Tales From Ragnar Relay Napa - Part 1 of 4

Where to begin when describing the Ragnar Relay experience? It's a relay race, it's a sightseeing trip, it's a weekend away with a dozen of your closest friends. It's all that and more. And this is how it went for me. 

If you don't know, a Ragnar is an approximately 200 mile team relay race. They are held in cities all over the country and attract professional runners and weekend warriors. Most teams have twelve runners, who each take turns running three different legs. Distances range from two miles to more than ten miles, so there really is a place for runners at all levels. Teams start early Friday morning and run through Saturday afternoon. It really is a "Run. Eat. Sleep? Repeat!" experience. 

 

I signed up months ago for this relay. This was my third Ragnar event but my first time running in Napa Valley. I volunteered as Runner 12, which meant a shorter distance than that of most of my teammates. I chose that slot because I am still doing my Summer of Run Challenge, and running every single day has taken a bit of a toll on me. I wasn't comfortable running the longer legs on this Ragnar, but like I said, there is a place for every runner regardless of ability. (One of the things I love the most about Ragnar. If you want to run, you can, even if you are not a great runner.) 

Preparation is key to a successful Ragnar. With six people in a van for 36 hours, there isn't a lot of room for extra gear. You have to know what to pack and how best to stage it. I go with individual ziplock bags, each with a single outfit and clearly marked. I pack them into my bag in order, than I put my sweaty running gear back into the bags after I finish each leg. That way, my bag stays fresh and the van doesn't smell like a locker room. 

  

Once everything was packed, I was ready to go. But I still had a morning run to do. I decided to test-run the Ragnar, so I went out in the darkness of the morning and ran with my headlamp and reflective vest like I would have to do on my midnight leg in Napa. It felt good to get out and run in the early morning quiet. It's not really how I picture Los Angeles with it's hustle and bustle. 

 

Because this event was in Northern California, friends and I decided to road trip up there. We headed out Wednesday morning and spent the day driving through the heart of California. And of course, we stopped for the mandatory "everyone say cheese!" photo on the way. 

 

We arrived early enough that we were able to do our grocery run on Wednesday afternoon. We also spent another few hours going from store to store searching for last minute extras. Our team was the Super Heroes In Training. We each developed our own character and created costumes and accessories for the event. We were quite the cast of crazies, definitely. Here's two of my fellow Super Heroes, The Amazing Slowpoke and Weirder Woman. 

 

On Thursday, we met our teammates at Oakland Airport, picked up our rental vans, and finished the last of our prep work. The van was packed, our costumes perfected, and our pre-Ragnar work complete. We drove into San Francisco to meet the rest of our team and have our kick-off dinner. 

We ate at Viva Pizza in the Ocean Beach area, and it was fantastic. We decided to make it a family style meal, so we ordered a bunch of everything and just passed plates around. It felt like a family reunion as we all caught up on who had been doing what since we last got together, chatted up the new people and got to know them, and shared stories of previous Ragnar events we had run together. It was a great evening and the perfect way to start the weekend! 

 

Did I mention that I really, really enjoyed the Mediterranean Salad? 

 

And with that, we were done getting ready. It was time to go back home, get some sleep, and get ready to Ragnar. 

Next up: Running the Ragnar Relay.

A Picture Worth A Thousand Words

For those of us who have been obese, the journey to physical and mental health travels a very indirect line. It isn't as simple as "lose a few pounds, feel better about yourself."

The truth is, once we're fat, we may spend the rest of us lives seeing that same overweight person in every mirror and photograph taken of us. We can drop the extra pounds, tone up the muscles, and update and improve every part of our bodies. But still, we see the flab and fat and the rolls that once defined who we were.

But every once in a while, a miracle of sorts occurs. We see a photo of ourselves and we don't see the mistakes of yesterday. Instead, we see the promise of tomorrow. We look at the picture and we see the person that we believe we are becoming.

That miracle occurred for me this morning. I received an email from the AFC Half Marathon photo team letting me know that my race pictures were available. I reluctantly clicked the link, because truthfully, I never really like to look at pictures of me from races. I hate how I look, short and fat and awkwardly slogging my way to the finish line.

But still, I clicked. And I looked. And I couldn't stop looking. Because one of those photos leapt off the screen at me and said, "hey, look at me!" So I did. And I stared at it for a very long time. And the voices in my head weren't saying bad things. They were stunned into silence, I suppose.

Here I am, in the last mile of the America's Finest City Half Marathon.

I'll say it. I love every single thing about this photo. I'm not wasting a second on false modesty. And why should I? I can always find mean and insulting things to say about photos that I don't like of myself, so it's only fair that I say good things about this one that I love.

Visually, I appreciate that my running shirt and my shorts look good in the photo. Usually, the camera captures one leg of my shorts way too high or way too low, or they catch the shirt in some weird fold and it looks like it's too small for me. But this time, the clothes look like they fit well and are draped right where they're supposed to be. I love that.

And it's not just how the shirt looks. It's the shirt itself that is important to me. This picture shows the shirt I am wearing. Other than my wedding ring, this shirt is the single best gift I have ever received. It came from my Marine Brother, Jeff, who gave it to me to celebrate my completing the Pasadena Marathon. On the back of the shirt are all twenty-six names of the Marine Corps Heroes I honored along the marathon route. And on the front, in addition to "US Marines" and the Pasadena Marathon logo, you can see the Semper Fi Fund logo. With the help of friends, I raised $2,000 for this organization and I am proud to share their story with whomever will listen.

And what of me? Well, I'm not even going to pretend to be objective. I think my arms and legs look great. My form looks good, strong, and I'm covered in sweat from the heat. Heck, I might even be glistening. And who doesn't like that?

The look on my face reminds me just how grueling this run was. Physically, I had really struggled with the heat and the humidity. And mentally, I was exhausted from two hours of worrying about my Mom. (I received a voice mail just minutes before the race began letting me know that she was in the ICU in Texas, unable to breathe on her own.) I was tired in every way possible at this point in the race, but I knew I was going to make it. And I respect my own look of determination.

I realize that all of this praise for a photo of myself might come across as vain. Quite honestly, I don't care. I have beaten myself up time and time again over photos that I felt showed me in a less than flattering light. This time, I'm taking a different path. I like this picture and I think it captured every good thing about the AFC Half Marathon experience. More than that, it offers me a glimpse of the person I have been working so hard to create.

Arrogant? Perhaps. But I'm not apologizing for it.

Week 12 Recap - Summer of Run

Week twelve is now behind me and the summer heat seems to have really found its way to San Diego. Far from it being the end of the season, the days feel hotter than June and July. But still I run.

Saturday, September 8th, was the end of week 12 of my Summer of Run Challenge.

1. I ran all seven days.
2. I ran at least one 10-minute mile each day.
3. I ran  more than 15 miles for the week.

Here's how it happened:

And the challenge recap so far:

The heat continued through the week, with some of the hottest days of the summer so far. And I intended to finish the week with a single mile on Saturday, but as you may have already read here, I changed that to a three mile run, instead.

I had expected to feel totally "over it" by this point in the challenge, but I'm feeling a bit wound up, actually. I think it's a combination of three things. One, the attitude adjustment courtesy of Sgt Clemons. Two, the Ragnar Relay Napa that is coming up Friday and Saturday. And three, the excitement of actually seeing this challenge all the way through.

And the Summer of Run definitely continues!

Every F'ing Step.

Yep, it's a bit crude. Certainly not my normal language here. But sometimes, a lesson demands the exact truth.

Saturday morning, I woke up in a cranky mood. I had to get out and get my recovery day mile in, and I just didn't want to do it. Of course, I'm over 80 days into my Summer of Run Challenge, so I knew I was going to do it. I just didn't have to like it.

 Before heading out the door, I stopped to check Facebook. I saw that a friend had posted a message about a Marine funeral taking place just a few miles from my house. The family had made a request for volunteers to stand "guard" at the funeral, since the Westboro Baptist Church idiots had threatened to protest the funeral.

I saw the message just after 9:30am, so I had already missed my chance to go. But learning of this Marine's passing hit me hard. I shared this on my Facebook wall before I started running:

As I head out for my morning run, I'll be thinking of USMC Sgt Stephen E. "Zeb" Clemons, 2/4 Marines (Magnificent Bastards), Golf Co., being laid to rest just miles away from where I am. Stephen passed away at the age of 28 at Naval Medical Center, San Diego, due to complications of cancer. He is survived by his wife, Mother and Father. Stephen was an only child.

This morning, I won't complain or bitch about the heat, or the road, or the distance. I will rejoice with each step that I am alive and able to run. Today, I will not take my good health and able body for granted.

Reading about Sgt Clemons changed my perspective. Instead of just running my one mile recovery run, I decided to run the Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test distance of three miles. During the start of the last mile, as it was getting warmer and I was feeling out of breath, I reminded myself of my earlier promise. And I started saying, out loud, "Every. F*cking, Step. Every. F*cking. Step."

And in those moments, I ran a little faster and cried more than a few tears for a Marine I have never even met in person. But he was there pushing me and that made the difference today.

As I said, I realize the language is harsh. But those words are exactly what popped into my head as I was running. I choose to believe that a certain Marine Sergeant was running along with me to "gently encourage me" lest I think for a second about slowing down or stopping.

I have a body capable of doing great things. I pray for the mental strength to never forget that, to always remember that I have a responsibility to run for those who no longer can.

Semper Fi, Sgt Clemons. Godspeed, Devil Dawg.

 _________________

 And more about this Marine from a dear friend of his, Mariso...

 "That Boy loved his Country , defending it was his Pride & Joy. He was a deployed a few times, Iraq ( 2 times) and a MEU in 2009, and his last deployment to Afghanistan in Aug 2011, which sadly he couldn't complete, He had to come home in Oct because a Doctor diagnosed him with cancer. Steve or "Zeb" as he was referred to was a vibrant and joyful guy, like I said he loved his Country, his Country Music, his GUNS! and Dodge Trucks. Steve always had a big smile on his face, one of his favorite words to say was Awesome!

Nobody would believe how many times he volunteered to go to Afghanistan, even while on being on his last MEU he would talk about how he wanted to go and be in combat. He talked about it constantly. He loved it. He loved Scary movies, and loved Will Ferrell, Talladega Nights was one of his favorite movies, the redneck in him of course. He loved Mnt dew and Bud Light was his beer of choice. He was full of life , nothing would bring him down, nothing was ever too hard, no situation was ever too bad. 

He would take off the shirt on his back and would give it to anyone who might need it, because that was the way he was raised. He said Yes Ma'am and Yes Sir, he was a southern gentlemen, he opened doors, pulled chairs out, ect. His smile was contagious, he believed in being honest, no matter if it made people mad.

One of his favorite songs was Chicken Fried, by a country group called Zac Brown, " Salute the ones who die the ones who give their lives so we don't have to sacrifice all the things we love, like our chicken fried, cold beer on a Friday night a pair of jeans that fit just right and the radio on " was his favorite verse . Lets not get started on his love for Walmart.. he loved it , He proudly would wear his cut off shirts and his infamous RealTree cap with a Fish hook on it (that was his trade mark)."

Stephen was from Radcliff, Ky but was actually born in Germany on a military base, as his Dad was active duty at the time.

A Heartfelt, Sincere and Urgent Plea.

Dear Friends and Family,

As many of you know, over the last two years, I have worked to transform myself through exercise. With the help of inspiring Marines, committed running buddies, and supportive family members, I have lost nearly 50 lbs and gone from couch potato to marathon runner. Now it's time for the next step of my journey.

Last December, two strangers bonded over shared weight loss and skin-removal surgery experiences. While recuperating from surgery, Rik Akey crafted an idea with Katie Foster to put together a team to run a relay race. But not just any team. Katie and Rik wanted to gather a dozen formerly obese strangers/runners and share the race experience together. And I'm so fortunate that I am one of those twelve people picked for this team. I am Runner 12.

Our team will run the Ragnar Florida Keys 200 mile relay race January 4-5, 2013. The race is expected to take more than 32 hours of running. Our team all shares the common bond of having lost an average of 100 pounds each through healthy eating and running but will all meet for the very first time at the race.

Co-founder of Media Meld Studios and running teammate, Jennifer Roe quickly came to realize that our teammates’ incredibly moving and inspiring weight loss stories, coupled with the challenging feat in front of us, would make for a motivational documentary film – From Fat To Finish Line. The film will highlight themes such as persistence, overcoming obstacles, dealing with setbacks, and achieving goals.

Amongst my teammates and featured runners are Katie Foster, down 125 pounds, and successful blogger of “Runs For Cookies,” Jen Small, who went from 255-pound couch potato to a sponsored REV3 Triathlete, and Ada Wong, runner-up from Season 10 of the Biggest Loser, maintaining her loss of 99 pounds. I'm in some amazing company for this experience.

Here's what I need from you. Our team is currently fundraising through Kickstarter to help make this film a reality. If we don’t make our goal, we won’t get any of the pledged funds. Click here to visit our Kickstarter project page and learn about the fun awards you can receive if you pledge money. Special Edition DVDs, Digital Downloads, Team T-Shirts, and opportunities to meet, run and train with the cast are just some of the available items.

I have come to my friends and family many times to ask for your support. Together, we have raised over $2,000 for Semper Fi Injured Marine Fund, $1,000 for Wounded Warrior Project, and smaller amounts for local charities and organizations. I am so grateful for each of you.

Now, I come to you again. This film is my opportunity to pay it forward. I want everyone to know that it is possible for them to build healthier and more active lives for themselves. I want them to experience the pure joy of waking up and feeling better than they did the day before. And I want them to have confidence that they can not only cross a Start Line, they can get to a Finish Line. So I ask you to help me share my experience with those who don't yet know that they can take that first step, make that small change, and build their own healthy, fit and active life.

I'm asking for your pledge. I'm asking for you to share the Kickstarter link on your Facebook Wall and on Twitter and with your own friends and family. We are 1 WEEK and a lot of money away from making our fundraising goal, and honestly, every little bit will help.

Pledge money. Get cool stuff. Tell others. And help a worthwhile project get to its own Finish Line.

Thank you and Semper Fi,

John Hulsey

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Kickstarter

Week 11 Recap - Summer of Run

Week eleven was my toughest week, yet. More on why later, but first, the recap.

Saturday, September 1st, was the end of week 11 of my Summer of Run Challenge.

1. I ran all seven days.
2. I ran at least one 10-minute mile each day.
3. I ran more than 15 miles for the week.

Here's how it happened:

And the challenge recap so far:

This was the first week of the entire summer that I haven't had a real long run. That meant the distance was more spread out, though, to make sure I ran at least fifteen miles. I have also been running much more outdoors and off the treadmill, which has slowed my times down a bit but improved my overall running.

So I made it to Labor Day Weekend, which normally signals the end of summer. But for me, I still have a lot of running to do.

And the Summer of Run continues!

My Upbeat Challenge For September.

Politics. Culture wars. Social media fueling tension between otherwise good and decent people. I say, enough already.

I have been guilty of focusing on too much of the negative. Somebody says or writes something outrageous. It can be a politician, talking head, celebrity... heck, even some unknown with access to the Internet. It doesn't really matter who, just that some idiot says or writes something hateful or ridiculous.

Next, the words are repeated. Not a lot, just often enough that someone else with a loud enough voice hears or reads them. Then, the words finally go viral.

And then comes the worst of it. Otherwise rational people begin parsing and dissecting and defending or attacking the words. So many of us devote all kinds of time (that we really don't have) on something that really has no bearing on our daily lives.

I am so, so guilty of this. I've lost countless hours to arguing and attacking and defending, and for what? None of that means anything in the big scheme of things.

I can do better. I will do better. And I'm inviting everyone to join me.

I am challenging myself this September in my Upbeat Challenge. I will focus on the positive instead of the negative. Rather than being mad that some idiot made a horrible comment, I will be glad that some amazing person is out there doing something good in this world.

Positive stories of people doing good things. That is where I will focus for the whole month of September. No posts and no comments on the negative stories. And I'll try to not even read them. I'll just skim right on by. It's time to put good stuff into my own head.

It won't be easy, but I think it will be worth it.

Bring on the good news!

P.S. I'm starting a few days early. I need to.

Week 10 Recap - Summer of Run

And another week comes to an end.

Saturday, August 25th, was the end of week 10 of my Summer of Run Challenge.

1. I ran all seven days.
2. I ran at least one 10-minute mile each day.
3. I ran more than 15 miles for the week.

Here's how it happened:

And the challenge recap so far:

This was a good week, but it started with a tough half marathon. More details on that separately, but I'm glad to have that one behind me. I feel like I struggled through the whole week with short distance, too. The beating I took Sunday really slowed me down all week.

Unfortunately, it was the first week that my overall pace came in higher than ten minutes per mile. I'm not beating myself up over it, just noting that I was slower this week than I have been so far this challenge.

And the Summer of Run continues!

Week 9 Recap - Summer of Run

Wow, where are the days going? It seems like I just wrote a recap and yet, amazingly, two weeks have gone by. Time for me to get caught up!

Saturday, August 18th, was the end of week 9 of my Summer of Run Challenge.

1. I ran all seven days.
2. I ran at least one 10-minute mile each day.
3. I ran more than 15 miles for the week.

Here's how the week happened:

And the challenge recap so far:

My mileage count was low, but I still managed to hit my marks. I chose to end the week with short runs in preparation for my half marathon on Sunday, and I also made it a point to get more outside miles and avoid the treadmill. 

The Summer of Run continues!

Week 8 Recap - Summer of Run

Saturday was the end of week 8 of my Summer of Run Challenge.

1. I ran all seven days.
2. I ran at least one 10-minute mile each day.
3. I ran more than 15 miles for the week.

This was not a long-distance week for me, but I still managed to run 16.57 miles.

Here's how the week happened:

And the challenge recap so far:

It wasn't a great week, at least at the start. I felt sluggish and heavy on  most of the runs, like it was an effort just to be out there. Midweek, in fact, I was really struggling. But while I was out on one of my earlier runs, one of my SparkBuddies and real life friends, Jerome, reminded me that I just needed to focus on the one run I was doing, as I was doing, and let the rest of the week sort itself out.

Made a total difference. The rest of the week was good and I felt back in control of my challenge miles.

And the Summer of Run continues.

It's Your Turn To Get Involved With "From Fat To Finish Line."

The twelve runners are still training, preparing for our Ragnar Relay from Miami to Key West. Now, YOU can join the team, too.

Watch the video. Then click on the Kickstarter page and make your pledge to help us get this film made. There are rewards with each level, so pick your prize, make your pledge, and let's make this happen.

(Want to learn more about the film? Check out the film's website here. And keep coming back, as we will be adding more original content all the time.)

You Say. I Hear.

Homosexuals should not be able to redefine marriage.

Marriage is valuable to me and you don't deserve to have it.

Homosexuals should just leave their private lives at home.

I will talk about my family, my kids, and my home life, but you should hide yours.

Homosexuality is an abomination before God.

You are wicked and sinful and don't deserve to live.

God didn't make you that way. He wouldn't do that.

I should be able to pray enough that these feelings go away.

Being a homosexual is something you choose. You're just confused.

I should be able to choose to be straight.

You can always sign up as domestic partners. 

Your relationship is not equal to mine and you should settle for something less.

Homosexuals are destroying society and tearing at the fabric of society.

You are horrible people who don't deserve to live.

I will continue to pray for you.

I will continue to judge you as a sinner.

You can continue to say what you choose, but know this for certain. Gays and lesbians are not going away. We're not turning back. And we won't allow anyone to continue to treat us as you do. We will be seen and we will be heard.

And your words? We will move on from them, but you will carry them with you for the rest of your days. Choose carefully.

Ask Your Dad Blog: Dear Hypothetically Gay Son

Ask Your Dad Blog: Dear Hypothetically Gay Son: I ran across this letter on Reddit this morning. It is from a father disowning his gay son. It broke my heart. It's not the first time that...

(Reblogged because I can't think of a better way to say any of this.)

When Silence Is Significant.

I'll start with a disclaimer. The world is full of stupid people saying and doing stupid things. Politicians. Reporters. Community activists. Religious leaders. Random people hiding behind keyboards and posting on blogs and other social media sites. There are truly countless reasons to feel outrage and anger. No one person can be expected to disavow it all. And that means...

Silence is not approval.

It isn't fair to blame the entire Democratic Party when a state representative says something stupid about gun control. It isn't right to judge every Republican when a local mayor attacks the gay community. And it certainly isn't appropriate to blame all members of a religious group because a small-town church discriminates against someone because of their race. People should not be presumed in favor of a statement just because they share something in common with the person who said it. Groups are made up of individuals, each with unique and varying opinions.

All that said, there also comes a time when silence is significant, when failure to speak up and out against the stupidity of someone else transitions to purposeful denial or, worse, tacit approval. In my opinion, with considering the ongoing attacks from the Religious Right against the gay and lesbian community, that time is now.

Gay men and women are used to being criticized by self-appointed moral and spiritual leaders. We've blamed for everything from the destruction of biblical cities to the attacks of 9/11. We've been called anti-family despite coming from and being part of loving families of our own. We've been called anti-Christian though many of us credit our faith for giving us strength to endure our struggles. And we've been called anti-American in part for standing up and demanding the rights enjoyed by the rest of our fellow Americans. Yes, we are well acquainted with the rhetoric of our adversaries.

But these days, the attack isn't just coming from Far Right and the Religious Extremists. It's coming from much more mainstream sources, as well. And with listening, viewing and reading audiences in the millions, these groups are dangerous to the mental, emotional and physical well-being of gays and lesbians. By demonizing gays, they make it impossible for our community to simply live our lives in peace. They disseminate half-truths (and outright lies), justifying their own bigotry and hatred with a barrage of discredited "experts" who share their same distorted and twisted views. These are the people at war with the gay community.

Sadly, there is little I can do to stop these groups. They enjoy the freedom to assemble with other like-minded people and the right to share their hateful words and bigoted ideas. But that does not mean I am powerless. No, quite the opposite. I do have power. I can educate my non-gay friends so they understand exactly what is happening.

For example, last night, Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association (AFA) posted on Twitter that "... we need an Underground Railroad to deliver innocent children from same-sex households."

According to their website, the AFA is a "pro-family action site (that) promotes traditional family values, focusing primarily on the influence of television and other media on our society." I would like to hear them explain how stealing children away from their homes can possibly be considered "pro-family."

Without revisiting the Chick-Fil-A controversy in detail, I will say that I understand many people supported the restaurant because they felt Dan Cathy was only exercising his right to voice his opinion. I will also point out that his opinion, backed by millions of profit dollars donated, is:

We are inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at Him and say ‘we know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage.'

And his donations have also supported organizations that are actively seeking to make homosexuality illegal, to deport gays and lesbians, and to convert them to heterosexuality through brainwashing. These are not just opinions, they are actions that affect the lives of everyone in the gay community.

"So what? He's a restaurant owner. Who cares what he says?" Would you say that about an entire political party in a state? What about the Texas Republican Party Platform for 2012? This is what they have to say about homosexuality:

We affirm that the practice of homosexuality tears at the fabric of society and contributes to the breakdown of the family unit. Homosexual behavior is contrary to the fundamental, unchanging truths that have been ordained by God, recognized by our country’s founders, and shared by the majority of Texans. Homosexuality must not be presented as an acceptable “alternative” lifestyle, in public policy, nor should “family” be redefined to include homosexual “couples.” We believe there should be no granting of special legal entitlements or creation of special status for homosexual behavior, regardless of state of origin. Additionally, we oppose any criminal or civil penalties against those who oppose homosexuality out of faith, conviction or belief in traditional values.

Breaking down the family unity? Tearing at the fabric of society? This is not a fringe group, it is a mainstream political party in one of the biggest states in the nation.

What is breaking down this society are parents throwing their children out into the street instead of accepting them as gay. What is destroying us are the suicides of our teenagers so despondent, so afraid, so sad about feeling like their lives are sinful that a bullet or a noose seems a better choice. What is killing us all is the widespread hate and anger directed at a community that deserves the same freedoms and the same respect as every other American.

When these people speak these words, publish these documents, and air these videos attacking the gay community, we need our non-gay allies to stand up and say, "no more." We need you to speak up to the person next to you and tell them that their words are unacceptable. We need you contact your local representatives and let them know that you do not approve of their anti-gay rhetoric. We need you to tell your local religious leaders that you expect them to lead by example and not support the bigotry and discrimination.

The time has passed when we could all stand by on the sidelines. Failing to speak out means that our opponents will continue to hate, to attack, and to work to shame our entire community.

We need people to speak up. At this point, silence in these matters IS approval.

Silence is significant.

A.A.D. - Adult (Onset) Athletic Disorder

A.A.D. - Adult (Onset) Athletic Disorder:
The unexplainable transformation from couch potato to fitness freak that occurs in adults.

Let's hope there is no cure!

 

Week 7 Recap - Summer of Run

Saturday was the end of week 7 of my Summer of Run Challenge.

1. I ran all seven days.
2. I ran at least one 10-minute mile each day.
3. I ran more than 15 miles for the week.

At nearly 25 miles, this was my highest mileage week so far this summer. Starting the week off with a half marathon definitely helped that!

Here's how the week happened:

And the challenge recap so far:

It was a good week, and I allowed myself time to recover from the half marathon. But the single mile days still have me feeling like I'm slacking off. I know it's all in my head, but it is what it is.

No. Let me correct that. It is what I make it. And I need to keep reminding myself that my recovery miles are an essential part of successfully completing this challenge.

And on it goes...

"I Am A Marathoner."

In an interview with one of the US athletes, I heard the coolest comment. When asked what being at the Games meant to her, she said:

I'm an Olympian. For the rest of my life, I will always be able say that. I am an Olympian.

And that really resonated with me. For the last twenty-five years, I have able to say that about being a United States Marine. And since October 2011, I have been able to say that about running a marathon, too.

I am a marathoner.

No matter what else I ever accomplish on my physical fitness journey, I will always be able to claim that I am a marathoner.

It's true, I won't ever compete in the Olympics. Few of us ever will. But for a moment, an Olympic athlete and I had one thing in common. We both felt compelled to say something powerful, to lay claim to a title, and to acknowledge a personal accomplishment.

She is an Olympian. Me? I'm a marathoner. And I'm pretty damn proud of that.

Halfway? Yeah, I can do this.

I may not feel like every day is the greatest run ever, but I keep going. And I will complete this challenge.

When "Equal" Isn't.

Forget chicken sandwiches and other shiny things that distract us from what really matters. I'm not concerned with who lined up Wednesday to buy deep-fried "freedom of speech" or who is lining up today to "kiss away bigotry." In the bigger picture, none of these things matter beyond soundbites and dramatic on-site reporting for local news.

What matters to me as an American is equality. And folks, as long as gay men and women are not allowed to legally marry and have that marriage recognized by both state and federal law, we don't have equality.

My husband and I were married first in our church on July 4, 2003 and then again, legally, on July 4, 2008. In the eyes of California law, we are wed. Sounds equal, but it isn't. Because the United States Federal Government does not recognize our marriage, we are still viewed as single. And that matters.

For instance:

• Jane and Bob are married.
• Ric and John are married.
• Jane and Ric work at Acme Company.
• Acme Company provides 100% healthcare coverage for employees and their dependents.
• As recognized spouses, Bob and John both are covered under their spouses' plans.

But, because Ric and John are single in the eyes of the Federal Government, the full value of John's healthcare coverage is considered additional income from Acme Company. Ric will pay income tax on the full value of that policy. (In our case, the policy is valued at nearly $1,000 per month.)

So Ric and Jane have the exact same job, same insurance, same coverage, and same marital status. But Ric pays tax on an additional annual income of $12,000. Jane doesn't.

"Equal" isn't.

There are many more examples I could offer, but I don't need to. I have already provided a single example of how denying same-sex couples the right to legally marry creates an inequality under the law.

So the next time you tell me, "you can have all the same rights with a domestic partnership or civil union," please know that you are wrong. Completely wrong. And no amount of "I  have gay friends, I do, but marriage is sacred" is going to change the fact that the current laws deny me the same rights that other Americans have.

And ultimately, sacred is a matter for religious institutions to determine. Equal is a matter for the Constitution to determine... and protect.

Choices Matter.

If you choose to support Chick-Fil-A, I won't attack you for it. I won't assume you hate gay people. I won't dramatically declare that we can't be friends. I will, however, wonder why you would choose to give money to a company that funds organizations seeking to criminalize my private life. I will wonder if you think a crappy chicken sandwich is more important than the rights of gay men and women.

Not sure what I mean? Here's an example. Through their corporate charity, WinShape, Chick-Fil-A has donated nearly two million dollars to anti-gay groups. Specifically, they have donated to the Family Research Council. And what is that group trying to do?

Yep. That group thinks that homosexual behavior should be criminalized. And if they have their way, it will be. They also believe that gays can turn into straights with enough prayer, believe that all gays are pedophiles, and think gays are actively recruiting others into "this lifestyle."

This isn't just about arguing for or against same-sex marriage, though I can't understand why someone who knows my husband and I could possibly think we don't deserve the right to be married. But that's not the worst of this.

If you support a company like Chick-Fil-A, you support organizations like the Family Research Council. And you support efforts to make my personal life against the law.

Yes, choices matter.