Scary, Scary Stuff...

   

   Howdy everybody! Hope everyone is doing great and enjoying their summer. It's been absolutely fabulous running weather here in upstate NY.  Compared to last summer's sweltering heat and oppressive humidity, this summer has seen cooler temperatures and slightly lower humidity levels. 

   After struggling for the last couple of months with my peroneal tendon injury, it was really awesome to hit triple digits again for my total miles run for the month of July. I had to scrap running the Rochester, NY marathon mid September. Which was really a bummer because I've run it for the past seven consecutive years. But, sometimes change is a good thing. I'm now registered to run the Empire State Marathon in Syracuse, NY mid October. I've never run this race before and am excited as hell to get my feet wet on the course. Bringing the whole family overnight and we're going to treat it like a mini vacation. Can't wait!

   My training isn't going as well as I would've hoped. After having lower left back pain for two years I resigned myself that it was going to be there for the rest of my life. But, after a suggestion from a fellow runner I checked out a local Chiropractor who's also happens to be a triathlete. He specializes in trigger point therapy. I've heard so many negative things about this field that I wrote them off as quacks. Apparently all those negative comments were made by people who didn't have a freaking clue about what it involves. With three visits and $60 later my lower back pain is completely gone! I'm amazed  that I waited this long to give it a try. My wife has even started seeing him! The dude's awesome! 

   So, the lower back pain is gone. But, now I've managed to severely strain my right hamstring somehow. No matter what I do, how I stretch, I can't get it to relax. It's made speed work and running in general painful and tight. I'm hoping that he can get it to release at next week's appointment. If not, then Empire is going to be long, tight and painful. Even not accounting for the strain, my speed just isn't what it was last year. A sub four hour marathon most likely isn't going to happen. I'm ok with that though. I'll be happy to just run a marathon and complete the 366 Project in one piece. I'm happy with the type of runner that I am today. There's always next year to shoot for Boston!

   After working for the sheriff's department for over 13 years I've finally gotten up the courage to try out for a PT (physical training) instructor position. I've held back all this time for stupid reasons. The department always gives the agility test this time of year when I'm typically deep into my marathon training. I just didn't want to sacrifice my race training. No super serious training this year! So, no excuses! I'm known far and wide through the department as the running guy and I'm afraid of not living up to that expectation. On August 29th I'll be turning the big 40. So, hoping that they'll hold the test after that I'll have to complete 26 push-ups in a minute, 36 sit-ups in a minute and run a mile and a half in 11:58 for my age group. Two weeks ago I did a mock test and passed easily. With a little rest and luck come test day I can smash it.It's time I used my love of running to help me professionally! Screw everyone's expectation. I'll still be the running guy regardless if I fail. Everyone keep your fingers crossed! 

   The visit with my primary doctor for my nagging bronchitis and cough went alright. He prescribed a stronger oral steroid in addition to a steroid inhaler. The oral steroid screwed me up for a week. But, I finished the dose. The steroid inhaler made me loose my voice. So, I stopped using it. I need my voice! The cough is improving. But, really slowly. My doctor thinks that I've suddenly contracted asthma and sleep apnea. Nothing's changed recently with my environment and I'm not obese. So, I'm doubtful about either diagnosis. But, we're still exploring things. 

   So, as some of you've noticed, they're haven't been many blog posts lately. I alluded to this in my last video podcast. And, even typing tonight's blog I'm avoiding it too by jabbering on about all of the above stuff. I'm a weird guy. I'm a private person. But, through my blog, podcast and other social media I've come to love writing, videoing and speaking about me, my life and my love of running. I thought long about whether or not to talk about what's going on now. My family, friends and co-workers read and watch what I put out there. But, I think that I owe it to the very small group of you interested in my life. Why on Earth does anyone other than my dog read these? I'll never know. I think that my life's so boring. There I go again avoiding the topic...

   First and foremost I'd like to personally thank the friends who I've confided in about this as well as all of you who I've never had the pleasure of yet meeting but are following the recent absence who've reached out to see if I'm ok. All of you know who you are. To think that any of you would give a damn about me enough to support me as you have makes me just shake my head in awe. I'm honored by your thoughts, prayers and comments. 

   As I've said before, my father's death from lung and brain cancer when I was a teenager devastated me and changed my life forever. For the last 24 years I've devoted myself to being as healthy as I can be. I don't smoke or do drugs. I enjoy a cold beer sometimes and sip wine in front of my fireplace on occasion. But, have avoided the alcoholism of my father's generation. I run and cross-train like it's my second job. I've got my issues with food from being obese as a child. But, I mastered that beast many years ago and typically eat healthy. I'm not perfect. But, I don't think that I could live too much better than I do now. 

   So, you could imagine my shock when my doctor's ordered chest x-ray revealed that I have a 9mm node or spot on one of my lungs. Out of the many things I've thought I would maybe hear in my lifetime, that news was not one on the list. In fact, it's one of my worst fears. 24 years ago I vowed to not leave my family, future wife and children alone at 45 years old as my father did to my family and me. The irony of getting these results three weeks before my 40th birthday is not lost on me. 

   So, what's next? After talking for a long time with my doctor, he assured me that cancer wasn't the first thing that came to his mind when he saw these results. He told me that it's most likely a past infection. Apparently when the lungs fight an infection they sometimes wall off the infected cells to suffocate them and kill them. He thinks that this node is just that. But, he wants me to go for a CT scan to further examine the area. With my father's history and the fact that I grew up with two parents who smoked, hence second hand smoke, he wants to be over cautious. If you smoke around your family, stop please. With the node's size it's about 74% non-cancerous. Good odds, but not the kind I'd like to bet my life on. 

   The past two weeks have been, as you can imagine, stressful. My doctor is currently still in the process of clearing the CT scan through my insurance and getting it scheduled. I hate fucking waiting. Some days I'm good. Some days are bad. I'm doing what I do when I'm stressed, a million things all day long until I collapse into bed trying to leave the least amount of time free to worry. But, no matter how much I try to avoid it, it's still there in the back of my head. Nothing like life slapping you in the face on some random Tuesday to make you analyze your life's work.

   Funny how you look at things a little differently when faced with scary stuff. Sunrises are a little more beautiful, the colors a little more vibrant, you relish longer hugs with your spouse and you burn into your memory how your children's head smells as you kiss them goodnight. I've always been somebody who's struggled with slowing down and enjoying the good things in life. Probably not anymore. So many good things every day if you just see them with your already open eyes. 

   This blog about this 366 day Project is many things. It's meant to be an inspiration to those who are lost, who think that they can never do the things that they want to do. It's a way for me to connect with my fellow runners in a way that only we can understand. Our running hopes, dreams and fears. It's a way for me to look back and read about the hard runs and remember the good ones too. It's a tool to help me become a better writer, podcaster and runner. It's a way for me to meet new and interesting people. 

   I've had a lot of time to ponder the meaning of a lot of things in my life. The best thing about this blog, the main reason I started it in the first place, is to leave something for my son. My dad left at a time in my life when I had so many questions, needed advice and was searching for the man that I am today. Even today I wish I could just have a single hour with him longer. I would talk his damn ears off! What I would give for that hour. I'm jumping the gun a little bit, but a big secret about the Project is that come New Year's Day 2014 the running may stop, but you have my word that the story will not. The blog, the podcast will continue. I'm going to have to name it something else though, 366 Project + 1, Running With Mark, Mark Doesn't Shut Up. Going to have to work on that! 

  

  Ryan, you are my past, my present, my future, always my greatest creation. Know this, during your life you'll have great runs, bad runs, you'll run into trouble, out of it too, sometimes you'll know the road, sometimes you'll get lost, sometimes it'll be better to stay on the path, sometimes it'll be even better to stray for a while, sometimes you'll have long runs, sometimes you'll just have quick jaunts, sometimes people will try to dictate where you run, but only run the way that you want to, when the runs are hard, be easy on yourself, when they come easily, enjoy every second, try new routes, but cherish the old ones, listen to the older runners, they'll give you good advice that you won't learn until you're old and it's too late, listen to the advice of the younger runners and bathe in their eagerness, their energy, their enthusiasm, sometimes you'll run with friends, sometimes you'll run alone, most of all though, when the wind, rain and snow are pounding against you, when lightning is coming down on either side, when all you see are hills, and more hills in the distance, when you're exhausted, empty, can't run another step, put one foot in front of the other and keep going. Not all races are won with speed son. Just like that cold April morning when I took you for your first run at 6 weeks old in that old running stroller, I will always be your running partner. 

   It's been a long day my friends. I'm exhausted. This was a tough one to put into words. The future may get a little tougher still. Hopefully the CT scan will be scheduled soon and I'll know more. Regardless, I'm not fucking done with my race until I say I'm done. They'll be no DNF (Did Not Finish) here! The marathon is called a race. But, it's far from one. It's a war with yourself, to see how much punishment you can take. I've run 10 of them. I know punishment and I am not afraid. Bring it...

   Thank you for taking some of your precious time to read my blogs, watch my videos. It's an honor to write, tape and run for you. Run for your lives my friends...                   

366 Podcast-Episode 9 "The Hojack Trail"

Hey everybody! Today I give you a view of the trail that inspired me to get into trail running! Welcome to the Hojack Trail!

366 Podcast-Episode 8 "Two Pieces Of Good Advice"

Finally here's the last video from my long run today. Got caught in a thunderstorm & had to dodge lightning all the way home. Not fun! Here's I give you two, yes two pieces of really great running advice! Enjoy & run for your lives!

366 Podcast-Episode 7 "Not Everyone From NY Is A City-Slicker"

Here I am again folks! More video from my 14 mile run today. I talk about how not everyone in NY state is a city slicker! Run for your lives...

366 Podcast-Episode 6 "Hidden Treasures"

Hello friends. The podcast has been on hiatus as of late. So, here's one from my 14 mile run today. I talk about seeing things from a runner's perspective. Run for your life...

DETERMINATION!!!

   Hello my friends! Hope everyone is doing well out there! We're midway through the summer here, the Rochester weather keeps fluctuating between comfortable and Mojave Desert like and the running is well, good. 

   Really busy week at work for me. A new class of sheriff's deputy recruits are fresh out of the academy and for some strange reason they keep giving this field training officer someone to mold in his sparkling, glittering perfect image. Well, maybe not sparkling. Lots of time on my feet, lots of time talking, lots of time teaching, lots of paperwork and lots of time enjoying watching people grow. It always amazes me that my coworkers feel the need to promote the fact that I'm a distance runner and run marathons. Sometimes it's almost embarrassing. Yes, I enjoy running, why make such a huge deal? But, out of the many things that I've done in my career, being an FTO (Field Training Officer) has been the best. I'm a funny introvert who enjoys meeting and working with people. Sometimes, I even confound myself! 

   My four year old Dell laptop's unfortunately been laid to rest. May it rust in peace! Apparently I'm not cut out to be a computer repairman. Weeks ago my left mouse button suddenly stopped working. After some searching I found replacement buttons online, ordered them and used Youtube to disassemble the laptop and replace them. Yea, they worked! But, either because they were old or I was just too forceful, two clips attaching the keyboard's wiring to the motherboard broke. I tried in vain to repair them for three hours! What a bummer! I spent the next day updating and downloading all of my data including my precious 11 year old Excel running log onto my old desktop. If I lost that log I don't know what I'd do, so I was smart and saved it on a flash drive before! The days of perusing FB and comfortably writing my blog while sitting on the couch of doom were done. It was stiff wooden chairs and a desk in our office now. The 366 Studio was relocating. My desktop is slow to say the least. Sigh, I loved that laptop. Paid a lot of money for it and maxed out everything. It's dead, until I at least have some spending money.
   After talking to my mom out of the blue, she decided to give me an early birthday and Christmas present and bought me a brand spankin new laptop! It's really nice and was about half of the price of buying and installing a new motherboard. Yes, good old mom's become the Project's very 1st sponsor! I loved that she wouldn't take no for an answer convincing me that my blog was too important and needed to be continued. Thanks mom! Not so sure about Windows 7 yet or the touch screen. Weird, but it's awesome! 

   My cough is still here. Still causing me to suddenly wake up several times a night. Which isn't a big deal for me. I rarely sleep through a whole night. But, I thoroughly got the shit scared out of me when I woke up and could breathe until after gasping four or five times. It's a sensation that I haven't felt in about 34 years. When I was about five my mom put me in swimming classes at the Y. I didn't enjoy them much. So, I always feigned some illness so I could sit watching everyone else from the bleachers. One day, some asshole teenage lifeguard saw through my stomach ache ruse and decided that what I needed was to be thrown into the deep end. I still vividly remember struggling in the water, trying to swim to the edge of the pool, taking in big gulps of heavily chlorinated pool water, looking at the gaudy ceramic tile through the water. I almost drowned. This chest cold was giving me the pleasure of reliving that wonderful experience two or three times a night. One night my wife was home, she works the overnight shift, and I had an attack To say that it freaked her out is an understatement! So, I resigned to take my butt to our local urgent care center and get it checked out. I tried to get in to see my doctor. He was overbooked this week and it just wasn't going to happen. I thought for sure that the urgent care doctor would take one look at me, tell me there was nothing to be done other than let it run it's course and send me on my way. But, she looked into my sleep deprived eyes and did just the opposite. I'm currently on an antibiotic, steroid, narcotic cough syrup and inhaler. After a single day, I slept a night without drowning and feel amazingly better! Hopefully after a five day course, I'll be good as new! Yes, it's bronchitis. 

   Had an amazing speed workout this week. After feeling buoyed from my stellar long run last Saturday I wasn't so sure that this run was going to be as great. It's been a very long time since I've done this workout. A mile warm up followed by four sets of 3/4 of a mile at 7:30 pace followed by a 1/4 mile at an easy 10:00 pace seemed a little too daunting. But, every now and then you have a workout that reminds you of your potential and that yes, you can succeed at reaching your goals. That was that workout. I did every last bit of it! I also had another good run today that tested my fitness. 12 miles were in the log book and I haven't ran that far since last winter. It was another amazing workout. The miles didn't seem to matter. At one point towards the end I actually sped up. If you saw some crazy runner with a big smile on his face chugging up a gigantic hill with his fist raised in victory today, yeah, that was me!
   Very happy. Very hopeful that maybe this year's Empire State Marathon may be just be just as fast as I want after all. Still a lot of training between now and then though. My reduced amount of training time due to my injury got me thinking about what has made me successful in past races. What makes a good distance runner?
   When people watch regular runners or even the elite athletes who've crushed world records, earned Olympic medals or done what seem like incredible feats they automatically think that those individuals are genetically gifted, have all the time they want to train, eat the perfect diet or are just plain lucky.
   But the truth is much scarier than that. Yes, genetics plays a small role, yest they maybe have slightly more time to train, maybe they eat better than you and maybe they get lucky sometimes. It's easy to blame all of those things for their success. But, they have one tool that we all have. This amazing tool that trumps everything else is nothing simpler than DETERMINATION. After running 10 marathons I have been taught time and time again that you get out what you put into your training. Nothing made that clearer than my sub four hour race last year.
   I wanted that sub four hour for such a long time. I tried numerous training plans, numerous tips, tricks and paces. Nothing worked. Then I did something well, not so radical. I decided that the only way that I was going to ever beat that time was too do as much running at a 9:00 pace as possible. Normally I ran at a 10:00 pace. So, that's a pretty big jump. That summer was like none I ever remember weather wise. We set records for consecutive 90 degree days. The humidity was killer too. You can imagine how ideal that weather was for my big plan. But, all summer I worked hard. I stayed consistent. It was the summer of determination and it paid off. Some of those runs certainly weren't at a 9:00 pace. But, I didn't stop. I just put my head down, gritted my teeth and did the work.
   Running is the ultimate test of self endurance. You can't rely on other teammates to carry you. You do all the training. You sacrifice all the time. You decide on how well you'll do in the end. I think that why I enjoy it so much.  
   Over the Fall and winter that year I didn't let that 9:00 pace time slip. Now that this year's training time is here a funny thing happened. My easy pace became that 9:00 pace. It's almost hard to remember how difficult that felt when I logged all those miles last summer. That effort, that consistency, that determination changed me and challenged me to become something better than before. Even seasoned runners can become stagnant and I think that's what happened to me.
   Morale of this story, sometimes you just have to put your head down, grit those teeth, sweat through those hard workouts that take you out of your comfort zone and do the work. Those elites aren't given anything. They earn what they get and so can you. Just remember that running isn't easy. It can be hard work some days. But, often, in between those hard miles there are moments of bliss that only a fellow runner can know. To be out there with a totally clear mind, listening to your heart pound in your chest, shallow breaths going in and out of your lungs with the wind whipping through your hair is like no other feeling I've ever had. It makes you appreciate how amazing you really are, how amazing it is to push yourself beyond what you think capable and how it's wonderful to run for your life! Have a great weekend, challenge your boundaries and have fun...            

New Shoes, New Lightning Bolt & A New Race



     Rebirth after an injury is really awesome thing! My running has been going extremely, extremely well! My last week's appointment with the podiatrist went better than expected. All the pain in my peroneal tendon is completely gone, I got the go ahead to run a fall marathon if I choose and both of my insoles in my two pairs of running shoes were tweaked by a professional. Since then I've been steadily ramping up the mileage. A good rule of thumb is to only add about 10% more mileage per week when building up. As somebody who's been running for a long time I think that this is a pretty solid rule to follow. That being said, I think that everyone's different. Some runners can tolerate more, some can't tolerate that much. I think that my base was really solid going into the injury. So, I think I may have some wiggle room with that number. Nothing crazy. But, I think that my body can take a little more than someone who's new to running.

   To all of you who responded to my FB question about whether to run the Empire State Marathon or a self imposed 26.2 run on New Year's Eve I thank you! To think that some of you even offered to keep me company and pace me during my New Year's Eve run is unbelievable! I'm so speechless! You guys rock!

   After much consideration and thought I decided earlier this week to scrap the Rochester Marathon. Even with not getting much mileage logged for my two month injury hiatus I could probably still run the race. But, the suffering would be pretty difficult. The marathon isn't like any other race. And after running 10 of them I've come to realize that the more quality training you put in equals a more relaxed, less painful and overall enjoyable race in the end. For those of you contemplating running a marathon, please don't read too much into this. The marathon is a great distance and even though I swore up and down after running my first that I would never run another, you will be instantly hooked and return for more races. You will come to enjoy that suffering in a way that only a long distance runner could understand. Please go for it! On a side note here, one of my coworkers who's running it this year was perusing the pre-registered runners names and came across a Mark Sands. He mentioned that he saw that I was registered. Old age does bad things to your mind. After emailing the race organizers I discovered that I'd registered already all the way back in March for the full! Ooops! Totally forgot! I'll be able to defer that until next year with no penalty thank goodness! Look out Rochester, I'm coming back in 2014!

   What I did decided on is to run the Empire State Marathon on October, 20 in Syracuse, NY. About an hour and a half drive from me and for about the same price as Rochester. It'll be exciting to run a new course and because it'll be a month later I'll more than likely have ideal marathon running weather! Only downside was that I had to rent a hotel room for a night because runners could only pick up their race bib the day before at the expo. I wasn't crazy about driving three hours round trip to get a number. So, we're making it a mini-vacation trip for the whole family. I'm excited as hell!

   Today I took a good long look at how much time I've got and my training plan. I've got a lot of time  until the race and think that I can safely build up to some really good solid long runs. Maybe even as many as three 20 plus milers. But, I'm going to have to pay attention to my body, eat well, heavily emphasize the cross-training and core workouts, get my sleep and be flexible with my expectations. Unless the Running Gods smile down on me quite a bit, this race isn't going to be the Boston Qualifier I wanted this year.

   So, I had my plan and today's long run was a huge test to see if it was even possible. To be honest, I was a little scared. It wouldn't be the end of the world if I couldn't run a marathon this year. I could always gamble on the New Year's Eve weather. But this is upstate NY, when you typically gamble on the weather, you loose. Today's nine miles would be the longest that I've ran in a long time. This week was really exhausting too. This stupid chest cold is sticking around, making sleeping impossible and leaving me hacking like a chain smoker after my runs. But, being a distance runner means going out of your comfort zone and pushing yourself. So, I got out there.

   What an amazing run! It's been sweltering here all week with high humidity. But, today the heat wave finally broke. Just perfect weather. I felt really good during the entire distance. It also was the first run of the season where I brought fluids and gel. Felt a little bloated from the fluid. Gotta figure out the right amount of fluid intake. Felt that way earlier this year during my half marathon too. Something's changed. More than likely, with my weight loss I don't need as much as often. The tendon didn't ache a bit. Nothing did actually! My pace was a tad slow but not that bad. Between now and October I think that I can improve on that. I stretched well after and just basked in the good vibes. Damn, it felt good to be back!

   I'm looking forward to lots of good training in the next couple of months. It's a good feeling to have that hunger again. I bought two fresh pairs of my Brooks Beast running shoes. Out of 25 pairs, the red and black color scheme is the best that I've ever seen! Man, I love the smell of new running shoes! Can't wait to run in them! Finally bought a replacement silver lightning bolt pendant to replace my old broken one. Athletes are superstitious people and that includes runners. I love the superhero Flash and his symbol is a lightning bolt. It may be a silly mental thing, but I've run some fast times wearing that necklace getting my superhero mojo on! I'll have to tell you sometime about my insane good luck way that I lace my running shoes. Good lord, I'm weird!

   Come October I'll have a great race regardless of what the clock says. New race, new course, new outlook. I'm going to run that race wearing my superhero Flash bling with my particularly laced bad ass colored running shoes and cross that finish line with a smile! This year I'm going to run for my life.

   As soon as this stupid chest colds takes a hike I'll throw out some more 366 Podcasts. For now, I'll spare you me hacking up a lung! Some of you gave me a really good idea for the final day of the 366 Project on New Year's Eve. Next blog and podcast I'll discuss this further. But, for now, keep your social calendar clear on that day and buy some cold weather running gear...  

366 Podcast-Episode 5

   Yes I'm at it again my friends. Another episode of the 366 Podcast! In this episode I show off the annoying automatic video stabilization effects of YouTube (on the sides of the video), talk about the new podcast the Social Runner Show and give you a tour of the protected field along my running route!

Sometimes Being A Runner, Means Not Running?

   

   I've often heard that flexibility is one of the best qualities to have in life. Life's always in motion, things are always changing. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse, sometimes just because they can. Problems is, I'm not a very flexible person. Don't get me wrong, I know that I could improve on this skill. I've tried to do that over the course of my life. But it seems that I always revert back to my comfortable little bubble, where I'm safe and in control when I'm in that thing! Having OCD is great for your professional life. Even for your running career. But it's a pretty raw deal for your personal! Settling for that comfortable bubble is all well and good, if you plan on living in it for the for the rest of your life. You know what? It's hard to run very far when you're inside a small bubble! Rigid training plans, pre-set workouts and strict adherence to whatever the Running Gods demand has its place. I'd be lying to you if I told you that all the hard summers I spent doing all those challenging workouts didn't produce great results. I'm no running superstar. But, I've set some good PR's, ran some fast miles and broke that four hour mark in my favorite race, the marathon. All while working a full time job, staying married and helping to raise a beautiful little boy who's the center of my universe.

   Running is an amazing sport that's given me more than what I think I've put into it over the years. I've got excellent health for a guy turning 40 this year. My wife has bragged more than once to friends how she really got a sweet deal when she married me. What woman wouldn't want a husband who eats all of her food in excess, weighs 20 pounds less than I did when she first laid her eyes on me and swims in his wedding day suit?  

   My son beamed with overwhelming pride when he brought one of my NYC marathon finisher's medals and race bib to show and tell at school one year. His classmates and teacher ate it up! He regularly refers to me as a runner, has decided to start running himself and recently made me laugh until I cried when he called me "one tough dude"! I must admit that I revel in his glowing, supersized opinion of me! I'm the cool, rock star runner dad! Well, at least for now. Teenage years are coming! Yikes! 

   At work I'm one of the guys who you talk to when you want to know about running and fitness. I remember my interview for our SRT team (our department's version of a SWAT team). The interview panel asked me why they should consider me for the team. Among other reasons I gave them, one of them was that I probably was the fittest potential candidate that applied. I didn't see anyone else with marathon finisher medals on the candidate list. In the sometimes depressing, stressful and insane world of law enforcement, physical fitness can save your sanity and maybe like me, your life someday. I'm the strange guy who takes the stairs many times instead of the elevators, is the butt of endless running jokes and has running stickers plastered all over his locker. Some of the most unbiased opinions I've ever heard are frequently from bad guys. They don't care about you or what they say to you. It's nice when you get told by more than one that you don't look like you've aged at all and look like you lost a ton of weight compared to when you first started your career. And if you're dumb enough to run from me when I'm transporting you, then you'd better run far. You may be faster, but I'll run you down over time! Nice unbiased compliments only get you so far!

   I've met some really amazing people through running. Races, running clubs, Facebook, Blogger, YouTube, Daily Mile! All of them make up our incredible running community. Runners are genuine, accepting, hardworking and inspiring people. I honestly enjoy making new connections with people from all walks of life, all parts of the world. It never ceases to amaze me that no matter who you are, we all run the same, have the same running related problems, hopes and dreams. If you're in need of motivation, then you need look no further than this great group of people. 

   Let's face it, in today's busy, busy world life's overloaded with too much stress. Running has helped me retain most of my sanity. Without it, I wager that overeating, drinking and God knows what else would've overtaken me to the point of no return like it did my father. I'd really hate to think that all I have is five good years left on this Earth. Way too young to go! All that energy he put into his self-destructive behavior could've been channeled into something like running. I miss him all the time. It may be a pain some days to schedule time for running. But by doing it I like to think that I'm putting time on that all important back end. I've gotta stick around until at least 90. Then maybe, I'll finally qualify for Boston! My son is not going to grow up without a father. I've got some grandkids that I want to beat the pants off of in a 100 yard dash someday!

   Sometimes an old runner can learn a new trick or two. Yeah, I think that this whole peroneal tendonitis thing blows. But, what do you know, it's getting better and almost completely gone! Funny what wrapping it for four measly days and doing rehab exercises has done for it. If I would've gotten my head out of my ass sooner, listened to my loved ones and gone to the doctor sooner, I may have salvaged this year's Rochester Marathon. Lesson learned there. 

   Now that I'm pain free again the urge to ramp up the mileage to shoot for Rochester or another later marathon is overwhelming at times! I could probably do it with a little extra effort. But, I've noticed some interesting things happening during my forced taper.
   All that time I usually spend training hard during the summer months comes at a price. My wife, son, family and friends have all come to accept that training time as part of who I am. This year it seems like it's time for some overdue payback. Maybe some more late night movies on the couch, lazy mornings and afternoons fishing are in order? Shocking as it may seem, there's more to life than running sometimes.

   Don't worry, I'm not stopping running. Just taking a safe amount of time to get back to pre-injury levels. Adding mileage slowly. Funny how sometimes being a good runner means not running as much. All this time I've had on my hands has allowed me to step back and take a critical look at my overall running program. I think that some of the massive fatigue I've been experiencing could be related to my diet. So, I'm going to take a closer look at that. Maybe even contact an nutritionist? My running gait is horrible and I have the flattest feet on Earth. So, I'm going to look into getting a coach to give me pointers about how I can run more efficiently. I also have a little more time to work on the blog and podcast now too.
   So, there you have it. My running is back. The call of the road is strong. The 366 Project and Podcast continue on despite this scary injury. It healed so quickly that I don't think that it was an overuse injury. Something that I tweaked one day and worsened over time. The more that I think I know about running, the less I discover that I do. My endurance has slipped and my speed is coming back slowly. What seemed like such a hopeless point two weeks ago is now a distant memory. During that time I got so much wonderful support from so many different people. I'm humbled to say the least. So many amazing stories of triumph over impossible obstacles within our community. It's what we do. It's what I've done. We burst that safe bubble, we face our challenges head on and stand there at the end of our workout, our race, dripping with sweat, bug bites, sunburn, windburn, chafed nipples bloody knees, sore muscles and breathless. We have overcome and won the day. Do not doubt the potential inside of you. Inside is a phoenix, that when sparked will burn hot and take you to places you once thought you could never reach. Never let anyone tell you you can't. Don't feed into your self doubt. I was reminded this week that you're not a runner because you run races. You're a runner because you EARNED that title out there on the roads, trails and treadmills. Hope is alive within you, the race is not over until you say it is and you're running for your life.

Rise and shine! Stoke that fire my friends and BURN...

      

366 Podcast-Episode 4

   Sweet mother of God I've gotta get a video editing program! For some reason YouTube always seems to pick the best looking screen shots for my videos! It's been far too long my friends, the video podcast is back up and running! This is the first episode where I begin to give you a virtual tour of where I run here in upstate NY! Welcome to the fishing creek I run by on a daily basis...

Halfway...

 

   Hello friends. It's been awhile since I've written anything here. Much has changed since then. I guess change is inevitable. No matter how you try to stop it, change always marches forward. With it comes new challenges. The last five weeks have been difficult for me. I think that the following quote sums up what I'm feeling today: 

"In the midst of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer."-A. Camus

   As I've mentioned here many times before, taking up the mantle of distance running is akin to being reborn.  It's not a conscious choice that anyone makes the first time they lace up their shoes and head out. But, over time the way you eat, exercise, interact with others and look at the world begin to revolve around running. Along with all of those positive self changes that are being made, other people begin to relate to you differently as well. You become the "in-house" expert on everything running related, you become a role model for your kids, at work your old name is forever forgotten and replaced with quirky nicknames like jogger, running man and the Flash. Your closet has as much running clothing as casual, you own more shoes than anyone thought possible, you get tattoos related to running, you get the shit scared out of you when you accidentally stumble into your medal rack on the way to the bathroom at 2AM. 

   After running for so long I have integrated it into every aspect of my life. It is who I am, how I define myself and how others now see me. It's become my biggest strength, but also my biggest weakness. I've done so well at it and taken such good care of myself that I've run at least a marathon every year for the last eight years. Sure, I've had my fair share of aches, pains and niggles. But I was always able to overcome, endure and triumph. Summertime was marathon training time and during the Fall, it was go time for racing. 

   So, you can imagine my disappointment, fear and even shame when I made the decision to stop training for this year's Rochester Marathon two weeks ago due to the unbearable pain in my right ankle. To say that I've been a difficult person to be near lately is an understatement. I've never felt so lost. The pain wasn't going away, the excessive fatigue was getting worse and the running log that I've kept for the last 11 years was quickly filling up with gigantic zeros. I couldn't stand anymore running nicknames, all the running related posts on facebook or the nice running weather. All I felt like doing was locking myself up and throwing away the key.
   After the sleepless nights spent doing research on google and the following "worst case scenario" panic subsided, I finally relented and did the smart thing. I listened to my loved ones and made an appointment with my doctor. I wasn't going to easily triumph over this injury like the other times. I needed solid information, not guesswork. I needed to do something positive and focus on salvaging the rest of the year and getting better. I cut my mileage back to just a single mile for a day, began a dedicated tendon stretching program, started doing my own tendon re-hab exercises, downed gallons of tart cherry juice and foam rolled the tendon's trigger point with reckless abandon. I was tired of sitting around and feeling sorry for myself. It was time to beat this!
   The doctor took a look at my foot, no swelling, no excessive stabbing pain when he prodded and poked. I got an x-ray and a blood test. The good news was that it wasn't broken and there weren't any signs of a stress fracture. The blood tests were normal. Whew! My initial self diagnosis of peroneal tendonitis was confirmed. The information that I was able to find on the web ran the gamut from tendon pain lasting only a week to more than a year. I went to see my podiatrist as well. Same diagnosis.
   The podiatrist and I came up with some theories about how this injury happened. Every now and then a running veteran can make simple mistakes. I made one of those when I consistently ran mileage in a pair of shoes that were way past their prime. I typically wear old running shoes when I cross-train with weights, I don't need the support because my legs aren't pounding away on the open road. But afterwards, I typically change into my good running shoes to get some miles in. Well, I got lazy and thought to myself that I was doing a good thing by saving 24 extra miles a week by logging miles in the old pair instead of taking the time to swap them out. I also tried something new this year by doing my speed work on local high school tracks. I ran only in one direction and didn't heed the common, sensible practice of alternating my direction every other mile. Lesson learned, these mistakes cost me my marathon this year. Stupid things that should and could've been avoided.
   I didn't want to ask the podiatrist the question, but I knew that I had to. "Could I still run?" I held my breath as he broke the news to me. Was this the end of the 366 Project? Not by a long shot! Apparently, veteran runners can sometimes make good choices too. The podiatrist said that usually when patients come to see him for this injury they're in severe pain and can't run at all. By cutting my mileage back early on, stretching and doing my own re-hab exercises I had already jump started the recovery process. The podiatrist taped up my foot and ordered me to keep it that way for four days. I could continue to run on it. After four days I was ordered to begin his re-hab exercises. My plan was to gradually add a mile to each of my daily runs every week. Which would put me back at 6 miles a day by August. Almost back to my normal mileage.
   I tired my damndest to wrap the tape up the next morning to protect it in the shower. But, no good, it got wet and came off. So, I did the next best thing and used an elastic ankle wrap that attached with velcro. I worked wearing it, I ran wearing it and I sat around home wearing it. I tried to baby the ankle as much as possible and avoided stretching it at all. I came to really hate that thing by the end of the fourth day. It cut off circulation to portions of my ankle like crazy!
   The wrap came off today. Weird walking around without it on after work. Had a great cross-training session with weights and then headed over to the treadmills to get some miles in. Man, when I got up on that thing I was nervous as hell! Did it heal? Is that stabbing pain still going to be there every right footfall? I started out with a slow warm-up mile. Felt pretty damn good. I bumped up the speed to a sub nine minute pace, my normal easy training pace that I was running before the injury, it was time to test the ankle out. Just like that two miles came and went without any pain, just a few little twinges to let me know that it's still there and not quite healed yet. To experience that full workout, that pace again, left me speechless. People started looking at me funny because I had the biggest, sweatiest grin from ear to ear. I was getting my passion back, my stress relief, my sanity!
   As I write this the ankle continues to feel amazingly good. Things are looking up. Depending how the next few weeks go I'm entertaining maybe trying to run the Empire-State Marathon on October 20th. Or something else that's entirely crazy. What about running my own marathon, no assistance (other than my family and friends), no water stops, no mile markers on the very last day of the 366 Project, December 31st? I'm not sure if either is possible yet. But, it's good to have something to strive for.
   Funny how here at the halfway point, 183 days of running over 770 miles that I continue to learn new things about myself, about what I'm capable of, of what I can't do and what I can accomplish. Maybe not running a marathon this year is a good thing? More time to spend with loved ones, no pressure to get the training in, running for the sake of just running. Sometimes it's good to hit the re-set button. I'm injured, I'm recovering, I'm learning how to make myself stronger so that it doesn't happen again.
    What have I learned from this costly lesson. Listen to what your body tells you, heed the advice of seasoned runners and coaches, wear adequate gear and NEVER give up fighting. When you become a runner your life revolves around running. That's ok. Just remember that like with running there will be fast days in your life, there will be PR's some days, there will be days when all you want to do is stay in bed when that early alarm goes off, there will be slow uphills during your days, there will be screaming fast downhills during your days, you will win some, you will lose some, some days will bring you to your knees, some days will give you the most incredible runner's high, some days will be frustrating, some days you will nail it, but the race is longer than a 5K, a half-marathon, a marathon or an ultra, it's a race that will take you your lifetime to complete. When it's all said and done, when your time is running short, your last lap is approaching and you can see the finish line off in the distance, it won't be the PR's, the medals or the incredible races that you ran that will matter. What will matter will be the times in between, the memories of the simple days of when you found out who you were, what you could do, the days when you inspired people in your life to be better than they thought, the days when your children ran laughing next to you, the days you ran through the relentless sun, the pouring rain, the howling snow, the days when you looked into the eyes of fear and did not go quietly into that gentle night, you raged and you earned that right to be called a runner. The 366 Project is not dead, the blogs will continue, the running will continue, the video podcast will return! Run for your lives my friends and thank you for all the support. I am halfway and humbled...  
   

Starting Over, Foam Rolling & Being The Man Of Lead...

  After being a long distance runner for so long, I've come to expect certain things as the rule of law. I'm different than most people. I get great enjoyment from spending my free time out there on the roads, I no longer warm up after just half a mile and don't start to feel "in the groove" until three and can lose myself for hours during my long distance runs on the weekends in what seems like just mere minutes. The list goes on and on and on and on... No matter how fast of a distance runner you are, there's one thing that you will always do well, be able to run long distances. It's been that way for so long, I can't remember the type of runner that I was before then. 

   If you're reading this, then you know the challenges that I've been facing for the last two weeks with regards to my running. Calf pain, hamstring pain, ankle pain, muscle spasms, extreme muscle tightness, soreness and the worst leg fatigue I've ever experienced have been my best running friends lately. It seems like everything is shutting down all at once. What I once ran as my easy warm up pace, now feels like hard speed work. An easy six miler has turned into an epic battle just to get back home alive. Not very encouraging considering that I'm not even halfway through the 366 days of the Project.

   Many people have urged me to stop running everyday, give up the Project and remember that I'm turning 40 this year, not 21. "It's time for me to stop this silly stuff and succumb to the inevitable conclusion. It's over. You're an adult who should be taking naps, drinking beer by the case and the longest distance you should travel should be from your recliner to the refrigerator."  

   Like any other runner I've had my share of injuries, aches, sprains, pains and days that it's challenging to get out there. But those have always been temporary things that didn't last long and when they did, I was able to develop a treatment plan which quickly resolved the issues. So, when I got bombarded with all of these things at once, I must admit that I was at a total loss why and was intimidated by the thought of trying to put myself back together. One thing was for sure though, there was going to be NO quitting here or sailing off into the sunset riding my recliner with a cold beer in my hand! 

   As I've said before, I started the Project to remind me that the joy in running isn't about the fast times or PR's. It was about the experience itself. I'm a huge believer that speed doesn't make you a runner. Being out there RUNNING, makes you a runner. It was time for me to take some of my own medicine. The new marathon pace was erased and replaced with my easy pace. My speed work day was replaced with an easy running day. My long run pace has gotten slower. A good rule of thumb I've been preaching for years is, if it doesn't hurt, then run, but the minute it begins to hurt, walk or stop completely. I've decided that being gentle with myself and listening to what my body was telling me is more important than setting another marathon PR this year. Goals have been adjusted. I still want to run a marathon. But now, who cares about the time? I have been humbled beyond belief by this experience.

   Long ago in the beginning as a new runner I seriously injured myself by foolishly running myself into the ground in shoes that didn't fit my stride, gait or support needs. I went to a highly reputed sports doctor, got schooled on the different types of shoes and who they're right for. During his  flexibility exam we discovered that my hamstrings were unsurprisingly tight. Typical for most distance runners. Years later I developed that dreaded IT band injury. It took well over a year to make that disappear. Since those painful times, I now practice a dedicated yoga stretching program that I try to do right after I train. But, my hamstrings and IT band haven't been an issue for years. So, I don't spend time stretching them like I should. After some advice from my good buddy, Coach Jeff I tried using a foam roller. To say that I was surprised that rolling my IT band, which hadn't been sore at all, brought tears to my eyes and was painful as hell, is an understatement. Yowza! I also started rolling my glutes, which lo and behold, eased most of the nagging back pain I've experienced for years. This roller thingy has become my new best friend. My wife's starting to get jealous! I now have begun to stretch after EVERY workout and again at night. It's time well spent, I hope.

   I was griping to a coworker this week how freaking annoying these constant muscle spasms are getting. For goodness sake, my wife even said they were happening while I was sleeping! He commented that I need to look into my iron intake. I scoffed, iron intake? I take a multivitamin. I don't need to look into iron, do I? As it turns out, mine and most men's multivitamins don't have any iron in them. I was shocked. I then referenced my wonderful little iPhone app, My Fitness Pal, which is a weight loss tool that can graphically display your vitamin and mineral intake in a given day. I discovered that routinely I only take in about 30% of my daily iron requirement. These days I don't eat red meat all that much and apparently the form of iron you receive from plant sources isn't absorbed as readily as the type found in animal protein. After additional research, I further discovered that distance runners who train with the mileage that I do are prone to iron deficiency due to the hard pounding out there on the roads. Many of the symptoms I've been experiencing are experienced by iron deficient runners. It's important to note here that, 1. I'm not a doctor 2. Should not be listened to for health advice. Most doctors recommend a blood test to check for this particular problem. But, I hate needles and yes, have been known to pass out a time or three when getting blood drawn. So, I've decided to do a little experiment on myself. I'm now taking iron tablets at night. According to my research, it takes two to three weeks for a noticeable change. I'm anxiously awaiting to see if this is the culprit and remaining wary of taking too much!
   I think that there's a combination of different things that have happened. I'm going to continue to be cautious and approach this using the knowledge that I've gained over my years of running and continue to research the issues. After all, every runner's different and only you, really know what's best for you. At least the muscle spasms, calf and hamstring pain are gone. I must be doing something right. Just have to get a handle on the leg fatigue and ankle pain and we'll be back in business. Going to do some shopping this weekend for an ankle brace that I can tolerate wearing when training to give it some extra support. If you have some free time, check out your local pharmacy and pick up some velcro ice wraps. They're a handy neoprene sleeve with an inner pouch that you can place an ice bag into, then the wrap can be tightly secured to your injured area with velcro. Very inexpensive, versatile and easy to use on running related injuries. I'm sucking down the tart cherry juice instead of taking pain relievers. There's compelling information out there that taking pain relievers for extended time periods can cause numerous problems, including hindering the injured area from healing completely. Use them only for two to four days.
   Little nervous about today. Going to try for a long run of eight miles after work. Hopefully it'll be smooth and enjoyable like it used to be. But as I type, the ankle is throbbing a little. Happy Father's Day out there to all you runner dads! Really looking forward to an easy mile, going out to breakfast and taking my little man to see the new Superman movie tomorrow as a father and son day! Many of the things that you learn when becoming a distance runner can be applied to your everyday life. Some runs have bad patches, times when it seems daunting to just finish. What kind of an example would I set for my son if I just gave up? Yes, bad patches suck ass. But you will endure, you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think. I'm not giving up the Run for the Sun or the 366 Project anytime soon. Run for your lives my friends... 

     

  

     

366 Podcast-Episode 3 Yoga On

   Hey everybody! Hope you are well. Listen as I ramble on about how yoga isn't just for stay at home moms anymore. It'll make you a happier, more flexible runner! Run for your lives my friends...

Resilience & Letting Go...

   And so it was. Yesterday the 2013 marathon training schedule came off it's wheels and to a grinding stop. After trying to ignore the growing fatigue in my legs and throbbing pain in my right foot all week, it's time for me to re-evaluate. 

   Let's take a look at how I got broken in the first place. Last Friday I attended an "in-service" for my job. For those of you not employed in the world of law enforcement, one thing to keep in mind is that we have code words and odd phrases for everything and anything. "In-service" is code for training. This particular in-service was for members of the SRT team. That is short for Special Response Team, which is basically our version of a SWAT team. We are the guys and girls that get called when regular deputies can't handle a situation. One of our main duties is to deal with hostage situations. While training that day, we ran a hostage scenario. By the end of the scenario, the hostage got rescued, the bad guy's weapon was removed and the bad guy was in handcuffs and shackles. I ran three miles later that day. A mile the next. And a ten mile long run the following day. During that long run I noticed that my right foot and calf were strangely a little sore. 

   All this week I watched my performance steadily decline as I tried to get through my workouts. My legs felt dead. I was having a lot of trouble maintaining my easy pace and while cross-training my right leg was much weaker than normal. All this week I've been getting to bed early, taking anti-inflammatories and icing the hell out of my right foot. 

  I was scheduled to log a ten mile long run on Saturday after work. I was feeling slightly better. So, I decided to try for the full ten at my easy pace. The run started off good. But after about four miles I was done. I found a place on the side of the road to sit, stretch and texted my wife to come get me. As I sat there on a boulder noticing how cold it was with my shirt soaked with damp sweat, mosquitoes buzzing eagerly around me I put my head down and accepted that maybe this was the end of the 366 Project.
   It's a really strange sensation to be running along one week at your "fast" marathon pace, everything normal and then the next, you can barely manage to hold your warm up pace. After about five minutes I realized that my wife, who's been sick with a cold, was asleep and therefore, wasn't coming to pick me up. The only way I was getting home was to finish this run on my own. I set my jaw, started up the ipod and finished the rest of the run. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. But it was four miles short of the distance I was scheduled to run. At least it was six.
   As a person with OCD and a runner I was disgusted with myself. Even though most race training schedules take into account that you may miss a day or two. It's still frustrating as hell to not get the scheduled workout in.
   But your body is what you have to work with. I knew in the back of my mind that this could happen. I've never attempted to run this long consecutively. So, I took a breath and just let it go. Ultimately, I have two goals for my running this year. First, I want to finish this damn 366 Project and second, I want to run a marathon in the fall. With that in mind, I may have to sacrifice setting a new PR in my fall marathon for completing the project. As I've preached here before, running is about the journey, not the destination. But sometimes, your own advice is hard to take.
   Today I just had to do an easy mile. After feeling so much self imposed pressure this week to get my workouts in, it was nice to enjoy not having an agenda. The run felt good, not 100% and I took it slow and easy. Did some online research and surprisingly, the leg fatigue may be due to a lower back strain and tight glute muscles. Tomorrow I'm going to start an aggressive stretching program targeting my glutes and make a  foam roller my new best friend. The rest of the day was spent cutting the lawn, taking my son fishing, going out to lunch and having a dinner cookout with my mom. Nothing like grilled muscles and a beer to make you forget your worries.
   Yes, it sucks that I'm injured right now. But maybe it's just as well. If there's one skill that every runner needs it's resiliency. Nobody's going to run your workouts for you. Nobody's going to have to face the injuries that sometimes come. Nobody but you is going to have to overcome all the challenges that you will face. Out of all of my 53 races over 11 years there was one solid constant in every race that's never changed, at some point I wanted to give up, quit, it was too hard. But, I put one foot in front of the other and carried on.
   This week I got a lot of support from a lot of great people at a time when I really needed it. Thank you. This journey isn't finished yet. I've still got 206 days and a marathon left to run. Run for your lives my friends...and take it one day at a time!