Eugene Racing

Caitlin H.

February 7, 2010 - 9:54 AM

Today is the day of the 14th annual Truffle Shuffle. To the outsider, it is a 4 mile run, 2 mile run/walk or a ‘kid's fun run' on a flat course designed for fast times. It's beautiful too; you can't really beat a course that weaves along a riverbank and through a city park. The name comes from the chocolate truffle you receive as you cross the finish line. To me, this is an event fundraiser for a great cause.

Proceeds from the Truffle Shuffle go to Committed Partners for Youth. This is a non-profit mentoring agency servicing youth-in-need within the Eugene/Springfield community. I have often thought about becoming a mentor. Looking into the race event and learning more about this program has solidified my motivation to volunteer more and be an active member in the Eugene community.

Unfortunately, I won't be racing today. My battle with mono (which eventually turned out to be a case of strep and mono at the same time) has taken its toll on my ability to be training for the Eugene Marathon this May. If I wasn't pressed for time I might participate in the walk but midterms are demanding my time and attention. Such is the life of a college student.

I'm feeling rather nervous but excited about the marathon coming up. A handful of my friends are in training for the marathon or half marathon as well, and I'm thrilled we will be doing this together. I'm anxious because I haven't been out training nearly as much as I would like to be. But I'm on the mend and hope to be out on the trails running soon.

Perhaps I will register for an event or two coming up later in February. If you're wondering where to look for running events around Eugene I like to start by checking with Eugene Running Company's race calendar. I also find Electric Edge Racing often has a useful race calendar. I'm getting really excited about the Oregon Marathon Relay and hoping I can find some teammates to compete! I would love to experience a relay race with friends as preparation for a marathon.