Gotta run!
I love running, but I don’t do a lot of races. Usually, I just pop out the door of our house, often accompanied by Jim, & make my way through various Baltimore neighborhoods. I’m not fast & probably never will be; burning calories & staying in shape are more important to me than winning medals. This fall, however, I’ll be participating in the half marathon at the Baltimore Running Festival to help out my friends at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
Back in 2004, I did the full marathon & wasn’t quite in shape to run the whole thing, although I did make it across the finish line. Those last 2-3 miles were looooooong! I softly chanted the lyrics to the catfight chorus from Carmen to stay motivated. When I finished, Jim, who had also run the full race but is much faster than I am, was waiting to take me home to our kitties & leftover pizza. The latter was gone in 60 seconds, perhaps less!
I’d been considering running another marathon or half-marathon to give myself a bit of a push, fitness-wise, so when Brian Charles Donnell of Bolt for the BSO approached me about helping out with the event & asked whether I’d like to run, I said “of course!” I decided to do the half marathon so that I have a reasonable chance of running the whole thing – er, most of it. I’ll be hanging out with my Bolt for the BSO teammates after I finish, so if you’re around, please look for us & say hello. Jim has even agreed to join me on the Bolt for the BSO team & will be running with me despite my snail’s pace. At this point, I’ve raised more money than he has – probably the only way in which I will ever outdo him in anything related to running.
This year’s Baltimore Running Festival takes place on Saturday, October 13th, 2012. There are quite a number of events involved; more information is available at www.thebaltimoremarathon.com.
So, which of us – Jim or me – will ultimately raise the most money for the BSO? If you’d like information about helping us & our musical friends, please email me: dneal@bccc.edu. Many thanks to those who have already donated or plan to – hope to see you on race day!
Tags:Baltimore Running Festival, Baltimore Symphony, Bolt for the BSO, Carmen, half marathon, marathon
