For the past three years, I have been running, cycling and swimming. Last summer, my pal Charlie and I completed Ironman Canada. It was my six triathlon and it meant the completion of my second full marathon (I ran the first one WITHOUT first swimming 1.2 miles and riding my bike 112 miles.)
The elation and camaraderie of the day has lingered these past months as I have reflected on some good lessons learned, slipped into a good season of rest, recuperation and returning to exercising like normal people (which is not all that much, honestly).
But that couldn't last, now could it?
Charlie, his brother Ted and I are already signed up for the Vineman Half Ironman in July and we begin training in earnest on March 1. But now something even more meaningful has come my way. And so Vineman now becomes a training day for another goal.
While speaking to the national development staff for World Vision a month ago, I was challenged by one of the staff guys to put a team together to raise money for our Nkhoma, Malawi, Africa Area Development Project by running the Chicago Marathon on October 7, 2007. I thought and prayed about it...for about 56 seconds.
I'm in. I'm doing it. I plunked down the money for the entry fee, will pony up for the plane flight and hotel and will pound the pavement for the next seven months. It's going to be great.
I also put out word to some folks at our church and we have an informational meeting scheduled for next week. It looks like somewhere between 10-20 of us are going to give it go.
So, want to be part of something really cool? Join us. (You thought I was going to say "sponsor us" didn't you?) Really you can. Go here and register as part of our "SC Marathoners for Malawi" team. If you live near to San Clemente we'll keep you posted on group runs and team get-to-gethers and travel plans. If you don't, well join us anyway, sign up as part of the team, meet us in Chicago and consider yourself part of the family. We'd love to have you running with us. We'll be the slow group in the back with big smiles knowing that we are running for a really good cause.
Can't put some marathon training into the schedule? Then, okay. Sponsor us. Here. We are setting a goal to raise $100,000. I already have my first $100. (The "first giving" button on the left works, too.)
Want to see why we would do all this? Read here. Or look at these pictures. or watch this short video.
Come on. You know, you want to do something. My friends and I are willing to do the running. We are just asking you to do what's on your heart.
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