Rather than count his blessings passively, however, Odomo is working toward a very proactive goal—to make sure these cancers are something no one will suffer from in the future.

To that end, he has joined Team in Training (TNT), a fundraising arm of the nonprofit Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). TNT is the largest endurance training program in the United States. In exchange for free training, coaching and nutritional advice from professionals, TNT runners, walkers, triathletes and bicyclists participate in marathons, rides and other events to raise money for and awareness of the LLS, whose mission is to treat and cure leukemia, Hodgkins' disease (also called Hodgkins' lymphoma), non-Hodgkins' lymphoma, myeloma and myelodysplastic syndromes.

Odomo says he didn't know anything about TNT until a few months ago, when his office manager's daughter—a two-year TNT veteran—encouraged him to attend a prospective member recruitment meeting. It so happened the meeting was right after Odomo's 50th birthday, which he says gave him an added incentive.

"Everybody picks their own goal. This is good for me because I can challenge myself and help keep myself in shape," says Odomo, who trains by running several times per week.

"It's not easy to run six miles after not running for 25 years," he admits with a chuckle. "Usually after three miles or so, I find myself saying, 'Why am I doing this?' "

Although he is 5-foot-8 and "on the skinny side," Odomo says he was definitely not in optimal running shape when he began training; he also has mild, exercise-induced asthma. However, he adds, the TNT coaches and his fellow runners are so motivating and encouraging that the physical demands often seem secondary.

"I'm healthy, alive and kicking. This is the least I can do to help others who are ill," says Odomo, who is running in honor of 31-year-old Vanessa Salazar of San Jose.

Although she is no longer ill, Salazar fought a long battle with lymphoma and the side effects of its treatment. When she was 23, doctors discovered a large tumor around her heart and diagnosed lymphoma as the cause. After enduring six months of aggressive chemotherapy and three months of radiation—with only a 50 percent chance of success—Salazar beat the lymphoma.

Three years later, however, she began feeling ill and worried that her cancer had returned. As it turns out, her malaise was caused by radiation damage to the heart muscle. It took three open-heart surgeries to completely repair the damage, but Salazar says she is finally over that hurdle.

"Less than a year after my last heart surgery, I ran the 26.2-mile Maui Marathon. I need to keep my surrounding heart muscles strong, so this is good therapy for me," she says.

"Even though my schedule's really hectic, I will always make time for anything connected to TNT. I want to give back to the cause," adds Salazar, who speaks at various TNT events and is a mentor for others.

Come Jan. 26, she'll be cheering on her new friend, Wataru Odomo, as he runs the 13.1-mile San Francisco Home Depot Half Marathon. The course winds through and around Golden Gate Park.

For more information about Team in Training, call the local chapter office at 408.271.2873 or visit www.teamintraining.org