Survivor

A New Beginning

2010-04-04T18:10:00.000-05:00

It is time to say goodbye to 2009 once and for all. 2009 had many heartbreaks and hardships in it. That is not to say that I did not have some great victories. Through it all, I learned a lot of lessons. God has been faithful. I have had to patiently watch as He transformed me. I am not the same person I was when 2009 started. My family is not the same either. We endured hardship in job losses and in injuries. We endured biopsies and cancer scares. We fought hard against people who violated our trust. In the end we have come out victorious. 2009 is in the books and 2010 is well under way. I know that there will be challenges, but I also know that we can face them.

2010 started off with my 11 year old daughter running her first half marathon with a time of 2:46. We then took a trip to Disney where the family got to ride roller coasters in the sleet and I became a certified running coach. After that, my wife and her Remission Run committee put on one of the best 5k's I have ever been to. Finally, next week I start a new job back in the industry that I had been a part of for 19 years.

Life is good. It took patience to make it through 2009. So far 2010 was worth the wait.

End of an Era

2010-02-10T08:05:00.002-06:00

So, it is time to start writing again. Just a quick update on my St. George Marathon. My good friend Mike and I traveled to St. George the first week of October. This was to be my “A” race for the season. It was also my last scheduled race for the season. I new going into this race that if I were going to hit my target, I was going to have to go into the race completely focused and give everything I had in me. I spent three days before the race decompressing and just relaxing in the beautiful city of St. George. The morning of the race, Mike and I arrived at the start line on top of the mountain sometime around 4:30 AM. We quickly settled around one of the many bonfires set up to keep the runners warm. Though we really hadn’t discussed it, the plan was for each of us to run our own race. We both had a target of 3:20, but since I had done a majority of my training alone, I wanted to do this alone. The race started at 6:45 AM. I quickly settled into my groove. This truly was one of the most amazing races I have ever run. The sun rise coming up over the mountains was perfect. Though the crowds were small, they were enthusiastic. The volunteers were the best I have seen. I stayed on pace feeling really great until about mile 24 or 25. It was there that the fatigue of running down hill for three hours was starting to get to me. I slowed my pace a little but was still on target to finish in under 3:20. Then at mile 25.7, I collapsed. My body would not cooperate with me any more. I could not stand up, I could not walk, all I could do was sit on the street. Medical volunteers rushed out to me. They were all very nice, but all wanted me to quit. I explained to them that I could see the finish line and was not about to quit. I sat on the ground for about three minutes and then asked them to help me up. They said the only way they would allow me to continue was if I could stand and walk on my own. I stood and then started taking steps. Soon I was moving towards the finish line again. My time, a personal best of 3:23. I did not make my target, but I left with a sense of accomplishment knowing that I had given everything in my body to the race and there was nothing left to give. Will I ever have a 3:20 marathon? I don’t know and that really is not important anymore. The more important thing is to enjoy my running and rediscover the true pleasure of giving everything I have and leaving it all on the course no matter what course it is.

Motivation

2009-09-24T17:43:00.003-05:00

I have not posted anything since the Rochester Marathon. I had a decent race that I turned into a training run after mile 16. Starting at mile 12, I vomitted for two miles. Between miles 16 and 17, I cramped up probably from dehydration. I still finished the marathon in a respectable 3 hours and 53 minutes. Since that day, I have continued to train as I have another marathon on October 3. I have, however, lacked motivation. I feel good when I run, I just find it hard to push myself out the door. I also keep having a cramp in my left hamstring. It will hit at random times. I will push through all of this. I will reach my goal. I once had a coach tell my that pain is mostly mental. I agree. There are cases when pain represents an injury or something serious, however a lot of the time it is really mental. I have work to do on my mental game. I have to push through this block and push through the pain of this cramp. I will succeed.

"Tapered and Shaved"

2009-09-09T07:47:00.003-05:00

Back when I was a competitive swimmer, I owned a t-shirt that had a logo that said “Tapered and Shaved” on it. I would only wear that t-shirt in the week leading up to whatever big meet I had prepared for all season, usually regionals or state. It was a sign that all the hard work had been done and now I was in a state of letting my body recover enough to perform at its peak in the meet. Well, here I am four days from the “big” race. If I had the t-shirt, I would be wearing it now. I have put in many forty and fifty mile weeks of running. I have run fast at track and slow on my long runs. I have mostly watched what I ate. I have had good runs and bad runs. It now all comes down to Sunday. I can not control the weather or the condition of the course. I can only control my attitude and how I respond to the conditions around me. All of the physical preparation is done. It is now all mental. Any workout I do now will have no benefit until a week or two after the race (although it could have a detrimental effect if I overdo it). I know I can hit my target, I also know it is going to be hard at times. I think this is what makes it all worthwhile though. Another saying I hear often is “anything worth having is worth fighting for”. I will be fighting against doubts and insecurities and mistakes of past races. I will also be fighting against fatigue. Mostly I believe that on Sunday I will be well prepared and I will be fighting for my target and winning. After all, I am “tapered and shaved.”

13 Days

2009-08-31T10:06:00.003-05:00

13 days until the Rochester Marathon. According to all my training as a coach, I know that any training I do from now until race day will not benefit me until after the race. This means that I can not do anything now to improve my marathon, but I could hurt my marathon if I get injured. I am now in full taper mode. In the past when I entered taper made, I would usually get grumpy and become difficult to live with (Just ask Dana-Sue). This time around, I am actually looking forward to the extra rest. I know I trained hard and that I am prepared physically and mentally for this race. I am being extra careful not to injure myself. I am looking at what I eat as fuel and not food. I am starting to hydrate even more than normal. I have set lofty goals for this race and I do not want to fail. I know there will be pain involved in the race (it is a marathon after all), but I want it to be fun. I want to savor the fruits of my training. And whatever happens in the end, I will praise God for the opportunity given me to run this race. He deserves all of the glory.

Four Weeks and Counting

2009-08-17T11:22:00.005-05:00

We are now less than four weeks from my “A” race. To be honest, I am starting to get a little nervous. I had a disastrous 18 mile run yesterday that had me “limping” in the last two miles. It was an extremely hot morning that had me losing over eight pounds of water weight on my run. This left me completely dehydrated for most of the day. There would be times that different parts of my body would just curl up in a cramp unexpectedly. By about 5:00 pm, I was mostly back to normal, just exhausted. I have a 20 miler this weekend and then I coast into the marathon. To be honest, I am looking forward to the rest. I think I may have over trained just a little as I pushed myself to get up on days that I was extremely tired. I also pushed some of the pace and mileage limits a bit the last three weeks. I have run close to 50 miles a week for the last few weeks. For the next four weeks, I will be getting more sleep and watching even more closely the fuel I put into my body. Yes, this means no Goose’s Acre for the next four weeks, but it will be well worth it when I reach my goal. And believe me there will be beer and “chips and salsa” after I accomplish my goal.

This weeks training has me resting today and Saturday. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, I do six miles each morning. On Wednesday, I have track (800’s with a short recovery). It is going to be a great week.

Rochester Marathon

2009-08-13T10:14:00.003-05:00

Exactly one month from today, I will be running in the Rochester Marathon. This has been my planned "A" race for the last six months. All of my training and preparations have been for this race. I have one tough week of training left, and then I start a three week taper period. I am prepared physically for this race. I am mostly prepared mentally. It is the emotional side that I am still preparing. The last "A" race I prepared for was Ironman Arizona in April 2008. As I recall, I was not fully prepared emotionally until the morning of the race. It was then that I peaked in all three areas. I am really looking forward to September 13 when everything finally comes together. This is going to be fun.

Frailty of Life

2009-08-10T10:30:00.003-05:00

This is sort of a deep post. Last week at Goose’s Acre, as five of us sat around the table enjoying a cold beer after a hard track workout, the topic of staring death in the face came up briefly. The topic was aimed at me and Micah, the other lymphoma survivor sitting at the table. It was brought up by my coach, who had a very bad wreck almost three years ago that totaled his truck. I guess it was meant to let us reflect on how we look at life now that we have seen death face to face. I have not ever discussed this with Micah, but I remember as I heard my cancer diagnosis, I immediately went to the idea that I would not survive. I looked at cancer as a death sentence. Over the next six months, there were moments when I knew I would survive and there were moments when I knew I was just weeks from death. The hard fact is that we all die, it is just a matter of when. Do I look at life differently? Some days I do. I have a great desire to help others with cancer. I believe my survival has given me a special opportunity to help others who may be facing the same thing I faced. Life is precious and fragile. After Coach Bill’s car wreck, he said you never know what is going to happen. He is so right.

This weekend Dana-Sue and I were have lunch with a friend of ours when we received a text message. There had been an accident in Florida and two of the swimmers on The Woodlands Hurricanes swim team had been killed along with their grandmother. In an instant, these parents had lost two sons and a mother. Their lives have changed forever. Life is so frail and my prayers go out for them. You never know what is going to happen.

I write this to remind each of us that each day is a gift and we are never guaranteed another day. I close with a poem written by the late Jonathon Blais:

Live…more than your neighbors. Unleash yourself upon the world and go places. Go now. Giggle…no…laugh…no… Stay out past dark and bark at the moon like the wild dog that you are. Understand that this is not a dress rehearsal. This is it…your life. FACE YOUR FEARS AND LIVE YOUR DREAMS. Take it all in. Yes, every chance you get…come close. And, by all means, whatever you do…get it on film. Jonathan Blais, aka ALS Warrior Poet, August 30, 1971 - May 27, 2007

Tuesday Night Track

2009-08-05T10:20:00.002-05:00

Tuesday Night Track was great. I did a two mile warm-up followed by three miles at race pace, then a one mile cool down. Everything flowed perfectly last night. For the first time in weeks, I got my stride and actually felt the run flow. My mile times were 7:02, 7:01, and 7:00. They were supposed to be between 7:15 and 7:30; however I ran as I felt and I felt good. Another factor in the fast pace was the triathletes that were doing repeats at a faster pace than me. I would start out at the prescribed pace, but when they passed me, I would get caught in their draft and end up speeding up. I left track satisfied though as I felt much better in the run than I was expecting to. It was almost too easy.

Tonight I get to help coach my TNT group. I look forward to it.

Long Awaited Update

2009-08-04T09:03:00.003-05:00

It has been a few weeks since I last posted. That does not mean that nothing is happening in my life. It just means I have been real busy. In the last month, I have been to Dallas to see my father, I have been to San Antonio to watch my son swim in the TAAF State Swim Meet, and I have continued training for the Rochester Marathon on September 13.

My visit with my dad went very well. There were some things that had to be said between us. Even though the circumstances were not conducive for a personal conversation, those things were said. I saw a side of my dad that I have never seen. It made me very happy to see this side of him. It looks like there is healing happening in our relationship.

My son did very well at the state swim meet. He placed 6^th in the 25 yard butterfly and the 25 yard breaststroke. He placed 8^th in the 25 yard freestyle. He took time off of all of his strokes and we are very proud of him. Both of my kids are already starting to think about the winter state swim meet. We will start practicing for that in a week or two.

My daughter continues to do well in swimming and running. This past weekend she placed first in a kid’s 5k, while Dylan came in a close second. Morgan looked very strong as she ran hard and looked very good the whole way. This year has been a year of transition. I am looking forward to next year when we start looking at doing triathlons again.

As for me, training in the Houston heat and humidity for a September marathon continues to be a challenge. My two favorite training sessions of the week are track night and my long runs. I love track night because I actually get to see some of the results of the training I am doing. Tonight I am doing a six mile goal pace run on the track. I will start off with a two mile warm-up, and then go directly into three miles at a 7:15 – 7:30 pace, then a one mile cool down. The challenge will be the temperature (92 degrees) and humidity (50 %) at 6:45 tonight. It is supposed to feel like 100 degrees right in the middle of my workout.

My long runs give my mind a chance to wander. I consider these my cleansing runs. I spend a lot of the time praying and purging the previous week. These two and three hour runs allow for me some time to just clear my mind and prepare for the week ahead. To many people a 16 – 20 mile run does not sound enjoyable; to me it is one of the most enjoyable parts of my training program. This week I have a 16 mile run scheduled. The first 10 miles are to be at an 8:20 – 8:50 pace. I then pick the pace up to 7:15 – 7:30 for four miles. The final two miles are “relax and run how you feel”. After last weekends run, I am really looking forward to this run.

One final thing, I have met some truly amazing people this year through the different races that I have participated in and through the different track workouts I have done. Each one of them has contributed to making me a better person and a better runner. I really appreciate all of the help and encouragement each of them has given me at Tuesday and Wednesday night track. You guys know who you are and I look forward to seeing you again this week.

Trying as opposed to doing

2009-07-05T12:51:00.004-05:00

Today at church the pastor talked about words that come from hell and words that come from Heaven. He discussed knowing the difference between the two. I have been reading a book by Bobby McGee called "Magical Running". It is a book on running, but it is also a book on life. The chapter I started yesterday definitely fit in with the message today and with life itself. The passage is on trying versus doing:

""Trying" is often a way of not being responsible. Society rewards "trying your best". But notice how you avoid the lessons failure can teach when you dismiss an outcome simply by saying: "I tried." ... It is far better to go for success and fully accept failure as one more step in the journey to success. In other words, reward your own success and failure equally, as functions of attempting with purpose to succeed, not to appease your own ego or satisfy a societal demand to have tried your best."

"You can therefore either choose TO DO (proactive) or have DONE (reactive) to you."

We should take the trying out of our vocabulary. Too often failure is looked at as a sin. Failure should be looked at for the lessons learned on the way to success whether it be in running or in life.

This week the challenge to me is to go out there and "do" instead of "try".

Cool Video

2009-07-03T13:24:00.004-05:00

Had a terrible run today. Dana-Sue shared the following clip with me however, and it changed my whole attitude.

I hope you enjoy the video. The movie is "Facing The Giants". I will be watching it again tonight.

Thanks Dana-Sue for the inspiration to keep going.

Discipline

2009-06-25T13:59:00.002-05:00

I have learned a lot about discipline the last 24 hours. Dictionary.com defines discipline as activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill; training, or training to act in accordance with rules; drill. I did not show discipline last night. I was given a training regimen to do. I was alone at the track and threw out the regimen provided and instead did my own thing. I ran all the intervals at a pace that was much faster than prescribed. Thus, I missed the whole point of the workout and did not reap the benefits of the workout that I should have.

Too often in life we do not exercise discipline. Even in the everyday duties of life, we tend to do our own thing and not what was prescribed or what was best for us. By doing this, we miss out on the benefits that everyday provides us. We miss out on the simple joys.

I am going to be working on discipline in my life, both in workouts and in everyday living. Maybe I can learn something from this and definitely become a better person because of it.

Wednesday night at Knox

2009-06-18T12:54:00.003-05:00

It has been over a month since I have run at Knox on a Wednesday night. It was good to be back. I really enjoy running with Melissa and everyone else that shows up. It is a nice laid back atmosphere that allows each of us to perform to our best. There is no showboating that goes on. It is just fun and supportive. It was also great to meet Micah, a fellow lymphoma survivor who is training for the Dublin Marathon in October.

So here was the prescribed workout:

Track - W/U 15 minutes, stretch, strides, 4 x 400 in 1:30, 200 Rec, 2 x 200 in 40 sec, 200 recovery, 1 x 800 best effort, cool down 10 minutes

Here is how I did:

1st 400 1:24
2nd 400 1:28
3rd 400 1:28
4th 400 1:28

1st 200 0:37
2nd 200 0:38

800 2:39

Great workout. I appreciate the challenges presented. The goal times always stretch me just a little beyond what I think I can do. It was interesting as to how I had just read a chapter on setting your targets by Bobby McGee. Bobby discusses setting your targets above what you realistically think you can accomplish. This is so you stretch yourself and end up much better than when you started. The last 800 did not have a goal time. I asked coach what he wanted me to run it in. I needed a target. He told me no one who had done the workout had broke 2:40. Thus, my target was set.

The same is true in life. We too often set our goals to what we realistically think we can accomplish. By doing this we aim too low and do not end up enjoying the fullness of life that we could have. My challenge to myself this week is to aim unrealistically high and then go for the target.

Tough Week

2009-06-12T17:37:00.006-05:00

This week I am tired. The stress of two 40+ mile running weeks has left me mentally and physically tired. It was obvious in my run today as I never got my heart rate to where I wanted it. I still did the planned workout, but am looking forward to my day off tomorrow. As a coach I know the importance of rest days. As an athlete, my coach tells me about the importance of rest days also. But I don't seem to listen. I am going to rest tomorrow. I will be running 15 - 16 miles Sunday, but am going to do it without a watch. The way coach put it, "enjoy the sunrise and nature". I plan on an easy run with no time constraints. I will let you know how it works out.

Tuesday Night Track

2009-06-10T07:19:00.003-05:00

I did Tuesday Night Track one last time last night. The tri group that I was training with was awesome. They welcomed me like I was a part of the group. Now for the workout. I was to run 1600 in 6:00, 800 in 2:50, and 400 in 1:15, with a 600 recovery jog between each. My times were as follows:

1st set 5:55, 2:50, 1:14
2nd set 6:17, 2:54, 1:20

So I made the first set and blew up on the second set. Coach said I still get an "A". All in all I am happy as I think the 5:55 is the fastest mile I have ever run. Total for the night was eight miles including warmup and cooldown.

Let the (serious) training begin

2009-06-09T16:49:00.001-05:00

Although I have been following Coach Bill's training schedule almost exactly, I have allowed my nutritional habits to slide. Today I start getting serious about my training. This means I start eating right and doing core work. I also have to make sure I am getting the proper sleep. I am lucky in that I have Dana-Sue to help me.

I will keep you updated.

Sacrifice

2009-06-05T15:22:00.003-05:00

In keeping with the tradition of posting something meaningful on Fridays, I offer this post on sacrifice.

Every day, we as people are faced with choices. We have choices that are easy to make and difficult choices. Sometimes the choices involve choosing something that would benefit us or something that would benefit others. These are the hard choices that define our character.

I witnessed this in an unusual way this week. My eight year old son was told early Saturday morning that he could choose to swim anything he wanted on June 6th at the swim meet. I had inadvertently signed him up for the wrong strokes at the May 31st swim meet and the coach and I agreed that as a reward for my son's good attitude, he could choose his own strokes for the next meet. As the day wore on, my son excelled in the strokes that I had signed him up for. He placed in the strokes I had signed him up for. After the meet, the coach asked if I could convince Dylan to swim strokes I knew he would not choose. Remember, Dylan was told he could choose his own strokes.

I told Dana-Sue about the problem. She told me she would handle it. Please note we did not tell Dylan he had to swim anything. He came to the decision on his own to swim what the coach wanted him to swim. There were tears shed, but he chose to do what was best for the team, sacrificing his own desire to swim something else. I know many adults who would not choose the same as my son chose. I am very proud of him.

Sacrifice is something that does not come easy. The One who made the ultimate sacrifice, shed tears the night the decision was made. I do not mean to get "religious" in my post, but would be remiss without mentioning this sacrifice. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, we each have the privilege of sacrificing every day for the good of others. And with this sacrifice comes great reward.

I know that whatever happens in the meet tomorrow, my son has learned something in the process. I am so proud of him and what he has been willing to do. May we all be willing to sacrifice for the good of others. Only then will we know the true meaning of living life to the fullest.

May God bless each of you in your endeavors this week.

Awesome Track Workout

2009-06-03T06:52:00.004-05:00

The workout called for 6 - 8 x 800 with a 400 recovery. Each 800 was to be between 2:50 and 3:05. I planned on 3:00 for each 800. When I arrived at track I was told that each 800 was to be under 3:00 minutes. So I did 8 x 800 each under 3:00. They ranged from 2:46 to 2:59, with the last one being clocked at 2:53.

Great workout.

Track Night

2009-06-02T15:01:00.002-05:00

Looking forward to track tonight. I usually do Wednesday night track, but my schedule has been crazy lately. I will be doing 6 - 8 800's on the 3:00 or so. I will post how I did tomorrow. Next week it is back to my normal routine.

Heroes Part 3 - Unsung Heroes

2009-05-30T16:11:00.004-05:00

This will be my final post on "Heroes" for a while. It seems some of my best thoughts come from my Wednesday night dinners. I usually go to track on Wednesday nights then head to Goose's Acre. This past Wednesday, I had the privilege of attending a party with my oncologist and friend Rick Hagemeister. Rick and I shared the stage in January 2008 at an inspirational dinner for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. We both spoke on the topic of "Heroes". As I said in a previous post, it was totally unplanned. Rick brought up my speech at the party Wednesday. He was talking to a Fellow at M.D. Anderson about our speeches. What is funny to me is he brought up a part of my speech that I had forgotten. It got me to thinking about "Heroes" once again. I used "The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King" as the backdrop. Here is a conversation that was held between Sam and Frodo near the end of the movie:

"Sam: [Both are overcome by exhaustion] Do you remember the Shire, Mr. Frodo? It'll be spring soon. And the orchards will be in blossom. And the birds will be nesting in the hazel thicket. And they'll be sowing the summer barley in the lower fields... and eating the first of the strawberries with cream. Do you remember the taste of strawberries?
Frodo: No, Sam. I can't recall the taste of food... nor the sound of water... nor the touch of grass. I'm... naked in the dark, with nothing, no veil... between me... and the wheel of fire! I can see him... with my waking eyes!
Sam: Then let us be rid of it... once and for all! Come on, Mr. Frodo. I can't carry it for you... but I can carry you! "

The point was everyone looks at Frodo as the hero in the movie. Sam was a hero in that he knew he could not carry the ring and fulfill the destiny, but he could help and make sure the destiny is fulfilled. He was there as support that was desperately needed.

Such are many of the "Heroes" in our lives. There are coaches, spouses, friends, and family that help us to carry the "ring" and fulfill our destiny. They are not looking for the spotlight and are rarely seen, but without them, we would not succeed. They are the true "Heroes" in our stories. Without these "Heroes", we the survivors/athletes would not be where we are today.

This post really is just to say thanks to all of the Samwise Ganges in our lives who carry us to the finish line. In my life that would be my wife and kids, my coach, and my many friends around the country. A huge thank you to all of you. May God bless each of you greatly.

Heroes Part 2 or my CapTex Tri Report

2009-05-26T13:14:00.002-05:00

I posted about Heroes on Friday because of the upcoming TNT event I was to attend. Let me say, I met a lot of Heroes this weekend. This is the first year that I have attended the CapTex Tri and not participated as an athlete. I was there strictly as a coach and support person. I think this made all the difference in the world.

I left The Woodlands at about 6:00 AM Sunday morning with my three participants following closely behind. We had to be in Austin by 10:00 AM as I had to attend a mandatory coaches meeting. I actually took my bike and all of my triathlon gear with me. I don't know if it was just out of habit or if I really hoped to find some way to participate in the race on Monday. We arrived in Austin about 9:00 Am which gave me time to check into my hotel room, unload my car and freshen up from the drive.

After a rather uneventful meeting, I went to packet pickup to help Chad, Andres, and Angela get their packets. I ended up being the go to person for anyone TNT related as problems arose almost immediately. There were problems with one day USAT licenses to people trying to switch races. I was able to help or find the right person who could help.

Next was our "Inspiration Dinner". The last time I was in Austin, I was the featured speaker at the dinner. It felt so different being there as coach. The whole dinner was great and a true testament to what heroes these participants were. Collectively they had raised over $900,000.00 to find a cure for my type of cancer.

Race day was next. I have participated as the Honored Hero, the fund raiser, and now the coach. I have to say, my favorite is the coach. Once the race started, I moved over to my spot which was about 2.5 miles into the run. From there I was able to cheer for bikers and runners. I saw a group of disabled vets participating, many missing arms or legs. I saw professionals competing and I saw everyday people competing. I was there to help anyone of them that might need anything. I saw many of my friends doing this race and enjoyed every minute of it. The greatest moments a came though as I saw each of my three participants pass by me on their way to the finish line. As each one passed, A new set of tears filled my eyes. I am so proud of them and their accomplishments. They are truly heroes in my eyes and I will never forget them. Thanks Chad, Andres and Angela. It was a great weekend.

Heroes

2009-05-22T12:09:00.003-05:00

About 18 months ago, my doctor and I spoke at a Houston Marathon pre-race dinner. Our topic was Heroes. We were not assigned the topic and actually were surprised when we discussed our talks prior to the dinner. It is time for me to revisit that topic.

This weekend is the weekend for the Capital of Texas Triathlon in Austin, TX. I have been coaching a group of Team In Training triathletes for the last four months as they prepare for the race. In exchange they have each raised thousands of dollars for cancer research. They have each in their own way become heroes in the fight against cancer.

So what makes a hero? Dictionary.com defines hero this way:
1. a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.
2. a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal.

When I think of heroes, I think first of the men, women and children who everyday are battling against cancer and surviving. These are the people that you do not read about. They are out there living their lives and trying to just keep going. They fight everyday for their life.

Then there are those that take care of these fighters. These would be the caregivers. The spouses, parents and significant others that sit there and hold the patients hand while he throws up everything he has eaten. The caregivers are the ones who also sit up late at night praying for the recovery of the patient. They are there at all hours while the patient is receiving chemotherapy. They make sure the patient lacks for nothing. These heroes come in all ages. They are children, teenagers and adults. They never falter even when they get tired.

Finally, there are the doctors and nurses. These people take up the fight every day. They spend hours upon hours comforting patients and at the same time trying to find a cure. They could be in private practice making a whole lot more money, but chose instead to work in a field where there is a need for a cure. A field that has a high mortality rate and often sees death.

So where is this going? As we have started planning for Remission Run 2010, I was reminded that my wife, my two kids, my doctor and my running coach are all my heroes. I would not be where I am today without each one of them. They were there through the vomiting, through the chemo , through the hospital stays and through the recovery. I love every one of them and dedicate this weekends effort at CapTex Tri to them.

Go TEAM!!!!

First Swim Meet

2009-05-18T07:24:00.002-05:00

Saturday was the first swim meet of the season. As head referee for our local swim team, I get to watch almost every race. It was fun watching the little four year olds as they swam in their first swim meet. They give it everything they have and take it so seriously. They may not come in first place, but the fact that they are there and actually doing this makes it exciting. The sportsmanship shown by both teams this weekend was amazing and made me realize that though most of these kids will not be competitive above the local or state level, they truly have what it takes to be winners in life. My own two kids did an awesome job. Both of them improved on their times from last year and made me very proud. Looking forward to the next six weeks of swim meets.

Winning and Losing

2009-05-15T09:16:00.001-05:00

As I posted earlier, on Wednesday night I went to Goose’s Acre after track. I was in great company. Each of the people there was an athlete, a runner to be more specific. We all range in our level of athleticism from beginner to very accomplished. But each of us shared some things in common. We shared friendship and running. Each of the people who was there is a winner in his/her own right.

So, what is winning? For each of us winning is something different. I have a friend named Sara who is a winner. She went from not running a year ago to completing her first marathon in Nashville. A feat she did not even consider before a year ago. In her own words, this has helped make her a better mom. She may not have crossed the finish line ahead of everybody else, but she still won. Another winner I think of is a friend named Frank. Frank is an 80 year friend who also fought non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. He has since completed numerous Ironman races including Hawaii many times. He may not cross the finish line first, but he has beaten cancer. One more example is my wife. Dana-Sue is a very talented runner and triathlete. She does not seek glory in that and rarely talks of it. She is a winner in that she takes great care in doing the every day details of life. She is a very supportive wife (going along with most of my crazy ideas). She is also an amazing mom, always knowing exactly what to say to our kids in every situation.

I have given examples of winners, so what defines a winner. Someone who overcomes adversity to accomplish a task. Yes, maybe. Maybe more like someone who does their job/activity to the best of their ability always looking for ways to improve and acting on those ways. Not every winner gets the gold medal or the podium finish. Some of the most amazing winners I know have never had their names in the spotlight. Yet they are winners. They are winners because they take to their task and they see it through to completion, again looking for and finding ways to make improvements in the process. They do not quit. They may stumble along the way, but they always get up and press on. They are not seeking attention for themselves, but often find ways to help others along the way. Their focus is not on themselves or what they have accomplished, but their focus is on others and who they can help along the way. These people accomplish amazing things in their own right. Some of them go on to the “podium” finish, but it never really is about that. It is about the people along the journey.

“Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.” - Leo Buscaglia

Track workout

2009-05-14T07:34:00.002-05:00

Knocked the track workout out of the park.

Coach had me doing 300's on the 1:10 with 100 recovery. I did twelve of them averaging about 1:06 each. Afterwards, had a great time with good friends at Gooses' Acre.

Thanks Coach!

The 11 year old's surgery was a success. Thanks for the prayers.

Tough day

2009-05-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Today is a tough day emotionally. My father is having triple bypass surgery at the age of 69. I go back and forth on being worried for him, angry at the situation, and then just down right hurt about all that has happened. My prayer is that God would touch his heart and help him through this.

Also, one of our dear friends has an 11 year old daughter who is having surgery today. Both surgeries are very serious.

My prayers are with our friends and my father.

Will run out my emotions on the track tonight.

My first post

2009-05-12T08:19:00.000-05:00

My first post on a blog. This week has started out interesting. Last night I found out I was chosen in the lottery to participate in the St. George Marathon. I immediately placed this info on facebook and found several people who described the course as tougher than I had heard. One thing I have to remember is advice from Bobby McGee. "Get out of your head." I will update as I continue training for this race.