What do you get when you cross the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society with the Boston Red Sox?  Eureka, you get Jon Lester.  Jon is an amazing guy but not because he has the best ERA in one of the best teams in the MLB.     Jon, at age 25, is a survivor of lymphoma.     In late Aug 2006, when he was only 22 years old,  Jon was put on a 15 day Disabled List with the Sox for a sore back.  They sent him back to Boston for examination.   By early September 2006 he had been diagnosed with Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma.    He underwent treatments at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle.   Very ironically Fred Hutchinson was a MLB pitcher and manager who died of cancer at age 45 in 1964.   After rehabbing with AAA teams early in that season,    Jon was able to return to pitching for the Sox in July 2007.     That year he pitched and got the win for the series clinching game of the 2007 World Series against the Colorado Rockies.    In 2008 he had a no-hitter against the KC Royals, only the 17th no hitter in the long history of the Boston Red Sox.      Jon is my honored hero.

Blood cancers are horrible and often deadly diseases but there are lots of great stories of courage and survival too.

I completed my 12 miles today.   Am stiff and sore.   A hot shower and an aspirin are going to do the trick.  The weather gods were smiling today.   I am in El Paso and we've had a break in the hot weather.  Luckily I was able to do my training outside with a hint of cloud cover.

Factoid:   Team in Training has prepared 400,000 people for endurance sports events.   Since its inception,   TNT has raised $950 million for blood cancers.   Wow, that's a lot.

Things to be thankful for:  I saw a rainbow while out training today.   That is a rare event in El Paso where there isn't enough moisture in the air normally for that to occur.   I am still looking for that pot of gold, however.   LOL