73 Days!?!?! OMG

73 days until the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington D.C.  I am so thrilled to be participating in my 3rd event with the Lung Cancer Alliances Team Lung Love!  We will even have new racing singlets, I hear they are no longer white, pretty excited to see what they look like. What I am most excited about is being part of the Lung Cancer Alliance family.  All the rest is just the whipped cream and cherry on top of the hot fudge sundae, but the best part is that base the core the reason for the cherry and whipped cream!

The new Lung Cancer Alliance logo is pretty styling, check out their website here:  Lung Cancer Alliance

I love love love their "No One Deserves To Die" campaign.  No One Deserves To Die

The campaign stirred up a lot of controversy and that is exactly what is should have done.  The statistics are amazing.

1 in 14 diagnosed
2 of those 14 will live 5 years

The deadliest at 160,340 deaths per year
The least funded at $1,442 in federal funding per death

Compare this to Breast Cancer

39,920 deaths per year
$26,398 in federal funding per death

Shocking isn't it?  Terrifying isn't it?

And wait there is more....

The smoking stigma must be removed.  This disease does not only happen to smokers, it happens to anyone with LUNGS.  Children, mothers, daughters, fathers, brothers, grandmothers, grandfathers, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, A.N.Y.O.N.E. Lung Cancer simply does not care.

This is why I am running with the Lung Cancer Alliance's Team Lung Love, this is why I speak my mind and my heart about Lung Cancer.  I run for my mother, a 5 year survivor of Lung Cancer, a non-smoker, had her last cigarette more than 20 years pre-diagnosis, setting her odds at developing Lung Cancer the same as a non-smoker.  I run for friends mothers who were never smokers, taken just months after their Lung Cancer diagnosis leaving a huge gaping hole in her and her siblings hearts.  I run for Cyndi's mom who was months away from her 5 year mark.   I run for a better, more open, non-confrontational discussion about Lung Cancer and who gets it and what can be done about it.

The Lung Cancer Alliance provides support and advocacy for those living with and at risk for Lung Cancer.   Being the voice for those who aren't able to be their own voice and increase federal funding for Lung Cancer research, prevention, and screening programs.

I am progressing on my training.  Small set back with an injury, more of an over use just needed a couple weeks rest injury before it became a 'no more running injury'.  All in all I am feeling confident and ready to take on the rest of the miles in my schedule!!!

I am falling a bit behind in my fundraising though...  If you an spare a couple of bucks for this most worthy cause I would be appreciative!!!  Plus it is tax deductable AND your employer may MATCH your contribution, wouldn't that be nice to donate $25 and have it go on record as $50, pretty cool, eh???

My personal fundraising page:  http://tinyurl.com/
bethrunsinri

Sincerely,
Beth, who loves to run and really gets weirded out by this asking for money stuff....