So I haven't written in a while. Not that anyone has noticed, I'm sure. Since the Honolulu Marathon I have since run the LA Marathon, a 10K, a 12K and two half-marathons. This Sunday I will be running the Long Beach Marathon. Yes, my third marathon in less than a year after having run exactly none in 50 years.
Yet, here's the thing. I still find running to be one giant pain in the ass. People keep saying to me, oh you're addicted now. I'm not. I'm very happy with the fact that I've lost over 30 pounds since I started running but an addict? No, I can't say that I am. Getting out the door to run is the hardest thing in the world for me. The first ten minutes are painful. I feel every ache and pain I've ever had in 51 years. I have to tell myself each time, "Just get through the first ten minutes and everything will be alright." And after ten minutes, it is (usually). The blood starts circulating and things start to loosen up and sometimes I even get to the point where I actually enjoy the run.
But I keep waiting for it to get easier. And it never does. I hear about the "runner's high" all the time but I have yet to experience it. Maybe I just don't push myself hard enough but it feels like I do. I don't know. I get discouraged a lot because I want to run faster like my friends but then I have to remind myself that my friends who run regularly are all 20 years younger than me and most of them have been running for a long time. But it gets discouraging.
So I'm going to run the Long Beach Marathon this Sunday. I wish I was confident but I'm not. And this is the first Marathon I've trained for by myself without being part of a group. I've done two 20-mile runs by myself. I'm proud of that fact but it was kind of lonely. I'm hoping this Sunday the adrenaline kicks in and I'll just be motivated by the experience. Plus it won't be 95 degrees like it often is in the San Fernando Valley so that should help.
Physically, I'm definitely ready to do this. Mentally, it's a whole other ballgame. The mental aspect is what gets me - the voice inside my head that tells me, you can't do this, who are you kidding. You're too slow, too clumsy, blah, blah, blah. Hopefully this Sunday, I can just go out, clear out the voices and enjoy the experience.
And take an hour off my LA Marathon time. Hey, a guy can dream, can't he?
Wish me luck.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
My Honolulu Marathon video
So I finally put together my Honolulu Marathon video. Hope you like it.
Next up - the Los Angeles Marathon, March 20, 2010, also for APLA. I finally found a cause at 50! Check out my new Team To End Aids Fundraising Page.
Next up - the Los Angeles Marathon, March 20, 2010, also for APLA. I finally found a cause at 50! Check out my new Team To End Aids Fundraising Page.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
I DID IT!
I finished the Honolulu Marathon. It was much hotter than I thought it would be (85 with 90% humidity) and I came in slower than I wanted but I did it. I came out of there thinking "that was the most miserable $&#**&@-ing experience of my life but guess what? I'm doing it again. I'm going to run the Los Angeles Marathon in March, also for AIDS Project Los Angeles. The experience was so worthwhile and I met so many wonderful people along the way that when they asked me to join them in LA I couldn't say no. (Plus my friend Michael made an executive decision that I was running with him and his partner so I really had no choice). I really believe in the work that APLA does and I'm very happy I have found a way to help out. So it's on to the LA Marathon.
By the way, thanks to my friends and family the final total I raised for APLA for the Honolulu Marathon was $8,495.19. As a returning Marathoner, I only have to raise $500 for LA but of course I hope to raise more (although I fear I may have exhausted my resources) so if you know of anyone who is interested in contributing, please direct them to my new APLA Marathon Fundraising site.
I took a lot of pictures and video from Hawaii and the Marathon which I will post later after I get back from my holiday trip to New York but for now, here's a picture of me crossing the finish line.
Thanks for reading and may you all have a joyous and healthy New Year.
By the way, thanks to my friends and family the final total I raised for APLA for the Honolulu Marathon was $8,495.19. As a returning Marathoner, I only have to raise $500 for LA but of course I hope to raise more (although I fear I may have exhausted my resources) so if you know of anyone who is interested in contributing, please direct them to my new APLA Marathon Fundraising site.
I took a lot of pictures and video from Hawaii and the Marathon which I will post later after I get back from my holiday trip to New York but for now, here's a picture of me crossing the finish line.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Coming Down to the Wire
Well, the Marathon is 11 days away. I cannot believe it's here. Now comes the worst part - traveling. I hate traveling. Well, I like going places, I just hate getting there. I hate airports. I hate airplanes. I hate flying. Other than that, it's great. I'm getting antsy about traveling. I've never packed for a marathon before - I'm deathly afraid I'll forget something as basic as my running shoes. I have decided to wear my running shoes on the plane, just in case something happens and we have to bail out in a hurry. I can buy new shorts, socks and shirts in Hawaii if necessary. I can't break in new running shoes in two days. These are the stupid things I think about.
I'm glad some of you continue to read this blog and I appreciate the comments that have been left (even if I don't respond to them, I really do appreciate them).
Back to traveling angst. I wish my wife and I were going on the same flight but we're not. My travel was booked through APLA on Delta and she's flying in on Continental. She's supposed to get in an hour after I do. I will not relax until we are both in Honolulu together. God I hate traveling.
I'm worried about my dogs. Our friend is house-sitting for us and will take good care of them but I still worry that they will all be OK. What if he locks himself out of the house? I should let him know that if he does get locked out, he has my permission to break a window to get back in.
The only good thing about all this traveling angst is that it's keeping me from worrying about the actual Marathon itself so I guess that's a plus. I think I use worrying as a form of control - if I worry about everything, then maybe none of it will happen. But still, I'd much rather be relaxed. But it's not gonna happen.
Oddly, I still don't feel like I'm a runner. I'm much more the tortoise than the hare. Still feel like a plodding old man whenever I'm out running and I still hate actually leaving the house in the morning to go run. I thought by now I'd love running but I don't think that's ever going to happen. I'm also disappointed by the fact that I haven't really lost all that much weight. I've lost about 8 pounds but I really thought I'd lose more than that. I feel better and my clothes fit better but I really thought there'd be more of a change. I still feel like the same fat guy at 50 that I was at 49.
I really can't wait until this is over.
I'm glad some of you continue to read this blog and I appreciate the comments that have been left (even if I don't respond to them, I really do appreciate them).
Back to traveling angst. I wish my wife and I were going on the same flight but we're not. My travel was booked through APLA on Delta and she's flying in on Continental. She's supposed to get in an hour after I do. I will not relax until we are both in Honolulu together. God I hate traveling.
I'm worried about my dogs. Our friend is house-sitting for us and will take good care of them but I still worry that they will all be OK. What if he locks himself out of the house? I should let him know that if he does get locked out, he has my permission to break a window to get back in.
The only good thing about all this traveling angst is that it's keeping me from worrying about the actual Marathon itself so I guess that's a plus. I think I use worrying as a form of control - if I worry about everything, then maybe none of it will happen. But still, I'd much rather be relaxed. But it's not gonna happen.
Oddly, I still don't feel like I'm a runner. I'm much more the tortoise than the hare. Still feel like a plodding old man whenever I'm out running and I still hate actually leaving the house in the morning to go run. I thought by now I'd love running but I don't think that's ever going to happen. I'm also disappointed by the fact that I haven't really lost all that much weight. I've lost about 8 pounds but I really thought I'd lose more than that. I feel better and my clothes fit better but I really thought there'd be more of a change. I still feel like the same fat guy at 50 that I was at 49.
I really can't wait until this is over.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
23 miles - done!
Well, I made it through 23 miles. I erred on the side of caution and didn't want to risk getting hurt. I got to 20 miles and was feeling like crap so my friend Rebekka (whose knee was hurting) and I decided to walk the last three miles. But we still crossed the finish line. So I know now I can definitely get through 20 miles and if I have to, I can walk the last six in Honolulu.
Of course I'm kicking myself for quitting at 20 and walking the rest of the way but I guess that's my ego talking. The good thing is I woke up the next morning and felt no pain at all. I was a little stiff (naturally) but once I got moving and stretched I felt great. No lingering pain or anything from the pulled hamstring. And I felt great after both of the runs I've done this week since then. Looks like the hamstring is completely healed so walking was probably the right choice. But there's still part of me that feels like I failed. I have to keep telling myself that the only thing that matters is crossing that finish line in Honolulu, regardless of how long it takes. I just have to cross that line and then have a mai tai.
It was really cool getting to the end of 23 miles on Saturday. They set up a finish line at the end with balloons and a ribbon that you broke through at the end and they gave us all medallions. This is the last long run we're doing until the marathon (the next three weeks are just short 8-mile recovery runs) and the organizers from APLA really made a big deal out of it. We all brought food and had a celebratory lunch afterwards. It was quite special.
Here's what I looked like after 23 miles (notice the salt stains on my shirt and hat).
Next stop: Honolulu.
Of course I'm kicking myself for quitting at 20 and walking the rest of the way but I guess that's my ego talking. The good thing is I woke up the next morning and felt no pain at all. I was a little stiff (naturally) but once I got moving and stretched I felt great. No lingering pain or anything from the pulled hamstring. And I felt great after both of the runs I've done this week since then. Looks like the hamstring is completely healed so walking was probably the right choice. But there's still part of me that feels like I failed. I have to keep telling myself that the only thing that matters is crossing that finish line in Honolulu, regardless of how long it takes. I just have to cross that line and then have a mai tai.
It was really cool getting to the end of 23 miles on Saturday. They set up a finish line at the end with balloons and a ribbon that you broke through at the end and they gave us all medallions. This is the last long run we're doing until the marathon (the next three weeks are just short 8-mile recovery runs) and the organizers from APLA really made a big deal out of it. We all brought food and had a celebratory lunch afterwards. It was quite special.
Here's what I looked like after 23 miles (notice the salt stains on my shirt and hat).
Next stop: Honolulu.
Friday, November 12, 2010
I guess I'm lazy
I don't know how people keep up blogs regularly. I just realized I haven't updated this blog in almost two months. Since that time, I've recovered from my hamstring injury, run 20 miles, adopted a dog and been cast in a play.
So tomorrow morning is the 23-mile run. I'm feeling pretty good but still filled with trepidation about it. I worry most about reinjuring my hamstring. I've been stretching it regularly and haven't had any pain in about three weeks but 23 miles is still 23 miles. I don't mind soreness and stiffness - that's natural. But out-and-out pain is another story. The woman I went to for physical therapy suggested I skip the 23-miler - her attitude was "if you can do 20, you can do 26. Why risk injuring yourself at this point?" I see her point, but I need the confidence boost of completing the last long-distance hurdle before the actual marathon. After this we taper off our long runs so the next long run will be the Marathon itself. I'm going to be cautious tomorrow and if there's any sign of trouble, I'll stop running. I still have a month to go before the Marathon so if there's any sign of injury tomorrow I'll just stop and and err on the side of caution. By the way, here's a picture of me at the finish line at 20 miles.
So I mentioned we adopted a dog. We made the mistake of driving past a mobile adoption fair (the East Valley Animal Shelter) and we stopped. We've been wanting to get a second dog ever since our boy Clive died two years ago but Stella, our temperamental girl dog, is not a very dog-friendly dog. In fact, she's pretty much a (rhymes with witch) around other dogs. But I met this dog at the adoption fair and he was older (we'd have to get a male if we were going to adopt because there is no way Stella would put up with a female) and very sweet so his volunteer handler suggested we go get Stella and bring her back so she could meet him on neutral turf. So we did and it took a while but eventually she got to the point where she was walking with him and sniffing him (at first she went after him and snapped at him as she is wont to do when confronted with another dog) and then we worked with a volunteer dog trainer for a half-hour and Stella did great. Of course when we brought the new dog home and she was on her turf, she went after him and scared the crap out of him but after a couple of times he said "Alright, I've had enough of this" and went right back at her and like any bully, she stopped when she was confronted and then looked to me for support. So now it's three weeks later and while they're not best friends, they're squaring off much less and occasionally lick each other's faces (maybe they're tasting each other for the kill) so it looks like things are working out. It's nice having two dogs again and it's especially cool being greeted by both of them when we come home.
By the way, I mentioned he was older: when the shelter sent us his paperwork from when they got him (he was a stray), they listed his condition as "geriatric." Perfect dog for me - we sit on the couch and complain about our ailments. The vet said his hips are a little arthritic but he has his spry moments. He's mostly cattle dog and he likes to run after me in the back yard and herd me. He slaps at my feet with his paws to get me going in the direction he wants. It's pretty damn cute. We named him Ozzie. The shelter was calling him Ike but my wife didn't like that name because it made her think of Ike Turner. I kept calling him by different names with no response but when I said "Hey Ozzie" his ears perked up and he looked at me with his tail wagging so he became Ozzie. This is Ozzie.
And this is Stella (she doesn't like being left out).
Stella doesn't like sprinklers.
So tomorrow morning is the 23-mile run. I'm feeling pretty good but still filled with trepidation about it. I worry most about reinjuring my hamstring. I've been stretching it regularly and haven't had any pain in about three weeks but 23 miles is still 23 miles. I don't mind soreness and stiffness - that's natural. But out-and-out pain is another story. The woman I went to for physical therapy suggested I skip the 23-miler - her attitude was "if you can do 20, you can do 26. Why risk injuring yourself at this point?" I see her point, but I need the confidence boost of completing the last long-distance hurdle before the actual marathon. After this we taper off our long runs so the next long run will be the Marathon itself. I'm going to be cautious tomorrow and if there's any sign of trouble, I'll stop running. I still have a month to go before the Marathon so if there's any sign of injury tomorrow I'll just stop and and err on the side of caution. By the way, here's a picture of me at the finish line at 20 miles.
So I mentioned we adopted a dog. We made the mistake of driving past a mobile adoption fair (the East Valley Animal Shelter) and we stopped. We've been wanting to get a second dog ever since our boy Clive died two years ago but Stella, our temperamental girl dog, is not a very dog-friendly dog. In fact, she's pretty much a (rhymes with witch) around other dogs. But I met this dog at the adoption fair and he was older (we'd have to get a male if we were going to adopt because there is no way Stella would put up with a female) and very sweet so his volunteer handler suggested we go get Stella and bring her back so she could meet him on neutral turf. So we did and it took a while but eventually she got to the point where she was walking with him and sniffing him (at first she went after him and snapped at him as she is wont to do when confronted with another dog) and then we worked with a volunteer dog trainer for a half-hour and Stella did great. Of course when we brought the new dog home and she was on her turf, she went after him and scared the crap out of him but after a couple of times he said "Alright, I've had enough of this" and went right back at her and like any bully, she stopped when she was confronted and then looked to me for support. So now it's three weeks later and while they're not best friends, they're squaring off much less and occasionally lick each other's faces (maybe they're tasting each other for the kill) so it looks like things are working out. It's nice having two dogs again and it's especially cool being greeted by both of them when we come home.
By the way, I mentioned he was older: when the shelter sent us his paperwork from when they got him (he was a stray), they listed his condition as "geriatric." Perfect dog for me - we sit on the couch and complain about our ailments. The vet said his hips are a little arthritic but he has his spry moments. He's mostly cattle dog and he likes to run after me in the back yard and herd me. He slaps at my feet with his paws to get me going in the direction he wants. It's pretty damn cute. We named him Ozzie. The shelter was calling him Ike but my wife didn't like that name because it made her think of Ike Turner. I kept calling him by different names with no response but when I said "Hey Ozzie" his ears perked up and he looked at me with his tail wagging so he became Ozzie. This is Ozzie.
And this is Stella (she doesn't like being left out).
Stella doesn't like sprinklers.
I think I'm a little too fixated on my dogs sometimes.
Oh well, wish me luck tomorrow.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
So it turns out I'm injured
I haven't written since I last said I was dreading the 18-miler two Saturdays ago. Well, I made it through but for the last half of the run (9 miles if you don't feel like doing the math), the backs of my legs, especially the left one, were killing me. Every time we had to stop at a traffic light or got to a water stop, I would try and stretch them out and they'd be fine for a couple of minutes but then they'd tighten up again. At one point I thought I'd have to drop out but thankfully, I was able to gut it out. However, afterwards I could barely walk.
Fortunately, there were some people there from LIddy Health Works (they are in West Hollywood and they are fantastic) and they worked with me and showed me some new stretches to do and recommended that I come in for an appointment to stretch out my incredibly stiff hamstrings.
I went in and Gino worked with me and he couldn't believe how tight my legs were. Basically he said if I kept running like that, it was a disaster waiting to happen. The good thing was my knees and the surrounding ligaments and cartilage were in great shape structurally but the tightness in my legs had to be addressed. We worked on some stretches and I made an appointment to come back again.
I stretched a lot during the week and did the 10-miler this past Saturday. Everything went well until the last mile when my left leg stiffened up again. I had to stop twice and stretch it out in order to finish the run. I went back to Gino on Monday and it turns out that in addition to being incredibly tight, I also had a pulled hamstring. Fortunately, as running injuries go, a pulled hamstring is just about the best case scenario. He did some electronic stimulation on my leg and then treated it with ultrasound and man, what a difference! He said I probably wouldn't notice the difference that day but in the morning I'd feel so much better. Well, I felt the difference immediately. He also stressed how much I needed to stretch every day (which I have been doing religiously). I took the next morning off from running (he told me not to run until I woke up without any pain) but this morning I went out for what I thought would be a nice slow 3-mile run and ending up knocking almost two minutes off my best time. I stretched before and after the run. I did stiffen up a little after the run but stretched it out and it feels so much better. I'm going back on Friday for another treatment just to be on the safe side before doing another 10-mile run this Saturday.
I am so relieved because I really was getting worried that I wasn't going to be able to finish this journey. So thank you Liddy Healthworks for taking such good care of me. And they're all Italians from back east (bonus!) so they're really cool people to be around. Plus, a pulled hamstring - it almost makes me sound like an athlete.
One other note: during the 18-mile run we had a musical theatre contest between all the pace groups to keep our minds occupied during the run. I am happy to announce that our group tied for first. Most people don't know this about me but I am a huge muscial theatre queen. I got some seriously odd looks from the people in my pace group with all the answers I was busting out. I think that's what really got me through the run. God I wish I could sing.
Anyway, here's a picture at the finish line of the 10-miler.
This Saturday we're not having a group run so I'm going to be doing 10-miles on my own. Then next week, it's 20 miles. God help us.
As always, please visit my AIDS Marathon Home Page and donate if you haven't already. I'm up to $7,546.19 so thank you for the incredible support.
Till next time.
Bart
Fortunately, there were some people there from LIddy Health Works (they are in West Hollywood and they are fantastic) and they worked with me and showed me some new stretches to do and recommended that I come in for an appointment to stretch out my incredibly stiff hamstrings.
I went in and Gino worked with me and he couldn't believe how tight my legs were. Basically he said if I kept running like that, it was a disaster waiting to happen. The good thing was my knees and the surrounding ligaments and cartilage were in great shape structurally but the tightness in my legs had to be addressed. We worked on some stretches and I made an appointment to come back again.
I stretched a lot during the week and did the 10-miler this past Saturday. Everything went well until the last mile when my left leg stiffened up again. I had to stop twice and stretch it out in order to finish the run. I went back to Gino on Monday and it turns out that in addition to being incredibly tight, I also had a pulled hamstring. Fortunately, as running injuries go, a pulled hamstring is just about the best case scenario. He did some electronic stimulation on my leg and then treated it with ultrasound and man, what a difference! He said I probably wouldn't notice the difference that day but in the morning I'd feel so much better. Well, I felt the difference immediately. He also stressed how much I needed to stretch every day (which I have been doing religiously). I took the next morning off from running (he told me not to run until I woke up without any pain) but this morning I went out for what I thought would be a nice slow 3-mile run and ending up knocking almost two minutes off my best time. I stretched before and after the run. I did stiffen up a little after the run but stretched it out and it feels so much better. I'm going back on Friday for another treatment just to be on the safe side before doing another 10-mile run this Saturday.
I am so relieved because I really was getting worried that I wasn't going to be able to finish this journey. So thank you Liddy Healthworks for taking such good care of me. And they're all Italians from back east (bonus!) so they're really cool people to be around. Plus, a pulled hamstring - it almost makes me sound like an athlete.
One other note: during the 18-mile run we had a musical theatre contest between all the pace groups to keep our minds occupied during the run. I am happy to announce that our group tied for first. Most people don't know this about me but I am a huge muscial theatre queen. I got some seriously odd looks from the people in my pace group with all the answers I was busting out. I think that's what really got me through the run. God I wish I could sing.
Anyway, here's a picture at the finish line of the 10-miler.
This Saturday we're not having a group run so I'm going to be doing 10-miles on my own. Then next week, it's 20 miles. God help us.
As always, please visit my AIDS Marathon Home Page and donate if you haven't already. I'm up to $7,546.19 so thank you for the incredible support.
Till next time.
Bart
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)