The goal is in sight

THANK YOU so much for your support along the Team in Training journey to this point.

My goal is to raise at least $4,100 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and I am SO CLOSE. According to my handy-dandy spreadsheet, I'm up to $3,900.

I could not have come this far without your help and support - whether it was a monetary donation, a thumbs-up to a Facebook post, or just asking "Hey, how's the training going?"

Knowing that there are that many people out there who are behind me is really pushing me to continue without becoming discouraged.

Each time someone asks how the training is going, it keeps me honest. It gets me out of bed at 5 a.m. to head to the gym. It keeps me running up those darn hills even at mile 16 or 17.

I've attached a photo of my training partner, Mitzi, and I. It was taken just after our long run last Saturday - 18 miles! We're still smiling, and it's because of you!

My efforts for Team in Training have become even more important just in the last few weeks. I will wear the name Lynsey Fitzgerald on the back of my racing singlet in memory of a 2008 Blue Valley High graduate who passed away three weeks ago after a years-long battle with Leukemia. Lynsey was known around BVHS for her love of students and teachers and her BV Tiger spirit. Her will to be at school even when she was in horrible pain is an inspiration to us all.

Again, I truly appreciate your willingness to support LLS research, programs and patients even in these economic times.

If you haven't donated yet, you still can. Visit my website: http://pages.teamintraining.org/mid/rnrseatl09/jchittum

I promise I haven't died

I've just been really busy, that's all. And, now I've gone and gotten you all excited that there's actually a new post, and it won't really be that long.

I spent part of last week in Phoenix for the National High School Journalism Convention, and I have tons of cool photos to post from that, as well as a trip to Minneapolis the week before that. I will do it this week.

When I got home yesterday, I headed straight to Panera to do some grading with Betsy. For some reason, I get more done there than I do at home. Adam was working at the Home Depot (or, the Dee-POT, as I call it) when I got back in town, so Betsy and I passed the time until he got home.

Adam and I ate at the "sushi train" restaurant - not really called that but it's what we call it. Shawnee-ites will know it as Sakura at 75th and Nieman. We loved it last time we went, but this time it was too close to closing time. The same pieces of sushi that no one wanted kept coming around on the train. Lesson learned - go earlier in the day if you're going to be eating sushi off of a train that circles a bar.

Then, of course we had school today. Stayed til 5 to get some stuff done, and then I HAD to get a run in. Only did that once while in Phoenix, and we go 18 this weekend. Yikes.

Check back with me later this week for photos and more. Kickball practice Thursday and the season starts next week, so that oughta be some good blog fodder...

For now, bedtime!