FUNKOPOLIS POUNDING THE PAVEMENT

Mother's, there's a mad man running in the streets,

And he's humming a tune,

And he's snarling at dogs,

And he still has four more miles to go.

-Nike ad, May 1990

DISTANCE RUN TODAY:  10.74 miles

TOTAL DISTANCE RUN:  59.95 miles

DISTANCE REMAINING:  NONE!  DONE!!  MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!

WHERE AM I ON "THE VIRTUAL TRAIL"?  Today was the day to finish it, and so I started out where I left off, running down Route 76 East, or the Schuykill Expressway.  Ran all the way down the Schuykill (in most circumstances, running the Schuykill would actually be faster than driving it) until I reached the exit for 676/US 30/Ben Franklin Bridge.  Taking the exit, I turned right onto N. 6th Street, and ran for another 4/10 of a mile, winding up in front of Independence Hall, at 6th and Chestnut Street.  After a quick cheer for making it to my destination, the remainder of the mileage took me a couple of blocks further to a local pub to celebrate with a BIG steak and a few beers!!!

COMMENTARY:  I'll spend at least a day sitting on the experience as a whole before I "wrap up" on here.  Let it be said that I woke up this morning with sore legs, and a stiff back.  I DID NOT want to run.  I tried to rest a little bit, hoping that a few of the pains would work themselves out before it was time for my run.  They didn't.

Finally, around 3:00PM or so, I felt like I couldn't wait any longer.  Knowing today wasgoing to be a 10+ miler, it was going to take some time, and I didn't want to risk getting caught in the rain coming up the coast from Charley, so I finally motivated myself to get my butt out the door.

And within a mile or two, I was feeling better.  And I'm glad I went.  And I'm SO glad I finished running these 59.7 miles.  A true sense of accomplishment.

Around Mile 5, the batteries on my headphones went out, leaving me without my music for the remainder of the run.  Using the music for as long as I have as a distraction/crutch, it's incredibly difficult to go to a "silent" run.  When the music isn't present, there is nothing else to do but to focus on the sound of your breath, and the pace as you quicken.  The sound of your feet hitting the pavement.  You can quite literally hear the sound of your heartbeat pounding in your neck.  You lose the ability to deny to yourself what you are actually doing.  Which is both a blessing and a curse, I suppose.

And if you're keeping score at home, my BodyGlide gave out around Mile 7.5 - ouch.

As I said, I'll write one more entry after today to sum up the results of the Challenge and our Fundraising efforts, but for today let me give one last plea/plug:

If you were waiting for the "results" to come in, well... they're in.  We have a few hours before the challenge grant period will be over, and we've come no where near matching the maximum potential for that grant.

Your donation and/or pledge will continue to be incredibly appreciated right up until the point where we bring our show down to the Phladelphia Fringe Festival in September, but if there's any possible way for you to make that pledge tonight, it would go toward our final tally in the challenge grant.  You can make your donation at:

https://www.fracturedatlas.org/site/contribute/donate/291

Or you can still make a donation via mail today, simply by e-mailing us at FUNKOPOLISFUSION@AOL.COM and letting us know the amount of your donation, and then mailing it to:

Funkopolis - P.O. Box 3251 - Allentown, PA  18106-0251

This is our last chance at matching this grant.  I've done all I can do.  You can help us out tremendously by making even a small donation.

Thanks SO MUCH for all of your support and attention to all of this over the past two weeks - we hope to see all of you at the show in September!!!

tim

funkopolisfusion at 6:55:08 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

DISTANCE RUN TODAY (again):  2.63 miles

TOTAL THUS FAR:  49.21 miles

DISTANCE REMAINING:  10.49 miles

WHERE AM I ON "THE VIRTUAL TRAIL"?  I've managed to make my way about six miles down Route 76 E, heading closer and closer to Phildelphia.  You can almost taste the cheesesteak now!

COMMENTARY:  I went to the gym to try and make up a few miles tonight after being rained out earlier today.  I felt a little weird about going to the gym with a digital camera to take a picture of my mileage, and my watch would have read 0.0 miles, as the GPS would have seen me essentially standing still, being that I was running on the treadmill.  :)

I opted to put one of our publicity shots up tonight, which seems to look a lot better than another sweaty ole picture of me would have.

As I finish this challenge up, the Olympics are about to start, and all I can think about are the runners who will be racing in the Marathon in Athens.  Marathoners tend to like sunny, cool, dry days with temps somewhere in the 60s, maybe.  They like flat, fast courses.  Athens will easily be over 90 degrees, the humidity is outrageous, and rather than having a series of hills (like Boston's Heartbreak Hill), Athens has a hill all right... a 12-mile hill!!!  I am in awe of anyone who can complete the course given those circumstances, let alone actually compete.

More tomorrow!

tim

funkopolisfusion at 9:33:09 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

DISTANCE RUN TODAY:  4.45 miles

TOTAL THUS FAR:  46.58 miles

DISTANCE REMAINING:  13.12 miles

COMMENTARY FOR TODAY:  Well, I anticipated that today was going to be a longer run.  Generally speaking, I've been running every other day for longer distances, and resting on the off day.

I waited a little longer than I should have to start today, though, and got caught in a deluge that forced me to turn around and come back home.  I snapped the picture of myself above, although from the picture it doesn't look like I'm doing too bad - I guess everything is relative - I was sopping wet by the time I returned.

It had rained earlier in the day as well, and so when I went out this afternoon, the air was hot and wet, like you'd find in Florida in the summer.  Although I guess I can be thankful that I'm not finishing up my run in Florida this weekend, as Bonnie and Charlie might have something to say about my success.

As it is, it felt on Tuesday as though I didn't have much longer to go.  After posting the long run, and looking at the fact that there was only 17 miles left, I thought "wow.. that's not far at all..."  Again, I suppose everything is relative.

I'm now faced with a bit of a challenge, in that I'll be running a few extra miles this evening to try and make up some time, but more than likely, I'll be running tomorrow and Saturday to make the distance by the end of Saturday, completing the goal.  Because of the Bonnie and Charlie coming up the coast, we're expecting rain for a majority of the weekend at this point, so it could get interesting.

Thanks to Scott Snyder and Troy Brokenshire for their contributions!!

More details tonight after my extra miles.... 

tim

funkopolisfusion at 4:06:19 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

Hi Everyone!

If you're here on the blog, I'm sure you've heard the news by now, but just in case you haven't, I wanted to pass it along!

We are thankful to all of you who have made donations thus far, and I'm happy to report that as of yesterday, I completed Mile 42 of the Challenge.  But that's just the tip of the iceberg.

HERE'S THE EXCITING NEWS...

A VERY generous local donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, has given us a challenge donation, and is willing to pledge up to $40 a mile, which would be a total donation of $2388.00!  The catch is that the pledge is a matching pledge.  The donor will match ALL donations made between today, Wednesday, August 11th, and Saturday, August 14th, up to the $40 a mile mark, for a total of $2388.

As I had mentioned earlier, we are totally committed to the power of the people coming together, and that through the small efforts of LOTS of people working together, anything is possible.

This is certainly one of those opportunities.

Obviously, we would like to make the most of this incredibly generous offer, and so we're asking everyone once again to consider making a donation OF ANY SIZE to our Campaign.  If you've already made a donation, and know of anyone else who might be interested, we would be so grateful if you could pass the information along to them.

As before, thanks to the good people at Fractured Atlas, making a pledge is even easier than you might think - you can pledge right here online.  Funkopolis is sponsored by Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization.  Contributions to Fractured Atlas may be earmarked for support of Funkopolis and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

This partnership allows us to provide our generous supporters with an easy way to make a donation for Funkopolis in any amount, in just a matter of minutes!  It's fast, easy, secure, and you'll be helping Funkopolis continue our commitment to original, ensemble-based performance.  Any amount you can donate is incredibly appreciated, and what is important to us is not the sizeof your donation, but the fact that you support us!

You can make a donation right now by using this convenient link:

https://www.fracturedatlas.org/site/contribute/donate/291

In addition, you can make a pledge donation via traditional methods - a check in the mail, so to speak!  :)  Simply make the check out to FRACTURED ATLAS, writing FUNKOPOLIS in the memo line, and mail it to:

Funkopolis - P.O. Box 3251 - Allentown, PA  18106-0251

If you choose to contribute via the mail, please drop me an e-mail and let me know, so that we'll know your contribution is on the way, and we can tally it toward the final total for the Challenge Pledge.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to e-mail me, give us a call at (610) 507-5395, or check out the website at:

http://www.funkopolis.org/poundingthepavement

Thanks again for your consideration of this - we're so close to reaching our goals, and with your help, I know we'll make it by Saturday!

Thanks!  It's raining right now, and so I'm off to the gym for some indoor running!

Tim

funkopolisfusion at 12:03:05 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

DISTANCE RUN TODAY:  11.28 miles

TOTAL THUS FAR:  42.13 miles

DISTANCE REMAINING:  17.57 miles

WHERE AM I ON "THE VIRTUAL TRAIL"?  About a mile away now from getting off of Route 476.  I've passed the Mid-County Toll Booth (and run through the EZ Pass lane), and am approaching Exit 16, getting on I-76 E, heading into the city.  Getting very close now!

COMMENTARY FOR TODAY:  There was a HUGE motivation today to run a long run - once the details are finalized, I'll post it on the blog, so tune in tomorrow!

Let it be said, though, that it was enough to motivate me to hit the longest run I have on the Campaign thus far, even given the fact that I wasn't able to get out today until early afternoon.

For those who are local, here was the path for today - I ran to Wegman's, and then headed down to Trexler Park.  After a lap at the Park, I left and crossed Cedar Crest, heading up Chew Street.  through Muhlenberg College campus and onward to 17th Street.  Take a right, and head down to Hamilton, where another right takes you to Cedar Beach.  Run around the water, and eventually you hook up again with Cedar Crest.  Hop back across, back to Trexler Park for another lap, and then back toward home.

Just a brief reminder, if you're looking for some great Funkopolis gear to support the show and our fundraising effort, you can do so by visiting the Friendly Funkopolis Gift Shop at:

http://www.cafeshops.com/funkopolis

Stick around and check in tomorrow for the BIG announcement that will make the end of this Campaign truly exciting!!

Until then... :)

tim

funkopolisfusion at 12:08:29 AM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

DISTANCE RUN TODAY:  7.75 miles

TOTAL THUS FAR:  30.85 miles

DISTANCE REMAINING:  28.85 miles

WHERE AM I ON "THE VIRTUAL TRAIL"?  In some ways, I wish that I had chosen a more interesting route to get from Allentown to the steps of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, because as it stands, I am currently still on Route 476, heading South.  I'm definitely making progress, and for those who are local and know the area, I'm nearing the King of Prussia area.

COMMENTARY FOR TODAY:  It's amazing how, when you run, stimuli around you take on entirely new meanings.  A breeze when you're incredibly hot is heaven sent.  A tree against a brilliant blue sky is an amazing sight.  A song you're listening to seems to speak directly to you and the very spot you're running on at a given moment.  And although I don't eat there as a general rule, the smell as you pass Appleby's begins to take on an AMAZING lure after you've run a couple of miles.  :)

I didn't get to run yesterday, as "real life" issues got in the way a bit.  And while it was probably better to rest from the long run on Friday, I would have preferred the weather yesterday, as it was significantly cooler than today.

The goal was to run seven miles today, which I made.  What isn't shown on my GPS is that, while it is an amazing little toy, it has one or two flaws.  The one I experienced today is rare, but it happens from time to time.  I lost GPS signal at two points during my run (probably in my attempt to run in shaded, tree-lined areas), and in those situations, the odometer stops, and begins again once the signal is picked up again.  As a result, I ran longer than my seven miles in order to have my odometer "officially" read over the seven mile mark, though I didn't realize this until late in my run.

THE "TOO MUCH INFORMATION" MOMENT, PART II:  Do you remember the "YEOUCH!" moment I shared with you on Friday?  Well, as it turns out, I hadn't quite healed from Friday's run, and so today's run was onceagain painful, compunded by the fact that I once again went out without my BodyGlide on, and was wearing a cotton shirt that quickly became saturated with sweat, making the situation even worse.  Dare I say once more - YEOUCH!!

THE GOOD NEWS:  It's day 7 of my run, and I've run over 30 miles, which was my interim goal.  It's longer than I've ever run before in a given week, and I feel a true sense of accomplishment.

THE BAD NEWS:  Because I didn't officially start running on August 1st, my fist seven days began on August 2nd, going through today.  This means I need to cover the same distance in the upcoming week that I did in the past week - just with one less day to accomplish it.  I KNOW that I will reach my goal (because I'm stubborn and I refuse to let this challenge beat me), but it's getting down to what will more than likely be the tough part.

If you are waiting to make a pledge, I would strongly encourage you to consider making it this week.  Pledges from the initial e-mail have slowed down a bit, and this is the point where I could really use your encouragement:

https://www.fracturedatlas.org/site/contribute/donate/291

In addition, if you're holding off but plan to pledge later in the week, I would REALLY appreciate an e-mail sent to funkopolisfusion@aol.com - don't pay anything until I actually cover the distance - but let me know that you're out there, and give me a reason to keep going - hold the carrot out in front of me - I'm a sucker for that type of motivation!  :)

Thanks to all who have been following, all who have pledged already, and all who are planning to pledge.  And even if you can't help out this time, I'd still love to hear from you - drop me a line!  :)

Thanks to all!!!

tim

funkopolisfusion at 12:05:02 AM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

DISTANCE RUN TODAY:  10.1 miles

TOTAL THUS FAR:  23.1 miles

DISTANCE REMAINING:    36.6 miles

WHERE AM I ON "THE VIRTUAL TRAIL"?   See the third picture above to get a better idea.  Essentially, I'm still heading down the Blue Route, Route 476, The Pennsylvania Turnpike - whatever you prefer to call it, I'm still on it, heading due south.

COMMENTARY FOR TODAY:  Whew!  What a difference a day can make!!  As opposed to Wednesday's heat and humidity, today was about 20 degrees cooler, with a LOT less humidity, and a really nice breeze blowing.  I felt as though I probably could have run another couple miles, but I calmed down and came home instead.

The only way I can describe it is to say that Wednesday's run equates to training for a race somewhere in the mountains of Denver, and then today's run was like, after that mountain training, running a race in New Orleans.  OK... maybe not that extreme, but I felt SO much better after today's run.

After Wednesday's run, I also decided to try and do a few things differently.  I slowed my pace down a bit - back down to about a 12 minute mile, which is fine with me.  I'm a big proponent of LSD (that's Long Slow Distance, as opposed to the other kind of LSD), and that helped today.  In addition, I brought water with me today - something I had neglected to do last time out.  Finally, I ran around 6:00PM today - so rather than the temperature gettng warmer as it does in the morning, today it was getting cooler as I went, which helped out, as well.

Today was one of those days where you fall into the zone... it's hard to explain for those who don't run, only because when you try to explain, most non-runners don't get how you could run one mile, let alone several.  But for me, the first mile or two is usually very difficult, finding a pace, letting the breath get regulated, getting into the groove, so to speak.  But, every once in a while, once you get past that first hump, you sort of fall into a zone -the best way that I can describe it is that my body feels like a machine - it simply goes... at the same pace, with the same breath... and it feels effortless.  Maybe it's the endorphins kicking in - I'm not sure.  But I LOVE those moments, and curse when they disappear - usually at the point where you've run the furthest point away, and now have to turn around and come home.  :)

WHY AREN'T THERE POSTINGS HERE FROM YOU EVERY DAY:  Good question.  I don't run every day - right now, I've been trying to run every other day.  If I was running 2 or 3 miles a day, I'd run regularly.  Since the distances are longer, I give a day to rest in between, so as to avoid injury - something that wouldn't be good in terms of completing the challenge, as well as not a great thing in terms of continuing rehearsal.

Rules, of course, are made to be broken, and I might actually try to run both tomorrow and Sunday as well.... in an effort to cash in on some more of this great weather before it gets too hot again.

THE "DOH!" MOMENT OF YOUR RUN TODAY:  About 1.2 miles in, I realized that I hadn't left my glasses at home, and was running with them on.  Gets to be a real treat to push your glasses up every thirty paces or so, and even more fun when the sweat starts dripping over them.  blech.

THE ow Ow oW OWWWWW!! MOMENT:  It may be too much information, but I share as a public service of sorts - see, they don't tell you this when you go buy your first pair of running shoes.  And I'm not sure if the same is true for women, but it is for men.  When you're running long distance, you tend to sweat, and if there's a breeze blowing, in addition to a continual motion of your wet shirt against your chest... well, let's just say, you get a little "nipply" - THERE... I've said it.  The problem is, if you don't do something about it before hand, the chafing can become REALLY bad, to the point that they begin bleeding!!  YYEEOOUUCCHH!!!!

That's never happened to me, but it's because of days like today, when I get reminded.  They sell something called Body Glide for runners (http://www.bodyglide.com), and essentially you use it on all the "sensitive" areas before you run.  I, of course, haven't been doing a whole lot of l-o-n-g distance running for a while, and as a result, I forgot.  I was reminded in the shower, as soon as the water hit them... YYEEOOUUCCHH!!!  I'll remember for the next time... promise!  :)

On that lovely note, I'll depart.... I DO want to thank everyone who has contributed thus far, and motivated me to keep on moving.  Contributors thus far include:

Ken and Ruth Brown, Sonia Giddens, Yolanda GIddens, Brian Loevner, Susan Paulsen, Juanita Rockwell and Chas Marsh, Andrew Sachs, and Ben White.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!

If you haven't made a donation, but plan to via check, remember that the address is:

FUNKOPOLIS

P.O. BOX 3251

ALLENTOWN, PA  18106

Checks should be made out to Fractured Atlas, and please drop an e-mail to us at FUNKOPOLISFUSION@AOL.COM letting us know that you've made a pledge online or via traditional mail, so that we can make sure to thank you!!!

See you all soon!!!

tim

funkopolisfusion at 10:35:59 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

DISTANCE RUN TODAY:  8 miles

TOTAL THUS FAR:  13 miles

DISTANCE REMAINING:  46.7 miles

WHERE AM I ON "THE VIRTUAL TRAIL"?  So far, I've made it from my house out through Allentown, and to the exit for 476, the Pennsylvania Turnpike - affectionately known as the "Blue Route" locally.  I've travelled about 10.7 miles south from the Lehigh Valley exit on the Blue Route, which means I'm closing in on Quakertown right now.

COMMENTARY FOR TODAY:  Now I know why they don't run marathons in August!!  What was I thinking??  I planned a longer run today, and made it through the eight miles, but the heat and humidity definitely slowed me up today.

The picture for today, I should explain, is my watch and one of my favorite toys since I started running.  It's a Timex Ironman Performance Monitor, a watch, with a built in odometer and speedometer built in...  http://www.timex.com/spd/.  It uses GPS technology, so it may sound a little Big Brother-ish, but it knows where I am at all times, and can calculate my distance and speed the entire time I'm out running.  What this means is that I can run wherever I want on any given day, and I don't have to worry about trying to pre-measure the distance to know how far I've run.

Today, I ran (this will be largely for those who are familiar with the area) up toward the Wegman's, ran down Springhouse and did a few loops inside some of the neighborhoods there, ran down to Trexler Road, which essentially brings you out to the back side of the golf course on Tilghman.  From there, I cut across Tilghman and hopped into Trexler Park, did a lap there, came back out and made my way back up toward Wegman's, and back toward home.

The watch is really nice, in that it really allows me to change my plans with a moment's notice, and not have to worry about wondering how far I've run.  And it was important today, as I made a lot of choices based on where I knew I could run in some shade.  :)

When I run, I listen to 99.9 The Hawk - a radio station here in Allentown that plays GREAT classic rock http://www.999thehawk.com/.  In the morning they play 99 minutes of music commercial free, between 9:00 - 10:30, which is when I'm running, so it helps to motivate me through the run.  They also tend to play some of the "longer" classic songs during this time, so it helps to get me through some rough spots while I'm running.  If you ever see me out, and notice me mumbling to myself, chances are good that I'm singing to myself to try and motivate myself over a hump.

FACTOID ABOUT INDEPENDENCE HALL THAT I FOCUSED ON TO TAKE MY MIND OFF THE FACT THAT I WAS RUNNING EIGHT MILES IN 90 DEGREE HEAT:  Did you know that the basement of Independence Hall once served as the City's dog pound?

Well, time to rehydrate for now.  I'll be checking back in and letting you know the progress.  If you haven't yet, please drop us an e-mail at funkopolisfusion@aol.com, visit the website at http://www.funkopolis.org/poundingthepavement, and if you have any questions, please feel free to call us at 610-507-5395.

Hope to hear from all of you SOON!!!  :)

tim

Remember, if you'd like to make a pledge, you can use this convenient link:

https://www.fracturedatlas.org/site/contribute/donate/291

funkopolisfusion at 12:23:38 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

So, today marked the first paces of the challenge.  I woke up and ran five miles - only 54.7 to go!

Today was a pretty nice day to begin - sunny and warm, although by 9:00AM it was already pretty humid - a weather condition that, unlike most people, I really enjoy - but it's pretty hard to run long distance when it gets too humid.

Once I get a few miles further, I'll be posting a map, so you can keep track of where I am, "virtually" speaking.  As for my "real" course, for those of you familiar with the Lehigh Valley area, I ran from my house to Trexler Park, did the loop there, and came home, which is my default five-mile loop.  I'll be varying my course from day-to-day, but barring really awful weather, I think the time will remain consistent - somewhere between 9:00 and 10:30AM.

I forgot to mention - for those of you who aren't comfortable making an online pledge or donation, please feel free to send a check to us via the more traditional "snail mail":

Funkopolis

P.O. Box 3251

Allentown, PA  18106-0251

Please just make sure to make your check payable to "FRACTURED ATLAS", and on the memo line, write down FUNKOPOLIS.  Funkopolis is sponsored by Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization.  Contributions to Fractured Atlas may be earmarked for support of Funkopolis and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

What became clear to me today on my run is that I'm going to need YOUR support!  If you want to hold off on actually making a pledge toward the run, as an incentive for me to actually finish what I've set out to do, that sounds like a great idea!

Simply e-mail me at funkopolisfusion@aol.com and let me know that you're supporting me - drop a note with your name, address, e-mail, and the pledge amount, so that we can keep track of total pledges received.

If you're still on the fence about making a pledge, that's completely OK - but keep coming back and checking to see how I'm doing.  Drop me an e-mail and let me know what you think.  If you have a specific challenge, let me know about that, as well, and I'll try to work it in to the challenge I've set up for myself.

OK.... off to drink some more water and take some Tylenol!  See you tomorrow!

tim

funkopolisfusion at 11:52:24 AM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

So, it's officially begun!  A few months ago, I had an absurd idea to raise money for the current new production my theatre ensemble, Funkopolis, is creating.  The show is entitled PRESSING THE FLESH, and will make its World Premiere at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival beginning September 16, 2004, and running through September 18th, for six shows.  For more info. on the show, please visit the Funkopolis website at http://www.funkopolis.org

As we approach what many consider to be one of the most important elections in recent history, PRESSING THE FLESH roots itself in the world of escalating apathy and cynicism and asks why an increasing number of American citizens simply choose not to participate in the Democracy that we all celebrate as Americans.   

In the spirit of Anna Deveare-Smith and Tectonic Theatre Project, Funkopolis aims its unique style of physical theatre at ALL in the political arena, and no one is safe!  PRESSING THE FLESH pursues exploration from all sides of the issue in a uniquely entertaining and provocative performance.

So, like I was saying... I was thinking about the "run" of the show.  Political candidates "running" for office.  And it struck me!

I've been bitten as of late by the running bug, and have been running for a little over a year now, having completed two half-marathons thus far, and scheduled to run my first full Marathon in January, 2005.  I decided to run in support of PRESSING THE FLESH.

Funkopolis is currently situated in Allentown, PA - and as such, I began scratching my head as to where I would run - how far, how long, and to what goal?

The idea struck before I had time to really even contemplate the reality of it - over the course of two weeks, I would run "virtually".  That is to say, I would run every day and log my mileage.  That mileage would add up toward the total mileage it would take me to actually get someplace.

Being that PRESSING THE FLESH is centered on the world of politics, and seeing as how Washington, DC might be a bit overambitious, I decided to "run" to Independence Hall in Philadelphia.  Independence Hall is, by every estimate, thebirthplace of the United States. It was within its walls that the Declaration of Independence was adopted. It was here that the Constitution of the United States was debated, drafted and signed.

And it's exactly 59.7 miles from my doorstep to the steps of Independence Hall.  A distance longer than I've run thus far (I usually average about 20 miles a week unless in training for a longer race), but definitely manageable in the two weeks I'd allowed for this event to take place.

And with that, the idea was formed.

And now it's too late to back out.  :)

But you can help motivate me to complete this task that I've set up for myself.  By making a pledge to support my efforts, you'll help move me a step closer every day to reaching the goal of hitting the steps of Independence Hall by August 14th, 2004.

Thanks to the good people at Fractured Atlas, making a pledge is even easier than you might think - you can pledge right here online.  Funkopolis is sponsored by Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization.  Contributions to Fractured Atlas may be earmarked for support of Funkopolis and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

This partnership allows us to provide our generous supporters with an easy way to make a contribution for Funkopolis in any amount, in just a matter of minutes!  It’s fast, easy, secure, and you’ll be helping Funkopolis continue our commitment to original, ensemble based performance.  Any amount you can donate is incredibly appreciated, and what is most important to us is not the size of the donation, but the fact that you support us!

You can make a donation right now by using this convenient link:

https://www.fracturedatlas.org/site/contribute/donate/291

This will take you directly to the Fractured Atlas website, and you can type in the amount of your pledge, make sure that under the heading EARMARK that Funkopolis is listed (the link should take care of this for you, but just in case.... ), type in your personal information, and you're all set!  Contributions can be made online by any credit card, or even by electronic check.

Every day between now and August 14th, check back here, and I'll be updating you on my progress - letting you know how many miles I've logged, showing you my odometer so you know I'm not cheating, putting maps up to show you how far I've gone (and how far I've yet to go), and throwing up any other useful information I can come up with between now and then.

In terms of the size of your pledge, it's really up to you.  Funkopolis has always maintained that, rather than receiving a single check for $5,000 - we'd would ALWAYS rather receive 5,000 checks in the amount of one dollar.  Now, don't let that stop you if you had your heart set on donating $5,000 - just know that it's the people supporting us that's the important part.

Pledge a set amount if you choose - $1, $10, $100 - we will be SO grateful for anything you are able to contribute.  Or if you prefer, pledge by the mile.  For example, you could pledge a dime per mile, and your total pledge would be $5.90.  Here are a few other pledge per mile amounts, and what the total would be:

.25/mile = $14.75

.50/mile = $29.50

One dollar/mile = $59.00

Five dollars/mile = $295.00

Or if you prefer, create your own pledge per mile - something that's significant for you.

So, if you haven't made your pledge yet, please make one now and help motivate me to complete this absurd goal I've set for myself!

If you have already made your pledge, sit back and watch the fun!  I'll be checking in every day to let you know my progress!

Either way, THANK YOU for visiting!  PLEASE e-mail me and let your voice be heard.  Go ahead and tell me I'm silly for doing this.  Shout your best "virtual cheer" from the side of the "cyber highway" as I make my way.  In other words, let me know you're out there!

The journey begins tomorrow... until then....

 

Tim Brown, Artistic Director, FUNKOPOLIS

 

 

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