Rising to the challenge[s]
Sometime this weekend, Mark, a.k.a. "The Running Blogfather," is going to don a runner's skirt and bra in the name of charity. Actually in the name of dozens of charities that fellow running bloggers pledged in an effort to get Mark to wear the women's clothing in a race. It was a novel idea that, though it fell short of the goal, got some of us to donate to a favorite cause. I vowed to give to Bare Necessities, which assists in buying items for a homeless shelter for battered spouses and their children.
I decided to go one better today and in addition I attended the 6th annual High Tea Spring Fling hosted by the Hidden Valley House Auxiliary. The house is a safe home in need of renovations. A neighbor couldn't attend and offered me her ticket. It was weird to get gussied up just after arriving home all drenched in sweat from a 2-1/2-hour seaside run. I was outbid during the silent auction, but gladly gave a substantial monetary donation anyway. And I met some wonderful women while having tea and finger foods and listening to various speakers.
Run/Walk a Mile in My Shoes
That brings me to the second challenge. This month Karen has invited running bloggers worldwide to run a mile as part of a 100x1 Virtual Relay.
I'd been thinking of when and where I'd run my mile. I even thought of it on my way to the high tea at the Scripps Ranch Library, where I was running late due to the aforementioned 16-miler through La Jolla. The parking lot was packed, so I had to drive to an auxiliary lot. It too was full, requiring me to join a long, long line of cars parked on the street. With my skirt, high heels, sore feet and stiff quads, I ran up the hill and over a pathway that connected the street to the library. I made a similar dash back to the car to avoid the crush of cars leaving all at once.
Driving home, I wondered: How long did I run in those high heels? Because I was pressed for time both ways, I'd checked my watch and clocked in at around 6:30 each way. That's 13 minutes total running time, give or take. Then I just now pulled up gmaps and traced the route. A mile exactly! Can I credit it as my mile in the relay, given the special circumstances? Maybe, if organizers are in a charitable mood.
I decided to go one better today and in addition I attended the 6th annual High Tea Spring Fling hosted by the Hidden Valley House Auxiliary. The house is a safe home in need of renovations. A neighbor couldn't attend and offered me her ticket. It was weird to get gussied up just after arriving home all drenched in sweat from a 2-1/2-hour seaside run. I was outbid during the silent auction, but gladly gave a substantial monetary donation anyway. And I met some wonderful women while having tea and finger foods and listening to various speakers.
Run/Walk a Mile in My Shoes
That brings me to the second challenge. This month Karen has invited running bloggers worldwide to run a mile as part of a 100x1 Virtual Relay.
I'd been thinking of when and where I'd run my mile. I even thought of it on my way to the high tea at the Scripps Ranch Library, where I was running late due to the aforementioned 16-miler through La Jolla. The parking lot was packed, so I had to drive to an auxiliary lot. It too was full, requiring me to join a long, long line of cars parked on the street. With my skirt, high heels, sore feet and stiff quads, I ran up the hill and over a pathway that connected the street to the library. I made a similar dash back to the car to avoid the crush of cars leaving all at once.
Driving home, I wondered: How long did I run in those high heels? Because I was pressed for time both ways, I'd checked my watch and clocked in at around 6:30 each way. That's 13 minutes total running time, give or take. Then I just now pulled up gmaps and traced the route. A mile exactly! Can I credit it as my mile in the relay, given the special circumstances? Maybe, if organizers are in a charitable mood.
