Hello. Me again. That’s right, I’m back. After last year’s painfully slow (but hey, I finished!) trek across 26.2 beautiful miles of Chicago, I really was done. Two Chicago Marathons—that’s two more than most people do. And certainly two more than I ever intended to do! So why push it? Because my eldest son has decided this is ‘our thing’, that’s why. How cool is it that even though his 2014 finish time was more than two hours faster than mine, he still wants to do it with me? Who knew we had a thing? But seriously, why does it have to be this???
So here I am, back on the road toward completing my third Chicago Marathon. Believe it or not, this year I actually worried I wouldn’t get a spot in the lottery, so I decided to sign up for a guaranteed entry as a charity runner. I will be raising money for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Renovation Fund at The Ronald McDonald Children’s Hospital at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois.
I must admit, it’s kind of fun and much more motivating to be running for a cause. I’m sure I will have no problem raising the required donations. It’s just a matter of that pesky little training thing. Who knows…maybe this will be my year. Third time’s a charm, right?
What are your favorite charities? Have you ever participated in a walk or a run for that organization? How do you choose, given the many worthy causes out there?