Lacing up for a good cause

Published 8:51 am Wednesday, April 9, 2014

I have a triathlon sticker on the back of my truck.

I didn’t earn the right to put it there. It came with the truck.

If I were to put a sticker on my truck it would be one of those oval ones that show just how far the owner of said sticker has run. You’ve seen them. They are white with a big black 26.2 or 13.1. For those of you who may not know, that means that person has run 26.2 miles or 13.1 miles (for a reason I’ll never understand).

Email newsletter signup

My oval sticker would read 0.0.

I am not a runner.

Don’t get me wrong; I think I’d like to be — although that could just be peer pressure.

You can’t throw a rock these days without hitting a runner. The sport of running has recently seen a spike in popularity.

According to the group Running USA, there were some 15.5 million people who finished running events in 2012, compared with approximately 13 million in 2010.

I have several friends who are runners. They like to share with me all the benefits of running.

They usually tout the numerous health benefits.

I’ve heard how besides helping shed pounds (and I have a few I could afford to shed), research shows that running can raise a person’s levels of good cholesterol and lower his or her risk of developing blood clots.

There are also studies that show running can relieve stress. Researchers say that even short runs can leave a person feeling more energized, more focused, and better able to enjoy all that life has to offer.

The argument for becoming a runner is lengthy and compelling.

It’s just that, well, I really dislike it.

And how healthy is running if you end up becoming the hood ornament on the car of a person who would rather drive the streets than run them.

I know. There’s always running on a treadmill, but isn’t that sort of like being a hamster stuck in one of those little wheels?

Like I said, I’m not a runner.

But Lord willing, I’ll be giving it a shot Saturday at the Healthy Kids 2nd annual 5K/10K/Fun Run — not because I like to run, but because the race is for a good cause.

The event is one of the organization’s fundraisers used to help prevent abuse and neglect in the life of a child.

If you’re a runner you should be there. If you’re like me, and the idea of running makes you tired, you should be there too.

Entertainment will be presented by The Learning Station after the race, featuring Movin’ & Grovin’ to the Hits Concert in the park.

Race day registration begins at 7 a.m. in Confederate Park and the race starts at 8:30 a.m.

The cost to register is $30. For more information or to register, call Lisa Nimmer at (334) 371-2104 or visit active.com to register online. I hope to see you there.