Sure, 13.1 Boston is a half-marathon. Yup, I could have just signed up, paid the registration fee, and run the race. But this race is so much more than just a race. It's a race to find a cure for Crohn's and colitis.
After living with Crohn's disease for almost a year and a half, I know first-hand some of the implications that the disease has on one's lifestyle. I've learned that I seriously need to manage my stress levels, because if I don't I'll most likely force another relapse. I need to watch what I eat and really take the motto "everything in moderation" to heart, because if I binge on any one thing I know that I'll be feeling it the next day. I know what it's like to spend days in bed in crippling pain and that there's really nothing I can do about it but wait for the drugs to kick in. I also know that some kids have never known a day without the disease and that they have gone through several major surgeries because the treatments available to them aren't sufficient to help them battle off Crohn's and UC.
Also, working in the research industry, I know first-hand the importance and high-cost of state-of-the-art research. And don't think people in the sciences are making boatloads of money. Trust me, we're not. We're all in research because we are truly passionate about what we're doing. I mean, there's really not too many people who will tell you that they love their job, but we're those people.
I also know that any donation, no matter how big or small, is a significant donation. Because as a collective whole the money we raise will go to fund the best projects overlooked by the best scientists in the field. So $50, $25, $10, or the spare change in your pocket will get us one step closer to finding a cure for Crohn's and colitis. That's why this race is so much bigger than some time that I'm looking to beat. It's all about conquering a chronic disease.
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