Most people take up running to lose weight or get in shape, try to quit an addiction (whether it’s smoking, drinking, or drugs), or overcome something else personal in their lives. Not me. I started running because my Sunday morning softball team in Somerset got royally upset in the quarterfinal round of the 2004 playoffs and I had nothing to do the following Sunday.
So I gave into the pleas of my then-girlfriend -- who begged me for years to run in the CVS Downtown 5K in Providence with her -- and signed up for that race. The semifinals always took place on the weekend of the race, and had we made it back to that round, there was no way on earth I was going to miss them for some stupid, boring race. And that’s what I thought about running, from high school to 2004 -- stupid and boring. There were times during the past few summers when she would ask me to go running with her, but I’d always bark back, “I do my running on the basepaths!”
Nevertheless, I did a little training that week, and the following Sunday, ran in my first-ever road race. I didn’t do that well (26:43), but I had such a wonderful time that I had to run in another 5K, so I ran in three more that fall around Rhode Island before pulling my right calf halfway through the old Scituate 5K and calling it a year.
The next two years, I was off-and-on-and-off-again with running, especially since I was selling my house in Fall River, buying a bigger house in R.I., and getting married, yet I still managed to run here and there and squeeze in a total of 25.
But I really became full-time devoted to running in 2007, and in each of the last three years, I’ve topped 40-plus races that spanned a total of over 250 miles. I’ve also done seven marathons in six states, placed in my age group (30-39) here and there, and have had some very profound luck in post-race raffles.
Now I’m getting ready for the Boston Marathon in April, but I decided to do some extra special for this event and run it for the American Cancer Society. I just think that after running 160-something races for pretty much no one but myself, it’s time to do something for people who are less fortunate than me and suffering from this deadly ailment.
And that’s kind of why I’m starting this blog. I want people who decide to donate money to my cause (or are thinking about it) to see how my training is going and if I am worth the investment of a few dollars. I want them to tell me in the “comments” section of this blog to take off the prom dress and high heels and pick things up if they think I’m slacking in my training (and I know some people who will be good at doing this!). I also want them to throw me some advice if they think I’m doing or not doing something I should, or comment in any way they wish. It’s all good.
And hey, if you don’t want to support my cause and just have to kill and want to read about some wacky guy who during the winter, likes to run in the snow (and at times, around a 1-13th of a mile indoor track in East Providence) and do yoga three times a week to stay sharp and keep his edge, then that’s also fine. This is going to be a ride and you’re welcome to “get on board” for it …
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