 |
| ARC 5K - First Race |
I started running three years ago when I saw a lawn sign for a race by the ARC. I was instantly attracted because the ARC is an organization that works with individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. A cause that is very personal to me and my family. As I ran that race three years ago I thought about the cause I was running for and the people who are impacted by the cause. As I began to feel tired I thought of the hardships faced daily by individuals with disabilities and knew I could not stop because the fatigue and pain I felt did not compare to their experiences. As I crossed the finished line I felt joy not just for myself, but for all the people impacted by intellectual and developmental disabilities. I ran for a cause and accomplished a personal goal of mine, but this would not be my last race. From that point on I continued to participate in races and each race would be connected to a cause. Since my first race I have ran over five races each connected to different causes (diabetes, community restoration, HIV/AIDS, etc.), which brings me to my next race and the basis of this blog.
My next journey is to run a 1/2 marathon with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I am dedicating the next 15+ weeks to training and fundraising for those individuals whom are affected by blood cancers. I personally do not know anyone with Leukemia or Lymphoma, but members of my family have experienced different forms of cancer. I am dedicating this race in memory of my grandfather -- Nicholas Cacace, great-grandfather -- Louis Labriola, great-aunt -- Julia Brindisi, and cousin -- Sonia Freeman. Lastly, as a member of Team in Training I am also running for our honorary team member -- Nicholas.
I invite you all to join me on this journey by reading my blog, donating (see donation box above, and if you feel so inclined by joining me and signing up regardless of the distance. The Leukemia and Lymphoma society is nation wide and many of my friends have participated! If you are interested in signing up follow this link http://www.teamintraining.org/ and sign up (you can walk it too!).
