Husband, Father, Athlete, Runner, Marathoner, Mental Health Warrior

Hello True Believers,     I apologize that it has been a while since I blogged, but life is a always moving journey. I am NOT complaining about any of that, it just simply is what it is. Today is October 6th...I am just 11 days away from October 17th, which means I turn 40, it also means it will the 18th anniversary of my Dad's passing. Now in six days, I will be just 2 months away from the first day of the Walt Disney World Goofy Challenge , the Donald Duck 1/2 Marathon, followed by the next day of the Mickey Mouse Full Marathon. I am also now the Head Cross Country Coach for my daughters' elementary school, and our first meet is in five days.      Anyone who has trained for a Marathon will tell you that usually marathon training programs are 16 weeks, or four months. The one for the Goofy Challenge is longer, but due to being injured and in the boot, it still works out to four months for me ( http://www.rundisney.com/training/#disneyworld-marathon ). R...

Unit 6 Invention Lab – Parents and Schools Working to Combat Childhood Obesity Corey Queen Kaplan University CM220-50-Unit 6 Childhood Obesity is a topic that has to be addressed at the community level, with families and schools needing to take part in creating effective solutions, for it to be finally defeated. Lifestyle, diet, and exercise are the 3 key ways that must be engaged in equally to solve this growing epidemic. In the U.S. one out of every three children are considered overweight (Gavin, 2012). The lessor known risk for childhood obesity include low self-esteem, being bullied, developing unhealthy eating habits like bulimia and anorexia, and many others that simple studies can’t measure. The Big Idea will introduce how schools and parents working together will both combat this epidemic and prove financially beneficial in boosting the local economy. The Big Idea will provide the blueprint in solving childhood obesity without blaming people o...

Hello True Believers, Well, the last six weeks have been ridiculous….I think that is the only word I have to use. I have NOT been “ Feeling the Aster ”. Last night gave me a small sense of what I needed. For once, and for a short time, I felt “ Whelmed ”. I was in control of the pain going on, I was in control of whether I stopped or gutted it out and kept going. Now before I get ahead of myself, let me fully explain. About 6 weeks ago, my mom showed complications and had her second angioplasty where they went through the artery in leg (she had it about a year ago). Well she stayed in ICU surgery recovery as they found out that she still had blood clots in her legs. Well she doesn’t have a strong enough vein to go back in, so they increased her blood thinner, and after 2 weeks she was finally released and went home. Well, the next day she complained of pain in her legs and went to see her PCP who prescribed her some mild pain killers. Damary and I noticed that first night; ...

Hey True Believers,     So yes I am in a boot and crutches. While running the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon this past April, somewhere around Mile 18, I knew I had hurt my foot. I made a strong mental note because I knew at some point my doctor would ask when I did it. It was nothing serious, but as a Runner or and Athlete, you know your body very well, and I knew this would plague me later.    So since then, I have run on it, 4 - 5 runs a week, averaging 25-30 miles a week. I ice it (via Arctic Ease) when it got really bad. Well a little over a week ago, the pain got too bad and I finally went to the same doctor I went to when I got injured a couple of years ago. He still remembered me, and the first question he asked me is "So, how long ago did you do this?" I replied, "What makes you think I didn't injure it like last week?"; he then says, "Because I remember you, and I know how you think?" We both laughed because he was right. So I told ...

    Well, I am about 36 hours removed from crossing the Starting Line, and I am still sore, but I have so much flowing through my head about this race. I am still emotional about yesterday for soon-to-be explained reasons.     Let’s start with beginning of race week. I was an emotional wreck. Race Week is normally up and down for me, but with this being my 2nd Anniversary as a runner, and running my 2nd Kentucky Derby Marathon, every positive and negative thought ran through my head. Plus it seemed like 98% of all of my friends, whether on DailyMile, Facebook or Twitter were lining up to run the Half, for some reason, I felt very much alone like I had no business attempting a marathon. Luckily, a dear friend of mine (Hi, Melodie!!) talked me down off the proverbial ledge.           Now, I am not one to believe in signs, or be superstitious, but Friday, packet pickup day, the only mail we received was my copy of ...

So here I am, 13 days out from running The Kentucky Derby Marathon (my 2nd Marathon , and 2nd time running this one) and I notice a change in my attitude and overall demeanor. This is probably the only time I allow myself to be a little selfish with my thoughts. For that 1% of the 1% of the U.S. Population who has completed a Marathon , you know what I mean. For the majority, let me explain…See, when you run any race, 5K, 10K, 5 Miler, 10 Miler, Half Marathon, Marathon, Ultra Marathon, etc, there is a certain amount of violence your body goes through, plain and simple. When you get up in the miles for your race, that violence translates into things the average person doesn’t realize a Marathoner has to deal with: HEAVY drop in immune system during the race (it is not uncommon for people to have sudden colds/cold like symptoms once the race is over); the muscles that tear (yes, they will repair themselves with proper rest and recovery) in the over 58,000 steps taken; the constant balanc...

So this was my off week for working Friday overnights, which meant I would get a full nights sleep before a race, for the first time since last year's Warrior Dash (July, for those keeping score). It was kind of foreign for me, but I embraced it quickly. So I woke up and stepped outside and realized it was a bit chilly. Who would think the coldest race I would run wouldn't take place until April!?!?! So I came back inside and woke up Damary and told her to stay home with the girls. There would be no reason for them to stand around getting cold and possibly getting sick. So I got dressed, and I was sporting my special Black Superman shirt, because I figured dealing with Zombies called for special Superman attire. I headed out the door down to the Rugby Field at Cherokee Park! As I parked, I immediately saw a pickup truck full of Zombies and knew this was GOING TO BE FUN!! So I got to the starting line area and picked up my flags. See, we all got 3 flags which represented our ...

Well, this race was the last leg on the Louisville Triple Crown of Running, so I wanted to see if I could extend my trend of PR-ing and PB-ing. Also, like the Anthem 5k and the Rodes 10K, this race, the Papa John’s 10 Miler, would occur right after me working a 12 hour overnight shift and later on working another 12 hour shift. So as I went to bed Thursday night, I realized that I wouldn’t sleep again Monday, and that meant this was my last bit of sleep until the race 2 days later. Friday, the day before, had me going non-stop, including Race Packet Pickup. So all of a sudden, it was time for me to head into work. Which was hectic, but suddenly it was time to get home and change into my Race Gear and head out. So as I lined up at the starting line, I ran (pun intended) into 2 coworkers and whether they realized it or not, helped calm myself before the race. Next thing I knew, it was time to start. So off I was, armed with my game plan. Now, the lesson I had learned from the previous 2 ...

(The Rodes City Run 10K) Well, this was another race, coming straight after working a 12 hour shift. So the first thing I noticed was that the weather was going to be OUTSTANDING! It was around 60 degrees with a slight cooler wind, which as a runner, means your body temp will basically be regulated by Mother Nature. This was also going to be a first in my Running Career: Damary and the Girls would not be there to see me off, or cheer for me at the Finish Line. So on top of being tired from a UNUSUALLY busy night at work, I was shook from being so completely out of my normal pre-race routine of hugs and kisses from the people that mean the most. ( This is the sign my friend made...notice my name in there??) So I parked and walked to the start, and did the bathroom thing (I stayed hydrated at work) and texted a friend I knew who was leading a prayer group, to try and meet up with her. Before I found her, a running friend of mine found me and he and I said Hi and tried to calm each othe...

Here is my obligatory Race Bib And Race Shirt Pic Hello Everyone! So here I am, a year removed from running my first Triple Crown..Lining up at the Starting Line to run my second Louisville Triple Crown of Running, starting with the Anthem 5K. Last year's Anthem 5K still remains my best 5K time (32:37), both my Personal Record (P.R.) and Personal Best (P.B.). I had a couple of things going on in my head...one of them is that this time around, as I close in on my 2nd Anniversary as a Runner, I work 3rd shift, and have a newborn. My training 95% of the time occurs on no sleep, with another 3% occurring with little sleep. The other thing that was prominent on my mind is that all three Triple Crown Races will occur with me coming straight off a 12 hour shift, so no sleep. So I took the shift Friday Night/Saturday Morning to get my mind and body ready and sharp as much as I could. I stayed hydrated (a glass of water every hour of work) and during my lunch and breaks, I watched ...

Hello True Believers!! I know it has been a while since I have blogged, but I am the type of person that blogs when I feel like I have something to say that is a little more substantial, not based on a schedule. And so much has been going on since I last blogged, finding time has been even more difficult. So training for this Marathon (Kentucky Derby Marathon, April 28 th my second anniversary as a runner, and my second Marathon !) is vastly different than training for my first. For starters, I am using the book, “Run Less Run Faster” due to my rising CPK levels in my bloodwork. My doctor thinks a possible cause is the amount of miles I was putting on, so after some research and wonderful suggestions from friends, I found this book, and I have to admit, it is making me faster. Also, this time around, I am working 3 rd shift, and during the day, I am home with our 5 ½ month old, and get the girls ready/pick them up/drop them off to school, so sleep sometimes is much shorter than I would...