Training for a 100 miler. Week 8/9: Running for a Cause

Hello everyone,

Once again I have missed a week of posting and now I find that this will be my last post before the race next weekend.  Scary.  Still, I am really looking forward to it.  Right now the Weather Network is predicting nice weather, so hopefully they will be right for once.   Still, considering that it is still a week away, I can’t hold it against them if the forecast changes.

I mentioned in a previous post that I was trying to set up a way for me to raise some money for a charity with my run.  I actually have been able to do that and have been busy collecting donations for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.  This has been my first experience since childhood with raising donations, and I have been very impressed by people’s generosity.  Running for a cause is something that I have been thinking about for a long time, almost since I started running.  Now that I am actually doing it, I wish that I had done it a long time ago.

Fund raising isn’t exactly easy, but it isn’t exactly hard either, certainly not when compared to training for a running event.  Many charities today have websites where you can have people make donations by sending them a link, which only makes things easier.

Everyone has their own reason to support a charity.  Some people have been helped by a charity themselves, others have friends and family that have been helped, and others simply wish to support a cause that is in line with their beliefs.  I chose the Heart and Stroke Foundation because my grandfather died last year after struggling for several years to recover from a major stroke while continuing to suffer from smaller strokes.  He lost his mobility and often had trouble holding a conversation, but he was also comfortable most of the time, and had moments of real happiness in the years after his stroke.  These moments would probably have never happened if it weren’t for improvements in technology and treatment that were produced by research funded by groups like the Heart and Stroke Foundation.  So this is my way of giving something back and making my run mean more than it ever could have otherwise.

I have written before about the problem of maintaining motivation during a 100 mile race.  I know that when I am by myself in the forest in the middle of the night, with nothing but pain, fatigue, and bears to keep me company, knowing that I am supporting a group like the Heart and Stroke Foundation will help to keep me focused on reaching the finish line.

So, my tip for the week is: run for a cause whenever possible.

This concludes my blog series about training for a 100 miler.  I hope that you all enjoyed it, and possibly even learned something.  I will be back in a couple weeks with a race report, and if all goes well, possibly even a video.  Thank-you for reading and wish me luck!

Michael Boyes