Six Degrees of MVNUSID

Outback Surprise Comes Full Circle

2012-02-07T09:50:00.001-08:00

Those of you who know me very well know that eating good food is one of my passions and that Outback Steakhouse ranks at the top of my list of places to eat. Most of you who are familiar with this blog probably also remember how Outback shocked me with a package full of "Outback Surprises" for me and 40 of my friends on my 40th birthday back in November. As you can see in that recap, I had fun distributing the prizes to various people and even making some new friends like Mount Vernon mayor Richard Mavis and Jack Hanna of the Columbus Zoo along the way.

Well, it took a little bit of detective work and then some patience, but I was able to get the Outback Surprise concept to go full circle much to the surprise and delight of the social media folks at Outback. When they sent me the box, the only directions they provided were to watch the video on the flash drive that was enclosed. It was highlights from Lucas Jatoba's 30th birthday in Australia when he wrapped up 30 presents and gave them to random people. It's basically what inspired Outback's birthday idea for me. Outback didn't ask me to do anything else...they left it up to me as to what I would do with all the wrapped presents.

That's where I feel like Outback made a great choice in choosing me. I saw this as an opportunity to once again prove the power of social media and especially Twitter to others. I tracked down Lucas and got him to follow me on Twitter. He was kind enough to give me his mailing address after reading my initial blog, and I shipped him one of the surprises with the only requirement that he film himself opening it so I could include him among my videos. The biggest catch was that once the package got to Australia he was out of the country until the beginning of February. However, once he returned home, he was quick to hold up his end of the bargain and you can see the video below:

Once again, I have to say a huge thanks to the folks at Outback who have made me feel like part of their immediate family. If you aren't following them on Twitter (@Outback), you need to because they interact with everyone in a very personable way. Just tell them that @MVNUSID sent you and they'll take good care of you.

Oh, and one final note...If you have been counting the Outback Surprise giveaways (and I know that some of you were), you'll probably point out to me that I only gave out 39 of them. That is correct. While the hope was that Lucas was going to get the 40th one, I still have one that has yet to be delivered. And, with my wife rolling her eyes as I type this, it's got Debbie Gibson's name on it. :) Yes, being a fan of 80's music, I'm a big Debbie Gibson fan and I thought she would be a fun person to try to get involved with this 40th birthday fun.

So, Debbie, help me finish off this project and take a quick break from your Celebrity Apprentice duties to be a part of what has been a pretty entertaining adventure for me. Everyone around me tells me that I won't get you to do it AND I've also had to explain to a lot of people 25 and younger who you are. However, I have a feeling that you'll come through for one of your fans 'cause that's just the kind of person you are. I know this request is "Out of the Blue", but help me show people that "Anything is Possible". Thanks in advance, Debbie! :)

Groundhog Day - A Chance for a Do-Over

2012-02-01T14:10:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite movies from the early 90's is Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray. If you have never seen it, here's a link to the trailer. A brief synopsis is that it's about a weatherman who keeps re-living Groundhog Day over and over and over again. Once he figures out that he's stuck in what seems like a never-ending time loop, he starts to work towards having a perfect day. He gets to use trial and error to keep finding combinations that work in his favor in the encounters that he continues to have over and over once the day resets for him.

When it comes to New Year's resolutions, everyone has the best of intentions to keep them going throughout the entire year. However, plenty of studies have shown that life happens, excuses start to be made, and pretty soon a majority of those positive changes have been discarded along the wayside and given up for lost well before they even become habits and party of our daily routine.

There are several ways to successfully keep your New Year's resolutions. First, they should be challenging but also attainable. If there is no way that you can succeed or even get through the first couple of days, it will be a lot easier to give up on them. However, if you set goals that you can reach and that can be measured or monitored daily or at least weekly, you have a big sense of satisfaction that you have accomplished it as you do it. For example, my goal/resolution for 2012 is to do 100 pushups and situps each day. For some, this might be easy and for others it might seem impossible. It's been a challenge for me as I wasn't doing any prior to attempting this, but it has gotten easier as my body has gotten used to it. It's already becoming part of my morning routine and that's where being able to daily check it off my mental to-do list is helping me strive towards my goal.

Another way to successfully reach your goal or keep your resolution is to be accountable to someone about doing this. Every day, I post on Daily Mile after I've done my workout and the people who follow me on the site help encourage and hold me accountable to keep doing it. This adds powerful positive reinforcement to what I am trying to do.

Finally, don't beat yourself up if you have an occasional slip up along the way. For me, I know that there will come a day when my schedule makes it tough to find the 15-20 minutes I need to get my workout done. My body also might not feel like doing this some day, especially since I have a couple of marathons on the docket and you tend to be pretty sore and stiff after running one. However, I know that this daily choice has already benefited me and I want to keep it going.

So, in honor of February 2nd being Groundhog Day, let's give those New Year's resolutions a do-over if you have slipped up or if you forgot to come up with any. And, if you are doing great, give yourself a big pat on the back and keep doing what you are doing. I would love to hear what your resolution or goal is for this year and by posting a comment you are taking the first step to being held accountable to reaching your goal. Whether the groundhog sees its shadow or not, this is one prognostication we can all help each other do! Hopefully, we'll all be celebrating all the great progress we've made when February 29th rolls around and we celebrate Leap Day by jumping for joy. :)

How TV and Twitter Replaced My Broken Window

2012-01-30T13:21:00.000-08:00

I'll admit it...I'm a fan of reality TV shows. I would love to get on The Amazing Race some day, and I watch other shows like Survivor and Big Brother and enjoy all the unscripted interactions and drama that unfolds while the camera is rolling.

As a former business major, another show that I really enjoy watching is Undercover Boss on CBS (Sunday nights up to this point, but moving to Friday nights on February 17). For those of you who haven't seen the show, the CEO or one of the highest ranking officers within a company or organization disguises their identity and then goes to work in various aspects of that company's day-to-day operations. They usually learn about some areas in their organization that need to change for the better and they usually find out about great front-line employees along the way. At the end of each episode, the CEO reveals his or her true identity and usually makes the necessary changes and rewards the deserving employees. It's usually a real feel-good hour that may or may not have you reaching for kleenex to dab the tears from your eyes.

Two weeks ago, the season premiere for the second season of the show was about Stephen Cloobeck, the CEO of Diamond Resorts International. For the first time in all the episodes that I have watched, I really felt like his appearance on the show hurt his company's public perception. If you watched the episode (or click this link to view it online now), I would love your take on him and whether or not you would do business with his company after seeing it.

The next episode a week ago was about Dina Dwyer-Owens, the CEO of the Dwyer Group. Her organization oversees the operations of seven service-based franchise organizations: Aire Serv®, Glass Doctor®, Mr. Appliance®, Mr. Electric®, Mr. Rooter®, Rainbow International® and The Grounds Guys™. In this episode (which you can view here now), Dina worked as a plumber, a groundskeeper, and an appliance repair person. She was able to help one franchise owner see the value of her organization's Code of Values. She also came across talented, hard-working employees, who she was able to reward and hopefully secure as long-tenured partners in the mission of what the Dwyer Group is all about.

I'll be honest...I had never heard of the Dwyer Group (which is headquartered in Waco, Texas) or any of the seven franchise brands prior to watching that episode of Undercover Boss. However, I was impressed with Dina and was tweeting about the show while it aired using the #UndercoverBoss hashtag. After my very first tweet, I got an almost immediate reply from Lori Johnson, the Marketing Director for the Dwyer Group, saying "and she really is like that - a wonderful person and leader :) thanks for watching!" I was floored! I exchanged a few more tweets with her and several of their corporate accounts started following me.

When the show was ending, Dina made an emotional statement about hoping that her deceased father was proud of the leader she had become and also how she was running the organization. I immediately tweeted her saying that he was and that she shouldn't ever wonder that again. I never really expected a response being that she was a busy CEO, so imagine my pleasant surprise when this tweet popped into my feed:

@MVNUSID So happy you discovered @DwyerGroup! Thank you for the kind words. What a thoughtful thing to say. ow.ly/8GktQ
— Dina Dwyer-Owens (@DinaDwyerOwens) January 25, 2012

I had a few more tweet exchanges with Dina, Lori, and various members of the Dwyer Group family and researched what all they were involved in. We had a broken window at our house that I had needed repaired for awhile, and with Glass Doctor being one of their franchises I thought I would see if they serviced the Mount Vernon area. To my surprise, they did! So, I sent them a service request through their website and waited to see what would happen. Pretty soon, I got a call from Jared, the owner. He was pleasantly surprised when I told him that I was calling after watching the show. He said that corporate had told them that they might see an influx in inquiries because of the show, but he was a little skeptical about that. We had a great conversation and left it that he would get back to me when he could schedule a service appointment.

Well, he was able to come today and he did a great job replacing the window for a very reasonable cost. We also had a great chat about my views on the importance of social media, especially Twitter and Facebook, in spreading word of mouth advertising for business such as his. I think he left with a greater appreciation for its value and I won't be surprised when he sets up his very own Facebook page and Twitter account for his business. In fact, he has an open invitation to call me for any help with that. :)

I type all of this to say that once again Twitter has come through in connecting me with another great brand that I met through of all things reality TV. They have been very proactive in using this positive publicity to connect with potential customers. I know that Dina has been busy responding to everyone who tweeted her about the show, and she's taken the opportunity to attach coupons to those replies as a way to possibly encourage business like mine. I look forward to following the success of Dina and the Dwyer Group moving forward.

Mamma Mia! Here I Go Again!

2011-12-14T07:49:00.000-08:00

Last night, my wife, Carla, and I had the opportunity to go see Mamma Mia! on opening night at the Palace Theatre in Columbus and what a fun time we had!

Over the last couple of years, we have really come to appreciate all of the great Broadway Across America shows that CAPA brings to Central Ohio. For us, it all started when we saw Mamma Mia! the last time it was in Columbus and we have been hooked ever since and try to go whenever it fits into our busy schedules and tight budget. We've even introduced our kids to a couple of shows as they have now seen Wicked and Mary Poppins and loved both of them.

Back to last night's show...we arrived along with what appeared on the main level to be a near capacity crowd who all seemed eager to have a fun evening. Once the doors opened and we all settled into our seats, the fun began and ran uninterrupted nearly three hours with one intermission between the two acts.

The setting is a Greek island where a wedding is about to take place. It's the story of a single mom (Donna) and her daughter (Sophie) and everything that has led up to this big day. There are lots of twists and turns and plenty of laughs as Sophie tries to figure out who is going to walk her down the aisle on her big day. And, it's all set to the backdrop of ABBA's greatest hits!

Chloe Tucker, who plays Sophie, is a bundle of energy as she handles the role effortlessly. She has good chemistry with Happy Mahaney (Sky) and is equally as talented vocally as she is delivering her lines with both dramatic and comedic timing. If you really want to see her enjoying herself, watch her get after it during the finale. That alone might be worth the price of admission. She was also nice enough to chat with Carla and I after the show, and I found it refreshing how much she still thrives on the role with more than a year of doing it under her belt.

Kaye Tuckerman, who plays Donna, also did a solid job in her role. She nailed all the songs although there were a few times that the sound just was not quite loud enough on some of the quieter parts. It didn't detract from the overall performance, but it would be the only negative that I could find in the show.

For me, what makes the show so much fun are the great comedic relief moments provided by the supporting cast. Donna's old friends and former band members, Tanya (Alison Ewing) and Rosie (Mary Callanan), steal the scenes over and over again and will have you laughing until your sides hurt. Donna's old flames, Sam (Christian Whelan), Bill (John-Michael Zuerlein), and Harry (Paul DeBoy), also each play their roles with gusto and are very talented. And the ensemble cast is very good and works together like one big, happy family. There's even a dance routine in scuba gear that is hilarious.

If you are looking for an entertaining night out that will have you at the very least laughing at the dialogue and tapping your feet to the music, then Mamma Mia! is definitely the show for you. It will continue its run at the Palace Theatre through December 18 and you can find tickets by contacting the CAPA ticket office. This is one show that shouts "Take a Chance on Me" and is well worth it.

Starting a New Tradition

2011-11-25T21:52:00.000-08:00

Ever since I started running a year and a half ago, I have been trying to figure out some way to make my new-found love of running about more than just myself. Sure, I have REALLY enjoyed the physical benefits of running (weight loss, fitness improvement, stress reliever) as well as the social benefit of the addition of an entirely new segment of GREAT friends. However, all along I felt like something was still missing.

That all changed on Thursday morning. With the help of my daily running partners, we sponsored the inaugural Mount Vernon Running Buddies Turkey Trot 5K. The purpose of this event was to encourage people to come out and get some exercise either walking or running prior to eating a big Thanksgiving meal, while also donating money or non-perishable food items to the local Food for the Hungry Drive.

While we have created several themed running events before, we decided to make this one as official as possible without a budget or required entry fee. We were able to get the local radio stations and newspaper to promote our event and we posted an event invitation on Facebook. We had no idea what would happen, but I was optimistic that we might be able to get 50 people to come and participate.

I got up at 5:00 a.m. on Thursday and headed out to get things ready. I groggily picked up cups for water at Kroger and then bought pretty much all the Timbits that the local Tim Horton's had on hand at that time on Thanksgiving morning. Then, I drove to the course to put up signs, set up tables, fill coolers full of water, and wait to see what would happen.

Pretty soon, a few people started to arrive. There was Sandy Rhoton from the Food for the Hungry Drive committee. Then, our first runner, Brian Vinson, who is someone I've come to know over the past year. And, then, George Hartz, another of the Mount Vernon Running Buddies. We decided to move the sign-in area inside since it was pretty breezy and chilly. I worried a little that people would drive into the parking lot and think there wasn't a race, but I trusted that they would still come.

The time kept ticking away and before long it was 7:30 and there were only a handful of people there. Then, it happened!

Suddenly, people started pouring in with bags of canned food items and monetary donations. The sign-in line to get race numbers backed up, but George did an excellent job of keeping things moving while Scott, Mary, and Zoey Burgess along with Sandy and my dad and I began stacking the food donations into a display.

The energy in the room was awesome and I was so excited as the crowd continued to swell well past the 50 that I had hoped to somehow reach. At about 7:55, I stepped outside for a quick look to see if we had any last-minute people coming from the parking lot. I let out an audible "thank you, Lord" as at the moment I was overcome with gratitude towards everyone who had taken time out of a busy family day to do something bigger than themselves. After taking in that moment, I quickly pulled myself together and walked back inside to give the instructions to the participants.

From everything that I have heard, the race went off without a hitch. 76 people from five different states ranging from 6 to 73 years old set off behind my dad who rode his bike on the chilly morning to lead the way. Brian, who had shown up first for the race, finished first in a time of 19:28 to just miss having a personal best by one second. Tricia Pokosh, a member of the Mount Vernon Running Buddies, finished 10th overall and was the fastest female in 23:27 as she joined Brian to take home the two inaugural trophies.

Most importantly, over $150 dollars and 160 food items were raised for the Food for the Hungry Drive. I've also gotten tremendous feedback from both people involved and people who have found out about the race afterwards and I fully expect this to become a new tradition for the Mount Vernon community that will quickly grow into triple digits in participants.

Thank you to everyone who helped to organize, promote, and make this happen. And a big thank you to everyone who came and participated. Together, we all made a big difference and did something pretty special. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Turning 40 in Style...Outback Style

2011-11-14T12:05:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, I had a milestone birthday. Yes, I turned 40. To me, age is just a number and so I try to have fun with it. In fact, as a runner, it's kind of fun to move into a new age group.

If you have followed my blog or have connected with me on Facebook or Twitter, you know that I love Outback Steakhouse. They are great to interact with in the social media world and they have been more than kind to me. My earlier "Talk to the Brand" entry gives you the back story of my relationship with them.

Well, imagine my surprise when on Friday out of the blue I get this tweet from Outback. Immediately, I'm trying to figure out what's going on. Sure, I had joked with them on Twitter about throwing my birthday party at their nearest restaurant, but never once did I expect anything. Some of my Twitter followers who also follow Outback saw the tweet too and were just as curious as me.

Tweets started flying fast and furious as we all tried to figure out what was going to happen. Outback sent another message saying that the package was out for delivery. I quickly told our secretary that I needed to run home and leave a note to allow the package to be left since I wasn't sure if it was coming to my home or work address.

While I made the quick trip home, more and more people began to follow the thread on Twitter as everyone was trying to figure out what was going to happen. I got back to my office just in time to read this tweet.

I realized that my package was on campus and I needed to find our delivery person to claim it. I went to our shipping and receiving area while my Twitter followers waited patiently (ahem).

I found the box, but the delivery guy was nowhere to be found. So, I left him a note and headed back to my office to open it. I called my wife, Carla, who also works at MVNU, and asked her if she wanted to come watch and then waited for her to arrive. In the meantime, one of my other Twitter followers saw me enter the building with the box and posted this picture. It was fun letting the anticipation build. :)

My wife arrived and I asked her if she would use my iPhone to record me opening the box. I had no idea what was going to be inside, but I figured that I owed it to the people following on Twitter to capture the moment for them to see. Here it is:

At this point, my heart was really racing. I had no idea what to expect on the video. I'm feeling like Tom Cruise in "Mission Impossible" as I insert the flash drive into my laptop. There's one file on the drive labeled "Dave Parsons 40th Birthday", so I click on it. Here's what popped up:

The light bulb in my brain clicks on and I know right away what's going to most likely be in the rest of the box. Once the video ends, I ask my wife to record me opening the rest of the contents. Here it is:

There was a very generous $45 voucher for me to use with "Happy Birthday, Dave" written on it as well as a cool Outback backpack to help me transport the Outback Surprises - 40 individually wrapped presents of which I had no idea of the contents.

Twitter followers started tweeting for me to find them and give them a surprise, but I tried to think about what I wanted to do to make the most impact. It was a no-brainer for me to give my wife the first present and so I did and started filming each and every Outback Surprise so everyone on social media could see it. I also found out quickly that people were counting the gifts as they were given to see how many I still had to give. :) Here's the other videos so far:

George & Gwen Hartz, two members of the Mount Vernon Running Buddies

Julie Burke, MVNU's athletic department secretary

Keith Veale, MVNU's baseball coach

Four members of the MVNU admissions staff

Rick Burke, MVNU's IT guru and technical support

Scott Peterson, MVNU's chaplain, and Dr. Brad Whitaker, math professor

Joe Rinehart, WNZR 90.9 FM

My daughters, Ashley and Kylie

Rob at Firestone

Morgan, an MVNU college student

Robert Audia, former MVNU student body president

Eric McKenzie, Cleveland Indians' director of group sales

Jim Parks, MVNU professor and basketball official scorer

Scott Sharpes, pastor of Lakeholm Church of the Nazarene

Dr. Dan Martin, MVNU's president

Members of the Mount Vernon Fire Department

Brian Humphrey, MVNU's athletic trainer

Kurt Ludlow & Josh Poland, WBNS 10TV (CBS affiliate)

Richard Mavis, the mayor of Mount Vernon

Dr. Ryan Halley, a friend & fellow runner who lives in Oregon and will do the Hood to Coast Relay with me in August 2012

Jack Hanna of the Columbus Zoo and a world-renowned animal expert

Let me just say that this has been so much fun!!! I really appreciate Outback continuing to allow me to connect both with them and to help me show my friends and colleagues what an awesome brand that they are.

I still have two Outback Surprises to give out and I have some ideas about how I'm going to do it, so stay tuned to see what happens next.

On a side note, my family and I decided to go to the Outback on Bethel Road in Columbus on my birthday. This is the same restaurant that I wrote about in my original blog about them, and ironically we ended up with the same waitress. The plan was to use the voucher that they had sent me for my birthday and to try to keep a low profile. Well, that plan failed miserably when Chris Pyles, the owner, came over and talked to us. He ended up giving me my meal and one of the new Oreo chocolate waffle desserts for free since it was my birthday. He is way too nice and definitely another extension of the great Outback brand.

I share all of this not to brag, but to say that you just never know what a brand might do to show how much it appreciates the support of its followers. And, I am by no means the only person to get Outback Surprises although I do kind of feel like their version of Subway's Jared and I will happily play that role for as long as they will allow me to. :)

Update: I just heard from Outback and they appreciate the blog and my followers. They are going to send me a $45 voucher to give away to one person. To qualify, post a comment and let me know who you would give an Outback Surprise to and why. For an extra entry, tweet this post out with @Outback and @MVNUSID included and let me know that too. Good luck!

I'm a Marathoner

2011-10-17T20:41:00.000-07:00

If someone would have told me in the spring of 2010 that I would run a marathon before my 40th birthday, I would have had them checked by the nearest psychiatrist. I was not a runner and had no desire to become one.

However, thanks in large part to the inspiration of my wife, Carla, who had already run two half marathons at that point and now has three under her belt, I started on a running journey that has really changed my life and led me to the starting line of the 32nd annual Nationwide Columbus Marathon on October 16, 2011 - less than a month before I will turn 40.

My journey to get to the starting line had its ups and downs and I went from hoping to run a Boston Marathon qualifying time (BQ) of 3:15 to fears of not even being able to finish the race due to injuries. With all of those emotions weighing on me and about four hours of sleep to my credit, I made my way into Corral B with one of the other members of the Mount Vernon Running Buddies, Donald Cobb, with about 10 minutes to spare on race day after needing all the extra time we had allotted for traffic just to get to our parking lot. (Folks, when the race director tells you to get to the race by 6 a.m., he is not joking!)

The plan going into the race was to run with the 3:25 pace group (7:49 per mile) for as long as we could. Both Donald and I had posted half marathon PRs this year in 1:34 with Donald's coming when he recently won the Millersburg half on his 39th birthday and mine coming in the Cap City half back in May when I was really at the peak of my training as it turned out.

On a perfect morning for a race with temperatures hovering right around 50 degrees at the start, I stole a minute right before the race started to just quietly soak everything in and got a little choked up in the process as the magnitude of what I was about to do hit me. I gave Donald a fist bump and said "we've got this" and then the gun and fireworks went off at 7:30 a.m. and we were under way. It took us nearly a minute to get across the start line as the sea of people surged forward. We were in the very back of Corral B and the plan was to slowly work our way to be right with the 3:25 group which was on the opposite side and slightly in front of us while we waited to start.

The first mile came and went in an easy 7:51. A year ago when we ran the half together we started out way too fast (at least I did) and used up a lot of energy trying to weave through people and get out in the open a little bit. We had learned our lesson and definitely did not duplicate that error this time around.

By the end of mile #2, we had settled in at the back of the pace group after doing a 7:35. The next three miles ticked off like clockwork (7:37, 7:36, 7:38) as we realized by mile #5 that the pace group was just slightly ahead of pace, but we were ok with that.

Between mile #5 and mile #6, Donald convinced me that we wanted to run just ahead of the pace group so that the water stops were not so congested. I was ok with that because I knew that somewhere around mile #8 I would need to be looking for my wife and it would be a little easier to spot her if I was out in the open.

So, we picked up the pace and did a 7:22 to mile #6. The first post from @TweetMyTime came out and said that "I passed 10K with a time of 47:28. On a 7:39 pace toward a 3:20:16 finish". Great! Way ahead of the goal, but not feeling like I went out too fast at all.

Miles #7 and #8 were perfect at 7:41 and 7:42. I was drinking water at every water stop after the first one and I had taken a Gu gel about 35 minutes into the race. I was feeling pretty good. We were at 1:01 after the first eight miles of the race.

Somewhere between mile #8 and mile #9, I saw my wife and the Sims family who are part of our group and had come down to support us and cheer their son and brother, Chad, on as he also ran his first half. I zig-zagged across the course so I could give them a quick high five and say thanks for being there. It re-energized me and mile #9 ended up being a 7:26.

We wound our way around mile #10 (7:37) and mile #11 (7:45) and started up the nearly four-mile stretch of High Street that I was dreading after last year's half marathon. See, as I said before, I started out way too fast a year ago and ended up telling Donald to leave me around the 10K mark as I felt like I didn't have anything left. High Street had seemed like I was climbing Mount Everest.

However, this time around, my training kicked in. I had purposely found hills to run up whenever possible. Even these last three weeks leading up to the marathon when I was only running the long runs on the weekends due to injuries, I still found some good inclines for me and the rest of the group to run with this particular stretch of the road in mind the whole time.

Mile #12 came and went in 7:50 as our pace didn't change much at all. The growing crowd as we approached mile #13 pushed us to a 7:39 pace as the half marathoners veered to the left and finished their race. "Don't look over there," I told Donald as I forced myself not to look down to where the finish line would be. "We don't want to see that yet. You know...kind of like seeing the bride before the wedding."

So, we pushed on as we both entered uncharted territory for a race distance. @TweetMyTime posted this as we passed the 13.1-mile mark "I'm halfway there with a time of 1:40:51 at a 7:42 pace toward a 3:21:41 finish!" Wow, we were still a little over three minutes ahead of our goal!

We reached mile #14 in 7:54. I had planned to see my wife there as I had purchased that mile marker in honor of my grandma, Olive Mahaffey, who has inspired me with her comeback from a broken leg earlier this year. However, because Donald and I were so far ahead of our planned pace, she was unable to get there in time. I knew then that I wouldn't see her for another 12 miles when I got to the finish line, so I just set out to see how quickly we could make that happen.

We were still ahead of the 3:25 pace group for mile #15 (7:53), mile #16 (8:06), and mile #17 (7:59). Somewhere during that span, Donald started to struggle just a little and we slowed slightly to see if he could work his way through it. I was still feeling pretty good, but I knew that miles 17-19 were the toughest on the course according to race director Darris Blackford.

Donald began to perk up and he commented that the 3:25 pace group was starting to catch us. We did mile #18 in 8:19 and then they passed us before we got to mile #19. It was during this stretch that I really started to feel sick to my stomach. I'm not sure what caused it, but my best guess is that it could have been the Gatorade on the course as I started to drink it around mile #15 instead of using the G1 pouch I had in my pocket, which is what I was used to doing on long training runs or races.

Anyway, by mile #19, I had slowed to an 8:40 pace for the mile. I told Donald that I was probably going to need to stop and walk to see if I could get the issue to pass. He told me that he was worried that if he walked that his legs would cramp up and that he would be done. I totally understood and told him to go on his way. I tried to keep running slowly, but definitely got some walking in as I did a 10:41 pace to mile #20. Even still, @TweetMyTime sent out this message "20 miles in with a time of 2:39:40. On a 7:59 pace toward a 3:29:19 finish!"

The next five miles were really rough from a time standpoint, but honestly were some of the most fun miles of the race for me. I had promised myself that I would do whatever I needed to do in order to enjoy the race. That meant high-fiving kids, thanking spectators and volunteers, and encouraging other runners. Well, starting with mile #21, the encouraging other runners part is what got me through. I would look for someone who was kind of in the same shape as me and get alongside them and just encourage them to keep moving with me. Sometimes we would run for short stretches and more times we would walk and talk. Mile #21 took 11:22 and mile #22 took 10:59.

I did notice, though, that it was getting harder and harder to do much running because my calves were cramping up really bad. With my stomach hurting and very empty, I was fearful of drinking any more Gaorade or eating another gel. I began to look for possible food from the spectators or restaurants along the route. With no money, I was needing some kind soul to help me out.

As we approached what I think was the 19th water stop on the course at roughly 22.75 on my Garmin, I saw what to me was a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. A box of donuts!!! I asked the guy at the water stop if they were fair game. He looked at me like I was out of my mind, but responded "Yeah, sure." I quickly opened the lid and much to my delight saw a fresh glazed blueberry cake donut. I grabbed it and continued walking while I ate it. It was AMAZING!!! The runner I was walking with at that point grabbed one, too, and we enjoyed them while runners started laughing as they passed two guys eating donuts while running a marathon. (It would be entertaining to see if that scene made it into someone else's blog.) Remember, though, my running mantra is "I run to eat!" :)

Despite the new-found energy from the donut, my cramped up legs limited me to a 13:02 for mile #23, an 11:32 for mile #24, and a 13:20 for mile #25. I kept telling myself that I wanted to save what energy and strength I had in my legs to try to run the final mile.

That plan worked pretty well as I did mile #26 in 9:47 and then finished the final two-tenths to the finish line at an 8:43 pace. It was great to see my wife again down that final stretch, and I even zig-zagged once again across the path to tell her "Thanks!" and "I love you!" I'm still not sure whether I actually told her or one of our friends who was next to her, and I've been getting teased about that.

I ventured on down to the finish line and crossed with my hands in the air. I had done it! I was a marathoner!!! My final time was 3:52:04 or an 8:52 pace for the 26.2-mile race. I know a lot of people probably thought I would be frustrated with that time after doing so well for two-thirds of the race, but I had just as much fun in a different way over the final third. I made sure to soak up the entire experience and part of that is the fact that a marathon isn't easy. If it was, then everyone would do them. Just weeks before I was worried that I might not even be able to finish due to injuries. Other than the normal soreness associated with a run of that distance and a queasy stomach, I was fine. I ended up 1,463rd out of 4,740 marathon finishers (which made the race the largest marathon in the state). I was 1,116th out of 2,852 men in the field overall and 171st out of 434 men in my age group (35-39). And, by the time that we left after taking advantage of a free post-race massage, I was ready to take advantage of the buy one, get one free Chipotle coupon on my race bib!

There are so many people to thank for making this not only possible, but so much fun, too. My wife, Carla, and daughters, Ashley and Kylie, have been so supportive. The girls had the sign below waiting for me when I got to Grandma's house to pick them up. My Mount Running Buddies Donald, Teri Pokosh, Chad Sims, and George Hartz, who each ran the race with me and the other members who have trained with us all year. Ed and Sue Sims, Pam Rose, Lisa Cobb and the kids, Gwen Hartz and the boys, and Brad and Tricia Pokosh who met us at mile 20 and cheered us down the homestretch. Plus, other Mount Vernon folks who were there to cheer on their friends and family and the Run DMC crew who also did a great job running the race, volunteering at water stops, and cheering others on. And honestly, there was nothing quite like getting home later in the afternoon and having over 150 texts/e-mails/tweets/Facebook messages/Daily Mile comments to read through. I was floored and definitely got emotional reading through them. You guys are the best!!!

One final group of thank yous. Darris Blackford and the entire crew of the Columbus Marathon do an amazing job with this race. If you haven't run it, you need to. If you can't run it due to physical limitations, you need to come out and just watch it. I guarantee that it will move you as a spectator. Thanks also to Heather Whaling for the great interaction through the Columbus Marathon Facebook account and the @CbusMarathon Twitter account. And finally, a big shoutout to @TweetMyTime because they helped thousands of people follow this race live. I can't wait to come back next fall and do this all over again. I hope you'll join me there in one way or another.

I'm a Marathoner - The Back Story

2011-10-17T18:58:00.000-07:00

One year ago, I ran my first half marathon as part of the Nationwide Columbus Marathon & Half Marathon Field. Yesterday, I completed a year-long journey of ups and downs and had a blast doing my first full marathon as part of the biggest field in the state of Ohio to complete a marathon as I once again ran the Columbus course, but this time the 26.2-mile version. Here's the back story that got me to the starting line.

I remember first thinking about the marathon after last year's race. Honestly, it wasn't the mileage that frightened me. I just could not get over wondering what in the world I would do to keep from getting bored while running for roughly four hours. I also knew that the training would be much more time-consuming with double the mileage.

On January 1st, I started the year off on the right foot by running the First on the First 5K ace in Westerville. That started a string of 40 straight days to start the year of at least five miles per day all outside regardless of how brutal the weather was.

I kept on training hard with my local group of friends, the Mount Vernon Running Buddies. I knocked out two spring half marathons, the Kenyon Earth Day half and the Capital City half, along with the Run Cbus 10-miler and kept lowering my times at each of them. I was starting to really get geared up about a possible run at a BQ in Columbus in the fall. I even did a 26.2-mile training run in 3:36 on May 28th just to see what the distance would feel like. After that, I officially signed up for the Columbus Marathon and the goal was in place as I put myself down for a 3:15 finish.

I did several more short races as the summer months heated up and even took home some awards including second place overall at the inaugural CoSIDA 5K in Marco Island, Fla. and age group awards at both the Granville Five-Miler and the Fredericktown 5K ON THE SAME DAY! I racked up 77 straight days with at least a 5K and boy was I feeling on top of the running world.

Then, the wheels began to fall off. I started having all kinds of issues with my legs. What started out at first as severe shin splints got so bad that I went to see Dr. Bright, who specializes in runner's injuries. I ended up getting an MRI on my right leg and found out that I nearly had a stress fracture. I backed off the training and instead did lots of stretching and therapy. Gradually the right leg got better, but then the left leg had issues all of its own with swelling and possible compartment syndrome-like symptoms.

All of these injuries forced me to really cut back on my training including taking nearly the entire month of August off. I walked a local four-mile race with my six-year-old daughter and then walked the Emerald City quarter marathon since I had signed up for both a long time before. It was frustrating to be relegated to that after becoming a runner, but I made the most of it and still found ways to enjoy the experiences.

Next up was the Presque Isle marathon in Erie, Pa. This was a last chance opportunity to get a BQ time for the 2012 Boston Marathon before the new qualifying times went into effect. It as also an inexpensive race to sign up for (only $40!) and one of my wife's college roommates lives there so we had housing. However, as the race drew closer, I was worried about making it once around the loop course let alone twice for the full marathon. When I got an e-mail saying I could switch to the half the week before the race, I decided that it made more sense to do that and just treat it as a training run to try to continue to get healthy for Columbus.

The Erie race went well and was definitely one that I want to do again and possibly take a shot at doing the full. I finished just two minutes off my PR in 1:36 something. However, I continued to have swelling and pain in my left leg afterwards and decided that I would need to be really careful the rest of the way heading towards the Columbus race. So, I primarily did the long runs on the weekends and spent the rest of the week resting, icing, and getting stim treatments from our athletic trainer, Brian Humphrey. (In fact, aside from my wife and kids who are my biggest supporters, Brian probably deserves a medal of his own for keeping me in the hunt.)

Well, that's the story of how I got to the starting line on October 16, 2011. Stay tuned for the recap of what transpired in the race. Gotta love a cliffhanger, right? :)

It's Race Week

2011-10-11T12:17:00.000-07:00

With the Columbus Marathon now just five days away, I've been reflecting a lot on the journey that I've been on over the past year ever since running in my first half marathon last October in Columbus.

Last year, I was a newbie. The Columbus half marathon was only the third race I had run in my newfound running career and the first time that I even attempted a run of more than 10 miles ever. Well, I started off strong (too strong in fact) and had to gut out the final three miles, but still finished in just over 1:45. I learned a lot in the process and knew that I wanted to come back and do it again.

Since then, I've been running pretty much non-stop with a great group of friends known as the Mount Vernon Running Buddies. We meet pretty much every day during the week for a 5K at 6 a.m. and then do our long runs together on the weekend. We had a large group run the Cap City Half Marathon in the spring (pictured below) and now five of us are slated to attempt the full marathon next Sunday.

As I reflect back on the past year, I think of how much I've appreciated and needed the support of my wife, Carla, and two daughters, Ashley and Kylie, to make even attempting my first marathon possible. They've put up with all the times that I had to squeeze in a run or headed to a race on the weekend. They've had to hurdle my piles of sweaty running clothes in the basement and put up with my moods if I didn't get a run in due to the weather, a busy schedule, or lately nagging injuries. I've also had the privilege of doing races with all of them in the time leading up to this race.

Besides my family, my four running buddies who are joining me in the race on Sunday have been great sources of encouragement and inspiration. First, there's Teri Pokosh. Teri is an amazing runner! She is in her mid-50's, but you would never know it by how fast she runs. This will be her seventh Columbus Marathon and her 13th full overall. She's qualified for and run Boston and is quite the motivator now as she has used her experience to keep our group on task in our training since the rest of us are first-time marathoners. She's also an inspiration as she has done all of this training through a lot of pain with two bad knees. I'm excited for her to cross the finish line.

Next up is Donald Cobb. Donald and I graduated from Mount Vernon Nazarene University together in 1994 and it's been fun to run and compete with him over the past year in a number of races. We did the Columbus half together last year. Well, we started together, but the two Red Bulls that he had pre-race spurred him on to an even faster second 10k after I convinced him to take off, leave me, and finish strong. All things being equal, it would be great to run the entire race with him on Sunday and cross the finish line together.

Next is Chad Sims. Chad is another friend since college days and he has improved tremendously over the past year. Last fall, he finished his first half marathon with less than 70 miles of training under his belt and he did it in just a few seconds over two hours. This year, he's got 700 miles or so under his belt and is going to do a great job in the race. He was hesitant to sign up to do this, but he's going to be so glad that he did once it's over. I still think even better running days are ahead for him as his times keep on dropping.

The final member of our group of five is George Hartz. George was actually the first one of us to sign up and commit to doing the full when he registered way back on January 1st. He has trained faithfully through all the weather and has done a lot of the longer runs totally on his own. He's also put up with a lot of good-natured kidding because someone in every group has to be that guy - the one who gets picked on or who things just always seem to happen to. If it's possible to get left off race results or be the only one to get the wrong color of shirt, yep, George is your guy. Well, George is going to do great on race day and I know when he crosses the finish line that he'll be glad he did this. I’m excited for his wife and kids to be there to cheer him on, too.

I have numerous other friends running either the full or half and can’t wait to hear all about their amazing race day experiences as well. I’m still holding out hope that we can get Todd Hawkins, another Mount Vernon native, to don the Mount Vernon Running Buddies neon green ‘cause he’s going to cruise through the course in a sub 2:45. We usually see Todd for about 20 seconds on our 6 a.m. runs. I’m also looking forward to seeing my uncle, Randy Rucker, cross the finish line for the sixth time at Columbus after deciding to train for the race again after several years off as a result of reading my blog. I won’t be shocked at all if he qualifies for Boston, either, after just missing previously by a matter of seconds.

To all my friends participating in the race on Sunday, here's some advice. No matter what happens on race day, do everything possible to enjoy yourself. Sure, aside from finishing, you want to set a goal for yourself from a time standpoint so that you will push yourself to do your best. But, make sure you take the time to soak up the atmosphere. Read the funny and inspiring signs you will see. Enjoy the music provided by the live bands. High five some kids along the route. Thank the volunteers at the water stops and other places along the route. And, most importantly, take the time to encourage other runners. You never know when you in turn are going to need just the slightest word to help you get through a tough spot in a race and you could be that person for someone else.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed connecting with the running community thanks to the Columbus Marathon allowing me to be one of their bloggers. Let’s have a blast next Sunday morning! We can all do this together!!!

Nothing is Impossible if You Believe

2011-09-28T19:17:00.001-07:00

(Note: The following is the story my brother-in-law, Stephen Fulkerson, wrote after successfully completing his first Ironman on September 11, 2011. Yes, it's a long story, but I promise that it's well worth the read and will inspire you to try the seemingly impossible in your life.)

It was the Tuesday before Ironman, and it probably goes without saying that I was generally unproductive to the world at large. We planned to leave for Madison Wednesday evening after I left work, and of course Tuesday and Wednesday were mad-house days in the office. I had a ton of things to accomplish before leaving work for two weeks. And try as I could to focus on those tasks, my mind was constantly shifting between my packing list, the weather forecast, back to work, then re-checking my to-do list for the evening, check the weather again…..well, you see the vicious cycle. It was pre-race OCD at its finest.

I somehow managed to get it all finished, and we made it on the road, finally arrived in Madison early Thursday afternoon after driving most of the way from Cincinnati Wednesday night. I was eager to get to the Ironman Expo and get through registration, so after we unpacked at our hotel, we made the short drive into downtown Madison and to Monona Terrace. Wow, was this a site for eyes……Monona Terrace had been transformed into a glorious Ironman Village. Ironman stuff everywhere. Jumbotrons, Ford vehicles, bikes and wetsuits for sale, Ironman shirts and hats everywhere. It was like the world had exploded into millions of little M-dots.

We spent some time walking around, just taking it all in. One of my goals for the weekend was to enjoy the entire Ironman experience, and that included all of this pre-race activity. And let me tell you, there were ALL KINDS of activities going on in the days leading up to the race. Unlike some of the smaller triathlons I’ve raced, Ironman requires an unbelievable amount of coordinated effort, much of which I’d come to appreciate over the weekend. Registration took place on Thursday and Friday, an athlete meeting Friday night, Saturday involved dropping off transition bags and racking the bike, etc, etc. By the time the actual race rolls around, there are very few tasks left to complete. And I guess that’s their overall goal – make race morning as smooth as possible. But I’m getting ahead of myself….

I made it through the registration process, which is actually several small steps of signing waivers (yes, I know it’s my own fault if I die out there on the course, can I just stop signing papers….), recording pre-race weight, getting transition bags and race numbers, and finally – acquiring the coveted Ironman bracelet. I’ve heard people say they choke up when they get this bracelet. Nah, not me, I’d never do that. Well, as soon as the volunteer clipped the band around my wrist, I did indeed start to tear up. It just suddenly seemed so real, after everything and all this time, and it was finally here. I was one of the “athletes” and I deserved to be here.

After regaining my composure, I met Krista and Carter and we spent a little time walking through downtown, past the Finish Line and finishing chute, which were still being erected. Krista stopped at the Ford booth where she typed a message which would be displayed at mile 22 of the marathon, the Ford Motivational Mile. We also stopped at the official Ironman Store inside the Terrace, which contained everything (and I mean everything) containing any sort of M-dot or Ironman Wisconsin logo. I spent way too much here, but Krista told me I’d never regret anything we purchased there. Probably true.

Headed back to the hotel and saw several other athletes checking in, bikes in tow, which always sends goose bumps up your arms. Yet again, this seemed really real now. There was a van in the parking lot with writing on the windows that said, “Our daddy will be an Ironman on Sunday”. That was pretty cool.

The next two days literally flew by. I had my to-do lists, packing transition bags and making sure the bike was road-worthy, and I got in a few last-minute sessions on the course. One short swim in Lake Monona and a few miles on the bike near our hotel on the actual course in Verona. I remember stopping at an intersection on Whalen Rd and thinking, “the next time I’m right here, I’ll be racing.” Wow.

Krista’s parents arrived Friday, and Scott and Carrie arrived from Michigan late Friday night. My parents joined us on Saturday early afternoon. Now the entire “Team” was here, and it was amazing. We all got a chance to spend time downtown on Saturday afternoon, checking out the expo, finish line and swim course and just going through the logistics of the day. “Ok, so you’ll exit the water there, and we’ll try to stand here, and where do you start the bike?” It was awesome just to be there, with so many people I love, and who had all made this trip just to watch me.

We had a great dinner that evening together, and then drove to a couple of locations on the bike course I had picked where the team would be able to see me. My mom got out of the car at one of the hills on the course and used sidewalk chalk to write a few inspirational messages for me. (Do people just carry sidewalk chalk with them to use at a moment’s notice??) I had printed some maps of the course, and my father-in-law thumbed through the maps while we were driving to familiarize himself with the route on Sunday. I was also planning to carry a special GPS device from MyAthlete that would track my progress during the race throughout the day, actually showing my location on a map with speed and distance. I figured it would make it that much easier for the team to find me, as I know it’s not an easy task to find one athlete out of thousands on a race course.

Arriving back at the hotel, I said my goodbyes to everyone and I headed off to bed. They stayed up for awhile, coordinating meeting times and locations, but I knew I needed to get my mind away from all of it and try to get some sleep. I say “try,” because I knew it would be tough. I had slept well on Thursday and Friday nights, and from past experience in marathons, I know it’s hard to get a decent night’s sleep before a big race. I distinctly remember seeing 11:30pm on the clock. And then I was asleep. I awoke at 1:15, and was scared I wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep again. But I made it, and slept soundly until my alarm beeped loudly at 3am.

I thought I’d be nervous today, but I wasn’t. This was race day…time to get it done. I crawled out of bed and quietly began to get ready. I didn’t want to wake up the rest of the family since they had another whole hour to sleep! I probably could have slept later as well, but I’ve found that if I give myself extra time on race morning, it helps me to sleep better the night before. Usually for shorter races, I’ll just take a quick shower and head to the race. But I knew it would be a long time before I would shower again, so I took my time getting cleaned up and ready to go. I then fixed my standard pre-training day breakfast of a peanut butter and banana sandwich, washed it down with Ironman Perform, grabbed my bags and headed down to the lobby.

My parents were gracious enough to offer to drive me to the race in the morning. So bleary-eyed at 4am, I met them both in the lobby and we fixed a few cups of coffee (thankfully the breakfast coffee machine was working!). It was actually very calming to drive downtown with them. My dad is a natural comedian, so we joked along the way about nothing in particular, but it helped to keep me relaxed for the day ahead.

Monona Terrace and Ironman Village was just starting to wake up when we arrived downtown. The logistics of the morning required that athletes drop off their special needs bags – which would be available at the half-way points of both the bike and the run – at a designated location near the capital building. As we walked along the street towards the special needs drop-off, I gave my dad my Morning Clothes bag to carry, which contained my wetsuit and all my swim gear. I told him that was the most important bag of the three, and he said, “I don’t think you want me to carry this one, then. Why don’t you give me one of those other bags in case I lose it?” Funny guy, that dad.

Volunteers were just setting up the special needs boxes when we arrived, and they were frantically crossing out with marker the printed “Morning Clothes” label on the boxes and writing “Run Special Needs” over the top. Apparently, the labels had been mis-printed. So amidst this confusion, they assured us that the Bike Special Needs boxes were indeed labeled correctly, and we’d see those bags on the course. I joked with a girl next to me as we were dropping off the Bike bags, “these aren’t really Bike special needs bags either, this is actually the location where we start the swim.” But she didn’t laugh, she just stared at me. I guess not everyone was up for humor this early in the morning.

Aside from the special needs label snafu, I was astounded at the coordination of the race directors, police officers, medical staff and volunteers throughout the weekend. The logistics of a race like Ironman are mind-boggling between road closures, aid stations, getting athletes where they need to be at various times, safety personnel on the course, dealing with locals who have no idea what event is invading their city, etc, etc. I began to realize the $600 paid for registration is a bargain considering the effort and costs for an event of this size.

After bag drop-off, I headed down to the transition area to add nutrition to my bike and make one last check of my bike and transition bags. The transition area was swarming with athletes, most of whom were in the zone, wearing an ipod or just generally tuned out to the rest of the world. I understood. This was the last-minute prep before the big dance. The final check, and a last chance to mentally prepare for what was ahead. I clicked my garmin and Athlete Tracker into place on the bike, then added the PB&J sandwiches I’d be using for the bulk of my bike nutrition to my Bento box and bike jersey. I had started training with Smuckers Uncrustables (yes, I stole the idea from Carter) mid-way through the summer on long rides and they seemed to work very well combined with intermittent GU gels.

As I was making the final preparations on my bike, I heard a “hey!” and looked up to see Krista her parents above me on the Terrace landing. She snapped a couple of quick pics (making sure to get my body markings on my arm) and they headed down towards the swim area.

I made one last check of my bike and run transition bags, then headed out to the large “helix” that leads down to the swim start. At the top of the helix, I was surprised to see the whole team – Krista, Carter, Scott Carrie, Krista’s parents and my parents. And I found out that other fellow WISH teammates – Jim, Pat and Anne – would be driving from Chicago and meeting up with everyone later in the day. Wow, what a team! I was so glad they were all there!

I spent a few minutes chatting with everyone, but my mind had definitely begun to shift. The relaxed, care-free attitude I managed to keep all morning was slowly transitioning to race mode. I had a job to do today, and my head knew it. Said the final goodbyes, got some hugs and good lucks, and slowly made my way down the helix towards the swim start.

I’ll never forget that walk to the lake. I cleared my head of all outside thoughts and just tried to relax and focus on what lie ahead. As I passed other athletes, I could tell they were doing the same. Some looked scared, others were laughing and happy, most just looked focused. Almost a far-off stare, ready to face the day, but not knowing how it would turn out. I remember reading somewhere that you do your best to prepare and train, but the reality is that planning for the day of Ironman is like trying to land a space craft on the moon. By remote control. Blindfolded. You just don’t know what the day has in store.

I pulled on my wetsuit and crept into the water at 6:30, slowly making my way out into the lake. I stayed closer to shore where I could still touch bottom so that I wouldn’t need to tread water and expend extra energy until 7am. Several others had the same idea, and we spent some time chatting, relaxing in the water, getting used to the temperature, and just generally trying to stay relaxed. But wow, was it tough to stay relaxed. I mean come on, are you kidding me? This was IT! Now was the time to put all that training to use. The 5am swim workouts in a cold, lonely pool. The long rides in the rain. The long runs in the early morning waaaay before the rest of the world was awake. The 10-hour long brick days in the scorching heat and humidity. The runs in the snow and cold when winter just wouldn’t go away. I knew I was as ready as I could be. And those training days were the things I would take with me today.

I looked around slowly to take it all in. Planes were flying overhead. Mike Reilly’s voice was booming over the loudspeaker, getting the crowd pumped. Boats and kayaks and lifeguards floated all through the lake. Monona Terrace was literally a wall of people everywhere you looked. Most of the athletes were in the water now, and the lake was one large sea of bobbing swimcaps. The sun was creeping up slowly over the lake, and the water was smooth as glass. It was amazing. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and that it all came down to this. Nothing left to do but get on with the show.

Soon, the pros took off. Then one of the athletes sang the National Anthem. Mike Reilly gave a short tribute and moment of silence to 9/11, and one thing he said stuck with me: “Let us remember those who perished that day 10 years ago, and all those who died fighting for our freedom – the same freedom that lets us do what we are doing today.”

As the clock ticked closer to 7am, he shouted loudly over the sound system, “Who’s going to be an Ironman today?!!” which drew a thunderous applause from the lake and the Terrace as well. I looked over to shore to see 6:59:50 on the clock. Only 10 second to go. And then, pretty suddenly, the cannon fired. And I was in the Ironman.

It’s hard to describe the events that unfold immediately after the cannon fires at a mass swim start of an Ironman. Imagine 2500 people in an area much smaller than a football field, all treading water vertically in the water, then suddenly moving to a horizontal swim position, taking up much more body space, and all trying to swim forward at once. Fun stuff! Arms and legs and heads and bodies everywhere, bumping, kicking, and trying to avoid or just swim over others in their path. No one purposely clobbers other swimmers, but the contact is inevitable given the circumstances. The best description I can give is the equivalent of swimming in a large, churning washing mashing. For the first several hundred meters, breathing is a challenge and you’re guaranteed to take a mouthful of water with every stroke.

Fortunately, I had two things going for me. First, I’m not a “front of the pack” swimmer, so I started about 30 meters back from the bulk of the chaos. Second, I’d spent several training sessions swimming in open water, most times with other triathletes in the same lake, so I was used to the claustrophobic, panicked feeling that type of scenario can induce. I worked hard to keep my adrenaline in check, and practiced what I’ve done a thousand times in training. Smooth stroke, work on high elbows, pull through the water, glide, breathe, repeat….. Take away all the lights and sound and crowds and boats, and this is no different than any other long training day, just focus on what got you here.

I swam down the course, staying wide of the buoys, trying to avoid the worst of the crowd near the buoy line. I could see Monona Terrace passing by on my right, and smiled as I thought about all the videos and pictures I had seen over the past year of that very Terrace with the sun glistening off the water. The mass of swimmers stayed pretty thick until the first turn buoy, which was an absolute mess of people all turning 90 degrees and heading onto the short side of the rectangular path. Imagine a funnel, and that turn buoy was the end of that funnel. As I stroked slightly wide of this buoy, I looked up to see the kayakers in the immediate area were wearing cow costumes, and several triathletes were moo-ing as we all herded through the bottle neck. It was great! Another turn buoy a few hundred meters away, and we were headed back down the long side of the course, back towards the swim start. I was surprisingly relaxed, and just enjoying the swim. It was amazing to be in the water with all these people, all working towards the same goal, all moving forward.

I rounded the last buoy for the first lap and glanced at my watch. 39 minutes. Wow, that was definitely faster than I planned! I felt great, though, and didn’t feel like I was expending too much energy, so I decided to just concentrate on my form for the second lap, letting the time fall where it may. By now, the crowd had thinned out considerably and I could basically swim alone, just sighting every few strokes to stay on course and avoid any collisions with other athletes. I’d feel the occasional arm or leg brush by, but nothing near as extreme as the first lap. As I made the shift around the last turn buoy, I looked towards the shore and Monona Terrace and couldn’t believe the swim was almost over - it had flown by.

I swam the final stretch towards the large TYR banner and watched the shore grow larger and larger. Finally, my hand touched the rocky bottom and I stood to my feet, pulled off my swim cap and goggles and checked my watch: 1:29:18. Faster than I had anticipated, but I had still slowed slightly on the second lap, which was my goal after the first lap split. Looking up, I was immediately enveloped in the pandemonium of the area. Loud music was booming, Mike Reilly was shouting and getting the crowd amped up, and the spectators were going crazy! I unzipped my wetsuit as I ran towards the volunteers. Two of them motioned me over and stripped my wetsuit to my waist, then told me to lie down and yanked it over my legs and feet. I was back on my feet, wetsuit in hand, in less than 5 seconds. Wow, this was awesome!

Running towards the helix, I glanced up at the top level and saw the entire team cheering. I pumped my fist in the air and my father-in-law saw me and cheered back. I ran the 3 levels of spiral and knew they’d all be waiting for me at the top. And sure enough, there they were! They exploded with cheers as I ran past, exchanging high fives and “way to go!” That energy carried me right up to the top and into transition.

I ran into the Terrace and grabbed my bag from the volunteers who had it waiting and ready to go. Into the change room I went, and was immediately called over by a volunteer to waiting chairs. He grabbed my bag and dumped it out, and while I quickly changed into my cycling shorts and jersey, he tended to all the other items like unclipping my race belt for me and opening my sunglasses and handing me my gloves and socks and shoes. Did I mention that the volunteers were amazing?? I was out of the room quickly and went through the open doors outside, where dozens of volunteers were waiting to apply sunscreen. 10 seconds later, I was lathered up with sunscreen and ready to rock. The transition area was large, so getting from point A to point B and everywhere in between was a serious little hike. Because my bike was so far down, I decided to run through transition in a second pair of socks over my cycling socks (thanks Carrie for the tip!). I made it to my waiting bike, again brought to the end of the row by an excellent volunteer, then ran the rest of the transition length with my bike in hand. As I reached the end of the racks, I stripped off the extra socks, slipped on the bike shoes, checked the Garmin and hopped on the bike.

This was so exciting! I had to keep myself in check to make sure my heart rate stayed down, but this was all just so incredibly awesome. I couldn’t believe I was here, racing this race, after all the thought and preparation. I had envisioned starting this very ride, the ride that matters, so many times on training rides at home, and imagined what it would be like. It couldn’t have been better. The weather was beautiful, upper-60’s and not a cloud in the sky. I cruised down the helix and through the toll gates, past the cheering spectators and honking cars offering shouts of encouragement, and out onto John Nolin Drive to begin the first mile of 112 in the saddle. I reached down and checked my water bottles, making sure they were secure, and then stole a quick glance at the Garmin. Pace, speed, distance, heart rate…….wait, what’s with the heart rate?? I had no heart rate at all, just a blank screen. Realizing I probably wasn’t dying and actually had a heart beat, I quickly felt my chest to be sure I had remembered to strap on the monitor in transition. It was there, and was securely in place. I fumbled with the garmin for a minute or so, then realized that somehow the “pairing” of the heart rate monitor to the garmin had reset itself, and the only way to re-pair it was to turn off the device altogether and do a system restart. Seriously? I didn’t need this drama this early in the race. I debated just moving on without the heart rate reading, but that was stupid. I was a mere 1 mile into the bike, I had trained all year by heart rate, and knew exactly where I needed to be to stay within my zones. Deciding to be smart about it, I reset the Garmin – all the while as I was pedaling through a very technical part of the course on a twisty bike path – then pulled over to the shoulder to let the Garmin reacquire its signal. After waaaay too long to get a signal, I was back on the bike and pedaling along my way towards mile 2. “Well, if that’s the worst thing that happens on the bike all day, I’ll take it,” I thought cheerfully as I headed out of town.

The Ironman Wisconsin bike course is……interesting, to say the least. It has a bad reputation for being hilly, maybe even mountainous, with steep climbs and technical, twisty descents that can turn you and your prized bike into a heap of crushed metal if you take them too quickly. Most references list it as the most difficult Ironman bike course in North America. In all actuality, I think the reputation is a bit extreme. I had trained on this course just three weeks earlier as part of my last race preparation, and it was a HUGE confidence-builder for me to ride the entire bike portion beforehand. While I wouldn’t argue that the course is challenging, I prefer to think of it more as a “thinking” course. You cannot get into the aero position and just crank away here. Very few stretches of the course are flat, and even the portions that appear flat are usually “false” flats, with gradual inclines or declines that can trick you into a gear in which you should not be. The course requires you to constantly shift up, shift down, brake, big chain ring, small chain ring, sit up in the saddle, tuck for this descent, lean back and brake for this other descent, then shift way up to spin up this next hill. I’ve heard it said that people have shifted over 1000 times during the 112 miles of the course, and I don’t doubt it. You constantly need to make decisions out there – a lot of little good decisions can add up to a great day, but a lot of little bad decisions can wreak havoc on your last lap, not to mention leave you nothing left in the tank for the marathon.

The course is two 42 mile loops, with an out and back portion of 14 miles leading up to the loops. Because of this setup, I was able to map out 3 separate viewing locations for the Team on each loop, for a total of 6 locations across the entire course. Yep, they were going to be busy driving all over the place!

I cruised in an easy gear out of town towards the town of Verona, where both of the loops begin and end. Everything was great, I was spinning easy, heart rate was down, I was getting passed by everyone and their grandmother (which was my goal for the first loop, take it waaaaay easy). My nutrition was on plan, too – every 15 minutes, I drank 4 ounces of water and 4 ounces of Perform, then every 30 minutes I’d eat either an Uncrustable or a gel, alternating at the top and bottom of the hour. Around 400 calories an hour, which seemed about perfect for me through the summer of training.

One of the great things about race day was the unequaled attention and preferential treatment given to the athletes on the course. Every bike turn was well marked and staffed by volunteers motioning athletes in the correct direction. All intersections were closed to vehicle traffic by police officers. It made you feel pretty important to cruise through a downhill intersection at 30 mph as lanes of traffic yielded to your passing. And as opposed to training rides at home where traffic and your location on the road is a constant concern, the closed throughways let you focus much more attention on the task at hand.

And speaking of the preferential treatment, the bike aid stations were phenomenal as well. Probably a quarter of a mile long, each station had locations to drop trash and empty bottles, and dozens of volunteers handing out water, Perform, gels, bars, bananas, sponges, and other various things. I stopped at a few port-o-lets at aid stations, and the volunteers would always hold or rack your bike and help you get back out on the road when you were ready. Have I mentioned how amazing the volunteers were??

I reached Verona and started out on the first of the two large loops on the course. And this is the point where the terrain really changes from mild to “hilly.” As I mentioned, there isn’t really any one hill that you just don’t feel you can climb, but rather a never-ending series of short to mid uphills followed by downhills. Some really require you to just spin easy and gut it out, and that’s just what I did. On any hill of any significance, I just spun. And the surprising thing is that I was actually catching and passing people on these hills. Many I’d see hammering up in a large gear, but their cadence was very slow.

Eventually, I made it to the town of Mt Horeb, where I knew the team would be waiting mid-way up the first substantial hill of the course. I could see them way before I got to them due to the hot pink and green shirts. I waved and shouted as I pedaled nearer, and they burst into huge cheers, jumping up and down and waving and clapping wildly. Jim, Pat and Anne had joined the group at this point, so they were 11 people strong, and definitely sounded louder than twice that many! I stuck out my arm as I passed and high fived them, telling them THANK YOU and that I’d see them soon at the big hills. The guy biking next to me said, “Wow, that’s quite a cheering section you’ve got there.” I couldn’t agree more.

And then I spun right up the rest of that hill. It was amazing the energy those 10 second encounters with the Team gave me all day long. I just broke up the day into segments – ok, it’s only 15 more miles till I see them again, then only 20 more miles till I see them after that, and so on.

I continued on past Mt Horeb, and through the “roller coaster” hills on the way to the toughest part of the course. It was at this point that I was passed by the race leader, as he was mid-way through his second bike loop. I could hear the familiar sound of whoosh, whoosh, whoosh from the carbon wheels, then he passed with an official race motorcycle leading him. It was on a straight-away section, and he was probably doing all of 35 mph to my 20. He was flying! As he passed, I looked over to a few spectators on the course and said, “So that would put me in second place now, right?” which drew laughs and cheers – you know, since I was in second place, after all.

I knew where I was headed….to the three infamous hills on the course. If you google IM Wisconsin hills, you’ll find the “alternate” name for these hills, which is a little less than appropriate for causal reading. Needless to say, they’re challenging. But I’d ridden them before, and had a plan. Just spin. Spin your legs off. I made it to the first hill, the longest of the three, and did just that. The great thing about this hill is that many spectators knew the challenge of the climb, and they lined both sides of the hill, cheering the riders up. Cowbells, bullhorns, cheering, screaming – it was like the Tour de France where people line both sides of the course and literally run with the bikers up the hill. It was really cool. It made it even tougher to just sit and spin, as you really wanted to get out of the saddle and hammer it, but I resisted and spun, smiling from ear to ear and thanking them all for being out here. Before I knew it, I was finished with that hill and spinning up the second of the large hills, watching closely for the Team. I knew they’d be here somewhere, although there were so many people cheering, I was afraid I’d miss them. Cresting the top of the second hill, I could see them plainly, even though they were still well over a quarter mile away – gotta love those bright shirts! They were on a straight, flat section, so I passed them at a pretty significant speed, and waved and pumped my fists as I passed. They hooted and hollered, and yet again I got just that little extra energy boost that carried me for the next several miles.

I maneuvered up the third of the hills, then breathed a sigh of relief, because it was pretty much downhill from here all the way to Verona, where I would begin the second loop. I felt great, I was eating and drinking on schedule, and knew I was hydrating well as I was in a constant state of “I almost have to pee, but not really, but I could probably go at the next aid station if needed.” Perfect balance. I made it back to Verona, and wow! The crowds were amazing here. There was an announcer booming over the sound system getting the crowd going, and people cheered and pounded loudly on the sign barricades that separated the spectators from the cyclists. There was an aid station at the end of this stretch, and I almost missed grabbing extra water bottles because it was a downhill stretch and I was still flying from all the crowd support. I just about pulled the volunteer’s arm out of socket when he handed me a water bottle at 20 mph – sorry about that!

I made my way out of downtown Verona, and towards the start point for the second loop. This was the third location for the Team, and I knew I’d see them just before one of the last turns on the loop, which would be a great mental boost before the second half. What I hadn’t counted on was the speed I’d be carrying at this point. I had tried to map out spots on the course where they could see me, and places I felt I would NOT be traveling quickly so that I could actually acknowledge them and get some support and encouragement. Well, I was probably moving at close to 30 mph down this stretch, and didn’t realize they would be there until I just about passed them. So it was a “Hey! Thank you guys for being out here ……..oops, I guess I’m already gone” and that was it as I sailed off down the road at breakneck speed. Good thing I didn’t stick my arm out for a high five! It wasn’t all for naught, half the team hadn’t even made it out of the cars yet, so while I saw Krista and her parents, I missed Scott, Carrie, Anne, Pat and Jim. Yep, this location was well planned by yours truly! I rounded the corner and saw Mom and Dad, and since I had slowed for the corner, I did get a chance to say hi and give a high five.

And then it was on to the second loop. It’s always interesting to check the state of things at this point in a long ride. Halfway is a great point mentally, because everything after that is heading home. But it can also be a really rough stretch if the ride isn’t going well. I was thrilled that amazingly enough, I was feeling great! It was getting warm no doubt, in the low 80’s, and there was not a cloud in the sky, but I was keeping up with hydration, and I felt strong. I zipped through the outskirts of Verona, stopping quickly at Special Needs to grab some chips, and I was on my way back through the hills of the course. I was amazed at how many people looked whipped here. As slow as I am, I was passing people left and right. I saw the team again in Mt Horeb, and was surprised to see some cyclists walking that long hill into the city. Krista told me later that there were indeed several people walking that hill, and the hills thereafter. I know that feeling, and it’s not a good one, I was just thrilled that I still had enough left in the legs to tackle those tough stretches.

I knew the “dreaded three” hills awaited me, and I tried mentally preparing myself for the possibility that if I did need to walk them, it was ok. But when I reached them, I was feeling better than ever. I could tell the course was wearing on many around me, but I tried not to dwell on their circumstances for too long. I was moving along, according to my plan, and it was working. I just needed to stay inside that box for as long as possible.

Cresting the top of the third hill, I became a little emotional. I had done it – I had finished the last of the sinister climbs, and it would be pretty smooth sailing back to Madison. “I beat you, hills! You don’t own me. I’m all over you. You think you’re tough? You’re not so bad. I’m strong enough for you, and I belong here. And I’m not scared.” I pounded my fist to my chest and got back to my game, back inside my head with the goal straight ahead, tucking for the fast descents and heading back to Verona.

I found the team once more in Verona at mile 98 and raised my arms as I approached them. They went crazy! “I’ll see you back in Madison!” I shouted. “Let’s bring this thing home!” I tried to keep my adrenaline in check, but I was so completely excited I couldn’t contain it. As I cruised into the 14 mile stretch back to downtown, I kept reminding myself that it wasn’t over yet. There was still another 45 minutes of hydration and nutrition to manage on the bike, and I tried to be extra careful not to do anything stupid that would derail all my work. I saw plenty of carnage on the last stretch to Madison – a few cyclists lying on the ground with medical personnel and volunteers tending to them, and another racer who had apparently just crashed on the bike and had multiple volunteers over them, ambulance screaming down the road towards the scene. I looked as I passed, but quickly tried to get that out of my head. I didn’t need those negative thoughts and images floating around in there.

Coming back into Madison was amazing. As I passed across the bridges on John Nolin leading back to downtown, I could see the capital and Monona Terrace across the lake, bright and shining in the afternoon sun. I was back. I thought to myself, even if my bike breaks down now, I can walk the stinkin’ thing into transition. All those long training rides, and the hill work, all the nutrition planning and time in the saddle, and it was over. Nothing left to do now but run.

I cruised up the helix and read the words above me: “Bike Finish.” Boy, was that a sight for sore eyes. I unclipped and dismounted, handing my bike to a volunteer as I grabbed my Garmin and Athlete tracker to take with me. I remembered something from a race report I had read online, and I still needed to do one thing, something important to me. I leaned over and bumped my fist twice on the seat of my bike, “Thanks buddy for the ride. You were awesome.” The volunteer heard me and smiled. I told him, “Ok, he’s all yours, you can take it,” and left my bike, running inside the Terrace and into transition.

7:49:41 was my final time on the bike, with an average speed under 15 mph. A little slow for me, definitely slower than my training rides, but I cared not. My legs felt pretty good, and more importantly, I felt good. I had stuck to my plan, and had finished the longest part of my day strong. That was all that mattered. As I headed into the Terrace, I was handed my transition bag and I jogged towards the changing room. There was a volunteer directing athletes into either the male or female area, and as I approached him, I took two steps towards the female change room and said, “Oops, just kidding.” I actually got a laugh from him on that one.

Jogging into the change room, I saw quite a bit more carnage. There were medical staff attending to a few athletes, and others were stretched out on the floor, trying to regain their composure. Sure, there were plenty of others that looked just fine, but it was hard to get past the ones that weren’t doing so well. I found a chair in the corner of the room and started changing. A volunteer quickly came over and asked if I needed help. Realizing others probably needed the help more than I, I told him I was just fine, but thanks for the offer. I changed clothes completely, and it felt great to put on fresh shorts and a tri top, not to mention the luxury of clean socks. I clipped on my race belt with 3 gels, which would be my nutrition for the first part of the run. Also attached to my race belt was a keyring with some motivational phrases, something I had put together the week before. On them I listed my goals for the race and some deeply personal things, things that only I knew - the reasons I was doing the race, and some other very inspirational words I’d gathered along the way. I hoped I didn’t need to pull these out to read them, but they were there…..just in case.

Finally changed, I stood up from the chair and took a whole two steps towards the exit when I realized the Athlete Tracker that was now clipped to my race belt was a problem. It bounced with every step, and I was not about to deal with that for the next 26 miles. The problem was, I had already given my transition bag to a volunteer, so I had nowhere to put the tracker. I quickly asked a volunteer if he knew where my bag had ended up, and he pointed to a 6 ft high pile of bags and told me it was somewhere in there. Sensing my frustration, he said, “Here, let me have that. I’ll make a second bag with your race number and you’ll get both bags after the race. What’s your number?” I thanked him and told him it was #1455. “Got it, number 1545,” he said. “No, no. 1455,” I replied. “Got it,” he nodded and quickly walked away with the tracker in hand. At that point, I had absolutely no confidence I’d ever see that tracker again, but that was ok. I’d fork over the 50 dollar replacement cost in a heartbeat to avoid lugging that thing around the entire run course.

I exited the Terrace, and headed outside where 3 volunteers quickly applied sunscreen – it was getting close to 4:45pm, so I probably could have done without the sun protection, but there was still not a cloud in the sky, and I figured it couldn’t hurt to be protected. And then I turned the corner and headed out on the last long run of the summer….the one that counted - the Ironman marathon.

It’s funny that Ironman doesn’t make a whole lot of sense if you think about it in terms of the entire day. To swim for a couple of hours, hop on your bike and ride for most of a normal working day, and then put on your running shoes just before evening and go run a marathon. I’d found through training that I couldn’t think of it this way, I couldn’t look ahead to what I still had to do. No way, because the magnitude of it can absolutely overwhelm you. I just needed to take one step at a time, and do whatever I needed to in that moment to move to the next moment. And this was especially true at the beginning of the marathon. I knew from long training days that the start of run after biking and swimming can be exhilarating, but slightly unnerving as well because there’s still so far to go. But not in my head, not today. I had one mile to do, and then one mile after that, and one more after that. Then repeat. Stay inside that loop mentally, and I knew I could get through this.

It was still very warm as I began running downtown, getting near upper 80’s, and I could feel it as soon as I took my first steps. I knew all about this heat from training runs during the summer. I tend to melt in glorious fashion on the run when the temperature rises, and I’d spent most of the summer working on contingency plans to stay cool if race day were to throw the furnace at me. However, the humidity was very low today, which is actually a much larger factor for me than heat alone. Realizing I still needed to account for the temperature, I made a mental note to take more fluids at the aid stations and anything else they offered for heat (sponges, ice).

But wow, was it amazing running those first few miles through downtown! The crowds near the capital and around the square were massive, and the cheering was deafening. Barricaded fences separated spectators from athletes for the first mile or so, and the spectators were banging on the signs and cheering wildly for every single runner. All of this extra adrenaline made it very hard to keep a steady pace.

Since I didn’t have my Athlete Tracker, I planned to let the Team know at mile 1, where I anticipated seeing them. However, passing mile 1, there was no Team. Understandable, as they had to make it all the way back from Verona, get parked and get onto the run course. But the problem now was that my Tracker GPS was sitting back in transition in a bag. Since they had been tracking me all day, I knew they’d worry if my position was in transition and hadn’t moved for quite some time. For all they knew, I could be in the medical tent or have some serious issue going on. I had no choice but to continue running, but I realized I wouldn’t see them again until mile 6.5, and that was probably an hour away. I decided there wasn’t much I could do at this point, so I quickly put it out of my mind and kept moving.

The Ironman Wisconsin marathon course is very compact, and if I were running a stand-alone marathon, I’m not sure I would be a fan of the course. It’s basically two loops of a 13.1 mile course, but each loop contains multiple out-and-back situations as you weave your way through the University of Wisconsin campus and east to Lake Mendota. It seems almost every inch of the course has opposing runners coming in the opposite direction, and you basically retrace every step of your path on each loop. There are only a few significant hills on the course, but at this point in the day, every elevation change is a significant hill!

The first few miles really flew by. At mile 3, we made a loop around the field at Camp Randall Stadium, where the University of Wisconsin Badgers play, which was cool. I checked my vital signs leaving the stadium and felt pretty good. My pace was around 9:30 minute miles, slightly faster than my normal long runs (cue the ominous music here….), but I seemed to feel ok, so I stayed with it. It was hot, I could tell, and my heart rate was showing it, being just slightly higher than I’d like for this part of the race. But I figured I’d been going all day and there was so much activity on this course, my heart rate was bound to be a little higher than normal.

I tried to take in everything I needed at each aid station. The stations were spaced every 1 - 1.5 miles along the route, and contained everything from water and Perform to gels, powerbars, oranges, bananas, chips, Coke, sponges and ice. It was like a little buffet every mile. I stuck to what I knew, alternating water and Perform at each station, and grabbing ice and sponges whenever I needed them to keep cool. My plan was to take a gel every 3-4 miles, and since I was carrying those on my race belt, I was all set.

Before I knew it, I was passing mile 6 and heading towards State Street, where I knew I’d see the team at the turnaround. Approaching State Street, I could hear the crowds from several blocks away. This was the point in the course where several turnarounds and paths converged, so it was a great viewing location. In addition, this was one of the “party” streets for the campus, so there were outdoor patios and bars lining quite a bit of the stretch, and all the establishments were packed with people cheering, screaming, drinking (which helped the cheering!) and just generally causing quite a spectacle for the athletes. All of this made for an amazing experience running down those several blocks. As I neared the turnaround at the end of State Street, I saw Krista, her parents, Scott and Carrie cheering wildly! Because we were separated by barricades, I couldn’t reach them, but I gave them a fist in the air and thanks and especially told them that I had ditched the tracker in transition, so don’t try to track me. They asked me how I was feeling and I motioned a thumb’s up, made the turnaround, and kept moving. I could actually hear them cheering above the crowds as I ran back down the street, and that was pretty stinkin' cool.

As it turns out, they had looked online and seen the Athlete tracker “stopped” near the transition area, about a half mile away on the bike course. From the map, it looked like I was stopped on a bridge near John Nolin drive, so they figured I had just stopped for a long bathroom break or a picnic or something! When they arrived downtown and the tracker had not moved from its position, they ran over to Transition and saw my bike racked, so they realized I must be somewhere on the run course, they just didn’t know where. I was glad to see them at mile 6, because I knew they could gauge my pace from there and know when they should expect to see me again.

Heading away from State Street and away from the crowds, I started to feel a slightly heavy, “blah” feeling in my legs. I knew I needed to be sure I was taking a brief one minute walk break at every mile, just like I practiced all through training, and I realized I had been neglecting this for most of the first 6 miles. I decided at the next aid station, I’d take my hydration and then walk for a minute or so, just to give the legs a little rest. So I did just that. After taking some water and a gel, I walked and went through a mental inventory of things. Legs felt a little heavy, but nothing in the way of cramps. I was taking water and nutrition, and seemed to be on schedule. Heart rate was a little high, so what to do about that? I figured the heat had some play in that, so I decided to slow the pace just slightly, and also to be sure I was using the ice and sponges to my full advantage at each station.

With my new plan in place, I began running again, and plodded on towards….who knows where, since the course was so twisty and turning! The one nice thing about all the turns, though, is it forced me to stay on my toes, as there was never a stretch longer than a half mile that didn’t require some sort of change of direction.

As I moved past mile 8, things were starting to get a little difficult. Nothing in particular hurt or created an alarm for immediate attention, but general fatigue was just starting to settle in. I was glad I had been taking a short walk break at each aid station, but my legs were trying to convince me that I needed to walk a little more. Making things even more difficult was that since it was a two loop run course, some athletes were on their second loop, while many of us were still on our first loop. However, the spectators had no idea who was on the first or second, so I’d hear cheers like, “You’re almost there, only 5 miles to go!” when I clearly realized I had so much further than that to go. In spite of this, I was still running, and running fairly well, I thought. Just gotta keep moving forward…..

At mile 10, I decided to focus on the beautiful scenery of the Wisconsin campus for some distraction. I passed by the shore of Lake Mendota around this point, and the view across the water was truly gorgeous. It was also near here that I passed the Ford Motivational Mile, and although I missed the large jumbotrons that displayed the athlete messages, there were several college kids dancing and performing karaoke to a loud soundsystem just off the course, and it was putting smiles on all our faces.

And then it happened……I distinctly remember passing the Mile 11 sign, because that’s where the wheels started to fall off. My legs began feeling very heavy, and I just didn’t want to run anymore. I was hitting the wall, and it was coming fast. I’ve been through “the wall” in marathons and other races before, so I thought I knew what to expect here. But I didn’t. This was so much more than “hitting a wall,” as if you just accidentally bumped into a nearby picket fence. “Oops, excuse me, I didn’t mean to brush up against you.” No, this was as if the wall came crashing down on me, and smacked me in the face, daring me to do something about it. The distance of the day had caught up with me, and I realized that I needed to do something about it, now, before it got worse.

I stopped to walk and again check my vitals. My heart rate was slightly high, as it had been all through the run, but the larger issue was the cramping that was starting to develop in my legs. Ok, I’ve been through this before. Cramping - I’m either going too fast for my training, or I’m low on something, probably sodium. I didn’t feel like I was overcooking my pace, so I decided I needed some sodium and definitely more water. As luck would have it, I came to the next aid station and in addition to the large assortment of standard offerings, the volunteers now had chicken broth as well. I took a cup from a volunteer and WOW, was that good stuff! It was warm and salty and delicious. I decided it wouldn’t be such a bad idea if I just set up camp right there at the aid station and ate chicken broth for the rest of the day. More importantly, I knew it contained a whole bunch of sodium, which I hoped would help with the cramping. I grabbed some water, downed it, and kept moving. I began running again, but my legs warned me that I’d better take it easy on them, so I slowed my pace to 12 minute miles, which I hoped I could sustain for a bit longer.

Passing mile 12, I could see and hear the crowds near State Street cheering for the athletes. And then, out of nowhere, I saw my parents. There they were, on the side of the road, cheering loudly as they had just spotted me as well. I was so glad to see them, as I realized they hadn’t been at mile 6 with the rest of the team, and didn’t know if they had an update on my status or location. I tried to hold back my emotion as I neared them. I walked right up to my mom and put my arms around her, giving her a big hug. “Stick with me out here,” I said, “It’s getting pretty tough.” I gave my dad a big hug as well, and he told me he loved me and that I was doing great. “I’ll see you guys in a few miles,” I said as I trotted off into the distance. I suddenly realized the sun was setting, and I no longer needed my sunglasses or visor. I was about 50 feet down the road past my parents, so I turned around, pointed to my glasses and visor in my hand, and put them on the curb. My dad nodded and ran over to them, picking them up as I moved away down the course.

A block later, I rounded the corner and came up to a very welcome sight – the rest of the Team, cheering and waiting just for me. I walked straight up to Krista and gave her a huge hug, realizing I was a stinky, sweaty mess and a hug was most likely the last thing she wanted! “How are you doing?” she asked with a little apprehension in her voice. “I’m ok,” I said, “it’s getting tough, I may need to start walking more. I’ll be ok, I promise.” I kissed her and moved towards the rest of the team, giving my father-in-law a high five as I passed. They were all shouting encouragement to me, but I realized by their nervous tone they could tell I wasn’t doing so well. As I turned the corner, Scott ran beside me briefly and shouted “You can do this, Stephen! I know you can!” I thanked him and shuffled off into the distance. You can do this. You can do this. I stored that away in my head, I figured I may need that later.

It was starting to get dark, as the sun had completely set, and the amazing thing was that I had been in constant motion from sunrise to sunset, and I was still going. As I made my way around Capital Square, the lights illuminating the capital were just starting to make their appearance. The shops and buildings surrounding the capital were also beginning to liven up, with outdoor patios bustling and light music playing, and people chatting as they sipped beverages and laughed and talked. It was a beautiful scene, and on most days one that would invite you to sit on a park bench and relax for awhile, but not today, I had more important things to tend to.

As I neared the south side of Capital Square, I could hear it. The sounds of the finish area, and of athletes finishing, taking their last glorious steps. To make matters worse, the turnaround point for the second loop of the marathon is literally 200 yards from the finish line. I shuffled around the corner and towards the awaiting crowds, who were cheering loudly. “Congratulations!.....” they shouted, just as I turned off at the second loop sign. Then there was silence, as those of us making the turn rounded the sign, when the crowd realized we weren’t finished, but indeed had so much further to go. I decided not to look down towards the Finish, not to even allow myself to see the events that were unfolding there. It wasn’t my time yet, and I didn’t need to clutter my head with those images. Just focus on the task ahead, on the here and now.

As I turned onto the second loop and back towards the capital, I knew I wasn’t doing so well. Sure, it was great that I was halfway there, and every step was closer to home, but 13 more miles seemed so far. I made the mistake of letting myself think ahead, and think about the distance. A half marathon still to go. A half marathon. That’s a long way, no matter how you break it down. “Stop,” I almost said aloud. "Stop thinking that way. Get back to your game, back to what you know." As I rounded Capital Square, I looked over to a guy running next to me and said “It’s just us now, man. No more of those second-loopers, no more hearing ‘You’re almost there.’ Just us. Let’s get this done.” I reached out and shook his hand. He thanked me and agreed, and we continued on.

Just after the turnaround was the Special Needs area. A volunteer saw me coming and grabbed my bag, asking me what I needed. Let’s see, I don’t need fresh socks, no more body glide, and the chips and payday I had stashed in there just didn’t sound good at all. “I’m ok, I don’t need it,” I told him. “Are you sure?” he asked. I assured him I was good, and moved on. What I unfortunately forgot was the fact that I had 4 more gels in that bag, the base of my nutrition for the second half of the marathon.

I came back upon the Team near mile 14, and they were all sorts of frantic. They knew my condition at mile 12, and they were ready to raise the roof with their cheering. As I approached, they looked intently at me for any sign of how I may be doing. I gave them a thumb’s up, “Only one more lap to go, gotta get this finished,” I said as I passed. I gave them all high fives and trotted off into the distance. Two blocks later, I spotted my parents again, and smiled with my thumb in the air as I moved towards them. “I’m doing ok, just need to keep moving,” I said. I could tell they were worried, and probably didn’t buy my story, but I assured them I was fine. “We’re here for you, Stephen, we’ll be praying for you. We’ll see you at mile 20!” they shouted as I walked off into the twilight. Mile 20. Wow, that seemed so far away. I honestly wasn’t sure I’d make it that far.

As I left the Capital area and the pandemonium of State Street, most of the athletes were alone. We had all long ago found our own space, and we just treaded along, mostly to ourselves, running our own races. “Get ahold of yourself,” I thought to myself. “Get into this. I know it’s hard, but it’s supposed to be hard. Just snap out of this funk.” I remembered something I had read during training – when you start to feel down, start encouraging others around you. The positive vibe will help. So I did. I started cheering for everyone I saw. “Way to go, Jim!” “Looking strong, Helen.” “You can do this, Brian!” Many of them smiled and thanked me, some just kept plodding along with no acknowledgement. That’s ok, I understood. It didn’t matter their response, because it was lifting my spirits, and it was taking my mind off the negative things and giving me something else on which to focus. And I needed the reaffirmation for me – to tell myself that I was looking strong, that I could do this. I tried to tell myself that I was doing better, that I was moving, and getting closer to the finish with every step. But I knew something wasn’t right, and I couldn’t put my finger on it.

At mile 16, I made my way around Camp Randall stadium again. It was much darker and quieter now, and instead of being a welcome site this time, I just wanted to get through it and back to the streets. Near the exit to the stadium, I stopped to stretch, and as soon as I pulled my foot in the air, my quad cramped immediately. Ok, I’m finished with the stretching, I guess.

I hit rock bottom at mile 17. In a port-o-let, of all places. I stopped to use the restroom, and as I stood there, I started to feel very woozy. I heard a faint rushing sound in my ears, and realized I was close to passing out. I leaned up against the wall of the port-o-let, not wanting to fall over. I quickly finished using the restroom and stumbled outside. I didn’t want to pass out in the port-o-let, who knows how long it would be until someone found me. I walked over to a street light, leaned up against it and just stood there. I didn’t want to sit down, I wasn’t sure if I’d make it back up. “What’s going on??” I thought. “I need to figure this thing out. Right now. Because if I don’t, I may not make it any further.” I started to walk, and tried to assess my situation. I was woozy and had just about passed out. Why…..why? And it suddenly hit me. I was way behind on my nutrition, and probably hydration too. My nutrition plan for the marathon was a gel every 3 miles, supplemented with other calories at aid stations in between. I hadn’t taken a gel since mile 8, I had mistakenly been living on chicken broth and water. Chicken broth has what, maybe 12 calories? And to make matters worse, I was probably dehydrated as well. During training, especially when it was hot, I would consistently drink 10 ounces of water every two miles, more if needed. The water and perform at the aid stations was being served in small dixie cups, with probably 2 ounces per cup. I’d grab one or two, down them, and keep moving. Mentally, I thought I was taking in enough fluids, but based on the state of things, I’d guess I probably wasn’t.

I needed calories and fluid, and I needed them quickly. I knew I had just left an aid station, and it was probably a half mile back. I seriously debated going back. I decided against it, but I knew I needed to make it as quickly as possible to the next station. I walked along slowly, and objects started to get blurry on the sides of my vision. “Just keep walking,” I told myself. “Don’t stop now.” I looked around for someone, anyone, who may have food with them. I saw a few college kids with a bag, and wondered if there was a burger or a sandwich in there, and debated asking them if I could have it.

It was at this moment that I seriously doubted my ability to finish. I could believe it. My first and only goal for the day was to get to the finish line. No matter what. I was prepared to endure any amount of pain, physical or mental, to get there. I knew deep down that I had the strength to push on in the most difficult of circumstances. But this was something completely different. My body was breaking down, and unless I could replenish it, it was going to stop very soon. And I felt powerless to do anything about it. I started to think back on all my months of training, signing up for the race a year ago, and structuring my entire life around this race. All the costs spent to reach this goal, all the time. This wasn’t fair, not to me, definitely not to Krista and Carter. I had sacrificed so much to be here, all three of us had. And I didn’t want it to end like this.

“Lord, help me to get to the finish line,” I prayed. “But if I can’t make it there, just help me to be strong in the attempt.”

I turned the corner, and there it was. The next aid station. I staggered up to the table and volunteers. “What do you need?” they asked. “Water, Perform?” I stopped in front of the table and said, “Ok, what do you have? I need some calories.” They offered me chips, chicken broth, oranges. “No, let me have one of those powerbars over there,” I said. “And one of those gels.” I grabbed them both and stuffed them in my race belt. I grabbed 3 cups of Perform, downed them, and then an extra cup of water. I thanked them all and started walking, opening my gel and squeezing it into my mouth. The taste was awful, and I knew the powerbar would be even tougher to stomach. It didn’t matter. I could control that – if it would help me recover, I could choke down live beetles and worms at this point. I ripped open the powerbar, and started munching on it as I walked. I didn’t know if all these calories would help my situation, but I was definitely willing to try.

The water and perform seemed to help very quickly. As I walked, I was starting to regain some composure and didn’t feel quite so woozy. I continued to work my way through the powerbar, which was indeed just as awful-tasting as I had imaged. I remembered the motivational keyring attached to my race belt, and decided now was the time I needed it. Removing it from my belt, I thumbed through it and read the following words:

“Run if you can, walk if you have to….just keep moving forward.” I continued through the notes, “There will be a day when you can no longer do this. Today is NOT that day.”

I read a few others, and teared up as I walked. I remembered what Scott had told me so many miles ago: “You can do this. I know you can.”

“I can do this,” I told myself. “Today will not be the end. Today will not be the day I don’t finish.”

With a renewed sense of purpose, I slowly marched on. I did the math. For the first time in several miles of the marathon, I looked at my watch and worked through the numbers. I was moving at a 16 minute mile pace, and it was just past 9pm. I had passed mile 19 only a few minutes prior. My math was kind of fuzzy, but I figured I could walk a 24 minute per mile pace and still make it before midnight. As long as I kept moving.

Shortly, I came upon State Street, near the mile 20 turnaround. As I approached the lights and sound and people, I could see someone familiar up ahead. Standing in the middle of the street, between the runners coming and runners going on both sides, was my mom. She had one of the orange traffic cones up to her mouth and was shouting at the top of her lungs, “Stephen Fulkerson! We love you, you are amazing! You look great!” I smiled, and teared up again. After all this time, the Team was still out there for me, waiting just for me. I walked up and hugged her, thanking her for being out here. My dad was right there as well, and they asked me how I was feeling. “I’m doing better,” I said. “I’m going to make it.” They cheered as I walked away. I knew they had no idea how tough it had been since I last saw them, but they didn’t need to know.

I marched toward the turnaround at the end of the street, and sure enough, there was the rest of the team: Krista, her parents, Carter, Scott, and Carrie. Still cheering, still waiting, after all these hours. Again, they were behind the barricades, so I couldn’t get to them, but I shouted as I rounded the corner, “I’m doing better. Gonna make it. See you at the finish line.” They cheered loudly as I turned and walked away. I passed my parents again, thanked them, and told them I’d see them in a little while. Then I walked off into the darkness…..I had a line to cross, and only 6 miles to get there.

Leaving the State Street area, I quickly realized just how dark it was. There were large portable lights set up on the course, but in between those lights, there were stretches of plain black darkness. I saw most athletes had the little glow necklaces on, and figured I probably should to. The problem was, I kept forgetting to get them at each aid station I passed, so I continued on in the darkness, watching all the other glowing necklaces bobbing up and down. But that was ok. I was eating and drinking again. And my head was clear. And my body felt stronger. As I walked past Lake Mendota, looking out across the clear, quiet and dark lake, I smiled. “I’m really going to do this. I think I can finish.”

My only issue now was my feet. In all of my training, I had never simulated walking large portions of the marathon, at least not at the pace I was trying to keep. I was quickly realizing that walking, serious meaningful walking, was very hard work! And I could tell I was developing some nasty blisters on the balls of my feet. With every step, I knew they were getting worse. As I approached the mile 22 aid station, I found a volunteer holding a stick of vaseline. “You are absolutely the best person I’ve seen all day,” I told her, smiling. She smiled and laughed, “Have a seat,” she said. I declined and told her I didn’t want to sit down, I wasn’t sure I could make it back up, but asked her if she could hold me stable as I removed my shoes and socks. I slathered the vaseline all over my feet, then put my socks and shoes back over them. I thanked her and moved on, remembering to grab an extra gel and more perform and water from the volunteers.

The vaseline worked for all of a quarter mile, and then the rubbing continued. Oh well, it was worth a shot. But it was all good - pain, I could deal with. I was controlling my Ironman again, working at my pace one mile at a time. Most of the other athletes looked pretty rough by this point, and I wondered if I looked that bad, too. But I kept encouraging them as we would cross paths, and received much encouragement back.

As I passed the Ford Motivational Mile, I remembered to look for the jumbotron this time. When my chip activated the sign, I read Krista’s message to me: “I love you and am so proud of you.” I smiled as I continued on, I couldn’t wait to see her at the finish.

By mile 23, I realized I had quite a little foot experiment going on with these blisters. I tried running for a short stretch to relieve the pain, but I quickly found that I was on the verge of cramping with every running step I took, so I backed off and decided the pain of blisters was a much better choice than cramping up. I then made the mistake of pounding my right foot hard on the ground. Not sure why I did it, I thought maybe it would shift my foot in the shoe and relieve the pain. But I ended up rupturing the blister, and the pain was excruciating. With every step, I now felt fire shooting up my leg. “Well, that was a smart move,” I laughed to myself as I continued on. “Let’s just get this thing over with.”

Before I knew it, I was passing mile 25. Only a mile to go in my Ironman. I couldn’t believe it, after all of this, it came down to one mile. I can do anything for one mile, I’d crawl if need be. And I probably had enough time to do that if required. But I didn’t need to crawl, I was feeling great. I made my way down State Street one more time. But it was different this time. Spectators were not shouting, “You can do this,” but rather, “You did it, congratulations!”

Approaching Capital Square, I stopped at the last aid station, not to grab water or nutrition, but simply to thank all the volunteers. They clapped and shouted words of congratulations. I hugged a complete stranger at the last aid table, almost spilling the water he was offering me. Shuffling past the capital, I glanced over to see the Special Needs area one more time, and thought about dropping off those bags this morning with Mom and Dad so many hours ago. The day had literally flown by, and I couldn’t believe it was almost over.

As I made the last turn around Capital square, and entered the beginning of the barricaded path, I heard my name and looked up. There was Krista, with her parents and Scott and Carrie, waving and hollering and snapping pictures. I walked right up to Krista and embraced her, giving her a kiss. “I love you,” I said between tears. “Thank you so much.” I high fived the Team as I began my run, and then the turn onto MLK Drive.

And there it was. The place I had seen so many times, in pictures and in my dreams. What I had thought about when things got tough during training, when I just didn’t think this day would ever come. The Ironman Finish Line. Words will never do it justice. I tried really, really hard to take it all in. The lights, the crowds, the sound and pounding music. The finish chute is lined with fences and signs, and the entire crowd is banging on those signs, producing a thunderous roar. The bleachers are filled to capacity on both sides, and the ground is literally shaking. I had never experienced anything like this. And past it all, in the distance, was the clock…and the Line.

I ran through the tunnel of light and sound, it was completely electric. My mom and dad were right there along the fence, but I didn’t see them in all that madness. And on the platform, right at the line, was Mike Reilly, his voice booming above the roar of the crowd. “Stephen Fulkerson, from Middletown, Ohio. YOU….are an Ironman!” I ran under the clock, across the Line, and put my arms in the air.

16:01:38.

Mission…..accomplished.

Two volunteers grabbed my arms to assist me, and asked me if I was ok. “I’m great, thank you” I assured them. Another volunteer handed me a Finisher shirt and hat, and still another walked up and placed the coveted medal around my neck…..Ironman Finisher. I had my official picture taken, then looked up to see my parents near the end of the finisher area. I walked through the barricades, and embraced them both. “Thank you both for being here,” I said.

The rest of the team hadn’t made it to the post-finish area yet, and I decided I probably needed to take a look at my feet, so made my way to the medical tent. I signed in, grabbed a seat and took my shoes off for the nurse. That was the first time I noticed that blood had oozed through my socks and up through the tops of my shoes. The upper mesh vented portions were a faint red color. Nice. I discovered I had two golf-ball-plus size blisters, one on the ball of each foot, and two slightly smaller ones on the heels. Almost perfect symmetry between both feet. So I guess that walking motion really is different from running…..

The doctor told me they really couldn’t do anything for them, just to keep them clean and covered until they healed. That was fine with me, I just wanted to be sure I didn’t have larger problems. Blisters – I could deal with.

I hobbled back to the finish area and found the Team and many hugs and congratulations ensued. I thanked them all for being here, for sharing this amazing day with me. I still had the logistics of getting all my gear and bike, but Scott, Carrie and Krista insisted they’d handle it all. They’re the best! As we waited for them to retrieve all of the baggage, and even afterwards, we just hung out on the bridge over Monona Terrace, and shared stories about each other’s day. It was a great time of talking, laughing, just enjoying being together, and I’m glad we could all share it. We managed to snag a couple walking past and got some great photos of the whole team.

The gear retrieved, there was nothing left to do but head to the hotel, and I couldn’t wait to get there, shower and hit the bed. When I finally grabbed my phone from the nightstand at the hotel, I was overwhelmed by the support from my extended team, watching from all over the country. I had 217 e-mails and Facebook notifications by 1am, and they still kept pouring in over the next day. I read every single one, and I don’t mind saying I was pretty choked up after finishing. Thank you, all of you.

The next morning, the entire team met again in our room, and we talked and laughed and reminisced some more. I just couldn’t believe it was all over. None of us wanted to leave, but eventually we said our goodbyes and parted ways.

Two and a half weeks later, the blisters are almost healed. I’ll swim this afternoon, my first workout of any kind since that bright, clear Sunday in Madison. I’ve shared the story of that day so many times, with so many people since then. I’m stunned and awe-struck by how many people truly cared, and were cheering me on from near and afar.

And Ironman – wow, it’s really overwhelming, when I get a chance to sit and think about it. I’m not sure I really understand even now how large it was. I often wondered beforehand if it would happen, but I know now that I’m truly changed on the other side of Ironman. I feel an overwhelming sense of pride, but more so than even that, I feel content. I no longer feel as if I need to prove to anyone, myself especially, that I’m worthy of it. I’ve completed my goal...because I can.

I’ve been asked several times if I’ll ever attempt another Ironman. Sunday night post-race I would have said no way. 17 days later, I think……I probably will. Not next year, or the year after that. I love triathlon greatly, and I plan to rest for awhile, then focus on some shorter races. Just have fun with it for awhile, and spend a lot of time with my family, the two people (and one dog) in this world who mean the most to me.

But sometime again, I will knock on the Ironman door. My best race is still out there somewhere.

If you’ve read this far, you have much more patience and tolerance for pain than I! Thank you, thank all of you for your amazing support, love and friendship. Until next time, may you always set your goals just a little higher than you think you can reach. And then go out and achieve them. Because you can.

Talk to the Brand

2011-09-07T21:33:00.000-07:00

When it comes to social media and especially Twitter, you might be surprised at who is listening. And sometimes, they are just waiting to make your dreams come true!

(We interrupt this blog for a quick disclaimer...this may be a lengthy one as you need to know the background to get the whole story. However, it will be worth your while as there's a chance to win free stuff later on. And now back to your regularly scheduled programming.)

Back on March 11th, 2010, I started this blog with a post entitled "Be Careful What You Tweet". I had learned early in my Twitter journey just how powerful the medium could be, but little did I know just how much truth there was in that statement and what a fun ride Twitter would continue to take me on over the next 18 months.

Besides connecting with PR professionals (both sports and corporate), sports business types who have helped me gain knowledge and insight into my profession, and celebrities who entertain me, one of my favorite things about Twitter is the ability to connect with brands I use.

When I purchase something from a brand, I like to think that it is the start of a relationship. If they provide me with a good product or experience, I am going to be loyal to them and tell others about what a great relationship I have with that brand. I don't do this as a way to get something from them, but as a way to say thank you. As you know from reading my blog, for me it's all about relationships and social media really helps the relationship between brand and consumer develop and grow if the brand has a good interaction strategy in place.

One of my favorite brands to interact with is Outback Steakhouse. I love to eat at the restaurant whenever I get a chance because I know that the food will be great. Since the closest Outback to my house is 45 minutes away, it's always a special occassion when I get to go. My wife and I have celebrated many birthdays and anniversaries there and associate it with fun times.

This past March while traveling to Florida with the Mount Vernon Nazarene University baseball team, I tweeted one night about wanting to eat at Outback. Almost immediately, I got a tweet back from the Outback account with a link to the closest locations near me. I couldn't believe it! I wasn't able to get to the restaurant that night, but I did go the next day and then tweeted a picture of my meal and the fun fact that coincidentally it fueled me to my fastest five-mile run to date.

Well, that started a back-and-forth tweet banter with the brand that has continued over the months since. My Twitter followers have chimed in from time to time stating their love for the brand and it's been fun to watch the interaction with them as well. I would like to think that I've pushed some business Outback's way because once you get the thought of a hot, juicy Outback Special or a Bloomin' Onion on your mind your stomach takes charge from there. :)

Then, in June, I received an e-mail from Dan Holm, the person behind the account, asking if I wanted to do some brainstorming with them. I wouldn't be compensated other than maybe getting a gift certificate or something if they liked one of my ideas. Well, I didn't care if they didn't give me anything 'cause I knew that it would be fun to just be part of the conversation. So, I responded seven minutes later with an enthusiastic "Yes!"

The next day, I received a detailed e-mail back from Dan unveiling that Outback would be rolling out the new wood fire grill option and asking for ideas on how to spread the word and get customers excited primarily via social media. I was told that there was no limit to the ideas and to dream big as budget was not a concern, but that I could not share any of these details with anyone.

Well, I ended up being in Florida about that time (Outback corporate is located in Tampa) and I tried to meet up with Dan in person to discuss the e-mail, but due to schedule conflicts we ended up just talking on the phone. I also followed up with an e-mail with thoughts. Here was part of that e-mail: "I wonder as part of your new iniative if you should have some of your most loyal fans try both versions of the cooking options in the same visit. You could do this through coupons/vouchers or you could even work in conjunction with a company like Klout (www.klout.com) to give these away and thus even increase your exposure to the new product line. You could also put survey links on the bottom of your receipts that offer $X off to customers if they come back within a certain timeframe and try one of the new options. The key, though, will be getting some of your most loyal people trying them and sharing their experience with their friends. Word of mouth (or stomach in this case) is always the best kind of advertising and also the cheapest."

Well, little did I know that Outback would give away 1,000,000 free steak vouchers when they unveiled their new wood fire grill option on August 24th! I was blown away! Now, I'm not saying that anything I told them directly impacted their marketing plan, but it was fun to feel like maybe I had some small role in making 1,000,000 people (and their stomachs) a little happier. :) Ironically, though, I didn't even qualify for the free steak giveaway due to living more than 25 miles from an Outback. But, Dan assured me that I would be taken care of and I did end up with a voucher.

I've continued to have fun tweeting back and forth with the Outback account and have even pulled them into conversations with the xBox account and the Southwest Airlines account - two other brands who listen intently to what their followers have to say. It's also been fun to watch some of my friends and followers have the same level of interaction with Outback and come to love the brand as much as I do.

That brings us to last night. My wife and I had the opportunity to attend a screening of The Mighty Macs, a movie about a women's basketball team from a small college beating the odds to play for a national championship, down in Columbus. Since we were going to be in the vicinity of several Outbacks, I decided to find the closest one and make the most of the trip. When I figured out that the closest one was on Bethel Road, I decided to just be funny and tweet Outback about it. What happened next blew me away!

Almost immediately, I started getting tweets and direct messages back from Outback. They jumped on it right away and had the proprieter Chris Pyles ready to go when we arrived. We pulled into the parking lot and were greeted by a worker with an umbrella since it was raining. Our table was set up and ready for us when we walked in and our food also quickly arrived. We had fun talking to Chris, Shanelle (the floor manager), and Katie (our server). (Chris and Shanelle are pictured below in the picture that Katie took.) They all really enjoyed playing their role in the red carpet-like treatment and had enjoyed getting the call from corporate to hook us up. The food was great and I really enjoyed the new wood fire grill option. And, the best part about it was that they picked up the tab! I couldn't believe it! We had caught a small glimpse of what it was like to be a celebrity and all because Outback cared enough about one of its loyal customers to have some fun and make it happen. I'll definitely go back to that location again whenever I get the chance because once again we made memories and had a great night.

So, what am I trying to say besides how cool Outback is and how thankful I am that they chose me to have some fun with? The truth is that the good brands are out there listening to their customers and wanting them to have a good experience with their product. If you have that good experience, why not say thank you? Spread the word because your friends and followers just might want to try them out too. And while you shouldn't go looking or begging for free swag, you just never know what might happen.

Speaking of free swag (see, I didn't forget my promise back at the beginning of this novel), I have two vouchers for free appetizers at Outback that they sent me labeled "for your friends". Well, what better way to give them to my friends than through social media since that's how this all started. So, here's the deal. Post a comment about this blog or about a brand that you love interacting with by Monday, September 12th, and I will randomly pick two people to receive them. Look forward to hearing your thoughts and thanks for reading!

Back to Basics

2011-08-22T20:27:00.000-07:00

When I started running a little over a year ago, I was doing it by myself as a way to get some exercise and lose weight. Fast forward a year and running has become a passion for me. However, that can be both a blessing and a curse.

Exactly one year ago this past Saturday, I ran in my first race since eighth grade when I competed in the 2010 Knox Community Hospital 4-mile fundraiser race. Surprisingly (to me at least), I fared pretty well both overall and in my age group and that started what would be a nice run of races over the remainder of 2010 and into 2011 in which I found myself competing very well against the field overall and especially in my age group.

As someone who was at best a marginal high school athlete and an intramural participant in college, I would be lying if I didn't admit that I enjoyed my new-found athletic success as a runner. No, I wasn't going to be chasing down any Kenyan runners anytime soon or hoping to keep up with my Twitter pal Olympic hurdler Lolo Jones, but at 39 years of age and having dropped 30 pounds I was knocking at the door to potentially making a run at qualifying for the 2012 Boston Marathon based on my times in training runs and half marathon races.

So, I signed up for the Erie (Pa.) Marathon to take place on September 18 and began to really push myself. The miles piled up and thanks to some vigorous speedwork days the pace kept getting faster. I kept going and going and going. At one point, I ran 77 days in a row and began to feel almost invincible.

Then, it hit me...the injury bug. What has turned out to be a case of really bad shin splints hurt so bad that it has sidelined me for pretty much the entire month of August after only missing 19 days all year in the first seven months. It was so bad that I finally went to a doctor - Dr. Darrin Bright, the medical director of several of the races that I run and an expert in running injuries - and also had an MRI done.

First, I don't say any of this to have you feel sorry for me. Sure, it's been a bummer not to be able to run, especially with some cooler mornings after the heat we had in June and July. Sure, I miss seeing my running buddies each morning and chatting with them on the run. Sure, I would like the dull pain in my right leg to disappear.

What this injury and time off from running has done for me, though, has been to help me to re-evaluate my focus. I took for granted the ability to run pain-free and the ability to run at a fairly good pace. Over the past two months especially, I had focused so hard on qualifying for Boston that a lot of time I forgot to enjoy myself along the way. After all, running isn't a job...it's a sport!

Because I was waiting for the results of the MRI and the ensuing diagnosis, I decided that it would not be smart to run in this year's KCH 4-mile event this past weekend. The race director was gracious enough to transfer my entry to my 6-year-old daughter, Kylie, and she excitedly waited for race day to come along with her 10-year-old sister, Ashley, as they both prepared to run their longest race yet. The plan was for me to walk the course and keep Kylie within my site.

Race morning came and after I helped set up the course I found out that they had given me a bib and entry into the race so I could walk the whole thing with Kylie without being a race bandit. I don't think any of my running buddies thought I would actually go through with just walking the whole thing - especially after hearing numerous times from people at the beginning of the race "Hey, looks like I'm gonna beat Dave Parsons in this race" as people ran past me.

But, I stuck to my plan and I did walk the whole thing. Meanwhile, Kylie was doing great! She ran a lot at the start of the race and before we knew it we had passed the first mile, then the second mile, and then the turnaround on the pretty much out-and-back course.

As we were started back over the second half, we had a mishap. Kylie stumbled alongside the road and scraped her knee and hand up as she fell. I was afraid at that point that I was going to have to carry her the rest of the way back. However, when I asked her if she needed me to carry her to the finish, she dried the two crocodile tears that had formed on her cheeks and told me "that would be cheating, Dad!" Before I knew it, she was back on her feet and ready to complete the race.

We passed the third mile and then the 5K mark which equalled the most she had ever done in three previous races. As we neared the finish line, she set her sights on trying to catch a couple people we knew who had walked the race. She summoned whatever energy she had left and sprinted to the finish and closed the tenth of a mile gap and then crossed the finish line just ahead of them while all the spectators cheered for her. I had both goosebumps and tears watching her finish strong and the smile on her exhausted face afterwards showed that it was all worth it. At that moment, I was glad that I hadn't been able to run so that I was able to witness her entire race first-hand. It's a memory that I will always cherish. I was also really proud of Ashley, who finished in just under 40 minutes to beat over half the field.

On Monday, I went back to see Dr. Bright to find out the results of my MRI. He gave me the good news that I did not have a stress fracture - just really bad shin splints. He gave me a rehab plan and told me that I could run as much as I could tolerate and should start slowly as I get back to running. So, today, I showed up for my first run in over a week and took it easy just to get a run in. My leg was nowhere near 100 percent, but it was better than the last time I had run. I'll keep taking it easy and just do as much as my body tells me it can do.

While I am looking forward to getting back to pain-free running and training for my upcoming races, I am thankful for the reminder not to take any of this for granted. I am also extremely thankful for the prayers, words of encouragement, well wishes, and messages from my friends and family. The running community is such a wonderfully supportive group!

Keeping Things Interesting

2011-07-25T11:29:00.000-07:00

As we stroll through the sauna that has been Central Ohio weather this summer, it is easy to start dreading the longer training runs associated with upcoming fall half or full marathons.

I’m blessed with a good local group in Mount Vernon (The Running Buddies) who keep me accountable and stay after me to run. However, even with the group, it’s still hard to find ways to make the training runs not turn into something that is mundane. And, I can only imagine how bad it can get for those of you who are doing all of this on your own without the benefit of the social aspect of a group or running partner to help you pass the time.

Obviously, listening to music or even audio book files is one way to take your mind off the task at hand during a run, especially a long run. But even then, it is hard to get geared up to get out the door. You can listen to music in the comfort of the A/C in your house.

One thing that we have tried to do with our running group is to create themed runs at least once a month based on either a holiday that month or something different that is going on. We’ve had a whole list of them so far, and we create virtual shirts for them that every finisher gets tagged with on Facebook (see photo). It’s been fun coming up with wacky sayings and silly designs, but more importantly it has keep people’s interest. We also use those opportunities to invite other people who don’t regularly run with us, and it has been fun to see their interest level in running grow after participating one time (whether walking or running) in a 5K.

One other thing that I have tried to do is to meet up with runners from other nearby cities as my schedule allows just to run a different route (see top photo as a recent example). The Daily Mile website (www.dailymile.com) has been a big help with this as it will help you find runners who live near you, who are signed up for similar races, or who run the same pace as you. The running family is a great one.

So, as we push ourselves through the dog days of summer with the routines of the fall looming all too soon, what do you do to keep your training interesting and fresh? Happy running! Hope to see a lot of you at the start and finish line in Columbus in 84 days! Now, it's off to get ready for our Christmas in July 5K that fittingly starts at 7:25 p.m. on 7/25/2011. Maybe I'll even try to run it in 20:11. :)

Be Like Mike

2011-06-19T20:35:00.000-07:00

Well, today is my dad's 40th Father's Day and I thought it only fitting to take this opportunity to let him know just how much I love and appreciate him.

My dad, Mike (picture running this year's Memorial Day 5K with me), is one of those people who never met a stranger. Teaching for 30 years in the Zanesville City School system and also officiating basketball, volleyball, and softball helped him connect with a lot of people in our hometown over the years. He's still at it in Mount Vernon now as well as around the world on all the trips that he and my mom take. This is just one of many traits of his that I have picked up as I enjoy connecting with as many people as possible...thus the title of my blog - Six Degrees of MVNUSID.

My dad is one of those guys who was born before his time. If he would have grown up during the YouTube generation of today, he would surely have gone viral many times with all of his many sports tricks and other hijinks. While he wasn't a star athlete on a team, he was never one to back down from a challenge or turn a routine sport into some kind of crazy fun. He's been known to make all kinds of trick shots with a basketball in the gym, play catch with his brothers while standing on posts in their yard, throw a football behind his back almost as far as he throws it normally, or hop on a pogo stick to see if he could make it around a city block. As a softball pitcher, he once struck a batter out by intentionally pitching behind the hitter's head and hitting the bat on his shoulder to register a third strike. I've picked up on these traits as I always try to find a way to keep the things that I'm involved in interesting and avoid the mundane.

Through all this physical exercise, my dad has been a great example of staying active and in good shape. At 64, he has already ridden over 1,100 miles on his bicycle this year and plans to ride across the state of Indiana in a day this July with some friends. Even today on Father's Day, he spent it climbing 12 miles from Manitou Springs to the top of Pike's Peak. I guess you could say that he has been the inspiration that led me to reach the 1,000-mile mark for running this year fittingly on Father's Day as I try to reach my goal for the year of 2,011 miles in 2011.

My dad has always been a great dad who would do anything for his kids. While we were never rich as a family of six living on a teacher's salary, he made sure that we always took family vacations in the summer. We were creative about the things that we did to have fun and he instilled in us that relationships are way more valuable than money and things. I've tried to live my life that way as well and I thank him for teaching me that early on.

My dad has also been a great example to me of how to be a husband. He loves my mom more than anything and they are best friends. It is so refreshing to see this when it's unfortunately not the norm any more in the world that we live in. I hope my kids can say this about me for the way that I treat Carla.

Most importantly, my dad has always shown me what living a Godly, ethical life of character looks like and the rest of these traits all stem from that. He has always put the needs of others before himself and has been a tremendous example in this way for me to try and emulate.

Back in the early '90s, Gatorade had a commercial where NBA superstar Michael Jordan promoted their product. Here's the clip courtesy of YouTube:

While I grew up like most kids dreaming of being a star athlete, I can now say with great certainty that I really do want to be like Mike...Mike Parsons. Thanks, Dad! I love you!!! Happy Father's Day!

On Your Mark...

2011-06-01T08:31:00.000-07:00

First, let me start this post with a disclaimer....I am NOT a running expert. I am still a newbie when it comes to the amount of time I've spent, the miles I've run, and the races I've entered.

OK, with that in mind, for whatever reason I've been getting approached by a lot of people recently with questions on how to get started running. Maybe it's because my last post recapped my first year of running. Maybe it's because people know that I'm a guy with a pretty busy daily schedule who has somehow made it work for at least a year. Maybe it's because people think to themselves that "if Dave Parsons can run then so can I".

Actually, I'm fine with all three. :) And, with National Running Day being celebrated today (June 1), there is no better time than right now to begin that journey and take up running.

One of the first things that you need to do as you think about running is to have realistic expectations. If you haven't been doing much in the way of physical activitiy, running just one mile is probably going to be pretty tough for you. However, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't do it. It just means that you don't need to beat yourself up if you have to walk part or most of the way when you get started.

Along those regards, it would be helpful to follow a training program. There are many free ones available online. I've used different variations of Hal Higdon's programs and they seem to work quite well for me. My wife, Carla, has also followed his half marathon program and done three races of that distance successfully. For people just starting out, I would suggest either the 5K Walker's Program or the 5K Novice Program.

With realistic goals set and a training program in place, it is also important to get the right kind of shoes. This will be different for everyone. If there is a running store in your area, they can help you find exactly the right shoes for your feet. Wearing the right footwear for your stride will go a long way in lessoning the risk of injuries as you start this journey. Also, get good socks to help prevent blistering.

Now, you are ready to head either to the treadmill, a local trail, or just around the neighborhood. I would strongly encourage you to track your miles either on a spreadsheet, a journal, or one of many online sites or phone apps. While you don't want to be caught up worrying about time and distance at the start, it will provide a source of encouragement to you as you see the miles add up and the times get faster. You can also get great encouragement and a sense of accountability by posting your runs on sites such as Daily Mile, Facebook, or Twitter to name a few.

The best way to make running stick is to work it into your daily routine until it just becomes second nature and a part of your lifestyle. For me, that means getting up an hour earlier each day and running at 6 a.m. That has worked best in our schedule. Yes, it means that I have to get to bed a little earlier than I used to, but that isn't such a bad thing either.

One other thing that could really help you in this journey if you can pull it off is to find someone to run with. Even if it's not every day or even if you have to do this virtually through social media, it makes a big difference. When I started running, I did it alone. Sure, there were other people at the trail where I ran, but I ran alone. However, I had a friend, Jay, who was just starting to run, too, and we encouraged each other via social media. It didn't matter that he lives in Kentucky and that I'm in Ohio. We stayed after each other and helped each other get to the point that running had become a habit. We've since been able to run together on several occasions including in the first half marathon for both of us last October in Columbus.

And, that brings me to my final suggestion for new runners...pick out a local 5K race and pay to enter it. That's right, don't wait until you are experienced...do it now. Paying the fee will keep you accountable to your training. Just make sure to give yourself enough time to complete the basic training program. Remember, you can always walk it if you have to and a lot of the local 5K races are for charitable causes so you'll be doing something for others regardless. Trust me, though, you'll enjoy the race day experience and you'll be hooked once you do one. :)

To my friends who are more experienced at running than me, please add your suggestions to this post. To my friends who are left still looking for answers after this post, ask away and I'll do my best or find an expert who will answer your question. And, to anyone who reads this post and then starts on the running journey, please let me know because I want to support and encourage you just like so many have done for me. The running community is truly great at that!

With all that said, I leave you with the lyrics to, of all things, a song from the 1970 Christmas special "Santa Claus is Coming to Town":

Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking cross the floor
Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking out the door

You never will get where you’re going
If you never get up on your feet
Come on, there’s a good tail wind blowing
A fast walking man is hard to beat

Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking cross the floor
Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking out the door

If you want to change your direction
If your time of life is at hand
Well don’t be the rule be the exception
A good way to start is to stand

Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking cross the floor
Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking out the door

If I want to change the reflection
I see in the mirror each morn
You mean that it's just my election
To vote for a chance to be reborn

Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking cross the floor
Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking out the door

...get set...GO!!!

Running....Oh, the Places You'll Go

2011-05-26T19:58:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a journey the last 365 days has been! There have been ups and there have been downs. But my life has not been the same since I headed out for my first two-mile run on May 26, 2010.

Here are some facts and figures from my first year as a runner:

First Mile - 8:59 on May 26, 2010

Fastest Mile - 6:02 on February 17, 2011

Fastest 5K - 20:06 on May 19, 2011

Fastest 1/2 Marathon - 1:34:26 on May 7, 2011 (Cap City)

Total Races Run - 8 (KCH Fundraiser 4-Miler, Emerald City 1/4 Marathon, Columbus 1/2 Marathon, MVNU Homecoming 5K, 1st on the 1st 5K, Run Cbus 10-Miler, Kenyon Earth Day Challenge 1/2 Marathon, Cap City 1/2 Marathon. Plus numerous other unofficial ones that we staged with our running group.)

Total Miles Run - 1,355

Total States Run In - 6 (Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, Florida, California)

Total Days Run - 257

Average Distance Per Day Run - 5.27 miles

Total Pounds Lost - 30

Pairs of Running Shoes - 3 (Asics Gel Kanbarra 5)

First of all, I need to say a big thank you to my wife, Carla, and my daughters, Ashley and Kylie, for supporting me in this new endeavor. Carla had been running for two years before I took this up and she was really the inspiration behind getting me started on this journey. Ashley and Kylie have also had fun with the running and have even participated in two 5Ks in the past year. I'm looking forward to running with them more as time goes on. It takes the support of the whole family for running to become a true part of your lifestyle and I'm thankful for mine.

This year of running has seen me go from being very much a fair-weather, only-run-when-the-conditions-are-ideal runner to a runner who thoroughly enjoyed a -10 degree 10K run in January as part of running 205 miles all outside for the month despite colder than normal temperatures.

I have really enjoyed renewing old friendships and all the new friends that I have made as a result of running. When I started out, I was running solo. However, as the year has gone on, I am now part of a group (the Mount Vernon Running Buddies who are pictured below) that gets together pretty much every morning to run at least a 5K. I've also seen how supportive the running community as a whole is with each other through tracking my running on Daily Mile.

While I'm not an expert by any means, my plan over the next week is to write a few posts about what I've learned about running throughout the past year. I have appreciated all the feedback and tips that I have gotten from other runners and if I can help just one person by posting my experiences then it's worth taking the time to write about them.

As I close this look back over the past year on the run, I can't help but think about these words penned by the incomparable Dr. Seuss:

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street.

And you may not find any you’ll want to go down. In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town. It’s opener there in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’t.
Because, sometimes, you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.

You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You’ll be left in a Lurch.

You’ll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in a Slump.

And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And if you go in, should you turn left or right…or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.

No! That’s not for you!
Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don’t. Because, sometimes, they won’t.

I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot.

And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.

But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike. And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are.

You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)

Kid, you’ll move mountains!
So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!

Taking Things to the Next Level

2011-05-25T18:07:00.000-07:00

Last year, I had the opportunity to be a part of history during the Major League Baseball season as on a couple of occasions I was able to land a seat in the Cleveland Indians' Social Deck. This was an area set aside for fans, bloggers, and other personalities to use social media platforms during games to spread the word about the Indians, the game, and whatever else they wanted to talk about. The Indians were the first pro sports team to have a special area set aside on a game-by-game basis for their social media community.

Fast forward one year. Much like the team on the field that sports the best record in the majors, the Indians' communications and creative services staff has upped the ante again by moving their social media community from the Social Deck in the leftfield bleachers to the Social Suite along the third base line above the Indians' dugout.

On Sunday afternoon versus the Cincinnati Reds, I had the privilege of checking out the Social Suite for the first time with my family and my friend, George Hartz, and his family. We picked up our tickets at will call courtesy of @tribetalk and quickly found our seats. As we were walking to the Social Suite, one of my daughters commented that it was like we were entering a fancy hotel. Little did we know just how right she was as we prepared to enter the Social Suite.

While the Social Deck was nice last year, there was the disadvantage of being stuck outside if the weather was inclement or extremely hot with no shade. Well, the Social Suite has nice shade and protection with the overhang, and the option to sit inside in the air conditioning was something that the kids enjoyed as well. The Social Suite is also much more conducive to in-game blogging if attendees so desire.

Well, the game moved along and the Indians dominated the Reds 12-4. In the bottom of the fifth inning, my opportunity to play in the game came when Jack Hannahan fouled a ball up to the Social Suite which I promptly snagged in mid-air (photo above). It's the third foul ball I've grabbed over the years, but the first outside the state of Colorado as the other two came at a Colorado Rockies game and a Colorado SkySox (Triple-A) game. (The ball at the SkySox game was off the bat of Alex Rodriguez.)

We enjoyed the rest of the game and the kids had a great time. It was the first MLB game for George's two boys and it was fun to watch them take it all in. The only downside is that it will be a little bit of a letdown when they go to their next game and don't have such great seats. :) Following the game, the kids all got to run the bases to cap off what was a great day (photo below).

I need to say a big thank you to Curtis Danburg, Rob Campbell, and Danielle Cherry for the great job that they are doing and for making our fun day possible. For more information on how you might score a seat in the Social Suite, check out this link and follow @tribetalk on Twitter.

Practically Perfect in Every Way

2011-04-24T06:13:00.000-07:00

On Friday night, my family and I had the opportunity to take in Mary Poppins - The Musical at the historic Ohio Theatre in Columbus and what a fun evening it was!

For us, the story starts well before Friday night as the Disney movie version of the story has long been one of my favorites dating back to my childhood days. As I grew up and started a family of my own, it was one of the first DVDs that we purchased for our girls. At 9 and 6 years old, they have probably watched the movie close to a hundred times and love the story as much as I do. Their self-created dance routine to "Step in Time" is one that would have even Jillian Michaels gasping for air!

So, when I noticed that CAPA was bringing the show to Columbus as part of their Broadway Across America season, I was quick to purchase tickets and have looked forward for months to taking the girls to their first show. I knew this was the perfect opportunity since it was a story that they loved and everyone who had seen it had great things to say.

Well, the show certainly did not disappoint! As soon as the curtain went up and the main house on the set rolled out like a page from a pop-up storybook with people coming out of it, my daughters watched with eyes filled with awe and amazement for the next two hours and 45 minutes as the story unfolded. My oldest daughter, Ashley, would squeeze my arm tightly from time to time and offer whispered commentary about how cool this or that was, and my youngest daughter, Kylie, just sat still (which if you know her is no small feat) and with eyes as big as saucers soaked it all in.

Steffanie Leigh, who plays the title role of Mary Poppins, was outstanding. She nailed all the songs and played the character every bit as well as her movie predecessor, Julie Andrews. In fact, she might have even had a leg up on Andrews as she busted some moves in the dance routines previously unobserved from a prim and proper British nanny. :)

Nicolas Dromard, who plays Bert, the chimney sweep, also did a great job. I remember growing up wishing that I could do all the things that Dick Van Dyke did in the movie version and Nicolas took the role even farther by tap-dancing his way up the walls and across the ceiling of the Ohio Theatre during "Step in Time". I loved his comment midway through that "it's not as easy as it looks". The girls were on the edge of their seats during this part.

The entire cast did a great job with their roles, the sets and costumes were eye-popping, and the entire performance left the audience on their feet clapping along at the encore wanting more. When I asked Kylie what she thought of the show in one word, she said "Awesome!" And, Ashley summed it up best by saying that it was "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!" The Parsons' family gives it eight thumbs up - a definite must-see for the entire family!

To purchase tickets for Mary Poppins - The Musical which is in Columbus through May 8 or to find out more information about upcoming shows in the Broadway Across America series coming to town, check out the CAPA website at www.capa.com.

One Last Go 'Round

2011-04-14T08:52:00.001-07:00

(Note: The following is a post by Michael Hendren, one of the students in the Sports Information Services class that I'm teaching for the first time this semester and a member of the Mount Vernon Nazarene University baseball team. The class recently had their second blog writing assignment and this is what he sent to me. I think it shows why I enjoy working in college athletics and specifically at MVNU. Let me know what you think.)

You spend your entire life playing a sport that you love and everything boils down to you having one more shot to make the most of it. Senior year of college comes and you are staring down the barrel of life after school and most importantly life after baseball. The thought is almost sickening to think that after all the time and effort spent devoting yourself to being a better baseball player, it all is coming to an end sooner than you know.

Just as important and if not more important than the time of practice and the hundreds to thousands of games you play over the span of your life in this sport, is the relationships you build with the people you spend every waking moment with when you play the great sport of baseball. For me, coming to Mount Vernon Nazarene University to continue my baseball career was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Not only is the tradition of winning strong, but the teammates you have year in and year out are the types of friends and companions you can only dream about. One can only imagine the amounts of fun we all have together when you put 30 guys around each other day after day. Coach has always said that it is not the games you will remember from these days, but it is the people sitting around you that you will remember until the day you die. I have to agree with him!

Everyone always says that all good things have to come to an end which I do tend to agree with, but I also have to say that as excited as I am to move on into the next stage of my life, MVNU baseball and the teammates I have gained over the years will continue to have a huge impact on who I am as a person. The lessons we have all learned from the game of baseball are incredible! From one situation to the next, Coach Keith Veale has made us all better and smarter baseball players. However, the main thing we have learned while playing here is dealing and coping with failure. I know that sounds awful, kind of like we lose every game we play which is not true at all, but the game of baseball is set up for the players to fail. The best hitters in the game only hit .300, which means they fail seven out of ten times. Learning to deal with failure is something that will continue on after school and baseball is over. You hear people say to always pick yourself back up if you get knocked down and after playing baseball for so many years, the emphasis on a cliché like that is much more important now than ever before. The life lessons I have learned are so important to me that I will apply those to my life even after I am gone from MVNU.

The title of this blog is somewhat interesting to me. Right before my senior season started this year, my dad looked at me and all he said was, “One more go ‘round, bud, make the best of it.” That is something that has been playing through my head for months now as the season has continued. Although it is sad that this is my last season, I have to look forward to what is ahead of me. God has worked in my life more this year than ever before as I have turned to Him for guidance and have wanted His will to be done for me in my life. God has a plan for me and I am excited to find out what it is. I have enjoyed everything He has blessed me with over the years. Whether baseball is in my future or a job, this last season has been a life-changing experience that I will hold onto forever.

And the Winner is...

2011-04-11T14:45:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Steve Wilging on claiming the coveted title as champion of the second annual Six Degrees of MVNUSID bracket contest! Steve, who is wrapping up his junior year at Mount Vernon Nazarene University and is a member of the Cougar soccer team, beat out 67 other determined competitors to claim the top spot thanks to his predicted champion, UCONN, winning the NCAA national title.

Steve successfully edged out runner-up Wade Foley, who ironically is a senior teammate of his on the MVNU soccer team, by 20 points. Wade also chose UCONN to win it all and had a 20-point lead on Steve after the first round when he correctly picked 24 of the first 32 games to Steve's 22-for-32. However, Steve had one more correct pick in the Sweet Sixteen round than Wade and that's what eventually won him the title.

Niki Murray, who serves as the community relations manager for the Washington Nationals, also had a great finish as she was the final person in my contest to correctly pick UCONN as the national champion. The Huskies' title vaulted her to third place in the contest just ahead of George Hartz, who had led the way heading into the Final Four.

While I finished in the top third of the contest in a tie for 18th place, I do have reason to celebrate as for only the ninth time in the past 19 years I was able to beat my wife (and the winner of the inaugural Six Degrees of MVNUSID contest last year), Carla Parsons. At some point in the coming days, I'll be enjoying a trip to Outback Steakhouse as she pays up. (Honestly, agree with me that a trip there is really a win for both of us.) :)

Well, thanks again to everyone who participated. I'm going to keep working on sponsors for future years to help me award more prizes. I think having a bracket contest makes the games even more fun to watch and brings more people together in a common bond. I just wish the final game would have lived up to the excitement and intrigue that the rest of the tournament contained.

Home Where She Belongs

2011-04-03T19:19:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm a little tardy on this update, but I am pleased to report that my grandma has now been home for a little over two weeks after eight weeks in a rehab facility following her fall that required surgery for a broken femur.

While Grandma is still a long way from being fully recovered and is using a walker to get around, she is very happy to be back in the cozy confines of her own home, sleeping in her own bed, eating her own food, and petting her dog, Molly. She got home in time to watch her Ohio State Buckeyes play in the NCAA hoops tournament (albeit too short a stay for her liking) and her Cincinnati Reds get off to an exciting 3-0 start to the new season as they begin defense of their NL Central title.

As I mentioned in my last update about Grandma a month ago, I cannot even begin to say thank you enough to all of my friends, Twitter followers, and total strangers who have taken the time to drop Grandma a card. Through the wonders of social media, she has received more mail than I ever thought was possible.

In the last update, I mentioned some of the amazing things she had received from colleges, pro sports teams, and media personalities. After that update, she also got a signed commemorative basketball from Pat Summitt, the all-time winningest women's basketball coach (see above). Seems appropriate with the NCAA Women's Final Four going on to post a picture of that since Tennessee has been a frequent member of that group over the years.

However, the package that Grandma received that may have caused the biggest stir came from the star of tonight's ABC Secret Millionaire episode, Diane Heavin. If you have been following this story from the beginning, Grandma, who turns 89 later this month, broke her femur when she fell on her way to Curves for her 250th visit. Well, Curves posted my initial blog on their Facebook page and contacted me several times to check up on her throughout her rehab, so I knew that they were up to something.

Well, it turns out that Diane, the co-founder of Curves along with her husband, took the time to personally put together a package of Curves goodies to send to Grandma. Along with a water bottle, a towel, a bag to carry her workout stuff in, a necklace, some magazines and other items, there was a Curves' 300 visit shirt!

Now, Grandma and I had joked around after the initial accident that maybe if Grandma worked hard at her rehab that maybe Curves would count those daily rehab visits in the nursing home towards her Curves' visit total. Well, now that the 300 visit shirt was in her hands, she told me during one of our nightly phone calls that she was afraid that she couldn't wear it because she hadn't earned it. I decided to play dumb and asked her who the package came from. When she told me, I let her know who Diane was. Without missing a beat, she replied like only my feisty grandma can - "Well, I guess it's ok to wear it then!" :) She has also reiterated over and over and over again how glad she is that she joined Curves and how much it meant to her before the accident and how much more it means to her now. She really could be the poster child for the company.

Grandma still has plenty of work ahead of her and continues to work with a physical therapist who comes to her house as the next step is to get her using a cane instead of the walker. She is hoping to be up to taking the Buckeyes up on their offer of attending the annual spring football game on April 23 when they have generously offered to let us watch the game from the pressbox. If that happens, I'll get to make my first-ever visit to the 'Shoe with the lady who instilled my love of sports and the Buckeyes into me.

Again, I can't say thank you enough for your letters, cards, prayers, and encouragement. You have all made a big difference and my grandma, my family, and I can't show our appreciation enough!

Final Four is Really Final Two

2011-04-02T16:27:00.000-07:00

As Butler and VCU got set to tip off the Final Four action in Houston tonight, the road to the Six Degrees of MVNUSID bracket contest title is winding down. In fact, when the final horn sounds in the Kentucky-UCONN game, the champion of my contest will be crowned. More on that later.

Once again, the NCAA Tournament has not disappointed with all the upsets, buzzer-beaters, and great performances. Whoever the marketing genious was who coined the term March Madness, deserves extra props this year as for the first time ever there are no No. 1 or No. 2 seeds in the Final Four. And, we are guaranteed that a true Cinderalla will play in the championship game on Monday with No. 8 Butler and No. 11 VCU battling it out in the semifinals for a chance at their One Shining Moment.

Taking a look at the latest standings in my bracket contest, George Hartz is still in the lead with 60-point lead or more on the rest of the 68-entrant field. George added to his lead by getting five of the eight picks right in the Sweet Sixteen games and then joined 22 other entrants in the contest to get one of the Final Four teams correct.

However, based on the possible points remaining and the current standings, there are only two possible winners remaining in this year's contest. Looking to pass George to claim the $25 gift card and the coveted bragging rights that go with it are either Josh Wood or Steve Wilging. Josh is currently in second place right behind George and has been among the leaders the entire contest. He can lock up the victory tonight if Kentucky, who is his pick as the national champion, can advance past UCONN. Matt Hannaford also picked Kentucky to win the title, but he's too far back in the standings to pass Josh.

The other person vying for the title is Steve, who has UCONN as his pick to win the title. Steve is a junior at Mount Vernon Nazarene University and a member of the men's soccer team. If UCONN beats Kentucky tonight, he will move ahead of George and Josh. Steve, Wade Foley, and Niki Murray each picked UCONN to win the national title, but Steve is currently ahead of the other two and would win it all.

So, just like most of the experts would say about the second semifinal tonight, it's for all the marbles when UCONN and Kentucky tip off at 9:23 p.m. ET. However, while the Six Degrees of MVNUSID winner will get determined tonight, don't count out those Butler Bulldogs on Monday night when they get their second straight shot at national title after coming up just inches short on a game-winner at the buzzer last year.

And Then There Were Eight...

2011-03-26T16:42:00.000-07:00

Well, the madness has continued and now we have reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. There continue to be plenty of great games, surprising upsets, and dominating performances along the way. And, it’s starting to take its toll on the brackets.

After breezing through the early rounds unscathed and moving up to as high as 24th overall out of 5.9 million entries worldwide, Six Degrees of MVNUSID contest leader and WBNS Channel 10 weatherman Josh Poland who had at least a 50-point lead on the rest of the field after the first two rounds saw his bracket begin to evaporate like dew on a summer morning. He went 0-for-4 on the first day of the Sweet Sixteen before finally getting two picks right on the second day, but it was enough of a hit that it dropped him back into fourth place – 70 points behind the top spot.

Speaking of the top spot, we have a new leader atop the standings. George Hartz, one of my running buddies and the captain of the Mount Vernon Police Department, correctly picked five of the Elite Eight winners to blow past the rest of the field and take a 60-point lead on his nearest challengers. Although he has a passion for Krispy Kreme donuts (see the photo from his 40th birthday party), he told me that PF Changs would be his restaurant of choice if he won. And who can blame him…their lettuce wraps are amazing!

However, George is going to have to be perfect the rest of the way as his predicted champion, Ohio State, along with 11 other contestants in the current top 20, was knocked out by Kentucky on a last-second shot last night. Here's a look at George's bracket below:

That leaves the door open for several people to possibly move into the top spot as the Elite Eight games begin on Saturday. Nate Okuley, one of my former student workers and a current MVNU admissions counselor, and Josh Wood, another former MVNU student and WNZR sports announcer who has stayed around the top of the leaderboard for most of the contest, are currently tied for second place. Nate has the best chance to win the overall title with a whopping 880 possible points still remaining in his bracket and North Carolina as his predicted national champion. Josh still has his predicted champion, Kentucky, on the board along with 560 possible points remaining.

Well, as the games continue on Saturday, we've also reached the point where 18 of the 68 people in the contest have already been eliminated due to having either no possible points remaining or not enough to catch the current leader. There are still 17 entrants with their predicted national champion still alive, and amazingly even the person in 67th place right now, Niki Murray, has a chance to win it all since she has UCONN still alive as her champion. Stay tuned to see what happens!

The Near-Perfect Three-Day Forecast

2011-03-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

Well, we are three days into the NCAA Tournament and the second annual Six Degrees of MVNUSID bracket contest is pleased to have one of the nation's best amongst its ranks.

Josh Poland, a meteorologist from WBNS 10TV in Columbus, has just flat out rocked his picks so far. He went a blazing 29-for-32 in the first round with his only misses being Temple and UCLA (where he picked upsets to happen) and Virginia Commonwealth (which ended the perfect bracket chances for even the final two contestants in the overall ESPN contest as they went 31-for-32).

Then, on the third day of the tournament, Josh continued his hot streak by going 7-for-8 to improve to 26-for-40 overall. His one miss on day three may prove costly, though, as Butler's upset of No. 1 seed Pittsburgh cost him not only that game, but one of his Final Four teams. However, Josh has done so well that he entered the fourth day of action ranked 31st out of the more than five million people who entered brackets on ESPN.com.

However, as you can see by Josh's bracket (below), he's still got plenty of good picks left. His total of 430 points is 60 points higher than first-day leader Jake Wood and my running buddy Chad Sims, who both currently check in with 370 points. Four more people are right behind them with 360 points. I also need to give a belated shoutout to Columbus Dispatch sportswriter Rob Oller (27-for-32) and Davenport University sports information director Aaron Sagraves (26-for-32), who were second and third respectively after the end of the first two days of the contest.

Through three days of action and thanks to some upsets, two people (Kristin Adams with Georgetown and Patrick Neville with Pittsburgh) have already lost their predicted champion. I'm sure that several others will be joining that list soon as the journey to the Final Four continues on Sunday.

Well, it's time to sit back and enjoy some more games. What have been your favorite moments so far? And what are your thoughts of having all the games available on CBS, TNT, TBS, and TruTV?

As for Josh, who tweeted "The forecast calls for scattered tears from everyone whose butt I whoop!" prior to the contest, he did not want to take anything for granted when I asked him what his winning restaurant would be. Instead, he took the more Coach Thad Matta-like approach of "Don't want to think that far ahead...we just take each game one at a time."

That's exactly how I plan to enjoy the rest of the tournament.

"The Ball is Up...."

2011-03-18T07:19:00.000-07:00

Well, the action got tipped off in a big way on Thursday as March Madness and the NCAA Tournament got under way. Upsets, buzzer-beaters, comebacks, and Cinderella shoe-fittings all began to take place as a national audience watched.

My second annual Six Degrees of MVNUSID bracket contest got under way as well with a record 68 entrants - the same size as the tournament field - all vying for a $25 gift card to the restaurant of their choice and bragging rights.

Well, it only took one game to wipe out the perfect bracket chances of 13 of those prognosticators and then by the time the second game was over we were down to just 30 perfect brackets left. By the time that Morehead State finished off their upset of Louisville in the third game of the tournament, only WBNS 10TV meteorologist Josh Poland and Central Methodist sports information director Kelcey Zutavern were left with perfect brackets.

After the dust had settled from the day's 16 games, Jacob Wood (also known as "Gator" due to his love of the Florida Gators) stood alone at the top of the heap as he correctly picked 15 of the 16 games. His only blemish came with the Morehead State upset, but less than 5% of the people nationally who filled out the brackets had seen that one coming. Gator (above), who is a former student worker of mine while he attended Mount Vernon Nazarene University, is hoping that his picks can continue to pan out so he can enjoy his winnings at Chick-fil-A. You can see a copy of Gator's bracket below:

Hot on Gator's tail are Josh Poland, Rob Oller, and Josh Wood, who each correctly picked 14 of 16 games on the first day. Rob is a sports writer for the Columbus Dispatch, while Josh is Gator's brother as the Wood family combined for a great showing on the first day.

Well, it's about time to get comfortable for another 12-hour journey of ups and downs, dunks and 3-pointers, old favorites and new heros to take the spotlight. Enjoy the ride!

March Madness is Back!!!

2011-03-13T20:29:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite times of the year is back...March Madness! I love college basketball and tonight tips off three weeks of hoops nirvana with the release of the 68-team NCAA Tournament bracket.

Nothing complements March Madness any better than entering a bracket contest, too. So, for the second straight year, I am looking to connect all of my online friends from Twitter and Facebook to enjoy the games together. To encourage you to enter and also check back with my blog, I'm going to award a $25 gift card to the winner to the restaurant of his or her choice. So, you have nothing to lose and lots of bragging rights and a free dinner to gain.

Last year's contest was a big success with 52 entrants and a lot of fun with several different people taking the lead along the way and getting featured in the blog before my wife, Carla, did what she does to me pretty much every year in this contest - she won! She beat out 51 other people including several sports information directors, sports PR experts, a sports reporter from a major newspaper, and a TV news anchor to claim the inaugural crown.

All you need to do to enter is to go to the private group that I've set up on ESPN's site under the title Six Degrees of MVNUSID. The password is MVNUSID. Get your bracket submitted before tip off of the first game on Thursday (approximately noon ET) and then check back with the blog each day as I highlight who is winning after each round of games. I'll look forward to reading your comments, too, as you have the opportunity to tell the world that you called the big upset as it happens.

Good luck and enjoy the Madness!

When Your Back is Against the Wall

2011-02-25T09:29:00.000-08:00

(Note: The following is a post by Justin Brown, one of the students in the Sports Information Services class that I'm teaching for the first time this semester. We talked about social media in class on Wednesday. When I asked the 21 people in the class if they had ever blogged, not a single person raised their hand. Well, I got snowed in today, so I decided to cancel class and instead have them try their hand at writing a blog. This was what Justin sent me. Let me know what you think.)

Last week was the three year mark of an event that has been a great learning experience for me and has propelled me in reaching goals in my life. The setting was the 2008 Central District Sectional wrestling tournament. At 145 pounds I entered the tournament ready to stand up to a metaphorical bully that had gotten the best of me for three years. I battled feelings of self-doubt, “Was I really going to fail to qualify for the fourth straight year?” What happened to the freshman phenom that was ranked in the top five in Central Ohio?

In the postseason of wrestling the top four place winners of each sectional advance on to the next stage of the competition. The first three years of my career I had accomplished some great things, but at the same time a lot of people would say that I had underachieved. I missed qualifying to the Central District tournament three straight years, when my talents and abilities were certainly capable of doing far more than that. Each time I missed qualification it set off an emotional train wreck. I can vividly remember the feeling each time, exhaustion, disappointment, on top of breathtaking sobs of tears. Each year my heart was broken on the mat; but I kept coming back.

This year in my senior year I was ready to attain what I set out for at a young age. I felt unstoppable, confident, and unbeatable. Put Hulk Hogan on the mat with me, I didn’t care; I’d whoop him with ease. At least that’s how I felt. I had a first round bye, and then I lost my second match. Are you kidding me? And it wasn’t even to Hulk Hogan either. I fell to the consolation bracket, needing to rattle off win after win, if I lost one more match my career was over, and more sobs of despair were waiting for me. My back was against the wall.

I sat in the bleachers in a mental funk that was surely going to lead me to what I didn’t want to do. I was going to be bullied yet again, for a fourth straight year. Demons of doubt surrounded me and something had to change. My mom was that change, without saying a word she handed me her iPod cued up to a song that I had never heard, but I listen to often now. It was “All These Things I Have Done” By the Killers. I recommend this song to anybody who needs a pick me up. Suddenly I was back to my confident self, ready to string together the best day of wrestling in my career.

Match after match, win after win I began rolling. I had dominated two more opponents as I wrestled the way I needed to. My dad described me as “A man on a mission.” The two wins in the consolation brought me one win away from where I needed to be. This was the infamous “go-to” match. Win and you advance to the next event, lose and you go home. I had already experienced the go home aspect of the “go-to” match in my career, and now I was trying to avoid it again.

I was set to face off against a freshman from Mount Vernon named Jordan Montgomery. As the match got closer and closer I began warming up on the side, bouncing to pick up a sweat and get lose. Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” blaring from my headphones. I felt calm and confident, I stared at Montgomery as we warmed up, looked him dead in the eyes and thought to myself “He has never been here before, he is a freshman facing a senior, he is more nervous than you.” We walked on to the mat and I thought “Wait your turn; I’ve waited my turn, now you wait yours.”And it began. Six minutes later I yelled out a piercing scream of celebration. Finally I had done it; finally I beat the bully, this time the tears down my face were not from despair but rather joy.

I think of this event often, it taught me a lot about myself, and it has propelled me to do some great things in other goals in my life especially with baseball at MVNU. What a person does when their back is against the wall says a lot about who they are. I thrive on those go for broke moments, I think that is why I love being a reliever so much. You enter the game often times with your back against the wall, and the teams back against the wall. Either lie down and die, or start swinging at the bully. What is the bully in your own life? The time to stand up to it is now. Go for broke.

Social Media Makes a Difference

2011-02-17T20:15:00.000-08:00

Wow, talk about being overwhelmed! Words cannot adequately express my gratitude for the way my family, friends, and total strangers have responded to the last blog that I wrote about my grandma and her recent fall. I am truly blessed with the people I’ve crossed paths with, but more on that later.

It was four weeks ago yesterday that I got the phone call telling me that Grandma had fallen. This story could have taken many different turns since then, but I am very pleased to report that things seem to be going as well as we could have hoped. Thank you so much to everyone who read the blog and passed it on to others. I am humbled by all of this.

Two Sundays ago, while most of America was making their last-minute Super Bowl party plans, I packed up the family and headed to Cincinnati to see how Grandma’s rehab process was going. It had been over two weeks since she had fallen and broken her right femur, and busy schedules and bad weather had kept me from making the two-and-a-half-hour trip to see her in person and relegated me to daily phone calls to check in.

Upon arrival, I have to say that I was impressed by the facility that Grandma is in. Chesterwood Village is one of three complexes in the Hillandale Family of Communities. When you walk into the very well-lit and extremely clean entrance, you come to a guest services desk to sign in and figure out where you are going. My two daughters were impressed with the movie theatre, root beer float pub, pet shop, ice cream store, and exercise room. In fact, Ashley (my 9-year-old) uttered this classic line: “Wow, these old people really know how to live, Dad!”

We met Grandma as she was getting out of her church service in the facility’s chapel. After we wheeled her to her room in the rehab area of the facility, she immediately wanted to show off her stash of letters, cards, and other goodies that had been pouring in.

For the next couple of hours while watching the Buckeyes beat Minnesota to remain the nation’s only unbeaten Division I hoops team still at that point, I read through the very thoughtful letters and cards that Grandma had received. Based on our daily conversations and messages that I received from those who had read my blog, I knew that quite a few had come or were coming, but to see them overflowing a basket and then to read through the heart-felt comments was a true joy.

Among the more than 150 cards and letters that she has received, she’s gotten mail from Curves members in 15 different states from coast to coast, Canada, and even England thanks to the fact that Curves posted the blog on their Facebook page. Your notes of encouragement and support have flattered Grandma and lifted her spirits more than you’ll ever know.

She’s also gotten lots of mail from the sports community. The Reds front office sent a card signed by numerous coaches, broadcasters, and players along with a yearbook and hat. Matt Maloney of the Reds sent a ball and his wife wrote a nice letter. Chris Sabo, one of her favorite players from the 1990 team, sent a signed photo. Jim Day, the host of Reds Live on Fox Sports Ohio, also sent a nice card. She got a letter from the Cleveland Indians and an invite to come to a game at Progressive Field when she gets better despite the “minor transgression that she roots for the other team in the state.” The Washington Nationals also sent a note and a blanket.

My sports information family has also done a great job of showering Grandma with cards. I need to especially thank my friend, Shelly Poe, at Ohio State for her help in getting the word out. Thanks to her work, Grandma received a letter from Jim Tressel and an invitation to attend the OSU spring game with a seat in the press box as an incentive to get better. She also got a note and signed book from Dick Vitale.

I know that by listing names of people who have sent cards and letters I run the risk of leaving someone out. My intent was to show how amazing the response has been. Grandma has enjoyed especially the homemade cards and drawings she’s received from children, some of whom she’s never even met. It really has been an amazing response and I know that she waits excitedly each day for the mail to come to see what surprise awaits her next.

Grandma has at least two more weeks to go in the rehab facility. She has been doing great with several hours of rehab each day and is looking forward to the day that she can walk back into her Curves again. She’s also looking forward to eating home-cooked food and drinking piping hot coffee. For those of you who get the opportunity to visit her, there’s nothing she would appreciate more than a hot cup of coffee and a chicken sandwich from the Chick fil-A across the street.

To everyone who has sent cards and letters, I send a big thank you from the bottom of my heart. For anyone who would still like to be a part of Grandma’s recovery and cheer her on from afar, here’s her address through at least the beginning of March:

Olive Mahaffey
Chesterwood Village
8073 Tylersville Road
West Chester, Ohio 45069

Grandma Goes on the DL

2011-01-24T18:29:00.000-08:00

I started this blog so that from time to time I could share about the people who have influenced and impacted me whether over many years or just by dropping into my life for a short time. Relationships are really what makes life so much fun, and I enjoy seeing how they all weave together.

Last Wednesday, I got a phone call from my cousin, Robert, that I was not ready for. Grandma Mahaffey had fallen in my uncle's driveway and was being taken to the hospital. Robert wasn't sure what the extent of her injuries were, but he knew that she was in a lot of pain. Immediately, my heart sank because I knew that this could be really bad. But, more on that later.

Grandma will turn 89 in April. She and I have a special relationship because I'm the oldest of her nine grandchildren. However, our relationship goes much deeper than that as she may be one of the single biggest influences on why I'm doing what I'm doing as far as my career goes.

Grandma grew up near Athens, Ohio. She graduated from Ohio University in 1948 and taught school. She later helped Grandpa run a Maytag appliance business while taking care of three children. Grandma and Grandpa also moved to Florida for nearly a decade where he served as a maintenance man in a retirement tower and she worked as a housekeeper. They moved back to Ohio in the late 1980's as Grandpa's health began to deteriorate, and he passed away in the spring of 1990 the week that I graduated from high school.

Grandma's influence on my career path started at an early age as I can always remember her listening to the Cincinnati Reds and the Ohio State Buckeyes on the radio. She used to save me the baseball cards that came on Hostess boxes and bought me my first packs of cards when I was just six or seven years old. My early childhood memories were of her talking about the Big Red Machine (pictured below) or Archie Griffin. She definitely got me hooked on Marty and Joe calling all the Reds' action and I'm a die-hard Buckeye fan as well.

One thing that really helped Grandma right after Grandpa passed away in the spring of 1990 was following the wire-to-wire run in first place that her beloved Reds had as they captured the World Series title with a sweep of the A's. She was so excited, but definitely wished that Grandpa could have been there to see it. Chris Sabo and Jose Rijo were two of her favorite players on that team.

To tell you how close Grandma and I are, how many college freshmen do you know that would offer to drive their grandma and her sister to Florida for spring break to see one of their other sisters. Well, that's exactly what my roommate and I did and we had a great time - even if we did have to strategically cover the speedometer as we drove so they wouldn't see how fast we were going. :)

The following year on spring break, my best friend from high school, Brion, and I basically camped out for a week at Grandma's to watch all the March Madness college basketball games with her. She had a two-liter of pop for each of us and made us all the grilled cheese sandwiches or hamburgers that we wanted as we watched games from noon until after midnight each day. She is a huge college basketball fan and always knows all the story lines. She loved to watch Bobby Knight coach and get fired up and he was special to her because he was a former Buckeye. She also loved to make fun of Gene Keady's crazy comb-over whenever Purdue would come on and she always wondered if he ever had fun coaching since he never smiled. But, most of all, she loved to pace back and forth when her Buckeyes were playing. She cheered them on and got excited when they were doing well, and she got frustrated when they struggled.

As I headed into my senior year of college, I got the opportunity to work in the sports information office at Mount Vernon Nazarene. I never knew that this type of job existed and I really had no formal training for it, but the love of sports that Grandma had instilled in me made this job one that I knew I wanted to pursue. Now, 17 years later, I'm still doing that job and consider myself very fortunate to get to spend pretty much every day watching some kind of sporting event. Lots of times, I envision myself sitting on the couch in Grandma's living room. She's still the first person I want to call after a big Buckeye football or basketball win or when the Reds are playing well. I can still remember how excited she was in the wee hours of the morning in 2003 when I talked to her on the phone minutes after Ohio State beat Miami in double overtime to capture the BCS national title.

Well, back to the infamous phone call from last Wednesday...When they got Grandma to the hospital, they found that she had broken her right femur above her knee. This was a pretty serious injury that ended up requiring surgery later that day to insert a rod from her hip to her knee. She came through the surgery as well as could be expected and finally this afternoon was released to a rehab facility that will now be her home for the foreseeable future as she cannot put any weight on that leg for at least eight weeks.

When I had a chance to talk to Grandma after the surgery, in typical fashion she told me what had happened. Like she does most days, she was headed out to go to Curves with one of her friends. (Yes, for all of you who have struggled with starting some kind of fitness program, take it from my 88-year-old grandma that you CAN do it. She really should be a spokesperson for Curves as she plans her trips out of town based on whether the place she is going has one or not.) She was extra excited because this was going to be her 250th visit. At Curves, you get a shirt every time you reach 100, 200, 300, etc. visits. Well, Grandma was so excited that she hurried down the driveway so her friend wouldn't have to drive up it. Unfortunately, she hit a slippery spot and went down hard.

When I told Grandma that her rehab would be like another form of a Curves' workout, she quickly responded with "I wonder if each day that I do it if Curves would count it as a visit." I just started laughing. I told some of my running buddies about this and they instantly knew where I got the drive that has me setting a goal of trying to run at least one mile every day in 2011.

As I tried to ask her how she was doing, Grandma changed the subject to sports. She excitedly told me all about Joey Votto's new three-year contract and how he's her favorite player because he's such a "nice looking and clean-cut young man". Doesn't hurt that he had an MVP season either. Then, she changed gears and started talking about the Buckeyes' basketball team. She had been a little frustrated that she had to miss their first game as the No. 1-ranked team because that's when her surgery took place on Wednesday, but she was happy that they took care of Iowa in fine fashion without needing her cheering after all.

Well, you can see why I love my grandma and why I love sports. She is just a very special person in my life. And, that's why I am still very concerned about the days, weeks, and months of rehab that are ahead for her. Since I work with college athletes, I see the struggles that injuries can cause for them. They have good days and they have bad days. The nice thing for them is that they are young and they have their teammates and coaches around them for support.

Grandma has a long road of recovery ahead of her. While she is young in spirit, this will not be an easy process for her. I know that she will do her best to work at it, and I know that her goal is to get back to Curves and continue working towards that shirt for visit No. 300. However, it is not going to be easy.

That's where you and I come in. We can all play the role of teammates and cheerleaders for her. If you are reading this blog, you know me or someone who knows me has forwarded this to you. As a personal favor, I wonder if you might possibly consider taking the time in the next month to just pick up a card or write a note of encouragement and send it to Grandma. Yes, she might be a total stranger to you. It doesn't matter. Just tell her to hang in there and keep working hard. Who knows...there may come a time in your own life where you'll need that kind of encouragement from others to help you get back on your feet again.

Anyway, if you are willing to do this, I would be extremely humbled and grateful if you could send a note or card to her at:

Olive Mahaffey
Chesterwood Village
8073 Tylersville Road
West Chester, Ohio 45069

In addition to your cards, notes, and prayers, I'm hoping that following the rest of what has already been an exciting season of Ohio State basketball and then getting ready for the tradition that is Opending Day for the Reds will be just the medicine that Grandma needs to make a complete and speedy recovery.

Winter Running - Make it an Event

2010-12-21T19:50:00.000-08:00

When it comes to running, I have to admit I'm a fair-weather fan. Give me a 60-degree, low-humidity day and I'll gladly agree to trot 10-plus miles with you. However, once the temperatures start to dip drastically and the snow starts to fly, it's easy for me to seek shelter in the warm hibernation spot of my bed.

Some people don't notice much of a drop off when winter time rolls around because they just switch gears and attack their treadmill with a vengeance. I, on the other hand, have trouble feeling comfortable on the treadmill due in large part to the fact that I'm 6-foot-6 and either hit my knees on the front or fall off the back. So, the treadmill is not really the answer to my winter running needs.

I have found that as long as the temperatures stay above zero including the windchill that proper layering makes running outside still bearable. The only thing that has been a concern for me is adequate footing, so I base my daily runs now on whether or not I can find a somewhat clear path to trod.

Two other things that really help me follow through on continuing my runs during the winter have been getting together with friends to do them and making them into events whenever possible. The accountability that you find when telling someone that you'll meet them at 6 a.m. for a 5K is a strong motivator when the warm covers on my bed try to pull me back into them when the alarm goes off. And, the bond that you form with fellow runners who are working hard and braving the frigid elements with you is one that develops into strong friendships.

As for making runs into events, sometimes you have to be creative or, as my wife likes to say, a little loony. Take this morning for example. A lunar eclipse was slated to take place on the same day as the winter solstice for the first time in 300-plus years. The fact that it happened between 2:30-4:00 a.m. didn't stop me from trying to organize a middle-of-the-night 5K. I met my friend, Chad Sims, at his house at 3:00 a.m. and we started our run. At the midway point, we stopped to see our friends, Crystal and Eric Browning, who had offered to make us hot chocolate and fresh cookies. Even though the early morning sky was pretty overcast, we did manage to see the moon a couple of times while enjoying the warm treats. After a little bit, Chad and I said good-bye to the Brownings and finished off our 5K before I headed for home for a few more hours of sleep. (You can see a picture of the limited edition shirt I designed to commemorate the event above - 'cause we all know that any race worth running has a race shirt.)

While Chad and I didn't set any personal bests and Crystal and Eric sacrificed some sleep, I think we would all four agree that it was fun and something we would do again if given the choice. I also think from the interest I've seen on my Facebook page after posting about the 2010 Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse 5K that next time we plan a fun event that more people will take part in it. Special thanks to WBNS 10TV for the shout out about the run this morning and also to COSI for checking in with us. You never know who is watching and following your progress!

(Note: I would love to hear your ideas for running in Central Ohio's winter wonderland.)

Lowe's and Behold...Christmas and Social Media

2010-12-19T12:49:00.000-08:00

Like most people out there, I love a good giveaway or contest. Thanks to social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, there are lots of opportunities these days for fans and followers of companies or organizations to grab some great swag.

The latest social media marketing frenzy began on Friday at 10 a.m. ET when Lowe's began their three-day Gift-A-Thon through their Facebook fan page with roughly 380,000 followers at the time. I 'liked' their page and RSVP'd for the event in order to be eligible if I happened to be one of the lucky ones to be fast enough each time they gave away coupons for 90 percent off some great items.

There was an initial glitch when the first item posted as the response was so great with so many people logging into the site that it shut down the contest server. After a little while, Lowe's got things back up and running and despite a hiccup here and there things have been pretty much smooth sailing ever since. I've managed to get through on a couple of the items, but haven't been fast enough to get one of the coveted 90 percent off coupons. However, the only thing I really need is 90 percent off a new stove since our oven went kaput on Friday night. Oh well, it's probably keeping me from gaining weight since it's kept my wife from making Christmas cookies.

As someone who is intrigued by the dynamics of social media, I've been interested to watch several different aspects. First, there are two types of followers on Lowe's page. There are the complainers who don't win, the ones who think the contest is bogus and that the winners don't really exist, and the ones who get mad at Lowe's when there are technical difficulties. I feel sorry for them. It's not like we are entitled to anything from Lowe's. They are being generous by giving us the opportunity to get some amazing deals. Sure, it's a marketing strategy, but that doesn't mean we deserve anything other than a chance to try. We are the ones who have chosen to spend our time trying to win.

The second group of followers is the one that I've enjoyed. The people who are grateful to participate and the people who have used this as their own personal stand-up comedy audition. I have to admit that I've been one of the latter. When the first item went up and the problems happened, I took that opportunity to try my hand at humor. I was pleasantly surprised to see the 'likes' from total strangers start pouring in. I then went back and started reading other comments and was cracking up. I ended up sending a tweet to Conan O'Brien - well, we do have a history - and telling him to check out the site for some good laughs.

I didn't really think any more about it because I know that Conan probably gets thousands of tweets mentioning him each day. What was funny was that all of a sudden I ended up in a conversation with the Lowe's Twitter account. They retweeted my Conan tweet and then followed up with several other tweets. It sparked one of my friends, Nate Okuley, to tweet about this and Lowe's quickly responded. The was the start of about five or six messages back and forth with Lowe's despite the fact that the manager of that account was probably in the midst of one of the busiest days of his or her job. Since then, we've exchanged a couple of other tweets and I'm hoping that the mystery person shoots me a message from their personal account once the promotion is all over. I'm amazed at the way they have handled what could have been a stressful situation with just as much humor as Conan and his team of writers. (Yep, I just threw down the gauntlet, Conan.)

On a serious note, one of the reasons that I like social media and especially Twitter is the ability to connect with a brand on a more personal level. As people who follow me on Twitter or Facebook can attest, I am always quick to incorporate brands into my tweets and I believe in acknowledging the ones that I like. What is important to me, though, is feeling some kind of interaction with those brands and it is amazing how much a simple tweet back from one of them can have on customer loyalty. Along those regards, I have to give Subway and Staples a shoutout, too, as I've heard back from both of them this week as well.

As for measuring Lowe's success for this weekend's promotion, it doesn't take a genius to realize that their marketing department was on to something by initiating this. Their Facebook fan page has been bombarded with visitors and over 100,000 people have 'liked' it since I did on Friday morning. A quick glance at the comments, likes, and links posted on the page shows that there have been well over 1,000,000 interactions on the site this weekend. Even though all of it hasn't been positive thanks to the first group I mentioned above, it HAS been a success. And, I take my hat off to the person (or persons) managing the social media accounts and all of those messages. Wow, talk about getting some overtime! However, as you can see from this recent tweet to me from Lowe's about the promotion, they love what's happening.

Rock of Ages

2010-12-08T09:12:00.000-08:00

Hi, my name is Dave and I'm an 80's hair band music addict. Yes, that's right, buried beneath the exterior of this guy who typically spends his days doing stats, press releases, and website updates for the successful sports teams of a small private college is a love affair with all the big hair, loud drums, and steely metal sounds associated with 80's rock.

I also really enjoy taking in the different Broadway Across America shows that come to Columbus each year. My wife and I have seen such shows as Mama Mia, Wicked, and Legally Blonde, the Musical and really had a good time enjoying the talented casts, great songs, and vivid sets that go with them.

So with that stage set, you can just guess my anticipation level for Rock of Ages, the acclaimed musical, to come to Columbus. I had tried several times to plan a trip for my wife and I to go to New York to see the show on Broadway. Then, I found out that the show would be coming to Columbus. I've had the dates circled on my calendar for at least six months and the time finally arrived this week.

Late last week, I saw a post on the Columbus Association of Performing Arts (CAPA) Facebook page offering a free ticket in exchange for blogging or tweeting about the show on opening night. I thought...why not? Sure, enough, they sent me an e-mail and said my ticket would be waiting at will call. They gave me another one for a friend and my buddy, George Hartz, went with me.

When we arrived at the Palace Theater, we had a little time to kill and enjoyed listening to all the 80's songs that were being played before the show started. It really helped set the mood for what we were about to watch. There were plenty of members of the crowd who were singing along and, yes, I was among them. George and I were highly entertained by the group of people in the row behind us who only had one volume for their conversation - loud. However, while it could have been annoying it was pretty hilarious and actually made the night more fun. As we were approaching the time for the show to start, one member of that group got a text that the final couple who was supposed to join them wasn't going to make it because they supposedly had a flat tire. Well, that set the group off and they kept talking about how that couple really didn't want to come to the show. More on this later.

The show got under way and it was just as billed and then some. The music was awesome! The live band did a great job all night and all the vocals were outstanding. From the pure standpoint of treating it as a concert, it would have been a success as a top of the line cover band concert. However, what really took it to the next level was the hilarious story that wove all those 80's songs into the framework of Rock of Ages. Whether it was making mash-ups to have two story lines going at once, slowing things down to make it more of a love song, or totally changing the rhythm to fit the comedic element, the music made the show a tremendously funny story-telling experience.

Constantine Maroulis was outstanding in his role as Drew, a rock-n-roll wannabe from Detroit who came to the Sunset Strip to chase his dream. He came off as a low-key, shy guy in conversations, but as soon as he got the microphone in his hand to sing he belted out songs with reckless abandon and passion. It was really a great mix that made his character a down-to-earth one that everyone would root for. (George and I also got to meet him afterwards thanks to CAPA and he was exactly that way in person which was very refreshing.) After watching his performance, it was easy to see why he was nominated for a Tony Award and also had the success that he did on American Idol.

The rest of the cast all played their roles brilliantly as well. There was plenty of comedy to go around and the cast all had great timing to pull it off perfectly. There were even a few impromptu lines that added to the experience.

Thanks again to CAPA for hooking George and I up with tickets to the show and the opportunity to meet the cast afterwards. Central Ohio really is blessed to have this organization bringing amazing shows to Columbus on a regular basis and I encourage you to check out their website for the complete schedule and to order tickets for not only Rock of Ages but the other shows that will be coming soon.

As for the group of people who sat behind us last night, the one guy summed up his thoughts on the couple who didn't come because they supposedly got a flat tire but ended up missing out on a great evening of fun like this: "Game on, flat tire, game on!" Yes, those people will not live down missing this one.

Well, I can hear the strumming of guitars and the start of another song from last night starting to fill my head. If you like 80's rock, this show is definitely for you. I will be headed back to see it again on Friday night with my wife this time since that was when we had planned to go before CAPA gave me a chance to see it twice. I'm looking forward to seeing what I missed the first time. Rock on!

Getting Caught Up...

2010-12-08T07:51:00.000-08:00

Wow, where did the fall go? I just pulled up my blog and realized that I never checked in with the results from the Columbus Half Marathon that I did and have basically taken about a two-month hiatus from posting anything. The job of a small college sports information director has a way of taking over one's life.

After months of training, the Columbus Half Marathon took place on a perfect morning for a race and I started out great. At the 10K mark, I was running at a 7:21 pace which was faster than I had planned to go. That soon caught up to me and I had to basically grind out the final four miles to the finish including what seemed like an endless hill before the turn to the finish. However, I was able to sprint (at least it felt like a sprint to me) to the finish line and finished in 1:45.36, which was an 8:04 pace. Not shabby at all for my first-ever half marathon and considering that I had issues with shin splints over the final month leading up to the race. I was really proud of my friends, too. They all posted great times and within a few days were already talking about the next race we were going to run. Oh, and I did get my Krispy Kremes at the finish line. (See photo above of me and Chad Sims)

The next race for me took place on my 39th birthday - November 13th - when I ran in the Mount Vernon Nazarene University Homecoming 5K with my wife, Carla, and my daughters, Ashley and Kylie. My mom also agreed to do the race and was responsible for walking with Kylie. This was the first race ever for my two girls and we had them run the course three times in preparation for the race so they would know what to expect.

The race was great! I turned in a 21:14 (6:50 pace) to finish 11th out of 149 people. It was my best 5K time to date and I really couldn't have done it without being constantly pushed by my buddy, Donald Cobb, who finished eighth overall in 20:26 (6:35 pace). Carla ran a really good time and Ashley ended up beating 50 runners with a time 31:39 (10:12 pace) as the second-youngest runner in the field at 9 years old. And Kylie, who at 5, was by far the youngest participant, did a great job of finishing the 5K with my mom. (Note: My mom, who is 63, has since started running so that next year she can run the race.) All in all, what a great way to spend my birthday - running in a race with my entire family.

Well, now that the cold weather has hit, it's getting tougher and tougher to stay motivated to get outside and keep running. I am within 25 miles of my goal of running 500 miles in 2010, so that should help me a little. I need a couple of nicer days so that I can get that knocked out because I am not much of a treadmill runner.

Ready to Run

2010-10-14T18:12:00.000-07:00

Well, the time has almost come to put my feet to the ground and get this half marathon started. A little less than five months ago, I started out trying to somehow breathe while running two miles continuously without being chased and now here I am 20 pounds lighter and over 300 miles later less than 10 hours away from attempting 13.1 miles in the 31st annual Nationwide Columbus Half Marathon on Sunday.

To say that the past five months and 300 miles has been a journey would be an understatement. I had always felt that running was boring and not near as much fun as getting exercise while playing team sports such as basketball or softball. However, after cheering my wife, Carla, on and watching her complete the Capital City Half Marathon each of the past two springs and being sidelined from basketball due to a wrist injury this past spring, I decided that I would start running as a way to keep in shape.

What I have found is that running can be every bit as much fun as the team sports that I loved to play. I have discovered that the dedication and determination required to run can really have a positive effect on some healthy lifestyle changes. Also, the friendships that I have cultivated through this journey are ones that I would not trade for anything. Most importantly, I cannot thank my family enough for allowing me to do this. Without my wife backing me all the way, I would not have been able to do it.

While I'm not looking forward to a 4:45 a.m. wake-up in the morning, I am looking forward to giving it my best for 13.1 miles and trying to enjoy the culmination of this journey. Thanks to everyone who has supported me along the way with your comments on Facebook and Twitter. Along with my family and running mates, you have helped to keep me accountable on days when I didn't really want to roll out of bed and run. To all of you, I'll eat a Krispy Kreme in your honor after I cross the finish line. :)

Race Day...There's Nothing Like It!

2010-09-05T20:21:00.000-07:00

Those of you who have been following my blog know that back in May I took up running with a goal of running in the 31st Nationwide Columbus Half Marathon on October 17th thanks to the inspiration of my wife, Carla, who has completed two half marathons over the past two years. The training started slowly, but gradually it has become a part of my routine and something that I actually look forward to. (I know...I'm running and no one is chasing me...that seems like a strange concept to some of my friends.)

Last Saturday, I participated in my first race since running the mile in eighth grade track over two decades ago. I signed up for the first annual Knox Community Hospital Gift for the Heart 4-Mile Race here in Mount Vernon. A nice turnout of nearly 150 runners and walkers showed up to help raise money for a great cause and the race went off without a hitch and was very well organized for a first-time event.

I had forgotten how much energy was involved with a race. Being a local race, I knew a lot of the people who were participating either as runners or walkers and it was a lot of fun socializing with people before, during, and after the event. It really was a great way to start the day and the four miles flew by as I was spurred on to run a new personal best time in that distance and managed to finish second in my age group and 21st overall out of 135 finishers. (Click here for the official results.) I especially felt good about that finish considering that 11 of the people ahead of me were current members of the Mount Vernon Nazarene University men's or women's cross country teams.

It was fun to run the race with several of my friends and watch them also achieve their time goals and set new personal bests. Probably the two most impressive feats were my friend, Donald Cobb, who showed up and finished the four miles in 28:53 (7:14 pace) despite not running much recently prior to the race and my friend, Chad Sims, who didn't train at all and cranked out a 40:37 (10:10 pace). I went to college with both of those guys and it was fun to see them do so well. George Hartz and Brad Whitaker also turned in stellar performances, and we also need to give a big shoutout to my family, the Whitakers, the Sims, and the Cobbs for making up most of the cheering section at the finish line and for also bringing donuts, which I know was mine and Chad's motivation to cross the finish line.

Well, after the thrill of race day, it was a real downer the next day when I set off on my eight-mile training run as part of my half marathon training program. Not only was I a little sore from running the race the previous day so hard, but I only crossed paths with about 10 people over the course of my hour-plus on the trail. It reminded me that race day is really a reward for runners for all the hard work that they do in training when no one is watching them.

I guess George, Brad, and Chad all felt the same way that I did after Saturday's race, so it was really neat to see them coordinate efforts so that we could do a couple of early morning (and I mean well before the sun came up) training runs this past week. Running with other people really helps with your accountability and adds to the excitement that you need to drag yourself out of bed. Even though we all run at different paces, we find a way to make it work for all of us and the bond of running just adds to our friendship. It really is a great way to start the day off on the right foot, too.

I was excited late last week to learn that Donald had decided to sign up to run the inaugural Dublin Emerald City Quarter Marathon that took place yesterday. I was signed up to run in it in order to secure a corral start time for the Columbus Half Marathon since I hadn't raced before and didn't really want to have to navigate all the walkers at the start if at all possible. I knew that Donald and I had a pretty similar pace in the four-mile race and that it might help both of us knock out the 6.55 miles at a fairly quick clip.

As we approached race day, Donald and I talked about our strategy to approaching the race. He really wanted to get a sub-50:00 time so that he could qualify for Corral #1 at Columbus. I knew that time would be pushing it for me as my best time in that distance in training was right around 53 minutes. However, I also knew that the energy of the race and running with someone would help me at least make a go of it. As part of my preparation leading up to the event, I ran three miles on Friday as fast as I could because our plan was to try to keep a 7:15 pace for as long as possible. I accomplished step one on Friday with a personal best 21:11 in the three miles.

After taking Saturday off to make sure that I was well-rested, I headed out at 5:15 a.m. on Sunday to meet Donald for the drive to the race. We got to the designated parking area - Krogers - and found the lot already filling up with cars despite the fact that the race was still half an hour away and the sun wouldn't come up until after the starting horn was sounded. We made our final preparations and headed for the starting line.

When the horn sounded, we took off and were a little ahead of our pace for the first quarter of a mile which is pretty typical for the start of any race. We made a conscious effort to back things off and really settled into the pace that we wanted as we clicked off one mile, then two, and then three. The pack of runners began to spread out pretty good at that point as the half marathoners branched off to the right while the quarter marathoners began their trek through a local bike/running path to the left. The trickiest obstacle along the way turned out to be a wooden zig-zag bridge that was still very damp with dew which made it a little treacherous to cross.

As we reached the five-mile mark, I knew that I was really starting to fade so I made sure that Donald knew to just take off and finish as strong as he could and that we would meet up at the end. I hung pretty close to him until almost the six-mile mark and he began to slowly pull away. We both finished as strong as we could and were excited about the fact that we met our goal of a sub-50:00 finish with more than two minutes to spare. (You're never quite sure of your official time when the race ends as your chip is scanned at both the start and finish and you have to wait for the official results to be posted later.)

After cheering for our friends Tricia and Brad Pokosh as they came in with Tricia also posting a sub-50:00 time, we grabbed some of the post-race food and headed back home. Later in the afternoon, we found out that Donald finished 11th out of 729 runners and first in our age group in 47:22 (7:18 pace), while I was 13th and second respectively in 47:47 (7:22 pace). (Click here for the official results.)

I really appreciate all the people in addition to my family who have been supporting me in these running endeavors through their comments and encouragement especially on Facebook and Twitter. That support spurs me on to want to do even better the next time and also gets me through a tough mile or two when I'm running by myself. Encouragement is probably one of the best parts of taking up running. That is why if you ever run with me you'll hear me thanking the people along the road during a race for coming out even though they aren't necessarily there for me or telling other runners or walkers "good job" or "keep it up" whether we are passing in a race or on a training run on the trail. To me, that's what it's all about...everyone finishing the race.

Well, I'm excited to see what this week holds. Yes, I have aching knees and jello-like legs after yesterday's race in Dublin. However, reading messages from friends and trying to figure out when we can organize our next group training run has me ready to head out the door when the sun rises tomorrow.

48 Hours in Boston - Fenway Park

2010-08-09T17:00:00.000-07:00

For those who know me, you know that one of my favorite summer activities is going to Major League Baseball games. My wife, Carla, shares this love with me and throughout our dating and married years we've been to more than 100 games together.

With our 14th anniversary approaching (actually it's today - Aug. 10th), I thought it would be fun for us to travel to Boston for a couple of games at Fenway Park and to also see the sights of one of the oldest and most historic cities in this great country. (Heading into the trip, Boston and Miami remained as the only two cities we hadn't seen an MLB game in and when Fenway was crossed off our list it marked the 34th MLB ballpark we have seen a game in.)

We left our daughters with my parents and headed out early last Wednesday to Columbus where we hopped on a Southwest Air flight. A couple of hours later, we had arrived at Logan International Airport and soon our hotel, Courtyard by Marriott.

After dropping off our stuff at the hotel, we set out for Fenway Park via the Boston subway system - the T. We climbed out of the terminal right into the middle of the city like ants from a colony. Quite a crowd had already gathered two hours before game time and it was very festive as we approached the park after grabbing a couple of hot dogs from a street vendor on Lansdowne Street.

When we first walked in the ballpark, I was surprised with how big the stadium seemed to me. For whatever reason (maybe it's the home run dimensions down the lines), I always thought that Fenway seemed smaller than most ballparks when watching games on TV. However, while you do have an intimate feel sitting in the crowded seats, the park seems larger than life when you are there in person.

After surveying the ballpark from left center with the visiting Cleveland Indians taking batting practice, I quickly maneuvered my way down to the front row at field level about 20 feet inside the Pesky pole in fair territory. Within about five minutes, I was using all 6-foot-6 of my wingspan to snag a ball off the warning track. Of the 30 or so balls that I've gotten at games over the years, this one may go down as my favorite since it's got a little Fenway dirt on it, too. I had a shot at a couple of other balls, but I didn't pursue them too hard since I already had one and there were plenty of kids who hadn't gotten any.

When batting practice ended, I made my way to the Indians' bullpen so that I could say hello to Tim Belcher, the Indians' pitching coach who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1983 draft out of Mount Vernon Nazarene University. He noticed me and came over and talked for a few minutes. He's always been really good about keeping connected with MVNU.

From there, we moved to our seats and got to chat with Hillary Haynes, a fellow sports information director I've met through Twitter who was also at the game with her fiancee, Dan. I always enjoy meeting people in person who I've come to know through social media. She joined us as some of the few Indians' fans at the game.

Well, the game unfolded and the Indians put together a solid 9-1 win over the hometown Red Sox. This score was good for us because a lot of the Boston fans started leaving in the eighth inning, which allowed us to move closer and closer to the field. By the end of the game, we were sitting a few rows up from the Indians' dugout and I was able to quickly talk to Tim Belcher again when the game ended before we headed back to the hotel on the T.

Thursday was a full day of sight-seeing (which is a story for another blog) before we came back to Fenway for a second game. I got on to the Green Monster for an inning during this game and tried to get pictures from all across the park. The Red Sox won 6-2 this time.

Throughout the course of the two games at Fenway Park, I thought about all the baseball history that had happened in its 98 years of existence and also about the stories of the people who had come to the over 7,000 games that have been played since it opened. Just days after the Titanic sunk, the ballpark opened with the Red Sox beating the New York Highlanders (who would go on to become the Yankees) 7-6 in 11 innings on April 20, 1912. Those two teams have been bitter rivals ever since.

Over the years, players such as Cy Young, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Carlton Fisk, and Carl Yastrzemski have all called Fenway home. Even though the ballpark doesn't have all the amenities and fancy seating sections that the modern parks have, Fenway has an aura about it that exudes baseball tradition from a different era where it was played for the love of the game. Even with its cramped seats, long aisles, and occasional obstructed views, I, for one, hope that they never tear it down as it along with Chicago's Wrigley Field remain as significant living memorials to the history of our great national pastime.

(Note: To see all my pictures from Fenway, you can check them out on my Facebook page by clicking here. I would also like to thank Sports Travel and Tours and specifically Mike McGarry for helping us secure good tickets to both games.)

Running in a Busy Life

2010-07-27T10:39:00.000-07:00

Well, today is the day that it really all begins for me and my goal of running the Columbus Half Marathon on October 17th. I’ve been running for two months now and have logged just over 100 miles, but today is when it gets serious. I’ve paid my entry fee just ahead of the early bird deadline of July 31 and now the real work starts as I began Hal Higdon’s 12-week training program this morning with the first day of actual running.

When I returned from a good run this morning that took place in perfect weather conditions, I received a tweet asking about writing a blog post about five tips for scheduling training for busy people. Well, with this being my first half marathon along with the fact that my training has just started, I’m not sure that I am an expert on this subject. However, just writing this blog will be one more accountability step in my busy life in making sure that I reach my goal of crossing the finish line on October 17th with 14,999 other dedicated and determined people.

For those of you who are new to my blog, I am the sports information director at Mount Vernon Nazarene University, a private faith-based college located in Mount Vernon. My job responsibilities revolve around promoting our institution’s 10 sports teams, student-athletes, and coaches in all their endeavors on and off the court or field. This is a lot of fun, but during the sports seasons it means that I am working about 80 hours a week including the weekends.

After my wife, Carla (above with me), completed her second Capital City Half Marathon in Columbus this past spring, I strongly began considering the possibility of running this upcoming race. I knew that I would have some time to begin training in the summer when I wasn’t quite as busy at work since we didn’t have any games going on. However, I still continued to doubt whether or not I could really put the time into it.

Tip #1: Find an accountability partner. Whether or not this person runs the race or not, you have to find someone who is going to be right there with you (even from a distance) and help keep you on track. For me, this is my friend, Jay Stancil. Like me, Jay is a sports information director at Union College in Kentucky. Like me, Jay is married with two kids. Like me, Jay is going to turn 39 in November. Like me, Jay has never run a half marathon. I kind of jokingly suggested to Jay several months ago that he should come up to Columbus and run the half marathon in October. Well, he jumped on the idea and started training right away. I was a little more reticent about getting started, but Jay’s updates and encouragement through Twitter helped nudge me to the Kokosing Gap Trail to finally begin this process. It is also nice if you can find someone to run with you at least occasionally as you train. It’s a great help for making sure you show up for a scheduled run even on a day when you might not feel like going.

Tip #2: Find a time to train and stick to it. Once I got over the first hurdle of just getting off the couch and starting to run, I knew that I needed to make this a routine or basically a lifestyle change. Especially in the summer, it would be easy for me to sleep in just a little since the kids don’t need to get off to school and my wife is off work. However, I found that by getting up early that I have time to run and I can beat the summer heat at the same time. For me, the morning runs were a great way to start my day and give me energy (despite weary legs at times). By making it a habit, it becomes easier and easier to get up and go for that morning run. Now, I find that I really miss my runs when I take a day off, the weather doesn’t cooperate or I have a conflict that keeps me from going. It is also fine to adjust occasionally due to your schedule, but I’ve found that it is best to make it a daily routine as much as possible.

Tip #3: Document your runs. This has been a big thing in helping me stick with my training. I started a spreadsheet with the date, distance, and time of each run. Since I deal with numbers, stats, and records for my job with our teams, I wanted to track everything I was doing. This is a great way to keep you accountable. It’s also a rewarding and encouraging way to track progress as you see the miles pile up. For those of us who are not elite runners (and that’s probably 99.9% of the people reading this), it really is not about your time in the half marathon on race day. It’s about the journey to get to that point, the dedication to put in the required training, and the support of your family and friends.

Tip #4: Make the most of your busy life. One thing that keeps some busy people from ever training is the fact that their work takes them on the road a lot. Why not use this to your advantage and break up the monotony of running the same route? My family and I were in San Francisco for eight days earlier this summer for the annual NAIA-SIDA and CoSIDA Workshop. I figured that I really wouldn’t have time to run or a place to run as I’m not a big fan of running on the treadmill (although this is necessary at times due to schedule or consistent bad weather). I ended up going on runs three different days that included running the Golden Gate Bridge at sunrise (see photo below), running through deserted Chinatown and up Lombard Street, and running around picturesque AT&T Park – home of the San Francisco Giants. Not only was it great to continue the running momentum that I had started, it was also a great way to see the city and to connect in a new way with some of my fellow sports information directors from around the country.

Tip #5: Make sure your family is on board. Training for a half marathon requires a serious time commitment. As a husband and father of two girls ages 8 and 5 (photo below), I know that when I go for a run it is taking time out of my day that I can’t spend with my family. That’s why I’ve chosen to run in the morning before they wake up. However, by exercising, I also feel like I’m doing something that in the long run benefits my family because I am healthier. My wife has been a great support and encouragement in this process and again the inspiration of knowing that she successfully trained for and completed two half marathons while working full-time and being a great mom helps to push me to do my best. People do ask why we aren’t both training to run together in October and we just think it would be too hard to pull off that much training with two young kids. So, we’ll switch places again in the spring and she’ll train for her third half marathon.

Again, I don’t claim to be an expert by any means. In fact, I’m a newbie to all of this and would welcome any feedback. You also want to make sure to take care of yourself and rest on the days that your training program tells you to rest. My biggest fear in this process is an injury rearing its ugly head and wrecking all of my hard work.

San Francisco

2010-07-12T07:11:00.000-07:00

Each summer, I pack up the family and take them with me to my annual sports information directors' national workshop (CoSIDA). The workshop moves around to different big cities and it's always a nice way for us to combine both work with a little bit of vacation. (I'll write more on the workshop aspect of my trip in another blog.)

This year's workshop was held in San Francisco and my wife and I were both really excited to return to a city that we first discovered and enjoyed 10 years ago before the kids started to arrive on the scene. With some familiarity for the city, it really helped us to zero in on what we wanted to see again or have our kids experience for the first time, and it also helped us with our packing since the average temperatures were going to be about 64 degrees while it was 95 degrees back in Ohio.

After two smooth Southwest Air flights to get us there, we immediately began to get settled into our hotel and the nearby surroundings. The next morning we picked up our CityPass (which I HIGHLY recommend for anyone who will be in town for a stay of a week or more). This allowed us unlimited access to the cable cars, the street cars, and the buses. It also included an hour-long boat ride under the Golden Gate Bridge and right up to Alcatraz. In addition, there were tickets to the aquarium and several other museums and art galleries. It was a great deal and allowed us to just spend money one time.

Over the course of the week, the four of us were able to see all the sights that we wanted to see. Carla and the girls took in a free circus in one of the parks one day while I was in meetings. They also enjoyed playing in another park near the hotel and riding on a carousel. We made several trips to Fisherman's Wharf that included visiting the sea lions on Pier 39 and also exploring the aquarium. We watched the fireworks on the 4th of July where our view included the Golden Gate Bridge to the left of us, the Bay Bridge to the right of us, and Alcatraz right in front of us. It's funny to look back at our pictures and see us all bundled up with coats due to the windy, cold temperatures on the bay. (The only other time I can remember being cold on the 4th of July was in 1997 when Carla and I went to Detroit to watch the Tigers play a doubleheader against Cal Ripken and the Orioles.)

Our week also included a trip to Oakland on the BART (subway) to watch the A's play the Yankees. I have to send a big thank you shoutout to Debbie Gallas in the A's PR department because she hooked us up with great seats. We got to see four web gem defensive plays that night as the Yankees won 3-1.

We finished our week with a walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. It was a great trip with so many great memories, especially for my girls. They were real troopers and probably walked 20 miles each over the course of the week and never complained. They are growing up.

One other fun part of the trip for me was being able to get in three different runs around the city. Along with my SID friends, Kelcey, Cindy, Jay, and Eric, we headed out at 6:00 a.m. one morning and took the bus to the Golden Gate Bridge. The bridge is 1.7 miles across and it was really foggy the morning that we ran it - you couldn't see more than about 25 feet in front of you. It was really cool to run all the way across and back.

Eric and I also did another 4.5-mile run through Chinatown and UP Lombard Street on a different morning. It really was a great way to see the city. Then, I finished up the week with a run to AT&T Park (home of the Giants) and back by myself and then did it again with Kelcey and Cindy. It's one of my favorite baseball stadiums and I was disappointed that the Giants weren't in town the whole time we were there. Fortunately, Carla and I had seen a couple of games there on our previous trip.

I have to say that the Marriott Marquis, where we stayed, was probably the perfect hotel for us on this trip. The location was great with easy access to all the different modes of public transportation and also for the runs that I was able to do. However, even better than the location was the great staff that they had. It was really one big family working together to make sure that their guests had the best possible stay that they could have. I enjoyed watching Dan at the concierge desk energetically and professionally give the best directions and recommendations to visitors to help them have a great visit. Loren, the doorman, gave us great running directions and then I came to find out that he grew up across town in Gambier, Ohio. The food service staff was also outstanding and we had great conversations with Lisa and Richard as they served our meals and talked about how much they love their jobs. When you can find businesses with employees that like coming to work, you know they are doing things right. I made sure to share my compliments with Greg Nickelson, one of the night managers, before I left, but if you are in San Francisco for a stay I would recommend this hotel.

Well, it's really hard to condense one amazing week into one blog entry, but I've tried my best to do so. I didn't even get into all the amazing food we had, which I know is a shocker to those of you who know my passion for eating. I will say, though, that if you visit Pier 39 on Fisherman's Wharf you have to get a bag (or in my case a bucket) of Trish's fresh donuts. Wow! They were a perfect companion to watching the 4th of July fireworks. Just ask the 12 people who helped me devour them.

Off and Running

2010-06-17T08:02:00.000-07:00

Over the past four weeks, I have taken up running. With school out and all of our sporting events done for the summer, I don't have late-night reporting to worry about with my job as a sports information director for a few months. My initial thought was what better way to get my day off to a good start than by going for a run every now and then.

My wife, Carla (at left), has been the biggest inspiration for me when it comes to taking up running. Over the past two years, she has trained and run the past two Capital City Half Marathons (13.1 miles) all while working full-time and being the primary caretaker for our two girls since my hours are pretty crazy most of the time. She sacrificed a lot of what little free time she had with late night runs on the treadmill and early Saturday morning runs at the Kokosing Gap Trail.

Fortunately, my schedule has worked out both times on race day and I've been able to watch her run the Capital City Half Marathon in Columbus each of the past two springs. It's a big event with around 10,000 people taking part. If you have never gone to watch a half marathon, I encourage you to do it. It's inspiring to watch people of all ages and sizes push themselves to be better and to finish the race. For most of them, the race is just the culmination of a personal journey of much training and perseverance that has brought them to the starting line. Cheered on by a great crowd, they are able to reach their goal of crossing that finish line 13.1 miles later and for most the time is not even relevant. They did what they set out to do and what probably a lot of people thought they couldn't do.

After witnessing this twice and being so proud of Carla for doing it (especially the second time when it would have been easy to just say 'well, I did it once and that's that'), I am now contemplating running in the Columbus Half Marathon on October 17th. Since I have all summer to train without the pressure of games going on and since the race is on a Sunday and we don't have sporting events, there is really no good excuse for why I shouldn't do this.

So, on May 26th, I headed to the Kokosing Gap Trail for my first two-mile run. I didn't take an iPod and I really had no idea how to set a pace and just took off thinking that it would be no problem. By the time I got to the one-mile mark and was turning around to head back, I was thinking to myself 'what in the world have I gotten myself into'? I was able to finish and headed for home, but it definitely wasn't as easy as I thought it would be.

The next day, I came back to attempt two miles again. Once again, I was fine for the first mile. However, as I approached the half mile mark on the way back, I was ready to just walk the final 800 meters. I passed an older lady who was walking and said 'I think you've got the right idea'. She came back with 'well, you sure seemed to have a lot more energy yesterday.' Well, that was the kick in the pants that I needed to get back into a jog and finish the two miles without walking.

I only ran a total of three miles over the next two weeks as I debated whether this was something I really wanted to commit to doing or not. During this time, I came up with lots of excuses of why I was too busy or didn't need to do it. However, every time I voiced one to my good friend, Jay Stancil (who is the SID at Union College in Kentucky), he would tell me how busy he was, but that he still put in the time to run even if it meant getting up at 5:00 a.m. (He wants to come to Columbus to run in the half marathon in October as well as an early birthday present to himself.)

So, after two weeks of coming up with excuses only to have Jay shoot them all down, I headed back to the trail on June 12th with a new frame of mind. I also took my iPod along this time. I went into my run that day planning to do two miles, but kept pushing myself and ended up running to the two-mile mark instead. Before I knew it, I had run two miles out and two miles back and had four miles under my belt in a time that I was pretty pleased with. I went back the next day and ran three more miles before heading off to Cleveland to watch the Indians face rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg and the Washington Nationals. It felt really good to have done seven miles in the span of two days.

I also have to say that running with an iPod really took my mind off the run and also helped me get into a better pace. My friend, Aaron Conrad (who is a distance running expert now after doing four half marathons in the span of four weeks earlier this spring), always puts together great playlists for his runs that help him do a lot of thinking while he's passing the time. Choosing the right songs for your runs can really help you get through it.

You never really know what songs will help motivate you or give you things to think about as you listen to the words during your run. After taking Monday off, I headed out on Tuesday planning to do two or three miles. The run didn't start very well as my iPod got stuck on the first song that came on - "When I See You Smile" by Bad English. (Yes, I enjoy hair bands from the '80s.) Well, while I like that song, I really didn't want to listen to it over and over again, so I started messing with the iPod while I was running. I also didn't want to stop because once I start it's a race with myself to see how fast I can finish.

Before I knew it, I had messed with the iPod for half a mile and still couldn't get it off the song. However, my legs were feeling great so I decided to really push myself and just bite the bullet and become really familiar with that one song. As I listened to the words over and over again, I realized that they applied to me as a husband and father. Besides my faith, there is nothing more important to me than my wife and girls (Ashley and Kylie). They are what gets me through tough times and their love and smiles are something that genuinely warms my heart and lifts my spirits.

Taking up running has been something that I'm doing to not only get into better shape, but also to become more disciplined in what I do with my free time. For the first time in over 20 years, I'm not playing church softball this summer. While that didn't take up tons of my time (except for all the field maintenance that I would do), it did keep us from planning some family things in the summer when I had games. We've already been able to do some things like our recent trip to D.C. because I'm not playing softball. Getting up to run early in the morning is also a great way for me to get my day started instead of just laying in bed until I feel like I should finally drag myself out and do something productive.

The running bug has biten me pretty good now. After taking the morning off yesterday because I knew that I would need to spend an hour and a half push mowing my yard after work, I went and ran a mile on the trail before getting cleaned up just because it was too nice of a day to miss out on. (I will say that I like the morning runs better, though, because there are a lot less people on the trail then to have to manuever around.)

I got another five-mile run in this morning without incident from the iPod. It was a great morning and got my day off to a great start. I was feeling so good that I was even able to sprint the final quarter of a mile to finish as strong as I have since I started this process.

Well, I'm still a long ways from both 13.1 miles and the October 17th race, but I'm getting closer with each stride. Through the encouragement of my family, friends like Jay and Aaron, and the regulars on the Kokosing Gap Trail around 7:00 a.m. each morning, I'll get there. I also need to put my money where my mouth is and sign up for the race because then it will be official. I plan to do that after a family vacation in July.

If you have any running tips or want to mutually encourage each other with an upcoming race, I would look forward to hearing from you. It's a journey and it's more fun with more people on it.

48 Hours in D.C.

2010-06-08T22:43:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, my family and I decided to spontaneously take a trip to Washington D.C. for the weekend and Twitter played a big part in making it happen. Here's how this memorable whirlwind experience all came to be.

A month or so back, I jokingly mentioned to one of my Twitter friends, Niki Murray, who works in season ticket sales for the Washington Nationals, that she should hook me up with some tickets for a game at Nationals Park when the Cincinnati Reds made the trip to our nation's capital the first weekend in June. She had responded at the time and encouraged me to make plans to do just that.

Well, early last week, I decided to see if that ticket offer was still good. I figured that if I got free or inexpensive tickets to a pair of games that it would be worth my time to make the trip, knock off one of the three remaining cities where Carla and I haven't seen a baseball game over the past 14 years, and give my girls their first opportunity to see all the monuments and other sights in D.C.

Niki assured me that she would have tickets waiting for me at will call when we arrived for the game on Saturday night. Then, I cashed in most of my Marriott Reward points by booking a free two-night stay in a very nice Courtyard by Marriott that was located in Navy Yard, about two blocks away from the baseball stadium.

So, we packed up the car and made what turned out to be about a seven-hour drive to D.C. as soon as our oldest daughter, Ashley, got out of school on Friday. A line of storms followed us to the north most of the trip, but we had pretty smooth sailing with just one stop. We rolled into D.C. around midnight. I had joked with my wife, Carla, that we should just go see all the monuments that night since the weather was questionable for Saturday. Well, after missing one of our turns, we ended up seeing all the monuments as we got stuck in the loop much like in National Lampoon's European Vacation before we were finally able to get our bearings and find the hotel. We quickly got checked in and situated and went to sleep so that we could be ready for the next day.

Saturday morning rolled around and everyone got up eager with anticipation to do some exploring in downtown D.C. before going to the baseball game that night. Our hotel was conveniently located about half a block from a Metro station and we quickly purchased an all-day pass for unlimited access to the great D.C. subway. (Quick note: The D.C. Metro is awesome and definitely the way to get around town!) Two stops later, we popped up right in the middle of downtown and we were ready to start walking. We were on Pennsylvania Avenue, so we decided that our first stop might as well be the White House so away we went.

After walking between the White House and the Washington Monument, we headed back to the subway with a quick stop for lunch at one of our new favorite places, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, along the way. It was a welcome break to sit down in the air conditioning for a short break on the hot day.

With our bellies full, we headed off to find the Lincoln Memorial. Abraham Lincoln is Ashley's favorite president and she was looking forward to this stop. We spent quite awhile there and then walked around the reflection pond to the Washington Monument where we also saw the Jefferson Memorial from a distance. From there, we walked past the Smithsonian and then boarded the Metro for the ride back to the hotel. A nice swim in the hotel pool later and we were all refreshed and ready to head to Nationals Park for some baseball.

Heading into the weekend, Washington D.C. was one of only three cities (along with Boston and Miami) that Carla and I had not seen a Major League Baseball game in, so we were really excited to see the ballpark. Add in the fact that the Reds were in town and we couldn't wait for the first pitch to be thrown. My friend, Niki, took great care of us with field level seats just up from first base and we got set to watch a good pitchers' duel between Reds' Rookie of the Year front runner Mike Leake (5-0) and Luis Atilano (5-2) with Leake coming out on top and collecting two hits as well as the Reds won 5-1. We also saw a home plate collision, two ejections, and I caught a ball in batting practice for Ashley. All in all, a very good day.

On Sunday, we woke up and took advantage of the very good extensive all-you-can eat breakfast bar at the Courtyard by Marriott that was a great deal for the price. After packing up the car, we headed to the ballpark again. The girls each got a batting helmet which they then got signed by Jamie Burke, one of the Nationals' players. There was no batting practice due to an on-the-field event, but I was still able to talk to Drew Storen, a first round pick of the Nationals in 2009, for a few minutes for the second straight day and later he would throw me a ball up from the bullpen. Two games, two balls...not too shabby. Drew's a good guy just starting his career and you can follow him on Twitter at @DrewStoren. I would also like to say a big thanks to my friend, Elizabeth McGraw, for helping to get us together.

The Reds rallied to win the game on Sunday 5-4 in 10 innings thanks in part to a pinch-hit, two-run homer by Scott Rolen in the 9th inning that landed a section away from me as we watched the ninth inning from leftfield so we could get on the road as soon as the game ended. So, with two wins and lots of memories from the whirlwind trip, we headed for home.

On the way home, we made a slight detour to see one of my high school friends, April Boulton Amberman, and her family in Olney, Md. We had a great visit with her family and then journeyed the rest of the way home. We were able to make it all the way on one stop as the girls were great. The only real problem on the way home came when we were just 27 miles from home and had to wait for 40 minutes on a train to go back and forth and back and forth and.....well, you get the picture. We finally got back to Mount Vernon at 2:00 a.m.

D.C. is a great place to visit and Nationals Park was a fun place to watch a game. There is really not a bad seat in the place, and with friendly people like Niki making the visit fun it's a must-see for every baseball fan. I can't wait to see what adventure we decide to embark on next time. If you've got a suggestion, let me know and you might be part of the next adventure, too.

A Visit to the Tribe Social Deck

2010-05-25T07:30:00.001-07:00

In the continuing saga of how Twitter and Facebook has provided me with some interesting experiences, the latest example happened on Friday night at Progressive Field - home of the Cleveland Indians.

After being gone for two weeks with the Mount Vernon Nazarene University baseball team on the Cougars' postseason run all the way to the NAIA National Championship Opening Round, it was time for a fun family activity. My wife, Carla, and daughters Ashley and Kylie loaded up in the van after work and we headed to Cleveland even though it was already raining in Mount Vernon and the forecast did not look all that great for Cleveland for the rest of the evening. I wasn't sure that we would get the game in, but everyone wanted to go and I figured we would find something fun to do regardless.

As we got within a few miles of the stadium, my cell phone rang. It was Rob Campbell from the Indians' PR department. Rob is a recent grad and former baseball player from Northwestern who landed his job with the Indians after seeing a posting by Digital Royalty's Amy Martin. Among other things, Rob is responsible for the Indians' @tribetalk Twitter account as well as for filling the seats in the Indians' Social Deck.

As I talked to Rob on the phone, he informed me that due to some cancellations by other people that there would be room for not only me but my whole family to sit in the special section adjacent to the bleachers on the leftfield home run porch. After making sure that he knew what he might be in for with an 8-year-old and a 5-year-old in the section, he gratiously agreed to meet us at the media gate to get us in.

We arrived and were met right away by Rob, who took us to our seats. The girls were excited to see that we were in the front row and that not only could we watch the game live, but that there was a TV right in front of us too where we could catch replays. The Social Deck consists of two rows of five seats each with wireless internet access. After a quick trip to the souvenir stand to pick up an Indians'-themed stuffed monkey that they each had to have, we settled in for an exciting interleague battle between intra-state rivals.

As the game went on, it was also fun to meet the other people in the Social Deck. There was Terry from Indians Prospect Insider and his nephew, Joe, and also Lisa (@lzone) and Kelly (@kmcglumphy) - two Cleveland area residents and PR pros. We all enjoyed the game including a beautiful rainbow mid-way through. In the eighth inning with the rain coming down a little harder, we moved in behind home plate under the overhang to seats that Rob had secured for us just in case of inclement weather and we finished the game there.

Once the game was over, we had one last highlight when Rob took all of us down on the field and then into the visitor's dugout to watch the postgame fireworks show. We each had a photo taken on the field by an Indians' photographer to commemorate the evening and then a great fireworks show ensued. One of the pictures that Rob took of the evening ended up getting retweeted by the MLB twitter account (@MLB) and my family was famous. :)

As we headed home and even now as I reflect back on the evening, I know that my family was able to have a night that not all that many people get to experience. My daughters have told people non-stop about the game and experience and they think that Rob is their new best friend because he's the kind of guy that once you meet you feel like you've known him forever. We also had numerous people following the game through us on both Twitter and Facebook and that's exactly what the Social Deck is set up to do. (You can check out all of our photos from the night here.)

Rob took great care of us and is really good at what he does. He is working hard to connect Tribe fans and generate as much excitement as possible about a team that to put it bluntly is struggling out of the gate this year. Rob and the rest of the PR and marketing staff of the Indians have a tough job because in today's economy it is really hard to get people to come out to games when the product on the field may not be performing as well as the fans would like. And, we all know that the Indians will never be able to spend money on players the way that teams like the Yankees do.

However, one thing that Rob and his counterparts have going for them is the fact that Tribe fans are some of the most loyal supporters out there. Yes, they want their team to win on the field. But, year after year, they continue to support the team - hoping that this will be THE season. And, through efforts like the Social Deck, the Indians are on the cutting edge in all of Major Leage Baseball at finding ways to connect the fans with their team. Now, here's hoping that the on-the-field product will continue to improve to match the hard work and promotional efforts of people like Rob.

To read Terry's take on the experience on his site, check out his story.

If you would like more information about the Indians Social Deck, follow @tribetalk on Twitter and drop Rob a note.

The Amazing Race 2 - Tennessee Edition

2010-05-22T19:59:00.000-07:00

Well, this week officially ended up being the final week of the Mount Vernon Nazarene University sports season as the baseball team was eliminated in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round in Cleveland, Tenn. However, I was able to make the most of the team's postseason run and eight-hour roadtrip one way with my traveling buddy, Joe Rinehart, who called all the action with me on the radio.

First, I must say that this year's MVNU baseball team was special. No, it wasn't the most talented team to ever take the field in the program's illustrious history. However, it may have been the team that was the closest on and off the field. I have the opportunity each year to travel with the team on its spring trip to Florida, and 12 days on the road really let you get to know them. Then, the past two weeks I've been with them on the road at the American Mideast Conference Tournament and now in Tennessee. They are a group of guys that were very welcoming to me and to all their teammates. That's probably what helped them come together for a special ending to a season that was an up-and-down adventure all year. Congratulations, Cougars!

OK, and now back to our roadtrip. Some of you who have followed me on Facebook for awhile now remember that Ryan Halley and I did what we called Amazing Race - Branson edition when we drove to the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship in March of 2009. We let my Facebook friends give us places to stop along the way on our 12-hour trip and it really made it a lot of fun. So, I decided to revive that idea for this week's trip to Tennessee and Joe was a willing participant.

The trip started off with an uneventful drive to Cincinnati where we made our first stop at the home of MVNU alums Paul and Joy Helton. Joy had gratiously made us fresh cookies and left them on the porch for us along with cold milk since they had to leave to go to the Reds' game before we arrived. It was a welcome snack after nearly three hours on the road.

We headed out from there into Kentucky and after a dinner break ran into a bunch of rain which made the drive pretty miserable. We weren't able to stop to see many sights although we did get a picture of a giant dragon at a fireworks store. We rolled into our hotel at about 1:00 a.m. - just barely getting off the highway because it was blocked off past our exit for a bomb scare.

While in Cleveland, Tenn., we were treated to great southern hospitality by the Lee University staff led by George Starr, the sports information director. Joe and I had fun calling three games on the radio as the team went 1-2 and interactions with fans and parents on the school's Facebook fan page was a lot of fun. We set an all-time high for visits and interactions during those three games. It was also fun to spend some time with my good friend, Eric Smith, the Taylor (Ind.) SID, although I'm afraid he might not speak to me for awhile after MVNU thumped the Trojans 21-9.

Through the power of Twitter and the close-knit group that is the SID family, we met up with Owen Seaton from UT-Chattanooga one of the nights for dinner. I've known Owen for awhile now, and this guy was generous enough to treat us to a great dinner over which we all shared a bunch of funny broadcast stories in addition to listening to Joe and Owen talk shop about the future of the MVNU video department possibilities. It was a fun evening.

Well, after the Cougars were eliminated on Wednesday, we headed out on Thursday morning for home. As we neared Knoxville, we decided to see a few of the sights that people had asked us to stop at. We saw the Sunsphere and the world's largest Rubik's Cube, which had both first appeared in 1982 for the World's Fair in Knoxville which Joe had ironically attended. We were so close to the University of Tennessee that I decided to ask my online friends if anyone had connections to get us into Neyland Stadium. Within a few minutes, Jay Stancil called me and had set up a visit thanks to Drew Rutherford and Tom Satkowiak. We got a tour of the field, the media room, and the spacious UT locker room. It was very cool.

After a quick stop at the UT bookstore to see the sea of orange apparrel, we head back on I-75 north. Pretty soon, we came to Corbin, Ky. - the birthplace of Kentucky Fried Chicken. We met Jay there and took some photos and then headed to Sonic for lunch. It was great to visit with Jay, who is this year's Ike Pearson Award recipient as the NAIA Outstanding Sports Information Director of the Year.

After lunch, we continue home with only a stop in Lexington, Ky. to see Rupp Arena and an impromptu filming of Cops. We also listened to the Reds' meltdown versus the Braves when they gave up seven runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to blow a 9-3 lead. However, we quickly recovered as Joe went into character as either 'Danny Carpenter' or 'Vernon Knox' to make me laugh. Some of this was caught on webcam, but some of the funniest stuff wasn't filmed because I was laughing so hard that I couldn't hit the button to start it.

Well, needless to say, we enjoyed our trip and made some memories. We're thankful for those of you who contributed suggestions or met us along the way and to the rest of you who tolerated our silliness. It was a fun time and I'm looking forward to seeing where the next Amazing Race will take us. Who wants to go along for the ride?

Sportsmanship...You Make the Call

2010-05-06T10:51:00.000-07:00

This morning, I got a call from my cousin, Robert, asking if I had heard the story about the NAIA golfer who purposely lost on a playoff hole after already qualifying for the NAIA National Championship so that a golfer from another team could make the tournament in his senior year. At that point, I had not, so when we hung up I quickly researched it. This article on ESPN.com presents the facts and I encourage you to read it before proceeding with this blog.

Sportsmanship as defined by Webster is: (noun) : conduct (as fairness, respect for one's opponent, and graciousness in winning or losing) becoming to one participating in a sport.

After reading that article, listening to the audio file with comments from Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic and other ESPN analysts, and checking out a couple of blogs with opinions on both sides of the debate, I decided that I was going to post my thoughts. I'll say up front that this blog could go on and on, but I would most like to hear the comments of others. I am also a big fan of true sportsmanship stories such as this story almost exactly two years ago to the date involving the softball teams of Western Oregon and Central Washington.

First, I don't want to be too critical of St. Francis' Grant Whybark for his attempt at sportsmanship. The sports world needs feel-good stories and the NAIA's mantra is Champions of Character. I just think that if Whybark truly felt like this was something he needed to do, he could have gone about it in a much more low-key way that wouldn't call attention to himself. He is obviously a skilled golfer as he shot a one-over-par 145 over 36 holes in the conference tournament to force the extra hole, so he could have just missed a long putt during the playoff without anyone really noticing it. However, by blatantly blasting a ball 40 yards out of bounds and making sure that he told everyone who would listen about his intentions, he decided to draw attention to himself which is really not what good sportsmanship is all about. It is also a little arrogant to think that he wouldn't lose the playoff hole to his worthy opponent playing it straight up. One other question...would Whybark have done the same thing if he had anything to lose? I think we all know the answer to that one.

The person that I really feel for is Olivet Nazarene's Seth Doran. Obviously a well-liked player by his conference peers, Doran was having a great tournament of his own as he matched Whybark hole-for-hole to finish with an identical one-over-par 145 after 36 holes. While I am sure that Doran is excited to make the trip to the NAIA National Championship at nearby TPC at Deere Park in Silvis, Ill., site of the PGA Tour's John Deere Classic, I am guessing that the true competitor in him wishes that Whybark had a mulligan on the hole and the two of them could play it out on the up-and-up. Personally, I probably would have pounded my tee shot into the woods (although it typically goes there without me trying) if I was Doran as I would rather have won the berth on my own merit.

One other thing...the sport of golf is one of integrity - possibly more so than any other sport. It really is about what you do when no one else is looking. Golfers are taught to self-report even the smallest and most obscure of errors that sometimes cost them championships and thousands of dollars just as it recently did Brian Davis. However, it is that integrity that draws people to the sport. While we all like to see people doing things for others, the goal in golf is to shoot the lowest possible score within the realm of the rules. To try to do otherwise really goes against the very nature and integrity of the game. It would be better to withdraw than to purposely hit bad shots.

Finally, the true winner in all of this is the NAIA and the NAIA National Championship that will take place on May 18-21. Typically, this tournament doesn't draw anywhere near the coverage or media curiousity that the NAIA's highly-successful 32-team, one-site basketball national tournaments or even the NAIA World Series in baseball draw. However, I would be really surprised if there are not TV cameras there when Whybark and Doran tee off in 12 days. The best thing for the NAIA to do in order for it not to be a distraction to the other golfers who aren't used to this kind of coverage would be to pair the two of them together and watch the story continue.

I welcome your thoughts on this subject. Was this just good sportsmanship by Whybark or did he dishonor the game? How would you have handled the situation if you were Whybark or Doran for that matter? What ending would you like to see when the two compete at the NAIA National Championship? Thanks for taking the time to tee it up with me.

And the Winner is.......

2010-04-09T08:15:00.000-07:00

Carla Parsons! Yes, my wife successfully defeated all 52 challengers to win the inaugural Six Degrees of MVNUSID bracket contest. While it is no shock to me that she won since she has now beaten me in 11 of the past 18 years, it has been very funny to watch all of my other friends and so-called experts (numerous sports information directors and other sports PR people, a sportswriter from a major newspaper, and a TV anchor) fall by the wayside to her picks this year as well.

Carla finished with a total of 1,230 points as she correctly picked Duke to win the 2010 national championship. She has been a fan of the Blue Devils for a long time now, and that loyalty paid off for her in this year's contest. One final look at her bracket (below) shows why she was able to finish in the top 3.4% of ESPN's contest as she finished 21,043rd out of 4.8 million brackets that were posted this year.

I also want to give a special shoutout to Mike Schaffer and Toby Boyce, who finished second and third with 1,120 points and 1,060 points respectively as they also both correctly picked Duke to cut down the nets in Indianapolis.

Well, if you are like me, you really enjoyed this year's tournament. From the exciting first round that included a bunch of upsets to Butler's near-miss at the buzzer in a classic national championship game between a David and a Goliath, I am hard-pressed to remember a tournament that I enjoyed more from start to finish. I also think that a large part of that enjoyment came through interacting with all of you through social media and the bracket contest, which again fits with the premise of this blog that we are all connected. It's sad to think that next year's event may get watered down with the expansion to a 96-team format, but I'm going to chose to remember this year for what it was and not fret over another bad decision by the NCAA just yet.

Thanks again for participating. I'm sorry that I don't have video of Carla's happy dance when she locked up her win, but I may be able to sneak a picture of her enjoying her winning dinner tonight before we go to the Daughtry concert in Columbus.

Opening Day...A Tradition Like No Other

2010-04-04T21:34:00.000-07:00

The day has finally arrived.....Major League Baseball Opening Day! Yes, I know that the Yankees and Red Sox played last night in a made-for-TV matchup on ESPN. However, the true Opening Day for me is always the day that the oldest francise in baseball dating back to 1869, the Cincinnati Reds, takes the field for the first time each spring.

For years, the Reds always played the first game of the season much like the Dallas Cowboys' and Detroit Lions' tradition of both playing on Thanksgiving Day in the NFL. While the Reds' opener has been pushed aside somewhat over the past decade or so with ESPN taking over with Sunday Night Baseball, the tradition is still very much alive in Cincinnati as witnessed by the 91st Opening Day parade that took place this morning and the fact that standing room only tickets are going for $140 for a team that hasn't sniffed the playoffs since just missing out in 1999.

Nothing can compare to Opening Day. Just as the weather starts to turn from the brutal cold of winter into the sunny signs of spring, each team and their fans have the eternal optimism of what could be a magical summer with a blank slate ahead of them for 162 games. While I'm hoping that this will be the year that my Reds will break through and reach the playoffs after not being close since falling to Al Leiter and the Mets in the one-game playoff in 1999 (which I witnessed first-hand), it also gives diehard Cubs fans like my buddy, Jay Stancil, the hope that the Cubs might finally get back to the World Series for the first time since 1945 to end the curse of the billy goat. It could also be the year for the Cleveland Indians and new pitching coach (and MVNU alum) Tim Belcher to break through and bring the city its first championship in a professional sport. Or maybe, it's something a little more simple like my friend Pat Neville's team, the Pittsburgh Pirates, having a winning season for the first time after a record 17 straight losing seasons that started with Francisco Cabrera's game-winning hit in the bottom of the ninth inning of the 1992 NLCS.

Regardless of who your team is, Opening Day is the day that you always look forward to. If you are like me, you've spent the past month (or longer) getting to know the new faces on your team through spring training reports or maybe even a trip to a spring training game (which I highly recommend). All of the offseason acquisitions will now be put to the test and the hope of an injury-free season will also play a part in your team's success.

I've had the privilege of attending two Opening Day games in Cincinnati and I really enjoyed the pagentry that accompanied these long-awaited events. Unfortunately, my first Opening Day experience lasted just seven pitches when homeplate umpire John McSherry collapsed on the field and died. That was a very surreal experience and I've never heard such a hush come over 50,000 people before. After a delay of about half an hour, the game was understandably postponed. My second Opening Day experience came in 2003 when I went to the first game at Great American Ball Park after being at the final game of Cynergy Field (Riverfront Stadium) the previous year. I was hoping to possibly get to this year's game, but trying to find a last-minute ticket proved to futile. I'm jealous of my friends, Matt Hannaford and Michelle O'Malley, who along with Niki Murray will be at the Philadelphia Phillies-Washington Nationals' opener in D.C. In fact, I'm guessing that Michelle may get on TV at some point with this sign.

While today is just one of 162 game days during the MLB season, I would argue with anyone that it is the best day as every fan has the childhood hope and enthusiasm of an 8-year-old going to their very first game. Good luck to all of your teams today - except yours, Brad Taylor, since your Cardinals are playing my Reds. Well, former Reds broadcaster (and Hall of Fame MC) George Grande just threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Johnny Bench, so I have to go as the season is about to get under way. Play ball!

And Then There Were Three...

2010-03-31T15:24:00.001-07:00

Yes, I know that if you have been following this blog for the past couple of weeks as we've traversed through the madness that has been March and the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament you are thinking to yourself that I must not have passed my basic math classes.

The Final Four is now set in Indianapolis this coming Saturday with the likes of perennial powers Duke and Michigan State welcoming a long-awaited return trip from West Virginia and new kid on the block Butler, the hometown favorite who will be playing just 19 miles from its campus.

The journey from 65 to 4 has been a fun one to watch along the way and I would love to read your comments as to what your favorite memories have been so far and also what clips you expect to see in the new version of One Shining Moment when the 2010 champion is crowned on Monday night.

One thing that has made this year's tournament a lot of fun for me personally is having the Six Degrees of MVNUSID bracket contest in full effect with 52 of my friends and colleagues along for the ride. It has actually been the ideal way for me to kick off my blog and the premise behind it as I've introduced you to some of the people in my life using the avenue of sports to do it. The $25 gift card prize is a small price to pay to bring people from all walks of my life together.

Speaking of the bracket contest standings (and relating them back to the title of this blog entry), we are now down to three possible scenarios to determine the winner.

Before we get to scenarios, though, here is a quick look at the leaderboard. My wife, Carla (above with our two girls), is not only beating me handily...she is on top in the standings with 750 total points. She was one of three people to correctly pick two of the Final Four teams along with Eric Smith and Stacey Deal. She currently holds a 20-point lead over both Stacey and Sara Williams, who sit at 730 points. Alex Connell is a close fourth at 720 points.

Now, on to the scenarios. The only teams anyone in our bracket contest has remaining are Duke and West Virginia, who will play each other on Saturday night in the national semifinals. If Duke wins that game, then Carla (see her bracket below) will win the bracket contest regardless of who wins the national championship game on Monday since she picked Duke to be the national champion. Several other people picked Duke to win the national title, but none of them can catch Carla in total points.

If West Virginia beats Duke, that opens the door for either Stacey (Stacey's bracket) or Julie Burke (Julie's bracket) to win the overall title. For Stacey to win, she needs West Virginia to lose in the national championship game, while a Mountaineer national title would not only send West Virginia native Julie into a couch-burning tizzy, but also would provide her with some restaurant eating options courtesy of the $25 gift card since she picked WVU to cut down the nets. Michael MacEachern also picked West Virginia to win the title, but he would finish 10 points behind Julie in second place if that happens.

So, while most of us can now throw our brackets out and root for our favorite team left in the tournament, there is still some excitement left as we head into the final weekend of college hoops action. It's been a great journey and I'm glad that each of you has been along for the ride.

Halfway Down the Road to the Final Four

2010-03-27T23:38:00.000-07:00

The first two teams advanced to the Final Four in this year's NCAA men's basketball tournament on Saturday night. No. 5 Butler extended its winning streak to 24 straight games and punch its first ever ticket to the Final Four by holding off No. 2 Kansas State to earn the right to play basically at home in Indianapolis. Then, No. 2 West Virginia held off No. 1 Kentucky to lock up its first trip to the Final Four in 51 years. The final two spots will be filled on Sunday when No. 1 Duke squares off with No. 3 Baylor and No. 5 Michigan State takes on No. 6 Tennessee. Both games should be a lot of fun to watch.

With the Kentucky and Kansas State losses, only five people out of 53 in the Six Degrees of MVNUSID bracket contest have their predicted national champion left. Julie Burke and Michael MacEachern both went with West Virginia, while Mike Schaffer, Toby Boyce, and my wife, Carla, each selected Duke.

Speaking of the bracket contest, Alex Connell (pictured above) has regained the lead in the standings with 720 points despite the fact that he lost his national champion pick when Kansas State went down. In his bracket below, you will see that he picked Baylor to upset Duke on Sunday and West Virginia to advance all the way to the national title game.

Moving into second place with 670 points is my wife, Carla. She is also tied for second place with the most points remaining at 560 with Mike Schaffer and Toby Boyce. Michael MacEachern, the sports information director at Savannah College of Art and Design, has the best chance to win the whole thing as he still has 720 possible points remaining.

Of the 53 people who entered my contest, 35 have now been eliminated from having a shot at the $25 gift card including myself. However, I'm still holding out hope for bragging rights in my own house. For me, it simply comes down to one game tomorrow: Baylor versus Duke. If Baylor can send the final No. 1 seed packing, then I will beat Carla by 10 points. However, if Duke wins, then Carla will make it 11 wins in 18 years in our own personal contest AND she will still have a shot at the overall prize.

On a final note, I have a great opportunity to work at the NCAA women's regional at the University of Dayton on Sunday. Nate Okuley and I are heading down early in the morning and will get to see the machine known as the UCONN women try to extend their record-setting 74-game winning streak against Iowa State and then watch Florida State take on Mississippi State. If you watch the games on the ESPN family of networks, you might just see us working courtside.

Sweet Sixteen is in the Books

2010-03-27T10:01:00.000-07:00

The NCAA Tournament continues to march on and the Sweet Sixteen is now in the books after the final four teams advanced to the Elite Eight. St. Mary's and Northern Iowa both saw their Cinderalla runs come to an end with losses to Baylor and Michigan State respectively. Duke downed Purdue in a low-scoring game, and Tennessee used a balanced team attack to sneak by Ohio State, which relied way too heavily on the Evan Turner show to try to get to the next round.

Speaking of the Buckeye game, I'm going to digress for a moment. Yes, I'm a Buckeye fan. It was hard to watch them get out-hustled and out-worked by Tennessee, but I'll give credit where credit is due and say that Tennessee deserved to win that game more than Ohio State did based on those two traits and more importantly better team play. While Evan Turner is a great player and one of the two top candidates for national Player of the Year honors, it takes a team to win a title and last night showed that.

One other comment I would like to make about last night's game is the fact that I really appreciate all the 'congratulatory' texts, tweets, and e-mails on Ohio State's loss. I always find it humorous that people love to rub in the loss of my team despite the fact that their team wasn't even playing in the game or in some cases didn't even qualify for the tournament. I'm not one to talk smack about other teams - I just try to be a fan of my own. I'm always quick to give credit where credit is due (see above for example), and I try not to pile on my friends' misery when one of their teams lose because we'll all be in those shoes more often than not. Oh well, I guess they have to find some way to get their frustration out since their team is no longer playing.

OK, now that I have that off my chest, let's take a quick look at the updated Six Degrees of MVNUSID bracket contest. Sara Williams (pictured above in full character) has regained her 10-point lead over Alex Connell after both of them along with six other people got five of the eight teams correct advancing to the Elite Eight. Sara, whose bracket is below, now has 650 points, while Alex is right behind with 640 points. Mark Colachico is also a close third with 630 points in what is shaping up to be a great race to the finish. Alex has the best chance to win with 880 possible points remaining, while Jay Stancil and Michael MacEachern who are both well back in the standings right now both have 800 possible points remaining and could make a late surge to the title.

We have also reached the point in the contest where we have our first three entrants to be eliminated from title contention based on possible points remaining and their current score. I wanted to give a special shoutout to Nate Okuley, an admissions counselor at Mount Vernon Nazarene University and one of my former student workers, Rodney Yoder, an assistant coach for the Mount Vernon Nazarene University women's basketball team, and Rob Oller. a sports writer for the Columbus Dispatch. I wish I had great parting gifts for you, but thank you for your part in making this contest a lot of fun to follow.

Oh, and I almost forgot....you need to check the leaderboard and compare my point total with that of my wife. That's all I'm saying. Enjoy today's Elite Eight games and see if Gus Johnson gets to call another buzzer beater.

March Madness....and then there were 12

2010-03-26T16:35:00.000-07:00

Well, if you are like me, you did not get a lot of sleep last night because you were glued to the action as the first day of play in the Sweet Sixteen got under way. No. 5 Butler began the day by sending No. 1 Syracuse packing in a great game and the day concluded with No. 2 Kansas State surviving in double overtime against No. 6 Xavier in an instant classic. Throw in wins by No. 1 Kentucky and No. 2 West Virginia and half of the Elite Eight field is set.

One thing that the two great games had in common on Thursday night was the fact that Gus Johnson was the play-by-play announcer for CBS. Gus, who became a trending topic on Twitter last night during the games, has become my favorite March Madness play-by-play guy over the past few years and he always seems to get the upsets or games that go right down to the wire. I'm hoping at some point to interview Gus for this blog and find out more about the man that loves to watch a Cinderalla "rise and fire" and "climb the mountain." For some Gus Johnson fun, check out www.gusjohnsongetsbaskets.com.

A quick look at the Six Degrees of MVNUSID tournament bracket contest shows that Alex Connell (pictured above courtesy of a photo my wife found for me on the internet) has opened up the biggest lead of the contest so far as he now has 600 points to take a 30-point lead on Sara Williams (570 points). Alex correctly picked all four winners along with Matt Miller last night. Sara's one miss happened to be Syracuse, who she had going on to win the national title. Alex's bracket is listed below:

As we start Friday's Sweet Sixteen action, three people with the best shot to win the contest are John White (1,040 possible points remaining), Jennifer Hamerla (1,000 ppr), and Stacey Deal (1,000 ppr), who ironically all picked Ohio State to win it all. For that trio to have a shot, the Buckeyes are going to need a great performance against Tennessee to advance to the Elite Eight.

And, one final note to my wife: Carla, I'm hot on your tail just 30 points behind. I'm going to catch up today.

March Madness Continues...Sweet Sixteen Style

2010-03-25T11:41:00.001-07:00

Well, it's been a few days since I've updated the blog and the Six Degrees of MVNUSID bracket contest standings. I've been trying to get reacquainted with my family and also back into my normal work routine (whatever that is for an SID) after 12 days in Florida with our baseball team.

March Madness will pick back up tonight with four games in the Sweet Sixteen as half the field for the Elite Eight will be determined. There are some interesting upset possibilities with No. 12 Cornell looking to try to knock off No. 1 Kentucky and No. 11 Washington trying to figure out No. 2 West Virginia in a pair of David vs. Goliath match-ups although I won't be shocked if either underdog wins. I also think the No. 2 Kansas State-No. 6 Xavier and No. 1 Syracuse-No. 5 Butler games will be good games to watch, too.

So, back to the bracket contest. First, I need to let all of you know that there were three additional entries in the contest to get us up to 53 total. Andrea Cambern, Stacey Deal, and Sara Williams all turned brackets in to me before the start of the tournament, but just didn't get them on the ESPN.com site for one reason or another. Since I was on the road, I didn't have access to them during last week's blogs, but now that I have them in-hand I feel like I need to get them included. Amazingly, all three have had outstanding runs so far.

First, a look at Andrea's paper bracket (below) shows that she tied Kristin Adams for the best first round total with 26 correct picks out of 32 possible. When I asked Andrea (who is a news anchor at CBS affiliate WBNS Channel 10 in Columbus) what her secret was, she told me that she goes with her favorite uniform when making her choice. Not surprisingly, she has her beloved Ohio State Buckeyes going all the way to a national title. She is tied for second place currently with Alex Connell at 440 total points.

Alex, who is currently a youth pastor at High Street Church of the Nazarene in Springfield, Ohio, has managed a successful bracket so far despite as he says "being relatively uninformed" since he doesn't watch all that much college basketball since cheering on the Cougars back in his days at Mount Vernon Nazarene University. He's probably too busy planning for a wedding coming up in October. Here's a look at his bracket:

The second of the late arrivals to the contest is Stacey, who had technical difficulties trying to get a bracket submitted. Her bracket, which I've put below, was submitted online to ESPN.com and is available here, but never made it into our specific group for some reason. Stacey, who is one of my close high school friends and works for Graham & Graham law firm in Zanesville, Ohio, is not leading right now, but she has 410 total points and is poised for a big finish as she could have 7 of the 8 Elite Eight teams and still has all of her Final Four teams intact.

Finally, our leader heading into the Sweet Sixteen is Sara (pictured above with me) with 450 total points. I've listed her bracket below. After getting 25 of 32 right in the first round, she successfully went 10-for-16 in the second round. When I asked Sara (who I've dubbed my SID daughter since meeting her in San Antonio last year at CoSIDA) what her secret was, she told me it was to try to not pick with her heart. As the sports information director at Mid-America Christian University, she's a big Oklahoma State fan located right in the midst of Big 12 Conference territory. The one Big 12 team she had going to the Final Four was Kansas, but so did most of us.

And, as I wrap up, yes, my wife is still beating me handily and tied with Sara and several other people to get 10 picks right in the second round. I have already reserved myself to the fact that I'm going to lose to her in our personal contest. And, she's let me know that ever since I got back from my trip. Gotta love the smack talk!

March Madness and My Wife

2010-03-21T07:58:00.000-07:00

Well, it was only a matter of time. It never ceases to amaze me that my wife, Carla, will do better than I do each year in the annual March Madness bracket contest. We've been married for almost 14 years now and dated for nearly four years before that, so this is the 18th year for the annual bracket contest between us of which she has won 10 of the last 17.

First let me backtrack and give you a little background. Carla is the middle of five girls who grew up in Cincinnati. Carla may be a bigger baseball fan than I am (which is saying something) and I know that she's been to more games (especially Reds' ones) than I have. She grew up playing soccer and running track including holding a school record in high school in the 800. She pretty much loves every sport, but more than that she understands them better than some guys do. You couldn't ask for a more sports-minded wife.

We met while in college at Mount Vernon Nazarene University and got married the summer after she graduated in 1996. We have two girls, Ashley (8) and Kylie (soon to be 5). She also works at MVNU in the Institutional Research and Compliance Office.

OK, now back to the contest. I went into this year's bracket thinking that I was going to be able to add to my brief two-year winning streak because Carla hasn't been able to watch all that much college basketball this year due to spending so much time with our girls when I have to work late evenings which happens a lot. I thought I made some good picks, so I was confident that the winning streak would continue.

Boy, could I have been more wrong. I had a horrible first day with all the upsets as I got just eight picks right. However, when I followed that up by going 14-for-16 the second day to trail her by just one, I thought that maybe there was a chance.

Then, along came yesterday and the start of the second round. Carla proceeded to go 6-for-8 missing just the upset of No. 1 Kansas (along with nearly three million other people) and No. 11 Washington's win over No. 3 New Mexico. Those picks not only vaulted her well ahead of me, but right to the top of our 50-person contest. I received numerous messages from friends asking if it was rigged and also just laughing at me for my ineptness and her success. It was brutal, but pretty funny at the same time.

When I asked Carla what her strategy was, she told me that she looked for teams that were playing their best basketball at the end of the year. For example, she picked No. 10 St. Mary's to be right where they are and even to move on to the Elite Eight. Obviously, it paid off for her. She also did not have Kansas winning the title like 23 of the 50 of us in our contest did, so she is still safe there as well. All I can say is that my wife is pretty smart when it comes to sports and I'll look forward to seeing if she can win this whole thing and beat not just me, but the rest of you as well. Her bracket is below:

Two other people deserve a shoutout for getting 5-of-8 right yesterday and that's Jason Bean and Eric Smith. Also, a shoutout to John White and Jennifer Hamerla for still having the most possible points remaining.

March Madness - Day 2 Recap

2010-03-20T05:55:00.001-07:00

Well, the first round of the NCAA Tournament is now in the books and what a round it was. Thursday's action featured an upset at seemingly every turn and then Friday's games played out more true to seed with a few minor surprises along the way. If your bracket took a beating like mine did, don't feel bad. ESPN.com reports that out of the nearly 4.8 million brackets filled out online that not a single one made it through the first round unscathed. In fact, only three brackets finished 31-for-32 and I'm amazed that anyone could be that lucky or good.

As has been the case at each stop of the bracket contest so far, we have a new leader on top of my pool's standings - Kristin Adams, a 2005 Georgetown alum and the newest member of the Digital Royalty team. Kristin correctly picked 26 of the 32 first round games and has a one-pick lead over seven people (Mark Colachico, Julie Burke, Tim Cary, Kyle Schwerin, Wade Foley, Steve Miller, and Troy Current).

A look at Kristin's bracket (below) shows that she went fairly conservative in the first round to have the success that she did although she did pick all three No. 10 seed upset winners Georgia Tech, St. Mary's, and Missouri. Unfortunately for Kristin, though, her beloved Hoyas bowed out in the first round to No. 14 Ohio and she had picked them to go all the way to Indianapolis to cut down the nets. (Note: I personally think the hardest part of picking a bracket is figuring out how to keep your heart out of it, especially when the team you like is good and has a shot at going really deep into the tournament.)

In other notes regarding our tournament bracket contest, I'm pleased to report that I went 14-for-16 on Day 2 to make up for a horrible 8-for-16 Day 1. However, I still trail my wife by one pick as we enter the second round. How does she do it? It's also interesting to check out the column of possible points remaining as it shows who still has a legitimate chance to compete for the bracket title. While Kristin is in first place right now, she actually has the worst chance of winning the $25 gift card now as she's the first person in the 50-person contest to lose their eventual national champion. Meanwhile, Eric Smith, who is dead last with only 19 correct first round picks, is tied with five other people including my wife for the best chance to win based on most possible points remaining. It should be an interesting race.

Well, it's almost time to sit back and watch the second round get under way. I have a feeling we could see another upset or two today and I wouldn't be all that surprised if all five of the double digit seeds pull another upset and advance to the Sweet Sixteen. I can't wait to watch the Madness again!