The Official Start

With my 39th Birthday next week - the official countdown begins. To date I have completed 4 events and have 8 more scheduled by the 4th of July. I have raised over $3,000 towards the $40,000 goal. It has been an interesting journey with work being as demanding as it has been over the past couple of months making me realize that the adage "All great plans of mice and men, often go awry" may rear its ugly head from time to time.

Regardless, I am undaunted and exhilarated by the challenge set forth before me.

Try Sports has signed on as a sponsor - which is incredible. Their support will help make certain non-racing challenges much more realistic. I continue to search for and approach sponsors to help with the challenge - but will prevail regardless.

The importance of the LLS mission and the work that they do will continue to drive me and those who support me and join me for events towards he ultimate goal....support and cures for blood cancers in young and old alike.

I will be updating this blog and the journey more frequently now - and I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I enjoy taking you along with me.

Go Team!

So - it SEEMED like a great idea

In the end it turned out all right - but today, April 26th, I decided to do two events in one day - something that I suspect may happen a few more times over the course of the year due to work constraints and race schedules.

Went and did the Sally's Ride for the Y and their inaugural 5K Trail Run. In racing inaugural usually means - still may have some glitches...nonetheless - I went up to do them both.

82+ today here in the Charlotte area - those beautiful Carolina blue skies folks talk about - nothing but blue skies and sun - and heat...a breeze every now and then too.

The folks at Sally's Y in Denver - or the future site for the Sally's Y - which is named in honor of Sally Clark, who was killed in a car accident at the age of 19, here in NC - were great. Because of logistics they let me onto the run course early, so I would be properly supported during the 62 mile bike ride. Good idea - especially in hindsight.

So what was meant to be a 5K (or 3.1 mile) run turned into a 4.25 mile run - remember the inaugural part...oh well - no harm no foul - I just got a longer run in than I intended..but it was HOT in the sun. Nice little run - through the woods, along some trails they have cut in the adjacent woods...got to run along an unfinished road for a bit - which really brought the heat home.

Then to the finish - and to get ready for the ride.

62 miles - in the Denver and surrounding area - it's hilly....they name some of the hills they're so steep.

We get rolling - me and the rest of the Team in Training folks who came out, Cheryl, Mike, Scott, Bill, Cat, Amy, Cara...and Cheryl had a horrible spill about 2.5 miles in. Road rash and a broken derailleur - which is the thingy that shifts your back gears on your bike - so she was really bummed - and had to call it a day.

As we get going again, I find myself kind of all alone - in between the rest of the riders - who are WAAAY out in front - and the TnT folks. So - that's the way my day went - pretty much rode all alone for 62 miles.

Right about mile 40 - two cruel things happened...1 - my quads started to cramp up a bit - and
2 - there was an ENORMOUS sign for Hershey's Ice Cream and lovely Ice Cream store...which given the heat and my fatigue - I would have preferred to swim in the ice cream, rather than eat it...but I had to pass....milk based products and me working out don't mix - especially on top of all the Gu, Acclerade, Gatorade, etc...

Net - net - it was a great day. The folks at Sally's Y and Blood Sweat and Gears (the supporting Bike shop) did a great job and ran a top notch event.

Thanks Jane for your support and letting me run the course early - thanks to all the folks who made sure I made it out of the woods successfully.....and to all the volunteers on the course. Couldn't have done it without any of you.

34:50 for 4.25 miles
4:02.10 for 62 miles

4 down - 36 to go.

Interview

I had the priviledge of being interviewed by Catherine Oliverio this evening, by phone for an upcoming article in a Local VT/NY newspaper. My wonderful sister arranged it - and it was a great experience. Ms. Oliverio is a Poultney HS teacher, whose family has been touched by Leukemia & Lymphoma. As I plan to do a race in VT over Memorial Day weekend, I hope to have the chance to meet her and thank her. If I get an electronic copy of the article - mind you it is a local paper - I will be sure to share! Very exciting

Southpark 10K April 18, 2009

Another beautiful day for a run. Great turnout yesterday - thousands of folks for the 10K and half - I expect I'll do the half next year as one of my last races...wow - given I now have 38 more to do that seems a long ways off - but not THAT far.

Anywho - great race - after a grueling week at work on average at home arival time was midnight, and being sleep deprived...I was psyched to get up and go run.

Adam Wilson joined me again for the race and he rocked the course - breaking his time from two years ago. Saw a bunch of folks from TnT - Stacey, Cheryl...a few other folks who were wearing our team colors...but didn't catch their names.

Up next - a two-fer next weekend a 5K trail run followed by a metric century (62 mile) bike ride. Sally's Y ride. If you're interested - here's the linkhttp://www.sportoften.com/events/eventDetails.cfm?pEventId=3830

2 down 38 to go
46:45

Props go out to my friend Randy Keller who is running the Boston Marathon tomorrow - Go Randy - you're gonna rock it. He's training for a Full Iron in the fall...

45 miles with some good friends

With the weather turing out to be absolutely perfect this morning, 50 degrees at 8 Am, sunny a little breezy, went out for a 45 mile ride. Had an absolutely amazing ride too. Went out and headed south from our house and went around the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens - it was pretty cool as I looped around through the parking lot how fresh and wonderful it smelled. With all the plants in bloom it was incredibly fragrant. Either that or I was hallucinating...possibly both. Got to do a quick little sprint as a loose dog - and a big dog at that - decided it would be fun to chase me at one point. Thankfully it was near the start of the ride - so if he could keep up or catch me at 25 mph - he deserved to bite me...he didn't

Thanks to the friends who joined me on the ride today, Steven Tyler, James Hetfield and the boys, Joe Satriani, Buster Poindexter, David Lee Roth, Brandon Flowers, Tina Turner and Cher (apparently my wife sent them along with me...need to resynch the iPod), Santana and Rob Thomas...there were others, but those were some of the fan favorites...

Did a 2 mile brick afterwards - which is running after you bike - called a brick because your legs feel like they are full of bricks with our dog Maggie. She was so excited to go running with me her head almost popped off when I asked her. She knows what "go for a run" means and loves it.

Awesome day - on to a couple swims, three runs a couple more bike rides this week and another race on Saturday. Racefest 10K here in Charlotte. Will let you know how it turns out.

10 days straight

So I like to think of myself as someone who is a consistent "workerer-outer"...someone who works out consistently, appropriately, methodically. I usually hit the gym 4 - 6 times a week, get out and run 3 -4 times a week if not more, as that is my "comfort zone"...but I realized as I went to the gym this AM, that I have worked out for 10 days in a row...and still feel I need more. Over the past week, I have covered (running, swimming and cycling) over 70 miles. Now workouts range from a run, to lifting, to a bike ride or - a swim...need more swimming that is for certain, but still.

On the days when I even contemplate not getting up to get to the pool, or on the road, or strap on the shoes, I think about all those folks that I am doing this for and the fact that they get up every day and face a much more daunting battle against Leukemia, Lymphoma and blood cancers. They need all of our help to find a cure.

A little rain, some cold wind, a chilly pool...pale in comparison to what the Honor patients and Heroes face every day.

It humbles me - and I am grateful to be able to try and make a difference.

One of the many reasons I am doing this

Doug Wagner. Doug is our honor patient, honor hero for the Tahoe Ride. Doug is a great spirit and an Alum of the Team in Training Family. He is 42 years old, has a wonderful family and has completed numerous events with Team in Training, and last time I talked with him was coming up on his 5 year anniversary of being cancer free. Doug went on one of the Team rides a little over a month ago...and kicked my butt. Despite the side trip he and Mike Ryan took into a ditch near the end...everyone was fine...Doug is the kind of person and spirit that makes all this more worthwhile. Always with a smile on his face, and energy that doesn't quit, Doug helps me realize that what we are doing to fight Leukemia , Lymphoma and blood cancers is so very important, for the patients. their families and for those who are currently battling blood cancers, and for those who have battled and lost. GO TEAM!