Viva Las Vegas

I kicked off my fund raising campaign this week and am amazed at the support I've received. In five short days my and Melissa's people contributed $2,000 -- 80% of my initial goal. Amazing! I will be increasing my goal soon -- after I give it some thought.

In addition to the cash coming in, I've also been moved by the kind words of love and support and the stories some have shared. I learned that someone was touched by one of his students who has Crohn's, another person told me of her cousin's battle with the disease. I learned a friend was diagnosed with Crohn's ten years ago. I thank each of these people for sharing with me. I'll be thinking about them, too, as I train and run.

I also heard from a friend who has run the race in Las Vegas before. I'm getting excited thinking about it. The first time I saw Las Vegas was with Melissa in 1999. It was on our first cross-country trip -- two weeks after we started dating. We could see the lights of the strip from miles away as we descended from the heights of Hoover Dam. This was at the end of a day that began in Alamosa, Colorado at 3:00 am and ended 900 miles, 21 hours, 8 points of interest, and five states later.

Melissa and I were perfectly suited for driving trips. I like to drive in the daylight and Melissa liked to drive at night. Consequently, we were able to drive practically non-stop for an entire day. Along the way, We stopped at Durango, Mesa Verde, Four Corners, and the Grand Canyon. We also drove through the painted desert and monument valley and drove over Hoover Dam. Now we were looking down at Las Vegas. To punctuate this very busy travel day I could think of nothing other than to play "Viva Las Vegas" over and over again as Melissa drove closer and closer to the bright lights in the desert.

Even the most perfectly suited driving partners have their limits. Melissa reached hers about the fourth time I hit repeat on the disc player. She needed my help finding a gas station with a bathroom and then a hotel for the night. I couldn't very well help her when I was belting out my best Elvis. Even though Ms. Cranky Pants showed her face this night, time was good to this memory. We always smiled retelling it. And I'll be thinking about it when the gun goes off December 4th.

Now, my training week. It was a good one. I stayed in the neighborhood.

Monday, September 5th
run-walk pattern in minutes:
5-1-5-1-5-1
5-1-5-1-4-2
total distance: 3.2 miles

Wednesday, September 7th
run-walk pattern in minutes:
6-1-6-1
6-1-6-1-5:40-1:20
total distance: 3.2 miles

Friday, September 9th
run-walk pattern in minutes:
6-1-6-1-6-3
total distance: 2.1 miles

I'm feeling pretty good. My right leg is still sore/stiff, but mostly when I sit for a long time. The road feels good, Whenever I feel myself pounding the pavement too hard, I'm able to change my stride to land softer. Tomorrow I join Team Challenge for a run in Bethesda.