Good thing I like even numbers

So in addition to this fundraising journey, Michael and I are also in the middle of training for our first ever full marathon*.  Today we ran our Longest Run Ever, at 14 miles.  From here on out, they keep getting longer, with mileage increasing by 2 miles for each long run each week.  Because at this point, running an odd-numbered distance would just be crazy talk.

*Don't worry, my GP has already requested a psych consult.  She believes there's nothing medically that would stop me from running a full marathon, but she generally thinks anyone who might want to run for 26.2 miles might not be mentally sound.  This includes her husband, who is a marathoner.

A dose of reality

I hate to go all lawyer on you all, but I regret to inform you that Michael's previous post may have suggested a reward that does not exist.  Oh OK, I'll cut to the chase:  there is no Golden Colon Award. So don't be afraid that your donation will lead to an awful tacky dust collector.  Unless of course you want a Golden Colon Award.  'Cause if that will lead you to all try to out-donate each other, please, I'll make it myself.  Heck, I'll subject myself to all sorts of embarrassments for a donation--anyone want an experienced Chicken Dancer for their next event?

Origins

Some of you may be wondering why this blog is named the Golden Colon Gazette. Well, the simple answer is that it is the news portal for Team Golden Colon. You were, however, likely able to figure that out on your own. What you were probably really wondering is why we named our team for Team Challenge Team Golden Colon. For the answer to that, we have to go back, way back, to a mystical time known as 2011.

This might come in handy...

For those of you capable of remembering things that happened six months ago (which, according to Katie, I certainly cannot), there was a little contest called IBD Icons. I say little, but the competition eventually garnered over 150,000 votes and raised $20,000 for IBD (Crohn's and Colitis) research. If you're interested, you can read all about it here. The competition chose one person with Crohn's and one with Colitis to be named national IBD Icons at a presentation in Vegas before the Rock & Roll Marathon last December. Katie was the winner amongst those with Colitis.

Now, some of you may know my father and his sense of humor. One of the more notorious examples would be giving me the nickname Bud - not because I was his pal, but because as a kid his family had had a great coondog named Bud. This was information I was not privy to until after I met Katie. Fun times. Anyway, I bring this up because after we learned that Katie had won, I called my parents to let them know. My dad wondered if Katie got anything other than recognition and a trip to Vegas. I said I didn't think so. He then proceeded to suggest that she was being cheated, and perhaps there should be some sort of statue, such as a golden colon, that could be given to her to place upon the mantle when we returned. I thought that was a brilliant idea. My father, naturally, did as well.

Alas, there was to be no golden colon handed out in Vegas. When Christmas rolled around, both my father and I thought about going to medical supply stores to find a model of a colon we could purchase, paint gold, and give to Katie as a Christmas gift. You know, to ease her disappointment (and to jazz up the living room). Sadly, our senses of humor are apparently better at coming up with jokes than seeing them through, because Katie still doesn't have her golden colon statue.

So now you know why we are Team Golden Colon. And now for the best part - I have found a place to get an anatomical model of the colon. So I hereby announce that the largest donor to Team Golden Colon will get - wait for it - a golden colon to proudly display in your home. That's almost as good as an Oscar. Almost.