Veteran's Gift Blog

Marathon Blog: Day 77

2010-07-04T12:12:00.000-04:00

Distance: 6.01mi
Time: 52:11
Pace: 8:39/mi

Today was a rough run. The heat (almost 90 degrees) combined by the high humidity made it feel like I was sucking on water. I could feel it even before the first mile that it was going to be a long, hard journey. I need to go running earlier, as to avoid the heat.

Happy 4th all!
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"γνῶθι σεαυτόν" (Know Thyself)

Marathon Blog: Day 76

2010-07-03T12:55:00.000-04:00

Distance: 3.1mi
Time: 23:38
Pace: 7:38/mi

Had to take another break, due to my hip and gobs of appointments (VA, etc.). Speaking of that, finally getting my VA stuff done. Hopefully all of my claims will go through.

Run felt good today, though it was hot and humid. First day with my new pair of shoes, as well. Not the best, but it's all I can afford right now.
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"γνῶθι σεαυτόν" (Know Thyself)

Marathon Blog: Day 63

2010-06-20T11:21:00.000-04:00

6/20/2010
Distance: 6.04
Time: 49:45
Pace: 8:15/mi

Had to take a little while off, due to hip pains. It is most likely bursitis of my hip, and research recommended time off and an anti-inflammatory regimen. It seems to have worked, as the pain is virtually gone.

I did my first 6 miler today. Tough, as it was quite humid, and it made it tough to breathe. Feel pretty good afterward, though. No issues with my knees or hip.

Have to get going.

Happy Father's day, all!
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"γνῶθι σεαυτόν" (Know Thyself)

Marathon Blog: Day 51 & 52

2010-06-09T12:13:00.001-04:00

06/08/10
Distance: 3.1mi
Time: 23:16
Pace: 7:31/mi

06/09/10
Distance: 3.1mi
Time: 22:45
Pace: 7:21/mi

Two short runs in a row over the past couple days. Not too bad, as the weather cooperated, and it wasn't too humid. Knees feel good.

I pushed myself pretty hard today, as I am trying to work on getting my stamina up. I'm already doing better on my times than I was when I got out of the Army by almost a full minute. My goal is to get below 6:30/mi for a two mile run, but I also need to work on distance as well. I should measure out a two mile course and see what my best time right now could be...

On another note: I've lost close to 20lbs since I started running. Change in diet, Phenylene Xtreme after runs (to keep the calories burning), and constant running have brought me from about 215 to 195.

Have a great day!
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"γνῶθι σεαυτόν" (Know Thyself)

Marathon Blog: Day 48 & 49

2010-06-06T11:12:00.000-04:00

06/05/10
Distance: 3.1mi
Time: 24:00
Pace: 7:45/mi

06/06/10
Distance: 5.1mi
Time: 40:52
Pace: 8:01/mi

It bit tough yesterday, because of the humidity, but good run today, despite the rain. Kept me cool, and it stopped about halfway through. Knee feels just fine now. Still going to ice it and such.

Gotta go...plenty to do today.

Have a good one!

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"γνῶθι σεαυτόν" (Know Thyself)

Marathon Blog: Day 44 & 46

2010-06-03T11:24:00.000-04:00

06/01/2010
Distance: 3.1mi
Time: 23:50
pace: 7:42/mi

06/03/2010
Distance: 3.1mi
Time: 23:49
Pace: 7:41/mi

I'm back after a week of rest. I went to the doctor about my knee, and he said that it was most likely nothing major, but to contact him if it gets worse in any way. He recommended that I take a week off, and keep icing it after runs, and start on an Advil regiment to keep any joint swelling down. My knee, thankfully, hasn't given me any problems since last week.

Feels good to be back into it. Both Tuesday's and today's runs went well, but I am still getting used to the humidity while running. Makes it a bit hard for me to breathe.

Have a wonderful day!

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"γνῶθι σεαυτόν" (Know Thyself)

Marathon Blog: Day 39

2010-05-27T07:37:00.002-04:00

Going to the doctor today for my knee, and my recent bouts of nausea. I will let you know how it turns out.
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"γνῶθι σεαυτόν" (Know Thyself)

Marathon Blog: Day 32 + 34

2010-05-22T10:38:00.000-04:00

5/20 (Hills)
Distance: 3.74mi
Time: 31:09
Pace: 8:20/mi

5/22 (Easy)
Distance: 3.1mi
Time: 24:15
Pace: 7:50/mi

Decent runs over the past few days. Today felt really good, and I didn't feel the need to stop at all, or at least I powered through when I got the urge. Can't wait until the 1st, when I can get a new pair of shoes.

Been trying to look for a job to supplement the GI Bill benefits, and I don't know how that will affect my running. Might have to do early mornings. Gotta break out my reflective belt, I guess.

Feeling a bit of a twinge in my right knee. Gonna try to get to the doctor on Monday or Tuesday to see what it is. I will skip running tomorrow, to see if whatever it is will go away on its own. For now, I will ice it down a bit.

Have a great day!
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"γνῶθι σεαυτόν" (Know Thyself)

Marathon Blog: Day 30

2010-05-18T10:51:00.000-04:00

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 32:59
Pace: 8:15/mi

Tried my best not to stop at all today. Was a pretty good run.

Going to go downtown to the running store today to scope out my next pair of shoes. I figure I can find out what kind I would need, and then look on Overstock.com or EBay to find the best price, cuz I'm a savvy shopper like that.

For the first time in about 4 years, I broke the 200lb mark yesterday with a weigh in of 199.4. This running stuff is starting to pay off!

One month down...

Have a wonderful day!
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"γνῶθι σεαυτόν" (Know Thyself)

Marathon Blog: Day 28

2010-05-16T13:17:00.001-04:00

Distance: 5.1 mi (To Marlboro)
Time: 40:25
Pace: 7:56/mi

It was a pretty good run today. Hadn't run since Tuesday, due to a very busy week and sick kids/wifey, so it felt good to be back into the swing of things. I am just going to repeat last week's schedule, so I can keep on my mileage buildup training. Will be pushing up to six miles within the next couple weeks, so I'm trying to get my stamina up.

Tried a new product today: Powerbar Energy Gel Blasts. They are jelly filled gummies that function the same as the Powerbar gel. They worked pretty well...took them a half hour before my run, and it kept my energy going. Probably not going to be an every run thing...just for long run days, maybe.

Have a great day!
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"γνῶθι σεαυτόν" (Know Thyself)

Marathon Blog: Day 23

2010-05-11T11:06:00.001-04:00

Distance: 5.1 mi
Time: 41:52
Pace: 8:13

First time back running since last Thursday, as Erin was working all weekend, and Mother's Day filled up Sunday.

It was also my first five miler today. Actually felt great. I thought it was going to be a problem, as I got a blood blister on my heel this morning, but I could barely feel it. I hardly had to stop at all today, as well. It got tough near the end, but I kept myself going.
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"γνῶθι σεαυτόν" (Know Thyself)

Marathon Blog: Day 18

2010-05-06T11:21:00.000-04:00

Distance: 3.74mi
Time: 30:30
Pace: 8:10/mi

Three words, first off: I hate hills. I always have had trouble with them, even when I was in peak shape in the military.

I did my first hill training today. Went down and up Kent Street a couple times, which is the hill in the 5K that I did on Sunday. It is a fairly mild hill, but after already running for a while, it really builds up the lactic acid in your legs.

Doing research on core training. Did some basic stuff yesterday (sit-ups, crunches, flutter kicks, etc.), and it was hilarious, because Logan was trying to do them with me.

Joined the Newburyport Runners on Meetup.com. Hopefully they will provide some great camaraderie and motivation! Gonna post hill training on there for next week, to see if I can get anyone to do it with me.
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"γνῶθι σεαυτόν" (Know Thyself)

Marathon Blog: Day 16

2010-05-04T16:25:00.000-04:00

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 34:54
Pace: 8:44/mi

Today was a tough run. I started in the afternoon, right after a short rain storm. The sun bringing the heat back up to the 80's, the humidity spiked. This makes it a little difficult for me to breath normally, let alone while running. I was really sucking wind, so my pace went up about 20 seconds from my last run. I hope the summer isn't going to be very humid this year, as it will make it a very long running summer.

Regarding getting in under the charity flag, I had emailed an official previously, regarding what I would need to do to get Veteran's Gift in as a charity. She had emailed back, saying that it would actually have to be CDP (our fiscal sponsor) who would have to enter, and indicate that the funds would go to VG. I contacted Katie at CDP, and she had said that I would just need to send her the application, once it comes out in June. Things are looking promising!

Looking for running clubs around the area to get some extra motivation. If I can't find one, I might see what I can do about establishing one.

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"γνῶθι σεαυτόν" (Know Thyself)

Marathon Blog: First 5K!!

2010-05-02T14:20:00.001-04:00

Distance: 5K (3.1mi)
Time: 25:18
Pace: 8:09/mi

Today I ran my first 5K race. It was the Spring Fever 5K (http://www.springfever5k.com/Springfever5k/HOME.html) and it was kind of a last minute decision. It was a good run, though. The hill on Kent Street was killer. First time racing up a hill. I remember how much I hated doing the hill training in the Army, and this only brought back bad memories. Kept a pretty hard pace, so I did have to slow down a few times, but it was mainly after the hill.

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"γνῶθι σεαυτόν" (Know Thyself)

Marathon Blog: Day 11

2010-04-29T11:04:00.002-04:00

Distance: 4mi
Time: 33:39
Pace: 8:25/mi

Good run today. It was nice and sunny, and a nice breeze kept me cool. Calf hurts a bit, so I will stretch it well. Not much to say, other than that.

Have a nice day!
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"γνῶθι σεαυτόν" (Know Thyself)

Marathon Blog: Day 9

2010-04-27T12:44:00.004-04:00

Distance: 3.1 mi
Time: 25.16
Pace: 8:10/mi

Ran 3 today. It was drizzling out, so it kept me nice and cool. Felt good most of the way, and I did not stop at all, save at a crosswalk to let a car go. My calf is still pretty tight and painful, despite stretching it several times. I'll relax it tonight and tomorrow, and see how it feels Thursday.

Mapped out 5 and 6 mile runs on my Runnersworld.com training log, so those will be all set when I get to them.
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"γνῶθι σεαυτόν" (Know Thyself)

Marathon Blog: Day 7

2010-04-25T11:51:00.001-04:00

Distance: 4 Miles
Time: 34:52
Pace: 8:43/mi

Ran four miles today, from the house to State St, up to Pond St, and around the Mall and back. Good run, and I felt pretty good. My stamina is improving, and I am mostly going down to conversational pace when tired, instead of walking. Noticed a building I hadn't seen before behind the Kelley School...looks like an old jail or something.
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"γνῶθι σεαυτόν" (Know Thyself)

Marathon Blog: Day 5

2010-04-24T12:04:00.001-04:00

Unable to run today, as Erin is a work, so I am solo with the kids. My back is still getting used to the long distances, so I guess an extra rest day isn't too bad.

So I guess the pedometer on my iPod, for lack of a better word, sucks! I calibrated it three times, to make sure it was working correctly, and still the distances were way off. I found the Runnersworld.com log, where you can map out your route using Google Maps, and both of the routes I did this week were off by a half mile to almost a mile. That's a pretty darn big mistake. I will be using the log for the distance and routes, and just time myself. It will figure out the pace for me.

Also, having done some research, and asked around (thanks, Brent!!), Boston Marathon may be too lofty of a goal, if I cannot make it under the charity flag. If I cannot get into it under Veteran's Gift, my goal will be to run a marathon, and shoot for the 2012 BM. Someone on the Runnersworld.com forums posted, asking how many marathons it took people to make their BQ (Boston Qualifier). The average seemed to be 2-5 marathons. I'm dedicated, don't get me wrong, but I don't want to push myself so hard to run a qualifier in October-ish, that I hurt myself.

I'm going to look into what kind of 5K and 10K races are around here, and sign up for a few. That should get my motivation up. :)

Marathon Blog: Day 3

2010-04-22T11:14:00.003-04:00

Distance: 3.76mi
Time: 32:37
Pace: 8:39

Ran from the house to George Washington and back today. Similar to Day 1, I did well for the first half, but the second half was tough. I need to get my stamina up, so I won't have to stop as much. However, when I did slow down, I noticed that I recovered quicker, and could run longer between rests. I'm sure I will eventually build up my stamina...it's only my first week seriously training.

On the advice of my brother-in-law, I have begun taking multivitamins. He was unsure if I should start taking in protein shakes after runs. Does anyone have any advice in that regard?

"If you want to run, run a mile. If you want to experience a different life, run a marathon."
- Emil Zatopek

Update: In more pain than usual later in the day. Might take a 2 day rest, depending on how I feel tomorrow. I don't want to drive myself too hard in the beginning...

Marathon Blog: Day 2

2010-04-21T21:38:00.000-04:00

I am going to be posting mainly on days I am running, but every once in a while, I will throw in what I am doing on my rest days. Today was my first day of rest, after back-to-back run days. Surprisingly, I was barely even sore when I woke up. I guess the stretching, hydration, and banana really paid off.

I did a lot of research today into what I would need to do to get in shape and enter into the competition. Now, if I can manage to get in as a charity, I will not have to qualify for the marathon, which would be a huge wait off of my shoulders, and I can spend the whole year training for this. On the other hand, if I cannot get in (there are a limited number of spots for charities, I've been told), then I will have to hunker down and train hard for a marathon in late September or October, in order to qualify with a 3:10 time or less. My cousin ran bandit (unregistered), but if I am to be running for Veteran's Gift, I want to do this the right way, and cross that finish line as a competitor. I've sent an email to the charity coordinator of the Boston Athletics Association (BAA) to get some preliminary information about getting Veteran's Gift on the slate for 2011.

I also looked into some running apparel and getting a pedometer. They aren't as expensive as I thought, but I guess the cheaper ones loose accuracy after a little while. The best, I have found in my research, is an accelerometer-based pedometer, as there are no springs/triggers to wear out. The best that I've found seems to be the Omron brand, which I have been checking out on Amazon, and reading reviews. I want to eventually look into getting customized running shirts for VG, and whatnot.

I also need to get a decent pair of running shoes, that are made for my foot type. None of the Walmart bought stuff...the real thing.

Running tomorrow morning again...very excited.

"The difference between the mile and the marathon is the difference between burning your fingers with a match and being slowly roasted over hot coals."
Hal Higdon, running writer and coach

Marathon Blog: Day 1

2010-04-20T11:56:00.001-04:00

Distance: 3.09mi
Time: 26:50
Pace: 8:42

Went for my first run today for the new year of training. The first half wasn't bad, but got tougher as I was coming back. Glad to see I can still do it, but my time vs. distance shows I need a lot of work. I wasn't pushing myself nearly as hard as I would when I was taking a PT Test in the Army, but I feel I need much improvement.

As you can see above, I picked up a rudimentary pedometer application for my iPod, so that is how I am currently tracking my distance and time. I'm unsure how accurate it is, and I eventually want to pick up a decent one from a sports goods store. If anyone is willing to donate a second-hand one that is no longer being used, it would be much appreciated until I can save up some money.

Once I get a chance, I also want to head down and get my feet tested for exactly what kind of shoes I would need.

A little bit sore from the back to back days running, but I need to get into a routine that works out with my schedule and family. I want to try to run four days a week...short distances at first, and gradually bring up 1-2 of the days to be longer runs. Stretched out well so I won't be as sore tomorrow, and I see that I picked up a bit of a sunburn on my face. Good stuff...that will get to be a nice tan.

Marathon Blog: The Beginning

2010-04-19T22:08:00.000-04:00

Hello all!

Growing up in Massachusetts, Patriots' Day has always been a huge event, not only for the historical basis, but for one particular event that draws people from around the world: the Boston Marathon. Every year on the third Monday of April, people gather for what many Bean Town residents simply refer to as "Marathon Monday". The race has been run every year since 1897, and is still going strong with today's 114th annual race. I remember watching it on TV each year.

I have been telling myself for a long time that I wanted to run in the Boston Marathon at least once in my life. I had no immediate plans, as I am no where near marathon shape, and my two children keep me quite busy enough. But it is on my Bucket List, to use the phrase coined by the same-titled movie.

In an effort to get myself back in some semblance of shape, I have been jogging whenever I can. Usually not that much, a couple miles at most. Just to give myself a feeling that I am actually attempting to lose a bit of weight and stay in shape. In the spirit of the marathon, I went running this afternoon. It was a good run, just under two miles, and I didn't stop much at all, despite the fact that I have only run a couple times in the past two weeks. When I got back, my wife Erin proffered a suggestion: Why not run the Boston Marathon to raise awareness for Veteran's Gift?

I thought about it for a moment, and then agreed. It would be a good idea. I have been seeing an increasing amount of people doing extraordinary feats to raise awareness and funds for their chosen nonprofit. From SPC Troy Yocum from Louisville, KY hiking 7000 miles across America for US Military Families, to Newburyport's Marcus family and Pippa Dorfman riding cross-country in their "Leave Cancer in the Dust" ride, I have thought this was a great way to raise awareness, as well as actually getting out there and actually doing something about it, instead of sending a meager check once a year to a huge nonprofit.

I am giving to almost a fault, and whenever I have the money, I usually do make donations. I see people in need, and I want to help. Erin and I have talked about doing things for charities. We really want to get involved with Habitat for Humanity, and like charities, and get out there and do some work to really help people. It's one thing to send a check to a faceless charity, and get a stock thank-you letter. All well and good. But it's another thing to, say, build a house. That house is a monument to your resolve in helping people. You can immediately see the results of your efforts.

So when Erin suggested that I run the marathon for Veteran's Gift, it didn't take much to get me in. I know it would be hard to train for, but it will help people, and it will help me reach one of my goals in life.

So I began to look into it. I found some online guides on how to train for a marathon, a couple books that I want to pick up, and, most importantly, confirmed with my wife that I would need time to run as much as I can. I need to save some money to buy necessary items: a good pair of running shoes, a pedometer, etc. But I can live with what I have for now.

Here begins my journey. I have one year to get ready to run the race of a lifetime. And it's for a good cause! Erin said that she was going to be my PR lady, and has already showered me with ideas on what could be done to promote this. I will keep up as much as possible in documenting my journey.

I welcome any advice on training for a marathon or promoting an idea, so have at it! :)

- Chad

Welcome to the VG Blog!

2009-10-12T09:35:00.000-04:00

Hello all!

Since everyone seems to be doing it, I thought I should start a blog for Veteran's Gift. It will be used to give updates on what is going on, and what is planned for the future.

As far as the current happenings: We are currently awaiting approval for our 501(c)(3) number. We will be, first, working through a fiscal sponsorship program through the Congressional District Program. Once approved, we will begin fund raising, as well as seeking donations, to begin building our programs.

I will be down at the Unitarian Universalist Church (26 Pleasant St.) in Newburyport, MA for a Volunteer and Poverty Fair, trying to spread the word about our organization, and getting some good contacts for volunteers, when we need them. Come on down, and meet me in person, find out about the organization, and all the other organizations that will be at the fair.

Other than that, we are just waiting for the nonprofit number, and the flood gates will be opened!

Stay safe!

Chad Freeman
Founder, Veteran's Gift