I have told very few people that I have signed up, because I am not running or training like I used to, which will make this race one of the hardest of my life.   

I decided to run for a reason this year and support B.I.G. LOVE Cancer Care for a couple of very meaningful reasons.

Twenty years ago, my youngest sister was diagnosed with Leukemia, and it was then that I decided to run my first marathon and fundraise in her honor.  I seriously can't believe it's been 20 years.  I know what it's like to have a family member in treatment.  I also know what it's like to have a family member in treatment over Christmas and what it's like to have the support of friends, family, and perfect strangers.  

My sister, Erika, was in high school when she was diagnosed, and I was engaged to be married.  I had planned my wedding for our family to escape cancer and head to the beach for a week, but cancer had other plans.  The week before my wedding, after completing my first marathon, my sister had an adverse reaction to her chemo, experiencing temporary paralysis and could not travel to our wedding in North Carolina.   My Aunt stayed with her in the hospital while my parents flew down for 48 hours on donated miles donated by members of their church.  I will be forever grateful for their generosity and that my sister is healthy today.

This past summer, we lost a very special cancer warrior, named William.  The fundraising will go directly to the W Fund, which was set up in his memory.   I will be thinking of William and everyone who continues to LOVE him every step of the way.