Get to the chopper!

After weeks of training and running seemingly endless miles, it was marathon week. At the beginning of the week, the forecast for run day was mid-50s and sunny. Within 24 hours, the forecast had dropped to low 30s with the possibility of snow. Thankfully, the prediction of snow moved to Sunday and the temperature had risen 10 degrees.

Thursday night was the Back On My Feet 1st Birthday Bash at the JW Marriott downtown. Bing was selected as one of a few speakers for the festivities, so there was no question that we would be there to cheer him on. Anne Mahlum kicked off the night telling her story and Bing was then brought to the stage. He retold his story and how he connected with BOMF and was 2 days away from the longest run of his life. Needless to say, he brought the room to tears with his emotional journey. Following a great dinner and dessert, we said our goodbyes with hopes of an earlier bedtime.



Friday was packet pick up day. John was number 102, I was 107 and Bing was 126. We had our bibs, shirts and bags of 589693 random advertisements ready to go. We then made our plan to reconvene for some chicken and pasta to carbo-load before the big day. A few hours later we were eating away while catching up on some March Madness Basketball. 12 hours to go...

The 5am alarm rang and it was time to get ready. Having everything laid out made life easy, but there was still nervous energy as we worked our way to RFK Stadium for the start of the race. We met up with other Back On My Feet runners and did our traditional calisthenics and stretching. We wished the others well and went to the starting line.

In the starting area, John, Bing, Amanda and I went over our plan to keep an even pace and take our time over the 26.2 miles. The horn sounded and we were all off. We crossed the starting line about ten minutes after the horn and headed out on the course. We go to Lincoln Park and saw John's wife Cory and his sister Karen and Karen's boyfriend Steve. We had expected to hear Cory's trademark cowbell, but as we ran by, she suggested that the neighbors had told her that 7:30 on a Saturday was too early for a ringing cowbell. Babies. We moved passed mile one and saw my folks who had journeyed down from snowy New England to wake up at the crack of dawn, go out into the cold, and cheer us on. I would argue that running a marathon is less difficult than cheering on runners for 26 miles in the cold.

The miles went by quickly...we kept an incredibly even pace of 9:00 minute miles. The crowds were active and very supportive as we passed Lincoln Park, the Capitol, Union Station and the Mall. We cut up 18th Street heading north towards Dupont Circle. As we moved on Connecticut Avenue under Dupont Circle we saw the first of our supporters, Cara Sheridan, her fiance Adam and pooch Latte. Not only did the have a great sign, but Latte was fully dressed for the occasion.

We continued north into Adams Morgan with incredible support. There were bands, DJs and countless screaming fans. We passed Wendy Davis who came out with co-workers to scream support. We cut back south passed Howard University with great student support. As we hit mile 9, John stopped for a bathroom break and said "stay left and I will catch up". We saw Dave Delcher out cheering and then ran into the CUArch cheering section with Michelle Rinehart, Aidan Fredericks, Mike Doster, Alex Bahr and Lee Cooper [I think there were others, but in my attempt to not trip over my own feet, I couldn't look to the side for too long]. We got high fives as we went by.

We passed mile 10, then mile 11. With encouragement from BOMF team members Carolyn, Kristen and Ellis we turned onto H Street NE. Soon we were back at RFK and the half marathoners were splitting off to finish as we wrapped around the stadium. Still no John. We passed Lincoln Park and saw Cory, Karen and Steve again. Cory informed us that John was not lying in a ditch along the race route, rather her had connected with another team member, Tyrone, and was running with him.

We weaved through DC again and cut south under the mall in SW DC. As we approached Nationals Stadium and mile 19, Bing's legs decided they were not interested in continuing. He had hit a wall. Amanda and I did everything we could to keep him loose and moving forward. Bing gave the proverbial "go on without me" [insert Arnold Schwarzenegger voice here...thankfully he did not yell "Get to the chopper!"] We reminded him that we were pretty sure that we weren't going to win and we were doing this insanity as a team. Bouncing between walking and running for the next couple of miles, at miles 23 Bing made the decree that he was going to finish and nothing was going to stop him. BOMF DC Executive Director, Autumn Campbell, joined us in working to finish the race.

We came out of Anacostia Park and went up the hills of Minnesota Avenue. We made the turn onto East Capitol Street and could see RFK. All we had to do was run halfway around the stadium and cross the finish line. As we navigated around the stadium, we could see the crowd increasing and then saw the finish line. Carolyn, Kristen and Ellis screamed from the right and my folks, Maureen and Brighid cheered from the left. Step after step...We crossed the finish line as a team and all immediately embraced.

National Marathon - Details

We looked down at our medals and tried to take in the last 4+ hours. It is incredible how after torturing your legs for 26 miles, when you have finished and see everyone who has supported you, you feel no pain. After posing for few photos we gathered our belongings and waited for John and Tyrone. A few minutes later, they crossed the finish line and we began to recount the morning's journey.


We split up to go shower and relax and then reconvened for big, juicy hamburgers followed by cake and ice cream. After months of preparing, we had attacked the National Marathon and won.

Thanks for everyone for their emotional and financial support. We are so proud of all the runners especially our BOMF brothers and sisters! We are planning on a few days to rest the legs and then will be back our for our normal morning runs. Come out and join us!!!

Counting Down

We are 2 long runs away from the marathon. With John heading out on vacation tomorrow for 10 days, we decided to add on to our normal Back On My Feet Wednesday Run to get a few more miles in. We rolled out of Blair House and headed downtown. It constantly amazes me that our runs include things like "right at the Capitol", "down the Mall", "passed the Washington Monument" and "around the Lincoln Memorial". The city is wonderful as it is waking up...just a few joggers, bikers and folks going to work. Nice way to start the day...

Wednesday BOMF Run +

We are still campaigning hard to raise money for BOMF! We are a few dollars short of supporting one member for an entire calendar year. We have received some wonderful support from individual and companies and hope to add to that.

As mentioned, we have two long runs left before the marathon. We will be doing 15 miles this Saturday and 10 miles on the 19th. We will be running at 4:15p both days from Ted's Bulletin on 8th Street SE in Capitol Hill and always love people joining us! Even if you want to run one mile, come out and join us!

On marathon day we will need supporters as well! The route is pretty extensive as it weaves in and out of the neighborhoods of DC. Take a look at the course map and plan on coming to cheer the runners on! We would love to see you out there!

Bing + Brighid

Two peas in a Ted's Bulletin Pod!

one month to go!!!

We are less than one month away from the National Marathon!!! First off, thank you to everyone who has helped our fund raising and supported Back On My Feet! We cannot thank everyone enough for their generosity!

Training has been going well. With crazy schedules and insane weather [bitter cold, high winds, rain, sleet] we have managed to keep running. Two weeks ago, we ran 18 miles with wind gusting over 40 miles an hour. I won’t lie to you, it hurt. A lot. I just pray that on 26 March, we will have absolutely no wind whatsoever. You can check out the run at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/69102282?sms_ss=email&at_xt=4d6bab180e666796%2C0.

This past weekend was a bit of a scheduling debacle. I had a series of events all day Saturday, so I was unable to get out with the team. Instead, I had to hoist myself out of bed at 4:45 on a Saturday to hit the pavement. DC is wonderfully peaceful at this early hour on a weekend…just a few other runners and a spectacular view of the sunrise from the Key Bridge. 15 miles later, the weekend was in full swing and after a busy day, bed felt sooooooooo good. While I didn’t bring a camera on the run [I should have] you can see my route at http://connect.garmin.com/activity/70141251?sms_ss=email&at_xt=4d6bab42ae2617ff%2C0.

We are going to need as much support as possible leading up to the marathon and on the big day! We love people coming out and running with us [even if it is only for a block] and giving us emotional support [and some water]. Any marathon runner [except those crazy ones that win the race] will tell you that thing biggest thing that helps get us through the race [aside from training] is screaming fans. The race is on the 26th of March starting at 7am and goes all through DC. You can find a course map at http://www.nationalmarathon.com/SunTrust_National_Marathon/SunTrust_National_Marathon_Course.htm. Come out and yell! We LOVE familiar faces and screaming friends.

If running before dawn is not your thing, we still could use some donations to reach our goal. ANY little bit helps…just look in your couch cushions, center console in your car and winter coat…I am sure you will find a few spare bucks! Go to http://www.active.com/donate/BOMFNATLMARATHON2011/DSB_BOMF and chip in just a little bit. Back On My Feet is an amazing cause and is worthy of every cent. DON’T FORGET…SunTrust is matching DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR EVERY DONATION!!!

Check out the shout out from BOMF on their page at http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=cnpc5dcab&v=001XMg27mzAwequB08qixOJDURjKk4AiTtqOxjYW5oIzyMImqPTdJFvTlx_Zzu4Gh-bQRa5LEzMe37zHd14TdhJ7QugVzT5iOM-L5VZJrI8Gn_ePKOUVj8PomoxdMQk4iS2_eIY9quQWEGpFrqhp-lQV4QVoFP_IOeeA8K3O_Np7c8%3D. We love it!

Lastly, I wanted to say a special thanks to Dean Sara Thompson at Catholic University’s Metropolitan School for Professional Studies. Not only has Sara helped financially and she ALWAYS offers her moral support when I see her and talk to her but most importantly, Sara is facilitating a connection between BOMF and CUA so that some of our members can take classes and further their education with a goal of a better job and better life. From everyone associated with BOMF, thank you for your time and energy!

Meet Team BOMF

This week Mother Nature came calling with some snow to put an additional challenge in our training. John, Chris, Brian, Amanda, Bing and I all agreed to meet after Bing got out of work on Saturday for a long run. Some of the snow had melted, but there were a fair amount of sidewalks still iced over. With determination and team spirit, we crushed the 10 miles in just over 80 minutes.

Weekend Long Run by BOMF

In lieu of going into long winded detail about the run, I figured I would showcase one of our marathon team members, Kenneth P. Kenneth was an original member of Back On My Feet when it began in DC almost a year ago. Here is my brief interview with the man we all know as Bing...

DSB: What is your full name?
KMP: My full name is, Kenneth Marlin P.
DSB: Where were you born?
KMP: I was born in Washington, D.C. in (D.C. General Hospital).
DSB: What is your shoe size?
KMP: My shoe size is, ten.
DSB: What is your favorite food?
KMP: My favorite food is a whole, deep fried turkey.

DSB: How did you end up living at 801 East?
KMP: After 14 years of incarceration, I found myself homeless and ended up moving into 801 East.

DSB: What made you sign up for BOMF?
KMP: Three members from a running group called, "Back On My Feet", by the names of Wylie, Monica and Amanda, came to recruit ten guys out of 801 East, to join their group. They explained that with successful completion, (six months), we would receive a grant for one-thousand dollars. I immediately signed my name on the dotted line.

DSB: What was your reaction to the first day running with BOMF?
KMP: My first reaction to the first day running with Back On My Feet was "we're not only running with dudes, there are also good looking chicks running!!"

DSB: What was your first race? What were you thinking / feeling before, during and after the race?
KMP: My first race was a 5k at George Washington Parkway. The only thing I could remember thinking was, completing 3.1 miles at a consistent pace. I wasn't absolutely sure before the race, that I'd still been able to stick to the plan, having considered the likelihood of it almost certain outcome, would surely hinder me. There were hills to climb throughout the course, which I felt were slightly brutal, and couldn't be ran up, only walked. I convinced myself that if I could stay more focused on deep breathing through my nasal passage instead of only my mouth, then I may stand a chance. It was only a half mile left to go and my shoelace came loosened. After finishing the race I cut back on smoking cigarettes and double tied my shoelaces.

DSB: What was your favorite race with BOMF? Why?
KMP: My favorite race with Back On My Feet was the Crystal City 5k where I got the chance to eat Ann Mahlum's dust. After finishing the race I felt like I've achieved the beginning of many more accomplishments to come and that is impossible to fail at as long as I continue trying. I also felt drenched, because it rained cats and rats after-wards!

DSB: What made you sign up for the National Marathon?
KMP: I signed up for the National Marathon for two reasons, one's that I wanted to experience what it feels like to have absolutely no energy to do or say anything and then a few twenty-four hours later, feeling like, probably in the best shape I'd ever feel in my entire existence!! Second, I have to represent my bank SunTrust!

DSB; What is your favorite part of running with BOMF?
KMP: My favorite part of running with Back On My Feet is the unconditional generosity, that each one gives and has taught me to give, no matter what!!

DSB: What are your running goals for the next year?
KMP: My running goals for next year will be something sort of a re-cap of last year’s runs but to incorporate much swimming as possible, as far as my short-term goes. My long-term goal is to complete a triathlon.

DSB: As a former “resident”, what would you like to teach / show the current residents?
KMP: As a former resident I would like to teach the current residents the importance of having to do something different, in order to want something different. I want to show them how determination, sacrifice and staying focus can bring about a change.

Interviewers Note: I have run [by "run" I mean, "I tried to keep up with"] several races with Bing...he is a physical beast. He is skinny and roughly 9 feet tall with 7 foot tall legs. He makes the weekend long runs look effortless. What I am trying to say is, be careful "elite" marathon runners...if a tall, high speed blur runs screaming passed you during the race, just wave and smile at our man Bing.

Why would anyone in their right mind...

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday my alarm goes off at 5 o’clock in the morning. By 5:30am, I have run by John's place to meet him and we both run to Blair House, a homeless shelter in NE DC. Almost a year ago, we joined a "running" group called Back on my Feet. This group pairs homeless “residents” with “non-residents”. Each resident member is given running gear to get kicked off; after that, it is up to them. After every 30 days, if a resident has 90% attendance, they qualify for career training, and can apply for grants or housing assistance.

Selfishly, I joined last March when the group began in DC. I figured, I like to run, sleep is for the weak and I can get out and better my community doing my good deed for each day. With this decision, I convinced myself that I was guaranteed to have people proud of me and my good heart while introducing these guys to running and get them in some races.

On our first day, in 35 degree weather, our group circled up, did 40 jumping jacks, 40 push-ups and went through a basic stretching regimen. Amidst the clapping, we all tightened the circle and put our arms around each other. We then recited the serenity prayer. While simple in form, the prayer is quite complex.

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

We then headed out into the dark and ran a mile. One mile. I run 3 or 4 days a week in some cases for hours on end, so one mile wasn’t much of a big deal. What I didn’t expect was how the events following the mile would affect me.

We circled back up clapping for one another. We recited the prayer another time and got ready to leave. I turned to head home and was stopped instantaneously by others in the group as everyone began to hug goodbye. I am an army brat; the son of a former green beret…I am not a big hugger, especially with complete strangers. Within moments I was hugging people I had met only an hour earlier.

As I walked away I watched some of the shelter residents leaving the shelter for the day. Every single gentleman was carrying a duffle bag, suitcase or even a plastic garbage bag, containing everything they owned. Against everything I was taught as a child, I stared. At that point, I realized my make-myself-feel-better-about-myself-ego was being taught a very powerful lesson.

I look forward to my runs each week. I love clowning around with Bing, Ellis, Carolyn, Amanda, Brian, Kristen and Chris, smiling with my morning energy burst before the sun rises. I have heard incredible stories about failed businesses, addiction and thieving family members. I have worked with guys who had never even owned a pair of running shoes and watched them increase their mileage and run in local races. No one in our group is homeless…no one has a permanent residence; we are all just a bunch of insane early morning runners.

I have never once felt good about myself for what I am doing…I don’t need to. The effect this program has certainly involves assisting the residents with basic needs, but the greater effect is on all of us, not only as human beings, but as equals. I have some great new friends who I just love being with.

So why do we do it every week? Long story short, for an hour or two every couple of days, no one is homeless and no one is unemployed...we're just runners trying to out run the cold air in the darkness. So bring it on National Marathon, we are ready for you.

18 degrees and cooling

John was away for the weekend and my schedule was a little hairy, so I had to go it alone on Saturday morning for a long run. Normally this isn't the end of the world, but following 20 brutally cold minutes at the park walking the dogs, I knew it was not going to be the most pleasant of mornings. Following a bagel and 20 more minutes of trying to psych myself up while my wife shook her head in disbelief, I went out the front door. It was 18 degrees with a wind chill of 12. Within about 35 seconds I was ready to hop in a cab and head home, but vowed to fight through.

Weekend Long COLD Run - Details

Following my endurance food freezing, by sweat on my hat freezing to my headphones and loss of feeling in my chin, I made it home. I don't recall a better shower. I spent the rest of the weekend warming up and retelling my tale of woe, feeling increasingly proud of myself and how I ran through miserable weather. That was until I got John's text message Sunday afternoon stating he ran 12+ miles in NYC where is was somewhere around 47 degrees below zero. I am a wimp.

Back in the Saddle

One year ago today John and I had just completed the second day of the two day Goofy Marathon and a Half Challenge in a VERY cold Orlando, Florida. Following a recovery which included remaining stationary on the couch for 24 hours, eating our body weight in pizza and riding as many roller coasters as possible the day after, I quietly (the press was invited, but no one showed up) retired from the Goofy Challenge (John has not yet announced his future in that insanity) vowing to focus on shorter, less punishing endeavors.

We turned down the lead roles in The Green Hornet (we couldn't decide who would be Kato) and roles as judges on American Idol and in March, we joined the newly formed DC chapter of Back On My Feet (http://backonmyfeet.org) running with gentlemen at the 801 East Homeless and Recovery Shelter. For the past 10 months, we have made some amazing friends while running routes from 1 mile to half marathons.

Celebrating the one year anniversary, we will be running the National Marathon through the streets of DC with our 801 Team. In preparation for the race, not only will we be following a strict physical training schedule, we are vowing to raise money for this incredible organization. Last year, we raised over $5000 for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation and this year we would like to have as much success.

We will be updating this blog as we train and get ready for the raise, so please follow us! You can donate to our cause and follow our fundraising at http://www.active.com/donate/BOMFNATLMARATHON2011/DSB_BOMF. If you want to donate and get a little free advertising out of the deal, check out http://www.space4for4rent.blogspot.com. If you want to get out and run, BOMF is ALWAYS looking for dedicated members and we always love training partners! Put on a hat and gloves and get out there with us!!!

We're back.............

After surviving the Goofy Challenge, we have moved on to bigger and better things. In March, we joined the amazing Back On My Feet [http://www.backonmyfeet.org] organization. Back on My Feet is a nonprofit organization that promotes the self-sufficiency of homeless populations by engaging them in running as a means to build confidence, strength and self-esteem.

Back on My Feet does not provide food nor does it provide shelter, but instead provides a community that embraces equality, respect, discipline, teamwork and leadership. There are no labels, no stigmas and no stereotypes. At Back on My Feet, all members - regardless of race, education or socioeconomic status - join together to move their own lives forward as well as the lives of their teammates.

John and I have been running with the group from 801 East and have developed some incredible relationships. With 801 East, we have run tons of miles and multiple races including the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon. As a result of the team's spectacular performance, we are stepping up and running the National Marathon [http://www.nationalmarathon.com/] in March.

As a part of this race, we are looking to each raise $1800 [the cost of supporting a resident runner in BOMF for one year]. We have a great goal, a strong training plan and an excited team.

You can donate at http://www.active.com/donate/BOMFNATLMARATHON2011/DSB_BOMF or http://www.space4for4rent.blogspot.com/

Stay tuned for more info...

39.3 miles, 5 hours and 40 minutes and 5,324 burned calories

Sorry for the delay in the latest [and probably last] posting. I was just trying to make sure my legs still worked yesterday…typing was not an option.

For the second day in a row, we got up at 3:30am to get ready for the race. Maureen and Cory also got up to head over to Disney with us to scope out some good spectator locations. The four of us made it to Disney at 4:45am in time for our final pre-race rituals. For the marathon start, there was thankfully no sleet, but the temperature was a balmy 28 degrees. The forecast called for the temperature to climb all the way to 38 degrees around the time we expected to finish, so we applied our multiple layers and went out into the cold.

We made the 20 minute walk to the starting line and entered our pre-determined Corral C. With 20,000 people around us, the temperature was not too tremendously bad [note: somewhere between the car and the corral, John managed to “misplace” one glove causing him to run the race Michael Jackson Thriller Style. I will not say where the glove might be…if you want to know, you have to ask him yourself]. The fireworks shot off and the race was underway.

We first circled Epcot Center and then made our way up to The Magic Kingdom. We saw Maureen and Cory as we entered The Magic Kingdom around mile 9. It is always so nice to see familiar faces during these races…it is a little energy boost. We circled through The Magic Kingdom again going through Cinderella’s Castle. Upon exiting The Magic Kingdom around mile 13, we saw Maureen and Cory again. At this point, the route was not much different than the Half-Marathon.

The route took us behind the scenes down towards the Animal Kingdom. Within a few hundred yards of the Animal Kingdom, we were greeted by the smell of the Animal Kingdom. We did choose to run this race thinking it would be a unique experience. While freezing in Florida while smelling animals was certainly unique, it was not what we expected. Once we got into the Animal Kingdom, the methane content of the air seemed to lower and we were back focusing on the cold.

We left the Animal Kingdom and went on some of the main Disney roads to the Disney Hollywood Studios. Throughout the race, the staff of Disney was out in force in costume with many of the characters cheering us on. Throughout the parks and roads, there were bands and DJs playing music to keep us going. Of course at mile 20, we got the jackass DJ screaming “only 6 miles to go”. People, telling a marathoner that he or she only has 6 miles to go is not encouraging; it can be back breaking. At mile 20, you are at your lowest…your feet hurt, your knees hurt; your body hurts…6 miles might as well be 600. Clap, whistle, yelling “go runners”…all good options; reminding runners that they have, quite possibly, an hour more pain makes you a jackass.

I am now off my soap box.

After making fun of the DJ for a half mile or so, it set in that we had another 6 miles to go. At this point, running became purely about repetition. My legs just kept moving in a constant rhythm…there was no stopping or slowing down. Speeding up wasn’t going to happen either. I felt a bit like a hamster on a wheel ; not stopping for anything. We went through the studios at one point cutting directly through the costume building. We went through the New York stage and out of the studios.

With 3 miles to go, we were circling one of the lakes on the boardwalk of the hotel area. At this point, although we had no preconceived notions of goal times, it occurred to us that we could break the 4 hour mark. We kept it steady and focused on the course. With less than two miles to go, some nut job came running out to us. John preceded to high-five the whack-o and kept running. It wasn’t until we ran past that it finally set in my brain that the whack-o was our good friend Mike Anderson who came up from Tampa Bay with his wife [not a whack-o running out to us] for the race. This confusion is just slightly indicative of my brain function at 25 miles.

We realize that the distance left was equal to running form my house to the Capitol, a route we have done countless times before. We stuck together and entered Epcot having seen the dome knowing the finish was nearby. We cut around the dome and saw the end…thankfully. As we crossed the finish line, the woman next to me in her joy of seeing her friends and not paying attention proceeded to trip on the timing mat crashing head first. We dodged her and almost ran directly into another poor lass who was passing out as we approached. More incredible than surviving is that we finished in 3 hours and 50 minutes…unreal for two old guys.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Disney Marathon

We counted our blessings and were greeted with a blanket. We then got our medal for the marathon and continued forward to the Goofy Challenge tent. In the tent we were greeted by volunteers who gave us our third and final medal for completing this lunacy.

We grabbed some food and exited to meet everyone. As we left the tent, we were crushed with cold wind dropping our temperatures about 60 degrees. Our meet and greet with our incredible supporters was cut extremely short as we hustled to the car to get warm. The challenge of getting to the car in a hurry was that we had very little leg control and were both wearing two 10 pound medals. Maureen ran ahead to start the car as Cory graciously took the medals in an attempt to expeditiously get to the awaiting car. When we got to the car, we sat silent and motionless contemplating how to get out of cold, sweat drenched clothes. As Maureen and Cory were outside the car to give us room to stretch out, John broke the pain by commenting, “look at Cory with the medals on; she looks like Bruce Jenner”. With an eruption of laughter, we started to get changed.

We returned to the hotel and both jumped in hot showers. John took a nap as I snacked. I then went down to the steam room and for a massage. Though painful, the massage was fantastic for working out 39.3 miles of trauma to my legs.

We all reconvened in the suite and made the decision to order out and relax. With playoff football on TV, everyone got together and ate pizza and drank beer. This is why we run.

Today we went over to the Disney Studios to ride some rides and enjoy the park. As we walked through, we did our best to piece together the run through the park attempting to figure out what we had seen and where we had been. We took in the Stunt Show and rode the fantastic Tower of Terror and Rock and Roll Rollercoaster acting like kids.

It has been an incredible 7+ months of preparing for the weekend. We worked through some tough times, but are no worse for wear. While I think we have agreed to retire from the Goofy Challenge, I am sure there is some other lunacy on the horizon.

Not to be too sappy, but thanks to my amazing running partner John, for his encouragement and excitement to get out and hit the road. Thanks to Maureen to being equally as supportive and dealing with early runs, smelling clothing and my complaints of being sore. Thanks to our support cast of Cory, Dave, Kim, Wendy, Brad and Sondra for standing behind us on this journey, constantly switching meal plans so we could eat more pasta, getting out to run with us on those cold, rainy miserable days when it would have been easier to stay inside and absolutely always knowing that we would finish. Thanks to my incredible folks, sister Adrienne, Brother-in-law Sean and silly niece Corinne, for not only coming to cold Florida to cheer us on, but backing this idea from start to finish. Thanks to Cheryl, Chad, Katie, Riley, Bode, Mike and Tove for coming to cold Orlando to yell and scream us on. And a very special thanks to everyone who donated to our campaign to raise money for CCFA. Obviously this cause is close to my heart, but with a tight knit group of family and friends, it is close to theirs as well. Thank you everyone for your generosity and encouragement. There are countless other who helped in this endeavor; too many to count. Thanks to everyone for helping us…don’t let anyone tell you any idea is not possible. If two old dudes can run 39.3 miles over two days, anything is possible.

13.1 down...26.2 to go...

The 3:30am alarm hurt. Badly. As much as I wanted to get to sleep early, I tossed and turned until somewhere around 11:00pm. Following a great evening [not only are we here with Maureen and Cory, my sister, brother-in-law, niece and parents are here to witness the insanity. Last night I got a great surprise in that our great friends Cheryl Blank from Maine and the Hollister clan from Vermont came to join in the festivities. Chad, Cheryl, Maureen and I all volunteer at CCFA's Camp Oasis during the summer making the best week of my year] with family, friends and a perfect protein and carb dinner, we were ready to hit the pavement.

We left the hotel at 4am to head to Disney. We got in smoothly and had plenty of time to get ready to endure the 38 degree weather with sleet and rain and head to the start. We were assign Carrol B [I have no idea how many corrals were involved, but they went up to at least J] based on our predicted finish time. Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy greeted all of the runners and whisked us on our way. We ran around the outside of Epcot heading into the main entrance of The Magic Kingdom. We were ushered in and out of public and private areas "seeing" [it is hard to see much over an hour before sunrise] the inner workings of the Disney Empire.

As we wrapped around The Magic Kingdom, we were thrown right into the middle which was great with all of the holiday lights still up and fans all around. We finished our route through the Magic Kingdom with a run through Cinderella's Castle. We headed back out of the park and back towards Epcot. With a quick restroom pitstop, we made the loop back to Epcot for the final 3 miles. We had maintained a strong pace for the first 10 miles and managed to pick it up a little bit as we wrapped through Epcot. We journeyed around the geodesic dome and cranked it up for a strong finish.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Disney Half Marathon


After a solid hour and fifty minutes, we had completed 1/3 of our mission. As the sleet had converted entirely to rain and the temperature had dropped 3 degrees, we quickly gathered our medal, some drinks and food and made it swiftly to the car. With the heat cranked, we changed prior to venturing home. A little traffic later, we were on our way. By 8:00am, we had been awake for 5 hours and had run 13.1 miles...not bad for a morning.

Since our return to the hotel, we have each had a 30 minute leg massage, some food and plenty to drink. We are continuing our relaxation for the remainder of the day with another early bedtime tonight. Tomorrow morning...26.2...

Don't forget to track us at
http://live.activeresult.com/msg/MSG-signup.tcl?event_id=3

13 hours to go...

We made it to Florida yesterday in one piece. Thankfully our luggage also made it to Florida. Once we got checked in at the hotel, we, along with 30,000 of our closest friends, made our way to the Race Expo. For the huge crowds, it was pretty well organized and pain-free. We got our numbers, t-shirts and other free stuff and hit the bricks. We have a great 3 bedroom suite with family and friends and had a relaxing dinner.

Today was spent doing a short 2-mile run, scoping out race viewing areas, running a few errands, doing some work and laying low. All 6 of us are now typing away like mad on our laptops with Law + Order SGUTFHEYUFJKF on in the background. We are getting ready for a nice pre-race dinner and an early bedtime.

The first challenge will be getting up to leave the hotel at 4am. The race starts in waves beginning at 5:30am with road closures beginning at 3am. In other words, we are getting up damn early to run like mad. People can track us online at

http://live.activeresult.com/msg/MSG-signup.tcl?event_id=3

Stay tuned tomorrow for more updates...keep your fingers crossed!

Online Tracking

You can track us online next weekend!!!

http://live.activeresult.com/msg/MSG-signup.tcl?event_id=3

Connecticut Training 3 [Long Training 13]

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Connecticut Training 3 [Long Training 13]

HEAT WAVE

It has been an eventful last week and a half. Last weekend we were to get out for the Celtic Solstice 5 miler on Saturday and then a 20 miler on Sunday. That was the plan at least. Then came the snow....lots of snow. In DC we got hit with about 18" of the wintry goodness which in the nation's capital equals complete shutdown. Needless to say, the only workouts we got were shoveling snow. On Saturday we shoveled at least three or four times and Sunday brought the lovely task of digging out the cars. After the last shovel full, I went right to the shower and then couch not even considering a run.

On Monday, Maureen and I drove up to Connecticut for the holiday. Thankfully the drive was tolerable [we have had a string of terrible drives...8 - 12 hours for a 300 mile trek]. After a dinner and a good night sleep, I had to get back on the running train. While the streets of Connecticut had limited snow, the temperature at run time was 23 degrees with a nasty wind. I put on my 30 layers of clothing and headed out.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Connecticut Training 2 [Short Training 21]

I made my journey through the streets of Wolcott and Waterbury dodging snow banks and lost holiday shoppers. The first 5 miles were not too bad...there was some sun and a light breeze. After I made the turn back, the wind smacked me in the face and beat me down. I fought the urge to stop and call for a ride at every hill. After about 10 miles, I was back to a warm house.

After the day off yesterday, I got back out this morning for a pre-holiday dinner run. The plan was to do about 5 miles and keep the legs loose in the 19 degree blistering heat. That was the plan...then I got lost. I had some idea where I was, but wasn't exactly sure, aside from turning around, how to get back. Using my John Locke tracking skills [I can't wait for LOST to return] I figured out where I was and only had two hills to cross to get home. So much for a light jog with limited hills. Needless to say, the post 7 miles shower and coffee were fantastic.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Connecticut Training 1 [Short Training 20]

I am now ready to relax for a few days and enjoy the holiday with friends and family. I hope everyone gets to do the same. We are about two and a half weeks from the race, so I should start carbo-loading now...bring on a nice, cold beer. Have a great holiday everyone!

a bunch of random runs...

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Short Training 19

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Long Training 12

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Short Training 18

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Short Training 17

welcome back + see you soon

It has been a good post-thanksgiving week...the semester is coming to a close and the holiday gatherings are starting. The week had a couple of good short runs...I somehow managed to get runs in on days when it wasn't pouring down rain and that's always a good thing. Following my terrible run [the run wasn't really terrible, I was just wiped out from the cold and wind] on Saturday, I spent the week nervous for my Sunday long run. In building up for the 20 miler Sunday, I wanted to go through the motions this week...eat better, get some sleep and just relax.

The good news came Friday on my drive home...John had been cleared to get back out running. He went out Thursday for a short run and was going to join me on Sunday at the end of the long run. Welcome back amigo, the team is back together.

This week was also a weekend where Saturday and Sunday runs were on the schedule. I got up Saturday to rain, sleet and snow [John's favorite meteorological system...the "wintry mix"]. I bundled up and decided to take the canine pace dog, Harley, with me to burn off some energy and keep me company. It was so terrible out that the super-Garmin watch couldn't even see a satellite. Note to self: when the super watch can't see space, don't run.

We headed down past the Capitol and on to the Mall. Within the first mile, we were both soaked and Harley was not happy with me at all. We went down the Mall and rounded the Washington Monument to head back home. The weather got worse and the temperature dropped over the extent of the run. At each red light, Harley was shivering seemingly contemplating biting me and getting a cab home. After 6 miles we got home to warmth and breakfast. Harley didn't acknowledge my existence for about 3 hours.

Following the run, we got the bad news that my maternal grandmother, the Pittsburgh Spit-fire, Romayne Mayko passed away. It was shocking to me that she was over 90 as she had more energy than most 30 year olds. She was a wonderful person and spectacular grandmother. I don't know how it started or when it started, but for some reason whenever we called each other, we would change our voices and act like we were someone else...telemarketers, service calls, the police, etc. This amused us to no end...it became a competition to see who was more creative in their character and his/her voice. It did back-fire on occasion...at one point just after college, she called our house and John happened to be the one to answer the phone. She thought it was me and started in. John being totally confused, acted as such. Eventually grandma said, "who is this?" to which John responded, "you called me...who's this???". Safe to say, she loved John from that moment. Rest in Peace grandma, you will be missed by this grateful grandchild.


















Surprisingly, I slept fairly well Saturday night and thankfully the wintry mix stopped by Sunday morning. I had some breakfast and set out in the 32 degree weather for the 20 mile run. The first two miles were damn cold...by mile 4 I was crossing into Virginia and warming up. When I hit mile 5, I was in autopilot. I knew that John would meet me around mile 16 in Georgetown and prop me up to breakfast. Aside from some ice on sidewalks, the run went incredibly well. I motored into Georgetown feeling good. John was right on time, gave me a few minutes to stretch and we were back on the road together. It was good to have the tandem back...felt like months since we ran together. With one month to the race[s], we are optimistic and feeling good.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Long Training 11

I finished the run strong and feeling good. Aside from a minor planning issue, I somehow managed to run 21 miles instead of 20, I felt physically and mentally fantastic. Following a shower, off to breakfast...man that french toast, eggs and bacon tasted incredible. I got to the couch only to find the Redskins beating the Saints. What world is this??? Still a lot of football to play...my team spirit in the Skins has been dashed too many times this season.

This week will be interesting...not sure what it will bring. In the meantime, I am going to reload my water bottle, watch some football and eat some more. Bring on the snacks.

Short Training 16

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Short Training 16

Short Training 15

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Short Training 15

WIndy with a chance of cyclone

Happy Thanksgiving everybody! I hope everyone had some time to rest and relax and enjoy some time with family and friends.

It was for the most part, a good training week. A nice short run on Tuesday evening led into 3 days off from work. Wednesday's errand running could have been classified as a training run, but I didn't chart the mileage and didn't know how it fit into our training schedule exactly.

Thursday brought about turkey day with a nice morning run. John is still on the mend from his bum knee [plus, Thanksgiving was at his place, so we weren't letting him out of the kitchen] so he unfortunately could not join Brad, Sondra and I as we jogged down the mall and then did the Turkey Trot. It was foggy and a bit chilly, but the warm up was a nice kick off to the day. The Turkey Trot was packed...a great turnout for the run benefiting S.O.M.E. We were able to get out in front of the crowds, so we had a nice, quick run.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Short Training 14 / Thanksgiving Turkey Trot

The plan was to then run home. Brad had enough foresight the night before to get Maureen to come pick us up. Given the cold temperatures and the direct route to get coffee, this was a very wise decision. [Yes, I was drinking water in addition to my coffee...no more kidney stones for me thanks]

Thanksgiving dinner was spectacular...we ate, drank and were merry. We had somewhere between 30 and 40 courses I think from soup to turkey to mashed potatoes and stuffing to a plethora of desserts. Throw in some football and great vino and it was a fantastic day.

I made the decision to do the long run on Saturday to get another day of rest afterward. From the window, it looked like a nice, sunny day. Unfortunately the wind was screaming making the 40 degrees feel like 30. I went through the first 5 miles with no problem...as I crossed the 14th Street Bridge, the weather started to take its toll. The wind was wiping me out and I had 8 miles to go. I regained some composure on the south side of the Potomac, but as I crossed the Key Bridge into Georgetown, my energy was zapped. I pushed through the last 4 miles with everything I had. The wind was nasty and through some disturbance in the force it seemed to always be a head wind regardless of what direction I was heading.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Long Training 10

Needless to say, Saturday was a wash. I didn't even have the energy to meet John at Jimmy Ts...bad news, I know. At least today is another football Sunday and tonight we are heading to M + T Bank Stadium to see the Ravens / Steelers game tonight [thanks Heather and Dick for the tickets!] Enjoy the remainder of the weekend everybody...back to the grind tomorrow.