PHOTOS FROM DONNA

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OFFICIALLY A MANIAC

Remember when I said that I hate marathons, and that I don’t see myself running another marathon without my posse?

Forget all of that; times have changed!

During the 26.2 Run With Donna last week, Pam TOLD me that I HAD to run the full marathon in Gainesville the next weekend.  The Five Points of Life is a great half marathon, but the full leaves a lot to be desired.  She said that if I did indeed complete the full, I would qualify to join Marathon Maniacs.  The criterion to join this organization includes running three marathons in the span of 90 days.  Since I had already completed Ocala, and was about to finish off Donna, it seemed like a no-brainer.  But could I physically compete in two marathons within an eight-day window?  Then Pam dropped the bombshell on me…she had not entered the race in Gainesville.  I just assumed she did, but Pam was taking a pass on this one.  I tried to convince Jennifer to run with me, but her mother was coming in from Connecticut for the weekend.

Let me get this straight…run in three marathons over a 29 day span, and…by the way…run the last one “lone-wolf” style?  REALLY???  REALLY???  I said I would seriously think about it, but of course my mind was already made up.

When I woke up on Monday morning (the day after Donna), my right foot was totally bruised and swollen on the top.  This had never happened to me before, but with a week to go before Gainesville, I wasn’t worried…yet.  My training for the week included three days of running distances of two miles, three miles and two miles.  When Wednesday rolled around, my foot was still pretty bruised, but I went out and did the two miles anyway.  My foot felt a little better on Thursday, so I put in my three mile run.  I decided to skip the run on Friday, in an effort to give the foot an extra day of healing time.

I left for Gainesville on Saturday morning with my youngest daughter Rachel.  We picked up Lindsey at her apartment, and went to the expo.  My foot was still bruised, but I “super-sized” the race anyway (I paid the difference to upgrade to the full marathon).  I figured that if my foot hurt too much, I could bail out at the halfway point.

It was 55 degrees at the start of the race.  YAY!!!  There were 213 runners participating in the full marathon, and 680 taking on the half (893 in total, not counting the 364 who participated in the 5K on Saturday morning).  My goal for this race was to finish…period!

I started very slow, and it seemed as if everyone entered in the race had passed me.  I was testing out the foot, but it didn’t seem like it would be an issue.  I started picking up speed, and was running a pretty decent pace.  Around ten miles into the race, I got the feeling that this was not going to be as difficult as I had anticipated.  After all, this was the scene of my worst finishing time for a marathon…ever!  Miles 11-13 took me through the University of Florida campus, including “The Swamp.”

The second half of the marathon could not have gone better.  I ran with a guy from Orlando for a couple of miles, but he was having difficulty keeping up.  Around mile 16, I really caught a “second wind” and never looked back.  I knew at this point, barring something unforeseen, I was going to set a new PR.  It was now about 78 degrees, and I was drinking Gatorade like nobody’s business.  I also took my creatine at mile marker seven, and never cramped up at all.  As I crossed the finish line, Lindsey and Rachel were both there cheering for me and taking pictures.  It felt great to be finished, and to have conquered this course in record-breaking fashion.  However, it did not come totally without a price.

I went to my brother’s office the next day (he is my primary care physician) at Nova Southeastern University.  He runs the Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Clinic, and I go for treatment every two weeks to keep me running like a fine-tuned engine.  My physical therapist Yasmin told me that I was pretty dehydrated, and that I should probably take it easy on the foot this week.  I also took an acupuncture treatment on my calves, not to mention the fun of digging into my feet to break up the Planter Fasciitis.

But in the end, it was all worth it; I’m now officially a Maniac, and I’m now TOTALLY addicted to doing marathons.

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WATCH THE START OF THE 26.2 WITH DONNA

If you have never seen the start of a marathon, this is really cool to watch.  It took about two minutes before I crossed the starting line.  Look closely; I'm in there somewhere!





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26.2 WITH DONNA - 2/13/2011

I've tried my best to persuade Pam to come down to South Florida and run a marathon with me, but it just hasn't worked out yet.  Her "dance card" is usually pretty filled, but we came pretty close this year.  I finally decided that "If the mountain won't come to Mohammad, Mohammad must go to the mountain."  Since Pam, Elaine and Jennifer all live in Ocala, they are more centrally located to do a larger variety of races than I am.  When you stop and consider gas, tolls, hotel, food and entry fees (yes…you do have to pay to run in these races), it's hard to just pick up and go every weekend.

Pam ran the 26.2 Run With Donna in Jacksonville last year and could not stop talking about it.  I had run the A1A Marathon that same day in Ft. Lauderdale, which was actually a "training run" for the 50K we were about to do.  I registered for Donna when Pam had to cancel out on the West Palm Beach Marathon we were planning on doing, because of a prior commitment she had made.

The 26.2 Run With Donna is the National Marathon to Finish Breast Cancer.  100% of the proceeds and raised funds go to breast cancer research and care.  Jennifer was extremely happy that I entered the race, since she was very nervous about competing.  She had only run one marathon before, and was disappointed in her finishing time.  I assured her that I would stay with her to the end, which was the reason why I chose this race.

I left early Saturday morning, and after a quick shopping spree at the Under Armour Outlet Store in St. Augustine, I arrived at the home of my close friends Cyndy and Al.  They offered to let me stay with them for the weekend, which made the trip that much more enjoyable.  Al is a fantastic athlete, but his knee will not allow him to run.  We went to the expo and met Jennifer and her friend Tracy.

I was planning on running with my cell phone for the first time, so I was in the market for some sort of case.  My running belt can hold my gels and my water bottle, but not much more. Another concern was keeping the phone dry, since I sweat like a pig.  I meandered over to the iFitness booth, where they were selling running belts made of neoprene.  A very attractive salesperson decided to demonstrate how the phone does not move as she ran in place.  REALLY???  REALLY???  Was I even looking at her belt?  When she finished, I asked her to run in place for me again, only to get smacked by Jennifer.  I was there for quite some time, which provided great entertainment value for all parties concerned.  I finally decided on the Ultimate II Race Belt, and we continued shopping.  I went back once more before we left and upgraded to the Hydration Belt, which has two little water bottles on the side.  I know they all thought I was crazy, but I tried my best to explain that I needed to run with two belts no matter what.  Since I already own a Spibelt, I would wear it during the marathon, along my new iFitness belt. We had dinner at Sliders that night, and I turned in early, since I had to get up at 3:30 a.m. on Sunday morning.

Al was kind enough to drive me to Pam's hotel at 5 a.m.  It was 41 degrees, and I was really cold.  We took the shuttle to the Runners' Village, and met Jennifer and the rest of Pam's friends.  We still had over an hour to kill, but there was lots of excitement in the air.  There were 1,571 runners competing in the full marathon, and 3,928 taking on the half (a total of 5,499 for those of you who are mathematically challenged).  Since I have absolutely no conception of crowd size, I would have guessed there were over 10,000 runners.

It took about three minutes to cross the starting line when the gun went off.  We started running over a bridge, and I had to go potty after about two miles …my usual M.O.  At the five mile point, we actually ran on the beach for the next two miles.  The sand was hard and compact, and it was a welcomed break for our legs.

It was truly a chamber of commerce day, with the temperature now around 50 degrees and not a cloud in the sky.  The crowd support for the runners was AMAZING!  It seemed like the whole city embraced this race, with people thanking us for participating in such a worthy cause.  Folks stood outside their homes and offered the runners orange slices, drinks, pretzels and even M & M's. Talk about southern hospitality!

Jennifer was consistently running ahead of us, and it was obvious we were holding her back.  At around the 18 mile mark, we told her to just take off.  It was also around this point that Pam's knee was giving her trouble and I was starting to get cramps in my left calf.  The last three miles were very difficult for the both us, but we worked as a team and encouraged each other on.

With just two-tenths of a mile to go, I got a killer cramp in my calf.  How could this happen now?  I stopped to rub it out, and told Pam to keep going.  There was no way I was going to hobble across the finish line after giving it my all for 26 miles.  I worked my calf over as quickly as I could, and did my best impersonation a man running full speed ahead.  Pam decided to wait for me, and we crossed the finish line together.  Jennifer was there to greet us, as she finished ten minutes before we did.  Not only that…she shattered her last marathon time by almost 50 minutes.  I was really proud of her.

We hung out at the Runner's Village for a little while and celebrated our accomplishments.  No personal best this day, but my times have become very consistent.  My brother (who is also my doctor) suggested I try Creatine before my next race to help with the cramping.  I'm open to any and all suggestions.

Next…on to Gainesville and a big decision to make.

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KEEP TRACK OF MY RUNNING ON

 

THE OCALA MARATHON – 1/23/2011

I was pleasantly surprised when both Elaine and Pam told me they wanted to run the full Ocala Marathon this year.  We had previously competed in the half, and I was really looking forward to running a full marathon with my buddies for the first time.  With the National Marathon to Finish Breast Cancer (26.2 With Donna) coming up on February 13th, this was a great chance to run two marathons within a three week window.


Elaine and Pam both offered to let me stay with them, since they live in the Ocala/Silver Springs area.  After a spirited game of “Rock-Paper-Scissors,” I would lodge with Pam and her husband Joe.  An extra added bonus for the weekend was the opportunity to spend Saturday with my oldest daughter Lindsey, since she is a student at the University of Florida.

I left early Saturday morning and drove straight to the race expo at the Ocala Holiday Inn Conference Center.  I met up with Elaine and Pam, bought a pair of compression sleeves for my arms, and continued my journey for another 35 miles to Gator Country.  Lindsey and I had an early dinner, and then made our way to the O-Dome to watch the Gators destroy Arkansas 75-43 in basketball.  I arrived back at Pam’s house around 11 pm and went right to bed.


It was a chilly 28 degrees when the race started.  With only 130 participants doing the full marathon (302 were doing the half), we got going right as the gun sounded.  Jennifer had not entered the race, but met up with us at the five mile mark.  She was still training for the 26.2 With Donna, and planned on staying with us for about five miles.


Since I usually run “lone wolf” style, running with my buddies made all the difference in the world.  I could not even begin to describe just how great I felt at the end of the race, both physically and emotionally.  With about two miles left, I got this unexplained burst of energy, and literally sprinted across the finish line.


I did not set a personal best, but I came pretty close.  We probably putzed around at the water stations longer than we should have, but it was fair tradeoff.  The entertainment value alone was worth the price of admission; I don’t see myself running another marathon without my posse.

I’m looking forward to 26.2 With Donna this weekend.

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ULTRA MARATHON, ULTRA DISASTER

“It’s only five more miles.”

Famous last words.

These are the words uttered to me over and over again by both Elaine and Pam as they tried to convince me to enter the Croom Fools Run.  When I first saw that Pam had entered the race, I immediately went to the website.  Within the same race was a 15 mile run, a 50K run and a 50 mile run.  I knew she was not at the point to do 50 miles; when she mentioned the word “Ultra,” I knew it had to be the 50K.  By way of definition, an untramarathon is any sporting event involving running longer than the traditional marathon length of 26.2 miles.  The thought of doing a race this long never even entered my mind, but this was a trail run that takes place at Croom which is within the Withlacoochee State Forest in Brooksville (close to Tampa).  I knew that if I even had any kind of shot at completing this 31 mile race, running with Elaine and Pam would be my only chance.

“It’s only five more miles.”

I did most of my training at Vista View Park in Davie.  There was an equestrian trail in the park which I was told would be similar to the trail I would be running on during the race.  I purchased a pair of Brooks Cascadia running shoes, which are made specifically for trail running.  My initial observations were the following: 1) the terrain is not smooth like pavement; don’t take your eyes of the trail, and 2) DON’T TAKE YOUR EYES OFF THE TRAIL!  You really have to concentrate more on where you are stepping and less time on observing the nature around you.  The training also took a toll on my lower back.

I got to Brooksville the day before the race, and picked up the race packets for the three of us.  When I turned into the Withlacoochee State Forest, there were no road signs (or signs of civilization for that matter) for about five miles.  The folks putting on the race told me that there would be water stations every five miles (as opposed to every mile) and that the runners would have to check in at these water stations.  This would be the method in which they would keep track of all of the runners, since it was a forest with no crowds to cheer us on.  The event was limited to a total of 250 participants.

When the three of us arrived at the race the next morning, it was pitch black (there are no street lights in a forest because…well…it's a forest).  When the race started, the sun was starting to come up, so we could actually see where we were running.  To my surprise (and delight), the trail was much flatter than the one at Vista View Park.  The course was marked by paint on the trees (orange for 15 mile and 50K; blue for the 50 mile).  Things were going really well, and Pam had only fallen three times so far.

The 15 mile point brought us back to where the race began, and gave us an opportunity to get some refreshments out of our cooler.  Four miles later, I was having trouble keeping up with Elaine and Pam.  They were willing to stay with me, but I didn’t want to hold them back.  BIG MISTAKE!

I was starting to cramp up and had to incorporate some walking into my routine.  I was chugging along the best I could, but at the 23 mile mark, the race turned into a complete disaster!  I followed the “Yellow Brick Road” the whole time, but it led me to a dead end right in front of a river.  Now what?  I didn’t have my cell phone with me (not that there was any reception) and no one around to ask for directions.  The only thing I could think of doing at that point was to start to follow the blue paint markings that were designated for the 50 mile run.  At least it would get me to the finish line.  I bumped into a guy who was lost as well, and he figured he had run an extra ten miles out of his way (he was doing the 50 mile race).  We made our way to the one and only road in and out of the forest.  Some folks who were already finished with the 15 mile race were kind enough to stop and bring us back to where we should have been.  They told us that the course was recently changed, so some of the trees were mismarked with paint.  We were apparently not the only two runners to get lost, and I figured that I ran an additional four miles.  I was now back on track and ready to finish this race off.

When I started to run again, I got cramps in my calves so severe that I couldn’t even stand up.  In addition, I almost fainted on three separate occasions.  With no one around to help me out, I truly felt as if I were battling for my life more than trying to finish the race.  I seriously did not know how this was going to play out. I tried to block out the pain, and massage my calves as much as I could.  I eventually crossed the finish line covered in salt from severe dehydration.  This was where Mr. Salty was born.

 

Elaine tried to get me to eat something, but I had no appetite.  My original plan was to drive home after the race, but there was no way this was happening.  I checked back into the hotel and battled cramps in my feet for the rest of the night.  I had no strength to get out of my running clothes, let alone take a shower.  I felt better in the morning, but it was quite an effort to drive home.

Jennifer has already approached Elaine, Pam and me about doing the race again this year.  I have mixed emotions about it…but after all…

“It’s only five more miles.”