My New "Marathon"....

Well, tomorrow I begin another "marathon," so to speak. It's my new goal... my new objective...

Hopefully, soon, I can begin walking on my left leg again... to walk normally! What a goal, huh? Who would have thought "that" just a few days ago? On Sunday I was ready to run 13.1 miles. Now, I just want to walk without the use of crutches.

In my mind, I know it's going to be a long journey. I know that with the support of family and friends, I can do this. My attitude is to be positive throughout the negativity. And Lord knows I can be a "doom and gloom" guy... but not this time. I can't...

So here I am... the night before going under the knife... am I nervous? Afraid? How am I really feeling?

Honestly, I'm ready. I didn't get to run my marathon on Sunday. I had to listen to the runners in the distance start their race. Well, this is my time... my race... and it all begins tomorrow morning!

My surgery begins at 10:00 AM. It should last 2 hours, and then I should be out of Recovery by 1:00 PM. I've supplied email addresses (the ones I have here on my personal computer) to Chandra. She will be sending out an update after speaking with the doctor while I'm in the recovery room. If you don't receive anything by 3, just start asking others if you think they may know by then... again, my apologies if you don't receive anything.

Finally, I just want to say it again: Thanks. Thanks to everyone for your concern. I know I put myself "out there" by writing this blog about my running... so, since I have done that already, I figured I needed to keep everyone in the loop on the recovery aspect.

So I have a different type of "running" to go through. But you know what? In the end, maybe I'll reach that point where I can run again...

It all begins tomorrow... I'll be lining up in my own personal starting gate!

"On your mark... get set...."

Meet My Surgeon...

Charles S. Rutherford, M.D.

Orthopedic Associates of Dallas

Dr. Rutherford received his medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in 1980. His general surgery internship and orthopedic residency was completed at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond. Dr. Rutherford then completed an adult joint reconstructive fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He specializes in total joint replacement and revision surgery with an emphasis in the hip and knees. Dr. Rutherford is certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. Dr Rutherford is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery, the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, and the Southern Orthopaedic Association. Along with Dr. Highgenboten, is a member of a small group of orthopedic surgeons from around the nation involved with the development of minimally invasive unicompartmental knee replacement techniques which allow much quicker recovery than seen with typical knee replacement surgery.

Life is All About Making Adjustments...

For those that know me, you know I don't like change. In fact, "change" isn't a big word in my vocabulary. I like "structure," "order," and "consistency."

Lying on my side under that pickup on Sunday and looking at that deformity that once was my knee, I knew then things were about to change.

It was pretty much confirmed yesterday after speaking with the doctor. This was going to be a long process of recovery. What was once normal is no more... and won't be for quite some time.

To say I'm "independent" would be a mild statement. I love my privacy, I like being by myself, and I try and go out of my way at times to do things without the help of others.

"Ch-Ch-Cha-Changes...."

I'm looking at everything now and saying, "OK... let's go with it." I can't turn back time, I can't make this go away, and I certainly am not going to have a pity party for myself because of this latest "event" in my life. Nope... I'm moving forward. But to do that, I have to accept reality and be open to change. In essence, it's time to embrace the "adjustments" to everything I knew beforehand...

Life as I once knew it is gone. I can't get up and go get something quickly... it's a process. Before moving, I have to map out my plan. If I'm by myself, I have to figure out how I'm going to lift my leg and adjust my body as it's going down. If someone is around, I try and get their help because they can lift at the ankle... which feels a little better than when I do it from the thigh.

I pretty much eat standing up now in the kitchen... putting my weight on that right leg and supporting myself with my crutches. Chandra has been great to prepare my meals, bring me drinks (I'm drinking a ton of water for some reason), and getting things for me that I realize are on the other side of the house.

Moving is a lengthy effort. I move pretty dang slowly... let's just say if I need to take a "break" during a commercial, the commercial is well over by the time I return to the couch.

Bathing? Have you ever thought about if you lost the use of one of your legs, what would you do? At first, the Heman in me thought, "Oh, I'll just balance on my right leg while in the shower." Well, since my lack of balance got me into this situation, then that ain't gonna happen. Even thinking about getting down into a tub (or getting out) seems out of the question. So the solution has been to use these "night-time baby wipes" that Chandra had left over from when her niece was here. Godsend! But still, I hate that I haven't fully showered since Saturday.

I mastered the art of sleeping with my leg propped up last night... I think. Now I keep the blankets on the side and pull them over right to left instead of at the foot of the bed. Makes it a bit easier when I have to get up and back in.

But overall, it's the sheer dependence on others that is so foreign to me. Yesterday at the hospital I realized how much I've leaned on Chandra and others. When someone could help me, it was so much easier. When I was doing things by myself, it was even more painful.

How is the pain by the way? It's constant... that's about the best word I can say. However, it ranges from a little bit of intensity to a lot. When it's getting to the "a lot" phase, I know I'm ready for more pills.

Waking up both mornings, I've had a headache. I think it's because the blood has gone downward from my leg. But, once I get moving, headache is gone.

Today the plan is for me to just rest up/get ready for the surgery tomorrow. From the "Too Much Information" department, I'm allowed to wear my underwear during surgery. However, I don't have any with a button in the fly and yours truly doesn't want the world to get to know him THAT well... so we'll be making a purchase today.

I'm responding to emails and phone calls as best as I can. The blog helps to keep people informed of what is going on... and it seems to explain more of the details. I've heard from a lot of people since displaying the X-Ray. I have pics from the race (more hospital ones, too), but I don't have the software I need to display the pics on my site. I'll post those at a later date.

Other than that, I'm just lying here on the couch next to a dog that sleeps more than any dog I've ever known. While I'm not much of a dog person, Zeus is a good dog. He likes to come check on me every once in a while, then goes back to sleep.

Just one more adjustment in my life... ha!

A Recap of My Kneecap...

First and foremost, thank you to all of my friends and family who have reached out to me today. Wow... what a support group! In times like this, you really REALLY know who cares about you... I truly am blessed.

Last night was pretty miserable - not used to being immobilized while trying to sleep. I slept for about 2 hours and then would be reminded of what had happened. Percocet is really good, but man oh man does it give you some crazy dreams!

I started calling the Orthopedic Surgeon at 8:30 AM... and I was fortunate to get an appointment at 11:00. Chandra and I hit the road about 10:15... and headed toward Medical City Dallas Hospital.

I assumed this would be like most doctor's offices... sign in, wait for 45 minutes, etc etc etc. Not this place... I signed in and within 3 minutes the Dr. came out and asked to see me.

He and his assistant asked me a bunch of questions, then set up the X-Ray. To do that, they took off the brace and ace bandage... so now I got to see my knee, in all its glory, for the first time since yesterday morning.

The first thing you would notice is the swelling. It's about the size of a softball. Then there are the scrapes and scratches (abrasions) from when I hit the curb... and then the bruising.

But what struck me immediately was the lack of support I had - it literally felt like my foot was pulling my leg apart when I stood up. Meandering down the hallway on the crutches, I think the technician was losing her patience a tad. Like, "Hey buddy... hurry it up!" She didn't say that, but that's kinda how I felt. Well, I was going as fast as I could, about a hair over a snail's pace, due to the crazy streaks of pain shooting up through the entire leg!

After she got me on the table, and I informed her that I literally could not pick up my leg and would require her assistance, she took the photographs. Well, I knew it must be bad from her reaction - she had made a 180 in her attitude. "Oh my gosh we are NOT moving that knee!" I said, "So the pictures were pretty good, eh?" On my return back to the room, she helped me all the way...

So, that's what you're seeing up there... a picture of my knee. Basically, your Patella is supposed to be one bone. It connects your thigh muscles to your lower leg and acts as a fulcrum to pull up the lower leg when one needs to bend that knee. Notice the gap? Well, there's no connection... so I can't lift my leg.

The surgery is scheduled for this Wednesday morning at Medical City. Should take 2 hours, and then 1 hour in Recovery. They are going to hold me overnight, and hopefully I'll be discharged on Thursday.

The rest of the day was spent gallivanting around the hospital... or just hobbling really really slowly. I can't tell you how many nice people I met today. You see, Chandra had to leave to go to a presentation. I had to get admitted for Wednesday. So, being on my own, I guess people just took a little pity in me.

I'm pretty sore tonight. The time at the hospital went a lot longer than I expected, so I was away from my pain meds. I plan to just sit on this couch with my leg propped up... and enjoy the meds.

So, how does the rest of my year look? After the surgery, in 2 weeks I'll come back to get the stitches out. I'll then receive a knee brace that has hinges. I think every 2 weeks they'll unlock a hinge so I'll slowly but surely get more mobility.

Recovery is supposed to take 4-5 months. In 9 months, I return for another surgery. This one will remove the wires. Oh boy...

Thanks again for those who have been supporting me. It really means a lot...

I think I need to start a new blog: RecoveringToBlog.com.

Oh, and my parents still don't know... they will get home Wednesday night, after my surgery. We think we'll tell them Thursday morning.

Un-Freakin-Believable...

"Hey... what happened to the text messages? I never received an update..."

I have heard this question a lot to day. As you can see from the picture, we had a bit of a problem today... I really only need to tell the story once, so here you go:

The day began at the crack of dawn... 4:15 AM for me, personally. I had a difficult night sleeping with the anticipation of running 13.1 miles.

Chandra, David, and I had planned to meet at 5:05 AM and catch the 5:15 shuttle in front of our hotel to the starting line. Sometimes, good plans just don't go as planned...

After waiting for over 30 minutes for the bus with 50 of our fellow runners, we decided to drive it. The race was less than an hour away... so I ran upstairs, grabbed my car keys, and off we went.

Immediately we were hit with a lot of "race traffic" near the Memorial. This delayed us a bit... so much that we struggled to find a parking space (again, which we hadn't planned on since we were thinking we'd be taking a shuttle). It was now about 6:00 AM... the clock is ticking.

We found one in a field where we thought it was parking lanes for the participants. However, we, along with dozens of others, were mistaken. These "lanes" were actually PVC pipe for a future sprinkler system. We parked there anyway... and felt really bad about it.

We hurriedly walked to the Memorial with hundreds of others. It seemed a bit chaotic to say the least. We found Laura and Matt, but had to make a quick "break" as we needed a pre-race potty stop. Not finding any port-o-potties, we went into First Church, the one at the base of the Memorial that has a huge impact on the race. "Pancakes Pancakes Pancakes!!!"

Well, we couldn't afford to eat any pancakes... we were in a rush. It was now approaching 6:20 and we hadn't even stretched yet.

Chandra and I headed towards our spots, along with dozens of others, but we were blocked by barriers. We rounded the building and again were faced by barriers. Seeing others jump them, we decided this was what we needed to do...

Wrong decision...

As Chandra was hopping over, I was attempting to "carefully" leap over mine. The barriers were a bit taller than I expected... for some reason, my foot got caught and I headed straight downward.

Instead of landing on my head, I instinctively tried to catch myself... well, I caught myself in a big way. As I hit the pavement, I knew I landed badly. A numbing shock went through my entire body. I heard gasps from a group of women sitting nearby. My first reaction was "embarrassment."

If you were standing nearby and saw this happen, you would have witnessed me landing on the curb... with my knee.

As I tried to stand, I noticed my leg wasn't bending... and then I saw it. My left knee...

To say it was deformed would be putting it a tad mildly. Chandra saw it and immediately started saying, "Regan sit down! Regan... don't look at it! Get down!"

All I could do was to lie down behind a pickup truck as others came running to help me. My knee looked as if someone had hit it with a hammer... there was a pit where my kneecap was supposed to be.

That kneecap? It now was residing in my lower thigh. Sorry for the gruesome details, but that's what was going on. As crazy as this sounds, I thought, "Why can't I just stand up and push this back in... I have a race to start." Maybe I was in shock...

I couldn't believe this. I'm lying on the ground under a pickup and listening to the start of the race happening... and I wasn't going to participate.

I looked at Chandra and said, "Just go... don't worry about me." I felt bad that she was going to miss out on her race due to my stupidity. Of course, she wasn't going to leave me.

The next set of events are kind of a blur... We tried using someone's phone and calling my phone because David had it, but no answer. A call went out to 911. The ladies prayed over me. Chandra ran around the building to go find our friends. People constantly walking by and staring at "the man with the deformed knee."

The ambulance arrived and the EMT girl asked me several questions. She said, "You don't look like you're in pain. Are you in shock because that looks very painful." I said I hadn't extended the leg yet so I wasn't sure where the pain would be.

Little did I know that Laura was having a hard time seeing me in this condition. I saw Chandra's watery eyes. Good grief, was I dying? But I guess if the shoes were on the other foot, I'd probably be feeling the exact same way...

They got me into the ambulance, and off to the hospital I went. In my first ever ambulance ride (whoo-hoo!), I was asked even more questions and the pain started to arrive just as we arrived at the hospital - Hello Demerol!

At the hospital, I had a ton of questions and of course I tried to show a little humor from this... "Yes... I didn't do this running IN the race but running TO the race." Then several nurses came in to look at the knee and told me how painful of a recovery I should be expecting... awesome. They were nice enough to turn the TV on for me - which was showing the Marathon. Son-of-a...!!!

A doctor arrived and started feeling around and said that he could feel my kneecap in different places... oh the news was just getting better. X-Rays were taken and it was confirmed - I have 2 kneecaps now. One is in my thigh and the other is someplace else. Probably in my ankle.

My knee was now swollen pretty good. They gave me more Demerol and then discharged me because there was nothing they could do... I need an Orthopedist. My friends took over big-time.

They ferried me to Walgreens to fill my Percocet prescription, bought some pillows for me, and helped pack me up in my hotel room. Laying in the back of a car, I was now ready to go back to Dallas for the 3-hour tour... the 3-hour tour...

I'm now living at Chandra's house. She has put me up (I tried to fight and say I'm fine and I can do this on my own, but she won out), fed me, and pretty much has become an extra appendage to me...

So, how am I really feeling?

Physically, I've got some pain to say the least. It ranges from a 2 to an 8 on a scale of 10... I had a nap this afternoon, so that helped. My ankle has swollen. Oh, and the "best" part is now I'm putting weight on my right leg... the one that has been giving me the recent troubles. I'm on crutches, I have a brace that extends from my upper thigh to my ankle, and my knee is wrapped up very tight.

Emotionally, I'm pretty frustrated/discouraged. I don't have to get into all of that now... I think it's pretty self-explanatory. And I feel stupid... stupid for rushing and not considering I was about to make a dumb mistake.

Tomorrow the plan is to call an Orthopedist. The ER doctor says I will need surgery... guess I can't "wish" my kneecaps to come back together. Hopefully something can happen before noon tomorrow.

I obviously can't drive, and I'm finding that crutches aren't a lot of fun.

My folks are out of town this week... so Chandra is my Florence Nightengale. I'm pretty sure my mom is going to flip when she finds out all of this.

The Night Before...

Well, it's the night before and we've had a long day. It's about 9:30, so it's getting close to having to turn the lights out. Have to be up at "dark-thirty" to make sure we're down at the Memorial for a 6:30 start time!

Chandra, David, and I drove up today... arriving just after noon. We made it to Bricktown and found a restaurant at the OKC ballpark: Coaches. Let's just say I would NOT recommend this place - terrible food and service.

After filling our bellies, we headed over to the Expo in the convention center. It was pretty crowded, but not as large as Nashville... and certainly not as large as the Chicago Marathon. Very friendly folks, though.

Next we checked into our hotel, made a quick change, and headed back down to Bricktown. We had a lazy afternoon at a bar called Tapwerks. It was really good - service and beer selection!

Dinner was a bit of work... we faced a 2-hour wait at Rios. Chandra found some place called Italianos in northern Oklahoma City... next to a Pizza Hut! Ha! Anyway, it was really good... lots of pasta for the carbs we'll be using tomorrow.

Now I'm back in the hotel room... I bought an ice pack and have been trying to freeze my leg. I've attached my bib number to my shirt, and my chip to my shoe. I decided on the right one since I know I'll be focused on that side anyway...

The weather is terrible - very windy. They are interupting the TV tonight with all kinds of weather warnings. Rain is predicted throughout the race... strong wind, too. Chandra said she saw "hail"is exected. Awesome...

So this is it. Wow... in less than 12 hours I should be finished with 13.1 miles of running. Throught rain, sleet, sun, or hail...

Great googly moogly...!!!

Spreading the Word about the OKC Marathon

Popularity of local event has drastically increased since it began nine years ago

By Jenni Carlson
Published: April 23, 2009

Jeff Kidder travels around the country marketing the Memorial Marathon.

Thing is, the best sales pitches these days are never his.

Many times, the marathon vice president has gone to other races to man a booth, distribute brochures and answer questions about the Oklahoma City event. When runners who’ve done the Memorial Marathon see the booth, they often gravitate toward it.

Then, someone who’s never run the marathon will approach the booth and say, "Tell me about Oklahoma City.”

Kidder won’t even have time to respond.

"Oh, my gosh,” the runners standing nearby will say. "You’ve got to do this.”

Kidder has seen it happen time and again.

"I’m smart enough to shut up when somebody does a better sales job than me,” he said, laughing. "I can sell water to a man that’s drowning. But with Oklahoma City, you don’t have to.”

The Memorial Marathon has grown in each of its first eight years, and organizers anticipate that the ninth annual race this Sunday will be no different. Almost 20,000 runners are expected.

In the marathon’s first year, there were 4,400.

The reasons for the marathon’s growth are many — from the local training groups and national exposure to the Memorial connection and race organization — but in the end, it boils down to word of mouth.

The marathon’s marketing is viral.

"Over time, I think people have discovered Oklahoma City through the stories told by others who have participated,” said Greg Hall, president of the Dallas Running Club, which will have a couple hundred runners Sunday at the Memorial Marathon.

Hall is one of those with a story about the Memorial Marathon. He first ran it in 2003, and the connection between the race and the memorial struck a chord. It started with the pasta dinner, a carbohydrate-loading staple of every marathon, but in Oklahoma City, the meal is served by bombing survivors and victims’ families.

Then, there was the prayer service under the Survivor Tree on race morning, the 168 seconds of silence before the start and the banners lining the course with the names of the victims.

"This was not a period of mourning,” Hall said of the weekend. "This was a celebration of life with the founding notion that this loss will move us forward to what is good in people and good in life.

"To the very end, this is a celebration that begs me back each year.”

That link between marathon and Memorial is the reason Bart Yasso fell in love with this event.

He is the chief running officer at "Runner’s World,” the monthly bible of running. Most runners know him better as the Mayor of Running. He is respected. He is followed. He is the Pied Piper.

In January 2004, he listed the Memorial Marathon among his dozen favorite races. He included it alongside Miami, Austin and Minneapolis, not to mention storied locales Big Sur, Catalina Island and Pikes Peak.

Also on his list — Rome, Stockholm and Antarctica.

Yasso gave the Memorial Marathon some serious street cred.

"I’ve always said that running a marathon ... is very emotional,” Yasso said via telephone earlier this week. "If you look at a race like Oklahoma City, they attach a whole other emotion to the emotional day.”

But Yasso believes the draw of the Memorial Marathon goes beyond that. Most successful events have more than great races; they also give runners something unique during the weekend.

The Memorial Marathon, for example, is preceded by a two-day expo that features some of running’s best known personalities. Joan Benoit Samuelson. Bill Rodgers. Dick Beardsley.

"That stuff lasts,” Yasso said. "That really resonates with people.”

And people in the running community talk.

"Word of mouth really spreads in the running community,” Yasso said. "The running demographic is a very computer-savvy, viral demographic. Once you put on a great race, runners just boast about it non-stop.”

That’s marketing that can’t be manufactured.

Kidder still takes the message of the marathon all over the country. He speaks to running clubs in the state and throughout the region. He offers discounts for early registration. He speaks at race director conferences. He mans a booth at many events.

But the marathon vice president isn’t the only one selling the event these days.

"Once you start doing the right things as an organization and people have an amazing experience, you can’t buy that advertisement,” Kidder said. "It’s viral. It’s networking. It’s runners going back to their communities ... and saying, ‘This is what happens.’

"It’s an easier sell now. The reputation is out.”

Let's Marathon!

If you go to the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon's website, you'll see the phrase "Let's Marathon!" With just days away until I join thousands as we run through the city, I guess that's appropriate. There's not much else we can do... the time has come. "Let's Marathon!"

After running my 10-miler on Sunday, I've tapered back big-time this week. Last night I ran 3 miles through the neighborhood. It wasn't fun due to the continued problems with my right leg. But hey... nothing is going to stop me at this point.

As I was running, I thought about the last 4 months. Man, I've come a long way since December 29. If this is your first time to read this blog, it was started with my first entry entitled, "And So It Begins. I felt that was the perfect title to capture not only where I was at... but where I was going. I knew I had a long Long LONG road ahead of me!

Miles and miles, actually. I've run on treadmills, streets, sidewalks, across bridges, up spillways, and on various paths. I've run from dogs, avoided kids, stepped on rocks, and lept over puddles, dead snakes, and animal excrement. "Uh, that was from an animal... right???"

I've cross-trained throughout this journey, too. I'm a walker, biker, cross-ramper, and ellipticaler... if that even is a word. In essence, I'm a "mover" in the most basic form. Isn't that the fundamental principal of exercise? Just get moving...

My overall goal this year is to drop 50 lbs. So far, I'm down 20. It hasn't been through just exercise alone... DIET is a key. And it really hasn't been a "diet," but rather choosing "healthier" options.

Do I really need to eat that super-sized meal? Do I really need to stuff that burger, french fries, and whatever else into my pie hole? Why not add more fruits and vegetables to my meals? Why not lessen the portions a tad? It really hasn't been that difficult... just adding more "control" to what I'm putting in.

For those that have been following this "journey" with me, thanks for coming along. Your support and encouragement has been incredible. I think about each of you while I run... honestly. I know you'll be asking me about how "the run" went after each training regimen, so I've tried to be as honest and open throughout all of this.

Because of that, I know I'm not running alone. We're all running on Sunday. I'm taking you with me... we're lacing up our shoes, stretching our sore muscles, and waiting in that corral with all of the other runners anticipating the starting gun. We've got 13.1 miles ahead of us...

Let's Marathon!

Want to Watch Me Run on Sunday???

If you're interested in seeing me run this upcoming Sunday, you're more than welcome to witness this event at the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon.

However, I know that most of you have better things to do on a Sunday morning... especially between the hours of 6:30 AM and 9:30 AM!

But, if you're interested in "seeing" me run without all of the hassle, you can sign up to receive my updates via text message or email. Ah, the beauty of technology...

I'll be running with a chip attached to my shoe. This will register as I run across certain timing mats located at key checkpoints throughout the race. Most likely, I'll run across at least 3.

When I do this, a message will be sent to anyone that is tracking me via phone or email. One thing to know ahead of time: The time is "sort of" accurate, but not completely. It may take us a while to actually get to the Start Line... When Chicago started, it took me about 10 minutes to walk up to the starting line.

Anyway, if you're interested, just go to this link and you can set it all up:

Link

My Cousin Lori...

My cousin Lori is like a best friend/sister all wrapped up into one incredible person! Those that have met her swear they come away like they've known her for years! She never meets a stranger, she has an amazing heart for others, and she's just about the most positive person I've ever met! I can't tell you how blessed I am to call her my "sister."

In fact, I don't even have a name anymore... she calls me "Bro." I'm the brother she never had... or the one that she's stuck with now! Ha! We grew very close after I finished up with college and settled in with my life... She's been there for me through the good and the not-so-good.

Lori is probably one of my biggest cheerleaders in life... no matter what I'm going through, she's always there to support me. I can't tell you how many phone conversations we have had... and for those that know me typically know that I always have some sort of "story" to tell. If you think I've made you laugh, you should hear how many times I've had Lori in tears from all of the stupid stuff I've done! And, it goes both ways! She cracks me up, always has a listening ear, and looks out for me like big sisters do...

Yep... that's Lori. I figured I needed to shed a little background on her before I tell you the next part.

If you've been following my blog, you know that my race is coming up. Next Sunday... April 26... 6:30 AM... Oklahoma City. I've been focused on this one race since the beginning of the year. It's been one of my goals... one of my objectives. It's actually been a Mission, I guess. Yes... I've been a man on a mission.

Losing weight, getting healthier, and pushing myself to see how far I could go... that's been my mission this year. To me, it's made the year a little bit better. Work doesn't weigh on me as much as it used to. The frustrations of life haven't been as "frustrating." Maybe it's because of all of this... or maybe it's because I have enjoyed this "hobby."

Running... it's my hobby. I'm a runner. Actually, I still believe I'm an athlete first. There's something else I want to do before the year is up, but I won't go into that right now. It will push me, that's for sure... and yes, it's another athletic challenge. But I digress...

I was fortunate in that the first 3 months of this "mission," I didn't suffer any injuries. Well, we all know that has changed. Even when my leg was hurting, I kept running. I wasn't sure what it was, but I figured I just would push through it. Deal with it. "Handle" it, you know...

A few weeks ago I finally got fed up. I guess it was the near-death experience - almost falling off the treadmill! I say "near death" because it would have embarrassed me to death had that happened... So off to the doctor.

Doctor Doom told me that it was most likely a damaged nerve that ran from my ankle to my knee. Somewhere along the training I strained a muscle that caused this injury. An orthopedist has since called me to see if I wanted to come in... I declined. And ever since, I've just dealt with the pain...

Well, this "thing" has really impacted my training. My gait is different, my breathing has been labored, and worst of all it feels miserable. Yet, I have tried to run on one good leg and just "pull" the deadwood along for the ride.

This past week, I stopped running. Oh, I ran a 4 on Thursday, but I knew my heart wasn't really in it. Not only was I dealing with the pain, but I was frustrated. I had trained too damn long and hard to get to this point, just weeks before the race, to be subject to this.

Personally, I think it bugged me the most because I was cruising along faster and better than I have ever run. I started to think, "Hey... maybe I can set a personal record?" I really wanted to beat 2:24 - which is what Chandra and I ran in Nashville in 2007.

However, I knew I probably would be lucky just to cross the Finish Line.

I had gotten pretty dang low in my spirits. Mad at myself. Mad at my leg. Just plain discouraged...

Well, yesterday I was gone all day so I never picked up the mail. This morning, as I retrieved my newspaper, I went to the mailbox. I saw something that wasn't a bill (shocking!) and thought, "Hey... that looks like a card." I then discovered it was from Lori...

"Strange... it's not my birthday. What would she be sending me a card for???" I thought...

When I opened it up, it was everything I described about Lori and much, much more... She had written the most positive and encouraging letter to me! I couldn't believe it! Knowing her, she sensed I was down and knew just what would pick my spirits up. I was shocked... and then, a little fire started up within.

Instead of running at the gym, I decided I would hit the lake. It would be just me... Chandra had already run earlier in the morning, and I hadn't made any plans with anyone else. Me and my music...

Right out of the gate, I knew something was different. First, I saw Becky! She was there running with someone else. She had seen me coming around a corner and ran down to cheer me on! That was awesome... a few minutes later, I saw Kevin... her husband... biking. He called out to me!

"OK, God... this is getting interesting..."

The first mile was painful... but not as painful as previous runs. It was very windy, but the temps were in the low 60s. Would you believe I ran the first 5 miles and then took a water break? I was doing great. Not fast... but still great for what had been going on!

Knowing next Sunday I'll be running 13.1, I wanted to reach 10. I kept going and going and it just felt smooth. There was still a little pain, but nothing like before! Around 8, I started feeling a little tired... but I pushed on. At 9 I had lapped the lake. Now, I just needed to go a little further. Finally, I hit 10. I was done... spent... game over!

Walking back, I just kept thinking that the power of positive people really do make a difference in your life. I'm so blessed to have people like that, and I'm just so thankful to have someone like Lori. Wow... what an amazing person!

If you'd like to see the run, you can click this link to see all of the data/map. Link

Back to the Basics...

In just over one week, I'll be running in a Half Marathon. Specifically, the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. Am I nervous? Anxious? Scared to death?

Uh... "Yes" doesn't really do that justice...!!!

I've had a pretty good experience running this year... at least for the first 3 months. But this past month has been miserable. Injuries can do that, I guess...

Tonight I decided to just keep it simple ("Stupid!") and run a 4. I'm pretty comfortable running a 4... I know the route, I know what to expect, and it's fairly manageable.

Starting out, streaks of pain shot up and down my leg. I think I've described this to some, but it's as if I've been hit with a hammer on my shin... and when I put weight on it, I feel it from my ankles to my knees.

After the first mile, I just figured I needed to find a way to get used to it. After 2, I was cramping and I had to walk... and I knew this would come back to haunt me. When I started back up, my leg let me know it wasn't happy with me... AT ALL!

Running the next half mile, I figured this was it. I would just have to quit. But, instead of turning left on a street that would take me home... I turned right. Turning right meant going up a hill!

I ran that hill and finished up my 4. I was really happy to finish, and so was my leg!

Now when I returned, I decided to join a site called Motion Based. They are owned by Garmin, and one day that site will be incorporated into the new Garmin Connect.

So here is my experiment. I want to share with you the maps/data of my run. Click this link and see what you think... and see for yourself what a 4-miler looks like:

Link

Running Nine and NOT Feelin' Fine...

One of my phrases this year is "Feelin' Fine in 09'!" It's more of a state of mind than an actual goal...

If you're "feelin' fine," then you try and let the little things roll off your back. You try and not "sweat the small stuff." If you were in Mexico, you'd be saying, "Que Sera Sera."

Well, I'm being tested BIG TIME right now with a challenge!

In less than 2 weeks, I'll be running in the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon with about 15,000 fellow runners. Unfortunately, I'm not in "peak performance." As described below, I've got some nerve damage that is making it pretty uncomfortable to run... walk... basically, put any sort of pressure on my leg.

Yep... I'm definitely not "feelin' fine" these days...

Especially after running 9 miles yesterday. I'm one big LIMPER today!

After taking 3 days off from running, I knew I had to get a long run in yesterday. My plan was to take it very easy - run on a treadmill, go slow, and take frequent breaks.

The first 4 miles were pretty tough. While my leg didn't hurt as bad as the previous run (Wednesday night), it still was in quite a bit of pain. After 4, I took my first water break.

I started up again and lasted another 2 miles, then took another break. Assessing where I was, I noticed the pain wasn't as bad as the first 4 miles. Maybe it was loosening up? Or the 550 miligrams of Aleve had kicked in!

I pushed on for 2 more miles, bringing my total up to 8. At this point, I had to reset the machine because I was about to run out of time. The treadmills at my gym will only allow for a maximum of 99 minutes. As you can see, I was running pretty slow... 5.5 mph, which was just a hair under 11 minutes/mile.

The last mile was a numbing experience. I really couldn't feel anything... although I knew the leg wasn't feeling great. I had been running for over an hour and a half. When you're pushing yourself like that, especially for the first time (9 miles), it can be pretty exhausting. I had burned over 1400 calories... Add to that I hadn't run for the past few days, and I was experiencing a lot of fatigue.

When it was over with, I walked for 3/4 of a mile. I was tired... sore... and glad it was over with. I asked myself if I had another 4 miles in me - 40+ more minutes of running? In 2 weeks, I'll need to do that for sure. Can I do it on this bum leg? And NOT on a treadmill?

I think this pain I'm feeling compares to the knee problem I had back in 1999 when I ran my first marathon. I had hurt my knee a few weeks prior to the marathon... but given that I had trained for the past 9 months, I couldn't give it up. I had to complete the marathon.

I think that's where I am these days... I've been running since the first of the year. I have planned on completing this Half. While my goal had been to beat 2:24 (Nashville), I now just hope to finish.

So I'm trying to let this roll off my back... put this on the back burner... and to embrace "Feelin' Fine in 09' " with confidence! Of course, it's a day-by-day challenge!

I Now Know What's Ailing Me...

After Wednesday's run, I awoke to a very sore leg on Thursday. It hurt just to put weight on my right leg... in fact, I limped around all morning long.

I scheduled an appointment with my doctor that afternoon, and met with her to discuss what was going on. She felt around on my lower leg muscles to see if I was feeling pain to determine if I had shin splints. Nope. It wasn't in the muscle.

After going through some X-Rays, she came back with a diagnosis: Nerve Damage.

Uuugh...

It seems I most likely strained a muscle in my lower right leg... one that sits right on top of a nerve that extends from the knee to the ankle. A lot of runners do that if they push too hard...

But, that wasn't all she found.

Have you ever heard me talk about how my knee hurts? It seems my patella (knee cap) has shifted. Most likely this was caused by developing muscles in the thigh area. Doing some research, it appears this is commonly referred to as "Runner's Knee."

So, she prescribed me with prescription strength Aleve and I'm taking a few days off from the pounding. Today is my 3rd day not to run, and I'm going to give it a shot tomorrow as I attempt to run 9. While I'm running on the treadmill due to the rain forecast tomorrow, I think I'd do that anyway even if it was sunny... just a little more cushion.

With all of this, I still want to finish that race on April 26th. I've worked hard for this... and my doctor even said that the benefits are evident in how I look and feel (sans annoying pain!). I don't want to discourage any of you from actually exercising. This is just a part of it... and we all heal.

So after April 26th, I'll ramp it down but continue to exercise and look for ways to be physically fit/make healthy choices. But for now, I am focused on the race...

And the 9 miles I gotta run tomorrow!

I'm A Quitter...

There's a lot of names people can call me... but "quitter" has never been one.

This week I received the results of my recent Myers-Briggs test... I had to do one at work for a management training program I am enrolled in.

For those that know what this is, I'm an ISFJ... Introvert, Sensing, Feeling, Judging person. This means that (not shocking to most) I get my energy from being alone, that I have a lot of goals and deadlines, and that it makes me most happy to achieve them. I could go on and on, but you get the gist of what I'm saying.

So throughout my training, I have strived to reach each "mile" that I'm supposed to run each day. If I have to run a 3, I run a 3. If it's a 4, I run a 4. I've been doing this since the first of the year. (You do realize we're in April and I've been running all of this time....)

Well, tonight I had to run a 6. By golly I was bound and determined to run the 6. My right leg has been bothering me a lot. It hurts to put weight on it... use it to step up on a curb, walk up stairs, or even to get into my truck. I'm pretty frustrated to say the least...

At the gym, I set the treadmill for 78 minutes... that's usually what I do when I'm running 6 because it allows for "walking time" before and after the run.

Immediately upon starting, it was painful. As I was running, I was thinking, "How can you describe this pain? It's just incredibly bad." Recently I read an article in Runner's World that said if the pain is greater than a 3, on a 10-point scale, then to quit running.

Well, the first mile was misery. Pure misery. I then went into the 2nd and thought, "C'mon... you can do this!" I was trying to psych myself up. However, while my lungs are fine when I run, I noticed I was struggling big-time. I was in a "limp" most of the way and my breathing seemed unusually unsteady.

After 3 miles, I thought, "OK... I can do this..." I walked for a little bit and then had some water. I then paused the machine and stretched the heck out of my leg. Then I started back up.

I was doing fine (still painful, but I thought it was manageable) when all of a sudden I came down on the leg and I almost crumpled over. It was so amazingly painful that I saw "white" in my eyes... I couldn't believe it.

I kept on for a bit, but knew this was just not going to be a good run for me. Finally, after 3.5 miles, I called it quits.

This is very frustrating to me... I'm 18 days from the marathon and I've got this nagging pain/injury/whatever-you-want-to-call-it. This really sucks.

Maybe it's time to go see my doctor...

Well Blow Me Down!!!

OK, this wind is getting ridiculous!

Do you know why they call Chicago the "Windy City?" While most people think it's due to the lake effect winds, it's actually due more towards the politics of the city.

Now it's true that Chicago has a lot of winds. However, it's not listed in the top 10 "average wind speeds" in the U.S.

Want to know something crazy? Oklahoma City is on the list for windiest cities! Link

Given that the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon is exactly 20 days away, maybe all of this "windy running" we're doing is preparing us for some mighty winds that are due to blow in our future???

Yesterday, Chandra and I met out at the lake. The winds were insane... 30 mph with gusts up to 42 (from local Weatherman). The lake was white-capping, and it was frigid... very, very frigid! Temps were about 52 degrees when we started, and you know with the winds come "Wind Chill!"

After walking our first mile, we set out for our 8. To say we were running slow would be an understatement. In our first 4 miles, we averaged an 11.22/mile pace. That's pretty dang slow! Chandra even commented, "Are we even moving?"

The weather was a definite impact - in fact, not just for us, but for the scores of others. I would say the "crowd" was at least 1/8 of what is normal. NOBODY was out there.

Well, we pressed on. The run wasn't too bad on us coming off of a rest week - 8 miles is a daunting task, but not as bad as we had expected.

Our next 4 miles were even slower than our first: 11.36! The last mile we were headed straight into the headwind.

We're now into the final stretch of our training! Thanks for reading, and let's hope this wind-training subsides a bit to allow for faster runs... :-)

My Last Marathon...

In 2007, I participated in the Chicago Marathon. It happens every year in October... and as my friends and family know, I had trained the entire year for that event. Unfortunately, I only made it to 19 miles. They canceled the race. I ran the first 8 miles without water... misery. Imagine that for yourself - the humidity was extremely high, and the temps were close to 90 degrees... and no water! Anyway, I wanted you to see this from a runner's perspective.

I hope Oklahoma City will be much better on April 26th!

"Against the Wind..."

How many of you remember the lyrics to Bob Seger's song, "Against the Wind?" Let me help you out:

Against the wind
We were runnin against the wind
We were young and strong, we were runnin
Against the wind

Well, that was VERY familiar today. Working from home, I needed to schedule a run in the middle of the day (Baylor is playing in the NIT Championship tonight against Penn State!).

Have you stepped outside??? Holy Windbreakers, Batman! It's freakin' windy!!!

There is a great sermon that I heard one time by Billy Graham. He was talking about Faith, and how it could be compared to the wind. You see, with wind, you don't see it. You can feel it... and you can see the effects of the wind... but you definitely can't see it. Graham said that the Christian Faith is in the same manner- that one can see the effects of someone who demonstrates Faith.

Well my friends, I could definitely attest to the "effects" of the wind today! As I stepped outside, I couldn't believe how fierce it was! Trees were bent over... leaves and debris were flying by... I witnessed a small child rolling by like a Texas Tumbleweed. I knew then that this would be no ordinary run...

It's days like this that my hair, as long as it has become, flows brilliantly in long streaks behind me... unless, the wind is at my back and it's covering my face! Oh the humanity!

This wind was a beast! An evil, sinister beast I tells ya! No matter which direction I ran, it was always doing the opposite of what I expected. "Oh, I'll turn this corner and it'll be at my back." WRONG! It would get angry that I was challenging it and turn it's mighty force upon me!

How strong is the wind today? Local meteroligists have indicated it has been a constant 30-35 mph all day. That's just bad... especially when you have to do stuff outdoors!

And this wind was a spitter, too. Not of the wet kind... but of the dirty dusty debris-filled kind! I was pelted with everything imaginable. Leaves... branches... dogs... cats... you name it, it was raining down on little old me as I tried desperately to "lean into the wind."

I'd stride by a puddle and I'd see white caps. Cars were turned over on one street. I swear I was running in the movie "Twister!" Where did this come from? Was this a land-based hurricane and I just hadn't adhered to the warnings? Why did that cow just fly by???

And the more I ran, the "fro-ier" my hair got. It was big. Huge! I think it started to cover my body, too. Like I was "Teen Wolf" running down the street with his headband hidden in a mass of hair. Birds were taking shelter in it!

Well, I finished... the bad leg wasn't too sore and I did another sub 40 minute run for the 4 miles. I was glad to get out of the wind... I had been sandblasted enough!

Yes, Dr. Graham is right... one can see/feel/experience the effects of the wind. And sometimes that's just not right!!!

"Ouch Ouch Ouch... What the...???"

So I haven't run since Sunday... 2 days of rest... and it's a "rest" week which means my runs are shorter so I can recover.

As my loyal readers know, I'm dealing with an injury. It's technically my first since 1999 in regards to running. My right leg is sore from the ankle to the knee in various spots. Depending upon the movement, or the weather, it hurts to walk on it. Just imagine running on it!

I've been reading various articles and they say "If you're limping, give it up." Or, "If the pain threshold is a 3 or greater (with a max of 10), then give it up."

I'm not sure how painful it is... it kinda comes and goes. It's just very uncomfortable... that's probably the best way I can describe it.

So tonight I had to run 3. Should be about a 30-minute run... no biggee...

I set out and immediately I was limping. It was like trying to start a lawn mower after years of inactivity... I meandered down the first half mile thinking, "OK... this just doesn't feel right."

Finishing up the first, I noticed I my breathing was labored. It could have been due to the 2 days off... or it could have been from the frustrating pain I was having in my right leg. It was like dragging a log around for a distance...

Miles 1.5 to 2.5 involve hills on my route. I really wanted to tackle those. As I was finishing up the last hill, I noticed that my pace seemed pretty consistant... consistantly awesome!

I turned it up a knotch in the last mile and when I finished, I had run 3 miles in 28:56. I was stunned... in my old age and all of my experiences, I've never run that fast for a 3 miler.

Maybe this injury is causing me to run faster? Maybe I just want it over with... who knows? I really wish it would go away so I can focus on my runs and improve in form. Right now I just feel like Kwazimoto out for an afternoon jog...

Tomorrow is 4. Let's see what Kwazi can do!