Back in Motion... with Heidi!

Well, I'm back in motion.  To be honest, though, I never stopped!  If you read Matt in Motion, you'll know that I had three big goals in 2012: run the Flying Pig Marathon, hike the 235 mile Superior Hiking Trail, and run the Stonesteps 50k.  After checking off these boxes, I thought maybe I would sit on my couch for all of 2013, but these endeavors left me wanting more!

At the same time, you may know that Heidi undertook some adventures of her own.  She also ran the Flying Pig, and in the fall ran the Columbus Half Marathon.  Heidi, though, being more considerate than me in pretty much all aspects of life, wasn't content to do these runs for intrinsic reasons alone.  She ran both of these races with Team in Training, raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  Watching Heidi symultaneously train for these runs and raise around $2,000 for research and other programs to support cancer survivors was truly inspiring for me!

We've both kept up with the running.  Heidi is currently training for the 2013 Flying Pig, and I have been training for another 50k, Louisville's Lovin' the Hills, which is this Saturday!  (and yes, as you can tell by the name, this will be a hilly course!)  I will post a race report about that this Sunday... assuming I survive.

But beyond the running, Heidi and I are very excited to take on a challenge together.  This March, we will thru-hiking the Foothills Trail in South Carolina.  The Foothills Trail stretches 76 scenic miles through the Appalachian Mountains.  We will plan to hike the trail in 5 days, spending 4 nights on the trail, carrying everything we need (food, water, tent, etc.) on our backs (ok, ok, you guessed it, Heidi will be carrying most of the weight).  Inspired by Heidi's efforts last year, we will be doing this hike not only as a "fun" bonding experience, but as a fundraiser for the Luekemia and Lymphoma Sociey.
 
If you read my the blog from my Superior Hiking Trail trip, you'll know that sometimes it can be really hard to keep going on a long hike, and you need some outside motivation.  This is where you come in!  Heidi and I invite you to not only read this blog and send us your good wishes, but to make a "pledge per mile" to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  You can pledge whatever you like... whether thats 10 cents a mile or 10 dollars (keep in mind, our goal is to hike 76 miles!).  You'll be supporting a great cause, and knowing that each mile we hike will be helping cancer victims and their families will help keep us in motion!  To get an idea of some of inspiring folks who benefit from the work of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, click on the "Our Hero" page on this blog.

If you would like to support Heidi and I on this adventure with a pledge, please send either one of us an email (matt.flege@gmail.com or hudsonflege@gmail.com) with your pledge amount.  We will list your name on the "Our Supporters" page of this blog (your pledge amount will be kept confidential!), and be sure to keep you updated on our training and our trip through this blog.  Once we are done with the trip, you can make your donation online through Heidi's Team in Training Fundraising page, or we can send you info on how to make a donation by check.

Thanks so much for reading, and thanks for your support of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!
Matt