Week 6 Training Update

“If there were no January, we might just take July for granted. Weather is a metaphor for life. Pain and suffering aren’t optional. Power through the storms and bitter setbacks – there’s always another warm front up ahead.” -Paul Douglas, January 17, 2016, Star Tribune weather page

Exactly. And as I prepare for each run in bitterly cold weather, I think about the struggles that so many people face every day. And then I start taking steps. One foot after another.

About 20 years ago I was a consultant in Chicago with KPMG Peat Marwick. I flew up to work at a client site 40 minutes north of Minneapolis, in Anoka. It was cold. Brutally cold. Below-zero-all-week cold. The hotel had an agreement with a fitness center down the road and would drive you there in a shuttle. I wanted to workout so I asked for the shuttle. How cold was it? So cold that the hotel staff gave ME the keys to the hotel shuttle and said I should drive myself. Yep. True story. Lucky for this hotel, the one guy from Chicago they chose to give keys to their shuttle was me. That’s when you know it is cold in Minnesota.

Week 6 of training. 120 miles behind me. Almost 90 days until the Boston Marathon. I’ve incredibly received over $8,000 in donations towards saving lives, preventing suicide, and fighting stigma. I’m touched every day by the generosity of so many. WE are saving lives. I can’t thank you all enough, and I hope that you continue to share my story and blog posts with those you care about.

This is what I wear for JUST ONE winter run. Crazy! I’m spending as much time doing laundry as I am running 🙂

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Do you have 4 minutes right now? Here’s a great, short video: What is depression?. A few, quick takeaways that are so important for all of us to understand:

  • “Depression has physical manifestations inside the brain”
  • “It takes the average person suffering with a mental illness over ten years to ask for help
  • “Depression is a medical condition, just like asthma or diabetes”
  • Open conversations about mental illness help erode stigma

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In the little weather picture can you feel the giant comic sun and beautiful hot air balloon warming you up? Yah, me neither. Squint and look at the scenery in the background of the photo just above the hot air balloon. See them? Look again and scroll down for a zoomed in view.

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Here’s the zoomed in view. It was a cold day, and I decided to jog through a nature preserve area that I’d never gone through before. As I rounded the corner I saw four deer. I watched them for a minute and took about fifty selfies (before my hand froze) trying to get both them and me in focus. Oh well, this was the best I could do.

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And a picture with a bit more focus…(once we take steps, even on bitterly cold days, we will be amazed by the wonder and surprises in life, especially as we go down new paths)…

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Long runs on weekends with the weather lately has kept things interesting. Sunday is my “long run” day (14 miles this week for my long run). Seriously, HIGH of -7F (not factoring in the wind yet)??? Brrrr!

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I ran part way across a frozen lake past a few ice houses, on my jog. But when I took out my phone it froze (literally), so I couldn’t take pictures. MapMyRun froze & stopped working then – so it showed a straight-shot home, which made it kind of fun, because it did show me running across the lake, but it also showed me running completely through yards and houses too! 🙂

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Thanks again for all of the support. I couldn’t do this without you. Click here to make a donation and support this great cause.

Thanks for reading. Have an amazing week.

3 thoughts on “Week 6 Training Update

  1. Mom

    Today is Katherine’s birthday. She would have been 41 years old. It makes me so sad to think how much I miss her, but so proud of what you are doing in her memory to help others when they feel like there is no hope. And, just maybe all the funds raised will help other families from losing their loved ones to suicide. Keep up the good work, David. We may not live close enough to help in your daily training, but you are in our thoughts and prayers daily as you continue your journey to the Boston Marathon. Love, Mom

    Reply
  2. Dad

    That was an excellent and very informative video on Depression. Thanks for sharing it. I also liked the opening quote by Paul Douglas. I was wondering if your tolerance of cold weather started when we dropped you off in the snow for winter camping with the Scouts years ago? I hope as you were running through houses while following your frozen MapMyRun app that the people offered you hot cocoa and warm cookies before you ran out the door.
    CONGRATULATIONS on achieving 85% of your goal for the Samaritans today. We are very proud of all that you are doing to help others in their daily struggles.

    Reply
  3. Terry Stubbs

    So nice to hear from you Dave. I have been following your blog and am amazed at your dedication to this very important cause! Not only am I touched by your daily perseverance, but I can see that you are such a gifted writer as well! I hope you will turn this “diary” of sorts into a book so that so many more people will be able to read your heartfelt journey! Let’s hope the rest of the winter is a little easier on you!!!!
    Terry Stubbs

    Reply

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