Tick tock...

I let another weekend slip by, but my back is still ailing me a bit. I had every intent of running Saturday and Sunday both, but my back protested. (yea, I know, waa wah... toughen up doughboy, you're runnin' a marathon in a month!) Anyway, I am wary of the time ticking away, the ever approaching date on the calendar, the ever dwindling time I have left to get to that point where I declare myself "ready". No worries, I'm a great finisher, I will be ready.

I am also reminded of the amount of time I've been stationed in my post. As some of you may know, I work for Child Advocates, but not in a fundraising capacity. This is not an official appeal from Child Advocates, this is just a guy who works there logging his training routine--a routine that's far from routine.

I was reminded of the time I've spent here when I spotted a letter that came with a recent donation. A kid--I won't give his name, but he is what I would describe (in my greatly advanced years) as a "kid", that is, someone younger than me--has been contributing to the cause for 4 years now. I remember his first contribution, a card with a money order and a note written explaining how the work we do described in the letter he received prompted him to do something and support us. He's not a big corporation or foundation. We haven't received thousands and thousands of dollars from him. But we've gotten something far greater. We've gotten his support. He knows who we are. He tells others. And in return he gets our appreciation and the knowledge that he is making a difference in the life of a child who otherwise would be lost.
It's support like that that pushes me down the trail when I run. It's support like that that I'll need around mile number 22... or 2 if my training continues at this pace. So thank you, MC, for your support. I hope you volunteer at our checkpoint, I look forward to meeting you.
Anyone else who wants to support our cause can visit the website at www.childadvocates.org and navigate to the volunteer page or donation page and get involved.

More pain...

Ok, it was pointed out oh-so-very tactfully that there hasn't been an entry in awhile. There's a good reason for that. I haven't run in awhile. Since the first pain in my legs, there has been a move, a holiday, a vacation, an intestinal virus, more moving, and now serious back pain. That pretty much gets us from the weekend before Thanksgiving to the weekend after Thanksgiving. I'm not exactly happy.
For the first time I'm seriously considering whether or not I'll actually be able to run in the Marathon, and if I can physically run, whether or not I can actually finish. I need to get this back pain under control so I can go back out there and get some miles in. I've bitched about not liking running, but at this point I've invested too much time to let some stupid back pain keep me out of it. I need to get this under control.
I'm not happy right now... not at all.