A Challenge to Myself

So, I've been running for about 16 months now. I've done a 5K, a 10K, an overnight relay race, and a half marathon. I have the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler next weekend and the Maryland Half Marathon in May. Yeah, there are lots of things on which I could work with all of these distances, but there is one goal I have always wanted to reach: the marathon.

When I was 10-years old, my mom gave me this novel she bought at a yard sale entitled The Girl Who Wanted to Run the Boston Marathon. It was kind of low-key teen-lit. They've since changed the name and republished it. When I was 10, that was my goal, too. Then middle school and high school hit. I didn't run at all after 9th grade. I wish I had kept it up and done cross country in high school instead of dance, but hindsight is 20/20.

When I was in grad school, I thought I would try to run a marathon, but I didn't even know how to get started running. Then I met my now-husband and focused more on school and him than my athletic goals. I don't regret it. I have a wonderful husband and two adorable, but crazy, sons.

Cut to a couple of months ago... I decided I wanted to do the Marine Corps Marathon 10K again. It was a great race and I truly enjoyed all of the people along the course cheering. There is something humbling about running in honor of our service personnel. My brother was in the Navy until last year, and I'm incredibly proud of him. A friend of mine and I were joking around about maybe doing a full marathon this coming year. I'm turning *gulp* 35 in July and it just seemed like a good idea as a goal for the year to run the Marine Corps Marathon in honor of my brother, my Army veteran father, and all of my other friends and family who have been in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Yesterday, I spent 2 hours in front of my computer to register myself and two friends who weren't able to access a computer. It was incredibly annoying and frustrating. I swear the two most annoying words on a website are "Service Unavailable." FINALLY, I was able to register.

I know many people who weren't able to get into the race. There is a terrific list of charity partners for whom you can fundraise and earn a bib. I've actually been thinking about joining the Hope for the Warriors team without the full fundraising commitment.

Any tips for running my first marathon? Have you ever run for a charity?

Do you run for a cause?

How do you pick your races? I ran Ragnar because my husband's cousin asked if I wanted to do it and I thought it would be a fun adventure. I did my first half marathon because the timing was right for me with my training plans and it wasn't too far away, but sometimes I run for a good reason.

A little over a year ago when my running adventure began, a friend of mine said to pick a 5K and that she would do it with me. I wanted to do something in the Baltimore area, so that it wasn't far for anyone. I wanted something with a flat course. Most of all, I wanted it to be for a cause I supported. I picked The Red Shoe Shuffle which supports the Ronald McDonald House in Baltimore. I picked this one for a reason, one of my nieces had some strokes in utero and has had access to therapy where they live. Many kids don't have this luxury. Others are in need of more extensive therapies that they can receive at Johns Hopkins, University of Maryland Medical Center, or Kennedy-Krieger. The Ronald McDonald House provides a place for them to stay during these therapies. 

Yesterday, I registered for the Maryland Half Marathon. I knew at the time that it supported the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center and that 100% of the net proceeds go to the cause, which is unusual for a large race. I didn't know until after I registered that I have an acquaintance who's father is one of the researchers there. It is one of top rated cancer centers in the country.

If you would like to support me, you can make a donation here: http://ummsfoundation.org/alyssakendallMDHM2013. My goal is to raise at least $100 for the center. Every little bit helps. Thank you!