Why I do this

Every day, I talk about my marathon efforts to anyone and everyone around me, spreading the word about the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the Team In Training program. And yet, there are always people who look at me with that facial expression that could only mean one thing: they think I'm crazy.

Am I crazy? Quite possibly so, but I'd like to think I'm at least crazy with a purpose. The pain I'm feeling today as I continue to recover from my first long run is nothing compared to the pain of someone being treated for cancer. It's not going to kill me and can get better with some combination of ice, heat or Advil.

Runner's World magazine highlights Team In Training in their July issue, on newsstands now. The main article, which looks at Team In Training from the perspective of a participant from Oregon, truly resonated with me.

"Becoming a runner has let me understand cancer better," she finally says as we hit the turnaround and begin our descent. "If you have cancer, if someone you love has it, even if you're just a grunt like me--it's all a long march. It's not going to be over in a day. During the toughest miles, you find out you're all alone, but at the same time, you feel incredibly connected. You learn that you're capable of doing things you never could have imagined."

This is why I run.