Friday, April 8, 2011

It's time to put your foot down in the fight against HIV/AIDS!

I signed up for the 25th annual AIDS Walk Washington today, as a runner in the timed 5K event! I am crazy and set a personal fund raising goal of $1000. I think I can raise that before Saturday, October 29th, 2011.

You can help and should! Check out the link to my personal fund raising page. All donations are 100% tax deductible.

The 25th annual AIDS Walk Washington is a 5K fundraising walk and timed run, benefiting and produced by Whitman-Walker.

This is a cause that is important to me, so I am doing what I can to raise money. I'll be leaving my donation progress chart up until the event happens, in case you decide you want to donate later. Or you want to donate again.

Thank you in advance.


More info -- not my wording:
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Whitman-Walker Clinic is a nonprofit, community-based organization founded in 1973 that provides affordable, accessible and high-quality health services to the Washington metropolitan area. With the advent of the AIDS epidemic, the Clinic became a leader in the fight against HIV/AIDS. In addition to medical care, the Clinic’s services include HIV testing and counseling, addiction services, a day treatment center, mental health programs, legal services and an at-cost pharmacy providing HIV medication. You can find out more about the Clinic at www.wwc.org.

Your contribution will help Whitman-Walker Clinic provide critical services to those living with HIV/AIDS. Every dollar brings hope and provides needed care. Please visit my personal fundraising website to make a secure online donation. You can also print a donation form at my website if you prefer to mail your donation. Checks should be made payable to AIDS Walk Washington and mailed to PO Box 73768, Washington DC 20056-3768. All contributions are 100 percent tax deductible.

If you have any questions about AIDS Walk Washington or Whitman-Walker Clinic, please don’t hesitate to contact me or visit www.aidswalkwashington.org for more information.
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Donate NOW by clicking here!

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Up Your Miles!

Distance: 4.08 miles! (that's almost a mile increase from Monday!)
Duration: 48:08
Avg Pace: 11:48 min/mile (slower pace than Monday, but to be expected)
Route: MapMyRun

The other day, my pal Joey IM'ed me with "Up your miles!" At the moment I read that, I had no idea what he was talking about, so I replied "Up yours!" Then laughed to myself.

Took me a few minutes to realize he meant for running.

Joey is the only close friend I have (that I know about) who has run a marathon. And not just one marathon, he's done several. Until I started running (November 2008), I had no idea how much of an accomplishment that it was. It never occurred to me that Joey was running 26.2 miles -- which meant running for more than 4 hours (for me, it'd be like 6+ hours). I am completely impressed that he has done this several times. And while I have absolutely no desire to ever run that far or that long, I still consider Joey one of my inspirations to keep running.

Part of the reason I've been so hard pressed to run (besides the stress relieving aspect), is because in May, I'm flying out to San Francisco to run Bay to Breakers with some friends: Joey, Rob, and Neil. It's a 12K. It will be the farthest I've run a race before. And I'm running with all guys who find my current 11-12 min/mil pace pretty pathetic. I am hoping to get them all drunk and outrun them as they stumble all over each other.

I'm actually just trying to get myself up to be able to run all 7.42 without stopping...

Today's run? Excellent. I had planned out a 4.5 mile route, but was thwarted by construction and some odd urge to run across a major road rather than go the more interesting and slightly longer route. The last mile was less difficult than I thought it was going to be. The weather was perfect - sunny, cool, but not cold. I'm pleased. It's the farthest I've run since I started up again and it wasn't too hard!

Tomorrow, if I get a chance, I'll have to talk about my favorite run ever. Incidentally, it was in San Francisco. With Joey.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Today's Run - I'm grinning like a fool.

Distance: 3.12 miles
Duration: 35:16
Avg Pace: 11:18 min/mile
Route: MapMyRun

I am on such a high from today's run, I don't even know what to write about. The weather. Oh the weather! It is sunny, mid 70's, slight warm breeze. It's days like this where I wish I could take more than an hour for lunch break and run forever.

I had planned to take the same route as I did last week, but about 2 minutes in, I made a break for the woods. See, there's these great trails that go between my neighborhood and a few others around here. In the woods, by a creek, up a hill... it's pretty, it's quiet and I love to run it. They are doing some construction back there, so the normal way I go isn't available. So I took a new route and I'm really pleased I did. Made today's 3 miles way more interesting.

My pace was better, my mind was clearer, my route more interesting, and my heart rate stayed in check except for the last 2 minutes (it always goes up a little in the same physical location, no matter what I do - I guess there's a small climb there?). I don't know what else to say about today's run -- I'm grinning ear to ear.

I can say, I have no idea what I even thought about during today's run. That's how calming it was for me.

I wish spring was here to stay.