Hey! I was on the radio! It was my first time and I had a great experience. I know you are probably wondering why this dummy was on the radio, and I am right there with you. But sometimes an opportunity to do something new and exciting plops onto your lap and you say “Why not?”.
I’m on the air!
Brian Swift is an acquaintance who has a radio program on a local AM radio station called “All Things Inspirational Show” on Wednesdays at noon. Brian is a quadriplegic but has not let that slow him down at all. Brian has some use of his arms, and can often be found woodworking, pumping iron, and generally keeping busy around his home. Brian is an inspirational guy himself, working as a success coach and public speaker, has written books, and runs a nonprofit organization called SOAR, which provides accessible outdoor recreational opportunities for people with disabilities. Brian finds inspiration from others and feeds off of it. And being Facebook friends, Brian thought that I might be a great guest to have on his show.
Brian was impressed with my running and triathlon adventures and asked me to come on his show to discuss how I use determination and grit to accomplish my endurance goals. My first thought was that there had to be a lot more local athletes more interesting than me, but Brian knows me, and that was enough for him to ask me to join him this week.
We talked about what it takes to go from being a beginner runner to running marathons and beyond. We chatted about how special it feels to accomplish goals, such as finishing a special race or becoming an Ironman, and how that changed my life. We also chatted about the challenges that an older athlete (I’m almost 60 – *gasp*) faces and how I approach those issues.
I was amazed at how fast the hour went, as his questions were very thought-provoking, and I tended to ramble on until I forgot what the question was. Anyway, my first time as a guest on a radio program was a total blast, I’m glad I didn’t swear, and another special experience in this life of mine. Another chapter in “an amazing run” for sure.
Thanks for the opportunity, Brian!
For more info on Brian and his work, please see the below links.
Today, the forecast called for rain and I was really hoping to go for a walk. I’ve been enjoying walking lately, as it has allowed me to keep building my mileage while recovering from an injury. I pulled up my weather app on my phone and saw that the rain was already happening on the radar and would be heavier later. But a peek outside showed that it was barely drizzling. The weather app always seems to over-emphasize the rain, so I put on some swim trunks (I’ve been walking in swim trunks so I can jump in the pool afterward), grabbed a plastic rain jacket, and hit the start button on my watch.
Ten to twelve miles of walking was the plan, and I could barely tell that it was raining. When I got to the trail I could see that I wasn’t alone in thinking the rain was nothing, lots of others out on the trail. The sprinkles started getting stronger about three miles into the walk, so I grabbed the rain jacket and slipped it on. I would keep it on for the rest of the walk.
Walking has been a savior for this injured runner. Running injuries can be minor, a big deal, or something in between. I have “runner’s knee” which has become the most serious and longest running injury that I have had to deal with. Taping the knee with kinesio-type tape help with the knee pain, but I stopped trying to tape it in order to run on it when I realized one of the major issues was the soreness of my quad muscles, especially the one known as VMO. And that was caused by running, which was also causing the knee pain, I suspect. Taping wasn’t going to help the muscles. It’s never easy for a runner to stop running, but I committed to getting the knee better. However, when you have three races coming up in the fall, not running for a month is going to put a dent in those plans.
I recently re-evaluated the races I had signed up for. My “A” race was going to be Broken Anvil in September, a last-runner standing/backyard ultra that I really enjoyed doing last year. The second race was Mines of Spain in Dubuque, Iowa. I don’t know what I was thinking when I signed up for this one – that area is really hilly and the race photos from previous years showed people wading through thigh-high water. I decided that I better pass on that one, requesting a (partial) refund, and letting someone from the waitlist take my spot. I had also signed up for Tunnel Hill 100 in Vienna, Illinois in November as a back-up, in case I failed at getting my 100 at Mines of Spain. Now it looks like Broken Anvil might be a tune-up for Tunnel Hill. And walking just might be what gets me there.
Stopping running was necessary to get the knee back in good condition, but I felt the pressure of the race calendar, and I also felt like I would be losing a lot of conditioning to at least not do something. Riding a bike was good for cardio, but it wasn’t good for the knee. Any standing and pedaling caused the knee to ache, so that was stopped. But walking seemed to fit the bill. I could walk without my knee hurting, and eventually, the muscle soreness diminished. I kept doing the stretching regimen that the physical therapist told me to do, and I added a 15-20 minute session of muscle massaging using my Theragun Mini massager.
I may not have been able to run, but I was still getting the miles in. Walking has become really enjoyable for me. I look forward to them, maybe more so than a planned run. I haven’t been doing the really long-distance stuff that the ultra running plan has in it (runs of 20 miles or more) on a Saturday, but I was averaging about 5.5 miles of walking per day, almost 38 miles per week! That was a surprise, and an especially good one when I realized I was keeping the miles going without getting sore or aggravating the runner’s knee. I’ve walked 150 miles since July 9th. I’m very happy with that.
I got six miles into my walk and contemplated doing another mile before turning around, but thought better of it. One thing that this past month has taught me is patience, and I’m not about to push it too hard.
Saw a group of wild turkeys cross my path on the Old Plank Road Trail.
The rain picked up in its intensity, but I wasn’t worried about it at all. I was maintaining less than 17 minutes per mile, which is pretty good for me. I had some good tunes playing in my ear (Rush, of course!), and I was really enjoying the walk. The best part about it was that I didn’t bail on it just because it was raining. It may rain in the race I do, just like last year when it poured at Broken Anvil.
I ended with 12 total miles, done in three hours and twenty-three minutes (16:55 minutes/mile pace). And the best part is that I am not sore or beat up like I would have been if it had been a run. I think that I will wait one more week before adding some running back into the mix. I’ll start with some one-minute slow-paced intervals just to make sure I don’t overdo it. Thanks to walking, I just might be able to get to the start line next month in Iowa. Fingers crossed.
an amazing run 