High Cloud Foundation Blog

High Cloud Support to REVOLUTION 3 Triathlon Series

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:00:00 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

High Cloud Foundation and Team Snapple are excited to support the 2010 REV 3 race series.

Washington, DC, January 25, 2010. High Cloud and Team Snapple (www.snappletriteam.com) are excited to announce that they have partnered with the REVOLUTION 3 Triathlon (www.rev3tri.com) series, which High Cloud Athletes can participate in via the Try the Tri Program!! High Cloud and Team Snapple’s athletes are excited to make Revolution 3 races an important part of their 2010 season.

“The REVOLUTION3 Triathlon race series was created to change the way athletes, family members, and spectators view and participate in triathlons of all distances. One of our immediate goals is to make triathlons a more interactive, enjoyable experience for spectators by providing fun activities for children and family members during the race. REVOLUTION3 Triathlon is about change! Change for the age grouper, change for the professional athlete, and change for the spectators.”

From the REV3 web site:

For 2010, the REV3 triathlon series is made up of 3 dynamic venues, each featuring 2 separate races of different distances; one of which will be the Feature Race of that location. The series will begin in Knoxville Tennessee on May 9th, 2010. In Knoxville, the Feature Race will be the Olympic Distance Rev with a $50,000 USD Pro Prize Purse. The second multi race location will be in Middlebury, Connecticut, where the Feature Race will be the Half Distance Rev on Sunday June 6^th. This race will boast an enormous $150,000 USD Pro Prize Purse, making it the largest payday at the half distance in the sport of triathlon. The climax of the Revolution 3 triathlon series will be the September 12th event where REV3 will offer a tremendous family focused event at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky Ohio. The Feature Race at Cedar Point will be the Full Distance Rev, which consists of a 2.4-mile swim, followed by a 112 miles bicycle ride and a full 26.2-mile marathon run. This race also boasts a large Pro Prize Purse of $100,000 USD.

In addition to the huge race day cash payouts both professional and age group athletes who compete in any of the “featured” series races will have the ability to earn points towards the series and will qualify for the cash prizes. Race series points will be awarded to athletes at each race based on their overall order of Finish (by time). The Pro overall prize purses male and female will be $15,000. There will also be a rare cash payday for the top 5 amateur athletes series points leaders, starting with a $4,000 for 1st overall.

Finally, there is a potential for a monster additional bonus payment of $125,000 for any Professional male or female that can win the Triple Crown by claiming victory at each event site’s Feature Race. Taking on this Triple Crown challenge and vying for the Feature Race series overall title will be celebrity athlete Tara Costa. Tara was a featured contestant on the hit reality show “The Biggest Loser.” Tara has lost a whopping 155 pounds since joining the show in September 2008.

Please join the High Cloud Snapple Try the Tri - Triathlon Coaching Program to be a part of this great series!

http://www.highcloud.org/trythetri

High Cloud Snapple Half Marathon!

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:17:00 GMT

The High Cloud Snapple Half Marathon

“You can quit if you want, and no one will care. But you will know the rest of your life.” – John Collins (Founder of The Ironman) -- Never Quit

The day began with snowflakes falling and temperatures plummeting rapidly and our thoughts were filled with last minute logistical details as we drove up to the High Cloud Snapple start/finish location. The parking lot was full of hundreds of passionate athletes who had challenged the elements and themselves to attend the Inaugural High Cloud Snapple Half Marathon! A dream that was conjured up between Adriana and Matt Anderson and Bart Forsyth over a dinner of pita bread and hummus at Bus Boys and Poets Restaurant only a month and a half earlier was now a reality. Hundreds had joined together on one snowy morning and were going to run for something greater than anything they have ever done before – to help children the world over who had suffered immensely from the recent tragedy in Haiti, the intense drought of Kenya, as well as violence and poverty-stricken communities everywhere.

To quote from an athlete after she had finished the High Cloud Snapple, ¨I LOVED the High Cloud Snapple Half. I LOVE running in the cold and snow; in fact, I didn't think it was that cold... I'll take it any day over running in July and August. I didn't run my best time, but I wasn't running for time. I was just trying to get in miles for my marathon training; and I got a medal and shirt out of the deal!...¨

The High Cloud Snapple Half was expertly staffed by an army of Cloud Catchers (volunteers) that were full of smiles and enthusiasm despite the freezing conditions! We provided pop-up tents, blankets and hot drinks before and after the race as well as mountains of: Snapple, bagels, pizza, yogurt, candy, pretzels, chips, oranges and tons more goodies. High Cloud Snapple also had a robust Medical Team led by Ironman Mark Zaragoza and his highly skilled Navy Medical Corpsmen and his quick response medical vehicle. To add to the mix, we had a renowned Club DJ mixing music for the athletes throughout the race including a very solemn Star Spangled Banner at the beginning of the race.

As Race Director Jay Wind started the race, the snowflakes started to fall even harder and it became noticeably colder but the athletes were oblivious as they were motivated to take on whatever Mother Nature would throw at them for the next 13.1 miles on the beautiful C&O Canal. When the last athlete crossed the start line, the Cloud Catchers sprang into action reconfiguring the Start / Finish line tents to facilitate the removal of race chips and bibs, as well preparing tons of food and water for the runners return.

Snow was falling so much at this time that our footsteps were immediately being filled with fresh snow and everyone was moving just for the sake of keeping warm. Only 1 hour 15 minutes into the High Cloud Snapple Half, we heard shouts of encouragement from the finish line as we saw in the distance the first athlete as he sprinted the last few hundred meters to the finish line and accepted his finisher medal from Cloud Catcher, Bethany! While he was drinking water afterwards walking off the run and telling us about the race, he still had blocks of ice in his eyelashes from the intense cold. Runners continued to stream into the finisher chute full of excitement about the race and the extreme winter storm that they experienced for the next two hours, all the while being greeted by cheering (and frozen solid) Cloud Catchers!

On the same day of the High Cloud Snapple Half, High Cloud hosted a simultaneous 2K race for children and orphans in Colombia, South America representing the intrinsic relationship between the High Cloud Snapple runners and the children being supported by the race. The runners of the Inaugural High Cloud Snapple Half Marathon, through their struggle against the winter storm, served as an inspiration and role models to children who live in extreme poverty to also challenge themselves to never quit in the face of hardships. The Inaugural High Cloud Snapple Half Marathon was a day that will live on in people’s memories forever...It was a day where they braved the snow and found a spark within themselves that refused to give in, to concede, to quit. Everyone who stepped foot on the High Cloud Snapple course on January 30th 2010 understood in the core of their spirits what it meant to truly challenge themselves against intense hardships and to find success.

Quotes from High Cloud Snapple Half Marathon athletes:

I LOVED the High Cloud Snapple Half. I LOVE running in the cold and snow; in fact, I didn't think it was that cold I'll take it any day over running in July and August. I didn't run my best time, but I wasn't running for time. I was just trying to get in miles for my marathon training; and I got a medal and shirt out of the deal!

Thank you so much and the wonderful volunteers for a truly challenging and rewarding morning. The weather couldn't bring us down! Thank you for the really great organization, the delicious food and the good people. I will run this again next year, because I'm thinking, the weather can only get better!

This was my first race of any sort since high school track/cross country (I'm 52 now). I've been active in running much shorter distances for my years since H.S. Yesterday's event was to me very well organized, staffed and administered. Thank you very much for this experience. I finished the race without walking and in the time I expected, even with the "extreme" conditions. I had a great experience. Keep it up!

Thanks for a wonderful run this morning. The event was well organized and in a beautiful location. I have never run at the C&O canal before, but I hope to go back again! I won for my age group (50-59 Female)...I just really had fun running.

Please see the High Cloud Snapple Half Marathon page for more pictures and a wonderful video collage from this great event! http://www.highcloud.org/cloudsnapple

FROM PRO-TRIATHLETE TO FULL-TIME HIGH CLOUDER

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:00:00 GMT

Written by Megan Zingarelli

Matt Clark decided to work for charity when his pro-triathlete career took him to an impoverished region of China. On one particular race, the biking route went straight through a shanty town. While touring the course, he met the people who lived there, and he saw their mud houses and deplorable living conditions.

He also noticed that they were happy despite their poverty. This experience stirred his interest in working for a humanitarian cause.

"Meeting these people was the spark I needed I suppose," said Clark.

Find more photos like this on High Cloud Foundation

Not long after, Matt had become deeply involved in the High Cloud Foundation. From his home in Australia, he met founders Adriana and Matt Anderson in 2008 when he saw an article about the foundation online. Soon after learning about High Cloud's work, Clark became an ambassador for the organization. He promoted humanitarian work even as he trained for and competed in triathlons around the world.

Read more about Matt Clark's career HERE.

But after just a year as a High Cloud ambassador, a stress fracture in his femur forced him to quit his fifteen-year racing career. He moved from Australia to Edmonton, Canada with his girlfriend Mandi Wiersma. He has turned to a new life of school and full-time work for High Cloud as a program coordinator.

The transition from racing ended one path, but it gave Clark a chance to pursue other adventures. Clark says his goals include swimming the English Channel, kayaking a Class 5 rapid, and running ultra marathons.

And one major goal--a backpacking trip through South America--he has just fulfilled. Clark said that the racing career kept him traveling but constantly training. He had not had a chance to enjoy a backpacking adventure or to do some local volunteering with High Cloud children.

Last summer, he and Mandi did just that. They toured through Peru and Bolivia, and they stopped in Colombia to visit one of High Cloud's first missions, the school of El Limonar in Tolima.

Read more about El Limonar HERE.

While there, Matt and Mandi taught the children some English, and they played soccer with them too. He said this expedition gave him a taste of what "real life" is about and made him look forward to his new role in High Cloud.

"It's a good reality check because people are going through their day-to-day lives, and stupid little things can affect you, which in the big scheme of things are nothing," he said.

Try the Tri

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:51:00 GMT

Try the Tri Program!

High Cloud Foundation, Team Snapple and Georgetown Running Co. are proud to unveil the Try the Tri Program!!!

Try the Tri is designed to help novice triathletes prepare for their first race or improve upon that early success from Nation's Tri in 2009. The program is coached by elite triathletes from Team Snapple (www.snappletriteam.com).

Members will train for either the Sprint- or Olympic-distance DC Triathlon on Sunday, June 20th, 2010 (www.dctri.com).

What do you get? High-caliber coaching and discount gear, all the great stuff that you'd expect from the stellar Georgetown Running Co., and an awesome training program led by Team Snapple's pro triathletes.

No more leafing through that convoluted Triathlete Training Bible you got from Barnes and Noble, no more 8-mile runs by yo' lonesome, and no more paying full price from *&#$@% Bike Shop in Bethesda for shoes and pedals!

Please check the High Cloud Try the Tri website for more information: http://www.highcloud.org/trythetri

Humanitarian Mission to India

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 03:33:00 GMT

By Justin Warren
A High Cloud Ambassador bringing joy to children in Peru and India!

This past November, the High Cloud Foundation provided humanitarian support to several orphanages and schools just outside Kolkata, India.

Although our train was nearly ten hours late getting to the station, smiling members of the Society for Educational and Environmental Development (SEED) were there to welcome the five of us (Matt and Adriana Anderson, Adriana's mother Mimi, Lais Lacher, and myself) and take us to the orphanage.

As we arrived, more than thirty boys immediately attacked us with smiles and hugs as we piled out of the car. After spending time with the children, Alam (our main point of contact at the orphanage) showed us around the building. We were able to see that although the infrastructure was solid, there was a lack of furniture and equipment for the children. After several discussions with Alam, High Cloud is currently providing the orphanage with tables and sports equipment.

During our stay, we awoke at 6:00am to join the children for their daily routine of outdoor exercises followed by a meditation session. During the meditation, the kids would pause from their deep concentration, entertained by the foreigners doing their best to meditate with them.

Next, Adriana, Mimi, and Lais led the kids in a knowledge workshop, teaching English and Spanish words to the kids through the use of a catchy song. Though the kids spoke Bengali and only partially understood English, the fun style of the lesson brought everyone together and broke through the language barrier.

Matt and I worked with the boys in the afternoon, conducting workshops in nutrition, hygiene, and sports. As the kids sat attentively with their notebooks, we taught them the importance of washing their hands, recycling, and properly disposing of trash. The older students, who understood more English, translated to the younger kids, and everyone enthusiastically wrote down what they had learned. I taught them about different sports and athletes from around the world--they now know Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods--and they taught us about the famous cricketers of India. They said that in addition to soccer, they loved cycling, so I taught them about Lance Armstrong and the Tour de France.

The best part of our stay was being able to get outside and play soccer with the boys. Children everywhere love to play outside, and High Cloud is providing new sports equipment in order to continue the athletic education of the children in India.

Our trip was too short, but yet was very productive. Seeing first-hand the needs of the kids in India allows High Cloud to best utilize its volunteers and funds. High Cloud hopes to send more representatives this summer and extend the wonderful work being done for the amazing children we met.

Children Run 2K in Colombia

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 23:36:00 GMT

On Saturday, High Cloud will host a simultaneous 2K race for children and orphans in Colombia, South America representing the intrinsic relationship between yourselves and the children being supported by the Cloud Snapple Half Marathon.

"Unless you test yourself, you stagnate. Unless you try to go way beyond what you’ve been able to do before, you won’t develop and grow. When you go for it 100%, when you don’t have the fear of “what if I fail,” that’s when you learn. That’s when you’re really living." - Mark Allen

As you run on Saturday, know that you are serving as an inspiration to children who live in extreme poverty to also run and that they look up to you as their role models - challenge yourself to make a difference in the lives of others!

OUR CHILDREN IN HAITI

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 02:05:00 GMT

OUR CHILDREN IN HAITI NEED YOUR HELP AS THEY HAVE NEVER NEEDED IT BEFORE.

The Orphanage that High Cloud provides support to is composed of 11 orphans from the village of Cyvadier located just outside Jacmel, Haiti. The boys stay in the Peter Yarrow Room, and the girls in the Doreen Nurse Room. Fortunately the children are in good condition compared the remaining community however there is no electricity, no potable water and food is extremely scarce. Medication is lacking and simple things like band aids are in short supply.

Tax-deductible gifts may be made at the following website:

To join a Team fundraising for Haiti: click here

http://www.highcloud.org/donate (specify that you are donating for Haiti)

http://www.firstgiving.com/highcloud

Cloud Snapple Article in the Examiner!

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 02:26:00 GMT

By Lisa Kilday of the Examiner

DC Triathlon Club takes New Jersey (Lisa Kilday/2009)

The first annual Cloud Snapple Half Marathon is scheduled for Saturday January 30, 2010 in Caderock, MD. Don’t sweat the hilly location, the race organizers promise a flat and fast course. The half marathon is an out and back course on the C&O Canal Trail (crushed rock/gravel). The race will benefit the High Cloud Foundation and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Two DC Tri Club members founded the High Cloud Foundation to fight poverty through nutrition and sports amongst other international humanitarian projects. The cost for the half marathon is only $25 if you register by January 8th. I hope there is a lot of free Snapple at the race.

Read the entire edition of the Examiner here

Cloud Snapple Half Marathon January 30th, 2010

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:56:00 GMT

Please join us for the Inaugural Cloud Snapple Half Marathon. Enjoy the great scenery, an awesome atmosphere and an amazing run at our nation’s capital!

Enjoy 13.1 miles of a completely flat course along the C&O Canal and to help you unwind after your accomplishment, you can enjoy a post race massage!

Cloud Snapple Half Marathon has finisher medals, prizes, raffles, massage therapists, on-course support to keep you pumped up, sponsored food and beverages and much more! You get a whole VIP experience with your victory celebration!

We have everything to make this a great event. It is more than a race; it is global event embracing many communities, children and runners at once!

To register, see
http://www.highcloud.org/cloudsnapple

or

http://www.active.com/framed/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1816464

An Ironman Tale - Shoot for the moon!

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:40:00 GMT

Once upon a time, I had a Dream - to one day challenge myself in the grueling trial called the Ironman. My road to the Ironman was full of hardship and tribulations with mangled bikes and terrible muscle injuries. And despite advice from Doctors telling me to wait till next year, I refused to let this Dream die because Spirit is everything in our chosen sport (and lifestyle) of Triathlon!

I have learned that Triathlons are all about thinking beyond our own personal mindsets and our own boundaries to develop our talents and create an environment for people to dream beyond measure. I have learned that triathlons are about extending our own personal awareness, how we look at things and how we behave in the midst of adversity.

Friend Dave Orlowski, one of the Founding Fathers of Ironman 1978

My experience at Ironman began with a warm-up swim with our Team in the calm waters of the Gulf Coast. Even though we all sighted a number of jelly fish and sea turtles, we felt confident that we could complete the swim on race day.

Friends Luke and Amanda

Florida was an absolutely superb time as it allowed us to catch up with good friends from Australia, Luke and Amanda, and many Team Mates that we have not seen for a long time. This is the aspect that I love most about Triathlons – the Community!

And then race day came and after waking up at 4am, I saw that the water was not as calm as it was the day prior – it was choppy and the waves were really rough.

The moment I got in the water everything hurt, maybe the lack of sleep, High Cloud’s preps for India, the adductor muscle, who knows. The only thing I did know was that I could do it so I started to follow someone’s feet but finally I found my rhythm. As I entered the water beginning the IM event, I found myself having aquatic combat with my closest neighbours and before I knew it, I was kicked in the face by a fellow swimmer and my goggles came off. I lunged for my goggles and grabbed them with my hand while I was in the roller coaster that had become my swim section. After that odyssey, I realized that the goggles were broken and that no matter what I did the goggles were filling up with salt water. The second loop of the swim introduced me to even rougher waves but I fought on and before I knew it after receiving a few stings, I was out of the water and into transition to move into the second chapter of this journey. ¨The only constant is change, embrace the changes, take action and help the changes to happen.¨ - This is what happened during my swim when my goggles came off.

Discover what you know you don’t know

The bike was a great transition from the beating of the waves, though it brought its own unique difficulties if the form of multiple technical speed bumps! At mile 70, I experienced a terrible flat in my tubular tire and I had to stop, catch my breath and immediately fix the tire. The road was quite bumpy in certain sections and I was quite apprehensive about experiencing another flat from some glass that I saw along the road. Suffice to say I was greatly looking forward to transitioning to the run even though I had a tear in my adductor muscle and had not run for the past 12 weeks. There was also some adversity to spice up the bike section with two flats on the bike and a heavy headwind!

From Sunrise to Sunset: If we cannot find the way, make one

My passion for the sport was at all times high. Although my legs were in pain, I have learned that when you have a strong mind the body stays strong despite the physical pain.

Take away: Stay confident, positive, inspired enthusiastic and happy! The winner is the one who digs deep and keep on pushing and moving forward in the midst of pain, injuries, etc!

The day ended with so many great and glorious moments, a great massage…

…a great meal, an ocean bath the next morning, and a very festive post race party at Spinnaker with friends and family helped me lived happily ever after! Can´t wait to get healed and do it again!

Thanks to all of our incredible friends and High Clouders who mentored me and joined me in this journey! Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more tales in this worldwide story…

Green Success

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 17:43:00 GMT

The Green Success! sustainability conference will held at Station 9 in Washington, DC on October 22 and will include some local area distinguished panelists as well as a networking function. The goal of the conference is to promote clean energy.

– High Cloud Foundation, Augur Professional Services, Inc. and Eco-Coach have partnered together along with other organizations including Synthesize Strategies on the Green Success! sustainability conference with the goal of promoting clean energy.

The difference between other similar conferences and Green Success! is that the panelists at Green Success! are from both companies and non-profits who are currently successful in sustainability and much of the discussion will be on what they are currently doing and how they are doing it.

Participating Organizations

-The High Cloud Foundation
-Community IT Innovators (CITI) providers of green IT solutions
-Eco-Coach
-Synthesize Strategies
-Emerald Planet

Richard Lewis, one of the organizers said, "We all know the importance of clean energy for our future but how many of us unless we are in the industry really don't know much about it. The idea behind this event is to inform people, to encourage participation in our future and to enjoy a networking event where we can meet, collaborate and make synergetic connections."

Web Link
http://winfieldcorporation.com/benefits.aspx

Proceeds will go to the sustainability training program that the High Cloud Foundation includes in it's global humanitarian aid missions.

"The High Cloud Foundation 'Cloud of Environment' teaches environmental sustainability, including water conversation, recycling methods and environmental concern."

Adriana and Matt Anderson,
Founder High Cloud Foundation and Green Success! panelist

Marina Pavlatos, CEO Arkove Industries will be a participant at Green Success! and said "Clean energy is important for geo-physics and it's application to multiple technologies with specifics in gas separation.

Knowing these facts has allowed me to develop new scientific protocols for our country."

"We think that it is important for businesses to learn from the success of other organizations and that there are opportunities out there in the market. We are going to discusses lessons learned and opportunities lost so that they can learn from our successes."

Anca Novacovici, President Eco-Coach and Green Success! panelist

Go to India with High Cloud!

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 23:04:00 GMT

NOVEMBER 20-28, 2009

High Clouders will travel to India over Thanksgiving to work with children in New Delhi and Kolkata. We'll be implementing Clouds of Knowledge, Sports and Nutrition. In these communities, children often work to support their families, so they must neglect their education. Come along to help High Cloud give these children what they need. To find more information, or to donate to the cause click HERE.

Contact for this trip:
xiao.liu@highcloud.org

Almond Butter: A healthy PB&J alternative

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 23:02:00 GMT

By High Cloud's Nutritionist Lorie King, CHHC

Tired of the old PB&J standby? One way to create a new taste bud sensation is to use almond butter in place of peanut butter. Not only will it give you sandwich variety, but almond butter has some impressive stats: six times more calcium than peanut butter, three times the amount of vitamin E and twice the iron. Peanut butter has slightly more protein than almond butter, but not enough to outweigh the healthy benefits of almond butter. Additionally, peanuts are more prone to mold and thus, for individuals with candida or mold sensitivities, peanut butter may aggravate the symptoms.

I like to use raw, unsalted almond butter. For a treat I enjoy spreading it on whole grain, gluten-free crackers with a little blackstrap molasses drizzled on top. Another favorite is to stir a spoonful of almond butter into a warm bowl of quinoa (talked about in a previous newsletter). Top this off with a sprinkle of cinnamon and your favorite sweetener (e.g., raw honey, blackstrap molasses, stevia, 100% pure maple syrup) and you've got a tasty meal. It reminds me of a warm cookie. Almond butter is also a great dip for apples, celery, or carrots. I found the best place to buy raw almond butter is at Trader Joe's. They have the best price of any of the health food stores I've visited in the area.

Now you can make yourself an almond butter and jelly sandwich and you can tell your friends you're eating an AB&J and see what kind of response you get. Enjoy!

'Grand Old Marathon Man' runs for High Cloud

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 23:00:00 GMT

Written by Megan Zingarelli

"What exercise could be more natural for a human being?" asks Dr. Ashis Roy.

He says no exercise could be more natural than running. However, this High Clouder has turned running into something a little unnatural -- running almost 100 marathons in the past 25 years -- all at older than 50.

The 77-year-old doctor and India native will finish his 97th marathon in October when he runs with High Clouders in the Marine Corps Marathon.

Roy joined High Cloud after a friend told him of the work the foundation does in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta). He said that because he was already running so much he wanted to start running for a charity.

"It is a great honor for me to work with High Cloud, which is working to alleviate the sufferings of millions of poverty-stricken children all over the world, including my own motherland India," he said.

Roy will join High Cloud on its upcoming humanitarian mission to India in November.

Roy is known as 'The Grand Old Marathon Man of India' in his home country. This distinction has led to many news articles about him, as well the publication of Roy's book The Joy of Running, which sells in India.

He filled the work with advice for runners of various abilities, and he intends the book as an ode to the sport. Roy himself started running at age 52.

"You can start running any time," he says. "Running is the best exercise because it's most natural for a human being."

Birds fly for exercise, he says, and crocodiles swim, so why shouldn't humans use their legs?

He urges new runners to begin on soft surfaces, such as soccer fields, to avoid joint aches. He instructs beginners to run a few days a week, gradually increasing by half a mile every two weeks. Runners should shoot for 40 miles per week when training for a half marathon, and even more when working toward a full marathon.

Roy has only been living in the U.S. since April, but he says he has long admired how Americans popularized the sport. He hopes to move more people in India to run.

"I'm an unusually fit man in my country, and I look youthful because of the exercise," he says.

To learn more about Dr. Roy's life and career, check out Wikipedia . This article even includes a breakdown of his marathons by country.

High Cloud battles on through Kenyan drought

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 22:58:00 GMT

Written by Megan Zingarelli

High Clouders in Kenya are continuing to implement educational projects despite a severe drought. We reported a few months ago that many children have forsaken their education to follow the cattle that constitutes families' livelihoods. Rachel Herbers, High Cloud's liaison to Africa called the situation "a matter of survival for both the livestock and the family."

The UN's World Food Program reports four million Kenyans face hunger because of the drought. The dry conditions cover most of the country, including the Rift Valley where High Cloud is working. The drought is threatening Kenya's economic necessities of tourism and agriculture. Lack of rain has felled crops and forced cattle -- and the families that manage herds -- to stay on the move.

Despite these conditions, the MAGSA Good Salvage Outreach program, High Cloud's partner, has been solving many problems that Masaai children were already facing. These include providing lunch, learning about the environment, securing clean drinking water, and getting kids who lack tuition money into school.

"It gave children from poor families [a chance] to be shown concern and to learn that they are loved," noted a recent report from MAGSA Outreach.

MAGSA Outreach reports, however, that scarce transportation and spotty Internet service need resolution. The program is requesting more funding, especially for motorbikes to get food, teachers and volunteers to and from project sites.

With food prices and political tensions rising, these tasks could be harder. High Cloud will continue to send updates on this situation.

To learn more about the conditions in Kenya, take a look at this article from The New York Times.