Greetings to all on this beautiful April day!

It is with immense joy and gratitude that I write this post to share with you that there are now 37 incredible individuals registered to Run For Nana and Achieving Cures Together during the Colfax Marathon Weekend in May!! This includes 30 people who will take on the 5K on Saturday, May 18th, 1 person in the 10-mile race and 6 in the half marathon on Sunday, May 19th.

Two of these individuals decided that one race wasn’t quite enough…and will participate in both the 5K and the half marathon! We also have team members coming to town from as far away as Illinois, Texas and Minnesota, and of course many from right here in Colorado. Some individuals encouraged family members, friends, and significant others to join as well, so I’ll get to meet new faces on race weekend, too. Honestly, I could write a whole blog post about each member of our team and what makes them each so special and extraordinary, but suffice it to say we are so beyond lucky that we get to go on this adventure with each and every one. We are just so excited and grateful.

I don’t know about you, but I can say that 2019 sure has been off to an incredible busy, but also incredibly rewarding start. Sometimes it’s easy for me to get caught up in and distracted by the day to day, so I’ve been trying to reflect more recently, especially on this journey as we get closer to race weekend. It’s been over three years since I first started to run for Nana and the fight against C. difficile. What I thought would be a one-time race to finish a marathon and raise awareness and funding for C. difficile research is now something I never could have imagined or dreamed it would be.

When I reflect on what Nana might think or say about all this if she were here today, I think she would be absolutely floored to know that so many people not only know about C. diff, but are also participating in a weekend to raise awareness and funds for Achieving Cures Together. She would be so very grateful to know that because of organizations like ACT and the University of Minnesota’s Microbiota Therapeutics Program, over 590 individuals have been cured of recurrent C. difficile and get to spend more time with the ones they love the most. For Nana, there would be no greater gift.

Through this year’s Second Annual Running for Nana Team, we are also raising funds for Achieving Cures Together as well. So far, we have raised over $3,000 toward our $20,000 goal. If you would like to “Run for Nana” in a way that doesn’t involve as much running, I would invite you to visit the ACT Fundraising Link here: https://www.achievingcures.com/colfaxmarathon. You can either indicate the runner you’re supporting or select Achieving Cures Together Team – all dollars go directly to ACT to support their fight against C. difficile and other awful infections. Thank you so much for your consideration!

I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that it’s been a bit of a tricky scheduling dance to find time to dedicate to training for the half marathon this spring. But, every time I get overwhelmed by schedules and the like, I think of each one of you and the incredible gift you’ve given by being a part of this adventure in all the ways that you have. Nothing feels insurmountable when surrounded by that kind of support, love, joy, and kindness, and I just honestly can’t thank you enough.

That’s all for now, but more to come as we get closer to race day!

Love, Emily