All the world's a stage (race)

This Sunday will be a Sunday unlike any other that I've had ... because it will mark the start of a 160km journey that will take me through to the following Sunday.

Just shy of a year ago I decided that I would attempt an event that I'd heard about through a couple of friends called the ENDURrun:  a series of seven races taking place over the course of eight days.  I recall that when I first heard of it being mentioned I thought that it was a positively outrageous concept, and I had mad respect for the person who was mentioned as having completed all of the stages.  That being said, I had no intentions, aspirations or even expectations that I could even attempt a feat like that.

Fast forward to three years later.

As an entrant in the 'ultimate' category (as there are options to compete in the 'sport' category tackling the final three stages only, or as part of a 2-7 person relay team) I'll be definitely testing my limits - although I've put in a similar amount of mileage within a week's span I've never attempted to run as hard as I will each day.  Thankfully my friend Dave (who was the first person I'd heard about who had completed the ultimate version of the race) has provided me with some tips that I will be sure to incorporate into my strategy ... and this kind of event certainly demands a strategic approach.  Structured much like the Tour de France, the ENDURrun includes time trials, alpine climbs and a yellow-jerseyed overall time leader.  The gains made by blasting out a 10k PB on one day would be far outweighed by saving your guns for a strong marathon where more time could be put against the field - and so a successful ENDURrunner needs to be not only fast and fit but wily as well.

I can't say what I really expect out of this race - except that I want to just cross the finish line of each stage so as to fulfill my obligation to the Transcend Running Academy for whom I've been fundraising through my participation in this event.  My hope has been to raise support and awareness of this great work with the student-athletes in Kenya who would otherwise not be able to afford to attend high school and rise above the subsistence-living conditions of their families and villages - and just maybe in helping to subsidize their education, run training and leadership coaching I might be facilitating the emergence of the next great Kenyan difference-maker.

There's still time and opportunity to support the Academy - please visit the pledge page here!  https://raceroster.com/events/2016/6288/the-endurrun-2016/pledge?id=34&type=participant

So that's it - I hope to complete a taxing seven-stage race so that a young man or woman on the other side of the planet can pursue their dreams and go beyond surviving to thriving.  For me that will be the measure of success

not finishing top 10

just finishing.

Not for me.

But for another.

Let's get it on.

#GOlikeneverbefore

All the world's a stage (race)

160km to Kenya

i never thought for a million years that i'd be able to help a kenyan become a better runner.

for one thing, i'm no coach like my pal stan (be sure to check out his latest venture here: http://adaptiverunning.com/).  i pretty much trip over my own two left feet.

for another thing, i'm so removed from the kenyan running culture and general ethos that i'm not sure that any insight or advice that i could offer would be helpful.  especially after having read adharanand finn's running with the kenyans (one of my favourite running reads, by the way) i can appreciate that the success experienced by east africans in the arena of competitive running has to do with so much more than just their environs and physiological makeup.  there's simply no way for a first-world wannabe athlete to replicate the conditions of running for survival and livelihood.

but even considering all of that, next summer i will be helping to train the next great runner from kenya ... with the help of the TRANscend Running Academy and the ENDURRun race event.

the ENDURRun is a multi-stage, multi-surface race that takes place over eight days.  while there are various entry options to tackle some or all of the seven different stages, i am registered for the 'ultimate' category which means that i will be a team of one competing in all seven.  the ENDURRun also presents the opportunity for a segment of the racers to also be fundraisers, and so after some discussion with my fellow Barrie RunNinjas i am officially attempting to raise $1000 in support of the TRANscend Running Academy.

the Academy is the brainchild of elite marathoner and kenyan parliamentarian wesley korir along with the filmmaking team behind TRANscend.  their efforts are directed toward providing promising young student athletes with the ability to access a secondary school education, leadership training and running coaching - none of which would otherwise be an option to them because they are not affordable for villagers living at the subsistence-level (even the great mary keitany tells of barely finding her way off the family farm).  so in a very real way this is about so much more than just giving someone a chance to become a better runner - it's about unleashing possibilities for a brighter future in education, work, and quite possibly reinvesting back into the kenyan community.

why $1000?  that's the estimated cost per student per year in the Academy.  to us that's less than three dollars per day - and if every one of my Facebook friends donated $0.75 towards this effort i would immediately exceed my goal.

i'm looking forward to running the ENDURRun as a training segment in preparation for my planned first-ever attempt at a 100-miler (at the Run Woodstock Hallucination run).  but more than that i'm excited about the possibility of being a small part in shaping the future of a runner, his or her family, and quite possibly the entire country of kenya.

would you please consider partnering with me on this?  if so, please visit my fundraising page here:  https://raceroster.com/events/2016/6288/the-endurrun-2016/pledge?id=34&type=participant

have you competed as a charity runner at any events?  what causes move your heart the most?

160km to Kenya