There is no "I" in Teamwork

Image: Me in Queenstown, NZ for the Winterfest 10k, July 2009

I'm on to week 7! Only 11 weeks and four days left to go! Ack!

I was asked this week what the deal is--why do charities have people walk, or run, or do triathlons as fundraisers? And I had to pause, because I wasn't exactly sure of the answer. There is the Relay for Life to benefit the American Cancer Society, the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk for the Cure, and Team in Training (my cause!) for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

But for me, the reason is this:

I don't have thousands of dollars to give to LLS. I truly wish I did. However, I do have time, and the physical ability to complete a triathlon. Perhaps you do not have the time or ability to train, but you want to support LLS. So it is an agreement-I will race the triathlon to raise awareness for the cause, and contributors give monetary support for the cause. The "Team" in training isn't just me and my fellow athletes, it is also ALL of the people who have donated, as well as all of those who follow our blogs, and our Facebook groups, and those who keep us in their thoughts and prayers, even if they are not able to contribute financially. Which is why, when I sign my letters and emails, I'm talking directly to YOU when I say...

Go Team!

Katy

My honored teammate Josh

Each year, the Team in Training races in honor of a cancer survivor. This year our survivor is also a teammate! He is racing the Life Time Fitness Triathlon in Minneapolis.

Josh was diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) on Tuesday May 22, 2007. He went into his family doctor on Monday because his stomach hadn't been feeling right for quite some time. Josh went in for a CAT Scan on Tuesday morning. Right after the CAT Scan, Josh met with the doctor for the results, and was told that he had CML. Josh's white blood cell count was 240,000 when it should only be 10,000. Josh had a bone marrow biopsy and started on the drug Gleevec, which was developed with research funded by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Now, three years later, Josh is in remission! He still takes Gleevec twice a day, but is back racing triathlons again!

Leukemia is a malignant disease (cancer) of the bone marrow and blood. It is characterized by the uncontrolled accumulation of blood cells. Leukemia is divided into four categories: myelogenous or lymphocytic, each of which can be acute or chronic. The terms myelogenous or lymphocytic denote the cell type involved.

Acute leukemia is a rapidly progressing disease that results in the accumulation of immature, functionless cells in the marrow and blood. Chronic leukemia progresses more slowly and allows greater numbers of more mature, functional cells to be made. The marrow often can no longer produce enough normal red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Anemia, a deficiency of red cells, develops in virtually all leukemia patients. The lack of normal white cells impairs the body's ability to fight infections. A shortage of platelets results in bruising and easy bleeding.

Why The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society?

Check out this video. It talks about LLS's mission, and why blood cancer research is so important. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is the world’s largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research and providing education and patient services. Research funded by LLS has led or contributed to advances such as chemotherapy, bone marrow and stem cell transplantation and new, targeted oral therapies such as Gleevec®.

The need is critical: An estimated 912,938 people in the United States are living with, or are in remission from, leukemia, Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma or myeloma. Every four minutes, someone new is diagnosed with blood cancer. Every 10 minutes, someone dies.

“What does a $25, $50 or $100 donation buy?”

• A donation of $25 provides patients and their loved ones with FREE booklets that contain up-to-date information on their disease and help them make informed decisions about their treatment options.

• A donation of $50 makes possible a Family Support group with a trained facilitator where comfort can be found and experiences can be shared among patients and family members.

• A donation of $100 helps supply laboratory researchers with supplies and materials critical to carrying out their search for cures.

• A donation of $150 can provide patient aid to a person with leukemia or a related cancer for a year.

• A donation of $1,000 makes possible one- on-one conversations with health care specialists who provide patients with information about their disease, treatment options, and helps prepare them with questions for their health care team.

To those who have already donated, thank you! If you have not yet donated, please consider contributing--your contribution will save lives!

Week 6

Image: Katy circa 2001 at a They Might Be Giants concert.

Wow! Yes, it has been six weeks since I started Team in Training. And I'm only just blogging about it now...

On Saturday I ran 4.4 miles at Team practice. It's the longest distance I've run in quite a while. The weather was yucky, but the run itself wasn't bad. I got to partner up with Angela, a TNT veteran. This is her fourth year with the team, and she is doing the Lifetime Fitness triathlon in Minneapolis. We are both slow runners, but we made it nonetheless. I almost decided not to go to practice, but I went anyway and felt really good afterward. Endorphins!

Then on Sunday I was supposed to swim by myself, but it was SO nice out that I thought it would be sinful to stay indoors. I went on a long bike ride west of Stillwater on the Gateway bike trail. It was amazing. And then my sister called me up and asked me to run around Calhoun with her. So at 7 PM I ran/walked another 3.1 miles.

Which made Monday a rest day. Today is also a rest day because I'm getting a metabolic assessment done tomorrow! Basically I'm going to do an exercise test for about 10 minutes while wearing a mask over my face. A computer will analyze the 02 and CO2 that I breathe out, and from that will calculate where my heart rate training zones are. I will then get an exercise plan to do. It's technical, but ultimately the goal is to get my body more efficient at cardio.

I am hashing out the final details of a fundraising incentive that involves me dying my hair green and purple. Stay tuned! Happy St. Patrick's Day!

What are you doing Katy? "I'm racing a triathlon to fight cancer!"

Image: The "Urban Score-O," a scavenger hunt of citywide proportions. Here we are discovering a delicious green smoothie at Jamba Juice.

So guess what! I got a new adventure! This one is closer to home, but in some ways it's much bigger, and more difficult. I have joined a group called Team In Training to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society, and they're going to send me to Hawaii to race the South Maui Triathlon. It's an Olympic distance, which means a 1 mile swim, 25 mile bike ride, followed by a 6 mile run.

The Team is really fantastic. We have several coaches, and all the participants have a mentor. We get together about three times per week. One day is swim, one bike, and one run. The first few weeks have really taken a toll on my body, and I'm trying to figure out how best to keep myself healthy and uninjured. It was pretty bad last week, but I'm hoping that a change in diet (eating more!) and continuing to get as much sleep as possible will let my body adjust to all this abuse.

Here is a link to my fundraising website. You can donate securely online using a credit or debit card--it only takes about two minutes. Please consider donating to this great cause. The Leukemia and Lymphoma society works to fund research and care for patients with blood cancers. There have been enormous advances in care, but even so, someone is diagnosed with a blood cancer every four minutes, and there is no cure yet. The hope is that someday soon this type of cancer might be, if not cured, then controlled so that patients can lead a normal life.

Thank you for supporting me. Go Team!