Thought 14: More than just running . . .

Surviving middle school was my goal as a 14-year-old girl. I am not sure that this was any different in 1988 than it is in 2014. The feelings I was struggling with and doing what I could to fit in was a challenge. At the end of my 8th grade year, I caught mononucleosis. I can promise you that I was not kissing anyone. I remember I had to stay home for 5 weeks and my mom had my school work sent home to me. I almost missed the 8th grade dance and certainly did not have a date. My mom went out and bought me a beautiful floral print dress and I went to the dance by myself. I remember how nervous I was walking into the dance, but I was glad I decided to go. This was also the year that we moved into our home on Lake Hall. It took a couple of years to build the home, so my parents rented a town home and we lived in closer quarters for awhile. My oldest brother slept on my trundle bed when he came home from college on break (which I loved). When I think of my home growing up I will always think of "the lake house."

It was never just about running. I think that is true for almost any runner.

This blog has always been about my greater story behind my running. I had planned on writing this week about registering for the Chicago Marathon and making the commitment official to run on October 12, 2014, my 40th birthday. I received notice on Tuesday that they were delaying registration for two weeks to work out some bugs in their website. It is the first year the Chicago Marathon will have a lottery system, so the registration process is more complicated I guess.

One of the only ways you can secure a guaranteed spot in the race is by raising money for one of the charities associated with the event. I always planned on participating as a charity runner and making this training and race day experience about something much bigger than 26.2 miles. After talking to a couple of different charities over the past two weeks (and not hearing back from a couple), and doing my due diligence research on my favorites, I made a decision. I have officially joined the Run for ALS Team for the 2014 Chicago Marathon through the Les Turner ALS Foundation (http://www.lesturnerals.org). You can learn more about Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease or motor neuron disease (MND), on their website if you are not familiar.

I thought about waiting to share this decision until I officially registered for the race, but why wait two weeks when I can tell you about this wonderful organization now! The Les Turner ALS Foundation has been around since 1977 and serves 90% of the individuals suffering from ALS in the Chicago area. They are the largest privately funded ALS organization in the country. Their research is very impressive and impacts all ALS patients and families around the nation and the world. They are connected with the both national and international conversation on research and patient care. Since I am asking all of you to support their work, I want to make sure I do my homework. With a fundraising background myself, I knew it was important to check out any charity I was considering on Charity Navigator (www.charitynavigator.org). Les Turner ALS Foundation was by far the most impressive out of the ones I was considering. They are rated 4 out of 4 stars and over 80% of their fundraising goes to program support and research. This is very impressive and hard to find in the nonprofit world. I would never ask you to support something that I would not support myself. My goal is to raise $4,000 by my 40th birthday and Bob and I have committed to making sure we honor this pledge. I really appreciate any support you can give me and please feel free to send me any questions. (@HubRunLive)

Anyone that has been keeping up with my blog understands why I would want to support an organization working to find a cure for ALS. If this is the first time you are connecting with my story, my family lost my mom to this devastating disease on July 28, 2009. I will run this race for her, along with my whole family, that she lived every day for, and carry her courage, perseverance, compassion, and love along with me from now until the finish line and beyond. She was the heartbeat of our family and our home base.

Check out my fundraising page to learn more about this story . . . http://ow.ly/ukTos

When I made the commitment with the foundation, they sent me a wonderful "welcome to the team" email and the following quote. I am so excited about this decision and connecting with an organization that is making such a difference with a cause that I will always carry close to my heart.

“As a former runner, I know there are many personal reasons for pushing the limits of your body – the exhilaration, sense of freedom and joy of accomplishment. Now you are again raising your sights by serving the needs of others. Every stride you take gives strength to those who cannot walk, every breath gives hope to those who struggle to breathe. Thank you for your dedication, commitment and spirit of giving” ~ Steve Heronemus, current Les Turner ALS patient and Run for ALS Champion