"Awards become corroded, friends gather no dust."

The title of this posting is a quote I found that defined my time spent with Stephanie (my best friend) yesterday.  You see, as you already know, I run.  I like to run.  I am not fast, but I prefer running over walking any day.  In addition, I have been chasing my PR (personal record) for a year now and still have not busted it.  I had my chance yesterday being this is a flat fast course. However, I decided time with my very best friend during her first half marathon was far more important to me than some dumb number....  A number nobody cares about (well, except for me).

So let me explain my relationship with Steph...  She is a "sister from another mister" really.  About 7 or so years ago we met and became friends.  We hung a little here and there... but we were not very close.  In 2005 we started to hang out little bit more. Then in March of 2005 my mom passed away and Steph has never left my side since.  We are two peas in a pod.  Very similar in personality which most people would think would not work in a friendship like ours, but then again that is exactly why it works.  We know each other.  In 2009 Steph got married and I was the Maid of Honor in the wedding.  I was never so proud to be by her side.  And her family... WOW... They are just absolutely incredible.  Everyone was so welcoming and really made me feel like a part of the tribe.  (No voting me off of this Tribe!)

A few months ago, Steph's Uncle Jim was diagnosed with cancer.  He is doing great and will beat this, we already know that.  However, when I had decided to use Uncle Jim as my inspiration to get me through yet another run, Steph finally gave in to the 'marathon monster' and her "I want to do one with you one day" comment turned into, "I am officially registered".  So with that, she was in for the 2011 Fort Lauderdale A1A Half Marathon.  I certainly was not about to let her do it alone.  

On Sunday, February 20th, at 430am, Steph and I hit the streets of Downtown Ft Lauderdale like never before.  Oh sure, we had been there many of times... even at that time of day/night/morning (whatever)....  But rarely were we sober... and we certainly were not running (unless it was from the po-po... jk).

Steph was nervous.  Like a kid about to go to the dentist or something.  I remember those feelings from my first half.  But, like a champ, she rocked it.  It was great to feel like I was doing something bigger than just running another half marathon.  For this one, I was pacing a friend to finish with a walking pace that would get her to the end in under 3 hours.  

By mile 3 she was already looking for the finish line.  The only races she has ever entered have been 5ks.  So I get that feeling of wanting the finish like at mile 3.  But this was an endurance event... I told her to pace it out and keep her energy.  Slow and steady wins the race.  For those out there like us, a FINISH is a WIN!!!

CHEERS to Uncle Jim!!!!

She did great!  I know at times she wanted to slow down, but she kept pushing.  At the exit of Birch Park water stop, we kidded the cups they gave us were filled with Patron for me and Jager for her...  Then we cheered Uncle Jim!!!  Then off to mile 7-8-9....  by 9 miles Steph was back to WTF did I get my self into...  Ya, we have all been there.    I just kept her focused on the turn around.  After the turn there was just under 4 miles to go.  I think that was when she wanted to hit me.

We made the turn around and I think I got a little more out of her when I showed her how many people still had not even made the turn.  And even when we were at mile 11 we were still seeing people who had not made it to the turn.  I just kept talking to her about why we were there. I kept encouraging her to stick with it.  In her head she kept playing Chariots of Fire... While I was singing (or nah nah nahing) the theme to ROCKY.  And just like that we were under a mile from the finish.  The focus on her face, the determination to not give up... to finish what she set out to do...  What an amazing person she is...

In the last three or so miles we were trading places with a 20-something kid who kept sprinting then walking, sprinting then walking... his walks were slower and slower...  I explained that she kept a steady pace that was much better for her than this kid who although finished only steps in front of us, probably started the race sprinting thinking he could keep up a short distance pace in a long distance run.... This is why they call these things ENDURANCE events.  

We passed the Marathoners 26 mile marker... we were .2 miles from the finish.  She was making me laugh as she was kidding the finish line was so far away.  I told her it was 13 miles closer than it was when we started. I told her if she wanted to run to let me know. With that, no indication she was going to run, Steph started to sprint.  And she pumped out a great finish to her first half marathon just shy of our goal: official time 3:07 (a 14 min pace walk on average!!!). I was and AM very very proud of her!  What a rock star.  I give so much credit to those who walk these marathon events.  I want nothing to do with it ever again.  I told her, this was it.  She is no longer a newbie and therefore she is on her own for the next one!!

And for a fitting end to a great day with Stephanie, she received her very first finisher's medal shaped like a turtle!!!  Like I told her when we started...

Slow & Steady 

Wins the Race!!!

Sun Sentinel Article about Our Team

Here is the article about our TAHOE team.  More from me later, but I hope you enjoy this article...

Training Day #1 with the TEAM

Although yesterday was actually training day 2 for most of our team, it was my first day with them.  Last week I was off in Miami (but we wont talk about that experience).  It was great to meet everyone I had not had a previous opportunity to meet.  I must say, we have a pretty ROCKIN' team heading to Tahoe.

So for the first few sessions, Coach Brian (nicknamed BIG MAC - will explain later) takes us through drills to help us feel more comfortable on our bikes, and to instill basic techniques to helps us improve.  Here is how the day went...

We arrived at the meeting place at 6:45ish AM.  We were supposed to be wheels down at 7; however, we did not quite make that time. No worries.  As a group we head out to the training grounds.  A nice 5 mile warm up at about 17-19 mph.  Easy ride, easy warm up.

The ride out to the training grounds is pretty nice... great views.  We have been meeting out in Wellington in Polo Country.  Horses everywhere, nice houses, big fields, a light fog settled down... would have made for some incredible photography.  Anyhow, back to training...

So we arrive at the training grounds... basically about 5-6 miles of open roads with almost no traffic to worry about.  This gives us the ability to focus on riding and not on the cars around us.  So we immediately start off with a drill:  Big Mac tells us to peddle with 1 foot out and switch on the way back.  So clipped in with one foot (my uncomfortable left foot) I begin to peddle out.  I quickly learn my peddle rotations are not smooth: click click click is all I hear.  Big Mac tells me to try to find the optimal gear and full rotation to eliminate the gaps.  Much easier said than done. At the end (about 1/4 mile), we turn around and switch feet.  Clipped in with my right foot this time, much better results, but still click click click... So I have some work to do.  (I must say, in addition to the idea of smooth peddle strokes, this exercise will be building my muscles in my hips and upper legs... I felt that immediately...)

Now for the buddy drill.  Ride along side someone at the same pace and with one arm at a time, reach out and hold their shoulder.  One arm riding is one thing... one arm riding when keeping pace and within arms distance of someone else was challenging.  I quickly found out that one side was better then the other... Oddly though, it was when I was only steering with my left (my right arm stretched out holding on to Leanne) that I was most comfortable and my bike stayed straight.  This drill was much harder with my left arm out and my right arm steering.  Weird since I am right handed.

After the buddy drill we did some short distance sprints with quick stops unclipping from the "uncomfortable" foot.  First to explain clipping-in if I have not already...  Like most distance or competitive riders (and even trail/mountain bikers) I wear special shoes that clip or lock on to the special peddles on my bike.  In essence my feet are locked into my peddles.  Why would I do this??  Lots of reasons: speed, endurance, functionality mostly.  For some people, and even for me a year ago, this was a scary thought, being locked into my peddles, what if I have to stop really quickly??  Hence the reason for this drill.  I always clip out with my right foot when stopping.  What if that is not possible?  I should be able to clip out from either foot and stop without falling.  So back to the drill...  From hydrant to hydrant (about 100 feet or so) we would sprint on the bikes, then stop clipping out with (in my case) the left foot.  Although weird at first, I got the hang of it really quickly, and no falls.  Not falling when first trying this is key.  You see, your body is comfortable clipping out one way and automatically will lean that way.  You have to conscientiously tell your body to lean the other way. Thinking and biking is like chewing gum and walking... ok, not really!!

Next drill was Jumps... LOVE but at the same time HATE these....  Jumps are short sprints from a dead stop  in the highest gear (toughest gear) out of the saddle (seat) using the knees and not feet to pump.  This is a very quick way to get your heart rate up.  When we started I was OK: I was able to pump out an 18-19 mpg sprint, stop short, and start again.  From short distance to longer distance, back to short distance, then the longest distance.  Fun, but hard on my lungs.  Half way through the first set I had to stop for the inhaler.  But once my breathing settled, I was much better.  The second set was much better.

This pretty much wrapped up our training for the day.  We headed back the five miles to our meeting spot where we parked our vehicles.  All in all we knocked out about 20 miles... 5 out to the training grounds, about ten miles of drills, and then 5 miles back.  Great training day!!

Today, we went back out to the training grounds for another round of training drills.  Actually we started our day off with a photo shoot and interview for next weekend's edition of the Sun Sentinel Community Section for Palm Beach.  This was fun.  We got about 5 miles in just zipping up and down Lake Worth Road out west while we were photographed as a team for the article. (Make sure you check it out!!!)

Since we had a little bit of time, we headed back out to the training grounds for some more drills.  This time, we worked on a few different things.  Although we did some jumps, we also worked on cornering.  I have this fear of scraping my peddle on the ground as I turn so I have a tendency to stop peddling when I hit a turn.  So with this work out, I started at turns at 15 mph and by the last one I was at 20+mph...  Yes, you can say it... I ROCK!!!  (ha ha ha)

After a short day of drills we headed back to our cars.  Everything was going great.  We were holding a line at about 19-20 mph when POP Psssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss.... Yes..... FLAT!  On MY bike.  JOY!!!  Rear tire at that!  So, what do we do when we flat on a ride, we CALL A COACH...  Coach BIG MAC to the rescue!!  ha ha!  I was more than willing to do this on my own, but also very willing to allow Big Mac to change the tire too!  So a quick tire changing clinic and off we go back to our 19-20 mph ride back. 

Oh so I almost forgot to explain the nickname....  After training yesterday we had a fund raising clinic for the team.  This is where we help team members write letters, organize events, brainstorm ideas....  we did get a ton accomplished.  At the LLS Office, Nicole (our Fun-Sized Campaign Coordinator for Tahoe) told us this story about our fearless coach.  At Tour de Tuscon Team in Training had several slow riders.  As a coach, you are on the hook to stay out with the riders until they ALL cross the finish line.  Well, this group was maybe around 11-12 mph so Coach Brian stopped for a few cheeseburgers.  (Hey, he needed the fuel to finish the race.)  At the next stop, Nicole was there and Brian asked if she was hungry.  Of course she was, she had been out there for 7 hours.  So he pulled a cheeseburger out of the back pocket of his Team Jersey and handed it to her.  So now and forever more, Coach Brian will be known as Coach Big Mac!  Let's hope there are no McDonald's stops in Tahoe!!!