I am back... I missed me!

Update

2012-01-19T08:13:00.001-06:00

Been busy after the Holiday's and the start of 2012. On January 10 I rode bike to work... (18 miles one way and in January without winter gear!) I rode home that afternoon in a T-shirt... In JANUARY, in Minnesota?

Getting good workouts in and not losing weight. After a solid first 8 days into 2012 where I worked out about 2 hours daily and at least one hour of that was cardio over 145 HR, I stepped on the scale with anticipation... PLUS 4.2 pounds! I wanted to use four letter words but realized there were as many choice three and five letter words to use. Spend a few days pissed off and then got back on track and do not plan on visiting the scale for a while!

Tennis had been finished for just over a month. Initially I had planned on helping the Association cover the collegiate season and that starts this weekend. Although, after some thought (and pushing from others) I decided I am not going to officiate anything for a while. I have looked at Lacrosse? Well, that is false, I am going to officiate my health and eating... That takes time by itself...

For about 13 years, tennis was a major part of my identity. That of which makes me, me and makes me feel whole. Many of you may understand when I say that you have an identity outside yourself which make life whole. Some have running ultra-marathons, some it is their spouse, some it is their children and so on... Well my son and tennis have been at least 80% of who I have been since getting divorced over a decade ago. SHIT, it has been over a decade! Time flies...

Either way I am trying to adjust and find new passions. I look forward to the outdoors but today the wind chill is -35 degrees, so I will stay in thank you... I am looking at upgrading the bike a little for the spring. I am thinking of putting a flat bat on my 25 year old Cannondale SR 400... Flat bar road bikes look funny, but I like the flat bar better...

For Christmas, my girlfriend purchased a weekend class for outdoor photography (Coldsnap.com - Winder Wonderland) in late February. Hope for better than -34 degree's but it will be fun to learn. I will share some of the results here... maybe?

Running is still nonexistent. I need to get the weight down to assure the knee is not an issue. So indoor biking, elliptical and weights are the extent of the workouts. An occasional swim and yoga are also enjoyable.

That is the extent of it. I will continue onward to gain a sense of identity lost with leaving tennis. It was time, however... Really was not enjoying it and many of the people I dealt with so it was time for a new hobby. I know I have a very happy week after volunteering for an ultra-marathon. Next close opportunity for such looks like Zumbro 100! I think I should contact John and secure a spot...

I leave for Colorado tomorrow for 4 days. Should be fun. Going to help my son move and get caught up on some matter that need attention. He just returned from 5 weeks in Chile... Hope to get some good stories and pictures.

Please be warm and take care of yourself.

Carry on...

First free weekend in ... Can't recall

2011-12-26T18:17:00.001-06:00

With my time as a volunteer at Tuscobia (150 mile and 75 Mile ultra) last weekend, I had this weekend as the first one in so long that I was free from any obligation. It was something I looked forward to... Since I quit tennis two weeks ago my last two work weeks are closer to 50 hour weeks as opposed to the 72 I had averaged for the first 50 weeks of 2011. Shelley was going to Nebraska and my son is in Chile (yes the country) so it was just me and a dog. Not even my dog, but one who is aging like me and we are bonding...

For all Tuscobia Photo's see: https://plus.google.com/photos/100905285343568723991/albums/5687534503193909105?authkey=CJCK2qLahIjuVQ

Tuscobia was great to see these super humans. The guy move is from Texas and unlike other, he dressed light. (Note no gloves!) Hell, I was cold out there. But he was walking/jogging and I was standing... I started the volunteering at 1:00 PM Friday and left about 1 PM Saturday. Did get about 45 minutes of sleep between 6:45 AM and 7:30 AM, other than that, time flew being around great people and good friends.

With shorter work weeks, I have been able to get workouts in on a regular basis. That is good as I have been so stressed and time was short. I have worked out at least 30 minutes a day average with today being 2.5 hours. I feel fatter, but better. I always tend to feel worse for the first few weeks of working out, until it becomes a habit. So I am hoping that at the turn of the year I will have three regular weeks under my belt and be able to form the habit.

Since I have not posted on this blog much in 2011, I think a synopsis would be appropriate. Here are bullet points highlighted:

January, realized my son brought bedbugs back from his trip earlier in the year... That was a fight... Nothing for 9 months now so I conquered that beast. Really sucked at the time!
February I moved to Apple Valley. As many have known, I had many medical issues and decided it may be the place I lived? So I moved in with my girlfriend (I actually am not living in sin, I live in the basement of the dwelling. But then, does that really matter to anyone?) But she had wedding and other big expenses coming so it was a great benefit for her as well...
April, due to the 18+ mile one way bike ride to work, I added a Bionx Electric Assist Kit to my Cannondale Quick 5. It really allowed me to bike commute daily as opposed to needing a day rest between the 36+ daily miles.
Without running since Grandma's 2010, my son took my out for a 3 mile training run the week before Grandma's 2011 and then we ran it together. So my streak is now 27 consecutive years as an official finisher. He was a lifesaver and stayed with me the whole way and we had fun. What a cherished memory that will always be!
Moved my son (twice) in Golden, Colorado in July.
My girlfriend was distant as she was so busy planning a wedding (no, not me - he daughter) and that was shortly followed by a two week trip to Italy - to visit her other daughter. (See picture below - what a beautiful couple)
Volunteered at the ST 100 at the 42 mile mark. Great weather for the spectator but the poor runner had the hear to beat the crap out of them. My aid station looked more like a M.A.S.H. unit, but only smiles!
I interviewed in a few location far from here and had an offer in Idaho. I ended not accepting the offer, but since I have regretted that a few times. When life is hard and relationships are strained, sometimes a new start is always the way to go, but then I have not been one to run from issues. There were 100 reasons to go and a few to stay. Today, I regret the decision, tomorrow I may be glad I made that decision. That is the way it has been for the past month since turning down the lateral move, professionally.
December 9th - the end of USTA for me. I bid farewell to the USTA forever. Just like when I left baseball unpinning, I knew I would never look back and I was ready to hang it up. Over 10 years and it was getting to be 35-40 weekends a year, I no longer enjoyed that hobby! I learned the phrase "you can not put a price on passion but it only takes one idiot to take it away. In this case, it was an administrator or two and a few parents, but they sure made it miserable to volunteer or try to be a part of the organization.
Finished the year with 2,265 bike miles, 645 elliptical miles and 29.2 running miles. Did not track walking miles, but must have a few hundred?

My girlfriend's daughter's wedding (I took this photo)

After my last tennis event, Shelley took me to the Holiday Lights Benefit Concert at the Brave New Workshop. It was a great time and we saw a local performer I knew nothing about. She is Keri Noble. IMPRESSED WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT. Check her out as she is a great songwriter with heart and soul in the music.

As some may know, we have been four staff members short at the office. With the down economy, we could survive with two less, but four has been hard. We are getting a new staff member soon (Mid to Late January). That will help, although as usual, this is the time of year we are less busy so we can train them before the storm hits in March...

All in all, it seems that the body and life is changing very fast as I near 50. I think I have experienced more change in the past 18 months than the decade prior. Almost felt like I was getting divorced all over again, but the changes were not related to other humans, just me. If that makes sense.

So now I look at 2012. Looking ahead I need to get the weight down. The right knee I had surgery on feels OK with an occasional painful twinge. I will continue to nurse and care appropriately for the body to get me back into shape. I have no aspiration of running any races next year but do plan on volunteering at ST 100 again.

I will keep you all posted and until then, Carry on....

Tuscobia - here I come to volunteer

2011-12-15T21:20:00.001-06:00

I have had very little time to workout this year but have been real thrilled and enjoyed volunteering to aid those who can run, and want to run. Tuscobia is a 50K, a 75M and a 150M. Not sure how many runner there will be, but there Bill and I will man a station. Should be fun, as long as I do not give Bill's coffee away like I did in Superior... Oops.

Anyway, took Friday off from work. That means this week is only a 36 hours work week, almost half of the average for the year... I almost feel like a slacker for not getting a workout in this week. I did plan, but even the best plan are nothing is I do not get off my oversized bottom! I know excuses are not a good idea, but it has been a very depressing week! Tennis officiating has been a very huge part of my life and this is the first week of letting that go. It is kind of like a 12 year relationship that I broke up with and as strange as it sounds, it is not easy.

Getting a workout in in the Holiday is even harder when it is not a habit. Will do what I can!

Did watch the Biggest Loser Finale. The at home winner looked kind-of scary. It was really a boring season and missed over half. Anna K. was not a very good trainer, in my opinion. Bob is still the king!

So lets see what next week can hold. Crap, that is the week before Christmas and I think there is something I am supposed to do. What could that be? Mmmmm? Oh crap, buy presents. Do you think if I believe in Santa hard enough the tree will have presents and i will not have to do anything. I will think about it...

When I was married, someone else always did a great job taking care of those things... Been a long time and I still have not broke the habit of having it done for me. This is brought back to mind as I go through so many hours of home video's as I convert them to DVD... Like I need another thing to bring me down... Actually, it was a good time and things just went different ways. I was a father and that shows... Something no one can take away... I guess it may be time to grow up... but a run sounds better!

As stated by Socrates "As for me, all I know is that I know nothing."

Carry on...

My 3rd post in 2011...

2011-12-08T14:17:00.001-06:00

Been a long time. After the surgeries and other things, I am back. This has been a very hard year. So what has happened the past 14 months:

My son brought bedbugs back from Germany, that was a big bummer. If you want to know, I got rid of the problem by freezing everything I own. I put it outside in January for 3 weeks and moved... No more issues!
I moved in with my girlfriend (kind-of)... We really do not live as a couple... I live in her basement.
I am finishing the third year in a row of working at least 65 hours a week and volunteering more than 10 hours a week average... No wonder I have gain weight... This year I have averaged 76 hours a week for 2011.
I am only 29 pounds below my 302 weight in 2005... I gained an average of 1.4 pounds a month since 2006.
Logger my first 2,500 bike miles year ever. Only ran about 30...
Finished my 27th consecutive grandma's marathon.
Worked or volunteered 46 out of the last 56 weekends.
All done with tennis after this weekend. Bitter sweet... But I have come to the point I despise the sport... To many good old boys who claim to be leaders but are only egomaniacs doing what they can to please their elite friends and little care for the sport overall.
Looking forward to next weekend and volunteering at Tuscobia 50, 100, and 150 mile ultra. Friday away from the office and a weekend of fun! These ultra directors, runners and friend are all great people who do not know what the work ego means...

Looking forward to 45 hour week to start 2012 and getting a little bit of my life back that has been almost gone for so long just finishing off so many responsibilities and promises in my life...

Carry on my friends, carry on...

Blog Time Off

2011-01-16T18:38:00.005-06:00

Blog posts are further and further in between. Life is so busy. So many changes coming in the next few months!

We are all busy and life is hard for many. I have no reason to complain as I have been blessed in so many ways. But there are so many changes that will happen in the coming months. First off, I am moving from Bloomington to Apple Valley. I have looked ahead and I will not have a weekend free from Tennis or work until late May, the way it looks...

But the biggest issue is my health and wellness. I thought I was going to improve after my surgery in May. But the infection I have been fighting since late 2008 (which is the reason for my May 2010 Surgery) has come back many times or maybe never went away. I have been on strong Black Box Warning Medications (Fluoroquinolone plus others) and then weeks later, a visit to the Doc and I get the news, IT'S BACK!

I just finished a round of four different medication 5 days ago. While on them, my chest is clear, I feel solid and my head feels fine. After a few days without, I feel the all the negative impacts return. So right now, I have decided I do not want to bother friends and followers with my "bad" time. In reality, I am fine, just limited...

I am going to continue to work with the Doc's and try to beat this, what ever it is... I know that being 2 weeks on heavy duty anti-biotics then 3 week off then 2 weeks on and another 3-4 off... Just been that cycle for 8 months and end is not clear.

Anyway, that is an update and for the time being, a sign off from posting on this Blog. May we get through this winter and may my spring be filled with success in beating this infection, which just will not go away. Of course, one side of me says if I worked a 40 hour week for a month and reduced the stress, I would improve. But I have commitments, just like was all do, that result in more than 75 hours each week. At my full time job, where I am just happy to be employed, we are in the hiring freeze and the stress of missing three (of 8) important staff members, I am killed at work and if i miss a day, I go from being a week behind to even more and then I work a few 15 hours days to get things done...

Anyway, may we all be blessed with good health and wellness as we get through what is a difficult time.

Carry on my friends... Signing off and hope to be back in a few months...

New year... More photo's

2011-01-02T17:32:00.005-06:00

Here are some photo's I found that can express the way life feels for so many people right now:

Recent Dr. Visit found the following (At least that is the way the brain feels... gone):

When I come home and try to relax on the couch... even the couch overtakes me ...

Then I find the dogs have taken the credit cards... and a good life!

Actually had a nice two days of 2011. Looking forward to a good workout and a nice week. I have five straight weekends of tennis so it will be hard to get in the flow, but will try and not stress out about it!

Carry on...

Cleaning out the photo files

2010-12-26T09:15:00.015-06:00

Each year I clean out the photo files as with a digital camera I think I take about 3,000 photos annually but eventually only keep about 500. As I sort through many favorites, I thought I would share a few which I loved the way they turned out or the story they tell.

Here they are: (Click on the photo to see a larger, more vivid photo)

The best sunset picture I have ever taken... Colorado Rockies!

The blank looks when you need to pull yourself from a race early...

Not a good place to have both feet off the ground at once...

No, it is not tie-dye... A bloody nose went back miles earlier, when the blood stopped, just put the shirt back on...

This was taken at FANS... Minimalist?

So we are at another year end. They come and go so fast...

As I approach 2011, I have some questions in which I may have some answers. I am closer to my 50th birthday and cannot wonder why everyone is getting old around me? Why do people refer to 50 as middle ages? Does this mean I am going to live to be 100? I doubt it!!! If I am only as young as I fell, how does that account for all my worn out part? If I get my parts updates will I be the man of steal? Why do I keep asking this body to hurry up when in reality I am slowing down?

As I ponder the past year, and many past, I continue to have questions. Although, I can honestly say I have learned a few things about life in general:

No matter how bad someone treated you, they are human and we need to learn to forgive.
I cannot solve all my own problems so I need to stop trying to solve other peoples problems.
Always put a "No Trespassing" sign directly above your "welcome" mat.
Worry works, everything I worry about seems not to happen.
If I pluck all my gray hairs, so that I will not become gray, I would be bald.
Plucking those hairs from my ears and nose are easier than finding them.
When I was 19, I knew everything, no need to ask. By the time I was 30, I was pretty sure there was more to know. But he time I was 40, my kid knew everything and corrected all my mistakes. Now I am pushing 50, and really know the most important thing, I have so much more to learn.
Every day of my life is a struggle, yet I wake up each morning thankful to be alive and given another day to try to get it right.
I am blessed to still have all God's blessings: Sight, Sound, Touch, Taste and Smell.
I am thankful that I have met so many and have so many people in my life.
Other peoples pets have taught me more about God's love than 1,000 sermons!

So if I do not post for the rest of the year... Thanks for reading (suffering or enjoying) my thoughts this year. Until then, think about the following...

"People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas."

"Be at war with your vices; at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better human."

Carry on my friends... carry on...

What, it's December 23rd! HOW?

2010-12-23T21:32:00.003-06:00

Time flies as we age. I guess that is for sure in my life right now! I recall it being September like it was yesterday. Adding in some workouts to my 70 plus hour work weeks has made time fly. I get out of bed, head to work, work through lunch, leave work are about 7 and about three of those days I got a workout in. Sure feel good and desire to do it so much more. But how?

Well, I could get up at 5:30 AM and head to the gym. Tried that one day but was to tired at 7 PM to head to the gym. Just not sure what is the best solution, but glad I am still trying. In these stressful times it is so much easier to give up.

I did pick up my son last weekend in Colorado. It was a different experience than ever before. I think he is stressed as well. For the first time since I got divorced over a decade ago he started yelling at me about things including the Divorce and my parenting . It was an uncomfortable experience, that is for sure. Sometimes it is hard to forget harsh words of others, even if they were spoken out of anger and not intended to be as harsh as they were taken. This is a lesson I know I took long to learn, and look like he is following in my footsteps.

Could be I am just a little to sensitive. With life just being work, sleep, work, sleep, try to clean the place, work, sleep... I just feel like I have lost life. I was talking to women who was recently released from prison and she was stating that life was better there. While she lost freedom, in her free life she has no time or many and has less freedom.

But when my son went on the verbal attack, it was difficult. One thing I am most proud of is being a father. I really gave and continue to give everything I can all with a focus that he improves and becomes a better man. Although, I think that was one of many reasons I fail in so many way in other things such as relationships or self-preservation. I learned the hard way there needs to be a balance between all aspects in life. I guess that is what being a Type A does to a life.

I also goofed up and somehow when I washed his 5 loads of clothes he had built up, somehow bleach got on a few of his favorite shirts. Another black eye on that one. But then again, somehow I goofed up, but not sure how.

I have been getting plenty of questions lately about Grandma's Marathon. It is the 35th year and it would be my 27th. My heart if not in it at all. I long for trails but clearly despise the road. I respond that I will do it if someone who thinks they would struggle to finish, I would go with them and pull them through. Last year I finished and only ran 15 miles from January through June, so mentally i am fine. But that is getting harder as I really dislike running that same course every year.

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. My son will be here, I set up the three foot high tree. Looks so funny with the presents hiding the tree. Oh well, so much easier to take down, right? All I can say is I hope 2011 does not go as fast as 2010. I need to make adjustments and get life back on track. Many roads to travel and I still do not have a road map. So I will keep using the instinct to determine the best path and assure that I am not to proud to turn around and go back when i think I went the wrong way. I the past, I kept going and as I age, in realize it is better to admit my mistakes and try another path. That will assure eventually, I will be on the right road. But then again, as my friend points out, mother nature can change the path at anytime and all I can do is be patient and use the knowledge I have gained.

Carry on my friends...

Expectations

2010-12-08T18:26:00.001-06:00

I was working out with a friend the other day and she started talking about feeling like she was on the outside looking in to life. I questioned what she meant by that statement. Summarizing what she said, she said she while her husband is next to her, she feels like the is a glass wall between them (except when infrequent intimacy is involved but all other times), she said at her now job she just seems to not fit in, she said with her over-achieving family she feels left behind, and she said with most workout friends, she feels less than adequate.

A consistent point was “she feels” and I asked her what they have done to make her “feel” that way. She said they do not smile, do not say hi, and they are just there with little appreciation for her efforts. I explained I know what she means, because I have been there as well, and some ways, I still am. I commented she should read “the cost of living” (http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781590173275). In that book, it is not about the women in the world with perfect exteriors — their hair done just so, their manicures never chipped, their voices soft and silky and never saying the wrong thing. Instead the author writes about draggled laces, sagging hems, and ribbons undone. Her stories about everyday women, heroines are the awkward, the hopeless, the immature, and the ones on the outside of womanhood looking in, like her and many others. I told her I do not think it will be a revelation, but is a good read. I will wait to hear any comments, if she reads it.

What I thought was how this is preconceived notion that we have a certain level of self worth and a certain amount we can give, before we expect to benefit from the work and effort. It is the expectation within us that creates disappointment. Like when I expect to finish a marathon in less than 4 hours. I feel like I failed when in reality, I had exceeded more than 99.6 percent of all humans. (So the web says in a study from 2007.) What a great thing I should celebrate. But my expectations are what really caused the problem.

I do this all the time! Have expectations and then big time disappointments. May my next 15-minute per mile run/jog be joyous for what it is, a successful run. Still doing more than a majority of word, just not accomplishing anything in comparison with the friends I keep...

Carry on my friends…

Feeling positive...

2010-11-28T19:10:00.005-06:00

It was a nice Thanksgiving weekend. I did work 9 hours Thanksgiving Day as well as another 34 hours Friday through Sunday, but had a great time with my son who flew in in Wednesday night. We got tickets for the Gopher/Iowa game from a friend and attended, even though it was cold, it was fun. He was able to spend time with his Aunt, Uncle, niece, nephew and Grandparents as well.

For those who may not know him or be aware, he is attending the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado. (The thing about coming home is I think they catch up on his sleep...) He is 21 and really a great person. He has run Grandma's with me twice, and kicked my bottom doing so (but i still have a PR just under an hour of his PR). He still plays great tennis. (See the club tennis page.).

A little more about him. It was Thanksgiving, 1994 when there was an event which would change his life. It also changed much for all around him as well. We were visiting in my fathers farm where his right hand was amputated. He really is lucky to survive. He never really sulked in loss and is very successful due to his attitude. Of course, attitude is so much. If you do not believe me check this out: (Website: http://www.attitudeisaltitude.com/)

But I think there was a attitude and balance he learned from his grandpa, his mom, Neal Halberg, Tommy Valentini, Steve Wilkenson and so many others. Parents do not raise a child successfully without others and there were so many others that have made him into the successful man he is today.

Enough about that, although once again on this weekend I spent time with some good tears. Almost each year cry less about the accident and the impacts of that day. But this year, as I have written before, it is the loss of loved ones which really hurts a little more. I think is is strange the way some people are sheltered and never see the things in this world other experience. Some of you know Shelley, we speak of how she has never had a human loss. She has had real bad luck lately with two of her three cherished pets getting ill and were put down. That was hard for her and she adjusted, I think.

Well this weekend, was an especially hard one as well one with elation of having my son home. I kept hearing songs on the radio which brought back memories. I started to cry when a few of Dana's favorite songs came on and I bet I looked like an idiot crying at the stoplight. As many of you know how much Dana was such a positive influence in my life only to see hers cut short...

Then I heard some 80's songs. That was when a good friend committed suicide and two other were lost in a car accident. Then the late 80's, when my nephew drowned in a few feet of water. These losses hit me hard this weekend for some reason.

But a good cry seems to wash away some of the pain and sorrow we hold within ourselves. I know that the positive feeling that comes from a good hard cry really makes things better for a while. But it is still hard overcoming the loss of a great friend. I know there have been many and there will be more. But I try hard to recall the best, and that usually helps. In 1988, I had a great friend and we grew apart, that is also hard to accept but when I see they are doing well and happy, that can only bring a great smile. Life throws us so many curves, but as good catcher does not let the ball of life pass... We grasp it hard and throw it back for another pitch!

Today I was talking to someone who asked me how is it so often I laugh? I responded by saying, "Everyday I laugh because I can". Laughing is beneficial my your health. It has been said that laughing for 10 minutes heartily is equivalent to 10 minutes of moderate jogging. So tonight, as I came home after crying several times throughout the day, I thought if laughing is beneficial to your health, what are the benefits of crying? We all have those nights here tear drops saturate our pillows. For those who say they have never cried, I say you have never lived.

And this cry will get me into the gym more often, I can feel it! It was something that needed to get done and as I close this post, I smile... My son will leave tomorrow but it will be a brighter day for so many reasons that I know his going back to school after a short visit, I will be OK.

Carry on my friends...

Fatigue, memory loss and other losses

2010-11-24T15:34:00.005-06:00

uBefore I start, all this talk about the "pat down" was put in a different perspective in a cartoon sent to me by a friend. Here it is:

After a third week of 75-80 hour work weeks including Saturday/Sunday of over 26 hours on those two days on successive weekends, I tend to find I have a loss of memory. I used to get concerned over this, but not any longer. What is amazing is how people will tell me what I accomplished and I look at them like "where have I been".

I started to compare this to my long running efforts. I have had several training runs which were over 20 hours. As I look back, I recall a common thing, once I reach a certain level of fatigue, my body goes into some type of auto-pilot before it crashes.

Like the 2008 ST 100 attempt. I recall so much of the race, until about 4 AM (20 hours after the start). Then the memories fade and by the 25th hour, I am totally unaware of what happened. My mind just shut down. I recalled when I quit at 28 hours, like my mind took back control of the body and that was the end.

In these long weeks I find the same. I go into auto pilot. I just float along. I am actually much more productive then when I am aware of my surroundings. It is an interesting phenomena. I am not sure if it has been studied or not but would be interesting. But sadly, I do not realize who I have spoke to or what I said. This could be dangerous. But the general consensus of others I as is my facts are significantly accurate and I can answer much more detailed questions on the fly. This is just strange.

I had read taking extra vitamin B12 can assist in reducing this activity. I used to take a Multiple B vitamin each morning but lately, I have skipped taking it on a regular basis. I should consider taking it for 2 weeks and track the progress since I have two more bad weeks before I get to come back to a 50 hour week. At times I think this is all a bummer but in reality, in this time of job difficulties, I am just happy to be working. I have many friend who would love to be in my shoes, so it is not bitching, just the facts.

I read an article today which was actually sad for me to read. Many might have know the 53 year old Mike Broderick. He finished Western States 100, in August finished the 50K Green Lakes Endurance Run and in September, he finished a marathon and half-marathon. On November 4, 2010, he died. He had an aggressive lung cancer.

He was a lawyer left the profession to do hat he liked - run, coach and teach. He threw himself into running with knowledge was so vast that he was in demand as a coach. I only met the man once. He reminded me of me with little tact in what we said but we were also funny and charismatic. There is that trait of being happy with running whether we were first, last or in between.

One website posted a e-mail from mike which read:

"It turns out that the shortness of breath and other symptoms which I have been experiencing over the past several weeks are not due to pneumonia after all. I apparently have lung cancer and am now in the process of further testing and evaluation to determine the extent to which it may have spread and to begin a course of treatment."

He died just weeks later.

As I age, as we all age, we see life just for what it is... Precious. It is times like these I really need to look in the mirror and not see the fat, out of shape runner, but the person who has been given another breath, another step and another moment to either cherish, or waste.

May we all cherish our loved ones, friends and even enemies on the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Carry on my friends, carry on!

Another run

2010-11-18T18:25:00.002-06:00

I did another 2 mile run. It was rather enjoyable. Well, kind of sucked in the process but after i was done it was so great when I was done. The Strassburg sock really helps the PF, but the pain in my toes in the morning is really odd. I will take a little toe pain in the morning anytime over the PF pain.

There is a benefit for Larry and Colleen Pederson next weekend. My son is here from Colorado and i am working tennis and will miss it. If anyone wants to meet great people, help great people and work off a little post Thanksgiving calories, check it out! Should be great!

I was talking to a few friends of mine and they pointed out the Wild West Relay. If I get back into it by next year, I may have to have my son and a few others give it a try. It is 36 legs and 200 miles. There are several 7-12 team runners. Entry is about $1,300. The one I like if the Flatliners (all runners live below 2,500 feet. Minnesota qualifies! They have structured formats or Helter Skelter where anyone runs whatever they can... Leave Fort Collins and heads to Wyoming then southwest, over the mountains! Any interest?

For a shorter race, consider The Colorado Relay? Both sound cool...

This is the type of events that can make me dream and motivate me as needed...

Either way, I have a few weeks where I will have no less than 70 hours work weeks so one week at a time. May we all have a great Thanksgiving and take care to you all.

I want to close with a story I heard today:

A man was running behind an Amish Carriage which has a bumper sticker which read:

"Energy efficient vehicle. Runs on grass and oats."

This was on one bumper and on the other it read:

"CAUTION: AVOID THE EXHAUST!"

Carry on my friends, carry on...

2 miles, 31 minutes, no pain....

2010-11-11T19:24:00.003-06:00

Just a quick, well slow, update... The SOCK has worked well for the PF... Running, just in time for snow this weekend! Great timing.

My pal Wayne Nelson shared the comic below...

Cool!

God bless our Veteran's on this day... Carry on...

All the world's a stage...

2010-10-21T19:03:00.003-05:00

From Shakespeare's As You Like It. Quite frankly, I hated it. I had a English teacher in the 11th grade. She was into this crap (so I called it back then and slowly learning to appreciate literature, I SAID SLOWLY).

The class has to memorize the full passage! She exclaimed it was the greatest comparative analysis of a stage and life with the seven stages of a man's life: the infant, the schoolboy, the lover, the soldier, the justice, the pantaloon, and second childhood.

I recall I passed missing only four words. What does this have to do with anything? I have not heard or desired to hear that series of words since 1978, but lately, especially when I am alone lifting weights, doing yoga or whatever I do when drift off, it spins in my head, over and over.

I have recently worked my way through many lines and decided to write them down, just to see what I got right. Then I wanted to look it up to see if I was even close. So here is what I recalled and then the bold/italic are words I missed and words in "quotes" are words I incorrectly added:

All the world's a stage,
And all the men "are" and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms;
And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like "as hot as a" furnace

That is about all I recalled with any accuracy. I guess i did not recall as much as I thought as I only made it to the lover!

What does that have to do with this blog or running. Absolutely nothing. But it does make me wonder why, as I get older, I have these recollections of decades ago. Recollections I have not even cared about nor really want to relive. Not sure why, but I can not help but repeat to myself often during a day...

I also was thinking, maybe it has to do with a mid-life crisis mental exercise the close to 50 year old mind plays on oneself. Made me recall the best mid-life crisis story I have ever heard. It goes:

A man who was married for over 25 years looks to his wife and said "honey, 25 years ago I lived in a cheap apartment, had a car that barely ran, slept on a sofa bed or a floor, watched a black and white 12 inch TV but every night I slept with a hot 25 year old blond! Now, I have a great house, two great cars, several bedroom with many nice beds, a 50 inch Plasma TV but I sleep with an average 50 year old women. So Honey, I think you are not keeping up with the rest of the things in my life."

The wife turned to exclaim, "go find the hot 25 year old blond and i will make sure you are living in a cheap apartment, may not even let you have the car, and the sofa bed would be the best you could wish for..."

Could be reminiscing is not a good thing after all? But ...

All the worlds a stage...

Carry on my friends - Carry on!

Terrible too's

2010-10-11T21:57:00.007-05:00

I am felling a little better. I have been taking photo's of the scale each day this month. Man daily scale photo's tell so much. I bounced as much as 10 pounds from the high and low in the last 10 days with today being 6 pounds less than 10 days ago, but 4 pounds heavier then two days ago? Goofy stuff... Will see how it goes.

The heading is the long stated questions. Once you feel better, how much is to much. I was thinking I may concentrate on biking for the time being with a goal to run once I get a 100 mile bike ride completed... Yes at once. I have done several 25-50 rides over the past month, so i am well on the way. I have been doing everything I can think of and everything I have read for PF and it actually is feeling good, but still hurts a little. Maybe weight loss from biking may make a good overall start?

Many runners, especially people who are new to running, make the "terrible too's" mistake. They get so excited and enthused about their running that they do too much mileage, too fast, too soon. They mistakenly think that "more is better" when it comes to running. As a result, they often start to develop common overuse running injuries. Been there, done that... so what is too much. Some pro's say:

1) Be more conservative than you think you need to be with how often, how long, and how much you run, especially early on in your development. Increase your mileage gradually. Don't let your weekly mileage increase by more than 10% a week. So if I start at 520 feet, I should only increase it to 572 feet the next week and so on... That is 25 weeks to a mile. But then if my first run is 5 miles, then I should be able to do a 100 mile run in 6 months. Both are ridiculous in my mind, so does that void the 10% rule?

2) Pay attention to aches and pains. If a pain gets worse as you continue runs, that's a warning sign that you should stop your run. If this were true, I would never run. Hey, close to 50, what doesn't hurt? Good, does this mean i call in sick and stay in bed?

3) Take at least a day off... from what, everything or just running? I get so confused.

Main pint is I want to run, I am just a little scared to start as I am concerned I will not control my much... But I still do not how to control my much and may just do too much...

I am a little excited but at the same time will be a little of a loss the next three weekends. No tennis... Well not really as I am heading to Dallas Friday for a Officials meeting, then home for two weekends before I have five weekends in a row. Then we are a week before Christmas... Wow, where did 2010 go? As I get older, time seems to go faster...

I read something the other day and found it hard to believe, so I google it and it is real. Given that a fellow Blogger is going through this right now I did not know what to think about the shirt... Very mixed, but creative, that is for sure...

Time to call it a night. Viking have depressed me so I guess I should sleep well!

Carry on my friends...

PF ... No not Changs

2010-09-25T09:07:00.002-05:00

Not sure how many of you out there ever battled Plantar Fasciitis (PF). I think most know what it is and the problems it bring for those who have the issue. The plantar fascia is a thick fibrous band of connective tissue originating on the bottom surface of the calcaneus (heel bone) and extending along the sole of the foot towards the five toes. It can stop you from starting. I have battled it since December and tried rest, massage therapy, stretching, night splints, motion control running shoes (made the knee hurt), Cold therapy, I have orthotics, anti-inflammatory medications, rolled the foot on ice calls ad many more, but just can not shake it. I am thinking of taking the injection of corticosteroids, but hate that thought.

Anyone have advice. I know a big one is LOSE THE GUT but that is also hard when you limp from PF.

SO I continue to bike, walk and yoga to get batter balance. The yoga seems to help most. One thing that is really hard is standing on my feet for hours. So I know my tennis officiating is not good as I will be on my feet for 6-10 hours each day. I have assignments 8 out of the next 10 weekends with one of the off weekend volunteering at Surph the Murph. So I need to think of ways of minimizing the impact of standing all day as the weekend after an event I limp quite a bit for a few days.

Today at tennis I had a 12 year old boy really act up and made many of us frown at his behavior. I recalled a story I told him it to explain his behaviour. Then afterward, I felt little bad as with me not running as much I have been a little grumpy... These life lessons are there for us all, not just the junior players. I am sharing the story with you all and maybe you will use it on your own youth or get remined of the importance of controlled emotions and comments to others...

Enjoy...

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily, gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said "you have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one." You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there. Make sure you control your temper the next time you are tempted to say something you will regret later.

Carry on my friends...

Busy but excited...

2010-09-22T06:45:00.003-05:00

There have been four reasons for decreased blog activity this past year.

First, with two big surgeries and recoveries, I have gained weight and just feel like crap. I have officially made the 50 pound point. That meaning I gained 50 of the 94 I lost in 2006.

Second, not a whole lot of physical activity to get me back on track.

Third, the job which supports my habits has been killing me. I love the fact that I have not had to face a layoff like many have in this economic downturn. We are down about 1/3 in staff and things are picking up. I have been working 55-60 hour weeks. My son and girlfriend keep yelling at me as I do not write down the overtime. I just believe I have a job to do and I get it done. I guess I should write it down so the higher up see we need one more staff person. Then still so about 10-15 hours of tennis officiating on weekends. Although, I have taken a few weekends in a row off from tennis and feel less exhausted...

The last thing is I have accepted the nomination to be on the USTA Northern Board and USTA Sectional Chair of Officials. One of those Jobs where you start with a low salary and they add a zero every year. (You know $0.00 to start). But like volunteering for races, this has it satisfaction built in to the duty.

With all that, I want to share the Superior 100 volunteer time gave me some inspiration. There is the Surph the Murph in a few weeks and I will get another does of inspiration as I hope I will get an aid station this year. Hope for great weather like last year. Nice and cool for the runner and I got 10 hours at a great campfire while supporting good friends. (If you want to see inspiration, see the link for this you tube video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SbXgQqbOoU) I have lost 3 pounds last week and had some good workouts (no running yet as my right PF is still so painful... may seek a shot. Hate to but it has been all year!). But did get 102 miles biking in over the weekend! Cool! Love the cool, brisk bike ride in the morning! May go the whole month without filling the car!

Anyway, hoping this is the upswing, just in time for the great fall ahead (no pun intended). May I get on the trails with many of you soon... If you are not on the trails now and want to start, drop a line. This overweight guy is slow and could use the support as well. It if fun!

Carry on my friends...

Should be an update ...

2010-09-16T21:38:00.005-05:00

On my wonderful ST 100 volunteer experience, but...

My job is getting insane in the demands placed on me and I am just so busy that when I get a chance I need to take it or I lose that chance. So tonight I relaxed after a demanding workday, I watched The Notebook. I needed to relax after a difficult meeting. I was also wanting to watch it as it really is a whole bunch of emotions which makes me remember to not to expect an explanation for the unexpected or think that can't accept no explanation, just keep the faith and move onward. Some who have seen it may agree with me on that statement, others may think I am way off base.

But this also made me think of the challenge a fellow blogger is facing. She writes about the "C" word and how life has thrown her a curve. (an that is not the "C" word) I think about her wonderful and welcomed sharing she has given me in through her blog, even though we have never met. The love and support amongst her family is so wonderful. She has the best tools to beat the "C" and get her desired NYC Marathon, all in good time.

But the Notebook and my fellow blogger made me think... Will my heart ever allow anyone to be that close to live for the moment together or to support me though a very difficult ordeal... Opening always means increased risk of being broken... like the way I feel about my DNF's at the ST 100 and I ask if I lack the desire to train to avoid another dejected feeling one gets from the DNF. Strange correlation for some, but in my over-analytical mind, I wonder...

But just like a 100 mile race, we have to keep our hearts in it or we will fail. In the Notebook, the man dies doing what he loves (which is great part of his life), keeping the love of his life. May we all find love and never let it go... Even if it is one mile at a time, the end is so rewarding...

At least that is what I have read from the pal's who are now proud owners of the elusive red jacket!

Carry on my friends, and never look back without a smile...

Going to Superior 100

2010-08-26T15:11:00.005-05:00

Not to run, but to get away and intermittently help out the runner and have fun with Shelley. Been a while since we had a getaway together and I will need to monitor my time at the stations and other friends...

I plan on leaving town about 6 AM Friday and stopping by some aid stations along the way. I will have my camera at hand so all you runners stop before the station to comb your hair and if needed, put on make-up (kidding). I am also looking to maybe do a late night leg with a runner and maybe that last part if there is a pal who is on the edge and could use a little push. Of course, that depends on how my next two weeks evolve.

I am off the levequin for over a week and can feel the difference. I did have a little home invasion of dust mites/fleas or something. My son and I woke with mosquito like bites (3-5 each night) that were such a nuisance. A little bomb spay after a throughout cleaning and then re-cleaning has taken care of it, but it was really a pain! At least with the medicine taking me out, I had time.

I took my son back to Colorado a little over a week ago. Was a nice trip. Had a great sunset...

Also took a 4 mile hike in a place called Mayhem Gulch. Would have been a great trail to run on! Did not take the Garmin but it was up, up, up and turned around and we went down, down, down... You can see the zig zag of the trail on the side of the mountain.

Anyway, that is an update. Not much new other than being busy and staying alive.

As a final note, my pal Carl is ceased his blog. I wrote a piece a while back on "WHY BLOG" as I wondered why several times. Then I thought about it... In summary, to keep in touch, share joys and sorrows... Just to have a place to share our thoughts and desires. I understand Carl's decision, but wish he would reconsider. A once a month post is not to demanding and you know what, it is the only way I can keep in touch if I am not able to run. But the trend is to get info on Facebook nowadays but that is so fragmented and all over the place, the blog creates a local place for all the successes and possible DNF's for one person, in one place, in order. I just enjoy reading so many blogs of people I really do not know, but can feel their success and failures and empathize. So please Carl, reconsider... And Wayne, I like the Blog better!!!

Even though I do not comment, I keep up with what is going on and for those who post and I read it... Thanks! (Yes that is Beth, Denise, Steve's (both), Don, Mike, Helen, Kel, Lisa and so many other...)

Hope I capture a nice digital image of you having fun at the 100 or 50. If not, please enjoy the day and smile...

Carry on my friends...

What used to be...

2010-08-09T20:52:00.002-05:00

I read this and thought about many relationships I have had over the years and how I hear so many people say that they no longer are in love with their mate because the mate has changed so much... We all have changed over time. Like my Doctor tells me, I am getting so old I should not buy green banana's (joking). So I wanted to share this story from the pastor of a Church service I attended Sunday. It was about people changing and our love can waver with change...

They have been married for two years. He loves literature, and often posts his work on the net, but nobody ever reads them. He is also into photography, and he handled their wedding photos. He loves her very much.

Likewise with her. She has a quick temper, and always bullies him.

He is a gentleman, and always gives in to her. Today, she's being "willful" again.

Her: "Why can't you be the photographer for my friend's wedding? She promised she'd pay."

Him: "I don't have time that day."

Her: "Humph!"

Him: "Huh?"

Her: "Don't have time? Write less of those novels, and you will have all the time you need."

Him: "I... someone will definitely recognize my work some day."

Her: "Humph! I don't care; you'll have to do it for her.

Him: "No."

Her: "Just this once?"

Him: "No."

Negotiation's broken. So, she gave the final warning: "Give me a Yes within three days, or else..."

First day.

She "withheld" the kitchen, bathroom, computer, refrigerator, television, and hi-fi... Except the double bed, to show her "benevolence". Of course, she has to sleep on it too. He didn't mind, as he still has some cash in his pockets.

Second day.

She conducted a raid and removed everything from his pockets, and warned, "Seek any external help, and you bear the consequences." He's nervous now. Night. On the bed. He begs for mercy, hoping that she'll end this state. She doesn't give a damn. No way am I giving in, whatever he says. Until he agrees.

Third day Night. On the Bed. He's lying on the bed, looking to one side. She's lying on the bed, looking to the other side.

Him: "We need to talk."

Her: "Unless it's about the wedding, forget it."

Him: "It's something very important."

She remains silent.

Him: "Let's get a divorce."

She did not believe her ears.

Him: "I got to know a girl."

She's totally angry, and wanted to hit him.

But she held it down, wanting to let him finish. But her eyes already felt wet.

He took a photo out from his chest.

Probably from his undershirt pocket, that's the only place she didn't go through yesterday. How careless.

Him: "She's a nice girl."

Her tears fell.

Him: "She has a good personality too."

She's heartbroken, because he puts a photo of some other girl "close to his heart".

Him: "She says that she'll support me fully in my pursue for literature after we got married."

She's very jealous, because she said the same thing in the past.

Him: "She loves me truly."

She wishes to sit up and scream at him: "Don't I?"

Him: "So, I think she won't force me to do something that I don't want to do."

She's thinking, but the rage won't subside.

Him: "Want to take a look at the photo I took for her?"

Her: ".....!"

He brings the photo before her eyes.

She's in a total rage, hits his hand away and leaves a burning mark of a slap on his face.

He sighs.

She cries.

He puts the photo back to his pocket.

She pulls her hand back under the blanket.

He turns off the light, and sleeps.

She turns on the light, and sits up.

He's asleep.

She lost sleep.

She regrets treating him the way she treated him.

She cried again, and thought about a lot of things.

She wants to wake him up.

She wants to have an intimate talk with him.

She doesn't want to push him anymore.

She stares at his chest. She wants to see how the girl looks.

She slips the photo out. She wanted to cry, and she wanted to laugh.

It's a nicely taken photo of her. A photo he took for her when they met.

She bends down, and kissed him on his cheek.

He smiled. He was just pretending to be asleep.

This makes me think back to how I have changed as have many friends and other people I have known over the years. Many of you know my ex-wife and she is a fabulous human being and we once loved being with each other. We to changed. Amazing how I clearly recall the love, the hate and then the acceptance... While the parting is always hard, I am told she is truly happy. Although, there may be more change. I know many including myself who have been on the high and low roller coaster ride of giving love and feeling loved. As i age, I desire that flat ride on the old model T with the rail to guide me... You now, like at the amusement park. But then again, I would have missed out on so much pleasure and pain. Memories...

I think I am going spend this week thinking about all the quality activities and smiles so many people have shared with me. Those memories will never be taken away. Who know, it might make me smile a whole lot more and if I really look at my life, I have so much to smile for...

Carry on my friends. Carry on...

Crying...

2010-07-31T20:07:00.002-05:00

I have been battling this infection for years. We have been trying to pinpoint when it all started and I was not sure. While the Levequin has its miserable side effects, my head is unlike any recent history I can recall. So clear!

Today I was making several homemade burritos. I have a vacuum (food saver) and make several and freeze them. Use whole foods like made from real beans, tomatoes, rice, green chili's, organic cheese, avocado, shredded zucchini, and onion all rolled in a spinach tortilla. For the first time in years, I CRIED CUTTING AN ONION. Wow, that is a switch. I can not recall the last time an onion made me cry. Same type, nothing different. The infection must finally getting it's bottom kicked and my senses improving? There is hope...

Another 7 days of the medicine. I leave for Kalamazoo for tennis Thursday and will return Sunday. Should be fun. Looking foreword to getting clearance to workout again by mid - august. Just in time to be cooler?

That is about all. I think I will go cut another onion... What a welcomed feeling!!!

Carry on!

I hate that!

2010-07-25T20:17:00.002-05:00

I know the economy is tough and I hate to complain about street maintenance, but this year I have found the roads are so rough to bike on compared to last. I have been experimenting on various ways to commute, especially at night, as the main roads I ride most frequently are just plain worn out. I have never broke a spoke twice in 6 weeks and only found out because my bike tire was a little out of balance, otherwise I would not have known. Now this is not from hitting a pothole or jumping a curb or anything like that, just from ordinary riding.

This has really been a deterrent as the rides are less enjoyable. I have completed several 20 plus mile rides the past few weeks and will do more in the future. I just do not enjoy them as much as it is like trail running, keep the head down and take action to miss the holes and other imperfections on the road.

Besides the roads in the area I ride, a coworker, who drives from Minneapolis (uptown area) recently was told that in less that 50,000 miles, her shocks and struts are totally worn. They said this is more common with the poor condition of the roads... I guess we ill pay it one way or the other...

Enough complaining but it really ticked me off yesterday! Plan on some good rides and a few runs this week. Leave for Kalamazoo next week, then I get back and head to Colorado. It will be August 27 before I finally have a weekend at home, able to rest and relax, but then I really would like to have a few 6 miles runs by then?

Hope all is well and everyone enjoyed the great weekend! Carry on...

Update...

2010-07-21T17:05:00.003-05:00

Last night I did a 34 mile bike ride with stops throughout the ride including a concert at Lake Harriet. This was after a few 3 mile runs over the past week. I am feeling pretty good. Staying away from the scale as I just have enough reasons to feel bad, so i will eliminate that opportunity. Just working out regular will take care of the weight, I know it. When I work out, I automatically eat healthier. Although I went to the Doctor today and the infection is still there. Not as bad as before surgery but he stated there are medication he may consider which will not allow me to run or workout much for a few weeks. That would suck but if that ends this multiple year downgrade, I would embrace it fully!

I must say that what has been a problem is stress... Just like many in this economy there is stress which impacts everyone. One thing that can be stressful is relationships. Especially when I think I am dating someone, but I am not sure... Talk about being confused.

Amazing how stress free one can be, all-be-it lonely, when there is no relationships in life. But then I see some friends who are not in a relationship who are so stress free and other who are just burring in a hole. I see the same with married couples. I will never understand it, and may never want to understand.

You know, I am not talking only about male/female relationships exclusively, but those with others like a sister, co-workers, sons, ex-wives, friends, etc... They all are wonderful to have and add benefit to ones life. There are times, however, you just want to be alone.

My son recently blew his top with regard to me just being here, grandpa calling, his girlfriend calling, his friends calling. He just yelled "I just want to be alone and have time by myself". It was a great example of what I mean of the impact of a relationship, we love them, we hate them.

My next few weeks are busy. This weekend a junior event that has National Points. Then my son and I may head to the Superior Trail next weekend, dependant on the weather. The following weekend I am in Kalamazoo, MI. The weekend after that, Colorado. The summer will go fast.

I am pretty sure I will be up at the Superior 100 as a volunteer, if needed. Either was if I go I will be taking a few hundred photo's. I will know in a few weeks if I get the time off from tennis to go up there. It would be so enjoyable!

I think I will go for a walk in the woods. It is very hot but a few miles with the camera is nice.

Until next time, carry on...

Grave visits?

2010-07-13T21:19:00.003-05:00

Since there is little running going on in my life (finding a slow recovery from Grandma's), I have been letting the mind wonder. Although, this is not an uncommon thing, for my mind to be all over the place. Could be ADD?

My son is back from Alaska. It was funny, he did not shave the whole time and as a first for him, shaving 8 days of growth was an experience... I could only smile. He did have a great time... I am so proud of him and the comfort he has in travel and life. Now if I can only get his car out of the garage.

Now what was this post about... Could be many things... my weight is now over 270... ouch. But I still did several runs of 3-4 miles each at 12 minutes miles... So not all bad! I really need to get this under control!!! Stress is a big reason. But that is not what I was writing about.... Oh yea, grave visiting.

I was watching Forrest Gump Sunday and near the end of the show, I was really struck by something. He was standing at the grave of Jenny and talking to her like she was there. He left he a letter from little Forrest for her to read. Made me think.

When I visit Fort Snelling or other graveyards, I always get the strange aura. I read the markers and so many thoughts go through my head. Some wonderful, some sad, some strange. So I was thinking, I have never as long as I recall, visited a grave site of someone I know... I was really struck by this.

I started to think of Dana and how she was taken from this earth early. Then again, was she. I often think of the words from the Pastor when my 3 year old nephew dies. His words were Gods plan for Aaron's life was three years or Dana 36 years, they lived those years fully. That pastor emphasized that life being short is all do to the expectations we place on life.

Do I buy into this? I do not know. It is all confusing...

What watching Forrest Gump speak to Jenny make me think is how life can change at any time... I makes me want to take a trip to Portland. To visit a grave old a dear friend. Just to talk... I miss her and need to talk to her... It is strange to have this feeling, but Kayak.com has some good prices... Now I just need to coordinate the tennis and work and maybe, I will be happy and a hole in my chest will be less of a hole...

Isn't it strange how the littlest thing can trigger emotions... But without emotions, where does that leave us? Well for me fat... Emotional eating. Well, I am felling positive about the steps I am taking and that gives me hope...

Hope all well in this hot July as you train for many races. I am thinking I will not race at all this year and look forward to Superior 100. I am trying to get out of a tennis assignment so I can volunteer!

Until then or another post, carry on my friends...

Annie, may she rest in peace!

2010-06-27T21:34:00.003-05:00

Friday was one of the worst days of my girlfriend’s life, as I saw it… Annie, one of her Golden Retriever’s took very ill. She had a tumor the size of a basketball, which was putting pressure on all her organs, and there was very little question of what options there were. This just weeks after an illness took the aged family cat, Palay! Not a good June for Shelley!

I met Annie (the dog) in 2004. I had just started dating Shelley and she had two dogs and a cat (Palay). If I have the facts right, Annie was the dog she kept after the divorce (Oliver went with her ex-husband). Shelley wanted Annie to have a companion and purchased the male Golden Retriever, Jackson. With two of the most diverse personalities, they provided many memories. Me not being a strong animal lover, they seemed attracted to me. I had some real bad issues with dogs as a kid and grew to resist getting attracted to an animal.

Annie and Jackson always seemed to sense that I was indifferent. They would always try to get my attention. Jackson aggressive like but Annie with her graying hair would just plop her head there and look at me. Just like she was always saying, please be my friend. I did just that. They grew on me and I learned to enjoy my visits and walks with them. Now it will be a walk of one and that will be hard at first.

After Annie was euthanized, the Vet did the best job ever helping with the pain we all felt. My son came and afterward he asked why I was crying. He said he has never seen me cry and knew my general approach to dogs. I explained, Annie was special and many times when Shelley was out of town or after my surgeries, Annie seemed to know what to do… She seemed to always approach me like a loving mother, not demanding anything but just wanting you to know she is there, always willing to make anything better. It is very painful to see her go but the right decision. So I, like any human, would have cried with that much sorrow, seeing what had become a dear part of my life, go away…

R.I.P. Annie, may you and Palay have a great time together in heaven! You were special to many!

Carry on…

I heard this and thought... this is like me!

2010-06-24T14:50:00.001-05:00

Wow, what a day…

I decided to wash my car today. I start walking to the garage and I noticed the mail on the table. Ok, I am going to wash the car but first I need to go through the mail. So I lay the car keys down the desk and discard the junk mail after sorting out the bills and notice the trash is full. All right then, I will just put my bills on the desk and take the trash out. But since I am going to be near the mailbox anyway, I will pay the bills now. Where is the checkbook? Oh, there it is but only one check left… OK, the extra checks are in the file cabinet. Next to the file cabinet sits the Coke I was drinking.

I need to get those checks but I am going to put that Coke in the fridge to get it cold again. I head toward the kitchen and see my flowers need some water… I set the Coke on the counter and WOW, there are my glasses, I have been looking for them all morning so I better put them away first.

I fill the container with water and go to water the flowers. Oh no, some one left the TV remote in the kitchen! We will never think of looking in the kitchen when we want to watch TV tonight so I better put it in the living room. Meanwhile on the way into the living room I spill the water. I set the controls in the laundry room and get towels to clean up my spill. I get to the laundry room and see I have a pile of laundry and decide to start the laundry. Realizing I used all the laundry detergent, I realize I need to go to the store. Now where are those car keys?

Is this a disease or normal?

Carry on

What... me run Grandma's again? And Finish?

2010-06-19T20:42:00.007-05:00

In 1985, I set a goal and last year I made that goal, well half the goal. I had a goal to run Grandma's and Twin Cities Marathon 25 years in a row. My 13th year at TCM, my entry got chewed up by the postal service and returned to me weeks after the race. Never got entered and quite frankly, the cold and lack of understanding from the TCM staff really upsets me, even today, I always suggest people look at some other friendlier race! Anyway, last year I finished 25 Grandma's. (Click to see the post) I was not ever going to do that race again.

This coupled with my knee surgery last July, my bike accident last July, stress at work and then another surgery in mid-may 2010, I never envisioned I would run Grandma's nor did I want to run it. Although, I am a father first in life and would go the the end of the world for my son. He wanted to run the race and wanted me to join him. I resisted feverishly. He continued to encourage me to consider it. Long story short, I entered.

Before I start the report, it was such a boost to see Wayne Nelson several times on the course... Really kepT me positive... And after seeing Lisa at Lake Street, I felt a wave of confidence. THANKS MUCH YOU TWO!

Well, as I said I would never do again, I started my 26th consecutive Grandma's Marathon. Let me preface by saying since last July, I have logged less than 20 running miles. I have over a 1,200 miles on the bike and another large amount of walking miles, but so little running. I talked all week of there being no chance I would finish...

My son decided to run the first mile with me. A minimally impressive 12 minute mile with a HR of 130. I was pleased with how I felt... Then my son proceeded on his own to a 4:30 finish. I on the other hand, thought a good goal would be first 5 miles in 12:30 a mile or less, the next 5 miles 13 minute or less, and the same pattern to the end. This went well, for 16 miles then I started to feel a blister and cramps. I had been taking S-Caps and knew it was related to fatigue. So I decided, walk. Walk fast!!!

I was surprised I was clicking off 15:00 minutes mile walking but could only muster just over a 14 minute mile running. This was not long lived as every mile miles I dropped 10-15 seconds. By mile 22, I was at a 16 mile but a finish was in reach. I tried to jog but knew that was not a great idea. So I walked, and walked and walked. The miles clipped one after another.

My son came back and met me at mile 24 and I had a full boost of confidence. He stayed with me to Lake Street and then I got a second wind. The last two miles were in the 13-14 range and I FINISHED #26. Coming across the finish line, I cried. I cried because I never in my dreams though I would get past half way. I cried because my own son encouraged me to do the seemingly impossible. I cried because it was over.

I feel almost like I did after 77 miles of the ST 100 in 2007. My feet look the same. I have a baseball sized blister on the right foot and a smaller one on the left. But if that is the price I pay, tonight I am happy! I made my son proud, less than 5 weeks after Surgery that put me out of work for a few weeks. It is a great feeling when you finish something that seemed impossible...

Where does this take me? I do not know as I will have to see what the next two days are like, but I have one big smile on my face tonight, even though my foot is pretty painful!

Carry on my friends! Carry on!

Way to much bed time...

2010-05-21T08:54:00.002-05:00

I am a person who does not like to sit still. But since the surgery went well and I am home, I lie down for most of the day. If I get up, in about 20 minutes I am really out of it and have to lie down again. The Doc said I am out for the rest of May for sure, if not longer. The good thing is my vision is not an issue at all and my head is clearer than I recall in a long time. I no longer wake unable to see or confused, which is a great cause for celebration. This does not come without headaches like none I ever experienced, but then Hydrocodone helps...

Already tired so I am going to stop this post.

Until later, Carry on...

Delayed post...

2010-05-18T13:15:00.007-05:00

I set this update to post when I am a few hours into a surgery I am having. Been a while since I posted and with good reason reason. I had my epiphany and had two great weeks of working out and then I was so sick... Long story short, a few MRI's and several CT Scans found some pretty significant issues... They could be related to much of what I have complained about of years.

Starting 2007, I have been going to the doctor about every 4 months complaining of many things. I basically had antibiotics every four months for a few years. Vitamin D was low, many chest ex rays from the chest congestion and many other nuisance side effects. Well in January I was going blind in the left eye when I laid down and it took few minutes after I stood up before it cleared up and I could see clearly again. This progressively worsened and in March it was at times a 30 minute effort in the after a nights sleep before I could see in the morning. Many specialists have been trying to figure out what was going on with this ongoing issue. I had an MRI on the head which showed "the worse long term sinus infection" the specialist has ever seen. It had spread to the eye socket and suspected minor infection of the brain as well... He thought it should have been debilitating, but it was not and I did explain I have a tendency just to go through pain, otherwise how could a fat man run 50 plus mile races?

Anyway this untreated (99% closure of all sinuses closed and one fused together) resulted in an infection of the left eye socket from ethmoid sinusitis fused closed. The eyelid had become noticeably swollen and droopy. There is a growth behind the left eye socket which is most likely caused by the infection. Almost thought I had a stroke? They also suspect my mild personality changes, headache, neck stiffness, and visual problems have all been part of the infection which may have spread to the brain. I have been on high doses of anti-biotic (including an IV) which seems to help keep the issues at bay, but not improve. My general physician apologized a few times for missing this all these years and getting to this point when I went to have the pre-op physical. I told him I had headaches and pain, but learned to live with it... The biggest thing is even with this infection, they press on my face and it was a nuisance, but no pain.

Anyway, at the time of this post I should be deep into the surgery to remove the growth, grind some bone and check the membrane behind the eye for any issues, clean out the sinuses and hope the eye works afterward... There will be weeks of recovery and not sure when I will post next. Either way, I hope this is all part of the long term issues I have had with weight, fatigue, stiffness and many another things which are clearly side effects of the problems the surgery is intended to resolve.

On a positive note, my son is here for the summer (well he was here for a few days but will be in Germany for a month then back here for 8 weeks before returning to Colorado. When i went to get him last Tuesday, there was a snowstorm in Denver... We have 70 degree, they have snow. We drove about 20 MPH on the highway as it was so bad!

Well, I wish I could end this by saying I have to go but really, with the delay post option, that will not be true. But it is time to leave for the hospital and I need to publish this post to be published later.

Carry on!

The Epiphany has arrived...

2010-04-20T21:20:00.004-05:00

In my last post, I wrote about how I needed an Epiphany. Something unexpected to give me an emotional lift. An emotional drive to enjoy things a little more. I GOT IT IN THE STRANGEST WAY YESTERDAY...

I was Eric's Bike shop getting a rack and saddlebags put on my bike. As I stood there waiting, I looked to my right and thought "I know her" but really had no idea who she was. Another 20 seconds go by, I stared at her again. She was looking at nice road bikes. I knew her but why and from where? I have had some memory issues since my concussion last summer but was never so sure. Another minute goes bye and I look at her again. I just could not place her anywhere in my life.

Then I look more to my right and without hesitation, I exclaimed "O'Neal". He smiled and said "yes". It was O'Neal Hampton from the biggest loser and that girl, was Sunshine. They are in the middle of the home part of the show. I think there they have been home for about 12 weeks and they have about 4 weeks to go? She look so GREAT I did not really know it was her! He has done so well also but she was hard to recognize. Her face showed the cheek bones, not in a bad way but she really has her best features shining through!

We were not allowed to talk about the show but I spoke to O'Neal for about 15 minutes on a variety of topics. I suggested if Sunshine loves to run she join MNDRS and meet for some organized trail runs. I told her about my ultra idol Julie and her love of the show and how she would run any pace with her just for the chance to talk about her experience. I also let her know that veteran trail runners are not overly concerned with pace on every run. We know camaraderie and the joy of getting out on the trails and hoped she would not feel like she is to slow (or to fact) as it is the joy of the run that counts. Afterward I felt bad for not suggesting UMTR. Sunshine, if you read this, also check out UTMR.

What I came away with is O'Neal is more genuine and real as a person in real life than on the show. Really impressed me! To see how far these two have come and then to take the time to speak with me like a friend, WOW. I can not say enough about the positive impact it had on me. I have watched O'Neal with his knees lose so much weight and I bitch about my weight and really do not feel that bad physically. As a result, I ran 3.3 miles in 35 minutes, bikes 28 miles and lifted weights today and according to the computer program, I had a negative calorie intake for the day and feel great.

ATTITUDE... That is the difference. The desired epiphany, it is here. How long it will last, I do not know, but I am going to ride this as along as I can! Nothing like a great Epiphany...

Carry on...

I need an epiphany...

2010-04-08T20:35:00.005-05:00

Been a long time between posts but not much to say. Spring has brought me a little more joy and positive outlook. Before I start explaining the title, a little workout update… I am running a little and biking a lot and the legs feel strong with occasional morning soreness but nothing that would be a concern. I have completed several bikes rides over 30 miles each day several times in the past weeks. Things are getting better, but I am looking for a little push in the right direction. I need that Epiphany, like I know we all have had several times in each of our lives…

You know, that time in your life that something strange happens that has a long-term impact on your life. A single momentary act, which has more power than anything we could imagine. An Epiphany… That is what I call it.

Epiphany is defined as “a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience”.

Most people relate to an epiphany as a religious experience. The Western Christian tradition celebrates January 6 as Epiphany. This is by another name in some cultures. In Hispanic or Latin culture, as well in many places in Europe, it is known as Three Kings Day. There are many other religious connotations for Epiphany.

I have had many Epiphanies’ in my life. That first kiss from someone who was out of my league made me feel so much better about myself. That looks in the eyes of a dying person whose life was cut short from a terrible car accident. That last words of wisdom from my 99 year 352 day old grandfather who lived a full rewarding life. Holding my child when he was minutes old… The day I finally understood Quantum Mechanics in College.

In 2006, I met a friend who I consider an Epiphany. I am so grateful to her for opening my eyes to the brighter side of life. She contacted me every single day and made sure I was okay as I was going through a hard physical and emotional time. The way she handled her recent issues of the death of her husband made me stronger. She gave me inspiration to do the things I did not think I could do. It was the jump I needed after several down (negative) years. Our friendship was a bit odd, but nevertheless an epiphany for me.

I had an Epiphany when I was at mile 44 of the Superior 50 mile and it caused me to finish. My post on that race had the following information:

"At 1:57 PM, I was on my way, feeling good. Then came the rocks… I climbed, climbed and climbed. Finally, I felt dizzy, sick and totally spent. I reached the top and laid on the rock and cried. I decided I can not go on, my heart was low. I was going to lie there until someone came and got me. After a few minutes, some rock climbers came and asked if I was OK. I said yes, I need a break and opened my pack and found the 25 notes my girlfriend pasted all over the motel room the night before. That morning, I placed them in the pack in case I needed inspiration. I started to read them. The quotes were such as “It hurts up to a point and then it does not get any worse” from Ann Trason, the Ron Hill quote “get going, get up and walk if you have to, but finish the damned race”, and Robert Frost “The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep”. I thought about my Promise to Dana that “we would finish” the race. I thought of how she died getting in better shape. The at that moment I looked to the sky and the sun hit my face with amazing strength. I felt my heart expand. I felt I was imagining how the Grinch felt as his heart grew… I looked at the rock climbers and said, “I am going to finish this race”. I got up, put the notes in my pack and had an amazing feeling. I started running. I got to the Britton station and I was smiling, laughing and having a good time. 2:31:11. Not bad considering I bawled on the rocks for an undetermined amount of time. I hugged my girlfriend and told her I will finish. I felt like no hand pain, ankle pain or heart pain could stop me."

I call that an epiphany for me!

I really need an epiphany like that now. It is not here but I am sure one day it will hit me. Writing this strange things come back to my mind...

I recall in High School and Sheri Fjelstad had just dumped me. I turned on the radio and I hear Cliff Richard signing “We don’t Talk Anymore”. We never talked again… An Epiphany of another sort. Messages at a strange time. This is a perfect Epiphany that I needed that time of my life. I was reminded that no matter what we do, it is the simple thing that can bring the most happiness or remove sadness.

Then there are just random acts of kindness, which can be epiphanies… These unselfish actions, which make life full rich, beyond what I often, realize. I am sure the opportunity will present itself soon; I just hope I have the kindness and knowledge to grab it.

I am sure that there are many of you who have these special thoughts several times when trying to complete a 100-mile race. I hope to complete a 100 mile rune someday so I can really know if it will give me that elusive epiphany or just nice rewarding pain…

That is all I have to say.

Until I have more to say, or finally get my much needed Epiphany… Carry on my friends!!!

Scale Sucks! Being FAT!!!

2010-02-24T20:16:00.006-06:00

May want to pass on reading this... I am real whiny, grumpy, pissy, or whatever you may call it. Many new things going on the past few weeks. One big disappointment after another!

I was looking so forward to working as a volunteer at Zumbro but my job has me in New Orleans... Bummer!

Not sure why I watch the Olympics. I have been getting into Curling, then the United States blew it...

And then the scale! I did it! I stepped on the scale. I have not stepped on that scale for 5 weeks. I have been working out often and felling better. Yesterday I did 2 hours and 15 minutes of biking and light weights on top of biking. I am logging 120-150 minutes a day of aerobic exercise with a heart rate between 100-120. two days a week i work out before work, five days a week I have been doing 45 minutes at lunch, average of 4 nights a week i get an hour in. Been tracking the food intake on three programs and that all show I should have a nice calorie deficit. I was thinking I was doing so well. I was looking forward to a good number. Well, I gained 5 pounds. YEP, 269 pounds! 57 pounds more than when I finished the Superior 50 mile and 39 pounds more than when I went at 77 miles in the ST 100. F*#% is all I could say.

Crushing... I just can not help it but to once again being fat is just hard to accept as I am working so hard!!! It brought back memories...

We all have stories of our lives that we hold deep inside, especially those of us who were fat children then lost weight and became fat as adults, then lost weight and became fat again. But as a child, I clearly recall the shame that only fat children really know and understand. I have been there. In the 7th grade I weighed 21 pounds less than I do now weighing in at a good solid 248 pounds. I am three inches taller now...

Being fat taught at an early age that often fat people were unacceptable by societal standards, it wasn't a hard lesson to learn. Fortunately, I do not get the same impression as an adult, but still have those scars of when I was the 7th grader nicknamed "porky". There was no place to escape the ridicule and shame, except food... as family, school and doctors all provided pressure about the "problem". I have that same sensation now as a adult struggling with the weight.

I use the term "Fat" now only used as a descriptor, but there were other names besides porky when i was a child that still stick... chunky monkey, husky, butter balls, etc, etc. Bottom line, some people are fat and struggle so much to overcome the phobia. I have come to learn there is nothing wrong with the term "fat" and use it in this post. But what does a this have to do with this blog?

The goal of this blog has always been simple...to share and to learn. Everyone has had a different set of life experiences...some great and some horrific. How life goes, how to train, how to eat, how to overcome injury. I have though I may change the blog to a daily weight, exercise and calorie diary but that is so boring... Not sure what I will do? Weight myself daily? I know I need to re-evaluate my food intake. Do I do as people say you never should, that being go less that 1,200 calories. According to the programs, I have averaged about 1,900 calories a day over the past 5 weeks with an average calories burned during exercise of 1,100. Just makes no sense! No sense at all? The numbers say one thing, the body says another?

On the health front, I have had breathing issues extending back to the 2008 Psycho-Wyco. I feel great when I work out but shortly after and throughout the day I can not breath and I cough and hack all day long, unless I am working out. Earlier this week, I could not stop coughing for at least 10 minutes and struggled to breath to the point of tears...

Throughout the past two years, it was more of a come and go issue, but now it is difficult not to hack every 15 minutes all day long. In to years, I have had 4 visits to the Doc about this, two chest x-rays, two rounds of antibiotics, two types of inhalers, nebulizor and yet it just hangs on! This past month, my coughing is now to the point that I feel my head bulge and pain comes out my eyes when I have a real hard coughing episode. So with the weight gain when I am monitoring my food intake so close, I contacted my physician and we discussed this long term issue. As the result of our discussion, I am going to take a few days off from working out and head to the Doc for a series of test Friday.

In that time, I am going t0 decide where I will go with the blog. I no longer have the goal to run again and I no longer have a goal to race again. My first goal this year was to deal once again with this weight issue and then see where it takes me. My goal had been 230 pounds 65 days from now. To do that, I need to lose one pound every 1.66 days (3.87 pounds per week) to make that goal. I do not think that is possible or healthy so I will have the blood drawn, I think I will seek a hormone test as well. No doubt there is something F%#$ed up... I just am out of questions in seeking answers. Any of you have any ideas?

Carry on...

What's new?

2010-02-12T11:59:00.005-06:00

I was so thrilled to read about a few successes in the recent ultra races… Several people I can only be amazed at for their successes. John Taylor 59 hours 11 minutes at Arrowhead 135 - he amazed me... I know what it is like to be at the back of the pack and find the courage to keep going... Inspiring! HOPE HE GIVES A REPORT? Karen is overly modest about he successes (27:45:02 in the Rocky Racoon 100 where Wayne Nelson did 12:16:58 in the 50 mile and then went back to support Karen). Although, they are all part of hard work as it does not come easy.

I have still not stepped on the scale. I am not sure when I will. I am more focused on the workouts and monitoring the diet. I am now up to 45-60 minutes on the bike at lunch, 60 minutes on the elliptical at least four days a week and three days of a weight lifting routine. I feel stronger but the clothes do to see to fit much different. I did get a hug and was told I am “less round”… Not sure if that was a compliment, but I took it that way. I will just keep on plugging along and I think the facts that I am more comfortable each week extending my workouts by 5-10% and I will let the rest fall where it may.

The thing of most interest, to me, was I got a phone call from an old friend whom I haven't seen for what seems like a very long time. She left a voice message at my work as I changed my cell phone a few years back and she no longer had my new number, but knew where i worked. I called her back and she spoke of about her recently getting engaged (She was in a long term relationship when we met in 2006 and I convinced her to consider other options as she was notably unhappy - she met her fiance in 2008 and said she is so happy), of her successful employment opportunities and of her continued desire to become a parent. As we spoke, I sensed sadness in all of this happiness.

She began to speak of how her father's health was hospitalized him just after Christmas. He had been fighting lung cancer (Mesothelioma). He was a demolition contractor and had demolished several asbestos filled structures before there was a known danger. She was angry that her dad did not show a will to fight for life this time when he was in the hospital and she got upset and said things she now regrets. She left the hospital room to cool off when her father turned and passed on… Telling me this, she was crying.

She was expressing her sadness for two things, what she said and that he was no longer willing to fight for his life. This caused me to be a loss for words… Those who know me know I usually have an opinion or something to say about anything, but this made me think.

Being older then she and already having my child grow (soon to be 21) I tried to think about what if I was in his shoes… I proceeded to tell her that one of the most difficult times in the life of many parents is that time when we see how great their children have grown into good adults and how we may not be able to continue in their lives. I explained one of the most frustrating yet rewarding things I have ever completed was parenting…

I continued to ask her if her father was a really wise man. She said the most intelligent and caring man she knew. I then asked her if he was running a 100 mile race, would he know when it was over? And if he wanted to quit may she say some things to fire him up and get him to finish? Some may not be the most flattering...

She said that he was well tuned to his physical well being and ability. Then I asked her why she questions his decision not to fight the cancer any longer, as he knew what she could not see or understand… I tell her I hear this often about people who are the greatest fighter of a disease, there comes a point when they just know, and come to peace with all they have done. And he knows that his decision would make many who loved him mad, so I would bet the words she left him with were not harmful but understood… As he was a wise man…

I asked her to look in the mirror and smile. Her father was watching and she needs to be happy about her pending marriage and parenthood. It will be a wonderful ride and she will have him and his memories as one of the best guides, and not to be sad, but happy that she had a caring father who knew what was best as a parent and a human. I could sense her smile.

She asked about my life and I told her I had to go, as there is not much to tell… She asked for my address and hoped we could get together soon… We hung up… I assume I will get a wedding invitation soon, but not sure when we will talk again... Not sure what it is about not keeping in touch with friends in this highly electronic world, but just as her father, I guess we wish we did something when we can not longer do it...

Carry on…

Biggest Loser and more

2010-02-02T20:56:00.005-06:00

Well our hometown team made it back to the Biggest Loser Ranch this week. O'Neal and Sunshine Hampton are on the Ranch... They lost 76 pounds in 4 weeks at home. That is 9.5 pounds per week each on average. They beat out Cherita and Victoria who lost 63 pounds or 7.9 pounds each, at home! O’Neal lost just under 13 pounds a week...AT HOME. Holy shit I would love to hear his story. Maybe after the show he will share some of this with fellow Minnesotans… WOW! WOW! WOW!

What struck me more than that is the eloquence of Cherita in her words in defeat and the conciliatory words of O’Neal. Cherita did not lose, she impressed me so much! What a great human being.

With some of the people on the show this year I can not stand and I really almost quit watching it, but tonight those two adults really impressed me with the words that they stated in a fine manner. Impressing to me to say the least. So much CLASS! The next two weeks at a minimum I will look forward to seeing and hearing O’Neal and Sunshine who already appear to be in shock at the ranch… But by the end of the show, they looked adjusted! And it was so funny to see the fear expression on Sunshine's face when they were going to run 5 minutes and the look of confidence and happiness when she did it. Baby steps and perseverance is what I see is the road to success.

I myself have been moving right along. Not O’Neal like, but I think steady enough to be happy. Although I have not stepped on the scale in three weeks, I have continued to workout on the bike and elliptical daily. I have averaged 75 minutes a day for the month of January. I am lifting three days a week as well. My Plantar Fascia pain is only occasional and my knee feels great.

I wish there was more to say although I have been busy with work and tennis in the past month. The re-certification classes were last weekend and one again I am proud I aced all tests.

So as we start February, I wish you all well and hope we are preparing for spring? Hey, if you are looking for something to do on Valentines Day, the Cabooze has the annual Battle of the Jug Bands at 12:30 PM. 28th Annual Battle of the Jug Bands "The oldest jug band gathering in the known universe" including Como Avenue Jug Band, Malcom Tent and Heptic Discharge, Mississippi Underertow, Sasquatch Wristwatch, New Improved Jook Savages, Bernie King and the Guilty Pleasures, Good Samaritans, Goat Hearts, Fisher Coulee Ramblers, The Hump Night Thumpers, Mad City Jug Band, Boo Bradley, Feral Dogs, Lee "Colorblind" Johnson, Try This At Home Jug Band, Woodshop, MN 17, Strictly Jug Nuts, Mommy and the Bollocky Boys, West Bank Temperance League and the Roe Family Singers.

Although, this year will be a bummer as Cam Waters died just before last Christmas. He was only on the Minnesota music scene a short time but was so gifted. I know this will be especially great this year as I am sure he will be looking down from Heaven making this event the best it can be!

This event is really a hoot! Feel free to do a 20 mile run and then come on over to the Cabooze. All ages welcome and the kids may even find it FUN. They even have a potluck! The first time I went was in 2006 after Dana and I did a 8 mile run and she forced me to go and I had such a great time!!! I have never heard a live jug band before that (or at least that I recall).

I also found an old favorite food of my grandfather at that potluck, pickled pigs feet. Amazing how eating food can bring back so many memories. Writing this I realize how much I miss my Grandpa Bill. He was a man loved by all and a decade after he died, I still miss him. He was a great human who cared for everyone and was still able to fully care for himself. He died just days short of his 100th birthday and had a sharp and Witty mind up to the end!

Arrowhead 135 is underway and I have friends on their was to Texas for Rocky. Season getting started and I am getting excited!!!

Carry on my friends, Carry on...

I refuse to weigh myself...

2010-01-23T20:56:00.006-06:00

I have been debating if I should weight myself and get an update on my progress. I have goals and should have progress reports on those goals to measure the success - or lack of...

My workouts have been very consistently better for the start of the year. I am working out at least 40 minutes each day and some days twice. On two occasions this year, I had three workouts with each being a minimum of 30 minutes (before work, at lunch and after work). This past week most workouts being over an hour for a minimum of 6 days a week this year. Today I did 90 minutes of hard elliptical and lifted upper body weights routine and feel fine. I do not feel much lighter but stronger, so I do not want to weigh myself yet.

So how often should I weigh myself is the open question? It depends who answers the question. Many respected experts on weight loss do not recommend daily weighing, but researchers at the University of Minnesota studied 1,800 people who were dieting and found the people who weighed themselves daily lost more weight over a two year period than the people who only weighed themselves once a week. So maybe this is a mistake not weighing myself.

I have monitored my diet with exact detail using three different programs (FitDay, Spark People and Livestrong's Daily Plate) and I have had a calorie deficit of about 900-1,500 calories per day (including the workouts). So I should be down 4-5 pounds? I use the three programs as each has their benefit for monitoring calories, nutrition and and etc... All three are never the exact same but close enough. But, the biggest reason for not weighing is that it can lead to an unhealthy obsession with the scale and I had been there before and want to avoid that obsession.

I had found my weight can also fluctuate during the time of day so if I get on the scale in the morning one day and then in the afternoon the next day, I may see a "false" weight gain. Either way, I am going to wait on the weight until I feel like I have lost weight. Then I will probability be upset that is is less than I thought...

A battle I will never win, so I need to live with it. Hope those who attempted the Winter Carnival 1/2 today succeeded. Not ideal weather.

Life has been busy and my next post will probably be after I finally step on the scale, unless I break everything in the house?

Carry on...

The lost art of letter writing

2010-01-13T20:18:00.006-06:00

Been a while since I have posted. Does not seem to be much to say. I have been working out regular, did 40 minutes at a 15 percent incline at 17 minutes per mile and felt good. The Plantar Fascia on the left foot has been an issue, but I have been there before and will get through it. I have not stepped on a scale since the last post, I am going to wait at least four (4) weeks and continue to focus on balanced eating and working out consistently. But tonight, I decided to post this brief update and tell you of another interesting situation I discovered.

Recently, I watched a few old movies. I love old movies. Well, depends on what we think is old. I am talking about those from the 40’s and 50’s. Recently, I watched “love letters” - made me think of the many movies that contained letters to those fighting a war to and from friends and family. Made me think of the letters Gump wrote Jenny in that movie...

Although Love Letters was about much more than writing letters, it got me to thinking about what has become a lost art, letter writing, with a pen and paper. I think the art of letter writing has become an extinct part of communication.

There was a time when writing letters was the only means of communicating over long distances. In today's world, we can pick up a phone and speak to anyone anywhere in a second or two. I even thought about my diary. It went electronic over a decade ago? I went to get an old diary. My clarity in the words on paper changes with my emotions. My little drawings and emphasis that only can come from a pen showed.

So tonight, I decided to try to see if I even had that long lost skill. I failed! Spelling, grammar, and readability went out the window. So I picked up my laptop and started to type a letter I would them write. But that is stupid is all I thought…

I thought… What is it about a letter that once had so much appeal? I think about the letters that were such a part of my favorite sitcoms (M.A.S.H.) I saw an episode where Trapper talked to his wife on the phone. They finished with “I Love You” and it was short lived. Then there was another episode where she sent him a letter about the love she had for him. It lasted the entire show. Not only that, I remembered it in the next episode…

Yes, reading something in a letter, knowing someone took the time to write it, makes it much more meaningful. It is permanent. And even if, at some time in the future, they take those words back, you still have a permanent record of it.

I know that is true with an e-mail or text, but there is a flare to the curves in the letters on the paper are part of an individual uniqueness as a person. It is unique in appearance and memorable when you see it again and again. It is just hard to explain but there is so much more a precious meaning to a well written (with a pen) letter… I think of the days I got Christmas letters; you could see the joy in the style. In as much, you could see tear drops on those sad letters. Get that in a text or e-mail, never…

My failed effort to write a letter (with a pen) struck me in a strange way. I began to wonder if I know me sometimes. It reminded me of many others times when I thought I had no clue who I am or where is my place in this world. Then it reminds me of what my Political Science said to me when I was struggling academically and personally. He said:

"All we do in life is a journey and taking the next step is the most important part of any journey."

What is exciting about taking those steps over the past 48 years is I met people who are in the same place, at the same time in their lives yet we got there in completely different ways. Then we take another step in perfect sync with one another yet it seems like it never fails, we go on to a completely different place.

Strange… So I will close with me taking a second effort to write a letter… before I just quit… Give it a try… It sure made me think about me, my past and some of the simple things I cherish!

Carry on…

&^$*#(@ and Vitamin D again...

2010-01-04T21:47:00.003-06:00

I decided not to weight myself after I had lost 2 pounds in three weeks which included Thanksgiving. I felt good about that. I had not stepped on the scale for the past three weeks and I did today. Well, I am up 8 pounds in the three weeks since I last weighed for a 6 pound gain since November 1... OUCH. I have gained 75% of the weight I lost in 2005/2006. I have no clue what is up with that as I try but it just seems to be issue after issue...

I am not going to get to caught up on it as I have felt bloated and think it may be a sodium/water thing or just that I have been working out more and in the past I found I would go up and then shoot down more then up a little and plateau and then drop quick and so on. I also find it so much easier to do over 30 minutes at 15% incline or a hard 40 minutes on the elliptical. This was not the case in November, so I know I am stronger.

My son had a check-up last week. We got blood test results back today and they say he has a Vitamin D deficientcy. I am beginning to wonder if this is just a medical fad, if there had been a change in blood tests lately or there is something strange going on. Now he is in Colorado and gets outside often. More sun than most. That is now over 20 people I know who have been told they have a Vitamin D deficiency. Puzzling...

In closing, I am preparing myself for Biggest Loser season which starts tomorrow night. There is a father daughter from Minneapolis on the show. O'Neal Hampton Jr. (U.S. Postal Service station manager) age 51 weighed in at 359 pounds at 5 foot 11 inches. His daughter, SunShine Hampton (a waitress), 24 weighed in at 275 pounds at 5 foot 6 inches. They are stated to be from Minneapolis. They had some segments filmed in Moir Park in Bloomington as well as the Mall of America. In October, O'Neal dines at Rudolfs BBQ as a "last supper". Some of you readers hate this show, but it is one of few I watch and usually enjoy. I have a DVR and I actually turn it on at 7 PM and then rewind it at 8 PM and watch fast forwarding through the commercials and I am normally back to live TV by 9. They have so many ad's.

Carry on!

Every Minute things happen...

2009-12-29T11:28:00.007-06:00

As we near the end of this decade, I came across a picture which shows 20 things that happen each minute of each day. So these happened 3 times while I did this post... These include:

1) Average American household makes $0.096 whereas Oprah makes $523
2) 250 babies are born, 113 into poverty and 15 with birth defects
3) Someone working in a Nike Factory in Vietnam makes $0.0014 and Nike makes $36,505
4) 55,757 barrels of oil are used

WOW. There are many more startling statistics out there, but I ran into this and quickly shared it. Click on the photo for better resolution.

On running ( or should I say walking and workout) update, did 40 minutes at 15% incline and 3.3 MPH and felt OK. Will keep doing what I can as life is busy, which is good. We had another leave our office to other employment and in these times, we are not replacing the positions so we are not down from 6 to 4 in my position. Fortunately, with the economy, it is not horrible but we are now busy.

In closing, it was with sadness that the running community lost a good friend to many. Cynthia Brockman passed after battling cancer. Having only met her once, I never really got to know her. Although I followed her cancer battle in her Caring Bridge site. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/cynthiabrochman. As I have written before blogs let us know a person and feel their trials and tribulations without ever meeting them and spending time in person with them. I wrote about this a while back: http://runlondell.blogspot.com/2009/08/what-is-blog-and-why-blog.html . There is also a great post about her at: http://runningminnesota.blogspot.com/2009/05/cynthia-brochman.html as well a a story at: http://www.snowshoemagazine.com/viewContent.cfm?content_id=582.

Death of a loved one is always hard to accept. I have had many friends pass on in the past including two great high school friends in an auto accident in 1980, a suicide of a college friend in 1990, and many others over the years. Most recently, in 2006, I lost a great friend and I wrote about her a few times. Most recently when I explained she was one of the reasons I finish my post with Carry On. http://runlondell.blogspot.com/2008/08/carry-on-all-you-quiet-dreamers-carry.html

In times like these when we lose ones we cherish, there is little we can do but remember their energy, smiles, zest for life and carry on. I remember the one time I met Cynthia and she had a one in a million smile and loved life. Something I need to remember more often, life is precious and I need cherish the time I have more often... I wish you all a great 2010 and beyond!

Carry on!

Vitamin D is in the news again...

2009-12-21T18:43:00.016-06:00

"Vitamin D may be tied to weight loss." This was a headline that caught my eye today.

When I read things like this, I think of the millions of Americans who will flock to the drug store and take large doses of Vitamin D thinking they will lose weight. But as little as 10 to 15 minutes of sunshine, at least three times a week, is enough to manufacture your body's vitamin D requirement, so the professionals say…  

But what is funny about this for me is when I was diagnosed with low Vitamin D in April of this year. I thought how could that be as I was in the sun for hours each day! I soon discovered extended aerobic exercise depletes Vitamin D... I was very tired with muscular weakness, fatigue, nervousness, irritability, excessive thirst, headache, and itchy skin. The Doctor found my blood test shows dangerously low Vitamin D levels. Then I went on intensive therapy and took lots of vitamin D, 50,000 units once a week.

By the second week, the symptoms went away and I started to workout out again and have energy after eating. After 5 weeks, the symptoms started coming back. I learned that the symptoms for a deficiency are not much different than an excessive amount. So I had to balance.

What is true is I lost weight. About 2.5 pounds a week for 4 weeks. Then I started feeling fatigued and unable to workout. I was looking toward food to get my body feeling good again. I gained 4 pounds in one week. Looking back I saw that once I was balanced in Vitamin D (an other nutrients), I could workout more and eat less. This is not part of this research, but from my personal experience, vitamin D did not lose more weight for me, but feeling better, working out comfortably lost the weight. All that was a result of proper balanced nutrition, not sucking down Vitamin D.

Of course, my findings are not scientific, but I found an overall nutritional balance is what is important for success... not just one vitamin or mineral. Just something to think about.

Been working out regular and no dropping weight quickly, but it is down 2 pounds since I last wrote, December 3. I am getting comfortable with 2-a-day workouts three times a week and one a day other days. Workouts are 30-45 minutes cardio and weights afterward for a total workout of an hour each time. I have no tennis for two weeks and I have been able to get other things done which help to reduce stress during the Holiday's.

My son got here last Thursday and it is sure nice to have him here for a while. The place is much smaller than we had before he went to college but it is workable. He will be here for a few weeks then back to Colorado. So much in life takes second fiddle while I have him here and I can enjoy his company. If I do not post until 2010, wishing you all health and wellness during the Holidays... Oh yes, and World Peace...

(Inside Joke for Miss Congeniality lovers!)

Carry on...

Update, thoughts

2009-12-03T19:29:00.003-06:00

For the first time in a long time, I looked at my junk e-mail box. I have a great spam filter but I am beginning to think I must be on the worlds list of under-endowed men. I have more junk mail on male issues that I would expect. Maybe once you reach 45 you go on some list? Either way, I deleted 631 e-mails tonight and I did not read any, just skimmed them... And that was just from the last 6 weeks!

Weight is down 3 pounds in the two weeks since I started this new goal. I was hoping for a 2 pounds per week average. I am not going to cry over 1.5 when we have holiday's upon us... Been working out on average of about 45 minutes a day. Stationary bike, elliptical, and 15% grade treadmill at 2.5 to 2.0 MPH. Heart rate is not even up in these and not sure if that is a concern. Still trying to shake the chest congestion that has been there for months.

There has been some recent posts about one of my favorite running spots. I have ran the Minnesota River bottoms on the Bloomington side for years. The area from Lyndale to Highway 169 is flat and if you go to the end of Cedar Avenue and go towards Lyndale there is actually some hills. Not Murphy or Lebabnon type hills, but at least a change in elevation that is note-worthy.

I am hoping by March I am back on that trail at least 4 to 5 times a week. Could be a great time for organized Wednesday night runs! Such a nice trail and I guess I am biased as I live less than a mile from it!

So as with many, goals get shifted and changed due to things outside of our control. Races cancelled and races questionable. I have been getting pressure to do Grandma's again. But that is a hard thing to get excited about. I made the 25 year goal, and that was it. I just do not care to have the crowds and over-charging for everything event once again. Who knows, one thing at a time!

In closing, in case if forget, on December 26 there will be a stub brothers reunion at Bunkers. If you need reminder, Mick Sterling and the Stud Brother are great!!! I am planning on being there! I thought I may put this in here now as with many of us, we are busy in the Holiday's and posting less and less... Hibernation is common.

Carry on...

Knee is fine - The "A" Word

2009-11-19T19:14:00.003-06:00

My knee has been so much better. Little pain, although funny thing it is still tender when I kneel on it. But other than that it is OK. The Doctor and I agreed that the best thing to do is to get the weight down before I run on the knee. He informed me that there is a small amount of arthritis (the "A" word). He stated that getting the weight down and slowly increase miles would bring the best success.

So I am happy, but a little nervous with the "A" word. Although, I know of many who fight the same thing and seem to be able to continue the running. Again, he said is was a small area and was not overly concerned, just said the weight will make it worse. I have the new countdown times with the date of April 1, 2010. That means I lose 1.7 pounds per week to make the goal!

I have been doing the treadmill, elliptical and bike. I can now do 30 minutes at 15% at a 22 minute mile carrying 3 pound barbells. A few weeks ago 15 minutes, holding onto the treadmill and no weights killed me. So things are going well, but I am going take the advice and hole of on the impact from running until I get the weight down. I am just happy it feels good, unless I kneel down. What an improvement.

Carry on!

Saturday, November 14, 2009

2009-11-15T11:15:00.005-06:00

This was a busy day. Considering this is the last weekend before I have four 25+ hour consecutive weekends of tennis officiating, I did some things to prepare for that busy time period (Like laundry). Mixed into the day would be the UMTR fest and a CD Release Party. One was great and one was disappointing...

The UMTR fest was fun. Great food, great people and great weather. It was a nice festivity with some surprises. It was not a surprise that Helen Lavin won several awards. Just check out her year and it would make any runner envy her success and get inspired. The best part, for me, was the recognition of Wayne Nelson. He won an award, I can not recall the real title, but I will call it Steward of the Year award. (Update - Steve Quick informs me it was The Larry Pederson's Founder's Award/ UMTR Trail Person of the Year -- Also, forgot to mention my friend Steve got to award himself an award for the second year in a row... Never without an interesting event or thing to say...) The award goes to a person who, without thought, gives a great deal of time and effort to better the UMTR efforts and more. He got a one of a kind award like many awards at the UMTR Awards Night. I love these awards as unlike an award with nice professional print or manufactured, they make them. An award made from the heart using whatever we can find around the place... This type of award has a story... it is unique! For those who know Wayne, you know he will never boast about his great accomplishment. For those who don't, he is a person we can all learn from and very deserving of the award.

Daryl Saari won the first Gnarly Bandit award. He finished five 100's this year as well as many other races. Between races, you would see him at an aid station. He and his wife as great supporters on all sides of the sport. I worked an aid station with them once and it was a top quality station because of them... I bet they are just as great to run with... (if I were only fast enough).

There were so many deserving people who were recognized and it was a nice year end celebration. If you did not make it this year or last year, I suggest it for the future. The UMTR does a great job! If you are not a member, why not... $20 is minor fee for all they do...

After the UMTR fest, I went to Bunkers for a CD release party for Pamela McNeil. I had high expectations as her first three CD's improved each time with Nightingale being one of my favorite CD's (Right up there with my Springsteen). I really looked forward to the new CD. I was disappointed. Rather than the solid lyrics and music combination that I learned to love, it was more of a home grow in my living room with a keyboard while sulking in bed and writing lyrics CD. I compared it to the Movie Music and Lyrics, only this CD lost Drew Barrymore and something was missing. The night was not a total waste as she did do many of the old tunes with that fabulous voice of hers. If there are any old rockers like me out there, her husband is Dugan McNeill (Do you recall Chameleon from the 1980s'....) Chameleon was one of the first unsigned original bands to produce and manufacture their own albums. They even outsold the Rolling Stones one week, a feat written up in “Rolling Stone” magazine. He plays bass. He can make any concert enjoyable as to me, he is definitely in a class by himself in working the stage and being a top base player in the world! The CD was much less in quality and craftsmanship than I expected...

At the award fest, there was some foods and conversation which required additional thought. One such was homemade energy bars and juicing. I searched the web for an hour this AM and come across one recipe that I will try... (Not sure it is all that great, but sounds good to me!)

Big Sur Power Bar Recipe

If you can't find the crisp brown rice cereal, no worries - just use regular rice cereal for ex: Rice Crispies - just stay clear of "puffed" rice cereal, it will throw the recipe off. Feel free to substitute other types of nuts, seeds, or whatever little goodies you can dream up.

1 tablespoon coconut oil (or regular butter)
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup slivered almonds
2/3 cup (unsweetened) shredded coconut
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups unsweetened crisp brown rice cereal
1 cup brown rice syrup
1/4 cup natural cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
2 tablespoons ground espresso beans
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking pan with the coconut oil. If you like thick power bars, opt for an 8 by 8-inch pan; for thinner bars, use a 9 by 13-inch pan.

On a rimmed baking sheet toast the pecans, almonds, and coconut for about 7 minutes, or until the coconut is deeply golden. Toss once or twice along the way. Mix the oats, toasted nuts, coconut, and the cereal, together in a large bowl and set aside.

Combine the rice syrup, sugar, salt, espresso, and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly as it comes to a boil and thickens just a bit, about 4 minutes. Pour the syrup over the oat mixture and stir until it is evenly incorporated.

Spread into the prepared pan and cool to room temperature before cutting into whatever size bars you desire.

Picture used without permission from www.eatingoutloud.com

I think if i am not able to run a race early next year, I may be a domestic and try some ideas to test out on the runners at an aid station... Best test group in the word.

Carry on...

Been a while... Random thoughts.

2009-11-10T21:13:00.007-06:00

What has been going on? Well, I been busy with a few things. With so many people out of work and me in a very stable position, I almost hate to say I had a job interview in another state. It was a fluke opportunity when I took my son to school and met an old friend who told me about a position which would be a huge move up from where I am now. I am comfortable where I am, but maybe it is time to move on. I am not sure... I am one of 5 finalists so a ways to go.

Then today I read a post from Steve Quick who was upset about lamps. In his words, a rant about something minor. Although it may have been minor, it really brings much of what we have become as a society to a whole new light. (Steve often makes me think, which is not a bad thing.)

It made me think of how 40 years ago someone started working for a great company and spent the entire life at one job. Steve talked about how society is a disposable society with material goods. Made me think of my career. This is the longest I have ever been in one job, 14 years. In total I have had over 12 jobs in 35 years.. Now I am thinking of moving onward again. Nothing like my father or his father. Besides being a material goods disposable society, we really have become a transient society as well.

There was a website which I read often which addresses this issue as well. Patrick Deneen has a blog called what I saw in America. He also has a site called front porch republic. He has a post on the disposable society. Many of his comments make me think. But then again there the other side of the coin, Margaret and Helen...I digress.

But that lack of employee dedication is also caused on the other side. Companies no longer have loyalty to an employee. People have become a commodity dependent on stock performance as well. Is this all wrong? I do not know, just a thought I have had over the past weeks.

I was excited (and for you I-phone users) to find a diet and exercise software I like better than Fit-Day. It is called SparkPeople nutrition. It allows you to track what you eat and get all kinds of nutrition analysis. It is web based with a ap for the i-phone which works great. I can sit in the restaurant and add my food immediately upon eating rather than write it down and enter it later. Really is nice.

I was supposed to go to the Dr. yesterday for the knee but the out of state interview stopped that appointment. So I am hoping next week it all looks fine. I no longer have pain and feels pretty good. Although I think I will do little running until I get my weight down just to minimize impact on the knee. Might be a good idea as the cold is setting in and the days are getting shorter.

The UMTR fest is this Saturday. Looking forward to it but as I wrote in an earlier Blog post my favorite local artist is having a CD release party at Bunkers and I really want to go see her perform. So I will leave at 8 PM and will probably miss some great awards and presentations. These Ultra folks are all just happy and fun to be with!

Hope all is well with everyone. This is my last weekend free until I have four solid weekends of tennis followed by two weekends off then 5 weekends of tennis in a row to kick off the new year. I thought I was going to cut back? Well, tuition is expensive...

I want to close this post, the night before veterans day, to say thanks to all those who risk their lives and the loved ones who live on after the loss of a soldier. I went to Fort Snelling Cemetery and took a few pictures. This one just struck me and thought I would post it here. I could have spent the entire day there... It is much larger than I ever thought it was and really has many many stories to tell.

This post is getting to long. If you hung on this long, I need to add to the post a story... As after I left the cemetery where many people had a life cut short, I thought of and read a favorite story of mine. It is about how we cherish so many things, but we often forget time with friends and loved ones is the most precious. The story goes:

It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.

Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday."

Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.

"Jack, did you hear me?"

"Oh sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said.

"Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence' as he put it," Mom told him.

"I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said.

"You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said.

"He's the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be in this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important... Mom, I'll be there for the funeral," Jack said.

As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.

The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time.

Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time.

The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture... Jack stopped suddenly.

"What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked.

"The box is gone," he said.

"What box?" Mom asked.

"There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was 'the thing I value most,'" Jack said.

It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.

"Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom."

It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died. Returning home from work one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox. "Signature required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days," the note read.

Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention.

"Mr. Harold Belser" it read.

Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside.

"Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It's the thing I valued most in my life." A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch.

Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover. Inside he found these words engraved:

"Jack, Thanks for your time! -Harold Belser."

"The thing he valued most...was...my time."

Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days. "Why?" Janet, his assistant asked.

"I need some time to spend with my son," he said. "Oh, by the way, Janet... thanks for your time!"

Thanks much for your time my friends... Carry on.

Surf the Murph aid station report

2009-11-01T15:42:00.011-06:00

I did not run surf the murph (with the great weather course, I wish I would have) but I had a blast at the horse aid station. Twelve hours went very quickly with the great smiles and successes I was able to see many friends complete their goals! (Where are the reports guys and gals?)

The day started a little rough to say the least. Les had issues with the trailer which resulted in getting me supplies until after 7 AM. Duke had reached the station before we even started unloading the equipment. Luckily, these lead runners have great support crews and rely little on an aid station so it was not a major issue. That just proves, even the absolute best planning and preparation can throw you a curve.

Then came another surprise. With this flu abound, my two aid station volunteers did not make it. (There were three of us assigned for this location which are actually two stops for the runners.) That in itself (being two aid stations in one place) was funny as when many were on the second (50K) or third loop (50 mile) at the first horse trailer aid station and I said "I will see you one more time" and many freaked out. They did not realize that the other side of the tree was the station they had visited earlier in the day... The expression was priceless... but I did not get a picture. The two volunteers who were unable to make it in the AM did stop by later in the day (husband and wife) and she looked like she needed to be home... I commend her dedication to try but at that time the station was slow (all the marathon and 25 K runner had been through) and I encouraged them to go home an rest and he take care of the wife. I hope she feels better soon!

I can not thank Kurt Neuburger and Caitlin enough who were there to see Carrie Neuburger in the 25K. Kurt was supposed to run but will have surgery soon and was unable to do so. They were a gift from God. Especially Caitlin who is a veteran aid station expert at a young age (Early teens at best). Very mature and deserves many kudo's. It was also great to see Caitlin do the last 4 miles with Carrie! I bet this was rewarding for both...

Kurt was able to start a very nice fire we kept going all day! It was so welcomes early in the cool hours and later as the sun started to set! I am not a boy scout and would have never got the fire going. I was told he used Vaseline to start the fire? That is a new one...

Mary Knutson ran the 25 K in fine fashion. As the workhorse she came immediately to the Aid Station to help me out. Her stomach did a nasty turn on her and for over an hour she was practically paralyzed in pain. I was so happy she worked through it as the afternoon would have been real long without another person at the station to keep me sane! I forgot to tell her how much I appreciated the company!

Cindy was nice enough to deliver a pizza to us mid-day. It was large and we actually had a few runner who loved the idea of Pizza at the aid station... Not sure I would have survived it but I know they finished strong...

The costumes were cool. A few below but I missed one of the best (the outhouse!). Could only get the camera out when it was slow enough at the station.

A slide show of all pictures I took is below... The link to download is: http://picasaweb.google.com/peasemines/SurfTheMurph?feat=directlink Sorry I did not get photos of more of the runners! Running an aid station is demanding and I now you understand!

Carry on...

Sports officiating?

2009-10-30T13:09:00.003-05:00

This is a post about my upbringing and sports. My upbringing has really burned some bridges in my life and caused people to be angry with me.... What does that mean?

We are all taught certain values, beliefs and habits by our parents, teachers, friends, employers, and government… In the end, no matter what the influences, we manage to become who we are when all that information is formed together.

There is one hard taught lesson my father emphasized that has really come to light recently. That being my father held a strong belief that if you are going to criticize someone you better have walked I their shoes and if you have anything bad to say about someone, if you can not (and do not) say it to their face, do not say it.

I have lived with this in-bread advice for over 4 decades. It has caused many problems and saved me many times. After I walked in someone shoes, I am far more forgiving of the issues they face. That is why I have done so many times. I had the urge to highly criticize someone but before I did, I “walked in their shoes”. Like organizing a large running event, organizing a tennis tournament, being the director of a youth sports group, coached softball, baseball, tennis, hockey, football, basketball, soccer, and more. I have done so many things as I wanted to walk in their shoes and found when I had, I did not have much to say anymore.

There are so many criticisms I hear… The Doctor makes way to much for what he does, those overpaid government workers have it easy, salesmen are overpaid people who can charm the right person, teachers get overpaid for working 9 months a year, and so on. I recalled a friend complaining how his sister in pharmaceutical made $200,000 in one year and almost flunked out of collage. He said “she must have slept her way there” and I said he really needs to understand that industry before he says things like that! I do not believe all these statements to be true just like many other comments you hear about so many professions. This is because I have not been in their shoes so how would I have any idea?

Why does this come up now? Recently I have had some heated e-mails about baseball umpires and mistakes they made recently. I am not arguing they were not mistakes. What I argue is to criticize so harshly that which has never been experienced by most did cause me to get on the offensive. If you watch ESPN, even John Kroch said there were clear errors, but did not call for them to be fired. So many are calling them idiots and saying they should be fired. Now this is a subject dear to heart and in my dad’s own words, if you have not been in their shoes, do not judge them.

I get offensive, as I have been there. For 7 years I worked hard as a baseball umpire. Actually thought of making it a profession. Then I learned that most umpires are actually business owners, wealthy in some other way or retired from some other profession. You cannot raise a family at that profession. Well, truthful a select few do. Since that time I have become a Tennis Official. I have seen the same thing in this sport as well. I have worked professional events where after travel and other costs, I earned $300 a week for working 10-hour days.

A good friend of mine is a top tennis official. He has done the US Open, Australian Open, and Wimbledon and is one of the top officials I know. I recently asked him about incomes. He said he nets about $1000 a month when all is said and done. He has other means of support.

But what hurts me most is the fact the society really does not understand what it is like in that position. No matter what you do you will be hated? Imagine if every aspect of your jobs was played over and over again by the press? You cannot back out of a gig late or risk loss of the nest assignment. Have a sick day and have consequences…

The really good officials (like many old friends and myself who were very highly rated) left baseball to get a job where we have health coverage and a wage we could raise a family. As I said, sure there are those who may make it, just like players. Like in “The Rookie”, the movie about Jimmy Morris and his quest to make it. Almost broke his family. And two years later, he was out of the majors. Point is, in officiating, very few hang on long enough to make it to the golden spot, unless they have another form of income.

So very few solid officials continue, as it is not a stable and thankful job. That makes the pool to select from thin. Just like a few years ago I commented the retail sector really hurt with solid customer service skilled employees. What I heard this is the best applicants they can get... Like I said earlier, have your job, every minute, on film and I bet there would be reasons to be fired if you hold them to that standard for a bonehead mistake, a mistated word to other little issue that is on tape...

So in this life when I look at someone and think they are just idiots. I look in the mirror and think, aren’t we all at times? We just do not have ESPN showing if 20 times a day, place it in the newspapers or debate their job status at the water cooler…

Like I said, been there, done that… whole new perspective…

Carry on.

Same old complaints....

2009-10-22T16:52:00.003-05:00

You have heard this before. My weight is always been an issue for me. I can gain and lose 10 pounds a week. Lately more gains than losses! I have been working out and tracking everything I eat. I have been working out (Cardio) 30-45 minutes a day. I feel so much stronger and the knee hurts very little. I even went 3.1 MPH at a 15% incline for 40 minutes on the hamster wheel... I have been eating 2,200 to 2,700 calories daily. Nutrition has been very balanced. I lift weights in a full routine 2 or 3 times a week.

And I have gained all I lost in the past two weeks (5 pounds) and 3 pounds in addition to where I was 3 weeks ago. WTF is all I can say in a kind way. I am at 268. That is 30 pounds over last October and 65 pounds over my 2006 50 mile weight. I am only 34 pounds before I get to where I peaked in 2005.

Now many may get tired of all this complaining I seem to continue doing. But I am using this blog right now just to vent. It pisses me off... Makes me mad!

I want to go get a great big pail of ice cream I have been avoiding for weeks and eat what makes me happy. But instead I am heading to the gym for the second time today, I will ride the bike for an hour, then go home, eat a 500-700 calorie well balanced dinner (not enjoyable) and pout.

I can only hope that the big increase this AM was caused by water gain from my heavy lifting workout yesterday and tomorrow morning (I weight each AM) I will see a decrease. If not, I will just keep on this same path as I know from experience, losing weight, getting healthy and successfully running an ultra are never always fun! The reward comes from the success that only comes after all the pain, frustration and agony! I need to Carry on!!!! Not let the scale bother me as long as I feel stronger and I am not junking it out!

As I close, I just found out Pamela McNeill is having her CD release party on the same night as the UMTR party (November 14). The party starts at 9 PM at Bunkers so I can attend both, I just will leave UTMR at 8 PM. For those who do not know Pamela McNeill she is quite a accomplished signer/songwriter in the Metro area. I have an old post about her (All you quiet dreamers carry on) and close with her typical closing "Carry on". If you read that post you know the special meaning that her music has for me as well as the phrase "carry on". (Just writing this brings a lump to my throat and a tear to the eye. I wonder if I will ever not feel immense pain and sorrow from unexpected deaths?)

Anyway, I also support local musicians when I have a chance. (As long as I like the music.) If anyone likes the music, it should be a great night.

Maybe tomorrow I will break my foot drop kicking the scale? Either way, I need to keep pushing onward and remember to be happy!

Carry on!

Movin on up...

2009-10-15T19:26:00.003-05:00

I really liked the Jefferson's: the show and the theme song. Recall..

Well we're movin' on up,
To the east side.
To a deluxe apartment in the sky.
Movin' on up,
To the east side.
We finally got a piece of the pie.

Fish don't fry in the kitchen;
Beans don't burn on the grill.
Took a whole lotta tryin',
Just to get up that hill.
Now we're up in the big leagues,
Gettin' our turn at bat.
As long as we live, it's you and me baby,
There ain't nothin wrong with that.

Who does not love this theme song? That theme song has been a favorite of mine as I climb hills in the past and now as I walk the treadmill at 15% inclines. Stupid in a way, but it does increase my spirit. Maybe I can get Carl to write new lyrics for a Superior Trail theme song? He is great with words!

The past few weeks I have been doing at least a mile or 20-30 minutes on the 15% incline of the treadmill. Picking up the pace a little. Did 1.75 in 30 minutes the other day. Just walking, huffing and puffing! It is really a great workout, as long as you do not hold on to the treadmill. Knee has a little stiffness, but I think it is just part of the process and things are getting better.

I recall the first day I tried the 15% incline, it was a little hard as it took 23 minutes to get in the mile. Today I am starting to feel like I could do an hour. I may try that next week. An hour at 15%. Not the animal workouts Adam has been putting in, but I am still happy with them. I ma getting a better understanding of how Diane did most (or all) of her training on the treadmill and walked the ST 100 to finish. I still recall her and I yo-yoing between miles 30-35 with her passing me on the uphills with her awesome walking strength and me passing her on the down hills with my heavy weight being hard to stop on the downhills.

Been reading about many people looking forward to Surf... I am looking forward to seeing them finish a 50. Should be a hoot to volunteer.

I found out my tennis event on the weekend of the UMTR event was cancelled. YIPEE, I GET TO GO. It was nice last year and look forward to it again. Hope many plan to make it out there. Yes that means you Kurt and Carrie... It would be nice to hear Carrie's half success. Saw she finished, congrats!

Anyway, after not being able to workout and kept movin' on up the scale (pounds), I have two weeks of regular workouts and am down 5 pounds. Yep, I moving on up... But I hope it leads to the North Side (Superior Trail!)

Carry on!

What a differance a few years can make?

2009-10-11T20:33:00.008-05:00

I was at Ashland, WI this weekend for Shelley's first half marathon, The Whistlestop Half-Marathon. I used to have very high regards for this race, but after this weekend, I left with a new impression. I think some of the problems is that is is hurt by past success... Thank god there is a great course and a scenic course, of I am not sure i would suggest anyone go there again.

It all started going wrong Friday after got to the event check in... At check in we were informed we have to pick up the race chip at the start. That seemed goofy. (Later when we looked in the bag, we learned there was also no pins for the number.) We went to the pasta dinner... The lines were long. Not sure they were prepared for the amount of people they had waiting. When we got to the end of the line, there was no pasta. As we waited about 3 minutes, a guy came out and said "we can not cook it fast enough". This was early in the night, about 6:15 PM... When we left the line was longer and people appeared to wait longer than we did...

Ok, not a great start, but we went back to the cabin and went to sleep. We woke to howling winds and snow. About an inch. The road was a little icy. Temp near 30 but the wind chill must have been singe digits. Great...

We went to the start I had Shelley wait in the line for the biffy while I got the pins and the chip. I went to a barn to get the chip (and there was again a line!) and I asked about pins for the number. No one knew. One person suggested I go out by the start (a few hundred yards across a field) and check there. At that location, a person to me to go back to a table near where I got the chip and they were on the table... less than 50 feet from where I got the Chip.

Then there was an announcement the race was going to start 10 minutes late. Well, after waiting so long for the biffy in the frigid cold, Shelley and I went to the car to warm up. The car was fortunately parked about 30 feet from the start. We saw people lining up to start and got out of the car to see what was going on Before we knew it, the start gun went off? But there was less than 200 people in the race. I thought there was 1,500+... THEY STARTED IT ON TIME WHEN WE WERE TOLD 10 MINUTES LATE... I really had a felling they had no clue what they were doing!

There were still people coming to the start confused when the male leader came by (3 mile mark). Over a thousand started over 5 minutes after the real start, as they were told the race is going to start 10 minutes late. Many people just sat in the cars trying to stay warm and got out of the car at 8 minutes after, 2 minutes before the assumed start.

The road was slick but the sun was coming out and it was warming up. I just stood there waiting for Shelley and saw so many people confused as they came to the start line and there was not official start for them...

Then my day was spent seeing Shelley every 2 miles. Watching the aid stations, I was so happy I had her carry a bottle as the stations were to small to serve the crowds that were there... Very short and understaffed.

The race was a success for Shelley. She was about 2:35 and really was fresh the whole way. She said it was enjoyable course. She wanted to get out of her wet clothes but wanted to get here finishers shirt. Oh, the put that a block away in another tent... She went to the tent to get her finisher shirt. GUESS WHAT, they were so understaffed, she stood outside the tent for about 10 minutes waiting in line to get her shirt... And the wind chill was easily in the low 30's. She got real chilled being in wet clothes.

So we were really having a sour taste of the experience, when we decided to pay $7 to have her time posted on her medal. We dropped it off, they said about 30 minutes. We waited30 minutes, then I checked and we were 14th in line and it took about 2 minutes each. So we went to the entertainment tent and got Hot Chocolate. We waited in the tent for 30 minutes and went back, we were now 13th in line... I asked what was that all about and he just said "we put all these ahead"... They were from the other races (10K/5K). He said another 30-40 minutes. Now we could have went to shower and ate already... But we had wasted over an hour waiting for the medal the way it was. SO we decided to go the the grocery store and returned in an hour. The medal was done... BUT THEY SPELLED HER NAME WRONG! We just shook our heads and left.

Shelley fortunately loved the course and the success she had. She did not like the weather and as she has little experience with races, she did not get bothered by the rookie effort I saw by the under-prepared organizers this weekend. So many errors and lack of communication. There are so many ways to make this easier (Like give pins in the packet, give the chip the night before so the race site is not so congested and packed trying to get people the chip, like put the shirts near the finish and hand them out near the medals, by learning to spell, by being prepared for larger numbers.)

I left with the impression they can not handle a larger high class event. They have done a great job based on my experience with a smaller race, but this was way to much for them to handle. If they are trying to get the size down and make it more manageable, they are succeeding as I will no longer suggest this as a half or full marathon to participate in...

I did take many pictures. They can be seen at: http://picasaweb.google.com/peasemines/DropBox?feat=directlink

Carry on...

Whistlestop, but not to run...

2009-10-09T07:33:00.003-05:00

I am on my way to Ashland, WI for the second time in my life. I enjoyed one of the best fall marathons in the nation (in my opinion) there over a decade ago and now to be support for Shelley. She is doing her fist 1/2 marathon. In my history of running, I think like many of my fiends. That being a half marathon, just a boring training run.

Although I look back to 1984. I look back to my first 10K. I remember being nervous and was thinking "what I am doing!". I finished and recall limping the next two days. This is the same process I had for my first 15K, then 1/2 marathon, then marathon, then 50K, then 50 mile and so on. So I respect those worries and will support those mental barriers I know I had once in my life... In fact, coming back from this knee surgery, I am having these fears about a 2 mile run, once I am cleared.

I know she will be fine physically. I think she is in her best shape ever (well, the past 5 years I have known her). She has been lifting weights as well as several quality training runs and her core and upper body is much stronger. I am more concerned about the mental part of the race. Over the years, I have some to learn, mental training is more important that physical training in longer races, at least for me. Last fall we ran a casual 12.5 miles together when I lied to her about how far we were in the run and I did not give her a watch. At the end of the run, when I told her how far she went, she immediately became very sore and fatigued. The mind is an amazing thing that I truly believe stops results in many more DNF's than any physical issue overall.

I am looking forward to Carrie Neuburger (Kurt's wife) also running her first 1/2 marathon. I have not seen them since Afton 50K and I hope her training went well. At this time of the year, should be a great time for pictures and I will have three camera's. Whistlestop is the best for spectators as well. It is easy to see your runner almost every two miles and a beautiful course. Should be fun!

Carry on...

This was sent to me... had to share...

2009-10-06T21:04:00.005-05:00

QUOTED FROM BILL COSBY
"They're standing on the corner and they can't speak English. I can't even talk the way these people talk:

Why you ain't,
Where you is,
What he drive,
Where he stay,
Where he work,
Who you be... I'm like....

And I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk. And then I heard the father talk.

Everybody knows it's important to speak English except these knuckleheads. You can't be a doctor with that kind of crap coming out of your mouth
In fact you will never get any kind of job making a decent living.

People marched and were hit in the face with rocks to get an Education, and now we've got these knuckleheads walking around. The lower economic people are not holding up their end in this deal. These people are not parenting. They are buying things for kids.

$500 sneakers for what? And they won't spend $200 for Hooked on Phonics.

I am talking about these people who cry when their son is standing there in an orange suit.

Where were you when he was 2?

Where were you when he was 12?

Where were you when he was 18 and how come you didn't know that he had a pistol?

And where is the father? Or who is his father?

People putting their clothes on backward:
Isn't that a sign of something gone wrong? People with their hats on backward, pants down around the crack, isn't that a sign of something? Isn't it a sign of something when she has her dress all the way up and got all type of needles [piercing] going through her body?

What part of Africa did this come from??

We are not Africans. Those people are not Africans; they don't know a thing about Africa ......

I say this all of the time. It would be like white people saying they are European-American. That is totally stupid. I was born here, and so were my parents and grand parents and, very likely my great grandparents. I don't have any connection to Africa, no more than white Americans have to Germany, Scotland, England, Ireland, or the Netherlands. The same applies to 99 percent of all the black Americans as regards to Africa . So stop, already! ! !

With names like Shaniqua, Taliqua and Mohammed and all of that crap .......... and all of them are in jail. Brown or black versus the Board of Education is no longer the white person's problem.

We have got to take the neighborhood back. People used to be ashamed. Today a woman has eight children with eight different 'husbands' -- or men or whatever you call them now.

We have millionaire football players who cannot read. We have million-dollar basketball players who can't write two paragraphs. We, as black folks have to do a better job.

Someone working at Wal-Mart with seven kids, you are hurting us. We have to start holding each other to a higher standard.

We cannot blame the white people any longer."
Dr. William Henry 'Bill' Cosby, Jr., Ed.D.

I was wrong...

2009-09-29T20:44:00.005-05:00

I like the Biggest Loser. I like the heart and soul that often comes with the workouts and results... I was looking forward to this season. Bob and Jill working together. Dan, such a nice kid, back to finish what he started... I thought this was a season of good people. But after tonight, I am just disappointed! Where do some of these people come from? My wise crack answer is their mother, but come on! Today Steve Quick wrote the Biggest Loser is officially a freak show. I guess there is a freak on the show... Does Tracy really have anything going for her? There are those people like the red team who are just great human beings. I feel sorry for Mo! To have such a idiot for a partner, what a bummer! And how can you lose 11 pounds without a trainer and injured, plus eat four cupcakes and supposedly be under such stress... When I stress out, weight gain is the only result.

Oh well, I walked at 15% on the treadmill again for 30 minutes which was 1.7 miles and then rode bike for over an hour. Felt good! On my way up... Looking so forward to Shelley (My girlfriend) finishing her first half-marathon at Whistlestop in 11 days. Looking forward to volunteering at Surph the Murph. Look forward to the treadmill at 15% tomorrow... Yep, looking up!

Carry on...

Ups, downs, biopsies...

2009-09-25T19:08:00.004-05:00

I had a great start to the week. PT on the shoulder has me lifting weights pain free (about 60% of what I was before the bike crash). The Doc has not given me clearance to run, but walking is not even slightly painful. So I jumped on the treadmill, cranked it up to 15% (the maximum there is) and went for a mile walk. That is 20 minutes and was a good workout. So I did it again the next day, and it felt great. I am not running but I was perspiring harder than I have in a long time. And all I could think of is Diane Farmer's successful ST 100 training... Cranks the treadmill high and walk til you die. I felt like I could walk another mile but wanted to ease in...

Then I woke the third morning and did not feel pain, but my knee was bruised. It look like I hit on something but have no clue what that may have been. Looks like a vampire bit me! The bruise over the size of a dollar coin! Oh well, I had to take time to do other things anyway as I am referee for the NCAA Regional and had to get the draws set up.

Besides the NCAA Tennis referee thing, I have had some problems in my esophagus, I have been horse for some time and as reported earlier, I went to the Doc and got medicines to cure the pains. But my throat was not better at all. Today, I had Upper GI endoscopy, sometimes called EGD (esophagogastroduodenoscopy). This was intended to be a visual examination of the upper intestinal tract. There were unexplained growths. So several biopsies were taken and now I get to wait a few weeks for the results. (I should have asked for a few for Steve to analyze? I think he loves that stuff...) Sucks but I think of about Don (Check out his blog about running or the blog about his illness) and many others who have much more demanding issues and realize, I am blessed to have had so few issues my whole life!

Been keeping up a picture a day on the other blog... Hard to find or take really cool pictures each day. Although, the one from earlier this week is just cool. What a great idea Emily had... Would have liked to seen the look on Steven's face, whoever he is!

As I close this post, I am preparing for winter... I am actually looking forward to the cold weather. Not sure why, but I want to feel that crisp air in my lungs, I want to get that sense of tranquility from the white of new fallen snow, and I want to get through 2009. Not been a good year. Last time I had a bad year, I had a few outstanding year... Looking forward to that.

Carry on!

One Sick Ignoramus

2009-09-19T00:14:00.003-05:00

I finally went to the regular Doc today after feeling like crap for weeks. I just brushed it off as seasonal allergies and have been putting up with the crap that comes with it. But I was getting worse and now that I have been pain free in the knee and riding bike (PT has done wonders for the shoulder), my lungs and energy level were just not there. I was so tired but could not breathe when I laid down and woke often in the night...

Well he stocked me up on meds... WOW. I have a sinus infection, bronchitis and a middle ear infection. My head was in so much pain. We also did a blood test and my Vitamin D level is low again? My Doc is sending me to a nutritionist to evaluate what may be going on. I think I eat right, but I guess I will find out?

So I have four medicines of a variety the guy on the street corner would be envious of? I hope by Monday I am better so i can at least enjoy a workout without feeling dizzy, weak and light headed. Well, ever since my bike crash my head is still an issue bit some think I was born that way. Either way, drugging myself up and looking forward to improving... Why is is men take so long to go to the Doc?

Although I am very superstitious and today is my birthday! So I take all this as a 47th present to myself!

Carry on...

2009-09-16T20:35:00.006-05:00

Been busy. (And keeping up a second blog with daily entries is not easy. Check out one picture, cool!) If you missed the previous post, I am going to try to post an interesting picture every day at Time to picts - Daily Shot.)

Work is picking up and Fall tennis is here. I have complained twice on this blog I need to quit officiating tennis, but I enjoy it, more than running... But that is not fair, I still cannot run and I am sure if I quit tennis for 2 months, I would not miss it either. (Although, I feel like I could run which means the knee is getting better!) I have had two PT sessions and my shoulder feels much better. Amazing what the right exercises can do for a ailing body.

Superior has come and gone but I am surprised I have not seen many reports yet? A few good ones but still waiting to hear about the run from a few pals... Especially some who have the hated DNF... I am interested in hearing what they thought went right, what went wrong...

Oh well, I will keep looking for posts, keep up the PT. Maybe before I know it, I will be able to run and looking to have a DNF myself? They are the best sources to learn from, nothing to be ashamed of. Especially on that BEAST - Superior trail!

Carry on!

Superior Blues

2009-09-10T19:48:00.002-05:00

The past three years, I had journeyed to the north shore to run a looooonnnnngggg race. First the 50 mile in 2006 which was a success and then 2 attempts at the 100 mile where I did not succeed. Although this year, sitting home watching the first football game of the season (a real bore), I can not help but think about the many friends and others who are about to venture out to finish a great race. It is a great race because of many factors, but in any event I have ever been involved in, it is the people who make it great!

The core of compassionate, caring and knowledgeable friends who put this on year after year is unmatched in any other armature event I have participated in. Larry, Don, Bonnie, Scott, Colleen, and so many others put that event on, without pay. I do not want to diminish the great successes of all those who will finish, but without that core group and all the volunteers, they would not even start. They can never be thanked enough...

Good luck to all and I am saddened that I will not be there with you running or volunteering. Life just throws a curve ball and I am smart enough not to swing.

Carry on...

Burger verdict / new blog & more

2009-09-07T13:08:00.005-05:00

Well, I have made a conclusion that real beef is better. Hard to believe but true in my mind. I have decided that veggie-burgers are OK, but the best nutritionally overall is real beef (97/3) and my dry pulp left from the morning juice. I feel better with that combination. I also will make them with a little coconut oil... No sodium... I do not even season them... M M GOOD. Maybe next year at a fat ass run that I can actually run, I will supply the burgers? Any interest?

I have been biking/walking more. Total 47.5 miles biking last week plus 12 miles of walking. Sure feels nice to get some workouts under the belt, even though they are not killers, they still push the knee a little. I see the Doc tomorrow (Tuesday, September 8) but have no hope of getting clearance to run... I know that based on the pain. I also will start physical therapy on the shoulder next week. Hope that is all I need? I am almost thinking I should tell the Doc that I could do therapy on the knee at the same time? Physical therapy on the right knee and right shoulder... Nothing is left. (pun intended)

Last, I have started a new blog. It is called Daily Shot. (http://timetopicts.blogspot.com/) I did so for two reasons. 1) I have my new camera and I-Phone 3Gs and practically everyday I see something that is cool and deserves to be preserved in a picture. 2) Friends have been talking about Julia/Julia (the movie) and how the younger cooked her way through a the elder's cookbook each day and put it on a blog (The real blog).

Well, I am going to see if I can post 365 consecutive, interesting pictures (or possibly a video's from the I-Phone). One each day... All unique from my daily experiences... I was thinking why a new blog as opposed to putting them here? It allows me to post daily without comments and here, this is more about my life, that is about other subject matter. Some may not care about the pictures, other about the life, so separate Blogs is the final answer.

Carry on...

Veggie-burgers? A short review

2009-09-02T16:36:00.006-05:00

I have read on many blogs lately about many ultra runners trying the Vegan diet. I declare up front, I am a meat lover, period. I wonder if there I am other than a white male as my favorite foods are BBQ ribs, BBQ chicken, corn bread and watermelon... Although, with some fine reading, I have been open to trying some vegan burgers lately. I find like the flavor and taste of some over a regular burger. But I recently did a nutritional comparison and found some Veggieburgers are not much better for you than 97/3 beef.

There are so many different brands and flavors out there now, the selection can be a little overwhelming. I found three brands at Target and Cub. Some burgers are made with soy and others with grains. I have read about some veggie burgers are just that and made from veggies. Sunshine even makes their burgers with sunflower seeds (I have not found this brand yet but I know it is out there…) Depending on the main ingredients, all your options will differ in calories, sodium, carbs, and protein, so check out this breakdown to see which one satisfies your needs.

This may be hard to follow but here are the nutrition information for a variety of burger options using a 2.5 oz patty (Common Veggieburger size)

97/3 beef has 88 calories, 3 G fat (1 Saturated), zero Sodium, zero carbs, zero fiber and 15g protein.

Veggieburger comparisons were broad – Boca original seemed to be the best and less expensive than beef…

Boca original has 70 calories, 0.5 G fat (0 Saturated), 280 mg Sodium, 6 g carbs, 4 g fiber and 13g protein.

Boca Grilled Vegi has 80 calories, 1 G fat (0 Saturated), 300 mg Sodium, 7 g carbs, 4 g fiber and 12g protein.

Boca All American has 90 calories, 3 G fat (0.5 Saturated), 280mg Sodium, 4 g carbs, 4.5 g fiber and 14 g protein.

Gardenburger Garden Original has 100 calories, 1 G fat (0 Saturated), 230mg Sodium, 12 g carbs, 3 g fiber and 10 g protein.

Gardenburger Original has 100 calories, 3.5 G fat (0.5 Saturated), 420 mg Sodium, 14 g carbs, 5 g fiber and 5 g protein.

Morningstar Classic has 120 calories, 4 G fat (0.5 Saturated), 260mg Sodium, 11 g carbs, 2 g fiber and 11 g protein.

I have found the Boca Original to be far better balanced and about 30% less than the cost of others and comparable to beef. In addition, I found that a properly dressed 97/3 beef patty would be a better option than some others calorie wise but it still has the 3 G of fat...

So I had another alternative. I have a juicer and most morning I juice 12 OZ of many flavors. Carrots, apples, blueberries, ginger, Kiwi, green pepper and so on. Tonight, I mixed 4 ounces of my dry pulp into 2.5 ounces of 97/3 burger. It was GREAT! I may experiment more like going down to 1.5 ounces of burger and adding egg whites to the mix.

Anyone out there have any thoughts on this topic or suggestions?

PS: This week, my knee feels it but so far, 12 miles walking and 3.5 on a bike... But it hurts a little.

Carry on!

What is a blog and why blog?

2009-08-28T10:26:00.008-05:00

I was going to start this by saying a good friend wrote me about a question and asked if all was OK as it has been a while without any update… Then go into the purpose and reasons for a blog, as I see it… But thought before I posted a bunch of rambling, how about a short life summary…

MRI results show a torn rotator cuff with the most prominent issue being a Bicep Tendon tear. The “long head” of the bicep. Now I have to decide what to do about it. So many say they had no luck with surgery. Others say it helped but never was the same. Others say Physical Therapy is the best first choice? I still have pain, 7 weeks later. Not near as much. I only wake at night if I roll hard onto it. I can now ride bike with a small backpack. But I will see. I am leaning toward Physical Therapy.

I am riding and that is nice. I see the Doc in 11 days about the knee, but the way it feels, I know I am not ready for running. I am walking, but if I go a few miles, it hurts a little. So I am thankful I get to bike as that at least has made the weight gain stop, but not losing any either… 35 pounds more than when I tried the first ST 100 in 2007… Ouch!

So back to what I started writing about. What is a blog and what use is it. To me, it's a journal about ones life and interests. Some use it for their journey to run 100 miles, others to fight cancer, others for weight loss… But what I have found, it is also a way to have friends… I thought many I would classify as good friends who now have limited blog entries or vowed to quit. Like my friend Steve quick who had taken on a Superman task and had to quit a race after already surpassing things beyond my imagination… and now wants to quit his blog…

I have grown to know Steve, as a friend, more from the blog than face-to-face meetings. Another person many of us think we know as a friend is Julie Berg, but I have probably said less than 100 words to her over the years, but feel like she is a good friend. I love the way she puts so much “life” out there. Makes her real. Diane Farmer, who has posted her up’s and downs through house changes, job changes, renters, and so on, gives a real life feel to me about her, even though we have never spend much time together. Now I miss a post from her. I was excited about a post she had recently only to find it was a malicious attack on her blog (or e-mail). Diane, we miss our friend…

Recently, my friend Wayne started to post pictures from his phone, notes about the motorcycle and his job locations as well as running. I learned more about him as an individual, and consider him a friend. Same goes for Helen (Love reading about he trips to the homeland and more), Beth (love that she juggle the life and family and does so well!), Karen (shared her deepest sorrow and fears with the loss of her sister and much more), Mike (brings me back to the 80’s occasionally… Thanks), Pastor Don, Keith (five fingers best promo and much more), Matt (Beer man, job challenges and all), Mark (training struggles, Garmin issues and etc…), Carl (cancer survivor, father, husband), Don (makes me hungry every time I look at the post… Love the 100 things, really feel like I know him and never met him!), Kel (I really feel her ups and downs as she shares them and love the research tests see completed), Steve G (I add him to my prayers often as they have had hard times, but he is up and smiles and perseveres!) and so many others. (SORRY IF I MISSED YOU BUT THIS IS TO LONG OF A POST NOW!)

Reading the bogs helps me know there are real people out there, like me, who have struggles but continue to pursue the passion, not matter what it is. It gives me something many people long for… many great people I can call friends… And when a friend disappears, it creates a hole. Kind of like when Adam limited posts, I felt like I lost a friend… And Steve Quick's blog has opened my reading (as far as interesting topics) greatly with his great knowledge of non-mainstream facts… Steve, don’t quit. You are a friend to so many!

So I was thinking, what is the purpose of a blog anyway?

There is still confusion on and off the Internet about the definition and purpose of a blog. Even though several explanations and definitions of why a blog exists, many people still don’t have a very good understanding of its purpose and its nature. I found a reference that said there are over 60 million bogs which are updated at least once a week…

One definition I found was “A blog is personal site, an online log containing publication of content sorted in chronological order, with the most recent entry (newest post) at the top of the page. Individual entries (logs) are usually always dated and time-stamped and generates an archive of all previous post including the recent post at the top of the page. The archive is usually found in the sidebar but can be found in some blog at the bottom of the site or by a link in the top navigation bar of the site. Older entries are archived by month and year or by week and year with a static webpage address (burl address) for each individual entry (posts).”

But to me, blogs facilitate communication between the reader and the owner of the site. The author writes about whatever is interesting to them in any writing style that suits their interests. I have found blogs fall in different subject categories based on their content or niche. Blog content varies greatly and can cover a large subject area too numerous to mention here. But what I notice is blogs evolve, much like we as humans evolve. That keeps them interesting… Blogs can take a personal or professional approach. Blogs can represent the personality of the author; their personal experiences, views and hobbies. Topics can include politics, pets, comics, celebrity gossip, personal diary etc. etc.

And this is what I love about many of my friends. I get to know them and feel comfortable with them as humans. Even when I see them very little.

So if you read this far… Thanks for blogging and reading my rambles. I feel like have so many friends in this fast paced world and Blogs help me “keep in touch” on my schedule… and when friends schedules make for actual human interaction, it makes that time so much more rewarding! And just because we do not comment... I read and love the fact you are being human and sharing your life with me... my friends.

So Blog on… and Carry on…

The Stripper's Guide

2009-08-14T19:08:00.006-05:00

I was visiting with an old college friend and I was showing her pictures and telling her about my running attempts. There was a picture of Al Holtz in the mix and I said his name and told her he finished a 150 mile race... Ultra god to me? She said "you mean Al Holtz, author of the strippers guide." I looked at her and said "what". I guess there is a guy in Florida named Alan Holtz who has a blog called "The Stripper's Guide"! http://strippersguide.blogspot.com/

I could only think this is far from the Al Holtz I knew. Then I looked, and thought, I could see Al posting this blog? Or maybe I do not know Al that well? I actually could see Steve Quick doing it more than Al?

Anyway, how did you react when you read the name of the blog and when you saw what the topic was? Kind of a nice play on words, huh...

Other than that, the weight keeps going up (262) and I did start riding the stationary bike more this week. I think I got 25 miles in? Had an MRI on my shoulder. Been five weeks and the pain at times is still like I could imagine a bullet feeling like. I will keep pressing. The good thing is I maxed out my deductibles so from here on out, I guess I do not need to worry about the medical expense? But I am still very conservative. Not being concerned about costs only hurt premiums...

Leaving tomorrow for Colorado for a few days. Getting my son situated in his apartment about a mile from campus. Wish all well in the races upcoming. I think Wayne has Pikes Peak this weekend and many next weekend in deadwood? I should try going... Deadwood, sounds like the legs!

Carry on!

Pride and joy

2009-08-06T19:55:00.002-05:00

My son returned from Germany late Tuesday night. I took Wednesday off from work and we did many things we have delayed. It was nice. He was a little tired from the flight and I still icing the shoulder and the knee.

His trip back was a welcome surprise to him. The flight was full so they upgraded him into first class. He was thrilled! The 8 hour flight and he had a recliner, private TV, electric hook-up for the laptop. He was in a state of prime luxury. Could be the last time?

He will be here for 12 days and then we pack up and head to Colorado where he gets right back into the grind of school once again. He sure has matured. No longer a kid but a young man. I am so proud. As a parent, you could not ask for a better gift than the happiness and success of your child.

I did ride the exercise bike twice this week. Easiest setting, 3 miles in 20 minutes Monday and 5 miles in 29 minutes today. My knee hurt a little each time but it was nice to move... So I may try to ride my real bike this weekend, depending on the weather.

Carry on...

Great weather / Farmers Market

2009-08-02T11:10:00.010-05:00

Wow what a nice weekend. I was not able to bike, did walk little. Swimming (well moving in the pool) was nice. I had to get out so I went to the Minneapolis Farmers market. People say there is such a hard time finding a place to park. Well I did not find that at all. There was plenty of parking to fit my car because people do not how to park and they always leave enough space for me, but not most other cars...

Throughout the metro farmers markets have grown in number but this is by far still my favorite... I did get a whole bunch of vegi's now just looking for creative ways to cook them or mix them cold into a great salad.

Weight or wait?

2009-07-31T07:27:00.003-05:00

Weight has always been a struggle for me. Growing up I was always the fat one. I was a young kid of 15, I was 5 feet 9 inches and weighed over 280 pounds. I am one who can watch diligently what I eat, but have a real hard time losing weight! I was just the fat one.

Then when I was 16, my father grounded me for getting home 20 minutes late on a Saturday night. (9:20 PM) I had a very strict father. He did not even hesitate beating one of the kids or my mom whenever he was mad about something and if we gave him a little reason, we were the release through his fists or a belt. I know he has mellowed over the years but we still do not talk. Hard to believe almost 20 years have passed and we still do not talk much.

Anyway, he grounded me. Being the rebellious long hair hippy (his name for me), I would start walking 6 miles to town each morning in the summer and hang with friends and then walk back while may father and mother were at work. My friends offered me rides, but I never accepted, as I did not want the other farmers seeing them and telling my dad. Grounding meant no friend over, I was alone. As violent as he was, I did not want to take that risk…

I started to lose weight quickly and my walk turned into a jog. By the time my 6 weeks grounding was over, I have lost 25 pounds. I still recall the look on my dads face when he gave me the keys to the car back and I did not take the keys and took off running. Well, from that point on I started running and biking all over. Good old single speed Schwinn. I had no goals, I had no desires, I just used the feet and legs when ever I needed to go somewhere. There were limits, anything over 10 miles or was a situation I couldn’t shower and had to be clean, I drove. But being a cook in a Country Kitchen restaurant, I ran to work. Just under 5 miles each way.

Well within a year I dropped from 280 pounds to 165 pounds. I decided to start running races. I never thought much of them. Never really trained. They were just something to do. Have some good times. Never won a race, took 3rd a few times. Then I tried a marathon. I did not finish. I started training. Reading books, planning things out. Really putting a whole crapload of effort into the task. I finished my first marathon. Then I read even more, planned more, trained harder, and ran over an hour faster in the same marathon two years later.

Then running and biking became a chore. Every time I went, it was not for the any other purpose but to get that specific training plan in. I lost interest in using running or biking just for enjoyment. That was 1994. I had struggled and my weight was 210 pounds at 5 foot 11 inches.

Long story short, in 2005, I was really out of shape and topped the scale at 296 pounds. There were some changes in my life and I started walking and running to save money, sort things out and just to clear my head. I never looked at it as anything but mental health and money saving mechanism. I lost weight. I dropped to 212 pounds and entered a few races. Over the years, I had only done Grandma’s each year with little training, just to keep the streak alive.

Then I did the 50 miler in 2006 and started “training” again. No longer were my runs just to get out and see nature, just to commute to save money or just cause it was nice, my workout became rigid, planned training runs. You know, planned long runs, speed workouts and such. I began to hurt more with more aches and pains. Getting a training run in was often hard. I was gaining weight.

Now here I am, I have gained 10 pounds since June 1. I have ran little or worked out little since the knee surgery. The Doc visit informed me there was a little more of an issue than he thought and absolutely no impact on the knee at all for at least another 6 weeks. So at least September 8 before I see him again. I am watching what I eat to try to hold off more weight gain. I am at 260 right now. I was a 212 when I finished the 50 milers in 2006, 238 when I quit at mile 77 in the Superior 100 in 2007 and I was 245 when I quit Superior 100 in 2008. Even though I was training harder, mentally, it wore me down and stressed me out. I eat out of stress…

So what does this mean? I think I said this before, but I quit. I will not structure training anymore. If I feel like walking, swimming or biking I will. And if a race gets thrown in there in the middle so be it.

A big thing I did in those years was knowing my food addiction when stressed. Whenever I wanted Ice Cream or cookies, I would go for a one mile walk first. Then if i still wanted it, I did. But usually the stress that was causing the food desire was eliminated by the one mile walk. I would take my camera, stop and talk to friends, or call a long lost friend and just talk while I walked. Again, using the walk to take care of other things, not as a training run for a race.

For me, I find I am just happier without the stress exercise should relieve. I find I lose weight just using the legs to save money, reduce stress related food cravings or enjoy the scenery. It was out of another need other than my race times and what was needed to prepare for a race that got me in great shape and enjoying exercise, and it was training and trying to be better at a race that failed me in the past, I think it is a no brainer I need to give up training and let the races, times and finishes fall where they may. In any case, I will guess I will be a volunteer much more than a racer, at least for the time being. My racing plans will come as a day to day planning effort. I may enter many but if I do not feel like a run that day, the entry fee would be a donation to the race. No plans, no schedule, no stress... I think as I look back, that will make me healthier, happier and wiser...

Happy trails! Carry on…

Dumb, Smart, or in between?

2009-07-25T18:31:00.003-05:00

I was feeling better and the knee was feeling OK so I decided to try a walk. I planned a short 1 mile walk. Nice and easy. Just nice to get out. My other option was a small bike ride but my right shoulder is still very painful and getting on the bike was way to painful to risk it. So I walked...

Before I got three blocks, my knee started to hurt. So I turned around. It got worse. So I hobbled home and now I have it elevated with ice. I do not think I hurt it, as I did not have any pain medicine at all today but had had it the last three days.

So I guess I am less confident right now. But that is all part of the healing process. I thought much about the friends doing the Voyageur 50 today. The forecast was nice temps but rain. Someday, I have to do that race as I never have. It is the same weekend each year I have a event I am referee for... Although, I think this may be my last year of tennis? I said that last year as well? I know for sure i am stepping back so i will have more time for other things.

Anyway, RICE it is and maybe I will try a walk Wednesday. I have a follow-up with the surgeon on Tuesday.

Carry on...

I can sit

2009-07-23T20:06:00.003-05:00

Finally, I have the ability to bend my knee 90 degrees. I can now sit normally. Although, there are arguments I can do anything normally. I think by the weekend I may start walking or light biking? Makes me wonder, as I have not in the past, should I count walking miles as training miles? I often wondered that. Walking is an important part of an ultra? So do you count walks? If you do, which ones? Should they not count unless they are over a certain distance or time? What about pace? Casual walks as opposed to brisk walks?

I am not sure. Given I have had the surgery and I need to make a slow comeback, I think I will count all miles as training. I think the software uses running, biking and other. I will just place them under other?

Either way, nice to get some movement on the leg. Just taking is slow and easy!

Carry on.

Took off bandages

2009-07-20T20:04:00.003-05:00

Today is the day I took off the bandages. I could have yesterday but I was to tired to deal with it. The knee does not hurt much but I can not bend it much past 60 degrees. It is swollen more than I thought I would see so i continue to ice it. I have taken very little pain medicine. When I have, it was for the right shoulder pain I have left from the bike accident.

Tonight I will walk a little without the crutch and without all the wrapping. It feels funny? Sort of weak and funny but might be more from the swelling than anything. It has only been 79 hours since the surgery so i guess I should not expect much more.

That is a minor update. I am still weeks away from any hope of running, but at least I can walk. Not sure how far nor am I that worried about that right now.

Carry on...

American Pie

2009-07-17T07:23:00.004-05:00

I am on my way to minor surgery. Should not be a big issue but everyone I know get nerves we did not know we had running as it nears. I am superstitious and there are things that just freak me out. Like hearing "we don't talk anymore" by Cliff Richard just when I got in my car in 1980 when my high school sweetheart broke off the relationship. We never did not speak again. Wonder where she is? Almost 30 years ago and I remember that so I guess the concussion is better?

Well, I use my I-Pod on the stereo as a alarm. I set it on random play for my songs and each morning I wake to a gem. Today, I woke to Don McLean singing "American Pie". You may not know the song but it goes.

So bye-bye, miss american pie.
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
And them good old boys were drinkin whiskey and rye
Singin, "this'll be the day that I die.
"this'll be the day that I die."

So I am sure I will be fine as all my superstitions never come true. But what was god thinking with this wake up call? I am taking it as a sign to be real careful and not to take recovery from anesthesia and minor surgery without great care and concern.

Especially for a 46 year old who needs to lose 50 pounds...

As a side note, I noted today I have a bruise from mid-chest all the way up to the shoulder. It goes from about an inch wide at the bottom to 5 inches wide at the shoulder. I can lift my arm about shoulder height but not higher. It is still painful! Well, I can take Advil later today and I have looked forward to that since crashing the bike Saturday!

UPDATE: Surgery went fine. ACL issues were negligible... calcium issue means about 6 weeks before we run. I am loopy and going to rest (Update posted 2:30 PM Friday the 17th of July)

Carry on.

Glad I am alive... REALLY

2009-07-13T12:47:00.008-05:00

I was riding my bike Saturday and the unthinkable occurred. I still have not returned to the scene of the crime (really no crime, just a phrase) to work out the entire details, but long story short, I had a major bike crash. Not with a car, not with a truck, but I somersaulted over the handlebars and landed headfirst. The front wheel is totally crunched. My opinion is the proper fitting helmet definitely saved my life. I wish I had a better memory of all the details?

My trail running experience also saved me, big time. I quickly was in a tuck and roll position and hit right front head first, the right shoulder, then on down the body. My face has a nice lump on the right temple and some minor scrapes. The right hand had the most blood while the rest of the body was more of a scrapes and bruise issues. The most problematic result is a concussion. I was dizzy and lost sense of where I was after the accident. This had happened once before so now two concussions in my life… I do not want another.

I cannot lift my right arm but the ex-rays verified no breaks. I can not laugh without rib pain but no breaks there either. If I use my left arm to support the lifting, I can lift my right arm up with less pain each day, so far… I think if I could take Advil, I would not feel like I do but as I have surgery soon, no anti-inflammatory… Bummer.

I can only think I would be dead without that properly fitting helmet. In a post over a year ago I reported my friend Dana died from a bike accident and was wearing a helmet. What I did not report is her helmet was said not to properly fitted. So I guess in her death I learned something that I believe saved my life? I know we never can tell the future but the picture above actually makes the helmet look good... if you saw my helmet damage up lose, you would agree.

So now I have more than one reason to rest after my surgery Friday… I am lucky to only have a concussion...

Carry on...

New blog title... The mind? A goal? Surgery...

2009-07-03T07:18:00.006-05:00

I have changed the blog title. It went from "Time to..." which was essentially a message to get serious. Now I am calling it "Quest to enjoy running again..." as it is hard to get serious about something you can not, or want to do, right? Been a while and I long for that passion you all know and feel. I have read many are losing it... Adam suffered the same feeling a while back. Julie was expressing a loss of passion. I think they got the mojo back? Anyway, that is the reason for a new title. What else is new? not much.

I have completed two workouts since Grandma’s. Both weight lifting sessions. Why? I got the result of the MRI on the knee and now it hurts. I had the MRI 10 days before grandma’s. I decided not to get the results until after Grandma’s. I was in pain, but I had had pain for 18 months prior so I just ignored it.

So the results. A major meniscus tear, calcium deposits (peritendinitis calcarea), and ACL damage. I know when I tore the meniscus, March 2008. I have worked through that but the ACL and Calcium issue came earlier this year when my knee got torqued abruptly by a human and a dog… I recall that night when I had pain like no other. We assume it was ACL damage that night and bleeding internally caused the calcium issues. So that is what caused me not to recover from the meniscus tear.

The level of damage to the ACL will be known during my July 17 surgery. The meniscus will be cleaned up then as well. I have been told I will start rehab shortly after the surgery and it will take 8-12 weeks before I am doing normal activities. Then build back the miles. October… Just in time for cold to start!

What is funny, I had minimal, manageable pain before I got the results from the MRI. Now, I hurt all the time. I notice it all the time. But really, nothing changed. It is just the mind doing these games.

Kind of how I look back at my 100-mile attempt in 2007. Most of the pain that made me quit at 77 miles was there at 50 miles. My mind allowed them to overtake me. I still regret that DNF. That was the last race on a good knee.

What has been so hard is the depressed state from little activity and the letdown of having no real goal any longer after completing the 25-year grandma’s finisher goal… I just cannot get it together. Thank god it is not winter, as I have the pool to keep me sane, barely…

I will be out at Afton at the start. I was going to volunteer officially but decided just to take my camera and float around and take a few hundred photos’ to post and share… Will be fun. Sure will want to join the runners (especially those back of the pack friends I miss!) but I know I cannot. At least my mind will not let me.

On another note... My car finally died. By definition, at 150,000 miles, cost to much to repair. So I finally got new wheels. And it is fun! I needed a lift...
Carry on.

So, which Garmin is correct?

2009-06-24T21:29:00.003-05:00

For Grandma's I decided to wear my 305 on my right wrist and my 405 on the left. I started each one just as crossed the start line. According to Training Center and Ascent (log program for the Mac), the 305 was started 2 seconds after the 405. 7:35:21 AM and 7:35:19 AM respectively.

I did not do mile splits but did do a split at the half. The 305 was 13.1 in 2:46:18 and the 405 had a 13.1 mile split of 2:44:56 (2 seconds off reported actual race time), What is really interesting is that both watches had my finishing time within 2 seconds, the same as the start, the 305 on the right wrist had 26.37 miles while the 405 had 26.22 miles. This is a difference of 0.15 miles.

The 405 had a total ascent of 3,285 feet and a decent of 3,395 feet.
The 305 had a total ascent of 3,056 feet and a decent of 3,162 feet.

Average and Max/Min heart rates were the same on both watches.

Therefore...

I could assume the course was longer on the right side a runner yet more hills on the left?
I could assume that the 405 is more accurate than the older 305?
I could assume that the reception on the left was better than the right?

Although, I will just assume it is science, and science will never be perfect... No matter how much we try or expect perfection.

Carry on...

25 down, none to go!

2009-06-20T21:58:00.014-05:00

A POSTER I MADE FOR MY WALL IS ABOVE (Click to see larger view ... REPORT BELOW) I cannot find nor am I sure there was a 1985 medal?

UPDATE: I guess it was hot? 37 runners hospitalized and 7% of the starters required medical treatment...

NOTE (All pictures I reference in this post come after the post - Links to all photo's I (or others) took is: http://picasaweb.google.com/runallday/Grandmas# )

Well, this is long… Could be boring. To summarize it, I finished my 25th consecutive year at Grandma’s. No clue how I did this year after year. This year was hot, well that is an understatement. But I survived. I was emotional. I cried many times throughout the race, and broke down in tears coming into the finisher shoot. Must have looked strange to many, but it was so emotional for me! When I met Shelley at the finish, I just bent over and covered my head and cried… It was over! That is the short version, much more later…

First, I want to start by looking back:

Things I recall from 1985 -- as it was my first Grandma’s and I set a goal of 25 years…

Could not get a place to stay so I stayed at the Best Western in Hinkley.
Michael Jordan (Basketball) was a rookie in the NBA!!!!
New Coke/Old Coke fiasco
We celebrated the Dow Jones breaking 1,500!
VH1 started
Wade Wilson replaced Tommy Kramer as Viking quarterback.
Dukes of Hazard was cancelled. (Yes, I watched it…)
Billy Joel married Christy Brinkley (I had a crush on her!)
But Moonlighting started (Always liked Cybill Shepherd) – This is the first time I heard Al Jarau
This is also the first year for MacGyver. (Loved that show as well)
I purchased my first computer – A Macintosh 512K – I PAID $2,100 OUCH!

In Between

I lived in 4 states (North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Illinois)
Went through 5 US Presidents (Ronald Reagan, George Herbert Walker Bush, William Clinton, George Walker Bush, Barack Obama)
Three so called stock market crashes…
Nine Jobs (From a cook, waiter, manufacturing, to my current job as a City Planner)
Lived in 12 different homes
Went through 10 cars – Included ex-wife and Son’s cars (Chevy Malibu, Ford Mustang, Honda 600 Sedan, Chevy Station Wagon, Dodge Daytona, Mitsubishi Expo, Ford Fiesta, Kia Sephia, Mazda Millennia, VW Passas)
Went through 5 girlfriends, one wife
Son was born, raised him, now 20…
Couple in the 3:20’s finishes
Couple of 6 hour finishes, many in-between

Now for the report. I have been so obsessed with the race. I had worked so hard for 24 years and did not want to lose the goal on the last race. I left Minneapolis and it was an easy drive. We actually arrived at the expo at 8:30. I picked up my number. Bitter sweet, as it was my last time….

When walking out of the expo, we saw the vendor who makes special racing bibs. See picture (The one that says “25th Consecutive Grandma’s, a Picture of Forrest Gump and run Londell run”.) Cool. I had to have it. We went for a little walk and then went into the expo to eat food I brought with and to go through the bag to get set for the morning.

Everything was looking good. We went to the car in the DECC parking lot and settled for a nice nap. So many things were going my way.

Then I woke up. The temperature said 62 degrees, at 4:30 in the morning. As I slept in the car, I woke to the view of the moon over the adjacent building. It was cool! Then I got up.

Went to the bathroom three times! I was nervous. As I prepared, I almost forgot to take my number. Then at 5:15 AM, my biggest supporter asked “what about your chip?” We had no clue! Two of us tore through everything looking but it was not to be found. I quickly realized I might have left it on the table when we ate the Friday night! What an idiot!

I ran all over trying to get in the DECC. No one could help me. At 5:40 I got back to the car and was just a bundle of nerves. I dumped out my bag onto the asphalt parking lot and looked down, and there it was! Two of us went through that bag and missed it. I was about ready to have my first cry of the day. But all was saved and made it to the buses at 5:50 AM, 10 minutes to spare. This was my first time ever I did not have a school bus! A plush tour bus. Things were looking up!

The ride was uneventful. Got to the start, went to the biffs’ and my stomach was settled. I packed toilet paper in my bag anyway. But the sun was hot. The forecast was maybe 80 for the day and at 7 AM, the temp was 72 degrees. I knew that I needed to run smart, not fast.

I went with the heart rate monitor as my guide. I was going along just fine and getting many comments about my streak. Then I hear a voice, “are you Londell from Chippewa” and there was Carl Gammon’s friend Janine Knutson. She was looking really solid. I was able to get a picture of her. (Thanks to mike, I took a camera.) Shortly afterward, there was Greg Allen. Greg is on #26 consecutive Grandma's… SUPER. He knows what it is like to make it so many years, through think and thin…

I kept the heart rate in the 120-135 range until about 15 miles. Just like at Afton a few years ago, it was elevated over 155 and I could not get it down. I knew the heat was taking its toll. I also knew, 15-minute miles would get me in less than 6 hours. So I walked, ate ice and rubbed my body with ice. After 20 minutes I was able to start a walk/run pattern of walking 3 minutes and running 6 minutes. I met up with Katie Altrichter, from Bloomington, IL. She was hurting and I needed a friend. We helped each other the rest of the way. She is sure I helped her, but if she only knew, she was helping me so much as well. Good running buddies always make the run easier!

This walk/run plan and Katie kept me under the 15 minute per mile I needed until mile 23.5. I started to feel cramps and Katie was real worn. We decided to walk more as allowed and finish, which we did.

Shortly after 24, I got a big lift. Wayne was there and was prepared to walk in with me. This was a lift I needed and decided I was close enough, I can just keep running.

I saw so many people on the side of the road being treated for what I assumed was heat related issues, I saw more ambulances than ever recalled seeing in my 25 years and people seemed to drop like flies! It was a war zone. Not the way I wanted to finish my last Grandma’s but I guess if you really think you can run 25 years in a row, you better be ready for anything.

I guess I was… This is an emotional time and I cry as I write this… Now, it is time to rest and look for the next challenge… whatever that may be! But first, get the knee fixed and bask in the reward of making a goal I set so long ago… and accomplished! What a rewarding feeling!

Thanks to all who supported my effort. It meant more than you can imagine!

Carry on…

Pictures from Grandma's

2009-06-20T21:53:00.009-05:00

W.W.S.D.

2009-06-17T20:59:00.007-05:00

I was looking for a little motivation for my upcoming Grandma's venture. What do I need to get me through this difficult 25th year. I found it (or at least one I think should work great!) A fellow runner wrote in his blog about a recent marathon where he wanted to quit several times. Then he (Mike) wrote:

"Then two things popped in my head - they have a 7 hour time limit and what would Steve do? The bottom line is I knew I had enough time to walk it in and I knew what Steve would do, he would finish."

I have seen Steve running like he had cerebral palsy from massive fatigue, and still finished. He usually goes out way to fast on longer races and crashes into a brick wall... but he keeps running into the wall until it falls over, out of the way and he finishes! He finishes with broken bones, bloody messes and many other "mishaps". So if I have trouble, the first thing I will think is W.W.S.D. --- FINISH.

Thanks Mike... and thanks Steve...

Carry on!

Been quiet, on purpose

2009-06-15T07:00:00.004-05:00

I did go watch the Nature Valley Grand Prix bike race this weekend. Saw the men's race on Friday in Uptown and went to Stillwater for the women's on Sunday. Took some pictures. To the left is the female Armstrong, who totally blew away the competition. She is an inspiration if you know here history.

Anyway, been a while since the last post. With reason. I have been internally stressing over Grandma's. While it may seen stupid as worry and stress are often referred to as worthless emotions, it is just this is the end of a 25 year goal.

The big concern, even with the HGH injection, the knee is painful. With two weeks of a little easy training (10-12 miles per week) and careful care, my PF is better. But the knee is improved little. I am going to spend the rest of the week casual biking and much work in the pool.

I did have an MRI on the knee and decided to wait until after grandma's to get the results. Being a natural worry wort, I was just going to let it be and suck it up and hope I can pull the race.

I plan on leaving about 6 Friday, once again, sleeping in the car, running the race, and then heading home. I plan on going real easy planning a 12 minute mile for as much as the knee can handle and the do what I need to get it done.

For those joining me, I wish you well. It looks like rain, which I do not mind. But then again, that is 5 days away and if weathermen were car makers, image we would not even get out of our hometown, let alone get to the race.

Carry on.

20 mile week, bad Doc visit..

2009-05-29T17:03:00.010-05:00

Well I ran through pain and got over a 20 mile week and was planning another 15 over the weekend. However...

I broke down and made another appointment to see the specialist about my right knee. It was May 20, 2008 when I broke down and went in and I got a HGH shot and all was well. Training was good starting at a 15 mile week in February and slowly building to a 30 miles week after 10 weeks. Then one night, I was hanging out at a friends place and BANG, my knee was in pain. I went to see the regular doc who has that wait and see attitude. I did wait and see and I have nursed that for weeks now and enough was enough.

This time, I made an appointment with the specialist I saw last year. A 5 PM appointment on a Friday night non-the-less. I was meeting with him and discussing the issues when I recalled I woke with a strange bruise a year ago? The picture of my leg on the left is the mysterious bruise I woke with one day... for no apparent reason. This was last fall, if I recalled right.

I never had it checked but I also did not run at all for months after that pain. It was just so strange as I thought hard and had no idea where it came from? I only knew that after 10 weeks of regular training starting at 15 miles and working up to 30 miles a week over that period, I should not have the pain I am having.

Anyway, the Doc took several ex rays and then felt pressure points all over the knee. Then he hit one that sent me to the moon! He quickly said he has no doubt I have torn cartilage. I am going to schedule an MRI next week. This will tell me the extent of the issue. We both agree this was most likely the result of my fall on the ice in March of 2008 and then the "bang" my knee took at my friends house was a double whammy to make it bad enough for the MRI to determine the level of treatment and repair.

So he gave me another dose of cortisone and told me if the pain is bad the week before Grandma's, come in for another so I can make my 25 year goal. Then Afton and Superior are most likely out of the question as I get this taken care of as time allows. It has hampered my training for 16 months already...

After the Doctor's visit and the shot, I went home and turned on the TV and there was MASH. I love the show. It was an episode where Trapper had promised a young soldier who has a young daughter he would save his leg. Turned out, gang green required amputation. Trapper was saddened and sickened at his failure to keep his promise. When the soldier woke and Trapper had to tell him the news, the soldier was not saddened. He asked Trapper not to tell his wife? Trapper asked why? He said on Saturday night, he loves to go out dancing and his wife likes to stay in and snuggle and he does not want his wife to hide his wooden leg to stop him from going out. I almost cried. Amazing how we look at things and think so many negative that we often forget the positives.

I know I have been more negative than positive the past month. Just get into a funk. It is hard when I have a hard time even walking without heavy pain. But I am walking... So many people wish they had such an opportunity. I am surely blessed as we all are and i need to remember that...

I also learned this week a good friend and co-worker has stage 4 melanoma which has attacked other organs. They say 6 months is all that he may have. Sad... He is 42. I also read the post on Cynthia Brochman on Chad's blog. She is so brave! How these people keep the spirit is beyond comprehension for me, yet they do. I pray for them both as they have both been given the worse of news... May god be with them.

Life Is Too Short so Break The Rules,
Forgive Quickly,
Kiss Slowly,
Love Truly,
Laugh Uncontrollably,
And Never Regret Anything That Made You Smile.
Life May Not Be The Party we Hoped For,
But While We're Here,
We Should Dance...

Carry on!

I ran, felt great, until the next day... I learned

2009-05-26T19:47:00.006-05:00

First, for those who ran the Fargo Marathon... I envy you! Beth had a great race! She is preparing now for a triathlon. Congrats to her continued success.

Fargo is my hometown. Graduated from West Fargo High School. Also where my son had the accident which resulted in the amputation of his right hand. Memories good are erased about the memories of bad. I really want to run that race, but have to many memories. The good are not a strong as the bad, so I shy away. But it is a great race, so I hear.

I was so happy Mike took me up on the offer to run Monday Morning. It was a great run for me. PF hurt a little in the right foot and the knee was great the entire run. We did about an 11 minute mile from the Sibly House to Highway 77 and about a 12 minute mile going back. Just over 12 miles, but was not that difficult. This gives me confidence about Grandma's...

I ran in my new Experia Thorlopad sock. For $14 for the pair, I thought, give it a try... I got a blister about the size of a quarter on the ball of my foot... So I can say do not bother with them. This was even after coating my foot with good foot lotion...

Then this morning I woke up and it took me all of 20 minutes to walk. The PF in the left foot was OK, not worse or better than the week before. But I have this huge lump on the inside back of the knee. Four Advil and I was ready for the day once they kicked in.

So I learned I can do Grandma's, I may just regret Sunday after? And in this time in my life, I have learned so many more things...

On a positive note I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.

I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.

I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life."

I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.

I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.

I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch...holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.

People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

And most importantly, I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. A WHOLE LOT TO LEARN!

Carry on...

No I am not dead, but...

2009-05-20T19:03:00.005-05:00

This is not a joyous post, so I will start on a light note. Take a look at some artwork I stumbled upon… See http://www.dirtycarart.com/ a portion of his art is above. SO COOL!

Now, life sure can suck... But then again, I have to remember I have a life?

OH, ON A SIDE NOTE: The Eli Young Band is going to be at the Cabooze next month. Check out the website if you do not know them. I saw the Zac Brown Band there three weeks before they released their top selling recording... I will never see them for $12 again... This may not be to the liking of you metal heads, but it is my kind of music!

It has been a while since my last post. My last post asked about ice bath as I have been trying to help with my plantar fasciitis issues as well as some tendinitis and possible meniscus tear in the right knee.

Kel’s suggestion was a well thought out reply was really nice to have. She stated an idea was a protocol to immerse the lower body to the top of the hip bone for 1 minute in cold water (temp 45-50 degrees F) followed immediately by immersion for 2 minutes in hot water (temp 104-108 degrees F). Alternate between cold & hot 5 times for a total of 15 minutes. She stated the findings of the study indicated strength, power, and muscle soreness improved with contrast baths compared to the control group, which did nothing but rest. She also mentioned the baths were done immediately after a high intensity weight lifting session rather than endurance exercise lasting several hours.

I tried this and seem to make the body feel a little better than just the ice bath. I had been icing the sore area and immediately applying the heat pad in intervals as an option. I will try this later this spring when I get a hot tub close to a bathtub… Will post results if I get a chance.

With all of that, I am suffering, bad. My plantar fasciitis in my left foot is getting worse, not better. My right knee is worse. It wakes me at night. After waking in the morning or after sitting for more than an hour, I get up in more pain than the day after my successful 77 mile run in 2007.

Bummer, so I have not written much lately, as it is all not positive. I have continued to run but not more than 20 miles a week as I want to stay in some sort of shape so I get that 25 consecutive grandma’s completed. I am pretty sure after Grandma’s I will be out as both legs have major issues. I may call the physician and see if he can treat me like Roger Clemons and give me a couple of injections, which might help?

Other things also have occupied me. One is my work life has not been enjoyable. In this economy, seems everyone is struggling and reaching everywhere for help, and I have no way t help them. This is sad in itself. I had another friend who is 57 years old just be laid off after 19 years of dedicated service. I thought is due to the economy but found they also hired new college grads for those positions, at half the pay. That is a reality…

Another is my Grandmother passed away. Although, for me, this was not as hard on me directly, but it is hard on my Dad. But the death made me relive Dana’s death. Death is a funny thing.

I recall as a child, sex was taboo subject and death was not. Now, America seems to speak freely about sex, but death has become a subject we'd rather not talk about. I often thought about why I do not talk about death? In general, human beings are afraid of death. It is related to the fear of the unknown. The question is: Is there life after death?

I used to be firmly convinced that there is nothing after death. This made me very afraid and desperate. I remember that as a child sometimes, while lying in my bed, I suddenly realized there would come a day that I wouldn't exist anymore. It was such a big and horrible thing to think about. I called my mother for comfort, but what else could she do than say that I was still young and it was not yet my time to go. I pushed my fear away, but it could pop up any time.

As a young adult, my three-year-old nephew died. I still recall the words from the pastor who stated “death is not to be feared or sadden as God has a life for us all.” He stated that “Aaron live a very full life that God gave him, even if it was only three years.” He challenged us to live the life we have and cherish every moment, as that is what Aaron did?

When Dana died, my fear of death came back in huge proportions. I have always been taught that I should not ignore my fears, but face them. I am not sure I ever faced that loss. I recall wondering if I would never enjoy life again. I haven't talked much about death with my surroundings, although I sometimes have felt the need to. I just keep my mouth shut because I think that people don't want to hear about that unpleasant subject. People don't want to be reminded of their finiteness.

Anyway, I am still doing what I can to assure I will make Grandma’s a success, but I am pretty sure I will need weeks if not months after that to heal. Plantar fasciitis alone can take a great deal of time, but I have battled it before and after two years (1987-1989), I had no issues. So once again, I will do what I need to do, and I will get out there again feeling healthy and enjoying the runs.

Until then, I will continue to live the life the best I can and be grateful that God has given me another day…

Carry on...

Ice bath question, other stuff...

2009-05-03T10:51:00.012-05:00

OK, here is a simple question? Maybe... If you ice bath, how do you do it? I have a few times and experimented a few ways to reduce the issue of getting into the tub. The first time, I put 5 pounds of ice in the tub of cold water and got in fromt he waist down. The police should have been called if the neighbors were home... Also, used some words I thought I also use on my first 100 mile attempt...

Did not last long. Then I tried putting the cold water in the tub, getting in, then adding ice. Still was a little painful experience. So the past two times, I sat in the tub, turned on the cold water, let it fill with me in it. Then after about two minutes, poured in the ice. Manageable process. I would stay in for about 15-20 minutes, then get out and wait about 30 minutes before taking a hot shower. Anyone out there care to share your secret of success in the Ice Bath practice? Could be, I just need to admit I am a wimp?

Saturday I went to the Cinco-de-mayo festival in St Paul. I really was a little out of my element but it was fun. Saw some interesting people. Took me until today to understand what a Jethro belt was? Even more to figure out the sign. But it appears it was a piece of rope for sale for $1. Jethro Bodine (Beverly Hillbillies) used it for a belt... Nice concept for income? I also had a few interesting photo's from people watching. Sometimes I think people watching is the best part of these things? Other photos below. Gotta love a high power zoom lense?

I went to run a 15K in Rochester Saturday AM. Shelley did not think she could do it, but I knew she could. I had a OK run and she finished 1:44:24. I finished 1 second later. The cool this is she accomplished something I have never accomplished. She passed a few runners, but never was passed. My left Plantar Fascia was still a little sore and my right knee was stiff, but better.

Will start regular weight training as my lower body is better but still need a little break. I have lifted weight once or twice a week in the past, but I am going to add more structure.

Carry on...

Solid month, an issue and comments!

2009-04-29T19:49:00.003-05:00

The month of April is near the end. I saw a few 30 mile weeks and looks like I will have over 115 miles and a few nice longer runs. I also biked over 130 miles. I still enjoyed the runs and am focused on Grandma’s 2009 success. That is all I am thinking about… I do not need a freak thing taken my goal away, after 24 years of hard work.

Last week I had an incident. I was on a couch, legs up and relaxing, when a large dog jumped up and the person sitting next to me pushed the dog away. The heal of her hand pushed my kneecap, hard and fast. If my knee cap was a hockey puck, the force would have taken my kneecap and stuck it into the sheetrock wall. It hurt, bad! I never said much to anyone, even that night, but now I am concerned. I had it looked at and I was directed to rest and if it hurt after two weeks, we would go for the MRI. I am nursing it along. I did make a painless 5 K Tuesday and today I just lifted weights. So could be a little issue? I have a 10-mile in Rochester Saturday, and I hope I can do that and whatever happened is healed. Until the, I am just going to take it easy for the rest of the week and pray. I just need to be careful not to jeopardize Grandma’s. I also feel a little inflammation in the left Plantar Fascia. Been doing precautionary action by sleeping in my boot to assure that does not get worse.

Either way, I had a great month of April. I went to help out at Zumbro 100 mile and Chippewa 50K. This was fun. I have photos from Chippewa at two locations for anyone interested. I will remove these in late May, so download any photo’s you may desire. They are uploaded at full resolution. Click to see photos of the start or half way or click to see finish line photos. It was great to be there for Kel’s first ultra finish. Steve Q had his third consecutive Ultra weekend in a row. Now he gets a week off and then a 50-mile. Mike W. was not happy with his time, but he did it nonetheless… More than I can say for 99 percent of America. Wayne continued his streak of PR’s, COOL! I car-pooled with Karen G. (who looked GREAT) and Jimmy, who finished well despite major surgery earlier in the year. I had not seen Karen since Superior. There are many others I met the past few weekends and had a blast.

Biggest Loser last night was a surprise. I had another activity so I recorded it and watched tonight. I was thrilled to see my hero (Tara) once again win the challenge. I wish I had her drive. For the first time since I started watching the show, I really say a contestant inspires me. Now that lying, cheating, poor excuse for a man Ron does rain on my parade. How he made the final 4 is just a shame. A real bad shame…

I read that next week they will do a marathon. I also read that Dane lied about finishing a marathon as stated on the show. Earlier he had supposedly run a 3:53 marathon, but he did not. He did recently vindicated the lie with a 5:47 marathon. Sounds more like it for a guy his size and shape.

Either way, I will keep plugging along, getting ready for Grandma’s (51 days away) and when that is done, I will relax… Until then carry on.

What a differance a day (or 2) makes

2009-04-20T18:15:00.002-05:00

My last post was about my elevated heart rate. Well I decided to take Saturday off and just did a little 25 minute, real easy run Sunday (so I only had 23.2 mile week but did bike 44.6 miles). This is down after two weeks of 30 plus mile weeks.

Today I woke with a resting heart rate down 16 beats (78 to 62) from Friday and I ran, in the rain (I loved it) and I ran 20 second a mile faster that the week before, same course, with an average heart rate of 132. I am really enjoying the runs more often than not. That is a nice feeling after not wanting to run ever again last October. A little rest is all it takes. I love monitoring my heart rate!

Saw many did a great job at Trail Mix. Maybe Steve Quick should be my Idol. He looked like hell and pulled off his first 100 a week before and some pictures make him look like he was suffering at Trail Mix yet he runs a time I can only dream of running. Karen Gall should get a Kudo's. She has a hard year and still finishes race after race. Wayne had a tend of improving his race times, until this one... but this course was not the same as last year and he did run faster than 2007, so I argue the streak live!!!

Getting ready to volunteer this Saturday at Chippewa. Weather is iffy, but it will be a whole lot better than last year! Will see many of you there, and wish you well.

Carry on...

I am heading

Repeated post? Tara is my new Hero...

2009-04-15T19:13:00.008-05:00

I know I have placed this same thought in the past on several occasions. Heart rate... I went 20 miles with Steve Q. and stayed up for 28 hours, slept for 15 minutes and then stayed up another 7 hours Saturday. Sunday, I went for a 10 mile bike ride and rested. Monday, rode bike to work and home, ran at lunch and lifted weights. Tuesday I rode to and from work and ran another 40 minutes at lunch plus minor weights. Today I rode bike to and from work and ran 4.1 miles at lunch. Each activity has a higher than normal (for me) heart rate. On today's run, I ran 20 seconds a miles slower than the exact run as last week with an average heart rate of 158 compared to 134 last week? My resting rate in the morning has not been lower than 72 all week when I had been in the high 50's 2 weeks ago.

My stress is up a little and I have not slept well since the Zumbro all-night activity. I am just dumbfounded. For the first time since I started regular workout (about 8 weeks) I found the run as just a run and really not enjoyable as they have been in the past weeks. It seemed a little burdensome and a chore today. I was shooting for 30 miles this week but I may settle for 20 and close to 40 miles on the bike as i may just take tomorrow off? I will decide that based on the resting heart rate.

As I preached before, I feel good but the heart rate is up. I just find my heart rate as a great indicator of stress on the body and when I need to take a rest... and get a good nights sleep! I will get in early tonight and try hard to get a good 8 hours sleep tonight, but will not cross my fingers.

Hope all are repairing well from Zumbo. I know it chewed those who experienced it up and spit them out, but we all lived!

I watched Biggest Loser again last night. Tara is such an animal. When she started she was about 290 and has lost 112 pounds. I would not bet against her in a 100 mile in a few more weeks... She has tenacity of the likes I have never seen... She is an inspiration of how not to quit. Will she ever tire is all I think. There are a few videos if you do not know her or watch the show. Click here to see a video on her, or See her pull the car!. Week after week she just keeps going and going. Ever ready bunny for sure! This is her worse day, she went so hard she throws up... I think she has won 10 of 15 challengers, and in one she had to pull a car with extra weight, and beat the big Strong men...

Then her friend Laura had a stress fracture in her hip. Wow is she lucky they caught that when they did. Many criticize the show but I find it interesting the variety of people on the show. Now only if Ron will leave, I will enjoy it more... Until then, I need to rest and get the heart rate under control...

Carry on...

Zombro 100 and more

2009-04-12T10:03:00.005-05:00

I have never had a volunteer experience that I would stay with the race for over 24 hours of enjoyment. Friday, I took a vacation day to help out (and maybe pace someone) at the Zumbro 100. I left at 5 AM and pick up Zac Pierce on the way. We arrived at about 7:15 and prepared for the day. Now Larry, his family and friends had the fire going as it was pretty cold.

We all did preparation for the race and soon, 17 runners were off and running. It was early in the race and after the first 5 miles they all looked great. Then they took off for a 14.3 mile look to the east. Many looked different after that stretch. I thought it was just that they went 20 miles. So the day wore on and I to take pictures and help out until just before midnight. I had the chance to pace Steve Quick for miles 60-80.

As I ran the course, I found out why some looked tired after the second loop. This is a course like no other I could imagine. It had some great flat areas to run, some minor hills, some major hills (I thought there was one that was harder and steeper than anything on the ST 100 trail), stream crossing, places with great footing, places with no footing, plenty of rocks that moved under your feet without notice, "U" shaped horse trails that had a 3 inch flat bottom before the curved upward (you had to run one foot right in front of the other) and areas where 3-4 inches of leaves covered roots and rocks. I managed to get through the loop with Steve, trying to look strong, but I was killed on this 20 mile stretch.

I stayed at the finish until half the finishers were in than I left. It was a hard drive home. Shelley brought me dinner and I ate and do not recall when I went to sleep. It was 8 AM when I woke...

I took over 200 pictures of the race. If you feel like a challenge... put this on your calendar next year!

Of course, not like I have been training hard. I did have a 32.9 mile week. I feel sore from my 20 miles yesterday but should be fine. So next week I hope to hit 35 miles. Just inching forward a little at a time. Although, I have a tennis event all weekend next week which may mean a 25 mile week would be a success. Either way, I do not hate the runs, they are enjoyable... Maybe not all the time, but afterward, they all are... Including a 20 miles at Zumbro where I used many curse words as I did those 20 miles.

Carry on.

30.8!

2009-04-06T13:32:00.003-05:00

Well, I had a 30.8 mile, enjoyable running week last week. That is an 18 percent increase in miles over the past week which does concern me a little as I was hoping to keep my weekly increases in the 5-10 percent range. I ran Monday through Saturday and took Sunday off. My pace was a little slower than weeks before, but this is the first week it was all outdoors. The hamster wheel is much faster.

Looking forward to going to Zumbro early Friday to spend a great deal of time helping out. I am more excited about testing my newly acquired digital SLR and taking hundreds of pictures for people to download later. (LINK: http://picasaweb.google.com/runallday/DropBox?authkey=Gv1sRgCPfMwOfztY_P8QE#) Will be a fun way to get a grip on the camera options. I also plan on pacing Steve (if he is slowed down by then) in the late hours of Friday or early hours Saturday AM. Depends on how he is doing and where there is a need. I just think it is funny that this turtle can pace the rabbit... But in the dark, we should be fine.

Hope all is well. As an addendum to my Vitamin D post last week, I also was informed that intense exercise can also be a factor in Vitamin D depletion. I think training for a 100 mile will fit the definition of intense, doesn't it?

Vitamin D

2009-04-03T11:34:00.004-05:00

A fellow runner Adam asked me to send him my Vitamin D experience. He wanted to get the word out since it impacted me, significantly. This is what I sent to him and thought I would post it here as well.

In the Fall of 2007, I extended my endurance longer than I ever have imagined. I attempted the Superior Trail 100 mile race and quit at 77 miles. From that point on, I never recovered. I took some time off, ate well, and thought I was doing everything right. I continued to train but felt fatigued. My bones hurt often. I had so much trouble sleeping.

I tried numerous things including changing the training from less running to more biking and walking. I tried massages and purchased a computer program to monitor my diet. Everything seemed like I should be feeling fine, but did not feel right.

In February of 2008, I went to Kansas City to run Psycho Wyco 50K. My chest was tight and I had a cold the week before the race. I went anyway and quit at 20 miles. Now besides, aches and pains, inability to sleep, and overall fatigue, I had a chest issue I just could not shake.

I continued to try to run through it and in March, I fell and hurt my knee and my lungs we so stressed when I ran. To make a long story short, I had steroid injections in the knee and a steroid inhaler for the lungs. (Later discovering steroids are a major reason for lack of Vitamin D absorption.)

When Summer came, I started to feel a little better and was hopeful I could attempt the Superior 100 again. I had finished grandma’s (over an hour slower than 2007) and finished Afton in about the same time. So I thought I could make the attempt. Although, my weight had climbed 40 pounds as I just felt so fatigued for over a year and food was my choice to make it better. My second attempt at Superior resulted in fatigue and pains in the bones by 30 miles, I quit.

I quit having the desire to run, bike, and walk. Depression had now set in. I just lost any enjoyment in so many things. It had been over a year and things were not better. I decided to totally quit working out. I decided I just needed to repair the mind, body and soul. So for 6 weeks, I did nothing but work and relax. I entered everything into my diet software and checked the nutritional balances, and did not feel any different. I did lose 2 pounds, but still felt sore, could not sleep, totally worn.

So being a man who had to be at the end of the rope before seeking help, I finally called the Doctor and made an appointment in November. He did a blood test. He said everything was normal except my glucose was 104 and my Vitamin D was 11 ng/ml. The recommend Vitamin D level is between 30 ng/ml to 50 ng/ml. So he put me on Vitamin D therapy which meant I was to take 50,000 units once per week, 12 weeks. In case you are doing what I did, yes, 50,000 units is correct.

I did not notice much difference for the first few weeks. I continued to take my calcium pills I always take with the Vitamin D. Then after four weeks, I started feeling better. I woke feeling 60 years old, as opposed to 100… (I am 47) I started to workout. Then in the second week of December, I felt a sharp pain in the abdomen/groin area that radiated through to the back. I went to the physician and he thought it may be a sports hernia. I was bummed as for the first time in over a year, working out did not make me feel worse. But I thought, how can it be a sports hernia when it is the entire mid-section and the pain moved. So I took more time off.

I researched the web and found that in some cases, high doses of Vitamin D and calcium result in Kidney Stones. So I laid of the calcium. Then in January, I started to workout. A few runs, lifted some weights. What I noticed most in January (after 8 weeks of 50,000 Units of Vitamin D) I was able to sleep. I could not recall the last time I was able to sleep like I was, a full 5-6 hours, without drugs.

Since I was planning a trip to Germany to visit my son, I decided just to spend time with light workouts, nothing structured until I returned. So on February 20 when I returned from Germany, I went back to the Doctor to have my blood tested. I was 43 ng/ml for the vitamin D count.

I felt better than I had in a long time. No bones hurt, I was now sleeping 6-8 hours and waking without pains, I started to run again. After a long time off and a net gain of 45 pounds since the summer of 2007, I decided to take it slow. I would do 15 miles the first week with runs of 2-4 miles and increase about 5-10% a week.

Since February 20, 2009, I have weeks of 14.4 miles, 20.2 miles, 21.3 miles, 22.2 miles, and 26.1 miles. I also have biked, walked many miles and I do not feel fatigued, I am breathing just fine, I am enjoying runs and many other things.

Now I am not saying Vitamin D is the only reason… well, yes I am. I did everything I could to resolve the issues on my own, my diet looked fine on the computer, but the computer did not know I started with a pathetically low Vitamin D count.

So now I am felling better and running again. I have no thoughts of running the Superior 100 or any other races at this time. I am just getting outside, enjoying the runs, and whatever I decide as I go, will be what I will do. Of course, I do have to finish Grandma’s… it would be my 25th consecutive year!

Carry on…

Yippe I a, Cow Pattie

2009-03-29T18:48:00.007-05:00

Yippee-i-ay - Cow Patti!
Yippee-i-ay - Cow Patti!
She rode into town to find the man that killed her daddy!
Yippee-i-ay - Cow Patti!

I sang this in my head today in the last mile of what made a 25+ mile week (26.1) and felt good. First time I can say or feel that since, well, 2007... I know it may seem like peanuts to all you 100 mile week runners, but given that last October I could care less if I ran again, this is GREAT!

I use the lyrics often when I am elated. People look at me and think it makes no sense. But this was a song by Jim Stafford released in 1980. I was graduating from High School and some wild and crazy guy (not me or Steve Martin) suggested we make it our Grad Theme Song... I went to school with a strange bunch and I do not think anyone has changed, except got older. If you want to see Jim Stafford perform this gem, see below:

Anyway, I was elated. Funny thing is the runs are nice and easier, but the weight is the same. Not even going to worry about that, yet... Just keep running and enjoying the time outdoors and whatever will be will be... Then again, one of my favorite Minnesota River trails was underwater this weekend... I hope that is short lived... My mind has been on my hometown of Fargo lately... Called and the parents looks like the home farm will make it though the flood... I recall as a youth some of the floods we had a basement filled with water... and we were 8 miles west of the Red River. It is just flat and flat back home! I used to run the overpasses for hill training.

Looking forward to what I hope is the last snow spit this week... Have to look at the positive side, but would rather not have it at all... like I have a choice. So next week, if things continue like they have, I will have a 29 mile week... And if I don't, that is alright, as long as I keep having fun getting miles in...

Carry on...

Third week of enjoyment...

2009-03-23T20:01:00.009-05:00

I have now three weeks in a row with over 20 miles a week, and I enjoyed it! Well, mostly. There were a few days I did not want to run. But I got through the first mile and was happy I went. Each week I increased 5% or more a week. This week, I estimate I will have a 10-15 percent increase over last week just cause it feels good and I have more time? I am not sure. I suppose there may be more bike riding as an option, dependant on the weather.

I heard my pal Steve broke another bone? You would think with all the news we hear about his neighborhood, that someone would hurt him other than himself? Maybe this is all a blessing in disguise, if he always has a broken bone, the thugs will leave him alone? Either way, I wish him well and hope he takes care of himself. He is a great guy who I need to keep up all the writing to keep me sane... or at least it is good reading.

I have a good friend of mine who is in her mid 30's, never been married and is going through a hard time with a ticking clock (she wants kids)... She has had some hard times in he field of dating and I just do not get it as she is a great person... Well, maybe I do... My advice to her is not to be so stressed over it, but I see her point. Seems like she meets nothing but over the edge folks. Some of the things I hear make me wonder if I am getting weird and the normal people seem weird or if the world is becoming more strange. I mean, what happened to manners, please, thank you, opening a car door, allowing yourself to love? A coworker told me of her daughters boyfriend coming to the house and honking the horn or calling her on the cell phone so she can come out... Is this just strange dating habits that are becoming the norm and I a dying specimen? Anyway, I have so many questions every time we speak about relationships, I confuse myself.

Anyway, enough broad based information. As I final note, week 4 underway the way with another 4 mile run tonight, in the rain, but it was nice... and I registered for Afton. As I said before, I am 95% sure i will not be running it and will just be making a donation to a great run if I don't, but if that 5% changes, I wanted my spot... And I saw Kent Neuburger is coming back. Not sure if many of you know him, I only met him twice but I love his fight and desire.

Carry on...

Getting caught up?

2009-03-18T16:21:00.003-05:00

Getting caught up is never easy. Writing in the blog is one of the things I need to get caught up on as well. I think we all have such busy lives, economic strains, relationship pressures, weather changes to bring us down and we have exercising, march madness, great friends (old and new), looking forward to the warmer weather and seeing things optimistically to bring us up.

The last post expressed excitement of a 20 mile week as an enjoyable week. That was followed by a 21.3 mile week last week and many enjoyment in the runs. This week started great with the weather. I ran 4.1 miles at lunch and walked 2.1 miles after work Monday, yesterday I rode bike to and from work as well as ran 4 miles at lunch and walked 2 miles after work again. Today I feel so tired; I struggled to get the 5K out of the way during lunch? Well, we can not always expect great runs… The first mile was filled with "turn around and quit" thoughts, but then I got into a groove, but still struggled.

I have had almost a week now to mull the movie "Beyond the Epic Run" through my mind. It was great to see ultra list people there. I was glad I went. I will see it again as it left me with some thoughts which may have been covered in the movie, but I may have missed them. I may purchase the diary as well…

At the end of the movie, we were asked to sum it up in three words. That was hard as I saw the film as a phenomenal production which took me through as many human emotions I though I could experience all in one sitting. I used the words "depressing, humbling and motivating"…

To me, it was many stories! A strong story of love… The love between Serge and Nicole, the love for running, the love for a challenge and the love for general humanity. It was an eye opener for the variety of world conditions we often only think are made for television promotions for "feed the children". It was a tragic story as at the start I saw two young vibrant people who looks so old and worn at the end… It was life experiences story where people often support you and then for some reason, change their mind. It was a story of hope. No matter what they encountered, they were positive (at least the movie shows such). So many more stories in this story! The more I think about it, this is just remarkable story that makes me think about much more than a run.

I got an e-mail that Afton registration is now open. As I have said too many, Grandma's is my only race planned for the year at this time. I have a few weeks of enjoyable running under my belt but still do not have the urge to enter any races. However, the race fills fast. So I think I am going to enter the 50 K and at this time just consider it a donation to the race. That way if Grandma's goes well and I am happy running, at least I am in the race. But again, I am 95 percent sure I will not be running it… But just in case I will save my spot!

Looking forward to volunteering at Chippewa this year. I just received some information about my assignment. Looks like fun.

The next three weeks all I have is an occasional tennis match to officiate. Less than 4-5 hours a day max for this weekend and only one assignment the next tow after that! Looking forward to getting some weekend workouts in for a change.

Maybe see some of you out there… if you run slow enough for me to keep up?

Carry on!

Heart Rate Monitor use / Stress

2009-03-09T18:18:00.002-05:00

In a past post, I wrote about wearing a heart rte monitor every time I run. I believed there was a correlation between life stresses and the impact on the heart rate. I believe some suffer heart attack and other issues as we age as we lose the ability to understand our internal organs may not be willing to keep up with our demands and they crash.

I had a very hard weekend. Last week was over a 75-hour work week, much of what was very high stress over the weekend. Although, the excitement is I did run and enjoyable 5 runs totaling 20 miles in a week for the first time this year… My running miles per week to date:

3 miles
13.6 miles
15.9 miles
0 miles
15 miles
17.8 miles
4.9 miles
0 miles
14,4 miles
and last week 20.2 miles -- YIPEE

So last week was filled with limited sleep, increased workout and a weekend from hell. So at lunch today, I laced up, put on my heart rate monitor and prepared to go for a 4 mile run. I felt pretty good. Then less than 3 minutes into the run, I looked at my watch… 158 BPM. I was doing just over a 10-minute mile. I stopped. Within a minute, it dropped to 130. I started again. My heart rate rose fast to the high 150 BPM. Again, I stopped, it dropped quickly. I used my watch of check my pulse. I counted and it was in range of what the monitor stated. I felt like I was not even working out. My muscles felt fine, but my heart was not…

So I ran again. Doing whatever it took to keep my heart rate no more than 145. I slowed to a 12-minute mile to accomplish this goal. Last week I started the week with just under a 10-minute mile and average HR of 136 BPM. So why the increased heart rate? I think the stress in my job and the very stressful 30-hour weekend officiating tennis took a toll on my internal organs. They need to recover.

Many say I am crazy to have such a theory when I mention this situation. Although, this is not the first time my heart rate monitor gave me reason to be concerned. In the heat of the Afton 50 K in 2007, at about 20 miles, my HR went to 170 BPM and I was walking. I took a whole bunch of ice and iced me down and was walked. Slowly, my HR came down to the 120s and I was able to run the last 7 miles. I believed my heart was stressed due to the increase in body temperature from the heat?

So I do not run without the HR monitor, and some think I rely too much on an electronic device. My question to many of you is do you think the use of a HR monitor is a good way to monitor potential issues during high stress times? I really think so and when people ask why I have this belief… My response is “I want to live…”

Carry on…

Good week/weak

2009-03-01T09:52:00.002-06:00

I finally adjusted from the trip. Nice to be back but miss seeing my son each day... This weekend and the next two weekends are 25-30 hour weekends officiating tennis so training will be limited. Then I have 7 of the next 8 weekends with little tennis needs. Great time to set the base I need for to determine what the 2009 race schedule will be, other than Grandma's marathon. My main focus is not doing anything to make my 25th consecutive grandma's difficult to accomplish.

Over the past 2 months I have tried to enjoy running and look forward to the chance to run... although, I found it hard to run 12 minute miles and felt like I was working so hard doing so. Could have been the snow and ice? Could have been the extra shake in the mid-section? So this past week, I decided I was going to run at least four (4) or the seven (7) days and with nothing slower than 10 minute mile. I had though this was going to be hard as I have been struggling.

Here is what I accomplished:

Monday 3.2 miles at 9:20 pace Max HR 158
Tuesday 3 at 9:57 pace Max HR 165
Thursday 4 miles at 9:15 pace Max HR 153
Friday 4.2 miles at 9:17 pace Max HR 151

To many that read this blog, a 15 mile week is only a daily jaunt for them. However, I am pleased... and I was surprised. Tuesday was pure hell but I enjoyed it... This is the first time in months I felt good about running. In the scope of things, this is less than a 15 mile week.

This is after a lame start into 2009... 16 runs and 47.5 miles (ave pace 12:10) for January and 10 runs 37.1 miles (11:32 ave pace) for February. But the last week of February was a good week... I am looking forward to March. That's good!

Carry on!

I am back, I am tired...

2009-02-19T12:33:00.003-06:00

I have wrapped up my trip visiting see my son in Germany, returned to Minnesota and now I need to get back on a proper sleeping schedule. It was only 8 weeks ago when I last saw him, although when he comes home he has so many friends and relatives in Minnesota, I saw him a little in comparison to this trip.

In Germany, it was just us sharing fun times and laughs… all but one day when Christiana, a girl he is dating, joined us. She is a sweet girl. Neither overly happy nor sad. She is a beautiful 18-year-old German girl who has a great smile, but seldom smiles. Sort of what I noticed about the populace of Germany as well. No one seems overly happy. No one look worn out or tired either. When we went the many places and restaurants, they were talking like crazy but few smiles or laughs with that conversation. I am not sure I heard more than a person laugh once a day, except my son and me… That includes everywhere in the city I visited… Strange for see or me not hearing many laughs around me at all despair of a hard life? In the United States, it is easy to find that spectrum. Everywhere I saw people who were just there in life, at least as I define it. They looked healthy, very healthy. So few smiles?

Anyway, I had a hard departure from Germany. Not hard in the sense that I was detained, the flight… but emotionally… I cried… For some reason it is hard leaving my son in Germany knowing it will be at least 6 months before I see him again. Harder than all the times we parted before. Why? Maybe it was we had a great time… We had such a great time. It has been years, since he got his drivers license, that we really just hung out and had tons of fun! I think the tears were more that I see the realization; I have raised a fine young man… A man who is independent, smart, able to handle so much diversity and still be a respectful, hard working human being…

So there I was, a 46 year old male, trying unsuccessfully to hold back the tears on the train on the way to the airport and on the airplane… But even though he has matured so well… I still worry about him like any parent has concerns for their child. Worried about him being so far away. Worried about his relationship with Christiana. Although, she is a wonderful person, relationships begin and end. I worry what happens if it ends? How can I console him when he is just less than 5,000 miles away? But I remember, from my first “real” relationship, it is painful.

Still to this day I recall it well and what it feels like. That first "real" love… That one you thought was the one… Sheri Fjelstad was her name and I always thought she was the one. But she did not feel the same way. (I see a lot of the same teenage love looks between Jordan and Christiana that I recalled when I was 19 and Shari was 17.) Looking back, my life is better from her breaking it off as if we would have stayed together, I may not have taken this same 27 year journey (grad school, moving several times to advance my career and such.) Hell, I guess my son would not be here… But I recall I thought life was over... What else is there I thought? So in a way, I hope he understands that this may work out or it may not, either way, he has a whole life ahead of him. I know I did not see it that way when I was 19 and Sheri said goodbye…

I recently heard a song by Brad Paisley that hits this exact issue to heart. It is called a “Letter to me”. It is about writing back to himself about all those things that seemed like the end of life when he was 17… Or what he can look forward to as a result of those decisions… Part of the song goes:

“And then I'd say I know it's tough
When you break up after seven months
And yeah I know you really liked her and it just don't seem fair
All I can say is pain like that is fast and it's rare

And oh you got so much going for you going right
But I know at 17 it's hard to see past Friday night
She wasn't right for you
And still you feel like there's a knife sticking out of your back
And you're wondering if you'll survive
You'll make it through this and you'll see
You're still around to write this letter to me”

I feel goofy that I shed some tears on this plane as I write part of this post… Thank you God for not having anyone sitting next to me to see me cry. But to love someone so much is a special place in a life. There is no stronger love, in my mind, than that of a parent and child who are close as my son and I. Basically, when his mother moved to Colorado when he was 10, it was just he and I most waking hours… We are close, at least I think so… I thought I felt this way over the years about other humans but today I know I have never had this dedication and love for any human before… I think back to my relationships and just cannot find one to cause me to have feelings this deep. Not even Shari.

Made me think if more than human relationships and love. I thought of running and exercise in general. I have always done it, know how important it is and how it makes me feel so great. Some people have a love for it, a passion, and a strong spirit… A different kind of love than that for a human. Others it is just a drug of choice. Others, it is a license to live… Others just have nothing else to do… Either way, I wish I could look forward to so many things in life, such as seeing a person, doing an activity or such, like I look forward to seeing and talking to my son. But then again, a true fathers love requires you are a father, and that I am….

Carry on…

I am shocked

2009-02-17T18:42:00.002-06:00

Nearing my last day in Germany I learned something that shocked me. Most say that it is expected but I was still in disbelief... It was Eric Chopin of Biggest Loser 3 )December 2006, and the winner who lost over 200 pounds has averaged a 1 pound per week weight gain since winning the $250,000. (Click here) Ouch! I thought I did bad with 1.2 pounds a month since my low of 216... He looks like hell again... But I am not looking that great either... Time to ... is the name of the blog and sicne I started it, I have not been following the steps needed to reach my goals... Gotta grab those boot straps, don't I...

Well the weather is going to start getting better soon. (Stormed in Munich today!) Getting away sure has been a welcomed and needed break from life.

Carry On!

2009-02-15T08:12:00.003-06:00

My son is in a Engineering world... Here is a video that we found we thought was a hoot... Called hug a nerd on Valentines Day... I can relate... Steve, how about you... Carry on...

First three days were busy...

2009-02-14T17:47:00.000-06:00

Well, it all started with my ride to the airport getting stuck at the office. So I am glad I decided to get to the airport 3 hours early as that put me there 2 hours early. I was also happy that I needed the time to pack, which I left to the last minute! I was sure I forgot something…

The airport was almost desolate. I was shocked with less than 10 minted to check in and get to security. As I awaited my boarding, I am somewhat ashamed to admit I was look around the waiting area seeing who I would like or hate to get stuck next to for 8 hours? There was no single person who intrigued me enough to make me think “they would be a good travel companion” but I did see three people who needed two seats and thought, “please God, no”… Kind of reminded me of my last flight I took where I had twice my weight right next to me. If you had not heard, she was the one, when I declined my processed meal; she gleefully said she would have it… That was after her skinny as a rail husband gave her his meal as well.

Well we boarded on time and I played a game as people came toward me, stopped and went into a seat around me. Goodie I have two seats to myself, oops maybe not… This continued and soon I realize, I would be alone! Window seat and the one next all to my comfort. So I started to sprawl out and prepare to enjoy the flight.

The first leg of the flight was uneventful, sort off… They had movies on demand and I decided to choose “the boy in striped pajamas”. Now this is a movie I saw previews for but really had not idea the intensity of the movie. The ending was so unexpected! Do not want to spoil it for you. But it is an independent film worth a look!

I slept little on the plane even though I took my son’s advice and did take the prescription sleeping pill after the meal. I dozed for 2 hours and woke from the constant beeps when people pushed the button to call for help. Sometimes it was simple like not knowing how to turn on the light? I often wonder am I becoming less patient or if the disparity in the world of intelligence getting whole lot wider?

We arrived 30 minutes early to Amsterdam when I had originally only 50 minutes for the connecting flight… Well, now 80 minutes made it easier. My connecting flight was on the other side of the airport and it was a long way to hustle with little sleep… Felt like mile 65 of a 100-mile race.

I did get there without any hassle. We waited for a while when boarding started 20 minutes late. Well, I hate to call it boarding as we were put on a bus and carted across the runways to a plane in the middle of what seemed like nowhere in the darkness. We sat on the bus looking at the plane for another 10 minutes when we were told that the ice made walking to the plane difficult and to board slowly. So we did… It was like Texans driving in a snowstorm. Some people had no idea what to do on ice. Took another 20 minutes to put less than 30 people on the puddle jumper sized plane.

Then we sat, and sat, and sat. First deicing was taking a while when the pilot informed up we had lost our spot on the flight schedule and the control tower needed to find a place for us. Another 15 minutes before we moved. Then the most confusing thing happened… I really had never thought that taxiing on the runway could take 15 minutes or more, but it did! We just kept moving along at about 20 MPH, crossed 2 interstate highway and finally, there was this runway. I looked out the window and could not see the airport… Wow!

Once we got in the air it was fine, but when we got to Munich, we were told we need to circle, as we are late and have to wait for the chance to land… Another 10 minutes we were on the ground.

I had anticipated customs and all those other issues people tell me about, either I was an idiot or there was no such thing customs. I just walked the path to the baggage carousel and got the luggage and walked out. Jordan was there and thank god, as even he almost got lost. But we made it to the train.

Interesting, my first impression of Germany was much like North Dakota. Many farms and abandoned junk around them. What surprised me was the large amount of graffiti on the farms and so little in the towns? Seemed odd? Maybe they chose to leave it at the farms and have this great graffiti patrol cleaning the city?

We dropped my stuff off at Jordan’s place and went to Ulm. It is a quaint Village with the church like none I eve saw before. It is called the Munster, the second largest gothic church in Germany after the cathedral at Cologne. Construction started in 1377 but did not finish until 1890. Yes, 413 years to build! Been a Protestant place of worship since 1530… It had magnificent 15th century choir stalls with numerous carved figures. The tower is the tallest church tower in the world at 161.53m high and 768 steps. No I did not get in, but would have been cool to do that stair workout! It looked fascinating. We also took a walk along a Dona River which was a mixed of styles in development. We also came across redevelopment of a property downtown. The construction materials dated this no more than 100 years old with the steel beams, brick and such. I never found out why it was being removed.

We spent the entire day in Ulm and retuned (2 hour train ride) back to Munich. We went to the grocer and home. I was tired and made my bed on the floor and slept hard. I had taken a Klomazimpam to help sleep… Jordan woke me several times as I was snoring, which concerned me a little as I thought I might have a little sleep apnea again. This was an issue in the past when I was over 250 pounds. When I was in the 230s, it was never an issue.

We slept until 11 AM, which was funny, as I have not done that in a long time. But I guess it was 2 AM back home. We spent most of the day at the BMW museum and it was cool. After that we ate at a student pub called DieBierstube. This is a place where Jordan said is common. The beer it the first priority and then the food. I ate a rice/chicken dish, which was quite tasty. It was called Feuertopf. Must find the recipe! We left the restaurant and went downtown Munich. There was some type of protest? Cops everywhere. We did not stay long… We came home and went to bed as we are leaving very early for Stuttgart.

Up at 5 AM for some reason, this being 10 PM back home. Did some odds and ends, showered and headed for the train. The train to Stuttgart was just over 4 hours with the transfers and stuff. We were meeting a friend of Jordan’s who was going to hang with us for the day. We arrived at 11:00 AM and we went to a place and Jordan ordered me Doener? Like Gyro meat but dry and less tasty… Been here three days and we still do not have a great brat… I though Germany was famous for the brats? We met Christiana at about 1:30 and toured the town before we went to the BMW Museum. This is the second car museum in two days and I am a little sick of auto history, so tomorrow, we will stay away from auto related stuff! We left Stuttgart at 8 PM and did not get back to Jordan’s place until 12:30 AM. Really tired but wanted to get a post for the first three days while I have access. No runs but walked al least 4-5 miles each day. I can feel it.

Time to sign off. Carry on!

10 days since the last post...

2009-02-10T22:09:00.002-06:00

Well it has been 10 days since my last post, and it will be more than that before my next post. I noted many of my pals also have limited posts in the past months... The economy, the weather, the stress just has many, like me, so frazzled... So many pals have pains or injuries which are holding them back... We just need for spring to get here... I am sure it will make us all so much better!

In the past 10 days I have run about 2 of 3 days with a minimum 30 minutes each time. I had two runs of over 2 hours each. I have been on this low carb diet and man do I feel so weak and slow. I have added weights in there but I just do not feel strong. My runs are actually how I felt between 72 and 77 miles in the 100 a few years ago. I try to make one foot go in front of the other but does not feel natural?

This past weekend, I know it was a little icy on the river trail but it was hard to maintain a 14-minute mile. My heart rate was only in the 130s but my legs were like logs that were just hard to move?

I leave for Germany tomorrow and I actually have no plans to run there at all… A whole lotta walking is in the books, but no planned runs. When I return, I go back in for a follow-up blood test and hopefully I can get off this low carb diet. I love pasta and since I have been working hard to have a 55% protein, 25% crabs and 20% fat, it sucks… Simple as that… I enter everything I eat and watch it close. Just not easy to do, at least for me…

As I watch the TV tonight, they have an interview with the single mother of 14… This has been the subject of many conversations, which I listened, but did not join into throughout the past week. The more I hear, the more I wonder how anyone ever expects to properly raise 14 kids on her own financially. I have one, and that is a challenge! But as my old professor would say, what is properly?

I know families with five or six kids, and see the hardships they have… I cannot help to think you and I will pay for raising these and many other kids in the same situation. I just will never get it, but maybe that is just it, I am not supposed to… Kind of like when I tell someone about Al Holtz and his 150 mile last year, they just never get it… I guess we all have out quirks, but the quirks many others and I have are not a burden on the taxpayer… Although, I may be making a wrong assumption, but that is all I can think…

I have been thinking a little about my potential race options for the 2009 season and I still come back to the same thought… Grandma’s and that is it… No other races!!! I know I am running more but just cannot get the heart into it… I enjoy the time outside, enjoy the runs, but the thought of a structured race just does not thrill me right now… I was thrilled to see a fellow blogger put together a great list of podcasts about running…. Check it out! http://mwrunfar.blogspot.com/2009/02/running-podcasts-continue-to-grow.html… I found some good ones on this list...

Anyway, gotta pack! Going on a 4,800 mile journey to see my son and have a relaxing vacation. Well, keeping up with a soon to be 20 year old highly active male may not be relaxing, but we have a great time together! This is the second real non-run/non-tennis related vacation I have had since 1999… So I am due, and I think it will be a nice break…

Carry on!