Buddy's 100 Miles For Holiday Smiles!

    It's been a while since I've written.  My last post was all about running a virtual marathon dressed as a bunny.  Since then, a lot has happened.  My Polish Princess has finished her first 50 mile race, as have some of my friends.  I too, have been able to accomplish that challenge.   All of us would agree that it was no easy task.  Most of us would agree that 50 miles was enough.  So, about that....

    When I started running back in 2011, I wasn't running all the time, and it wasn't until about 2013/2014 that I discovered that I really enjoyed running, and that it helped me in so many ways both physically and emotionally.  At the time, running a marathon was not even on my radar and was simply out of the question. Soon enough, I found myself running further and further.  Before I knew it, I was well on my way to running my first marathon, as well as a few more.  And even soon after that, I found myself saying, "what's a few more miles" yet again.  Now here we in 2020, and I've accomplished things I never thought was physically possible for myself.  It's crazy, right?

50 Miles Complete

    Earlier this summer, to keep people motivated, the Yeti Trail Runner's group put out some challenges to get the legs moving.  First it was run a 50k in 24 hours (5 miles every 4 hours for 24 hours), and then it was run 50 miles in that same time span (8.35 miles every 4 hours for 24 hours.)  Those were fun and tiring to do, but I was not done challenging myself just yet.  A few months later I participated in a 50 mile run at Camp Tuscozoar in Ohio.  I considered it my first true test of running a 50 mile race.  What was I thinking?  But before I did that, I impulsively signed up for Yeti's next challenge: a 100 mile virtual run.  I hadn't even run my 50 mile contest and yet I signed up so go for 100.  Seriously, what was I thinking?  Anyhow, the goal is to finish in 36 hours or less (you cannot stop your watch.)  Can I do this?  There is only one way to find out.  

    We can all agree that the global pandemic has been hard on every single one of us.  It's been hard financially, physically, and emotionally.  There are days that all I want to do is take care of Edyta and Zosia (Bailey takes care of us.)  There are also days where all I want to do is just try and make people laugh and smile (truly this is every day.)  I try my best, and hopefully I've been able to do much of that.  This year is not over yet, and I've got one last fish to fry.  But, this one has to mean something.  It has to mean more than simply running (and walking) 100 miles.  How can I do that?  How can I make these miles mean something?  It's simple really.

    For each marathon I've run, with the exception of Philadelphia, I've dedicated every mile when pounding the pavement.  I wanted to do the same here, but again I felt this one really needed to mean so much more than anything I've done in the past.  I've made some wonderful connections these past few years, so I was able to reach out to Make-A-Wish^® and the Mario Lemieux Foundation for a little help.  What I originally wanted to do was dedicate these miles to 100 staying at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh for various treatments that they may need.  I wasn't sure how I could go about doing that, and some parents may feel a little funny about giving the name of their child to a total stranger.  Also, the more I thought about that, the more I thought it did seem a little weird, even with my hearts best intentions.  And, the more I thought about it (as well as after speaking with Make-A-Wish^®) it would be rather difficult randomly pick the names of 100 children and dedicate a mile to each and every one of them.  What if there was another child out there that felt left out?  What if there was a child out there that thought, "why didn't he pick me?  Why wasn't I included?  Did I do something wrong?"  That thought alone crushed my soul.  No way am I going to let anyone feel like that!

Polish Powered
Edyta's 50 Miles Complete

    I can't even begin to imagine what it's like for these children day in and day out during this pandemic, let alone on any other given day.  They are all so vulnerable to the virus with their unique ailments and maybe even their weakened immune systems.  But no matter what, every day they press on.  Even when they don't get to see their parents or the rest of their families, they press on.  With the holiday season upon us, and Christmas and other holiday celebrations drawing near, the thought of these children maybe not being able to see their families due to various quarantine restrictions hits me deeply.  But again, these kids still press on.  That in and of itself inspirational.  Through various charities I've met some of these incredible kids, but I'll never get to meet all of them.  I'll be darned (this is a profanity free blog) if I don't try and do something to help.

    I've already received my finisher belt buckle for the Yeti 100 in the mail, but now I have to earn it! It's been sitting in a box, just waiting to be opened for over two months now.  I've got 36 hours to run (and walk) 100 miles, anywhere I want.  The only way for me to do that is to press on.  And this time, I'm going to do it not just for me, but for the kids.  And like I said before, I'm not going to just pick 100 children to dedicate these miles to while out pounding the pavement.  I'm dedicating these 100 miles to ALL of the children at Make-A-Wish^® as well as ALL of the children at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.  And let's not forget about each and every wonderful child that the Mario Lemieux Foundation sponsors and all of their great work on Austin's Playroom at Children's.

The calm before the storm. Amy and Beth
both also completed their first 50 Mile event.

BUT WAIT!  THERE'S MORE!!!

    We know I can't just get out there and run any old way.  There has got to be a Chuck spin on this one!  So, not only will I be running all over the greater Pittsburgh Area for 100 miles, but I'll be running dressed as Buddy from the movie "Elf."  I mean, this is me we're talking about!  Here's the plan:

    Saturday, December 19th, starting sometime between 6am and 8am Buddy the Elf is heading the door in Crafton, PA.  From there, the plan is to somehow make it Children's Hospital, Coraopolis, Moon Township, Aliquippa (gotta run by my parents house after all) Robinson Township, Upper St. Clair, Bethel Park, I mean really as much as the area as I can.  I'm going to try to get around to seeing as many of my friends and family as possible (this may prove rather difficult,) and I've also got to do this safely (sidewalks, well lit areas, etc.)  Also once I'm out the door, I'll be sharing my progress via Facebook updates as well as sharing my Garmin live tracking link.

Bryan thinks he's funny..... (he is.)

    During this run, I'll be doing my best to raise money for all three of these organizations.  I know it's Christmas and I know this year has been rough, so I'm not going to pressure anyone into donating.  I'm just simply going to ask.  Everyone knows that the Mario Lemieux Foundation is near and dear to my heart.  I have my 2021 Pittsburgh Marathon Fundraiser ready to go and underway.  But, I also wanted a chance to help not only that incredible organization, but also Make-A-Wish^® and Children's Hospital.  It's your pick, if you can spare a few bucks.  Maybe you can help good old Buddy while he is out there running miles for smiles.

    So, will you be able to help out this holiday season?  If you can, that is wonderful!  If you can't, I completely understand.  All I can do is ask (and I know this is sorta of short notice.)  But hey, let's see what we can do to help these three incredible organizations.  Again I know we are short on time, but every little bit helps.  And for that, I also want to say thank you.

    Now, let's get out there and do this for the kids.  Buddy has got some more training to do, and he's got to clean up his best Elf suit.

Here are the links to donate to each organization:

The Mario Lemieux Foundation:

https://raceroster.com/events/2021/32394/2021-dicks-sporting-goods-pittsburgh-marathon-weekend/pledge/participant/9766094

Make-A-Wish^® (on behalf of Wheels, Wings, and Wishes):

http://site.wish.org/goto/chuckhull

Children's Hospital Of Pittsburgh:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Chuck-Hull

Please be sure to join me, Saturday, December 19th (with a make up date if necessary being December 26th.)  And if you see Buddy just remember:

"The best way to spread Christmas Cheer, is singing loud for all to hear."

Running Merrily,

Chuck Hull, The Running Jedi Elf

PS:  No matter what your faith is, I hope you all have a wonderful, and safe holiday season!

#therunningjedi #buddywatch #runpgh #100mileforsmiles #smilingismyfavorite

Hopping Down The Bunny Trail

     Easter Sunday of 2020 has come and gone, and I've had some time to settle and think about my virtual Pittsburgh Marathon.  When everything began to come into play this year with the pandemic and Pittsburgh switching to a virtual option, I knew I would still find a way to run as well as continue to raise money and hopefully meet my goal for the Mario Lemieux Foundation.  The goal was to reach $2500, and once met, I would run dressed as a viking.  That soon changed.

     https://www.facebook.com/edyta.branch/videos/10216804024468105/?t=24

(Video: rabbit on the go!)

     The majority of us have been stuck at home for over a month now, and some of us (myself included) have been out of work for a few weeks as well.  Because of these things it's been difficult to navigate through social media because of all the negative posts (among other things.)  Heck, even recently we've seen the posting of senior pictures in a show of support for the class of 2020.  There has been a lot of laughs and shared memories between parents and children, but as with social media, there has been a lot of  backlash from it as well.  But, why?  It seems that when it comes to negativity those sounds always seem to be the loudest, but I'm not here for any of that.  A few days ago I had mentioned how all I ever wanted to was to make people smile, laugh, and simply have a good time.  I truly do.  I decided then that no matter what I raised I was just going to go head and run my marathon dressed as a viking.  Well, that too soon changed.

Now entering McKees Rocks

     Our friend Amy had mentioned to Edyta, that since I was going to end up running on Easter, I should run dressed as a bunny.  Amy knows me all two well.  (That statement includes all of my friends, really.)  Once the bug is in my ear, it won't go away.  Just like that, no longer was I going to run the marathon as a viking, but instead I would run as a bunny.  Before I knew it, it was Easter Sunday, I was dressed to the nines in pink (including a loofah for a white fluffy tail,) and I was off on my 2020 Virtual Pittsburgh Marathon!

     As soon as I stepped outside, of course it would be raining, because why wouldn't it be?  That didn't keep my from running as it was supposed to stop and stay cool for the better part of the morning.  I altered my original route a bit because I didn't want to end up running a 50k (I almost did.)  It was also fairly early in the morning when I started so there were no funny looks for the first few miles.  But then I got into The Rocks where I heard yelling from behind.  "What in the **** are you doing?  Dude, what the ****?"  Great reaction from a bunch of teens in a car that probably should not be together at this point in time.  But, who am I to judge?  I'm a 47 year old man running a marathon in a pink bunny suit on Easter morning. They did take a couple of pics (who wouldn't) and I just kept doing my thing.  That was the end of the negative comments.

https://www.facebook.com/sara.majetic/videos/10159544401071978/?t=3

(Video: Bunny On The Island)

     As I started making my way down the back of Neville Island, the industrial side, the horn honking began.   It was like having the roaring crowd of Pittsburgh with me as I made my way to civilization.  Since the great Pittsburgh Bunny Hunt was on, I wondered how long it would be before I finally saw someone I knew.  It only took 6 miles and an hour, and our friend Dave went driving by taking pics, as well as cheering.  As I made may way through the Island I also bumped into some other friends (Sara and Danielle) who were also out hunting wabbits.

     I was running across the Neville Island Bridge into Coraopolis as I heard some more frantic horn honking.  It was my friend Mike who left the North Hills area just to witness the insanity.  Who could blame him?  I'm just glad he stayed at least 6 feet away! Most people prefer him that way anyway.  (Kidding Mike!)  We chatted a bit as I made my way to Montour Road in Coraopolis to head into Moon Township.  Let me tell you...not my best idea!  I mean, I've run that stretch of road before a couple of times, and voluntarily.  It's treacherous!  Just like milk on a hot summer day, this was a bad choice.  But if Pittsburgh was going to have Forbes, I figured I might as well endure Montour Road.  You'd think I would have the common sense to not run it again, but nope.  Fresh out of that!  My cup needed refilled years ago.  I was at approximately the same mileage point anyway.

     As I made my way up that hill past Our Lady of Sacred Heart, I heard some cheers from Molly and Dave who had just moved into a place there about a week ago.  They had an awesome aid station set up for me, and since I was about 11 miles in, I took them up on some of their nutrition, including the carrots.  Carrots at an aid station?  That's what's up doc!  Not gonna lie, it was probably the best one I've eaten.  I'm sure that was the mileage talking but who cares?  Carrots are yummy.  After I thanked them for the assist, further up the street was a friend from high school, John Arnold and his family also offering up some water.  I obliged.  The suit was starting to get a bit warm.

     I was hitting some of the tougher roads in Moon Township, and I decided to save some energy by walking some of the hills, but I didn't want to walk too much.  I also didn't want to get into my own head because I was about half way through my marathon and it's usually at this point where I start doing just that.  Thankfully, as it turned out, some more friends were waiting at the intersection of Thorn Run Road and Beaver Grade Road trying to get a look of some bunny running a marathon (see what I did there?)  They had more snacks there as well!  I stopped to chat for a few minutes, but made sure not to stop too long as I didn't want to stiffen up at all.  We talked about how long I had til the next "aid" station, and it was there that I knew I messed up my route.  If I was going to run home, I was in for an ultra kind of day.  I didn't really want to run a 50k, but it was turning into that.  Time to get my brain working on a back up plan.

     Running through Moon was a lot of fun.  I swear everyone that drove by me either honked their horn, slowed down to take a picture, or flat out pulled over to the side of the road to take one.  People were yelling "Happy Easter" from their car windows (including Dan from my band as well as his son Matthew) or simply thanking me for their morning smile.  I'm 16 miles in, 10 miles to go, and I was feeling really great!  Next stop was Bryan and Amy's "aid" station.

     As I made my way into that area of Moon, I ran into another friend from High School, Chris Lantzy, who was out for a morning jog of his own.  We were able to chat briefly, but I had to keep on trekking.  I heard music playing as I got close to B's house, but the closer I got, the more I heard the actual sound.  Not only was Bryan playing along, dressed like the Easter Bunny, but the jag Rick Rolled me!  I should have expected nothing less.  It was pretty funny.   Amy had plenty of great things at her aid station for me, and I took advantage of what she offered.  17.5 miles in, I needed the nutrition.  I also needed cut.

     https://www.facebook.com/amy.egan.927/videos/10216680600915397/?t=4

(Video: Rick Rolled)

     Now, I've had this suit for many years.  "A Christmas Story" is my all time favorite Christmas movie, so why wouldn't I have one?  However, it was getting hot and I still had just under 10 miles to go.  I had to be safe and take any needed precaution because it was starting to get very warm out.  So, as sad and heartbreaking as it was for me to do, I had Amy cut the legs and sleeves of my suit, turning it into a romper.  I swore you could hear taps playing in the distance.  But that was enough dilly dallying, it was time to go and I needed to keep moving!  As I left their area, I bumped into Chris again who offered some nutrition as well as another friend (Linda) offering water.   I felt I had all I needed to make it to the end and finish my race!

     I made my way down Shaffer road (even with the road closed to cars) where Edyta called me to see where I was going.  I had mentioned to Amy to have Edyta meet me at the Hassan Road spot on the Montour Trail, as I figured in my head that I would finish pretty much right there  Heck of a guess folks!  She said I was going the wrong way to get there but I assured her I would be OK.  I told her I loved her and I would see her in about an hour.

     I made my way down Route 51 where another running friend (Mickey) stopped for a quick picture and an offering of cookies, and I knew my finish line was just a few leg stretches away.  There were still plenty of horns being honked, pictures being snapped, and "Happy Easters" being tossed my way, but I was not done yet.  The heat was really picking up and I was at the Montour Trail head.  With less than 3 miles to go, the sky cleared and the sun was shining down on me.  It got really hot, really fast.  I finally had no choice by to drop my floppy ears.  It was a sad moment in time that went away the minute I saw my "finish line."  I could hear the cow bells and the cheers from Edyta who was joined by Molly and Dave once more (all socially distant.) I had to put the ears back up!  I started with ears a flopping and I was going to finish with ears a flopping! I was not quite done when I saw them so I had to do a quick up and back, but before doing so, I snagged a quick smooch from Edyta who assured me a beer was waiting for when I was done.

     I had less than mile left to run, and there were way more people on the trail than I thought there would be.  I did my best to avoid them at all costs, even running into the grass so that I was at least 6 feet from everyone.  Thankfully I wasn't going to be on the trail long.  Edyta met me at mile 26 so that I could do a shot for Bernie, and before I knew it, I was breaking the tape, beer in hand and all over my floppy ears.  My 5th Pittsburgh Marathon and 6th overall, was in the books.

The finish line is in sight!

https://www.facebook.com/mollyth1/videos/10216506816770461/?t=6

(Video: Hop to the finish!)

     It's amazing.  A couple of years ago I thought to myself that there was something in the air, a buzz that made that second marathon feel extra special.  This year, even virtually, there was something in the air once more.  With all the horn honking and the impromptu aid and cheer stations, it truly felt like this was not a virtual race at all.  It felt like nothing had changed and I was running among the crowd of thousands upon thousands of people.  It was as if I was running the Pittsburgh Marathon the way it was meant to be run.  Not once did I try to tell myself that I was never doing this again.  Not once did I call myself crazy.  I've done that every year from mile 20 to 25, non stop.  Not this year.  This one just felt....it felt like something bigger than me or you.  It felt like it was something I needed to do for all of us.  The feeling was just surreal to me.  Even now, I'm still humbled and smiling as I type this.  At times it felt like I had just taken the world by storm (or maybe just Neville Island.  I'm not sure.)  But whatever I felt, I just plain felt good.  It was in part because of all of you.  Whether you were on the course or cheering from home, the energy that all of you had provided that day made this marathon my most memorable.  In fact, it made this marathon my favorite.  This wasn't just my marathon.  This was our marathon.  We were in this together, from a distance.  And that's the key here.  No matter the distance, we were in this together.  And for that, I thank you.

All done!

Sinceriously,

No...hoppily yours,

Chuck Hull, The Running Bunny Jedi. 

#teamlemieux #MOVEPittsburgh #rupgh #26miles26dediications #pittsburghbunnyhunt #SCRRSoloTogether

Time to begin

https://www.facebook.com/danielle.hunt.3958/videos/10100571425791636/?t=4

(Video: Bunny hopping through the Island Neighborhoods)

https://www.facebook.com/mollyth1/videos/10216506457161471/?t=1

(Video: Montour Road, warning: possible language)

https://www.facebook.com/sara.majetic/videos/10159544642386978/

https://www.facebook.com/jenny.bebout/videos/10107729634572293/

https://www.facebook.com/mollyth1/videos/10216505014605408/

https://www.facebook.com/mollyth1/videos/10216505015565432/

(Video: Running Down Beaver Grade Road/Thorn Run intersection)

I will finish running down this trail!

Edyta patiently awaiting my arrival.

I spy with my eye, something pink.

And here comes the finish!

https://www.facebook.com/edyta.branch/videos/10216806801937540/

(Video: .1 left)

Just a couple of notes:

- It may not have been a first place finish, but running through and breaking a tape was an incredible feeling.  Seeing others do the same thing has been a blast.

- When Bernie passed last year, Bryan and I did a shot at mile 26.  Mile 26 will always be Bernie's and I'm going to do a shot every time.  As soon as I did it, I looked at Edyta and said, "Oof, that did not go down well at all."  About 10 minutes later, the shot came back up.  And all I could hear was Bernie laughing calling me a you know what, but then give me hug.