Out of the Running.

(published in The Weldon Times, Dalhousie Law School's newspaper first week of October, 2007)


These days, everybody’s got a cause. You can’t hold a pancake breakfast just for the pancakes; it’s got to be about something. With this in mind, I set out to run my third marathon, the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC, to raise money for children orphaned by AIDS in South Africa.

Thing is, I’d have run anyway. I run every day as it is. A law student has got to have some escape. I mean, I have some late Thursday nights too, and I put my Facebook time in – but something tells me my running time is more constructive. Still, knowing I was running for an 8 year old orphan with AIDS did help me get out of bed before sunrise, and that motivation really did push me through track workouts. I mean, sure, I also thought maybe this whole do-gooder thing might impress chicks. See Janet Simeon, Why Altruism is Sexy, The Daily Chronicle, Vol 36, No. 3, 145 (September, 1987). Maybe it does; we’ll see how much fan mail I receive from the reportedly very attractive readership of the Times.

All things considered, I’d planned on covering the 26.2 miles in 2 hours, 54 minutes, which, for the record, is twice as far and significantly faster than the half-marathon. The Times' EIC James Lea will tramp through in November. James, responding to an email I sent out soliciting donations, said the paper would donate some money if I could provide some filler in one of the columns. Done, and Done. Much appreciated.

Trouble is, after raising some money, and putting in the work, I’m writing this piece with a gloomy demeanor and an air cast on my right shin. Four weeks to race day (Oct. 28), with hundreds of miles of training behind me, the doctor says I’ve got a stress fracture. Too many hard workouts in a row. One of those uniquely frustrating situations where working too hard directly results in disappointment. Let this be a lesson: approach challenges half-assedly, and your work will not be wasted. Take a cue from those sudsy tots at the fundraiser car wash. They know they don’t actually have to scrub the flies off of your grill. Motorists will contribute nonetheless.

So I won’t actually be running the marathon. But since running is the norm for me, NOT running is an even harder challenge. And so, I humbly request your support. On October 28th, while tens of thousands of people run through the streets of Washington DC, I will wake up late, put on my air cast, hobble to the kitchen, and eat a leisurely breakfast – pancakes for pancakes’ sake. But I won’t run.

On October 28th, I’ll sit idly to raise money for 8-year old Nkosi, (photo attached. He's the one with the sweet truck), who has AIDS. Nkosi's parents both died of AIDS in 2002 when he was 3. He now lives with his 62-year-old grandmother, who is raising him and his two brothers and two sisters. They live in a dilapidated metal shack on a government pension of about $100 a month. Nkosi is not unique. An estimated 15 million children in the world have lost one or both parents to AIDS. Of these, more than 12 million live in sub-Saharan Africa. In South Africa alone, an estimated 1.1 million children have been orphaned by AIDS, which strikes 20 percent of the population there. Tragically, this means the impact on children will only grow worse before it improves. As staggering as these numbers are, the crisis will worsen if parents struck by HIV do not get access to life-prolonging treatment and effective prevention services.

The organization I'm being slothful for, 25:40, is dedicated to Nkosi and all the children like him in South Africa. Through a multi-faceted program, 25:40 supports programs in the rural villages of South Africa that support orphaned and vulnerable children. For instance, 25:40 pays the salary of Nkosi's AIDS monitor, shown at right in the picture. She visits his home regularly to make sure he takes his medication properly. 25:40 also supports the Wesley clinic, which he goes to regularly to see a doctor.

As I undertake an intensive four-week indolence training program to prepare myself for an entire morning of internationally aware idleness, I encourage you to visit 25:40’s website at www.2540.org. You can make a tax deductible donation online by clicking “Sponsor a Runner.” Many runners who put in a lot of tough milage to raise money have their bios up on the page – good people that actually will be running on race day. If you want to donate specifically to my (non-)effort, you’ll find a link next to a photo of me in the desert looking forlorn; be assured I’ll wear that same far-off look on October 28th while doing absolutely nothing. Idleness, now THAT is hot.