We are up and Running ;-)

Sorry for taking so long to get my blog up and going folks! I kept telling myself that "as soon as I get done, I will start writing my blog." Well now that I'm starting to get people to follow my tweets and follow my blog, and now that I have started my fundraising campaign, I figured I had better get on the stick.

My web site is well under way... I don't feel like it is yet as effective as it could be, so I'm all ears if any of you have suggestions.

I have my first confirmed and scheduled running buddy on my "Ultra Challenge" thanks to my good friend Pete Allen, with a few others expressing intent.

I have a few troops and packs who have expressed interest in meeting me one night on my "Ultra" to bring the supplies for the next day.

I have sponsors starting to trickle in... this is going to be a tough year to raise money though and I almost considered bagging the whole R4OPL concept as a result of the economy... but I've personally taken a considerable hit in salary, bonus and benefits this year yet Jan and I are still donating as we have in the past so I am relying on my faith in my brothers and sisters to pull through here and once again help some very good causes in LiveStrong and Habitat while also encouraging a lot of people fighting some really tough demons to keep up the fight and not give in.

So I am on my way but scared at the same time. I was HUGELY intimidated when I arrived in Colorado Springs last year and saw Pike's Peak after a 30 year hiatus and wasn't sure if I could finish the race before the cutoff but I knew I could climb it in a day. This year, I have strong doubts about my ability to do 145 miles in 7 days period. That's why it took me so long to send out my first solicitations... I kept thinking "but what if i can't do it?" Two things changed recently: 1) I realized that, just like parents having a baby, if you wait until you "KNOW" you are ready, you'll never start so you might as just commit yourself and figure things out along the way 2) A friend of mine, who has doubts himself about running a single day with me, committed to a day and I thought "If Pete has faith that I'll still be alive by day 3, then it's time for me to suck it up and get moving!"

I am disappointed that my company's conference is not going to be in Las Vegas again this year because I enjoyed going out a day early and running up a 10,000+ foot mountain out there, and through the desert in 98 degree weather, and through LV itself in 108 degree weather as training. In 2 weeks I will be in Orlando instead... flat as a panacke and all concrete roadsides which are horrible for runners' legs and joints. Hey! Maybe I can run up Space Mountain which is the highest mtn in FL ;-)