Here is a little advice for the beginner runners out there. You really should buy running shorts, shirts, and socks. Especially as you start getting some distance on your long runs. The technical material really does wick moister away and can prevent chaffing. When you finally go buy some running cloths, buy neutral color shorts. I now only buy black shorts. That way you can avoid some really wacky short and shirt color combinations just before laundry day.

Categories: "Run, Steven, Run!"
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I ran five miles yesterday. Four miles at tempo pace in 32:20. Felt pretty good except for the extra weight gained from lagging in July. Note to self, stop eating the kids snacks when working late at night.

Categories: Journal, "Run, Steven, Run!"
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My story goes back thirty eight years to when I was eighteen months old and had a childhood accident. I fell down the steps of a slide at a playground. Two days after the accident I turned green due to internal injuries and was rushed to the emergency room. A series of surgeries followed. Fortunately the doctors were able to put me back together. Except for having a couple large scars on my abdomen, I felt no affects from the accident growing up. I was even the captain of my high school wrestling team and ran back then regularly to make weight.

That changed when I turned thirty five. At thirty five I was married with two little boys and the co-founder of a software company. I was a bit chubby from the affects of being a family man. It should have been the best time of my life except I started to get intestinal blockages due to the scar tissue that had built up over thirty years. The blockages became frequent and extremely painful. The pain would come in waves about five to eight minutes apart and would last all day. Once the blockage passed I would be back to normal but a little sore. I joked with my wife and would say “I am the only guy that knows what it is like to go through labor.” We started calling it “giving birth.” It stopped being funny when it started happening every two weeks. The pain reached a new level and I even passed out a few times. Controlling my diet and taking medicines had no affect. Even two laparoscopic surgeries did not relieve the problem—I thought I was going to be like this for the rest of my life.

At thirty nine I started to have a mid-life crisis. I negotiated a Mini Cooper and an iPod from my wife—she got a new kitchen. I signed up for a 5k, and started running. After the 5k my brother in-law encouraged me to sign up for the Army Ten Miler in Washington DC. I started training and a funny thing happened. My blockages started to happen less often. When they did happen they were significantly less painful. Running cured me or at least made my problem manageable. Two years later I ran the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon. A friend who is also a runner said she thinks about the pain of giving birth at the end of a marathon to help her get threw the wall. I guess I’m the only guy that can use the same technique. I am a runner now and that has allowed me to enjoy the best years of my life.

Categories: "Run, Steven, Run!"
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