Tagged: community
The Big News!
Hello everyone! I am sorry that this is coming out so late, but my non-digital life has been very…interesting lately (this apocryphal curse has taken root in my world) and I am still adjusting to the new schedule; blog posts, tweets, and other social media interactions have been shifted much farther into the evening hours. Please bear with me, hopefully this will all be changing (again) sometime in the near future. I’m a child of the 80’s, so allow me to quote Geddy Lee:
“Changes aren’t permanent, but change is.”
If you follow me on Twitter, you may know what my big announcement is all about, but for the rest: I have been selected as one of ten finalists to be an Ambassador for the 2014 Chevron Houston Marathon!
This is a tremendous honor and opportunity, and I am still kind of blown away. Here is more about what this entails, from the Marathon Committee website:
The Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon are seeking influential runners to represent our 2014 race! We’re looking for 10 dedicated runners who love the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon, are involved in our running community (both on the ground and online) and are ready to be part of our amazing team of Ambassadors!
Ambassador Role:
- Distribution of event materials in hometown (running stores, local races, etc)
- Spread the word about the Chevron Houston Marathon events (local running clubs, social media, blogging, etc are all examples) and answer questions.
- Race Weekend support- to be determined.
- Be an expert on the Chevron Houston Marathon or Aramco Houston Half Marathon!
All registered entrants in the Chevron Marathon or Aramco Half Marathon were eligible to apply, but I almost didn’t – I submitted my application on the very last day, nearly the very last hour! I never dreamed that a first-time runner would be selected, and I hardly consider myself “influential”, but apparently YOU, my blog-reading, Twitter-following, Facebook-liking family in cyberspace, made the difference…and I am profoundly grateful for that!
I have a great deal to learn, in order to fulfill my duties as an Ambassador, and a great many things I want to talk about with you: both about the history of the race, and about how I intend to live up to my responsibilities, as well as WHY this is such a huge thing for me; but the hour groweth late, morning comes early, and frankly I am still a little overwhelmed by it all. Trust me, though – once I get my feet under me, you will not be able to shut me up 🙂 I simply wanted to share my good news with all of you, my “virtual” running family, and I ask that you keep me in your prayers and thoughts as I move forward…I can absolutely use your support. More to come in days to come – count on it!
Running + Blogging = Making the Internet a healthier place!
A few days ago I reblogged a post from the fine folks behind the scenes at WordPress, talking about Automattic’s World Wide WP 5K. This event originated as an internal promotion, but this year they are taking it to a whole ‘nother level: beyond the (virtual) walls of their offices, into the wider realm of the Internet as a whole, with the goal of encouraging as many people as possible to get out and exercise as one! Well, of course I jumped at the opportunity (you know how much I love virtual races, and especially FREE stuff). Today’s run on my training schedule was 3 miles, so it seemed only natural to submit it as my contribution, to put my feet where my mouth was, so to speak 🙂 (How often is THAT the goal?) I was supposed to take pictures, too, but I lost the daylight by the time I got home, so I will make an exception to my usual habit and post the map of my run instead:
The official “Run” takes place on Sunday Sept. 29, but we were given the whole week to get our run/walk/bike/swim/samba/whatever done and submitted, so there are still a few days left; why not add your 3.1 miles to the collective? It’s not like you weren’t going to run anyway, right?
If you don’t jitter, you’re no runner!
As we move into the fall racing season (Did you her that, South Texas weather? Fall is here, cool weather is supposed to be now, can we read from the same page?) more and more runners, at all levels of experience, are talking about feeling nervous as they get near Race Day…and nothing could make me happier!
You see, according to that countdown over there, I’m only 2 days from the Running of the Bulls 5K, sponsored by the Houston Texans, which finishes through the tunnel and onto the field at Reliant Stadium – what a great experience! At least, I hope it will be, because right now I have a pretty good case of the pre-race jitters, the whim-whams, the heebie-jeebies…whatever you call it, I got it. See, this is my first race post-injury from the barefoot fiasco, and I’m really curious to see the results of my choices in resting, rehab, and resuming training. Optimism here has two roots: First, I have come to trust the online running community for advice about the things we all have in common; so when everyone told me that my first priority was to rest and heal, right away, (that I may live to run another day), I listened and followed that advice. Second, please let me give credit where it is due: I have been faithfully honest about recording my actual workouts in my runcoach training log, and the coaches have been super great about tailoring my program to complement my progress. I have never felt bored; the challenge has remained steady, and I am growing as a runner, and as an athlete in general.
I actually feel really good about this race. I see a new PR within reach, perhaps a substantial improvement – after all, I ran my first 5K after only nine weeks of training; for this one, I have nearly nine months under my fuel belt! So, I calm my nerves by focusing on today’s workout… on today’s nutrition and hydration…on getting today’s chores out of the way so I can get to bed at a decent hour…these are things I can do today, that will have a positive impact on tomorrow and the next day – something that worry can never, will never accomplish.
How do YOU deal with the jitters? Do you get more excited when new PR’s are involved, or do you try not to think about it? Share your tips and stories in the comments, we would love to hear!
Houston, we have a (familiar) problem…
Hello everybody! Sorry about the sporadic performance lately on posting…again we have had a two-week lapse without any updates. This is no way to run a railroad!
The definition of “running off the rails”
Of course, the instinctive reaction is to throw my hands up and wail, “There’s just not enough time!” But we all know by now, don’t we, that such statements are by definition pointless: none of us has any more or less time than anyone else. The clock is the ultimate disinterested party: 24 hours, 1440 minutes, 86,400 seconds… any way you slice it up, it always – and only – adds up to one day. Much has been written about time management, but what is really needed (and our sole option) is self management.
This is not a great epiphany for me; I have a long history of over-committing and under-performing, because I love being The Hero, the one who always comes through, always has the answer, always saves the day. This tendency has caused me no end of trouble over the years, and I am only recently, with the patient, loving (and, um… aggressive, when she has to be) support of The Wife, learning the simple, elegant beauty of the word, “No,” but the hardest part is saying it to myself. I want to believe I can achieve everything, meet every expectation, never disappoint anyone. I know this is impossible (unless I jump to the other extreme, and become so untrustworthy that no one expects anything from me, but that doesn’t seem attractive at all), but I forget, y’know? I get excited about something, set a bunch of crazy expectations for myself, fall short, throw myself off the cliff of self-revulsion, and then pull myself back together and start over again in a new place, with a new interest. I have done it repeatedly, BUT NOT THIS TIME.
Running has taught me a great deal about self-discipline and commitment, things that I would have told you I already knew about. I was wrong, though…what I knew was how to apply these ideas like lasers, to cut to the heart of a problem and solve it, when they should actually be used at floodlights, to see clearly what is around us and which way we should go. I intend to move forward in this way, and I am sure the results will be excellent. Hopefully, if you decide to stick with me as I pace these training miles, we can learn and grow together. I’m ready to run, how about you?
(This is not the post I set out to write, but I think it was the one I needed to write. Check back tomorrow for a marathon training update, and my first shoe review!)
Warning: Reality ahead – steady as we go!
The drawing for the lottery into the Chevron Houston Marathon was held last weekend, and I woke up Monday to find this wonderful message in my Inbox:
I guess that makes it real: I am running a marathon about six months from now – I have made it to the big leagues! (No disrespect intended to y’all out there who stick to shorter distances…I know from experience, those races are just as hard, only in different directions.) So that means my whole game has to step up to a new level…and with it, my whole life! The good thing is, that is merely a continuation of what has already been happening; it’s no longer a sea change, but only a matter of degree. The last few months have taught me much about discipline and determination – things I only thought I understood before – and mostly have taught me that there is still much to learn!
Along with the marathon (and the ABB 5K on the day before – I may never run Disney, so I just could not pass up triple medal bling!) I also signed up for personalized, dynamic coaching/planning from runcoach.com, so I have been reviewing the workouts, to get an idea of what I have ahead of me. The track drills are all brand new, and I still don’t have a solid cross-training routine in place, but all these will come in due time. The most exciting thing for me is seeing how, after syncing with my Nike+ history, the program predicts my 26.2 finish at 3:47:00 – that’s nearly BQ with months to improve…talk about a brass ring!
It’s that kind of stuff that forces me to repeat the title above to myself over and over again – I have this over-the-top gene that loves lofty goals (qualifying for Boston in my first marathon) and I have to force myself to keep moderate (sub-4:00 finish) and threshold (finish, period) goals in mind as I set off on this new adventure. Not having tiered goals is like betting your whole bank on on the turn of one card – if anything goes wrong, it all goes; I have followed that model in the past, and I don’t think there is a more certain path to despair…don’t do this to yourself!
Of course, if concessions to reality must be made, you can also allow flights of fancy a little space to play! Mr. Over-The-Top got to looking around at race calenders, and while I have had to scratch a couple due to conflicts with other parts of my life (I wrote about this last week, in case you missed it), there are some strong possibilities that are going on the “watch list”. I also have some new opportunities headed my way, thanks to my friends at OptimalRun.com (you may have noticed the new ad up there in the corner) – I have become an Affiliate, and I am sure this new relationship will be a great benefit to both of us – and to you, my dear readers, as I have chances to share wonderful products and services with you from time to time. Be looking for some reviews mixed in over the next several weeks, of course along with training updates and whatever else pops into my head – much like running: in for a little, in for the lot! See you next time!
Caught between before and after…where do I go from here?
It’s been a couple of weeks now since I ran my first half-marathon (the recap can be found here and here, in case you missed it), yet it already feels like so long ago…how can this be? Part of the problem is there are two different things going on: my brain got used to the endorphin hot-tub of hard workouts, and really wants to do it again; but my body (especially my ankles) is pushing back against the demands I have placed upon it lately, and would like nothing better than a few days…or weeks…of rest.
Not a destination, but rather a direction…
It seems to me that this journey of recovery must somehow bring together these opposites, to regain the unity of mind and body that leads to truly excellent performance – it’s not the pace, or how many miles we cover, it’s the honest joy of the experience that ultimately makes us runners. It is my search for that joy that is my new training goal: I must learn to run for today, not merely for race day. This is what I am bringing with me “after” my first half.
As I write this, on the eve of the Houston Marathon lottery drawing, I literally have moments where I feel short of breath in anticipation…every smaller step I have taken this year towards this ultimate goal has met with success, so a sense of inevitability begins to settle in….the ebb tide of “before”. I push this away, as there is no disappointment harder to recover from than the one with no basis in reality. Whatever comes, comes…besides I have a a back-up plan!
I wrote recently about the need to maintain my commitment to the ministry work in the prisons; this is no less matched by my commitment to running. I had to scratch a couple of events off my list, but the fall and winter months are lousy with races, and I have set my eyes on two in particular: The Rock-n-Roll Marathon comes to San Antonio, TX in November; and in December we will see the inaugural running of the McAllen Marathon. (The South Texas Valley is suffering enormously under drought conditions and other economic difficulties; marathons and other events could bring valuable tourist dollars to the area, and at the same time, what a great way to support local runners?) Races within driving distance are going to be the rule for me, at least for the foreseeable future, but that doesn’t really limit me that much – Texas is rich with opportunities! But it is entirely possible to find myself running three full marathons within a span of eight weeks – and don’t say it can’t be done, you all know better than that!
There is one further commitment I need to remain faithful too – that is you, my faithful readers. I want to thank you for staying faithful and vocal as I make this journey, and I have ideas about how to give something back…keep watching for some new features, and perhaps some new adventures for you to share in!
That’s all for today, but be sure to check in tomorrow, for my weekly wrap-up, my lottery news, and maybe some previews of things to come. Bye now!
When running comes in second – and why that’s a good thing!
I have been married to the same patient, loving, lovely woman for 19 years; I have been in the same line of work for 18 years; my children are in their twenties, my oldest grandchild starts school in the fall; I have lived in my home for over twenty years…so being “new” at something is, well…new to me – specifically, being a new runner has opened such a wonderful range of experiences for me. Running has also forced me to examine my life and my habits in a new light, and perhaps make some different choices…or reaffirm the choices already made. I ran into such a case this week, and it’s been on my mind…to the point that I feel I need to share it with you, my running/blogging/social media family! I read somewhere that if you decide to do something, you don’t always need a reason; sometimes the impulse is justification enough…but if you decide NOT to do something – which is different than not deciding, mind you – you should be able to explain why. I have decided NOT to make running my highest priority this fall, at least as far as selecting races…and I want to walk you through that decision, the reasoning, and the consequences. It may touch on something some of you have faced, or maybe it’s still ahead for you, or you found a different path…here is mine, for what it’s worth!
I make no excuses for the fact that I am a Christian. I entered the blogging world with a Christian site on Blogger (long since abandoned) and most recently a site here on WordPress (not abandoned, but sorely neglected lately, something I hope to correct soon). My return to active faith caused me to examine my life story, and make decisions about which areas I could serve Jesus and His Church, ways and places I could be a minister. For the last four years, I have used my criminal history (yes, I have one…but I am not that person any longer; thanks, God…literally!) as a kind of common ground to reach men in prisons, as part of the Kairos Prison Ministry. It’s not a huge chunk of time or money, relative to other ministries: a handful of Saturday afternoons and a four-day weekend, with a follow-up a week later; and monthly reunions we are encouraged but not required to attend…much less than the training schedule for even a minor race, isn’t it? The only real difference is that if you agree to serve, you are signing up for the whole package; other than genuine emergencies, team members are required to attend the entire weekend, including all training sessions. We do two retreats a year, spring and fall; since becoming involved I have served on seven consecutive “Weekends”, as the event is called, only taking off after to be available for Karen as we faced her cancer diagnosis and treatment. (And even then, Karen and I attended the Closing Ceremony, with her deep in chemotherapy and sick as she could be from it). The visible power of the Holy Spirit in action, and the relationships born of shared hope and joy, are priceless beyond measure, and I have been eagerly waiting for the current Leader to send out the dates for the next Weekend, so I could get back into the mix. Well, I got the email a couple of days ago, and here’s where things get complicated…
See, I started running just this year, not having idea what I was getting into – but doing it anyway. I have had success on many levels – completed some races, seen improvement in my performance, and I feel great! These effects, along with the relationships (among both the running and the blogging communities) born of shared hope and joy, are priceless beyond measure, and I have been eagerly looking at upcoming races and events, so I can stay in the mix. I have started putting some tentative dates on the calendar…and now come the conflicts:
- The Houston Half Marathon, the first “kick-off” race leading up to the Chevron Houston Marathon, the one sponsored by the running club I just joined, falls on the final Sunday of the prison retreat.
- The Jailbreak 5K obstacle/mud run, the one I have been working to make into a charity benefit/Running Blogger meet-up, is the same weekend, on Saturday.
- The Wounder Warrior 8K, in San Antonio in September, falls on the same day as a training meeting.
There are probably others that I am not aware of yet, but the point has been made: I cannot do both things – serve the ministry AND run the races I had already planned – so a choice must be made. Turns out, though, it wasn’t even a contest…as soon as I put the prison dates down, I began deleting things that were in the way…including every race listed above! It happened so fast I almost missed it; then I thought about what I had just done, and decided NOT to change my mind. Seems that the discipline of running, training, choosing…has strengthened the process of assigning priorities; and I am very glad that my priorities are solidly in place, and in the right place. Once again: Thanks, God…literally! It’s not a grudging or resentful feeling, but rather a wonderful lightness of the heart, knowing I am exactly where I am supposed to be.
Positive final note: Having dates on the calendar inspired me to expand my search for races, while I am waiting for the lottery drawing, and planning a “base training” routine to prepare me for what lies ahead. I have settled on two potential goals: if I miss the Houston Marathon lottery, the Inaugural McAllen Marathon runs in mid-December, and/or the Rock’n’Roll Marathon/Half-Marathon comes to San Antonio in November (and who says I can’t do all three?) For now, I still have plenty of time to decide…the hard choices have been made!
“But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
– Joshua 24:15
SPI Half-Marathon Race Recap – Part Two
If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life. – Marcus Garvey
So yesterday, we parted just as the race got underway…I know, what a cheap way to build suspense! But if you are back, that means it worked, so there! Let’s pick up the action, shall we?
Having made the decision to run barefoot, it took me a few minutes of playing Goldilocks to pick which part of the sand to run on – I could choose the loose, fluffy stuff high on the beach (This one is too soft!); the medium packed, freshly raked area where umbrellas and chairs get set up (This one is too bumpy!); or right at water’s edge, dodging the surf as waves broke and ebbed (This one is just right!) I found that the firm, flat. moist sand has just the right amount of resilience, and the occasional wave cools off the feet very nicely!
The late start meant the sun was blazing away on us, which is no small thing when you are talking about South Texas. Very quickly it became apparent that wearing a FuelBelt was another smart choice; we had been promised water stations every two miles, but the shortage of volunteers meant we did not see the first relief until the 5K mark…a very ominous sign for all the runners heading up the sand empty-handed. They also had ONLY water, no electrolyte replenishment…which meant that having my belt full of Nuun lemon-lime was another great decision! (So much of racing is mental; lessons learned during training are wasted unless we carry that knowledge with us!)
I reached the half-way turn-around feeling strong, but I still took a minute to fuel up and drink plenty of water. I picked up that gel from the expo, on the “leftovers” table; it was really tasty and easy on the stomach…too bad I didn’t think to pay attention to the brand 😦 I was starting to get excited by the fact that I had not seen very many runners heading back the other way…surely I couldn’t be among the leaders? I did see quite a few runners looking awfully dehydrated on the way to the midpoint, having been three miles without a drink. I actually gave away two of my bottles of Nuun to folks looking pretty rough. (They were both kind enough to give them back at the lunch during the awards ceremony.)
About the ten-mile mark, it finally happened…my ankles, both sides, really began complaining; those tendons have taken quite a beating the last few weeks. I’m pretty sure that soreness comes from ramping my mileage so quickly – I went from 12 miles per week to 25, within 30 days, which of course is totally against all the advice I read – but I lived through loved every step of every one of those miles! Like everything else, though, love comes with a price…in my case, it’s a glass ceiling at 10 miles. Here was that choice-point I wrote about yesterday – should I push ahead, suck up the pain in pursuit of a goal; or should I accept my current limits, avoid the risk of injury, and ease up, live to fight another day? What would a real runner do?
That thought passed by, and I was shocked by it…”real runner”? I AM a real runner, right? So that means I HAVE the answer to that question: a real runner would do listen to what his body is telling him, compare that to his experience in other races and in training, and make the right decision…and I did! I stopped, went down into the cool water, stretched a few times, walked about a 1/4 mile, and eased back into a steady run – I decided that finishing strong was better than failing fast, and so I took care of myself. Once I got moving again, I still felt the twinges, but soon the sound of the wind in my ears and the roar of the waves did their magic again, and I lost myself in the magic of the run…because that is what real runners do. I quit listening to my tracking, in fact turned off the sound, and I just ran…and before you know it, there was the finish line, and the clock…and I found I had a sprint left in me after all! The Final Result:
So I have a new shirt for my small-but-growing collection of race shirts, my first race medal, and a new PR that I can be proud of…all in all, a fine outcome, I’d say! I also have a new set of goals, a new direction to explore in training…and a Marathon lottery to register for this weekend! I hope to get in, I’m also signing up for the ABB 5K that runs on Saturday, before Sunday’s Marathon and Half-Marathon…if I get in and finish both, there is a special third medal for the double-up, and now I really want one! I also have my eye on some other races – an 8K in San Antonio in September, benefiting the Wounded Warrior Project; the Houston Half, in October; the Jailbreak mud run, also in October – you know, the one I want to turn into a running blogger meet-up/charity event? I’d love to hear in the comments about your experiences organizing and/or participating in benefit races…I have almost no clue about how to do this!) The biggest thing is to not lose momentum; earlier today I commented that I will not get enamored of this success, and get “off stride”, but I will look at it instead as a new base to stand upon, as I reach even higher – because that is also what real runners do!
SPI Do or Die – Taper Week, thank goodness!
With long runs moved to Sunday mornings because of the heat, Monday has become the new rest day. And, with it also being Memorial Day, the act of looking back for a recap is made more poignant, by looking back to the sacrifices made by others which allow me to be here today. While I have some personal issues about war and the reasons for it, I have nothing but respect for those men and women who have made the choice to serve, who have gone and stood in my place so I would not have to – you do not do it for my appreciation, but I DO appreciate it…Thank you.
This week was a high point for me, a real mental accomplishment to survive the hardest week of my plan. I made all my workouts, reached all my milestones, and learned some great lessons that will be really useful on the beach next week. Let’s take a look at the progress of the week:
- I think I ‘m going to drop the BA class after all, I can use that time slot for a more involved weight training session. I also have a new source for a 45-minute high-cardio workout: that group trail-run on Wednesday night, where conversation during the run is part of the coaching! Last week there were four of us running together, and since I was the “new guy”, they took turns asking me questions, both getting to know one another and easing me in to this kind of training…it’s not just speaking, it’s projecting the voice…and thinking while watching the trail and minding your body…I still like running alone, but I am keeping this in the routine! So the new Thursday is 45 minutes circuit weight training, alternating between machines and dumbbells, focusing mostly on arms, chest, back and core. I will detail this out more once I have a couple of workouts written down, still experimenting – I like making up my own routines, but what else would you expect from a writer?
- Friday found me back at the Y on a treadmill, doing race-pace miles. I intended to run 5 miles at 8:00/mile but had to cut it short after three; I spent a big part of that day going up and down stairs at work, and the quads had had enough. (Wish I had a FuelBand or a Fitbit or something to track what I do at work! It’s on the wish list, but not close to the top yet)
- Saturday’s “rest day” ended up being “Do Dad’s yardwork day”, but I do like hanging out with the guy…he finally got OK with me doing things for him, and with me having opinions that are different than his!
- Yesterday was long run day, and I set my sights on 12 miles – my longest run to date. I had some new gear and a new plan…lessons learned in previous weeks, and last chance to try them out before the race. Remember the golden rule: Never try out new things on Race Day, no surprises! So, I went to run at sunrise, not noon; I had the Fuel Belt I won last week, carrying both water and Nuun Lemon Lime; I had two Clif Shots, to fuel at 4 miles and 8 miles, which is about 45 minute intervals at my long-run pace; I had wristbands to help with the sweat in my eyes, that has bothered me every run since it got hot; and at the last minute I decided to run the trails instead of the Loop, to stay in the shade most of the time. The trails are undergoing some maintenance, and there were a lot of places where the way was littered with downed trees and deadwood; sometimes I had to skirt around a big pile, and over and over I passed frustrated trail bike riders, toting their bikes over stuff too large to ride over. I understand the need to cull the park, but all the trails, at the same time, with no warning signs, and left abandoned during a holiday weekend? Really, Houston, you can do better than that!
- And that brings us back to today, a rest day. I am making a sincere effort to comply with the plan – so far I have done nearly nothing of consequence! I did take the Wife to get a water bottle carrier for her new bike (oh, yeah, got her a bike, too!), and I signed up for the Runner’s World Summer Streak Challenge (#RWRunStreak) so I need to get a mile done sometime today…probably run beside the Wife as she rides SLOWLY! I will be taking it easy all this week, keeping the same workouts, but doing only half the distance…and spending all that extra time on the foam roller or icing my ankles so the tendons don’t shatter like glass from nearly doubling my mileage in one month!
I don’t know if I will get a chance to post again before the race, but if you follow me on Twitter I will be keeping the updates coming, and I promise a recap after the race, with some pictures! Until then, have a safe, and blessed Memorial Day…good running, good resting, good eating, and STAY HYDRATED!
Nicky
SPI Prelude Pt 3, and something else…
The planning phase continues, as I try out different routines to incorporate into my workout schedule; should have the whole plan finalized by this weekend. I also made some time to think about and support a worthy cause…
- Today’s goals: Run a 5K as part of the Running Bloggers’ Virtual Race; secondary to that, speed work – 2 miles steady; then 2x (1/4 mile fast, 1/4 mile steady); 1/4 mile cool down
- Today’s results: A lot slower than my usual pace overall, because I’m fighting some nagging GI issues (sorry if that’s TMI); a quarter mile is a long way to sprint – I think shorter intervals but more repeats is a better way to go.
- Observations: Running into the wind when it’s raining makes me wonder why I’m doing this; the other men and women running on the track in the rain with me let me know it’s OK to wonder, as long as I keep running!
Maybe I wasn’t paying attention before, but it seems like suddenly my neighborhood is filled with people running – all ages, all shapes and sizes, all levels of ability. I especially enjoy the smiles, the camaraderie; and it’s not just the runners…all this week, every time I’m out, cars honk, people wave and cheer; running has become a celebration of life for everyone, how awesome is that! It’s like I read somewhere online: if they were trying to attack the human spirit, runners were the wrong people to start with!!
Speaking of awesome, please follow that link above, and join the Running Bloggers community in support off a good cause. Caroline has done a fabulous job organizing this event, including rounding up a staggering number of totally cool prizes from sponsors. I am entering all three running events, as I don’t swim or bike (yet, he says…never rule anything out for the future!), won’t you join me?
Striding Towards Life 