"Shillings for Shule" is the Kenyan way of asking for "Pennies for Schools."

    Please support the Africa Teacher Foundation (ATF) as they go all-out to equip the teachers of Kenya with the necessary tools to empower the children of Africa.

     As a show of his commitment to Kenyan teachers and children, Dr. Christopher Parker, ATF vice-president, is planning to run a 120 mile course from Provincetown to Westport, MA starting May 6th and finishing May 15th. While Dr. Parker runs to bring awareness for global education, ATF needs your donations to keep the Shule of Kenya running! Please pledge one penny for each mile he runs for a total donation of $1.20. Of course, higher contributions will be gladly accepted. Your pennies will help meet the needs of teachers and students in Kenya.

     Remember, the gift of an education is a gift of hope. Thank you for partnering with us as we work together to make a difference in our world

 

Click here to donate

 

Chris's Running Blog

May 15th: Day 10

     At approximately 12:45 today, I began the final leg of my Shillings for Shule running odyssey.  I was joined for the start of the run by Lauri, Chris Boyle (a close friend), and Beth Turenne (my neighbor).  My oldest son Dylan rode in the support van with Bill and Steve, but promised to run the final 3 miles with me.  As I began running, I was pleasantly surprised by how good my left calf felt.  Nonetheless, I anxiously awaited further tearing with each step…it was psychological torture!  OK…enough with the drama…before I knew it, I had covered 4 miles and the end was near.  Plus, I was motivated to get to the 5 mile mark, at which point Dylan would jump in and accompany me. Sure enough, Dylan tried running with me for miles 5 through 8, but my pace was too SLOW for him.  So, he ran a  little bit ahead of me.  As I approached Horseneck Beach, I couldn’t help but think about the countless miles I ran there while working as the head lifeguard for 15 years.  During those runs, I had many opportunities to take in the beautiful vistas that the beach regularly offers.  However, there has never been a beach scene so remarkable as the one I viewed upon turning a corner on John Reed Road and seeing the official “Horseneck Beach State Reservation” sign.  I ran through the front gate and finished my run where the old lifeguard headquarters used to be (it was torn down a year ago).  I immediately kissed the red cross on the side of the temporary lifeguard “shack” and hugged the hundreds of fans awaiting to greet me.  OK… there was no one there to greet me except by buddy Mike Hartnett,  who drove down from Southborough.  All the same, it was a huge relief to be done.  I covered 8+ miles today at a steady pace of 9:20 per mile…leading to a total mileage count of 116 (somehow, somewhere, 4 miles got lost in the shuffle).  My mileage total was 100 (or the equivalent of 4+ marathons) and my wife contributed 16 miles.  I want to spend the rest of the day relaxing, partaking in a cold beverage or two, and collecting my thoughts.  I will  make one, final blog entry tomorrow.  Until then, waddle on…

 

May 14th: Day 9

     I woke up today with my left calf being extremely sensitive to touch.  I made my way to the chiropractor who promptly diagnosed it as a torn triceps surae…better known as the calf muscle.  She worked extensively to dissipate the pooled blood in the calf and then taped it with Kinesio Tape. She told me to take the day off and then see how it feels tomorrow.  I asked her whether I could do any further damage.  She said that if I’m not careful, I could tear my Achilles tendon.  But, she quickly added that the pain would be so severe prior to the Achilles tearing that I would be forced to stop running.  I am so darn close to finishing, that I want to give it a day of rest and then re-assess the situation tomorrow morning.  Of course, I will keep all of you posted.

 

May 13th: Day 8

     After treatment this morning, I was ready to give it another go.  The weather was beautiful and I was accompanied for the first 8 miles by my long-time friend Brett Pacheco (better known as one of the examiners in the IDEAL DIBELS training videos).  I wrestled with the usual soreness and stiffness for the first two miles (although the pain in my right arch was tolerable), including extreme tightness in my calves.  Then, at the 3 mile marker, I felt a sharp pull in my left calf.  I stopped, stretched, and re-inserted my orthotic…and forced myself to run 10 more miles.  My total for the day ended up being 13 miles.   When I got home, and described how much pain I felt in my left calf, my wife offered to run another 4 miles at night to get me closer to Horseneck Beach. So, once again, Team Parker was in full force.  Her 4 miles contributed to a 17 mile day. I am now 8 miles from Horseneck Beach.

 

May 12th:  Day 7

     The 14 miles of running yesterday did a serious job on my feet…particularly the right arch.  In fact, as of last night, I had trouble just walking around the house.  So, after consulting my wife Lauri, I decided to issue an addendum to the Shillings for Shule Charity Run Protocol:  the runner may have another runner takes his place for one leg of the race as long as the substitute runner shares the same last name as the original runner.  In short, my wife agreed to take a personal day from work and run 12 miles in my place…Team Parker was born!  Her dad, Rich Despres, and I crewed the support van.  Yet again, the weather was cloudy and cold. Despite the conditions, Lauri had no problem running from Wareham to Mattapoisett and completing the 12 miles.  She averaged 9 minutes per mile, which allowed her to crush the “official” Shillings for Shule 12 mile record by 12 minutes.  All of you now know who’s the real runner in the family.   There’s more treatment in store for me tomorrow morning.  If all goes well, I hope to run 14 miles from Mattapoisett to Westport.  I just keep reminding myself that the end is near!

 

May 11th: Day 6

     Today’s major destination was to be North Falmouth Elementary School, where the Grade 4 classes were rallying the entire student body to meet me on the front lawn of the school (complete with inspirational posters).  However, while driving to the day’s start point, I received a call from the school informing me that there had been an emergency school closure.  Earlier that morning, the school’s night shift custodian had been found dead in the school library. Needless to say, the news put a damper on the mood of the ATF crew.  Our deepest condolences go out to the staff and students at North Falmouth Elementary School.  Although the circumstances prevented me from visiting the school, the efforts of the Fourth-Grade Classes are still greatly appreciated!  The run started about 3 miles from North Falmouth Elementary School.  The weather was really lousy…cloudy, cold, and windy.  My neighbor Tom Turenne joined me for the day.  Bill Molloy once again crewed.  Thanks to my chiropractor, the pain in my right foot was tolerable for the start of the run.  Tom and I ran 10 minute miles…straight into a 20-30 mile per hour headwind.  It was miserable, but we shuffled our way to a 14 mile day.  79 miles have been covered to date…but, I can hardly walk.  I’ll have to see how I feel tomorrow morning.  I need your support more than ever…e-mails are welcomed!

 

May 10th: Day 5

     The right arch pain was still pretty severe when I woke up this morning.  But, I hoped the chiropractor would be able to square me away.  She worked on that right foot forever, and was able to successfully alleviate some of the pain.  Within a half hour of the visit, however, the pain had returned and I had serious doubts about running at all today.  That is when I decided a mid-game audible was needed, leading to a new “Shillings for Shule” rule:  the runner is allowed to do one day on the treadmill and have the mileage count toward the total.  So, I scrapped my orthotics (it was pressing right on that right arch hot spot), switched to a different pair of running sneakers, and ran 14 miles (with a little bit of walking mixed in) on the treadmill at home.  The pace was a steady 10:00 minutes per mile.  I hope all of you are ok with this, but drastic times call for drastic measures!  Tomorrow I will begin running 14 miles from where I left off on Monday.  Unfortunately, that will place me beyond Mullen Hall Elementary School (Falmouth), one of the schools I had hoped to visit along the route.  I heard through the grapevine that  Ms. Cristin Petisca’s class & Ms. Lisa Tabaracci’s class were geared up to welcome me.  I’m so sorry that I will not make it…but, your support is greatly appreciated! The total mileage covered to date is 65…only 55 more miles to run to reach Horseneck Beach.

 

May 9th: Day 4

     Given how much difficulty I had during the second leg yesterday, I decided to change my game plan for today.  Instead of running two legs of approximately 6 miles each, I planned on running 12 miles straight.  I was also concerned that the creeping right  arch pain I felt at the end of the run yesterday would “rear its ugly head today.”  I started my run at noon in Dennis.  Again, the weather was gray and cold.  Immediately upon running, I felt the right arch pain….and it got progressively worse.  I limped through 8 miles (still averaging 9:00-9:30 minutes per mile) and then took a 20 minute break to ice the arch down.  I quickly changed my shirt, socks, and sneakers and then headed back out.  I ran another 4 miles and then walked most of the final mile.  I figured  after running 50 miles (or as I like to think…over 2 marathons in 4 days), I deserved my first walking break.  I finished in Barnstable and have totaled 51 miles.  I am pleased with what I have accomplished so far, but very discouraged over the arch pain.  I’m hoping ice and another chiropractor appointment will get me back on track, but tomorrow’s run may be in jeopardy.  I REALLY NEED YOUR POSITIVE THOUGHTS!!!

 

May 8th: Day 3

     Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms reading this!  I was joined by my family today…Lauri, Dylan (age 11), Luke (age 8), and Maggie (our Yorkie).  Bill drove the support van. The weather was lousy…gray and cold.  Lauri joined me for the first leg.  We covered 8.5 miles.  I was very tight for the first 2 miles, and really struggled to keep up with Lauri.  Eventually, I found my groove and started averaging 8:30 miles.  Right at the 8.5 mile marker, we were greeted by a Brewster police officer.  He informed us that it is illegal to run on Rt. 6, and that we had to find an alternative route.  The officer (who was very professional) gave Lauri and me a ride in the back of his cruiser to the next exit  (although it may be hard to believe, this was my FIRST ride ever in a police cruiser).  Bill and I had to figure out a new route to get us to Falmouth (Wednesday’s destination).  We decided on Rt. 6A.  So, I began my afternoon run on Rt. 6A.  After a minor mix-up with directions, I was able to cover another 5.5 miles.  However, I felt AWFUL!  After the drive home, I could barely walk.  I definitely need a long ice bath.  We will see what tomorrow brings…stay tuned.

 

May 7th:  Day 2

     I had to coach a baseball game and two soccer games, so I got a late start heading to the Cape.  My brother Steve was my only crew member today.  I did not start my run until 4:00 pm. I padded my mileage yesterday, so that I would only have to run 8 miles today.  I felt pretty good through the first 5 miles…but mile number 6 was brutal.  I ended up rallying for miles 7 and 8. I averaged 9:00 minute miles for the day, and ended up in Wellfleet.  I finished needing an ice bath…and looking forward to my chiropractic visit tomorrow morning.

 

May 6th: Day 1

     At 11::00 AM today, I began the ATF Shillings for Shule fundraiser run. I was joined by two ”crew” members: Bill Molloy (President of ATF) and my brother Steve.  They both took turns driving the support van.  I came out of the gates running a little too fast (adrenaline rush), covering the first 3 miles at an 8:00 minute per mile pace.  But, I eventually settled into a predetermined 10:00 minute per mile pace.  I ran 8 miles during the first session, took a much needed ice bath, and then ran another 8 miles.  Total for the day: 16 miles.  The course was VERY hilly, but the weather was nice.  My quads are killing me, however I’m ready for tomorrow!  Once again, thanks to all the schools that have made a commitment to donate money and remember…it is never too late to support this worthy cause!!!