Swim, bike, run? Is she serious?

Here we go again on the Team in Training boomerang! You try to run away but you just keep getting pulled back in...

Many of you remember when I started training for the Portland Marathon with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program back in 2007. The next year I decided I hated running so I trained for the Peach of Century (100 mile bike ride). I took a couple years off and last year I mentored the Peach team but ran into a few physical issues (knee pain that was exasperated by a cycling accident last May) that prevented me from biking in the final event. For years now I've been asked by friends "You ran a marathon. You biked 100 miles. When are you going to do a triathlon?" My response? "NEVER! I don't swim. I don't like to swim. I'm afraid to put my head under water!"

So what am I doing this year? The Pacific Crest Triathlon!! That's right. You heard it here, folks. I'm facing that fear and I'm going to do it. I don't even get to swim with a margarita in hand and pool noodles under my feet. Hmph.

WHY you ask? Why would she do something so crazy as to SWIM 1.5 km (.9 miles) in OPEN WATER. Bike 28 miles. Run 10 km (6.2 miles). One after another after another? I'm doing this to support and fundraise for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

This cause has long been close to my heart. When my brother was 9 years old he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. He is now a healthy 36 year old man due in part to research funded by organizations like LLS. Team in Training is one of the major funders of LLS and in order to support this organization it relies on it's participants (me) to fundraise while training for these endurance events.

Do you know somebody who has been affected by a blood cancer like leukemia or lymphoma? You know me, right? Every year I train with TNT I learn of a friend who knows somebody or is related to somebody who was recently diagnosed. I hope someday that won't be true. I hope someday I can train and fundraise and find out that not a single person I know has a friend or family member recently diagnosed. That is my goal.

You can help. You can help me beat cancer. You can help me cross that finish line at the Pacific Crest Triathlon. Click a few buttons and donate to the cause. I'll do all the hard work like training 5-6 days a week. At 6am. In the cold. In the dark. In the rain. All you have to do is snuggle up, click and donate $20, $30, $50...

Donate to LLS here: Michele's Triathlon Fundraising Page

Don't forget to keep coming back here for training updates as I splash, pedal and hoof my way through the next 5 months...

Thank you!