Must have been the socks

I started the day out poorly.  Slept lousy at the hotel (which wasn’t the hotel’s fault…it was fabulous).  I woke up late.  I didn’t eat any real breakfast. Bummer.  My first race since I have started running, and I did everything wrong.  Of course, the deck was stacked against me in that we couldn’t leave Ann Arbor until 5:30 or so on Friday, rush to GR, get my packet and then eat late before checking into the hotel.  Not a restful pre-race day.  It must be said, though, that coffee, a quick power bar, and a banana can do wonders.  I was happy for the banana, I had to charm it out of a gracious race volunteer who was pretty serious about protecting her fruit until after the race. I guess she took pity on me since I looked lousy.

All of a sudden, though, I started to realize a few things that made me forget all of that. First, there were 6,000 runners and walkers there, all of which were decked out in various shades of pink or LiveStrong regalia.  Second, I was starting to feel much better, my feet felt great (thank you fancy socks), my knees were strong, and it was a crisp morning.  Third of all, I knew I only had to go all-out for 30 minutes or so (or hopefully less).  Most of all, though, Moira being there with me made me forget my little problems. Not to spoil it for you, but there were tears afterward.  Not so much for me running the race, but the vision of all these thousands of people running the race, and the hundreds of volunteers and survivors and businesses and everything represented there.  When you looked around and saw groups of folks all in matching t-shirts with a picture of a loved one, or a group of women with the special pink race numbers reserved for survivors, you couldn’t help but be moved.  Moira said to me that she could be one of those women next year, running and feeling good after having beaten cancer.  I know she can.

The race itself was a gun-to-mat race, meaning that all 6,000 of you start in a big mob and race to the mat at the end that registers you as you go by (you have a small chip attached to your shoe).  It may not be as precise as a mat-to-mat race (which registers you as you cross the start line and the finish line, giving you an exact time), and it also results in a sort of near-violent dash to get moving, but that is OK.  There were about 2,000 timed runners and 4,000 untimed runners and walkers, who started in the rear.

I felt great for the first 5 or 6 steps, then my nerves and empty stomach sort of crept up on me.  No matter, I said, I can do this!  And then the hill came.  Right out of the gate you turned left onto a hill. In fact the whole first mile of three was straight up a hill. Not a steep hill, but it may as well have been Everest base camp up there for someone like me.  I was clearly on the rivet and running pretty hard.  I didn’t start a timer or anything on my watch, so I had no idea what my first mile pace was like.  I just ran and tried to stay with this guy here or that guy there.  Soon enough we were passing a drink stand.  I pretty much got about three drops in my mouth, the rest on my neighbors, my shirt, etc.  I was on a mission and I wasn’t going to slow down to drink, so with my clodhopper bounce it pretty much went all over me.  No matter, I said, I am a badass road racer and I don’t care.

As you can imagine, the uphill turned downhill after a while and that jacked up the pace.  Folks were really jostling now and the finish line at the mall was in sight.  Sparing you all the details, there were a few folks here and there that definitely DID have breakfast, started out running way to fast, and were now enjoying their meal a second time in reverse.  Oops.  Maybe I did do this right.  After all, I was tired but I was still cruising and I had something left in the tank.  We rounded the last turn and made our way up the mall drive.  At the finish line, Moira was right there to greet me, which I was really happy and surprised by, after all…I figured a thousand runners had come before me, so wouldn’t she have been mobbed by other finishers and their families? 

Well, as it turns out, I ran a personal record and finished 319^th out of 1994 finishers.  I was 211^th among the guys.  I ran it in 25 minutes and 51 seconds.  Now, for perspective, the winner ran it in 15:58, but hey…I’ll take it.  After all, I couldn’t break 32 minutes just a matter of a couple of months ago.  The best thing that came out of it was that afterward I felt great, I felt like I could have run harder…I have 20-25 more pounds to lose in addition to the 25 I have lost so far…it was a hilly course…I actually felt like I could do better in the future and really exceed even my own expectations. 

No, 25:51 won’t get you on the front page of the paper or qualify you for the Olympics, but Moira sure was proud of me and I couldn’t ask for anything better than that.

Mall...running?

The moment of truth is almost here. Well, the first of many moments of truth.  Tomorrow Moira and I are going to Grand Rapids for the weekend for a brief getaway, and I am running in the Komen 5k Race for the Cure while I am there.  The race is held at the big mall in Grandville, Great Lakes Crossings (or something like that).  It heads up a big hill and into an adjoining neighborhood, circles the high school, and cruises back down into the mall parking lot.  Miami Beach it isn’t but you take what you can get when it is for a good cause.

I am looking forward to the race, though.  If I can keep it in the 28 minute range I’ll be pleased as all get out.  I even bought some new socks…some high tech Smartwool super socks that I am told will shave 5% off my personal best.  Maybe not, but it feels that way when you run a lot.  Good socks = happy feet.  The best part of all this is that the race is just about a mile from Moira’s family home, and I can use it as a base of operations, jog to the race for a proper warm up, and have a shower right afterward.

I am told there are about 6,000 runners registering this year for this particular event.  Along with the run at the Big House (in which I am running for the Wellness Community) it really is cool to do something fun for your health and raise money for a good cause at the same time.  I am always impressed by how amateur athletics and charity go hand in hand.  Is it because running is inspiring to those who don’t?  Is it because those of us who have done this kind of thing just get on people’s nerves?  I don’t know, but the runners in the Chicago Marathon this year are bringing over $12 million in charitable donations to the table alone.  And that is just one marathon.  I think people really are just good at heart, you know?

I raised a lot of cash in 2004 for the Lance Armstrong Foundation and rode about 1,000 miles over a summer on my road bike to “earn” it.  I will never forget the generosity everyone I know showed me when they supported that effort, and now I have an autographed plaque thing from the LAF to remind me of what all my friends and family did for me back then.

Those of you who knew me in 2004 might remember that I crashed wildly in Canada at about mile 967 and had a series of titanium pins put in my hand and wrist as a result.  Good times, but I like to think it was putting money in the cancer karma bank that we were able to cash in for Moira this year as she has faced cancer so bravely.

I don’t know why I gravitated towards the LAF and cancer survivorship before our family was really touched by it in this way, but I am glad I did.  Not only has Moira faced cancer this year, but my mom beat the hell out of breast cancer in late 2008, early 2009 as well.  We have all been wearing yellow bands around town ever since.  I’m proud of her (and my dad for supporting her so well) too.  After all, Leo needs a Grandma Branigan to grow up with just like I had, and it is the good work of foundations like the LAF, the Susan Komen Foundation, and organizations like the Wellness Community that keep hope alive for millions of people every year.  Please, support them in their efforts so families like ours can rely on their work!

www.thewellnesscommunity.org/semich/

www.laf.org

www.komen.org

If you are interested in supporting my fundraising personally, just shoot me an email.

Like a new pair of shoes...

Anyone who has started running regularly..whether they be fast like an antelope, or slow like...me...will talk to you about shoes for hours.  I think the stereotype about rich women and shoes was invented by some schmoe who didn't know a runner.  I'm building a collection of my own (and Moira is tolerating my constant prattling about pronation and arch support and plantar faciitis...but just barely).  Now, in order for me to blow any cash on a new pair of shoes when I have a pair that is still in good shape, I try and come up with three things:

1. Find a shoe that is recommended by an expert at Running Fit that will be better than what I have already.
2. Get them on sale.
3. Use some sort of creative financing to get them without dipping into the family general fund. (For the latest pair, it was a combination of a coupon for 10 bucks off and the cashing in of my change cup).

Moira is pretty understanding, but it must be said that any wife married to a gear head like me must be sick and tired of hearing their husband go on and on at 11 p.m. about the latest "must-buy" piece of equipment, and she is no different.  After nearly ten years, I'm not entirely sure where that line is, and I think it moves from day-to-day, but I try my best not to cross it.

Now, all that said, shoes are not as expensive as some things, and they are really the only piece of gear for a runner.  There is no $2,000 carbon fiber bicycle or expensive fly rod or anything like that.  Just shoes.  Also, while a lousy bike may detract from the cycling experience, it won't result in injury when you ride it.  Running in the wrong shoes can actually hurt you.

The last thing I need is to get injured right now.

Moira came through her final chemo day with flying colors.  In fact, the staff at the UM infusion center gave her a little laminated certificate that each nurse signed.  It was a neat way to finish there.  After that, we met the Lopatins and ate a Pizza House pizza...southwest barbecue or something.  It was fantastic.

Scary stuff ahead, though.  Pins and needles around the house while we wait for some new test results and a final prognosis for surgery.  It's hard to stay at ease about a scary thing like this without information, so Monday afternoon (when we visit with Dr. Breslin) we will at least have a known quantity before us. In the meantime, I couldn't prouder of how Moira is handling everything.

As for me, I keep trying to burn off any tension with running.  So I guess the new shoes are helping me keep my body and my mind in check.  Nothing beats a new pair of shoes.

216 lbs., lots of tennis and running

Well, I'll take it...216 this morning, an overall improvement of about 19.5 pounds so far. I haven't had the time to make it to the Y for formal workouts the last two weeks or so, but I have fit in some running and tennis at least two spots a week. Just two weeks until my first organized 5k this fall, the Komen Race for the Cure in Grandville (for breast cancer support). A week later is the Big House Big Heart 5k here in Ann Arbor (raising funds for the Wellness Community), which should be fun (you finish the run by triumphantly surging out onto the field at Michigan Stadium with 10,000 other runners). I am finishing off my fall campaign with a 10k in Belding, Michigan, about 30 miles out of Grand Rapids. No fundraising for that one, just a good time and a challenge. That race is part of the Nike "Human Race" series and features a little extra fun.

I set a goal of running about 40 miles this month and I think I'll hit it no problem. It may not seem like much for the "real" runners out there, but for a part-timer and beginner who uses most of his exercise time chasing tennis balls and lifting weights, I'll be happy to take the 40 miles.

Big week ahead, with a low-key weekend to follow. Moira has her final chemo day tomorrow. I can't believe 16 weeks have flown by so quickly. Of course, from Moira's perspective it may not seem so fast, but for me this summer went like gangbusters. Hopefully we'll be in our cozy spot at the MedInn infusion station at UM this week. Last time we were moved to the main infusion center, which is kind of like an airport terminal and most of the patients are elderly and in far worse shape than most...it's hard to stay optimistic in that company, it must be said.

At any rate, I think there needs to be some sort of celebration tomorrow night, what an achievement for Moira to have gotten through chemo so strong. Just another step in the journey...with a few biggies left before we are out of the woods. Our friends are fantastic, and they want to stage some sort of party for getting through all of this..thanks to Barb who is leading the charge.

Moira's first week at her new job went well, and she topped it off by heading to Chicago on Megabus and taking in the U2 concert at Soldier Field with her brothers and our sister-in-law while I stayed back in Ann Arbor with the little guy and my folks. I think the trip was tiring for her, but a pack a wild dogs wouldn't have kept her from seeing her favorite band. Of course, after meeting Bono face-to-face (seriously, we did), she mentioned that seeing them live isn't as pressing anymore...just a great time and a great reward for a summer hard-fought.

My favorite thing about her trip to the concert? She bought a mug. It is a nice mug...a U2 360 Tour mug...but a mug??? I mean, really, could you buy a mug at a Mettallica concert? I think not. Poor U2...greatest show on earth, but they have to cater to their aging fan base, I guess. A mug... :) Is bottled prune juice far behind? I better stop now before Moira throws said mug at me!

218 lbs, 28min 16sec 5k run

Considering that two months ago I wasn't able to break 32 minutes for a 5k run and was sitting at 235 pounds on the scale, I guess I'll take my latest statistics with a guarded optimism. That said, watching someone run by with a finishing time of 28 minutes for a 5k is a lot like watching molasses settle in a mason jar. The good news is that all my clothes fit me for a change, and just about everything is running big. Losing almost 20 pounds will do that, I guess.

Anyway, getting fitter is just my way of channeling some extra energy into something positive. It has been a roller coaster year and as good a time as any to take stock of things. Moira, my wife of six years, is working on a number of huge challenges. First, she lost her job a week or so before we had our son, Leo. Then a few weeks after he was born, we found out she has breast cancer, which she is beating comprehensively. All of this and we had Leo to take care of as first time parents. It has been a YEAR for her, and by default, for me as well. My job is stressful at the best of times and Michigan's economy dictates that it's actually the worst of times these days.

That said, things are looking up. Moira set out to get a new job that was more socially rewarding and relevant, and had her sights in a non-profit or issue-oriented position...and even with 15% unemployment wouldn't you know she did it? She started with the getDowntown Program in Ann Arbor today. They advocate for public and non-motorized transportation options in our area. It's a great gig with a visible and important organization, and I couldn't be more proud.

On top of that we are beating Moira's breast cancer. In fact, she only has one more chemotherapy treatment to go, but to meet her now you wouldn't even know she's being treated. A few more tough steps ahead, but the UM docs assure us that everything is going our way. I swear, being a new mom is tough...losing your job is tough...enduring cancer is really tough...and Moira did it all this year. I'm blown away.

For my part, I have stayed the course over some rough months by trying to innovate with some new things at work and make sure I am as dedicated to my job as I was 8 years ago after I finished grad school. Urban planning is a changing field at the moment. Energy has come to the forefront as a primary issue, even though it should have been all along. That said, we spend less and less time battling developers and more and more time looking forward to the responsibilities and roles of local government with regard to quality of life. In other words, the profession has gone from (in my opinion) a reactionary role to a proactive one. I think urban planners have a responsibility, with our very unusual skill set and training, to arrange, organize, and make sense of the myriad movements and initiatives out there for cultural enhancement, environmental protection, and economic development.

Lucky for me I have an employer that is willing to stick his neck out in lean times and let me tinker with some new ideas. On top of that, time off and my schedule have been a non issue when it comes to Moira and the cancer treatments. I was definitely in the right company at the right time to be her primary supporter.

So it is with all of this in mind that I decided to get running, swimming, biking, hiking, walking, and training. As embarrassing or as personal as it may seem to put it out here for anyone to read I want to add some accountability to my regimen, so I started off with some stats. My main goals are to do the Dexter-Ann Arbor Half Marathon next year, and then the Chicago Marathon in October 2010. That is along way off, but maybe you've read all of this and you've taken an interest in my journey. I hope I can do it. I want to inspire Moira and my little boy the way that Moira has inspired me this year.