Latest News from FiftyTwo4Mom

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

This week I found myself in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina for the Shamrock 5k Run put on by Bearfoot Sports.  This was my first trip trying CouchSurfing alone.  The family I stayed with in the first half of the week was really great and really helped to get me around the island and help with tips on businesses to hit up.  I found many of the local business owners to be very friendly and receptive to what I was doing and was able to generate a lot of interest.  The weather all week was perfect except for one day that it rained non stop all day. 

The day prior to the run I even met a local TV reporter who gave my information to the newspaper and the day of the run there was an article on the race that included information on FiftyTwo4Mom.  The guys I stayed with on the last two days were also from CouchSurfing and one of the, Damien, even ran the race with me on Saturday.  The race was great.  It was run on the south side of the island near the water and the course was flat.  I placed 27^th out of almost 300, and my friend Damien placed 9^th, just edging out a 12 year old, who obviously beat me by quite a bit.  I want to thank Bearfoot Sports for allowing me to pass out information to the runners and to make an announcement prior to the awards presentation.  I met a lot of nice people, even a guy who was legally blind and completed the race.  I thought that was one of the most amazing things I heard, and applaud him for what he does.  I also met the organizer of the Palmetto Pacers Running Club who is going to post information on FiftyTwo4Mom on their website.  Overall, the week was great and I look forward to next week in Charlotte, North Carolina.

To see our Hilton Head pictures, visit our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=43837&id=172123116132894

The week in New Orleans started off well.  Our host was very gracious and even cooked us dinner and took us out for desert the first night.  I was able to reach out to the New Orleans Running Club and several other organizations to generate support for our cause.  We had a more difficult time with local businesses, as it seemed there were a lot of people in town running for charities.  I think I read on the Rock ‘n’ Roll website that almost 45% of runners were running for charity.  This is why I sometimes find the larger races to be a little more difficult to raise money.  I was also able to get a local “blogger” to do a post on our cause and I hope that that stirs up some buzz for FiftyTwo4Mom.  The race itself was a great course.  Nice and flat, and very scenic.  I found myself not paying as much attention to my time as I was having such a good time listening to all the music and interacting with people (runners and spectators).  Overall, New Orleans was a difficult city for FiftyTwo4Mom, but I still remain optimistic that our efforts in the city will bring results in the coming months.  For now, I am taking a week off, then on to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina for the Shamrock 5k.

Biloxi, Mississippi was a great visit for us.  Our host was really great to us all week and helped us find our way around the city.  Several local restaurants wanted to help us out and are collecting donations from their patrons over the next few weeks.  We were also able to do some fundraising and pass out information at the Rodeo Championships on Friday night.  Saturday was the 5k and Arbor Day Festival.  The Gulf Coast Running Club put on a great event right near the coast, and as always, the runners were very generous and contributed to our cause.  Since I have been doing more distance training than short running, the race was a little tougher than I would have liked, but overall I ran well and finished in 23:05.  Not my fastest 5k, but that wasn’t what mattered. 

After the race, we participated in the Arbor Day Festival, which was put on by Disability Connections, a group set up to spread awareness about disabilities.  There were lots of booths and great activities and we were able to make an announcement on stage about the organization and our goals.  Lots of people made donations and took information to check us out online.

Sunday wrapped up the trip in Mississippi, and I spent the day working at the Flea Market near Biloxi.  This was FiftyTwo4Mom’s first time trying such an event, and it was a great opportunity to reach a large number of people.  I think some people thought I was running a raffle or trying to sign them up for something, but once I was able to get their attention and talk to them about the organization, people were very receptive. 

Mississippi was a great trip for FiftyTwo4Mom and we look forward to our next stop, New Orleans.

For the week in photos check out: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=43834&id=172123116132894

Anne from AdvoCare made a sign to support me during the half marathon.

I was really excited for Sunday, as this is my first race since my Marathon, and from what people were saying this was to be a flat course.  The day of the race, I was pumped and ready to go.  The weather was perfect for a longer run, in the upper 40’s with very little wind.  I took the rehydrate given to me by Anne with the hopes it would keep me from getting cramps.  The race started off and I immediately realized that Alabama’s version of flat is not the same as my version of flat.  From the first mile the entire course was a long series of rolling hills with very few flat portions.  This did not stop me from setting off to a very quick pace, exceeding my planned pace 8 minute miles over the first 3 miles.  I reached the 10k mark in a little over 47 minutes.  As the race continued the hills did start to slow my pace, and towards the end my legs could feel the burn.  I was able to just beat my goal of running under an hour and 55 minutes crossing the finish line in 1:54.59. 

This week was a great start to the second leg of our journey and has really energized me.  I look forward to our next 6 races with our next stop being the Arbor Day 5k in Biloxi, Mississippi.

The day of the marathon started off well.  It was a cool, but nice morning.  I felt hydrated and had a good week of training.  I had a slight soreness in my hamstring from all the driving, but it had seemed to subside by the day of the run and I got it taped at the expo just for precautionary purposes.  If you have never run in a marathon, it’s an amazing experience to be there with all the people and the excitement.  I found the 3:40 pace group and was ready and set to go.  They say run a little slower than your “goal” pace, and since I was training at an 8 minute mile, I figured an 8:20 pace would be a good pace to start at. 

The race starts, and it takes about a minute just to reach the start line.  The funny thing about that is I’m actually in “Corral 2” of like 15, so I can’t imagine how long it took the people in the back to get to the start.  As I cross the line and begin to run we are off a bit slow as it is hard to run any pace in a pack of thousands of people.  We cross the first mile in 9 minutes, so the pacer picks up the pace to bring us back on target by mile 2.  I meet a man in the next few miles who listened to my internet interview with Dirt Dawg, which was a pleasant surprise and gives me some motivation.  The first 8 miles are going great, the pace feels very comfortable and I feel I can stay at this all day.  Slightly after mile 8 I get a slight cramp in my side, so I decide to slow my pace just a tad in the hopes it will go away. 

As the next few miles go on, the cramp gets worse and some doubts start to get into my head.  I keep running, but have slowed considerably to try to work out the cramp and it seems to get better around mile 11.  I pick it up a little, over the next mile and cross the half way point just over 2 hours.  If I can get back on a 9 minute pace I feel like I can get back and still finish under 4 hours.  Then comes mile 14, and all of the sudden both of my hamstrings begin to lock up and spasm.  Now to this point I have followed all the rules given to me and drank at every water station.  I took water at one, then cytomax at the other to make sure to stay hydrated throughout the race.  It appears as if the stress from all the driving I have done over the last 3 weeks has taken more of a toll on my body than expected.  I have no choice now but to walk to try to get some of the spasms to stop.  I still have 12 miles left to run, and at this point there are even thoughts of stopping the race here.  I am not running for me though.  This is not something I’m doing just for fun.  I feel I need to finish this for all of those people that I am running for.  This is my motivation. 

Mile after mile I struggle on.  Walking, running, walking, running, the cycle continues.  I am not the only one struggling at this point either.  For the last 8-10 miles of the run I notice that there are about a dozen of us stuck in the same place.  There is the girl who appears to be running with her boyfriend.  She is struggling, getting sick at times, and he stays with her to keep her going.  The older gentleman with his wife, who encourages him time and again not to quit.  The kid, who barely looks out of high school, who at times looks like he is going to collapse, but just as it looks like the end for him, he runs again.  And there are others as well.  We all are passing each other at various points.  I want to know why they keep going?  I want to tell them they are crazy and should stop.  But I do not know their motivation, as they don’t know mine.  But as I continue on I do get a lot of people noticing my shirt and asking me about it.  “What is FiftyTwo4Mom?”  And as I explain to people what I am doing and why I am running, it motivates me to continue and to push my body beyond anything I have ever felt.  I shouldn’t feel like this.  I trained, and I did everything I was supposed to, but as one of my friends told me, “Your body will do what its going to do on the day of the marathon.”  He is right.  Nothing can train you for your body failing you.  

Finally I get into the last few miles and as I hit mile 23 my right calf completely locks up.  At this point though there is nothing going to keep me from crossing that finish line.  So I continue on.  Mile 24 comes a hill over a bridge.  Who puts a hill in the last 2 miles of a marathon?  But it’s just one more obstacle.  I think of all the obstacles that my mom has had to put up with losing her sight.  How Nicole has pushed on after losing her sight in one eye, and all the other people who push though obstacles.  I finally pass mile 25 and it’s on from here.  I know from here on I will not walk and I will finish strong.  I finally round the last corner and see the finish line.  The clock is past the 4 hour mark that I wanted, but after the day I have had, I am happy with the 4:55 time I cross in.  Officially, the time is 4:54 because how long it took to cross the start line. 

I was able to reach a lot of people in Phoenix.  And I learned a lot about myself on this run.  I learned that if your mind stays focused, you can accomplish anything.  I have also learned that because of all the driving I have been doing that it caused my body to break down more than it should and I need to rethink how I’m doing this so that I don’t cause harm to myself.  I will continue to run a race in every state, just not every week.  I will do 1-2 races per month to make sure I stay healthy.  It will take a little longer, but it will allow me to keep the cause going for years to come.  For now, it is off to home to rest and recover for my next few races.  I will make sure to update the map as I revamp the schedule.