“The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.” – John Bingham

Welcome to the TEAM! Get ready for one of the most fulfilling and amazing experiences of your life. You are a hero, and we THANK YOU so much for joining the campaign to find a cure for blood cancers. I joined TNT as a participant in 2007 and ran the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon. Since then I ran the Midnight Mayor’s Marathon in Anchorage, Alaska, Santa Barbara Half Marathon, and the P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon as a TNT Mentor and Team Captain. Now I have my dream job of being your Campaign Manager.

I’m so excited to have you on the team! If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to call or email me. GO TEAM!

Hi! My name is Rouman Ebrahim and I want to congratulate you on having the courage to start! I promise you that the next few months are going to be exciting, at times exhausting, and always exhilarating. Think about this: In a few weeks, you will consider a 10-mile run to be an “EASY” run!!! You will meet amazing people. You will make some great friends. You will be a hero by helping people in need. And yes, you will cross the finish line at a marathon or a half-marathon.

Along the way, you will have the support of Team in Training (TNT) staff, coaches, captains, and mentors. As your team captain, please know that I will be available to support you in any way I can. The only thing I ask of you is to never hesitate to ask questions. You will not be bothering me or any of your mentors, captains, or coaches. We are here because we want to answer questions. We want to be of help. Please use us as much as possible.

Five years ago I was where you are now. I went to an info meeting and decided to join. Since then I have ran eight marathons and this will be my thirteenth TNT season. Crossing that first finish line in San Diego on June 6th, 2004 was one of the most unforgettable moments of my life.

The incredible thing was that as great a moment as crossing the finish line was, it was the journey that got me there and the things I learned during that journey that made this an amazing experience. You will learn, as I did, about your body’s strengths and limitations. You will learn that once a limitation is discovered, it is only a matter of time and effort before it is overcome.

Again, please do not hesitate to ask any questions or to ask for help. You WILL get to the finish line. You WILL reach your fundraising goal. The quote on top of this sheet is from one of my heroes — John “the Penguin” Bingham, the co-author of Marathoning for Mortals. The miracle is already done. You’re here. Now we get to have fun!

Hello wonderful Winter Team!!! My name is Lindsey Adelstein and I am so excited to be back again as Co-Team Captain for this season. I first got involved with Team In Training for the Summer 2008 season. Joining the team was the best decision I have ever made. When I thought about joining, I was unsure if I should or could do it. Some of you might be thinking the same thing, but I made it and so will you! After being a participant, I was a mentor for 2 seasons and love being part of this amazing team.

I can’t wait to be there to support, encourage, and watch you all as you experience the most amazing moments throughout the season. Anything you need or any questions you have please ask!!! I have been where you are and would love to help you in any way I can. Finishing the San Diego Rock ‘N’ Roll full, Phoenix half, Seattle full, and just last season the San Diego full Marathons were the coolest things I have ever done, I still get goose bumps thinking of it! I am so happy to be back for another season and look forward to getting to know each of you. Congrats on deciding to be apart of this amazing team and society!!!

After a year of debilitating treatment and at the edge of death’s doorstep, I was very lucky to participate in a study for a new drug that wound up changing chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) from a terminal disease to a chronic one that is controllable. When I was diagnosed 12 years ago, patients with CML survived for 3-5 years while they endured treatment every day that devastated their bodies. Now, with Gleevec as standard treatment, all I have to do is swallow 5 small yellow pills every day to live a normal life with my family and friends. Now, instead of blood transfusions, staggering fatigue, persistent nausea and infections, I can run/walk marathons. While only 30,000 CML patients were alive at any given time when I was diagnosed, because we are staying alive and not dying, there are presently over 200,000 people surviving and living full lives, an astonishing figure considering that 10 years ago a CML patient’s prognosis was at best five years.

When I found out this miracle was made possible by research funded by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, I signed up for my first marathon with Team in Training 10 years ago so I could return some of the goodness I had received. When I told my husband I had signed him up too, he exclaimed “You signed me up for WHAT????” to which I replied “I have leukemia, are you going to turn me down?” Crossing the finish line not only for myself, but also for others, in that first L.A. Marathon in 2001 was one of the most amazing and triumphant accomplishments of my life. I became addicted to the good feelings I get when I help other patients through working with Team in Training, and now I just completed the Mayor’s Half Marathon in Anchorage, AK, my 10th with Team in Training. I plan to keep on doing this until I can no longer walk! I want to be a part of helping others like me.

As Mission Captain and a leukemia survivor, I desperately want you to know how awesome you are for helping. Most of us know about the research grants, but I will also share with you many other programs that patients (including me) and their families are helped by on a day-to-day basis that you are making possible! I will also keep us all posted on our sweet honored teammate, Tyler and his family.

I am living a miracle every single day and appreciating every moment as it comes. Gleevec has put me in what they call complete molecular remission, meaning that there are no detectable leukemia cells in my bone marrow. If I stop taking my pills, however, the disease will return. I knew I had to wage the battle of my life during that first year after my diagnosis. What I didn’t know is that I had an entire army of people, Team in Training, fighting for me, too. You, my beloved team, are my hope for an even better miracle – a cure. And you are the hope of thousands and thousands of other blood cancer patients who don’t have a magic bullet like Gleevec. If it weren’t for Team in Training, I wouldn’t be alive today and there isn’t a day that I don’t give thanks. It’s like a fellow CML patient once said “I feel that we are sitting on top of a mountain looking over at the other side at that most precious state of being – alive and well and free of fear. I dream of that day.” Know that you are making that dream come closer and closer to coming true!

I joined the Winter 08 SGV Team hoping to do a bit of good in the world, meet some people and get some exercise. I was signed up for the Santa Barbara Half Marathon. Once my event was done I realized how amazing these people are and how vital the cause is. I didn’t want it to end.

I continued training with everyone and ran with them in the final event – a full marathon in Phoenix on Jan 18, 09!!! I returned to mentor for the next season, then as web captain for the two more AND still haven’t had enough of this fabulous TEAM. You will hear this a lot…but I never understood how or why people run marathons. Now I know that there are sooo many different reasons and that you will never get tired of finding out why.

I wanted to share my amazing experience and help you reach your goals for yourself, your family/friends and the LLS – while making sure you know how amazing you are!

I’m originally from the U.K. and in my real life I am a web programmer & marketing manager for a small firm in Burbank so am very happy to be returning for my third season as Web Captain. PLEASE remember: This is our TEAM WEBSITE so let me know if you would like to see anything included or if something doesn’t work for you… and of course ALWAYS let me know if you have a fundraiser coming up!!!!
GO TEAM !

I initially joined because I wanted to run a marathon for a good cause, even though I had never run more than 3 miles! When a friend was diagnosed with leukemia, I decided TNT was for me. Since then, I have found that many other friends and family have been affected by leukemia or lymphoma, like my great-grandmother who we lost to leukemia and my dad, a Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor! Our mission is to cure these nasty blood cancers…

I’m sure you are going to love being part of our Team. The coaches, captains, mentors, and YOU definitely keep me coming back for more. They helped me through six marathons, Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego (twice =), P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona, Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle, Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas, and LA Marathon. They supported me both physically and emotionally, and I’d love to do the same for you! I look forward to getting to know you on our trails this season… AND, the best part is when all is said and done, you get to brag about fighting blood cancers AND running/walking a full or half marathon! GO TEAM!!!