I'm an ordinary Joe.  My athletic challenges are all self-inflicted:  too many hours behind a desk, too many beers watching football, an extra helping of fries with my burgers...you know how it goes.  Life just sort of creeps up on you while you're making a living and raising a family.  That all changed for me last year when I entered the Inaugural Del Mar Mud Run because I was able to rekindle any sense of competition I had.  I finishedh the 2010 run in less than an hour.  That might not sound like a big deal to you but it was life-changing for me.  After a decade of a sedentary lifestyle, I found out that my heart still had some get-up-and-go in it.

Life's been pretty easy when you think about it, though.  Like you, I respect our troops abroad but perhaps unlike you, I live in San Diego.  San Diego is a military town so it's not unusual to see the men and women, who are casualties of war, walking around every day.  While their battlefield heroics are documented, most of their real heroism lies within their ability to carry on.  It is rare to find a wounded vet with a frown on their face.  These remarkable individuals come home from the frontlines, many times with prosthetic limbs, and live EXTRAORDINARY lives.  We see them walking, running, and competing in life, every single day here.

That's the sort of enthusiasm and vision I want in my life.  I had it once, lost it, and am desperately trying to get it back.

I guess you could say that my commitment to this year's Del Mar Mud Run, by raising money for the Challenged Athlete's Foundation really is a selfish endeavor.  Certainly, the cause is a good one, helping our wounded warriors to reach new heights in civilian life but, for me, this whole challenge is really about getting my mojo back....with the great example these folks set for us ordinary Joes.

You might be an extraordinary individual or you might just be an ordinary Joe, wondering how you might get your mojo back.  Either one is cool with me because, if you've read this far, you're about to make a big change in your life.  You're about to make a financial commitment to this cause and I'm really grateful to you.  Whether your investment is in the rehabilitation of our Challenged Athletes, or just a vote of affirmation for me, as I motor on to get that mojo back, it's going to make a difference.

Please join me by committing a small sum to my fundraising efforts.  The money to donate will go to help more Challenged Athletes, so that they can continue to be an inspiration to all of us.  We NEED people like this to show us how indominatble the human spirit is.  They serve as an inspiration to us.  Help them to succeed so they can help us ALL get our mojo back.

I appreciate your support, will be thinking of you as I tire in the race, and be thankful to you as I cross the finish line