What are you running for?

I had my first 10-mile run of the year last weekend. It was one of those runs that remind me why I love running. At first the run was slow and plodding like many of my runs have been lately. Then around mile 8, I felt more awake and alive than I have in months. I felt like I could run forever. But of course my knees reminded me at mile 10 that this was not the case.

I am training for the Shamrock 1/2 Marathon which I run every year. I love this race. It was my first 1/2 marathon and where I always get my best times. It is however, very cold. Last year, I started the race wearing a trash bag which I lost around mile 5. The Yuengling beer and irish stew make up for the cold at the end.

I also run the Rock n' Roll 1/2 Marathon every year. A very different race with a lot more people and humidity. I need a bit more motivation to make it to this race. The heat and humidity are just brutal here in August.

Running for a cause has helped me stay motivated to train through the heat and humidity. Two-years ago I ran for the victims of the shooting at Virginia Tech and last year I ran for water.

I went high-tech for my run for water and used a site called FirstGiving. I was able to create my own personal fundraising webpage. I chose the charity I wanted to run for (WaterPartners) and added some text and a picture. The cool part is that people can leave messages of encouragement when they donate. I raised over $800 for safe drinking water!

You can still see my Run for Water webpage: http://firstgiving.com/tracyjackson