I am completely new to this whole "blogging" thing, so please bear with me. I'm training to run in the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team in Training. I actually went to my first group run this past Saturday [at 6:30 in the morning... yes, there are two 6:30s a day, and the sun wasn't even up yet for this one.] I ran 7 miles, which is my LRE (longest run ever) [- I learned that term on Saturday!]
All of us participating in Team in Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. After my introductory courses in biology and chemistry (I don't wanna talk about it...) I believe that once we find a cure for one type of cancer we will not be far from finding a cure for all cancers. That said, the two people I am running this race in memory of did have cancer, just not blood cancer. Pawpaw (aka Bill Pittman, my mom's dad) passed away this past August from lung cancer- not developed from smoking. He was one of my closest friends, and I love him more than anything. He was so supportive of everything I did, and I miss him dearly. This Christmas was really hard without him. Every family get together was difficult knowing that there was one member who was not physically there with us and should have been. But I'm sure most of us know exactly what that feels like, so I won't dwell on it anymore. The other person I am running for is Ronnie Jones. He was my foster dad a long time ago, and he died this past spring from a brain tumor. I was living only an hour away from him in the months preceding his death, but I couldn't bring myself to visit him while he was in so much pain. I never regret anything, as everything is a learning experience, but that is the one thing I do regret-- not spending time with him. I did, however, learn from that mistake. But since I can't alter the past, I will do everything in my reasonable power to change the future. I don't want anyone else to have to go through what he and his family went through. There is a cure out there for cancer, and I want to help find it.
When I stop and think of what Pawpaw and Uncle Ron and their families- those nearest to them at the time- went through, it makes running 26.2 miles not seem like so much. Every time I slip on my tennis shoes I know that I can't complain. What I am doing in training is nothing compared to everything that they went through- and both stayed strong right up until the finish. And so will I. Running is the easy part. Raising money to find a cure for cancer- that takes serious dedication. I want to be able to share as much of this experience with you as I can.
If you've made it this far, thank you! Please visit my TNT homepage, even if just to look. If you have the ability to give- that is great! If not, prayer is the most powerful thing in the world. I would ask that you at least remember this cause in your prayers, if you are a praying person. Thank you!