The Flying Pig

Finally, I feel like I'm starting to become the person I was meant to be.  This past weekend was one of those great moments that I will always remember.  I thought maybe I could share it with the world or the 25 to 30 people who read my blog.

On Friday, I headed up I-75 to Cincinnati.  Most people knew I was going to run my first marathon.  I didn't tell anyone I was going to do a little more than that.  After checking-in at my hotel, I made my way across the street to the expo.   As I scanned the packet pick-up area, my eyes went passed the marathon to a small table in the corner labeled 4-Way.  I walked to registration table.  There it was.  The envelopes containing my race bibs were sticking out of the box as if they had been waiting for me to arrive.  That's right.  I said race bibs.  Not only had I made the crazy decision to run a marathon, I had to go a little extra and run a 10k and 5k the day before.  Why be ordinary?  I figure if I'm making a comeback, what better way to make it complete than to do something a little than most people would do.  It felt good to know I was going to do something special over the next couple of days.

I love wandering around the expo every year.  I managed to score a few freebies to give away to my students.  I was amazed by the number of people wearing shirts, hats, and bracelets in support of Boston.  This year had a different feeling to it.  People were more talkative, getting to know the other runners.  They had some huge banners for people to leave a message for the people of Boston.  So, I left a message for Boston letting them know that they were in our thoughts, signed Ruyake.  (If you don't know what Ruyake is, just search for it on Facebook. 

Saturday morning, I woke up early and made my way to the starting line of the 10k.  Every once in a while, you would see a person wearing two race bibs with a gold background behind the numbers.  Most of them stood alone, away from the others with some serious looks on their faces.  What had they gotten themselves into?  They were either doing the 3-Way or 4-Way.  In other words, they were about to do a 10k followed by a 5k with a half-marathon or full-marathon the next day.  As one would walk passed the next, their eyes would lock for a moment, exchanging respect for each other with a slight nod of the head. 

I had learned from previous years to line up near the starting line.  The Flying Pig draws a lot of novice runners and walkers who try to get as close to the starting line as possible.  I had a simple goal of setting a PR.  I hadn't ran a 10k in a couple of years when I was quite a bit heavier.  I knew that with a little effort and a good start, I could best my previous PR of 1:07:00.  That I did.  I finished in under an hour with a time of 58:42.  Now, I've ran a 10k in the course of a half-marathon a little faster, but this was the first time I had ever done a 10k in under an hour.  One PR down.  One to go.

After crossing the finish swine, I grabbed a bagel and some water on my way back to the starting line.  There, I found a sea of elementary and middle school kids waiting for the 5k.  It was impressive how many young people were there with their numbers pinned to their matching shirts.  Knowing they would be in the race, I headed toward the starting line to hopefully get in front them.  The last thing I wanted was for the headline to read, "Teacher runs over students at the Flying Pig 5k."  I was doing great.  I was about 5 or so people back from the start of the race when this teacher brings his students to the front of the line.  The runners in the crowd cringed.  We all pictured some poor, innocent child getting knocked down and trampled.  Something really cool happened while we were waiting for the start.  People all around me started asking about the 4-Way.  That gold stripe was like instant respect.

The horn sounded for the start of the 5k.  Those students took off running thankfully.  Surely, they would tire soon, but at least we might have room to negotiate our way through them.  Well, there was no need for that.  Those kids were fast.  I settled and ran my pace until about 0.4 of a mile from the finish swine.  That's when I heard a conversion between a couple of women and a young elementary girl who came up to my waist.  They gave her words of encouragement, calling her their hero.  The 6 or 7 year old girl was doing incredible.  After a couple more moments of praise, the girl looked up to her dad.  He gave her the o.k. to pick up the pace.  That she did.  Well, I couldn't be beat by a 6 year old girl.  So, I took off running.  I beat her to the line.  That's right.  I beat a six year old girl until I looked at the official results to find out she beat me by less than a second.  She wasn't the only elementary school girl to beat me.  So, did eight others.  The teacher in me was so proud of them.  I hope I can encourage my students to be such great athletes while having so much fun!!!  Thanks to the little girl, I set another PR of 27:36.  Cool beans!!!!

I enjoyed the rest of the day just hanging out and reading the well wishes from the family and friends.  It was nice to get so many messages of support.  It meant a lot to get such kind words the day before the race.

On Sunday morning, I had but one goal: finish.  If I did, it would be 3 PRs in one weekend.  Taking advice of many others who had ran marathons, I set a very conservative goal of 5 hours so I could enjoy the race and soak it all in.  I headed to Corral F where I found the pacers, Mel and Char.  You could tell they enjoyed running together and had down this a few times.  They made everyone feel at ease.  Before you knew it, they had a large following.

I stayed close to Mel and Char as we navigated the half mile to the start line.  Only a few moments into the race, I hear someone cheering for me.  It was Patty Longmire from the Covenant Health Biggest Winner Team.  I knew it was going to be a good day.

For the first 5 miles of the race, I tried staying close Mel and Char.  They were fun to listen to.  They were completely serious about staying right on pace.  Me, I wasn't as good at it.  I wanted to run directly behind them, but so many people were trying to get close to them.  I don't do well with crowds.  So, I stepped out on my own, picked up the pace during mile 5.  Somehow, among the thousands of fans lining the roads, I missed Patty cheering for me.

With a little lead on the pace group, I was able to walk some of the steepest parts of the course heading into Eden Park.  By the time I got to the top, they had caught up to me.  For two or three more miles, I kept the pace group close.  That moment near the church were the half marathoners took a left and we took a right was huge.  I had always taken a left turn.  This time, I had to take a right turn where I normally took a left turn.  That was one exciting moment to realize this was for real.  I was doing a marathon. 

Soon, it was evident I had to pull away and run my own race.  I did just that as the rain began to fall.  The gap between me and pace group widen with each mile.  Around mile 16, I went to run/walk strategy.  I was able to pick up the pace a little, by a few seconds.  As I passed by the crowds, I could hear the crowd yelling for some guy named "4-Way!"  It took a moment for me to figure out they were cheering for me.

All the while, I was enjoying the run.  Close to mile 20, a saw a kid hanging near the side of the road with his own water stand.  He made me break three of my absolute rules about running.  Never take ice cold water from anyone.  Never take anything from a kid.  Never take anything from something that was not an official stop.  I did.  It turned out those chips of ice in the water kept me going for about 4 miles.

During that 4 miles, I started having those about walking the rest of the way.  If I maintained 15 minute miles, I would finish at 5:30:00 mark.  Just as I was about to make that decision, Patty's husband John appeared out of nowhere around mile 20ish.  He was coaching with Team in Training and happened to be between runners.  He took the time to turn around and offer me a few words of encouragement.  Just seeing a familiar face motivated me to run a little more and push for that 5:00:00 mark.  I told him to tell Patty to look for me around that time. Now, I had to do it. I'm one of those people who if they say they will be there at a certain time, they're there, no excuses. 

From that point on, I watched the pace on my watch.  I knew I had to average 12:00 minutes miles over that last 6 miles to make my time.  Any time the pace got close to 11:30, I took off running again.  During mile 25, I had banked enough time I could have walked to the finish line and made 5:00:00.  That's when I heard Patty cheering for me again.  I had to run some more.  I finished in a time of 4:58:38.  I didn't even mind the light rain I had been running in for the last couple of hours.

You would think that after 26.2 miles, I would have a lot of aches and pains, maybe a blister or two.  I had absolutely nothing. None of my muscles cramped.  My toenails were still there.  The bottoms of my feet looked as normal as they usually do.  My ankle that's bothered me a little over the past few weeks felt pretty good.  This was the first time I finished a long distance race and I could walk normally back to the hotel without having to stop every little bit to rest.

Will I do another one?  You better believe it.  I am hooked.  I'm doing the Kona Half Marathon in June and the Marine Corps Marathon in October.  My grandfather was a Marine in World War II.  That means I need to step it up in honor of his memory.  So, I'm going ahead and committing now to running a sub-4:00:00 in DC.  Is it possible?  I have no idea. Is setting PRs in the 5k, 10k and marathon possible?  I'm looking forward to MCM. 

I'm actually in this picture.  You can see me if you look vey hard.  Look under where Elvis is high-fiving and you'll see a guy with a dark blue shirt in the crosswalk.  Look to his left and there's a guy with a yellow shirt on the far side of the road.  That was me!!!

The Marathon Man: Hitting the Wall

In ten days, I'll get up about five the morning to head off for my first marathon.  For me, it's a victory lap.  I'm going to enjoy it every step of the way, even if it will take me five hours.

I began this journey four years ago when I trained for what I thought would be my first marathon.  While training, I got really sick and I wasn't able to run.  I wasn't able to sleep.  I wasn't able to function.

I visited countless doctors.  I tried over 43 medicines.  I was given so many different diagnoses.  I had hemochromatosis, diabetes, fatty liver, non-alchoholic steatohepatitis, hypertension, elevated liver enzymes, hypercholesterolemia, insomnia, sleep apnea, depression, tachycardia, polycythemia, and just about anything else you could think of.  None of the doctors knew what to do with me, but they knew I was sick. 

After four years of hard work, I'm celebrating living healthy for the first time in my life.  I eat vegetables and I like it.  I eat fruits.  People even look to me for advice on how to live healthy.  I never would have thought that would have happened a few years ago.

I have to say what has helped me the most is to get spiritually healthy.  I have included a link to a sermon series by Tim Miller from Sevier Heights that God used to change my life.  It's the one that got me to finally slow down, rest, and just listen and wait on God.

My life was out of control doing good things.  It was this sermon that I heard on my first Sunday back at church after becoming sick that made me realize why I was going through what I was going through.  God was trying to get my attention.  So, if you feel like your life is overwhelmed by doing good things, take a few moments and watch this sermon.  It'll make you realize how important being still can be.

The Marathon Man: Hitting the Wall featuring Tim Miller

"When you are at your lowest, God often speaks the softest.  So, listen closely." --Tim Miller

"Be still and know that I am God."  Psalm 46:10

It took losing my health to get my life back.  I thank God for it every day.  I was focused so much on doing the right things in life that I forgot God.  All those great accomplishments meant nothing if my relationship with Jesus Christ wasn't what it should be.  So now, the focus of my life is living healthy to honor God each and every day.  Like any good runner, I've learned to take those rest days just to listen to God.  The night before the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon, you'll find me in my hotel, being still, listening.

The Greatest Moments

How can you say thanks to so many people who helped you become the Covenant Health Marathon Team’s Biggest Winner?  You write about them in a blog.  So, here are just a few of the great moments that inspired me to be more than I could imagine.

·      The first time we met as a group, I think it was Tonya that gave us the great line about “I’m on a medically supervised diet."  It worked.  I used that line during Thanksgiving and Christmas.  People leave you alone when you use that line.

·        At my first meeting with Ciara, I was completely nervous.  I asked her if she thought I could lose forty pounds in the next months.  She was like yes, but you’ll have to change absolutely everything you eat.

·       At the first weigh in after the program started, I stepped onto the scale.  I couldn’t believe the numbers I saw.  It read 203 pounds.  I had lost 22 pounds in a month.  That was all I needed to stay on track for the four months after that. 

·       We had to do a runner’s assessment with Phil Bevins.  As my grandma used to say, I got a good report.  He gave me a few exercises to do to get my feet pointing in the same direction.  What a difference five months make!  My toes are finally pointing in the same direction.

·       Joe invited us to join him in spin class one morning.  It was early.  I remember taking it and figuring out it was a great way to burn a lot of calories.  I was hooked.

·       When we started doing long runs, both Missy and Phil introduced me to friends to run with.  Missy’s friend, Sharon Spezia, helped me to break the 12:00 minute mile.  Phil’s friend helped me to realize that I’m a lot faster than I ever thought I was.  It was with her that I realized I could run a 10:00 minute mile.  My most memorable run was with Phil on one of the last long runs of the year.  It was the first time I ran 10 miles straight without any walk breaks.  At the end, I had a lot left in me and knew that a 2:00:00 hour half marathon was possible.

·       In January, some of us ran the New Year’s Day Calhoun’s 5k.  I loved finishing under 30:00 minutes.  What made the day special was Kim’s determination.  When she ran across the finish line in less than an hour, I was impressed.  She did her first 5k much faster than I did my first 5k.  That moment took me back to realize how far I had come and how much farther I could go.

·       In February, I ran the Strawberry Plains half marathon.  I can remember passing the halfway point at about 1:07:00.  I did the math in my head.  Was it possible to do a 2:15 half?  I pushed it.  About two miles from the finish, Heidi gave me a drink of water that propelled me to the end.  I still remember that little girl close to the finish line who was sitting and the side of the road.  “You can do it, mister!” she yelled as I ran by.  And, I did.

·       Missy had a way of making me try new things.  She took me with her group hiking Devil’s Racetrack.  I was hooked.  It made me feel like a kid again when we used to explore the woods.  I was just glad when we went to Ijams that Bree and Venus took the lead on the way down the muddy trail.  I didn’t want to be the first one to fall.

·       Every Monday night was a great moment.  I took spin class with Chris O’Hearn.  Not only did I get a great workout.  I also got a great lesson on teaching.  He is the best I’ve ever seen at making everyone feel great about who they are.  In fact, I take a lot of his encouraging spirit and try to incorporate it into my teaching.  I need to be a little more like Chris.  He makes you want to push yourself a little harder every time you take his class.  One night, I took spin class with Olympian Missy Kane, Joe Mitchell from the Biggest Loser, and Chris O’Hearn who had been on MTV.  I felt special. On a lot of nights, I was joined by two of my Biggest Winner teammates, Scott and Patty.  How about 80s night in spin class?  The people wanted a part 2.

·       There were so many other great moments.  My mom really loved meeting Heidi and her husband at the Women’s Expo.  I can’t believe Missy got me on stage to dance.  That’s not me.  Patty made me jealous running Disney.  I’m going to do that one day.  I loved it that Shea supports Kenny by running with him.   That’s a great wife.  In the beginning, I ran with B.J.  As the distances grew, I ran with Scott.  Even though I became a little faster, I admired how B.J. improved his times and how Scott could run forever. 

·       It wasn’t always members of the marathon team that inspired me.  I couldn’t believe that when I challenged my Gresham Middle School students to run 26.2 miles in a month that over 30 of them would do it.  I couldn’t ask for better teammates than Amelia Adams, Jennifer Bayola, Alice McManus, Kristi Letsinger, and Trina Ridenour.  Who has teammates that make healthy desserts for you to try?  That would be my team.  I love the peanut butter cookies.  Who has a boss that is the most supportive person in the world?  I do.  Donna Parker, principal at Gresham Middle School, has been a source of encouragement. 

·       My mom and dad deserved a special mention.  Every weekend when I went to their house, my mom would make sure that I had exactly what I need to eat.  She was my photographer when it came to those before and after pictures that helped me monitor my progress.  I can’t believe how fat my stomach was. 

·       Being named the Covenant Health Marathon Team’s Biggest Winner was a great moment.  I truly appreciate the piece that Erin Donovan did on me.  Thanks to her, I’ll always have that my story to remind me of why I did this.  It’s not all about me.  It’s about sharing with others and paying it forward.

Thank you to all my teammates who made this a most incredible journey.  These five months was well worth the rest of my life.

 

Thank you to God for doing in my life more than I ever imagined.  Ephesians 3:20-21

Check Out These Numbers: The Final Fitness Assessment

I like the numbers, especially when they are good.  That's the math teacher in me.  Today, I have to say I'm celebrating the numbers!!!!

This morning, I went for my final fitness evaluation. Here are the results from my time with the Covenant Health Marathon Biggest Winner Team.

 

 

Check out those before and after numbers on the first graph.  The top number is the current number and the bottom number is from the initial fitness assessment we had in November.  I can't believe all of those numbers are in the fit to excellent range.  My trunk forward flexion number, also known as the sit and reach back in my day, is off the charts!!!!!

 

I looked up my aerobic fitness numbers to see what they translated to in terms of running.  What I found is that according to these estimates, my body has the potential to run about a 3:10 to 3:15 marathon.  With the right training, could I possibly qualify for Boston?  We'll see this fall when I run the Marine Corps Marathon in DC.

 



I cracked up when I looked at my sit-ups and push-ups.  I asked myself why I only did about 25.  Maybe that's because that's how many we did in gym class back in middle school. It's a whole lot more than I did 5 months ago. My goal by fall is to get each of those up to 50.  I don't like just being fit.  Being excellent is o.k.  I want to be off the charts in everything.

As if you haven't had enough numbers by now, check these out:

 

Unbelievably, my body fat is down from 32 percent to 15 percent.  If I figured it out right, I have lost almost 48 pounds of fat.  That's crazy.  It's more weight than I lost overall.  In the last month, my weight hasn't changed, but my body fat percentage went from 19.2 percent to 15 percent.  I still have a tiny bit more to go to get to about the 12 percent range, but I'm completely happy with 15 percent body fat. 

 

Speaking of fat, I did a cholesterol screening the other day that included triglycerides.  My triglycerides had dropped from about 300 in September to 46.  Who would have ever thought I would have low triglyceride levels?  Nothing to worry about.  With all the training I'm doing, I'm burning a lot of fat.  A few changes in my diet should keep everything in check.

 

So, when I started this blog, it was five months for the rest of my life.  Well, it's only one week away until the next chapter: Five Months to Qualify for Boston.  A guy can dream, can't he?

 

As always, thank you to everyone who has worked with me, supported me, and encouraged me over the last five months.  You all are amazing. 

 

Ephesians 3:20-21  Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.

The Return of Bryan's Angels featuring Missy Kane

You have certain people in your life that encourage you, inspire you, and motivate you.  For me, it's Bryan's Angels and Missy Kane. 

 

 

Missy Kane came to visit my students on Friday.  That morning, Bryan's Angels found out we won this week's ewellness award/drawing and the prize was matching t-shirts and some great water bottles from Academy.  Thanks to a student on our team, we were able to get the T-shirts just in time for our visit from Missy Kane.

 

Missy was there to honor 24 of our students who have completed a marathon in the last month.  That's right.  We've had 24 kids finish a marathon one mile at a time by either running or walking their miles or completing 30 minutes of physical activity.  As a class, we've ran over 750 miles.  Before it's over, we'll have close to 1000 miles.  It's incredible what kids will do for a medal and a certificate.  The kids really loved meeting Missy Kane.  They were talking about it all day. 

 

After we recognized our marathon participants, Missy stuck around a few minutes to meet Bryan's Angels, my ewellness team.  Bryan's Angels are my ewellness team.  They are also my support system when it comes to eating a healthy lunch.  When everyone else eats healthy, it makes it so much easier to do what you know you need to do.  It's just a way of life for us.  Let's just say I'm not the only one that's lost a few pounds.

 

 



Now, if you look on that table, you might see a tray of desserts.  Thanks to Jennifer Bayola for providing us some healthy treats.  Everything on that tray were lower calorie, healthier versions of their original counterparts.  I have to say I love the peanut butter cookies.  It's just a few more calories than eating straight peanut butter, a great source of protein.  Thanks Mom for fixing a batch this weekend.

So, today ended the ewellness competition through our district's Coordinated School Health Program.  The contest features prizes for teachers and other school district employees who compete as teams or individuals, recording the number of servings of fruits and vegetables they eat each daily along with their exercise.  My favorite part is that you also score points for not drinking sugary drinks or not eating unhealthy snacks.  I don't know where I stand in the contest, but I've completed close to 10,000 minutes of exercise over the past 8 weeks thanks to training for the Covenant Health Half Marathon and working out with their Biggest Winner Marathon Team.

To end this great week, I did a ten mile run with Phil Kaplan.  I want to thank him for running with me.  For the first time, I ran all ten miles!!!  They only short break I had was when we had to wait for a light to cross Kingston Pike.  It paid off to run with Phil.  I was so much more consistent with my pace, keeping it between 9:40 and 10:00 miles.  It was an easy ten miles.

When I came home and got on Facebook, I had a message from one of my former students from about 15 years ago.  She had seen me on WBIR's Live at Five at Four when they did a 30 second clip on Missy Kane's visit to my class.  It's always nice to hear from former students.

Five months ago when we started this journey, who would have ever thought that I would be becoming one of those healthy people that exercises, eats right, and enjoys life.

Challenge Accepted

So, about a week ago, almost 40 of my students and their family members accepted a challenge to complete a marathon within the next month.  Now, they didn't have to run 26.2 miles all at one time.  In fact, they didn't have to run at all.  According to our challenge rules, students could exchange 30 minutes of physical activity for 1 mile of the marathon. 

You wouldn't believe how well they have done.  So far, they've completed over 250 miles towards our goal of 1000 miles. It's incredible.  I love their enthusiasm and to hear how they've become more active.

On the personal side, it's only 21 days until I run the Covenant Health Half Marathon and 49 days until the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon.  I am so hoping to finish that half in less than 2:00:00 hours.  Somehow, I've got to get about another 30 seconds a mile out of myself.  I think possible.  I should gain some time from not carrying my own water bottle along the way.  As far as my marathon goes, my hope is to finish.  It's my first one. 

I'm also looking forward to some other numbers.  I made myself an appointment to get all of my bloodwork checked.  I just have to know how I'm doing without my meds.  I so hope the results are good.  Physically, I feel great.  I hope my feelings match my reality.  Whatever they are, I know that I'm so much better off than I was a year ago thanks to the Covenant Health Marathon Biggest Winner Team.

When this is all over, I'm thinking about writing a book about becoming healthy spiritually, mentally, physically, and emotional.  I've been so fortunate to have had such a great experience.  I want to share what I have learned with others so they can experience the joy I have.

I know of no other way to describe how my life has changed.  God has given me more than I could ever ask for and more than I could ever imagine.  I look forward to what each day brings.

As Ephesians 3:20 says, "Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think."

I'm a HILL CLIMBER!

I'm a HILL CLIMBER.  Those are the words that get me up every hill.  Today, after 16 miles, I needed that words to help me climb that last hill back to my car. 

I can remember my first half marathon I did in Cincinnati.  It was the Flying Pig which has a hill that seems to last forever.  At the bottom of the hill, a guy stood with a sign that read, "It's worth the view."  At the top of the hill, I knew exactly what he meant.  It wasn't so much that the view was spectacular.   It was more that I knew the hill was behind me.

In my life, I've always tried to avoid hills.  I've tended to find the easy way over the mountain or even avoided them all together.  Though many people see my life as being so successful, up until recently, I've always felt like an underachiever.  I've always felt like I had so much more to give and so much more to accomplish.

Something has changed over these last 4 months with the Biggest Winner.  I'm becoming a hill climber.  In fact, when I'm running, I search out the hills. I seek out challenges.   In my life, I'm beginning to take those hills head-on.  It's climbing the hill that makes the view at the top so beautiful. 

One hill that's always been waiting for me in my life is my strength.   I've never been that strong.  In fact, I've always been weak.  Add to that, about three or four years ago, I became sick to the point that I spent the better part of a year in bed or on a couch trying to recover.  Every bit of strength that I had seemed to have been drained from my body.  What little muscles I had wasted away. 

Getting physically stronger has never been a hill I've been willing to climb until now.  Though I may be physically weak at this moment, my goal has become a little stronger day by day.  Step by step I'll climb that hill because I am a hill climber.