You Shook Me...

I sit at my computer a lot and go through several websites that detail races in my area...which I promptly narrow down to half marathons since there is no need to show me those 50-100 milers...you would have to be certifiable! I sign up...I train...I run...I get a medal...post to Facebook and ice down, but this one will be different.

So for the Richmond AmFam Half Marathon I decided to run for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training and raise funds for research and assistance to families. This hit close to home as I had known a couple of people affected. So now I get setup with a coach for proper race training and fundraising coordinators to help me through and leading up to race day. This isn't the first time I had gone through fundraising of course as a coupe of years earlier had raised money for the Special Olympics by doing a "Polar Plunge" at Virginia beach in the middle of February...exhilarating to say the least!

Our Fredericksburg group met up weekly either on Saturday or Sunday to train and gain the good advice of our coach Bob Cooper...who he himself does those ultra races mentioned earlier. With great guidance surely helped us better prepare for what we were getting ready to partake in. The fundraising was something that had me a little worried...they set you a minimum of $1500 to raise which was way  more than I had ever done before, but with constant tips and advise from the LLS staff...the money started rolling in. My worries turned to realization...once I had put it out into the social media mix what I was working towards did the stories from friends and family started rolling in...so many affected...the stories ranged from triumph to of course...heartbreak.

Incentivevisers...not completely sure if that's a word or not as I am hand writing this draft (computer says "No") but I'm leaving it in anyway...we can call it gimmicks too I guess. First, autographed tube socks with certificate of authenticity...this really got the ball rolling. Later on added custom autographed prints (the ego swells) in addition to socks...gotta get photoshopped involved somehow. Now how about something people will really want...Bonnie's homemade chocolate chip cookies...by the dozen...which turned our house into a bakery for a couple of weeks. Little did I know what lay ahead.

A thing of beauty...

Also a thing of beauty!

I was absolutely perfect...a friend remaining anonymous put up $250 challenge if I could push through another $250 in five days. I was tingling with excitement and promptly began posting and messaging like there were no tomorrow...well it was like a snowball rolling down Mount Everest. By that last day I had gained over $600 and with the $250 from the slickest friend I know...put me well over the $1500 goal...and it kept on going....and going! All of a sudden I was over $2000...then $2500. I couldn't believe it. That is when I got the email from LLS noting that I was the second largest fundraiser...in the state of Virginia...wow...and was not far off from first.

I wanted that number one spot...I had come to the conclusion that I will in fact never win a race, but this...this was obtainable. Unfortunately I had exhausted my ideas or "Incentivevisers" down to the last fails safe-hail Mary...shaving my head. I knew that this would do it and the best part was that a wonderful young fighter of leukemia...Alexis...would have the honors as well. I had three weeks to get $300...it took less than five days, pushing me over $3000. So that Saturday afternoon I bid farewell to the mostly grey hair that I didn't care much for anyway and got the perfect cut from the perfect barber.

Buzzed!

So let us get to race day...and my loathing for weather reports. W had the banquet that Friday night before the race and got to meet the team as a whole for inspiration and carbs of course. Got lots of great tips and listened to inspirational speeches, an amazing night. We spent that evening at my dads just outside of Richmond and woke up the next morning...to rain. This was completely unexpected as reports were saying zero percent chance...I should have known. I learn new things all the time with running races and this would be a biggie...when racing out of town...bring ALL your gear no matter how remote thee chances of needing it are. We headed back to the hotel where we had had our banquet the night before and donned our trash bags to stay dry while heading to the start line...chilly and wet, not very ideal...or at all but here we go!

The gun sounded and we were off right down the middle of West Broad street heading right into tepid rain showers squinting to see the road ahead of us...I could feel my socks already damp and knew I was on my way to Blisterville. Eventually the rain died off and my muscles warmed up as the miles counted down...along the way shouts of inspiration from spectators helped propel us forward along with our coaches that were scattered along the route to provide support as well. The wind started to kick up now and i felt my core temp dropping as i was dragging semi-wet clothes on me and the muscles started to ache and tighten. By mile seven I had to pull off for a pit-stop and start the stretching...and about every mile after that too...some days you're hot, and some you're not. The last 300 yards was a steep descent to the finish...sounds ideal right? Not quite the case since the pounding of cold muscles for thirteen miles wears them down to the point of near injury. I felt like a Clydesdale clopping down towards the end and had finally had enough...leaned forward and let the momentum take over powering me across the line into a powerful finish as if we're chasing down first place (he crossed about and hour and a half before me of course). I collected my medal, a nice finishers blanket and some food and water. Thats when the chills set in with sweat and rain soaked clothing feels like a suit of armor as my wife, mom and I trudge back to my car and headed back to dads house to start the recovery process...including Cecil's fried chicken, potato wedges and macaroni and cheese.

I got pretty lucky in the end when it comes to running in wet weather due to the rubbing in your shoes causing blisters the size of quarters and even though I am no foot model, certainly sucks to walk around on...I came out clean and blister free. My usual energetic post race self was not anywhere to be found and just crashed on the couch to reflect over the fifth race of my year...and with all that happened I have to say, the most rewarding. I got to run a race that has been around since the 1970's with a group that raised so much money to fight cancer...with me at the top. Number one in fundraising...number 6872 in the race!

Rockstar

Rock and Roll...

Easiest title to pick yet…

The Rock and Roll race series is the big leagues…their venues are grand, they call in bands that you have actually have heard of…Third Eye Blind for us! Their Expos are crazy big and their race medals are straight legit!

Virginia Beach for the second time this year as I was here in March for the Shamrock Half Marathon to which I battled 43 degrees and strong wind…albeit loving the whole thing. Today was to be very different…

The beauty of this whole weekend was that I was on vacation during and afterwards to recover in the Outer Banks with my wife and our close friends…good motivation if there ever was. Picked up my race packet on the way down that Friday and spent the first night in OBX then the next night at my mom’s in Portsmouth. An easy drive in that morning of the race…only about 20 minutes or so and dropped off right near the start line by the convention center in the city.

This race was marking a friendly rivalry that had been growing for some time…which even included a poster and bragging rights in the end of course. Sara certainly had the upper hand as this was her third Rock and Roll race and knew what to expect…I had salt…yeah, I’ll get to that. Our clinic was enveloped in our taunting’s and jabs here and there making it all the more fun for us. The loser was to be shamed in holding a sign proclaiming the other one the superior runner. So a lot was on the line as you see.

The sun started to show through directly upon us as we waited in our corrals…the heat and humidity already causing the sweat to start…temperature was around 74…the finishing temp for the previous weekend’s race. So we began…

We had a light breeze starting out that is always a good thing especially when the sun is already upon you…and as always….many people cheering us on. Much of the beginning is a mental race…the first couple of miles you have to convince yourself that you can do this even though you have done it five times before and in this case, the weekend before. The streets of the city we’re a little narrow and we have to make lots of left and right turns right away which caused a little bottle-necking as you want to cut those corners close to shave the inches of distance off the whole race…like I said…mental race. Steadily and evenly the temperature and humidity crept up upon us as the miles continued and it was getting to me so I did it…I took the salt. Yes…yuck…wash that down with water ASAP…but I can honestly say that it was very helpful. You lose a lot out there in that kind of heat and it has to be replenished just as quickly or you risk dangerous results to your body. The course was covered very well with water stops and took good advantage of each one…even one that was handing out giant sponges soaked in ice water…brilliant! One of the best things I encounter on the course is the helpful spectators…One gentleman was carry a cooler around mile 10 full of ice for us…thanking him graciously as I grabbed a hand-full and tossed it in my compression shirt right against my chest…YEAH!!!! That will get the heart going!

The miles continued to climb as well as the temps…it was getting bad. I was seeing fit runners along the course and at medic tents with oxygen along with the occasional ambulance. You mind starts to really go into action…look at them!...they are way more fit than me…but you push on. The water from sprinklers and sweat has completely soaked my tube sock rendering it useless and my glasses are fogged and dripping as well that I have to set them at the edge of my nose just to see out ahead of me.

I rounded the corner of mile 12 and found myself on the boardwalk on the last stretch to the finish and I told myself that I wasn't going to walk near the end at all. So I trudged on down the what seemed to be a never ending pavement strip with my head held back to help with breathing closing my eyes for short periods to imagine myself sitting in a walk in freezer or something and hit the finish line at 2:37:37…noting that this was faster than my previous weekend…but…13 minutes behind Sara. I was somewhat relieved…I had a feeling I was going to lose to her…but would have kicked myself if it would have been by like 2 minutes or something…nope…this was a blow out and she had me from the start! This did not diminish my feelings about running one bit and made it even more memorable as a fun competition. I had noticed that with so much moisture that the dye in the tongues of my shoes had come off on my socks…which had in turned had rubbed a couple of blisters on my feet…that’s the price sometimes, but luckily I had a week of rest and relaxation at the beach for recuperation so I put my windows down and cranked the rock and roll all the way back down to OBX…in my flip flops of course.

Come one come all!

Tube socks and Tiaras

Paying my dues

That's The Way...

So it’s been a while…this is the hard part, getting started. I have so much to write and since the end of “Hell Week”…back to back Half Marathon’s…Patrick Henry Half in Ashland August 24^th and Rock and Roll Virginia Beach Sept 1^st.

This seemed like a great idea at the time and in the end…it was. Leading up to it I had my doubts about going only a week between two big races. Had I gotten too comfortable? Am I setting myself up for an injury?

I decided that the Patrick Henry’s focus would be light and steady with the big focus on recovery. My Team in Training coach had given me some great advice as well as searching through the internet for more…so here we go…

I had picked up my packet for the Patrick Henry on the Friday before the race as this was a Saturday race…my first Saturday, this would benefit me. I confirmed that this is a no personal audio device race in which I was a little bummed but decided that serious runners don’t need music and I need to be more serious as it was anyway. It’s a 45 minute drive from my house to the start line which meant a “dark” and early wake up at 4:30 and hitting the road. I took the casual drive down as I adjusted from sleep state to alert…a dog in the middle of the road decided to help me out by attempting a date with the bumper of my Dodge Charger at 50 mph lucky for him he got stood up as I screeched around him…wide awake now and my pulse firmly being felt in my face I continued onward. I got a good parking spot and worked my way to the starting area when…for the first time again…had to use the commode pre-race. This comforted me…not the fact that I was the 500^th person to use that particular port-o-john but that this urge didn't occur in the middle of my race. We started right next to the train tracks in Ashland just after a huge freight train had passed by…unique race indeed with only 1300 some racers…there were no corrals or pacers…just walk up and start. I like that, not having to crazy anxiety that comes with working your way forwards as I had described in the past as feeling like you were about to partake in D-Day on the beaches of France. So I started off with the temperature at a nice 63 degrees and sunshine…keeping at a light pace that would work very consistently for many miles I had the sound of my feet as well as 1300 others to pass the time away. We spent most of our time in the shade until reaching the country farmlands and was met with a little breeze, but direct sunlight to which I am not solar powered…quite draining most of the time, but the temps remained on our side. The lack of hills for the most part was very nice…until mile 11 back in the shade but a mild grade of a hill that stretched almost a mile long. I trudged on to the finish with a time of 2:40:06…a little more than I would've liked but I didn't want to go nuts on this one as it was. Thus begins the recovery protocol…

First…within only 30 minutes from the finish…carbs and protein…solution? Milk, bananas and bagels…took some from the event and had more waiting in the car.

Second…make it to the grocery store to buy two 20lb bags of ice…then home…see where this is going yet? Yup…a quick shower…slapped on a new pair of under armor briefs and ice bath. I thought it would be funny to post online during but found cognitive thinking was suspended for several minutes. I grew used to it and was feeling so much better and got out after about 15 minutes of soaking. This is in fact the way to go and really…as bad as it sounds…the best idea of all.

Third…more carbs…your muscles have been ripped up and need to repair…evidentially carbs are the key so to the kitchen for some good old fashioned enriched spaghetti followed with water and Gatorade.

So from here keep moving around and gentle stretching through Sunday as well to which I felt amazing. With a week off of any intense running…just some nice walking which is accomplished easily enough at work and monitor for any underlying issues to which there were none…That’s the way indeed.

Love the shirt!

No......words.....

How Many More Times...

So I feel good with purpose, so what else could be missing? When I signed up for my first race, I felt something other than old fashioned motivation...it was fear. Fear is what got me out the door faster and made me push harder to make it...it was that or fail. I was missing that component and pondered the again...unthinkable...it was time...go to the next damn level. The Shamrock Marathon...marathon, not half mind you was 300 days away. I had done the half earlier this year and loved it...so I did it...at lunch again with my friend Patti there as a witness. The excitement was back on and the fear had returned...oh how I've missed you!

Sitting Here Thinking...

Title says it all for this one. I'm caught up on all my posts for all the races I've done to date and have been in training mode around the neighborhood. Things were starting to get a little "routine", I needed a purpose other than the sport itself to put some more focus in it for me. While at races and expos you see my organizations that do fundraising with runners and the thought had crossed my mind. I had talked with a friend that was working with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as his wife and former coworker of mine had passed away two years ago...than this past December, another coworkers lovely daughter was diagnosed with Leukemia and now the purpose had a home and I signed on with the Team in Training program that raises money for blood cancer research. I was already registered for one of the races they were sponsoring for...the AmFam Richmond Half Marathon, so things were really coming into place. My goal is to raise $1500 for the cause and I had built my own incentive plan...autographs...brilliant right? Official (unused) tube socks and custom pictures complete with certificate of authenticity for anyone who makes a donation. Knowing that inevitably they could end up on eBay was no bother to me as long as raised the money for such an important cause...my neck has been bothering me more carrying this big head of mine around...hehehe. Having purpose now has spurred on more training combined with having an actual coach with great information for better running is bringing my game to a whole new level...here is the link to my donation page, please take a moment to check it out...Thanks!
http://pages.teamintraining.org/va/richmar13/nathanmiller#home

Friends...

I had come full circle...breaks, bruises...sprains and strains and now again...The alarm clock went off at 5:00am Sunday morning and Fredericksburg's finest 13.1 lay ahead of me.
Lets back up a moment...not too far...because this time we had a team. There was Sara, a seasoned runner like myself who can certainly power the hills that lay ahead. Next was Austin...some people are built to run...that's all him. Then Will...a lean young guy we dubbed the "Wild Card" as his training did not consist as much of cardio than calories, but no stranger to the gym though. Last but certainly not least was Patti...my good friend and coworker of many years whose physical prowess is as strong as her youthful spirit. Five of us made up the Half Marathon team...not to exclude the 10K duo of Larisa and Megan as well as 5K duo Aubrey and Tony.
The Friday night before the race I hosted a carbo load party at my house for teammates and their families...pretty much anyone else who wanted to cheer us on too. Spaghetti and Chicken fettuccine that could feed an army didn't stand a chance against the hungry and energy deprived lot of us. We talked and laughed like warriors before a battle to take on the unknown of Sunday morning...weather was still up in the air of course and our electronic devices updated us hourly.
Fast forward...its Sunday morning...its pretty cloudy with high humidity and a solid 65 degrees with chances for rain...or perfect as I like to also call it. Got to the parking area and made our way to the stakeout where friends and family knew to meet. I headed to the start line and reminisced in my mind a little from last year and how far I had come. To think that this is now my way of life...Nathan Miller, runner...it still almost sounds a little sarcastic when I say it. It had become my stress release and adrenaline rush...my new habit and source of...fun! I would love to go back a few years in time and tell myself that this is what he would be doing soon...but then again, I believe Doc told Marty that seeing one's self from the past or future could have grave consequences on the space time continuum...uh, sorry...got a little off track there. So I'm running now and feeling great...having fun and feeling the adrenaline as I make my way out of Central Park (for my out of town followers, we here in Fredericksburg have a Central Park too...that's how we roll) and head for downtown. We ran into a little rain at mile 3 which always feels nice and saw a few people along the way that I knew, the course was laid out exactly as last year and we serpentine-d through the streets into the old part of Fredericksburg where bands played for us and spectators cheered despite the weather. I was also wearing my calf compression sleeves as my shins had started to give me issues and they were working very well...when your calf muscles are as huge and defined as mine (that's right, you thought it, I said it) they can vibrate from the impacting of running pulling on the tissue in the front of the Tibia and cause...pain, thus...compression sleeves to minimize it! I only ran into Patti out on the course out of all of our crew and good that I saw her first as she claimed that if it were the other way around...I would have her on my back. Continuing on to mile eight now and bumped into yet another friend Christianne...we continued onward together towards Hospital hill which is the "Highlight" of the race and just like last year, put all my energy into it and again made it through...well, not with ease of course...damn thing is steep! We continued on up Cowan  Blvd and the unassuming hill that was there too, but to our surprise...The VA Runner crew was out there to pump us up and got us through it like champs...gotta love 'em! That last couple of tenths of a mile in are great...better than any other race out there...the cheering and fanfare really makes this event the absolute best. We powered to the finish line where yet again Marine soldiers were settling medals around our necks. The satisfaction feeling with this is tremendous...I never want to take these medals off and want to scream from the top of a mountain my accomplishment...and with so many friends too. I stayed over with my entourage again and cheered on more runners as they made their way in and got to escort Patti to the finish as well just like with Laura the year before...the irony. This had been my 4th Half Marathon and my first repeat half race...and as long as I can go out and do this, expect to see me and my tube sock coursing through the historic streets...sweet calves and all.

Top left to bottom right: Will, Austin, Sara, Your's truly, Larisa, Patti and Megan

Christianne and myself displaying out "Bling"

Coming up to the finish

Patti...one of my favorite race pics!

Your Time Is Gonna Come...

A wonderful welcome to April...and with it...much more forgiving running weather. The Monument Ave 10K was next on the hit list and it was about time...all about the time. This was my first race last year and now I wanted to go into it like a lightning bolt...I wanted under an hour. This meant my pace had to be 9:30-9:45 min miles for the duration...no easy task for 6.2 miles.

This race was no small time dance...with 50 some start corrals and over 32,000 runners, this is the only event that the winner can take a shower and a nap before the last person crosses the start line. My specific corral was a seeded one...which meant I had to prove I could do the time so I used my Turkey Trot time which was a lean 29:00 for a 5K. No shortage of irony here as well as coworker and friend Larisa Washburn who also did the Turkey Trot...used her time and ended up in the same corral as me. This couldn't work out any better...I could feed off the crazy/fun energy that she gives off naturally...even if it was for only a mile or two before she smoked me! On top of that I also ran into a former coworker and future super therapist Holly Paton...turns out I know a lot of people in the running world.

The goal was going to be a tough one to reach, but I had energy and motivation on my side...and my mom even came up from Portsmouth to see me run again...which meant a lot. So my music was running and now so am I...with the sun shining and a perfect pace rolling out my adoring fans could only catch a quick glimpse of the tube sock before I was gone. I am keeping an eye on my time as each mile dropped off and my legs were really feeling it...but I pushed on. I knew how upset I would be if I had to walk at all and to my pure enjoyment and pain...I came in at 59:15...right on the mark! On my way home I popped over to Wegmans for the ingredients to an epic turkey sandwich that would conveniently display my finish time for all of Facebook to see.



Larisa "LDawg" and Natedogg




A new PR never tasted so good



Down By The Seaside...

       The cold weather triumph made possible the beginning of my 2013 season in Virginia Beach with the Shamrock Half Marathon. You would think that having down two very hilly and higher of the temperature side races that I would be going into this one with the highest of confidence...yeah, no.

This was a solo trip down as my wife was under the weather and standing in damp, cold environment would certainly not be good. I did get to meet up with a very dear friend of mine and we got dinner and had many laughs that helped ease my nerves a bit. That night I wore out my iPad battery constantly updating the weather. It all came down to attire once again. While running at home, I had the luxury of stopping and starting at my front door with wardrobe chances that could be done on the fly, but in races...what you start with is what you finish with...unless you don't mind littering.

So the morning arrives after an evening of light rain to blowing wind that cut too the core. I sat in my car at the parking area about a half a mile from the start line going through the many scenarios of attire in my head...felt good in the fact that everyone parked around me was doing the same thing. I knew that shorts would always be a must but now it was between gloves, face wrap and jacket. I finally decided jacket all alone and headed towards the start line.

In the lovely Summer time when we all go down by the seaside for surf and sun, the breeze is refreshing in the hot temperatures and we laugh and play. Well...in the middle of March at 6:00am with 43 degree wind blasting across the ocean into the mainland...refreshing is the last word on your mind. We all stood near our corrals plastered against the buildings blocking this piercing wins. My corral was set at two and a half hour finish mark and as the race began, we slowly started moving up as each segment took off in waves of excitement we could all hear. This is the moment I feel like this truly is a battle and we infantry we next off the boat to storm the beach...ironically I had been chatting with US Marine for most of the morning and had really worked each other up to the start line. We kicked off on our journey down the street with crowds cheering on both sides of us. It was a couple of miles in and we got away from the wind...as it turns out, the running Gods knew what they were doing with this day and giving the temperature and humidity...it was perfect. I was 10 miles in before needing to walk a little and noticed immediately that it hurt more to walk than run so I jumped right back into it. I equated this to having almost two hours of consistent impact interrupted by walking angered the continuity of my muscles and decided to go with the flow. At mile 11 we hit Atlantic Ave and was rewarded with that lovely wind again...and not at our backs of course. I came in at two hours and twenty seven minutes...a new personal record, an awesome finisher medal with built in bottle opener, a shamrock hat and ironically once again...a finishers blanket!...as if they knew what the weather was going to be like. I met up with my mom and we proceeded back to my car to relax and drove her to her vehicle and then back to the hotel. I got back to the hotel room and took the best feeling shower that washed the sweat and chills right off of me. I took to the social media to announce my triumph before leaving the room and while channel surfing came across my favorite movie...The Usual Suspects...right at the bombshell ending too. So I stood there as Chazz Palminteri as learning the true identity of Mr. Soze and like that...I was gone.

With built in bottle opener...

No Quarter...

         The Summer heat had dissipated into the mild fall, in which I had plenty of free time to curse the meek little tip of my toe. I did get to spend a couple of nice days after fully recovering getting back into the swing of things and before I knew it...frost. I had oddly faired well in the heat and humidity with my training and being more of a cold natured individual didn't think the colder temps were going to be much of an issue...from reading from the beginning, you would already know that more than often...I am wrong.

With heat and sunlight...it's simple, dress in light colors to reflect the suns rays, a nice pair of sunglasses, a cooler of Gatorade and of course your tube sock for perspiration. So now the Winter...first, is the sun out? Light colors don't absorb so you are freezing right out of the gate...darker colors, you are getting cooked by mile two. Ok then, how about layers...well how many and for how many miles? Perhaps and windbreaker or sweatshirt...do I wear pants or shorts? Even if all that is figured out...my damn fingers are freezing! The fun is wearing off... The time of day, temperature and position of the sun swayed all the options. I felt like I needed a team of scientists and meteorologists to evaluate every minute of the day. On top of all that, huffing and puffing that cold air made me feel like I had the flu and or pneumonia after the first mile. I was exhausted before ever leaving the front door.

I felt like there was a constant battle with Mother Nature once again and it was take no prisoner. Talking with more seasoned runners and reading online, I gained the proper weapons to win the good fight...even when the cold rains started. For the hands...who would've guessed glove right? Nice ones too with special finger tips that worked on the touch screen of my iPod so I didn't have to bump it with my nose to skip a song anymore. For the rain, a light hooded zip up sweatshirt that could be opened for ventilation. Lastly and most importantly...a face wrap that covered the lower half of my face trapping the expelled air against my face...note on that, do not eat anything spicy or burp while in use as it will be quite unpleasant.

As is with the Winter time, the sun, is pretty much down by 5:30 so running in the dark...rain...and cold had become my life and the battle was won. Luckily no one called the police on me as I looked as if I were trying to conceal my identity around the neighborhood and wore the tube sock for identification as often as possible.

The police are looking for this man

                                

       

Trampled Under Foot...

We had returned home from Pennsylvania and began the work week that Monday morning in clinic treating as normal when I notice my big toe bothering me. It was subtle at first like the nail had gotten irritated but by Wednesday morning it hurt to put any pressure through it. Working in an orthopedic office has its many perks one of which is lightning fast appointments, so at lunch I popped over for a quick check by a professional. I was convinced it had gotten a mild infection as I was still thinking it was in the nail and she order an X-Ray to start. I sat casually in the room as the doctor entered and pulled up the images in the computer…stress fracture.

I was stunned to say the least…it occurred to me the shoes that I ran in were way past their prime and I should have sprung for new ones…my first athletic injury and I found myself on the disabled list for six weeks. Six weeks covering all the rest of September and most of October…the best running weather you could ask for and Mother Nature really rubbed it in good. I was adorned with a rigid bottom walking shoe that all in all was pretty comfortable and lessened the pain immediately, but not the pain of missing the magnificent days laid out before me. Knowing the ramifications first hand from telling patients constantly to adhere to the Doctor’s orders that I as well should take some of my own medicine and halted all running till the next MD appointment in six weeks. The time passed slowly waiting for the figurative gate that was holding me back and six weeks later I was cleared…went directly to VA Runner and got a new pair of shoes went home and released the beast within…well, only a little bit, didn't need to wear these new treads out too quickly!

I'm Gonna Crawl...

The grueling summer months had come and gone. Bearing the heat was certainly a challenge all its own, but I had finally arrived to the milder days of September. This month would mark the next series of races for me in Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania…an Amish town outside of Lancaster hosting a Saturday night 5K and Sunday morning Half Marathon. A month or so leading up to this I had an idea for a race shirt thanking all my friends and family by putting their names on the back of my shirt with a “13.1” logo on the front. It came out perfect and couldn't wait to unveil it on race day. I had signed up for the Fireman’s Challenge which meant that I did both 5K and Half Marathon races that weekend. Bonnie joined me for the 5K and we had a nice casual run through the farmland but held back as I didn't want to burn off too much energy before the next morning’s journey.

The next morning...evidently this was the RACE area

The next morning came early because all these races seem to have to start by 7:00am…evidently hardcore runners are morning people. Before signing up for a race I like to scan over the elevation graph that is included in most distance races to see what I would be getting myself into. While the Amish tend to migrate to areas with consistent rolling hills as I had known from being around Ohio settlements, this particular course seemed to offer only mild terrain changes which was a nice surprise…boy was I wrong! A seasoned runner out on the course with us that morning categorized it as “Sneaky/Hilly”. I couldn't have agreed more, but was still very much enjoying it and at least the weather was cooperating…until mile 8 of course. The cloud cover could hold no longer and the sun’s rays came sharply down upon all of us…increasing the temperature quickly. Still one of the greatest things to date I have encountered on a course, bags of ice. We pounced on them quickly and proceeded to empty the cubes into our under armor for a reinvigorating effect. The icy rush was enough to help propel us forward as we navigated hill after hill. We weaved the country roads surrounded by farms and open fields as far as the eye can see…taking in the sights and “smells” only an Amish farm community can provide…it was like being back in Ohio…you get quickly accustomed to the manure…not to mention having to dodge it out on the open road, an obstacle that made me glad I had worn old shoes (glad for old shoes now…regret later, for the next post). A lady and myself had been around each other the majority of the run and around mile 10 had gotten to trading war stories of races past while the course made a right turn on to a gravel road between two corn fields…to the longest hill I had ever encountered in running. The very distance of which was distorted from the rising heat mirage of the road ahead causing us to both let out an expletive…in unison. This might have been the only moment I have encountered in a run which I wanted to sit down and wait to be picked up by the pace vehicle. Of course I did not and at the top Bird-in-Hand’s version of Everest was a group of Amish handing out…Mango Italian Ice! The second time almost in tears since crossing the finish of the Historic Half in Fredericksburg…it tasted like pure mango ecstasy and spurred us on once again as we hurdled towards the finish.

I came across the finish line with a familiar burst of excitement and a little Amish girl handed me a medal…quite the transition from tough soldier to little girl, but equally rewarding. I had taken 17 minutes off my previous time finishing in 2 hours 32 minutes…mostly to my surprise. I had finished truthfully just the way I wanted to…leaving nothing behind and pushing myself to the “breaking point”…and maybe a little further.

My success brought to you by...

At the start

Cup of mango-y goodness at the end too

Number two race...complete

Celebration Day...

The weight loss continued on…at a snail’s pace. I was out running constantly to that 100lb finish line that seemed to be moving at the same pace I was. On a day basis, my scale had become either a victory podium or the focus of all my curses for the morning. I took a permanent marker to it and wrote “Think Long Term” on it to hopefully dispel any anger on a “heavier” day for the most part it worked.

I got up on Saturday morning July 21^st 2012 and took a look out the window. It looked like it was going to be a hot one and thought I should get in an early run before it became unbearable. I gathered my gear together and before I had to weigh in a per-run weight so I knew how much water to replace so I jumped on…226.0. A blast of heat rushed over me and felt a little numb for a moment. I stepped back on to reconfirm what I had saw and flew down the stairs to get my camera for a quick picture. The run would be slightly postponed for a little photoshop work and a quick Facebook post. I called Bonnie who was in Florida attending a wedding and was overjoyed at the news. Facebook’s network department noted I'm sure a huge spike in activity as the before after picture of myself and one relieved scale showed how I could in fact…run my butt off.

Think long term

Bonnie had been in contact with a journalist at work who was looking to write an article chronicling m arduous journey from World record couch lounger to a 226 lb running machine. We were to meet at Wegmans in the upstairs sitting area for some questions and pictures, but upon arrival and entering the room…there was to be no article…but a celebration of my goals. Family and friends had all gathered for a moment that I would never forget, in fact tearing me up as I sit here right now writing this. I was called upon for a speech in which I was more than eager to give. I said exactly what I had prepared to tell a journalist I had never met how much the support of everyone was one of the main catalysts to my success…and happy I was to share that right now with all of you, because for me the true way to make a healthier life is to have the right ingredients…on active goal to constantly keep the momentum of activity, thinking better of the stuff you put in you…I had Visalus. Lastly, the biggest part for me was the support and accountability, the motivation from people telling me how great I am doing and how proud of me they are…nothing could match that feeling.

What better for a weight loss party than cake!

A collage poster that now adorns my workout room

The spread...cleverly shaped into "100"

Over the hills and far away...

            The alarm clock went off at 5:00am Sunday morning. It’s unnaturally early of course but the unique opportunity was upon me. Only this time I was 90 lbs lighter and had a tube sock tied around my head. It was a nice morning and I dressed accordingly with a new broken in pair of running shoes. In the couple of weeks leading up to this, a new problem had arisen…nipple chaffing. I had seen this phenomenon while photographing the year before with twin streams of blood down runners shirts and now knew the feeling first hand, especially in the shower afterwards. If you ever wanted to know how fire shooting out of them would feel…kinda like that. There are many solutions on market for this affliction, but coming into this with a simplicity outlook, I opted for Duct tape. 

Have I gone completely insane?? Well, not entirely…by the end of the race, the sweat would have loosened them up enough so there was minimal chest hair loss….smart right?

So there I am in my corral with hundreds of other veteran and rookie runners walking slowly towards the start gate to take off into the great unknown. I could almost hear my own heart beat and 15 feet before crossing the line…Chris Johann, a former co worker for many years blasts out of nowhere with his signature bear hug that catapulted us through the beginning of our journey…it was an absolutely perfect moment for me to kick it all off.

I knew that pace was important but definitely wanted to be under three hours to finish. The sun was out and the temperature was pleasant, in the beginning…not to hilly…but that would certainly change. The course would take us through a nice tour of downtown Fredericksburg…at mile 5 there were college students with a table setup with Vodka shots…and I took the last one, luckily followed by a conveniently placed water station. You would then travel past the Rappahannock River and onto Route 1 up to Mary Washington Hospital. Therein lay the obstacle…Hospital Hill. This climb would present itself to us at mile 10, any runner would tell you not the best place for a giant hill. The many residents of the city were out along the course to cheer us on along with US Marines…how motivating is it to have Marines cheering and high-fiving you as you push yourself through this gauntlet of miles. This was also the case at the hill. They had placed motivating signs on the ground and had megaphones to push us up this monstrous incline and before we knew it…we had done it…last sign on the ground…“What Hill?” So now the power is really on and the end was getting so close. My muscles were burning and I wanted nothing more than to reach the finish line. As I crossed Fall Hill Avenue I could see the arch way up ahead and what I had visualized in my head was coming true…I had the momentum of a wrecking ball and went into a full on sprint. My wife, family and friends were along the median holding banners and shaking bottles filled with rocks cheering me to the end. I passed through the finished and was glad to be wearing sunglasses so a dozen Marines didn't see a grown man with tears in his eyes…I totally played it cool you know. As I walked through I could see the medals and a soldier turned to me and said…”I got this guy!” in an excited tone, guess my emotions were all over my face at that point and he draped a 2012 Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon medal around my neck. It had happened…the cameras were going off and food and beverages were being consumed like there were no tomorrow. I made my way back down to my entourage just in time to photo bomb them getting a group shot of all the banners and joined in the fun. My friend Laura would be coming in later on. I felt so bad for her as she had pulled a calf muscle at a volleyball game a couple of weeks before but that would not stop her and she came around and a Marine and myself escorted her across the finish line, a moment I would never forget. 
*Also forgot to mention that I was in an article about being in my first Half Marathon...heres the link...
Tube Sock Guy article

Wonderful sign made for me by Grace Phillips and signed by my co workers

Toilet papered house courtesy of Sharon and Kristen...helped break up the nervousness!

Bonnie and I after the race

Bib and Medal

My entourage

West Coast and East Coast winners

Shaking all over...

           Some time has passed and things continued on the right path. I had made a program…a lifestyle change that allowed me to make my life better. I could get 7 miles down before completely crashing out from exhaustion and I loved every time I could push myself a little bit further. The weight was still coming off, not as fast as it had been of course. I equated it to digging a hole…the top layers came off easy but the deeper you went the harder the ground got and you had to put more effort into it. I had signed up to run the Monument Ave 10K in Richmond with some friends and had an amazing time, who wouldn't when people are cheering for you while running! I felt this overwhelming sense of accomplishment and could now see why people liked to do this…so what now?

Myself, Crystal and Eddie at the 2012 Monument Ave 10K

I talked to Laura later on and it hit me in mid-conversation…the Marine Corps Half Marathon. The goose bumps quickly followed with some kind of hot flash…could I do this? Laura quickly inserted with…”If you do it, I'll do it”. That sealed it…the next day at work while at lunch, I signed up for the race. In no time I had started some nervous shaking and had to take a walk around the building to calm down.

The training came along much easier…Fear is motivating and I had plenty of it!

Good times, Bad times...

            The fat was falling off and I was getting surges of energy, people were starting to notice and that was a good feeling. I increased my walking around the block to jogging and eventually running, in there lied the issue…my feet sucked. Blisters and inflammation, a bad combination putting me on the disabled list on many occasions. I guess the simple fixes can’t fix all. Running shoes paired with running socks…knowing that thigh chaffing would be next I took the proactive approach to getting some tights to prevent what I believe to be a living nightmare between my legs. Eureka! The distance kept growing and I kept shrinking and before I knew it…50lbs had been shed at the same time my friend Laura had pounded out 40lbs of her own. The clothes were getting pretty lose and I was building a reputation around my neighborhood as…The tube sock guy…pretty original I guess. I had to learn a lot about something that sounds as simple as “running” like proper breathing with my strides as well as making sure I rehydrate along the way and eventually having to replace calories to continue to go further and further…I was having fun!

First shoes: New Balance 860

Thigh lifesavers!

Hey hey what can I do…

            My dad always had interesting ways of taking care of problems with sometimes simple fixes. I have a brother that is two years younger than myself and when we were children would inevitably get into huge explosive fights, one time while coming home in the car…dad pulled onto the shoulder of the interstate and got out of the car, picked up a log off the side of the road and proceeded to place it on our laps in the backseat and continued our journey home…without saying a word. My brother and I were so confused that we didn’t know how to respond to this action…effectively silencing us the rest of the trip…genius! This also came in the form of another solution…for sweating. Tie a tube sock around your head…purely simple and effective. Like father like son I guess.

So I had measured out the distance from my mailbox around my neighborhood to a mile that ended back at the mailbox…simple. Without fast forwarding too much, that’s the key…SIMPLE. I remember the first time I did this mile one afternoon after work. I was pretty sure I wasn't going to make it. Stopped several times along the way and my feet were killing me when I got home. Remembering that Rome was not built in a day and focusing on the pounds that continued to come off…I was feeling the motivation that was not monetary but the pure fact of living better…who knew right. Boy little did I know how this would propel from here.

Tube sock guys

In my time of dying...

             Dieting…of course right? Eat less and exercise, that simple. We would have biggest loser contests at work and have fun in a competitive fashion for 8 or 10 weeks. The last year I did this I won by losing 47 pounds and earning $600! Great right? If you don't mind starving and beating the sweat out of yourself every damn day. It’s a losing battle from the start and every pound would make its way back to their home and even bring more with them.

Later that day after coming home from the Half Marathon I got a call from my friend Laura in California of whom I had worked with and dieted with as well. She had started working with Visalus Health Sciences and wanted to talk with me about how it was working for her. Interested at another opportunity I had given up on so many others I thought…”What the hell, might as well try”. So it began…pounds began coming off steadily for the first couple of weeks and I felt the energy levels begin to rise. The shakes tasted good and it had occurred to me that this process was even more simple than the already simple unhealthy lifestyle I already had…how great! It also occurred to me that this process could be accelerated by more activity like some walking around my neighborhood. Since the lack of physical activity had been for so many years…my current athletic apparel department was…well…the only slim thing about me and the fact that I could sweat while sitting in the North Pole in a blizzard. I had to do something to keep the sweat out of my eyes.

Biggest Loser work contest 2006:
First picture: Before
Second picture: After (32lbs)
Third picture: John Candy (the return of the fat)                     

Nobody’s fault but mine…

            The entirety of my life had been what one would describe as sedentary to outright lazy toppled with the fact that my food consumption was to the level I described as “competitive eating” that would frighten small children nearby. The only thing keeping me from being cut out of the wall of my house and placed on a forklift was the fact that my job in physical therapy had kept me mobile and not parked in front of a desk all day. This didn’t change the fact that when I got home I would crash to the couch for the rest of the night and when I got up, I moved like the patients I had helped all day…slowly. I would perspire by simply being awake and my breathing was heard by others around me consistently. For a long time I knew things would have to change, but how?

World's Largest Buffet in Sugarcreek, OH 

What is and what should never be…

            The alarm clock went off at 5:00am Sunday morning. It’s unnaturally early of course but the unique opportunity was upon me to photograph the 2011 Marine Corps Half Marathon….something new for me. I had gotten a media pass and parking permit, thank God too since it would've been a hell of a walk. The race began at 7:00am with a burst of what I called “crazies” taking off on a 13.1 mile journey through the historical town of Fredericksburg. One of the first pictures I took that day was of the finishers medals hanging at the finish line…how would that feel…a medal being draped around your neck by a US Marine…kind of cool but never a reality for me.

2011 Marine Corps Half Marathon finisher medals