Running the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon was absolutely the most difficult thing I have ever done.  I expected to be challenged by the grueling 26.2 miles, but I had no idea that it was going to be so physically and mentally demanding.  Never in my life have I attempted or completed so exhausting a feat, and, after 14 long weeks of training and 1 crazy Saturday, I have never been happier to have a goal completed and behind me.  Thank you for all of your well wishes and support throughout the past 3 months.  Thank you to my wife, Quinn, for being a great running partner.  She is the strongest runner I know, and she proved it throughout her race.  It was pure joy training with her over the past 3 months, and I look forward to future races with her by my side.  Here are some photos to share our day with you!

A map stating the start of the race.  Trying to figure out how to get from here to…

…here.  The finish line.

Packet pick-up at the convention center.

Running bibs…

Quinn’s running bib…

My running bib…

Plenty of fuel for the road.  I would recommend Power Bar gels, just not the chocolate.  Consistency was way too thick.

Pre-race jitters…literally jitters due to the briskness of the morning!

More pre-race jittering.  Lost some of our layers as we get warm and get ready.

Last minute strategy session.

Visualizing the finish.

Somewhere between 9 and 10 miles.  This is on 38th street before heading north to Broadripple.

We’re pretty happy at this point.  Water break.

Quinn losing some layers.  It got up into the 70′s! about 35 degrees warmer than what we had trained at.

Michael jumped in and ran a quick 6 miles with us.  Great help.  Nice to have someone new to talk to!

Another water break.  Still happy.

Quinn with her parents after finishing her race.  She finished 8th in her age division!

Getting ready to cross the finish line.  Turn off of West Street was the last.  So close!  Quinn’s mom and her dog helped me get there!

Quinn and I closing it out.  I was in pain.  Dehydrated and cramping since mile 18.  Ouch!

Hand in hand, crossing the finish line.

Attempting to stave off the shivers and stay warm!  The foil looks weird, but they actually work.

Quinn’s parents, Diddles the dog, and us. Indiana state capitol in the background.  Trying to re-hydrate!

Dr. Steven Airey, Quinn, Michael Ladd, and I.

Our good friend Ryan Sawrie, who also completed the marathon, with us and family.  His wife, Katie, (not pictured) completed the 1/2.  They rock!

The day after, Quinn in her Marathon gear and medal.

Bling…runners style.

The day after, fully re-hydrated and feeling great again.  I owe a big thanks to the St. Francis Hospital & Health Center staff for providing me with 2 free liters of saline solution right after the race.  They cured my dehydration with a nice IV and some great service.  I know a lot of us were extremely grateful to have them there!

Since I started running consistently, nearly two years ago, it has been my hope to eventually run a marathon, and, as of this past August, my wife Quinn and I have been in training for the upcoming, second annual, Monumental Marathon held here in downtown Indianapolis. We have 30 some days till race day so I thought I would take this unique opportunity to share some of our personal training tips and attempt to debunk some of the myths and misconceptions we started training with. However, what I truly find intriguing is the last paragraph.

• Myth #1: You have to run hard every day. As with training or preparing for nearly anything, it is unwise to over-work to a point of exhaustion every time out. Consistently taking your body to fatigue almost always ends in injury, and injury is bad.
• Tip #1: Train Early. Get your day moving early in the morning–pre-work and pre-breakfast. The sooner you get it done and over with, the better and longer lasting the positive side effects will be. The longer you have to contemplate training, the more opportunity you have to think about not doing it.
• Myth #2: Running is all mental. The physical wear and tear is real.
• Tip #2: Running is mostly mental. Once you start pushing the 16-19 mile mark, mental barriers arise. You must develop your mind and attitude above all else. Your mindset is the single most important element to your marathon training, and it must be built and challenged appropriately throughout the course of your training.
• Myth #3: You want to train for a marathon, but you just don’t have the time right now. If you think you don’t have the time now, you never will. See Tip #1 for help with this myth.
• Tip #3: Train with others. After your first hour or two of running, you may begin to wish you had someone to talk to.
• Myth #4: 26.2 miles is a long distance. As with anything in life, it’s all about perspective. Don’t let the distance hinder you from starting.
• Tip #4: Eat well. You’re training for a marathon, the less weight you have to carry over 26.2 miles, the better.
• Myth #5: You have to run the entire race without stopping in order for it to count. Absolutely not true. Some of the smartest long distances runners in the world take time–a few seconds here and there–to walk. It’s all about keeping your mind in check and in tune with what your body is experiencing.
• Tip #5: Plan Ahead. If you wait until you’re thirsty to take a drink, you’re already dehydrated. If you wait until you’re out of energy to take a gel pack, you’re already crashing. If you wait until your feet hurt before buying new shoes, injury is looming. If you wait until you pass out before you walk, you may not finish well. Make a plan. Be willing to be flexible. Adjust as you go.

Running a marathon is mainly about changing your perspective. What you think impossible today can become the possible tomorrow. The only way to gain ground and change your perspective is to act. The only reason we believe a task to be difficult or even unimaginable is because we have never attempted anything beyond what we have currently already achieved. We get stuck assuming that we could never do anything more or better than what we are currently doing–that there is no obtainable, higher level for us. Don’t believe the lie. Push beyond what you think you are capable of. Extend your boundaries. Ask yourself to do more with what you have been given. Challenge your perspective, and run freely beyond your pre-conceived status quo.

I have started doing more in depth research when it comes to shopping for running shoes.  I suppose I could blame it on the economy…why not? Yesterday I knew exactly where I could get a pair of last seasons Mizuno’s for $95, quite a discount considering that I originally bought these shoes for $125 nearly a year ago.  So, I went to the shop, picked out my size, went to the check-out line, signaled for my wife; and we started talking.  We started talking about, of all things, money, and how we were going to accomplish everything we wanted to accomplish over the next 7 months on what we were currently making.  It wasn’t a discouraging conversation, money is not something we usually spend a lot of time worrying about regardless if we have a lot or a little, but there was a sort of tension associated with our words.  At that very moment, a young woman jumped into our conversation and changed the direction of our words.  She approached us from behind and very quickly proceeded to hold out her hand which contained a piece of slightly crumpled, white paper.  She asked us if our shoes were going to cost us more then $45, and after we responded, “yes”, proceeded to hand us the small piece of paper.  Before we even had time to look her in the eye and respond, she was gone.  I honestly didn’t even see what she looked like.  The piece of paper she handed us was a discount coupon for $25 off of any purchase greater then $45.  I wound up getting my $125 originally priced shoes for only $75.  

I will remember that young lady for the absolute rest of my life not because she was beautiful (although she may have been), not because she was exceedingly smart (although she may have been), and not because she was overwhelmingly wealthy (although she may have been) .  I will never forget her because of one reason, she chose to give.  She could have walked out of that store with coupon in hand, never helping anyone, never inducing a lasting connection, never making a difference.  It would have been easier to not have approached us, to not have started an awkward conversation, and to not have given anything away.  But, she chose to take a slightly more challenging path, a path of interaction, of care and of giving; and because of her choice she changed my life.

Times are changing, but much of what is important in life is staying the same.  One foundational aspect of life which I believe will never change is that it doesn’t matter how much you are able to keep for yourself, rather; it matters only how much you are willing to freely and genuinely give away.  I believe that history will adamantly remember those that willingly and joyfully gave away all that they possibly could, those that chose to  go out of their way to reach out a giving hand to another.

Today, I run with a smile.

I don’t necessarily love running, but running with her makes it a joy.  Running brings us closer together.  

I find this incredibly interesting because running is…well…painful!  Some days are more challenging than others, but if you’re going to run with my wife, than you should expect to run to a point of experiencing at least a little pain.  

We connect and grow through pain.  There is no greater experience than going through a difficult challenge and coming out alive at the other end; stronger for having finished, and finished together.  In times of high stress, when you are dedicated to the task at hand, you force yourself to bring issues into the light and into proper perspective.  Communication becomes clearer.  Strengths are fed.  Weaknesses are trumped.  You cut out what’s not crucial, and you focus on the core.  If you want to grow as a sports team, go through a tough loss.  If you want to  grow your business, push it to get better during a recession.  If you want to build a stronger friendship, sacrifice some time.  If you want to grow a marriage, run hard together.  

If we’re focused, pain can actually bring us together.  A lot of us live in fear of pain.  We don’t like making painful decisions, we don’t like activity that causes us physical pain, we don’t even like to think about pain.  We like comfort.  We like the feeling of apathy.  That’s fine, but don’t expect to grow.  We can live in comfort and ease, but we can’t simultaneously get better.  

Many times, pain can be a fast-track towards success, or pain can cause total breakdown and disengagement.  How do you respond to pain?  How does it influence your decision making?  Do you sharpen with pain or slump?  Use pain in the face of challenge as a tool to take you where you want to go, faster.  Don’t forget to breath.

 I have worn the same pair of work shoes to my current job every day since that injury.  Recently, it was suggested to me by my caring (and by caring I also mean extremely wise) wife, who called upon me (and by called upon I mean forced me) to change my work shoes.  Thus, I wore a different pair of shoes to the office for 2 straight days, and by the third day the pain in my “injured” ankle was gone, and that very same day I was able to run again.  Incredible you may say.  I said the same thing!  The injury was more a result of me doing the same thing every day than it was from me doing that initial injurious event.  I spent 7 weeks of my life not doing what I love because I was unwilling to try something new (and by unwilling I mostly mean unable to think differently).  In short, if something is not going as planned, make a tweak.  Try something different.  Think of a new way of doing something that you routinely do the same way every single day.  See what a difference a slight alteration can make and then start running again.  Start running again.