(Spoiler alert: my penance will hopefully be of a benefit to raising funds for the March for Babies)
Forgive me readers for I’ve been lazy. Its been weeks since I’ve completed a full week’s planned workouts. Unfortunately in some cases getting in one of my workouts has been an accomplishment.
Unfortunately up till this point of my new fitness journey I’ve set a number of unrealistic expectations on myself. Up till this point I’ve treated my fitness goals as a kind of “bolt on accessory” to the rest of my life (an afterthought). As with many afterthoughts it’s that thing you do last if you get to it at all. It’s liking trying to put out a fire using a bucket with a hole in it. As I feel I’ve already set up too convoluted of a metaphor, I’ll leave it at that.Today looking at my calendar I came to the startling realization that I’m less than two weeks from my first 5K of the season (Corktown Race) and just over four weeks from my first 10K period (The Martian Meteor 10K). Lets just say that I’m not that convinced that I’m not going to embarrass the heck out of myself at the very least. That being said why can’t my personal pride serve as a sacrifice towards raising money for the March for Babies. It is for this reason that I propose the following:
Dress up Mike (4Dollars(4Babies))
OK… I lacks a certain sense of poetry, but bear with me.
The Martian Meteor 10K (and the Martian Invasion of Races in general) is a somewhat costume oriented race. Participating with me will be all manner of Greys, Klingons and maybe a Wookiee or two. I am calling on you to nominate costume “concepts” between now and 11:59 PM, Friday March 18th EST via a comment to this post.
In order to ensure a few key criteria, I am drafting into service what I will refer to as “3 tough mothers” to make sure that what they determine to be the top 10 nominated costume concepts don’t:
- make it prohibitively difficult to participate in a 10K
- prove to be out of line with the mission and/or image of the March of Dimes
- just seem utterly ridiculous
The 3 tough mothers will consist of:
- My wife (John’s mother)
- My mother
- My mother-in-law
Upon their approval I will make the finalists (10 maximum) available for you vote starting 11:59 PM, Sunday March 20th EST (the voting period will end at 11:59 PM, Sunday March 27th EST). This is where the fun comes in. Now as this kind of vote doesn’t necessarily need to be democratic, I’m going to introduce a certain level of pay-to-play. Every vote will of course count as a vote, but every vote cast by a person who donates (to my March for Babies effort) within the period beginning with the time this post goes live till the end of the voting period will get an additional vote for every $5 they donate during that same period. My embarrassment could help ensure that all babies will sometimes be born healthy so you get voting/donating and I’ll get back to training.