runningforram-blog
runningforram-blog
Running For RAM
5 posts
Chronicling A 365-Day Run Streak Through 2016 And Other Life Adventures
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runningforram-blog · 9 years ago
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Hiatus: A Pause Or Gap In A Sequence, Series, Or Process
I have taken a very very very long hiatus from writing a blog update.  The reason for this lull is that, after the initial excitement of our launch, I struggled with what to write. Yes, this blog was originally created as another medium to support our year-long effort to raise awareness for Remote Area Medical. It was very easy to create but after the first initial posts of “Hello world! We are us and this is what we’re doing!” I hit a brick wall. Now what? 
I’m not the runner, so I can’t write a blog about great running tips or the joys and pitfalls of running every day. Nor would I be able to write anything remotely worth reading about me as a spectator to someone running every day. 
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Hunter loves to run...can you tell?
Despite this realization I didn’t want to kibosh the blog idea because I was actually excited about the thought of writing and sharing our experiences. There’s a lot of good in RFR, but I find that it’s limited in interesting content for a weekly blog. I didn’t want to just slap some words on a screen every week simply to say a new entry was done. If I were to actually put something ‘out there’ I wanted it to be meaningful and (hopefully) worthwhile to others. 
I tried to think outside the box – assessing why we created RFR and how this year-long fundraiser relates to the rest of our daily life. And then it came crashing down on me: RFR is just one of many adventures that we’ve embarked upon to fully experience our lives and leave a positive footprint on this world.  
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I'm a sign-toting supporter at races.
Ok so when I write it out it doesn’t look like much but there was a LOT of serious brain activity that went into me realizing that simple sentence.
Matt and I are always striving to better our lives, lead new adventures, and improve our outlook on life. We travel to experience new cultures and broaden our view of the world. We try to be mindful of our lifestyle choices and purchases. We throw out crazy ideas and pursue them, pushing our personal limits and challenging our comfort zones. Simply put, we’re making a full effort to truly enjoy and experience this life.
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Enjoying our very Parisian meal in Paris. The French ain't lying'...snails are amazing.
And, from that, I found the voice for our blog. I think that we have a lot of good to share that will be relatable to other people.  We also have a lot to learn. So it is my hope that this blog stands as yet another great adventure and opportunity to connect with the world, share our experiences, and learn from people like you!
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runningforram-blog · 10 years ago
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Racking Up Those Milestones...And Miles
Matt has passed the two week mark! We’re almost in the home stretch! Ok ok, not really….he has 50 more weeks to go.  But it’s still exciting to reach these little milestones, as minor as they may be in comparison to the big picture.  We are also VERY excited because we have received our first donations. It is absolutely amazing to be supported by our friends and loved ones as we continue to navigate our way through this year-long quest. The encouragement from everyone has been simply amazing and I feel as though we are already making a difference in spreading awareness for RAM’s mission. Wow. And it’s only just begun!
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Running Update!
Matt has racked up 18 runs, 2 Epsom salt soaks, and a few schedule navigations to squeeze in runs in between classes and work. The cooler weather that we’ve been having has been somewhat of a downer but the sunny days are all the more appreciated.  There for a few straight days it was consistently overcast and windy….not exactly Matt’s favorite weather. But he still gets out there - rain, wind, and all -  and ticks off another run.  His biggest concern is injury so he’s keeping his current runs low on mileage with a steady pace. He has currently racked up 32.5 miles which you can track here!
Two more weeks and he’ll be running into February!!
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runningforram-blog · 10 years ago
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The Big Idea
I found myself thinking the other day about how this whole project is simply one big crazy mess.  A good mess…not one that’s just sitting on your floor waiting for someone to sweep it away. It’s more like an extended-family reunion where there are way too many people crammed into two small of a space and you’ve run out of wine and now people are just bumbling about trying to make conversation with people that they only kind of know but they’re related so this whole thing feels like it should be easier, but it’s not. We kind of know what we’re doing, we want to be here, but it’s all just slightly overwhelming.
So this led me to my next thought. One which I look forward to sharing as we (hopefully) gain more traction and meet more wonderful people that are interested in our cause.  
Why Are We Doing This?
I first heard of Remote Area Medical via Netflix. I’m an avid documentary-watcher and I gobbled it up like a fresh donut still warm from the fryer. I laughed. I cried. But I mainly sat there and thought “I want to do that. I want to do that NOW.” Well, turns out that RAM’s domestic mobile clinics do the majority of their work around TN, VA, and TX, with occasional visits to additional states nearby. However, much to my delight, I discovered that RAM would be making its first visit in over 20 years to Florida to host a clinic in Bradenton in November (2015).
Fast forward six months and on November 21st & 22nd, Matt and I rolled our sleepy heads out of bed at 3am to join the hordes of volunteers that were giving their time to the two-day clinic. Tasked to work in the triage area, Matt and I were a team of 4 volunteers that were responsible for directing each incoming patient to an available nurse. There, the nurses would take down their medical history and vitals before then sending them on to the appropriate area for care (i.e. medical, dental, vision).  It was a fast-paced, high energy area where we had the privilege of meeting every single patient that walked through the doors.
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Now I will provide full admittance on myself. I had absolutely no idea what to expect when going into this experience. The documentary showed the RAM clinics to be these amazing well-organized events filled with lots of super smiley volunteers and patients that were both happy and outwardly appreciative. But walking into the actual event, I didn’t know what all I would be seeing that the film crew chose to edit out. So, the truth of the matter is this: It’s even better in person. If you felt a swell of the heart watching the documentary, imagine being surrounded by that buzzing powerful energy for 8+ hours. It was nonstop joy. Did my feet hurt at the end of the day? Yes. Were there the occasional patients that were grumpy and gripey? Yes. Did I get to hug lots of happy patients and thank THEM for coming after they thanked ME for volunteering? Yes. Was it one of the best experiences that I’ll probably be talking about for years to come? Yes yes yes.
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This do-good feel-good attitude stuck with us for a while thereafter the weekend of the clinic. We vowed to return if RAM were to ever again visit FL. Then December rolled around, we started preparing for the holidays, we took a last minute adventure trip to Canada, and RAM became another great memory. As January approached, Matt and I began talking about our goals for the new year.  When Matt first had the idea to run every day through 2016 I thought it was a good choice for him. A little crazy, a great accomplishment to look back on, and a rather achievable goal. He enjoys both running and pushing his limits so it was an altogether suitable choice, though I still thought he was crazy for wanting to run every-single-day. We live in Tampa, so that means lots of rain, lots of humidity, lots of skin-scorching sun, and it’s no secret that central Florida is way overdue for a hurricane.  But then the idea took a turn, morphing into philanthropic humanitarian cause, and, unfortunately for Matt, hurricane or not there was no turning back.  
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So for three weeks thereafter the big idea was born and formed into a living breathing entity. We scrambled like thieves in the night to reach out to RAM and receive approval, build a webpage, figure out the world of social media, design a logo, generate a blog, develop a GoFundMe account, and, finally, make a name for this big crazy project. Thus, Running For RAM was created.
And now, my goal for 2017: Take a nap.
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runningforram-blog · 10 years ago
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One Week Down!
It came to my attention the other day that our 365-day journey is in fact 366-days. Leave it to my husband to pick a leap year to commit to a year-long run streak.
I have joked with him that if an emergency were to come up and he were unable to complete the challenge then I will take his place. Let me say this now: We want Matt to be able to complete this challenge.  No one wants to see my 26-minute miles in which I’m walking along and get distracted by a butterfly or a stray dog.
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Thankfully he’s still going strong (7 days in) and looking forward to the races that we have planned for the next few months. He is limiting himself to shorter races so as to reduce his chances of injury or strain. He’s also keeping his daily runs short for the same reason, while also carefully avoiding potholes and the occasional run-in with my faulty bike riding. 
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We continually remind one another that we are just in the early stages of this endeavor and we have a long way to go. It is exciting but also somewhat scary – which I suppose is part of the reason why we’re so thrilled to be sharing such an opportunity that will test both our skills and capabilities.
Check out Matt’s race schedule and let us know if you’re going to be there - we’d love to meet to you!
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runningforram-blog · 10 years ago
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Day #4: We’re Really Doing This?
We’re officially 4 days into our journey and I’m writing my first blog entry….ever. 
Progress continues to be made on the website, our plan of attack for social media, and overall outreach.  We are still working out the kinks and overall daily process of logging his miles, sharing photos, and engaging others. From website layout to who’s responsible for posting to what social media accounts, I never thought that I’d be talking Twitter hashtags and Instagram filters with my husband. anyone.
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The dogs have become tolerant of both of us being stuck behind a smart phone or laptop for hours on end as the tradeoff is lots of slumber parties in bed and snuggle time on the couch. “Mom’s behind that weird metal glowing screen again? That’s OK – I’ll just jump up next to her and snuggle in real quickly so I’m all cute and cuddly before she can tell me to get down.” Works like a charm.  
I find it ironic that we had originally planned to make ‘Reduce screen time’ a mutual goal of 2016. Yet now we find ourselves embarking on an adventure that will require us to do just the opposite. This is just a crazy idea – right? I mean, neither of us have any formal experience in website building, blogging, social media, fundraising….any of it! If we actually make it to December 31, 2016 it will be an accomplishment that neither of us will ever forget.
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