Sunday afternoon, temps 12 degrees and falling, windchill -7, 1 foot of snow and I was the entertainment for The Bad Santa Hash at Bloomer Park at an outdoor shelter for the Hash House Harriers - drinkers with a running problem! I wrote a special song for the occasion and did Holiday songs by Elvis and James Brown. My butt is still cold. My boom box froze. The runners took forever to get there and most car hashed back to Main St. Billiards. Dianne was sick so I went home.

I wanted to run Sat. but I was exhausted from work and shoveling 3 times on Friday and it was bitter cold. Sunday I'm the entertainment at the Bad Santa Hash. They wanted Elvis but since we have a new President elect I'm now doing James Brown. Anything to mortify my wife and kids!

My most favorite people in running is Delores Hemsley, the volunteer of the year every year for me. She volunteers at 50 + races a year because she goes to all the races her husband runs. She is the only person I know that will hug a runner at the finish line - sweaty and stinky! She always has a smile and is happy to see me with a hug and a kiss.
She is in the hospital with a stroke and I pray she gets better.

Cardiologist says I'm ok and can resume running this weekend. No explanation for chest pressure. Probably running too fast!

Start of my book.

After the heart catherization, no driving for 3 days and no stairs or lifting for 5. I see the cardiologist Monday morning. While my arteries are clearer than most young people, I still wonder what caused pressure in my chest. I'm not going to have a heart attack, so I intend to go back into training as soon as the incision is healed.
The title of my book is, "Marathon Training for the Uncoachable Runner" because most runners are so independent that they won't listen.
RUNNING A MARATHON
Step 1
I know people that make the marathon their first race! Too bad, they missed alot. As a coach I want a runner to train and race shorter distances for 2 years before starting to train for the marathon. Why? The body needs time to adapt to the heavier workload of long distance running. Building slowly but gradually to longer distances prevents injury. Racing is a key part of the sport - 5k's, 10k's 1/2 marathons are part of the training to prepare for a marathon How to race is a large part of the whole picture in preparation.

Having read countless books on running, run since I was a boy, and tried all kinds of training strategies, I decided to write a book on my training ideas that work for me and some of the people I have trained. The biggest issue in marathon training is getting to the start line fresh and uninjured. Most people decide July 4th to run a fall marathon and train furiously to the race. I believe in a long buildup - 3 sessions of 84 days separated by a 2week rest period. Also, on day 59 you are overtrained and need 5 days off! The protests are deafening. But it's right. Most marathoners get sick or injured before the race. Training thru the period when you are overtrained reduces you immunity. It is not my discovery. It is science. Jerry bought me the book "Consistant Winning" and won't take a break on day 59. For years he got sick and checked his log - day 59! He didn't want to talk to me because I couldn't get him to take a break. I used his name in the book to show what not to do, but I have decided to change his name to protect the guilty. I will preview chapters in the book on this blog to get a reaction. Adding rest, stretching and sensible diet to training always raises protest. But it works.

I had a heart catherization today. Also converted a nurse to be a runner. Will drop off a beginning schedule next week. Arteries clear except for 1 at 30%, normal for my age. So, what caused the chest pressure? The test confirmed my running and diet are working!

I used to watch Marty Liquori battle Jim Beaty in the mile race on tv and then go outside and run. In high school I was living on 450 acres of farmland and woods at a seminary, and like Forrest Gump would go for a run and have a group running behind me. When I was first married, I would run in my neighborhood, a rough area, and one night when I got home from a run in the dark, a big guy pulled up in his car and accused me of breaking into his house! I convinced him I was running for my health.
July of 1979, my good friend Greg Kolly convinced me to train and run the Det. Free Press 10k, the day before the marathon. We started training July 4 and raced in October. We ran in basketball shoes because there were no running shoes at the time and our knees were sore before the race. We drove to Windsor, Canada with our families and lined up in the back. Prior to this 3 miles was the furthest we had run but we got up to 6 miles in training. After the gun went off we ran behind a woman race walker and Greg motioned me to look at her. She wore a clear rainsuit and to my amazement, nothing on the bottom. Her tight little buns were moving furiously in front of us! I wanted to pick it up so I passed her, but I didn't look back to see the front. One of my few regrets in life! I finished in 1 hour at age 31 and have run faster at a much older age.

I first started coaching baseball when I was 18. The other teams adults would tell me to shut up! I coached baseball, basketball, and 17 years of soccer. I'm convinced kids sports are for learning, not winning. If the kids learn a sport well they will play to their best and winning is fun. But an hour later they don't remember the game. Only adults think winning is important and mess kids sports up.
When my youngest boy played soccer in high school I moved to coaching adults in running. They don't listen any better than kids. Running is the toughest sport to coach because runners are so independent.
I've been running since I was a kid, but I started training seriously when I was 44 when I went to an all comers indoor meet in Milwaukee to watch Jerry compete. Watching all those people racing was so much fun I decided I wanted to do that too.
My first race was a 10k in 1979. That's a different story.

Heredity

All this stems from my parents. As a runner, I'm not suppose to have high blood pressure. I inherited it. My mother has had high blood pressure since she was 20. My dad had 2 heart attacks at 43. Lots of opperations and complications after. I read years ago that if you run a marathon you won't have a heart attack for a year. That is not scientifically proveable.
My first hint of possible heart problems came a couple years ago at the World Famous "Run thru Hell" when I climbed the biggest hill and turned around and went all out back down the hill. I got a sharp pain across my chest and immediately slowed down. That is the body's way of telling me I was running too fast for me. I didn't do that again!
After an outstanding training season I ran with Marv on the Brooksie Way course and we picked up the pace the last 2 1/2 miles. We hit 7:45 pace briefly and I felt uncomfortable with a little pressure in my chest.
I came into the 2008 Lakefront marathon Oct. 5 in top shape and peaking. I lost 17 pounds. Great training and taper. I was running beautifully and headed for a good time when I experienced pressure in my chest over my heart. I was @10 min. pace, heart rate 142. Easy.
So I slowed down. If my heart rate went to 140 I felt pressure so I did a run/walk and kept it between 117 and 130. I was thrilled to see my daughter Julie and her family along the way at a restaurant and high five my 3 grandaughters near the finish. I told a medic after the finish line I had experienced pressure and he took me straight to the medical tent. After examining me the head doctor proclaimed I was to take an ambulance to emergency for tests, and the fight began. Iknow that is a $10,000 bill and I could have jogged there. so we argued about it. Then my oldest so Jerry who qualified by 40 seconds for Boston piped up he would drive me. The doc was furious and sent someone over to tell him to shut up.
The doc won and I took the ambulance to ER and had 2 sets of tests. Everything was OK. I got out of there at 6:30 pm. I had nothing to eat since 4 am.
I took the tests to my doctor,who ordered a stress test, nuclear imaging and ultrasound, all negative. Talking on the internet with the doctor incharge of the NY marathon he said keep testing until you know what cause the pressure.

Drano next Wednesday

Just got scheduled for heart catherization Wednesday morning, Dec. 10 at Crittenton Hospital. Camera will look for blockage. If found, they will fix, if none I will go back to running either way. Without running, I will look like a hot air balloon. The cardiologist says with my family history, if I wasn't a runner I would be crippled. I am convinced I would have had a heart attack before this. Avoiding a heart attack is most important - it damages the heart and takes 6 months to recover. I don't have 6 months to sit around. I'm eager to get this over with.

Still waiting for a call from the Doctor.

Waiting

Waiting for a call for heart catherization.