This time, I'm running for charity.

(Administrative note: I'm ashamed my last update in this running-specific blog dates back prior to 2007 income tax being due. Then again, I'm a touch nostalgic for a pre-credit crunch world. So it goes.)

I'm pretty excited: seemingly out of nowhere, I've got my next marathon scheduled for December 13th, 2008: The Rocket City Marathon in Huntsville, Alabama. This is sort of a nutjob ambition. I haven't been training for any distance in months; my last run longer than 10 miles was in May at the Indy Mini-Marathon. It's madness, but there is a method, and it's not another selfish tilt at the Boston windmill. I have two goals: to join a friend who's working his way through 50 marathons in 50 states before he turns 50, and to run for a charitable cause, as so many have done before me. And now, please allow me to provide the backstory:

Brad Feld is a friend and investor in our most recent company, FeedBurner. He's the guy with the 50/50/<50 ambition, and as you can see, he's 13/50ths complete in this challenging goal. A while back I promised him I'd join him on one of his marathon stops. For whatever reason, I decided to check in this fall and find out what his last race of 2008 might be. Turns out it's Rocket City, in Huntsville. I haven't been to Alabama since we drove through the state when I moved as kid from Florida to Texas, so I decided it's worth a trip in December to see what's what in the northern part of the state. Of course, being an impulsive decision, it was made just ~2 weeks ago, and I'm totally not in any sort of marathon groove. Training runs in Chicago, in November, are cold, dark, solitary affairs. How will I cope?

Brad's not running these to set land speed records; it's all about conditioning himself to chew up distance and notch steady, relentless achievement. He's planning to run this between 4:30 and 5:00, and I think this is a pace I can manage on short notice if I crank up the discipline now and build a "crash course base." But there are no guarantees you will finish any marathon, whether you've trained all summer or barely a month; fate's a bitchy training partner.

So I decided to make the effort the focus, not the usual goal of finishing strong/fast/semi-upright: I'd like to ask you to pledge a dollar amount you're comfortable with for each mile I complete. I will of course do my damnedest to finish the entire race with Brad, but even if I don't, I want a charity to gain from the day. And that charity is one with Shobe family connections: Children's Medical Missions.

About CMM: My cousin Greg Shobe's wife, Tami, leads CMM from their home in Ohio. Its mission is to bring children from Third World countries to the United States for surgery they could not obtain or pay for in their homelands. Greg and Tami find families to host these children during their stays; all medical and logistical fees are covered by donations. Why do they do this? Because this is what "Real America" does: take some of our energy, generosity, and access to incredible capability, and reinvest it in others so that they might one day do something great. That "greatness" can be as simple as living a better life. This is such honorable work; its conclusion with each child is its only reward.

CMM needs money to continue to bring children over here, arrange hosting, and pay for procedures. I plan to provide my own donation, but I would be honored if you pledged a value you feel appropriate. The winning formula: