Austin 13.1 Experience

First, I would like to say "THANK YOU",  because of all of your support I was able to raise nearly $3,500 for LIVESTRONG. And our LIVESTRONG Team raised over $300,000 in the first event of the year! Without all of you this experience wouldn't be possible and I sincerely appreciate your continued support. LIVESTRONG provides so many wonderful free services to those who are in need, including their families.

This past October marked the 1 year anniversary of losing my Mom to Stage IV Colon Cancer. Before she passed away, I remember her telling me one day cancer will not be a death sentence and people will have HOPE. My Mom was right because LIVESTRONG represents HOPE and I am so proud to be a part of it.  One week after my Mom's 1 year anniversary, we lost my Aunt Luisa to Breast Cancer. The loss brought back all of the same feelings the day we lost my Mom.

In December of 2012,  we met the bravest little boy I have ever met. His name is Mario and he has been battling cancer for a few years now. My family spent a few hours with his family and we just fell in love. Mario and I enjoyed coffee, played karaoke, and enjoyed lots of laughs together. I told Mario I would place his picture on my jersey so he would complete his first half marathon with LIVESTRONG.

Why Austin, Texas?

I chose the Austin 1/2 Marathon with Team LIVESTRONG because it was the 1st event of 2012 and I wanted to honor Aunt Luisa and run in support of  Mario's current battle. I also chose Austin because the Lance Armstrong Foundation was headquartered in Austin, Texas - and I was hoping to meet some of the team and connect with the wonderful people who make LIVESTRONG work everyday.  Jen and I arrived at LIVESTRONG HQ the day before the race and we were in for a real treat!  We met many of the staff members that run programs and help prepare runners... people like Tom Whiteside, Colleen Legge, Barb Simmons, Brooke McMillan and many others. I also had the privilege to meet Doug Ulman, President of  Lance Armstrong Foundation. We spoke about my Mom, my journey, and why I chose LIVESTRONG. For those of you who don't know, Doug is a 3-time cancer survivor and he is living proof that 1 person can make a difference.  And then  we met Amy Dodson, as she was our guest speaker and special guest. If you do not know who she is, google her and do some reading.  All I will say is that she has redefined testing the limits of  what the human body is capable of doing. She is absolutely amazing! She is the ultimate role model so it is only fitting that the is a teacher.

My Training

I haven't stopped running since I started training for Pittsburgh. For me, it is a combination of rediscovering an old friend and a way to cope with loss.  Training for this race was a little different from any other race I had run in the past.  I did my homework and knew the hills would be challenging, and race day certainly proved that true. This winter season was very mild, and as a result I got every run in this season outdoors!  I am pretty sure a few people upstairs were looking out for me and kept the snow away which made training much easier.

Race Day


The wake up call at the hotel came at 4:15am so I had time to eat, stretch, and get ready for the 7am start. As usual, I didn't sleep much the night before because I was excited to run! I committed to memory the grading of the course so I would be prepared! Before the gun went off, I reminded myself why I was running - to honor my Aunt and to support Mario. The gun went off and so did I and 18,000 other runners. The first 3 miles went by quick and the terrain was flat. The climb started at mile 3 and lasted through mile 7. It was a steady long climb and my body felt great.  The next couple of miles were filled with rolling hills so I was working hard up and down the hills...this portion started to punish my legs as the downhills were just as hard as the up hill sections.  For me the race began at mile 10 because my legs were tired and I had 3.1 miles left to battle. During each step I reminded myself why I was here and who I was running for - this really helped me remain focused. Mile 12 started with a steep hill and I was pushing with everything I had.  I remained focused on driving my stride up the hill as hard and fast as I could.  Only 400m remained and my wife & the finish line were now in sight.   I finished a hilly 13.1 mile course in 1:48:16.  I was very pleased with my performance and effort - I attacked the hills and gave it my all.

A Special Thank You


To my partner in crime, a special thank you for giving me the hours to train with my already crazy work schedule. Thank you for traveling 5+ hours in the car to Pittsburgh and 4 hours via plane to Austin. You are always there by my side, neon orange paddle in hand cheering me on. Thanks for supporting me, I love you.

What's Next?  

I will be continuing my runs with Team LIVESTRONG (my goal is 2 to 3 races each year), and will be assembling a large team for the Philly Challenge later this summer - be on the lookout for the invite!  And I am getting involved with the Grassroots Local Leadership Team in NJ for LIVESTRONG.

My 26.2 Experience

I joined the Pittsburgh Livestrong Team to honor my Mom, help me grieve, and to continue the fight my Mom started. I remember going to Livestrong.org and watching the manifesto for the 1st time... I challenge you to watch it ... think of someone you love that has been affected... let me know when you are running 13.1 or 26.2 for Livestrong.  I decided on the full 26.2 marathon because I felt it was all or nothing, and I was hoping to raise $5,000 for the foundation in honor of my Mom. My Mom knew it was too late for her, but her hope was that others would have a better chance for survival and I knew Livestrong was the best organization for me to get involved with.

Because of all of your support  I was able to raise $5,000 for Livestrong.  Our full team raised over $80,000 and I am so thankful for all of your support. Without all of you this experience wouldn't have been possible.

The journey started for me when I stepped on the scale - it wasn't broken and it read 210 lbs.  The first goal was to lose 20 lbs so I could start running without injuring myself.  A month passed and I was at 190lbs. During the first few months all my running was done on a treadmill because of the weather.  I continued to get in running shape and the weather started to break.  My real training then began by running 13 to 18 miles on Sundays finishing up on Creek Road in NJ - 4 miles of hills. This meant that my wife Jen got "No Breaks" on Sundays because I was out running for 2 to 3 hours at a time.  After 5-months of training, I was at running weight (160 lbs) and as ready as I could be for the race.

Race Day:

Jen and I woke up at 4:45am on May 15th and ate breakfast immediately as the race started at 7am.  I was excited and nervous - my hope was to run the best race possible in 4:15:00 to 4:30:00.  The weather was overcast and rainy in the 60's - perfect weather.

I put myself in the slowest heat so by the time I crossed the starting line it was 7:15am. I was able to run relaxed for the first 10 miles at a 9:30 mile pace as I knew this part of the race was relatively flat.  The city of Pittsburgh was awesome to run in and I got to cross 3 bridges. At mile 9,  Jen was there cheering for me and it was great to see her face!  At mile 10, I knew the race was just beginning  as the next 7 miles were mostly uphill.  Crossing the bridge going into mile 11, I attacked the first hill going into Oakland, PA (going to Univ. of Pitt) and I could tell my training really paid off. I ran some of my fastest mile splits during these 7 miles and it was really tough!  There were about 40 bands playing music at random destinations of the run and the fans were amazing. At mile 17 the crowd was roaring as they reminded the runners that we only had 9 miles left (SINGLE DIGITS). At mile 19 my legs we really hurting and the fight was on to finish strong.

One of the most memorable points during the race for me was at mile 24.  One cheering fan read my racing bib and yelled out to me - Your Mom is proud and looking down on you.... Only 2 miles left - kick it in gear and bring it home!  That was exactly what I needed to hear - the fatigue vanished and I kicked it into another gear.  I crossed the last bridge in downtown Pittsburgh to finish up outside of Heinz Field and saw Jen screaming my name and cheering me on to finish. I was in disbelief that the 26.2 mile journey was over. I finished a hilly 26.2 miles in 4:37:29.

What an incredible journey - this event was truly inspiring and life changing. I will never forget all of you that sponsored me, cheered me on, and offered me encouragement.  I know this will be the first race of many as my work is not done.