Marathon Training in Italy - Running in Rome

We took our 22 day honeymoon in Italy, right in the middle of training for the NYC marathon. We are having a blast!

2009 is quite the exciting year for me. I'm getting married, going to Italy for 3 weeks, and if I kiss enough ass, I may still even be somewhat employed! Laurie and I are training for and running the NYC marathon this year, on Nov. 1, 2009. All 26.2 miles of it.

A challenge, sure. However, we choose to run this year for a cause that many people are not familiar with but, Laurie being a nurse, deals with on a daily basis. Hepatitis C (HCV).

Some quick facts:
-The first misconception is that HCV is transmitted only through drug use.
-HCV is the leading cause of liver transplants in the US
-1 in 12 people worldwide are living with either chronic hepatitis B or hepatitis C. While this is far higher than the prevalence of HIV or any cancer, awareness is inexplicably low and the majority of those infected are unaware
-HCV is listed as one of the top five diseases missed by medical professionals. Of middle aged adults, 2.3% of the population is infected with this virus.
-HCV is usually diagnosed only when irreversible liver damage (cirrhosis) is established.
-HCV infects all races, genders, and across all socioeconomic backgrounds. Young women, average age 24 years old, are the fastest growing segment currently being diagnosed with HCV. This is not all due to drug use, but due to lack of understanding the transmission methods for this virus.
-At least one-third and up to a half of infected children acquired infection during the pregnancy from positive mothers.

So, Laurie and I have chosen to run for a charity called Bosco's Buddies http://www.boscosbuddies.org/, (a 501c3) which distributes it's charity funds to various organizations to promote HCV awareness and research which include the American Cancer Society, American Liver Foundation, National Liver Transplant Assistance Fund, and the Hep C foundation.

We've pledged to raise $5,000, which, is almost as much of a challenge as our training and 45 mile per week running schedule! We won't be able to do it without you!

If you or any one you know would like to support our efforts, below is a link to our (tax deductible) donation page! Please pass this along to anyone I may have missed!

https://secure.marathonguide.com/BoscosBuddies/Donate/Donate.cfm?MID=4005&...

Checks can also be made out to Bosco's Buddies, email me for details.

THANKS and wish us luck!

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• marathon training
• NYC marathon
• italy
• rome
• running
• hcv