The Race 4 Respect

You may or may not have noticed the new item in my sidebar.  If you have not yet noticed it, go take a look now...I'll wait! 

Done?  Good.

This button means an awful lot to me.  Like, a lot. 

First, it's my very first race!  I'm so excited about it, and am really proud that I'm able to do this.  I started running back in November on my treadmill, and love every minute of it.  I don't run for speed and am not at this point interested in my time, but I do have goals.  My goals are for endurance, health, stamina, and to get into a normal bathing suit this summer, rather than the wet-suit-dress monstrosity I suck myself into each summer.  I've always been slim, so I'm horribly self-conscious of any extra bulges my sedentary lifestyle has so generously provided over the last several years.  I run about 2 miles a day now, with 3 or 4 when I have the time, but have not yet run outside.  Gotta get that nipped in the bud asap...well, as soon as the weather gets a little nicer, anyway.

Second, it's going to be downtown DC.  The view is unparalleled.  It feels like an honor to be able to participate in an event there.

Third, and most importantly, it's for a cause I hold near and dear to my heart - the money raised in this race benefits 5 local Down syndrome charities, our very own DSANV included.  I've signed Samantha up for the kid's fun run, although I'm not sure if she'll want to do it on the day.  I'm trying to really talk it up with her now, and there will be a running buddy assigned to her.

When I signed up for the race, I couldn't figure out how to create a team.  So I'm just an individual runner, but have several friends from work who are signing up, too, to run with me, although as individual runners, too.  I can't tell you how much that means to me, that they'll be there - spreading the word, creating awareness of an important cause, supporting me and Samantha - this is huge. 

In the meantime, I'm not so good at fund raising.  I don't like to ask people for money, especially when the Buddy Walk is right around the corner.  But if you would like to donate, please click the button in my sidebar, or click here, and if you'd like to register to run, click here (first 1,000 registrants will be entered into a drawing for a mini iPad!). 

Everyone deserves respect.