Yes!!

Goal Achieved!

I have reached and surpassed my $500 goal and am at $576 raised for PAWS Chicago! Huge thanks to Don, Shaun, and Nicole for the donations that put me past the mark!

I am starting to hit some serious weekly milage in training. My long runs are up to 20mi. and in August, there's no escape from the heat. I toss on that PAWS singlet and hit the Mile High City though and your support is quite a motivator!

I'm hoping a few of you are still interested in donating though. 100% of your donations go to help this no-kill shelter and quite literally you dollars are saving lives. "Since PAWS Chicago’s founding, the number of homeless pets killed annually in Chicago has fallen nearly 70% — from more than 42,000 pets killed in 1997 to less than 14,000 in 2013.  By continuing these efforts, Chicago should be a No Kill community in the next five years."

If you can spare a few bucks to help this organization out, it is certainly appreciated! Spreading the word is also incredibly helpful.

My Team PAWS fundraising page:
http://paws.convio.net/site/TR/TeamPAWS/TeamPAWS?px=1205692&pg=personal&fr_id=1040

Dog of the week pictured: Pic!
http://www.pawschicago.org/pic_/

PAWS Chicago website:
www.pawschicago.org
#nokillshelter #TeamPAWS #TroysRunning4PAWS

Team PAWS Update

Only 1 for $20 to goal!

I am quite excited to report I am within $20 of hitting my goal of $500 for PAWS Chicago! For those of you who don't know, I will be running the Chicago Marathon in October on behalf of PAWS Chicago. This is a no-kill shelter that has drastically reduced the euthanized strays in the Windy City and have created a working demonstration how the is possible elsewhere! They also happen to be the first organization I ever ran a race for and am tickled to run my 10th marathon for them!

These are some great people doing wonderful work. Hit the link below to learn more as a status update is not enough room to say it all. I appreciate your support, be it donations or helping spread the word! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

My Team PAWS fundraising page:
http://paws.convio.net/site/TR/TeamPAWS/TeamPAWS?px=1205692&pg=personal&fr_id=1040

Cat of the week pictured: Costa!
http://www.pawschicago.org/costa_/

PAWS Chicago website:
www.pawschicago.org
#nokillshelter #TeamPAWS #TroysRunning4PAWS

5 for $20! Yay!!

Just 5 for $20 to hit goal!!

I'm at $416 so far! The support you all have shown is remarkable! My milage is getting up there as is the temperature. I am so happy to be representing PAWS in the Chicago Marathon this fall. The dog you see on this post is Coffer. She is the Dog of the Week for PAWS and one of many faces your donations go 100% to help!

Donate if you are able, spread the word if you wish… trust when I say every bit helps! Thank you!

My Team PAWS fundraising page:
http://paws.convio.net/site/TR/TeamPAWS/TeamPAWS?px=1205692&pg=personal&fr_id=1040

Foster of the week pictured: Coffer!
http://www.pawschicago.org/coffer/

PAWS Chicago website:
www.pawschicago.org
#nokillshelter #TeamPAWS #TroysRunning4PAWS 

9 for $20

Still looking for 9 for $20...

My goal is to raise $500 for PAWS Chicago. This amazing no-kill shelter has transformed the way homeless cats and dogs are handled in not just Chicago, but across the country. When PAWS Chicago was founded in 1997, more than 800 homeless cats and dogs were being killed in Chicago every week, totaling a staggering 42,561 deaths that year alone. By 2010, that number had been lowered to 17,399! These folks are doing amazing work and I am truly glad to help out by running on their behalf.

Please donate if you can or just help me spread the word! Every little bit helps, trust me.

Thank you!

My Team PAWS fundraising page:
http://paws.convio.net/site/TR/TeamPAWS/TeamPAWS?px=1205692&pg=personal&fr_id=1040

Foster of the week pictured: Pots!
http://www.pawschicago.org/2140704pots/

PAWS Chicago website:
www.pawschicago.org
#nokillshelter #TeamPAWS #runningforPAWS #TroysRunning4PAWS

18 for $20!

I am down to 18 for $20! If you are able to donate, this no-kill shelter is truly a great organization! Even just helping me spread the word is helpful!

My Team PAWS fundraising page:
http://paws.convio.net/site/TR/TeamPAWS/TeamPAWS?px=1205692&pg=personal&fr_id=1040

PAWS Chicago website:
www.pawschicago.org
#TeamPAWS #nokillshelter #runningforPAWS

20 for $20

20 for $20 PAWS Campaign!

I am aiming to raise $500 for PAWS Chicago and will be running the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in October for them. What I am looking for are 20 people to donate $20 to reach my goal. PAWS Chicago is a no-kill shelter that has drastically changed the way homeless pets are taken care of and has become an model for several other cities to follow. Chicago was my home for several years and PAWS was the first organization I ran a race for. I am looking forward to trying to help them out again this year and run the streets of the Windy City for them. Help out if you are able and help me knock out my goal with $20!

My Team PAWS fundraising page:
http://paws.convio.net/site/TR/TeamPAWS/TeamPAWS?px=1205692&pg=personal&fr_id=1040

PAWS Chicago website:
www.pawschicago.org

Thrilled to rejoin Team PAWS

This fall I will be running the Bank of America Chicago Marathon for Team PAWS Chicago. This was the first marathon I ever ran and PAWS Chicago is the group I ran my very first race for! I am thrilled to get the chance to race for them again! If you are able to donate to this amazing, no-kill shelter it would be very appreciated! I will roll out more information on this great group as well as progress towards my $500 goal.

Troy's Running 4 PAWS fundraising:
http://paws.convio.net/site/TR/TeamPAWS/TeamPAWS?px=1205692&pg=personal&fr_id=1040

A Note to my PAWS Supporters

It took my head a little while to stop spinning after New York, but I sincerely wanted to thank each and every one of you that have frequented this page. Many of you have donated and offer words of support that meant the world to me! For my part, I raised a little over $1,600 for PAWS Chicago! Your support helped me wear proudly my PAWS singlet throughout the Mile High City and all five New York Boroughs!

From the bottom of my heart, I thank you!! As a guy used to running several hours alone and enjoys a little company on race day, you all became a part of the entire process and I can not believe how much I appreciated having you with me!

I know the biggest benefit though is that a few lost and abandoned cats and dogs will have the chance to get to a forever home thanks to the assistance you all helped provide.

I am humbled and grateful for all that you have done!

Still in a giving mood? I believe my link is still active for a little while longer.

26.2 Considering

When I think about my ambition in running this year, I am a bit shocked at what I pulled off. It's been a great year! PR in May and two marathons with Team PAWS including the epic New York City marathon last Sunday! Estes and Maggie Mayhem are glad to have home now! I am already tweaking future training to perform better. I'm thinking about how to resolve my old nemesis with shin pains after. I am ready to push harder and dig deeper. That all though is in the future. For now, I am going to heed the conventional wisdom of rest and give my legs and feet some time off. 

Some of the Reason I Ran Today

Humble Honor

I love that after 34 years I figured out I love to run. I am proud as hell of having completed 7 marathons since I started in 2009. This and my last one are the first marathons I have run for a charity. That is an awesome feeling and I do try not to use that word frivolously. It is a humbling endeavor knowing how many folks donated money for PAWS because I asked and said I'd do this. Here's to a fantastic run tomorrow!!

So far as I know, it's not too late to donate:
Click here for my page.

Call to PAWS!!

My deadline for fundraising is officially the Sunday before the marathon I am running. That is this Sunday. As I was sitting chatting with my wife last night, I was struck by a surprising realization. I am tired! I mean, I am tired in a way I am unfamiliar with. The mental addition of fund raising and asking for help this entire marathon training has left an added weight as I draw towards the end of that particular stretch. To date, I have pulled in $1,565 for PAWS Chicago and feel confident they will be able to do a ton of good for their rescued dogs and cats. Who knows, that amount might have made the difference in life or death for some family's now treasured pet? I know I can't do what they can, ergo I am glad to raise money for them.

I know this is the weary before getting pumped back up over the course of the next week. This is the part where I let myself just know, "damn, I am really tired!" I have run almost everyday this year, been in fund raising since early July, and produced my 2 fastest marathon times (3:50:20 & 4:02:19). I am proud of that.

So here is one of my final pleas: If you have a chance to hit my site and donate, it would mean a lot. I am grateful, but more importantly it goes 100% to PAWS to do some real good! I am happy to add a company logo to my gear in New York as well if a sizable donation is possible. For those that have given so much, I am truly grateful!! I'd bring you all a cup of coffee and a doughnut this morning if I could. As sentimental as it sounds, you are all with me every step of the way on the course and off!

Thank you all!

Troy's PAWS page.

Loud Marathon Talk from NYC

The big race in New York is approaching and there has been considerably more hype than most of the races I have had a chance to do. Obviously it is the largest, bigger this year than ever before due to last year's cancelation. It also seems having lost the New York City Marathon last year and the tragedy in Boston this year, there is a strong sentiment to make this one great. It is being broadcast on ESPN 2 for the first time in 20 years. I am excited to be a part of it! It's a thrill to be able to run it. It is an honor to run it for a charity I believe in so strongly, PAWS. It is also a great feeling to run it and demonstrate to the world that runners, in particular the marathoners, are a tough bunch to keep down. We have laced up in countless races since Boston, but never before on such a stage as this. I am glad to be a part of it and grateful for the chance.

Recovering and Refocusing

I am happy to report I am up and moving at relatively normal speed. The pains are subsiding and I am refocusing on the next race in front of me. It was a thrill to be the sole representative of Team PAWS in the Denver Rock n Roll Marathon on Sunday, but on Nov. 3rd I will be joined by 9 other members. My deadline for fundraising is rapidly approaching and while I have achieved my agreed upon total, I am putting it out there that anything helps. If you are feeling generous, please hit the link below and donate. Even $5 helps keep this amazing no-kill shelter open.

I am proud to be able to put on my Team PAWS singlet a week from Sunday in one of the greatest marathons in the world. The support I receive here, on Facebook, and everywhere else has been amazing. I will not let you all down.

Troy's Team PAWS page

Marathon of Errors

I ran my 7th marathon yesterday here in Denver and the first of a two week double header. It was a new approach for me to recognize I needed to run this marathon differently than I had before. Of the few resources that I could find on what to do when running 2 marathons in 2 weeks (beyond, "are you nuts?!?!") was that for the first one, run easy and treat it like a training run. Ergo, I dropped my hope for a new PR and tried to ease back to see the bigger picture. It was a little refreshing honestly, but hard one the day itself. Luckily, the universe managed enough set backs to keep me from ever getting too competitive on my 26.2mi "training" run.

Here are the set backs I had on the Denver Rock n Roll yesterday, for your viewing amusement:

1. The start line was ridiculously close to my home allowing a near humane wake up time. That was foiled with a simple mistake on my alarm. I woke up with enough time to get ready and out the door on time, but it was far from the leisurely pace I thought I was in for.  Just started off my day a little off balance.
2. It got cold here in Denver with starting line temp's near 40 degrees. When the sun came up it was immediately behind clouds. Then the wind picked up a little. It actually was colder by mile 25 than it was for mile 5. Running clothes are not meant to stop wind usually slow the chill factor got your attention. I'd rather run cold than hot though.
3. iPod fail. My higher tempo playlist failed to upload on my aging iPod. Music isn't all that important to me, but it was disappointing to be at the mercy of shuffle again. I know have a band and a song nemesis for running that my iPod loves and I do not while running. Again, not a big deal.
4. Hydration belt fail. My hydration belt is on its best day a nascence. On it's worst, it is like a hangnail that you can't stop hitting. Yesterday was the later. Additionally, I was wearing my runner bib lower due to my PAWS singlet and it kept snagging it, my shirt, and my drawstring on my shorts. I was quite happy to drop it with my family at our first rendevoux. 
5. My sportswatch took a dive. I wasn't using it so much to watch pace, but distance. I am pretty regimented on my refueling so as to not crash later and once it stopped tracking where I was on the course, I couldn't keep up so much as to when I should be popping gels till I hit markers. Again, not a terrible problem, but I needed to time them with water stations that were not always before markers. Slight annoyance.
6. Lastly, my ITB started talking. Any runner fears that chatter. It means bad things are coming if you don't ease up. It might also mean no running by injury if you don't take heed. I began peppering my running with walking the last 8 miles to avoid it getting more aggravated. That worked out well with the plan of "training" run, but remember how I said it was getting colder?

When all was said and done, I was certain I had just logged my slowest marathon ever. It was a jaw dropping shock to find out a actually hit my second fastest. It was fun for the most part, all the setbacks aside. My family was there and that makes any marathon an incredible experience.

By mid morning, I starting to move a little easier and am ready to do the unusual between marathon recovery. Thank you again to all those that have been sending support, both encouragement and donations to PAWS. There is one more week available to donate before the New York Marathon.

It's Almost Time

Tomorrow is The Denver Rock 'n' Roll Marathon. It's the first of my ambitious 2 marathon fall. I'm excited, rested, and ready. After months of preparation, it truly feels hard to believe that the day is finally here. I signed up in early May at the Furry Scurry. All the early morning runs and weeks of thinking about it, I am finally at the day where I do not do much of anything and just eat. I also have an early bed time to look forward to. With the start line only 5 blocks away, I have the opportunity to leave later than before, but am looking forward to having the extra time to get ready.

I am still shocked I get to do these marathons. It's a treat and one I am grateful to have. I am glad that I had the chance to raise a few bucks to help PAWS as well. They did give me a chance to pin my first number and run.

Till tomorrow...

About PAWS Chicago

Fostering and Fundraising

Tiff and I have fostered a few dogs now and we were just talking about it with a good friend that stopped by last night. He asked if we had any fosters coming up? We live downtown now and our lack of a yard coupled with busy streets and sidewalks made our last effort far more challenging than previous fosters. Don't get me wrong, our foster was a sweetheart, it was just a lot to manage.

Thus we have decided to pour our efforts into helping organizations that can help. Tiff has even lobbied at the capitol for legislation to help protect dogs and cats. I have opted to try fundraising for PAWS to give back. While I don't have the yard to help get a dog to his/her forever home, I can try and help a group that can. I can also run a really long time.

Thus I am doing what I have spoken so often about, Running for PAWS. I have joined Team PAWS New York City Marathon team and am also running the Denver Rock 'n' Roll marathon this fall. Running a marathon is an accomplishment, but trying two is a bit crazy. None the less, I am excited to give it a try for a good cause.

I am still looking to close the gap on my modified fundraising goal and the original. The amount needed is significant, but anything helps. A friend I worked with 3 years ago just donated $5 and that was wonderful! I have also had great people all over the country sharing my posts to get higher visibility. Also wonderful. I am no great fundraiser, although I humbly can claim $1,565 for the no kill shelter. All the help has been remarkable. If you can please drop a couple bucks or let me know if you work for a company that would be interested in a donation (I have forms). Aside from my Team PAWS singlet, I am offering company sponsorship in both races. It's not about me, really.

Here's the link and I am happy to answer any questions!
http://teampaws.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1052581&lis=1&kntae1052581=E8A44FBEC339431094A2863563EF4D0D&supId=296965664

S-M-R-T... Smart!

I've been doing my best as of late to offer insights to why I am running for PAWS and what PAWS does to help keep the donation ball rolling. Today, I am just going to lay it out as plain smart. Estes here  has offered to help with a visual aid, although I suspect my with had more to do with this picture than Estes did. None the less, I offer you a shameless plea to doing something smart like donating to a good cause like PAWS. Having fostered a few rescues now, the tremendous difference in effort required in taking in an animal in need and donating to an organization that will is immense! I am all for helping out (to the tune of 2 marathons in 2 weeks), I appreciate that I can offer financial help and do as much good! Plus I don't have to clean up accidents all over my house when I do that.

Smart, isn't it?

http://teampaws.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1052581&lis=1&kntae1052581=E8A44FBEC339431094A2863563EF4D0D&supId=296965664

Tried Some Stuff

In reflecting on this fund raising effort, I am slightly amused at some of the stunts I have tried. Most of which only succeeded in making me more comfortable talking to people about raising money for PAWS. Mind you, running and fundraising in Colorado for an organization in Chicago to run a race in New York City was not my easiest of paths, but it seems to have worked out well. All of my generous donors love the cause and don't seem to mind where the dogs and cats are being saved, just that they are.

I have attained my personal goal for running my two marathons for this fall, but am still hoping to raise a bit more. Every donation helps and goes 100% to PAWS. I  get to run and that is my sole reward for this effort. No t-shirt, cooler, or otherwise odd gift used to bait fundraisers. Personally, I would rather just see that extra money go to the cause.

I am on the look out for anyone that works for an organization that might be interested in a donation. My amazing friends and family have given beyond my wildest hopes, but I would like to see if a company with deeper resources may be interested in helping this runner. Let me know, I have tons of info I can send out

http://teampaws.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1052581&lis=1&kntae1052581=E8A44FBEC339431094A2863563EF4D0D&supId=296965664