Week 3

The run is coming along...even through a Palo Alto business trip. I can't wait for 60 degree weather!!!

I finished the week with a great 8+ miler in the foothills with my buddy Eric and his running group today. It was a blast and I met some really nice folks. They are some serious runners with one fella, Steve, running the Coastal challenge 130 mile race next week in Costa Rica. Go Steve!!!

I need to get the camera out this week for runs in San Diego and Houston. Until then I'll just keep posting random pics. I've updated the map and I am in Wendell almost to Twin Falls with three more weeks before I hit the Utah border.

One of my favorite pics. Ben and I did a 5k last year and I was dying trying to keep up with skinny legs.:)

Week 2

So far so good. The weather has been a little dicey but not enough to keep me from getting out although I had to resort to the dreaded treadmill a couple of times due to the ice.

I've had a great response to the run and I am very thanksful for all of those who are sponsoring me and my running partners for helping me get out there every day.

The running program at the school is coming along and I'll have more information on that shortly. Below is a picture of Molly working at the school. I love the "History Teacher" t-shirt. She is amazing!

As you can see from the map, I made it to Smith's Ferry as of today and I should get to Twin Falls in the next week and a half. I'll update this every weekend and give you a status report.

The Start

Hello friends and family and whoever else ends up here. It's that time of year again and everyone is making their New Year's resolutions. I've never really had a New Year's resolution and apparently they rarely amount to much but this past year has provided lots of opportunities to reflect. Maybe it's making a new home with Peggy and the kids or the scare of turning 40 this March or seeing my poised and courageous friend, Pam Parker, fight a battle with cancer. Whatever the reason...this is my wacky idea.

The Goal - Run the distance(not the actual route) from my house in Boise to Lindblom Math and Science Academy in Chicago(1,961 miles) in 2008. The shortest route is shorter but I decided to pass through Casper, WY, Inwood, IA and Sioux City, IA along the way. That translates to 5.38 miles each and every day this year. This might sound like a whole lot to some people or not that much to my running friends but I can tell you that doing it every day will be a challenge. If I only run 5 days a week it means running 7.5 miles on each of those runs and then there is the buffer I need to build in case of illness or injury. I ran 27.64 miles over the first 5 days and I think the short days and cold, wet weather are going to be the biggest challenge to getting out there each day.

Your Pledge - I'm asking you to pledge $.025, $.05 or $.10 per mile for very mile if I don't make it to Chicago and double per mile if I do make it all the way. Your maximum exposure is $100. $200 or $400 depending on which option you choose and with HP matching for employees we can do a lot more with that in terms of providing incoming students with calculators and providing classrooms with cameras and printers. Lindblom is a magnet school on the South side of Chicago that gives kids a chance to escape poverty and crime and prepares them for college and beyond. I'm passionate about it because of my sister's passion for the kids she teaches there and the joy the students and staff bring to her life. I'll post more about the school and pictures during the year. The donations will be made directly to the school so it is tax deductible. The money we raise will make a visible difference at the school. The URL for the school is: http://lmsa.cps.k12.il.us/

Running Partners - I'd appreciate help and encouragement from my running partners both past and present. There will be lots of 5-7 mile runs this year and it would be great to catch up with you along the way. We won't be breaking any speed records this year on these runs.

Students - Molly and I are working with the Principal and Physical Education department to get a running program started at the school as part of this as well. I'll have more information on that as we go through the year.

This is my first attempt at a blog so please be patient while I perfect this over the next few months. I'll be including pics as well as this map charting my progress weekly.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=110554127591877232771.000442ac2b781920c6982&ll=43.253205,-115.653076&spn=1.116199,2.427979&z=8&om=0

Please email me at mtmyers68@yahoo.com with your pledge.

Time for a run!!!