The First Five Grand

My first race (left) and my most recent marathon (right)

This morning's run was much like most of my runs.  No fanfare.  Just me, a few other runners and bikers, and the open road or in today's case the open trail.

However, today's run was extra special.  During the first mile of what would end up being a 7-mile run, I ran my 5,000th career mile.  To some that might seem like a big number and to others who have run for awhile it's not as big a feat.  For me, it was special.

I started this running journey 1,161 days ago on May 26, 2010...much like today on the trail and ironically like today without the Garmin providing me time, pace, and distance.  On that day, I was lucky to run two miles.  I went back the next day and barely pulled out another two-mile run without walking.  It was brutal!  Over the next two weeks, I only managed to run three more miles.

Then, on June 12, 2010, things finally started to click.  That day, I went out to run two miles and ended up running four miles.  I went back out the next day and ran three more miles.  And I went back again.  And again.  And again.  And I haven't stopped going back out.

Running has provided me with countless benefits.  When I started, I weighed in at 235 pounds.  Not awful for a 6-6 guy, but today's weigh-in of 198.5 pounds has me in much better shape.  I'm eating smarter (notice I didn't say less) and drinking a whole lot more water.  I really do feel like I'm in the best shape of my life.  And it doesn't hurt that for nearly half of my running journey (575 days and counting to be exact), I have been on a streak of doing at least 100 pushups and 100 situps each day to help augment the running.

In addition to the health benefits, I have made some incredible friendships.  When I started this journey, I was running solo.  However, soon after running my first race on August 28, 2010, several local runners in Mount Vernon began to get together in the mornings at 6 a.m. and the Mount Vernon Running Buddies were born.  Ever since that day, it's a rare morning that you don't find someone from that group meeting up for the daily run.  Their dedication to running is amazing!

I've also enjoyed meeting numerous runners from Central Ohio and beyond.  Run DMC is a group that corresponds primarily via social media, but people in that group have become some of my very closest friends.  I've also met great people in the midst of races who have gone on to become close friends, too, after we helped each other get through the tough times in a race.

Since this journey began three years, two months, and four days ago, I've been blessed to be able to run in some great places.  I've run on the beach of both the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean as well as the Gulf of Mexico.  I've run across the Golden Gate Bridge and back.  I've run the magnificent mile in Chicago, under the Arch in St. Louis, and on the track at Daytona International Speedway.  I've run a three-state 5K with a mile at three different state welcome centers.  I've run three marathons (Columbus 2011, Earth Day 2012, and Last Chance for Boston 2013) and eight half marathons (Pittsburgh twice, Earth Day twice, Erie, Xenia, Cap City, and Columbus).  I've participated in two amazing relay races - Hood to Coast in 2012 and Relay Around Columbus in 2013.  And too many shorter races to even mention, yet all have been incredibly fun and provided their own enjoyment to this journey.

Running my leg at Hood to Coast

The journey has not been without its bumps in the road either.  I spent August of 2011 with limited mileage due to shin splints.  Then, about the same time in 2012, the shin splints returned and turned into stress fractures in both legs that sidelined me with only 78 total miles from August 1-October 31.  I had to learn patience through the injuries.  And I also learned the importance of cross-training both on the bike and in the pool as well as with core workouts.  The encouragement and support from other runners was unwavering and helped me immensely as I worked to heal.

As I reflect back on the past 5,000 miles, for me it's all about the journey.  It's not about any personal accolades or even the fact that I've reached this milestone.  It's about the people's lives I've been able to be a part of and the amazing times that we've had.  For those of you who I've had the pleasure of running with, THANK YOU!  For those of you I haven't met in person yet, but who have supported me from afar, THANK YOU!  YOU are what this milestone is all about because without you this journey would be pretty lonely.  I look forward to seeing all of you on the run sometime soon!

Let the Healing Begin

It was just a couple of hours ago that I posted my thoughts about what happened at the Boston Marathon yesterday.  It was a struggle to find the words, but I knew that I needed to in order to begin my own process of moving forward from this tragedy.

Late in the afternoon, I saw a posting on Facebook that runners everywhere were being encouraged to meet at the nearest high school track tonight at 9 p.m. and run one mile for Boston.  I shared the post among my local running group, the Mount Vernon Running Buddies, and hoped that the stormy weather would be done in time for me to participate.

Little did I know just how therapeutic one mile could be.  It was dark and wet when we arrived at the high school track, but the rain had stopped.  We all worked our way on to the track and the 10 of us gathered at the starting line.  John Hofferberth, who is busy this week with all the final details for the Earth Day Challenge half marathon, said a couple of words and we took off.

I'm not used to not having a plan for my run.  I'm also not used to just running a mile.  I knew that I didn't want to go all out, but I also knew that I wanted to go hard enough that I was working at it.  I thought about the victims and their families as I went around the oval.  I didn't look at my watch.  I knew that I was moving at a good clip, but it wasn't about that.  I ended up doing five loops of the track instead of four because it just felt right.

When everyone had finished, we stopped for a moment and chatted as a group.  We didn't all know each other before the event that only lasted about 10 minutes.  But what I posted earlier today about running bringing people together was true as we all interacted like old friends.  We talked about a few upcoming local events and one person shared how she had just started running again and had already run for two hours on the treadmill before coming to the track as she wanted to really start working hard to improve her fitness.  Another person ran three miles barefoot to the track and then ran home afterwards.  For me, it was the first time since August 3, 2011 that I had run on that track as I remember vividly leaving that day with really bad shin splints from pushing too much speed work.  This time around I left with a great sense of pride in my running family as my mile felt like I was walking on air.

It may have only been one mile tonight, but it was many steps in the right direction towards the healing process for all of us in the running community and I'm so thankful that I was there.

No Words....

Ashley and I at the 2012 Cap City Quarter

Yesterday was a perfect day to run.  An ideal race day, especially for a marathon.  And after the extreme heat at last year's event, the 117th Boston Marathon really could not have asked for a better day.

When I started running nearly four years ago, I had no plans or goals for being a runner other than I needed to lose a little weight and stay active.  After a few months of just solitary running on the local bike path, I signed up for a four-mile charity race to benefit our local hospital.  As the result of that race, I was hooked on both racing and interacting with the amazing running community.  Along with a couple of friends, we started a local running group, the Mount Vernon Running Buddies, and the running and relationships have just blossomed.

As my running continued, I began to push myself to try longer distance races.  I did the 2010 Columbus half marathon.  Then, the 2011 Columbus marathon.  While my times weren't incredibly fast, they were good enough that I really felt like if I pushed myself, stayed injury-free, and got a little lucky that some day I could earn my way to Boston with a qualifying time (BQ).

The Boston Marathon is the pinnacle for a runner...the holy grail of running.  You have to post a pretty fast time based on your age and gender to earn the right to enter or there are also a limited number of spots for people who raise significant money for one of the official charities of the event.  Either way, it's not an easy task.

Yesterday was a day that so many runners had been dreaming about...some for their whole running careers.  It was their day to run Boston!  I personally had six friends running in the race and for four of them it was their first time.  For three of them, they had tried and tried and tried to qualify and finally had.  All their hard work had paid off and they were set to toe the starting line of the 26.2-mile journey!  I signed up to get text alerts on their progress and pulled up the live stream of the race on the internet.  I was hundreds of miles away, but I too was caught up in the excitement that is the Boston Marathon.

The push cart/wheelchair division started and then the elite women's race followed around 9:30 a.m.  Then, the men's elite runners were off at 10 a.m. followed by the rest of the throng of 27,000+ runners.  The journey had begun!  I was enjoying having the live stream of the event on in the background in my office while I got work done.  Then, when it came time for me to teach the Sports Information class that I teach, we watched the race as a class and discussed various aspects of the event from a media standpoint, from a fan standpoint, and from a participant standpoint.  We got to see the women's finish and then the men's finish.  The class was really into it even though most of them had no experience at all with running and especially marathon races.

I went to lunch and then worked on some things in my office.  My friends begin to finish and I began to get their text alerts.  One by one, they accomplished their goal of crossing that finish line.  First Nate, then Jace, and then Brandon.  Time ticked on and some more updates came.  Soon I saw that Deb, Carrie and Carla had all finished.  I was proud of my friends for pushing themselves to do it.  Some had battled injuries even getting to the starting line.  But they all did it!

I turned my attention back to my work.  All of sudden a message popped up about an explosion in Boston.  Everything else just stopped for me.  My oldest daughter, who is 11, was sitting in my office as we began to watch the news unfold.  We were in utter shock.  My heart was breaking.  It felt like the day when my daughter was just a month old and I held her in my arms while I watched the 9/11 attacks take place on my TV screen.  It was all just surreal.  But this time, I had a personal connection.  I had friends who were right there!  And I mean right there as Carla, Deb, and Carrie had just finished minutes before the bombs went off.

I immediately got on my phone and started trying to find out what I could about each of them.  Thanks to social media and our running group, we quickly heard that Deb and Carrie were ok.  I was able to track down Brandon, Nate, and Jace and they were already away from the scene.  I finally heard that Carla was ok, too.  I was incredibly thankful that they were all safe and sound.

However, that didn't take away the huge ache that I continue feeling in my heart for the people who are suffering.  People I don't know and probably never will.  I've watched other national tragedies and natural disasters take place and felt for the people involved.  But this time it was different.  It was my family...the running family.  And one of the things that was hurting me the most was that it was the spectators who took the brunt of the explosions.  They were cheering on their loved ones.  Showing support.  Like they had done for months leading up to the race.  It's probably the most often overlooked part of the sport of running and definitely the part that doesn't get enough thanks.  Wives, husbands, kids, extended families, best friends...they all pick up the slack to allow us time to run, listen to our countless stories and moans about our injuries, and continue to cheer us on and love us in spite of it.  Today they were the target.  And they never stood a chance.

The running community is one of the tightest, most caring groups of people you could ever belong to.  If you visit any city small or large, you can instantly strike up a friendship just passing a fellow runner and joining in on their journey.  Runners come in all shapes and sizes and all paces.  But we root for each other.  And we all have the common goal of crossing that finish line.  Some times we are out for a PR.  Other times we are out there to pace others.  And other times we are out there just to enjoy the journey.  But we keep getting out there and we keep cheering each other on.

Yesterday was a perfect day to run.  However, we live in a very imperfect world where people do evil, hurtful things to innocent strangers.  It's incomprehensible.  And it takes all of our resolve to not let evil win sometimes.  I had to look in my eight-year-old daughter's eyes last night and assure her that it was ok for her dad to go to his next race this Sunday.  I can't even begin to comprehend the grief of the dad who lost his eight-year-old son in yesterday's tragedy.  I had a long talk with my older daughter about the upcoming Cap City quarter marathon as we plan to run it together in three weeks for the second year in a row while her mom does the half marathon.  She was worried about running it and worried about her mom since she would be running by herself.  I told her that we can't live in fear or it allows the bad people to win.

While Boston and the entire running community and our nation mourns the events of what happened yesterday, we WILL keep running and we will help each other along the journey.  And my hope is that I will be there at the starting line when next year's Boston Marathon gets under way.  In the mean time, my thoughts and prayers are with the people who have suffered so very much.

RunFest...Be There!

Mark you calendars!!! This Saturday, July 7 from 1-4 p.m., the Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon will be holding an event called RunFest (click for all the specifics and to RSVP) at Landmark Aviation located at 4130 East Fifth Avenue in Columbus.

This will mark the third straight year for this free event that will hopefully draw in excess of 1,000 runners and walkers. There will be giveaways, sneak peeks at this year's race shirts and medals, booths offering training advice and healthy living tips, free food from some of Columbus’ favorite food trucks, the full line-up of Nationwide Children's Hospital Patient Champions and more!

OK, that's the nuts and bolts for RunFest with plenty of links to surf to your heart's content. Now, here's my take on why this is such a great event and an important step in your marathon or half marathon journey. And it has nothing to do with the fact that I'm one of the meet-up hosts, but more on that later. ;)

For most us, we started out running or walking on our own and may even do most of our workouts that way. I'm fortunate to have a group of friends (the Mount Vernon Running Buddies) that I run with almost every day and it's a great way to stay accountable, get advice, and get the support needed to attempt these longer races.

Well, events such as RunFest are great ways to find out that you are not alone in your running or walking endeavors. Just like on race day, you'll see people of all shapes, sizes, ages, and abilities coming together with a common interest. And, there will be plenty of experts around to ask training-related questions as well as event-specific questions. If you haven't decided to commit to one of the two races, what better way to make that decision than to stop by RunFest, check out the course map and finisher bling, and then take advantage of the final day of registration savings by signing up for this year's event before the cost goes up $10 on Sunday.

In addition to talking to experts, enjoying free food, and signing up for giveaways, you also get the opportunity to meet six people with various backgrounds who have been designated as meet-up hosts for this event. I'm very humbled to be one of these six people and I'm looking forward to meeting the other five for the first time myself. From my very first involvement with the Columbus Marathon via its Twitter account before I ever ran my first race, I've been thoroughly impressed by the great interaction that makes this large race feel like it was being put on especially for me. While I enjoy pushing myself to post the very best time possible, I also really thrive on the social aspect and all the great friends that I have made as a result of running in this race twice so far (half in 2010 and full in 2011). I've found that every runner and walker has a story and it has been a blast to hear a lot of them the past two years since I started my own journey. I would consider it a privilege to meet as many of you as possible on Saturday and would love to hear your story about what motivates you to run. So, stop by between 1:30-3:30 and look for the 6-foot-6 guy and introduce yourself. :)

See you at RunFest on Saturday and then at the starting line on October 21! Feel free to comment below or connect with me on Twitter to let me know you are coming.

One Half Goofy, Amazing Race Weekend (Part I)

Several months ago, I made plans with my 10-year-old daughter, Ashley, to run the Cap City Quarter Marathon with her, but little did I know what an adventure would be waiting for me as this would turn out to be just the start of an amazing race weekend. Ashley had done several 5Ks and a four-mile race, and the quarter marathon (6.55 miles) seemed like the next obvious challenge for her to undertake. In addition, the Cap City event (both a half marathon and a quarter marathon) is really one of the best races around from a crowd support standpoint, a post-race food standpoint (always important to a guy whose motto is "I run to eat"), and a relatively flat course standpoint.

So, we did a little training and joined up with nice-sized group of the Mount Vernon Running Buddies (pictured below) as we set out to attack the course. It was a hot, humid day, so staying hydrated and not overdoing it needed to be a big part of our race day plan, and I knew that I was going to need to watch Ashley like a hawk to make sure that she didn't have any problems.

We set out with Chad Sims and his 11-year-old daughter, Hanna, who was also doing her longest race. Starting in Corral B, I was a little worried that the girls would start out too fast, but Ashley did a great job of running a 9:55 first mile and just letting the crowd go. We hit the part of the course where you could see the lead runners coming back towards you, and it was fun to cheer on some people we knew including several of the Running Buddies and some Run DMC'ers including my pal, Brian Vinson, who was on his way to a blazing PR in the half.

We hit the first water stop and I had told Ashley to just stay in the middle and to keep running while I grabbed two cups of water. I made her drink all of hers and asked if she needed any more before downing the second cup when she said no. I'm awful about drinking during a race, but I knew that as hot as it was that I needed to set a good example and make her do it and to her credit she did every time.

Mile two came and went in 10:03 and then mile three in 10:14 even with a slight uphill that had some of the runners walking. Several friends passed us through here and it was fun saying hi. Usually the races are a blur if I'm focusing on my time and trying to meet a goal, so it was fun to be more relaxed and able to take in all of the other aspects of the event. At this point, we split off from the half marathon crowd and continued on and faced another hill during mile four that she conquered in 10:39. Man, she was doing great with no hint of walking at all!

As we headed into mile five, we merged back on to the half marathon course just ahead of the half marathon leader and eventual winner, Matt Folk, as he came flying along with over eight miles already completed! It was fun to see how effortless a 5:18 pace looks as he blew by on his way to a 1:09:20 finish!

It was also during mile five that the crowd really picked up in size and volume as we ran along High Street, across Nationwide Boulevard, and then turned on to Long Street. People were really cheering for Ashley and calling her by name, and the encouragement fueled her to pick up her pace as the crowd cheered even louder as she nailed a run-best 9:36 for that mile!

Mile six proved to be the toughest mile as the crowds thinned back out and the burst of speed took its toll. When we reached the 5.5-mile mark, we were entering unknown territory because she had never run that far before. She never complained, though, and she also became the inspiration for several runners as they saw her and ran alongside us. Those of you who ran along with her and encouraged her through this point...thank you! It really made a huge difference! Mile six ended with a 10:47 pace, but still no walking as she was determined to finish the whole thing on the run!!!

Then, it was time for one final turn and we could see the finish line. The crowd was huge at this point and once again they were cheering her on by name!!! I'm still getting goosebumps and a little misty-eyed typing this recap three days later when I think about what she did. She gave it everything she had as she sprinted for the finish line...finishing the final .66 miles (yes, my Garmin had the course a little long, but it might have been me swerving to pick up all the water for both of us) at an amazing 8:58 pace that including a Kenyan-like 4:56 dash at the very end!!!! I had planned to make sure she crossed ahead of me, but there was no worry of that as I couldn't keep up at that point as she finished her first quarter marathon in 1:07:07 with me two seconds behind. Unbelievable!!! A 10:15 pace!!! (She ended up 561st out of 1,788 people in the race and 11th of 37 in the female 19 and under age group.)

After we spent a little while cooling down and celebrating what Ashley had just accomplished (yes, that means I had a few cinnamon crunch bagels from Panera), it was time to head back out on the course to cheer on other members of our group as they finished the half marathon. After cheering Teri Pokosh to the finish, I was waiting for my other running buddies, George Hartz and Scott Burgess, to come along. It was fun to encourage all the runners over that final half mile as they wrapped up their 13.1-mile journey in some tough heat and humidity.

It was during this time that I noticed one lady coming along at a pretty good pace, but with her legs getting a little more wobbly with every step that she took. After being at the finish line watching helplessly when Matt O'Brien collapsed last year just 25-feet from his goal at this race, I started to have a sinking feeling in my stomach. As I watched, she stumbled and started to fall as myself and several other spectators rushed out to her. She was very pale and was struggling to try to get back to her feet as dehydration had really set in. One lady who identified herself as a nurse helped me hold the runner up as she in a daze muttered about trying to continue on, but there was no way we were letting her do that on her own. Soon, another guy who had also finished his race and was waiting on his girlfriend to finish appeared out of the crowd and identified himself as a doctor. He told me to help him do a fireman's hold to make a chair for her out of our arms so we could carry her to the finish and she could cross the line.

As we got closer to the finish line, the runner was making attempts to hop off of our arms, so we decided to see if she could stand and walk across the line. The whole time she had been alert enough that she kept checking her watch as she kept murmuring about wanting to make it in two hours! :) We promised her that we would help her meet her goal, and we walked arm-in-arm with her to the end as the crowd cheered her on. Once she crossed the line (and I'm pretty she made her goal), we set her in a wheelchair and let the medical staff take over. I have no idea who she is although I think the name on her bib started with an "A" or who the other man was who helped me get her to the finish line, but I am just glad that she made it there safely and hopefully is fully recovered by now. I know first-hand after my recent Earth Day Marathon how the running community comes together to help each other, so it was a no-brainer for me to jump in and do what needed to be done. Any other runner would have done the same.

I have to give a big shoutout to the Cap City race staff on putting together another amazing event. Not only do they always have the best medals each year, they really do a great job of making sure that it's an event for everyone. The course is a fun course to run and this race will always be on my calendar as a must-do event if at all possible. While it would have been fun to have raced the half marathon as I've found that's my favorite distance, I am so glad that I did the quarter marathon with my daughter. It's probably just a matter of time and a few more races until she's racing me in the half. :)

And here's the crazy part...this is just the first part of what would be one half Goofy, amazing race weekend! Stay tuned for Part II!

Running is a Team Sport

For almost two years now, I've been able to call myself a runner. I started out on this journey to lose a few pounds and then stay in shape, but along the way I discovered that I really have a passion for it. Whether it is a long, pre-dawn solo run or a large race with thousands of participants, running has become a big part of my daily life and changed me for the better.

Just a couple of months into my running journey, I discovered that a few of my other local friends were also interested in getting together as a group to run. We formed the Mount Vernon Running Buddies and it is a huge reason why running has become so much a part of my life as the accountability that comes from being a part of a group really helps you to show up at 6 a.m. instead of sleeping in. These other runners have become some of my closest friends as we spend time working hard together to reach our respective goals. We've hosted numerous themed 5K's and also two charity ones to-date.

One of the great aspects of our group is the fact that we try our very best to make sure that no one ever finishes their runs by themselves if at all possible. On our daily 5K's, we loop around and run in with the last runner. At races, we always wait until the entire group has crossed, and we also find ways to encourage each other even when we can't all be there. Even when one of us has been down with injuries, the rest of the group has worked hard to keep the injured runner encouraged.

The Mount Vernon Running Buddies are also now part of a larger group of Central Ohio runners known as Run DMC (or Daily Mile Columbus). This group is made up of runners who have connected via the running social media website Daily Mile. The group schedules training run meet-ups to keep people from having to run by themselves and then usually has a great presence at most of the Central Ohio races and beyond. It's been fun for me to meet other runners and find other places to run.

On Sunday, these two groups came together with at least 20 total runners along with others there to support the runners at the Earth Day Challenge half and full marathon in Gambier, Ohio. There was a fun time of catching up in person and meeting some people for the first time in real life, and then it was time to head to the starting line for the business at hand. I was one of four people in the combined groups to have signed up for the full marathon, and I set out to attempt what was my second marathon with a lofty goal of a 3:15 to BQ after posting a 3:52:04 in my first marathon attempt at Columbus last fall.

The first 13.1 miles of the race was so much fun as I ran pretty much a perfect race according to the plan that I had going in and I crossed the halfway point in 1:36:10. Since the course was an out-and-back course there were a couple of times in the first half that you crossed paths with all the other runners and it was so much fun to share smiles and encouragement with all of my other running friends that also included a lot of MVNU students. This made those first 13.1 miles just fly by as we all helped each other.

Then, I passed the turn off for the half marathon finish, high-fived my daughters (pictured above), and headed out to the much less traveled second half. Boy was it lonely! The only four people I saw the next three miles were volunteers stationed at cross roads to protect us from traffic. I kept churning out the miles, but all of a sudden my legs started to fail me around mile 17. Two of my Run DMC friends, Brandon and Peter (who was pacing Brandon after running Boston himself on Monday) caught me as I started to slow down and they tried to get me to go with them. I did for about half a mile and then faded again. Mike, another Run DMC friend, caught me just after the turnaround and also tried to get me to hang with him, but I was pretty much toast at that point. (My best guess is that I didn't drink enough water the first half and dehydration hit my legs hard.) A smile and some encouragement from Candice, another Run DMC'er, and Chris, a fellow MVNU alum, helped me keep trotting along for a few more miles as we crossed paths. However, by mile 22, a bad cramp in my left hamstring brought me to a screeching halt and I started to walk.

As I approached another cross road, I saw my Mount Vernon Running Buddies group, Chad, Teri, and George, as they had come out to cheer me to the finish. Seeing all of them REALLY lifted my spirits and I started to run again and thought "OK, I can definitely do this" and continued on. Since they had each run the half and had driven out there, they had to drop off after a short run and drive back to the finish, but just the brief minute or so they were there really helped and I trudged on.

Before I knew it, another familiar face popped up in the distance. This time it was Molly, a new friend I had made through Daily Mile and then had met in person for the first time the week before at a 10-mile race when we ran the first half of it together. She had finished the half marathon with a new PR and as the fastest female, but she took the time to come out along with her brother to help run me in to the finish. We jogged along to around the 25-mile mark and then the Mount Vernon Running Buddies (including Donald in jeans and all) appeared again along with Peter to create quite the contingent to get me over the final mile and to the finish line.

As we got closer to the finish, my daughters also joined in the running group (pictured above) and I saw that a huge portion of the Run DMC group had stuck around for almost two hours after finishing their half marathon race to see me cross the finish line. Talk about a show of support!!! Every single one of them helped will me to the finish line and I crossed it more than 10 minutes faster than my previous best time with a finish time of 3:41:39. While I still have a lot of work to do to reach that elusive BQ, this is a race that I will never forget because of the kindness, encouragement, and support of my family (Carla, you were a trooper to have the girls there for over four hours!) and a huge contingent of running friends. While our times are recorded individually, I am more convinced now than ever that running IS a team sport. We have the opportunity to encourage those around us and help push them to more than they think is possible. This PR belongs to every single person who helped me cross that finish line. Thank YOU!

P.S. If you want to see exactly how amazing this support has been, check out my Daily Mile page with the race report there. I'm blown away!

Welcome to Central Ohio, Kristyn Hartman

As part of my ongoing plan to introduce you to the people I've had the privilege to cross paths with, I would like to use this post to welcome to Central Ohio the newest member of the WBNS 10TV family - Kristyn Hartman.

It was announced back in mid-February that Kristyn was being hired to fill the evening anchor spot being vacated in May by Andrea Cambern, the award-winning, beloved newscaster who will be stepping down after working at the station since 1991. Being a fan of Andrea and the entire 10TV family through various interactions both via social media and in real life meetings, I was curious to get to know more about Kristyn, especially since the bio in the release about her hiring mentioned that she was a runner. I looked up her e-mail address on the website of the station she was currently at in Chicago and dropped her a quick note just to welcome her to Central Ohio and 10TV and give her a standing open invitation to join the Mount Vernon Running Buddies any time she wanted to.

Imagine my surprise when an hour and a half later an e-mail popped up in my inbox from Kristyn thanking me for taking the time to reach out to her. Here, on what was probably a pretty exciting yet busy day in her professional life, she took the time to respond to a total stranger. In the meantime, I had seen that one of my friends had started following her on Facebook so I checked out her page and noticed that she was also responding to all the well wishes from people in Central Ohio there, too. It was a great first impression for me as she was already connecting with what would be her viewing audience.

After that brief interaction to welcome Kristyn, I honestly didn't give it much more thought. I knew that she would be coming on board at the station sometime in May with a first on-air anchor date set for June. Well, imagine my surprise last week when my cell phone rang with an Illinois number and the voice on the other end was hers. She was calling to say that she wanted to take me up on the offer to come up and check out Mount Vernon and meet some of my friends. She said that she had orientation all day on Monday which was her first day at 10TV and then was booked until Thursday morning so we scheduled to meet that day.

It was great to have the opportunity show her around the university where I work (Mount Vernon Nazarene University) and introduce her to some of my friends and co-workers. We also briefly saw part of the city of Mount Vernon and I introduced her to the mayor and representatives from the police department, the fire department, and the sheriff's office. Everyone commented about how down-to-earth and genuine she was and they all enjoyed meeting her. I think she was also impressed with what she learned about our community and MVNU.

During the time that my wife, Carla, and I walked with Kristyn around campus and then the time that I spent driving her around town, I really enjoyed getting to find out more about what Kristyn is all about and what her plans are heading into this new job. She told me about how excited she is to come to a station that is viewed from the outside as one of the best jobs in the business regardless of size. She has been blown away by the hospitality and welcome that she has already felt from Central Ohio. She spoke lovingly about different things relating to her and her husband of 20 years, Chris, as their relationship started on a college campus much like Carla's and mine did.

Kristyn spoke with great admiration about Andrea and all the amazing things that she has done in her role over the years. She feels a sense of responsibility to continue the great relationship with the community and charity organizations, but she also knows that you don't replace someone like Andrea or try to be her, and she is looking forward to connecting with people in her own way much like she did with me and the others who met her on Thursday. She is very much looking forward to making Columbus her home and getting to know the great people that make up Central Ohio. Who knows...you might be the next person to get a phone call from her saying she's coming to see you! It really wouldn't surprise me at all because she knows that everyone has a story to tell and she loves to hear those stories and meet the people behind them.

From what I understand, you will start seeing Kristyn doing stories as early as next week as she gets her feet wet locally first in the role of a reporter. Then, her first on-set anchor date is set for June 4 when she will start doing the 5, 6 and 11 p.m. news slots with Jerry Revish. You will want to check it out and welcome her into your homes.

For more information on Kristyn, you can check out her bio page on the 10TV website.

Starting a New Tradition

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.

I'm a Marathoner

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, looking to improve my physical well being, I started on a running journey a little over a year ago 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.


I caught a second wind during mile #9 thanks to some crowd support and posted a 7:26 and was feeling good.  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 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 and so this was a significant moment for me.  I had purposely chosen that mile to help power me past the half marathon turnoff.

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.




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 family has 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. 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

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

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!!!

Back to Basics

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

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. :)