Marathon

I know it's almost been a month since I last posted, but I'm not an avid blogger and I hate writing in general...as you can imagine writing papers in college was torture...lol.  For Lent I gave up weighing-in since I often become too obsessed with it. So it's been a month exactly today since I weighed in. I was at 198.  At awesome goal would be to hit 190 for Easter morning!

Well marathon training is in full swing, running short runs 2-3 times a week and long ass runs on Saturdays.  So far the longest has been 15, and this Saturday is 18, the longest will be 20 in a few weeks. I'm confident I can run the full 26.2 miles, it's just these training runs are the same because you don't have that adrenaline pumping! So anyways I am running the marathon for a charity, NHCO, North Hills Community Outreach of Pittsburgh.  They help lower income families with various items such as food, clothes, and aid.  The text below is the email/letter I sent to some people asking for help financilly to fund this race for myself.  Please help in anyway you can! THANKS SO MUCH! Any amount helps! It all adds up, $5, $10, or $100... :)

Letter:

Friends/Family,

It’s that time of the year again; the Pittsburgh Marathon is just around the corner, coming up on May 5^th, 2013!  Many of you may recall that I ran the half-marathon last year for NHCO, a charity that provides food, clothes, supplies and more to low income families in the North Hills of Pittsburgh.  This year I am again running for this great charity-but not the half marathon, the full marathon. That’s right, all 26.2 miles! I know some of you have doubts, many, even my mother had doubts about me completing the half last year, but I did it. To prepare for this year’s race, I have been training since January, running at night in the frigid cold, at times, to prepare for the big race.  Some of you I do not see all that often because of distance, but I have kept up with my goals to lead myself to a healthier future. Since January of last year I have lost about 70lbs, my total goal is around 100.  My ultimate goal of a healthier lifestyle and a new me is now within reach and the feeling is wonderfully overwhelming. 

So, you’re probably wondering “why the letter”? Well as many of you remember, I raised $300 last year to run for NHCO in the half-marathon.  This year to run the full, I need to raise $500.  This may seem like a lot, but with many contributions, big and small, they will quickly add up to my goal!  Remember - your donation goes to support a charity that supplies families and communities in the North Hills of Pittsburgh.  They provide food from their food pantry, clothes to families, books, book bags to children, and most importantly, they provide opportunity. The individuals and families that they help typically receive multiple services with the goal of reaching self-sufficiency. I have personally donated to them with many of the clothes I have come to not fit anymore.  Unfortunately, only 10% of runners actually run for a charity but they still raise literally hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities. If only more people would do so, just imagine how much good we could do, and at such a low cost to donors! So I am asking you for a simple donation of whatever you can give- $10, $20, or more if you can. You can be a part of something with a huge impact for the cost of something small like a dinner at Eat’n Park or a new outfit.  I understand everyone is going through hard times, so there is no pressure! You may donate by going to the site below, or mailing checks directly to me, written to payment of “NHCO”.  I will record your donation online and then give the checks to NHCO and provide you with a receipt.  If you do it online, you will be emailed with a receipt for tax deduction purposes.  To make a donation online, simply go to http://www.crowdrise.com/TeamNHCOPittsburgh2013/fundraiser/derekphillips.  This is a trusted site that is safe and secure.

If you speculate my commitment or devotion, I assure you I have drastically changed my approach to things now.  I’m excited about living a healthy lifestyle and changing my habits for good.  I have become really interested in races and fun runs.  Last November I ran a mud run at Seven Springs ski resort.  It was a blast; about 8 miles of steep elevation hill climbing, hills of mud and snow, 23 obstacles to climb over, under, and through.  I plan to do this race again in 2013, possibly twice.  I am also running a 17.75K in Prince William Park, VA on 3/23/13 so that I can also run the Marine Corps Marathon (aka “The Peoples Marathon”) in Arlington, VA in October. How about another one, well I’m also running in a Tough Mudder in August with a team in Pittsburgh; this will be my true test of strength and ability. I am really excited about all of these races! I am so excited to run across the finish line in May, get my shirt and medal and call myself a marathoner! Please support me in any way you can! I promise to send anyone that supports me a picture of me at the finish line and a thank you letter!