My Armsceps Hurt

I know there is no suchword as "armceps", but that is short hand for all the muscles which hurt after my training session with Josh yesterday. I am in a lot of pain this morning. It was all I could do to wash my hair.

Josh had my doing chin ups, crunches, bouncing balls off a wall, lots of squats. I did all of them to best I could, and never gave up. I am paying the price this morning. Those poor muscles have not seen that kind of activity in a while.

After my workout I ran a mile, and biked a mile. Phew.....tiring day.

:-)Charlie

6.2 Miles- The Long Run

Today's long run was on the treadmill at the gym. I ran a decent 6.2 miles. I didn't get tired. I like using the interval setting on the treadmill. Now if I could just enjoy the treadmill. I am using it more for my longer runs, because I know come December I won't be running a lot of miles outside. and I want to get used to it.

After my run I spoke with the gym manager and my trainer Josh. I was having a picture taken for some before and after thing they are doing. We talked about my weight loss, and both of them told me how proud they are of me. I felt good, especially in the interest they have taken in me.

This week I will try more strength training. Next week - I add yoga to the training.

:-)Charlie

How Did I Do It?

Last night I ate at Mickey D's, befor going out with friends. No one told me where would be going there would be food. So my question is, "How did I eat the way I used to?"

At the person's home, I was polite and had one piece of pizza, but I felt so gross as the night went on. The pizza and the chicken sandwich I had at McDonald's was gross inside me. There was a time I just ate like that though. How did I do that, and why aren't I dead?

Today I got up, still felt icky, but I ran 2.8 miles. I feel much better now. I can go out and tackle the day.

:-)Charlie

I am Powerful...Wau Peace and Conflict Mitigation Project

As part of my continuing efforts to raise awareness ofthe work CARE does, here is a description of one of CARE's projects in war torn Sudan.

Wau Peace and Conflict Mitigation Project

The culture of war accumulated over the past years had a negative impact on the war affected people. The project will focus on establishing and strengthening grassroots community-based organizations (CBOs), in particular community-based women's organizations (CBWOs), as well as other nascent "civil society" organizations which are either established or in the process of becoming established in the town of Wau. The project will work with 20-30 CBOs and CBWOs; with project activities expected to benefit at least 12,000 people (2,000 households).


In the next month I will discuss more how I hope to raise money for CARE via my marathon in Janurary.

Charlie

Fall Running

Fall is my very favorite time of year. It is also my favorite time of year to run. Today was a great example. Not too hot. Temps in the 60s and sunny. The lakefront was clear and beautiful. Once the leaves begin to turn, it will be even prettier.

Today I headed up to Evanston. I ran 3.66 miles. A good solid run. I took the occasional walk break(which really helps). Trying now to build miles during the week. I ran by one guy who yelled, "Hey you got 6 miles to go!" Of course some point he'll be right.

:-)Charlie

A Few Things

Few things to note…

Yesterday I ran 5 miles. I had not run past 4 in a while, so I was really happy with that. It was a treadmill run, and I felt really good during the run. Progress is being made. I hope to run a 6 mile run this week.

At Macy’s a co-worker asked me if I was still running. I told him I was, and that I ran the AIDS Run over the weekend. He said, “Didn’t you already run that this summer?” I told him I hadn’t. He then remembered it was the Gay Games I ran, and said, he knew it was something like that…whatever.

I have signed up for a yoga class, and will start in October. Pray for me. I bet I will find parts of my body I didn’t know were there. :-)

My boss at Columbia is running a marathon in Toronto this weekend. I need to find a little something to give him to wish him luck!

So there is where things are today.

:-) Charlie

2006 AIDS Run

It was a glorious morning along Lake Michigan. The temperatures were in the low 70s, with hazy sunhine. The AIDS Run got off to a crowded start. My only complaint of the event is that the start line neededto accommodate all of the runners.

The course ran through Grant Park, heading towards the Field Museum, north along the Lakefront Path, andthen back towards the start/finish line. I felt great all through the run. People were enjoying the run. Lots of organized teams were out in force.

I ran the 5K in 37:25. Not a bad time for me. No personal best, but this was not about racing. This was running for my friend Dave who died in 1994. Before the run I sadi a little prayer, and hoped Dave was watching from above.

Between the online fundraising and personal donations given to me, I raise $636. I'd say that is a good effort. Thanks to everyone who donated. Your gifts are greatly appreciated, and will help many people affected by HIV/AIDS in Chicago.

:-)Charlie

AIDS Run Update

Tomorrow I run the AIDS Run. Looking forward to it. My pledges have exceeded my hopes. Thanks to everyone who has donated. At this point I am at $591 between online pledging and money people have given me. I would to see it hit $600. You can still donate:

http://afc.aidschicago.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=418&srcid=396&frsid=308

I'll give a report following the run.

Charlie

Under the Weather

For the last day or two I have been feeling sick. No running, but I have gotten plenty of sleep. I stayed home today. I think my body is telling me it has had enough. So I have been taking it easy today.

Hopefully I will be better tomorrow and can hit the road.

Charlie

A Good Run

I was going to go to the gym or run at the last post, but I didn't. I just didn't have it in me. Today was a different story. I had a few hours between jobs, so I came home to run. This time I headed north to Evanston, IL.

I ran 3.3 good miles. Ihope to run through more of Evanston. It is a beautiful community. I felt really good during the run. I wasn't tired, or going to hard. It was a nice pace for me. I didn't time my run, and that is probably for the best. Sometimes an easy run is better for you.

Now I feel a bit better about heading to Macy's....NOT! :-)

Charlie

Stress and Eating

I know I have commented on this on old blog, but I'll make mention of it here. I hate being an emotional eater. The last two weeks have been very stressful, and I haven't made good eating choices. I guess the good thing I can say is that I am not over eating. It's just what I am eating is not as good for me.

I do try to start fresh every day, because I can't control what happened, all I can do is work on what is ahead.

The move, two jobs working 7 days a week, and other personal issues have taken their toll on. I am glad to have the running, when I can fit it in. That last comment bothers me, because I don't want it to fit in. I have to make it part of my life.

So for now I am off the gym(which is a trek these days).

Charlie

A Hero of Mine

I was first introduced to Dean Karnazes last year at a local bookstore. Ok, I have not actually met him, but I've read his book "Ultramarathon Man." Karnazes runs 100 mile races as if I were running 3 miles. He is an awesome physical being. He amazes me.

Now he is tackling something really big - 50 marathons in 50 days. You read that right.

http://endurance50.thenorthface.com/

He is raising money and awareness for his non profit organization - Karno Kids

I'm going to follow his quest with interest. I also hope to meet him when he comes to Chicago for the marathon.

Awesome inspiration.

:-)Charlie

Long Run Day

Today was a long run day for me. I guess I should say a longer run day. According to the route I plotted on Mapquest, I ran 4.13 miles. Not too bad.

I felt good during the run. I made sure to take the walking breaks. I also threw in a lap around the Loyola track. So not a bad running day. It was my first run in a few days. I know I need to do better about building miles for this training.

At least now I can head into work knowing I got a good run in. It makes me feel better knowing I got a good run under my belt.

:-)Charlie

I Am Powerful - Djama'sStory

As part of my project to raise awareness of CARE, Iwould like to share this story. It is because of people like Djama Amadou, that I am dedicating my marathon to CARE, andthe many people they help.

From CARE's website - www.care.org

Djama Amadou has a vibrant, cheerful spirit and comforting smile that invites friends and strangers alike into easy conversation. She also has HIV. And unlike most HIV-positive women in Niger, Djama wants people to know her status. That's why she has traveled to the rural village of Wandale, a rough two-hour drive from the nearest paved road and worlds away from her home in the West African nation's capital, Niamey.

Djama is working with CARE and our local partner Espoir through the Mata Masu Dubara project. The name means "Women on the Move" in the Hausa language; the project helps provide women with access to credit, savings and information about HIV and AIDS.

"My mission is to speak out to women throughout Niger," Djama says, "to help them know that we are all vulnerable to HIV." Djama is also working to correct many common misconceptions about the disease. "You look at me, and you see a healthy woman. You can shake my hand, drink from my glass, even embrace me… none of these things will give you AIDS. There were times when I was abandoned and alone because even my closest friends and family turned away from me. They did not understand these things. I tell my story to help others, because I remember a time when there was no help for me."

Djama's story begins six years ago when her husband left Niger for a better-paying job in neighboring Cote d'Ivoire. "Niger is a very poor country," Djama explains. "Jobs here are difficult to find." Indeed, chronic poverty, a shrinking economy and recurring food emergencies have forced much of the country's workforce to seek temporary employment abroad. In Wandale village alone, nearly 90 percent of the adult male population has left to find migrant work in Nigeria and Cote d'Ivoire.

"When my husband returned from Abidjan he was very thin and frail," Djama recalls. "He refused to see a medical doctor, and the traditional healers did not know what was wrong with him." Ironically, Djama's husband knew all too well. "He had been away for nearly three years, and died not six months after returning home. Imagine my grief!" Djama exclaims. "Then, as I was going through his documents, I found his test results from a clinic in Abidjan. He had AIDS, and he knew it all along."

Before long, Djama fell ill herself. "I knew that my husband had the disease," Djama says. "At the time, I did not imagine that he could have passed it on to me. But then I began to develop sores and scratches on my body. After a while, I did not even have energy to hold my children."
Djama feared the worst, but could not bring herself to face the possibility that she might be infected too. After more than two weeks in bed, with no energy to move, Djama visited her community's health clinic. "I was still hoping that the diagnosis would reveal something - anything - other than AIDS, but the results were positive. I thought I would die immediately," she says, stifling a sly grin, as if to affirm that she is still very much alive. "I was terrified for my children. I am poor. My relatives are poor. No one can afford three extra mouths to feed. My little ones would be left on the streets."

Djama's fears intensified when the screening counselor told her that lifesaving anti retro-viral drugs would cost as much as 50,000 CFA (roughly $100) per month - nearly double her income. "The clinic gave me antibiotics and sent me on my way," she says. "Later I learned that a mobile health clinic was offering ARVs for 1,000 CFA. This was still very expensive for me, but I was able to afford it by taking extra work and eating less so there would be food for the children. There were months when I could not pay my medical bills. But during those times, the clinic staff would pay for me. They were seeing an improvement in me; they did not want me to get sick again."

As time went by, Djama improved. "I will always have HIV," she admits, "but with the medication, I am able to maintain good health. If you see me on the street, you will not know that I have AIDS." Inspired by her progress, the clinic asked Djama if she would appear in a video show to let other women know that people with HIV can lead normal, healthy lives if they seek treatment in time. Djama agreed. In the meantime, she had fallen in love again and was preparing to remarry. "A woman cannot keep secrets from her husband," Djama says. "When I told him I had HIV, he said he would marry me anyway. We had a normal life, and took all the necessary precautions. But he insisted that we keep this news a secret from his family."
"One day, his sister saw my video on television. When word spread, the whole family disowned me, my children and my husband. It was more than he could take, so he divorced me and sent me and the children to live on the street," Djama says quite matter-of-factly. "At that point, I truly had nothing."

When Djama learned about CARE and Espoir's work to fight HIV, she contacted us to see if there was anything we could do to help. "Her story was so inspirational," says Espoir's national president, Nassirou Issa. "CARE and Espoir had been working with MMD groups to educate women in this highly vulnerable area about AIDS. The people here did not know how AIDS is transmitted, and that ignorance had created a culture of fear. If we could teach them how the disease is spread and treated, we could not only help reduce infections in the region, but also help build a support network for people living with HIV and AIDS."

As a result, Djama now works for the MMD project. Each month, she and three other HIV-positive Nigerien women visit women's groups throughout the region to give their testimony and help reduce the stigma of AIDS. "Communities here are very supportive. If someone in a village falls on hard times, their neighbors are always there to help. But this is not the case if someone has HIV; if a community member becomes ill with AIDS, she is shunned by everyone. The only way to fight this problem is through education. When people understand the disease and learn that they can safely offer help and support to their family and neighbors who are sick, then they will begin to do what is right," Djama says.

Indeed, the women of Wandale are getting the message. "Our MMD group has set up a special cereal bank just for people in the village who are affected by HIV," reports Ize Abdou, a Wandale MMD member and community volunteer. "It provides them with food when they are too sick to work in the fields, and profits go to help pay for medication."

Djama is proud of the work she is doing to educate others about AIDS. "I have lost a lot because of HIV, but I have gained so much more," she says. "We must work together to fight the stigma and ignorance surrounding this disease, but perhaps even more importantly, we should learn to help each other and not turn our backs on other women and mothers who need help and support."