And so it begins...

Thanks for visiting my blog! This will be my way of sharing all of the nitty-gritty details of my training and fundraising for Team in Training and the Walt Disney World full marathon on January 11, 2009. If you've found yourself here, you're probably one of my wonderful supporters, friends, or family members. Thank you for being behind me 110% as I try to make a contribution to the fight against blood cancers.

I am running this race in honor of my husband, Michael, as well as all of the millions of people who have been affected by leukemia and lymphoma. Lucky for us, Michael won his battle almost 17 years ago! However, I never want another person to have to go through what he went through.

I've committed to raising $3,800. Please consider making a donation to this cause. Every bit helps. http://pages.teamintraining.org/snj/wdw09/therese

I cannot believe how much we've raised already! I hope we can keep it going and surpass my goal!

On to the fun stuff...training...

This is not my first endurance event, but it's the longest one I've ever done. We have our plane tickets for Disney, leaving at 1:55 p.m. on January 8, 2009. There's no turning back now. I'm armed with my newest toy, a Garmin Forerunner, which tracks my location, heart rate, distance, calories, I think it may be able to do my laundry, but I haven't figured that out yet. It's been a good motivator...so far...

I attended the Team in Training Kick-Off last week, and it was awe-inspiring and fun as always. Then I got my training schedule...3 half-marathons before the actual marathon...a 20-mile run on December 20. I am eating my face off at Christmas Eve and Christmas. Seven fishes will not suffice. I'm a little nervous, but I'm mostly excited. I've kept up a 15-20 mile per week regiment for months getting ready for the real training. I'm committed to staying healthy. I have to start with new shoes. Thankfully, my faves, the Saucony Hurricane 10, just came out with a black and silver version. Oh yeah...

Mom, Dad, Danny, Michael, and I were in LBI this past weekend. I ran 8 miles on Saturday morning down Ocean Blvd. It was glorious. The mansions are spectacular, and I always had something to watch going by. The weather was perfect. I wish I could run there every day. I wish I could live there every day.

Tomorrow morning, at 6:00 a.m., I'll be taking my Garmin and my hubby out for a 4-miler. Michael's running with me now, which makes me happier than you can imagine. It's yet another fun thing to share with my favorite person in the world. I'm trying to get my time down to 9:00/mile on short runs. Gosh, I cannot believe that 4 miles seems "short" to me now. I remember when I started running in 2002, it took everything in me to go on a "long" jog--0.75 miles. I clocked it on my Saturn's odometer, and I was so proud of going that distance.

I'm feeling good and ready to really start. Thanks for reading, and come back often. I'm sure there will be stories of bloody toes, iced-down knees, and more to come!