Update From Art's Cancer Kickin' Campaign: Soup!

Hey again, it is I, with one of my Cancer Kickin' Campaign's tri-weekly updates. The Crawlin' Crab Half Marathon is just two months away now, which seems unreal, and a bit scary, given that I just started adding some running to the mix but am dealing with a sore back. It is hard to walk normally right now, much less try to run.

So what's with the subject line: "Soup!"? More about that in just a bit, but first, here are some updates. On the fund-raising side of things, I am just over halfway to having purple hair on race day. Come on - help make that happen! You know you want to see me with purple hair! And here is how you can help turn my hair purple: (1) go to my web page at this URL:

http://pages.teamintraining.org/va/crwlncrb13/afritter

(2) Make a donation of any amount. Or if you prefer, contact me about a check payable to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. My Team in Training web page is also the place to start to see my honoree list or just learn more about what I am doing, and why I am feeling so crabby about cancer.

On the training front, that was going pretty well until this back pain. Hopefully, that will soon be behind me. Well, actually - that is the problem, it is behind me: right in the small of my back! Anyway, I have now trained up to eight miles, which is still a long way off from a half marathon at 13.1 miles - but I am getting there.

Now, about the Soup... What's this soup? She-crab soup, perhaps, in honor of the race? The soupy, hot, steamy summer weather that we train in? Nope, neither of those. "Soup" is the nickname of a little girl I met after training Saturday. Her real name is Campbell, and she is almost eight. A year ago this month, Campbell was diagnosed with leukemia and has had a really rough year. She came out to meet our team, thank us for doing Team in Training, and give us cupcakes and homemade cards and her orange "Team Soup" wristband. It was great to meet her, although it makes me sad to see a child who must go through this. She is just a bit older than my granddaughter. Seeing Campbell reminded me of a young girl I saw in Nashville four years ago when I was there to run a half marathon for Team in Training. I still think of that girl often and hope that she is doing well. If you want to read my account of what happened, you can go to my TNT page and click the link near the top of the page about the Nashville girl:

http://racn4acure.blogspot.com/2009/04/look-theres-one-of-leukemia-society.html

I told Campbell's mom Saturday that I am an 11 year survivor. She told me how much she loves hearing from survivors because it gives her hope. And I told her how much I appreciated them coming out so that we could meet Campbell, and be inspired by her.

There is very little that I, or you, can do to help Campbell directly. But I fervantly hope that through using my feet to motivate people to donate whatever amount they feel is appropriate to this cause will ultimately mean that more Campbell's and more little Nashville girls go on to survive these awful diseases - an ordeal that no child should have to face.

So thanks to all of you who have already donated in support, and thanks to all who are considering a donation before I wrap up my campaign in two more months.

Art