The Life of An Elite Runner

This week I took a much overdue vacation and headed to the beach. My agenda - to run, read, and relax. Halfway through this week I have managed to accomplish each of these. Read a good book yesterday, while sitting on the beach (yep - all 340 pages!). Have avoided working - mostly, therefore relaxing. And for the past three days, I have run - a total of 23 miles. Having just completed a 12 miler, I have come to realize that "this is the life!" Elite runners are provided these opportunities. Elite runners don't really work - running is their work. No stress of project teams or market conditions or deliverables, just stress on their legs. They have sponsors who support them financially. I could have sponsors (any volunteers?). Elite runners train in difficult conditions. I have trained in difficult conditions - yesterday it was hot and sunny and the breeze from the ocean wasn't strong enough, today it almost rained on me. And on Monday, the sand wasn't as firm as I would've liked. Elite runners win races. On the beach, I organized a race to the pier, and won. Does it matter that the beach is nearly deserted in late October? Elite runners take it easy in the evening, preparing their body for the next day. I, too, have taken it easy, watching Dancing With The Stars for 2 straight nights. Yes, the similarities are quite eerie.

I could really get used to this life. Having to consume beverages to stay hydrated throughout the day is difficult work. Once my run is over, I find myself faced with choosing between water, sweet tea, gatorade, beer or wine. The pressure of these choices would get to a lesser person. Not me. I welcome those pressures and address them head on. Although, if I am being honest, I almost snapped earlier this week. The drought in the Southeast is of great concern to me. While on the beach I made the astute observation that the water level was very low - much like the lakes near our home in Charlotte. I started screaming during my run to whoever would listen that "we need to conserve water!" I think my message resonated well with those that were listening. The next day, the water was much higher up on the beach. It just goes to show the difference we can all make if we simply take the time to care.


Tomorrow I am going on a crusade against whoever is littering the beach with these jellyfish. Elite runners shouldn't have to train in these hazardous conditions...

A Time to Remember Others

The effort to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society allowed me to reach out to a wonderful network of people. This has included family, friends, biking teammates, work and association colleagues, and others that know me through an association with someone else. As a result, some contributors have shared with me their reasons for donating, and the impact the a blood related cancer has had on their lives. While each story is personal, I was quite shocked to find out how extensive the impact has been. I would like to mention these special individuals, and encourage them to remain strong. Some have lost someone close to them already, while others are in the midst of a difficult fight. While our Charlotte TNT stated "honored hero" is Mark Bachman, I dedicate my Goofy Challenge effort to each of these people.

• Margie, a current colleague of mine through Beta Alpha Psi, lost a 9 1/2 year old nephew Jay, to Leukemia in 1997. Additionally, Margie's mom had adult onset Leukemia, and is currently in remission.
• Wiley Scott - a former co-worker of my friend Monique. Wiley lost a battle with Multiple Myeloma a few years ago.
• Casey's (another BAP colleague) mom had Multiple Mycelia, another blood related cancer. Casey has previously dedicated a TNT marathon she completed in Alaska to her mom.
• Kailey Miller, an 8-year old diagnosed with Acute Myelocytic Leukemia in 2005. She is close to our family friend Kelly.
• Emily - a co-worker of mine, who's dad is an acute Lymphocytic Leukemia survivor. She has also run a marathon with Team in Training in honor of her dad.
• Sue - another co-worker of mine, who's dad has been in an on-going battle with Lymphoma.
• Katie - another co-worker of mine, who's brother fought non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma for 10 years, but lost that battle 4 years ago.
• Lisa - a friend from my days at Andersen and whom I vacation with each year, lost her father to Lymphoma 12 years ago.

Honoring Mark Bachman

In some of my fundraising communications, I have indicated that the Charlotte Team-In-Training group is running on behalf of a local resident impacted by a blood related cancer. Our local "honored hero" is Mark Bachman. I had an opportunity to participate in a fundraising dinner with my training teammates, and Mark, a few weeks ago, and speak to him briefly.

Mark was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma almost 9 years ago - in December, 1998. Unfortunately, the cancer returned in February 2006, and Mark subsequently underwent a stem cell transplant in July 2006 and is currently in remission. I had learned that Mark was an active triathlete (something I had dabbled in, quite unsuccessfully), and had to cut back him mileage in riding, which in its peak was in excess of 150 miles/week. However, it is clear in looking at Mark that he is doing well and remaining active.

Mark, his wife Lori, and their two sons, Scott (12) and Phillip (9), were all able to attend the dinner. He is the Community Vice President for the YMCA in Charlotte, and wouldn't you know it, his interests sound a lot like mine - physically active, enjoys exercising (I enjoy it at times), biking, taking family beach trips, completing home improvement projects such as building decks, patios and minor remodeling. I would venture a guess that he is better at all of these things than I am!

I was able to present to Mark a special button I had created on a friends website (Buttons of Hope), which I had made up for my training as a reminder of why I was undertaking this 39.3 mile effort. It was a picture of Mark, with the words "Honored Hero" on top of photo. Mark knows that not just I, but my TNT teammates as well, are all working towards raising funds for a worthwhile research effort, and that his story inspires all of us to continue with our training until our mission is complete.

In my next blog entry, I want to briefly share a list of other people I have learned about through my fundraising efforts that have been impacted by Leukemia, Lymphoma and Myeloma.

Until then - 9 mile easy run this morning with the team on a beautiful 60 degree day. It felt great. This was a recovery week for me, meaning I cut back on my weekly mileage by about 10%. The heavy miles are ahead, and with them, more observations about running...

Let's Get Educated

I knew if I was going to run 39.3 miles to celebrate a milestone for myself, I could also benefit a great cause as well. In 2000, when I trained for my only other marathon, I ran each weekend with a group of runners who were participating in Team-In-Training and doing fundraising. That experience was inspiring, and while I am not big into asking others for donations, I knew my effort this year could go inspire others. You have all surpassed my expectations for giving, and the words of support have been most welcomed. So, in the spirit of this effort, I would like to dedicate this week’s blog entries (there will be multiple ones), to highlight LLS, TNT, Mark Bachman (honored hero), and others!

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is the world’s largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education and patient services. They offer a variety of program and services in support of their mission: CURE LEUKEMIA, LYMPHOMA, HODGKINS DISEASE and MYELOMA, AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. The Society is a non-profit organization that relies on the generosity of individual and corporate contributions to advance its mission.

Facts About Blood Related Cancers

- Leukemia, Lymphoma and Myeloma are cancers that originate in the bone marrow of lymphatic tissue as the result of an acquired genetic injury to the DNA of a single cell. The cell then becomes malignant and multiplies continuously. This abnormal accumulation interferes with the production of healthy blood cells
- An estimate 823,000 Americans are living with blood cancers.

Leukemia
- In the US, 218,000 people are living with or in remission from leukemia
Leukemia causes more deaths than any other cancer among children and young adults under the age of 20.
- The relative 5 year survival rate for patients with leukemia has more than tripled in the past 46 years.

Lymphoma
- There are 544,000 people today living with lymphoma – over 138,000 have or are in remission from Hodgkin lymphoma. The rest have or are in remission from non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is the 5th most common cancer in the US, and its age-adjusted incidence rose by nearly 84% from 1975 to 2004.
- The 5 year relative survival rate for patients with Hodgkin lymphoma rose from 73% in 1975 to 86% in 2002.
- The 5 year relative survival rate for non-Hodgkin lymphoma rose from 48% in 1975 to 64% in 2003.

Myeloma
- In 2007, 19,900 new cases of myeloma will be diagnosed in the US.
- Overall 5 year survival has shown significant improvement since the 1960s, but was still only 34% in 2003.

Please return to learn more about Mark Bachman in a few days!

Guilty Pleasures

I'm gonna be honest with you. I was going to write about some running venture today. About my "fartlek" run on the treadmill this morning at the Doubletree Hotel in Houston. 5 miles in 40 minutes. Oh, I was flying. I was going to explain the purpose of "fartleks". Technical crap. Uh, oh - Beavis moment....heh, heh....Crap, Fartlek...heh, heh. Never mind - go Google "fartlek" and you'll know why I did it, and how it is supposed to help my training.

Instead, I am going to write about guilty pleasures. I just experienced one of mine. We all have them. You'd by lying if you said you didn't have at least one. Some are shared publicly. Then there are those that are kept in the darkest recesses of our minds. I have a few guilty pleasures. One of them is my undying love for chocolate. M&M's, Oreos, fudge, cookies, oh...hold on, I need to head to the vending machine as I feel a craving coming on (I'm in Dallas now). But I have another lessor known guilty pleasure. The kind that leaves a goofy (running reference...) smile on my face each time it happens. One that keeps me focused and mesmerized for an hour at a time, once, and even sometimes, twice a week. Get your mind out of the gutter - I told you, I am out of town.

I am the biggest fan of Dancing With The Stars! I'm not star-struck. Instead, one of my motto's is that "nothing beats a good dance number". I love watching great dancing. The glitz, the music, the awkwardness. What these B-list stars endure to become a dancing champion can be likened to training for a marathon. Hours of practice. Trying to look good in short-shorts. Moving to the music (ok, that's just me singing along to my MP3 player). You get the picture. If you want to be the best, if you want to succeed, you need to be willing to sacrifice something to achieve your goals and dreams. The stars set aside their current projects to train countless hours a week only to be humbled by judges and our votes (note - I have never voted. I'm just a closet fan). I am sacrificing sleep, time with family, and time in front of the TV to train. Getting into Houston at 12:30 am this morning wasn't easy, nor was getting up at 6:20 am to run. But I want to achieve the goal I have set for myself. Besides, I need to run early, so I can be on the couch at 8:00 pm each Monday and Tuesday when possible to watch the likes of Wayne Newton and Marie Osmond attempt to recapture their youth. Ahem...scratch that. This 39.3 and counting thing may come back to bite me. Recapturing youth? Heh, heh. Or relishing one additional guilty pleasure...the thought of running with Belle, Cinderella and Snow White in Orlando in January??? Maybe that guilty pleasure is better off being kept to myself...heh, heh...

The Thrill of Victory...

...would sure beat the agony of "de feet". I know, pretty cheesy - but this blog needs to tie to running, remember?

Darn, it would have taken me longer to run my 39.3 miles than it did for the Cubs to exit the playoffs this year. Three and out. There can only be one explanation. The Cubs want to make the centennial anniversary of their last World Series victory (1908) a truly memorable experience by winning it all again.

So once again, I find myself saying "wait 'til next year". 2008 will be the year of the insane - me running my age in miles, and the Cubs march to glory!

Remembering What's Important In Life

We are now in October, and the time has come to face what is really important in life...post-season baseball! However, 2007 brings in a whole new class of people to pump up the TV ratings for the next 3 weeks. Yes, the "loveable losers" - the diehard Cub fans (of which, I am a proud one) will be glued to our TVs for the next three weeks (no, not one - we are in this for the long haul).

So what does this have to do with running? Have faith, friends. Cub fans have been on an amazing streak. There are certain runners, called "streakers", who make it a point to run each and every day. For years - rain or shine. The Cubs are "streakers". We (notice that I am in it with them - as in "we are one") have been on an incredible run (good choice of words, right?). For the past 99 years, rain or shine, WE have not won a World Series. We haven't played in a World Series since 1945. Another incredible streak. We've only been in the post-season 5 times in my lifetime ('84, '89, '98, '03, '07). Yet Cub fans - my brothers and sisters in hope - will run to get the newspaper every day, run to turn on Sports Center, or run to the local bar - all in the hopes of catching news of a Cubs victory. We will go that extra mile for our team!

Well run no more. This year, we will be crowned the champs and put our misery behind us. The curse of the Billy Goat will be no more. The memories of the ball going through Leon Durham legs in 1984 will be a distant memory. And Steve Bartman, in hiding since 2003 - can come out now and ride in the front car of the parade through downtown Chicago. He will be forgiven. The Cubs are going to run over and through their competition this post-season. And the excitement begins tonight at 10:00 EST - that is a whole different beef for me...

Our time has come Cubs nation!

Oh, by the way - I ran 7 miles this morning. You just had to trust me to bring it all together!