A year ago I was in the middle of eat.blog.run. It was an amazing experience, and it is simply shocking that an entire year has passed since then.
It is also shocking to me that I haven't run in six months.
I probably wouldn't have believed it had been that long had I not gone to the dentist.
You think, "WHAT? Dentist? She's going insane!"
My dental hygienist is a runner. She's a fast runner. She does gnarly trail runs and full marathons. At the end of October, we both ran the Warrior Dash. I knew she was there, too, because I had been in her chair just a few days prior, and she asked me what was on my race calendar.
Well, I go to the dentist every six months. And so when I went last week, I had to answer "nothing," to the same question she had posed last autumn. And it was then that I realized that since the Warrior Dash was the day before my last race, it had been six months since I had run.
Yup, I hurt my back somehow. I'm beginning to think stress had a lot to do with it, what with my father's heart surgery
I tried a brisk walk about a month ago, but my back would have nothing to do with it. And so, I've been working on core-conditioning and strength. It is about time I try to walk again. And then run.
Meanwhile, I learned of the City of Hope annual Walk for Hope. If you happen to live in or around San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, or Washington D.C. then you have a Walk for Hope coming up in your area. (You can also do an "Anytown, USA" walk if you don't live near participating cities.)
In its 16-year history, Walk for Hope has raised more than $29 million for breast and other gynecological cancer research, treatment and education. Walk for Hope is presented nationally by Staples, who is matching the total funds raised by walkers nationally, up to $250,000.
I'll admit that I'm not in a place right now where I can raise funds for charity. It is the sort of thing that I will likely do in my lifetime, especially as I chase that goal to someday run a full marathon. But I am seriously considering participating in the Walk for Hope as a supportive body and to give myself a low-pressure way to get moving again.
I wanted to publicize this particular event for those who are in a mode to want to raise funds for charity - people who might not want a 3-day commitment like another prominent cancer walk, or who are not at a place to perform a long run like the various training charities. A short 5k walk is a great entry point.
And so, if you are so inclined, please check out Walk for Hope. Maybe I'll see you there!
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Disclaimer: In exchange for publicizing Walk for Hope, I will receive free registration into the event; however, I realize this is intended to raise money for charity. As such, I will likely donate to the cause.
