Louisville City of Parks Marathon

I HAVE FINALLY DONE IT!!!

I have run a full marathon. That is 26.2 miles. Part of me is still in disbelief, but my legs keep bringing me back to reality. Having not run a marathon before, I wasn't exactly how to prepare for the intensity of the event. Sure, I've put in my long runs, but nothing compares to running 26.2 miles. I have to say it was by far the most physically challenging thing I have ever done. There were times when my body could have easily quit, but I had to press onward. Here is a recap of how the day went.

4:30 a.m.-After 3 hours of sleep, my alarm clock woke me. I hopped in the shower and proceeded to get ready.
5:30 a.m.-Jess (my girlfriend) piled into the car and made the trek to the Ramada Inn on Zorn Ave. in Louisville.
6:30 a.m.-I picked up my packet and Jess proceeded to pin my bib number on my shirt.
7:30 a.m.-We proceed over to the water tower for the start. It was quite cold outside.
8:00 a.m.-The horn went off and I began a rather long journey.

Mile 1 (10:16)
Mile 2 (11:54)-I stopped at the park restroom just off the course to take care of some business. This always seems to happen to me.
Mile 3 (8:51)
Mile 4 (10:01)-An older gentleman came upon me and we began chatting. He is from Winston-Salem and has been running a marathon a year since he was 35. I was impressed. He stopped in on his way in Frankfort to see the Capitol and Daniel Boone's grave. Yes Dad, I told him we were related to Danny boy. He was also an American Revolution history buff. His boss lives in the same house that Cornwallis inhabited. Then he slowed to a walk and I kept moving. I probably should have used his running philosophy since he passed me around mile 16.
Mile 5 (10:31)-These firefighters were handing out bananas. I quickly gobbled mine up and continued to run. A little later a fellow runner came up from behind me and said that I almost tripped on a banana peel. I'm glad I didn't for that is not how I want to remember my first marathon.
Mile 6 (10:34)-We are running right along the river in downtown and I see the Delta Queen docked in front of the Belle. Nevermore will we see these two steamboats race.
Mile 7 (10:11)
Mile 8 (10:16)
Mile 9 (10:32)-The half marathoners begin the turn around and head back.
Mile 10 (11:22)-The course began to get a little lonely. We begin running through trees and at times I am the only person around.
Mile 11 (11:06)
Mile 12 (10:57)-I came out of the forest and am now in Shawnee Park in the west side of Louisville. We started on the east side.
Mile 13 (10:37)
Half 13.1 (2:18:20)
Mile 14 (10:43)
Mile 15 (11:16)-Made the turn and am headed back.
Mile 16 (13:28)-Beginning to slow. Took stretch break.
Mile 17 (12:05)
Mile 18 (12:44)-I'm not sure exactly what hitting the wall feels like, but I think I'm getting close. Had to take a walk break every mile from now on.
Mile 19 (12:32)
Mile 20 (12:38)
Mile 21 (13:45)-Slammed into the wall. I wanted to die!
Mile 22 (13:48)
Mile 23 (15:02)-Extreme exhaustion.
Mile 24 (14:40)-I'm going to finish!
Mile 25 (13:06)-I figured it would be better to actually pick of my feet and run than shuffle. I should have done this a long time ago.
Mile 26 (11:55)-I see my beautiful girlfriend!
Finish (5:07:22)

My goal was to finish under five hours, but I will take what I can get. Now it is time for some White Castles. Never again will I eat 6 sliders after a marathon!

Ryder Cup

It's been a while since I have blogged. I apologize to the few who read this, but I have been fairly busy lately. I have kept up my marathon training by running 18 miles last week. I have been suffering from a cold, so I haven't run since my last long run. This was a recovery week, so hopefully I can jump back into it as soon as this cold passes.

My father came to visit last week and we made the trek to Louisville to attend the Ryder Cup. This is the olympics of golf. The United States picks is 12 best golfers to go up against Europe's best. For the past decade, Europe has dominated. With the USA's youngest a most inexperienced team playing this year, I thought it would be difficult to beat the Euros. I was pleasantly proved wrong with the two Kentucky boys (Kenny Perry & J.B. Holmes) stepping up. I am so grateful I was able to be a part of such history.

Dad and I went on the last practice day and the opening ceremony. I was a beautiful day and the golf was perfect. We got to see the Americans as well as the Euros. There was about an hour between golfing and the ceremony so my father decided to lay in the field and take a nap. Luckily he had me to protect him from all the European hulligans. To see the pagentry of the event made me proud to be a golf fan. Below are some pictures from Valhalla.

The Olympic Marathon

I am blogging tonight while watching the Men's Olympic Marathon. As a distance runner I love watching a marathon. It is so inspiring to see the best runners in the world run much faster than I could ever imagine. It inspired me so much to go out and run myself. Instead of sitting and watching the 2 hour marathon live, I decided to record it and go out and run. My long run this week was 15 miles. I have to say it has been the most difficult run thus far. I should know it is, because it is the longest I have ever run. At about mile 13 my legs began to tire and I could fatigue set in, however I kept on pushing. You can't stop when you feel a little discomfort. When you run a lot of miles, you are going to feel some pain. That is what makes distance running difficult, but rewarding. Now I'm sitting on my couch at 12:41 am watching my recorded marathon (not knowing who won yet) icing my knees.

Plenty of Room for Improvement

I read an article today in the Louisville Courier-Journal about the poor health of Kentuckians. The first line of the article says that "Kentucky is one of the fattest states in America. According to the article, "about 28 percent of Kentuckians are severely overweight." The results are found in a report released by the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

This article is similar to a news release I read from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services saying that:

− Almost a third (30.3 percent) of Kentucky adults reported they did not participate in any physical activities or exercise such as running, golf, gardening or walking for exercise, other than their regular jobs.

− More than 80 percent of Kentuckians reported they did not consume five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

− Around 70 percent of Kentuckians are overweight or obese.

− Kentucky adults reported some of the highest prevalence of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, stroke and heart disease, in the nation.


I do have to say that I do not eat 5 or more fruits or vegetables a day, but I am getting better. There is a direct correlation between weight and chronic diseases. The articles go on to say that because of our "Hefty Sizes" our health care costs are higher as well. I am not a fan of going to the doctor and have not been in many years, however my health insurance rose a substantial sum last year. If we as a society could cut out some of our fried foods and get out there a do a little exercise, it would benefit everyone.

While these numbers are not good there is plenty of room for improvement. There is a great program started by former Governor Ernie Fletcher called Get Healthy Kentucky. There, you can take the Governor's Challenge to help improve your physical health. Another cool resource is NBC's The Biggest Loser Site. There you can follow the series that begins in September. They have a tool on there to calculate your BMI (Body Mass Index). This calculator uses your weight and height to see whether your a under/over weight, normal, or obese. I plugged my numbers in a found out that I am currently at a normal rate, however at the rate I was at the beginning of the year I was overweight. I knew I needed to lose a few pounds but didn't realize I was "Overweight". While using this calculator is not fun for many, it is necessary to determine your prognosis before you can come up with a solution. I have to tell you it is a great feeling to see the pounds coming off and the pants fitting better. Keep it up. Get Healthy Kentucky!

There is Hope

Check out this article. There is hope for a state who is known for it's fried chicken.

Our state fair is the greatest state fair in the world!

I've had a great week. Yesterday, I took my amazing girlfriend to the Kentucky State Fair. She has never been before! I couldn't believe it. I've been every year for a very long time. The Burton's used to take a day off from school to go the fair. I don't go to ride rides, but to walk through all the exhibits. Everything from the animals to the quilts, fruits, vegetables, and even tobacco. There is so much to see that makes be proud to be a Kentuckian.

I ran every scheduled run and am feeling amazing. Before I ran because I knew if I didn't run, then I would not be able to meet my goal. Now going out to run is something I have to do. It is becoming a part of who I am. I've heard more experienced runners say this, but I've been running off and on or a couple of years now and am just now feeling it. It is a great feeling and I'm beginning to feel the fruits of the hard work. You can take a look to the right of the page to see my recent runs.

What about the Olympics? I have always been a huge fan of the Olympics. I remember as a young child watching gymnastics in awe. Probably not so much how amazingly athletic they were, but how pretty I thought they were. Now it is illegal for me to have those thoughts! As I have matured in age, so has my respect for all the sports. I enjoy some sports more than others. I like the swimming, gymnastics, and track and field. I particularly like the marathon, because having experienced, distance running is one of the most difficult things a human being can do. Some sports I don't watch, like handball. What is up with that? It's like some kids couldn't kick around a soccer ball so they created a game with a little soccer ball that you throw instead of kick. I also don't watch basketball. Being from the bluegrass state, I get enough of basketball in the winter. I enjoy watching sports you don't always see. I have to say my favorite sport to watch is beach volleyball. For those of you who know me, probably aren't surprised. I've been a fan of beach volleyball for several years now going to several AVP tournaments. These men and women are such athletes. I'm glad Phil and Todd, and Kerri and Misty are still in the hunt for gold. I have no doubt that Kerri and Misty will win, because they are by far the best women on the sand. Phil and Todd, I believe, are the best, but there are many other great men out there. I think they will win the gold if they are playing their A game. We'll just have to see. This is enough of my Olympic rambling. I hope it is another great week of Olympics.