Signing up for races has proven to be a great motivator, and now that I have a couple of half-marathons under my belt, I decided that it was time to bite the bullet and sign up for a full marathon. So I did. This October, I will be running the Portland Marathon. Training for this grueling 26.2 mile race is going to require some SERIOUS motivation. More than my measly entrance fee can muster, so I found a way to make my completion of the race carry a bit more weight. I decided to run the race for charity, with the transfer of money raised to my charity of choice contingent on my completion of the race.

Picking a charity was easy. While I was in college, I worked for Ever After Mustang Rescue, and saw first hand what great work they do. All of the volunteers are extremely hard-working, and it is my honor to do whatever I can to aid them in their noble endeavor. I set up a website to collect donations through Firstgiving.com, a site specifically designed to help runners achieve their non-profit, fundraising goals.

I have found this motivational strategy to be incredibly effective (“you better go for a run or little Reno might not get his worming paste!”), and it’s one that I highly recommend to all of you. Not only does it encourage you to do something good for your own health, it allows you to get behind a cause in which you really believe. So c’mon.  Let’s get out there and get running.