My LLS Mission: Road to Kona

New Year's Day, 2014.  For many of us, I believe, we were celebrating - making it through yet another year and looking forward to the start and beginning of a brand new year.  Optimistic that the opportunities ahead would help us achieve our resolutions and newly set goals.  But, for Aiden & Tae Love , this particular New Year's Day, 2014, began with Aiden [then 9 years old] waking up with two large swollen glands - the size of baseballs, on the sides of his neck.   Tae did what any concerned mother would do - she took him to the emergency room to find answers.  Through a series of antibiotics and lots of blood work, Aiden & Tae still didn't know what was going on.   Meanwhile, little Aiden was loosing a lot of weight; he was unable to eat or sleep; he was unable to breathe without gasping for air; and more large bumps were growing along his collarbone.  A chest x-ray revealed a large white mass (tumor) - about the siz...

The other day, I was half way through a training run and stopped to refuel.  It was a hot and humid day. Mentally, I wasn’t looking forward to the second half of my run back home. At the store, I stopped at the water fountain and saw this poster frame on the wall...  D E T E R M I N A T I O N  As I  stared and thought about what that word meant for me at that moment, it reminded me my "why" and I was determined to finish my training run – stronger. The word: determination is one of the driving forces that can encourage one to keep moving forward towards their goal.   It gives strength and an encouragement from within to look towards your goal at the finish - even when you might just be at the start. Determination means doing whatever it takes to keep moving forward.  Despite whatever obstacle that may be in your way, it’s the drive from within. For blood cancer patients, determination gives them the drive to simply ...

...is race day!! The IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. There will be many, many athletes in Kona.  The Pro Athletes  - who'll be racing for the podium and prestigious title.   Age Group Athletes -  who have placed in the top 3 of their age group at a previous Ironman race, and then there will be athletes like me, Athletes Racing for a Cause . This special honor comes with an amazing opportunity.  Having the privilege to race on behalf of Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) / Team in Training means I'm racing because I believe in what LLS does for their patients and families affected by this horrible blood cancer. Racing (& training) gives me purpose and meaning to work towards my goal.  Knowing that what I do each and every day for LLS is meaningful - I am raising awareness and helping people...and this changes lives! As we are 5 months from race day.  I want you to know that I am committed to doing my part.  I will conti...

What is time and how do you feel about it?  Does it scare you or does it inspire you? You may have heard others comment that all they have is time, or that, they don’t have enough time.   Managing time can be a challenge.  Deep down, we know that time doesn’t wait...for anyone.   No matter what your status is – rich, poor; or where you live or what you possess - you can’t buy more time, or have more of it. 24 hours is 24 hours.  So, why am I blogging about this topic?   I often have people ask out of curiosity, how much time does it take to train for a race…like an IRONMAN? My first initial thought is… A LOT .   But, there’s more to it than that.  Training and “life”, in general, is a balance.    Like anything else, it’s the balance between time spent in training to doing my daily job at school. To being a wife; to being a mother and finding time to get the daily, general things done. ...