Here's a great example of how supporting LLS really makes a difference.

Since the first funding in 1954, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society has awarded more than $600 million in research grants.. it was through these dollars raised and the research that was done that scientists were able to discover the life saving drug- Gleevac.

Since it’s introduction, approximately 28,000 people have been diagnosed with chronic phase CML- before Gleevac, approximately 6,600 would have died within 5 years; with Gleevac, that number has been reduced to approximately 980- that’s 5,620 lives saved and counting!!

Because the drug is available in pill form and singles out cancer cells, a patient can manage CML while living with a high quality of life.

Without support of people like you, the discovery of drugs like Gleevac would not be possible. But Gleevac is just one drug.. and we still have work to do. Thank you for your support - you’re doing something wonderful.

Ran Today - Fighting a cold

It's been an interesting few weeks. Training has been up and down. Last 3 days I've been fighting a cold. Still lingering but decided to run today. Glad I did. had a good run. Ran 4.5 miles at 8:15 pace. So, hopefully that means I'll be able to run 8:30 in the tri. Only time will tell.

Why I Fight Cancer

So I figured it might be worthwhile to share with everyone why I participate in Team In Training. Well, it’s both a short story and a long story.

The short story is I lost a good friend and mentor to cancer. The long story is what an incredible person he was. I met John Sloan in 1996 when he came to work at Doner. Over the next ten years, he would become one of the most influential people in my life. In addition to being a smart, funny and friendly guy, he just had a way of bringing out the best in people. Over the ten years that I knew him, John encouraged me, taught me and helped me develop as a person both professionally and personally. I am where I am today largely as a result of his support and friendship. I miss him and think of him often. In fact, I just went back and re-read his Carepages posts. I really enjoyed the combination of candor, humor and humanity that comes through in each of his posts. It’s not often you meet someone like John. And that is what motivated me to take up the cause of fighting cancer with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

My first event was in 2007. I raised about $6,000. But something else happened. I met some really incredible people. My teammates were all incredible, and most got involved for the same reason I did. One was even a cancer survivor who celebrated 5 years of remission on our race day. How incredible is that? I also learned how unbelievably prevalent cancer is in the lives of so many people. As I reached out to my friends for donations, many of them shared how cancer had touched them personally – a parent, sibling or friend; or sometimes even themselves. I became even more motivated and I knew that I was part of something bigger than me that was making a difference.

My next event was in 2009. I raised about $6,000. I met more people, heard more stories and really invested myself in the cause. I’ll confess there’s something selfish about all of this. I enjoy the personal satisfaction of supporting LLS, I enjoy the friendships and camaraderie of Team In Training, I enjoy taking trips to cool locations to participate in races. And along the way, I spend a lot of time on what is mostly a personal endeavor, which means I’m taking away from another very, very important part of my life – my family.

So, this time, I decided to try a different approach. I decided I’d participate virtually. I decided I would follow along with the training schedule, but do it on my own, and miss the group workout sessions. I’d fundraise with email and social media and limit the number of in-person/group fundraising. This makes me considerably less socially attached to Team In Training, and less supportive of my teammates. But it also has allowed me to fundraise and train while making time for my family. I’m home early on Saturday mornings so I can hang out with the girls. I’m home on weekday nights (unless I’m working) so I can help with homework and school projects. It’s not a perfect system, but it’s working pretty well so far. I’m about halfway to my fundraising goal as I write this.

In the end, no matter how I go about it, I’m fundraising for the same reason as when I started. Because a really great person was taken away by cancer. And that’s while I’ll probably do it again.

If you'd like to help me, please visit http://pages.teamintraining.org/mi/anttry10/pspender