The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Team In Training

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Welcome to Team in Training (TNT)! If you are reading this it’s probably because you are preparing to take off on an amazing journey in completing a half or full marathon while fighting blood cancer all the while! 11 years ago my mom took part in partying like it was 1999 in San Diego’s Rock N’ Roll Marathon in honor of my cousin (a leukemia survivor) with none other than TNT! I was only 12 at the time, and never truly understood what exactly she had accomplished. About a year and a half ago I started getting into running. I started off small with the occasional 5k, stepped it up to a 10k or 2, then completed 2 half marathons and decided that I was going to follow in my mom’s footsteps, and not only join TNT, but participate in San Diego’s 2010 Rock N’ Roll Marathon in honor of my cousin, Brenda! My mom had always told me time and time again how I should join, and talked of what an AMAZING experience she had, the people she met, and the prestigious bragging rights rewarded. Boy, was she right! Every Saturday I woke up early for practice, laced up my Asics and joined my fellow teammates who all had a story of their own. But as we took that first step on what seemed to be endless array of miles we all were taking it for ONE reason, to find a cure! It’s a beautiful, inspiring, motivating, emotional, crazy roller coaster of events and I had the most amazing experience with TNT, training and completing my first marathon. I cannot wait to share this season with you! Whether you are running in memory of someone, in honor of someone or as a survivor this will forever change your life, I know it changed mine! GO TEAM!

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Welcome to Team in Training! You may be nervous at the beginning of this journey–I know I was, but I promise you this will be an amazing experience. I was a participant with the Summer 2010 Team and recently completed my first marathon on June 6, 2010 in San Diego. If someone had told me a year ago that I could go from running three miles at a time to completing a full marathon, I never would have believed them. After receiving a TNT brochure in the mail last year, I attended an information meeting to see what the organization was about. After I heard Virginia Garner tell her amazing story and learned what an impact the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society had on her life, I signed up as a participant.

I am still amazed by the encouragement, support, and knowledge from the staff, coaches, and other participants from the first practice to the finish line. After completing my fundraising for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and crossing the finishing line after 26.2 miles–two goals that seemed impossible to me only six months ago–I know that I can accomplish anything in life. I can’t wait for you to experience that same feeling!

I’m so excited to be back for the Winter season as a mentor to support you through your practices and fundraising. Please do not hesitate to call or email me anytime! GO TEAM!

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Welcome to the team! You’ve already made two excellent choices – First, to make a difference in the fight against blood cancers, and second, to do so by joining the SGV Marathon Team. Choosing to save lives while running or walking a full or half marathon, and in the company of this fine group of people, is undeniably brilliant.

A year ago I had never even heard of San Gabriel Valley, let alone thought about running with a bunch of its natives. I was finishing a two-year stint in Teach for America in Baltimore and packing up to return home to California – Northern California. Somehow, by the time October rolled around I was moving yet again, bound for Burbank and a new job, hundreds of miles away from friends and family. I didn’t really know what to do with myself, so I started running again – but it was frankly underwhelming. I just moved my feet semi-rapidly for 30 minutes four times a week and called it endorphin therapy. I needed a goal, and I needed inspiration.

I’d heard of Team in Training through friends, and the multi-tasker in me was attracted to the notion of combining exercise with socializing, and doing it for a good cause – that’s like nailing a flock of birds with one stone. So, I Googled it, called the SGV office, and signed up for the San Diego Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon. My mother lost her baby brother, Jimmy, to leukemia years ago, so I felt some connection to LLS, but I didn’t realize how much the cause would come to mean to me, or my family. Thanks to my training, my usually reticent relatives talked about Jimmy, about how my grandparents handled his illness and death, about their own meager memories. It was then that I realized I was running for all of them.

However, Team in Training isn’t BYO inspiration. Someone you meet during your time with the team, whether through training or fundraising, will give you more than enough reason to run or walk or crawl your way across that finish line. Don’t worry about the miles, or the sweat, or the early mornings, or the taste of envelope adhesive. Those are details. You’ve chosen to save lives – and you will. Starting now.

Good luck!

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If you are reading this it is because you have joined the TNT family! Congrats! It will be one of the best decisions you have ever made. As a child I stood at the finish line cheering on my father as he finished his marathons and last season I completed my first one. Before I ran the San Diego Marathon I ran the Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon and the Long Beach International Half Marathon. I never had any idea how hard or how rewarding this journey could be and now I don’t ever want to stop. You are about to embark on one of the greatest experiences of your life and I am excited to help you on your journey. Go Team!

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Welcome to the San Gabriel Valley Team in Training Team! You’ve just joined the BEST team in Southern California. Being a part of this incredible group has taught me that you really can do anything you set your mind to. This past summer season was my first with Team in Training and I ran the San Diego Marathon. Never in my life have I felt so supported by a group of individuals – from the first day of practice right up to crossing that finish line. Before I joined I didn’t really know anything about blood cancers or the important work that the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society does but Team in Training changed all that. It’s inspiring to know that we are all out there creating awareness for something bigger than us. I couldn’t be more excited to share my experiences with you and help you as you make your way through the same incredible journey. Get ready for your life to be changed. GO TEAM!

Scott & Suzanne’s Email:

Welcome to TNT and Team Peterson!
Scott and I lost our daughter Paige to cancer when she was 11 years old. We were coming up on the 5th anniversary of her death and I had to do something. Everyone told me to donate, but that wasn’t enough. I wanted to physically DO something. So I joined Team in Training and decided to walk a half marathon. I have never been an athletic person at all and all of my friends thought I was crazy and at times so did I. With the encouragement of my teammates and especially my mentor I did what I had always thought was impossible for me. I completed a half marathon and I wasn’t the last one to finish!!

Scott started running after Paige died and it helped him to a better state of mind. He had never really run more that a few miles before he joined Team in Training. He has now finished his first marathon and has signed up to do a half in Las Vegas. He has caught the bug.

“Never, never, never give up” was once an inspirational battle cry from Winston Churchill and we believe that it is one that all families who have had to face cancer adopt. We can never lose hope in fighting cancer.
Team in Training will change you life as it has ours. GO TEAM!

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WOW! A 59 year old grandma from Glendale joins the FABULOUS TEAM IN TRAINING (TNT) STAFF

I have completed three marathons with TNT and as the recipient of all the training, time, love and encouragement that all the coaches, assistant coaches, captains and mentors provided me, it was time to give a little bit back.

I’m Esther Teymouri, and before 2006 it had never crossed my mind that I could complete a marathon. I thought all marathoners were runners and I was barely a walker doing 1 to 2 miles a couple days a week. Everything changed when I saw my daughter Sonia complete the Long Beach Marathon with TNT. She ran and fundraised in honor of my nephew who was fighting lymphoma. He is now in remission! It was at that event that I saw walkers from TNT, and thought maybe I could walk a marathon, too. I didn’t do anything about the thought and then while I was out of the country, my husband signed me up for the L.A. marathon with TNT. I found myself kind of force to train with this wonderful team.

Yes, TNT will train and care for you every step of the way. And when you are done, you will be sore, but it will be less painful than what a person with blood cancers has to endure. Plus, you will feel grateful for the positive impact you’ve had on an incredibly worthy cause.

If I can do it so can YOU! Go TEAM!

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Welcome to the TNT Family!
Get ready for an exciting new challenge & tons of fun along the way!

I have always enjoyed running and even ran track in high school, but I never believed I could complete a full marathon. But with the support of my Team in Training staff & teammates and lots of love from my family & friends, I completed my first marathon in the Spring of 2010. I joined the team to honor my Dad, a cancer survivor, and hoped for a fun new adventure. I had no idea what an amazing experience it would be. From hearing powerful stories of survival to completing my first marathon… and all of the wonderful new friendships I’ve made along the way, being a part of the TNT community has truly changed my life.

A little more about me: I was born & raised in Virginia and graduated from the University in 2003 with a double major in Politics & History. I volunteer as a Big Brother/Big Sister, serve as the President of the UVA Club in Los Angeles and am a huge Washington Redskins fan! I currently work in Real Estate, Government & Community Relations at Paramount Pictures where I am fortunate enough to say that I love my job. I’m very excited to be a TNT Mentor for the SGV Winter Season. GO TEAM!