Time Passages

By Steve | Published: May 22, 2013

Yes this is a nod to the old great Al Stewart song of the same name. And part of this post is an extension of recent dialogue I have had with old childhood buddies Art Graham, Mike Edelman, Curt Smith, and Eleanor Grant…

I recently ran through the old neighborhood where I grew up. I currently live only 4 miles from the very house where I spent my youth. And while I agree that I haven’t gone very far, I also feel that I have done a hell of a lot of living in that time. As I ran past familiar landmarks I found myself doing voice over commentary in my own head, almost as if I was telling my story – to myself.

The cool thing for me is that I am still in touch with many of the “kids” that were a huge part of my childhood. So part of me wanted to pull out my phone and snap a couple of pictures of the old houses and key points of interest including Elwell playground where we spent countless hours playing or just hanging out. For whatever reason, I vetoed the picture idea. I think part of me felt a little creepy taking pictures where I technically no longer belonged. But a bigger part of me just thought the time wasn’t right for those pictures. There may be a time when I will want to do that… but not yet.

I’ve been through some crap, I’ve been kicked in the gut, I have been tested, and I have laughed, loved, cried, seen true beauty and experienced true glory.  And I have told my story in one way or another to countless people. One of the common denominators that resonates through all of the muck and all of the years is that I truly do believe that I live in a fairy tale and I am one of the most fortunate people on this planet.

For whatever reason, I seem to only have vivid recall of the positive experiences and people in my life. And there is no doubt that how I spent my years growing up in  Ardmore Pennsylvania, and all of the people who were a part of those years laid that foundation of belief.  I lived in a modest house. I didn’t have the newest or the most expensive – anything. But I had everything I needed and everything I wanted. I had family. I had friends. I had a sense of community. I had opportunity. I had safety. I had security. And I feel all of that has contributed to the great sense of perspective and appreciation I have today.

My parents gave me just the right length of leash. I was able to explore. I was able to do my own thing and I knew that they were never far. I remember them parking their lawn chairs at every single baseball game I had from ages 8 – 18. And I remember at least one of them being at every basketball and soccer game all through junior high, high school, and at my college soccer games as well. I was always supported.

And I grew up in the perfect neighborhood with friends on every block all around me. Every day seemed to have its own itinerary that we all seemed to intuitively understand. I don’t remember there being much discussion over what we would do on any given day. Some evenings called for a neighborhood-wide game of “Kick the Can” or ‘Fox and Geese”.

Some days found us playing relentless street hockey in the Hall’s driveway who had the multi car garage with every single window blown out from slap shots that sailed high and wide. Just about every day in the summer was spent at Elwell Playground where we would engage in one activity after another in near rapid fire succession until it was time to come home for dinner. And sometimes on a warm summer day, the agenda simply called for sitting perched in one of the DelBonifro’s huge trees next door as we pondered our next move.

As we got a little older, our exploits took us onto the grounds of Haverford College, a.k.a “The College”,  where we would just hang out and “be” or play hoops all day long.

I lived a blessed childhood.

As I reflect back on all of this and then fast forward to my adult life where I not only had the opportunity to play high caliber soccer against some of the best athletes in the country, but have done some pretty cool things in the realm of cancer survivorship and in the world of endurance sports, I like to think that I am proud but more importantly that I am humble.

While I acknowledge that I have accomplished more in my life than many people will ever dream of, I consider all of that to be more of a blessing than anything that I might possibly have co-engineered. I couldn’t have made this stuff up if I tried.  And while I do believe in good people attracting good things, and in the laws of karma, I also believe in luck and that the proper  perspective will make all the difference in anyone’s life. I do appreciate where I have come from and what I have done, but you won’t see me writing or talking a whole lot about that. You won’t see me advertise my race accomplishments in the social media outlets and measuring my worth in terms of “comments”, “likes”, or “shares”. You will however see me marvel and shake my head in disbelief that one person can be as lucky as I have been.

I know everyone has a different story and a different perspective of how they got where they are today. But the cool thing is that we all went through all of that stuff “together” in one way or another. And we have made it through to the other side and are sitting here talking about it. We all wake up every day and fight the good fight. That fight takes on a different meaning for each and every one of us, but we all fight for or against something or someone every day – even if it’s ourselves.

I take comfort in that I think I am leaving a positive trail of bread crumbs behind me. I do my best to lead by example. Granted, I have a closet full of flaws but I do my best to hide them by offsetting them with something GOOD.  And yes, I fully realize that some days are up and some days are down. But at the end of this fine day, we are winning.

So in reality….It’s a good day. They are all good days.

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CYEDC Tyke Triathlon

By Steve | Published: May 7, 2013

SWIM BIKE RUN TOGETHER!
The triathlon has long been held as the true test of sporting excellence. Now you can turn your little one into a super star on Sunday, May 19, while enjoying LOTS of fun for the whole family.

Our Tyke Triathlon has three MINI EVENTS…

SWIM (Tread)
The young athletes begin at the starting line with their water safety device on. The whistle blows and they’re off to complete a one pool width swim (from one side of our shallow end to the other).

BIKE (Trike)
The trikes are parked in a neat line along the course. The youngsters leap on their bike, strap on a helmet and zoom off for two laps around the back parking lot! It’s pedal power frenzy! Little athletes can use a bike, big wheel, manual scooter or any other non-motorized/battery operated form of transportation.

RUN (Trot)
The atmosphere is electric. It’s time for their final event – a one loop trot around our grassy field. Support crews  participating adult) trail in their wake and use whatever it may be to get them across the finish line, while the crowd of excited onlookers go crazy!

RACE DETAILS
Sunday, May 19 8am Start (waves begin every 10 minutes)
Race Heats – Heat 1: ages 3 & 4/Heat 2: ages 5 & 6
Race Check-In – Friday, May 17 and Saturday, May 18 at the Ridley Area YMCA Front Desk. Participants will be given their bibs, colored wrist bands and race packets.
Entry Fee (child only): $15 (now- April 15), $20 (April 16-May 18)
Includes: entry, Child T-shirt, Adult T-Shirt, child’s medal, and refreshments.
One adult, 18 and up, must accompany each child during each leg of their race.
Race entry is limited to the first 100 children.

NO RACE DAY REGISTRATION ACCEPTED.

For more visit cyedc.org

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Brad Schoener Memorial 5K Run / Walk & Music Marathon

By Steve | Published: May 7, 2013

I wanted to remind everyone about the Brad Schoener 5K on May 18th.  Slots are filling up and there is no guarantee that many slots will be left for race day registration. We have plenty of fun things lined up again this year including the Phillie Phanatic and B101 radio. Also, runners will be chip timed this year! We also have a time change for this year’s event. Runners still kick off at 10:00 AM but walkers will start at 10:30 AM.

For complete details and a link to registration, please visit udmusicmarathon.org

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Donate to The One Fund Boston

By Steve | Published: May 5, 2013

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Tom Menino have announced the formation of The One Fund Boston, Inc. to help the people most affected by the tragic events that occurred in Boston on April 15, 2013.

To help, click HERE.

Learn more at www.baa.org


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Gatorade, Coaching, and TriRock News

By Steve | Published: April 25, 2013

A few new things have shaken out this week. For starters, my Team in Training coaching buddy, Todd Wiley who has had the Eastern Pennsylvania triathlon team since 1999 and who I have been partnering with since my diagnosis in 2006 is stepping down from the head coaching helm. This is a tough pill to swallow for me because one of the best parts of my TNT gig has always been the camaraderie of the coaching trio.

After several conversations with Todd, and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society staff, I agreed to step in and assume head coaching responsibilities. The main reason is that I just have way too much invested in the program, and in LLS to trust someone else to come in and take over. I know Todd won’t be too far away and I am certainly not losing Todd as a friend, but his presence at practice will certainly be missed. Todd’s last event will be the Philadelphia TriRock Triathlon in June. (The former Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon). Our third musketeer, Kenny Modica will remain onboard with me. I will eventually decide if I want to bring on a 3rd person. Maybe that’s something to think about for next year. For  a little more on the trio of Todd, Ken, and Steve, click HERE.

And on that note, I was asked to speak at this year’s TNT Inspirational dinner the weekend of the Philadelphia TriRock Triathlon. I have spoken at this event a handful of times and always look forward to it. This event will be bitter sweet for me since it will be Todd’s last event with us.  Being the guest speaker will give me the opportunity to not only share my story but also to say a few words about Todd (If I were Todd, I would be very worried). I know we will make this event and dinner something special. I would love to get our TNT national coaching guru, good buddy, and Ironman legend Dave Scott to come east for that weekend. More on this event and weekend to come!

Next, I was selected to be a Philadelphia market Brand Ambassador for Gatorade. I am looking forward to representing Gatorade at upcoming expos, events, etc. The great thing for me is that I will be able to secure product for events and activities that are already on my calendar and I will be doing anyway so in some respects there is very little additional effort involved in this relationship.

I think that’s it for now. Stay tuned for more fun.

Tran safe, race smart, and thank the volunteers.

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Statement from Thomas Grilk, BAA Executive Director

By Steve | Published: April 16, 2013

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) extends its deepest sympathies to all those who were affected by Monday’s tragic events. Those who lost their lives and were injured are in our thoughts and prayers.

It is a sad day for the City of Boston, for the running community, and for all those who were here to enjoy the 117th running of the Boston Marathon. What was intended to be a day of joy and celebration quickly became a day in which running a marathon was of little importance.

We want to express our deepest gratitude to all of the B.A.A. medical personnel and volunteers and the City of Boston’s first responders who reacted so courageously to help save lives. Special thanks to the loyal Boston Marathon community – over 8500 volunteers, 1000 medical personnel, the organizing committee, and hundreds of thousands along the race route – who make the experience what it is for all our runners, who are hurting today.

We would like to thank the countless people from around the world who have reached out to support us over the last 24 hours.

We are cooperating with the City of Boston, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and all federal law enforcement officials in the investigation and the effort to bring those responsible for this tragedy to justice, so we are limited in what information we can provide.

Boston is strong. Boston is resilient. Boston is our home. And Boston has made us enormously proud in the past 24 hours. The Boston Marathon is a deeply held tradition – an integral part of the fabric and history of our community. We are committed to continuing that tradition with the running of the 118th Boston Marathon in 2014.

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Two Oceans Ultra Marathon – Part 5 Race Day

By Steve | Published: April 3, 2013

Continued from Two Oceans Ultra Marathon – Part 4

Race morning!!

As expected, I didn’t sleep all that well on Friday night. But I am quite accustomed to not sleeping the night before a race and try to make sure I have some extra rest hours in the bank the couple of days leading up to race day. We all started to congregate in the living room area of the guest house by 4:45. Our wonderful guest house proprietors, Tonia and Paul had the coffee on and pre bagged breakfast to go ready for everyone. Love those guys.

The plan was to leave the Dolphin Inn by 5:00. And of course our GRS Sherpa for the week, good ole Sam Mayer, took care of driving us and dropped us off right at the start. We had one slight navigational hiccup which sent us to the wrong end of town initially, but cool headed Sam made the adjustment and still got us where we needed to be. Sam was the man all week. He always made sure we were taken care of, drove us wherever we needed to be, and did it all with a smile and a helpful and genuine interest in any plans we may have concocted.

Sam dropped us off at the start and we were lined up at the very back of the pack which made me feel uncomfortable. I don’t like to see too much of the race in front of me, so a few of us edged our way more towards at least the middle of the pack. Our team was split up at the start. Which was fine with me as I generally prefer the solitude. I somehow did end up running with Trish for the first few miles; and that felt good. We eventually split up and ran our own races. Two Oceans is a beast of a different color. They say that the first half marathon is flat. That is not exactly true. The first half marathon actually inclines just enough to nudge you and make you wonder if you are climbing or are off to a bad start. It’s a subtle and gentle climb, but it is a little bit of a climb. But out of respect for the locals, I will say that the first half of the marathon is flat – by Two Oceans Ultra Marathon standards!

I felt great through the first 21km. I was a little slower than 21k race pace, but that was to be expected, given what  needed to be conserved for the rest of the race. I believe I had about a 2:15 split at the 21km mark. My hope was to run a conservative 2:15 first 21km, and even more or equally conservative second 21km. Which would leave me plenty of time and energy reserves to cover the last 14 km. I knew I needed to run safe through 42km and have plenty of gas in the tank for life beyond that marathon mark. That all looked and sounded fine – on paper and in my head.

The problems came when I hit Chapman’s Peak. Which was also the same point where the true splendor of the course  reminded you that there is a God, and that Mother Nature can be a beautifully dressed bitch. I kid you not, this was the most breathtaking and picturesque scenery I have ever witnessed in my life. I felt like I was watching a Nat Geo special on a life sized screen. The climbs throughout Chapman’s were significant, and unlike anything that I had prepared for. (That’s a training flaw on my part and will not be repeated in the future). But the views that I experienced while climbing proved to have almost an anesthetic effect on our “suffering”. We tend to use that term quite freely when we speak of tough portions of races. I was never a fan because I look at all of this as fun and games and see no room for suffering. There is too much true suffering in the world to pretend for a minute that we “suffer” when we hurt in a race. BUT, I will grant myself an exception this time.

Another unanticipated X-Factor was the wind. Now, understand, I have raced in my fair share of wind and even torrential rain. Wind can be very uncomfortable, and can destroy your psyche, but wind tends to forget, and most people can eventually find their way through wind given a little patience and a few self talks.

It wasn’t “wind” that I experienced while admiring the beauty of Chapman’s Peak. It was gale force, blow you off your feet, tornado caliber heaving that literally blew people right to the ground. I saw people face plant around me as if they were being knocked about like bowling pins. While I wasn’t blown off of my feet, a few times I needed to sit down on the road in a fetal position, taking cover against the mountain, with my back to the wind, just to remain in control. If I even was in control. The downhills were just as bad because once you picked up a little momentum, it was virtually impossible to slow down once the wind mowed up and over your back. Your feet couldn’t turnover fast enough, and your brakes simply didn’t work. It was … insanely and spectacularly AWESOME. It was part of the adventure and part of the journey. As crazy as it was, you couldn’t help but smile and even giggle through it all.

I finally made my way through Chapman’s and was almost sad to see her go. I lost a lot of time due to the conditions and the hills. I was forced to walk way too much of that which I hadn’t anticipated. That backed me up against the wall to make the next cut off time at the marathon mark. I made the cut, but by the skin of my teeth.  But it wasn’t part of the plan and this didn’t give me much room for the next cut off which included even more significant climbing than we had seen at Chapman’s. I made it past the next cut off point but I was past the required time by two minutes according to my watch. So I didn’t exactly having the day that I had hoped for. 

I made a few friends during the race. Including a ten-time Two Oceans Ultra Marathon veteran who said these were the worst conditions she had ever seen. And this was the only race – in ten – that she didn’t finish. I reflected back on what I could have done better. Then chuckled out loud as I recalled throwing my running cap to a little boy on the street who yelled to me, “hey mister, can I have some cap?” The way he scrambled for that hat, you would have thought I tossed a $100 bill to the ground. That may end up being one of my most lasting memories.

I rendezvoused with the rest of my team at our scheduled meeting spot. Some had already finished – or been pulled from the course. And a few people were still out there fighting their way to the finish. I was proud of each and every one of them and honored to be a part of this epic adventure.

My wounds quickly healed. While these things can be a little disheartening,  the reality is that I traveled to the other end of the world, raised significant dollars for our mission, met some amazing people, and got to run what is probably the most beautiful marathon in the world.  I will take away the things I gained, which were far greater than anything I may have just missed. 

This was a fantastic experience and  gorgeous journey. The accommodations were second to none. The team camaraderie was great. The work done by our captains and organizers was really appreciated and made our trip flawless. Our financial contributors, event organizers, new and old friends, and sponsors all made this trip an exciting experience of a lifetime.  A special note to our friends at Nathan Sports; not only did our belt packs provide the perfect solution to our nutrition needs, we all walked around Cape Town with our red cinch backpacks which were not only great race day bags – but great shopping bags as well!

Will I go back? Absolutely. But it’s a big planet. I suspect that our very awesome little core GRS team will land on a different destination before circling back to revisit Cape Town South Africa.

Until next time, train safe, race smart, and thank the volunteers.

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Two Oceans Ultra Marathon – Part 4

By Steve | Published: April 3, 2013

Continued from Two Oceans Ultra Marathon – Part 3

The Journey to Cape Town

Disclaimer – these next several posts may be done on the run and may be the product of free form real time brain purges. So I will apologize up front for the lack of a polished and edited product.

This is a very interesting and eclectic group of GRS teammates. We have an aspiring musician in Josh Elkes, his father Steve Elkes, who we have to thank for this adventure through the charitable efforts of the Elkes Foundation.  We also have Josh’s girlfriend Carolyn running the half marathon. We have two former Survivor reality show contestants in Nicole Delma and Trisha Dunn… Nicole who I have known for a few years has also run several other GRS events and has known Ethan for many years. Then we have Rusty Trump and Evelyn Gonzolas, both of whom seem like a lot of fun.  And of course my buddy and fellow cancer crusher Ethan Zohn is the common denominator for us all. I am bummed that my family isn’t able to be a part of this. But the reality is, whether they are here or not, these dreams don’t come true without them. So, thank you for this life.

While I was waiting at the gate, a woman sat down next to me at wanted to be my friend. She put her hand on my knee and asked me if I was going to Africa…. Then insisted on pulling everything out of her carry on bag to not only show me, but provide detailed commentary of all of her belongings and medications. I kept  looking around  at others to see if she belonged to anyone or to see if I could get some sympathy from someone. One woman saw what was going on but quickly buried her face in her magazine with a certain “better you than me” smirk. Thank  God Rusty and Nicole, who as it turns out were sitting close by, came to my rescue. So I hopped up and said goodbye to the crazy lady from LA and we all had a laugh about it and her .  Nicole and Rusty were trying to figure out who the older Latino woman was that I was traveling with. Beats the hell out of me…

All morning connections were perfect….. Even the 4:30 am shuttle pick up at my home in suburban Philly. It got me to JFK nice and early, the way I like to be. Our team was  all seated close to each other and I had an entire 4 seat row to myself.

But wait…. There is more! Once we boarded, crazy LA woman made her rounds up and down the aisles trying to make a few more friends along the way. Anytime she came my way, I just closed my eyes, hopefully sending a “do not disturb” message. It seems to have worked.

Had a pretty good in flight lunch of tortellini . At least I guess it was lunch. But I’m sure it was tortellini, in spite of what the server was attempting to call it. Then settled in and watched Lincoln on my little monitor. Good flick. Really liked it for sure. Also finished another couple of chapters of Dean Karnazes’ book “Run”. Five hours in and I was still feeling great. Oh nice! Nicole Delma to the rescue with Oreos ! Thanks Cole. It’s funny because all the shades were drawn so it felt like  the middle of the night. In reality it was 4:30 est but 10:30 Cape Town time. But I figured it was happy hour somewhere and declared it time for a beer.

Ahhh there we go….. A cold Castle lager – my favorite…. Well, not bad anyway. And no charge. Unless the crazy lady from LA paid for it. Ha! And it came with a bag of friggin Fritos. I think I gained a few pounds already.

It’s odd watching the real time destination map of the flight path. I think 99.99 % of it is over water. Check it out on the map, it’s wild. More later.

Crazy LA lady caused a little bit of a scene overnight when she decided to switch seats to find a little more room. In doing so she was seriously invading the personal space of one of the other passengers. And that other passenger was non other than our own Steve Elkes! So the rest of the flight was pretty uneventful. Long as hell but relatively comfortable all things considered. Had a great breakfast at 4:00 am local time then touched down in  Johannesburg. From there we had a brief layover then reboarded to hop to Cape Town. The flight to Cape Town was short and sweet and under two hours.

The Cape Town landing and airport pick up was very smooth. We met our Sherpa Sam Mayer and made our way to the Dolphin Inn Guesthouse….. which happened to be about 50 yards from a dog park and beach. This little bed and breakfast is so damn cool and run by a young couple who were nothing but very nice and supportive of anything we needed. Oh yeah and there was  a house cat and we sort of adopted each other. Rusty and I took an awesome walk along the water and found a waterfront shopping and dining area. Our view gave us mountains out the back door and ocean out the front. It’s pretty damn sweet. Had a terrific seafood dinner outside along the waterfront and was entertained by a number of South African acrobats. Cool stuff. Our group all hung out together for dinner and a few glasses of wine.

By Thursday it felt feel like I had experienced a week’s worth of scenery and activity.  The day started with a tour of the Grassroot Soccer offices which had a very cool sort of creative loft feel and the staff was all very cool. From there we headed out to tour one of the actual program facilities that GRS uses. It’s a very modest building but with an awesome little all weather turf field in the middle of what looked like a very repressed township area. We met a number of the coaches, who were all young adults and university age students who have been trained by GRS to help guide these kids to a better way of life through healthier choices, using soccer as its medium.

There were a number of small kids there as well just playing around since school is out for Easter break. They seemed to look at us with part hope for what we might be able to add to their programs, and part amusement by our clothing, flamboyantly colored running shoes, and our overall “foreign factor”.  I realized then and there that this ultra marathon pales in comparison to the other things I was experiencing. The race almost became an after thought at that. After meeting these kids and seeing their communities and the work that GRS is doing, it became clear what mattered and what didn’t.

As we concluded our visit, we all boarded our team van with one slight change in plans. One of the coaches had asked us for a ride into town. And when we said “sure, hop in”, the guest list quickly grew to another 4 people all needing a ride! I later learned that these coaches take two trains and a taxi in most cases to get to this facility, so a free ride was welcomed and embraced. The one problem being that we were driving a mini van that comfortably seated about 10 people, including the driver. And 1o was exactly the size of our traveling roadshow. I was riding shotgun and saw the look of concern on Sam’s face as we increased our payload by 50%. I just smiled and said “Sam, don’t even look…. I promise this has all of the ingredients of a very interesting adventure ride”.

We learned more about our new friends and the neighborhoods in which they live during that ride than any tour guide or book could possibly tell. Their dwellings were modest at best and in some cases almost seemed uninhabitable. BUT their pride and sense of community was very strong and evident. People presented themselves better than you would expect given what appeared to be their living conditions. We saw people walking about the neighborhoods coming and going from some less than desirable looking houses dressed for the runway. And as we drove through the neighborhoods, our passengers were having fun waving to their friends, proudly showing off their “luxurious” ride home.

From there we went to the race expo which was an incredible glimpse into the economic and social dichotomy that defines and divides this land. But in some respects I suppose it’s much like a homeless person begging for their next meal across the street for a Fortune 100 financial institution in a big city in the states. And we’ve all witnessed that. The highlight of the expo was getting the chance to hang out with the legendary South African runner Zola Budd. Google her if you don’t know the name. My Newton Running contact set us up as Zola is the SA partner for Newton. Zola was very very nice and had a pretty calming impact on my per race nerves.

Two Oceans bills this expo as the biggest and greatest expo to grace the planet. While I found nothing “wrong” with it, it was basically just like any other big city race expo – except everyone had a beautiful SA accent. So I found myself engaging vendors just to hear them talk. Didn’t buy a darn thing though! It was cool to be be given a little VIP treatment at the “International Athlete Registration” kiosk. It was there that I picked up the Two Oceans race guide and saw the article that was done on Ethan and I.

After the expo we hit another great outdoor steak and seafood place. I have had both the steak and the seafood at a couple of different restaurants but am steering clear of the “game” option that appears on the menus because I don’t even think the chefs know what constitutes “game”. And as I understand it, this can vary depending on …. something.

On Friday there was an international fun run held for any athletes and their families who felt like participating. We didn’t all do this as a team, but Nicole and Rusty went to the start of the race and ran the short distance back to the guesthouse. And I ran from the guesthouse to the start, and then ran back with a team of Germans, laughing and clowning around with the along the way without a clue of what we/they were talking about. It didn’t seem to matter though. It seems laughter and running are universally understood.

As Friday progressed, my focus shifted to the following day being “go day” and I hit a little bit of a dark patch.  But by the time I came back from shopping I started to feel a little better. And through it all I kept finding myself saying “dude, you are in friggin SOUTH AFRICA”! Friday was pretty much a free day to explore things on our own. By midday I already had my race gear ready to go for the morning. At that point I just needed to run because the chatter in my head was starting to drive me crazy. I didn’t want to be anti social but I needed a little space from the team on Friday to deal. I also grabbed a quick nap outside in the dog park so I could be soothed by the warmth of the sun and the sound of the crashing waves.

Friday night we had a great per race dinner with GRS staffers Leah, Rob, and James. Dinner was terrific but the night before something big like this I usually prefer my space and there was a lot of noise and chatter at the table and restaurant. Luckily Nicole sat next to me and as it turned out, we shared the same pre race mentality. By the time we finished our main course we looked at each other and declared to each other that as wonderful as it was, the evening needed to end – soon.  By the time dinner was over, we were all ready to be done with everything and needed to focus our energy on the race. We ended our dinner and visit and made our way back to the guest house to get mentally and logistically ready…

Continued ….. Two Oceans Ultra Marathon – Part 5 Race Day

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Two Oceans Ultra Marathon – Part 3

By Steve | Published: March 25, 2013

Continued from Two Oceans Ultra Marathon – Part 2

So folks… the time has nearly come. Chances are the next time you hear from me will be from South Africa as I am being picked up tomorrow morning at 4:30 AM to be whisked off to JFK airport in NYC. I want to think everything is done. I haven’t actually packed everything into bags yet, but that’s my job today. I need to make another quick run to the store (drive that is) and then I can pack up. And I think once that is done, I will feel really “ready”. I did just check in online though and printed my boarding pass so mark that off the to do list.

Of course my training is essentially done. A couple of short runs over the next few days should keep the juices flowing and the horses content but in reserve. I was laughing to or at myself last night while telling my family that there isn’t a single thing about this adventure that is familiar to me. I have never flown out of JFK. I don’t know the logistics of that airport and have to place a whole lot of faith in the limo shuttle service that is supposed to get me there. I have obviously never been to South Africa. And for that matter, I have never run an ultramarathon. So, to my point: there is NOTHING about this trip that is familiar. And that’s probably why I feel like a 6 year old on Christmas Eve right now. While I am a little nervous about meeting Santa Claus, I am ecstatic with excitement over the growth opportunities and rewarding gifts that this trip holds for all those going. In so many respects, there has already been tremendous personal growth before even leaving the country. The training itself has given me a restored sense of … something that I can’t quite pinpoint. But I know it is has awakened me, and it is GOOD.

Yesterday while I was organizing my race day nutrition bag I just shook my head in disbelief of the amazing things I have been able to do in this fairy tale life, and the amazing people who are a part of it all. I am thankful everyday for all of this. And while there is something hollow about not having my family with me this time, it was one of those once in a lifetime opportunities that I simply had to do. As much as I love adventures, there is something missing when you aren’t sharing them with the support crew that has been an integral piece of every other journey and milestone from marathon, to ironman, to chemotherapy, and back to ironman again. But it’s all good. Keeping the energy focused and positive.

I am traveling with enough technology to keep me minimally connected enough to stay in touch with family and post the occasional pic or update, but any full blown race report will need to wait until I am back home again. The travel itinerary looks to be a great mix of organized group and race related activity, including visiting some of the Grassroot Soccer facilities (and playing a little pick up soccer… my goalie gloves are packed), but there is plenty of down time, or self exploration time as well. I also downloaded some good reading to keep me occupied while in the air or when my feet are up on foreign soil. Dean Karnazes’ book “RUN” and “LIFE” by Keith Richards should keep me inspired yet entertained. But I don’t anticipate sitting still long enough to read once I get there.

That’s about it for now. Make sure you are following me on facebook and twitter because I don’t know how my next updates will make their way to you. Talk to ya soon.

Continued – Two Oceans Ultra Marathon – Part 4

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Two Oceans Ultra Marathon – Part 2

By Steve | Published: March 17, 2013

Continued from Two Oceans Ultra Marathon – Part 1

OK folks, the countdown to the race day clock is ticking…. loudly. A few more pieces of the puzzle came together last week. Dumb administrative stuff like notifying my bank and cell phone carrier about international travel, etc.

My last long run is done. I don’t know if my training formula was perfect but I don’t think it was a bad one. My rationale is this; I have “faked” my way through many marathons with much less training than I have put into this effort. So…. for this journey, I have put in some great long runs and I would consider myself in pretty good marathon shape.

Am I in great ultra marathon shape? I will answer that question post race. But my belief is that if I am in good marathon shape, and I can be strong through the first 26.2 miles of this race, I will find a way to get through the last 9.

These last 2 weeks will consist of shorter but still some intense runs and a little cross training. But the most important goal at this stage of the game is to remain healthy, injury free, and in a good mental and emotional state to race a 56 KM ultra in South Africa with one of my favorite charities – Grassroot Soccer.

I know where everything is that I want to bring or pack and I will take care of all of that next weekend. I even found my Stand Up 2 Cancer / SURVIVOR buff that Ethan gave me which I had misplaced! Good karma has been restored with that find. I will also pick up all of my race day nutrition needs next weekend. All of my travel docs and details are in place.

While of course I am very stoked about this race itself, there are many things that I am looking forward to regarding this adventure. The international “fun run” the day before the actual race looks like it will be a blast and the perfect opportunity to run / walk / sight see with a camera. Although I don’t know about anyone else but I am NOT going to be moving very fast or long the day before I am racing 56 KM!

I have also made arrangements to connect with South African running legend Zola Budd while I am there. Zola has been very gracious and is looking forward to Team Grassroot Soccer coming to town. Thanks to our friends at Newton Running for connecting me with Zola. And I of course need to give another very loud shout of appreciation to Nathan Sports for their very generous support of Team GRS. You guys ROCK and we will be proud to sport our Nathan gear.

This thing is really happening…..stay tuned.

Two Oceans Ultra Marathon – Part 3

Posted in health & fitness, motivation, racing, running | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment
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