Weekly Update: November 30, 2015:

Hello, everyone! I hope that you are doing great as winter begins on this brisk Monday morning! It is quietly snowing outside right now, which is very nice to see. Having cold and cloudy weather is never any fun; once you add snow, things get more cheerful and one is more apt to slip into a nice, cozy, holiday mood!

I also hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Mine was amazing! My sister and her family graced our Lincoln apartment for a couple days, and the day following Thanksgiving was my oldest niece's (Olivia's) sixth birthday. There were a lot of festivities over the latter part of last week, needless to say.

Olivia also became a doctor on Saturday, when she received a nice doctor's outfit from Saint Elizabeth Medical Center as a birthday gift. She gave my dad and I full checkups, even! Check out the pictures below. Who knows, Olivia might be working as a doctor when she gets older! She also came with me to the hospital to hand out candy to the nurses, which she really enjoyed! smile emoticon

In other news, I ran/walked a 5k on Thanksgiving morning. I had been considering doing it since I was discharged from the hospital the previous Sunday, and I guess 4 days was enough time to get back into the game! The weather was not my favorite, at around 34 degrees with a light rain, but it was good to get out there and have some fun! I ended up finishing the 3.18 mile course (according to my Garmin) in 43:50 (13:48 pace)…not too shabby, considering that I walked most of it, and I had to stop to tie my shoe (which NEVER happens during a race…I don't know why the shoe decided to come undone during the 5k!). I also ran negative splits, and each successive mile was faster than the previous (14:22, 13:52, 13:30).

I have also started busting out workouts on the Total Gym. My parents have one, and it is also the thing that Chuck Norris endorses, so you know I'm going to get really fit here soon! smile emoticon I am also increasing my daily walk/runs to 3-4 miles total, as well as incorporating stationary cycling. However, I am really missing my bikes back in Colorado frown emoticon The stationary cycle has this seat that really jams up into your nether regions, if you know what I mean. Not a fun place to be. I am also getting back into doing more yoga poses before my morning meditation…today, I did 40 minutes of yoga, and then 40 minutes of meditation. Not a bad way to begin the day!

Well, that is all for now. I have three more days of neupogen shots this week, then, on Wednesday, a consultation at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha regarding a possible bone marrow transplant after my main course of treatment is done. I actually feel like my bone marrow is doing really good! Other than a usually low hemoglobin level (hovering in the 8-9 level; 13.5-17 is the "norm"), my platelets are recovering perfectly after each chemo course, as well as my white blood cell counts and absolute neutrophil counts. So…a strong mind equals a strong body equals a strong person. This is why it is so important for all of us in life to forge mental toughness and a positive outlook!

Until next time, keep getting 'er done...whatever this means for you smile emoticon

Update: October 18, 2015

Hello!

I have not posted for some time on this blog. After the Race Across New Mexico, I took some downtime, and really didn't do too much physical activity during the month of March. I did a couple good bike rides of 20-30 miles, just easy ones to get the legs going, and got back to doing more sit-ups, pull-ups, and other body weight exercises.

I did develop a bit of tendonitis in the distal quad tendons after a serious SEALFIT workout that included a bunch of kettle bell swings and box jumps. After years of just doing long runs and no real "power" workouts, it was a poor decision to do the SEALFIT workout. Even though I cut the number of reps down considerably, the 100 kettle bell swings and the 100 box jumps of the workout I did in mid-April really took it out of me. The tendonitis of the quad tendons wouldn't leave me alone, and thus I didn't really do any physical activity after mid-April.

I had my last good workout was on April 30. It consisted of the good ol' bodyweight pyramid of 1x pull, 2x push, and 3x ab. I didn't do any dips on this day because I was feeling sort of lethargic (although a week earlier I finished the entire pyramid workout, with dips, in 38:05). On April 30, something felt a bit weird, with the lethargy causing me to slug out the workout in 37:55, with a lot of just sitting around between sets.

Anyway, I lost about 12 pounds in May for no apparent reason, and kept having flare ups in the ol' quads. Fast forward to the first week of August…by this time my resting heart rate was in the 120s and I had to take frequent breaks during my summer job at the Marlboro Music Festival (Vermont) to catch my breath.

Basically, when I went into the urgent care on August 6, I was urged to go to the emergency room…and from there, I learned that I most likely had leukemia. I was airlifted to the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH (from Brattleboro, VT), and on August 7 was diagnosed with Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

It was such a surreal experience, and everything happened so quickly that I forced to process the gravity of the situation and basically accept that there was only one course of action available: immediate treatment.

*****

Fast forward to today: I am currently finishing out my 3rd course of chemo treatment, of which there will be 4 or 6 total courses. But the best thing is:

After my initial course of treatment, the amount of leukemia cells dropped from 88% (on August 7) to LESS THAN 1% on September 15. I will have another bone biopsy in about a month to confirm the "blast" cells are still less than 1%…and, one has to have a "blast" cell count higher that 20% for the condition to be even considered leukemia! So, I have basically been in remission for over a month now, and am feeling great! I am taking care of my body and mind in only the best ways, and am dominating any of the bad cells that might be lurking around.

Today, I also jogged a bit during my morning walk! After 5 minutes of walking, I did 6 x 30 seconds of jogging (with 2 minutes of walking between sets), and then used the remaining time to have a cool-down walk. This was the BEST way to begin the day, and my Altras are still as awesome as I remember :) I basically have not ran in 5 months…and it felt INCREDIBLE to be back out there!

My plans for 2016 include:

Platte River Half Marathon, Littleton, CO (April)
Greenland Trail Races 25k, Greenland, CO (May)
Ordinary Mortals Spring Triathlon, Pueblo, CO (May)

And after that…who knows!

I really want to get in some nice epic bike rides, like multi-day trips around Colorado, or aid/crew someone with one of their endeavors, so please let me know if you need someone to help you out! :)

Until next time…

Run on! :)

Oh yeah, on that app "Timehop," I evidently did my first one-armed pull-up on this date in 2008. Hooyay!

Race Across New Mexico, Stage 15

Monday, March 2, 2015

I awoke on the morning of Stage 15 ready to get out there and run the last 30 miles to Texas! My legs felt really good, despite the "quick" 30 miles the day before. Max and I had to drive an hour to the start, as Roswell was where we decided to stay. The hotel in Tatum (near the start of Stage 15) was not exactly the most inviting place to stay, and we made the decision to stay in Roswell because of the hospitality and comfort offered there :)

The last stage went really good. My legs felt like they had an extra spring in them, propelling me towards Texas. I was also glad that this would be my last day running on pavement for a very, very long time! As I said in an earlier post, pavement is unnatural, and the slope of the shoulder (even if it is barely visible) will cause injury and muscle imbalances to the leg taking more of the impact.

Anyway, I finished out the 30.4 miles in just under five hours, at a 9:46 min/mile pace. I always made sure to take a bit of a walking break at each mile throughout each stage of the run, and this method worked great!

Some pictures from the last day:

 There were a lot of these metal signs for all the ranches dotting the area. This one must be a big ranch, since it is already 9 miles off the highway!

 Getting ready to run to Texas!

 And, we're off! After today I won't run for a week :)

 Passing mile 14, on the west side of the small town of Tatum, NM

 Somewhere near the end...it is hard to tell exactly where this is, because the scenery was basically the same.

 Getting the last stage done!

A bit of celebrating with Barefoot Alex and Robert Young. Both of these runners are very inspirational and are amazing people!

Riding this Texas sign like it is a bronco.

Stage 15

Distance - 30.41
Time - 4:57:06
Pace - 9:46
Calories - 2253
Elevation Gain - 3
Elevation Loss - 431
Elevation Change - 434
HR Avg - 142
HR Max - 175
Minimum Elevation - 3789
Maximum Elevation - 4217

Totals (12 stages)

Distance - 319.42
Time - 58:49:06
Pace - 11:04
Calories - 23981
Elevation Gain - 10284
Elevation Loss - 12427
Elevation Change - 22711
HR Avg - 139
HR Max - 180
Minimum Elevation - 5286
Maximum Elevation - 6202

***

In the next post, I will give a general race recap. Things I will discuss include general remarks, training for this event, gear, nutrition, injuries, baths, relaxation, sleep, the digestive system, and my next big plans!

:)

Race Across New Mexico, Stage 14

March 1, 2015

The month of March began with Stage 14 of the Race Across New Mexico. Due to inclement weather the day before, I decided not to venture out onto New Mexico Highway 380 for Stage 13. The road was closed, and I did not want to risk going out in the car, or having a vehicle slam into me on the highway. When the race director had not made a decision by 11:30 AM, and because the road was still closed, I made the decision to not risk anything.

Due to the fact that Stage 12 was cut down to 19 miles because of the road closure, the race director decided to tack on the remaining miles onto the last two stages of the Race Across New Mexico. Therefore, Stages 14 and 15 would both be 30 miles in length. 

I actually felt really good during Stage 14. I listened to some Indian music for the first half, and the sound of the nagaswaram kept me going. The entire 30 miles were on the desolate stretch of road between Roswell and Tatum, and because it was foggy, I couldn't tell what the landscape looked like. Overall, it was a great day, and my average pace for the 30 miles (9:43 min/mile) was the quickest pace I had maintained during any stage! My legs felt like they were actually running, rather than slogging along in a shuffle.

 Excited to run!

 Getting ready to start. Lots of fog.

 And, we're off for the first of two 30 mile runs...

 A sweet action shot.

 Running so fast everything is a blur?

Stage 14

Distance - 30.29
Time - 4:54:13
Pace - 9:43
Calories - 2167
Elevation Gain - 568
Elevation Loss - 197
Elevation Change - 765
HR Avg - 147
HR Max - 185
Minimum Elevation - 3848
Maximum Elevation - 4403

Totals (11 stages)
Distance - 289.01
Time - 53:52:00
Pace - 11:11
Calories - 21728
Elevation Gain - 10281
Elevation Loss - 11996
Elevation Change - 22277
HR Avg - 139
HR Max - 181
Minimum Elevation - 5422
Maximum Elevation - 6283

Race Across New Mexico, Stage 12

Stage 12 brought with it a lot of snow and ice on the road. Because it wasn't sleeting and raining and snowing like yesterday, I actually preferred the conditions today over yesterday. I was just chillin at a pretty good clip, and would have finished today's marathon in around 4:40...but then, the road was closed after mile 19. Actually, the next 60 miles of the road were closed (between Roswell and Tatum, NM). This was sort of a bummer, because I was feeling good and in a nice groove.

It would make sense to just consider today's run as the 19 mile section that we would have run on Monday, but the race director was thinking that we would tack on 4 miles or so over the next two marathons. So, yes, that would mean that we would have to run 30 miles tomorrow, and then 30 miles on Sunday! (And then, only 19 miles on Monday to reach the border of Texas). I am hoping that we just do marathons for the next 3 days...

Below are some photos of today's run. It looks pretty bad, and it was, but I was actually enjoying myself quite a bit, and was bummed that we had to call it quits. Us runners, we could have dominated that hill like it was nothing :)

Right before we started the run

 Look out for trucks!

 Getting er done!

 Icy roads

 An awesome action shot

 Running through Roswell. I haven't run in an urban environment since 2012! And, I didn't like it.

 East of Roswell

Groovin

 "Befriend someone"

 Mile 19, where we had to stop. 

 This weird icicle formed on my facemask.

Stage 12
Distance - 19.11
Time - 3:21:55
Pace - 10:34
Calories - 1443
Elevation Gain - 121
Elevation Loss - 598
Elevation Change - 719
HR Avg - 139
HR Max - 168
Minimum Elevation - 3448
Maximum Elevation - 3948

Totals (10 stages)
Distance - 258.72
Time - 48:57:47
Pace - 11:19
Calories - 19561
Elevation Gain - 9713
Elevation Loss - 11799
Elevation Change - 21512
HR Avg - 138
HR Max - 181
Minimum Elevation - 5579
Maximum Elevation - 6581

Race Across New Mexico, Stage 11

Stage 11 was definitely a day to remember! With the temperatures hovering around freezing when we began, a light rain/snow started falling upon us. I am never worried about snow, because you can just bundle up, but when it is rain and makes you wet, then the precipitation becomes a problem. Over the next miles, the temperature continued to drop, and the wind seemed to pick up even more. At mile 19, I asked one of the volunteers what the temperature was like, and he said that the windchill was somewhere in the mid-teens. Fun!

The first 6 miles were really good, and I was just chilling out listening to some Handel and Scarlatti piano music. Then, between the first and second aid station, the rain seemed to pick up, and my clothes quickly became wet. We climbed this long hill that seemed to take 5 miles to ascend, and then Max (my crew member) was waiting right before 13 miles...I changed all my shirts and jacket, and put another pair of pants on...my Gore Tex jacket had developed a thin layer of ice all over it, which I guess could have been good in a way to further block the wind, but I left it to dry out.

I asked Max to just go 3 miles up the road (as he did until the end), and this seemed to keep my spirits high. All I had to do was run about 30 minutes, and then I could change out my clothes if I wanted to. My hands got really cold between miles 6 and 13 due to the freezing rain, so I had to put on these dang work gloves that were in the back of the car. They didn't offer too much insulation, but at least they were dry. When I tucked them into my jacket, it provided just enough of a barrier to keep my hands warm for the remainder of the run.

Have you ever looked outside and wondered if it is too cold to run? That was basically what today was like, except we had to run. When there is a threat of frostbite, that's when you know the real fun starts! :)

Despite these fun conditions (which some may call miserable), I maintained a low heart rate average of 136 and a max of 165. I just took it easy and didn't stress the system too much.

 The weather at the start reminded me of the weather prior to the Boston Marathon in 2007...cold, windy, and gross. Perfect for a real good 26 miles!

 The last half reminded me of Highway 50 between Pueblo West and Florence. Perfect!

 "Ice Man" style. A thin layer of ice covered my legs and my jacket. 

 And...a thin layer of ice covered my sunglasses, making them un-wearable.

 Barefoot Alex, displaying his "ice beard"

Finishing the day's run in high spirits! It's always a great day to run! :)

Stage 11
Distance - 26.49
Time - 4:51:59
Pace - 11:01
Calories - 2026
Elevation Gain - 850
Elevation Loss - 1864
Elevation Change - 2714
HR Avg - 136
HR Max - 165
Minimum Elevation - 3934
Maximum Elevation - 5138

Totals (9 stages)
Distance - 239.61
Time - 45:35:52
Pace - 11:25
Calories - 18118
Elevation Gain - 9592
Elevation Loss - 11201
Elevation Change - 20793
HR Avg - 138
HR Max - 182
Minimum Elevation - 5816
Maximum Elevation - 6873

Race Across New Mexico, Stage 10

February 25, 2015

Stage 10 was a pretty good day! The weather was really nice, for the most part. We we started at 8:15 am, the temperature was about 40 degrees and a slight wind was coming out of the northeast.

The first 6 mile went by pretty quickly, and there was this mean looking dog that tried to get us. Fortunately, the woman I was running with had a high-pitched whistle that evidently hurt the dog's ears, so the beast stayed away. The beast did, however, nip one of the runners in the butt! Newton Baker, who is 73 and is running across the entire US, was all alone in the back of all of us, and the dog ran at him and actually bit him! It did not puncture the skin, however.

This will be a reminder for all of us to have precautions when running! I will invest in a high-pitched whistle and some pepper spray as soon as I can, and strap it to my hydration pack!

My heart rate average was pretty low today, at 134 bpm...this is a combination of the downhill course, as well as descending from 6000 to 5000 feet! Air, I can breathe it in now! :)

The highlight of the day was running through the town of Lincoln, NM. All kinds of crazy action went down in this town back in the day. This was also the historical home of Billy the Kid. Pretty cool!

A neat little building in Lincoln, NM

Stage 10
Distance - 26.81
Time - 4:45:22
Pace - 10:39
Calories - 1732
Elevation Gain - 414
Elevation Loss - 1548
Elevation Change - 1962
HR Avg - 134
HR Max - 191
Minimum Elevation - 4945
Maximum Elevation - 6098

Totals (8 stages)
Distance - 213.12
Time - 40:43:53
Pace - 11;28
Calories - 16092
Elevation Gain - 8742
Elevation Loss - 9337
Elevation Change - 18079
HR Avg - 138
HR Max - 184
Minimum Elevation - 6051
Maximum Elevation - 7090

Race Across New Mexico, Stage 9

Stage 9 was a pretty good day. I awoke in Capitan, NM (home of the first Smokey Bear) to a very bright sun coming in the window and birds singing in the trees. This weather, however, didn't last long, as a brisk wind came out of nowhere after 6 miles of running. The remaining 20 miles were straight into the wind, over "Indian Peak" at just under 7,000 feet, past a dead elk in the ditch, and through the small, pretty town of Capitan. The temperature dropped so much in the last couple miles that I needed to switch into a warmer jacket.

The highlight of the run was coming into the third aid station at around 19.5 miles. I strummed on the guitar a bit, ate half of a banana and some bbq chips, and hit around the hacky sack a bit with one of the volunteers. Overall, a fun day! Finished feeling pretty good and ready for another day on the road!

 A sunny start!

 Valle del Sol

 Right before the hills started

 The clouds moving in, bringing greyness and cold.

Finishing the day!

Stage 9
Distance - 26.54
Time - 5:04:56
Pace - 11:29
Calories - 2069
Elevation Gain - 1887
Elevation Loss - 1105
Elevation Change - 2992
HR Avg - 146
HR Max - 173
Minimum Elevation - 5326
Maximum Elevation - 6963

Totals (7 stages)
Distance - 186.31
Time - 35:58:31
Pace - 11:35
Calories - 14360
Elevation Gain - 7176
Elevation Loss - 6824
Elevation Change - 14000
HR Avg - 139
HR Max - 183
Minimum Elevation - 6209
Maximum Elevation - 7232

Race Across New Mexico, Stage 8

Stage 8 came the day before the first scheduled day off. Therefore, I was in a bit higher of spirits. My legs were feeling pretty good, too, for the most part, although there still was a bit of limping involved. No big deal. The left hip was hurting a bit, so I put some rocktape on the sore spot and that seemed to help. This run took us from the middle of nowhere, north of the White Sands Missile Range, to the town of Carrizozo, NM. There were some really cool views of mountains off in the distance, but the most memorable part of the run was the fact that snow came in and the temperatures dropped...and the wind picked up! Some said that the windchill was around 15 degrees. But, no problem! I put on Christine's awesome Gore-Tex jacket and that kept out all the wind, snow, and cold.

Less than a mile into the run, the snow started coming down. They were big, wet drops. I traded my regular jacket for the Gore-Tex jacket, and also put a pair of running pants over my tights:

Loving the variety in the weather:

Awesome views, and long, slow climbs!

The last 10 miles or so had no precipitation, but the wind picked up, gusting to 30 mph. A grey day, but feeling very happy:

Upon finishing this stage, I was immediately ready for some rest and relaxation :) The woman at the hotel even gave us two bowls of Indian curry! Yum!

Stage 8

Distance - 26.63

Time - 5:03:32
Pace - 11:24
Calories - 1921
Elevation Gain - 1361
Elevation Loss - 2339
HR Avg - 140
HR Max - 209
Minimum Elevation - 5221
Maximum Elevation - 6695

Totals (6 stages)

Distance - 159.77

Time - 30:53:35
Pace - 11:36
Calories - 12291
Elevation Gain - 6441
Elevation Loss - 6684
HR Avg - 137
HR Max - 185
Minimum Elevation - 6356
Maximum Elevation - 7277

Race Across New Mexico, Stage 7 - Birthday Run!

Stage 7 marked the day when I was able to run a marathon to celebrate my birthday!

Here I am, pictured at the race start, wearing an incredible shirt that Christine Lanza made for me for this occasion! The weather was lovely, in the mid 40s, and it got up into the 60s during the run. I also put some rocktape on the medial left knee, as well as along the long head of the left gastrocnemius.

Because it hurt more to walk (there is more knee extension in walking, it seems), I just trotted along the entire time at an 11:30-12:00 min/mile pace. This was actually very difficult...and even though the pace was slower, I was running constantly for the 5 hours and 20 minutes. 

To further celebrate my birthday, I listened to the entire recording of LaMonte Young's "The Well-Tuned Piano." I have had this recording for almost a year, but have never listened to it because I wanted to listen to it in one setting. A 5+ hour run was perfect for this occasion. 

Stage 7

Distance - 26.87

Time - 5:20:31
Pace - 11:56
Calories - 2344
Elevation Gain - 1484
Elevation Loss - 272
HR Avg - 140
HR Max - 169
Minimum Elevation - 4957
Maximum Elevation - 6307

Totals (5 stages)

Distance - 133.14

Time - 25:50:03
Pace - 11:38
Calories - 10370
Elevation Gain - 5080
Elevation Loss - 4345
HR Avg - 137
HR Max - 180
Minimum Elevation - 6583
Maximum Elevation - 7393

Race Across New Mexico, Stage 5 and 6

Due to a lot of pain and stiffness in my left knee area, I decided it best to not run Stage 5. Immediately after finishing Stage 4 (walking 24 miles and jogging 2), the place behind the left knee where the long head of the gastrocnemius inserts was very sore and prevented me from fully extending my my left knee. This was a bad sign, and I played it smartly by deciding not to run.

Instead, we went on to the next hotel in Socorro, where the amazing Jose Peres worked on my legs a bit. After taking a nice soak in some epsom salt and essential oils, he performed moxibustion on my calf, and then massaged my legs out. Needless to say, this all felt amazing!

On the day Stage 6 was supposed to begin, my leg still had stiffness and I was limping around. Max and I decided to go down to the town of Truth or Consequences, NM to visit a hot springs. After an hour of relaxing in the healing waters, we ate a nice lunch (salad buffet), and then did some exploring of the area around Elephant Butte.

Race Across New Mexico, Stage 4

After having a very sore pes anserine area with the three days of consecutive marathons, on cement, with a slant on the shoulder, my legs felt like they deserved a bit of a break. I put on some rocktape on my leg, and decided to walk the 4th stage. Little did I know, this would actually be more difficult than running the 26+ miles. I noticed during the walking that the long head of my left gastrocnemius became sore. I wasn't used to walking more than 4 miles, so by the time I got to 24 miles (which took about six and a half hours!), I was almost limping and just decided to jog it in.

This stage was neat because we passed by the Very Large Array (VLA), an array of 27 or so massive satellites. You may have seen these in the movie Contact and also in Transformers 2. It was very extraordinary and surreal to run by the VLA, which you could see from 5 miles away.

Here is a sweet photo of me standing in from of some of the 30m diameter satellites:

The VLA is built at the bottom of an old lake. Now it is called the Plains of San Augustin:

Trucking along, Jose Peres takes on the flat roads of the San Augustine Plains.

After climbing a bit, it was glorious to look back at the long, straight road upon which we ran:

And, a most momentous occasion, I hit the 100 mile mark of the journey!

Stage 4
Distance - 26.73
Time - 6:52:56
Pace - 15:27
Calories - 1720
Elevation Gain - 464
Elevation Loss - 828
HR Avg - 109
HR Max - 173
Minimum Elevation - 6886
Maximum Elevation - 7283

Totals (4 Stages)
Distance - 106.27
Time - 20:29:32
Pace - 11:34
Calories - 8026
Elevation Gain - 3596
Elevation Loss - 4073
HR Avg - 136
HR Max - 180
Minimum Elevation - 6990
Maximum Elevation - 7665