Why I’m Running
I’ve been out of my walking boot for about six weeks now, and I’m starting to feel like I’m no longer “working myself back into shape” or “taking it real slow and easy,” I’m back and I’m training for real. I’m not in the marathon shape I was in before I got hurt back in October, but I was able to do a couple of three mile runs on the beach when we were on vacation last week, and again in the snow at home this week, so I feel like an actual runner again, not like a rehab patient. This makes me feel good about myself and about my training—- I am on pace to be ready to run 5 half marathons in 5 states in July! But I need help—- that’s what this website is for. And my wife says I haven’t done enough to explain what I’m trying to do and why, and she’s smarter than me, so let’s try to sum it up.
First, what am I going to do and how can people help? I’m going to go on a road trip next July from my home in Indiana out to see my brother in Seattle. I’m using this as an opportunity to see parts of America I’ve never seen and really celebrate being healthy and able to run, so I’m going to run half marathons in 5 states—- Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Washington, and Idaho, all in that one month. I’m asking for donations to this project to help defray the costs, but also as an opportunity to do some charitable work. I’m partnering with the National Diaper Bank Network, and I’m going to split all donations between the overhead for my trip and a donation to the diaper bank up until I’m able to cover my $2,500 budget for the trip, at which point I’ll donate 100% of any additional money I’m able to raise. Let’s talk about why I’m doing this!
First, why am I raising money for the National Diaper Bank Network? They are a highly rated charity that does excellent, measurable service that has significant impact across society. By collecting and distributing diapers and other childcare supplies to families in need, they make it possible for families to send their kids to daycare and early childhood education programs, which impacts not only those families but the entire education system and then society as a whole. My wife and I are fortunate to have strong careers with excellent family support, but even then raising our two boys has been the biggest financial stress we have ever encountered, and it often puts significant strain on our ability to function as a family—- I can’t imagine what that experience is like for families less fortunate than ours, and I hope this project will help some of them. I picked this charity because I felt that it was a cause that literally everyone can get behind—- regardless of your political persuasion or ideology, we all want families to be able to take care of their children, and we all want kids getting all the help and education they need. Donations to my project directly help families and kids who need that help most.
Second, why is this project important to me personally? It has honestly been a very difficult six months or so for me. My mother passed away unexpectedly in July of 2024, which left me in a lingering depression. A few months after that, I broke my foot when I was only a few weeks away from running a marathon that I had been training for for six months. This had the knock on effect of depriving me of one of my main strategies for combatting depression and anxiety: exercise. All this was happening against the backdrop of a continuous series of awful news stories both nationally and internationally. The whole thing left me feeling overwhelmed, like life was out of control and there was nothing I could do about it. So, I decided to take active steps to do one positive thing, for myself and for the world. Completing this road trip will make me feel like I’ve accomplished something meaningful, and preparing for it gives me something to do that is more helpful than doom scrolling social media. This is my effort to live out the idea that “It is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness.” But I can’t do it alone—- that’s why I appreciate all the help I’ve been getting from others along the way!
So, I’m asking for your help. I’d love it if you could donate to this project. You can use the “Donate” button at the top of the page, or go to my gofundme directly using this link: https://gofund.me/d1b71826 Even small donations—- even a dollar!—- help, not only by contributing financially to the project but also by boosting its engagement in the eyes of the various algorithms I’m depending on to spread awareness of it. You can also share the website, or this blog post, or one of the other blog posts I’ve written here—- I’ve written some things about sobriety, running, and anxiety, and I think that some of them are even kind of good. Just commenting on this blog post will help boost its traffic and engagement. Every little bit counts! Thanks so much!
