A rewarding day as a spectator.

We can't all be heroes because somebody has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by. -Will Rogers

I have done a couple races this past year. And I always appreciate the spectators on the side lines, cheering like no other, on those early mornings. I always remember the hilarious and motivational signs they hold up-- especially at those moments when the legs are getting tired and the going gets tough. Sometimes all you need is a little cheer from someone, whether it be someone you know or a complete stranger to get you moving and help you make your way to the finish line.

This past Sunday, I had the opportunity to cheer on participants at the Disneyland half marathon. My foot and back had been hurting me, so I declined the opportunity to run the race, and instead decided it would be the perfect race to cheer at. 

I knew it would be a good time, for many reasons.
1. I would be spending time with support staff cheering on our TNTers. 
2. I get to cheer and scream, and root people on all morning. What's not to like about that?! 
3. I get to cheer on strangers and hopefully bring a smile to their face! 
4. I get to see my teammates, who have trained for months, run their race
5. I get to see a swarm of people, running a race, many in crazy costumes.
... and the list goes on and on.
But something I was really looking forward to was seeing the smiles on my teammates faces as they pass us, give us high fives, and make their way to the finish line of 13.1 miles. 13.1 they would have accomplished, for such an incredible cause.

So I met up with support staff at 6am, and we headed to around mile 5 to cheer on participants, and once all our participants passed us, we would walk to mile 11, to catch our TNTers once again, for more cheering! It was definitely an eventful morning. What a joy seeing teammates running with all their might! It is always exciting seeing TNTers, but that moment you see a TNTer from your team, the energy rises, arms are stretched out, and we cheer our hearts out. 

It was a rewarding experience, being on the sidelines. It was especially inspiring standing in the midst of our honored teammate Virginia, as she held up her sign "Thank you TNT from a Leukemia Survivor", for all to see. The looks on participants faces as they saw her standing there was priceless. She got hugs galore. From participants, as well as from other marathoners. We had people coming up saying they were survivors as well, or people saying their loved ones are survivors.  
What we are doing, taking an active role with Team in Training, is truly impacting lives. We are saving the lives of those cancer, with the life saving dollars we raise, but we are also changing ourselves in the process. We are becoming endurance athletes and Cancer Killers in the process.

Like I said before, it was a rewarding day as a spectator. I cheered, screamed, yelled "GO TEAM" hundreds of times, sang some songs, and just had a blast! I came away from the race, with a new found appreciation for spectators. As well as a lost voice. But it was totally worth it! 

Here is to more races. To more cheering. To more smiles on the faces of others. To more finish lines

GO TEAM!

A new TNT season has arrived.

Well, here we go. A new Team in Training season is here, and I couldn't be more EXCITED. It's been about a month and a half since Spring Season ended, and I have had TNT withdrawals ever since! So I am EXTREMELY excited for the new season to start!! 

I am coming back again as a mentor and I couldn't be happier. This season, I am fundraising, and can't wait to see what those Cancer Killing dollars can do (Please make a donation if you can)



I can't wait to see my teammates, the alumni, as well as new participants.
I can't wait to watch this TNT family form. 
I can't wait to be inspired.
I can't wait to save lives.
I can't wait to spread the JOY of TNT.
I can't wait to see the Passion in all.
I can't wait to run (yes, I said it!)
I can't wait to be at the Rose Bowl.
I can't wait to COMPLETE my first full marathon at NIKE WOMEN'S MARATHON!
I can't wait to stock up on fuels.
I can't wait to share the TNT love.
I can't wait to run for those we love.
I can't wait to see the Cancer Killing dollars raised.
I can't wait to get new running shoes!
I can't wait to wake up early on Saturday's to spend time with TNT.
I can't wait to continue fighting for a cure.
I can't wait to write new songs/poems for the team!
I can't wait to cherish the memories.
I can't wait to make a difference.
I can't wait to punch cancer in the face.
I can't wait for Saturday to come.
I could seriously go on forever, but instead I shall just say, "I can't wait..."


It is crazy to think that ONE year ago, I signed up to be a part of Team in Training. One year ago, I started training for my first half marathons. One year ago, my life changed forever and for the better. And I am forever grateful. Upon joining Team in Training I knew it would be a great experience, but I never imagined it to be life changing. I am forever changed, forever inspired, forever motivated, forever a Cancer Killer. 

I can't imagine my life now, without Team in Training. I have found family. I have found life long friends. I have found unbreakable bonds. I have found heroes. I have found fighters. I have found love for one another. I have found selfless hearts. I have found giving spirits. I have found love and support beyond measure. I have found a home.

I am forever blessed, and I can't wait to continue this journey with incredibly inspiring people.  

GO TEAM!

Our first GO TEAM of the fall season!

Nike+ Womens Half Marathon & Inaugural Tinkerbell Half Marathon. Completed.

Dear January, I must say you have treated me well!
January = 80+ miles ran and 2 half marathons completed! I would say it has been a successful month!
The first 1/2 marathon was the Nike+ women's half marathon . It was a virtual half marathon that benefited the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. A run that people from all over could take part in. I am happy to have been a part to it. Everyone had their own course, their own path to run, but all of us ran as one. My first virtual run. Definitely enjoyable, especially knowing that it benefited LLS.

 The second 1/2 marathon of the month was the INAUGURAL Tinkerbell Half Marathon. The night before the half marathon we had the Team in Training inspiration dinner with Team in Training Participants from all over-- and all of those incredible individuals combined raised over ONE MILLION dollars for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. AMAZING! I am so blessed to be a part of team in training. To know such selfless and giving people. To be surrounded by such motivated CANCER KILLERS. To see the look on the participants faces as they entered was priceless--smiles on their faces and love radiating from their hearts.

I woke up for the Tinkerbell half before the sun rose. Actually the race started before the sun had risen!!We made sure we used the porta potty's before the race started, a couple times actually, so we wouldn't have to wait in the long lines along the course.  After, we made our way to our corrals, and waited for the fireworks to go off, so we could start our run at the Happiest place on earth. And what a magical run it was! Its always a joy to run through Disneyland. To see the characters along the course, the workers cheering, the joy of running down mainstreet before the park opens and through Sleeping Beauty's Castle! All creating so much excitement. You could feel the magic in the air!

When I ran those miles, seeing TNT participants running and those cheering on the sidelines, it always brings me back to WHY i signed up to run this race. Why I choose to run for hours at a time. I run for a cure. A cure for blood cancers. A cure for ALL CANCERS. I run in memory of my dad--for what took his life. I often think of that on my runs, and during this run, it was no different. When my feet got tired, I ran with my heart. And I think that is what really gets me through. I know why I run, and I continue to carry all of my honored teammates with me, every mile, every step, every day.

Without Team in Training, I don't know how I would have been able to finish these half marathons. These people, are my family. They are my support. They get me to that finish line! Last year on September 4, 2011, I ran my first 1/2 marathon with Team in Training, my first 1/2 EVER. The unforgettable Disneyland half marathon. It was an unforgettable experience! My time was 3:09:26. My goal for the Tinkerbell half was to get under 3 hours! And I must say,  I am overjoyed that I did--- barely!!!!
But it's a new PR.
A goal accomplished, and now a new goal shall be set!

Til next time!

1 year.

1 year has passed. 1 year without my dad. 1 year without laughs shared. 1 year without hugs. 1 year without jokes. 1 year without hearing his voice. 1 year without my dad by my side. A year filled with pain. A year filled with tears. A year filled with change. A roller coaster of emotion. The 1 year anniversary is here. 365 days have passed by so quickly, before my very eyes. But I can’t help but think of my dad’s battle with cancer and even more vividly his last hours with us. It has been playing like a video reel in my head on repeat. 

I truly HATE CANCER.

My dad, who was very active,  who would play golf almost every other day of the week,who  had a passion for life and love for his family, was diagnosed with non-hodgkin t-cell lymphoma on August 18, 2010.  The moment we heard the diagnosis our lives were drastically turned upside down. From a family who was planning their annual family trip to Pismo immediately turned into TEAM CELERA, a family of CANCER FIGHTERS. We became closer, tightened our bond, and came together to fight the cancer. It was a family battle. A battle filled with chemotherapy treatments, X-Rays, MRI's, blood transfusions, dialysis, up's and downs, seeing my dad bed ridden, to days my dad was able to get out of bed and walk those hospital hallways.  Drained energy, daily hospital visits, taking notes from the doctors when I was the one in the room with my dad, breaking the "only 2 visitors in the room at a time" rule, transferring to different rooms in the hospital: DOU, ICU, CCU.. Neutropenic Isolation. Family taking over the waiting room. Homecomings, family time at home, sharing an In-N-Out burger in the comfort our home together. Spending  our last Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years together.  A journey involving  911 calls for them to take my dad back to the hospital (the sound of sirens still pains my heart). Numerous tears shed.  Low blood count, failing kidneys, high creatinine levels, low platelets, fever, fluid in the lungs, and storming heaven with prayers.  His journey with cancer was not only his but my entire family’s as well—and we fought as hard as we could to the end. Cancer touched all of our lives.  

 

A couple days before my dad passed, there is a moment I will always treasure. I was helping my dad change position in the hospital bed, being very careful of his sensitive skin, holding him in my arms while trying to adjust pillows to make him more comfortable. But while holding him in my arms and getting ready to place his back down, he asked if we could just stay like that just a little longer, because we hadn’t hug like that in some time. I was just planning on making him comfortable but in turn—we hugged for what seemed like 5+ minutes, in silence but with hearts filled with love and eyes filled with tears.  I treasure those 5 minutes with all my entire being.

January 6, 2011 at around 9 pm after getting home from dinner, my mom received a call – and I knew we had to go to the hospital immediately. That call, marked the start of saying goodbye to my dad. A few minutes later my mom and I were at the hospital in my dad’s room,  and eventually 15+ family members were in the room as well and numerous others in the waiting room. We gathered together, singing some of my dads favorite songs, praying with all our heart, and crying many tears. At times the room went silent, except for sniffles and the sound of machines beeping.  January 7, 2011 at about 2:30 am, we said goodbye. The machines were turned off. Tears were shed. Hearts were broken. But in our hearts we knew that my dad was no longer suffering and would be at peace now.

I can’t believe that a year has passed. It is difficult to fathom that all this time has gone by. I don't know how I would have made it through without my family. My actual family and my Team in Training Family. I joined Team in Training four months after I lost my dad. I joined to keep my dad's memory alive, to do something in his honor, to better myself, to help raise money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, to run a half marathon and to be surrounded by like minded people. What I got in return was something far greater than I ever expected. I was welcomed with open arms to an incredible group of people fighting for a cure. Fighting in memory of loved ones, those in the fight, and those that have fought. I met people filled with passion and drive. People fundraising their hearts out for a cure to be found. I found people with generous hearts. I found a group of incredibly supportive people. I found family. A group of people seeing me on good and bad days-- and putting smiles on my face no matter the day. Team in Training truly helped me get through this difficult year. With the team by my side I found my own drive and passion. I became motivated beyond belief. I think it would make my dad proud. I can't imagine how I would have made it through without my TEAM. They helped me cope in ways I can't even explain. They let me know its okay to cry, to shed those tears. I ran many miles in my dads memory, and I continue to run for him. Today I went to practice, greeted by many hugs from my teammates. My dad's 1 year, and I ran 10 miles. 10 miles with my dad in my heart. 10 miles in his memory. It has not been an easy year, I knew it wouldn't be. But I have made it through. I miss my dad with every fiber of my being but I know he is always with me. In the good and bad days, he is always by my side, carried in my heart.

Miss you dad. And I love you, to the moon and back.

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012

 2011 started off extremely difficult. Watching my dad in pain as cancer was weakening him, spending his last few days together, and seeing him pass away early on January 7th. It was definitely a life changing moment. And I didn't expect my year to start off in that way. I could not picture how life could go on, if my dad wasn't around. How would we be able to continue without my dad by our side. I knew our lives wouldn't be the same but we would have to continue on somehow. It was a challenging year with many firsts. With every month anniversary and every holiday that passed my heart broke a bit. I had felt a constant longing for my dad. For another hug. Another smile. Another moment together. 
After months of sadness I decided I had wanted to do something for my dad. To keep his memory alive in me. So that is when I came across TEAM IN TRAINING. An amazing group that trains for endurance events while raising money for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I signed up to train for 2 half marathons with the team! I raised $5,485.18 and I successfully completed two half marathons (Disneyland half marathon &  Nike Women's half marathon). I accomplished things I never thought possible! I ran more miles in 2011 than my 23 other years combined. I met an incredibly inspiring group of people who I am blessed to call my TNT family. I learned a lot about myself and about different types of cancer. I heard many inspiring, heartwarming, as well as heart breaking stories. I found a sense of healing. I found a source of adrenaline. I found a fire in myself. I found passion. I found drive. I found strength. I found a spirit unlike any other.  I found that its okay to cry, to release those tears. I started 2011 crying only tears of sadness but after joining team in training I have now cried tears of happiness and found a sense of incredible accomplishment. I did what I set out to do! I ran my 1/2 marathons, I did them for my dad, I kept his spirit alive in me. I crossed those finish lines. I became a CANCER KILLER. 

I continue to be a cancer killer! I have set out to run another 1/2 marathon with Team in Training as well as taking on my very first full marathon in 2012! 2011 was definitely a journey with hardships but accomplishments as well. I am ready for what 2012 has to offer! I am ready to see what this year brings! I am ready to run more miles!
This year for my New Years Resolution, I will be running at least 1 mile everyday, for the entire year! 366 days to be exact!!! It will be a challenge but I am up for it! The hardest part in running is getting out that front door! But I WILL!!!!!! 

I am ready for a year of more smiles, laughs, and joy!
Here is to 2012!

A freedom found in running

 "Running gives freedom. When you run you can determine your own tempo. You can choose your own course and think whatever you want. Nobody tells you what to do."  -Nina Kuscik

Saturday- The day of the week I truly look forward to. I wake up at 5:20am to be at practice by 6:30am. When I wake the sun has not made an appearance yet. Darkness filling the sky. The streets practically empty. Not a single neighbor up. But I choose to get up anyway. Because I know that when I get to practice, I will find myself surrounded by some of the most incredible and inspiring people I have ever met. I will be around my TNT family. I get up early- each and every Saturday to RUN. To run in order for a cure for cancer to be found. I run in the midst of CANCER KILLERS. I run those miles for those who can't. I run for those that we love, for those that are survivors, for those fighting and for those loved ones that we have lost. I run because I CAN. I run on the good and bad days. The days where a smile is constantly on my face to days when it takes a little more effort. No matter how I am feeling-- I know that a smile CAN be put on my face, just by being around such amazing people.  I wake up every Saturday with a spirit in my heart unlike any other. I wake up every Saturday to spread awareness of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I wake up early because I know I am making a difference. I am blessed to have met such supportive and giving people.  I wake up early every Saturday to be in their presence. To fight for a cure with them. And to run---to run those miles because we are fortunate enough to. With a breath of fresh air, we run. We run distances I never imagined running-- but we run them anyway! The miles are just a small part of what we do, it may be tough at times but we always get through them..TOGETHER.
Saturday's-- the day of the week I truly look forward to.