3 posts tagged “inspiration”

...Or reason for existence. It might be appropriate to wax philosophical on this topic, with clever questions that often reveal other questions, and rarely satisfying answers, such as -- why do we exist? why is the marathon twenty-six point two miles long? And couldn't Pierre de Coubertin or the Royal Family just have rounded it off to just 25, and make it vastly simpler for everyone else to calculate their stats??

Far be it from me to indulge in such a discussion on a Sunday night.

The reason for this blog is simple: I got tired of maintaining my running log (no pun). I need a place to keep track of miles run, times taken, health, fitness, mood, etc. That's it.

As much as possible, I'm going to keep track of my weekend runs, the times, the paces kept (or missed). And probably the same for weekday runs as well. I had a paper log, but it's getting cumbersome. One day I'll probably upload it in an Excel file, just for my satisfaction, but that'll come later.

Besides, it's much more fun to link to other runners, reluctant or otherwise, and share with friends and family.

And now, back to nursing the knee.

Some of you may know already, but others will pinch themselves, rub their eyes and do a double check.

I'm training for a marathon. Yes, a full twenty-six miles. And then point two.

Now, I'm not a big runner. So far, I've been a rather reluctant one, doing short 3 mile runs on the 'mill. Twenty-five minutes to half-an hour. That was good enough for me. I had thought of longer, five-mile runs, even tried a couple of times. Thoughts of longer runs remained just those... wishful thinking.

But now, it's the full monty. The big enchilada. The whole nine yards (pardon the pun)... and then some.

And I'm running for life... Not quite mine, but for others who I can help support.

So folks, here it is. I'm training for the ING Miami Marathon in January 2007, with the National AIDS Marathon Training Program. These nice folks train people for the half- and full-marathon, and in return, the people raise funds for AIDS service organizations. One good turn deserves another. Or vice versa.

So, here's a request for your support
This is a worthy cause, and I would like to ask for your support! I'm raising $3000 for the Whitman-Walker Clinic for AIDS patients, in Washington, DC.

Did you know that more than one million Americans, and 40 million others around the world, are living with HIV -- the virus that causes AIDS? With more than 20 million deaths so far, AIDS is now the leading cause of death among all people aged 15 to 59 worldwide.

Regrettably, approximately 1 in every 20 adults in the District of Columbia is living with HIV/AIDS. So, the money I am raising will benefit Whitman-Walker Clinic, the largest provider of HIV/AIDS services in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia. The Clinic provides direct medical care, food, housing and other really important AIDS services -- to help keep people alive until there's a cure.

How *you* can help...

Please click here for a safe, electronic means of donating. Remember, your contributions are tax-deductible!  (For outside US donations, please consult your local tax laws).

If this drive ends up supporting even one life, I think I will have succeeded

Thank you for your generous support!

Welcome to my neighborhood!

It's 35 degrees freezing cold in DC. 9 am on an otherwise perfectly fine Saturday morning in the Fall. The leaves have turned yellow, plenty of them on the ground, making a rustling sound as the wind blows. Trees with colorful leaves dot the large parking lot area. Gusts of wind blow, making one pull the jacket closer and tighter. In other words, a perfectly fine day to be in bed.

Several people dressed in warm athletic gear, head bands, gloves, trainers and other assorted paraphernalia are vying for a spot in the sun. Running on the spot, stretching, or otherwise trying to keep themselves warm.

So, what am I doing here? Damn fine question...

A few weeks ago, I decided to run long distance. Longer, I should say. Just for fun. Longer than my usual three or four mile runs which, until then, I thought were long enough for me and kept me in decent shape. Still, a thought lingered... Can I run longer? Should I? Would I? What would it take to run, say, 10 miles? How about 20? Isn't it just the same as running 3 miles?

As luck would have it. I chanced upon an ad in the local paper that said words to the effect: We'll train you for the marathon. Join us!  Well, why not indeed? What's to lose? Once I saw the ad, I saw it everywhere. In the metro, in the Express, posters on the walls.

So I thought I'd give it a try. Just for fun, and see where it leads. If running several miles on a cold day -  when the cheeks turn red, ears freeze, the nose get snotty, and the stomach starts to hurt - isn't for me, well then so be it. Until then, it might be worth a try.

That was several weeks ago.

And now, here it was - a freezing morning, sun playing peekaboo, gusts of wind. And 12 miles straight ahead.