36 Days Remaining - Race For The Cure with Kids

Today I woke up the trio early to get them ready for the Race For The Cure. They have grown used to sleeping in a little bit longer than 6:45. Amanda is in Chicago for the weekend with her friends having some time away from the daily grind and I decided to register the kids and let them experience the race atmosphere.

Ava ready to run...

In some ways this was nice to share this with the kids. However, I won't lie and tell you that placing the bib on my shirt and the timing chip did not make me flip my competitive switch. I would have liked to give this race a go to see where I am at in terms of pushing the limits. But, I had a great time with the kids.

It was great seeing so many people out supporting those who have battle cancer especially breast cancer. As I stated on FB this morning when you stop to think about everyone affected by cancer it is scary and alarming. Right now there are a lot of people in my life both in family, friends, and teaching circles that are battling cancer themselves or have a child battling cancer. It makes me stop to appreciate my health and give these fighters much credit for not giving up hope and staying strong. When I am sore from a long bike ride I really should not complain when I stop to think about how lucky I am.

Ready to Race!

This morning it became hot fast. LIVE UNCOMMON had a great turnout and the new shirts were SWEET!

When we finally got there we had quite a walk to the LIVE UNCOMMON area. I think that was about half the race. We hung out for a bit and then made our way to the start. We were way in the back which I am not used to. It took forever for us to get to the starting line. Ava was in no mood for the stroller as she was tired of looking at butts and wanted me to carry her so she could people watch(like her mamma).










Here is the view from where we were

After we finished we ate some cookies, popsicles, and of course found the jumpers for the kids. We met many people and I even met someone who is looking to jump in a and train with us in the mornings. I love these crowds and these people who are all about making themselves better in whatever pursuits they have.

So far I have survived The Solo Adventures of Hanging with Dad. Below is a slide show of pictures from the weekend so far. I will continue to add to this throughout the weekend. I can assure you that the best is yet to come.

All in all I bet we walked close to 3 miles between walking to and from the car, the one mile race(Ava was in no mood for 2 more miles), and just walking around. Addy came home and crashed for a 3 hour power nap. Ava slept about 2 hours and during that time I sanded the deck. Aiden lost a tooth.

For lunch Ava decided to put ravioli in her hair(pictures coming soon to the album) and I am trying to pick up the house a little bit before Amanda comes home.







Here is the slide show of the weekend so far. More will be added throughout the weekend.



Trying to rest as much as possible the rest of the day. I have a 13 mile run to get in tomorrow night and then a recovery week in my half Ironman training leading up to the QC Tri and then things get crazy as I cram in a major week of training in four days before I leave to party and dance the night away with the Dave Matthews Band for three days. By the way, I have a ticket available if anyone is interested in one wild weekend where anything can happen. One ticket is open and one spot in the Tailgate Beast Van.

Alright, back to meeting the demands of my girls.......

54 Days Remaining - Live Uncommon Staff Breakfast, Busy Morning = No Run

This morning Chad and Katie really took charge to organize a staff breakfast this morning. I was included in the mix, but I will be honest and cannot take much credit besides helping out this morning. Chad and Katie did all the backwork to get it ready. We hosted a breakfast for our staff here at BMS and took donations to help us reach our Live Uncommon goals of trying to raise $700 each. I know it sounds like a lot to raise, especially with money being so tight for so many people, but the money goes to some amazing charities. We have an amazing staff that really came early this morning, grabbed some coffee, juice, donuts, eggs, pancakes, etc. and gave a little of their hard earned cash to help. It was another reminder how AWESOME are staff really is. Nobody can doubt or question how strong of a staff we have here at BMS when it comes to helping students, each other, and the community. It was a nice start to the day seeing staff come down and enjoy the breakfast and start the day right.

Obviously, not all of you reading this were able to make the breakfast. I know I have posted information about LIVE UNCOMMON and helping to raise money before, but I will throw it out there again. You can help out in many ways. Feel free to offer whatever you can to my donation page. I honestly don't care if it is even a dollar. Every penny helps out someone in need and we are supporting all types of charities to help all types of people. I really believe in what I am representing when I wear my LIVE UNCOMMON gear to all my races and training sessions. I am proud to be part of an amazing team of people who are striving to meet their own goals while working even harder to raise money for others in the community. I still have a long way to go in my fundraising so I thank you in advance for any support you can provide.

Here are the races along with links to what each race is raising money for.

The Series Causes
CASI - Center for Active Seniors
5K
March 17
Davenport, Iowa

Run for Renewal
5K
April 21
Davenport, Iowa

Live Uncommon Torchlight Parade
3 Mile (untimed)
June 2 – 8:30 PM
Davenport, Iowa

Race for the Cure
5K
June 9
Moline, Illinois

Moonlight Chase
4 Mile
July 14 – 9:00 PM
Eldridge, Iowa

OUCH Half Marathon
HALF MARATHON, 10K and 5K
August 18
Bettendorf, Iowa

Quad Cities Marathon
Half Marathon, Marathon Relay
5K
September 23
Moline, Illinois

With all that being said, my training is a little off. I did swim yesterday, but that was all I did for the rest of the day. I ate however I wanted so that meant ice cream and a blizzard. It was my last day of gorging. I felt like I needed one more day of eating whatever before getting serious again.

The plan that I have laid out is a 8 week half ironman plan that builds upon my Olympic distance training plan that I just completed the last few months. It is a sequential type builder where the Olympic plan ends and this one continues on. The problem that I have is that I don't know how long of a recovery I should take. This is all new territory that I am treading. I am constantly reading and researching and adapting things based on my body and needs.  I cannot wait too long as my 70.3 Racine race is now less than 8 weeks away, but I don't want to push too hard too soon and risk bad training or a possible injury.

So, I took it as a sign to not run this morning with the 6B46 group. I needed to be at school early so I opted to stay home and make sure I had the kids ready to go as Amanda had to take the kids to the babysitter this morning and this is out of her way. She is awesome! Thank goodness for Amanda.

My body is feeling back to normal. I have no soreness. I still feel a little tired, but nothing out of the ordinary from training, and being the last week of school. My plan calls for a 9 mile run tonight with some track work mixed in. I don't know that I will do the track work, but I do plan on hopefully getting out for a run later tonight if things go according to plan.

By tomorrow I do plan on being back in full swing with my training. I think my body is ready. My mind is ready and I know that I have some serious work to do in order to be ready for a 70.3 Ironman race. I am not ready physically or mentally right now for a race of this size. I have goals and expectations for myself even though this will be my first one.

I feel weird not running this morning. I missed my group of CRAZIES. I will be ready Thursday to join them. I am ready to get back into full swing of training. The nerves of my big race have me ready to get after it. After racing Sunday, I know that I have some weaknesses that need to worked.

Thanks for reading. Thanks for helping out my fundraising efforts if you can. Thanks to everyone who continues to offer advice and keep me in check through my training. I really appreciate it all.

85 Days Remaining - Saturday Morning Live Uncommon Race For Renewal 5K

Woke up this morning with thoughts of running one 90 minute loop prior to the 5K race today. I decided to sleep in until 5:50(that is sleeping in for me, especially when I was asleep before 9 pm). I decided to skip the long run and go for it during the 5K today. I did not want any excuses. As much as I told myself I did not care about breaking 20 minutes on this race......I really did. I really wanted to come in under 20.

Last night we ate at Texas Roadhouse and I ate like a pig. Pull pork dinner with jack cheese and mushrooms, rolls and the butter, loaded baked potato, and some fries from the plate of my son with a big beverage to wash it all down left me feeling full and bloated. Not sure why I ate so much, but I did. Tacking the calories it was more calories and fat consumed in this one meal then everything I ate throughout the entire day. I eat a lot throughout the day, trust me.

This morning I had some coffee and two waffles. This is just standard ritual. I was still hungry, but I did not want to eat too much. I knew from the dinner last night that I had enough in me to be fine. I relaxed for about an hour, showered and then headed to the race.

When I arrived it was cold. I missed the kid race as I was pinning my bib on my shirt, but ran a short .5 mile run with Chad to warm up. He was ready to go. I could tell. I ran up one hill one more time and then it was ready to rock.

There were a ton of LU people running today. It was sweet to see all the shirts and gear. We really overtook the race and it was a cool site.

My goal for the run was to run 6:30 for the first two miles and then try to hang on for the last. I did not check the course ahead of time. All I knew was that there were two hills somewhere and one was tough.

We started the race and I was near the front(it was a small race so it was not hard to get up towards the front). I started off and felt good. My body just fell into a good pace. My knee pain went away for the most part once I started moving. We hit that first hill and I just tried to maintain without going all out. It had my HR going for sure and I was running around 7:20 pace up the hill. Once we got to the top I tried to regain my breathing and slowly work back down to race pace. At mile one I thought I was right around 6:30 and I was at 6:34 so I was in a good place.

I really did not feel like I had picked up the pace the second mile. It felt nice and relaxed. At 1.5 miles was when I decided to make a decision to hit 20 or not. I felt that I could based on how I felt and my time. However, once I finished with mile 2 I began to think I was not going to hit my mark. I don't know what I was thinking, but in my mind I thought I would be over. Mile three proved interesting running down a steep hill. I had so much momentum that there was no stopping this body. I just prayed I would not trip. Because of the hill my time for the third mile was real good.

I was able to pass one guy on the last stretch to the finish and I think I took 4th(I honestly don't know). My watch read 19:13 and the clock read 19:09 so I going with the clock because it looks better.

I am very happy with this time and the race. I did not feel exhausted afterwards. If I had to rate my effort I would put it around 85%. I finished with the feeling of having more in the tank. That is a good feeling. I am glad to not be exhausted. This is a new PR for me. About 11 months ago I ran the Wild 5K and ran 21:27. To see my time drop over a minute and not feel completely drained is a great sign that the training I am doing is working. I need to continue to work hard on my swim and bike and make sure I get those Yasso 800's in each week. I think I can continue to drop some time off my run which will help me in these races and more importantly in my triathlons where I feel most confident on my feet.

Great job to everyone who came out today to help in raising money for Project Renewal. It is a great organization and this was a great race. I liked the course and it was well ran and operated. To all the LU people I look forward to hearing about how you felt you did. It looked impressive seeing everyone finishing strong on the course.

When I am able to snag some photos I will upload them, but I am now off to hang with the kids, find time to get a ride in and go from there. Enjoy your weekend and keep GETTING IT DONE!

Picture of LU Early Morning Running Crew

Just wanted to update with a picture(thanks Jen) of the amazing group of runners this morning. This is motivation every Saturday morning to get up early to run. Each person is super AWESOME! with great information to share about life, running, and whatever else comes into mind while running.

Don't forget to note the sweet moped Jay came cruising on at about 25 mph this morning over speed bumps and all. His intro to the morning group is going to be hard to beat. I  still laughing visualizing big Jay bouncing over that speed bump and his infamous line, "This isn't even my good moped!"

Who is up to top the entrance next weekend?

And on a side note, Curt S. you were definitely smaller.

Like I said, you never know what will be said among a long run. For inquiries about the issues of Curt compared to Katie, you must seek them out!

Have..........

…YOU?

And don't forget to help me raise money to help out this charity and organization.

I still have a long way to reach my $700 goal. Every single penny counts. This is the next race in the LU REVOLUTION series and I would love to raise money to help them out.

Click here to help me reach my goal

102 Days Remaining Part 2: Meeting LU Members and Late Night Ride

Wednesday was a busy day. After getting in some Yasso 800's and a good swim workout this morning I tried to make sure that I was doing my duty as Road Coach for the Live Uncommon Revolution. I was asked to help out with some awesome people out at Vanderveer Park at 6 pm. I had my kids and decided to go ahead, bring them, and see what I could do.

To be honest I was not sure who exactly I was looking for. I knew that five LU members showed up last week and therefore I was in pursuit of a small group of people. When I arrived I walked in the wrong direction so by the time I walked all the way around the park Amy and Nicole were already well on their way in their training. I did not want to disrupt their running so we just casually said hi and on they went. I know how it is when you are in the middle of a workout. I hate stopping and trying to get going again.

While they ran I kept looking for other Live Uncommon shirts, but did not see any. My kids and I just hung out and had a lot of fun. When Amy and Nicole were towards the end of their workout we were able to meet up and talk. These two ladies are awesome! They were out there pushing themselves and putting themselves in uncharted territory(The Pathless Path) by doing sprints and things they don't normally do. They did not need my help. They had each other. They had themselves and the were kicking butt.

It was great to meet up with some more LU Revolution people. I have met so many already through the morning runs and the Saturday runs. It is great to get a chance to speak with others. Amy and Nicole are going to hit their goals this year because tonight they were GETTING IT DONE!

After leaving the park and heading home I still had to get in a bike ride. Around 8:30 when the kids finally crashed and Amanda went to bed(she is sick and battling a cold) I made my way to the basement to ride. I really just wanted to go to bed. I put a movie on my Mac(Horrible Bosses) and started my ride. My goal was to push my legs by working a cadence of over 80 and shifting my gears from medium to difficult to tax the legs. I need to learn to work through the fatigue. It is mental. I pulled a Curt S. and when I knew my wall was coming up I just cranked it out as hard as I could and pushed past the barrier. I ended up with a good ride.

Time for my nightly PB&J sandwich and glass of milk before hitting the pillow. Up and at 'em tomorrow morning for another run..

The Pathless Path Part 2: YOUR Pathless Path

Yes, I am still only about 15 pages into this book, but I feel the need to share another passage that I literally have read about 30 times in the last 24 hours. I keep thinking about it and I need to apply it to my life, but I will admit that I am not perfect at this despite how much it makes sense in every way.

The way has no map, the way is not charted, the way is not such that you can follow somebody and find it. The way is not like a superhighway; the way is more like a bird flying in the sky - it leaves no markers behind. The brid has flow but no marks are left; nobody can follow. So the way is a pathless path....It is not ready-made, available; you cannot just decided to walk on it, you will have to find it. And you will have to find it in your own way; nobody else's way is going to function..........

You are you, a unique individual. Only by walking, only by living your life, will you find the way.......

If you have the courage, the risk is there - it is risky, it is adventurous.

So there are some parts from three little passages in the first 5 pages. I think they all flow together quite nicely. This speaks to me on my levels. In general, life is to be lived and they only way to live is to get out there and live it. There is not a manual on life that will work for everyone. You make the choices and you live with the results. Only by living can you find your way in life. Along the way you will make mistakes. I make mistakes. I make them all the time, but I have the courage to risk it and find out what life is all about. It is not about being perfect, but just enjoying what we have while we have it.

In terms of training you have to listen to your body and know when to push and when to adjust. There are a thousand different training plans for this and that. I think I own about half of them. Over the course of my training for Ironman 70.3 Racine, I have adjusted big time two times. I started with one plan, it did not quite work or fit who I was so I adjusted. I went with the adjusted plan and that did not quite work with my mental frame of mind and an injury. I adjusted again this time taking bits and pieces from my minimal experience in training and listening to others and created a new plan. This plan is working. It is my way. It is my pathless path. It may not work for you. That does not make the plan better than yours or worse.

I always read and follow up on Jeff Paul who is not only a friend, but someone who has provided me with much inspiration and someone to look up towards. He is a machine. He is one of the mentally toughest people I know. His training plan would kill me. I could not follow it. Most people could not follow it. But it is his. He talks in his last post about the risks he takes with this training. I cannot think about his training and this passage. He has the courage and is willing to take the risk. The payoff could be huge. He could achieve unbelievable things. The only way to know is to try.

I feel like I am doing the same, but just at a much smaller scale. I am taking risks by tackling triathlons. The end of last year I could not swim one length of a pool without stopping and being gassed. I know can crank about 3000 yards in an hour. It was a risk. I had to go outside of my comfort zone. Sometimes we have to leave our comfort zone, we have to take a risk to find out what we are really capable of. It is scary, but necessary if you want to find out who you really are. His path is his path. My path is my path. Your path is your path.

I think there is much to be taken from this no matter who you are.

One thing that is not mentioned that I do think is important is to get with others and learn from where they have been and where they are going. I think that in order to go into that uncharted darkness of the unknown to find yourself you sometimes need to connect with others who are doing the same to learn how to cope. Our 6B46 running group and weekend long group runs are perfect examples. We are able to connect, challenge ourselves and learn that we are all capable of great things. Surrounding yourself around people tackling their own pathless path allows me and I am sure you to gain inspiration and knowledge to go back out there and test yourself. Even though we all have our own paths in life I think they do tend to cross paths and there is nothing wrong with that.

If you are not sure if you are on the right path to success, then the only way to find out is to keep going, GETTING IT DONE, and discovering your own way to accomplish great things. Embrace the fear and uknown because the result could be one of the greatest things in your life. The only to find out is to do, there is not try.

106 Days Remaining Part 1: Long Run in the Morning....AMAZING!!

Here I am at 6 am on  Sunday reflecting on my training yesterday when I should still be in bed sleeping. My dumb dogs worked their way out of our room and so my day has begun.

I was trying to figure out how to make sense of my training yesterday. I have mixed feelings of satisfaction, frustration, angry, and humor.

To start the day off we had our schedule long run Saturday. I sent out a few emails letting people know that we would be meeting at Crow Creek to run starting at 4:30 am and looping back at 6 am and 7:30. My plan was to run the first two loops. After a terrible night of sleep of Addy waking up with an earache and Ava wanting to get up three times I skipped the 4:30 run for some extra sleep.

At 5 am I consumed my routine two waffles and syrup and prepped for the run. At 6 am there was a large group of runners. Chad, Katie, Rick, and John were returning from the first loop.

To start the run at 6 am we had(I hope I don't forget anyone): Chad, Katie, Rick, and John, Curt, John O., Anne, Jen H, Jay, Josiah, Katharine, and Brett(sorry I got the name wrong), and myself.

We headed towards the Duck Creek Bike Path. It was a nice run. My legs felt fresh and the run felt easy. I was glad I did not ride the night before because I know for sure my legs would have felt tired. We covered 10 miles in the first 90 minute loop(2nd loop for those that started at 4:30). This is a good pace and looking below it is nice to see the time drop each mile and knowing it felt easy each mile.

When we returned to Crow Creek Jane had her PV girls cross country team show up. It was awesome to see so many amazing runners waiting for us to get back so they could get running and get started. The parking lot was loaded with cars. Jen P. also joined us for this last loop. I think she took a picture of all the cars so if I come across that I will share it here.

For the third loop I ran only 60 minute to save my legs for my long ride. I ran mostly with John B and Curt. We really picked up the pace the last few miles. It was a great run.

I was amazed by everyone who came to run. It is SO cool to see all the people who are willing to wake up early and make themselves better. LIVE UNCOMMON is really helping spread the word about what it takes to be UNCOMMON. The group continues to grow and I think everyone walks away from their training feeling so much better about themselves. It is not about speed or how far one can run, but simply to just push ourselves a little bit more each week. This group is going to kick some serious butt this year in races as we all are seeing improvements while having fun with what we are doing. You guys are AMAZING!! Thanks to Jane for bringing her runners. Seeing all those girls is motivation that we are all capable of great things. Great job everyone!

Lastly, if you want to know more about LIVE UNCOMMON and the REVOLUTION for 2012 be sure to check out the site. Find out what it means to LIVE UNCOMMON. It is a great cause doing so many great things while improving yourself.

Also, if you would like to make a donation to my cause as I am working to raise $700 for the various charities and causes you can always check out my page to see what I am all about and you can make a donation of any size.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of my training from yesterday when I snag my first flat tire on the road. Nothing like going from a great run to hitting a flat tire in the middle of nowhere.

Only $680 to go - LIVE UNCOMMON REVOLUTION CHARITY FUNDRAISING

I have not checked my Live Uncommon Revolution page for quite sometime as I was getting frustrated by constantly seeing the $0 donation page. I need to do more. However, today I checked my page to find that I have 2 donations. This made me so happy!!!!

So Happy!

I decided to create another post to please consider donating to all the great causes that the LIVE UNCOMMON REVOLUTION is helping out this year. 7 Races = 7 Charities ranging from CASI(Senior Citizens) to breast cancer. You can view all the races and their charities by clicking here.

Not only am I participating in the races, but I am raising money for all the charities, causes, scholarships for students, etc. because I believe in them. I believe in helping others. I believe that the only way to help ourselves is to help others.

http://liveuncommon.org/default.aspx?function=displayparticipant&id=247&eid=4

The link above will take you to my Live Uncommon page where you can make a donation. I can take money through check and/or cash as well if you are not comfortable donating online.

I view my fundraising like my training. I cannot do it alone. I need others to help keep me going during my training. I need your help in helping me support these causes. You probably either know someone affected by one of these causes or maybe it is even you yourself.

If you donate I will forever be happy like I am in this picture when I spent the day at school with Addy.

I am up for any challenge so if you have something in mind that you would like to dare/challenge me in exchange for a donation I would gladly consider it. I am all for having fun with this.

The one donation option that is not available that fits me is $70.3. I am in training for my first half Ironman of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride, and 13.1 run. Feel free to donate that amount even though it is not listed.

Thanks for Phil and the anonymous donor for their donations. I was so excited to see these listed on my page. I look forward to many more.

Have a great weekend.

Hodge Podge of Loose Ends

1. Here are the photos from our long 18 mile run yesterday at the Indiana Ave. Thanks John for posting these on your blog. 




Amazing to see this many people rise early Saturday morning to run in 30 mph winds and the cold.

2. Yesterday we had family come over to watch the Duke - North Carolina game(was there even a game?). Prior to them coming I had about a 45 minute window to get in a short bike ride. I wanted to get a ride in to work out some lactic acid. Not sure if it helped or not, but I had a nice short ride. Pushed the cadence and gears a little with a slow recovery.

3. Woke up this morning with some very tired legs. I am surprisingly not sore, but my legs feel tired. I just need to wake them up a little. I have my big long ride to get in today as well as a swim clinic at Augustana and also basketball tonight at 8:00. This is a big day. I am going to have to be careful about how much I actually do. This is a critical day in my training in terms of getting my final ride in as this week ends my base building phase of my training. This is my biggest workout week in terms of mileage and distance. The training starts to slowly merge to more race specific training in terms of track workouts, race pace goals, etc. I need a good stretch as my lower legs feel tight.

4. If you don't have Spotify for your computer you are missing out. How I love listening to about any type of music I want for free. I have so many playlists. If you are on Spotify let me know and we can swap playlists!

5. Speaking of music I cannot get enough of listening to Counting Crows at home, Metallica in my car and praying that today I get all the tickets I requested to see Dave Matthews Band this summer in Noblesville.

6. Make it a great day. Last day of the weekend so enjoy every minute of it!

7. Last, but not least if you have not made a donation to the Live Uncommon Revolution which is working hard on many levels but most importantly to reward scholarships to students and provide money to several charities you can do this by clicking here and in the process help me reach my goal. I am trying to conjure up something that people can donate $ by me accomplishing things while in Jamaica. If you have any ideas, then please let me know.

Here are some current thoughts

1. Donate $XX of money per mile I swim in the ocean or run on the beach
2. Jump off certain cliffs like the one @ Rick's Cafe. This one makes me nervous.
3. Wear something strange on the beach...maybe Live Uncommon can make me a LU speedo(that would sure ruin the beach experience for people!)

Ok, that is all I have but if you have something good let me know. I am pretty up for anything that won't get me killed or cost me a ton of money:)

Live Uncommon Revolution: First Charity Race of the Year

Coming up very soon on St. Patrick's Day is the CASI - Center for Active Seniors 5K on March 17 in Davenport, Iowa.

You can sign up for the race at their website

You can join the REVOLUTION and have the race be part of your training

More importantly you can donate to this great organization to help them out.

This is the first of seven races aligned with the Live Uncommon REVOLUTION. My goal is to help raise money that will go to charities aligned with each of the races. I would like to be able to help out CASI so if you are not participating in the race and would like to donate whatever you can to the cause and to also help me reach my goal I would think that you were super AWESOME!

If you would like to donate to  help CASI and to also help me reach my goal please go to the hyperlink above or here.

As each race draws near I will continue to highlight the charities and update my status in my fundraising. I am realizing that the fundraising is as hard as the training. Actually, getting up at 4:30 am to run 18 miles is easier than raising funds for the various charities. I am working hard on my training and my goals and would love any help you can provide to help me achieve my goal of $700.

Remember the Live Uncommon mantra: I AM

Be the REVOLUTION and help out others and also yourself.

Thanks

Here is some info about CASI from their website(Read more about CASI here)

The Center for Active Seniors, Inc. (CASI) is a 40,000 square foot state-of-the-art center located on Kimberly Road in Davenport, Iowa. Dedicated to serving seniors in the greater Quad Cities area, CASI boasts daily activities, classes, community forums, a fitness center and educational activities.

CASI has a professional staff dedicated to the advocacy of seniors and all issues facing our aging population.

Additionally, CASI operates the only adult day care facility in Eastern Iowa, serving seniors with early onset dementia, seniors with specific physical needs and seniors who enjoy a daily routine filled with physical and mental activities and social interaction. Jane’s Place also provides caregivers with much needed respite and allows caregivers to continue to work.

CASI’s Vision
CASI will be recognized by the community to be the premier resource center for persons over the age of sixty.

CASI’s Mission
To provide services that meet the needs of older adults, and fosters respect, dignity and quality of life.

CASI is proud to have area agencies located within our facility:

GENESIS MEDICAL CLINIC
On-site nurse for blood pressure checks, foot clinics, reflexology and a variety of other care services. Some services require an appointment, please call 563.386.7477 for more information.

MISSISSIPPI VALLEY REGIONAL BLOOD CENTER
MVRBC supplies blood products to our community hospitals from their clinic located at CASI.  Scheduled and walk-in donors are welcomed.  Call 800-747-5401 for hours and more information.

Live Uncommon: Join The REVOLUTION - Donations to the cause welcome!!

Me with mentor and role model Jeff Paul

I was asked the question, “Why are you the REVOLUTION?” and I had to stop and think about an answer to this question. It is always hard to answer questions about yourself, but as I pondered the idea of why I am the REVOLUTION I began to think of a few things. One, I am just a normal average person like everyone else. I work a full time job, have three kids, a wonderful wife, coach sports and other activities like robotics, and live a very busy life like everyone else. What makes me part of the REVOLUTION is that I feel I embody all the elements that make Live Uncommon so special.

The LU Values are

• FAMILY
• WORK ETHIC
• FITNESS & HEALTH
• GIVING BACK
• BALANCE
• EXCELLENCE

My family comes first. Without my family I would not be the person that I am. My work ethic is tough and demanding. I expect a lot out of myself. You cannot expect a lot out of others if you don’t expect a lot from yourself. Fitness and Health is my main drive as I continue to push my body and mind to accomplish new goals from completing a half marathon to a marathon last year to preparing for my first experience in the world of triathlons with a 70.3 Ironman race in Racine, WI. Giving Back is why I am part of the REVOLUTION. I not only want to better myself, but as I push my own boundaries I want to be able to help other people out through encouragement, support, charity work, etc. Balance is the key. It is also the hardest as I work to manage all the things I want to get done in life it is always important to keep things in perspective and not lose sight of the important things in life. If I am able to accomplish all of this then it all adds up to Excellence.


I look forward to meeting other Live Uncommon members this year through the REVOLUTION. One thing that has helped me so much this year already is group support. Running with the CRAZIES every Tuesday and Thursday gets me out of bed and ready to knock out a run as part of our 6 B4 6. Having other dynamic people who have just as high of goals of themselves to run long runs with on the weekends and having other mentors like Jeff Paul lead the way about pushing the body to the limits has helped me to do the same. Through Live Uncommon I hope to extend my network and support by meeting other people like myself who just want to do the Uncommon by working hard to improve their fitness, life, and community. This is why I feel I am part of the REVOLUTION. I am living my daily mantra of GETTING IT DONE! and it would not be possible without all my great friends and mentors helping me stay the course every single day. Let the REVOLUTION begin and I look forward to helping others along the way to make this a great year for everyone involved.

Here is the link to my page: Aaron "Road Coach" Maurer

Learn about the REVOLUTION by visiting the home page or any of the links on my sidebar.

If you believe in the cause and what Live Uncommon is trying to accomplish then feel free to help me raise my $700 to help give back to others who are trying to Live Uncommon.

And yes, I will give you mad props for helping me out!!!

What Is Live Uncommon?

My First Triathlon Ever....Try Melon Indoor Tri

Today brings a close to one crazy week. Talk about ups and downs. I went from feeling like things were over Tuesday with my knee locking up, to taking a few days rest to get my mind and body right to making a big U-Turn by running almost 16 miles Saturday to running my first official triathlon Sunday.

On Saturday I had a big day. After running the almost 16 miles early Saturday morning I took Addy to gymnastics to watch her continue to make huge strides in her skills and development. Watching her in her class reminds me that practice and not giving up when things are tough are keys to continuing to improve ourselves as individuals. She has certain things that she struggles with, but she just keeps on trying with a smile on her face. As we get older this is hard to go as begin to pile up expectations for ourselves. Watching all these kids each Saturday reminds me to always enjoy the journey. If you are not enjoying the journey, then why do it?

As soon as her class was over we headed to Clinton, Iowa. We dropped off the kids at their grandparents to play while Amanda and I headed back to our old stomping grounds of Ashford Universtiy. My basketball team from the 2001-2002 season was inducted into the Hall of Fame as the only team to make it to the National Tournament. It was awesome seeing everyone as I had not seen many of them since the good old college days. Crazy how we are able to just take off like we were just in college. Funny how many stories pop up that we all have forgotten about. It was a great honor. We stayed and watch the college game and I forgot how much I love college basketball. The aggressiveness and the intensity is something that I love. I feel so fortunate to have found my way to Clinton, IA for college to be able to experience college basketball because once it is over it is something that can never be captured again. Weird to think I guarded a few guys who play in the NBA.

After the college game headed out for pizza, cheese curls, and other various greasy foods. What a perfect meal the day before a race! It was delicious. We then headed to Fulton, IL to watch my Father In Law coach his high school team. It was an ugly game, but it felt good to finally be able to make it to a game this season.

Finally, around 10:30 we found our way home. I have not stayed up that late in months. I was off to bed feeling sore from the run and bloated from the grease.

Sunday I headed to Muscatine for my first triathlon ever. I was not nervous at all until I finally registered and looked out to see people swimming. Then my nerves hit me like a ton of bricks and I was thinking what in the world am I doing? Am I ready for this?

I went through all my pre race rituals that I do. I took in water, but not much else as I was not sure how my stomach would react. I never eat before my swim workouts due to being so early in the morning. With my start time of 1:30 this was different. I did not eat anything after 11:30.

I made my way to the small pool for instructions, found my timer for the day and chatted with some of the people in my wave. What a great group of people. They really helped put my mind at ease. We then headed to the pool. The water was cold! I loved it once I got going because I never felt hot like I do at the Bettendorf pool. Swimming is my big fear. It is the element that I am newest at and have really struggled with. I have put in some serious training time to improve my fitness and my technique. Stacey Zapolski and Tara Christensen have done wonders to help me with their monthly swim club. Stacey has kept me dialed in with things to work on. Thank goodness for them because I have no idea what I am doing and they keep me in check with their suggestions. I have a long way to go, but I feel I have made some huge strides.

On December 26th I tested out the 900 yard swim for the application that needed a swim time. I swam the distance in 19:15 and marked 19 minutes on the form. My goal was to beat 19 minutes. I ended up crushing this time and really surprised myself by my time. I finished the swim in 15:06 cutting off four minutes from a month prior. I was very happy with the results. Jeff Paul who is such a great friend, mentor, and person overall was there and he captured all my splits for me. How many people do this? I did not even ask him to do this, but he knows I love crunching numbers so he captured my 50 splits. I started off too fast doing the first 50 in about 40 seconds. Once my heart started beating like crazy and I wore off the adrenaline I was able to establish a nice pace to swim a rhythm that was comfortable for me. The orange sheet has all my splits courtesy of Jeff.

I jumped out of the pool and quickly dried off. Jeff told me that morning to just run and bike in my jammers as I don't have any tri gear. I was not that comfortable with my body to be out and about in my jammers so after I dried off I tried to put on a shirt with no success. After about 20 seconds of struggling with the shirt I decided I go shirtless. Then I struggled with the shorts and finally just told myself to not worry about the people and go. I overcame my body image and took off in shoes and a jammer to the bike.

The bike went very well. I messed up the resistance at first. I was pedaling like crazy but not going anywhere. After about a minute I realized I hit the wrong lever when adjusting the handlebars and moved the resistance to 1. I finally moved the resistance to level 8 where it was supposed to go and started cranking. I pushed hard for me, but felt pretty good. My legs started burning around the 8 mile mark and I started to think maybe I was pushing too much, but I figured to keep going. I was off the bike in a little over 16 minutes and took off to the track.

I felt great on the track. I found a great pace and was all alone for a few laps as I was the first off the bike in my heat. I felt strong and just wanted to hold on to my pace. To be honest I have not ran at this pace in over a year with the exception of one sprint workout I did a few months back. I was pleased with how effortless it felt at first. I started to tire at lap 20, but decided to just pick up the pace to eliminate the negative talk. With about 10 laps left I had to dig deep. I knew mentally I had to get to 8 laps as I knew that would only be .5 mile. I got to 8, then 6 laps and I felt in control. Thank goodness for Jeff shouting at me to keep going. Around lap 6 he let me know I could break 50 if I picked up the pace. I picked up the pace and with two laps left I had 48 seconds to beat 50 minutes. I was right on par with one lap left and 24 seconds. I felt queasy, but kicked it in gear to finish strong with a good time of 16:02 on the 2.5 mile run. My splits were negative splits which makes me even happier. My half mile splits were

3:17
3:19
-- a 6:36 mile

3:20
3:15
-- a 6:35 mile

2:51
 -- a few laps from dying!!!!

This was a great race for me. I was more than pleased with my time and how things went. This race was a confidence booster for me in many ways. I really shocked myself with my results. I was not expecting to do anywhere near this good and to do so proves that my training is paying off. This was the perfect checkpoint in my training to see where I am, how  I am doing and where to go from here.

None of this would be possible if it was not for my wife and her support and allowing me to train like I do. She is very understanding and sometimes my training is not always easy for her when we have 3 kids and she has a life of her own. I cannot thank all the people who train with me. The Crazies for the running help, the Leadville crew for the long run help, Chad for the swims, and Stacey and Tara for the swim guidance. Jeff Paul for always being a phone call away for a question and for sticking around to cheer me on. It was wonderful to have someone there for my first tri pushing me along the way. I would not have broken 50 minutes without him being there letting me know what I had to do. Basically, the results come from a team effort each week.

Once I find some pictures I will load them up. I know there are some good Live Uncommon photos out there somewhere and I saw plenty of cameras snapping pictures. I only hope I did not look too gross in just my jammers.

GETTING IT DONE! got it done Sunday and it back to training again Monday. Thanks for reading this very long post.

Final time was 49:57 placing me 3rd in my age division of 31-39 behind Jeff Paul and another guy.

Triathlon Training: Week 4 Recovery - Tuesday Run With Amazing People

Wow! This morning once again reminded me of why I love running. The running community is such a fantastic group of people. Chad Uhde and I have been training for that last 3 weeks together. Prior to that I was able to get some runs in with some other runners. Due to busy schedules and the flu going around things fizzled out for a while.

This morning things were back on track. An amazing group of us got together for a run. Chad Uhde and I were there as usual, but we were met with Katie Gaffney, Jane Wheeler, and Michelle Russell. The five of us took off for a 6 mile run. The weather was fantastic for December. I was worried about the sleet, rain, snow combo that the news has been broadcasting, but it held off.

When you run with a group it really makes the time go by fast. I experienced this on Sunday running with the guys training for Leadville and again today. With any training, there are days when you just need to go solo, push yourself and find yourself as an individual, and then there are days when you need to run with others and just enjoy the sport and remind yourself of the other great people doing the same thing.

There is something to be said about the power of group running. It is a great reminder about why we fell in love with the sport in the first place. Yes, we all want to stay fit, be healthy, and look good, but there is that bond that you cannot always describe in words. For example, I have not seen Jane in weeks. I don't see her outside of running, but when we meet up for a run the conversation just flows and next thing you know 6 miles have passed us and in between mile 1 and 6 many new stories have been shared.

Once again I have been reminded about being grateful for these opportunities. Not only did I run with a great group of people, but when I stopped to think about it they are also some amazing runners who I can learn from. Russell tore up the Las Vegas Half Marathon and runs the amazing organization LIVE UNCOMMON. Gaffney is a stud runner and coach who has qualified for Boston, and Wheeler just flies all over any race finishing near the top all the time as well as being an amazing coach. Uhde and I are the ones breathing heavy and slapping our feet on the ground trying to keep up.

This morning we knocked out 6.15 miles in 55:07 for a 8:58 pace. My average HR was 146 so I was right where I needed to be. I also weighed myself. I have not done so in a few weeks with all the holiday eating and not wanting to know. Today I jumped back on the scale and was surprised to find myself at the same weight as I was when I weighed in on 11.29.11. This was nice to see. I still plan on not worrying about what I eat(I still eat good, but do indulge in the holiday cookies when around) until the new year. I will then begin to slowly focus on my eating to prep for my big races.

Last, talking with Michelle this morning she was discussing the big plans for LIVE UNCOMMON for 2012. I cannot wait to be part of the REVOLUTION that they have planned. Be on the lookout for some great things coming your way in 2012. It is going to be a great year. I also picked up my new long sleeve LU shirt. I love it! The gear is the best. I just love the design and the attention to the small details like my name along the wrist. I am sporting the shirt to school today. I want more in different colors. My closet is filling with LU gear, but their message is such a positive one and embodies my own GETTING IT DONE! in many ways.

Happy Tuesday and keep doing what you do. Make sure you take time to appreciate the people and the things around you.

Back to the bike tomorrow.

**More pictures of my shirt will be posted once they get uploaded to my Flickr account.**

Governor's Run

GETTING IT DONE!

Last night I decided to go and run this race today. I really thought this was going to be a 4 mile run. I was not worried about time and just wanted to end the week with some good miles. I got myself around wearing my Live Uncommon gear and was ready to check out this race I knew literally nothing about.


This morning I learned that I need duct tape on my shoes. So, I applied some duct tape to my shoes. It proved to be somewhat helpful as my shoestrings never got in the way and get them from getting all junked up. I later learned that many duct tape their ankles and then connect it to the tape on their shoes. This ensures that you don't lose your shoes in the mud. Right away I realized the benefits to this. One kid was running with only shoe after the first mud jump.

Duct tape on the shoes

I learned how not to jump in mud. I jumped at an angle where my legs went in ahead of my body. I had a very hard time getting out because I kept falling backwards. I was immersed in mud way past my knees. This was a great start. I had already started slow as the beginning of the race was pretty bottled up. However, this later proved to be okay.

I also learned that this race is not 4 miles as broadcast. I always took the "shortcuts" along the way. These shortcuts may be shorter, but not always easier. I always took them because I felt like getting dirty and muddy along the way.

I also learned that trail running is tough. I have never ran on trails before. Ever! Can you believe that? This terrain was all brand new to me. Running up hills and then descending in a zig zag patter was tough. My knees and feet and my legs muscles were used in ways they have never been used before. And I loved it.

The course ended up being 6.2 miles for me. I know each person runs their own distance depending on what trail they decided to run on. It took me 62 minutes to complete according to my watch.  I really wish I had a camera with me on the run to record some pics of the scenery. It was awesome.

One shortcut lead me through these wonderful things and thorns

My hands after the race. Cold and muddy

I saw some familiar faces out on the course. I saw many of PVXC girls out there in complete mud carrying a wagon and a broken skateboard(I think). There were also many Bettendorf XC girls as well. So great to see them out running. I some a few other Live Uncommon members also.

I had a blast. This is one of the best races I have been part of. I know I could have ran faster, but there were times when the trails were just too bottled up to go around. What is so great about this race is that it is not about time. It was a reminder to sometimes run without worrying about time or tempo.

This was the race I needed. It really helped me get out and really enjoy running. I have not had that enjoyment lately. This was also great practice for my Living History Farms Race coming up in about 2 weeks. People tell me it is a lot like this race, but better which means harder and muddier. I think I have found a new race to consider - mud runs and adventure racing.

Congrats to everyone who ran today. Everyone accomplished GETTING IT DONE!

GETTING IT DONE!

In case you have not checked out the Live Uncommon page....

to see what all Live Uncommon is doing in the community, then take the time to check it out. Here is a link to the Team Page that shows some of the team at the marathon Sunday and other events that they have supported.

QC Marathon - A Journey Like No Other

Sunday was my big day. A countdown that started 111 days prior when I finally made the decision to tackle a marathon. It was weird thinking that it was finally here. My day had arrived. It was time to face the challenge and accomplish my goal.

The weekend started off great with a great pasta dinner and speakers. I wore my Live Uncommon shirt and sat with some other Live Uncommon members who are very inspirational with their stories. Jane and Kenny Wheeler, Jen and Jeff Paul, Josiah Campbell, Nick Sacco, and Erin Flynn. This is an unbelievable group of people to sit with. Michele Russell did a great job with her presentation despite being nervous! She really highlighted the essence of what Live Uncommon stands for and I have no doubt that after this weekend there will be more members to this great cause. Talking about Jen Paul really captured the true meaning of what it means to Live Uncommon.

Bart Yasso was one of the speakers. He provided plenty of laughs and some great stories about his running all over the world. It was a nice dose of humor and insight before my big race. I stuck around, bought his last book, and snapped a picture. Why not? You only live once!

That night I gathered all my gear. I was scattered as I was not sure what to pack. I decided to run with my belt as that is how I had always trained. I packed some extra GU gels(later, these extra ones tore my stomach up) as I was not sure what I would need. I had my gear ready to go and around 9:00 I crashed. I spent so much time with nerves that the body shut down. Amanda and kids came home around 9:30 so I got up to help get them to bed and we then spent the night waking up about every 45-60 minutes to Ava. She just could not get to sleep.

Finally, 3:30 arrived. My alarm went off. I fell back asleep and at 4:15 got up. I ate some breakfast(french toast and turkey sausage), drank some coffee, and began to hydrate with Gatorade. Around 6:00 I head out to the race. I like to be early. 6:15 I sat in the back of my car and prepped. I drank my Generation UCAN pre race drink, assembled my bib, my shirt, and loaded up. I ran into Erin Flynn and Katie Gaffney inside one of the buildings as we tried to stay warm before the race. It was cold. I wanted it cold knowing that it would warm up later(however, I gauged the temperature increase wrong).

Breakfast of champions

The race began at 7:30 and away we went. It took about 4 minutes to get to the starting line. The initial few miles were slow as the I-74 bridge was crammed with people and there was nowhere to go unless you wanted to risk getting hit by a car. In hindsight this was probably good as I was loaded with adrenaline. To be honest I don't remember the first few miles. It seems like a blur.

I felt great. My body was just gliding along and things felt good. We got down to the bike path in Bettendorf/Davenport and things slowly started to open up. I saw Tritt around mile 6 and it was great to see so many people out there cheering everyone on. Seeing people is such a huge inspiration to keep pushing. Only in marathon do you see things you don't see anywhere else. Around mile 4 I noticed a lady that had pooped her pants. Her shorts were a mess and she was out running right along. I hope she was not running 26 miles, but only the half because that would make for a long run. Only in a marathon do you see a sign for LUBE with people having lube on sticks to help out the runners. Crazy stuff. Things you don't see everyday for sure.

Just prior to the Centennial Bridge I met up with Josiah Campbell who I met prior at the pasta dinner. We both had a goal of running under 4 hours. We ended up running about 10 miles of the race together. Without Live Uncommon I never would have met this guy who has really changed his life and fitness. It was great to run with someone. I started to struggle around mile 10-12 as my groin and right leg started to tighten up. I knew that I could not stop from that point as I knew my leg would lock up.

Up to this point I was feeling great besides the leg feeling tight. I took a GU around mile 15 and felt great. So great that I took off from Josiah(not being rude or anything), but thinking I could pick up the pace and finish under my time. This was not the greatest idea as I hit a wall later, but I did meet up with him at the end to finish with him. He stayed the course and caught up to me. It was around mile 14-15 that it started to rain. It was cold. I was already cold, but the rain just made it worse. It is not everyday you run this long and feel cold. Needless to say that the rain allowed me to experience the joys of blisters like I have not experienced before. One formed and popped on my middle toe and later another formed on the same toe under my toenail. What fun! It felt like my toe grew another knuckle on the run. I just kept pushing because I knew my wife and kids were over the bridge. I just had to get to the bridge.

I continued to feel pretty good up to mile 20 I knew I had Amanda, Aiden, Addy, and Ava all waiting for me. I kept thinking about seeing them after the bridge and that kept me going. I descended the bridge and there was Amanda telling me to keep going(her coaching spirit was back despite not coaching for several years). Jeff Paul was also there and he kept me going by riding his bike and rooting me on and all the other runners the final six miles. I needed his words of inspiration and knowing I would get to see Amanda and the kids again right before crossing the finish line. When you see your family it provides such an adrenaline surge. I felt great through mile 21. It was at this point that things got tough. My legs felt numb and non existent. My started to play mind games.

I kept pushing. I ran to the wall that was labeled as 3 more miles to go. I knew I had this race....and then I continued to run and noticed mile marker 23 which meant I had 3.2 miles left. The wall and this mile marker just destroyed my thought process. That wall created a wall in my mind. I started to cramp the last two miles and caught a side ache. This was probably due to consuming too many GU's at the end. I had one at mile 19, 22, and 24. My body was flooded with too much and I had to head home once I finished as I was not feeling the greatest. Josiah caught up about the last 1.5 miles and we ran it in together helping each other finish strong. Seeing my family again was awesome! Jeff was amazing at helping me to push to the finish. Finally, we saw the finish line and we knew we made our goal. We not only ran 26.2 miles, but did it under 4 hours.

I don't think I can put into words how great of a feeling it was knowing that prior to hitting that finish line that I accomplished my goals. Words cannot describe that feeling. There is something to be said about training and seeing the return. It still has not quite sunk in with what I accomplished. I find myself smiling off and on thinking back on the race.

It took me some time to warm my body up. I had to take a hot shower and bundle up with sweatshirts and the blankets to finally stop feeling so cold. I had purple toes and lungs still burn when I take a deep breath. Burning up 4500 calories during the run wears the body down. I ate and ate and ate once my stomach calmed down.

What is even cooler is how great everyone else did. Yes, I am proud of myself, but I find it so cool to see all the people I have met on the journey and through Live Uncommon achieve their goals. Jen Paul placed 2nd for women's in the half marathon running 1:21(she also performed an even greater feat of sticking around waiting for the runners at the finish line to congratulate them in the cold and rain(I did not see too many other "elite" runners hanging around).....do Jen and Jeff get any more amazing!!!), Jane Wheeler crushed her best time to set a new PR by 30 seconds running 1:27, Gaffney ran 1:38 which was not what she wanted, but is still an amazing time. The Live Uncommon relay team took first place. Josiah and I reached our goals. Nick Sacco crushed his PR and ran 3:33. It is great to see so many people break and crush their limits and expectations.

Already I am thinking, "Can I run it faster?" Yes, my mind is already pondering the next goal in my life. I am not sure what I want to pursue, but I will dial in something as I take a few days to rest.

Here are my official results.
10K Rate: 57:00 - 9:11 pace
Half Marathon Rate: 1:58 - 9:03 pace
20 Rate: 2:59 - 8:58 pace
Last 10K Rate: 55:10

Finishing Time: 3:54:22 for a 8:57 pace. I burned 4500 calories and
24/43 in my division of 30-34 males
218/656 marathon finishers

GETTING IT DONE! 

was transformed to 

GOT IT DONE!

Training - Day After Marathon

Picture taken of me from the Live Uncommon crew.

I don't think I have ever been this sore in my life! Walking is almost an impossible task right now.

Yes, my training for today is to REST!

No pain, no gain is what they say and boy am I ever living that statement.

Still wrapping my mind around the race and will have a post up later today or tomorrow.

Right now I am thinking about my next race...........

Source: thefitway.tumblr.com via Aaron on Pinterest

Marathon - I GOT IT DONE!

This post is short. I don't have the energy to put together one of my long winded posts.

However, I just wanted to post that I achieved my goals today.

I endured the rain and cold temps and fought the pain and achieved my goal.

I ran the marathon in 3:54.

And now several open blisters and finally ending the shivering of my body I am laying on the couch beginning to smile over what I achieved.

I will post a long report of how it all went down later.

Now it is time to replenish my body with the 4500 calories I burned and enjoy the Bears and Packers.

GETTING IT DONE! was transformed to GOT IT DONE!

And yes, I am already thinking about what lies ahead.......once I can walk normal again.