Thankful for the Gift

As I sit here tonight (Saturday), I have just finished my assignments for the week and had something on my mind.  Over the last couple of weeks, I have thought a lot about this gift.  The gift that I have been given and how sometimes how I need to see it from a different perspective.  I have thought about this the last few runs that I have done since the marathon.

As Jeff and I were mingling around the lobby of the hotel in Huntsville before the start of the marathon, we see a guy come in the front door in a wheelchair.  I can't remember exactly what Jeff said but said something to effect of having a different perspective.  And it does!!!  I have thought many times how fortunate I am able to run.

I just needed to write this and I hope that the next time you see a person in a wheelchair, a blind person, or a person that has lost an arm or a leg, that you will look at yourself and consider how fortunate you are.  Sometimes we get so caught up in ourselves that we forgot how things could be and then God puts a few of these people in our paths to remind us that it isn't all about us.

Totals for 2013

This past year was an awesome year for me!  I didn't run many races but the ones I did run were great.  I ran three 5Ks, two 10Ks, a 4 miler, and a marathon.  I set new PRs in both of the 10Ks and the most challenging race was the marathon.

Since the marathon, I have ran 47.3 miles and have actually ran faster.  On New Year's Day (yesterday), I ran with Team Corinth from downtown and around the Coke 10K course.  I started a little early and then made a detour from the Coke course so I could stretch it out so I could get in 8 miles for the first day of 2014.  It was the best run that I've had in a long while and my fastest at an 11:08 pace.

Here are my totals for 2013...

Total miles:  970.00
Total time:  7 days 19 hours 17 minutes 9 seconds
Average pace:  11:26 per mile
Total runs:  124

Total All-time miles:  2504.04

Thank you all for being a part of my journey this past year and for reading my blog.  It's not always easy to keep putting one foot in front of the other but the journey is well worth it.  Hope you had a great Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Dead Last Is Better Than DNF

Way back in June I posted here that I was going to be running the Rocket City Marathon.  The event was this past weekend and it was an experience that I'll never forget!  I made some new friends, that I'll tell you about later, and was thrilled to have my running partner, Jeff, waiting for me at the finish line.

The wife and I left for Huntsville on Friday morning and had a nice quiet lunch together at Olive Garden then we went and picked up my race packet.  We went and checked into our hotel and then off to the mall we went.

The weather wasn't looking very good for us because there was rain in the forecast.  Tish and I picked Jeff up at their hotel about 6:30am and it was pouring down.  Tish dropped us off at the host hotel and she said by the time she park, it had stopped raining.  It was a miracle!  At race time it was only misting rain and that stopped soon after the start.

Since I knew it was going to be cold just standing around before the gun went off, I wore a sweat shirt that I was willing to leave on the course.  I took it off after a mile and a quarter and got rid of it.  I was warmed up by then.  Just past mile 2, I saw Bart Yasso standing on the sidewalk.  It took me a second to recognize him but I turned around and got my phone out and asked if I could have my picture taken with him.  He was kind and more than willing to do it.

At mile 3 it I was thrilled to see someone that I knew and went over and hugged Patricia's neck because I hadn't seen her in a long time.  Little did we know that the photographer that had just taken my picture before I went around the corner took our picture too.

I remember many details about the next 23 miles but I don't remember what mile I might have been at.  As I went along I saw a mailbox made up of many different bird houses.  It was unusual but nice. Going through the different neighborhoods and seeing all of these people cheering was great!  I ran most of the race alone but the spectators were still cheering for me long before I got to their post.

A couple of places where folks were out really stand out in my mind.  The first was when I saw a few kids dancing and singing.  I'm not sure exactly what they were singing but they were.  After the runners in front of me went by them, they were about to go back into the house and their mom said, "Here comes some more."  Two of the little boys ran back out to the side of the road and yelled, "High-fives are free!"  I gave them both high-fives as I went by.  Another place there was a young lady holding a big sign that said, "Touch Here for Power", so I did!

The course had one really long stretch of about 4.6 miles that seemed like it was three times as long.  Another runner had told me that it was 6 or 7 miles.  Along that stretch of the course was a guy playing a violin too.  He was great!

There was so much to see along the course that it's just hard for me to remember really.  Another guy was just standing on the side of the road and had music playing from his car.  The song he was playing got stuck in my head for over 2 miles and I was finally able to stop singing it.  Can you imagine singing "Santa Clause Is Coming to Town" while running for over 2 miles?  I did!

At mile 23 I was ready to throw in the towel.  I had to dig really deep and keep telling myself, "You've come this far, you can't quit now!"  The last 5K was the hardest part of the entire race.  It wasn't the course.  I just didn't think I could make it another step and I just kept going to putting one foot in front of the other.

The highlight of the entire event, besides crossing the finish line, has got to be the three new friends that I made while trying to get to the finish.  After getting rid of the sweat shirt, I got really warm and told another runner that I wished I had've worn a short sleeve.  Not long after that, I was glad I had on a long sleeve.  The wind started blowing and it cooled things down quite a bit.  After the wind stopped blowing it warmed back up a little and I got hot.  Little did I know that I would come upon that runner again.  His name is Kade and we made friends while walking and talking.  The sweepers were quickly approaching us from behind and we knew we needed to stay ahead of them.  I stayed ahead of them for a while until they caught me.  I stayed with them until about the last two miles and they steadily pulled away.  During the 4 miles or so that I ran with them, I made friends with them as well.  They are Jeri and Dave.  I promise you, if you ever need some motivation to run, let these two get behind you.  They will encourage you to the very last.  "That's it, Jeremy!  Strong and steady!  That's the way!"

Kade crossed the finish 9 seconds ahead of me but guess who else was waiting on us.  Jeri and Dave! They were so proud of us for sticking it out and not dropping.  The four of us had a little celebration right there at the finish line.

After I finally got into the host hotel, Jeff handed me a plate with my favorite food on it...a PB&J sandwich!  I was so ready for some real food and that hit the spot.

The title of this post says it all...almost!  I did come in dead last of the finishers that got a time but that's okay.  I remember a saying that I've read many times over the last year:  "Dead last is better than did not finish, which trumps did not start."

It was so good to see my wife, Jeff, Ginger, and Julie there at the finish line.  I know they were getting a little worried.  Jeff texted me to see if I was alright and about that time I came around the corner to the finish.  Jeff and I have ran many miles together and he has seen me grow from doing 10Ks all the way up to a marathon.  I know it's not over because I'm sure we'll run many more miles together in the coming years.

Thanks for stopping by for this long post and I hope you enjoyed reading about my experience of running my first marathon.

Greatest Lessons Learned

I'm getting pretty good at writing essays and had to write another one for my final exam yesterday.  The topic we had to write about was three of the greatest lessons we have learned over the last year.  I put this together and revised it in just under an hour.  Hope you enjoy it! 

     I can see the picture in my mind.  It is a picture of a pelican that is about to swallow a frog.  However, the frog has it's arm out and the hands of the frog are wrapped around the  pelican's throat.  Below the picture in bold letters are the words, "Never give up!"  The lessons I have learned over the past year have given me that exact attitude.

     Losing weight for me is easy.  It is keeping it off that is the hard part.  Experts say, if someone can keep weight off for three years, they probably won't gain it back.  This past October has been three years since I started on my weight loss journey.  I have kept over thirty-five pounds off since I lost it.  After all this time, I have learned that if I set my mind to it, then I can do it.   

     Running a race is one thing, but seeing things from the other side is entirely different.  During a recent race, I was working at a water stop and as most of the runners ran by, they would offer words of thanks.  I now understand what the volunteers at events do.  They give their time to others, so they can have a great experience.  The lesson I learned here is that a person should be willing to give of themselves to make life more enjoyable for those around them.

     This past summer was so hot for me as a runner.  Every Saturday, I would hit the floor early, drive out to a certain spot and meet my running friends.  The heat was just brutal to me.  I wanted to give up and go home.  With encouraging words from my friends, I learned to not give up because in the end it is worth it.

    Can these lessons be applied to other areas of life?  I am sure they can.  Those areas might include marriage, friendships, or a job. I do believe that when a person sets their mind to do something, gives of themselves, and doesn't give up, anything can be accomplished.

Healthy and More Confident

As most of you know by now, I have been taking English Comp this fall and haven't really had loads of time to sit down and write in my blog.  Since the beginning of the semester I have written two essays and I am working on a third.  The first one was posted here on the last post.  Although it wasn't about running or healthy living, it did contain a lesson that can be applied to many areas of life.

My second essay was a process essay.  I won't go into all the details but I did write mine about how to live a healthy lifestyle.  Before you read it though, I want to give an update on what I've been accomplished since my last post.

I am still training hard for my marathon which is coming up pretty fast.  I have ran my longest distance of 19.1 miles just a few weeks ago and will attempt another 20 miler this coming weekend.  I haven't gotten to run during the week like I should but I've been busy on the road too.  For the most part it has been great weather for training the last few weeks.

Now that that is out of the way, here is the essay that I wrote for my class.  Thanks for taking the time to visit and read it.


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Healthy and More Confident

Since I started on my journey to a healthier lifestyle over three years ago, I have heard,  “How did you use lose all that weight?” “What diet are you on?” “I bet you feel so much better.” and “I wish I had your will power.”  I would not have believed it before, but I am convinced, now more than ever, that a person can make small changes in their lives that will make them feel better and more confident to reach any goal.

When I first started on this journey, I set some goals.  I set small goals that I wanted to accomplish in a short period of time and some larger ones that I wanted to accomplish in the coming months and years.  For example, a small goal might be to lose five pounds in a month and walk three times a week for the next six weeks.  However, a larger goal would be to keep those five pounds off for six months or walk one hundred miles in the next four months.

Second, I started weighing myself on Sunday morning, and this was really motivating.  It let me see the progress I was making and let me know if I was headed toward or away from my target.  Experts say people should weigh themselves everyday, but that can be demotivating especially if weight was gained.

After setting my goals and weighing, I decided I would start to exercise.  Since I didn’t want to disturb the normal family routine, I thought it would be best if I woke up early and went for a walk.  I started out walking thirty minutes and then increased it by five minutes every two weeks until I worked up to an hour.  Eventually, I decided that I would try running and now I am half marathoner.

At the same time, eating the right foods plays an important role in my pursuit to a healthier lifestyle.  I began to eat healthier foods.  Instead of eating a candy bar for a snack, I would eat some grapes, a banana, or a serving of almonds.  For breakfast I would eat oatmeal or some other kind of cereal with almond milk.  These changes were gradual and not all at once.  To help me stay focused I used an app on my iPhone to track my calories.

Equally important is getting plenty of sleep and rest.  They are just as important as doing the exercise.  It is during sleep that the body repairs all of the damage.  The body always builds back stronger than it was before.  It is generally accepted that getting seven to eight hours of sleep a night is best.

After a while, I started looking for others that were on a similar journey.  Over the last three years, I have met some of the greatest people too.  These are the ones that have been there to give me advice and encourage me.  It also gave me a chance to help them out as well.

Finally, I began a blog and wrote in it weekly.  This kept me accountable to others and kept me focused on what I wanted to accomplish.  I would write about my activities from the previous week, whether or not I tried any new foods, and how my weight loss was progressing.  I wrote about the good and the bad.  Eventually, I started writing about other running related subjects that I found interesting.

Living a healthier lifestyle isn’t just about being healthier but it is the person that is revealed during the journey.  After losing over forty pounds and becoming a healthy runner, I am confident that I can set any goal and accomplish it.  If I can do it, then anyone can.

Small acts of kindness make the world a better place

As promised on Facebook, I am going to post my essay that I wrote for my English Comp class but first I have a few things I'd like to write.  First, I want the world to know that I have the best running friends in the world!  Although they are scattered all over the place, they are still the best!

Second, this past Saturday was one of the best running/walking days.  It started for me at 4:15am.  I started my run just before 5am and made a loop around the Coke course.  I was going to run for a while but for some reason I was just having a bad day and I stopped at 7.5 miles.  I got cleaned up and made my way to downtown Corinth for the start of the Rotary 5K.  This was a race that I ran a couple of years ago and last year I attended and took pictures.  I did the same thing this year and really enjoyed it.

While I was doing that, some of my friends were running the race and some of them were in Winchester, TN, running either a half or full marathon.  A couple even completed their first marathon and got a spot on the Wall of Pain.  Congrats to all of you that crossed the finish line no matter the distance!

I also got to participate in something awesome too.  As you may or may not know, I am running as a St Jude Hero in December.  That simply means that I have committed to raising funds for St Jude.  My goal was to raise $500 and as of this writing I have reached that goal and then some.  I am a member of Team Corinth and we had a roadblock in Corinth and I got to work the 11am-1pm shift.  It made me feel so good to see so many folks come through and give.  If you came through and gave while we were out there, thank you so much!  It's still not to late to give if you want.  You can go to my personal fundraising page and donate by clicking here. (I'll take this link down at the end of my fundraising)

Now for what you have been waiting for.  When I was coming up with ideas for what I wanted to write my essay about, my instructor gave us some guidance.  I won't go into all the boring details but I knew almost immediately what story I was going to tell.  This is a story about Nanny and me.  It is also about something little that she did for me many years ago that I have always remembered and have told on occasion but never wrote it down.  Anyway, the topic applies to so many areas of life but since this is a blog about my running I will tell you about how it applies here.  So many people have come into my life over the past three years and all of them have made a difference in my life.  It doesn't matter how simple they might have thought it was but I can tell you that it changed the direction of my life.  For example, those three people that kept posting their runs on Facebook until I finally said, "If they can do that, so can I."  I could go on and on but I won't.  Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy the essay.

The Ice Cream Cone

“Small acts of kindness make the world a better place.” That was one of the many sayings my grandmother, Nanny, used to tell me while I was growing up.  She set the perfect example for many others and me during her lifetime.  Every time I go out for an ice cream or drive by the local dairy bar, I am transported back in time when I was on the receiving end of one of her acts of kindness.  Even though I was only six or seven, this one small gesture would stick with me throughout my life.

It was a hot, summer day in 1978, and my parents, sister, and uncle decided to go swimming.  I wasn't going because I had just recently had tubes put in my ears and couldn’t allow water to enter them.  Instead, Nanny was going to carry me to the dairy bar and treat me to some ice cream.  Before we even arrived, I knew I was going to choose vanilla because it was my favorite flavor.  As we pulled up to the front of the building, Nanny asked in her soft kind voice, “What do you want?”

“A great big vanilla ice cream cone!” I replied excitedly.

As she handed me some money, she told me to go order and pay for two large ice cream cones.  Ordering at the pickup window wasn’t something that I had done before, and this made me feel like a big boy.  After I ordered the cones, I was going to carry the first one back to the car to Nanny and then return for mine.  What happened as I was returning with the second cone was totally unexpected.  As I was walking from the pickup window to the car, which couldn’t have been more than 15 feet, the top part of my ice cream slipped right off the cone.  I didn’t know what to do and just stood there and looked around to see if anyone had seen what happened.

As luck would have it, the lady, who had given me the ice cream cones, had seen and opened the pickup window and said, “Come back here, sugar!  I'll put some more on it.”

I returned to the window and she topped me off with more ice cream.  As I was making my way back to the car, the ice cream fell off a second time.  Again, I didn’t know what to do and quickly made my way to the car and sat down.

Nanny could tell that tears were beginning to form in my eyes and she looked over at me and said, “Here, son.  You can have mine and I’ll eat yours.”

As we exchanged cones, a big smile came over my face and as I looked into Nanny’s eyes, I could see the love she had for me.

Although this small act happened over 35 years ago, I still look back at it and am reminded of the times I pay it forward to my children, hoping one day they will look back and pass it on to future generations too.  It is truly those small acts that a person does that really count and do make the world a better place.

Has It Really Been 3 Years?

I wrapped up my running for the month of September this past Sunday and with that I also wrapped up another year.  I can’t believe that it has been three years since I first stepped outside and took that very first step to a new me.  In just under 11 weeks I will arrive at the start line of my very first marathon.  Something that I would have never thought I could do even one year ago.  This past Saturday I reached a new personal best in distance of 16.5 miles.  It had been a while since my last PR and it was worth the wait.

I’m actually going to do my marathon a little different that most of the runners that I know.  I am going to be running 16 minutes and then walking 4 minutes.  This will have me running 80% of the time.  I first tried running 8 minutes and walking 2 but that just wasn’t working out for me.

Today I want to share with you some stats that I’ve accumulated over those three years.

Total Mileage: 2,254.46

Total Time:  2 weeks 4 day 21 hours 54 minutes 1 second

Total Days Walk/Run:  423

2013 Mileage:  720.42

2013 Time:  5 days 16 hours 11 minutes 15 seconds

2013 Runs:  81

2012 Mileage:  850.41

Total Mileage from 1/1/2012 to 9/30/2012:  567.41

I have ran 153 more miles this year than this time last year.

I have ran 1,003.42 miles since last October 1st.

Thanks for all of your support by reading this blog and I hope to get back to blogging on a regular schedule pretty soon.