An update on my adventures in training for the Seattle Rock-n-Roll marathon:
This is our 11th week of training. We have 12 weeks until race day! Tomorrow we do 12 miles and next week we do 13. I'll be walking in the Race for the Roses on Sunday for my mileage.
March was tough for our team. One of our Honored Teammates passed away on March 8. Hunter was diagnosed with an aggressive form of AML when he was just 14 months old. He received a bone marrow transplant about 8 months ago, but struggled with the aftereffects until his death last week. He was just 3-1/2 years old. His parents kept a blog of his life, www.healinghunter.com. It is a moving account of the ups and downs of their fight with this disease. The final post is a heartbreaking record of Hunter’s last day. Have plenty of tissues on hand when you read it.
Before our walk the Saturday following Hunter's death, our coaches talked about Hunter and we had a moment of silence. Most of us pinned photos of Hunter on our clothes or carried his photo in a pocket to remember why we were out there.
Then we heard from a former participant, John. John’s son Evan was also diagnosed with AML when he was 2. But his story has a different plot and a happy outcome. He turned 9 on March 13 and is doing very well and is cancer-free. It was very heartening to hear Evan’s story and to hear the pride and thanks in his father’s voice as he told us the story. It is for Hunter and Evan and everyone else that is fighting a blood cancer that I continue to participate in Team in Training and support the LLS.
For most of the people on our team, walking 12 miles tomorrow will be the farthest they have ever walked. It’s always exciting to be with someone who has accomplished something they didn’t think was possible.
I am inching towards my fundraising goal and could really use your help!
To donate, please visit my fundraising page: http://pages.teamintraining.
