well, here i am!

Well, I did it. I created a blog. I've been going back and forth about starting a blog for a couple years now, but never took the plunge. I've decided I'm ready to dive into the blog world. What better way to keep track of this amazing journey that I am embarking on! As you may know, I have decided to train for a half marathon...13.1 miles! Yep, you read that correctly, 13.1 miles! So, let's go back a bit, so you can understand why I have decided to embark on this journey...

When I was a sophomore in college, my mother was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. I remember such a feeling of helplessness that I wished I could do something, anything to make her not be sick. At the time, I wasn't sure what I could do. But, then my mom decided to train with Team In Training and train for the LA Marathon...26.2 miles...while undergoing chemotherapy! Wow! I have always carried the thought of someday following in her footsteps and doing a half marathon (maybe a full someday!), but I never could squeeze it into my busy life. Then I had my son, and my heart, which has always been heavy regarding cancer, illness, etc, has become a million times heavier than I ever thought it could when thinking or hearing about adults, kids and babies sick with cancer. I have yearned to make some sort of a difference in the world ever since I had him. As cliche as it sounds, having a child makes you want to be a better person. My son has done this to me and it, along with him are both amazing and huge blessings. Then one day, my friend and workout buddy invited me to a Team In Training informational session and after hearing all they had to say at the session, I was pretty much hooked. After a few discussions with the hubs about our schedules, I decided to take the plunge and here I am, training and fundraising! Although I have questioned my decisions to raise at least 4,000 dollars (hopefully more) and to run 13.1 miles on October 17th, i know this will be a life changing experience for me and I am loving the challenge so far.

So, I have decided that the best way to keep track of my journey is to blog about it. I want to be able to remember all the details, the good, the bad and the ugly. We are only about a month into training and I have met some amazing people, heard some amazing stories and am thoroughly enjoying myself...blisters, aches, pains and all! Please stop by my blog frequently to check on me and see how I am doing with my training and most importantly, my fundraising. I hope you enjoy this tiny snapshot into my life...it may not always be pretty or perky, but life isn't always pretty and perky and in the grand scheme of everything, i am doing this marathon and raising this money to help find a cure for blood cancers; though I believe I am out there running and raising money for everyone who has ever battled any type of cancer or lost a loved one to cancer. So, stick around and be a part of my journey as I run for life.

With Love,
Ashley