My friend Karrin, a woman I admire for her kindness and compassion as well as her sense of style, humor, and outright sillyness and loudness, is a person who is always giving. She is active in her church, our community, and owned her own business before her 26th birthday. In short, I think she is both awesome and amazing and I shouldn’t have been surprised when she told me she was training for a marathon. I was because I didn’t know she was a runner. It turns out she wasn’t and is using this race as a springboard to becoming a runner. I wasn’t surprised, however, when she told me she was doing it for a cause. She has chosen to run in the Rock n’ Roll Marathon for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. She is also documenting her training and fund raising efforts in a blog. As a non-runner, I’m enjoying her posts on early training sessions, because I just can’t imagine doing it myself, especially in the weather we’ve been having. Here is a bit of Karrin’s fundraising email that explains a bit about her decision to participate.

I’ve joined Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training, and will be running for my team’s honored teammate, Judy Mathews, and others who are fighting blood cancers. Judy is a local mom who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease in 1999 and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2000, and who has been in remission for more than six years. I am running five times a week-which is new for me-including a longer training run on Saturday mornings. Training for this marathon is definitely a challenge, but a challenge I’m privileged to choose.

I find Karrin’s attitude and new goal inspiring and just wanted to spread the word. Please check out her blog and if you are looking for more ways to give, please consider the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.