ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation

Hi everyone! My name is Jason Lerch, and I will be attempting my first 100-mile ultramarathon this year on September 6th (Run Woodstock 100 Mile Ultra). This event and the preparation it entails will challenge me mentally and physically, and completing the event will be extremely rewarding. To make this challenge more fulfilling, I have partnered with the ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation to fundraise for its mission to rid the world of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). These brain tumors are particularly aggressive and difficult to treat, are typically found in children, and are almost always fatal. 

I learned about this terrible disease this past September while attending a 5K organized by the ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation with a friend. I met families affected by DIPG and learned some staggering facts about the disease. 

The median life expectancy for a child diagnosed with this disease is around the same amount of time I have to prepare for this Ultramarathon, ~ 9 months. The ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation provides multiple services to both the families affected by this disease and the healthcare organizations trying to combat it. For example, they are the largest source of private funding for DIPG research in the world, and they offer dedicated one-one-one nurse support for families battling DIPG. 

As I train for the ultramarathon, I will be sharing training updates and information about DIPG. If you are interested, you can follow my journey and donate here.  For more information about the ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation, please visit: Chad Tough Defeat DIPG Foundation. Thank you for your consideration and your support!

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Updates... I'll use this area to give updates on my weekly mileage, how I feel, and how I perform at smaller races in between:

• Week ending 01/14: 19 miles
• Week ending 01/21: 19 miles
• Week ending 01/28: 28 miles
• January total: 66 miles
• Week ending 02/04: 12 miles (active recovery week)
• Week ending 02/11: 27 miles
• Week ending 02/18: 36 miles
• Week ending 02/25: 40 miles
• February total: 125 miles
• Week ending 03/03: 33 miles (active recovery week)
• Week ending 03/10: 23 miles (active recovery week)
• Week ending 03/17: 65 miles 
• Week ending 03/24: 36 miles (start ramp)
• Week ending 03/31: 40 miles
• March total: 197 miles
• Week ending 04/07: 41 miles
• Week ending 04/14: 47 miles
• Week ending 04/21: 42 miles
• Week ending 04/28: 41 miles (50k race on 4/27, finished 3rd for my age group)
• April total: 171 miles
• Week ending 05/05: 20 miles (active recovery week)
• Week ending 05/12: 52 miles
• Week ending 05/19: 46 miles (Marathon on 4/19, finished 2nd for my age group)
• Week ending 05/26: 16 miles (recovery week)
• May total: 134 miles
• Week ending 06/02: 46 miles (15k trail race, Half Marathon race (1:44 finish))
• Week ending 06/09: 77 miles (50 mile race 6/8)
• Week ending 06/16: 12 miles (Active Recovery Week)
• Week ending 06/23: 26 miles
• Week ending 06/30: 43 miles
• June total: 204 miles
• Week ending 07/07: 55 miles
• Week ending 07/14: 40 miles
• Week ending 07/21: 44 miles
• Week ending 07/28: 58 miles (plus a 65 mile bike ride)
• July total: 197 miles
• Week ending 08/04: 56 miles
• Week ending 08/11: 55 miles (55k race, 6:50:21, 2nd place AG finish)
• Week ending 08/18: 22 miles (plus 60 mile bike ride, Active Recovery Week)
• Week ending 08/25: 23 miles (Active Recovery Week)
• Week ending 09/01: 62 miles (4x4x48 challenge complete)
• Week ending 09/08: