Running in a Fur Coat

I've been "running" a lot lately, in a shuffley kinda way. Looks funny, but feels good. Feels so good, in fact, that I'm planning my first marathon. It's not until May 2009, but there are plenty of runs in between, including the Santa Barbara Half-Marathon, 13.1 miles on November 1. Not only will this be my first half marathon, it also gives me a chance to tout a worthy cause as a member of Team DAWG, even if my dogs are sidelined (cause: littleness).

By any measure, except physiological, I am a dog person. Over the years, I've adopted quite a few from the animal shelter, many in their golden years—not that any of them were actual Goldens, they were just old. It breaks my heart that some of the sweetest, most loving creatures in the world are going to spend tonight in a kennel with a concrete floor. At least Santa Barbara strays have DAWG working for them, organizing a steady stream of volunteers to walk and foster them.

Team DAWG is raising funds during the SB Half-Marathon by asking team runners to raise at least $100, with 100% of the money raised going to the Dog Adoption Welfare Group. So, here's the audience participation part of the blog: would you consider sponsoring me as I run 91.7 dog miles?

Maybe it's more accurate to call it 6.55 dog miles, since dogs run with twice the number of legs and half the distance per leg... but 91.7 miles sure sounds more impressive, especially considering they do it wearing fur coats.