Goin' Goofy: So It Begins

This past January, as a Team in Training Team Leader, I finished the Disney World Half Marathon on Saturday the 12th, and then the Full Marathon on Sunday the 13th. On any given SANE day, I would say that I don't do marathons. But, the team needed an extra runner on the course that weekend, so I did it. Wow! If you actually complete both of those events, Disney calls it "Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge." I didn't register that way, so I didn't get the medal or the shirt, but I did get the right to say "39.3 is the new 26.2!" Well, our friend Richard (who we unexpectedly and tragically lost one week after the Disney Marathon) wanted those rights. He said as we finished this year, that all he wanted to do next year was The Goofy. So, in his honor a LARGE, really large group of us Team Tally runners have legitimately registered as Goofy Participants. We won't be able to change the fact that Richard isn't physically there with us, but we will be able to say that he carried us all 39.3 miles of the weekend plus the hundreds of miles (all 800+ of them) of training of the journey to that Goofy Finish Line. A shiny medal awaits him there.

It will be a challenge to get through all of this training without the flood of memories and without the "Live out loud" personality we all got so accustomed to having near us as we ran. We will live to run and run to live so that we do Richard's memory and wish the honor it deserves. The link below is a slide show of Richard's "Larger than Life" way of living. Thank you, Robin! Again ...

This weeks puts the Team Tally Goofy Group 23 weeks out from Disney if you count backwards, and put Sunday the 11th as the first day of Zero Week. I am running on a modified Hal Higdon plan for multiple marathons. I am training, although I'm not sure why since I have transferred my entry, for the Marine Corps Marathon on October 26th. I suppose it's so I can keep the group company on their long runs. Or, maybe it's because the run is on my birthday and I'll run that far anyway, just on my own. Who knows. Anyway, with that in mind my schedule for this week and next looks like this:

8.3.2008 - Rest (Area I-IV Swim Meet
8.4.2008 - 4+ mile run
8.5.2008 - 6+ mile run
8.6.2008 - 5K run
8.7.2008 - Morning Run with
8.8.2008 - Rest ... The Olympics start today!
8.9.2008 - 15 miles (maybe) with MCM

8.10.2008 - Rest
8.11.2008 - Ride
8.12.2008 - 4+ mile run
8.13.2008 - 6+ mile run
8.14.2008 - 4+ mile run (or run with MCM Girls
8.15.2008 - Rest
8.16.2008 - Run with MCM Group

Most of these, if not every single one, will begin VERY early in the morning. I usually put feet to the pavement no later than 6 a.m. And once school starts, I'm going by about 5:30 a.m. especially during the week. Weekend runs will be dependent on the group and location. However, if you wanna come along, let me know so I have enough of "whatever" for you.

The Bitter Sweet of "Goodbye"

Well, I have to admit it, I didn't make the farewell run or dinner for Lisa. I got to know her just a bit when she was training for the Marine Corps Marathon last year, and then got to know her a bit better as Colin was training for the Red Hills Triathlon. She is leaving this weekend to move back to California (San Francisco area) to be close to all of her family. She is happy to go, but sad to leave the "family" that she came to know and love here in Tallahassee. She knows that we will be here whenever she should so choose to come and visit. And, that we will always welcome her back with arms wide open. I wish her mountains and oceans of luck and happiness as she travels and returns. She deserves them.

And, then another of the group is leaving later this month. Erin, our very own Disney Character (Pluto in a former life), is moving to Central Florida. Job opportunities really fueled this move, but again, the move takes her closer to her family and she wants them close as she and her husband plan to begin a family of their own. Not quite as faraway as California, but far enough to not be able to make the morning runs with the group on a regular basis. Fortunately, I think I might actually be able to lay eyes on her before she leaves. I hope...

I don't have a good picture of Lisa, I imagine she will send one soon. But, below is a picture that I "stole" from Erin's blog. Erin is in center just before the start of Red Hills Triathlon (4.5.2008). Yes, the same Red Hills that Colin did... With her are my very near and dear friend Cathy, and new found friend Emma.

I have added links to their blogs because I feel that they have a lot to offer from their unique perspectives and experiences in the endurance athlete world. Great girls, both of them. No, make that women moving on in the world. Love them!

Running with Heroes

When I first started running with a friend of mine for her health and to be her training partner, I never imagined where that would take me. I could never have envisioned running as many half marathons as I have, not to mention the two marathons that I said I "never" wanted to run (Note to self: NEVER is a very, very long time). I truly believe that I can't get to the finish line (that "two foot strip of real estate" per my friend Robin Adams) without a cause, a reason, or a drive that is not my own. I suppose in the grand scheme of things that "explains away" a lot of what I do: Team in Training (for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society times 2 and counting); The National Marathon to Fight Breast Cancer (AKA "26.2 with Donna"); the Blue Line 100 (a century ride benefiting the fallen law enforcement officers memorial ); Capital City Ride for Hope (a benefit century ride for the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tallahassee); and run after run and ride upon ride of training. But, when it comes right down to it, it's because of people like Jim Ellis, and the family highlighted in the August 2008 issue of Runner's World. The true heroes are the survivors - the ones who fight and fight and THEN join us on the pavement. Until they don't have to be heroes anymore, I will continue on. I can, so I do. See you on the streets.

Running with Heroes for 26.2 miles
By JIM ELLIS Special to The Sun November 03, 2006

I never possessed the mental wherewithal demanded of those who take on the marathon until six months ago when I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes - the same disease that took my uncle two years ago. I began pounding out miles all over Gainesville, Florida, and all those months of training culminated Sunday in Washington D.C. in the Marine Corps Marathon. I wish I could boast a fast time. Truth is, I was only a few hundred runners from dead last. My knee gave out around mile 15, causing me to run much slower than I expected. And now, five days after the event, I'm still in great pain. But more than 9,000 would-be marathoners, out of a field of 32,000, did drop out of the race. So regardless of how poor I perceive my finishing time to be, I still take pride in knowing that I did cover the full 26.2 miles.

The day was filled with story after story. Some sad. Some triumphant. Too many to tell. Two runners suffered heart attacks. One 60-year-old man fell over in the first mile of the race. He was released from the hospital a few days later. Unfortunately, another man, Earl Seyford, 56, suffered a cardiac arrest at the 17-mile marker and died an hour later. One tale was especially endearing. A 43-year-old father pushed his disabled teenage daughter, who was strapped into a running stroller, the entire distance of the marathon. At Hains Point, the windiest section of the marathon, four friends ran with the father/daughter team, forming a windshield. As the two neared the end of the race, the father's other daughter joined the team and the three ran across the finish line together. The girls' aunt was reported as saying, "This is their day. This is their trip to Disney." Several loved ones ran in memory of their fallen soldier. I remember one older woman running with a teenager, who I suspected to be her son. They ran with "Team Bryan" across their chests. On the back of their shirts was an image of Bryan in a uniform and beneath the image the date he died in Iraq. There was the goofy too. One man ran the marathon barefoot. Hundreds dressed in costumes. Some had funny messages painted on the back of their shirts, such as "Did I really pay for this?" One person dressed as Kermit the Frog, another as Miss Piggy. The spectators, all 120,000 of them, lined the streets of the marathon, making us all feel like rock stars. Imagine running past the U.S. Capitol or the Lincoln Memorial or the Watergate Hotel with spectators five deep holding signs and shouting your name. Children leaned into the road holding out their hand to "high five" you as you ran by. Some spectators held signs that choked me up. Maybe I'm a softy, but when I ran past an excited family, holding a sign such as "Dad, you're our hero" or "Billy, we are so proud of you," it got to me. While those signs were written for someone else, they motivated me as well. And I suspect they motivated many other runners too. Some signs were funny, such as "Run like you stole something." I stenciled my name across the front of my shirt and "For Uncle Jerry" on the back. It was so motivating to hear my name even though the person yelling it was simply reading my shirt. I would even hear "Uncle Jerry" shouted from time to time. When things got bad around mile 14 and I slowed considerably, a woman passed me and turned around and said, "Keep going. Do it for Uncle Jerry." Wow. That gave me enough juice to go another mile on my swollen knee. But by mile 15, I just could not run anymore. I was in too much pain. And the frustrating thing was, I had the stamina to keep going. I felt great on every other front. I wasn't tired, mentally or physically. I had trained for five months and had the desire to continue strong. But my knee wouldn't allow it. Runners passed me en masse as I began to limp. Speed bumps became difficult to navigate as pain would shoot up my left leg at the slightest obstacle. It was mile 23 when I heard Uncle Jerry's name for the final time. By now the bottoms of both my feet felt as though I was walking on shards of glass. The pain was everywhere. I was demoralized. The climactic ending I had dreamed of was no more. I just wanted to finish the final three miles, get back to my hotel room, crawl into bed and not come out until the next day. I felt a hand on my left shoulder. I thought a runner wanted to pass, so I shuffled to my right. The hand remained a little too long to be that of a passing runner. I looked to my left and saw a dark-skinned man with black hair. He looked to be in his forties. "Uncle Jerry would be proud," he said. For the tenth time or so that day I got a little choked up. "Thanks. I appreciate it," I said. He jogged forward and I saw an 8" x 10" picture of an older man pinned to the back of his shirt. The image wasn't painted into the fabric. It wasn't some fancy outfit. Above the picture was "For you Dad." I wanted to run up to him and give him the same message that he had just given to me. I wanted to tell him that his dad would be proud of him. But I couldn't. He was too fast. Or I was too slow. I ran the first half of the marathon in about two hours. The second half took me twice as long. My marathon tale isn't of fast times or broken records. I'm just a normal guy who for one day stood with heroes.


Jim Ellis, who at age 32 was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes, is a University of Florida senior majoring in journalism.

Thank God for the U.S.A.!

Remember the other day: Life is Simple? Well, life IS simple; and fabulous, and active, and loving, and filled with friends and family, and all of those things that we take for granted in the United States. So, yesterday morning - before the crack of dawn - my oldest son and I loaded the Odyssey (no pun intended...) and headed west. Mind you, we only went an hour west, but that is far enough to cross into a different time zone. Once in the booming Metropolis of Marianna, Florida (very similar to Montevallo, Alabama, I might add) we unloaded all of the earlier packed gear: Two road bikes, two bicycle helmets, two bike shoes, four running shoes, water bottles filled with diluted PowerAde, PowerBars and Gel, towels, sunglasses, and other things I am sure.

One of the best things about living in the USA on Independence Day is the ability one has to celebrate in unique AND healthy ways. Colin and I were out so early to participate in the Freedom Springs Triathlon for the second time. Last year it served as Colin's initiation into a true sprint distance Triathlon. We rode it on our mountain bikes because that is what we had, and we finished in very respectable times. This year the goal was to see how much better we could be with road bikes under us. Colin, as I fully expected, finished ahead of me again and dropped 11 minutes from his time last year to finish in 1:06.29 with a 24 minute (give or take) 5K at the end!!! Turns out that this time put him fourth in his age group behind three Southeastern Regional USAT Team triathletes. Well, he was crushed that he had not won or even placed, but when it was pointed out that these kids have coaches and really good gear AND that he had beaten EVERYONE (including those team guys) out of the water except 6 people, he was not so bummed anymore. But, his old and slow mom (who won't do the swim in order to be on the beach when Colin gets out of the water) finished in 10 minutes faster than last year.

For whatever reason, this year I wore my Team in Training singlet for the ride and the run. So, I did what any good "Purple People Eater" does, after I had finished, I grabbed some water and headed back out onto the run course. I knew at least two other people out there and one was TNT Alumnus Extraordinaire Erin Glover. I had figured that she was not too far behind me, and sure enough when I reached the first turn, there she was. I pepped her up and ran her in - her words to me were, "Thanks for coming back, I needed a kick." Erin finished in 1:19:47, more than 10 minutes faster than her goal AND placed 2nd in her age group. Then, knowing that my good friend and cycling mentor Karin Clausen was still out in the run, I turned around and went back for her. I picked her up in almost the same spot I had found Erin, and we headed down hill - gosh I like a down hill finish - to the finish line. It was a strong run into the chute for Karin, and we were done! Purple People Eaters (Team in Training folks) Rock!!!

I found Colin in the transition area gathering his things. We picked up our stuff to make room for the kids in the Youth Tri, and meandered back to the Odyssey. After loading the bikes, helmets, shoes, and wet running stuff, we found our dry and not-so-smelly clothes, had a short stint in the VERY COLD spring lake, rinsed off in the showers, dressed and got a quick snack. I went back to find Erin and help her get her things to her truck. Colin didn't want to wait for awards, and Aidan was being his wonderful charming, ebullient self at the Grandparents Abbey's house. We eased into the car, turned the A/C on high, and headed east. Mind you, only an hour east, but far enough east to cross back into our home time zone, and reenter life as we had left it before the morning's expression of Independence.

I've said it before: early morning runs during sunrise are awesome; fast bike rides with the wind in your face are supreme; and the glow of God' promise on the horizon puts all that to shame. Thank God for the U.S.A.

Life is Simple ...

Well, I think my brain is finally de-chlorinated from the three-days of sitting on the pool deck for the ATAC Long Course Invitational. Some days I believed it would never end. But, with the outcome of the events, Colin had a FABULOUS weekend and a great meet! Yeah Boy!

Colin went into this meet having not swum a long course meet since June of 2007, so many of his times could only be improved upon. That always sets a swimmer up for a good weekend. He swam a full docket of events, but by far his best were the 100M Fly where he not only dropped 12+ seconds, but swam CLEAN and PRETTY; and the 1500M Freestyle (more commonly known as the Metric Mile) in 20:26.66 which was good enough for 5th in his age bracket. He also managed to rake in a 10th place in the 100M Free with a 1:08.3 in the finals after going home and not knowing he had even made finals! What a super attitude and effort! He finished in the top 20 with a 2:27.12 in the 200M Free and a 5:06.16 in the 400M Free. Yippee!

This weekend (the Fourth to be precise) he and I are off to the Freedom Springs Triathlon in Marianna, Florida. This event is near to our hearts as it was Colin's "debut" into adult sprint distance Triathlons last year. He finished 3rd in his age group on a mountain bike last year, and is hoping to really show well on his Cannondale this year. As last year, I will wait on the shore for him to get out of the water and then ride like a demon with him and run the 5K on my own at the end. We hope to go in just about an hour (using his swim time as a "mine" for time keeping's sake). We shall see. He can really zoom on the road bike when he chooses - I hope he chooses. And, assuming that all goes well, this will be a warm up for the JAX Sprint TRI #2 on July 19th right before we head to the beach for our annual "reunion" with all our friends. I can't wait!

Remember the Ironman motto: Life is Simple - Swim, Bike, Run, Eat, Sleep!

Birthday Boy!

Today is Aidan's birthday. He is seven. Wow! I can't believe that seven years ago he made is early and troubled entrance into this world. I am so glad he is here and a fabulous "all boy" part of our lives. He is truly a blessing and an energetic joy to all who know him.

Aidan recently exclaimed that he wanted to be on the swim team like his brother. Well, when you swim like a seven year-old (which by the way looks like a drowning squirrel), that is not always as easily accomplished as one might think. However, he managed to pass the team swim test, and away he went - complete with a new "intimidating" shark swim cap, and goggles. And, while I am not sure that his understands completely what being a member of the swim team means, he is enjoying his daily practices and the promise of upcoming swim meets that he can finally enter.

Today he wants to swim, eat cake, "surf" on his new Slip-n-Slide, and have pizza with his friends. Done! That was easy.

The Good and the Not-So-Good: For Peggy

This past weekend a lot happened: some good and some not-so-good.

Friday (6.6.2008) my parents, still so young at heart and in attitude, set off for nearly two weeks of diving in the Galapagos Islands: you go guys! Saturday, I rode in the Capital City Ride for Hope Metric Century (just about 60 miles). My friend Karin (same girl who shepherded me through the Blue Line 100 in March) and I finished in 3:46:14! Nearly 20 minutes faster than in March. It was awesome; beautiful; full of friendly people; a fair number of Survivor Participants, and people I already knew from "Marathon Land" or "Tri Land." Wow!

I have had this ride on my calendar for a while. I originally thought I could do it last year on my mountain bike. And, then something - who remembers what - happened, and I didn't go. This year I wanted to do it for several reasons, not the least of which is the Cause. Yes, the Cause - me and my causes. This ride benefits the Moffitt Cancer Center at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital. My friend Tiffany A. was treated there for Cervical Cancer; my friend Stephanie Corry was treated there for Breast Cancer; and I am sure that many of my "friends and family" that are survivors have been treated there. 'Nuff said. More significantly, I rode this ride in honor of two people: My mother, and Cathy's mother, Peggy. I could have put a hundred names on my "In Honor Of" bib, but I chose only two.

My mother is a Breast Cancer Survivor, and is going like gang busters. Cathy's mother had been a Breast Cancer Survivor for more than 11 years before the monster came back in a more aggressive, long-lasting, metastasized form. Many years ago, Cathy and I had just started down the road to "Marathon Land" when her mother received this diagnosis. She hung out with us for far, far longer than the original 18 months to two years she was first given. Thank God! We, and I say we because so many of us used her as inspiration, had time to show her how important she was to Cathy, Michele, and the rest of her family - real and "extended." Always remember, our mothers deserve to know that we value them, what they offer to our lives, and their will to survive. They need to know that we love them, and that while we may not have undergone chemo or radiation, we will persevere and endure for them.

Anyway, Saturday afternoon, on the way home from the bike shop with Colin's newly tuned-up bike, I stopped by Cathy's house to give her my race bib and "Honor" bib. I told her that I knew there really wasn't anything I could do "for" her or her mom, but I could do this ride. So, I had done it. I wanted her and and her mom to know that I have been thinking of them since the very beginning, and that they are important to me. I walked down the hall to Peggy's room, and while I was prepared for what I would see, Cathy was right: it was a bit shocking to see a shell of the person I had come to know fairly well for so many years. I held her hand, told her that I had been thinking of her, and had wanted to come by and see her. I told her we loved her, and I walked away. It was the last time I saw her alive.

Sunday evening, about 6:00 p.m. Cathy says, her mother finally left this material world for a far better place. She has received the Heavenly relief to her battered and broken body, because I know she was firm and steadfast in her faith. Peggy is happy, healthy, and honored by the way her family cared for and loved her up until the absolute last breath. Mostly, she is peaceful again.

Nana, as her grandchildren and my Boys called her, will leave a great void in the lives of all those she knew and touched. She sang in a choir group called HeartSong, until just very recently; she travelled to and from Maryland to spend quality time with her grandchildren; she enjoyed the beach, music, and a good book.

I will miss her. My Boys will miss her. And, we weren't even her "real" family. That just goes to show how many people she touched, and how much she is loved.