The tables have turned. We need your help!

I’m not a runner. I’m not sure why, but I have never reached what some people refer to as a “runner’s high.” It might have something to do with me coming from the south, where it is simply too hot to run in marathons or other long-distance races. Sure, there are some marathons in my home of Little Rock, but the turnout doesn’t compare to that of the marathons in Boston, New York and Chicago.

However, a friend of mine recently gave me a new perspective on running marathons. As I said, I’ve been averse to the idea for quite some time (and although I attribute my distaste for running to conditions of my upbringing, it’s probably all because I used to find running boring). My friend Bob told me to look at running the same way I view cycling – with a goal or event to aim toward.

This new pattern of thought has gotten me thinking: how great would it feel to complete even a half marathon? There would definitely be a feeling of physical accomplishment – one that I’m not sure I’ve achieved (sure, I earned an undergraduate degree and have been working toward my master’s at a well-regarded school, but that’s a different type of accomplishment). Training for a huge event like the Chicago Marathon would be a fantastic way to see the city, meet some fantastic folks and develop some healthy habits all at the same time.

Although marathon training offers many benefits, there are more that can be attached to a training program. For example, signing up for the Run Red Team, the official marathon training team of the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago. This team provides support to members who choose to commit to certain fundraising goals.

We need your help this year to fill our spots on the Run Red Team. The deadline to sign up is next Tuesday (June 30), so there isn’t much time to act. We know there are a lot of teams that have open spots, but we think our cause is one that could benefit from having such dedicated team members helping us to raise funds. Your support in helping us find team members to help raise funds for the Chapter would go a long way toward helping us develop much needed funding so we can continue to help people in the community.

So, please, give us a hand. Sign up for our team. If you can’t sign up for the team, help us recruit people. Link to this blog, fire up that Twitter account of yours and shoot out some updates on your Facebook account. Thanks for your support!

Gentry Lassiter is an intern in the Marketing & Communications department of the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago.