The Power of the Mantra

     So we've all heard the term "mantra". It definitely conjures up images for some. When I used to hear that term I envisioned a group of Tibetan monks, dressed in full garb, sitting cross-legged on the floor chanting "Ommmmm", over and over and over. But a "mantra" is more than that. And I have found that it can be very helpful in training.

Things that make you go "ommmm"

     When I first started running, using Couch to 5K, I also listened to music. The Couch 2 5K app would prompt me when to run and when to walk and in the spaces in between I listened to music. I got accustomed to learning the time between each prompt to "walk" and to "run" and learned that each "run" was a certain amount of each song. So I would sing the song as I ran, knowing that once I hit a certain point in the song I would get to walk again. While it's not a exactly a "mantra", that process served something of the same purpose. It gave me something else to focus on to take my mind off of what I was doing.

This is an actor portrayal of me.
Maybe a little thinner.

     As I started running with friends and cycling, I stopped listening to music as much. It's a lot of fun to enjoy good conversation with great friends as you are training, however, I missed the familiarity of the music as my diversion. But as I developed as a runner and cyclist I learned another little trick that served as my diversion. I'd start focusing on physical elements that were on my training routes and I'd use those as my distractions. For example, I'd see a tree a few hundred yards away and I'd tell myself "if you run to that tree, then you can walk for thirty seconds" or "if you can just pedal to the top of that hill then you can coast down the other side." And creating those small diversions allowed me to shift my focus from the act of running or cycling and instead direct my attention to achieving a small goal. And as I accomplished each small goal I knew that I was getting closer to end goal of finishing.

 

Set incremental goals like running to the next tree

     As my training rides and runs got longer and longer while I trained for Ironman Louisville, my little diversion didn't seem to work as well. When you're riding a bike for 36 miles it's fun to pick out objects along the way as your incremental goals, but when you're riding for 112 miles you mentally enter into an entirely different world. It's an amazing place but I found that I needed more than signposts and trees to focus on. That is how I developed my mantra: I can do anything. I know that may sound boastful, but it's anything but. It's simply a reminder to myself of all that I've achieved on my journey and it's something that helps me remember that whatever it is I'm doing is finite. It has an ending. And all I need to do is just keep moving forward and eventually I will finish.

 

Everyting you do in life has one of these.

 

     So that is what gets me through the 112 mile bike rides, and the 26 mile runs. I don't listen to music. And many times I'm by myself on those longer rides and runs so there's no conversation. And when I feel like I can't go on, or that the hill I'm climbing is too much, I simply repeat to myself, over and over, "I can do anything. I can do anything. I can do anything." And it works.

 

     Do you have a mantra? Is there a word, or phrase, that you repeat to yourself when you're training to take your mind off of things? If not, I encourage you to experiment with it and find one that works for you. It doesn't have to be something positive like mine, but rather just something that takes your mind to a different place.

 

 

 

 



Battling the Flu: Fighting the Tough Fight

     Well it happened. I got the flu. It's been 7 years since my last bout with it and this one has really knocked me for a loop.

This is NOT really me. It is an actor portrayal of my Flu.

Since my toe injury a little over a month ago it's been a struggle to stay consistent with my running. The first week after the injury all I could do was walk. So I walked about 15 miles that week through my neighborhood, limping most of the way. By the 2nd week, I was ready to get back to running so I decided to try the treadmill. Now I knew that going to the gym in the winter was a big risk. The only other times that I can remember having the flu as an adult have both come after I'd spent several weeks working out at the gym in the winter. I would much rather prefer to be outside running but with the broken toe running on the road just wasn't an option for me.

 

     So things were going really well that 2nd week. I got back to the point where I could run on the treadmill without my toe hurting. I had to alter my stride just a little but it worked. By the 3rd week I was going strong on the treadmill and even knocked out a 12 mile run. Now running on the treadmill for that long is torture for me, especially since I don't listen to music or watch TV while I run, but at least I was able to run.



Again, NOT me.

     By the end of the 4th week I was able to get back outside to run and I was able to knock out a 21-miler. That was great. But then the Polar Vortex hit. The cold air moved in and the last thing that I wanted to do was to run outside, in the dark, when it was 3 degrees with a windchill of -10. So I convinced myself that I could keep running on the treadmill. And I did keep running. I ran Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday and Sunday I ran 14 and 10 miles. It was a 45 mile week for me and I felt great about getting all of my miles done.

Here is a picture of my house during the Polar Vortex
(okay not really)

     And then it hit me. Monday morning I came to work and within 3 hours I could feel a tickle in my chest. It felt almost like an allergic reaction. I started coughing. A lot. I used some cough drops and they didn't help. I drank tea with honey and got no relief. Initially I thought it was an allergic reaction to the almonds that I had eaten. I don't have a nut allergy but it sure felt like it. My lungs started feeling tight too. By the time I got home I had a temperature of 101.4. I had an idea of what it was but I didn't want to admit it. I think there's a part of me that believes that if I deny it then it won't be true.

     But by Tuesday morning I knew that there was no way to deny it. So I called in sick and headed to the Doctor. And sure enough, after my nasal passages were violated by that giant q-tip, the test came back positive for Type A flu. I figure for my personality that's the only type of flu to get. Right?

 

     Now I'm on Day 9 of the battle. I was fortunate to catch it early enough to get on Tamiflu and that has really helped. But even now I have no energy to do anything. I've not been able to run in 10 days. I missed 4 days of work and even though I've gone back to work now, it's a struggle to get anything done. I'm amazed at how drained I am at this point. I feel like my battery is empty.

 



 

   But each day is a new day. And I know that with each passing day, as long as I get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids, I'll get back to 100% eventually. My battery will be re-charged and I'll be back on the Ultra Marathon Training Plan. Hey I've got 100 miles to run at the end of April so I'm gonna keep Fighting the Tough Fight. Stay safe friends. And always remember to hand sanitize!

 

 

It Takes a Village

     I'm sure you've heard the old adage "it takes a village to raise a child". Well in many cases the same can be said of a runner, or a triathlete. The success that is achieved by the individual athlete is not only a culmination of his or her hard work, effort and determination, but also the support, encouragement and inspiration from many others.

 

      When I first started running I went out by myself. I used the Couch 2 5K app on my iPhone so I'd go out by myself, plug in my headphones, and get the workout completed. There were many days that I struggled to find the motivation. Fortunately, I found a website called DailyMile.com that I joined. DailyMile is like Facebook for people who work out. You post your workouts and make friends. The best part about it is that you get a lot of encouragement from people you've never even met before. I continued using DailyMile for a lot of my 10K and half-marathon training.

 



     But after a point I really needed some personal interaction. I searched online and found some local running clubs in Lexington. I reached out to a few people and before I knew it I was invited to a group run with John's Striders. I was thrilled. I'll never forget my 1st run with the group. The leader, Ernie Peel, was so encouraging and inspirational. Even though Ernie and I don't get the chance to run together now I still am so grateful to him for all he did for me. And I still am inspired by all he does for others. Also on that first run, I also got to meet my friend Casey Hill. Casey and I lived in the same neighorhood so we started running together a lot. We even started our own small running group that we called the "Polo Club Pacers" (because we ran on Polo Club Boulevard). Casey and the Pacers helped me prepare for my 1st half-marathon and my 1st marathon.

 



 

     About the same time that I started running with the Striders and Pacers, I also joined the Bluegrass Cycling Club. I had been cycling on my own but was really struggling. I was riding a hybrid bike with big, knobby off-road tires and was really struggling. The Club took me in and made me one of their own. I learned so much from the members and was soon on my own road bike and on my way. I'm not sure that I would have developed my passion for cycling without the Club. They are just an amazing group of people.

 

     I also joined the Bluegrass Tri Club. The group has all different levels of experienced athletes and it proved to be a valuable resource to me in my training. I also met some amazing people through the club who helped me train for Ironman. People like Rick and Jill Kimberlin, Coy Martinez and Bob Baney. And I enjoy this club so much that I am now the President. I just hope to be able to share what I've learned with others who are interested in learning more about triathlons. It's my way of paying it forward.

 

 

 

     And finally, after my disappointing performance at Ironman Louisville in 2012 I knew that I needed to really improve my swimming. So I joined the UK Masters Swim Team. The team meets several times throughout the week and has an amazing coach, Susan Bradley Cox, who also happens to be in the International Triathlete Hall of Fame. Being around other swimmers and having the coaching made such a difference in my ability. I went from swimming the 2.4 miles of Ironman Louisville in 2 hours 16 minutes in 2012 to swimming it in 1 hour 37 minutes in 2013. No way that would've happened without the UK Masters.

 

     So if you're struggling with your training I strongly encourage you to take some time and look for some groups around you. Whether it's running, cycling, swimming, or triathlon you'll most likely find a group that you can fit in with. Like I said it takes a village.

 

The Year of The Beast: Part Two

     I think a good personal blog should be a combination of different elements. I think it should be informational about a particular topic, or topics, and it should also allow you to get to know the blogger. In the past, before my extended blogging hiatus, I think I failed in that task. I spent a lot of time writing about the races that I did, so you got to know about me and my running experiences, but I offered little advice about any specific topic. I'm ready to right the ship now.

     I really want my blog to be a source of inspiration for you, sprinkled with some useful information about health and nutrition, and all wrapped up in some "getting to know me better as a blogger" wrapper. Kinda like a big blogging burrito. So with that being said I'd like to share my race plans with you all for the year so you have an idea of what I'm getting into.

 

     Last year was The Year of The Beast. My only focus was Ironman Louisville. After my unsuccessful attempt in 2012 I wanted to focus my energy and effort on that race alone. I thought about doing some other smaller races, I guess what triathletes would call a "B" or "C' race, but I really just wanted to knock the "A" race, Ironman Louisville, out. And my efforts paid off.

 

     This year my focus is a little different but the goals are still lofty. This year I've decided to focus on the weakest sport of the three for me: running. I really have a love/hate relationship with running and it is the sport that I struggle with the most. I know that if I'm ever going to be good at triathlons, I'm going to have to develop my running. So this year I have only one "A" race: the Indiana Trail 100 Yes, I'm going to run a 100 mile ultra marathon.

     I know that sounds crazy for a guy who struggles with running but it really appeals to me for 2 reasons: (1) the volume of running required preparing for the race will help me focus on my running and become better at it, and (2) it will push my endurance farther than Ironman Louisville did. Now you may be asking, "Why do you want to push yourself to the limits?" Well the answer is simple (even though I don't quite understand it myself): If I don't feel pushed to the limit by an event I don't have the motivation to do the event.

     What?

     It is something that I discovered after I completed Ironman Louisville. I signed up for a half marathon after Ironman Louisville but I only did 5 training runs in preparation for it. Why? Some may call it post-Ironman blues. I call it lack of motivation. I had done the race before and running 13.1 miles did not feel like a challenge. I don't say that to belittle the accomplishment in any way. To train yourself to run 3, 6, or 13.1 miles is incredible. It's a journey I took myself and am very proud of what I accomplished, but in terms of pouring myself 100% into training I just have to be challenged. And the 100 mile race definitely will do that.

     After the 100-miler in April, I will turn my focus back to triathlons. With my running being hopefully much improved, I really want to become more competitive. My goal at Ironman Louisville was simply to finish. I had no delusions of being competitive. But now I really want to see what I'm capable of achieving. So with that in mind I plan to compete in a Half Ironman in Augusta, Georgia in September: Ironman Augusta 70.3.

 

     Now I know you're askng yourself "Well how is that a challenge since you've already done a full Ironman?" Well that's a good question. The challenge is that I want to do more than just finish. I want to finish and be competitive in my age group. That is the challenge. And I am ready for the task.

 

     So that is my race year in a big blogging burrito. Or as I like to say: The Year of The Beast: Part Two. I hope you'll follow along with me this year as I continue my exciting journey. Now, for some reason I'm really craving some Mexican food.

Winter Running: How To Stay Warm

     Let's face it. Sometimes it's tough to get motivated to run in the winter. I love running in the snow, but when it's 38 degrees and raining the last thing that I want to do is go outside and run 12 miles in it. But sometimes running inside isn't an option so we have to suck it up, lace up the shoes, and hit the roads.

  

     So how can you still get outside and stay safe and warm? Having trained for my 1st marathon during the winter of 2011/2012 and now training for a 100 mile ultra this winter, I've learned a few things and I'd like to share them with you. Here's my tips:

     (1) Layer up-Yes just like your mom used to tell you to do when you were a kid. It really works. But just make sure that you don't end up looking like Randy from Christmas Story. 



Add layers but don't go overboard

So I usually wear a dri-fi compression shirt as my base layer for my upper body. Almost always a short sleeve shirt. I also wear dri-fit compression pants on my lower body. Depending on the temperature I'll either wear a thin set or insulated. I'm usually good to about 40 degrees with the thin pants, but below that I have to go insulated. If it's extremely cold, perhaps in the teens or single digits, I'll acutally wear both. After the base layer, I usually throw on a long-sleeve tech shirt. The moisture wicking helps a lot because even in the cold I sweat a lot. If it's less than 30 degrees though I'll wear an insulated, long-sleeve, dri-fit shirt for added warmth instead of the tech shirt. I will also add a 3rd layer which is usually a full zippered vest with zippered pockets. I don't like to run with a full jacket on so the vest works well. The zipper will also allow me to control my core temperature. If I get too hot I can always unzip it. If I'm too cold, I can zip it up. If it's in the teens or lower, or if it's in the 30's and raining, then I'll wear a waterproof, full-sleeve jacket. I do usually get hot in it but my experience has been that if you get your core rain-soaked in the cold weather your run will suffer. I've learned the hard way. Finally, over the base layer pants, I will wear a pair of running shorts. I like to have the pockets available and honestly, I can't stand it when guys wear tight running pants by themselves. Somethings just weren't meant to be, ya know?

 

     (2) Arm Sleeves-In certain conditions, I will also wear my arm sleeves. I have found that they keep me warm but also give me the option of removing them if I heat up too much. Just be careful if you wear them under a long sleeve shirt or jacket because it can be tricky getting them off. If it's extremely cold though, which for me is in the teens or less, I'll wear them.



No, this is NOT me



     (3) Hats and Gloves-For my gloves I have a couple of options. If it's not too cold, in the 40's, I'll wear a pair of Gore full fingered cycling gloves that I use for cycling. They are good for keeping my hands warm but not hot. Once it drops below 40 I'm all in with my Nike dry-fit running gloves. The funny thing is that even when it's get really cold my hands will get hot. Often times I will take my gloves off after a few miles. That's why I like wearing my vest because it has nice side pockets I can shove the gloves in and zip up so I don't lose them. Now for hats I really struggle. I HATE wearing anything except visors when I run. That's great when it's warm, but once it gets cold you have to have some head and ear protection. I've tried many things in the past. I've used toboggans, headwraps, baseball caps, earmuffs, etc. My biggest problem is that I sweat. A LOT. And within a few miles most head coverings are soaked. And then they get really cold. Recently I purchased a Nike dri-fit headwrap that really seems to work pretty good for me. It's not thick like most headwraps I've used and I can still fit my visors over it. Yes, I wear my visors over my head wrap.

 

 


    (4) Run Loops-When I run long runs I usually will run loops anyway. If I'm running 15 miles then I'll run my 5 mile loop 3 times. This will allow me to come back to a home base (my car or house) before heading out for another loop. When it's cold this is a great plan because it gives you the opportunity to make adjustments if you need to. If you're too hot you can lose some layers. If you're too cold, you can add some layers. If you're soaked in sweat you can change. You can also refuel, hit the bathroom and get some hydration.

Hopefully you won't feel like this running loops

     (5) Ice-Don't do it. I learned the hard way last year when I tried to run on the roads when it was snowy/icy. I hit a patch of ice that I didn't see and before I knew it I was on the ground. I was fortunate that I didn't hit my head but I thought that I had broken my arm. I was sore for a couple of weeks and getting back into training after a fall like that was pretty hard. If you insist on running outside when it's icy I suggest YakTrax, or you can make your own spiked running shoes. Here's a short video:

     So there you have my basic tips for running in cold weather. I hope you get the chance to experience it this winter. Honestly running on the falling snow at nite is the best way to run in my book. There is nothing else quite like it.

     Have fun. Stay warm. And be safe.


Staying Motivated During the Cold Months

 

     Let's face it: this is the time of year when it's hard to stay motivated. For most of us, we wake up, it's dark. We work all day then go home. It's dark. Sometimes just curling up on the couch with something warm to eat or drink seems like the best idea. I think it's some genetic predisposition to "hibernate".

     But I'm here to tell you that hibernating is not good for you. Your body needs to be active during the winter months. For me, it's a way to keep a positive mental outlook (not to mention keeping the extra pounds off).

 

     So with that in mind I wanted to give you all some suggestions for how to stay motivated during the cold months. There are actually a few things that I suggest: (1) sign up for a race or event for sometime in the early Spring. This will keep you focused on an immediate goal which will keep you focused on training. This year I'm planning on running my 1st ultra marathon toward the end of April so I am running 5 times a week. You don't need to do something that extreme but just choose something that you will look forward to doing. Maybe even choose an event in a different location. That way you can get a little vacation as a reward for all of your hard work. My 1st marathon was in Myrtle Beach in 2012. I took a full week of vacation when I ran the race. It was such a great experience. Give it a try. 

 

 

     Another suggestion that works well:  (2) train with a group. Last year there were days where I knew I didn’t want to train but I showed up anyway simply because I knew others were relying on me to be there. Training with a group keeps your level of motivation high. You work together to push each other to become better. You encourage each other to keep going. There is accountability that is not possible if you’re training by yourself.  I know that I can count on my running buddies to keep me motivated. This helps so much, especially for running, because I have others who hold me accountable for my training.

     And my last suggestion: (3) join a gym. When you’re around other like-minded people keeping fit it’s so much easier to keep yourself going. I joined a gym last year and even though I prefer to run outside, it comes in handy to be able to hit the treadmill inside where it's warm.

     So that’s my game plan. I’m gonna tell Old Man Winter to take his “blahs” and hit the road. I’m going to work hard to keep myself motivated and focused on maintaining all the positive progress I’ve achieved on this journey. And I hope you’ll do the same. Stay positive. Stay focused. And stay motivated.

Forget the Resolutions: Make #TheCommitment

     It's been a while since I've blogged. I've thought about getting back into it many times but never followed through on my desire. But now I'm back. I have a lot of things to say and as much as I enjoy using social media on a daily basis, there are just some things that need more that 140 characters to be expressed.

     As we rapidly approach the New Year, it's easy to be overcome with the excitement that it promises. And with that excitement comes the promise of a "start-over'. The opportunity to make right all of the things that we've done wrong over the past year, or even several years. So we hastily make Resolutions that, if upheld, will magically transform our lives into the wonderful, happy existence that we yearn for them to be. But I've learned, as many of you have, that Resolutions are usually nothing more than empty promises that we make to ourselves.

     So this year, I've resolved to make no Resolutions. Yes, that was irony. I hope you enjoyed it. But seriously, I don't want my life to be based around these empty promises that I make each year. Instead, I want to make Commitments.

     With that in mind, I decided to start what I call #TheCommitment (note the use of the hashtag--did I mention how much I love social media?). And I'd love for all of you to join me in this commitment to make this year the best year ever. Not just for ourselves, but for those around us as well.

     #TheCommitment:

     (1) I Commit to loving myself even when I don't feel that I am worthy of being loved,

     (2) I Commit to loving others around me as I love myself,

     (3) I Commit to doing the best that I can to change the things in my life that I wish to change,

     (4) I Commit to taking small steps to make those changes in my life rather than trying to change
               everything all at once,

     (5) I Commit to thinking positive thoughts, speaking positive words, and doing positive actions
               on a daily basis.

     So I invite you to join me in making #TheCommitment. Life is a wonderful thing and we should enjoy it to the fullest. And when we work together to help one another we are well on our way to doing so.

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!