Runner With a Reason

Past, Present, Future

2012-02-29T08:29:00.000-05:00

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 wasgoing quite well. I was getting decentmiles 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 thesame, though the training is ramped up this time. Instead of two half marathons I am trainingfor two full marathons (same as above), roughly five weeks apart. Last year’s February mileage was about 55miles for the month. After yesterday’s8.14 mile trek I stand at 99 miles for this February. Another key thing to this year as opposed tolast, is that I finally made the decision to quit smoking.

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

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

Thankfully I’m not in this alone. So many of my friends and family have been therewith encouragement, kind words and no condemnation of the habit I have leftbehind. Keep that in mind for those youknow who are smokers, do not condemn for the addiction, love and help themthrough it in a positive way. Showingthem pictures of trashed lungs, cancer patients, or people with trach ringswill not help, it only hurts – and for me it was something to show that wouldnot 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 gettingshorter I can only look forward to what will happen; those two things onlygetting better. This weekend I’ll pushmy body to 16 miles, and the following week will see 20, distances that willonly be easier now that I no longer smoke before and after a run.

New Shoes and Tattoos

2012-02-21T21:45:00.002-05:00

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

2012-02-18T14:35:00.000-05:00

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

2012-02-15T11:03:00.000-05:00

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

2012-02-08T09:36:00.001-05:00

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.

US Air Force Marathon

2011-09-19T17:36:00.000-04:00

I find it amazing what the human body can accomplish. I find it even more amazing at what MY body can accomplish. However, it should come as no surprise that when someone trains the body to do something over a long period of time, that body will do what it should. Yesterday my body accomplished what it set out to do, finish another full marathon.

As readers of this blog know, I haven’t kept up with keeping tabs of my training here. Time, family, work, and all other things have kept me from writing any recent posts. But, with having run my second marathon I felt it necessary to post, before my brain forgets what happened.

Training Cycle:
I spent most of the summer preparing my body for the US Air Force Marathon. Many of the runs were with my oldest’s cross country team, which has proved to be a useful tool as I am not getting any younger. The youthfulness of the teens gave me something I did not see at the time; a desire to keep my body in decent shape, ready for something better, something more like my own youth. These young people pushed me to keep up with them, to stay young myself. To the Bethel-Tate Cross Country team I say thank you!

As for my long runs, well that story isn’t as good as I would have hoped. This summer was hot! With a streak of 18 consecutive days of over 90 degree weather my long runs kept getting pushed off. I had several good runs, but when it came to anything over 16 miles, the weather proved too much for me. My longest run was 19 miles; and that was five weeks before the marathon. For those who do marathons, five weeks prior isn’t good enough, the last long run should be between 19 to 22 miles and about three to four weeks away from the race date. That run should have been 20 miles, but at mile 19 I had to call my wife to come get me. My body and the weather conspired against me that morning. My last run of any significance came two weeks before the race, and it was a mere 12.75 miles - hardly anything I could count on. Yet I continued.

The Race:
No surprise to myself that I woke up before my alarm went off, but I tried to close my eyes for another 15 minutes - it didn’t work. I prepared myself mentally, stretched after getting dressed and had a cup of coffee with my cousin Molly (who, actually put me up for the night). Gathered all my stuff and headed towards Wright Patterson Air Force Base. The drive to the base was quick and easy, but getting in the gate was something else altogether. The line of cars seemed endless, but after about thirty minutes I was in and parked, heading to the museum.

I met up with my friend Tim and we walked to the starting area where I met up with a friend from high school. Stefanie and her husband Mike were about to run their first full marathon - together. I wished them well and set myself to get a little further ahead. The national anthem was sung, the plane flew over and the cannon started the race.

I had decided to not do what I have done in most races over the past couple of years, start too fast. I did that in Chicago last year and I think that really hurt me in the end. I started by running with the 4 hour 45 minute pace group, but after a couple of miles it felt too slow. I caught up with the 4:30 pace group and ran with them for a couple of miles, but that too felt way too slow. I was keeping a steady 10 minute mile pace through the first five miles, so when I caught the 4:20 pace group I decided to hang with them, and it felt comfortable.

I ran a few miles with a couple of nice fellows, one named Aaron and the other I never got. We chit chatted, laughed and basically enjoyed the passing miles, but I eventually got ahead of them.

As I made my way through Fairborn I came across Mike & Stefanie, they looked pretty good at mile 9. We passed going different directions, said hey to each other and kept moving. Shortly after that I noticed the Wright Flyer coming toward me. So, right around mile 11 I stopped to take a picture of the replica in flight. I literally stopped for almost a full minute to watch, take in, and photograph it. Truly an amazing thing.

And then I began running with a retired Army Lt. Col. who was running here again. He shared how he had been here in the early 2000’s (2001 or 2003) and he really liked the course and had a soft spot for the Air Force. While serving in the Army he found out that he had kidney cancer and happened to be stationed on an Air Force base. The two services fought over who would care for him, but it was the Air Force who won and performed the necessary surgery to rid his body of the disease. Here he was, much older than I, having survived cancer, and was running a marathon at the same pace that I was. Not only was he running this marathon, but he told me how after next month he will have run a marathon in each of the 50 states (Illinois and Rhode Island were the only two left). A living inspiration and testimony to the human body and human will.

While running with this incredible man I had forgotten where on the course we were. Our conversation blocked out just about everything. My sense of time and distance was thrown off. I asked him where we were and his response of, “about 16.6” floored me. What happened to miles 14 and 15? He looked at his GPS watch and told me we were running around a 9:45/mile pace and we both agreed it was a tad fast. But we continued. We both hit a hydration station, but I never saw him again. His resolve to be there was enough inspiration for me to continue.

It all felt so effortless. Maybe it was the cooler temperature. Maybe it was all the great people I kept talking to. Maybe it was my body doing what it was supposed to do. I may never know. But I kept going, looking at the mile marker clocks wondering at what point my body would fail. I was still maintaining around a 10 minute mile . . .

After parting ways with the Lt. Col. I found myself running along side a nice young lady. Never got her name or where she was from, but she did inform me that her father would probably be done before the three hour mark. She is a college athlete that usually runs shorter distance races (800m, 1600m and 5000m). This was her first full marathon. Like with the others I ran with during the race, we chatted about all kinds of things. Another great distraction. We passed a hydration station with Elvis, and shortly after that I didn’t see her again, yet I continued.

I knew what to expect from the course, beginning to end. I had run the half marathon two years ago, so much of the course was already embedded in my head. There were no surprises. I knew the elevation chart and where the hills would be, and I was mentally prepared for them.

Around mile 22 it began to sink in. Nothing was hurting. Nothing was slowing me down. Emotions started to kick in. When I saw mile 23 coming up I pulled my phone out, took a picture of the mile marker and posted it to Facebook. Things were still going so well. My friend Tim had run his half and texted to see where on the course I was. My response, having recently passed the 24 mile marker was 24.3. I put my phone back in my arm pocket, and then the pain set in.

Right above my knee on the inside was a dull, throbbing pain. In my head I thought, this is it, I’ll have to bag it at 25 and walk the remainder. That was worst case scenario. I pulled off the side of the course, stretched the leg and rubbed the affected area, walked for a short time, and then it was gone!

I was still right behind the 4:20 pace group. I could hear the pace leader in his Australian accent telling the group to get ready to push. We had less than a mile to go! I tried, but could not keep up as they pulled ahead, further and further. But I kept running, knowing that the end was near, very near! To my surprise I was passing people. The crowds were getting thicker and heavier, and as I rounded the final turn and could see the finish line, I knew that I was not just going to beat my Chicago time, but I was also going to beat the time I wanted for the day, 4 hours 45 minutes. Right before I got to the finish line I saw Tim, cheering me on as I ran past the museum planes - a final push to the end.

I crossed the line, still running, and got in line for the medal.

Officially, I crossed from start to finish in 4 hours, 21 minutes, 8 seconds. I walked around for a few minutes, got some Gatorade and chips, and headed for the gate.

Anyone who had asked me in the past couple of weeks if I would do another full marathon got the same answer, “not anytime soon!” But after crossing that line, feeling like I had hardly run, I knew that answer would not hold up. I set out to finish, finish without injury, and get my time, I did that. My body did what I wanted it to do. Am I planning on running another 26.2? Not in the coming weeks, but I’m not ruling it out in the near future . . .

The Flying Pig 2011

2011-05-03T07:45:00.000-04:00

For three straight years it has rained at the outset of the Flying Pig. Thought we might catch a break this year, but that was not to happen. Made the trek downtown with the lovely Mrs., the oldest son, and Running Sasquatch (my friend Tim) and made it to the starting area about 30 minutes before the race would start. We all parted ways and headed towards our respective areas (corrals for the other three, volunteer tent for myself) and waited in the rain. Unfortunately for me, the few people I came across that were supposed to be the “Info” people, we completely useless. I never found the group I was supposed to help at the starting area. I found out a day later that they had been disbursed to do something they should not have been doing.

I was going to work with Tina’s company picking up the shed clothing - that’s what they do each year. For some reason, the volunteer coordinator at the starting area decided to have them milling around the corrals trying to get people into their appropriate places. So after about 35 minutes of searching in the rain I left the starting area and headed towards the finish area.

What a completely different world! I was greeted by Kevin and others, showed around quickly, and started right away at helping. Several options were given to me, but I choose to work with the mylar (space) blankets. Having passed them up once after a race, I know the importance of heat retention after a cooler race, and knew this was where I wanted to be. I could watch all the runners come in, from first to last (well, last if I had stayed long enough), and most importantly (and quite selfishly) I could be there at the finish line when the Mrs. and the Oldest came through.

Not only was this my first Pig volunteer job, but my first race volunteer job! I have to admit that it was fun and demanding. Each box contained a roll of the mylar material, perforated, and contained 200 blankets. I think I went through about 5 boxes myself; pulling, tearing, handing out. I watched as the runners trickled in at first, and found myself overwhelmed by the numbers after a while. I would get between 15-20 blankets over an arm and hand them out - often barely getting away from the fence before I would have to reload! This made the time go by so quickly and before I knew it, the race clock was nearing three hours; about the time I had guessed Tina and Jake would be coming through.

It was awesome to see the two of them come across the finish line. Jake first (as he sprinted the last 30-40 yards) and then Tina. He looked fine, but she looked like a cross of overwhelmed emotion and serious pain (which is exactly what it was). I had just loaded my arms with blankets, hugged them both, then headed out to empty my blankets to those who needed them. This just happened to take place just as the second wave of volunteers was taking over; perfect timing!

We slowly crept through the gauntlet; water, chip removal, food, pictures. Tina and Jake posed with one of the Flying Pigs and I snapped a quick shot. Met up with Kevin so I could make formal introductions before we headed out the back into the post race party. Yes, they had done it - even without their beloved coach, husband, father, friend. I was excited, still am, and very proud of what they managed to accomplish. We’ve much to work on for future races, but they did an amazing thing on a truly tough course.

In my house there are six people ranging from 6 to 36 years of age. Three of us have completed half marathons. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before that ratio changes. I really do love running. I really do love my family. I really do love that I can run with those I love and share something out of the ordinary with them. Some day I hope to run with all six of us, sprinting across a finish line together.

Flying Pig Weekend!

2011-04-29T07:34:00.000-04:00

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!

I Can't Run, But I Can Read

2011-04-11T10:58:00.001-04:00

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.

More Than a Little Set Back

2011-04-06T07:31:00.000-04:00

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.

ORRRC Half Marathon

2011-04-04T07:43:00.001-04:00

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!

Race Week Excitement & Issues

2011-03-30T11:38:00.000-04:00

I am only a few days away from my first race of 2011! With that comes the anticipation, excitement and a tad bit of anxiety. I keep running through my thick skull all kinds of things; pacing, packing, breathing, packet pick up, proper diet, and even a bit of rest. I really do enjoy it though.

However, there is a dark side to this week, one which I am battling even as I type. You see, this past weekend I managed to drop a shampoo bottle squarely on the top of my left foot. It didn’t seem like much of an issue Sunday, but as I went for my Monday run, I could feel pressure and pain. I did the usual, try ibuprofen and move on. It helped subside the stinging pain, but the dull throb was still present. Tuesday was about the same, mild pain for most of the day with sharp twinges here and there. Today, the sharp twinges aren’t as bad, but I still don’t feel like pressing my luck with a short run. I’m not upset with this as I’ve already surpassed my March goal by almost 19 miles, but it’s race week and I wanted to get in another 5 - 6 mile run before Sunday. That doesn’t look like it is going to happen, but I’m hopeful that Friday I will feel much better.

So what about this race? Well, it’s the Ohio River Road Runner’s marathon & half marathon. This is the oldest marathon in Ohio and takes place in Xenia. While I would have liked to have done the full 26.2, I decided it best to only take on the half this time around. 13.1 seems to be my favorite distance, followed closely by the 10k, and this is a pretty flat course out and back. My goal, foot permitting, is to get below 2 hours. But perhaps I should back up first. Goals for this race: finish, finish without injury, finish in less than 2 hours, finish as close to 1:50:00 as possible. Weather and temperature are sure to have an impact, but based on last year’s Flying Pig half, I hope that the elusive sub-two hour time will be more than achievable.

What else? Not sure. I hope to have a race report up within a couple days of the race, so keep your eyes open for that. In the mean time, as part of my race week rest, I am taking my wonderful training partner and wife to a hockey game Friday night between our Chicago Blackhawks and the Columbus Blue Jackets, rest in one of it’s finest forms!

Stress: Another Reason to Run

2011-03-24T12:06:00.002-04:00

Without a doubt, one of the greatest advantages I have found to my running is stress relief. I’m sure there are a plethora of studies to show how this is true, but let me just tell you from experience what running, or exercise in general, does for me.

It’s no surprise that the world seems to be in a continuously growing state of chaos. Earthquakes in New Zealand, Japan, and just today, Myanmar have created unprecedented disruption of human life in recent weeks. STRESS. Family life is another chaos creator, and my family has it’s share of that too. STRESS. Work can often lead to even more chaos. STRESS. Relationships with friends and extended family members only adds to the already mounting level of chaos. STRESS. Can you see a pattern? Nearly everything we encounter can lead to high levels of chaos and stress, and, without some kind of mechanism in place all of that stress can lead to high blood pressure, heart problems, and depression. Again, I’m sure there are plenty of studies to show this is true, but I’m not even going to start down that path.

How do I deal with it? Exercise. More specifically, I run. Whether you get out three times a week for a total of nine miles or you go out five to six times a week for 50 or more miles, the balance running can restore to your daily life is amazing. As I type this my blood pressure is starting to cool down after some strange interactions that have taken place, but I know that my exercise has already helped me cope with this elevated level of stress. When I run I hardly think about anything except what is in front of me. If I do have a complex thought, the time I spend running allows me to process all of the information, and from different angles - ultimately helping to reduce the impact of stress in my life. And I sometimes use that stress to my advantage . . .

It takes a lot to get me excited to the point of having elevated blood pressure, but this morning found me at that point. I tried to rationalize what had taken place, but it wasn’t helping. Talking with my wife about it only seemed to crystalize the thoughts I had swirling through my tiny little skull. What would really help would be a nice 3-4 mile run, even in the chilly 35 degree gloominess. I would be using my elevated heart rate for a good reason, negating the negative effects of the current stress and turning it into a much more positive experience. That time on the road or trail would also allow me more time to process and most likely come to a better conclusion about the stress monger.

I like having normal to slightly low blood pressure because of my exercise. I like that my exercise helps me process even the toughest circumstances and situations. I like being able to take an hour or less of my day to ensure my future health. And, I like being able to clear that bad stress from within and without at the same time.

How are you dealing with stress? Don’t run? Start walking a few times a week, even 20 - 30 minutes a day will help you too deal with all the stress creators in your life.

Short Term Plan

2011-03-15T09:59:00.002-04:00

I am now two weeks and four days away from my first race for 2011. With this in mind I have to take a good look at my upcoming runs and the short term plan. I will hit my longest run this week at 13 miles, and cut back over the next two weeks on the long runs. My current goal for the Ohio River Road Runners half marathon is anything under 2 hours, but I’d really like to get it as close to 1:55:00 as possible.

So, what have I been doing to try to drop nearly ten minutes from my last half? Speed work. I used to just go out and get the miles, never really paying any attention to little things like speed workouts, intervals or fartleks, or anything else for that matter. Now, instead of just running, I set immediate goals for each run. Today, for example: I wanted between 3 - 4 miles of relatively up tempo running. I started with a 30 second walk on the treadmill, and over the next minute gradually increased the speed until I hit the 7:30/mile pace. I kept that up for about 3 minutes before backing down to a more comfortable 8:30 pace. Hit the first mile right around 8:05 - which is pretty fast for someone like myself (age does not make one better like a fine wine, and that’s for sure!). I pretty much kept this up over the course of the 3.1 miles and added short walk breaks between each mile. I have been using a similar concept on medium runs, but the speed bursts are limited to one minute (again, age is a limiting factor, but I do push myself). These speed bursts seem to have helped me, especially in the shorter runs, but also in the longer runs. I am confident that this work, along with the general aerobic runs will help push me below that, until now, elusive sub-two hour half marathon.

The other thing I think that has truly helped is my change in form. Last year’s Flying Pig half was good until I hit mile 12. I had the same issue there as I did at mile 19 in Chicago - my hips started to get incredibly tight. The main part of the problem was my running form, I was heal striking most of the run and crossing my feet. In Chicago I didn’t have the crossing problem until later in the race, and I wasn’t heel striking nearly as bad. During the Pig last year I actually had scrape marks on the insides of both ankles from crossing center. My shoes were rubbing the bones as they would cross, and it hurt! This caused some hip alignment issues, and the pain and tightness that ensued. Since Chicago I have focused on my form. I think it is safe to say I am no longer a heel striker (as I now run mid to fore foot), and I no longer have the crossing center issues. Shorter stride length and faster cadence have also helped me drop some time.

I have only missed one run so far this month, which for me is amazing! I still have two full weeks of training until the race, and I hope to make the most of each mile. I know I have been training better than I have in the past, and I know it will pay off come April 3rd.

When to Say, "When?"

2011-03-08T10:03:00.002-05:00

Over the past couple days I haven’t been feeling so great. However, I know that in less than four weeks I will be pushing myself for a new PR at the half marathon distance - therefore, I cannot miss any of my scheduled runs. So I run.

Yesterday I was feeling more than a little sluggish. Had trouble breathing, legs felt like a ton of bricks (or anything else for that matter), and I had intermittent low-grade fevers; not exactly the ideal body conditions for running. I set out anyway. It was not a pretty sight as I barely managed to keep the 4.4 mile run at a 10:00/mile pace. But I finished.

Today was slightly better, but not by much. The schedule called for 6 miles. After I dropped 2 & 3 at school I headed to the walking path, a nice mile and a third loop. Checked the clock before exiting the truck, hit start on the RunKeeper, and started the trek. My breathing wasn’t much better than yesterday, but my legs felt pretty good. I just wanted to keep it around a 9:30 pace - nothing to strenuous. As I hit the part of the path where I knew I should be at about mile 1 I heard nothing from the RunKeeper wench - a quick check and the time was spinning, but the mileage never started. 30 second walk break, reset the GPS, and off I went. After about a quarter mile my phone (which also has the RunKeeper app) rang. So, no GPS again. I talked to my wonderful wife for a few minutes as I ran and kept plodding along. As I rounded the path the again I could tell I was starting to fall back on the pace. I neared the 3 mile mark and knew I would not be able to go all 6. I finished my 6 mile run without the last 2 miles. 4.01 miles in 37:30.

A check of the clock once back in the truck and I knew I would not have been able to keep it up another mile or two.

As I took my epsom salt bath I wondered, “Is it crazy that I run even when I’m sick? Is it really good for me to do that?” I don’t have answers, but I do know that I cannot afford to miss any runs over the next three weeks. Tomorrow I rest for the day after I run 12 miles. I am hopeful that whatever this crud is will be gone by Thursday, but even if it isn’t I will be out there, churning out the mileage and increasing my endurance factor. Stubborn? Yes. And I’m not sure when to say, “when?”

Those Shoes!

2011-03-06T13:56:00.000-05:00

Well, I’ve been sporting the Vibram Five Fingers for just over a month, and between the two pairs I have I’ve put about 23 miles in them - my feet are getting used to them quite well. The one thing that never ceases to amaze me is how other people perceive them. Last night we went to an annual Mardi Gras party, and my feet were the object of attention most of the night. “Nice socks!” “What’s that on your feet?” “You actually run in those?” were the most asked questions.

I think I repeated myself at least five times on the answers to those and many other questions. Since I decided to look into the minimalist running about two years ago I have done much research, read many an article and blog post, and finally came to a conclusion about it. That said, I find myself often answering questions about my latest version of footwear. Last night was a prime example.

I am, by no means, an expert on this subject, I just happen to read a lot about it and retain most of what I have read. So, when people ask (whether runners or not), I feel compelled to answer as many questions as I can. If I can’t answer them I point them to a variety of sources on the subject. In my own experience I can say that I have found the benefits far outweigh any of the cons. I have noticed an increase in speed, a noticeable lack of knee pain, and a shorter recovery time after runs. Yet, when I give the description to others about such benefits they seem amused and taken aback by said benefits. It’s almost as if I’m lying about it (by the looks on their faces).

I’m not attributing all of these benefits solely to the shoes, but I do believe much of what I am experiencing is due to the change in running form, stride length, and stride rate (cadence) due to the change in shoes. Add that to the amount of good training I have had thus far this year, and I am seeing positive results beyond what I could have imagined.

The VFF’s are not the only minimalist shoe out there today. There are many other good alternatives, and some are sport specific. But for me, these shoes have provided a means by which I can train better, farther, longer, and with less problems. Yes, they do look strange at first, but you get used to that. However, I’m still not used to all the questions that go along with wearing them in public!

Hitting a Stride (sort of)

2011-03-05T11:34:00.001-05:00

I think I’ve finally hit my stride for the season.

The past three weeks have been great for me in the running sector of my life. With weekly distances of 19, 20, and 28 miles, I can clearly see that this year is far better than last year for sure. At this point last year I had only managed a paltry 55 miles. I have far exceeded that mark this year with 110 miles logged so far - and I’m only one week into March!

Why the change? Two things come to mind: 1) no injuries so far. Last year I managed a couple of early season injuries that kept my mileage down. 2) determination to have a better year overall. One of the motivators for me is that I have already registered for two races, both within the next eight weeks. The first race, the Ohio River Road Runners’ Club is holding their 44th annual marathon and half marathon. Unfortunately I will not be participating in the full 26.2, but fortunately I will be attempting to set a new personal record in the half marathon. With only four weeks left before the race I am determined to drop at least 6 minutes from last year’s Flying Pig half and come in under 2 hours. My goal is to finish somewhere between 1:55:00 and 1:57:00. If I can hit that hour fifty five mark that will drop 10 minutes from my previous best - which is quite a large amount of time to drop over 13.1 miles, but I am confident that I can push myself to do at least that.

Another thing that is pushing me is my family. I have a great immediate family of a wife and four wonderful children. My wife is training for her first half marathon (Flying Pig) coming in eight weeks, which I will be running along side her the entire route. My oldest son wants to complete his first 10k the day before that, and I will be running at his side for those 6.2 miles as well. The girls are always cheering me on, and when I came home today from 10.2 miles, the youngest was excited to see me and giving me hugs - an awesome feeling when you’re worn out! And then there is the reason why this blog exists at all, Noah.

He never ceases to amaze me. Autism is a strange thing. Some days are better than others, and this past week has been an eventful one here at the homestead. I’m learning more everyday, but I know I may never fully understand the spectrum. To those of you who know someone with autism, regardless of where they are on the spectrum, I know you understand. Some days are better, much, much better than others, but know that you are not alone in your struggles. My family’s dealing with autism is much like my running; some days go really well, with very few trials. But some days are brutal and trash you from top to bottom. My running, just like my son’s autism, is not a destination, but a continuous journey.

New Shoes Update

2011-02-17T09:20:00.002-05:00

I have become a bit of a running shoe junkie. Or, I have a bit of a running shoe fetish as one friend put it. Either way, I like my shoes. I ordered a pair of Vibram Five Fingers and started running in them last week. The first two runs were on a treadmill, but I was thoroughly impressed with them from the start. I couldn’t help myself, and I ordered a second pair (different style). These two, along with my Adidas Attunes are going to bear the bulk of my running for this year.

Here’s the plan (in theory at least): VFF Bikilas will bear the brunt of my short mileage runs (2 - 4 miles), the VFF TrekSports will carry me through intermediate runs (5 - 8 miles), and the Adidas will get me through the longer runs (8+). I should be able to get at least 400 miles in each of the VFF’s and at least 350 from the Adidas, which, in theory, should get me well beyond my 2011 goal of 900 miles. Let’s see how this experiment ends in December.

As far as the VFF’s are concerned, they have so far gotten me through 13 miles over 4 runs. Three of those runs were in the TrekSports and the other, obviously, was in the Bikilas. It’s weird getting your feet into them at first, but after a couple days that weirdness was gone. Having stuff between the toes was my biggest concern, but that concern has all but waned. I have toe socks for them, but I have only worn them with the Bikilas since they seem to have a bit less cushion.

What have these new shoes done for me? Well, since changing my running form and gait I have noticed a dramatic decrease in my times. Last year my best 10k pace was around an 8:54/mile, and that was at the peak of my training. I haven’t gotten too many runs in this year, but my times are almost the same as that 10k PR. Example: yesterday’s run was about 4 miles and my average pace was 8:17/mile, and the first mile (usually my worst) was a 7:55! The shoes have caused me to take shorter, faster strides using less energy. In short, I have become a more efficient runner. Can I attribute this entirely to the shoes? No. I have been working on my forefoot form since last fall, and the strides since this beginning of the year. However, with the Vibrams one pretty much has to run mid to forefoot, so the shoes have help encourage a better, more natural running style.

Happy? Why, yes I am! Using less energy to run faster is a great thing, and something I hope will push me to best that 10k PR this year as well as getting that sub 2 hour half marathon time.

New Shoes - New Style

2011-02-09T07:30:00.000-05:00

So, after drooling over the Vibram Five Fingers for well over a year I finally broke down - curiosity got the best of me. But even after deciding to actually buy a pair I still had the decision to make as to which pair I would actually go for. Based on what I plan to use them for (i.e. runs 7 miles and under, trails, and daily walking) I opted for the TrekSport.

They came via UPS yesterday just before I had to leave for work, and I put them on.

I'm on my feet pretty much all day at work, so I thought it would be a good test ground to see how my feet felt, how the shoes reacted to different surfaces, and how it would affect my gait. I believe I had them on for at least 4.5 hours and covered outside terrain (to include snow and ice), concrete, tile floors, and carpet. After only a few minutes the shoes felt like a natural extension of my own feet. When I did put my regular shoes on it felt weird to have all the extra cushion, and I couldn't wait to put the VFF's back on.

Today I plan on getting some run time in them. It's currently 15 degrees with a wind chill of around 10, so that takes the outdoors run out of the question. Fortunately for me my parents don't live too far away and they have a treadmill in their basement - premium conditions for something new like this. While I have no preconceived notions about how this will go, I do understand that I need to take this slowly; that is to say, I won't be doing 5 - 7 miles in these from the start. I will probably only get in about 1.5 - 2 miles in today, and gradually build in the distance arena. Changing foot strike, gait, and lack of padding in the shoe will cause all kinds of things to happen, and I don't need any injuries along the way. That said, slow and steady is the course I have chosen.

Finding the Routine Again

2011-01-29T12:48:00.001-05:00

Well, it has been about seven weeks since my wonderful wife did her last run, but she decided to hit the snow covered paths with me this morning. After having a nice breakfast, listening to some good instruction (life, theology, philosophy), and quick kitchen clean up, we embarked on a short run.

The Flying Pig Marathon/Half Marathon is now 14 weeks away. Our official training for the half doesn’t begin for another week, but I think it’s a good thing to get out a bit early as opposed to a bit late - things went slow this morning, but things went well! Using the Galloway Run/Walk we used a nice 2:1 ratio and ran at her pace. It was a beautiful morning to get out there with the temperature around 40 degrees, so in spite of snow covered sidewalks and roads, we ran.

We have a long way to go, but I am confident that we will be able to finish her first half marathon with an average pace of 10:45/mile. A haughty goal, but one I do believe that she will be able to achieve.

As a side note, I just want to send out a big thank you to a certain person who graciously gave me a gift the other day. What I do at work I do not consider to be too far above and beyond what a normal person in my position does, but every now and then someone notices. This certain person gave me a gift card to Ronker’s Running Spot, a well thought gift and one that will come in handy too soon as I will be looking for a pair of minimalist shoes - and that will be just the place I go first. So, to you who gave such a wonderful gift, “Thank You Very, Very Much!”

2011

2011-01-23T15:53:00.003-05:00

So here we are, another year in the books, another year just getting under way. Looking back at 2010 I was slightly disappointed with my own performance, but some it had to do with injuries early. Hamstring, gout, and ankle kept the early months down to nearly nothing. I hope this year will be better - it has been so far! My goal last year was 700 miles, but alas, I barley got over 615 miles. Wanting to up the ante this year, but I have to stick to the plan.

2011’s goal? 900 miles.

Here’s how I plan to accomplish all those miles: Flying Pig Half Marathon, Flying Pig 5 & 10k with my wonderful wife and kids, Bethel 10k, Air Force Marathon & 5k, Cincinnati Half Marathon, and a few smaller races here and there. While the races do not add up to much, the training involved will add up quickly. I am sure that I will also be running with the girls soccer team again this summer at least once a week, helping with my wife’s training, and getting out with my oldest as he begins his own training.

900 miles seems like a lot, but I have already planned most of the runs (on paper anyway) and the total is above 1,000. That total does not include any of the small races I will start looking for next month. I am hopeful that I will not only meet my goal this year, but exceed that goal.

Looking to do some changes in foot ware as well this year. Hoping to get my feet into either a pair of Vibram Five Fingers or the new Merrell Barefoot series shoes. Less shoe, less weight, more ability to strengthen calves, feet and ankles on shorter runs. Not familiar with either shoe? Check both of them out online.

If you see me running, hang out the window and cheer a bit - I might need a pick up! Or, you could always get out there and run with me!

The Training Continues

2010-10-28T10:43:00.002-04:00

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?

2010-10-16T13:14:00.002-04:00

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

2010-10-15T07:42:00.002-04:00

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)

2010-10-14T07:46:00.000-04:00

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

2010-10-12T22:41:00.003-04:00

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)

2010-10-12T22:01:00.005-04:00

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

2010-10-01T07:22:00.000-04:00

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

2010-09-23T07:36:00.005-04:00

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

2010-09-17T07:55:00.001-04:00

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

2010-09-16T07:27:00.001-04:00

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

2010-09-15T10:23:00.001-04:00

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

2010-09-05T22:13:00.001-04:00

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

2010-09-03T12:14:00.001-04:00

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

2010-08-14T12:43:00.001-04:00

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

2010-08-12T19:29:00.000-04:00

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

2010-08-09T20:37:00.001-04:00

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

2010-08-07T13:03:00.001-04:00

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)

2010-08-06T18:37:00.001-04:00

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?

2010-08-05T21:20:00.001-04:00

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!

2010-07-23T23:10:00.002-04:00

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)

2010-07-23T22:57:00.000-04:00

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)

2010-07-17T11:16:00.004-04:00

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

2010-07-15T20:23:00.006-04:00

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

2010-07-15T20:10:00.004-04:00

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)

2010-07-11T09:36:00.001-04:00

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

2010-07-05T23:08:00.002-04:00

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

2010-07-02T09:04:00.001-04:00

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

2010-06-30T17:23:00.003-04:00

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

2010-06-27T21:12:00.002-04:00

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

2010-06-19T09:52:00.001-04:00

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

2010-06-12T22:07:00.004-04:00

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

2010-06-05T17:49:00.003-04:00

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

2010-06-05T17:34:00.002-04:00

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.

Runner With a Reason Playlist

2010-05-28T11:07:00.002-04:00

Click on the images to enlarge to see what Runner With a Reason is listening to while training.

Summer Events

2010-05-28T09:00:00.001-04:00

I have never really had to ask for money, a few times I’ve had to borrow from family members, but I have not asked for money to donate to a charity. It feels weird, awkward, and a little unsettling all at the same time. The economic times are tough. People have lost and are still loosing jobs. Homes are being foreclosed on because of the loss of jobs, and the money just isn’t there like it was only a decade ago. It really is a struggle to ask someone to give. While my job may not be a high powered one and doesn’t pay all too well, I am fortunate enough to have a job. I have been in the same position for six years now with a couple small raises here and there, but nothing significant and no option to scale the ladder upwards. It is a deadlock position with little to no chance for advancement, but I am glad to have it.

Having stated that I don’t make a ton of money each year it is necessary for me to count on others to help me reach my goal of raising $500 towards autism research for OAR. But this post isn’t about you, the reader, going to the OAR giving page and donating online. No, this is about you, the reader, doing something simple that can help bring me closer to my goal. Right now there are a couple of planned events with a few others on the back burner, here’s what they are:

Fund raising event #1: Aluminum Can Drive. Sunday, June 27, 2010. Runner With a Reason will be collecting aluminum cans to take to the local recycling station in exchange for cash. This cash will go into the bank and then into the OAR account. While this may not net a ton of funds towards the goal, every bit counts. Currently, aluminum cans are bringing about $0.65 per pound, but the market changes from week to week. Other can drives will be held each month toward the end of each month for July, August and September.

Fund raising event #2: Tire Flippin’ Butt Kickin’ Autism Awareness Challenge. Still trying to hash out a date for this, but tentatively looking at July 10th or July 17th for possible dates. This event is something that has come about because of a cousin of mine and it involves a 118 pound tractor tire that will be flipped end over end for over 300 yards. Sponsors can make flat donations or can take the challenge route where cousin “T” posts a time and I have to beat that time, donations will be based on a $$$ per second difference (the amount set by the person making the donation), and can be for either cousin “T” or for Runner With a Reason.

All of this for one reason: Raising both funds for research and awareness of autism. Autism is a strange thing and affects people differently, and thus, the “spectrum” which has those ranging from low functioning to high functioning. Those on the lower end of the spectrum are generally classified as having “classic autism” while those on the high end of the spectrum can have either Asperger Syndrome or diagnosed with PDD-NOS (Pervasive Development Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified). The reason I run, my son Noah, was diagnosed PDD-NOS and shows some characteristics of classic autism and some characteristics that fit more with Asperger’s. As Tina and I have learned, this diagnosis comes with all sorts of challenges and we know this condition is something Noah will live with his entire life - it will never really go away.

This is why funding research is so important to me. If there is something that can be done to help Noah and others like (or worse than) him I want to do as much as I can to provide something towards that end. Giving sacrificially is never easy, especially in tough times. I promise to train as best I can and give of my body, my time, and my abilities. I may not have much in the way of money to give, but I will do my very best at making up for that lack by sacrificing towards finishing my first marathon in October. Please consider giving, whether by donating aluminum cans, by showing up at the Tire Flip, or by going to my OAR giving page - not dollar is too small.

For more information about the aluminum can drive or the tire flip go to the RWR fan page on Facebook and look at the "Events" tab.

Training Run (5/27/2010)

2010-05-27T09:59:00.000-04:00

There are some days when you really have to question why it is you are a runner. Today was such a day. The sky is blue with patchy clouds, temperature is a nice 75 degrees, but the humidity is 92% and breathing, let alone breathing while running, is laborious and the sweat never stops. Today I question my sanity for running. Not only did I post a horrible time for a five mile run, but even now, nearly a half hour later in air conditioning I cannot stop sweating!

The sweat started at about the 1/2 mile mark, and by sweat I mean pouring out of my skin at rates I thought were impossible. This reminds me of when I was in Po’hang, South Korea in 1995. Our running there was about the same, only the temperatures at 6:30 am were at about 85 degrees with 95% humidity. Beautiful country, but awful to exercise in during August. Thankfully I shouldn’t have to endure temps and humidity like that just yet, but today was close.

In other RWR news: There are a couple of fund raising events coming up. The first will be an aluminum can drive at the end of June, the other (as yet to be determined time in July) involves me flipping a rather large tire over 300 yards. As we get close to these events I will post more information as to times, locations, and how the funds will be received. Thanks for stopping by and remember to share RWR with your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors!

Training (Gym, Swim, Run)

2010-05-25T09:43:00.000-04:00

So yesterday was day one of getting back into the swing of things at the gym. I spent about 45 minutes doing weight training (upper & lower body), hit the eliptical for just over 10 minutes, and then got in the pool for a nice 400 meter swim. I hadn’t done laps in a pool for many years, so it was a little uneasy at first, but I got into a groove, changed strokes every other lap, and had fun with it. I am hoping to add more time in the pool throughout the summer, it’s a nice total body workout.

Today I decided to put my feet on the ground. I had planned in my head where I wanted to run, but one thing changed during the run. There is a road a little less than 1/2 a mile from the house I had never been on, so I figured I would add a little mileage by running down and back. Down and back equaled nearly 2 miles I hadn’t planned on, but it was nice because there was virtually no traffic to contend with, easy rolling hills, and lots of trees that provided great shade. The plan was to run most of the course from the Bethel 10k from last August, but after adding this little road I cut short (by about 1 mile) from the turning point. There’s always next time. The run today was great, 5.28 miles in 44:09 which is an 8:22/mile pace. Mile four was under 7 minutes and I didn’t feel like I was struggling. Really hoping I can get below the 50 minute mark for a 10k and under 2 hours for the next 1/2 marathon. I think if I keep up the current training those goals will be easily met.

Walk Now for Autism Speaks

2010-05-22T22:18:00.006-04:00

What a wonderful day to have a “walk in the park!” It was an amazing sight this morning as we pulled into the parking lot at Coney Island. Last year, we were able to park pretty close to where the tents, registration, and start/finish area were. This year we barely got through the gate off Kellog Ave before being told where to park - what a hike! The number of people who came out in support of the Walk Now for Autism Speaks event today was a little overwhelming, but a good thing to see that autism is getting such attention; very much needed attention.

The walk itself was quite enjoyable. Roughly it spanned the outer edge of Coney Island and, according to my GPS, about a two mile trek. So not only did we do a walk for autism, but I logged in a couple extra miles this week (unplanned). Noah did a pretty good job, he walked about the first 1/3 before asking to ride on my shoulders - and I of course said yes. However, after about another 1/3 of the walk I was done carrying him and he finished the walk on his own feet. A short break after walking to have a picnic style lunch with a family friend (Mr. Brian who has graciously walked with us the last two years), and then we hit the park.

Maybe because of the sheer number of people this year, we were unable to ride all of the rides that had been requested, either by Noah or the others. Last year we hardly waited in a line, but this year we waited in every line. One ride closed right as the three older and I waited right at the gate; something had broken right as the ride before us was ending - we spent 10 minutes waiting only to get bumped by a broken ride :-( No matter, we rode rides, walked a bit more, and got in paddle boats for a while. The boys and I in one boat, Tina, the girls and Mr. Brian in the other. All in all it was a fabulous day and one well spent with my wonderful family. We stopped on the way home to pick up supplies for root beer floats and everything was good.

I have learned from this day, much like I had learned last year. Humility, gratitude, and thankfulness are the lessons for me from this day. Humility in that I know I have a child who is different. Autism seems so random at times, and yet so specific at others. I have to humble myself before this “thing” and know that I don’t know everything and I don’t have all the answers. Autism is a “big thing” to have to deal with, and I have to have humility in order to continue to live a “normal” life. Gratitude in that I know I can’t do it all by myself. There are a good number of people I say “thank you” to, but I won’t do that here or by name. Our team raised nearly $500 for this event, something we didn’t even come close to last year. I am extremely grateful for those of you who gave, and gave generously. Deep pockets are a rare thing these days, but by the grace of God, you put your hands deep into your pockets to raise a good amount of money in a rather short time period. Thankful in that I am surrounded by such a great group of friends and family that provide more than monetary support. You know who you are and know what you do that is a support to Tina and I when it comes to dealing with Noah and his “Noah-isms.” I am a thankful person for all that is given me by all of you.

The pictures here are only a couple of the many taken. To see more of the Coney Island photos from the walk hit the Facebook fan page.

Training Run (5/21/2010)

2010-05-20T09:03:00.001-04:00

Another good day to run. Even though the humidity was high (due to passing and pending storms), the temperature kept it feeling not so bad. The humidity did keep me running a slower pace, but one that was comfortable for the duration. I ran a nice 5.05 miles in 45:50, which averages about 9:05/mile. I find it interesting that I can continue to find new routes to run in the little town of Bethel. I found a nice lane that provides about 3/4 mile that has virtually zero traffic, and it is right near the 1 & 1/3 mile track. Picking up mileage here and there has been a challenge, but one I look forward to. Longer workouts get a little tougher, but anything beyond 10 miles heeds a trip to the local state park.

Just as a quick update. I have reached my goal for tomorrow’s Walk Now for Autism Speaks walk! I actually went a little over, but will be able to transfer some of it towards Noah’s goal. I am really looking forward to seeing a large group of people in support of autism. Last weekend saw the walk in Chicago and this weekend will cover Cincinnati, Southern New Jersey, Wheeling, WV, Atlanta and one other in Pennsylvania. There are walks still coming in Canada in June and September. Tomorrow’s event here in Cincinnati should be fun, as long as the weather permits. Coney Island is a fun place to be, and the park opens on this date for this reason only. The park uses the walk as a sort of training run for its employees, so autism rules old Coney, at least for a few hours.

Training Run (5/19/2010)

2010-05-19T23:44:00.004-04:00

Today was an awesome day to run. The weather was decent (meaning there were no drops of rain falling on me as I ran), the temperature was very good (a tad below 60 degrees), and I was well hydrated and stretched before hitting the pavement. Had a weird thing going on with the back of my knee for the first 3/4 mile or so, but after a while it just went away. My first mile was a bit slower than the rest, but I think that was because of the knee thing. So here's the breakdown:

Mile 1: 9:13
Mile 2: 8:12
Mile 3: 7:12
Mile 4: 8:21

Not completely sure about mile 3, but I think it may have something to do with the music (I think it was Run to the Hills by Iron Maiden). It must have subconsciously pushed me a little. No matter, I still felt pretty darn good after the run. To save you a little time those times roughly equal about an 8:15/mile pace - which is pretty good for me. Hoping to keep it up and have more times in that 7 minute range before too long.

Thanks to a few I have started building a new running playlist (musically). If you aren't linked up through the Facebook Fan Page, in the comments section for this post, give me 2-3 songs (title & artist) that I can add to my training music. After I have amassed over 4 hours of music I will publish it through iTunes, Facebook, and here at the RWR blog.

Unscheduled Run & Logo Update

2010-05-17T09:53:00.006-04:00

Well, yesterday was a pretty nice day. Slow to start, but things got accomplished around the house. The afternoon soccer game for our oldest daughter went well, and the weather was nice throughout that. Spending time with friends afterwards was nice as well. Upon coming home I just felt like I needed to get out for a little while, laced up the shoes, and headed out for a short run in the rain. The weather wasn't bad, a light rain that kept me cool enough to get through the run without getting overheated, and I managed to get in an unscheduled 3 miler that I kept a 9:39 pace. By the looks of the extended forecast, it was probably a good thing I got this run in - another week of mostly rain/storms may keep me indoors or at the gym. So getting out in the weather yesterday evening was kind of nice. I don't usually get to run in the evenings this time of year.

At any rate, after looking at the logo design for a few days I made some slight adjustments. I first thought about making the RWaR with the lowercase "a" instead of the all caps initial design. But, after looking at that for a few minutes I decided to get rid of the "a" altogether. In addition I wanted to have something in the design that incorporated why I was running, namely, something about autism. Since my runner did not have a body I decided to give him one by using "ASD", which for those who don't know stands for autism spectrum disorder. Take a look at the first and second round and give me some feedback. I am hoping to get some stickers/magnets made of the design once I have a finalized version (for use during the fund raising events throughout the summer).

At any rate, I am going to get into the swing of things this week, back to the grind of training. With a modified weight/cardio program in addition to the running I hope to gain some ground in dropping time in future runs. I am pretty sure I will be running the Air Force half marathon in September as a training run, and to give me some idea of where my training has be to that point. Thanks for stopping by and I'll be sure to post more throughout the week.

Noah Know's About All of This

2010-05-15T00:03:00.002-04:00

I’ve let this blog run long enough without letting the “reason” know that it exists. So, after coming home from work Friday Tina and I had a little talk with Noah. He is now aware of the blog, the Facebook fan page, and the OAR giving site. Upon learning about all of this Noah simply said, “OK.” Well, there were some other things he wanted to talk about, but it wasn’t really on topic, but that’s something we’re working on. He did use his words (mingled a little with monkey noises) and that’s something to be happy about.

Logo Design

2010-05-14T12:20:00.002-04:00

Runner With a Reason has a logo! Looking for thoughts, comments, and suggestions about the look and overall design.

Training Run (5/14/2010)

2010-05-14T07:33:00.000-04:00

Busted out of the gate fast this morning; maybe a bit too fast considering the high humidity and the minimal amount of water before the run. Took a slightly different 3 mile route this morning and checked out a small sub-division I’ve never been through (and I have lived near it for six yeas now). Nothing unusual about this run, but I can certainly say that the humidity is really thick and I can’t stop sweating. Pounding the water now and getting a little post run stretching in. Here’s the workout breakdown.
Mile 1: 8:40
Mile 2: 9:07
Mile 3: 10:27
I started a little faster than I wanted and eventually got into a groove, but that groove didn’t last long due to an overheating body. Next week I hope to get back into the mid-range runs (5-8 miles) and bring back the camel back hydration system.

Did you know that there are many wonderful athletes with autism? While many are not household names, people like Anthony Crudale, Andrew Bryant, Jonathon Brunot, and Alex Bain are accomplished runners with ASD. There are just a few and they cover a broad array of the spectrum (between high & low functioning). Take a little time today to look into other sports with athletes with ASD, you might be surprised.

End of the Semester . . . sigh

2010-05-13T13:15:00.001-04:00

Well, things aren’t exactly going the way I had planned for this week. It is the final week of my spring semester of school and I have been swamped all week. Papers, tests, and other assignments have kept me indoors (along with poor weather) all week. However, I am nearly finished with the final paper for the semester and have only one more page to write and then I get a wonderful, much needed and anticipated break from school While this break will only last five weeks, that is five weeks I can really focus on getting a routine started for the new training cycle.

Looking ahead I plan on having a similar routine that I had the first four months of this year; weights and other cross training Monday, Wednesday, & Fridays, runs for Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturdays. One thing I hope to incorporate into this training cycle is more time in the pool. I really thing this will be a great help to me and will increase my cardio performance in the long run. Adding laps in the pool with various strokes should help me cut a few more seconds off of each mile and build more lactic acid tolerance.

I hope to maintain my current weight throughout this cycle as well, not going above 160 pounds. Seeing as how I dropped nearly seven pounds during the Flying Pig half recently, I do plan to bulk up a little bit towards the end of the cycle to compensate for weight loss during the Chicago full. 26.2 miles is a long way to run, and four hours of running can burn tons of calories including a little fat around the edges.

I will post to both Facebook and Twitter whenever I run (before and after) so be sure to drop by there and check out how I am progressing throughout the next few months. Only 149 days until Chicago!

Rain Out, Now What?

2010-05-11T08:49:00.003-04:00

Today’s run has officially been canceled. It is raining now, and from the looks of the radar, thunderstorms are getting ready to roll in. I suppose an inside cross train session wouldn’t be too bad. We have the Wii Fit+ in the basement and I can always knock out some sit-ups, push-ups and get some light stretching in, right?

October is only 5 months away and that is the amount of time I have remaining to get my body in tip-top shape for my first full marathon. Training for this run will be a unique challenge for a few reasons. 1) The conditions I will train in here in southern Ohio will be quite different from race day conditions in northern Illinois 2) The course in Chicago is incredibly flat as opposed to the hills I run and train on here 3) I am quite familiar with the downtown Chicago area, but running through a few places I haven’t seen in about 10 years will be an experience. I am not worried about any of these things, but getting excited. I know the temps and humidity will play a factor in my running, but it should be in my favor in Chicago. Likewise, I am so used to running up and down hills it will be interesting to see how my body endures 26.2 miles of flat terrain - I should be able to maintain a constant speed throughout the race (hopefully around 8:45 - 9 minutes per mile). I am hoping the excitement of running through such a cool city will help push me along the route. I know I will be able to pick things out like, “hey, I used to work in that building” or “I think I attended a wine dinner in that restaurant” and the like.

At any rate, I am sure looking forward to experiencing my first full marathon in Chicago. The home of one of my favorite baseball teams (White Sox), my favorite hockey team (Blackhawks), and a favorite basketball team (Bulls). Sorry folks, I’m not a Cubs fan or a Bears fan. I am also looking forward to seeing some good friends along the course, hoping many will come out in support of me and my two running partners for this event (Tim & Lucky). Also, knowing that I will have raised money to support research for autism will be another motivating factor that should help push me through those difficult last few miles.

A Word To My (soon to be) Sponsors

2010-05-08T13:33:00.002-04:00

You just never know who might be inspired by something. Before this training cycle I was running for my own personal benefit (health) and pretty much for no other reason. Now I am running with a purpose, and for a specific reason - helping to teach others about autism and to raise funds for autism research. I have been inspired by my son to run.

There are a myriad of charities with which people can give towards, and for the most part, they are usually great causes. If I thought I could raise enough money to support my family by running I would do so as quickly as I could run a 5k race! However, I am pretty sure that will not be the case. So I will raise money for someone else, and this is where sponsorship comes into play.

Having recently joined up with the Organization for Autism Research (OAR), I have been given a small amount of funds as a goal. The basic requirements are $250 raised, but I have raised that bar on myself to reach at least $500 before October 10th. In addition to this goal I would like to raise the bar even higher by seeking sponsors that will push me beyond the $1,000 mark so I can continue to raise funds for OAR and get myself into running the 2011 Marine Corps Marathon. By raising over $1,000 OAR will provide me with an entry into the Marine Corps Marathon the following year, but that isn’t the real reason I want to go beyond my $500 goal. The more money I receive through donations for the Chicago Marathon this year, the more money that goes into research activities for autism - funding that is so lacking in the public sector. While many other less diagnosed diseases or less life threatening diseases are granted more money, autism, being an incredibly prevalent disorder, receives far less of the funding necessary for adequate research.

If you, your family, your business, church, etc. would like to help push me beyond my expected goals please feel free to do so. If online giving spooks you, I totally understand, and you can direct message me here through the blog, through Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Runner-With-a-Reason), or through Twitter(twitter.com/mundya1). If you want to remain anonymous about your giving, I understand that as well. I hope to set up an account soon that will be for cash/anonymous donations that will be forwarded directly to my OAR giving site (which can be found in the sidebar on the blog, or here; http://www.firstgiving.com/aaronmundy).

Throughout the summer I plan on having a few special events to help raise funds. Keep your eyes opened here for things like aluminum can recycling, bracelet sales, bake sales, etc. When I have these special events I will be sure to post something at least 2 weeks prior to and a week prior to the event. I also have a Facebook Fan page set up so more people can follow me in this endeavor. Thanks (in advance) for your awesome support!

Photo From the Flying Pig 2010

2010-05-08T13:29:00.003-04:00

Miles of training, months of training, and lots of raining at the Flying Pig Half Marathon this year. Not sure where on the course this was taken, but hey, it shows I was actually there.

Shoes & Inserts

2010-05-08T12:32:00.001-04:00

When I started running again about two years ago I set out to find a decent pair of running shoes. I had tried Nike, Reebok, Asics, and a variety of other shoes while running in high school and the Marines. I never found a pair I really liked. The task at hand was large and seemingly insurmountable, but I set out in hopes of finding some shoes that would feel good - even after several miles of running.

I started hitting a few shoe stores and ended up at a local DSW. I had never been in one and had no idea what I would find, but after looking for a few minutes I picked up a pair of Saucony Grid Propel running shoes, found the right size and was instantly overwhelmed. Not only did they fit length and width wise, but they actually felt comfortable. After training in those for about a year I decided it was time for another pair of shoes, so back to DSW. They did not have the same kind, but instead they had the new and improved Grid Propel 2. Slight modifications in the bridge of the shoe and even better arch supports. That pair of shoes got me through training for and running my first half marathon, training for and running two 10k’s and another half marathon. I still have them and used them now for my yard work shoes. Still holding together quite well.

For my next pair I once again went back to DSW, but this time it was a different location. They still had Saucony, but not the same shoes I had been running in. I tried a few pairs and decided on a particular one, taking the risk of buying two pairs. The Saucony Grid Ignition shoes, a half size bigger on purpose, have been a saving grace to me. I bought them slightly big so I could add running insoles with what was already in the shoe. This combination of shoe/insole made a huge difference during the 2010 Flying Pig half marathon. It was an incredibly wet run, with serious down pours just before the start of the race. I credit the shoes and insoles (along with a tightly tied pair of laces) for allowing me a pain free, blister free run. Talking with several people after wards I found that the wet conditions really hampered their performance, but this was not a problem for me.

I know each runner has their preferred brand of shoe, and it took me many years to find the one for me. My hope is that Saucony continues to make high quality shoes that will keep me on my feet.

Did you know that “autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of many less prevalent childhood diseases”? (autismspeaks.org) Help provide a voice to those who have a problem voicing their opinion and promote more research for autism. Click on the OAR Giving link and help a runner out!

Recovery Run

2010-05-06T09:50:00.001-04:00

Well, it has been nearly 96 hours since I last ran and I am beyond ready to get back out there and hit the pavement. My legs are back to normal and I think I have probably put back on about three or four of the seven pounds I lost over the Flying Pig weekend. Kids are off to school, things around the house are in decent shape, and my head is telling me to put a few miles in. The question I have for myself now is, “how far should I run?” This is pre-run thinking and I am more than sure my body will tell me how far to go once I’m running. That said, I will shoot for an easy four to five miles. Off for water and stretching, more to follow after the run.

What a beautiful day for a run. 64 degrees and low humidity made this a great day for a recovery run. The first half to three quarters of a mile were the worst. I was stiff like crazy and felt as though I wouldn’t be able to make it past the two mile mark, but I persisted. The second and third miles felt much better and the fourth mile even more so. Mile 1 was the slowest at 10:49 and mile four was the fastest at 10:16.

Having recently put in a 16.2 mile weekend I feel pretty darn good. Looking forward to starting the new training cycle next week. I hope and plan to sit down soon and map my summer out by doing a modified version of my winter/spring training cycle. I will add one thing to my weekly training routine for the summer that was absent durning the winter/spring cycle - swimming! As soon as I get that finished I will post, in some form or fashion, the entire training cycle.

Until then, keep training and don’t try to force someone with autism to make direct eye contact with you - it really makes them uncomfortable.

The Train/Pain Cycle

2010-05-04T09:38:00.004-04:00

The previous training cycle was a long and difficult road and planning ahead was they initial key to my success. Little did I know that even with the best plan, things could still go wrong.

The first week of 2010 was the starting point for training for my first full marathon. I had looked through several marathon training programs online and made a hybrid of a few of them that would not only suit my lifestyle, but my running style as well. Many of the programs called for runs four to five times a week, but with four kids, a full-time job, and my wife and I both being full-time college students, that kind of program just would not work. I made my own plan using time and distance, laying it out on a spreadsheet and kept the runs to three times a week. Weekdays (Mon, Wed, Fri) were short to medium runs (3-7 miles) and Saturdays were set for my longer runs (anything over 8 miles). The off days during the week I had intentionally set for cross training at the gym to include weights, stationary bike and eliptical.

So, I had my plan and knew what days I would be doing what. I printed a calendar with all of my runs/cross-x days and posted it on the wall above my computer. I knew, and could reference at any time, when I would have long runs, weight training days, and speed or fartlek days. Mentally this truly helped me and it also helped to keep me on task throughout the training cycle. I had a plan and I was going to stick to that plan!

In addition to the plan I also had another tool at my disposal. While training for my first half marathon the previous year I decided to invest in a Camel Back water system. This was a great help as it allowed me to run with water, but without having to carry a water bottle. This was a huge help in distance runs (anything over 6.5 miles), but it also helped in other ways for this year. Little did I know at first that this hydration system would help increase my breathing once I stopped wearing it. When running with the Camel Back I would draw the shoulder straps and chest straps tightly so as to remove any sliding or jostling around during my runs. What I found was that after I stopped wearing it I could breath better, could take deeper breaths, and run much faster and harder (especially at distances under 6 miles). I continued to train with this knowing the added benefits. One last note on the Camel Back, with the shoulder and chest straps I never had any chaffing issues on my chest or back.

Shoes. I thought I had tried nearly every brand of shoe under the sun while in the Marine Corps, but I missed a particular brand that would prove crucial to my running success. When I started running again a few years ago I found Saucony shoes and instantly fell in love with them. I am now on my third pair in two years and use them only for running. For this current training cycle I went ahead and bought two pairs of the same shoe knowing that I would burn through them as long as I stuck to my plan. I try not to put more than 350 - 400 miles on a single pair of shoes. In addition to Saucony Grid Ignition shoes for this training cycle, I also bought the Dr. Sholl’s sport inserts for added comfort. This combination of shoe/insert has proven quite effective and played a huge roll in the Flying Pig half marathon 2010 (more on that in another post). My feet never felt tired or achy and I always felt like I had a spring in my step, I felt like I could really run.

Training program, check. Hydration system, check. Proper shoes, check. Let’s get running.

January 2010 in southern Ohio was weird. We endured a pretty mild late fall and early winter, but after the turn of the new year all of that changed. We had snow, ice, and more snow and this made training rather difficult. I am fortunate enough to have had a pair of Yak Trax to pull over my shoes to keep me from slipping and sliding all over the place, and they were much needed and used early on. It seemed like everything was coming together nicely and January went by without any issues. I ran, trained at the gym and felt really good.

February came around and things started to go badly. The weather was not improving and the snow/ice combination was making it nearly impossible to do any real outside running. Add to that a new round of classes that were more in depth and difficult, these classes demanded a lot of time, reading, and mounds of required work. The few runs I got in early just were not enough. And then a hamstring issue. One of the few nice days in February (a Saturday by chance), I decided to get in an easy 7-8 mile run. I was using the local state park and its hills to train for the hills in the Flying Pig. At the bottom of one such hill I started feeling a tightening in my hamstring. My truck was parked at the top of the hill, and I was five miles into the run. I had just over a mile back and painfully made my way back, drove home in disappointment and began healing. Little to no running for two weeks.

March had a promising opening which brought me back into pain free running and I got back on track with my training plan. Things were beginning to look good again. Part way into the month I was back at the state park (different area this time) doing a nice 10 mile run. Somewhere around mile 7 I started feeling pain in my left knee. This time I was about 1.5 miles away from the truck (see a pattern evolving), but was fortunate enough that there weren’t any hills in my way. Disappointed again, I resolved that I would soon make the decision as to whether I would do the full marathon or half for the Flying Pig. Another week of rest and a decision would be made.

April began equally as good as March and January. Temps started stabilizing a bit and when not running with the Camel Back I started noticing a drastic increase in speed in the 3 - 6 mile runs. Things were looking good. I was prepared to make the decision by April 5th as to the full/half Pig. Sadly the decision was made for me four weeks before the Pig. Injury this time grabbed me, but not while running. I had merely stepped off of the back porch at a friends house and my left ankle just went sideways. Two days later the doctor told me there were no broken bones, but that I should stay off of it for 10 days - no work, no running, no weights, no nothing. The first few days were difficult to move around the house, but it got better. 11 days after the incident I returned to the pavement and put in a short 3.5 mile run. Each mile got better and faster and I breathed a sigh of relief. Two and a half weeks away from the Pig I was now convinced that I would be able to run the half, but was not sure I would beat the time I put in the previous year.

And so I finished a newly re-modified training plan and prepared for my third half marathon in less than 365 days.

Why I Run

2010-05-03T09:46:00.001-04:00

According to many recent studies, autism affects 1 out of every 110 children born today, and affects roughly 1 out of every 70 males born.

My name is Aaron and I have a son who has been diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism is a pervasive development disorder of which there seems to be no known cure for, though through some treatments the signs and symptoms can be greatly decreased, but this is not the norm. In addition to being a father of an autistic child I am a runner. Within the last 365 days I have trained for and run in three half marathons (13.1 miles each), two 10k’s (6.2 miles each), and one 5k race. The races alone come to over 50 miles traveled on my feet, but that does not include the training. Each of the half marathon training cycles consisted of at least 120 miles, and the 10k and 5k races were incorporated into those cycles as well. In all, roughly calculated over the past year, I have traveled somewhere in the area of 550 miles - all by my own feet.

All of this started because a friend suggested I run the Flying Pig half marathon last year. It seemed like a good idea. I had spent five years in the U.S. Marines and did plenty of training back then, but that had been over 10 years in the past. I slowly got myself back into running and last May I finished my first half marathon in 2 hours, 12 minutes, 12 seconds. I completed another half marathon and two 10 races before the end of 2009. Having made a decision with two friends to run a distance race each fall I decided to look into team running and fund raising. Many of the organizations require thousands of dollars in funds raised, some only ask for a few hundred. And while many have excellent causes, only a small number of them hit close to home. Having recently lost a grandmother to leukemia I thought about joining a team that supports cancer research, but in the end I chose something very close to home. My youngest son is autistic and I now have an even better reason to run than merely for my health or the medals I may win.

This work will be devoted to my running life and my support for raising funds for the Organization for Autism Research (OAR). In October 2010 (my birthday, Oct. 10th to be precise) I will be participating in the Chicago Marathon. While I only need to raise $250 for the organization I have chosen to bump that number up to $500 with an expectation of raising over $1,000 for OAR. Throughout the next several months I will be posting here, Facebook and Twitter about fundraising events for this cause. In addition to that I will randomly post facts, figures, statistics and recent studies on autism spectrum disorders. Likewise I will keep those who might read this up to date with my training and any other races I may run between now and October and beyond. Some posts may be short (as I am a father of 4, full time worker, and college student), while others may be more in depth. My goal for this is to keep tabs on myself, keep myself honest about my training, and to further understand the condition my son will live with throughout his entire life.

For those who do end up reading this I will be adding new things from time to time, such as links to my fund raising page for OAR and Walk Now for Autism Speaks. I thank you in advance for helping me in my support to find more information about this condition that nearly 2 million people in the U.S. live with. I will allow comments on most posts up to 2 months old and look forward to hearing about your training, you family members with autism, and about you yourself. I especially look forward to getting to know people with autism that are athletes - I want to know what motivates you, keeps you moving forward, and what makes you want to strive towards excellence in your particular sport. Thanks for stopping by and book mark this page for future reference!