2013: My 4th year to run a marathon for a cause or three...

It might be my 4th year to run a marathon for a cause but it's my first year to run this marathon and raise money for the National MS Society in honor of 3 separate individuals who all live with an autoimmune disease.

I've signed up for my 5th marathon with the Akron Marathon on September 28th.

I've signed up to raise money for Ohio Buckeye National MS Society for the 4th year in support of TEAM JULIA because I live in awe of my sister, Julia Neal.

I've decided to also run this marathon in honor of my dear friend, Lorene Adams and my incredible dad, Bob Capes!

Training:
To be perfectly honest - I haven't gotten in the training runs that I had hoped to at this point.  I had a hard time training last year - so I feel a little intimidated by the entire process.  I'm not too worried about it yet but I know I have a hard 2 1/2 months of training in front of me!  I have found a great running community in Mt. Juliet, TN - so I'm pretty excited that I've made new friends and have some people who will help me get the long runs completed!

TEAM JULIA:
It's an interesting thing to ask others to donate money to a cause that I care so deeply about.  My younger sister, Julia, lives with an autoimmune disease called Multiple Sclerosis.  And she doesn't know what every day will bring!  I spent a couple days last week in Ohio with my family and my sister said in passing that she hadn't been feeling great for a few days. I asked her what she meant and she said that she is feeling numbness in areas again.  I think I was hoping (she probably was too) that since she had her beautiful daughter, Grace, that her MS would just disappear forever.

But it hasn't. The MS is still around and will be until we find a cure!!!

So.  I will be training to run a full 26.2 miles and asking many of you to donate any amount of money towards the National MS Society!  You can click here to support TEAM JULIA for 2013!


ADAMS' AVENGERS:
I also was able to go to Pittsburg for a day with my mom, sister and niece to see friend Lorene at the Univ of Pittsburgh Medical Center!  Lorene had a double lung transplant about 3 weeks ago because she is living with another autoimmune disease, scleroderma.  It has been an emotional couple of months while she waited to the perfect lungs for her.  I can't even explain how proud I am to know Lorene and to be able to share in her story just a little bit.  She is such an incredible miracle!

Lorene has been one of TEAM JULIA's biggest supporters over the past few years when I've participated with RUN MS - because she has her own story and struggle with Scleroderma.

Two of my best friends and their families are signed up to Step Out to Cure Scleroderma on August 10th in York, PA as ADAMS' AVENGERS - You can support them here.


My dad:
This year I am intentionally running for my dad too.  Robert Carl Capes was diagnosed in 2006 with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia - also a disease that affects the autoimmune system.  He will be running the half marathon as part of TEAM JULIA again and honestly tells me every year to focus on raising money for MS.  So I am.  But he's part of my motivation as well.

See why I run a marathon to raise money and awareness?

I am surrounded by individuals who fill me with awe every time I think of them.  Each one of them inspire me to live each day more fully.  So how could I not run?

My friend Lorene's blog about waiting in Pittsburgh for a double lung transplant.

Love seeing this day through her eyes!! Letters From Pittsburgh: At the O.R. Door: Part Un: When I started writing about my latest adventure, my intent was for it to be a single post, but I obviously have too much to say on the sub...

Ya heard of scleroderma??

I'm sitting with four dear friends and one new friend in the Pittsburgh Presbyterian Hospital. This hospital specializes in Lung Transplants and my sweet friend, Lorene is on the Lung Transplant list because she was diagnosed in 2010 with Scleroderma. Her symptoms have caused her lungs to harden - which makes it extremely hard to do anything. In the past, people with this form of scleroderma were sent home to die - but now there are a few hospitals that offer lung transplants. It's not easy to get in the list but after lorene was rejected from Duke - Pittsburgh said yes. You can read about her journey - here.

We were sitting in her apartment for only 1 1/2 hours when Lorene got a phone call around 2:00 pm. There was a lung available and they wanted her in the hospital in the next 30 minutes. This is the first time that she was given a hospital room and was completely ready in a bed for surgery at 9:30 tonight.

So we are waiting. With Lorene and her husband, Steve. They have a sweet relationship and are both handling the unknowns of this disease and the transplant situation well.

We know right now that one of her three surgeons flew to where the available lung is and is personally going to check it out. If this lung is a healthy match then the surgeon will fly back with it and then Lorene will go into surgery.

We've laughed a lot today. A lot.

Lorene, Sandi, Mandi and Kelly have all been friends since they were in elementary school. I met them all in high school. We are telling stories, making fun of each other and catching up. All 5 of us haven't been together since the end of high school.

*******************

It's now 1:00 am.

The lungs were a no-go. The surgeon found pneumonia in the lungs so another doctor came to let Lorene know. She was released and we all left.

There was a sense all day that it would be amazing that if she received her new lungs while the four of us were here. So it was a definite let down to hear that she wasn't getting new lungs tonight.

I'm still so thankful that we have been here with her though - this roller coaster is part of her journey. It's been amazing to me to see the outpouring of love, well-wishes and prayers from so many people in her life - from all over the world! Keep the prayers coming...for her strength and continued health and for her new lungs to come available soon!