Howdy friends,
Well, this weekend was full of some highs and lows. Highs: supportive comments and donations and Denver PrideFest. Lows: seeing someone close say a hard goodbye, and no run.
The training:
So yes, there was a lot of walking over the weekend, mostly on concrete with flip flops, so my knees and back were a little tender. Had a decent strength training workout on Monday where I stretched and stretched to get some relief, but boy, did I not feel like running. Inspiring words and actions by one Eric Maurer (with reinforcement by one Lena Hansen) got me out the door, and moving towards a new route. The Mount Sanitas hike is pretty near where I live, and I thought that it would be a good idea to run up and down the Sanitas Valley Trail. Then when actually running up the trail, I had an epiphany; since I didn't feel into the run, why don't I walk quickly up the trail and run down? That way I'll feel like I'm a speed demon, enjoy the run, and make sure that I'm not dreading my weekly training. Woo! Best idea ever. Got three miles of movement in, enjoyed a beautiful late afternoon in Boulder, and most importantly, kept on the running regime.
The cause:
Hearty thanks to Peggy and Lena Hansen and Eric Maurer for donating to the Celiac Disease Foundation! I'm now 20% of the way there, folks. Don't let my absurdity be in vain; click here donate to a good cause in any way you can. Of course, words, running buddies, and other forms of support are always welcome; thanks to Susan and Natalie for sending good vibes my way :)
The data:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/93917994The musings:
Finally, I read an article about athletic events for charity and it got me thinking. First, I absolutely understand that there is a rise in people participating in fundraising events, and a consequent "charity burnout" that can come from that. In fact, this is the main reason why I never saw myself doing something similar. Secondly, it's a great concern of mine that some of these events can cost a lot of money to put on, and that a large percentage of money raised may go towards the cost of the event versus the actual cause being supported. When researching specifics about the NYC Marathon, I found a couple of articles in the New York Times:
Charity runners make up ~11% of all NYC Marathon runners, and those running for charity will raise over $26.2 million. Assuming that Team Gluten Free paid $525 - $950 for my entry, and I'm raising $2,500 for the cause, that equates to 62% - 79% of funds going to Team Gluten Free. Note: the entry fees go towards the non-profit New York Road Runners, and used to support the NYC Marathon and other races they sponsor throughout the year. I'm looking into Team Gluten Free/Celiac Disease Foundation's donation conversion, and will report on that in the future. Anyway, learning this makes me want to not only raise $2,500, but see if I can offset the entry cost to Team Gluten Free. However, let's see how I do, and then we can talk about it ;)
Conclusion:
It's early days yet! Stay tuned.
