Bacons for a Cause has HEART & SOLE!

Bacons for a Cause is back FUNDRAISING!!!  But I've got two of my closest friends and we've formed a team called Heart & Sole! Myself, Robin Strong & Jessica Watkins are determined to combine efforts to save lives and run the Nike DC Half Marathon on April 27, 2014!

Due to Robin having her first baby, my disc herniation & neck surgery  and Jessica having a third baby...each of us had to take some time off from training and fundraising but come this Spring season we are back and to help make us stronger we formed Heart & Sole.

What is so cool about this season is that Will (my husband) is coaching! Robin is the Team Captain and Jessica is a mentor (crazy pregnant and due in January)!

The name is simple yet the meaning huge...and nothing sums it up better than this:

"When our legs can't run anymore, we run with our hearts."

Our goal is to raise $8,700, but we need your help! Every single dollar helps...it not only puts a smile on our face because it shows your support but it truly makes a difference in those fighting blood cancer or any cancer for that matter. It's natural for all of us to only pay attention to the cancer that's impacted us or a family member...but we ask, what about a cancer that primarily targets our children? And as mothers we are passionate about that!

We're all after the same thing: a CURE! Since none of us knows where the next breakthrough will come from or what society/organization will find it or how it can affect the cancer we care about...we are putting our funds and OUR HEARTS into the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through Team in Training and we're asking you to do the same!

>>>See that DONATE BUTTON to the right...click it now and make a donation!

We aren't new at this and honestly we won't stop until there is a CURE!Together we are raising funds to help find cures & more effective treatment for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma.

Don't forget to come back and follow our training & progress here on the blog!

From our hearts to the soles of our running shoes....THANK YOU!

Dianna, Robin & Jessica

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IM Austin 70.3...2 of 3 check!

For those that follow me on FB you probably saw that Will finished his first official Ironman Event...Ironman Austin 70.3 this past weekend.  You might have also saw my Day 8 Thankful post which stated this: "Today I am thankful that God has blessed me with the best teammate and partner for life.  We have built a marriage and family together that allows ALL of us to accomplish not only our goals as a family but as individuals...and today Will accomplished a remarkable goal."

He completed a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run -- YES I mean in the same day without stopping for those that might not be familiar with triathlon events.  As I said this was his first official Ironman event and it was nothing less than exciting.  Our dear friends, Robin & Ken, joined us to help support Will but also be there for since my surgery was just three weeks ago.  Ken, Robin and I were able to watch the pro athletes come into the finish line.  The overall male winner came in at 3:48:49 and that isn't the time of day that means he finished 70.3 miles in 3 hours and 48 minutes and 49 seconds.  It was a pretty cool finish to watch.  You might be wondering why we were at the finish line and not watching Will...but he was zooming along on the bike course which we weren't able to get too.

This is triathlon event 2 of 3 in the grand scheme of training.  The next event for Will is BIG...it is Ironman Cozumel which is a full ironman distance - 2.4 mile swim, 110 mile bike and 26.2 mile run. Will will be racing with a friend, Nate, who also works for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program.  Nate is training and fundraising in memory of his Mom and Aunt Peggy and I encourage you to visit his page to read more about him and his journey.  He has an incredible story that inspires me every time I read it!

Will isn't fundraising for these events like Nate but his inspiration is never far from him...you can see in the photo above on his left wrist are two bracelets - his orange Keeping Georgia on Your Mind bracelet in honor or Georgia and his green GFORCE bracelet in honor of Grayson.  Georgia just celebrated 18.5 months OFF treatment. Grayson is in still in the maintenance phase and his treatment plan will end in February 2015.  

In the end it was a full day filled with so many emotions.  I couldn't have been more proud to see him running into the finishing chute...smiling!  And as much as I love that photo (which I posted on FB) I had to post this one because he's gotta show off that medal - he earned it!  Continue to wish him luck...32 days to Cozumel.

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Kerrville 1 of 3...check!

This post is a little late...who am I kidding...a month late!  But I have a good excuse...my ACDF surgery was done on October 7 and I'm recovering...slowly, but I'm thankful its over and I'm even more thankful for the support of my family and friends!

But more important is congratulating Will and the entire Team in Training FALL Triathlon season as they completed the Kerrville Quarter & Half Distance event on September 29. If you recall I was on this team until I learned about I would require surgery...so I lived in via Will : )

The weekend was quick but fun...as always we had a great time supporting our TNT athletes while also honoring those that have fought blood cancer.  This team had a rather large group of individuals called Bennett's Buddies - who trained in honor of a 3 year old little boy named Bennett. I had met Bennett's parents, Kirsa and Keith last year but was able to meet the rest of their team in Kerrville and we all had a good time. Bennett was diagnosed with high-risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in April of 2011 when he was 13 months old.   He is now two years into a three and a half year chemotherapy treatment that is extremely hard on his little body.  In addition to chemotherapy, he has received 16 blood transfusions, as well as numerous spinal taps and bone marrow tests.  Through it all, he has remained a courageous, strong, and resilient little boy, who has learned to walk and talk, all while fighting cancer.   Bennett's parents, who both completed the Quarter Distance, started participating in TNT events only 4 months after his diagnosis, and plan to continue their dedication to helping find a cure!  Below is a photo of most of the team below...the orange shirts are Bennett's Buddies. Bennett's Buddies raised over $70,000 as a team.

Bennett, Honored Hero

Fall Triathlon Team - Kerrville 2013

Will had a great race...he felt good and finished strong.  This was a training event helping him prepare for Austin Ironman 70.3 this coming weekend and ultimately Ironman Cozumel 140.6 in December.  I can't even begin to tell you the hours he has put in swimming, cycling and running over the past several months.  It is grueling and inspiring all rolled into one! The hours of training has definitely been a challenge for Will as a father and husband.  Balancing his time has been difficult and it doesn't come without some unwanted side effects like missing one of the kid's games or simply feeling like he is missing out on what the three of us are doing on a Sunday morning (even if that's just hanging in our PJs) but this is what we do...we train to keep our bodies and our minds strong...and we fundraise to find a cure for cancer....AND our kids know that!  And along that note... our daughter entered the Believe. Dream. Inspire. Reflections art contest at school...she is pretty artistic.  I knew she would come up with something beautiful. Little did I know it would be so simple yet powerful...this is what she decided to enter.  It isn't fancy and it might not come close to winning...but we are beyond proud (and blessed) that our actions and words are flowing into her heart. 

I've got one specific person to congratulate and that is our dear friend, Robert.  Robert and I actually completed Tahoe Century together in 2000 (that was my first TNT event).  Robert was also on the Captex Triathlon team in May of last year where Robert and I both earned our Triple Crowns.  Kerrville earned Robert his 2nd Triple Crown with Team in Training...that means he has fundraised and completed two full marathons, two century rides and two triathlon events. Way to go Robert!

Will & Robert at the start of the race.

This is my FAVORITE photo of the entire weekend...Will coming into the finish line! I can't wait to snap this same photo in Austin and Cozumel...get ready because here come the Bacons!

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