cold weather and please give me money!!

I am not going to even sugarcoat it, it has been the most amazing weather this week. Its not only amazing compared to the weather that is being reported from back home (ie snow and frigid cold). Luckily Erin was here visiting during this time and I was so glad that the weather cooperated. We pretty much went to the beach every day and I am now rockin a pretty nice tan. SORRY!

Anyhoo I have already started sending out my fundraising letter since I have to raise quite a bit this year. So here it is!

Since the past few years have involved nothing but life altering decisions (buy a house, get a dog, get married, sell the house, move to San Diego, turn 30) I figured it was only fit to go really big this year and participate in the Vineman Ironman 70.3, as part of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training(TNT). I will be swimming 1.2 miles, biking 56, and running a half marathon in beautiful Sonoma, CA.
This will be my sixth event with the TNT since losing my mom to multiple myeloma six years ago. As I sat at the information session in San Diego, I thought about who I was sitting in that seat 6 years ago as I was about to sign up for my first marathon in San Diego. I wonder what the older, more mature(sometimes) Jody would say to the young 23 yr old Jody. I think she would say this:
“Don’t sweat it, there is nothing that a few cortisone shots won’t fix!”
“You aren’t going to believe this but you are going to run the Boston Marathon 3 times after this.”
“Get comfortable being uncomfortable.”
“Oh did I mention you are going to do a triathlon too?”
“You will inspire other people to do this.”
“You actually win and learn to ride a motorcycle.”
“You will learn to love running, okay you will learn to tolerate running.”
“You are going to raise over 60K in just 6 years.”
“You are going to see people survive and thrive with the same disease that took your mothers life.”
I cannot thank all of you for your support I would not be able to fundraise or train for these endurance events without your help. Because of you, people have the chance to live, to see their kids grow up, to see them get married, to see their kids have kids. While it is the big things in life that make it difficult to be without the people you love, it’s the little things that you need to appreciate in the here and now.
I am going to continue my fight so that more people can celebrate the everyday occurrences that happen with family and friends. Help me to raise a whole bunch of money for this wonderful cause!
Be well in 09!
You can check my updates on my blog:
http://www.jodsandbri.blogspot.com/

You can donate online at:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/sd/VineHIrn09/jmerrill