I DID IT!!!!

I DID IT!!!! Race day has come & gone. It's the morning after & I'm finally getting to write this...soaking in an Epsom bath 😊. This weekend has been a crazy whirlwind full of emotions, nausea, laughter...& pain. But it was SO worth it!! 

The Indy 500 Mini Marathon was AMAZING!! Never have I been in such a massive race (35,000+), seen belly dancers & dancing colored blobs, high 5ed tons of kids & a couple if cows, & been sung to by a Bob Marley cover band, neighborhood garage bands, pirates, the Soggy Bottom Boys, drunk bikers & a polka band...AND I got to kiss the famous yard of bricks!! This race was like a 13+ mile party!! I'm not fast at all. I basically kept to my planned pace (until some serious pain set in) & I'm happy about that. I got the chance to discuss Supporting Heroes with some fellow runners & even snapped selfies with some officer & firefighters. I crossed the finish line, cried...& puked. It was crazy insane!! 

This race, as were the training runs, was dedicated to the fallen public safety heroes & their survivors, but also to Scott Hopkins who helped introduce me to Supporting Heroes. He's fighting his own battle right now & he's an inspiration to me. All of these heroes are. What they have faced was never easy, but they persevered. They never gave up. They fought the fight & finished the race. As did I, for them. God bless all of the survivors as well as Scott & Melissa & family. 

"Run for them because they stood for you."

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."...2 Timothy 4:7

Final countdown...

It's race day!! As I lay here thinking of what's ahead I realize I forgot to post my last training run. It was a good one. I hit the streets for a last little round to try & settle my nerves on Tuesday, 4-28-15. I did the walk/run program I'm young during the race & I was pleasantly surprised!! My time was much lower than it's ever been. That's exciting but I'm still VERY nervous & anxious. 

This run was dedicated to Kentucky State Police Trooper Johnny Gordon Adkins. On 11-19-95 Trooper Adkins was involved in a fight during an arrest. During the fight, he suffered a chest injury and died from a heart attack five days later. He was a great, involved father who helped coach sports teams. He was a very social person & enjoyed having lots of people around. 

He left behind his wife & son who still misses him but smiles at the memories. He was 37 years old & gave 6 years in service. God bless his family & thank you for his service. 

Doubting myself...

Yesterday was Easter. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day filled with church, family, friends, food & egg hunts. Early in the day I started feeling overwhelmed as I thought of the race I'm preparing for. I don't feel ready. My runs aren't as long or as often as they should be. They're squeezed in between family, 2 jobs, 2 soccer teams, race planning... I seriously thought about dropping out of the race but with some supportive words from great people & this enlightening run, I realized I'll cross that finish line if I have to run, walk or crawl. I don't know that I've ever cried during a run before. I cried yesterday. These heroes never gave up. Neither will I. 

This run was dedicated to Kentucky State Trooper Jerome Scott "Butch" Clifton. I actually went to school & spent several years performing with his daughter Angie in our youth choir yet had no idea until about a year ago. She was only 3 & her sister was 9 when he was lost. 

Trooper Clifton recieved a gunshot wound to the leg while attempting to rescue hostages from a gunman. The gunman was actually holding his own family hostage. Another officer was also injured at the time. Trooper Clifton was taken to UK & underwent surgery to remove his leg in attempt to save his life however, his femoral artery had been severed. Trooper Clifton died three weeks later from the injury.

The suspect was convicted and sentenced to two years originally but it was overturned. He was sentenced to 20 years in a second trial, however, he was released for time served only doing 10 years. In 2004 the man died from natural causes. 

Trooper Clifton was a quiet, layer back man who loved his family & his dog. After 9 years in service, at age 30, he left behind his wife & 2 young daughters. God bless his family. 

6 miles & 2 bridges

It has been an absolutely beautiful weekend!! Got some things done around the house & got 6 miles in today with a good friend. We ran across the 79 year old Pauley Bridge & the bridge combo that crosses both US23 & the Big Sandy river in the Cut Thru. 

I let her pick who we ran for today so here goes. This one is for you Master Trooper David Anthony Deuter. 

Master Trooper David Deuter of the Indiana State Police was killed after being struck by a tractor trailer while making a traffic stop on the Indiana Toll Road in Howe, Indiana.

Trooper Deuter was standing next to the driver's side door of the vehicle when he was struck. The suspect was charged with reckless homicide in connection with Trooper Deuter's death.

This is just one of the reasons drivers should move over for stopped emergency vehicles. 

He was 49 & gave 15 years in service. He left behind his wife & 4 children. God bless them. 

End of Watch: 7-16-1998

3 at 5...

Things are getting hectic. Soccer is starting & I'm coaching 2 teams plus I'm still trying to catch up on my training for the Indy 500 Mini. So I'm back to running in the mornings. If I don't, it won't get done. 

This morning I ran 3 miles at 5am for Fire Chief Jimmy Zeeks. His brother got him into fire service & his son followed in his footsteps & is now chief of the same department, as did his nephew. He was the family jokster & his brother's best friend. 

Chief Zeeks and members of his department responded to a motor vehicle crash. After working the scene and preparing to clear, Chief Zeeks suddenly collapsed from an apparent heart attack.

Firefighters immediately started life saving efforts and he was rushed to a local hospital emergency room by EMS, but died a short time later.

He passed away on August 15, 2009 leaving his wife Myra, son Jason, daughter Ashley & 5 grandchildren. He gave 31 of his 54 years in service. Between himself, his brother, his son & nephew, they've spent a combined 110 in fire service. 

Thank you for your service & God bless your families. 

Hard one to process.

I started to abandon this early morning run on 1-5-15. It was SO cold!! Half a mile in I was almost numb. It was 27 degrees but felt like 20. I pushed through & before I knew it I was up to 1.25 miles. Why stop then? So I finished out 2.1 miles before work. I dedicate this run to EMT Laura Auman Halsey. Her story made me cry.

EMT Halsey, along with members of the Stroh Vol Fire Dept EMS and the LaGrange County EMS responded to a motor vehicle accident where a car had struck a tree. The patient was stabilized and loaded into the LaGrange ambulance. EMT Halsey drove to the hospital.

As the ambulance proceeded with lights and siren activated, a 17 year old driver crossed the center line and struck the ambulance head on. EMT Halsey and the 17 year old were killed instantly. It was 4:25am, four days before Christmas.

Paramedic Bryan Allred, who was attending the patient, died within 30 minutes of the accident from massive head injuries. Natalie Kocher, another Stroh EMT Vol, 22 and pregnant, was injured and taken to the hospital where her son was stillborn the next morning. The patient received additional injuries from the car-ambulance collision and later died, as did Mr. Hill's brother, David, who in attempting to get to his injured brother's side was involved in a fatal car crash.

At the time of her death, Laura was the EMS Director at Stroh Vol Fire Dept in charge of all the day-to-day operations of the service. She had been a devoted Advanced Emergency Technician for over four years, leaving a LaGrange County paid staff position and assuming the "full-time" role of Vol to accommodate her newly-wed status. She had been married for one year.

EMT Halsey was 25 years old & had spent 11 years in service. She left behind her husband & parents. God bless her families. 

 

Before the storm.

On January 4th I headed out for a couple miles before a storm blew in. 

This felt GREAT!! Way better times than I've had!! I reserved a room today so it looks like I'm actually doing a FULL MARATHON this year as well as my first half!! I squeezed in a couple miles to get my week started off right. Pushed to beat a coming storm. The temps dropped & it was pouring at one point but it passed & the clouds actually opened a tiny bit as I got home. 

This run is dedicated to Firefighter Donald Matt Raibley. Firefighter Raibley was responding to a residential house fire when he had a seizure and drove his car over a dam into a lake, where he drowned.

He was only 19 & had given 1 year in service. God bless his families.