Well, time for round 3!  I will be running the Boston Marathon for Special Olympics.  I'll be sending out the information shortly.  Anything that you can donate is greatly appreciated.  While I started training over the holiday's, I started reflecting on why I subject myself to 26.2 miles of torture.  Well, basically two reasons.  One, is so that I can donate to a great charity in a wonderful person's memory.  I do this every year to remember and celebrate Chris Barnes.  He was more than one of my best friend's son's.  He was, basically, a family member.  I know that Chris made other people think the same way.  I also now run with the memory of my Grandmother with me.  She passed away a couple of days before last years race.  A piece of her joins me in my 26.2 mile trek.

The second reason is....well, I love it! (Although I didn't love my run tonight. What a sh*tty run).  Let's be honest, I don't enjoy the training part of it.  Especially as it gets closer to the race.  It's almost like I'm working another full time job.  Getting up at 5:30am on a Sunday to bang out 20 miles on a 20 degree day takes discipline.  Trust me, I'd rather be firing back a couple of beers on a Saturday night than drinking water and Gatorade. But when it gets to Marathon Monday I love the day, the race, the crowds, the people, the volunteers, the cowbells, etc.  At the expo, when I get my number I feel like I'm part of an elite club.  A club that only allows so many members per year.  You can ask my wife, I glow that whole weekend.  Once the race is over, I carry a runner's high for at least a week.  And when someone asks me what my time was....I could care less if it was 4:44 or 4:32.  I finished.  And THAT is what matters.

I'm not sure if I'm going to run Boston next year.  Oh, I'm still going to run a marathon a year to raise money in Chris's name.  I'd really like to run a destination race.  Like NYC, Chicago, Austin, Vegas...something like that.  Two marathon's in a year is alot for me personally though.  We shall see.

Running Boston is an absolute honor.  No doubt about it.  It's a badge I wear proudly.  I treat each race as if it's my first time running Boston.  I'm shooting for 4:15 this year.  I'm not a fast runner by any stretch.  But, I put everything I have into it.  There is blood, sweat and tears that go into my run.  I screamed like a little boy when I finished last year.  I plan on doing that again.

Thank for reading my ramble.  My link will be out over the next day or so to make donations.  It should be out now, but, I've procrastinated a bit.   Once my link is up, please make a donation to support by run at the Boston Marathon.  We will be coming out with a raffle as well.  Red Sox, Bruins and possibly Celtics tix.  More info on that soon.

See ya on the streets,

Greg

Special Olympics Massachusetts wrote -

6 incredible individuals (aka Champions for the Special Olympics Movement) will be running the 2012 Boston Marathon in the name of dignity, unity, and health for people with intellectual disabilities. These six individuals will be training through the grueling Massachusetts winter and running 26.2 miles on April 16, with a collective goal of raising $40,000 to support the year-round athletic training, competition, and health-improvement programs of Special Olympics Massachusetts. Please visit their personal pages to learn more about the group and consider helping the team "change the world" for people with disabilities by donating and/or spreading the word!