I’ve been fairly lucky to correspond with some great folks online who serve as brand and race ambassadors and that has been something that has intrigued me for some time. Well I’m putting myself out there. The Free Press International Half Marathon is my go-to race. Sounds like a great place to start.

Talking about myself

Time to get comfortable with that again. There is a lot of that in the application process and there will be a great deal more during the actual act of being an ambassador (If I’m. I thought that I’d share what I submitted part of my application where I was asked about my “Running Story”, so…

…here it is.

My running story:

I started my fitness journey as I approached New Years 2005. I would be turning 29 that year and I knew I wanted to be living a healthier lifestyle by the time I turned 30. I wasn’t adhering to a healthy diet and was a pack a day smoker looking for an excuse to leave that lifestyle behind. The new year would be my cutoff and 2005 would be the year that I started taking my health and fitness seriously.

At that time cycling was the one physical pursuit that I felt comfortable committing to. I had often seen the MS150 advertised back while I was still in college and the prospect of cycling 150 miles in 2 days had always intrigued me. By the time I had successfully trained for and completed the MS150 I knew I had to come up with additional goals to keep my self on the right path. As my wife had began to attend Running 101 classes with a goal of completing her first road race in 2005, I decided I would participate in my first Freep relay with her later that year as well as do my first 5K. Later I dabbled in some longer distances, participated in several more Freep Marathon Relays and completed a Sprint Triathlon.

Along the way I had become a father two times over. My oldest son was born in April of 2009 at 28 weeks 6 days. His beginning would be precarious. The circumstances of his premature birth offered up few certainties and prevented him from coming home till he had spent 52 days in the hospital and had already had his first surgery. Thankfully my youngest’s entry into the world seemed positively rushed based on how quickly we were sent home. Under the best of circumstances, parenthood offers endless excuses on why one no longer has time for “personal indulgences” like time for one’s personal fitness. In a family such as mine it can take a lot of self-encouragement to realize that self-care time such as time for physical fitness benefits the whole family. Since becoming a father, I did my first Freep International Half (2013) as well as doing the Bayshore Half Marathon (2014) and the Disney Princess Half Marathon (2015) as well as doing the Freep International Half again in (2014 and 2017).

I’ve set a personal goal for myself this year to beat my Half-Marathon PR (which I set during my 1st Freep International Half-Marathon in 2013). My larger set of goals for 2018 are:

• To set new PRs for all distances I’ve run thus far (5K, 4mi, 10K, 10mi and Half-Marathon)
• Complete my first Duathlon
• Complete a combined Run + Cycle Mileage Total of at least 2018 miles in 2018

App submitted

Well now the waiting game is on. Keep your fingers crossed for me. ?

Realization #1: 10 Milers are Smallish in Terms of Number of Competitors

In my age group (40-44) last year there were only 8 runners. Overall it appears the race had only just over 140 competitors.

via GIPHY

Realization #2: 10 Milers are Fast

In my age group last year 7 of the 8 runners complete the race with sub-10 min/mi times. The remaining runner completed the race with a sub-12 min/mi time.

via GIPHY

Realization #3: I’m Going to Feel Like a Bit of a Poser

I’m going to wear my new kit. It turned out awesome (after i did some alterations to fix problems with the printing process). I’m proud of my work, but while I’m a believer in the “dress for the job you want” way of thinking, thinking it won’t make me fast. Add on top of that there are not a lot of slow runners. It’s just going to be me with my bad self being slow.

via GIPHY

I do hereby resolve (despite my anxiety)

I will have fun.

I will not injure myself.

I will enjoy the local eats and craft bear served after the race (this is after all the Atwater Growler Gallop).

I will go home and enjoy the comfy goodness of the hoodie that came with my registration.

Good running everyone.

Night gathers, and now my run begins. It shall not end until my training plan says so.

I shall make no excuses, run the lands, and be a father to my children.

I shall wear no cotton and win only the glory of beating my own expectations.

I am the headlamp in the darkness.

I am the watcher of the HRM.

I am the shield that guards my physical fitness.

I pledge my life and honor to the Night’s Run, for this night and all the nights to come.

One could only imaging what she is feeling about now… I doubt she is worried about you (or your feelings)…

Beyond this point you will find nothing but spoilers…

A day will come when you think yourself safe and happy, and suddenly your joy will turn to spoilers in your mouth, and you’ll know the debt is paid.

Less than two weeks ago (April 12th) Jessica and I celebrated John Michael’s 4th birthday. During the first 48 hours of John’s life celebrating a fourth birthday seemed like the remotest of possibilities. While he was a generous weight for a 28 weeker at 4 pounds 1 ounce, he was born very ill. In a lot of ways he was more symptomatic of a 24-26 weeker. His blood pressure remained far too low and his prognosis would become far more grim if that didn’t change soon. Luckily his blood pressure did eventually normalize. Though John would require a surgery prior to leaving his 52 day stay in the NICU, two surgeries since graduating from the NICU and a small army of doctors and therapists; John is a happy and dare I say healthy 4 year old. John has been a blessing to me, his Mother, his Grandparents and all of our extended family and friends. This would not be possible without the research funded by donors such as you.

Now, in less than two weeks (April 30th) we will celebrate the first birthday of John’s brother Patrick. Patrick is also a success story for the March of Dimes. Knowing that following a premature birth, expectant mothers have to be particularly careful; Patrick, through his Mother’s diligence and the accumulated knowledge and experience of the March of Dimes, was the product of a full-term pregnancy.

Finally, this Saturday (April 27th) Jessica & I will be participating in our 4th March of Dimes March for Babies. While I am generally uncomfortable with soliciting for donations, I ask that you consider making a donation (no matter the size) to our team for the March of Dimes March for Babies. As the recipient of not 1 but 2 miracles that the March of Dimes undoubtedly contributed to, I can think of no greater reward than to help future parents be capable of stating the same thing.

• my wife’s initial premature labor (at 26 weeks)
• her bed rest after the doctors were able to stop here initial premature labor
• John’s Birth (at 28 weeks), and
• his stay in the NICU (including his first surgery).

Two years ago today marked the beginning of the first of the milestones above (something I first wrote about last year):

“Something doesn’t feel right.”

I’m not sure those were her actual words.  In fact they probably weren’t.  The actual words weren’t all that important. What was important at that point was that it was clear to us that our first action should be to call the doctor. We were both quite convinced that it was probably nothing, but we seemed to have an unspoken agreement to not to follow our usual inclination (to see how it goes after a night’s sleep). Thankfully we took the course of action that we did.

It was 10:30 PM. The doctor wanted us to come down to the hospital. We wouldn’t get settled at the hospital till close to midnight. Strangely at this point it didn’t dawn on us what was about to transpire (Jess thought she would be playing tennis on her league the next day).

At the time we simply thought we were simply being responsible and thorough. We were sure that it would be nothing and the doctors would send us back home. Little did we know the gravity of the roller-coaster we had already stepped onto.

Over the coming months I plan on returning to the original mission of this blog, bringing you a blow-by-blow “this time last year two years ago” account of John’s entry into this world.

Forgive me readers for I’ve been lazy. Its been weeks since I’ve completed a full week’s planned workouts. Unfortunately in some cases getting in one of my workouts has been an accomplishment.

Unfortunately up till this point of my new fitness journey I’ve set a number of unrealistic expectations on myself. Up till this point I’ve treated my fitness goals as a kind of “bolt on accessory” to the rest of my life (an afterthought). As with many afterthoughts it’s that thing you do last if you get to it at all. It’s liking trying to put out a fire using a bucket with a hole in it. As I feel I’ve already set up too convoluted of a metaphor, I’ll leave it at that.Today looking at my calendar I came to the startling realization that I’m less than two weeks from my first 5K of the season (Corktown Race) and just over four weeks from my first 10K period (The Martian Meteor 10K). Lets just say that I’m not that convinced that I’m not going to embarrass the heck out of myself at the very least. That being said why can’t my personal pride serve as a sacrifice towards raising money for the March for Babies. It is for this reason that I propose the following:

Dress up Mike (4Dollars(4Babies))

OK… I lacks a certain sense of poetry, but bear with me.

The Martian Meteor 10K (and the Martian Invasion of Races in general) is a somewhat costume oriented race. Participating with me will be all manner of Greys, Klingons and maybe a Wookiee or two. I am calling on you to nominate costume “concepts” between now and 11:59 PM, Friday March 18th EST via a comment to this post.

In order to ensure a few key criteria, I am drafting into service what I will refer to as “3 tough mothers” to make sure that what they determine to be the top 10 nominated costume concepts don’t:

• make it prohibitively difficult to participate in a 10K
• prove to be out of line with the mission and/or image of the March of Dimes
• just seem utterly ridiculous

The 3 tough mothers will consist of:

• My wife (John’s mother)
• My mother
• My mother-in-law

Upon their approval I will make the finalists (10 maximum) available for you vote starting 11:59 PM, Sunday March 20th EST (the voting period will end at 11:59 PM, Sunday March 27th EST). This is where the fun comes in. Now as this kind of vote doesn’t necessarily need to be democratic, I’m going to introduce a certain level of pay-to-play. Every vote will of course count as a vote, but every vote cast by a person who donates (to my March for Babies effort) within the period beginning with the time this post goes live till the end of the voting period will get an additional vote for every $5 they donate during that same period. My embarrassment could help ensure that all babies will sometimes be born healthy so you get voting/donating and I’ll get back to training.

For all of the things people blame on the internet, I wish that people would recognize those stories you happen upon online that make you look back to a time in your own life where you may have experienced a great triumph or tragedy. When I see the story of a preemie in critical condition, or hopefully one beating the odds, I more often than not will find myself thrust back to the time John spent in the NICU.

I know that regardless of the ups and downs of that family’s individual story that they will be changed in ways they can’t imagine (not that they have any time at the moment for imagining or, for that matter, even thinking about anything at all other than their present human drama).

Stories like this remind me how lucky we are to have organizations like the March of Dimes and the advances they have pioneered over the years. My family is tremendously privileged to have witnessed John’s success story. We are reminded of this every time one of John’s doctors from the NICU sees how well he is doing. Seems like we’re long overdue for a visit.

For some parents the desire to know whats going on in your child’s head takes on an entirely different dynamic.

Within John’s first month of life he was diagnosed with Hydrocephalus.

Hydrocephalus, also known as “water on the brain”, is a medical condition in which there is an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the ventricles (cavities) of the brain. This may cause increased intracranial pressure inside the skull which can cause:

• progressive enlargement of the head,
• convulsion,
• mental disability, and
• in some cases death.

Treatment for Hydrocephalus in most cases involves the surgical placement of a shunt which drains excess CSF from the brain into another body cavity where it can be harmlessly reabsorbed by body.

John was a very lucky. He was diagnosed while still under the care of the doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists at the St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor Hospital NICU. He was referred to the wonderful Neurosurgery team at DMC Children’s Hospital and received his first surgery while he was just over a month old.

John will need to monitor his hydrocephalus for the remainder of his life. Complications due to infection are always a possibility within a year of shunt insertions and revisions. Shunt malfunctions are also all too common (as we now know) and necessitate future surgical revisions. John has already had to endure one revision just over a year since his initial shunt placement.

Unfortunately, treatment of hydrocephalus has not experienced much in the way of innovation in recent years. Shunt technology has changed very little since the 1950s. To put that in perspective shunt technology has remain basically the same since:

• the Detroit Lions last won a NFL championship (prior to the advent of the Superbowl)
• Detroit experienced its peak population (1,849,568 people) in the 1950 census
• Ford launched the Edsel brand

While hydrocephalus is not the most well known condition its effects are felt my more families than you may realize.

• Hydrocephalus is still the number one reason for brain surgery among children.
• Every 15 minutes, another shunt surgery is performed.
• 1 to 2 in every 1,000 children born this year will live a lifetime with hydrocephalus.
• Close to 5% of people diagnosed with Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s actually have hydrocephalus

With better funding for research by organizations such as the Hydrocephalus Association a future with more innovative treatments and possibly a cure for hydrocephalus is possible.

That is why we are walking at this years Metro Detroit Hydrocephalus Walk. Please consider donating to my walk to help ensure a better future for those experiencing this condition.

Your time, support, funds and love will help us provide support, education, and advocacy; and further the effort to create innovative research for a cure for hydrocephalus.