OW!

Ow! Ow!

Ow! Ow! Ow!

People who have not run since high school should be very careful when they take it up again. Especially if that last high school run was in 1977. Last night I ran 4 miles and I think I am now crippled. Or maybe just really really sore. But it was for a good cause, and I will be doing it again and again until June 30. After which I may really be crippled.

Here's the deal. There's a non-profit in town called St. Andrew Legal Clinic. It provides legal services (family law) to those people who can't afford to hire an attorney at market rate, yet who are not poor enough to qualify for Legal Aid (you'd be surprised by how poor one has to be before he or she qualifies for Legal Aid). On June 30, St. Andrew is holding its annual "Race for Justice," a 5K run. And I am going to run it. And I want people to give me money (well, really, they would be giving the money to St. Andrew) to do it. So between now and then I will be torturing - I mean training - my feet and legs to do something other than pedal a bike.

See, I used to go on all these charity bike rides - you know, Reach the Beach, the MS 150, those kind of things. I'd send out the e-mail: "Dear friends and family, on [insert date] I will challenge myself by riding [insert large number of miles] for [insert worthy cause]." The problem is that my friends and family quickly figured out that (1) I wasn't really "challenged" by the ride, and (2) I would do it whether they sponsored me or not. So what's a girl to do when there's a worthy cause that she really wants to support and get others to support with her? She runs.

You have to understand. I HATE running. I hated it in high school, and I hate it now. Hannibal Lecter could be chasing me with a big knife, a plate of fava beans, and a nice bottle of Chianti, and still I wouldn't run. That's how much I hate it. But as much as I hate running, I love justice. And I love people who are willing to work very hard for very little pay to ensure that justice is done. The people at St. Andrew are just those kind of people.

So I will continue to train, and injure - I mean CHALLENGE - myself for this worthy cause. You can help. You can sponsor me. Just send your checks to St. Andrew Legal Clinic, Race for Justice, 807 NE Alberta, Portland, Oregon 97211. It's tax-deductible.

Tell 'em Cecil sent you. You'll be glad you did. My aching shins, quads, and calves will be glad you did.