It only took one Tri.....

My first triathlon is in the books and I had a great time. Here's my race report. We left Jackson at about 5:00 Friday afternoon and drove to Hattiesburg. As soon as we got into town, we picked up my race packet which contained my race numbers, wristband for food after the race and some other "swag". Then, we went to some friends' house who cooked a fantastic pre-race meal of steak, asparagus, potatoes, french bread, and salad. I wish we could have stayed at their house longer, but we were late leaving Jackson and I needed to get some sleep.

Saturday morning I got up at 4:45 so that I could get to the race site early to set up a tent for my family to sit under since the weather was going to be cool and rainy and I didn't want Amanda, my mom and the kids to be sitting out in the rain. I took a shower and got dressed and I got to the site at about 5:45. I was one of the first 15 people to arrive (including race workers and volunteers). I wanted to make sure to get the tent set up in a spot where my family could sit and see everything. The were definitely troopers for getting out in the weather to watch the race! I definitely had some awesome family support for the race!

The transition area opened at 6:30 and I began getting set up shortly thereafter. I checked my bike in and laid out a towel and went over the checklist of items that I got from some members of the triathlon team. I laid everything out according to when I would need it. Helmet, sunglasses, socks, and cycling shoes were laid out on my handlebars for the bike and running shoes and visor laid on the towel for the run. I covered all of it in plastic trash bags since it had already started to rain.

Once I got everything set up, I walked around the transition area and met a few MS Heat Triathlon Team members that I had not met, yet (all of them were really cool and encouraging and fun to talk with). I had planned on taking my bike for a short ride prior to the race to make sure everything was in working order, but that didn't pan out due to the rain. About that time was when Amanda, my mom and the kids arrived and I was glad to see them. After I talked to them for a bit, I went and got into the water to relax a little before the race and check out the water temperature. It was a steamy 84 degrees in the water, which meant no wetsuits. I just hung out there until race officials made us get out to line up for the start.

The start was a time trial start. We lined up according to when we signed up for the race and everyone started 3 seconds apart. Since I signed up very early, my number was 26 out of nearly 400 people. So, I was close to the front of the line...maybe next year I will rethink that strategy (more on this later). So, as my time to start approached, I got pretty excited and my HR climbed up to about 150 bpm, not really ideal...especially since I knew it would only go up once I hit the water, but I reminded myself what Larry Creswell told me a few weeks ago, "don't pay attention to the heart rate monitor during the race, but it may provide you with some good information after the race."


Swim (1/3 mile)

I hit the water and quickly passed the two people who started right in front of me. It seemed like it took forever to get to the first buoy. I felt like I had settled into a good rythm by the time I got to the first buoy. I soon realized that I actually do swim straight without having a black line to follow on the bottom of the pool. That was a relief, so I just tried to maintain a good rythm at a comfortable pace and didn't do too much sighting once I figured out that I don't have a problem swimming straight. I passed a couple of more people on the way out to the turnaround. The turnaround was a little bit of a challenge because I was swimming right behind two people who started ahead of me who slowed down a lot while navigating the turn. Since I was slowed down so much here, I switched to a breast stroke/dog paddle sort of stroke and actually struck up a mini-conversation with someone sitting on a surfboard at the turnaround (just an acknowledgment and a thank you mostly and he returned some words on encouragement).

On the way back in, I maneuvered my way around the slower swimmers and shortly after I was passed by a faster swimmer. I snuck in behind the faster swimmer and took advantage of the draft for as long as I could. I actually got bored with the swim on the way back in, probably because all I could see was brown water. It was a huge relief to get back to the beach and know that my first triathlon swim was done. Looking back, though, I learned a few things during the swim. I learned, most importantly, that I can do it. I learned that I swim straight in calm water with no current.

Swim time- 12:40 (6th of 12 in my age group- would have been 10th of 71 in beginners)


Transition #1

I ran up the hill to the transition area and found my bike. Thank goodness for the red towel I put down under my bike which made it really easy to find my place in the transition area. I put on my socks, shoes, helmet and sunglasses and headed out on the bike. Overall, a decent T1, but missed goal of less than 2 minutes.

T1 time- 2:23








Bike (16.5 miles)

The bike didn't start out so well because I stopped about 1/2 mile into the ride because my bike computer would not read my cadence and my speedometer was telling me I was riding 30+ miles per hour. When I stopped the bike, everything looked like it was aligned correctly. I'm still not sure what caused the computer to act up...maybe rain or dirt on the sensors??? I also started out a little bit hesitant on the bike because I had never ridden in the rain before and I didn't know the course. The course was hilly, in fact, it seemed like it was all uphill. The hills were steep, rolling hills which I am not used to riding. It seemed like there was no time for recovery between climbs because the hills were short and steep. I had to ask some of the officials how far we had ridden a few times because my odometer wasn't working. Finally, about 13 miles into the ride, I got to a long downhill section which let me recover a little bit before the run. I noticed at about that point that my socks were soaking wet and I wasn't looking forwards to putting my wet feet in running shoes. I did get passed a lot on the bike. As I mentioned earlier, I had signed up early for the race, so there were really very few people that I was able to pass and those that I could pass were passed in the water. At times, it was pretty annoying that I was getting passed so much.

Bike Time: 59:23 (16.8 mph, 10th of 12 in my age group- would have been 41st of 71 in beginners)


Transition 2

T2 went very smoothly- shoe change and visor on. The wet socks weren't so bad!

T2 time- 1:58







Run (3.1 miles)

The run felt OK at the beginning, but the second steep hill I got to dashed all hopes of me completing it without walking. I walked up most of the hills for the first mile of the run, but I don't think I walked any slower that I was running up the hills. The hills were much steeper than any I have run on to date, which was difficult considering I had just done a lot of climbing on the bike. Just after the one mile mark of the run, there was a long downhill section (about 1/2 mile) that allowed some "recovery" time. I ran all but about 100 to 150 yards of the last couple of miles and got a huge pickup once I turned a corner and a volunteer told us we were on the home stretch. I picked up the pace for that final stretch because I only had 4 minutes left to cross the finish line before my time goal of 1:50:00 passed. I was excited to round a curve and see the finish line with 2 minutes left before my goal. The last 100 yards was a cool feeling and even cooler was hugging my family after crossing the finish line.

Run time- 32:24 (10:48/mile, 12th of 12 in my age group- would have been 61st out of 71 in beginners)


Overall Time- 1:48:46 (12th of 12 in my age group- would have been 45th of 71 in beginners)

Overall, the race was a great time and I am very proud of the accomplishment. I realized after the race that Jenna Kate, my mom and Amanda had made me some posters and hung them up on the tent I had set up for them and I wish I had seen them during the race. They would have been a big boost, but just having them there rooting for me was a huge boost in itself.


Did I achieve the goals I set before the race?

Swim Goals
1. Swim straight and don't waste energy- YES
2. Time under 11 minutes- NO (but only one person in my age group did this and he was the overall winner of the race)

Bike Goals
1. Conserve energy for the run- YES (as well as could be expected considering the hills and was disciplined about backing off to conserve energy when needed)
2. Time under 57 minutes (17mph)- NO (0.2mph off of goal pace and missed time by 2:23, but pretty good considering I had no speedometer or cadence sensor usage)

Run Goals
1. No walking- NO
2. 34 minute run time- YES (beat this goal by 1:36)

Transition Goals
1. Don't forget anything- Yes
2. Under 2 minutes transition time- NO in T1, YES in T2

Overall Race Goals
1. Have fun- HELL YES!
2. Finish under 1:50:00- YES (1:48:46 race time beat goal by 1:14)

That was it....my first triathlon. For all the other triathletes who read this, I know you're probably thinking back to your first race and remembering what a great experience it was. Well, I'll tell you, my experience was just a great. For those non-triathletes who read this, you should try it. One of the neat things I noticed was that you don't have to be an athlete to complete a triathlon. I saw everything from speedos to surfing trunks; top-of-the-line triathlon bikes to mountain bikes to cruising bikes you might see in your grandmother's garage; racing flats to barefoot runners (yes, I saw someone doing the race barefoot!). I saw people of all shapes and sizes. It's really very inspiring to see someone cross the finish line that weighs 250+ pounds. If you've thought about doing it, you should.

So, I really need to thank some people at this point.

• My wife, Amanda, for putting up with this new "obsession" of mine. I know I talk too much about racing and training, but I appreciate her for putting up with me and my training. Maybe one day I'll be able to get out there racing with me.
• My mom, for coming over to the race after work late Friday evening after a long day at work to cheer me on and help Amanda with the kids and encouraging me along the way- and my dad for being on the other end of the phone to congratulate me when I got done.
• My kids, Jenna and Parker, for being good during the race so Amanda and mom didn't have to chase them in the rain.
• Larry Creswell, Matt and Amanda Cassell, Scott Poag, Charlie Murray, and all of the other MS Heat Triathlon Team members who offered me great words of encouragement and advice which were essential to me completing the race while having fun.
• Cain Clinkscales: for motivating me to get out of bed on the mornings when I really didn't feel like it.
• Fallen soldiers: for the ultimate sacrifice and an unfortunate source of motivation.
  
• And, everyone else who offered encouragement along the way, I appreciate you.

Well, that's it for race #1. Now, it's time to switch to full time runner for the next few months until the Walt Disney World Marathon on January 10th. The next couple of months are going to be rough, especially on those cold long runs, so keep the encouragement coming. It's going to be a huge undertaking to get this marathon thing done, but keep your ears open....there may be something even bigger on the horizon.

Race ready....

This will probably be my last blog before my first triathlon in Hattiesburg this Saturday- the Heritage Eagleman Triathlon. There may be some short updates before then, but this could be the last one.

For the most part, I feel like I am ready. I have put in the hours, the yardage, the miles and the sweat. I've awaken at 4AM multiple times a week for months. I don't know too many things I could have done differently...More hill work on the bike? Speed work on the run? I think those things may have helped me fare better in this particular race, but since I have a goal of going much longer in the future, I think I have done the right thing.

There will be a learning curve associated with doing these races. I'm sure I will forget something. A friend told me a funny story just a couple of ours ago about a funny experience he had in his first triathlon. He was approaching the end of the race and saw his family with about 100 yards from the finish and all of a sudden his son started yelling, "You still have your helmet on!" Basically, he had run a 5K (3.1 miles) without realizing he never took his helmet off when he got off of the bike. I'm sure funny things like this happen to a lot of beginners in triathlons and I look forward to sharing my funny moment(s) with my blog followers after the race.

So, below are my goals for the race:


Swim Goals:

1. Swim straight and don't waste energy: This will be my first open water swim, so it's going to be a new experience swimming virtually blind and not being able to follow the black line on the bottom of the pool that I have been following for these months of training.
2. Time under 11 minutes (if the distance is actually 1/3 mile): I have read that the swim in this race is actually a good bit longer than the 1/3 mile distance that it is supposed to be and last year's swim times reflect that. If it's a true 1/3 mile, I would like to swim it in 11 minutes, but just swimming efficiently and without wasting energy is goal #1.

Bike Goals:

1. Conserve energy for the run: A friend, and someone I consider a mentor (although there are many), said the key to enjoying a race is saving enough energy to finish the run strong. I'm taking that advice.
2. Time under 57 minutes (17mph): I heard it's a hilly ride.
   

Run Goals:

1. No walking (even though my run resembles a walk): This is going to probably be the toughest of my goals for the race, but I'm going to try to stick to this one. As you can tell, all of the other primary goals for the other portion of the race are aimed at this goal.
2. 34 minute run time (11 minutes/mile): I did a brick workout with a 13 mile bike and 2 mile run and was able to run 10 minute miles for 2 miles, so hopefully I will be able to run 11 minute miles after adding a swim and a few more miles on the bike.

Transition Goals

1. Don't forget anything (like taking off my helmet).
   
2. Transitions under 2 minutes each

Total Race Goals

1. Have fun
2. Finish under 1:50: This will be good enough for last place in my age group based on last year's times, but I don't care about that. I actually recently took myself out of the beginner category and threw myself into my age group just to see how I would fare...so, last place here I come!!!

So there they are, my goals in writing (or typing) on display. They are official.

After the race this weekend, I will be shifting to full marathon mode. I will run four days per week and ride my bike and swim one day per week each. I am looking forward to the long runs, but not really looking forward to the 4AM 6 and 8 mile runs on work days. I have trouble getting motivated to run on work mornings. I do, however, have some really great motivation in my charities and all of you awesome people that support and encourage me!

Children's Heart Foundation

Special Operations Warrior Foundation

Here's my final quote, which was borrowed from someone on my triathlon team forum. See you at the finish line! I'll post pictures next week!

"If you're still breathing, finish the race."

New Experiences

It's getting close to my first triathlon race day and I am getting very excited about it. I will leave Jackson next Friday and go to Hattiesburg for packet pick-up that evening. The race will be next Saturday morning at 8AM. I hope to finish the race in less than 2 hours. I wish I could say that a faster goal is likely, but my slothiness (yeah, I made that word up!) on the run cannot be overstated. I have had a few new and interesting experiences lately that I should share.

First, I did my first brick workout last week. For all of my "non-triathlete" friends, a brick is basically a simulation of a portion of the race involving two discliplines. My first brick workout was an 18.5 mile bike ride followed by a 1 mile run. It's an interesting feeling getting off of a bike and running immediately afterward. It didn't feel like I thought it would. I expectef heavy legs (as the name of the workout implies). My legs were more numb than anything else...they actually felt light. I had some trouble with my heart rate on the bike after a couple of hills, but overall, I averaged about 17.5 mph, which is great for me on a solo ride. My run was about 12 minutes, so about the norm for me (see, I told you I a "snail's pace" was giving me too much credit when describing how fast I run). Overall, it was a good experience. I will be doing another brick tomorrow, a 13 mile ride and 3 mile run, which is a little closer to the actual race distance.

The second new experience for me was a wetsuit swim. I recently bought a wetsuit to swim in because of a great promo offer. I got an offer for a $300 wetsuit for $99- an offer I couldn't turn down. So, in preparation for the race, I took the wetsuit to the pool to try out in case it would be legal to swim in it for the race (depends on the water temperature on race day). It was definitely a different experience swimming in a wetsuit. Someone told me it feels like you are in a canoe when you are swimming and I can't think of a better way to describe it. I know it's a hard concept to grasp, but when I started swimming I understood what they were talking about. I was much faster with the wetsuit while expending much less energy; in fact, I cut almost 2 minutes off of my best 800 yard swim time. It was a cool experience and I hope I get to wear it on race day.

Lastly, I ran just under 7 miles Saturday evening after I got off of work. It was a slow run and I may have walked a total of about a mile, but it was my first longer run of marathon training. I ran from my house to the other side of the causeway bridge on the reservoir and back. The sunset over the reservoir was great to watch and got my mind off of my aching legs. I felt good for most of the run, but got some pretty heavy legs at about mile 6 which didn't get better until midday the next day (can't wait to see how my 18 miler at the end of December makes me feel). It was a big accomplishment and I look forward to running 8 miles this coming weekend.

Anyway, those are a couple of the new experiences I have had lately getting ready for my race next week. This is my last week of the bigger workouts (relative term) before my race, then next week will be light workouts every day.

Looking forward to race day!

"Sometimes winning has nothing to do with being first across the finish line" -John Bingham

.....Uphill both ways.....

We've all heard the old saying. In fact, I bet your dad said it to you at least a thousand times when you were young. Most people write it off as fiction, an impossibility that defies the laws of physics. How can you start and stop at the same point and travel uphill when traveling both away from and toward that point? Well, I will attest to the fact that this is no impossibility and that we should all rethink that old saying. Maybe dad DID walk 10 miles to school in 10 feet of snow uphill both ways...OK, maybe the part about 10 miles to school in the snow is a bit far fetched; but, after my bike ride 2 days ago, I now believe that uphill both ways is a completely realistic possibility in my version of reality. No, I don't live the theoretical universe contained in the pages of a Stephen Hawking book. I am now a believer in the possibility of uphill both ways and if you let me take you on a bike ride, I'll bet I can make you a believer, too (well, at least those of you who are novice endurance athletes like myself).

The ride was the day before yesterday with a good friend and riding partner who is much more fit than I am. I pretty much knew within the first couple of miles that it was going to be a tough day. I had worked a 12-hour shift in Forest, MS two days before the ride (1 hour drive each way) and a 12-hour shift in Meridian, MS the day before the ride (1:50 minute drive each way). On top of that, I swam at 5am before driving to Meridian and I only ate once that day. So needless to say, I was behind on nutrition and sleep and could feel it in the first couple of miles.

So, back to the subject of defying the law of physics. I started wondering if we'd ever see downhill about 4 miles into the ride. It just seemed like I was spending a disproportionate amount of time climbing, but I guess that's to be expected since you get down the hill faster than you get up it. It always makes sense until you're actually on the bike doing the climbing. Then cam Kickapoo Hill, a beast of a hill that I knew was coming; but, I was not prepared for it. I'm never prepared for it the first time. I made it up Kickapoo Hill. My legs were fried by the time I reached the top, but I made it. On the backside of the hill I reached 33 miles per hour without pedaling. The whole time down I was thinking how much fun (or not) it was going to be coming back up this hill.

Coming back, I prepared myself for the climb back over that hill by letting my legs rest with an easy spin for a mile or so before the hill. I stayed seated for the first part of the climb and thought it was not so bad when I reached the top....or what I thought was the top. The hill levels out about halfway up, curves to the left and the hill starts again after about 30 yards of level ground. I did not notice that it leveled off on the way down. So, for the second half of the hill, I spent most of my time out of the saddle grinding away. Near the top my HR maxed out at 196bpm, which is above my theoretical Max HR of 187 (based on my age). Basically, my legs were toast, but I made it to the top. It's always a great accomplishment when I get to the top of one of these nasty hills. Maybe soon I'll go try to tackle the military park in Vicksburg.

The plans for this weekends workouts are up in the air. I'm going to be home with a sick little girl all weekend. Jenna has had fever for 24 hours now, so I will be home with she and Parker this weekend while Amanda goes out of town. Maybe I'll be able to fit in a group bike ride Sunday night.

"We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment." -Jim Rohn

Bring on the cool weather!!!

"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going." -Jim Ryun

I've done a really terrible job keeping the blog up recently, but let me assure you that I am doing a much better job keeping up with my workouts. In fact, waking up at 4 AM has, surprisingly, gotten a lot easier and the pre-sunrise workouts have gotten a lot more enjoyable as of late. I never thought I would ever say that!

One of the best things about doing this training so far, besides of course raising money for two great charities, is seeing the world in slow motion. Although I am riding hard on my bike, actually being out on the bike allows you to view the world through a different set of eyes. It slows everything down. Instead of seeing everything through a windshield at 50 mph, being out on the bike allows me to immerse myself in my surroundings and see things that I would not normally see sitting behind a steering wheel. I can't tell you how many times I've seen wildlife that I would not normally have noticed (although some of it is roadkill that I might rather I had not noticed). It happened again last Sunday when I went out for a ride with a friend of mine who was actually out on his first big ride (> 20 miles). I had just finished telling him how many times I had seen deer and other wildlife that I wouldn't normally have noticed. Not very long after I said this, I noticed some rustling in the woods on the side of the road and saw a doe step out towards the road. She just looked at us as we passed within 20 feet of her on our bikes. This is about the 5th or 6th time that has happened this summer, although this was the closest encounter (if you'll remember from a previous blog I had a deer run out in front of me). It's little things like this that can turn a tough workout into something completely different. In fact, I've considered trying to do some trail running so that I can experience the same kinds of things while running.

Overall, training is going very well right now. I was a bit concerned about a setback after being sick, but I am pretty far ahead of schedule and have, for the most part, abandoned my training plan when it comes to swimming and cycling distances. It's gotten to where those portions of the plan have gotten too easy. I still stick to my schedule in terms of what days I swim, bike and run; but, as far as time in the water and on the bike, my workouts are much farther, longer and faster than originally planned. I have stuck with the run part of the plan because, as those of you read this blog know, running is not a strength of mine and injury avoidance is a top priority.

So, here's where my progress has brought me.
1. My swim workouts in the 1200-1300 yard range and I have done 1000 yard (40 laps) straight swims twice. My first swim workout was 8 x 25 yards (one length) with about a minute rest between each lap. So, technically I can swim 40 times farther now than when I started.
2. On the bike, most of my rides are about 17 mph for 25-30 miles and can ride faster if I have someone else riding with me to push me harder. My first bike ride was about 2 miles. When I finished that ride, I was out of breath and, boy, did that seat hurt my butt. Now, it seems my bike rides are limited only by the amount of time I have to spare.
3. On the run, I won't say that I have made much progress in the way of speed and endurance yet. I've really just been trying to solidify my base before the marathon plan begins in order to avoid injury. My runs are typically in the 3-4 mile range.

Speaking of running, I will be switching over to marathon mode very soon - about 2 weeks in fact. I will not be running full time until after October 12th, but the marathon training plan officially starts on September 22nd - just under 2 weeks away. I'm getting pretty nervous about the program, especially the 20 mile run I have scheduled on December 19th. But, I've said it before on this blog, I chose to do the full marathon because it would not be easy. I just hope the fundraising picks up soon.

So, as far as the race schedule goes, my calendar looks like this.
October 10th....Heritage Eagleman Triathlon- Hattiesburg, MS
My first triathlon- 1/3 mile swim, 16.5 mile bike, 3 mile run
November 7......Monroe Parks and Recreation Half Marathon (13.1 miles)- Monroe, LA
My first half marathon
January 10........Walt Disney World Marathon (26.2 miles)- Orlando, FL
My first full marathon

So, that's my progress and my plan. I'm headed out for a run!



Visit these links if you're interested in donating to my charities

Children's Heart Foundation (Congenital Heart Defect Research)

Special Operations Warrior Foundation (College for Children of Special Operations Soldiers Killed in Combat)

Back from the dead.....

Well, the last week has not been a very productive training week by any stretch of the imagination. I started last week off on Monday with an AM swim (as usual) and Tuesday was a scheduled rest day. I didn't feel all that well on Wednesday morning when the alarm went off, so I skipped my Wednesday swim.

When I went to bed on Wednesday night, I told myself that if I felt well enough, I would go the the gym and do a treadmill run Thursday morning. So, when the alarm went off Thursday, I felt OK and I headed to the gym for a 25 minute treadmill run. I didn't feel 100% while I was running, but definitely better than the day before. Needless to say, at about 1:00 Thursday afternoon, I started feeling bad and at about 4:00 the fever came. It got up to about 102.5 that night. It felt like the flu, but a doctor's visit Friday morning confirmed it was not.

As a result, I made the decision to take the whole weekend off no matter how I was feeling.

I returned to the pool this morning and had a pretty good swim (12 x 100 yards at 1:50/100 pace with 00:30 rest per 100)....light intensity with plenty of rest considering I was coming off of some sick days. It felt sloppy at times, but it felt good to be back in the pool. I'm looking forward to a bike ride tomorrow.

For all of you have have already donated to my Walt Disney World Marathon fundraiser, you'll be happy to know that the official DAY 1 of my training for that race starts 3 weeks from today. I gave myself a harsh dose of reality earlier today by mapping exactly how far it is to run 18 miles, one of the longer training runs I will do in December (I will actually do a 20 miler, also). For those of you that live in Jackson, that's the distance from the front door of the hospital at UMC to Walmart in Flowood AND BACK!!! For those of you living in Monroe, if you were to leave running north from the end of Forsythe Extension where it meets Hwy. 165, 18 miles would be behind you about the time you got to the first gas station in Bastrop (or from Ray's Pege in Monroe to Calhoun). Reality definitely sets in once you look at it on a map. Anybody want to voluteer to stand at the finish with a beer during my training runs.

So, what can I say about this challenge before me? I welcome it. I look forward to raising money for congenital heart defect research in honor of Cain (and the other CHD children I have been hearing about lately from Cain's mom). I look forward to honoring our fallen Special Operations Warriors by raising money to send their children to college. I look forward to testing myself, both physically and mentally. There are times when I think I may have gotten myself in over my head. Then I can look at my son and daughter and realize that there are parents in this world who have lost a child to a heart defect and never get to experience the joy that I get when I walk into my house at night and both of my kids' faces light up with big smiles and Jenna Kate runs over yelling "DADDYYYYYYY" and gives me a big hug. There are children who have lost parents to war who deserve help with college...such a small sacrifice for you and I since their parent gave everything for us. Looking at it this way really puts into perspective why I am doing what I am. I'm not a runner! Never have been! In fact, I've always hated running and I might be the slowest runner you've ever seen. But, I have to do it for those kids!

If you can help me with my fundraiser, I would certainly appreciate it if you would just consider it. If not, please tell a friend. It doesn't take much. A lot of small donations go a long way!

Milestone this morning: first 1000 yard nonstop swim in 20:05.

"The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win." -Sir Roger Bannister, first man to break the four minute mile
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

I think I can, I think I can.....

Before I get into the blog I just want to remind readers that I need help raising money for two great charities. Click on the following charity names to visit the fundraising pages.

Special Operations Warrior Foundation

Children's Heart Foundation

I got another lesson in humility last Thursday (seems like these lessons are coming pretty often). I went for a group bike ride with the Mississippi Heat Triathlon Team , which I joined a few months ago. It was my first group ride, and boy did I feel like I had gotten myself in over my head quickly! We met at Soulshine Pizza in Madison and headed out towards Pocahontas. I left with the first group knowing that I would definitely get dropped fairly quickly. Boy, was I right about getting dropped! The group quickly reached 21+ mph. I lasted almost 3 miles at the back of the line before, slowly but surely, it became harder and harder to stay close to the wheel of the rider in front of me. Before I knew it, they were out of sight. So, I kept riding and joined another group of riders that were following behind. I had a better time keeping up with this group. They were averaging in the 18-20 mph range, slightly faster than I normally ride; but, I was able to keep up for most of the ride- at least until we came to what seemed like one of the mountains that they climb in the Tour de France. The triathlon team president, who had hung around to ride with me, warned me about it. I definitely underestimated it. I should have known coming down the hill when my bike computer said I was going 39 mph that it was going to be a MAJOR undertaking getting back up this mountain!

So, about 19 miles into the ride I started my climb and it didn't take long before I knew I was in trouble. I tried shifting gears to make the ride up easier, but as the pedals got easier to turn the hill got steeper and before I knew it, my heart rate was 198 bpm and I was going about 5 mph up this hill. I tried to stand up, but nothing doing, my legs were toast. So, at this point, I had 2 choices. The first option was to stay seated and keep pedaling until I could no longer pedal and risk falling over because I wouldn't be able to clip out of my pedals. The second option was to bow out gracefully and make sure that I could get my foot out of the pedals without falling over in front of everyone. So, I did it. I put my foot down. As one of the other riders passed me, she (her name was Stephanie) said something that that made an impression. She said, "You will never forget this day as long as you live!" I think she's right and I think that's a good thing!

I learned a couple of things during that failed climb. The first is setting myself up for success. Since the group was moving a bit faster than I normally ride, it would have been wise to be a bit more conservative on some of the easier climbs that I had been a bit more aggressive on. The second was that I have a long way to go before I'll be able to stick with a group of experienced riders. I'll never forget forget putting my foot down on that hill!

So, in light of failing to climb that hill, I set out to beat it a couple of days later after I got a map of the ride from one of the triathlon team members. I did climb that hill. I told myself that I was going to celebrate at the top, but I didn't have the energy to do so. What a great feeling of accomplishment to go back and make that climb after failing my first attempt.

This weekend I plan to go back and do hill repeats on that hill until I can't do them anymore! What better way to get better at climbing hills.

Running has gotten a little better over the last few weeks. Swimming was great for a few weeks, but I think I had a setback in my last swim session.

"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." -Michael Jordan

"If you ever get a second chance in life for something, you've got to go all the way" -Lance Armstrong

Breaking through walls...

Interested in donating to one or both charities I will be running for? Click the following links or on the widgets on the right side of this page. Special Operations Warrior Foundation Children's Heart Foundation

Somewhere along the way over the last few weeks there was a wall. I never saw the wall, but I think I went right through it...at least on the bike I did. I actually rode 74 miles last week. I went on some really great rides, too. The first one was a 20 mile ride on the Natchez Trace north from Ridgeland, MS. The second ride was from Bayou Bowl in Monroe, LA to Sterlington, LA (24 miles) via Horseshoe Lake Road. The third ride was also on the Natchez Trace north from Ridgeland (30 miles). I have learned very fast that the Natchez Trace is a wonderful asset for cyclists in the Jackson area for a number of reasons (limited traffic, low speed limits for cars, shade), but perhaps the best thing about the trace is the view. I left from the craft center in Ridgeland at 6am with Josh Sullivan, a new cycling friend here in Jackson. A few miles into our ride when I first came up alongside the reservoir, the sun was just coming up out over the water. It was a great view that got my mind off of the fact that Josh was pushing me a couple of miles per hour faster than I normally ride. It was a really fun ride!

The run is still something I will continue to work on and hope that at some point I can break through that wall...hopefully sooner rather than later. I do enjoy running most of the time although I don't ever see myself being very fast. The first 10-15 minutes are never fun, but after that initial mile to mile and a half I'm usually good to go. Speaking of running, the "official" marathon training plan starts in about 6 weeks. I am looking forward to it, although I will admit that I am a bit nervous about the distance. The 30 mile bike ride last Monday really put it into perspective how far I am going to be running.

I took 3 days off this week. They were not scheduled, but I felt like I needed them. So, as a result, I skipped both of my swims this week. I am looking forward to getting back in the pool Monday. I have made a lot of progress on my stroke over the last few weeks and am getting more and more comfortable in the water. I guess soon it will be time to venture out into the open water...

Patience....

Before I start rambling about my training, I just want to remind everyone who reads this that I really need your help in reaching my fundraising goals. I have made a good bit of progress in reaching my goals for both charities thanks to everyone's generous donations so far. If you know anyone who might be interested in donating to either of these great charities, please let them know about my blog and fundraising pages. Feel free to copy and paste the links below to an email, message board, your Facebook or Myspace, etc. Also, if you haven't donated and are interested in doing so, you can click the firstgiving links the the right side of this blog page.

Children's Heart Foundation http://www.firstgiving.com/scottmckenziechf
Special Operations Warrior Foundation http://www.firstgiving.com/scottmckenziesowf

When it comes to training, my new best friend is patience. I was getting impatient and have decided that if I'm training alone, then I have to stay aerobic! I'll be keeping my HR less than 145 no matter what. Up to now, it has gotten frustrating because part of me wants to go out and run at a higher heart rate because staying aerobic requires that I run slowly or even walk- and sometimes I just don't feel like I am working very hard. I assume this is mostly a result of never having participated in any type of endurance sport...and of course about 10 years of doing a whole lot of nothing when it comes to cardiovascular fitness. But, since the point of my training is going farther, not faster, I have come to the conclusion (with the help of some knowledgeable people around me) that being patient is the only option.

Concerning my weight loss and my goal of getting back to 175 pounds. I had a setback last week. I'm not sure what the culprit was, but I actually gained 2 pounds back. According to my calorie calculator, this should not have happened. I don't know if this is muscle growth or a big miscalculation when it comes to calories burned during workouts. I guess in the grand scheme of things this doesn't really matter because the weight will come off eventually as my mileage increases.

I had a really great bike ride on the Natchez Trace last Friday- 19 miles. It was awesome getting out on the road since most of my rides have been on the trainer because I'm having to ride before the sun comes up. It also makes a huge difference to ride with someone else....very motivating! I did have a deer run across the road about 20 feet in front of my bike. That added a bit of excitement to the ride. I'm excited about my ride tonight. I think I am going back out on the Natchez Trace for about 20 miles.

I also did two 1000 yard swim workouts in the last week. These are my first 1000 yard workouts, so my endurance in the water is definitely improving. However, I do wonder if there is going to be some limitation in my endurance due to some stroke mechanics issues that I am having trouble correcting. Maybe some more swimming lessons are on the horizon for me.

I even had a decent run/walk last week and a great treadmill run last night. I found a really cool program on the treadmills at the gym that is compatible with my heart rate monitor. All I do is set the target heart rate and the treadmill automatically adjusts the speed and incline of the treadmill to keep my heart rate at the target. It's a very cool feature that really helps me keep myself in check.

Well, that's the last week or so in a nutshell. No really interesting thoughts or experiences this time around (except almost hitting a deer on my bicycle), but I did achieve a couple of milestones. The milestones don't really seem to be that interesting to blog about, but it's those milestones that are really the ultimate motivators from where I sit, especially considering the fact that I started and continue to be so out of shape.

"Anything worth doing is worth starting poorly." --G. K. Chesterton

What are you doing to test your limits?

While I was reading a blog that I have been following for quite some time I came across a blog entry that I had to share with everyone. First, here's some background. The blog's author, David Goggins, joined the military at 290 lbs. and eventually became a Navy Seal. He wanted to find a way to raise money for the children of other Navy Seals who had been killed in a mission that went bad in Afghanistan after 9/11. He chose to do it by running ultramarathons (any race longer than 26.2 miles). His resume is quite impressive. Check out this video and you'll get a taste of what this guy is made of. I mean, just imagine yourself running the Badwater Ultramarathon, "the world's toughest footrace", starting at Badwater Basin in Death Valley and finishing 135 miles away at Mount Whitney. And to top it all off, elevation at the start of the race is about 280 feet below sea level and rises to about 8400 feet above sea level. So, to put that into perspective, that's like climbing about 1.6 miles!

Anyway , David Goggins was recently diagnosed with an atrial septal defect. Basically, this guys has been doing all of these races with a congenital heart defect all along. David recently had surgery to repair the defect but has had some complications which have put his endurance sports career in jeopardy. His most recent blog post was extremely inspiring for a beginner endurance athlete like myself. Now, I doubt I'll ever do anything like David Goggins, but you never know.


Anyway, on to a quote from his post.....

".....One thing that always comes back to my mind that I am going to share with you is this..... What good does all of this actually do. What does running ultras, biking, lifting, etc. What does it do for you? Where does it get you? For me, the answer is this. It's not about what you do in life. It is about what you don't do. The truth is running has not gotten me anywhere in life. I don't enjoy it. I hate it really. It certainly hasn't made an income for my family. And it definitely takes up a lot of my spare time. So why do it then? Because I can. When I was running 100 mile races back to back weekends, people never understood. They thought I was crazy. They told me how injured I was going to get. But I didn't care. I still don't. Tomorrow is never promised to you. If I looked back on those times now and didn't do the Plain 100 because it was to soon after my other race, I would kick myself. Now I can look back and say. I'm glad that I did what I did when I could. I am not saying that this is how everybody should be. What I am saying is that I believe everybody should push themselves to their limit. Whether it be in life or in sport. If not, you will wake up one day and your limits will have been determined by other factors. Health, family, work, etc. Why you have it in your power to do something, do it. Don't wait until that opportunity gets taken from you. I know I'm not."

Those are powerful words from a man who can look back without regret and say he did it while he could. So now I ask you this.....are you testing your limits? I haven't tested mine either....YET!

Speaking of limits, I just ordered a book called Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner written by Dean Karnazes. If you ever get a chance to check out what this guy has accomplished, you should! Amazing!.....50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days, 350 miles in 80 hours and 44 minutes without stopping, single-handedly completed the 199-mile Saturn Relay six times, 148 miles in 24 hours on a treadmill, winner of the Providian Badwater Ultramarathon in 2004... I can't wait to read his book and find out what goes through a man's mind at mile 100 of a 199-mile race!

So, on to my training update. Overall, training went well last week. I had a couple of really good bike rides. I had one bad and one good swim. I think I am going to be adding another swim to my weekly workouts (somehow) because it is clearly my weakness! The runs went OK, but the heart rate issue that I struggle with incessantly is really going to be the limiting factor in improving at running. It doesn't take much time or effort for my heart rate to get far over my recommended aerobic maximum. The plan for this week is as follows:

Monday..........16 minute swim, 30 minute bike trainer ride
Tuesday.........Rest Day
Wednesday....29 minute swim
Thursday.......20 minute run
Friday.............58 minute bike ride (hopefully outside for once!)
Saturday........Rest Day (extra swim workout??)
Sunday...........26 minute run

You are probably wondering why such weird times for my workouts. Why not certain distances? Well, the training plan I chose is based on time and time increases every week by about 10% (except every 4th week is a recovery week). Most of the reading I have done suggests that this is a healthy amount when trying to increase workout volume and avoid injury. I am just trying to make sure I make it to the starting line!

Lastly, I need to give credit to my wife, Amanda, for putting up with me while I'm taking this journey. It requires some commitment (and tolerance) from her and I appreciate her for giving it to me.

The last couple of weeks of training have gone fairly well. I've had one tough swim and one tough bike ride in the last couple of weeks; but, other than that, the workouts have gone well. I have learned something in the last couple of weeks. I learned that if I am going to make any headway running, I probably need to spend more time on the treadmill. It seems to me that this oppressive Mississippi heat is not doing anything to help my endurance. I could be wrong, but since I am letting my heart rate dictate my pace, a more controlled training environment might actually do me some good. I hate to say that because I have never been a big fan of treadmill running; but, at this point I don't feel like I have much of a choice.



I recently acquired a bike trainer to ride in my house on days when I have to work all day and can't get out on the road before dark. I really like riding the trainer because I can do it whenever I want whether it be 4AM or 11PM and doing it in front of the television during a good TV show really helps to pass the time.



The last week's workouts have all been short. Every 4th week of my training for both the triathlon and marathon are basically "recovery" weeks. That doesn't mean that there will be no workouts- it just means that the workouts will shorter. This week starts another build phase of the plan. I'm excited about the next 3 weeks. Before the next recovery week, I should be up to an 18 minute nonstop swim, an hour on the bike and running for about 30 minutes.



On the fundraising front, I've had some extremely generous donations which have kept me on pace to reach my goals. I can't thank everyone who has donated enough. Like I have said before, it makes it a whole lot easier to train knowing that so many people are supporting me.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Humility.....

If there's one thing that I've learned so far in the early stages of triathlon/marathon training, it's HUMILITY! And this is especially true with cycling! Cycling, for me, has been a real eye opener in exposing my poor cardiovascular fitness. Of course, I knew how terribly out of shape I was before I started training. I am reminded how difficult preparation for these events is going to be every time I sit on the bike. I guess I am going to pay for all those years of living an unhealthy lifestyle. I look forward to feeling better and better during these workouts as time goes by.

Swimming has gotten a lot more fun recently. I think it has more to do with confidence in the water than anything else. I have had a few rough swims; but, for the most part, everything has been OK and I am slowly but surely building endurance in the water.

Running is really not something that I ever see myself excelling at, although I am certain that at some point in the near future I will begin to enjoy it again. Starting over building a running base is not a fun task! My Sunday run this last weekend was probably about as miserable as a run can be. It was 96 degrees outside when I got out of my truck at 3:30 in the afternoon right before I went out! Definitely not ideal running conditions. I also battle my heart rate constantly and have considered putting the heart rate monitor away for a couple of months. I constantly struggle to keep my heart rate below 170-180 bpm. There seems to be no "in-between" for me. Either I am taking a brisk walk with a heart rate in the 115-120 range or a slow run with a heart rate > 170- and when I say slow, I mean Sl-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-w!!!! In fact, I think I am that guy that we've all made fun of at some point in our lives that we see running and have trouble deciding whether we can actually call what they are doing running. Amanda will attest to the fact that I am probably the slowest runner she has ever seen.

My weekly training schedule looks like this (if you were wondering):

• Monday- short swim and short bike ride
• Tuesday- rest day
• Wednesday- long swim
• Thursday- short run
• Friday- long bike ride
• Saturday- rest day
• Sunday- long run

I was pleasantly surprised to find that Deb Benson, one of the co-founders of Grateful American Coin, had donated to my fundraising efforts for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF). Deb and her husband have created a nonprofit which sells "thank you" coins to give to service members. The proceeds from the sale of these coins go to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation or Paws for Patriots. The buyer of the coins chooses which of these charities their purchase benefits. I bought a couple of the coins and got a great email from Deb. I responded and let Deb know that if she knew of anyone interested in donating to SOWF through my marathon fundraising campaign to pass the message on. The next day, I was surprised and excited to find that she had given a very generous donation. I encourage everyone to check out Grateful American Coins and consider giving them to family and friends who are service members. They deserve our thanks and gratitude and what better way to thank them than with a token that they can keep forever that reminds them how much you appreciate what they have done for us.

On the great news front, I was excited to find out today that Cain has gone home from the hospital. I know that Brad and Catherine have got to be beside themselves that they finally get to get their family back home. I know that they've had a stressful last couple of weeks and the trip home must have been awesome!

Also, if you are interested in donating to one of the two great charities I will be running the marathon for in January, please click on one (or both) of the Firstgiving boxes on the right side of the page. Also, you can click on one of the following links.

Children's Heart Foundation

Special Operations Warrior Foundation

Thanks so much to all of the following people who have already donated!!

Good news so far....

I was happy to wake up this morning to news that Cain Clinkscales was doing well! He had the second of three surgeries yesterday. I followed his progress all day yesterday. I can't imagine the emotional roller coaster Catherine and Brad must have been on all day waiting for updates while Cain was in surgery and while he was in the ICU post-op before they got to go back to see him. I keep trying to put myself in their shoes, but I don't think that it's possible for me to realistically imagine how they must have felt yesterday. As a parent, when my kids aren't feeling well, I just want to do whatever it takes to make them feel better and rest comfortably. It's difficult for me to imagine being able to put complete trust in an anesthesiologist, a cardiothoracic surgeon and a perfusionist to do such a major procedure on my own child. Now, don't get me wrong, I would have no problems putting my full trust in the cardiothoracic surgeons, perfusionists and the anesthesia attending physicians that I work with; but, that's because I work them and know that they are competent health care professionals who truly care about their patients. I am sure Cain's parents have gotten to know Cain's caretakers very well up to this point, which undoubtedly makes it much easier when incision time arrives. One thing I've learned about kids since I've been a parent and health care professional is that they are resilient and can typically deal with adversity much better than adults.

With respect to my training, yesterday was a rest day. A 40 minute bike ride is in store for me after work. I am looking forward to it. Tomorrow will be a run day, then Monday I am scheduled for another 2-workout day with a morning swim and an evening bike ride; but, I may have to postpone the bike ride until Tuesday and skip one of my rest days this week since I have to work from 6:30A-7P Monday.

Speaking of training, I completed the entire distance of the triathlon swim in the pool on Wednesday. I just wanted to see if I could finish it and I did. It's a huge confidence boost for someone who really doesn't have a swimming background to know that I can finish the swim distance 4 months before the race.

I've been watching some YouTube videos of the Disney Marathon. Looks like it is going to be fun- or about about as fun as running 26.2 miles can be. The race actually starts and ends at Epcot. After running around in Epcot for a couple of miles then leaving Epcot, it's about 7 miles to The Magic Kingdom and through the castle. After leaving there, it's about 6 miles to the Animal Kingdom. There's really not much running actually in the park there. After Animal Kingdom, it's about 5 miles to Hollywood Studios and on to the finish at Epcot. You can check out the course map here. Also, here's a 3 minute video of some of the highlight of the race. If you're questioning whether I'm really going to do this....there's my receipt right there! Do I plan on doing it fast? Depends on your definition of fast. I will tell you that I plan on finishing on the same day that I start!

By the way, I want to thank all of the people who have donated so far to the two charities I will be running for, the Children's Heart Foundation and the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.

Also, if you know anyone who was born with a congenital heart defect(s) or was killed in Iraq, Afghanistan or elsewhere and would like to share their story, please let me know.

Scott

Getting started (random thoughts)....

Yesterday was my first training day. On my way to running my first marathon, I have decided that I will go ahead and do my first triathlon, also. I have been wanting to dive into triathlons for some time; but, Amanda's last semester of school combined with a newborn baby and a work schedule that only my boss could love really made training difficult. Now that Amanda is done with school and Parker is sleeping all night, I feel like those 5AM swims will be much easier to make. So, my first 5AM swim in a few months is tomorrow morning.

I actually had 2 workouts on day 1. A swim and a bike ride. Both workouts went great, although the 1PM bike ride in 92 degree heat was a bit uncomfortable after a while. I guess I'd better get used to it since it's only June...should be really uncomfortable in late July/early August. No workouts today, though. Tuesdays and Saturdays will be rest days until late September just before the triathlon. My running mileage will start increasing a lot in mid-September, about 20 weeks before the marathon.

I weighed today- 199.3 pounds. The goal initially is to lose about 2 pounds a week until I lose about 25 pounds. I am trying to shave off some weight so that running is a bit more comfortable. I am targeting a daily caloric intake of a little over 1900 calories per day on off days and some added calories on workout days depending on the workout that day. If anyone is interested, Lance Armstrong's webiste has a really great application that you can also download to your Blackberry or iPhone. You can log your meals directly on your phone and synchronize it with the website. It makes calorie counting very easy since it can be done directly from your phone. You can also log workouts with the application and if you workout, it allots you more calories for that day. Definitely a cool program!

Keep Cain, Catherine and Brad Clinkscales in your prayers. Cain has his second surgery on June 5th. I know it's going to be a stressful time for the Clinkscales family.

Cain's mother sent me a link for a great video of the child of a Fox News journalist's son who was born with 5 heart defects. It's great that people are out there raising awareness.

Speaking of congenital heart defects. I read last week on his blog that David Goggins has been running ultramarathons and the Ironman Triathlon as well as other endurance events with an Atrial Septal Defect (ASD). Amazing that this guy has achieved what he has with a congenital heart defect of his own. He recently had surgery and is on the road to recovery. I am looking forward to seeing what this guys can do now that his ticker is fixed. He was really one of my primary inspirations behind the idea of doing an endurance event to raise money for charity.

Anyway, that's just a few thoughts from me...happy training!

Inspired.....

So, when I decided to do this whole marathon thing, I knew I wanted to do it for someone besides myself and I wanted it to be difficult. I mean, if I am going to run for a charity, won't it motivate potential donors if I were doing something far more difficult than any physical test I have put myself through before. But, the question was, "What charities are worth the physical and mental stress that such a challenge demands?"

So, I made some facebook requests for charities and did a lot of research. There were a lot of really great suggestions, but I was only truly inspired by one. So, I will run for two causes. Two? You thought I said one? Well, the first was actually an idea I came up with prior to the request for suggestions that I couldn't abandon.

The first cause is one that I considered from the beginning- The Special Operations Warrior Foundation. This charity provides college education for surviving family members of special operations forces killed in combat or training. They also provide immediate financial assistance for special operations forces wounded in action. I think no matter how you feel about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, you have to appreciate those who are fighting it...especially those who give the ultimate sacrifice and their families. There's really not much more to say about this charity- I think we all know that these people could use our support!

This is my family and I could never imagine losing any of them!

So what's the second cause? The Children's Heart Foundation (Congenital Heart Defect Research). If you had asked me a month ago, I never would have told you this was an option mostly because I've never been exposed to anyone affected by a congenital heart defect(s)- at least, not to the degree that Cain Austin Clinkscales is. I went to college with Cain's parents. I never really knew them very well on a personal level; but, they had some of the same friends as I did so we often crossed paths. Cain's mother, Catherine, sent me a very inspiring message on Facebook. She told me about Cain and I read her blog. Cain was born with multiple congenital heart defects including Tricuspid Atresia, Hypoplastic Right Ventricle, Ventricular Septal Defect, Transposition of the Great Arteries, and a small aortic valve. As I read Cain's mother's blog, I couldn't help but think how lucky I was to have two children born with healthy hearts, especially since the gene for Long QT Sydrome runs in my family.

Before reading all of this, I never really know much about congenital heart defects, except for what I know about that family history of Long QT Syndrome. I did, however, discover that there is a profound need for congenital heart defect reseach and very few charities are actually committed to the cause.

As I continued to read the blog, another thing I thought about was how poorly I have treated my own heart over the last 15 years. I guess, to some degree, reading the blog inspired me to look in the mirror and be completely honest with myself! So, here I am sharing my honesty. I'm 33 now and since about the time I finished high school, my heart has been something I have taken for granted. I have abused it. Whether it be the foods I've eaten, the cigarettes I've smoked, the exercise I didn't do or the other unhealthy behaviors I have engaged in, I have abused it. Reading Cain's blog made me feel an immense amount of guilt! While I've abused my own heart, children were born who never really had a chance to live with a completely healthy heart. In fact, it happens more often that I realized. Did you know that congenital heart defects are the most common birth defect affecting 1 in every 100-200 babies. Maybe I'll get into more statistics in a later blog.

And so, these are my causes. I will run for them. I will raise money for them. I hope that everyone will find it in their heart to donate to one or both of them. Whether it be 5, 10, 20, 100, or 1000 dollars, I appreciate your donations and so do the families and children who will benefit from donations to both of these causes. I will keep everyone updated on my progress here. I don't know how often I'll post- maybe daily, maybe weekly, maybe monthly! I'll do it as often as I can; but, if the choice is to blog or run........you can find me running!

If you care to donate to either one of these great charities, you can visit the links below for my fundraising pages.

Special Operations Warrior Foundation

The Children's Heart Foundation