Sunday will be my fourth Marathon, and hopefully my fastest! It's been a long road getting here though!
Last year I did the GO St. Louis, with only one goal, break 5 hours. My two previous attempts were 5:15 and 5:30. Even though I had trained for a 4:30 or better each time, the distance and weather beat me. With last year’s GO, I hit the heat wave at mile 9, and really felt the beginning of the end at mile 14, so that left me with 12.2 miles to grind out and grind I did. I ran/walked the majority of the 12.2, and in some cases, walked entire miles. My legs were cramped up and my body was falling apart, but despite all the challenges, I was able to keep moving fast enough to make the sub 5 hour mark. I came upon my friends at mile 26 and they ran me into the finish. The race was a fight, but I faced the challenge and met my primary goal, although GO Marathon was just one of many challenges in 2010.
2010 had its ups and downs, in running and in life. The most memorable positive event of 2010 came in May when I put on a robe and hat, and walked at the 2010 Webster University graduation ceremony. I had finished my bachelor’s degree in the fall of 2009 and walked with the School of Business and Technology at commencement, with departmental honors. This was significant in the fact that I had earned my college degree (16 years to finish), more significant in that this was the first time I had ever graduated from anything (8th grade flunkie, high school dropout). It was a beautiful day, filled with very supportive family and friends. It was also very cool for my kids to see firsthand; now they have a very clear picture of what it takes to work hard for something, succeed at it, and reap the benefits of it! Sadly, good times are often followed by bad. A month later the most memorable negative event of 2010 occurred.
In June of 2010, I asked my wife Shannon for a divorce. I won't go into great detail on this matter, but I will say that there were some great years of marriage, many happy times, and I will forever remember those years, as I have two great children from them. Despite our many differences, Shannon and I were able to work together with a mediator and finalize our divorce on March 9th, 2011. The kids now have two homes, and I get them 50% of the time, time that I cherish and try to make the most of. With only having my kids half the time, I was left with a lot of free time. I felt that the best way I could use that time, would be to build a better me!
With many nights and weekends available to run and workout, I signed up at Lifetime Fitness (LT). My plan was to start lifting again, get some swimming in, take up spin classes, and take my health to another level. I started up at LT with a fit test, and weighed in at 208lb's. My goal was to get down under 200lb's before GO. I worked with Michelle, a personal trainer, for two sessions and learned a lot about lifting, and the machines. She was very helpful and if you go to LT, I strongly suggest her. I now lift about two nights a week, spin once a week, run up to five times a week, and occasionally swim or use the elliptical. It's a lot of time to spend working out, but with my dietary changes the results have been immense!
My initial weight loss when I started four years ago had ups and downs. I went from 265lb's, down to 208lb's, back up to 230lb's, and then down again to 208lb's. The weight loss was mostly due to counting calories and eating somewhat healthy (exercise is always a factor, but diet is what makes the difference). I knew that to get below 200lb's, I couldn't just eat less, I needed to eat better. I started by cooking more and focusing on vegetables. I use to eat a turkey sandwich and a reasonable portion of chips as a dietary meal. Now I will eat a well seasoned breast of chicken, steamed vegetables, and maybe a little bit of rice or pasta. I have square plates and try to split it into a half and two quarters. Vegetables take up half, meat gets a quarter, and carbs get a quarter. I have also started eating Oatmeal on a daily basis. I don't like Oatmeal very much, but I have found it to be long lasting fuel; keeping me from starving before lunch time hits, and also as a great pre-run meal. With the exercise and better eating, I weighed in at 192lb's this morning. In addition to weighing 16lb's less since December, I'm much stronger, much faster, and I feel healthier than ever. Sadly though, being healthy doesn't always keep you from getting sick or dying.
As many of you know, on March 1st of 2010, I almost died from Exercise Induced Anaphylactic Shock. You can read more about it here: Runner Down. It was one of the scariest moments in my life; it was also one of the biggest challenges I have ever faced, one that I successfully beat. I was out of the hospital the day after it happened, and I was running the following day. It was a pretty emotional run. When I passed the two mile mark, the fateful distance that put me on an ambulance ride to the hospital just two nights prior, the urge to go faster came over me and I hammered down. I didn't want to let the event get to me, I didn't want it to define me, I just wanted to beat it down and leave it on the track, literally! I proceeded on with my Marathon training and ran 21 miles that Saturday. After one near death experience, personal highs and lows, miles of training, and 33lb's of weight loss, Marathon weekend is upon us once again.
The time since last year’s GO Marathon has been a lot like running Queeny Park, up and down, up and down. Fortunately I am a very positive person and I focus on the good things in life; dwelling on our mistakes or our failures, just keeps us from being successful. I attribute much of my ability to be positive, to my wonderful children, my strong family support, and the greatest friends a person could have. My kids make the greatest sacrifice, TIME. They don't seem to mind too much, as they like the fact that I am healthy and I think they realize giving up a few hours of time with me today, means gaining years later. They also enjoy spending time with other runners, to the point that Jazmine is doing No Boundaries 5K training this year! Jazmine made the decision to do NOBO on her own (proud dad), and since we are at the park every week, I am utilizing the time to help Garrett work on his running. He isn't happy about it, but with the food he eats and his ADHD, I think running will do great things for him. I love you Garrett and Jazmine!
I want to thank all of my friends that helped me get through the 30-40 miles a week, for the last 12+ weeks. Historically I have done most of my Marathon training by myself, but this year it was rare to be alone. Each and every one of you is amazing and I am a better person because of you!
A very special thanks goes to Tracy Schmidt! Tracy and I have been friends for the last few years, but in December we started hitting the gym and the roads together. It's amazingly easier to wake up at 4:30AM for a 5:30AM spin class, when you have a great friend to ride with. Her time sacrifice, advice, friendship, and companionship through many miles of running, really shows what a selfless, giving person she is. Our friendship has grown immensely over the last four months, and I look forward to it getting even stronger as we take on new challenges. Thanks Tracy and see you at mile 21; lead me to the Promised Land girl!
I hope everyone has a great race on Sunday! I can't wait to see all of you! You are my inspiration and you’re all the reason I want to be better today than I was yesterday!
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