Travel – Page 5 – theCauseCoach

10 Fundraising Tips for Marathoners

November 15, 2017December 5, 2017thecausecoach

I received a message recently that the went something like this: “The Cancer Society came up on my FaceBook feed looking for people to run the London Marathon and raise money for them. Do you think I should do it?” It was followed by a passionate case of why this was a great cause, how it personally touched her family, and so on. And then, the admission: “fundraising is completely out of my comfort zone.” My immediate response was “yes! do it!”

There are two reasons I encourage marathoners to run for charity. Number one is that the charity benefits from the funds raised, and also because you share their message with your family and friends. Personal testimonials of your involvement with them are powerful marketing tools. The second reason is that you benefit. While running for a charity makes you feel damn good, it also comes with perks. Read more →

A spectator’s guide to the Chicago Marathon

October 13, 2017January 9, 2021thecausecoach

The Chicago Marathon is one of the most spectator-friendly courses I know. The way in which it weaves back and forth through downtown allows spectators several opportunities to see runners at multiple spots on the course without going too far out of their way.

A spectator can essentially view the course at mile 1, 5k, and Half without venturing more than a few blocks. Being a little more ambitious and creative, a stop at a critical point in Chinatown (mile 21) can be added and you can make sure you’re there to celebrate as your runner makes that last turn into Grant Park for the Finish.

I ran Chicago as my fifth marathon in 2015. I have also run New York City, New Jersey (Long Branch), and Bucks County (Pennsylvania), as well as 40 Half Marathons in three countries and eight States. Chicago stands out because it was the only one where “my fans” (people from New Jersey, no less) where out there cheering in several places. And if you’ve ever run a marathon, you know how important that is.

16 lessons learned by running every street in my town

August 29, 2017August 2, 2020thecausecoach

On Global Running Day back in June a runner in my town posted a challenge on our local Mom’s page. The challenge was to run every street in town. I was up for the challenge! It seemed like a great way to elevate some of the boredom I was feeling from running the same routes for close to 10 years.

I went down to the borough hall and got a copy of a map. At home I took a yellow highlighter to it, marking all the streets that I had already run – my regular routes that I knew so well. I highlighted in green the railroad tracks that bisect our little town; in red, the state highway that creates another division and a bit of a hazard for runners. I wasn’t going to run on the highway.

What my plan looks like

July 17, 2017January 9, 2021thecausecoach

I bought my first knickknack for my new place, although I don’t know yet where that will be. I am almost an empty nester. My daughter is a rising high school senior. I have decided that regardless of where she decides to go to college, my four-bedroom house is too much and the property taxes – without a child in the school system – are too high. So this time next year it will be time to downsize. That much of the plan I know.

The other piece of my plan that I’ve been working on is transitioning my career. I now have the flexibility and more control I’ve wanted. Working on the income part. I have enough resources to allocate the time I need to realistically build my business. When my daughter and I first started looking at colleges two years ago, I told her to find the right school regardless of it’s location and I would move within a couple hours drive.

Why we should believe in miracles

June 17, 2017January 9, 2021thecausecoach

This weekend’s race is the Shelter Island 10k, Shelter Island, New York. You can read about it here. This will be my 14th time doing this race (15 if you count last year, when I ran the course the day before). This is by far my favorite race. But it is also emotional because for so many years my parents were there at the Finish Line cheering.

Life is short. We know this. And yet we are reminded again and again. We always think there will be one more time. Another chance. We take for granted the small moments only realizing long after they’ve passed that they were actually really big moments. Moments that we play over and over in our heads like a scene from a really good movie that has completely captivated us.

June is a difficult month. There’s the wedding anniversary that is now just a reminder of how we lost our best selves. There is this weekend when Father’s Day, my late father’s birthday and the anniversary of my mother’s death collide. There is the end of the school year; which has, in my house, become traditionally a struggle in squeaking out passing grades (or not) and trying to move on.