Ceiling 100

A short while ago, I mentioned a realization I had at some point during the 50-miler. I say “at some point” because the events thereof have merged together in my mind; I can only remember bits and pieces and the overall gist of the experience. Grinding pain takes its toll on the memory. Anyway, at some point during the race, I realized that I am capable of the 100.

Before my first ultra, 50 miles seemed nearly impossible. It was close to twice the longest I had ever run. Now the 100-miler has that honor. It’s twice the longest distance I’ve ever run. It seems nearly impossible.

But during my ultra, I discovered that the 100-mile is within my reach. It will require specialized training, eating, and everything else, but my body is capable of running 100 miles. I don’t plan on doing this next week; in fact, it may be a couple years before I attempt it. But the 50-miler put it into perspective; it shattered the ceiling of my limits, and replaced it with one far higher.

This, in a nutshell, is why I run.

Why BOMF is Worth Your Money

Today, as (implicitly) promised, I’ll provide you all with a little more information on Back on My Feet. This organization has been all over the news and, recently, The Today Show. Many of you have probably heard of it, but for those of you who haven’t, here goes.

Back on My Feet is an organization that uses running to develop healthy and productive habits in urban homeless. By joining this program and consistently running with the group, homeless people can earn funding for job training programs, scholarships, and housing. BOMF doesn’t provide food or shelter, focusing instead on long-term goals like employment and housing. In other words, getting people back on their feet.

There are also less measurable, though no less important, benefits to running with BOMF. I think that any runner can relate to the transformative power of our sport. It gives us something to be proud of, a sense of achievement. There are people in shelters throughout the US who can’t remember ever having felt proud of themselves. Who could better benefit from a running-induced boost in confidence, discipline, and self-esteem?

As I said before, BOMF’s message resonates strongly with my personal experience. In my short life, I’ve learned that a person can rise from any circumstance, to become exactly who they want to be. When you’re in a dark place though, it becomes easy to lose sight of that truth. I can attest to running’s capacity for lighting dark places, and for revealing human potential. It proves that we, and the world around us, can be greater than we are today. In this way, we are unlimited.

So, if this is a cause that you believe in strongly enough to support, you can do it here through team Turtlerunner.

Revelation

Yay! 100 posts!

This seems like a good time to introduce to you all my next great endeavor. See, I did not in fact run a practice marathon to train for Broadstreet. I haven’t been running weekly mileage in the mid-70′s because it’s fun (at least, not in the traditional use of the word). No, loyal readers, I cannot keep the wool over your eyes.

This July, I’ll be participating in the Back on My Feet Lone Ranger Ultramarathon. I intend to run 50 miles within 24 hours– my very first ultramarathon. It certainly won’t be easy, but I’ve been preparing my body, mind, and soul for this race for over 5 months now. This is what all of my training was for, the event that I’ve been hinting at in all my posts.

Why did I pick this particular race? Well, there are two reasons:

The first is that I’m a little nervous about my first ultramarathon. I want to make sure that I have as much support as possible, and it looks like this race will have an abundance of food and medical care available. Oh, and cheerers– because 50 miles takes a little moral support.

Second, and more importantly, is the cause that I’ll (we’ll, if you care to make a donation) be supporting. For those of you who haven’t heard of Back on My Feet, it’s an organization that uses running to instill self-sufficiency in the homeless. The volunteers at BoMF spread a message that resonates deeply with my own life experience: that regardless of where you are now, you can always get to wherever you want to go.

I have plenty more to say on BoMF, but for now, you can check out their site. If you feel moved by their purpose, you can always contribute through my fundraising page.