Thrice Honored

How can you beat the experience of finishing third in your division in a home-town half marathon, when by all, rights with a severe disability, you should be a shut-in?

How about by getting to take part in that race beside some world-class disabled athletes who are Marine Veterans? Well then how do you top that experience?

How about to be escorted through the race by bicycle escorts who are wounded warriors on their road to recovery?

Crystal Coast Half Marathon

This year it rained again. This year, too, the rain was no match for the spirits of the Crystal Coast Half Marathoners. Like last year the temperature was mild. Unlike last year, the winds were mild too.

I had made a desperate attempt to get in some decent workouts in the past few weeks. The weather and my schedule keep fighting me. I need to quit whining. I get out there as much as I can and that’s about it. It’s just not as much as I wish.

Last fall I emailed Butch Robertson, the race director about participating this year. He wrote back a few weeks ago and said to invite some other athletes. So after the Myrtle Beach I wrote to OneLegDan and David Swaim. I had no idea they would be interested in coming down to Morehead City. Lo and behold they did come. Yee-ha! We’re going to have a wheelchair division this year!

OneLegDan was wounded in Viet Nam and later lost a leg in a motorcycle wreck. He’s an all around great guy. His wife, D- and he travel all around the world racing in marathons for the Achilles Track Club’s Freedom team of disabled veterans.

David was a Cherry Point Marine during Viet Nam and is a low-level paraplegic with a non—service related disability. Now this part of the story illustrates how one person can change the destiny of another’s life. During his recovery, a PT took an interest in him and recognized that his restless energy could be constructively channeled into sports. She got him interested in wheelchair racing. The rest is history. Not only did he marry that girl, but he went on to train to become a world–class athlete. He has won the Marine Corps Marathon, the Shamrock, the Myrtle Beach Marathon, the Rock n Roll Half and many more races that I don’t even know about.

To put it in perspective, on a good day, I grind out 8-minute miles. My PR for a half is almost a 7-minute pace. The word I heard most associated with his CC Half performance was “rocket.” He trashed that course, complete with an eighty-foot bridge with a 3-fifty something pace! Here is a picture of him in the Myrtle Beach Marathon returning to earth from a light speed journey through the town.

Photo by Steve Jessmore sjessmore@thesunnews.com–The Sun News

Marines to the assist

In a later email from Butch, he asked me to arrange for some bicycle escorts for the chairs. With little time left before the race and very little time in my schedule, I emailed some local athletes to see if they wished to ride bikes as escorts. While they couldn’t they passed my request on to others. I got CWO G-, a Marine from Cherry Point, and BC, a banker in Morehead City.

I also got in contact with BG, a cycling coach for the Wounded Warrior Battalion-Det. East. BG couldn’t ride because he was running. He did, however get two civilian members of his Window Gang bike team to volunteer, BS and PJ. BG also got 4 volunteers that he coaches at the WW Bn-E. Sgt. T-, Capt. E-, LCpl. D-, and CWO R- all turned out to volunteer to escort the wheelchair division in the race.

Having 8 escorts for 3 chairs, I knew, would make things a lot easier AND safer. Right away Dan and David hit it off with their escorts. T-, who had been literally blown apart by a suicide bomber listened intently as OneLegDan described his encounter with a ’Bouncing Betty.’

Butch came up with a scheme for starting the wheelers so as to minimize the interaction between the runners and the wheelers. He started me about 2 minutes earlier than David and OneLegDan and then started the runners almost immediately afterward. I don’t know how the timer kept track of all that.

The race

We launched out in the rain Saturday morning with Capt. E- and LCpl. D- beside me. For a few brief seconds, I was in front of David Swaim in a race for the first time ever. It really was no race for although I was a few blocks ahead of David, I soon heard the shouts from the rear, “ON THE LEFT!” In a blink, this blue flash rocketed by.

I shouted “Go David!” and he was gone in a blink. Bicyclists CWO R-, BC, BS, and PJ were around him. I’m not sure if they weren’t struggling to keep up. OneLegDan zipped past a few minutes later with Sgt T- and CWO G.

The lead runners came racing by a few second later. They were looking strong. I think that all these fast folks blasting past me gave me a bit of a mental boost because I was cranking pretty hard. I think my last few workouts on the AB bridge were paying off.

After two loops around downtown Morehead City at a pretty good speed (for me, anyway) we took off toward the AB Bridge. I got into my lowest gears and cranked continuously all the way up. I normally have to stop several times but today I could keep going. I had communicated my plan for crossing the bridge to my escorts. Basically the same idea I used at OBX; it worked well today. On the uphill, they dismounted and walked behind me. On the downhill, they wend 30-50 yards in front to warn the runners to move over.

Just as I peaked the bridge about mile 6, I think, I saw a police car and then saw David’s escorts as he was returning. Man, he was flying!

My trip down the AB side of the bridge top out at about 22 mph. The escorts were great. There was no problem with other runners. Everything was going well At the bottom of the bridge I hit a bump and the bracket that holds my race number on my bike fell off. When I caught back up with LCpl D-, I asked him if he would mind going back to get it.

Capt. E- and I pressed on toward Fort Macon. The other runners were great. I was passing most of them by now. They were the folks that passed me on the uphill side of the bridge. My coworker D- was one of them. I met OneLegDan on the return. He and his escorts seemed to be having a great time.

The runners were offering great support. I was having a good time and shouted encouragement to them too. As we approach the turn around I told my escorts I may need the whole road to turn around so watch for traffic and be prepared to warn cars on the other side. On the trip back I got to see the “rest of the pack,” the runners behind me and I could see them face to face. Even after eight miles or so everyone was all smiles and the spirit was high.

Again I was surprised at my energy level on the second bridge climb. I think the excitement of race day had me stoked. I coasted down the Morehead City side of the bridge while the bikers made sure folks were aware I was passing. I think I hit 27 mph on the return.

David and OneLegDan were waiting at the finish. We waited around for the awards.

Butch was very gracious and awarded all three of us an award. We also had another surprise. My teammate came in second in her division in the 5K! You go girl! My time was 1:52. In third place, I was a half hour better than last year. But then no gale winds this year. But to put my accomplishment into perspective, David Swaim the new course record holder, beat my time by over an hour!

So that was Saturday. Sunday the weather was rotten. Monday it snowed. Wednesday it was bitter cold. On Thursday we got a break and I went back to the AB Bridge to work out. I couldn’t even come close to the climb I had done on Saturday. Yesterday was Thursday and I got in a 13 mile ride over varied terrain. Again, I was no where near the level of my Saturday performance!

All in all it was a great weekend. I say I was honored three times. With my level of disability, to roll across the starting line is an honor in and of itself. To be associated with and start beside world class athletes and honorable veterans like David and OneLegDan is an honor can’t describe. But to be assisted in my humble endeavor by the very individuals I support with my 2008 Miles of Hope campaign, is going to be a memory and a source of pride that I will enjoy for many years.

Return the honor

So as you read these words, put our freedom into perspective with the lives of many people around the world. We take more freedom for granted than most people will ever know. The fact that we can take that freedom for granted makes me grateful to people like Sgt. T- who was blown up by a suicide bomber wearing an explosive vest. And now as he recovers from his wounds, he volunteers his time to the community to make an event like this successful. It makes me grateful for people like LCpl. D-, who, while the truck in which he rode in the turret position drove over an IED that killed his comrades and shattered his legs. And yet he finds the time in his recovery to help folks like me and hundreds of others have a fun and safe race.

Remember our warriors like these and remember their sacrifices. It is because of their courage and their suffering that we sleep at night. Join me in my campaign to honor them with a contribution to Hope For The Warriors.

Donate today. You can easily make a donation to Hope For The Warriors by using our secure credit card donation site:

2008 Miles of Hope

Or donate by check. Download our donation form, fill it out, and send it to us with your donation to our address on the form:

Donation form.pdf

And learn about where the money goes: Hope For The Warriors


Look for us at the Shamrock!

Valentine’s Day Crank and Grind

You know you’re in trouble when:

1) The forecast for your February marathon is cold, windy, and rainy.
2) The National Anthem is being sung at the starting line and you haven’t decided what to wear.
3) You’re still at your hotel.

Myrtle Beach Marathon

My Myrtle Beach Marathon weekend starts with Tuesday. I’m desperately trying to regain strength lost over the last few months I attribute to lack of training. Over each of the past two weekends I got in a long handbike ride on Saturday and a marathon-length ride on Sunday. I was a little optimistic for the MB Marathon because the second marathon-ride was back in the time range I was hoping for.

Tuesday I put in a ride over the Atlantic Beach Bridge to work on strength. I still felt like I had a long way to go.

Wednesday I got in another AB Bridge climb. Finally I felt some improvement. Nothing like a year ago but better than in recent weeks.

Thursday my teammate and I set out to Myrtle Beach. I hoped to squeeze in a ride in the PM. There just wasn’t enough time in the day. We made it to the expo and picked up our bib numbers. My teammate was registered for the 5K and I, the marathon. The MB marathon not only welcomes hand cranks, they have separate divisions for cranks and push rims and awards for both. And it’s flat. At the expo, one of the vendors was the Grand Strand Bicycle Shop. One of their salesmen told us about a nice bike trail at Huntington Beach.

From MBM09

Friday morning we visited that trail and put in a 10-mile ride at a leisurely pace. It was a nice way to burn off the pancakes I had for breakfast. Anyone who has been to Myrtle Beach knows that pancake houses are as scarce as tee shirt stores. The trail winds through a shady pine forest before connecting with a street bike lane in Murrell’s Inlet.

RBC 5K

Later Friday afternoon I dropped my teammate off at Broadway at the Beach for the start of the 5K. I drove over to Coastal Field to catch her at the end. I took a short nap in the van while I waited for her to get underway. At the last minute I decided to catch her out on the course so I wheeled out to Grissom Pkwy. to catch her at about mile 2.7. Pardon the fuzzy picture; I can hold a camera about as still as a paint shaker.

I didn’t get to see her finish, but she said this time she sprinted at the finish; remembering the Dash for Cash when she missed placing in her division by about 10 seconds. When I found her she was searching for her results. She couldn’t find her time but said it looked like there were others that beat her substantially. We were planning on a 4 AM wake-up so we didn’t wait around for the awards.

Bi-Lo Marathon

Friday night I looked at every weather report I could find. I brought rain gear that would feel good if it rained. The problem is it would cook me if it didn’t. I woke up a dozen times or so during the night remembering the Neuse River Bridge Run and how miserable I got in the cold wind and rain.

Saturday morning it looked like the rain might hold off for a couple of hours, but it looked like it would, in all likelihood, rain and the temps would start off in the lower 50s and never break 57. I decided to go with rain gear. Rain pants covered Polartec sweats on my legs and a Gore-Tex jacket covered thin polyester short-sleeved and cotton long-sleeved tee shirts.

The race starts at 6:30 with chairs crossing the line at 6:25. My hope was to be at the starting line at 6:00. The extra time dressing and deciding what to wear messed me up. I thought I gad plenty of time, but after I got on the bike I looked at my watch, which was heretofore covered up by my rain jacket. It was already after 6:00. I was in the parking lot of our motel, which, fortunately, was only about 5 blocks from the start.

Mile 0 Grissom Parkway

I was almost ready to shove off and it was 6:15. By now they were singing the National Anthem. Then I made a crucial decision. I was going to be too hot. I got my teammate to help me out of the jacket (which is a big deal, trust me on this). The clouds were still high and the temps were warmer than forecast. By the time it rained I might even welcome the cooling. About 6:20 I rolled off toward the start. As I got near I could see the spotlight in the sky and began to hear the announcer. He was announcing the chairs were about to start.

About then a charity team walked out into the street right in front of me en masse. What else could go wrong? I was about to find out. After weaving around the charity team I arrived at the start just as the gun was fired for the chair start. The only problem was, there was a crowd control fence between me and the starting line. I pulled up to a joint in the fence and shouted to some bewildered spectators to move one section of the fence. Stunned at the sight of me, it took some more shouted directions before someone moved the fence and I could get through. By that time the runners were starting to move forward to the start.

The starter saw me and waived me forward and off I went. I looked down the road and could barely see the last chair in front of me. The only sign of the lead wheelers was the faint blink of the police car lights off in the distance. About two hundred yards down the course I remembered to start my GPS. My GPS recorded itself being started at 6:24:40. GPS time is usually pretty accurate, so it looks to me like the race started early. Well, I was off. My last race got of with an un-exciting start. This one was anything but.

Mile 1 (about 8:40) Joe White Ave.

I usually enjoy a few minutes at the start meeting other handbikers and wheelchair competitors. Not the case this day. I would have to be content to read about them in the newspaper. As I cruised south on Grissom I was all alone. A handful of spectators were out on the street in the dark and they were all great support. After about a half mile I turned west on Joe White Ave. A motorcycle joined up with me and cruised along beside. I felt pretty good but I wished I could have rested for a few minutes at the start after my “warm up sprint” from the motel. A policeman came along side and told the motorcyclist that the runners just launched.

Mile 2 (7:59) Seaboard St.

I turned up Seaboard and headed north. The road looped around a mall and eventually the lead runners passed. Since there were no cash prizes, the Kenyans weren't out in front. We yelled to each other in support. The road was flat and the asphalt was fast. The course actually looped past our motel and my teammate stood out front yelling in support.

From MBM09

Mile 3 (7:45) Broadway at the Beach

We turned off 21st Ave. N. into the Broadway shopping center. The runners were very supportive. Some stuck out their “thumbs up” others yelled. As we approached a corner, one even asked whether I wanted the inside or outside track. “Wheels yield to heels” is my policy, I said, “you take the inside, I’ll take the outside.”

Mile 4 (9:35) 29th Ave. N.

After a few turns we headed east on 29th Ave. N. It seems any beach town has rolling up and down streets which is the nature of the old sand dunes that lie beneath. We went up a gentle grade along 29th as we headed toward the main drag along the waterfront. I noticed a folding umbrella that someone had lost or cast aside beside the street. I thought to myself, “I bet they will miss that later.” The weather right now was about perfect; cloudy, cool, and light breezes. I was glad had relinquished the jacket.

Mile 5 (7:43) Ocean Blvd.

Along 29th Ave. N. the road drops pretty steeply to Ocean Blvd. Unfortunately it also narrows which made it impossible to safely capitalize on the downhill. I fell into a gap between runners and got a pretty tight turn around the corner onto Ocean Blvd. At about mile 5 I spied my teammate again who was waiting on the sidewalk to take my picture.

Mile 6 (8:22), Mile 7 (9:46), Mile 8 (8:59) Ocean Blvd.

The south end of Ocean Blvd. rolled up and down with gentle grades and not much elevation. No one would ever want for tee-shirts or sunglasses in this part of town. The fellow runners were great. We chatted up little conversations and for the most part they offered a lot of support.

Mile 9 (11:01) Kings Hwy.

At S 28th Ave. S. we turned off the Grand Strand to the west and then back to 27th Ave. S. 28th Ave. had a bit of incline so I got down in my lowest gears and ground my way slowly up the hill. All the runners I have traveled with down Ocean Blvd. went past and I settled in with a new group after finishing the climb back up to Kings Hwy.

Mile 10 (8:34), Mile 11 (8:20) Kings Hwy.

Again I settled in with a group of very supportive runners that passed me on the uphills and I passed them on the downhills. Not to exaggerate; these are minor gradients. I did start to encounter a few self-deafened iPodders that couldn’t hear to move over as I closed in behind them on the downhills. This day, I was less than hesitant to veer into the traffic lane if it was clear when someone didn’t get out of the way. If Ocean Blvd. were Myrtle Beach’s Mecca for tee shirts and sunglasses, King’s Highway is the center for pancake houses and other restaurants. Every couple of blocks there were clumps of spectators that offered great support.

Mile 12 (10:27) Joe White Ave.

I got a nice bit of gravity after climbing a little hill on this last stretch of King’s Highway. I cranked hard and coasted around the corner and started a new gradual uphill grade back up Joe White Ave. The mile 12 water stop has historically been run by a group of middle school kids and today they were out in force with a ton of enthusiastic support.

Mile 13 (9:52) Grissom Parkway

As we approached the half marathon turn off into Coastal field, the half marathon runners began to pick up their pace as they sprinted toward their finish. When we passed the divider for the turn off the volume of runners fell off by about two thirds. I was hopeful that that would make future passing easier.

Mile 14 (12:19) 29th Ave. N.

From MBM09

I met my teammate and stopped to refuel just before the 13.1 split on Grissom Parkway. I ate a Snickers and drank a PowerAde and got back on the road after about a 3 minute rest. Now there were only marathoners left and I settled in with a group of runners that I pretty much stayed with for about five miles. I turned off Grissom and onto N 29th St. and met the 4th place hand cranker on his way to the finish.

From MBM09

Others, including my friend David Swaim had already finished in the time it took me to get halfway! As I crossed Kings Highway I could see my friend, Dan-O coming up the street to his 5th place crank finish.

Mile 15 (9:26), Mile 16 (9:33), Mile 17 (9:02), Mile 18 (9:12) Ocean Blvd.

This end of the Grand Strand is the residential and condo end of the beach. Only a few spots forced me into my lower gears. It was pretty much just crank and grind throughout the 4 northbound miles. I settled in with a group of runners that would pass me when I slowed for a slight hill; then I would catch them on the downhill side. We got a few conversations going but whenever I got down into my lower gears and slowed down, they would leave me and I would mix into a new group of runners. One runner had “Go Julie” written across the back of her jersey. She and I exchanged encouragement throughout the rest of the race. There were a few spectators out but generally the participants provided each other support.

Mile 19 (15:19) 79th Ave. N.

The last stretch along the ocean started with a steep climb and then a steep drop. When we turned up 79th Ave., I once again had to get into my lower gears all the way back to Kings Hwy. Again, I dropped behind the comrades I had traveled with for the last few miles. At King’s Hwy. A policeman said some words of support. I replied with, “Thanks for being here!”

Mile 20 (10:05) Parkwood Dr.

The rest of the way west on 79th Ave. was slightly uphill so I couldn’t maintain the pace I had before. At the end of the street we looped through the driveway of a school where the Myrtle Beach Sun News took the notorious picture of me that they published in their Sunday edition last year.

The photo was snapped when I was heading for a curb at the end of the bus parking area. I have my head turned hard to the right looking at another (female) runner so I can maneuver right and without running into her. The photographer must have thought I was checking out her backside since the caption published was something like, ‘Handcrank participant slows to look at another runner.’ The picture is cropped such that her backside is all you see of her.

My teammate has her own caption for the picture; ‘Handbiker busted checking butt.’ Needless to say, today I had my eyes open for photographers.

Mile 21 (7:26) Kings Hwy.

We left turn around in the school and started down Parkwood Dr. Everyone seemed to be a bit relieved at this point because now we were heading back south toward the finish. As we turned east onto 76th Ave. N. I was rewarded with a slight downhill and downwind stretch. I got as far to the left as I could and went a bit faster. Soon I was catching those I had come down Ocean Blvd. As I passed Julie, I yelled, “Go Julie” again. She shouted back, “Welcome back!”

Mile 22 (11:24), Mile 23 (7:29), Mile 24 (10:55) Kings Hwy.

About 9:30 it started to rain. It was just a faint mist, almost like a damp fog. It felt good. I wasn’t worried about the temperature now. I knew there was a hot shower waiting for me soon. As we made our way south on Kings Hwy. the rain slowly picked up to a light drizzle. It never rained hard; just enough to soak you thoroughly. A few spectators stuck it out in spite of the rain. The water table volunteers were especially supportive.



My teammate rode up on her bicycle about mile 24 and offered my jacket. I declined. I was already wet and not cold yet. Besides, I was slowing down with a headwind and anxious to get this over. She rode along for a couple of miles then headed on back to wait for me at the finish area. What a trooper!

Mile 25 (9:53) 29th Ave. N.

Runners were picking up their pace as they turned west on 29th for the last time. Mentally, there was a “home stretch” feeling. The rain had sent most of the spectators home along this stretch. I should have checked to see if the abandoned umbrella had found a new owner.

Mile 26 (10:27) Grissom Parkway

As I closed in on mile 26 I dialed up my mother with my Bluetooth earpiece to let her listen in to the sounds of the finish. I caught up with Julie again and we both laughed about finishing together after about 9 miles.

A bearded fellow ran up beside me and gave me the greatest surprise. He was a close family friend that I hadn’t seen in many years. Somehow he had heard of my participation and was watching for me. He ran with me up to the finish chute where he veered off while I finished. I hoped to see him on the other side of the finish line but we never did reconnect. His father and mine had served together as Marines, so our families, too, shared a bond. This is one bit of unfinished business from the race; to reconnect with him.

Finish (3:27) .35 mile

From MBM09

I know, it’s supposed to be .2 miles, but I never follow the exact path of the course certification, so my GPS always accumulates a little extra distance. They handed us a nice heart-shaped medal (it was Valentine’s Day).

From MBM09

My chip time was 4:09:09. Not as good as I had hoped for. And not the 3:51 I did last year nor the 3:41 I did in Jacksonville. I just need to train more before the Shamrock.

From MBM09

One of the sponsors was Chick-Fil-A. I parked under their tent and my teammate bought me a sandwich and found me some hot coffee. It never tasted so good.

We searched the finish area for a while for my friend. We didn’t find him and by now the post-race chill was robbing my body heat. We went on back to the motel where I indulged in a half-hour long hot shower.

Later that afternoon my teammate and I had a nice steak dinner for our Valentine’s Day date. We were too tired to do anything else so we went back to the motel to rest. We decided we were too tired for the post-race party at House of Blues. About 8 PM we found the results posted on the internet and learned she had placed third in her age group in the 5K. We have been trying to get in touch with the race crew to get her trophy, but that is still another piece of unfinished business.

All-in-all a fun race and a great weekend! The Sun News did a great job covering the events. Read their coverage.

Hope For The Warriors

I race to benefit this outstanding foundation. They look out for wounded warriors and their families in their time of need. It is my promise to raise $26,200 in donations to support their programs.

This is America. We can go out and run around the country if we want to. Or stay indoors and watch TV. Only because we have brave men and women who are willing to go stand in harm's way to protect our liberty. And for that I am grateful.

Join me in my campaign, 2008 Miles of Hope, to help America's heroes, our wounded warriors and their families.

Donate today. You can easily make a donation to Hope For The Warriors by using our secure credit card donation site:

2008 Miles of Hope

Or donate by check. Download our donation form, fill it out, and send it to us with your donation to our address on the form:

Donation form.pdf

And learn about where the money goes: Hope For The Warriors

Fall Races and Jacksonville Marathon

Followers of my blog have probably wondered why the lack of recent posts. I have to start out with my apology for not keeping my many supporters better informed on my progress. October through December has been the cap to one of the most exciting and inspirational years of my life. The period has also been one of the most hectic times of my life. Or so I thought.

Then the New Year brought my mother a debilitating infection that almost took her from us. She’s in a rehab facility now, fighting to come back and regain her independence. Unfortunately my blogging and my training have suffered as a result. To bring readers up to date, here’s a report on some of my recent events.

Neuse River Bridge Run

In September, I was logging over 360 miles in training including two half centuries in one weekend. Needless to say, I felt in pretty good shape for the Army Ten-Miler. At that point the weather started turning bad, the daylight started becoming shorter, and various activities just started taking more time away from my training. The Beirut Memorial run was the second weekend in October. The day of the race it was pouring cats and dogs. Since one stretch of the course goes off road and across a ditch, we didn’t even get out of bed when the alarm went off at 4 AM. The last thing I wanted was to get stuck in the mud. DNS

The next weekend was the Neuse River Run. For the locals, this is a pretty big event. For one of my coworkers, JC, this was to be her comeback run after being sidelined last year after having a baby. It’s a scenic point-to-point that starts in Bridgeton, crosses the Neuse and Trent River Bridges, loops around Tryon Palace, the colonial capital of NC, and finishes in downtown New Bern. The view from the bridges is unique and scenic. There’s a 5K also that loops through the historic downtown district.

This year it was wet. And cold. And windy.



It seemed like I had a headwind every way I turned. I was the only chair again (everyone with sense was home in bed). I got a five minute (I think) head start. I forgot to start the timer on my GPS so I didn’t record my splits. I also didn’t get an accurate timing because the starter never communicated my start time to the timer. The posted time for me was 55:10. I think my time was actually about 1 hour. I think because the starter didn’t inform the timer that I got an advance start, so the timer didn’t break out the chair time, hence no medal. The good news was that my teammate came in 3rd in her division in the 5K!



Heidi Tucker won the women’s 5K and JC finished first in her division in the 5K. My MCM teammate, SL, finished 2nd in his division in the 5K.



We stood around in the cold and the rain waiting for the awards and I managed to develop a bit of hypothermia. All in all not a particularly fun day. A good wake-up call prior to the MCM and I was able to get in some good workouts the following week.

The MCM was indescribable. I did my best to try with the blog post on that race. I still get emotional thinking back on the race. You should read DCTriGuy’s account of teammate Zach and AJ’s race. Zach and AJ are two WWs that Hope For The Warriors sponsored into the MCM.

City of Oaks

Oaks was the weekend after the MCM. I thought by now I’d be ready for hills. Too many travel days and too few workouts proved otherwise. I did this half marathon with T- last year. It was a brutal course. This year it was worse. For a wheeler, the ideal course is flat. This race is anything but. The next best scenario for a wheeler is a downhill first part with an uphill second, like the Boston. That gives the wheeler a chance to get some speed early and stay in front of the runners on the downhills. Then when you are in the thick of the runners you’re at a slower speed on the uphills. Well this course doesn’t fit that profile either. In fact they changed the start/finish location this year and made the course (much) worse. On top of that I was only able to get in one substantive workout after the MCM.

The City of Oaks folks didn’t seem to care for wheelers too much. In fact, that seemed to be a persistent theme in my fall races with the exception of the MCM. The race started out with a slight uphill grade that turned steep after bout one block.





The head start for this race was one minute if I recall correctly.



By the time I had cranked my way to the top of the first hill, nearly the entire field of runners had passed.





Any time I made up on the downhills was made trying to get shout my way around the iPod zombies. Fortunately my teammate was able to ride her bike and guide for me. That was a big help in getting through some congested areas. It is a scenic course through several of Raleigh’s nicer neighborhoods and the downtown district. The full marathoners do an off-road excursion through Umstead Park. Overall it was a tough course. A lot of steep hills.





One good aspect of going up hills was that the rest to visit with family spectators was welcome. The other runners and spectators were great. I got a little inspirational boost toward the end when Heidi passed me toward the finish. While it was good to see another home-town runner, it was a little disheartening to remember that she was finishing the full marathon.





My time was 3:07. Not a good one for me but given the hills and my lack of training it was to be expected. No awards for chairs again this year. At least they had a nice finisher medal and hot pizza. My finish was not as heartbreaking as the Kenyans, though, who missed the turn-around for the half. One of them went on to finish the marathon with the best time, but because he was registered for the half, he wasn’t eligible for the prize.

From Oaks to Coast

The OBX half was the following weekend. It’s a flat course and the event website advertises that a 35 foot high bridge is the only hill on the course. I was anxious to clock a fast time after the hills ate my lunch at MCM and Oaks. I was also determined to put in a few workouts before the race this time. I always seem to do my best on the third day after two hard workouts. I have a saying about “come-back” workouts. I say, “First day you cry, second day you die, and third day you fly.”

The race was on Sunday and we caught the Cedar Island Ferry and drove up the Outer Banks on Friday. On Ocracoke Island I got my teammate to get me on my bike and I rode the 14-mile length of the island. This is undoubtedly my favorite ride. The cool air and ocean breeze felt great.


Event Director Robyn Keenan

Friday PM we went to the expo and got settled in our motel. Saturday we drove the course and discovered that 35-foot bridge was more like a 90-foot bridge.



Later that morning I got on my bike again and rode the course. The half marathon course winds its way through several residential neighborhoods in Kill Devil Hills and past Jockey’s Ridge. It goes over the main bridge to Manteo, the home of the Lost Colony.

Sunday was to be my “fly” day. I got on my crank chair at the motel and started off toward the starting line. My teammate stayed behind to get packed up so we could load up the van and get a late checkout after the race. I arrived at the starting line and met one of the race officials. He was looking for me to let me know I was going to start 20 minutes early. Holy cow! I wasn’t ready. I called my teammate on my cell phone and asked her to expedite.



I made my way to the start and met my bicycle escorts. I was the only chair (again) although one other has registered but didn’t show. Someone helped me out of my jacket I had worn from the motel and I drank an energy drink I had brought with me. About that time my teammate arrived, just a few minutes before my start.

The weather was perfect, sunny and a bit chilly. There was some discussion back and forth between the race officials regarding who was the timing official and who was the starting official. It only served to confuse me because I then heard the announce get the crowd to shout a ready, set, go. I hate to disappoint anyone but not knowing if that was the start or not, I waited until the timer said to go ahead.



I launched with my usual slow roll and a yee-ha!



Only a handful of spectators were out that time of the morning so my bike escorts and I pretty much owned the road.



With a twenty-minute lead, it was fairly far along before the Kenyans passed me. I was almost at the bridge before the lead female passed.





I was having a pretty good day. Not a PR, but considering my recent (lack of) training schedule, not bad. On the way up the bridge I made a strategy with my bike escorts. I stayed on the left side of the runner’s lane. As I neared the top, one escort would go on to the top and begin warning the runners to stay right going down the bridge, (particularly the iPodders). As I started down, he would go ahead and the other would lead by about thirty meters to warn anyone that had forgotten to stay right.

It worked without a hitch. Partly because the field of runners was still fairly thin and partly because of the help from the escorts, I was able to make up a good bit of time lost ascending the bridge. I’ll remember that strategy. I made to the community of Manteo and crossed the finish with a time of 1:54:38.

There were 1330 marathoners and 2770 half marathoners. Anne Wheatly, a girl from my hometown, won the marathon, and KD, a high school classmate of mine, also finished the half so yeah for the home team! All in all not my best time but a great day and I was starting too feel a little better after my slow times in the hills of Oaks and MCM.

Dash for Cash

On December 7, I did the Dash for Cash 10-Miler in Greenville. The race is a memorial run named after Army Captain Chris Cash who was KIA in Iraq. Cash was an avid supporter of learning in the community and the race funds a scholarship in his memory.

About all I remember about this race was the cold. I remember undressing that night and creating a three-foot pile of the many layers I was wearing. I have to layer my legs heavily in cold weather because they lose heat. I have to be careful to keep from layering up too much on my upper body where I generate a lot of body heat.



It was a cold and windy day. It seemed no matter which way you turned, you were fighting a headwind. The course does a stretch through downtown Greenville then past East Carolina University and back to the Town Commons area where the 5Kers split off and finish. The 10-milers head on out into the countryside for an out-and-back to make up the distance.



I added this race to my schedule at the last minute. I emailed the director and got a response back, “We thought you were going to come.” I guess the word is getting around.



I was privileged to be able roll across the starting line with my MCM teammate Ed, who was using his pushrim chair for the very first time.

My teammate did the 5K. She, too, was out of practice. She didn’t sprint at the end since she hadn’t been training much. At the end she said there was another lady about her age just in front of her. Turns out she missed placing by about 10 seconds.





The finisher “medals” were dogtags with the name of the race stamped on them. Since Ed did the 5K, I got the wheelchair prize for the 10-miler. My time was 1:47:27.



Jacksonville Bank Marathon

Too much Thanksgiving eating, office parties, and sweet food, coupled with an insatiable appetite was wreaking havoc on my weight. I tried to maintain my workout schedule but it seemed something was always getting in the way.

On Friday before the race we drove to Jacksonville, drove the course, and had a nice dinner at a Japanese steakhouse. The weather was perfect-just a tiny bit cool. On Saturday we picked up my race number. A local runner’s store organizes the race so they are the expo.

I was looking forward to this race because I was going to participate along with another Hope For The Warriors fundraiser, Army Capt. Jason Lynn. Capt. Lynn was also running with some of his West Point classmates. The two of us has been collaborating in preparation for this race for about a month. Between the two of us we had raised over $27,000 in contributions for Hope For The Warriors at that time. Though we had never met in person, we were “virtual” teammates working toward the same goal.

Saturday, I had the opportunity to get my tires on the course. My teammate and I drove the course, this time in the daylight, and returned to about mile six. I got on my handbike there and rode about 15 miles of the course. I was able to ride on the only “hill” on the course, a stretch of residential neighborhood where the street drops down to the waterfront along the St. John River. It is a very flat course but it doesn’t take much of a hill to kick my butt, so it was good to try that stretch before the race. I learned which gears to use where and when to shift.



The Marathon and the Half both started at 7 AM, which was still dark. I’m sure the idea was to beat the Florida mid-day heat. We got to the start and found a place to park although navigating to the starting line in a chair took a bit of resourcefulness. This was again proving to be somewhat of a chair-unfriendly race management crew. I had emailed the race director a few weeks prior and only got a ‘we don’t have a wheelchair division’ response. The director said chairs didn’t like the finish because there was about a quarter mile stretch across a soccer field before entering the stadium at the finish. Several people met me at the start and ask if I was so-and-so. Apparently no one knew how many chairs were registered. Not surprising since there was no place on the registration to enter as a chair, much less a hand crank.



It turned out that one other push rimmer showed up. He was a local guy and this was to be his first race. I never saw him after the start but he was expecting to finish in about 3 hours.



I met Jason, his fellow runners and his family at the start. It was neat to meet them after several months of emailing and collaborating on publicity for our fundraising. One of his teammates, AL, was apparently critically wounded by an IED and lost an eye. We all got some pics and shook hands, exchanged hugs and got lined up at the start. It was getting close to 7 and usually there is some advance start for chairs. Finally some guy walked by and spoke to myself and the other wheelchair and simply said, “I’m going to start you guys in a few minutes.” About five minutes later he appeared again and walked over and said, “you guys can go now.”

Unceremoniously, it began. We started south down San Jose Blvd in the dark If there was any wind it was a scant breath from the north. My fellow chair competitor was off in the darkness ahead. I could follow his progress by the police lights from the lead vehicle. I felt good and was glad for the training ride the day before. I cranked hard and enjoyed the solitude for the moment. A few minutes later I heard the starting gun fire some distance behind me and knew the race was officially underway.



I realized I hadn’t started my GPS at the start so I didn’t accurately record my splits. I started it about four minutes into the race and tried to sych the lap button at mile one. I can only guess that we got about a two minute start, but don’t know for certain because they never published the chair times accurately adjusted for the lead start. By mile one I knew my time was pretty good; not a DSS pace, but I was happy.



The race proceeds shout along the east shore of the St. John River. It winds along though some nice neighborhoods with some magnificent homes. The old live oak trees provide a tremendous canopy of shade, a welcome feature during any month in Florida. The lead runners passed and we exchanged mutual shouts of encouragement; mine, my signature “Yee-ha!”





We turned off Scott Mill Rd. onto Mandarin Rd., again enjoying the welcome shade. As we approached the turn into Mandarin Park the shade was less and the sun was getting enough elevation to start getting a bit hot. I caught a glimpse of a coworker who is from Jax and who was in the area visiting her family.



A little later, at the turn around in Mandarin Park, I met my teammate who had a welcome Snickers bar and an energy drink.



As I headed back I met Jason and his Army buddies. They were still smiling and looking good.



I was settling into a group of the same runners now and we were striking up some conversations. The trip back up Brady Rd. offered plenty of shade. The sun was getting warm although the air was still cool. By the time I got back to the I-295 overpass on Scott Mill Rd. I asked one of the volunteers at the water station to dump a cup of water on me. It was nice and cold.

It was a routine crank and grind back to the finish area. There I got a rude surprise. To get to the soccer field you had to first cross a dirt parking lot. The previous day there was some construction taking place in the lot and the dirt was loose and soft. I got into my low gears and had enough momentum to get across the dirt to the grass. At that point the course didn’t go as it had been described to me.



Instead of turning right and going straight into the stadium, we looped around to the left behind one softball field and back across another. The areas behind the fields were covered with soft dry sand about the consistency of a beach sand dune. When I got off the grass, my wheels literally sunk. And I stopped.

I had to get help across the sand in two different spots. I later emailed the race director. I suggested he could easily modify the course in the future and could get rid of the sandy spots if the course went straight from the soccer field into the stadium and the turnarounds were extended a bit. He wasn’t interested.

Once in the stadium there was a timing mat which I avoided. I thought that it was there for the 13 mile split for the half marathoners. Turns out it read your chip so the announcer could call out your name. So I finished in anonymity.



My time, I think, was 3:41. The clock read 3:39, but I never got an accurate posting of the time including the wheelchair advance start. I had hoped for a few minutes faster. I had been able to do 3:30 in training last summer. But after my times in the hills of Arlington and Raleigh, I was happy. And it was a PR.



Jason finishes strong



Teammates



Because we can!

What’s next?

See my 09 races on the sidebar. Next week is the Myrtle Beach Marathon. Last year it was my first marathon. I was stronger then than I am now. I hope to do as well as last year. In March, join us at the Shamrock.

In October I’ll be at the MCM again, the Lord willing. In November, I plan to do the ING NYC. Last year I did four marathons, six halves, and two 10-milers. The good folks at Camp Lejeune recognized me again this year in their Grand Prix awards.

This year I plan to do five marathons.

Why?

I do it to show my respect for the brave men and women wounded in the Global War On Terror. For seven years, their selfless sacrifices have kept the wolf away from our door. I enjoy the freedom to do the things I do because of them.

Do not let their sacrifices be forgotten…nor their needs go unmet. Help out with whatever amount you can donate.

In the words of Hope For The Warriors President, Robin Kelleher, “While the country seems to think we've got this covered, we really don't.” She said the organization received $10,000 worth of requests in 2007 to aid injured soldiers. In 2008, the need has exceeded $200,000, she said. –Virginian-Pilot

Hope For The Warriors

I race to benefit this outstanding foundation. They look out for wounded warriors and their families in their time of need. It is my promise to raise $26,200 in donations to support their programs.

This is America. We can go out and run around the country if we want to. Or stay indoors and watch TV. Only because we have brave men and women who are willing to go stand in harm's way to protect our liberty. And for that I am grateful.

Join me in my campaign, 2008 Miles of Hope, to help America's heroes, our wounded warriors and their families.

Donate today. You can easily make a donation to Hope For The Warriors by using our secure credit card donation site:

2008 Miles of Hope

Or donate by check. Download our donation form, fill it out, and send it to us with your donation to our address on the form:

Donation form.pdf

And learn about where the money goes: Hope For The Warriors

You can help—they gave for you.

Marine Corps Marathon 2008: Honored to be free because of the brave

Team Hope For The Warriors

The Marine Corps Marathon 2008 was many things to me. It was a fulfillment of a dream. It was a lot of fun. It was one of the primary goals of 2008 Miles of Hope. And for me, personally, it was a public way to symbolically say “thanks” to America’s wounded warriors.

On Saturday, October 25, 2008 Team Hope For The Warriors formally assembled for the first time as a group. After months of preparation for the Marine Corps Marathon we met face to face, many for the first time, for the pre-marathon ritual, the pasta dinner.


T- and I used the opportunity to meet with our curb crews, our family and friends, and go over our support strategy. I wanted to cross the finish line with T- to fulfill a pact we had made two years prior. The coordination would be difficult as she would cross the starting line about thirty minutes after me and my speed would be much slower than hers going up the hills. I doubted I would make up much speed on the downhill because of the volume of runners I would have to pass. I predicted I would finish around 6:20. I expected T- and I would pass each other about four times before we converged and could stay together at the flat part of the course. We charted times and Metro stations so our crews would know where to find us. My coworker, SL, was there with members of his family from several states. They had made the journey together to sightsee in DC before being there for him during his first marathon.

We were honored by the presence of NYFD firemen who are greatly supportive of Hope For The Warriors. These everyday American Heroes have been helpful to Hope For The Warriors in their fundraising efforts and in carrying out their Warrior Hope and Morale program.

The greatest honor was to be able to participate alongside four wounded warriors. Chris is an active-duty Marine and the Operations Officer at the Marine Wounded Warrior Battalion Detachment East. Ed is a former coworker and a Guardsman and after losing a leg in Iraq is active around the country as an advocate forthe needs of the wounded warriors.


Our special honorees were AJ, an Army Captain and Zach, a Marine, both amputees. The four men all handbiked the race. Zach was honored with a “birthday” cake to celebrate his first anniversary of his “alive day.”

Twenty-six

The day started off with perfect weather. After getting to bed late, I had a fitful night’s sleep. When the alarm clock went off, my eyes were wide open. I said to my teammate, “This is the day we have been working toward for two years!”


We knew it was cool outside. We peeked out the window to see if the wind was blowing. The flags at the hotel were limp. Things were looking good. We got dressed and went downstairs for some breakfast. I was still full from the night before. Or maybe nervousness made me feel that way. In any case, I couldn’t eat like I usually do before a big ride.

We got me loaded onto my bike. The Achilles group was staying at the same hotel. They had about twenty handbikers and wheelchairs. I wanted to follow them to the start since I wasn’t sure of the way. They were off before I was ready, so I set off on my own. I should have just backtracked the course down Wilson Boulevard but I ended up following a gaggle of runners and meandering through the finish area. I had to get some Marines to lift the bike over a curb but I eventually made it out to Highway 110 and rode down to the start.

Photo by Dr.C-

I saw my friend David Swaim at the starting line. He had opted to use his handbike at this race instead of his wheelchair. As an indication of the popularity of handbikes, this year there were only six wheelchair racers and 34 handbikes even though the handbikes are an “unofficial” division at the MCM. I tried to seed in near the rear of the wheelers since I am typically much slower than the rest. It was impossible not to be inspired by this field of athletes with disabilities.
I saw Zach, AJ, and Chris out at the starting line. They looked like they were going to have as much fun as me. I also saw Dr. C- again at this race. He is another source of my personal inspiration and today he had come out to take pics on the course. It was great to see him. I looked at my watch and started getting nervous. We were 10 minutes away from starting. A lone V-22 Osprey did the opening fly-by. A Marine color guard presented colors and the national anthem was sung. I could hear Ken Berger over the PA announce, “Get set!”

A salute gun fired and we were off. I yanked on the cranks, but in my mind I savored the moment. This was the world’s fourth largest marathon. This was my dream and the object of my toil for two years. And this quadriplegic was rolling across the starting line!

Photo by Dr.C-

I make no bones about not being fast. I tell friends I’m only half fast (don’t say that too quickly). In a blink, all the wheelers were gone and I was bringing up the back of the pack. But I was just beginning to have fun. My teammate yelled to me and took some pictures. She was having fun, too. After all, this had been the object of her toil for two years, too.

Photo by Dr.C-

As I approached mile one I ran into the first of the hills that would occupy my efforts for the next hour. Again, I savored the moment. There was no one else around. I was in a low gear and crawling up Wilson Boulevard toward Lynn Street. The spectators were all shouting. In my mind I remembered my thoughts two years ago when I was a spectator: “I think I can do that!”

As I crawled up to Lynn Street, the lead runners approached from the rear. This was not like most races I had run. Instead of a trickle of elite runners at the head of the race it seemed like the entire field was comprised of elite runners. Normally the spectators were yelling at this point. Today all the runners were yelling too. The sound was almost deafening. I know I was plodding along slowly up that first hill. Many probably wondered if I would even finish at the speed I was going. There was no doubt in my mind with support like this.

I’ve heard the term, “the spirit of the race,” before but never experienced it like this. The cacophony from the other runners continued up Lee Highway until nearly the entire field had passed me by. Several of the other Hope For The Warriors charity runners stopped by to check on me and offer their support. About three-fourths the way up, my niece, T- came along and stopped. She was doing great so she kept going. I had planned to catch her later along Canal Road. I was going slowly but I wasn’t tiring. At several dips along Lee Highway I had the opportunity to make up some time. I’d yell at the top of my lungs, “passing on your right!” Even now the runners helped me along by relaying the warning on up the street. They would even grab the “iPod zombies” by the arm and lead them away from interference.

By the time I crested the peak of Lee Highway, I was well in the rear of the field of runners. It had taken the better part of an hour to get here, but that was exactly what I had expected. I had trained by going back and forth over the Atlantic Beach Bridge for several laps before embarking on some long rides in high winds on Bogue Banks. I was still hyped up, I had great inspiration from other runners, and I was about to get a welcome rest down Spout Run and GW Parkways.

If I hadn’t been in a race, I would have loved to lollygag and sightsee. It was a GORGEOUS day and the trees were ablaze with their fall colors. This, in my opinion, was one of the most beautiful stretches of the course. I was not coasting as fast as gravity wanted me to. I yelled at the top of my voice to warn the other runners and had to stop for a few comatose iPodders that couldn’t hear me. By now I was losing my voice and as of this writing, it still isn’t fully recovered. For the most part I was not going much faster than the runners.

I think my 5K split was right around an hour, but that was OK; it was about what I planned. I don’t know my splits because I inadvertently turned off my GPS at some point. Also for some reason, the timing mats weren’t picking up splits either. The Hope For The Warriors crew was getting worried about me and called my teammate to find out if I was still in play. By mile four, everyone was pretty well thinned out on the Key Bridge. I saw my sister and my teammate. They gave me an update on T-. They said she was not far ahead and was doing well.


Along Canal Road I made good progress, much as I had predicted. I was able to work my way through the other runners and we were beginning to chat and recognize each other after we had passed each other a few times. Up ahead I recognized the familiar crimson and gold running outfit of 82-year old Nick Irrera. He is a regular inspiration at many of the local races I take part in. This was his 28th MCM. He was featured in the MCM program and had been inducted into the MCM hall of fame. I slowed and shared a few moments in his run, expressing my appreciation for his inspiring example.

Soon I caught T- and stayed with her for a while. She was bubbly and having a great time. I admonished her to eat energy food BEFORE she needed it. I reminded her that my teammate had Snickers up ahead. This time I went ahead. I knew there was another steep climb on Reservoir Road ahead where she would pass me again. Then I would catch her again and we would stay together for the flat part of the course. So far I was keeping up with my plan.


At Reservoir Road I extended a bit to make a wide turn without cutting off any runners. I got in my lowest gear and began grinding up a very steep climb. T- caught up and passed me again. So did hundreds of other runners with whom I had been leapfrogging. Even though I got past the really steep part, there was a steady climb until McArthur Boulevard. Somewhere along the way someone was cooking bacon in their home and the delicious aroma was wafting through the runners. At McArthur I tried to pick up speed again as the course turned steeply downhill. It seemed like the road narrowed. The runners were too thick to pass in spots.


When we got back to M Street, things opened up a bit and I was able to add some speed. I saw my teammate and stopped to chat. I was about two minutes ahead of my predicted schedule. I took off, trying to chase down T-. When I finally caught her I planned to hang with her, at least until late in the race. The course opened up and I poured it on to try to chase down T-.

Water stops are always a problem for me. On the open road, everyone moves pretty much in the same direction and, for the most part, at the same speed. At the water stops, people start, stop, and run sideways. I’ve learned to slow down to a walking pace and stay as far from the tables as possible. All of the water stops were manned by Marines in this race. The water stops were a good opportunity to slow down and thank the Marine volunteers.

Along the Potomac Parkway I began to get a little panicky as I searched for T-. As a result I tended to go faster to catch up with her. I thought I would have seen her by this time. All of the sudden, Dr. C- came running alongside. He said he would be in this area to take pics but I hadn’t been able to find him either. It was great to see another familiar face out on the course.

Photo by Dr.C-

Dr. C- got some great photos out on the course and then went back to the finish area to wait for me. Since my splits weren’t registering, the USAA runner tracking folks had no records of my existence out on the course. The Hope For The Warriors staff was still worried. It was as if I had disappeared out there. No one but my teammate (and I) seemed to know where I was. I was out there having the time of my life!

About mile 10 a water stop was set up with a table in the middle of the street. All of the runners seemed to be going through one side. All of the Marines were on that side. It looked awfully crowded to me. It also looked like I could go through the other side without having to slow down. That was exactly what I did. Maybe all the water stops need an “express traffic” lane.

Haynes Point was a great ride. Maybe I’m biased because it’s flat. Most runners don’t seem to like it because of the lack of spectators. I made good time, but still no T-. The next spot my teammate and I planned to meet was at Maine Avenue after exiting Haynes Point. It turned out she didn’t get there in time from the Metro. I did, however, see T-'s boyfriend. He gave me an update.

Back at the water stop with the “express lane,” T- was IN the water stop on the right when I went AROUND the water stop on the left. As luck would have it, the spot where I opted to make up time to catch her was where I passed her. She seemed to be doing fine and by now I was far enough ahead of her that it didn’t make sense to wait up. Oh well, plans for coordinating times and speeds between runners in a marathon never seem to work.


The trip through downtown DC was, in a word, monumental. The spectators were great (and loud). Sometimes they were so enthusiastic I couldn’t pass because I couldn’t yell loud enough over their din to warn runners in front. Hey, this day was about finishing and having fun, not passing everyone out there. Many of the spectators were handing out candy. My teammate had brought along about five pounds of Snickers which she handed out on the mall. Some of the runners looked at her like she was crazy. Most grabbed them with the gratitude of a starving person.

As I came back down Jefferson Dr. I was beginning to feel a little tired for the first time. I speed dialed my teammate and asked her to meet me at 14th Street with a Snickers. I could hear a big “oops” in her tone of voice. She had just given away her last Snickers. Fortunately, the Snickers folks at the expo had given her a Marathon bar that she still carried in her backpack. They don’t taste as good as the candy bar but I think I could have eaten an old asphalt shingle at that point. Off I went again down 14th Street.

The 14th Street Bridge isn’t as much fun as I wished it would be. I had the same experience at the ATM. It’s a hot stretch. It was really the first time on the course that I felt like I might overheat. I wasn’t worried about heat stroke at these temperatures. I was only worried that a little bit of heat would sap a lot of my energy. I wanted all my energy at that 14% grade at the finish.

Ray, a runner that carries a big American flag, stood in the center of the bridge waving the flag and cheering the runners. As I came by, he offered a salute to the flag I bore. We exited the bridge into Crystal City. I pulled into a water stop and pulled over at the end of the farthest table. I asked a lieutenant to pour a couple of cups of water into my helmet. As I told the Marines all along the course, I said to this Marine, “Thanks for being here!” It seems like Marines do that; they are there when we need them.

Being pretty well soaked, I didn’t have to worry about overheating anymore. I went on through Crystal City. If you thrive on spectator noise, this leg was for you. The sounds echo off the tall buildings and make the spirit even more powerful. On leaving Army-Navy Drive I pulled over for the last time to drink my last energy drink. I wanted to be ready for the hill. For the rest of the ride back to mile 26 I took it easy.


Miles 25 and 26 were somewhat reminiscent of mile 1. They were kind of quiet. Most of the runners were depleted. No one had the energy to chat. As we looped around the Pentagon and returned past the starting line, it was another time to reflect. In the dark hours of the morning we had all crawled out of bed and made our way to this point. We were all driven, not only the last twenty-six miles, but through all the days of our training by a motivating influence.

For this quadriplegic the driving motivation was two-fold; first, a chance to personally pay tribute to our Nation’s brave men and women wounded while protecting our liberty; and secondly, to personally make a public statement that life with a disability is not a life filled with despair. It is a life filled with hope.

My own thoughts from two years prior again echoed in my head, “I think I can do that.” And now I’m doing it!

My mother is eighty. She can’t make it to most of my races but has been a tremendous supporter. I had been trying to devise a means for her to share my finish for weeks. Suddenly an idea came to me. I speed dialed her on my Bluetooth earpiece. “I can’t talk to you right now, but in a few seconds you’ll hear a lot of noise. That will be the sound of the finish. I’ll leave the phone on so you can listen in.”

Already I could hear shouts from my teammate and the Hope For The Warriors staff waiting near the finish. At the intersection of Highway 110 and Marshall Drive, I put my handbike in its lowest gear and turned left. “I KNOW I can do that!”

Point two

The ascent to the finish took eighteen minutes (I know from my phone’s call timer). Teammates Cory and Chris walked out on the course to assist me. Another runner who I don’t know stopped running and walked alongside and asked if he could help. I asked Cory to walk behind me to keep other runners diverted. He, Chris, and the unknown runner stayed right with me all the way to the finish line.


Because of paralysis in my arms, I can use my biceps but not my triceps. That means I have good strength pulling with my arms, but almost no strength pushing. When I crank my handbike I pull on the cranks at the bottom of the stroke and coast as my hands go over the top and down the front of the cycle.

On a steep hill such as this I can’t quite generate enough momentum to carry me forward on one pull for my hands to coast all the way over the top of the cycle. A little over a year ago I learned I could yank the cranks and pull myself forward a few inches at a time without making a full cycle on the cranks. I end up rocking back and forth but I gain a few inches on each stroke. Depending on the grade, sometimes I can even garner enough rest in my arms doing this to occasionally get in a strong enough stroke to make it through a complete cycle. Often, though, I don’t make the full cycle and end up rolling backwards and losing ground.


It’s not a pretty process but it works for pretty steep hills. My problem this day was that the road surface on this steep stretch of the hill was somewhat slick. When I tried to get in a strong enough stroke to make a full crank cycle, my tire would slip on the pavement. The process was nerve-wracking to watch as was evident from the excitement it generated in the crowds. My Hope For The Warriors teammates admitted to being on the verge of tears as they watched. I have to admit to being so, too as the energy from the urging of my teammates, the staff, the announcer, Chris, Cory, the unknown runner, and all the runners who passed all combined seemed to be enough to virtually lift me up the hill.


All the while, my mother, who had no visual cues, listened in to what had to sound like maddening chaos. The only coherence to the entire din for her was that as I passed each Marine that lined the climb, she could hear, “Thank you for being here, Marine.” Chris kept talking to me all the way up the hill, much as I would envision he has coached many a Marine through difficult tasks before. Today, it was an honor for me to be on the receiving end of such encouragement previously shared with men and women far braver and more deserving.


At the top of the hill I was done. Crossing the finish line would be a formality. But the spectators were not finished and the announcer was not finished. I had carried our flag for 26.2 miles through our Nation’s Capital as I had done in nearly every race so far. As I passed the bleachers, the announcer asked all present to remove their caps as our colors passed by. Everyone stood and the runners joined in a thunderous ovation as each Marine I passed snapped to attention and crisply saluted the national ensign. I could not have been honored greater by trophies or prizes than the privilege of carrying that flag across the finish under the salutes of US Marines. It was my own way of honoring those wounded men and women who have sacrificed so much in service to our country.


The pictures may give the reader a small sense of the spirit at the finish that day. Note the support from the runners, the spectators, the announcer, from Chris, Cory, and the unknown runner in the gold T-shirt. Also note the ladies with the lettering on the back of their legs. One reads, “5 Years cancer free.” One had only to open their eyes and ears to be inspired.


My time was 6:00:47. It had been my slowest marathon. It had been my most difficult. It had been the most fun. I joined my teammates in the Hope For The Warriors tent at the Charity Village.


T- finished a few minutes later. We all savored our accomplishment and laughed and cried and took pictures. Everyone that wore that finisher medal around their neck seemed to stand a little taller that afternoon.

For six months the team had raised over $60,000 for Hope For The Warriors’ programs. For one day we came together from across the nation as a team. For 26.2 miles in The Peoples’ Marathon we ran to demonstrate our gratitude for the selfless service and sacrifice of our Nation’s wounded warriors. Under the shadow of the monument of uncommon valor we said our goodbyes taking with us a lifetime of memories.

Proud Teammates

Curb crew Melissa

Teammate James

Teammate Ed with Hope For The Warriors Co-founders Robin Kelleher and Shanon Maxwell

Big supporter and Li'L sis LL

Teammate Alysia

Team Hope For The Warriors Coordinator, Toni

Hope For The Warriors President and Co-founder, Robin Kelleher

You can help

Join me in my campaign, 2008 Miles of Hope, to help America's heroes, our wounded warriors and their families. Donate today. You can easily make a donation to Hope For The Warriors by using our secure credit card donation site:

2008 Miles of Hope

Or donate by check. Download our donation form, fill it out, and send it to us with your donation to our address on the form:

Donation form.pdf

And learn about where the money goes:

Hope For The Warriors

There is no better way to say thanks to those who have sacrificed so much.

-LetsRoll!

Hope, Inspiration, and Renewed Promise

Ask not what America can do for you, but see what her bravest have sacrificed, and ask, “How do I say thank you?”
- Alysia Rieg, 2008 Marine Corps Marathon Team Hope For The Warriors

This past weekend was the Army Ten-Miler. I added it into my schedule in August thanks to the Army’s new registration transfer policy. I had hoped it would be a nice warm up for the Marine Corps Marathon.

From ATM

Crossing the starting line alongside some of the Nation’s bravest warriors turned out to be one of the most inspirational experiences of my life.

From ATM

Twenty-six thousand runners took part. To put it in perspective, in eastern NC, where I live, that’s more than the entire population of many counties. Every runner had their own story of inspiration that was driving them. Eighteen thousand made it to the finish line. With the help of a dedicated and loving teammate, this quadriplegic on a handbike, driven by hope, inspiration, and a promise, is proud to be one of those finishers. My niece, T- was also one of those finishers. She and I made a pact to make this an annual must-do.

The trip

My teammate and I arrived in DC Friday evening. In addition to the ATM, I wanted to use the opportunity to prepare for the Marine Corps Marathon. I had four objectives for the weekend. I wanted to:

1. Reconnoiter the MCM course; particularly this year’s changes
2. Ride up Lee Highway, the longest uphill climb on the MCM course
3. Reconnoiter the ATM course
4. Race the ATM.

In a nutshell, the weekend, as measured by my objectives was good news, bad news, more good news, and even more good news.

Good news

If you follow my blog, you’ll understand that my big personal goal is the MCM. The good news has to do with the new MCM course. The area at Canal Road and Reservoir Road is run in the opposite direction this year. I was concerned about some steep uphill grades. We had previously checked the grades but I wasn’t concerned about the downhill grades. Since the course is run in the opposite direction, those are now uphill. The good news is that there is only one killer climb, the beginning of Reservoir Road. It won’t be fun, but it’s doable. The new direction has actually made the steepest grades downhill.

The bad news

The bad news was Saturday’s recon ride for the MCM along Lee Highway. There is a lot of ascent along this road. Although it’s not relatively steep, it’s steep enough to bog me down. Based on this experience, I think it will take me about an hour to get to mile 2 at Spout Run Parkway during the MCM. I won’t be able to make up that time on the downhill, either, since by that time the runners will be too thick to pass very fast.

More good news

The ATM recon drive filled me with Hope for Sunday’s race. It was better than flat. It seemed like it was mostly downhill. “Is that possible or is it just an illusion,” I kept asking myself. My only worry was going too fast to make turns at some spots.

Even more good news

So the ATM itself was the best news of the whole trip. I was psyched up and I was excited. The course was great. This was going to be a great race. Saturday night we decided to carb load with sushi. We had great dinner at Café Asia. T- and I had a chance to strategize on our upcoming MCM. We normally carb up on Italian before a race and it probably wasn’t wise to try anything new but the food at Café Asia was sure good.

Out in the dark

Everything was going perfectly this weekend. No problems at the Expo. I tried to bolster our sagging economy with purchases at the Expo. I even got to bed early Saturday and then slept hard. That is rare for me before a race. We were up at 0500 and had eaten and were out the door around 0600. I wanted to be on my bike and situated at the start by 0700.

The Pentagon parking lot is a bit of a maze in a wheelchair on a good day. It seems like no matter where you need to go, there is a curb in the way. Chairs are always an afterthought at these races, or at least with the crowd control planners. It seems like I was constantly having to get soldiers to remove barricades to get to the starting line.

From ATM

At the starting line I met my good friend and mentor from the National Defense University, Dr. C-. He had come equipped with his camera. Since my teammate usually takes all the pics, so it was good that she could pose for a pic with me for a change.

From ATM

Hope

In a few minutes a couple of other handcyclists arrived. One, an amputee, and the other a cancer survivor. Note the girl next to me in pink.

From ATM

She used to run the ATM until cancer robbed her of the use of her legs. Sunday she did it again for the first time on a handbike. She kicked my butt. Her name is Hope. Fitting, wouldn't you say?

Inspiration

The wounded warriors, or as the Army calls them, the Missing Parts-In-Action Team began to arrive. It was to be an honor to run beside these men and women. Several were fitted with running prostheses. Some only used everyday prostheses. Two used handbikes.

From ATM

One blind soldier ran with a guide. You had to be inspired by the fact that they were out there.

The Secretary of the Army, the Honorable Pete Geren spent a great deal of time mingling with the wounded troops and engaging them in one-on-one conversation with them. It was good to see him pay such close attention to them and to personally honor their sacrifices.

From ATM

He even honored us civilians with a commemorative coin.

Even though I often participate in races alongside other athletes with disabilities, I am always inspired by the determination and resolve of the wounded warriors as they run for their own honor and that of their comrades. Read the inspiring race report from one of the amputees.

From ATM

The Golden Knights dropped in right in front of us.

Four Blackhawks flew directly over the runners in a diamond formation. They could not have flown lower for the street lamps.

From ATM

One of the MPIA handbikers was working feverishly right up to the last minute to adjust his bike. Someone had brought the wrong bike for him. To give you an idea, it took about a month for my teammate and I to get my bike adjusted to me properly.

From ATM

We rolled up to the starting line. Announcer Ken Berger had us all pumped up. The starting gun went off and we were off. This was going to be fun!

From ATM

Mile 1 6:40 Arlington

From ATM

I did my typical slow roll across the starting line. The other handbikes were gone in a flash. We left the Pentagon area and headed out toward the traffic circle at Arlington Cemetery. I caught up with the handbiker that had the wrong chair. He seemed to be coping and he got going and left me behind. One of the amputees was really fast. He and I passed each other several times. The weather was perfect and I had plenty of energy.

Mile 2 7:22 Constitution

There was just enough grade up the Memorial Bridge to slow me down a bit. The grade down the DC side was just enough to get up some good speed. There was no one around except that fast amputee up ahead, so I yanked on the cranks with all my strength. Yee-ha! This was fun! I caught up to the amputee just before 19th Street and yelled in support.

Mile 3 10:09 Virginia Avenue—Passing the pace car



Mile three was my slowest and my fastest. The constant climb up the first half of the stretch slowed me down until the pace car and motorcycles passed and the lead runners approached. At the top of the hill, the pace car was about a block ahead. I thought to myself, “I think I can pass that lizard!” I poured it on again and approached it from the right rear corner. I managed to pass at a pretty good clip and squeeze in behind the motorcycles before having to slow to make the sharp turn onto rock Creek Parkway.

Mile 4 5:58 Rock Creek Parkway

Needless to say, as you can judge by my time, this mile was fun. Runners who were out for their Sunday jog along the Potomac saw the race picking up momentum. They abandoned their exercise and ran up to the street to yell to the runners. The pace car with the Geico lizard passed again and a few minutes later the photographers’ truck. That could only mean the lead runners were not far behind.

In a few minutes I could hear the footsteps of the Brazilian runners. I yelled to the leaders as they passed. You have to appreciate my unique vantage point in the race. By getting to start early, I not only get to enjoy the motivation of seeing the other disabled participants but also seeing some of the fastest runners in the world.

Mile 5 7:44 Independence

If you are a runner, there can be no better place on the earth to run than Independence Avenue. Along the Tidal Basin, the crowds of spectators were starting to thicken but were still “intimate.” Everyone was cheering individual runners, not just yelling to a crowd. The Washington Monument was to my left. The Jefferson Memorial, my favorite DC landmark, lay ahead, to my right as I continued my “pursuit of happiness.” The National Mall lay out ahead. The street slopes upward as it approaches 14th Street. I ended up coasting to a stop as I had to take my hand off the cranks to shift to the lower gears. Crowds were yelling, “You can do it!”

Mile 6 8:12 The sprint downtown

After a few minutes of grinding along in my lower gears, I got to the “flat” part of Independence. Actually, it’s not perfectly flat, it’s slightly downhill all the way to Capitol Hill. Perfect. The spectators were highly motivating, packed two and three deep in some spots. Although I could have gone a lot faster, I enjoyed this stretch.

I veered over into the opposite side of the street to high-five some of the returning handbikers. As I approached 7th Street I slowed to check the crowds. This is where I had hoped to see my teammate and Dr. C-. They were nowhere in sight. I picked up my pace and started passing the throng again, which was getting thicker by now.

Mile 7 6:40 The Capitol

I could still maneuver through the runners fairly easily, but I tried not to cut anyone off. I was still maintaining a fairly good pace. A couple a little dips in the roads caused me to have to yell to runners as I passed them at a pretty good clip.

Mile 8 9:47 West on Independence

As I started westward on Independence I began paying for the downhill advantage I had enjoyed going eastward. Now the runners were providing the support. There was a constant cacophony of Hooahs from the outbound soldiers. The throng of runners outbound was a full fledged crowd by now.

I checked for my teammate and Dr. C- again at 7th Street. Still not here. It turns out they got separated at the starting line and were later than planned catching the metro over to the District.

Mile 9 8:24 Highway 395 bridge

At 14th Street we descended downhill as we approached the 14th Street Bridge. I have to give it to these runners. In most races, the iPods have the runners deafened. In this race most seemed to adhere to the no-iPod policy. Hence, when I had the opportunity to pass on a downhill stretch, I could yell to warn runners and they could actually hear me.

Mile 10 9:52 The Bridge

I had thought that the 14th Street Bridge would be one of the most fun parts of the course. I had envisioned sweeping views of the Potomac. Instead, there was just a lot of concrete that needed sweeping. It was hot. On Friday I wondered how the course could seem predominately downhill. On Sunday I learned. That elevation was made up on the 14th Street Bridge. A couple of times I coasted to a stop when I took my hand off the crank to shift to the lower gears. As I plodded along the last little rise I could hear the sound of Ken Berger’s voice as he announced the finishers crossing the finish line. There is no sweeter sound to a runner’s ear.

Mile 10.12 0:36 Finish

My actual distance is a bit longer than the course distance because I obviously didn’t follow the exact path of certification to the inch. At the end my time was 1:21:21. Not my best, but one I’m quite happy with.

From ATM

T- finished in 1:56. She was quite proud of her time after her struggle at the VA Beach RnR Half. Her 10 mile split then was 24 minutes slower. My teammate and Dr. C- got to Independence Avenue after I had already passed. It was a while before we all got reunited. Dr. C- was never able to get past a bunch of stern E-4s so I never saw him after the race.

Sally happened to spot my good luck friends, S- and D-. I always seem to do well when they are in the race, hence they are always a welcome sight. T- attributes our success to our dinner. “Must be the sushi,” she later emailed me.

Blessing count

All in all, it was a great weekend. One made possible by some of the greatest warriors in the world.

I finished last among the handbikes. This is no concern to me because I had fun. In fact,

I got to have a front row seat in the largest ten-miler in the nation.
I had a front row seat to all the pre-race ceremonies.
I got to watch world class athletes from a unique vantage point that no one else in the race got to enjoy.
I got to meet the Secretary of the Army, shake his hand, and have my picture taken with him.
He personally honored me with a coin for participating.
I had the honor of racing beside some of the greatest service members in the world.
I went across the starting line with those men and women who have sacrificed personally and greatly for our freedom.
I finished the largest ten-miler in the nation.
I finished in a pretty good time.
I passed the pace car.
Thousands and thousands of spectators and athletes cheered for me.
I got to spend some QUALITY time with one of the most inspirational people I know, Dr. C-.
My teammate had fun (when Mama's happy,...).
I got to do another race with my niece, T-
T- finished in a pretty good time.
My XX-year old mother gained a few more bragging rights amongst her quilting circles.

Hope For The Warriors

I race to benefit this outstanding foundation. They look out for wounded warriors and their families in their time of need. It is my promise to raise $26,200 in donations to support their programs.

This is America. We can go out and run around the Nation’s Capitol if we want to. Or stay indoors and watch TV. Only because we have brave men and women who are willing to go stand in harm's way to protect our liberty. And for that I am grateful.

Join me in my campaign, 2008 Miles of Hope, to help America's heroes, our wounded warriors and their families. Donate today. You can easily make a donation to Hope For The Warriors by using our secure credit card donation site:

2008 Miles of Hope

Or donate by check. Download our donation form, fill it out, and send it to us with your donation to our address on the form:

Donation form.pdf

And learn about where the money goes:

Hope For The Warriors

It's only a minor inconvenience for those who have sacrificed so much.

Watch the ATM video

-LetsRoll!

Twin Half Centuries

A weekend of workouts

(Monday night) I meant to post this last night. Instead I fell asleep at the keyboard. I wonder why:

Sunday: 51.27 miles, 8 hours 19 minutes, flat terrain, 15 MPH winds
Saturday: 51.47 miles, 9 hours 42 minutes, six times across the AB Bridge (90 ft), 15 MPH winds (except the final crossing (~20MPH headwind)

The grades are still killers.

-Letsroll!

Proud American Movie

To be released Sept 12, 2008.




Features the inspiring story of my friend Carlos Moleda.

-LetsRoll

Rock On, T-!

Start as a team…

Some days you beat the clock. Some days you beat other runners. Sunday we just beat the heat. And what a battle it was.

T- and I did the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half. This was her first distance event two years ago. This was mine last year and my first event after standing up my 2008 Miles of Hope campaign last year. We did the race together last year and we vowed we would do it together this year.

We checked in on Saturday and got our bib numbers (and tried to boost the Virginia Beach economy at the expo). We had a great pasta dinner with fellow wheeler David Swaim and his family. We got back to the motel and I managed to get to bed early. That seems to be a rare treat lately. It didn’t seem to do much good. It seemed like I woke up every 20 minutes.

At five AM we were pulling out of the motel as we had planned. A quick check of the weather forecast had shown that it was expected to be warm, sunny and breezy. At the race start I got loaded onto my bike. Everything was going too well. I got into corral 16 along with T- and awaited the start.

As I rolled across the starting mats about 7:30 I remember thinking that this was going to be a different race than what I have become accustomed to. Being seeded into the middle of the pack puts me in an area where it is more difficult to maneuver. T- and I had previously decided that when we got to Pacific Avenue, I would go on ahead to make up for some of the time I would inevitably lose on the Rudee Inlet Bridge.

So as we started everything seemed OK. The sun was starting to climb. Amidst the throngs of runners there had not been much air circulating in the corrals. Now that we were moving, it didn’t seem quite so hot. As we turned onto Pacific, I checked with T- and went on ahead for the bridge. I made my way over to left side of the street to get a glimpse of the lead runners as they returned. It looked like a real race going on between the women runners as they flew past.

As I tried to move through the crowds toward the bridge the spectators and other runners were very supportive. Only the self-deafened runners in iPod-induced comas proved to be a problem. Even though I shouted at the top of my lungs, “passing on the left,” often other runners had to nudge these zombies to get their attention. Wheels yield to heels, but, please folks, keep the volume down on those things.

The heat is on

At the bridge, I got down in my lower gears and started grinding up the hill. T- caught up about the time I was halfway up. She was looking good. On the downhill side, the iPodders, again, prevented much passing in the crowd. Another Team Hope For The Warriors runner passed me. Most everyone was sweating buckets. The humidity was oppressive. After a little more weaving through the crowds I caught up with T- at about mile 2.5. The heat & humidity were starting to take their toll early. Surprisingly, not on me but on T-.

My wife/teammate had hoped this would be her first half marathon. Some pains in her leg curtailed her training earlier in the summer. Sunday she took post as our support crew at Bird Neck Road; about mile 3.3. As we approached, I felt pretty good, but T- was hot. I felt I didn’t need any ice for now. T- took a big handful of ice and put it under her Shamrock finisher cap.

We trudged along General Booth Blvd and everyone seemed to be in good spirits. Our 5K split was about on par for T-. At about miles 4 and 5 T- was having problems. At the water stops I got her to drink the energy drinks and pour the water on her. About 10K I saw Ann from Kale Running. T- was probably off her time for that distance was still gutting it out. Ann was probably wondering what I was doing so far back in the pack.

Several folks from previous races recognized me and offered support. One was Leila from the Crystal Coast Half Marathon. We joked about it the dry, sunny weather and how you couldn’t buy a breath of breeze (read the post to get the joke). I saw another one of the participants from the City of Oaks race too.

At mile 7, T- was fighting a tough battle. We stopped at Lake Road and I got her to drink some PowerAde I was carrying for her. Her stomach was queasy so she could only drink a few sips. No point in pushing it. I got her to take a few more sips over the next few miles. At the water stops, I would roll past and wait on the far side while she took the energy drink and doused herself with the water.

We were gradually slowing down. I’m not a fan of this year’s course changes. I find the scenery within Camp Pendleton a bit dismal. I much preferred the additional run on the boardwalk last year where there were more spectators. By mile 8.5 T- was hurting. She was hot and nauseous. She had drunk about ¾ of the PowerAde so I wasn’t worried about her hydration or electrolytes or carbs. She was just plain hot. I knew she could do the distance because in her training for the upcoming MCM, this weekend she was scheduled to do a 20 mile run.

Where’s T-?

Exiting Camp Pendleton, we met my wife/teammate at Bird Neck Road again. I still felt like I didn’t need any ice, but I think T- put some more in her cap. As we went north on General Booth, I told T- I was going to break out ahead for the bridge so she could catch me as I got slowed down on the incline. She told me to go on to the finish without her but I felt like if I left her, she would DNF. I could tell she was not happy. I pressed on ahead to the bridge, occasionally having to run off the road to avoid running into the incoherent iPod zombies. By the time I got to the top of the bridge, I expected T- to have caught up. She was nowhere in sight.

I rolled down the bridge slowly because I had good visibility behind. I kept watching for T-. At the bottom of the bridge I pulled off the course and waited. I started playing through the scenarios in my mind. She might have decided to DNF. She might have passed me on the bridge and I didn’t hear her. She might have slowed down even more. It made sense to me to wait a bit longer because the third scenario was the most likely.

When she was still not in sight after a few more minutes, I decided to press ahead in case scenario 2 was the case. I knew I had my other niece and my sister ahead among the spectators. When I found one of them, I would find out if T- was ahead or behind. I pressed on northward on Pacific and saw Jerry, who had finished long ago and was heading home. All the way north along Pacific there was no T-. As I turned south on Atlantic I saw my other niece, K- so I got out of the runners and stopped. Since K- had not seen her, we knew T- had to be behind me. After waiting a few more minutes, another runner passed by and told me T- was not far behind. That was a big relief.

…Finish as a team

As T- passed, I could tell she was in big trouble. She was slumping over and had that “get this over with” look in her eyes. Atlantic was the hottest part of the course. The buildings blocked the breeze and by now the sun was getting high. T- kept grinding along. I have to give it to her. I’m not sure I would have hung in there.

We finally made it to the boardwalk. I knew the energy of the spectators would keep her going now. I managed to get a few smiles out of her as we passed the cameras. Crossing the finish line was just as much an accomplishment as a record time would have been for T-. What I witnessed was nothing short of inspirational. For ten miles she battled heat, humidity, and nausea and yet gutted it out to the very finish. It took every bit of 3 hours and 8 minutes. Not our best times…but at least we finished. We beat the heat.

T- was a bit bummed out by our time and by a feeling she had held me back. I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Next year I may start with the chairs instead of seeding in. Sunday it just felt good to finish. As a team.

Redemption

Monday morning I saw T- at breakfast. It seems after we ate dinner Sunday night, she felt a lot perkier. T- went down to the hotel’s exercise room and put in another 7 miles on the treadmill. She got in her 20 mile run after all and did a lot of repair to her ego.

I hoped to stop at the Dismal Swamp trail and put in a few miles on the way home. We ended up getting too late of a start to do that. We made the five-hour drive home and had pizza and beer for supper. Afterward, I got on my handbike and did laps through the neighborhood. I redeemed myself by grinding out 13.1 miles in 1:32.

Several anecdotal observations on the heat: Even the Kenyans seemed to have been set back by the heat. The winners were off their expected times a bit. Some of my co-workers that took part talked about how the heat and humidity drug them down. “When you realize your pace walking is the same as your pace running, it’s time to walk,” my boss commented, disappointed on his run. “I’ve never been so hot,” observed another. I saw one ambulance on the course and during the thirty minutes or so we recuperated on the boardwalk after the race, I saw another three ambulances carrying people away.

Neither T- nor I have anything to complain about regarding Sunday’s RnR Half. Our times were nothing like we had hoped, but our goal was to finish—together. We did just that. And T- did it battling an intense personal struggle with the heat. I don’t know why it wasn’t me suffering from the heat, but I’ve been there before. It’s pretty ugly. In the end, she gutted it out all the way to the finish.

Nice job, T-! Wear that heavy metal medal proudly.

Next on the schedule: the Army Ten-Miler. Wish us luck!

Check back soon for pictures.
-LetsRoll!

Hope For The Warriors is an official charity partner of the Virginia Beach Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon. Please support their mission with a tax-deductible donation.

2008 Miles of Hope in the News

Thanks to the

Virginian-Pilot,

Carteret County News-Times,

and Public Radio-East

for recent media coverage! We are honored.

-LetsRoll!

Here's To Charlie

Virginia Beach Rock 'n' Roll Half-Marathon

One sad absentee from this weekend's race will be my friend and fellow blogger Charlie who tragically broke his leg a few weeks ago. Charlie's always been at the Tidewater area races in which I've participated. He's an avid runner and his blog has been a tremendous source of inspiration.


Visit his blog and post a comment. Running Nowhere Fast. This run's for you!

-LetsRoll!

Beaufort Road Race

Homecoming

I’ve done races in Virginia Beach, Myrtle Beach, Raleigh, Jacksonville, and even nearby Morehead City. But this is the first one I’ve done in my hometown. So for me, it felt like a homecoming. It was a chance to mingle and visit with a lot of local runners and friends I’ve met over recent months. And it was an opportunity for my family to come out and join in the fun. I won’t say my mother’s age in a public blog, but suffice it to be mentioned that bragging rights are important tokens of respect within her quilting circles.

So this 10K was important to me. It was important to me to perform well, at least, well for me. I was still trying to contain my ego after astounding myself at the Dismal Swamp Stomp in April. I had been trying to prepare myself mentally and physically for this event. But I was worried. The streets in Beaufort have been a mess. A sewer project has dug up nearly every street in town.

And it was hot. Hot is one of the characteristics of the Beaufort Road Race. Some races have hills. Beaufort has hot. If fact, ironically, hot is one of the things that makes the Beaufort Road Race popular. There are not many other races this time of year. Runners that want to race come great distances to this little coastal town to run through its historic streets.

Hot and I don’t get along. I don’t sweat. I can overheat if I’m working out in the full sun on a 78 degree day. I had been training in the early mornings and late evenings to try to avoid the heat. Usually, though, I couldn’t go farther than about two miles before the heat started zapping my strength. I could start out at a good pace, but my speed would taper down until I was crawling along. The weekend before the race, I had somewhat of a breakthrough, however. For the first time this summer, I used ice packs while I trained to keep me from overheating. It worked so well, I was able to get in over 25 miles one morning. There was no question that I would need the ice packs for the Beaufort Road Race.

The other factor that worried me was my general energy level. During the Dismal Swamp Stomp I had plenty of energy. During my previous two 10Ks, my energy level was somewhat off. Although the Jacksonville 10K was a PR for me, I was somewhat weak at the start and feel like I could have done much better if I had just had more energy at the outset. I’m still sticking with my theory that I need to time my fuel intake to be about 15-30 minutes before the start of the race. Longer than that and the energy isn’t there at the start.

On Friday, I picked up my T-shirt and bib number. I checked in with the timer to make sure he had my personal timing chip number in his database. My teammate and I took one last opportunity to recon the course. Beaufort has been digging up their streets for sewer repairs. I was glad to see that most of the spots that had previously been dug up were now paved. I was disappointed to see that a new repair had Ann Street dug up. I felt like it probably wasn’t a problem unless I got tied up in a throng of runners and couldn’t maneuver around it.

I got to bed early Friday night and up early on race day. We had even recon’ed a parking spot the night before. We parked at the courthouse in a spot that would be in the shade of an old live oak during the heat of the morning. I got on the handbike and went out for a warm up ride, trying to emulate my activities in preparation for the Dismal Swamp Stomp. I was particularly interested in riding through a turn at the end of Hill Street. The street drops down to Front Street and I was worried about going to fast to make the turn during the race.

I was able to make the turn without any problem so I took that detail off my worry list. One thing on my worry list was starting to bug me. I felt like I had no energy. The temperature was OK but it was still early. I headed back to my van and my teammate to fuel up before the race. There I got a fresh ice pack around my neck and took my Snickers and a new energy drink concoction. I was hopeful that the sugar boost would kick in by the time the race started.

At the starting area, I began seeing many friends from recent running events and many friends I’ve know since childhood. There didn’t seem to be any other wheelchairs in the area but then that’s not been uncommon in my experience. The 10K and 5K were scheduled to start at 0800 and the chairs and baby joggers were to start at 0755. I didn’t understand why the baby joggers were scheduled first but I was about to learn. The one-milers were still finishing up and we seemed to be getting a late start. One of the event coordinators gave me a quick briefing and finally the timer showed up to start the race.


Mile One (8:31) Ugh!

The race starts out through downtown Front Street and runs past the shops and boat docks. As they started us I immediately learned why the baby joggers were up front. These folks were FAST.


I spooled up to about a 7:30 pace but in just a minute I was looking at all the baby joggers from the back. A minute later I was out of energy and was dragging along at about a 10 minute pace. There was a slight headwind coming off Taylor’s Creek.

Mile Two (8:17) Spooling up

After a few minutes my energy started to pick up. I think I was psyched at the start when the baby joggers got such a fast start. Now I learned why. These folks were only running the 5K. After I passed the 5K turnaround, I was all alone again. But not for long, I figured. The elite racers usually pass me about mile two so I an eye on my mirror as I extended down Front Street. Mile two is probably the most scenic of this course as you go down Taylor’s Creek across from Carrot Island through a stretch of road covered by the canopy of old live oaks.

The fastest males passed me and I moved over to the side to give them plenty of room. Then I saw the distinctive figure of Heidi Tucker approaching in my mirror. A little dip in the road gave me enough of a boost in speed to pass a couple of elites as we approached the boat ramp at the end of Front Street.

I remember thinking, “Only in Beaufort!” Every race uses course monitors at intersections to keep traffic from interfering with the runners. At the end of Front Street, the Beaufort Road Race course passes between the public boat ramp and its parking area. As I approached the boat ramp, I was hoping that there would be course monitors to keep us from getting run over by boat trailers.

I passed the boat ramp without incident and turned toward Lennoxville Road. I lost the nice breeze off Taylor’s creek that was keeping me cooled down. I had an ice pack around my neck, but it was half melted. Heidi passed me about mile 2.5. I shouted in encouragement to her and watched her fly by.

Mile Three (7:31) Chasing Heidi Tucker

On Lennoxville Road, the slight breeze was a tailwind. My energy level was good now. I think about eight runners had passed me and I felt like I could go faster. I could see Heidi about a quarter mile off in the distance. I started exerting and decided I was going to catch her. Slowly, I began passing some of the runners that passed me. I passed mile three and felt good and turned onto Ann Street.

On Ann Street heading west the road was somewhat uneven so it was not as fast as I had hoped. Oh well, at least the recent roadwork was paved. I kept my sights set on Heidi, whom I knew to be to be a fast runner. By mile four I was within a half block and felt good.

Mile Four (6:31) Pouring it on

As I slowed to turn on Live Oak Street and then Broad Street I lost a little ground. I was still not getting overheated so I cranked as hard as I could. I was slowly catching up with Heidi. I could see my teammate a block away down Broad Street. She shouted to me when I passed; quite excited that I was so close to the front-runners.


I finally caught Heidi right before the turn onto Orange Street. We exchanged support. The turns onto Orange and again onto Ann Street slowed me down enough that Heidi passed me again. That was probably a good thing because I seem to go faster when there is someone in front of me.


Mile Five (6:19) Chasing Heidi, again

By mile five I was fired up. Heidi was well in front but I knew I had enough energy to catch her again. The live oaks that line the street kept down the headwind and provided ample shade. By now the sun was hot. The race was living up to its reputation as a scorcher. My ice was all melted but I was soaking wet so I was still getting plenty of cooling. My only problem on the whole course was at the intersection of Hill and Front Streets. Initially I was afraid the descent on Hill Street would make the bike too hard to control at the corner. Since I had already ridden through the turn I wasn’t worried about speed so I decided to get the most out of gravity that I could.

At the bottom of the hill, walkers were returning from the 5K turnaround. I yelled to warn them, hoping that they would have the sense to get out of the way. No luck. They just ditty-bopped along, side by side, blocking half the street. Oh well, wheels yield to heels. I jammed the brakes, swung wide and lost all that precious momentum. I think I uttered a few choice words under my breath. Sorry.

The stretch to the finish was uneventful. It was, again, a scenic view of the sailboats anchored in Taylor’s Creek. I had a tailwind and once I got spooled up again, I was able to chase Heidi to the finish. My family was downtown to boost my spirits. I caught Heidi about a block from the finish. I didn’t want to pass her in case she poured on a final kick. I didn’t want to be in her way as the course narrowed. Besides, even with a five-minute head start, there is nothing wrong with finishing beside Heidi Tucker. Did I mention she was the first place female? I got closer behind and yelled, “go, Heidi, go!” all the way to the finish line. I hope she didn’t think I was trying to get her to move out of the way.

Finish (45:33) Yee Ha!


This was a new PR for me. I was very happy with my first participation in this race. Overall I was the sixth person to cross the finish line. When you added in my five-minute head start, my time put me at fifteenth place overall in a field of 143 finishers. I’ll take it.


Hope, Inspiration, and a Promise.

I live in a nation that lets me run down the street with hundreds of others on a hot July morning just for the pride of doing our best. We can do that because there are people out there 24/7 to protect our liberty. However, protecting that freedom comes at a cost. For twenty-eight thousand men and women wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, that cost will be a life with a disability.

Life with a disability isn’t a life full of despair, it is a life filled with Hope. Share hope with men and women that have sacrificed so much for the liberties we take for granted. Join our cause and donate to Hope For The Warriors. Be there for these heroes and their families in their most difficult battle, their fight for recovery and rehabilitation. Your generous tax-deductible contribution to Hope For The Warriors will help them know that they do not stand alone, they stand beside grateful and compassionate Americans such as you.

My participation in events such as this are dedicated to the honor and memory of service men and women wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan and their families. I raise money with my campaign, 2008 Miles of Hope, through donations to Hope For The Warriors. I’m not a wounded warrior, I’m a grateful beneficiary of their sacrifices. Learn more about Hope For The Warriors.

Please donate to my fundraising campaign to support wounded heroes, 2008 Miles of Hope. All the money I raise goes to Hope For The Warriors. This phenomenal organization provides Warrior Wishes, Direct Needs Grants, and Spouses’ Scholarships. Now they have embarked on the creation of a Hope and Care Center, a rehabilitation and wellness facility for wounded heroes.

You can easily make a donation to Hope For The Warriors by using my secure credit card donation site:

http://www.active.com/donate/2008Miles

Or donate by check. Download our donation form, fill it out, and send it to me with your donation to my address on the form:

Donation form.pdf

Join me at the Virginia Beach Rock And Roll Half Marathon August 31!

-LetsRoll!

Dismal Swamp Stomp

What if?

When you accomplish something you never dreamed of, it makes you question whether your other goals are high enough. So it was with the Dismal Swamp Stomp.

April 19 was the Saturday after the Jacksonville Trails and Greenways 10K. I had just completed my fastest 10K ever. I attribute my good fortune to my good luck friends, S- and D-. They always seem to be around when I do my best in some way or another.

Even though I was quite happy with my time in Jacksonville, I had a general lack of energy way too early in the race. I usually fuel up before a race with a Snickers and a Red Bull. I felt like I had fueled up too early that day. I had to wonder, “What could I do if everything just came together perfectly?”

I never really had a goal for a race. I only wanted to do the best I could and finish at least somewhere in the middle of the pack. I didn’t even hope to finish near the front. I just didn’t want to be the anchor man. I’ve always used the same strategy. I go out as fast as I can at first for as long as I can, hoping to be dragging across the finish line, fully depleted. My mentor, G- always advised me to hold back a little at first. He warned against a miserable time at the end of a race while trying to finish with your reserves depleted. I’ve just never seemed to listen to that advice. My excitement seems to build toward the end of a race and though my speed slows, that excitement seems to get me there.

The Stomp


The Dismal Swamp Stomp has all the ingredients for success. It is the flattest half marathon course I have ever seen. Tall trees line most of the course so there is little wind. They offer prize money which attracts fast runners. The fast runners always inspire me. This particular day the weather was perfect. The breeze was light and the temperature was cool. I had carb’ed up nicely at Olive Garden the night before. And I did something I rarely ever do. I went to bed early the night before. So that morning, as my teammate was getting me situated on my handbike, I said, “There is no reason that today can’t be the day for a new PR. Everything I need is just right!”

As I took a warm-up ride through a nearby subdivision, the pre-race excitement started to build. Indeed, everything felt just right today. The bike seemed to be working just right. And most importantly, I had plenty of energy. So I decided to heed the advice of G-, for now, and throttle back during my warm-up and save a little energy for latter. I noticed the parking areas filling up so I decide I should make my way to the starting area. I stopped by the van and took on my pre-race carbs.

Familiar faces


At the starting area, I started seeing folks that were familiar to me. I got to meet my fellow blogger, Charlie. It was the first time we actually got to meet face to face and chat. It was good to see him and exchange some mutual wishes for good luck. J-, another fast runner whom I had met at the Norfolk Half Marathon, greeted me also.


I met the folks from Kale Running who were timing the race. They filled me in on details of the race start. It was good to know they were running the event. I had taken part in another race they hosted in Norfolk in February and had set my previous half marathon PR. Call me superstitious, but all the coincidences were falling in place for some good luck that day.


I knew my good luck was in the bag when I saw S- and D-. I had been with them the previous weekend when I had done my PR for a 10K. They had also been at previous races when I had PR’ed. I was looking forward to the race. I felt good.

The course was a straight and flat out-and-back. The only concern I had was the turn around. A handbike takes a LOT of room to turn around, more than the width of the road. From previously recon’ing the course I knew that the shoulders of the road didn’t allow me enough room to make a turn around at the designated turn-around point. But I had seen a large gravel parking area on the shoulder about a hundred yards past the turn-around. My plan was to extend past the turn-around point and sacrifice the time to travel the extra distance for a safer and speedier turn. It seemed like a good plan except that I had never practiced it.

We queued up for the start. The starter was going to give me a two minute head start. I figured that would give me about a mile before the fast runners caught me. That would be plenty of time for the crowd to stretch out. That should make a comfortable ride without the worry of “contact” with other runners. She let the others in the front know that the first start was for the chair only. She practically whispered the “ready, set, go.” I guess a false start is BIG deal with a crowd this big.

Ahead...

Anyway, I was off. The bike felt good and I did, too. I wanted to get past the congestion of the start as quickly as I could so I cranked as hard as I could. I thought about my mentor’s advice about saving energy for later. “Naah! Not right now, anyway.” This felt too good and I wanted to enjoy it.

After about a mile, I started checking my mirror. The Kenyans at the front looked pretty fast. I expected to see them closing any second. So far there was no one in sight. My energy level was great and I didn’t feel like I was going to fade any time soon. I thought about G-‘s advice again and again decided I’d wait until later to conserve.

About mile three the Kenyans passed me. I got a little inspiration from that—both from seeing those men run so fast and from the thought that I had gone so far before they caught me with only a two minute lead. “Wow,” I thought, “this is going great.” I kept cranking and kept feeling good. It was nice to have no wind and a nice cool temperature.


I kept watching my mirror for Charlie and J-. No sign of them yet. They are pretty fast runners. I was beginning to wonder if the start had been delayed but I kept telling myself I was having a really good day just to keep myself motivated. I tried to sneak a peek at my GPS but my head was moving so much that my bifocals just didn’t focus on the screen.


About mile five, Charlie passed me and gave a big yell and wave. I shouted back. He seemed to be having a good day too. J- passed me in a small group that seemed to be drafting each other. We too shouted at each other. I must have been losing my concentration and slacking off. I felt like I could go faster so I picked up my tempo to catch J- and his group. What the heck, I might as well catch that draft, too. I think they must have thought they were in my way because when I caught them, they all scattered. Oh well, I hope I didn’t break up their rhythm. I went on past them and they passed me again a few minutes later.

The turnaround

My teammate had gone ahead down Highway 17 on her bicycle to meet me at the Glencoe plantation. As I passed that spot she was nowhere to be seen. I told a spectator to watch for her and tell her that I had already passed.

About a half mile ahead the turn around drew near. The Kenyans had passed on their way back. I met Charlie and J- and gave them a big yell. I got to the halfway point feeling great. I extended down to the gravel parking area to make my turn. And there I experienced my biggest disappointment of the day.

I rolled off the edge of the pavement into the gravel surprised to find about a four-inch drop. I knew I had to go fast enough not to bog down in the gravel but slow enough to be able to make a sharp turn. I didn’t count on there being a drop off at the edge of the pavement. As I started my turn, I got the front wheel up on the road but bogged down just as the rear wheels came to the edge of the pavement. There I stopped. I was stuck.

Expletives deleted

There I sat. About a hundred yards past the turnaround. I remember thinking that things had gone so well. “What a disappointment this is going to be, to lose all those gains stuck here, just far enough past the course that no one notice me,” I thought. My teammate and I had talked about her meeting me at this point. For the life of me I can’t remember why I decided that would be unnecessary.

In my mind, I was rapidly depleting my lexicon of expletives. Frustration was overwhelming me. I needed to do something. I shifted down to my lowest gear and tried to rock back and forth. I just as well had been mired in a tar pit. I wasn’t budging. I was out of tricks. I was not going to get out of this without help.

There was a couple of City of Chesapeake workers parked in a pickup truck about thirty yards toward the race. I called out, “I could use some help over here!” Fortunately they heard me and one walked over. With a little shove, I was back on the road. Three minutes had been wasted.

On the Road Again

By the time I had gotten back into the race, the nature of the race had changed. All the elite runners were gone. The runners were more crowded. But the race was not the only thing changed. So was my attitude. I was mad. There is probably no better way to vent anger than a half marathon. I took my anger out on the cranks. I got a good boost from my little ordeal at the turnaround.

I stole a peek at my GPS and found that I seemed to be making up some of my lost time. I saw S- and D- still heading out. My teammate was waiting for me at mile 8. It was good to see familiar faces and that picked me up a bit.

It felt like I had a tailwind heading out. Now it felt like a tailwind again heading back. This course was just right. I slowly passed some of the folks that had passed me at the turn around. By the time I got to mile 10, I knew I was doing pretty well. Again I remembered GM‘s advice to save some energy for the end. Sorry, GM. Not now.

Pretty soon I was moving along pretty well. The runners were spaced just right. I would set my sights on someone in the distance and focus on catching them. I kept leap-frogging along the course on the way back. The thought of the time I had lost was still “inspiring” me.

Bear Sightings

At about mile 12.5 I thought I could see the “Bear” off in the distance. The Bear is a wood carving of a bear that stands erect about 15 feet high at the entrance to the park. Again I felt a boost and began to pick up my cadence. I looked at my GPS. I had forgotten to start my GPS until about a minute and a half after the start. I had tried to calculate an “offset” to add to the time on my GPS based on the clocks on the course. I was a little too preoccupied. My time was good, but I didn’t know exactly what it was.

I normally have a hard time getting my heart rate up. I can go faster when I do, but I think I’m just not using enough muscle mass to stimulate my heart. About mile 13, however, I thought my heart would leap out of my chest. There, about 15 feet back in the swamp was a black bear! Not a big bear, but about a two foot tall bear. If I hadn’t seen this same fellow the day before, I would have been scared out of my mind. This was a stuffed bear that was on display at the expo the day before. It sure got me going, nevertheless.

The finish was a very fast sprint. I guess GM had prevailed after all. I had taken an unplanned rest smack in the middle of the race. Just enough (with the help of the heart rate boost from the bear) to give me plenty of energy at the end. Funny how that works.

Goals Too Low

Charlie was waiting for me at the finish. He was still a bit winded from his final kick. I couldn’t believe my time. 1:32! I had hoped for, maybe, 1:45; on a good day. It took me quite a while to believe my 1:32. Charlie had a PR for his run, too.


I had never dreamed of such a time. All I wanted to do was to finish somewhere in the middle of the pack and have fun. So maybe it’s time to reconsider those goals. Maybe I should challenge myself to finish up front with the Kenyans…

2008 Miles

A year ago I challenged myself to handbike 2008 miles to raise money for and awareness of the needs of wounded warriors. I picked that number because it seemed to be a good stretch goal to prepare for the Marine Corps Marathon in 2008. By keeping a daily log of my training, I have been amazed at how quickly the miles have accumulated. As my workouts have increased in length, my goal of 2008 miles drew near quickly. Like the DSS, I surprised myself again.


So it was, that on the same week of the thirtieth anniversary of my disability...one night I was out for a training ride…I rolled past the 2008 mile point. I passed this goal far earlier than I expected. Another goal too low? Maybe. I think the journey has been far more motivating than I expected. I have been inspired by hundreds of people along the way. We have marked the spot on the street in my neighborhood to continue to inspire me every time I pass.

So what’s next? The Dam2Dam 100 miler? The Sadler Alaska Challenge? Maybe a ride across the US? We’ll see. Right now I still have two more goals to fulfill. I’m still preparing for the Marine Corps Marathon and its steep hills. And I’m still one-third of the way to my fundraising goal of $26,200 for Wounded Warriors.

My participation in events such as this are dedicated to the honor and memory of service men and women wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan and their families. I raise money with my campaign, 2008 Miles of Hope, through donations to Hope For The Warriors. I’m not a wounded warrior, I’m a grateful beneficiary of their sacrifices. Learn more about Hope For The Warriors.

So please, if you follow this blog make a donation to my fundraising campaign to support wounded warriors, 2008 Miles of Hope. And ask your friends to do so, too. All the money I raise goes to Hope For The Warriors. This phenomenal organization provides Warrior Wishes, Direct Needs Grants, and Spouses’ Scholarships. Now they have embarked on the creation of the Warrior Hope and Care Center, a rehabilitation and wellness facility for wounded warriors.

You can easily make a donation to Hope For The Warriors by using my secure credit card donation site:

http://www.active.com/donate/2008Miles

Or donate by check. Download our donation form, fill it out, and send it to me with your donation to my address on the form:

Donation form.pdf

-Let's Roll!

As Far As It Takes

2008 Run For The Warriors

A handful of dedicated military spouses got together,

Backed by a grateful community,
In the most military-friendly state,
For the greatest cause:
To honor the heroes who have sacrificed being whole while protecting our freedom.

And those ladies put on the best race you ever ran.


This race is becoming one of North Carolina’s premiere 10Ks.
The best $20 registration fee you ever spent.
The best you ever felt about having fun.
And an opportunity to run beside the greatest heroes in the world.


The course is scenic. The weather this year was perfect.
If you were there, here are a few memories.
If you missed it, here’s a small flavor of what you missed.
And for me, it’s a reminder
That there’s much to do.

Slideshow: 6.2 miles of 2008 Miles of Hope

Lo-bandwidth version

YouTube version:


Congratulations, Teammate! Women's 5K winner in her division!



-LetsRoll!

Short and Sweet

No, teammate, I’m not talking about WCTI Channel 12 News anchor Colleen Maloney! I’m talking about the Jacksonville, NC, Trails and Greenways 10K April 12.


It seems like all the races I have taken part in lately have been marathons and half marathons. It seems like a 10K will be just a trip around the neighborhood. Well actually, two trips. The Jacksonville, NC, Trails and Greenways 10K is a nice run consisting of two laps around the Jacksonville Commons.

Good Luck Friends

We arrive with plenty of time to spare. Soon I’m running late as I start seeing many friends I’ve made over the last year. In particular there are S- and D- and my good friend, R-. I’m beginning to think that S- and D- are good luck for me. They were at my very first race, the Navy-Marine Corps Run-The Runways 10K at Cherry Point. I did a personal best at that race that stood for quite a while. They have been at many other races I’ve taken part in when I’ve performed better than I expected. Well, for my first 10K in quite a while, good luck will be welcome.


It helps to have to have a strategy for each race. At least then you know what to do different when things go wrong. Most runners try not to burn out early in the race and save some energy for the end. I’m finding that what works best for me is to go as fast as I can early in the race. I normally get started ahead of the runners. And I’m not fast enough to stay ahead of the fast runners. But if I can get out far enough at the beginning, by the time runners start catching me, the field will be spread out enough that we won’t get in each other’s way. That way I won’t be boxed in when I get on a stretch with a tailwind or a downhill. So my strategy today is going to be to go out as fast as I can for as long as I can and arrive at the finish line fully depleted.

Warm Send Off

Today I get started about a minute (or less) early. I’m the only wheelchair participant. I wonder if I’m their first? Maybe I’ll get to set a new course record! The starter calls out my name and the runners applaud. Wow, that’s a nice feeling. Especially when I know the caliber of some of the athletes in that field. I would applaud them any day.

I have a dry eye problem. To conserve the precious few tears my eyes make, I’ve had my tear drain ducts plugged. That still wasn’t quite enough to keep my eyes moist, particularly outdoors, in the wind, so I started using Restasis. Restasis seems to “kick it up a notch” for the tear glands. So now with the drains plugged, when my tear glands secrete, the tears don’t have anywhere to go but to overflow onto my cheeks. I tell friends that since taking Restasis, I get teary-eyed just going down the greeting card aisle in a department store.

So it is that when the starting horn sounds and this nice group of eastern NC runners sends me off so warmly, a little emotion and a lot of Restasis sends a little trickle down my cheek. It’s going to be a great day.


There’s a slight breeze but it’s picking up. There’s plenty of sunshine so I’m a little worried about overheating. For now it’s cool enough and if I run into problems later, I’ll just have someone at one of the water stations toss a cup of water on me. I hear the runners start about 30 seconds behind me. As I start down the main road I can hear one of the leaders coming up behind me. Wow he’s fast!

On the Road

The course is basically two laps on an oval-shaped street with a short out-and-back down an entrance road at one end. As I round the turn at one end of the oval I can feel the breeze at my back. This is going to work perfectly with my strategy. I lean back and pull hard on the cranks. I’m happy with the way things are going. I’m keeping up with some of the faster runners. I know it won’t last, but I’ll take it while it does.


About two miles into the course I feel like my little rush of adrenaline is starting to fade. I’m getting great encouragement from the other runners. It’s all quite welcome because many of them are starting to pass me. I try to return the encouragement wherever I can. On the out and back, I realize I’m not all that far behind the lead runners. I meet my friends R-, S-, and D- heading out as I’m heading back. I yell as loud as I can. As we start up the backside of the oval I’ve got a bit of a head wind. It’s freshened a bit since the start. It seems like I’m slowing down quite a bit, but when I look at my GPS, my pace is not that bad. Still, many runners are passing me. Three young guys appear to be pacing each other running abreast. I wonder why they don’t run single file and take turns pulling the draft. I try to catch them hoping I can draft them. It doesn’t happen.

Wearing down

The rest of the trip back on the first lap is rather uneventful. After passing the start I pass the first turn and get the wind behind me. It has picked up a good bit since the start. I’m glad to get the boost but my GPS tells me the first lap wasn’t all that bad, for me anyway. The downwind half was a little slower than a six-minute pace. The upwind half was about an 8 ½ minute pace. Wow.

I’m glad to have the rest, but I’m not capitalizing on it. I just don’t have the spunk I had the first lap. Still, I’m passing quite a few runners. Some later said it was disheartening because I went by them so fast after they passed me ten minutes earlier. Sorry! I’m making a 7-7 ½ minute pace for the time being. Not as good as the first lap but for some reason it feels faster. I pass one gal that passed me very early. I yell, “nice work!” She replies, “You must not have seen me fall down.” Ouch, that had to be tough.

Rounding the turn and heading back upwind on the backside, I get hit by a tough headwind. I’m catching back up with the three guys running abreast and fall in behind to catch their draft. They look behind and assume they are in my way and scatter. Oh well. I scoot past, but not for long. The wind catches me and they’re gone. I feel like I’ve got no energy left. Maybe I ate my pre-race Snickers and Red Bull too early. Maybe the sugar blast is causing an insulin spike. Or maybe I’m just worn out. Next race, I’ll Snicker up a little closer to the start.

At about mile 5 ¾ we go through a stretch with tall trees that seem to block the wind. About that time I seem to be getting a second wind. I crank with all the energy I’ve got left. At one point I attain about a 5 minute pace. There’s no one in front of me at the finish line so I go all out, throwing my hand in the air as I cross the line.

Wow, that was a good feeling. I collect my finisher medal and go back up to the finish to watch R-, S-, and D- finish. My time was 48:28. A 10K PR! Maybe S- and D- are good luck!

The folks at the Jacksonville Parks and Recreation are nice enough to have a Wheelchair Division award for me, although I really didn’t beat any other chairs. It’s like I say, I may not have beaten that guy in first place, but I sure beat all my friends who are home in front of a TV today.


So I’m happy with today’s work. The workouts on the bridge seem to be paying off. My only problem with my performance was that I started feeling depleted sooner than I hoped. I think that on my next race I’m going to try to hold off on my pre-race snack until closer to the start and see if my energy level sustains throughout the race.

And by the way, don’t forget to support our wounded warriors. Hope For The Warriors is an amazing charity that looks out for their needs and those of their families. Today I’ve added 6.2 miles to my goal of 2008 Miles of Hope. Please help me with another goal, to raise $26,200 for Hope For The Warriors. Donate online securely using our donation page or download my donation form and mail it to us with your check.

2008 Run for the Warriors--May 17

You will never have this much fun doing anything you feel this good about

If you can run
If you can walk
If you can roll…

…join me at the 2008 Run for the Warriors!


The Run for the Warriors is a community event. It’s a chance to have fun. It’s a chance to be inspired. It’s a chance to recognize some brave men and women and their families and to say thanks for their sacrifices. Above all else it’s a chance to enjoy a Carolina spring morning and beautiful views of the New River at Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune.

The races are 1 mile, 5K, and 10K. You will meet great athletes. You will meet brave warriors. And you will meet a community that understands the cost of freedom. A community that recognizes that one of the costs of freedom is our unstated obligation as citizens to remember the sacrifices of the fallen.


Join Scott Rigsby, the first double amputee to complete an Ironman Triathalon.

Join Carlos Moleda, Navy Seal and wheelchair athlete, World Championships Ironman Triathalon winner.

Join thousands of runners, walkers, and wheelers who will turn out to help Hope For The Warriors fulfill their promise, “No sacrifice forgotten, nor need unmet.”

Event website: http://www.hopeforthewarriors.org/r4w.html

Can’t make the race? Express your appreciation with a donation.

http://www.active.com/donate/2008Miles

-LetsRoll!

Hope, Inspiration, and a Promise

2008 Miles Of Hope is the name my wife/teammate, and I have given to our campaign to raise money for Hope For The Warriors. It has been one of the most fulfilling endeavors we have ever undertaken. We have met many great and inspiring people and we have traveled to a lot of interesting places. In short, 2008 Miles Of Hope has three parts that I call hope, inspiration, and a promise.

Hope

Hope is the human condition that causes us to be something beyond what we are now. In 2006, I watched handcyclists competing in the Marine Corps Marathon. My teammate and I were there to support my niece, T, who was running her first marathon. It was the first time I had watched a marathon in person. Even before breaking my neck in a swimming pool accident thirty years ago, I had dreamed of taking part in a marathon. As a C-6 quadriplegic, I’ve always found pushing a wheelchair to be difficult. The thought of pushing one through a marathon, was just a dream.

Seeing the Marine Marathon handcyclists gave me hope. A handbike uses different muscles than does a wheelchair. “I think I can do that,” I said to myself. Completing the Marine Corps Marathon in 2008 has become my goal number one.

Inspiration

Seeing thousands of charity runners dedicate themselves to their causes filled me with inspiration. How could I turn my training for the MCM into a greater good? I learned about Hope For The Warriors through their 2007 Run For The Warriors. THIS was to be our cause. Because of my disability, I am sensitive to the sacrifices of the wounded warriors and their needs. Both my teammate and I grew up in military families. And because of my disability, we understand effect of disabilities on families and the important role of the family in the recovery process.

In July of 2007 we stood up our fundraising campaign. My second goal became a mission to handbike over 2008 miles to raise awareness of and raise money for the wounded warriors. Our message: Life with a disability is not a life filled with despair; it is a life filled with hope. I initially thought our example would inspire others. However, it is we who have been inspired over and over by an overwhelming outpouring of support for our cause by family, friends, athletes we have met along the way, and just ordinary people. My greatest and continuing inspiration is my teammate, who enables every mile I undertake. She has also taken up running and just completed her first 8K race at the Shamrock in Virginia Beach.

A Promise

Goal number three became a promise to raise $26,200 for Hope For The Warriors. The number is $1,000 for every mile in the first goal, the Marine Corps Marathon. It has taken all our spare time. Many nights we are up well beyond our bed time stuffing envelopes. So far, the response has been overwhelming. This is a gracious and compassionate land that we live in. The generosity of our contributors has been amazing.

Hope For The Warriors

The union of our goals for 2008 Miles of Hope with those of Hope For The Warriors has been a natural fit. Their vision of “hope beyond recovery,” the inspiration of the indomitable spirit of the wounded warriors and their families, and their promise of “no sacrifice forgotten, nor need unmet,” has assured us over and over that indeed, their cause is our cause.

So, how are we doing?
(updated 09.16.2008)

Basically, we are having the times of our lives! For goal number one, I have completed two marathons, seven half marathons, and eight 10K races in preparation for the 2008 MCM. For goal number two, I have completed over 2400 miles since last July. And for goal number three, we have raised over $10,000 for Hope For The Warriors.

Help us help heroes

Join us in supporting Hope For The Warriors. You can make a donation through our campaign at http://www.active.com/donate/2008Miles. Follow our progress at this blog. Each time you visit, please post a comment. And JOIN US at the 2008 Run for the Warriors!

The only things we cannot achieve
Are those things we cannot dream.

-LetsRoll!

The Shamrock

31.2 Miles of Inspiration

What inspires you? What follows is my account of the Shamrock Marathon weekend and all the inspiration and motivation that saw me through to the finish line. Twice.

First of all, you have to understand that I get a unique perspective of a race. I get to start a race up front before all the runners. The wheelchairs and handbikes usually start five minutes or so earlier that the runners. That gets them down the street and out of the massive congestion of the start. It also gives me a chance to see a cross section of the race as the field of faster runners passes by. So for me, as a participant, I’m experiencing the event also as a spectator as well. There are stories of inspiration throughout those events that make it a memory to savor forever.

Whales and Dolphins

The inspiration started last fall. I signed up for the Whale. The Whale is a dual entry in the marathon and the 8K events. My niece, T and I are both training for the 2008 Marine Corps Marathon. I claim it is the result of a challenge from her. She claims it is the result of too much whisky. Since that challenge we have completed several races together, including the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon and the City of Oaks Half Marathon. We mutually agreed that Shamrock would be a good time for another race. She signed up for the Dolphin which is the 8K and the half marathon.


Our plans turned into a “family” challenge. T’s boyfriend, B, had run with T the last 10K of the MCM 06 to motivate her at the end. During the City of Oaks, felt like she needed some company, so she asked him to run a short way at the start of the race. That short distance became the entire half marathon. B finished that entire event at her side with no training or preparation! We all agreed it was time for him to officially enter a half marathon and get recognized for his feat.

Meanwhile another niece, K took up the challenge and entered the 8K. My teammate signed on for the 8K, and T’s running partner, M signed up for the Dolphin. Nothing is more inspiring that to be surrounded by your most valuable team, your family and friends as you work toward any endeavor.

Charlie and Bulldog


More inspiration for the Shamrock evolved from the Norfolk Half Marathon on Ground Hog Day. Again I had the chance to “meet” inspiring runners such as fellow bloggers Charlie and Bulldog. “Meet” is somewhat of an overstatement of the act of witnessing a blur of a human figure streak past you while you shout out less in encouragement than in awe. We have since followed each others’ posts. I’ve found tremendous motivation in reading their descriptions of their workout regimes and grueling training. It makes me feel guilty for every minute I’m not exercising.

The 8K

The starting line of the 8K gave me a chance to meet my fellow wheelchair entrant, GF. GF hails from upstate NY. I thought I had a challenge training in the winter months. GF spends his training time in malls and parking decks during the winter. Folks, I’ve pushed a chair in parking lots. It’s a good way to get your heart rate up. Not from the exercise but the fear of death from the constant attack of cars that don’t see you.

I always race with the American flag attached to my handbike. It’s my way of reminding myself of the sacrifices of thousands of wounded warriors that preserve the liberties that we enjoy. The only exception has been the Crystal Coast Half Marathon when I was afraid the high crosswinds might cause the flag to sway and hit other runners. The race started with the ceremonial singing of the National Anthem. I often get teary-eyed during the National Anthem. As I looked around, I noticed all eyes were on my flag, excuse me, OUR flag. The pride this little bit of unexpected recognition added a little extra emotion to the ceremony and inspiration in my heart.


By now I was fully inspired. Readied with the knowledge that somewhere in the field behind me stood my teammate, T, M, and K; all as charged and excited as I. The crowds and cheering along the course were great. The weather was close to perfect, maybe a bit windy.


GF and I struggled along the first ten blocks or so against the stiff wind. However, once I turned south, it was thirty-five or so blocks of straight tailwind. This was my chance to fly. The run down Atlantic boulevard was a fun run past all the ice-cream stands, tee shirts stores, and hotels a beach town can offer. The turn onto the boardwalk put me into a headwind for what seemed like a slow crawl to the finish. I mentally said goodbye to the little group of runners I had hung with for the last ten minutes or so. The beautiful Virginia Beach oceanfront offered a grand view as I plowed through the wind back to the finish line.


I finished in 39:48 which was a PR 7 minute pace. I placed 268th out of about 4900 finishers. My teammate finished her first 8K. A year ago she had never run a step. K finished her first race also. M and T hung right in there with the rest of the team to the finish. All in all, a finish to inspire me for the next day’s marathon.

The Marathon


My half marathon teammates, T, M, and B had to start their race an hour ahead of mine. We wished each other a few brief “good lucks” as we grabbed a bite at the hotel breakfast bar. Unfortunately I tarried too long over breakfast and got to the starting line with only a few minutes to spare. The knowledge that my family and friends were already out there running had me psyched. There was more inspiration waiting for me at the starting line. Or despair; depending on how you look at it.

David Swaim

If you’re a wheelchair competitor, the sight of this man at the starting line will cause you despair. Or at the very least it will cause you to re-evaluate your strategy for a second place finish.


Get a good look at his blue racing gear before the shot of the starter’s pistol. Afterward he will be only a distant spec down the street before you. And that’s only briefly. He has won the wheelchair division in the Marine Corps Marathon previously and many others, including recently, the Myrtle Beach Marathon. To see this man streak along at his five-minute pace is like watching a human powered rocket fly along the street.

The Start

At the starting line I hear my name called out, not once, but twice. I looked up and there was Bulldog! The Welshman had made his way to the front to wish me luck. THEN, I looked to my left and there was my mentor, GM.


This retired Marine Sergeant Major has been a constant source of inspiration and motivation and has competed in nearly every event I have entered. He, too, had made his way through the throng to wish me well. Since I began my 2008 Miles of Hope campaign, he has been there with me, offering advice and experience to help me along the way. He is also a donor to my 2008 Miles of Hope fundraising campaign. I look forward to many more races with this great individual. This picture is actually from the Myrtle Beach Marathon but it shows how he took time away from his last-minute race preparations to find me at the front and bid me good luck.

Physically, I was as ready as I could be. The rain was gone (everyone hoped). My teammates were headed toward Fort Story as they made their way along the half marathon. Mentally, as a result of the inspiration given me by my family, my friends and supporters, and thousands of cheering spectators, I was stoked! I had one goal: to arrive at the finish line completely depleted of physical energy. However, there was to be no shortage of inspiration today.

Downwind

The starting horn sounded and we were off. A blue streak rocketed off to my left. That was the last I’d see of David Swaim this weekend. The wind was at my back. The first 10K of this race was going to be fun. The run down Atlantic Boulevard was much like the 8K only faster. The wind was a steady 25 MPH. I cruised along, sometimes reaching a six-minute mile pace. The bridge was going to be a bit of a speed bump.


As I started up the bridge, I was slowing and turning and gearing down, all the while being passed by the leaders in this field of 2300 participants. Once on the incline of the bridge I was geared down and grinding along slowly. I heard a familiar voice again shout out my name. “Run Bulldog, Run!” I shouted in reply. Charlie also passed me, also shouting my encouragement. Between the tailwind and the uplifting thoughts pushing me along my climb up this bridge was to be brief.

See Amy Run

Somewhere off to my left I heard a woman’s voice, “Bless you.” By the time I could react this tall amputee had passed me by and was bounding across the bridge like a running machine. At the top of my lungs I shouted back, “Go, lady, go!” In a blink, she was gone.

Amy Palmiero-Winters lost her leg in a motorcycle crash. A runner all her life, she was told she would never run again. What does a runner who has lost her leg do with her life? For Amy, the choice was clear. Run. And she has never looked back. What I just had the privilege of witnessing was a 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics hopeful. Not the Paralympics. This young lady plans to compete alongside able-bodied athletes in the marathon. Today I think she took two minutes off my time. I cranked even harder to get over the bridge, hoping to catch her on the down side of the bridge. I wanted to find where she hid her wings.

Camp Pendleton

The course proceeded down General Booth Boulevard where I again got a chance to yell at my fellow blogsters Bulldog and Charlie as they returned from the turn around. David Swaim? Forget it! By now he was so far gone that the light reflecting off his jersey won’t reach this universe for a few more years. As we wound our way through the Camp, a group of soldiers assembled outside one of the barracks and shouted cadence for the runners. Again, this little act of inspiration gave a tremendous motivational boost to me and all the runners around me. And just in time. After turning three more corners we started North, into the 25 MPH blast that would dog us for the next thirteen miles or so.

Headwind

As the course proceeded North back over the bridge, along the boardwalk, up Atlantic Boulevard, and Shore Drive it was all headwind. There was nowhere to hide from it; it was like a half marathon of brutal wind resistance in the middle of this course.


Every runner out there fed off each other for inspiration. We were all in the same predicament. I received more than my share of encouragement from my fellow marathoners and tried to return the same. The volunteers and spectators along the course were excellent. As we passed little clumps of spectators, water tables, and even the road monitors, they all had words of encouragement that took our minds off the wind.


At about mile 14 I met my teammate who was out on the course photographing runners, including my friends and family on the return leg of the Half Marathon. She was waiting for me with some inspiration in a can, Red Bull. I pulled into the median and stopped, where I wolfed down a Snickers and drank the Red Bull. For those of you who haven’t tried it, Snickers and Red Bull make a great mid-course refueling. If you can’t stand the taste of shots and goos, you can’t beat Snickers.


Rested and recharged, I got out on the road again. I managed to catch a glimpse of Bulldog on his return leg as he picked his way through the stragglers of the Half. I was amazed at his speed that far into his run. “Run, Bulldog, run!” I shouted. Little conversations were beginning to pick up amongst runners as the number of spectators waned. Along Shore Drive runners with compatible paces settled into little clumps and began to chat to maintaining their enthusiasm. Most of the banter was support for each other. A marathon virgin asked me about 2008 Miles of Hope, reading the logo on my shirt. I congratulated her on her first marathon and remarked that this was only my second. A DJ had speakers set up and music blasting about halfway up Shore Drive. In a conversation with another runner, she admitted she missed the motivation imparted by the spectators along Atlantic Boulevard. For me, the inspiration was all around me; it flowed alongside in the form of the energy from the thousands of runners.

Susan Constance, Discovery, Godspeed, and Admiral De Grasse

The sight of the Fort Story gate gave me a tremendous motivational boost. I knew in my mind that the headwinds were soon over. I joked with a fellow runner, “I hope they’re not checking IDs today,” recalling the snarled traffic at the gates military bases during periods of heightened security. As we trudged eastward, we passed openings in the sand dunes that gave the wind an opening to funnel through as it blasted off of the Chesapeake Sound. One blast blew me sideways a foot or so. The more we turned southward, the more of a tailwind component the breeze imparted and the faster I went.


As we passed the Cape Henry Lighthouse I recalled our stop at this spot last summer when my teammate and I had reconned this course. This spot is hallowed ground in the history of our country. It was here in 1607 that the Jamestown settlers first set foot on what is now the USA when they landed their three ships, the Susan Constance, the Discovery, and the Godspeed. And it was off this shore in 1781 that the French Admiral De Grasse cut off the British Navy from reinforcing General Cornwallis at Yorktown. That action enabled George Washington to defeat Cornwallis, the turning point of the War for American Independence. OK, I guess only a history enthusiast such as myself can find inspiration in a patch of beach.

Downwind to the Finish


I was snapped out of my reverie by the sound of my name again. My mentor, GM, was yelling in encouragement as I passed. “Yee-ha,” I yelled! In a blink, I was past. I had the full force of the wind at my back now. It seemed like only minutes before I was back at the Boardwalk. With the Atlantic nor’easter at my back, I clipped along at a snappy pace the last few blocks to the finish. There was Gerry, another wheelchair racer who had just finished minutes ahead of me. Gerry had traveled all the way from Cork, Ireland to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at the Shamrock.


At the finish, my little team of family and friends was there to greet me. T, B, and M were all proudly sporting their half-marathon medals, and I my marathon finisher medal. We all glowed in our accomplishments. We all exchanged congratulations and well wishes until the cold March air started to induce the post-race chill. We said our farewells with visions of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon beginning to form in our minds when we will all race together again.

My time for the marathon was 2:14:52 which put me somewhere around 1072 out of about 2300 participants. And I finished 18th of 58 whale participants. Yee ha! Not great, but better than my friends who spent the weekend in front of a TV.

Teammates

I was especially proud this weekend. Not only did I get to take home two finisher medals but my teammate had one as well for finishing the 8K. Normally I get to enjoy the anticipation at the start and the thrill of the finish. But I don’t even get on the handbike without my teammate. None of my training and none of my races would be possible without her. She is always there at the finish line for me and right by my side, either afoot or on her bike, for many of these 2008 Miles of Hope. The greatest teammate in the world!


It is my fervent desire that, as a result of these 2008 Miles of Hope, that our Nation’s wounded warriors will know that they have you, the reader of this blog, as their loyal teammate. Their stories of sacrifice and recovery are nothing short of inspirational. Be there for them in their most difficult battle, their fight for recovery and rehabilitation. Your generous tax-deductible contribution to Hope For The Warriors will help them know that they do not stand alone, they stand beside grateful and compassionate Americans such as you.

My participation in events such as this are dedicated to the honor and memory of service men and women wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan and their families. I raise money with my campaign, 2008 Miles of Hope, through donations to Hope For The Warriors. I’m not a wounded warrior, I’m a grateful beneficiary of their sacrifices. Learn more about Hope For The Warriors.

Please donate to my fundraising campaign to support wounded warriors, 2008 Miles of Hope. All the money I raise goes to Hope For The Warriors. This phenomenal organization provides Warrior Wishes, Direct Needs Grants, and Spouses’ Scholarships. Now they have embarked on the creation of a Hope and Care Center, a rehabilitation and wellness facility for wounded warriors.

You can easily make a donation to Hope For The Warriors by using my secure credit card donation site:

http://www.active.com/donate/2008Miles

Or donate by check. Download our donation form, fill it out, and send it to me with your donation to my address on the form:

Donation form.pdf

-LetsRoll!

The Crystal Coast Half Marathon

A Handcrank Participant’s View From Ten Inches Off The Road

It rained. No it poured. It blew. It blew a gale. The Atlantic Beach bridge grew another 10 feet in height. OK, I’m making up that last part.

After a week of beautiful sunny weather, the Crystal Coast Half Marathon’s inaugural event started out amidst the wettest and windiest day of 2008 so far. If it were summer it would have been a tropical storm.

My teammate ran the 5K. I did the half marathon.

The race director arranged for a bicyclist to escort me on the course. She didn’t realize what she was signing up for. What a great sport! What a great support crew! Through the grittiest rain and the staunchest winds she hung in there, soaked to the bone, constantly encouraging me and chatting.


Everyone was hopeful that the rain had passed. The race started with winds at about 20 MPH SSW. That gave me a slight tailwind as we traveled east on Arendell Street. At mile 1.5, my mother braved the storm and walked out to the street to cheer for me. At about mile three the lead runners began to catch me as I approached the port. It is always inspiring to see the frontrunners in a race. Heidi Tucker, the women division winner, looked like she flew as her long strides pulled her through the storm.

By now my teammate was beginning her race.

I turned south on Fourth Street and thought I had hit a brick wall. The wind was howling around the end of Sugarloaf Island and being funneled in between buildings. It blew so hard I was beginning to have my doubts about crossing the bridge. As I turned back west on Evans Street, the crosswind had a slight headwind component, giving me an additional challenge. I passed mile 4 and could feel the wind freshening and the temperature dropping. My bike escort was right there grinding along beside me. It was starting to rain.

The other runners were great! Many were friends with whom I had participated before. Many called me by name. Many stuck out a thumbs-up. Many yelled out encouragement. Everyone should experience this kind of support for something they do in their life. It’s no wonder I’m hooked.

But what about that bridge? The wind was still freshening. It was starting to rain pretty hard. The gusts were probably up to 30 MPH. I approached the foot of the bridge where it was about mile 4.5. The wind was almost straight head-on.

I started training on this bridge last summer. I need the gradient to train for my ultimate quest, the Marine Corps Marathon. I’ve been across the bridge with 20 MPH winds before. That usually means grinding along slowly in my lowest gear if it’s a headwind. I figured the southward ascent up the steep side of the bridge would be on the lee side of the bridge. That would take some of the sting out of the wind until I got near the top.

Riding at Bogue Banks has become almost a weekly ritual for my teammate and me. We have ridden up and down highway 58 from Fort Macon to Indian Beach in training. We had ridden this very course in all kinds of weather. The previous weekend I cranked across this bridge six times. It’s a good thing.

The first few yards of the climb up the bridge slowed me to a crawl. My bicycle escort dismounted and started walking. The rain was now a full-fledged downpour. I think every runner that passed me shouted in encouragement. The spirit on the course was awesome! The steepest part of the bridge is about at mile 5. It’s a 6.3% grade. I know this because my teammate had measured it with a digital inclinometer (did I mention we were serious about this?).

Eighty feet in the air on that bridge, gusts were probably 40 miles an hour. The rain was like one of those summer thunderstorms when your windshield wipers can’t go fast enough to see. In, fact I could only see about thirty feet in front of me. The combination of the wind and the rain literally stung my face like being sprayed with a fire hose. Runners were shielding their faces with their hands and arms as they charged the blast.

By now my teammate had finished the 5K. She remarked that they could see black cloud obscuring the top of the bridge. At the finish line there was a combined air of angst; 5K’ers and spectators were concerned about family members enveloped in somewhere that storm.

I don’t know how to describe this but I’ll try. The resistance from the wind normally slows me down. This wind, with the added mass of gallons of rain, on top of the grueling grade of the bridge, made me feel like a salmon trying to swim up a waterfall. Now I understand why they jump out of the water.

The trudge, or swim, south on the Atlantic Beach Causeway was still a slow, grueling, grind. Many of the race volunteers had bailed, presumably assuming the race would be cancelled. Most did not. They were right there, at their stations. One group of youngsters steadfastly handed out water and cheered the runners at mile six in the worst of the torrent. I tried to thank every volunteer and policeman I saw on the course.

By the time I reached the Atlantic Beach light, about eight inches of rain had accumulated in the street. Runners were darting through parking lots and along curbs, trying to stay out of the puddles. As I plowed through the water, surely as high as my seat, I thought to myself, “This guarantees it. Now there’s not a dry spot on my body.”

By now the rain had subsided. The eastward dash out Fort Macon Road was under crosswinds and was sheltered somewhat by the tall homes along the south side of the street. I was able to make up a good bit of time lost coming up the bridge. As I passed runners, I felt a genuine aura of relief, as if they were glad to see I had survived the stormy bridge onslaught. I caught up with another runner from Hope For The Warriors and other friends who had passed me on the bridge. We exchanged mutual cheers of support for each other. March’s lion-like downpour had not dampened the spirits of these racers.

Once I was back to the Atlantic Beach Causeway at mile 10.5 I received a well-deserved reward. A tailwind. A 20 MPH tailwind. I leaned back against my backrest, stretched out my arms, and pulled; instantly rewarded with a blast of speed. It was a great feeling, like my memories of sailing on a beam reach in Beaufort Inlet. The words out my mouth described exactly how it felt: “Yee-ha!”

The wind pounding against the upslope of the bridge amplified the wind speed, making the return climb up the bridge “a piece of cake.” At the top, the gale blasting at our backs, I checked with my loyal escort, “Got brakes?” Shouting to other runners at the top of my lungs, “Passing on the right!” I crested the peak and zipped down the lee side of the bridge. It became obvious that the handful of runners descending the bridge in front of me were deafened by the howl of the wind. They couldn’t hear my warnings. For our mutual safety, I rode my brakes heavily down the last half of the hill, although I’m sure I startled one runner as I weaved around her at the bottom of the incline.

The rest of the course was a milk run. It was, however, an honor to pass the home of my dear friend, JT-, with whom I share a similar disability. She had been driven indoors earlier by the weather so I shouted her name as I cranked past her porch.



At the finish line, runners and spectators lined the finish chute, cheering loudly. I have never received such an enthusiastic reception at the finish. I think it was partly because of the shared experience with the weather of the runners, spectators, and volunteers and partly just the indomitable friendly nature of my fellow Crystal Coasters. The finisher’s medal, appropriately enough, bears a picture of the Atlantic Beach Bridge, my formidable adversary that day. I hugged the volunteer who hung the prize around my neck.



So, how did I do? My time was 2:21:13. I’ve done better, but given my experience with the “speedbump” in the course, I’m happy. In the “is the glass half full or half empty” department, this was the inaugural Crystal Coast Half Marathon and I was the only handcrank participant. That not only makes me the winner in my (albeit unofficial) division, it makes me the course (handcrank) record holder! Not only that, but my teammate, won in her age group. So now she is a 5K course record holder for her division, too! That ought to give my mother enough bragging rights amongst her quilting friends for a while.

Looking back, if you factor out the miserable weather, what is left is a feeling of incredible camaraderie amongst the runners who endured the trek together, the mutual support we all shared along the way, a huge feeling of gratitude for the volunteers and police who were there along the way, and a overwhelming sense of accomplishment at the end. Those are the memories I’ll savor until the end of my days.

My participation in events such as this are dedicated to the honor and memory of service men and women wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan and their families. I raise money with my campaign, 2008 Miles of Hope, through donations to Hope For The Warriors. I’m not a wounded warrior, I’m a grateful beneficiary of their sacrifices. Learn more about Hope For The Warriors.

Please donate to my fundraising campaign to support wounded warriors, 2008 Miles of Hope. All the money I raise goes to Hope for The Warriors. This phenomenal organization provides Warrior Wishes, Direct Needs Grants, and Spouses’ Scholarships. Now they have embarked on the creation of a Hope and Care Center, a rehabilitation and wellness facility for wounded warriors.

You can easily make a donation to Hope For The Warriors by using my secure credit card donation site:

http://www.active.com/donate/2008Miles

Or donate by check. Download our donation form, fill it out, and send it to me with your donation to my address on the form:

Donation form.pdf

-Let's Roll!

Myrtle Beach Marathon

You win some. You lose some. Today my glass is not half-full; it is overflowing!

To come in last place of the wheelchair and crank chair marathoners is a BIG win for me. How do you call a last-place finish a win?

It means I had the honor of rolling off the starting line with some world-class athletes.

It means I finished 400th in a field of 1700 able-bodied competitors.

It means I finished.

It means I finished a marathon!

It means I finished a marathon in 3 hours and 51 minutes.

It means I finished a marathon before many of my friends were out of bed.

It means a personal record for me for a marathon and a half-marathon split (1:48).

It’s a lot like living with a disability. You push yourself. You succeed. You fail. You push yourself farther. And ultimately you succeed with the support and encouragement of friends, family, and many total strangers. The first place winner, the person who finished after eight hours, 1700 other marathoners, and I all had one thing in common. We crossed that finish line because thousands of other people were there to support us.

My race is dedicated to the fallen heroes of the Global War on Terror. Help me bring hope to wounded warriors with the knowledge that a grateful America is there to support them on their race to recovery.

Please donate to my fundraising campaign to support wounded warriors, 2008 Miles of Hope. All the money I raise goes to Hope for The Warriors. This phenomenal organization provides Warrior Wishes, Direct Needs Grants, and Spouses’ Scholarships. Now they have embarked on the creation of a Hope and Care Center, a rehabilitation and wellness facility for wounded warriors.

You can easily make a donation to Hope For The Warriors by using my secure credit card donation site:

http://www.active.com/donate/2008Miles

Or donate by check. Download our donation form, fill it out, and send it to me with your donation to my address on the form:

Donation form.pdf

The official results:

http://www.rmssports.com/results/08mb.txt

Chill Factor 17

Did I mention we are serious?


That's ice, not snow, on the salt marsh the morning of one recent chilly ride.



But then to put it in perspective, one wounded warrior told me, "Any day is a good day when no one is shooting at me."

This is America. We can go out and ride on a freezing morning if we want to. Or stay indoors where it is warm.

Only because we have brave men and women who are willing to go stand in harm's way to protect our liberty. And for that I am grateful. And a little cold seems like a minor inconvenience. Join me in my campaign to help America's heroes, our wounded warriors and their families. Donate today.

You can easily make a donation to Hope For The Warriors by using our secure credit card donation site:

http://www.active.com/donate/2008Miles

Or donate by check. Download our donation form, fill it out, and send it to us with your donation to our address on the form:

Donation form.pdf

And learn about where the money goes:

Hope For The Warriors

It's only a minor inconvenience for those who have sacrificed so much.

Looking for a good time?

Here’s our tentative schedule for 2008! Join us.

2/2/08 Norfolk Half Marathon
2/15-16/08 Myrtle Beach 5K/Half/Marathon
3/8/08 Crystal Coast Half Marathon*
3/15-16/08 Shamrock 8K/Half/Marathon
4/6/08 Cherry Blossom 10 Miler
4/12/08 Jacksonville 10K
4/19/08 Dismal Swamp Stomp
5/17/08 Run For The Warriors
7/19/08 Beaufort Road Race**
8/31/08 Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon
9/27/08 Marine Corps Half Marathon
10/11/08 Beirut Memorial 10K
10/18/08 Neuse River Bridge Run
10/26/08 Marine Corps Marathon
11/2/08 City of Oaks Half Marathon
11/9/08 Battleship Half Marathon**
11/9/08 OBX Half Marathon**
12/??/08 Looking for a nice marathon to top off the perfect year!


*Not sure about this event yet. Still under discussion with the event director. The event director doesn’t want handbikes in his events.

**Under consideration.

Please support 2008 Miles of Hope, my fundraising campaign to support our nation’s wounded warriors. These are the events I plan to complete this year. Every mile that I race is dedicated to the men and women of our armed forces who returned as casualties from the Global War On Terror and their families. I take part in these events to raise money for, and awareness of, their needs.

All the money I raise goes to Hope For The Warriors. Please donate generously. Make a donation at http://www.active.com/donate/2008Miles.

Read further in my blog...and "Thanks!" to all our supporters!

-Let's Roll!

Whew!

2007 was an AWESOME year! It started with one goal (Marine Corps Marathon) and ended with a mission (2008 Miles of Hope). After my niece, T, competed the MCM in 2006, she challenged me to do the same in 2007.


Getting in shape became my goal. However, the memory of all those charity runners running for a cause made me want to do more. My initial goal left me with a nagging desire to turn that accomplishment into something to benefit others. Hence, it eventually turned into my mission and here’s the story.

The mission has three goals (and here’s how we’re doing):
• Handbiking 2008 miles (over 900 miles completed since July)
• Marine Corps Marathon 2008 (three half marathons and five 10Ks completed)
• Raising $26.2 thousand to benefit Hope For The Warriors (Over $3400 raised)

Read on for the story.

Tortoise


In January and February my inseparable teammate (she makes it all happen) and I biked Ocracoke Island on my Quickie Cyclone (dubbed “Tortoise”). Those rides instilled the certainty in me that a marathon was going to be a reality for me. It took us seven hours on my first attempt to complete 28-mile trek.



In March I biked the Dismal Swamp Trail with Tortoise. Later that month I got a new handbike, a Top End XLT (dubbed “Hare”). It was back to Ocracoke for a bit of a disappointing shakedown ride. I thought I would fly down the island and back. Twenty mile per hour winds made that dream true only on the return leg.


Hare

On March 31 I took part in my first-ever 10K race, the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society Run-The-Runways benefit at Cherry Point. Not a big race, but fun. Here’s a link to a pic: Windsock photo. I’m the little spec behind the runner with the green long-sleeved shirt and blue shorts.


It felt great to benefit such a worthy cause. I was definitely hooked on these races so went searching for another event. I learned about the Run For The Warriors and Hope For The Warriors. I immediately emailed my wife, “Here’s our cause!” An idea for my mission was beginning to take shape.

Hills and Woes

In the meantime, I began to worry about the Marine Corps Marathon. I was beginning to recognize that hills gave me a big problem. I didn’t take much grade to stall me out. There are some steep hills on the Marine Marathon course. I assumed it would just be a matter of changing the sprockets to get lower gears. In April, we traveled to DC and I got a chance to try out some of the hills first-hand.


A big dose of reality set in. What seems to be the steepest grade on the MCM course is a 13.5% climb up the entrance to the Marine Corps Iwo Jima Memorial, the very end of the race. I couldn’t ascend a hill anything close to that steep! And there was no way to gear my handbike down low enough for me to crank up that hill. An equipment change wouldn’t get me there. The only way I was going to get up that hill was to become a LOT stronger. I had been working quite hard and knew there would be no way I could become that much stronger before the race date in October. It was time to re-strategize.


Learning and Innovating

In April, We rode Ocracoke Island again, which I think is one of my favorite rides. Later in the month, I think I was the first ever handbiker in the Lookout Rotary Spring Road race in Morehead City. That was a fun neighborhood run, but I sure got a lot of strange stares.


With warmer weather setting in, overheating was becoming a problem. I don’t sweat and the upper body exertion causes me to generate a lot of body heat, particularly on long rides and sunny days. We fitted my helmet with tubes that would allow me to dispense water onto the top of my head. That gadget did a lot for my endurance but for hot days, I needed even more cooling.

A neighbor, BG, suggested towels soaked in icewater wrapped around my neck. That inspired an idea of supplex tubes that we filled with ice cubes and tied around my neck. That seemed to do the trick on even fairly warm days. One Saturday in May we set off on a rather long ride on the back roads of Camp Lejeune. Since we were going to be away from civilization for quite a while, we packed several ice-filled tubes in a couple of coolers and added some dry ice to keep them frozen. The idea worked well enough to keep me cool most of the day


On that trip I learned that the hazards with handbiking aren’t always what you would expect. My first lesson came when I zipped past a copperhead as I’m sitting 10 inches off the ground. My second lesson came later in the day when some rain clouds moved in. I could see a rain shower moving from left to right a mile or so in front of us. So we stopped to let it pass before we went further. We pulled off the road and waited at the edge of a grove of small trees. After the rain passed by we got back on the road and finished our ride. We decided that where we stopped was not a good idea because of the danger of lightening—not because of the trees, but because we had stopped right in front of an explosives storage facility.

Yes, This Will Be My Cause!


Later in May I had the privilege of taking part in the Run For The Warriors, a race to benefit wounded warriors, conducted by Hope For The Warriors. I can truly say I’ve never had so much fun doing anything I felt so good about. Hundreds of Marines ran in formation. But for me, it was just an honor to take part in the 10K alongside wounded warriors on handbikes. Read the article in the Globe (page 1) (page 2).

May also afforded us an opportunity to do the Dismal Swamp Trail again, this time on Hare. I still had to make a decision about the Marine Corps Marathon. Would I be ready for that hill by October? I do not want to complete 26 miles of that race only to be overcome by an insurmountable hill two tenths of a mile from the finish line. Registration for the race was closed. I could still register as part of Hope For The Warriors’ charity team if I raised money for them. That was exactly what I wanted to do, but my experience in April told me I wouldn’t be able to complete the race. Sadly, I made a decision that I would wait until 2008 to take part in the MCM and I would find another way to support Hope For The Warriors.

Getting Serious With Hills


I began training in Atlantic Beach every chance I got because the streets there are essentially paved over sand dunes, hence it is one of the hilliest spots in the county. I found a hill on East Atlantic Boulevard that made a great spot to work on my strength training. We also found another hill that had the same grade as the hill at the Iwo Jima memorial on the MCM course. That would be my test hill. I nicknamed it Mount Suribachi. After a few weeks of working out on the hills, I tackled the Atlantic Beach Bridge at the end of June. As result of subsequent workouts on the bridge, repetitions up the hills at the Beach, and long rides close to home, I noticed I was becoming considerably stronger.

My Mission

My cause had pretty much come together in my mind by July. On July 13, I took it to the Internet. I stood up this blog and set up a fundraising campaign to benefit Hope For The Warriors. I called the campaign and the blog, “2008 Miles of Hope.” The goal became a mission. The idea was threefold:

1. To handbike 2008 miles in training, races, and fundraising events to raise money for and awareness of our nation’s wounded warriors.

2. To raise $26.2 thousand for Hope For The Warriors to benefit wounded warriors through their programs. Why that number? One thousand dollars for every mile of the third goal.

3. To complete the Marine Corps Marathon in October 2008.

That ought to keep us busy! The only problem was that now it was becoming the hottest time of the year. Strenuous workouts and long rides were becoming difficult. Labor Day weekend and the Virginia Beach Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon were rapidly approaching.

Fall Races


Amazingly the weather turned perfect the night before the race. My niece and I completed the race together. Other runners shouted, “You rock!” I’d call back, “No, you rock! I roll!” My first half marathon was a blast. Enjoy the video: Rock n Roll Half Marathon video


My next event was the Marine Corps Half Marathon in Camp Lejeune in September. The training on hills and the long rides were beginning to pay off. I finished the 13.1 miles in just under two hours, a time that I was quite proud of.

In October, I finished two 10K races. The first was the Beirut Memorial 10K. I had a tough time with that one. Equipment problems slowed me down and made it my toughest race. The second October event was the Neuse River Bridge Run. Another great event. That race is a great way to enjoy spectacular views of the Neuse River. Read the Sun Journal article.

The Hill Workouts Pay Off

One day, late in October, I was working out on my practice hill at Atlantic Beach on East Atlantic Boulevard. I started rocking back and forth on a steep section by pulling on the cranks a short stroke to roll forward and rolling back the stopping the reverse motion by yanking on the cranks again. I noticed that on each stroke I was ratcheting forward a few inches. By using this technique, I was able to climb through the steep part of the hill with relatively little effort. Not very fast, mind you, but successfully. I got my teammate and we rode over to Mount Suribachi, my test hill that has the same grade as the steepest hill of the Marine Corps Marathon. It was not very pretty, but I inched my way all the way up that hill.

Now, that was a bittersweet moment. That was the breakthrough I needed all along to complete my dream, the Marine Corps Marathon. But by now, with the race a few days away, it was too late since I wasn’t registered. But now I know that nothing will stop me.

Team Wounded Warrior

The great folks at Hope For The Warriors asked my teammate and I to go to the Marine Corps Marathon with them. They fielded a team of over a hundred runners called Team Wounded Warrior, which included five members of the Marine Wounded Warrior Battalion East. The team collectively raised close to $150,000 in donations. H4TW needed help manning their booth at the expo and they need folks who knew how to navigate the DC Metro to get out on the course to cheer the team. It was an honor to help out.


The day of the race we went out to a stretch of East Potomac Park called Hayes Point. It seems to be universally agreed by runners to be the loneliest stretch of the course. Along with my niece T, we yelled ourselves hoarse and handed out Snickers. All in all it was a great experience, but not as great as October 2008, when T and I will be out there on the course.


Kicking Off the Fundraising

We really had not conducted any serious fundraising efforts yet. All of our contributions so far had pretty much fallen into our laps. This cause is amazing in that folks are overwhelming in their compassion and willingness to support once they learn of it. In November we went to Fayetteville for a Beta Sigma Phi area luncheon. Beta Sigma Phi is an international women’s service organization in which my teammate is a member. There we shared a table with the Pi Master Chapter from Havelock. With the help of those amazing women we raised $473 in one morning.


The Only Handbike in Town (Again)

The next day I took part in the City of Oaks Half Marathon in Raleigh. That was one bugger of a course. I don’t remember a flat spot on the course. On a handbike, you’d like to go as fast downhill as possible in order to carry that energy as far up the next hill as you can go. Nothing doing on this course. Runners were too dense to go very fast downhill so I had to work for every uphill. Pics from WRAL (Slide 15) and News and Observer (Slide 5).

My grandson thought my handbike was pretty cool:


In December, Camp Lejeune’s Marine Corps Community Services’ Semper Fit Division awarded me their first place in the handbike division for their 2007 Grand Prix series of races. That was a very nice way to cap off a year of handbiking adventures. Thanks, Mike Marion!


With cooler weather setting in, we turned our activities to fundraising. So far, we’ve received over $3400 in donations. Everyone’s support and compassion is simply inspiring.

2008 Promises to be Even Better

Check back soon for our plans for 2008. Help get the word out. Help us help heroes. All the money we raise goes to Hope For The Warriors. We pay all our travel and registration fees out-of-pocket. It’s an honor for us to support our nation’s wounded warriors with our efforts. And it has enriched our lives immeasurably.

Learn more about Hope For The Warriors and their great programs to help our nation's wounded warrriors and their families.

Check out our donations page. It’s easy to make a secure online donation using your credit card: 2008 Miles of Hope.

Nuese River Bridge Run - a message to the event director

GB,

THANKS! First of all it was great to meet you. Secondly, I could tell that a lot of hard work by a lot of people made this event the success and enjoyment it was. I wish I could thank them all, but I don't know who they all are.

I always contact the race director before entering a running event because it's their decision to let handbikes participate. In other words, it's a privilege to take part in your event. I don't forget that and I thank you for that privilege. I'm looking forward to doing this again next year.

Since beginning handbiking seriously about a year ago, folks like you have endowed me with so many such privileges, but chiefly, the chance to meet and be inspired by some of the greatest people in the world, these local runners. Each has a story, each is a hero, and all inspire me. Again, I thank you for the opportunity to meet new friends and be inspired by so may wonderful folks.

This event was special for me for several reasons. First it was a 10K PR for me. But mainly, by sheer coincidence, it allowed me to re-connect with a high school friend whom I haven't seen in 33 years. The friend had been through a similar disability as mine with a quite different outcome. We immediately connected on a number of levels, but chiefly, our enthusiastic outlook on life. We're already planning training and future events.

As for me and my story; your event (and next year's event) is part of a 2008 mile journey that I call 2008 Miles of Hope. I'm handbiking over 2008 miles to conclude with the Marine Marathon in 2008. The ride is dedicated to and is raising money for wounded warriors through the great organization Hope For The Warriors. More about my cause and about me can be learned by reading through this blog.

In this life I take nothing for granted. A year ago I would have never dreamed I'd have crossed that bridge. For the rest of my life I'll know I did.

Those things I cannot achieve
Are only those things I cannot dream.

-Let's Roll

SUN JOURNAL article

Get me to the Race On Time!

COUNTDOWN-The Marine Corps Half Marathon

09.28.2007, 10:00 AM – It’s going to be a busy day. 4:00 AM is going to be here WAY too soon. Tomorrow I’m lucky enough to participate in the Marine Corps Half Marathon at Camp Lejeune, NC. I pick up my race packet today so tomorrow morning won’t be quite so hectic before the race. A few errands to run first. I just finished a blog post. Oh darn, I’m going to be late for my appointment with Hope for the Warriors at Camp Lejeune.

11:00 AM – How many times can a cell phone ring in an hour’s commute?

11:30 AM – Met with Robin at Home For Warriors Headquarters. Those folks are awesome.

1:00 PM – Just reconnoitered the race route in my van. Don’t want any surprises. Right now it’s blistering hot. Didn’t anyone tell the weatherman that it is almost October? I saw Dan on his handbike going around the course. Man, he looks hot. Now I AM starting to worry. I’ve been looking forward to this race for six months. I hope it cools down or I will be toast.

2:00 PM – Picked up my race packet and met with Mike, the race director. A great guy. Sorry, Mike if I have so many questions, but this is only my second half marathon.

3:00 PM – A quick haircut

3:30 PM – Later than I thought. I won’t have time for that big plate of pasta for lunch I was looking forward to. Maybe we can cook up some spaghetti when I get home. I called my teammate, no answer.

4:00 PM – It has been a long day and I’m starting to get tired. Sure wish I had more than six hours sleep last night and the night before and the night before….yawn… I pull into McDonald’s, park in back, close my eyes, and take a nap.

4:09 PM -- The noise of a big truck wakes me up, maybe I better move on. OH NO! The van won’t start and I can smell smoke. Who am I going to find to fix this van this late on a Friday afternoon? I get on the cell phone and start calling every auto mechanic I know. Neil even calls another mechanic on my behalf and offers to come and get me in his mini van, thanks. It’s starting to look like Saturday is going to be spent replacing an alternator rather than half-marathoning. Am I ever bummed!

4:30 PM – Merchant’s Tire in Havelock says they will wait for me. I make arrangements for a tow truck.

5:15 PM – Finally get up with my teammate and ask her to meet me at McDonald’s and now it is just a waiting game. I am hoping my troubles are due to the alternator even though we just had a rebuilt one put in a few months ago.

6:00 PM – Teammate arrives. I grab a quick bite at McD’s. I was sure looking forward to pasta. The wrecker shows up. Off we go to the tire store.

7:00 PM – We roll into Merchant’s Tire. The wrecker arrives right behind us. This is their normal quitting time. They really want to go home; PLEASE – PLEASE - PLEASE. Did I mention that I had been looking forward to this race for six months? They agree to change the alternator. Yeah! My teammate and I take off for the parts store while the mechanic starts removing the bad alternator.

7:20 PM – We’re back with the new alternator. The old one is out. It’s starting to look like we might pull this off after all!

9:00 PM – We’re back on the road again. THANKS Brian and Miguel!!! You’ll never know how much this means to me!

9:30 PM – Back home. So much to do to get ready. Darn it’s late! How many times have I said that already today? Let’s get started.

11:00 PM – Finally in bed!

10.29.2007, 12:00 AM – Will I ever go to sleep?

2:00 AM – I can’t sleep! I keep thinking about this race.

3:00 AM – Zzzzzzzz

4:00 AM – Zzzzzzzz

4:20 AM – The alarm rings. Oh darn! I wanted to get up at 4:00.

5:00 AM – 60 degrees outside. The forecast is for cool weather. Yeah! I stuff down a smoothie, a banana, milk, & coffee.

5:30 AM – On the road. This is the first chance to go over the course with my teammate. She’s going to ride the bike paths on her bicycle to meet me at miles 4, 8, & 12.

6:30 AM –We ride the course my teammate will take so she knows where to meet me.

7:00 AM – It’s getting late (again). We get to the race start. Let’s get the handbike on the ground and get ready.

7:30 AM – Typical pre-race confusion. I wolf down a Snickers bar.

7:45 AM – They’re calling runners to the starting line. Where are my sunglasses? There’s Dan and Cory. Wow! There will be three hand bikers today.

8:00 AM – Let’s Roll! We’re off! Man! This came so close to NOT happening! There goes Cory and Dan…I’ll not see them again until the finish. Oh well…like I always say, “I’m not a racer, I’m a participant.” The weather is PERFECT! And wow, I’ve even got a little energy. I’m gonna yank those cranks! All those runners that passed me off the starting line…I’m slowly passing them! No way will this last. But I’m having fun while it does! Marines yell in encouragement. Marines are undoubtedly the greatest people in the world.

8:30 AM – A few hills have had their toll and I’m starting to settle into a manageable pace. The fast guys and gals are all gone and I’m blending in with a group that I’m starting to become familiar with. We even get a few conversations started. Even a little friendly banter. I take a ribbing about the hills.

9:00 AM – Hey, that 10K split went by rather quickly (for me). Maybe this is going to be good. I stop beside my teammate and throw down a PowerAde. I’m off.

9:30 AM – My teammate is hanging nearby on the bike trails. That is a tremendous boost. I’m coming up to a water table. I ask the Marine to throw water on me. Man that feels good. Headwinds and hills are starting to slow me down. My teammate cuts off for our rendezvous at mile 12. Marines yell, “Ooh rah” as the headwind slows me down.

9:45 AM – Should have drunk another PowerAde. I’m fading. The pasta dinner would have been nice. Maybe even some sleep. That wind feels nice but it’s slowing me down to a crawl. Shift down. Grind.

9.50 AM – There’s some crowds. I must be nearing the finish. I look at the time. HOLY COW! Do you think there’s any chance I can beat 2 hours? Shift down. YANK! I hear my teammate’s voice, “Go!”

9:57:17 AM – I cross the line. YEE HA! Whooda thunk! There’s Dan and Cory. What a GREAT day!

Life has taught me that: 1) Things are never hopeless, no matter how bad they seem. Jimmy V. put it aptly, “Don’t give up; don’t EVER give up.” 2) There are still saints out there in spite of what you see on the news. So just when my plight seemed helpless, the folks at Merchant’s Tire put forth a little “can-do” and enabled me and my teammate to pull it all together.

Our Nation’s wounded warriors haven’t given up hope. They’ve sacrificed their limbs and flesh to protect your liberty and mine. As they begin their adjustment to new lives with disabilities they continue to display dedication and resolve that awes me.

My campaign, 2008 Miles Of Hope, is dedicated to the wounded warriors. With the help of my beloved teammate, my wife, and with a yellow hand bike, I plan to: 1) ride over 2008 miles before October, 2008 in training and events like this, 2) raise $26.2 thousand for Hope For The Warriors, and 3) complete the Marine Corps Marathon in October, 2008.

Be a saint. Help a hero. And help me along my campaign. Please make a generous tax-deductible donation to Hope For The Warriors. You can use the link below to make a secure credit card donation:

http://www.active.com/donate/2008Miles

If you would prefer to send a check instead, please print the form at the link below. Make your check payable to Hope For The Warriors. Mail your donation to the address on the form.

Donation Form

Thanks and check back often.
-Let’s Roll

Time to be Proud, Time to be Humble

Today, I finished the Marine Corps Half Marathon at Camp Lejeune in 1:57:17, a feat I am quite proud of. A year ago, such an accomplishment was beyond my dreams. Even after considerable training, just to cross the finish line is an accomplishment that makes me proud. To add the privilege of finishing this event beside some of this Nation’s most revered warriors was truly awesome. But to be honored by running beside some of those who have sacrificed their blood and limbs for your and my freedom is a inspiration that cannot be described in words.




We welcome tax-deductible gifts to Hope for the Warriors that are in turn used for their many wounded warrior projects. Please visit my donations page:

2008 Miles of Hope

Learn more about ways to help wounded warriors:

Hope for the Warriors

Those things I cannot achieve
are only those things I cannot dream.

Let's Roll

You Rock, I Roll!

Ah yes! Nothing could be finer than getting up at 4:00 in the morning, grabbing a Snickers bar for breakfast, enjoying live rock and roll music, seeing 13.1 miles of scenic Virginia Beach waterfront, and spending some quality time with 17000 other runners at the Rock ‘N’ Roll Half Marathon!
Except the quality time with family and friends!

AND doing it for an AWESOME cause:
2008 Miles of Hope

About 2008 Miles of Hope

Three things are coalescing in my life at this point in time. It seemed natural to tie them together into a single personal initiative that I call 2008 Miles of Hope. I hope that you will enjoy following my progress as much as I will enjoy the journey. So what is 2008 Miles of Hope all about? Again, three things.

1. 2008 will be the 30th anniversary of the accident that left me a C6 quadriplegic. What can I say? At fifty-something, call it a mid-life crisis, or what ever you want. It’s time to quit neglecting physical activity and to get more physically fit. I enjoy life. But to enjoy life more, I want to be stronger and healthier.

2. I’ve always wanted to complete a marathon. Long before my disability, I admired these long distance athletes. I always loved the outdoors. In my youth, I enjoyed swimming, waterskiing, sailing, hiking, scuba diving, canoeing, camping, hunting, and fishing. Running was never an enduring passion, but the thought of a long distance feat such as a marathon was always alluring. My disability seemed to end hope of such an accomplishment.

When T- did her first marathon, I got to watch. I saw handcyclists tackling the hills of Arlington in the Marine Corps Marathon. I said, “I think I could do that.” That (not well-thought out) idea turned into a challenge from T-. So I got a handbike and started training and have since been having the time of my life. When I entered my first 10K, a benefit for the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, I was solidly hooked. I was going to start having a lot of fun fulfilling T-’s challenge!

But ever since her challenge, the images in my mind of the thousands who were running for various charities kept evoking a question in my mind: “how can I make this into not just an event…but a cause.” Which segues well into my third endeavor.

3. I have a deep gratitude towards our Nation’s service members and their families for their dedication and sacrifices while fighting the Global War on Terror. In particular, because of my disability, I am sensitive to the challenges facing thousands of brave men and women who have been wounded while protecting our liberties. I call myself a grateful beneficiary of their sacrifices. I’ve resolved to help.

Earlier this year, while looking for a running event, I found Hope for the Warriors™. I learned about all the great things this grassroots group does, such as was featured on this NBC news feature: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18043133/ . I immediately emailed my wife and said, “THIS is our cause!”

The mission of Hope for the Warriors™ is to enhance quality of life for US Service Members and their families nationwide who have been adversely affected by injuries or death in the line of duty. Hope for the Warriors™ actively seeks to ensure that the sacrifices of wounded and fallen warriors and their families are never forgotten nor their needs unmet, particularly with regard to the short and long-term care of the severely injured. Hope For The Warriors™ is a civilian organization, with 501(c)(3) non-profit status, is not a government agency and is solely supported by the generosity of individuals, corporations, and foundations in support and appreciation of those who have sacrificed in the name of freedom. Federal Tax Id#20-5182295.

I joined Team Wounded Warrior to support this great organization. My goal: to handbike over 2008 miles between now and October 2008 when I plan to complete the Marine Corps Marathon. In the meantime, I plan to take part in various running events to raise $26.2 thousand dollars for Hope for the Warriors™. So, it all comes together with what I call 2008 Miles of Hope

Visit Hope For The Warriors™ at http://www.hopeforthewarriors.org.

Help our wounded warriors on their road to recovery by supporting 2008 Miles of Hope. Give generously. You can donate easily by using my donations page at
www.active.com/donate/2008Miles

2008 Miles of Hope

Let’s Roll, America. First of all (everybody asks): I’m NOT a warrior. I am a grateful beneficiary of the sacrifices and dedication of thousands of brave men and women who have answered the call to duty during our nation’s times of need.



I am a citizen of the greatest nation on earth. I enjoy liberties that citizens of other countries can only dream of. Americans take more freedom for granted than most people on this earth will ever enjoy. However, that freedom comes with a price. In this country, that price has been paid again and again with the blood of heroes and the sacrifices of their families.

Remember their sacrifices. Please help these brave men and women on their road to recovery and rehabilitation. It is my goal to raise at least $26.2 thousand for Hope for the Warriors™, a civilian organization, with 501(c)(3) non-profit status, whose mission is to enhance quality of life for US Service Members and their families nationwide who have been adversely affected by injuries or death in the line of duty. Hope for the Warriors™ actively seeks to ensure that the sacrifices of wounded and fallen warriors and their families are never forgotten nor their needs unmet, particularly with regard to the short and long-term care of the severely injured. To learn more about this great organization, please visit their website at http://www.hopeforthewarriors.org.



With the support of my beloved teammate, my wife, I plan to handbike over 2008 miles between now and October 2008 to raise money to support projects undertaken by Hope for the Warriors™. I plan to do this in a combination of training, running events, and fundraising rides, culminating with the 2008 Marine Corps Marathon. I will be participating in various 10Ks, half-marathons, and hopefully some marathons over flatter terrain as I build my own strength and endurance to train for the 2008 Marine Corps Marathon.

As an American with a disability, I understand the challenges that face these brave men, women, and their families. I also find their personal stories of triumph over adversity to be my motivation. There is no better place in the world to have to live with a disability than the United States. We are blessed with technology, opportunities, and compassion that are available nowhere else.

Please help America’s heroes with your tax-deductible contribution to this great organization. Give generously. Our nation’s warriors have given selflessly for you. Help those who have fallen in their time of need. You can easily donate by using the website below:


www.active.com/donate/2008Miles