Running in the desert is not enough, you have to climb a mountain?

Who Is That Runner?  

Photo submitted by subject: Identify this hyper-active valley runner/hiker (top left) and win a nano-second of fame. RFYL will settle for guessing the mountain. Hint, it's in California and they named a soft drink after it.  

Progress Report

To the best of my knowledge there are only three ways to get into the New York City Marathon: 1) qualify on the basis of time; 2) enter the lottery for a spot; and 3) be sponsored by a charitable organization on the strength of your willingness to help raise funds. No. 1 is out because it presupposes not only that I’m fast enough but also that I would be able to run an extra marathon just to get to the big dance. No. 2 the lottery is out because, well just because it’s a L O T T E R Y!

“And the winner is (drum roll) No. 3” I’m thrilled to announce that I’m at the top of the list for the Pat Tillman Foundation Team Tillman for the 2012 ING New York City Marathon. As an Arizona resident and a huge football fan, I am very familiar with the Pat Tillman story. Like many local runners, I’ve participated in Pat’s Run several times. Please click the suggested links to learn more about Pat and the wonderful organization that is dedicated to continuing his legacy. I’m sure you will agree that I will be in very good company. I hope I can live up to the honor.

Notes on Grieving

From RFYL Features
Descriptor: Insights into the grieving process will be shared through personal experiences and identification of helpful grief blog sites.

One of Bernice’s daughters emailed a review of this book, The Long Goodbye: A Syllabus For Modern Mourning by Meghan O’Rourke. Her message: I read this and thought it may be a good book (for the grieving). In addition to the review by Alice Gregory, there is an excerpt from the first chapter of the book. O’Rourke presents a unique point of view. Would love to know what you think of it.

Bernice and Garry: The Beginning

“Of all the gin joints in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine.” Humphrey Bogart as Rick in Casablanca

On a cool September evening in 1992 I arrived early at my adult education class in a Public Library on the East side of Detroit. In those days, adult education classes didn’t meet during the summer, so I wanted to get my fall registration materials in order. I expected the room to be set up for me and empty. The set-up was in order, registration signs, class times and dates, huge green chalkboard with a box of new white chalk in the tray. The storage door to my books and materials cracked open just enough to let me know I didn’t have to ask the front desk for the key. 

But the room wasn’t empty. Huddled in a corner, oblivious to me and I suspect any other intruder, were two women. One appeared middle-aged and was attempting to read from a book that she was holding as though it would burn her hands if she couldn't spit out its contents. The other woman was sitting erect with a serious but patient air. Both women were well dressed. The reader wore a black, sleeveless blouse, which flowed upward from her full, multihued skirt. The listener was dressed business casual, form fitting beige slacks with matching jacket, a buttoned blue shirt with a feminine collar. Her most striking feature was a tight blonde Afro that accentuated the intelligent face beneath it. I would soon learn that the face was further adorned by clear but soft, robins-egg blue eyes. The smile that would both warm and break my heart for the rest of my life would take a bit longer to surface.   

Having finished my preparation, I began checking my watch. Students would be coming in soon. Hopefully at least 25 strong. I had just spent the last four days tearing through the neighborhood like an overzealous voter registration volunteer. Armed with a rubber-banded packet of registration forms, I approached each dwelling with the panache of a Jehovah’s Witness, though I probably looked more like a magazine salesman. My opening gambit for anyone who would answer the door was, “Does anybody in your home need a GED?” Sign 'em up on the spot was my motto. Don't wait for people to come through the door on enrolment day.

In short, I was in no mood to be trifled with. As a seasoned veteran I knew how to claim my territory and how to guard it. I surveyed the interlopers. Shouldn’t be too difficult to dislodge these two. A little charm, a little sympathy, a little nudge. As I entered their space I waited briefly for them to acknowledge me. Realizing they weren’t going to, I pressed on. “Excuse me ladies. I just wanted to let you know that registration for the GED class is going to start in a few minutes. I see you are working together on some reading but it’s going to get pretty noisy in here. You might want to find a quieter spot.”

The lady with the book gave me a blank look then turned to the Afro lady for guidance. Afro lady responded, "I’m with Literacy Volunteers. We’ve been working here all summer. You won’t bother us”.

“But you will be bothering me,” was what I wanted to say. Instead I just stood there with a stupid smile on my face. Afro had fended me off with surgical precision. Worse, the tight upturn of the corners of her mouth, coupled with the steely glint in her soft blue eyes told me the conversation was over and I was dismissed. 

Bernice, Garry & Brett

Having lost the first skirmish I could only console myself with the one thing I had learned about my blonde nemesis; she was used to being in charge.

From Clydesdale to Ironman

Meet the Halls

Jeff Hall (age 51) and his wife Elsie live in Surprise, Arizona. Both are avid runners and bike riders. Jeff is a soon to be retired Adult Education Professional and Elsie is a nurse for Hospice of the Valley. This is Jeff’s story, but I’m sure Elsie would tell you she figures in much more than just “being along for the ride.”

  

Behind the Running

Before he became an administrator, Jeff spent a number of years as a fire-fighter in the military. This led to a ruptured disc and subsequent back surgery in 1998. During the recovery period, Jeff started gaining weight, topping out around 260 lbs, well into Clydesdale range, especially considering that Jeff measures 5’ 10”. In ensuing years Jeff would experience a litany of health concerns. He was aware that heart problems ran in his family; his mother suffered chronic heart problems and ultimately died from them. His older brother had his first heart attack in 2004. Jeff himself was diagnosed with high blood pressure and high cholesterol. These conditions were acerbated by the stress of a failing marriage.

So when he received a flier from the American Stroke Association inviting him to train for the 2005 PF Chang Rock & Roll Marathon in Phoenix, he grabbed it like a drowning man. The deal was that he would “plunk down” $100, raise $2,600 for the Stroke Association and be sponsored and trained for his first Marathon.

In describing the long drive to his weekly group run and the guided training in between, Jeff concludes that raising the $2,600 was even harder than the training. Jeff went on to finish the PF Chang. In his words, “About five minutes from the end I started to tear up and by the time I crossed the finish line I was bawling like a baby”. At that point, his only regret was that, due to the deteriorating marriage, his wife and kids were not present to witness his emotional triumph. “I had an uncle who came, but that was it.”

Jeff has gone on to finish 17 marathons and one Ironman competition. En route he lost enough weight (61lbs) to escape the Clydesdale label. RFYL wants to both commend Jeff and thank him for sharing his running experiences in the following interview. I also want to thank Elsie for coming into the picture. We can always use another runner, not to mention another partner.

The Interview

RFYL: What does running mean to you?

Jeff: It means a sense of accomplishment. It means de-stressing. Just going out and having fun. Reaching goals. A way of life. A life changer. An integral part of who I am.

Ryan and Jeff Hall (no relation) 

RFYL: Has running affected you in other ways?

Jeff: Well, I’m a runner. I’m a marathoner. That’s who I am. Sometimes I think about my accomplishments and it blows my mind. For example, the Ironman, I mean ride a bike a hundred miles than get off and run a marathon. Not to mention the swim. But I have to tell you, five minutes after finishing the Ironman it hit me. I’m still me. With all my flaws. I’m the same person despite my accomplishments.

RFYL: Jeff, I know you are a big fan of many elite runners. You met Ryan Hall and may get a chance to interview him at the upcoming Chicago Marathon. Who else has inspired you?

Jeff: Anybody I come across that gives me information or good ideas. I consider you (RFYL guy) a good example. I mean, here you are in your upper sixties still going strong. Wow, I hope I can run as well when I’m your age. I know a guy 75 who did an Ironman. But I’m also amazed when I see somebody who is handicapped, especially blind runners running unaided with only a stick. It makes me think, “Who am I compared to these people when I’m able bodied?”

RFYL: Jeff, you’ve done a bunch of marathons…

Jeff: Chicago in October will make 18.

RFYL: Right. Plus an Ironman. So what are your top three favorites?

Jeff: Ironman was probably the biggest. When I went through the chutes, I saw all the people cheering and clapping, it was late at night, just hearing my name called out, “Jeff Hall You are an Ironman”.  It was awesome. My first marathon that I did in 2005, PF Chang, huge sense of accomplishment, such an emotional moment when I crossed the finish line bawling like a baby. Third biggest race was the New York City Marathon. Just because it was New York City. And running the race was a great way to see the city. It was one of my slowest races because I kept stopping to take pictures.

RFYL: You make running sound like fun. What are some fun things about it?

Jeff: I enjoy seeing some of the wildlife around the valley. I like to hear the birds chirp. There’s a pair of brown tailed hawks that fly around our house. I see them sitting on telephone poles looking for rabbits and we have tons of rabbits. I enjoy seeing families of quail with the little chicks running behind. The other day I saw a family of coyotes with a mom and a dad with two pups. 

I like playing with my toys. Like my Garmin. It allows me to run against myself. Create a virtual run. Me against my past performances.

Playing games with Elsie. Like making her the rabbit, giving her a head-start then trying to catch her. This year I’ve gotten into trail running. It’s just like hiking, only faster.

RFYL: You’ve talked about what running has done for you. How are you giving back to the sport?

Jeff: Well, by encouraging others.

RFYL:  In what ways?

Jeff: It’s being excited and exuberant about everything. Just talking it up, whether it’s swimming, biking, whatever. It’s getting people to believe in themselves.  Always giving words of encouragement. Sometimes advice.

RFYL: You mention advice. What advice do you have for other distance runners?

Jeff: Try to stay consistent. Listen to your body. Just know every athlete is different. What works for another person might not work for you. Focus on recovering well from races and hard workouts. Keep a log. Look at your data. Use it to measure your progress and plan future workouts. Know you are going to have set-backs. Don’t try to perform like anyone else.

RFYL: What would your typical workout week look like?

Jeff:  Now that Chicago is ten weeks away I’m sticking to my plan where I’m running three days a week. Monday is Speed work. Wed a tempo run. Fri or Sat is a long run. Other days I either don’t do anything or else I swim or bike.

RFYL: What would you do if you couldn’t run?

Jeff: I hope that I could find something else to replace that sense of gratification I get from running. So let’s say I couldn’t run, maybe I could be a wheel chair athlete or something. I know when I had my bike accident May of 2010 when I broke my hip. I was driven to prove the Doctor and other people wrong. That I could run again. I could compete in another Marathon. If I couldn’t run I would hope it wouldn’t depress me to the point that I wouldn’t do anything else.

RFYL: How long do you intend to run?

Jeff: As long as I possibly can. I’d love to be the oldest person ever to run Boston or any marathon. The other day I read about a woman 97 years old who ran a marathon. She didn’t start running until she was 86. How cool is that?

RFL: What’s down the road for you?

Jeff: I want to qualify and run Boston. That would be my capstone. I’d like to go back and do NY again. If I ever get into Ultra running, how cool would it be to do Western States or Badwater?

Pot shots (all Jeff):

• People ask me all the time, what am I going to do after I retire? I say I don’t know but the only thing I really want to do is to run.
• I like running behind a cute girl. 
•  I hate some old geezer just blowing me away, or worse getting passed by a fat dude. 
• I don’t want to run in big groups because you have too many people who are just trying to show off. 
• You are not a runner until you’ve pooped on yourself in a race.
•  If I’m running with someone, then I’m running with that person; I’m not going to leave them behind. 
• You can either run real fast now and not be able to run later, or you can run easy now and still be running 20 years down the road. 

RFYL: Cool Runnings, Jeff and Elsie!