tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19913138633053796312024-03-13T12:26:59.149-05:00Help In the Nick of Time - Speakers CornerSHARED EXPERIENCEShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04645580343185802649noreply@blogger.comBlogger133125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991313863305379631.post-13029476611986001422024-03-03T09:37:00.000-05:002024-03-03T09:37:14.873-05:00Sometime Dreams are just Dreams<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgihHmli0ro09ey2-qHkQQXr3sBjwnEFkf5wxuXVpQM5gZBhFl8zbKNyMBlrsXZ_1Yb--AxqzgxJHOdjE47nfE3hceVZCo8c0uPpA-xeFbErsdV01QtzdP4GMtZwNhalR2coI6vddO3zTGbEBWhHGTJw6OnK-cnRGQgMq7ztz-OZkU9kVrzArDBF1LgfcU" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="268" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgihHmli0ro09ey2-qHkQQXr3sBjwnEFkf5wxuXVpQM5gZBhFl8zbKNyMBlrsXZ_1Yb--AxqzgxJHOdjE47nfE3hceVZCo8c0uPpA-xeFbErsdV01QtzdP4GMtZwNhalR2coI6vddO3zTGbEBWhHGTJw6OnK-cnRGQgMq7ztz-OZkU9kVrzArDBF1LgfcU=w200-h140" width="200" /></a></div> <span style="font-size: 18pt;">It’s April 2022
and I had just finished my marathon challenge, 26.2 miles in 4 1/2 hours over 3
days.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">I have the Boston Marathon on the TV and as I’m
watching the runners and </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">I’m reminiscing
about past Boston Marathons. </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">I realize (duh)
I’ve had been running Boston off and on for the last 40+ years, at least once
every decade of my life since I was in my twenties (5 decades…wow am I old).</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There’s always
been a war in my brain between two personalities, the adrenaline driver “Mr. Risk-Taker”
and the cautious (and boring) “Mr. Rational”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the adrenaline driven fog of watching the race Mr. R-T takes over, “you’ll
be 70 in two years, you could do one more Boston and add another decade to your
accomplishments.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, Mr. R is not going to ideally sit
by, “It taken you 4 years since cancer to get to where you can run a marathon in
three days there’s no way you can do complete the Boston Marathon”.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And so it
begins:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mr. R-T….You
have two years to train, you can do this.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mr. R….You
can barely make half the distance today and your Parkinson’s is getting worse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if you could make it, you are so slow you
would be out there for 5+ hours.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mr. R-T….You
will never know unless you try.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think
about the thrill of crossing that finish line one more time.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mr. R……There
is no chance you could qualify to get in.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mr. R-T….Maybe
I can get one of Help in the Nick of Time charities to give me a number.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You can
guess who won the argument.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fast forward
a year and a half <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and I’ve managed to
get a coveted number for the Boston Marathon and a hotel room near the finish
line (no small feat).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All that is left
is the training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While my running had
progressed well for the first year, the combination of a kidney operation and
the inevitable progression of Parkinson’s in the last 6 months forced a strategy
rethink.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The new plan is to use a
run/walk approach which would require over 6 hours to get to the finish.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The 3 training
months leading up to the marathon are the critical ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Between the operation in January to retrieve
the wayward clip in my bladder, the resulting ICU visit with sepsis and a recent
fall resulting in a cracked rib, my training has suffered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mr. R-T believes we can still do the marathon
but the doctors have advised against it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For once Mr. R wins and I am throwing in the towel on the Boston Marathon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes dreams are just dreams no matter how
hard you try.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As I’ve said
in the past, “Acceptance is not Surrender”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m working on a new approach to do the marathon challenge this year and
will have more on that shortly. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Thanks to
all who have been cheering me on, it has meant more to me than you’ll ever
know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More to come.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>SHARED EXPERIENCEShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04645580343185802649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991313863305379631.post-20224995638181264302024-02-04T07:24:00.000-05:002024-02-04T07:24:28.069-05:00One Step at a Time<p><span style="font-size: 18pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmeb9VE2TFwyojeoFfrmCwJs7N0iKG1xkYcn-eVkHJZr2fyA3fOMo_Am4wtB_lBlA8RZ_E2kpWqYo9KAVoiEEB4iB1-uFX84xVu-RZWK4Qwo43eDzJoM6r040U3Co2h0nEUy4pIudefiiqqfP-PEBrtHq5XNvRjXVWOsV3u3FNbpXm_JK8-Ht2RTQAg8Y" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="318" data-original-width="325" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmeb9VE2TFwyojeoFfrmCwJs7N0iKG1xkYcn-eVkHJZr2fyA3fOMo_Am4wtB_lBlA8RZ_E2kpWqYo9KAVoiEEB4iB1-uFX84xVu-RZWK4Qwo43eDzJoM6r040U3Co2h0nEUy4pIudefiiqqfP-PEBrtHq5XNvRjXVWOsV3u3FNbpXm_JK8-Ht2RTQAg8Y=w200-h196" width="200" /></a></div>Colin
Powell, a man I admire, wrote a book listing his 13 rules for life and
leadership.<span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Great book.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">The first rule is “It ain’t as bad as you
think.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">It will look better in the morning.”</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">I can tell you from my experience over the
last two weeks, he’s right.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">My situation
was not as bad as I thought it was, it was much worse.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Two weeks ago,
facing an early Sunday morning long training run I went to bed early feeling a
little under the weather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No problem, Colin Powell says I’ll feel better
in the morning. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I was a bit surprised
in the morning when I woke and couldn’t get out of bed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Literally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I tried to sit up, that wasn’t happening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tried to push myself up with my arms but they
were like over cooked spaghetti.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Realizing something was not even close to a
normal situation I of course should have called for help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not a
chance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have you ever noticed how one
bad decision can often snowball into a series of irrational steps that when you
look back begs the question “What were you possibly thinking?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In this case
it started with the idea that if I could move my legs over the side of the bed I
can sit up and then stand. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fifteen minutes
later after successfully slipping my legs off the side bed I found myself lying
on the floor like a beached whale, unable to get up or roll over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
this point my wife finds me and calls my son and they rationally decide to call
an ambulance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ambulance ride was
cool but not something I would recommend you put on your bucket list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did get them to put on the siren and lights
for part of the trip.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Long story,
but the short version is I ended up in the ICU for a few days with a raging kidney
infection and sepsis, likely caused when they went in the week before to remove
the wayward clip in my bladder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Touch
and go for a few days but I finally got home 5 days later with a walker to get
around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a total mystery to me how I
could literally overnight go from running 30 miles a week to unable to walk
because of a kidney infection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now a week later I’m able to get around
without the walker but I haven’t tried running yet. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Not sure
where that leaves me relative to the marathon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have a little over two months to go but I’m unsure what level of
training and endurance I’ve lost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right
now I’m thankful just to be back on my feet.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The hospital
stay did remind me how hard it can be facing each day of poking and prodding, endless
tests, medications that make you nauseous and nights of constantly interrupted sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
also reminded me that this is why we work to bring a bit of joy and distraction
to children battling cancer, often in the hospital fighting not for days or
weeks, but for months and years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Stay tuned,
an update on the recovery progress shortly.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>SHARED EXPERIENCEShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04645580343185802649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991313863305379631.post-64137518228414832372024-01-20T09:14:00.003-05:002024-01-20T09:14:47.517-05:00 Special Gifts<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcZUzFWoLgnKmoL4M2pJUQarFtJhiCS5BE_FA9nLfMoYitkNI6-9xfSdVXoBi4wpC4G8uIpN5egxKW9A22Gveow9lDsxC9c2vNRbKBuKG7S5XwrtBql6deOfnvKy9SksDX5BPsi7gsEstouwE-q7RjRd3rFaoaKuTglZD3crq_SmnvSca8p6z6dVMh58Q" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="817" data-original-width="1300" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcZUzFWoLgnKmoL4M2pJUQarFtJhiCS5BE_FA9nLfMoYitkNI6-9xfSdVXoBi4wpC4G8uIpN5egxKW9A22Gveow9lDsxC9c2vNRbKBuKG7S5XwrtBql6deOfnvKy9SksDX5BPsi7gsEstouwE-q7RjRd3rFaoaKuTglZD3crq_SmnvSca8p6z6dVMh58Q=w200-h126" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 18pt;">My running was
not so good this week.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Have
you ever received one of those gifts where you said to yourself “I really wish
they hadn’t. Really!</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The first
gift came from my grandchildren.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seems
Pink eye had been running rampant at their school and while they were over it,
they managed to gift it to me (not Pam…they like her more).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
you never had it, count yourself blessed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eyes are crusted shut, blurred vision, light
sensitive, and goopy (technical term).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Often
it felt like I had sand in my eyes and I would be walking around squinting like
Popeye.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you might imagine, that’s not
conducive to running on narrow country roads.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Which leads
to the second gift, this one from Mother Nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
happened to global warming? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
enough difficulties training without adding snow, ice and cold to the challenges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And who doesn’t love that stimulating feeling
you get when you are not fast enough dodging an ice cold slush wave. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The third gift was from my Urologist/Oncologist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may
recall last year about this time I was being treated for a mass in my bladder
blocking flow from my kidney.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ultimately
it wasn’t cancer but they needed to operate to remove the blockage and restore
the kidney function (as a side note, it was a fascinating robotic surgery).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A follow-sup
ultrasound last week detected a new mass in the bladder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This week they did a cystoscope to look
inside the bladder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’ve never had
one, count yourself lucky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not
something to put on your bucket list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good
news, no tumor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surprise, it was a surgical clip leftover from
the original operation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were able to grab it with a little claw
on the end of the scope and pull it out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can attest from the discomfort that
the route it traveled on the way out was never meant to carry anything
solid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But not all
gifts are unwanted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2024
Help in the Nick of time provided almost 100 children fighting pediatric cancer
with surprise boxes of toys, games, and gifts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In a world full of isolation, pain, and loneliness these boxes bring a
mountain of joy and distraction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s
what one teen’s mom had to say….</span><b><span style="font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I can honestly say that I do not recall Addie being as excited about a
gift as she was with this box ... every item was a hit and it was all a surprise
to her!!! The Friends Lego set and Ugg blanket were both items she has wanted,
but thought were too expensive to request.”</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">None of this
is possible without your support.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wish
you could be there to see the joy you bring to these children and their
families. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s what drives me out the
door on mornings where I challenge slush waves and icy roads looking like
Popeye.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Thank you!<o:p></o:p></span></p>SHARED EXPERIENCEShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04645580343185802649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991313863305379631.post-12496113758361704182023-12-31T11:08:00.004-05:002023-12-31T11:10:02.526-05:00Paying for Pain<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcNvF33hgL-evDRyEMKaX8rDlLtFjo8x1vZyXlhSNMl-DK0KiA0McyTm5o6RhohdSZBR7PX5CmKHovBz_UCcUz95GAG6sLcMccRprwrBkCXmUH_AioI5xukE5NTFENKBTFr6iWMbAc56Ann19z1zVy3r0l3soOICHqqdzwyTyLMsK3yowT9NFQDNP7rCM" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1180" height="102" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcNvF33hgL-evDRyEMKaX8rDlLtFjo8x1vZyXlhSNMl-DK0KiA0McyTm5o6RhohdSZBR7PX5CmKHovBz_UCcUz95GAG6sLcMccRprwrBkCXmUH_AioI5xukE5NTFENKBTFr6iWMbAc56Ann19z1zVy3r0l3soOICHqqdzwyTyLMsK3yowT9NFQDNP7rCM=w200-h102" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 18pt;">I’m
struggling with a running question that I’m hoping someone who reads this can
answer for me.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">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?</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">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. </span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">In a few
days Walt Disney World will host the runDisney Marathon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can just imagine the initial proposal sounded
like from some runner in the Disney marketing department….<i>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And why
limit it to the parents, let’s get the kids involved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can have shorter runs..a 5K, a 10K, and a
half marathon and make it a family affair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>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).<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">Last year
there were 1,100 marathon races in the US with over 500,000 people participating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Crazy as it may sound, about half of the entrants in the bigger races
continue to be first time marathoners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-size: 24px;">Who are all these people paying big bucks to torture themselves?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">Clearly the
demand is there as the races continue to raise prices and many have limits on
the number of entrants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The NYC
Marathon (the largest in the US) had 50,000 finishers last year with an entry
fee is $295.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to my Texas
Instruments calculator that’s almost $15 million.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not bad for a weekend event. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">The Boston
Marathon is even harder to get into.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A privilege I will have this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yup…I’m headed back to Boston to attempt one
more Boston Marathon and to raise funds to help families facing pediatric
cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">So, I invite
you to come along with me on what is bound to be an interesting ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As always, it’s your encouragement and
financial support of pediatric cancer families through Help in the Nick of Time
that fuel my efforts.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">Happy New
Year….it should be an interesting one!<o:p></o:p></span></p>SHARED EXPERIENCEShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04645580343185802649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991313863305379631.post-6316841592204084692023-04-19T17:22:00.001-05:002023-04-19T19:55:54.414-05:00The More The Merrier<p> <span style="font-size: 16pt;">Last weekend
my family got together in Pennsylvania to make this year’s Marathon Challenge a
family affair.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">That amounts to 8 adults and 9 grandchildren
(between the ages of 12 and 2), almost a small village.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Rounding out the Nick of Time Team was my
sister, her husband and Jeep the dog.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plan was for me to run as far
as possible and then have family members complete the 26.2 miles for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not
counting Jeep, we had a team of 10 runners ranging in age from 6 to 69.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A different family member would join me for
each loop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
team continued trading off runners in a relay fashion to keep me company while
I ground away at the miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At 12 miles
my legs starting knotting up and by 14 miles I was cooked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The team
more than made up the rest of the mileage by adding on another 31 miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those 45 miles don’t include all the miles
run by people who signed up for the <b>Miles for Smiles Virtual Run/Walk</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Already this year we are on schedule to send
out over 50% more boxes than last year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here’s an example of the joy you bring with your support.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIT7osQd4go1-UanaHqFgTNxXtkM9oxuj8ZU0xgVDL3hl4wdwZprrDf1R-J_f93ZRnK-h4QAwcGg-M5bIOZ6qOSurcm_gUJfXoTb2oKiEAij6CcNs8o0OMEHb-1IdVJcKmabVSUVFrHV_1utO0BWCckAftnaaj2_8g45jZhaGy4uOruhXj9XEdSGh-/s2048/Ivy.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIT7osQd4go1-UanaHqFgTNxXtkM9oxuj8ZU0xgVDL3hl4wdwZprrDf1R-J_f93ZRnK-h4QAwcGg-M5bIOZ6qOSurcm_gUJfXoTb2oKiEAij6CcNs8o0OMEHb-1IdVJcKmabVSUVFrHV_1utO0BWCckAftnaaj2_8g45jZhaGy4uOruhXj9XEdSGh-/s320/Ivy.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">It’s your support that
has put that smile on her face.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">And we
don’t stop there.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Often times the parents
need some help as well.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">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.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">In the words of one mom:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><i><span face="Archer-BookItalic" style="font-size: 13pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Archer-BookItalic;">“thank you for the gift card to Target.
That will help with getting more diapers or wipes. That's a </span></i><i><span face="Archer-BookItalic" style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Archer-BookItalic;">never-ending
purchase right now."</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri Light",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I keep being reminded by
a close friend…<b><i>it’s not about the miles it’s about the smiles.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri Light",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">So next year…definitely more smiles and maybe,
just maybe, more miles.<o:p></o:p></span></p>SHARED EXPERIENCEShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04645580343185802649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991313863305379631.post-44316079861545243742023-04-15T05:56:00.005-05:002023-04-15T06:00:42.806-05:00It's a Family Affair<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-HIn-HRka1KePRtZoWYEZkdZdodtwzOY2Md-lHGrmXvVFu6GoyVReju1hzamzKJ5yY8vlHAEdA3Jy6lsxFnVPo2hJiGdEzkuJagPJijTh3bpRW21D82IguF9UvqDS15Ayg-lnogmgP5npw8zJ4bb_bT7zvzJlBtMRkoBOC2atPlHO07JDb6W7Pl-4/s1600/47a1da37b3127cce98548a5ea25500000030100CZNmLlwybs3.jpg" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1535" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-HIn-HRka1KePRtZoWYEZkdZdodtwzOY2Md-lHGrmXvVFu6GoyVReju1hzamzKJ5yY8vlHAEdA3Jy6lsxFnVPo2hJiGdEzkuJagPJijTh3bpRW21D82IguF9UvqDS15Ayg-lnogmgP5npw8zJ4bb_bT7zvzJlBtMRkoBOC2atPlHO07JDb6W7Pl-4/w192-h200/47a1da37b3127cce98548a5ea25500000030100CZNmLlwybs3.jpg" width="192" /></a> <span style="font-size: 18pt;">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.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">That sense of excitement was still there
when I last ran it in 2017.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">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.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">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).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> It's also the 10 year anniversary of the Marathon bombing, another year I'll never forget and a whole different set of emotions.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">This weekend
I will be running my Marathon Challenge fund raiser to help kids battling
cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s no substitute for doing it at
the Boston Marathon but I consider myself blessed to still be running at all. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In December I had a medical issue that
required several operations and will require another in several weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I’ve still been able to run, it has
been at a much-reduced level. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So this
year I put out a call for help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s an awesome tribute to their
brother/uncle Nick and to Help in the Nick of Time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Should be an interesting day.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">I’ll post an
update after the weekend and let everyone know how it goes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">Fingers
crossed!<o:p></o:p></span></p>SHARED EXPERIENCEShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04645580343185802649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991313863305379631.post-45248210522870890522023-03-29T11:40:00.000-05:002023-03-29T11:40:25.858-05:00Arrogance can be Humbling<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgev1WYIn_mTxOI1pFAYzGcFfrN6WCvpUzBzblTQaX4uprN62375fMSlmHF2T68PNVRK_H2LRJxF5YcO6BA1Hq_vJqqQkfy5yGGFC4eXuyuLS4BZejLxtysjx_xjsM358tpgr3imP7Clazov1CfwoY8wcViKXfV-V6UvnWuAFzs1zvtZg2cw_MUYKin" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgev1WYIn_mTxOI1pFAYzGcFfrN6WCvpUzBzblTQaX4uprN62375fMSlmHF2T68PNVRK_H2LRJxF5YcO6BA1Hq_vJqqQkfy5yGGFC4eXuyuLS4BZejLxtysjx_xjsM358tpgr3imP7Clazov1CfwoY8wcViKXfV-V6UvnWuAFzs1zvtZg2cw_MUYKin=w200-h113" width="200" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m
now living proof of how wrong I was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over
the last 3 years I racked up over 4000 miles, consistently averaging over 100
miles a month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the first time in
my life that I have run continually for that many months in a row.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Given that dedication to insanity it would
be natural to believe that a marathon would be the proverbial walk in the park
(pun intended).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not even close.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
fact over the last couple of years not only have the miles gotten harder but I’ve
gotten slower. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it’s
not speed that is the challenge, it’s time on your feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s an interesting conundrum, the slower
you go the longer you are out pounding the pavement for the same distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
longer you are out there the harder it is to stay hydrated, fueled, and injury
free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At some point you’re like an
engine without oil, your body just seizes up and won’t go anymore.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">An astute
reader might be thinking…can’t you just eat and drink along the way?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a good question Captain Obvious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I
remember my high school biology class correctly, eating draws blood to the
stomach to digest the food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Guess where
that blood comes from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Going back to my
earlier car analogy, the muscles are much like the engine, they need fuel and
oxygen to function.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For muscles that’s
your body’s stored fuel and the oxygen from your lungs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The oxygen takes a ride in the blood stream from
the lungs to the muscles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either
getting out of breath or reducing the blood to the muscles will ultimately cause
the engine to grind to a halt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But enough geeking
about the biology.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>half marathon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the reason the Marathon Challenge takes
me three days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it the lung damage from the chemo, the
awkward running mechanics from the Parkinson’s or maybe I’m just getting
old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes wanting something and putting in
the effort just isn’t enough. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lesson
learned.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Karma can be
a bitch and incredibly humbling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>SHARED EXPERIENCEShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04645580343185802649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991313863305379631.post-6437648833836698072023-03-10T13:55:00.000-05:002023-03-10T13:55:13.135-05:00Microscope VS Telescope Views<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5YpiUF6wxrmc_GkrIZumEJygdb_7pAC7yiVkwQb3XK5vgAuFvdTOxwMqEpUiCpoc6qzP-laW17WaGUMvysv96nK7iju_Jm324vHRLzK9eJBnySQDPQHN7L7s-3VEDj0DFV8_pRVfSibKIARajeZAqBtUoEmECw55r8lovUyXWr5QzoD28DQrMBgKC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="268" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5YpiUF6wxrmc_GkrIZumEJygdb_7pAC7yiVkwQb3XK5vgAuFvdTOxwMqEpUiCpoc6qzP-laW17WaGUMvysv96nK7iju_Jm324vHRLzK9eJBnySQDPQHN7L7s-3VEDj0DFV8_pRVfSibKIARajeZAqBtUoEmECw55r8lovUyXWr5QzoD28DQrMBgKC=w200-h140" width="200" /></a></div><br />The other
day I was out for a run and as sometimes happens, I was really struggling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“You
can’t do this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your too old, too sore,
too cold and too stiff from Parkinson’s to continue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
the end of these runs I’m tired, frustrated, discouraged and full of self-doubt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How am I ever going to complete a marathon
challenge when I’m struggling with just a short run? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It's easy at
this point to extrapolate today’s situation into the future and to lose
hope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So what is
the big picture for me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s remembering
it’s not about running a marathon, or completing a marathon challenge or even
making it through another day of running.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s about helping children fighting cancer and inspiring others to join
me in the effort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But maybe, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine a child, ripped away
from their family and friends for months at a time, sometimes hundreds of miles
from home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Endless daily treatments that
involve being tested, stuck and prodded, often left feeling nauseous, tired and
in pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Worst of all, the fear that there is no end in
sight and maybe no cure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is
nothing more heart rending than a child asking “Mommy, am I going to die”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bringing just a small amount of hope, joy, distraction
and laughter into their lives is making a world of difference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So for now,
running is my tool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you wish to
join me you can sign up for the Miles for Smiles Virtual Run/Walk at:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://raceroster.com/events/2023/72063/miles-for-smiles">https://raceroster.com/events/2023/72063/miles-for-smiles</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">or donate to
Help in the Nick of Time at:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://secure.etransfer.com/eft/flexblockcode/donation1.cfm?d2org=ECCF&d2tool=HelpNickTimeFund">https://secure.etransfer.com/eft/flexblockcode/donation1.cfm?d2org=ECCF&d2tool=HelpNickTimeFund</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Thank you
for all the support.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For now, enough
running my mouth, back to using my feet.<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>SHARED EXPERIENCEShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04645580343185802649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991313863305379631.post-16967986738000642432023-02-24T13:32:00.001-05:002023-02-24T13:32:53.269-05:00How Old is Old<p><span style="font-size: 16pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgH086DjUUOznXIBHO7YpBcPisbpJGzGAOr1Qg_buSob3QVBQ2A69CFALk0Kdy4o3kzNIfM-CBr8QuC8iuPayrDbDugiLi0R9TmYrfWvZeRrz0mhp0O2QY7o_mTqHZnQt81853tK-Er-u7oL0COZjnjdNb8y7sfeGKiXnKZl5Xh6y9ZFoYtZWh7Lyo" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="184" data-original-width="275" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgH086DjUUOznXIBHO7YpBcPisbpJGzGAOr1Qg_buSob3QVBQ2A69CFALk0Kdy4o3kzNIfM-CBr8QuC8iuPayrDbDugiLi0R9TmYrfWvZeRrz0mhp0O2QY7o_mTqHZnQt81853tK-Er-u7oL0COZjnjdNb8y7sfeGKiXnKZl5Xh6y9ZFoYtZWh7Lyo=w200-h134" width="200" /></a></div>Age had been
a regular theme in my running blogs over the last few years.<span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">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.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">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.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The oldest
person in the world is currently 118 years old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of
course, your mileage may vary based on your life choices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Until fairly recently, anyone over 65 was
considered old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I honestly didn’t think of myself as old when
I ran Boston at 65.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These days people are doing things at 70 and
80 that would have been unheard of a generation ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s
especially true in sports.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A runner from
my city here in VA completed the Boston Marathon last year at the age of
81.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Johnny Kelly, who won the Boston Marathon
twice, ran it 61 times, the last time at the age of 84.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are now age group records for the marathon
for runners over 85, 90 and even one set by a 100-year-old man.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My children consider
me old…too old in fact to be running Marathon Challenges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me, the best bellwether of aging (and my
health) has been the yearly marathons/marathon challenges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was also difficulty running while getting
ready for my Marathon Challenge that resulted in my Parkinson’s diagnosis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it continues to be running that not only
allows me to assess my health but measure the progression of Parkinson’s as
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the same time, I recognize the reality of the
physical challenges I’m facing in the coming years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My new
mantra is “acceptance is not surrender”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can register at:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://raceroster.com/events/2023/72063/miles-for-smiles">2023 — Miles
for Smiles — Race Roster — Registration, Marketing, Fundraising</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">or donate directly
to Help in the Nick of Time at:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://secure.etransfer.com/eft/flexblockcode/donation1.cfm?d2org=ECCF&d2tool=HelpNickTimeFund">Essex
County Community Foundation (etransfer.com)</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I’ll see you
out on the roads….<o:p></o:p></span></p>SHARED EXPERIENCEShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04645580343185802649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991313863305379631.post-1546802737770721012023-02-11T06:18:00.002-05:002023-02-11T06:18:41.211-05:00No Brain....No Pain<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZm5admkDU7dL2HGwwDijf08yJXtKN4G7TZxCK72vP7IR1tfCr0Ri49ek7FX3mfPUjg3n4szJhZRy2VILkFG-BTWau5IH2HKcPxfl5egVh3CH03oHWGFgvu-s6d7r24jGinxBHfpHkOChL6NW4Y7TS4IJq1ewdV6Oizw2hPM3ywOd9wjHfWMtC_cW/s225/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZm5admkDU7dL2HGwwDijf08yJXtKN4G7TZxCK72vP7IR1tfCr0Ri49ek7FX3mfPUjg3n4szJhZRy2VILkFG-BTWau5IH2HKcPxfl5egVh3CH03oHWGFgvu-s6d7r24jGinxBHfpHkOChL6NW4Y7TS4IJq1ewdV6Oizw2hPM3ywOd9wjHfWMtC_cW/s1600/download.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /> <span style="font-size: 18pt;">I've often heard
distance running described as a “brainless activity”.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">The kindest interpretation is while running
you can turn off your brain and just let your legs go.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Other
interpretations are much less polite.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">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.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sounds good in theory but I’m totally wrong (nothing
new).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turns out the brain has
multiple chemicals it uses to affect our mood, emotions, body functions and
movement (Serotonin, Dopamine, Endorphins and Adrenaline).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dopamine affects mood, movement, motivation
and to some degree, pleasure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">OK, so
running doesn’t have a positive impact on Parkinson’s, does Parkinson’s have a
direct effect on running.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t need to
know anything about brain chemistry to answer that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It does, and it sucks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the brain gives a command to the right
side of the body to “run” it responds “yes sir”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“ Do I really have to?” (add the
eye roll and heavy sigh here).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To
keep from falling on your face the right side has to slow down to match the delay
of the left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My resulting “jog” looks
more like a shuffling zombie. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">That said, I
am still preparing for the Marathon Challenge, it just may be a bit more
challenging this year.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">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).</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">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.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Last year we doubled the number of families
we helped and this year we are hoping to reach even more.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">If you are interested in participating, or
might know someone who would, you/they can find out more and register at the
link below.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://raceroster.com/events/2023/72063/miles-for-smiles">https://raceroster.com/events/2023/72063/miles-for-smiles</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s a
win-win, you put a much needed smile on the face of a child while helping
yourself get healthier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">More on how
the training is going in the next blog.<o:p></o:p></span></p>SHARED EXPERIENCEShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04645580343185802649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991313863305379631.post-37248151667474357452023-01-22T06:49:00.001-05:002023-01-22T07:42:02.707-05:00Teamwork Makes the Dream Work<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpg84Z9ZdJSrCVp1pLFuRN-OmX_xeYLMV66_s5vovrUAu2WjwX34Z9MtqYJUdEw-Mjwj0OHwb75xaNXQPv2JFgcrXwnm-qKfViBUlbv9IvdAYz81tJIajB_mfezQZm7Ea4Z7A3tv_gyRQc2lL_vHw84D7gSMx7JvY8M9-IORDxWDN3l_JyaFYXy1-z" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpg84Z9ZdJSrCVp1pLFuRN-OmX_xeYLMV66_s5vovrUAu2WjwX34Z9MtqYJUdEw-Mjwj0OHwb75xaNXQPv2JFgcrXwnm-qKfViBUlbv9IvdAYz81tJIajB_mfezQZm7Ea4Z7A3tv_gyRQc2lL_vHw84D7gSMx7JvY8M9-IORDxWDN3l_JyaFYXy1-z=w200-h150" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 18pt;">I recently
finished reading Chris MacDougal’s latest book “Running with Sherman”.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">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).</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">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.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">If you’ve
read the book, you know Sherman is a burro.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yup…4 legs, tail, twitchy ears and a stubborn streak wider than the
Mississippi river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chris rescued
Sherman from sure death and as part of nursing him back to health he would take
him running.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chris set the goal of getting Sherman healthy
enough that together they could run the grueling World Champion Pack Burro Race
in Colorado.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The race is 14.5 miles up
a mountain with a 3000-foot elevation gain and then 14.5 miles back down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">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. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, wherever you find the combination
of alcohol, testosterone and a bet, you know the result may be entertaining but
not particularly sane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those that find marathons to be a walk
in the park, there are numerous 100 miles races.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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?).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In those areas it might be smart to let
someone go ahead of you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">If that
isn’t enough of a challenge there are longer races, like the 200-mile 5-day
race across Wales.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or how about the Moab
Utah 240 mile run in the dessert mountains around Arches National Park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I recently ran in the area one morning and
it was already 75 degrees at 7AM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s run in NYC on a .6-mile
loop (over 5100 laps).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2022 that
allowed us to double the families we helped. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But there are even more families who need our
support and unfortunately relying on my Marathon Challenge alone is not
enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, this year I’m inviting more people to get
involved by setting up a Help in the Nick of Time Virtual Run/Walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
site will allow you to post your results and everyone who completes their
challenge will get a run T-Shirt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have the option of going it alone or
putting together a team of your family and friends to join you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All
proceeds will go to supporting children with pediatric cancer and their families.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">We all either
have been impacted by cancer or know people who have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s a great opportunity to do something
for yourself and put a smile on the face of a child battling cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s
also the added benefit giving cancer the finger.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">More info
coming shortly….warm up those running/walking shoes and start recruiting your
partners!<o:p></o:p></span></p>SHARED EXPERIENCEShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04645580343185802649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991313863305379631.post-54813455649733509912023-01-09T13:36:00.005-05:002023-01-09T13:44:30.027-05:00New Year....New Changes<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 18pt; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6fhL82bNuumweXnUWsOn_jZTzo8u6GTPll6EvHaX1v90FqeJPTTNk_EGe-p7ZAHu5oo8oG-OUV_DdQWZT0p4T_lEMACRPE1xc0yxUlqfX-ns7I7oevBKAkxQ6xHBxsVLkIvCFx7g8r9jOaw9TVvj1HsguWQQ5bcNODb5L57LLwMp2Zqi2wXoWJiep" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="198" data-original-width="254" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6fhL82bNuumweXnUWsOn_jZTzo8u6GTPll6EvHaX1v90FqeJPTTNk_EGe-p7ZAHu5oo8oG-OUV_DdQWZT0p4T_lEMACRPE1xc0yxUlqfX-ns7I7oevBKAkxQ6xHBxsVLkIvCFx7g8r9jOaw9TVvj1HsguWQQ5bcNODb5L57LLwMp2Zqi2wXoWJiep=w200-h156" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">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.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 107%;">So, this
year I have one new year’s resolution….to eat ice cream every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m
not alone, only 9-12% of people keep their resolutions and most people abandon
their them by January 18<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In fact, January 17 is known as “ditch your resolution” day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Resolutions
to me are like rubbing your face in your shortcomings that you otherwise can
blissfully ignore. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find being so
self-unaware is very relaxing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 107%;">The truth is,
I’m pretty comfortable with myself and if something is really important to me,
I just throw myself into it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like my
commitment to use running to fund programs for children and their families dealing
with pediatric cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In past years fund raising has revolved around
my running the Boston Marathon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
cancer got in the way I moved to running a multi-day Marathon Challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>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. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 107%;">So welcome
aboard for this year’s adventure in old age distance running.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As always, your support goes a long way
towards helping me making my running and funding goals but more importantly,
helping children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Together we are an
awesome team!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 107%;">More on how
to get involved in the next blog.<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>SHARED EXPERIENCEShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04645580343185802649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991313863305379631.post-91654757570867262402022-04-24T06:06:00.001-05:002022-04-24T06:06:55.899-05:00Challenges Make Life Interesting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg03obMg_YxwkpRU6TeWzHgRjTrGKXolo5mJUKLcpp-2yka8G_Crz_hO97oo8XdS5l73X3fkG1Rin-tSsax6UPDqd_6mqbaDKjv0GwQ2W4ejMVrzDwRm0ZUK-nMI9akaFaEhZ7kSvE89b4ogfPD7Rp48qebFkR2xdxk6mP1TYFa2_vg4YORgGaMnoYG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg03obMg_YxwkpRU6TeWzHgRjTrGKXolo5mJUKLcpp-2yka8G_Crz_hO97oo8XdS5l73X3fkG1Rin-tSsax6UPDqd_6mqbaDKjv0GwQ2W4ejMVrzDwRm0ZUK-nMI9akaFaEhZ7kSvE89b4ogfPD7Rp48qebFkR2xdxk6mP1TYFa2_vg4YORgGaMnoYG=w200-h133" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s been 16
years since I started down this marathon road to raise funds for charities in
Nick’s memory and I can say without hesitation, the runs are not getting
easier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Likely at this point you are saying
“Duh!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your 16 years older, battled
through 2 years of chemo, and are now dealing with Parkinson’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do you expect?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>OK,
point taken.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So on to
this year’s Marathon Challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
goal was to run/jog 26.2 miles over 4 days in under 4 1/2 hours total time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My strategy was to run a longer run on the
first day, give the old bones a rest on day 2 and then 2 shorter runs on day three
and four. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While this is not a big improvement
over last year’s challenge, the hills around our home in Charlottesville will
more than double the vertical climb this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Day one was pretty
much on plan. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was slightly slower than
last year but I attribute that to the hills and the Parkinson’s. Parkinson’s
makes my left leg stiff starting out and because the brain to muscle connection
is slower it also causes the left foot to drag a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
first 2-3 miles are really slooooow and awkward as I work to get the stiffness
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So slow that the deer I pass on the
road don’t even bother to run off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On a
typical day the first miles will be around 2 minutes slower than my last.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I started
day three stiff and sore but loosened up a bit as I got into the later
miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did I mention there are a lot of
hills where I run?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turns out over the first two days of running I’ll
climb more vertical feet than the whole Boston Marathon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On this
day alone I’ll cover the equivalent of running the infamous Boston Marathon Heartbreak
Hill 3 times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It turns out, as tough
as the uphills are, it’s the downhills that actually beat up your legs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the
end of the second day of running my left quad (thigh) had more knots in it than
a 5-year old’s shoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point I’m just a hair below the pace I
need in order to bet the 4 ½ hour mark.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Day four
dawned rainy and cold (35 degrees).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
normally don’t mind either rain or cold, but rain just above freezing is the
worst.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is just no way to dress
that will either keep you warm or dry and the more clothes you wear the heavier
they get as they saturate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kind of like
running with a 5 lb. bag of sugar on your back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The good news, this will to be the shortest
of the three runs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After struggling through the first few miles
the quad loosened up enough to get a reasonable stride out of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pace
was slower than the previous two days but I was able to complete the run.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And yes…we
made it…26.2 miles in just under 4 hours 30 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Definitely tougher than I expected but a win
just the same.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To put this
in historical perspective, my last Boston Marathon was in 2018, in between chemo
treatments, and I completed that in 4 hours 5 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know it is stupid to look back and compare
the two but I had hopes that one day I would be able to run a marathon
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve come to the realization
this may be the best I can do.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Truth is, it’s
not about me, or the marathon challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s about raising funds to help people who are struggling in some of
their toughest moments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve all been
there and we remember the relief when someone reached out and said” let me help”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your support
for me and Help in the Nick of Time has allowed us to do that for hundreds of
children and families.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So that’s it
for this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll be back next year to
do it all again…God willing and the creek don’t rise.<o:p></o:p></span></p>SHARED EXPERIENCEShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04645580343185802649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991313863305379631.post-32894734067571394412022-04-09T14:46:00.000-05:002022-04-09T14:46:37.005-05:00Marathon Spectators<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFXGpNaJarg6B0mg4r6Lt6ytTT8v_y63XHPjTTEVA88NvHaLwtKQ52AcppEPlz_FtURHHZ08J7-cRck-t2FhEcSy5jf1ln-B3caFh4aZRucWYlyYxai4byysA212hmUHYzloKRcA0JIeX-f_PzO2F4DedK93hIEnLPIogMeQ3Gd2vWntq7wjjSZSYK" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="1000" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFXGpNaJarg6B0mg4r6Lt6ytTT8v_y63XHPjTTEVA88NvHaLwtKQ52AcppEPlz_FtURHHZ08J7-cRck-t2FhEcSy5jf1ln-B3caFh4aZRucWYlyYxai4byysA212hmUHYzloKRcA0JIeX-f_PzO2F4DedK93hIEnLPIogMeQ3Gd2vWntq7wjjSZSYK=w200-h138" width="200" /></a> <br /><span style="font-size: 16pt; text-align: justify;">As we come up on the 126</span><sup style="text-align: justify;">th</sup><span style="font-size: 16pt; text-align: justify;"> running of the Boston
Marathon in a little over a week, the pressing question on everyone’s mind is “What’s
the appropriate behavior of a spectator at a marathon?”</span><span style="font-size: 16pt; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt; text-align: justify;">Well, maybe not everyone’s mind, or for that
matter anyone’s.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt; text-align: justify;">In case you find
yourself motivated to attend a race, as someone who has run a few marathons, I can
offer a bit of an insider’s perspective on etiquette and how to be a supportive spectator.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If for some
strange reason you find yourself planning to stand for hours on the side of the
road waiting to try and pick out a runner in a crowd of thousands, so you can
shout a few words of encouragement or offer some sustenance in the few seconds
they blow by you, bless your soul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s
a special place in the afterlife for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But if you plan to put out this
kind of effort it is good to know the do’s and don’ts of being a good
spectator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is especially true for
the Boston Spectators who have honed the practice over decades and feel that it
is their right (no, their duty) to set you right on what you are doing wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Signs<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Before we
talk about appropriate signs, I’d like to point out how helpful signs can
be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Comedian Bill Engvall said it best
in his routine about stupid people where he proposes that stupid people should
carry a sign so you lower your expectations when dealing with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His routine on why Preparation H has a
warning on the packaging that says DO NOT EAT, had me in tears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s online, I highly recommend watching it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A sign
saying something stupid like “Only 24 miles to go” or “One foot in front of the
other” are not only unhelpful, they reflect poorly on you in front of thousands
of runners passing you by, not to mention the spectators around you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Signs like “Go
Daddy Go”, and “You have this Uncle Dave” have the personal touch that offer
great encouragement, while the same un-personalized messages from a stranger,
not so much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyone with a “Go Faster”
sign should be burned at the stake.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The best
signs are the ones with humor or backed by enthusiasm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most notable in this category are the woman
at Wellesley college who set up the scream tunnel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only can you hear them screaming a half
mile before you get there but they have great creative signs like “kiss me I’m
Irish”, “be my first kiss”, “I know CPR and mouth to mouth”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
are videos of this online, definitely worth a watch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been known in the past to have thrown a
few kisses to the women.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately,
with Covid the mouth-to-mouth personal interaction has been curtailed a lot but
the scream tunnel is still the best spectator part of the race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Of course,
signs aren’t limited to the spectators, the runners get into the act with messages
on their clothes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some are aimed at
other runners, particularly on the backs of their shirts. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I spit
to the right”, “I may be slow but I’m ahead of you”, and on a pair of shorts “stop
looking at my butt and run” are both creative and helpful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other messages are for the crowd like putting
your name on your shirt or the charity your running for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The crowd does pick up on these and will add
some personalization to their cheering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Having done this, I can say I have mixed feelings. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It can be tiring towards the end of the race
to keep looking into the crowd to see if the person calling your name is really
someone you know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A bit of history, the
old days (the 1970’s), when I first started running Boston, the Boston Globe
published the names and numbers of all the runners and spectators would try to
spot your number, look you up and personalize their encouragement.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Other
interactions to keep in mind:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Lying
to a runner is a violation punishable by being staked out in front of the
starting line and stomped to death by thousands of runners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Saying things like “you’re at the top of Heart
Break Hill” when you are not or “one mile to go” when there is two or more, are
notable examples.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Saying” you are
looking good” is excusable as a form of encouragement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking good is not likely or high on the
list of priorities.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Runners
love upbeat music.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Hours
of ringing cow bells or blowing horns are not bloody helpful to either the
runners or the spectators around you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Offering
runners food or drinks is very generous but don’t shove them in their face or
run along side with repeated offers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the best gifts I received was a popsicle
at mile 22 on a 90-degree day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jellybeans
are my favorite but I even partook in a sip of beer from a college student one
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Don’t
ask the runner to stop to take a picture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s understandable that if you
are standing in the sun or cold for hours that you want to get a picture of the
person you are supporting, but don’t take it personally if they blow you off to
keep running.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Don’t
spray water on the runners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know this
sounds obvious but on hot days some people bring hoses to the street to help
cool the runners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There may be times
when this is helpful to some runners but it’s the runner’s choice, not the
spectator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wet shoes and socks are
heavier and can contribute to blisters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One
year it was so hot the Boston Marathon was almost cancelled, but instead the
race director set up cold misting spray tents on the side of the course and you
could just run through the tent and keep going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have to say, despite the wet shoes it was awesome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Lastly,
and this is the most important, don’t ask if they are in pain or want to
stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they are anywhere past the 15-mile
mark they are tired, likely in pain and fighting mentally to keep going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, they want to stop (Bill Engvall
would say “here’s your stupid sign”), but the spectator’s job is not to tempt
them to quit but to encourage them to keep going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any
spectator who says “keep going, pain is just a state of mind” should get a knee
to the groin to help to put them in the right “state of mind”.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">With my
marathon challenge coming up in the next week I can honestly say I’ll miss the Boston
spectators, even the inappropriate ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even I get tired of my own company and spending hours in my own head is
a scary place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A screaming tunnel and
maybe a few rowdy spectators yelling encouragement would be welcome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, I’ll be avoiding deer jumping out of
the woods in front of me, dodging pickup trucks on the narrow country roads and
cursing the incessant steep hills that make up my neighborhood in
Charlottesville.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when the going gets tough I’ll remember all
the people who are supporting my efforts and those pediatric cancer patients
benefiting from Help in the Nick of Time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Wish me
luck!<o:p></o:p></span></p>SHARED EXPERIENCEShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04645580343185802649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991313863305379631.post-7020798369718305392022-03-19T06:30:00.001-05:002022-03-19T06:37:42.819-05:00Giving Up or Letting Go?<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p></p></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9dIH_74aoUb0UwV5hGagnbsAncN2fBsZL-7J5VpVUYKW5tBdgGoDhoHopnz-ArbuzahCWzRQlaclbbfX-pMNTVb5NR5nq2L2x5zlzfJiLDhjbrYs17g-4UKWjyYzXwe4ihJvwBmGhckrksImI2BmJbn9rg4s45jBAn6S0A3F1KGm5LhYRL3NydtlK" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="500" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9dIH_74aoUb0UwV5hGagnbsAncN2fBsZL-7J5VpVUYKW5tBdgGoDhoHopnz-ArbuzahCWzRQlaclbbfX-pMNTVb5NR5nq2L2x5zlzfJiLDhjbrYs17g-4UKWjyYzXwe4ihJvwBmGhckrksImI2BmJbn9rg4s45jBAn6S0A3F1KGm5LhYRL3NydtlK" width="182" /></a></div><br /> <span style="font-size: 18pt;">In one of my
blogs years ago I made the claim that anyone could run a marathon if they were
just willing to put in the months of training.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Get out the salt shaker, I’m
about to eat those words and they are not going to go down easy.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">In the 4
years since my 3-month all-inclusive vacation in luxurious Fox Chase Cancer Ward
I have been working diligently to get my running back to where I was before the
stem cell transplant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those that have followed the blog over
those years you may remember I replaced running the Boston Marathon with my own
marathon challenge spread over multiple days run at the same time as Boston. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first year was 3 months after I left the
hospital and my challenge was to walk a 5k (3.1 miles) without the bloody walker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A year later the challenge was to jog/walk a
marathon distance (26.2 miles) over 7 days in under 8 total hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
April 2020 in the midst of the pandemic I set and completed the goal of covering
the marathon distance in 6 days in under 6 hours, jogging the entire way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Raising the bar again last year, I was able
to jog the 26.2 miles over 4 days in around 4 ½ hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Using
my mathematical wizardry, I calculated if I continued to improve at this rate,
I might be able to complete a full marathon in a single day sometime 3 years
from now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">So, it’s a
year later and I can honestly say my calculations sucked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the last year I’ve consistently run over
100 miles a month (almost 1400 for the year) and I haven’t improved a bit over
last year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Granted we did move from
somewhat hilly Pennsylvania to almost mountainous Virginia, but even allowing
for the hills, the old legs don’t seem to have the endurance necessary to run
even a half marathon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it age, the effects
of Parkinson’s or left-over effects of all the chemo?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Certainly, part of it is the Parkinson’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s like termites in your house, it slowly
eats away at your muscles and coordination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ve given up trying to figure it out and just accepted it is what it
is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve also accepted that doing another Boston Marathon
is just not in the cards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">But
acceptance is not surrender and I’ll keep going at it as long as circumstances
allow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On those occasions when I get frustrated, I
remind myself that is not all about me (It’s not?), it’s also about supporting
the children and their families still fighting cancer at a time when the
pandemic adds to the risks/challenges they face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">So, this year I'm again targeting 26.2
miles in 4 days in around 4 ½ hours. As I've done in the past it is timed to coincide with this year’s Boston
Marathon (April 18).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More on the progress with the training in the
next blog.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">Stay safe!<o:p></o:p></span></p>SHARED EXPERIENCEShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04645580343185802649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991313863305379631.post-84012238405473270922022-02-12T14:34:00.000-05:002022-02-12T14:34:17.795-05:00When Weird Becomes Normal<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjV735XZtXx4XK9cchacmAB5-BR9XLshMLlFVlZy2qQurYwoFVZzguJ6ZXqJPd4hrIXuEWM-VpK3ghqYKeV25_kt6wRKcXnYQt-EdK7qge0IrpLKgdfBEEqxbyGUFbSBeCsZBR3HMdSwFZfESPoo0SQuBS6GebmJuJIdxLb9uYe3eTzs2_vn2ZQagN4" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjV735XZtXx4XK9cchacmAB5-BR9XLshMLlFVlZy2qQurYwoFVZzguJ6ZXqJPd4hrIXuEWM-VpK3ghqYKeV25_kt6wRKcXnYQt-EdK7qge0IrpLKgdfBEEqxbyGUFbSBeCsZBR3HMdSwFZfESPoo0SQuBS6GebmJuJIdxLb9uYe3eTzs2_vn2ZQagN4" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Distance
runners have always been looked at as a little weird.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Who in their right mind gets excited about subjecting
their body to hours of bone jarring, foot pounding, joint twisting, muscle tearing
exercise and do it in weather when most people won’t even take out their cars?</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">For
most runners, there are no financial rewards, no Olympic medals, no TV
appearances, and on most days no cheering crowds (unless you count the rude
comments from passing motorists).</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">While it may
come as no surprise that runners are at the high end of the weird scale, when
it comes to marathon and ultramarathon runners, we enter a whole new world of
strange.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s a few examples:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Skewed definition
of “FUN”:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A fun way to start our day is
getting up at obscene hours in the AM to get in an hour of running in the rain before
work. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just in case you don’t believe
we are having a good time we call our race gatherings “Fun Runs” and give them
catchy names like Turkey Trot, Jingle Bell Jog, and Easter Bunny Hop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some might say more appropriate names would
be Slug Slog, Misery Marathon and Agony of de Feet.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Obsess over
shoes:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have more of a shoe fetish
than Carrie in Sex in the City.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
needs just the right amount of cushioning, flexibility, motion control,
breathability, and of course there is the new carbon fiber “super shoes”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once
you find the right pair that fits just right you have to stockpile several
pairs because the shoe companies change the fit and style every year.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Will run for
food:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We pay $30-50 to enter a race where
the reward at the end is a free bagel, banana and a protein bar (oh, and maybe a
t-shirt).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
training does allow you to have that nightly extra-large bowl of ice cream
guilt free (not that I would know firsthand).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Vacations
are for running:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When planning a vacation,
the location of where you stay is often based on the running routes in the
area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those runners with more accommodating spouses
(angels) might even plan their vacation around a race.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Nature calls
don’t require a bathroom:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enough said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Unusual
medical maladies:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bleeding nipples, black
toenails, rashes in unmentionable areas, shin splints, runner’s knees, Plantar Fasciitis
and IT Band Syndrome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When runners get
together you often may hear them proudly comparing war stories how they ran
races with crippling injuries.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Tech
accessories: In the old days we would tie on the old shoes and head out the
door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now it’s like preparing for war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>GPS Watches, cell phone holder, wireless earbuds,
flashing wrist/ankle bands, heart rate monitor, specialized UV sunglasses, and
a hydration belt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Makes you wonder how early
man was ever able to outrun prehistoric animals.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Monitor
everything:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All this technology has
runners hyper-focused on tracking every aspect of their run including stride
length, average cadences (how many foot strikes/minute), peak cadence, average
pace, fastest mile, avg heart rate, peak heart rate, vertical climb, and max Vo2
(oxygen consumption) to name a few.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only do people monitor their stats but
there are websites that help them brag about them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do other runners really want to hear daily about
your heart rate or average pace on a daily basis or your commentary about the
sun shining and seeing a little bunny rabbit on your run?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Most runners
would say that the above behaviors are normal, at least for a runner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think the big question is…”Are runners’
weird people who were attracted to running or does process of running make
normal people weird?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Opinions
welcome, I’ll post the results on the next blog.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">On a
personal note, when people say I’m crazy for running the way I do, I like to
remember the Stephen Hawking’s quote…”The thing about smart people is they seem
like crazy people to dumb people.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most
of the time I don’t say it out loud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Most of the time.<o:p></o:p></span></p>SHARED EXPERIENCEShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04645580343185802649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991313863305379631.post-1091582185530132842022-01-01T16:32:00.000-05:002022-01-01T16:32:15.759-05:00Embracing Challeges<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYY7O8-dMtzedH7HOf2uAyQDjxiGzE9JCexJgNEdy70nUJP3bv3-HBWBAoJIeoxaSfsA9YhqX2Cmnxm0HTXv1ji0pfhdanAoPk_F4TPWdABNwp5xRCL3U6iOd_I8b9NQgTXJQylMQvR6A/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYY7O8-dMtzedH7HOf2uAyQDjxiGzE9JCexJgNEdy70nUJP3bv3-HBWBAoJIeoxaSfsA9YhqX2Cmnxm0HTXv1ji0pfhdanAoPk_F4TPWdABNwp5xRCL3U6iOd_I8b9NQgTXJQylMQvR6A/w270-h202/image.png" width="270" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 16pt;">I’ve always
been someone who loved a challenge….well most of the time anyway.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Telling me I can’t do something is like
waving a raw a steak in front of a tiger, a red flag in front of an angry bull,
a juicy worm in front of a hungry fish (you get the idea).</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">I
probably hold the world record for saying “you wanna bet?”.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The other
day while I was doing my awkward facsimile of running, I was thinking about the
different challenges I’ve faced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I broke
them down into three categories: The ones self-imposed as goals (raising a loving
family, successful career, run the Boston Marathon), the ones I foolishly took
on in response to the phrase “I bet you can’t….” (scary flashbacks to college
days), and the ones that life foisted on me (Leukemia falls into this
category).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s the
first category that caused me to start Help in the Nick of Time with the goal
of helping families dealing with a child fighting cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hate asking people for money, especially
these days when so many people are struggling as a result of the pandemic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I was going to ask people to part with
their hard-earned money, I had to do something equally hard. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To show
my commitment I choose running a marathon each year.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This year I
will again challenge my aging body to respond to a new marathon challenge in
April.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the last three years since
the stem cell transplant, I have been gradually improving from using a walker
to walking/jogging, to last year’s goal of doing 26.2 miles over 4 days in
under 5 hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Never one to be
satisfied with just achieving a goal, this year I planned on doing even
better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I think the saying
on planning goes something like “Man plans and God laughs”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I noticed my running was becoming more
challenging which I chalked up to age and the after affects of chemo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turns out it’s another little challenge
called Parkinson Disease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Currently it
doesn’t stop me from jogging, although some days I move like the Tin Man after
a rainstorm, but it does make it a bit more difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not
one to shy away from a challenge, my goal this year is to meet or beat the marathon
goal of last year.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Some might
ask “Why keep doing this?”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks for
asking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year will be the 15<sup>th</sup>
year of my marathon challenge and the 12<sup>th</sup> year of Help in the Nick
of Time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In that time, we have blown by
the goal of raising $100,000 and are well on our way to a quarter million.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what really makes me feel good is the
stories of joy and relief we have brought to children and their families who
are struggling emotionally and financially with cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes its as simple as paying for
parking on their daily visits to the hospital, toys for a young child spending
their birthday in the hospital, or fixing a parent’s car so they can take their
child to treatment.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So this year
I’m back to do my part but I could use your help to continue to bring smiles
and happiness into lives struggling with childhood cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come on along for the ride, it should be an
interesting one.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Happy New
Year!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>SHARED EXPERIENCEShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04645580343185802649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991313863305379631.post-70978051721362677572021-04-24T05:18:00.001-05:002021-04-24T05:18:06.810-05:00Interesting Week<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho7dgKYB3lWrug2ixpznSDOdRHtJddJ4NwKkrafxnjyWzi4mGixo4vqrdI22YAymECQBCsSPShDimUvA7n6qOWPvo7-AXbjM-7flg8m7dcNXsgCFwQUut5fA_iTfq-MmHHvyiSkf5IPW0/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="746" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho7dgKYB3lWrug2ixpznSDOdRHtJddJ4NwKkrafxnjyWzi4mGixo4vqrdI22YAymECQBCsSPShDimUvA7n6qOWPvo7-AXbjM-7flg8m7dcNXsgCFwQUut5fA_iTfq-MmHHvyiSkf5IPW0/w200-h147/image.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 16pt;">As the
saying goes…”Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them makes
life meaningful.” (Joshua Marine).</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">By
this definition it was truly an interesting week as I strove to also make it
meaningful.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To recap,
the Marathon Challenge was to run/jog 26.2 miles over 4 days in under 5 hours
total time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My strategy was to run a
longer run on the first day, a shorter run on day two, give the old bones a
rest on day 3 and then run the remaining miles on day four.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Day one the
weather is chilly but clear, a good day for a long run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The target is to go at least 10 miles but
not to wear the legs down knowing I have to get up the next day and run again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While in the past that might not have been
such a big deal, the legs these days have a mind of their own and demand more
recovery time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At some point it’s not
unusual for them to just declare “enough” and cramp up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
the legs lock up it’s like watching the tin man trying to run after a rain
storm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
first few miles were OK but as the miles went by the legs got stiffer making
the last few miles a tough slog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Day two
dawns chilly and over cast but the rain is holding off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On a typical day it takes me a couple of
miles till the legs warm up and I don’t feel like the joints are filled with
cement and someone has shrunk my lungs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Today I’m stiffer than normal and a bit sore from the day before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the challenges of the area where I
live is that it is very hilly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the
legs are stiff and tired hills are a literally a real pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the uphills are challenging for the
lungs and quads, the pounding on the downhills are can be like someone driving
a nail into your thighs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The strategy
for the day, go extra slow and keep the hills to a minimum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It worked.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Day three is
only significant in that I had to go in for a colonoscopy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just what you want on your rest day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The good news, everything is fine and I slept
really well during the procedure.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Day four
dawns windy and with occasional sprinkles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Feeling better after a day of rest and while stiff starting out, I
gradually loosen up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the end I was
tired but able to push through the last few miles at a slow but steady
pace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mentally it’s so much easier to
keep going when you can see the finish line.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So, 4 days,
26.2 miles and total time around 4 ½ hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s not going to set any record books on fire but definitely a step up
from where I was last year (7 days and 5 ½ hours) and two years ago when I
wasn’t able to run more than 100 yards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It will be interesting to see where we are this time next year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Doctors say it is unlikely I will regain what
I had before the chemo/transplant but I don’t think we have found my limit just
yet.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Thanks for
all the support, words of encouragement and donations to Help in the Nick of
Time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t have the words to tell
you how much it means to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your
support feeds my motivation to keep going, keeps good memories of Nick alive,
and it truly has a huge impact on all the cancer lives we are able to touch
with our programs.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Stay well
and safe!<o:p></o:p></span></p>SHARED EXPERIENCEShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04645580343185802649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991313863305379631.post-61261005744500447242021-04-16T18:32:00.001-05:002021-04-16T18:32:34.528-05:00Focus on Distraction<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6wDFwkD17_6pVBQOCvsgcNBps2jJ3_KYG_yAqGnjWGMVr2O_koJJgYAX72DUULdU1g5GTuM2dkVC09ZG-XktypG1XZkhZW87ATOSrgJkz3Ioo9s4WuwrWk0FMJe0uLJiPoVYV-67ajfA/" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6wDFwkD17_6pVBQOCvsgcNBps2jJ3_KYG_yAqGnjWGMVr2O_koJJgYAX72DUULdU1g5GTuM2dkVC09ZG-XktypG1XZkhZW87ATOSrgJkz3Ioo9s4WuwrWk0FMJe0uLJiPoVYV-67ajfA/w200-h133/image.png" width="200" /></a></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I swear my
dog has ADHD (Attention Deficit with Hyperactivity Disorder).</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The three-year-old pug rushes from one
activity to the next with extreme enthusiasm and frantic intensity often with
the annoying goal of getting everyone else to participate.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Tucker’s idea of a good time is to wait
for when I’m focused on some activity like paying bills or house maintenance
and then to start bringing me his toys and pushing them against my leg to
play.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">If I don’t engage, he goes and
gets another, and another, and another until the house is a minefield of dog
toys.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">If I do engage, he plays for 30
seconds and then loses interest and wanders off to terrorize his sister or get
into some kind of other trouble.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">He’ll
be back in a few minutes to start all over again.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If I could
read his mind, I’m sure it would sound something like….”Play time, I’ll bring
him a toy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s a toy, let’s
play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not that toy?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>OK, I’ll get another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, there’s my sister, I’ll go bite her
tail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I need a drink.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s that outside?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another dog walking by, I’ll bark a warning
to keep moving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it food time? Check
the bowl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hey, there’s a toy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Play time…..<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My life
these days seems to be full of distractions and interruptions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s likely no more than I was use to in
the past it just seems I’m more responsive to them these days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Part
of it is the concern that if I don’t respond to this issue right now I’ll
forget about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Definitely an age
thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My feeble attempts to multitask
only make things worse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> And don't even get me started on the impact of the internet and email. </span>The other day I
spent an hour writing two checks not because it took that long to write them
(not that senile yet) but because I kept thinking of issues related to the
bills that I needed to take care of and was afraid I would forget if I didn’t
handle them right now.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Distractions
can be blessing when you are running long distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anything to keep the mind focused off how
tired you are, how far you still have to go, or that nagging little pain in
your left hamstring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some people run
with music as a motivator and distraction while others listen to podcasts or
audio books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find the crowds during a
race are also good distractions and motivators.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
the past I would often use the time on the road to work on business or family
problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The challenge these days is
running takes a lot more effort and focus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Since the transplant I’ve had a problem with a “lazy” left leg (likely
the result of micro-strokes) that makes my stride and balance a bit
awkward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where in the past I may have
been able to run on autopilot letting my mind wander, these days it takes
constant attention to form and effort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
really could use some distractions to focus on.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This weekend
(traditionally Boston Marathon weekend) is the start of my Marathon Challenge (the
goal is 26.2 miles over 4 days in under 5 hours total time).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a step up from last year’s goal (26.2
miles over 7 days in under 6 hours) although a long way from the last Boston
Marathon I ran 4 years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No
complaints though, just could use a few more distractions during the upcoming
miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe I should take some lessons
from Tucker. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If you think
of it, send along some good vibes over the next few days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll provide an update on the effort when I’m
done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wish me luck!<o:p></o:p></span></p>SHARED EXPERIENCEShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04645580343185802649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991313863305379631.post-2479469688025847152021-03-27T09:10:00.000-05:002021-03-27T09:10:03.790-05:00An Angel gets his Wings<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUI68hTeHTKGlE2Y-V0gYD-9pYaFrW3NY8i0KjjgFhjtV4dndrVaYeIWnX7cgmRcPKOvNGTR9LrUEJWTMC0W8QGzDZQv2_n785wNSKNA7IXFI1a6OgtOnkr5Wy9rpelNGIoL7Syoeh9M/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="217" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUI68hTeHTKGlE2Y-V0gYD-9pYaFrW3NY8i0KjjgFhjtV4dndrVaYeIWnX7cgmRcPKOvNGTR9LrUEJWTMC0W8QGzDZQv2_n785wNSKNA7IXFI1a6OgtOnkr5Wy9rpelNGIoL7Syoeh9M/" width="224" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Over the
course of my 50 years of running I’ve met hundreds of people who have turned
their running into a way to help others.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">It was not unusual before the pandemic to be asked by friends or
families to sponsor their efforts in a run and even during the pandemic some
people were raising funds participating in virtual races.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Of all the runners
I’ve met, four stand out as extra special, true angels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of those angels, Dick Hoyt, passed away
this week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dick’s son Rick was born in 1962
with cerebral palsy and was quadriplegic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At the age of 10, Rick was given a specialized computer that enabled him
to communicate with the rest of the family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>An avid sports fan, in 1977 he asked his dad if he would push him in his
wheelchair in a local 5-mile race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus
began a journey that spanned more than 1000 races including numerous Boston
Marathons and even the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon (2.4-mile ocean swim, 127-mile
bike and a full 26.2-mile marathon run).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the swim Dick actually pulled Rick in a rubber dinghy behind him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During that time Dick started a foundation,
Team Hoyt, to foster athletics for disabled people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember the first time I saw Dick pushing
Rick in the Boston Marathon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I caught
up to them as Dick was pushing Rick up Heartbreak Hill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m puffing my way up the hill thinking this
guy is an animal pushing a wheelchair with a full-grown man up a steep hill 19
miles into a marathon and he is just chugging along.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I passed them, I wished them well and
said I’d see them at the finish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t
too long after they went whizzing by me on the downhill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
inspired and impressed as I was by his physical ability, it was the love of his
son and willingness to help others that affected me most.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He will be missed but this angel now has his
wings.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This year’s
Boston Marathon was moved from April to October but in 2022 it will go back to
April.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Registration opened this week
for runners meeting the qualifying times from a previous marathon in the last 2
years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The field is being restricted
this year to only 20,000 runners so it will be very competitive to get in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition, for the first time this year
they will have a Virtual Boston Marathon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No qualifying time is necessary and they will accept the first 70,000
runners to apply.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have the option
to run your marathon anytime between Oct. 8-11<sup>th</sup> and I assume they will
require one of the running apps be used as proof of completion and time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In exchange for the entrance fee, you get a
Boston Marathon completion medal, a marathon shirt and some running
goodies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Boston
Marathon, arguably the most competitive marathon in the world, normally raises more
the $30 Million a year for charities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They do this by granting 2500-3000 runners who otherwise would not run
fast enough to qualify for entry, the opportunity to stand on the starting line
with world’s most elite runners and earn a coveted Boston Marathon completion
metal. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Current fund-raising minimums
for these runners start at $5000 and can be as high as $10,000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the virtual marathon offering people
the option to get a medal without raising funds it will be interesting to see
how it affects the charities.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As for me, I’m
sticking to April for my Marathon Challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You may recall last year we targeted to do the 26.2 miles in 5 days in a
total combined time of under 6 hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
year we have upped the challenge to 26.2 miles in 4 days in under 5 hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To put this in perspective, the last time I
ran the Boston Marathon in 2017 I completed it in one afternoon in 4 hours 5
minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Thanks to
all who have supported me in my road back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s truly a journey with no end date or goal but with your continued
support I’ll keep plodding, blogging and supporting Pediatric Cancer programs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More on the challenge next blog.<o:p></o:p></span></p>SHARED EXPERIENCEShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04645580343185802649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991313863305379631.post-10109186769153990982021-02-27T06:27:00.001-05:002021-02-27T07:36:51.726-05:00Winter Running - Slip Sliding Away<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63Jvz7D9F5GDLu_84w9C80w_TVLiRZZN0hPJQ7r1fYoMJ3rfVm5GQQyRgNbq55FMNbTMD3l2vauMCgUD_AV1hN1YfpNQ-7_364bvAf0m6DFKaczzPoYLSdeeNAqq6lBKK9TRsfTrExYw/s768/man-makes-a-snow-angel-as-she-takes-part-in-a-running-event-news-photo-1076370036-1548949662.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="768" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63Jvz7D9F5GDLu_84w9C80w_TVLiRZZN0hPJQ7r1fYoMJ3rfVm5GQQyRgNbq55FMNbTMD3l2vauMCgUD_AV1hN1YfpNQ-7_364bvAf0m6DFKaczzPoYLSdeeNAqq6lBKK9TRsfTrExYw/s320/man-makes-a-snow-angel-as-she-takes-part-in-a-running-event-news-photo-1076370036-1548949662.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I often
wonder what people think as they pass me on a cold winter morning.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I know what a few of them think because
they yell it out the window as they drive by.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Most times it’s not complementary.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Running regularly takes a certain amount of commitment and
fortitude.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Running in winter needs that
plus a certain a degree of mental handicap.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">So on a particularly slushy morning when a passing motorist yells “Crazy
SOB”, I’m reticent to disagree with them.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">They’re probably just jealous they can’t be out there with me.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The range of
weather really defines winter running.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There’s cold, cold with wind, cold with rain, cold with wind and rain,
cold with wind and snow….you get the picture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Running in rain is manageable, snow is trouble, slush is worst, and Ice
is the enemy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wind makes them all nastier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last
winter was fairly mild with no snow and only a handful of really cold
days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year Mother Nature is making
up for it with 40 inches of snow in the last two weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Winter
running does have its benefits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don’t sweat as much, you don’t suck in
bugs panting up a hill, fewer dogs out to chase you, and you get to wear wooly
hats that look like a racoon has taken up residence on your head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it’s not all lollipops and ice
cream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s a few things I’ve learn
over the years, usually the hard way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Icicles
can form in the strangest places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On
your mustache and eye brows, on your hair, and off your hat and gloves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When
it gets below 20 degrees, I have to double up on everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two shirts, two pairs of socks, two pair
gloves and running tights with wind pants over them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only one hat though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a bit of a miracle I can even move after
I’m dressed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Tights
are never to be worn without wind pants over them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> My neighbors are not ready for the sight of "Dave in Tights".</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Always
bring a hanky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cold makes your nose
run and an icicle hanging from your nose is just nasty.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Getting
splashed by passing cars is a given in the rain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it snows the streets get narrower making
dodging the spray from cars that much tougher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I not as agile dodging the slush waves as I use to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s nothing worse than being miles from
home and caked in ice from your knee down.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Running
mornings when it’s dark can be a form of Russian Roulette.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even with a headlamp it’s hard to pick out the
icy patches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not unusual to see me
skating around a corner, arms flailing and feet doing unnatural acts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It supplies great entertainment for the
school kids waiting at the bus stop.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I suspect
some of you are thinking, “why would anyone voluntarily do this”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think we’ve established in the past that
when it comes to running, I may be a few beers short of a six pack. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
are some days, when even the dogs don’t want to go out, I need an extra cup of caffeine
and kick in the butt to get out the door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But the reality is there are a lot more “nice” days than bad, and on the
good days there something special about starting your day getting a bit of
exercise, being outside and watching the sun come up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Part
of getting out is remembering that only a few years ago I had to spend most of
a winter unable to even leave the hospital floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I often think about the kids with cancer going
through the same isolation, an isolation we’ve certainly gotten a small taste
of in the last year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finding ways to bring them and their families
a bit of joy is the goal of both my running and the efforts of Help in the Nick
of Time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, the next time you are
hunkered down on a particularly nasty winter day, think of me and be glad that
my form of insanity has passed you by.<o:p></o:p></span></p>SHARED EXPERIENCEShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04645580343185802649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991313863305379631.post-40174720036910838242021-02-06T10:02:00.000-05:002021-02-06T10:02:31.881-05:00Getting old ain't for the faint of heart<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Lfo4OuQEiAdxPYIzJ-pDq8Af-pblOJS2BxzE3itwxeKwvJkTrZq5LK54pGOEAuoOHL2VgFB9_3zk6nFo1JpYmEhxFd_ihDLlpqCOepeis_LE6KCrubXKQg1P46vLOuXBx-6rFZ9ybdU/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Lfo4OuQEiAdxPYIzJ-pDq8Af-pblOJS2BxzE3itwxeKwvJkTrZq5LK54pGOEAuoOHL2VgFB9_3zk6nFo1JpYmEhxFd_ihDLlpqCOepeis_LE6KCrubXKQg1P46vLOuXBx-6rFZ9ybdU/w281-h180/image.png" width="281" /></a></div><br />The wisdom
of Anthony Hopkins, I can testify that truer words were never spoken.<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">It’s not so much that it’s a surprise that
getting old presents challenges it’s the unexpected nature of where those challenges
manifest themselves and the volume that seem to happen all at once.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I think the difficulties of getting old are
like having your first child.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">No matter
how much you hear about it in advance, you have to go through it to really
appreciate the challenges</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Take my running
for instance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been running off and
on for 50 years and whenever life got in the way and I took a break for a while
I could comfortably return to a reasonable performance in a matter of months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There have been some years, even in my
50’s where I would go from no running to running the Boston Marathon in 4
months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even after my first round of
chemo and while still fighting Leukemia I was able to bounce back to run Boston
in only nine months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fast forward to
today, three years after my stem cell transplant, and running is a whole
different experience.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A number of
years ago I mentioned in a blog that anyone could run a marathon, it was just a
matter of having the discipline to train for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boy was I wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As natural
as running is, to do it right and not get injured requires a combination of
coordination and strength that I find sorely lacking in my old age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was thinking about this as I was out for
a morning waddle that serves for my runs these days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I accept that as I’ve gotten older that it
takes longer to warm up the old muscles and joints so I’m religious about going
through a warm up routine before hitting the roads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But no amount of pre-jog efforts seems to prevents
the body from sounding like you just poured milk on a bowl of Rice Krispies
(snap, crackle, pop).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fact that
it’s below freezing and I’m bundled up like the kid in the movie Christmas
Story doesn’t help the situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Those first few miles are so slow and pathetic looking that the dogs in
the neighborhood don’t even bother chasing me, not enough of a challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t
even get me started on hills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m
breathing so heavy in the cold air the giant puffs of steam make me look and
sound like a steam engine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Clearly age
has a lot to do with the how much more effort it takes these days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find myself more sensitive to the cold, I
don’t see as well in the dark, old injuries come back to haunt me with a
vengeance and I just don’t have the strength I use to have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I also know that I lost a lot dealing
with cancer and still today three years later I struggle to get back to where I
was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think about all the children who
have to deal with cancer and the aftermath so early in their lives and how they
need encouragement to keep fighting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There’s a lot of parallels between cancer and old age, their both not
for the faint of heart.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And so it is
that I’m taking on the marathon challenge again this year to support those kids
fighting cancer through Help in the Nick of Time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may remember that last year they moved
the Boston Marathon from April to the fall to avoid the pandemic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The marathon was finally cancelled all
together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Given the current state of
the pandemic this April’s Boston Marathon has again been moved to the fall but
I’m going ahead with my marathon challenge in April.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last year I set the goal of jogging a
marathon over 7 days in under 6 hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This year I’m upping the ante and shooting for the 26.2 miles in 5 days
and under 5 hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Far cry from 2017
when I ran the Boston Marathon in a little over 4 hours but progress over last
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With your help I’ll make both my
Help in the Nick of Time and marathon challenge goals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Kicking old
ages’ butt until next time.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>SHARED EXPERIENCEShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04645580343185802649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991313863305379631.post-5914281637088481512021-01-10T11:04:00.000-05:002021-01-10T11:04:48.425-05:00If I could save time in a Bottle<p><span style="font-size: 18pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGtk0LzPuTPXkNC7SdRlZUkzJsIhvkgXXgEbYx9h0Il8hpDo30-Xb6-zmgOsZbqvLHp3Poj3PNlLoSv8jz_1185M6_OJKe-2aQnwm4LGZDOCgntR0Mm5EdaZhzJ9KGQU5RhWdvFTHVKE/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="329" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGtk0LzPuTPXkNC7SdRlZUkzJsIhvkgXXgEbYx9h0Il8hpDo30-Xb6-zmgOsZbqvLHp3Poj3PNlLoSv8jz_1185M6_OJKe-2aQnwm4LGZDOCgntR0Mm5EdaZhzJ9KGQU5RhWdvFTHVKE/w258-h120/image.png" width="258" /></a></div><br />For Christmas this year my children gave my wife and I a year’s
subscription to StoryWorth.<span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">It’s a
gift that fits the 2020 model of being trapped at home looking for things to do
besides futile attempts </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">to make sour dough bread.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">I hoping it’s not clairvoyant on their part
for 2021.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 18pt;">The
basis of the gift is the gifter (my children) sends a weekly question to the giftee
(me) in an attempt to record insightful information about my past life.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">The resulting collection of memories recorded
by the giftee will be compiled into a book at the end of the year.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Pretty neat idea other than the weekly
homework assignment.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Part of me thinks
this is payback for all the years of chasing them to do their school work.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The exercise got me thinking about what it would be like to
relive special days out of my childhood?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Would they be as joyous and carefree as I remember them or have I rewritten
them in my memory to be that way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Having reached the age of early senility my memory may be a questionable
facsimile of reality.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">One place where I appear to have altered reality is around my
memory of what running was like before LBL (Life Before Leukemia).</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">I have memories of rolling out of bed for a
morning run, lacing up my shoes and blissfully hitting the streets without a
moments thought to warming up.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Today’s
reality involves crawling out of bed, cups of caffeine, a half hour of stretching,
multiple layers of clothes, and at least a mile of creaky joints/muscles till I
warm up.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">After that the creaky noise
level is reduced to the equivalent of a car needing replacement shocks.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I realized I can make good use of my time while out jogging
to organize my thoughts to respond to Storyworth questions, a task that faces
two challenges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first is the afore
mentioned memory reliability and the second is trying to split my mental
capacity between thinking and jogging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You might think “no big deal, jogging doesn’t require much brain power,
it’s pretty much automatic, like breathing”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In a previous life, I would have agreed but in the category of
“the gifts that keep on giving”, chemo and steroids have presented me with balance and
coordination challenges that make jogging require a bit more focus these days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a result, letting my mind wander can
cause my jogging to wander (embarrassingly into traffic or people’s yards).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s also
a constant vigil against potholes, curbs, and sidewalk cracks which are conspiring
to cause rather dramatic face-plants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point a reasonable person might ask “Why
do you bother to continue to try to run?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fair question that deserves a thoughtful answer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Truth is, I don’t have one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, I
can come up with answers like it’s how I raise funds for Help in the Nick of Time/pediatric
cancer programs or to keep my sanity during the infinitely boring pandemic or I’m
better at it than making sour dough bread.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> W</o:p></span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">hile these are all partially true, the real reason is, I
hate what Leukemia treatment has taken away from me and I’m determined to take
back as much as I can.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">I can’t do
anything about the loss of taste and smell, loss of balance or about the dry
eyes but I can fight to get my strength back enough to run.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">It’s clear now that I will never get back
to where I was or even ever run a marathon again but I’m way ahead of where I
was when I left the hospital and this year’s multi-day marathon challenge will hopefully
be a step up (pun intended) from last year.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">More on that challenge, some of the programs we have funded
this year through Help in the Nick of Time, and training during the pandemic in
the coming blogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stay tuned!<o:p></o:p></span></p>SHARED EXPERIENCEShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04645580343185802649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991313863305379631.post-16099232147983057562020-04-19T10:02:00.000-05:002020-04-20T08:31:36.356-05:00Keeping Perspective<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcTl6YjQ-Uz89ySHzyqD5bzkagenBlw7ygbUC-sStV8ZEfSLbLv4&usqp=CAU" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Perspective – INSPIRED LIVING with JENNIFER MOJICA" border="0" height="320" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcTl6YjQ-Uz89ySHzyqD5bzkagenBlw7ygbUC-sStV8ZEfSLbLv4&usqp=CAU" width="212" /></a><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I saw a YouTube
video the other day, creatively put together by Julie Nolke, of her January 2020
self getting a visit from her April 2020 self.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Imagine for a minute that you could have that conversation with yourself
but the future version was allowed to give advice but not allowed to say what is
currently going on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pretty interesting
and funny video. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Given what
we know today, our perspective on daily life…. our finances, jobs and health
have all been radically upended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
was driven home to me in spades this week as I took on the 7-day Marathon
Challenge. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A year ago, I set a goal
of completing the effort in less than 8 hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At that time, after of year of working on getting back to running, I had
only worked my way up to jogging a quarter to half mile before I had to stop
and walk a while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hills were my nemesis,
getting me breathing like an old steam engine and making so much noise people
would stop to ask if I was all right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One older woman walking her dog would cross
the street when she saw me coming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said
I scared her dog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think I actually scared her more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had
pretty much resigned myself to this being the best I could achieve and running again
was a dream too far. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If not for the fund
raising for Help in the Nick of Time, I likely would have walked away from the
effort.<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Fast forward
a year and life looks quite a bit different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Delivery of groceries is no
longer a luxury, wearing a mask and gloves is no longer just for bank robbers, eating
out is now eating in, and toilet paper has become as hard to locate as big foot
(TP is so valuable that I heard one person had tipped his food delivery person
with it).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At an
age when they grow leaps and bounds, I haven’t been able to spend time with my
grandchildren in person in 3 months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
year ago I couldn’t imagine such a scenario.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And of course, the most unbelievable event, the Boston Marathon was delayed
for the first time in its 124-year history (actually it was replaced with a military
marathon relay one year during WWI).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Despite the
marathon delay I decided to go ahead with my 7 Day Marathon Challenge in the week
leading up to the original planned date.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unlike last year I had set the bar a bit higher, planning to complete
the challenge in under 6 hours (a goal that would have looked impossible a year
ago).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m happy to say that as of this
morning I was able to achieve that goal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unlike last year when I was
jogging and walking, this year I was able to jog the entire distance in
increments of 4.5-5.5 miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If my
2020 person had appeared to my April 2019 person and told him a year from now
this was possible, the reaction would have been total disbelief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Probably not much different than if someone
told me then that the country/world would be shut-down this month. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When I am in
the middle of challenging times, I find it hard to keep a long-term
perspective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In our fast food, immediate
satisfaction, instant google answers to everything, being patient and keeping
perspective can be difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My walking/jogging/running
is a great reminder for me that there will be good days and bad days and keeping
a broader perspective, a longer-term view so to speak, can keep me from
stressing out about where I am today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Who knows
where I’ll be when next year’s marathon challenge rolls around, and I’ve given
up on trying to predict if I’ll ever achieve more than just jogging a few miles
but those are worries for another day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right now, my 2021 self has an optimistic
perspective on where life will be a year from now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Thanks to
all of you who supported me through this last year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />SHARED EXPERIENCEShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04645580343185802649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991313863305379631.post-9038357615663845102020-04-12T10:22:00.001-05:002020-04-12T10:22:04.118-05:00My Game, My Rules!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="about:invalid#zClosurez" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="My Game & My Rules - YouTube" border="0" class="rg_i Q4LuWd" data-atf="true" data-deferred="1" data-iml="930.9677" height="112" jsname="Q4LuWd" src="data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAkGBxISEhUSEhIVFhUVGBgYFRgWFxgaFxkXFxgeGBkXGBcaHSggGR8lGxcWIjEiJSkrLi4uGB8zODMtNygtLisBCgoKBQUFDgUFDisZExkrKysrKysrKysrKysrKysrKysrKysrKysrKysrKysrKysrKysrKysrKysrKysrKysrK//AABEIAKgBLAMBIgACEQEDEQH/xAAcAAACAwEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAGBwAFCAQDAgH/xABDEAACAQIDBQUGAwYFAwQDAAABAgMAEQQSIQUGBzFBEyJRYXEycoGRscEkQqEIFCM0UtEVM2KCkiVDolPC4fFE0vD/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA/8QAFBEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8AR1Wu7A/jj0b6VVVcbpi+IX0b6UBxFHXZFFX5DHXbDHQfMcVdUcNekcVdcUVBzpDXssFdccNe6Q0HEsFfYgrvWGvtYaCvEFfogqyENfvYUFZ2FTsKtOwqdhQVfYVOwq07Cp2FBV9hU7CrTsKnYUFX2FTsKtOwqdhQVfYVOwq07Cp2FBV9hU7CrTsKnYUFX2FTsKtOwqGCgqzBXyYKtTBXyYaCpaCvhoKtjDXm0NBTvDXi8NXDw1yug8qCokirlkiq4kjrkmioKeWOqXeFP4Enp96Jpo6od5U/Dy+n3FAu6lSpQSrvc4fiV91vpVJV7uUPxS+630oGRBHXfDHXjAlWECUFNvjIY8FMwNjYAG9jqbaGlZh9u4pLZZ5B6sT9aYfE/HNFBEikAs9zcA6KL8j5kUq2a5uaA53d38xKzomIdXjJCsbC4voGuPO1ORIqzNBa4JGnnf6jlTgxG/iwbLgkUhsRImRQdbMndZ2/T50HxxN3sfDZMPhnyzHvOQAcq9Br1J+lCcXEnGoqgOjt+YunLy0OvrQljMU0jZ3ZmYkliTfUm5sa+Jsl7JfLp7Vr+fKgdcW8M0+xpcYSI5AHAKeKtlvY0uMNxB2gn/fze8qn6AUXpCYt2Tm07RiR5hpLj6UqpHBsLAWFiR18zQP/AIc7blx2FMswXOrlO6LAgAEafGvviLtU4TBSOjZZGskZHO5OpHoLn4V4cFoB/h1wPalkP0A+lL3ivt44vGGKM5osOco10L/nPn4fCg54OJWMSIJcM9tXax1vzA9NKNtn72z/AOFS43EZA9ykJQWuToCR4g/SldgNhyTSxIireckKisLrrY5geVufpRtxajXCQYPAREZI1LNY6lhp3l566nWgDpd5sW63OKlL36MQAB5DnVzHLtRMAcb279kXA1Y5wL2DAnoSbUK4KNpJEWK4kkbJa2l2NtPLWnnv/scQbEeCPQRJEPgrKT96BcbA4kYyJgJ2EsfM5h3rf6SPvTq2bOk8STR3yyKGW+hsfEVmOLCF9Iwzte1lUn6VqLdrDOmEgWQWdY0DDwIHKgFuJ2LaDAsUkMbsyqrA2PO519KTTb2YwNePESqvRS5a3xbnTO47TWhghA5s0h9FFuXqwpLWoCSLfzaI/wDym+IX+1N/h1t5sfhc8gHaI2R7cieYNumlILCsVYi3NWU3ANri19eXrTM4FYsjEYiC9wyBh4XQ2J/UfKg8N/N7sdhcdLFFLZBlyrlBsCoJ/W9UMfEfaIP+ap8igtVpxb2f+Onl7WNSqx2S/fNxa4FL61A0dyeIk0mISLFshWU5VYCxRul/I0Q8RN53wymHDKWmI7zgEiMHqTyzHpSawRUEszaqQVABsT45hysbV94vaMjntGmZ3Y3kBvbMNAT0NB9S7TxcbENPMGHP+I396OeGO28TNieyllZ1MZYBrHlyN+dL7FyiQB8oUgBTa5zHqxJOhNHnCdHOOAuCiwmxAAuCdNbXOvjQfvEvGYiLFd2SVIiqg5SbXN/1sKB2xUgcZXkIJBALnl8DRfxYxDpjnAawyR6eOh6eVCuyELzYeMalpV8Orjn1+dBY4/Z20EAXJKfzB4y5BDa2uPCvvY8e0TKiAzrcjMXzEAdfa8qdUsdcUyUFLLHQ/vSn4aX0+4oqnShvexfwsvu/cUCtqVKlBKv9xh+LX3W+lUFEO4n82vut9KBqQLVjAlceHWrLDrQLLijOrYmOMsAI47nS+rnlb0AoKEQYIiI3alvHRlPs6dDV/wAQJA+0JjcDKFGvWyj9a890W7baGFXoJF0PQDUjTpQU6XMZXLbKe8xPLpbw1tavbDxQmNQSxlLaC/dykWtoLhs1jXZvejxYiTDMqIEkYjLa5zMSCx5nQjSufd+LNKqKgZw1wed7flC8iT50HPi4RcnOjEWzAAgXIrxgkGUjs0OhuxvfTXTWwNG++W7TJDhmsBPMJppBYKMgy5Re9lsPy+LGgiCFgO0KkIDlLWBsSPA9aB47V2az7uRoosRFGbE2HO+pPkaUWF2KTAuIQoWDaxPoTbUEA+0pAP61pTAbIjm2bHh21STDqp9CnP160h8LiII8JisJIQs2Hd8pPe7UA5Slm0XUdNaAt3a3mGG2JNLEoWRppEiQC4DMAbgDoASfhSihxLDObgtJcG6g+1zIJ5G/WvqLaMypkWRggJOUHQFtCfjYV94FSXiCNeQkAXUWDE2A86By8EdkSZZcRMi3uERz7dwO8D6aa0r+IO0v3jaOJk6CRkXwsnc0+RPxrROD2euzdlsBzhheRza15MpZiR61lgEsDduXe1PP+5oDjgvsjt9oq5HdgUyfH2V/U1oifDK6lXUMpFiCLgjwIpI8KNoLgNn47aDKGKlI0B/Mei36C5FdeH46Prnwa8tMsh9rzuOVA3MJsqGL/LijT3VA+ldXZ0pYuOsWmbBOPG0gPyuBR9uXvphdpoTCSrr7Ub2zgcs2hsQaBRcdseTjY4V5JECfViT/AO0Uvtj4YyzRxgXLOqjyuaJ+LDs20p5C3J8i2I0VFA8bg3vXLwuwfa7Uwy+Dlj/tBNBR42L+PIL8nYWvbkbWvTJ4F4Bv3qSRrALEwCjmMzC9/DlS625gnSeXMpAMkmW/XK5Bt460wOAD2xsguCXhY2vqMrDmP91BR8ZIyu1Zr9VQj0y2+xoc2PDHPNBA4yqXCEqO8Qx1JPUgkdOVHPG+LJtQMUzBoUsCDY6sDY+I0oO2Zb94Rx3BEysoIuTlYHLcc/U0FtieH2PhmeM4OWRLkKy2N16EG9vDnVhsfhhjpZ4zNCyQFl7Qsyh8g5iw62rRkfeUN4gH5i9QpQZXbd9WmnsyrHFNKhXvkqilspNvQAedHPC9A2MzL7Kw5B0NxqVt4D+9eG9Wzf3TETjKyq8rStLG+pznN2XgvM87gXr63fxJi2pA5kSKORI8sSqfZkBWzHqwK6t10oB/jGP+ouPCOP6UJbP2k0MiTLYyRsGXNqunIEDWjfjaLbQAGl4kv8zQRsZlXEQlwColTMCNCMwuCPSgN9ncT5y6iaOMr+bIrBvK3eNydKY5OZQ1iLgGx5i/jXud3sIpuuGiB6EIK+pkoKidaGt71/Cze79xRXOtDG+K/hJvd+4oFHUqVKCURbhfzi+6/wBKHaI9wP5xfdf6UDbw4qyw4rgw4qyhoETt+YHHzuf/AFHI0vqDpfyq24Vpn2pEfDtGNvdP3qo2lLGk0rxyvmNyCFGrMSGB8BRHwSjB2iSbd2FyPXMo+5oL/frh/jsRipZcOsbRyEG2YK17AG9/Txqo2Tw32ojxZsOuVJAzWlUE6+IN9BT5iFdUYoExx9w93wetv4cvxIKd0eJNKSeAqwVmFzzvfuk6Wbwpw/tEQ64N/DtR88p+1KLZuNWIvniWRXRkIbmL8nU9GBANBrrd2O2FgGmkUfLUeyNQaR/HLZUGFxIkhZhLiDnkTKMgAGXMDzuT09TTq3JkD4DCspuDClj8LUsuP02SfCBYy7PHKhFr3UlRYW1vfKfhQKTB7HnlillijzRRDNLJYCy+Gv6Wpr8GeHLKVx+KQjrh42GuvKRh0PgKU+NwmJgRe0bs89z2ZazdzQM8fTqBfXStZbrSZ8HhnvfNDGb/AO0UFLxQmEeysWSLgx5bXt7ZC8/jWZcdnXsxJCsZRQQpUgyA6hz4g+PI1pji9hy+yMUB0VW+CuCf0FZkM8Ri1eTtgLa6qV6AeFqB68GtkRYjZDpPGrJNNIXW2mlgLeFrV+bW4UYXDx4uaKZo0eNiVKI4QL3u5cXHK3xq94LtGdmRrGdFY5u9mAY2Yi/x5dK7OLM/Z7JxRvbMgX1zkLb43oMomn5+zzsxVws+JK953yhv9KDl8yaUmxNoYNe7Nhi2Y2Y57adCNNCNaee7jJhN35Jo4zGpilkUMbt37hST0N7aUGft58X22MxElxZ5pGFuVixtb4Wq44a7egwGOXEz5yiI4GRQTmYWHMjzoVyk62PmaaXCbhzHtLDyzTySKgkCKqWGYqASTca8x+tAFb57Sw+JxTy4cOqMzGz+ZvcC/dv1q74MYvstqw3BtIHjuOVyub/21+cQ91YdnY4YVWPYsqsrv0vcNcrrYEVX7kSmDaWFu/dEyEW1HfOUadDY0B9+0HBkxGEmIJBR1IuRqGB6eIJpTS4nnlzXtfncKb628Rbxp5/tFGI4WAGRRKsmZVv3mQjKSB4AkUikg/hlhbVgoP5uVzceFBrfdfGCfB4eYcniRtefsirJloQ4PY9ZtlQBTrEDE4vcgobdPEWPoRRmRQIfjhs8xYuLECQgSKMqa5TKh0JB7uoI5+FLeTbs37wJe0a6sptfTuG+XTpoQBTt/aBwObAxTD/tTD/yFvrSF7NpFLIpIUd4AXyjqbjzoGbxtiR/3TFKhbtEtmHs2FmAPrmNKt5btmUW1uALm3pT8fdw7Q2Dhou72ohjeIk6ZgNAT5i4+NAez+Gu0IpVeSFHQG7IsgF7A2AJGlA1dk4oS4eKQEHNGpOvWwv+t6/JxS2i3U2kqOjQ9w3yKkuUgnk+YHmOvjVbs3dja0U0bt2mVXUt/FB7t9dC2ulAycQKF98x+Em937iivEChbfQfhJvd+4oE9UqVKCUScP8A+cX3X+lDdEnD7+cX3X+lA38PVgo7p9D9Kr8PVnBQZ5mwzZiFGYuW0vfkxHLx0o34KQW2i5B5QP6jvpzoFxkjdpJ3rZWa3/K2n/8AdKOeDGMd9pd9if4DgfBlP96B+xCuqMVzxV1R0Cs/aGw18Hh5OqzW+DIfuBSOxEcWWMq5zNftFymy2NlIP5rjXyrRXHHB9pst2HOOSNvmcpPyNZxijXKxLgFfZFiSx8ugFBqnhLiRJsnCEflTIfVSRVNxjwL2wmIijzyxyMqi9vbXQ36WIBv0tU4CYp5NmnODpK9ieRBsdPjXRxywhfZhZTZo5EZT8bHWgQO8EhzNchixAkcZTdwLkIeYS/Xrqa0twunD7KwZU3tCqn1XukfMVlYY6RUKk6Oc2oBv05860twT2qcRs1SxXMjupC6ZdbgEdDYg/GgJd78GZsDiogLl4ZFA8yhtWOyi2WzXYnUW0HxrbbCsp8Td1WwOPkiVSY5LyQHl3SSzDzym49LUDQ/Z5xy/u+Iw3VHDjxIdbHTyZbV2/tBYzLs9IswBlmUam2iAv9QKU3CXeNtn48Flbs5LRzCxuoJ7rW8mtRFx726MViYsPCM8cCkl1uVMjgErflooHzNAq5VJsdLnQWrQXEHNhN244b6skMZ/3d5vpSr4Y7nnaOJUGRVWJ1aRTfMUBubdBe1taY/7SGKKwYWEA5S7MdNO6tgP1NAjWPdFy12IOvK3K/n/APFac4K4MR7Jhsb5y7/Nj/as3yjE4rKBAzkaApGxNgLBdByH3rWe5uzRhsDhobEZIkBvzvbW/wAaBL/tIADFYUjmYWv6Z9PvSu2ISMTBYi/axkX5A5xzrVu9+4uC2kUbEoxaPRWRirZTrlPiL1z7I4a7LwxVkwiMy6hpLub+Pe5UFTxb3MbHwxSxRiSaC9kzZc6uLEBuhBs3wpMpw32wEs2DkyA3Kh47+f5tdK1RXHjtq4eH/NmjTr3nA09L0AHwO2dNh8HNFNDJEROxQSCxKlV189b0xSK4sdtvDw4c4qSVRCAGz3upB5WtzvSz3i45YVO7g4nnboz/AMNP11PyoDTfzdkbRwjYYyGO7KwYC+qnqPCgDZnBSOMMJMW7B1ysEUCuPeTizjVWE4ZICZkuy2Z5I3GjKQDaxuCD4GvrYuK29tER2kkw6/8AckZFQDXUKhF30tagZmytmJhYI8PHfJGoVbm5sPE147Tx0UKl5ZFRRzLEAUteInEeTDXwWEkzyRqFmxDZb5uRCqNM3ieQpXbT25PiEvNIXa4BLG5NuRA6c6B0Y/iPs1SQJmfzRGI+dfmyd7cJjCVhc3HR1K392/OkNhZrXFyvgenoR51fcPZY0x8Xa8rsF8A5FgaBzYihXfX+Tm937iivEUK76/yc3u/cUCcqVKlBKJOH384vuv8AShuiTh//ADi+6/0oG/h6s8PVZh6s8PQZ2xx/jTXW92e2p07x10ov4Nd3aaD+qN/hoD9q7sRsbCTDEMysjh5AZbhQzA3yInI8tSa4uHULJtTDOMmXVSUa4F42AzH+o2vag0RFXVHXLFXVHQVO/EUbbPxIljMiCNiUU2Y2Glj01rJ2IhIOUAGwvpbQeZHP1rYm04e0glTTvI415aqay1FhuzhlgECSv3XSZQc6FW7y2/MDbl4a0DS/ZvxgMeKhzE5WRwCDoGFrjpzB0o/4o4My7KxaAXPZlgPNSD9AaUnAHbQTHywsNcRGDyAAaO5tYeIY/KtAYiIOrIwurAqw8QRY0GOtmRpKV7SVI0iAsrqWzsT7KqupzHmdLU/uCcydjMq9gpLK3ZwuWKgiw7S/JtPGuOPgZg1ZmXFTi+YAWiIAbpqtXPD/AIarsqeSWPEvIsiZCjKB1BvcfH50B9VFvfuphtow9lODpqjro6HxU/blV7eqXau9mBw2k+KhQ+BcZv8AiNaBTYrgViBKXi2gLE3zMjB/jZtaudlcGLBP3nHyuEvZYlVFGbnqbk38au5+MWyVNhM7dLrG1v1tXNDxp2Y3/rjxvFyHibHlQF27G6uE2ehTCxBL+02pZvVjqatp4UYd9VYDXvAED51XbI23h8dCZMJMHU3GZeatbqDqD61lrbO2Me+KkhxGNlujujM8jqpyE8wvK9tNOtBrLDGK+VOzv4Llv8hXTWXOEu1Mm2ImW4EhMeUksSrDXvHzF61FegX2+fFnC7PnbDNDNJIoBbKFCi4uNWNz8BQjPxzmeZY8NhI2DsqqWdsxLECxFhbnQzxlaOTbEwkzWWOMLa2thqNefM1U8PtjLLjsO6q5iGJQZjlupUZwG162HSgYnHfHzxPhikkoEkcmeNHKrcW72nPna3WlBtDDYmRe0az3VS1jmKKNFuT7Pp86dPHzZryDDOliV7RbXAJuA2hPkvKkVjJmQGElWAAykH2bnMw05k9fSgf+1o2XdZUK2b92iW3mSAPjrSHi2BNnaFopBMBmCEWJA9oWPM60/toRld11VhZhhIxr0awsb9LHrQFjN55U7FZAxjh7NBdlklLqQbxTD276k6nSwNATcAYgYsWJEHaJKo7yjOBl5Hwsb6Uxt5McYMLPMOccbMPUDT9bUDcGoT2u0JblklmDq5Fswe76gcjrqPGjzb+D7fDzQjm8bKPUjT9bUGV8dh44rjEGZcTl7S2VcpaQ5rN1GhOtXPCPZ0eIx1pLEJFIyA/1Gy/GwY0H4kPnKyEllJU3JJuNLVabm7UOFxkE9yAHAf3G0b9D+lB67X2VLhZJ8I8OdswysF6D2WQjoQdR/aiHhruwxm7eeKRRGLxlhZS3LW+ulO2dFJzWBPQ2F/nXDiKCsxFCu+v8nP7v3FFWIoV31/k5/d+4oE5UqVKCUR8P/wCcX3X+lDlEe4H84vuv9KBv4erTD1VYc1ZYc0CM3kxuTFYhACQZWOpII5ggW5X+1d3DGe2PgBYAdoCB4tlK6fA/SvrfXYGIbHTOmHlKM9wyoxBuNT3b1NzNnNFjoHlhxBVXv3YnHevZeY0GtzQaTirqjNccRrg2vvVg8GQuJxCRsRcKT3iPGwoCNapk3M2fct+6RAsSSQCNTz5HrVbs/iJs2WRYkxS5nIC3DAEnQAEjxrh4l764nZvZdjCriW4zsTYMvMEDyOlAX7L3ewmHOaDDRRsNAVUXt686tb1lzbHEHH4xtJJoLHXs5XVRfkLAD5dac+xN7pG2IMays8qxsoAUkvIpKK1h46E/Gg9No8WNlQsynEFipIIRGOo0I5V97rcS8JtDEfu+GSYmzMWZbKqr1OvUkCsxSYjWYyBs7+GgDE3bMDTz/Z93bkgglxkq2/eMoivz7NbnN6EkW9KDs497wT4bDRRwtlE5cOQSGsoHIgiw1NZ2VWPIE8yT9bmnH+0djD22FjB5I7f8jb9bUqsXjJbZbFSuj2AAJY31A06CgcY3RwEu7qYqWFI5lw+cSqCGzDle3tX0+dIwMdetObiVvPFBhcPsgIJCIk/eAhyZXygqAR1zakcrUrNg7EmxOKTCxaSSHLrpYfmvfwF9KBxfs3bPkCYqc5hG5RFHQlbkkf8AIC9KffZM20cWEu38aTkCToxvp5a/KtUbsbFjwGFjw0fsxrqerNzZj5k3pJ/xM+Mkjw5zskiYZypCLHJK3bSvJa17ADXXnagoOEscA2lhLl2lLmwGiKcpOYnrpfStSVljg4v/AFjD8tC58vZPKtSg0GU+KM+fa2LOrBXIHPSwHLwF6t+A+Jk/xNY1IymNy+mpA1GvqRQnvU7y43Evl5zSA9B7RFv0o7/Z6wxbaE0pHsQlTfpnYdP9tAYcY9vpBiMOhXOcjEodMwZgO6/NG0528aV29mGixmMjOHVIxKqIsaA3DjRi487+15Vc8btowybTdGRi0SIgKtyuC1rf7gaqeHOy5nxeCPZWRpwwlFw1lBBF7+zcH43oHtxCxTYXZEzJYMkSqNARfReR0rNs21knaISBhZMrsGsC5OkluQPjbwrQXHByNkT62u0fx/iDSsxK2hH2+9BpHgm8hwThgoVZWCZV5jmWLfnuTzo+kNZU2Nv9jsJD+74aURx3LaKGIJGti17eNG/C3e/ak+MVZjLNBJcMSndQ20bMBpr086AV4qbEMG1JVQWExEidB3+evQBr0HzRFCVPNSQbai4PQjnTs497MvFBilHeRuzY/wCltRf4g/8AKkl87fWg0nuptDt8FBLfUxqD6r3T9K6Z6B+De0A2GlguLxvmFvBxf63FGs5oK/EUK76fyc/u/cUUYg0Lb6fyc3u/cUCeqVKlBKItwf5xfdf6UO0Q7h/zi+6/0oG7hzVnhzVRA1WWHagqNsb7DD4gYVIS8ndFyQqXYXAvz5CqZeJ5IlSRuwkTNkyJ2gJUaAkkWJP0oJ3+xBO0JirG4Ki9+RCjT61RRoyqXKXVgVDEaX6kHx/vQNncviqf4wxzAhVLxsAFuQNY7eJ6fGg7b+3sNjWmxEqMJXHdzMxy20VIwuii1zdutCv7y2ULewGvLx8fGuyLBNKkjRKpSBQztYjQmwJHjc2oPbZyq7xNFcTLIto+hAObMGOi8uRrQ/EPZwx2ynI1ZUE0dueZRcgeouPjWaGmYLkKgeNxrcjQ/I1qTcubttm4a59uBQfitqDPuyN4jGEjDExMQLMVurfTKLk350W7T2vhGggwWEdjGkjOQ7WRiTydrg5SQWI8KBd6dmtFiJYCsath7RkLoXA5SHxYggmuODEmRVgVBdmUKAObk2FyfWgMtxN2v8XxzvLYRxsGlCKezyroqKSetvW160lEoUBVFgoAAHIAaAUL8P8AdtdnYNINDIe9Kw/M55/Ach6USZ6DOnHHGdptR0A9hI0/3c9PDnQfs+YDFIcUSqqyly6sxAXUAqNSNAPQ0zd4NohcfK7YcyPI0ojzBVBQJZQjE87g68/CqHhqhxu0cIkyqww6OWDgEuBcC+mtiRz8KCh3xx6ysHBeRnGZpXQoWLHRY155FGlUeC2g8bB1PeQ5lN7EHTUEa30ps/tCwZThXUAKQ6kADoQV9OtKnZ0sS51mjaQspEYDZQHbk7HrbwoNc7vbSXE4WGdTcSRq2vmNf1vWZN49q4wYzFp+8TZVkdGAc5eyDkBSoPs2PKnXwWxLHZcatzjeRPgGNIjezFH9+xDlRdppbE9RmKjTl0oLzhKuXa+HAdWBvl58iDy8CPOtN56yvwljvtbC/wClmOnkp/vWnsTNZGPgpPyFBkveKaFppiqsH7ea9j3WUuSpA/KR+t6Zn7O8LvPip2uQERAx8SSbetrUrREkrzFmVbszBzfXUnKLaa08+B2H7DZbynTtHd9fBBYH9KBP8ScQJNp4twcw7Ui46ZRksf8AjRPwLeWXHojOTFAkjqvRWawuPjQDj9qPJLI5awd3Y6ad9iT686cXAjZUcb4uVJBItokVxp7QzstuhHdBoCHjvJ/0zL/VNGNPW/L4VnApawItrr4/Knr+0DtTLBh4AAS8hfzGQWFvC5a1JuLExiUERAMLf5hLKGvrdevkKDQvDrdPCYfBxMEildx2glKLmKvqov5DSi82GgAHpVbu7hRBhIIl5JGg5W6XOnTW9drvQD2/+zP3nAYiK12yFl95O8v6isxQWFyRoAba21OgPzrWsrA6HrzrMu+OD7DFS4cRqAsjFSB3iH1Av1AvYUFlwu2n2GOVDcLMuQ30Gbmp+enxpzTms8uhVBIrjMCLnMc2mo08iKce6e8AxmGD8nXuyD/UBz9DzoLHENQvvmfwk3u/cUSTtQxvifwk3u/cUCjqVKlBKv8AcY/i191vpVBV9uUfxS+630oGvh2qxgeqeB6sIHoElt6TNiZm6mRz+tdm7GymxRlh7xKwPJGoP51K2063vb41xbdf8TMR1duXhejHg7HfFSSG/ciy/wDJh/8ArQUmyd0cTNmVcLIxIAVj/DVGvc3ze1ppR/sbciXC7Mxsc7R55kvdbnKE11PX4UfxyV9Ylc8bp/UrL8xagzPtOdXy2d3IHeZwPhbry8a0Dwfx2fZkQ/oLp8Axt+lqztNDldktqrEfI2pzcC8dfDTxE6pLmA8Ayj7qaCi41YNY8es5AtLGDa3MrdTY+PKl5EjxypmBDBkNuvQjT5U0uO6n8LJblnXyvoaW+D2uFDZ4hIz6Oze0Be9lP5T/AKudBq+GTur6D6V84vFBEZ25KpJ9AL1x4SfMiHxVT+lU+/WP7LZ+JcaHsmA9SLD60CG3p3sfGutgUVbgC45Fr3/09PlRnwEwgOImmvqkYXl1ZtdevIUrJ1IsCALaafenLwGhy4fEOR7UgAPkF/vQe/7QS3w2GbwlI+aE/akkISSoHeLW0W5Pp608uN7fg4jluBLqPVSB+tI2OQoQykqw1DA2PkRblQaJ4LjLsuMEW/iS6H3yKQ29KWxuJAFrTSaXv+c9aeHB7Fltmpma5DyDz9q+vnrelXxTwKxbQn7tu0KyKeliNRbrqL0Hvw2kiw+1MKRKJBItiVBAR3B7hvztpqPGnjv7tkYXAYiU2vkKrfqz90D9azLsXEmLERSgE9nIrkAa2U3OnpTS4z7eSeDCxRNmWX+Mcp/KBZb+V2PyoFLE4tYXvpb3r8/lWjwgwOwypPsYY36d51/u1IXczAGbHYdMtwZVvpcWU5jf4CnJxmx5TZ5jUG8jqungNTf9KBH42eJ4o8kWVlJDkdfC56nnT04FoF2aWygFpXuQNWtYa+PUUhsNHI0blVuqWzH+nNoCfXlWhOFQC7Lw4Clbhibi17uTf0PSgX/HnF58bFGD/lxa69WJP0tQLu9FFJioVlayNIuct4X1ub/rTF4hbo47F46aaHDgxsqKpLLrlUC4F9OVCM/D3aWn4Q6DUh0N/wDyoNDf43hgVQTxXIuozrcjxAvyr2XEKwurAjxBuKQexOGmNncLOvYRra5YqxPiFAP1pybG2ZFhIVghFkX5k9WJ8TQWcj0m+NGz8k8OKUe2MrEf1Lqp+X0op3k4j4XDP2aAzOPaCEWX/cdCfIVN9EXGbOd0AYlBKl9bWFzbztcUCMkIBJBvc+eoo14X47LiJIxosikgXJsU9fI0FpMArAoCSAAde7bqKv8AcnGlMTCt7KXbSw6rbnzoGxO9DO97fhZvd+4q/nehvexvwsvu/cUCtqVKlBKu9zj+JX3W+lUlXO6Z/Er6N9KBmQSV3wyVTQyV2wy0CwxbhMVNexIZ7XsQTfT4UUcKcSP3mbUXZAQBoPa1sPK9dO19zo55DKr5C3tC1wT4irfd3dqDCsHW7SWtmPh5AaUBtHLXuktVKTV7pNQJbb+wMScXNHHh5GvIxBCmxBNxY8hR/wALN3MVg2ledVVZFUWvd7qTbloBqaL1mr7E1AJcZchwsTMdVk7oB1N1P/xSXKm1/Gnpvpu6Meka9pkKMTyuDcWOlV2zOHGCjsZC8pH9RsvyX+9Aabr4/tMHh3vfNEl/XKL/AK1Q8Wcdl2dIv9bIv/lc/oDV7AVRQqgKo5AaCqvejY642IQu5UBg1wLnT/7oEPhxmZWkNkB5nw8B4+lPXhllXAqyXs7u2oAPOwvbTpXBsvcfBQgXRpbG47U5lHovL9KJ4mVQFUBQOQAsB8KAV4zSA4JfHtVtp5UmEZS6swJW4zKNGI6+QvWg9u7OixcXYyglbhtOYIN65Nj7s4PDG8UK5v627zfM8vhQevDhrYJbRGIF5CqEWIXMct/HS2tcfEXdI49VkiYCeMELf2WU/lPgfOiMTV+dtQJfB7v4/CuJkikGIU5VUJmVl6szXt1GlWewuHeImctil7NGDaE95S2oKKLiwJOlNbtqnbUHBu5uvhsGc6AtLlCmRrXsPADRb+VUvFGDtlgTJIy5yWMaFiq9SbePKintqnbUGd9o7NmiZlEUyo3RlYXANxfofGpgdvYuIZY8VKgUaDO1tOQC3sK0O0gPO1ceI2fh39uCJvVFP2oFAu9O1YrXxbAkBhmyMCp6gkGrHZHE7H3yMVmZ7Kl1tZibfl50c47dDASjXDqvml1I9LV+bE3UweFbPFHd+jOcxHpflQXuxMZO8QbEKqOdbLfl5g8jVLxJxMgwEgiJDMUUkf0lrNc9BbrVy01eUsgIINiDzB60GdpFVQLMc9yG/p05WPWrnYO92Jwq9mjBo+qOLjXoNbimDtPcbByMXVTE3PuHu/8AE6VULw6hBN53PhYAUC7lZWckDIpJIA1y35D0FXuy9n5pVOGUvlKnMTYIRYm5ty50VruJhANTIT45rfQVaYDARYdMkS5R16knxJoOqWSh/el/w0vu/cVayyVRbyv+Hk9PvQLupUqUEq23YP8AHHo30r8qUB3FJXXFLX7UoOqOWuqOapUoPdJq9knqVKD1E9faz1KlB9Cev394qVKD97evzt6lSgnb1O3qVKCdvU7epUoJ29Tt6lSgnb1O3qVKCdvU7epUoJ29Tt6lSgnb18mepUoPgz18NPUqUHi09eLzVKlBzSS1yyy1KlBySy1S7wP/AAJPT71KlAB1KlSg/9k=" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: 16pt;">This is a popular
saying I first heard </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">from Dave McGillivray, the well-known elite endurance athlete
who is also the race director for the Boston Marathon.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">In fact, Dave has not only been the race director
for 32 years but he has run it for 47 years IN A ROW. This includes last year’s
marathon only 6 months after a triple bypass. </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Dave used to be neighbor when I lived in Massachusetts
and I would see him often on the roads or at races that his race management
company directed.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Every year on his birthday Dave would run his
age in miles.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Last I heard he was
planning on taking on the challenge when he turned 65.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">My
Game, My Rules.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I’ve adopted
this philosophy when I put together our 7 Day Marathon Challenge leading up
to the 2020 Boston Marathon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I
mentioned last blog, with the Covid situation the Boston Marathon has been
moved to September and I planned to move my Marathon Challenge to match. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, as I am prone to do these days, I’ve
changed my mind and plan to go ahead with the challenge this week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My Game, My Rules.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s not
that I’m a gluten for punishment, (although my wife may argue the issue), or
that I’m bored out of my gourd being locked down (that’s definitely contributing
to my already questionable sanity).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
reality is I’ve been thinking a lot about how the lock down is affecting the
children stuck in the hospital fighting cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
limited lock down, isolating us from our friends and family is just a small
sample of what these children are already facing as they fight cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Given
their compromised immune systems their restrictions are even more stringent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can speak from experience that when you
are fighting the disease for an extended period of time in the hospital, the
support of friends and family is crucial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So, I owe
all the people who have supported Help in the Nick of Time a big Thank You for
what you have done to help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your contributions
have allowed us to supply laptops and tablets to pediatric cancer wards to keep
the children connected to family, friends and the outside world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition, we have been able to send boxes
of toys and activities to help them pass the time and distract them from the
drudgery and pain of treatment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s now my
turn to do my part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I promised to do a marathon
over 7 days in under 6 hours and starting tomorrow we will be kicking it
off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While not as impressive as Dave
McGillivray’s efforts last April, and a far cry from running the Boston
Marathon, it is a major step forward from the 8 hour challenge I set this time last
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If nothing else it will keep me busy and get
me out of the house (which will contribute to my wife’s sanity).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I will drop
a quick update at the end of the week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Stay safe!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />SHARED EXPERIENCEShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04645580343185802649noreply@blogger.com0