It’s Friday!
As soon as all four kids are off to school it will be time for the Mrs. and I to head to the Flying Pig expo downtown. Yes, bibs and goodies, but we also have a short shopping list of things to look for while there.
Sadly I will not be running the half with my wonderful wife. The foot is feeling much better, but I will listen to the Dr. and stay away from running until cleared. However, I will be participating in the race come Sunday morning - not as a spectator as some may have guessed, but as a volunteer.
Over the past three years I have come to appreciate those who dedicate their time and energy at races to man water stations and work at other places from start to finish. This will be my first and second time as a volunteer. First, I will be working with Hospice of the Bluegrass around the starting area picking up shed clothing (sweatshirts, gloves, etc.) that will get donated. My second volunteer job is working the finish line area. What exactly I’ll be doing there is yet to be determined. My friend Kevin is in charge of a group there and I will get my assignment once I’m done at the starting area. In case you don’t know, Kevin has a couple of great podcasts (the Extra Mile & Extra Mile Galloway Edition). I will cheer as friends and family cross the start, and I will cheer some more when they cross the “Finish Swine.”
This would have been my third year running this race, but alas, I’m sidelined. I am still excited about the weekend and look forward to seeing familiar faces and making some new friends along the way. If you’re on the course (whether beginning or ending) come see me for some high-5’s, hugs and congratulations!
Runner WIth a Reason
Friday, April 29, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
I Can't Run, But I Can Read
This blog isn't just about me and my running. It's about a condition my son, Noah, has. Autism is, as I have said many times before, a strange thing indeed. While his condition is no where near severe, he has his limitations, usually with socializing and appropriate words and behaviors. At first glance and meeting, many people have no clue that Noah is even on the spectrum. It usually doesn't show until he has an episode.
Two days ago Noah was in his room, screaming and crying. Upon investigation I found him in front of his computer, pounding on the desk telling me, "it just doesn't work! I didn't do anything to it!" As it turns out, the PC had gotten a virus that wasn't allowing the darn thing to function properly on the internet. So dear old dad took a bit of time to get the thing working again. But fits like these are common in our house, and most of us have grown accustomed to them and deal with them with efficiency now. But, sometimes the issue isn't that easy.
As the title of this post says, since I can't run due to the painful left foot, I am reading. And today I came across an issue that is prevalent in our house, and apparently many other homes with those on the autism spectrum. From time to time Noah will just disappear. Yes, he disappears. If he thinks of something he wants or wants to do he just goes. No warning, no asking, no questions, he just does what he wants. As a parent this scares me. Read through the article I've linked on CNN's website, it's an eye opener. To think that many children wander off to go swim, or go to the corner store, or whatever is frightening for parents; and it is something we deal with from time to time.
For Tina and I the worst fears come when we visit Kings Island during the summer, or when we go on vacations. Fortunately we haven't had to deal with losing him for more than 30-45 seconds, but the fear is always present. Even when we tell him to stay inside he goes out to play in the yard without even a peep as to his intentions, so taking him to an amusement park or to a not so familiar place for vacations is troubling to say the least.
Read the article, share it with others, and if you happen to see a young one wandering with poor verbal or no verbal skills, get help and try to reunite that little one with the parents as soon as possible.
Two days ago Noah was in his room, screaming and crying. Upon investigation I found him in front of his computer, pounding on the desk telling me, "it just doesn't work! I didn't do anything to it!" As it turns out, the PC had gotten a virus that wasn't allowing the darn thing to function properly on the internet. So dear old dad took a bit of time to get the thing working again. But fits like these are common in our house, and most of us have grown accustomed to them and deal with them with efficiency now. But, sometimes the issue isn't that easy.
As the title of this post says, since I can't run due to the painful left foot, I am reading. And today I came across an issue that is prevalent in our house, and apparently many other homes with those on the autism spectrum. From time to time Noah will just disappear. Yes, he disappears. If he thinks of something he wants or wants to do he just goes. No warning, no asking, no questions, he just does what he wants. As a parent this scares me. Read through the article I've linked on CNN's website, it's an eye opener. To think that many children wander off to go swim, or go to the corner store, or whatever is frightening for parents; and it is something we deal with from time to time.
For Tina and I the worst fears come when we visit Kings Island during the summer, or when we go on vacations. Fortunately we haven't had to deal with losing him for more than 30-45 seconds, but the fear is always present. Even when we tell him to stay inside he goes out to play in the yard without even a peep as to his intentions, so taking him to an amusement park or to a not so familiar place for vacations is troubling to say the least.
Read the article, share it with others, and if you happen to see a young one wandering with poor verbal or no verbal skills, get help and try to reunite that little one with the parents as soon as possible.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
More Than a Little Set Back
As I mentioned in an earlier post I was attacked by a shampoo bottle in the shower about a week and a half ago. Whatever damage it did initially, the half marathon seemed to have only made things worse. While I wasn’t running in pain during the race, it sure has come on strong since. I had made the decision prior to the race that I wouldn’t run for at least five days, just to ensure I would get a decent recovery period, but my foot is telling me (as well as the doctor) something completely different.I went yesterday morning to get the advice of a professional. He sent me for x-rays on the foot. Today I am heading to a specialist for a more in depth perspective on what could possibly be a stress fracture in the third metatarsal in the left foot. The doctor said it appeared in the scans that there is in fact a small break, but he wanted an orthopedic opinion to get a better diagnosis. Family doctor said, “No running until you’ve seen ortho.”
So I go today, in hopes that the dark mark on the x-ray isn’t a real break, but I am expecting just that. With the way my foot feels, I’d be shocked if it wasn’t actually broken. It is difficult to walk, stand, pivot, and even lie down. The nurse took my blood pressure yesterday and I was shocked that it was 135/88 - which is actually pretty high for me (I’m usually around 117/65), but from what I understand, pain can do some strange things to the body. I haven’t slept well the last two nights either - pain spikes randomly and keeps me awake. I’m running on just over 2 hours sleep right now.
What this has done has made me rethink my goals for the year. Will I be able to hit that 900 mile mark by the end of the year? If I’m out for six weeks with a broken toe bone, probably not. Will I be able to run the Flying Pig with my wife? Most likely not. Will I be able to run the Air Force Marathon in September? Not sure. Only time and doctors will tell. Set back? Absolutely, and not one I’m happy with.
Monday, April 4, 2011
ORRRC Half Marathon
There are days when you just feel right. Everything clicks. Your body says, “it’s okay to leave it all out there today!” That was my Sunday . . .
I did next to nothing Saturday. Visited with some family as the Mrs. and I picked up the kids, and then drove back down towards Cincinnati. I made a simple, but effective linguine dinner, had one beer (for added worthless carbs), and took an nice soothing hot bath. Got the kids to bed and I did the same for myself. I better than I had expected and woke a tad (ok, three hours) early - but I quickly scurried back to bed until a more appropriate time.
Grabbed almost everything on the list (as I forgot my protein shake) and made it to Xenia about 40 minutes before the race would begin. I had eaten a small, but decent breakfast during the drive, had my coffee, and had switched to water - all was well so far. And after playing on my phone for a while I made my way to the start/finish area. It didn’t take long before I ran into someone I recognized. I had done that crazy trail run last September - the Broken Toes 27k - and met George, well, here he was again. We chatted for a few minutes before the race began, but he quickly left me in the dust!
The course was rather unique. The first few miles are through calm neighborhoods on streets. We passed a park I had seen from one view all my life, but now I could see it from a different perspective; not bad! A few more twists and turns and some slow, long, gradual inclines (more inclines than I would have thought) and the course turns onto the bike/run/walk path. This paved track goes the length (north/south) of the state of Ohio, and I managed to run only a short bit of it Sunday morning, but it was very scenic and pretty darn fun to run. I met some new people, chatted here and there, but for the most part I stayed focused on my pace.
Something different about this race for me. I didn’t use any of my running apps, I didn’t use the iPod feature on the iPhone, I just ran with the thoughts in my head and those that were shared with me through new friends. I have to admit, going this route had me worried prior, but excited about what I did after. If I felt I was getting off pace, I simply played one of three songs in my head to get me back on track.
I hit the mile 6 mark just over 52 minutes, so I knew I would be in good shape. Shortly after that I met up with another runner (name escapes me) and we talked for just over a mile. As we hit the turning spot I took a short walk break and he continued onward with his pace. Yes, I said walk break. I think I took one about every mile and a half starting around mile 3, usually at the water/gatorade stations. This was my plan to begin with, and it really helped me stay on track. The walk breaks brought the heart rate down a bit, rested the legs a touch, and provided a mental break from keeping pace - and it helped with recovery afterwards too.
One thing I started to notice after the turn around was how many people there were behind me. Some were runners some were walkers, but there were quite a few. I didn’t really look to see just how many people were lined up at the start, but I have a feeling the number was near 1,000 - much larger than I had expected for a race like this one. But there they were, behind ME! I knew my training had gone well, but this truly helped give me a confidence boost in the last 4 - 5 miles. I saw a few people I knew from dailymile, but they looked more focused than I was, so I said hello to them in my head. Sorry if you didn’t hear me!
I started paying attention to the mile markers painted in bright orange on the ground. There they were, both half and full marathon markers, separated by one tenth of a mile. Mile 10 had a smiley face in the zero. I knew I only had a 5k left, or, less than 30 minutes to go! When I saw the turn off of the bike path back onto the streets, I knew I was almost done. Mile 26 marker! That means I only have two tenths of a mile left - barely more than two blocks! I heard footsteps creeping up behind me, but I wasn’t about to let anyone pass me at this point! I dug deep to see what I had left in the tank - not much, but enough to keep three people from reaching the finish line before me. As I approached and then crossed the finish it read 1:57:05 - I couldn’t have been more excited! My goals were to finish, finish without injury, under two hours, and as close to 1:55:00 as possible. I had met my goals!
I caught up with George after, he posted a 1:31:00! The fella I ran with around the turn came in about two minutes before me. I wanted to stick around to cheer on other dailymilers, but I also had another 13 to deal with - my oldest son’s 13th birthday party! What a morning, what a race, what an end to some great training!
So I picked up my best half marathon time by more than eight minutes, got another shiny medal, and another race shirt. I had given just about all I had to give and left it on the course. I was happy and proud of my accomplishment. I am hoping to do this run again next year as it was not just a race to get something from, but it was a great course packed with some great people. If you’re looking for an early spring race (half or full), you should come to Ohio and join the Ohio River Road Runners for this annual race. It’s worth the time, money and effort for sure!
I did next to nothing Saturday. Visited with some family as the Mrs. and I picked up the kids, and then drove back down towards Cincinnati. I made a simple, but effective linguine dinner, had one beer (for added worthless carbs), and took an nice soothing hot bath. Got the kids to bed and I did the same for myself. I better than I had expected and woke a tad (ok, three hours) early - but I quickly scurried back to bed until a more appropriate time.
Grabbed almost everything on the list (as I forgot my protein shake) and made it to Xenia about 40 minutes before the race would begin. I had eaten a small, but decent breakfast during the drive, had my coffee, and had switched to water - all was well so far. And after playing on my phone for a while I made my way to the start/finish area. It didn’t take long before I ran into someone I recognized. I had done that crazy trail run last September - the Broken Toes 27k - and met George, well, here he was again. We chatted for a few minutes before the race began, but he quickly left me in the dust!
The course was rather unique. The first few miles are through calm neighborhoods on streets. We passed a park I had seen from one view all my life, but now I could see it from a different perspective; not bad! A few more twists and turns and some slow, long, gradual inclines (more inclines than I would have thought) and the course turns onto the bike/run/walk path. This paved track goes the length (north/south) of the state of Ohio, and I managed to run only a short bit of it Sunday morning, but it was very scenic and pretty darn fun to run. I met some new people, chatted here and there, but for the most part I stayed focused on my pace.
Something different about this race for me. I didn’t use any of my running apps, I didn’t use the iPod feature on the iPhone, I just ran with the thoughts in my head and those that were shared with me through new friends. I have to admit, going this route had me worried prior, but excited about what I did after. If I felt I was getting off pace, I simply played one of three songs in my head to get me back on track.
I hit the mile 6 mark just over 52 minutes, so I knew I would be in good shape. Shortly after that I met up with another runner (name escapes me) and we talked for just over a mile. As we hit the turning spot I took a short walk break and he continued onward with his pace. Yes, I said walk break. I think I took one about every mile and a half starting around mile 3, usually at the water/gatorade stations. This was my plan to begin with, and it really helped me stay on track. The walk breaks brought the heart rate down a bit, rested the legs a touch, and provided a mental break from keeping pace - and it helped with recovery afterwards too.
One thing I started to notice after the turn around was how many people there were behind me. Some were runners some were walkers, but there were quite a few. I didn’t really look to see just how many people were lined up at the start, but I have a feeling the number was near 1,000 - much larger than I had expected for a race like this one. But there they were, behind ME! I knew my training had gone well, but this truly helped give me a confidence boost in the last 4 - 5 miles. I saw a few people I knew from dailymile, but they looked more focused than I was, so I said hello to them in my head. Sorry if you didn’t hear me!
I started paying attention to the mile markers painted in bright orange on the ground. There they were, both half and full marathon markers, separated by one tenth of a mile. Mile 10 had a smiley face in the zero. I knew I only had a 5k left, or, less than 30 minutes to go! When I saw the turn off of the bike path back onto the streets, I knew I was almost done. Mile 26 marker! That means I only have two tenths of a mile left - barely more than two blocks! I heard footsteps creeping up behind me, but I wasn’t about to let anyone pass me at this point! I dug deep to see what I had left in the tank - not much, but enough to keep three people from reaching the finish line before me. As I approached and then crossed the finish it read 1:57:05 - I couldn’t have been more excited! My goals were to finish, finish without injury, under two hours, and as close to 1:55:00 as possible. I had met my goals!
I caught up with George after, he posted a 1:31:00! The fella I ran with around the turn came in about two minutes before me. I wanted to stick around to cheer on other dailymilers, but I also had another 13 to deal with - my oldest son’s 13th birthday party! What a morning, what a race, what an end to some great training!
So I picked up my best half marathon time by more than eight minutes, got another shiny medal, and another race shirt. I had given just about all I had to give and left it on the course. I was happy and proud of my accomplishment. I am hoping to do this run again next year as it was not just a race to get something from, but it was a great course packed with some great people. If you’re looking for an early spring race (half or full), you should come to Ohio and join the Ohio River Road Runners for this annual race. It’s worth the time, money and effort for sure!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)