Sunday, November 25, 2007

my favorite bike



Workout

Had a run today. Dec 2007 will be all about speed. I will run fast not long. I will also ride for 5 to 10 miles per workout. will also lift.

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Turkey Day

Had a good workout today. Hit the Bike, lifted and did Yoga X. I did alot of core training.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

vacation training jump start

i went on vacation 11/10/07 ....this was a great jump start for my training. I Ran, Biked, Lifted, Stair stepped, step class, abs class, and two spinning classes. worked out every day 11/10-11/20. I am going to keep it going. I have don alot of reading on Tri training and iam looking for a Tri or two to singup for, I will keep yoy postre!

Sunday, November 4, 2007

Did it for those that can't!


Ran with TNT (Team In Training) for raise money for those that cant, so one day they can! The Maryland Fall TNT group raised over 800,000 as of 11-1-2007. Donations still coming in. Thanks to all that supported me! You should be Proud that you stepped up and made a DIFFERENCE!!!!!!!!!!

10-19-07 Going to Doctor

Well I did go to the Doctor before the Baltimore Marathon because I new what he would have said "You cant Run!". So I went the Friday after the Marathon Oct 19,20007. Well here is the deal....I don't have shin splints I have a Stress Fracture...not one but two. Good thing I did not go before the Marathon. OK I am out for the next 4 weeks then back to the TRAINING for my GOAL of 2 Marathons and 4-5 Triathlons in 2008. I am HOOKED!

How It sarted - my 2nd Marathon

My Marathon/TNT Blog

I would have to say it all started in 2002 when my work "Schaefer and Strohminger" was conducting touchy feely training. You know personal development, employee development, just people stuff in general. It started for me with a few sessions with a company call Pacific Institute. Pacific made some very strong impression on me ( I still listen to the CDs…even used may of the things I learned on my Kids, don’t tell them or they will quite drinking the coolaid. Just kidding) Well two things we did that stuck with me like glue were: 1) we have to write five things that we wanted to accomplish over the next several years. One on mine, right behind FAMILY and work was to run a marathon. I cant even tell you why? It is something I always have said in just. I did not even run much, just enough to stay in shape for indoor soccer, and softball, around for a long life with my kids. I really think it the fact Pacific slowed my life down for 4 or 5 days for me to reflect and think a bout were I had been, were I am at, and were I want to go. A MARATHON that’s it I want to run one before I …well you know. So I wrote it on the 3x5 index card ( I still have it). 2) We each had to write our name on top of 3x5 index card, that was passed around the room. Each of your team members have to write what you were to them. The owner of my company wrote "Change Agent" on my card. That was pretty cool but I had no idea that it come into play with the Marathon today.

Ok back to the marathon. I 2005 I went to the doctor for a blood test, to check all the #s including cholesterol. For some reason my wife was raising my insurance ( I still watch my back). Well everything came back perfect but the cholesterol. WOW, apparently one to may cheese steak subs, a day!!! The Doc was ready to write a prescription…if you know me I don’t go to the Doctor or take medice…especially long term meds. So we work out a deal, I am in the car business. Here's the deal…eat right, cut out fat and cholesterol and raise the intensity of my exercise. So I did and I started running. I grew to like it and decide its time to run my Marathon. I completed my first marathon in 2006 "The Baltimore Marathon" with a time of 3:47, I was hooked. I have played team sports all my life and this marathon was the most self fulfilling thing I had ever did. It was also one the most touching HUMAN interactions that I had ever seen in my life from TOTAL STRANGERS, 12,000+ of them last. ( if you can run one or at least a half, all you have to do is train, start slow, walk!) I had people cheering for me and others from the side of the road, signs, hundreds of volunteers, not to mention the fact that close half on Baltimore for 7 hrs for MY BIG DAY! Runner's while passing others would give words of encouragement to those slower or fading. I saw and young man, 20 something, come form the left side of the road, Thur the crowed to the extreme right side of the read to put this hand on the shoulder of a struggling 60+ old man. He have him a few words of encouragement the man picked up his pace from almost walk to and nice jog. That was powerful and that’s one reasons am HOOKED.

Almost to my point and where You come in ….Keep reading.

Time to plan the 2007 Marathon. I set a GOAL of 3:15 for this on. Hey I have to improve, right? If 3:47 was the first and I have learned so muck on training and now have the experience of one I have to ROCK a better time! I went to work. RUN, RUN, RUN, RUN . You know that not it, one of the other things I had on my 3x5 index card was to do what I can to help others. I can thank my wife "Mary" for this one. Man is she a giving person. Volunteered in the burn unit when she was 16, quit a corporate Trainer job (great pay and gussy hours, I was ..anyway) to go back to school to become an RN to, you got it, help people. Did I mention we had when we had two kids, Mariah one and Ashley eight. That was tough, and we could not have done it without my mom! Over the years Mary got me involved in sponsoring families and kids for Christmas. It really makes them and ME feel good so I now do allot of that kind of stuff. I am starting to feel like Earl, "My Name Is Earl" Earl. He has all the things he has to do written (people he did wrong and is now out to right them..pretty funny TV show) down and goes thur them on by one. So back to my list, how can I knock two to GOALs out at once! The answer was, Join TNT, Run and Raise money for a good cause. That’s the plan and were, as you know you come in. I told you I was getting there, we are so close!!!! As I said earlier, I was in training mode. I am felling like and Iron man, well less the fact I have not completed the 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and the marathon run- 26.2 miles run at the end, other that those few details I am and IRON MAN, hey why not? Just so you know thanks to my Co-worker/Team member Kris, the Iron man is now on my list to do. He threw down the gantlet one day by saying "if you did an Iron man I would be impressed!" I made him write it down and I carry it with me everyday in my to-do folder.

I spent my summer, training. Many miles every week and four 20 mile runs at a time of 2:32 - 2:43 in non race atmospheres. You always go faster in a race due to competition and adrenaline. I got this 26.2 miles at 3:15, at least I thought I did. On Sept 8th I did something to my shin. I thought it was a shin splint. For you that don’t know, shin splints are tears in the muscles where they connect to the shins. They can take three weeks - Six months to heal. I knew it would heal, I never get down with an injury or illness. I did take a lay off. I did not run form the Sept. 8th to the 22nd. I did two long bike rides to keep the legs active and to try not to do any further damage. So with the lay off over I had TNT schedule run of 20 miles, the long run before your marathon. The training pros say you only have to run 20 miles once a few week before you marathon. I did the run and it was the shin pain was pretty bad. . But lees than the last run on the the 8th. The run was on the NCR trail so the ground was much softer that the road. I have to run to see if I was going to be able to run the marathon and what to expect In doing so. Ok, no more running till the big day, I tried but just could not pull it off , but I did get a few rides in. I iced it an wrapped it and hoped for the best. Remember I don’t go to the doctor. Beside it did get better the first two weeks I rested it. I will be fine. I could even go down the steps the week before the event with out much pain…I am there, YES!

Now for what you all have been reading for! My life lesson and your part in it.

Race day is here! I am up at 5am ready to roll. I arrive at Raven Stadium at around 7am - one hour before race time. I am ready, hey the leg is feeling better and I am on my game mentally and have every intention of hitting my GOAL…3:15!. I all jacked on Ibuprofen from the past two days and have been rubbing the leg with topical muscle penetrating pain relief cream since 5am. I put the last bit on at 7:45, 15 minuets before the race. If your wondering how I did that, I tool it in a zip lock bag, zip lock not just for sandwiches!!! Now its 8am and the race is on….I feeling good and do the first 13 miles at 1:43. all is well, I little pain now and then but it seams to have gotten better the more I ran. They the unexpected right a round mile 18 it felt like my shin exploded. I had to slow down, now really favoring my right leg. I had to reduced the force that my right foot struck the ground with. In doing that it took a major compensation by the left leg and at about mile 21/22 my left calf started cramping to the point it just locked up my leg from time to time.. It was at that point I new my 3:15 was out the window. Reduced to a walk/hop for about two to three miles I was just trying to keep moving with out my leg locking up. I was mad, well way more that mad! Why me, I live a good life, I have worked hard.%#@!%&*! Now what do I do?

Remember the HUMAN interactions I was talking about. Many times throughout the race I heard few "Go TEAM", "Go TNT" and "Go Purple" (the color of the TNT running shirt I wore during the race). Now in a state of despair, HUGH pain, and MASSIVE disappointment, and at my highest level of piss-ta-fa-cation (my favorite Mike Tyson word…or was that a BUSH-ISM?). I heard a lot of "Go TEAM", "Go TNT" and "Go Purple" you have this, not to far - push!!! WOW what inspiration, it was at that point I LEARNED a big LIFE LESSON. I was a not in the race for just me. In fact the only I think the only person that looked at it that way was me! I was as in the race to help others, I was making a difference, with your help! I was there to represent , carry the Purple shirt across the FINISH LINE to complete the money raising process, to show support of a good cause, I was a change agent. I also realized I had a choice, keep going or stop when the pain go to bad. I cant stop and nether can a cancer patient. They get up and have to deal with what the disease or chemo give them that day. GO TEAM, GO Purple, I started to jog I had to deal with what life gave me. I accepted the fact my time will have to wait till next year and that in this its to help those who need it and to fund a cure.

So with my commitment to TNT, to you who donated, and to myself I would call the day a great success! Yes I did finish and did it in 4:08, still better than the marathon field average.

Just remember that Life does not always go as planed and you have to be willing to make mid or 18-21- mile adjustments to be successful. We are all very fortune and need to help others. By donating time , money or just a simple word of encouragement you to can be a change agent and make a difference as you did the weekend congratulations on you contribution to the HUMAN RACE!


Thanks for reading this and here is what YOU donation did!

WHAT A DOLLAR BUYS
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Maryland Chapter


$10 provides educational literature about blood cancers and treatment to 5 patients and their families.

$25 pays for 5 days of parking at a local hospital for a family member to take a myeloma patient to an outpatient clinic visit.

$50 pays for resources and materials (Trish Greene Back to School Program) for two children with leukemia to help ease their transition back to school after treatment.

$100 provides refreshments for a holiday party or summer picnic for a blood cancer support group.

$250 pays for 10 $25 phone cards for blood cancer survivor peer volunteers to make phone calls of support to newly diagnosed patients through the First Connection Program.

100 individuals donating $400 each will support one year of research for a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Fellow.

$500 will provide reimbursement for cancer medications, not covered by insurance, to one patient with leukemia, lymphoma, or myeloma.

$1,000 will provide reimbursement for radiation co-pays, not covered by insurance, for two lymphoma patients.

We, raised as a group well over 8000.00(by end of Dec 2007) and the Baltimore Marathon TNT's and you raised well over 200,000.00

Thanks for Your HELP!
Robert