10/06/2021
"You Get To Do This..."
Those are the words that I've been saying in my head since I found out I'd be running the 125th Boston Marathon.
"You get to do this."
This is not something that I have to do, it's something that I get to do. Not everyone gets to run the Boston Marathon (and this will be my second, how lucky am I?). There are people who can't because their minds tell them that they are not capable, or people who can't because their bodies will not allow them to -- I am burdened with neither of those problems, "you get to do this...." because you can, and you will. I keep saying it, over and over again in my head. It has become my mantra.
I'm not focused on the less then ideal training block heading into Monday, or any of the other myriad of problems that face me when I head out of Hopkinton to retrieve my car in Boston on Monday. I am focused on one thought, and one thought alone.
"You get to do this."
I also get to do it as part of the The Greg Hill Foundation marathon team, which I am immensely proud of. The Greg Hill Foundation’s mission is to respond to immediate requests for assistance, to improve the lives of local families touched by tragedy, through matching the charitable donation of Greg’s media audience.
Recently, the Greg Hill Foundation raised over $65,000 for Jake Thibeault, a Fitchburg, Massachusetts native who suffered a severe spinal cord injury while playing hockey. They also raised over $25,000 for the families of the drowning victims in Worcester at Green Hill Pond.
It's my way of doing something great (the charity) while doing something foolish (the running). I hope that you'll consider joining my fundraising effort by donating here:
https://runsignup.com/jroche/Donate