Guest Post!

Wow, it has been way too long since I posted. I'll post a few times later this week to catch you all up. Running has been good, married life is great and I found a part time job! More on all that later. For now, enjoy this guest post from Jackie Clark.

Manly Fitness for a Cause
By: Jackie Clark

Joining a group of people who are all running for the same cause, whether it be animal rights, education reform or battling mesothelioma, is an extremely rewarding way to spend your time. You’ll become part of a team and gain an immediate, build-in support system as soon as you sign up to run. Some runs are simply for awareness while others require competitors to raise a certain amount of money for the cause before being able to sign up. The combination of being motivated to meet a goal in order to race and helping others will give anybody a huge wave of satisfaction. Before the run, you should receive a kit that includes information about the charity and training advice for newbie marathon runners.

There are many reasons why someone would opt to run for cancer. You may have battled cancer yourself; you may know someone who is currently undergoing mesothelioma treatment; you may have a soft spot for children who face cancer way too early in life. Whatever their life experience, most people can find some way in which they’re connected to cancer and a reason to support it. Plus, the earlier you plan, the more you’ll succeed - more time means being able to raise more money or get additional people involved in the run as well. But don’t let a late signup deter you from competing at all - if you don’t think you can raise as much money as the charity expects, don’t assume you’ll be turned away. Simply call the charity and explain your situation - they may make an exception and let you compete anyway. In the end, the purpose of running for cancer is to show your support and spread awareness, and most charities won’t shun that if it’s obvious you’re committed to the cause.

Of course you can always join in on a simple run for charity and cancer. But the uber athlete may want to be more challenged when racing for a cause. If you want some excitement while promoting your do-gooder side, consider getting involved in the Tough Mudder or the Warrior Dash. Not only will you have to run a long distance, but also you’ll have to overcome several obstacles by climbing or literally pushing through them. The Tough Mudder is the longer of the two races, but it has basically the same amount of obstacles as the Warrior Dash. However, the Warrior Dash is competitive, whereas the Tough Mudder isn’t timed - the main purpose is to complete the event. Beginners should kick off with the Warrior Dash and graduate to the Tough Mudder once they think they can handle it. RoderickMeadows.com has information on both the Tough Mudder and the Warrior Dash.