I am starting this blog as a way to keep my supporters updated on my training schedule for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Team in Training (TNT). I first got involved with TNT in 2003 when my daughter talked me into training with them for the San Diego Half Marathon that year. I went from complete couch potato to walking 13.1 miles with the help of the coaches and the support from TNT. My next foray was in 2007 when I did the Nike Women's Half Marathon in San Francisco. When I saw that there was going to be a Rock 'n Roll Marathon in Seattle I considered signing up until I saw they had a 4 hour time limit. I am very slow and there is no way that I could complete that in 4 hours. However when I was talking with my daughter I mentioned that the Seattle to Portland Bike Ride looked interesting but I was very unsure about my ability to do it as it had been years since I had been on a bike. So she put me in touch with the coach and he convinced me that maybe I could do it. Therefore I am now committed to training for the Seattle to Portland Bike Ride in July, all 204 miles of it.

Why am I doing such a crazy thing? In addition to being good for my health I like to feel that I am doing good for others by raising money to combat Leukemia and other blood related diseases. My son-in-law is alive today because of the strides we have made in leukemia research and I want those benefits to continue for others.

My first training ride was 2 weeks ago. It was about 13 miles and I barely made it. Yesterday we went on a training ride around Lake Samamish (about 24 miles) and I did much better. I am still the last one in but I did not feel as tired as I did on the first training ride. I am now much more hopeful about surviving this training and accomplishing my goal. For anyone who wants to donate the web site is: http://pages.teamintraining.org/wa/stp09/kandersetm . Both my daughter and I are fund raising for the cause. She is running in the Seattle Rock 'n Roll Marathon in June and I will be doing the STP in July.