Donation Totals

Friday, March 6, 2009

Reasons for Running

The ING Marathon asked the runners to write in and tell them why they run. So I decided to share my contribution to my blog for the 1 person who might see it and read it...

I run for many reasons and my reasons have changed over time. Initially I ran as a kid while playing baseball and playing games in our yard. I ran because it was fun.

As I got older and entered grad school, I started biking to work, which in turn led me to triathlons, where I ran because I had to if I wanted to do well. I ran because it was needed to.

When my wife started doing triathlons with me, we started running together. We got a dog who loved to run with us, that was when running became a bit more than a chore. I ran because I had a partners.

Later my wife decided to run a marathon and I felt it was a fun challenge, so I decided to do it with her. Throughout the training and the race, we stuck together. I ran because it strengthened my marriage.

After we moved from Florida to DC, training became difficult with new weather and responsibilities. So to force ourselves to get back into it, we signed up for another Marathon. I ran to regain some normalcy in my life.

Last June, my wife and I had a son and bought a jogging stroller. Now we run with him. I ran to train while I spent time with my boy.

Just this past year, one of my best friends decided he wanted to do a marathon. He asked me to run with him to help push him through his first. So I ran to help a friend.

After finishing that marathon, I realized that never before had I run for me. Finally I can see what I can do in a marathon. So I will run to challenge myself.

But through it all, running has meant more time with my wife, my son, my dog and myself. It has meant good health, both physical and mental. It has meant self-confidence. I have and I will always run because it keeps me centered.

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2010 Efforts!

This year, like last year, I will be riding for Mary Payton's Miracle - My friend Steve Kogos from Trigators informed me that his friend Joe's daughter, Mary Payton, was diagnosed a number of years back with Late Infantile Batten Disease. This is a disease with no cure, however, there are special experimental (and extremely expensive) treatments which have shown some significant signs of success! In order to assist with the costly treatments and research, Mary Payton's Miracle was created to raise money to find a cure, hopefully in time to save little Mary Payton as well as the many others affected by this terrible disease!

Total Mileage

Current Challenges

Valid 2/1-12/1/2009