ROAD TRIP!!

Less than two days.....

4 am....

....and my 16 year old son, Jay, and I will be embarking on our first road trip without the rest of the crew.

Destination:  Pittsburgh....the location for my May half marathon.



Six months ago I came up with this crazy idea to run a half or full marathon each month to raise funds for LIVESTRONG.  I was already planning on raising the funds for LIVESTRONG - I had done this for several years.  But, I wanted to do something different this year.

As I did in Los Angeles a few months ago, I will be participating as a member of Team LIVESTRONG.  Running alongside others with a common goal - we all hate cancer and are supporting the LIVESTRONG mission.

I have always taken a few weekends a year for myself....my way of keeping my sanity....and would work in a race in some fun destination with friends during that weekend.  Over the years I have run through The French Quarter, down the Vegas Strip, through Churchill Downs, around the Indy 500 track, on an island in Oregon, crawled through mud at a farm in Northern IL, rode my bike up and down the Texas Hill Country.

16 half marathons, 3 marathons, 3 LIVESTRONG Challenges, 1 Muddy Buddy, 3 St. Jude Relays, countless 5 & 10Ks....

.....and Jay has never seen me compete in any of them.

My younger two, Rachel and Nolan, have participated in 5Ks with me and gone to a few local half marathons and cheered me at the finish.  Last August, Nolan joined me on a 25 miles bike ride on his mountain bike through the hilly Philly LIVESTRONG Challenge course in the pouring rain a day after Rachel celebrated her 7th birthday by running her first 5K with me.

I'm excited to embark on this adventure with Jay.  Eight hours in a car with a teenager does not sound enticing but I am really excited about it.  Only two more years and he will be off to college, and if he is anything like his mom or dad, he will only be home for holidays.  The one-on-one time with Jay has been very limited since his father passed away.

I'm excited for Jay to see the energy surrounding a LIVESTRONG event....to meet other people that are running for those that cannot....that are spending their free time training and fundraising.  I'm  hoping that this experience will allow him to understand a bit more WHY I am so committed to LIVESTRONG and what volunteering for a cause you believe in means.

What do you do to encourage volunteerism with your children?

If you have an interest in supporting my efforts and the LIVESTRONG mission, please click on the link below:
Barbara's LIVESTRONG fundraising page