Why Running For A Cause

I started to run roughly 3 years ago.

It all started with a year-long challenge, called taming twelve monkeys, in which I picked a specific setback (or unsolved situation) I identified in my behavior and dedicated an entire month to solve it.

One of those 12 months was about running. I always was fond of it, you know, I always wanted to run, but never really took the time to dive into it and make it a habit. So, during that 30 days challenge, I did my best to become a runner. And, eventually, a few bruises and swollen feet later, it worked out.

Soon after a that, in October 2012, I ran my first marathon, in Bucharest. Since then, I also ran 2 semi-marathons, a few 10k and 5k races, on various terrains and set ups and, in 2013, my second marathon, in Vienna. Now I train pretty much every week and I made running a constant part of my life.

Why Running For A Cause?

This fall, in October, I will run the Lisbon marathon. I felt so good last year in Vienna, running for 4 hours on the streets of that beautiful city, that I decided I’ll do at least one marathon each year in a city I’ve never been before. Hence, the choice of Lisbon: never been there and I’m a really curious (and stubborn) individual.

But, a few days ago, after I registered for the Lisbon race, I realized there will be soon another race I want to attend to, a mountain race, in one of the most beautiful sceneries in the world: Transfagarasan. For those of you who never heard of it, Transfagarasan is a road in Romania, between two mountain chains, so beautiful, that even Jeremy Clarkson, from Top Gear, a well know ironical and cynical lad, fell in awe and shouted: “Thank you, Romania, for having this”. The race will be in the second half of September. Pretty close to the Lisbon marathon.

Transmaraton, that’s the name of the race, is a charity race. Meaning you have to pick a cause to run for, in order to be on that road. You can run a semi-marathon or a full marathon. Given the fact that Transmaraton is so close to Lisbon marathon, I decided I’ll run just a semi-marathn there (and make it count as a “long race” for the marathon training – runner will understand what I mean by that).

Running for a cause is something I never did so far. And as I was going through the process of registering for Transmaraton, I realized I really like it. Here are the main 3 reasons, as I slowly uncovered them during the last few days.

1. It’s About Somebody Else

When you run, you fight your own limits. You reach a certain plateau and then strive to go beyond it. Everything happens between you and that limit you’re constantly chasing.

But if you run for a cause, something (or, to be more clear, somebody) else will join the party. It’s like you’re not alone anymore. Or at least that’s how I feel about it now. The feeling that my running will bring anther person with me (as a spectator, donor or just beneficiary of the money raised) is very nice.

2. It Will Make A Difference

It’s not just about running. It’s about money. People who want to support that cause (which is called “Scoala de Valori” – The Values School) will actually take some money out of their pocket and move it into that cause’s pocket. And some teenagers will benefit from that. They will have access to better tools and they’ll be exposed to new environments.

It’s not like I’m just running. I’m running with a purpose.

3. It’s An Extra Motivator

Sometimes I fall behind the schedule. Eventually, I recover, but there’s no one watching, you know what I mean? I am pretty good at maintaining discipline, but every now and then I need some time for myself.

Running for a cause will make me a bit more aware about those tiny hiccups. Maybe I’ll pay more attention to the schedule and get bit more adherence to the plan.

How Can You Help?

The official fundraising page is here:

Dragos Roua – Transmaraton

The text is in Romanian, but, basically, I tell there that I run because I believe in that cause, because running keeps me healthy, because running is the only way that I can communicate with some people and, last, but not least, that I run because running is a form of mediation in movement.

You can donate any amount you want (and rest assured that any amount is appreciated) starting from 10 RON (roughy $3). It’s my first race as a fundraiser and the my target for it is 3000 RON (roughly $900). I don’t know yet if it’s too much or too little, will see how things go along the path. There is also a counter on the top right corner of the page telling you how many days there are left. Right now, there are 76 more days until the race.

So, that’s it. See you on Transfagarasan 🙂