It's Just The Way I Am!

Here recently I have been dreading my long runs and even some of my shorter runs. This time of year is always crazy busy for me being in retail and all, but I always sign up for the St Jude Marathon weekend, so I have to run. My plan has been calling for a Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday run, with Saturday being the long run. I have been fairly consistent in running during the week, but once the mileage got into double figures, man, have I been dreading it.

So, I have found the one thing that has helped me get out of this funk!

I change my route.

Simple huh? I have found that the easiest way to hit that dreaded run is to change the route entirely. I usually hate to drive somewhere to run because I think it is stupid, but on occasion, (like this weekend) I will drive myself over to the Greenline and run. It changes everything for me!

The Shelby Farms Greenline is a 6.5 mile urban trail connecting Midtown Memphis to Shelby Farms Park–the largest park of its kind in the country. Managed and operated by the nonprofit Shelby Farms Park Conservancy, the trail is an incredible community asset that provides new opportunities for recreation, exercise, togetherness, healthy activity, commuting and more. Now connected to Shelby Farms Park’s Wolf River Pedestrian Bridge, the Shelby Farms Greenline allows for miles of new trail routes. The paved trail currently runs from Tillman St. at Walnut Grove Rd. in Midtown to Farm Rd. at Mullins Station Rd. at Shelby Farms Park. There are access points at Tillman Street., Highland Street, High Point Terrace, Graham Street, Waring Road, Podesta Street, Sycamore View Road, and Farm Road at Shelby Farms Park. (I know these streets do not mean much to a lot of people, but it's cool). The trail has mile markers every half mile, which seems to really help. It also helps that there are always other runners or bikers on the Greenline. I think that my routes around my house get way to familiar and boring. So a new location is sometimes all I need to get refreshed and energized.

About two weeks ago I went to the Greenline for a 10 mile run. My plan was to run 2 miles, walk a minute and then run another two until I finished my 10 miles. So I started, it was a nice cool day with temps in the low 50s, I ran in shorts and my arm warmers. My goal was not about speed, but just finishing the 10 miles. After I hit the 2 mile marker, I thought to myself to go 3, then 4, then 5. I knew I have already hit runs of 8 and 9 miles, so I am not sure why I was so unconfident about this run, but I was! So at mile 5, I did walk a minute because I had to make some adjustments, but then I started running again for the next 5 miles. I covered 10 miles in 1:44 with a 10:24 pace. I was actually thrilled.

No, it was not nearly as fast as I had hoped, but I did finish it and I accomplished what I wanted to on my run. Sometimes you just need that extra encouragement to tell yourself you can do it. Even though I have run this distance and further in my triathlon career, and even though I just did this distance, I will still have these same thought sin my head as I prepare for this Saturday's run. I will still dread the pending 11 miler on Saturday morning, but I already have plans to hit the Greenline and hit my 11 miles under 1:55, and once I finish that, I can then start dreading the next long run, cause that is just the way I am!

St Jude Memphis Marathon in Pictures

I am the guy that buys pictures from the website! They had about 40 pictures of me, and I love me some me, so I had to buy them all. Some are good, most are not, but here is the race in picture form.

Early on in the race, running with a friend of mine down Beale Street

The famous Memphis Pyramid in the background

Running through Overton Park

I looked focused don't I?

Back down Beale Street, I actually like this picture!

More pics on Beale Street

Getting closer to the end, cramping badly

Less than a mile to go...

I can see the finish line, hobbling due to cramps!

Cramp caught on tape!

I was in serious pain trying to get there...

Beautiful! I love the medal!

The Reason I Am Running!

As you are reading this, I am running my marathon!  Unless it is like  4 PM on Sunday, and then I hope I am not still out there running! Anyways, thanks to delayed publishing, I can pre-write this post and have it publish on Saturday!

You can follow my progress by following this link if you are totally bored that you want to watch a 41 yr old man run a marathon via the Internet! I am bib number 1261. Run Tracker

I plan on having a great day, and remember the real reason why I am running. It is for the wonderful families at St Jude Hospital and all the money that will be raised this weekend to help support the fight against childhood illness!

Race report will be up shortly, and thanks for all the support in either good wishes, advice or donations!

Thank You to All Who Donated!!! St Jude Memphis Marathon 2012

I am so honored to be running this race and I want to say Thank you to everyone that donated money to St Jude. Together we raised almost $700!  Thank you!

Here are a couple of videos about the St Jude Memphis Marathon!



I know I have posted this before, but please enjoy!

A Twofer! (2 for 1 post)

This post is like reading two posts in one post, hence the name twofer. ( I feel obligated to come up with catchy titles after I just posted about blog titles). As you might have heard, I have a marathon coming up on Saturday? I am sure I have mentioned once or twice on here. Anyways, I have been going back and forth on  my preparedness for this thing. One day I feel I am so ready, only to be followed by the dreadful thoughts of "why did I sign up for this thing"? So no sooner do I have my mind set that this is a pointless race for me to run, then my psyche changes it up and I feel ready to run. Sooooooooo, here are my thoughts, both sides of the brain, the part that is ready and the part that is not.

WHAT WAS I THINKING?

What was I Thinking?

I am not sure I can beat 6:08!  Last year it was tough and embarrassing to run a marathon that slow. I have never been a great runner and distance is definitely not my thing. There is no way I can get a decent time and I really think I will have trouble and be very disappointed if I do not see a major improvement. People have donated money for this race also and I will be letting them down. The weather is going to be much warmer than I expected so I will probably cramp up and have troubles. I never order a new pair of shoes like I was going too either. I know I will screw up my nutrition plan, I won;t be able to keep up with my pace group. I know I will start out to fast. It will get lonely once all the half marathoners split off. I know I will be walking A LOT! I should have done one more 20 miler!!!

PIECE OF CAKE, I GOT THIS!!!

I can't wait for Saturday morning at 8 o'clock. I am so much more prepared for the marathon than I was last year, and I learned a lot from running it a year ago. I am so proud to have raised money for St. Jude! I have a plan for the race that will get me a sub 5 hour marathon. I know where and when I am going to take in nutrition. I know where the water stops are going to be.I know what to expect and I am ready for it. I know this course. I know what pace I can keep. I have all the support in the world. The weather is going to be perfect, no cold like last year. This year I get to wear the St Jude Heroes singlet! Such an honor for me! It's one mile at a time, I am going to run my race, at my pace! I am a solid sub 5 hour finisher. I cannot wait to slap high fives with the crowd throughout the the course, I can not wait...CAN NOT WAIT for that finisher's medal to be placed around my neck. I will get to the food tent this year when they actually have food left!

I am hoping to be in the mindset of the second piece of this post on Saturday. Tapering sucks and gives me to much time to think!

Hey St Jude....

This is most likely the most important post I will write about this year and the most serious. Please watch the video and please consider helping me raise money for St Jude. If you can not make a donation, please keep the kids, the families, the doctors and nurses in your prayers.

I am participating in the St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend to support the kids of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital! As a St. Jude Hero, I have committed to raise $500 for the kids of St. Jude.

Will you help me support St. Jude by donating today?  

How your donation helps:

• Thanks to donors like you, no family ever pays St. Jude for anything.
• St. Jude will continue to change the way the world treats childhood cancer and other deadly diseases through groundbreaking research.

Please visit my St. Jude Heroes fundraising page to make a donation.

Please Donate by following this link

P.S. Also if you can not make a monetary donation, please leave a comment of support! Thanks

St Jude Heroes need your help...

Last year was the first year I ran the St Jude Marathon, and I admit it was purely because I wanted to run a marathon in preparation for my journey to becoming an Ironman, it was purely selfish reasons. Once I made the turn and ran through the campus of St Jude's, everything changed. It was no longer about me, but about those children and parents, lining up along the route cheering us on. Some of those kids are fighting for their life and yet they were telling us runners that we were the Heroes. They were so wrong. Everyone of those families were so much more of a hero than could ever be. It was truly an emotional scene for a non emotional guy! I knew that I would have to finish no matter what, and I knew at that point that I would run this race again.



Look at those gorgeous blue eyes!

 This little girls name is Hayli and she is one year old. Hayli has acute myeloid leukemia. This is who I am running for, not just her, but thousands of families like her that utilize St Jude Hospital. The great thing about St Jude, is that no family ever has to pay for the treatment while they are patients of St Jude. Everyone know how expensive health care costs are today and I can;t imagine what some of those treatments cost, so imagine the relief of knowing a family can get the best care for their child free of charge!




I'm raising funds as a St. Jude Hero to support St. Jude's lifesaving mission of finding cures and saving children. I need your support to help me reach my fundraising goal for the kids of St. Jude. I have set my goal amount at $500, but I would love nothing more than to surpass that goal. I am asking my readers to consider donating. $5, $10 whatever you can donate will all go to St Jude. If you are not able to donate, then I ask you to keep those kids in your prayers and to also send thoughts of a good race to me so that I may finish strong for these children.

If you are led to donate, please follow this link. St Jude Heroes Donation Page .