Liver LIFE Challenge: Great Race, Great Cause
05.11.09 | in Fitness | 1 Comments Share
Do you dream of running a race across the Golden Gate Bridge? How about helping 30 million Americans while doing it?
Ahhh the liver. A magical vital organ. It synthesizes proteins; it creates hormones; it detoxifies; it transforms critical biological stuff into other critical biological stuff. What can't it do?
Your liver is so important that you can't live without it. I mean, it's called a "liver" for pete's sake. Yet it's so sophisticated and complex that there is currently no technology that can replicate all of the functions it performs to keep you alive. (Take that, kidney.)
As a runner, your liver is specifically important to you, too—even if you don't know it. When you carb load, it's your liver that you're packing full of glycogen that'll fuel you through your race. When you bonk, it's usually because your liver ran out of its glycogen store, and you've hit the wall.
You need your liver to run, and you need your liver to live.
Unfortunately, liver disease is now estimated to affect more people than diabetes and all cancers. Combined. Thirty million American men, women and children are affected by liver disease.
30,000,000 Americans. That's a lot of zeros, and that's a lot of people.
You Can Help.
The Liver LIFE Challenge Marathon Team
The American Liver Foundation has organized a team to run the San Francisco Marathon on July 26th. The Liver LIFE team will be running a half-marathon—the first half of the course covering the Embarcadero and Golden Gate Bridge. It's an amazing route covering some of the most beautiful and scenic parts of the city. The American Liver Foundation has recruited experienced running coach Sebastian Tocchet to help the Liver LIFE team succeed.
You can be a part of the team!
The deadline to register and join the Liver LIFE team is Friday, May 29th. You can register quickly and easily online. By joining the team, you'll not only help raise awareness and money for liver disease research, you'll also get to participate in the fantastic running event that is the San Francisco Marathon. It's not every day you get to race across the Golden Gate Bridge.
Other ways you can help
You may also contribute directly to the American Liver Foundation's fundraising efforts via their secure online form.
The American Liver Foundation is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for liver health promotion and disease prevention. As they say, their mission is "to facilitate, advocate and promote education, support and research for the prevention, treatment and cure of liver disease". They're all about the liver.
It's a great and worthy cause, run on a landmark site.
Related Articles
-->Related Articles
- Fitness Your First Marathon—Predicting Race Times and Preparation
- Fitness Marathon Tips: Nutrition and Planning
- Fitness 7 Marathons on 7 Continents in 7 Weeks
Comments
Leave a Comment
Let’s keep it polite and on topic. Email address is required but will never be shared, sold or used for nefarious purposes.
This is fantastic! I ran the half marathon for the Liver Life Team last year, and what a great run and great cause! I highly recommend this race, and as a liver doc, couldn’t be a better cause!
Carrie | May 12, 2009