New York Road Trip

Travel day is here.  Normally I would not find a nine hour car ride a lot of fun, but today is going to be even more challenging.  The weather!  Tons of wind and rain to travel through today, but my 80 year old Father will be waiting my arrival once I cross the state line into NY.  That will get me through it!

I worked extremely early in the morning the last few days, so I didn’t get a lot of sleep.  Last night I went to bed fairly early, to try to catch up before my journey begins in a few hours.  What’s left?  All of my packing.  Not just race packing, but vacation packing.  Packing for being gone nearly a week.  My plan is to be out the door in about two hours.  Yep, waiting for rush hour to be over before heading out on my way north.

Regardless of my long drive today, I am very excited.  This trip, this race, has been a long time in the making.  I still can’t believe that I am actually running the New York City Marathon this Sunday.  An epic race, represented by runners from 139 countries around the world.  Should a 45 year old man be this giddy about running a race?  Eh, I don’t care if it seems odd, but I am truly excited abut it.

I really owe a lot of thanks to my charity partner, the James Blake Foundation, as they are the real reason I am running this race.  They accepted me onto their charity team back in February, and I have been fundraising for them ever since.  Quite a long journey, and an unfamiliar one at that.  I have never been on a charity team before, or even raised money for anything other than selling cookies or booster stickers for little league when I was 8 or 9 years old.  This has truly been a unique experience.  Challenging, and unique.  I’ve have learned that it’s not easy convincing people to part with their hard earned money.  I guess it’s about being relentless in driving a cause that you feel passionate about.  But, I am passionate about this charity, and running.

Setting a goal of $3,000 to fundraise over the course of several months was my top priority.  As of the moment of this post, I have raised $2,311.  Yes, I am just $689 away from my goal, with the help of these amazing folks!

That’s the back of my charity team race shirt that I will be wearing this Sunday during the race.  *hint, hint, there’s still tons of room for more names.  I haven’t even started putting names on my sleeves yet!

So, now that I have exactly two hours before leaving home, one more shout out and push for donations. Don’t worry, just because I am leaving home, you still have time to donate.  Plus, I am taking my markers with me, so that I can put your name on my shirt even at the last minute before heading to the start line on Sunday.  Here is the link to donate.  100% of donations go directly to the James Blake Foundation supporting cancer research.

Thanks everybody, and see y in New York!

Fundraising Websites – Crowdrise

Fundraising Friday -NYC Marathon 9 days away

We’ve just crossed into taper madness mode.  We are now in the single digits of the countdown to the 2015 New York City Marathon.

I haven’t been running my whole life, but I’ve been running long enough now.  Over five years competitively.  Well, running became a passion of mine five years ago.  Each year the New York City Marathon has been run since I became passionate about the sport, I’ve always been envious of those runners.  I mean, who wouldn’t want to run this amazing marathon?  The biggest in the world.

I finally get my chance, and it’s just nine short days away!

Its also Fundraising Friday.  The final push to reach my fundraising goal.  I still need all the help I can get to fully fund my charity partner with my pledge.

Today I start writing the names of all of my donors on my charity team shirt.  If you’ve donated already, watch for upcoming posts, as I will post pictures of my race shirt, and you can see your name.  If you haven’t donated yet, there’s still time.  You can make a donation in any amount you wish from $10 and up.  Every dollar helps in the fight to treat cancer patients. Please consider a tax deductible donation today.  I thank you!  The following link will take you directly to my fundraising page on Crowdrise.

Fundraising Websites – Crowdrise

And to all of the other runners out there running for a reason, happy Fundraising Friday!

10 days til @nycmarathon

Only one race remains on my 2015 running calendar, and it’s a big one!  It truly has been another epic year of running for me, and I get to cap it off with another of the six marathon majors in just 10 days!

Yes, the New York City Marathon is quickly approaching.  Deep into taper mode at this point, it’s really all now about the planning.  Logistics and mental preparedness.  The body is ready.  Legs have recovered from Chicago, and the only things that remain for me before the race are a few short runs, and a road trip to New York.

Tomorrow is my last day off from work until I leave on my NY journey next Wednesday.  I plan on getting my race shirt emblazoned with the names of my charity donors.  It’s not too late to donate.  I still have not hit my fundraising goal, so with any donation to my charity partner, the James Blake Foundation, your name will be proudly inscribed on my shirt!  Your thoughtfulness will get permanently written on my shirt so that you too, will get to run the streets of NYC with me.

Click on the following link to be taken directly to my fundraising page on Crowdrise, where you can make a donation in any amount with just a few clicks.  Thank you so much for your help in the fight against cancer.

Fundraising Websites – Crowdrise

Because of the fact that I am going to absolutely slay this race, I have been placed into Corral 1, right along with all of the Professional men.  Yep, starting with the likes of Meb Keflezghi.  Yes, he is my special friend and inspiration.

I gest.  Yes, we’ve clearly met, but I doubt I’ll even see him on race day.  Only in my dreams could I run as fast as he can.  :). I do, however, plan on giving this race my all.  I will be running with inspiration.  Running for my charity partner.  Running for those suffering with cancer.

So, as the countdown to New York continues, tomorrow we enter the single digits.  It’s all becoming very real.  The countless hours I’ve spent fundraising, the countless hours pounding the pavement will all culminate as I line up on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge at 9:50am for a three hour plus run through the streets of New York City.  I couldn’t be more excited!  It all begins in just ten days.

Take A Peek! Sharing & Caring

I am a runner.

I am running the TCS New York City Marathon this year in honor of the countless cancer patients all over world.  I am running for charity, and my charity partner, The James Blake Foundation, raises money to further the efforts of cancer research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

Every dollar raised advances the research, and I am a proud member of the team raising money for this wonderful foundation.  Memorial Sloan-Kettering has the most advanced and largest cancer gene sequencing effort in the country.  In 2015, 12,000 genes will be sequenced and in 2016, 20,000 patients will have their tumors analyzed for genetic mutations.  The work they are doing allows patients to receive more precise and less toxic treatment, specifically targeting their tumors’ mutations rather than one-size-fits-all trial-by-error approach.  It is amazing research, and having long lasting impacts.  The Center for Molecular Oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering is leading the revolution in personalized medicine based on tumor mutations.

This fundraising effort really gives more meaning to my training, and will certainly make my marathon in New York City worth so much more than just the race itself.  It feels really good to give back, and support this foundation.

My fundraising platform is Crowdrise, and I have a fundraising page set up there which makes donating to this fine organization very easy.  Just a few clicks, and done.  I would appreciate any and all size of donations, and I thank you in advance for your amazing help.

I am continuing my amazing partnership with Angie at MarathAngBands.  She hand sews amazing headbands, is a runner like me, and offered up her services to help make in impact with my fundraiser.  Any donation of $10 or more will score you a FREE headband in the Stars and Stripes, or Chevron pattern seen below.  As an added bonus, any donation of $25 or more will get you (2) headbands.  So, what do you think?  Donate today….

Fundraising Websites – Crowdrise

Every dollar helps advance research, so please dig into that pocket and give today.

Every $ Counts

For the first time in my running career, I am running a race with a charity team.   I have been fundraising for the James Blake Foundation the past few months, and with a few more donations I will be halfway to my goal.  I pledged to raise a minimum of $3,000 for this charity.  Every donation goes directly to the charity that is doing great work in researching cures for cancer and bringing new discoveries more quickly to cancer patients.  I couldn’t be happier to be doing my part in the fight to end this terrible disease.

Through the kind donations of so many of my friends, family members, bloggers and other social media contacts in the running community and beyond, I am closing in on my goal.  I really wanted to push the envelope and hopefully reach my goal by the end of Summer.  Well, Summer officially begins very soon.

Won’t you please consider a tax deductible donation to this fine charity today?

Fundraising Websites – Crowdrise

This link takes you directly to my fundraising page, where every dollar counts!

As an added bonus for the next several weeks, I am partnering with Angie, who has a small business selling headbands.  She hand sews these, and makes each with runners love!  We came up with a few new styles for the Summer…

Any donation you make toward my charity $10 and up will score you one of these unique headbands.  And because Angie is super cool, and runs about every race her legs can handle, so has decided to throw in a special offer to help me reach my goal even quicker.  You see, she makes headbands in about a billion styles, as evidenced here….

And here…..

And here….

See? I told you!  Angie’s special offer?  For any donation $20 and up directly to my fundraising page, you will get the stars pattern or chevron pattern (your choice), and then she is going to send you a second headband from her inventory as an added bonus.  It’s like buying mystery pins at Disney.  It’s a great deal, but you don’t know which one you get until you open the package.

You can head over to Angie’s blog here. https://www.marathang.wordpress.com. You’ll see, when you check out her blog that she runs practically every race that exists!  Lol. I think she is maybe more of a running addict than I am.  Angie’s generosity is incredible, and I am so thankful to her for supporting my cause in this unique way.

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

Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Raleigh

Tomorrow will be my first time running this 5k.  I have been more geared toward endurance running, so this will be interesting.  I haven’t competed in a 5k in over a year, so I am just going to do the best I can.  I am racing as part of Team RunRaleigh Racing, and I am lucky enough to be racing tomorrow with my 17 year old son Dylan.  I am sure he will step out in front of me at the line, and I will be chasing him down the whole race.  Actually, I am just hoping that I can keep him in my sights, as he will be my inspiration to move my feet faster.  As Tropical Storm Andrea approaches from the south, this may be the first race I may have to run in the rain.  I have been lucky so far.  I have been getting a lot of great advice, as I have been a bit concerned about my speed.  My goal for tomorrow?  Enjoy another race with my son, and be inspired by all the women and men wearing pink in support of breast cancer awareness.  Hopefully I will inspire, as well.

Do you run to inspire?  Do you run to be inspired?