13.1 miles=I'm Getting the Sticker. Running Half Marathons!

Jan 23rd 2012 was an ordinary day, as I stepped into Pacers Running Store in Fairfax, Virginia, to purchase a pair of shoes. Yes, I had an extra thirty pounds of girth that needed to be taken care of. While it had been recommended to me by doctors not to run long distances again, due to a couple of knee surgeries and being bald, I've always enjoyed bucking "conventional wisdom," with that of course being an oxymoron. Today being May 5th, and with the help of God, numerous folks along the way, Chobani Yogurt, a new diet that includes that, water, and a new diagnosis of Running OCD yesterday marked the first time ever I've run a half marathon. 13.1 miles. Who knows how many times my feet hit the ground. Thirty plus pounds lighter, and in the best shape of my life, my only concerns so far have been a bit of my upper arm muscles disappearing. That is a reasonable trade off, due to the spare tire being much less so.

My training regimen has been simple. I started off with one mile runs, that left me out of breath. Allergy and Asthma Care Centers, have been immensely helpful, with regards to helping on this aspect. In fact, my legs hurt more than my lungs. Building up to 5k's, I then started to enter races. While I'm in my mid thirties, and will never keep up with those young bucks, who seem to be genetic freaks running at "ludicrous speed," my hats off to them for what they are capable of. Times are important of course, the key is setting reasonable goals. Yet what holds the most value, is just getting out there and being active. "Mind, Body, Spirit!", is what one of my instructors used to yell out. Those tenets go so well with running, and each of these is used, as yesterday they were all pulling together to keep my old legs going even at a turtle's pace at the end.

After that run, I couldn't walk very well. My legs ached a bit last night, and they are still a little sore, to say the least. Yet the half marathon has been accomplished. At mile markers 9, 11, and 12, my mind kept telling me to stop. For whatever reason, I just felt "you are this close, just keep going." Running is truly more of a mental exercise than anything else, yet I have learned its also important to listen to it in certain situations. That would include a shortened run a few weeks ago, when the knees acted up, and the right decision to stop was made. A few days were taken off, and today I plan on purchasing that 13.1 sticker, and placing it on the truck. Is there a feeling of accomplishment? Yes. Do I think that perhaps its time to get an evaluation of my brain? Perhaps. I don't know if I'm going to run this distance again, but it has been done. Anyone can get out there and run. It doesn't matter what your times are, what distances you travel, but what does is just getting out there and staying active enough to feel the passion that this brings.

Vienna ES 5K: Run and Fun!

It was an honor to participate in the Vienna Elementary Vikings 5K run this past weekend. While it was a tough course, with some uphill terrain on Cottage Street in certain section, it was my best time yet. A lot of this is due to the Nike LunarGlide+3 shoes that I was wearing, practice of course, and also due to kind folks encouragement. At 25:34 for the 3.2 mile course, I know I won't be competing with the Marathon Runner, who was able to complete it in 17 minutes and some change. Yet, with two knee surgeries, age, and no angry dogs chasing me, I'm happy to have completed it and taken part in an event that helps this school. It was a bit of concern that morning, as it rained the whole night prior to the event, yet the Sun parted the clouds to provide for optimal conditions.

First they had a fun run, with a young man from nearby Madison HS completing a mile in 6 minutes or so. Congrats to him, and all of the participants in that event, including my father, and a good sized crowd. At 8:35 a.m. our airhorn went off, and my strategy might change on the next one. Its so hard to describe in words, the feelings of intensity that go through your veins when lined up, surrounded by hundreds of runners. Yes, I knew deep down that I wasn't going to win, but that spirit is never crushed, just only put on the backburner into a new reality. That is to finish in the top 25% which was accomplished, and to continue to improve. I did make some mistakes. The first one was getting caught up in this, and gunning it as fast as I could. At the 1.6 mile marker, I was in 37th place. The end result was #78, which wasn't bad, but the last mile was a real beast, due to barely having any gas left in the tank.

Yet what brought some encouragement, besides the crowd, was seeing my wife, our two year old son, and other family members cheering me on. I gave it all I had, probably a brisk jog for the last couple hundred yards, and was happy with this time. At the end, the school was kind enough to provide water, bread, oranges, bananas, and other foods/drinks, to replenish all of the electrolytes missing from such a competition. The t-shirt designed by the Vienna student was excellent, although I was happy to wear a bright red Chris Perkins for Congress, who's running(for a better term), for the 11th district Congressional Seat against Incumbent and career politician Gerry Connolly.

This is an annual event, and I strongly recommend it to all families. Prior to the race, there was an exercise exhibit, and at the end, there was a raffle. Local businesses offered prizes such as massages(perhaps maybe not the best joke, since a illegal operation just got shut down with arrests in town), and also Thai food and other gifts. This event, if you google Vienna ES 5 K, should be held again in late April next year. I plan on being there again, and hoping others will run this course, that goes through neighborhood streets. To the people cheering us on, the Vienna Police and others who blocked the roads for safety purposes, thank you. If you are in the area, I highly recommend it, although be prepared to really hit the pavement on this one. Its early in the day, but you'll get a running start.