Half Full Triathlon Relay.

About 2 weeks ago, I drove to Maryland for the Ulman Cancer Fund's Half Full Triathlon. I was planning on heading down solo and leaving Enzo at my parents but on a whim I asked my mom if she wanted to take the trip with me. My parents are like conjoined twins. The last time my mom slept somewhere my dad did not was when she had to spend a few night in the hospital.  I actually thought they were joking when they told me my mom was going to come with me while my dad puppy sat.

After about 3.5 hours of conversation, we were soon pulling into Union Jacks for the Team Fight Luncheon.  Last year, I was selected to make a presentation at the lunch and participate on a relay team. I was invited back this year by Brian Satola the RD to race on a Team Fight  Relay Team along with Steve Johnson (who would be swimming and riding.)  Thank you Steve, for without you I would not have been able to return.  I am a runner, not a triathlete (yet... *wink, wink*). 

Fast forwarding to the drive home, I was high on endorphins and talking about how much I love this race.  My mom, who rarely accompanies to runs, but knows I race often genuinely asked "Why?  What makes this race so special?" I thought for a moment and first thing I said was "Everything is just so nice!  The people, the event, the RD's, the Ulman Fund team, the Team Fight people, the course, the shirts, just everything."

To start, there was the moving speech by Aaron about his experience at the Team Fight lunch.  This really emphasized why all these people were here, not just to compete but to do something for young adults effected by cancer. The lunch concluded with the Half Full Triathlon YouTube Video  which is worth a look if you have a moment.  Besides the Team Fight people being amazing, the Half Full RD's do such a great job making sure everything is done well.

At 5 am my alarm when off and I was so scared to go outside.  I haven't been out in 45 degrees since maybe March, so this was going to be a shock to my system.  It was only on that Saturday that the universe decided it would be Fall in the North East.  It was 70's all week and then 50's on Saturday.  On Sunday it was cold and raining when we left for the event. 

I met Steve at the transition and felt so bad that he was going to have jump into the water for .9 miles soon.  He was ok with that part but more concerned with having to bike 56 miles while cold and wet.  I let him prep and planned to cheer him on at the start and at the transition.



There are some interesting things about being part of the relay.  First I got to hang out at the exciting event all day and this was a lot of fun.  But not knowing exactly when I would be starting was unusual.  Any other race, I have my routine down.  It is not very complicated.  Drink, pee, change shoes and head to start.  But in this case, I was not sure when Steve would be in.  There is always a lot of standing around, getting cold, warming up, then getting cold and finally Steve was in!



I grabbed the chip, gave Steve a high 5 and then headed off to the run.  This course is tough.  Two loops of rolling short and steep or long hills.  It is not easy. This is always two weeks after North Coast 24 hours, where I ran about 87 miles and my body is always feeling beat up.  I am never fast and with the hills to contend with, I just hope to be somewhere in the 1:40-1:50 range.  Someday I would like to run a 1:30 half and my PR is 1:34, so shooting to run under 1:50 should be easy, but I always feel worried, but I am always happy with my time when done.   I just cant imagine who tough this run must feel after swimming and biking, but I feel compelled to find out.

http://www2.brightroom.com/email/87980/432/114322340


http://kimsheridan.smugmug.com/Other/Half-Full-Triathlon-2011/19339930_BhDGQK#1511980133_zS8KbcB

I just joined a LiveStrong program at my local YMCA, which provides personal training for cancer survivors.  The group is special since it is all survivors trying to get fit.  I hope to work with my trainer to build up my upper body strength for a few weeks and then determine whether swimming will be something I can do.  I had my latissum dorsi muscles "transplanted" to my chest after my double mastectomy and this is what allows me to look normal, but I don't function the same and never recovered my upper body strength.  These muscles are engaged with any pulling down motion.  Closing the trunk when from impossible to possible but harder than it ever was before.  I am concerned that swimming may be too tough.

My plan now is to train for greater strength, the get in the pool and learn some technique.  Once I have figured out if I can do the swim, then I will invest in a bike.  I have year to train and if I can piece it all together, I hope to be a part of that Survivor's Wave of athletes that get sent out first in the yellow caps.

I feel more survivors are represented in sports that better. As a 29 year old cancer patient I fear my live was over and I was going to be sick and weak after treatment.  I had no real life role models.  Everyone knows about Lance Armstrong, but it is sometimes hard to relate to a man who has the genetic code and financial resources to be strong and fit again.  To see regular men and women who have beat cancer and returned to sports is inspiring beyond belief and I aspire to be apart of that wave of racers someday!

Thank you, Aptium Oncology, for mentioning me on your blog :)

I am so honored to have been selected of the subject of a blog article posted by Aptium Oncology.

Based upon some conversations I had with a fellow co-worker and an intern, an article was written up about "my story".  I was under the impression that this was going to be used to help promote my art therapy program and it was.  However, it was a nice surprise to learn that the author had also submitted the story to Aptium Oncology and they wanted it to appear on their blog.

Here is the write up!

http://learn.aptiumoncology.com/Aptium-Forum/bid/74054/Cancer-Survivor-Brings-Art-to-Cancer-Patients

NorthCoast 24 Hour Nationals: Cleveland Ohio Sept 17-18, 2011

On Thursday, Sid got time off from work and was able to acquire a Cessna to fly Tamra, he, and I to Cleveland, cutting out trip to 2.5 hours instead of 9 hours. It is always a treat to have Sid fly me out because when it works out, the travel stress is reduced.

I had not trained anywhere near what I planned to do in August.  I had a few nice 75 miles weeks, but I wanted them to be 100 mile weeks.  I missed 3 key long races (50k, marathon and a 12 hour run) that were required for me to feel physically and mentally ready.  I know what my biggest problem is right now.  It's finding my discipline and making running THE priority.  But the reality is, running is not the priority right now.  School, work, Sid, and Enzo are my priorities. This is ok because I like those things a lot too. :)

So how did it go?  It was really fantastic.  The RD's (Dan and Joe) have figured out how to put on a great event.  The course is fast.  September is a great time of year for a run like this in Cleveland.  The Aid Station is wonderful. The volunteers are amazing.  The shirts are cool and I am always thrilled to get a female fitted shirt for a change!  And the runners are just awesome.

I started easy and began to notice early on that my feet were feeling sore.  I expected this.  They have been bugging me for a while now.  I wake up in the morning with stiff sore arches. I have chronic plantar fasciitis, that is usually not real big deal, except last year I ended up with scar tissue called fibromas that are more painful than the PF in my opinion.  In hindsight, I should have had my podiatrist shrink the fibromas with cortisone, but I didn't want to have this done unless I felt I was trained for a good run.

About 14 laps in, I saw Dr. Lovey and I took a moment to ask him if there was anything his team could do to prevent me from dropping due to my foot pain. I told him that I wanted to prevent the pain, but the truth was the pain was already there and I wanted to prevent it from getting worse.

Dr. Lovey is a wonderful man.  He alerted his team that I would be coming in and I needed help.  Two med fellows were waiting for me.  They basically popped things in my feet back in place, worked out the knots in my arch and paid attention to any pain I mentioned.  Over the course of the night, I stopped in many times to see them and they did their best to keep me going.  Dr. Lovey was out there providing words of encouragement. I feel terrible that I was not able to get 100 miles for them. I found that each pit stop gave me a renewed sense of freshness and I was able to drop my pace down after returning to the course.  However, with each hour, the pain relief would last less and less time.  I was coming in at 10 laps, or 7 laps and finally it no longer helped.

All day long, Tamra was plugging away at her own mileage, while under doctors orders to NOT do anything strenuous.  She followed these orders, begrudgingly.   This was unfortunate timing, because Tamra had begun working very hard towards a 50k goal and only a few days prior she was told to not exert herself.  She compromised by helping me out in between walking laps. I am very proud that she logged about 25 miles and she did not end up in the hospital in Cleveland.

Sid was around in spurts, but his job has become transportation and food runs.  He dropped us off, saw us start, took some photos and then left for the hotel.  He came back at noon with some KFC that made me happy.  He couldn't pace me, so he did a 9 mile run on his own.  He returned to the hotel to take a shower and bring back coffee.  It was nice to know he wasn't bored to death with me running in circles.

At one point about 11:30 pm, Sid had gone back to the hotel and Tamra was ready to call it a night.  I was so tired I needed to get off my feet, I promised to get up after Sid and Tamra left. I had not set up a tent.  I pulled my sleeping bag up over my head once Tamra and Sid departed and within a few minutes, I felt something soft bouncing off my head. I was wondering who would be throwing things at me.  After three or four times, I pulled up the covers to see a rat's butt scurrying off into the bushes!!
Holy cow! No way! A rat was poking at my head while I was trying to nap.  I saw Ray run by and I told him what just happened.  He advised that solution to my rat problem was simple, just get up and run.  I was already putting on my shoes. 

During the entire race, I had not been keeping track except to check my lap count at the end of each hour.  Because I had no splits, I was freaking out every time the monitor would stop reporting my numbers.  I was hoping to hold about 4-5 laps per hours.  I think I had done about 50 miles in 10 hours.  I think I was about 65 laps in 12 hours.  I can't wait to see my splits.  With only 55 more laps to go in 12 hours, it seemed reasonable that I could get 100 miles since I was not pushing very hard for those first 65.  I was hydrated, fueled well, and felt energetic at the half way point.  By 11:30, I was starting to feel like I needed a nap, but the rat put a stop to that plan. I tried to stay out there, but by 2 am the aching was getting worse and by 3 am I decided I had to get off my feet again.  By 4 am, the pain was too bad.

I was afraid to lay on the ground since the rats in the bushes were freaking me out.  I grabbed a blanket and sat in my chair.  The damp air had covered my chair with a layer of dew that made me cold and wet when I sat in it.  The wind was blowing up under my blanket and making me shiver.  I put on my Gortex jacket over my running jacket and long sleeve t-shirt.  I was still too cold to move.  After an hour of this, I was completely frozen and finally decided to move to the ground. I curled up inside one sleeping bag. I used my blanket as a pillow and the other sleeping bag went over head.  But it was way too hot like that, so I had to crack open a small hole for air.  I was convinced a rat would crawl in and bite me.  Needless to say, I did not get much rest.

In that moment of weakness, I just wanted my feet to stop throbbing and I wanted to stop being so cold.  I decided that I was not getting up until the sun rose because only then would their be a promise of the chill being burnt off the ground.  I knew the 100 mile goal was now out of reach as I pulled my sleeping bag tighter and wished I had been bright enough to change out of my sweaty clothes first.

I could hear the chatter of people.  The night time grumblings of the few on course had been exchanged for chuckles and laughter as the new day broke and more people woke or came back to the race.  I peeled back my covers and saw the sun illuminating the sky and I knew it was all going to get better from here.  I climbed from the ground, happy to be have been spared by the rodents of the night.  At 6:30,  I decided to go walk some laps.  Sid and Tamra arrived.  I was happy to walk a few more with Tamra in the morning.  

It is always great to see how things played out over the night.  My friend Jonathan was now in 2nd place.  I am sure that very early on, when the leader board did not include him and he may have felt it was not going to be his day.  He had started worrying about a blister and I know he has a condition that makes blistering painful for weeks/months after an event.  But Jonathon was smart and well trained and it paid off.  It was unclear where the 3rd guy was, but it seemed Jonathan would be holding 2nd by the last few laps and earning his spot in the Worlds!  I am so happy for him and what he was able to do all night long. 

Connie was very close, with over 144 miles, but was unable to set a new American record for the women.  Debra Horn had a great second place finish with 131.  Debra is probably my most favorite 24 hour runner.  She is so consistent and stealth.  She just shows up, runs and by the end of the day she is at the top of the leader board.  Some people (like me) drop a great performance once in a while.  Debra runs 128-131 regularly.  As a master's runner, I hope to someday be able to do what she does.  She gives me hope that I have time to figure this out.

As we came around the last lap, Phil was in the lead for the men and asked if I wanted to finish up together.  Tamra and I were jogging and Phil was running well.  I wanted to stride out the last lap, but I did not want Tamra to have any issues. She told me to go ahead and Phil and I ran together for a few tenths while he called out the time... 2 minutes to go... 1 minute to go... and then the siren called for us to stop.

It is always confusing at the end. People don't seem to believe it is time to stop. We dropped our blocks to mark our finish, hovered around for a minutes before exiting the course.  I always find the final minutes of these races so amazing.  Zombies find renewed strength and speed.  Paces drop as people find they are actually able to move again but only with the promise that the pain will end soon.  It is special part of the race that so many miss when the drop early and go home.

After a shower, Sid, Tamra and I went in search of lunch.  Cleveland was like a ghost town.  It was bizarre. We ended up at the one open pub we found downtown.  The young waitress asked what we wanted to drink.  In unison, Tamra and I said "WATER!"

The waitress took one look at me and said, "Oh boy, I know that feeling! ... Rough night last night, huh (wink, wink)?"

"Yeah, something like that," I said finding some energy to crack a smile.


(I ran just short of 87 miles. That plus the rats made the night kinda rough I guess? ;) )

*****
Links to results and photos:  


Overall Results | USATF Age Groups

Photos: John McCarroll | Jen Goellnitz | Mark Shelton

Looking for Clients.

Hello all,

I am in the process of getting my Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degree at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) in Marriage and Family Therapy.  I am already a Board Certified Creative Arts Therapist who is qualified to and has experience working with individuals, couples and families.

At the present time, I need more Couples and/or Families to work with and the cost is low.

If you are interested in working with me, I am able to work with Couples and Families in Central Jersey at very low cost through home visit at the clients home for 1-2 hour per week.  Cost will depend upon my travel expenses.  Insurance is not accepted.  I have a very limited availability so please contact me at mekasan2@hotmail.com.

If families or couples are near the TCNJ, in Ewing NJ, then feel free to sign up at the Family Clinic there to see who is available to work with you. I am looking for Clinic clients on Thursday nights after 7 p.m.  

Again, you can contact me at mekasan2@hotmail.com for more information or to get started with visits.

Presidents Cup 5k

After running about 6.5 in the morning with Enzo, I decided to go to the President's Cup 5k.  It was a tough decision. I still feel a little weak and sluggish.  I texted Sidney from the parking lot whining that I am not so sure I am happy paying $30 to do something poorly.  

The weather was nice.   The course was fast.  The field was huge.  If anything I would get a little speed work in.  My best 5k of 2011 was 6:47 pace way back in February.  Since I haven't come near that time since, I am starting to question whether that course was short.  I did feel fast that day and I did push hard.  I also raced a great 50k the following week and only a few weeks later I started taking the medication that damaged my liver, so maybe I have just been struggling from that?  Or maybe the course was short?  Whatever the reason, I have NOT put in the work for a fast 5k, so I didn't expect one.

Well, I promised myself a few weeks ago that I would push the pace for as long as I could in these short runs.  Last 5k, I got to about 12 minutes before things got hard.  This time I got to about 14 minutes, but that put me just barely past the 2 mile mark, so I was happy.  Maybe next 5k, I can feel strong through 16? 

In mile 3, I felt the fatigue setting in.  My breathing was hard and this is where I saw Ross, a fellow asthma sufferer struggling.  I was able to catch him.  Ross is great because he responds so well to encouragement.... or maybe he will do whatever he can to not get beat by a girl... either way, whenever I see him hurting I feel his pain.   I always make point to try to get him to just stay with me.  He knows I have asthma to and I know he knows I understand.   In fact, he met me at mile 3 of a 10k about 3 years ago as he passed me while I wheezing and he asked if I was ok.  I huffed out "Asthma... " and from then on when he sees me in a race he will say "There's Asthma!"... Ross and I go back and forth in races, but for the most part he is a faster runner than me so I know something is wrong if I catch him.

The last two times this happened, Ross was able to let me pass him and then suddenly find the drive to get it together and blow past me.  I was happy for him, although I must admit I do try to stay with him hoping to be able to pass him by the end. :)   Last night that was not possible.

By the end of the race, I saw that clock was still reading 21... and knew if I kicked hard I could finish before  it changed to 22...  I finished in 21:58, 4th in AG, 40the female out of over 500 and 300th place of about 1345 runners.  This is only 6 seconds faster than my last run.  I am happy to see that 21, though even thought this is still about 1:30 slower than my best ever 5k. 

I still have a lot of work to do. 

The year is young.  :)

My brother's first youtube... his 40 lb Striped Bass off the surf.

http://youtu.be/hfn3m5AWfFA

so cool!

Running For The Hansons: Book Review and Giveaway

http://chasingatalanta.blogspot.com/2011/06/running-for-hansons-book-review-and.html

Please check out Chasing Atlanta.  There is a wonderful Book Review and related book giveaway happening there.   I love Brooks products and just got a new shipment of shorts and tops today! I also run only in brooks shoes and truly appreciate the Hanson method of training it's athletes.   I look forward to reading this book!

American Cancer Society Relay for Life, Team Awesome's attempt to be Awesome washed away by the weather.

On June 11, the ACS was scheduled to put on an Relay for Life at the park where I run short loops with Enzo.  I decided to sign up and hoped to be able to run for 8-10 hours of the night logging maybe 40 miles total.  In a normal 12 hour run, I could potentially see over 60 miles, but this was for fun and for fundraising, so 40 was my goal.

Last year I did this as a fundraiser and as a way to celebrate my 5 years being cancer free.  This year I decided to make a tradition of it an celebrate 6 years. Rather than just ask people to donate cash, I invited people to come join me.  To join the team it is a $10 donation to the ACS.  Since the park has a .8 mile loop and the walkers would only be on part of that loop, it is a good park to run as part of the relay.  In contrast, ACS relays are often on tracks, so runners are not able to find the room to run freely.  It is a walking event, so by running through crowds of walkers, people may get frustrated.   However, here in Woodbridge, we can walk through the walk part of the loop and when the walkers turn left through the field, the runners can head off on the "big" loop to run as fast as we want. 

Johnny arrived at 5-ish to check thing out.  He planned to hang out with me all night. 

I arrived next with Enzo.  I figured he would get to spend sometime getting used to crowds and my parents were coming for a few hours, so they could take him home when they left.  It took about 10 minutes for Enzo to be ejected from the event.  Apparently no dogs are allowed at the Relay even thought the park is dog friendly.  I did see some dogs later in the night, so I suspect just no crazy dogs are allowed.

My parents arrived next and we able to take Enzo home.  Martin showed up ready to run a few laps.   Alanna was next, then Robin M, who drove about 2.5 hours from PA for the chance to run all night.   Meredith made it as well as Rebecca. Both did a few laps.

After Alanna and I walked the survivors lap, we decided to start running at 7:40 p.m.   We did about 2 laps before Robin arrived and then we stopped to help her set up.  We would run a lap, then stop to be social with our friends and family.  By 10 pm the Rain started to come and Tamra had just arrived.

We did a few laps with Tamra and by 11 pm, the Event organizers had advised us that we are all leaving due to the impending T-storms.   We packed up our gear, but Johnny and I planned to just run alone all night even  if the event staff left.  But the park was going to be locked and they requested that we not stay... so we complied and went home. 

On my ride home, all 4 miles, the weather shifted and the rain stopped. However, Alanna reported that just a few miles away she was hit hard with down pours and Thunder/Lightning.  So it is all for the best.

I did find another event next weekend, so if all goes well I may call a do-over and see if I can run all night in Galloway.


Oh and for the record, I ran 15 laps... 12 miles instead of 12 hours. 

Princeton 10k

So last Monday, Memorial Day, I raced a double 10k/5k.  Both felt incredibly hard.  The course didn't seem too tough,  I was just tired.  It was hot.

I haven't been feeling great which is likely due to some minor health related stuff. I could not expect to run fast, since I had not run fast in a while. To me racing fast is kind of like that expression about money (It takes money to make money). I cant seem to run to fast unless I have run fast.  So without speedwork, what can I expect?   My 10k on Monday was a tough one and I cruised in at 47:10 (ugh... this was 2 minutes slower than the last 10k I raced in April, b/f I started the new medicine that I feel slowed me down).   I had high hopes for the 5k that started 30 minutes later, but that was no better at 23:40.

Today just felt different.  The weather was nicer. It was very cool and not very humid.  However, the course may have been hillier, but I didn't think it was too bad..  All I know is I LOVE a track finish and I couldn't wait to get there. 

I started behind Mark who ran about a 43 minute 10k on Monday.  It seemed wrong to start out ahead of him. :)   Martin got a great start and I spent about 1 mile trying to catch up to him without working to hard.  The course was a nice mixture of ups and downs. 

The first half seemed to be more down than up.  Mile 1 was 7:08, Mile 2 was 7:12,  Mile 3 was 7: 16 and my 5k split was 22:26.  I felt good and wondered if I could see a 44 on the clock today.

The second half seemed to be a bit more up (or maybe I was just getting tired).  Mile 4 (7:26) and Mile 5 (7:32) were not the best.  The temperature started warming up a bit and my wheezing got bad, but I felt ok.  An EMT started hovering.  I pretended like I was winning and was running with the lead bike. :)  He asked me if I was ok, and I explained that I have asthma.  He did not trust that I was ok and stayed near me until just before Mile 6 (7:16). 

During the second half of this race I had a song stuck in my head.  Without fail whenever a song plays in my head, I know I am having a good race.  Today's song was Rolling in the Deep by Adele.  During this last mile, the refrain repeated in my mind and I picked off all those I could catch.  I moved up the ranks of females passing about 4 women and setting my sight on one more for the track lap.

We entered the track and I picked up the pace.  So did the woman ahead of me.  However, I just LOVE the track and I knew I could blast past her in a 200 meter dash.  However she started kicking.  I wanted to be ahead of her by the curve, so I could hug the inside and force her to take the outside to pass me by, but I just couldn't catch her.  This means I needed to take the outside and with 100 meters to go, that is just what I did.  I gave everything I had, took the one extra place and ran that last .2 was 1:17 (6:24 pace).

I finished in 45:10, 8th female and 1 in my AG.

I have run faster 10k's as splits in other races when in my best shape.  However, I am happy with this effort and was very pleased to see a 2 minute drop off my 10k in 6 days!  Ironically, I was exactly 1 second slower than my fastest 10k this year which is a good place to be after taking a medication that had some serious but reversible side-effects.

After the race, Liz (who came to cheer), Martin (my racing buddy) and I all went for breakfast in Princeton.

What a great run!   I love a good runner's high :)

Running with Enzo

I think there are few things more rewarding than running for hours through the woods with your dog trotting effortless and joyfully at your side.

Although most of today's run involved Enzo keeping the leash taunt as he lead the way and set the pace, by mile 6 we had finally agreed that 8:45 -9 minutes per mile was a nice pace.  For the first time ever he was able to run WITH me, at my side, with slack leash.

I could sense his joy to just run.  Anything slower than 8:05 pace is a trot and he does so with tail wagging and with confidence.  He was lightly panting even with temperatures well into the 70's, but he had no interest in jumping in the river like he does when he is too hot.  Today was different than other runs because the tow path was pretty much empty except for us.  No cars, people, or other dogs to distress him.  He was truly relaxed today.

He ran, with me, at my side (for part of the run), and it was beautiful.  10.5 total miles on a dirt tow path in the shade of the trees with our route bounded by a river on one side and a canal on the other. We had no choice. There was nothing else to do but run or swim.  Enzo did both.  I just ran.

ACS 12 Hour Relay for Life: Kicking Cancer's A@# One Lap at a Time!

ACS 12 Hour Relay for Life

I will be celebrating being almost 6 years cancer free by running as far as I can through the middle of the night at the ACS Relay for life and I need company. 

If you can get to NJ on June 11th
... and you like to run, walk, camp, cheer
... and you like a good challenge (like staying up all night running around like a fool or counting how many laps the other idiots on your team are running)
... and you have an extra $10 and want to do something to fight cancer
... then please come join me for 12 hours of night time running/walking on June 11th from 7pm thru 7am in Sewaren NJ and lets Kick Cancer's A@# One Lap at a Time!

Why at night? Because Cancer Never Sleeps!

Why run the whole time? Because I can and so can you!

If you cant come to the run, please consider making a small donation to help me raise some money for a great cause.

Thank you for your support!

Racing and Pacing ... My first experience as an official pacer.

A few months ago, I volunteered to be an official pacer for the Long Branch Half Marathon 1:50 group here in NJ.  I have paced individuals in races before, but that is a much different experience.  Goal paces and effort can be readjusted as you go along in order to help the runner have a good experience.

To pace a group, means I need to run a specific time and the race needs to be evenly paced. To the extent possible, every mile should be run at the same pace.  This is a challenge.

I should not sound so worried.  After all in March I ran a 50k (31 miles) in 8:14 pace, with such little variation per mile that I was in awe of myself.  I did this without using a Garmin or even checking my watch each mile.  I just ran what felt good and tried to not fade. I ended up negative splitting that race by 5 seconds.  I then went on to run a few other very evenly paced runs and races, again without using anything but how I felt.

However, Official Pacing means not running for me but running for others at the pace they need or want to run.  To make sure I didn't mess this up, I decided that it is time that I learn to use my Garmin as a tool for telling me what to do rather than as the record keeper that tells me what I have just done.  I adjusted a few settings to Average Pace and Lap Pace. I was able to see what my pace for the lap and my cumulative pace for the entire run. 

I needed a test run so I ran a 15k on Saturday just to try out the settings.

April 30, 2011.  Clinton Country Run, 15k

This race started a little hectic.  To keep a record of my races, I pay by check.  I threw my check book in my pocket and jogged to the start, only to discover I had no check book upon arrival to register.  Panicked, I retraced my steps to find nothing.  I called Martin to tell him that I lost my check book.  While sorting out what I needed to do, a runner said he saw it and someone had picked it up.  The DJ announced my dilemma.  A woman heard and hollered out, "I found it! I gave it too the police".  I retrieved my book and I was able to register in time.  Phew!

I decided to run this race in 8 minutes per mile. I wanted to see how hard it is to hit a goal pace when using the watch to guide me. I did not trust the watch when it said Mile 1 was a 7:22 pace, but it turns out it was right. From Mile 1 onward, I was able to run every mile in 7:58 or 7:59 except for uphill Mile 9 which was just over 8 minutes.

It was liberating to not be racing. I was able to cheer on the women near me and not feel bad when I didn't feel compelled to beat them.  By the end of run I reached my goal of running a 7:57 paced 9.3 mile run. Close enough to 8's and I was happy.

May 1, 2011 Long Branch Half Pacing.
Confident with my Garmin's ability to help me, I arrived at about 7:45 for an 8:30 start.  I got my pacer balloons, which blew off the stick.  A runner in my pace group suggested we tape it with athletic tape! She was a genius.  We all waited for a port-a-potty, but the line was slow. We jumped into the corral (literally jumped in over a fence) because the alternative was to walk to the back of the corral. 

We were just short of a minute behind the start mat.  My group was small maybe just 3 runners at the start., but as I ran we collected more runners along the way.  Between Miles 3 and 7 we had a nice group.  At 3 miles, Martin who was also part of today's group, pulled ahead (not too bad for a 65 year old man!)

At 7 onward runners started to drop off. I was sad to not be able to drop my speed as well to offer encouragement, but I had to stay on pace.   My splits were mostly 8:22 -8:24.  It was really nice to see the watch guide me to what I needed to run. 

At about 6.5 miles, one runner said "I am so glad I found you!"  I responded, "Wow, that is always so good to hear ;)".  She laughed and explained that it takes the pressure off.  I wanted to add that I actually know where that pressure when, I am fully carrying it, but that is my job and not her concern.  I must say that a part of me was worried about messing this up somehow.   However with 6 to go, I knew I was going to be just fine. 

At 10 miles in I was losing most of my group.  I knew we had a little time buffer to play with, technically 60 seconds between 1:50:00 and 1:50:59, so I slowed down to see if they would come back to me.  Once down to 8:35 pace and they were not gaining on me, I had to get back on pace.  I am sure others were pacing off me and I didn't want to no do my job.

The last 2 miles I ran pretty much along, trying to encourage everyone around me to beat me to break 1:50.

Here is where I saw a man on the ground getting chest compressions. It was tremendously upsetting to witness.  I pray that he was attended to in time and his life was saved.  All I could think is that someone is waiting for this man to finish and he almost made it. 

I caught up to an older man, who was working hard to finish but starting to fade. We had less than .4 to go so I encouraged him to try to finish strong with me, but honestly I couldnt help but worry about him after what we both just saw.  He still found a way to dig deep for a strong finish.  I stayed with him and at the end I could see him get wobbly.   He leaned on me and I am lucky to not have collapse since I am less than 5ft 2in and not very good at catching jelly-legged dudes about to go unconscious.  I started calling for help and eventually people seemed to understand that I meant it, but no until after I asked about 3 different people to get me some help.  Once a wheelchair came out of the crowd, I felt at least he had a place to sit and catch his breath.  He was wheeled off and I continued on through the finish area, a bit rattled and  hoping that there are reports that the man survived his collapse today. 

I got home to do some research on cardiac issues in marathoning and despite the fact that reports of collapsing runners seems to be on the rise, studies do show that we are generally better off running than we are not.  

I think a few issues are contributing to so many emergencies on the race courses.  

I think that fact that race courses are staying open longer to encourage walkers are somehow encouraging untrained runners to take part as well.  I believe in the past, average marathon finishing times were much faster and race participation was lower.  Runners who were well trained and ready to compete were able to register right at the race and at registrations fees that were much lower.   I suspect that all those factors create a situation where people who are prepared to run end up running and those unprepared do not not feel compelled to show up, register, and push themselves too hard. 

I wonder how many runners show up at races feeling unprepared.  If someone asked me this morning, do you think you could run a marathon today? I would say yes, with confidence. If they asked why, I could say that because I have logged enough miles in training to know I could finish.   I wonder how many runners at the start of our races can say for sure they feel they did the work required to finish the race. 

I wonder how many runners show up, not having logged nearly enough miles, but since they made a commitment they feel compelled to race.  A marathon trip could cost a person's a months rent or half their mortgage.  Hundreds of dollars are spent on hotels, race numbers, flights, car rentals, food, and many other things. I wonder if this sense of feeling obligated to race after spending so much in advance acts to contribute to those being taken away in ambulances on the race course. 

Lately races require pre-registrations months in advance.  Runners think they have time to train later.  Race Directors do not allow refunds, or even transferring of race bibs to others who may be better prepared to tactle the challenges. 

For all those runners who felt unprepared to race, I wonder how many would have gladly transferred their bibs to runner willing and able to take their place.   I bet a compelling case for bib transfer can be made in the interest of public policy, but that is just me rambling. 

Thanks for reading. Prayers to the man I saw on the course today.

Self Transcendence 6 and 10 day races

Enzo at his first mult-day race

http://us.srichinmoyraces.org/events/6-10-day-race

Just after Start/Finish, Runner have units in a two long tents that line the course.

Enzo, Dave L.and I went to visit Ray at about 10 hours into his 6 day race.  He had logged about 46 miles by the time I left and was working on 47.   We were allowed to hang on the course and Enzo logged 4 miles at his first mult-day.  Not a bad start for my crazy little dog.

Ray's is prepping for another lap back in his unit.

This race is incredible. Runners from all over the world are here in Queens to run a 1 mile loop for 6-10 days straight.  They eat, sleep, walk, and run as desired.  The winner is the one who logs the most miles.  Runners in the 10 day were up to 255 miles by the time I left.   10 hours into the 6 day had the leader at 54.

Ray, me and Enzo.  I just LOVE this photo. 

I will be back tonight to cheer on Ray, one of the most inspiring amazing people in my life.   Go Ray, you are awesome!

Photos and Blogs from other Team Awesome Teammates!

Ray posted a ton of photos on facebook here: Hampton 24 set 1 , Hampton 24 set 2 , Hampton 24 Set 3 , Hampton 24 Set 4.  

Frank posted some great photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/triple_f/sets/72157626393965309/

Frank also posted his race report on his blog here:  http://hurryslowlybuthurry.blogspot.com/2011/04/i-love-24-hour-races.html

Jonathan posted his race report here:  http://fellrnr.com/wiki/2011_Hampton_Park_24_Hour

Sabrina posted her race report on her blog here:  http://notallergictoadventure.blogspot.com/

Race Report: Virginia 24 Hour Ultra Run and Relay for Cancer - Team Awesome!

The Event: Virginia 24 Hour Run for Cancer:  Ultra Run and Relay for Cancer in Hampton Va. 4/16 - 4/17.     

Video by Peter Wolf  Please check out this video of the race.  

Team Awesome:  Jonathan Savage, Sabrina Moran, Tom Gabell, Cheryl Lager, Ray Krolewicz, Jessi Kennedy, David Lettieri, Jim Plant, Amy Perris-Schimmel, Alanna Garrison-Kast, Frank Lilley, and myself. 

OCD Shoe tying before the gun 

With a lot of help from Jim, I put together a 12-person team of really great people.  I had one secret criteria for the team selection process:  The capacity to endure endless hours of me once I became a cranky, whiny, starving, suffering, sleep-deprived zombie.

The Crew: Charles West, Todd Kast, Sidney Dos Santos and Cheryl's family.  They did an amazing job handling us while dealing with the impending Armageddon predicted to hit late in the day.

Sid, Me, Sabrina, Ray, Jessi, Charles, Dave, Jim, etc.

The Point: To work together to log high mileage drawing attention to our effort and this race in order to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Please consider making a donation to help all those who truly endure a much more difficult struggle than anything we could have faced running around the woods at night in a tornado.  Please direct donations at any time to this link: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=team&fr_id=33505&team_id=843107

Pre-Race:  I had a great start.  Sid rented a Cessna and the weather cooperated.  While Sid did his pre-flight check, I got cross-examined by the woman at the desk who was baffled by the amount of stuff I had packed for a 2-day rental.

Her: "What are you doing, moving to Virginia!?" 

Me:  "Uh, no. I have a race."

Her: "Hmm? A race?" (confused look)

Me:  "Well, it's kinda like camping.  It's a camping-race!"

Her:  "Oh! That makes perfect sense now!" (walks away.... seeming less confused)

Me:  (What? That makes no sense at all... a camping-race??)

Thanks to Sid, my trip took 1.5 hours instead of 7 hours of driving. 

My Goal:  I have not put in the work for high mileage and you really can't fake a 24 hour.  I just started a harsh medication, so I wasn't sure what was going to happen.  My goal was to run at least 75 miles and ideally to continue on for 100.  I figured 12 minute paced for the first 12 hours would get me to 60 miles and then getting 40 more in next 12 hours seems almost too easy. Ha!    

The Weather: Torrential rains with thunder, lightning, and tornadoes were predicted starting at 4 pm lasting a few hours.  At 4 pm the weather began to change, but nothing significant happened.  At our aid station, people were battening down the hatches.  I took some time from my running to sort out my essential gear. I gave Sid everything I was not wearing to put in the car to keep it dry. (Remember this!)

At 12 hours in I had ended up behind my pace plan by about 3 miles.  But nothing hurt and I had plenty of time. I was still hoping the rain would sneak by and miss us. I grabbed Sid and together we headed out into the dark.

Sid and I before the storm

At 8 p.m. we were less than 1 mile into the 3.75 loop when the sky just opened up. The WORST of the weather was upon us.  Water was falling in a sheet that was broken up only by the branches above our head.  Cracks of lightning lit up the woods.  I was convinced I was hit with hail.  Runners were running in the opposite direction as fast as they could just to get out of the weather.  But together Sid and I moved onward commenting on how awesome our rain jackets were. :)

Within minutes the trail became ankle deep rivers.  I was in shock at how fast inches of water accumulated.  At first, the cold water felt good like a refreshing  mid-race ice-bath.  But over the course of the next 2.75 miles, my body temperature lowered too much and I was freezing cold.   

* * * * *
Links to weather related news:  News reports indicated that a storm had split forming two tornadoes. One had touched down miles north of us.  We caught the mess between those spiraling cones of destruction. We were very lucky.  See Video: Destruction from the tornado hitting just several miles north of our location.
* * * * *

Once safely out of the woods, I was shivering uncontrollably.  Jonathan had concerns of hypothermia and suggested I move inside. Together, Tom, Amy, Charles, Sid, Jonathan, Jim and I set up a little justified pitty-party in the one warm building we had access too.   My fingernails were blue and I couldn't formulate clear sentences.  I was not in a good mental place.  Sid ran to the car about half a dozen times to retrieve me some warm clothes. Charles ran to get Amy and me some coffee.  Thank you so much guys! 

The rain was a Mojo Killer!  Many had dropped out, packed up, and left once it arrived.  But I had  only 3 more laps for 75 miles.  I sent Sid back to the hotel to sleep so he could fly us home safely.  Jonathan was worried for us and schooled us on the signs of serious hypothermia before sending us off into the darkness, encouraging the buddy system.  I was so cold that I could not keep up with Amy and Jim.  Frank hung back with me. Thank goodness for Frank!  His company during one of the hardest laps of the day distracted me from my misery.  

Still pre-storm - Jim, Alanna, and Dave

The beginning of my turn around:  On our way in, we saw Jim and Amy.  I asked about the female leader's mileage.  Sabrina had logged 82.5, gaining a commanding lead  before the storm rolled in and she went home.  Since the rain hit, most people either left, were trying to get back on their feet, or were moving slowly through the mud.  Some lucky ones had missed the it completely and were fresh and happy to run, but their mileage goals were lower, which allowed them to be safe and dry during the worst of the weather.

"Wow, I can still win this," I said.  I am sure the only person who believed that was me.  "My competitive drive is kicking in! I really think I can do it."  And then off I hobbled with Frank who handed me off to Alanna who immediately triaged my situation and took care of me.  My feet were soaked.  It was only now that I remembered I had sent Sid to the hotel with all my clothes, my extra socks, and my second pair of shoes (everything I asked him to keep dry in the car earlier).    

Jim, Alanna, and Amy

I saw Cheryl who was still ahead of me.  She decided she was done for the day.  I tried to convince her to stay out letting her know that all she needed was 2 more loops and a mile for the win.  She humored me by pretending to think about it, but for whatever reason Cheryl (who just got back from the toughest ultra ever invented, the Barkley) decided she was happy to call it a night at 75.  She gave me a hug, telling me the win "is yours if you want it, so go get it." I told her that is my plan and I will try. 

Cheryl and Tom

My teammates took great care of me.  Jonathan covered me with his giant down coat.  Alanna had her husband Todd find me his hooded fleece. Some one grabbed my towel from inside to cover my legs. Someone propped my feet up.  Someone else grabbed me some more mashed potatoes.  I ate, sat, then decided to dip my chin to my chest, close my eyes and take a 25 minute power nap.
   

I then headed off and did two loops alone.
 

Frank

When I had only two loops left, Ray was just coming through the start/finish area as I was getting ready to head out again.  I had not spent any time with Ray, so I was happy to see him now.  I told him I could win it, but my feet are in a lot of pain.  As we assessed my risk of getting passed by any women, we caught up to my closest competitor who declared she was calling it a night.  I had the win if I wanted it, but by then my feet were a hot mess.  My painful fibromas have returned making every step increasingly painful.

Planning to use all the time I had so as to not unnecessary tear up my feet any further, I timed it so that at 6:00 a.m. I would be tied for the lead.  With no reason to rush, I sat down to take my shoes off and rub my feet. Oh wow that felt good!  I waited for sun to rise before I put my wet racing flats back on and finished this off.  

By 6:10, glimmers of sunlight began to peak through the trees and I headed out to the blue cone turn around (which was really the .625 mile mark.  The double orange cones were .5 mile mark, oops). This gave  me technically 83.75 miles for the day.  George told me I had time for 1 more and to not quit early! Ha! 

I found Sid at the finish with a huge smile and I knew he knew I won.  He had left me when I was just recovering from my worst low of the day and I am sure he doubted I would even finish the 3 laps for 75.  I was thrilled to be able to tell him I did almost 10 more miles in wet gear since I last saw him!  I was happy he was present to see me win something.

Keeping Things in Perspective:  This is not the highest mileage I have ever run in a 24 hours.  This is low mileage for an overall women's win on a flat course.  I believe that I was unlikely to go much more than 83 miles at this race.  I am not yet trained for a good 24 hour run and my foot pain would have come whether or not the rains did.  Regardless of whether I should have won or not, I somehow managed to endure longer than any other woman on the course (and there was some amazing talent out there!). 

The second half of the race was not as easy as it should have been.  After all I only covered 27 miles in those 12 hours.  However,  I was caught for almost an entire loop in potentially dangerous horrid weather.  I have never been outside for so long in worse.  I had to stay focused while taking time to recover from mild hypothermia (and thanks to my teammates I did).  I had to keep moving slowly when my feet were in excruciating pain.  I was fighting sleep deprivation and hunger-related mental and physical fatigue by the last hours of the race (but that is the name of the game).  Finally my shoes and socks, sports bra, and shorts were all soaked with sweat or water.  I desperately needed to change them but I had sent off ALL my gear to a hotel for the night!  83 miles may not seem like a lot for a win, but I am very proud that I was able to get it done.  Thank you to my teammates and crew for helping me secure this victory.

As a cancer survivor it means a lot for me to take home the winner's award since this a fund-raiser for the ACS.  I am also sure Team Awesome won the Team race, since we unofficially accumulated 813 miles in the day.  

Sid and Me

RR: Ship Bottom 5k and Cherry Blossom 10k

This was a nice weekend of racing.

Ship Bottom Sprint for Life 5k. April 9, 2011
I started off by participating in the Ship Bottom Sprint for Life 5k on LBI in New Jersey.  It was a very well organized event. Although I haven't feel very speedy or strong lately (since starting that new medicine I have felt terrible), I was compelled race it since it is a fund-raiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

I can't resist lining up towards the front.  I was right behind a row of teeny-tiny teenage girls who I hoped would race like most kids, by sprinting as fast as possible once the gun is fired until they realize they are really tired by a .25 miles.  This did not happen.  I was securely boxed in for the first quarter mile until I found a hole.  I took my line and dropped the pace, somewhat too aggressively... oops.

The course zig-zagged through a little neighborhood for just about half the race.  We hit a turn-around and then made our way out to the final mile long straight-away, down two-lane very head-windy highway.   This was a nice flat course, but the wind made it a bit tiring at the end.

I was pacing off a guy ahead of me with a really fantastic T-shirt. It said "Run Tall, Run Easy".  I kept trying to get tall, but at 5' 1 3/4's nature is not on my side.   I decided to focus on the Run Easy part.  I can honestly say that I felt like I was running "smoothly", but not necessarily "easy".  I felt great.  I hit mile 1 in 6:32.

However, it was at that point I regretted forgetting, for the first time ever, my inhaler in my car.  From there onward, my pace slowed and my chest felt tight.  With each mile, I felt more discouraged.  No PR today as I watched my watch read 7:12, 7:28 for the last two miles.

I finished the race in 21:40.  Because I wore my TNT shirt and this was a fund-raiser for LLS, there was a lot of cheering "Go Team!" as I tried to not die of oxygen debt on the way in.  Although it hurt, I was happy to have secured 4th place overall female finish.  I am eternally grateful for the guy who finished slightly before me who turned to ask if I take Albueterol for my asthma and he gave me his inhaler to help me regain my lung capacity.   Normally I dont take drugs from people on the street, but in this case it was so appreciated!

Cherry Blossom 10k, April 10, 2011
Today I was admittedly a little nervous about this morning's 10k.  800 runners lined up in Branch Brook Park for the Cherry Blossom Festival race.  I took a spot 3 rows back with inhaler in hand.

I felt so much pain at the end of yesterday's 5k, finishing with a 7:28 3rd mile that I had low expectations for what would happen at miles 4,5, and 6.2 of today's 10k.  Ideally a 6:59 paced 5k should predict a 7:15 paced 10k, but this race was hillier than the 5k and I was more tired today than yesterday.   A 7:15 pace would be a great accomplishment right now for me.

I decided to make this event an exercise in self-control and do what I could to stay at 7:15 pace.  First mile: 7:14 (excellent)...  I was so thrilled to run a perfectly paced first mile, that I let the second one get away from me... 7:03.  This just wrecked me on mile 3, where the final uphill section took up most of the second half of that mile.  7:40! Oh man.

Here I caught up to Ross, who I met exactly this race at this same place, as he caught me and dubbed me with my new nickname "Asthma", since I was suffering then badly.  Today saw me approach, said "Hey! It's Asthma! You sound good!"  (Apparently that inhaler does do something!).

Because I knew we had some downhills after the uphill mile 3, I decided to challenge myself to a negative split by slowly creeping my pace back down...
7:23 for mile 4 beats mile 3 so that's a good start.
7:17 for mile 5 got me close enough to my mile 1 (7:14), so all I needed was a strong finish.

I hitched a ride on the mojo of two dudes who were cruising well and got a burst of inspiration when a woman called out "10th female".  Awesome!  At this point, I broke a rule and glanced back to see if I was at risk of losing my 10th place finish.

Ha! I was surprised to see a chick I met at this very race two year ago, as well, running with Ross.  I heard him say some words of encouragement to her.  I met here at the end of this race, when I was able to drop a speedy kick and pass her just before the finish.   All I could think was, "Man! She is going to pay me back and steal my 10th place finish right out from under me."   So I drop the pace to add some distance.

Mile 6 was 7:07, slower than my 7:03 mile 2.   I was hauling anyway, b/c now getting passed was my most pressing concern.  Last .2 was 1:23, which is a sub-7 pace and the fastest running of the race.  I finished in 45:09 and secured 10th place female overall, 4th in my 10 year AG.

Now off to get some mileage with Enzo, and prepare for my new interview with the pediatric oncology unit.

The Price of Altruism is 9 months of Isoniazid.

About a year ago, I heard an interview with Oren Harman, the author of The Price of Altruism: George Price and the Search for the Origins of Kindness.   George Price was a scientist who eventually took his own life after joining the ranks of the homeless he was trying to save. 

I debated whether or not I wanted to share the following details about my daily life, but after my 29 mile "run" yesterday I decided I do want to write about my newest annoyance, Isoniazid.

When I first decided to enter the field of therapy, I volunteered to provide free art therapy at a supportive services center for HIV positive homeless, drug addicted, mentally ill clients. With almost 100% certainty, I can remember the exact moment that impacts me today.  A client came in and seemed very very sick.  He was coughing terribly but wanted to come to an art therapy session.  Sessions took place in the back room, with no windows and poor ventilation.  Rules of confidentiality require that we shut the door.  I distinctly remember thinking, "Man, he sounds terrible. It can't be good to be back here." The whites of his eyes were looking a bit yellowed and he looked so very ill.  I was concerned about him, but I did not know what was making him so sick... his HIV?  Possible alcoholism? Something else?

When you work with homeless clients, many are sick. All of our clients were HIV positive. I was in my early 20's and invincible back then.  After a few weeks, I had gotten over my fear of catching HIV by just standing in the same room.  However, I just didn't think I would get sick from someone's cough.  Catching the flu was not my first concern when faced with a very ill man who came in off the street with a bed-roll (likely his only possession) under his arm asking if he would be able to make some art today.

It was about a year later, during a physical exam required to work at the prison that I discovered that I have been exposed to TB.  In hindsight, I am pretty sure that TB was causing his jaundiced appearance as well as his cough.  I inhaled a germ and was exposed.  I am not sure how much longer he lived.  This doesn't mean that I have active TB.  I am not sick.  I can't give anyone else TB.

Apparently, the protocol should have been to offer me TB medication once my exposure was discovered.  Instead, I was simply cleared to work after my chest x-ray came back "unremarkable"   I recall some brief discussion about some harsh medication, but was I advised that I may be too old for it.  I was counseled that it was not necessary since my body had built up anti-bodies that would keep this germ suppressed , similar to how chicken pox is a one-time disease.

Apparently this is not entirely accurate.  Yes my body has built up a defense to this disease, but if I ever find my immune system compromised, the latent TB can become active TB.  In fact, I am extremely lucky to not have had to fight TB during my chemotherapy.

I had a new physical recently, to be cleared to work in an inpatient psychiatric unit in a hospital.  I was advised that I have been exposed to TB. "No kidding." This is old news.  However, this time I was counseled more accurately and adamantly advised to take Isoniazid to rid my body of the TB germ. 

From what I understand, Isoniazid is a rough medication.  It is highly toxic to the liver and requires me to avoid things, like alcohol and Tylenol.  In addition, I understand that fermented food (e. g. cheese, yogurt, soy, tofu, etc) need to be avoided because they could cause some type of reaction.  There are other foods with stimulants in them (chocolate, coffee, tea) should be avoided b/c they can raise my blood pressure, cause migraines and other symptoms. Other side effects are things like irritability, anxiety, and fatigue.

I have been hoping that I could just take this stuff and not have any issues.  After all, I continued to tough out workouts (albeit light workouts and eventually just walks) during cancer treatment, so I shouldn't even feel this medication, right?

Well unfortunately, about 20 miles into my run yesterday, I felt my heartbeat throbbing in my ears and noticed a little blood smudged on my hand.  I was confused until I realized I had a little nose bleed.  I was not sure what was going on.  Once I blew my nose and saw blood was coming from both nostrils, I realized this was a high-blood pressure thing.  It was really just a minor nose bleed, yet I continued to feel "not right", light headed, tingly, and a little dizzy.  Walking helped and thanks to the company of Will, Alanna, and Lindsay, I was confident that I would be fine.  I was saddened to walk when I wanted to run and just before this happened I felt so good I was planning on completing 40 miles before going home.

So now, in order to ensure that in the rare event I have a cancer recurrence that I don't find myself at risk of dying from TB I will need to take this medication for 9 months. Nine months is not forever.  I just hope my running doesn't suffer too much.  I finally have been feeling strong again and would hate to lose almost another year to fatigue.

So now, each night this week when I stopped everything to take my Isoniazid, I am also reminded that I need to find that book by Harman.  I wonder if my local library has The Price of Altruism on CD for me.