Airman runs Calif. coast for AIDS awareness

Airman runs for a cause
Tech. Sgt. Lejon Boudreaux.


Airman runs Calif. coast for AIDS awareness
By Seamus O’Connor - soconnor@militarytimes.com
Posted : Saturday Jan 26, 2008 7:39:37 EST

Tech. Sgt. Lejon Boudreaux, a pararescueman, is trained to save lives. Together, he and his friend Mike Sacco decided they would try to save a million by encouraging HIV/AIDS testing.

Sponsored by Nike and the Black AIDS Institute, the pair ran from San Francisco to Los Angeles in 14 days in December. The idea behind their “Run in a Million” event was to encourage 1 million black Americans to get tested for HIV/AIDS.

There is a disproportionate infection rate of HIV/AIDS in America’s black community. The runners made public appearances along the way to talk about the importance of HIV/AIDS testing.

“Training for this event, I had run eight marathons in the year 2007,” Boudreaux said, though he had never attempted a two-week endurance test like this. Running down Highway 1 on California’s coast, the pair covered 360 miles each, running some portions together and some in a relay. Their biggest day was their 13th, in which they covered 31.5 miles.

To keep from burning out, each runner had to consume 7,000 to 8,000 calories a day, Boudreaux said.



Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/01/airforce_runners_080126w/