I'm officially signed up with Team in Training for the Nike's Women's Marathon, scheduled for October 18 in San Francisco. I'm so excited! I'm running again in honor of my dad, Bruce, who was diagnosed with CLL (leukemia) about four years ago. Our family is blessed he is doing so well today. Knock on wood. He is so strong....so inspirational.
Last year I did the half marathon in San Diego and it was absolutely an amazing experience. It's hard to "sweat the small stuff" when you are reminded what so many people face in their life, such as the many amazing people I met on my trip who are facing blood cancers. Whether it was personal, or a friend or family member, I saw over and over again how many people are touched by leukemia and lymphoma. There were more than 15,000 runners in San Diego. It was a veritable sea of purple jerseys on the course. Whether on the sidelines, or running (or shuffling) by my side, I heard cheers and encouragement throughout my 13.1 miles. At mile 11, I saw a man holding a sign that read, "This 11 year cancer survivor thanks you." Talk about choking back the tears!!! I got a second wind, and, I crossed that finish line with a smile!
Today, I jump start the event with 7 new strands of hair.... 3 green, 2 blue, 1 pink and 1 purple! Together with support from Yikes Salon, in the Broadway District, we kicked off a fundraising challenge. For anyone who donates $50 or more, Yikes will add the color of your choice to my hair. Colors include red, purple, green, yellow, orange, hot pink, light pink, blue, blond and black. Thanks so much to Yikes for their support! (yikessalon.com)
Visit my team in training page to donate online at http://pages.teamintraining.org/wi/nikesf09/vbaumler .
Check back often for updates!!!!
