The Training Continues

Ok, so I’m pretty much done with the fund raising (for this year) and other than a 10k on Thanksgiving day and the Flying Pig half in May, I’ve got nothing on my schedule. This does not mean I will stop training though. I’m setting my sights on beating my last 10k time of 54:45, and hoping to post a 53 minute or less time in four weeks. Which, if I can do that, I should be able to post a sub-two hour time for the Pig - but the training must continue. If I stop now I run the risk of losing all that I’ve built thus far, and that is something I am not willing to sacrifice.

But I’m not the only one in the house training now. This past weekend my wife decided that she too would join the foray and tighten up her laces. Her decision to do so came not by coercion on my part, but she came to this on her own. Saturday I ran 4.3 miles, caught up with her, and walked another 2.75. Sunday our paths did not cross and she beat me back to the house! After this week her work schedule will allow us to train together (sort or) at least on Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sundays. I’m really looking forward to this because it not only gives me that much more time with my wonderful and beautiful wife, but it gives us something we can do together as long as our legs and lungs will allow (hopefully into our aged years).

And, coming after the first of the new year we will have another person in training in house. Yes, my oldest has already (at the age of 12) completed a 5k. Next May he wants to try a 10k. He is planning on joining the track/cross country team in the spring, so he will get extra training outside of dear old dad pushing him. This means, however, that I will be running the Flying Pig 10k the day before the half marathon. But wait, there’s more! Our oldest daughter likewise, wants to start earning hard ward & soft ware (medals & shirts for you non-runners). In addition to the 13.1 Pig and the 10k Pig, I also get to run the 5k Pig. That’s right, three races in two days, two of them (10k & 5k) will be back to back (about 20-30 minutes rest between races). Crazy? Maybe, but I’m already looking forward to getting it done. It’s still less mileage than a full marathon!

Where Do I Go Now?

After giving it a few days thought, kicking ideas around in my head, I still have a nagging question: Where do I go from here, and what will I do?

Part of the answer is easy to answer because, in about 10 days, I will resume my classes to finish the bachelor’s degree. The remainder of the questions, the larger majority of the answer anyway, is much more difficult. Will I continue to run long distances, or do I go more for the shorter races and work on speed? I really like the 5k and 10k distances, but even now the half marathon seems a pretty comfortable distance to run. For weeks I was running at least 12 - 13 miles on longer runs, and now, having completed a marathon, that distance seems short. When I reached the half point in Chicago I felt great. By comparison, when I finished my first two half marathons in 2009 I was a disaster for about 2 days; and after those races I didn’t run for at least a week! Here now, I am six days out from a 26.2 mile run and I have already run 3.2 and am contemplating another run as I type this.

My choices are: a) take a break for a while and do not run, b) run, but only short distances (5 miles or less), c) keep the endurance level relatively moderate (7 - 10 miles), or d) keep the mileage up at 13 or above.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and last year I ran the 100th Thanksgiving Day Run in Cincinnati. I am seriously contemplating this race again, in hopes of shattering my last 10k time of 54 minutes. In order to do this I must maintain a minimum of 6 - 7 mile medium range runs at least twice a week. Anything less than that would pretty much be a waste of my time and would not net me any closer to a better 10k finish time. If I keep the endurance level slightly above that, say in the 7 - 10 mile range, this would make my target a bit easier to achieve.

Another thought that keeps bouncing through my head is the fact that my wonderful wife wants to try to do a half-mary in May. Granted, we wouldn’t start training for the Flying Pig in the next two months, but if I maintain a higher level of endurance (13 and above), running that half would seem like a walk in the park, and I might even be able to finish under 2 hours!

So many things to think about and decisions to make. I’m open to suggestion, so if you have any thoughts please feel free to share.

Last, Important, Best

I have made many acknowledgments thus far, but there are some really important people I have left out. There have been motivational friends online, organizations, volunteers at the race, and the cheering crowds that lined the streets of Chicago. A particular group has not been mentioned yet.

You see, when a person such as myself takes on the lifestyle change of endurance athletics (i.e. distance running, cycling, triathlons, iron man, etc.) there are many sacrifices to be made. Lots of time and effort go into it. Money can also be a factor. One sacrifice that often gets overlooked though is the family. Wives, husbands, parents and children are too often neglected so that, for the purpose of individual pride, glory, or athletic success, the individual can have the needed time and resources necessary to be successful. In this regard, I am no different.

This year alone I have gone through 3 pairs of shoes, 4 pairs of dry fit socks, gallons of water, gel packs, whey protein, shirts, shorts and much more. During my longer runs I would be away from the house for up to four hours, typically on a Saturday morning. I endured plantar faciitis in my left foot and gout in my right foot, and had to pay for the medical expenses for those. And what did my wife and kids get from all of this? A condensed trip to Chicago where they got a glimpse of me as I ran by a couple times.

Yes, I made a lot of sacrifices and made some drastic changes to the way I live, but my family, my wife especially, gave up much more than I. While I was out running, Tina was taking care of things at the house, our four kids, and trying to keep me on track and in order. I had the easy part here, I just had to run. She is the real trooper here, and her sacrifices are immeasurable to me.

I don’t find it ironic, but funny that she found a woman standing in the crowd on race day with a shirt that said it all. "I survived my husband's marathon training!"

Without the help of my wonderful, wonderful, loving, caring, completely awesome wife, I would have never been able to do what I did. Even during the race she was there to help. When my body started to get fatigued I started texting her about every mile, giving quick updates as I could while running/walking. She was providing me with motivation, love and support the whole way. She also had some of the things I needed and met me at a couple places along the route to make sure I was fed and getting the nutrition my body desperately needed. I’ll say it again, without her, this would have been far more difficult, or near impossible, for me to have done.

As for my kids, they were awesome too. They knew they wouldn’t get to see much of me while I ran, but they were as good as they could be for their mother. Even an autistic nine year old found it in himself, despite the vast crowds, to maintain order in the confusion. They too deserve a debt of gratitude I can never fully repay. As it turns out, Noah actually got a medal too. Thanks to the folks at OAR, I gave Noah the medal they presented me. After all, it was for him that I started this anyway - he did great, and so, he deserved a medal of his own.

My family has been wonderful through this entire thing and I know that as my journey continues, they will continue to hold me up, lift me up, and carry me when necessary. Thank you, and I love you!

People (It's In The Little Details)

Chicago is such a cool city. Not only is it a big city, but an extremely diverse city. A race such as the Chicago Marathon brings out all kinds of people, and many more types line the streets throughout the course. Before the race began I was nestled up against a fence, surrounded by, no, packed in like sardines with, thousands of other runners. Started talking with a guy next to me only to find out he had traveled from Toronto to Chicago for the race. And I thought coming from Cincinnati was a long haul?

Once the race began the crowds that lined the course carried all kinds of signs, banners, noise makers, drums and just about everything one could carry. A series of notable signs read, “Chuck Norris never ran a marathon!” Whether or not that statement is true, it was funny. And I wasn’t the only crazy runner celebrating a birthday, there were tons of people holding signs for other birthday runners. I even shared a few words towards the end of the race with a guy who would be celebrating his birthday the day after. There were tons of other interesting signs along the route, but I’ll save the best for last.

Back to the people. Throughout the weekend, nearly everywhere we went, there were people that were going to be in the race; or at least helping or volunteering. With so many charity organizations around today it is often hard to figure out which would be a good fit for any given runner, and I was no exception to that rule. It took some time and a bit of research to find the right fit, and I did just that and got in touch with a wonderful person named Lily at OAR. It was great to finally meet her after months of e-mails and a few phone conversations. She was one of the people that made the weekend even better. Why? Because she cares about people. Lily, Mike and Chelsea, thanks for what you did over the weekend of the Chicago Marathon! You three really made things easy from beginning to end and I look forward to working with you again next year.

And since I’m on the Run for Autism thing, there were a good number of team runners along the course. Each time one would pass me there was usually a high-five, a pat on the back or at least a word of encouragement. Me, being a marathon virgin, needed every bit of help and encouragement I could muster. I know there was one runner in particular that said had it not been for me giving a pat on the back and word of encouragement, “I wouldn’t have made it. I was ready to give up.” And that made it worth while even more.

I think by this point most people on the planet that have access to a computer know about Twittter, Facebook, and MySpace. But, how many know that there is a social network sight for athletes? Indeed there is! DailyMile is the place where I have friends across the country (and a few out of the U.S.) who, for the most part, are runners. There we keep track of our exercises (running, walking, biking, swimming, etc.) and can share that with fellow athletes. It’s a great place for encouragement, tips and challenges. One friend I have been following for several months has been shedding pounds, and it is often amazing to see/hear of his results. While running somewhere between miles 7 and 10 (don’t quite remember where) I ran into Brian. It was great running with someone I have only had online interactions with prior to that meeting. He was easy to recognize because I had seen many pictures of him, and as I approached from behind and his left, I knew for sure it was him and so I introduced myself. It was great to share a few moments with someone who has been an encouragement to me online, in person.

I would be remiss to not mention two other important people that helped to make this possible. Last September three guys got together to run the Air Force Half Marathon in Dayton, Ohio; I just happened to be one of those three. Bobby (Lucky) and Tim (Sasquatch) have continued to be both inspirations for me and subtle reminders to me in this whole running endeavor. Without these two fine men I might still be a sedentary lump on the preverbal couch of laziness, thanks guys! I can’t wait to run the Flying Pig with you next May (even though I’m only doing the half there).

Saving the best for last . . . there were, as I mentioned, some really interesting signs along the way. I believe it was somewhere around mile 22 or 23, a place where many people began to fall from the heat, that I came across the most interesting sign of the day. Mind you, marathon runners push their bodies to extremes, so be prepared. I’m not kidding, there was a sign that actually read, “It’s Okay To Crap Your Pants!” You see, when you have to go, you have to go and I have heard stories of people going mid-stride. While running Sunday’s marathon I saw people peel off from the group as early as the first mile, finding any space they could to take a leak. I’m used to this by now having run a few half mary’s, but it is usually only the men. Yes, even women have to go to the bathroom and do it in the open. As I said, I wanted to save the best for last.
So those are some of the more memorable people from my marathon weekend. I know there are many others, but for now, this short piece on people will suffice.

The Chicago Marathon 10-10-10

So yes, I was well fed, well rested, and I thought, well prepared in many ways. Mentally I was more than ready to take this on. Sure, it was going to be a physical challenge, but most of it is a mental thing. In that regard I was well prepared - I was determined to finish by my own strength and power on my own two feet! Physically I felt pretty good about this. I had trained for 18 weeks and ran distances up to 21.2 miles. I felt I could take on an additional 5 miles without too much struggle. I had packed everything early in the week and triple checked to make sure I had what I needed - or so I thought. Of all the things I did not remember to pack, the one thing I thought my body might need the most during the race, I did NOT remember to pack.

After about two hours of continuous exercise the body begins to break down things like fat and muscle tissue to provide the fuel necessary to continue. As a way to negate my body cannibalizing itself I usually take a protein shake with me and begin drinking it around mile 13. However, this one thing I DID forget - and it is probably something that would have enabled me to stay below pace for a longer period than I did.

So, I got as close behind the last seeded corral as I could stand to. Even still, I didn’t cross the starting line until 7 minutes after the elite runners had left. By that time they were nearing the second mile of the course. Thankfully thought, there were not too many walkers towards the front so I didn’t have to swerve in and out like I’ve done in races before.

The course was awesome. Having lived in the Chicago area for six and a half years, I knew many parts of the city, but the course opened my eyes to many places I had never seen before. I had my iPhone ready to play music, but I did not use it until well into the race - there was so much to see and take in I really didn’t want the distraction of the music; and so I just ran. I didn’t think about pacing, I just ran.

By the time I realized it I had caught up with a friend who gave me a Garmin reading of 2.7 miles - I had already missed a mile marker? And when I hit mile three and realized the pace I was running at I was a little surprised, and slightly worried at the same time. Took a 45 second walk break at mile three, grabbed some Gatorade and water and went back at it. Before I knew it I was at mile 6 and my pace was still about the same. (as an aside, I ran my last 10k in 54 minutes and change, here at this point in the marathon I was below that pace!) I knew I needed to slow things down, and so I did.

Coming back south into the city I knew I would be seeing Tina at 13, so I began sending her text messages of my location on the course. She informed me of her location and I kept running. Saw my beautiful wife at 13 and continued on. When I looked at the race clock at that point I knew I would be able to reach goal number 3 for the race, a 4 hour 30 minute or less time. I was at 2 hours 8 minutes for the first half - it was going to be a cake walk! Saw my wife again between 16 and 17, grabbed my gel pack and continued on.

At this point I was still feeling pretty darn good. But then the buildings began to disappear and the heat began to rise, and rise quickly. There was nothing to hide behind on the south side of the city except a few trees here and there, but for the most part it was full sun and over 80 degrees. One sign I saw said 95 degrees, and I knew it was going to be a rough finish. I knew that if I didn’t slow down a bit more I could become a victim of the heat and not finish. And then mile 19 came.

My hips started burning. Not my feet. Not my legs. Not my back. My hips! Holy crap did they hurt. I pulled off the side around 21 to stretch, then back at it. The same at 22, 23 and 24 - stretch and run, stretch and run. From about 22 through to the finish I noticed many runners hitting the aid tents, and even some runners fallen in the middle of the course - the mind games began in my head. Would I be able to finish? This is my first marathon, I’m sure some of these people have done this before, and they can’t make it. How am I supposed to be able to get through to the end?

The walk breaks became more and more frequent, and I was hitting every water and Gatorade station I could find, sometimes grabbing two of each and walking to finish it all. I was not going to be a heat victim, not this day, not this race. I was going to finish. And from mile 22 on all I could think about was getting to the end to see Tina and the kids - that was all I wanted. I wasn’t concerned about a silly medal, or even my time, I just wanted my family.

And as I headed north on Michigan I knew I was almost there. I started seeing signs that said 800m, 400m, and it was at that point that I knew I was going to finish my first marathon. I made it up the bridge that leads to the Field Museum, turned left, and headed down to the finish line. I had done it. I had completed a marathon. I can now say I am a marathoner. As I crossed the finish, somewhat in a running fashion, I felt elated. I was tired, yes, but not defeated. I had completed a marathon in 5 hours, 37 seconds. 30 minutes off my target time, but I'm not going to complain. I made the long walk through the gauntlet of space blanket, water, Gatorade, medal, food and then on to the hospitality tent for OAR where they too gave me another medal, more liquids, encouragement and a cool place to sit until Tina and the kids got there.

It’s a strange emotion, finishing something of that magnitude. I was physically high, mentally drained, physically wiped, emotionally wrenched, and happy like never before all at the same time. I wanted to laugh and cry. I wanted to scream, but had no air to force out. I was done. Even now, just thinking about it brings back a little of that feeling. What more could one ask for on a birthday?

I have much more to tell of this race, but for now, this is it. There are people, places, and things I need to tell about, but not today. This post has reached it’s climax, and with that I will draw this to a conclusion.

Marathon Weekend (not the race report)

Sunday, October 10th, 2010 (10-10-10) I celebrated my 36th birthday. However, unlike most people who would celebrate a birthday with a party, cake, ice cream and possibly gifts from friends and family, I celebrated by running 26.2 miles in the Chicago Marathon. But before I get to that, there is a lot to cover before I actually ran Sunday morning.

Friday, October 8th: 5 a.m. wake up, 5:30 departure, 6 a.m. meet and hit the road in a two vehicle caravan. Gained an hour by hitting the Central Time Zone and arrived at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and the Hilton Hotel before noon! Since I had packed nearly everything that wasn’t nailed down during the week, I was pretty sure I had everything we needed for the trip - and then some.

We got a really good rate at the hotel through one of those online price things, but when we arrived we found out that it would cost almost as much to park our minivan as it would for the three night stay! Yes, nearly $50 a day for parking. We banged heads, unloaded vehicles and headed for lunch to discuss our options. Hitting an old favorite we dined at Portillo’s in Schaumburg - and it was a little slice of heaven. We even made plans for parking that would cost less than $10 a day; you guessed it, we didn’t park at the hotel! All was well.

We hit the race expo before dinner and then I took the family out west to visit some dear old friends. It was a long day that ended when we got back to the hotel at 1:35 a.m. Saturday morning!

Saturday proper went quite well. Slept in a bit, got everyone ready and headed back into the city for some time at the Field Museum. It had been nearly 10 years since we last visited, so there was a lot to take in. And, after walking ourselves silly in the museum we headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner at Buca di Beppo. Had a great meal with everyone then back to the hotel for a night of sleep before the race.

And so everything was set for a great race day. Lots of food and well rested . . .

One Week Away

This time next Friday my family and I will be on the road, heading towards Chicago. I think it has been a little over three years since our last visit to the windy city, and I am truly looking forward to getting back. We lived in the west suburbs of Chicago for just over six years and we have so many friends there; friends we all want to see again. But this trip, while we plan on visiting friends, is about a race.

To date, my longest run has been 21.2 miles with a lot of hills involved. The Chicago Marathon is 26.2 miles of pretty flat, city terrain. I am familiar with most of the course as I worked in the downtown area for a few years, and the course even goes near where I worked. The excitement is starting to build, and during yesterday’s run that is all I thought about. If you have never been to Chicago I would recommend it highly. The people are friendly, the city is something to behold visually, and the food is incredible!

While planning for this weekend food has been our number two priority, second only to the race itself. With so many great places to eat we had to make some tough decisions as to where we would go. I won’t go into detail here, but I will say there will be a post race entry here that will include our food stops - especially what I’ll eat right after the race!

Now, about yesterday’s run . . . I set out to put in a casual pace, but close to my marathon pace of 9:45 per mile. It was about 55 degrees with 90% humidity, so I figured that would be a safe and comfortable place to be. My body was telling me a different story though. I hit mile 1 at 9:20, and mile 2 was an 8:51! I felt like I was slowing down, and I even tried to slow it down, but I stayed in that range for all 8.77 miles. I averaged a 9:22/mile overall and felt really good after the run. I’m not looking to break any land-speed records in Chicago, but I am looking to finish this race. As I’ve said, I have never run any distance further than 21.2, so there will be an element of challenge to those last four to five miles.

My goal? I have three goals in mind for this race; 1) finish the Chicago Marathon, 2) finish the race in 4 hours 30 minutes or less, 3) finish the race without injury. While I want to perform decently I do not want to risk injury to my body. I have a life outside of my running and it includes being a husband and father, holding a full-time job, being a student, a son, and a hunter - returning to my regular life with an injury would hinder almost all of these roles and that is something I cannot sacrifice. So, if at mile 15 my body says to slow down, I will slow down. But the flip side to that is if my body says we can do this all out at mile 23, then I will pick it up. Regardless, I will finish this race and finish strong. I will be glad to know that I have accomplished something that only one-tenth of one percent of the population has accomplished. I will be glad to know that I have a small cheering section along the course. I will be glad to know that I have helped raise funds for autism research. And I will be glad to know that I have finished this endurance trial without injury so I may try it again some day.

Two Milestones

I don’t remember a time when I was covering so much distance on my two feet. Even while in the Marines I don’t think I ever racked up the mileage quite like I have so far this year. Sure, I would run Monday, Wednesday & Friday. Sure, there were full-gear forced marches between 5 - 20 miles, but I never traversed this far. I still have nearly three full months left of this year and so far I have covered 520 miles. Not too long ago I crossed that 500 mile mark and I am shooting to run 700 for this year - or more if my body will allow it. I've put in a lot of miles this year and the shoes are starting to show it. Here they are new(er). Similar picture to follow after Chicago.

So that’s one milestone for me, crossing 500 miles in a single year, all on my feet. Secondly I am excited to say that through the efforts of so many wonderful people I have crossed the $500 mark in my fund raising! There are still some “pledged” funds still out there, but I am glad to say that I have met my first fund raising goal, and actually exceeded that! Now I am shooting for the $1,000 mark before the Chicago Marathon. Will you help? You don't have to drop a "Five Spot" like this to help! Even a $5 contribution makes a difference. I appreciate every penny that comes in.

Thanks to all who have given so far and thanks in advance to those who will be giving! It means a lot to me!

A Small Distraction

Well, for me autumn has officially come (starting next Saturday that is). It will be the last weekend in September and that means bow season for whitetail deer here in Ohio. I am still a novice at this bow and arrow hunting thing, but over the last five years I have come to really enjoy my time in the woods. Each year it is a nice distraction from so much.

The distraction is very close now, and I am finding it difficult to truly focus on anything else. You see, each year I gather up and purchase new equipment. First I got a new bow a few years ago, then I got a climbing tree stand, then it was a switch from aluminum to carbon arrows, and last year it was two trail cameras. I don’t have any new items on the list for this year, but last year’s purchase is coming in quite handy already.

This distraction takes my mind off of the coming weeks and will allow me to relax before heading to Chicago for the marathon. This doesn’t mean that I stop running, but it gives me a place to focus my attention on an activity that helps put things into perspective. Each fall I put in numerous hours in a tree stand, watching, waiting, hoping. Many people won’t understand this, and I understand, but for me it is tranquil. As I sit there (many times more than an hour before sunrise), I have plenty of quiet time to think, watch birds and other animals, watch the sun rise in the east, and wait for one of North America’s most majestic and elusive creatures.

My hope this year for the annual distraction is to harvest three to four nice deer, and maybe one of those will become a nice trophy. In addition I hope to take each member of my family out at least once so they too can experience the serenity, solitude and peace that I find along with the excitement of having a 120 - 250 pound animal right below their feet. I also hope that everyone else finds a distraction as well. Don’t forget about training for a fall marathon or half marathon, but find something that will help bring back the excitement that you had at the beginning of your training cycle.

Push To the End

I am finding it hard to believe, but I am less than four weeks away from my trip to Chicago! When I would think about this over the past few months it felt so far away. Now, as I think about it I get excited inside - perhaps a little anxious, but mostly excited. As I push towards the goal of finishing my first marathon I also push towards a goal of reaching $500 in charitable funds for OAR. When I started back in May/June that amount seemed a little high and hard to reach, but as I am rapidly approaching the race date, it seems more attainable, more doable, a little more easy than I had expected.

There are two groups that I really haven’t even tapped into yet that I plan on seeking funds from over the next few weeks; my family and co-workers. My hope is that between these two groups I will be able to exceed my goal of $500 and be much closer to the $1,000 mark before race day.

I realized that money is extremely tight right now, it certainly is in my house, but even if everyone I know gives even $2 I would blow even my thousand dollar goal out of the water. For those few that read this, take a minute or two to think about who you know that might be able to help contribute to this noble cause. Autism is such a challenge to deal with, let alone find more about what it really is and how it comes about. By giving to OAR you are helping provide necessary funds for scientific research specifically for autism. As a parent with an autistic child I can’t emphasize enough how much this means.

So if you can give $2 or $200 I, and so many others, would greatly appreciate it. Understanding autism in all its various forms along the spectrum is what this organization is all about. Please consider giving and thank you in advance. Click on the OAR Giving link on the right side of the page - it really is quick and easy.

21.1 Miles and a 27k trail race

Over the past couple of weeks I have been busy with all kinds of things. First, I’m getting back into a routine with the kids all being in school, and this also means it is time for me to go back to second shift at work. Second, my wonderful & beautiful wife has started a new job, so I’m alone during the days now cleaning up most of the messes the kids make the night before. Third, hunting season is rapidly approaching and I have been prepping things at my parents’ house for the deer season to begin. And lastly I am still training for the Chicago Marathon. I haven’t really had much time for writing here at Runner With a Reason (or anywhere else for that matter). But finally, I am getting around to putting some thoughts down.

Two Saturdays ago I set out for the longest of my training runs. The plan was to run between 22 and 24 miles. I miscalculated something somewhere along the route and when I got back to where the car was parked I was only at 21.1 miles. I would have put in the extra few tenths, but that would have required me to run up hill yet again, something I had already had enough of by mile 9! I cut it short, but not horribly so and felt really good after the run. Went out to lunch with my dad after that before heading home.

This past Saturday I found myself at Caesar’s Creek State Park running a trail race. This was a whole new adventure for me. I had been doing some training on trails between the 21.1 and this race, so I felt pretty confident going in that I could get through the course. I had two goals going into the race, 1) finish the race & 2) finish the race without injury. Since this race was four weeks away from Chicago I didn’t want to risk getting some ankle/foot/toe or any other injury that would hinder my running the marathon on October 10th.

The race was called the Broken Toes 27k. I think that says enough about the course by itself, but my body would say otherwise! The first four miles were pretty smooth and easy, but the course took a turn for the worse shortly after that. I hit the half way point and started to wonder how many more hills I would have to face. My pace started to quickly slow and I took more frequent walk breaks (and walked nearly ever hill after mile 8). By the time I hit the last water station (four miles from the finish) I new I was going to finish, but I also new my time would reflect how slow my pace had become. Determined I pushed on.

I think it was somewhere around mile 15 that my body pretty much told my brain to stop. My brain however, said no to the body. As I hit a rather large and steep hill I started walking, but started hearing footsteps behind me. This woman looked to be about my age and she started walking the hill as well. We shared our thoughts about the course and how our bodies were feeling, and by the time we reached the top she was off and running again. I didn’t even think about it, but as she got about 20 yards ahead of me she turned around and said, “No, we’re not walking! You can do this!” She motioned me to catch up, which I did, and we ran together for a few minutes. My body once again said stop, but I continued.

As I got to toward the end I remembered the beginning. The race started on a downhill on an old access road to the lake. This hill was .7 miles to the finish line if I recall correctly. I found it within me to push to the end, running as much as I could, and I did it. From what most of the people I talked to said, this is one of the most difficult courses to run, and it was my first trail race. I finished 17.1 miles of trails without incident or injury.

Now, having run these last two long runs I have to say that I haven’t been out of commission for more than a couple of hours after. The next day I felt fine, and two days later I felt like I hadn’t run at all. Today’s run of only 3.74 miles felt like nothing, but I got out there. Less than four weeks from now I will be preparing to travel to Chicago for my first full marathon - here’s to training, finishing, and carrying on after!

Autism & Communication

For most of us, talking to people and taking non-verbal cues along with the spoken dialogue makes conversations more enjoyable and understandable. For most people on the autism spectrum this is not so easy. I recently read an article about an autistic college student who has taken notice of how many people respond to non-verbal language (hand motions, eye movement, facial expressions, etc.) and how she understands that they exist and work, but not for her. All she can do is compile data to try to better understand this unspoken language. And this made me think about the future of my dear son, Noah.

As he gets older, will his social understandings get even a little better? Will he be able to develop some understanding of non-verbal communication? Or will he, like most people on the spectrum, never fully understand or develop this aspect of language? My hope is that someday he will be able to make the necessary connections to link non-verbal cues with spoken language to make more meaningful, more robust conversations with others. My fear is that the level of understanding he now has will be all he gets.

We humans are strange creations. There are no two exactly alike (though some identical twins are scary close), and each person has some interesting talent or gift to provide. Not quite sure yet just what my talent or gift is, but I’m working on it. For Noah, he provides me with smiles, laughs, and a big dose of humility from time to time. He soaks up information in bits, but can spit it back out in large chunks. He has a propensity to remember small details, and can graphically retell all about those small details, but his ability to take social cues is lacking.

I don’t really remember being taught how to read a person’s facial expressions; happy, sad, scared, afraid, etc., but I am learning that this is something that many autistic people do not fully grasp. Sometimes they can see the face, know what feeling or emotion is going on, but do not comprehend that feeling or emotion themselves. If you have a few minutes I would highly recommend reading the article I mentioned. While I can’t say it was an eye opener for me, it made me think more about the future of my wonderful son and his ability to communicate with the rest of the world. I hope it sheds some light on autism and communication for those who read it . . .

Training Update

Since last I posted I’ve added some more distance to my endurance training. The week after running the 10k I ran 15 miles, and last week I hit yet another milestone in my running: I ran 18.26 miles. The schedule called for 16, but I think I misjudged my turn around point and ended up doing an extra 2.26 miles. And I did this in 3 hours, 5 minutes.

Back up a bit . . . I started listening to a podcast that a DailyMile friend has been doing for a while, I just so happened to start listening to episodes from a few months ago and caught up (http://theextramilepodcast.blogspot.com/). For you runners out there it’s a great piece to listen to because people from around the world contribute, give personal updates, and from time to time there are some great interviews with great people. One series of interviews in particular caught my attention and made me rethink my own marathon training.

The series of interviews was with former Olympian Jeff Galloway (who was a part of the 1972 Olympic games in the 10,000 meter run). Jeff has written many books on running and training for marathons, but this set of interviews was primarily focused on his Run-Walk-Run method for distance running. Intrigued by the first interview I continued listening to the others. By the time I had listened to all posted podcasts I was convinced I needed to at least give it a try on my distance runs. Which brings me back to last weekend . . .

The R-W-R (not to be confused with Runner With a Reason [R.W.R.]) method takes the current skill level of the runner and finds a good proportion of running time (usually in minutes) to walking time (usually 1 minute or less). That said I set me RunKeeper to intervals of 5 minutes to 45 seconds (run to walk) for my long run. The week before I had just set out to run 15 miles and get it done, but when I finished I was completely spent for at least two hours (thank goodness I had that long to travel to a family reunion). So when I hit the mile 10 mark I thought, “I don’t feel nearly as tired as I normally do at this point.” My pace was pretty much near what I had ran the week prior, but I wasn’t nearly as fatigued. By the time I was getting back towards the house and I knew I still had a little more than a mile to go I still felt about the same. I was a little more tired, but I felt really good.

Without getting overly worked, keeping my heart rate lower, and still managing to keep a nice steady pace I was able to have a normal day after my 18.26 mile run last Saturday. I got back to the house, took a shower, got some food and headed out to watch my girls’ soccer games. Then I thought that it would probably catch up to me the next day, but it didn’t. I still felt great, like I had only run 3 to 4 miles. Needless to say I think I will be implementing the Galloway R-W-R method from here on for anything over 9 miles. I am really excited to have found this and have been sharing my own results with fellow runners. Big thanks to Jeff Galloway for putting this down in an understandable format and to Kevin over at the Extra Mile Podcast! Kudos to you both!

Tomorrow I set out on yet another big run, this time breaching the 20 mile barrier. And, as long as my body holds up nicely I will attempt to get in 22-23 miles before 10 am!

Until next time, catch up or keep up!

The Bethel 10k Race

I set out to run this race with two goals in mind. #1, beat last year’s time, which was a 58:32 or something close to that & #2, get as close to 55 minutes as possible. I am happy to report that I met my two goals!

Got checked in this morning and got the bib number pinned on my OAR race shirt, drank some more water and went for a quick warm up run. Finished my 1.3 mile trip around the walking track and get ready for the race. It was nice having about a half hour between warm up and race start, it gave me time to cool off and focus. I had a feeling I would be posting a time really close to what my second goal was after running the warm up.

When the race started I felt like I was running slow, but wanted to ease into the first mile and pick up the pace only after the first mile was behind me. As I approached mile 1 I felt like I was gliding along at a pretty average pace, but when the GPS told me I was running an 8:46 mile pace I knew I wasn’t going so slow! Kept going and pushed myself a little on mile 2, which I ran an 8:12. I was at that point nearly a whole minute below my target pace of 9:03, but kept cruising along. By the time I hit mile 4 I had decided I should back off a bit to regain some strength for the finish.

Getting back into town gave me a slight burst of energy and I knew when I was passing my house that I was going to at least beat last year’s time. Saw the wife & kids as I passed and made the turn towards the finish. At mile 6 the GPS gave me a reading that was, in my mind, off the charts! I still had two whole minutes to run the last .2 mile to beat my second goal - I knew I had it in the bag. Or so I thought.

This race is divided between runners (10k) and walkers (5k). I didn’t figure any of the walkers would come into play because they started a minute behind the runners. However, as I crested the hill just before the finish line I saw the horror of it all! I ran smack in the back of a wall of walkers. I couldn’t even run to the finish line, I was forced to walk the last 15 - 20 yards because there was no way to get around them and still make it into the chute. I lost somewhere between 10 - 15 seconds right at the finish due to walkers.

It wasn’t all bad though. In spite of having to walk the finish I still made the 6.2 mile trek in under 55 minutes. When I walked past the time clock it read 54:55, five seconds below what I set my second goal. With that finish I was happy. I knocked 3.5 minutes off of last year’s race time, which is a pretty big feat in a 10k race. And after a few minutes I was able to walk normally again. Free water, free pizza, free ice cream, and lots of fruit helped get me back on track.

During the run I had thought there was no way I was going to win my age division again, as I had last year. However, quite to my surprise, some of the guys running were either older or younger than me - ones I had picked to beat me and take the age group. I somehow managed to get another medal for this one, two years running.

It was a fun race, a good race, and a personal record race. I am more than happy with the results and based on this, I know I am improving through all the training.

Official results haven't been posted yet, but I'm pretty sure my guess will be within a couple of seconds.

Bethel 10k & Training Update

This Saturday I will be participating in the 2nd annual Bethel 10k. I did this race last year as well, and by some stroke of luck, I won my age division (I’ll spare the details of that). This year I qualify for the next age bracket up in the 35-39 age group and I hope to beat last year’s time by at least 3 minutes. I finished last year with a 58:30‘ish time and this year I am shooting for a 55 minute time. Since I am more familiar with the course I should feel better about it this time around. Also, I have run the course twice in the past couple months, and most recently I ran most of the course (and a little extra) only yesterday.

For those who are unfamiliar with the metric system here’s the simple breakdown. The 10k race is 6.2 miles. Yesterday’s run was 7.24 miles and I managed to maintain a close to race pace for all of that, finishing with a 9:13/mile pace. Since I am not running today and am only planning on a 3 miler tomorrow, I should be well rested and ready to take on the challenge of dropping those three minutes well before crossing the finish line in Burke Park sometime around 9:00 a.m. Saturday morning.

Training Update:
Much to my chagrin, I found out last night that I will be unable to participate in the USAF half marathon in September. I waited a bit too long to get registered for the event and it was full as of yesterday. My hopes of posting a sub two hour time for a half marathon will have to wait for another race. However, with this tinge of bad news comes the hope of something new and exciting. I was already prepared to do a 20 mile run the week before USAF, and now I will be able to come pretty close to that and run a race at the same time. After the disappointment set in for a while last night I decided to do some research. As it turns out there is a 27k race the week I am slated to run 20 miles. Yes, this races is a tad short of the 20 miles (17 miles = 27k), but I think I will be able to make up those miles either before or after the race. This works out perfect for me in a couple of ways. #1 registration for USAF half would have cost about $75, #2 the race takes place at Caesar’s Creek and will “sort of” be on the way to a family get together, #3 in lieu of the $75 USAF entrance fee I will only pay $9 for this other race (nice savings), #4 I still get to put in the miles, but instead of me running by myself I will have a group of runners with me as an added bonus (and hopefully make some new running friends). All in all, I’m a happy runner and have made the best out of a somewhat bad situation.

Recovery Run

This running in the evenings is getting old fast! It truly is difficult to get yourself motivated to run after you’ve spent an entire day at work, mowing grass and running a weed eater all over creation and back. I push mowed weeded 5.15 miles at work today, and the temperature when I finished was a cool 90 degrees, so coming home after that go go run - forget it!

Fixed dinner, changed, helped Tina get the youngest ready for soccer practice, and then I sat around and drank lots of water. I cooled off, took popsicles to the kiddies at soccer practice, and decided that I should run. I keep hearing about these “recovery” runs that are a good idea shortly after a really long run - I don’t usually do them - so I went for a recovery run. Set out to do 3 - 4 miles, and that’s pretty much what I did. 3.18 miles with a 9:13/mile pace, which, considering what I put my body through today and the heat, I’d say that was a pretty decent run.

To completely change subject, I’d like to focus a little on autism and why I am running.

It is currently estimated that, in the U.S. alone, there are between 500,000 and 1,000,000 individuals with some form of autism. There are roughly 306 million people living in the U.S. right now. I am by no means a math genius, but that seems like a pretty high percentage. Imagine how many people come in contact with someone with autism on a regular basis, how many families that deal with autism on some level each and every day. I’m sure I said it before, but I will repeat it often. My wife and I are fortunate to have Noah. Yes, he is autistic, but he is on the very high functioning end of the spectrum. There are families out there with multiple autistic children at varying degrees of severity. We have it pretty easy compared to some, yet even on our best days we struggle some.

Some have found that changing the diet has made all the difference. For people like us, changing the diet didn’t seem to change anything. Some families are seeking alternative medicine treatments with great success. Others are finding that traditional means (i.e. doctor, psychologist, prescription medicine, etc.) are working to their advantage. We are stuck. While we are slowly making a little progress, that slowly is more like creeping. The point here is not that we have been unsuccessful in finding the right treatment(s) for Noah, but that the spectrum is, well, it’s bizarre! Some treatments work for some and not for others. Some treatments may actually make matters worse, but we have to keep trying.

So, when you see a car with the autism ribbon on the bumper; or when you see someone with an autism t-shirt, or when you see a show on TV, etc., etc., etc., know that there are many people living around you that could possibly be somewhere on the autism spectrum. Do your part to learn, and find out what you can do to help. While you’re at it, help a runner raise money for research - every dollar counts!

The Long Haul

So I woke up about an hour and fifteen minutes later than I wanted, but I decided to get out there and get things moving. Checked the weather online only to see that the temp was 59 degrees, much to my surprise at 7:15 am! After stretching and filling the camel back I headed outside to get going.

Started out a little slow, but picked up the pace gradually. The first two miles were about 10:20 & 10:05, but I settled into a rhythm around mile three and maintained a nice 9:35 until somewhere around mile 7. From there it was mostly uphill and the pace slowed severely. By the time I reached the crest of the second big hill I was running at a 10:53 pace. Since the course home was flat with a few declines I was able to pick things back up and finished the last five miles. All told I put in 16.07 miles in 2 hours, 40 minutes, 45 seconds which translates to a 9:57/mile average.

I feel really good considering this was the longest I have ever run at once. However, as I was about 200 yards away from the house I came to realize that come October 10th I will still have an additional 10.2 miles left! For now, I am pleased with today’s run. No long run next weekend due to the Bethel 10k, which I am hoping to beat last year’s time of 58:30 and would like to post a time below 55 minutes. The following weekend will be another scheduled 15 miles, but I may increase that to 17 or 18 based on how I’m feeling. Until then, keep running and sharing my experiences with family & friends. And don’t forget, I am running the Chicago Marathon to raise awareness for and funds for autism research. You can donate through OAR, and all proceeds go towards autism research. Thanks for stopping by!

Rest Day (A Reflection Before a Long Run)

Even though I put in close to 4.5 walking miles at work today, I still consider this to be a “rest day” because I didn’t run, swim or go to the gym. The wife and kids met me at work and we headed out for a small bit of shopping and dinner. The shopping was for the older two, mainly for church camp items, and dinner was just an easy way out - easy as in not having to cook or clean after!

I am slowly psyching myself up for tomorrow’s run - a 15 mile trek that will be the longest distance I have traveled by foot since the Marine Corps 20 mile full pack hike (back in my early 20’s). Granted, this isn’t much further than the half marathons I have already run (three in just over a year), but there is still a mental part of running that many probably don’t understand. If one is not mentally prepared to take on a run beyond nine or ten miles, then that run will most likely not go too well. Mentally I believe I am ready to take on this long venture. On the way home from dinner I took a slight detour to get a rough idea of where I will be running to, and giving a short lesson in the GPS function of the iPhone to the boys. My plan is to start and finish at the house - running to East Fork Lake, down to one of the boat ramps and back to the house. I hope and plan on keeping the pace somewhere in the range of 9:30 - 10:00 per mile, nice and easy.

All of these miles run, logged, and counted for a reason. I run because I have a reason to run. I’m not just running to raise money for autism research, I am running to help raise awareness of the autism spectrum, autism research, and most importantly, because my youngest son, Noah, has autism. He keeps me going even when I don’t want to go any further - and when the pain settles in somewhere after mile ten, I will think of him and know that I have a good reason to keep going.

More Running?

The past few runs have been brutal! The heat and humidity have cause me to slow things down by nearly a full minute per mile. While the pace still isn’t too bad, it is not where I would like it to be. However, I guess that if I am still running at a decent pace in these horrible conditions, perhaps when September & October roll around I will be running at or at least near my optimal performance. I wouldn’t mind running Chicago at a 10 minute mile pace, and that will probably be my goal pace, but if I end up faster than that I will be quite happy.

Made a few adjustments to the August running schedule and I’m on pace to set a personal single month record. As long as I stick to the plan I will have accumulated at least 115 miles this month, and September looks to be even higher still, pushing 140 miles! The tally so to date and the projected running through the end of the year brings me pretty near 700 miles for 2010, and that is something I hope to increase for 2011.

With September right around the corner I have to start thinking about a few things. 1) in less than 2 weeks I will be running my first race since the Flying Pig half in May - the Bethel 10k, 2) in just over a month I will be running the Air Force half again - hoping to best last year’s time and seriously desiring to beat a certain, unnamed person’s last half marathon time (I need to post a sub 2-hour time), 3) October is just around the corner - and while I have exceed my first set goal for funds raised for OAR, I still have some work to do and some money to pull together for autism research. If you are interesting in giving, click here OAR/Firstgiving - it will take you directly to my fund raising page. Thanks in advance, and thanks for supporting Runner With a Reason!

I have an awesome wife and she has some really awesome friends. This past week 500 cookies were baked and decorated just so we could sell them all for charity. We had planned this event over a month ago with some other really incredible people: Bill & Patti Skvarla of Harmony Hill Winery and Anna Beljin, a blooming young musician with a bright future. The turnout was great and the people showing up (whether regulars or one timers) were equally great.

Throughout the evening we sold more than half of the cookies and raised just over $500 to go towards autism research. We met some new friends and talked about running, autism, and families with autism and how they connect with others in a similar position. My running partner Tim and I will be splitting the proceeds from this event to go towards out OAR funds for the Chicago Marathon, and this evening’s bake sale puts me well above my initial goal of $500! I am humbled, honored and truly thankful for everyone who came out in support of this cause. Thank you all very much!

The autism spectrum is a funny thing. Those who are on it can vary from low functioning, barely able to communicate, to high functioning and able to communicate well, but having serious social problems. This evening was an eye opener for my wife and I. Our gracious host, Bill, has made a nice connection with our son Noah. Noah doesn’t always communicate the best, but he surprises us from time to time. This evening he asked, “Mr. Bill, would you like a piece of our pizza? It’s really good!” He doesn’t always speak to people outside of the usual circle, so when things like this happen we get a little excited. Each day we learn something and find new ways of connecting Noah with his future, socialization with everyday people. Some interactions are better than others, but tonight was a success. Mr. Bill, thanks for allowing us to invade your wonderful winery and building an uncommon bond with our autistic son, Noah. Tina and I, as well as Noah, truly appreciate your hospitality and your willingness to be open to even such as us.

Training Run (7/21/2010)

The Agony of da’Feet

Yesterday was pretty nice. An late afternoon storm rolled through and brought the temperature down a notch, but left the humidity in place and slightly rising, but it was comfortable enough to get in a six mile run. Right from the start things were going well, pace was nice, around 9 minutes per mile and there was a wonderful rainbow for me to look at from the start through about mile 3. I slowed my pace down to 9:20/mile and settled down for the remaining three miles.

I had made a turn into the Bethel Cemetery right after hitting mile four, still holding a good pace. Breathing was even and unlabored in spite of the humidity and the legs were holding up nicely. But just before exiting the cemetery around mile 4.5 the left foot started to give me to serious stabbing pains. I stopped at the exit and stretched the foot for about 30 seconds and carried on for about another half mile. The pain wouldn’t go away and continued to get worse. Plantar faciitis had me in it’s nasty grips once again during a run.

Training Run (7/17/2010)

There are times when you have to ask yourself, is it worth injury to go out there and get the miles in? That's just what I thought this morning as it poured rain with a nice mixture of lightning and thunder; go get the miles in and risk getting struck but a huge electric bolt, or stay indoor until it passes - or skip today altogether. I opted to see if it would pass quickly and try to get the Sony laptop working again, and the rain passed. The picture here is of the route I ran this morning.

By 8:20 this morning I was dressed and ready to hit the road. I was well hydrated, partially stretched and mentally ready for a 10 mile run through the streets of Bethel. The temperature wasn't too bad, but the humidity was, and the further I ran the more the heat and humidity became a factor. I started with a decent 9:20 pace for the first six to seven miles, but by then the sun was starting to break through the clouds, this was the beginning of the end. By mile 8 I was running considerably slower than I had started, but still not too bad. It was here that I ran out of water as well. Mile 9 came and passed and I decided to walk about a quarter of a mile before running back to the house. I finished at 9.81 miles with a 9:46/mile pace and felt pretty good despite having lost nearly all liquid in my body to sweat.

Normally when I run in the mornings I don't see a lot of traffic or people out and about, but today was different. This weekend is the bi-monthly Bethel Village wide yard sale, and the people were out en mass this morning. This higher than usual concentration of cars, bikes and walkers made the trek a little slower, but at least there were a lot of people to wave to!

Donation update: With October approaching steadily (at the usual pace), my attempts to raise funds for autism research are finally starting to pay dividends. A big thanks go out to my first three supporters who have donated $70 dollars so far. This weekend I am taking aluminum can donations that I will be taking to the recycling plant next weekend. This coming Friday will be the first public fund raiser at Harmony Hill Winery between 5 - 9 pm. I really appreciate every penny that is donated to this great cause and hope the donations continue to come in. Thanks for your wonderful support of Runner With a Reason!

Fundraising Events

Today at work I heard a commercial about golfers, a statistics thing about how many people play and how many of those are actually professional golfers. What caught my attention was the end which said that even though they are well-paid professional athletes, even they have the same chance of having an autistic child as everyone else, 1 out of 110.

1 out of every 110 children born today are born with some form of autism, and 1 out of every 70 boys. I know this too well as my youngest son, Noah, is on the autism spectrum. While Noah is on the high functioning side of the spectrum, we still have our days where he is close to being non-verbal, and displays many classic autistic characteristics. It is for this reason that I am a part of the Run for Autism team and the Organization for Autism Research. My personal goal is to raise $500 for autism research before the Chicago Marathon. My hope is that I can raise over $1000 before November 10th.

Next Friday, July 23rd, will be the first public fund raising event for myself and for one of my running partners, Tim. We, in conjunction with Momma's Wooden Spoon and Harmony Hill Vineyards & Winery, are having a bake sale. Momma has some wicked good sugar cookies that she will be peddling at the winery. These cookies not only look cool, but taste really good too! If you know someone with autism and want to help fund research but don't have the means to donate hundreds or thousands of dollars, here's your chance. The cookies are $2.00 each, and in my own opinion, are worth it.

The winery is open Friday from 5:00 to 9:00 pm. Hope to see you there!

Cross Training

At some point in my training I thought it would be a good idea to add a few extra elements to help in my quest to run a marathon. I've always liked swimming, but never took it serious. Now I think of my time in water as meters/yards/miles traveled just as I would if I were running. I am slowly working my way up to greater distances in the pool, and each week it gets a little better. Two weeks ago I got in 200 meters immediately after spending 35 minutes lifting weights. Last week I made it through 500 meters, and today I got 600 meters in 19 minutes, 30 seconds. I know, when you look at Olympic records my time is nowhere near what those people swim, but for me it is an accomplishment. With any luck next week I will try to get to the 800 meter mark (1/2 mile for those unable to convert metric). My hope is that by the end of summer I will be able to swim a full mile (1600 meters), and that this extra training will vastly improve my running.

Like the swimming I have gotten back into lifting weights. Both of these add up to one thing, cross training. Endurance will be the one of the keys to me successfully completing the Chicago Marathon in October, but strength and a good tolerance for lactic acid buildup will also be to my advantage. This is where all of this comes into play. When I went to the gym (years ago as a Marine), I went to get bigger and stronger. I had a partner and we had our goals. I still have some of my notebooks and often wonder, "did I really lift that much in one session?" Now, things are different. I am not lifting to gain mass or excessive strength, but to add to my endurance. By lifting lesser amounts with higher reps and more sets I am building up my tolerance for lactic acid, that nasty substance that muscles produce when they start to get over worked. My hope is that this, like the swimming, will be just what I need to get me through those last few miles.

26.2 miles is a long way to run, double the distance of anything I've run to date. As I continue on with my training and fund raising events, don't forget to give me a pat on the back once in a while. If you see me resting, let me rest. If you see me running, tell me to push harder. If you happen to catch me in the gym, tell me to do one more set. If I'm in the pool, tell me to add another lap. I'm going to need all the help I can get between now and October 10th.

Training Run (7/10/2010)

Managed to crawl out of bed just after 6 a.m. and got myself ready to take on the road. I was more than a little hesitant when I looked at the weather, only to find that the humidity had actually reached 100%! I don’t think I’ve seen that since I was in Po’hang, South Korea back in the 1990’s. Needless to say it felt oppressive when I left the comfort of the air conditioned house. Got the music and iMapMyRun app going on the iPhone and took off and a pretty slow pace. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to go too fast because of the humidity and the fact that I have decided to break out the Camel Back hydration system again (the shoulder/chest straps constrict my breathing). This run would be the longest since running the Flying Pig half marathon in May, short of that run by 4 miles.

After getting into a decent rhythm I settled down and kept a nice 9:40 - 9:50 pace for most of the nine miles, taking short walk/water breaks about every 2 miles after the first four. I would occasionally pick up the pace a bit, but not so much as to make breathing any more difficult. I knew I would be pretty close to the 9 mile mark when I got home when I hit mile 8, but I didn’t know if I would have to make up any distance after I hit the driveway. I pulled the armpocket off about two houses before mine only to find that I was at 8.99 miles, and so I walked the last 0.01. I was pretty happy to have gotten in all of the mileage in one giant loop, starting and stopping at the end of the driveway.

The 1 hour, 29 minute run took me west of Bethel, down Burke & Macedonia roads, back into town where I went around most of the walking track, over to the cemetery and back towards the house. Overall I had a 9:53/mile pace and felt tired, but not exhausted when I was done. Glad to have gotten in a long run.

July, August & September are looking to be big mileage months, and all told through the Chicago Marathon I will have run roughly 400 miles from July through October 10th (which is more than the distance from my house to Chicago).

Fireworks & Fishing

The 4th of July weekend is now at it’s close, and a busy one it was! Family function at the parents’ house Saturday followed by a lazy Sunday spent cleaning up after said family function. The question then became, where do we go to see fireworks? By the time a decision was made it was nearly 8 o’clock, but we still had about two hours before most places started their sky display. Kings Island was going to stay open until midnight and have a nice fireworks show at ten, so we drove north to get in some rides and a show. As we waited in line for the Monster the display started, and it continued until we were done with the ride (about 25 minutes in all). It was a nice show and worth the short drive.


Monday was my “holiday” day from work, and it was spent taking all four kids, plus my dad, on a little fishing expedition to a friend’s farm pond. I don’t know how often the pond gets people action, but the fish sure were biting, even in spite of the hot sun and rising temperatures. One minor problem, the autistic son of mine wasn’t catching anything. Sure, fish would bite at his hook, but they would only strip the bait and leave him more frustrated with each cast. After Jake had caught his fourth fish he decided he had had enough and relaxed in the van while everyone else walked around attempting to catch fish. I experienced mild success and nailed a nice 15 inch large mouth bass and some really big bluegills. Even Annika caught a fish! Noah was still fishless by the end of the first hour so I pulled him aside as a meltdown was in the making. I had been watching this little patch of moss swirl for a while and we cast his pole right at it. Almost as soon as the bait hit the water the bobber disappeared. Noah was in a heated battle with his first fish! Even I was surprised when he got it to the bank. As he drug it through some moss I could see it was a decent fish, and a small mouth bass at that. An autism meltdown avoided, a fish caught, and the day was a huge success. While it wasn’t a keeper, his 10 inch bass was the highlight of the day and well worth every ounce it weighed. He carried it to the other side of the pond to show Papaw, and then promptly returned the fish to the pond.

It was a long weekend, but a good weekend nonetheless.

Training Update

Yesterday I put in a couple of miles at work mowing grass (yet again), and after work I headed the YMCA to meet up with the family. Noah had a friend spending the day with him, and it was nice for them to have some time swimming in the pool together. Before getting into the water myself I headed to the weight room to get some iron time in. I did a really quick circuit hitting most of the major muscle areas and pretty much wore myself out in a short time period. Not thinking too much I left and went directly to the pool for some laps. I thought about getting in 400m, but that wasn’t going to happen. Tina and the kids were about done and getting hungry, so I cut short, rather, in half what I wanted to swim. It was good because after 200m I was pretty spent (seeing as how I had just done a lot of lifting I was tired before I started the laps).

Woke up early this morning and decided that, at 55 degrees and 70% humidity, I should get my butt out the door running. A little cool to start, but I quickly got warmed up. My left foot was a bit tender to start and kept me slow at first. After about the first mile the pain started to subside and I was running at about 90%. Felt really good and even got a couple of 100 yard sprints in during the run. Ran the longest I’ve run since the Flying Pig Half in May and finished with 6.9 miles with a 9:16/mile pace. Not too bad!

Hoping the healing continues on the current track and if it does I should be back to 100% within a couple more weeks. May make a trip to the Good Feet Store to try some of their inserts to see it if helps on these longer runs. In addition to everything else I have decided I want to try the 100 push up challenge - and I challenge everyone else to try it as well. I will be doing my initial test this coming week and will keep everyone abreast of how that’s going as well. If you’d like to join me go to: http://hundredpushups.com/index.html

Adding Up the Miles & Rollercoasters

I'm on my feet all day at work, so it's no wonder I've been having foot issues lately. First it was gout, which was promptly followed by plantar faciitis - but I'm not letting it put me too far behind in my training. Since I am on my feet, and some of it is outside, I've decided to start tracking my walking while at work and incorporating that into my overall miles (not to take away from running miles). Over the course of the past week or so I have racked up about 15 miles in walking while at work, most of it while mowing grass. Yesterday and today I tracked all of it. Yesterday I put in just over 2 miles mowing and today was just under 6 miles.

After walking behind a big mower all day today I thought I'd go for a short run before diving into homework. A quick change and some stretches and out the door I went. It's been such a beautiful day I'd hate to waste any of it while being indoors, so running was the natural choice for me. I set out to do between 4 and 5 miles and hit the mark pretty close at 4.4 miles. Averaged a 9:48/mile pace, which isn't too bad considering I'm still dealing with plantar faciitis. But with that in mind I've been reading up on this condition and have made some modifications to my shoe inserts that seem to be helping immensely. While I still have some pain, it is not so bad that I can't run. So I'm managing my pain and hoping this foot issue will be gone soon enough.

Time to switch topics . . .

We have season passes to Kings Island and have gone a few times so far this summer. After work yesterday I met Tina and the kids there. Noah had decided that he wanted to ride the Adventure Express rollercoaster, one he had never been on before because he wasn't tall enough. The older two siblings were on another ride so we waited so everyone could go, or so we thought. #4 was a bit too short, so she and Momma sat out while the older three and I hopped in line. While waiting Noah started having some doubts about riding this ride, but I talked him into staying (hoping I could get some sensory time in with him on the ride). It really is a good rollercoaster and the line moves quickly so we didn't have to wait long. Once inside he grabbed my hand and didn't let go the entire ride. When it was finished I asked if he liked the ride, to which he replied, "It was good, but I don't want to ride it again today. Once every time we come I'll ride it." Good enough for me! I really hope the flooding we are doing at K.I. this summer helps Noah, time will tell . . .

Until next time, keep up or catch up!

Odds, Ends & Coming Events

So recently we had an interesting time with autism. You see, for many with ASD rules are very important. Sometimes however, when attempting to fit in or make new friends that flies out the window.

Only a few miles from our house is a wonderful little winery we have been visiting the past few years during the summer months. The owners are wonderful, gracious, and Bill makes some darn good wines! Harmony Hill Winery is just outside Bethel, OH and has a wonderful property and atmosphere that is family friendly. For the most part, the kids love to go and hang out because their friends and family are there as well. During our last visit Noah made a couple of new friends, but when they decided to do something on the no-no side, he didn’t say anything. The deed will go unmentioned, but suffice to say it involved throwing objects and some of the property residents (of a four legged type). One of the workers at the winery was informed and she brought tall three boys to where we were. Noah was a bit distraught because he wanted to make these new friends and keep them as well; not be looked at as a tattle tale or enemy.

After a near nuclear meltdown, Tina and I calmed our little monkey down and took him to the worker who had brought him to us. And not long after, the winery owner, Bill, had a nice little chat with Noah as well. His spirits lifted a bit, and a nice lesson was learned in the process. Isn’t autism grand?

Now for the running bit . . . gout is gone!, but something else has reared it’s ugly head. Plantar Faciitis. This painful foot condition has to do with the ligament that connects the heel to the toes. In my case, it is really painful and difficult at times to walk on. This morning I woke without pain and decided on a nice early morning run. About one mile into it the pain started to come on and increase at an alarming rate. I slowed to a stop and stretched my foot along the side of the road. It helped temporarily, but it came back worse. I’m stubborn at times and have a pretty high tolerance for pain, so I continued to run. The pain came and went several times throughout and caused me to walk several times throughout, but I got in 6 miles in one our even. Needless to say, June has been a pretty bad running month and I’ve only logged 25 miles so far in running. I put in 13 this week, so I’m not off pace in the marathon training just yet, but it is a long road. 15 weeks from now I expect to be running my first marathon pain free! Prayers and advise is welcomed and appreciated.

With Harmony Hill Winery in mind an upcoming event will be taking place there next month. Momma’s Wooden Spoon will be helping Runner With a Reason and my friend Tim in our bid to raise lots of money for autism research. A bake sale will be taking place on Friday, July 23rd at the winery. A wonderful musician will be there as well, Anna Beljin and her father Milovan (www.annaandmilovan.com). This young amazing talent will be helping us raise awareness for autism and the cause Tim and I run for (OAR - http://www.researchautism.org/). The bake sale will take place while the winery is open that evening form 5:00 - 9:00 pm. Come out for some good wine, great times, wonderful music and supporting autism research. See you there!

The Training Plan & The Gout

On this rainy Saturday morning I decided to sit down with the iCalendar and plan things out for the training cycle. I have put this task off long enough and today seemed like a good day to take care of this important thing.

As I did with the Flying Pig training, I worked backwards from the date of the marathon. October 10th will mark my 36th birthday and my first full marathon, so that’s where it begins. That day will mark the longest single run in my life to date. Each Saturday starting a week from today will be my longer runs (mainly anything over 9 miles), with Tuesdays and Thursdays being my shorter runs (anything 9 miles or less). Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays will be cross training days (weights, eliptical, stationary bike, and swimming). Ideally I will get in all of the long runs, but as things pop up on the family schedule, that may be subject to change. I don’t have a full total for miles yet, but that calculation will be forth coming soon.

As I get closer to the race date I have to maintain a balance of family, running, kids back in school, myself back in school, and the fall hunting season (which will include each person in the house this year). I am hoping that all of this won’t interfere too much with the running schedule, but that is yet to be seen. Only time will tell.

Lastly, this past week has been rather eventful for me. First, I haven’t seen my in-laws in quite some time, and they came to visit for five days. It went well, but could have been better - no fault of theirs. I developed gout in my right big toe early in the week, which led to a lot less outings with the house guests. The doctor wasn’t concerned, as long as I rested properly and maintained a decrease in certain foods and drinks, as well as a strong regimen of ibuprofen to reduce inflammation in the joint. I wouldn’t wish that kind of pain on anyone, and am glad that I can walk without pain again. For those that do not know, gout is like arthritis gone haywire! It is a build up of uric acid around joints (elbow, knee, ankle and big toes especially), this forms crystals around the joints which causes the extreme pain.

That said, I will resume running after the pain has completely subsided and get into the training cycle for my first full marathon. By the time I get to Chicago I will have run four half marathons, three 10k’s, and one 5k race (all in under two years). Two weeks before I run Chicago I will be running the Air Force Half Marathon just as I did last year, and I am hoping to post a sub-two hour time on that. If the Flying Pig was any indication, I should be able to drop at least 8-10 minutes off of my previous AF half. If I can do that I will post that elusive sub-two hour time!

Until next time, keep up or catch up!

Training Run & Camping

The boys and I were supposed to go camping yesterday, sleep over in a tent, do some hiking, and possibly catch our dinner with rod & reel. Weather has reared it’s ugly head again here in southern Ohio and made that near impossible. While it didn’t rain last night I am glad we made the decision to not go camping. Seeing as how I didn’t go camping I thought it best that I get up and hit the road for a few good miles, but the forecasted weather kept me inside. Things got done around the house today, little projects that I’ve put off for a while (finish coats on living room table, clean bathroom ceiling fan, laundry, basement work, etc.) Sometime just after noon though I noticed a little break in the storms and laced up my shoes.


The rain had quit only a half hour or so before I left the house, so the humidity was extremely high at 95%. The temperature wasn’t too bad at 73 degrees, but coupled with the high humidity it felt more like 80! I started with a slow pace and at mile 2 I was maintaining a nice 9:20 pace. I figured I could get around 5 miles in before needing to intake more water, so I guessed a course that would land me pretty close to that. The heat continued to rise throughout the run and by the time I was done it was 80 degrees and still high humidity. I got in 4.82 miles with a nice 8:50/mile pace. The second half of the run was a bit faster than the first half, but I felt good and finished strong.

Back to the camping: Noah’s 9th birthday was this past week and he had only asked for two specific items. 1) an air-soft pistol (plastic gun that shoots plastic pellets) and 2) a tent that at least he, I and his older brother could sleep and camp in. My wonderful parents got the tent and it sleeps more than the three of us. We shouldn’t have any trouble getting ourselves and all of our camping gear inside this beast! I just wish the weather had worked in our favor, we all really wanted to get away, even if only for a single day. There are few things Noah wants to try and explore, but the outdoors seem to be one of those few things he wants to dig into. I don’t know if there is any connection between him wanting to explore like this and his autism, but I sure look forward to finding out. Maybe sometime in the next couple of weeks we will be able to explore the great outdoors in depth and see if there is a connection.

Until then, keep up or catch up!

Fundraising Events

As you may well be aware, I am raising money for OAR for my upcoming first marathon. This October I will be participating in the Chicago Marathon as part of the Run For Autism team. My goal for this is to raise a minimum of $500 dollars for autism research. I can't do this alone, and so have to count on the charity of others to help me meet and/or exceed this goal. Each month I will be setting aside a weekend day to collect aluminum cans to "cash in" and put into my OAR giving fund. The next event planned is coming up in the next month. July will be a busy month with three planned events already on the books. First will be the "Tire Flippin' Butt Kickin' Autism Awareness Challenge" which will include some good friends and some soon to be good friends. More details on this within the next two weeks. Tentative date for this will be either July 10th or the 17th. Following the tire flip will be a bake sale. Our wonderful friends at Harmony Hill Winery have agreed to allow Runner With a Reason and Momma's Wooden Spoon to sell some wonderful baked goods for the cause! This fund raising event will take place on Friday, July 23rd at Harmony Hill starting at 5:00 pm. The proceeds from the evenings sales will go directly into the OAR giving fund. Still working on some pricing and setup issues, but if you'd like to make an advance purchase, please let me know or become a fan of Momma's Wooden Spoon and let Momma know! Lastly, there will be another aluminum can drive in July, and the date will be posted at least a week in advance. If you have friends and family that would like to contribute, but don't have the funds to do so, this is a great way to help. Please pass along this information to as many people as you can, and a BIG THANKS in advance!

Training Run (6/4/2010)/Autism

Well southern Ohio’s humidity continues to rear it’s ugly head. This past week had days with the humidity at 98% in the mornings, which made running nearly impossible. Friday morning was about the best I had seen it, so I laced up and hit the pavement. The temp was around 70 and the humidity was a balmy 91% when I took off. I was quickly drenched in sweat and wondered why I had even left the comfort of my air conditioned house. The rest of the run was more of the same, lost of me loosing water rapidly. What started to be a 5 mile run ended up being only 3.52 miles because of the water loss. I still did pretty good and maintained a 9:02/mile pace. After cooling down I hit the shower and prepared to go to work where I only managed to do more of the same, namely, sweat my butt off. I was truly thankful when I was able to leave work and spend some much needed time with friends at Harmony Hill Winery.

For many families, autism is a hard thing to handle or even to accept. Groups like OAR and Autism Speaks are wonderful places to start learning more about autism and how families can better understand autism and how to cope with caring for someone who has autism. It is a hard thing to swallow at first, as I can attest, knowing that your child has, what some will call a disability. You want desperately for your child to be and to grow up "normal" but you get this strange diagnosis that leaves you confused about the future. There is hope and there is help. Some families go a more traditional route by using facilities like Children's Hospitals while others take a less traditional route by changing diet. There are pros and cons to each of these and neither one has proven to be 100% effective, but know that there are people who have been in a similar situation and there are people who are qualified to help you understand autism more fully.

I am thankful that Noah functions well most days, but deep down inside I still wonder about the future of this wonderful person. Will he be able to support himself? Will he be able to find someone who will understand and accept him for who he is? Will he want to have children of his own? While I may not have the answers to any of these questions, I know that for now, he is well taken care of and Tina and I are doing the best we can to help Noah strive for a bright future. If you question why your child has autism, take heart and know that you are not alone. Take some time to research autism and find groups that can help support you (mentally, physically, and emotionally). If at nothing else, contact me and I'll try to point you in a good direction.