Here is where it starts

Welcome to day one.

I have always been one of those holier than thou boneheads who mocked people who blogged saying that they were self involved d-bags who think that every thought that races through their attention starved minds needs to be heard by the entire world.  I am still going to mock those people but I am also going to spend some time in their world.

I'm starting this blog because we (and by we I mean my wife who is infinately more technologically savy than me) thought that this would be a good way to educate people about the neurological disorder Neurofibromatosis or NF and to publicize the fact that I am running the Boston Marathon to raise money to help fight this disorder.

Why am I raising money for this particular disorder?  I'm glad you asked.  My oldest son Max, who is almost 14 years old, suffers from this indisciminant affliction.  He is a remarkable young man that has been dealt a difficult hand.  He suffers from some learning disabilities, small tumors that have grown on top of his skin, a more complex tumor (called a plexiform neurofibroma) that has grown underneath his skin on his elbow, gross motor skill problems, fine motor skill problems and a level one astrocytoma on his brain.  The brain tumor caused a back up of fluid on his brain that had to be corrected with surgery.  So you see life hasn't been easy for him. 

So that is why I am running the Boston Marathon.  If Max can live his entire life dealing with his problems then I think I should be able to abuse my body for 26.2 miles.

So join me for the next 6 weeks while I train to beat last years time (5 Hours 21 Minutes and 29 Seconds).  I'll try to make it at least a little interesting.

Oh and before I forget if you want to learn more about the charity that I am raising money for you can visit them here  http://www.nfincne.org/  or if you want to learn a little more about Max you vsist this site that Kristen created. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/maxwellearle

Thanks for listening.