I applied to be a 2010 Fifth Third River Bank Run Road Warrior because I had to prove something to myself.

What I learned was far from what I expected.

I learned that the people who have put themselves out there for all to see – are just like you and me – they have incredible stories and are amazing individuals. I hope that the journeys of my 9 teammates and me have touched you in some way. I know for me – I have laughed – smiled – shaken my head – and on more than one occasion cried.

I accomplished what I set out to do – I finished the race. But do you know what I will cherish more than the finishers medal and the way that these last 6 month have strengthened my body – my mind and my soul. It is clearly the people I have had the opportunity to share this experience with – the ones who have made me want to be a better runner and a better person – the ones who have opened themselves up (just like me) to hopefully reach one person – one person – to make a difference in their lives – that is what motivates each of us on this team – at our core. How cool is that?

I started this adventure with some baggage (in addition to my hardware) and some unfinished business. I am proud to say that the baggage is gone – the unfinished business is now finished and that chapter is closed – well – I still have the hardware. The people that I have had the opportunity to meet through this experience have all had an impact on me – I can think of so many – it is absolutely amazing – many of whom will continue to be friends long after the sore muscles have healed.

I will turn 40 next week – and can honestly say that I am excited to see what He has is store for me during the next decade – what a gift and a blessing – isn’t it?

I will conclude my last blog with this quote from Ernie Harwell’s 2002 farewell address – rather than goodbye – please allow me to say thank you – now God has a new adventure for me – I’m ready to move on, so I leave you with a deep sense of appreciation.

~ Thank you.

I crossed the finish line Saturday, but not before this race kicked my rear.

I felt good before Saturday’s race. I was dressed for the cool temps and mentally and physically prepared to run uphill against the wind. I was a Road Warrior sporting a new race apron, so I was all set. Or, so I thought.

Everything was cool for the first five miles of the race. I went out “slow” with speedy Melissa and Matt. And just when I was starting to feel warmed up and comfortable, the heartburn came on in a flash and kept my chest burning for the next 10-plus miles.

I was still on pace at the half way point to finish in less than 2 hours and 10 minutes, so I gritted my teeth and tried to remain positive. But I fell off the pace as the miles wore on and actually got to that point where I had to will myself to keep going. I drank water at every aid station but that provided only temporary relief. I felt so bad around mile 12 that I would have traded my sewing machines and weaving looms for a single Pepcid. Seriously, I was a mess.

I’ve had mild heartburn while running before, but never this intense. I could have walked for a bit, but I didn’t give myself a break. I just kept going for fear that if I started walking, I wouldn’t be able to resume running. I’m sure I looked ridiculous. During the worst of it, I was actually poking myself in the rib cage in a desperate attempt to relieve pressure.

In the interest of full disclosure, I recently underwent a full cardiac workup, so I knew I didn’t have a heart condition and that it was safe, albeit uncomfortable, for me to keep running the race. And I want to stress that if  you have not been checked out for a heart condition and do not have a history of heartburn, you should immediately stop running if you experience severe chest pain during a run. No race is worth ignoring the signs of what may be a serious problem.

Okay, with that said, this year’s race quickly became a test of will. As I ran toward the zoo, I saw a guy wearing a shirt with Walter’s “Living the dream” mantra on the back. What a great reality check that was. In that chest-burning moment, I was struggling to appreciate the fact that running Saturday’s 25K was an awesome privilege and that there were plenty of people in Saturday’s race with bigger obstacles in their way.

So, I drank some more water at the next aid station and kept on going. If I was just running for myself there’s a good chance I would have stopped, but I was running for victims of domestic violence and recognized that running from a violent situation is much harder than the temporary discomfort I experienced on the course. I wasn’t running for my life. I was simply running with heartburn.

So, I adjusted my apron, gritted my teeth and kept going. I was slower than I wanted to be, but at the end of the day it doesn’t really matter. I finished the race in 2 hours 18 minutes and 2 seconds and the heartburn faded within an hour after that. I was way off my 2-hour club dream and about 7 minutes slower than my last 25K, but I’ll take it. I wasn’t having a good day, but I finished. And I don’t think I’ve ever felt so grateful to cross a finish line.

Thank you to all my teammates and the strong women at Safe Haven Ministries for inspiring me to dig deeper when I was literally feeling the burn. And thanks to the race organizers and Road Warrior program for giving me a wonderful opportunity to run and craft for a cause and meet some of the most inspiring and driven people on the planet. Thank you for all of it. Even though the race challenged me in a way I wasn’t prepared for, I have no regrets. This whole experience has been so very meaningful.

Congrats to my teammates who ran awesome races, and hugs to those who left with unfinished business. The good news for all of us is that we can lace up for this one again next year and have another shot at it.

Thanks for an excellent ride, Road Warriors. It’s been a pleasure to train with you.

On May 8th, thousands of people crossed the finish line. My finish line was the first aid station. It was there that I was finished.

I started the race with RW Rachel. We lined up and the race began. Lots of smiles and a little chatting and we were headed out of downtown GR. I grabbed a cup of water at the aid station, tossed the cup and then felt a pain shoot up my left leg from heel to knee. Thinking that someone must have just kicked me, I turned quickly – only to find no one there. I limped to the side and sat down. And there I stayed. After a wild van ride to the med tent, my wife picked me up and drove me to the ER. I was wheeled in and x-rayed. As my wife and kids and I waited for the results, we had flashbacks to 2007 when I broke my hip. We hoped it was just a sprain… it was not.

The doc came back with a half-smile on her face. She explained that the heel had been fractured, but in a most unusual way. When they first viewed the films, they weren’t exactly sure what they were looking at. They had another doc look at it, who confirmed it was an Alvulsion Fracture of the Calcaneus. A rare happening. If I understand it correctly, the muscles and tendons in my foot pulled so hard, where they are attached to the bone, that it took a small chunk of bone out of my heel.

Yes, ouch.

They put my foot in a splint, gave me my instructions and wheeled me out. While waiting for my wife to get her car, I saw Kim Catton, RW Walter’s wife in the ER. She explained what had happened with RW Jack and that he was in the hospital getting fluids. I’m happy to hear that he was released that evening and is doing great!

As for me, I’m adjusting. My right foot, although not fractured, was sprained and is basically non-weight bearing at this time. It is gradually improving, but not quite there yet. We still had the crutches from when I broke my hip, but because I don’t have full strength in my right foot, they are very difficult to use.

So, I slide/crawl around the house – for now – until the foot is strong enough to support my weight. On the plus side, my arms will get a nice workout over the next month or so. Then, I’ll be evened out from all the running.

I’m definitely disappointed that I didn’t finish. I do, however, realize that with all the training, I’m in better shape than I’ve been in many, many years. This run wasn’t meant to be, but there will be others.

I’m thankful that I had the opportunity to be on the Road Warrior team. I’ve met some wonderful people who share a common bond. I’ll never forget the support, the words of encouragement and the friendship.

And, I’m truly thankful for my wife and kids. They put up with my training and will now put up with me being semi-immobile for the next 4-6 weeks. I don’t like being ‘waited’ on, but there are things I just can’t do alone very easily. When I broke my hip, I learned that it was ok to accept help and that you don’t have to try and do everything yourself. That was a strangely hard lesson for me to learn.

I know there’s a lesson in all this as well. I learned lessons before and the outcome was quite positive. To this today, I am quite thankful I fell in that driveway on that cold day in January of 2007. With an open mind and heart, I submit that the lessons learned here will also be positive and life changing. What will those lessons be? It’s too early to tell.

I do know this… I didn’t cross the finish line for the Fifth Third River Bank Run on May 8th. But, I assure you, that course will be finished. Not for medals, not for a party afterwards, but for me. Just me, a course map, a bottle of water, and the will to finish.

The way I see it, I started this race in December… and NOTHING is going to stop me from finishing it.

I don’t really know where to begin. What a great race it was.  A BIG Thanks to  and all the event people for pulling together a first class race.   A HUGE Congrats to all those who ran this weekend.  The 5k, 10k , or 25k  they are all awesome accomplishments.

Before the race we said that everyone there had a story to tell about why they were at the start line.  Now each person who ran either the 5K 10K, or 25K this weekend has a story to tell about the race.  There are stories about the weather, how good or horrible they felt, who was cheering for them, how crazy the person next to them was dressed, what their time was, where they started hurting, where they had to take a break and walk,  who they met and talked to along the way, what song was playing on their Ipod as they neared the finish line.  These are all great stories and so fun to hear.

I met my goal (1:45:00)…actually I smashed it and ran a 1:42:16.  I owe a big thank you to a couple of guys on the course who really helped me against the wind and through the hills.  I don’t know your names but your encouragement and help was such a blessing.  You are part of my 25K story.

There are a few phrases that come to mind when I think about my journey the past year and a half since I started running.  Motivation to start, Perseverance to push through the hard times,  Determination to finish,  Balancing running with the rest or life, Restoring my mind/body/heart to health, and Redemption from my past.  Thanks to all of you who have read my blog and shared my journey past and present.

This wasn’t the finish I envisioned, but the good news is, I’m home.

Two miles shy of the finish line in the Fifth Third Riverbank Run 25K, I had to stop.  I figured I’d walk a little while and then run the last mile.  I figured wrong.  Instead I was carted away in an ambulance and taken to the ER.  They pumped 4 liters of fluid into my system.  I guess I was dehydrated.

When I started with the Road Warriors, my platform was I hate running.  You’d think this would have sealed the deal and I’d throw my running shoes away for good.

Not gonna happen.  I’m going to have to check this off my bucket list first.

I gave it everything I had.  Everything and maybe a little more than I should have.  I would have liked to have finished, but that’s life.

The ironic thing is, if you’ve read my previous blogs, you know all about my battle with “The Voice.”  Well, today the voice started speaking to me at mile 10.  It said, “you really should walk, Jack.  Don’t be proud.  Walk for a while and then we’ll finish this thing.”  I was a little too proud.  It was really important for me to run the entire 25K.  I’m going to have to try this again.  I will try this again.

I do have one regret.  I didn’t get to see Walter Catton finish.  I was really looking forward to watching him cross the finish line.  I was looking forward to seeing the reaction on his wife, Kim’s face.  To see him share that moment with his daughter Noah, his son Ben and his family members that flew in from Boston to see him accomplish this incredible feat.

What impresses me even more, is how selfless he is.  We ran this race together for 13 miles.  When I stopped, he stopped.  When I started getting a little delirious and weak in the knees, he held me up and got me the help I needed.  He wasn’t worried about a time.  He was worried about a friend.  Thanks, Walter.

The Road Warriors has been a fantastic experience.  I’m honored to say I was a part of this team.  I didn’t finish, but I’ve run more in the last three months, that I have in my lifetime.  I didn’t finish, but I share a bond with nine great people. I didn’t finish, but I can honestly say I’m just getting started.

I’m a runner now.

What a moment at the finish line…All of  this hard, work paying off…It was three hours and twenty four minutes of running…not a second of walking!   Most of that smiling..laughing in fact at the damn weather!  Encouraging others who looked bewildered , as my team mates have encouraged me,  these past few months..
“Who am I?” I kept thinking..  Who is this girl who a few short months ago couldn’t even walk a mile…  Who is this girl who just sailed past mile 7 goofing for the camera?  Who is this girl… I kept thinking who is pumping it up these hills?
Who is this girl about to finish running 15.5 miles?   Who am I?
A Road Warrior that’s who…I love you all more than you know…

I promised the coaches that I would go to bed early tonight, so I’m going to be brief. I just want to report that my race apron is done. It reads: “Every 15 seconds a woman is battered. Stop the clock. The bravest thing a woman can do is run, so run like you mean it.” I collected signatures from my teammates and the kind folks representing my charity sponsor, Safe Haven Ministries and stitched those on tonight, too. (I left space on the apron for the teammates I missed today and will ask them to sign before the race.)

My running in aprons kick started on the eve of last year’s Fifth Third River Bank Run, but I never thought it would become a pre-race tradition. And never did I envision myself sitting at my kitchen table sobbing as I hand embroidered a depressing domestic violence statistic onto an apron. But that’s when it became clear this race is about so much more than running. We all know we can run, as we’ve been training for months.

Tomorrow’s race is about digging deep and running for causes and reasons larger than ourselves. Whether you’re out there making the most of a second chance or running on behalf of someone who can’t, don’t forget to take a moment to look around and take it all in. It’s such a beautiful thing to run down the city streets in a sea of thousands of people from all walks of life. We’re different people from different places, but for a few hours on Saturday the only thing we’ll really notice is what we all have in common.We’re all runners challenging ourselves for 15.5 miles.

Best of luck everyone! I’ll see you at the finish line.

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As I look back over the past 6 months, it is astonishing at how much has occurred.  I have run trained 4 to 5 days a week, went through numerous pairs of socks, suffered a few injuries, competed in four races (one of which I got 1st in my age group =) ), and ran over 400 miles.  This entire experience has been life changing, and I will remember it forever.  The people I have met, especially my fellow 9 Road Warriors and 2 coaches, have impacted my life in ways that I cannot even begin to describe.  Each and every one of you has come so far in the past few months, and it has been a pleasure training alongside each one of you.

I applied for the Road Warriors hoping to help someone else out there get through their struggles, but looking back, I think I have been the one that has been helped far more.  I encourage any of you out there who are thinking about running, training, or anything like that to join a group such as RunGR, Gazoom, or any other group because the relationships you build last forever.  I cannot tell you how many people from all walks of life I have met through the Road Warriors and RunGR.  Each one of us goes through struggles in life, and it is nice to have people around you who have experienced similar things and can give a word of advice.

Enough of my rambling, I hope each and every one of you out there has an amazing race tomorrow and good luck!  Even though it may be cold, rainy, and windy, every step is worth it.  There is nothing that compares to crossing that finish line =)

What an incredible journey the last 6 months have been. As Matt and I were reflecting last night, I can recall him helping me with some practice interview questions and then at the last minute decided to do a quick print off for the judges panel to see a list my accomplishments and leave it with them so they would not forget who I was. I recall being very nervous at the interview and Sheila later told me how animated I was with my hands and I spoke too fast!  Words cannot express, how thrilled I was to get the opportunity of this interview.  So, Matt shared in my after interview enthusiasm. By the time I got home and wound down it was near 10:00. At this point, I was a little deflated as by 10:00 I still hadn’t received a call. Astonishing enough, I was able to go to sleep…….the next morning I woke up to a voice mail from Brooke, telling me I was accepted. Brooke was so enthusiastic it was very contagious. Being accepted into the  Road Warrior program made me achieve my goals that I have set forth for the month of May and beyond.

Thank you to all the coaches and fellow Road Warriors. I have made some very special and touching friendships that will last a life time.  To all of you, the best of luck. This journey has been memorable for me and an icon in my daughters eyes with a very clear cut message: NEVER GIVE UP. We can and will overcome adversities in our lives one step at a time. So, take that first step, you will not be disappointed.

This time tomorrow… I wonder how I will be feeling. Right now, I’m feeling grateful:

As I stand at the start line tomorrow, I’ll be with thousands of other fellow runners. We’ll share the same road, the same weather and the same clock. But I must say I feel privileged to have shared something unique with 9 other friends, the Road Warriors. Together, we’ve run the “puke pace.” We’ve burned our legs and lungs hauling up hills. We’ve raised money for good causes (God Bless Degage and all the other non-profits!). And we’ve shared life. We’ve come a long way since that first meeting in the YMCA, haven’t we, guys.

Thank you for sharing this with me. I’m humbled and grateful to have gotten to know you and travel this route together.

And Thank You! to the Riverbank Run organizers. You don’t just put on a good race. You actually make a difference in our community in more ways than most people realize. And you’ve made a difference in my life, without a doubt.

I’m not just forty pounds lighter or closer than I ever thought I’d be to running the 25k and meeting my speed goal. I’ve become something I NEVER thought I’d be: A Runner.

And that feels great.