Cynthia Daffron's Team In Training Page

Racing to Save Lives

Welcome to my Team In Training home page!

I am training to run the San Diego Rock 'n Roll Marathon on June 5, 2005 as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training. All of us on Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. I'm completing this marathon in honor of all individuals who are battling cancers. These people are the real heroes on our team, and we need your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure! My team's honored teammates are Lauren Squires, a six year old girl in remission from Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia and Ryan Pino, a six year old boy who is also in remission.

I'm also running to honor the memory of those who have been lost to blood and other types of cancer. My grandfather, Daniel Cory, passed away when I was four, and I, like so many others, wish I had had more time with him. Suzi Page, a warm and kind-hearted yoga teacher, passed away at the end of Janaury 2005.

Please make a donation to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance the Society's mission. To donate by credit card, use the button on this page. You may also donate by check. Mail checks (payable to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) to (note: this is a temporary address, as I am moving to Portland, OR, and Tena has graciously agreed to house me & my cats for a little while at her place in a different part of Oregon): Cynthia Daffron · c/o Tena Vaughan, P.O. Box 1074, Keno, OR 97627.

Please visit my web site to follow my progress through training. Thanks for your support!

Update, 6/5/05 I DID IT! 26.2 miles in 4 hours 33 minutes. Wahoo!

Update, 5/21/05 Yes, even traveling, I managed to get my run in -- 90 minutes criss-crossing streets around Shady Side, MD near the Chesapeake Bay. Cooler weather makes for easier running.

Update, 5/14/05 TWENTY MILES!!!! Wahoo! For me, it was 3 hrs 47 minutes. We all got through it, and we're ready for the marathon. This was my last training with the group, as I am beginning my drive west on Monday. Thanks, Team Feat! I couldn't have done it without you.

Update, 4/30/05 18.7 miles in 3 hours 25 minutes... not exactly speedy, but I got through it. I got there early (5:45) -- it makes a difference running in the dark when it's cooler. After the run, we had a birthday party for Lauren. She's an adorable little girl, and we're all happy she's in remission. She was happy about the cake and Barbies. :-)

Update, 4/23/05 We ran 16 miles today, which is a long way, until you consider that a marathon is another ten miles beyond that. It took me 2 hours and 51 minutes, which means I was slogging along at a 10-11 minutes mile pace. Not speedy, but if I can keep it up for the marathon, I can finish in under 5 hours, which is my goal. We have the Team Feat recommittment dinner yesterday -- great to see all the crowd out there. And odd to see them wearing something other than shorts and sweaty CoolMax tops.

Update, 4/16/05 -14 MILES! That's more than half a marathon. And cool cloudy weather this morning -- perfect. I toddled along rather leisurely in my fancy news shoes (which are great, except one blister) and ended strong, feeling fine, after a bit over after two and a half hours of running. GO TEAM FEAT!

Update, 4/09/05 -I made the startling discovery (because I can't figure out how to set the clock in my car) that if Daylight Saving hadn't occured, I would be heading over to Key Biscayne at 4:45. As it was, 5:45 felt early enough. But the early morning was happily chilly, so as we started out in the dark, it was a pleasure not to worry about heat exhaustion. 12 miles today, about 2 hours of running, and quite pleasant (as much as running for 2 hours can be).

Update, 4/02/05 -Gorgeous run! We covered somewhere between 10.5 and 11 miles, and despite the heat and the early hour (we're now starting at 6am instead of 7), it went quickly. I'm fully recovered from my illness last week, which accounts for the huge improvement in attitude. Lauren Squires' father ran with us today too.

Update, 3/26/05 - OK, today was a tough one. I'm getting over a cold, and we're having record heat/humidity. By 9 am, it was 82 degrees, and 76% humity, meaning it felt like 88 - I doubt it was much better when we started at 7. But I sweat and sniffled my way through ten (10! - double digits) miles in a bit over an hour & a half. I was too wiped out to stay for the Easter Egg hunt for Ryan (honored teammate)...sorry Ryan!

Update, 3/19/05 - Today we ran 8 miles -- 8 slow easy miles, in my case, as I never quite woke up, drifted through it. After the run, Emmanuel shared a bit his experience with Hodgkins. Tomorrow marks the 3 year anniversary of his diagnosis (he was only 20 at the time). After treatment, chemo and radiation, he's back to health, and led the pack today, running strong. That's something to celebrate. Go Miami Feat!

Update, 3/12/05 - We have a team name! We're now the Miami Feat (feat - feet - get it? we're terribly proud of our pun). 9 Miles (or 8.6 -- debate rages) in 1 hour and 25 minutes today, including chats with Jesse on nutrition, and George, proud father, on his kids. I'll run 9 miles over taking the SATs any day. Ended feeling strong -- a good run. Tomorrow, getting up early for the LLS yard sale in Ft. Lauderdale, where I hope to rake in millions (ok, a few bucks) toward my fundraising goal by selling some of my many, many knick-knacks. Come check it out!
Addendum: I almost forgot (too much time in the sun) -- in exciting news, our coach Laine & her beau (who we see at practive every week, delivering water along the course) had a big weekend! Laine announced it this way: "The Coach and the Water Boy got engaged yesterday." It must be something about marathons -- two couples got engaged during the last training I did.

Update, 3/05/05 - Ran with George & Emmanuel today, who were slowed down enough for me to keep them in sight because they, along with Kathleen, sped through the local 8K yesterday. We ran roughly 7 miles today, (61 minutes for me), which I'm pleased to say, wasn't a strain at all -- well, ok, except that sprint at the end. The mid-week runs make all the difference. I had my radio on for a bit. First lyric I heard? "I ran, I ran so far away. I just ran, I ran all night and day."

Update, 2/26/05 - I love running. Or more specifically, I love having run (not unlike my reaction to writing, come to think of it). Endorphins, the happy chemicals that course through your body when you sweat yourself silly, must be addictive. Ran around 7-8 miles this morning. Jesse recounted the tale of his first marathon (Orlando - Disney) for which he wore a Superman costume and was greeted by Mickey and Goofy at the end. Go team in training!

Update, 2/19/05 - Back from the run, which was somewhere between 5 and 6 miles this time -- there's some debate on that. But after 8 last week, and having increased my mid-week runs, it felt easy. Love it. The sunrises on the drive to Key Biscayne are pretty spectacular too.

Update, 2/12/05 - Never trust my sense of direction, time or distance. Happily chugging along this morning, I missed the turn around point, and so ended up covering roughly 8 miles (approx. 1 1/2 hrs) instead of 5. Whoops. Many thanks to teammate George for his encouragement & entertaining conversation. We weren't alone in taking the long route -- most of the runners missed the turn around. See what happens when you're hopped up on endorphins? Glorious morning though, crisp and sunny. And hey, I can still run 8 miles. Who knew? p.s. Happy birthday to my sister Susie!

Update, 2/5/05 - I just came back from my first group training run, and it was great! A wonderful group of people, and a three mile run in the (for Florida) chilly 60 degree windy weather made for a fine morning. In the last five years, I've also apparently become a much more leisurely runner. Ah well. The idea is to finish the marathon, not to win.