The 20 Mile Lesson

I ran 20 miles today. I've run 20 miles before and today's was just as challenging as all the others. People ask me what I think about when I'm running 3 - 4 hours continuously. The answer is a lot of different things but the one consistent thought is how I can apply the lessons of running to my own mental and spiritual growth and the growth and development of others. So here's what I learned (again) today:

• My mind will always quit before my body
• I am exactly where my feet are and no where else
• My mind will always quit before my body (worth repeating)
• Planning is important, implementing those plans is more important
• It usually hurts somewhere in my body when I push myself to become stronger
  
• Improvement comes slowly and gradually
• I need to treat myself as my own best customer
• Contentment is in the small details
• My body can get my mind (ego) up that steep hill
• I can't finish unless I start
• When I move a muscle, I change a thought
  
• I'm very blessed to be able to run and see where I'm running
• I love running up hills more than running down hills
• I can eat whatever I want when I run 70 miles per week
• Keep saying, "I know I can, I know I can
  
• Running is applicable to mental work (writing, work projects, data entry, finances) not just physical exercise
• I have nothing to complain about when I think of the miles Tim Borland has run: 63 marathons in 63 consecutive days
  

There you have it. I'm sure there are a lot more lessons to learn and when I learn them I'll let you know. Until then, I'll keep running until the January 11th Disney Marathon in Orlando, Florida where myself and others are running to raise awareness and funds for the A-T Children's Foundation. I bet if I asked these kids who are afflicted with this killer disease, if they would trade their A-T bodies with the pain inflicted by running a marathon they would gladly make the exchange in a heart beat.

Pain and Perseverance

Date: 10 February 2008
Event: NYRR Bronx Half-Marathon, 13.1 miles/21.08 kilometers
Weather: 18F/-7.8C; Winds: 25-28mph; Skies: Overcast

By far this was the smartest race I have run to date. Just two weeks prior I ran the NYRR Manhattan Half-Marathon with the goal being a two hour or less finish time. I was warned that this was a lofty goal as my previous half marathon time was 2:29:49. I was determined and trained hard. I started out too fast - I always do. There were a lot of runners that day and Central Parks' roads were halved to accommodate runners, cyclists and walkers. I hate being crowded when I run especially by some big oaf who thinks he's an elite athlete. Every time an over competitive runner got too close I would sprint ahead depleting necessary energy that would be needed around miles eight or nine.

At mile nine the lactic acid started shooting pain in my thighs. I was still on schedule to reach my two hour goal but there was a major hill coming up at mile eleven. By mile ten my quads were killing me. Because it was very cold and wet I didn't hydrate or eat enough. Another painful lesson: eat and drink on a schedule.

At the base of the hill I told myself that it was now or never and to,"attack this hill." I always like to find one runner who runs slightly faster than myself and use him or her as my pacer for the last couple of miles. My intention is to overtake the 'pacer' right at the finish line. By the time I crested the hill I thought that my lungs were going to pop out of my chest, as I was pushing my maximum heart rate at 180 beats per minute.

I know that my mind will always give up long before my body and I did a lot of praying to Hermes, "Please give me strength!" When the twelve mile marker came into view, the thought of running on legs of lead for another 1.1 miles seemed impossible but I wanted to reach that goal. I knew that I would pay for running this fast, (8:52 pace per mile is fast for me) at the end of the race especially, with another half-marathon coming up in two weeks.

Turning the corner towards the finish line I felt like I was going to collapse until I saw my wife cheering me on. I crossed the finish line in 1:56:22. Wow! That's 33 minutes faster than my last Half. In the sport of running, an improvement of a few seconds is fantastic so, I was really impressed with the ability that the human body can get stronger and faster in a short period of time.

I did beat my 'pace' runner and was very happy with the results of all my hard work and training. Yes, I paid for not pacing myself from the start. I could hardly walk down stairs for two days after the race. I vowed to use the Bronx race as a training run, pace myself from the start and use a schedule for hydrating and eating. It worked. I experienced no leg pain and only a slight amount of stomach discomfort. Four miles into the race I became competitive with myself and turned up the speed. I finished in 2:03:22. Not bad given that the head winds were so strong on the hilliest part of the course hampering everyone's finishing times.

There are five NYRR Half-Marathons that take place in each New York City Borough over the course of 2008. I plan on running all five just for the experience. Besides, they give away great shirts. The NYC Half-Marathon is 27 July and I'll let you know what my new goal will be after I do some more training.

Lessons learned: Set the goal, train hard, don't listen to negative thoughts, ask for help, and most importantly, increase and improve in small increments.

Pains in the Back

I had back pain and leg pain that had left me flat on my back for three weeks straight. I suffered for many years off and on with this debilitating pain and went to doctors, chiropractors, and natural healers all to no avail. Like many others, I too have the x-rays that show a slipped disc however, I later learned that wasn't what was causing the pain.

A friend had begged me for years to read Dr. John Sarno's, (Professor of Clinical Rehab Medicine at the NYU School of Medicine, and an attending physician at the Rusk Institute of Rehab Medicine, NYU Medical Center.) books, Healing Back Pain and The Mind-Body Prescription claiming that just reading the books 'cured' his back pain as well as his asthma. I was very skeptical, as it sounded like a bunch of hokum to me. But I was in so much pain along with the depression associated with the pain that I asked my wife to pick me of a copy of both books. I was fascinated with what I read and saw myself in every page! Within a couple of days the pain started to subside. I learned that this wasn't a placebo as placebos only work once not over the long term. What I had was Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS) which, in short is mild oxygen deprivation to the nerves and tissues - one must read the book.

Within two weeks I was pain free and it has never returned. Oh sure, "it" tries, but I now know what to do to rid myself of it instantly - all through a program of education, not physical rehabilitation. Now, sometimes when I run the "pain" tries to enter my knees front and back and when I won't let it reside there it turns to my calves. The brain is very cunning and powerful but I have all the proof I need that there is nothing physically wrong with me. Yes, the pain is real but where it was coming from was not generated by a physical situation such as running or picking up a heavy object.

I went to one of Dr. Sarno's panel discussion that he holds at the Rusk Institute in NYC where he practices and teaches. On the panel were four former patients of his. One had 24 back operations and a piece of his coxis removed all to rid him of his terrible back pain. The operations did nothing for him - all he did was read Dr. Sarno's book had his pain went away never to return.

Since I read Dr. Sarno's books three years ago I have spoke with many people, friends and clients alike who suffer from neck, back, shoulder, buttocks, leg and foot pain. The ones who have read the books and have applied the theory no longer suffer pain. The pain I'm talking about here is not normal pain and discomfort that one experiences after a long run or helping a friend to move into a new apartment. This is chronic pain and if you have ever suffered the intensity that I have, you would do anything to relieve it. That being said, I would never go to a chiropractor or acupuncturist again seeking back pain relief. The more I focused on the physical the longer the pain stayed with me. Once I started to think about the psychological, I was on my way to a pain free life.

Here's something interesting for you female runners: my wife who was diagnosed with severe IT Band problem, (more women than men are diagnosed with this problem due to their anatomy) was prescribed with an intense physical rehabilitation program for 16 weeks. They massaged, kneaded, iced and exercised the poor woman to tears. At the end of her rehab they fit her for orthopedic insoles which she was to wear everyday until she felt comfortable. The insoles were suppose to help put her knee in its proper place which, was out of alignment due to the nasty IT Band. She followed the doctor's orders to the letter, never missing an appointment, always completing her exercises at home. She wore the insoles as instructed and finally one day many months after she started her rehab program she went running. Within a half-mile the pain was so bad she came limping home. She was dejected but vowed to keep up the exercise program as prescribed. She was told that it could be a long road back to running longer distances. Well, the pain never got any better and she quit running altogether. When I asked her one day if the pain could be TMS related she said that she never thought about it. I suggested she read the Mind-Body Prescription and today she ran 3 miles pain free! Wow!

I am not a doctor so, I am not prescribing that you not seek medical treatment. My experience as shown me that most of my pain no matter where in the body it takes place was just mild oxygen deprivation.

Should anyone like to discuss my experiences or need further references please, contact me.