Tough Mudder Virginia is only a little over a month away. There are 25 obstacles, so I will tackle practicing them one at a time. The first one is the Braveheart Challenge—a run into the course with battle cries. In order to complete this task, you must be fast and you must have heart—sprint and spirit.
Yesterday, I ran a 5K in Golden Gate Park for a great cause. The run was to benefit the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation, and it’s advisory board, Jill’s Legacy. Jill’s Legacy was formed after Jill Costello, a 22 year old student at Cal Berkeley lost her battle with lung cancer. Now, I always had this preconceived notion that the only people who got lung cancer were smokers. At my old law firm, we represented lung cancer patients in asbestos and toxic pollutant law suits. But never have I heard that lung cancer affects so many young people, with no known exposure to such things. The survival rate for lung cancer is 15.5%. You get better odds in Vegas.
Looking at all the survivors and their families at the race, and running in memory of Jill and her mission to raise money for this disease that would ultimately kill her, was both heart-breaking and inspirational. And so we ran. I don’t like running over three miles at a time. I don’t like running in such heat that it feels like sweat is coming off of me at an alarming rate. I don’t like the way my sunglasses kept sliding down my nose. And I don’t like running as I’m recovering from a cold and can’t take proper breaths. But then I think about what I’m complaining about and I’m ashamed. Toughing it out for Jill and all others affected, today and keeping her in my memory through my entire Tough Mudder challenge.
Chicks Like Sports Too 