Sooooo Close!

Shamrock Marathon 03.21.2010
Sunday morning I commented to my teammate that I don’t think we have ever been more ready for a race than we were for this one. I had gotten in some good workouts in the past week. We had a nice pasta dinner the night before with my friend David Swaim. Our spirits were bouyed by great runs in the 8K on Saturday. The weather had held up to the forecasts so we had brought the right clothes. And most importantly, I don’t think we forgot anything.

We stayed in a hotel only a few blocks from the starting line. When we checked in they offered us a free room upgrade as priority reward members. I declined because we had reserved one of their few rooms with a wheelchair shower. When my teammate checked out our room, it turned out they had assigned us a room without the roll-in shower. The only roll-in they had left was a suite that had to be the most spacious in the building. The room spanned the entire end of the building and overlooked the ocean from a balcony. So we got a free upgrade anyway!

At about 7:30 or so Sunday morning I made my way to the starting line. There was David Swaim. He must sleep at the starting line. I’ve never been to a race early enough to beat him to the start. There was also B- whom I recently met at the Crystal Coast Half. He lives in my county and is an avid handcyclist. Small world. Including a young man I met the day before at our hotel there would be four handcyclists, a Team Hoyt runner, AND a blind runner..

Beating 4 hours was my goal. I’ve done it twice but the last time was more than a year ago. I was feeling up to the challenge.

The weather was slightly chilly at that time of the day but otherwise absolutely perfect. I had added an extra shirt at the last minute. I somehow knew that would be too much. There was a slight headwind when we started the race. The others were gone in a flash when we started south through downtown Virginia Beach. At the Rudee Inlet Bridge, the runners had already overtaken me and Charlie stopped to wish me luck.

All the runners were taking the left lane. That made the right lane open for me. That was a good thing on the downhill side. It was not going to be a good thing in a few minutes when the faster handcyclists returned and needed the lane full of runners for their return.

I made my out and back through Camp Pendleton in an OK time at least to beat the 4 hour benchmark I had set for myself. The runners were great with their support and so far only a few iPod zombies wouldn’t get out of the way. The other handcyclists were having bigger problems, however.

On their return to the Rudee Bridge, the entire lane closest to the ocean was filled with outbound runners who were supposed to be in the lane on their right. Despite his shouts of warning, David collided with one runner and he wiped out, leaving a layer of his skin on the pavement. Despite his disaster, he went on to win the crank division.

I, on the other hand, continued my grind northward to defend my last-place crank division title. The extra layer I had donned just before the start was starting to make me a bit warm as the sun got a little higher.

The “slight” headwind at the start had freshened to a nice breeze behind me as I headed north along the Boardwalk. One of the spectators with a camera in front of his face called my name as I passed. I didn’t pay much attention since our names were on our bib numbers. Turned out he was a coworker from my office and neither of us knew to expect each other.

I saw my teammate with her bicycle along the Boardwalk where she snapped a few pictures. I met her again just before mile 13 where she helped me come out of a few layers to cool down. I refueled with a Snickers and an energy drink and got back in the race. At the half, my time was about 1:57. My 4 hour goal was still in my grasp.

The northbound lane to Fort Story was congested as all the outbound runners were squeezed into one lane and the elite marathoners and the slower half-marathoners mixed it up in the other lane. Once past the Fort Story main gate the congestion eased up along Shore Drive. However the many curves with their cross-grade bogged me down somewhat. Through this stretch, all the runners offered each other good support. A few DJs played music from their vehicles WAY too loud.

Once in Fort Story at the north gate I expected things to pick up. It was not to happen. I was beginning to get tired and the “breeze” I had enjoyed on the Boardwalk was now about a 20-25 mph headwind. At the main gate I was able to rendezvous with my teammate and refuel again with a Gu and a Red Bull. For the rest of the course back to the finish my pace slowly eroded as several pace groups passed me.

I got a little burst of speed toward the end and started making up some time during the last mile. I knew it was getting toward 4 hours. I drafted some runners to get some relief from the windy blast on the Boardwalk.

I finished with an official time of 4:00:47, successfully defending my last place crankchair title. I honestly don’t know where I would have made up the 47 seconds unless I had started out without the extra shirt or if I had drafted some of the runners along the return stretch. On the bright side, I finished 30th among 140 Whalers. All in all it was a good race, a good day, and my Shamrock PR.

For anyone wishing to do the Shamrock, it’s a good run, mostly flat. It’s a good course for wheelers. They offer good schwag (although I’ve never gotten any Irish stew at the end because you have to go down to the beach to get it). The caps they give the finishers are nice trophies you can wear year round. This year they had a great idea of giving the finishers a long-sleeve t-shirt you can actually wear and keep instead of the space blankets that end up discarded on the streets.

Hope For The Warriors

If you have followed this blog you know that I raise money for Hope For The Warriors as a charity runner. This year, the Shamrock is the first marathon I completed of five I had planned this year. I became too sick to start the Miami and the Myrtle Beach was canceled due to snow. I plan to complete the Marine Corps Marathon and the New York City Marathon this fall.

Hope For The Warriors was founded by a handful of eastern North Carolina military spouses with the vision to provide a measure of hope for the wounded victims of the post-9-11 wars; hope beyond recovery, particularly for the severely disabled. Their cause has grown to national proportions in the past few years as they have provided aid and relief to service men and women and their families in terms of Direct Needs, Warrior Wishes, Caregiver Scholarships, Hope and Morale and many other inspiring programs. Download and read the inspiring accomplishments from last year alone:

4 Seasons of Hope

Hope, Inspiration, and a Promise

I call my fundraising campaign 2008 Miles of Hope. It’s an honor for me to dedicate my training and my races to the brave men and women who have sacrificed in the name of our freedom. Join me and follow this blog as I fulfill my three goals I call Hope, Inspiration and a Promise.

1. Hope:
I plan to complete the Marine Corps Marathon as part of Team Hope For the Warriors for my third straight year.

2. Inspiration:
Also for the third straight year, I plan to handcycle over 2008 miles in training, races, and fundraising events to raise awareness of, and money for Hope For The Warriors and their mission.

3. A Promise:
I plan to fulfill my pledge to raise $26,200 ($1,000 for every mile in a marathon) for Hope For The Warriors. This is where you can join me.

Join me and thousands of other grateful Americans by honoring our wounded warriors with a tax-deductible donation to Hope For The Warriors. You have two easy ways to donate. If you prefer to use a credit card, you can donate online using my secure donation page at

2008 Miles of Hope

If you prefer to write a check, download a donation form and mail your donation to the address on the form.

Donation Form

Learn more about Hope For The Warriors at http://www.hopeforthewarriors.org/.

And join us at the 5th Annual Run For The Warriors May 15, 2010, in Jacksonville, NC.

-LetsRoll!

The Luck of the Irish--Did I Break the Spell?

Shamrock 8K

I've been trying to break that elusive 4 hour marathon mark for months.  A few training rides have been promising.  At Miami I DNSed when I got sick.  Afterwards I really got my hopes up for Myrtle Beach when I beat 4 hours on a training ride

But at Myrtle Beach, it was not to be.  The marathon was canceled because of snow.  At the Crystal Coast Half I was still under the weather with my 'Miami bug' but determined not to make it three scratches in a row.  It was a lackluster job and my most painful event yet.

My training schedule has still been difficult but again, I've been seeing some promise for the Shamrock.  I signed up for the Whale.  Today I  PRed with a 36:05 in the 8K.  My teammate turned in a good time as well but accidentally creased her chip and didn't get timed.  The weather was perfect. It looks like tomorrow it will be great for the marathon as well.

Keep your fingers crossed!

And make a donation to Hope For The Warriors!

-LetsRoll!

Teammate ROCKS Virginia Beach!

09.06.2009

It’s been a while since I have posted a blog but well, “it’s been a toim,” as they say in down east Carteret County. We have been busy with the Shamrock Marathon and 8K and the Cherry Point Half Marathon in March, the Dismal Swamp Stomp Half Marathon and the Lookout Rotary 10K in April, the Run for the Warriors 10K in May, and the Beaufort Road Race 10K in July. My training was lagging in the spring. I was plagued by disappointing races until I discovered a problem with my handbike after the Shamrock.

I found one of the lateral supports that holds my trunk centered in my seat was out of adjustment. I was literally hanging out the side of my seat. When we corrected the problem I did a great job in the Cherry Point half and had some amazing workouts subsequently. After the Run For The Warriors, the spring races were behind me and I put the handbike in the shop for some needed repairs. Unfortunately that killed my workouts for about three weeks.

I found myself playing catch up to get back in shape for the Beaufort Road Race during the heat of the summer. In August I was able to increase my training tempo to about 80 miles per week by working out in the dark and by dousing myself with tons of ice and icewater during my daylight workouts. I’ve become pretty familiar with the sunrise recently. I knew I was pretty much ready for the Rock ‘n’ Roll half last week when I did my fastest climb yet up the Atlantic Beach Bridge.



July brought good news when the Achilles Track Club gave me a seed in the New York City Marathon. Yeah, I’m in! In August my teammate and I drove to New York to recon the course. Five boroughs, five bridges, many hills, and a gazillion potholes are going to make the NYC my biggest challenge yet. I think the folks that paved the Wilson Bridge are the same ones that paved the surface of the moon.

Every weekend an inspiration

I say that one has only to open one’s eyes to be inspired. So it has been for me with my teammate’s running. Last year she trained for the Rock ‘n’ Roll but had to forgo her entry when she missed about six weeks of training because of a leg ailment. This year, she began increasing her distance to run 10Ks in the Lookout Rotary Spring Road Race, the Run For The Warriors, and the Beaufort Road Race. She regularly ran the Beach Run Series while I worked out on the AB Bridge.

Early in the summer she built her stamina to run ten miles on weekends. She kept up a brutal training regimen in the heat of July and August. She was clearly going to be ready for her first half marathon at this year’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Half. This event has become a family favorite for us. My niece, T- and I have run the race together the last two years. My teammate has been an active participant and supporter. She would leapfrog along the course on her bike to meet us with energy drinks, food, ice, and camera support. This year she was out there on the course.

A close one

We were sweating it out the last days before the race. While I thought she was registered last fall, I checked her registration several times to confirm that I had registered her. It turns out that I was actually looking at last year’s registration. I had never registered her. When I broke the news to her, I wasn’t sure if she was going to do cartwheels in elation or hang me in disgust. In the end we were able to register her at the expo and everything was OK.

I had secretly invited the sons and the grandkids. They wanted to surprise her but on Saturday all the phone calls were making her suspicious. When finally she demanded to know, “Who was that?” I had to fess up, “That’s your cheering squad!” The kids were hiding outside the motel door.

Race morning we were up at 3:45 and off to downtown VA Beach. I had the choice of starting with the other wheelers or seeding in with my Teammate in corral 21. I wanted to be with her to enjoy her finish so I chose to do the race with her.



I saw my friends David Swaim and One Leg Dan at the start.



As we made our way back through the corrals, we found T- and her friend MO.





A running machine

She had trained at about a 13 minute pace during the summer. I was afraid by rolling with her I’d be making my teammate run too fast. But throughout the race she was consistently nailing 12-minute miles. I think the cooler weather was giving her an extra boost. With a few bathroom stops and a couple of walking breaks, she averaged a 13-minute pace, finishing in 2:49.



To put that in perspective, of about 16000 finishers, there were only 104 women in her age bracket. Of those 104, she finished 37th. Not bad for grandma! There are not many women her age that can do what she did. I told her sons, 40 and 42, "It’s official, your mom can outrun you both!"

Hope For The Warriors

Hope For The Warriors was an official charity partner with the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon this year. One of the runners spotlighted in the official race program was a Team Hope For The Warriors runner. We met another Team runner in our corral and I ran into her several times on the course. Throughout the race people saw the Hope For The Warriors placard on my handbike and shouted in support. Many said things like, “Thank you for what you’re doing!” For my teammate and I, it is an honor to represent Hope For The Warriors and raise money for their great programs.

I’m handbiking 2008 miles in training, races, and fundraising events again this year. I plan to complete back-to-back marathons, the Marine Corps Marathon and the New York City Marathon this year. And I continue with my goal of raising $26.2 thousand for Hope For The Warriors.

So far, we have brought in $18,000. Grateful Americans across this great nation have been overwhelmingly generous and supportive of our cause. Your support is needed, too. Please visit our secure donation site and make an online donation.

2008 Miles of Hope

Or download our donation form and send it with a check to the address on the form.

Donation form.pdf

Please show your gratitude for the service and the sacrifice of our wounded warriors. Read about the programs offered by Hope For The Warriors. Make a donation.

They sacrificed selflessly for your freedom.

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!

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!