Boston Marathon 2012 Profile: Kerry Webb

Are you running in the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 16? —make sure to email us a photo at danield@patch.com—and we'll print your profile this week leading up to the 2012 Boston Marathon.

Name: Kerry Webb

Age: 34

Marathon Experience: 2011 Boston Marathon.

Reason for running: I ran the Boston Marathon last year and felt like I was missing something. Don't get me wrong, running 26.2 miles is definitely an accomplishment and while I was proud of myself, I felt like I wanted to be a part of something bigger. I ran past hundreds of charity runners and thought to myself—I want to make a difference.

A few years ago, my mother was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. At the time, I had little knowledge of the disease and exactly what type of battle my mother would be facing. Luckily for us, she battled through and has been cancer free for over two years. An estimated 140,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma this year. I am running to help change that.

This year I decided to run the Boston Marathon for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) Team in Training. The money I raise will help pay for support groups, educational programs, and financial planning for afflicted families. It will also fund grants for doctors, who are working hard towards better forms of treatments and of course, a cure.

If you would like to donate to the cause or to get more information, please visit http://pages.teamintraining.org/ma/boston12/kwebbo

Training Tip: Training for a marathon isn't all about running. While increasing your mileage is important, you also want to make sure that you are finding other ways to cross-train to keep your body strong.