Ouch.

I woke up at 6am this morning.  In case you are reading this in the future, let me specify that it is Saturday, and except for house fires and tornados there are very few acceptable reasons to wake up that early on a weekend.  I did it so I could run a half-marathon, 13.1 miles.  This is not an acceptable reason, and it is evidence of the fact that I am slightly crazy.  Like we need more of that.

I am not, however, clinically-certified batshit-crazy.  That classification is reserved for the silly people I saw today running the half-marathon barefoot.  And I'm not talking about those shoes with toes that supposedly give a "run natural" feel.  I mean totally barefoot over city streets.  There were two such lunatics today, and I would like to thank them for making me feel sane.

Many people held signs and cheered for the runners.  I cheered for the cheering people, because they need love too.  Plus they did a great job, I felt highly motivated and deeply loved even though I am not "Mom."  Man, she has a lot of kids rooting for her.

One man held a sign that said "Run Like You Stole Something" so I grabbed it from him and took off.  He should have seen that coming.*

About eight miles in I passed a young kid.  I asked his age, he said twelve.  Way cool.  It's good to be crazy when you're young and it's better justified.

I finished in 2:02:35, according to my Garmin, which also says I ran 13.24 miles.  I was trying to get under two hours, but I'm satisfied.  I beat my 2009 time of 2 hours 10 minutes, so it's all good.

They had lots of food and beverages in "recovery row."  Sports drinks, and for those who wanted something lighter water.  And for those who wanted something lighter, Mich Ultra.

The real reason I ran this year, though, is to support a college friend whose son has a rare and dibilitating form of muscular dystrophy called Ullrich Muscular Dystrophy (“UCMD” or collagen 6 deficiency). This is a terrible progressive muscle wasting disease for which there is no cure. Gabe does not have the muscle strength to run, jump, or climb a flight of stairs. Individuals who suffer from UCMD also develop contractures, complications with feeding, and respiratory problems. Congenital Muscular Dystrophies do not receive much attention in the way of research grants or funds.  Fortunately a group of parents of children afflicted with congenital muscular dystrophies stared CURE CMD a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization in dedicated to raising funds to for research.

I have a 10-year-old son, and also a 7-year-old son, and I am thankful for their health.  Dedicating time to training for this run and helping to raise awareness and funds to help find treatments and, hopefully, a cure for CMD is the very least I can do in appreciation for my own sons' health and to show Ted and Gabe that they are not alone in this difficult battle.  This lessens, but does not resolve, my insanity for partaking in this event.

If you would like to make a donation, you can do so at: http://curecmd.org/events/ccmarathon2012

You can pick my name (NOTE: "Rick") from the list.  Please also select "Collagen VI Research Fund."  Donations can be made anonymously. 

*No, I didn't really steal that sign, but I should have.