Running For a Reason
If completing a marathon or half-marathon is something you never thought possible, think again. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training® (TNT) program can help you achieve your goals while you raise funds to help find cures for blood cancer.
Over the next five months Team In Training will prepare over 100 local athletes to complete either the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Marathon in San Diego, CA or the Austin 10/20 event in our state’s capital. TNT offers both Lower Valley and Upper Valley training teams that will be forming in January for of these exciting events. 
TNT is the world’s largest endurance sports training program, training more than 35,000 participants nationally each year, from novices to accomplished endurance athletes. TNT offers a great opportunity to meet new people and be part of a team. Participants get personalized weekly training sessions under the guidance of a certified coach, clinics on nutrition, equipment, injury prevention and safety, and LLS arranges airfare and lodging to send participants to destination events. In return, participants raise funds for blood cancer research and patient services, and TNT provides the tools to help them fund raise, including a personalized web page.
What makes Team In Training so successful are their dedicated volunteers and professional coaches, like Troy Gearhart and Jackie Romero. Whether an individual has run 20 marathons or is coming straight off the couch, TNT coaches lead an unmatched training program to prepare participants for their individual goals.
But it’s not just about the training. The mission of TNT and the fun throughout the training season is the main reason participants enjoy themselves so much. A focus on the LLS mission, enthusiastic cheer/water stops, team socials, and fundraising support make the program a memorable experience and one that many participants return to each year. 
“Who ever thought working out could be so much fun!” says TNT alumni Rachel Raczkowski. “There is much more to TNT than just exercise. Our team members are saving lives in their spare time through their fundraising and training. Because of them, we are closer to finding cures for blood cancers.”
Over the last 25 years, more than 500,000 Team In Training participants have raised over $1.2 billion through TNT to help LLS advance its mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Since forming a Team In Training marathon team in the Rio Grande Valley in 2008, the community has had more than 350 participants raise over $900,000 to aid in funding life saving research and to help families in South Texas.
For a list of informational meeting locations and for additional TNT information, call the South Central Texas Chapter at 800-683-2458 ext 5416; or visit: www.teamintraining.org/sctx.
Contact: Lexi Read
Team In Training Campaign Manager
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
(210) 998-5138
