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!

The Great Buffalo Chase 5K-Race Recap

Today I ran my first 5K since 1994. For some people that is really no big deal. For me, I can't even begin to express what it means. I'm not going to re-tell my story for this post but the past 5 months have been an incredible journey for me and today was just something of a culmination of that journey.

Pre Pre-Race

I began my Pre Pre-Race strategy almost 3 months ago when I downloaded the Couch 2 5K app. I had already lost some weight from my healthier eating and I had been walking for almost a month. I decided that I wanted to run again like I used to do when I was in law school. I did some research and felt that the C25K was my best choice. I used the app over a 9 week period and was able to go from running only 60 second intervals to running a complete 5K in a little over 42 minutes. I have since moved on to Bridge to 10K program and have completed the first 2 weeks, but even though I had been able to run 5K on my own I had not actually run a race. When I downloaded the C25K app I immediately searched for a race that would fit into my schedule for finishing the program and not interfere with my family vacation. The Great Buffalo Chase 5K at the Buffalo Trace Distillery was my answer. And I figured if everything fell apart I'd be in the perfect location to drown my sorrows. I also decided that I wanted to run a 12:00 minute mile as my pace. I'm not sure where I came up with that number but it sounded good to me.

Pre-Race

I decided that Friday was going to be my last running day and that I was just going to do nothing for Saturday and Sunday. I thought that it might make the run today a little easier. You know I believe that I have a limited amount of awesomesauce so I didn't want to waste it over the weekend. I also spent some time stretching, especially my left foot. I have Plantar Fasciitis and when that tendon tightens up it can be very difficult to even walk. So I spent quite a bit of time stretching and icing my foot hoping to keep the tightness and pain to a minimum. I was also pretty good about my diet. I didn't want to eat anything that might create any issues for me so I stuck to what I would normally eat. I did have a very tough time going to sleep last nite. I went to bed about 10:00 thinking that I would need to get up around 6 to have time to eat, stretch and drive the 35 minutes to Frankfort. I wasn't able to get to sleep until after midnight. I knew that I would be tired but I was really feeling nervous and excited about the race. It was kinda like the Disney World commercial where the little boy tells his mom "I'm too excited to sleep". As weird as it may sound I felt the same way last nite.

Race Morning

I planned on getting up at at about 6:00 so I would have time to eat a little, make my latte (I'm hooked), stretch, and then drive to Frankfort. My wife decided to do the race with me (walking) so I knew that I'd have her to drive so I could chill out on the ride over. I ended up waking up at 4:45 and couldn't go back to sleep. Again, I think it was just a combination of nerves and excitement. Okay, maybe it also had something to do with the fact that someone was snoring just a little bit. I'm not going to say who it was but it was only me and my wife in the bedroom and it wasn't me.

So I ended up getting up at 5:45. I had read several things about not drinking coffee before you run to prevent the dreaded 'Code Brown" mid-race. I decided to go ahead and make a latte because I have one every morning. It is part of my morning ritual so I didn't want to deviate too much from my normal routine. I had also done some research about what to eat pre-race but after I got up I decided to go ahead and eat an omelette like I do every morning, with a banana and some Orange Juice. I also decided to have two pieces of whole wheat toast with all natural peanut butter. Doesn't that look so good? And I did arrange the banana under the 2 pieces of toast just so it looked like it was smiling at me, telling me to go out and run the best race that I could run. I was a little concerned that it might be too big of a breakfast but the race wasn't until 8:00 and I was eating at 6:00 so I figured that I would need the extra energy to get me through. Healthy eating, after all, does lead to the creation of much more awesomesauce. After my breakfast I decided to go ahead and take a shower just to follow my normal routine. It really felt good to get in and get warmed up. Again, I was beginning to slowly realize that the more of my "normal" routine I followed, the more relaxed I was feeling.

We headed out for Frankfort, Kentucky at about 6:50 which was about 10-15 minutes later than what I had hoped but I decided that I wasn't going to let it bother me. I knew we'd make it there in time and we did. As we pulled in I could see all the people getting out of there cars, some stretching, some running to warm up, and others just relaxing and having a good time. When we got out of the car we immediately ran into one of my wife's best friends, Scott Hamilton, and his wife Carlita and her daughter, Erin. That really made me feel so much more relaxed and I really started to just take it all and in and enjoy it.

We made our way over to the Guest Shop and there was no line for those who were pre-registered. We immediately got our numbers and t-shirts and headed back out to the car to put the t-shirts in the car. No. We did not wear the race t-shirt at the actual race. I may not have run a race in 17 years but I know better than that. So I got my number pinned on and I felt like I was ready to go. The Beast was feeling a little antsy and was ready to run. As you can see, I made sure to wear my best cheesy smile for my pre-race picture. And yes I realize that I am dressed all in black. It's kinda my thing. I'm comfortable being known as the "Johnny Cash" of runners.

After we got our numbers on we made it back over to the porta-potties and then they announced for the runners to line up. It was still 15 minutes until race time but I was ready to go. It was then that I saw someone looking at me and he said "Hey Beast". It was Corey Q., one of my friends from the website that I use to track my training called DailyMile.com. It was so cool to actually get to meet someone that I've talked to online but never had the chance to meet. After meeting Corey, my wife and I made our way back to her friend Scott and we stood there and chit-chatted a little and waited with nervous anticipation for the start of the race. I went ahead and got my Cyclemeter app set up to track my race and my Nike + app running to track my run as well. Finally, I popped my Bose earbuds in and hit the "Heavy" playlist on my iPod and waited for the gun to sound.

Race Time

So with the announcement from the bull horn (I was bummed there was no gun) I was off for my first 5K in 17 years. I had forgotten the feeling of running around other people. I was about halfway deep in the pack but knew that I'd quickly drop back once I reached my pace. It was such an exhilarating experience. I felt the instant desire to run faster than I normally did. I didn't want to be left behind. And I noticed that when I would see a guy, or woman, who looked bigger than me, pass me, I would try to speed up thinking "I can't let him (or her) pass me". And when the little kids would lap me I would really feel that urge to go faster. Fortunately, I quickly settled into what I felt was a comfortable pace. It was such a peaceful run. The weather was overcast and humid, but it wasn't hot. I was really worried that the sun would be out and that it would get too hot on top of the humidity. I also was concerned about the general course. I had looked at the map and had actually driven over earlier in the week to try to see the route just to see if there were many hills. Fortunately it was just very small inclines (although they seemed to go on forever at times) but no hills like what I run on my normal route here at home.

The small crowd quickly spread out and by one mile I was in my own space. I had the occasional walker who would run, pass me, walk, let me pass them, and then run and pass me. There was one lady in particular who did this for about the first 2 miles. I have to admit that it got a little old but after about 2 1/4 miles she couldn't keep up with me so I lost her.

The course itself was beautiful. It was along tree lined roads, past water, over bridges, and along creeks, all on the grounds of one of the best Bourbon Distillers in Kentucky, Buffalo Trace.

I have to admit that it was a bit disheartening when I reached around the 1 mile marker and I looked up and saw guys already running back at me. As I continued along I saw my wife's friend, Scott. We exchanged "air" fist bumps and went on our way. I also saw Corey on his return route. He was looking strong. I caught up with Scott's wife, Carlita, and we waved. Then I left her in my dust. (sorry Carlita, I just wanted to say that). Then on my return trip I saw my wife. She took the picture above. Yes it does look like I was walking, but I swear I was running. It's my Forrest Gump cross-country shuffle. You know in the movie where he decides to run back and forth across the country and he's just out there slowly moving along. That's my stride. I'm comfortable with that at this point. And it works for me.

After I reached the 2 mile marker the crowd had really cleared out. It was like running by myself here at home which I really enjoy. I kept hearing my pace from the Nike and Cyclemeter apps at around 12:20. I quickly started doing the math n my head as to how fast I'd have to run my 3rd mile to average 12:00 minutes per mile, but I quickly realized that I wasn't going to be able to maintain that fast a pace in my last mile. I was just very happy that I was averaging a 12:20. That was the fastest consistent pace that I had ever run.

As I got to the 3 mile marker I was beginning to wonder if the race was ever going to end. Honestly, it seemed pretty long. But when I could see the finish line and hear the small crowd cheering, I knew that I had done it. I had a brief desire to run faster but then I realized that there was no need to do that and risk injuring myself. I just continued to run my race. And yes several people passed me in the final 50 feet trying to get their "fast" run on and I was fine with that. I finished and I was thrilled. I was tired, and soaked in sweat, but I finished.

Post Race

After I finished, I went to the Gatorade coolers and also got a banana. I also grabbed a water so I could go back and meet my wife. I ran into Corey Q. again and met his wife and daughters and I also talked to Scott, Carlita and Erin for a minute. Then I headed back out on the course to find Annita. I hadn't made it that far and I looked up and saw her jogging around the bend. I was so excited to see her. She is not a runner but she was giving it her best. I gave her the water I brought out for her and she walked the rest of the way in. It was so much fun to have her there with me. I was proud of her for knocking it out.

After we talked to Scott and Carlita a little more, I grabbed an oatmeal bar and another Gatorade, and we headed back for Lexington.

Summary

Today I ran a 5K. Again, for many people that's no big deal. For me, I can't express how I feel. I hope my blog has given you some insight as to what it means to me. I haven't done this in 17 years. I was in my 20's. This race is the culmination of 5 months of hard work on my part but it is also just the beginning of a much longer journey. My hope is to run a 10K at the end of July and I've signed up for a half marathon on Oct. 23rd. I hope to run the Derby Festival Marathon in Louisville next April. Last, I am going to do everything that I can to prepare myself to compete in the Ironman Triathlon in Louisville next August. Those are very big dreams. But this small taste of success that I have had inspires me to accomplish more. And I know that I can accomplish anything that I set my mind to. And so can you.

Dream big and start small. Bestir the Beast!

The Things That Drive The Beast

Last nite as I was running my Week 1 Day 2 session of the Bridge 2 10K program I began to forget about all of the things going on around me and got lost in thought about why I do what I do. I was soaked in sweat to the point that it looked like someone had placed a small fountain atop my head and turned it on, I could feel the slight twinges in my right heel from the Plantar Fasciitis with every stride I took, and my left hip reminded me with each step that I'm not 26 years old anymore. But all of the issues faded into the background of my mind as I began to wonder "why am I doing all of this?" Throughout my 40 minute running adventure, I realized that I had several different things driving me and I felt that it would be appropriate to share with you The Things That Drive The Beast.

First and foremost, I want to be healthy. After I graduated from law school some 17 years I quickly allowed myself to fall out of the exercise routine that I had worked so hard to establish. While in school I used to run and bicycle daily. I was in the best shape of my life at 6'2" and 205 pounds. Over the next 17 years I managed to balloon to 365 pounds. It wasn't something that happened suddenly, but rather was a gradual process of yearly increase. In February of this year, after attending a Super Bowl Party, where I drank a little too much beer and ate a little too much food, I ended up getting sick. I was sick both after the party and the next day. I knew that I could not continue to live my life like this. I had already been diagnosed with sleep apnea and high blood pressure, and I have my suspicions that I was borderline diabetic as well. I was also beginning to feel pains in the upper right side of my stomach. To be honest, I believe that it was my liver that was enlarged as a result of my unhealthy eating and occasional drinking. Combine that with the fact that I've had three maternal uncles pass away prematurely (2 in their early 50's and one in his early 60's--all suffered from adult onset diabetes) and I knew that my life was going to be prematurely cut shore unless I made some major changes. So I did. And I feel great. I feel healthier than I have felt in years, both physically and mentally. I can't imagine at this point ever returning to where I was before. I know that this will be a lifelong battle for me but it's one I'm willing to take on. And besides, I promised my wife 90 years together when we married in 2000. I'm not sure that I'll be able to make it 122 years old, but I know that with every step I take and every healthy bite I take, I'm increasing my chances.

Second, I want to be a role model for my children. I want my children to be able to see their father as a healthy, fit, active person, rather than someone who sits on the couch and watches life pass by. I don't want my children to suffer the issues that I've faced and the embarrassment of being too big to fasten a seat belt on an airplane (which I have had happen in the past). I want my legacy to be more than being a good father, or being a kind person. I want my children to want to live a healthy, active lifestyle and I want them to say that it's because of their father. I want their healthy, active lifestyles to be a continuation of what they have seen from me, so that that their children will do the same.

Third, I want to be an example to others. I want to inspire and motivate others who may feel that life has passed them by that they too can make the positive changes that lead to a happier, healthier life. A friend of mine from high school, Anita Holbrook Mills, is someone who has inspired me along my journey. Anita allowed her weight to balloon to almost 400 pounds when she decided it was time to do something about it almost 2 years ago. On her doctor's advice she started eating smaller meals more often and started walking. In 2 years she has lost over 230 pounds. She has been featured on the Rachel Ray show, on CNN.com, and most recently in Women's World Magazine. She truly is an inspiration to me and when I think that my journey to health and fitness is impossible, I simply think of Anita's battle and her victory and it inspires me to keep on going. I want to be that type of inspiration to others. I truly feel like my purpose in this life is to help others and if I can help one person change his or her life through sharing my journey, the ups and the downs, then I have fulfilled my purpose.

Fourth, I believe that it honors God. I'm sure that I may lose some of you here, but I strongly believe that living a healthy, active lifestyle is simply another measure of showing my love for a God that has blessed me with so much. I read Rick Warren's "Purpose Driven Life" in 2006. I've actually read it several times since then. In the book, Rick challenges the reader to develop a life statement. Something that summarizes what your purpose is in this life. After much thought I came up with "Love.Live.Lead". Love God, Love Others, Live like Christ, and Lead Others to a Relationship With God. And while I've tried to hold true that that mantra for the past 5 years I realized that by being unhealthy I was not doing the best that I could do. By making decisions that affected my health and shortened my life, I truly believe that I was telling God that although I appreciated my life and the many blessings that I have, I didn't appreciate it enough to want to live as long as I could. Like I said before, I believe that my purpose here on this Earth is to help as many people as I can in any and every way possible. How arrogant and irresponsible of me to make decisions that could cut my life short and therefore leave my mission unfulfilled. I believe that by making my lifestyle changes that I am doing all I can to honor God and to complete the mission that He has charged me with. My only hope in this world is that once I die I will hear "well done my good and faithful servant".

Finally, I want to be an Ironman. I know that sounds crazy coming from a guy who is 43 years old and still weighs as much as an NFL Defensive Lineman. But I have been fascinated with the Ironman competitions for years. I'm not sure what it is about them that I am so fascinated with. I have a competitive spirit, but I'm not a competitive person. I know that sounds strange, but let me explain. I always want to do my best. Not because I want to be the best, but because I want to be "just as good". When I was younger, my older brother was 3 years ahead of me in school. So when I was a Freshman in high school he was a Senior. I had all of the same teachers that he had year after year and all of the same advanced classes. I was never able to match his grades although I tried very hard to do so. He was, and is, just a naturally more intelligent person than I am. I never wanted to beat his grades, I just wanted to do "just as good". I think this attitude has carried over into my life in almost every aspect. I'm not concerned with beating people, which is strange for an attorney, but I want to be considered just as good. So the competitive spirit that I embrace is really just a competition with myself. To prove to myself that I am just as good as anybody else at anything. When I was reading Rick Warren's book in 2006, I was also finishing reading the entire Bible. I had accepted a challenge to read the Bible in 90 days and decided to spend the last 40 also reading Warren's book (which has 40 chapters--one for each day). I also decided that I was going to do a juice fast for those 40 days. I would eat no solid food for the 40 day period, but rather only drink vegetable and fruit juice and water for that period. I had never done a fast before but had read quite a bit about them. And although the decision to do the fast was religious based, it truly became a competition with myself to see if I could make it through 40 days. I was successful and it was an amazing experience. So much so that I did it all again in 2007. So maybe that is why the Ironman Triathlon appeals to me so much. It is an opportunity to challenge myself to the limits of my physical and mental abilities. I know that I'm not going to win the race, or even my age division, but simply doing it would be a huge victory for me. I've already had a small taste of this success when I completed the Couch 2 5K program this past Sunday nite. I had challenged myself to complete the program in 9 weeks and I did it. I never walked when I was supposed to run during the entire 9 weeks and on the last day I pushed myself to run for 42 minutes straight just to be able to say that I ran 3.1 miles, even though my longest run to that point had only been 30 minutes. I can't even begin to describe how empowering it is to have completed that program. I challenged myself, I pushed myself harder than I have in years, and I accomplished a task that only 4 months ago would have been absolutely impossible for me to accomplish.

Those are The Things That Drive The Beast. And now you know why I do what I do.

Welcome to "Bestir the Beast"

I've had several people recently tell me that I should start a blog. To be honest I used to blog but did so infrequently. I often times felt that the things that I wanted to say were merely modified statements about how good of a person I thought I was. I don't know that many people even read the blog and I eventually lost interest in writing new posts. Again, there seems to be a certain level of narcissism involved in blogging.

But in February of this year I undertook a radical new outlook on my life. I have spent the majority of my adult life overweight and had really resigned myself to the belief that I would always be that way. That at the age of 42 it would be too difficult for me to make the necessary changes to improve my life. I was starting to see the physical deterioration of my body as a result of my weight and I knew that if I continued on the path that I was on that I probably wouldn't make it beyond my 50's, if I was lucky enough to make it that far.

So on the day after the Super Bowl (yes I waited long enough to get one more good party under my belt) I made the decision to start eating healthier. Initially I cut out all refined sugar, all breads, pastas, and rice, as well as all fried foods and soft drinks. I started eating fruits, vegetables, and healthy proteins. I also switched to drinking diet soft drinks and increased my water intake. After about 3 weeks, I cut out soft drinks altogether. In my fourth week, I stopped eating salad dressings and replaced them with extra virgin olive oil. I also switched from eating almonds that were roasted and salted to eating "raw" almonds. In week 6 I also gave up alcohol. Now I'm not going to lie and say that I don't drink, but I very seldom drink beer or liquor anymore. If I choose to have a drink I generally will have red wine.

It was around this time that I finally stepped on the scales to see what my "lifestyle change" had done for me. I knew that my clothes were fitting better but I didn't know how I was doing weight-wise. I was down almost 35 pounds. I was amazed. And I felt great. At that point I decided that it was time to begin exercising.

I started out with very moderate exercise. I would walk around my neighborhood in the evening, sometimes with my wife, or at work on my lunch break. I started looking at applications for my iPhone to help me with the new exercise routine. I discovered Cyclemeter from Bluefin Software and I was hooked. I think a later blog dedicated to the software that I use will be a good idea so I'll explain more about that app at a later date. I also found a website called "DailyMile" which is like Facebook for people who work out. It allows you to track your exercise and post comments, pics, and videos. You can "friend" people and support them as they work out too. It is a great website and has provided me with a lot of motivation and encouragement.

After about a month of walking I decided that I wanted to get back into running. Now I say "back into running" because when I was in law school I started running and lost a lot of weight. I was very active for the last two years of law school but then after graduation real life set in and I lost my motivation to stay fit. I found an app called "Couch 2 5K" designed to help a couch potato like me go from no running to being able to complete a 5K in 9 weeks. I started the program and followed the workouts to the tee. I finished Couch 2 5K last nite by running a 5K in 41:59. Yes that one second makes all the difference in the world to me. Ok. Not really but I was amazed that I was able to run for 42 minutes and also run that far.

Along the way I have had many people tell me that I inspire them. I find that to be very humbling because I'm just an out of shape guy trying to change his life for the better. But today it struck me that if by blogging about my journey I can influence or encourage one person to change their lifestyle then why not. And I may still get the chance to say all the great things about myself that there are to say as well. Ok. Maybe not.

With that in mind, I decided to start "Bestir the Beast". During the process of learning more about running I began looking for shoes that would provide better support and stability for a big guy like me. I found a shoe from Brooks called the "Beast". So I bought the shoes and adopted the nickname. And I have discovered that there is a Beast inside of me that is longing to get out. One that wants to be an Ironman. Is it possible? I think so and until my body tells me otherwise that is my goal. My healthy lifestyle has "besitrred the Beast" within and I enjoy unleashing him daily.

So far I am down 65 pounds and I have a long way to go. This journey is far from over. But I want to share this with others in the hopes that I can continue to inspire others and likewise, so that I can be inspired. I am going to start a new program tonite called Bridge to 10K which is a 6 week program designed to get me ready to run a 10K. I have already signed up for "The Great Buffalo Chase" on July 4th in Frankfort (a 5K run) and I have also signed up to the run the "Iron Horse Half Marathon" (yes 13.1 miles) on Oct. 23rd. Yes, that is a HUGE goal to accomplish especially for a guy who was just able to run a 5K last nite for the first time in 17 years. But that's okay. I'll make it. And I hope to share my journey with you.

Thank you for stopping by and reading. I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you feel inspired to leave me a comment.

And remember: Dream big and start small.