Getting to Know Team in Training

I'd always wanted to do a marathon with Team in Training. My friend Becca did it a few years ago but it was just never the right time for me. TNT trains people for endurance events - marathons, century rides, triathlons. In return each participant agrees to raise a specific amount of money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. LLS uses that money to fund research to cure blood cancers. It's a win/win.

I was always too busy, too lazy, too frightened of the fundraising commitment, too something. Two things happened last year that made me reconsider. We lost my uncle to myeloma and I moved across country. Suddenly I wasn't too busy or too lazy to raise a bit of money for when a blood cancer hit close to home. I went to the introduction session and decided the timing was just right.

One thing that I always wanted to know was how much I needed to fundraise for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to participate. In fact, I hunted through tons of TNT blogs to try and figure it out before I went to the session. It's like a state secret or something.

Here's the deal - the LLS takes the cost of each participant then multiplies it by 4. That guarantees that the agency has 75% of all money donated going directly to the agency's mission. The cost per participant are: entry fees, materials, travel, jerseys, etc. So if you go to race in Ireland, it's more expensive than if you go to a race in your hometown. I'm doing a local race and it's a 1700 buck commitment.

Not too bad. I can raise 1700 bucks. I signed the form.

On June 3rd, I'll be dragging myself 26.2 miles in San Diego's Rock N Roll Marathon.