Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Monday, August 2, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Dani & Diane Race Results - We did it!
The weekend passed like a whirlwind and I savored each moment in the beautiful wine country, my old home. We started our Napa trip with visiting Jeff Miller, an old friend from one of Andras's previous jobs. He was an operations man with a couple kids whom we would ski and run and socialize; a tall, handsome man with a perpetual kind welcoming smile and wry sense of humor.
Andras moved on with his work and Jeff divorced and found another job, and semi-retired, began working at a winery with a brilliant semi-retired physicist named George Hendry. The land was his parents and he grew grapes there and sold them to local wineries. I first met George 14 years ago that we visited the winery to celebrate Jeff's 50th birthday and I recall seeing his big old cyclotrons in the barn. Honestly, how many people do you know with cyclotrons in their barns?
That the also the last time I visited George and Jeff and the vineyard. This time, Jeff was a little grayer, happily remarried after a sad divorce, more laid back than I recall and as warm as the summer sun at daybreak. We didn't hike through the vineyard this time. Over the years, they had constructed a beautiful winery and tasting room. We got the complete tour in 45 minutes. I learned that running a winery is one huge expensive time consuming labor of love and a small price to pay for immersing oneself in beautiful wine country land. This was the land where we were going to run our half marathon the next day.
After visiting Hendry Winery, we drove 15 minutes south west to a Garden Park and picked up our bibs, pins and start-time instructions. Then, we drove another 20 minutes north to Rohnert Park where we checked in to our hotel and attended a mandatory team meeting. Next, we drove another 20 minutes north to our secret dinner destination which was right outside my first employer, HP's, now Agilent's, entrance gates on Fountaingrove Parkway in Santa Rosa. We had a lovely buffet style meal on the golf course, followed by a motivational presentation about the Crohns and Colitis Foundation and what fund-raising means to those suffering and coping with the diseases.
We returned back to our room, prepared for a race wake-up call at 4 AM and went to sleep. We didn't sleep very well; jitters, anticipation, strange bed... morning came quickly, then team photo shoot, quick snack and off to the race start in the buses.
The weather was perfect. The race began with a short uphill, then long down. Dani and I ran the first 10.5 miles together. The first 9 miles were good. We felt good and maintained a good pace; around 9:30 min/mile. Then, my feet really started hurting, so I tried walking, but they still hurt. I tried slowing down, but no difference. I'm not sure why they hurt so badly at the time, but in reviewing the elevation map, I learned the first 9 miles, although mostly rolling hills, was more downhill, which means more pounding. The road condition was not good and I had to watch my steps much of the way, but I kept going. Dani urged me along. She was very strong.
I had wanted to finish in around 2:15. Dani looked at me at mile 11 and said she could make it and would go ahead to finish in that time for me. I urged her on since I had slowed. She finished in 2:14:47 time. She had finished 7th/24 in her age division (W10-20). I hobbled in after her with a 2:21:07 time. I was 46th/109 in my age division (W50-54).
I was wiped but warmed by Dani's smiling face and big hug at the finish. We had lunch, met local news celebrity, Ross McGowan, distributing Kombucha Tea in the CCFA tent, cleaned up, and spent the afternoon watching a Juventus Barracuda's soccer game with Dani's Club Team. No, she didn't play. The weekend was full.
After all, I am very very proud of our accomplishment together on this priceless weekend in the wine country. We did it for CCFA. We did it for each other and we did it for you and all the people who generously donated to our fundraiser. We did it!
Andras moved on with his work and Jeff divorced and found another job, and semi-retired, began working at a winery with a brilliant semi-retired physicist named George Hendry. The land was his parents and he grew grapes there and sold them to local wineries. I first met George 14 years ago that we visited the winery to celebrate Jeff's 50th birthday and I recall seeing his big old cyclotrons in the barn. Honestly, how many people do you know with cyclotrons in their barns?
That the also the last time I visited George and Jeff and the vineyard. This time, Jeff was a little grayer, happily remarried after a sad divorce, more laid back than I recall and as warm as the summer sun at daybreak. We didn't hike through the vineyard this time. Over the years, they had constructed a beautiful winery and tasting room. We got the complete tour in 45 minutes. I learned that running a winery is one huge expensive time consuming labor of love and a small price to pay for immersing oneself in beautiful wine country land. This was the land where we were going to run our half marathon the next day.
After visiting Hendry Winery, we drove 15 minutes south west to a Garden Park and picked up our bibs, pins and start-time instructions. Then, we drove another 20 minutes north to Rohnert Park where we checked in to our hotel and attended a mandatory team meeting. Next, we drove another 20 minutes north to our secret dinner destination which was right outside my first employer, HP's, now Agilent's, entrance gates on Fountaingrove Parkway in Santa Rosa. We had a lovely buffet style meal on the golf course, followed by a motivational presentation about the Crohns and Colitis Foundation and what fund-raising means to those suffering and coping with the diseases.
We returned back to our room, prepared for a race wake-up call at 4 AM and went to sleep. We didn't sleep very well; jitters, anticipation, strange bed... morning came quickly, then team photo shoot, quick snack and off to the race start in the buses.
The weather was perfect. The race began with a short uphill, then long down. Dani and I ran the first 10.5 miles together. The first 9 miles were good. We felt good and maintained a good pace; around 9:30 min/mile. Then, my feet really started hurting, so I tried walking, but they still hurt. I tried slowing down, but no difference. I'm not sure why they hurt so badly at the time, but in reviewing the elevation map, I learned the first 9 miles, although mostly rolling hills, was more downhill, which means more pounding. The road condition was not good and I had to watch my steps much of the way, but I kept going. Dani urged me along. She was very strong.
I had wanted to finish in around 2:15. Dani looked at me at mile 11 and said she could make it and would go ahead to finish in that time for me. I urged her on since I had slowed. She finished in 2:14:47 time. She had finished 7th/24 in her age division (W10-20). I hobbled in after her with a 2:21:07 time. I was 46th/109 in my age division (W50-54).
I was wiped but warmed by Dani's smiling face and big hug at the finish. We had lunch, met local news celebrity, Ross McGowan, distributing Kombucha Tea in the CCFA tent, cleaned up, and spent the afternoon watching a Juventus Barracuda's soccer game with Dani's Club Team. No, she didn't play. The weekend was full.
After all, I am very very proud of our accomplishment together on this priceless weekend in the wine country. We did it for CCFA. We did it for each other and we did it for you and all the people who generously donated to our fundraiser. We did it!
Napa Half Marathon - mission accomplished
Feet were screaming sore and what makes me laugh when I see these photos is I know I was wincing at the end, but photos all look like a smile.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
IBS versus IBD
I have IBS. It's different from the disease my daughter has and it can be quite annoying at times of stress. It's one of the reasons I quit running regularly years ago. When I am stressed my stomach and bowels gurgle, become gassy, to name a few symptoms. It's no fun running with sensitive bowels.
In the past, worst case scenarios have included knocking on strangers doors requesting to use a toilet or pulling off the freeway at random exits stalking any gas station or fast food restaurant toilet. I've since learned tricks to cope with this hypersensitve condition and it's something I've learned to live with over the years.
IBD takes bowel problems to the whole next level and a key differentiator is that symptoms don't/can't self correct. They just get worse. Irritation leads to inflammation which leads to constipation, diarreha and bleeding ulcerations of bowel linings. Inflamed and ulcerated bowels lead to malabsorbstion of nutrients, weight loss and general poor health. Steroids and/or immune suppressants are required for healing and left untreated, people can die from complications, easily.
I didn't know much about this until my daughter became ill. Because of her illness, I truly understand the differences between IBS and IBD and am a better person for it. It's a privilege to be healthly. It's a privilege to be well enough to train and run for the benefit of all people fighting IBD today. I look forward to July 18th and our 1/2 marathon run; it's right around the corner.
In the past, worst case scenarios have included knocking on strangers doors requesting to use a toilet or pulling off the freeway at random exits stalking any gas station or fast food restaurant toilet. I've since learned tricks to cope with this hypersensitve condition and it's something I've learned to live with over the years.
IBD takes bowel problems to the whole next level and a key differentiator is that symptoms don't/can't self correct. They just get worse. Irritation leads to inflammation which leads to constipation, diarreha and bleeding ulcerations of bowel linings. Inflamed and ulcerated bowels lead to malabsorbstion of nutrients, weight loss and general poor health. Steroids and/or immune suppressants are required for healing and left untreated, people can die from complications, easily.
I didn't know much about this until my daughter became ill. Because of her illness, I truly understand the differences between IBS and IBD and am a better person for it. It's a privilege to be healthly. It's a privilege to be well enough to train and run for the benefit of all people fighting IBD today. I look forward to July 18th and our 1/2 marathon run; it's right around the corner.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
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