30 Seconds

  30 Seconds!  That’s nothing, right?  We’ll you may not think so, but it’s huge to me.  Over the last 10 days, I’ve run 35.5 miles in 340 minutes.  That’s an average pace of 9:35 per mile.  My marathon goal is a 9:05.  That’s 30 seconds per mile faster than the pace I ran for the 10 days.  30 seconds for 26.2 miles, through pain, fatigue, and every bit of self-doubt you can imagine.

  On Tuesday we had the kickoff for our CFF marathon team, Team for Life.  It was a good time and I was asked to speak to the group.  I basically rambled off the Time to Train blog I posted here earlier.  While talking to a friend before the meeting, I mentioned that I had fixed my stride and now was running faster and better than ever.  Well, one of the team members was there with us and heard me say that I could run an 8:35 for two miles.  She kind of snickered and walked away.  I called her on it, as she didn’t hear the rest of the discussion.  What she didn’t hear is that I could do that for up to three two mile intervals.

  No, that is not going to get me to a sub 4:00 marathon.  But, it’s about 500% better than I’ve ever done before.  What will get me to the sub 4 is CF.  Some see CF as a curse.  A “why did this have to happen to me” kind of situation.  I don’t.  I see it as a character defining trait.  Now, I’ve been lucky to be very healthy over my almost 40 years.  But, CF has made me see life the way it really is…a challenge.  And I believe it has made me stand up and take on that challenge better than most people. 

  In fact, I believe that we the CF community are stronger and more determined than the average bear.  We’ve been taught to handle things in life from a very early age.  So, that’s what will get me to a sub 4 marathon.  Grit, determination, and the ability to handle adversary… like I’ve had to since I came to understand CF.

  More to come on my perceived benefits of training and CF!

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Time to Train

So, I’m cheating.  I posted this as a blog post on CysticLife.org.  It’s a post in an attempt to inspire the CF Community.  I think it works here too…

 One month to go.  One month until I start training for my 4th marathon.  Yes, marathon.  26.2 miles on 75% FEV1, osteopenic/osteoporatic bones, borderline diabetes, and more determination then 95% of the people on earth.

  Oh, and did I mention my goals. They are both fairly simple:

• Sub 4:00:00 Marathon
• Raise $4000 for the CFF

  Why am I posting this rambling blog as my first one?  Well, I’m doing this partially for myself.  Really, I’m doing most of it for you.  All, the Men, Women, Boys, Girls, Moms, Dads and everyone else related to CF.  It’s important to me to, in my own way, attempt to inspire all of you.

  On March 30th, 2011 I’ll turn 40. Yes the big Four-Oh.  An age, which according to the doctors, I should never have reached.  In fact, I was only supposed to make it to 16….or less.  I’m a double delta, born in a time when we ate sticks of butter to gain weight (rolled in sugar, of course), we had very few antibiotics (tetracycline anyone?), and my sister (a product of the 60’s) called it Sixty-Five Roaches. 

  Now at my old age, I’m here to prove a point.  A point to everyone with CF, or any other chronic illness.  Chronic doesn’t mean a death sentence.  It doesn’t mean that you can’t accomplish your goals.  That could be graduating from high school or college, getting married, having kids, becoming a pilot, running the Boston Marathon, or anything else you want to do.

  I’m the baby of 13 kids.  I’ve lost two siblings to CF, a father to Alzheimer’s, and a sister-in-law to cancer.  I have two great kids and a beautiful wife.  And I have the drive to keep myself alive and healthy.  Yes, I have a mild case of CF.  But is it mild because of genetics or is it mild because I am determined to keep myself healthy.  Well, I don’t know.  But I do know that I will meet my goal on May 1st 2011.  In fact, I already have.  I’ve made it longer than the docs ever thought I would.

  So, here’s to the CF community.  Here’s my attempt to make you all believe that there is hope.  That life is wonderful and that you should do whatever you can to make the best of it.  I’ll post more blogs as I move forward with my training.  I hope the hard work inspires you all.

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