walking for a cure

What an incredibly gorgeous day in Seattle. It reached over 70 degrees, and made all of us yearn for summer to be here. And the weather couldn't have been more fitting for a day where hundreds, if not thousands, gathered at Point Defiance Park to walk for a cure for Multiple Sclerosis.

Last year we participated in the walk at Husky Stadium for a friend, Trevis, who we met through Redhead Momma. Rick has a former patient, Deanna, who's been battling MS since her diagnosis two years ago, and so this year we joined the South Puget Sound walk to support her. This was the first time I'd met her, but I'd heard a lot about her, and knew that she and Rick had a special bond -- he was her therapist who helped her walk again. And today you never would've known that she was near paralysis just a couple of years ago.

You couldn't ask for a more scenic route through the park, and since I've been diligent about getting to the gym before work, I thought this might be a good test to see if I could actually run the five miles instead of walking it. And so it was. Slow, but steady. Inclines and declines. I ran and ran and ran, while Rick paced with me with his brisk walk. What a sense of accomplishment when we rounded the corner to see the finish line and I realized that we'd run it in just over an hour. Of course I'm awaiting the aftereffects and have preempted with some Ibuprofen. We really enjoyed ourselves in the sunshine, capped off with a deck-side lunch on the Puget Sound. Same time, same place next year.

And with that, there's another incredibly important fundraiser on the horizon. I just got mail today about the NW Sarcoma Foundation's Bike Hike Trike event on May 3. My dear friend Josh (who I shared with you is battling cancer for the third time), is sponsoring a team again this year. Rick and I are going to support Josh and his family and participate. If any of you are interested in joining us or want to donate to the cause, here's the information that was provided by their team captain:

"Please join Team Isaac in Josh's honor and in support of the work of the NW Sarcoma Foundation by registering and/or contributing with a gift to Team Isaac at http://www.nwsarcoma.org/."

Our thoughts and prayers are with Josh, Deanna, Trevis and the many others who are fighting each day for their health and wellness.