It's All I Can Do

In an ongoing effort to help people who are trying to make a difference by raising awareness and raising money for causes close to their hearts, I wanted to share my partnership with “It’s All I Can Do” found online at - http://itsallicando.wordpress.com/  and David Kuhn.  I'm doing this as Kelly, I'm doing this as The Living Athlete, I'm doing this as a guide, I'm doing this as a friend and I'm doing this because you read this blog.

David Kuhn loves his granddaughter very much, a granddaughter, Kylie, he may have limited time with.  Kylie has cystic fibrosis which means her body creates excess fluid which affects her lungs by making it difficult to breathe and her digestive system making it challenging to process foods as well as many other symptoms.  The life expectancy for someone with cystic fibrosis is 35, Kylie is 11.  David started It’s All I Can Do in an effort to run the perimeter of the United States.  He has plotted a course that starts in Seattle Washington and heads East on his way to Maine.  Along with this ongoing journey he will be competing in the High Cliff Half Ironman Saturday June 14th as well as Ironman Wisconsin Sunday September 7^th.  His goal with all this running and racing is to “put a nail in the coffin of cystic fibrosis.” 

David’s cause needs our help.  Any goal such as running around the United States requires more than just the person running, but unique to David’s fundraising and running efforts is that it’s literally not possible for him to do on his own.  He can’t fly to Seattle with a backpack and credit card and start running like I could because David’s legally blind.  He needs sighted guides to be there with him for his safety.  He needs us to tell his story and spread the word in order to find that next runner that may be the difference in finishing his run.  He needs us to follow him online and share through our own communities and networks to keep him moving across county.  He needs runners!  Right now he’s working to assemble a core team to run as many consecutive days as possible starting in Seattle as early as NEXT WEEK!  He’s committed to running/walking/jogging a marathon a day with a group of volunteers who want to make a difference in his life as he makes a difference in Kylie’s life and all others effected by cystic fibrosis.  If you’re reading this and have a calling to help here’s what you can do to turn that calling in to action right now:

1.       Go to his website:  http://itsallicando.wordpress.com/ 

2.       Share his website with friends, family, running clubs, anyone

3.       Reach out via his website to volunteer to run with him; especially if you’re in the Seattle area, you could be the person to start the momentum a journey like this needs!

4.       Follow David’s progress

Lastly, if you have money – donate, if you can run – reach out and volunteer to guide, if you are on Facebook, have a blog, on Twitter – SHARE David’s story.  Each one of us is the difference, we just get caught up in wanting to know exactly what difference it is we are making – truth is, you will probably never know the exact impact you had on David’s run, but you will know that you did something to help.

Website: http://itsallicando.wordpress.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itsallicando

Twitter: @allicandoisrun

Boston Strong

When I began running and training for my first marathon, Boston was always on my mind.  I didn't hold it for a goal but often thought about what it would be like to run in the Super Bowl of marathons.  The history, the stories, the prestige of it all.  A race that I would have to qualify for, the concept of being required to run a given pace at a given age excited me.  To hear that someone ran Boston, or see someone in a Boston race shirt or jacket, that was the shit.  The distinct blue and yellow of the gear could be picked out at any race expo and I couldn't help but nod and be in aw of those who earned it.

When I began running I was also naive; Boston only meant running a fast time at another race and having the opportunity to be accepted to race there.  What I've realized is the much deeper meaning of the Boston Marathon.  Although it holds a standard of the race of all road races for runners, it continues to serve as a means of equality.  Since 1975 the marathon has allowed for physically impaired athletes to participate.  They have qualifying standards for all types of disabilities and even two person teams comprised of an able bodied runner and a non-able runner.  I've been integrated in to the blind and visually impaired athletic world for a few years and can report that this year's Boston Marathon field had the highest number of visually impaired/blind runners ever.  Boston has opened it's race to all athletes who are elite in their respective athletic world.  I commend The Boston Athletic Associate for this equality as it doesn't exist across all race types.  In contrast, Ironman does not have qualifying spots for Kona to anyone who falls in their "Physically Challenged" division.  They offer a separate lottery for all those that are Physically Challenged, which is comprised of all disabilities: blind, amputee, wheel chair bound....  Recently, as a part of that lottery they selected a visually impaired women, the first to my knowledge, who will get to compete in Kona this year.  She's very qualified as a multi-Ironman finisher and very deserving.  She, like the other "Physically Challenged" triathletes, just haven't been given the chance to qualify on their own accord.

Lastly, my being naive in only thinking about my personal qualifying standard for Boston was not knowing about their fundraising program.  The Boston Athletic Association will partner with you or your organization as a means to raise funds for causes you care about.  I love this idea and had the chance to watch a friend of mine spend her free time and efforts raising money for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts.  She personally raised over $5,000.  Allowing the opportunity to leverage The Boston Marathon in a manner to raise money and awareness is simply a great idea.

This year helped me recognize the celebration that the Boston Marathon is for so many people.  I've loved reading the stories of my visually impaired friends, my friend from growing up, learning about people who fought addiction and started foundations to help others fight addiction, runners who carried another runner across the finish line as the athlete was collapsing before the finish line.  All of the hope, all of the effort, all of the work by the athletes, the fundraisers is all on stage in the best way possible at the Boston Marathon.  I'm proud to know that the biggest running race is truly available for anyone even if they can't see, or can't walk, as long as they have the heart, they are welcome.

Thank you BAA and thank you Boston.

Trust someone else

When I started running I took a 12 week half marathon training program and condensed it to 4.  When I finished the race limping I wanted to do a full marathon.  I researched different programs to find the right one for me.  I found some that seemed to work and changed them as I saw fit.  What experience did I have in creating and modifying training plans...refer back to my first sentence.

A lot has changed since 2009; experience, injury, divorce, mohawk, wisdom, The Living Athlete.  Life changes, priorities change, goals change.  So I too continue to change.

I made the decision to hire a coach.  I've placed my trust in this coach with a single goal and many circumstances surrounding that goal.  Circumstances: 50% of my days are non-negotiable children time from the hours of 6 am until I go to work and after work until they go to bed - non-negotiable.  On my weekends with my children this training window narrows to outside the hours of 6 am until 8 pm.  Mondays, Tuesdays and every other Friday, Saturday and Sunday - kill me.  I work a full-time job 8-5 Monday - Friday, two of those lunch hours I'm at TRX at the YMCA which leaves Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday over my lunch break for something.

The goal I'm partnering with my coach to achieve: #1 be available for any and all training and build up races for a good friend who's training for Ironman.  This particular athlete has a lead foot on the bike and has been known to run marathons...many of them.... on back-to-back days.  I want to be at my best so he can be at his.  Once IMWI is in the books, maybe I'll find my own race to burn up some of this training on, but until then, my first training day is tomorrow.  Here's to 2014 and a new way of doing the old things I've always done before, but doing them more better ;-)

I have the coach I want giving me the training plan I need to accommodate the life I want to live with the support I have.  I have two simple words to push forward with this year that were passed to me by someone very special... I'm Ready!!

    

My new rule to live by

Demons, skeletons, baggage... call it what you want, we all have it.  There are conversations that come up that give us that tingle, our stomach drops, palms sweat, nerves kick in.  As those conversations may continue and dangerously approach, our bodies may kick in some endorphins as we go "fight or flight" mode.  Then it happens, that one question that we have steered clear of, done everything in our power to avoid is about to get asked.  Now what?

Maybe we have started a new dating relationship or maybe we've been in a long term relationship, maybe even married.  What's our biggest secret?  What is it that we are so sure of that if the person sitting across from us knew, they'd run away?  What are the three things that we are so certain would eliminate us from being a partner that we guard and hide?  Or the three things that we've only told our best of best friend but would never dare to tell our partner out of fear?

As this fear exists, what conversations do we avoid?  What words are out there that at any moment we hear one, our attention gets quickly diverted to the source?  If a conversation or question may touch this fear what do we do avoid it... quickly remove ourselves from that conversation...head to the bathroom...change the subject?  What behaviors have we adapted to avert the risk?  What relief falls upon us when a potential conversation that may uncover this fear goes in another direction and our secret lives another day?  A sigh... a deep breath, a thank you God..knock on wood?  

As these fears exist, what is it that we are afraid of?  Are we afraid that our partner would look at us differently?  We afraid that the person we love won't love the person we actually are?  Are we truly showing this other person who we really are if we conveniently find ways to avoid certain conversations?  Who is it that this partner loves?...us...or this projection of us that we created to hide our baggage... an alternate us that we think is the us that is worthy of love? 

Now, what if our partner has fears just like we do?  Who the hell are we? 

What if we laid those demons, skeletons and baggage on the table?  What if we took those three things we fear most and made those the first things we shared with our new special person?  I don't mean share in a 30,000 foot level share or a tap-dance around them like we've done so many times before, I mean share, say what it is and own that those three things are part of us.  Are we scared if we did that, they wouldn't like us?  Scared that they'd turn and run?  Then don't tell them and hope we never have to talk about it.  Who is it we want this person to love?  us?  or fearful secret us?  Let's say we lay it all out there and let's say they turn and run. . . was it that bad?  What did we loose?... the opportunity at a relationship of fear?  What if we tell them?  What if we just started a relationship with a person who knows the worst imaginable things about us and at the end of the conversation they are still sitting there? 

What if they follow our lead and at the end of the night, both of us are still sitting there?  Imagine that beginning...

What if we're in a relationship of fear and hiding skeletons?  What if we opened up and shared?  This person tells us they love us each day?  They tell us they love us no matter what?  Isn't this no matter what?  What if we tell the person and they run?  What if we tell them and they say they will never forgive us?  What if they tell us those things are so bad they can't be with us?  Ask them what their fears are because if we've never shared them, they probably haven't either...   

I can't tell you the answer

I can only ask you the question; did you live your dream today?  

Peel your layers back, open up, give yourself, come apart all to become whole. 

Love yourself by living your dream.

Namaste

Something happened today...

Something happened today and you may not have even noticed. 

The sun still came up.

Drank your cup of coffee.

Drove to work.

Maybe it happened so fast you missed it.

Blinked and it passed by.

Afraid to notice.

Got too busy. 

Today was the most important day of your life, did you miss it?

did you live it

did you love it

would you do it again

Your life starts now, go live it.

What you see is what you give

Over the last couple years I’ve had the privilege to guide visually impaired and blind athletes for various races and training rides/runs.  When I describe this to people they offer a gracious pat on the back followed by stating “I’d never be able to do that, I’m too______.”   Fill in the blank with anything you can think of: slow, inexperienced runner, never guided before….so on and so forth. 

What I’ve come to realize over this time span I’ve been guiding is that it has less to do with my physical abilities and more to do with my ability to give.  I understand that if I’ve never run before that guiding a marathon is something I shouldn’t jump in to, but my point is that with the abilities we already have within us, any one of us can give as a guide.

Early morning December 8^th on a bus covered in snow in sub 30 degree temperatures in California, I overheard a conversation between a first time guide with an experienced visually impaired runner.  The guide looked the part of a runner; trim, fit, long legged – all the features that were irrelevant to the athlete he’d soon be tethered to for 13.1 miles.  As I listened in to their conversation I quickly knew their first run together would go smoothly.  The guide, who seemed a little nervous at first, was asking question after question.  Asking the athlete’s preferences; which side of the athlete to run to, how far ahead or behind he’d prefer he guided, what sort of cues he’d prefer.  As the guide asked more questions I could hear the calmness in the athlete’s voice.  The athlete was becoming more at ease as he learned of the care and concern and attention to detail his guide was giving him with the line of questioning; with the calmness of the athlete came the calmness of the guide.       

In my guiding experience, my conversations with visually impaired/blind athletes and from my conversations with other guides, here is the best list I can come up with for qualities necessary for being a guide:

1.       Be humble and ask questions – there are no stupid questions, you won’t be looked at as ignorant or arrogant if you’re asking questions to learn more about the athlete you wish to help.

2.       Be prepared personally – have your shit together for you, be spot on in your packing to travel, the items you need to run and support yourself through the race.  If you forgot something, identify and take care of it quickly so you’re not creating an emergency.  Imagine if you’re about to travel through the Amazon jungle led by someone you’ve never met only to have them show up and say “I forgot my compass”.  Your panic is their panic.

3.       Be available – make yourself available to the athlete ahead of the race, give them an opportunity to ask you questions so that they may find comfort in being familiar with their guide.

4.       It’s not your race – yes you are out there, yes you do have the opportunity to register for the race and get an official time, but when you’re guiding someone during a race, they come first.  I’m not suggesting putting yourself in any risk or danger, but I do all I can to let the athlete know I’m there for them.  I’m not suggesting that it’s not a team effort, it is, using the distinction of it not being about me helps me mentally prepare, train and be ready to be as attentive as I can be come race day.

5.       Don’t be an interruption - When I run my races it’s always my goal to have chunks of miles that seem to pass by effortlessly.  Somehow I’ve gone from mile 8 to mile 12 and didn’t even notice.  I never know when that’s happening to the athlete I’m with so I always keep that top of mind to not break it up if I can help it.  That’s how I navigate through other runners during the race; plan ahead, make subtle adjustments instead of a big grab or pull.  If any quick or sudden adjustment is needed I try to preface it with a verbal warning.

6.       Pay attention to detail – how much detail depends on the athlete.  Any time I guide someone new I like to find out how much information they want.  I error on too much than too little.  I let the athlete know to tell me to shut up if I’m providing too much feedback. 

This is by no means an exhaustive list of items but I feel a good start.  I can’t reiterate enough how none of the requirements have anything to do with your personal athletic ability.  Just like going to any running race there are slow runners and fast runners; there are slow VI/blind runners and there are fast VI/blind runners and most are in some need of a guide.  It’s not just races, it’s getting prepared to get to the starting line, think of the miles you logged training for your last race, then imagine doing a high percentage of those miles on a ‘dread-mill’ because there were lack of guides to run with.  I encourage you to put yourself out there, reach out to local groups that provide services for the visually impaired community, contact the local schools, perhaps there’s a school for the blind in your area.  Facebook has a great group that has grown to over 425 members called “Running eyes, bringing Guides & Visually Impaired runners/joggers together”. 

While out in California, for the California International Marathon, the event I’ve looked forward to for the two years I’ve gone out to guide is the pre-race dinner on Saturday night.  During the event Richard Hunter, who spends countless hours and time in conjunction with USABA doing fundraising, arranging housing, guides, travel and anything else an athlete needs, got up to speak .  In his brief talk about his bike crash this summer, his recovery and the impact his fellow athletes have had on him he had a great quote “focus on what you can do and not what you can’t.”  That’s my advice to anyone interested in helping others in athletics, if you want to help, there is a way and it has nothing to do with how fast you are.