A Marathon? Who, me?

Believe it or not, I have signed up for a half marathon! Yes, you read that right. I know, I know, I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, an athlete but it's something I have always wanted to do. Blame the bucket list. After years of hearing about Team in Training and their fundraising efforts for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, I decided to make the leap. I figured that since Randy is done with residency and will have a more regular, predictable schedule, I can actually commit to something. So here's the lowdown: I'll be walking 13.1 miles in the Big Sur Half Marathon on November 18, 2012. As a member of Team in Training (TNT)I also commit to raising $2500. I am equally terrified and excited by the whole thing. I have never trained for anything ever before (heck, I haven't even exercised regularly in over a year!) nor have I ever fundraised for any large dollar amount. And while this whole thing freaks me out a little bit, it also gives me a sense of purpose and challenge. What's life if you don't push yourself, right? As part of my fundraising campaign, I've sent out about 125 emails and am working on sending out about 50 letters. Here's an excerpt from my donation request email: I also have two personal reasons motivating me. First and foremost, I lost my own mother, Carina Calpe to lymphoma in February 2005. For those of you who knew her, she was a warm, vibrant, caring woman who loved to cook, dance and travel. She taught me at an early age to have compassion for others, and to always give to those less fortunate than myself. This is my way of honoring her and continuing her legacy of giving. Secondly, over the last 7 years, I have been focused on supporting my husband Randy as he completed medical school, and subsequently his Internal Medicine residency. During that time we were also blessed with the birth of our sons, Cruz (4 years old) and Lucas (10 months). Needless to say I haven’t had much “extra” time. Now that Randy is done, I can take a little time and do something for myself and not kid-related! So far I've raised $350! I am so thankful that I have people in my life who believe in me and who are generous enough to donate to such a worthy cause. I am still not sure I can complete the marathon, but I am going to give it my all and do whatever it takes to get across that finish line. Follow my progress on my TNT webpage! Go TEAM!