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HILLSBOROUGH: Amanda Walzer making first marathon count

By Audrey Levine Staff Writer
   She is a first-time marathon runner, but a long-time supporter of the cause against blood cancers, and will take that desire to help across the country in the new year.
   Amanda Walzer, of Magda Lane, will participate in a marathon to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Jan. 18 in Phoenix, combining her love of running and her desire to help those stricken with the diseases.
   ”I’ve loved running ever since I was part of Hillsborough High School’s cross country team, and I’ve always wanted to run a marathon,” she said. “And I know so many people who have been touched by leukemia, lymphoma and other cancers that it was a cause close to my heart.”
   Now, with the marathon approaching, Ms. Walzer is asking for donations to support the society’s research to find a cure and improve the quality of life for patients and their families.
   ”The funds I raise will help to stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives,” she said.
   Currently, Ms. Walzer said, she is more than halfway to her goal of raising about $4,000, as she has already gathered $2,660 in donations.
   ”I figured if I have a good cause behind the marathon, it would make it that much more meaningful and worthwhile,” she said. “Sometimes it is hard to motivate yourself to get out there and run, but this was an added cause.”
   Although she has never participated in this type of marathon before, Ms. Walzer said she has been part of Light the Night, an annual nationwide evening walk to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
   To prepare for the 26.2-mile long marathon, called PF Chang’s Rock ‘n Roll Marathon, Ms. Walzer has been running with Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training (TNT) since mid-August, working on running longer and longer distances to build stamina before the big day. Throughout the months, Ms. Walzer said, she has been sticking to TNT’s training schedule.
   ”They have coaches and many people with marathon experience to help me with my training,” she said.
   TNT has been training people for the past 20 years for participation in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society marathon. According to the program’s Web site, it has worked with more than 380,000 participants during that time for the marathon and other events to benefit the society.
   The training schedule, Ms. Walzer said, includes running three times each week on her own, then meeting with other members of Team in Training on the weekends for longer runs throughout northern New Jersey.
   ”All runs, of course, have been increasing in mileage as the race gets closer,” she said. “Saturday, I ran 19 miles, my longest ever. The longest we run before the actual marathon is 20 miles, and then we begin to taper off. That run will come the weekend after Christmas.”
   Ms. Walzer said TNT is also providing training for a marathon in Disney World on Jan. 18, but she chose to go to Phoenix because it would be a new experience.
   ”I’ve never been there and I figured it would be fun to travel somewhere new,” she said.
   Through all the training, Ms. Walzer said she is glad to be participating in something that will benefit not only those hoping for a cure for the diseases, but those participating in the marathon itself.
   ”There are so many important reasons for getting involved in these kinds of marathons and event, but I think the most important has to be the amount of people who join together for such a good cause,” she said. “The patients and families coping with blood cancer benefit, but also the individuals who participate in the events who are able to accomplish not only an endurance event, but also raising a large amount of money for a cause much bigger than themselves.”
   To donate, send a check payable to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to Ms. Walzer at 18 Magda Lane Hillsborough, NJ 08844, or visit her Web site at pages.teamintraining.org/nnj/pfchangs09/awalzer.