23 and battling Leukemia...

Here is another shining example of the need for research for those with Leukemia. It comes close to home because I know many of us have dealt with not having health insurance for periods of time and we often put off taking care of the health concerns we face. Also, having someone close to our age be afflicted with the blood cancer is a scary reality too, especially because we usually associate blood cancers with young children.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/24/king.sotu.health.care/index.html

Please take the time to read the stories I post or to look at my fundraising page and support me through my own physical challenge and also invest yourself in the important research that still needs to be done.

http://pages.teamintraining.org/ma/wdw10/sliuie

Just one example...

Here is just one example of someone who will be helped by fundraising efforts to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

http://jordanscause.blogspot.com/

I saw his story on the news this weekend and it reminds us how much research is necessary to eliminate this heartbreaking stress on patients and their families.

Please support my race for LLS in any way you can; the cause and I would appreciate it immensely.

http://pages.teamintraining.org/ma/wdw10/sliuie

Embarking on a new journey

I have made the decision to train for and fundraise for the Walt Disney World half marathon on January 10, 2010.

Given that I have asthma and have never been an intense runner, this is a huge deal for me. It is something I have wanted to do for a long time and the fact that I will be helping a great cause (research for blood cancers through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society) amplifies how important this challenge is to me. I have been lucky not to lose any family members to cancer, but know of so many friends of friends, family friends, and the like who have lost the battle to different kinds of cancers. Making progress in research for cancer is so important and with government funding declining in virtually every area, it is vital that we don't let research become stagnant.

I will be updating this blog from time to time regarding my training and my goals. I hope that you will be along for the ride and will help support me with all of this. Here is the link to my fundraising site: http://pages.teamintraining.org/ma/wdw10/sliuie
Please share what you can with the cause and also share this link with those who would be interested in becoming active for the cause.

On a lighter note, a quote from "How I Met Your Mother":
Barney: Here's how you run a marathon. Step 1: You start running. There's no Step 2.

(If you've seen the episode, you know that Barney fails miserably. He finishes the marathon, but then is pretty much incapacitated because he never trained for the event.)

Dip-Dyed Sky

July 4th marks Independence Day and is conveniently just about the halfway marker of my summer break.

This year, I watched the fireworks display in our state's capital, Sacramento. I have always been a huge sucker for fireworks, which bring me awe and delight. For 2009, fireworks displays have been cut or downsized in many cities due to the weak economy. California definitely did not skimp this year and it seemed like it brought a sense of renewed hope and optimism for the future of our state, which is at a pretty dismal point right now.

Usually, I gaze up at the fireworks giddily...today was not an exception, but I also felt oddly more connected to our country than I have before. I shed a few tears when I realized all the legal and literal battles that our countrymen have endured to get America where it is today. Sadly, there are many many more battles to be fought. California, in particular, has to fight for its economy, its schools, and of course, its citizens' right to marry.

I think I see now more than ever that we all have to fight for something...and I am still struggling to find my purpose and my fight.

What's your battle?