Running for a Reason
I've mentioned before that 2014 is the year of running for me. I did my first 5k in 2009. That sounds so long ago. But I wouldn't really consider myself to be "into" running until this year. It took me 5 years to find my love for it. That first mile is the hardest for me. That is when my mind tells me to quit. After that first mile, I can start to enjoy the nature around me. I feel alone but in a good way. I have my time to think. The good thing about being slow is having more time to think I guess.
Harbortown 5k 2010
During the half I ran in April, I realized I CAN run more than just a 5k. It's crazy that it took me until the middle of a half marathon to realize that my legs could actually take me 13.1 miles. I decided right then, I wanted to sign up to run the St Jude half in Memphis this year. I also wanted to do whatever I could to raise money for St Jude. So today, I took the leap and signed up at the bronze hero level for 2014. I must raise $500 for this level, but my goal is to raise $1,000. I have a few ideas on how I will do this and I have several months to get there. My fundraising page is here if you would like to donate or just share it and spread the word for me.
Country Music Half Marathon - April 2014
Growing up in the Memphis area, I knew about St Jude. I knew it was a hospital for children with cancer. I never realized it was also a research facility. And I really didn't think about other cities not having a place just as great as St Jude. I didn't realize that patients coming to St Jude never receive a bill for their treatment. St Jude raises money all the time so they can provide families with treatment but without the financial burden of high medical bills. Parents are dealing with enough emotionally and financially when they come to St Jude so knowing that the treatments are taken care of has to be at least a slight relief.
This year instead of just doing some races, I actually feel like I'm part of a "race season." I signed up for the MTown series, which is 4 races. I completed the first one (a 4 miler) last week, and the next 5k in the series is next Friday. That series will be complete on July 3rd, and I will start the MRTC Road Race series which is 10 races--two of each distance (5k, 5-miler, 10k, 10-miler, half marathon). That series runs from July to November, so it is a great prep for the St Jude half marathon. I will be sharing my experiences along the way as I prep for this race and come up with some fun ideas to raise money for St Jude.
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