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.

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.

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.

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.

I think I'm a little too fixated on my dogs sometimes.

Oh well, wish me luck tomorrow.

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

I am dreading this Saturday

So this Saturday is our 18-mile run.  After the 16-mile run and the way I hit the wall on the hills I am completely dreading this weekend.  According to our coach, 18 miles is the big test - if you can do 18 miles you can do a marathon.  My feeling is if you can do 26 miles, you can do a marathon.  If you do 18, that still means you have 8 miles left.  Oh boo hoo.  I'm just praying I can get through this weekend.   

I feel I'm at least better prepared for this run.  The week before the 16-mile marathon, my calf was bothering me and I only got one maintenance run in that week.  Plus, I was covering for my friend at work so instead of my normal 10am-6pm shift, I was working 6:30am-2:30pm which threw my body clock off completely for the week.  I was constantly tired.  Not to mention the fact that my sister was visiting that week so we spent a lot of time doing some fine dining: so lack of sleep, lack of running and eating richer foods than I usually eat probably had an effect on the 16-mile run.  At least I hope that's what it was.  Either way, I'm not looking forward to this weekend.

Oh, and we have to meet an hour earlier.  Usually we meet at 7am but this week we're meeting at 6.  That is just ungodly.  They decided to move the start time up because of the hellish weather we've been having in Southern California.  On Monday, we had record-breaking temperatures of 113 degrees.  113!  While it hasn't been that hot this week, the temperatures are still going to be in the 90s and dry this weekend so we're going to avoid the heat by starting in the dark.  Maybe I'll get bit by a coyote.  Good times.

I really don't like running.  I just don't.  I keep waiting for that to change but I don't think it ever will.  But I made this commitment and too many people have have been incredibly supportive and generous with their donations so I have to keep at it.  And I can't forget the people I'm really running for.  I have to say I do enjoy the feeling when it's over but that's not so much a feeling of accomplishment as much as it's a feeling of "thank God I survived."  But I'll take my victories any way I can get them.

Wish me luck.  God knows I need it.

16 Miles. Damn Near Killed Me.

So last Saturday, the 11th, we did 16 miles.  I was worried about it and with good reason.

First, I only got in one run during the week.  On Morning night, I did my usual 3.5 mile maintenance run and when I took my first step, something pulled in my left calf.  I did the run (which was probably a mistake) but the rest of the week, it kept cramping up so I decided to rest it and not run anymore until Saturday. 

Friday night, I iced it up and massaged it and stretched it out and by Saturday morning, I felt fine.  And for the first 9.5 miles of the run, I was doing great.  Then we hit the hill.  I started up it fine and then after a couple of minutes, it was like I ran into a brick wall.  I finally just walked it.  The funny thing was, my calf felt great.  But my left knee and hip were bothering me so I just kind of limped up the rest of the way, then started running again on the downhill side.  Then we turned around and guess what - same damn hill - just in the other direction.  And it wasn't any easier the second time.  I had to walk it again.  I ran again on the downhill side and made it through the 16 miles but man, talk about wounded pride.  I felt horrible afterwards.

The good news is I found out I can walk a mile uphill in about 16 minutes.  The bad news is I gotta start incorporating more hills into my solo runs but I live in the San Fernando Valley and it is F-L-A-T.  I gotta figure out some places to run uphill in the mornings.  But at least I made it. 

This week is a recovery run.  Only 8 miles.  Only - never thought I'd ever say that about running.

Here's this week's video.  And if you haven't contributed or you know someone who wants to contribute please go to my AIDS Marathon Home Page and make a donation.  Any amount helps someone in need.

Thanks for all the amazing support.

14 Miles and a Talk I Was Afraid to Give

So on Saturday, we did 14 miles.  I am happy to report that my entire pace group came through it all, a little stiff and sore, but we made it. 

The day was a little difficult for me personally as I was asked to give a little talk in front of everyone before the run by Matthew the Marathon Program Manager for AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA).  I had been asked earlier to write down why I was running this Marathon and Matthew read that and asked me if I would talk based on what I wrote.  In addition, the run was dedicated to the memory of my first wife, Jo-Ann, who died on July 18, 1992. 

This is what I wrote:

I am participating in this program mainly for two reasons - one, I just turned 50 and wanted to celebrate it by doing something meaningful that I've never done before and two because of the profound impact AIDS has had on my life.

In February of 1989, my first wife, Jo-Ann, was diagnosed with what was then called ARC or AIDS-Related Complex (they don't use that term anymore). At that time, I was a conservative Republican acolyte of Ronald Reagan who didn't give a damn about the AIDS epidemic because frankly, AIDS didn't happen to people like me; it only affected junkies and homosexuals and I didn't have anything to do with either of those groups. Like my idol Ronnie, I preferred to pretend it didn't exist. So when my wife was diagnosed, it was a total shock. And by the time she died on July 18, 1992, everything I had ever thought about my life and the direction it would take and my attitudes towards other people were completely turned inside out.

I used to think I was going to live the typical suburban life and move up the corporate ladder, raise more Republicans and be the same ignorant jackass I had been up until that point. AIDS changed all that. Once you start spending days upon weeks upon months in hospital rooms and AIDS wards with other victims of this disease and their families, you have to change—I don't see how you can't. I became a much more compassionate person—a much better man than I had any expectation of ever being. And I learned one very important lesson—life is short; follow your passion. I never would have been able to leave the life I was living to pursue a life in the arts as an actor and standup comic. What Jo-Ann went through gave me the courage to pursue what I really wanted in life.

So as I look back on a half-century and reflect on all the things that I was able to do over the last 18 years that she never got a chance to do, I realized I needed to do something to celebrate how far I've come as a person and to serve as a reminder that even though AIDS is not a part of my daily existence anymore, it is still out there. I can't ignore it like I did 20 years ago just because it isn't happening to me.

So I'm running - to fight AIDS…

And to fight the ignorance that used to live in me.

The talk was based mainly on what I wrote, but it's so much easier to write than talk.  Still, I'm glad Matthew asked me to talk and I'm glad I did it.  And it was nice to tell my stepdaughter Dina that the run was being dedicated to her mother. 

The run was the easy part. 
 

Costume Run

So Saturday was a costume run.  In order to raise money, people did the 6-mile recovery run in costume.  Not everyone was in costume, for example, me.  Number one, I completely forgot about it but mainly, thanks to the generosity and support of my friends I had already surpassed my fundraising goal - by a lot.  Just another reason to thank you all even more for your donations.  I've never been a costume person - I don't even dress up on Halloween - I guess it's just the curmudgeon in me.  Still, it was a very fun run and some of the costumes were amazing.  One of the members in my pace group, Tyrell, wore a marching band uniform, complete with plumed hat and it was hot out.  I don't know how he did it.  I forgot my video camera so did not get any film of the runners in their costums but I grabbed my phone at the end and snapped a few quick pictures.  Unfortunately, Tyrell left before I could get a picture of him.  But here are a few - my favorite is my friend Selma, rocking her Tina Turner look.

Enjoy.  And please visit my AIDS Marathon Donation Page.  I'm only $45 from $7,000!  How cool is that? 

Next week - 14 miles!!

12 Miles!

12 miles today.  But first a shout-out to the two greatest products ever invented.

So today did not start out well.  I seriously need to get a more reliable alarm than the one on my phone.  The alarm went off at 5:15am as planned and I hit snooze and relaxed and waited for it to go off again in 5 minutes.  The next thing I hear is my wife saying, "Honey, don't you have to get going?" and of course I did the same thing I do whenever somebody tells me what to do - I got annoyed.  Then I looked at the clock.  6:10!  What the f**k?  I have 20 minutes to get ready - 25 if I stretch it - so I shotgun two cups of coffee and start walking around, praying that I can coax a bowel movement out before I leave because God forbid I have to go 12 miles without one.  I'll spare you the details - just suffice to say that all went well. 

So I got out of the house at 6:37 - 23 minutes should be plenty of time to make it to Griffith Park and I'm driving when all of a sudden the low tire pressure light goes off on my dashboard.  The last time this happened I had a completely blown tire so I'm praying, "Please God, not now" and I pull into a parking lot shifting into Darren McGavin mode from A Christmas Story saying out loud to no one in particular "Four minutes.  Time me."  I get out of the car, check each tire - no flat tire.  None of them even seemed low.  So I hop back in the car figuring I'll just take it easy in case something is actually wrong but the next thing I know I'm doing 80 on the 101 figuring screw it, if it blows, it blows.  Thankfully, I made it to Griffith Park in time to loosen up a little and listen to the pre-run announcements.  And have some Gu, since all I ate was two Trader Joe's Gingeroos which I grabbed as I ran out of the house.

Then it was off to do 12 miles.  My role today was what we call the DD - the Designated Driver - which means if someone falls behind or gets hurt I have to get them to the next water station where they can be taken care of.  We had a couple of new runners who just moved up into our pace group this week so I kind of hung back with them (two of them were doing a recovery run from the San Francisco Marathon so they were just doing 8 miles) and then after a while, one of our runners was starting to having sciatica pain which had caused her to drop out of the 10-mile run a couple of weeks ago.  I stayed back with her and we lagged a little (but not much) behind the rest of the group and I don't know how, but she gutted it out while I kept calling off the mile markers and we made it - three minutes at a time.  I was so impressed by her.  Then we got towards the finish line and one of our new members was having a lot of pain in her knee so she wisely decided to walk it in.  I walked with her for a little bit and as we got close to the finish line, I ran and caught up to the rest of my group and crossed the finish line with them and then walked back out to her so that she wouldn't have to cross the finish line alone.  I'd have to say our group did pretty awesome.  I was proud of all of us. 

Of course it was a sobering realization that damn, this isn't even half a marathon.  But still, 12 miles!  I've never done that before.

Came home, took a nap and iced both knees and ankles as a precaution.  I also learned another valuable lesson today - toenails - clip 'em!  Toe pain is not fun.

Don't forget to check out my AIDS Marathon Home Page.  $6,430.69 and counting.  Thanks to all who contributed.

Until next time,
Bart

Revisiting New Year's Resolutions

This is not an entry about the marathon but I had started a blog earlier this year that no one ever read (including me) and at the beginning of the year I made some New Year's resolutions.  So now I'm going to check in and see how I'm doing. 


Note:  I have left the original resolutions alone and put the updates in bold.

Posted on January 12, 2010

I kind of like this - writing for no one and sending it out to nothingness. The largeness of my anonymity is astounding.


I've been making resolutions this year but since I haven't written any of them down, they remain ethereal and therefore not subject to being kept. It's time to buckle down and write down all the things I will try to live up to this year - some are mundane and can be easily measured; others carry a more moral weight and are therefore far less easy to quantify.


1. Flossing. It's something I hate doing. Hate. It. With a passion. Don't get me wrong - I brush regularly and frequently. But flossing? No. I only do it in the few days leading up to my next cleaning. I have not scheduled a cleaning in about six months and therefore have not flossed. Odds of keeping this resolution - slim.  Update:  I actually started flossing regularly a couple of weeks ago.  Alas, it only lasted a week.  Oh well.  Still, I'd give myself a C on this one.


2. Continue to not smoke. I quit smoking June 11, 2002. Cold turkey. That's 7 years, seven months and one day. So making a resolution after all that time to continue to not smoke seems like an easy one. You would think. You would be wrong. The other day - for no reason at all I craved a cigarette. Absolutely had to have one. It came out of nowhere. And it went away as quickly as it came. But the suddenness of it was almost overpowering and I could see myself lighting up and thoroughly enjoying it. I feel confident I will be able to keep this resolution but you never know.  Update:  On June 11th, I celebrated my 8th year without a cigarette.  Grade:  A+


3. Stop biting nails. I make this one every year. Every year I fail. It would be a lot easier if I were actually conscious of the fact that I was biting them. But I'm not. I'll be watching TV and will suddenly realize, hey I've been chewing on this thumbnail for the last ten minutes. You'd think I'd appreciate my nails more. About 15 years ago I had a fungal infection and lost all my fingernails. I used to hide my hands from view. I had no health insurance but managed to get access to some prescription anti-fungal medication and everything cleared up. For six months I was so concious of my fingernails - I was so proud when I actually was able to get a manicure. Now, I barely remember the embarrassment of how awful my hands looked. Odds of me keeping this resolution: 50/50.  Update:  I had to stop biting the nail on my ring finger long enough to give myself an F on this one.


4. Respond to emails more quickly. This is a tough one. I will keep emails in my inbox, meaning to get back to them right away and then I'll look up and realize it's been sitting in my inbox for 8 months. So far this year, I've been sticking to this one. But it's hard. Odds of keeping this resolution: 60/40 in favor.  Update:  I found the best way to handle this.  I just delete the emails.  Grade:  B


5. Walk the dog more. It's good for both of us. So far this year, I've walked the dog four times in 12 days. Not an auspicious start but a start nonetheless.  Update:  Since I started training for the Marathon I've been taking the dog on brisk 45 minute walks on the days I don't run.  It's been great for both of us.  Grade:  A-
Note:  instead of "I've been taking the dog" I originally typed "I've been doing the dog."  That is disturbing on so many levels.


6. Learn a foreign language. My cousin just visited from Italy. Between her English and my limited Italian, along with some Spanish that we both knew we were able to converse but it would be nice to be fluent in the language of my ancestors. Odds of sticking to this one: yeah, right.  Update:  Ha!


7. Stop living in the past. I spend a lot of time wondering about the what-ifs and the why didn't I's. It's not helpful. Also can't be helped. Don't know how measureable this one is. Don't even know why I bothered putting it on there. If I give up living in the past, I'll have to find completely new things to hate about myself. I'm too old for that. Odds of keeping this resolution: about the same as having a public option.  Update:  Seriously, why bother even evaluating this one.  The mind goes where the mind goes.  Grade:  Incomplete


8. This one was really personal since I was blogging anonymously and figured no one would read it anyway.  So I took it off since this one was just for me.  But in case you're wondering, I give myself a B-.


9. Not take my friends for granted. This is tied into the responding to emails resolution. I really do want to maintain closer ties to the people I care about. I don't mean to let 10 months go by before I make plans to have coffee with a good friend. Of course, they could be more proactive about keeping in touch with me too. What the fuck is wrong with them? You know what, this resolution is stupid - take it off the list.  Update:  I have never appreciated my friends more since I started raising money for the marathon.  Over $5,500 so far.  I have wonderful friends.


10. I don't have a 10th resolution. Oh wait, I do - continue to lose weight. I lost 24 pounds last year. I gained five back during the holiday season but have cut two of those already for a net loss of 21 pounds. I want to lose at least 25 more this year. My problem is I get impatient and when I don't lose I get depressed and frustrated and when I get depressed and frustrated I eat which leads to weight gain which leads to more depression and more frustration which leads to more eating which leads to more weight gain which leads to . . . I think the key here is not to get depressed and frustrated which of course means, yep, drugs.  Update:  I have not lost any weight since I started running which is kind of disappointing.  But I feel so much better and my clothes fit better.  So the weight is still there but it just looks different.  Weird.


That's a lot for one year. Wish me luck no one. I really like having you to talk to.

Double digits!

So this past Saturday, the 31st, we did 10 miles.  I've never done anything near that distance before so I was a little worried.  But with the 3:1 run/walk ratio that we use, I was able to make it and enjoy it at the same time (well, not really enjoy, more like I didn't hate it).  I've started to incorporate the walk breaks into my solo runs during the week and my time has actually improved on those 3.5 mile runs.  I think I should address everything in life in 3-minute increments.

It's interesting to me that some people seem to think that this is easy to do.  Yes, the one minute walk breaks help to preserve energy and provide recovery time during the run, but by no means is it easy.  What's funny is that the people who say to me, "oh that doesn't sound hard," or "I'm sure I could walk a 13 minute mile for 26 miles" are the ones who aren't actually doing anything.  Except talking.  Which is what most people are good at.  I'm not in this to break records.  I'm in this to finish and raise money to fight AIDS.  And I've raised over $5,500 right now.  So for anyone who thinks it's easy, come on out and join me.  And raise some money.  Otherwise, shut the front door!

For this week's run, our usual coach, Scott, was on vacation.  So we had Biff, who was gracious enough to take time off from Death of a Salesman and fill in for him.  Thankfully, he plotted out a nice flat course through the streets of Burbank.  The only drawback was that there was no shade at all but we were fortunate as the sun did not come out until we hit the 8-mile mark so only the last two miles were in a blazing sun.  This was a nice bit of luck that will probably not continue over the rest of the summer. 

Another note about how "easy" this is.  We started with six runners in our group - by the end we were done to three.  Our pace group leader had been having back spasms and gamely tried to work through them but wisely decided to stop.  Another person was having sciatica pain and tried to work through it before she made the correct decision to stop and then Melissa's knee locked up just after the 5-mile mark and she started having intense pain in her knee.  She tried to run through it but we made her stop.  So there were just three of us at the end. 

Anyway, now that I've addressed my pet peeve, let's move onto this weeks' boring video (yes, I brought my camera).  As always, please visit my AIDS Marathon Home Page and donate if you haven't already.  Thanks.

Till next time.  This Saturday we're dropping down to 5 miles.  Wow, should be easy.   Sorry.   My therapist says I need to work on my sarcasm.

So That's What a Second Wind Feels Like

I have never been overly athletic.  As a kid I played all the requisite sports with my friends and I was a pretty decent baseball player back then.  But I was never a fitness buff.  When I was in basic training in 1982, I ran every morning but I never got used to it and each run was a struggle - the only thing that kept me going was the sheer embarrassment of dropping out of the run and then having the whole platoon turn around to pick me up.  I hated it so much that when we took our final physical fitness test I was the last guy to finish in the 2-mile run with a time of 14:47.  Fortunately, you had to beat 17:55 to pass the test so I passed.  But I hated every step and huffed and puffed in protest the whole way.

So this Saturday, when I woke up at 5:15 to get ready to go to Griffith Park (and by getting ready I mean 2 cups of coffee, a banana, a power bar and of course, a constitutional) I was in no mood to do an 8-mile run (Note: I say "run" even though we don't run the entire time - we are on a run 3-minutes, walk 1-minute cycle).  And sure enough, Saturday's run was all about hills to get us ready for Diamond Head in Honolulu.  So the first two miles were uphill.  And it was not pleasant.  I did not think I was going to make it but again, I was motivated by embarrassment.  And after two miles, I thought, this is it, there is no way I am ever going to do this.  How the hell am I ever going to finish a marathon when I am spent after two miles?

And then a funny thing happened.  Around the 3-mile mark, I suddenly started to feel good.  I never experienced that before (the fact that we were no longer going uphill helped).  And I think it was a group feeling too because instead of the 13:00 minute pace we were supposed to run we did mile 4 in just over 10 minutes.  It was great.  I'm not saying I got the "runner's high" which I've heard about and never came close to experiencing but I felt good.  Like "Hey, I can do this" good.  At one point, I even got a little ahead of the group because that's how good I was feeling.  I sure hope that keeps up for next week's 10-miler. 

And by the way, my new shoes were awesome.  I didn't experience any pain at all during or after the run.  And today, my feet don't hurt (my thighs and calves are a little sore but the balls of me feet are fine).  So that was some of the best money I've ever spent. 

No video this week.  I was too busy focusing on carrying my foods/gels but next week I will bring the camera because I know the 3 of you who actually read this are dying for more video.  Instead today we will talk about energy food.

This week, I tried Gu.  Gu is a high carbohydrate energy gel that comes in a plastic pack and delivers high-quality and easily digested energy while replacing fuel burned up during the run.  It comes in various flavors and is lightweight and easy to carry and is surprisingly not untasty.  This is Gu:

Personally, I like the Strawberry-Banana.

Another nutritional item is Clif Shot Blocks.  Also designed to provide energy and replace your body's fuel.  They taste like Gummy Bears and who doesn't like gummy bears.  I'm partial to the grape ones.

3 shot blocks is one serving.  Every 45 minutes, I have either one Gu packet or 3 shot blocks with water to keep up the energy and put back some fuel and calories.

I like Gu.  I love shot blocks.  And Gatorade.  I carry all this and water on my "hydration belt."  This is what my hydration belt looks like. 

But here is the most important thing I use.

Appliy liberally before the run in those "sensitive" areas (don't forget the nipples). 
Note:  don't share your Body Glide with anyone.  That would be gross.

Please visit my AIDS Marathon Home Page and donate.  I've already made my goal of raising $5,000 for AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) but why stop now?  This disease is not going away anytime soon so please help.  If you've already donated, thank you so much.  Maybe you can pass it on to someone else who would like to donate.

Thanks again.

Bart

Damn, it was hot yesterday.

No video this week.  Figured I needed to concentrate on running and besides that, I forgot the camera.  Oh well.

So yesterday we did seven miles.  And it was hot.  Real hot.  Thank God we run at 7:00 am because at 3:20pm yesterday, this was the reading on the thermometer in my wife's car.

 Yep, 107 degrees in the Valley yesterday afternoon.  (My wife said it was hotter than a bull's ass.  She's odd.)  Obviously it wasn't that hot yesterday morning or else I wouldn't be here today but it was on its way and the sun was just beating down.  And there was no peanut butter and pickles this week.  I'm not sure if I can run without them anymore.

Anyway, around the 5-mile mark, the ball of my right foot started hurting.  A lot.  It felt like there was a pebble in my shoe right under the second toe every time my foot came down.  I thought it might be because of my sock but no, the sock was fine.  So I just kept going with it and by the time I finished it was really hurting.  A lot.  Both the bottom of my foot and the top of my toe.  I went home and iced it for about an hour and that helped a little. 

The real culprit was the shoe.  I had bought a pair of lower-end New Balance that were very comfortable and fit my wide foot nicely and on the short 3.5 mile runs I do by myself, they were great.  But on longer runs, not so much.  Our running coach kept talking about how you really need to be fitted for a proper pair of running shoes but I was hoping to put that off a while again.  But my foot was telling me that now was the time.  So I went to the best running store in LA, A Runner's Circle, where they evaluated how I walk (I pronate - which I think is Latin for "your shoes are wrong") and I got fitted for a really nice pair of NewBalance.  The second I put them on I felt the difference.  I took my first step and felt no pain in my foot at all.  So I guess the lesson is, don't look for bargains in running shoes.  You gotta take care of your feet.

The second lesson is avoid chafing.  I bought some Body Glide yesterday.  Because a grown man should not walk around looking like he has a load in his pants.  But that's a story for another day.

Once again, here is the link to my AIDS Marathon Home Page.  If you know anybody who is looking for a tax donation for a really worthy cause, please send them there.  And thanks again for the amazing support.

Bart

I made my goal.

I went over my fundraising goal!  I wanted to raise $5,000 for the AIDS Marathon and I'm currently at $5,262.19.  That is pretty awesome.  The amount of support I've received as I attempt this thing has been amazing and I cannot even begin to express my gratitude to everyone who has given.  Just because I hit my goal doesn't mean I'm going to stop but it is nice to not have to worry about that part of the marathon.  I'm going to take some time off from raising money right now to focus more on the training.  I'm about to go running in a few minutes.

This past weekend we did six miles.  I've moved into the 13:00 per minute pace group as once again, no one showed up to lead the 13:30 group.  I'm going to stick with the new group.  I liked that pace and I liked the people in it.  Although I think people may be getting annoyed with me and my camera.

Here's this week's video and again here is the link to my AIDS Marathon Home Page  This Saturday - seven miles! 

The Morning After

So last night I did my usual 3.5 mile run.  The way the training is set up (and APLA has a whole training program that is designed to get you through the Marathon - it's quite excellent) is that you run twice a week on your own for 30-45 minutes and then do your longer runs on Saturday with your pace group (more about pace groups later).  I've been doing my solo runs at night this week.  However, I really need to get back to running in the mornings but since I got back from New York I've been finding it so hard to get up.  I think my body clock is rebelling.  Or I'm just a lazy ass - the jury's still out. 

On Saturday, our coach, Scott, talked about good foods to eat before running.  Peanut butter was one of the foods as was bananas.  So I figured - hey why not have a peanut butter and banana sandwich before running last night.  Big mistake.  I felt like a bloated sloth.  Or Karl Rove.  Either way - uncomfortable.  I managed to complete the run but even now I still have that not-so-fresh feeling in my tummy.  So, lesson learned. 

A note about pace groups.  On our first training day, we did a timed 3-mile run to determine our level of ability.  Then we were grouped with other people at the same level.  This is your pace group and you train with them for the entire training period.  Our group is supposed to average 13:30 a mile and we train at a 3:1 ratio, which means we run 3 minutes and then walk for one minute.  It sounds easy and for five miles it wasn't very challenging.  But that's the whole point -- to slowly build up endurance for the longer runs that we'll be doing.  They don't want us to be exhausted after the training runs but to still have energy left over.  And supposedly, we'll be very grateful for this ratio once they start introducing hills into the training runs.  After all, none of us are world-class runners - we're not going there to break any records - we want to finish the marathon and not get hurt in the process.   And to have fun at the same time.  But during my solo runs I don't walk at all and I generally average around 13:00 minutes/mile so part of me would like to see how far I can actually go without walking; however, the other part of me is saying "Dude*, you're fat and 50.  Don't get ahead of yourself."

* I address people as "Dude" a lot.  This is a clear sign that I have been in LA way too long.  Dude.

So I guess I'm grateful for the moderate 3:1 ratio right now as it will hopefully allow me to make it through the longer runs without collapsing.  I'm of two minds about actually running 26.2 miles - either I'll finish the marathon and feel an amazing sense of accomplishment or I'll die in Hawaii.  Pretty much a win-win either way.

Check out my AIDS Marathon Home Page and please give what you can.

Till next time.

Bart

I decided to run my first marathon at 50

I turned 50 on June 21st and I wanted to do something special to commemorate it.  So I decided I should run a marathon.  Why not?  I'm fat and I hate running - it makes perfect sense.  But like I said, I'm 50 now - I wanted to do something meaningful so I signed up to run the AIDS Marathon in Honolulu this December and I'm training with and raising money for AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA).  I've made it a personal goal to raise $5,000 to help in the fight against AIDS and I've decided to keep a video blog of my progress (and to prove to anyone who pledged money that I am actually out there training for this thing).

Supporting APLA has special meaning to me.  I lost my first wife, Jo-Ann, to AIDS in 1992.  When she was first diagnosed in 1989, I was living a completely different life than the life I have now.  I was working in the aerospace industry in Long Island, I was a Reagan Republican and I had just completed a 6 1/2 year stint in the Army Reserves.  I figured I would live a typical suburban life and move up the company ladder and have a few Republican kids along the way. 
Then Jo-Ann got sick.  Needless to say, a lot of things changed.  I'm not going to go into a lot of details but let's just say my whole perspective on life changed after that.  I took home one lesson - life is short.  You have to do what you want.  I wanted to be an actor (and later a standup comic).  So that's what I became.  And now I live in Los Angeles.  And I'm a liberal.  And I have a wonderful wife, Alisa, who is amazingly supportive of this endeavor.  And as I hit the half-century mark, I guess it's natural to reflect back on the things I've been able to do that Jo-Ann and many others like her never had a chance to do.  So I'm running the AIDS Marathon to celebrate having made it this far and to honor those who never got to pursue their dreams in life.  And I hope you can support me.

Every Saturday, I'm running in Griffith Park with a group of amazing people who are running the AIDS Marathon and raising money in the fight against AIDS.  I made my first video this past Saturday, July 3rd.  I'm new at this so it may be kind of boring - but hey, it proves I was out there.  Hopefully, the blogs will get better.

Here is the link to my AIDS Marathon Home Page if you wish to donate:

And here is my first video: