The Final Run For Mountain T.O.P.

As many of you know by now, I am approaching my final run. A torn meniscus and arthritis in my right knee has spelled an end of my running. My doctor has said that I should not be running at all. The irony is that this injury came just as I reached the high point of my time in running – qualifying for the Boston Marathon. Only about 10% of all marathon finishers post a time fast enough to qualify for Boston. It was something I had only dreamed about. Fortunately, I was able to post a qualifying time at the Cincinnati Flying Pig marathon last year.

Over the past 25 years, there has been one aspect of my running that has been missing. I have never run for a cause other than fitness, stress relief and just plain fun. As I approach my final run, I would like it to be more than just that – a final run. I hope that it could be a means of helping to enriching other peoples’ physical and spiritual well being.

It is for this reason that I would like to make my last run, my last marathon, a fund raiser. The charity I have chosen is Mountain T.O.P. (Tennessee Outreach Project). (http://www.mountain-top.org/).

This is a ministry that the youth at my church have participated in for many years, but I really never knew the impact until my kids went this past summer. They described it as one of the most fulfilling and important experiences they have ever had.

The mission of Mountain T.O.P. is, as described on their web page:

We are an interdenominational Christian Mission affiliated with the Tennessee Conference of the United Methodist Church, dedicated to rural life ministry in the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee. Specifically, Mountain T.O.P. seeks to empower those it serves through a philosophy of partnership. Helping to enable the staff, camp participants, and Cumberland Mountain families to realize their potential and their responsibility as God's servants to address the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs.Mountain T.O.P. is concerned with achieving immediate results through direct social service programming and serves only those who have expressed a need. While striving to serve as a "faith-in-action" classroom, participants are encouraged to serve those who express needs in their own hometown.

These are the foundational objectives of Mountain T.O.P.:

* To help meet the physical, spiritual, emotional and social needs of the Tennessee Cumberland Mountain people.

* To actively encourage the Christian growth of the participants and staff who come to Mountain T.O.P.

* To develop the leadership skills of participants and staff.

In meeting these needs, Mountain T.O.P. has been able to effect change in the lives of many. As we move toward the future, we keep our eyes focused on the horizon ahead and our hearts rooted in the knowledge that He who began a great work in us will see it to completion. These are the foundational objectives of Mountain T.O.P.

I hope you can help in furthering the efforts of this fine group to improve the physical conditions of people very much in need, and at the same time develop an awareness in young people of the blessing in their lives and the importance of community service. I feel strongly about this organization because it helps people now and instills lifelong lessons for next generation.

There are two ways to help. First there is a link on my blog (http://www.earlymorningrunner.blogspot.com/) to a PayPal account donate button. You can use this with or without a Paypal account of your own. I have also added a link to the Mountain T.O.P. giving form. This form gives you the option to donate a specific item (wheelbarrow, step ladder, scholarship, etc.) or just an amount and send it directly to Mountain TOP. Every penny will go to Mountain T.O.P. (I am paying all my own race expenses). Either way, please e-mail me and let me know so I can personally thank you and tally the results.

I really appreciate any support you can offer. I have run many miles, but these last 26.2 will be the hardest. Physically, I hope my knee holds up. Emotionally, it will be the end of an activity that I have cherished and which I will miss terribly. The motivation of knowing that my final run could be a benefit for others now and in the future will keep me going to the finish line and beyond.

To hear more about this ministry and some of the young peoples’ experiences (my kids) listen to Episode 16 of the Early Morning Runner at http://www.earlymorningrunnner.blogspot.com/ or at iTunes.

Thanks again.

Recording History

It is a shame that it took the end of my running career to get me to start a podcast. The fact is that I likely would not have started one if my running was not coming to an end. Since I know my last race will be in April, I don't feel the need to keep the podcast going forever. This takes the pressure off. I don't have to think up new topics forever, only until April.

The reasons for starting the podcast are a little more complicated. On one level the experience is cool. It is hard to believe that I can produce something that may be listened to by people all over the world. It is rather mind boggling to think about. It gives you a sense of connection with the rest of the world.

The podcast also gives me an opportunity to say good-bye. Reviewing my running past and my thoughts on running has helped me mentally prepare for for the day when I have to hang up my running shoes. It is sort of a running Hospice. It allows me to come to terms with the end of my running and to prepare me for the next stage of my fitness life.

Finally, I would like to leave some sort of legacy. I would like to leave a history for my family and friends. I want my children to know how important it is to maintain an active lifestyle throughout life. I know I will soon not be able to run, and someday I may have to give up cycling or whatever other form of fitness I take up. But, I will always find something I can do that will enhance my physical well being and in doing so enhance all the other aspects of my life.

So the end is near for me, but there will always be a lasting memory for others to run with.

A New Thanksgiving Tradition

Another Thanksgiving and another Thanksgiving Day Race. I don't know how many times I have run this race, but it has definitely become a tradition in our family.

Every year I would head out early to run the race. I would come home and the family would be in their PJ's. The kids would ask me how I did and I would tell them that I came in 4th again; that is why I had no medal. Even when they were small they did not believe me.

Then seven years ago the whole family ran the race. The kids were eight years old. We trained all fall and slowly worked our way up the 6.2 miles. We would run a mile and then walk 30 seconds, and everyone took their turn running in the lead and setting the pace. It was a great time and a lot of fun, but we did not do it again as a family.

Last year my daughter Stacy ran the race with me. Stacy runs cross country and track and even though she had not run in about three weeks, she decided to run. She had started swim practice with the school so her fitness was fine, but she was a little unsure about the distance. We went slow, but that was fine. We enjoyed the race, the course and each other's company.

This year I ran the 99th Thanksgiving Day Race with both Hillary and Stacy. It was Hillary's turn this year to be worried about the distance. Since Hillary's tennis season ended, she has been running up to 3 miles, three times a week. She was concerned about running 6.2 miles since she had not run that far in training.

I was concerned on how my knee would hold up. I thought it very possible that I would have to DNF, and we discussed what to do if that did in fact happen. We decided that Hillary and Stacy would go ahead and finish the race if I could not.

The weather was perfect with race time temperature about 40 degrees, sunny and no wind. It was another record crowd of over 11,400 and it took us well over 15 minutes to get to the start line. When we crossed the start line, Hillary, Stacy and I ran together. Stacy soon took off on her own as Hillary and I settled in to a very relaxed pace. Every step I was thinking about my knee and Hillary was thinking about the distance. We did not talk too much the first couple of miles.

Just past mile two, the course crosses a bridge over the Ohio into Kentucky. Fot me, this was a point of no return. The course is a loop, beginning and ending at Paul Brown Stadium in downtown Cincinnati. Once we crossed the bridge, there was no real way for me to get back other than to complete the race (or get a lift from an ambulance).

At three miles I started to get concerned about my knee. It started to feel odd, not really pain, just not right. After a while the feeling past and the knee felt better. I started to feel more concern about my quads. I think I still had some loss of muscle strength from the operation. The knee itself had very little pain.

It was also at this point that Hillary started to feel more comfortable about finishing the race. With our new found confidence we started talking more about everything and anything.

Hillary is begging me to let her run more, but is not overly concerned about time. I have not let her run more than three times a week until she gets her form more like the Chi Running form. I don't want her to heel strike too much and risk injury. Mom told her recently "You have got your Father's running bug".

We crossed over another bridge back into Ohio and headed for the last mile. I remember running this race fast and hard in the past. My best time for this race was "42:37" The last mile was brutal then and I agonized about finishing in a certain time. This time I enjoyed the scenery, the company and the race experience. I even snapped a few pictures with Hillary's cell phone.

As we approached the finish line, I instructed Hillary to get some good space between us and other runners so she could get a good finishers photo. As we approached the finish I told Hillary "Well, now you are a runner". We crossed the line together in what was one of my slowest times, but, without a doubt, one of my best times.

Stacy and Hillary are looking forward to next years 100th running of the Thanksgiving Day race. For me, this may have been my last Thanksgiving Day Race. If it is, I can't think of a better way to end my tradition and to start a new tradition with a new generation of runners.

Life Is All About Choices

The news from the surgery was not too good. On the way home, sitting in the back seat of the car with my leg up I asked my wife what the doctor had said about my return to running.


“Well I was wondering how long it would take you to ask,” Holly said, “it was not too good.”


“Really? I knew it would not be great, but how bad?” I asked.


“When he told me, my jaw dropped. I told him that he would have to tell you the full story when you see him Monday. I can’t.”


I could not let it go at that, so I pressed her, “OK, but in general what did he find?”


“He said the inside of the knee was pristine, but he found more arthritis on the outside than he had thought.”


So all through the weekend I wondered how bad it really was. I knew that my marathon running would be coming to an end, but how much would I be able to do? After all, I had just ran seven miles the day before without pain. How bad could it be?


Monday morning, Holly drove me into the doctor’s office at 9am for my follow-up appointment. My doctor is a very tall, big, athletic man, who could be very imposing if he wished to be. Fortunately he is very humble and always takes the time to explain what is going on and answer all my questions. He is use to treating athletes, including some pro teams, which is the reason I choose to start seeing him. He knows what it means to me to run and be active, so the news he had to deliver must not have been easy for him, but he handled it with his usual skill and frankness.


He explained that he had found more damage to the meniscus and, even more troubling, he found more arthritis than he had expected from the MRI.


“So what does this all mean” I said “I have a race in April you know.”


“Well, if you keep running you will need a knee replacement in 5 years; if you don’t run you may have 15 to 20 years. You can still cycle, swim use an elliptical machine, but I would not recommend running.”


Given that I said that I would still like to run Boston in April, and then I would be good with giving up running and I could start to cycle and swim.


“I’m not sure you will be able to even run this April” he told me.


So there you have it. Talk about a choice. Keep running and use up my knee and maybe have to be much less active in 5 years, or give it up and move on to more low impact activities. Do you continue to do what you love for as long as you can, or do you conserve your body and take a measured approach?


It is a week after the surgery and I have full range of motion in my knee, though it can get sore and stiff if I am on my feet too much. The swelling is almost all gone and I have been doing my therapy of stretching and strengthening every day.


In three to four weeks I will start back to running with the hope of being able to train enough to at least finish Boston. I will use the FIRST method and incorporate cycling into my workout regime. I will use up some of my knee to realize the dream of running Boston. If I was a younger man, or if I had run Boston before it might be different, but at 47 this will be my last chance. One more race, one more marathon and after that, I hit the bike path with no regrets.

The Challenge Begins

This has not been a normal week. Monday I received a postcard confirming my registration to the Boston Marathon. On Friday I go in to have arthroscopic surgery on my right knee to snip off the frayed edges of my meniscus. The doctor tells me I could be back to running in 4 to 6 weeks. The MRI indicated some tearing in the meniscus and a tiny bit of arthritis. Even though the cartilage around the knee looked good, he thinks that I would be susceptible to arthritis in the knee – something my Dad had.

What I like about my doctor is that he does not talk in absolutes. Yes I can run again, but it will put additional strain on my knee. If I run a lot, it may get worse quicker, but I will have had the enjoyment of being active. Cross training will lengthen the life of the knee and low impact training will help even more. He does not say “This is what you must do”, but rather “These are some likely outcomes based on your actions – choose what you think fits your lifestyle best”.

So here is the plan. Get the operation, work aggressively at rehab and get back to running up to 20 miles by the middle of December. I will start my training for Boston using the FIRST training program which incorporates 3 days of running and 2-3 days of cross training. The cross training for me will be biking, since I swim like a rock. I am getting a trainer for my bike so I can ride indoors during the bad weather.

Boston will likely be my last marathon. After Boston I will keep my running to about 20-25 miles a week and see how things go. If I get a chance in two or three years and my knees are holding up, I may try to run New York or Marine Corps.

Tomorrow I have my last run for a month or so – my regular 7.2 mile loop around my neighborhood. I can run about 20 miles a week without much knee pain, but any more than that and it starts to hurt.

Running has always been a challenge for me. It is a way to push myself and test my limits. Now I will be faced with the additional challenge of coming off surgery and preparing for the biggest race of my life. This race will truly not be about time, but about finishing and enjoying what may be my last marathon. While not exactly what I would have hoped for, it is a challenge I relish.

So if you see a pair of worn Nike Pegasus left behind at the finish of the 2009 Boston Marathon, you will know I have run my last marathon, but not my last race.

Storm Clouds All Around

Well, I guess I have not been so good about my posts. Much has happened since my last entry. I have had to travel out of town, we had the remnants of Hurricane Ike blow through town and take out the power for 4 days, and my right knee continues to be a problem.

When I last wrote I was getting up to 5 miles at a time. Soon after that post I started trying the Chi running technique and it seems to have helped lessen the impact on my knees. I can run up to 8 miles now, and if I concentrate on my form I have very little if any knee pain.

But, since my knee was still tender I made an appointment with my Orthopedic doctor. Hopefully, I have some inflammation and maybe some bursitis. Likely, I have a torn meniscus. He instructed me to take two weeks and do my stretching and get some orthodix. If the knee is not any better he will schedule an MRI to check the meniscus.

He did not say it, but I could tell he thinks it is the meniscus. I am happy that he wants to take a conservative approach first, but if it is the meniscus, I just want to get it over with. The operation to repair the meniscus would be out patient and would have a re-hab of 4 weeks and back to running in about 6 weeks. This would put me on schedule to start my training for Boston the beginning of December.

I can't believe this is happening now. I am so close to running my dream. I am registered and chomping at the bit to get going. Things still look good, even if I have the operation, but I would much rather have had smooth sailing into the start of training.

Summer Time Catch Up

Wow, it has been a long time. So much has happened since my last post – some good, some bad. Let’s start with the good.

Vacation time! Yeah, summer is when we take our vacations. We spend a week in Northern Michigan with my wife’s family at a resort on Portage Lake in Onekama, MI. It is really a cool place. Our condo is on Portage Lake which is a smaller lake and therefore calmer (for water skiing, kayaking) and warmer (for swimming). It is separated from Lake Michigan by a strip of land about 100 yards wide. Lake Michigan has long, clean sandy shores and bigger waves that are fun to play in. It is the best of both worlds. And the sweet cherries are the greatest!

After Michigan, we head up to Lake Champlain in upstate NY for a reunion with my family. We boat, ski, swim, hike, kayak and catch up with family. Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains are about as close to heaven as I can get on this earth.

So things have been busy in a good way, but there was also bad news.

Shortly before vacation I came down with a sharp pain in my left knee. It got so bad I had to stop running. I took a week off and when I ran again it came back. This time I was smart enough to stop running and walk it in home. I then took almost three weeks off to let it rest. It felt like classic runner’s knee, an overuse injury which the only cure for is really rest.

I started back running 4 miles last Monday with no pain. I then ran Wednesday and Friday for 4 miles, and again no pain. I have been icing the knee and this weekend I bought a sleeve brace as a precaution. Tomorrow I try 5 miles, in the hope to gradually build the miles back up.

It is hard to believe how much fitness I lost during the layoff – it could have to do with not running, or the increased beer intake that happens on vacation. The funny thing is how fast it will come back. From Monday to Friday I dropped 30 seconds per mile. Still, I need to take it slow and build back up so that by October I can run the World Wide Half and by December starts the training for Boston.


So there is a little catch up. Promise to be better with my posts.