Today?
Today!
Today was filled with so many emotions I do not even know where to start- and no it's not because I'm a "girl".
Let me start by explaining that today is Saturday.
Yes!! You know what that means
TRAINING DAY!
But today, is not like any other Saturday, it's ALL TEAM training day at Griffith Park.
All team meaning all LA chapters Team in Training; Marathoners, Cyclists, Triathaloners, and Hikers.
So there we were, surrounded by 300 hundred people.
People with hearts filled with only love, hope and anticipation.
Anticipation for their fundraising, for their event, for a cure!
SO MANY PEOPLE!
It was almost overwhelming.
There's a girl. In a pink zip up.
Out of the 300 females girls I spot this one girl and I know her!
I went to high school with her- what a small world!
Six years later... and we are apart of the same wonderful organization!
The shock was pretty intense but onward we go.
After our team meetings we were divided into our pace groups.
My assistant coach was our pace leader so I felt quite at ease- that is until I started running and that pain I felt last night soon returned.
SHIN SPLITS? Me??!?? No way.
I stomp my foot in denile. I'm invinsible.
So I thought.
I kept up with the group for a good three miles but man oh man was the pain unbearable. I ended up having to stop for a flat tire and decided to stretch anyways. I began jogging and saw one of my pace groupers from the tri team walking and decided to chat. It's truly interesting learning other Team in training participants reason to join- out of the goodness of the hearts. Really- there are good people in the world, this is not a fabrication in any way.
We ended up running together the last few miles together.
After the stretching and food we had a group meeting with our honored teamates.
One of them.
Almost my age with...
Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS).
Yes- MDS is what I said.
I was in shock. Here is a girl practically my age with the same disease my father had. How is she running little own standing.
I couldn't believe my eyes.
Of course this is a 25 year old compared to a 65 year old.
It just hit home- pretty hard.
She spoke about her experience and how her best friend signed her up for Team In Training. She also spoke about bone marrow donations and "Be the Match Foundation". A City of hope representative was present to help team mates fill out donor slips.
What a great way to get great people to become donors.
I've been on the donor registry list for a few months now- and still wait for the call. Will it happen? Will I be a donor match? Do I have similar DNA to someone out in this huge world?
Maybe.
Until then- I'll do what I can to spread awareness and hope.
By getting friend to sign up, by donating platelets on a regular basis, by just be positive and hopeful for the future.
I signed up a few weeks ago to be a volunteer and runner for the Be the Match "Be the One" run in November.
It's a great way to spread awareness and contribute towards saving lives.
****Pictures from my first practice.
CANT CATCH ME
TILL NEXT TIIME,
Peace love and happiness.
*** Special thanks to not only a highschool friend but a lifelong friend, Dan Rocha, in his generous contribution to the Leukemia Lymphoma Foundation. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Today!
Today was filled with so many emotions I do not even know where to start- and no it's not because I'm a "girl".
Let me start by explaining that today is Saturday.
Yes!! You know what that means
TRAINING DAY!
But today, is not like any other Saturday, it's ALL TEAM training day at Griffith Park.
All team meaning all LA chapters Team in Training; Marathoners, Cyclists, Triathaloners, and Hikers.
So there we were, surrounded by 300 hundred people.
People with hearts filled with only love, hope and anticipation.
Anticipation for their fundraising, for their event, for a cure!
SO MANY PEOPLE!
It was almost overwhelming.
There's a girl. In a pink zip up.
Out of the 300 females girls I spot this one girl and I know her!
I went to high school with her- what a small world!
Six years later... and we are apart of the same wonderful organization!
The shock was pretty intense but onward we go.
After our team meetings we were divided into our pace groups.
My assistant coach was our pace leader so I felt quite at ease- that is until I started running and that pain I felt last night soon returned.
SHIN SPLITS? Me??!?? No way.
I stomp my foot in denile. I'm invinsible.
So I thought.
I kept up with the group for a good three miles but man oh man was the pain unbearable. I ended up having to stop for a flat tire and decided to stretch anyways. I began jogging and saw one of my pace groupers from the tri team walking and decided to chat. It's truly interesting learning other Team in training participants reason to join- out of the goodness of the hearts. Really- there are good people in the world, this is not a fabrication in any way.
We ended up running together the last few miles together.
After the stretching and food we had a group meeting with our honored teamates.
One of them.
Almost my age with...
Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS).
Yes- MDS is what I said.
I was in shock. Here is a girl practically my age with the same disease my father had. How is she running little own standing.
I couldn't believe my eyes.
Of course this is a 25 year old compared to a 65 year old.
It just hit home- pretty hard.
She spoke about her experience and how her best friend signed her up for Team In Training. She also spoke about bone marrow donations and "Be the Match Foundation". A City of hope representative was present to help team mates fill out donor slips.
What a great way to get great people to become donors.
I've been on the donor registry list for a few months now- and still wait for the call. Will it happen? Will I be a donor match? Do I have similar DNA to someone out in this huge world?
Maybe.
Until then- I'll do what I can to spread awareness and hope.
By getting friend to sign up, by donating platelets on a regular basis, by just be positive and hopeful for the future.
I signed up a few weeks ago to be a volunteer and runner for the Be the Match "Be the One" run in November.
It's a great way to spread awareness and contribute towards saving lives.
****Pictures from my first practice.
CANT CATCH ME
TILL NEXT TIIME,
Peace love and happiness.
*** Special thanks to not only a highschool friend but a lifelong friend, Dan Rocha, in his generous contribution to the Leukemia Lymphoma Foundation. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!