2007 JFK 50

Hi everyone,

Finally posting the race report from the JFK 50 that I participated in on Saturday November 17th. My friend Jeff Holloway, AKA Head Crew Chief & only crew member, motivator, ball buster etc, and I our began our second trip to the JFK 50 on Friday November 16th around noon. Jeff apparently liked seeing me suffer so much last year that he wanted to come back and see it all over again. He also liked the breakfasts that he would stumble upon as he drove from aid station to aid station. He also made sure to enlighten me about everything he ate as he met me along the race route. As I sucked down gels and was starving for real food he's talking having pancakes, bacon, sausage eggs and so on. Well, more on that later. As far as the trip to the race site, there was nothing major to report about the trip itself other than the Baltimore beltway sucks. Anyway, we arrived at the Quality Inn in Hagerstown Maryland around 4PM so we could unload our luggage prior to going to the expo and pasta party. I should have known by the following events that this was probably not going to be my best race. As we walked to the entrance of the hotel, I observed what I believed to be a street person sitting by the front door drinking a Coors Light. My spider sense told me that he was also a former (or escaped) inmate from some prison somewhere. Here I am trying to focus on what I'm going to do the next day and the cop part of me wants to check this guy out to see if he is wanted. We then we entered the lobby and noticed a short time later that this "street person" was also the hotel custodian, this we concluded due to observing him vacuuming the hallway?! I then had the pleasure of talking to the front desk clerk so I could finalize my room reservation. When I advised her my name and that I had reservations for that night, she just started laughing hysterically and said something to the effect that there was a problem, that they probably didn't have a room for us due to something being broken, in her words "the heater or something." I can't remember exactly what I said, but Jeff said I basically went off on her after which she disappeared for a short time, I thought to maybe call the police or something. She eventually came back and gave us a key to our room, which was only slightly better than sleeping out side. We really weren't sure if the room had been serviced or not, it reeked of an unknown odor, appeared dirty, but like I said, it wasn't out side.
We made it to the expo around 5PM. It was just OK, not like your normal marathon expo with all kinds of neat things to look at. The high lite of the evening was the pasta party. Not only was the meal good (3 plates of spaghetti...oops) but the people attending were some of the fittest people I have every encountered. Anne Lundblad was in attendance. She is just the #1 ranked female ultra runner in the country right now(and won this race too). There were a number of runners who had just ran the Olympic Marathon Trials two weeks ago. What impressed me most was the number of return runners. There was one runner who had completed the race 34 consecutive years and 36 total times. For me to do that I would be in my late 70's!! I'll give it a shot, only 32 more years in a row to go. There were awards for those who had completed 10 times and 20 times; awards they call the "500" and "1000" mile finishers. After finishing the awards banquet, we returned to our luxurious hotel for race prep.
Unlike last year, my "food" for the race was made at home and frozen. Last year it took me about two hours to measure out and basically concoct my gel mixture. Jeff said I looked like a mad scientist. I normally eat only gels consisting of either vanilla Hammer Gel or a combination of the vanilla gel and Perpetuem that I mix into a gel. I found this year that although this combination works, I do need to take in more "solid" foods during races longer than the marathon distance. Everything was then laid out and then packed for the race. In most races, you can forget something and get by. During an ultra, forget something important like extra socks or anti-chafing accessories, and your race is over before it starts. It was then to bed for a bad night of sleep.
I awoke race morning and tried to get into race mode. I was already hungry but could not eat anything. I normally follow the rule of not eating within three hours of a race that is more than 10 miles long. It has to do with how the body utilizes glycogen, namely how fast it uses it. All I had to look forward too was the two shots of vanilla Hammer Gel about ten minutes before the race kicks off. I knew from the previous nights weather that it was probably going to be cold, but how cold? As I stepped out side I found out how cold, 20 something degrees cold and I really don't like the cold a whole bunch. Anyway we loaded up and escaped from hotel hell and began the short six mile trip to Boonsboro High School which is the staging area for the race. On the way Jeff said he needed coffee and for that matter so did I, even though I don't drink coffee. I just needed something to warm me up and pick me up. We stopped at a cops best friend, Duncan Doughnuts for what I thought was just coffee. Jeff had other ideas. He decided to begin the food deprivation torcher early by getting four doughnuts and eating them in front of me while on the way to the race site. To make matters worse, I bought two doughnuts for after the race. So I sat there, starving, and stairing at my doughnuts. Not a good way to prepare for running 50 miles. We arrived at the race site and I began the final prep for the race. This is the most stressful time for me, did I forget anything, did I lube everything that needed lubing, where was my water carrier? Needless to say I was taking too much time getting ready again and I still had a three quarters to a mile of a walk to get to the starting line in downtown Boonsboro. Once I thought I was ready, we began the walk/jog to the start. Last year I arrived just as the starters gun went off and this year didn't look like it was going to be much different.
As I walked I hoped that it would warm up some, I was shivering and didn't enjoy the prospect of running in 29-30 degrees for the next eight to nine hours. After a quick visit to a dark alley for a rest room call, I made it to the starting line about five minutes ahead of time. I took this time to focus and decide how I was going to attack the course. I always set three goals for myself: my best scenario/dream goal, my I'm happy with that, and the just finish goal. My "dream goal" was to finish in 8:30 or better. I believed I had trained properly for it, but a lot can happen to you during an eight to nine hour run. My "I'll be happy with that goal" was to break nine hours. I ran 9:07 last year so I just had to beat that. Of course the last goal was to just finish the race in the allotted 12 hour time limit. I saw plenty of bloody people last year so again, anything can happen. The starters gun finally went off and so were we. The first 2.7 miles is roadway with a continuous incline that takes you up to the Appalachian Trail. I had decided that I was going to run this part at a decent pace, around an 8 to 8:30 pace until I reached the trail and the treacherous rocks. At around the 2 mile mark I realized my first mistake of the day, going out too fast. I was breathing pretty hard when I noticed I was still in the pack with the leaders, and they had to be going at a 6:30ish pace... duh! I was treating this like a 10 mile race and not a 50 miler. So I backed off and even took a walking break just to get my time back within reason and get my breathing to calm down. Shortly there after I was on the trail. For the first mile or so, the trail alternates between your dirt and rock covered trail to a paved trail. The trail also continues to rise during this time. It was during this time that I noticed how fun it was to run on mountainous trails, the scenery was beautiful, it kinda felt like I was playing. And so it continued until the trail turned mostly rocky and less dirt and rock. I had to slow my pace to avoid tripping and falling, something I had already observed others do. I was starting to remember that I don't like rocks, I just can't figure out how to run them quickly. I was now being passed by people who looked like they were running on the road. Granted, maybe they lived nearby and trained regularly on the trails, but what the heck, maybe I needed to run just a little more recklessly. So I did and it didn't take long before the inevitable happened. While cruising along I stepped on what I thought were leaves which turned out to be rocks under the leaves.
My left ankle went completely out to the side and I felt that old yet familiar pain of the classic sprained ankle. I was only about 8 miles into a 50 mile and the thought of my race being over was a possibility. When I first did it, a runner behind me kinda screamed and stopped next to me when I stepped off the trail. He was like, "yo dude, you alright, you completely turned your ankle, it looked like you broke it." I was now hoping it was just sprained and not broken but it was starting to hurt quite a bit. I thanked the runner and said I was alright, although I had no idea if I was or not. I then continued on but at a much slower and careful pace. The ankle held up but it was hurting. I knew I had about a mile and a half before we came down the mountain to go through the first aid station at mile 10. The descent down the trail to the aid station didn't hurt like I thought it would and was for the most part fun. I came into the rest area and saw Jeff who told me I was 20 minutes ahead of my hoped for finishing time; I didn't know if that was good or bad. I handed Jeff some of my gear due to it warming up a little, or maybe I was warmed up. It was then back up the mountain to finish out the trail. During the earlier portion of this section of the trail I again picked up my pace a little. My ankle still hurt, but not as bad as I thought it should. I was still using my run/walk breaks as I had planned; run for 20 minutes and walk for 2 1/2 minutes. I used the walking breaks to re-fuel and drink. The trail then began turning extremely rocky, I didn't remember it being like this during this part of the trail last year. Did they bring in extra rocks just to screw with me? My good pace turned into a run, walk, hop and trip kinda thing. I was starting to curse the rocks out loud. At one point I some how got my right foot stuck under a big rock and pulled it up during my stride. A runner behind me was laughing and yelled to me that I had done some major excavation. I guess I should have gone back and put the rock back in its hole but I didn't....oops. On ward I went, fighting the rocks all the way. Even on the descent down the mountain there were rocks, rocks and more rocks. The switch-backs were a good sign that the rocky trail would be over in about a mile. Switch-backs are a zig-zag type pattern that leads you down the mountain; back and forth on the side of the mountain until you reach the bottom. Luckily the switch-backs were not as rocky and were actually fun. There were bigger rocks and logs to jump over and the decline allowed you to go fast. I had to be careful because on a couple of occasions, as I came down and stopped to make a left to begin the next switch-back, if I didn't stop in time and tripped, over the side of a cliff I would go and get to visit the boulders two plus stories down. After getting off the mountain there was another aid station and then 26 miles of running next to the river to look forward too. I had been looking forward to this time, thinking I'd be able to pick it up a little. The only problem was my thighs were a little beat and my ankle still hurt, probably due to running down the switch-backs like I was being chased by a mountain lion. It was fun, but I ran that last down hill section like it was the end of the race. So I took a good 3 minute walking break to try and rejuvenate the legs a little. It was then that I noticed my feet were a little sore, which leads to my second mistake. I had only trained in these shoes for one week before the race. Being a procrastinator is not good. The shoes I wore last year had a plastic plate in the forefoot section of the shoes that protected my feet from the jagged rocks. My current shoes did not and my feet were paying the price. So I persevered, no pain, no gain, right? I continued along until mile 27 when for some reason I just didn't like my gel any more and I grew hungry. I saw Jeff at another aid station and I asked him what he found to eat, I guess I was trying to live vicariously through him, or at least hear about food. For the record, he had pancakes, sausage, eggs, dry beef gravy, a regular smorgasbord at some fire hall during his civil war site tour. Yet Jeff was a great motivator. As I neared any aid station that he was at, he would yell "go AJ," so needless to say it gave me a pick up. Anyway, I was still hungry so I began eating pretzels and bananas at the next aid station. The following aid station Jeff handed me a Cliff Bar (chocolate chip yum!) and I began to feel better. I have simply come to the conclusion that I need more real food during ultras, the slower pace allows you to digest more calories easier. Learn something new everyday I say. Anyway, I trudged on, legs heavy and my goal time slipping away. I then began running with a man who had several JFK race times on his back. I asked him what all the times on his back meant. He apparently has been running this race on and off for the better part of 30 years and actually won it once with a time just under 6 hours once. I believe his name was Zeke Tucker and he is 63 years old! This day he finished in a time of 8:14; 20 years on me and finishes ahead of me, wow! We ran together for quite some time until we came to the aid station at mile 34.

We parted ways at this time, he continued running and I re-filled my water bottle and stretched out some kinks. I then continued on alternating running for 12 or so minutes and walking for 2 to 3 minutes. I also mixed in some stretching, my lower back felt tight for some reason (note to self, begin newly designed core program) so I did a couple of stretches each time I took a walking break. For some reason, mentally this trail section from mile 34 to the aid station at mile 38 seemed very long, this year as well as last. I guess when your pace is around 10 to 11 minute miles, 4 miles can take longer than my normal 7:30 or faster pace. The second to the last aid station of the trail finally came into view at mile 38 which meant only 12 more miles to go! Four more miles of this trail and I'm on the road again. I was kinda getting tired of looking at the river to my left and I needed a change of scenery. So now I had four more miles of the trail until I would again run on the roads. This four mile section went a little quicker, probably due to talking to several runners. There also seemed to be more and more runners sitting on the side of the trail also stretching out their kinks. After again refilling my water bottle and taking a handful of bananas (potassium is a good thing) at the mile 41.5 aid station, I continued onto the last section which is a hilly country road to the finish. I ran for a 100 or so yards when I was greeted by a very large hill. I remembered this hill from last year and thought that this year I would run up it. After getting a quarter of the way up I noticed that no one else was running, they were walking and conserving energy so I walked the remainder of it also. A lot of times in a race like this you tend to forget your goals other than the finish goal.
My thighs were hurting, not as quite as bad as last year, but it still hurt to run down hills. I still walked some of the steeper hills and tried to run down the back side. I then checked my watch out, trying to fiqure out a possible finish time. My 8:30 was out the window and my 9 hour goal was just about gone too. It was then that I got mad at myself. I had trained most of the summer for this race, so I then decided that it was time to suck it up. I calculated that I needed to run under 10 minute miles to break 9 hours, so I decided to give it a shot. So with 4 miles to go and still more hills to conquer. My first mile was a 10:17, but
I found that it hurt just as much to walk as it did to run so I decided to just run. Jeff had just given me another Cliff Bar which was just starting to kick in. He also shouted words of encouragement, and well, called me a few names to piss me off and get my ass moving, so I did. My next mile was a 9:49 so I was back on pace, but it was going to be close. the second to the last mile was a 10:02 and I was thinking oh boy, in a little less than 10 minutes it would be 9 hours on the course so I had to move it. I ran hard, as hard as I could anyway. When I made the last turn I knew
that the finish was just over a little hill. I also new by glancing at my watch, that I was going to be under 9 hours, but how far under? So I sprinted. I came across the line in 8:57.12 and I had ran my last mile in 8 minutes and 39 seconds. Not my fastest mile by far, but surely my hardest and most satisfying. I stopped to hav />e the finishers medal placed around my neck and then tried to walk to the car. A moment ago I was running hard down the road, and now my legs decided they were not going to move anymore, but hey mission accomplished. Theres always next year, I'll take another shot at 8:30 then. So what did I do a couple of weeks ago, I signed up for the Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run! http://www.vermont100.com/ I figure that if the JFK hurt this much, I guess I just want to know what total agony is! Next up, the Fattest Butt 50K in Delaware on January 5th. Thanks for reading! AJ

Law Enforcement Memorial Run-Philadelphia to D.C

(group pic of Police and Survivors who covered the 150 miles from Philly to D.C.)





Hi everyone,



Finally posting the results of the Law Enforcement Memorial Run, AKA, AJ's Run For Trinity. I want to thank everyone who sponsored me. That's what kept me running hour after hour; knowing everyone was counting on me to run as far as possible. OK, I know some didn't want me to run 81 miles, even my wife told me it was now going to cost her $81 dollars. First the facts: Over three days of running I covered 81 miles, ran for a total of 13 hours and 1 minute and burned 8650 calories........and got some sore legs and worn out shoes as a bonus. NOW THE STORY.
I arrived at the Philadelphia Naval Yard at 7:20AM on Friday and began my normal race preparation. Only this wasn't a race. It was going to be a run to remember all the men and women in law enforcement that that were lost forever while doing their job, that job being, "the quest to preserve both democracy and decency and to protect a national treasure that we call the American Dream, the quest for Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It was also a run in which I was going to attempt to do something I haven't done before; run far for consecutive days. I had promised to run at least 50 miles but also desired to run the equivalent of three marathons in the three days of running. I've run both marathons and ultra marathons. I've run for 9 plus hours at a time, but never tried it again the next day. It was going to be a test both physically and mentally. Luckily I had a great group of guys to run with, not to mention all of the rest of the people that I would be sharing the road with from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. The opening ceremony began at 8:30AM and lasted for over an hour. There were many dignitaries and mayoral hopefuls that wanted a turn to talk, and talk they did.
During this time I prepared my drinks for the run, knowing I probably wouldn't be eating solid food for the next eight or so hours, oh well.
Around 9:40AM the run began. We ran through a line of policemen and women from numerous jurisdictions to begin the journey to D.C. The pace during the first mile was slow, somewhere between 9 and 10 minutes. Then for the next several miles the pace increased to 8-8:30's, a little faster that I and several of the runners around me expected. In fact some told me that this was definitely faster that previous years, not a good omen for someone who expected to run for several hours today; that someone being me. The weather was also beginning to play a big part in my endeavor. What started out cloudy with a misty rain had turned into a cloudless sky with heat and humidity that was projected to go into the 80's, not runner friendly temperatures for sure. I was starting to think that the 50 miles that I had promised to run might be a task. The pace was quicker than expected and the temps were rising quickly. I figured the only thing to do was drink up and tough it out. A couple of hours and many miles passed when an escort vehicle approached the pack that I was running in and asked for a volunteer to pick up the pace for the next 3-4 miles due to being behind schedule. I figured that I had been running for 2 hours and close to 15 minutes so naturally I volunteered to do it!(duh) So I went into race mode while everyone else jumped in the escort vehicles. I lasted for a little over three miles averaging about 6:15 per mile (according to the lead vehicle)when I ran up to the lead car and asked, OK begged, to have someone take over so I could take a break. So after nearly 20 miles of running I took my first rest. After drinks, a banana and a Cliff Bar, it was time to hit the bricks again. It was like this until we arrived in Wilmington Delaware; run for an hour or so and take a 15-20 minute break. We arrived at the Wilmington Police Department for what would amount to several ceremonies over the next three days where plaques would be presented to "survivors." Survivors are family members and friends who had lost someone in law enforcement. Each time was a moving experience, bringing home the thought that there was always the possibility that a ceremony could be held for me someday. At the completion of the ceremony I made more drinks and re-lubed my feet and changed my socks and we were off again. Hours and miles passed and we finally made it to the Holiday Inn in Aberdeen Maryland. It was now time to begin the recovery process. I'm a big believer in vitamin supplementation and the use of carbohydrate and protein recovery drinks. If anyone is interested in that let me know, I don't want to bore anyone with what happens to the body and how to facilitate recovery at this time. Once in the hotel I completed my recovery attempt by taking an ice bath! What fun that is. Sit in a tub slowly filling with cold water and then add a couple of buckets of ice to try and reduce the inflammation that you usually get from running for 5 hours and 35 minutes and covering 37 plus miles. After having more fun than a guy can handle, I then showered and got ready for dinner. During dinner, which was downstairs in the hotel restaurant and consisted of your typical buffet, we honored more families, or survivors. Once again, every time a family was honored it was a very emotional experience, something you can never get used too. During dinner I stuffed myself as full as possible, trying to "reload" for tomorrow. Afterward, it was time to go back to the room and prepare for tomorrow, which consisted of making more drinks and putting them on ice. Then it was bed time which came with it the worry of how I was going to feel when I woke up, not knowing how well I'd be able to run. I awoke in the morning feeling a little stiff but surprised that I could actually walk without much pain. After a light breakfast (you can't each much before you run), we were off again. The pace was a little more reasonable today, more like running an ultra marathon. I resumed the 1 to 1 and a half hour runs with 15 to 20 minute breaks. The most moving moment for me came when we made a stop in Baltimore at the Inner Harbor. While there we had more ceremonies honoring survivors.
A gentlemen stepped to the microphone to tell us his story. He (I'm sorry I forgot his name) was a member of the Baltimore City Police Department for nearly 30 years. He told us of the happiest day of his life when his son was born many years ago. He went on to say that when his son was six, he told his father that one day he would be a policeman just like him one day. That day came about 20 years later when his son graduated from the Baltimore Police Academy and he was proud beyond words. The saddest day in his life followed about two years later when his son was murdered while on duty in Baltimore City. Needless to say there wasn't a dry eye in the place. Just typing the works brings me right back to that day and how I felt. After the ceremony we were off again. Some how the running didn't bother me, almost like I was floating along yet still thinking of the mans painful speech. How could I possibly feel pain or gripe about anything after that. It seemed that the group was some what subdued, initially quiet. Then conversations began again. I found it to be mentally stimulating to run with so many people. I met people from as far away as Canada and exchanged story's with many of them. I normally run by myself for hours on end, so this was a great change. Anyway, more hours and miles passed until we reached reached the Holiday Inn in College Park, Maryland. For Saturday I had covered 32 miles and ran for 4 hours and 56 minutes. My normal recovery ritual ensued with the supplements, drinks, all of which were followed by the awesome ice bath. Only this time I nearly passed out in the tub. After regaining my composure, I stayed in for my allotted 15 minutes, showered and headed to dinner. Someone later explained to me that I probably had a rapid drop in blood pressure due to the extremely cold water which caused the near passing out. Dinner was at the local FOP Lodge. Our transportation to dinner was very luxurious; we were driven there in a prison bus with the complimentary cage and all. Luckily the cage wasn't locked for our 20 something minute ride to the lodge. Upon arriving we again honored more survivors and then had dinner. We were then taken back to the hotel where I attempted to hang out with the group for a little while at the lounge. We talked about the days events and about the job. It was then back to the room for more drink making for the next day. I was a bit more concerned than I was the previous night. My legs were feeling very stiff and appeared to be somewhat swollen. I was wondering if I would be able to cover the 12 remaining miles on Sunday
morning. I awoke Sunday morning barely being able to bend my legs to get out of bed; I was in trouble and didn't know what to do about it. I tried a hot shower, pacing back and forth in the room and even trying the stairs to loosen up. It all just made me feel as if my thighs had been whacked with a baseball bat. All I could do was pack up and hobble down stairs for breakfast. This time I ate a lot: waffles, eggs, yogurt and orange juice. I knew better than to do that and I would pay for it later
during the run with a stomach ache. Prior to starting the run I began pacing back and forth in the parking lot trying my best to loosen up. As the run was about to begin I was still trying to figure out how I was going to run on legs that wouldn't bend. The run began about 9:30AM and luckily it was a very slow pace, a pace that allowed me to loosen up completely. I was now feeling good enough to make it the last 12 miles to D.C. While en route to D.C. we stopped at the Hyattsville Justice Center for another emotional ceremony. At the conclusion we were off again. I could sense the group was again quiet and subdued after watching yet another still grieving family being honored as survivors.
We struck back out on the run which now had 7 more miles to go. It was during this time that I began to go over the the last three days in my mind. I had met a lot of great people, made some new friends, and created many new memories. The Law Enforcement Memorial Run had left me both mentally and physically invigorated, sore and soon to be very sore, but invigorated. We continued on our run and soon found ourselves entering Washington D.C. limits where we met up with members of the Washington D.C. Police Department who were to be our last escorts for the final miles of the run. The run was itself now turning into a celebration not only for the memories of those no longer with us, but for life itself. We were now joined by several survivors as we made our way into D.C. for the last couple miles of the run.
The group was clapping and chanting and we were also being cheered by people on the street. We finally made it to the D.C. Metro Police Department where everyone exchanged and congratulations for completing the journey. It was now time for the final ceremony, one in which 12 families were to be honored. At the completion we walked to the Law Enforcemen Memorial where we ran around the memorial itself. There are more than 15,700 names on the memorial and I was able to find several names of New Jersey State Troopers who had died in the line of duty. There were numerous hand written notes and pictures from loved ones taped near the names of the fallen officers. This too was very emotional for everyone, especially when actually seeing people grieving at the memorial. We then gathered for some final pictures and goodbyes. I took one final walk around the memorial, trying to take it all in. It had been a memorable three days ; it was an honor to have particapated and to have met so many great people. Thanks for reading. New Jersey State Police Team

How I became a runner and fitness nut

Hi all,

After weeks of procrastination this is my first post and attempt at this "blog thing." Anyway, how and why do I do what I do? Sometimes I ask myself that, which is normally right after I run a 30 plus mile training run just to see if I can. I've really been a runner since the 6th grade, mostly sprint type races from 50 yards to a mile and a half. For the heck of it I ran a half marathon(13.1 miles) in 10th grade because my older brother wanted too so I just winged it. It was fun but I still didn't have the desire to run just for the sake of running. After high school I got involved in weight lifting and later power lifting. My career choice had always been to become a State Trooper so I figured I needed to be big. This continued even after becoming a State Trooper in 1988 and soon my uniforms weren't fitting very well; I found it necessary to go "up" in sizes periodically which I thought was a good thing. It didn't help that I really didn't watch my diet too much either, thinking the more I ate the bigger my muscles would get. This is not always the case unfortunately, meaning it can be a bad thing. The act of simply reaching into the back seat of my work car sometimes resulted in ripping out a shoulder seam or bending over to pick up something also meant ripping my pants. This resulted in several trips to the Tailor for repairs. I wasn't really fat, just getting big all over and I was starting not to like it.
I can almost remember it like it was yesterday. It was late April 1997 and I was walking upstairs to get something and got to the top and found myself breathing heavily. Was I having a heart attack? No, I was just totally out of shape, cardiovascularly out of shape. I was strong as an ox, but I couldn't run too save my life, or chase down a bad guy. My wife and I had also been talking about having children (yikes, now their 6 & 9 years old) and I wanted to be able to run and play with them when they got older so I knew I had to do something. I was 190 plus pounds, could barely fit into my uniform and had a hard time walking up steps........so I started running. Two miles to start, some times three. I ran very slowly and still always ended my runs sucking wind. But I kept at it. A mere three weeks later I decided to run a State Police sponsored race, a 5K, which is 3.1 miles. I figured I'd be able to do this with no problem, even be competitive, maybe place in the top 5 or something. Yea right! I was barely passed the the 2 mile marker and thought that maybe I was going to die. I was breathing so hard that I was probably depriving the other runners around me of oxygen. So I slowed to a crawl, almost literally crawled, and finally made it to the finish. Alive but I felt embarrassed. My time was decent for having just started running (25:30ish), but being somewhat of a perfectionist I was mad that I didn't do better. So I ran more and more. I also began reading about running and studying nutrition books. My obsession with running had begun. The weight, was now dropping and my clothes were fitting better. I was also feeling more energetic. I was slowly transforming my body from weightlifter to endurance athlete. So I ran more. I ran numerous races that summer and continued to lower my 5K times. So I entered a 5 mile race, and found that they felt much farther than 5K's, because, well, they are further. So I entered a 10 mile race to increase my stamina and finished in 1:15.40 and it didn't feel too bad. So I kept challenging myself by training even harder, now incorporating speed workouts called intervals into my regimen. In the fall of 1997 I decided to run another half marathon. I ran one in 1980 in a time of one hour and 20 minutes so I figured that I had to be faster now. Well, it took me 1:48.45 to run it. I wasn't very happy with that so to punish myself I entered the Philadelphia Marathon in November 1997 figuring that I would just take it easy and finish. Well, I decided to run fairly hard for the first 15 miles before running out of gas, also called hitting the wall, and really suffered for the next 11 plus miles. Luckily, although my wife would beg to argue, I'm extremely bull headed. My motto has always been never give up, and I didn't. I struggled painfully to the finish in a time of 4:29.51, see picture at the right.

Although I finished, it was a time that Oprah Winfrey would beat by a few seconds when she ran the Marine Core Marathon in Washington DC. Therefore I was disgusted with myself. So I continued running, and reading numerous books on running, fitness and nutrition. It was almost like being in school, but of course it was something I wanted to do this time. The increased training and acquired knowledge made me both fitter and faster. Still I wanted to test myself more and see how much further and faster I could go.
In February of 1998 we had our first child, Brett. I now ran for him too, to be there for him and hopefully run with him as he grew up. It was a little tough fitting it all in; work, family and training but my wife was patient with my still new "hobby." I ran the New York City Marathon in November of 1998 and lowered my marathon best time to 3:52; an improvement of nearly 40 minutes. I was happy but not yet satisfied. I decided to train harder and attempt to qualify for the 2000 Boston Marathon. The Boston Marathon is the only marathon in the United States and I believe the world that you have to run a certain time to be able to participate in the race. My time to beat was 3:15.00, over 35 minutes faster than my most recent best time and 1:14.51 faster than my first marathon. Was I too ambitious? Many people train their entire lives and never run Boston . So I began training harder and set my sites on the 1999 Steamtown Marathon. I was nervous at the start of the race which was compounded by the steady rain which eventually turned into a downpour. To make matters worse, 20 miles into the race my right foot became tangled in the laces of my left foot and I flipped head over heels down a small hill. I layed there a moment thinking what the heck I was doing this for. I also began checking myself for injuries. I'd sustained only a few scrapes and "road burns" so I got up and continued running. It didn't feel good a first, I was scraped up, my shoes were full of water, and my momentum had been broken.
So I got mad and just ran. When I made the final turn onto the road that lead to the finish, I finally looked at my watch and realized I was going to make it. My time was 3:06.41, a nearly 45 minute improvement.....I was going to Boston!

I ran Boston in April of 2000 with no pressure for racing or time. I did feel extremely guilty for leaving my wife, who was due to deliver our second child in May. I was also nursing a pulled calf muscle that I obtained by over zealous training. So I ran Boston and the infamous "Heartbreak Hill" for fun and had a decent time of 3:09.50.

I was now faced with what do I do next. It seems that I always need to be challenged or have some sort of a goal to keep me motivated. So I just kept running. My next goal be to run a marathon in under three hours. I'd heard it was the bench mark for being a casual marathoner and a real marathoner. It wasn't enough to just run the 26.2 miles, now it had to be done in a time that I once had believed to be unattainable. I guess I hadn't tortured myself enough in the past so now I had to up my training even more and incorporate more specialized workouts. I mean, in my first marathon I ran at a pace of 10:35 a mile and my most recent was at a 7:05 a mile. To run a sub 3 hour marathon I'd have to run at a 6:51 pace per mile for 26.2 miles. It kinda blew my mind, but hey, it was a challenge and now a goal. So I began researching and developing running programs not only for myself but for others. I was also getting the reputation as the "food police" from friends and family members. I fortunately or unfortunately began studying nutrition more intensely and couldn't help but let people know what they were actually eating. Most welcomed the input and advice but others got a little indignant. I've heard more than once, "if I want cheese on my fries AJ, I'm gonna have cheese on my fries, I don't care if it plugs up my insides." So now I try to refrain from the unsolicited advice but mostly I can't help myself. Anyway, back to the task of a sub 3 hour marathon. I ran several marathons after Boston but always had near misses. I would for some reason develop cramps in my hamstrings somewhere around 23-23 miles and just couldn't figure out why. I then began researching body chemistry and the causes of cramps. Electrolytes!!!

Without these in the proper ratio a variety of things can happen to you, the worst of which is death (hyponatremia), and the least of which is cramps. So as not to bore you with the details I figured out my electrolyte issues. So in November of 2003, the week before my 40th birthday, I went back to the Philadelphia Marathon to hopefully gain revenge on the race that nearly destroyed me during my first marathon in 1997. I ran a well paced race and finished in 2:59! Another goal accomplished.

Anyway, fast forward to 2007. I've been running now for just over 10 years steady, five, but mostly six days a week. I've run 19 marathons and ultra marathons (races in excess of 26.2 miles, I've ran a couple of 32 milers and a 50 miler). I'm know longer fast, but that's what I choose. I just like to go out for long runs once or twice a week and mix in some shorter runs between 45 minutes to an hour. What I am finding I like most is introducing people to running or just fitness in general. I still bug people about what they are eating, and along the way have helped quite a few clean up their diets and lose some weight. I have several friends that I have harassed sufficiently enough that they took up running. My friend Steve has been running for a few years now and is becoming pretty fast. I paced him through his first half marathon and then we ran the Jersey Shore Marathon together in 2005. I expect to see him in front of me at some point in the near future at a local 5K race. Jeff, another friend, has surprised people the most. He probably just got tired of me talking about running and just decided to give it a shot. He has steadily improved his 5K times as well as his times in the last two 10 mile races he has entered. He kinda shocked everyone he knows by running the Ocean Drive Marathon just this past March. I believe he now knows what I felt like during my first marathon in 1997; it can be painful but extremely rewarding to finish a marathon. My friend Ray, who still hates running but heads out for a run three days a week anyway. At one point, a mile and a half intimidated him and left him breathless. Now he does fast repeats on a track during a 3-4 mile run. This is what makes it worth while now. I'll probably keep running forever and have intentions of running in races further than 50 miles, but now its watching others becoming fitter and faster that motivates me. So why do I run so much and so far? I run because it invigorates me, calms and destresses me. It is escapism, your mind becomes freer to concentrate on the important things in life, or think of nothing at all. I run to see how far I can run, to test myself, to explore areas that you can't get to by car. I run to hopefully inspire others to do the same and probably live longer and happier lives because of it. It is my fountain of youth, hopefully enabling me to be around this world for as long as I possibly can so I can be with my wife and children for as long as possible. Therefore I run for them. Until my next post, thanks for reading.

AJ

PS: please click on the inspiration link and read the story and watch the video