Team in Training, the beginning.

Running saved my life.

6 months ago I couldn’t run half a block. I couldn’t run for 30 seconds without having to stop and catch my breath. I was obese and depressed. Life for me had come to a stand still and I didn’t know what to do to change that. I knew there had to be a change. I couldn’t continue to look into the face that was staring back at me from the mirror. This was not the way I wanted to live my life.

I began running with the couch to 5k program at the end of January and soon after a tiny spark inside of me was ignited. I ran my first 3 minutes non-stop and I felt like I could take on the world. Every time I made it passed another week I knew I could set goals and achieve them. A half a block turned into a half a mile. A half a mile turned into a full mile. One mile became 3.1 and 3.1 became 6.2. Now I’m striving to turn 6.2 into 13.1

Along the way I’m going to help save someone’s life.

Today I’m officially announcing (doesn’t this sound like a Presidential speech), my goal of running the Seattle Half Marathon on November 28th with Team in Training. The goal is two fold: A) raise $1800 B) Cross the finish line. I don’t know which one will be harder.

In February of 2002 my grandmother was diagnosed with Leukemia. She was 86 years old. She was lucky, in that she had lived a full beautiful life before her diagnosis. Leukemia took her away from me very quickly and less than two weeks later she was gone. I miss her more than I could ever put down in words. Other families are not as lucky. Young children and adults alike are being afflicted by this disease long before their 86th birthday. Their lives are full of confusion, sadness and disarray as they try to make their way through doctor appointments, chemotherapy and stem cell transplants. I want to help them reach their 86th birthday. I’m about to start today…

We’re about to start today…

If I could I would pull that $1800 out of my magical wallet and be done with the fundraising portion. Unfortunately I don’t have a magical wallet. But I do have some pretty awesome friends out there. Here’s where you get to help me, help someone else. No sweat involved (unless you want to come down and run with me):

Tara Martin: Team in Training Page

So simple. Click on the link and BAM you help me get one step closer to crossing over that finish line. Click on that link and BAM, you help someone else reach their 86th birthday. Today is the first day of the rest of someone’s life afflicted by Leukemia. Let’s make it worth living.

Running saved my life.

Now I run to save the life of someone else.