Team in Training is a great training group and an even better experience. Motivation is really inspired by a Killer. They don't use the word revenge, but that is what I like to associate the group with. A number of people have had their lives interrupted by a disease and they are doing what they can to fight back. It is pretty cool. I am glad I don't have a real strong reason to lead the pack in the fight, I am glad to do what I can, I just know I want a cure to be found so I might not have to face what some have.
I received this email today from a girl in the group:
It's hard to believe this season has almost come to an end. I imagine most of you are feeling the combination of excitement and nerves that I am feeling. I still have trouble wrapping my head around 13.1 miles, much less the 26.2 that some of you all are doing! However, when I start to feel wary about Sunday, I stop to remind myself of how far we've all come.
I'm sure some of you all entered Team in Training as experienced runners. Others of you might have been in good shape, had some experience running short distances, but no real long distance experience. Others of you may have been like me -- complete novices. I used to claim I'd only run if someone was chasing me. Clearly it had to take something monumental to change my mind!
During this experience, when I have felt frustration at how difficult running has been for me, I've often reflected on my very first day at M.D. Anderson. I was a newly diagnosed cancer patient, and I was terrified. I had no idea what to expect, I had no idea what chemo was going to be like, and I didn't know how this fight was going to end. The first day I was there I underwent a battery of painful tests, ranging from a CATscan and a PETscan to a bone marrow biopsy. I whimpered, teared up, and sobbed at various points throughout the day. I honestly didn't know how I would make it through another day of tests, much less 6 months worth of treatment and the fight of my life. After 10 hours at M.D. Anderson, my family finally pushed me out the doors in a wheelchair. I remember glancing up at my fiance (then boyfriend) and telling him "Kelli- 1, Cancer-0". I scored several more victories over cancer during the next few months, including the ultimate victory of going into remission.
I view this event the same way. It's another victory against cancer that we are ALL scoring. Every dollar we have raised undermines the power that cancer has. We are all going to keep fighting until we ELIMINATE BLOOD CANCERS ENTIRELY! I'm ready to put the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society out of business. :)
They call me an "honored teammate", but the TRUE honor has been training with such an amazing group of people this season. I see you all out there, week after week, early on Saturday mornings, sweating through run after run, aches and pains, and not giving up. This group is one of the most amazing I've encountered in my life, and I cannot thank you all enough for all the hard work you have put in and the sacrifices that you have made. It's been an incredible season, and I know we are all going to do wonderfully this weekend.
I wish everyone the best of luck, and I look forward to seeing you all on Saturday night!
Go Team!
Kelli Lilienstern
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http://pages.teamintraining.org/txg/houston09/klilienstern
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