11.5 miles, team walk

With the marathon only two weeks away (!), my marathon training is in the “tapering” stage, which means the mileage and intensity of training is reduced to allow the body to recover and be in peak condition on race day. Given the mileage of my my last few long walks, 11.5 miles felt refreshingly short, and I’m a big fan of this tapering thing so far. I had some shin pain again at the start, but it didn’t take as long to go away today. I think I re-aggravated last week’s blisters, but they weren’t as bad as last week. My breakfast of greasy ribs and leftover chili was probably a bad idea…nah, I’m kidding. I ate bland stuff yesterday and didn’t have any intestinal discomfort this time. Those are pretty much the highlights of my walk this week, and Alison didn’t do anything notably goofy, so instead of describing the walk, I want to talk about fundraising.

The training goal of Team in Training is to prepare for and complete an endurance event. It’s a nationwide program and year-round, thousands of TnT coaches, mentors, and participants like me are training for and participating in various marathons, triathlons, and century bike rides (i.e., 100+ miles). The bigger goal - the reason people are involved with Team in Training instead of just training on their own or with some other group - is to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. At least 75% of the funds raised go toward research, patient services, and advocacy, with the remainder going toward operating costs. Individual fundraising goals depend on which events participants choose, because the further away the event, the more it costs to arrange travel and accommodations for them. I chose a local event, the 2007 New Jersey Marathon, so my fundraising goal is a relatively modest $2000.

If you were to ask me what the hardest part about Team in Training has been, you might expect me to pick some physical aspect of the training, like the knee problems I’ve had, or coping with blisters or fatigue. Those things have been challenging, but for me, the hardest part has been fundraising. It’s not because I don’t know generous people, but because it feels so awkward to ask people for money, even for a good cause. It’s an imposition that I’m reluctant to submit my friends and family to, so even though I knew it had to be done, I kept finding reasons to put it off. At first, it was because I wanted to get a few training updates posted so I could plug my blog and people would have something to see. Then, it had to be enough updates to scroll off my older posts, so people wouldn’t see that I had gone many months without posting before the training updates started. Then, I had some doubts about whether I’d even be continuing because of my knee, and I didn’t want to solicit donations for an event I might drop out of. Then, I knew it would be a hassle to put together my mailing list and track down some addresses that I knew were out of date. Eventually, my excuses and time ran out, so I finally started fundraising.

Writing my letter was the easy part. Deciding who to mail to was harder, because frankly, I don’t know anyone except my in-laws in New Jersey, so most of the people I could send to were family and friends out of state, including several who I haven’t kept in very good touch with since moving to NJ a few years ago. I went back and forth on whether to include some of those people in the mailing, because I hated the idea of people thinking, “Oh, cool, I’ve been wondering how he’s doing! Oh… he’s asking for money.” I got over that hump by making part of it a general update letter, so I wouldn’t just be asking for a donation, and also by taking the attitude that whether or not donations came in, I was happy just to be re-establishing contact with these people. It was as good a reason as any, and I think many times, people who both wish they could be in touch again are both too embarrassed to be the one to initiate because they feel like losing contact has been their fault.

Once I got those letters sent, I was very relieved to be done with that, but I didn’t really know what kind of response to expect. That was about three weeks ago, and the support and generosity that my friends and family have responded with is amazing. I’ve gotten many notes of support and encouragement, including well wishes for my honored teammate, Reilly. Despite my late start, I’ve raised $1520 of my $2000 goal, and I’ve been getting more checks almost every day. Relatives, friends, neighbors I grew up with, a former boss, and even my eye doctors from CA have all given very generously, and I am deeply grateful to all of them. (To my donors who read this, you can expect thank you letters and a marathon summary after I’ve completed it.) I have an anonymous donor who has pledged to match the entire $2000 amount if I raise that much. I’m confident I’ll reach that target, but I still have just under $500 to go.

I didn’t have mailing addresses for everyone I wanted to invite to sponsor me, which includes most of my online friends, but it’s not too late if you’re reading this and still want to help me cure cancer. The easiest way to donate is to visit my official donation page and donate directly by credit card. Any amount would be appreciated, and all donations are tax deductible. If you’re not comfortable making online credit card transactions, then you are welcome to contact me by email or in the comments and I would be happy to contact you privately with details about how to donate by check. For sponsors and non-sponsors alike, I appreciate the support and encouragement you’ve given me, and hope you’ve enjoyed the updates.