The only word that comes to mind that's describes today's marathon experience is WOW! My first WOW came at 5am when I saw all the runners in line waiting for the buses at the Sheraton this morning. My next WOW was the length of time it took us to drive from the Sheraton to the starting line in Folsom. I was intimidated by the thought of having to run that far back to the Capitol Mall in downtown Sacramento. The next WOW was to the cold as I stood at the starting line - waiting to run in 28 degree weather with my wife (she ran 6 miles with a relay team). Another WOW was the heartfelt PACER support I received along the way from students and staff of the Grant Sports Health Academy. A big WOW was the strength of the human mind and body when focused on a goal without an option to quit. I literally chunked the marathon into 6-mile segments. I locked my mind into one step at a time and I locked out any thoughts of pain and quitting. My mind became weak at mile 22, but at that point pure will power kept me moving, along with the encouragement of the PACERS, and my motivation team consisting of Jason Harper (miles 6-13), Erica (miles 15-20) and Laura (miles 20-26). And my final WOW was the moment I crossed the finish after moving my feet for 5hrs and 10 minutes. All I can say is WOW! ~ PS… the pain, soreness and stiffness? WOW, but worth it!

It is 6:00 p. m. and I am all packed for the journey: running gear, water bottles, fully-charged Ipod, favorite songs playlist, body fuel, fear, heart, reason to run, hydrated, healthy dinner, rested, hamstring twinge, ready to get started, and ready to finish STRONG! As I lie in bed and ponder tomorrow's event I have a bevy of thoughts and emotions running through my head. I can't even begin to try to explain. The bottom line is that I have all that I need for tomorrow and it's time to put one foot in front of the other for 4-5 hours for a cause that is worth it ~ Brace yourself!

BETTER than I've felt in 2 months; and
GRATEFUL because I am physically capable of even running a marathon; and
CONFIDENT because of the support of the Grant students, staff, friends, and family who are with me in spirit; and
A DESIRE to increase my goal from merely finishing the marathon to finishing strong; and
READY to run for Grant High and the Del Paso Heights community ~ Brace yourself!

Yesterday I stood in Reggie Harris' classroom in the presence of Mr. Murray and Mrs. Providence amongst approximately 50 Sports Health Academy students that filled the space. It felt surreal to look into the eyes of these students who I had envisioned in my mind as I've trained for the past 4 months. Before this moment it had felt like a dream - that I was actually going to swallow 26.2 miles. For the first time in my 4 months of training I was able to put a face...a pulse...a heartbeat to my mission. For the first time it become REAL! I had to be conscious of controlling my emotions as I spoke and attempted to articulate my mission. The emotions just come without notice after all this training, pain, injury, and anticipation. After my talk, Reggie Harris took over and gave one of the most passionate speeches I've ever seen given by a teacher or coach. He challenged the students to give me their word that they would be there on the morning of December 4th to support me. When he was done speaking I stood by the door as the students exited. I must have shaken at least 40 hands of students that looked me in the eyes and said, "I'll be there to support you!" It was surreal but it was and is REAL ~ Brace yourself!

Preparing for this 26.2 mile journey has been filled with emotional ups and downs. In one moment I feel totally confident and others moments questioning whether I can do this. One moment my body feels like a strong, balanced, flexible, durable fitness machine that can conquer anything and other times I feel weak, fragile, inflexible and out of shape. I either feel great or terrible – it’s CRAZY. This time next week, I will be done with the marathon and will either be in an ice bath, Epson salt bath or asleep – having conquered the most physically difficult feat I have ever set out to do. There are 7 things I must do to finish this race... #1 have fun; #2 stay calm and relaxed; #3 trust in my training; #4 run my race at my pace; #5 keep my reason for running at top of mind; #6 keep my body hydrated and fueled every 30 minutes; #7 maintain a confident running posture and stay in the moment. Here we go - Brace yourself!

Today was the day I decided to run my 20 miler. I was supposed to run it on Saturday, but due to my speaking schedule, I had to run it a few days early. The only way to describe what I was feeling at mile 15 is that it felt like death was near. One problem is that I didn't start fresh - I began running after a full day of speaking, meetings and errands. And with the early onset of darkness, I ran the entire time on a treadmill. Yes, I was on a treadmill for over 4 hours. My running coach told me that 15 or more miles on a treadmill is comparable to 50 miles on the street. I really appreciated that feedback because it gave me hope after feeling this near death experience. With every stride after mile 15 my hamstrings felt like they could snap at any moment, my legs felt like they were filled with sand and I couldn't feel my feet. When I got home from the gym, my wife met me in garage to assist me from my car, up the stairs to an ice bath, followed by an Epsom salt bath, while simultaneously shoving food and water down my throat to hydrate me and replenish some of the calories that I had burned. I was almost back to normal within 24 hours. I will never forget this training run. CIM is right around the corner - I am bracing myself!

My training must go on no matter what the weather is like outside. Today I ran 14 miles in the rain, wind, and cold. It was surprisingly empowering to run in those conditions. My left hamstring and my Achilles are holding up and I'm grateful for that however, my left knee is presenting some challenges. At this point in marathon training everyone is hurting. The key now is to stay focused on why I'm doing what I'm doing, and my REASON is what's literally carrying me through - I am running for the kids at Grant High School! This week my 20 miler awaits me ~ Brace yourself!

I was supposed to run 18 miles for my training today, but after checking my calculations I ended up running over 19 miles! I stopped twice to fill up water bottles and I stopped twice for quick bathroom breaks - other than that it was jogging with a few minutes of walking. I walked only when I just didn't have any more energy in the tank. Sincerely, this was physically one of the most difficult things I have ever attempted…very difficult, but worth it ~ Brace yourself!

I haven't been able to run for 4 days due to the recurring knot in my left Achilles tendon. I am currently icing and resting from all activities that could strain that area. I'm even walking carefully, especially when going up or down my stairs at home. The last training run was a 12-miler completed in 2 hours on Thursday, October 20. This weekend I face another milestone goal with an 18 mile run staring me in the face - this will be my longest run to date. I'm predicting at 3-4 hours of continuous running. My reason? I CAN SEE IT - brace yourself!

At this point in my training each week will be a milestone as the mileage increases weekly. I can hardly believe that I was 10.2 miles away from running a full marathon (26.2 miles) this morning! In my attempt to support the Pacer’s vision, my life is being changed. I can't wait to use this training experience to touch the lives of others in my motivational talks! The best is yet to come - brace yourself!

Today's training was a milestone for me - I am halfway through my training for the December 4th marathon and I ran a little more than a half marathon yesterday, which was the longest I've ever run at one time. It was a milestone for my legs to keep moving for more than 2 1/2 hours straight. I'm surprised of what our bodies can do when we train them…brace yourself!

I ran Mon and Tue of this week but took Wed through Sun off because of the pain in my hamstring. It is not injured but it could become injured if I keep pushing too hard. I'll be back on the pavement real soon through rain, snow, hail or sleet … brace yourself!

I had to take the entire week off from running. My left hamstring was feeling unstable after my 14 mile run. Early in the week I also started feeling a twinge in my Achilles tendon. I walked on Thursday and Friday and woke up on Saturday morning eager to get back on the pavement for the Pacers. I was hurting when I woke up but started feeling better as the day went on. At 5:30pm I decided to, “Get up, get out, and go get it!" 10 miles later I had completed my only run for the week, and a long one at that. I’m feeling great…brace yourself!

For the first time... I ran 14 miles in one training session; I ran for 2hr 30 minutes straight with one bathroom break; I took an ice bath; I pushed my body to a new level of fitness. I have never had such a clear REASON to find new limits of physical achievement. I have a new “first time" scheduled for this Saturday – a 16 mile training session…brace yourself!

As I set out to go on my 12 mile run today I felt optimistic, prepared, energetic, and rested. My first 6 miles were a breeze; miles 7 and 8 were hard, mile 9 even harder, at mile 10 my body started shutting down. I was under the impression that my reason to run, my music, and my will power could take me anywhere I wanted to go and for as long as I wanted to go. But I got a wake-up call when I could no longer lift my legs off the ground at mile 11. I did not finish my workout due to lack of body’s fuel...energy...FOOD! I have to fuel my body with the correct amount and type of food or else my body will not perform at its optimum level. Following my run, I physically struggled for the rest of the night. Great learning experience…brace yourself!

As my feet are in a bucket of ice and my knees thaw out from 20 minutes of icing, I feel alive. My 10 miler felt liberating this morning. It took me 3 miles to get my mind off of how many more miles were in front of me. And what I'm learning is that makes for very long runs. After I found my groove (pace), I ran in my pocket (marathon pace) listening to Russell Simmons book "Do You," re-learned some vocabulary words on my Word Master audio program and flowed with JZ, Kanye and Wayne for an hour and 40 minutes. Done at 8:40am… brace yourself!

I took my 9 miler to McKinley Park today. Before my run I was feeling a twinge in my left Achillies tendon. but I decided to try to run a mile to see if the pain would worsen...after the first mile it didn't worsen but the pain also didn't go away. So I decided to deal with it ...and an hour and 23 min and 30 seconds later I was completing my 9th mile. It felt so refreshing and my reason is still the driving force for every training step. Let's Go Pacers... brace yourself!

I had a great run today. I ran with a group of fitness friends and I did a 8 1/2 miler. I try to clear my head and not focus on the distance or the heat or the marathon on Dec 4th. I just keep my energy positive, my music in my ears and stay present to my REASON FOR MY RUN. I got sick afterwards because I didn't eat enough food after I was done training. But I'm back on track now and looking forward to sprint day on Tues... brace yourself!

It feels so good to sprint again. Although I haven't let loose yet, I am getting there-I did my sprint work today to get my cardio stronger for this great cause. I ran a 6x100, 6x200, and 6x300 giving my best effort. It took me 50 minutes to complete this workout. Feels so good! I feel alive and although I wasn't born a Pacer, I have Pacer pride on my mind! I look forward to training on Saturday. Eight miler here we go... brace yourself!

Great run on my first official day of training for my first marathon. Great music play list on my IPod during my 6 mile run. It feels so good to know that every step of my training is dedicated to a cause that I am committed to...if this training was just about my desire to run a marathon for personal reasons, I don't think I could do it. But the fact that it's going to contribute to the greater good for an entire community makes it all worth it and exciting! Grant Pacers, I CAN SEE IT... brace yourself!