Goodnight and Good Luck

I'm in our hotel room, doing final preparations for the Grand Rapids Marathon tomorrow morning. A lot is going through my mind, and I recall a memory that has drifted in and out of mind during the last few months.

Approximately 15 years ago, during college, I was talking to a dormmate named Danny. He had come back from a run. He mentioned his plan to run the Chicago Marathon. Despite the fact that my Dad had run several marathons, I was in disbelief that anyone my age would have a similar interest or ability.

With conviction, he told me that I could do it too. As if it were irrefutable proof, he asked, "You can run a mile in 8:30, right?" Uncertain, but giving myself the benefit of the doubt, I replied that I could. As if a bright neon sign spelling Q.E.D. had suddenly lit our dim hallway, he resolutedly posed that I only had to do it 26 times. Forgetting the remaining 0.2 miles, I thought the prospect was impossible and laughed off the prospect. The topic never came up again.

Tomorrow, I may actually do it. My goal time is 3:45 (technically 8:35 per mile), and Jenn's is 4:00. While we won't be on the flat havens of Chicago, I hear that the Grand Rapids Marathon is a fast course. I had always figured that the goal time that Coach Aaron recommended would require perfect conditions. The weather will be excellent (high 58, low 42 with 12 mph winds), and except for some nagging injuries, I could not imagine better circumstances.

Goodnight and good luck.

Psycho Runner, Qu'est-ce Que C'est?

I have not blogged in a long time, but last night Jenn and I did something noteworthy but kind of crazy. We both registered for the MetroPCS Dallas White Rock Marathon on December 5, 2010. Adding my hometown, we will now run a marathon three months in a row, Grand Rapids in October and New York City in November. And with London in April, that makes four marathons in 2010.

Our mileage has been high this year with weeks hitting 50 miles in training without an end in sight. Talking Heads immediately comes to mind:

Psycho [runner].
Qu’est-ce que c’est?
Fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa, better
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away.

When David Byrne sings, we listen.

The U.S. tour of They Might Be Runners 4 Life will stop by close to many of you. Our team name this year originally signaled us running our fourth marathon for life (i.e. the AIDS Foundation of Chicago). It seems ever more fitting that Jenn and I will each run four marathons this year alone.

There is still time to join. Come out and cheer us on. Depending on the city, we'll have friends and family with us too (Dan in NY, Dad in Dallas). Or support us remotely through donations to the AIDS Foundation of Chicago through our team. No Ticketmaster charges on that site. Thanks to everyone.

Not Leaving on a Jet Plane

For They Might Be Runners (emphasis on Might), the third time is not the charm. As you no doubt know, the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull in Iceland (usually referred to simply as the Iceland volcano) has halted air travel to much of Europe. London is one of the cities affected the worst. After some hope that air travel to London would resume on Tuesday night, yesterday a second ash cloud developed and is currently drifting towards the UK. There are no immediate plans to let flights into or out of London from Wednesday to Friday.

Our flight to London is scheduled to depart on Wednesday night; the 2010 Virgin London Marathon takes place on Sunday morning. We will likely know tonight whether our flight is officially cancelled. We hope for the best for our trip and for anyone whom the volcano has impacted in far worse ways. We are certainly fortunate not to be among the thousands of people stranded away from home. We are disappointed nonetheless.

We have found alternatives in the Midwest in the coming weeks, the most likely being the 2d Annual Wisconsin Marathon in Kenosha. Whichever marathon we end up running will be as much of a mental challenge to us now as ever. On a positive note, we made the local NBC news because of our fundraising along with our inability to get to London and got to plug the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and its marathon training program.

Anyway, we had a good streak vs. the World for years. With the 3 of 4 days lost to travel delays on the way to the Grand Canyon in February and this London trip in jeopardy, the score for the 2010 season may soon be: World 2, Us 0. We still have hope, at least for a little while longer. By the way, there is still time for anyone who would like to donate in support of our team. http://afc.aidschicago.org/netcommunity/TheyMightBeRunners3

Do You Believe in Magic?

Last weekend’s muggy August weather made for a more difficult long run, but we’ve otherwise been pretty lucky this summer. Our training schedule included a Magic Mile, which is basically a time trial mile. I ran the Magic Mile at 6:14, and Jenn previously ran hers at 7:14.

After the run, I accepted an invitation to Wizard World, the Chicago satellite of Comi-Con. I saw some Harry Potters in the crowd, but despite the name, the convention is less about magic, and more about sci-fi and comic books. Seeing various celebrities (broadly construed) and costumed fans, I had an interesting and amusing time in a world where reality is suspended. I have included a couple of pictures here and posted an entire album on Facebook.

Anyway, we might not believe in magic, but we have reason to believe in a lot more. We see that running is a way of life for many, maybe even us. However, without the AFC mission and the generosity and emotional support we have received, there is no way that we would feel so empowered and improve as greatly our physical and mental strength on the run. After being one of the top fundraisers last year, we would not want to spend our summer any other way.

With less than two months until the Chicago Marathon, we hope that we can get more help for the AFC and make it truly an amazing race. Please forgive me for the photographic pun using Kynt and Vyxsin, former Amazing Race contestants and Comi-Con celebrity attendees, and consider contributing anyway.  We're approaching $1,500 and hope to reach at least $2,000 by the end of the week.

http://afc.aidschicago.org/netcommunity/TheyMightBeRunnersII-ElectricBoogaloo

Graceland

We're not really big fans of Elvis, but we ran the Elvis Is Alive 5K based on numerous recommendations from friends. We fully recommend it to runners, walkers, and spectators.

We strayed from our usual slow 5-miler on Thursdays, but running the 5K at a good clip made for a nice change. We signed up and were blessed with great weather, particularly for August. As I enjoyed a complimentary post-race beer with the peanut butter banana sandwiches, we also attended the post-race concert by an Elvis impersonator. Or was he the real deal? The passion with which he sang the Star-Spangled Banner before the start almost convinced me.

Armed with a Canon PowerShot, rather than our usual Clif brand Shot Blocs, we captured the all-Elvis pack at the start line and shot some on the course as we passed them. We have included a few photos here and posted the album on Facebook. Running more races and pushing ourselves to improve have kept our marathon mission fresh this year. And so, we have taken the King's advice: "A little less conversation, a little more action, please." http://afc.aidschicago.org/netcommunity/TheyMightBeRunnersII-ElectricBoogaloo


We're trying as hard as we can and quote Paul Simon, a musician I much prefer over Elvis:

And I may be obliged to defend
Every love every ending,
Or maybe there's no obligations now.
Maybe I've a reason to believe
We all will be received
In Graceland.

17 Again in Rio

Last week, we visited Rio de Janeiro on vacation. Because of my appreciation of Matthew Perry, I foolishly stayed awake during the overnight flight and watched 17 Again, the Zac Efron vehicle in which he co-stars. I enjoyed the film enough and liked a few scenes a lot. However, the reduction in sleep following a long week made our first day of vacation tiring and was a questionable choice.

Rather than skip our long training run and blame it on Rio, we checked into our hotel and ran 17 miles, a distance we had not since the marathon in October. Fortunately, Rio has a running/bike path along the edge of Copacabana Beach, Ipanema Beach, and a natural lake a little inland. In addition, most sections of the major road adjacent to the path are closed to cars on Sunday, in effect, widening the path. Pristine crescent beaches and mountains flanked us as we ran past historical fortresses and giant, elaborate sandcastles by local artists.

That scenery helped defeat our fatigue and flight-stiffened legs. We finished that that long run and a few shorter runs with my family throughout the week. Thinking about the movie and looking back at ourselves at the age of 17, I am surprised to see us fitter than we were then despite being almost twice as old. How the Ef-ron did that happen? Earlier this month, we ran new personal records for the mile -- 6:22 for me and a just a tad slower for Jenn. OK Computer, we're getting closer: fitter, happier, more productive . . . .

We've raised $900 so far, and with only nine generous donors. We're well on our way to help the AFC just as it has helped us with our training.

Return of the Blog, Sequels et Cetera

Jenn and I ran the North Shore Half Marathon this morning in beautiful Highland Park, Illinois. Along mile nine (9) of the course there was a group of family and friends cheering for the runners. Some played the spinning drum. In case the instrument does not conjure an image in your mind, you might recall its prominence in the hit sequel, The Karate Kid, Part II. The movement of the drum's arms inspired the film's climactic karate move, which Daniel-San uses to avert death in the final fight against Chozen -- apparently not the Chosen One.

As I expounded on the film's simultaneous terribleness and retro-awesomeness, we examined how movies no longer have "Love Themes," at least not separate from their regular theme songs. If it were made today, Peter Cetera's "The Glory of Love" would merely be a track listing on the soundtrack -- not the "Love Theme" that it is. That marketing problem is so obviously the reason that the record industry has failed in the new millennium. As we approached the water station, Jenn and I sang the chorus aloud in honor of the era past:

I am a man who will fight for your honor.
I'll be the hero you're dreaming of.
We'll live forever,
Knowing together
That we did it all for the glory of love.

And so, Jenn and I trained outdoors through the long winter, improving our pace significantly for the glory of love and the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. Following the lead of questionable sequels, Jenn and I also want to announce our AIDS Marathon Team name for this second year. Last year, we had our doubts about our ability to conquer a distance longer than five (5) miles for the first time in our lives. Our team name, "They Might Be Runners", reflected that.

This year, together Jenn and I are "They Might Be Runners II: Electric Boogaloo". We will run the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on October 11, 2009. While fatigue comes and goes, bad sequels last forever -- or at least seem to upon viewing.

And Now for Something Completely Different

Now what? That's the question I have been asking myself a lot lately since the marathon.
During the last few months since our last post, I almost wrote about varied topics: an amateur magician practicing card tricks, shuffling and slights of hand on the "el"; the photography class I have been taking; the week-to-week changes on the lakefront. Nothing seemed to be "important" after the rewarding experience of the marathon and the fundraising. Well, there may be no topping the charity marathon, so to borrow a line from Monty Python -- and now for something completely different.

Not completely though. We are still running outside every weekend as far as thirteen (13) miles. The coldest temperature on the Sunday runs has been 5 degrees, before the windchill and the minor windburn that I suffered that day. We have committed to running the AIDS Marathon Program, probably staying local with the 2009 Chicago Marathon. We will run some out-of-town races, including a half-marathon in Ft. Worth, Texas in two (2) weeks with my family. We may try others, and possibly another full marathon out-of-town. Knowing that we can finish a marathon, we won't focus on the success and challenges of training nearly as much.

But I digress. Going forward, this blog will be as varied as our life experiences with events remarkable and thoughts random. After a extremely busy couple of months at work for Jenn and me, we should blog with regularity again. These entries and entries on "Listimosa," our second blog regarding all things lists (ours and others, including national publications, and thoughts about those lists) http://listimosa.blogspot.com/, will occur with the prior frequency. Because some lists were easy to prepare, we have kept up with Listimosa a bit more. Nonetheless, I feel a little guilt for leaving this blog unattended. Fortunately, I have made significant progress on my goals for 2009 (as discussed on Listimosa) while getting a lot done at work.

My guilt and my commitment stem are best summed up by a film that had a major effect on me: Throw Momma from the Train. Certainly not Best Picture, it did forever leave me with the mantra: "A writer writes. Always." With that in mind, I hope you find your interest surge as this blog emerges from the fog.

Angels in America

Every day on the "El," we pass Steppenwolf Theatre. Neither Jenn nor I had attended a production there for some time, but when I pass by I remember seeing "Angels in America" during my freshman year of college. To this day, it impacts my perspective and my life, and I continue to admire the ambitiousness and inspiration of the play. Coincidentally, the HBO miniseries remains, years later, the oldest program saved on our TiVo. As our 2008 journey in the AIDS Marathon ends, we will continue our attempts to pass on that awareness.

Through the program and the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, we have seen that the fight against AIDS is no less important today. As we have told some of you, we are fortunate not to have had direct contact with AIDS. Perhaps growing up in our generation sadly makes it part of the reality of the modern world. Fortunately, some do not accept that reality and instead join the fight against AIDS through scientific research, education or health services. Our preparations for our trip to Africa reminded us of how greatly and tragically AIDS and HIV can impact those who are hardest to reach and serve. The AIDS Foundation battles the disparity in education and services locally.

During my freshman year of college, my friends and I helped raise money for Northwestern's Dance Marathon benefiting the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Together, NU students and sponsors raised a staggering amount in the six-figures. Similarly, your generosity while we fundraised this summer showed true selflessness and revealed that there are true angels in America and in our lives. We have been able to draw so much strength and inspiration from those friends and family that have given support to us in so many different ways. (Having stayed awake and "danced" for thirty (30) hours straight and now having run 26.2 miles, I find it difficult to say which was more fun.)

Support came in many ways. Almost two hundred (200) people donated directly in support of our team and we are so grateful. On their own accord and in this difficult economy, a few friends even donated more than once. Others got their co-workers and employers -- complete strangers to us -- to donate. (In one case through Natacha's initiative, $5 donated by each of sixty-nine (69) co-workers added up quickly.) We likewise received continued moral support. Even on the day of the marathon the thoughtful, motivational notes some of you provided really worked, especially in the moments when we ran alone without a spectator or runner in sight.

We dedicate this AIDS Marathon reflection to all of you. The entire journey became so much bigger than the two of us, and we will be even more vigilant for the cause in the future.

Statistics:
Contributions by You and Us: $9,201 (updated 12/12/08 with donations still trickling in)
Number of Donors: 195
Days of Training: 216 (from April 8, 2008)
Total Distance Run Collectively by Jenn and Kinnier: 1,200 miles

2008 ING Amsterdam Marathon

"They Might Be Runners" no longer. After six (6) months of training (almost exactly to the day), we successfully completed our first marathon on 19 Oktober 2008. ("Oktober" is Dutch for October.). We departed Chicago on Thursday evening, arriving in Amsterdam Friday morning. The marathon started on late Sunday morning and we returned to the U.S. on Monday evening.

The race was relatively intimate. Only eight thousand (8,000) runners had registered for the marathon, and spectators were sparse with many stretches without a single person. The course led us through the city, which is relatively small but beautiful, past some countryside and into the 1956 Olympic stadium for the finish line. The course scenery varied widely but nearby water (Amsterdam's canals and the River Amstel) was a constant. Ironically, water stations only came once every five (5) or six (6) kilometers. The temperature for the run was optimal (high of 60 degrees), so we did not lose as many fluids in sweat. On the negative side, it was a bit windy, especially during the second half.

We wanted to finish in less than five (5) hours, and we did. The motivational notes that many of you provided helped us along, especially because, as compared to the spectators during the Chicago Marathon, only a small percentage of the spectators on the course were vocal. We started reading the notes near kilometer thirty (30) and rationed them throughout the remainder of the race. They gave the intended boost and made us feel as though you, our honorary team members, were cheering beside us. They particularly helped where spectators were few and far between. Fortunately, we also had the benefit of some of the AIDS Marathon staff, including Katie (one of our coaches), Beth (the Chicago program rep.), Ariana (the Los Angeles program rep.) and Steve (the Chicago program director), as well as the friends and family of other runners who joined in Amsterdam.

Later, as we crossed the tunnel into the Olympic Stadium, we spotted the balloon-arched finish line at the other end of the track. The sound of the crowd, louder than during any other part of the course, overtook me just as the deejay began to play Elvis Presley's "A Little Less Conversation," a song which coincidentally appears on my iPod running mix. As we took our victory lap, a feeling previously referenced but never fully described enraptured us. We might have to run more marathons in the future.

In retrospect, we might have been able to push ourselves a little harder -- my average heart rate is posted below -- but all advice suggested that we, as first time marathoners, run conservatively. We agreed completely and followed the advice, waiting for my IT band problem to strike and expecting the "wall" to hit us at any moment. (My IT band had bothered me as recently as the previous Sunday at the end of our nine (9) mile run.) In the end, the long-nagging injury was almost a non-factor during the marathon except for a handful of scattered, labored strides. With our prayers answered, we were able to finish this adventure just as we started -- together with a shared goal.

Thank you all for moral support and for your contributions. Together, we raised more than $8,700 to benefit the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. During the summer, not only did we grow physically and psychologically, but we also witnessed firsthand the impact of AIDS and HIV and the ways that the Foundation fights them. The Foundation's work and your generosity further strengthened our faith in people and in grace. While completing the 2008 ING Amsterdam Marathon was a personal victory for us, it was was so much bigger than either of us. "Overwinning" is Dutch for victory, but we won't soon get over the entire experience.

Statistics:
Distance: 26.2 miles
Start Time: 10:38 a.m.
Time: 4:53:49
Temperature at Start: 50 degrees

High Temperature: 60 degrees
Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Maximum HR: 171
Average HR: 150
Money Raised to Date: $8,781
Days until Next Full Marathon or Half Marathon: 124

Dress Rehearsal: Chicago Marathon

It's time to say goodbye. We are in the final days until our Amsterdam Marathon. We could not leave without one last hurrah with our AIDS Marathon pace group, the Kathy Switzers (a.k.a Kathy Griffins. Our training schedule suggested that we run eight (8) miles this past weekend to stay loose before our marathon on October 19. As a result, we joined our pace group at mile eight (8) and ran a little past mile sixteen (16). We wandered over to Boystown in the morning to watch the "Elite Runners." (Do they really need a five-minute head start over the rest of the pack?)


Our friend, Jamie, joined us in Boystown and shot this picture. We waited anxiously as other runners started to pass, including our friends AC, Jason and Jess. The crowds continued to build. Eventually, our comrades came. We cheered in our AIDS Marathon yellow, and hopped onto the street. Despite the heat (reaching 80 degrees), we really had a great time, talking to the group, seeing the neighborhoods, and soaking up the spectator support and music. Approximately 1.5 million spectators watch the 45,000 registered runners every year. It was really exhilarating.


It was great spending the hour and a half with the group and they stuck together for the most part through the middle stages of the marathon. We only look slower than the "Elite Runners" here because we are all moving in a synchronized fashion, thus appearing very slow in relation to each other.

Anyway, we ran south to the Loop and passed beside my office building. The course turned to the west and we ran past the United Center and other parts never before seen. We eventually returned to the West Loop before the course turned south. We left the group and made our way to the finish to greet them in their victories. For any of you on Facebook, we have posted a complete collection of the photos of marathon leaders and our friends (leaders in their own way) including our experience during and after the Chicago Marathon.

It's been a while since the last post, but we thought we should say hello before we leave for Amsterdam tomorrow. Since then, we have continued the running, gone out of town and won a trial, keeping really busy. Based on this banner, we'll soon take our victory lap. We would not have been able to do this without our supporters like you. Please know that you deserve a victory lap too -- a little self-congratulation, an extra helping of dessert, or maybe the new Macbook Pro?

We're on our final countdown with four days to go and summon "Major Tom."

4 3 2 1
Earth below us,
drifting falling,
floating weightless,
calling calling home...
across the stratosphere
a final message "give my wife my love"

Thanks for the help on that too.

Statistics:
Distance: 8.5 miles
Start Time: 9:50 a.m.
Time: 1:33:07
Temperature at Start: 72 degrees
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Maximum HR: 164
Average HR: 150
Money Raised to Date: $8,631
Days until Race: 4

The Number 23

We ran the Banco Popular Chicago Half Marathon on Sunday and that's not all. As background, we registered for the half marathon to get some experience in a long-distance race prior to the marathon. We later discovered that it was the same weekend as our longest training run of twenty-three (23) miles. In a decision equal parts wisdom and foolishness, we decided to kill two runners with one stone, or so the saying goes, by running the half marathon and ten (10) more miles on top of that.

The race was a completely different experience than our previous training runs. Running on the actual Lakeshore Drive was also pretty cool. The spectators cheered us on in many places despite the terrible weather and the music was lively (although the selection of "Rock Me like a Hurricane" may have been poorly timed.) Worse than the weather was that we had to run without our pace group, who have become so important to us. Their friendship and support has meant a lot and really brought joy to the hours of running. We particularly feared the challenge of staying mentally strong and occupied without the jokes, stories and conversation of a dozen friends. Ultimately, we'd be without them in Amsterdam so we figured we should lose the crutch. As a surrogate, we had the crowds, at least for part of it. Those crowds included our friend, Lindsay, with whom we have been meaning to get together for a while, and the fantastic AIDS Marathon staff (Beth, Steve, Dan, Darren and many others) who appeared at different points on the course and screamed louder than anyone. In addition, our bib numbers came with our names pre-printed so strangers called our names (e.g. "Go, Caesar! Viva la Mexico!" with some Spanish accent) and gave us high-fives.

Mother Nature vented (figuratively and literally), raining on us for the full twenty-three (23) miles. In fact, the festival area at the start and finish was partially flooded. We finished the 13.1 miles soaked but feeling great. The finish line "celebration" was truly bittersweet without our pace group, but it's part of our journey (figuratively and soon literally). Running more afterwards was the really hard part -- no crowds cheering, no clear course to follow. Worse yet, the rain was hardest and coldest afterwards, especially during miles 15 to 17. To borrow a phrase from Lost -- Run together; die alone. We'll choose running.

Statistics:
Distance: 23.0 miles
Start Time: 7:30 a.m.
Time: 4:54:13
Temperature at Start: 64 degrees
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Maximum HR: 169
Average HR: 145
Money Raised to Date: $8,430
Days until Race: 35

We are on the home stretch now, which is a reminder that we'll need to stretch more at home. Fortunately, one of the best accessory purchases of Kinnier's life was an Iliotibial (IT) band wrap with compression pad (http://www.injurybegone.com/), which helps reduce the strain that has caused Kinnier so much pain recently. (Discomfort now rendered the later miles difficult but possible.) We've logged more than five hundred (500) miles so far. Sweet Baby!, On that theme, we quote Sweet Baby James (a.k.a. James Taylor):

Won't you look down upon me, Jesus?
You've got to help me make a stand.
You've just got to see me through another day.
My body's aching and my time is at hand. And I won't make it any other way.
* * *
Been walking my mind to an easy time my back turned towards the sun.
Lord knows when the cold wind blows it'll turn your head around.
Well, there's [sic] hours of time [in] the [running group] line to talk about things to come --
Sweet dreams and flying machines [to take us to Amsterdam].

Oh, [we]'ve seen fire and [we]'ve seen rain.
[We]'ve seen sunny days that we thought would never end.
[We]'ve seen lonely times when we could not find a friend.
But [we] always thought that [we'd run more again].

Birthdays and Base 10

For some people, the 26.2 miles of a marathon are not enough and ultra-marathons of thirty (30) miles or more call to them. We're not at that point, but Jennifer celebrated an ultra birthday of thirty (30) years yesterday. In fact, every year we celebrate birthday week. Kinnier's birthday is September 6. Jennifer's birthday is September 9. Various friends and family also have birthdays that are part of birthday week.

Smack dab in the middle of birthday week, we ran a "short" run of ten (10) miles on Sunday. Although the weather report when we left the apartment stated rain and clouds, we had ideal conditions with cool temperatures in the 60s and a sunny, cloudless sky. The lakefront looked perfect in the quiet of the early morning and it was one of the easiest runs we have had all year, despite the previously daunting, double-digit distance.

As an update since our 20-mile run, Kinnier experienced significant pain for the days following that tortuous run. Walking up stairs for the days following even gave Kinnier trouble. He preferred when the only IT band concerns were whether the Backstreet Boys or 'N Sync would win in a fight. (IT all depends on whether a dance-off is involved.) During the flight to Buenos Aires for Labor Day weekend, Kinnier's leg got worse and left him unable to sleep on the overnight flight. At one point later during the trip, Kinnier woke in the middle of the night to searing pain. It took a whole weekend of walking to get back to almost normal.

Fortunately, the condition did improve and we think we discovered a contributing cause. His running shoes had lost most of their cushioning during the training and they earned a retirement. We hope the cushioning in the new shoes, Brooks Adrenaline GTS, will prevent future problems. Kinnier just hopes to break them well enough before the 23-mile run this weekend. With that in mind, the relative ease of the 10-miler was encouraging. The shoes were still pretty stiff but the optimal weather conditions made everything else as good as we could have hoped. As things are now, we'll see how far Adrenaline (shoe-wise and metabolically) takes us this weekend. Goodness knows we'll both be tired with birthday fun and Kinnier's preparation for trial this week. We did have a short run last night of 3.5 miles, and we'll hope for the best on Sunday.

Statistics:
Distance: 10.0 miles
Start Time: 7:16 a.m.
Time: 2:00:01
Temperature at Start: 63 degrees
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Maximum HR: 153
Average HR: 134
Money Raised to Date: $8,165
Days until Race: 44

Walk a Mile in Our Shoes

We've had a bit more time to consider our 20-miler (see August 24, 2008 post). We got through it and learned a few things and, we hope, got stronger from the experience and the difficult conditions. Kinnier's IT band is feeling better despite having fallen down some stairs this morning. Just a flesh wound.

Anyway, we were thinking about how twenty (20) miles is so much farther than we ever contemplated before signing up for the AIDS Marathon. We started considering the significance of the number twenty (20) linguistically. In many languages including English, French and Latin, virtually all of the numbers leading up to twenty (20) have an individual word that represents the value, for example, one, seven, eleven, eighteen. However, the numbers at twenty (20) and above are only individualized at the even tens. In between, the numbers simply use the device of combining the word for twenty (20) with the word for the single-digit word, for example twenty-one/vingt-un. Twenty (20) and numbers greater than it were somewhat difficult to fathom that they were not worth creating new numbers. Likewise, until we committed to the AIDS Marathon and joined a group of other runners committed to the cause, we could not have imagined taking on this challenge. The support of everyone has made this possible.

Now that we have gotten so many miles in, we have to consider breaking in new pairs of long-distance shoes for the marathon in two months. Our first pairs would be overworn by then. To date, we have written about lots of different gear but have gone all this time without telling you about our shoes. We got fitted at a specialty running store, Fleet Feet (http://www.fleetfeetchicago.com/), and ended up purchasing Brooks shoes. Jennifer wears Brooks Infiniti. (Based on that spelling, it appears that Brooks was more concerned about infringing on Dunder Mifflin's trademark, see http://www.dundermifflininfinity.com/, than the automobile manufacturer's.) Jennifer ordered a second pair last week. For your viewing pleasure, we include photos of the shoes brand new and not so new, which shows school spirit, by the way.

Hail to Purple. Hail to White. Hail to thee, Northwestern.

Kinnier wears Brooks Dyad 4, a model which is now discontinued. He considered ordering the Dyad 5, but he wanted to try something else out to see if he could get a bit better fit for his arches and something to reduce his tendonitis. He decided on the Brooks Adrenaline GTS. Whether you believe it or not, the "GTS" reportedly stands for "Go-to Shoe." (This is what he was told orally, without punctuation indications, so go to could be an imperative verb rather than an adjective.) Anyway, we include a picture of the used Dyads, but not them as new.

They are the ugliest shoes Kinnier has ever purchased and they look far better now in this sullied state. To give you an idea of how they initially looked imagine this. The black highlights were some sort of patent pleather. The red and silver strips simply served as non-functional, space-age flair, like something featured in the Francis Ford Coppola epic, Captain EO. Certainly none of these items made the shoes look any better. By the way, the shoes had charcoal lining that appeared through the white mesh fabric, giving Kinnier the creeps just kiwi seeds or swarming anthills do.

The Long and Winding Road

We reached a new milestone yesterday. We ran . . .
. . . wait for it . . .
. . . twenty (20) miles.

We could not fathom running twenty (20) miles and yet we did through our training and with your support. Because of the Accenture Chicago Triathlon this weekend, our training program ran on Saturday instead of Sunday. In addition, they moved us to the Southside training site. The course was a little convoluted with us doing a few doublebacks rather than one long length turning around at the mid-point. We started in the middle at 31st Street Beach, then ran south a mile or so, then back north past Buckingham Fountain, and then way down south past the South Side Cultural Center (71st Street and the Lake), then back north to the starting point at 31st.

There was limited parking at the 31st Street Beach lot. There were a lot of cars looking for parking so Kinnier took the first spot he saw despite the fact that the cars on both sides of the spot had crossed their parking space lines. Kinnier had to get out through the trunk (pictured here) because neither door could be opened.

The Southside was pastoral but there were very few trees on the running path. As a result, we did not have much sun cover. It was hot, very, very humid, and sunny during the run. When we started in the morning, it was already 74 degrees with 90% humidity. It just got hotter from there, reaching 89 degrees when we finished the run. Those conditions made all the difference for most of us and we could not drink enough water (or keep up our sodium levels) with how much we were sweating.

We finished with a sense of accomplishment despite some low points in morale. For the first time on the long runs, the endorphins did not always win out against fatigue, and there were even a few brief moments of irritability in the pace group. We recognized those moments right away and were able to extract the humor from any number of negatives. We are all still a big, happy family and finally got a group picture, with almost everyone in-town this weekend. As you can guess, this is the "before" picture, the "after" picture would not have been a pretty one. In addition, the group broke up a little bit because injuries and the conditions really took their toll on some. There were a few packs of runners among our group, and Jennifer finished ahead of Kinnier, in a different pack, a couple of minutes ahead. Kinnier's prior injuries were not a factor. The heat really got to him, and a new nagging discomfort (in his right leg knee joint) slowed him down, but funnily enough only during the walk breaks, not during the runs.

Statistics:
Distance: 20.0 miles
Start Time: 6:58 a.m.
Time: 4:28:13
Temperature at Start: 74 degrees
Humidity at Start: 90%
Temperature at End: 89 degrees
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Maximum HR: 172
Average HR: 146
Money Raised to Date: $7,760
Days until Race: 61

During the run, we consumed our own Shot Blocs, a cookie, pretzels and even grabbed a Twizzler at one of the water stations. Of all the treats, Kinnier's favorite was the handful of ice cubes he got at mile 14. As they melted in his mouth, much too quickly, they gave Kinnier a boost that lasted more than a mile. After the run, we each had a small bag of chips, a bagel, half a banana, half an orange and some strawberries. Afterwards, we visited Jennifer's sister Cathy, her husband Hue, and their kids, Benjamin and Christina. They made us a great lunch that really helped refuel us: chicken and apple sausages off the grill and an awesome spinach salad with beets, goat cheese, avocado and candied walnuts -- all of our favorite (non-Nicoise) salad ingredients.

By the way, for the first time during our training, all the AIDS Marathon runners (both Saturday and Sunday groups and both Southside and Northside runners) ran together. In honor of our successful Southside run despite the weather and the wonderful lunch feast, we quote Moby the musician and look ahead to the marathon, our personal Moby (the whale, that is).

See myself in the pouring home;
See the light come over now;
See myself in the pouring [sun];
I watch hope come over me.
Yeah, yeah
* * *
Here we are now going to the south side
I pick up my friends and we hope we won't die.
Ride at night, [run] through heaven and hell;
Come back and feel so well.

Routine Me

We've always wanted to order something by making it into a verb (e.g., "Burger me" as shown in the former television dramedy, "Ed," or "Beer me" in commercials now.) So with that in mind, we now say, "Routine me." The Olympics have added some flavor to our lives. Though not nearly a match to Michael Phelps's 10,000 calorie, 5-mile swim, press conference, drug test routine, we have a bit of a routine that fills our days:

Work. Run. Eat. Sleep. Repeat.

Despite the seeming monotony of that description, a funny thing happened to us on the way. We started to love running, and for the first time in our lives. Kinnier might say that he has a case of the "the runs" if it did not already mean something else. Years of running, including for cross-country and other sports seasons, lacked that love.

Today we ran nine (9) miles. To be honest, it does not seem far at all and the time goes very quickly in our pace group. (It's quite a change from almost exactly two (2) months ago on June 15. On that day, we ran nine (9) miles, which was a new long distance at the time, and coincidentally started this blog.) We have experimented a bit recently running long distances on our own. We have realized first hand that the group atmosphere and team conversation really adds to the fun. We have a lot to be thankful for, including our running partners and even extreme luck with the August weather.

So we triumphantly declare that we don't like running -- we love it.

Statistics:
Distance: 9.0 miles
Start Time: 7:15 a.m.
Time: 1:46:16
Temperature at Start: 66 degrees
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Maximum HR: 155
Average HR: 138
Money Raised to Date: $5,610
Days until Race: 58

Not Just Any 5K

We have many 5Ks to celebrate today. Jennifer ran an easy 5K+ on her own and Kinnier ran a 5K charity race, the Race Judicata, which his firm runs/walks to benefit Chicago Volunteer Legal Services. The Race Judicata serves beer and wine too. If it's there, it would be wasteful not to consume it. Some really did their part. There were also a lot of snacks such as Krispy Kreme donuts, cookies, chips and guacamole, and fruit.

The Race Judicata confirmed what Kinnier already suspected, that he cannot pace himself and does not like running on his own. He ran the first mile in under 8:30. It was faster than he wanted to go and he did not finish as strongly as he hoped. He drank too much water at the station at 1.5 miles and after running too hard, he did not feel so great. With his heart racing reaching an all-time high (see below), he decided to take a short walk break. Frank, one of Kinnier's colleagues, caught up with him during that walk and really lifted Kinnier's spirits. Kinnier started to run at a good pace. He ultimately finished the race with a good time, even without sprinting the home stretch as he ran in with Frank. After the race, he ended consuming much more than he burned: a Goose Island 312, three (3) donuts, a large cookie with icing, three (3) servings of tortilla chips with guacamole, and a hot pretzel.

There is another 5K that is even more more important and more exciting. We broke $5,000 in funds raised yesterday. Two people most recently donated to get us above that threshhold, and coincidentally, they both are fitting: Eric, the firm's team captain for the Race Judicata, and Marty, our financial adviser, who has been helping us make money grow for years. Obviously, all of our supporters from every level from "Number 1 Fans" to the "Booster Club" has helped us get to this point. We have also received a lot of emotional support during our training, for example, on day one from Merlin, the first donor and a serious marathoner, to Frank during the race today. We've got a while to go before $8,500, but we are really excited about the support we have received and the generosity of our friends and family.

Statistics: Distance: 3.1 miles
Start Time: 6:30 p.m.
Time: 28:12 (8:21/9:35/9:21/0:54)
Temperature at Start: 74 degrees
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Maximum HR: 184
Average HR: 172
Money Raised to Date: $5,085
Days until Race: 61

18 Revisited

We provided our initial thoughts on our eighteen (18) miles in the post from Sunday (immediately below). Twenty-four (24) hours later, we are doing fine. The last couple of miles running against the wind were definitely challenging for Kinnier, perhaps second only to the climb up Kilimanjaro. Jennifer acknowledged fatigue, but as the leader of the pack, she was doing better. Collectively, we feel tired, but good, today.

George Burns made this song famous and the following lyrics seem particularly appropriate today:

At a bar down in Dallas an old man chimed in,
And I thought he was out of his head.
Just being a young man I just laughed it off
When I heard what that old man had said.
He said, "I'll never again turn the young ladies heads,
Or go running off into the wind.
I'm three quarters home from the start to the end.
And I wish I was eighteen again."

With that in mind, we now sing:

We used to have trouble making time for the gym.
We'd rather watch tv and pray to stay slim.
I'd never have thought that we'd run more than ten,
But we wish we ran eighteen (18) again.

No Longer a Minor, 18 Is Major.

Today, we reached a new distance. Lots of races are 5Ks, and you've probably dones a bunch during your life. Kinnier is even running a 5K, the Race Judicata, this Thursday.

We ran eighteen (18) miles, which is a lot like a 5K . . . if you do it six (6) times. The temperature today was great, especially for August. It was approximately 65 degrees when we watched the sun rise over Lake Michigan during the 5 o'clock hour. The high temperature during our run was probably 71 degrees. While we certainly could not complain about the temperature, it was really windy, and we battled the opposing gusts for the entire second half of the run.

Kinnier slept poorly last night for no clear reason, waking up multiple times throughout the night. He did not suffer from too many nagging injuries today, but he definitely felt the burn in his muscles during the last few miles. Jennifer was one of the pack leaders for most of the race. Jennifer's outperformance of Dave (our pace group leader) and Kinnier is particularly notable because Dave and Kinnier were originally assigned to a pace group thirty (30) second faster. They dropped down to Jennifer's group so that they could run with Jennifer.

In honor of the Olympics, here is some trivia about the significance of the number eighteen (18) internationally in various religions and cultures.

There are 18 chapters in the Bhagavad Gita, which is contained in the Mahabharata, which has 18 books. The Kurukshetra War which the epic depicts, is between 18 armies (11 on the Kuru side, 7 on the Pandava). In Chinese tradition, the number 18, normally 十八 (shí bā), can also be read as 幺八 (yāo bā), which sounds like 要发 (yào fā), meaning that one is going to prosper. Thus, building floors numbered "18" are often very expensive in China

The Hebrew word for "life" is חי (chai), which has a numerical value of 18. Consequently, the custom has arisen in Jewish circles to give donations and monetary gifts in multiples of 18 as an expression of blessing for long life.

In fact, Joseph Heller's novel Catch-22 was originally named Catch-18 because of the Hebrew meaning of the number. It was changed to avoid confusion with another war novel, Mila 18. (Kinnier would not have been confused because he had never heard of the latter.)

Statistics:
Distance: 18.0 miles
Start Time: 6:19 a.m.
Time: 3:41:21
Temperature at Start: 65 degrees
Temperature at End: 72 degrees
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Maximum HR: 166
Average HR: 140
Money Raised to Date: $4,810
Days until Race: 65

Easy Eight

While Kinnier loves Paul Thomas Anderson's debut film, Hard Eight, we are happy to report that today's "recovery run" was an easy eight. Having run sixteen miles last week, we discussed the run of "only eight miles" somewhat in disbelief that we said "only" without any sarcasm. Jennifer had another great run. She led the pace group at times and never had any problems.

In contrast, as the days pass, Kinnier (or at least his body) is constantly adjusting. Fortunately, the knee pain that he got on Kilimanjaro and which recurred right before July 4 appears to be gone. The discomfort migrated from his left leg to his right foot earlier in the week, near his arch. Kinnier monitored it during today's run, and the condition was okay. However, he planted awkwardly during mile seven (7) and felt some strain, again in his left leg but in a different location, which continued for the rest of the day. It's likely another minor, and temporary, injury. Basically, just another day at the office.

We, especially Kinnier, will rest up for a couple of days for our weekday maintenance runs and look forward to running eighteen (18) miles next Sunday. Still, with eight (8) miles being so easy, we might just have to wait for our next trip to Vegas if we want to hit eight the hard way. On second thought as we type this, maybe not. Eight (8) miles will become hard this coming weekend, as any parent will tell you, when it becomes a "teen."

Statistics:
Distance: 8.0 miles
Start Time: 7:11 a.m.
Time: 1:36:51
Temperature: 72 degrees
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Maximum HR: 155
Average HR: 135
Money Raised to Date: $4585
Days until Race: 72