Honoree Izzy

Who is Izzy and why is she always smiling? Izzy Costley is the daughter of fellow Michigan MBA Cory Costley. She just started her chemo last week. Her positive attitude is tremendous and going to get her over the finish line with all of her treatments at UofM's Mott Children's Hospital.

I'm racing the Ford California 70.3 Half Ironman on Saturday, March 31st in honor of Izzy.

You can learn more about Izzy on her blog: http://izzycostley.blogspot.com/

Taper week for the California Half Ironman

I love taper week! This means I get to rest, do mini-workouts, eat carbs and sleep. I have my first race of the season on Saturday, the California Half Ironman in San Diego. I am a litle nervous because this is the earliest I've ever raced in a season before. Training has been going really well and I'm on track. I'm fired up for this race since it is the famous Ralph's course that I've heard Matt talk about. It is supposed to be 69 degrees on Saturday and Caroline says the water temp is already at 60. Compared to Michigan, this is HOT! I'm a little nervous (ok, a lot nervous) about the swim since it is going to be in the Oceanside harbor (salt water). I will pretend it is Aquatic Park in San Francisco. I'm alrady mentally preparing for low visability, sharks, salt, the hill at mile 40 and a strong headwind on the second half of the bike course. These next two weeks are going to be super busy, I have to get a bunch of work done for classes this week and focus on training, eating and sleeping. I can't wait to test my training to see if I'm getting faster. 18 Weeks to Ironman Lake Placid! Racing is the prize!

Please Share Your Stories of Honorees

Please share your stories of friends or relatives who have been strong in their battle with Leukemia or other blood cancers. I am raising money for LLS in their honor. They inspire me to go the extra mile and to make it to the finish line. You can post comments on this blog or email me directly.

Training for and racing an endurance event is something that I am blessed with the ability to do. There are many people in the world who are not given the choice to take on this challenge. Instead, they are fighting their own battle to survive each day.

Racing Ironman to Save Lives

Welcome to my Ironman Blog!

Yes, finishing an Ironman may sound a bit crazy, but the thought of a second Ironman is astounding! I am officially committing to the rigorous dedication all over again with the goal of crossing the finish line in Lake Placid on July 22, 2007. After three years of living in Ann Arbor, Michigan for graduate school, it is my personal goal to finish my second Ironman before I begin working full time at Piper Jaffray. This time, I know a little bit more about what I’m getting myself into, which is actually 1,000x scarier than the first time around! To help me reach the finish line, I have joined the IronTeam. This means that I am also taking on the challenge of raising over $8,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. If you are able to support this goal, I greatly appreciate your donation to help this cause which affects so many Americans and their families.

Why am I racing to support this cause? In the past year, cancer has taken the lives of my two influential grandmothers and this is my way of giving back to those who are affected by blood diseases of leukemia. My dear friend Daisy’s mother and my brother’s friend Eric’s father are both currently undergoing treatments in Singapore and Seattle. I will be racing in honor of your friends and family members as well, please send me their names and I will add them to my list. They are the true fighters in this race to find a cure! What is the Ironman you might ask? It is a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike and a 26.2 mile run (yes a full marathon) – all in the same day!!! I will need all of your support, encouragement and motivation to enable me to reach these goals! Please make a donation to support my participation on the IronTeam and help advance the Society's mission. I will keep you updated with my progress.

Thank you so much for your support! Best, Jenny