Marathon Monday

   As I sit here on Patriots Day I am flooded with varied emotions. I've always been the kind of person who's had the ability to hide my feelings well. That particular skill has served me well throughout my career in law enforcement. I've always prided myself on my calm professionalism, my ability to show control when it's needed and being able to detach from the terrible things that mankind can do to one another. Maybe that's why I love distance running so much. I seem to have a knack ignoring the discomfort of the long miles. Maybe even take some solace in the pain that they give. Even if I'm smiling the whole time. 

   But, like I said today was a day of emotion that, even with my poker face, I couldn't help but show on my face. I think that as runners we're much more in touch with who we are than regular people. We are able to go to places within ourselves that nobody understands but other runners. Sometimes those places are wonderful. Sometimes those places are downright frightening. Places where you find out what you're truly made of deep down inside.

   Last year I worked the day of the race. Sometimes in my line of work you can get cut off from the outside world. I didn't find out about the bombing until I was driving home well after 3 PM. My thoughts ranged from anger to sadness. It was even worse after I got home. All that I could do was watch the horrific images coming out of Boston on my TV. So terrible, so sad, so tragic. Terrorists had turned the most sacred of races into something horrible. I checked to make sure that all of my friends who were there running that day were OK. I assured everyone who contacted me that I wasn't there and was safe.

   I couldn't take the haplessness anymore and didn't know what else to do. So, I went to my local gym for a run. I couldn't stand anymore of the non-stop TV coverage. So, I decided to run outside. I ran 6 miles in 50:07. Looking back I remember a gray, overcast sky, lots of yelling at nobody in particular, swearing and maybe a tear or two. I'm a runner, I'm a patriotic American, I love Boston and I hate scumbags who do shit like this. So cowardly.

   Over the following week I honored those who lost their lives, prayed for those who were injured and eagerly watched the news coverage of the manhunt. I ran my own tribute runs. Blogged about Boston in my running blog. I cheered with joy when Boston PD got their man. I even traveled to Boston, met with fellow runners and visited the finish line.

   A year later I still have a lot of strong feeling about this day. What it means. I've met many different people over my lifetime. But, distance runners are some of the best. Talk about the wrong group of people to piss off. We don't back down. We don't cower. We are the ones who pay money to run 26.2 miles for fun. You can't even begin to fuck with us. We are what defines "hardcore".

   I salute all of those today who ran Boston for the first time, those of you who ran to finish a marathon that was brutally cut short last year and those of you who ran because you needed to. I wish I could've been with you. Mark my words, I will be someday. You showed that we re not afraid as a group, as a country, as individuals. 

   I may have not been able to run in Boston this year. But I did go for my own Boston run. It was much different than last year's. It was just a perfect day. The sun was shinning. The air was clear and light. Yes, the anger still remains. But, there's now an overwhelming sense of hope. The horrific events that occurred in Boston a year ago didn't weaken our sport, our community or our country. It shot what we do into the forefront and if anything, encouraged people to try on some running shoes and test their limits. That my friends, is an extremely powerful thing!

   Runners are the strongest people that I know. But, we bleed like everyone else. Even with the ability to run for 26 miles, we do have our limits. But, we as a community have come together and shown the world that we're not going to let fear overshadow what we love. Yes, there were some tears choked back today. My most favorite American distance runner, Meb has won the race. He's the first one to do so since 1983. You couldn't have picked a better person to win this race for us this year!

   It was a good day to be a runner! Ride that lightning and stay strong...

A Mile With My Son

   Being the person that I am, sometimes it's difficult to slow down to enjoy the good things that are in my life. It's been pointed out to me on several occasions. I try to stop it. But, my stupid mind always seems to be thinking one step ahead of where I am. Never  usually on the here and now.

   I haven't had the time to blog much lately due to spending extra time at work. Just not enough time in a day. Today was another long one. Signing up for overtime seemed like a great idea earlier in the week. But, as my alarm went off this morning I groaned. I'd made the mistake of staying up too darn late on what should've been my Friday night.

   Every time I passed a window at work all that I saw was brilliant sunshine. What a beautiful day. I managed to get out a little early and raced home to throw on my running shoes to get some miles in. There's been such little of this type of weather lately. I wanted to take full advantage of it. Before I left my son asked if he could go running with me. Inwardly I cringed. Running is one of the few things that I'm selfish with in my life. I like it alone. That way I don't have to slow down, speed up or talk to anybody. It's my time where I settle my mind, reflect on my life and find some of that precious inner peace that eludes me. We'd done some single mile runs together last summer. It was good running with him. But, he's only nine, slow, complains quite a bit and certainly can't go any further than a mile. Not quality training stuff. But, he's been cooped up all winter long. How could I say no? So, we made a plan that I'd run a short five miles and then swing back to pick him up for a mile run on the local trails near our home.  

   I was having a great run all by myself and wanted to continue listening to good music. No, I didn't want to swing back home to pick him up. I was already exhausted. The last thing that I wanted to do was stop. I didn't want to take the time. I was barely standing up after such a long day. But, I of course did.

   It started out like every one of our runs does. He leapt off like a jack rabbit. "Slow down and stay with me! Remember pacing!" I yell. It's about a quarter mile to the trail head from my home and the road doesn't have a shoulder. You even have to pass underneath an extremely narrow bridge that can barely fit two cars side by side. We've affectionately nick-named it the "death bridge". To make things worse, motorists seem to treat me as a moving target when I'm out there. All of these great things nervously rolling around in my mind as we raced to the trail head. I don't care if I got smushed. But, my son's another story.  

   Once we got on the trail we both felt safer. By this time he was panting heavily. His cheeks brightly flushed. Apparently playing video games all winter didn't do too much for his cardio system. The complaining starts like it always does. "Dad, I'm too hot!" We stop, the jacket comes off and I tie it around his waist. We push on for a bit. "Dad, I've gotta cramp!" We slow down to get it to settle down. "Ouch!" he yells as he stumbles through some pricker bush. "Keep your eyes open son." I chide. I try my old tactic of talking about our day to keep his mind off the discomfort. It works like magic and before you know it we're at the turn-around point. "Dad, I want to walk a little! I'm tired!" But, we need to get home to dinner. So, we only briefly stop for a selfie and then continue on.    

   He doesn't know it; but, I watch him as he runs. Where have the past nine years gone? My little boy has grown into himself. He's tall for his age and those long legs smoothly propel him forward on the trail. His brow is knitted. His face set in determination. Those arms pumping away for all they're worth. I look down at my Garmin watch; we're barely moving compared to my normal easy pace. But, I don't care. He's my son and he's nothing but magnificent. We run on in silence for a while.

   We make it off the trail and through the dangers of the open road. One more big hill before our street. He's barely able to stand now. "Dad, I can't do it!" he yells. "One step at a time son. Don't stop. Don't let this hill stop you. You can do this." I say. With gritted teeth we make it to the top and the mile mark beeps. We stop, smile and do our fist bump thing. "Good job son!" I say. He grins and takes off sprinting to our door like he always does. Someone was sandbagging their old man. Apparently someone still had gas in the tank. I race to catch up and we spill laughing through the front door.

   Yes, running can be a selfish thing. Yes, it helps me reflect, settle and find peace while I'm alone. I've gotten so much out of it through the years. I need it and welcome it when it comes. How could I not show him that gift. Yes, today's run with him was slow, full of complaints, cramps, pricker bushes and sweat. But, the whole time I wasn't thinking about the next thing that I had to do.

   I was thinking how wonderful it was to be a father, running with his son on a clear sunny day on a deserted trail. Someday, he won't want to run with me. Someday I'll be the one he has to slow down for. Someday I'll be the one complaining. Until then, I will relish many, many more slow miles.

   Ride that lightning my friends...  

Sun Protection

   Hello my fellow runners! It appears that Mother Nature has finally given Old Man Winter the big old boot! On March 30^th we had what will probably be our last huge snowstorm! When I went to bed the night before it didn’t look like it was snowing all that bad. The next morning though, I was amazed to find five fresh inches of some of the heaviest snow of the year covering everything. Thank God for my snow blower. Even this endurance athlete wasn’t going to try that stuff with a shovel.

   After that big storm everything started to warm up. It’s incredible how much just a little rise in temperature along with some sunshine can boost my spirits. It seems like I’m not the only one. Everything’s coming alive again!

   With the added sunshine on its way I started to poke around the house for something that I haven’t needed since last summer, sunscreen. About three years ago I had a severe allergic reaction when I switched to a different shampoo. It got so bad that I had to go see a dermatologist about it. I’d never been to one before. I thought he’d examine my head, prescribe some medication to make the insane itching go away and that would be the end of it. But, along with doing that he also examined the rest of my skin. He noticed an irregular shaped mole on my stomach and decided that it needed to be removed and tested for skin cancer. All I can say is ouch! The procedure absolutely sucked! But, I was assured that was the worst of it, that they’ll get the biopsy results in about a week and that there’s nothing to worry about. He told me that it’s most likely non-cancerous.

   Well, it wasn’t. Three days later I got a return call from his office They told me that I needed to come in as soon as possible. The entire mole needed to be removed. I made another appointment and was subjected to another painful procedure at my wound site. Double ouch!

   Runners, especially long-distance ones, face huge challenges with regards to keeping sun safe while were out there on the roads and trails. We’re out in the sun for hours at a time, we wear little clothing and sweat like crazy.

   What is skin cancer? Skin cancer is the direct result of a person’s exposure to the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. A person’s exposure to UV rays can increase their risk of developing the two most common forms of skin cancer, squamous and basal cell carcinoma. According to the American Skin Cancer Foundation, marathoners typically have more small moles and large atypical ones due to our prolonged exposure to the sun while training and racing. Both of these factors increase our risk of developing the deadliest form of skin cancer, melanoma. All of those training miles we log can also decrease our immune system and make us more susceptible to skin cancer. 

  

   Even with those challenges, there’re some simple things that we can do to protect ourselves. Hit the trails! Instead of running on the open road, try the trails. When running on a trail you’ll find much more tree cover which can help block the sun’s rays. As an added bonus, that extra tree cover may slightly reduce the temperature and make training more comfortable.

   Throw on a hat and sunglasses! Most running hats are now typically made with material that wicks sweat. They’re quite comfortable, will help block the sun from your eyes and absorb some of your sweat. Running sunglasses will protect your eyes from UV rays, give you increased vision and most typically have venting slits to prevent fogging.

   Wear clothing! Even though it’s blazing hot outside this is a must. Wearing clothing is the most effective form of sun protection. There are numerous different clothing options to choose from. Some running clothing now even has sun protection woven into the fabric. Clothing will help to absorb your sweat and keep you cooler.

   Wear sunscreen! Sunscreen is obviously a must. But, it can be a tricky thing to use when running. Keep in mind that the recommended lifespan of whatever sunscreen that you use decreases when you start sweating. So, if you’re going for a long run that day you may want to pack a bottle so that you can reapply. Shoot for a sunscreen with a SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of 30 or higher. I’ve found that sport spray on sunscreen is lighter than creams, easy to apply and easier to pack. The only drawback is that it’ll run into your eyes when you begin to sweat. I To solve this I use a cream on my face. Don’t forget to use chapstick with UV protection too.

   Run during non-peak sun hours! The sun is at its peak from 11 AM to 3 PM. So, avoid that time frame. That way you’ll avoid the highest exposure and temperature times. Also, pay close attention to the UV index rating for that day. Most weathers apps and forecasters now include this number during the summertime. It’s scored one through ten. Ten is the highest exposure risk. Consider taking it inside that day to a treadmill.

   I learned not to play around with the sun. I’ve been lucky and haven’t had any other issues. I’m not going to stop running in the sunshine. It’s one of the best things that I love. But, I am going to protect myself. You should too.

   Ride that lightning my friends and buy some sunscreen…