Who I Am, and Why it Matters

Every athlete toes the start line with a story. All of them are unique, each of them are inspirational to others, in some way.

I am a truck driver. I belong to a profession that is not known for the fitness of the people who stay in the industry for a long time. Wait, let me amend that. Truck drivers have a reputation for their fitness level, but it is not a good reputation. The consensus view, even among other drivers, is that truck drivers tend to be grossly overweight, smokers, sleep deprived, with more of a penchant for barbecue than a brisk walk around the truckstop.

The image is not unwarranted. According to a study performed by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health in 2014, long-haul truck drivers are more than twice as likely to be obese as the general population (69% vs. 31%). We are also more than twice as likely to be morbidly obese (17% vs. 7%), and to smoke (51% vs. 19%). We are twice as likely to have diabetes (14% vs. 7%).  All of this is taking place in an environment where federal regulations are growing stricter on just how out-of-shape someone can be, and still safely operate a commercial motor vehicle. Sometimes, though, it takes more of a wake up call than than the government telling you that you are unhealthy.

As a third-generation trucker, I was not surprised that when I first went into driving, I began to put on some weight. Driving is a demanding profession, and at the end of a long, stressful day I only wanted to grab a bite to eat and hit the sleeper berth. When I met my wife in 1989, and we started driving team, the challenges only increased. Driving around 22 hours a day, we did not have the time, nor the energy, to exercise and learn to eat right. My weight went up way past the point that I did not like what I saw in the shower-room mirror. I hit a point where my energy was low, my back hurt all the time, and I would get winded just by climbing up a few stairs. We decided to make some changes after a trip to Alaska in 1992.

A short hike will allow visitors to Exit Glacier, on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, to climb up to the ice fields. The hike is considered moderate in difficulty. We wanted to see the ice fields, but knew that “moderate” may have been beyond our limits. We had always planned to get back in shape “someday.” For the first time, a possible adventure had come up, and we were not fit enough to enjoy it. Out of our frustration, we decided to set a goal. We wrote our goal on a piece of paper and posted it where we would see it everyday. We wanted "To be ready for whatever may be in store for us!" We began a journey that involved learning about nutrition and exercise. The small changes we made became bigger changes and then bigger goals. About thirteen years later, I set a huge goal. I wanted to train for, and run, a marathon.

Most marathon training programs call for building up weekly miles of running. I changed my priorities to suit my goal. If the truck was stopped, I was running. My weekly miles progressed up to twenty miles per week, then thirty, then even a forty-mile week. Although most runners would consider me woefully under-trained, I completed the Rock-N-Roll Marathon in Phoenix in January of 2006. Running turned out to be a great way for me to exercise on the truck. It was efficient, I could get my heart rate up quicker than seeing blue lights in my rear-view mirror. Running provided a great break from driving. Only minimal gear was required, so not much space in the truck was taken up with exercise equipment. Now I have completed five marathons, two half-marathons, a number of 5Ks, two sprint triathlons, an Olympic-Length triathlon, and I am about to try my longest race ever, a Half-Ironman. 70.3 miles of swimming, cycling, and running. Cindy and I still like to eat barbecue, but we make daily decisions to be active and watch what we eat.

I do hope my story is inspirational. Currently, it seems that if we drivers see a fit person driving a truck, we think he is new to the industry. We see a heavy person driving a truck, and we think they are a veteran driver.  If we see a four-hundred pound person anywhere, we think that they must drive a truck for a living.  I have a dream that we can change that line of thinking.

I would like to see a scrawny person driving a truck thought of as a brand-new driver.  A heavy person driving a truck will be thought of as a newbie, one who has not quite gotten it together yet.  When you will see a fit person getting out of their truck in running shorts, you would think that he is a veteran driver who has figured out how to live on the road.

Resources exist, and are being created, for drivers who have decided to make a change. We have to get the message out to them that they can make a difference in their lives. If I can do it, they can do it. If getting the message out involves swimming, cycling, and running around the beautiful city of Chattanooga for a day, I'm in.

A construction worker starts driving a truck, circa 1988.  On my way to over 280 lbs.

Finishing my first marathon, 2006. Back in 1-derland.

Olympic-Length Tri finish. Over 90 lbs lighter.

Cycling on the Road

The cycling part of the Half-Ironman is 56 miles.  The race in Chattanooga goes into the hills of Northern Georgia.  Did I say hills?  That's only because I am from Colorado.  They are mountains. The iconic advertising on barn roofs throughout the area does not talk about the view from Lookout Knob. It is called Lookout Mountain.  I think they say you can see all fifty states from the overlook, and you actually look down on the moon from the top.  At least that's how it will feel on my 30-year-old Cannondale, that I bought for $400 on Craigslist.

Cindy and I have kept a bike on the truck for years.  We have a tandem, and a folding Dahon bike.

We had gotten in the habit of looking for great  trails around the United States and Canada, places to park our truck and go for a ride.  We even started sharing the places with other drivers on Facebook groups like Truckin' Runners, Ride and Roll Cycling on the Road, Truckers with Bicycles, and have begun documenting them on Facebook group Trucker Trails and http://truckertrails.blogspot.com/
Running or cycling around the truckstop can be dangerous, smelly, and irritates other drivers.  Then again, maybe they need a little "encouragement".

I had to get in some workouts on the bike, though.  A pleasant ride with Cindy to Old Town Sacramento for dinner is different than racing youngsters with $6000 tri-bikes.

So I did.

32 miles in Sacramento CA

51 miles in Fontana CA

56 miles around Kent WA

65 miles around Denver CO

Am I ready? I have certainly tamed the mental beast a bit.  I know I can ride that far.  Now, as for running a half-marathon after...

Bugs are protein.  Protein is good, right?

Trail Running

Why incorporate trail running into a program where the race is not on a trail?  Because I like running on trails.  So much of staying fit while driving a truck has to do with the mental battle.  Driving is stressful, shippers and receivers often take more of your "workout" time than they should.  The days are long, and weather can keep you from getting out of the truck, if you let it. Anything that will help you look forward to moving is beneficial.  Heck, walk to the donut shop, if that's what it takes, but move. I can actually talk myself into wanting to get out and run, if I can find something, anything, that appeals to me.  Trails are great for looking at plants, wildlife, scenery, and they are car-and-truck free!

Desert running with my sweetheart near Chiriaco Summit CA

Ocotillo are fascinating. Many of them were blooming this rainy day.

Cindy likes the downhill part.

Serious trail running means dodging mountain bikers on single-track trails through the woods.

The Shawnee Mission Trail System, near Kansas City.

Ahhhhh...

Good thing there was a four-inch tall photographer in the woods.

Swim Workouts on the Road

Driving through Florida, I often look at the inviting lakes and streams, dream of going for a swim, and then wonder how you can tell if there are any alligators in a particular lake.  I assume that the people who live there know where to swim, and where not to swim, but to us travelers, it can be a mystery.  A mystery you don't want to solve by getting nibbled on by a ten-foot long prehistoric critter.

The swim part of the Half-Ironman is 1.2 miles in open water.  In a 50-yard lap pool, that is about 42 laps.  The first time we got home I swam 1.6 miles in about 70 minutes in our local recreation center.  I also got in a mile at a YMCA that is across the street from a truckstop in Weatherford, Oklahoma.  I wanted to get in some kind of open water swim, and kept looking on Google, and Google Maps for places to go.  We have observed some swimming areas near truckstops over the years.  There is the Columbia River, near Troutdale, Oregon.  Also the lake near the TA in Sparks,Nevada.  The state campground is right across I-15 from the Flying J in Willard, Utah.  This early in the year many of the swimming areas are not open yet, because it is too cold to swim.

We had a day off, waiting for a load, in Sacramento, California.  Cindy agreed to run with me down to the Sacramento River, wait while I swam, and run back with me to the 49r Travel Plaza where we were parked.  I found a website that had river temperature information on one of their links.  The river was 58 degrees.  Sounded chilly.  The Chattanooga River is supposed to be 72 degrees during my race.  Sounds nicer.  As it turns out, 58 degrees is CRAZY chilly.  Not bad for wading, but I was glad Cindy was there to encourage me to get in.

I look like I am checking my equipment in this picture, but I am actually working up my nerve to get in the water.  BRRRRR!

Dang, when we get by home next time, I am grabbing my wetsuit!  I will also be praying for loads to Florida.  Maybe those gators aren't such a big deal after all.

Facebook Alert: It's Official...

Most of the comments were encouraging, with some misgivings for my safety.  About what one would hope for from a group of friends and Facebook friends.

Click here to see the post.  

You Want Me to What?

On March 7th, 2016, I received an exciting (and frightening) email from Human Resources at our employer, US Xpress.

Anxiously, I clicked on the link.  I was thinking that a challenging race late this summer would set me up for a nice PR on my December marathon in California.

May 22, 2016

May?  As in May: not next month, but the one after that?  I double-checked.  Yep, May of this year.  Conflicting thoughts raced through my head. 

 Don't people train for months for Half-Ironman races? Free! As in, "no entry fee?" Don't those things cost $300 or so?  Didn't I just have the lowest mileage months of running in years in January and February?  Yea, but free!  And no time-off counted against you. Let's see, last bike ride was October of 2015, and last swim workout was in Costa Rica in September of 2015.  Hey, last time US Xpress offered you free entry into a race, it was an Olympic Length Triathlon occurring just a week after a marathon.  You pulled that one off.  But a Half-Ironman is more than TWICE the distance of the Olympic-length triathlon.

I came to the conclusion that I would have to be an idiot to sign up for such a challenging race with so little preparation time.

So.  Of course I signed up.

See you in Chattanooga.

Still Hollow Trail Half-Marathon

Race Report August 2015

I had never run a half-marathon before.  My splits on some of my marathons have been under two hours, so I thought I might do a half under 2:00:00.

Facebook friends are often talking about noticing a race in an area, and just signing up for it.  In the spirit of camaraderie, I began surfing the internet.  I knew I had a day off in lovely Chattanooga.  Cindy and I were to be recognized for driving two million safe miles on Saturday, so Sunday was free. As it turned out, the meeting was great, a group of us toured the corporate headquarters, and met a bunch of people that previously were only voices on a telephone line.  I found a few races, including a trail race in a wildlife area just across the interstate from US Xpress.

One of the guys in Customer Service is a runner, and I talked him into going to the race also.  Adam opted for the 10K, instead of the Half.  He let me know that racing on trails was likely to cost me about one to two minutes per mile compared to my road-racing times.  He was right.  I finished in 2:14:57.

Finish line smile? Or finish line grimace?

Adam met me in the dark morning of the race at the sign-up desk.  You don't know until you try it, but it is hard to recognize people in the dark woods, wearing headlamps.  As the sun came up, we were on our way.  For the first 10K, much of the race was on a wider trail.  Adam is a talented runner, and we did not stay together very long.  I saw him crest a hill, turn right between two trees, and have never seen him since.  (Don't worry, he is not missing.  I spoke to him on the phone, and no one else took over his job.)

After the 10K mark, we went onto a single track trail.  At first, I had most people passing me.  "On your left." is the magical words to pass someone.  I was glad I learned it early.  I maintained my same pace, got into a great rhythm, and started putting up negative splits.  I was a little worried that I might have been pushing it too hard, especially when I started passing many of the people who had passed me earlier.  "On your left."  "On your left."  I kept saying.  One guy told me his legs were "crazy heavy."  I expressed my concern that I was going out too fast.  He said I looked great, and we were on our way in, not out.

About mile eight, I had the thought that I had not stumbled on the root-and-rock infested trail.  About 300 feet later... Yeah.  Not even a fall though, I caught myself on the way down and kept striding.  Another mile or so and I had the thought, "Wow, only one stumble, and I did not hit the ground!" About 600 feet later... Again, yeah. A granite outcropping gave me a nice scrape on my shoulder, forearm, and knee as I did a parachute landing fall to avoid twisting my ankle.  A guy at the finish line later said "Welcome to trail running."  I responded, "No blood, no glory."  He seemed to like the exchange.  So did I.

I had never fallen during a marathon road race.  But then again, I had never seen deer on the course, nor felt the Zen of letting my feet find the next spot to land on their own, nor come away with such a big smile on my face.  It was a great day.

Race Report REV3 Triathlon

REV3 Triathlon

Anderson SC, October 2012

Two reefers, a van, a tanker, and three bobtails were parked in the corner of a busy parking lot that was not really designed for truck parking. Your local Walmart? A NASCAR race? Would you believe it was the parking area for the racers at the REV3 Triathlon in Anderson SC?

The first annual triathlon started in 1978 in Hawaii. The race incorporated three events, a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike race, and a run of 26.2 miles. Since then, the popularity of the sport, with varying distances, has grown every year, and was included in the Olympics in 2000. Perhaps many recreational runners and cyclists looked at the race as a new challenge to replace the 10K runs or century rides they completed in the past. But truck drivers? Who would have anticipated truckers competing in races that can strain the best of athletes? Pilot/Flying J, in cooperation with US Xpress's Highway to Health thought so. In summer of 2012 they posted on the U.S. Xpress Drivers facebook page that drivers would have a chance to compete in a triathlon in October.

I had tried out a couple of the shorter, sprint-length, triathlons in the past couple of years and I was excited that I could be in a longer event.  Especially a longer event where Pilot/Flying J would pay my entry fee.  I did have a few concerns, though.  I had very little chance to swim while driving over-the-road.  I did not own one of the race-style road bikes used in triathlons.  Most importantly,  I was planning to run a marathon in the month of October. 

Do not get the impression I am some kind of fitness fanatic that happens to drive a truck, though. As a third-generation trucker, I was not surprised that when I first went into driving, I began to put on some weight. Driving is a demanding profession, and at the end of a long, stressful day I only wanted to grab a bite to eat and hit the sleeper berth. When I met my wife in 1989, and we started driving team, the challenges only increased. Driving around 22 hours a day, we did not have the time, nor the energy, to exercise and learn to eat right. My weight went up way past the point that I did not like what I saw looking back at me in the shower-room mirror. I hit a point where my energy was low, my back hurt all the time, and I would get winded just by climbing up a few stairs. We decided to make some changes after a trip to Alaska in 1992.

A short hike will allow visitors to Exit Glacier, on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, to climb up to the ice fields. The hike is considered moderate in difficulty. We wanted to see the ice fields, but knew that “moderate” may have been beyond our limits. We had always planned to get back in shape “someday.” For the first time, a possible adventure had come up, and we were not fit enough to enjoy it. Out of our frustration, we decided to set a goal. We wrote our goal on a piece of paper and posted it where we would see it eveyday. We wanted "To be ready for whatever may be in store for us!" We began a journey that involved learning about nutrition and exercise. The small changes we made became bigger changes and then bigger goals. About thirteen years later, I set a huge goal. I wanted to train for, and run, a marathon.

Most marathon training programs call for building up weekly miles of running. I changed my priorities to suit my goal. If the truck was stopped, I was running. My weekly miles progressed up to twenty miles per week, then thirty, then forty. Although most runners would consider me woefully under-trained, I completed the Rock-N-Roll Marathon in Phoenix in January of 2006. Running turned out to be a great way for me to exercise on the truck. It was efficient, I could get my heart rate up quickly. Running provided a great break from driving. Only minimal gear was required, so not much space in the truck was taken up with exercise equipment. I ended up running another marathon in 2009, and was training for the third when I read about the REV3 triathlon.

We got a kick out of seeing the trucks parked in the racer's area. We wondered if the other racers thought that it took several semi-loads of equipment to put on a race. One of the trucks looked familiar. A distinctive owner-operator's paint-job made it stand out. Cindy remembered that we had met the driver at another race, the “Big Rig 5K” at the Great American Trucking Show in Dallas the year before. We also saw the “fittest trucker” in the America, a triathlete named Siphiwe Baleka, who now works for the health division of Prime Transportation.  We received a warm welcome from the representatives of Pilot/Flying J. Dave Parmly asked me if I wanted some “racing skins.” Sure. What the heck are racing skins? It turns out they are a set of clothes for racing triathlons.

I had somehow I managed to get in a couple of swim workouts since summer. I had also acquired a road bike on Craigslist. I had finished my marathon without hurting myself. As we arrived at the race area I was sore, unprepared, and with a bike I had only ridden two miles. But I had a goal. I was going to finish an Olympic-length triathlon.

The first part of the race is the swim part. The length is 1500 meters, a couple hundred yards short of a mile. I swam in high school, and planned to get out near the front of the group of racers I was starting with, then I would not have too much traffic to deal with.  We were to swim out from shore, around four large buoys, and back to shore. I must have forgotten that I was not in high school anymore, that I had not raced much in the water in 30 years, and (oh yeah) I was a sprinter in high school, not a distance guy.  By the end I was thrilled to have just survived as I moved into the transition area to start the 40k bike part. Cindy cheered me on as I washed down lake water with some Gatorade  got on my used bike and headed out to see if we could survive for 25 miles in hilly South Carolina.

I had paid $400 for my bike. While shopping I had discovered that racing bikes cost anywhere from $800 to $4000, and most used bikes were close to $1500. I clicked pretty well with the cycling part of the race, and started counting the total value of the bikes I passed. Me and my "vintage" Cannondale passed about $40,000 of fancier race and tri-bikes. About two miles from the end of the cycling part, I finally had a mechanical challenge. The front chain came off the gear. Reaching down, I thought I could get it back on while rolling 22 mph. After a few tries, I decided to stop and fix the chain before I hurt someone. Especially me. Then when I stopped, I forgot that I had on toe-clip pedals that keep your feet on the bike. I just barely kept from crashing to the ground before finding out that I could not lift my fatigued leg over the seat of the bike on the first try. So much for dominating the cycle course. I looked more like a Three Stooges routine. Chuckling at myself, I quickly got the chain on and took off again. 

Cindy was waiting for me at the second transition area. She encouraged me while I dismounted the bike, grabbed some more Gatorade, and took off onto the 10K (6.2 miles) running course. Six miles did not sound that tough, after all the marathon training. I started off pretty strong, but then walked through a few of the aid stations and up one of the hills. During the run, some of the racers who were doing the longer Half-length triathlon caught up to me. They had started an hour before me, had just swam, biked, and ran, about 65 miles, and were blowing my doors off. I may have walked more, but a couple of them encouraged me to keep it up. As I rounded the corner and saw the finish line, I regained some energy from somewhere and finished the run a bit faster than I had started.

Swim 43:52, T1 5:27, Bike 1:27:39, T2 1:19, Run 1:02:39
 Finish 3:20:56

I had reached my goal. I finished two races in the month of October. I am always excited to see the programs rolled out by Mary Augustino, Wellness Coordinator with US Xpress, that teach us to set goals and learn to eat right. I have come a long way from being seventy pounds heavier, addicted to tobbaco, and unable to run a single mile. It all goes back to setting small goals, learning consistency, then setting new goals. My wife and I are glad to be working for a company that continues in a leadership role as an advocate for driver health. The Highway to Health brings to drivers an awareness that they can take their fitness goals beyond just losing a few pounds. Maybe I will even get a chance to try that hike up Exit Glacier someday.

Flipping the Switch

Habits

Never permit failure to become a habit. --William Frederick Book


Or even better:

Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit. --Vincent Lombardi

We run into struggles daily, whether we are in our running shoes or not.  How we address those struggles will determine our success. 

I left the Flying J Truckstop in Sayre OK and headed north on US 283 into town.  I had never been to "downtown" Sayre before, the dusty truckstop was all I knew of the small town.  I hoped to enjoy some exploring along with my six-mile run.

People were having garage sales, kids were riding their bikes, the Sonic restaurant was doing a booming business.  Not many people were out to exercise, the locals who run were probably out hours ago, long before the temperatures soared into the mid-80's.

When I reached the place where the I-40 business loop turned off, I glanced at my Garmin training watch.  Three miles in 29:58.  Right on track for my ten-minute-per-mile tempo run.  I drank some water out of the bottle I was carrying, crossed the street, and started back.  I felt good.

Then the conversation started.  The one in my head.

"Man, it is HOT.  Maybe I should walk a little in this shade.  Heat can be dangerous, after all."

I shrugged it off.  My legs did feel a little heavy, but I had a goal for this run, five miles in fifty minutes, and another easy mile.   Then I wouldn't be sweating too much to take a shower at the truckstop.

"I've already seen all the interesting stuff on the way out.  No motivation in looking around."

My legs felt heavier. The sun really did seem hotter.

"Just walk it on in, no one will know."

My breathing was a bit more labored as I started up a hill.  I began talking back.  

"Hey," I said, "This is an easy pace, and I'm only doing fifteen miles this week.  Another three is a piece of cake."

"How much further is it?" I glanced at my watch before I could stop myself.  I had only come another half-mile.

"It doesn't matter," I said as my legs seemed to lose more power, "I don't care if I want to finish this run, I am going to finish this run!"  I picked up the pace a little to show who was in charge.

"Sore legs last week, don't want to over-train."

"Grrrr," I said.  I imagined a switch in my head.  A switch that was labeled "Something you do not want to do". I flipped the switch to "yes".

"Six miles is six miles.  Running or walking."

Flip

"You would still meet your weekly goal of fifteen miles."

Flip

"Walk a little, then you will feel better for the rest of the run, and do a better job."

FLIP

The voice went away and my energy was back.  Well, I guess the voice did not go away, it just got quiet.  I could expect it to come back anytime.

As I finished the run, the thought occurred to me that many people do not really argue with the voice in their head that wants them to take it easy.  The voice pushes them into bad decisions in their relationships, their jobs, their finances.

Doing the easy thing would not work in trucking.  The bed is warm, but Cindy needs a trailer light repaired.  The cab is nice and dry, but the chain law is in effect.  I'm not in the mood to talk to people, but the load needs to be delivered and receivers are people. (Well, most of them are, anyways.)  I guess I flip that switch all the time.

People I know of that have not learned the habit of flipping the switch have experienced grave consequences.  Playing video games instead of working will hurt your income.  Messing around with someone that tantalizes you will hurt your marriage.  Being sarcastic and selfish with your time will end your friendships.  Spending frivolously and without a plan will consign you to poverty.  Focusing on taking that next drink instead of keeping a clear head during work could end your employment.

Flipping the switch might be harder, especially at first.  But keep flipping to "yes" and a habit will form.  

A good habit.

Weekly Update to October 2

I ran 12 miles this week, right at my goal.  Amazing what goals will do for you.  **Note to self: make 1 million dollars next week.**

Rock Hill SC  9/26
Set out to run six miles, but it got dark.  4.46 miles in 50 minutes.

Greenville VA 9/30
Again, I set out to run six miles, but ran out of light.  4 miles in 43 minutes

Salt Lake City UT 10/2
3.58 miles in 35 minutes.  I ran because we found a closed gate on a Sunday at our consignee.  I started running and found an open gate.  I called Cindy and had her deliver while I finished my run by going around Decker Lake.

St Louis MO

One bad thing about having your truck in the shop is that you cannot make any money with it. One good thing about having your truck in the shop is that you can catch up on things that you have been meaning to take care of, but have not scheduled the time to get them done. You can catch up on bookkeeping for taxes, order some stuff off the internet, update your blogs, make phone calls and send emails, and get in some miles running.


We stayed at a hotel downtown. The temperature was a bit cool, 45 degrees, so I ran a mile on the treadmill in the hotel to warm up before taking to the streets and running another four miles for a total of five miles.

Oak Grove KY

br>Subject: Oak Grove KY

The sun rose over a cool and fresh Nashville as I hooked a trailerload of tires.
"A perfect morning for a run," I thought as we rolled north out of town toward Chicago.

By the time I parked the truck at the Flying J in Oak Grove KY, the sun was well up with the temperature in the mid-sixties.
I ran about three miles into town and back again. Not quite at six miles when I reached the truck, I took a lap around the truckstop to finish at 6.2 miles.

The farmers have been harvesting corn in this area. Cindy and I enjoy this time of year, watching the harvest crews work their way across the country.

Beto Junction KS

This morning we had a load that needed to go 2600 miles in about 49 hours. Not much extra time for running.

I did, however, run a fast mile after fueling at the T/A Truckstop in Beto Junction KS. On my first lap I got the usual response from the drivers starting their day. They stared in horrid fastination at the chubby, half-naked runner in their midst. On the second pass, though, the same drivers greeted me brightly.

Cindy thinks they just needed a little time to get used to the idea.

Lincoln NE

The company we drive for has a yard in Lincoln NE. I planned to stop for a run on their treadmill. Cindy said I should include a picture on the room, because most people have not seen the inside of a trucker exercise room, including most truckers.

Portland OR

Today we had to wait most of the day for a load about 110 miles away in Springfield OR. I was sore from yesterday's run, in my quads and knees, but hated to waste a day off. Cindy and I walked downtown for a couple of miles, near the convention center. Afterward we walked five miles up and down Collins Beach on Sauvie Island. Portland was having a beautiful, clear, late-summer day.

I suppose I could credit my total for about seven miles.

Salt Lake City UT

We had to wait about five hours for a load in Salt Lake City UT today. What a great time to start building milage so I can start a formal training program. Most programs start with the assumption that you are running about 25 miles per week before you begin training for your marathon.

I have been running more like ten miles a week.

I started at the Pilot Truckstop off I-80, exit 118. Dodging the wary glances from 300 pound truck drivers, I donned my running gear and took off down N Temple. I had seen that there was a river toward downtown and hoped I could find a path next to the water.

The Utah state fairgrounds are also on the river, and the fair is just getting underway. I found the path, the Jordan River Parkway, and headed north. I was paying attention to my stride. I know I am turning my right foot outward as it comes forward, and I have been hitting heel-first. Both are no-nos. I continued on the path until 700n, and went west to Redwood, then south. My pedometer stopped working for about eight minutes, and I would have been back at the truckstop showing 4.2 miles on the display. I decided I wanted to actually see the five on the display for the first time since I broke my ankle, so I ran down N Temle to the airport and back. The pedometer read 5.44 miles, so I am counting 6 miles for today.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=&daddr=&hl=en&geocode=&mra=mr&dirflg=w&ie=UTF8&ll=40.779112,-111.933646&spn=0.031002,0.076904&z=14

paste in browser to see the area

Longer Runs

As a teenager, I made a list of things I wanted to accomplish in my life. One of the items was to run a marathon, pretty ambitious for someone who did not like to run.



In 2005 I decided to "treat" myself for my 40th birthday. I would train for, and run, my marathon. I could finally get that sucker off my list. I trained for about four months, with the help of a friend who was about to run his 10th marathon.



I chose the PF Chang's Rock N Roll Marathon in Phoenix AZ in early 2006. A choice that most truck drivers would consider inadvisable (aka "crazy". (aka "what the heck were you thinking you nutcase?")) The last quarter of any year is when the money is made in trucking. The stores need to be filled with food and consumer goods for Thanksgiving and for Christmas, not to mention that companies are trying to reach end-of-the-year sales goals. Time to take care of deliveries is tight, and time off is rare.



In any event, I set my goal to finish the 26.2 miles (42.1km) before the street sweeper overran me. The course has a seven-hour limit. I made it in 4:48!

One unfortunate thing happened, though. Along the way, while trying to learn about running and marathons, I read an article that said most 1st-time marathoners do not run a second marathon. Something like 95% or so make one attempt and never try again. I thought to myself, "Self, we can do better than that." Self should have rose up and smote me about the head and shoulders for such a thought. Self was in a quite mood that day, I guess. Self is in for it now, though. The original plan was to stay in "marathon shape" for a while and take care of number two. A broken foot and ankle, then a round of cluster headaches put the cabash on that idea. (What is a cabash? Why do you put it places?)

Minimally displaced fracture of the distal tibia involving the medial malleous, avulsial fracture of the talus, and osteochondral fracture of the talus. I paid to learn these cool words and I plan to use them! It really means a broken ankle and foot.

The trigeminal nerve. The nasty looking critter is responsible, or at least involved in, cluster headaches. More information is available at http://clusterheadaches.com/ if you are bored or enjoy hearing about pain. I advise you to go on with your life instead.

Now, I (and self) are not in marathon shape. Now comes the crunch time: train and complete the second marathon. Also: do not read any articles about running that imply you are a wimp if you do not run at least three marathons.

Welcome to my journey,

Danny