The Next Phase

     Well it has been an interesting year to say the least. I started this little journey last February and now here I am, a year later, down 100 pounds and able to officially call myself a marathoner. I've achieved more in the past year than I ever dreamed that I could achieve. I honestly thought that the best of life had passed me by and that I would just continue to sit on the sidelines watching life pass me by.

     But now I know that isn't the case at all. I'm much more active and fit than I have been in almost 20 years. And now that I have achieved such wonderful things it's time to buckle down. Yes. You heard me. Buckle down.

     I have now officially entered into "The Next Phase"- triathlon training. Don't get me wrong. I'm still all about losing weight. I still need to lose about 60 pounds until I am at what I believe will be my ideal weight. The extra pounds still make it difficult to run and ride up hills but I know that as consistent as I have been on the past that I will be able to achieve my weight loss goal. But that being said, I am now focusing more on achieving what I believe to be are my significant life goals.

     As for the training, I feel very comfortable with my running. Having just completed a marathon I fully anticipate keeping my base where it is. That means 30-40 miles a week at a minimum.That sounds like a lot but I'm so fortunate to have my Polo Club Pacers to run with, especially since most of them are training for marathons. I know I'll be able to get my miles in. I also really just want to lose the extra weight so I can focus a little more on my pace. Nobody likes to be the last person on the course. Trust me. I've been there. And I've been the next to the last person on the course. But I guess at least I'm on the course, huh?

     As for my cycling, I still need to improve there as well. I love cycling so spending time on the bike won't be an issue for me. I just need to build up my endurance. I'm so happy to have the Bluegrass Cycling Club to ride with. They have a group that they've dubbed the "Century Virgins" so I'll begin my training with them this weekend on my way to reaching the 100 mile mark. I also have my new rollers with fork stand set up at home so I can ride even when the weather is bad. And since cycling is about 50% of the Ironman, I really need to get it down.

     Finally, I've started swimming as well. I guess I didn't realize how difficult it would be. I've been a swimmer all of my life. But knowing how to swim and being able to swim 2.4 miles are two completely different things. I've made it to the pool twice this week and I've only been able to manage 440 and 480 meters. But again, we all have to start somewhere. I guess since I've spent so much time running it's just weird to not have the ability to do something. I have to keep reminding myself that when I started running I struggled to run 60 seconds at a time. I know the swimming will develop. I just have to be patient and persistent. I don't have much trouble with the latter. It's the former that always gets me.

     I'm also very fortunate to have the Bluegrass Tri Club to give me guidance along the way. These guys and gals have been great in providing encouragement and support. It takes a village to raise a child and a triathlete I suppose.

     So what's next for "The Beast"? I don't plan on doing any running races this year. I think my running race days are over. I plan to shoot for the half Ironman in Muncie, Indiana on July 7th. That will be 1.2 miles swimming, 56 miles cycling, and 13.1 miles running. A walk in the park, right? After that I plan to complete the full Ironman in Louisville. That will be 2.4 miles swimming, 112 miles cycling, and 26.2 miles running. That will be in late August and it will be HOT, HOT, HOT! But I know that I'll be up for the challenge.

     So I hope you enjoyed reading about "The Next Phase" of my weight loss and fitness journey. Many of you have been here for the entire ride. Some of you are new to the show. But I consider myself very fortunate that I have people in my life who care enough about me like you guys do. I truly appreciate all of the support and encouragement that you've provided to me over the past year. Please keep it up because I definitely need it more now than ever. Thank you!

     Now if you'll excuse me I'm pretty sure I need to go get some miles or laps in......

The Myrtle Beach Marathon Race Summary

Well I know that you've all been waiting on pins and needles for it so here it is! My Race Summary of the Bi-Lo Myrtle beach Marathon. Ok. Maybe you've not been waiting on pins and needles, but I hope you enjoy reading my thoughts about my training leading up to the race, my race experience, and my post-race takeaways.

PRE PRE-RACE

So why in the world did I decide to run a marathon in Myrtle Beach? Of course some of you might be asking "why in the world would you want to run a marathon at all?" Well the 2nd question can be answered by reading my previous posts. It's just what The Beast does. As for the 1st question though, it really came down to a couple of things: (1) my wife and I had not been on a vacation alone in about 6 years. She grew up going to Myrtle Beach in the summers with her family and she and I have gone there several times together in the past, and a couple of times in the winter, so going again sounded like a great plan, and (2) I needed a marathon that fit into my training plan. The Myrtle Beach marathon fit perfectly into my training.

I ran my 1st half marathon, the Iron Horse, in Midway, Kentucky on October 23, 2011. I knew that after that race I needed to immediately move into full marathon training. I knew that without a specific goal in mind I would lose my focus. So as I was looking at races I found the Myrtle Beach marathon and saw that it was going to be run on Feb. 18th. I counted the weeks backward to Oct. 23rd and realized that it would leave me 1 week short of being able to complete the entire Hal Higdon Novice Marathon Training plan. That was close enough for me so I set my sights on Myrtle Beach.

After the Iron Horse I really thought that with my plan in place for Myrtle Beach that I would jump right back into running. But I really struggled. I think I experienced some post-race blues. It took me several weeks to recover from the Iron Horse but by mid-November I really felt like I was back on track. And I run with some AMAZING people and they were all so encouraging and supportive of me. They really helped me get back on track.

One thing that I didn't expect was the weight gain that I experienced through the training. With the winter months, I was not able to get out and ride my bike like I did in the summer and fall and after Christmas I realized that I had gained some weight. Not a lot, but as a runner you never want to add body weight in training. Especially when you've worked so hard to lose 100 pounds. So in January I refocused and was able to shed the weight.

One other thing that I found difficult was staying motivated. Especially when it was just downright cold and miserable. I really struggled with forcing myself outside on those 20 degree days. Especially the long run days. For my 1st 21-miler it was 18 degrees with a windchill of 8 and snow and ice on the ground. That was really hard. But I was able to get the runs in and get them done. Again, a LOT of thanks goes out to my running buddies. Without them none of this would have been possible.

PRE-RACE

We decided that it would probably be smart to go down and spend the week on vacation first and finish the vacation with the marathon. The marathon was on a Saturday and I just didn't think it would be smart to try to drive down on Friday and run a marathon on Saturday. And honestly, I thought that if things went really, really bad I didn't want to be on vacation and be absolutely miserable.

We jumped in the car on Saturday nite, the 11th, at about midnite and headed out. The drive was uneventful. We were very fortunate. We hit a little bit of snow in the mountains outside of Asheville, NC at about 4:30 am. but we made it through safely. I love driving all nite. I'm not sure why I do, but it is something that I seem to have the ability to do well. I've been doing it since my college days and have driven as long as 23.5 hours straight with no sleep. Of course, doing that at 22 years old versus 43 years old is quite different, but I can still do it. I guess I use it a yardstick for my youthfulness. I guess once I get to the point where I can't drive all nite, I know that I've gotten old.

We arrived in North Myrtle Beach at around 10:00 am and it was beautiful. Check out this amazing picture that I took from our 3rd

floor balcony. Pretty amazing huh? I mean

seriously. If you're going to run a marathon

can you imagine a more beautiful place to run

one? Ok. Maybe there is a more beautiful

place but after running in 20-30 degree weather

for months I was so thrilled to see sun and beach

and ocean. There is just something about the

sound of the waves crashing in the surf that

just absolutely relaxes me. Once I stepped out

on the balcony and got this view I knew that

we had made a great decision to do this.

The weather for the week really was turning

out to be perfect. It was in the upper 50's to low

60's all week and there was only a day or two

with rain forecast. The weather for Saturday's

race was going to be mid-50's with clouds and a

slight chance of rain. I was happy with that for

sure.

I thought that going to the beach for a whole week before the race might be a problem because I would be on vacation and would be tempted to let loose and eat bad stuff and drink a few beers. But honestly it worked out very well. We had a full kitchen in the condo and went grocery shopping the very first day we were there. We bought all the healthy stuff that we normally ate at home and cooked in the condo quite a bit. We also saved a TON of money by doing that but that is a topic for some other blog.

I was also able to get in my last 2 training runs while I was at the beach. I was supposed to do my last "long run" on Saturday before we left but the weather in Kentucky was awful. It had snowed and was icy and very, very windy. I knew that in just a day I was going to be at the beach so I decided to wait to do the long run. I'm so happy that I did. I ran from North Myrtle Beach up Ocean Blvd. to Cherry Grove. I ran to the pier and actually ran out to the end of the pier. It was so amazingly beautiful. I felt so alive. I was out there by myself surrounded by the ocean and I could not have been happier. Now that beat the heck outta running in 20 degrees in Kentucky. I got my last 3 mile run in on Tuesday and that was all. I was done. The training was done and I felt ready to run my race.

On Wednesday I knew that I needed to get my "BEAST" shirt done. For the Iron Horse I had special ordered the shirt from Nike but I didn't want to spend that much again. So I found a great Nike Dri-fit shirt on Zappos.com and ordered it a couple of weeks before the race. I took the shirt with me and my wife found a place at the mall that did printing. We took it down there and I was a little worried at first because the lady said the shirt had to have some cotton in it to make the letters stick. Well Dri-fit has no cotton. She gave it a shot and it actually worked. Whew! I can't run without my BEAST shirt. Ha! You can see how cool it is. Well I think it's cool. And the 12 stands for 2012. I just thought that made sense instead of randomly making up some number to add to it. So with the final runs knocked out and the shirt ready, I felt like I was ready to go.

On Thursday we headed down to the Myrtle Beach Convention Center for the expo. I had never been to a race expo before so this was quite an experience for me. I picked up my swag bag, my bib and my race shirt. As you can see, the race shirt was magenta. I was not too thrilled about the color and I seriously doubt that I will ever wear this shirt. But I love the logo. I wish they had made it in a black race shirt. I was so happy with my bib though. I forgot that I had requested "BEAST" on the bib so when I got it out of the swag bag I just had to laugh. I took this picture and posted it on Facebook to see what kind of reaction it would get. Amazingly no one said anything negative about the shirt color. I was shocked. I have the best DailyMile/Twitter/Facebook friends in the world. Either that or they all just lie to me and don't tell me the truth. Either way I'll take it.

At the Expo I had hoped to meet a young lady named Lily Embury who is from Lexington as well. I had seen a story about her a few weeks ago on the local NBC affiliate, WLEX. Lily is 10 years old and was training to run her first half marathon. That alone is absolutely amazing, but what really makes her so awesome is the fact that she was also fundraising to raise money for children with Muscular Dystrophy. She was raising money to send kids with MD to summer camp. And the even more amazing thing is that Lily herself has MD. And although I missed meeting her at the Expo, I knew that somehow our paths would cross. And indeed they did. But more on that later. To read more about Lily you can click here: Making A Difference: Watch Lily Run | LEX18.com | Lexington, Kentucky

Prior to the race, I spent several days watching the local NBC affiliate, WMBF. They were covering the marathon and were going to be doing live coverage of the marathon. I thought they might be interested in my story so I Tweeted one of the news anchors and sent her a link to my story that was recently on Huffington Post. (Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/30/weight-loss-success-mark-d-rucker_n_1224275.html) The next day she sent me a message and told me that she had passed my story on to another reporter. The reporter contacted me later that day and then drove up to meet me and Annita at the condo on Friday. I haven't done a TV interview in a long time and although I've shared my story in print format several times, this was my first time doing it for a TV interview. I was a little nervous but very excited as well. The reporter, Sean Maginnis, did a great job and I was so honored to have my story shared as part of the marathon coverage. You can check out the story here: http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/16966930/kentucky-man-loses-100-lbs-and-runs-marathon.

THE RACE

It was race day. The race was going to start at 6:30 so I knew that I needed to get up at 4:30 so I could eat, get ready, and have plenty of time to get to the event. I'm not the best at getting up early so I really struggled with getting up. But once I was up and going I felt really good. I made my usual pre-race breakfast of Nutella on whole wheat toast, a banana, and water. I have found through trial and error that this really works well for me and doesn't cause any issues for me during the race. Don't you like the way that my breakfast is smiling at me? It just looks so happy. How could you not have a great race when you start the day with such a happy breakfast, right?

I got all my stuff packed the nite before so all I had to do after breakfast was to shower and get dressed. I was starting to get the jitters but then I just stopped, took a few deep breaths, and relaxed. It was really strange how calm I felt. It was nothing like I felt before the Iron Horse. I'm not sure what was different but it really was. I really felt like I was ready to run and as long as I did my best I really wasn't concerned with the end result. I wanted to finish and that was really all that I wanted to achieve.

So we took off for the venue about 5:30. We had driven the course on Thursday nite so we knew where we needed to go and where to park. As we pulled into Broadway at the Beach I felt so much excitement. I got out of the car and saw all of the people and could hear the music pumping already. It was still dark and in the low 40's but my adrenaline was going and I felt really strong.

I made my way over to the marathon starting area and instantly I knew right were I needed to be. Yeah. If they'd had a 6:00 hour flag I'd have headed there. But Annita was with me and we had a LOT of fun watching all of the runners getting ready. The half marathoners were right beside us and it occurred to me that I could probably see Lily over there. I figured there certainly wouldn't be too many 10 year old girls lined up to run the half. And I was right. Within just a few minutes I was able to see here and I went over and said hello. She was with her grandparents (her parents were also running the half-her dad is part of the National Guard running team). She was a little bashful but it was so awesome to get to meet her and wish her good look. And just so you know she is still raising money to send kids to MD camp this summer. Please read her story and find her page on Facebook. You can find information on how to donate there. What a pint-sized inspiration she is.

At about 6:15 they had a guy sing the National Anthem. He messed up the lyrics and started all over. I've never witnessed that before. I hoped that his

messing up wouldn't be an omen for things to come. Ha! But

he sang it through on the 2nd attempt and did a great job.

I'm sure he, like most of us, was extremely nervous. So shortly after he finished the gun sounded and the wheelchair racers took off. For a moment I'd forgotten about them going off first and I thought "Why'd they start early? I'm not ready!" It's so funny the things that you think about when you're waiting. But soon after that the gun sounded again and we were off. Well, all of the fast people were off. I was at the back of the pack just slowly walking toward the start line. It was like being on a roller coaster. As you start climbing that 1st big hill you get that feeling and you think "I don't want to do this." Then you realize it's too late. And it was. I was there. I was going. It was too late. It was time to put all of the training that I had endured to the test. To push myself above and beyond all that I thought was ever possible. I was going to actually do it! I was going to run a MARATHON!!

As we took off I had to chance to talk to a few people here and there. It's really funny when you're running how many people want to chat. I really don't mind. I actually quite enjoy it. So I had several quick, but nice, conversations in the first mile.

As we hit the 2nd mile the sun was starting to break through and it was getting lighter. It was a beautiful morning. I felt so good. I had my pockets full of GU gels and had my Simple Hydration water bottle tucked into my shorts and I was good to go.

At Mile 2 there was a water station and I noticed that Lily and her grandmother were standing in line to get some water. I thought about saying "hi" but I was ready to run. I continued on. Shortly thereafter Lily, yes the 10 year old little girl. passed me with her grandmother. I had to laugh. I thought that was awesome.

It was fun to listen to all of the conversations going on around me. It's so funny what people talk about. I also thought it was so funny how much clothing people were stripping off and throwing on the side of the road. Hats, gloves, toboggans, shirts, jackets, arm warmers, sweatshirts. Just about anything you could imagine. I'm shocked that I didn't see any pants or shoes!

The spectators were awesome as well. As we ran there were so many people out early to cheer us on. Cowbells and whistles and noisemakers. It was so much fun. And the race was set up very well too. There were water stops every 2 miles. They had water and Powerade. That was great to know that every 2 miles I could hydrate as needed.

It was somewhere around Mile 4 that I really feel like my purpose for running this marathon began to be revealed to me. As I ran, somehow I struck up a conversation with a woman who was running her first half marathon. She was in her 40's like me and had not been running for very long. The more we ran the more we talked. I actually lost myself in our conversation and the miles just went by. She told me that she had several running buddies who were there with her but that they were all faster than her and that she usually ends up at the back of the pack. Ha! Boy did that sound familiar. We had a comfortable pace and several times she told me "please don't slow down for me. Go run your race." It was like she didn't believe me when I told her that I was very happy with the pace. We continued on and ran more and more. I told her about my weight loss and about all of the exciting things that were happening with my story. I had so many people along the race course yell out "Go BEAST! I saw you on TV!" Even other runners were saying that. It was so amazing and it encouraged me so much. And all the while my only focus was to run with Gwyn and help her get to her goal. It became my mission. So we ran. And we ran.

As we approached the turnoff spot for the half marathoners to head toward their finish line, I realized that we were almost at Mile 12. Gwyn was going to make it. And I assured her that she would. As the race volunteers pointed us into our separate lanes she started to cry. And for a moment I felt overcome with emotion. I gave her a HUGE hug and told her that she was going to make it and that I was SO happy for her. She wished me well and I continued on my way. It was so sweet because she was worried about me not having anyone else to run with for the rest of the way. I assured her that I would be fine.

It's so funny how God puts you in certain places at certain times. And for as much as Gwyn felt like she needed me to be there to help her get through, I needed her just as much to take my mind off of the running. I was enjoying the race and it was because of our conversation. I know God put her there just for me. And he put me there for her. And after that realization I honestly didn't care where I finished. I knew that my purpose had been served and I felt awesome. And Gwyn if you read this thank you for everything. And congratulations. You are now a marathoner!!!

After the split I was just thinking about all that we had talked about and I was lost in thought. I looked over to my left and there was my beautiful, sweet, wonderful wife standing on the sidewalk with a little sign that said "Go BEAST". She felt so bad after we had watched "Spirit of the Marathon" the nite before and realized that she hadn't made a sign. So after the race started she found a little shop and made a sign just for me. Isn't this just an awesome sign? And it couldn't have come at a better time for me. I did kinda feel all alone there for a few brief moments and this was just the lift that I needed to keep on truckin'.

So the next few miles were just time for some self-reflection. I thought a lot about where I had been only a year ago and all of the changes that I have been through. It was such a great time for me. I started thinking about all of the things that I want to accomplish in the future. And I just couldn't stop smiling when I thought about all of the possibilities and the exciting things that lay ahead in life for me.

As I got to about Mile 15 one of the guys from the Idiots Running Group on Facebook was standing on Ocean Blvd. He was yelling and screaming for me and took a picture of me. He also had doughnuts. Now I never thought that I'd eat a doughnut during a race but I was SO hungry so I grabbed one and took off. I enjoyed that very much. Thanks Rob! That was awesome man. It was kinda funny though because as I continued running a little old couple was standing not much further down the road and yelled "Go BEAST! We saw you on TV! Great job losing all of that weight!" I smiled and laughed and said "yes and doughnuts were a big part of it." They laughed as did I. That was pretty funny.

I was still feeling pretty hungry as I got close to Mile 16 but I knew there was going to be food. At least there was supposed to be. But as Mile 16 came and went I realized there was no food. There were a lot of orange and banana peels on the ground. I was not too happy about that. And I think I let that get to me a little bit. I kept on running but I really felt like I was starting to run out of steam.

As i got close to Mile 17 I had a wonderful thing happen. I saw a woman standing on the side of the road. She appeared to be in her mid-30's and was overweight. She had 2 children with her and an older woman who I assumed was her mother. As i got closer she started cheering "Go BEAST!" I smiled and gave he the "thumbs up" and said "thank you" as I had to many people on the route who had cheered for me. But as I got to her she said "I saw your story on TV and you are my inspiration. I know that if you can do it then I can too!" I was elated. My heart jumped for joy to hear that. I can't even express in words what it meant to me to hear her say that.

At about Mile 18 I finally made it off of Ocean Blvd. and headed into a little subdivision. It was here, at about Mile 18.5, that the wheels came off. My hips locked up and it was almost impossible for me to move my legs forward. I slowed to a walk but was determined to keep going. I would jog for short periods and then walk. I knew that I was going to just have to pace myself if I wanted to finish the race.

A little after Mile 22 I hit the 2nd food station and there were lots of bananas left. I was in heaven. I had some Powerade and 2 bananas. I'm probably the only person who gained weight during the marathon. Ha! Ok. I didn't gain weight but it felt so good to get some solid food. That was enough to get me back on to running again so I took off. I would stop and walk a little and then run some more.

And then I saw the Mile 25 flag. I knew that I was going to finish. I felt overcome with emotion. I didn't cry but I wanted to. I just started jogging and wanted to finish strong. As I approached the last quarter mile I noticed a guy taking my picture. It was a guy from DailyMile who had come out at the request of 2 of my friends to support me. Thank you Logan for coming out and waiting for me. Man you helped me get that last bit done. And thank you Nora and Andrea for sending him out. You guys are awesome!

And after Logan and I parted ways I could see the orange chute guiding me to the finish. I took off. Not running fast, but running faster than I had for a few miles. As I rounded a corner I could see the finish line. I could hear the announcer and the cheering of the fans who were still there. As I approached the finish line I could hear the announcer say "Number 1488 The BEAST". And I couldn't help but smile. I could see my wife just past the finish line videotaping me. I was thrilled. I know I ran over to her and said something into the camera, although I didn't know exactly what, and I gave her a big hug. Here's the video.

She handed me my chocolate milk and I stumbled over to get my medal. I was so happy to get that hunk of metal. Check out how happy I am. I wore that medal all the way home, out shopping with my wife afterward, to the after party, and then out to dinner. I wore it so long that the ribbon actually chaffed my sun-burned neck. Ha! But I was not going to take that thing off. I worked pretty hard to earn it and wanted to show it off.

POST RACE

After the race, I went to the food tent. I had a two doughnuts and two cups of chicken noodle soup. Yup. Chicken noodle soup. A guy at the finish told me that they eat it all the time at Ironman comps and that the sodium is just as good as having an IV. And even though it was in the mid 60's I grabbed a cup of it and then grabbed another. It was very tasty.

I had to walk about half a mile back to the car. It was so tough to walk but I think in the long run it was best for me. After we got back to the condo I had a beer and hit the hot tub. That felt awesome. Then I got cleaned up and took my wife out to do a little shopping. She is so amazing and such a trooper to put up with all of this stuff so I wanted to show her my appreciation so I got her a little bling. I figured since I got my bling she deserved some too.

After that we went to the after party at the House of Blues. I was so happy to get to meet Lily's parents at the party. We talked for some time about Lily and what she has accomplished. I just can't say enough about how much she inspires me. And look at that picture. Is she not just the cutest thing? Look how proud she is and deservedly so. Awesome job Lily! I'm so proud of you.

So after the party we went out to dinner at a local seafood place and I got, of all things, a bacon cheeseburger. Go figure. But that was the tastiest cheeseburger I think I've ever had.

After dinner we went back to the condo and packed up. I was sad to be leaving but I still couldn't stop smiling. I felt like I had a HUGE secret that no one else knew about but one that I wanted to share with everyone.

And today I was able to share that secret with everyone when I went out and made it official. I'm not sure what it is about these stickers but I really look forward to putting them on the car.

WHAT I LEARNED

Well I guess I could say the obvious: that I learned that I can push myself and achieve things that I once thought was impossible. I think everyone who completes a marathon can say that. But I did learn some things that will help me in future races. First of all I need to remember to buy new shoes a couple of weeks out from the race. I realized as I was struggling with my hip issues that the shoes that I was wearing were the same ones that I wore for my half marathon almost 4 months ago. I am very hard on shoes. I needed more support. I think that is why I had problems with my hips. Second, I learned that running a race is about having fun. For me running and racing are not about being the best. It is about the experience. I got more out of meeting Lily and running with Gwyn than I did from crossing the finish line. I know that sounds crazy but it is really how I feel. Finally, I learned that I have some pretty amazing friends. Once I finished the marathon I started checking my social media pages. I over 50 mentions on Twitter, over 50 comments and posts on Facebook, and almost as many comments on DailyMile. I still can't get over the outpouring of support that I have received from all of you. Thank you all so much.

Now it's on to the Ironman!

Inspiration: It's All Around You

I think that one of the greatest things about my recent journey is when someone tells me that I'm an inspiration to them. When I started this journey in February I wanted to get healthy, but I also hoped that along the way I'd be able to encourage and inspire others as well. So when I hear those words come from another person "you inspire me" I am both thrilled beyond imagination and yet fearful at the same time. It is hard to explain that dual feeling. I think the excitement is easily understood, but I guess the fearful part may seem strange. I guess a lot of that goes back to who I used to be.

As a younger man, I was always quite impressed with myself and I wouldn't hesitate to tell you how wonderful I was. I was a legend in my own mind. Over the past 4-5 years, my life has changed so dramatically (changes for which I am eternally grateful) and I always try to approach life with a sense of humility. So now when someone tells me that I inspire them I think there is still that brief moment of fear inside of me that the egomaniac that once was there will rear his ugly head (or ego). I have found that if I approach every situation now with a sense of humility I am able to keep the egomaniac on lock down. I guess that may be counter to what culture teaches us today, but it is now just who I am and I like this person SO much better.

Recently, I've been thinking about what it is that inspires me. And I started to think about all of the people in my life who are a source of inspiration to me. I noticed that it's not people who are in the news, or who make a lot of money, or who are superstars, but rather, its people, everyday people, like me and you. People who believe in what they are doing and who achieve true success at their endeavors through hard work, but who are also very humble in their approach.

One person who comes to mind regularly is my friend, Anita Mills. Anita and I grew up together in the same hometown. We played Little League baseball together and graduated from the same high school together. We lost touch after high school but like many people we reconnected on Facebook. Anita, like me, was overweight for most of her life. A couple of years ago, she decided to do something about it. So she asked her Doctor for some advice and he gave her 4 simple rules to follow. Anita followed those steps and has since lost 240 pounds!!!!! Yes! I said 240 pounds. She did all of this with no pills, or shakes, or surgery. Just common sense eating habits and exercise.

Anita kept her journey private until she had lost most of her weight. Her Doctor recommended that she do that. But once she lost the weight, she told everyone. And I am so happy that she did because after I saw her amazing transformation on Facebook I reached out to her. I wanted to know how she did it. She shared her journey with me. I was SO inspired. I wanted to be healthy too. At the time I weighed 365 pounds and I felt like I was destined to a life of being overweight and, most likely, an early death as a result. But Anita's story gave me hope. So her inspiration, coupled with my desire to get healthy. pushed me to the make the decision to get healthy.

Anita is just a regular person. Although I think she's beyond amazing for what she has accomplished she didn't have a magic pill to make it happen. She just worked hard and stayed determined. That is what inspires me about her story.

So now when people tell me that I inspire them, I truly just feel like I'm paying it forward. I'm just passing on the inspiration that I got from my friend, Anita. You've heard of the "Butterfly Effect"? I call this the "Anita Effect". I can't help but smile to think about all of the lives that will be changed because of her story.

You can read more about Anita here: http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/04/22/weight.loss.anita.mills/index.html

Another person who I've recently had the privilege to get to meet is a young lady by the name of Lisa Broome-Price. Lisa is a very quiet, unassuming person. She always has a kind word, or a smile for you, and she is the type of person who just always makes you feel comfortable around her.

Lisa is also a runner. Not a runner like I try to be, but a runner. Lisa ran her first half marathon in April of this year. That, in an of itself, is quite an accomplishment. She ran the 13.1 mile course in a time of 2 hours 49 minutes and 28 seconds. That is a pace of 12:56 minutes per mile. And while that is a great time for anybody running her first half marathon, Lisa wanted to improve. She wanted to be better at running. So Lisa spent the Spring and Summer training with a local running group, John's Striders. She lost weight and spend countless hours pounding the pavement logging her miles. Lisa ran her 2nd half marathon on October 23rd. She ran this half marathon in a time of 2 hours 1 minute and 19 seconds. That is an average pace of 9:15 per mile!

In only a matter of 6 months, Lisa was able to cut over 3 1/2 minutes off of her pace. In running terms that is beyond amazing! For her achievement, Lisa was named as the 2011 Most Improved Runner of the Year, an award that was well deserved.

I have actually had the pleasure of getting to run with Lisa. Well actually, it was more like I had the pleasure of meeting Lisa and then watching her run into the distance as I struggled along at my 12 minute per mile pace. But Lisa inspires me! Seeing what she has done inspires me to keep running. I know that with hard work and determination that I can be faster too. I can be a better runner like Lisa. There was nothing special about Lisa as a runner when she started her journey. She was an ordinary person just like you and me. She didn't have magic, winged shoes that made her go faster. She simply focused on what she wanted to achieve, worked hard, and made it happen (and then some). That inspires me beyond words.

You can read more about Lisa here: http://www.runthebluegrass.org/2011s-race/the-bluegrasss-most-improved-runners-of-the-year-award-2011

These are just a couple of examples of the people in my life who inspire me. There are so many people out there who inspire me on a daily basis. Take the time and look around sometime at all of the amazing people who are out there doing absolutely amazing things. You may be surprised at some of the heroes that are in your life every day. Look for that inspiration from others, seek it out, use it to achieve your dreams, and then pay it forward to the next person. You never know what amazing things might be accomplished by someone else who once told you "you inspire me".

RJ Corman Duathlon Race Report

I have to admit that I am not a runner. I really don't even like running. It may be because I'm still overweight, or maybe it's just because I'm older, but I really find it to be quite tedious. But I really want to be an Ironman. Not sure why I have that obsession but I do. It's like when I was 16 years old and I decided that I wanted to be an attorney. I didn't know any attorneys, but I decided that's what I wanted to do. And guess what? Yup. I'm an attorney.

So as part of my training to be an Ironman, I have my little "checklist" of running things that I need to accomplish. I started with the 5K, then the 10K and I am now training for my 1st half-marathon on Oct. 23rd. As part of the training program that I am using, it was recommended that I run a 10K on Oct. 1st. When I started the program I looked around for a 10K that was going to be on Oct. 1. There was one that was in Lexington, but then I saw the RJ Corman Duathlon. I thought "it's 2 5K's so that's a 10K". Of course there would be a 15 mile bike ride in between but I really didn't think that would be a problem. So I signed up at the beginning of August.

Pre Pre-Race

To be honest, I really didn't give the Duathlon much thought until the week before. I have been so focused on training for the half marathon over the past few weeks that I really just put it on the back burner in my mind. I had been running 5-6 miles at least 2x a week and had been running longer runs on the weekends, including my first double-digit run of 12 miles. And for cross-training I had been riding my bike 15-20 miles usually 2-3 times each week. In my mind that was enough.

But then I got to the week of the race and I started to panic a little. I hadn't practiced "brick" workouts, which is a combination of two sports done together. Most people will do their bricks like a triathlon. They will ride for whatever distance and then run immediately after. I had not practiced that. At all! I started to panic. Sure I could run a 10K, and I could ride 15 miles, but I started to wonder if I could do them together.

I also started thinking about the road course. I'd never ridden it before. Was it hilly? Was it flat? Was it like the Alpes d'Huez in the Tour de France? I had no idea. All of these terrible thoughts and self doubt started creeping into my head.

On Monday I rode with the Bluegrass Cycling Club with my friend, Jen, and it was great to get out and just stretch out my legs. We kept an easy pace so I didn't overdo it. On Tuesday I ran 6 miles with my running buddies in the neighborhood and had a great time. My legs felt great and my confidence was slowly being restored. On Wednesday I rode with the BCC in Midway, KY and had an incredible ride. I set a PR for my pace over a 20 mile ride and my confidence was through the roof, but my chain came off 3 different times and I was worried about whether that would happen on race day or not. I made some adjustments to the bike but I knew I wouldn't have the chance to get it to the shop before the race. On Thursday I ran 6 miles again with my running buddies, Mona and Karen, and my legs felt pretty tight. I panicked a little about my legs. And then I started thinking about my bike again. I was totally psyching myself out of this race.

On Friday, I sought the advice of some of my friends on DailyMile.com about prepping for the race. I have to give a big shout out to all my DailyMile friends for helping me out and specifically Douglas S., who is an amazing triathlete. He told me to plan my transition out in my head and how to pack everything up. I spent some time Friday afternoon planning everything out. I actually typed out everything that I needed to get ready for the race and also typed out a minute to minute schedule for Saturday morning and set times for everything that I was going to do that morning, from waking up and showering, to leaving for the event. Pretty much minute by minute up to race time. After making my "to-do" list and my calendar, I felt much better. I decided to rest on Friday and we went out to meet some friends for a fundraiser to get my mind off of the duathlon. I was exhausted because I had not slept well on Wednesday and Thursday nites and unfortunately all I could think about was getting myself prepped for the race. So we left the event at about 8 and went home. I took my bike out around the block 3 or 4 times to make sure the chain issue was okay and it was. That was a load off of my mind. I also packed up all my stuff and got my bike on my car. My awesome wife helped me with everything. I was now feeling ready. No more nerves after that. I was ready to race.

Pre Race

I knew that the bike transition opened at 6:30 and I knew that it was about a 30 minute drive out to Nicholasville, KY where the event was being held so I decided to get up at 4:30 so I would have plenty of time to eat and get ready and get to the race without being rushed.

I woke up when the alarm went off and realized that I had slept through the nite. That was the best news for me. I was sleepy but I could tell that I felt energized from a great nite's sleep. That was just what I needed. I got up and showered and got ready. I had all of my stuff already laying out so I wouldn't wake up my wife and so it would make life much easier.

After I got dressed I headed to the kitchen for my pre-race meal. I am a true believer in peanut butter toast and a banana. That seems to work well for me and it never causes any stomach issues for me.

After I ate, I actually took a few minutes and watched some TV just to relax. I was definitely excited but really wasn't nervous. I had my checklist and my schedule and I was checking everything off as I got it done. If you can't tell I'm definitely a results-oriented person. I love checking things off a list. Something empowering about marking through another item that is done.

After a few minutes of TV I hit the restroom since I didn't want to have any issues at the race and then I woke my wife up to tell her that I was leaving. I knew that she would be out there later but there was no need for her to go out that early. I debated about coffee and ended up stopping at Starbuck's for a doubleshot. I love espresso and I drink lattes every morning. I knew that I couldn't do the race with a latte setting in my stomach but I knew that a doubleshot would sit just fine. It definitely gave me a little boost that I needed.

I got to the race at about 6:20 and there were just a few other cars there. Oh well. I'd be able to get things set up and be ready before it got crowded. I took my bike up to the transition area and got everything set up. After I put my bike on the rack I laid out my beautiful transition mat (which was actually a multi-colored beach towel) and I laid all my stuff out that I would need for the race. I felt pretty good about my set-up especially since I'd never done a multi-sport race with a transition before.

After I got my bike and transition area set up I headed back to my car and on the walk there I realized that my leg warmers were falling down. I don't have running or cycling tights so I thought that I could wear shorts and the leg warmers. It was obvious that the warmers weren't going to stay up as I ran so I took them off an left them in the car. Did I mention that it was about 38 degrees? The coldest morning of the Fall so far. Yikes! I got out of the car and hit the registration tent for my chip and body marking. That was fun. I felt like a triathlete after they marked my number on my right arm and my age on my left calf. It was like a Badge of Honor.

After I was marked I went back to my car. It was still only about 7:00 am and I had a long way to go to race time. It was so cold outside so I cranked up the heat and the Sirius Octane channel and relaxed some more. I also popped two Ibuprofen to ward off any plantar fasciitis pain that might rear it's ugly head during the 5K.

After about 30 minutes in the car I mixed up my pre-race concoction of chia seeds and 4 ounces of water. I'm really becoming a believer in the power of chia seeds, both for hydration and energy. I drank down the chia seeds and decided to get out of the car to acclimate to the weather. It was still about 40 degrees and windy. Not ideal race conditions at all. I decided to wear my Kentucky pullover to stay warm.

Annita got to the race about 8:00 am so I went over to talk to her for a few minutes to get my pep talk. She told me to do great and told me how proud of me she was. I needed to hear that. And then she snapped my ceremonial pre-race 'thumbs-up" pic. Look how cute I am. Don't I look like I'm ready to run a Duathlon?

The First Run

So I knew that the first 5k wouldn't be so bad. I knew that I would need to save my energy so I knew that my time would be slow compared to the other runners. And there were some pretty serious triathletes out there. They were decked out, head to toe, in the fancy racing gear. They looked like pro's. And here I was in the back of the small pack at the start line in my fancy Kentucky pullover looking like I was ready to go tailgating. It was a little surreal at that moment but I just kept telling myself that at least I was there and I was going to give it my best shot and that was all that I could do.

They had all of the male duathletes line up first and they sounded the train whistle. Yes. the train whistle. RJ Corman has made huge amount of money in the railroad industry and has a beautiful facility in Nicholasville. So it was only appropriate that we take off to the sound of a train whistle.

Almost immediately I could see the guys in the front blowing up the course. They were out of sight in no time. I picked out a couple of bigger boys and paced myself off of them. And true to my race philosophy I was running dead last. After three minutes I heard the whistle again and I knew that the women had just left. I laughed and wondered how long it would take them to catch me. Sure enough after less that three minutes the lead women caught up to me. In a 5K, or 10K, that might have bothered me, but for some reason I was fine with it. And then I heard a third whistle and I knew that the 5K runners were off. Again, I chuckled wondering how soon it would take the lead runners to catch me. Again after about 3 minutes I heard the guys coming up behind me and "ZOOM!" they were gone.

The course was absolutely beautiful. Mr. Corman built this for his employees to go out and exercise on and it is mostly flat with a few rolling hills, small bridges over little streams, and just mostly beautiful. I kept my slower runners in site and actually passed two of them. That was a little bit of a relief knowing that I might not finish dead last in this event.

I finished the first 5K in a little over 33 minutes which was a great time for me, especially since I was actually trying to take it slow. Then it was time to transition to the bike.

The Bike Course

When I got to the race early, I introduced myself to Sam Dick, one of the race organizers. He and his wife own a shop here in Lexington called "Swim Bike Run of Kentucky". Sam is also a local news anchor for one of the Lexington TV stations and is also a cancer survivor. I had never had the chance to meet him before so this was a great time since I was one of the first one's there. As we talked he asked me if I had ridden the bike course yet. I told him that I had not. He told me to take my time and that it was "hilly". I thought, "man please don't tell me that just an hour before the race". But boy was he right. The course was hilly. That was an understatement. Now I love to ride my bike. And I've ridden some nice hills here in Central Kentucky but some of these hills were more than I expected.

The transition area was about .3 miles from the 5K finish line. So I had to run though a tunnel, under a railroad trestle, and back uphill to the bike area to head out. The wind was whipping and it was cold. I knew though that the riding was more "my thing" so I could catch a few people.

We started out the tarmac (yes the tarmac) and rode beside Mr. Corman's personal airstrip. That was actually pretty cool. Then we hit the public roads but there were so many Sheriff's Deputies and local police out there directing traffic that I never felt uncomfortable with the traffic. As I rode along in the first couple of miles I was able to pass a few people. Of course I knew that any of the women I passed actually were still 3 minutes ahead because of the staggered start times. But that was ok. I felt my competitive spirit awaken for the first time in years on this ride. I could see people ahead of me and I would tell myself "go get 'em" and I did.

After the first little loop we headed back past the airport strip and I was just talking to all of the volunteers and officers saying "good morning". "thank for volunteering", "stay warm", etc. One of the deputies looked at me as I was topping the little hill that he was working and I had my tongue hanging out acting as though I was already winded. He said "oh that was the easy part. The hard part's coming." I laughed and said "thanks a lot! I'll see you in 40-50 minutes I hope". So it was nice to have people to chat with, even if only for a few moments, to lighten my mood.

As I continued on the course I felt really good. I was riding at a moderate pace but saving my energy for the last 5K run. The course was very pretty as it rolled along the country roads and through the small town of Wilmore. At pone point though we were directed through a residential neighborhood and after about a mile I thought that I had been misdirected. But then I saw more signs and volunteers and I knew I was going the right way.

Then I hit "the Hill'. This was the longest and steepest hill I'd ever climbed. I got about halfway up and for a split moment thought to myself "I'm gonna have to walk this" but at about that time a local, neighborhood dog came bounding down the hill and started barking at me like he was going to devour me. That got me peddling faster and then as I was losing steam a 2nd dog came down for a visit. I thought "how am I gonna run a 5K with a dog bite on my ankle?" but fortunately they only barked, but they gave me the motivation to top the hill.

All week I'd thought "that's gonna be awesome!" Well I was wrong. The runway wasn't flat. It was concave. So it was an uphill battle in the crosswind up one side and then back up the other. I was starting to feel a little flustered with my riding. I was only averaging about 14 mph which was about 2.5 to 3 mph slower than I anticipated. You can't really tell from the picture here as I got back to transition that I was exhausted. Thank goodness I had another energy gel waiting for me in transition before I had to run again.

The Final 5K

After I made it to the dismount area for the 2nd transition I really felt a little "off". Like I said earlier, I had not practiced running after riding so I knew I might have an issue with the whole transition thing. And I did. As soon as I jumped off the bike my legs didn't want to go. I knew that I needed to gt my bike back on the rack and get on to the next 5K but as I was walking my bike back to the rack I felt like I was all over the place. I couldn't figure out what was going on with me.

As you can see from the picture here I look a little but "out of it". As I was putting my bike back up on the rack though I realized that my rear wheel was bent. I'm not sure what happened but somehow during the ride I bent the rear wheel. I realized, in my slightly less than coherent state, that the bent rim might have had something to do with my slower time and it definitely had something to do with how weird I felt when I was trying to walk my bike back into transition. The rear wheel kept catching on the brake pads and bike frame so it would drag. When I realized that I was a little upset that my bike was messed up but I was just so happy to realize that I wasn't as bad off as what I thought I was. I mean when I was trying to walk with the bike back into transition I really thought something was wrong with me. Ha! What a relief. So with that I shot my lot energy gel of the morning and chased it down with a little bit of water. I was off for my final 5K. Well, not quite. I had to make a pit stop at the port a toilet, but hey, ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

So after the potty break I was back off for the .3 mile transition to the 5K course. It was much easier this time since it was all downhill. I could feel my left hamstrings tightening up with each stride and my calves were hurting. I knew though that if I could just get out to the course then I'd be ok after a mile. As I ran back to the course I ran by the finish line and there were people who had already finished hanging out and having a good time. Mr. Corman had a HUGE cookout and for everybody and I could smell the burgers and grilled chicken and that motivated me to get going so I could come back and eat!

This run was a lonely one. There were only a few people out on the course. I struggled through the first mile but I kept telling myself that if I could just push through that first mile then my legs would adjust and I would finish. And I knew that I wouldn't finish last. So I pushed and pushed and kept going. And I was right. The more I pushed the better my legs felt. I don't know. Perhaps they were numb at this point, but it seemed easier.

When I hit mile 2 I got to the final water table and there were still volunteers there cheering me on. There was a woman who had been running about 200 feet in front of me the whole race. Once of the volunteers yelled at me "run here down! Go catch her!" And then after I passed I heard him yell "Don't let him catch you!" I cracked up. That was so funny for some reason. I heard her yell back "I won't!" So I yelled up at her and said "You got nothing to worry about!" And after that I realized that I was only a mile out. I was actually going to finish this race without one stop to walk. And that thought lifted my spirits and I kept going. All the tightness and tiredness melted away and I was a new man. I took my pullover off because I wanted to cross the finish line and look good. I felt like a champ!

As I neared the last curve of the race I looked to my left and I could see my 2 cheerleaders waving at me: my wife and my great friend, Jen, who rides with me on Monday nites. Jen had worked at the hospital til 4:00 am, went home and got about 2 hours of sleep, and had to be back at work at 1:00 pm Saturday, but she still came out to support me. Now that is awesome! Look at these two beautiful women. I may have been one of the slowest people out there but I can guarantee that I had the best cheerleaders out there hands down. And they were there for the entire race, in the cold, taking pictures and cheering me on. They really kept me going without a doubt.

As I rounded that last curve my wife came over and took my pullover so it wouldn't be wrapped around my waist. Hey everybody wants to look good when they finish a race and you can't do that with a big old sweaty pullover tied around your waist. So Annita took my pullover and Jen snapped my picture as I crossed the finish. I really thought this was the coolest picture because my official time actually did end being 2:32:48. She captured the exact moment that I finished.

Post Race

I was actually surprised at how good I felt post race. Well at least for the first few minutes. After I crossed the finish line I grabbed a banana and a Gatorade. Within just a few minutes my stomach started cramping and I was freezing. It was still only about 42 and very windy. And I was covered with sweat. My cheerleaders grabbed some food and then we sat down and watched the presentation of the awards. As they were announcing the awards everybody started cheering and I realized that the last duathlete was coming in. It was the guy that I had paced with in the first 5K. I walked down to the finish line and gave him a high 5 and talked to him for a few minutes. He complimented me on my bike riding. He told me that he was trying to keep up with me but after about 3 miles he said I was gone. That made me feel pretty good. I told him thanks for pacing me on the first 5K. So we introduced out wives to each other and the was nice. He actually worked at RJ Corman and had also recently lost a lot of weight as well. It's so cool to meet people like that.

After that I started feeling much better. We took a few more pictures and I had some homemade Vanilla ice cream and then had a grilled chicken sandwich. We stayed for a few more minutes and watched some more awards and then decided to head out. I wanted to get out and watch UK v. LSU.

What I Learned

Like every other race I seem to always remember that all I can do is the best that I can do. I'm out there giving it my all and it doesn't matter where I finish. All that matters is that I did it. That sense of accomplishment is amazing. I can't wait to go back next year and crush my time from this year. I'm going to go ahead and throw this out there but next year my time will be 1:50:00 or better. What else did I learn? Relax. Also review the course before the race if you can to get familiar with it. I knew that but just didn't do it. I know that my bike time could have been much better and I know that next year it will be much better. I also learned about transitions. How to set up and just how to do that in general. Now I know for my next multi-sport race what to do and I won't be so nervous about that. I also know that I can cut a lot of time off by making the transitions faster.

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed my Race Summary. Remember: Dream big, but take small steps. You'll get there. Trust me.

Overcoming Self Sabotage

I think that many people understand the concept of what self-sabotage is but very few people ever talk about it. Some of you may have no experience with it and probably won't relate to this blog post. Some of you live with it every day and understand it all too well. Well I'm here to bring this dirty little secret out into the open and address it head on.

I am a self-sabotager. The first step in recovery is to admit it, right? So there, I've admitted it. I'm cured. Okay, maybe not. Or as Lee Corso might say, "Not so fast my friend!"

I haven't always been a self-sabotager. It seems to be a characteristic that I've managed to fine-tune over the past 15 years. When I was in high school, college and even MBA an law school, I seemed to be the type of person who set a goal and then worked to achieve it. And most of the time I was successful in reaching those goals. But once I got out of school and into the real world something changed. I'm not exactly sure what it was that changed me and I'm not sure that it was one identifiable event, but I changed. And now I struggle with self-sabotage on a regular basis.

I guess one of the first things that happened was my divorce. After the divorce I think I felt, for the first time in my life, that I had failed at something. As I said, up to that point I was usually able to set a goal and achieve it. No one ever gets married saying "My goal is to be divorced in 7 years." (Well I think some people go into a marriage with that philosophy but that's an entirely different blog.) With that feeling of failure I think I began to feel that I wasn't worthy of happiness. And that began a downward spiral of self-sabotage. I began to eat and drink to cope with my feelings. I managed to gain so much weight that I was tipping the scales at an impressive 365 pounds. That was up from 205 pounds in 1994.

So now that I am working out diligently and eating healthier and am on the verge of losing 100 pounds, everything is better now right? Not so fast, my friend! I still struggle with self sabotage. Here's a perfect example.

I am very close to being down 100 pounds now. I knew at the beginning of last week that if I ate right and kept a good exercise routine this week then I would reach that goal on Sunday. But on Saturday my wife and I went to the UK football game. Knowing that I had to run 7 miles on Sunday morning I decided not to drink at the game. That was a good call on my part. But for some reason I found myself eating, a lot, and almost uncontrollably, at times. I have no excuse for it. I told my wife this morning that I felt like there was some type of short circuit Saturday in my thinking pattern. While tailgating I had a beef burrito, a chicken quesadilla, a bratwurst, and some cookies. THEN at the game I had a hot dog, peanuts, popcorn, a pretzel and a Sprite!!! I was out of control. And when I woke up Sunday I felt terrible.

So what went wrong? To be honest I don't really know. But all I can think of is that my old habit of self-sabotage kicked in on Saturday to prevent me from reaching my 100 pounds milestone on Sunday. For many people that may sound crazy. To many of you, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

The key difference now though is that instead of bemoaning my bad behavior all day Sunday and perpetuating the insanity, I recognized that Saturday had been a problem day for me and I decided that Sunday was going to be a better day. And it was. I went out Sunday evening and set a personal record for distance by running 7 miles. That is the farthest that I've ever run in my life. I am back on track this morning with the eating and working out and I feel great.

I guess the key is realizing that I have the propensity, somewhere deep inside, to commit self-sabotage. I don't know that there are any "warning signs" but I know that as I get closer to bigger and better milestones the tendency for self-sabotage seems to rear its ugly head. All I can do is acknowledge that I have that character trait and continue to believe that I am worthy of success and happiness. I really think that is the key. I'm sure that I will make mistakes and have moments of self-sabotage in the future. But at least now I know that I can work through those moments, pick myself back up, and move forward.

Life will always give us obstacles and we can choose to be afraid of them, turn around and go back to where we came from or we can take them on and move forward. Sure we may trip and fall, but at least we gave it the best shot that we could, and more importantly, we kept moving forward. I realize now that I deserve to be happy and successful. At everything I do I deserve that. And so do you. You just have to believe.

Buffalo Trace Balloon Race 10K-Race Summary

Even though I ran this race on July 30th I thought that it would be appropriate to do a summary of my experience.

Pre Pre-Race

I really wasn't so sure about this race from the beginning. I started my 10K training (Bridge 2 10K) the week after I got back from vacation in June. I was 2 weeks into the training when I ran my 5K as part of my completion of the Couch 2 5K program. I looked around for races that would coincide with my completion of the Bridge 2 10K program and this was the only one that I could find that fit my schedule.

The race is sponsored by the Maysville (KY) Recreation Commission and takes place as part of a large festival in the City of Maysville. The 10K is just one of three events they offer. There was also a 5K and a 20 mile bike ride.

Maysville is only a little over an hour away from Lexington and to be honest I didn't know if I wanted to get up that early to drive to the race. I also knew that I was going to have my kids that weekend and I really didn't want to take time away from being with them. Finally, the race was billed as 5K on road and 5K on a "grass cross-country course". Well I definitely am not a CC runner so I was a little concerned about the race. My wife finally convinced me that I needed to "just do it" but I didn't make that decision until the week of the race. It was too late to pre-register at that time so I called the organizer to make sure that I could still run. I spoke with a lady who assured me that I could register at the race. And then I made the mistake. I asked her if the course was hilly. She just laughed and said "yeah". Then I asked her about this "grass cross-country course" hoping she would respond with "oh it's a beautiful, flat course". Of course she only laughed, again, and said "oh yeah it's hilly. You go up and down, back and forth, sideways and maybe even a little upside down." That conversation got me really worried. And I have to admit that I was psyched out by the thoughts of it. Running on hills on the road is one thing but running on hills in the grass struck fear into my heart. Could I make it? Should I do it? I decided to give it a try.

Pre-race

I decided to make the weekend more fun for everyone so I thought it would be nice to go spend the weekend with my parents. They live in Eastern Kentucky about an hour from Maysville. I thought it would be nice because my wife could go with me to the race and the kids could visit with my parents. I love it when a plan comes together.

So we packed everything up on Friday evening and went to my parents' cabin. I love it out there. They live out in the woods close to a lake and it is so peaceful. I always sleep like a baby when I'm there so I thought this would be good race strategy for me too. We got there a little later than I had hoped but still had time to visit. I had packed all of my race fuel, water bottles and belt, and anything else that I could think of that I might need. I was set for a great race.

At about 4:30 am I was awakened by a loud rumble of thunder. I went to pick up my phone to check my Radarscope app and realized that the outlet that I had plugged my phone into didn't work because the wall switch was turned off. My phone was dead. I guess it was a good thing that I heard the thunder because otherwise I would have overslept. I guess that's the trouble with using your phone as your alarm. You're only one dead battery away from a Seinfeld "Jean Paul" episode.

I struggled to get back to sleep but had no luck. So I laid in bed until about 5:30 and then decided to go ahead and get up to get ready. I knew that I needed to eat but I didn't want to eat a big breakfast like I did for my 1st 5K. So I had a piece of toast with natural peanut butter and a banana. I also decided to skip the latte. Especially since my Saturday morning run the week before had been so tough and my heart rate had elevated into the 160's. I did not want a repeat of that situation.

I then got my running stuff on and my wife and I took off to Maysville. We left at about 6:30 and got to Maysville around 7:30. We stopped at the local Hardee's so I could use the restroom and then we headed to the race site. I didn't know what type of facilities would be available at the course and the last thing that I wanted to have happen was a "Code Brown" about 3 1/2 miles into the race.

When we arrived I looked at the grass course and instantly felt nervous about the race. I had no worries about the road portion but the grass cross country course still struck fear into my heart. But I was here and I was ready.

The Race

The first thing that I noticed was that there was not a lot of people. I estimate that there was only about 40-50 people there. It looked like half of them were little kids. I knew that I'd have to trip a lot of those little buggers to keep them from beating me. It was an interesting mix of people. Young, old, men, women, children, fit and not-so-fit. I knew that I would just need to run my race at my pace and I would be ok. It was a beautiful morning as the sun was just coming up. It was pretty humid but wasn't too hot yet. That would change later.

The starter sounded the horn and like a laser beam I was off. Ok. Not a laser beam. More like a slow moving water buffalo, but I was off, nonetheless. I was a little tight in my legs but I was so happy to see that the first portion was downhill. The faster runners (all the little kids) took off and were out of sight pretty quickly. I was hanging out in the back of the small pack and was with the fast walkers. I was ok with that. And then I heard my Cyclemeter app tell me that my pace was in the 11 minute range. I knew that was too fast for me, but I couldn't stand the thought of being outpaced by walkers. So I kept going.

After the initial downhill, we started a long, slow uphill. I slowed my pace and managed to lose the walkers up the hill. I actually passed a runner. Now he was about 80 years old, but I still passed him. I felt great even though my pace was faster than normal. But that is what a race is all about, right?

I topped the hill and leveled out at about the 0.75 mile mark I could see a turn around in the distance. I thought to myself that it looked to be about 1/2 a mile away. And then it happened. I looked to my left and saw this little girl, probably about 7 years old, just bouncing and smiling. her little feet and legs just kicking away with little to no effort, running TOWARD me. She had already reached the turnaround and was already coming back at me. I couldn't believe it. That truly was disheartening. But I kept on and reached the turnaround. I didn't grab any water because I had the enormo-bottle strapped to me in my stylish hip pack.

After the turnaround I was pretty much running by myself. I had my favorite playlist blasting in my ears and I was running my own race. At about 30 minutes I grabbed a couple of my GU Pomegranate Blueberry Chomps for a quick energy boost and some water. I also had a small fuel bottle filled with concentrated Gatorade to keep me going.

As I approached the 3 mile mark I noticed the people directing me to the grass. For a brief moment I thought "oh no, you gave me the wrong colored number. I'm actually only doing the 5K". But I grabbed a water and hit the cross country portion. "This is easy" I thought. Yeah. It was downhill. The course was just the side of a hill that had a 5-6 foot wide path mowed in it. It's like someone went to Farmer Brown and said "Hey we'd like to run in your field. Do you mind?" After I made it to the bottom of the hill I noticed that there were members of the high school cross country team out directing me where to go. Then I realized that I would have to climb the hill. But not a straight climb. Oh no. But a long back and forth as I gradually worked my way up the hill. I felt like I was in the Tour de France on the Alpes d'Huez only I had no bicycle. I remember thinking to myself "will this ever end?" The sun was really coming up at this point and it was getting hotter and I was starting to feel the effects of the heat and humidity. My pace had slowed to about 15 minutes per mile. My brand new Brooks Beasts were soaked from the morning dew on the grass and were covered in fresh cut field grass, which was really more like straw.

After I topped the hill I thought that it had to get easier. And it did. I ended up being directed into the woods. It was shady and downhill. That felt great. I was a little nervous about running on the muddy surface. I figured with my luck I'd fall, roll over the hillside, and into the pond, and never be heard from again. But I made it out of the woods and began the last 1.5 miles of the course.

I ran past a tranquil looking pond that smelled like dead fish and immediately began my ascent up another hill. And then I could see two other runners in front of me. I thought for sure that I could catch them. Then I realized that this filed also contained numerous back and forths and they were too far ahead of me. Then it hit me. I was DEAD LAST. I tried to stay focused on getting through the race though but that terrible thought kept coming back to me. I hit 5 miles and truly wanted to stop. I had never run more than 60 minutes straight and at 5 miles and about 1:07 hours in I was spent. I drank some water, had a few more Chomps, and began to wonder how long it would take someone to find me if I just sat down. And then I wondered if I twisted my ankle how would the little cross country girls carry me out. I figured they'd have to chopper me out. It's funny all of the crazy stuff your mind starts thinking of when you're hot and exhausted.

I made it back across the pond and saw two of the adult volunteers standing on the other side. One of the guys told me that I had about 1/2 a mile to go. As I passed him he started running with me. He was the cross country coach at Mason County High School. I told him that he didn't have to run with me but he said he'd like to. So we ran. And I will tell you that I'm glad that he did because I would not have made it otherwise. That was an awesome Random Act of Kindness that he did for me.

As we neared the finish line I was shocked. There was still about 30 people waiting there all cheering for me. Yes I was last, but I had done it. I wanted to go really fast but I was absolutely spent. I dragged myself across the finish line and saw my wife waiting for me. I was so happy to see her and know that it was all over.

Post Race

After the race I went straight to the car. I was so exhausted and hot. I dumped a bottle of water on my head and a I sat on the trunk of the car. I was so tired that I had to put my arms on my knees but when I did I couldn't breathe deep enough and I started getting dizzy. I really thought that I was gonna go down. I ended up sitting down by the rear tire of the car in the shade and leaned back up against the tire. I poured more water on my head and could breathe much easier in that position. I started to cool down and started to feel better. I grabbed my post race banana and my chocolate milk that I had in the cooler (my perfect recovery snack) and changed clothes in the car. I then walked back over to the awards and cheered for all of those who won their divisions. I asked them if there was a last place finishers award and that got a big laugh from everyone. (I later realized that the reason everyone was still there cheering me on was because they couldn't do the awards until I finished-ha!)

Final Thoughts

I'm happy that I successfully completed the race. It was my first 10K ever. Would I do it again? Not this particular race, but yes I will do another 10K at some point. But for now, the half marathon training is underway and I can't wait to conquer the Iron Horse on Oct. 23rd.

Thanks for reading and remember: Dream Big but take small steps!