― Jim Butcher, Grave Peril
And it appears that l have a ticket on that train to Looneyville. Why? Because I signed up this week with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training to prepare for a half-marathon.
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| You did WHAT????? |
I don’t run. I’ve never been a
runner. Walking? Yes. I
love to power-walk and used to most nights after work, but life got in the way
and I haven’t for a couple of years. The
only walking I’ve been doing lately is strolling with Jake - but that’s HIS time, when
it’s all about him. Walk, sniff, pee,
repeat. I couldn’t power-walk during
those strolls if I had to. Try pulling a
big black nose attached to a 101-pound Rottweiler away from a captivating scent
and you’ll understand. So we stroll.
So WHY on earth would I sign up to do a half-marathon? Because apparently I couldn’t resist the
siren call of Looneyville.
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| The official uniform of residents of Looneyville. |
I’m so grateful that Carol has been my hero and a beautiful part of my life for these many years, and I want to do something as payback to the LLS for their part in keeping her here. I’m also indulging in a bit of selfishness and looking at this as a personal investment. As of now, my type of cancer – Stage IV Follicular Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma – can be treated, but isn’t curable. BUT – and this is a big but - advancements are being made every day in chemotherapy and immunotherapy, so by the time I need treatment, there may be even more and better options than those that exist today. There’s an advantage to having Follicular Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma: it’s indolent and slow-growing, which buys me time for those new and improved therapies and treatments to become available.
In 2011 alone, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society invested more than $76 million in blood cancer research. Take a look at what they’ve done:
To help them achieve their mission, a group of us from the National
Park Service and San Diego State University
have formed Team IPA (yes, after the beer…..) and will begin preparation in
September with Team In Training for the half marathon portion of the Tri-City
Medical Center Marathon and Half, January 27, 2013 in Carlsbad , California
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| The birth of Team IPA. From left to right: Cabrillo National Monument Chief Ranger Ralph Jones, SDSU Professor Larry Beck, beautiful Carol, beautiful Amanda, and Lymphopixie. |
I plan on walking the 13.1 miles, with some periodic running thrown
in. Team In Training says they can take
participants “from couch to finish line” and I’m gonna hold them to it. And why not?
I’m feeling fabulously healthy, and this was the perfect reason to lace
up my shoes and start moving again. I’ve
already received the okey-dokey from Susan the acupuncturist, and I will
consult with the oncologist at my next appointment in a couple weeks.
I’ve begun my power walks again after work and they feel goooooooood…..
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| Sweaty and red-faced after a 4 mile power-walk after work on Harbor Island. |
…..and got a jump-start on training by buying my first-ever book on
running.
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How ironic that this book is SITTING ON THE COUCH for the photo…..
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I’ll be developing my fundraising page soon, and you KNOW I’ll be
posting the link here on the blog (wink, wink, nudge, nudge…..).
So far, this cancer thing hasn’t really taken anything away from
me. But it sure has given me a lot: a healthier diet, peace and gratitude, and a
greater boldness. I’ve done countless 5K
walks for various charities over the years, but never anything like this.
This time, however, it’s personal. Insanity and madness, yes, but personal. J
“Dispute not with
her: she is a lunatic.”
― William Shakespeare, Richard III
― William Shakespeare, Richard III
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