Destination Marathon Achieved!

Hello Readers!

This weeks blog brings me great pride. On Sunday I completed my first marathon in San Antonio, Texas. The day was a perfect day for running, the temperature was about 55 degrees and cloudy. There was an anxious crowd on hand of approximately 30,000 runners. With this many runners they start you in stables of 1,000 runners. My stable was 24, each stable starts approximately 2 minutes apart. That meant it took me roughly 45 minutes to make it to the starting line, which meant my anticipation continually built. Finally the moment came and it was my opportunity to start. I took off like I was shot out of a cannon which was probably not the best way to begin a 26 mile journey but I couldn't be contained. People had told me the key is to run the first two miles the slowest and get into the race, but in my excitement I completely ignored all advice and forged ahead. The race took me all over San Antonio, I briefly saw the Alamo, I saw several historic Spanish missions but I was focused in on the destination so many of the sites were missed.

Everyone hears stories about people hitting the wall in marathons this is definitely true. About 17 miles in I was mentally prepared for GU packets which are basically pure energy packets and didn't receive them at that mile mark, the course took me on a long one mile uphill which beat me up mentally and physically. The key is to remain strong in your belief, I did walk for about half a mile in this stretch before giving myself a tongue lashing and forging on. At mile 23 I began cramping up a bit which was a new experience for me, I had been taking an average of two waters and two cytomax (gatorade substance) at every station after 8 miles into the race, but it apparently wasn't enough. So at the last three stations I took on three of each which carried me through.

Mile 25 finally rolled through and I knew I was almost done, the last mile was lined with tons of people cheering you on which was very important to helping complete the course. At mile 26 the course took a turn at the Alamodome and went straight up a giant hill. My friend Jen who had run the half earlier came back to the end to watch me finish. This is when the greatest and funniest part of my marathon experience began. Jen saw me turning for home and getting ready to climb this final mountain. She jumped the fence, ran toward me and started yelling at me to get up that hill, not to quit on the race at that point. She yelled "you make this hill turn for home and have 100 yard left, smile damn it!! This is your marathon this is your finish" I had my own Jillian Michaels on the course motivating me to drag my tired woosy legs across the finish line. There it was, it was over just like that. I was so excited and so overcome with emotion that I didn't want to take my finisher medal. I told Jen that is not my medal, mine is Red like my race bib. She just laughed and said "No that is your medal, as she forced me to take it and look at it. After taking some water I realized she was correct and it clearly said Marathon Finisher on it. Thanks friend!

Next week I will talk about the emotions and the feelings that one experiences when running 26.2 miles, it is truly an amazing feeling. I wanted to send a special thanks to Jen, Jeremy and Troy for making the journey down and being a part of the experience. I wanted to thank all my friends and family who have been a part of my marathon journey, who received the text updates on how I was doing, who have continually pushed me to stretch my goals in life. You are all so special to me and this glorious moment in my life would not have been possible without all of you. I leave you this week with my favorite quote, life is short live it hard. Take each day and truly make the most of it.

Ryan

Anticipation is almost over!

Hello Readers!

It has been a few weeks since my last update. Marathon week is finally upon me! There has been a lot of build up for this moment. I leave for San Antonio on Saturday morning at 7:55 and get there around 1:30 in the afternoon thanks to a relatively long layover in Denver, Colorado. This is a week I wasn't sure would come soon enough. The training has been very long and very grueling, but well worth it from a fitness standpoint. I have had to tighten the belt another notch as again I am starting a trophy to showcase where the journey started. My new pants bought back in March now are too big and sagging on me, and I feel like a million dollars right now. This week I have been in full taper so as not to drain my legs, I still exercised well with boot camp on Monday, a 5 mile run on Tuesday, a 4-5 mile walk of the dog and Bosu/Weights class Thursday at the "Y". This may sound like a lot but this was a light week for me. I don't want anyone to think that I am slacking, as I give myself no real rest I am signed up for a 5K the following Sunday in KC and then another 5K on Thanksgiving with my best friend Jay.

As exciting and as much as I am ready for the moment to arrive, the moment where I test my endurance, my mental fortitude and just about everything I have in me. I am just as excited about the trip. I have never been to San Antonio and Jen, Jeremy, Troy and I all have a very exciting weekend lined up. When we arrive we are going to the expo to pick up our packets in final preparation for the race, but then we are going to experience some of the great history and fun that San Antonio has to offer. We plan on hitting up one of the boat cruises through the famed river walk area, we plan making the most of the day. We have a dinner lined up that night a highly recommended Italian place to complete the carb loading for the next day. Once the race is complete we have plans to paint the town red that day by catching the Chiefs/Broncos game somewhere and indulging in some Margarita's on the river walk at Casa Rio. I don't want everyone to worry, I certainly plan on rehydrating before partaking in the adult beverage section.

In a random switch, I wanted to pass along that I am finally in my new place. The move went very well thanks to JJ, Jessica, Jay, Brad, Uncle Tony and my mom. I got moved in last Saturday and have enjoyed everything so far. When people get the opportunity to see the place I am very proud of my stadium (living room) I call it the stadium as it my personal version. I have a a picture of Farout Field (Mizzou Football Stadium) that was painted hanging above my big screen, along with my autographed picture of Sean Witherspoon and Tony Gonzalez so it feels like a total man cave. I still need to add my George Brett Autographed Jersey to this room but people will love the sports stadium feel. No worries, I will have a room at some point that has a little less bachelor pad feel, that just takes a little time. I am very excited to host people at any point so don't be afraid to let me know if you are in town and need a place to crash. My addresss is 4200 Booth Street, Kansas City, KS 66103. I live in an awesome area of Kansas City approximately half a mile from KU Med Center, one mile from Westport and one mile from the Plaza.

Have a great weekend all, I will update you with race results early next week and try to describe all the feelings and emotions of completing this part of my journey known as life.

Life is short, Live it Hard!
Ryan

In the Home Stretch

Hello Readers!

The last couple of weeks have been very busy but extremely important for my from a personal standpoint and a physical standpoint. I am in the home stretch for my marathon. The official date is November 14th which is less than a month away. I am extremely excited for the event to finally get here. I have purchased the hotel room, booked my flights and started asking for great places to visit while in San Antonio. Readers please feel free to comment or reply on FaceBook of places you recommend in San Antonio I will do my best to try as many as possible. I have some friends who are coming along and want to send a shout out to them for taking times out of their busy lives to support me in my goal. Jen and Jeremy thank you both for how much you have contributed to keeping me on track and inspiring me through this process. Chip you never allow me to slack in class or when you train me I do hope you are able to make the trip down. Stay tuned later for the final results from San Antonio!

It is too early to be handing out too many thanks as I have not completed the journey yet. In the past couple of weeks I have pushed myself to the limit though. I have done my longest run ever of 22 miles which has me feeling like nothing can stop me. This previous Saturday I competed in the Kansas City half marathon. I ran the same half two years ago the improvement in my time was over 13 minutes. I finished in 2:05 which is an average mile of 9:37 absolutely incredible for me. I have never broken 10 minute miles in any race. Once again my Jen and Jeremy were there with me for the day. They both did incredible and finished in 1:48 way to go both of you. When I mentioned earlier I have been pushing it to the limit, I have probably averaged around 2:30 of gym time a day. My body is in the best physical condition it has ever been in which helps keep me inspired daily to continue this journey. Hopefully you as readers are seeing great results as well, if you ever need inspiration or someone to help you reach your goals don't hesitate to ask as I love being a part of others success as well.

I mentioned above I have been very busy from a personal standpoint as well. A couple weeks back I mentioned that I was in the process of purchasing a house. I wanted to let everyone know that I should be closing on the house next week!! This is very exciting for me. I can't wait to open up my home to many of you whether it be for a party, to watch games, or to stay with me when you are in town. I will plan on posting some pictures once I am in and the furniture is moved in.

Happy Exercising,
Ryan

Flashback

Hello Readers!

I am sitting at home right now watching The Biggest Loser on TV, the show is always inspirational and tonights episode is no exception. The show brings back scary memories for me. Tonight is like a flashback. Several years ago these contestants were me. I was that person who could not even think of finishing a workout without feeling total exhaustion. The great thing about the show is watching the contestants realize what the weight was doing in their life. This was no different for me. I went through many of the same emotions the contestants are going through right now. I had the low confidence, I had the feelings that I was not worthy of others but like the contestants times change and confidence is sprung. For those who follow and struggle with their weight as well, remember maintain your confidence if you put in the effort the results will come as will personal happiness.

Continuing on the flashback theme, the past couple weeks have brought back memories of grade school and high school. My work held a kickball tournament. I truly forgot how much fun playing kickball is. All rules remained in tact, I am now known as the hitman at work as I got a throwout and managed to knock the lady in the mud with my throw. The moment was great as I was then tackled by one of her teammates in the mud. The moment is still being talked about at work and people are still laughing at the incident. The day was a true blast and all involved in the tournament had a blast.

My high school flashback moment being relived it the dreaded two-a-days. Those who played any high school sport remember these grueling workouts. I have recently been putting in two efforts a day no matter what I have done. I have been meeting Chip a personal trainer at the YMCA in the morning for sessions, then make sure I continue to make class or do my runs at night. This last Saturday I put in a 16 mile run then went and played a full three sets of tennis. This Saturday will be my biggest test of the year, I am going to run 20 miles in the morning then I have my friend Jen's volleyball tournament where I am guaranteed at least 5 volleyball matches. I will let everyone know next week if I am still standing!

Lastly I don't have a flashback moment but want to give everyone an update I am six weeks out of the marathon, training is fully on course and I will be set to finish. Thank you to everyone who continues to push me and make sure I stay on course for this. I am in the process of getting the hotel booked, the goal is on the famed Riverwalk. This will be my first experience in San Antonio and I have heard everything about the city is incredible. I am pumped for the trip as this is one of my largest goals in life to complete this, thanks to those committed to making the trip to share this special experience with me. You are some of the main reasons I am where I am today.

Have a great week!

Status Updates

Hello Readers!

It has been a while since my last post as I have been extremely busy here the last couple weeks between travelling for fun and getting in my running. A couple weeks ago I mentioned a run I was competing in the Patriots Run. I actually competed in this run last weekend and hit my target amount of 18 miles. Everyone will be pleased to know I completed this faster than expected. I recorded a time of 3:23:01 which was a very good clip for me. This was one of those days I have mentioned where everything felt very good. I was done with my first three miles in 28:30, my first 6 miles in 59:00 and my half marathon in 2:14:30 all which are personal bests for me. This race is extremely inspiring which might have been what caused me to hit these personal records, or it may just be that my training has me more prepared than ever.

I need to post some new pictures soon as this running is showing up in how I look. I had a few things happen last week that shocked me and let me know the effort is paying off. My friend and follower Josh was in from Orlando, I met him and his family for a Royals game. Josh had my ticket and I was meeting them at the stadium, I showed up at the gate to pick up my ticket and he didn't recognize me. This was a great personal feeling, someone who knows me so well and had seen me as recently as two years ago wasn't able to recognize me. A second great moment was Jessica my sister in law bought me a size large Mizzou Dri Fit polo shirt for my graduation. I informed her that I don't wear a size large, she said have confidence. Jessica was right I wore the shirt to the Mizzou/Illinois game and it fit very nicely. This should let everyone stick with your regiment and the results will come!

I wanted to update people on a few more things, last week my training hit a 40 mile week. I mentioned the 18 on Saturday, I also completed 15 on that Monday and two four - five mile runs in the mid week. I also wanted to let everyone know who hadn't seen on Facebook I have purchased a house. I am in the process of finishing up on the financing and submitting my bids, but everything appears on pace to close on November 2nd. This will pain many of my friends and followers but I will be living in the state of Kansas. I didn't think I would ever say that in my lifetime, but when you like a specific house you make certain sacrifices. There is no worry as I will never become unfaithful or unloyal to my beloved Missouri. I will fly my Tiger flag with great pride. Until next week, Happy Exercising and continue to live life to its fullest!

Joys and Pains of Running

Hello Readers!

This past weekend I ran a 5K here in KC with my friend Kerri, this experience brought out the reasons why I have so much fun with running now. Running and exercise provides you with an awesome opportunity to catch up with great people and get to know so many more. Kerri and I were old college friends, she is married to another great friend of mine from Drury Mike. I am unlike many runners I love to chat while I am on the course, I find it takes my mind off the actual running. On Saturday I had a blast talking to Kerri during the race and hearing that she used to dislike running but that she has found that recently she really enjoys it and looks forward to running more races to come. I think we may have even convinced Mike to join us on my favorite race every year the St. Patty's Day 4 miler. The true joy though was seeing the excitement on Kerri, Mike, and their children Audrey and Mike's faces when Kerri crossed the line and set her new personal record that morning. Congrats Kerri you made that a very fun race for me! I can't wait for the next one.

A second joy with running is the fact that every race has a post race celebration. This race was especially fun as it was Mizzou versus the dreaded Jayhawks. In the post race celebration the glorious news was announced that to no surprise more Mizzou fans showed up and raced. The post race also provided fun as the bar sponsoring the race provided me with two complimentary Bloody Mary's, that is a fun treat for putting in the miles. The post race celebrations always provide an opportunity to talk to other competitors and swap stories on how the race went for them, many times these can be very interesting or inspirational stories which are great to hear.

The name of this post was the joys and the pains, so there was a second part to this weeks blog "pain". Pain can refer to many things, for me this week it meant exhaustion. This was my craziest and most intense week of training yet, and for some unknown reason I forgot my iPod so it was just me, my mind and the open road. Just to give an idea of the week I put in Monday I ran 4.5 miles and did my boot camp class, Tuesday night I put in a ten miler, Wednesday I got up early and spun, Thursday and Friday I took some well needed rest, Saturday I competed in the 5K in the morning but felt guilty as that is normally my long run day so I put in a 1700 meter swim that afternoon just to get the guilt off of my conscious, and finally Sunday I did a 14 mile run. I am actually exhausted just writing about that. In the end when the destination is reached the joy and the pain will all be worth it.

Have a great week, live life hard it is short!

No Turning Back Now!

Hello Readers!

Last Thursday I reached the point of no return. I am now officially signed up for the San Antonio Rock and Roll Marathon. This was a giant step! I have been saying all along I was going to do this, I have been logging the training and preparing but until you actually pay the money and enter the race there is still time to back out. This is no longer the case. Training wise I am in very good shape, for the most part I have been very diligent in my training. I did have a minor setback this weekend as I went out of town and didn't get my long run in, but do not fear I plan to absolutely crush it this week.

This weekend marks an exciting day. My friend from college Kerri will be running a local 5K here in KC with me. She is new to the running world so hopefully this is a great experience for her and just the first of many runs yet to come. We are running the rivalry run which will be a ton of fun, this run is Mizzou fans versus Kansas fans. The good news is currently more Mizzou fans are signed up for this run, lets hope it remains that way. I am hoping that maybe this will be the 5K where I break the 30 minute mark.

I have already put this out on facebook, but for you who are not using facebook a couple weeks back I mentioned that I did a interview for an Aha moment for Mutual of Omaha. I received the link and I am very happy with it. For those who do not know me about 8 years ago I reached a peak weight and size, since I have lost almost 160 pounds and 14 pant sizes you will see a photo in the link where I am almost unrecognizable. Personally I keep this photo with me at all times to remind me of the transformation accomplished in my lifetime. Here is the link to my video hopefully this will show that hard work pays off and inspire others to reach all their goals as well.
http://www.ahamoment.com/pg/moments/view/16696 hopefully everyone enjoys.

Until next week have a great week of exercise!