Hello AVLF friends and family!
As I prepare to run my first marathon, I’m writing to ask for your kindness and support.
This past weekend I set out for 8 miles in falling snow. It was slick, it was slushy, it felt like running in sand – and I loved it (visual proof below). If you know me at all, you know this is wildly out of character. Three years ago my husband drove me to what would have been my first 5K. As we approached the dropoff spot and I looked out at the cold, rainy conditions, I asked him to detour and instead wound up at IHOP gleefully eating pancakes and eggs.
My first marathon experience will be conquering the Boston Marathon. I’ve witnessed this event as a spectator for 16 years – 500,000 people line the streets from Hopkinton, Massachusetts, to the finish line on Boylston Street. I’ve never seen anything like the amount of support and pride displayed on Marathon Monday, and it will impel me to put one foot in front of the other for 26.2 miles.
As a John Hancock employee charity runner, I am fundraising for Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation, the largest provider of pro bono legal services in Greater Atlanta. AVLF works tirelessly to provide equal access to our civil legal system for people who cannot afford legal representation. It’s also helmed by my Dad, who has spent much of his life promoting these same ideas. I’m incredibly proud to run for AVLF and help fund all the work done by my Dad and the staff. My Crowdrise fundraising page is here.
Over the coming weeks, I’ll share some of AVLF’s stories of success, as well as updates from the road as I build mileage and take on new challenges (single digit temperatures are heading my way!). Thank you in advance for your messages and financial support. They will keep me moving, particularly on the days when it’s snowy, I’m tired, and the only thing I want is a stack of pancakes.
Love,
Blair
