Hello All,
It has been a few days since I started fund raising for ETS through Janus Charity Challenge (JCC) and the response has been pretty good so far. I have received a number of emails and PM, from members & visitors of this forum, offering support and pledging funds and I would like to thank each and every one of you. A few of those messages have requested updates on the progress of the fund raising and my training. I’ll try to make weekly updates on this forum as well as any special events that are schedule to help raise funds.

Before I give progress report number one, I’d like to explain why I choose to support ETS this year…

I stumbled across ETS’ web site a few years ago during a late night internet surfing session. Prior to my return to training and racing triathlons I spent many more nights up late, unable to sleep. Since that day, I have frequented the website and its forums often. In my opinion, ETS is an unequaled resource available on or off the internet. Doug Ritter has provided a wealth of information in a format that is easily understood and welcoming to even a novice on the topic of survival. Add the forum and its members to the equation and ETS offers a knowledge base vaster than any other I have found. I felt the need to help Doug keep this resource up and running… and besides I had the opportunity to meet Doug and he is a great guy!

I believe that most members of the ETS forums and frequent visitors of equipped.org have made donations to ETS; I hope that my JCC campaign will bring in donations from others. My secondary motive is to get more people to visit equipped.org and get involved in their own safety/survival in a disaster. My deployment during Katrina/Rita solidified my belief that we all need to be prepared to take care of ourselves, at least for a little while. If my campaign brings one person to equipped.org who builds a 72 hour kit after their visit, I’ll consider my campaign a success.

Why Ironman?

Well, there was a time that I was an accomplished triathlete and runner. However, in 2003 I was an overweight (270lbs) out of shape firefighter. In September of 2003 I decided that I needed to get back into shape. I receive emails every time a firefighter/EMS worker dies in the line of duty. A huge majority of these deaths were not due to trauma, not due to accidents on scene, responding too or returning from incidents. They were due to medical issues, like heart attacks! So, in my typical style I decided to train for an Ironman distance triathlon. Ironman Coeur d’Alene in June of 2004 was my goal, an event my father had done the year before and would be doing again in 2004. For the uninitiated, an Ironman Distance race is a one day event requiring a participant to swim 2.4 miles, cycle 112 miles, and run 26.2 miles in under 17 hours.

On June 26th 2005, weighting 215 lbs, at 0700 I stood at the starting line in Coeur d’Alene… 15hours and 28minutes later I crossed the finish line of my first Ironman distance race. I have completed 2 more Ironman distance events since and will be going for number 4 at Tempe Town Lake on April 9th 2006.

So, for my first update…

We have received a $200 donation on the website and have been pledged $250 additional dollars. Not a bad start, my goal is $2500 but I would like to exceed that! I ask the members of this forum to send an email to all of their friends who would be interested a link my JCC Website

I haven’t trained hard since Ironman Coeur d’Alene 2005, and I began getting back into the swing of things last Tuesday with a 6 hour hike (a.k.a. Death March). It seems to many a strange way to train for an Ironman, however it works for me! 18 miles later, blisters on both of my heals (you’d think I’d learn!) and about 25 cactus needles in my leg... the training has begun! Since a lot of my training takes place in the “back country” I have developed a few PSK that have been tailored to running and biking, I will be photographing those kits and placing descriptions online as soon as I can.

Thanks & Be Safe!
Alan

PS. I’ll make the rest of my updates much shorter!