March Madness

Here's the deal. Last year, when I did the February Challenge, I ran a minimum of two miles every day. Even in the midst of a huge life change, I was able to rise up to the challenge and make sure that I got the miles in every day. With all the tough times I've had lately getting the runs done, and with Oklahoma City coming up in about seven weeks, I've been in need of having something to motivate me, to get me going in the right direction. I've got to buckle down and make sure that I get it done.

So to make sure I'm compliant, as it were, I'm setting up what we are calling March Madness. For the month of March (3rd month of the year), I will walk or run a minimum of three miles every day. If I don't get up and do them early, then I will not go to bed until they are done. The weather is clearing up nicely here in NYC (even as it got crazy cold and wet in DFW as I was leaving this morning), so the cold shouldn't be an excuse anymore. And I've shared the intent with a couple of co-workers (V. was actually the one who came up with the name March Madness for it), so it's been said out loud and is hanging out there.

The other part of it is this is the bigger reason that I want to up my mileage. Remember that Avon Walk thing? Over there --> on the sidebar? Yeah, well it's time to start passing the hat around and making a dent in my $1800 fundraising goal. Here is where I ask you fellow runners (and any of you other folks reading this, too!) for help. And since I wouldn't ask anyone to do anything that I wouldn't do, this is the plan:

For every mile that I run or walk between January 1 and June 30 , I will donate $1 to the Avon Walk.

For every mile walked or run for fitness, either in training or as part of an event, not just getting from one place to another, I will donate $1 of my own money. I will post my payments on a monthly basis. This means that I owe Avon $159 for the first two months of this year. And by the end of March, it will be at least another $90, if not much more, just by meeting my minimum of three miles a day.

How much is a mile worth to you? A nickel? A dime? Fiddy cent? You know we all keep track of our mileage in that OCD anal-retentive way we have, with charts and graphs and paces and all that. Just throw in another column on the end for the money you will set aside for every mile. At even .25 a mile, a 20-mile a week runner could have raised $20 toward the cause by the end of March. If you can't dedicate a full month, then do it for a week, or just for one day. Anything will help.

Join me in March Madness. It's a good cause, and I bet you end up feeling great by the end of it! With that, i gotta run -- haven't done my three miles yet!!

UPDATE: 3 miles in 35:38 -- went down 7th Ave to 34th, then back up 8th to Columbus Circle and back down the south edge of the Park back to 7th then to the apartment. I started out walking, just to get moving, but then found that I couldn't help but run. Stopped at lights and such so I wouldn't get slammed by a rampant cab, and ended up doing three blocks running, one block walking, at least until I was clear of the park. Just enough time to cool down and clean up before catching Craig Ferguson on the tube. g'night!