I'm doing a Triathlon!

Dear Family and Friends,

It is with great excitement that I tell you I am training for the Triathlon at Pacific Grove as a member of Team in Training (TNT). What does this mean? Well, basically in the next four months I will be training and fundraising for a great cause! The event is on September 9, 2006 in Monterey, California. This Olympic distance triathlon consists of:

One mile ocean swim, 25 mile bike, and 6.2 mile run (yes, all one after another).

I have been training with a team of about 50 people and it's been amazing to see how much time and heart everyone is putting into this cause.

My goal is to raise $5,000 to help find a cure for blood cancers. As you can imagine, both the training and fundraising will be a challenging task, but with your support I know I can make it happen!

Now, I know what you're thinking:

Why on earth are you doing something like this?
I think I sometimes take my health and fitness ability for granted. Our bodies are capable of doing so much more than our minds can conceive, and I want to challenge myself to overcome my fears and do something meaningful for those less fortunate. But more importantly, I want to show my support for those who are suffering through life threatening illnesses. My training will be tough, but it's nothing compared to what people like my Honored Teammate, Mark Adelman, a cancer survivor and fellow teammate of mine running in the triathlon, had to battle through. Although this race will be a test of my endurance, I must remember that fighting through cancer is a far greater challenge than what I'm training for.

Why do you need to raise money and where does it go?
Every five minutes someone new is diagnosed with blood cancer. Every 10 minutes someone dies. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, and providing education and patient services. Research funded by the society has led or contributed to advances such as chemotherapy, bone marrow and stem cell transplantation, and new, targeted oral therapies such as Gleevec. Without donors like you, this would not be possible!

Your generous donation will help the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's mission of finding cures and saving lives! What's more, it's fully tax deductible. More than 75 percent of the $5,000 will go toward research and patient services, as will 100 percent of the amount I raise above and beyond my goal.

There are two ways to donate:

1) You can make a secure donation online through my TNT training
page: www.active.com/donate/tntsdh/seifi It's fast and easy to use.

2) You can write a check made payable to "The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society" and
mail it to me by June 22, 2006. 4851 Del Monte Ave #6 San Diego, CA 92107.

I will gladly accept donations after this date, but the sooner I meet my fundraising goal, the better I can focus my energy on preparing for the triathlon. I also encourage you to pass this on to anyone else you think would be interested in supporting this cause, or who have had a friend or loved one who has been affected by these diseases.

Thanks in advance for your support and generosity. Whatever amount you can give, will help. Everything counts!

If you have any questions about what I'm doing, please don't hesitate to e-mail me at naseifi@gmail.com. I will keep you updated on my progress through e-mails and my blog.

With love,
Nafiseh "Alana" Seifi