Through the miracle of google or some other search engine, the folks at the Greater Washington Sports Alliance, organizers of the SunTrust National Marathon, found out about my difficulties with the Los Angeles Marathon and kindly offered me a complimentary registration to the race here in DC. In addition, they have made me a “featured runner” and will highlight my training, reasons for running, etc. I am flattered beyond words that they think my story is interesting enough to share with the broader running community. More importantly though, is the opportunity this presents to increase awareness of pancreatic cancer and raise additional money for the Lorenzen Cancer Foundation, the charity I’m running on behalf of to support Kate in her battle with stage four pc. For those visitors who found my site through the SunTrust National Marathon email, I’ve pasted my first blog entry below so you can understand the purpose of this blog and why I’m running. Please feel free to read through old blog entries and of course provide feedback. Welcome!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Welcome
On a clear, unseasonably mild, Saturday afternoon back in January 2007, I experienced the nightmare of every avid runner --- injury. One minute I'm running 7 minute miles and dreaming of a run at a Boston qualifying time, the next I'm limping back home on a bum ankle hoping against hope that the pain is temporary, a small bump on the road to marathon glory. Well, after two rounds of x-rays, six weeks of physical therapy, and no diagnosis, the orthopedist ordered an MRI, and as I suspected, a serious underlying problem was discovered, the dreaded ganglion cyst. No, this wasn't life threatening, but it took away my life as a runner, at least for the time being.
The only option to get back to running was surgery, and not an easy one. Because of the location of the cyst, an arthroscopic procedure was out of the question. Nope, I was in for good old fashion open surgery. And so it went. On June 1, 2007, I underwent a 2+ hour surgical procedure at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Northwest Washington, DC, to remove the cyst, clean up some scar tissue, and get me back on the road to running. The expected recovery time was six weeks, but as it turns out, the procedure was much more complicated than originally anticipated, my body didn't react well, and it's taken over a year to recover.
I'm writing this blog to chronicle the challenges of recovering from surgery, getting back into shape, and training for a marathon, the 2009 Los Angeles Marathon, as well as to share my passion for the sport of running, which has made such a positive impact on my life.
But what about the last part of the title, raising money? At the same time I sustained the ankle injury, my friend Kate (who got me into all this running non-sense in the first place over 10 years ago) was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer. She is fighting pc really hard, going through treatment, and not only surviving, but living as full a life as possible. I admire her strength and fight, and want to support her as she goes through this difficult period. And in that spirit, I am raising money for my marathon run in L.A. to support the Lorenzen Pancreatic Cancer Foundation. Donations can be made at the following webiste: http://www.active.com/donate/pancreaticadedicat08/beatpc. Also, for a look at Kate's inspirational blog as she fights pc, go to http://www.katethaxton.com/survivingpc/.
Thanks for taking the time to read this post and I look forward to sharing with you the trials and tribulations of training for 26.2
Friday, October 17, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
A Friend Goes Down to Injury
I have written extensively about what it’s like to experience and recover from a difficult orthopedic injury. Unfortunately, my good friend Mike has just fallen to a horrible sports injury, a snapped Achilles tendon. Mike was playing flag football last week, heard a pop, and fell to the ground. Shortly later at the hospital, Mike got the bad news: his Achilles tendon had snapped in two and he underwent emergency surgery the next day to have the tendon repaired. For two months, Mike will be in a cast and unable to put any weight on his right leg. He will then undergo physical therapy. Total expected recovery time is 6 months. To make matters worse, Mike just started business school and has two children under the age of three, including a precious one month old little baby girl. Needless to say, Mike’s wife has her hands full. I can definitely sympathize with Mike’s situation and wish him a speedy recovery!
Monday, October 6, 2008
Appreciation
As I was eating my delicious fried chicken dinner on Saturday night at Jacques-Imo’s in New Orleans, a feeling of appreciation came over me. For almost the first 32 years of my life, I took for granted being able to walk and run, to live my life without a care in the world; disease, pain, and adversity --- those were things that happen to other people, not to me, and not to my friends. Life just seemed to float by without major upheavals. Sure I had my ups and downs, like everybody, but overall life was good.
Injuring my ankle, having surgery, and going through a difficult recovery has changed my perspective. Not being able to walk for almost two months, and thinking at one point that I was sentenced to a lifetime of pain, will have an impact.
What I appreciate now, in a way I never could two years ago, are the little things in life --- a simple get together with my parents, a night out with my friends, a walk on the beach, sitting on a park bench and reading the newspaper. What I appreciate the most, however, is good health. My ankle is fully healed, I’m running again and training for a marathon, and I have no major health issues whatsoever. I’m fortunate, I’m lucky, and I know it.
Unfortunately, there are others in life who aren’t so lucky, people like Kate. The other day I was reading her blog and listening to the audio interview she gave to the New York Times. She is fighting her heroic battle against cancer not only by going through medical treatments, but also through her determination to keep doing the little things --- working, going to the grocery store, the activities we all take for granted as the normal part of life. She does this with great wit and humor, as evidenced by her inspiring blog.
Ankle injuries don’t come close to cancer, not by a long shot. However, having gone through my own little health struggle has given me a better perspective and appreciation of just how important our little routines are in life. In fact, I would argue it's the little things that are the essence of life, though we may not always realize it until we have them taken away from us.
Injuring my ankle, having surgery, and going through a difficult recovery has changed my perspective. Not being able to walk for almost two months, and thinking at one point that I was sentenced to a lifetime of pain, will have an impact.
What I appreciate now, in a way I never could two years ago, are the little things in life --- a simple get together with my parents, a night out with my friends, a walk on the beach, sitting on a park bench and reading the newspaper. What I appreciate the most, however, is good health. My ankle is fully healed, I’m running again and training for a marathon, and I have no major health issues whatsoever. I’m fortunate, I’m lucky, and I know it.
Unfortunately, there are others in life who aren’t so lucky, people like Kate. The other day I was reading her blog and listening to the audio interview she gave to the New York Times. She is fighting her heroic battle against cancer not only by going through medical treatments, but also through her determination to keep doing the little things --- working, going to the grocery store, the activities we all take for granted as the normal part of life. She does this with great wit and humor, as evidenced by her inspiring blog.
Ankle injuries don’t come close to cancer, not by a long shot. However, having gone through my own little health struggle has given me a better perspective and appreciation of just how important our little routines are in life. In fact, I would argue it's the little things that are the essence of life, though we may not always realize it until we have them taken away from us.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
California Dreaming? Try California Nightmare!
When I started this blog, it was intended among other things to chronicle my training for the Los Angeles Marathon, scheduled for March 1, 2009. I’ve registered for the race, bought a plane ticket, booked a hotel room, and made plans to visit friends while out in sunny Cali.
However, in the immortal words of ESPN football analyst Lee Corso, NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND! Today, I went to the Los Angeles Marathon website to check out the race course, and there was an announcement that the date of the race has been changed from March 1st to President’s Day, February 16th.
A few thoughts…..
The organizers of the marathon did not notify those who had already registered of the date change nor did they provide an explanation. Simple courtesy and business ethics dictates such minimal steps. Although a two week change might not seem like a big deal, the fact is that training for a marathon requires months of planning. I won’t bore you with the details, but I specifically chose the Los Angeles Marathon because I knew it would allow me enough time to properly train for the race. Even a two week change totally screws up my training schedule, not to mention my travel arrangements.
What to do?
I have one of three options: (1) re-arrange all my travel and training and run the Los Angeles Marathon in February; (2) find a different marathon to run that will fit my training schedule; or (3) not run a marathon at all.
Options one and three are not options at all. I will not re-arrange my travel and training, moreover my work schedule makes it nearly impossible for me to run on 2/16. As for not running a marathon at all, ABSOLUTELY NOT. I am running to support my friend Kate in her battle with cancer, and I’m running to prove to myself that I’m finally over my ankle injury. There's no turning back.
Believe it or not, there is hope --- the National Marathon, right here in good old Washington, DC. As it turns out, the National Marathon is scheduled for March 21st, a little bit later than March 1st, but it's never a bad thing to have more time to prepare. Disaster averted, training schedule in tact, all is well with the world. And a big bonus, those of you who live in the DC area can now come out and watch me run. I guess there really is a silver lining in every situation.
However, in the immortal words of ESPN football analyst Lee Corso, NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND! Today, I went to the Los Angeles Marathon website to check out the race course, and there was an announcement that the date of the race has been changed from March 1st to President’s Day, February 16th.
A few thoughts…..
The organizers of the marathon did not notify those who had already registered of the date change nor did they provide an explanation. Simple courtesy and business ethics dictates such minimal steps. Although a two week change might not seem like a big deal, the fact is that training for a marathon requires months of planning. I won’t bore you with the details, but I specifically chose the Los Angeles Marathon because I knew it would allow me enough time to properly train for the race. Even a two week change totally screws up my training schedule, not to mention my travel arrangements.
What to do?
I have one of three options: (1) re-arrange all my travel and training and run the Los Angeles Marathon in February; (2) find a different marathon to run that will fit my training schedule; or (3) not run a marathon at all.
Options one and three are not options at all. I will not re-arrange my travel and training, moreover my work schedule makes it nearly impossible for me to run on 2/16. As for not running a marathon at all, ABSOLUTELY NOT. I am running to support my friend Kate in her battle with cancer, and I’m running to prove to myself that I’m finally over my ankle injury. There's no turning back.
Believe it or not, there is hope --- the National Marathon, right here in good old Washington, DC. As it turns out, the National Marathon is scheduled for March 21st, a little bit later than March 1st, but it's never a bad thing to have more time to prepare. Disaster averted, training schedule in tact, all is well with the world. And a big bonus, those of you who live in the DC area can now come out and watch me run. I guess there really is a silver lining in every situation.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Kate in the New York Times
I commend to readers a piece that appears in the New York Times online that features personal stories of cancer patients. One of the individuals is my friend Kate, the very Kate I’m running to support in her battle with pancreatic cancer. Rather than bloviate, I think Kate’s compelling story requires no more words from me. Click here to listen to Kate in her own words; she is the third person down on the page.
(If you haven’t made a donation to the Lorenzen Cancer Foundation, please consider doing so and visit my fundraising website)
(If you haven’t made a donation to the Lorenzen Cancer Foundation, please consider doing so and visit my fundraising website)
Yo Adrian, I Did It!
Ok, so I didn’t win the heavyweight championship of the world on Sunday in Philadelphia, but I did finish the Philadelphia Distance Run, one of the nation’s premier half marathons. Only a year earlier, I was in Philadelphia hobbling around on my bum right ankle. I remember vividly the struggle of walking from my hotel near the Philadelphia Convention Center to the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum. Several times I had to stop and rest my poor foot for a few minutes, and when I eventually reached the Art Museum, it took me more than 5 minutes to struggle up the steps made famous by Sylvester Stallone in the Rocky movies.
This past Sunday was quite a different story. I had intended to use the Distance Run as a training run; I wasn’t going to run for time. In fact, I had agreed ahead of time with Anne the personal trainer that I would take it easy and try to finish in about 2 hours and 10 minutes. For better or worse, when I started the race I couldn’t help myself. The beginning of the race went straight down the Ben Franklin Parkway along the same route I struggled so hard to walk just a year earlier. I was overwhelmed with the sense that I had come so far in my recovery, and to prove to myself just how far I had come, I decided to adopt my own strategy, run as fast as possible for as long as possible. My pace quickened considerably, and before I realized it, I had whipped through the first 10 miles more than 3 minutes faster than I had finished the Annapolis 10 Miler just a month earlier. By mile 11, I was in position to finish in about 1 hour, 50 minutes, just about a normal time for me at the half marathon distance. However, my left knee started to ache just a tiny bit, at which point I knew I needed to pull back and slow down. My knee is fine, but my body was not used to running full throttle after over a year layoff. Even after slowing down, I still finished in 1 hour, 54 minutes, 33 seconds, almost in the top 1/3 of all finishers.
Running the Philadelphia Distance Run takes me further down the road to recovery. Certainly compared to a year ago, I have made huge strides, and with some hard work and sensible training, I will reach my goal of running, and finishing, the Los Angeles Marathon next March.
This past Sunday was quite a different story. I had intended to use the Distance Run as a training run; I wasn’t going to run for time. In fact, I had agreed ahead of time with Anne the personal trainer that I would take it easy and try to finish in about 2 hours and 10 minutes. For better or worse, when I started the race I couldn’t help myself. The beginning of the race went straight down the Ben Franklin Parkway along the same route I struggled so hard to walk just a year earlier. I was overwhelmed with the sense that I had come so far in my recovery, and to prove to myself just how far I had come, I decided to adopt my own strategy, run as fast as possible for as long as possible. My pace quickened considerably, and before I realized it, I had whipped through the first 10 miles more than 3 minutes faster than I had finished the Annapolis 10 Miler just a month earlier. By mile 11, I was in position to finish in about 1 hour, 50 minutes, just about a normal time for me at the half marathon distance. However, my left knee started to ache just a tiny bit, at which point I knew I needed to pull back and slow down. My knee is fine, but my body was not used to running full throttle after over a year layoff. Even after slowing down, I still finished in 1 hour, 54 minutes, 33 seconds, almost in the top 1/3 of all finishers.
Running the Philadelphia Distance Run takes me further down the road to recovery. Certainly compared to a year ago, I have made huge strides, and with some hard work and sensible training, I will reach my goal of running, and finishing, the Los Angeles Marathon next March.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Dispatches from the Road: Austin
One of the challenges of training for a marathon is running your weekly mileage no matter what your schedule. Family obligations, chores, work; all these can be impediments to the runner training for 26.2. One obstacle that can really throw a monkey wrench into training is the dreaded business trip. Often less than 48 hours, the business trip can constrain even the most dedicated of runners --- meetings, boring panel discussions and presentations, the obligatory schmoozing over lunch and/or dinner, it can eat up all of your time. Yet, the business trip also provides an opportunity, a chance to run and take in the scenery of a totally new and unfamiliar place. Over the years, I’ve traveled all over the country for business to places like Chicago (see previous post), Seattle, New Orleans, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Hilton Head, Oklahoma City, Miami, Boston, and New York. I can still remember running along San Francisco Bay toward the Golden Gate Bridge and seeing Alcatraz in the distance. Running along Puget Sound in Seattle was an unforgettable experience --- the peace, tranquility and beauty still are deeply etched in my memory.
This past week I had a quick business trip to Austin. Y’all know that Texas has the biggest and best of everything. Just ask a native Texan, they’ll tell you. They have the best Mexican food, steaks, football teams (high school, college, and pro), the biggest capitol building --- everything is super-sized and deluxe. Texas, and in particular Austin, is a pretty good place to run, too. In fact, Runner’s World named Austin one of the best places to run in the country, and I agree. On Tuesday, I went for a run in an area known as Town Lake; the area along the Colorado River that has nice parks and a fantastic gravel running trail. Last November, I was in Austin for a 5-day conference. At that point, I was cleared to run for no more than 30 seconds at a time, followed by 10 minutes of walking --- not exactly the ideal scenario for an avid runner. To say that I was frustrated by these restrictions would be an understatement, particularly since I was surrounded by avid runners just like me.
I vowed to return, and return I did! My run on Tuesday was hardly like last year’s run. The sun was strong, the humidity was oppressive, but my motivation was at an all-time high. I was determined to make this the best run since the surgery. Instead of running for 30 seconds, I cranked out five, 8 minute miles and probably pushed myself a little too hard. By the time I got back to the hotel, I was completely soaked and totally exhausted, but it was worth it. It was worth knowing that I really have made progress in recovery from surgery, that I really am improving, and that I really am on the road back to my old running self. On Tuesday, I ran with a little “Don’t Mess with Texas” attitude, and I think I’ll carry that with me into next March when I run the Los Angeles Marathon.
This past week I had a quick business trip to Austin. Y’all know that Texas has the biggest and best of everything. Just ask a native Texan, they’ll tell you. They have the best Mexican food, steaks, football teams (high school, college, and pro), the biggest capitol building --- everything is super-sized and deluxe. Texas, and in particular Austin, is a pretty good place to run, too. In fact, Runner’s World named Austin one of the best places to run in the country, and I agree. On Tuesday, I went for a run in an area known as Town Lake; the area along the Colorado River that has nice parks and a fantastic gravel running trail. Last November, I was in Austin for a 5-day conference. At that point, I was cleared to run for no more than 30 seconds at a time, followed by 10 minutes of walking --- not exactly the ideal scenario for an avid runner. To say that I was frustrated by these restrictions would be an understatement, particularly since I was surrounded by avid runners just like me.
I vowed to return, and return I did! My run on Tuesday was hardly like last year’s run. The sun was strong, the humidity was oppressive, but my motivation was at an all-time high. I was determined to make this the best run since the surgery. Instead of running for 30 seconds, I cranked out five, 8 minute miles and probably pushed myself a little too hard. By the time I got back to the hotel, I was completely soaked and totally exhausted, but it was worth it. It was worth knowing that I really have made progress in recovery from surgery, that I really am improving, and that I really am on the road back to my old running self. On Tuesday, I ran with a little “Don’t Mess with Texas” attitude, and I think I’ll carry that with me into next March when I run the Los Angeles Marathon.
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