Sponsorship Pics

A lot of people have been asking me about my sponsorship shirt...you would have seen me wearing it as Sue and I were awarded the Grand Swine trophy. I decided to take some pics up close so you have a better appreciation for the shirt and the donors!

On the front, I had quite a few friends and family listed...you notice the ear buds that attach to my virtual I-Pod on my right sleeve.

On the bottom half of the front is an artist rendition of Norris Lake looking at Shanghai Landing at sunset...Rob's favorite time to be on the lake. You also see Doug listed...he is the very first person to ever introduce me to Norris back in '95 and we stayed at the condos right next to Norris as pictured here. Lastly, the spirit of Perez and Shapiro made it into the pictures...John knows why.

As you can see, I only listen to Dual Core music when I run...you should too. Int80 is the man when it comes to both Nerdcore music as well as security research.

The Burton PowderHounds is a unique club for which only a few qualify...Jake is an honorary member and yes that is the shape of a Fish.

I work with a great close knit group of guys and always appreciate their support for this type of stuff. Ben Stigar's talks pushed me to try something like this so I wanted to list him...I wish him and his family the best.

Lastly, I used the rest of the space, to send a message to those coming up on my tail.

Race Recap

Let me start by saying I did achieve my goal...I finished the marathon in about 5:05 and got to run with my boys for the last 1/2 mile which was awesome! Sue and I were also named the Grand Swine because we had raised the most money for the school. That has nothing to do with us...but more to do with the generosity of our friends and family...so THANK YOU! So here are some details as I can remember them:

My dad and I walked down to Paul Brown Stadium at 5:50 am in the pitch black darkness as it was pouring rain with plenty of lightning. By the time we made it down there, it was fairly chaotic with approximately 15,000 runners for the half and full trying to find a spot to line up on Mehring Way. Although the race started right on time, we barely made it to the official start line until 10 minutes later. Just an fYI...runners carry an RFID tag so that they can accurately calculate your actual run time.

So the first 5-6 miles were pretty uneventful. You do cross several bridges which is a good warmup for the real hills later in the race. Overall, we kept a decent pace...not a whole lot to see...just 68 degrees and rain. I always remember passing the Butternut distribution center...you smell bread all over the place...and me with my love for carbs. The spectators did pick up as we started back into downtown coming down 7th street. As we approached Sycamore, I could see my family hanging out waiting for us. As we approached, I could hear Sue cheering along with the boys and their cowbells. Here, I dropped my dad off, stripped off a layer of very wet clothing, sucked down another Gu packet and kept on going.

The next two miles takes you up hill into Eden Park and surround area. Once again, this was an aweful section for me. I ultimately walked a good portion of the hill which was very concerning given I was only approaching mile 8. You also get to see the leaders from the half barrelling back down the hill which makes you realize just how slow you are running. Once to the top of the sustained hill, I did get back into the swing of things and felt fairly good for the next 4 or 5 miles...much of it had a slight downhill grade which was NICE at this point.

It was a little tough at the split for the half and full. Many more people were doing the half and there was a lot of cheering at that intersection...turn the corner...and you have 75% less people and no cheering at all...you start to wonder if you made the right choice.

Somewhere in this section, I get passed by the OVV relay team. Dave was the second leg of it..as he approached...we high fived and he kept on going...it was energizing to see someone on the course you knew who was very supportive! I was curious if I would catch back up to the team later on in the course. As I approached the relay transition zone 2, there he was again...he came running out to me and high fived once again. I truly appreciated it!

The middle section was a blur...we are now running around mile marker 13-14...my split was somewhere around 2:30. I recall hearing cheers from Megan in Hyde Park area (another great staff member of OVV)...going by some really nice homes...past the Bankok Bistro where I have eaten in the past. A couple people set up beer stops for the runners which was kind of odd but fun (no - I did not partake). For the most part, I don't know this part of town at all so I am a little lost. I end up chatting with a gentleman named Leonard for the next 3-4 miles as we hit the turnaround to come home. We talked about why we were running, previous experiences, etc. Unfortunately it was not taking my mind off the run much any more. Miles were feeling longer and longer. I am walking much more frequently deciding that no matter what I would try and run downhill and walk uphill. There were a lot of little kids with their hands out to high five you. I tried my best to make it a point to do so.

Over the last 6-8 miles, my "run downhill" plan starts to falter. I hit the last relay transition zone 3, but unfortunately do not see anyone I know...and never see the relay team again. I also beleive that I have a large blister forming on my left foot which is making it difficult...it turned out that a small pebble got into my shoe and was right under the heel...forming ablood blister with every step. At this point, I am only thinking about making it to the finish line for the boys. I do recall a water stop where everyone were dressed up like they were in the 60's...great tie died shirts and rose colored glasses. Their was an elderly gentleman cheering everyone on with "Chariots of Fire" blasting from his home.

Every mile over this last section, I was surprised that my fast walking intervals...that were getting longer and longer...had kept me in range of my end goal. I thought for sure I was going to be dropping further and further back. Around mile marker 23, as I start to jog once again, my left leg starts to give out. I realized I was in trouble and backed off immediately. I had to have energy to run across the finish with the boys. Ultimately I took the last of the 5 Gu shots I carried with me and washed it down at the last water stop. I jogged a bit during the 25th mile just to make sure I could still do it since my boys will be waiting for me at Sawyer Point. As long as I kept it slow, all seemed OK.

As I come up over the last hill entering into downtown...there was my oldest son watching for me. When he saw me, he came running out to me. Then my youngest caught on and he dashed out as well. My wife and dad were under the 471 bridge ringing the bells and calling out to me as we passed by. My wife's excitement gave me an extra boost of energy and I knew I could finish this up. I had enough to jog with the boys for a bit but had to pull up once again to walk out a cramp that was starting. We made it to One Lytle Place where we could see the finish line and we picked up the pace once more to cross the finish line. This last half mile was the best part of the race...the crowd was yelling to me and the boys...cheering us on. I remember a couple of the comments...

Take him home, boys!
Great job, dad!
You can do it, Dad!
Get him to the finish line, boys!

My run/walk was not a pretty sight and yet it was an awesome event. I tried to get close to the photographers on the course so hopefully, we have some good pictures to share with everyone in the very near future!

Thanks to everyone that sponsored me in this and stay tuned for pics!

The Perfect Day

Ahh yes...the weather is stacking up to be the perfect day...NOT! Currently the forecast is predicting 90% chance of thunderstorms...temps starting at 68 and going up to 76 degrees. That is 15 degrees too warm and obviously sun is preferred. I debated weather with my dad a bit...we both agree that rain is significantly better than wind.

I will be trying to place myself in the right mindset to not let the weather bother me. I tell my boys that all the time with their soccer. You can't let the rain ruin your focus on the game. Take advantage of the fact that it is getting the other team down. With that said, there hopefully will still be plenty of cheering and bands along the way to take my mind off the fact that I am running for 5-6 hours straight in miserable weather.

To be honest, the only thing I really care about is making it all the way so that my boys can run with me for the final mile and cross the finish line. I hope to have pictures to document the big event!

I certainly hope Ben was right!

Well...we are down to the last week before the big day...the Flying Pig Marathon kicks off at 6:30 am on Sunday, May 2nd. As I think about the past couple years when I "ran" the half marathon, I recall conversations I had with Ben Stigar from my team at work. He would always tell me how much of a mental game running must be due to the number of seemingly unfit people who are out there running the race!

As I looked around during those years, he was right...there are plenty of people in the marathon who definitely feast on pizza and burgers and have more than 8% body fat. Yet, they seem to easily chip away at it - mile after mile. I also talked to a couple pepole that did not seem to be in any real shape and actually seemed somewhat lazy who all contended that they ran a marathon.

Although I do know that there is some level of fitness that is needed (and it is significant), I think Ben is right...the run is very much a mental game. As I have mentioned time and time again, I find myself coming up with excuses to stop throughout any long run. The last one took 3 hours...plenty of time to focus on how sore your muscles are...or that something else you could be doing...or how hungry you are for a Whopper with Cheese.

To counteract the effect, I tried to think about my son and the focus and attention he must put into his school day after day. There is no question, he works much harder than I. I also found myself taking inventory as I ran along...trying to quantify my breathing and how my legs are doing. Most of the time, I would analytically come to the realization that I was not in as bad of shape as my emotions were telling me.

Currently, the weather forcast is not looking too promising...thunderstorms and lows only in the mid-50s, highs near 80 degrees. Hopefully, they weatherman is way off base...I much prefer a sunny day starting out at 45 degrees and onyl getting up to 60! But if Ben is right - I simply need the right attitude to take on whatever challenge lies ahead. I do look forward to the race...almost as much as I look forward to finishing it!

Did I Peak???

So I have been trying to get out and run a bit since the long run and have been having troubles even getting to 3 - 4 miles. I am not sure if it is a mental thing or whether my body is still re-couping from the 17 miler. I want to get out a couple more times to simply keep my legs moving a bit. Starting on Monday, I am also switching to a very high carb diet to prepare for the big day.

So far race day looks something like this...

• Spend the night in the guest apartment of an associate of mine downtown.
• Wake up to a sunny 40 degree morning and hope that it does not get hotter than 62 that day
• Eat banana and a Gu with Gaterade to wash it all down.
• Walk down to start line with dad who runs the first 5.5 miles with me.
• Gun goes off at 6:30 am...due to the other 15000 runners around us, it takes us at least 5 minutes just to get up to the start line.
• At mile one - wave to my friends and family who got up early to see us pass at 6:45.
• At mile 5.5 - wave again and drop off dad. Take another Gu with Gaterade and pick up my running belt with phone and 3 more Gu's
• Call at mile 13.1 to let them know I am still plugging away and force down yet another Gu - hopefully this happens close to 2 hours 15 mins
• Legs start falling off at 16 miles but I continue to plod on since now I am 10 miles away from "home".
• Suck down a Gu yet again and call at mile 20 to coordinate at finish line
• Meet boys at mile 25.5 and run with them across the finish line by 5 hours 30 mins
• Sleep for next 15 hours

my LONG day is complete

I set out yesterday at 7:30 in the morning on the bike path for my last long run until the Pig. Just over 3 hours later, I returned hom after covering about 17.5 miles. It was a perfect day....chilly but sunny....slight wind...flat course. I also took some Gu with me and something to slurp it down with. And, although it seemed like flavored glue or paste, I do believe it had a positive impact on my ability to finish up such a long distance. Once I stopped, my legs pretty much gave up on me. I laid around all day and had a very hard time with stairs.

There are only 20 days left until the marathon so I am going to take it easier on these last three weeks. I am spending some of that time "designing" a sponsor shirt with everyone that donated $$ to the cause on it. I will post some pics once I get it complete!

Sy Mah

Many of you know that I hung out with my best friend, John, at the College of Engineering at the University of Toledo. While there, he and I took an elective in Phys Ed together. The instructor was a guy by the name of Sy Mah. As we got to know him, it turned out he was a marathon runner...not only that, but he ran races almost every weekend. He would tell us stories about how he started running while in his thirties in an effort to get healthier. Then, over time, he would make it into the Guiness Book of World Records for the most marathons run. He was not the fasterst out there but from what I read, would finish within 4 hours (an hour faster than my stretch goal!). Being a casual runner back then, and in a lot better shape, I was amazed by this accomplishment. Now that I am in my forties and trying to run my first, I am astonished by what he could do.

As I train for this first in my life, I googled for him to see if there were any articles out there about him. He ran an amazing 524 marathons in his life. Wikipedia article stated the following of him "A pioneer in running multiple marathons was Sy Mah of Toledo, Ohio, who ran 524 before he died in 1988." Here were a couple articles that I thought were of interest:

http://edm.ouser.org/02/statue/n14se98d-symahstory.htm

http://edm.ouser.org/02/statue/

http://www.halhigdon.com/books/Marabook/Marabook2.htm

http://www.rrcahistory.org/rrcahalloffame/halloffame1980s.html

(Picture from RRCAHISTORY.ORG)

Although there are many who have now passed up his Guiness Record, I still honor him and his accomplishment. I am sure I will be thinking of him as well as my family and all of my supporters while running for those five hours in early May!

Good (or Bad) Advice

So over the past couple of years, I have received advice about preparation for the race from a wide variety of people. Some were strangers sitting next to me on the plane, some from work, and others on the bike path, and of course my wife who takes this training stuff seriously (or maybe not). I figured this is as good as any place to document some of the pointers given to me over the years. Who knows if any of this is GOOD advice so use at your own risk!

I need to eat carbs within 20 minutes of strenuous exercise and protein within 40 minutes. This is to help re-energize and/or rebuild muscles.

I am supposed to drink fluids avery 15 minutes on long runs to stay hydrated and energized

Gu is a savior when your legs are burning at mile marker 16. Take it with a cup of water and watch it work its magic.

You also need to ensure you are getting electrolytes and salt replenished to ensure you don't get leg cramps.

Begin drinking fluids right from the beginning of the race to keep energized. Do not wait until you feel thirsty...it will be too late.

For knee soreness, I need to strengthen the muscles surrounding the knee by doing a lot of leg lifts at a relatively low weight.

Cross train and continue to increase your long runs until you reach 20 miles...consider the last 6 as the final stretch...then ramp down over the last two weeks.

On cold or rainy days, wear a garbage bag as a rain coat until the race. You can then rip it off and throw it away when ready.

On the treadmill, you should include an incline of at least 1.5% to better simulate road conditions.

Stretching in the morning will help with overall flexibility during workouts.

I will keep adding to the list as I remember advice that was told to me. Feel free to send me comments or additional advice and I will embelish and heap it on as well!

Comparisons

I have talked to quite a few now abuot my goal of "running" or as I like to say...getting through the marathon without them closing the course on me! Its interesting to think about just how far 26 miles truly is. I would have to run back and forth to my office twice to equal the same distance as the marathon. I would have to run from Kings Island all the way to the river to equal the marathon.

So it got me thinking of the furthest distances I have EVER done. Back in high school, I ran something called the 24 Hour Marathon...it was a team event with 5 guys and 5 girls...we did a relay - every mile you passed the baton to the next. Once you dropped out, you were not allowed back into the relay. I ran a mile every hour or so for a total of 21 miles over that period. We thought that was amazing back then...and still do! I do believe I ran a race for a solid hour once back then and completed close to 8 miles on a track. The past couple of years, I have completed the 13 miles for the half at a much much slower pace...which also seems incredible to me.

I certainly hope I can up my game and complete 26 miles in less than the 7 hours that is required. If I can end up closer to my goal of 5...I would be ecstatic!

Focus on the Journey...not the Destination

"Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it."

I don't know who came up with such a quote but it obviously was not some 40 something training for a marathon. I am all about the destination! I don't enjoy long car rides with upset kids nor lines going through airport security. I definitely don't enjoy rental cars and lost luggage. Maybe if I only applied the phrase to life...knowing that the "destination" was death...or maybe if your destination was Florida and the journey included riding motorcycles cross country...than maybe I get it.

Otherwise, I really don't like the journey when you have to run it. I ran for about 9 miles the other night and I found myself trying to speed up simply because I was not enjoying the so-called "journey". I was all about getting to the destination and soaking in a hot tub.

Now that I am migrating outside, I certainly hope that I start realizing that I must take my time and enjoying the run a little more! I will try to stop and take in the view.

Gu and Jelly beans

I ran into an associate of mine who I have not seen for many years. Turns out he had run the Flying Pig Marathon a couple years ago and shared his experiences with me. Interestingly enough, he shared similar goals as well as challenges that I have...primarily trying to finish in about 5 hours but not having enough time to dedicate to the training.

One thing he did bring up was how those Gu Packets were a life saver for him during the race. He contended without it, he would probably have experienced problems getting through the entire run. Similarly, last year, I turned to "performance" jelly beans during the race. At first, I really thought they were simply high priced normal jelly beans. But they truly seemed to help me through it. And now that I talked to another that says the same...it must be true.

I am shocked that you can take something during the race and have it impact your performance so positively. What the heck is in that stuff?! So I googled it this morn and found a complex mix to help with immediate energy as well as sustainability and recovery. Needless to say - I am going to need all the help I can get so I will ultimately buy a few packs and carry them with me...along with some gatorade and a cell phone so that Sue can geo-locate my body when I collapse at the side of the road! I wonder if there is an app for that? :-)

2 months out...and spring is finally here!

I am about 8 weeks out now and we are just getting outside around here in Cincinnati since the temps are warming up very quickly. I am proud to say I made it 12 miles this past weekend albeit a very painful 12 miles! It was on a totally flat course (the bike trail that follows the Little Miami River) and I stopped for water every couple but still…it was 12 miles! Pace was not too bad. I made it back in about 2 hours. To do so, I once again had Sue drop me off 12 miles away which forced me to run all the way home. There were still patches of snow on the trail which made it a little complicated but we made it through. Interestingly enough, I never once looked at my watch like I do in the gym. I think it is because I had no choice but to keep going until I made it to the house. Stopping was not an option so looking at the time would not buy me anything. In the gym, stopping is ALWAYS an option.

Formally, I am not sure where I SHOULD be in the training but almost running half of the race at this point is huge in my book. I am hoping to run two more long distances over the next 6 weeks…maybe a 14 and an 18 miler. I cannot see me doing more than that before the big day. Besides the last 8 miles is considered the home stretch. :-)

As for weight, I still have not lost any which is killing me. I figured by this point, I should have seen some drop….at least 5-6 pounds. But unfortunately the scales are showing me nothing. I don’t recall having such a problem with it last year although I do believe I modified my diet a little as well. Mental note - maybe I should not be eating so many Panera bagels in the morn…

Of course, the only reason I do it is for my son who continues to do great at Ohio Valley Voices school. We are very lucky to have such a facility so close to us with such great teachers. He will continue with their program into next year and we do everything we can to help the school out. Thanks to everyone that has donated to the cause, and of course, there is still plenty of time for you if you have not and wish to do so. The easiest path is to do it online at https://secure.electronicart.com/ovv/default.asp?fund=marathon . Please make sure to put my name in the “In Honor Of” box.

Only two months left

Wow...I cannot believe there is only two months left for training. I really need to pick up the pace to make sure I have a respectable showing in May. Time just flies by...I blame the kids and their busy schedules! :-)

Went to the gym late last night hoping to get the treadmills all to myself...turns out the place was packed! It did help that the hour long show, Chuck, was on while I was there...made the time pass a little faster than usual. I continue to stick with my goal of running for 70 minutes at a time indoors. Those are becoming my "short" days. Depending on how I am feeling, I get in about 6-6.5 miles during it.

The snow should be melting away so I can get back out on the streets soon. Days are getting longer which is giving me more opportunity to get out as well. My goal is to run 12 miles outside on Saturday or Sunday depending on the weather. If I pull that off, I am doing fine! May be tough given that I have not run outdoors since our mild January.

Thanks to everyone that has donated to the cause so far. I appreciate all the support for my son's school. That truly is what this is about. If I can accomplish something unique like completing a marathon in the process, that is great.

Cross training

Spent all last week "cross training" with the amateur burt0n crew...snowboarding out in Salt Lake area. Over 4 days we covered between 75k and 100k of vertical feet (depending on who you were - I was on the low side and robot Jeff and robot John were on the high side). This was my first day back into the gym and it was difficult to even walk in the door. I started thinking that I should postpone trying the marathon until next year. In the end, I convinced myself that was a bad idea...it simply is becoming more and more difficult for me to run that far.

So, I got back on the treadmill and ran/walked abuot 5.75 miles. Poor compared to previous weeks but I think I am still tired from the trip and shovelling us out of 24 inches of snow here in Cincinnati. Let's hope I can get back up fairly quick this month. On a positive note, that equates to about 30k feet which is how much vert we would cover in a full day of boarding! :-)

ups and downs

Had a horrible day on the treadmill today. Too cold to handle the great outdoors. I figured I should be able to run 6 miles at a time now given the past week or two. Tried to do it with an incline today (3-4%) and it was rough. Had a couple possible excuses - cold symptoms or bad sleep - but neither are really true.

I think that I will continue to see variability based on time of day, what I ate, my mood, etc. I hope that the median keeps climbing as we get started into the second month of training. Only time will tell!

Speaking of time, I continue to find creative ways to tell time. I TRY and cover up the clock so that I dont realize how much longer I have to go...but it is so easy to tell in other ways:

Miles run. Obviously I know how fast I am running so you can calculate time based on total miles attained.

Calories burned. I supposedly go through 1000 cals in an hour...at leas tthat is what the treadmill tells me. You can do the math!

Watching TV. You can determine time based on the time between commercials. Or you shold know basically how long you are going based on song lenght/music videos.

Anyone have other ways?

As for the weight, I expected to be down a bit, but I am still hovering around 200 lbs. My wife tells me I am trading fat for muscle mass...lets hope that is true! :-)

I made the mistake...

...of looking at a typical training plan for the marathon and found that I needed to make 8 miles my long run today. So that is what I did. To make sure I did not try and cut corners, I have my family take me 8 miles down the bike path and drop me off. An hour and a half later I found myself back at home. :-) I had to walk a couple of times to catch my breath a bit and get a drink but I felt pretty good about today. My longest training run last year was 9 miles for the 1/2 marathon - I am happy with running this distance so early in the year.

found a new way to pass the time

So it is REALLY hard for a non-runner like me to get into running...to the point where I can come up with a million excuses as to why I should not do it today. After pushing myself to get out the other day, I found myself going through all the excuses in my head while I began the workout followed closely with reasons the excuses were not valid. Next thing I knew, I had already gone 3 miles of my 4.5 mile goal. I used the next 1.5 miles to come up with more reasons as to why I should cut my workout short and argue my way out of those as well.

Some people use music or chatter with running partners to pass the time...I actually used "debating with myself". I doubt I can use the technique again, but it sure was handy this last run! :-)

still ramping up

Well its only week two so no real progress as of yet. I comfortably ran 6.6 miles in 70 minutes today which is a good "run". Over the past week, I did learn NOT to eat Mexican for lunch before I jump on the treadmill - no matter how much time has passed. It was killing me although it may have taken my mind off the running! :-)

As many of you know, running on a treadmill does not equate to running on the road although I do believe it helps build your cardio. I do keep the treadmill at 1.5 degrees in an effort to to better simulate the road.

I have also decided this week that all of my short days will be at least 5 miles. I cannot afford to run less than that as I prepare.

and so it begins

I started the long road to the Flying Pig yesterday. I weighed in at 199 lbs so I have a lot to lose over the next few months. It has truly been an unfortunate trend...192 in 2008, 195 in 2009 and now pushing 200 lbs. On a better note, I did run/walk for 6 miles on the treadmill and even though it is not the same as road miles, I feel like it is a good start. 70 minutes on a treadmill is killing me but 18 degrees outside is worse in my book!

Sue is going to try training with Fleet Feet this year to stay motivated. It will allow me to compare/contrast the option for next year. It is hard for me to get on a regular schedule for something like this. I find that I stick my workouts into my schedule at time permits.

What's making it harder this year is my new goal - to run the full marathon. Although most training plans get you running up to 20 miles in a day as preparation - I hope to get up to 16-18 miles by mid-April. The race is the first weekend in May.