chugging along for shelsea

i've been participating in team in training and raising money for the leukemia and lymphoma society for over a year now, and recently i had one of the most touching experiences that brought me closer to the cause than ever before.

i got in touch with my company's human resources manager last week to find out if we have matching gifts or corporate sponsorship opportunities, and am so glad i did so. not only did she help bring my fundraising goal to the attention of the co-ceos and president of our company, but she even more importantly told me the story of a close friend of hers who is battling lymphoma.

her close friend shelsea was recently diagnosed with lymphoma and is currently fighting a tough battle against the disease. just last week, she was in the hospital having surgery on her lymph nodes to help battle the cancer. while i have never met shelsea, her story is so powerful and i will be so proud to run in her honor on race day, wearing her name on my jersey (yes, that is a picture of me from behind on race day in alaska...hot). these are the people that we're out there running for. no, hill repeats are not enjoyable and sore quads are not exactly a cup of tea, but they are nothing compared to the fight she is fighting. if one more day of sore legs means one more year of shelsea staying out of the hospital, i'll take sore legs every day.

i hope one day i'm able to meet shelsea and tell her in person how moving her story is and how touched i am to have been able to hear it. in the meantime, i will keep chugging along - slowly but surely - until one day we find a cure.