, a 29 year old breast cancer survivor. They had run the entire 13.1 miles together, reminding me (and the team) exactly what strength looks like!

Fast forward again…

I will be giving Carol a ride to the kick off meeting on May 11, where I will meet up with fellow mentor Kelly Simmons, and mentee/honored hero Mitzi Jiles—both back for season #2.

Together, we’ll do it all over again!

Lori Rasmussen is a mentor for the 2010 Nike Women's Marathon team. You too can join us for another exciting Fall Season with Team In Training. Come to one of our Kick-Off Meetings below and RSVP here:

Atlanta - Tuesday, May 11th 6:30pm at Holiday Inn Select, 4386 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd.
Alpharetta - Thursday, May 13th 6:30pm at Embassy Suites, 5955 North Point Pkwy.
Augusta - Thursday, May 13th 6:30pm at Marriott Downtown, Two Tenth Street

I Did It! by Angie Prophet

2010-05-04T13:18:00.000-07:00

I started my journey with TNT in 2008. I signed up for the San Francisco Nike Women's Marathon weighing in at 340 pounds. I was an athlete in high school and college but I had given up on trying to be healthy when I lost my brother to ALL in 2002. My brother, Bryan, had been a Special Olympian. He competed in swimming, bowling, basketball and track. I could not understand how someone who was an athlete could get so sick. I finally got to a point where I understood that blood cancers can affect anyone at anytime. So I decided that I could do a lot more to honor the memory of my brother and help defeat the disease that had taken him from us.

Initially, I was embarrassed that I had gained so much weight so I didn't go to many group training sessions. I was always competitive and I found out that I couldn't do it anymore. I was afraid that people wouldn't believe in me. I discovered on race weekend that it doesn't matter what you look like and how long it takes you to cross the finish line, people still believed in me. I crossed the finish line and I lost a lot of weight too. I was sad that I hadn't been more involved and I vowed to continue working with TNT.

Last fall, I decided that I was going to try to complete a different event with TNT. I signed up for the Tugaloo triathlon. Then my clumsy ass managed to fall down some stairs and get a bone bruise on my left knee. No race for me.

Finally, this spring my leg was healed and I had lost over 100 pounds. So I decided to sign up for the St. Anthony's triathlon. I'm so glad I did. The whole experience was amazing. Again, I feel like I didn't take full of advantage of all the training sessions, but my life had gotten crazy busy with graduating from law school, applying to take the bar, teaching an after school program, etc.
I learned how to swim, change a tire and put on a wetsuit (things that I never knew would be so difficult). I was still really slow, but definitely faster than I was 100 pounds ago. I made it to race weekend and felt like I was truly ready to race. I made it through a shortened swim, the bike and finally run. I got a nasty sunburn, but I finished the race. It was bittersweet crossing the finish line. I knew that this was a great accomplishment, but yet the one person I wanted to share it with the most was not there.

I think my favorite part of the whole experience was running the last mile and hearing the cheers and seeing everyone who had stayed around to watch my slow ass come back in. I have to take the bar exam this summer and I wish I could have all of you come and cheer me through that too. I will be back soon for another triathlon with Team In Training.

Angie Prophet just completed the 2010 St. Anthony's Triathlon with Team In Training. Thanks Angie for sharing your experience and we are so proud of you!

Boot Scootin' Around Nashville with Mallory by Bruce Scruggs

2010-04-27T19:44:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you've heard any of the stories about what happened in Nashville at the Country Music Marathon, but for me, it turned out to be the best race I've had yet!!!

We started the race under a tornado watch, which turned into a warning. We knew there was a chance they would have to cut the race short and take us off of the course early, but we were hopeful we'd get a break in the weather and be able to finish. I was running about two minutes ahead of my pace at mile 5, but knew there were a lot of difficult miles ahead. We were on a part of the course where the front part of the group turns and runs back past the runners behind them. I had been thinking about the inspiration dinner the previous night, and one of our team members, Mallory Chandler, from the Atlanta team who I have become friends with and was running her first marathon in Nashville.

Race day was Mallory's seven year "cancer free" anniversary. I had promised her I would go back out on the course to see her finish after I had finished. At about mile 6, I started thinking about how much more important Mallory finishing was than any time I would finish in, so...........

Somewhere around mile 7, I saw Mallory running the other direction, heading onto the part of the course I had just been on, so I decided to turn around and run with her!!! Long story short, we ran the rest of the race together. IT WAS AMAZING!!! I had more fun and felt reconnected with why I started doing this in the first place. Mallory had a great time!!

I would run ahead and get groups of spectators or cheerleaders to chant her name “Mal or E, Mal or E, Mal or E!”, she would smile and laugh and it helped her get through some of the difficult times in the race. One of the Atlanta coaches joined us around mile 10 and we all finished the race together (they closed the course just around mile 21 due to weather and made us go to the finish line). Mallory was so excited to have finished, and for me, it made what could have been a disappointment in a shortened course into one of the most rewarding things I have ever been a part of.

To top it all off, later that night a group of us went out and I talked the band into letting Mallory and me come up on the stage in front of several hundred people and announce her accomplishment and anniversary!!! We all have different reasons for why we're participating, and even though the event didn't go off like we all wanted, it turned out to be an incredible event nonetheless!! Thank you, Mary, and Ana so much for being part of our team, you have a great family and I'm thankful we've become friends.

Bruce Scruggs first joined Team In Training in 2009 and has quickly racked up several TNT events under his belt. Next up for Bruce, the 2010 Chicago Marathon.

Mallory Chandler celebrated her seventh year anniversary as a survivor at the 2010 Country Music Marathon. She is also set to do the 2010 Chicago Marathon with Team In Training.

Nike Women's Marathon Preview Party

2010-04-16T09:02:00.000-07:00

Experience what makes the Nike Women's Marathon so unique and join Team In Training for an afternoon of indulgence and pampering.

The Nike Women's Marathon Preview EventSunday, May 2nd, 2:00pm - 5:00pmCourtside Grille at the exclusive Concourse Athletic Club8 Concourse ParkwaySandy Springs, GA 30328

All attending will be given a complimentary pass to come back and try out Atlanta’s premier workout facility. There will be a tour of the club starting at 1:30pm.

Plus, throughout the afternoon there will be door prizes given away, including:

Two, 1-year passes to The Georgia Aquarium, courtesy of What’s Up Interactive
A $100 gift card to Fleming’s Fine Steakhouse & Wine Bar, located across from Perimeter Mall
A $75, 1-hour massage from Ananda Massage
A Smoothie King gift pack ($25 gift card, t-shirt, coupons, munchies & more)
Coca-Cola gift items

Train with TNT to run or walk a full or half marathon on October 17, 2010. It's the weekend when 20,000 women come to the City by the Bay for an awesome experience! Experience what makes the Nike Women's Marathon so unique.

Please click on the link to RSVP by Friday, April 23rd: http://www.pingg.com/rsvp/wi6ajqb3ve367nz4j

Questions? Contact TNT: 404-720-7842 or email jim.osterman@lls.org

TNT alumni! To commemorate the 7th anniversary of this race, TNT is offering you a special $700 discount on the fundraising minimum. This is a unique opportunity to be a part of the team again, regardless if you are a returning Nike participant, or are looking to complete your Triple Crown! New airfare/no airfare options are also being offered.

Train with TNT for the Nike Women's Marathon, a Race to Benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Have the time of your life and help cancer patients live better, longer lives. To learn more, call the TNT staff at (404) 720-7842.

Love is an Endurance Event by Jim Osterman

2010-04-14T12:52:00.000-07:00

A few months ago in this blog one of our coaches – Joanna Berentsen – applied some of the rules of endurance-event training to the world of dating. Amazingly there were several places where preparing for a run also helped with navigating the dating world.

But some of you are saying: "Hold the phone, Jimbo. What about me? I’m off the market and getting married this spring. Can you offer me some running wisdom?" Fear not. We’ve got your back, starting with:

It’s All About Pacing – Planning a wedding does not happen in a few hours. Each decision deserves careful consideration, so create a schedule that allows for that. The venue, the menu, the dress, the vows, etc.

This has the added bonus of ensuring you will never hear a phrase like: "What about the dress? You said you were going to handle that. Didn’t you?"

Nothing New the Week Leading to the Wedding – This is a time to take some deep breaths and be in the moment. This is not the week to start a 5AM boot camp, ab-busting Pilates class. Or break down and try raw Blowfish. Or try riding a dirt bike. A big part of your life for the last few months has been planning this wedding – why jeopardize it?

Speaking of food, take it easy this week. Try not to take in too much junk, rich food, alcohol or caffeine. X-nay on the Red Bull. Get some simple carbs, fresh fruit, steamed veggies – you know the drill. And hydrate. Keep a water bottle at hand and sip all through the day.

You don’t get to lie on the couch, however. Get some relaxing walks in to de-stress and be outdoors. If you are in the gym every week, keep it up but back down the intensity. You don’t want to risk injury at this point.

Nothing New on Event Day – This is an extension of the advice for the week but with your wedding on the day’s schedule you don’t want to derail yourself. Even if it’s your regular day pass on the exercise class. No funky food. No Jell-O shooters at the bridesmaids’ breakfast. Maybe a sip of champagne. Maybe. Consider saving the bubbly for the reception.
Go easy on the fiber, too. I’ve never seen anyone call a timeout during their vows and make that awkward walk to the facilities, but I’m sure it’s happened. In the same spirit be sensible on the fluid intake.

Once the Event Has Begun – Enjoy! – When the organist begins Here Comes the Bride what’s done is done – the hay is in the barn. The flowers may not look like you requested, the vows may not be word-for-word, your lip gloss my be Euro Coral Pink instead of Misty Pastel Red – but at this point just go with it. Years from now people will recall how beautiful you looked, not the Homer Simpson groom’s cake. Then again...

Some of our participants have been known to find love within the TNT ranks. Donna and Mark Urbano met when both were doing a TNT event in 2003, started dating in 2004 and were married in 2006. Among their shared marathons have been Chicago Marathon, Alaska's Mayor's Marathon, Rock 'n' Roll San Diego and Honolulu Marathon. No guarantees – but you never know. www.teamintraining.org/ga

Tots Trotting for a Cure by Tricia Hernandez

2010-04-14T08:49:00.000-07:00

On a beautiful Spring morning, little ones lined up at the start barely able to contain their feet. All it took was my saying "Are you ready to run?" and they took off before any of us expected. It had all of the adults standing by laughing uncontrollably.

That is how the First Annual Tot Trot held on April 10, 2010 started. Almost 40 kids ages two through ten and their families attended the inaugural event. Following the races, everyone gathered to enjoy pizza, bid on fantastic silent auction items and savor the wonderful bake sale goodies.

What began as an idea to gather kids for fun, food and fundraising became a great group effort on the part of the Country Music team. That effort paid off with over $2,000 raised!!! With that kind of incentive, we are all looking forward to an even bigger event next year.

Tricia Hernandez is the Honored Hero for the 2010 Country Music Marathon & 1/2 Marathon TEAM and she spearheaded the inaugural Tot Trot for a Cure in benefit of Team In Training. Thanks Tricia, the entire Country Music Marathon & Half-Marathon team and all of the volunteers and alumni that supported!

Runner Finds Support with Team In Training by James Hervey

2010-04-13T07:28:00.000-07:00

A lot of people come to Team In Training as a result of a close friend or family member who has blood cancer. A lot are even survivors. There is a whole other contingent of people who are considering training for their first ever endurance event and don’t know if they can do it on their own. My story is a little bit different.

I fell in love with running when I was quitting a 2-pack-a-day smoking habit. On April 1 five years ago, I was a heavy smoker and pretty sedentary. I started having serious problems dealing with stress driving home from work in the evening. I was quite a heavy smoker in the car and it helped me deal with the traffic. Absent the smoke, I didn’t know what to do until a friend suggested I try running.

I had no gear then, no running shoes and no technical clothes, just an old pair of Reeboks and some soccer shorts. That first run only lasted about 10 minutes and I was hurting. When I was done with it though a funny thing had happened; my stress was a little relieved.

The days went by and I kept smoke free and running. Soon I ran a 5K race and then a 10K race. Before I knew it I had registered for the 2006 Disney Marathon and was actively training for it. Of course, I met the injury monster for the first time. I hurt my hip and my knee and had to withdraw. It was a pretty serious downer and I stayed off running for four or five months.
And then I came back with a vengeance. Less than a year after my first injury I ran the Las Vegas Marathon in December of 2006. This was followed by the inaugural ING Georgia Marathon in 2007 and the Vermont City Marathon in Burlington just a few months later. Three marathons in no time at all - I was cruising for sure. I put my name in to the lottery for the NYC Marathon and the streak kept going as I got in.

And then….

You guessed it. The injury monster struck again; the left foot this time. This one was much worse too. I went into a walking boot in the fall of 2007 and stayed in it for week. I stayed out of running shoes for almost the first half of 2008. When I finally laced back up I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to do it again. Running had become such a part of my life and I couldn’t stomach not doing it again.

I ran the Big Peach Fall Five Miler in late 2008 and it was my test case. If I did okay I was going to give a half marathon a whirl. I was scared though. No doubt about it. For some reason I still don’t really know, I talked to the people manning the Team In Training booth and signed the sheet. Then I walked away and forgot about it.

I forgot about it, that is, until about two weeks later. I was sitting at my desk literally staring at the ING Georgia Marathon course when my phone rang. It was someone from the TNT office wondering if I was interested in signing up.

In that moment it all made sense. I wanted so bad to try a marathon again, but I was scared and didn’t know if I could do it. The idea of having a team behind me was so appealing, I agreed to sign up right then and there. The TNT office emailed me the paperwork and I faxed it back within the hour.

So I came to Team In Training looking for support, and looking for help getting back this thing that I loved, distance running. And boy did I find it. That 2009 ING Georgia Marathon team was amazing. The support, the friendship, the training plan – everything clicked together. I ran that race, two months shy of two years after my last marathon in a personal record and I got hooked on TNT.

I got hooked on the people and the cause. If you stick around TNT it won’t take long for the cause of finding a cure for blood cancers to become personal. So many survivors and families are part of the TNT family, and you make so many friends doing TNT that there really is no way it can’t become personal.

After finishing the ING Georgia Marathon, I almost immediately signed up for Marine Corps Marathon and ran that in 2009 as well with TNT. I was rewarded with amazing friendships and a pretty damn cool medal for that endeavor.

And now I am preparing to run the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Marathon as a mentor for Team In Training, trying to do my part to carry on the amazing support that Erin, my first mentor, and Ken, my second mentor gave me.

I’ll be back for more too. I might take some time off; I’ve fallen in love with trail running you see, and I want to try my hand at some ultra-marathons, but I will be back. Once the TNT bug bit me, there really is no doubt.

James Hervey is a two-time Team In Training alumnus and is now mentoring on the 2010 Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Marathon team. James is an avid blogger and you can visit his blog at http://thearcoftime.com/.

Demon Deacon and Doc Take on Tahoe by Jim Osterman

2010-04-02T06:53:00.000-07:00

With no children of his own and the desire to make a difference, Atlanta physician Richard Ellin reached out to Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Gwinnett County. In 1996, he became big brother to 7-year-old Aaron LaRue, who was being raised by his grandmother. While the average BBBS relationship is about five years, Richard and Aaron stayed close, even when the youngster moved to North Carolina.

“Richard is definitely part of my family,” said LaRue. “He was really a great influence. I always looked forward to a day we could do a bike ride together.”

Richard has done America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride with TNT several times, and was actually thinking about passing on the 2010 edition. But late last year Aaron, now a junior exercise physiology major at Wake Forest University and top high jumper on the Demon Deacons track team, told his big brother he wanted the two of them to do a cycling event together.

“When he said he wanted to join me on the ride I changed my plans,” Ellin said.

So while Richard is training with the Atlanta Team In Training cycling team, Aaron is putting his miles in with the Western North Carolina Team In Training chapter. “Demon Deacon and Doc” will take on the America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride at Lake Tahoe on June 6.

An avid cyclist for several years, Richard Ellin saw the opportunity to use his avocation to raise money to fight leukemia, lymphoma and other blood cancers. He joined Team In Training in 2004 and has ridden the America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride every year with the team since then. Check out team Demon Deacon and Doc's TNT web page here.

I Get It Now by John A. Dapper

2010-03-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

During my first Team in Training event, the 2000 edition of America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride around Lake Tahoe, I finished over 40 minutes ahead of every other participant of the Palm Beach chapter I was on. If I was an archer with my back to the target, and directing my arrow to the open blue yonder, I could not have been more off the mark.

It’s sad to say that my being obtuse about the real point of TNT did not start with the shallow glory of the strong finish on that Tahoe event day. Oh no, I missed the mark even from the beginning of the season. I showed up to the training sessions with just enough time to get myself ready. I would usually ride alone. When I returned to my car, I would not stay to enjoy post ride camaraderie with my team mates. Oh no, in fact, I usually just waved to the riders who were finishing their ride as I drove on home. To make matters worse, I did not attend any fund raising events nor honored hero parties. My loss.

It gets even worse. I’ll just lay it out quickly to get the self flogging over with. On event weekend, I did not take the team fight. I stayed in a different hotel than the team; consequently, I missed the team photo (probably fitting), I missed the team strategy meeting, and I missed the team starting time. I rode on my own. When I finished I went alone straight to my scheduled massage. Lastly, I did not stand with the early finishers to cheer in the later finishers (my biggest regret).

Before you amass the villagers to gather their torches, steel rakes and pitch forks to hunt me down (though I wouldn’t blame you if you stopped reading and began to gather the crowd), please read on. I do get it now. I had my George Bailly, “It’s a Wonderful Life” moment. That moment occurred in Seattle.

I stayed involved with TNT after the 2000 Tahoe trip doing two to three cycle events per year (clearly I wasn’t a completely daft as this was one of the best decisions I ever made). Worked moved me to Seattle where I joined the Washington/Alaska Chapter of TNT. There I joined the El Tour de Tucson team and met our honored hero, Patrick.

I didn’t know the roads in Seattle so I stayed with my fellow riders while we trained. I got to hear about Patrick while riding with his mother who was also on the team. I met Patrick at an Honored Hero function I agreed to attend. What a great kid. I remember that he was into Star War action figures and enjoyed playing with his brother. Having a child of my own, I could not imagine what it would be like to deal with such an uncertain future of one’s child. I was amazed by the apparent grace, courage and maturity with which Patrick dealt with his trial and tribulations, with his ups and his downs and at such a young age. I was as impressed with his family. Amazing people.

My “moment” finally occurred on one of the training rides while pedaling next to Patrick’s mother and hearing about challenges with Patrick’s health. It hit me, Team In Training is not about riding bikes, running marathons, competing in triathlons and adventure races or doing hikes. Not even close. Team In Training was about participants, coaches, LLS staff, and family supporters, all tied together by the purpose of raising funds to eradicate blood cancers and better the lives of our honored heros and the too many people they represent. The training and competing we do as part of the Team In Training family are the means to bond us together for the purpose of bettering the lives of others while serendipitously bettering our own (not the other way around as I had once thought). If I wasn’t on that training ride I would not have seen the light and I am now a much better person that I did.

I continued to ride with my teammates for the El Tour de Tucson. I got to know my fellow team mates. I joined them at post ride meals. I flew with them to the event. I stayed in the team hotel and I cheered in the last rider.

That moment has stuck with me. Work again moved me, this time to Atlanta. I joined the Team here. I was again poignantly reminded that the battle continues a few years after meeting Patrick when I received a note about his health turning for the worse and passing.
There is much, much more work still to be done...done together, as a Team.

Proud to be your teammate,
John

John Dapper is currently coaching the 2010 America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride team and has been involved with Team In Training in a number of roles including participant, mentor and now coach. John brings extensive experience from having participated with various chapters of Team In Training. John has a strong passion for the cause and a tremendous love of cycling.

Letter to the TEAM by Gretchen Owens

2010-02-19T07:25:00.000-08:00

To My Paris Marathon Teammates:

Today is a very special day for me and my family. Many of you know why my Dad and I are involved with TNT…and it all started 21 years ago today.

On February 17, 1989 my sister, Leslie, lost her valiant fight against leukemia. She was only sick 4 short months – diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in October 1988. When she was diagnosed, the doctors gave her a less than 4% chance of surviving. 4%. Pretty bleak odds. After several rounds of chemotherapy here at Piedmont Hospital, the doctors decided she needed more aggressive treatment in the form of a bone marrow transplant. My Mom, Dad, brother and I all got tested to see if were a match. I was secretly hoping and praying that I would be the one. Unfortunately, none of us was an exact match, but my Dad was the closest. At that time, there were no bone marrow databases like there are today. And, only a few hospitals would perform a non-matching transplant. The best hospital was said to be Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle. Mom, Dad and Leslie went there for the transplant in late January. After a few weeks of giving platelets and taking care of my sister, my Mom was getting very weak so I went to Seattle so that I could give my platelets. The radiation and chemo that Leslie was given in preparation for the transplant did incredible damage to her body. Things went from bad to worse and about a week after my arrival, Leslie died.

Fast forward 21 years. Today, there are cure rates upwards of 90% and for some even 100%. Bone marrow databases exist and people can be matched with strangers who are an exact match. So much progress has been made! And much of this progress is directly attributable to the funds raised by Team In Training.

I wanted to share this story with you as a reminder that what we do has and does make a difference…and will continue to make a difference until we find a cure. You are all heroes in my book and to those who are fighting leukemia today. It takes a special person to do something for the greater good. And personally, I want to say thank you for being a part of our team. It’s easy to get wrapped up with training, fundraising, and just day to day life and not focus on the reason we all are doing what we do. As you continue to work on your fundraising, don’t forget that EVERY dollar you raise is getting us one step closer to finding a cure. And, as you are running up the hill this weekend on Johnson’s Ferry thinking to yourself…man, this is one tough hill - remember why we do what we do….and that YOU are making a difference. I am so honored to be your Coach and a part of this great team!!

"The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen." ~ Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Gretchen Owens is a long-time Team In Training Georgia Chapter alumnus, mentor and coach. This season she is leading a team to France for the Marathon de Paris. The letter above was sent to her teammates on February 17, 2010. The accompanying photo shows Gretchen at the far right with some of her 2009 Kiawah Marathon teammates. Thank you Gretchen for sharing and reminding us all why we do what we do.

I'm A Triathlete by Natalie Conte

2010-02-17T13:04:00.000-08:00

A funny thing happened not long ago. I was ready to head out for lunch with three friends from the office and it was my turn to drive. As we walked to my car I started to justify why someone else would have to drive this time and I’d take the next turn. There wasn’t much to explain really.

I'm a Triathlete.

My friends and family understand now. My vehicle no longer has room for people. It's an outlandishly large gear bag. That day I happened to have my bike and all it's related gear tucked safely inside along with towels, swim gear, a random pair of running shoes, tissues, jacket, rain gear, Powerade, headbands and 3 extra layers of clothes in preparation for whatever weather condition may arise.
I imagine most triathletes have had a similar experience. Whether you consider yourself a triathlete or a triathlete-in-training, you likely can't go a day without your triathlon way of life sneaking into the rest of your lifestyle.

A typical morning in my home goes something like this: It’s early. The sun hasn’t come up yet. I stumble out of bed and immediately brush my teeth. Clothes are setting on the edge of the bathtub waiting for their workout. Change quickly. Pull hair back. Put on watch. Nevermind. I haven’t taken it off in at least 3 days. I never intend to wear it to bed but inevitably it remains. A quick roll-on of the deodorant and I’m off. It doesn’t take me too long to realize that wasn’t deodorant. It was Body Glide. But a little extra Body Glide never hurt anyone. Why?

I’m a Triathlete.

And thank goodness for triathlon friends. Only amongst friends can we speak so eloquently; “How was your brick? Did you bonk? Did you hear I DNF’d? She must have needed more Gu. It was a rough wave. Doing more Fartlek’s may have helped. Maybe he put the Yanks in wrong. She checked the crank right before she hit the wall. T1 was good till he ran into the Clydesdale. Her tube cracked. I told him to use the cooking spray. Let’s eat.”

This is a very selective community. Not just anyone can participate. Some people wouldn’t even dream of it. But anyone can tri.

I’m a Triathlete. And proud.

Natalie Conte has been a TNT alumni since joining the Disney Marathon team in 2003. She has since been a triathlon participant and mentor and is currently coaching the triathlon team for the 2010 St. Anthony's Triathlon.

Man of Iron

2010-02-09T12:26:00.000-08:00

An Atlantan turns a cancer diagnosis into a prescription for hope.

When Atlantan Mike Stashak discovered he had mid-stage Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2007, he had a choice—succumb to despair or cling to his sense of humor. He resolved to do the latter. “When you think about being pickled and microwaved during treatment, sometimes you just have to laugh at yourself,” the 37-year-old marketing consultant and entrepreneur says.

And so he kept a smile on his face throughout chemotherapy and radiation, despite the fact he had to give up his beloved sport of running during the grueling treatment process. Still, he never lost his passion for endurance sports, and in 2009—seven months after he finished chemotherapy—he got a sign it was time he got back in the saddle. “Two friends called me within five minutes of one another saying, ‘Let’s do the Augusta Half Ironman,’” Stashak says.

Though he’d barely resumed his running regimen, Stashak agreed, signing up to train for the race with Team in Training and raise funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Georgia Chapter. He says the entire training and racing experience was a hugely cathartic one. “I was training for a dream of mine, raising money for something I feel very strongly about and meeting tons of great people, all with their own set of stories and inspiration,” he says. “It was a great summer.”

Stashak raised a total of $5,800, and he’s now signed on to do the St. Anthony’s Olympic-Distance Triathlon this spring. His long-term goal? Stay in excellent shape and eventually raise $100,000 for cancer research. “I think I will be involved with Team in Training for a long time,” he says.

This article appears in the February issue of Competitor Southeast Magazine and is part of the Georgia Multisports Productions 2010 Race Program. Article is published here by permission of Competitor Group LLC.

Team In Training Georgia Chapter is currently recruiting for the Tri Latta Triathlon in Charlotte, NC on June 13, 2010 and the Chattanooga Waterfront Triathlon on july 11, 2010. Call the TNT Staff for more information, (404) 720-7842.

All About Family by Jim Osterman

2010-01-27T07:35:00.000-08:00

For Sasha Buzzetta it is all about family.

A few years ago her whole family – parents and their grown kids -- left upstate New York to move to Atlanta. This March she will be doing the ING Georgia Marathon – her first Team In Training event.

She is doing it in honor of her brother Phillip, who underwent treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma last year, and her Uncle Anthony, who recently lost his fight with colon cancer.

“There has been so much cancer in my family sometimes it has felt like there was nothing we could do,” she said.

She connected with TNT when she was approached about donating a massage -- she owns Ananda Massage in Buckhead – as a raffle prize for another TNT runner’s fundraiser. The more she heard about the program, and the work of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the more she saw an opportunity to do something about her family’s fight against cancer.

“There is a lot of it in our family history,” she said. “This is something I can do to make a difference.”

And while she is new to endurance-event training, her grounding as a licensed massage therapist has been an unexpected asset. She had been interested in the discipline since high school, attracted by the notion that mind, body and spirit needed to be in balance.

But it wasn’t until a couple of years ago when, like so many others in the corporate world, she was laid off that she rekindled her interest.

“I was looking for jobs like the one I had been laid off from and I didn’t feel good physically,” she said. “Then I had a dream of building a wellness center and wrote that down. The next day I saw an ad for massage schools and started looking into it. And I started feeling better.”

And one of the chance benefits of her new path was connecting to Team In Training, and much like the family move from New York several years ago, expect to see a passionate army of Buzzettas on ING event day.

“Everyone is so excited about this,” she said.

While the war with cancer is best joined using medicine and science, Sasha and the Buzzetta family remind us never to underestimate the restorative potential of a family’s love.

Want to support Sasha on the course of the ING Georgia Marathon? Come out and volunteer at the Team In Training water stop at mile 5. Call the TNT office, (404) 720-7842.

About the author, Jim Osterman and his wife, Carol, have been a part of the Team In Training family for years now. You can join him on the 2010 Rock 'n' Roll San Diego TEAM.

Hear My Footsteps by Tricia Hernandez

2010-01-26T08:52:00.000-08:00

So, I have been thinking...

...as I often do around New Year's about the year that has just passed and those before. I have been doing most of this thinking during my training runs in this freezing, damp weather. I know it is hard to take the plunge into a cold day for a heart pounding, even exhausting run or walk. But, we each do it for whatever reason drove us to Team In Training.

My partner of 19 years, Kelley, and I just celebrated our third Christmas with our beautiful son, Connor. I was entertained and awed by his level of excitement this year. When I asked him what he liked best about Christmas, he said "our tree". A tree he helped decorate for two hours and took great pride in. We all have these wonderful memories with family and friends this time of year.

As I thought about this during a training run the other night, tears came to my eyes. When I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 2002, I wasn't sure I would ever be celebrating Christmas with my three year old child. I realized what a gift it was to enjoy each moment with him, my family, my friends, and you.

I think about all of you as I run too. When I was training for Marine Corps last summer; my team was an important key to my success. Whether they were running beside me or waiting for me at the finish. I never felt alone. It's exactly the kind of support that not only let me survive cancer, but let me thrive enough to be running with you now.

I watched the link that Jenn sent to us about Ethan, from Survivor. It showed that he just got a call about his cancer in remission. I remember that moment vividly as I do the moment I was diagnosed. I was sitting in a room waiting to be called for my radiation treatment after seven long months of chemotherapy and radiation when the physician called me to his office. After reviewing my PET scan, the treatment was no longer necessary. I was in remission. I didn't have cancer anymore. That was six years ago.

It is because of every step you take that I survive; that others survive-your friends, your family members, your coworkers-whoever brought you to Team In Training. Please know that I am right there with you, thanking you, thrilled that you are taking every step.

Hear my footsteps next to yours when you can hardly pick up your feet. Hear my footsteps next to yours when you take that first step into the cold. Hear my footsteps next to you each time you have a doubt...You are my hero.

Tricia Hernandez is the Honored Hero for the 2010 Country Music Marathon & 1/2 Marathon TEAM. In the photo above, that's Tricia in the middle at the 2009 Marine Corps Marathon along with fellow alumnus, Elizabeth Lester and TNT coach, Barb Stinson.

An Alumni Challenge by Lori Rasmussen

2010-01-25T10:49:00.000-08:00

I've heard a few alumni saying, "If it weren't for the fundraising, I'd train for Team In Training events year 'round." I've had the same thoughts. My experiences with TNT have been so personally rewarding that sometimes it's easy to lose sight of the mission-to raise money and find a cure for blood cancers. Thanks to TNT, I am in the best shape of my life! I have a huge circle of new friends, and I never lack for something fun to do. This adventure started as a way for me to get in shape. Oh, and also to raise a little money to do some good. Yes, my goals really were that vague (and self-serving). After my first event, I thought, "No more fundraising for me. I will just keep running on my own." Then, about a year later, there was a great alumni deal for the San Antonio Rock and Roll Half-Marathon. I signed up and had another great event weekend. After that, I thought, "OK, once a year is reasonable for fundraising."

As I continued to train and raise money, I met some amazing people who have had blood cancer crash their lives; a friend's infant niece, a mother whose teenaged son battled this illness, a neighbor who had it in college, and a young woman who is a survivor and runs with the team today. Then, I started remembering folks I knew in my past; my godparent's daughter, my elementary school classmate, and my middle-school English teacher. So, I signed up for the Nike Women's Half-Marathon. During that race, I ran up Inspiration Hill and saw sign after sign of survivors, honored heroes, and folks who didn't make it. Something clicked.

This isn't about fitness for me anymore! It's profoundly personal. These people I am "helping" aren't out there "somewhere." These are people I know-people I love-they are family. And you do whatever it takes to help family.

So, what does this mean for those of us who aren't independently wealthy, or linked into a huge corporate donating machine? It means hard work. It means yet another uncomfortable quest to hit up friends and family for money. It means getting creative-thinking of new projects and ways to earn money. It may also mean finding other ways to help-donating blood or platelets, signing up for the bone marrow registry, or volunteering to speak at recruitment events. For me it means staying involved.

I am thankful to TNT for giving us a vehicle to raise money where it does so much good. And raising money IS the main deal. I believe I am joining hands with all of the rest of the TNT Alumni and we are making a difference. I hope you'll do the same.

Lori Rasmussen has been an enthusiastic TNT participant since 2007. She has participated in three half-marathons and is currently planning to attempt her first full marathon with TNT at the Country Music Marathon TEAM.

Team In Training Georgia Chapter is now recruiting for the Summer 2010 Season. Contact the TNT staff for details, (404) 720-7842.

Riding with Flat Carol by Jim Osterman

2010-01-22T08:13:00.001-08:00

Brand names are wonderful creations, but we usually don’t imbue great expectations on them. I am not surprised to see five male musicians if I go see Barenaked Ladies in concert.

In my time with Team In Training I do not habitually ponder the word “team”. Thank goodness for people like Debbie Buckland.

Last year she was training for her second go at America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride, a 100-mile excursion around Lake Tahoe and a staple for TNT cyclists. On her team was my wife, Carol.

The event is in early June, but the team had been preparing since February. That meant they peddled in freezing cold, heat & humidity, pouring rain – just about everything but snow.

And when you ride through all weathers with people you start to get close through shared experience/fatigue. But you never know how close.

May 12, a few weeks before the event Carol was diagnosed with a brain tumor. If you know her you would not be surprised that, after the neurosurgeon explained how he would remove the tumor, she asked how that would affect her when she did her century bike ride.

But inside she knew her season would end in the operating room and not Lake Tahoe. Her team would have to go without her. Wouldn’t they?

“She had worked so hard -- it wasn’t fair,” Buckland said. “Then I started thinking – just because Carol couldn’t go didn’t mean she had to be left out.”

She secured a headshot of Carol, increased it to life size, laminated it and mounted it on a stick. If real Carol was not going, Flat Carol was.

“Flat Carol was in my carryon bag for the first leg of our trip,” Buckland explained. “But when we got to Houston to change planes I got everybody together for a group picture and Flat Carol came out to be in the pictures. People in the airport starting coming up to ask us what was up.”

Flat Carol was a fixture at virtually every stop the team made from that point – the plane to Sacramento, the bus to Tahoe, bike pick up, packet pick up, the inspiration dinner, the victory party – she was ubiquitous.

She also made the ride, attached to Buckland’s bike but scandalously sans helmet.

Back home Buckland used a software program and created a hardback photo book about Flat Carol’s escapades. The book was given to real Carol at the reunion, along with a certificate for having “the best excuse for missing an event….brain tumor.”

It is that kind of caring and effort that serves as an ample reminder why the word “team” comes first in TNT.

"I kept telling them that I was with them in spirit the whole ride and that the day of the ride I thought of them all day," Carol said. "When they started, as they were climbing the big hills, when they were finishing. And it moved me so much when I found out that they actually took me with them. And I'm looking forward to being there in 3-D this year."

Real Carol has recovered from having the tumor removed and will indeed be back this year with the Tahoe team to ride her century, but Flat Carol has retired. Fear not -- Buckland said the 2010 squad would likely have another two-dimensional team member.

And Buckland assuredly knows what a team truly is made of.

[Note – Last October at the Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco I fell in step with a woman from Minnesota, like me a TNT runner. As we ran out of Golden Gate Park we swapped stories of other TNT events we had done and she mentioned she did Tahoe the previous June. I told her what Buckland had done and she yelled: “I KNOW FLAT CAROL!” The world can be strikingly small some days. – J.O.]

Accomplished and veteran Team In Training alumni, Debbie Buckland and Carol Osterman are both set to ride in the 2010 America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride. TNT'er extraordinaire and author of this blog entry, Jim Osterman is training and fundraising for the 2010 Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon. Check out Jim's blog and be sure to give him a big "Hell Yeah!"

Team In Training Georgia Chapter is now recruiting for the America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride at Lake Tahoe on June 6th. Contact the TNT staff for details, (404) 720-7842.

Let's Rock San Diego Together by Sally Last

2010-01-21T11:24:00.000-08:00

The recent spurt of nice weather has gotten me thinking about how great of a summer marathon season Team In Training has in store. Can you imagine starting training with a little nip in the air, enjoying some great spring runs, and then getting in your long runs before the hot and humid Atlanta summer arrives? Add to that a great trip to San Diego and a super low fundraising minimum and you can probably see why I’m getting so excited.

I know that many of you were excited when TNT added the Seattle Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon to its lineup last year. This summer doesn’t bring any new races, but the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon is going through so many changes that it will practically feel like a new race. Now is the perfect time to make a return trip to San Diego or check another location off your list. There’s a brand new course this year that provides great ocean views on your way to the finish at Sea World. This year they’re opening up the half marathon to all participants, so it’s bound to draw a huge crowd. Of course you can also expect the great race organization, music, and fan support that’s present at all Rock ‘n’ Roll races.

Ok, now that I’ve covered how great the race is going to be, it’s time to talk about the topic that’s likely on your mind…fundraising. I know that many of you are afraid to ask your friends and family for money again. Luckily, since this is the first year that the RnR San Diego is a benefit race for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the TNT folks are running an awesome deal. The fundraising minimum is only $2,900, which is unheard of for a West Coast event! The San Diego training season is 127 days (yes, I actually counted), which means that if you raise about $20 per day, you’ll hit your minimum and be on your way to crossing the finish line in San Diego. As the captain of the team I’m already working with our great group of mentors to plan some team fundraisers to provide an extra boost to your fundraising efforts, so $2,900 is definitely do-able for everyone. I know that times are tough for everyone, but people are still giving. I did three consecutive events and was amazed by how willing people were to give to me.

If you’re still unsure, I ask you to think about why you initially came to TNT and what you took from the experience. Many of you came to TNT with a personal honored hero and you’re well aware that our fight isn’t over yet. On the other hand, there are lots of us (including myself) who joined without a personal tie to the organization, but have since been touched by others who have been affected by the disease. Regardless of why you joined, I ask you to think about how your involvement has benefited LLS and the TNT community. As first-time participants join the team, it is truly beneficial for them to see alumni like you who have not only successfully trained and fundraised, but who also embody the true sense of community that we have. For me TNT is about continuing the mission of LLS while growing personally through my training and fundraising efforts and the amazing people that I encounter. Each marathon has been a unique experience for me and I’ve greatly valued each of them. Even if you’ve done one (or many) marathons before or if you’ve done a different sport, being a member of the San Diego team will be a new and rewarding experience for you.

Several TNT alumni have already signed up to Rock San Diego, so why don’t you be the next to sign up? It’s looking to be a great season and I hope to see you out on the roads.

Sally Last signed up for her first event with Team In Training almost two years ago and has been hooked ever since. She has run the Nike Women's Marathon twice and the ING Georgia Marathon once and has served as a mentor during two of those races. This summer she'll be captaining the team headed to the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon & 1/2.

Team In Training Georgia Chapter is now recruiting for the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon & 1/2 on June 6th and the Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Marathon & 1/2 on June 26th. Contact the TNT staff for details, (404) 720-7842.

TRI Something New by Joanna Berentsen

2010-01-20T08:19:00.000-08:00

Hey TNT Alums!

We’re heading into another AWESOME summer season, and I wanted to throw an idea out to you: TRI something new. That’s right. No spell check necessary. TRI something new!!!

So, you’ve done 1-20 events with Team In Training, but they’ve been all marathons. Or a marathon and a cycle event. Or a marathon and a hike. Or a marathon and an adventure race. But what about a TRI??? Have you ever thought about it?

Yes, Jo, I’ve thought about it, but there are tons of obstacles!

Oh yeah, like what?

Well, I’d have to buy a bike!

While it’s true that a bike is a necessary piece of equipment to complete a tri, you don’t need to have one at the beginning of the season. In fact, we recommend that you don’t go out and buy something! Come to training, meet your team, meet your coaches…and then get introduced to the crazy tri community: a community of folks who have entry level bikes that they are interested in selling, so that they can upgrade to the next greatest thing. You’ll end up with a great bike that can fit any budget.

Okay, so I can get a solid used bike…but I just don’t know if I can get folks to donate again.

As Colonel Potter from the hit TV series M.A.S.H. used to say, “Horsepucky. “ While I recognize that I just severely dated myself, I am willing to take the hit to my ego to make the point. You CAN get people to donate again. Each year I have fundraised for Team In Training has been better than the last. Your donors will see a sense of commitment and consistency from you. And if you’re TRI-ing something new, they’ll be intrigued about your new journey. They want to help you reach your newest and greatest goals.

In addition, while the media likes to tell us about these ‘tough economic times,’ Americans are saving more money now that when the market was booming. And they still want to make a difference in the lives of others. They have it to give. All you have to do is ask…and let them join your journey to find a cure for cancer and have an impact on the lives of others.

Right. I get it. Fundraise early and often, send out letters and emails. Hold events. It’s all doable. But…then there’s the swim…

Ah, the swim. Let’s talk about the swim. Many of you know that I just learned to swim last year. That’s right. As you may know, I almost drown twice (that’s right…once wasn’t enough for me) as a kid. I have been terrified of water my entire life. So last year, to honor my 35th birthday, I promised myself that I wouldn’t be held back by my fears. I joined the tri team…and I learned how to swim. Now, we’ll use the word ‘swim’ loosely in this context, but the point is, I successfully completed three tris last year (and got 4th place in my final tri of the season)…and I made it through the swim due to the excellent coaching provided by Team In Training.

So what’s left? Oh yeah…you need to make the decision to sign up for the Summer season. You’ll have an awesome coaching staff (Lee Amlicke, Sarah Hackler and myself…but don’t worry…Sarah’s teaching you to swim), an amazing team, a fantastic event, a miraculous honored hero (no joke), and you’ll have given yourself and your support community the opportunity to contribute to the fight against cancer. Together, we can all make a difference…just by TRI-ing something new.

Team In Training Georgia Chapter is now recruiting for the Tri Latta in North Carolina on June 13th and the Chattanooga Waterfront Triathlon in Tennessee on July 11th. Contact the TNT staff for details, (404) 720-7842.

Georgia Tech Students Running to Make a Difference

2010-01-19T12:40:00.000-08:00

Todd Schmidt and Justin Levine may seem like your typical college students. Todd, a senior and Justin, a junior at Georgia Tech, enjoy sports, traveling and hanging out with their friends.

Oh, and they are also helping cure cancer.

Todd, Justin and about forty of their college friends have signed up for Team In Training (TNT) ; a program benefiting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. As part of TNT, the participants are trained by expert coaches and staff to complete the Charles Harris 10K Run for Leukemia in February or the ING Georgia Marathon in March. In return, the team hopes to raise $20,000 to fight blood cancer.

“I do it because I think it’s a good way for students to give back,” says Todd. “I had a friend who was diagnosed with leukemia while we were in high school and it really hits home. Blood cancer can really hit people our age so it’s easy to raise money for something that affects so many people.”

And this isn’t the first time Todd has taken part in Team In Training. Taking the lead from his parents who have done the program many times, Todd first signed up three years ago. He gathered a few of his friends to also join him that year and eight of them finished their event. Last year, when Justin signed on to help lead the team, the event—and their impact--- grew. In the first two years combined they have raised $19,000 for the cause.

This year, with even more people on board, they are determined to reach that $20,000 mark. “I’ve kind of become addicted to it,” says Todd. “It’s easy to do because it’s just such a great opportunity to make a difference.”

“It's especially important to me that we recruit more participants each year, and ultimately raise more money,” Justin says. “Team In Training can never be just about me or Todd, the goal is to make TNT a fixture among Tech students for years long after we're gone. I think students are always looking for some sort of challenge but won't actively pursue something like Team In Training. Hopefully what we've done is opened the door for Team In Training at Tech and provided that opportunity. Next year should be even bigger.”

If you'd like to support Justin, Todd and the other Georgia Tech students in their pursuit of raising funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, please go to http://pages.teamintraining.org/ga/Georgia10/GeorgiaTech

Four local men embark on world’s toughest endurance event for LLS

2010-01-15T14:51:00.000-08:00

Once is not enough! After cycling across country last year—a feat that took them more than seven days—four local men are training for yet another cross country race in 2010. The men----Dave Armento, Frank Fuerst, Tony Myers and Jerome Rossetti—are gearing up for the event, Race Across America (RAAM), this spring. This will be Frank’s first time participating in the event since an injury last year forced rider David Dowdakin to take his place.

The race, which begins in Oceanside, California and ends in Annapolis, Maryland, has been named the world’s toughest endurance athletic event by Outside Magazine.

Known as the Georgia Chain Gang, the team used the event to raise more than $82,000 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma S ociety (LL S) in 2009. But this year, their goal is to more than double that amount —they plan to raise $200,000 to benefit LLS.

The average age of the four Atlanta men is the fifties so they will be entered in the 50-59 age bracket. In addition, their crew members, who volunteer their time to travel and assist the team, will also raise a minimum of $4,000 each for the cause. Two crew members have already been named: multiple Team In Training cycling participant Jane Eastham and Warren Bruno. Bruno, owner of Atkins Park restaurant in Atlanta, is currently undergoing treatment for a Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

The RAAM route climbs more than 100,000 feet and runs through16 states as teams ride in rotating shifts 24 hours a day. In 2009, supported by a team of ten crew members, the group was forced to finish the race as a three person team. Dave Armento suffered an injury on the course on June 25th and did not finish the race with the team. Even so, the riders and crew were overcome with emotions when they finished the race. “For riders this will undoubtedly be one of the greatest achievements of their lives, something they will never forget. For our crew it was an incredible experience as well, nothing like anything any of us have ever done. We won't ever forget it either,” they said.

The four men are all avid endurance athletes—having completed marathons, Ironman triathlons and long-distance cycling events. The men are training inside about 16-20 hours per week and doing multiple 60-100-mile rides outside on the weekends.

They were all looking forward to the challenge and adventure of the race but, with a goal of raising money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, they saw the event as a way to also raise awareness for blood cancers--- a disease that now affects nearly 900,000 Americans. Cyclist Dave Armento lost a sister, uncle and father-in-law to leukemia. “I am looking forward to the ride itself again this year but I am also looking forward to making a difference,” he says. “Research has come a long way in treating blood cancers—there are now 85% success rates---so hopefully we can help raise awareness and success rates even higher.”

Learn more about the Georgia Chain Gang at http://www.gachaingang.org/
Follow the Georgia Chain Gang at www.facebook.com/gachaingang or www.twitter.com/gachaingang
Learn more about Race Across America at http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/
View pictures of the 2009 RAAM: http://picasaweb.google.com/georgiachaingang4

Donate to the Georgia Chain Gang in support of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society at http://pages.teamintraining.org/ga/raceacro10/GeorgiaChainGang

Life is an Adventure - and a Challenge! by Curtis J. Hertwig

2010-01-13T07:46:00.000-08:00

One of the most difficult questions I’ve ever been asked is “What is an Adventure Race?” The question is difficult, not because I don’t know the answer. It’s difficult because the full explanation transcends words. An Adventure Race with Team In Training is not just competing in an endurance sport event. It’s not just gaining awareness of and doing a lot to fight cancer. An Adventure Race requires relying on others to complete the event—and allowing others to rely upon you.

Adventure Races are usually set up in 2- or 3-person teams and the Adventure Race in which we will be competing this summer cannot be completed without your team. You and your teammates will succeed because of each other. Unlike running a marathon or completing a Century bike ride, you cannot complete the race without your teammates. How else will you get over an 8’ wall covered with soap?

Another reason the question is so difficult to answer is that each Adventure Race tries—excuse me—prides itself on being different from every other Adventure Race. Not only that but they make it a point to change things up from their own event last year. Last year the Team In Training Adventure Race team competed in the Siege At Fort Yargo. That race required using a map and compass to find as many control points (numbered flags) as possible within 5 hours. There were no obstacles (or in Adventure Race speak “special tests”) involved in the course.

This year we will be competing in the Greenway Adventure Challenge. In the Greenway race, there are no control points to find. However, you have not completed the race until you have completed every obstacle along with your team within Team In Training.

Adventure Races usually involve canoeing, biking, and trekking. It’s definitely done in a non-urban environment. Another aspect that sets Adventure Racers apart is their willingness to enter into an event with a flexible mindset. When you compete in any other sport with Team In Training, you know exactly how far you will have to go. You will have a carefully prescribed route and you will perform in a carefully rehearsed fashion.

With an Adventure Race, you won’t find out what your route is or the obstacles involved until race day or the day before. Unlike a triathlon, where you know you will swim this distance, bike this route, and then run; in an Adventure Race you don’t know which one you will do first. They usually split the participants into thirds and have 1/3 start on the bike, etc.

So, I’d like to ask you:

Do you feel alive when you fly by the seat of your pants?

Do you enjoy those team-building exercises at work? Like falling backwards and hoping your partner will catch you before you hit the ground?

Would you like to get some exercise while making a serious impact in the fight against blood cancers?

Then welcome to the Team!

Curtis is an active grandfather who has completed six TNT events. He has earned the Triple Crown, is a Georgia Rock Star, and has mentored for the cycling team. In the 2010 Summer Season, he will be the assistant coach for the Team In Training Adventure Race team and will be returning to the first TNT event he ever did—America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride at Lake Tahoe. His cousin, Sid Boutwell, traveled to Thailand in search of relief from Leukemia. Curtis races in his memory.

Team In Training Georgia Chapter is now recruiting for the Greenway Adventure Race in Chattanooga, TN on May 8th, 2010. Contact the TNT staff for details, (404) 720-7842.

Mallory's Celebrating 7 Years as a Survivor by Lori Rasmussen

2010-01-08T09:53:00.000-08:00

I think Mallory Chandler is pretty awesome. Anyone who knows me is probably rolling their eyes and thinking, “Lori, you think most everyone is awesome.” You’re right! I do! But let me tell you a little more and let’s see if maybe you agree with me.

Mallory is planning to run her first full marathon in April of this year. She is training with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training group and trying to raise $2000 to help fight blood cancer. Even more spectacular is the date of this particular event. You see, Mallory is running The Country Music Marathon in Nashville Tennessee to help raise money to fight blood cancer on the 7th anniversary of completing chemotherapy for leukemia.

At 24, Mallory has faced more obstacles, and encountered more sadness than people twice her age. She’s suffered pain, fear, anger, and sadness as she battled leukemia. She made friends with fellow patients and watched them die. She’s wondered, “why me?” and yet lived on. As a parent of kids close to her age, I wept thinking of her parents watching their “baby” face such big things. There is a lot to her story…details she can tell you that make you laugh and cry within seconds. I can’t even begin to do justice to it, but I can say this—she is amazing and she is awesome!

Before being diagnosed with leukemia, she ran on the cross country team. She was pretty decent too—fast enough to be on the varsity team as a freshman! Running today can be disappointing to her. She doesn’t have her speed any more. That makes it hard to get out there and run. But she keeps going and is making good things happen from the bad. When I asked her why she ran, she didn’t sugar coat it: “I run because I can. And I run for my friends who didn’t make it.”

So, maybe I overdo it with my use of superlatives such as amazing and awesome, but once in awhile, I meet someone who is all those things and more. I think Mallory is one of those people.
Run on, Mallory. You are making things happen!

Support Mallory as she trains for the Country Music Marathon: http://pages.teamintraining.org/ga/cmc10/mchandler

Lori Rasmussen has been an enthusiastic TNT participant since 2007. She has participated in three half-marathons and is currently planning to attempt her first full marathon with TNT at the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon TEAM.

A Look Back at the 2009 Nike Women's Marathon by Bonnie Gartley

2009-12-29T13:59:00.000-08:00

From the moment we all started meeting each other something special happened. The journey started on a beautiful spring day in May. We met our team honored hero Kate, our coach, staff, teammates, and mentors. We snapped our first team picture and we were off. October seemed so far away. Five months away to be exact. Who knew what we were in store for.

We ran, a lot, we laughed, and shared, sometimes a little too much… We became a family. We rallied around teammates who had surgery for cancer, and those who lost to cancer. We learned what to eat (carbs are your friend), proper form, breathing, how to prevent injuries, that shoes are important, and “cotton is rotten!” And since it was summer in Atlanta we sweated. Boy did we ever sweat! Our fabulous co-captains looked out for us with fun raffles, bagel crack, I mean bagel chips (I highly recommend the cinnamon sugar ones, although the plain ones are pretty darn tasty too!), and post run tailgates. One teammate convinced us all that we loved bacon, and another hung around until everyone returned with a smile, a hug, and a big hell yeah. Before we knew it we were running our last long run of 20 or 12 miles. It was an adventure with three different courses right after the great flood. And then October arrived. “The hay is in the barn,” we were told. “Don’t do anything new on race day.” It was time to decorate our fabulous TNT singlets, and pack our team shirts. With the help of our fabulous staff coordinator we all made it on the plane.

We were little balls of energy the whole plane ride. No one sat through the whole flight. There were plans for In and Out burgers, sight seeing, trips to the expo to pick up our race packets, and so much more. Oh, and there was a race for us to run too. A race with amazing views of the bay, piers that smelled of sourdough bread as we ran past, ocean views, and a park that smelled like eucalyptus. We went over the hills of San Francisco, down a cliff, along the great highway, and around a lake. And at the end of it all were firemen in tuxedos holding silver platters stacked with little blue boxes!

In the end it wasn’t just a race. It was a chance to do something great for others while doing something I love. And along the road I discovered my new “family.” So here’s to a great five months full of friends, fun, bacon, bagel crack, and a whole bunch of Hell Yeah. Can’t wait for the next one!

Thanks Bonnie for your guest blog entry! We are glad you shared your TNT experience. You can also follow Bonnie on her blog at The Running Violinist. Check out this video compiled by Bonnie:

Coach Jo's Rants #3: I Love Frozen Peas

2009-12-23T13:01:00.000-08:00

I love frozen peas. When I was a kid, I used to ask my mom if I could just eat them that way. She’d cook the heck out of them, and I couldn’t stand their consistency. My sister and I would have contests at dinner to see who could hide more of her peas. She’d mix them in to her mashed potatoes. I’d take a mouthful of peas, then a gulp of milk….and then I’d spit all the peas into my milk glass (we must have drank whole milk, because you couldn’t see the peas through the milk). I’d win.

In high school, I had what was known as a ‘Zero Period’ class. It met from 6:55 am to 7:45 am. And it was Calculus (we had some mean administrators, let me tell you). Anyhow, being a teenager, I never woke up in time to have breakfast before going to Zero Period. I’d roll out of bed at the last possible second and race to the school in my ’69 Camaro Berlinetta (thanks, dad!), all the while wondering if I’d done my homework on derivatives correctly. I’d plop down in class with my travel mug of coffee and my Ziploc bag filled with….you guessed it….frozen peas. People would look at me funny (including the teacher), but I didn’t care. Frozen peas are brain food, I tell ya!

It wasn’t until much later in life….like 15 years later…that I learned of yet another fantastic use of frozen peas (which I’m sure you all know…). You can use them instead of ice when icing an injury. I was reminded of this application late last week. Here’s the story:

Last Wednesday, I was in a minor fender bender. Don’t get concerned…I’m fine! I was driving on a two lane road, and a woman was making a right turn out of a parking lot onto the road. She made one hell of a wide right turn. Right into my driver side rear bumper!!! It jarred my car hard enough that I shouted a few choice expletives before stopping the car to inspect the damage. I pulled over, set my e-brake, and got out of the car. Here’s the kicker…the woman who hit me kept driving!!! I was (LIVID, FURIOUS, INCREDULOUS) quite upset by this behavior, and in the most adult manner possible, I stomped around my car, flailing my arms wildly in an attempt to get noticed by her so that she would stop.

She did. Eventually. About thirty feet away, facing the opposite direction so that she could make a quick get away. When she exited her mini-van, she put her hands on her hips and shouted (she had to shout because she was THIRTY FEET AWAY), “I mean…is there even any damage?” She sounded exasperated. (SHE sounded exasperated? She didn’t know the first thing about exasperated. Short-tempered. Furious.) I (not so) casually shouted back, “Have you even looked at your car?” At this point, she strolled to the front of her vehicle and glanced at her front bumper. Her response, “I mean…the bumper is separated, but I’ll just get that fixed….Are you okay?”
Am I okay. Am I okay? (LIVID. FURIOUS. INCREDULOUS. She was going to just drive away. She was going to HIT someone and just drive away!) Am I okay? As best I could tell, physically, I was a little shaken up, maybe somewhat jarred. Emotionally, my very short-temper was about to burst into flames. Knowing that restraint is not my strong suit, I SHOUTED back, “Thanks for asking.” (The Italics are used to emphasize the not-so-nice-ness of my tone.) At that point, I stomped back into my car and drove away. I was afraid that if I stayed there one second longer, I might have punched her.

Okay, so you’re thinking, “Nice rant, Jo.” It has a point. I swear. (My sister always appreciates when my stories have points. It’s rarer than you’d think.) When I got home that night, my back was twingy. (This might have had something to do with the fact that, after the incident, I went and ran for 6 miles. I know, I know. Bad idea. But here’s the skinny. For the last five years, whenever I’ve had a problem, I’ve gone on a run. Team In Training taught me to do that. Of course, I run best when I’m angry. And I had a great run that night.) As I was getting cleaned up and thinking about scheduling a massage, I remembered the bag of frozen peas that I had in my freezer. I think I actually bought them about three years ago. To eat. Frozen. But since that time, they have served a much greater purpose of icing a multitude of twinges, whether from runs, bike rides or minor fender benders. I sat on the couch, with the peas pressed against my back and thought, “I love frozen peas.”

Running is Like Soup by Julie Wolfe

2009-12-18T06:59:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, you just have to let things simmer, and they turn out awesome. This was one of those weeks.

I’ve been struggling on sticking to the Team in Training schedule. I just came off running a great half marathon. I feel strong. I feel fast. Sticking to the low mileage at the beginning of the ING training has been hard. Our coach, Barb Stinson, sent out an e-mail warning against pushing too hard: “Just because you CAN, doesn’t mean you SHOULD.” I have a clear running goal: finish the ING Georgia marathon in under four hours (the bigger goal: raise money to help find a cure). I’ve tried (and failed) in the past to run a sub-four marathon. I tried it my way, it didn’t work. Now, I’m trying it this way. And this week, something just clicked.

I’m feeling so good on my runs, so strong. I know things will get a lot harder, but I have a good feeling I’ve hit my stride for training (and found some great TNT runners at my pace to keep me company!).

I’m using my new motto “Running is like soup” to keep me on track (thanks, Barb for these tips)!

To read the rest of Julie's story, visit 11Alive.com. Julie Wolfe, backpack reporter for 11Alive News, is training and fundraising with the Team In Training ING Georgia Marathon team. Follow along as Julie blogs and tweets about her TNT experience. Copyright 2009 11Alive/WXIA-TV

$1 Billion for Charity! Endurance athletes cross major fundraising milestone!

2009-12-16T10:56:00.000-08:00

Great news today from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's home office in White Plains, NY!!

Team In Training (TNT), The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) groundbreaking charity sports training program, has reached a remarkable milestone of raising $1 billion to support blood cancer research and patient services.

For more than 21 years, TNT has been the pre-eminent charity endurance sports training program, preparing amateurs and seasoned athletes to complete a marathon, half marathon, triathlon, 100-mile century cycle ride or hike adventure. Through the program’s expert coaching and support, more than 420,000 people have experienced the exhilaration of embracing and achieving a major athletic feat. The enormous success of TNT has made possible advances in blood cancer research, helping to find better therapies and treatments that have prolonged and enhanced the lives of hundreds of thousands of patients.

TNT began in 1988, when Bruce Cleland, a Westchester County, NY, businessman, spurred on a group of 38 to train for the New York City Marathon while they raised money for leukemia research in response to his own young daughter’s diagnosis with the disease. Cleland enlisted friend and Olympian Rod Dixon to train them. That first team raised $320,000 for LLS; and so a movement was born.

“I had been supporting LLS, organizing galas and other events like that, but I wanted to do more – something different. And then it occurred to me: let’s bring a group of non-athletes together, train them, and run a marathon together for the cause,” recalled Cleland. “Who would ever have thought, way back in 1988, that this program would have grown into the force that it is today? I am so awed at all the effort that has gone into the program, by LLS and the TNT staff, by the 420,000 participants, and of course by all the extraordinarily generous donors.”

The idea quickly began to catch on with other chapters, and during the 1990s, walk, cycle and triathlon were added to the mix. Spectators at the events quickly began to recognize the signature purple jersey worn proudly by TNT participants. The advent of online fundraising has also helped the program grow.

TNT continues to provide high caliber training by certified coaches and participants have the camaraderie of a group of supportive teammates while they train. In addition to weekly training sessions TNT offers clinics on nutrition, equipment, injury prevention and safety.

Among the more than 200 national and local events TNT participants can attend, the program has increasingly been adding more co-branded events to its roster, including The Nike Women’s Marathon to Benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; the Nation’s Triathlon to Benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; the Women’s Running Magazine Women’s Half Marathon and 5K to Benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Marathon & ½ to Benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

“TNT helps participants realize their dream of taking on the most challenging of athletic events while raising money to conquer blood cancers,” said LLS President and CEO John Walter. “There can be no denying the influence TNT has had on the world of endurance sports, granting everyday athletes access to venues that were once only the realm of the sports elite. And TNT has been the big engine driving LLS’s progress, enabling the expansion of our research and patient services initiatives.”

TNT is currently recruiting for its summer season, which includes the and Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Marathon & ½ to Benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride in Lake Tahoe and the Mayor’s Marathon in Anchorage, AK. To learn more visit www.teamintraining.org or call 1.800.482-TEAM.

Coach Jo’s Rant #2: Principles of Dating (a Parody of the Coaches Clinic)

2009-12-09T07:35:00.000-08:00

All the Single Ladies (all the Single Ladies)! Put your hands up!

Lord knows there are lots of us single ladies in the Team In Training program. And as we spend time at the beginning of each season talking about training, I thought it would be apropos to spend some time relating the principles of training to the world of dating.

Dating Etiquette/Safety: When preparing to go on a date, make sure you have both the rules of etiquette and safety under control. For instance, just like when you go running, don’t wear headphones on your date. You want to be attentive to what is happening on the date. That’s hard to do if you’re rocking out to some TSwift or Party in the USA. Also, make sure you have a safety plan. Akin to the TNT Hotline, make sure you have your own dating hotline. Call a girlfriend to let her know where you’re going, who you’re meeting and what time you plan to return home. Tell her you’ll call or text her when you get there, so that she knows your safe.

Stretching: Just like on your training runs, it’s a good idea to stretch before a date. You want to be relaxed and ready to enjoy your entertaining evening.

Dating Specifics: The purpose of dating is to find a person with whom you may want to spend extensive time with. In order to do that, you need to follow a dating schedule. This is not as specific as your TNT training schedule…in fact, it’s slightly more challenging. You have to GET OUT THERE. Make sure you are scheduling dates at least twice a week. Do not be concerned with how long each date lasts…it’s not the length of the date that matters, it’s the quality. On your date, you want to keep your heart rate at 60-70% of its maximum. (Interpret that as you wish…ahem.) Remember to dress appropriately. You must be careful to neither under-dress nor over-dress. Don’t forget to keep your toe nails trimmed. And remember, your REST day is as important as your Date Nights.

Nutrition: Nothing new on Date Night! Do NOT try food you haven’t tried before…what if it doesn’t sit well in your stomach? You certainly don’t want intestinal upset to interrupt your magical encounter. You should eat a good, full meal. Don’t pretend that you aren’t hungry in front of a new man. We run as much as we do so we can EAT. Do it!

Injuries: So you went on a FANTASTIC date, and he hasn’t called. What do you do? When it comes to potential injuries (including heartbreak), remember that LESS IS MORE. You can seek the advice of your injury support team (read: other TNT girlfriends). They will provide you with endless support, a good venting run and probably some Ellwood’s after.

Coach Jo's Rants #1

2009-12-02T07:43:00.000-08:00

Do you watch that new TV show Glee? It’s right up my alley. Dorky kids, the outcasts of the high school, singing their hearts out under the direction of one VERY hot teacher. Sounds like my high school experience…minus the hot teacher, that is. I was in the high school choir, the girls’ barbershop quartet and the National Honor Society. I never hung with the popular kids, unless they wanted help with their homework or something. I was valedictorian of my high school, aka Nerd Extraordinaire.

On top of all of that, I was a dork. No kidding. I thought derivatives, and the ability to work them, were cool. I enjoyed having study groups on Friday nights (you know, with all the other dorks), as we prepared for our AP exams. …and I wondered why the only dances I went to were the Sadie Hawkins dances (where the girl asks the guy)…

I know some of you out there are saying, “Well, Jo, not much has changed.” And I guess some of you are right. I am still a dork. But the difference is that now, as an adult, I don’t care what other people think like I did when I was in high school. And I owe that attitude to Team In Training.

When I started with Team In Training, I lacked self-confidence…and I was terrified of the possibility of failing. But after the first few weeks, I realized I had nothing of which to be scared. The people involved in the community of Team In Training exude hospitality. I was SO excited about the possibility of not only becoming an athlete, but also of becoming a good athlete, that I almost immediately starting asking about how I could become faster, better, stronger. My coach and team mentors just smiled and nodded: I had caught the bug. But the bug wasn’t necessarily about being an athlete. It was about being accepted. And I was.

That’s one of the reasons I love Team In Training so much: everybody fits. Sure, I’m still a dork. But I’m happy to be a dork if it means finding a cure for cancer.

Next week: Rant on Dating v. Training

King Loses Father to Cancer then Fights-and Swims, Bikes and Runs-to Help Find a Cure!

2009-11-20T07:54:00.000-08:00

In 1989, when he was just 23 years old, Michael King got a call everyone dreads. His mother, living in Connecticut, called Michael in San Diego. "Your father has cancer. It's leukemia." Not knowing very much about the disease and without the help of the internet, Michael didn't know how serious it was until a co-worker asked him what stage of the disease his father was in. "Then I knew it was serious," Michael says "and it wasn't something that could just be fixed with medicine." For the next few months Michael and his family were by his father's side as he fought the disease. His dad was eventually treated in Seattle where he received a bone marrow transplant. "We had great hope. My dad had two perfect matches and we were confident he would be ok," Michael says.

But he wasn't. Within nine months of being diagnosed, Michael lost his dad to leukemia.

Eleven years later Michael got another call that would change his life. His younger brother—married with two young children—called to tell Michael that his wife, Sue, had been diagnosed with leukemia. Not just leukemia but the exact kind of leukemia his dad died of—Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia. "I was stunned and shocked. I was so angry because this was happening again," Michael said. But this time it was different and it was something that could be fixed with medicine. Sue didn't have a perfect match for a bone marrow transplant but, luckily, only a few months earlier a drug was approved, Gleevec, to help CML patients. "Since then Sue has taken Gleevec -- a pill--everyday. She is doing great. At a recent family reunion I couldn't help but watch how full of energy she was. This pill has made a huge difference in our lives and saved Sue's life!"

Michael soon learned that Gleevec was developed with funding from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society—through money raised, in large part, from participants in Team In Training. Team In Training® (TNT) is a program that trains people to complete marathons, triathlons and cycle events. In exchange for raising money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, participants are provided coaching and the guidance needed to complete in the event of their choice.

For Michael, it was a way to give back. "I had heard about TNT and I knew it was something I needed to be a part of. One day down the road Sue may need a new drug to help her with her leukemia and I don't want anyone to lose a dad, like I did," Michael says.

Michael has now completed five triathlons with Team In Training and, along with his wife, has raised $23,000 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. He was so inspired by the program he is now a triathlon coach; showing others how they can also make a difference.

"Once I became part of Team In Training, my life changed forever. My wife and I (who has also completed triathlons through TNT) have made friends that are like family to us. The fact that I can also DO something, rather than just donating to a cause, has been great. The feeling of crossing that finish line is something that can't be described—it's amazing," Michael says.

And, as he completes the triathlons, his dad and sister-in-law are in his thoughts during every stroke of his swim, pedal of the bike, and step of the run. And when he crosses that finish line, he is humbled for the difference he is making for those battling cancer.

View the video links below for FOX 5-TV coverage of Michael, his wife Nanci and the 2007 St. Anthony's Team In Training triathlon team:

Michael & Nanci http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OYfwzpTWs4

Coaches http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-sL8TjGexM&feature=related

Ed Sanford, Honored Hero and teammate http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gem0Q6eBaIk&feature=related

Race weekend (St. Anthony's 2007) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuT-iT4wXMs&feature=related

Noreen Zuñiga's Thanksgiving by Lori Rasmussen

2009-11-12T13:29:00.000-08:00

When Noreen Zuñiga’s son Daniel was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in October of 2003, Team In Training (TNT) had been around for many years. Thousands of folks had volunteered their time to train for endurance events and raise money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). In fact, at that time, TNT had raised millions of dollars for LLS. As noble as this is, it is doubtful that Noreen was overly concerned with this. The Zuñiga’s were participating in an endurance event of their own—without the benefit of any advanced training. They were fighting, as a family, to save Daniel’s life.

Daniel was a 16-year old football player. The Friday before his diagnosis he played in a football game for Chamblee High School. He had some headaches that were slowing him down on the field so Noreen took him to visit the pediatrician. In one visit, everything changed. All efforts were deployed to get Daniel healthy. Noreen took a leave of absence from her job and the Zuñiga’s went from a two-income family to a one-income family for several months. There were hospital visits, insurance forms to fill out, co-pays to meet, and duties and expenses that hadn’t existed the month before. Noreen describes it as overwhelming.

Enter The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Terry Sexton, an LLS staffer, walked alongside the Zuñiga family throughout the course of Daniel’s treatment. She offered moral support and practical advice to help Noreen and her family navigate this strange new world. When you talk to Noreen today, she expresses overwhelming gratitude for Terry, LLS, and the TNT family. She reminisces about Daniel being the Honored Hero for the Vancouver Marathon in 2005 and how much that meant to them. She talks about how her faith and the prayers of friends and strangers kept them going. And she talks about giving back.

Today, Daniel is cancer-free and Noreen and her daughter Katie are training and raising money for LLS! On Thanksgiving Day, Noreen and Katie will complete a half-marathon in Atlanta with the Team In Training family. Every mile they cover is their way of giving back and ensuring that the help that was so valuable to them will continue to be there for other families.

Noreen knows what percentage of money goes to help blood cancer patients and fund research. She knows the work it takes to train for five months to participate in a half marathon. She understands the costs of researching the drugs that will help blood cancer patients. And she is extremely grateful for all of that. But when she crosses the finish line Thanksgiving morning, she will probably not be focused on that. Instead, she will be sending prayers of thanksgiving that Daniel has been cancer-free for two years! She’ll know that the money she and Katie raise will help one more family deal with the unthinkable. And she’ll know that every step they covered will bring us one step closer to a cure.

11Alive backpack reporter, Julie Wolfe covered Noreen's story. Click here.

Why I Run by Joanna Berentsen

2009-11-11T15:54:00.000-08:00

January 2004

I had just left my job as a youth minister, and had filled my void of being involved in the Greater Good with tater tots. Yes, tater tots. And ketchup. Lots of ketchup. Maybe a fried buffalo chicken sandwich on the side. And a chocolate malt. You get the idea.

I was sitting on my couch popping tater tots, and wondering about my contribution to society when the mail came. An odd tri-fold flier for an organization called Team In Training sat amidst the junk mail. I opened it. Intrigued, I went to an information meeting.

At the time, I weighed 208 pounds. Aside from the tots, my biggest hobbies were smoking, throwing back some cocktails and playing cards. Lots of calories burned in the last one. And I had just signed up for an adventure (with some sort of race involved) to raise money to help find a cure for leukemia, lymphoma and other blood related cancers. I was told I’d learn how to run, kayak and mountain bike. I laughed, but signed up anyway.

After the first group training, I went home and cried. I felt so sick. I could barely run a mile.
Stick to the schedule. That’s what I kept hearing. Stick to the schedule. Every day, I did what was on the calendar. I was given so much support: a mentor who called me every week to check in on my training and fundraising, a top notch coach who diligently helped me learn about weight training, spin classes, endurance running, mountain biking. And a team that helped me with that pivotal piece: confidence. You can do this.

And I did it.

June 2004

We finished the adventure race. My team finished in second place (out of all the Team In Training teams)! I had traded tater tots for spinach salads, cigarettes for gum, but I still had the occasional chocolate malt. I was 165 pounds. I had taken step to take care of me – and Team In Training was the vehicle for that self-care.

Of course, it didn’t stop there. Not surprisingly, I was addicted. I ran my first marathon in October of 2004. And another one in October of 2005. I ran through more weight loss. I ran through a divorce (I wanted to liken myself to Kristen Armstrong, but I wasn’t that fast…). I ran through joy and I ran through pain. But I was never alone.

I have made the best friends of my life through Team In Training. The women I met in 2004 moved my stuff three times during my divorce (we still joke about the metallic green prom dress). If that doesn’t speak volumes about the depth of our friendship, I don’t know what does. Or maybe I do.

How about this? My 2004 teammates are STILL my teammates today. We are all training for an adventure race and a triathlon together. We are still a constant source of love, support and encouragement…oh yeah, and built in training buddies.

In 2004, I started with the vague notion of ‘doing something good.’ In the process, I met this woman I really like: me. Happy, healthy and usually around 145 pounds…I am the woman I am supposed to be. Thanks to the community known as Team In Training.

But the best is yet to come. My greatest joy is that I am a running coach for the program and that I will be leading a group to this year’s Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco.

Now, I run to share my passion with others – to do good and to help others find their true selves. I have the pleasure of coaching some of the most amazing men and women who are drawn to an awesome cause: to find a cure for blood related cancers. This is what real life is about.

Come find yourself. Come run with Team In Training!

Check out Coach Jo with Honored Hero Kate on 11Alive News! Click here.

Team In Training 2009

2009-08-27T16:52:00.000-07:00