Saturday, December 26, 2009

The waiting

2 weeks until we leave.... and I am sick :(
Not "super bad" sick, just "feel generally shitty" sick. I've taken the last 3 days as rest days, which worked out okay, since it is Christmas :)
Aside from battling this nasty cold (or whatever it is) I have been doing very well in my training. Last week I ran 73 miles and my body is holding up well. I am fully acclimated to my Vibrams, and now, I don't even notice that I am not wearing conventional running shoes. As of today, I have 492 miles on my first set of Vibrams (classics) and they are still going strong. My parents bought me a pair of KSO's for Christmas. These will be better for the cold weather as they cover more of the foot.



I also got a great rain jacket from REI. The Marmot PreCip Jacket



It is tough to dress appropriately when you are running in cold weather. I HATE being cold and I always tend to wear too much when going out on a run, even though I know that 5 minutes in, I will be shedding clothing. I am going to have to go into REI and try different layers under this jacket and try and anticipate the conditions I will be in, the next few months. The jacket is a small and I plan on wearing it over my Nathan hydration pack as well. I have to make sure it will fit in a small. I may have to exchange it for a medium. Did I mention I hate being cold!

Speaking of weather, at least Chris and I will be shielded from the elements, somewhat, in our shiny, new (to us) trailer! Our home for the next 4 odd months, our own 15' of luxury.....

THE GALT MOBILE!!!



That's right! Chris found this little beauty and we couldn't pass it up. It will tow behind my XTerra perfectly and I think it says "Rugged Individualism" like no other trailer (in our price range) that I have seen.

Speaking of "Going Galt", I made a difficult decision a couple of weeks ago, that I won't get into at this time, but although it was a hard choice to make, it afforded the run to become self sustaining, financially. Without us having to take donations or turning the Galt Mobile into "NASCAR" with logos all over it. Now, the only logos or stickers on it, will be ones we really want, to promote our message. We'll have our PubQuest banner and some cool stickers alluding to "Atlas Shrugged" and the like. I'd love to find someone to paint this on the side.




Or maybe this



Then again, we don't want to call too much attention to ourselves. I already feel like I'll be dodging bullets out there. And Chris? well he's afraid of something else entirely.



In any event, we are close and it is VERY real! I am starting to pack and get everything together. Next week, I'll wrap things up at work, and the next week, will be spent making final preparations and alterations to The Galt and buying food, etc. I am really looking forward to this, as running all of these miles and working has been extremely taxing. Hmmm... interesting that I would use that word ;)..... taxing. I digress.

Again, I have to apologize for not updating my blog more often. I have thought many times of abandoning this space since it is so much easier to just update twitter and facebook. But this really is a special place where I feel like I can talk about things that I can't on those other spaces. But, having said that, I do know that once we leave, I won't be able to update here, as much as I would like. So, if you would like to follow, please follow us on twitter and facebook. Also, of course, the "Run For Liberty" website and our "Run For Liberty" facebook page.

Anyone that is in the area, we are leaving the morning of Jan. 9th from the HB Pier. We'll be down there at 8 am and plan to start around 9. Julie from PubQuest is riding the first 3 days with us and it she is helping us coordinate the Craft Breweries and Brew-Pubs that we are stopping at along the way. I have added the places we are stopping, as events on our facebook page, so stop by there to see where we will be the first 3 days. I will be adding them as we make our way across the country. It is a lot of work and since the schedule may change a bit here and there, I felt it better to do it as we go along.

It's already been such a long road and we haven't even started yet. I am tired of waiting. I just want to run!

Paul

Sunday, November 15, 2009

8 weeks to go!

It seems like yesterday when I posted that it was 180 days until the start of the run. Well, a few days back, we hit the 90 day mark and just as I was getting ready to blog about it, we went and changed the date. We are now leaving

Sat. Jan 9th!!!

Which, according to my calculations, is 54 days from now. This is a good thing. I originally set the date for 2 days after the Surf City marathon and the 2nd annual MGM Reunion. There was a problem with that start date. My youngest daughter Jasmine, is graduating from High School on June 16th and our original schedule put us arriving in New York about a week later. I figured I could make up some time and do extra miles. If I not, I would fly back for a couple of days to see her graduate. Dumb idea and way too stressful. So, the decision was made a few days ago to move the start date up a month. What a relief! It has already proved to be a better start date and to be perfectly honest, I would go now if I could. So Jan 9th it is! And I get to see this one Graduate!



My training has been going well. This week I start doing 2 runs a day to see how I'll hold up on the road. I am very excited! My Coach is watching me closely to make sure I'm not overtraining and most of all eating enough.

We have finished episode 4!




Now, with the Long Beach Marathon out of the way, I am looking forward to focusing more on the run. The next episode is going to be about Chris and why he is going on this Whacky adventure. Speaking of Whacky..... Well, I'll wait to talk about that until I know more.... We'll also be shedding some more light on the inspiration for the run, how the Libertarian message plays a part and of course, the Craft Beer connection! Very exciting stuff.

Paul

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Sponsors, charities and endorsements

We are 105 days away from starting the run. It is getting very real and very exciting! I have finished the route and already know there will be some minor changes, such as planned rest days and some detours here and there to hit the local Brewpubs. But it is a good starting point.

As the day approaches, one question grows louder. How are we gonna pay for it? I wrote the paragraphs below to help answer that question. It is going on our website, on our "Sponsor" page. Oh and if anyone knows of someone who needs an RV transported from CA to NY and doesn't mind it taking 4 months, let us know. Another win/win :)


A friend of mine recently offered to donate $100 to the run. It was an odd moment. I was extremely grateful that he would believe in what we are doing enough to give us money to help us accomplish it. But, it brought up some interesting thoughts, regarding charities, sponsors and endorsements.

Let me start by saying, this is in no way a judgement on anyone else, or in any way questioning anyone else's motives. There are many people who do things for charity, as I have in the past, and I am sure that their reasons and motives are genuine. I am now speaking only about myself and our upcoming journey.

I have very specific reasons for wanting to run across the country. They are, by and large, a matter of self preservation. Which, stated another way, could be called selfish. I do hope that through what we are doing, many positive things come out of it and it helps and inspires other people. That part is not selfish, but to try and find a charity to somehow make it seem selfless, would be disingenuous. It would be much easier to sell to people and would probably look better in local newspapers, but it would not be true.

We could put a PayPal link on our website and take donations... for... US. But that would be the antithesis of what we believe in. Working for what you have in life. I certainly don't want to be a charity. It could be argued that spreading the message of personal liberty and less Government is a valuable message and very important to a lot of people, therefore a lot of people would be willing to donate to something that they themselves may not have the time to do. But, again, something just doesn't feel right about asking for money. So, no PayPal link.

So, how do we work our way across the country? Chris and I are in production. We are shooting this for a Documentary and we are posting webisodes as we go. Naturally, there is a good opportunity for companies to sponsor the run in exchange for exposure. Ahh! The old win/win. A mutually agreed to contract, the way it is supposed to be. I believe that we can fund our journey through sponsors. But, with sponsors brings potential pitfalls. Do we have to temper what we say? That doesn't sound good. I can understand a large corporation not wanting to be affiliated with certain things that don't align with their customers views or beliefs, but does a sponsor have to agree with everything I say? Chris and I, as much as we are like minded, do not agree on everything. In fact, we have gotten into a healthy debate or two about a certain subject, but that doesn't stop us from working quite nicely together. Sadly in our current society, it seems the threat of boycotts and the ever present state of "political correctness" has served to strip everyone of their voice, in fear of offending someone. Besides, if a company that makes a Hydration Pack sponsors me, it should be because I use their product and it helped me get across the country, not because of who I voted for in the last election.

We need sponsors so I can run. I am not running to get sponsors. I have been using certain gear since I have been running and unless I legitimately feel like switching to something else I will continue to use them. That is not saying that other products aren't great, I just believe in being honest. I will list the products we use and I would love it if some of them decide to sponsor us. But even if they don't, I am endorsing them. I think that is the way it should be.

Oh, and my friends $100... I told him to keep it. But, if he absolutely insists... well, I can't be rude :)

Paul

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

The agony of da feet

Oy! Sorry I just couldn't resist, for it is my FEET that I will blame for Sundays disappointment. Let's just get it out of the way-

4:24:07

That's close to 17 minutes SLOWER than lasts years race... I am supposed to be getting faster not slower.

Here are my splits, just to drive the point home.

mile 1 8:59
mile 2 9:10
mile 3 9:12
mile 4 8:52
mile 5 9:04
mile 6 8:54
mile 7 8:32
mile 8 8:50
mile 9 8:50
mile 10 9:00
mile 11 8:56
mile 12 9:06
mile 13 9:14
mile 14 9:24
mile 15 9:25
mile 16 10:06
mile 17 9:46
mile 18 11:14
mile 19 10:43
mile 20 10:45
mile 21 11:21
mile 22 11:46
mile 23 12:29
mile 24 12:22
mile 25 12:10
mile 26 11:32
last .2 10:36

I didn't even make it to mile 15 before I knew things were going south on me. But to be perfectly honest, looking back, I am surprised it went as well as it did. Because a week before the race, I could barely walk. My right foot was so jacked from doing 120 miles in three weeks in the Vibrams that I wasn't sure I could even run the marathon. 2 weeks before the race, every time my right foot hit the ground, it felt like someone was jamming a hot poker into it.

Yes, I overdid it... BIG TIME! But there was a reason. I usually buy new running shoes every 300-400 miles. I had been running in my present shoes about 600 miles (do I REALLY need to buy new shoes every 300 miles just because they SAY I do?). They were literally starting to fall apart and I was faced with a decision. Do I buy another pair of shoes so I can safely finish out my marathon training when I really want to buy the Vibram Five Fingers? Or do I go Gonzo and buy the Vibrams. Ignoring all the advice about safely transitioning to barefoot running and proving that 1. not only do I NOT need the overpriced shoe casts that the Nikes and Asics sell to us runners every 3 months or so, but 2. I also have an extremely high tolerance for pain and I can H.T.F.U. and suffer thru it.

I'm a DUMBASS!!

I ended up with the Vibrams AND a nice new pair of Asics Gel-Hyperspeed 3's



At least they are racing flats and very light. I did the last 2 weeks of training in them but unfortunately the damage was done. Starting barefoot running is a lot like starting running period. When you start running your body has to adjust. During this period of time, if you go too fast, you run the risk of injuring yourself (achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis). Even if you don't injure yourself, there is a period of adjustment where you feel little pains, like shin splints. You need to start slow, to give your body enough time to adapt to the new stresses you are putting on it. I have given this advice to many new runners. Well since running barefoot changes your running form so much (a good thing) then it stands to reason that a different set of muscles are used as well. It ALSO stands to reason that the same precautions should be observed if you go from running close to 5,000 miles one way and then switch everything up overnight. Duh! Enough said.

My Asics sure were purty at the race!

If I had to put my money on what went wrong, I would say that it was because I spent the last 5 weeks doing less than quality training. And if one things for sure, you cannot "wish" yourself a marathon PR. Yes, running and races are a large part "mental" but you cannot fake a marathon. The training has got to be there if you wanna improve your time. It wasn't, so I didn't. Well, it was 5 minutes faster than the LA Marathon in May. So I guess I can be happy about that.

So, Long Beach is behind me and I now have ONE focus. "The Run for Liberty". Yes I will be doing the run in the Vibrams and yes, I will pull my head out of my ass and transition wisely this time. Thankfully, I will have help with that. I have hired a coach to help me prepare for the run. I am really excited about it. He comes highly recommended and he is going to help me with my training and nutrition. I am sure I will be posting a lot about that in the next four months.

118 days!

Time flys!

Paul

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Episode 3 Barefoot running

Everything is moving along nicely with the show! I am glad to have the new episode finished and posted. It has taken some patience knowing that we had to devote some time on back story for any of this to make sense. There is still a lot of ground to cover, but it is starting to come together. Here is Episode 3.



It is amazing how the run is taking on a life of it's own. Chris, me and my old friend Mike Cernak from grade school have been hanging out a lot. One of our favorite things to do is go Beer tasting on Friday nights. We LOVE Craft Beer! It's a whole movement that we are very interested in for several reasons. One of which, is the care and individuality that local brewers put into their creations. What better way to get a sense of the different communities that we will be traveling through. Brittany and I went to The Stone Brewing Co. on Sunday and toured the facility. It was amazing and they make great beer! There is a local place in Huntington Beach called BrewBakers, where they actually teach you how, and let you, brew your own beer. what better place to start, than in our own back yard. I am VERY excited to start incorporating this part of the run into the show.

With 4 days left until the Long Beach Marathon, I am going a little crazy with the reduced mileage (taper). It's going to be a busy weekend with our prerace dinner/tweetup on Saturday, then the race on Sunday. After the race we are going to meet up again at Rock Bottom for some microbrew Long Beach style. Hmmm... I am sensing a theme! But of course the main focus for me right now is a sub-4 on Sunday! So, with plenty of rest, some fast healing for my battered feet and some nice cool weather, I am hoping to see a 3:xx:xx on the clock.

Paul

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Macro Blogging

With all of this micro blogging, it is getting harder and harder to find time to do long form posts. I do believe, however, that blogging in long form definitely has its place and isn't going anywhere. I just wish I didn't procrastinate as much and sat down to update this blog more often. But, after updating my facebook page, twitter and dailymile page, I am pretty much "updated out" and struggle to think of anything I haven't already said in a more "stream of conscience" way. But, like I said, long form blogging is different and in this case, gives me a much better way of talking "in long form," which if you are reading this or know me, you already know I like to do. So, here's an update on what's been going on.

Chris and I have 2 episodes in the can for the "Run For Liberty"







Chris is busy cutting episode 3, which will focus on my switch to the Vibram Five Fingers and how that has affected my training for the Long Beach Marathon. The first couple of episodes have been a sort of introduction to me and the run. I am very excited to get more specific about different aspects of what we will be doing as we travel across the country. I am anxious for everyone to meet Chris and hear his story and why he wants to take this journey. We are talking about lots of different things we will be filming and highlighting as we venture across the country. It is looking like we will be roughly following Route 66 to Chicago, then to New York via Washington D.C. In a somewhat new development, we'll be touring as many Craft Breweries, or "microbreweries" as we can along the way. A true slice of Americana. Also, please head over to the map on the website and add yourself, as we are still planning the route and we are more than willing to detour a bit for a good tweetup or run with some friends.

As I said before, when I first told you all about this crazy plan, this is a journey and I can only see the first few feet of the road that lies ahead. As I walk down the road, more presents itself and it is this part that is truly fascinating. The trip is taking turns that I never anticipated and we are still at the beginning. Perhaps the best part is, the idea for this run started in, quite frankly, a VERY negative place. But, as time goes on, those negative feelings and reasons for the run are slowly evaporating and what drives me forward is positive. Although I am running for Liberty, my own and the actual Statue itself, in many ways I have already found it.

Thanks again for following me and if you want more updates than the one a month like I seem to only manage now.... well, you know where to find me!

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Do I ever shut up?

This morning Chris and I did our first radio interview about the Run For Liberty. I had commented to Chris that I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to say. Well, in typical fashion, all Cindy had to do was ask me a question and I had no problem filling an entire hour with my blabbering. Chris made lots of comments after we were done, about his participation (or lack of participation) in the conversation. He's a funny guy! Next time, I'm gonna shut up and let him do more of the talking. We shot it as well, since we phoned in the interview from my studio.




It was great talking to Cindy Rakowitz about the run. She is a wizard at Public Realations and we had a great conversation about new social media and how things like Twitter and facebook will play a part in our adventure across the country. Cool stuff! We also touched on how micro blogging such as Twitter, makes long form blogging seem like more of a chore. I certainly does take more effort to sit down and post to a blog, as opposed spitting out quick bursts of thought on Twitter. This is clearly evidenced by my lack of posts here. Maybe it is because, anything that I write here, seems more permanent and "on record" Hmmm.... Long form blogs are still great for posting pictures and links and forming larger ideas. Besides, sometimes it's just too hard to say what you wanna say in 140 or less.

You can download the interview as an mp3 or listen in iTunes. You might as well listen, instead of me rehashing it here. Hell, I had a whole hour to talk about it, and believe me, no one else got a word in edgewise.

Paul

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Vibram Five Fingers

I finally broke down and purchased the Vibram Five Fingers. I have been eying these babies for a long time. As most of you know, my daughter Brittany is a barefoot runner, and I have ran barefoot on occasion. But, since I have done the majority of my training on the treadmill at a local gym, and they don't allow bare feet on the gym floor, I have had to put off releasing my feet from the shackles of modern footwear.

Yesterday, Brittany and I went down to Sport's Chalet and I snagged the last pair of Vibram Five Finger "Classics" in Black!!! YES! I had thought that I wanted the KSO (stands for, "Keep stuff out") but after trying them on, I decided on the "Classics" and am glad I did!



I ran 4 miles barefoot on Monday, purchased the VFF's on Tuesday. Ran 5 1/2 miles in them that evening and loved it. I got up this morning and ran 2 miles in them at the gym (without incident) and finished up the with 3 more miles this evening with Brit. In addition to all of this barefoot running, today also was my first "2 a day". I will be breaking up my days into 2 runs a day on my Transcontinental run. So, I will start to incorporate this into my training schedule periodically until after the Long Beach Marathon. At which time, my mileage will be ramping up drastically.

Chris and I have been busy shooting lots of footage, documenting the process leading up to my run. We are editing episode 2 and it should be ready in the next few days. It is proving to be a truly organic process and continues to evolve on a daily basis. I really do hope that people will find it as interesting as I do, seeing where it will all lead. I know where I want to go, but am so excited to see how I am going to get there. Even though this started as my run across America, I have become just as excited and interested in Chris's reasons for going on this journey, and looking forward to all of his knowledge of the places we will travel through along the way. It really is so much more than some idiot (me) pulling a Forrest Gump.

Tomorrow, Sep. 10th 7 am, Chris and I will be interviewed by Cindy Rakowitz on Voice America. We'll talk some more about our plans and it will give you guys a chance to learn more about Chris. If you can't tune in live, then you can download and listen at your convenience.

As always, You can follow me on Twitter and here is Chris's Twitter account. Or add me as a friend on facebook and (if you dare) Chris's facebook page.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Episode 1

I am exhausted! I don't know what will be more tiring, shooting, editing, website building and blogging or doing the actual run! Episode 1 is finally done and posted here. The "Run for Liberty" website is coming along slowly but surely. I would love to write more but, I'm beat. On top of sitting in front of my computer for 8 hours today, I did a 10 miler and I have a 20 miler tomorrow for a total of 54 miles. Not a bad week.

Paul

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

8 weeks to Long Beach

I am half way through my training plan in preparation for The Long Beach Marathon. I really do love this point in a marathon training program. I love high mileage! I feel pretty relaxed most of the time and find it very easy to sleep :) This week I will run 54 miles and it will look like this..

Monday: 4 miles- easy
Tuesday: 10 miles
Wednesday: 5 miles
Thursday: 45 min tempo
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 10 miles- marathon race pace
Sunday: 20 miles

I am feeling really good and I have been training at the paces that would indicate a sub-4 marathon. That would be sweet! I will be visualizing a 3:xx:xx on the clock from now until Oct. 11th. And, of course, praying for great weather!

We shot more footage on Sunday for my "Run for Liberty". I, once again, was not at a loss for words as I rambled on about all things running. I really do love this sport and get VERY excited when I talk about it. We have enough footage for our first piece and Chris is editing it now. It should be done in the next few days. I am working on the website in the meantime. I am more than excited to get this first clip up!

I am looking for a Trainer and Nutritionist to help me prepare for the run. It's not easy, since this type of endeavor has it's own specific challenges. You can't open up the Yellow Pages and find "Transcontinental run" under "Trainer". In any event, I think it will be similar to training for an Ironman, as opposed to training for a 5K. I will need to get my body used to staying aerobic for anywhere from 6-10 hours a day, pretty much everyday. And preparing my body for the pounding it will take day after day after day. And then, of course there is the nutrition part. I see a LOT of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in my future! By the way, why is it that so many runners and triathletes love PB&J? I digress.... If anyone knows of a trainer or nutritionist that might be qualified in this area and is not camera shy ;), please let me know.

Paul




Thursday, August 13, 2009

180 Days

180... That's a nice round number. It represents a half circle, the amount of days in a child's school year, an "about face" and a change of direction, or in this case, the number of days till I start my "Run for Liberty"

I have decided on Tuesday, February 9th 2010 as the start date. But, as with anything in this journey, it is subject to change. I have a nice little countdown app in my iPhone so I can obsess on the date. But more importantly... PLAN!

We shot some more footage yesterday and hope to have the first webisode edited and posted within a week. Until then, I am working on my website and hope to have more information about the run ready to go live at the same time the webisode is done. I've also booked my first interview on the show "Stars of PR" with Cindy Rakowitz on the Voice America Radio Network! It will air at 7 am on Thursday, September 10th.

Progress!

Paul

Monday, August 10, 2009

One step at a time

"One step at a time" best describes my approach to planning my upcoming run across America. I have a very specific goal... To run from Huntington Beach, California to the Statue of Liberty. That part is specific and concrete. The rest however, is not. That is what is so exciting about this endeavor!

I have always been very goal oriented. I think in big, overall goals and concepts and (usually) am able to break those down into smaller chunks that are more easily achieved. Until all those smaller goals eventually lead to the ultimate goal. I have had pretty good success with that approach. This one, however, is pretty big and is taking a bit more... ummm.... FAITH!

As anal as I am, and as much as I would like to have every aspect of the run planned out, to ensure success, I have quickly realized, that would be virtually impossible. I must just keep taking steps. Perhaps that is the ultimate allure of doing it.

It's not really the running part that keeps me up at night. I pretty much know how I'll train for that. I have a good idea how I'll go about consuming enough calories. I can visualize (very important tool) tweeting updates and posting my progress to my blog and facebook. Those things feel real and doable. It is the other things that I can't see yet. The things that I can't ...... CONTROL! What a great lesson this will be.

I have given considerable thought as to what I should post, how much to post and where. With so many ways to communicate, it is hard to find the right medium, for which information. Plus I don't want to burn you all out :) I have decided that this blog is read by my more intimate group of friends, so I feel comfortable sharing more of my "thought process" than just the facts and statistics of the run itself. This gives me the opportunity to share some news while I am still working on the website, which will be much more official looking.

So, here's where we are at so far.

The run will start February 8th. I will be leaving from the Huntington Beach Pier. I am attending the 2nd annual reunion with this group of old friends, and some of them will be running in the Surf City Marathon on Feb. 7th. They have expressed interest in seeing me off, so that sounds like a pretty cool way to start the journey. We will have to wait and see which distance I will run, since a full marathon may or may not be a good idea the day before what lies ahead.

I will be doing the run supported. Chris Swenson, a guy a work with and a good friend will be driving the support vehicle. But, more importantly, he will be filming the run for webisodes and most likely a documentary. We are both in production and have the gear to shoot it in High Definition. This is a BIG plus! It will look fantastic! We are fully prepared to do the trip using my Xterra as the support vehicle and load it up with our supplies and tents and do it on the cheap. The ideal scenario and goal, however, will be to travel in an RV with a designated driver, so Chris can concentrate on shooting and editing the webisodes. That's where the faith comes in.

I do have a message and a purpose for this run, which I will be articulating as time goes on. I spent a couple of weeks thinking about how I could get sponsors, so I could have a more comfortable place to rest between runs. I started feeling pressure and realizing that my reasons for doing this run may be compromised if I had sponsors that wanted to temper what I have to say. Boy talk about a moral dilemma. The minute I decided that we could plan the run on the cheap, and any added luxury would only be welcomed with acceptable compromises. It was as if a giant weight had been lifted. So as of now this is the plan and it feels doable.

Yesterday, we did our first shoot for the first webisode. We are editing it now and should have it done in the next week or so. This should shed some light on my reasons for the run. For now, I will let "Run for Liberty" speak for itself.

I am excited to be documenting my progress in this way. I think it is important to show the process. In the past, all you might hear is "So and so, is running across the country". That seems impossible! The question is, how did he get there? or even more important, how did he START.

I'm an average guy with a big dream. Unfortunately, too many people believe that they can't do big things. That the other guy was "born better" or is "luckier" or "more talented". I have all of those doubts. I have that little voice in my head that says "the guys who have done this, were better runners" or "you're not good enough" or "what if this, or that happens?"

I invite you to join me in silencing that voice!

One step at a time.

Paul

Saturday, August 1, 2009

A new PR, hardware and a little road trip

I'm a bit behind on the blogging, so let's get right to it! Brittany and I ran the Guy Poncy Memorial 5K today, at Angel Stadium. My mileage is up, in preparation for the Long Beach Marathon in October, so I was feelin' good vibes about todays race. I woke up at 6 am to find my Garmin Forerunner 305 dead as a doornail. Bummer! I am a stats FREAK but, alas, I would have to do todays race au natural.... or as one of my tweeps put it "Zen".

What a race! I felt great, and running sans gadgets (even without my iPhone) proved to be a good move. I PR'd by 13 seconds with a 23:13 and even better, placed 2nd in my Age Group. Was there another race today?? I mean, I am VERY happy with my PR, but my time wouldn't usually snag 2nd, in the m-40-44 age group. Oh well, I got hardware and and I'm not gonna question it!



Brittany ran a great race as well. This is her second race running barefoot and finished in 29:41! She was asked several times about running barefoot and was quite the ambassador for the cause. Spurred even more, no doubt, by a recent article in the OC Register about barefoot running.

We also met up with a couple cool runnin' tweeps Danica and Carmen and talked running and snapped a photo to document our "tweetup".




Now, about this "Road trip". It's interesting, with social media being as it is, this won't be the first that I have talked about my plans, but this will serve as more of a formal announcement than tweeting about it or through status updates on facebook.

I am going to run across the United States, from the Huntington Beach Pier to the Statue of Liberty. I will run between 20 and 30 miles a day and the run will take approximately 4 months. The tentative plan is to start in late January or early February. I will do it with a support vehicle and will most likely be shooting it for a documentary.


Why do I want to do this? The simple answer is, that I LOVE TO RUN. It has become my passion and my therapy. Every night when I go to bed, no matter how challenging the day has been, I look forward to running the next morning. It's almost like a new beginning, and every day I get to challenge myself with a specific purpose, which is usually a training session designed to make me faster at my next race. It reminds me every day that, although we have no real control in our lives, that in the things we can control, we have a responsibility to do them, whole heartedly and with passion. There are some circumstances in my life right now that have been really challenging for me and have beaten me down pretty bad. There have been times when I have felt like I have come to a real fork in the road. Where, depending on my response and attitude, it could go two very different ways. I have decided to take a road which, I believe will get me much better results.

I can't really explain where I got my idea for my "Run for Liberty". But I do know that it has been nagging at me for quite some time now and won't let go. As I started mentioning it to people, a surprising thing happened. Instead of "that's impossible" or "your crazy", people have been very supportive. I've heard things like "what route will you take?" and "anything you need, just let me know". It has been a very pleasant surprise.

But, I have no delusions about this run. It will be extremely hard. I am not an elite athlete. But I am is extremely focused (read.. obsessed) and... well... stubborn! I have run 4 full marathons, 2 ultra marathons (50k's) and an Ironman. I have a pretty good idea, the level of fatigue, boredom and sheer determination it will take to get to NY.

There have been approx. 220 Trans Continental runs recorded. Of these, 6 were unsupported and the rest were supported with some sort of support vehicle. Originally my plan was to go unsupported. I wanted to go almost immediately. I wanted to go buy a baby jogger, load it with my essentials and take off. See where fate took me (cause of that fork in the road I was talking about). I planned a route to San Francisco, so I could avoid the heat, and then I would make a right and head East. As I planned my original route and saw the real possibility that I would be stuck in the middle of nowhere with no water or food, I started thinking I need a better plan. I decided a Jan/Feb start will be much better weather wise and will allow me to take the southern route. I will do it supported, which in all honesty, takes care of my biggest anxiety... a place to sleep.

I am very fortunate to work in the Film/TV production and post production industry. I know a lot of people which I hope to use to my advantage in documenting this entire journey. Anyone who reads my blog or knows me, knows how I feel about reality shows. The last thing I want, is to shoot a reality show and be scripting fights between me and the Driver. It ain't gonna happen. But the reality is, running across the country is going to take money and the way to get money is sponsors. The way to get sponsors is exposure. I think there is an honorable way to document this, that other runners (and anyone with a crazy dream) will find interesting. I will be pursuing, as sponsors, companies that make the products that I use.

We are going to start shooting very soon, starting with an appointment with a Sports Physiologist/Trainer to discuss my fitness level and a training program to get me ready for the run. The plan is to post those clips as webisodes as we go along. I am hoping that people will want to follow this journey. It is a cliche but "A journey of a (3) thousand miles, starts with a single step". I've taken about 2 steps so far.. the rest is faith. Oh, and LOTS of hard work!

I will be tweeting, facebooking, blogging and updating my website as things progress.

Oh... And here's my hardware.

I'm sure glad the super fast guys didn't show up :)

Paul

Monday, July 6, 2009

Just a quick thought

To think.... Not even 20 years ago, a movie asked the question "would you cheat on your spouse for a million dollars?" Now... It seems like a silly question and I'd venture to say 80% would not hesitate to take the money. Add a reality show and I bet you could snag the another 19%. At least in America anyway. Here's to the 1% who know the true cost of whoring yourself out, not being able to look at yourself in the mirror.

Paul

Sunday, June 7, 2009

The Quest for Sub-4

Tomorrow, I will start my training for the Long Beach Marathon. After my disappointing finish at the LA Marathon, it would be an understatement to say, that I am ready for a good time at my next race. And by "good time" I mean an official time that starts with a "3"! I came close at the LB Marathon last year, with a 4:07 and with some very specific training, good weather and most likely a considerable amount of suffering, I hope to crack the 4 hour mark on Oct. 11th. I have had 2 half Marathon times of under 1:50, which by all accounts, indicates that a sub-4 Marathon should be relatively easy for me. But, alas, my coveted time has eluded me thus far. I stating my training tomorrow pretty well rested, for a change. I plan on doing everything in the program exactly as prescribed. I tend to slack a bit with the speed work and the hill repeats, but this time I am going to do it all.

I am also going to concentrate mainly on this Marathon as my "A" race and only do, perhaps, one 5K between now and then and try and schedule 1 half a month before. I AM FOCUSED! I am also going to do the strength training and plyometrics described in the plan. It feels good to have an uncluttered race calendar with a very specific goal that I am working for.

Paul


Sunday, May 31, 2009

LA Marathon

It wasn't an easy decision, "should I run the LA Marathon this year?" I have wanted to run LA for the last few years but, so far, had not worked in my schedule due to other races. This year, it wasn't another race that stood in the way, but the fact that I may not be properly trained in time for the race. Since my hernia surgery in early February, I have struggled to get my mileage up to pre surgery levels. I think I underestimated the time that your body needs to recover from surgery and thought I could just continue on without missing a step... Wrong!

Looking back at the previous 3 months before each of my marathons and comparing the miles, I only did about half the miles that I did at last years Long Beach Marathon, where I ran a PR of 4:07. So, it is really no surprise that I ran a 4:29:32 in LA. It is still disappointing. It's a few seconds slower than my first Marathon, making it my slowest. Each of my previous 3 marathons had progressively gotten faster, so this was a bit of a bummer. If I were to do it over?? I'd do it in a heartbeat, cause it was a BLAST!!!

I'll spare you all the gory details of the pain in the last few miles and instead focus on what went right. The running community was a little concerned about this race, particularly the change in date and the chance for much warmer temperatures than it's usual March date. Lickily we were blessed with perfect conditions. The temperatures held in the mid 60's assisted by a nice marine layer! It was truly a gorgeous day. The spectators were INCREDIBLE! I can't remember any significant section of the course that wasn't lined with enthusiastic supporters. It really was amazing. The race itself was very well run and organized. Even the parking was effortless. I left WAY too early, expecting traffic and hassles and they simply did not exist. Kudos to the new owner of the LA Marathon for a very enjoyable race. I will be there for my revenge next year.

I also had the pleasure of meeting some of my new twitter pals at the race. It was really cool to meet them in person after chatting for the past couple of weeks. We are all still chatting and now a bunch of us are planning on doing the Long Beach Marathon in October. Very, very cool!!

I apologize for the lack of links and pictures in this post, but I am writing this on my iPhone as I am on the trainer (that nasty multitasking thing) and the app that I am using is a somewhat limited program.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Running while twittering

While there is a law in California against texting while driving, there is no such law against twittering while running. So, I am afraid that I will have to rely on my own better judgement and refrain from doing any of the following:

1. twittering "And... we're off!"
2. twittering my location at each mile marker.
3. checking to see if any of my twitter friends have twittered me.

I also promise to refrain from:

4. bragging at mile 15 "Wow, I feel great; at this pace, I should break 3:55!"
5. twittering at mile 18 "This is crazy, I think I'll speed up and go for 3:50."
6. at mile 20, twittering "Something doesn't feel right in my stomach."

Or:

7. at mile 22, describing what happened back at mile 21 1/2
8. twittering at mile 23, "I don't remember it hurting THIS bad."
9. getting mad at people twittering me saying, "You're almooossstttt there!"

And finally I promise not to:

10. Well, I promise not to twitter (during the race anyway :)

That's right, I have a twitter addiction. I really do. I have met so many cool people on twitter and it has made tomorrow's race that much more fun and exciting. The running community is a large part of why I love racing so much (there's just something about runners that make them really cool to be around). Twitter has made it easier to find people who are running the LA Marathon and get a chance to chat with them before the race. Not only am I thinking about how I will do tomorrow, now I have all these other people that I will be cheering on. Just click la marathon to see how you can search for any word and how easy it is to find people with similar interests. Pretty cool!

So, even though I won't be twittering DURING the race, I will be sending out tweets and meeting up with my new friends, which have been dubbed "Runnin' Fools" after the race.
Here is a short list of some of the runners I have been chatting with @anotorias, @Cassandrasruns, @runnrgrl @Runner03 @PunkRockRunner @slinkerbell @carmen57
@262RUNR and more. Not all of them are running the LA Marathon but they are all runners and really cool people.

The race starts at 7:20. The weather forcast is calling for a high of 69° with partly cloudy skies. Perfect! I am feeling pretty good about the race in general and although I don't feel that I will be beating my fastest time of 4:07:51 I am very excited to go out and have fun. Who knows, I may just surprise myself and go out more conservative the first half of the race, which could in turn facilitate an overall faster time. Wouldn't that be nice!

Now nutrition. In case you wonder what it takes to fuel me through 26.2 miles, I will have this strapped around my waist.



Yes, I do get funny looks and comments. 8 Gels. 1 every 3 miles. I stick to water at the aid stations and try to stay away from whatever "Brand X" sports drink happens to be at that particular race, since I usually don't know how my stomach will react. This plan has worked for me in my last 2 marathons so I'm stickin' with it.

Well, this is a short post, but I wanted to write something before the race.

See you on the next post.... or of course twitter.

Paul

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

The "24 Hour Fitness/ Barefoot" incident

I have thought long and hard about whether or not to post what I am about to write. As the events, which I will explain in great detail in a moment, were unfolding, I said to myself. "This is ridiculous! The minute I get home, I am going to write about this and post it to my blog for the whole world to see". Well, if there is one thing that I have learned after being on this planet for 43 some odd years, is that it is wise to NOT make crucial decisions when angry. So, I decided to sleep on it and see if I felt the same way in the morning. The following day, I felt that, before I went blogging and perhaps adding fuel to a fire, I would wait to see if the situation could be resolved without having to broadcast the drama from the highest mountain I could find (in this case, this here blog). Besides, I really love life and I try my hardest to not be negative (it doesn't always work) and I would much rather write about cool and inspiring stuff, than use this space as a bully pulpit. But, dammit! They just couldn't leave it alone.

As much as 24 Hour Fitness or "Big company that doesn't need little customer" (as I like to call them) has led to this posting, the real clincher was a Tweet that I received today. It said "Asics customer service is awesome!!!! They're replacing my sneakers 4 free rush shipping, bc 1 shoe made incorrectly." That got me thinking. Wow! With that one small gesture, that customer service person has created something called "goodwill". And the effect of that goodwill will have residual effect. As anyone who knows anything about business will tell you, "word travels fast". In this day and age, it travels even faster. The question is, what do you want those words to be? I would say that in Asics making Cassandra a happy customer, and the residual effect through word of mouth, that one action could boost Asics bottom line as much as a small magazine ad or sponsoring a small race would have. Pretty cheap advertising.

Sadly, in the case of "Big company that doesn't need little customer," they chose to handle matters in a different way. Before I get down to the nitty gritty, I do want to say that I am aware you are only hearing my side of the story and well, I am biased. It is partially why I hesitated to report the events that transpired. I do however have a knack for seeing the "other point of view;" almost to a fault at times. I am actually relieved when I discover that I am flat out wrong about something because if I am right and someone else fails to use any logic, it makes me mental. But more often than not, I find that the truth, or solution, lies somewhere in the middle. So, with that full disclosure and without further ado, I give you...

The "24 Hour Fitness/ Barefoot" incident.

Last Wednesday, my oldest daughter Brittany and I went to the gym. I have been a member of "Big company that doesn't need little customer" since '05. I pay my dues monthly. Brittany has been a member since '06 and she has a prepaid 2 year membership that I purchased for her as a Christmas gift and she is now in the 5th month of the 2 years. My younger daughter is also a member and she is on the month to month membership plan as well. Sorry if I jump around a bit, but this information will have significance as the story progresses. The three of us definitely get our moneys worth at the gym. I go 5-6 days a week. Brit goes 5 days a week and Jasmine goes at least 3 days.

Anyway, back to Wednesday. Brittany and I both had the day off so we decided to go to the gym together. She usually lifts and you can usually find me on the treadmill or stationary bike. Brittany hates the treadmill and prefers to run outside, with one little twist: Brittany runs barefoot



Now I know that to some of you that may sound weird, insane, kooky, even dangerous. Before you bombard me with all of the usual questions that get asked, I invite you to do some research here and here as they will do a much better job of explaining the benefits of running au natural.

After she lifted, she selflessly (I love running with her) grabbed the open treadmill next to me. Before we went, she mentioned to me whether or not I thought she could run barefoot on the treadmill. I said that I couldn't imagine that it would be a problem . So, she took off her shoes and started her run. As much as it can be argued, the cost/benefits of barefoot running, running barefoot on a treadmill is almost a no brainer. There's nothing to stub your toe on and no glass or rocks to cut your feet on. Its a nice, soft, predictable surface that allows you to just run. Sounds reasonable to me.

As you can probably guess by now, "Big company that doesn't need little customer" did not feel the same way. I have several points to make about what happens next. I will try to keep my commentary to a minimum and address them more at the end. So, here are the facts.

About 10 minutes into her run, one of the "Group X" trainers came by and told her that she must have shoes on. Then she walked over to a girl a few machines down and told her the same thing. I am pretty sure that the other girl wasn't barefoot. She was probably wearing sandals or some other type of "opened toed shoes". The trainer (who I've never seen before) came back and told Brittany again, "you have to put shoes on". I said no. I fully expected to see a manager real soon :) Next up, about 5 minutes later, was a trainer that I do know. He said "Hey, she's got to wear shoes on the treadmill". At this point I was ready for a rational conversation, so I said "She likes to run barefoot; I don't see any sign that says you have to wear shoes, but I realize that you guys are probably worried about liability and I understand that. She is willing to sign a waiver that releases you guys from any liability". He looked and me and said, "OK, let me go talk to someone".

I need to interject something at this point. I fully understand that in society we must have rules and laws. It has always been my understanding that rules and laws are designed to prevent someone from hurting someone else or infringing on someone else's rights. In our litigious society, I fear that our rights and freedoms are slowly eroding away under the guise of "for your own safety". Which really means that everyone operates under the fear of "what ifs" as in "what if this or that happens and I get sued." It is a slippery slope because I can make a compelling argument for just about anything and therefore strip anyone of their freedoms "for their own safety." And now with our sensationalized media, something only has to happen once and suddenly all rational thought goes out the window and we legislate to the lowest common denominator to make sure it doesn't happen again. So, to prevent an accident, we legislate any behavior that "might" lead to a similar accident. I feel that a rational solution to this is to release the other party from liability and would be right.... right??

If only it were that easy. Next up was one of the big managers. She said, "Come on, she can't run on the treadmill barefoot." I tried to explain my case again and said that I was sure that it wasn't dangerous and if they were worried that she was going to get hurt, she would sign a waiver. She said they didn't have any waivers. I said we'd write one. She said "a rule's a rule." I said that she would finish her run. Now I will admit that this was a bit combative but, there was NO sign and I didn't see any danger. We certainly weren't hurting anyone else, so I was sticking to my guns. I am also aware that as a business, they have the right to refuse service to anyone. But I ask, "at what cost?" which I will talk about later. At this point, I wanted to see the rule so I knew what I was debating and whether or not I had a shot of changing the rule. This would also prove to be extremely difficult.

We finished up the run shortly after the manager left. Brittany got off the treadmill and started to walk away to put on her shoes. I said she should put them on right there because I felt she should confine her disobedience to only the treadmill. She did :). We went downstairs, I took a shower while she reluctantly waited for me in front of the men's locker room ("Daddy, don't leave me out here alone").

After my shower, I met Brit in the lobby and I found the manager that we had spoken to before. I said, "Can you show me the rule that says you can't run on the treadmill with bare feet?" She pointed to the sign at the front desk that says "Rubber soled, close toed shoes must be worn at all times." I was in my flippy flops, like I usually am (hey, I grew up in Huntington Beach, it's practically a law) and I said, "Does that mean I am not in compliance?" At this point, I just needed to understand the rule. She said no, It's ok here and in the pool area and the yoga area. Wow, I didn't even think of THAT. So I said, "Well, then are those places marked?" And she said, "No, it's common sense." Hmmm..... I have a bit of a lawyer streak in me and this was nothing short of me brushing up on my debating skills. "If it says AT ALL TIMES, but then is allowed in other areas, it should be clearly marked or else it is arbitrary." She had a really hard time understanding this, and it was frustrating. If I at any point was wrong in the course of this whole incident, it was at this point. After trying to explain to her my line of reasoning, to the point of exhaustion, only to hear over and over that "it is the rule," I said, "try to use your brain." If I could take that back I would, and the following day I apologized for speaking to her that way. Anyway, this was clearly going nowhere so I said, "Show me in the contract your shoe policy," as she said that we had signed a contract saying we would follow the rules.

Quick reality check. We are the customers of this business, we were hurting no one. Now, back to the story.

She left and went into an office with the other "Big Manager Dude". She was in there for about 10 minutes. She came out about 2 or 3 times, going to the printer then going back into the office. I would think it would be pretty easy to show us this rule if it existed. I finally went over to her and said, "Why do you keep going to the printer? Are you rewriting the contract?" She didn't say anything. The "Big Manager Dude" came out with a photocopied piece of paper and handed it to me. The only thing that was highlighted was something about '24 Hour's responsibility to ensure a safe and positive environment for everyone.' On the side of the page, they wrote in their own writing, "See Cardio Room Rules Regarding Footwear." Now we were getting somewhere. I had no intention of flagrantly ignoring a rule. My plan was to find out the rule and then try to show that for Brittany "Appropriate footwear" is NO footwear. If I was unable to get the managers to see that, then I figured I would take it up with the people at the "Big company that doesn't need little customer" Headquarters. If we were unable to come to an agreement then perhaps Brittany would decide not to go there anymore, since all she does is lift and she could pick up a weight set and save the drive to and from the gym. Sadly we would never get to that point.

What is it about some people that they are so interested in being right that they can't discuss something rationally? If "Big Manager Dude" could have said, "I see what you are saying, it is ambiguous, call the corporate office and see if they can change the rule or have her sign a waiver," then we could have come to a resolution. Instead he said, "24 Hour Fitness apologizes for caring about the safety of your daughter." I trust I don't have to translate what he meant by that. I was able to keep my cool but did give him a look that said, well..... you know. In fairness, he did apologize for that. We then went on to debate the virtues of running barefoot, which was beside the point. He kept saying, "It doesn't make any sense!" I'm not sure what didn't make sense to him. He said his wife runs barefoot on the beach and I said, "You shouldn't let her" and he said "Why?" I said, "Because she could cut her feet on glass" and then, "Oh, I apologize for caring about the safety of your wife." Hey... what do you want from me... I never said I was perfect!

We then debated the sign issue. He said that there was a sign near the treadmills that says shoes are required. We went upstairs (I was still in my flippy flops, clearly a violation) and there wasn't any sign. I sort of felt bad for him at this point. The fact is, they are just employees of a big corporation. I don't think they get paid to think. I realized that the only way I would get this resolved, was to call corporate headquarters and try to clarify the rule or get it changed, if it is in fact against the rules. At this point, I'm not even sure. If they tell me that the rule is up to the interpretation of the manager who happens to be there at the time, if they ever hire a barefoot running manager, we are good to go! Otherwise, they define the rule and post signs accordingly; or of course, we sign a waiver. Regardless, I would have to make a phone call.

Another reality check. We are the customers of this business, we were hurting no one. Brit was running barefoot on the treadmill. Now, back to the story.

I called the headquarters of "Big company that doesn't need little customer" and spoke to a very nice Indian woman. I explained to her the situation in detail. She was very cordial and said that someone would look at this and get back to me in 3 to 5 days. Thank you!

Then, on Saturday I received this....



I have blocked out my address and membership # and also my last name (It is different than my professional name and well.....)

I know this has been an incredibly long story but I felt it was necessary to give all of the details so this letter could be put into context.

Let me say again that any business has the right to refuse to serve someone or have them as a patron. It is clear to me that the managers most likely called member services and had them draft this letter. I am sure that they made it sound as if I caused a huge ruckus. I have asked Brittany if that was the case and she said "No..." (well, she is my daughter, what do you think she'd say? :) But I will tell you that I never cursed or yelled or caused a scene. If anything, I made them frustrated and probably feel a little stupid. But that was it.

The several issues with this letter? First of all, there is no return phone number. If I sent letter like this, I can assure you that I would put a direct line so the person could contact me. Second, this letter goes beyond saying 'You must wear shoes or we will revoke your membership.' If it said that, I would consider that an official policy and then deicide whether I wanted to continue to go to that gym. No, it goes way beyond that and implies many things that, in my opinion, gives them the right at anytime to revoke my membership. That wouldn't even be so bad, if it were not for the fact that Brittany has 1 1/2 years left on her membership and when you cancel there, they continue to collect dues for an additional month. So needless to say, I wasn't happy about this letter.

So why do I write this? Am I trying to make sure Brittany can run barefoot on the treadmill at "Big company that doesn't need little customer?" No, in fact after thinking about it and a couple recommendations from some friends, I was going to see if these would qualify as acceptable footwear. Am I trying to make myself right to the managers there? No. Do I think that "Big company that doesn't need little customer" should make exceptions just for me? No, if they don't want to change the rule, which is their right, then I will simply take my business elsewhere. Although, that will prove to be hard as there are NO Mom and Pop gyms in our area. Only the really big corporate ones. But that is a topic for another post.

So, why did I spend the last 4 hours writing this? Because when they sent that letter, they forgot one thing and assumed another. They forgot that I am a paying customer and they assumed that I didn't have a voice.

Paul

Sunday, April 26, 2009

3rd place at Sycamore Canyon 18K?

Well..... my shoes got 3rd place, unfortunately I wasn't in them at the time. When I arrived at the race site, I parked just as my friends, Phil Moores and Lori Palmquist were getting out of their car.



Phil asked me if I had an extra pair of shoes. He had left his at home and I, by chance, had brought an extra pair. I was afraid that my trail shoes may be a little tight, so as a precaution I brought my street shoes. We wear the same size and I was happy to let him use them. The three of us were doing the 18K distance. I had hoped to do at least the 30K but hadn't logged nearly enough miles after my surgery to feel comfortable doing the 30. I opted for the 18K and was glad that I did. The weather was perfect! Sara and Wendell, the race directors put on the most amazing trail races and this race has become my favorite. The three of us started together, but us running together only lasted about a minute. Even though I planned on racing this as opposed to "surviving" a 50K, I knew that I still needed to pace myself and try for a middle of the pack finish. Phil and Lori.... well, they're just plain FAST! In the 2nd mile there is a VERY steep climb. When I hit this, my heart rate went through the roof. I'm still not really sure why. It was worse than last years 50K when the temps were in the 90's. I had to stop several times and let people behind me go ahead since it was single track and by the time I got to the top, I was feeling pretty dizzy. I think it may have been the fact that I had eaten 3 hours prior and I may have been low on fuel. Anyway, the plan was to keep my HR in check on the uphills and run as fast as I could on the downhills (brilliant, I know). In the 18K, you basically go over 2 mountains. 6 miles over 1 mountain to the aid station, then back to the start. Big change from the 50K where you go over 5. When I was about a half mile from the turn around I saw Lori headed back my way. Like I said.... she's fast!



She sure looks happy. I had already seen my shoes.... and Phil a mile or two back and well... never mind. I got to the aid station, loaded up on pretzels and chocolate and headed back. It's a bit easier on the return trip with a more gradual incline. Like I said the weather was perfect and there was a nice breeze. I stayed within my target heart rate and it served me well. By the time I got to the top, I had a lot left in me. I had stuck behind a couple for a good mile or so and when I took off, the guy said to me, "go get em" (trail runners are the coolest people!). So off I went. I felt great and made up a lot of time. I passed several people on the way down. I would see someone ahead of me and slowly reel them in. I was a little worried that I would trip, like I always seem to do, but I was wearing trail shoes which I think helped and my pace was faster than usual which I think also helped (less feet dragging). There was one final guy that I was trying to catch, but just couldn't quite do it. He finished 3 seconds ahead of me. He wasn't in my age group so that made it not hurt as bad. I wanted to finish around 2:15 and I finished in 2:18:49. My Garmin said 2:16:42 because I had it set to auto pause when I am stopped. That means I spent over 2 minutes stuffing my face with pretzels and chocolate. I'll have to work on that next time :) I ended up 32/60 overall and 7/12 in my age group. That is pretty much right where I wanted to be. Not bad considering no hill work and less than 2 months after surgery. I am looking forward to the next trail race. Here is a snapshot of the elevation gain.



And what about Lori...... and....... my shoes????? Lori finished 1st in her age group and 10th overall with 1:49:10... AMAZING! And Phil finished 1st in his (and my) age group and 3rd overall!!! He gave me back my shoes and I think I saw some smoke coming off the heels. I love my friends but they do make me feel slow. I'm hoping some of that speed rubs off on me.



Ok, now that I have finally gotten my month old race report out of the way, on to some new business. I am going to start talking more about my other passions. I have touched on it before but since there hasn't been much to report, I haven't really said much. Hopefully, the endurance junkies will find this interesting as well. Luckily this first bit has a nice tie in.

First a bit of history. I am a musician and I have played in bands since I was in high school. The bulk of my performing was in the late 80's to mid 90's. I was in a band called Dirty Dealin' and we played in southern California. We were a metal band along the lines of Metallica and Skid Row. We cut an album and then........ Nirvana came along. You get the picture. After that I started doing some acting. I studied, did a play, some work, and got my SAG card. I also starting producing other artists. And, through all this time I have continued to write and record my own music. I've had a few successes with a couple of those songs, but, life being what it is and the need to make money, the majority of my time is spent doing sound work for other people. Sadly, at the end of the day, I am so spent that it is hard to work on my own stuff. And, frankly, I haven't had that much to say. Luckily, I am feeling different lately and am writing again. I am going to keep writing until I have a complete album (does that even matter anymore, with iTunes?). And I am actively looking for an agent for the acting thing.

That's the history, now, the present. Brett over at Zen and the Art of Triathlon, has put my cover of "Eyes Without a Face" in one of his recent podcasts. He's used another one of my songs on another show and I really appreciate him using my music. If any of you haven't already heard his podcast (his is one of the top Tri podcasts) you have to check it out. He used to live in SoCal and now lives in Texas with his wife Emily and his son Kai. He does a great show about endurance sports and talks a lot about Zen. Really cool stuff and great to listen to on those long runs and rides.

Another one of my songs "Red Bloody Sun" was used in "Friday Night Lights" Episode 6 from last season. Cool!

Also, my good friend, and PR Superwoman, Cindy Rakowitz has a show on Voice America called "Stars of PR". She uses my song "Pop Icon" for her opening and I love her for it. She gives you the scoop on PR and how to promote and.... well, I guess that's what I'm doing now... a little shameless self promotion. But, more to put into context where I am at, as I will be talking about it more. And I am hoping that talking about it here will keep me motivated to have something good to report. It's funny, when I am in a race, knowing that I will have to talk about it here always makes me push a little harder and suffer a little more.

Paul

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Under the knife!

The other day my friend asked me why I had written so much about my reunion in my blog, when mine was a "Running blog?" I guess that is a valid question and I do write a lot about running, triathlon and racing. But looking back, I have written on other topics, and like in life, I am trying to be more balanced. As much as I would love to train all day, everyday, that is not possible due to things like bills, family and all of life's other commitments. Not to mention the body breaking down from continuous stress. Heck, I can hardly run 20 miles a week right now without getting severely ...... wait, I am getting ahead of myself.

Let's talk about running, or in my case, lack of running, due to a pesky little hernia that I chose to have repaired about 4 weeks ago. It's funny, everyone knows what a hernia is, or I should say, has heard of a hernia. But a lot of people, me included, don't really know what a hernia IS or looks like. I found out one morning about a year ago. I was lying in bed and I looked down and saw a bulge on the lower left side of my abdomen, above my groin. It kinda scared me. I'm a bit of a wuss and when anything is abnormal on me, my first thought is "I'm dying". Well, I felt it to see if it was a life threatening tumor of some sort, but it wasn't hard or anything and it didn't hurt. In fact I was able to kind of push it back into place..... Hmmmmm, I thought, that's weird. We learn lots of new things about our bodies as we age. We start feeling all sort of parts we didn't know existed. I mean how do you know you have an appendix if it never hurt before. Anyway, I got to work and asked my buddy Chris, if he knew what it could be. And, as luck would have it, I asked the right guy because Chris had the same thing and lived with it for 4 or 5 years before having it repaired about a year prior. It wan an inguinal hernia. Not life threatening just annoying and if you think about it, kinda disgusting. The muscle in my stomach had weakened and torn enough to allow some of my innards (intestines) to bulge out.

How does this happen? I guess it can be genetic, my Mother had a hernia and that could explain it. That, along with my allergic episodes, where I can rattle off a good 50 sneezes in less than five minutes. I am sure it was only a matter of time before I would get a hernia and find myself stuffing my guts back in to my abdominal cavity every half hour or so. Sure, it usually popped right back out, in which case I could immediately push it back in, but how would you explain what you are doing to people? So every 30 minutes seemed like a good compromise. It wasn't really that bad. It rarely hurt, I was more concerned that it would get worse in which case it could strangulate. With all of the training that I do, I knew that I needed to get it taken care of, it was just a matter of when. And, of course I would be scheduling around races.

I discovered it a couple of months before IMAZ. Obviously it would have to wait till after the Ironman. I did some research and from what I could gather, recovery could take anywhere from a couple weeks to a couple months. But when they talk recovery, they're most likely talking about returning to normal activities. I'm talking about running.... WHEN CAN I START RUNNING AGAIN? Or more precisely, how long do I have to STOP running?

One month of no training? I had to find a spot in the calendar, between races, where not only could I stop training for a month but have the time to ramp back up for whatever race I had next. After IMAZ I did an Ultra almost right on top of it and after that I was training for the Long Beach Marathon in October. The Surf City Marathon is becoming a tradition, so that training would come on the heals of LB. All races after that were up in the air and I had not actually registered for anything, so the beginning of February looked like the perfect time.

I went in for surgery Feb. 9th. It was an outpatient surgery and the Doctor put a mesh over the tear. The procedure took about an hour and a half. That was the easy part. The last month, however, has been a bit more of a challenge.

Oops! I just realized I blew right past the Surf City Marathon! I guess I should talk about it. After all, this is a running blog.

I did run Surf City. But like last year, I ran the half. Mainly because it was the same day as the reunion and I didn't want to be too tired. I went into the race hoping to do under 1:50. My PR is 1:48:19 which I ran last year on Memorial Day in Laguna Beach. I have always felt like it was a fluke and that the course was a net downhill. That along with me being in the best possible shape coming off of IMAZ. According to the McMillan running calculator, with a 1:48:19 half marathon time, I should be able to run a 3:48:26. My Marathon PR is 4:07:02. So, you can see where I would be happy with a 1:50. I ran the race in 1:49:53! Very cool, it was the perfect start to a perfect day.



I also had a lot of friends there as well. Some where running, some (due to injuries and other circumstances) where not. Julie has been training for her first 5K for the last 3 months. She has been doing the Couch to 5K program and doing very well. Based on her training paces I estimated a 31-32 minute finish time for her.


She finished in 31:37! It was a GREAT first 5K and she is training now for another 5K and a 10K in the next few months. She plans to do The Long Beach Half in October and if all goes well, do her first full marathon at Surf City next year. There is nothing better than watching someone find the joy of running. And even better to be a part of it.



My friends Lori, Marisol and Paul also came out to the race. Unfortunately none of them were able to run this year. Lori had a sprained ankle, Paul broke something and Marisol is 6 months pregnant. They were there to cheer everyone on and after the race Julie, Lori, Mari and I went and had a great breakfast.



Ok, so where was I? The pain from the surgery wasn't too bad. It was what I expected. It was hard to stand all the way up and if I was laying down, it was uncomfortable to roll over or sit up. Pretty much what you would expect. I had the surgery on Friday and on Sunday I went to the mall and walked around the entire thing without too much pain.

I went back to work on Tuesday, and Wednesday I went to the gym for the first time and (very carefully) did about 30 minutes on the bike. I figured the bike would be easy and that running would be the thing that would hurt the most. I was actually afraid to start running. What if it hurt really bad and I realized I would not be able to run for an extended period of time? I am not sure I could handle that. It was the following week before I planned a running day. It was surprisingly easy. I felt no pain in the area of my hernia. What a relief! Physically this was going to be a piece of cake. And it has been except for one problem. I keep getting sick. My resting heart rate has been running about 20 bpm higher than normal. That is usually a really good indication that you are fighting something. I went to the Doctor and he said that everything looks fine with the affected area and that I am most likely battling a cold, flu or whatever is going around right now. And I imagine that de conditioning is also partly responsible. This last week has been better. I have been able to run more consistently and have kept a better balance between training and rest. Ahh, rest, man that is hard to do sometimes. Looking at the big picture and realizing that the best training that you can that day is NO training. In any event, regardless of having a valid reason, looking at my numbers for the month of February is really depressing. I feel fatigued, fat and cranky and it is because I don't have my drug of choice.... endorphins!

What would I do if I had to live a sedentary life? What did I do for all those years before I trained? Sometimes I think, no wonder we have all the disease and illness that we have in our society. I can't imagine feeling half as bad as I have this last month, on any sort of regular basis. And I remember feeling like that all the time. And, I know that is how a lot of people feel these days, with the lack of physical activity that comes with a desk job, commuting by car and then sitting on a couch. Thank God I have found the life that I have and I hope that I will be blessed with the ability and desire to do it as long as I am alive. Because this last month, I have gotten a glimpse of the alternative and it wasn't pretty.

Paul