(Originally posted on http://www.active.com/donate/tntliny/VBraun)

Believe it or not, I am training to participate in the Walt Disney World Marathon on January 13, 2008 as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training. You are probably surprised by my commitment to run 26.2 miles - and all in one day, no less! Well, I can assure you that no one is more amazed than I.

Why am I doing this? The first reason is that I have been truly and deeply inspired by two courageious women, who, like me, did not fit the traditional stereotype of a marathoner. My friend Lisa completed the 2004 Walt Disney World Marathon and my sister-in-law Pam is currently training for the 2007 Marine Corp Marathon. If they can do it, so can I!

The second and far more compelling reason is the cause. Through The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program, I will not just be running for myself, but in support of an organization that is dedicated to curing lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma and improving the lives of patients and their families.

Specifically, I will be running in honor of Francesca Mollo and Kevin Scaramell, my Patient Heroes, who were both diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at an early age. Francesa, now 8 years old was diagonsed in 2003 and Kevin, now 16, was diagnosed in 1995. Thankfully, they are both cancer survivors - and inspirations.

Francesca and Kevin are doing well now, but there are still so many others who need our help. It is your donations that will help find a cure for leukemia, lymphoma and other blood cancers. Please help by making a donation to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance the Society's mission.

PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO ASK YOUR EMPLOYER ABOUT MATCHING GIFTS. Many companies match charitable donations dollar for dollar. Some even match $2 for every $1 you donate. A small effort on your part can double or even triple your contribution, so please make a point to talk to your Human Resources department.

If you prefer not to donate online, you can send a check, made out to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Please mail checks and matching gift forms to:

Vicky Braun

38 Cathay Rd.

East Rockaway, NY 11518

Feel free to email me at mailto:vickybraun@hotmail.com.

I hope you'll visit my web site often. Be sure to check back frequently to see my progress.

Thank you for your support and generosity!

♥ Vicky

You know the saying "no news is good news"? Well, that's no always the case. I haven't posted an update in a while because, unfortunately, I had no good news. Quite the contrary. I had some severe ankle pain just before my scheduled 18 mile run. It appeared to be tendonitis and I was treating it with physical therapy. I attempted my 18 mile run and after only 2 miles I had to give up. The pain was just too much. I hobbled back to my car with the help and support of the absolutely wonderful Team In Training coaches. Thankfully the only support I needed was emotional. I was able to walk back on my own, albeit slowly. The next few weeks brought a lot of uncertainty as I had an MRI for my ankle which was not getting better and thoughts of stress fracture were bounced around. Today I learned that it is a stress "reaction" rather than a fracture and after being in a soft cast for the past 3 weeks, I finally got the OK to walk, as long as I'm feeling good. And the good news there is that I am feeling great. Tomorrow I will resume training. Now my goal is to walk the marathon, rather than run, but it's all for the same cause and all with the same outcome.

Why, oh why didn't I sign up for the half marathon??? It's not that I can't train for and complete the full marathon. It's just that today I've reached a new milestone. I've run 13 miles. That's (for all intents and purproses) a half marathon right there. And it doesn't count for anything. Just another long training run. The up side of completing a 13 mile run is just knowing that I can do it. The down side (besides the fact that I can barely walk right now - 4 hours after finishing) is chafing. Yes, chafing. Somehow the waistband of my running shorts ended up rubbing my skin raw. (Is that TMI?) I didn't even know it until I got in the shower. YOUCH! Thankfully there's Body Glide to prevent it next time. Unfortunately I don't have any yet. I guess I'll be picking some up real soon. So, other than the soreness and the wound on my back, I really feel pretty good. Pretty good about what I have accomplished in just 3.5 months! Thanks again to all of you for your moral and monetary support. I appreciate it more than I can say.

Today I turned 40! It just goes to show you, it's never too late to start getting into shape. Until a few months ago, I never would have thought I would be running - voluntarily running. But I'm doing it. After a brief break (annualy family trip to Disney World), I am back on track with the training. My weekday runs are 4-5 miles and this weekend I will be running 6 miles. Next week, it goes up to 8 miles. The amazing thing is that I no longer dread running. The "trick" is in the walk breaks. I'm alternating between running 4 minutes and then walking 1 minute. Believe it or not, it actually improves my time since I am able to run faster. Thank you to everyone who has donated so far. Your contributions go a long way in helping fight blood cancers. And your kind words that you've included are all the encouragement I need to keep up with the training.