Happy To See 2011 Go

So, this past season was pretty much a bust. Nothing too impressive or anything to report on the triathlon front. I did make a big decision though…IMFL 2012 here I come! When is started thinking about the 2010 season compared with the 2011 season, several things jumped out at me. The main one being how much healthier I was in 2010 and how being healthier and more active made me a lot happier and focused. Not only am I racing; my sister is too. I’m going to do my best to coach her and guide through the season. She has been doing a ton of running the past couple of years so if I’m lucky, she will pull me thru the marathon at IMFL.

This past year has definitely been a difficult year. My grandmother (Mamaw) was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer at the end of the summer. She had surgery to have a mass removed and the treatments have been going well. The doctors have been wonderful. We had a team to run in the PanCan 5k event in November. Our team raised over $700! We were so humbled to have so much support. I’m sorry that I haven’t gotten a chance to thank everyone properly, but please know that you are all very much appreciated!
As many of you know, my mother-in-law, Toni, was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer in early Spring of 2009. She fought a long hard battle with more grace and bravery than I could ever hope to have. On November 13th, she passed away. It has been a difficult time, but we do find comfort in knowing that she is no longer suffering and that she is up there watching over us all. I’ve decided to use my training and competing in IMFL as a way to honor both Mamaw and Toni. I will be raising for two local charities that support awareness for these two cancers…The Laura Crandall Brown Ovarian Cancer Foundation ( www.thinkoflaura.org ) and the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network local affiliate ( http://www.facebook.com/PanCAN.Birmingham ). I had discussed the fundraising idea with a close friend of mine, Jeff. His family has been impacted by two other diseases: Juvenile Diabetes and Multiple Sclerosis. We decided to combine our effort and raise money for all four! We still have a lot of details to iron out. I will post a link to our webpage once it is up and running. We will post our story…why we are raising money..how you can join us…how you can help, as well as, pictures, training updates, rants, stories, etc..

As far as events on the horizon, the Mercedes Half Marathon is on February 12th. I’ve got a lot of running to do to get ready for that race (55 days…gulp!). My goal is to work a lot on weight loss and my running form between now and April. I’m hoping to race NOLA 70.3 in April. The rest of the season is up in the air so be sure to check back for updates.

I hope that everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

WDE!
-E


Eric’s Link of the Day: http://sabanonashelf.tumblr.com - you’ll thank me