Past, Present, Future

A year ago I was training for the Ohio River Road Runners’ Club half marathon and the Flying Pig half marathon.  I felt, at that time, that my training was going quite well.  I was getting decent miles each week, monitoring my pace and working on my running form.  At that time I was a smoker.

Fast forward a year and I find myself doing much of the same, though the training is ramped up this time.  Instead of two half marathons I am training for two full marathons (same as above), roughly five weeks apart.  Last year’s February mileage was about 55 miles for the month.  After yesterday’s 8.14 mile trek I stand at 99 miles for this February.  Another key thing to this year as opposed to last, is that I finally made the decision to quit smoking. 

This is now week 4, and so far I have only had a couple of occasions where I felt I wanted to smoke.  Times where I have tried before there had always been days, even weeks where I wanted one at least once a day, not this time.  I truly believe that this will be the last time I have to quit smoking – after almost 23 full years, I think I have finally kicked that bad habit!

I have already noticed changes in my running.  Where a fast 5k used to be around 26 – 27 minutes I am now running sub-24 minute 5k’s.  My mid-distance runs have steadily improved as well.  Take yesterday’s 8 miler, for example.  My average was an 8:53/mile pace which is only (1) one second slower than my fastest 10k (6.2 miles), and I didn’t feel like I was pushing myself hard.  Only 3.5 weeks into this and I’m already seeing remarkable changes, ones that will keep me around longer, make me stronger and faster.

Thankfully I’m not in this alone.  So many of my friends and family have been there with encouragement, kind words and no condemnation of the habit I have left behind.  Keep that in mind for those you know who are smokers, do not condemn for the addiction, love and help them through it in a positive way.  Showing them pictures of trashed lungs, cancer patients, or people with trach rings will not help, it only hurts – and for me it was something to show that would not happen to me, even if I did not quit.  So, be kind as you help those you know.

With my life span extending and my running times getting shorter I can only look forward to what will happen; those two things only getting better.  This weekend I’ll push my body to 16 miles, and the following week will see 20, distances that will only be easier now that I no longer smoke before and after a run.

New Shoes and Tattoos

New shoes . . . 

 and tattoos . . . right calf

left calf

so you know, when you run behind me, that I have my reasons

12 Miles, New Shoes & Tattoos

The title for this one may be a little deceiving.  I did run 12 miles today, but not in my new shoes. 

This morning was a little colder than I had expected.  When last I looked (yesterday afternoon) the temperature was only supposed to get to around 31 degrees as the low.  When I started my long run this morning it was 28 degrees, and I can assure you, those 3 degrees made a huge difference in how I started and continued from start to finish.

I was properly dressed for a 35 - 40 degree run.  I could take a couple degrees cooler and be okay, but nearly ten degrees was a bit much.  No gloves meant my hands were cold for almost two hours even though I had long sleeves on, pulled over my fingers.  No hat meant my head was loosing precious heat, but I did at least have a head band on to keep my forehead from freezing.

Once I got through the first three miles things settled down.  The sun had started to produce some light and raise the temperature slightly.  There were very few people out.  I think I saw about seven cars altogether, and only one other runner.  Usually at the lake I'll see much more than that, but I suppose the colder weather kept even the hardiest at home.  What I did see were deer, seven of them throughout the run. 

Part of the lake was frozen as well.  I was running across the dam while the sun was a glowing orange orb, slightly above the horizon, reflecting brightly on the frozen lake.  It was a gorgeous sight, one so many people missed, but I was there taking in the beauty of it all - all to myself, and I relished in that fact.

I finally warmed up around mile 9 and my calves did not feel tight any more.  Yesterday was an unscheduled speed workout.  Three miles in the Vibram FiveFingers made for really tight legs this morning, but it worked out over time.  By mile 11 I couldn't tell if my legs were tired, sore from yesterday, or just numb from the cold - it was actually nice not feeling anything!

At any rate, I did not do this run in my new Saucony Kinvara 2's.  I still have a bit of life left in the last pair, so I'll hold off on putting miles on the new ones until a couple of weeks before the ORRRC Marathon.  My hope is that this pair will get me through that race and the Flying Pig - mileage is a concern, but I'm hopeful.

Today's run was nice, though a tad cold.  Next week I add another 2 miles to the long run.  This week has been good.  No pain, five runs, 32 miles altogether.  Looking forward to another great week of running - and as a side note, possible tattoos, but I'll leave you hanging with that thought.

At It Again: Fundraising

Some of you may remember when this blog started about two years ago.  Some of you may not.  For those that have been around for a while you will remember that I used this blog heavily for my fundraising efforts for OAR as I raised money for the Chicago Marathon.  I am once again pursuing the same, but this time, twice over . . .

March 25^th I will be running the ORRRC Marathon in Xenia and five weeks after that the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati.  Since neither of these are sponsored OAR races I am a part of the iRun team.  In 2010 I raised over $700 for OAR, I hope to exceed that this spring.  If you would like to donate to the cause, please visit my personal giving page at: https://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/aaron-mundy/irun-for-autism-2012

As I train for these two races I will once again be posting here, keeping all who read (at least seven of you) up to date.  For now, know that my long runs have been 6, 8 and 10 miles; this weekend I will be running 12 miles Saturday morning and next weekend will be a 14 miler!  I am nearing the end for my first pair of Saucony Kinvaras, but my new pair arrived via UPS the other day (those will be race shoes for both races).

I thank you all in advance for your support!

Day 3 Thoughts: Accountability

Growing up in a family of smokers had an impact on my life, one that lasted a couple of decades.  By the time I was 14 years old, I too had picked up the habit.  At first it was only a couple here and there, usually about two to three a day, but that only lasted a few months.  Before I knew it, I was smoking nearly a half a pack (10 cigarettes) a day.  By the time I graduated high school I was up to a pack a day.  Shortly after graduation I was smoking non-filtered Camels at almost two packs a day. 

I ran track in high school and managed to post sub-one minute ¼ miles.  I joined the US Marines and managed to post 19 minute 3 mile PFT runs (though my worst time was around 26 minutes), and all this while being a smoker.  After my honorable discharge in 1998 I vowed to myself not to run again.  I managed to keep that vow until a friend asked me to run a race that was to support a local autism unit.  Still smoking 20 years later I began running again.  Before I knew it I was running my first half marathon, then a second, and a third, but I was still smoking.  Then I ran a full marathon on my 36^th birthday.  Within an hour and a half of finishing I was lighting a cigarette while wearing my marathon t-shirt!  22 years of smoking and still running.

Before I go too far I must confess that my wife and kids have been on me forever about quitting.  Many of my running friends have been there too.  What surprises many is that I run, and smoke, and post times better than people my age or younger who do not smoke.  Why is that? 

Recently I watched a movie that sparked something inside me that has never been there before: a desire to honestly want to quit.  No, it wasn’t a movie about the damage smoking can do; nothing about lung cancer, COPD or emphysema, no it was nothing of the sort.  The movie was about running a marathon and followed several people on their quests (whether first or 31^st marathon).  Having already run the 26.2 miles twice as a smoker the movie made me wonder, how much faster could I be if I was smoke free?

When I finished my first marathon in 5 hours 5 minutes I was disappointed to say the least.  I was happy that I had finished, but not with the time.  However, I don’t believe it was my smoking that kept me from getting closer to my goal or 4 hours 45 minutes.  It was 89 degrees in Chicago when I crossed the finish line, heat more than anything else slowed me down that day.  When my next marathon came up 11 months later I posted a 4 hour 21 minute time, still as a smoker.  I have posted a sub-two hour half marathon time, a 54 minute 10k – all as a smoker.

The movie had got me thinking, what if I did quit?  Could I run faster, longer, better OR, would I notice very little change?  Either way, my life would be greatly enhanced by not smoking; not to mention lengthened!  So I made the decision, when what I had was gone, that was it.  I wouldn’t spend any more of my time or money on a habit that could wreak havoc on my body.  I’ve told my wife and kids the same thing.  I have been telling friends and co-workers the same thing; all to have a greater amount of accountability.  I have stopped smoking before for short periods of time (3 to 5 months), but have never decided that I was going to quit permanently.  My decision this time around is a planned quitting, something I hope never to return to.  By reading this, I hope you too will keep me accountable to this.

With this brief history in mind, know this: at the end of March I will be running the Ohio River Road Runners Club Marathon in Xenia, the place where I posted my sub-two hour half marathon last April.  This time around though, I will be running the full 26.2 miles.  My goal?  Beat last year’s Air Force Marathon time of 4 hours 21 minutes.  By the time that race rolls around I would have been a non-smoker for at least 50 days.  Five weeks after that I will be running the Flying Pig Marathon here in Cincinnati, where I hope to get even faster!

Runner With a Reason has another reason: get better and faster as a non-smoker AND support those who are like me.  My focus and attention for autism has not diminished, but RWR is adding another facet to who and what I am, and why I run. 

This is day three of no smoking . . . so far, so good.