Tuesday, December 15, 2009
How you can help - Team Hole in the Wall
Please help me reach my fundraising goal for team hole in the wall. I am less than $500 away from reaching my commitment of $2000 and have a stretch goal of $3000. If you are able to help in anyway, please consider making a donation on my behalf on my Team Hole in the Wall website. This is one of only a few charities to be nationally recognized and receiving 4 stars out of 4 for charitable organizations. All proceeds go to help children with serious illnesses like cancer and HIV attend a fun camp where they can enjoy a few days being a kid. email me at fhzwart@gmail.com if you have any questions. And, Thank you!!!! Team Hole in the Wall
Monday, December 14, 2009
Story from a marathon runner friend of mine....
This is a post from one of my running friends on facebook. I wanted to share her story as I thought it was a pretty moving one. -Tread lightly, Mouseruner
"So yesterday I ran my second marathon and finished 25 minutes faster than my first with a 4:48 finish time. I want to share this story with all of you because I have shared it with some already and you never know who it may inspire or for what obstacle.
Marathon training is typically done in a 16 week period but I only had 8 with the last two weeks of that being taper weeks to get my body and muscles ready. I am a mother of two, a full time student, a wife, and..a runner. My first 6 weeks of official training I was injured with a groin injury and could not run at all. That down time also hurt my cardio fitness. Then I had about 3 weeks that I was running 40-50 mile weeks and then I had another two weeks down off my feet going through a miscarriage. That left me with 3 weeks to get 3, three hour long runs complete to get my body adjusted. I had two 2.5 hour runs and 1 two hour. Mentally I was ready but physically I was unsure. All year I had been running stronger and faster and setting personal records but I still lacked appropriate training for 26.2 miles. I rarely get to run alone and most of the time it is with my two little ones and up to 9 miles for a single run. If I run alone it is because I wake up at 5am to run before anyone wakes up. Gratefully I had a good friend able to watch the kids for a few hours so I could get my long runs in (thanks Alison!).
Two days before the race I got a sinus infection and knew that it would be tough running when I couldn't breathe well, so I took mucinex for two days. I didn't study at all for finals Saturday so I could mentally prepare for the next day. I woke up at 2am Sunday and felt great.
So here is my experience...I used a run/walk/run method since my training was shortened, BUT, when I was running, I was running fast. 3 minute running then 1 minute walking, the entire race. The walking helps erase fatigue on your legs. Anyway, miles 1-8 I felt great, running a 8:30-9 min pace and my stomach was handling my drink mix just fine. It was a mixture of Sustained energy and electrolytes. Works great! On with the story, mile 7 had to stop for a little tinkle break...but then tackled Diamond Head with no problem and then... I was hit like a brick wall with dehydration. The mucinex I took for two days dehydrated my body. All I could handle in my stomach at that point on was water, and a lot of it. From mile 10-13 I had tears in my eyes thinking I may have to drop out of the race because of it and my legs were also feeling fatigue early. My pace slowed to a 10min mile. Not what I was wanting at all. I was just running to get to the next aid station to gulp down tons of water. I didn't want to drop out so I kept pushing myself. At mile 17 is the turn around point where we backtrack and are on the home stretch and mentally I knew that and used that to keep going. My pace then quickened back to a 9:30 pace. On my walk sessions I started texting my coach for support, I also started saying prayers of my own. At mile 19 I stopped again to help another runner who was hurt. I knew the pain she was going through so I helped her stretch out. Then I continued on and happened to look at my garmin and noticed my time and the fact I only had 7 miles left. I noticed that I could beat my first time and got a renewed dose of energy. My pace went to a 9 min mile pace and believe me I was pushing it. I kept looking at my watch and kept getting support from my coach and from my friend Tonya who was waiting for me at the end. Each mile that passed I got more excited and more determined. Mile 24 I had to run up Diamond Head again but this time I ran it at a 9 minute pace and was weaving in and out making my way around everyone else. Mile 25 the pain in my knees was getting to be a bit much and I had 20 minutes to finish to be under 5 hours. My pace went to a 8:30 min mile but tears came with it. A mixture of pain, numbness, and sheer joy of accomplishment. My last half mile was painful but at a 8 min mile pace and I crossed my finish line with tears and a huge smile!
The girl I had helped found me at the end when she finished and gave me a hug and thanked me for stopping. I cried when I saw my friend Tonya. It's hard to understand what a feeling like this is. To accomplish something that demands so much of your mental and physical strength. I was overwhelmed by this whole experience and I am still on that "runner's high".
I guess my whole point of this story is, just because you think something may be impossible, don't count it out until you try. Everyone has an inner strength, sometimes you just need help in finding it.
Don't follow your dreams, chase them!"
-Jennifer Hurst-Heiligenman
"So yesterday I ran my second marathon and finished 25 minutes faster than my first with a 4:48 finish time. I want to share this story with all of you because I have shared it with some already and you never know who it may inspire or for what obstacle.
Marathon training is typically done in a 16 week period but I only had 8 with the last two weeks of that being taper weeks to get my body and muscles ready. I am a mother of two, a full time student, a wife, and..a runner. My first 6 weeks of official training I was injured with a groin injury and could not run at all. That down time also hurt my cardio fitness. Then I had about 3 weeks that I was running 40-50 mile weeks and then I had another two weeks down off my feet going through a miscarriage. That left me with 3 weeks to get 3, three hour long runs complete to get my body adjusted. I had two 2.5 hour runs and 1 two hour. Mentally I was ready but physically I was unsure. All year I had been running stronger and faster and setting personal records but I still lacked appropriate training for 26.2 miles. I rarely get to run alone and most of the time it is with my two little ones and up to 9 miles for a single run. If I run alone it is because I wake up at 5am to run before anyone wakes up. Gratefully I had a good friend able to watch the kids for a few hours so I could get my long runs in (thanks Alison!).
Two days before the race I got a sinus infection and knew that it would be tough running when I couldn't breathe well, so I took mucinex for two days. I didn't study at all for finals Saturday so I could mentally prepare for the next day. I woke up at 2am Sunday and felt great.
So here is my experience...I used a run/walk/run method since my training was shortened, BUT, when I was running, I was running fast. 3 minute running then 1 minute walking, the entire race. The walking helps erase fatigue on your legs. Anyway, miles 1-8 I felt great, running a 8:30-9 min pace and my stomach was handling my drink mix just fine. It was a mixture of Sustained energy and electrolytes. Works great! On with the story, mile 7 had to stop for a little tinkle break...but then tackled Diamond Head with no problem and then... I was hit like a brick wall with dehydration. The mucinex I took for two days dehydrated my body. All I could handle in my stomach at that point on was water, and a lot of it. From mile 10-13 I had tears in my eyes thinking I may have to drop out of the race because of it and my legs were also feeling fatigue early. My pace slowed to a 10min mile. Not what I was wanting at all. I was just running to get to the next aid station to gulp down tons of water. I didn't want to drop out so I kept pushing myself. At mile 17 is the turn around point where we backtrack and are on the home stretch and mentally I knew that and used that to keep going. My pace then quickened back to a 9:30 pace. On my walk sessions I started texting my coach for support, I also started saying prayers of my own. At mile 19 I stopped again to help another runner who was hurt. I knew the pain she was going through so I helped her stretch out. Then I continued on and happened to look at my garmin and noticed my time and the fact I only had 7 miles left. I noticed that I could beat my first time and got a renewed dose of energy. My pace went to a 9 min mile pace and believe me I was pushing it. I kept looking at my watch and kept getting support from my coach and from my friend Tonya who was waiting for me at the end. Each mile that passed I got more excited and more determined. Mile 24 I had to run up Diamond Head again but this time I ran it at a 9 minute pace and was weaving in and out making my way around everyone else. Mile 25 the pain in my knees was getting to be a bit much and I had 20 minutes to finish to be under 5 hours. My pace went to a 8:30 min mile but tears came with it. A mixture of pain, numbness, and sheer joy of accomplishment. My last half mile was painful but at a 8 min mile pace and I crossed my finish line with tears and a huge smile!
The girl I had helped found me at the end when she finished and gave me a hug and thanked me for stopping. I cried when I saw my friend Tonya. It's hard to understand what a feeling like this is. To accomplish something that demands so much of your mental and physical strength. I was overwhelmed by this whole experience and I am still on that "runner's high".
I guess my whole point of this story is, just because you think something may be impossible, don't count it out until you try. Everyone has an inner strength, sometimes you just need help in finding it.
Don't follow your dreams, chase them!"
-Jennifer Hurst-Heiligenman
Friday, December 11, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Thank you and if I may ask a favor...
Hello everyone! I'm sitting here thinking about the great job everyone has done helping me reach my fundraising goal for the marathon. Today marks 30 days out from January 10th, 2010 which is the day I will be running the actual race. By this time I will have finished (I would really hope) and should be part of less than 1% of Americans that have run a marathon. That is amazing.
Keeping this brief I wanted all of you to know that with the recent cookie fundraiser selling my Famous Peanut Butter Blossoms it has put me only 501.18 away from reaching my overall goal of $2000 for Hole in the Wall Camps. With $2000 they can fully fund sending a child to camp that has a debilitating illness.
I wanted to ask you to help me reach that goal. Do you have a network of friends at work that all might give $5 or even $10? I noticed that some companies have matching donations (like Bank of America) as you might notice on my donation page. Basically if your company offers this and you make a contribution, check the box at the bottom of the donation page that states "my company matches" and then it may ask you for some additional information. But then your donation doubles.
Anyway, with your help I am seeing the light at the end of the long tunnel and we are so close to reaching the finish line. Please forward this email to your friends, co-workers, relatives, etc. and tell them a little bit about my goal. Please let them know that I really have until December 30th to get in my donations.
Thank you ALL SO VERY MUCH!!! You don't realize how much I appreciate your help and support. Not only have you motivated me to make this extra push to reach the final goal, but I will feel great going to the marathon and sharing how grateful and generous my TEAM of supporters are. Each one of you have helped me take a little step forward and it will not be forgotten.
Now let's get to that finish line! Creative ideas are welcome.......we can do this!!!!
Happy Holidays!!
Click here to visit my Web page
Click here to make a donation
Sincerely,
Frank Zwart
If you are interested in setting a fitness goal for yourself over the holidays or after the holidays, you might like to know that I am a Independent Beachbody Fitness Coach. I can share with you how to get Beachbody products like P90X, Insanity, Yoga Booty Ballet, and other great at home fitness programs and even Shakeology for up to 25% off. Ask me how or visit www.getfitwithmouserunner.com today!! Holiday specials in the store too.
Keeping this brief I wanted all of you to know that with the recent cookie fundraiser selling my Famous Peanut Butter Blossoms it has put me only 501.18 away from reaching my overall goal of $2000 for Hole in the Wall Camps. With $2000 they can fully fund sending a child to camp that has a debilitating illness.
I wanted to ask you to help me reach that goal. Do you have a network of friends at work that all might give $5 or even $10? I noticed that some companies have matching donations (like Bank of America) as you might notice on my donation page. Basically if your company offers this and you make a contribution, check the box at the bottom of the donation page that states "my company matches" and then it may ask you for some additional information. But then your donation doubles.
Anyway, with your help I am seeing the light at the end of the long tunnel and we are so close to reaching the finish line. Please forward this email to your friends, co-workers, relatives, etc. and tell them a little bit about my goal. Please let them know that I really have until December 30th to get in my donations.
Thank you ALL SO VERY MUCH!!! You don't realize how much I appreciate your help and support. Not only have you motivated me to make this extra push to reach the final goal, but I will feel great going to the marathon and sharing how grateful and generous my TEAM of supporters are. Each one of you have helped me take a little step forward and it will not be forgotten.
Now let's get to that finish line! Creative ideas are welcome.......we can do this!!!!
Happy Holidays!!
Click here to visit my Web page
Click here to make a donation
Sincerely,
Frank Zwart
If you are interested in setting a fitness goal for yourself over the holidays or after the holidays, you might like to know that I am a Independent Beachbody Fitness Coach. I can share with you how to get Beachbody products like P90X, Insanity, Yoga Booty Ballet, and other great at home fitness programs and even Shakeology for up to 25% off. Ask me how or visit www.getfitwithmouserunner.com today!! Holiday specials in the store too.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Back to running and surviving the holiday madness....
After resting the knee for a week and working only on non-impact leg strengthening and cardio workouts, I will get back on the feet this week for some running. The goal is to complete my normal routine without any weakness or discomfort in the knee. It feels great now and I want to keep it that way till the marathon so I can truly give my best effort when the time comes.
Although I haven't been able to run to much over the last week, I have been making new friends with the elliptical, step machine, and the spin bike. I have also worked out with squats, leg lifts and many different stretching exercises to work out the hip muscles and other muscles that support proper knee tracking and knee cap tracking. What an education about the knee. I have to give credit to a great trainer at the Copley Healthplex in Aurora, Il. Melissa is a certified trainer who spent 9 years at her office in Boston, MA located right at the finish of the Boston Marathon. She understands the runners body, and knew almost immediately what my issue was and the proper steps to take to get me back into proper form.
I also found it interesting how your core and other larger muscle groups that do not get used in running are needed to support the joints and ligaments that you do use in running. That is why cross training is so important. Once your cardio wears out and your body uses up the muscles that you normally use while running, your other larger muscles kick in to get you through the rest of the race and keep you from being in a lot of pain after the marathon or long run. So, to refocus on what I was doing a few months ago would be a great idea. Using a routine such as P90X by Beachbody would be perfect since you can focus on specific muscle groups if you want too. P90X, Insanity, and other routines from Beachbody come with multiple DVD's to workout different muscle groups with each workout. Or you can select to workout only your Abs with Ab Ripper X or Core Synergistics. I love having options available and once I am done with the marathon, I will really want to refocus on P90X and get my body into even better shape this Winter. I am so excited about what Beachbody is doing as a company and am so glad to be part of it. I actually plan to share some of the workouts with my trainer at the Healthplex to get her thoughts on the program.
Today I woke up to our first snow of the season. The kids were filled with an extra spark and so were our dogs!! The dogs ran around in the back yard like they were all puppies again in a giant field. I love to see them doing play bows and running, chasing each other. They simply were running and having fun.
My kids were excited too of course. Snow means snowmen, sledding, snowball fights, and snow forts. What an exciting day to come home from school and be a kid. I imagine the first request will be to play in the snow this afternoon.
The holidays are another story. I personally wish Christmas and Thanksgiving were not as commercial as they have turned out to be. The whole Black Friday shopping, congested streets, traffic and stress just take the fun out of the holiday. If you remove the gifts from the holiday and just focus on your personal family it is much easier and I imagine filled with much less stress. I am still working on this and learning that it is very difficult when you are part of a large family that has many sisters, nephews, nieces, etc. that also have their own families. Time has been an issue every year. The parents feeling like they don't get enough time with your family and I know we need to spread it out to make sure our kids are spending time equally between the grandparents and great grandparents, let alone the rest of our family. Now bring in all the Nieces and Nephews, Sisters, Aunts, Uncles, etc and it can get pretty stressful trying to see everyone. The point, I personally can't make everyone happy every holiday by spending the whole day with them. If you have a good technique that works I would love to hear from you. However, since our oldest child is now 13 we really have been going through the same routine for a number of years. I don't expect it to change for awhile. All I can add is that I hope that you have a wonderful holiday and try to make each moment the best it can be for the situation that you are in. Spend time with you kids, your immediate family first and then take care of others needs. Don't let your own family be sacrificed because of others needs and wants. Your family is first. Mine is my top priority and I will always feel that way. I hope you do too.
Have a great holiday season, and if you took part in the recent "Frank's Famous Peanut Butter Blossom Cookie Sale" you helped generate nearly $1000 for my charity Team Hole in the Wall. If you haven't donated and would like to support this wonderful charity that provides camp experiences to seriously ill children, you can support my efforts by visiting my web page at: www.teamholeinthewall.org/frankzwart and clicking on the "support Frank" button on the top right of the page. Visit it now, I think you will be really surprised by the great things this camps offers the kids.
God bless and good running.
Tread lightly,
Mouserunner
Although I haven't been able to run to much over the last week, I have been making new friends with the elliptical, step machine, and the spin bike. I have also worked out with squats, leg lifts and many different stretching exercises to work out the hip muscles and other muscles that support proper knee tracking and knee cap tracking. What an education about the knee. I have to give credit to a great trainer at the Copley Healthplex in Aurora, Il. Melissa is a certified trainer who spent 9 years at her office in Boston, MA located right at the finish of the Boston Marathon. She understands the runners body, and knew almost immediately what my issue was and the proper steps to take to get me back into proper form.
I also found it interesting how your core and other larger muscle groups that do not get used in running are needed to support the joints and ligaments that you do use in running. That is why cross training is so important. Once your cardio wears out and your body uses up the muscles that you normally use while running, your other larger muscles kick in to get you through the rest of the race and keep you from being in a lot of pain after the marathon or long run. So, to refocus on what I was doing a few months ago would be a great idea. Using a routine such as P90X by Beachbody would be perfect since you can focus on specific muscle groups if you want too. P90X, Insanity, and other routines from Beachbody come with multiple DVD's to workout different muscle groups with each workout. Or you can select to workout only your Abs with Ab Ripper X or Core Synergistics. I love having options available and once I am done with the marathon, I will really want to refocus on P90X and get my body into even better shape this Winter. I am so excited about what Beachbody is doing as a company and am so glad to be part of it. I actually plan to share some of the workouts with my trainer at the Healthplex to get her thoughts on the program.
Today I woke up to our first snow of the season. The kids were filled with an extra spark and so were our dogs!! The dogs ran around in the back yard like they were all puppies again in a giant field. I love to see them doing play bows and running, chasing each other. They simply were running and having fun.
My kids were excited too of course. Snow means snowmen, sledding, snowball fights, and snow forts. What an exciting day to come home from school and be a kid. I imagine the first request will be to play in the snow this afternoon.
The holidays are another story. I personally wish Christmas and Thanksgiving were not as commercial as they have turned out to be. The whole Black Friday shopping, congested streets, traffic and stress just take the fun out of the holiday. If you remove the gifts from the holiday and just focus on your personal family it is much easier and I imagine filled with much less stress. I am still working on this and learning that it is very difficult when you are part of a large family that has many sisters, nephews, nieces, etc. that also have their own families. Time has been an issue every year. The parents feeling like they don't get enough time with your family and I know we need to spread it out to make sure our kids are spending time equally between the grandparents and great grandparents, let alone the rest of our family. Now bring in all the Nieces and Nephews, Sisters, Aunts, Uncles, etc and it can get pretty stressful trying to see everyone. The point, I personally can't make everyone happy every holiday by spending the whole day with them. If you have a good technique that works I would love to hear from you. However, since our oldest child is now 13 we really have been going through the same routine for a number of years. I don't expect it to change for awhile. All I can add is that I hope that you have a wonderful holiday and try to make each moment the best it can be for the situation that you are in. Spend time with you kids, your immediate family first and then take care of others needs. Don't let your own family be sacrificed because of others needs and wants. Your family is first. Mine is my top priority and I will always feel that way. I hope you do too.
Have a great holiday season, and if you took part in the recent "Frank's Famous Peanut Butter Blossom Cookie Sale" you helped generate nearly $1000 for my charity Team Hole in the Wall. If you haven't donated and would like to support this wonderful charity that provides camp experiences to seriously ill children, you can support my efforts by visiting my web page at: www.teamholeinthewall.org/frankzwart and clicking on the "support Frank" button on the top right of the page. Visit it now, I think you will be really surprised by the great things this camps offers the kids.
God bless and good running.
Tread lightly,
Mouserunner
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Have you encountered a Peanut Blossom?
Let me start by saying Peanut Butter + Hershey's Kisses = Holiday Taste Bud Heaven!!!
I will be baking up a special award winning recipe of Peanut Butter Blossom cookies December 13th and 14th, then shipping them direct to your door on Monday, December 15th.
I have made these cookies for a few years for my family as gifts, but only during Christmas once per year. This year I thought it would be a great way to share the goodness with you and your family through an online bake sale. All proceeds from the sale of these cookies will be going directly to my charity, Team Hole in the Wall. www.teamholeinthewall.org/frankzwart
Now let's hear more about the cookies. To start visit my event website on facebook here: Frank's Famous Holiday Peanut Blossom Cookie Online Event
Get your order in soon, as I will be limiting requests. Rest assured all food safety standards will be followed and your cookies will be baked and handled with care.
Hershey Kisses...
Peanut Butter... Your order awaits...
I have made these cookies for a few years for my family as gifts, but only during Christmas once per year. This year I thought it would be a great way to share the goodness with you and your family through an online bake sale. All proceeds from the sale of these cookies will be going directly to my charity, Team Hole in the Wall. www.teamholeinthewall.org/frankzwart
Now let's hear more about the cookies. To start visit my event website on facebook here: Frank's Famous Holiday Peanut Blossom Cookie Online Event
Get your order in soon, as I will be limiting requests. Rest assured all food safety standards will be followed and your cookies will be baked and handled with care.
Peanut Butter... Your order awaits...
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Fitting in the training runs during Thanksgiving week. This could be tough...
Last weekend I went out for my second 18 mile run as part of my marathon training. This was the first time that I was able to run with a group for the majority of my run and it turned out to be a great experience. However, after a very difficult last 6 miles I had some leg pain and overall soreness that needed to heal and now the thought of fitting in an additional two training runs during this busy week seems pretty tough.
This last Saturday I woke up and left home at 6am to meet up with a group from CARA (Chicago Area Runners Association) and a friend of mine who runs with them on the weekends. My friend Scott had originally planned to run 14 miles and I was scheduled to run 18. Scott said that he would also run 18 if I came out there and ran with them plus he added an extra kick and sponsored me by making a donation to to Team Hole in the Wall.
I arrived at the coffee shop and saw that there were actually quite a few runners preparing for a run. After everyone was ready we took off out the back door around 7:30am. Several groups were available to run with running all different paces and amount of miles. We went out with the 11/min mile group and had 4 others running with us.
The route was on the Illinois Prairie path and our particular plan was comprised of 3 separate out and backs on two trails. The first 6 miles were very smooth and when we returned two of the runners decided to stop for the day. Taking off on the next next 6 miles we headed in the opposite direction and after 1 mile only Scott and I were left to finish the rest of our 18. We made it back and at 12 miles were starting to feel slightly run down, so we hydrated more and took in some calories before taking off on the last 6 miles. I knew the last six were not going to be easy, but I was determined to get to the end.
We took off and after setting a pretty slow pace we made it out to the 3 mile mark after a few walk breaks. Scott was the official mileage tracker and only tracked us when we ran and would stop tracking us whenever we walked or were in between paths downtown Wheaton. The last three miles back were very difficult, calf pain was setting in pretty strong and my IT band was starting to flair up. At 2 miles left we walked a bit then Scott said "Your running the last mile". I knew that I had to make an effort and run that last mile for myself and to get the most out of the training. I took off early and started running. It was difficult but I made it to the last stretch and could finally see the end of the path which was a stop sign about 1/4 mile away. I had made it and was so happy to complete the 18 miles. After stretching out a little we made it back to the coffee shop to take in some water and head out.
Scott and I both had some pretty severe leg pain from Saturdays run. Even though we had hydrated well the leg pain made me feel like I forgot to walk for the rest of the day and part of Sunday too.
Now I am sitting here on Tuesday needing to get in two additional 6 mile runs for this week and a 13 miler to cap it off this weekend. With Thanksgiving looming I constantly have running in the back of my head and will until I complete the runs and can check them off of my schedule.
Adding to the plan was a job interview on Monday, working at my part-time job Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, and school conferences, errands, and Thanksgiving dinners to attend to. So, currently the plan is to fit in a 6 mile run tomorrow right after a few important errands my wife and I have to attend. Then I'll run 6 miles again on Friday night or Saturday morning ending with my 13 miler on Sunday or Monday. The following weekend will be my first 21 mile run which after 18 will prove to be a interesting accomplishment. I really don't know how else to put it except to say that after Scott added up all the distance that he didn't track with his GPS on Map My Run we had covered over 20 total miles all together. So, now I feel a little better about running 21 the following weekend. I also think I will plan to incorporate some additional calories for energy before the run and also during the first few miles. The ability to refill my hydration belt at the coffee shop is a bonus.
As we approach 40 days out from the start of the marathon, I am feeling more and more ready for the final event. I now have no doubt that I will run the distance and be able to complete the run one way or another. Only a few more long runs separate me from the starting line and the excitement is already starting to build up.
I hope everyone reading this is able to get in your exercise and stick with your plan during the holidays and Winter season. I know it will be difficult as it gets colder here in the Chicago area, but I am anxious to try out my Nike running pants on the next cold run.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and I wish you all a wonderful holiday season in which you are able to meet your goals. If you don't have a goal, set one now and don't wait till the new year. Set a goal and start it today! You will be so happy you took the step to improve yourself. The payoff is so worth it.
Tread lightly,
Mouserunner
Click here to learn more and support me running on Team Hole in the Wall
This last Saturday I woke up and left home at 6am to meet up with a group from CARA (Chicago Area Runners Association) and a friend of mine who runs with them on the weekends. My friend Scott had originally planned to run 14 miles and I was scheduled to run 18. Scott said that he would also run 18 if I came out there and ran with them plus he added an extra kick and sponsored me by making a donation to to Team Hole in the Wall.
I arrived at the coffee shop and saw that there were actually quite a few runners preparing for a run. After everyone was ready we took off out the back door around 7:30am. Several groups were available to run with running all different paces and amount of miles. We went out with the 11/min mile group and had 4 others running with us.
The route was on the Illinois Prairie path and our particular plan was comprised of 3 separate out and backs on two trails. The first 6 miles were very smooth and when we returned two of the runners decided to stop for the day. Taking off on the next next 6 miles we headed in the opposite direction and after 1 mile only Scott and I were left to finish the rest of our 18. We made it back and at 12 miles were starting to feel slightly run down, so we hydrated more and took in some calories before taking off on the last 6 miles. I knew the last six were not going to be easy, but I was determined to get to the end.
We took off and after setting a pretty slow pace we made it out to the 3 mile mark after a few walk breaks. Scott was the official mileage tracker and only tracked us when we ran and would stop tracking us whenever we walked or were in between paths downtown Wheaton. The last three miles back were very difficult, calf pain was setting in pretty strong and my IT band was starting to flair up. At 2 miles left we walked a bit then Scott said "Your running the last mile". I knew that I had to make an effort and run that last mile for myself and to get the most out of the training. I took off early and started running. It was difficult but I made it to the last stretch and could finally see the end of the path which was a stop sign about 1/4 mile away. I had made it and was so happy to complete the 18 miles. After stretching out a little we made it back to the coffee shop to take in some water and head out.
Scott and I both had some pretty severe leg pain from Saturdays run. Even though we had hydrated well the leg pain made me feel like I forgot to walk for the rest of the day and part of Sunday too.
Now I am sitting here on Tuesday needing to get in two additional 6 mile runs for this week and a 13 miler to cap it off this weekend. With Thanksgiving looming I constantly have running in the back of my head and will until I complete the runs and can check them off of my schedule.
Adding to the plan was a job interview on Monday, working at my part-time job Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, and school conferences, errands, and Thanksgiving dinners to attend to. So, currently the plan is to fit in a 6 mile run tomorrow right after a few important errands my wife and I have to attend. Then I'll run 6 miles again on Friday night or Saturday morning ending with my 13 miler on Sunday or Monday. The following weekend will be my first 21 mile run which after 18 will prove to be a interesting accomplishment. I really don't know how else to put it except to say that after Scott added up all the distance that he didn't track with his GPS on Map My Run we had covered over 20 total miles all together. So, now I feel a little better about running 21 the following weekend. I also think I will plan to incorporate some additional calories for energy before the run and also during the first few miles. The ability to refill my hydration belt at the coffee shop is a bonus.
As we approach 40 days out from the start of the marathon, I am feeling more and more ready for the final event. I now have no doubt that I will run the distance and be able to complete the run one way or another. Only a few more long runs separate me from the starting line and the excitement is already starting to build up.
I hope everyone reading this is able to get in your exercise and stick with your plan during the holidays and Winter season. I know it will be difficult as it gets colder here in the Chicago area, but I am anxious to try out my Nike running pants on the next cold run.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and I wish you all a wonderful holiday season in which you are able to meet your goals. If you don't have a goal, set one now and don't wait till the new year. Set a goal and start it today! You will be so happy you took the step to improve yourself. The payoff is so worth it.
Tread lightly,
Mouserunner
Click here to learn more and support me running on Team Hole in the Wall
Sunday, November 15, 2009
What is Team Hole in the Wall? Where did that name come from?
How It All Began
Running in the ING New York City Marathon was a personal challenge that Mike Havard had undertaken successfully before. In 2004, however, he raised the bar for himself even higher by committing to use his participation in the marathon as a way to generate funds for The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford, Connecticut. That year, his fundraising efforts brought in close to $40,000 for the Camp.
Mike's energy was infectious. In 2005, he became the captain of a team of 40 participants in the NYC Marathon, all committed to raising funds for the Camp. The 2005 team raised $150,000! The number ofTeam Hole in the Wall events has increased each year and the dollars raised can now support the mission of any or all of the Hole in the Wall Camps. Our campers are grateful for Mike's vision!
Mike's energy was infectious. In 2005, he became the captain of a team of 40 participants in the NYC Marathon, all committed to raising funds for the Camp. The 2005 team raised $150,000! The number ofTeam Hole in the Wall events has increased each year and the dollars raised can now support the mission of any or all of the Hole in the Wall Camps. Our campers are grateful for Mike's vision!
Mike Havard (right) and his brother Ed
at the 2007 ING NYC Marathon
To make a donation visit my page: Frank Zwart's Team Page
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Gobbler Hobbler 10K update and is this really Fall?
Wow, what a turnout today at the Gobble Hobble 10k. Last year only 400 participants and this year it doubled to 800. My wife Michele signed up as a volunteer and along with my oldest daughter took off from home early to help out with the race day preparations. I was lagging a little behind at home this morning so I left about 15 minutes later arriving at the race location about 8:15am for a 9:00am start.
The first thing I noticed was the number of cars that were already there when I pulled in. This run also included a 1 mile fun run along with the 10k which brought out many for their first run along with many locals from the Oswego area.
After seeing my wife and daughter helping out with the crowd it made me proud to be part of the crowd participating in the run. I love that they volunteer to help around a sport that I have learned to really love. It allows us to spend family time together in a way that we all enjoy. They were busy directing runners to either the 10k or 1mile line, giving them information and showing them to the numbers and t-shirt pickup area.
I picked up my number and was made aware that several of our friends had already arrived so I headed over to find and greet them. Two of the first people I seen were Matt and Krissie Brown. Matt, I have mentioned before is a finisher of the Chicago Marathon and we have run together a number of times. I was very happy that they were there and that Matt would be running the 10k with me today. I also got to meet one of my friends from Daily Mile named Scott. Scott has run a few marathons including Chicago and New York (probably a few others, forgive me Scott), and it was pleasure to meet him in person and have a chance to talk to him briefly about his runs and goals.
While still inside the community center before the race, I also noticed our friends Darrin and Angie Johnson. Angie started the Couch to 5K program earlier this year from the Cool Running website and is progressing vary well. I don't know if Darrin has run too much as he has been getting over a back injury, but he is a fire fighter and was urged into running the 1mile fun run with his wife Angie today. I could tell there was a little bit of nervous excitement (if thats what you want to call it) before the race. After all, this was the first event for them and it is always somewhat exciting to see what goes into putting a race together and figuring out where to go, etc. when you attend your first event. I was very happy for them to be joining in on the run and looking forward to talking to them afterward. We had previously made plans to have pizza tonight with them and enjoy some social time together at their home. Darrin is serving up his famous firehouse pizza (can't wait!!!).
I also got to see to other friends, Brian Hauser and Mary Maher who I really only talk to on facebook most of the time. However, Brian has been running races for a long time and I always look forward to getting running advice from him and seeing him run, he is truly an amazing runner and I believe finished the 10k today with a pace under 7 minutes per mile. Wow! Mary is a triathlete that has done racing in local area as well as nearby states and ran in the recent Hot Chocolate 15k as her longest run so far. She is very dedicated toward her riding/running/swimming and is working toward longer runs all the time.
Seeing Francisco de los Santos and his wife Genoveva on the way out to the start line was a surprise too. Francisco is the principle at Brady Elementary school where my wife and Matt's wife teach.
Wow, can you keep this all straight? I think if I would have recruited all these people to work with me as a team today we all could have set personal records.
The race started off like most races do at a pretty fast pace around 7:50-8 per mile. I checked my pace several times during the first mile slowing down gradually as not to drop back too far but knowing that if I started this fast, that I wouldn't have anything left at the end. Matt and I ran together passing mile 1 at 9 minutes and some change. That is when Matt said to me, "If we were running the one mile race, we would be done now." I thought that was pretty funny and we both talked back and forth about how one mile is not a short distance and even for us back in the early spring of this year it seemed a lot longer than what it was now. Matt and I had ran the course the week before and knew that the course was going to take a turn from the subdivision streets to the bike path soon which was much narrower. We made our way to mile 2 and ran past the first water stop up over a small hill (Matt called it Heart Break Hill, as in the Boston Marathon) which was more of a speed bump and off to mile 3. After we passed mile 2.5 or close to it, we see the first of the leading runners heading back toward us literally or what looked like they were literally sprinting. They stormed past us in the other direction and had to be on the way to a course record. Amazing! I have to give them credit, they really showed amazing athleticism and running spirit.
Getting closer to the turn around point, I saw Brian Hauser coming from the other direction running strong and we gave each other a high five. He was looking good and finished the race setting a new personal record for himself as well. Still we ran and could see the turnaround at mile 3.1, another person yelled out "Hey Frank!" but I wasn't sure who it was before we made our turn at the half way mark. As we made our turn Matt made another simple statement that gave me a laugh, "Ready to run a 5K?" he said as we started out quest back toward the start line. Mile 3 to 4 was at a slightly higher pace as we passed a few runners but still managed to stick together. It was at that point I saw Francisco running with his wife and they looking like they were doing well nearing the half way point in the race.
Matt and I slowed slightly at mile 4.5 for the last water break and I walked while we took in some liquid for the run back. That is where I felt the sense that my legs didn't have much left and that the rest of the run would prove challenging. Matt took off running after a brief walk and I kept walking a bit longer thinking it would give me a chance to prepare for a push at the end.
I could see Matt up ahead all the way to the last straight away to the finish and never managed to catch up to him. Matt finished 21 seconds ahead of me at 56:32 and I finished in 56:53. We had a really good run in perfect weather conditions today. I was wondering why my legs felt so worn out toward the end of this 6 mile run and then remembered I had completed an 18 mile long run last Monday which could have prevented me from giving 100% and becoming tapped out earlier than usual. Overall though I improved my personal record by 2 minutes for the 10k and I am happy with the results.
The run today felt like a combination of meeting with a bunch of friends and having a great run. Being able to celebrate in your friends accomplishments meant a lot. Watching some of them set new personal records and also see what you hope your abilities will allow you to be some day really are motivating.
Today was the last race I currently have scheduled before my marathon in January. Several of my friends asked me when it was and how was the training going. I know the training the last several weeks are long miles but there are really only 3 long, long runs left. One more run at 18 and then two at 21 miles before the taper to race day.
At the end of the race today I gathered again with friends and my family to watch most of the finishers come in and grab some Mylo-Plex Vanilla, water and take a look at the "Walking Pancakes". Yes, I only took a look and find out what they actually were. "Walking Pancakes" as the race brochure calls them are actually a couple rolled up pancakes in a disposable cup that has syrup in the bottom. I was told that they were not very tasty and I wasn't actually hungry at that point so you guessed it, I skipped it.
And, as the awards were being announced my wife made a comment that the last finisher was coming into the finish line. I looked over to see the older man that walked the whole course with a cane and left the award area to go congratulate him. I walked over and told him that he did a great job and he was amazing for accomplishing what he set out to do. Then his granddaughter came over and he said "this is my granddaughter that finished the race about an hour before me. He also told my wife she should walk the race with him next year that it gets lonely out there walking the 6 miles all by yourself. I say to that gentleman, what an accomplishment you have made! What an inspiration you are to so many! You show that you don't have to win the race to be the most influential person participating in the race. You show us that being there for those you care about is what matters and I don't know this mans name, but sir, you deserve a trophy today. YOU sir, I hope felt the gratitude of all those finishers before you. I hope you realize what it meant to me when I seen you cross the finish line holding your cane in celebration of your finish. YOU motivated me to continue my quest and showed me that the road, no matter how long can be conquered.
Well, that concluded the race today. I look forward to completing my training and as I walked back to my truck that I had parked about a block away, I couldn't help but reflect on what a change that running has made in me through other people either directly or indirectly. Very inspiring...and I am also inspired by those before me that have kept the local races in small communities going strong.
A special thank you to all the volunteers that help to make this race possible today. Thank you, without you this race and all the others would not be possible.
Tread lightly,
Mouserunner
Twitter @fhzwart
Please help me send a seriously ill child to a Team Hole in the Wall Camp.
The first thing I noticed was the number of cars that were already there when I pulled in. This run also included a 1 mile fun run along with the 10k which brought out many for their first run along with many locals from the Oswego area.
After seeing my wife and daughter helping out with the crowd it made me proud to be part of the crowd participating in the run. I love that they volunteer to help around a sport that I have learned to really love. It allows us to spend family time together in a way that we all enjoy. They were busy directing runners to either the 10k or 1mile line, giving them information and showing them to the numbers and t-shirt pickup area.
I picked up my number and was made aware that several of our friends had already arrived so I headed over to find and greet them. Two of the first people I seen were Matt and Krissie Brown. Matt, I have mentioned before is a finisher of the Chicago Marathon and we have run together a number of times. I was very happy that they were there and that Matt would be running the 10k with me today. I also got to meet one of my friends from Daily Mile named Scott. Scott has run a few marathons including Chicago and New York (probably a few others, forgive me Scott), and it was pleasure to meet him in person and have a chance to talk to him briefly about his runs and goals.
While still inside the community center before the race, I also noticed our friends Darrin and Angie Johnson. Angie started the Couch to 5K program earlier this year from the Cool Running website and is progressing vary well. I don't know if Darrin has run too much as he has been getting over a back injury, but he is a fire fighter and was urged into running the 1mile fun run with his wife Angie today. I could tell there was a little bit of nervous excitement (if thats what you want to call it) before the race. After all, this was the first event for them and it is always somewhat exciting to see what goes into putting a race together and figuring out where to go, etc. when you attend your first event. I was very happy for them to be joining in on the run and looking forward to talking to them afterward. We had previously made plans to have pizza tonight with them and enjoy some social time together at their home. Darrin is serving up his famous firehouse pizza (can't wait!!!).
I also got to see to other friends, Brian Hauser and Mary Maher who I really only talk to on facebook most of the time. However, Brian has been running races for a long time and I always look forward to getting running advice from him and seeing him run, he is truly an amazing runner and I believe finished the 10k today with a pace under 7 minutes per mile. Wow! Mary is a triathlete that has done racing in local area as well as nearby states and ran in the recent Hot Chocolate 15k as her longest run so far. She is very dedicated toward her riding/running/swimming and is working toward longer runs all the time.
Seeing Francisco de los Santos and his wife Genoveva on the way out to the start line was a surprise too. Francisco is the principle at Brady Elementary school where my wife and Matt's wife teach.
Wow, can you keep this all straight? I think if I would have recruited all these people to work with me as a team today we all could have set personal records.
The race started off like most races do at a pretty fast pace around 7:50-8 per mile. I checked my pace several times during the first mile slowing down gradually as not to drop back too far but knowing that if I started this fast, that I wouldn't have anything left at the end. Matt and I ran together passing mile 1 at 9 minutes and some change. That is when Matt said to me, "If we were running the one mile race, we would be done now." I thought that was pretty funny and we both talked back and forth about how one mile is not a short distance and even for us back in the early spring of this year it seemed a lot longer than what it was now. Matt and I had ran the course the week before and knew that the course was going to take a turn from the subdivision streets to the bike path soon which was much narrower. We made our way to mile 2 and ran past the first water stop up over a small hill (Matt called it Heart Break Hill, as in the Boston Marathon) which was more of a speed bump and off to mile 3. After we passed mile 2.5 or close to it, we see the first of the leading runners heading back toward us literally or what looked like they were literally sprinting. They stormed past us in the other direction and had to be on the way to a course record. Amazing! I have to give them credit, they really showed amazing athleticism and running spirit.
Getting closer to the turn around point, I saw Brian Hauser coming from the other direction running strong and we gave each other a high five. He was looking good and finished the race setting a new personal record for himself as well. Still we ran and could see the turnaround at mile 3.1, another person yelled out "Hey Frank!" but I wasn't sure who it was before we made our turn at the half way mark. As we made our turn Matt made another simple statement that gave me a laugh, "Ready to run a 5K?" he said as we started out quest back toward the start line. Mile 3 to 4 was at a slightly higher pace as we passed a few runners but still managed to stick together. It was at that point I saw Francisco running with his wife and they looking like they were doing well nearing the half way point in the race.
Matt and I slowed slightly at mile 4.5 for the last water break and I walked while we took in some liquid for the run back. That is where I felt the sense that my legs didn't have much left and that the rest of the run would prove challenging. Matt took off running after a brief walk and I kept walking a bit longer thinking it would give me a chance to prepare for a push at the end.
I could see Matt up ahead all the way to the last straight away to the finish and never managed to catch up to him. Matt finished 21 seconds ahead of me at 56:32 and I finished in 56:53. We had a really good run in perfect weather conditions today. I was wondering why my legs felt so worn out toward the end of this 6 mile run and then remembered I had completed an 18 mile long run last Monday which could have prevented me from giving 100% and becoming tapped out earlier than usual. Overall though I improved my personal record by 2 minutes for the 10k and I am happy with the results.
The run today felt like a combination of meeting with a bunch of friends and having a great run. Being able to celebrate in your friends accomplishments meant a lot. Watching some of them set new personal records and also see what you hope your abilities will allow you to be some day really are motivating.
Today was the last race I currently have scheduled before my marathon in January. Several of my friends asked me when it was and how was the training going. I know the training the last several weeks are long miles but there are really only 3 long, long runs left. One more run at 18 and then two at 21 miles before the taper to race day.
At the end of the race today I gathered again with friends and my family to watch most of the finishers come in and grab some Mylo-Plex Vanilla, water and take a look at the "Walking Pancakes". Yes, I only took a look and find out what they actually were. "Walking Pancakes" as the race brochure calls them are actually a couple rolled up pancakes in a disposable cup that has syrup in the bottom. I was told that they were not very tasty and I wasn't actually hungry at that point so you guessed it, I skipped it.
And, as the awards were being announced my wife made a comment that the last finisher was coming into the finish line. I looked over to see the older man that walked the whole course with a cane and left the award area to go congratulate him. I walked over and told him that he did a great job and he was amazing for accomplishing what he set out to do. Then his granddaughter came over and he said "this is my granddaughter that finished the race about an hour before me. He also told my wife she should walk the race with him next year that it gets lonely out there walking the 6 miles all by yourself. I say to that gentleman, what an accomplishment you have made! What an inspiration you are to so many! You show that you don't have to win the race to be the most influential person participating in the race. You show us that being there for those you care about is what matters and I don't know this mans name, but sir, you deserve a trophy today. YOU sir, I hope felt the gratitude of all those finishers before you. I hope you realize what it meant to me when I seen you cross the finish line holding your cane in celebration of your finish. YOU motivated me to continue my quest and showed me that the road, no matter how long can be conquered.
Well, that concluded the race today. I look forward to completing my training and as I walked back to my truck that I had parked about a block away, I couldn't help but reflect on what a change that running has made in me through other people either directly or indirectly. Very inspiring...and I am also inspired by those before me that have kept the local races in small communities going strong.
A special thank you to all the volunteers that help to make this race possible today. Thank you, without you this race and all the others would not be possible.
Tread lightly,
Mouserunner
Twitter @fhzwart
Please help me send a seriously ill child to a Team Hole in the Wall Camp.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
What's next? - Probably the most common question.
What's next Frank? What is next in your training? What is next in your life?
To answer that question I will use a quote from Albert Einstein,
To answer that question I will use a quote from Albert Einstein,
“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.”
The point is that right now I am training, I have my goal set which is to raise money for Team Hole in the Wall, and run my first marathon. Although I have a personal goal for running, that is not the only goal I have set for myself. I also have a goal to obtain a new career since I was unemployed in July of 2008.
Working p/t has allowed me to spend extra time with my family, focus on my running, clear my mind, and determine what path I want to take with my life. Saving my work/life balance for a separate blog, I won't go into this much, but say that I remain optimistic in my job hunting and feel that I am getting closer and closer to realizing what I should be doing. That, is not necessarily what I have been doing for most of my career since I have been in retail management and worked for a large corporation as a Director of Purchasing for awhile.
Anyway, here is how I would answer that question if I were asked "What is next?" right at this moment.
I would start by saying that I am very grateful and thankful for my family. I am excited that my wife is off tomorrow for Veterans Day and we will be going to breakfast. I am thankful for my children and that they are all now healthy (one as of this afternoon) and will be all in school tomorrow. I would say I am working daily on my job search and networking, meeting new people with the same interests, meeting professionals, meeting corporate CEO's and decision makers, and all the people that are stressed at their jobs. I would tell them that I am meeting others like myself who are unemployed and discussing the what has worked and not worked for them to get an interview. I would share with them that these people are the most motivated and supportive people that I have ever met and I would definitely tell them that this particular group of people are goal driven, have an amazing sense of urgency, love to set and reach goals, are very proactive, have amazing endurance through stressful situations, come from all over the country, from ivy league schools, fortune 500 companies and local businesses, and are extremely determined to reach whatever goal they have set for themselves. I would tell them that my networking with these people has kept me focused and determined in my search.
When they ask me how I possibly met all these high caliber people, I would tell them that they are: RUNNERS.
Then I suppose I would tell them that I am running another 10K on Saturday called the Gobbler Hobbler and that I hope to set a new PR (personal record) for the 10K distance as part of my training. Finishing I think I would probably state that I am running three times a week, have just completed my longest training run of 18.6 miles and working toward running one of the most challenging distances ever run by less than 1% of the population and hoping to network with others who have also completed this 26.2 mile test of the human spirit.
Yes, I am going to run a marathon. Yes, I am going to start a new career. And, Yes! It will be something I love to do and I will be VERY successful at it.
I sure can't wait for breakfast with my wife tomorrow. Hmmm, maybe Panera bread for coffee and a nice whole grain bagel.
Tread lightly,
Mouserunner
www.teamholeinthewall.org/frankzwart
Tread lightly,
Mouserunner
www.teamholeinthewall.org/frankzwart
Team Hole in the Wall
Come run on my team in January in the Walt Disney World Marathon. The race is filling up fast and having a great cause to run for makes it all the more rewarding. Learn more about my team and how you can be a participant here: Team Hole in the Wall
Tread lightly,
Mouserunner
Saturday, November 7, 2009
World Running Day - 18 Miles and what da ya get...
Tomorrow is World Running Day and I will be going out on my longest training run yet. The plan is for 18 miles. Up until now my longest run has been 16 miles and that was pretty difficult, but I accomplished it and at a pretty good pace. Tomorrow I plan to push that bar higher by adding two additional miles.
Since it is World Running Day, I am dedicating the run tomorrow to my charity Team Hole in the Wall by asking my family and running friends to sponsor me for each mile I run tomorrow. How this works is by visiting my post on Daily Mile. I have a post that lists my plan of running 18 miles and asking fellow runners, friends and people willing to support me to sponsor me for one mile of my run.
I hope that you will join us and together we will send a seriously ill child to camp. I started by sponsoring myself for mile one and need your help to get to 18. Please visit my page to learn more here : Frank Zwart's Daily Mile Page
Watch a moving video about Team Hole in the Wall, my charity here: Hole in the Wall Camps Video
Tread lightly,
Mouserunner
Friday, November 6, 2009
Today is...a day to take a step forward.
Today is a day to take a step forward. Another healthy breakfast of Greenberry Shakeology, a little time with the kids before school, a short time on the computer with my 3 dogs next to me as if telling me to navigate to a pet related website, a run with my marathon running friend Matt Brown to preview a 10K route we are running on November 14th, social media sharing and continuing my job search. That is an overview, and I'm sure there will be much more to accomplish around the house and oh, I can't forget about that tire on my truck that is low on air. Hopefully, its not flat this morning.
Well, now that the kids are on the bus, the Today show is on television showing a Chinese Alligator, Yellow frog from the Amazon and the Bald Eagle that are all on the verge of going extinct. Amazing. Animals that are potentially going to be gone before our children have a chance to see them. That is a great reason and reason why we really need to start our planning today. My plan today is to continue my marathon training and run at least 6 miles today. 6 miles is just under 10k so running and previewing the 10k route will be perfect today.
I was very happy to check my inbox last night and see an email from my good friend Matt Brown asking if I was interested in joining him on a run today. Matt has a great story and I will dedicate another blog just to him. He has a story that deserves more than just a page on my site, but I will do my best to share his great story of triumph. Anyway, Matt just completed this years Chicago marathon and anytime I can get a chance to run with someone who has completed a marathon and is willing to share their experience or tips with me I think I should listen. Today we are planning to preview a route that we will be running on November 14th called the Gobbler Hobbler. I have actually run the course a few times as it is basically a local course located on a bike path very close to where I live. The course is overall flat with a few small hills taking you on a journey through a subdivision and local parks. It is an out and back course so at some point you get to see the leaders coming back at you and hope that they are not too far ahead. It is always inspiring to me to see the leaders come back past you the other direction. I know that they are well above my level of fitness and it also allows me to gage where I am on the course.
The difference with todays course is that this race will be on a course that I know. I know the turns, I know the hills, the flats, where the turnaround is, how far it is to go and possibly a point where I can say, go all out. I think this will be a great race for me to stretch my legs a bit, push slightly and see how I have improved over my last 10k run which was the Nike Human Race 10k downtown Chicago which I ran as more of an easy jog and just to enjoy the scenery.
Back to today, I am very excited to take on the run today, enjoy the conversation and establish a strategy with Matt on how we both plan to run the course. Spending time with other runners is great as I think it provides you a chance to share thoughts, ideas, and just spend time with others that have the same love for running like you do. I usually come back from a run in a good mood and ready to take on my day. It gives me the extra motivation to complete my goals. After running a long distance and feeling the sense of accomplishment, what can't you do....nothing! You can have success in everything you set as a goal for yourself by establishing the steps to get there.
After my run today I will be one run closer to running my marathon. One day closer to meeting the other runners from Team Hole in the Wall, the great charity I am running for, and one day closer to running for the children with serious diseases that I will be helping to send to a great camp. For them, I am running to finish and reach my goal. For them, I train. For them, I share my story. For them, I want to share with others the way to reach their goals.
Today, I dedicate to the kids at Hole in the Wall camps across the world.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Great email I received from CARA. (Chicago Area Runners Association) after volunteering for Hot Chocolate 15K race in Chicago.
Volunteers,
Mike and I would like to thank you for helping out at the Hot Chocolate race yesterday! It was a beautiful day for a run, and CARA as always had the best aid station on course! You all did a fantastic job, and we appreciate you coming out to support CARA and the running community. We hope that you had a good time and you enjoy your sweatshirt. Attached is the group picture that was taken.
Thanks again!
Laura Depta & Mike Swisher
Team Hole in the Wall "Thought of the Day"
Every summer at Hole in the Wall Camps, hundreds of children become athletes and actors, painters and poets, swimmers and singers, clowns and canoe paddlers, naturalists, equestrians, and hot air balloonists. It is amazing what these campers accomplish in one week; just as amazing are the obstacles they overcome on a daily basis, for these children suffer from serious illnesses such as cancer, sickle cell anemia, HIV/AIDS, and hemophilia. Camp helps keep them going – throughout the many challenges of serious illness.
http://www.teamholeinthewall.org/netcommunity/frankzwart
Tread lightly,
Mouserunner
http://www.teamholeinthewall.org/netcommunity/frankzwart
Tread lightly,
Mouserunner
Monday, November 2, 2009
First Jr. High Basketball Games 8th Grade
Tonight was the first basketball game at my daughters Jr. High School. She is on the pom pom squad for the second year and this is her first routine as an "8th Grader". I wish I could have been there to see her tonight because she really has put her heart into working together with her squad. Unfortunately our youngest daughter has a fever and is recouping here at home with me tonight. My wife is at the game with our son and taking some a video of the routine. Its always fun to look back at the first routine at the end of the season and notice the progress.
Our daughters pom squad has a new coach this year and practice has been every night after school leading up to this week for the first game. The extra hours she spends after school show her dedication and not once when I picked her up did I hear a complaint about how long practice was or any complaint about pom's for that matter. However, I did hear "I am starving, is dinner ready?" and also "I have so much homework to do tonight".
Our daughter is very smart, somewhat reserve and very much of a perfectionist. Having the patience to work through things that do not develop an immediate right answer can sometimes be a struggle. I think just this year she is understanding that effort is part of the equation to reach the correct answer and I hope that this lesson sticks with her past this year. We can only hope that with our parenting and her strong determination to succeed she comes to realize that perfection and the ability to reach her goals takes studying, practicing, working hard, dedication, determination and consistency. This moment in time I suppose is one of life's great lessons.
When I seen the video of her performing her routine tonight I was very proud. Not because she was out there and doing a great job, although I was proud of that too, but extremely proud of her being part of the team and going through the tough days of practice to reach her payoff, the "game day". I'm sure she felt very happy to be out there in front of many of her friends in the bleachers showing them what she had learned. I know I was excited watching the video and I know my wife was very happy to see her perform as well. Isn't it great seeing your children achieve something they really enjoy? It's the best.
Soon, after this year she will be high school and along with that will come a whole new set of goals, achievements, life lessons, and decisions for her to make. So far, I am very proud of her choices and hope that I can show her just how proud I am in a way that she can see. Normally when you ask a question like "did you have a good time out there tonight?" or "how was school today?" the answer is always "it was ok". That is about all we get until I found out that sometimes being quiet allows her to express herself in the way she wants to and by easing into the conversation allows her to open up and share from her perspective the events of the day.
More on the kids later, I know as parents we still have plenty to learn as well and we have our own challenges and choices to make. One of the biggest mistakes I think though is for anyone not to have some type of goal that they want to achieve. Goals keep you focused and on track. Without a goal you are just floating through time. Time is a gift and doesn't last forever. Take everyday as a day you need to move forward, to make progress toward your goal. Take one step forward today and then another tomorrow. Yes, there will be days when you feel as though the forward progress has slipped, but as long as you are focused on your goal and are willing to expend the effort on a daily basis, there really is nothing that can stop you from achieving it.
Good night all.
Tread lightly,
Mouserunner
www.getfitwithmouserunner.com
Our daughters pom squad has a new coach this year and practice has been every night after school leading up to this week for the first game. The extra hours she spends after school show her dedication and not once when I picked her up did I hear a complaint about how long practice was or any complaint about pom's for that matter. However, I did hear "I am starving, is dinner ready?" and also "I have so much homework to do tonight".
Our daughter is very smart, somewhat reserve and very much of a perfectionist. Having the patience to work through things that do not develop an immediate right answer can sometimes be a struggle. I think just this year she is understanding that effort is part of the equation to reach the correct answer and I hope that this lesson sticks with her past this year. We can only hope that with our parenting and her strong determination to succeed she comes to realize that perfection and the ability to reach her goals takes studying, practicing, working hard, dedication, determination and consistency. This moment in time I suppose is one of life's great lessons.
When I seen the video of her performing her routine tonight I was very proud. Not because she was out there and doing a great job, although I was proud of that too, but extremely proud of her being part of the team and going through the tough days of practice to reach her payoff, the "game day". I'm sure she felt very happy to be out there in front of many of her friends in the bleachers showing them what she had learned. I know I was excited watching the video and I know my wife was very happy to see her perform as well. Isn't it great seeing your children achieve something they really enjoy? It's the best.
Soon, after this year she will be high school and along with that will come a whole new set of goals, achievements, life lessons, and decisions for her to make. So far, I am very proud of her choices and hope that I can show her just how proud I am in a way that she can see. Normally when you ask a question like "did you have a good time out there tonight?" or "how was school today?" the answer is always "it was ok". That is about all we get until I found out that sometimes being quiet allows her to express herself in the way she wants to and by easing into the conversation allows her to open up and share from her perspective the events of the day.
More on the kids later, I know as parents we still have plenty to learn as well and we have our own challenges and choices to make. One of the biggest mistakes I think though is for anyone not to have some type of goal that they want to achieve. Goals keep you focused and on track. Without a goal you are just floating through time. Time is a gift and doesn't last forever. Take everyday as a day you need to move forward, to make progress toward your goal. Take one step forward today and then another tomorrow. Yes, there will be days when you feel as though the forward progress has slipped, but as long as you are focused on your goal and are willing to expend the effort on a daily basis, there really is nothing that can stop you from achieving it.
Good night all.
Tread lightly,
Mouserunner
www.getfitwithmouserunner.com
Fall Football, Leaves on Trees, and Exciting Memories.
Autumn had arrived. Some of the trees have already dropped their leaves and the cool wind of Fall is in the air. I personally love Autumn. The excitement around the kids sports at school, the crisp cool air outside, the smell of burning leaves, apple and pumpkin farms, and the change in spirit as we near the holiday season all give me a renewed focus on life and a little extra spark each day.
The nights of course start earlier with the sun dipping low on the horizon earlier in the evening and then there is the Flu season upon us which has seemed to draw an amazing amount of news time.
It seems by listening to the news (which, I really need to do much less of) that many of us want to be ill and hear the stories of how many people could be affected, how many hospital beds that will take up and even potentially how many that could effect by each state in the U.S. I hope this doesn't happen just like everyone else, but I think I also have a different approach than many. I am very thankful that we have people working on the solution to all the illness and planning for the worst case scenario, but I also wish that we would hear about more proactive lifestyle changes that we can make to become as resistant as possible to disease and keep our bodies healthy. Evidently that doesn't make the ratings like hearing the negative side. Exercise and eating healthy play such an important role in keeping our immune system in top shape. Yet, we may only hear a a brief healthy update on the topic. I hope there is more to come. Less shock value and more real information would be ideal.
So back to Fall and my training. I have fallen behind slightly last week failing to get in my 3rd run for the week of 6 miles. Today I have 10 miles planned and am looking a how I will incorporate it best into my schedule. The weather today should be perfect for running, cool with temps in the upper 50's should make it one of the best days for a slow long run. Now to think of where to head today. I was thinking about heading out to Spring Brook prairie in Naperville and running around the 5 mile loop twice. Then there is that long and familiar Gilman Trail with all the splendor of Fall and the wooden bridges, the golf course, Blackberry Farm and a great running trail. Maybe a trip to Batavia to head up the Fox River Trail, a path less traveled by me except for a short distance that was part of two races I ran this past year. Then, there is the local portion here of the Fox River Trail near Oswego that I know like the back of my hand and have run countless times only to notice something new each time. This is one of the greatest things about running, you can do it anywhere. Tackle the toughest terrain or the most familiar path. The hardest decision for a seasoned runner is probably which running shoes to wear that day and what trail to run on. The health benefits are extraordinary and the new running techniques becoming more and more popular like Chi-Running are making running become more acceptable to the main stream. People are realizing that running is natural and is not hard on the joints of the body if done properly.
A great book on running for life and without injury is a book by Danny Dryer called Chi-Running. Although there are many now that focus on a mid-foot strike and not the well known heal strike, I regard this book as one of the key resources in my training. It is a pretty easy read and has basic "focuses" to think about as you run to perfect your form.
Wrapping up the blog today I think the next topic I will talk about will be my Nike+ experience and why I still enjoy the Nike+ system. If you are on Nike+, my screen name is mouserunner (shocking right?). Add me as a friend or let me know your screen name and I would be happy to add you to one of my challenges. Better yet, we can create one for your running goals and lets keep each other motivated through the Winter season.
Take care everyone and enjoy the crisp cool Autumn air. Soon the snow and ice will be here and this terrific rejuvenating weather will be lost to the cool biting air of Winter. Let's run!
Tread lightly,
Mouserunner
www.getfitwithmouserunner.com
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Hot Chocolate 5K and 15K, November 1st, 2009
Today I volunteered for CARA (Chicago Area Runner Association) at the Hot Chocolate 5k/15k race on the north side of Chicago, IL. Usually being a participant in the running races, it was a great experience today to be on the flip side of the coin and be there to support all the runners.
Click here for a video of the run that I found posted on YouTube:
I was stationed at the first water/Gatorade station at roughly the 2 mile mark. It was exciting to see the first runners come around the corner and speed by followed by a few thousand other runners of all ages and skill levels. It seemed everyone was having a great time and one of the best parts was that when you are passing out water some of the runners say "Thanks for coming out" as they pass the station. We also were telling the runners "Great Job!", "Good Job Runners!" or other things we could think of to possibly motivate the runners as they passed.
I now realize part of what it takes to put on a race behind the scene and really appreciate everyone that is involved in the process. From waking up at 4am to be in Chicago by 6am, then setting up tables, unpacking water, Gatorade, and making all the preparations to cleaning up the cups on the ground afterward, it was a pleasure to be there.
Thank you CARA for letting us volunteer our time and "Great Job!" to all the runners today! Seeing all of you there motivated me to keep on running and stay on track with my training for the marathon in January.
If you would like to donate to my personal mission, please go to the link below and make a donation. It really makes a big difference in the life of a sick child.
Tread Lightly,
Mouserunner
The Workout at Home Solution, Recession Proof Your Life...
This is a great opportunity for those of you who enjoy working out at home or are maybe tired of paying for the gym membership that goes unused. I came across this great program about a month ago simply for the P90X fitness program. Now I can't stop talking about it with my friends, family and everyone I meet since the results are amazing and the opportunity is outstanding for you to do what you love and share it with others who also enjoy working out. Take a look and I think you will agree.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask by leaving a comment. You can actually win prizes just by logging your workouts in the WOWY online super gym. Also be sure to check out the member and especially the coach program.
Tread Lightly,
Mouserunner
Twitter: fhzwart
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Happy Halloween.
Boo! Well, it is Halloween day at the homestead and after a morning of excitement over what the evening will bring we tried to settle everyone into their routine. With our son dressed as a scientist, youngest daughter as a cheerleader and oldest daughter as a pom pom girl we were ready to take on the day.
My wife first had to drop off our daughter who was volunteering at a local Monster Bash event for kids. Pay $3 per child and you get to play games, get candy, play more games, get more candy, etc. We then went to the Monster Bash for a couple hours with our younger children and had fun watching them play games like carrying fake brains on a wooden spoon across a line and back, toss rubber rats into black cauldrons and jump in bouncy houses. Overall, I think the kids really enjoyed it and they did get to fill there bags with more candy and little toys. Our oldest had a good time helping out at several of the games and I am proud of her showing her responsibility and wanting to volunteer.
The next step was to head to one of the Grandparents houses which we did for a short time so the kids could show off their costumes and spend a little time with their house. It also gave them a chance to rest and wind down a little after the "sugar effect". I also had driven through McDonald's on the way to get us all something to drink (diet cokes-no more sugar) and also a plain hamburgers/cheeseburgers to go around to fill the empty bellies. My thought was that even though this wasn't the best nutrition, that it would fill a little bit of their hunger and prevent them from bingeing on even more candy. It worked for the most part and they were not begging us for more candy on the way or in fact until we got back home later in the day.
Our local Trick or Treat times started early at 3:30pm and goes till 8:30pm. Yes, 3:30pm, actually about 3:35pm we had our first doorbell ring...back to this in a sec.
Back at the Grandparents house, our son hit the energy wall and his tank hit empty. He basically was laying on the floor almost asleep and we still had one more stop before heading home. Dragging him with us (literally), we made it back home and the kids got to get a little more to eat and relax or chill out a bit before wanting to head out for trick or treating.
Now at 3:35pm our door bell started ringing. We had talked about our plan for this year and decided to keep our blinds shut, front door closed and lights off. The kids had attended two big Halloween events and now were going to go Trick or Treating on our street which is probably about 40 homes. Our home was going to be a safe sanctuary this year and we were not going to pass out candy. The kids were fine with this too so that was the plan. Now since we have three dogs, we thought this would also be a good chance to desensitize them to the doorbell. What a great training opportunity, right? Believe it or not it actually works pretty well. Our doorbell must have rang about 30 times and since we were not getting up to run to the door, the dogs slowly followed our lead and continued to stay calm and not rush the door at the first sign of the doorbell ringing.
The three kids headed out the door and are on their way door to door on our street right now getting their bags filled with more chocolate, sugar, and various goodies. And again we will sort it out, keep a little for out kids (and a couple small pieces for mom and dad) and the rest will end up being brought to the wife's school or somewhere where it will be spread across tables and break rooms for anyone to take.
So, now the wait for the kids (oh, there is the doorbell again) to come home with their candy and all the stories of what they saw on their journey. Probably a piece or two (or ten) have already been eaten while they were out, but them out together and us trusting them to go alone for the first time this year on our street is worth more than one evening of mom and dad telling them they have had too much candy. Soon they will be back and we will be sorting the goods and starting the evening routine of showers and pj's.
As soon as another Halloween passes we will be off and rolling in four weeks to Thanksgiving and then four weeks to Christmas. The months at the end of the year really seem to fly by quickly as each month the focus shifts from one rushed holiday to the next. Why don't they tell you when you are young that the holidays are really fun when your a child, but become more rushed, require more planning and just become less fun as you age. Maybe this will change in time, but right now, I honestly could say for this year in 2009, that I wish the holiday hoopla of gift giving, cooking big meals, and all the extra "Stuff" didn't have to happen this year. Holidays really need to become less commercial and go back like they once were years ago. My thoughts are that they really are not about the gifts and presents but about family. Share a meal, fine. Go out of the way to cook all day and sometime multiple days to get everything ready seems like excess to me. Why can't the same conversation and socialization occur over sub sandwiches and pizza as over Turkey, Mashed Potatoes and all the fixings.
Sometimes I feel that I was once part of a much simpler life. Less stuff, less clutter, less stress, and less impact on people, the environment and life.
If you have read my earlier posts you know I love running, If not for the exercise, for the simplicity of the sport. Slip on shoes and head out the door. Turn right or left. Run in sunshine, in rain, in darkness, on paved trails, or on grass. It just doesn't matter. It can be as simple as you want it to be and works wonders on clearing your head of all of life's stress.
The kids are back with their bags and I probably need to get off the computer soon anyway. Tomorrow is an early day of volunteering at the Hot Chocolate 5K/15K race in downtown Chicago for CARA. I hope to support other runners their and encourage each of them on their journey to endure. I love motivating others to excel and helping them reach the goals they have set for themselves. This motivates me. Wow, I really ventured off the Halloween topic, but anyway it is how I feel and what I want others to know. I want to support their goals in life and know that their are plenty of others that want to support mine.
You can help support my goal of running my first marathon by making a donation to Hole in the Wall Camps. See the link on my blog page in the bottom right hand corner. Secondly, if you would like my support in helping you reach your goals, or if you simply would like to set a goal or resolution for yourself see why I became a certified Independent Beachbody Coach at www.getfitwithmouserunner.com
Tread Lightly,
Mouserunner
www.getfitwithmouserunner.com
Friday, October 30, 2009
You can loose up to 60% of your body fat?
I didn't even realize it was possible until I started using P90X. Now I know that P90X isn't for everyone and that is why there is so much variety from Beachbody. For example look at this:
http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/mouserunner?bctid=25219364001
Decide.Commit.Succeed.
Tread Lightly,
Mouserunner
http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/mouserunner?bctid=25219364001
Decide.Commit.Succeed.
Tread Lightly,
Mouserunner
Jumping.
Have you ever jumped because of excitement? I don't know that I actually have jumped from being so excited, but I have been very excited. I was excited when I made the decision to start running again and improve the quality of my health. Mostly I think that after being laid off of my full-time job I wanted a new challenge. I wanted to set the bar so high that it would pass anything I had done before and would keep me focused on improving myself over time.
Seeing a friend of mine survive cancer and decide to run a marathon was amazing to me. Especially since he had never been a runner all his life. However, he set the goal to challenge himself and run the 2009 Chicago Marathon. I ran with Matt a few times during training, went to one of his weekday workouts with his team and then volunteered to help out his charity on the day of the marathon to support other runners. I was there for him when he finished and was really proud that he followed his goal to the finish. He finished the Chicago Marathon and completed the journey he set many months prior. I was so happy for Matt and his wife and family! I was also very proud to be involved in the process and also proud that I was working toward my own goal.
See, after hearing that Matt was running a marathon, I also wanted to run for charity. I decided shortly after talking to Matt that I would run for Team Hole in the Wall camps. Team Hole in the Wall supports Hole in the Wall Camps who provide fun camps around the country to seriously ill children. They are able to attend a camp and have fun like children that are well without the surroundings of a hospital, and normal routine of doctors, nurses and full time care at home. The camps are setup so that they can be a kid as much as possible while at the same time medical care is provided as needed to support their fun experience. It really is about fun and taking the daily stress that the child normally endures (and his family endures) away for a week or a weekend. These camp experiences are provided free of charge to the campers and their families and are completely supported by donations from corporations and individuals. I decided that this was the charity for me and that Paul Newman the actor was such a good man for having the idea to start these camps back in the 80's.
I set my goal early in the Spring of 2009 to run the Marathon at Walt Disney World in January 2010. This would give me a year to train and to raise my commitment of $2000. After running my first 5K in the early Spring, I wasn't so sure of my high expectations I set for myself. Now in October of 2009, I have completed over 7-5K races, 2-10K races, and a half marathon. I am continually training to improve on my running and recently ran my first 16 mile run. 16 MILES!!! That is amazing to me since running 3.1 was a huge accomplishment just a few months earlier. Anyway, now that I have seen a friend of mine finish a marathon and see my progress, I am having the sense that this is really an achievable goal. That I DID make the right decision and that this experience is going to be the greatest accomplishment I have achieved. After January 10th, I will be changed. I will be part of the 1% of the world's population that have run a marathon. Yes 1%. Wow! Then a lifestyle change at that of running and continuing my quest to improve my fitness.
I love running. I love the peace, I love the attitudes of the people that run (most of them anyway), and I really have found a group of people that are goal setters, achievers, and very motivated to reach beyond what is easily achieved.
Please see the link at the bottom right of my blog to learn more about Team Hole in the Wall and support my charity. Every penny that is donated to this 501 (3) (c) organization is provided directly so another child can attend camp. They also provide an option for company matches and make it very easy to complete that process. Please contact me or leave a comment if you have any questions. I do need your support and appreciate you helping me meet my goal of raising $2000 for the camps.
Tread Lightly,
Mouserunner
www.getfitwithmouserunner.com
Halloween Weekend.
Friday started off with a bang. Excited about a job interview later in the afternoon and happy that I would have a chance to watch the kids in their costumes made me happy about the hours and weekend to come. The rain was relentless last night though and when I first walked outside it felt like a rainforest in the middle of the Autumn. High 60's with almost 100% humidity made everything sticky and just unpleasant outside.
I was happy however that I started the day off right with my Greenberry Shakeology and felt good that my immunity was boosted. I really felt that today would be the day to test it since it seemed to be the perfect weather to breed germs. Kids off to grandma and grandpa's house since they didn't have school and the oldest daughter on her way to her friends house for the morning to practice pom's I proceeded out the door to my part time job.
Arriving at work and following the normal routing of opening the store went perfect. Then there was the thing about taking care of the shop cats that have some type of eye infection. All three of them needed medicine put in their eyes. With that actually accomplished the store was ready for customers and then....well, the internet went down. No outlook scheduling of appointments on the shared server, no automatic credit/debit approvals, etc. Having handled this many times in my retail career it really is just about maintaining the customer satisfaction, and finding ways to help the customers while managing the problem at the same time. Quickly then this morning it turned to a higher stress level that only lasted a short time before the problems were resolved and all was back to normal. Whew! Another reason I was happy that I had my proper nutrition for breakfast and all the benefits of antioxidants and probiotics working against all the free radicals I was probably creating with the stress.
If you haven't read about Shakeology or heard of it, it is really worth your time and something you should be aware of. Take a minute to learn about the product and see what you think.
Tread Lightly,
Mouserunner
I was happy however that I started the day off right with my Greenberry Shakeology and felt good that my immunity was boosted. I really felt that today would be the day to test it since it seemed to be the perfect weather to breed germs. Kids off to grandma and grandpa's house since they didn't have school and the oldest daughter on her way to her friends house for the morning to practice pom's I proceeded out the door to my part time job.
Arriving at work and following the normal routing of opening the store went perfect. Then there was the thing about taking care of the shop cats that have some type of eye infection. All three of them needed medicine put in their eyes. With that actually accomplished the store was ready for customers and then....well, the internet went down. No outlook scheduling of appointments on the shared server, no automatic credit/debit approvals, etc. Having handled this many times in my retail career it really is just about maintaining the customer satisfaction, and finding ways to help the customers while managing the problem at the same time. Quickly then this morning it turned to a higher stress level that only lasted a short time before the problems were resolved and all was back to normal. Whew! Another reason I was happy that I had my proper nutrition for breakfast and all the benefits of antioxidants and probiotics working against all the free radicals I was probably creating with the stress.
If you haven't read about Shakeology or heard of it, it is really worth your time and something you should be aware of. Take a minute to learn about the product and see what you think.
Tread Lightly,
Mouserunner
