Introduction

I made the cut for the Western States 100 trail run on June 25th & 26^th. This ultra run starts at the base of Squaw Valley in Lake Tahoe, heads up and over the peaks of Squaw Valley, and ends in Auburn. This is my first 100 mile run and I have promised my wife it will be my last. I need to be finished within 30 hours and I suspect I will use most of that time to finish.

I am running for many reasons but one important reason is to raise money and awareness for the Jenna and Patrick Foundation. The Partington’s are neighbors and our kids attend the same school. We have become good friends and I am excited about the chance to help out this great cause.

My training has been ongoing since November of last year. I average roughly 55 miles per week but this level will increase to 80+ miles per week as my training ramps up in April and May. Through April and May I will be running at least a marathon almost every weekend. I am working with Mo Bartley who is a track coach at Placer High School and a multi finisher of the Western States 100 and other ultras. I have her to thank and curse for putting me on a training schedule to get me ready for June 25^th!

I thought it would be fun to give folks a chance to follow my training through this blog and check in my progress. The training has been tough to date with some “interesting” setbacks but I am making good progress to put myself in a position to finish to 100 adventure!

I created four levels of giving starting at $25 for folks to contribute to the Jenna and Patrick Foundation as well as offering advertising space on my running shirts which given how many miles I will be running will surely be seen by many.

I have set a goal of raising $10,000 and I am asking folks to chip in a little something that will go a long way to find a cure for cystinosis. 100% of the funds raised by the Foundation go directly to medical research.

Levels of Giving

I came up with these levels of giving based on comments I have heard from people once I tell them about running 100 miles.

$25 - $50 – Run 100 miles…I don’t even like to drive 100 miles!

$50 - $100 – You really don’t seem to have a runner’s body (my wife’s personal favorite).

$100 - $500 – 30 hours of continual running…when do you sleep?

$500 and Above – No comment…just blank stares…truly speechless.

* For those who contribute $500 or more you will have your name or business added to Tim’s shirt that he will train in and wear for the race.

The last level of giving question is easy. We all have a chance to help find a cure for cystinosis. I understand there are many good causes and you have many charities asking for help. I hope you are able to contribute any amount that will help Jenna and Patrick get closer to having a cure.

For more information or to make a donation,
please visit http://www.jennaandpatrick.org