Reasons to Run...the TNT Mission

Throughout my 10+ weeks of training with TNT, our coaches and mentors, as well as our teammates have encouraged us to keep aware of the reason we are running--not the physical benefits and the team bonding (although those are great things), but to help raise money for blood cancer research and ultimately a cure. It's easy to forget those things, especially when you think about the cancer survivors.

Of course, not everyone can be a survivor. I had a grandmother and an aunt who lost their battles with cancer. They were both much older when they passed away, so while it's still a tragic loss, it's not the same as when it's a child. Just today, I read about an 8-year-old British boy who died of leukemia recently. The article was short, but the little boy seemed so wise for his age and emotionally strong. The part of the story that really got the tears flowing had to do with the fact that his parents had arranged a pseudo-wedding ceremony so the little boy could "marry" his school sweetheart. He died the day after the ceremony. The entire article can be found here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2443562/Dying-eight-year-old-%27marries%27-his-school-sweetheart.html.

Tomorrow morning, when I get up for my run early in the morning and I debate about whether I want to get out of bed, I'll be thinking about him. I'll be thinking about him, too, when I ask for donations to Team in Training for the benefit of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, so that I don't have to read anymore stories like this one in the future.

Tough Ladies

It's not a secret that I am running, in part, for Jan Giesa. Jan is currently in remission after an aggressive course of chemo to treat non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Since TNT works to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (which works to eradicate blood cancers), it made sense to run for someone who had successfully battled a blood cancer. Her treatments were the result of years of advancement and research, funded in large part by the efforts of TNT participants like me, who have raised $850 million in 20 years.

The treatments, medicines, and therapies LLS has created through the years have helped significantly in the battle against other cancers as well. So, I am also running for my Aunt Alice Haave, who successfully battled breast cancer a few years ago; and for Kitty Janssen, a sassy lady who also beat breast cancer in the last few years; and for my sisters Jennifer and Wendy who have taken on and beaten cervical cancer. I am also running for my late grandmother Mary Lesniewski, who passed away after a battle with breast and brain cancer and for my Aunt Shirley Lesniewski, who lost her battle with ovarian cancer.

I don't know anyone who hasn't been touched by some kind of cancer. When you donate towards my $4,000 goal, I'll gladly run for your family, friends, and loved ones as well.