Sharing Experiences

I had started to write this piece about race distances and was in the editing phase when I got a text message from my sister.  It said, "Hey, I ran a 5K today in 41 minutes and ran most of it.  Pretty good for me since I don't run."  I then realized that whenever anyone talks to me about running, they tend to apologize for their times, lack of skill or distance.  It is like they think I am some sort of elite runner who will judge their effort in a negative light which couldn't be further from the truth.  I am just a middle of the pack runner who over the years has learned and trained enough to be able to run any distance up to a marathon.

It makes me sad when other people seem to place themselves below me when they come and talk to me about running.  Running is not only my sport, it is a huge part of my life and who I am.  I am passionate about running.  I love to talk about running with anyone interested because I believe it has done so much for me.  I want to share what I have experienced and learned with anyone willing to listen.  Running has made me more confident, healthier and less stressed.  It has also allowed me to meet so many great people.  Many of whom are now close friends. Running is something that I want to share with everyone who is interested.  It is the one sport that you can participate in at any level and where it is actually encouraged.

I believe that some people don't even try to run because they associate it with punishment.  Remember when your coach would say "take a lap".  It was the penalty you paid for doing something wrong on the field.  That created a negative association with running.  While running may have not been fun in the past, it could be fun now.  I will tell anyone who asks me that running is an easy sport.  It doesn't matter what speed I run.  It only matters that I get out there and run.  The distance is the same whether the person runs it at a 15 minute or 5 minute pace.  I ran the same 26.2 miles in New York in November that Ghirmay Ghebreslassie ran. He just ran it at slightly faster pace (4:53 per mile vs. 9:46 per mile).  The only thing stopping anyone from running is the gumption to lace on a pair of shoes and head out the door.

As I participate in the sport, I am welcomed by an enormous running community.  The best part of being a part of this community is that everyone I meet truly wants me to succeed.  The reason I started this blog in the first place was so that I could write about it.  I don't really know if anyone really reads my musings on a regular basis.  But in the end it doesn't matter.  I know that whoever discovers my posts will benefit from what I have learned over the years.  When I discuss running with my friends, I have found that they are just like me.  They have had the same thoughts and fears I have experienced over the years.  This is where the real connection point is between runners whether they are elite or mid-packers.

I believe strongly that being a runner adds value to my life in so many ways.  It has taught me that I can set a goal and through hard work and perseverance achieve it.  For me it started out just as a way to lose a little weight and get some exercise.  Then I challenged myself to try and run a 5K in less than 30 minutes.  Next I stepped up to the 10K distance.  Before I knew it, I was crossing the finish line of my first marathon.   What I want each runner to know is that the end goal is what drives me to improve so that I can reach my goals.  Running always makes me feel alive.  It makes me feel like I can do anything I set my mind to.  Ultimately it allows me to connect myself to the greater running community.

Perhaps the reason that people seem to apologize to me about their runs when they share their experiences with me is because running doesn't hold the same level of importance in their life.  Even if it isn't a huge part of their life, I still love hearing about their experiences.  I love it when someone tells me that they ran their first race ever.  I always tell them how excited I am for them.  Reaching a goal is so meaningful.  I never let them compare what they have achieved to my running life because it is an individual sport.  I know that when a runner is just getting started, their fight is more much mental than physical.  I usually tell than them that since they made the commitment to run that first race that they now have the mental strength to push through anything.  They will over time find their runs enjoyable and something to look forward to.

Feb. 13 – 5.30 miles (45:36, 8:36 pace) - Speed Work
Feb. 14 – 5.20 miles (54:09, 10:25 pace) - Hill Repeats
Feb. 16 – 4.20 miles (35:29, 8:27 pace) - Tempo Run
Feb. 17 – 6.20 miles (54:57, 8:52 pace)
Feb. 18 – 9.30 miles (1:23:54; 9:01 pace)
Feb. 19 – 7.20 miles (1:03:33, 8:50 pace)
Feb. 20 – 5.50 miles (59:18, 10:47 pace) - Hill Repeats
Feb. 21 – 5.30 miles (44:29, 8:24 pace) - Speed Work
Feb. 23 – 4.20 miles (37:44, 8:59 pace)
Feb. 24 – 6.20 miles (54:28, 8:47 pace)
Feb. 25 – 9.50 miles (1:25:34, 9:00 pace)
Feb. 26 – 10.20 miles (1:30:12, 8:51 pace)

Total Miles:  78.3 miles
2017 Total Miles:  334.1 miles

New Allergies

On a recent business trip I started to break out in to hives and had some severe itching.  It progressively got worse.  When I flew home from Houston, I was miserable the entire flight.  I was feeling very uncomfortable and didn't want to bother the other passengers with my constant scratching.  The flight seemed to go on forever.  When I got home and undressed, my wife could not believe how more than 75% of my body was covered in hives.  I was obviously having a severe allergic reaction to something.

Both my wife and daughter have very severe food allergies.  I have always been allergic to tree nuts, citrus and airborne pollens.  Because of their sensitivities, my wife felt strongly that it had to be something I ate.  We went through everything I had over the previous 2 days and could not find anything that could have triggered such a reaction.  I did the best I could to treat the itch to get through the weekend until I could see the doctor on Monday.

Later that weekend, my wife was looking at the 2 meal replacement bars I have been eating for the past 10 years.  She found that both had almonds, almond butter and one had almond flour.  We thought we had found the culprit.  But still wondered why now I should have such a violent reaction.  As I thought about it and reviewed my food diary, I did notice that I had been eating a lot of cheese and other dairy products like yogurt.  Since I can no longer tolerate milk, I wondered if I had developed a dairy allergy.  So we decided to test it.

After the first couple of days off of dairy, I was feeling better.  But I was still feeling unsure.  Plus with the Super Bowl coming up, I didn't want to miss out on all of the cheesy goodness we typically serve.  I decided to stay off dairy until then.  Well, Super Bowl Sunday came and I indulged in all kinds of great snack foods like Velveeta and Rol Tel dip, crab and artichoke dip (cream cheese based) and buffalo chicken dip.  It didn't take long for me to have a reaction.

I am planning to see an allergist to confirm what I am allergic to.  I shouldn't complain here about my issue because after taking dairy out of my diet I am much better.  I am not going to have to deal with the problems my wife and daughter have which is good.  I have to admit I have been a bit immature about it because one of my favorite treats is ice cream.  The good news is that there are good substitutes out there for me to experiment with and I hope to find one I like.

It is curious that I would have this problem at 55 and not before.  I have read that developing allergies as an adult is a fairly common phenomenon, but there isn't any clear evidence to say what causes the change.  Scientists who research allergens simply don't know why an adult's body suddenly  reacts to an allergen after many years of uneventful contact with it. Some say that it could be due to a change in the person's environment that triggers it.  Another theory is called the “hygiene hypothesis,” suggesting that the highly clean environments we maintain causes our immune systems to overreact to harmless things like pet dander and certain foods.

Regardless of the cause it is obvious I am going to have to change my diet.  The good news is that food-labeling laws require manufacturers to clearly list whether a food contains any of the top eight allergens: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, and soy.   This will help me know what to avoid.  It will mean more time in the grocery aisles but that is a small price to pay to avoid a reaction like the last one.  Working for Sprouts also allows me to learn about more and more food alternatives every day.  My allergy therefore doesn't mean a lifetime of limitation. I am sure that I will find that learning about these alternatives will open a whole new world of eating for me.


Jan. 30 – 6.20 miles (1:03:06, 10:115 pace) - Hill Repeats
Jan. 31 – 5.70 miles (49:35, 8:42 pace) - Speed Work
Feb. 2 – 7.00 miles (1:02:12, 8:53 pace) - Tempo Run
Feb. 3 – 6.20 miles (52:38, 8:29 pace)
Feb. 4 – 8.6 miles (1:16:40; 8:55 pace)
Feb. 5 – 10.10 miles (1:27:42, 8:41 pace)
Feb. 6 – 6.10 miles (1:04:16, 10:32 pace) - Hill Repeats
Feb. 7 – 6.20 miles (53:34, 8:38 pace) - Speed Work
Feb. 9 – 7.20 miles (1:04:11, 8:55 pace) - Tempo Run
Feb. 10 – 6.20 miles (55:08, 8:54 pace)
Feb. 11 – 9.20 miles (1:25:37, 9:18 pace)
Feb. 12 – 8.20 miles (1:12:23, 8:50 pace)

Total Miles:  86.9 miles
2017 Total Miles:  255.8 miles