1,403,829 people

have helped

raise $77,160,139

for

17,075 nonprofits

using Firstgiving

Charity banner image
Matt's Marathon Countdown
Page Creator: Matthew Bernstein
Event: Boston Marathon 2005
Event Starts: Apr 18th 2005
Fundraising Page Image
Me at Canton 10K, 10/31 (47:58)
About my nonprofit:
Pine Street Inn
When night falls in Boston, 6,200 people have no place to call home. Many of these men and women turn to Pine Street Inn for help, and each is welcomed as a guest. Founded in 1969, Pine Street Inn is New...
Show More >>
Fundraising target: $5,000
So far I have raised: $6,516.00
Fundraising progress
25% 50% 75% 100%
Share this page
My personal message:
Thursday, 4/21/05
Drum roll ... I did it! Of course, on Monday after the race, I didn't have the energy for the exclamation point. Why, I could hardly talk, or walk, without the overwhelming urge to pass out, throw up, or both. (Is that how Sixties rock stars felt?)
Anyway, in short, it was hot, it was brutal, and yes, I want to do it again next year.
VITAL STATISTICS:
My time: 4:35:18
My time factoring in the 21:42 it took me to even reach the starting line: 4:57:00
Weeks of training: 18 Miles of training: 391 Number of contributors to Pine Street Inn: 115 and counting! Sunday, Marathon Eve DEDICATIONS To Jayne, the greatest running partner a guy could ask for. To Jake, who fills me with inspiration every morning he wakes up singing. To all my friends, who make me smile and smile and smile. To Mom, who said, "Commit yourself to the subject," and who dragged me on long walks when I was Jake's age. To Nan, whose pride and excitement are palpable from North Carolina to here. To Laur, who ran around that track in Berkeley while I watched lazily. To Marg, my laughing partner. To Nana, a great and frequent cheerleader, and to the Ogata clan for their high spirits. To my contributors, whose generosity, support, and encouragement mean so much to so many besides me. To my Pine Street teammates, who keep me going. To Hal Higdon, whose book was my bible. To Tom Donnelly, my Haverford track coach and a great one, who said during one meet, as I rounded the track, "You can catch that guy." And I did. To Miss Gallagher, my junior high gym teacher, who told me I ran funny. To my Dad, who would have really enjoyed this. Fri., 4/15/05 OK, wow. What a journey it has been up to this point, and the race is still 2 and a half days away. I started training 18 weeks ago, on a chilly Tuesday in December, with a 3-mile run. Since then I've logged a total of 391.1 miles, and as you can see above, raised over $6,300 for the great cause of the Pine Street Inn. I couldn't have done either without the support and encouragement of so many people. Now there's nothing to it but to do it. Oh, by the way, let me tell you my secret weapon: When things get really tough, I sing. I sing loud. I sing songs by Warren Zevon, Tom Petty, Dylan, anything to keep me going. So that ought to keep all the other runners a safe distance away! As for the weather report ... aw, whatever. Thurs., 4/14/05 Concluded my training with a nice little 2-miler today. 3 days of rest await. Or 3 days of the nagging fidgets. Depends on how you look at it. Thanks to many many people for a burst of support for Pine Street. Really tremendous. Tues., 4/12/05 Bought the new Garbage CD today. Propulsive beats, loud guitars, Shirley Manson screaming. Good music for taper-off week. Can't believe the race is less than a week away. Ran 3 miles today, will run 4 tomorrow, and 2 on Thursday, and then -- hmm, maybe a couple days of sheer sloth. Then: Monday. Wed., 4/6/05 On not quitting: I recall freshman year at Haverford. Fall 1979. And I'm getting the first lousy grades of my life and questioning what I'm doing there. My mother helped me stick to the task at hand with these words: "Commit yourself to the subject." Those words will come in handy around, oh, mile 23 or 24. Tuesday, 4/5/05 Today I topped my goal of $5,000 for the Pine Street Inn, and what with spring in the air and baseball in the air -- @#$%&* Yankees! -- I couldn't be happier. Now it's less than 2 weeks till the big day, and I'm officially tapering off. Got a bit of a scare last week when I started to develop shin splints in my left leg after an especially fast 8-mile run on Wednesday. Took a few days off, rested and iced the leg, stretched like PlasticMan, and got back at it on Sunday for an easy 8-miler. (Sunday, by the way, was my 44th birthday, and Jayne and Jake surprised me with a wonderful overnight to Plymouth on Saturday.) A final word about the too-fast 8-miler that nearly sidelined me last week: I recall the inspirational words of my father, who routinely sent me out of the house with this advice: "Don't do anything stupid." Easy now. Monday, 3/28/05 Wow. Or pfew. Either one applies after Saturday's 21+-mile run from Hopkinton to Heartbreak Hill and beyond. I was among hundreds of runners from various teams to get one last Big Kahuna behind me before the big day, and we had great weather, incredible support along the course (a woo-woo goes out to our team coordinators Shauna and Jeff, who were near mile 9 with Gatorade and jelly beans), and just an all-around wonderful time. A highlight: Jayne and Jake were at Woodland in Newton to cheer us on, then they followed us along the course to shout encouragement at the Newton fire station, and were there at the BC stop on the Green Line to transport our tired frames the 2 miles back to our cars at Marathon Sports. Now it's time to do what the veterans call tapering off for a few weeks. Oh, and today, I'm going for a massage. Ahhhhh. Then, on the 18th, nothing to it but to do it. Thanks to all for your support! Monday, 3/21/05 Ran the New Bedford Half Marathon yesterday and had a great time. It was really helpful to get some race experience in, with the Marathon a month away. (Notes to self: Always pack your own safety pins, in case they run out. Also, gloves are always nice when you're running along the ocean -- dummy.) I had wanted to finish in under 2 hours and run about a 9:00 pace, and as it happened, I crossed the line at 1:53:29, an 8:40 pace, and except for some aching quads, I'm feeling good a day later. With midweek runs of 5, 9, and 5 miles, that marked another 30+ week. Another highlight: Met team member Barbara Szoradi, from the D.C. area, at our meeting Saturday. She flew in just for the occasion. She's a veteran of 6 marathons and a great inspiration. Finally, but most important, I crossed the $4,000 mark in fund-raising today, thanks to an up-to-minute contribution. If you haven't had a chance to donate to the Pine Street Inn yet, there's still time, and of course, if you know anyone who might be interested in this cause, please forward them a link to this site. Thanks. Tuesday, 3/15/05 The ides of March: I'm in my 14th week of training and spring is not just in the air, it's in the offing. Can't wait. Last week I battled a cold, so I trimmed my Tuesday run from 4 to 3 miles and Wednesday's from 9 to 6; then got back on track for 5m on Thurs., but here's the crazy thing: because of a snow and sleet storm on Saturday, I came in to work and ran 18 MILES ON THE TREADMILL. I survived, thanks to lots of loud music (fortunately I had the gym mostly to myself). But I'm glad to be back outside again. Finally, this Sunday I'm running the New Bedford Half Marathon. It'll be good to experience race conditions a few weeks before the Marathon. Tuesday, 3/8/05 Last week's running totals: Tues., 4m; Wed., 8m; Thurs., 5m, and Sat., 12m, for a total of 29 miles. Today we're deluged by rain here in Boston, and they say it'll turn to snow tonight. Will it never end? You'll see above that fund-raising continues apace, which is very exciting. I have little doubt that I'll reach my goal of raising $5,000 for the good folks of the Pine Street Inn. Oh, and tomorrow, the 9th, if you happen to run into Nancy Bernstein, give her a big hug and wish her a happy birthday from all of us. Tuesday, 3/1/05 Last week at this time I was downtown at Pine Street Inn, putting salt and pepper shakers on tables in the dining room and preparing to take a tour of the site. Later, we -- that is, a number of other teammates and I -- served dinner to 411 men, young and old, between 5:00 and 6:00. It helped make what I'm running for so much more tangible. I'm looking forward to bringing my family in for a tour of Pine Street, so that they can share this with me. As for the training, it's going very well. Last week marked another in a string of personal bests I've marked throughout this experience: I ran a total of 32.6 miles, more than I've ever logged in one week: Tues. (4m), Wed. (8.2m), Thurs. (4m), and the Big Kahuna Burger on Sat. (16.4m). Monday night, 2/21/05 Really looking forward to tomorrow night, when I'll volunteer for the evening meal service at Pine Street and take a tour of the shelter. I expect I'll see other team members there. Logged 24.2 miles last week: 3 on Tues., 7.2 on Wed., and 4 on Thurs., with 10 miles on Saturday for my long run (a refreshing step back from last week's 17-miler). Sunday night, 2/13/05 Great day for running yesterday, as I joined the American Liver Foundation's team (what great hosts) and members of Children's Hospital's team for a roughly 17-mile run along the Boston Marathon course, from Natick (Lake Cochituate) to Boylston Street. Fellow Pine St. team members Peggy Schumann, Bill MacDonald, and Sandy Marwill ran too, and Bill was my running partner. And yes, there's definitely a difference between running 13.1 and 17; I'm feeling it today. But mostly I feel great for having had the chance to run en masse and get my first taste of the Marathon course. And 17 miles put me at 31 miles for the week, more than I've ever run in a week. I'm halfway to my marathon goal, and ALMOST halfway to my fund-raising goal. This week, at the same time I plan to ease up on my miles for a total of about 24, I plan to step up fund-raising by sending out a 2d round of letters. If you're reading this, thanks so much for your support and interest. I'm halfway there. Sunday night, 2/6/05 Patriots win! Super Bowl champs! OK, that said, here's what's new in my world: Ran 13.1 miles on Saturday, and yes, that is HALFWAY to 26.2. And I feel great (except for a slightly sore right ankle, which I twisted at mile 3. Ibuprofen -- the wonder drug). With 3-milers on Tues. and Thurs. and a 6-miler on Wed., that puts me at 25.1 miles for the week. So I'm approaching my 9th week of training with the thrill of knowing I'm nearly HALFWAY -- there's that word again -- through my 18 wks of training. And as you can see from the top of this page, I crossed the $2,000 mark in contributions to Pine Street this past week, which puts me nearly HALFWAY -- OK, it's a theme -- to my fund-raising goal. Thanks to all for their support and encouragement. Saturday night, 1/29/05 I'm back on track with my training. Ran 21 miles this week, 3 on Tues., 6 on Wed. (both on the treadmill at the gym -- thank heavens for the "Run Lola Run" soundtrack) and 12 miles today on the streets of Milton. We got a break from the freezing weather (temps in the low 30s), but the enormous mounds of snow and general absence of sidewalk space made the run a little rocky at times. Hard to believe that after 12 miles I'd still have more than half of a marathon to go. Ah well, little by little. Also, another great week for fund-raising, pretty much doubling the previous week's level. Formal thank-yous will be forthcoming in April. Meanwhile, just know, all of you, that your support means so much to Pine Street Inn and puts a palpable lift in my Asics. Saturday night, 1/22/05 A great week for fund-raising -- supporters have contributed over $700 to date, which is very encouraging. Thanks to all who have given to the Pine Street Inn. As for training, well ... I've been wrestling with a nasty virus this week, which has kept me off the roads. I had hoped to run a total of 18 miles, but instead, nada. So now I approach my 7th week of training with resolve to get back on track: 3 miles on Tues., 6 on Wed., 3 more on Thurs., then -- get this -- 12 on Saturday. Wish me luck. Sunday night, 1/16/05 I completed my 5th week of training with a 10-mile run yesterday around the streets of Milton. Took me 92 minutes, and today I'm feeling fine, so ... so far, so good. This week's training schedule: Tues. (3 miles), Wed. (5m), Thurs. (3m), and Sat. (7m). 1/12/05 Just a quick note to let you all know that I'll be updating this page frequently with news of my training and other information. Today: I ran 5 miles in the rain and felt great. This Saturday: I'll run double that (rain or shine), and we'll see how I feel. 1/11/05 Happy New Year! I have a major resolution for 2005, and I am writing to ask for your help to make it happen. I intend to run the Boston Marathon, and to raise at least $5,000 for the Pine Street Inn. Why the Pine Street Inn? Because it is New England's leading resource for homeless and formerly homeless people. Founded in 1969, Pine Street serves 1,200 men, women, and children each day through outreach services, emergency shelter, job training, and permanent, affordable housing. Why the Boston Marathon? To quote the mountain climbers: Because it's there. Because it's been my dream since I started to make running my obsession about five years ago. Because this year I believe realizing this dream is very much within my grasp. Running 26.2 miles seems like a very distant goal to me now. Meanwhile, every night, for thousands of Bostonians, finding a place to call home is a distant goal. Many of these people, in ever growing numbers, turn to the Pine Street Inn for help. I am asking you to please donate whatever you can to help support the Pine Street Inn. (To learn more about Pine Street, please visit www.pinestreetinn.org.) Many thanks for your support -- and feel free to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too. Matt mattjb@peoplepc.com

Online Sponsors to date:
Display Name Date Amount  Comment
4/21/2005 $50.00 Congrats Matt! 
4/18/2005 $50.00 Sing loud, Matt. You're an inspiration. 
4/15/2005 $35.00 Good luck Matt! May all those miles in Milton pay off! 
4/14/2005 $25.00 Good luck! Happy running! 
4/14/2005 $25.00 go, matt 
4/13/2005 $25.00  
Anonymous 4/12/2005 $50.00  
4/12/2005 $100.00  
Anonymous 4/12/2005 $10.00  
4/11/2005 $30.00 when in doubt -- hydrate 
4/5/2005 $100.00 We are with you every step of the way! We love you! J and J 
Anonymous 4/4/2005 $50.00  
4/2/2005 $50.00 thanks for doing this, matt. bravo! 
3/30/2005 $25.00 I raise a PowerGel to your name.  
Anonymous 3/28/2005 $400.00  
3/26/2005 $50.00 Go Get 'em Matt!! 
3/24/2005 $25.00 Good Luck Matt! 
3/16/2005 $25.00 The Forest Family believes in you - run hard 
Anonymous 3/13/2005 $25.00  
3/3/2005 $50.00 good luck matt. don't start off too fast! 
2/26/2005 $100.00 we're behind you all the way matt! go for it! 
2/23/2005 $100.00 Nobody calls me a Sprankhaus and gets away with it! Go kick some patootie! 
2/23/2005 $100.00 "I'll be ready when my feet touch ground" 
Anonymous 2/16/2005 $50.00  
2/14/2005 $25.00 To my wonderful Brother, Matt and whatever he supports, I'm "In." 
2/7/2005 $25.00 Go Matt! You are an inspiration (makes me want to dust off my running shoes)! 
Anonymous 2/2/2005 $35.00  
Anonymous 2/1/2005 $250.00  
1/29/2005 $25.00  
1/28/2005 $25.00  
1/24/2005 $50.00 This in exchange for no graphics changes after 8 p.m. ;-| 
1/21/2005 $50.00 Avoid the purchase circle at Cleveland Circle! rock on 
1/19/2005 $20.00 Good luck, Matt. We'll be watching, and thanks for doing this for Pine St. 
1/12/2005 $50.00  
Anonymous 1/11/2005 $25.00  
1/10/2005 $50.00 You're awesome, Matt. Go for it! 
* Total raised online: $2,180.00
Amount raised offline: $4,336.00
Grand Total: $6,516.00
Edit your page
Add images, your story, videos, tags, and more.
  rss logo  | more about RSS  

  

 add to Del.icio.us   
If you find anything on this page offensive, please report it to us in confidence by clicking here

* - Transaction fees apply to this amount.

Firstgiving — Fundraising made easy