Category: Uncategorized

My iPhone dinged with a charge on my AMEX card – $195.  YES!  On this morning it could only mean one thing:  I got into the Chicago Marathon for October.  I quickly checked my email and there it was – coming in at 6:19 AM:  “Congratulations!  You have received an entry into the 2016 Bank of America Chicago Marathon.”

I got up and, hearing the shower water running told my wife, who was getting ready to head to school (she’s a teacher) “We’re going to Chicago”.

I truly could not imagine being so happy that I was being given the “privilege” of traveling hundreds of miles for a long weekend in October to run 26.2 miles with 30,000 or so other people but I sure was.  I reflected on the last time I was in Chicago – around the fall of 2012.  We didn’t run anyplace – I sure could not have done that.  We quickly hit a couple of the city highlights and moved on.  Now I would be back, not morbidly obese, to run the Chicago Marathon.  Insane.

 

OK, so I’m from New York – the Catskill Mountains (Hudson Valley now).  The concept of running a race called the “Polar Bear Run” sounds intimidating.  However, when you run on January 1 in Hilton Head (Bluffton, SC) to be precise, it’s not exactly freezing cold.

It was a bit rainy though, which makes it slippery.  I was able to finish 2nd in my age group and was given a nice Christmas Tree ornament.  Hilton Head is a great running and biking community and I encourage you to visit it if you get a chance.

http://georesults.racemine.com/Charlestowne-Road-Race-Services/events/2016/2016-POLAR-BEAR-RUN/results

Having overcome morbid obesity, I focus on the scale; the scale; did I mention THE SCALE.  My exercise since my last marathon has done only one thing:  INCREASE.  My average daily runs are between 9 and 11 miles plus assorted other exercises.

Having skipped the scale for a few months (apparently there is a lack of 9 volt batteries in my house), I was annoyed – actually alarmed – to see my weight was up – like over 152 lbs. NOT HAPPY!

Now on the other hand, my WAIST was DOWN.  I’ m comfortably in size 34 pants now; when not too long ago I was just comfortable in 35s.  I’m also wearing size medium t shirts that I was previously wearing the size large version of.

Now, 34s make me pretty happy given that in the summer of 2013 I was in 48s.  So, I asked someone at the gym “what gives” – my weight is up but my waist is down.  After seeing me exercise a trainer at the gym told me I’m probably building muscle and my body is shifting around.

I sure hope that’s it.  Fairly frustrating to exercise more than ever and see the scale go up while the waist goes down.

After completing 12 Marathons in 12 months, I had one more “bonus” one to go.  I had signed up for (and “won” the lottery to get into) the Marine Corps Marathon on October 25 in Arlington, Virginia.

Allison and the kids were going to run the 10k (along the last 6.2 miles of the marathon course), but life got in the way and they ultimately couldn’t make it.  In any event, I wasn’t sure if I would like a large marathon (about 23,000 finishers).  I loved it!

We got to the starting line around 6 AM and had to wait in the drizzle and cold to go through security.  After a while, rather than just put you through security, they just waived everyone through.  OK, “security” done.  Then it was off to the races.  A crowded start through Virginia wound us across the Key Bridge into Georgetown.  Running down the main street in Georgetown (where they filmed a Nike commercial) was enjoyable.  The best though, was yet to come.  We rounded out by the Lincoln Memorial then down Constitution and Independence Avenues, past the Jefferson Memorial, out in front of the Capitol Building, down past the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, across back into Arlington and ending at the Marine Corps monument (commonly called Iwa Jima Memorial).   It was an enjoyable experience and I will absolutely try to get in next year.

The fact that the guy in this picture could end up running 12 marathons in 12 months  starting the year after that picture was taken is a testament to a lot of things and a lot of people.  Today I had to laugh because a pretty physically fit person called me to ask if I would be part of their relay running team.  Me, the guy usually picked toward the end in high school sports was being asked to anchor a running team.  Cracked me up.  Unfortunately I couldn’t do it as I already had a fundraising walking event planned for the same day, but I still got a kick out of even being considered.

In any event, this past weekend was my 12th marathon.  Steamtown marathon in Scranton, PA.  I started it the same way I started my first, with my friend Michele by my side for the first 11 miles or so.  Running with her is great because (a) she’s shorter than me and (b) she’s a doctor so if I get in trouble, the odds are I’ve got some good help by my side.

My cousin Terecia also ran it, but insisted I not stay with her as she didn’t want to hold me back.  It was her second marathon, and I applaud her fighting spirit to get through it.  I’m often asked which of my 12 marathons is my favorite, and I’m really not sure.  They all had different advantages.  The Hambletonian was my first – and in my hometown, so that was great.  The Adirondack Marathon had the coolest medal and was beautiful.  The Walkway over the Hudson Marathon crossed a river, so that was pretty cool.

I’ve learned not to chase a specific time in marathons.  I like to be in the top 50% and usually am.  I’ve learned though it really is the journey and not the destination.  I show the picture above only to show you that no matter where you are, it’s not too late to make a change to get healthy.  In 2013, I was morbidly obese.  By October of 2015, I had run 12 marathons in 12 months.  I did it all through diet and exercise.  And if I can do it, so can you.

#12Marathonsin12Months.   #DONE!

Kudos to Suffolk County for putting on a great 1st Suffolk County Marathon on September 13.  Nice flat course through several downtowns led by the Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone.  I finished in the 40% so I was relatively happy about that.   The weather was nice and Heckscher State park, where it started, was a terrific venue.   This was marathon # 10 for me, and I’m happy to be in double digits.  Unfortunately, I still can’t seem to get even splits and not sure I ever will be able to.   i saw two great signs along the way.  One was a family whose shirts all read “Trained Marathon Spectator”.  I was jealous.  The other, at mile 20 was something to the effect of “Have a great 10K; hope your 20 mile warm up was good”.  Marathons for me are not one big race, but many small races.  First is the “half” then I break it into a series of 5k races until I finish.   To paraphrase Nemo “just keep running”.

So after my “midnight marathon”, we wandered into the hotel room around 2:30 AM, got up a few hours later, and headed to Killington, VT.  I had skied at Killington as a kid a few times and always enjoyed it.   Now we were going for a different reason – The Biggest Loser’s Run/Walk challenge.  Along with my nephew, the four of us set out to run or walk with a large group of people at Killington – some fit, some very fit, some just beginning their journey toward weight loss.

The Biggest Loser Run/Walk bills itself as an inspiring place.  It is.  When the announcer asked about weight loss, my wife counted nine other hands that went up with people who had shed more than 100 lbs.  How many by “diet and exercise” vs. surgery, i don’t know.  It’s about keeping it off now – although I’m proud to have gone the diet/exercise route myself.

Allison and my nephew did their own pace, my oldest son did his own pace and my youngest and I charged ahead.  One neat part of the 5k (there was also a 1/2 marathon option also),  was that you get to ride a chairlift up  – but you still do actually run the 3.1 miles (5k).  My 10 year old and I charged on.  He won second in his age group, and oddly enough, I won first.  It was a great day, as the exuberance on the 10 year old’s face plainly shows.   The shirt i’m wearing is the title of this post.  The race was a lot of fun and I hope to do it next year.