Eight Miles Towards a Cure

Or... 97 days to a marathon run, 97 days to run...

As I alluded to a couple of days ago, I went off and did something drastic last week. I signed up for the Ogden Marathon on Saturday, May 17. I ran eight miles last weekend and will do 10 this coming one.

I'm on a mission. My friend Deb lost her dad to lymphoma last week. He was diagnosed less than six months ago. While I've been in semi-retirement from marathoning (my back hurts and assorted other whiny complaints), I couldn't sit on the sidelines any longer.

'Hat Rack readers may know that my wife and I met while training with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program for the 1999 Anchorage Midnight Sun Marathon. We've since participated in at least 18 marathons, triathlons and century rides with the program, raising approximately $100,000 in the process. Considering her first patient-hero Emily walked down the aisle of our wedding as a flower girl, you could say it's become personal for us!

Emily is a precocious teen now, a testament to the strength and will of children to fight off and defeat a blood-related cancer. LLS funds have increased the survivor rate of some forms of childhood leukemia from less than 50% to nearly 90%. The $850 million that Team in Training has raised is partially responsible.

Click here to see our fundraising page. We have two pledges in the neighborhood of $1,000 that aren't reflected yet, and we're thrilled to have raised approximately $2,500 in our first week. Won't you join our cause?

And if you're tempted to run marathon this year, email me and we'll point you in the right direction.