WHY TEAM RESILIENCE?
As someone who struggled with depression throughout adolescence—and still does to this day—Erika's Lighthouse's mission is one that hits close to home. I was (relatively) fortunate enough to have a have a clear and understandable impetus for my depression, an early diagnosis, and a supportive and understanding family unit, but not every struggling youth is so lucky. As I've experienced and seen among my own friends and family, many people are unable to fully express their struggles, or feel that they have to hide them from those around them, not letting other's know the depths of their feelings until it's too late. As such, I feel that Erika's Lighthouse work to not just inform but empower students to destigmatize depression and reach out to each other in ways they find comfortable is invaluable.
ABOUT ME
My name is Colin, and I'm an indie pet store clerk, an aspiring, block-bitten writer, and an amateur runner from and based in Chicago, and I’ll be running in the Chicago Marathon on October 12th for Team Resilience.
I did a couple 5ks and an 8k back in highschool, but didn't really get into running until 2022, inspired by my mother's journey to run her first marathon. In the last couple years, I've worked at increasing my mileage and race distances, running my first 10ks in 2023, my first half marathon in April 2024 (Chi Town Half, 1:54:25), and then my first trail half a month later (Ice Age Trail, 2:29:58). After the trail race, as I was beginning to consider stepping up to the full marathon distance, one of my best friends told me about Team Resilience and their fundraising option for the Chicago Marathon.
Wanting to get some experience at the distance and build myself up before running one of the World Marathon Majors, I ran the Indianapolis Marathon in November 2024, though a snakebit, start-stop training block foreshadowed a race where I started well but hit the wall hard around mile 21, limping in just under 5:30.
To prepare, I went back for the Ice Age Trail race in Wisconsin with my mother for their 50k (31.1 miles, which she completed last year) in May to build stamina and confidence in my ability to handle the time and distance required (plus some); while I didn’t have quite the day I was hoping for (GI issues around miles 10 and 22, hitting the wall around 5 hours in), I was able to trudge in a bit over 8 hours.
After that and a short recovery period, I started up my Chicago training block proper, with the data from all my training runs posted on my Strava (linked below). Having sorted out the problems I was having last summer and fall—and hoping I can avoid the wall by developing enough speed that time-on-feet doesn’t become an issue—my goal for Chicago is a big marathon PB of 3:55.
INCENTIVES
Every donor will receive a message of appreciation from me, regardless of amount. Every individual dollar and cent has the same value once it’s in the pot.
Everyone who donates $10 or more (USD, in case that needs to be stated) will instead, if they would like, be entitled to a physical thank you note.
Everyone who donates $25 or more by October 10th will be able to suggest a song for my race-day playlist. I’m not gonna be picky when it comes to genre, but it can’t take up too much time on the playlist (no live Phish jams), a consistent tempo would be preferable (frequent beat switches does not a good running song make), and it probably shouldn’t be too annoying (I know that’s subjective, but I’m just not putting Crazy Frog on my running playlist; I would not, could not in a bog, I would not, could not on a log.) Additionally, it does have to be available on streaming platforms, though I haven’t decided what I’ll use for the race. If your first choice doesn’t pass muster (or someone else has already picked it), I’ll reach out and you can pick another.
The top total donor (summing all donations by an individual, if applicable) will be able to design, or at least offer input on, the tattoo I plan to get celebrating finishing the marathon and where it will go. Some stipulations:
- I’m not getting it on my head, neck, hands, feet, or anywhere I shouldn’t have to specify.
- Nothing too objectionable in terms of design, which I mean here as “explicit” or “going against my moral principles”. I recognize that that’s both vague and subjective, so if you’re interested in chasing this incentive but aren’t sure if your idea will fly, feel free to check with me before donating.
- In the unlikely event that this matters, companies and corporations will not be counted as “donors” for this purpose.
- I’m also not going to count donations from my mother (Maria Minor—or myself, obviously) towards this particular incentive.
If, at the time of the donation window’s closing, by either coincidence or machination, there is a two-person tie for the top total, and their ideas are too disparate, or good but too specific, to be worked into one cohesive tattoo, I might be able to be convinced to spring for both; if there’s a tie of three or more, though, I’m going to have to insist on a game of blindfolded rock-paper-scissors over Zoom or something.
