This was my third year to do the challenge.
As a team member of Running Alliance Sport that puts on this race along with the Texas Bridge Series and the Bud Heat Wave, this is the only race I run, I work the finish line area for the others. The challenge is made up of a half marathon on Saturday than a full on Sunday, 39.3 miles for the weekend.
Saturday, half marathon: It's a loop course, 2 loops for the half. The day started at 3;30am so that I could get to the course and help finish setting up the after race party area, along with helping to setup the finish line and start line blowups. By the time all of this was done, it was time to toe the line! For this years challenge I would be wearing new race shirts to show my support for the Texas Line of Duty Death Task Force along with it being my bib name. Once the race started the plan was to go easy being I would be doing a full the next day, so I was going to just hold it at a 11min pace. The first loop went as planned, just played some with fueling and hydration, pace was right at 11. The next loop it was started to get a little warm. This loop went super also, finished in 2hrs 24mins, right at a 11min pace. The day wasn't over, needed to stay around to help cleanup and get the area ready for the next day.
Sunday, full marathon: This would be 4 loops. The body was a little tired, but over all feeling good. The plan for today was to keep it around a 13min pace. At the start of the race, there was thunder storms in the area, but not close enough to have a delay. About an hour into the race it started to rain, real hard! The course started to get real muddy in areas, no big deal for trail runners, but you sure could tell who the road runners were! The first two loops went real good, on the third loop about 2,5 miles out other runners were saying that there was a runner that went down about 200 yards ahead of me. Once I got to the runner, there was two other runners that stop to help her. I stop to see what I could do, she told me her right hip just gave out and she went down. With the help of a other runner we carried her to a park bench where a radio operator was at, he had already called for EMS to make the scene. Time to finish my race. The last loop was a planned power walk loop, always good to train to power walk! The course was getting crazy muddy by now! The body was starting to get tired, but the job was not over just yet! I put it in high gear and didn't look back! Ended up finishing in 5hrs 44mins, right at a 13min pace!
One more great weekend of racing! Hit the two goals I was looking for, could ask for anything better.
My Journeys
Friday, March 21, 2014
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
2014 Rocky Raccoon 100 mile weekend
I passed on running the Rocky Raccoon 100 mile this year in hopes of helping everyone I could earn their first buckle.
The weekend started for me on Thursday by getting to Huntsville State Park and helping to set up the start/finish line area and helping to get race supplies to the outlying aid stations. After a long day of getting everything in place, it was time for a nice dinner with Joe & Joyce and the rest of the gang.
Friday, race eve!
The weekend started for me on Thursday by getting to Huntsville State Park and helping to set up the start/finish line area and helping to get race supplies to the outlying aid stations. After a long day of getting everything in place, it was time for a nice dinner with Joe & Joyce and the rest of the gang.
Friday, race eve!
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Snowdrop 55 Hour Ultra Run, 8 Days Out From Race Morning!
Wow, it's here!!
This will be the most epic thing I have even done, 55 hours of relentless forward progress!
A little background on the Snowdrop Foundation. Snowdrop is a Houston based organization that is dedicated to funding continued research to eliminate childhood cancer and scholarships for college bound pediatric cancer patients and survivors. All of this came to be after an amazing teenager lost her battle with cancer. I encourage you to watch Dear Chelsey to find out more about this amazing teenager and Snowdrop.
Now for the race. I found out about this race a year ago from this crazy fellow ultra runner and his wife, amazing people!
The race will take place Dec 30, 31 & Jan 1 at Sugar land Memorial Park, 15300 University Boulevard, Sugar Land, TX 77479. Starting the morning of Dec 30th at 7am and then going around the clock until 2pm on Jan 1st. At this time there are 51 solo runners and 10 teams, all on a .75 mile course! Yes a .75 mile course for 55 hours! The best thing about it is, you shouldn't get lost!
I have no clue as to what my body will do after 100 miles, every step becoming a new record for me! I have set a high goal, but only time will tell if I reach them. I'll just say, there is a real nice prize for the top solo miles that would be nice to enjoy! My guess is, it's going to take 150-200 miles if not more, to win it! But with the help of my amazing crew, I sure hope to be in the running for it! I promise to bring them back a t-shirt.
Now there is a little kicker to the 55 hours. I have been invited, along with 11 other amazing runners, to run into Texas Children's Hospital Cancer Center on Jan 1st. We will be leaving the course at 10am on Jan 1st and start our way to TCHCC, 21 miles away! This only puts me on the course for 51 hours. Our route takes us along the 59 feeder road to Bellaire. Right on Bellaire which turns into Holcombe. We turn left off of Holcombe onto Richard Jefferson, taking us to the front doors of TCHCC. The plan is to finish at 3pm, making for a total of 56 hours of relentless forward progress!
It would be so awesome to see your smiling face at the course or along the route going into TCHCC.
So my friends, I hope to have an amazing race report to share, soon!
It's All Of The Kids!
This will be the most epic thing I have even done, 55 hours of relentless forward progress!
A little background on the Snowdrop Foundation. Snowdrop is a Houston based organization that is dedicated to funding continued research to eliminate childhood cancer and scholarships for college bound pediatric cancer patients and survivors. All of this came to be after an amazing teenager lost her battle with cancer. I encourage you to watch Dear Chelsey to find out more about this amazing teenager and Snowdrop.
Now for the race. I found out about this race a year ago from this crazy fellow ultra runner and his wife, amazing people!
The race will take place Dec 30, 31 & Jan 1 at Sugar land Memorial Park, 15300 University Boulevard, Sugar Land, TX 77479. Starting the morning of Dec 30th at 7am and then going around the clock until 2pm on Jan 1st. At this time there are 51 solo runners and 10 teams, all on a .75 mile course! Yes a .75 mile course for 55 hours! The best thing about it is, you shouldn't get lost!
I have no clue as to what my body will do after 100 miles, every step becoming a new record for me! I have set a high goal, but only time will tell if I reach them. I'll just say, there is a real nice prize for the top solo miles that would be nice to enjoy! My guess is, it's going to take 150-200 miles if not more, to win it! But with the help of my amazing crew, I sure hope to be in the running for it! I promise to bring them back a t-shirt.
Now there is a little kicker to the 55 hours. I have been invited, along with 11 other amazing runners, to run into Texas Children's Hospital Cancer Center on Jan 1st. We will be leaving the course at 10am on Jan 1st and start our way to TCHCC, 21 miles away! This only puts me on the course for 51 hours. Our route takes us along the 59 feeder road to Bellaire. Right on Bellaire which turns into Holcombe. We turn left off of Holcombe onto Richard Jefferson, taking us to the front doors of TCHCC. The plan is to finish at 3pm, making for a total of 56 hours of relentless forward progress!
It would be so awesome to see your smiling face at the course or along the route going into TCHCC.
So my friends, I hope to have an amazing race report to share, soon!
It's All Of The Kids!
Monday, April 29, 2013
Texas Line of Duty Death Task Force deployment to West
This by far is the hardest Blog I've even done!
Wednesday April 17th
I started getting news reports of a major explosion in the town of West just north of Waco, Texas with an unknown amount of firefighters hurt or killed. As a response member of the Texas Line of Duty Death Task Force I was asked to be on standby for deployment, around midnight that call came in, we would be deploying at 5am
Thursday April 18th
The director of the Task Force and myself would be making the 4.5 hour drive from Houston together with other Task Force members coming in from around the State of Texas.
Once in the town of West, the first meeting was with the Mayor of West and a West Fire Dept rep, the news was not good, 11 firefighters missing and presumed dead. This was quickly becoming a worst case scenario! If this was true, this would be the largest loss of firefighters since The Charleston 9, June 18, 2007 outside of 9/11. We started putting the call out to a large number of Task Force members for deployment. In the days to come we would know that 12 brothers have fallen, 2 of the 12 being honorary firefighters.
The first big challenge would be finding hotel rooms for all the Task Force members, we needed 14 rooms. With the help of a number of Task Force friends we had them all at one hotel within a few hours in Hillsboro, Texas.
The next and most important thing was setting up our organizational chart better known as "Org Chart", did it ever get big. I don't want to list the names of the command staff, but we had the best people for that job in place, my role would be Logistics Officer. At the time little did I know just how big this role would become.
Friday, April 19th
After our morning meeting with the Fire Chiefs of the affected Depts., the decision was made, a memorial service would take place on Thursday, time and place to be found. After this meeting the Abbett Fire Chief told me he had a contact at Baylor University. The call was made to make a site survey on Saturday.
This would also be the day we recover the bodies of our fallen brothers. The planning for this would take most of the day so that our fallen brothers would be honored during this process. The plan quickly became, this would be done at night so that no media could see it. There would be a wall of honor with every one of our brothers drapped with an American flag. This process started around 10:30pm and finished around 2:30am.
Saturday, April 20th
Site survey at Baylor University, Ferrell Center, 3 of us went to do a site survey along with 2 Baylor staff members at Ferrell Center. The moment we walked onto the floor of the Center, we know this was the place we needed, with seating for 10,000, also this was the biggest place in that part of Texas. A walk though with most of the command staff would take place on Monday.
Our Family Liaison Officer would be assigning each family a Liaison Officer "FLO" as we call them. The job of the FLO is to help the family in just about any way possible and be the voice of the family along with so much more. By far the hardest job of any deployment.
Our Honor Guard Officer would also start placing Honor Guards at all locations our fallen brothers would be at. This would be a large undertaking, calling in Honor Guard units from around the State of Texas and around the country.
The call went out to the Charleston Fire Dept to see if they would be willing to come into town for some guidance, they would be sending 3 people our way within 24 hours!
Catch up on paperwork and phone calls
Daily Chiefs and FLO meeting
Sunday, April 21st
We had a lunch for all the affected families at a secret location due to the high amount of media in West, it went off just as we planned it.
The news media was asking for all kinds of interviews with the Task Force and the families. So we decided to give them something in hopes they would back off a little. So Sunday night we let them do a story on Honor Guards and why we post guards for our fallen brothers.
Catch up on paperwork and phone calls
Daily Chiefs and FLO meeting
Monday, April 22nd
This would be the first of very long meeting filled days.
Once we arrived at Ferrell Center, we were told that the Secret Service & White House advance teams would be on the ground Monday night. It wasn't 20 minutes later we all started getting new reports that the President would be in West on Thursday. We had no clue as to just how this could or would change our planning for the memorial service. We would have our first meeting with them on Tuesday morning.
Catch up on paperwork and phone calls
Daily Chiefs and FLO meeting
Tuesday, April 23rd
Meeting at 10am with Baylor, Secret Service & White House at Ferrell Center, but first a 9am meeting with West, City Council. After City Council was updated we needed to be 25 miles away in 30 minutes! Once we made it to Ferrell Center and started our meeting with Baylor, Service & House, little did we know it would be a 6 hour meeting to just get all party's up to speed. Can't really talk about want was covered in this meeting but very little changed as for the memorial service. More meetings with all party's on Tuesday.
Catch up on paperwork and phone calls
Daily Chiefs and FLO meeting
Wednesday, April 24th
Last day to make it right!
Meeting starts at 10am at Ferrell, 6 hours later our plan for the memorial service was set, all party's working it were in place, we were happy along with Baylor, Service & House.
But nothing like a last-minute change. Myself and our IC were pulled from a Baylor, Service & House meeting by the DPS-DDC Captain to go over our plans as to getting the families to Ferrell. We reviewed our plan with him. He ask why we are not using charter buses. No resource, sir. Not 20 minutes later we had 10 charter buses coming our way at no cost! Wow, we made so good friends high up!
This would also be the day all Honor Guards having a roll in the memorial service would do their walk though. Once the caskets were in place on the floor of Ferrell and flag drapped. Let me add here. When I walked out onto the floor and seen all 12 in places with the photo's of the fallen, its was just about more than I could take.
The walk through went awesome, the Ferrell Center was set to be seen by an untold amount of people world-wide!
I could not wait for the world to see how Texas Firefighters take care of our fallen brothers!
Thursday, April 25th
The day the Fire Service honors our fallen brothers!
This day started early for some of our staff, 5:30am.
Service would be doing their last sweep of Ferrell starting at 7:00am with plans of a soft opening for staff at 10:00am, they opened it at 9:30am, awesome job guys!
Our families would have a van pick them up where ever they were staying, starting at 9:00am. The van would then take them to a secret location, transferring them to charter buses for transport to Ferrell at 11:00am. Our FLO's did an amazing job getting all of them to the needed locations!
All 500 plus Family members made it to Ferrell Center safe and sound, yes 500 plus!
Baylor had lunch waiting for all 500 plus.
The doors to Ferrell open at 11:00am for the public. This is when things started moving real fast!
Just getting all 500 plus down onto the floor to their seating was a large job. Then we had what we called the Platinum 60, this was the group of family members that would be meeting the President after the service.
As you know, the memorial service was amazing, again more than I could take at times. The Pipe's & Drum's were amazing, I even seen a few Secret Service with a tear in their eyes. That is what we had hope for, to bring a tear to everyone's eye.
After the service the families started making their way back to their holding area. I had so many of them come up to me and say. it was amazing, Thank You. No thanks needed, that what firefighters do for our fallen.
All the families were loaded back onto the charter buses, back to secret location and back home safe and sound.
My Reflection of the week
As a 29 year firefighter, it was an honor to work alongside some of the most amazing people in the world! I'm not even going to try to put it into words the feels I had over the week, other than I hurt deep down inside at times. For my wife and son to support me like they did and do in my time of need, Thank You, I love y'all more than ever! For my friends that would text or call me to see if I was ok, Thank You with all my heart! This was only my second deployment with the Task Force, WOW was it ever one for the sad record books! I pray the fire service never has to go though this again, but if it does happen, I will be right there in the front of the line waiting to go help my brothers.
I have a long list of Thank You's
I just know I'm missing a few, I'm so sorry for that, you are all ROCKSTARS!
To our FLO's.
Guy's I can't begin to say just what you mean to all of us. Y'all had the hardest job of all and did it and continue to do it like no other! To go into the home of a fallen brother and develop the trust that you did with the families, that's the true meaning of Brotherhood! You all have my number, if you need anything, call!
The Command Staff
I was truly an honor to work alongside each and every one of you! I know we had some real tough times over the last week and vented a few times, but we honored our fallen brothers in the end as a TEAM! I love all of you but I hope it's a long time before I see y'all agian.
Now Again For Some Hard Part
When the group you care so much about comes to a point of needing some help itself. Due to the high number of firefighters killed in the line of duty in the last year in the State of Texas and the cost that goes along with a deployment. The Texas Line of Duty Death Task Force is in need of help itself. If you could find it in your heart to give a little, please visit our website, Thank You
Wednesday April 17th
I started getting news reports of a major explosion in the town of West just north of Waco, Texas with an unknown amount of firefighters hurt or killed. As a response member of the Texas Line of Duty Death Task Force I was asked to be on standby for deployment, around midnight that call came in, we would be deploying at 5am
Thursday April 18th
The director of the Task Force and myself would be making the 4.5 hour drive from Houston together with other Task Force members coming in from around the State of Texas.
Once in the town of West, the first meeting was with the Mayor of West and a West Fire Dept rep, the news was not good, 11 firefighters missing and presumed dead. This was quickly becoming a worst case scenario! If this was true, this would be the largest loss of firefighters since The Charleston 9, June 18, 2007 outside of 9/11. We started putting the call out to a large number of Task Force members for deployment. In the days to come we would know that 12 brothers have fallen, 2 of the 12 being honorary firefighters.
The first big challenge would be finding hotel rooms for all the Task Force members, we needed 14 rooms. With the help of a number of Task Force friends we had them all at one hotel within a few hours in Hillsboro, Texas.
The next and most important thing was setting up our organizational chart better known as "Org Chart", did it ever get big. I don't want to list the names of the command staff, but we had the best people for that job in place, my role would be Logistics Officer. At the time little did I know just how big this role would become.
Friday, April 19th
After our morning meeting with the Fire Chiefs of the affected Depts., the decision was made, a memorial service would take place on Thursday, time and place to be found. After this meeting the Abbett Fire Chief told me he had a contact at Baylor University. The call was made to make a site survey on Saturday.
This would also be the day we recover the bodies of our fallen brothers. The planning for this would take most of the day so that our fallen brothers would be honored during this process. The plan quickly became, this would be done at night so that no media could see it. There would be a wall of honor with every one of our brothers drapped with an American flag. This process started around 10:30pm and finished around 2:30am.
Saturday, April 20th
Site survey at Baylor University, Ferrell Center, 3 of us went to do a site survey along with 2 Baylor staff members at Ferrell Center. The moment we walked onto the floor of the Center, we know this was the place we needed, with seating for 10,000, also this was the biggest place in that part of Texas. A walk though with most of the command staff would take place on Monday.
Our Family Liaison Officer would be assigning each family a Liaison Officer "FLO" as we call them. The job of the FLO is to help the family in just about any way possible and be the voice of the family along with so much more. By far the hardest job of any deployment.
Our Honor Guard Officer would also start placing Honor Guards at all locations our fallen brothers would be at. This would be a large undertaking, calling in Honor Guard units from around the State of Texas and around the country.
The call went out to the Charleston Fire Dept to see if they would be willing to come into town for some guidance, they would be sending 3 people our way within 24 hours!
Catch up on paperwork and phone calls
Daily Chiefs and FLO meeting
Sunday, April 21st
We had a lunch for all the affected families at a secret location due to the high amount of media in West, it went off just as we planned it.
The news media was asking for all kinds of interviews with the Task Force and the families. So we decided to give them something in hopes they would back off a little. So Sunday night we let them do a story on Honor Guards and why we post guards for our fallen brothers.
Catch up on paperwork and phone calls
Daily Chiefs and FLO meeting
Monday, April 22nd
This would be the first of very long meeting filled days.
Once we arrived at Ferrell Center, we were told that the Secret Service & White House advance teams would be on the ground Monday night. It wasn't 20 minutes later we all started getting new reports that the President would be in West on Thursday. We had no clue as to just how this could or would change our planning for the memorial service. We would have our first meeting with them on Tuesday morning.
Catch up on paperwork and phone calls
Daily Chiefs and FLO meeting
Tuesday, April 23rd
Meeting at 10am with Baylor, Secret Service & White House at Ferrell Center, but first a 9am meeting with West, City Council. After City Council was updated we needed to be 25 miles away in 30 minutes! Once we made it to Ferrell Center and started our meeting with Baylor, Service & House, little did we know it would be a 6 hour meeting to just get all party's up to speed. Can't really talk about want was covered in this meeting but very little changed as for the memorial service. More meetings with all party's on Tuesday.
Catch up on paperwork and phone calls
Daily Chiefs and FLO meeting
Wednesday, April 24th
Last day to make it right!
Meeting starts at 10am at Ferrell, 6 hours later our plan for the memorial service was set, all party's working it were in place, we were happy along with Baylor, Service & House.
But nothing like a last-minute change. Myself and our IC were pulled from a Baylor, Service & House meeting by the DPS-DDC Captain to go over our plans as to getting the families to Ferrell. We reviewed our plan with him. He ask why we are not using charter buses. No resource, sir. Not 20 minutes later we had 10 charter buses coming our way at no cost! Wow, we made so good friends high up!
This would also be the day all Honor Guards having a roll in the memorial service would do their walk though. Once the caskets were in place on the floor of Ferrell and flag drapped. Let me add here. When I walked out onto the floor and seen all 12 in places with the photo's of the fallen, its was just about more than I could take.
The walk through went awesome, the Ferrell Center was set to be seen by an untold amount of people world-wide!
I could not wait for the world to see how Texas Firefighters take care of our fallen brothers!
Thursday, April 25th
The day the Fire Service honors our fallen brothers!
This day started early for some of our staff, 5:30am.
Service would be doing their last sweep of Ferrell starting at 7:00am with plans of a soft opening for staff at 10:00am, they opened it at 9:30am, awesome job guys!
Our families would have a van pick them up where ever they were staying, starting at 9:00am. The van would then take them to a secret location, transferring them to charter buses for transport to Ferrell at 11:00am. Our FLO's did an amazing job getting all of them to the needed locations!
All 500 plus Family members made it to Ferrell Center safe and sound, yes 500 plus!
Baylor had lunch waiting for all 500 plus.
The doors to Ferrell open at 11:00am for the public. This is when things started moving real fast!
Just getting all 500 plus down onto the floor to their seating was a large job. Then we had what we called the Platinum 60, this was the group of family members that would be meeting the President after the service.
As you know, the memorial service was amazing, again more than I could take at times. The Pipe's & Drum's were amazing, I even seen a few Secret Service with a tear in their eyes. That is what we had hope for, to bring a tear to everyone's eye.
After the service the families started making their way back to their holding area. I had so many of them come up to me and say. it was amazing, Thank You. No thanks needed, that what firefighters do for our fallen.
All the families were loaded back onto the charter buses, back to secret location and back home safe and sound.
My Reflection of the week
As a 29 year firefighter, it was an honor to work alongside some of the most amazing people in the world! I'm not even going to try to put it into words the feels I had over the week, other than I hurt deep down inside at times. For my wife and son to support me like they did and do in my time of need, Thank You, I love y'all more than ever! For my friends that would text or call me to see if I was ok, Thank You with all my heart! This was only my second deployment with the Task Force, WOW was it ever one for the sad record books! I pray the fire service never has to go though this again, but if it does happen, I will be right there in the front of the line waiting to go help my brothers.
I have a long list of Thank You's
- La Porte Fire Dept, Thank You for giving my the time off for this deployment
- Every Member of the Texas Line of Duty Death Task Force
- The People of West
- Charleston Fire Dept
- South Carolina State Firefighters Assocation
- West Fire Dept
- West EMS
- Abbett Fire Dept
- Brucesville Eddy Fire Dept
- Mertnel Fire Dept
- Dallas Fire Dept
- Waco Fire Dept
- Austin Fire Dept
- Fire Service Honor Guards Units from around the country
- Austin Police Dept
- Baylor University
- Baylor Police
- Secret Service Advance Team
- White House Advance Team
- Texas Department of Public Safety
- Texas Game Wardens
- Texas Forestry Department
- McLennan County Sheriff Department
- American Red Cross
- Salvation Army
- Houston Police Department
- Patriot Guard
- Care Flight
- Hood County OEM
- State of Texas OEM
- Crosscreek Television Productions
- National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
- Firehouse Subs, Dallas & Waco
- Bushes Chicken
- Batesville Casket
- Texas State Technical College, Waco
- Texas State Technical College Police
- Econo Lodge, Hillsboro, Texas
- Bearcom
- Hobby Lobby, Waco
- Mercy Chefs
- The little mexican restaurant across from our hotel, Thanks for staying open late!
I just know I'm missing a few, I'm so sorry for that, you are all ROCKSTARS!
To our FLO's.
Guy's I can't begin to say just what you mean to all of us. Y'all had the hardest job of all and did it and continue to do it like no other! To go into the home of a fallen brother and develop the trust that you did with the families, that's the true meaning of Brotherhood! You all have my number, if you need anything, call!
The Command Staff
I was truly an honor to work alongside each and every one of you! I know we had some real tough times over the last week and vented a few times, but we honored our fallen brothers in the end as a TEAM! I love all of you but I hope it's a long time before I see y'all agian.
Now Again For Some Hard Part
When the group you care so much about comes to a point of needing some help itself. Due to the high number of firefighters killed in the line of duty in the last year in the State of Texas and the cost that goes along with a deployment. The Texas Line of Duty Death Task Force is in need of help itself. If you could find it in your heart to give a little, please visit our website, Thank You
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Overtraining Syndrome
One of the hardest things I've had to deal with, overtraining syndrome.
I sure most of you are asking yourself, whats overtraining syndrome? I did the same not just two weeks ago.
Overtraining is a physical, behavioral, and emotional condition that occurs when the volume and intensity of an individuals exercise exceeds their recovery capacity. It is a real body injury, not something made up to just get out of training or racing.
My journey began back in February with the completion of my first 100 miler followed by four weeks rest, thinking this was enough. I did an easy 5k followed two weeks later by a half and full marathon on the same weekend followed the very next weekend by 25 miles of the Texas Independence Relay "TIR". That's around 170 hard race miles in a month and a half, on top of all the training miles.
Three days after the TIR I came down with a fever and real bad headache. Was it spring allergies the flu or something else like Lyme's disease. The fever would break with Ibuprofen and the headache would feel a little better. This went on for 5 days. The day the fever broke for good, my hands, knees and feet swelled to the point of hurting! I have had swelling before during a race, but never like this! So I did what I should of done a week earlier, went to the doctor. After the Q&A with the doctor, I told him my resent race history. Yes he thinks I'm crazy, but that a different story. He had no clue as to what was going on. So he ordered blood work to see if that would show anything. I the mean time it was just rest and wait to see if the blood work helped.
This is where the, Thank God for knowing the right people comes in!
To back up just a little, when I did the full marathon, I took part in a cardiac study with the University of Pittsburgh. This study was to maybe help find out just why people die of heart attacks at the finish line of marathon. They did blood work on me before and after the race, 12 lead EKG before and after, holter monitor during the race and the 24 hours after the race. I was all wired up for science!
Back to the story
One of the doctors that helped with the study had seen me make a few Facebook postings about not feeling right and all the swelling and stuff.
She contacted me and ask a lot of questions that the first doctor did not ask. Keep I mine she works with endurance athlete's on just this! It didn't take her long to tell me, I was Overtrained!
Me, how could I be overtrained? I don't put in 100 plus mile weeks, I only put in 35 miles a week training for my 100 miler! I don't race 100 milers once a month. Easy, I trained for 8 hard months for my 100 miler, then jump right back into other races. Over 10 months of hard training/racing with very little to no quality rest for the body! And it was shutting down in a very bad way! Like stop now or I just may die on you!
Some of my symptoms here, resting heart rate went from 50 to 80, B/P way up, hint's the bad headache, Washed-out feeling, tired, drained, lack of energy, Pain in muscles and joints, Depression, Moodiness and irritability, Decreased appetite, Peeing what seemed like every 20 mins. This is just the ones that I can name real easy, I'm sure there are others that a doctor could point out.
Three days after the swelling came, it went away just as fast. I have been sleeping a lot more then I have in years. I'm starting to feel a little better, but have no plans to go out a train. With the strong words of advise, I will be taking a full month off from all workouts, more time if needed. The blood work did come back, everything showed normal.
I want to thank Serina, for what I'm saying, more than likely saved my life! Along with Vanessa, one of the other doctors with the study for checking up on me. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You is not enough! I will be buying yall a beer or 4 the next time yall are in town!
Guys I just could of been one more number they report on! I have learned to listen to my body in the last year when it come to training, guess I still have a tons to learn!
If there is one word of advise I can give you, log your resting heart rate! If it starts to go up for seemingly no reason, STOP training and get with a Sports Medicine doctor! You can DIE from this! If I would of done what I was thinking I needed, a short run, it just could of killed me!
We as Ultra Endurance Athletes push our minds and bodies to the limits like no other sport! It only makes since to take a REAL break in our training/racing to let it truly recover! Kids, I pushed my body to the out most limits and I didn't like what it looked like! It scared the HELL out of me! When you have someone in the field say to you, you are at risk of a cardiac event! You damn right I'm going to park it!
Live to race a nether day!
Stay safe out there my friends and I'll see you on the trails!
I sure most of you are asking yourself, whats overtraining syndrome? I did the same not just two weeks ago.
Overtraining is a physical, behavioral, and emotional condition that occurs when the volume and intensity of an individuals exercise exceeds their recovery capacity. It is a real body injury, not something made up to just get out of training or racing.
My journey began back in February with the completion of my first 100 miler followed by four weeks rest, thinking this was enough. I did an easy 5k followed two weeks later by a half and full marathon on the same weekend followed the very next weekend by 25 miles of the Texas Independence Relay "TIR". That's around 170 hard race miles in a month and a half, on top of all the training miles.
Three days after the TIR I came down with a fever and real bad headache. Was it spring allergies the flu or something else like Lyme's disease. The fever would break with Ibuprofen and the headache would feel a little better. This went on for 5 days. The day the fever broke for good, my hands, knees and feet swelled to the point of hurting! I have had swelling before during a race, but never like this! So I did what I should of done a week earlier, went to the doctor. After the Q&A with the doctor, I told him my resent race history. Yes he thinks I'm crazy, but that a different story. He had no clue as to what was going on. So he ordered blood work to see if that would show anything. I the mean time it was just rest and wait to see if the blood work helped.
This is where the, Thank God for knowing the right people comes in!
To back up just a little, when I did the full marathon, I took part in a cardiac study with the University of Pittsburgh. This study was to maybe help find out just why people die of heart attacks at the finish line of marathon. They did blood work on me before and after the race, 12 lead EKG before and after, holter monitor during the race and the 24 hours after the race. I was all wired up for science!
Back to the story
One of the doctors that helped with the study had seen me make a few Facebook postings about not feeling right and all the swelling and stuff.
She contacted me and ask a lot of questions that the first doctor did not ask. Keep I mine she works with endurance athlete's on just this! It didn't take her long to tell me, I was Overtrained!
Me, how could I be overtrained? I don't put in 100 plus mile weeks, I only put in 35 miles a week training for my 100 miler! I don't race 100 milers once a month. Easy, I trained for 8 hard months for my 100 miler, then jump right back into other races. Over 10 months of hard training/racing with very little to no quality rest for the body! And it was shutting down in a very bad way! Like stop now or I just may die on you!
Some of my symptoms here, resting heart rate went from 50 to 80, B/P way up, hint's the bad headache, Washed-out feeling, tired, drained, lack of energy, Pain in muscles and joints, Depression, Moodiness and irritability, Decreased appetite, Peeing what seemed like every 20 mins. This is just the ones that I can name real easy, I'm sure there are others that a doctor could point out.
Three days after the swelling came, it went away just as fast. I have been sleeping a lot more then I have in years. I'm starting to feel a little better, but have no plans to go out a train. With the strong words of advise, I will be taking a full month off from all workouts, more time if needed. The blood work did come back, everything showed normal.
I want to thank Serina, for what I'm saying, more than likely saved my life! Along with Vanessa, one of the other doctors with the study for checking up on me. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You is not enough! I will be buying yall a beer or 4 the next time yall are in town!
Guys I just could of been one more number they report on! I have learned to listen to my body in the last year when it come to training, guess I still have a tons to learn!
If there is one word of advise I can give you, log your resting heart rate! If it starts to go up for seemingly no reason, STOP training and get with a Sports Medicine doctor! You can DIE from this! If I would of done what I was thinking I needed, a short run, it just could of killed me!
We as Ultra Endurance Athletes push our minds and bodies to the limits like no other sport! It only makes since to take a REAL break in our training/racing to let it truly recover! Kids, I pushed my body to the out most limits and I didn't like what it looked like! It scared the HELL out of me! When you have someone in the field say to you, you are at risk of a cardiac event! You damn right I'm going to park it!
Live to race a nether day!
Stay safe out there my friends and I'll see you on the trails!
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Hero Rush, 2013
What is Hero Rush?
Hero Rush is a 5k firefighter-themed obstacle course, made up with 17+ Tough, Crazy, Fear-Facing Fun Obstacles!
As much of you know, I have been a professional firefighter for over 27 years. I'm also a member of the Texas LODD Task Force, http://texasloddtaskforce.com As the crazy ultra runner of the Task Force, I was ask about getting a team together for Hero Rush, how could I say no!
So with that, the "Texas LODD Task Force" Hero Rush team was formed! Made up of 14 people, 10 firefighters, 4 non-firefighters.
As a team, we signed up for the 343 wave. The 343 wave is to honor the 343 firefighters that gave it all on September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Centers. Each bib would have the name of one of the firefighters, I would be carrying, Thomas A. Casoria. Firefighter Casoria was with Engine 22 and only 29 years old the day he gave it all, http://bravestmemorial.net/html/members_individual/casoria_thomas/newsday_article.html
Before our wave stated we also honored the 5 firefighters that have also gave it all already this year in the State of Texas,
Pilot Ronnie Chambliss, Bureau of Land Management
Firefighter Jalen Smith, Jackson Heights Fire Dept.
Capt. Neal Smith, Atascocita Fire Dept.
Lt. Eric Wallace and Lt. Gregory Pickard both with Bryan Fire Dept.
God Speed Brothers!
Start time weather, 38F with a 20mph wind! Yes it was COLD!
Once our wave started, it didn't take long before our team was spread all over the place, no big deal. I stayed with our youngest and non-firefighter, this would be her first 5k!
It didn't take long before we got to the first obstacle, climb over a 4 foot wall and through windows.
Are they all going to be this easy, oh just wait!
Next, crawl through a smoke filled maze.
Off to the next one!
Little did we know we would be getting wet before we got to the next one, a stream crossing, knee deep. But the trail runner in me was loving it! This part of the course was single track in the woods!
As we made it to the next obstacle it was a rope bridge, but the rope was fire hose! I was thinking this could be tough! But I guess watching all the Bear Grylls does pay off, I smoked it across it!
Before we got to the next one we would have a nice run in an open field, I put the gas to it, legs got happy!
The next obstacle was crawling though rope filled tubes, needed my knife!
More single track and stream crossing before the next one, loving it! My team mate not liking it so much. But she was hanging in there!
The next obstacle was more crawling! This time you put two tires on a backboard, the tires are a patient. First you go over a 4 foot wall then crawl under barbed wire! I told my team mate, you hold up the wire and I'll do the pulling, team work!
Short run to the next one. This would be carrying a 50 foot section of 3" fire hose, about 75 pounds. You had to carry it up and down a hill two times. This is where all that stair climbing helped big time!
Off to the next one, but first you had to walk through knee deep water on the side of the lake, wasn't that bad.
This next obstacle would be a tire drag! This is starting to be nothing but a everyday workout, love it! You had to drag a tire about 200 feet. So what did I do? Yes, I did grab two tires and took off. Hey, if you're going to get a workout, make it good!
Boom, off to the next one!
Did someone say, CPR? This was by far the easiest one. You had to do 30 chest compressions on the CPR dummy.
Yes, it was a save!
The next obstacle you climbed up a ladder and into a smokey maze. Stay low, grab a wall and go!
My team mate was starting to feel the course a little by now. But like any great team mate, I told her to suck it up buttercup! If looks could kill!
On to the next one, foam filled tubes! More like a bubble bath.
Off we go again!
The Hazmat pond! This is a knee deep pool, full of that jell that you put in a flower vase. You had to go under barrels. Again, team work. I'll hold up a barrel so you don't have to put your head under this crap and then you do the same for me.
Will this ever end? Only 5 more obstacles!
More tire carrying! My team mate was really starting to feel it now! She was having fun getting over a 4 foot wall in this obstacle, but she did it!
As we made our way to the next one, we had a lot of people walking back at us. Are they lost or what?
We found out why! You had to go for a swim in the lake!! So much for staying dry at the Hazmat pond! This was a 100 foot swim across the lake! I'll never complain about getting into a cold river in the summer time again!
Now to climb up a tube 30 feet and slide down a tarp! But first the tube. It had wet boards in it you had to climb, slow and easy. Now for the slide, looks easy enough! That is until you get about half way down it and think, oh crap I'm going FAST!
We can see the finish line, 2 more to go!
What more water?! This time the public gets to spray you with a fire hose! Like we aren't wet and cold enough! I told one of the kids spraying us, I'm going to take that hose away from you a spray you. He just sprayed me in the face, thanks kid.....
Fire, I see fire!
Last obstacle, fire jumping! But wait, fire is warm and I'm cold! So I did what any smart firefighter would do, I stopped to dry off and warm up! Oh crap the clock is still running, I need to go!
We finished in around 58 mins! I know this sounds slow, and it is for most 5k's. But when I found out that the Top Male finished in 39 mins, I was feeling better!
In the end, it was a great day with awesome people! Thanks to everyone for honoring our fallen and supporting the Texas LODD Task Force!
Hero Rush is a 5k firefighter-themed obstacle course, made up with 17+ Tough, Crazy, Fear-Facing Fun Obstacles!
As much of you know, I have been a professional firefighter for over 27 years. I'm also a member of the Texas LODD Task Force, http://texasloddtaskforce.com As the crazy ultra runner of the Task Force, I was ask about getting a team together for Hero Rush, how could I say no!
So with that, the "Texas LODD Task Force" Hero Rush team was formed! Made up of 14 people, 10 firefighters, 4 non-firefighters.
As a team, we signed up for the 343 wave. The 343 wave is to honor the 343 firefighters that gave it all on September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Centers. Each bib would have the name of one of the firefighters, I would be carrying, Thomas A. Casoria. Firefighter Casoria was with Engine 22 and only 29 years old the day he gave it all, http://bravestmemorial.net/html/members_individual/casoria_thomas/newsday_article.html
Before our wave stated we also honored the 5 firefighters that have also gave it all already this year in the State of Texas,
Pilot Ronnie Chambliss, Bureau of Land Management
Firefighter Jalen Smith, Jackson Heights Fire Dept.
Capt. Neal Smith, Atascocita Fire Dept.
Lt. Eric Wallace and Lt. Gregory Pickard both with Bryan Fire Dept.
God Speed Brothers!
Start time weather, 38F with a 20mph wind! Yes it was COLD!
Once our wave started, it didn't take long before our team was spread all over the place, no big deal. I stayed with our youngest and non-firefighter, this would be her first 5k!
It didn't take long before we got to the first obstacle, climb over a 4 foot wall and through windows.
Are they all going to be this easy, oh just wait!
Next, crawl through a smoke filled maze.
Off to the next one!
Little did we know we would be getting wet before we got to the next one, a stream crossing, knee deep. But the trail runner in me was loving it! This part of the course was single track in the woods!
As we made it to the next obstacle it was a rope bridge, but the rope was fire hose! I was thinking this could be tough! But I guess watching all the Bear Grylls does pay off, I smoked it across it!
Before we got to the next one we would have a nice run in an open field, I put the gas to it, legs got happy!
The next obstacle was crawling though rope filled tubes, needed my knife!
More single track and stream crossing before the next one, loving it! My team mate not liking it so much. But she was hanging in there!
The next obstacle was more crawling! This time you put two tires on a backboard, the tires are a patient. First you go over a 4 foot wall then crawl under barbed wire! I told my team mate, you hold up the wire and I'll do the pulling, team work!
Short run to the next one. This would be carrying a 50 foot section of 3" fire hose, about 75 pounds. You had to carry it up and down a hill two times. This is where all that stair climbing helped big time!
Off to the next one, but first you had to walk through knee deep water on the side of the lake, wasn't that bad.
This next obstacle would be a tire drag! This is starting to be nothing but a everyday workout, love it! You had to drag a tire about 200 feet. So what did I do? Yes, I did grab two tires and took off. Hey, if you're going to get a workout, make it good!
Boom, off to the next one!
Did someone say, CPR? This was by far the easiest one. You had to do 30 chest compressions on the CPR dummy.
Yes, it was a save!
The next obstacle you climbed up a ladder and into a smokey maze. Stay low, grab a wall and go!
My team mate was starting to feel the course a little by now. But like any great team mate, I told her to suck it up buttercup! If looks could kill!
On to the next one, foam filled tubes! More like a bubble bath.
Off we go again!
The Hazmat pond! This is a knee deep pool, full of that jell that you put in a flower vase. You had to go under barrels. Again, team work. I'll hold up a barrel so you don't have to put your head under this crap and then you do the same for me.
Will this ever end? Only 5 more obstacles!
More tire carrying! My team mate was really starting to feel it now! She was having fun getting over a 4 foot wall in this obstacle, but she did it!
As we made our way to the next one, we had a lot of people walking back at us. Are they lost or what?
We found out why! You had to go for a swim in the lake!! So much for staying dry at the Hazmat pond! This was a 100 foot swim across the lake! I'll never complain about getting into a cold river in the summer time again!
Now to climb up a tube 30 feet and slide down a tarp! But first the tube. It had wet boards in it you had to climb, slow and easy. Now for the slide, looks easy enough! That is until you get about half way down it and think, oh crap I'm going FAST!
We can see the finish line, 2 more to go!
What more water?! This time the public gets to spray you with a fire hose! Like we aren't wet and cold enough! I told one of the kids spraying us, I'm going to take that hose away from you a spray you. He just sprayed me in the face, thanks kid.....
Fire, I see fire!
Last obstacle, fire jumping! But wait, fire is warm and I'm cold! So I did what any smart firefighter would do, I stopped to dry off and warm up! Oh crap the clock is still running, I need to go!
We finished in around 58 mins! I know this sounds slow, and it is for most 5k's. But when I found out that the Top Male finished in 39 mins, I was feeling better!
In the end, it was a great day with awesome people! Thanks to everyone for honoring our fallen and supporting the Texas LODD Task Force!
Monday, February 25, 2013
Life as a child growing up in Oklahoma....
Around age 10 my dad got me one of those little badass compound bow beginner kits. Of course, the first month I went around our land sticking arrows in anything that could get stuck by an arrow. Did you know that a 1955 40 horse Farmall tractor tire will take 6 rounds before it goes down? Tough sumbich. That got boring, so being the 10 yr. old Dukes of Hazard fan that I was, I quickly advanced to taking strips of cut up T-shirt doused in chainsaw gas tied around the end and was sending flaming arrows all over the place. One summer afternoon, I was shooting flaming arrows into a large rotten oak stump in our backyard. I looked over under the carport and saw a shiny brand new can of starting fluid (Ether). The light bulb went off in my head. I grabbed the can and set it on the stump. I thought that it would probably just spray out in a disappointing manner. Lets face it, to a 10 yr old mouth-breather like myself, (Ether), really doesn't "sound" flammable. So, I went back into the house and got a 1 pound can of pyrodex (black powder for muzzle loader rifles). At this point, I set the can of ether on the stump and opened up the can of black powder. My intentions were to sprinkle a little bit around the (Ether) can but it all sorta dumped out on me. No biggie, a 1 lb. pyrodex and 16 oz (Ether) should make a loud pop, kinda like a firecracker you know? You know what? Screw that, I'm going back in the house for the other can. Yes, I got a second can of pyrodex and dumped it too. Now we're cookin'. I stepped back about 15 ft and lit the 2 stroke arrow. I drew the nock to my cheek and took aim. As I released I heard a clunk as the arrow launched from my bow. In a slow motion time frame, I turned to see my dad getting out of the truck... OH SHOOT! He just got home from work. So help me God it took 10 minutes for that arrow to go from my bow to the can. My dad was walking towards me in slow motion with a WTF look in his eyes. I turned back towards my target just in time to see the arrow pierce the starting fluid can right at the bottom---right through the main pile of pyrodex and into the can. Oh shoot. When the shock wave hit it knocked me off my feet. I don't know if it was the actual compression wave that threw me back or just reflex jerk back from 235 frickin' decibels of sound. I caught a half a millisecond glimpse of the violence during the initial explosion and I will tell you there was dust, grass, and bugs all hovering 1 ft above the ground as far as I could see. It was like a little low to the ground layer of dust fog full of grasshoppers, spiders, and a worm or two. The daylight turned purple. Let me repeat this... THE FRICKIN' DAYLIGHT TURNED PURPLE. There was a big sweetgum tree out by the gate going into the pasture. Notice I said "was". That son-of-a-bitch got up and ran off. So here I am, on the ground blown completely out of my shoes with my thundercats T-Shirt shredded, and my dad is on the other side of the carport having what I can only assume is a Vietnam flashback: ECHO BRAVO CHARLIE YOU'RE BRINGIN' EM IN TOO CLOSE!! CEASE FIRE. DAMN IT, CEASE FIRE!!!!! His hat has blown off and is 30 ft behind him in the driveway. All windows on the north side of the house are blown out and there is a slow rolling mushroom cloud about 2000 ft. over our backyard. There is a Honda 185 3 wheeler parked on the other side of the yard and the fenders are drooped down and are now touching the tires. I wish I knew what I said to my dad at this moment. I don't know - I know I said something. I couldn't hear. I couldn't hear inside my own head. I don't think he heard me either... not that it would really matter. I don't remember much from this point on. I said something, felt a sharp pain, and then woke up later. I felt a sharp pain, blacked out, woke later....repeat this process for an hour or so and you get the idea. I remember at one point my mom had to give me CPR. and Dad screaming "Bring him back to life so I can kill him again". Thanks Mom. One thing is for sure... I never had to mow around that stump again, Mom had been bitching about that thing for years, and dad never did anything about it. I stepped up to the plate and handled business. Dad sold his muzzle loader a week or so later. I still have some sort of bone growth abnormality, either from the blast or the beating, or both. I guess what I'm trying to say is, get your kids into archery. It's good discipline and will teach them skills they can use later on in life.
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