For Purpose Running

The First Race: GW Parkway Classic 10mI

The first race of 2016 for me. It's coming!

I am back on track with my training for the GW Parkway Classic 10 Mile Race. I got in about ~6.5 miles of running with some walking this weekend.

I plan my running to take me to the Lake Anne Recreation Center so that I can stop for a drink of water at around ~3 miles. I don't like to carry water or anything that unbalances me left/right wise. It's nice to know the Rec center is there and I make sure to thank the people behind the desk for being my oasis.

Calculating for the Race

I will need 60-90 minutes a day 3-5 times a week to get the level of training I need to finish my 10 mile race. My run during the weekend was really hard work and left my muscles sore, but that will be less of a problem next week if I get in all of my other scheduled runs.

There are 6 weekends left until the race... 7 if you count the race itself. If I increase by 0.5 miles each weekend, I can get to 10 miles on race day.

That leaves me with a question of how to add social elements of motivation to my own practices of #discipline and #will...

Adding Purpose to Running

I am tempted to attach fundraising goals to my running goals.

My main goal with running races is that it provides an anchor event for the connection I enjoy with my family and friends. We support one another to keep "getting after it", keeping fit, and making ourselves better physically and mentally.

Adding fundraising would be congruent with my current explorations of non-remunerative activity. What would I do whether or not I got paid for doing it?

People won't be funding me. They will be funding the efforts of others to make a difference, or to get by, or to do things differently than before in a way "the market" hasn't chosen to pull and push.

Here's what I envision:

  • Four races this year.
  • Four different charities.
  • Four different sizes of race.
  • A crowdrise campaign for each.

I will be the first donor to each, to get things started and put my money where my mouth is, and publicize these efforts.

It will connect people to me and to one another! We will all be generous! And it will force me out of my shell to go find people to fund my campaigns.

For The Family of Officer Ashley Guindon

Maybe I can even do something in response to the senseless tragedy in Lake Ridge this weekend.

It looks like the PWCPA has set up a fund for Officer Guindon:

The Prince William County Police Association has created the fund for the family of Officer Ashley Guindon. The association will collect all donations and send them directly to Guindon's mother.

If possible, checks should be made out to "PWCPA in memory of OFC Ashley Guindon," authorities said.

Anyone who wishes to donate can leave their donation at any county police station or mail it directly to the police association at: Prince William County Police Association, Officer Guindon Memorial Fund, P. O. Box 1845, Manassas, VA 20108.

Police are warning people not to donate to GoFundMe pages that purport to be raising money for Guindon's family. Police determined that at least one fraudulent page was set up in the officer's name.

So I can definitely do this and I can definitely ignore the last paragraph because I only intend to hit up people that I know personally and they know I'm not a crook!

Instigation Initiative

It is 6am. Early...

I try not to do things when I am awake at odd hours. But maybe this is just the sort of thing I ought to embrace and act right now.

By an hours time, I expect to have this post up and have my crowd rise page going.

Just watch me! :)

Status Update

Okay... well I've hit a snag. I can't seem to designate the PWCPA fund on crowdrise just yet but I have e-mailed their support and we will see where that goes. But I am proud to have taken immediate action on this.