Lee's 100 Mile Run for Posoltega

Latest donation total

noreply@blogger.com (Mr LEE) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 16:58:00 +0000

Now that the run is over I suppose that donations will begin to taper off. The latest total is $6,091. WAY more than I had expected. Thank-You everyone. The Posoltega lunch program is now alive for another year. LEE

100 miles conquered

noreply@blogger.com (Mr LEE) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 19:01:00 +0000

I finished the 100 miles run today.....How do my feet feel? Tired! (pun intended) My only hope is that I can keep motivated to continue running just for my health. Donations are over $6,000 and I know of several additional donations that are on the way. I'll give the final total in about a week.
I think I'll have an extra beer tonight.

Home stretch

noreply@blogger.com (Mr LEE) — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 19:30:00 +0000

This is the home stretch. Only 2.95 miles to run and my huaraches will have 100 miles under them.
My son, Alex, will run those last miles with me.

radio interview

noreply@blogger.com (Mr LEE) — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 20:09:00 +0000

I just finished doing a radio interview about the run, with a Stephanie Foreman from WIUX, 99.1 FM, the IU station. Stephanie is a good friend of my son Alex.
You can hear it on Sunday evening during their news hour....between 7 and 8 PM. She said it would probably not be at the first part of the show (What? Do you mean I didn't get the whole hour?). Listen in if you find time.
Donations will soon top $6,000. Thanks, everyone.

Was it a bobcat? Mountain lion?

noreply@blogger.com (Mr LEE) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 18:40:00 +0000

   I was trying to cross Tapp Road today. Lots of traffic. I had to wait a long time. As I looked ahead up the trail, I saw an animal that, from the distance of about 150 yards, looked like either a mountain lion or a bobcat. It had a small head and that is why I don't think it was a dog... I hadn't been drinking. ( I'll do that at 4PM) When I got to the place where I saw it cross, I looked deep in to the field and clearings and didn't see it again....Who knows?
   I ran 5.52 miles today. there are only 10.95 to go. I plan on running up to the 100th mile with my son, Alex, who is coming to visit on Wednesday.
   Also, one of his friends from IU is going to interview me tomorrow for a radio program. All publicity helps.

$5,736...with 16.47 miles to go

noreply@blogger.com (Mr LEE) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 19:21:00 +0000

Then what will motivate me to run????

Lee's run in final miles

noreply@blogger.com (Mr LEE) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 19:59:00 +0000

There are now just 21.81 miles to go. I've had a cold and a sore ankle and those two set me back for a week. Now I am back to running. Donations total $5,636. Amazing. The lunch program is now sound for the next year and the Committee now has time to raise funds for the following year. The pressure is off. We don't want to get behind again.

24.21 miles to go. $5,526 raised

noreply@blogger.com (Mr LEE) — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 18:33:00 +0000

I went back to wearing to steel belted huaraches. As it turns out, the newer ones were from a tire that was worn more in its' middle that at the sides, by about 1/8 inch. That means that the outsides of my feet wore not going down as low as the center. Over time and miles this may have cause the pain in my metatarsals and left knee. I ran today without problem. Miles yet to conquer are 24.21. I am very pleased that donations are still coming in and there are still promises to be kept. Thanks, everyone. LEE

Under 30 miles

noreply@blogger.com (Mr LEE) — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 19:41:00 +0000

There are now only 29.61 miles left to conquer. I'm going to try to get it under 25 miles tomorrow. Donations are at $5,386 and I know of three more that will be coming in soon. Now, the program can go back to feeding the kids four weeks a month instead of the three that they had to cut back to recently.
I took a week off of running because of a sore left ankle and a little soreness behind my left knee. It must be my weak side. Now, I am back on the trails. It is still hard to believe that the donations came in so fast. My original thought was that I would receive the first $1,000 easily and then have to run forever to get the rest. Now, I am trying to catch up with the donors. Thanks, everyone for your moral and financial support. Where hungry kids are concerned, there should be no consideration of race, religion or nationality.

Keep watching... new update coming soon

noreply@blogger.com (Mr LEE) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 21:03:00 +0000

Minimum goal met

noreply@blogger.com (Mr LEE) — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 22:09:00 +0000

Donations now are over $5,000. That was my goal, but if you had planned to give, please still do so. $5,000 was my mininum goal. I still have 32 miles to run. Don't stop donating. I've had a sore ankle and am giving myself a break until the weather is a little warmer. Each dollar provides 5 meals. I noticed that the paper says that the local Comminity Kitchen, ( a VERY good organization) needs $500, 000 expand... I only need $5,000 to keep 85 kids fed for a year. As soon as the weather gets warmer I'll hit the trail. Please dig deep. Remember, ALL of your donation is tax deductible and, ALL of the money goes directly to the program. ALL expenses have been covered by volunteers. No other NGO that I can think of can say that.

miles down 67.19,,,, to go 32.81

noreply@blogger.com (Mr LEE) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 20:26:00 +0000

Donations total $4,705. We are really close. Donations are coming in slower lately. Maybe everyone is waiting to see if I actually finish the 100 miles. That is my intention!! Get your checks ready, and thanks for your support.
I had a rough 5.75 miles today. There was a quadricep cramp for the first mile and a half. I ran slowly, but after the one half way point I was actually able to run faster than ever before. I can't figure that out.

latest

noreply@blogger.com (Mr LEE) — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 21:12:00 +0000

Miles down....61.44....miles to go 38.56
Fund total $4,550.
The Posoltega news letter was mailed out on Friday. Maybe that will bring in more much need money. Nothing it brings in will be counted towards the $5,000 that I am trying to raise by running in huaraches, but it will help fund the lunch program. Who would like to take the donation total over the top? LEE

donation address

noreply@blogger.com (Mr LEE) — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 14:50:00 +0000

For those of you who want to donate to this cause, send your check to:

Posoltega Committee
PO BOX 1461
Bloomington, 47402

55.90 miles down

noreply@blogger.com (Mr LEE) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 21:15:00 +0000

   $4,457 is the new total of funds raised. The Sister City, Posoltega website has been off line for a long time and our brave leader, Barbara Seitz is doggedly trying to figure out what happened. A newsletter is going out this weekend and Isaac Salazar, who is from Posoltega and lives here in Bloomington, is planning to do a music event as a fundraiser. Hopefully the committee will soon be back on its feet. Between the downturn in the economy and the higher price of food ( and everything else), we have been brought to our knees.
   Barbara and I returned to Posoltega within a week after the mudslide that killed about 5,000 residents in Posoltega in 1998. I remember being amazed at the power of water and mud. That mudslide was nothing compared to what we are seeing in the videos of the tsunami in Japan. There is an old saying that "nature has a way of taking thing away from you".
   I remember that there was a guy there who had a 'cadaver dog' and he took it all over the worst part of the mudslide area. After a couple of days he said that the dog had found all of the bodies and that we need not go looking in the areas he had searched. We went anyway, and found 11 more bodies. Apparently, the smell of death was so prevalent that the dog just gave up and the handler thought the dog just couldn't smell more death. In fact, there was so much smell of death that the dog didn't know which way to go. It will be the same in Japan after a while. The Nicaragua mudslide area was turned into a national forest and the people were told that they shouldn't live there again. They probably are living there anyway. Do you think that the people of Japan, or New Orleans, for that matter will do much different? Hopefully. I don't know what I would do if I were in their shoes (huaraches).

New (maybe 50 years old) Huaraches. YES!!

noreply@blogger.com (Mr LEE) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 19:58:00 +0000

$4,356.15.....Would someone donate 85 cents so I can round this off? Guess I could do that myself.
I was checking out the old train depot on Grimes lane with Michael Lindeau, Ted Hall, and others whose names I can't recall. Hopefully they will put a bicycle project work center in the building.
While in the area I notice an old tire that had what looked like nylon hanging out from a cut....The light went on in my head...This tire was not steel belted. Granted, it had almost no tread and was extremely old, maybe 50 years, but it was a good candidate for a new set of huaraches that wouldn't stab me from time to time. So,,,,I snatched it. It was easy to cut and now I can run without the fear of those steel belt wires. Maybe Michael will put an huarache repair center along with the bike project !!
Just did a 12 mile bike ride today with my lovely wife, Libby. That doesn't count towards the run total. Rats!

passed 50 miles

noreply@blogger.com (Mr LEE) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 23:22:00 +0000

Miles ran now total 50.47. I ran 7.5 today. I really feel motivated with the weather cooperating like it is.
For those new to this blog, please go to the original post and see what it is all about.
There is something to be said for 70,000 mile tires as huaraches. I've run about 80 miles in them and they show no signs of wear.....except.....they are steel belted. I found out the hard way what that means. The tire is embedded with hundreds of very fine, very sharp, wires. Since I had to cut the tire to make the huarache, I naturally had to cut the wires. Now, they have a habit of sticking out from time to time and STABBING me in the foot. After each run I take the huarache to the bench grinder and try to eliminate the offending wires. Fortunately, the wires are only exposed at the edge of the huarache. Today, a few wire ends dug into my leather laces and they actually weakened it until it broke. I had to stop along the trail and tie several knots to get back to running. In the future I will take an extra lace and some electrical tape with me. The tape can cover exposed wires.
I still need $1000. Please reconsider if you haven't already donated, and also tell your friends about my run. Thanks. LEE

A little about Posoltega.

noreply@blogger.com (Mr LEE) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 22:29:00 +0000

This is a nice little video and it brings back a lot of memories. Two things that it doesn't show are the heat and the poverty.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uCPc0A5ybY&feature=player_embedded

home stretch for donations

noreply@blogger.com (Mr LEE) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 14:03:00 +0000

Thanks to my coffee friends at the Bakehouse, donations are now totaling $4,031.15. I swear that tomorrow I will do a run that takes me over the 50 mile mark.

miles to go--miles ran

noreply@blogger.com (Mr LEE) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 21:34:00 +0000

This weekend I had the pleasure of running a few miles with my daughter, Katie. She had to slow down to keep from getting too far ahead of me. She should have given me a quarter mile "age" handicap because I am almost 40 years her senior, but nnoooooooo.
I have completed 42.97 miles. That means just 57.03 to go.

Japan

noreply@blogger.com (Mr LEE) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 19:48:00 +0000

The new total of money raised is $3,786.15. Getting there.
I won't blame anyone for holding off on a Posoltega donation if they are instead going to make a donation to those suffering in Japan. The videos are stunning....I wish them a speedy recovery, but it looks like it is going to take a looooonnngg time.

Last minute update

noreply@blogger.com (Mr LEE) — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 13:10:00 +0000

Just received another $226. Getting close to the goal. New total is $3,681. Good thing that we now have good running weather.

Running in huaraches update

noreply@blogger.com (Mr LEE) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:22:00 +0000

So far I've run a total of 35.43 miles. Just 64.57 to go. Donations total about $3,455.
A while back I went into one of our local good shoe stores and asked if they had some slippers that were without arches, heels or padding inside. I wanted to use them as my everyday shoes. The young lady working there said, "We don't have anything like that. We are all about comfort." I did not make a "smart remark" to her in response to her comment, but thought as I went out the door, "After working all day in the shoe store, do you go home and leave your shoes on or take them off to be comfortable?"
The latest thing in running shoes is 'minimalist shoes'. Nothing more minimal than a huarache. The 'five finger ' shoes are also supposed to mimic being barefooted. Why not just wear a car tire sandal? Watch the shoe market. You are going to see more and more people wearing and running in huarache style footware. If you have time, read the book, 'Born to run'.

lunch program update

noreply@blogger.com (Mr LEE) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 23:38:00 +0000

I just got word that the lunch program has been cut to only three weeks per month due to lack of funds. Even small donations add up. Here is the address where you can donate. Remember, it is only 20 cents per meal. You do the giving, I'll do the running. I've got almost 30 miles in so far and we have raised over $2000. My goal is $5000. That should keep the kids fed for over a year. . LEE

Bloomington Posoltega Committee
PO box 14 61
Bloomington, Indiana 47402

More about Posoltega

noreply@blogger.com (Mr LEE) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 21:27:00 +0000

Another $775 came in the mail today, and the wonderful, First Presbyterian Church is going to send money for the lunch program. I suspected that the first 1/2 of the money would be the easiest to raise. Now, for the rest. I would hate to have to pull out the "poor me" card by publishing the picture of the guy in the salt mine and saying it was me. Actually, I think I will post that on Facebook soon, just for fun.

Posoltega is about five miles from the nearest large city, Chinandega. Posoltega is about five blocks square. That is just about 1/4 mile square. One summer day we saw a guy pushing an ice cream cart up and down the streets trying to sell ice cream. We, of course, bought some. Later that day, five miles away in the city, we again saw the same guy. I asked him how he got from Posoltega to the Chinandega. "I walked". As I figure it, he walked 10 miles for the round trip as well as up and down the streets of Posoltega on a hot, summer day. No, the people in Nicaragua are not lazy.

During my first trip to Posoltega it was summer and HOT. I was with a group from the First Presbyterian church. Day after day we toiled on various projects. Nights were sweltering.. Then, on one of our last days in town......we discovered........"La CASONA"
They sold COLD beer. I returned to Posoltega 8 more times over the years. Not being one to hit a bar every night, I made an exception whenever I was there. Their fried chicken was "to die for".