On October 31, 2011,
in 
Crossing the finish line at the 2010 Rev3 Knoxville.
About Being Fit vs. Being Healthy
On September 29, 2011,
in Blogs,
by Mauricio
from Mauricio's Triathlon, Running, Fitness, Motivation & Inspiration Blog
Of course you’re fit. You swim, bike and/or run for hours and miles at a time. You can out-endure anyone close to you without even trying. Your physique is envied by models everywhere. You can lose weight without even trying and your body fat percentage is the goal of every top professional athlete. Yes sir. You’re fit alright.
But are you healthy?
I have been thinking about this for a while now and even more so after the unfortunate death of a triathlete at the start of Ironman Louisville this year. Of course we’re fit, but are we healthy?
Those of us that got a late start in the sport, have a lot of ground to make up. As for me, I was overweight (198 lbs), in pain from bulging, herniated and ruptured discs. I have had numerous surgeries on my toes and ankle, leaving a constant nagging, if you will, on my lower extremities. Add to that the fact that I have high cholesterol due to family history and the very unhealthy diet that I followed for many a day. In 1988 I had an asthma attack which landed me in the emergency room, at which point my cholesterol was discovered to be over 500; “a walking heart attack” I was told I was.
In 2006 I turned the corner and saw the light. It was there blinding me, much like a train coming at you in a tunnel. I did not want… Read the rest
Nashville’s Country Music Marathon & 1/2 is a very special event for me for many reasons.
First of all, it was here back in 2007 when I jumped, feet first, into the world of endurance sports. I entered, ran and completed my first of many races. Never mind the simple fact that I did not know the first thing about running, endurance, nutrition, training, etc. I finished with a very respectable time of 2:37 and change. Since then, I have cut some thirty to thirty five minutes off that time. I ran a sub 2 hr once in Memphis but have not been able to do so again.
The image that will be embedded in my mind until I’m carried to the beyond is that of crossing the finish line to the cheers of family and friends. All along the route, I remember thinking: “What in the world am I doing here?”, while the instant I crossed that line my thought changed to: “When is the next one”? I was hooked.
Since that first one, I have run a total of two 1/2′s and two fulls in Nashville. And each one has it’s own story to tell.
This year I will run my third half. And it will extra special because I’m running this one side by side with my daughter Marcela. Life couldn’t get any better!
See ya’ll at the finish line!
On February 23, 2011,
in As I sit here with my leg propped up on some pillows, waiting patiently for Friday to arrive so I can have this damned cast removed from my leg and start rehabbing my ankle, I was thinking back to how all this running and triathlon stuff started. As I get in the ‘way-back’ machine and think back to 2001, I wasn’t fit at all. I sat behind a desk all day (still do) but wasn’t active in the true sense of the word. I was about 35-40 pounds heavier than I am now, I ate like crap, and my fitness routine was a once a week football (soccer) game on Sunday mornings.
I began to run (well, jog) as a way to get ready for Sunday League football (soccer). Sorry for the Euro-phile phrasing, but as this league was composed mostly French guys, along with some Germans, Brits, Spaniards, and Turks, it was called football. I figured I’d hit the treadmill at the local gym and get “in shape” for the upcoming spring and summer Sunday morning run-arounds. I think I might have run about 3/4 of a mile on my first attempt. I was destroyed. My wife said I look like I was going to die – my eyes were sunk in and I had the complexion of non-fat milk. But I kept at it. Once or twice a week I would torture myself on the treadmill and I was proud of the accomplishments,… Read the rest
In yesterday’s post, I talked very briefly about some of the really nice things about the 4th Annual 26.2 with Donna. This was not a small race – there were more than 10,000 participants in the event. That said, it felt small because of how charming, welcoming, and exceptional the environment was.
I thought it made sense to share with you some of the things I really liked about this race. As there are quite a lot of things I’m going to write about, I decided to do it bullet style:
- The Expo: I don’t normally write about liking an expo, but the expo for this race is really an event. Unlike some triathlon expos, this expo was held at a large convention center in Jacksonville. There were literally hundreds of companies there selling and giving out goodies. Now, certainly many of the product were targeted towards females – but that does make sense given the main charity for the race.
- The Swag: Among the “normal” race flyers and ads for sponsors, the swag bag for this marathon had lots of interesting information about breast cancer research, information about the Mayo Clinic, and some good nutrition samples. The race shirt was a nice long-sleeved technical t-shirt. The whole package came in a high-quality drawstring backpack
- The Celebrities: Well, it wasn’t the Grammys, but there were some high-profile folks at the race. Take for example, Mr. Run-Walk himself, Jeff Galloway. Galloway leads several training groups for this marathon, and as a result, he’s a
Today’s post was supposed to be a race report. A nice, tidy recap of a well-executed marathon run this past Sunday at the 4th annual 26.2 with Donna – The National Marathon to end Breast Cancer. Well, it won’t be, because it wasn’t.
You see, Sunday I did something that I’ve never, ever, done before. I dropped out of a race on my own accord. On my own – without having an RD tell me that he’d “highly suggest I retire” from a race like happened at IMKY in 2009. Nope. This time it was all on me.
Let me tell you why. This won’t be excuse mongering, nor will it be shared in the vain hope for sympathy. I’ll just give it to you straight. Why I chose to DNF a marathon.
The race started well. I found a good rabbit to follow for the first several miles. My pace was just about where I wanted to be for my “acceptable” pace – (as opposed to my “it’s a GREAT day pace). The run out to the beach was fun & highlighted by helecopter flyovers, lots of honking cars, and lots of spectators. The 2.5 miles run on the beach were breathtakingly beautiful. The crowds were spectacular. My half-marathon time was acceptable, especially given the fact that I’d been fighting a cold for more than a week.
After about 15 miles, the run took a decidedly poor turn. I had a couple of coughing attacks. My left knee started… Read the rest
I’m t-minus 5 days until my first “big” race of the year – the 26.2 with Donna: The National Marathon to End Breast Cancer. Generally, at this juncture I am excited, well-rested, and feeling like I’m at or close to peaking. Well, today I’m feeling achy, stuffy, sneezy, coughy, and congested.
I have a cold.
It’s not just any cold, either. It’s a full-blown, 15-pound bowling-ball-on-my-chest, hacking-until-my-back-hurts, I-want-to-stay-curled-up-in-my-bed kind of cold. The kind you’re not supposed to exercise with. (You know the adage…”ok to exercise if it’s above the neck, no-go if it’s below”).
Frankly, it’s not surprising that Mr. Mucus decided to show up and crash my marathon party. I’ve been totally burning the candle at both ends. Work has been….significant. Over the past ten days I’ve had some additional stress related to a family medical issue (which, thankfully, appears to be resolved). I haven’t slept much. I sure as hell haven’t been eating well.
So now, I’m 120 hours away from my race, and I’m not sure if I’ll be able to toe the line. If the race were today – I’d pull a Chrissie Wellington. I’m optimistic I’ll be better by Sunday morning. I have plans on sleeping well this week. I am going to hydrate as if I were a camel. I’m going to eat fruits and veggies as if I were a vegetarian who just escaped from a Brazilian steakhouse. Vitamins will be my friend. I’ve decided that unless I feel significantly worse, I’m not… Read the rest
This weekend I’ll be racing in the 26.2 with Donna – The National Marathon to End Breast Cancer. It’s a huge race here in northeast Florida – and not just in terms of the number of folks racing.
You see, we all know someone who has been touched by breast cancer. It hits home. It’s real. It can be devestating. Deadly. And it needs to go away.
This particular race is pretty special to lots of folks…and to commemmorate my running this weekend (and actually more to celebrate the cause) I thought it was appropriate to re-post one of my very first “Ten Questions With…” interviews. Back in August, I had the chance to interview Donna Deegan – the namesake of the race. Her story is so compelling.
Please take a moment to read (or re-read) the interview. Check out the event website. Check out the foundation. Make a donation if you’re inclined.
So now, this week’s “Ten Questions With…Donna Deegan”
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04 August 2010
Cancer. It’s a dirty word. A “four letter” word. Far too many people are impacted by this disease. Most of us probably know someone who has had cancer. Yet, as ugly a disease as cancer is, the battle against the disease showcases some of the most inspirational folks you’d ever want to meet.
Take, for example, Donna Deegan. Donna is a local newscaster here in Jacksonville. She’s also a wife, mother, author, and marathoner. She qualified & raced the Boston Marathon in 1999. She’s also a… Read the rest
It’s been 5 years since I last ran a marathon. When I became completely addicted to triathlons, my focus shifted away from all running all the time, to become a 2 sport athlete. I still ran some 1/2 marathons, and had some 15+ mile training runs when I gearing up for a half Ironman distance tri. But I have to admit, in the end, I didn’t miss running 20+ miles on any given Sunday.
The lure just wasn’t there anymore. I had been hooked on marathons for a handful of years, and was always looking forward to the next one. But while I say I was hooked I don’t think I was 100% hooked. The Boston Marathon was just never something that was that big a deal to me (I know, I know). For some reason I never had that urge, that “need”, to run Boston. I have a number of friends that I run with that have qualified for, and run, Boston. There has always chatter around who we knew that qualified and who was running it this time around. I knew that running Boston was a goal that most marathon runners have, but for some reason I just didn’t have that itch. So I was happy with my triathlons and running a 1/2 marathon here and there. And the last two triathlon seasons have been full. I’ve kept plenty busy training for Olympic, and half Ironman distance races.
Something changed this past winter and spring. The… Read the rest
I was at the peak of my training for the year – and I was going to ride the wave of “good mojo” into one or two more triathlons and then focus on the Steamtown Marathon as I target a Boston qualifying run. My running has been great this year if I do say so myself (many thanks go out to Matt P, Rodney C, Tom O, and Mark M for pushing me harder than I’ve been pushed in years past.) My cycling has been great as well (many thanks to the Westchester Triathlon Club and my good friend Rich) The timing and training was lining up to perfection.
That was up until last Thursday.
Without going into the details that would make most men squirm, I had to pay a visit to my doctor last week. (Read: I visited a specialist, one whom most men really don’t want to visit if they can avoid it.) Long story short, and one in-office procedure later, I was granted a one week vacation from training whether I wanted it or not.
And I really didn’t.
It was five long days before I could get on a bike again. And even then I was forced to ride easy. After seven days I was able to jog. And by jog, I mean “JOG”. Not even close to my normal training pace.
What does all this mean? It means that once in a while life gets in the way. What is one… Read the rest
