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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Big News, Bigger Event!

I know, I know...Will just finished fundraising for his half marathon and we are asking again for a donation...but here's why...we still don't have a cure! So until we do Will and I are going to keep doing events and keep fundraising! Plus it is the 25th anniversary of TEAM IN TRAINING!

However, this event is BIG...go big or go home, right?  

We are training for a HALF DISTANCE TRIATHLON. Ever heard of an Ironman event? Well this is a half ironman but not an ironman event (by name)...but it is the same distance. We will be swimming 1.2-miles, cycling 56-miles, and finishing it off with a half marathon (13.1-mile run) on September 29 at the Kerrville Triathlon.

Now doesn't that deserve a donation...that's a total of 70.3 miles!

As always we train and fundraise in honor of those who have fought the battle with cancer.

HONORED HERO SURVIVORS:

Allie - Allie is my niece and just turned 19. She is an 'ALL' survivor and will be celebrating 19 years of remission this December. She is in her first year of college and was named the Overall Honored Hero for North Texas.

Georgia - Georgia celebrated her 1-year off treatment this April 29. She is a true warrior who fought against 'ALL' and won. We have been blessed to know her and her family and have followed along on her journey.

Grayson - Grayson is completing kindergarden year this June after it being interrupted with his diagnosis in fall of 2011 with 'ALL'. He is currently in the maintainence phase of treatment and has two more years. His mom (Kalee) and are train together often.

Nory - Nory was diagnosed with 'CML' in February 2012 at the age of 2. I met her mom shortly after. Nory is currently taking medication to help with CML but she will require a bone marrow transplant. Fortunately her brother is a match.

James - "ALL" survivor...finished chemo summer 2011! I met James' parents in winter season '09. They were BOTH training for White Rock. James' story hit home to me on one of the coldest training days of that season. His parents were also on the winter '10 season and occassionally brought James and his twin brothers to train...it was awesome to have them on the course with us...always an inspiration!

Philip - "ALL" survivor...finished chemo summer 2011. I met Suzanne...Philip's mom on the winter '10 team. When I heard Philip's mission moment on September 18, 2010, my heart hurt but he's a one tough and strong boy. I am continuing amazed by him and his family.

Chad H. - Chad is a lymphoma survivor and interestingly enough the only adult on this page. Chad and his wife Christina have become good friends over the past year and half. Both are TNT alums and I ran my last event side-by-side with Chad who PRed that day -- nothing is more motivating then running next to a survivor!

HONORED HERO ANGELS:

In memory of...Griffin, Mavrick and Noah. All three boys who left this world way too young and too early. Each of their families regularly participate in TNT events.

Your donation is vital to help find cures and better treatments for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma. We are improving the quality of our lives by participating in these events as well as showing our own children what it means to give and help others. But more important with YOUR SUPPORT we can help improve the quality of life for patients and their families! If you want to see what those funds do and how they save lives...watch this 3 minute video....you will be amazed!

Please make a donation by clicking here or the 70.3 image on right-side of page...in support of my efforts with Team In Training...the goal is $2500. Every dollar helps pave the way to a cure!

With love and gratitude for your continued support throughout the years!

-Dianna & Will

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MILEstones

My last few blog posts have talked about moments but this one is gonna hit on milestones.

Some might ask what is the difference?  To me a moment is a very clear, defined point in time.  When I have a "moment" I feel I can scoop up that exact point in my life..it is perfectly carved out. I remember every detail - positive or negative.  A milestone is an event...something that I've usually worked hard to attain. In most cases it has taken some form of effort or change on my part.  When I have a "milestone" I recall feeling proud because in most cases it wasn't easy to get there. 

Runners talk about miles A LOT...

"How many miles did you run this morning/evening?"

"How many miles are we running this weekend?"

"How many miles did you run this week/month/year?"  

We also get the crazy questions about miles from our non-running friends...

"How many miles is a marathon?"

"You ran HOW many miles this weekend?"  

"Why would you do that...I don't even drive that far?"

And to be honest, three years ago that was me and I absolutely love it when someone asks me those questions because it gives me a chance to tell my story and how I began my journey...it allows me to tell them about my MILEstones...and how running (in a way) changed my life!  While at the same time encouraging them to start a journey of their own!

Dallas - Houston-Austin
Marathons of Texas | 2012-2013

This weekend was a MILEstone for me...it completed the Marathons of Texas races - Dallas, Houston and Austin!  I find it interesting that if you add up the mileage from Dallas to Houston to Austin and back to Dallas it is approximately 598 miles.  I began training for these races in June 2012 and I use a Garmin to track most of my runs. I don't track runs I do on a treadmill and occasionally the Garmin dies during a run or I forget it, but when I ran a report to see my training miles from mid June to end of January it showed 459.3 miles.  I then did a calculation of what I thought my mileage should be during this time and it came to approximately 640 miles.  Here's my POINT...my training for Dallas full, Houston full and Austin half...pretty much equaled the distance to travel to those races...I thought it was pretty ironic ; )

Austin half also marked my 12th half marathon and it was where I ran my VERY FIRST half marathon 3 years ago!  Take a look at this blog post from 2010.  MILEstone!

What made Austin even more special is that I was with two dear friends...Jessica and Kalee.  It was a quick trip but boy we had some laughs especially on the course...and some tears...and every single hill was worth it.  I love these ladies and I loved running next to them! 

We had some special visitors on the course...right after the split where the marathoners go to the left and the half stay to the right there was a water stop that was supported by Superhero Kids.  I was quite thankful we were on the half course this time around : ) Georgia, our friend and honored hero from Austin...her family volunteers for the organization and they were working the water stop.  As we rounded the corner I saw a huge GFORCE sign...and then I saw Ivy (Georgia's sister) passing out water...and then I saw Georgia with a sign for me and her Dad with a sign for Jessica. I simply can't describe the feeling...it was AWESOME!  It was just what we needed for the final two miles and the big ole, steep hill that was hiding around the next corner.  

Side note for the signs:  GFORCE is for Kalee's son (Grayson) who is currently battling leukemia - its their team name and the shirts we wear when we run for Grayson; Jessica's sign said "Go for Grant" as he is adjusting to life with epilepsy and for Houston we fundraised for the Epilepsy Foundation; and my sign said Just Keep Swimming because it is a motto Georgia's used during treatment (from Finding Nemo) and I used it back when I ran the Chicago Marathon in 2011. 

Georgia is 9 months OFF TREATMENT and continues to do well.  She is having some issues with her left ankle and some bone loss that they are keeping a close eye on so please send prayers her way that they determine the right course of treatment for that.  Until then she gets to wear that fancy boot but as you can tell it doesn't slow her down!

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Are you Up-to-Date?

Time for an update on training and most important our honored heroes.

Dallas Rock & Roll Half marathon is only 16 days away and I'm ready. Since I'm also signed up for the triathlon I haven't gotten to train as much with the Spring team but I have been able to run several times with Kalee (Grayson's Mom) and that was a treat for me! As for Captex Tri Training...that is in full swing...overnight my training went from 3 days a week to 5 days and some days are twice a day workouts. Basically Will and I are training for each sport twice a week - so 2 days of swimming, 2 days of cycling and 2 days of running. For me, personally, that means several mornings start at 4:30am and I'm off to the gym for a 5:00am spin class or run on the treadmill. My Mom watches the kids one night during the week so we can go swim and then on the weekend we take the kids with us and all swim. This is on top of Beau's baseball practice each Tuesday and Abi's dance each Thursday. It is safe to say that life is busy...very busy. But it is a GOOD busy and one that I am thankful for each and every day. We are blessed with a two healthy children, a strong marriage, good jobs and very supportive family and friends. I'd say Life is Good (and it is) but I'm also reminded each day of the struggles that some of our dear friends deal with on a daily basis and that is their children battling cancer.

Grayson - Grayson has been battling the treatments fairly well. He is one brave little guy and his smiles light up a room. Currently, his counts dropped very low and he was admitted this week to receive some IV antibiotics and pain medications. The treatments have been stronger and they have caused some sores throughout his intestinal tract and lining and the doctors need to get them under control. Kalee wrote a touching blog post last Friday and I urge each of you to read it. It really puts life into perspective.

Georgia - Georgia is "marching" forward in March. March 5 marked two months until her big party -- yes her END OF TREATMENT party! Courtney, her mom, said the school year is flying by and Georgia is doing awesome. An interesting note about Georgia is that two years ago she met Will Ferrell (the actor) and she gave him one of her orange bracelets which he was seen wearing several times afterwards. He was interviewed on Kidd Kraddick in the Morning on March 7 and he was STILL wearing the bracelet. Check out the video on Georgia's blog.

Noah - Noah is the 11 year old I posted about last. Pam, his aunt, is a teammate and friend. She has been involved with TNT for several years but it really hit home last June when Noah was diagnosed with leukemia. I continue to ask for prayers for Noah and his family. This week the doctors told Noah's parents that they didn't think Noah's infection would clear up. He has been sedated and on a breathing tube for the past week. They have one last experimental drug to try for the respiratory failure. Please pray for Noah and his family at this very difficult time.

Nory - I posted about Nory in February. She was released from the hospital on March 3 and able to go home. They ask for prayers as they get into their "new normal" with all the medications as they prepare for the bone marrow transplant later this year.

As always THANK YOU for your continued support. Will and I are grateful and blessed for the life we have each day. We will continue to train and raise money for much needed research to improve cancer treatments and hopefully one day find a cure. We have raised 65% of our goal. If you haven't donated yet please consider donating in honor of one of these children above. Your donation not only gives Will and I a boost in our training and fundraising but it helps lives all over battling cancer.

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Our Honored Heros NEED YOUR HELP!

You might have heard in the news recently there is currently a crisis-level shortage of one of the most important medicines required for every Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia protocol: Methotrexate (MTX). Every patient with ALL has this drug in their protocol and even with its ugly side effects it is needed to save lives.

The photo above is a picture of MTX that Grayson is receiving each week.

Please visit the following blogs of our honored heros and take action now! The petitions and letters to your local senators and representatives take a few minutes out of your day but could GIVE A CHILD THEIR LIFETIME!

Just today, Wednesday February 15 Grayson was called in a day early to receive his high dose Methotrexate due to the shortage. Luckily he made counts and is able to receive it and the hospital is aware of the situation and how frightened patients and parents are becoming.

Georgia's Blog - links to CureSearch & St. Baldricks where you simply sign in to send the letters. The blog also has news reports and articles on how serious this is. Georgia's mom, Courtney is very knowledgeable and has done research and is open to answering any questions so please visit the blog.

Grayson's Blog - links to the petition and a personal message from Grayson's mom, Kalee. You can also see some pictures of what is it like for children with leukemia to go through treatments.

LLS Advocacy Community - Take action against drug shortages

Again, please take a moment out of your day to help children like Georgia and Grayson! Your help is greatly appreciated...and please spread the word!

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GForce Running Shirts

We are offering GForce running/technical shirts that will support Will and I's triathlon fundraising as well as Grayson's family...so you are helping both of us!

You may order these "super-power" running shirts through February 23. We have four styles all offered in white with green print for $30 each.

If you need help with sizing please email and we can send you the spec sheets.

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A Perfect Weekend

This weekend was packed full of GOOD things:

1) First, Grayson, my honored hero was home from the hospital after spending 36 out of 45 days there. Kalee (his mom) said they got to spend a lazy weekend all together which brought lots of smiles and laughter.

Wanna know what a HERO looks like? Check him out below before being released from the hospital. The image of him taking his own medicine bought back a flood of memories of Allie towards the end of her treatment when she was old enough to hold the syringe herself. Children are resilient when it comes to battling cancer. Not to mean they don't have bad days...but they adapt quickly to a "new normal".

2) Allie, my 17 year old niece, completed the 2011 Susan G Komen Dallas 3 day walk with her teacher...60 miles in 3 days! We cheered for her on Saturday and then went to the closing ceremony Sunday. It is a huge event...which raised $7 million.

She walked in honor of my Mom who celebrated 20 years of being a breast cancer survivor on June 25. She also walked in honor of two other women who are friends of their family & her teacher's Aunt. Doesn't she look awesome after walking 60 miles? I am so proud of her! Stay tuned because Allie will be telling about her 3 day journey on the blog soon!

3. Last, I ran DRC Half marathon on Sunday morning. It was new event for me and one I probably wasn't fully prepared for. Chicago full was about 4 weeks ago and my training has been sporadic since, but I wanted to run it anyway. Jessica ran it as well along with David & Meg. Jessica and I stayed together for the duration of the race. She was coming off a 32 mile week already. Her increased miles coupled with my decreased miles made for an interesting race to say the least. The course was hilly...for some reason I thought it was going to be flat. At about mile 10 I just wanted to be done and when that happens I think about my honored heros and I also thought about Allie walking the final 15 miles of her journey with blistered feet...so I pushed on the best I could. I'm actually pretty proud of my finishing time (2:13:30) because it was just shy of my PR at Dallas RnR this past March (2:12:46). Granted I know in running 44 seconds can mean a lot but to me...I ran 44 seconds shy of my PR on a course that (to me) was much harder.

One last note, most of you know that Georgia comes along on all my long runs & races in the form of her orange "Keepin Georgia on your Mind" bracelet. Well I wanted to bring Grayson along too...I've ordered some green (his fav color) Team Grayson bracelets but they hadn't arrived, so I went with a green rubberband instead. Grayson ran his first 13.1 miles! That coupled with him home with his family made for a perfect weekend!

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