Paying for Pain

 

I’m struggling with a running question that I’m hoping someone who reads this can answer for me.    When did the competition to enter a marathon race become so competitive that people will sign up a year in advance and pay hundreds of dollars just to get to the starting line?    Seriously….can someone explain to me what happened that took running a marathon from something that a few thousand elite athletes or a handful of crazies would do to something that is now the venue of hundreds of thousands of couch potatoes, soccer moms, and weekend warriors every year.  

In a few days Walt Disney World will host the runDisney Marathon.  20 years ago, if someone had suggested that running a marathon is something you would do when you went on vacation to an amusement park, they would have been a candidate for a padded cell.    I can just imagine the initial proposal sounded like from some runner in the Disney marketing department….We hold a marathon that runs throughout the parks, charge hundreds of dollars to enter, make them buy a park pass for the day (over $100 today) and limit the number of entrants to 20,000 so people are fighting to get in.    After several days in the parks with the kids, some parents would pay to run a marathon rather than face another day of lines and rides.   And why limit it to the parents, let’s get the kids involved.  We can have shorter runs..a 5K, a 10K, and a half marathon and make it a family affair.   Oh, and for the real Disney diehards we can have a special “Dopey” medal for a runner who does all 4 runs over 4 days (it will only cost $600).

Last year there were 1,100 marathon races in the US with over 500,000 people participating.  Allowing for international runners and people running multiple marathons, that’s about 1% of the US population (actually more since I didn’t rule out children under 16).   Crazy as it may sound, about half of the entrants in the bigger races continue to be first time marathoners.   Who are all these people paying big bucks to torture themselves?

Clearly the demand is there as the races continue to raise prices and many have limits on the number of entrants.   It’s the classic case of supply and demand…make it harder to get in and more people are willing to pay more to run it.  The NYC Marathon (the largest in the US) had 50,000 finishers last year with an entry fee is $295.  According to my Texas Instruments calculator that’s almost $15 million.  Not bad for a weekend event.  

The Boston Marathon is even harder to get into.  If you manage to run a qualifying time or are lucky enough to get one of the limited charity numbers, you have the privilege of paying a $375 entry fee.   A privilege I will have this year.  Yup…I’m headed back to Boston to attempt one more Boston Marathon and to raise funds to help families facing pediatric cancer.  It will be the first time since my stem cell transplant and Parkinson’s diagnosis that I’ve attempted anything longer than a half marathon but having turned 70 this year I’d like to give it go one more time.     

So, I invite you to come along with me on what is bound to be an interesting ride.  As always, it’s your encouragement and financial support of pediatric cancer families through Help in the Nick of Time that fuel my efforts.

Happy New Year….it should be an interesting one!

The More The Merrier

 Last weekend my family got together in Pennsylvania to make this year’s Marathon Challenge a family affair.   That amounts to 8 adults and 9 grandchildren (between the ages of 12 and 2), almost a small village.   Rounding out the Nick of Time Team was my sister, her husband and Jeep the dog.

Given the medical issues that curtailed my training, I had changed the run from a marathon run alone and spread over three days to a team effort done in one day.   The plan was for me to run as far as possible and then have family members complete the 26.2 miles for me.    Not counting Jeep, we had a team of 10 runners ranging in age from 6 to 69.

We picked a course that had a 3.5-4-mile loop so we could loop by the support team (the rest of the family) for moral support and refreshments.   A different family member would join me for each loop.   My twin grandchildren ran the first two loops with me, and while they are much faster than me these days, they were kind enough to slow down to my pace.   The team continued trading off runners in a relay fashion to keep me company while I ground away at the miles.   At 12 miles my legs starting knotting up and by 14 miles I was cooked.    Not as much as I would have liked but the farthest I’ve gone in one run since the stem cell transplant 5 years ago.  The team more than made up the rest of the mileage by adding on another 31 miles.   Those 45 miles don’t include all the miles run by people who signed up for the Miles for Smiles Virtual Run/Walk.

But the success of the weekend is not measured in miles but in what we (yes…you and I) were able to raise this year to help the children battling Pediatric Cancer.    Already this year we are on schedule to send out over 50% more boxes than last year.  Here’s an example of the joy you bring with your support.

It’s your support that has put that smile on her face.   And we don’t stop there.  Often times the parents need some help as well.  It may be as little as gas to commute to the hospital each day, money for a baby sitter to watch siblings, food service to bring a hot meal to the family at the end of a long day, or repairs for a single mom’s car so she can be with her child.   In the words of one mom:

 “thank you for the gift card to Target. That will help with getting more diapers or wipes. That's a never-ending purchase right now."

During really tough times, it’s the little things that let people know they are not alone and can put a smile on their face.   I keep being reminded by a close friend…it’s not about the miles it’s about the smiles.

So next year…definitely more smiles and maybe, just maybe, more miles.

It's a Family Affair

 It’s Boston Marathon weekend and while I'm  not able to run it this year, I still remember the thrill and excitement of the first one I ran over 45 years ago.   That sense of excitement was still there when I last ran it in 2017.   While the race had changed a lot over the years, I was still like a little kid arriving at Disney World for the first time.

It's not like running the marathon is as much fun as a ride on Space Mountain or Expedition Everest (at least to most people).    It’s just that there is so much effort that goes into getting to the starting line healthy, that when you finally join the other 30,000+ runners at the start staging area there is a huge sense of relief, excitement, and accomplishment (not to mention nervousness).    It's also the 10 year anniversary of the Marathon bombing, another year I'll never forget and a whole different set of emotions.

This weekend I will be running my Marathon Challenge fund raiser to help kids battling cancer.  It’s no substitute for doing it at the Boston Marathon but I consider myself blessed to still be running at all.  In December I had a medical issue that required several operations and will require another in several weeks.  While I’ve still been able to run, it has been at a much-reduced level.   So this year I put out a call for help.   All three of my children, their spouses, 4 of my nine grandchildren and my sister will be joining me to run part of the distance with me, or if necessary, for me.  It’s an awesome tribute to their brother/uncle Nick and to Help in the Nick of Time.  Should be an interesting day.

I’ll post an update after the weekend and let everyone know how it goes.

Fingers crossed!

Arrogance can be Humbling

A number of years ago in one of my blogs I boldly stated that anyone could do a marathon as long as they put in the training.  I’m now living proof of how wrong I was.   Over the last 3 years I racked up over 4000 miles, consistently averaging over 100 miles a month.   It’s the first time in my life that I have run continually for that many months in a row.   Given that dedication to insanity it would be natural to believe that a marathon would be the proverbial walk in the park (pun intended).   Not even close.    In fact over the last couple of years not only have the miles gotten harder but I’ve gotten slower.     But it’s not speed that is the challenge, it’s time on your feet.   It’s an interesting conundrum, the slower you go the longer you are out pounding the pavement for the same distance.    The longer you are out there the harder it is to stay hydrated, fueled, and injury free.   At some point you’re like an engine without oil, your body just seizes up and won’t go anymore.

An astute reader might be thinking…can’t you just eat and drink along the way?  It’s a good question Captain Obvious.    If I remember my high school biology class correctly, eating draws blood to the stomach to digest the food.  Guess where that blood comes from.   Going back to my earlier car analogy, the muscles are much like the engine, they need fuel and oxygen to function.  For muscles that’s your body’s stored fuel and the oxygen from your lungs.   The oxygen takes a ride in the blood stream from the lungs to the muscles.   Either getting out of breath or reducing the blood to the muscles will ultimately cause the engine to grind to a halt. 

But enough geeking about the biology.  The reality is despite all the training over the last 3 years, I haven’t been able to get the body to go longer than a  half marathon.  It’s the reason the Marathon Challenge takes me three days.   Is it the lung damage from the chemo, the awkward running mechanics from the Parkinson’s or maybe I’m just getting old.   But the point is, it was incredibly arrogant of me to assume that everyone else had the same physical ability I had been blessed with and it was just a matter of them putting in the effort.  Sometimes wanting something and putting in the effort just isn’t enough.   Lesson learned.

Karma can be a bitch and incredibly humbling.  

Microscope VS Telescope Views

The other day I was out for a run and as sometimes happens, I was really struggling.    Overnight the hills in the neighborhood had gotten bigger, the air had gotten thicker and harder to breathe, my shoes were suddenly made of cement, and every old knee, hip and muscle injury decided it was time for a visit.    

I’m only a little over a mile into the run and that voice of self-doubt in my head (you know, the one that always reminds you of what you can’t do and gives you excuses to quit) grabs a megaphone and starts whining.  “You can’t do this.  Your too old, too sore, too cold and too stiff from Parkinson’s to continue.   Quit now before you embarrass yourself in front of the neighbors with your Walking Dead shuffle, or more likely, keel over in a culvert on the side of the road”.    At the end of these runs I’m tired, frustrated, discouraged and full of self-doubt.  How am I ever going to complete a marathon challenge when I’m struggling with just a short run?

It's easy at this point to extrapolate today’s situation into the future and to lose hope.   It’s like looking through a microscope at your current situation being so focused on the difficulties of this moment you miss the big picture.  

So what is the big picture for me.  It’s remembering it’s not about running a marathon, or completing a marathon challenge or even making it through another day of running.   It’s about helping children fighting cancer and inspiring others to join me in the effort.    

But maybe,  if I could find the right words to show the impact that Help in the Nick is having on the lives of these children and their families then maybe my running would become irrelevant to inspiring others.  Imagine a child, ripped away from their family and friends for months at a time, sometimes hundreds of miles from home.   Endless daily treatments that involve being tested, stuck and prodded, often left feeling nauseous, tired and in pain.   Worst of all, the fear that there is no end in sight and maybe no cure.   There is nothing more heart rending than a child asking “Mommy, am I going to die”.   Bringing just a small amount of hope, joy, distraction and laughter into their lives is making a world of difference.  

So for now, running is my tool.  On the bad days I try to remind myself to focus on the big picture and what it means to a struggling child and their family.   If you wish to join me you can sign up for the Miles for Smiles Virtual Run/Walk at:

https://raceroster.com/events/2023/72063/miles-for-smiles

or donate to Help in the Nick of Time at:

https://secure.etransfer.com/eft/flexblockcode/donation1.cfm?d2org=ECCF&d2tool=HelpNickTimeFund

 

Thank you for all the support.

For now, enough running my mouth, back to using my feet.

How Old is Old

Age had been a regular theme in my running blogs over the last few years.  I don’t feel particularly old (most days), but every once in a while I have to face some situation that reminds me I’m not as … (fill in the blank…strong, fast, handsome, hairy, mobile, etc.) as I once was.   No surprise here but it does raise two questions: how old is old these days and when does the brain catch up with the reality of the body.

The oldest person in the world is currently 118 years old.   In a Scientific America article, researchers projected that if you are not killed by cancer, heart disease or being hit by a bus, people born today have the potential to live to be 120-150 years old.    Of course, your mileage may vary based on your life choices.    Until fairly recently, anyone over 65 was considered old.   I honestly didn’t think of myself as old when I ran Boston at 65.   These days people are doing things at 70 and 80 that would have been unheard of a generation ago.   That’s especially true in sports.  A runner from my city here in VA completed the Boston Marathon last year at the age of 81.   Johnny Kelly, who won the Boston Marathon twice, ran it 61 times, the last time at the age of 84.    There are now age group records for the marathon for runners over 85, 90 and even one set by a 100-year-old man.

My children consider me old…too old in fact to be running Marathon Challenges.   For me, the best bellwether of aging (and my health) has been the yearly marathons/marathon challenges.   It was symptoms while training for the Boston Marathon that sent me to the doctor and ultimately diagnosed my leukemia (and likely saved my life).  It was also difficulty running while getting ready for my Marathon Challenge that resulted in my Parkinson’s diagnosis.   And it continues to be running that not only allows me to assess my health but measure the progression of Parkinson’s as well.    At the same time, I recognize the reality of the physical challenges I’m facing in the coming years.   My new mantra is “acceptance is not surrender”.    That is why I’m enlisting family, friends, and well, anyone who has been touched by cancer to join me in the Miles for Smiles Virtual Run/Walk to raise funds to help children and their families battling Pediatric Cancer.  You can register at:

2023 — Miles for Smiles — Race Roster — Registration, Marketing, Fundraising

or donate directly to Help in the Nick of Time at:

Essex County Community Foundation (etransfer.com)

Join this old man and be part of bringing some joy and a smile to a child in midst of the fight of their life.

I’ll see you out on the roads….

No Brain....No Pain

 I've often heard distance running described as a “brainless activity”.   The kindest interpretation is while running you can turn off your brain and just let your legs go.   Other interpretations are much less polite.    I’ve been delving into the affects on the brain of running/exercise to try to understand the impact it might have on my Parkinson’s.  

My initial hypothesis went something like this….Given Parkinson’s is caused by a lack of dopamine in the brain and dopamine is what causes good feelings (like the high you get from drugs…not that I would know), then the runners high you get when you run long distances should be generating dopamine and therefore alleviate the symptoms of Parkinson’s.   Sounds good in theory but I’m totally wrong (nothing new).     Turns out the brain has multiple chemicals it uses to affect our mood, emotions, body functions and movement (Serotonin, Dopamine, Endorphins and Adrenaline).   Dopamine affects mood, movement, motivation and to some degree, pleasure.  The runners high comes from endorphins that also get released from exercising, eating something sweet, and sex (the latter two being much more enjoyable than a long run).

OK, so running doesn’t have a positive impact on Parkinson’s, does Parkinson’s have a direct effect on running.  I don’t need to know anything about brain chemistry to answer that.  It does, and it sucks.    The best way I can explain it is imagine for a minute that the brain divides the body movement into the left and right sides.   When the brain gives a command to the right side of the body to “run” it responds “yes sir”.   The same command to the left side gets the kind of response you would expect from a typical teenager asked to take out the trash.    “ Do I really have to?” (add the eye roll and heavy sigh here).      To keep from falling on your face the right side has to slow down to match the delay of the left.   My resulting “jog” looks more like a shuffling zombie.     

 That said, I am still preparing for the Marathon Challenge, it just may be a bit more challenging this year.  To assist me I’ve recruited some family members to run along side for part of the distance (more on this in a future blog).   But recognizing I may not be able to do this for another 10 years, I’ve started an annual Virtual Run/Walk (Miles for Smiles) to give more people to get directly involved in helping to raise funds for the children suffering with Pediatric Cancer.     Last year we doubled the number of families we helped and this year we are hoping to reach even more.  If you are interested in participating, or might know someone who would, you/they can find out more and register at the link below. 

https://raceroster.com/events/2023/72063/miles-for-smiles

It’s a win-win, you put a much needed smile on the face of a child while helping yourself get healthier.    

More on how the training is going in the next blog.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

 

I recently finished reading Chris MacDougal’s latest book “Running with Sherman”.   Chris is best known for kicking off the barefoot running craze about 15 years ago with his book “Born to Run” (good read….you don’t have to be a runner to enjoy it).    I went to visit Chris a few years back at his farm in Peach Bottom PA. and when we went for a walk on the trails near his farm he introduced us to his running partner, Sherman. 

If you’ve read the book, you know Sherman is a burro.   Yup…4 legs, tail, twitchy ears and a stubborn streak wider than the Mississippi river.   Chris rescued Sherman from sure death and as part of nursing him back to health he would take him running.   Chris set the goal of getting Sherman healthy enough that together they could run the grueling World Champion Pack Burro Race in Colorado.    The race is 14.5 miles up a mountain with a 3000-foot elevation gain and then 14.5 miles back down.   Some would think running 29 miles on mountain trails is enough of a challenge but try convincing a donkey that he wants to do it with you.

We’ve already established in past blogs that distance runners tend to be a few apples short of a bushel so you won’t be surprised to know there are dozens of crazy, sometimes life threatening, races out there.  Of course, wherever you find the combination of alcohol, testosterone and a bet, you know the result may be entertaining but not particularly sane.        For those that find marathons to be a walk in the park, there are numerous 100 miles races.  And since that is not challenging enough, lets’ do them on trails…. over mountains…across streams…in rain and snow….in some cases without any support (what…no water stations?).    Did I mention that these races typically take 24 hours or more to complete which means running in the dark often in locations where mountain lions, bears and snakes live.    In those areas it might be smart to let someone go ahead of you.

If that isn’t enough of a challenge there are longer races, like the 200-mile 5-day race across Wales.   Or how about the Moab Utah 240 mile run in the dessert mountains around Arches National Park.   I recently ran in the area one morning and it was already 75 degrees at 7AM.    If you are partial to heat, there’s the Bad Water 135 (miles) that runs through Death Valley and ends with a run up Mt. Whitney (over 14,000 feet).    Rumor has it you have to run on the white line on the side of the road because the blacktop will melt your running shoes.     For those runners who can spare the time and are in a hurry to go nowhere, there is a 3100-mile run over 52 days.   It’s run in NYC on a .6-mile loop (over 5100 laps).

The one thing that most of these races have in common (besides the questionable sanity in entering) is it takes a team of support people to help the runner be successful.    In the Bad Water race for example, runners are followed by support teams in RVs to periodically help the runners to cool down (sometimes by putting them in ice baths).     

My team in past years have been the generous people who have supported my marathon efforts by donating to Help in the Nick of Time to help families facing the challenges of pediatric cancer.  In 2022 that allowed us to double the families we helped.   But there are even more families who need our support and unfortunately relying on my Marathon Challenge alone is not enough.    So, this year I’m inviting more people to get involved by setting up a Help in the Nick of Time Virtual Run/Walk.   Shortly I’ll be releasing the web site where anyone can join me by either committing to run/walk a 5K (3.1 miles) at one time or run/walk 26 miles over 47 days between March 1 and April 16 (the day I’ll attempt my Marathon Challenge and the day before the Boston Marathon).     The site will allow you to post your results and everyone who completes their challenge will get a run T-Shirt.    You have the option of going it alone or putting together a team of your family and friends to join you.   All proceeds will go to supporting children with pediatric cancer and their families.

We all either have been impacted by cancer or know people who have.  Here’s a great opportunity to do something for yourself and put a smile on the face of a child battling cancer.   There’s also the added benefit giving cancer the finger.

More info coming shortly….warm up those running/walking shoes and start recruiting your partners!

New Year....New Changes

 

You’ve got to love this time of year. A time when the news shows, talk shows and podcasts all have experts telling us how to make and keep new year’s resolutions.   When someone asks me “What’s your resolutions this year?” what I hear is “You have some real issues and you need to fix them”.  If, heaven forbid, I respond that I don’t have any new year’s resolutions then they are quick to point out I’m totally self-unaware and need a resolution to fix that.

So, this year I have one new year’s resolution….to eat ice cream every day.    It’s not that I don’t have any flaws that need improvement (just ask my wife and kids) it’s just I know from experience, for me, New Year’s resolutions don’t work.   I’m not alone, only 9-12% of people keep their resolutions and most people abandon their them by January 18^th.    In fact, January 17 is known as “ditch your resolution” day.    Resolutions to me are like rubbing your face in your shortcomings that you otherwise can blissfully ignore.  I find being so self-unaware is very relaxing.  

The truth is, I’m pretty comfortable with myself and if something is really important to me, I just throw myself into it.  Like my commitment to use running to fund programs for children and their families dealing with pediatric cancer.   The funds we raise through Help in the Nick of Time touch the lives for thousands of people at a time in their lives when they could really use a helping hand.  In past years fund raising has revolved around my running the Boston Marathon.  When cancer got in the way I moved to running a multi-day Marathon Challenge.    While the combination of age and Parkinson’s create some additional challenges, I will be taking on the marathon this year but with some interesting changes.   This year I working to make it a team effort involving as many people as I can to virtually run with me to help me complete the challenge.

So welcome aboard for this year’s adventure in old age distance running.    As always, your support goes a long way towards helping me making my running and funding goals but more importantly, helping children.  Together we are an awesome team!

More on how to get involved in the next blog.