Latest News from FiftyTwo4Mom

Oklahoma was a great trip for me. The Route 66 Marathon in Tulsa marked my 20th race in my 15th state this year. Over a quarter of the journey completed and still going strong. The trip began with a 9 hour drive to St. Louis, and then an early (3:30am) trip to Tulsa to set up for Friday’s Health Expo.

Day one at the Expo was relatively slow, however the many people that I spoke with were very interested in our story and helping to find cures for Optic Nerve Disease. I met several individuals who had family and friends who they believed to also be affected by OND’s. While I am always saddened to see people affected by the loss of their sight, it is comforting to see more and more people understanding what people are going through and wanting to help out with the cause. After a LONG day one at the expo, I headed off to my CouchSurfing friends place for a much needed extra long sleep.

Day two of the Route 66 Health and Fitness Expo was much busier and gave me more opportunities to meet and greet with the thousands of runners who would be braving the streets of Tulsa for the Full Marathon, Half Marathon, 5k, and kids one mile fun run. I spent 8 hours talking to people non stop raising money and awareness. Not only were the runners great to me, but so to were all the vendors around me. I want to thank the ladies who fed me on Saturday to make sure I would have the energy survive the day and have the energy for the run Sunday.

After two long days, the race day was finally upon me. I was up early and arrived at the race an hour before the run. I felt good, and thanks to my host was ready to go. The weather was a big warm for a marathon, but the “breeze” seemed to cool things down a bit. Once on the course though, around the 10k mark, it was clear that today was not going to be the best of runs for me. After a week of being sick, 15 hours of driving, and two full days working at the health expo, my body just didn’t have the energy for this type of run. Because of the fact that there was an actual death during the event, I will not go into the details of my struggles throughout the run, because they are not relevant in the grand scheme of things. I will say that I managed to push through my pain and finished the race.

My goal was to complete a marathon on my 30th birthday, and I did. It was a great day for me, but a devastating one for the family of a young man, who after seeing a picture in the paper, looks like one of the many people I spoke with at the race. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. We all forget sometimes just how precious life is, and on this day I am reminded that everyday is a gift and we should live it to the fullest and do what we love. That being said I will be spending this holiday season with family and friends, and will be back doing what I love … Running and helping fight for a good cause.

Check out pictures from this weeks race on our facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=45479&id=172123116132894&ref=mf

This race was a very special race to me for a few different reasons.  The last time I ran in the Crim festival of races was the summer before my senior year of high school, the year my mom lost her sight (I ran the 5k then).  Also, this was the first race on my journey that my mom was able to attend.  We were both very nervous at the start of the day.  My mom was nervous she would get lost in the sea of people (they estimated over 50,000 spectators, along with the 16,000 runners), and I was nervous that she wouldn’t have fun with all the chaos.  Happily both of us were wrong.  From the time we got there it was exciting to show mom around the race and show her all the activities that go along with these runs.  We were able to find a nice shaded table outside UofM Flint for her to sit and watch the start of the run, and the finish line was only a half block up the street.

Flint was an amazing atmosphere for this race.  Unlike most of the places I visit I have personal knowledge of this city and after all of the struggles that Flint has gone through recently, the city really has embraced this run. The Crim was also playing host as the U.S. Men’s 10 Mile Road Championships, so there was some extra buzz around the run and attracted a record number of runners.  Luckily, with all the races I have done this year, I have become used to races of this size so being corralled with 16,000 other runners was no problem for me.  Mom was amazed at how many people can be packed together for a run and how it can take 15 minutes for some of the runners to even reach the starting line.  The weather for the start of the run was relatively cool for what I have been running in this month and the humidity was down.  Runners were released and as usual the first mile is the hardest.

The first mile of the run is spent trying to not get run over and weave through runners so that you can find a good race pace.  It is also hard to know your pace on the first mile unless you know when you cross the starting line because of the time delays.  The course ran through the city and was a very challenging course.  Seems to be my theme of late, to do courses with a lot of hills.  I remember at mile 5 seeing a sign that said “Congrats, its all DOWN hill from here!”  This must have been some cruel joke because it was by no means “down” hill from there.  My body held up well though in the heat and I was able to hold a pretty good pace for the run.  I carried my phone in my race pouch so that at mile 9 I could send mom a quick text so whe knew to look for me at the finish.  As I approached the final stretch I kept an eye out for her and right before crossing the finish could hear a voice saying “GO BRIAN!!” and there was my mom.  This was one of the best feelings knowing that my mom finally got to be a part of one of my runs. 

I found my mom when I finished going through the finishers corral and not surprisingly she had made several friends throughout the day.  I knew that she would find people to talk to while I was running and in true mom fashion she did.  She met several people during the race that she talked with and even got out word about FiftyTwo4Mom, which made me proud because I know it can be difficult for her to talk about. 

After we reconnected, we went to the after party and had some lunch and while I went around talking to the runners about FiftyTwo4Mom, I found mom was enjoying the music and even dancing.  Check out the FaceBook pictures (Week 14) for proof.  She cant see enough to drive, but that doesnt mean she cant still enjoy life and bust a move.  I will be taking this upcoming month off from traveling, but still plan on doing other activities for FiftyTwo4Mom.  I will post updates ASAP when I reach the next phase of races.  Any suggestions let me know … See photos at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=43849&id=172123116132894

This was by far one of my harder trips.  I have recently started working part time at Citizens Bank to help with financing my journey and because we were short staffed for the week, I ended up working Friday until about 6pm.  This meant a 10 hour drive to Minneapolis from Michigan with very little sleep.  Well I made it about half way, slept four hours, then drove the rest of the way.  At least its a nice drive, and there was very little traffic.  I arrived in Minneapolis on Saturday around noon, registered for the run, and checked into my motel.  The motel was not the nicest thing in the world, but it was very cheap and at least it was in a nice area of town, and close to the race, so I felt OK with it.  After checking in I headed out to the city and dropped off some info with some of the local restaurants and shops that were open.  Hopefully they will follow through on things we discussed, but I will have to wait and see.

After getting a few hours of rest, the race was at 7:13am, which meant waking up around 5:30am, I headed out to the race course.  The course start was located near the University of Minnesota.  The morning felt nice enough, a little humid but relatively cool.  I decided I wanted to pace around 8:24 so I could run a sub 1:50.00 Half Marathon.  Prior to the race I met several really cool runners, one girl in line for the bathroom.  Gotta love the LONG bathroom lines lol.  The pacer for the 1:50 group, Jo, was a nice local runner who has done several of these runs.  Everything started off well until after the mile 3 marker when my lungs really started to struggle with the humidity.  Needless to say from that point forward my times got progressively slower, and I had to walk from time to time, mainly at the water stations, to make sure I stayed hydrated.  For as much as the race was a struggle physically, I was able to hold on and finish.  My time was kinda funny since this was my 13th race and a 13.1 mile run, I ran 2 hours 13 minutes and 13 seconds (2:13.13).  I guess I should have gone and played the lotto on the way home.

Post race, I spent a few hours walking around the post race party talking to other runners and handing out information on FiftyTwo4Mom.  Since the race finish and start were about 8 miles apart from each other (they shuttled us back), I was not able to collect donations from most people, but people seemed really interested in what I am doing and I hope to hear from people on here and facebook.  One more race under the belt and the journey continues.  Next week I get to stay home for the Crim 10 Mile. Visit our facebook page for pictures at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=43848&id=172123116132894

My first trip to Pittsburgh was a really great one.  The city was amazing.  Reminded me a lot of Little Rock in the way it was so hilly and the steal bridges going across the rivers.  Was so beautiful.  Wish I would have known the city was so hilly though, I could have spent the week prior doing some extra hill training in the heat.  Luckily, my trip was pretty easy and I was able to get a few hours of sleep before the run.  I have to admit it is a lot harder working during the week and running on weekends then it was when I was on the road full time.  This is an added challenge I am putting on my body with the extra travel and travel on day prior to race.  I will keep doing this though as I will not give up on reaching my goal of running in every state and getting a million names added to “The Road.”

When I arrived in Pittsburgh, I meet with the race director for the Brookline Breeze 5k, Debbie.  She was very helpful and for the second race in a row, I was allowed to set up a booth to pass out information and collect donations from the runners and spectators.  There was a community festival going on along witht the race, so this added to the amount of people at the race site.  The runners and spectators were great and we raised a good amount of money and passed out a lot of information to people about our cause.  I am always happy when people buy the wristbands, because when they wear them it can only help us in spreading awareness about Optic Nerve Disorders. 

As for the race itself, the course was very challenging with the amount of hills in the first mile and a half of the race.  Right off the bat there was a quarter mile hill that took up a lot of energy in the heat.  While it was only 75 degrees (According to my cell), it was about 85 with the humidity.  The second half of the race wasn’t as bad with the hills and allowed for me to pass a few other runners.  Overall, the course was really nice, and ran through a great part of the city.  My time was one of my slower ones, 23:47, and I finished 135 overall out of 467 runners.  With the heat and the hills and my lack of race prep due to working more, I was pleased with the race and feel that I should have a good week to prep for next weeks half marathon.  Thank you to everyone at the race and in the city of Pittsburgh, up next Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Check out the week in pictures at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=43847&id=172123116132894

This week started off pretty rough.  On my drive from Waterford, Michigan to Chicago, my car blew a fuse and I was without GPS for quite a while.  It is funny how dependent I have become on technology that I forget there are people I can stop and ask for directions.  Luckily things worked out and I was able to get up to Waterford, Wisconsin with plenty of time to spare.  I don’t know if you  noticed yet, but yes in deed I did drive from Waterford, Michigan all the way to Waterford, Wisconsin.   And the people of Waterford, WI treated me as if I was in fact from their home town.   Not only did the Chamber of Commerce allow me to set up a booth prior to the race, they took things one step further and made continual announcements throughout the day about FiftyTwo4Mom and what I was doing.  I am really grateful and amazed by everyone’s support and kindness.  This was my first race selling bracelets and people really seemed to like them.  I am glad I now have something to leave behind with people so that they can remember the cause and the organization and hopefully tell others about FiftyTwo4Mom and our mission. 

Now for the race itself.  Well this was the first race for me in a few months, and while I have kept up on my running, I have not been race training.  And it was a very humid 77 degrees out for the race.  This was a night race, with the race start being 8:30 p.m., and it was dark out, which helped some, but it was still VERY humid.   I ran a bit fast in the first mile, and since I haven’t been race training, this really hit me hard and so I struggled for much of the next two miles.  I was able to pick it up on the final mile and at the end I found myself with way too much energy.  I was able to sprint past four people before slowing down as to NOT pass the kid who was in front of me at the finish line.   I will have to post my time when the results become official, but I believe I was around 32 minutes.  Not the best time, but thats not why I run.

At the Post Race awards the chamber again let me set up my table and sell more bracelets and collect donations.  This was a very successful weekend and I have to say that I will definitely be making a second trip to Waterford, WI in the future.  Pictures available at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=43844&id=172123116132894

My trip to Ada, Ohio and the campus of Ohio Northern University was one of the hardest trips to date, and yet one of the most rewarding.  It was during my freshman year at ONU that I found out my mom lost sight in her second eye, rendering her completely blind for a period.  My time at Ohio Northern was highlighted by time on the Swim Team and Radio and TV stations.  All of which were relived as the event was covered by ONU Channel 3 and WONB 94.9 radio.  I also met up with one of the swimmers who was on the team with me back in ’98-’99.  It was not surprising that either of use could remember the other since I had only spent one year on the team as a diver, but it was still cool to see him at the race with his wife. 

Zeta Tau Alpha put on a great race, benefiting the Susan G. Komen foundation for breast cancer research and was gracious enough to let me pass out information and talk to people about my cause as well.  I met lots of great people at this race, who braved the wind and cold to come out and run.  It was great to run around ONU’s campus one more time and see all the changes that have occurred since I left campus over 11 years ago, and while I didn’t run the 5k very fast, I still enjoyed my race here.  I was also interviewed by the school paper for an article that should help to get our cause out to even more people. 

I am taking some time off to do some fundraising back in Michigan and begin to organize a few races for the cause, but will be looking forward to getting back on the road ASAP.  For more pictures on this weeks trip please check out: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=43843&id=172123116132894

After leaving Charlotte, I was feeling a little home sick and ready to get off the road.  I won’t lie and act as if that traveling like this is the easiest thing in the world to do.  As exciting and fun as this can be it can be even more lonely and draining.  It’s great to meet new people, but sometimes it’s difficult to be away from the familiarity of family and friends.  Staying with Nicole and Joe, from the Michigan State University Tampa Alumni Association, really turned around my experience in St. Petersburg.  From day one when Joe grilled us up chicken, to the note that Nicole left me with directions on where to run by the bay, I really felt as if I was at home.  I had the opportunity to do a lot of really cool things while in St. Petersburg/Tampa, including going to a parade, where I met Ms. Florida, attending practice for the Honda Grand Prix, and seeing a dolphin while out on the bay. 

While out on the town, I found lots of great little restaurants and local businesses who were interested in helping out with the cause as well.  Thanks to Café Alma, Keller Williams Reality, Paddy Burke’s, and all the MSU Tampa Bay Alumni members for their support of FiftyTwo4Mom.  The week was a huge success, and during the Sweet 16 game at Wings Gone Wild, we raised over $300 from the raffle we did.  Not only did we get all the MSU alum to donate, but there were also many Ohio State and Tennessee alumni who purchased raffle tickets as well.  I was even able to connect with an old friend from Michigan, who recently moved to the Tampa area and was at the game.

My race was on Saturday, and it was a perfect morning to run.  The weather was great and even though it was an early race, with a 7am start, Ybor City looked like something out of a storybook.  The cobblestone streets and old brick buildings were a perfect setting for a run.  The “Race for Sight” was sponsored by the Lion’s Eye Foundation, and was a great fit with our cause.  The most inspiring part of the race was the group of kids, all with visual impairments, who ran in the race as well.  Their heart and determination was so uplifting and really puts into greater perspective what I am doing.  I wish that I could have had the opportunity to speak with each of them and to tell their story, however, because of their age I was not permitted to do so.  I had the most fun on this run, and ran well, 22:15, placing 34^th out of almost 300 runners.  I am glad that this was the largest “race for sight” to date and hope that this race continues to grow in years to come.  As for FiftyTwo4Mom it is off to Michigan to head up a few fundraisers then onto Ohio on April 17^th for another race.  This time I get to visit my first college, Ohio Northern University, in Ada.

To see more pictures from sunny Florida, visit our facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=43842&id=172123116132894

Charlotte was an amazing city.  It was a little rough CouchSurfing with 5 different people in 8 days, but everyone was really great.  I wanna thank Chris, John, and Rich, Stephen, Jeremy, Rob and Sassha, and Ryan all for letting me crash on their couches and helping me get around the town.  The week started out really well, getting lots of support from local businesses and restaurants.  Olive Garden, Red Robin, Sticky Fingers, and TGI Fridays all were kind enough to donate gift cards to help reduce my food budget.  Several local businesses area also looking into what they can do for sponsorships.  My only real blip on the week was trying to go to my race on Saturday, when it was on Sunday.  I asked the security guards where the race was and they responded, “The race this week is up in Tennessee,” referring to the Spring Cup and Nationwide events in Bristol.  I said no the 5k, and they said “Oh that’s tomorrow.  You’re a bit early for that race.” 

When I finally got to the race, everything went really well.  The Young Life 5k was run on Charlotte Motor Speedway, formally known as Lowe’s Motor Speedway.  There were over 300 runners, and a few hundred spectators.  Running on the track was an experience I wont soon forget, though not the most comfortable surface, one of the more fun courses.  I did run my fastest 5k, 21:47, and placed 33^rd out of 323 runners.  Lots of people took information and donated in person. 

Later in the evening I met up with Michigan State alumni up at their local bar, Dilworth Neighborhood Grille, to watch MSU vs. Maryland.  The game was stressful for all the MSU alum, but they were all very friendly and generous to donate last minute.  I hope that Tampa/St. Pete is just as great with MSU now playing another weekend in the NCAA tournament.

More Charlotte photos are available at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=43838&id=172123116132894