A Race, A Cause, And A Team

For the last few years, I have started each year training for the Country Music Marathon. You see I am the type of exerciser who needs a good reason get myself off the couch and to the gym during the cold winter months. This year as soon as I realized I have a conflict the weekend of the Country Music Half Marathon, I began looking for another race to run. A little google search and I stumbled upon the Rock N’ Roll San Diego Half Marathon on June 5. It took me about 10 minutes to realize that this was the perfect race for me. San Diego in June shouldn’t be too hot, too cold, or too wet. And a half marathon is quite the “sporty” excuse to get to Southern California.

So I had my race.

Now I just needed a cause to run for. Thankfully Compassion International (the organization that I traveled to Guatemala with last September and that I LOVE because of the work they do around the world to free children from poverty in Jesus’ name) has just launched Team Compassion. Team Compassion is an easy way to raise money and visibility for Compassion leading up to our race.

So I had my cause.

The last few weeks I have been enlisting (and in some cases administering a good dose of peer pressure) a handful of friends to run the San Diego Half Marathon with me on behalf of Compassion. My friend, Sarah, quickly got on board and offered to help organize this thing. Sarah’s husband Chad, and our friends Bianca, Jenni, and Spence have also decided to run with us.

So we had the beginnings of our team.

We hope together, with your help, we can raise $20,000 for Compassion. Yes, it’s an ambitious goal but know that we, with your support, can do this.

Here’s some different ways you can get involved.

1. Consider running with us. Joining our team. Helping raise money. I know this sounds crazy but it will be fun. More importantly, it will be challenging, character building, and life altering for some very special kids around the world.

Here is how to sign up for Team San Diego.

1. Register for the Rock N’ Roll San Diego Half Marathon on June 5. Click here and follow directions. (Please note: you will have to pay for the race yourself and any travel or accommodation arrangements.)

2. Once you’ve registered, click here to go to the Team Compassion site. Click JOIN TEAM and in the search field type in “Team San Diego”. Once you’ve found our team, click JOIN and follow the directions. It will ask for your contact information {only the captains will see it} and will ask you to set a personal fundraising goal. It also will set up your personal page that you will be able to share with friends and relatives and that you will be able to share as a link on Facebook and twitter.

It’s that easy! Once you’ve entered your information under our team we will begin to send out team emails giving more information.

REMEMBER, register for the race soon. It will sell out and the registration fee will increase as the race nears.

2. Consider supporting me or one of the Team San Diego members with a financial donation. Your entire donation will go to Compassion International. All participants are covering their own travel fees and race registrations.

3. Consider helping us spread the word about “Team San Diego” by grabbing this beautiful “Team San Diego” banner by the creative genius who is responsible for my new blog design, Kyle Reed, putting on your blog, and linking to http://team.compassion.com/site/TR/Events/General/1200180326?pg=team&fr_id=1030&team_id=1030.