It’s been a while since I’ve done a Q&A, so as I bottle up thoughts in my head, now is a great time for a break from me.
Meet Jim, aka @bikerly on Twitter; you can also find Jim on Daily Mile here. Jim is a blogger over at Loving the Run (where you can find a guest post by me today about my fundraising experiences), who is also currently in the middle of a run streak to raise money to benefit Feed My Starving Children. You can read more about those fundraising efforts at the Race for Others website.
Q: Tell us, where did the idea come from to do a run streak for charity?
I’ve always been fascinated with the idea of running every day for a year or more. This is actually my third run streak. I started with a 30-day goal and my previous best effort was 112 days. This time I hope to make it for 365+ days.
Regarding the charity, I noticed a blog post last year from Kelly (@chmpgnepolitics), focused around “Racing for Others.” I was moved by her blog posts, struggles with fundraising/training and ultimate success in finishing a first time marathon.
I continued to learn more about Feed My Starving Children and discovered they were based in my home state of Minnesota. I was impressed by their vision and that only 7 percent of donations was used for administration costs with the remaining 93 percent going directly to feeding programs for nearly 70 countries. [Note: Feed My Starving Children has a 4-star rating through Charity Navigator.]
Kelly and I chatted about going big with another fundraiser and joined up with Brady and Matt with the goal of raising $10,000 for Feed My Starving Children. It’s a super big number, but $10,000 feeds a village of more than 100 people for a year. And running every day feeds my soul.
Q: What has been the biggest surprise during your run streak?
Almost every day provides surprises … some pleasant, some not so pleasant (like goose poop on a barefoot run).
The other night I discovered a new alley. For three blocks I saw friends drinking bottles around backyard campfires, kids playing tag, late evening dinners through the kitchen window and friends working on a garage project. This route is now one of my favorites.
One thing I’ve learned by running every day is sometimes it pays to take a new course.
Q: Being from Minnesota where it’s very cold for half the year, what is the craziest weather you’ve ever experienced on a run?
A picture often tells the best story…
I love running in snow and ice. 
Q: Many of my readers are familiar with #runchat, but you also have a cool Twitter chat in #bikeschool. How did that get started, and what should first-time participants expect?
Well, I hope they like beer and tacos because #bikeschool often rolls this direction. It’s true … Darryl (@lovingthebike), Mike (@egggman), and I conspired last year to host the #bikeschool chat every Thursday night at 9 p.m ET. The format is much the same as #runchat and questions vary from gear related to the philosophical taco related question. The school even has a mascot in @tacomakingrobot! You can read more about the #bikeschool shenanigans on lovingthebike.com if you like.
Q: Lastly, what’s one non-running (or non-biking) thing that people may be surprised to know about you?
I grew up on a livestock farm in Iowa.
Thanks to Jim for a great Q&A. If you’re interested in doing a Q&A or guest post exchange, please hit me up on my Contact page.
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Great interview Dave. Jim is a great guy and love the pic!
My recent post 5k Sharpening Workouts: Spotlight on Speed Development
Thanks, Jason! Like I mentioned on Twitter earlier, David censored a good deal of my pork discussion on the last question but I totally understand the need for brevity and professionalism
Regarding the picture, if I had managed to take it 2 seconds earlier you would have seen a monster icicle hanging from my chin. It dropped just before I snapped it. I was so bummed.
Godspeed!
You'll have to try again this winter. The first snow can't be too farbehind these cooler temperatures.
Excellent interview, David and Jim! Raising money for charity demonstrates a passion for the sport and allows a runner or cyclist to see that passion translate into tangible aid for others. Jim, I'm so happy that we've partnered together to raising money while we run.
Thanks, Kelly.
I joke that David was more fierce than Barbara Walters in his interviewing techniques but it's partially true. He asked some duesey questions.
BTW, did you know I grew up at the birthplace of Duesenberg automobiles? If you look it up Wikipedia is close but not entirely accurate on this matter but I digress.
I'm happy we partnered to raise money for Feed My Starving Children too. It's been an excellent experience. Thank you for being the inspiration.
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I actually did go and read about the Duesenberg brothers. They should have gone to business school. Good product, not-so-good salesmen.
We love what Jim, Kelly, and others are doing to raise awareness for FMSC and the cause of poverty and hunger in general. Thanks so much - your support means so much to us.
Thanks for dropping by. You guys are doing some great things. Havingworked at a non-profit before, that coveted 4-star rating with CharityNavigator proves that you put your money where it should go!
I raised $5,000 last year for the Sacramento FMSC Mobile Pack event, and their low-admin costs was a selling point for a lot of people. There are a lot of really good charities out there, doing a lot of really good things…and it's always impressive to see a charity model good business techniques.
whoa! that picture makes me feel VERY COLD.
My recent post the bike quest