Winners Never Quit and Quitters Never . . .

That's me on the far left in the pink baseball hat. That's the Jones 10 miler and this is my race report which could also be called "More Lessons Learned": Bottom line - I ditched at mile 7 due to increasing pain from a pulled muscle. I knew if I finished the last 3 miles (up hill) it would mean some serious recovery time on the other side. Not a wager I was willing to take.

An update on my pulled groin - I have run twice since the race, very slowly and for only about 20 minutes each - the groin pull appears to not be getting better. Today it finally occured to my thick head to break out a fresh pair of running shoes. That has solved problems for me in the past - here's hoping. Okay on with the report . . .

I was going to write a little something just prior to that race proclaiming my reasons for doing it despite a nagging, sore muscle. People for whom I have great respect weighed in on the subject and suggested I not do it. So why, why did I do it? Here are a few reasons I had in mind (not necessarily in order of my ability to justify them):

1. I am stubborn
2. I really wasn't feeling any pain (while standing still or swimming or even jogging on the treadmill).

3. I wanted the damn T-shirt

4. I paid for it!

5. I tapered and ate a lot - so I HAD to run.

6. I wasn't going to "win" anyway.

7. Starting is more important than finishing

8. I could stop at any point

9. I said I would

10. Last but not least I trained for it!

As I continue on my journey of spending vast amounts of time, energy and money on technical clothing and the pursuit of making my body do things it clearly has no predisposition towards doing, I am stunned constantly by how little I know and how much there is to learn about this unusual culture. I did not finish the 10-miler this year but I learned some important things about myself and "racing" in general. I find some of these things somewhat simple and yet fascinating and so perhaps you will too.

Lesson #1: I should not have run the full course, plus a mile for good luck 2 weeks prior to the race. It was on mile 6 of that run that the muscle pull flared. Plus it caused me to be mentally "done" with the course prior to race day.

Lesson #2: If one starts a difficult task with the expectation of not finishing it, it is very likely that it will not get finished.

Lesson #3: When you are physically and mentally defeated (before even beginning) it makes getting passed by these two guys really difficult. I certainly would never want to come off as tarnishing the successes of another. And I have the utmost respect for anyone who is out there. But I am just sayin', just.sayin'! These two gentlemen appeared to be "slightly" older than me and made the run look so effortless that I would nearly describe it as speed walking. From the starting gun I was never able to catch the guy in the yellow shirt - he just got smaller and smaller in the distance and I played peek-a-boo with the guy in the hot pants for 6 miles before I gained a good lead on him going up a hill only to see him come barrelling down the other side past me (no coincidence that my quitting point was soon after). Point being that it simply underscores my biomechanical issues with running - there must be an easier way!

Lesson #4: Not sure there was anything I could have done about this but my race number was **2**. Yes as in number TWO. I found this to be completely intimidating, ironic and embarrassing (especially on the weekend of the Olympics). I had to tell a couple of people that we were clearly expected to come in in reverse order and so there should be one person behind me. Nice attitude, huh? Self fulfulling prophecy or cruel little joke?

Lesson #5: I will never, ever and I mean NEVER wear a T-Shirt from a race that I did not finish - not to mention that the race is sponsored my my corporate rival (Jones) and it is an absolutely hideous color.

Lesson #6: I learned that one should not abandon a race plan. Okay, little dorky confession here - I run with liquid nutrition (ie. fuel belt), i-pod, cell phone, identification, a couple of bucks for coffee, even a little toilet paper has come in handy more than once. I mean I might as well carry a damn pocket book. But the thing is, when I am out there, I am out there a loooooong time (cause I'm slow!). I am not getting it done in an hour under any circumstances. So I gotta have supplies. That's how I train and how I should race. But on this particular day I ditched the goods at the last minute because none of the "real athletes" were carrying anything. This was a bad, bad idea. For one simple reason. No, I didn't get dehydrated - there were water stations on the course and I actually didn't need my toilet paper. The problem is - I can't run and drink from a cup at the same time. I always drink from a bottle with a little nozzle. Cup = not my friend. I got to the first water station right at the base of the big hill, grabbed me a big cup of water, slugged it down my throat and started gagging, choaking and spitting it out my nose. Then I started wheezing - very attractive! The adorable little high school cross country kids that were volunteering at the water station seemed quite concerned and asked if I needed help. I said no, and then held my breath to stop the wheezing until I got far enough up the hill that they couldn't see me. Then 3 miles later at the next water station I repeated the entire scene. Again, any wonder my quitting point was not far from this spot?

Lesson #7 - This is the important one: Is it better to try and fail than to not try at all? If it were better to not try I can assure you that I would never run, bike or swim at all. "Winning" isn't really in the cards for me. There would have to be a whole other category set up. So really, for me it's all about the trying. So I don't regret getting up that day and getting out there and giving it a shot. What I do regret is not giving it my "best shot". So I guess what I learned is, it's totally okay to get out there and have it just not be your day and get smoked by a guy in fancy pants. But next time I decide to abandon my training, risk injury and not be able to bring my best - I'm gonna stay in bed.

PS> If anyone wants an ugly T-shirt, just let me know!

Runner vs. Type 1: 10 Day Countdown

There are 10 days until the DH Jones 10-Miler Road Race. This local winter race is notorious for it's tough course with large hills and many dirt roads. And notorious for poor weather conditions in late February. I think there has been sleet the last several years. Should be fun!

Here are some numbers that I have been thinking about. In the next 10 days I will run about 30 miles (including race day). My feet will strike the pavement approximately 13,200 times. Other than a little cross training thrown in there that's all I gotta do. 13,200 steps.

In contrast here's what Camryn's numbers look like for the next 10 days:

She will stick a needle in her finger to test her blood sugar approximately 100 times.

She will count carbs in her food and dose herself with insulin either by catheter or syringe 60 times.

She will have the catheter that connects her insulin pump to her body pulled out and re-inserted in a new location 4 times.

She will be disturbed in the night to have her blood sugar checked 20 times.

She will drink countless juice boxes to raise low blood sugar and dose with insulin to lower the rogue high blood sugar all while trying to focus on her school day, activities and homework.

A lot of people shake their heads and think running 10 miles is tough. . . It's not!

As always, we're collecting donations to JDRF for this event on our Ride Pledge Page. Please consider the following types of donations:

The pumper level = a mere $4

The Runner's level = $10

The Sleeper level = $20

The Carb Counter level = $60

The "Prick" level (as in finger prick!) = $100

The blood sugar roller coaster level - you pick the number!

Or the devoted Mom level = $13,200

Here's that link again: DONATE HERE

Oh, I CAN'T do THAT!

Today I had a good workout on the bike for 35 minutes and then a 5 mile run - giving it everything I had - no weekend "jog" on this one. It seemed like a really good time to meditate on the phrase "I can't do that". I've heard it a few times over the past couple of weeks. I heard it at work about facing career challenges, I heard it from friends who want to get in better shape, I heard it from parents in regards to taking care of chronically ill kids. As I started to tune in to this phrase throughout different aspects of my life I have reinvested myself in our family rule - two things a member of my family is absolutely not allowed to say to another member of my family 1) Shut up and 2) I can't do that. Oh and also, use of the "B" word - learned that one the hard way while working on a roofing project with my loved one. I am afraid of heights to begin with but being dangled by my ankles over the edge of a two-story roof has cured me of EVER uttering that word again, biiiig mistake. But back to the topic... (sort of).

Our son is named after a family hero named Michael Stratton, known as Strats or more recently in our home as "Big Strats". I never actually met Big Strats, he was connected to the other side of the family. He was hired by my father-in-law, back in the 70's as an outward bound instructor at the private school he was the head master of at the time. He became a really important part of the school and the family. He said "Never say you can't". Big Strats died in his 30's of brain cancer. His name lives on in our son and we couldn't let someone with his name go around saying "I can't". So we adopted the rule as well.

Now I totally accept that I am presenting this hypothesis as someone who is truly blessed in life. I have a loving and supportive family, a warm home, plenty to eat (maybe too much!). I have decent health and health care. So when I talk about facing challenges, I freely admit that I know NOTHING!! And I'd really like to keep it that way.

My assertion is, that when we say "I can't do that" what we are really saying is "I really don't want to do that" or maybe "I don't know how to do that" or my personal favorite "it's gonna take me a really long time to do that!". When my kids say they can't do something I like to ask them 1) do you want to do it? 2) do you think it is a good idea to do it? 3) what do you think it would take to do it? 4) do you understand how long this is going to take (as in do you understand the process?).

There are a whole lot of amazing people in the world doing things one would think are impossible. These people are inspirational. I was going to pull up a handful with some links here but I realized that the one I would start with is really all I need. Especially if you are not an "athlete" you need to check this out. I say that because most people who are involved in triathlon and endurance sports are familiar with this story. But this is not just inspiration for athletes. It's for anyone who thinks they can't do something, anything. So please take a look and then remember YOU CAN!

Grab a handful of tissues and click here: Team Hoyt

Thanks for Supporting JDRF!

Here I sit waiting for the temps to hit double digits so that I can get out for a "long" run.

It is long overdue that I give a public shout out of thanks from our whole family to those that supported JDRF through our efforts last year. We attended the 2009 Awards Ceremony last month at the Basket Ball Hall of Fame in Springfield. Camryn's Team was once again honored with the Platinum level award. Our family team raised over $11,000 for JDRF. This amount far exceeded our expectations for a year in which so many people are having trouble making ends meet. But as Camryn said in her letter - type 1 diabetes can't wait until times are better, we need a cure now! So many friends, family members and kind strangers heeded her call and gave so generously. Even more touching than all of the money raised however, were the many, many letters that Camryn received from people, many of whom we don't know who were touched by her story and the work that she has done. Last year was an amazing experience in Camryn's journey through the world as a kid with type 1 diabetes. From meeting the President to lobbying Congress for health care reform she learned about health, government, economics, etc. That's some big life stuff for a little 9 year old. Experiences that have changed her life, for sure.

Camryn's personal fight against type 1 diabetes has been taken all the way to the top - we've had the privilege of meeting some of the top research scientists in the world and hearing what they are working on to cure this insidious disease. Camryn is committed to being a part of the solution and continuing to do her part to help find a cure and help others. This year she has expressed interest in reaching out to kids who are newly diagnosed, and their families and helping them understand how to incorporate diabetes into their lives. She wants them to know it's going to be okay. We're looking into ways to work with our local health care professionals to find a way to get in touch with these kids. We also all continue to be concerned for those who do not have the resources to battle this extremely costly disease. Of course we continue to follow the debate on health care reform. We continue to use our affiliation with JDRF to garner support for new legislation, but in the meantime, there are kids with this pre-existing condition who can not get the health care that they vitally need.

And on the home front, as Camryn approaches her "tweeny" years we are working tirelessly on the lessons we all need to learn: what it means to take care of your body, making wise nutritional choices, being physically fit and active. And while these are all things that are on most people's new years resolution list and they may or may not get accomplished, they are day by day, hour by hour goals for a kid with type 1 diabetes. A poor food choice made at the breakfast table will surely result in a punishing afternoon. Balancing ones nutritional needs with physical activity is not just a "great goal", it is mandatory in order for these kids to make it through the day.

For these reasons, endurance sports remains a great metaphor for type 1 diabetes. On a long bike ride I can surely get in touch with what it means to have to take in proper nutrition in order to stay in an upright position. Exercise physiology and nutrition is a big subject - not entirely easy to understand, and much of it is what type 1 diabetics need to intrinsically know just to get through every day. So we continue on in our journey to both live with type 1 diabetes and fight for a cure. To that end here are some of the events that we will participate in this year:

The Ride to Cure Diabetes - the Vermont ride will take place in July this year, starting out of Burlington, VT. The Ride site opens tomorrow and promising the usual, amazing destinations of places like Death Valley, CA and White Fish, MT. Both are rides we hope to attend in the future. But for now we will be concentrating on our more local ride. If you are interested in participating in a fully supported Century Ride - you won't find a better ride out there. These rides are beyond amazing - if you are interested in learning more, visit http://www.ride.jdrf.org/.

The Cohasset Triathlon - This National Qualifying event is one of the largest volunteer driven fund raising events for JDRF. In the last 3 years this race has contributed portions of its proceeds to JDRF in an amount exceeding $450,000. For more info about this race visit http://www.cohassettri.com/. The race takes place on June 27. I will be proudly racing with Team Lyons. Click these links from more info about Team Lyons and also Tri Team For Diabetes. You can donate, participate and/or volunteer - but at the very least, check out the links, you'll be amazed and inspired by these people, I am!!

The Hartford Marathon - For the past several years JDRF has been an official charity of the ING Hartford Marathon. I hope to be participating in some way in 2010. I'd love to be running, whether it be the full, half or even the 5k. But I will settle for volunteering on behalf of JDRF depending on how my body has held up through the summer - this event is in October.

My training to participate in these events is well underway. My "tentative" schedule for the year includes many "training" events and at least one large personal goal. I offer it here as a means of commitment:

February - Jones Group 10-Mile road race (running that is)

May - Sudbury Spring Sprint Triathlon

June - Cohasset Sprint Triathlon

July - JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes

August - Half-Ironman 70.3 (event TBD)

October - Hartford Marathon (distance TBD)

So there we have it. Some goals for the kid, some goals for me and many thanks to you! The temp on my computer now reads 13 F, so time to hit the road. Happy trails to all.

2010: Ten Things I Won't Write About

I have lost track of this bloggy little thing. Partly for lack of time and partly for lack of knowing what is worth writing down. So for 2010 I guess I will offer up 10 topics that are plausible blog entries but I will do you the favor of not elaborating on them!

1. I got exactly what I wanted for the holidays: 15 lb weights and all the mint chocolate Gu I can eat!

2. I've mastered making gluten free bagels and am working on teaching my son to make them for me. The best of both worlds.

3. I've been working very hard on my run technique and am hoping to start building some mileage now for a 10-miler in Feb.

4. I bought a pair of jeans that I don't really need but bought them because they are size 6 and they fit! This is only newsworthy because just 3 years ago I bought size 20 jeans at that same store and sadly, they fit.

5. My kids have completed their first decade, I just can't fathom this, I really can't!

6. I am trying not to worry about losing weight - but I need to lose 5 lbs. to fit into the new wetsuit that I ordered.

7. I ordered the aforementioned wetsuit for use in the Cohasset Triathlon which I was able to successfully register for. I've made peace with swimming, but I admit that the thought of an ocean swim terrifies me. Maybe I have not totally made peace with swimming?

8. I have not been able to really set any firm "goals" for 2010 as my recovery from surgery over the summer has been longer than expected (not necessarily harder, just longer). But I'd like to be able to complete either an half-Ironman or a full marathon during this year. I won't be greedy and ask my body for both, but it would be nice?

9. I've got really good recipes for gluten free: coffee cake and sugar cookies. But these can probably wait until at least Valentine's Day. Oh and that Muddy Buddy recipe on the back of the Chex box should be illegal.

10. And last but not least, I will do you all the favor of not writing about my pulled groin muscle. Although I will tell you that I pulled it (rather painfully) while skipping in the snow in my driveway. I need not say more.

Wishing all a very happy New Year!