In the spirit of volunteering more (preferably our time and not our money) Dave and I are both agreed to participate in one volunteer or service activity of the others choosing.
Dave chose a Water Walk which is an awareness event coordinated by the organization that his brother directs. I'll write more about that in the near future.
I decided to go with the Pittsburgh Marathon.
Why? Well, for starters, I'm trying to get back into running, and being around other runners is a great way to become more motivated to run. I'm pretty sure that after this experience I'm going to want to sign up for something way beyond my ability level - I'll try to hold back though.
Another reason that I chose this event is because I love - LOVE - being part of something big. Something much larger than myself, where I am a tiny piece of the puzzle but uniquely able to see the entire finished product. I love big events where hometown spirit is strong and pride is oozing out of everyone's pores. Even though I am incredibly introverted when it comes to meeting new people, I am uniquely intrigued to be in places where lots of other people are - it's like people watching, only a little more involved. When I'm around other people - even if I'm not interacting with them directly - it makes me feel more connected to others. It's one of the main reasons that I like going out to eat so much - even though I'm not talking or eating with the other people in the restaurant, I don't feel lonely as long as there are others nearby.
So, if you're not doing anything on May 2nd, I strongly encourage you all to join Dave and I at mile 5.9 of the Pittsburgh marathon (in the North Side.) All you need to do is register here, show up, and you'll get a free T-shirt. We have a couple of friends who will be running the half marathon and fortunately mile 5.9 is part of the half, so we'll get to see them and cheer them (and perhaps convince them to partake in some of the tasty water or Gatorade that we'll have to offer...) Another reason that we chose to do one of the earlier water stops is because it's close to the start and finish line, and after our shift ends at 10 a.m., we plan to walk into downtown to cheer people on at the finish line and hopefully attend the party that they hold for volunteers after the race!
If you're thinking of signing up with us, just do it! You can hang out with great people (Dave and I! and probably some others....) and be a part of a great Pittsburgh tradition! If you have any questions or you want to join us, feel free to e-mail me! We hope to see you there!
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