Take peek at these previous Pay It 4-ward posts if you are befuddled about what's going on here!
Three more Team Members (miles 9 - 11) have signed on for the Pay It 40-ward challenge. Huge thanks to them, as well as my All Star First Round Draft Picks (miles 1 - 8) whom I posted last time. And, no offense, fellas, but the only Y-Chromosome who's signed up here is my father, who basically had no choice because my mom signed him up. Get on board, men!
- Kathleen - Ctr. Harbor, NH
- Kerry - VT
- Megan - Rochester, NH
- Bethany - Philadelphia, PA
- Hope - Candor, NY
- Richard - Candor, NY
- Sandra - Milford, NH
- Catherine - Kenosha, WI
- Anne - Sandwich, NH
- Mandy - Wolfeboro, NH
- Mandy - Barnstead, NH
Now, on with the Q&A:
It's almost assuredly a good thing that you do not live in my head. But because you aren't there (here?) my experience tells me that I have not made all the ins and outs of Pay It 40-ward clear. So, here is a short list of Questions & Answers about this project. Two of these I am addressing to answer specific questions that some Team Members have asked. Keep the questions coming, Team, I want to be clear... or at least as clear as possible when you have my short attention -SQUIRREL!
Why the heck would anyone want to do this?
If you are me, you want to do this because you enjoy making unique challenges for yourself, you love running, and you feel better about making unique challenges for your running self if they are not completely self-centered.
If you are you, you want to do this because you can be part of spreading a little joy in the world. And also, you can make me run another mile on my journey. You've always wanted to make me run, haven't you?
Where will the run take place?
I don't know yet. Somewhere close to my home in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire for sure. While I would love to run in some glorious, exotic venue, the point of this project is for me to spend money and energy on OTHERS, not on me. I also don't know if I will be doing a point-to-point, out-and-back, laps or some combination of those. There are advantages and disadvantages to each of these which I will discuss in future blog posts. Stay tuned!
Why just $5?
The $5 part of this is mostly for me. If I get 40 participants, that means I will give away $200. (Who says Journalism majors can't do math?) My family is pretty typical, I think, financially speaking. We work hard but are keenly aware that in many ways some of our good fortune stems not from our benevolent awesomeness (nor from our keen sense of irony) but simply from dumb luck. While this $200 will by no means break our budget, it will require small sacrifices over the coming months. ("Bye bye iced mocha lattes!") And for me, that's the point of the $5.
But if it's only $5, why bother?
I truly believe that this 'pocket change' when thoughtfully given, can make someone's day. And when that person's day is made better, they will likely Pay It 40-ward in their own way. There won't be any way to track how this ripples into our communities, but I think $5 is enough to get the wave going. And who doesn't like The Wave?
*** THIS WAS A QUESTION ONE OF THE TEAM MEMBERS HAD***
Can I spend more than the $5 you send me?
YES! Team members who are keen to make a grander statement with their Pay It 40-ward activity are certainly welcome to do that. You are independent individuals, so don't let me stifle you if you are itchin' to invest more funds into this project.
*** THIS WAS A QUESTION ONE OF THE TEAM MEMBERS HAD**
Are each of us joining forces and giving our money to a specific cause?
Nope. It's your call where you want your funds to go. If you wish to coordinate with another Team member who you happen to know in real life, that's great. But otherwise, you can Pay It 40-ward in whatever way you choose.
I need ideas of what to do to Pay It 40-ward! Help!
In future posts, I will offer suggestions about what you might want to do to Pay It 40-ward. I will also share ideas from other Team members. Since the official start of the Pay It 40-ward giving isn't until early 2014, I'm not going to panic about what exactly people are going to do with the money. I'm thinking you shouldn't panic either.
Who are you running with?
YOU, hopefully! So far I have a few commitments from running friends. I really have no idea who will be up for doing the run with me. I don't expect that anyone will be interested to running the whole (presumably) 40 miles with me, but I would love some company along the way. As long as you promise to be positive and run SLLLLOOOOW, you are welcome to join me!
Oh yeah, Lauren, My Best Running Friend, has agreed to join me only if there will be beer and cake at the end. So, yes, there will be beer and cake at the end!
What kind of training are you doing for this event?
Training will be long and slow. (And injury free, I hope!) Since the longest I've ever gone is 26.2 miles, I called on my good friend Coach Google for ideas. A search brought up a few options and I have modified a 50-mile training plan. Check it out! I'll be writing posts weekly(-ish) to update how my body and mind are handling the challenge.
Other questions? Want to sign up to Pay It 40-ward? Shoot me an email: pheebzmail@roadrunner.com
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| And, just for giggles, here's the happy 7-year-old who was waiting for me when I got back from my 4-miler at 6:00 this morning. "Hi, Mom. You're awesome!" (I've trained him well on how to greet me after a run!) |
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