18 months ago I did a thing…I jumped off a fence in Pebble Beach and hit the ground harder than I would have liked – a lot harder. I’ll always remember the doctor saying something like, “Your leg is broken in so many places you’ve turned it into a bag of glass.”
It looked like this. I also remember the doctor mentioning that, while I would almost definitely walk again, I shouldn’t hold my breath about running. And he made a valid point that there are plenty of alternatives to running that are less impactful on the body.
But here’s the thing – I used to like running. I ran at least two miles a day since I was 21. A few months before I broke my leg, I even competed in the Beer Mile, chugging a cold beer every quarter mile, and I finished in less than nine minutes.
I lost to this guy, my best friend Jake, who beat me because he basically cheated – he told me he wasn’t training for the race or drinking. Meanwhile, he was doing laps around his neighborhood after work, training his nuts off, and chugging eight cold beers a night. He sandbagged the whole race and I still consider the contest under protest. But because I lost a bet, I’m contractually obligated to post this image. You’ll see Jake has circled my head there like a 2nd grader to point me out “in the way way way back.”
Anyway, when Nikki told me the annual CHIVE K was on the horizon, I gave my canned response that I can’t run anymore and I’ll gladly donate, but I can’t run anymore blah blah. But I couldn’t help but wonder if I might be lying to myself. Can I run?
So I hired a trainer to do this the right way and see if I had any muscle memory of running at all.
What followed was the clumsiest three minutes of my life, but I discovered I wasn’t totally hobbled. Honestly, as a lifetime runner, this was one of the most exhilarating three minutes of my year so far. And somehow, I needed to get from three minutes to 3.1 miles.
I’m completely committed to finishing what I started. Today, we’re announcing the 3rd annual CHIVE K to raise money for Chive Charities, which supports the veterans and orphaned causes of the world. We are fast approaching $15 million in total donations to charity. No other website on Earth is even close, and that’s a testament to our community.
I’ve created my own CHIVE K Crowdrise page this year, and even if you give just $5, it means a lot to me. I’d like to get to $5,000 in donations before I run on September 15th!
Anybody who donates $500 will become my “running coach” and can run with me if you want. Since the CHIVE K falls on the weekend of the Green Gala, anybody already attending has the chance to join me. And for those that don’t, if you donate $500, you will receive two tickets to the nearly sold-out Green Gala in Austin.
But let’s sweeten the pot a little more, shall we? Anybody who donates $500 will also be invited join me after the race at a secret speakeasy in Austin for a little pre-party before the Green Gala. A mixologist like the one above will craft the best cocktails in the world to celebrate. You don’t want to miss this.
Whether you donate $5 or $500 to my CHIVE K Crowdrise page, you’ll be making the world 10% happier! Thank you, Chivers.
KCCO,
John
