Surprise Inspiration

Visiting my family in Vermont this weekend I learned that the Vermont City Marathon was being held on Sunday, May 27th.  I had a chance to be inspired by many different runners.  Of course the first place finishers for the men and women (my daughter especially routed for the woman) were great.  Then there were the super heroes who were running the form of three young men dressed as Captain America, The Incredible Hulk, and Thor!  Very entertaining!

But there were the unsung heroes that were especially inspiring.  The army cadets running with full backpacks.  The injured vet with a scar on his leg that clearly demonstrated how much he sacrificed for our country.  The young handicapped woman who ran with a guide and jog stroller.  There was an older runner who was plugging away with the 5 hour finish pacers who ran with such dignity and grace that you couldn't help but cheer louder.  Then there was the young woman who injured her ankle yet she continued to walk the remainder of the race.  This young woman reminded me of the 1968 Tanzanian Olympic marathoner, John Steven Akhwari, who injured his knee early in the race, yet he continued on.  Nothing I write will do this story justice, so why don't you watch it for your self.

If only we all could have half the amount of courage and perseverance as Mr. Akwari!

Painful Memories

My father-in-law, Jerry Alimenti, was diagnosed with melanoma last summer. He had a mole removed and seemed to be doing well.  We just learned this week that two lymph nodes in his neck were tested and found to have cancerous cells and he will have to have surgery.  While he seems to be in good spirits and not that worried, I think he is just trying to put on a brave face.  I commend him for doing this in the face of so much uncertainty.

All this brings back painful memories of when my father was sick with cancer.  He had melanoma and leukemia and was undergoing successful treatment for both for 7 years.  I was a freshman in high school when he was first diagnosed, so I did not have a complete grasp of the situation for the first few years.  But when I was starting my senior year in college and we learned that he had malignant tumors in both his hips, I remember being really scared and worried.  Those memories were brought to the surface again this week when I learned about my Jerry's situation.

At this point, all I can do is keep Jerry in my prayers and hope that the surgery is a success. 

Keep running!

I made it to 8.5 miles!

The longest distance I ran prior to Saturday was about 8 miles.  I ran 8.5 this Saturday and I felt great!  A small victory, for sure, but now is the time for me to start increasing my long run distances, and I was worried that I may be in pain on Saturday.  The fact that I felt great, and felt like I could have done more, was encouraging.  It means the cautious approach I have been taking so far is working. I am traveling next weekend, so no long run for me.  June 2nd will be a 9 mile run.  It won't be long before I break into double digits!

On another note.  June 24th is fast approaching, and I am still way behind with my fund raising.  While I have until September 30th, I would like to break $1000 by June 24th, and that is less than $300 away.

If you reading this and have not already sponsored me, please do!

If you know someone who would like to sponsor me, please tell them!

Visit my fundraising site: https://nsmcgiving.partners.org/SSLPage.aspx?pid=510

Thanks,
Neal

Put off for way too long

I've be neglecting to write about my brother-in-law, Bill Leavey who had a scare with cancer a few years back.  Cancerous cells were identified in his eye.  He underwent treatment at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and had wear an eye patch.  He stayed with me and my family during while he underwent treatment, since he lives in Vermont.  It was indeed a scary time.  I love Bill very much and it hurt to see him so uncomfortable.  What more, it was scary thinking about the prospect that the treatment might not work.

I've known Bill since I was 13 years old.  He is as much a brother to me as my own brother, so you can imagine how I felt seeing him this way and worrying that we might loose him.  He is great person, and a wonderful father.  This scare effected everyone in our family, and while in the end the treatment worked, I don't think any of us will forget it.  Bill demonstrated a tremendous amount of strength and courage dealing with this situation.

After this situation concluded, Bill felt as if he had a new lease on life.  I was proud of Bill for reflecting on his life the way he did.  He ultimately made some life changing decisions, which I will not discuss here.  Suffice to say, today he is happy and doing well, for which we are all grateful.  I am proud to be running for Bill, and respect him so much for his strength and perseverance.  

"Home From the Hospital"

My Friend Bonnie had her surgery this past Friday.  Complete success!  Thank God she is doing well and recovering.  Bonnie sent out a note when she came home on Sunday saying "There is no way I could have gone through this surgery without the love and generous support of everyone."  What a wonderful Mother's day gift she received.  I know surgery is not fun, but to know that there is hope and a light at the end of the tunnel is a wonderful gift for anyone.  Bonnie, I am praying you have a speedy recovery and I hope to see you running again soon!

Fairwell Caballo Blanco

Caballo Blanco, the "White horse", died on March 27 while running in Gila National Forest, in southwestern New Mexico.  His real name is Micah True and he was a captivating ultramarathon runner profiled in the book Born to Run, by Chris McDougall.  I, along with a fair number of runners, was inspired to challenge myself to become a better runner after reading this book.  Caballo Blanco, what the Tarahumara Indians of northwest Mexico called Micah as he ran tirelessly through the Copper Canyons of Mexico, was an enigmatic figure in the book.  He represented the freedom that runners seek when the set out on the road, or on a trail.  For him running was about forging a peaceful mind-body connection with the land.

Caballo Blanco's simple view of life and running inspired me to become a better person, and to run free, and run happy.  Hopefully his story will inspire you too.

No Meat Athlete

OK, so, I'm not a vegetarian (but I sometimes pretend to be).  I don't eat a lot of meat anymore, but I don't avoid meat either.  My doctor once told me that our ancient ancestors generally ate lots of fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts (because they were easy to find) and once a year they killed a wooly mammoth and ate it.  That's about how often we humans were designed to eat meat.  However, modern society has made meat so plentiful and easy to get, we just take it for granted that we can eat meat every day, at every meal.  I try, as best I can, to eat like our ancestors.  Although, some days I just crave meat.  Nothing wrong with that again.

So, where am I going with this, well as you can see from the title, there is such a thing as a No Meat Athlete.  In fact, there is a whole website dedicated to the topic, call (duh) No Meat Athlete!  Looks really interesting.  In fact, one of the best long distance runners in the world (actually, he's an ultramarathoner), Scott Jurek is not only a vegetarian, but a vegan to boot!  There is something to be said for running on plants, huh!  Perhaps I'll give it a try.