I've done a mini sprint Tri almost two years ago and a sprint 3 year ago. That's it in my tri life. I am a runner. I've done several races, including 2 50k's, at Delaware State Park alone. Countless miles in general there actually.
This has been overall one of my worst training cycles.
From new home owner and trying to keep up with all it entails;
Parenting a now almost two year old whom loves the outdoors;
Working the erratic hours of a union Ironworker 5-7 days a week;
Classes two nights a week;
Trying to wake up at 4a to train and if I get off work on time training before kid pick up or class;
I've taken my fair share of excuses to catch up some needed and wanted sleep.
I've taken my fair share of time to still try and be a family man.
But then on Father's Day, I put piece of shale stone through the bottom of my foot and took me out of training for 10 days. And walking for 5.
The final weekend of July, I made joke after joke about getting E. coli, and appear to be the only one who actually contracted it. Another 5 days lost.
So here I am 4th consecutive weekend of overtime awaits me, the last weekend that may be of any use towards training. After work, I'll on the bike hoping for any bit useful time I can get.
I feel bad for my friend Kate who started training for this with me, in hopes there would be a way she could get in, buy a bib, etc. Rare opportunity to do an Ironman event in her back yard, starting at our favorite local park to run.
Obviously, no such luck.
But she still trains with me.
I watch complaint and fear on post after post.
Look, a lot of you have done this before, a lot of you haven't, and some of us haven't done the distance.
When you signed up, did you not know what this event entailed?
When you signed up, did you not know where this event was?
When you signed up, did you not know when this event was?
At this point, if you didn't, you should know by now.
Swimming in a man made lake where the alligators of Ohio (geese) like to poop, so there's a chance of E. coli. Probably a good one. Take it from me, YOU WILL BE FINE! I'm living proof. I got E. coli, didn't die and didn't miss work.
Biking in rural Ohio. Roads can suck. Be smart. If you're not riding to win something or beat a previous time, then you're riding to finish it.
Running in rural Ohio mid August. Prepare to sweat like you didn't know you could. The humidity will be your reaper.
Long story short, we're past attention seeking time. Put up or shut up. People really want to be in your position of just participating in this event but can't, and you're thinking about a DNS because you may have to poop for a week? Go without a wetsuit? Have a bumpy ride for a stretch? Sweat running the only hill on the course once?
I'm not pointing any fingers, but if you feel that way, you have something to reconcile with yourself.
But first, press play! I mentioned in a post in the Ironman group a little over a two weeks ago about how I was miserably undertrained and miserably underprepared for this race, but I'd be damned if I didn't toe the line, because I know many people who wished to be in my shoes to participate in the event, and I owed it to them to at least try. (See that post here; http://fromtheashesarose.blogspot.com/2016/08/it-busting-chops-day.html)
So Tri I will.
At Selby in the morning, I made the first of many new friendships running into Ken.
Ken, Josh and I chatted about the plans and hopes for the day. We selfied,
took pictures of others,
selfied with their phone,
it was going to be an awesome day!
On the bus, I asked Josh if we were ever gonna be able to just run again. It was a resounding no. The high from this is just too much.
We get to the park, and the faces and hugs start rolling in. Christine, Jen, Mike, Corie, Tam, Margie, Ted, Barb, Trishelle, Holly, Laurie, Thomas, Meghan, Chris, and so many many more. It was a great morning. In another race tradition, Possums have at Delaware State Park, I lead participating Possums and a few others in the Special Olympics Oath, as we do for every race at DSP.
I was still looking for one more person, named Justin, but it was so close to go time, I declared to Ken that he was a unicorn. I'm told he exists, but I'd never seen him. Then I met him not two minutes later in the corral. Other friends, Ken and his wife Brandi, who is also participating, show up and greet me, Tory, Rowan and my parents show up.
Everything is set. It is time...
Early in the swim, my anxiety was raging and I spent a majority of the first 500 meter in backstroke and stopping at 4 kayaks trying to calm myself to get breathing while in freestyle, to no avail though. Another wave of swimmers had passed me before I made the third buoy.
What happened in next the100 was my turning point. I went to a kayak, in breaststroke, and caught a drop of water as I came up and started coughing. The volunteer was worried about me and threw up her flag and blew the whistle to have medical check me out, but that's not how medical rolls.
The medic had both hands on my arm "Are you ready to come out?" "WHAT? No! Fuck no!!!" "She raised that flag, that means you're coming out". She chimes in "Oh, no. No, that's not what I wanted. I thought you guys would just check him out, I didn't want him pulled, that's my fault, I misunderstood what I was supposed to wave the flag for" "Are you ok to go?" "As soon as you let me go" "Good luck, then" and he let me go. I hit one more kayak on this 800 stretch, actually halfway through the swim, at which point I realized that of my allowed 1h10m, I've got exactly half the time left to finish. I got myself collected and found my groove. I didn't swim straight, and I battled for my place close to the buoys, but my head was down, my breathing was there and before I knew it, I was closer to the opposite shoreline than I thought I was going to be.
I made the second turn. 600m till I know this race is mine, but I'm now in a race against time. I swam pretty far off inside the buoys, scrambled back and grabbed one last kayak for my final approach. Roll, short strokes, head down, breath, sight. About 200m out, as I breath, I hear they're calling wave 19. I'm wave 3, 16 waves have gone, 16•4 is 1h4m. I have 6 min now and I'm 100m out, under the water, a burst of relief escapes me that I conquered this beast. This race will be mine!
This race may not be mine. Mile 3 on the bike, my right quad starts locking up. Around mile 20 my right hamstring joins the party. Somewhere in the next ten miles, my whole right leg, all the way to the bottom of my foot seizes up. I coast for a couple hundred yards as I am unable pedal. I manage my foot out of the cage, pedal with the other leg while trying to work this out. Eventually I win out, but in a war, is was a small battle. My friend Melanie passes me around 35, and I ask her assistance to my growing problem.She delivers help that works for a few miles, but into the 40's, my left quad starts to go. Shortly after my hamstring too. I'm drinking water, Gatorade, taking gummies, but I haven't intelligently used my available space and I'm playing the conservation game with my water. The last aid station comes along, I finally utilize my available space to make sure I'm hydrated through the rest of this tragedy in the making. The hill coming at mile 50 is my next big challenge, I've got to test the water to see what I can still do. I attempt to stand and pedal. My legs immediately warn me to sit my ass down. So I sit. And battle. I battle like hell. Both my legs on the verge of full leg cramps with every downstroke. I manipulate every motion to manage the pain.
Finally, I'm on the pedestrian bridge, on my way to finishing the bike about 20 minutes faster than expected. A burst of relief escapes me. This race may still be mine.
Kilts up!
The real test begins. Nathan, volunteering all over the place for Ironman; "Hey, Stuart! Nice to finally meet you!" Little did I know the impact I had had on the Ironman group, and even less, how phrases like this would carry my day.
I leave the stadium on my run feeling like a rock star. My family, L2R, piles of running mates, that was such a phenomenal feeling! My legs are shot, but I can't show that here. I muscle through, smiling, because I'm here, they're here to see me do this. So I get out of sight and stop to stretch. "Hey, are you Stuart? Oh my god, I've been so looking forward to meeting you". I start running some more, and see and older woman chewing out a cop because he won't redirect the runners behind her so she can go. I laugh. I continue battling cramps. I run till I cramp, then I walk off the cramp, then I run some more. That's a terrible plan I need something else. "Hey, a kilt!" "Stuart?" "You are so funny! We hoped I'd see you today!" So I try to run until the first signs of cramps, then walk through them, which pretty effectively works for the first loop. "Stuart? Oh man, I love your posts! They always made me laugh!" I saw a few familiar faces along the run course, Steve, Ken, Joan volunteering at aid station 3 waiting with needed hugs, Amber with eyes like a hawk spotting me from at least a tenth of a mile a way and hellaciously cheering me.
I started trading places with a guy named Tim. Our pains were equal but our timing was not. He passed me at the start of the second loop, then I just caught up and we synced up our running to help each other. He gave me some salt, which I had never tried before, but I was open to new ideas at this point. He got my run segments started, I kept his walking at a brisk pace. "Look at this guy! Stuart? Nice to put a face to the name!". I told Tim I was Facebook famous, I don't think he believed me. "Wait, you're Stuart??? Oh thank you so much! You really made that group enjoyable!"
"Did I hear right? You're Stuart?! So happy I got to see you!" We hit some downhills and rose them as far as we could, but after going downhill with no brakes and turning on to Pollack the second time, I knew my time with Tim was almost over and I needed to reevaluate my pain management. "Hey, Stuart! Nice to meet you!" Said someone passing from behind us. The woman in front of us turns around "You're Stuart??? You are hilarious!" Tim says "Dude! You weren't kidding!" He tells her what I told him and the woman behind us confirms it. "He has kept the Facebook group so light and fun" "He posts the funniest stuff"
"Tim, run your race. I can't roll with you anymore. The cramps are in my achilles now. I will see you at the finish" (I didn't. He disappeared). Right after Tim leaves, "Hey, are you Stuart? Oh my god, I loved your posts! You are so funny!" Heather rolls up after overhearing that and joins in. Heather asks how my race is going and I share, and she hands me some salt. She tells me to keep it, she should be good for the rest. I thank her as they take off to finish their days. I've got two miles, and 28 minutes before my legal cutoff time. I had been averaging 13:30-13:45 minute miles at that point. Off in the distance "Stuart! Stuart Kirk!" Well there's a short statured person I could use right about now. Barb rolls up, walks with me for a few minutes, through an aid station. She tells me to use more salt. It can't hurt. It tastes like hell, but I think there's something to it. She departs. It's me time. All the people today. One more downhill with no brakes, onto Henry. So many of whom I've never met. Stadium is in sight. All of them thanking me. Cheers are growing. Because I-- "STUAAAAARRRT!!!" Out comes Justin from the Cincy Tri Club tent, hurdling caution tape, and hands me a beer. "Well I guess I don't need this then" I hand him my water and he tells me to finish this. He's not talking about the beer. Well... Maybe he is. I drink. I think the salts kicking in, because I'm running again, or the beer is just what the doctor ordered. As I'm alongside the stadium, I hand off the beer to a random stranger, asking her if she could take care of it. There's L2R, they recognizing me now.
Kate's here, seems like everyone is here! I get up out of sight, walk for a moment collect myself, because I've got the time, now I need to walk through the door. This race is mine!
The relief escapes me, exponentially this time.
Tri I did.
The two biggest things I walk away with today is A; my fair share of humble pie. This journey isn't easy, and the road I took made it even less so. This event is not to be disrespected. I'm not saying I did disrespect it, but I definitely didn't give it what it deserves.
I've got a long road ahead of me before number two comes along, and eventually a full, and it starts with a ground up rebuilding of myself. I may not race next year, but it will be for all the right reasons, I will be back, stronger, more fit, and ready to do things right. No more limping across the finish.
B; Delaware. You owned the day in the most massive of ways! Way to want this!
The community, all along the course, putting out signs, standing on their porches, sitting at the end of their drives, you ruled!
The city, so welcoming of the mass of people invading our small town.
The county, well, all three counties of the bike course, getting roads ready, intersections managed, keeping cyclists as protected as they can
The State Parks Dept, making like some angry honey badgers tackling the tornado damage less than 1/8 mile from 2000+ high dollar bikes to make sure our path out of the park was as safe as possible.
And finally, the volunteers. There's no accurate words or amount of words that can describe the amazing work you did all weekend! People from all over, not just Delaware, made this possible. They seemingly all took it to the next level of awesomeness! You can not be thank enough!!!
Delaware represented Ohio in the absolute best possible fashion!
The thanks on this journey;
First and foremost, Tory.
She pushed me out the door. She gave me my daily goals coming down the stretch as I was behind in training due to injury or illness. Absorbing the extra workload with handling Rowan, the house, she was solidly behind me, and that made it so much easier to get in gear.
I love you, my dear! This journey doesn't happen without you from the very beginning!
Josh, you give me a goal to reach in wanting to train with you again. I am so proud to see you finally come around to this sport, and absolutely kill it!
Kate, thank you for always being a big voice in my head overpowering the little voice in my head and willing to wake up extra early for miles with me before your miles with someone else. I'll be at your finish next year!
Brian, I have been paying you a lot of attention, through Facebook and Josh's stories, and you have given me focus I have lost. I have seen where you come from and where you are, and it's very much where I am and where I want to be. I feel that I have a lot I can learn from you to get me on the correct path and one day train with the two of you. Thank you for your support these final days!
Amber, just those the day before, and your presence at the race, you make a great coach! I can't tell you how much that 24 hour span alone meant to my race!
To my friends and family who have been apart of this journey, giving support, help, advice along the way! Thank you!
Brandi, I told you you'd kill it and that you'd do it faster than me. Ironman informed you that your wave was starting an hour late, and you even blew it out of the water!
I don't know what I did to bring you to this village of crazy, but I'm glad you're here!
To Jodi and Laurie, you guys got my ass out of bed many mornings and kept me going for many swims. It was great learning the ropes with you guys! Here's to many more!
To the SO MANY of you I met on the course and afterwards, I can't remember hardly what name went to which face, it was astounding! You guys truly carried me on my run! People, like Tim, who had no idea who I was, were in shock of how many people were verifying my identity and thanking me. Every bit of this day happened because of you guys too! I'm sorry I can't remember all of your names, may not have gotten all of your words right above, but I appreciated every bit!
While this event is definitely one of my most amazing races I've ever done or will do, very specifically that will be the most memorable 1/2 marathon I run for a long long time!
Sunday, July 29th, 2013 started out like no other in my life. My first triathlon.
It was approximately 12 hours beforehand, time started picking up and I started getting anxious, nervous, worried I had forgot something. Typical prerace jitters. So I thought. But I did forget a few things. I decided I need to make a special trip to Transition 2 to drop them off before heading to Alum Creek State Park. I packed my gear, and went to promptly to bed where I would then spend more time on that life sucking invention called Facebook. (You thought I would say Candy Crush didn't you? Tsk tsk)
I didn't fall asleep till 11ish, and in the blink of an eye, my 330a alarm went off. So I went back to Facebook (Addicted, unfortunately) where I found fellow RunDMCer and triathlete Mel K. on as well. After a little bit of chatting, I offered her a ride from T2 to ACSP.
The car ride conversation with Mel helped calm me a little. As the morning went on, slowly, I did start to relax.
Later, I ran into Jeff H., who also gave me a bit of a pep talk, some guiding words about the swim and race overall.
I stood for a bit watching the elites go, getting an idea of swimming in a group down, and understanding the course. Around 7a, I decided I should go get changed, find out where the wife was and how long till she arrived, which she already had. I changed, took a couple practice swims, and took some deep breaths.
The Swim
7:39a. It's go time. We rush out. Everyone starts dropping to the swim, early in my opinion, but I'm the last one still standing. So I swim. I'm blocked, three people in front of me, someone is right on me behind, I have nowhere to go, I'm 50m in. I stop to gather my bearings for a moment, make a plan, and go to stand on the ground, I started to sink. I tread up. I can't touch the ground.
I can't touch the ground.
Heart rate increases.
I can't touch the ground.
Heart rate increases.
Then it sets in. Panic. I can't touch the ground. I try swimming for a buoy to grab on to, but I can't catch my breath enough to get my head under to make a positive swim motion. I'm taking in water.
I'm losing my grip on the situation. Can't swim, can't touch, can't breath, now treading has left me and I'm starting to flail and the words "I can't do this" fall from my lips. Did that just happen? I thought. I try yelling for help, but the kayaks can't hear me.
I haven't even made the first turn yet, I look back towards shore, and I don't know what to do. The panic is getting worse.
I try to swim again. Still can't breath, and out of pure instinct via training, I flipped to my backstroke. AIR! Positive swim motion(barely)!
<This is the part when Scotty says "she cannae take much more of this, Captain", then Kirk finds a way>
After regaining some composure, I flip back to the breast stroke and start alternating, until my hand hits something. A kayaker made me, and tossed his buoy.
I was so thankful for this moment to just recapture some vague semblance of a plan. He paddled beside me as I swam and handed me off to the care of the next kayaker, as I bounced between breast and back strokes with more breaks than I intended for, which was a trend for about the next 400m+.
Giving myself a 30-35min window for this swim, I was utterly disgusted with myself, I just kind of strolled uncomfortably out of the water where my wife stood snapping pictures.
I asked her what time it was, she told me I was at 28 minutes.
<Ahem> WAT???
I checked my phone, and sure enough, it's true.
I came apart. My mental armor was shredded by water. My conscious mind begged for mercy. My unconscious side, though, snuck in one quick right hook, and it changed the game.
The Ride
After plodding along a long first transition, my confidence was rebuilding, it was time to give the Enterprise her first real test.
Yes, I named my bike the Enterprise, and there is a Kirk at the helm of this one as well.
Going into this event, I told myself, I was going to push, and push hard. Give it everything I have while I have it. So on the bike, I am going to pedal like I have never pedaled before. And I did.
Out of the gate, I am playing with the shifters, getting a better feel for the speed and climb abilities. Then I caught up to a biker, and passed them. And again. And again.
I catch up to one biker whom I pass, barely, but she keeps pace behind me. I then need a short break, so I succeed the spot back to her, and I keep pace with her. After a couple miles following her, we start catching up to groups of bikers, and she slowed to prepare to pass. I kicked it up a gear and as I passed her, I told her I was passing, but now sure how long it would last.
I kicked it up another gear and it lasted. Without any hope for her.
Somewhere on the northern stretch of Indianola, hunger started setting in, and I realized I hadn't packed anything to counter that.
Comfortably, I can pedal at a 13-14mph pace. I don't ride very often, I really relied on my running to carry me through the bike. I miscalculated my distance when figuring out my window for finish. Thinking I had 15 miles, I gave myself a 55-65min window to finish. 68 min later, I finished 18.5 miles with a 15.9mph, topping 25mph in the final five miles (gotta use those downhills to your advantage).
Entering Transition 2, I started to tear up. Considering where I was an hour and a half ago, and I'm now entering my strong suit. I'm feeling good. Dismount.
OH! JELLY LEGS!! Don't fall down, don't fall down!
The Easy Part, The Run
Water bottle? Check.
Visor? Check.
Armband? Check.
Kilt? Oh yeah. Check check.
Time to go. Not very far.
There's nothing like starting on a hill. I needed a walk before I reached the top. The legs were tired, and my inside lower quads were stiffening up bad and quick. The first mile and a half progressively became worse with my quads. I had to stop and stretch, others going by encourage me to keep going, and I can do it. When I got up, a woman scooped me up and started giving advice to loosen my upper body to loosen the lower. It helped, albeit briefly. I stopped and did a more intense stretch, and when I got up, another woman, Ali, was there to get me. We conversed, and I started to forget about my problem. We made a deal to push each other to the finish. It was then, RIGHT then, she started having my quad pains, so I helped her stretch through them, she offered a spare Gu, and while I'm not a huge fan of them, I couldn't accept it quick enough. Entering the last half mile, Ali is really struggling, and I start landmarking her to assure the finish is near. I ask when she wants to finish strong, she replied "when we can see the finish". I pointed down the street, where the finishing chute awaited, and with a quiet "oh", we were off.
It was at this moment I realized that I forgot about my quads. I hadn't had a problem sonce she gave me the Gu. I exploded away from her, like I had a fresh pair of legs.
The moment I was waiting for had finally come.
The Union Station Archway. I wanted to make this race my first Tri for this moment.
I gave a 28-30 min window for my run, but I finished in 33. Considering the trouble I had, I don't think that is too bad for me.
Oh, then I finished, "first in the kilt division" as always, per Dave B., but this time, with "extra style points".
The Recap
All in all, I have my self a 1:53-2:10 window to finish. And since I forgot to include my nine plus minutes in transition, I'd say I... NAILED IT! 2:19:26! Actually I was :17s over but nonetheless, I finished and that's what matters!
I am truly happy I finished this race, I am. But what happened in the water worries me.
My mind overrode everything and wanted to quit from fear. I looked to the shore for an escape. I yelled to the kayaks for an escape. I didn't train well enough and then forgot my training altogether. Thankfully I spent a lot of time recently practicing my flip from breast to backstroke, and instinct took over. Between that and the kayakers offering a bouy, I would be in a much worse place right now.
I now know what needs work, where I need more training, fortifying, grace under fire.
My URL (from the ashes arose) and blog title(the Phoenix) take better meaning after this race.
"And if you complain once more, you will meet an army of me"
On June 21st, 2011, I was 326 lbs.
As of January 13th, 2012, I am 269 lbs.
I have hit a rough patch the size of Indiana. I have excuses all over the place, but my lack of progress is my own doing. But I need to vent at this exact moment, SO-
A. I can't find a job. I have applied to several welding jobs but all I hear is how unqualified I am. I had a temp service call me up and say they had my resume, and we're wondering if I was still looking for a welding job. YUP! So I drive a half hour south to see them, create an online account, fill out online application, online skills and abilities worksheet, online personality quiz, and anything else I can possibly fill out online to save them some actual paperwork. After ALL of that. I had to redo every single effing thing... ON PAPER!! Anyway, they had my resume in hand and called me. After about hour and a half filling and refilling out info, they give me a drug screen, and finally the interview. It was a short interview. I didn't have the qualifications for any of their available jobs. Thanks for coming down though.
... What?
For the previous year, I was a prized welder on 2nd shift a steel mill. They needed three welders to replace me. So I applied at a steel mill here that was looking for 2nd shift welders. Not. Effing. Qualified.
WHAT THE F*** IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE???
B. Trying to go back to school, working on financial aid, they want a copy of my taxes to verify income. I got my loans out of default, and the school tells me I need a letter of good standing from the lender. OK. Lender says go to this page, print this off, it's exactly what you need. OK. I take it to the school. No, we need a actual letter stating that you are in good standing. NOT OK. I look at the sheet, then ask this says I am in repayment. Doesn't that mean good standing? She says no, that just means you are making payments on your loan (Really? Thanks for the clarification). I say check the NSLDS site, the site that told you I am in default, it will tell you I'm not on default. She says they can't check it (WTF?). I then reverify, 'But you will check to verify I am IN default though?' Yes. I was being sarcastic. So I call the lender. We repeat the entire conversation above, and walk back in to talk to them again. Him in one ear, we are both listening to her and he starts laughing on the phone about the situation. LAUGHING because there is nothing you can say to stupid. I managed to get over them to their director, she apologized and couldn't answer why the letter I had that showed I was in repayment wasn't clear enough for her staff. Well thank you for your help.
Just when I think all is clear, now I have to take ANOTHER copy of my taxes RE-VERIFY my income with the school.
WHAT THE F*** IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE???
C. I, for the first time in my life, have been kicked out of a restaurant. Why you might ask? Well allow me to present the conversation to you.
Server- Welcome to Black Sparrow, do you guys need food menus?
Me- No I think we know what we want.
S- Oh. Ok. What can I get you to drink?
M- Two diets please.
S- Can I see your ID's?
M- I'm sorry?
S- I need to see your ID's.
M- I actually left mine at home. Are you seriously ID'ing us for diet cokes?
S- If you don't have it you can't be here.
M- Are you kicking us out?
S- Yup.
WHAT THE F*** IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE???
I was walking across a parking lot road today. Three steps in a I hear a car speed up. I look to my left, and here comes a mom with her son in the passenger seat fly by, mirror less than two feet from me. Really, mom? REALLY???
The gas company will fire employees who walk into houses where dogs aren't confined in a cage or separate room. You're kidding right? No. No he wasn't. He was one foot off the porch talking to me to clarify for whoever (if anyone) was watching.
I was informed to join the Wabash Runners club or whatever it is called. Please someone, is that thing serious? It is a organized meeting point without a meeting time. They meet Saturday's. Some at 6, some at 8, others come at 10 or 12. What good does that do? I want to train with people, not gallop aimlessly through a morning probably by myself.
Went to get my license information switch to this state. I needed my old ID (got it), two proofs of current address (got one), insurance info(got it), registration and title(got them), to take a written exam(I'm sorry, come again?), around $200 for my plates (they could not produce an actual price for me) that would expire in June and another $20+ for my license. You know what? I'll keep my Ohio stuff going. It isn't worth the hassle for six months of living.
WHAT THE F*** IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE???
Except our landlords. They rock. Seriously. I will take them out to dinner before we evacuate this hole.
But this time I am not thinking what might be wrong with me this time? No. Not anymore.
For 28 years of my life, it has been a pledge in my heart to escape Ohio. Most of that 28 spent in Toledo, I thought the Midwest was in a terminal state. Flee to Texas, they are all about making money there. Jobs are bountiful. Or to the Atlantic or gulf coast for shipbuilding, the navy will always want ships. Anything that wasn't Ohio was good for me. Then we finally took that first step, out of Toledo and down to Columbus. Our goal was Austin TX. This was a good start.
Or was it?
Every day we were there, we felt more relaxed, more alive, more welcomed, and just happier.
A lot of you know, I am in no way a buckeye fan. I was happy to see their misery. In NW Ohio, I think the central Ohioans don't realize, there are some(and by some I mean ALOT) raging, blood thirsty, I would choose OSU over Christianity if the ultimatem arose and shoot Jesus if he didn't agree with me, crazy Buckeye fans (they shaped my dislike for the school as a child). If they ever declared an actual war, Michigan and Ohio State, to start at noon on the third Saturday in November, the war in NW Ohio would be over at midnight the night before, OSU fans would bathing in UM blood giggling like little schoolgirls.
This past week, I have constantly reintroducing myself in school, stating we moved here from Columbus OH. GIANT COLLECTIVE GROAN from each class.
Damn Purdon't Boilermakers.
So I come home and tell the wife about the collective groans from the classes and she ask why they did it.
Me- Purdon't is right down the street, and around here, they don't like our kind.
Her- 'Our kind'?
Me- Aw poopytrip.
Her- Was that a Freudian slip I just heard?
Me- ... Eff.
Well. There it is. I want to go back to Ohio. Badly. We no longer want Texas, or a coast. We want the heart of the heartland.
Guess I better get running. No, scratch that. Too cold and windy. P90X. Yeah buddy!
If you havent already, please visit /51pounds and like the page. The epic battle between the King and the Captain is about to heat up now that the holidays are over!
Since leaving Columbus, some of my motivation has drained. I think. Or maybe winter is setting in and I am having trouble adjusting my workout. But, none the less, some things are meant to be.
I introduce to you Corey W. King.
Long time friend, growing comedian, Toledo radio personality, and suffering congestive heart failure, liver disease and had a heart attack early last year.
I recently became the very satisfied and proud owner of a iPhone 4S and was unaware of the damage to my contact list that was caused by leaving Android. I am missing a lot of numbers, and I have a lot of very old numbers for some people, including Corey.
We hadn't spoke in awhile, I had three numbers for him, and two email addresses, so I sent something to all of them to find out where he was. One was a land line, one said wrong number and the third... had a pretty choice message for me to deliver when I did find him.
So I took the easy way and message him through Facebook. Within moments he responded. We dispatched pleasantries, I relayed the watered down message to him, and broke into the weight loss discussion. After his heart attack, Corey's doctor informed him, as every well payed doctor should, "You should lose weight"(Thanks Doc! How much do I owe you?).
At 306 pounds, it wasn't a decision. It was fight. If he loses, he pays the ultimate price. If he wins, he gets the ultimate gift, a gift that most take for granted. One that he and I both took for granted.
As we continued texting, he asks me what my goal is, and before I can finish typing my response, he calls me.
Corey "So what is your goal?"
"200. You?"
C "220. How do you feel about putting money on it? First to make their goal? Maybe like $50"
"That could work. Any reason?"
C "I work harder when money is involved, and seeing as how I would have to borrow it from my girlfriend, I don't want to owe her money, I would definitely work harder."
"OK. Lets make it $100 then.?"
C "Ummm, OK."
"We need to set parameters? How about we play to 51 lbs since that's all you need?"
C "That works. No surgeries. Also I think the bet should be void if either of us lose a limb, kind of an unfair advantage if you have one less limb to account for."
"Yes. Good call. No supplements either"
C "Deal."
And so begins my revitalized journey.
As of June 21st, I was 326 lbs.
Today, December 3rd, I am 268 lbs.
So today I begin the 51 Pounds Punchout Challenge (click the link, like the page, go ahead and friend me while you are at it!). My goal is to win it by my fourth wedding anniversary on June 14th, 2012.
An pictoral Ode To Antrim(mostly) and Columbus will be displayed throughout this post.
As of June 21st, I was 326 lbs.
Today, November 9th, I am 272 lbs.
It's been a month since my last post, but it has been a hairy month since then. A huge staple to my progress, NoBo/MIT, the city of Columbus, and the amazing and helpful people, such as Chelsea, Susan and Tori, have been removed (hopefully temporarily). The Wife and I have moved to Lafayette In. and, while nice, it doesn't have the quality of life that Columbus does.
That's OK. My journey isn't about the city, it's about me
BUT this particular blog IS about the city.
Don't skip ahead, but right before I moved, the last picture in this blog was my last sunrise in Columbus, and a friend told me 'Don't worry. Indiana has sunrises too.' Dude... you're not a runner, you wouldn't understand a Antrim sunrise like a runner does. Just because Indiana has a sunrise, doesn't mean it will replace this work of majestic art. I am sure there are places in the world with similar sunrises, good for a runner's soul, but they take searching. Every Saturday Morning when I would I come off of the Olentangy Trail to the Antrim Loop, it was an indescribable, overwhelming feeling of fortune.
And it is a weird event too, because I run in the sunlight before and after Antrim on the trail, but there is something different there. My first time there, the running coach with me was trying to explain the sunrise and gave up. She finished by saying,'It's hard to describe, you just have to see it for yourself'. She was spot on. These pictures don't often do it justice. You need to go there and experience it for yourself(click here)
Columbus was labeled the 5th fattest city in the United States in 2001, which brought about a new city slogan- Commit To Be Fit. The city lives it, breathes it and loves it. Somewhere, every week, there is probably 3-5 5K's taking place with thousands of people partaking in them. People are kind along the way as well. The city is encouraging biking throughout the city. Most main roads now carry at least a shared lane for bikers. In 2010, Columbus was rated th 19th fittest city in the US. In 2011 the Ohio State University was Ranked 1st among colleges and universities.
They say being healthy and fit is a choice, with which I agree. I am here to tell you it's a much easier choice when the majority of a city has decided it together.
I spoke in a previous blog about doing a half marathon, the date is set. May 5th, 2012, I will be among the over 12,500 runner's in the bicentennialCapital City Half Marathon. Also on my agenda looks like a visit to a Tough Mudder event in April.
I would like to share a video I saw today, one I hope to rewrite to my own flavor.
Meet Ben...
And finally, my last vision of Columbus (No, this was not photoshopped. Tis all natural).
A truly inspiring sight to run alongside. I will miss you, Antrim and Columbus
