Working towards the dissertation, will be my next ironman!

Two weeks ago I finished my last "classroom" course that was on my schedule for my doctorate coursework. I had a few days off to recover and then last Monday, October 21, started the next phase of my journey. Section 610 Scholars before Research. I have officially started my research for my dissertation.

Currently I have a broad idea of what I would like to do my research on, now the fun begins as I try to narrow that down and figure out if there is enough research out there to back my ideas and come up with a problem statement.

I have to admit I am feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all. This will be a long journey, of emotional highs and lows, and I know at times the finish line will seem so far away. I am scared about taking this on, even though I want it more than anything.

I had a call today with my faculty chair, who will be my mentor, guide, and critic throughout this whole process. It was our first call of what I am sure of will be many throughout the next 18 months. We talked about what needs to happen over the next few weeks and what it will take to finish this journey. I told him I was a bit scared and feeling overwhelmed. He chuckled and said, "well you are exactly where you should be." I guess I am not unusual.

This part of the journey will be a lot of self discipline. For the last two years I had a schedule when things were due, what needed to be read, and what I had to do. I knew pretty much every day I had an assignment to submit. When it comes to research you can go weeks before you have to submit something. Of course I have to remind myself there is a reason they give you weeks and not to wait until the last minute.

It is my goal to have this done by the date that the University predicted I would graduate, April of 2021. I have 18 months to give this my all, to show the world I am not just a student but a scholar researcher. For the next 18 months this will be Ironman training. I know the blood, sweat, and tears it takes to cross the finish line after 140.6 miles. And this will not be any easier.

It will be hard, it will take sacrifices, it will take discipline, but in the end I know it will all be worth it because this is something I have wanted for over 25 years. I look forward to having someone from Concordia University call my name as I cross this finish line. I know I will do it because I am an IRONMAN!

PS: don't worry I am not walking away from my other love...I still have full and half marathons to finish. Plus I have already scheduled a few sprint, Olympic, and half ironman triathlon distances. I still have goals to accomplish and a lot of work to do!!

Wineglass Marathon - #5

So I am not going to lie to you, as I sit here and type this in the early morning because I couldn't sleep, I am hurting. My quads hurt, my feet hurt, and strangely my ankles hurt...but I love it. Yesterday I completed my fifth marathon at the Wineglass Marathon, in Corning, NY and received this beautiful medal to add to the collection. 

I signed up for the marathon (thank you very much Meghan Brown ;-)) with the idea of having some fun 2.5 months after completing my first Ironman Lake Placid. However, as I continued my training, something strange started to happen. I started seeing a runner, I didn't recognize. Speed work was incorporated into my weekly workouts and the times I was hitting were fast and consistent. Even my coach was blown away. I told my coach I didn't know who this runner was....her reaction was neither do I but I like her!

So we went into this race with a different plan then when I registered for it. Based on my speed work I was doing, Yassos to be exact, and the finish time of a recent 5K I had the ability to finish under 5 hours...this blew me away and scared me to death. I was having trouble envisioning that one. So I approached the start line with three different goals...

I carried this note with me while I ran...and read it before the start. My last PR was October 2017 in Detroit, I finished in 5:28. So my ultimate goal was a sub 5 hour; my second goal was 5:15 and my third goal was to finish. Well I knew about half way through the race I was not reaching the sub 5 hour goal so I worked hard to keep my pace for the 5:15 goal...and not only did I hit it...I surpassed it by 3 minutes and ended with a 16 minute PR.

It was a great day. I was at the start line with my fabulous friends Meghan, Aria, Tom, & Jeff. I saw my friend Sammy before the gun went off...I was able to run a few miles with my friend Tom...when I hit a low point in the race, mile 21.5, I saw my friend Kevin cheering people on...and it picked me up! I met some wonderful people along the course and just as I was crossing the bridge my friend Penny was there ready to run with me. She pushed me up Market Street and helped me forget how much I was hurting! The best part was seeing my amazing friends waiting for me and cheering me on, Craig, Siobhan, Meghan and Geoffrey! In the words of my friend Ellen, it was a good day at the office!! And now I have bigger goals for my scheduled marathon in April!!

It has been a long year of training and competing. I have pushed myself in ways I never thought I would or could. I have loved the journey and I have surprised myself so many times. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to do this. I am grateful that I am able to do this. I am grateful that I love to do this.

I can't hold myself back any longer but I know I am not alone. I have been blessed along the way with the opportunity to meet some amazing people, who have become friends. Some amazing athletes and friends who push me and inspire me to be a better person. Through Team In Training, Team Believe, CNY Triathlon Club, Ordinary Marathoner, and LUNAR. Without you my friends, this would not be fun. You all make me better!

I am going to finish with a story about a man running a marathon and the chunky bar. When I was in High School every spring break I would go and visit my sister in College in Boston. In Massachusetts spring break always landed on Patriots Day, also known as Marathon Monday. And while I was visiting my sister we would always go and watch the marathon and cheer on these incredible athletes. One year we were at the race and it was a cold and rainy day. We had watched the race from different points of the course but ended up at the finish area. By the end of the day we were cold, wet, and hungry. So we were standing around trying to decide where to go. Now image the finish line of Boston in 1989...there is a sea of people every where, security wasn't heightened at that point. While standing around a runner caught my eye through this sea of people, came limping over to me, shaking from the cold rain holding a chunky bar. He could have asked anyone. He held the bar up to me and said, "would you mind opening my chunky bar". I said absolutely! I opened up his candy bar, we congratulated him on the race, chit chatted and then he limped away. When I ran my first marathon, my sister said it was meant to be because of the man with the chunky bar. Now every time I think about a marathon I think about this man with the chunky bar. The week leading up to Wineglass I was in a store and I spotted a chunky bar...it made me laugh...and I had to buy it. What's a marathon without a Chunky Bar?!?!

Finally I want to thank an incredible person, Shawn Mastrantonio, whose love for running has brought an incredible group of individuals together from all over the world to form LUNAR (Lace Up Now And Run). He is a true leader who inspires so many. Many members of the group were together in Corning for The Wineglass Race Weekend. And those that weren't able to join us we missed very much! Thank you Shawn, because of you I have been blessed with some wonderful friends...you included!! 

Keep Moving Forward!!