First, I'd like to say thank you to the first two individuals to donate to my fundraising efforts: Carrie Mayer and Kevin Devaney. Thank you both for your support and help.
When people hear about what I am doing in February, they all have the same question (following the main one about the level of my sanity): how do you train for such an event? Training for a marathon is difficult, and any ultramarathon is no small feat, regardless if it is a 50k (31.2 miles), 50 miles or beyond. The main problem is that you cannot train in the same way you would do for races of marathon length or shorter. What I mean by that is that you cannot run in ever-increasing intervals up until the week of the actual competition. More importantly, running any more than about 50-60 miles at once before the race is pretty counterproductive. The amount of rest needed to recover from such a training run would prevent a runner from getting in other training runs.
With that in mind, the training I'm looking to do is a greater number of mid-distance runs, rather than a handful super long-distance runs. I will be doing at least one 20+ mile run a week, but most likely two. More importantly, I will be doing two-a-days several times a week. This means doing somewhere between 5-10 in the morning, and doing the same at night. I have already done three 50-mile marathons, but they have all ended in the afternoon. I know that once night begins to fall, that's where I'm really going to have to learn to run effectively. To this end, I will also be training while wearing a headlamp to get used keeping footing and stride in the dark, which instinctively shortens when you can't see as much.
As for actual plans and mileage, I am much more flexible than one would expect. I don't usually keep a training log, or come up with a training plan. I usually plan only a couple of days out, and run based on how I feel. With the blog going now, I will be trying to post my weekly training record every Sunday evening.
On a final note, the Army 10-miler is this weekend. I am less than a month from the Ranger Challenge Competition - Marine Corps Marathon weekend of fun. Once those two events are done, I will be able to do a lot more running than I have time for now. I'm very excited to continue to get more and more involved in this.
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30 September 2008
23 September 2008
And So It Begins....
Yesterday, I signed up for the 2009 LOST 118-Mile Endurance Run at Lake Okeechobee, Florida. I have been running for about a decade now, and I'm looking for my next challenge. I have done the marathons, the ultras, the tri's, so I knew that the one of the only things left for me was to go to the triple-digits. I will be commissioning into the Army in May 2009, and don't know what I'll be doing once that happens. So, the stars seemed to be aligned for me to do this now.
Simultaneously, I have always wanted to raise money and awareness for charities in my races. I have wanted people to use my ability to run to help others. I did this in 2006 when I raised more than $2,000 for The Jimmy Fund while I did the Lake Placid Ironman Triathlon. I'm not a doctor, so I can't cure illness, and the billions of dollars I will eventually make are not here yet, so I can't build a hospital all by myself. But I figure that any money I can raise will be money that might not have been given otherwise.
Last December, the Washington Post published an article citing a new study by the American Institute of Philanthropy, which rated various Veteran's charities for their efficient use of donations and how much actually goes to the veterans themselves (Read the report here).
AIP's report gave the Fisher House Foundation an "A+" for its ability to turn over donations straight to the actual charity itself, while minimizing the use of funds for administrative expenses. Overall, for every dollar donated, 97.5 cents goes directly to the construction of new centers, with only 2.5 cents going to "overhead costs."
I chose the Fisher House Foundation not only because of how efficient they are, but also because of what they do. The Fisher House Foundation builds "comfort homes" at military compounds and near major VA medical centers. These homes are for military families and members whose loved ones are hospitalized for surgery, illness, or other medical procedures. This is especially necessary in times of military involvement and economic turmoil that exist today. Families should have concern for their loved one's health, not where they will stay at night, or whether or not they can afford it for an extended period of time.
The Fisher House Foundation's sister charity, the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, was also one of the few charities given an "A+" by AIP. Initially, from 2000-2005 IFHF provided direct benefits to the family members of fallen US Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, and Marines who made the ultimate sacrifice overseas. They provided a large financial benefit to the spouse, children, and parents in an effort to provide some economic relief to them up until a 2005 law improved the financial benefits and allowed IFHF to refocus its energies.
Since 2005, IFHF and the Fisher House have worked together, most recently completing the "Center for the Intrepid" near Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas in 2007. The $40 million "world class, state-of-the-art center" serves veterans who have been disabled in operations and performance of duty (view the center here). Future donations will help to continue to construct and improve centers like these around the country for our nation's heroes.
I have set a $5,000 goal for raising funds to be split between the two charities. If I hit this mark, however, I am going to consistently 'raise the bar' to try to gain more and more. Please visit my other website, http://www.active.com/donate/teamfisherhouse/BrandonCariusIsLOST, to donate, and feel free to e-mail me with any questions about my sanity.
Simultaneously, I have always wanted to raise money and awareness for charities in my races. I have wanted people to use my ability to run to help others. I did this in 2006 when I raised more than $2,000 for The Jimmy Fund while I did the Lake Placid Ironman Triathlon. I'm not a doctor, so I can't cure illness, and the billions of dollars I will eventually make are not here yet, so I can't build a hospital all by myself. But I figure that any money I can raise will be money that might not have been given otherwise.
Last December, the Washington Post published an article citing a new study by the American Institute of Philanthropy, which rated various Veteran's charities for their efficient use of donations and how much actually goes to the veterans themselves (Read the report here).
AIP's report gave the Fisher House Foundation an "A+" for its ability to turn over donations straight to the actual charity itself, while minimizing the use of funds for administrative expenses. Overall, for every dollar donated, 97.5 cents goes directly to the construction of new centers, with only 2.5 cents going to "overhead costs."
I chose the Fisher House Foundation not only because of how efficient they are, but also because of what they do. The Fisher House Foundation builds "comfort homes" at military compounds and near major VA medical centers. These homes are for military families and members whose loved ones are hospitalized for surgery, illness, or other medical procedures. This is especially necessary in times of military involvement and economic turmoil that exist today. Families should have concern for their loved one's health, not where they will stay at night, or whether or not they can afford it for an extended period of time.
The Fisher House Foundation's sister charity, the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, was also one of the few charities given an "A+" by AIP. Initially, from 2000-2005 IFHF provided direct benefits to the family members of fallen US Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, and Marines who made the ultimate sacrifice overseas. They provided a large financial benefit to the spouse, children, and parents in an effort to provide some economic relief to them up until a 2005 law improved the financial benefits and allowed IFHF to refocus its energies.
Since 2005, IFHF and the Fisher House have worked together, most recently completing the "Center for the Intrepid" near Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas in 2007. The $40 million "world class, state-of-the-art center" serves veterans who have been disabled in operations and performance of duty (view the center here). Future donations will help to continue to construct and improve centers like these around the country for our nation's heroes.
I have set a $5,000 goal for raising funds to be split between the two charities. If I hit this mark, however, I am going to consistently 'raise the bar' to try to gain more and more. Please visit my other website, http://www.active.com/donate/teamfisherhouse/BrandonCariusIsLOST, to donate, and feel free to e-mail me with any questions about my sanity.
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