Run Overview...

Last night I had dinner with 12 people I used to work with a few years back. It was exciting to catch up with them professionally and personally. All of them are what most people would call "over achievers". They are a great group of people.  I am lucky to have been able to work with them.

Over dinner, the topic of my run came up a lot. I have to admit, I get a little embarrassed to talk about it sometimes. It is easy to blog about it.  Blogging is passive typing into a keyboard.  In person, I fear like I am coming off like a wild-eyed crazy person. Secondly, I worry about sounding immodest/bragging about what I am up to..causing me to minimize it, which then makes me sound even more like an immodest crazy person. (It makes sense...read it a few times....stay with me folks.)

I got a ton of questions...

Since it has been a few months since I gave a run overview on line, I thought I would recap what I am up to for those of you joining me in progress.

I am starting in Charleston, SC on March 1st. The good folks at Charleston Bicycle Company (Thanks John and Mark!) are going to host a launch event for the run there. I am then running 50 miles per day, give or take, for the next 50-60 days. The goal is to end up at Camp Pendleton, San Diego on or around April 30.  Cathy Pratt of Freedom is Not Free has worked to get me a finish on base with a little party. 

I originally started the run as a selfish goal. However, somewhere around June, I decided to link my run to raise money for Freedom is Not Free (FINF). FINF is a 501c3 that raises money to grant to injured soldiers or families of the fatally wounded to help with short term financial needs. I want to raise $25,000 for them by taking donations associated with specific miles (Hey, mile 1,700 could be yours if you hurry!).

The logistics of this thing are insane! I am renting a motorhome, planning a route down to the gnats eyebrow, provisioning supplies blah,blah,blah. I am spending roughly $25,000 out of my own pocket to pull this off. Sponsorships, even for charity events, are hard to come by.  I have gotten some "at cost" assistance from some folks...which has been helpful.  Also, my employer Granicus has graciously bought my ice for the trip and is allowing me to go chase this dream for two months without firing me.  (Cool!)  My support crew is my loving wife, my in laws, a few friends and potentially seemingly benign homicidal maniacs who have emailed me seeking to join me in desolate areas as I run through!

I have an extended team of people that are helping me. There is a lot to do...with contacting running clubs (Thanks Carolyn), PR (ditto John and Kristin), t-shirt work (gratitude to LJ and AT), a trainer (JT), a doctor (Dr. D, nutrition (JC)...

My wife deserves my biggest thanks so far though. She is putting up with my crazy hours, piles of the grossest laundry ever created (no really), my aches and pains, time on the blog/email with potential connections and generally being there to help with all of this.

My general plan for each day is to rise and be on the road at 5:00 a.m.  then, run until 2:00 p.m. or so each day.  50 days, 10 days for rest.

Quick facts...

2,500 miles door to door
10 pairs of Newton Running Shoes
8 military bases to run through
10,000 calories per day
5,000,000 steps

I am meeting some running clubs along the way, a university track team or two, some military folks and friends who want to join me.  (Dr. D and Stacey asked me where dead smack ugly will be for me...and have agreed to join me in East Doughnutville, Texas or something like that.)

Anyways, that pretty much sums up the run. 

Thanks for reading.   I actually may have a guest blogger or two pop up over the next few weeks.  Trying to keep it fresh here!

E