Chicago X 2

It’s all luck of the draw, right?

Here are some important facts…  I’ve entered four race lotteries in the past five years.  I put my name in the hat for the 2012 NYC Marathon, results?  Didn’t get in!  I put my name in the hat for the NYC marathon for 2015.  Results?  Didn’t get picked.  So, from the state in which I was born, my record is 0-2.

I entered the lottery for the 2014 Chicago marathon.  The results?

I entered again this year, and BOOM!  The email came early yesterday morning, that low and behold, I am IN, again!  So my record for Chicago?  2-0.  Chicago must be my kind of town!

I can go back!  I had the time of my life in Chicago last year, and I would love to return.  Now, I just have to figure out how I can do it.  I would love to be able to get lined up again with the thousands of runners, and experience the million fans alongside the course.  I just now have to look at my budget, and figure out if I can swing it.  And, I won’t in good conscience, head off to Chicago unless I meet my fundraising goal.

You see, for those of you that missed my posts about NYC.  My utter disappointment in the fact that I didn’t get chosen again for New York, I decided to look into running for charity.  I reached out to a charity foundation that had some meaning to me.  I reached out to the folks at the James Blake Foundation, a charity raising money for cancer research, and they accepted me onto their marathon team.

I had to pay for my race entry (it wasn’t free), and I accepted the challenge to raise a minimum of $3,000 for this charity.  I kicked off my fundraising with a $100 personal donation to the charity.  To date, through the generous donations of friends, family and fellow runners, I’m nearing $1,000 toward my fundraising goal.

But, I can’t reach my goal without more help.  Help from folks like you!  People reading this blog post, folks I interact with through social media.  Will you please consider a donation in any amount to help this cause?

You can donate by clicking on the following link…  Thank you!

Fundraising Websites – Crowdrise

What can you buy for $10?

If you’re like me, most of the time you don’t have any cash in your pocket.  Real cash is quickly being replaced by plastic.  Debit cards are the new green.  I rarely use bills, and I’m lucky if I ever find one in my wallet.  Every time my son asks for some lunch or gas money, my answer is typically “I don’t have any”.  I’m bad, aren’t I?  I just usually don’t have it.  I do 99% of my banking online, and walking into a bank or even using an ATM is a rarity for me.

It makes me think back to the days when I was young.  My Mother always had cash.  If she needed something at the grocery store, she would ask me to grab a $10 bill out of her purse and head down to the store. That $10 may have bought five pork chops, a gallon of milk, a six pack of soda, dozen eggs, and loaf of bread.  What happens over time though?  Inflation!  Things are expensive, even simple things.  In today’s society, that just seems so foreign.  It begs the question, “if asked to grab a $10 bill out of your Mom’s purse today, what could it buy you”?

-One movie ticket (in some cities, not even that)

-Two submarine sandwiches

-Two Venti Latte’s at Starbucks

-A t-shirt

-4.5 gallons of gas (at today’s prices)

-2 beers on a Friday night

That’s right!  You can’t get a whole lot these days, but you can use that $10 for a great reason.  If you could give up that trip to Starbucks for one day, you could help with cancer research.  You could help cure a disease, versus line the pockets of the coffee giants.

I am fundraising to run the NYC Marathon, and have joined the James Blake Foundation charity team.  Won’t you please consider donating $10 toward my cause?

Donating is easy, and you don’t even need those bills that probably aren’t in your purse or wallet anyway.  You can use a debit or credit card.  Simple and fast!  Lickety split!

The following link will take you directly to my fundraising site where you can make a donation in any amount.  Thank you so much!

Fundraising Websites – Crowdrise

I need your help to run the NYC Marathon

Good morning bloggers and readers!

As many of you already know, I am raising money for charity to run the TCS New York City Marathon this year.  It’s really hard to believe that if I make it there, with generous contributions from people like you, I will be celebrating my 20th marathon there!

I am raising money for the James Blake Foundation and have committed to a minimum donation of $3,000.  I kicked off my fundraiser about two weeks ago, and I am about 11% toward my goal.  I started off by donating $100 out of my own pocket, and hope that others out there may be able to help.

Every little bit helps!  Every donation is fully tax deductible, as well.  Won’t you please help me in my efforts to run in New York City this year?

You can donate any amount you wish.  $10 and on up.  Again, every donation will help me reach my goal.

You can click on the following link and be taken directly to my fundraising page.

Fundraising Websites – Crowdrise

Big thanks!

Running for Cancer Research

The big news?

Yes, I am running the TCS New York City Marathon this year!

No, I didn’t get in through the lottery.  But, I am still one of the lucky one’s.  I have received a spot on a charity team.  Not just any charity team, but one that is making progress and fighting the great fight against cancer.

I am running for the James Blake Foundation.  You can read more about the foundation and its efforts here:  http://www.jamesblaketennis.com. They are dedicated to cancer research and finding a cure.

As a tennis player for most of my life, it was important to me to find and raise money for a charity that was meaningful to me.  James is an unofficially retired tennis pro from the United States whose highest ranking was World #4 back in 2006.  James was always the epitome of what a tennis player should be.  Highly competitive, good natured and someone young tennis players could respect and look up to.  He was, and still is a great representative of American tennis.

In 2008, James established the Thomas Blake Sr. Memorial Research Fund to support cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.  The fund is named in memory of his late father who passed away from gastric cancer in 2004.

So, my contribution to James’ important charity is a $3,000 donation.  I can only reach this goal if I have help.  I am reaching out to all of the amazing readers of my blog, asking for assistance in any way.  If you can contribute $10, $20, $100 or any other amount, this fantastic charity will benefit in so many ways.  Your generous contribution will get me closer to running the five boroughs of New York City this November 1st.

I still can’t believe that I am going to run the New York City Marathon!

The following link will take you to my fundraising page on CrowdRise.  Please take a moment and donate, and leave in the comment section a thought or memory of someone you may have lost to cancer, and know that your donation helps in the fight.

Click here…  http://fw.to/aDhm3AC

Thank you readers!

Almost bare it all – In an Undie Run!

The latest crazes in any sport are usually supported very well.  In the sport of running there are extremes, as well.  Ultra endurance events, mud runs, obstacle runs, color runs, extreme relays, nude runs and the ever popular underwear runs.  Not sure about you, but I for one, am not comfortable with the idea of running in just my underwear, much less in the nude.

I think nude running is more of a popular event in Europe.  I’ve hear of several well attended events across the pond.  Although it might be fun to work an aid station during a nude event, but more than likely they would expect volunteers to go au natural, too.  (Bum)mer!

As we closer and closer to a Valentines Day, I keep seeing advertisements for Undie Runs.  Running for a cause.  Running with Cupid.  The Great Undie Run.  They seem to be very popular, especially for the college crowd.

Cupid’s Undie Run here locally takes place on Valentine’s Day.  Noon is when the half naked festivities begin downtown at Natty Greene’s Pub, with the race kicking off (clothes) at 2pm.  It’s a race for charity, so let the hilarity ensue.  The race raises funds for the Children’s Tumor Foundation.

I guess if you have the body to show off, why not.  Even if you don’t, why not run for a good cause?  For me, I just think I will make a donation and skip the run.  I mean, yeah I’m a runner, but not in any means ready to strut my almost 45 year old stuff out on the streets of downtown Raleigh.  Plus, it will more than likely be cold, adding insult (shrinkage) to a not so ready for the beach, body.  If I looked like the guy above on the left, I might just run.

Well, the run is for a great cause, so if you are so inclined, sign up, donate or become a fundraiser yourself.  www.cupidsundierun.com is where you can get all the information about the race.  As for me, I think I will just stick with the extreme side of running that includes a 26.2 mile run with my clothes on.  Although clothes probably do cause more chaffing.  😉