The reasoning behind this BLOG: recently i decided that i am going to follow in my wonderful mom's footsteps and embark on a 26.2 mile journey with team in training (TNT). you might ask what TNT is?? well team in training is a charity sports training program. they prep you for an event of your choice whether it be running a half marathon, full marathon, 100 mile century bike ride, or a triathlon! and while surrounding yourself by amazing coaches, mentors, and teammates you are doing it all in hopes of finding a cure for blood cancer one mile at a time, literally! once you choose your event (mine is the san diego rock n roll marathon) you raise a certain amount of money (i must raise 2,500 dollars) which goes to the leukemia and lymphoma society as they try to advance in finding cures for blood cancer. all of my life i have been pretty active with sports, i never saw running as anything other than punishment on one of many teams. after finishing up with playing ball in college i needed something to keep me in a shape that wasnt a circle so i started running with my very best friend megan! we started out small with 5ks and 10ks then kept climbing the ladder and completed 2 half marathons (13.1 miles) but this year i decided to join a team where running is not only your main concern for fitness but your outlet for stress, guilt, extra energy, happiness, sadness and most importantly to find a CURE! (and i dragged megan with me!!) the reasoning behind what some of you might consider madness, is back when my cousin brenda was 11 years old in the prime of learning how to put on make up and how to wash away cooties from boys, she was diagnosed with APL (Acute promyelocytic leukemia ). while i was only about 8 or 9 at the time i was quite unclear on my older cousins diagnosis, but i know, til this day the effect it had on my family. about 10 years ago my mom participated in the san diego rock n roll marathon as a member of team in training in honor of my cousin. i was only 12 at the time she participated so i was really never clear on what exactly she was doing, but now that im older i am so PROUD of what she did, i understand everything that she went through! (and now i must beat her time! ;) haha) she has told me time and time again that running with TNT was an absolutely AMAZING experience and that i should join! so now im here, 22 years old with a cousin in remission since 1997, and im running to save lives from this HORRIBLE thing we call leukemia! i have seen what kind of pain something like this can put a family through not to mention the pain one must go through with the disease!!! and honestly i just want to help out any way that i possibly can! joining team in training has really changed my whole outlook on life, i have already met some outstanding people and heard even more amazing life changing stories. every saturday i wake up early to lace up my asics (running shoes) to join my fellow teammates who all have a story of their own. but as we take that first step on a what seems to be endless array of miles we all take it for ONE reason! its a beautiful, inspiring, motivating, emotional, crazy roller coaster of events and its only the 4th week. i cant wait to see what the future holds!!!
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