Five on Friday: Go Team!

Oh goodness, y'all... I have news. 

I'm running a half marathon.

What have I gotten myself into?

Ta-da! I'll be rockin' and rollin' in Raleigh, NC come April 13th!

If you're wondering why the heck I'm willingly running 13.1 miles, I have my reasons...With that, I'd like to take this Five on Friday to explain this crazy thing...

Happy Friday, y'all! Courtesy of Christina of Carolina Charm, Darci of The Good Life, April of A. Liz Adventures, and Natasha of Hello! Happiness

1. Some background... 

This past weekend, I came to terms with a pretty big, scary thing. My Uncle Mike, my dad's older brother, has leukemia, and he's really not okay.

 I remember being so shocked when my dad called me and told me Uncle Mike had cancer. I never let the shock turn into raw sadness, because I denied that it was real. Over the past two-ish years since his diagnosis, I've heard snippets of his journey. Since Mike lives in Michigan, I don't see him often, and to be honest, that made the terrible, evil cancer easier to ignore. I naively thought that all leukemia stories ended like the "Why, Charlie Brown, Why?" cartoon I watched in elementary school: with happiness and long-term remission. But sometimes, it doesn't have that kind of ending. 

And when I realized that after all Mike has been through- chemotherapy, a bone marrow transplant (big, big deal), and alternative treatment methods- he still isn't guaranteed that happy ending? It didn't- and still doesn't and never will- seem right.

2. I agree; cancer sucks! Now what the heck does that have to do with running?  

I'd been looking for something to motivate me to run a half-marathon for a while. So when I realized there is a branch of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society called Team in Training, that helps people prepare for races while they raise money for blood cancer research, I was sold. 

3. Cool! So how does Team in Training work?

Team in Training, or TNT, is about to start its spring season, so I lucked out as far as timing is concerned. I went to an informational meeting yesterday just to make sure I understood what it was all about. I registered and picked which race I wanted to run, which was kind of hard. All of the races looked fun (as much fun as a half marathon, marathon, or triathlon could be!), especially the Disney Princess Half Marathon, but I can't commit to missing school. Boo. Ultimately, I thought it would be cool to say I participated in the inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Raleigh event, and the location and timing seemed to fit best. 

Coaches train participants for several months leading up to their race, and they offer full support on the roads and off... Especially when it comes to fundraising, which is a big part of TNT.

When it comes down to it, I'm not doing this for a medal; I'm doing this for people like my uncle. I'm responsible for raising $1250 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and I'm a little intimidated by that. To be quite honest, I hated selling Girl Scout cookies, because I always felt guilty asking people for money. However, I'm reminding myself that this is quite different. As utterly delicious as Thin Mints and Tagalongs may be, they will not cure cancer. These donations may get researchers a little bit closer.  

4. Okay, okay, I'm sold... Now how do I donate?

Oh, you are just too kind! ;) If you'd like to donate, just go to my fundraising page! One dollar, ten dollars, twelve-hundred dollars... Anything is welcome!  

I'd appreciate as much support as possible throughout this journey, because I have a feeling it's gonna be a challenging one, to say the least! I could not be more excited, though. 

5. Tell people you love 'em. 

Well said, Audrey.