*shameless plug*

I started running because of luekemia.  My good friend from high school had been diagnosed  5 months earlier with CML and I wanted to do something in her honor.  So I linked up with Atlanta's Team in Training chapter and ran my 1st half marathon.  Leukemia linked me up with one someone who I not only aspire to be like, but respect and love to be around.  In the team meeting the night before the race Mitzi Jiles sat next to me and asked who I was at what I did.  With having a mission to find a cure and both working in the staffing industry as a link we hung out the rest of the night and into race morning.

Fast forward 2 years... Mitzi was nominated for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Woman of the year here in Georgia and she accepted the challenge!  Mitzi herself is a cancer survivor, when she was 25 years old she was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Just after being diagnosed, someone from LLS was at Mitzi's beside comforting her and talking to her about this disease and what they could do to help her fight and beat it. Originally, Mitzi was 2 weeks away from dying, but this May Mitzi will celebrate 10 years in remission!!!! No doubt, she is already a winner. The disease that almost took her life has changed her life and now she is on a mission to find a cure. While in remission Mitzi has raised over $20,000 for LLS through their Team In Training program, and now with our help she is going to double, even triple that amount as she vies for the Woman of the Year crown.

Mitzi was charged with the task to form a support team to help her reach her goal and when she came to me and asked if I would help it was a no brainer... We have 10 weeks to raise as much money as possible as a team.  Each dollar donated = 1 vote and whoever has the most "votes" (aka dollars raised) is named the LLS Woman & Man of the Year. 

If you live in Atlanta.... you are invited to buy seats to the amazing black tie event at the Loews Hotel in Midtown!  Tickets are $125 per ticket and include food, drinks, dancing, a silent and live auction, and the crowning of the Woman of the Year!  It really does sound like a fun event!!

We're raising money not only to honor Mitzi, but for all the others who have fought or are fighting leukemia or lymphoma.  Every four minutes someone is diagnosed with a blood cancer and every ten minutes someone looses their life.  Every dollar counts, whether is it $1 or $5 .... or more if you can afford it ... each dollar helps and goes towards the mission the help find a cure for blood cancers.  We are fundraising starting today, March 23rd and have till June 4th to raise as much money as possible.  So if you have some spare change and want to help with such an awesome event we are so grateful and thankful.

If you'd like to donate.  Please go HERE and remember every dollar counts!!

Run Barbie Run!

Mood: Drained
Running song of the day: "Fire Burning" ~Sean Kingston

Welcome to the world of Barbie and her wonderful tales of running... and walking. I got this idea from this girl Tammy I am following on Twitter to really track my running and training for San Fran. All in all as most people know it is going really well. I recently decided to push the envelope and do the full marathon rather than the half. 26.2 miles of fun hills, but I heard the course is BEAUTIFUL.

It has been an off week for running for me. I have done about 10 miles total this week (according to my dailymile.com account) and I should be at 16 miles this week. Tomorrow is our GTS (Group Training Session) long run... which is 4 miles... so I have an extra 2 to make up somewhere. I am playing a new game with myself and I have decided right now to run 1 hour per day (with walk breaks of course) and see how far I can go. And everyday I hope to go farther and farther.

Surprisingly, I really am enjoying getting back into shape and running. If you have not done so already, please think about donating to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Of course, I am running mainly in honor of Beka... but this is so much larger than just her. You can go here to make your contribution to the society... http://pages.teamintraining.org/ga/nikesf09/bvines