Running For A Reason
In 2008, I had an epiphany. I was feeling sluggish, my blood pressure was high and the stress of managing a large commercial construction company was taking its toll on me. I was 35 pounds heavier than I wanted to be and I really needed to make a change in my life.
I began to run. Slow at first. And, I didn’t like it much. But, I stuck with it because I needed to. And, so I decided to begin running in timed races.
I participated in Run Disney, running the 5k, the 10k, the Goofy (half marathon) and most recently the Dopey (aptly named because it’s a four-day event where you run a 5k the first day, a 10k the second day, the half marathon the third day and a full marathon on the fourth and final day). I’ve run the half marathon in Memphis, The Brooklyn Marathon, The GO! St. Louis Marathon, and I am planning to run it again on April 9.
By now, you might have guessed that I learned to like running.
I not only like running—I love it! If I miss a day of running, I feel like I have cheated myself. Running regularly helps me keep in shape. Registering for marathons means I force myself to keep training hard to be prepared, and to better my previous times.
Fortunately, I have been conditioned over the years to work hard. Managing a 107-year-old construction company is not a sprint…it’s a marathon. A 30-year marriage, raising kids, serving on the local Board of Aldermen, and life, in general—they are all marathons. You pace yourself, you work hard at it and you try to get better every day.
So, I have decided to take my love of running and turn it into something useful for others. I have registered for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on October 8, 2017 and I am raising funds and running in honor of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Why Support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital?
St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. As a direct result of donations received, treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to more than 80% since it opened more than 50 years ago. That’s an amazing statistic! St. Jude is working to drive the overall survival rate for childhood cancer to 90%, and the organization has pledged to continue until no child dies from cancer.
When I ran the half marathon in Memphis back in December of 2011, the course took us through downtown and midtown Memphis and right through the St. Jude campus, where patients, their families and hospital workers gathered. What touched me was how these kids cheered me on. It’s unbelievable.
I should have been cheering them on. They are running an even tougher marathon, and sadly, some won’t finish. To show my appreciation for those kids, their parents and the people who care for them, I am going to cheer them on by raising $2,900 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. My company, Penzel Construction, will match all donations up to $1,500, too. In fact, if you check out the fundraising site link below, you will see we already donated it!
If you would like to help me reach my goal, you can show your support here:
St. Jude Children's | Chicago Marathon Fundraiser
Honk when you see me running!
ABOUT PENZEL CONSTRUCTION
At Penzel, we are always innovating and finding ways to help our clients achieve their goals—through design-build construction delivery systems, competent trained employees, and state-of-the-art equipment and techniques.
We have come a long way in the last century and we intend to be here doing what we do best for many decades to come.
