This Thing Is Still On?

 I really thought I deleted this! I am glad I didn't!

So much is going on right now that I am going to be starting back up again!

Things to talk about:

• I will be giving updates on my return to the stage.
• I am still running, but slower and I will be updating that as well.
• Life in general, stuff that interest me.
• Ghost Hunts!!!
• If you want my opinion about something let me know!

2016

I have decided not to write any new New years resolutions this year and will continue to work on my resolutions from last year.

2015 was a pretty good year for me, although it did have it's share of challenges. My biggest goal was to improve my self confidence and I did . The biggest indicator of that was in my running where I set 4 Personal bests (PR) this year , including the Marathon and Half Marathon. My biggest obstacle was my head, I used to tell myself I was too old, too weak and not good enough to break my PR's. I would tell myself that my best days are behind me.

After my performances in 2015, it is safe to say that I have turned the corner on my self doubt, not only in my running , but in all aspects of my life. I believe now that I still have quite a bit to prove and that is why I want to continue on the path that I am on.

I want to thank so many of you who have provided encouragement, inspiration and a good, swift kick in the butt for me over the past few years. I am truly blessed to have so many people in my life that care about me .

I wish all of you a happy and blessed 2016!

Gonna Fly Now (Part 1-Training)

Last year I wrote an entry into my blog stating that my best days of being a runner were behind me. (Click here to read it.)

I wrote that I had changed as a runner and that my best days as a runner were behind me. I thought that there were no more personal records(PR)  to be gained and that I would never run Boston. I had to learn to live with that . I wasn't going to quit running, but my running was to take on a different meaning for me. It wasn't about winning races, setting records or qualifying for the Boston Marathon. It was about setting a good example for my kids.

It wasn't as apparent to me when I wrote this entry that giving up on my goals and my dreams was setting the wrong example for my kids. More on that later.

Right after that I got a few responses from some of my friends and family. Some were understanding of where I stood , but others , including my brother Kevin, didn't understand why I was giving up.

Kevin sent me a very long text, and he didn't hold back. He basically called my giving up "Bull S**t". That many people were still setting PR's well into their fifties. He didn't understand why I was giving up on my goals.

The answer was simple, I was tired of failing. I didn't want to try anymore.

After several exchanges with Kevin , I agreed to work with Kevin's coach as I trained for my next marathon. I signed up for the Cleveland and I also was accepted into the New York City Half marathon . So I was training for two big events. I was a bit nervous because I have always been in control of my training.

Record snow fall and sub zero temps created a challenge 

It was clear from the start the training plan was not only to get me in shape physically, but more importantly , to get me in shape mentally. There was not going to be any excuses , I was going to be successful, even if it killed me.

It was a very hard winter here in Western New York , we had record snow falls and some of the coldest temperatures that I could remember and I was out there training in it. I stuck to my program and I could tell it was starting to pay off. I was getting stronger physically , but mentally, I wouldn't know if that was the case until I ran my first race.

Part 2 - New York City Half Marathon is next

Scanning my Head on a Freezing Tuesday Morning

It has been a while since I checked in, here are a few thoughts floating around ,my mucus filled head this morning.

• My last post I talked about taking a break from running , and accepting the fact that I am no longer the competitor I was in the past. That I will not set any personal records (PR) or win any races . I got some flack for that. People thought that I was throwing in the towel , and maybe they were right. If you look at my Running Results Page , you will see that it has been a while since I have set any PR's in any event. After some soul searching , I think that it is my head that gets in the way of success, so I have decided to switch things up a bit and have allowed my brother and his friend to take over my training. Now if I fail, I let them down, and I never want to let my brother down. 

• A goal of mine this year is to spend more time with my kids, especially my son , who is now a teenager . He needs his Dad more than ever right now, and I need to make sure that I am around more to help him .I hope that some of the things that I did in 2014 to make this happen will pay off.

• It has been a couple of weeks since the Cleveland Browns season ended, and I have had time to process what happened this season . My thoughts on the state of the team is that they are moving in the right direction. I am encouraged by the 7 and 9 record that they finished with , although they finished the year on a bad note, it is still an improvement over previous years. I think the biggest thing we need to do in this off season is establish who the quarterback will be  right away and start building an offense around that persons skill-set . If it is Johnny Manziel , fine , give him the tools where he can succeed . Name him the starter now and develop him. I think we are pretty close to competing for a division title , the moves we make in this off-season will determine if we can take that next step.

• When LeBron James came back to Cleveland , he said that we had to be patient with this team, it is going to take some time for them to gel as a unit. Fans of Cleveland sports teams hate to hear the words "be patient" or "it is a process". We have been hearing the same thing for many years now. However, as I watch this team , LeBron is right. We need to be patient, the young players on this team need to learn what it takes to win and be successful. I think it will pay off , especially watching Kyrie Irving and Triston Thompson , they seem to be getting the message and are playing well, that is very encouraging for the future of this franchise. 

I think that is it for right now, you all have a great day!

Fall Break

Every month, there is one day that feels like Christmas. When I look at my pile of mail and see that the latest issue of "Runner's World" has arrived. This month was extremely special because when I picked it up Kara Goucher, who is one of my favorite athletes in the sport, is the feature article. I quickly remove the magazine from the pile and bring it up to my "reading room" . I like to read it from cover to cover, not skip any of the articles. From the beginning it is clear to me that this issue is focused on making your Fall running plans.

I really don't have any, and that is OK.

In 2009 after I finished my first marathon , I remember having a conversation with my wife. We were talking about all of the things that I have tried to do to change my life for the better that have gone by the waste side. Due to fact that I had a lack of persistence to keep whatever that thing was going. ( I work a lot , usually long hours , so it is hard sometimes to keep things up) . I asked her if she thought running would go away too, I did try to run before this , but it never stuck. She said that no, she thinks that this will stay, it is a part of your life now.

She is right, it is.

Finishing the Olivia's Wish Run 5k

Since that conversation I have been in non stop training for some big event. Especially the last two years where I have run 3 marathons, 4 half marathons and countless 8k's and 5k's . On October 5th of this year I ran a 5k . The Friday before the race I woke up in a lot of pain, my knees were hurting, so were my feet and back. I was thinking that I would have to drop out of the race, but I didn't want to , because a friend of mine is the race director and I wanted to support him .

I ended up resting and feeling better on race day, even though I was not at my best , I ran it anyway. I finished 12th overall and 3rd in my age group, but my time was nothing to brag about. After the race I knew I had to take some time off.

So as I am reading advice on how you should attack the fall races and your plans, my plan is simple , I am going to rest, reflect and plan.

I am on the second week of a self imposed two week running ban. As my body heals , It is quite apparent to me that I have changed as a runner. For the most part , my days of winning races and getting personal bests (P.R.) are long gone. I have also put to bed the dream that I will make Boston as my times in the marathon have gotten slower and slower. In it's place is a new goal , a new reason to run.

My son at a recent Cross Country meet

I have always tried to set a good example for my kids , and running has been a part of that. But lately I have noticed more how much my kids copy my actions more than they do my words. My son is starting to excel at cross country and my daughter is developing a strong desire to run as well. I think this stems from my training and completing the races I train for.

My Daughter finishing the Olivia's Wish Run 5k

So this is my new purpose , to try to inspire my kids and hopefully anyone else that needs inspiring . I think this is why God has placed running in my life, it has made me a better person and maybe it will pave the path for my kids and others to do the same.

My Thoughts on Ray Rice

Above is a video of the commentary that ESPN Anchor Hannah Storm made about talking to her daughters about the video of Ray Rice (former running back of the Baltimore Ravens) hitting his then girlfriend in an elevator at a now closed casino in Atlantic City. Most of us have either seen the video or have heard about what was on it. it is horrific to say the least . I think Hannah Storm hit the nail on the head with her comments , especially about the fact that the National Football league decided to institute a harsher punishment to Rice after seeing this video . Everyone knew what happened on the elevator, we did not need to see the video to confirm our suspicions. 

The N.F.L. has a program called "Play 60 " , it is a wonderful program that the league has started to fight childhood obesity . The program uses the stars of it's league as role models to help kids get out and be more active , also to make healthier decisions in their lives. I love this program, I love the fact that they use the stars of this league to promote the program One of those stars was Ray Rice.

No one can say that these athletes are not role models, they are. I grew up idolizing athletes and so do the kids today. When one of these athletes do something wrong , the league NEEDS to come down on the athlete. A 2 game suspension was not enough, everyone knew it. I don't know what the correct punishment should have been and I am not in a position to have to make that call.

One good that has come from this is that we are now having a discussion about domestic violence . Particularly how we see the victim of the violence.

 Why didn't she leave him?  Why did she marry him? Why does she protect him? She is in it for the money. She is going to leave him , write a book and profit off of it. 

These are just some of the things that I have heard about the victim in the Ray Rice case this week. It almost turns out that we are blaming the victim and not placing our anger with who is really to blame, the abuser , Ray Rice. I know that I have never been in an abusive relationship , I do not have a degree in psychology that makes me an expert in why victims of domestic violence stay and protect their abuser. I don't know, so I shouldn't judge. I can only pray that the victim gets the help that they need and that the abuser gets the help that they need and stops abusing people. 

A good friend of mine posted an article on her Facebook page this morning . I hope you read it.

Some Thoughts on a Monday Morning

The sun is just starting to peak out as I start typing this. After a long winter and a very wet spring any time the sun comes out it is a welcomed sight. It is funny how everyone's mood improves once the sun comes out. I hope this lasts a while !

Here's my Monday morning thoughts:

• I have really cut down on my coffee consumption the past couple weeks. I have to say that it has made me feel better, both physically and mentally . I am less on edge  and my stomach has felt better as well. One or two cups a day is all I allow myself now. 

• I have another week until I have to buckle down and start training for the Erie Marathon. I have enjoyed my runs the past couple weeks , I have just gone out and ran with no real goal in mind, but to run. This is my time to myself, time to reflect on what is going in my life, time to run off any stress that has been in my life. It is also my church, time to give thanks for all that I have in my life that is good. I have said this before , it is when I feel closer to God.

• I have to say that a part of me is starting to get excited about Johnny Manziel being on the Cleveland Browns. I still think our best chance at success this year is with Brian Hoyer at quarterback , but there is a level of excitement that Manziel brings that my fellow Browns fans haven't felt in a VERY long time. 

• Staying with NFL draft reaction , I am also interested in the Michael Sam . For those of you living under a rock for the past few months he is the first openly gay player to play in the NFL. I hope he is successful, but what makes me curious is why did he drop so far in the draft? Before he came out and said he was gay , he was projected as a 3rd or 4th round draft pick, then he had a bad performance at the NFL combine and he dropped on most people's draft boards. My curiosity about this is did he drop that far because of the combine or was it another reason . I think it was because of the media attention that was given to Sam. I think most NFL teams decided not to invite the media storm that follows Sam into their locker room. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, if he makes the team or not. He is listed as a defensive lineman , and the ST. Louis Rams have a lot of depth at that position already . 

•  I really am sick of politics. I would love to live in a country where people can discuss their differences in opinion in a respectful manner, but unfortunately we don't. Politics is a place where people's hate truly comes out.

I think that is for today. Need to get out and mow my lawn and do some other things around the house (like nap)

Feel free to comment below or send an email

 to 

me if you want to respond to anything I have said.

Draft Day - 1st Round thoughts on the Browns

I really wanted Sammy Watkins, the wide receiver out of Clemson. I wanted Derrick Carr , quarterback out of Fresno State.

I did not get my wish and I am trying to wrap my head around what the Browns did in the 1st round yesterday.After sleeping on it I am much more calm now about it and see the plan. Here are my thoughts.

• Trading the number 4 pick to the Bills- Sammy Watkins was there for the taking , he would have looked great next to Josh Gordon, but in the end the Browns won this trade in my mind. The draft is deep on receivers and with the signing of Nate Burleson and Andrew Hawkins, our receiving corp is better than last year. Now having Buffalo's first round pick next year (which I believe will be a top 10 pick) will give us 2 first rounders again. This team is building to win right now and in the future.

• Picking Justin Gilbert , cornerback from Oklahoma St.- We moved up 1 spot to get him and I am OK with that, we didn't really give away too much. This gives us 2 really good cornerbacks for the long term (if we can sign Joe Haden to a long term deal) . 

• Johnny Manziel- The one player I did not want was Manziel, quarterback from Texas A&M . He is a small, scrambling quarterback that is bound to get hurt in the N.F.L. Plus he is a head case and could be a huge distraction for a rookie coach and a rookie G.M. The media will be all over the Browns , very much like they were all over Tebow when he played in the league. To make this work the Browns need to put Manziel 3rd on their depth chart behind Brian Hoyer and Vince Young. They need to fight the pressure from the media and fans to play him and have him learn about the N.F.L game. Next year you promote him to the # 2 position and in year 3 give him a shot at the starting job. Hopefully by then he will have the maturity and knowledge to be an effective QB in the N.F.L.

Overall I am ok with what the Browns did yesterday and am excited to see what today's pick will bring. Hopefully a weapon for the Browns offense . One thing for sure, it will be hard to top the excitement that the Browns gave us yesterday!

Sheep

Here is something I wrote on a wall on a local radio station Facebook page in response to a statement Rush Limbaugh made:

"Rush, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck say these things to get you to listen to them. They are first and foremost entertainers. What expertise do they have on these matters? It is the same as liberal talk show hosts. They say things to get people hot so they can tune in. People do and the repeat this stuff as fact. Stop being sheep people, God gave you a brain use it."

"Rush is right"- No, he is not

These hosts do not have political backgrounds, they come from things other than politics. Rush Limbaugh used to work with the Kansas City Royals, Sean Hannity (based on what he says on his show) has a background in serving tables, bar tending, construction and being a chef, Glenn Beck is a Comedian. I am not saying that you shouldn't listen to them, but don't take their words as the complete truth. They are not the news (even the news is not the news anymore), they are entertainers that need listeners to increase their ratings so they can get bigger and better sponsors, so they can make more money.

I do listen to Hannity on occasion, but I have started listening more and more objectively. If I were a liberal that was invited to come on that show, I would refuse. You will get bullied, your words twisted around and mocked.

If you listen to these programs, do yourself a favor, be your own fact checker. Look up the facts that these hosts or liberal hosts are stating for yourself and form your own opinion. If you take these things they say and repeat them without checking it for yourself, you are just sheep following the herd.

I know, I was a sheep following the herd.

Why I Run

Today is the day before they announce the people who will make this years New York City Marathon. Once again I have entered the lottery, but I don't expect that lightning to strike twice( I got in last year). While I wait ( for some reason I am a bit nervous, not sure why), I thought I would share some of the reason why I run.I know I have written about this before , but sometimes it is good to revisit it.

A couple days ago  a server at a local restaurant that my family frequently visit came and asked me if I was running "The Color Run" that is coming to Buffalo in August. I told her most likely not, although those types of races look like a lot of fun , they always seem to land while I am training for something else and I am afraid that I will get injured .She then said to me that she always tells the story about how I got back into running
Back in May of 2009 after a night of heavy drinking my sister called and said she signed up for the Wineglass Marathon in Corning N.Y. She convinced me that I should run it too and in my drunken condition , it was pretty easy to convince me to do pretty much anything, so I signed up. I forgot about it until the next morning when I saw the confirmation email and saw there was no refunds, I believe the first words out of my my mouth were "oh crap".

Picture of me during a night of drinking,
no that is not my real hair

At that time I was turning more and more frequently to alcohol to help relieve the stress and increasing depression that I was feeling. I was allowing the stress of life beat me and turned to drinking to help ease that stress. I was becoming less and less like the person that I used to be. People wanted "the old D.J.back" and I couldn't figure out how to get him back, so I drank.

I started to train, it was not easy . Although I was a pretty good runner back in high school ,20 years had passed and  I was not in the best of shape . A funny thing happened , I started to make better decisions in my life, my marriage and the old D.J. started to come back. I finished that marathon and became hooked on running. Now 5 years later I have run 6 marathons , and countless other races . I have not heard " I want the old D.J. back " in a very long time . I do not rely on alcohol anymore to relieve the stress of life, I rely on my family, running , my friends and my own attitude to get through things. I do like to have a drink ( or drinks) once in a while, but I do not let it control me like I used too.

My brother and I after the 2013 NYC Marathon, it was always my dream to run this race.
It was even better running it with the Wouk!

So I run to be me.

I run so I can be the person that my wife and kids say they can be proud of .

I run to show that no matter how far you fall from who you really are , you can , with effort, get yourself back .

I run to try to inspire others, it is the only way you can truly repay those have inspired you.

I run to feel healthy , both mentally and physically .

I run to make new friends, I am so thankful for the ones I have made.

I run to honor those who can't run for whatever reason

I run to give thanks to God for giving me another chance at a happy life

If I don't get into New York , I will return to the Wineglass Marathon to celebrate 5 years of the best decision I have ever made while I was drunk!

God

Here is something that I wrote on a friends wall on Facebook. about people's relationships with God. Please let me know what you think.

 I think everybody's relationship with God is different and how they show it is different. I don't think there is a cookie cutter way to be God's servant. Some people feel closer to God in a Church setting , while others feel closer at home with their family. I feel closest while I am running . Some people are very open about their relationship , while others are quiet and let their actions speak for themselves. I think one's relationship with God is their own and should be left that way unless that person needs help . Too many Christians have a way of expressing their way on to people and sometimes that ends up pushing people away.

Review of "14 Minutes: A Running Legend's Life and Death and Life " by Alberto Salazar

14 Minutes: A Running Legend's Life and Death and Life by Alberto Salazar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love to get into successful runners heads and see what makes them tick, what is the edge that makes them succeed . This is why I bought this book. in 1985 I was a freshman in high school and was just getting into running. My brother Tom , who was a star runner at the school I went to always talked about Salazar. I graduated high school in 1989 and that is also when my running career faded.

Fast forward 20 years to 2009, I started to run again and have been very interested in the mental aspect of running. I recently ran the New York City Marathon and did not fair to well. I have been questioning my mental toughness and have been looking for answers, and "14 Minutes: A Running Legend's Life and Death and Life " definitely helped. I bought it because my brother used to rave about Salazar's toughness and I thought it would give me some clue to what i was missing.

Throughout this book, Salazar gives many examples of his grit, his confidence and his faith. All things in which I have been lacking lately . I will try to use what i learned from this book to help me succeed as a runner and to better myself personally.

View all my reviews

I Am Afraid of Success

It was around mile 14 this time when I felt it start to break down. The whole race I was with my brother running what I thought was a smart race and then it happened. I started to feel a cramp forming and instantly I started to panic . In my head the excuses started to form to why I was going to fail. I wasn't hydrated enough , I didn't eat anything, my training wasn't up to snuff and many more. Some of these may be true , but the biggest obstacle was my lack of mental toughness. I am just not strong enough to succeed in my head. I give up too easily.

I told my brother to go on , that I would be fine  I was for a while but then it all fell apart. I finished the marathon with my second worst time ever and my brother ended up smashing his personal best. When we talked about the race he told me that he felt the pain too, but he just kept going . If he were to slow down or stop it would have gotten worse . Although I am proud of him, I am envious of his willpower to overcome the adversity and triumph .

This is an issue for me. I can hit all my goals during training . I can feel good about my training , but when it comes to race day , everything falls apart . Here is another example.

This summer I was running an 8k in my hometown. I started off great then it again started to fall apart. A friend of mine passed me going up the hill , she tried to encourage me , but it didn't work. After I got up the hill I got my legs back and caught my breath. I had a chance to catch my friend, I physically felt I could do it, but I talked myself out of it and finished well behind her.

Physically , I think I am a pretty good runner. I am in shape to accomplish many of the goals I set for myself , it is just that when I toe the line to try to achieve the goals , something in my head always prevents me from doing it. Sure I may place in my age group and win some awards , but something always prevents me fro unleashing my full potential during a race. I am trying to figure out what that is and how to prevent it.

My best guess is that I accept failing too easily. I have gotten used to not achieving my potential that maybe I am afraid of  success . I look at my brother and my friends and although I am proud of their accomplishments , I am envious of their mental toughness and I have to find out how they are different from me.

That is my goal for 2014, is to build my mental toughness . I set up my race schedule to do that. I chose races that I can beat personal bests and to build confidence , I will be changing some of my training to do things that I have not done before , that I might have been scared to do. I will be using a lot of techniques that I learned long ago as a theatre major to block out the world around me and focus on the task at hand. I will not worry about others around me , but continue to focus on the goal.

I will force myself out the door , even when I don't want to go for a run. I will (and have) run in snow storms, ice storms, excessive heat and rain.

This will be the year that things start to change.

2014 Tentative Race Schedule

I think I have it set for next year, I want to focus on the Half Marathon a bit more, I feel that is my best event , so here it is. I may add more.

• March 1,2014 Shamrock Run (8K) in Buffalo NY (Corn beef Sandwich!)
• May 3,2014 GBTC Grand Island Half Marathon in Grand Island, NY (Flat,Fast Route)
• May 25,2014 Buffalo Marathon Relay (4 member team relay) in Buffalo NY (Go team "The Runs")
• June 28,2014 50 Yard Finish 1/2 Marathon in Orchard Park NY (I am the 2 time champ of my age group)
• July 19,2014 Laurel Run (8K) in Silver Creek,NY (My favorite race of the year!)
• September 14,2014 Erie Half Marathon in Erie PA ( Reubens with Aunt Marge and Carrie!)
• October 3,2014 Wineglass Marathon in Corning, NY ( This was my 1st Marathon in 2009 Seems appropriate to go back 5 years later!)

I would like to do the Olivia's wish run (5K) as well but I am unsure of the date. I was also really looking hard at running the Chicago Marathon , but there is a family obligation that weekend and can't do it. I also wanted to keep things local this year .

I hope many of my running friends can join me for any of these events . Should be a fun year!!!!

What My Head Scan Revealed Today

A few things that are circling around in the old noggin this morning.

• There have been times in past years where I have broken out the Christmas music and listened to it as early as the day after Halloween . This year I have not, but if you want to, do it. If you don't want to then don't. I have heard many complaints about a local radio station playing Christmas music beginning early November . If you don't like it don't turn it on, the radio station most likely has done the research and that research most likely shows that people tune in when they play that type of music .

• Speaking of Christmas, I have always felt that it was an employee morale killer to keep your business open on Christmas day. I think that businesses that are able to close , should. However the argument for keeping certain businesses open on that day is that it is one of the busiest days of the year . So we have no one to blame but ourselves because although we say it is wrong, but we use the service that these businesses provide on December 25th .

•   For the first time in my life I have to work on Christmas day, I work in health care and we can not close on that day. I am a little bummed about this , but will go in and try to put a smile on the people I serve faces , because where I work is home for them and they deserve nothing but my best , if I can make their Christmas special , it might make mine special too.

• I am suffering a bit from the post marathon blues, but not as bad as I thought. I mostly have been looking ahead and I can't get the Chicago Marathon out of my head. The more I research it the more I want to run it. 

• The Cleveland Browns are fun to watch. However, this talk of playoffs are a little premature. We have too tough of a schedule remaining . Years of disappointments have taught me not to get too excited , to enjoy any success on a weekly basis, because the following week it can all fall apart. 

• Lately any political talk has given me an upset stomach. If you know me , you know I love to talk politics , but lately when I hear it I reach for the Pepto.

That is about it for right now, I hope everyone is having a great day!

Friday's Feel Good Song of the Week- "Wishing Well" -Terence Trent D'Arby

O.K. it is Saturday, but I think you will like this one.

Whenever this song comes on , volume goes way up!

I Did It!

What an incredible weekend !

I wanted to give it a day or 2 before I wrote about my experience running the New York City Marathon, I had a wide range of emotions that I needed to sift through before I can really let you know how I felt about it. In fact I am still trying to sort it out as I heal from from the aches and pains .

Me at the Expo

I have to say this was one of the most incredible things that I have been a part of. It is so easy to get swept up in the emotion of the event and I did. Throughout the race I kept thinking that I am running the freaking NYC Marathon! This was a a dream of mine since I first laced up my running shoes and heard about a Math teacher at my high school who ran it. I also ran the first 15 miles with my brother Kevin , which made it even more special.

My first reaction to the race was disappointment, my personal best marathon was a 3 hours and 34 minutes , I did that back in 2011 in Erie PA. I finished Sunday with a 3 hours and 59 performance. It was my second worse marathon ever. I can put that on not being very smart with my nutrition and hydration before and during the race. I got caught up in everything that was going on that I did not prepare my body the way I should and was playing catch up throughout the race. Lesson learned.

My brother and I before
the race

I also felt so much pride in my brother Kevin (A.K.A The Wouk) , he crushed his personal best time ! Kevin ran a very smart , determined race and was rewarded with such an awesome result. I also want to thank him,his wife Kristen and his friend Johnny (who ran with me and Kevin) for showing such great hospitality for me and my wife this past weekend. Kevin and Kristen have been so supportive of me since I got back into running , offering advice and cheering me every step of the way . They have been my un-official coaches, and big part of any success I have had.

Another person who has helped me is my friend Tracy, I have known who Tracy was since my high school days when she was one of the area's top runners. We were introduced through a mutual friend and she has had to deal with my stupid questions and lame attempts at trash talking ever since. I am so impressed with her determination and dedication , that paid off with a personal best and a third Boston Marathon qualifying time on Sunday. I am very proud of her!

Crowd shot my wife took , it was loud!

The crowds were just simply amazing in New York, it seemed like a different city than the one that I have visited several times before. The crowd was shoulder to shoulder on both sides of the street the entire 26.2 miles . They were so loud and supportive! I can not tell you how many people I gave high fives too! The excitement on people's faces is something I will never forget. I have so many stories that I could share hereabout people who I met or saw along away, it would take forever to write. I will share with you about a man who seem to be  homeless . Walked up to me as I was trying to stretch out a cramp, and was trying so hard to encourage me to keep moving it got me through pretty much the rest of the race.

Thank you to everyone who sent me words of encouragement before,during and after the race. You don't know how much it means to know that so many people were supportive of what I did. I wish there was a way that I could show you how much I appreciate it other that saying thank you.

My wife Sheri has always been my biggest supporter. Someone said recently that she is my rock , I will do one better. She is the foundation for everything in my life, without her I would fall apart. God truly got got it right when he paired us together.I thank Him every day for that.

Now what?

I am mulling over several things I want to do next year, but I haven't nailed down anything yet. For now I can relax and be proud that I was a part of something truly amazing and created a memory that will be with me the rest of my life.

Marathon Info and Friday Feel Good Song of The Week!

Well here it is! Marathon weekend!

I can not believe that it has come so quick, it really seems that I just heard the news that I will be running this year and now I am packing my bags for the trip! I know that I have annoyed several of you with posting so much about the New York City Marathon, I am obsessed with it and I feel I am ready.

My strategy  for the race is to take it all in. Since I started running almost 30 years ago .this race and Boston have been my dream. Now I get to run it and I couldn't be more nervous,excited and pumped ! I have decided that I want to take in the crowd, the sites and the city of New York. I will let how my body feels dictate the pace, I am not really going to shoot for a personal best. This is about enjoying the moment.

I hope you can enjoy it with me. I will be using social media to post stuff all weekend long so you can follow me in the following places (Click To go to Sites):

Follow me on Twitter

Follow my Tweets here on Densil's Head Scan!

To track me during the race :

http://www.ingnycmarathon.org/spectators/trackmyrunners.htm

There are 3 ways you can track, by text, by web, and/or you can download an app for your smartphone.The text option does cost $2.99 , the other two are free

My bib # is 18388. If you search me by name , make sure you look for Densil not D.J.

Thank you everyone for all the support, it really means alot ! Here is the song of the week "Dreams" by Van Halen:

Friday's Feel Good Song of the Week- "Thriller"

In honor of Halloween, this weeks song and video is Michael Jackson's "Thriller" . I hope you all have a happy and safe Halloween!!!

 

Friday's Feel Good Song Of The Week-"Hearts on Fire"

In two days I will be running a half marathon where I have a great chance at a PR, so for that reason John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band is awarded the feel good song of the week . This song was used for the training sequence for the movie "Rocky IV" . Enjoy and happy Friday!

 

DRAGO!!!!!!!!!