Happy New Year!!  I know it’s kind of late for the New Year wishes, but I’ve been very busy.  This blog entry has been sitting on my computer for weeks and if I don’t publish it now it’ll be 2013 when you see this entry.     Training for the Big Sur Marathon with the Silicon Valley DetermiNation team is coming along wonderfully.  I’ve fundraised $1,300 dollars for the American Cancer Society and I’m $200 dollars away from reaching the fundraising minimum.  It’s been great to be a part of the Big Sur DetermiNation team for the second year in a row and to fundraise this money in the fight against cancer.  I almost didn’t join DetermiNation last year because I was terrified of fundraising, but I’ve learned so much about myself and what I can accomplish with a little heart and DetermiNation.  February, I’ll be celebrating my third year of volunteering and fighting cancer.  I’m already working on this blog entry, so stay tuned.  :) It’s interesting  to see how volunteering, helping fight cancer and distance running have come together into my life.  If you’d like to donate and help me reach my goal for the Big Sur Marathon be sure to visit my fundraising page.
 
Raising the Bar
I’m always inspired by my fellow DetermiNators personal stories.  Meeting all the amazing DetermiNation Athletes and training with the awesome Silicon Valley team.  2012 is off to a wonderful start.   I’m always raising the bar on myself to see how I  can raise more money, raise more awareness and to inspire others to join in the fight against cancer.  In 2010, my goal was to finish a marathon.  At the time, I wasn’t a runner so to go from no running experience to running a marathon was insane.  I registered to run the Big Sur Marathon, a hilly, and challenging marathon.  Crossing the finish line was one of the greatest accomplishments of my life.  Running has become such an important part of my life.  After finishing my first marathon, I had to do something more incredible for 2011.
 
I raised the bar on myself again in 2011, now I had to run 2 marathons in one year, run a sub 2 hour half marathon and become a DetermiNation Athlete charity runner.  Those were some pretty ambitious goals, but I love a good challenge.  I trained with the amazing Silicon Valley DetermiNation team and I ran the Big Sur Marathon on May 1st, 2011.  I finished in 4:44:16, a 31 minute personal record from 2010.  I fundraised $2,700 for the American Cancer Society and lost 41 pounds in the process.  July 31st,  I ran a sub two hour half marathon at the San Francisco Marathon finishing in 1:57:46.  October 2nd, I ran the San Jose Rock ‘n’ Roll Half-Marathon in 1:57:42.  October 23, I ran the Morgan Hill Marathon my second marathon of the year and finished it.  I was very pleased with finishing this race because it’s a tough hilly marathon, and I had to contend with 93 degree weather.   After the Big Sur Marathon, I experienced a lot of set backs because of injury, but I made a strong comeback in the fall.  It was a wonderful way to finish off the year.  2011 was an incredible year and I’m looking forward to raising the bar.  I love a good challenge and I’ll be willing to do anything to help find a cure for cancer.
 
So what’s on the agenda for 2012?  It’s my third year of distance running, and to celebrate I’m going to run 3 marathons: The Big Sur Marathon on April 29, The San Francisco Marathon on July 29 and a third marathon in the fall.  I’m very excited to be running 3 marathons in one year.  Once I reach the Big Sur fundraising minimum, in the two years that I’ve been involved with DetermiNation as an Athlete, I will have fundraised over $4,200 in the fight against cancer.  I most proud of this, because I never imagined that I would have been able to fundraise that amount of money to help fight cancer.  To run and dedicate my miles and training to helping fight cancer is pretty amazing.
 
I hope your 2012 is off to a wonderful start.  What are you going to do to raise the bar for 2012?  DREAM BIG and RAISE THE BAR at whatever you do. I wish you all a successful 2012.  GO D-Nation!!
 
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