My dear blog readers: Why I need your help

So it is now a little more than a month before the Boston Marathon. I'm getting more and more excited, and a bit nervous, each day. Amazingly enough, I only have two more long runs left before the taper period begins.

While my training is going well, I can't say the same about my fundraising. I've set out to raise $2,500 as part of the Tufts President's Marathon Challenge, which raises money to fund important research to fight childhood and adolescent obesity. I know this is a lofty goal, but I do believe with your help, I can achieve it.

For those of you who have already contributed a HUGE thank you! You are really helping me make this experience extra special. For those of you who haven't quite gotten to it yet, I hope you will contribute even just $10 to help me achieve my goal.

If you're still wavering about contributing, here are a few reasons to give:

• It's incredibly motivating for me to have all of your support. It may sound cheesy, but when I am struggling with training it's so helpful for me to know that there are people out there who are supporting me. I know that the marathon itself will be an even bigger challenge, but your support will help me through the tough parts.
• Your donations are fully tax deductible and go to an incredibly important cause--fighting childhood and adolescent obesity. The Tufts School of Nutrition has been at the forefront of the fight against obesity, both on a national and local level. They do amazing work and your contribution will help them do more.
• And if none of these serious reasons convince you, think of your contribution as a small price to pay for the hours (or probably minutes) of enjoyment you've received from reading this blog :)

We'll return to our regularly schedule talks about running and fighting obesity soon, but I wanted to interrupt with this important message and request for help. If all of you reading this gave just $10 (or even better, $26-one for each mile!) it will go a long way to helping me achieve my goal.

You can donate online at: http://www.tuftsmarathonchallenge.com/runners/miriamst. If you'd prefer not to donate online, just let me know and I'm happy to give you the address to mail a check. Thank you all so much for your support!