Empire State of Mind
So one time while running, my friend Ari told me that once this
happened, I would want to do one of these:
I thought to myself, “How ‘bout we conquer
before we start thinking all crazy.”
Quite frankly, I have always thought to myself that I would never be able to do a full marathon. I never had the desire to try and run that far, and figured I would hate it if I tried.
During my half marathon when I started to feel the blister under my toe and my legs turned to lead, I thought I’d never even do another 13.1.
All of about 15 minutes after I crossed the finish line, I was ready to do it again!!!
Especially if I get to borrow those hot pants!!
Isn’t it crazy how our minds work? At least I know MY mind works that way. It’s so gratifying to accomplish a goal, even after all of the pain, that I forget about the pain and want to do it all over again!
So back to our initial conversation while running. After Pat’s Run, Ari mentioned that she was training with a team to run a full marathon in the fall. She suggested I join! I was skeptical, and pretty sure that I had to work and wouldn’t get the days off even if I requested them.
Well, it turns out that the race is the weekend of Women’s Half Marathon here in Phoenix, and I already had that day off approved! I requested some surrounding days off, made a weekend trade, and wa-la! The whole weekend was free!! Somehow, I had a feeling this was meant to be!
So which race is it that I have decided to go for?
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The 2012 ING New York City Marathon!!!!!
I have joined Team Chances New York City to train with the amazing Susan Loken and fundraise for Chances for Children Arizona.
Chances for Children Arizona is a not-for-profit organization that is committed to promoting a healthy lifestyle and wellbeing for children, their parents, and all members of the community by providing fitness training, nutrition programs, and educational services. Chances for Children was founded on the belief that in life, everyone deserves the chance for opportunity. Research shows that diet and exercise promote a balanced well-being, resulting in positive life achievements.
Last year alone CFCAZ provided 1400 pairs of shoes, 911 two-week sessions of swimming lessons, as well as pedometers, fitness journals, race entries and more!
I have committed to raising $5000 for Chances for Children by November while training for NYC. It is a huge undertaking, but I know it can be done!
The awesome part about this is that I am training with my awesome friend Ari! We are in this together, and I know we are going to do AMAZING!!! This is the opportunity of a lifetime, and I still can’t believe I am doing it!! Official training starts in about two weeks.
If you would like to make a donation, that would be amazing! All donations are tax deductible, so it’s a win-win situation. I have a fundraising page where you can donate online, and also print off a receipt. If you would like to donate, and feel more comfortable paying by other methods, just leave me a comment and I’ll email you to discuss arrangements.
Your contributions will help thousands of children have the opportunity to do something they would've been deprived of otherwise. Maybe someday, they can chase their dream like I am doing right now by training for the race of a lifetime!
Check out CFCAZ’s Facebook page to see some awesome pictures and get to know the organization a little bit better.
Also, of course, keep following my blog to see my journey with Ari and our team throughout our training and fundraising this summer and fall. I am SO excited to finally share this with all of you!!!
Happy Trails and Many Thanks in Advance!!
Stacey