Dedication

A long time ago, in a time far far away, I was in high school. It was the late 1970s/early 1980s. Running was not on the top of any of my to do lists. I dare say it wasn't on Heidi Moser's list. If it was, I never knew about it.

I was the Swing Choir guy. I always thought of Heidi as the writer/drama gal. We had some mutual classes and friends, but we weren't in the same social circle. As usual, once you leave high school, you go separate ways. We had differing lives. She became dedicated wife and mother. She home schooled her kids, active in her community(if she reads this...I am briefly summing up), and is Team Mom for her kids baseball and football teams.

Me, I became a gay activist, customer service whiz, and then runner(brief summation). Did I mention Heidi ran too? She does.

As we met up years later at a high school reunion, we kept in touch. She started following my running, and I started following her running.

To get to the point, and lots of running later.....Heidi is running the Marine Corps Marathon tomorrow- her first. In order to get herself through the 26.2 miles she dedicating a different mile to someone or someone's who have meant something to her. I am very touched that she is dedicating mile 12 to me. 12 is my favorite number.

I will be thinking of her, and how far she has come in her running. I am glad to have been a small portion of whatever has led her to this point. Run strong Heidi!

Charlie

Feeling Down? Go For a Run

This week I have been feeling down. There is no one thing which has made me feel bad. Periodically I have moments when I am down. I have run twice this week, and today's was more about getting out and clearing my head. As I have said many times, one of the things running does for me is let me get out of my head for a while. I told Mark I needed to run....and I did.

Mark took our dog, Friday, and did a run/walk, as I went for a 40 some odd minute run on the Hagen Burke Trail in Carmel. It was a sunning Autumn day. Temps were in the low 60s and it felt wonderful out there. Off I went, and almost immediately I could feel the glum fading.

Not that a run can make everything better, but when your head is full of negative things, a run, especially on a day like to today, can help make your head less full of the bad stuff. I was looking around at the fall colors. I was feeling the warmth. I just felt good as I ran. I felt a release.

Since Mark had never been on the trail, I worried if he might get lost, so I cut short my run by a few minutes and headed back to meet up with him. He and Friday did take a wrong turn, but righted themselves. He looked like he was enjoying his walk. Friday looked happy to be out and about.

So what had been in my head that was no negative. Work issues of late, the pile of bills at home, dreading, for the first time the idea of getting older, and missing my mom. We are coming up on the anniversary of her passing, so it's always a sad time for me.

No, the run did not make any of those vanish, but it did help me clear my head and get out of the negative energy I had been in. Had I run longer, who knows, I could have solved all the problems of the world....or not.

In a funk? Go for a run.

Charlie

The Return to Running

Yesterday was my first run since the marathon. I think first runs after a major race are tricky, one because you want to run so badly, you just want to let go and run; and two, you have to take it slow, because you are still healing. If you were to let go, you could injure yourself.

I took the second option and ran a nice slow run at the gym. With rain coming down in buckets outside, the track at NIFS provided a nice opportunity to go for a run. I was slow. My average pace never dipped below 13;10. That was fine though. This was my return to running.

This was my run to set some goals for 2012. I think I would like to shoot for 4-6 half marathons next year. One the surface that seems like an ambitious goal for me, but I want to set something I really need to work towards. I thought about how I want to train, eat, and run. Everything needs to build towards my getting back into a shape I am happy with. Yes, I would like to PR. We will see if that is possible, or is age catching up with me.

In the meantime, the Monumental Half Marathon is in a few weeks. I will be walking it with Mark. He is not in running shape right now, and wants to walk it, so we will.

All in all it was a good run for running sake, and for future sake.

Charlie

What's Next?

Home from Portland, and as usual, my thoughts are on runs I have ahead of me. The immediate plan is to do the Monumental Half Marathon with Mark in a few weeks. I believe we will be walking that. Longer term though, what is in store for me?

I had a very long week and plane ride today to ponder that. I am going to take the next year to work on getting back into shape. I would like to do more races, at varying distances, with the half being the longest I go for the next year. Two years down the road though, I believe I will shoot for one more marathon, and then that may be the end of my marathon days. No race is in my mind, so nothing immediately to strive for.

In the meantime I am going to work on getting in better shape, focusing on my running, and how I can improve. I will of course bring you all along the journey.

Charlie

Post-Marathon

In the days since the marathon, lots of pain and soreness. This is what happens, and I know it will happen. Still it is no fun to walk around like Frankenstein, because of the pain you're in. I'm getting better though.

So many people have either posted very nice comments on this blog, on my Facebook, or in emails and texts. I truly appreciate it, and am overwhelmed at the amount of support so many have given me.

Wednesday morning quarterbacking, as it were....there are many things I wish could have happened in the race, and leading up to the race. Yes, I wish the training had been better. Yes, I wish I could have run more during the race. Yes, I wish I could have avoided the alternate course. The thing is, it was, what it was, and I learned a great deal about me that day.

I was reminded that when pressed, we have the ability to be strong, and push through. I learned that my love of running is not only still intact, it is even stronger. I also re-learned that runners are wonderful people. They are the ones who chat with you on the course. If you're hurting, they make sure you're ok. They also encourage you. So many people on the out and back portion of the course would say, "Way to go Charlie!" That's a benefit to having your name on your bib.

I feel good about what I accomplished. There are other days to run better races, but there is only one day to have the experience I had.

Charlie

Portland Marathon - A Lesson in Perserverance

Running a marathon is not easy. Those who take it lightly don't respect the distance. If you can't respect the distance, you have no business in the race. Yesterday was the Portland Marathon, and it would be my greatest marathon challenge.

The weather was pretty good. Temps were in the 50s, and there was a misty rain. Yes, I know rain is not my friend, but if you are going to have rain, misty is a good one.

I was in Corral W. I would learn W stood for walkers. Since I am a run/walker, I wasn't thrilled to be in that grouping. Oh little did I know how much W would mean during the day. The frustrating part for me at the start is when I hit the start line, no one was running, they were walking. I had to decide if I was going to bob and weave and move past, or walk. I did a bit of both. I actually walked for the first 1/2 mile, and then began to jog. I thought, this is a better way to start, then going full throttle.

The start of the race takes you uphill, into a very pretty part of Portland. You look to the left, and you look down towards the river. It isn't too long that you descend down towards the river. Now you are along the Willamette River. This is a great place to run, flat, scenic, really nice.

Nice turns industrial at about mile 6. We are still along the river, but we are in the industrial part of town. Not too attractive. I was feeling good. I had left my watch at the apartment, so I was not paying close attention to time. I was running by feel. I was feeling pretty good at this point. I was not running with any power, but a nice jog.

In my mind, I thought a jog would mean I would have something for the latter stages of the race. Remember, my longest training run had been a 3 hour 13 mile run, so I want to run smart. At this point it rained a little harder, but not for long.

Hungry was in my head. Before the race, I had a banana, cereal and some yogurt, and one double shot espresso. At this point though I was hungry. I knew I would meet Mark after mile 11, and he would have a Builder's Bar for me. On I went.

I met Mark at mile 11, got food, Nuun, and some Alleve. The Alleve turned out to not be a great thing. I took it with the Builder's Bar. Alleve was to make sure I would not be in so much pain later in the race. Soon I gave Mark a kiss and off I went.

Mile 12-14 is a very gradual uphill portion of the course, still industrial, but some houses. I was walking more now. Uphill is tough for me to run. Mile 15 though is nothing like the gradual incline.

You come to the St. James Bridge, and it is a 150' incline. I was walking, and feeling more pain now. This was all 150', and it is a sharp hard incline. I took a physical beating on this, and mentally I was beginning to not feel good. Worse though, my stomach was feeling like I wanted to throw up. Part of that was a reaction to oil/gasoline I had been smelling from the industrial area. I thought though, it must be a reaction to Alleve, and little in my stomach. I felt light headed. On I went.

The St. James Bridge showed a wonderful view of Portland and the surrounding areas. No time to stop though I had to move on. At the end of the bridge there is a sharp curve downward. Foot wise that really bothered me, especially for my right foot.

With the pain and nausea I was feeling, this would be the first time I ever wanted to quit a race. On I went though. Mile 18-19 was hard for me mentally. I was breaking down from all my body was feeling. I should say at I was not running. I had been walking since about mile 15. I would walk the remainder of the race. I had downloaded a GPS to my phone, and saw I was nowhere near any pace I would love. I felt miserable.

I knew I had to get my mind in a better place. Showtunes saved the day. In my iPod, I had a series of showtunes programed, and they picked up my spirits a bit. I also began to think seriously about why I was doing this. This race was for my wonderful little pumpkin, Sabrina. I thought about her, and others with Down Syndrome. Their marathons are shorter, but they endure them in many ways. On I went.

Mile 20 was a pivotal point in the race. At this point they did the one thing I want to avoid, they were opening up the streets, and I had to go on the sidewalk, which meant going on the alternate course. The rules of the race are they don't do this until 6 1/2 hours into the race. We were at 5 hours into the race. They switched early. I was not happy about this.

At this point I made calls. I call people when I am struggling in a race. Mark was first. I let him know the hard time I was having, and he assured me I would finish, and he loved me. He could tell I was breaking down.

I called my sister Anne next. She had been following the race through various updates. She told me she and Sabrina were proud of me. She asked me about the music on the course, and the people I was seeing. It was a nice diversion. At one point she heard me talk to a group of people.

A group of folks were celebrating someone finishing the race. I saw the guy with the medal on his neck. They cheered me on, and I said, "Oh crap I suppose this means I didn't win." They laughed and Anne laughed. I joked with Anne that some Kenyan probably beat me by 3 hours, Mark should have been out there with a steak to tempt him away. She laughed. Anne knew though that the joke was hiding how down I was feeling. She and Sabrina wished me well, and lots of love, and on I walked.

The alternate course takes you through neighborhoods nice and not so nice. Lots of turns and uneven sidewalks. It isn't pleasant to go on. Also there is less support from the race on the alternate course. Mile signs are taped to the sidewalk. Mile 21 was through a neighborhood with food trucks. That didn't seem fair, as I didn't have any money on me.

Mile 22 was a less than charming area. Low class motels which can charge weekly, daily or hourly. In fact I believe I saw a "charming" couple trying to check into one. Clearly an arrangement had been made.

Mile 23 I was on the verge of tears. I was tired, in a great amount of pain, still feeling like I wanted to throw up, and I wanted the day to end. I tried to make some jokes with some of the people around me....lead balloon.

Mile 24 was the bridge back into the city, and we got to encounter Occupy Portland. Some of you know about the Occupy Wall Street protests going on. This is the same thing, but in Portland, though I am not sure why Portland. It was a bit of a mess going through the protestors. Police tried to separate, but were not always successful. At this point I met a woman named Debbie, who walked with me for the remainder of the race. I am grateful to her because she was able to help me get all the negative things out of my head.

We talked about my clubbed feet issues, the race she and I had done, and we talked about Sabrina. This was key, this was bringing everything I was doing back home to me. Running with a purpose is a valued thing, and I was so happy to be doing this for her.

Once we cleared the protestors, it was on to the finish. The last mile had to be the longest mile of my life. Pain, hunger, wanting to see Mark, and just wanted to race to end. Finally the finish was in sight. I also saw Mark at the finish line yelling my name. I made an effort to jog to the finish. It was done. After 8:02:34, it was all over. It was the longest I have been on a course. I was mentally exhausted, my body was screaming at me, and I was in tears. Mark gave me a hug, and it felt better.

Because this was the end of the race, a lot of the goodies were gone, and the photographer to take finishers pictures was breaking everything down. I got my medal though.....and I have to say it is one to be proud of.

Before the race I talked about all I wanted to do was finish. Sometimes, that is all you can do. Yesterday was a day to finish, and to finish with my head held high. I did it.

Charlie

Counting Down to Marathon Day - 1 Day

Tomorrow is Portland Marathon Day! This has been a long time coming. What a journey. I have dealt with foot pain, a cold, fundraising for NDSS, the days I just didn't feel like a run, the days I did feel like a run, but I had to to work. It has been quite a ride.

Tomorrow I will tow the line with a few thousand folks, and off I will venture through a 26.2 mile winding course around Portland. The course is mostly along the river, so it should be a pretty course. There is an industrial area which all the reviews say is not too pleasant, but hey, I will be running through it.

So how do I feel? I feel pretty good. Not achy, that's always a plus. Will limit the walking today. I can't control what went right or wrong with training. I just go - one mile at a time.

Can I PR tomorrow? I am sure that will creep into my head at some point, but for now, the goal is to finish. Mark will meet up with me about half way through and make sure I am ok.

For those interested in tracking my progress, go to http://liveraceresults.com/Portland/ My bib number is 711!

Tomorrow is also a day I honor my niece Sabrina. Her sweet smiling face will be in my thoughts as I take this journey. NDSS has benefited from this run, with $2000 in donations from wonderful people. You can still donate at www.crowdrise.com/runningforsabrina

Tonight, a simple dinner, early to bed....then an early start to the day.

Send positive thoughts my way.

Charlie

Counting Down to Marathon Day - 2 Days

We have arrived in Portland, and the weather is fall like. A bit humid, but the temperatures are cool. Tomorrow we will head to the expo, and take a gander at the course. We also have to figure out where I will meet Mark on the route.

It was a long trip, and I am bushed....still I am glad to be here, and ready for Sunday.

Charlie

Counting Down to Marathon Day - 3 Days

For the last few months I have been raising money and awareness for NDSS. The past few months have been a privilege for me as I have shared the story of my niece Sabrina, and raised money to help people with Down Syndrome and their families. My goal was to raise $2,000, and I am happy to say I have accomplished the goal.

Family, friends and loved ones, and people I have never met, have been kind and very generous in my quest to raise money. More than the money though, I hope I have raised some awareness on how an organization can do good work to ensure that people with Down Syndrome have happy and productive lives, and that their families are supported.

With the money raised, I now run in honor of Sabrina on Sunday, and it will be a pleasure. Of course it won't be easy, but then again it never is.

3 days away.....and I am filled with gratitude to all who have donated.

Charlie

Counting Down to Marathon Day - 4 Days

Today was my last day of running before Sunday's race. This was a take it easy run. I ran 3 miles in 41 minutes. Nope....not balzing fast. I just wanted to run. It felt good.

Most of my thoughts were how to deal with this race mentally. It would be easy to stress over the less than stellar training I have had, but I can't worry about that. I just need to remember what my goals are and take it one step at a time, one mile at a time.

Today a guy came into the store, very nervous about shoes and not wanting to stray away from his training plan. I understand stress happens to first time marathoners. I tried to put him at ease, but he kept quoting Hal Higdon to me. Trust me, I think Higdon's program is fine, but you can improvise a bit. He was worried about not running for two days. I told him his body would be fine, and he would lose no conditioning on two days of rest. He looked at me like I didn't know I was talking about.

Now is not the time to stress....now is the time to relax and know I can do this.

Charlie

Counting Down to Marathon Day - 5 Days

As we continue the countdown to the big day, I want to talk about my running this alone. For the last couple of weeks, a question that has come up again and again is, "Are you running this with anyone?" Maybe this is a typical question, though it isn't one I have asked. I am running this on my own. It's the only way I know how to do a marathon.

Would I like to run one with someone? I could, but I don't think I would want to. I prefer a race like this to be me against the course and the elements. I'm not a talker on my runs. I want to be focused. Now that doesn't mean I couldn't run and talk with someone for 26.2 miles, but I would rather not.

Of course there is the point in the race where I start calling people. Poor Mark gets a call with me being all emotional and telling him how much pain I'm in. He reminds me I can do this, and then on I go.

I like being on my own. Now the question is do I use my iPod or not?

Charlie

Counting Down to Marathon Day - 6 Days

It is now Marathon Week. Yesterday I did get out for a run. Nothing to hard. I took it nice and easy.

Mostly this week I am thinking of how the marathon will play out. Mark and I have decided to scout the course when we get to Portland so we have an idea what it will be like. Mostly I want to show him where I want to meet him, so there is no question of where he will be on race day.

Some things I am pondering......do I take NUUN for all the race? Some of the race? I will have my Mint Chocolate Gu with me. I keep thinking though I want to keep it light. Maybe Mark can give me my NUUN before I head into the area where spectators aren't allowed?

I am getting my water resistant items, so I can be as "dry" as possible. Of course if it is raining, dry will not be an option. Mark says I shouldn't anticipate trouble, but I want to be prepared for rain. Forecast ranges in the 30%-60% chance of rain.

Feeling good though.

Charlie

Counting Down to Marathon Day - 7 Days

Ok...so it is on the eve of 7 days, but close enough. I am one week from running the Portland Marathon. This is the week I really figure things out, stay calm, and don't do anything which will screw things up for next Sunday. No pressure.

First to decide is how much running to do this week. Usually I would say little, but I will run some 1 hour runs this week. The plan is to get up in the morning and run for an hour. Nice Fall morning.....sounds like a plan. I will do another 1 hour run a couple days later, and then nothing until race day.

Keeping motions in check is the next step. Nervous? Yes...but it can't get out of hand. I want to be as calm as possible on race day.

What's the weather? Well early reports show temps in the 50s, and the chances or rain are anywhere from 30% - 60%. I am planning for the 60%. As you know rain is my arch nemesis. I hate rain, and I hate running in it. So what do I do? I plan for it.

Today I got water resistant shorts, which I will test out tomorrow. I will wear a hat to hopefully help my vision. I have also ordered a water resistant jacket. Other than Body Glide the heck out of my body....not much else to do.

Last thing on the list - finish fundraising. I STILL have only $100 to go towards my $2000 goal for NDSS. If you can, please donate at www.crowdrise.com/runningforsabrina

Charlie