Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon 2014

OKC Marathon experience take #3! The weather at the start was anything but pleasant. The forecast in the days prior to the race called for some pretty bad weather, but it was better than forecasted. Hunter, Josh and I arrived at the Survivor's Tree around 5:30am. The race has a worship service before the start of the race so we prayed/worshiped together...there were about 70 people surrounding the tree. Once we finished the service it did start to rain a bit but not heavy. We arrived at the corral area and the announcer said the race would be delayed for 30 minutes due to weather moving into the area. Well after 30 mins we again made it to our corral location and again we were told the race would be delayed another hour due to weather. During these delays we managed to make it to a parking garage, which provided good shelter and keep us dry from the rain. After 2 hours of delays, we were finally racing...this would come back to haunt me later in the race. If you have read my other blogs on my marathon experiences, I always look for the funny costumes that people wear. This time it was the signs, and a few costumes.  The signs that were prevalent this year were: "Your the Sh#$"...I must have seen four or five people with that sign. LOVED IT! What a motivator! "Psalm 26.2". "If you need to poo, we have a vacancy in our house". There were more but those are the ones that stood out. For the costumes, I saw people wearing bananas at Gorilla Hill, but nothing else really stood out.

This year I ran the race in honor of Sydney Bjornberg. I blogged about her story in a earlier post so go back and take a look. Hunter, Josh and I all wore a shirt in her memory and throughout the race I had her on my mind, thinking of what she went through when she was diagnosed with a rare, terminal brain tumor – diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG).

So to the race itself. As I said earlier the delay before the start was a bit crazy, it was crowded the first 8 or so miles. The boys and I were making pretty good time. At the 3 mile point Hunter and his friend had to stop at a porta potty so we were split up for about 6 miles. Josh and I stayed together.  By the time we reached 11 miles, we ran into a good friend of mine Phil Singleton and his wife. It was great to get some crackers and water from them...we stopped for a few mins and just talked. Those crackers were VERY WELCOMED.

After the quick break we were off again. As we reached the turnaround point at mile 14, we suddenly realized just how fast the winds had been blowing. The first half of the race I really didn't notice the wind speed, but now we were directly into it and Oklahoma did not disappoint...it was about 25 MPH.

Around Mile 16 or 17 I started to realize that the 2 hour delay was going to be a factor in reaching the end of the race. I was really starting to feel tired in my legs etc. which is not the norm. I was taking advantage of all the water/gatorade stations. As we reached the later miles we started seeing more and more of them. I have always told people to take advantage of the stations. So I did that and continued drinking water...this would result in my downfall. You see drinking all the water caused me to develop severe stomach cramps at mile 22. The cramps were so bad that I could not run for more than a 1/2 mile before having to walk. From mile 22 to the finish I did just that.

I talked of the emotional part of this race. My goal for this race had nothing to do with time but more with finishing right next to my son Hunter. As the cramps developed and I was struggling, I started to have thoughts of DNFing and not coming across the finish line with him. Through it all we finished ironically at the exact same chip time...amazing considering how you run across the timing pads. I couldn't have been happier during that moment.

Who I Will Run For At The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon

Sydney Bjornberg

As many of you know, I run my marathons in honor of individuals or organizations. For the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon I will be running in honor of a special 12 year old girl named Sydney Bjornberg. Please read her story from her mother Michelle.

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As parents our children are our greatest joy and inspirations.  In a moment, our world can change when a family is given devastating news that they are in a battle with an enemy.

On May 21, 2012, a vibrant, beautiful, smart, funny eleven year old girl named Sydney Bjornberg was diagnosed with a rare, terminal brain tumor – diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG).   Sydney was a healthy, normal 11 year old who loved swimming, riding her bicycle, snow skiing, playing with her brother and hanging out with her friends.  DIPG slowly took away all the things Sydney loved to do.  The everyday activities we so easily take for granted like walking, reading, even brushing her teeth became arduous tasks.  Her life became compromised by this very dark monster.

Bravely, Sydney fought this DIPG tumor for thirteen months until, like all the other 200 or so children in the United States that are diagnosed with DIPG, she died on June 26, 2013. Sydney's life was tragically shortened even though her parents and doctors did "all they could do" with the resources they had.  The" treatment" plan for this rare and deadly cancer is about the same for all children diagnosed with DIPG and it goes something like this: intense radiation, steroids, chemotherapy, possibly an entrance into a new medical trial to try the latest chemo drug until MRI results show growth of the tumor and then death.  By using the methods described above the only hope is to keep the tumor from growing thus giving the child more time.  However due to the aggressive nature of DIPG even with medical intervention the average life expectancy is 7-9 months.  The tumor is enmeshed in the brain steam and it is inoperable.  Because the brain stem is the oldest part of the brain and the circuit board to our body's movement and function, many pediatric brain cancer specialists believe that a cure for DIPG is the gateway to curing many other types of cancer.

Over the last three years, doctors in cities like Boston, Houston, Dallas and Cincinnati have begun research efforts to find a cure for DIPG, knowing no child should have to live with this diagnosis as a death sentence. The Forever and Always Believe Foundation was established, with support from Wipe Out Kids Cancer, to support and fund this research. 

A few key facts about DIPG:

·    DIPG is a very rare pediatric brain tumor located in the pons (middle) of the brain stem.  The pons controls breathing, swallowing, as well as movement in the face, head, arms and legs.

·    The cause of DIPG is unclear however researchers believe DIPG could be caused by chromosomal and genetic abnormalities.

·    DIPG impacts approximately 200 children per year in the US between the ages of 4 and 12

·    The tumor is inoperable because it integrates into the nerves that control the “thinking” part of our brain.

·    Surgery is not an option and the only temporary treatment is radiation.

·    The average life expectancy upon diagnosis is 7 to 9 month.  The 1 and 2 year survival rates are approximately 30% and less than 10%, respectively.  These statistics make it one of the most devastating pediatric malignancies.

·    In 30 years no treatment has been able to extend a child’s life beyond 1 to 2 years.

·    Sparing the child’s cognitive abilities, DIPG slowly robs children of their motor functions resulting in partial paralysis, loss of voice and sight and finally ending with an inability to eat and breathe.  All while the child is fully aware of their decline often until their last day.

Consider the Following:

·     Lung cancer has a survival rate of 80% if caught in the early stages to less than 5% if caught in stage 5.

·     Breast cancer has typically an 80 -90% survival rate.

·     Leukemia has a 48% survival rate.

·     Less than 10% of DIPG children will live longer than 18 months from diagnosis.  Survival is even more rarer.

·     5 to 10 of every 100 brain tumors is a DIPG.

·     Cancer is the #1 cause of disease related death for children.

KLOVE Cruise 2014

WOW! Moving! Amazing! Building Relationships! Those are all words to describe this year's cruise with KLOVE. This was our 4th cruise and I will say the BEST to date. Yes, the lineup of artists was amazing (For King and Country, TobyMac, Building 429, MercyMe, Big Daddy Weave, Rhett Walker Band, Tenth Avenue North, David Crowder, Jamie Grace, Sidewalk Prophets, Audio Adrenaline, Jared Emerson and more), but it was the people that made this one so special. We saw friends from the last four years all over the cruise throughout the week. It is amazing to see people from all over the US converge on Miami each year to worship and praise Jesus for a week! We sit-down and enjoy a concert and catch up on their lives...yes we talk over Facebook etc., but just sitting and talking about what God has done in their lives over the year is special...no phones to distract us. Relationships is what it is all about!

This year was made special as we met a couple who was sponsored by the Make-a-Wish foundation. It is awesome to see an organization sponsor a family on a Christian Cruise. To watch that couple love their daughter the way they did...just moved me to see how much care was taken with her. They will be a Brother and Sister in Christ for a lifetime! The daughter loves Jamie Grace and she got to meet her personally, which was amazing! Jamie Grace was so nice and spent extra time with her. The other two couples we spent the majority of our time with we had meet on the 2013 cruise and it was so awesome to reconnect.

We did cause trouble :). Let me give you just one example (If I tried to give you all of them I would be writing a book!). Each evening we stand outside the dining rooms waiting for dinner. During those wait times, we stood next to one of the elevators on the boat and for some reason when the elevator opened one of us said "HEY" (Raising our hands and yelling) to the Make-a-Wish couple. Well that became the big saying and before we knew it everyone was saying it...and yes we were still freaking people out :). It is amazing how relationships can start just by simply yelling "HEY" and throwing your hands in the air.

We meet a Clown...yes I said Clown. He was not dressed up but he does it for events etc. Funny fact, his grandfather is at 95 years old, the oldest performing clown in the world and is in the guiness book of world records as such. He was part of the "HEY" group :). The man was hilarious.

I am a people watcher and I had plenty to observe. It is funny to watch people dance to music. Some better than others, but a few stood out and they made us crack up each and every time we saw them...dancing like you are in the 70's is a bit weird, just sayin! I will say one stood out and she was always in the front of the concerts and well you can imagine, dancing like she was in the 70s, going up to complete strangers etc. During the Tenth Avenue North concert she was right next to me on the front row. It was entertaining!!

I feel I need to talk of the food. During the week we were well feed and at times to much...LOL. Self imposed really or was it peer pressure? The staff was amazing and we really enjoyed their enthusiasm and care for us. At the end of the cruise we gave each of them a signed bible and CD to show our appreciation. The biggest hit was the Hot Chocolate Melting Cake with the soft ice cream coming in a close second. We must have eaten a million calories, but hey we walked miles each day up and down stairs and all the jumping, singing, screaming, clapping burned it off...well most of it. It always amazes me how clothes become two sizes to small after the cruise :).

With all the bands on the cruise, people ask me who my favorite was. It is hard to decide most of the time as each year a group will affect me in different ways, more than others. This year it was easy...For King and Country blew everyone away! I love what they stand for. Joel the lead singer gave a powerful message on the respect and dignity of women! He was genuine and I like to see a man stand up in front of thousands of people and preach it. This world has forgotten that, not just the Men but the Women as well. We have become such a society of what is on the outside that we forget that what is on the inside is what truly matters, not the amount of skin that can be shown.

I could go on and on about this year's KLOVE cruise. As I said earlier it was our BEST one yet. Next year should not disappoint. I am already looking forward to catching up with the many friends we have made...it is all about relationships and doing life together! We are only here for a short time with much work to be done!

Goals versus Resolutions

Resolutions; one of the most popular word's at the beginning of each year. They normally are focused on losing weight, exercise, changing bad habits etc. Sound familiar?

What I have realized over the years is our resolutions are focused on what we should NOT be doing versus what we SHOULD strive to be. Usually by the second or third week of the year our resolutions go to the waste side. This year think instead of making resolutions, think of GOALS. Here are a few to think about. Where do you want to be in 1, 5 or 10 years. Time with family. Time attending your children's events. Continue your schooling or start back to school. Be a mentor or look for one. Improve your fitness. Quiet time with God. Whatever your goal is stay committed to it, make it a reality, keep the goals alive each and every day and you will see how they will shape you into a better person, happier and with a renewed sense of purpose. 

What Are Your Priorities?

Priorities...do you struggle with them each and everyday? Nothing is harder than to look in the mirror each day and see the mistakes you have made. If you are reading this then YOUR story is not complete, It is has not been fully written. Change is still possible and YOU can still take control of your priorities. To many of us live our daily lives seeking Fame, Fortune, Recognition, Rewards, Comfort, Material Things and Financial Security. On your deathbed are YOU going to invite others to come see your photo album with all your plaques that you have won over the years or tell them to go look for your trophies you have stuffed in a box in the garage. Nope, all of the sudden those things are not important. Instead, at the end of our lives we ask for family and friends to come see us. These are the same people who have been there all along but we were worried about other things.

I tell my Airmen all the time that even though we give 110% to defend this country each day and as great as it feels to be doing it, they should NEVER let their work come before their families. If they do I tell them they will regret it.  

We need to remember that we never know how long God will give us with the family and friends we love. It could be days or weeks. Sometimes it doesn't seem fair, but we need to remember not to take life and love for granted! We need to get our priorities straight. Is this your story? Is it time to shift the priorities? 

KC Marathon, Kansas City, MO

The weather was very cold, but I had planned for the 34 degree's at the start of the race. This marathon was different than any I had raced in the past.  Yes, I was part of relay for the first time, but I also ran the entire race. We had 5 relay teams from Whiteman AFB and my team was called The Big Bang Runners. Weeks prior to the race I was asked to be a Team Captain for one of the teams and said Yes. The plan originally was for me to run the 8 mile leg of the relay...after I thought about it though, I said Heck, I will just run the entire race and run with each of the Relay Teams, motivating, cheering-on and be the official photographer. What a treat...you see each team was made up of a Superhero. We had the Wonder Wives (Wonder Woman costume), B2 Batgirls (Batman), Flashettes (Flash Gordon), Super Spouses (Super Woman Costume) and then my team The Big Bang Runners (BAZINGA shirts and socks)..yep I was called Shelton at least 25 times throughout the race.

Let me back up a day...we visited the expo on Friday. It was small compared to others I have been too previously, they mostly promoted other races etc. They did have a few companies selling the typical running attire. After that it was time to head to the traditional night before the race pasta dinner. We had reservations at a great place. It was amazing, we ordered specific pasta choices (easier since we had about 20 of us eating) with bread and salad. Amazing! Then it was back to the hotel room for final preparations and early night sleep...well if 11:30pm is early.  

I was up at 5 am to eat as I always am. I had oatmeal and coffee. I made sure I had my energy gels (Jello type), music and headphones before we departed. It took us about 20 mins to get to the downtown area. It was easy to park and we had plenty of time before the start of the race. Pre-race ritual...yep the bathroom (normally a porta-john), timed it perfectly. Tiffany stayed at a different hotel so she was already with her friends on the bus taking them to their relay points.  

Now to the race, it started at 7:05 am. In the first couple of miles  I encountered not one but three big Hill incline's. I knew it was coming early in the race, but WOW I did not expect those inclines :). So I stuck with the strategy of going slow and saving energy...remember I wasn't running this race for time.  

Soon enough we reached the first Relay point (Mile 6). I took several pictures of everyone and high-fived the group and off I went with the next relay group. Next group was moving fast. I kept ahead of them so I could get pictures of them in action as they ran by. Enjoyed the excited company. I wasn't even thinking of the miles I had run. We reached the next Relay point (Mile 14). Again, high-fives and pictures for the the finishers, then off I went to catch the next group. The third group was even faster than the previous so it took me some time to catch them, get ahead and capture pictures. Again, more excited company. It was awesome to see these ladies just having a blast and being yelled at from the crowds...SUPERHEROs! We reached the next Relay point (Mile 18.2), this is when I reached my sweet wife. I stayed with her the first mile or so, but she speed ahead and I had to catch her. In the weeks prior to the race she was struggling with a knee issue. But, I was so PROUD of her...she pushed through and finished her leg of the Relay. We reached the last Relay point, I pushed forward and finished the race. The last group of ladies were so fast I never saw them :).

What an experience! As I said before it was not about the time, but about giving back to friends by motivating, helping and being a photographer!

Lastly, I ran this race to honor all those that have/are going through Breast Cancer!!  Let us find a cure to this horrible disease.

USAF Marathon #2 additional post

In my blog on my experiences during my second AF Marathon I mentioned that I would talk more on a friend we met almost three years ago. Tiffany flew to Dayton, Ohio to meet up with her friend Tracy Brooks. They met three years over Facebook when Tracy's husband Denny was in an accident that injured his leg. Denny fell while he was working and had an opened wound. The water he fell in was not clean and over time the injury to his leg developed an infection. The infection worsened to the point that a doctor had to perform surgery. Unfortunately, it did not turn out as planned and Denny had to endure 16 more surgeries in the next three years. Earlier this year, Denny decided that after much thought and prayer, it was time to have his leg removed. All the doctor consultations had said his leg would never heal properly and he would be in constant pain for the rest of his life. This injury also left him in a condition that he was unable to work. He said that after the surgery he would recover and a year later run a race with me. I was humbled and honored that my running would be an inspiration to him and his recovery.

Some of you might know that in 2013 I was going to take a pause from running marathons, but one evening I went running and I was overwhelmed thinking about Denny's situation and came home from the run and told Tiffany I was going to run the USAF Marathon in his honor. To truly honor him I was going to see Denny in the hospital and give him my finisher metal, with the deal that I would be back the next year to get it as we finished whatever length race during the USAF Marathon. I have posted a picture of Denny and I at the hospital with Denny wearing my finisher medal.

Denny get ready I am on my way back to Dayton Ohio on September 20, 2014 to get my medal and run to the finish line with you! You my friend will be able to take our medal down and replace it with one of your very own.