This journey is not just about me...

I've been working on something in the background and all of the pieces are almost in place and enough of them are now in place for me to take the wraps off of it and announce it publicly.

I've decided that as part of my training / goals for getting to Ironman Miami 70.3, I am also going to raise funds for a charity that is important to me on many levels. I promise that this blog will not turn into an incessant pestering to donate (and I'm not even set up for donations yet, but I'm close).

I have a dear and close friend of mine that last year was diagnosed with breast cancer less than a year ago. Her name is Christine. I don't know how I would react if I were ever diagnosed with a cancer like that. However, all I can say is that I hope that I could react and be as courageous as she has been. I remember her telling me once that if this was all that her body could throw at her, she says "bring it". I won't detail what she went through, but she had multiple surgeries and never once did I see her crack, well other than crack a smile. She is a true inspiration of mine. She has courage, humor, strength in quantities that I can only hope that I have as well. During this whole procedure and recovery, she kept in contact with me during my recovery from my last ankle surgery and gave me words of encouragement and strength when what I was facing was nothing near that. She is recovering and is now without cancer. I wish I could do justice to how much courage and grace she has shown, but words can never do it.

Cancer has woven a fabric into my life through friends and relatives with some surviving and some not. But either way, it feels like it has been a shadow that lurks around too many corners and I see too many people I care about being ambushed by it.

So today, I say enough!
I posted a quote yesterday about what doesn't kill me, had better start running? Well, I'm twisting that slightly today.

Whatever attacks my friends, had better start running. Cancer, I'm looking at you.

I started down the journey to Miami for myself, to make myself healthier, fit, and achieve personal goals. And I still have and intend to do all of these things. But I want to make this more than just about me, I want my desire to become and Ironman keep someone else healthy, cancer free, or help them beat the monster in the shadows. Christine has inspired me that it's time for us to beat this thing once and for all, so I am going to raise money for the defeat of cancer in her name. I'm racing for Christine and every other man and woman who has ever faced cancer down (successfully or unsuccessfully). Christine, thank you for showing all of us how to face down the demons of life with courage, grace, and humor.

So, to that end - I'm setting a goal of raising a minimum of $25 per mile of my half Ironman to fund cancer treatment and research through the American Cancer Society in her name. So I'm setting a goal to raise at least $1775 (I rounded up) dollars for this cause. I will be setting up a donation site very shortly that you can go to contribute if you'd like to help me raise the money for this effort. I promise I won't pester you readers often with a request, but if you can - anything will help.

Thanks for listening, and thanks in advance for helping making my 2nd act in life something larger and more important than just getting healthy, fit, and becoming and Ironman  Let's work together to get someone else cured and across the finish line.