Why am I doing this?

I've mentioned this idea of a "honored teammate" a couple times, and tonight I'm ready to write about what an Honored Teammate is, and what it means for my participation in Team in Training. Just a warning - I'm turning off all the cynicism and humor for this post, because this IS why I'm doing all this - the workouts, the fundraising, the getting up at 5 am to haul myself to a chilly swimming pool.

As I've mentioned, all of us in Team in Training are raising money to combat leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. We are, in the truest sense, racing for a cure. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the beneficiary of all of our efforts, accomplishes amazing things in researching and developing treatments for these cancers, and in helping people and families who are diagnosed with these diseases.

A number of people who are helped by the Society as they face their personal battles with cancer become Honored Teammates for Team in Training chapters, like mine here in the National Capital Area. We all run, walk, ride, and complete triathlons for them, to honor their struggles and the hardships they face every day. They are daily reminders of the larger reason that we get up every day and get through our workouts - because, as one Honored Teammate said at our Kickoff Meeting on Saturday, he would rather run a marathon, ride a century (100 miles) AND race a triathlon in the same day than go through one day of cancer treatment.

Like many TNT participants, I will also be training and racing for a Personal Honored Teammate. Last week, I had a very heartfelt conversation with my friend Peter, and my efforts over the next few months will be in memory of his son, Alex, who lost his battle with leukemia five and a half years ago. I can't begin to express here how deeply Peter's stories of their experiences and memories affected me, but I hope that in future entries I will be able to share some of Peter's own words - about Alex, about cancer, and about his family's thread in the tapestry of all the stories of all the families that face cancer day in and day out. If I'm very lucky, Alex's family will be able to come to Delaware City to be there at the finish line.

Alex isn't the only child I know who has fought with leukemia, and he's not the only child I know who has lost the battle. For him, and for them, I will train, fundraise, and get through this triathlon. If you can help, please do. Leave a comment, share your own experience, or, if you can, consider a donation. Whatever you can do WILL make a difference.