The time has come.....background info

As anyone who knows me well can tell you, running has been an important part of my life.It began in high school with cross country practices (otherwise known some days as "coach evasion"). I continued to run as much as I could through college, but once I graduated and move back to Atlanta I have truly learned to love running and it has morphed into a passion. The high school cross country slacker who vowed never to race in anything longer than a 10K completed his first half marathon last Thanksgiving Day and another in March 2009. Having completed the marathon distance over 2 races I decided this summer it was time for the real thing!

This Thanksgiving Day, I will be running my very first full marathon, the Atlanta Marathon. Since this is going to be my first marathon, I thought it would be great to make this experience about more than just me. I decided to run raise money for my first marathon for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF), through their Marathon Program. This program typically involves training in teams for a given marathon, however, the Atlanta Marathon does not have such a team. At first I thought about trying to participate in the marathon program in a city that did have a team, but I knew I could not run my first marathon for this cause away from those closest to me. So, Atlanta Marathon 2009 here I come!

But why run to raise money for Multiple Myeloma? Multiple Myeloma is basically cancer of the plasma cell. According to the MMRF, this incurable but treatable disease had approximately 20,000 new cases of Multiple Myeloma diagnosed in 2008 alone. Two of the new cases of Multiple Myeloma over the past years have hit particularly close to home for me. My Uncle Jay was diagnosed with the disease, but luckily has been in remission for a few years. Then a woman that is basically my second mother was diagnosed with the disease a few years ago, and has been battling ever since. I am running this marathon for them. I am hoping their strength will push me through the pain of 26.2 miles.

So that's the background info. I will post updates from my training at least once a week to let everyone know how I am doing. Please visit my donation page (http://www.active.com/donate/2009UmbrellaMarathon/mansionmarathon) and give whatever you can. There will be multiple donation options, so go wild and remember its for a great cause!