Now I can get outside to put up the Christmas decorations, hopefully before the temperatures drop much more and everything ices over here in Somerville. Otherwise the 12-days of Christmas might start out with one Josh in a cast; and that isn't going to help me get back into marathon shape for Miami in 6 weeks.

But before I get into all of that, I want to take this opportunity to thank DAV Chapter #27 in Somerville, MA for their support of RunningBull's Run to Honor America's Veterans and the New England Center (formerly Shelter) for Homeless Veterans. Their timely contribution will help keep the spirit of the holidays alive and well in this time of thankfulness, of family, and of rememberance. Receiving the email message of their intended contribution of support for my cause to honor our fallen soldiers by assisting their comrades in need on the homefront confirmed that my decision to continue with this mission (even after completing the self-appointed 350 miles of races this past year) was the right one. But I will not be repeating the same concept as last year. I will be refining the schedule of events to minimize travel and maximize the potency of my efforts. I will continue to help lead others to achieve success in their individual missions at a few select marathons in the coming year because I truly enjoy watching them become heroes to their families, their friends, and to themselves over the course of these few hours we spend together. The spirit of volunteerism and helpfulness is rejuvinated by these efforts and the message that I am spreading of support, of hope, of honor to commitment shines through more brightly to those other active participants as well as to the spectators standing on the sidelines, watching at home, or reading about it in the paper or online. But first I need to get back into race condition.

Granted my schedule has been completely turned this way and that since my first 50-miler 3 weeks ago, which has reduced my ability to get out and run as often (or as far/long) as I had been prior to Thanksgiving, but I didn't expect to be experiencing knee / IT Band "pain" on runs lasting longer than an hour. Sure, common wisdom probably says that I should still be recovering from my last race, from donating blood, and from the 6 car rides I spent crammed into a compact car (usually as the driver of our 2004 Honda Civic) that each exceeded 4 hours within the past 3 weeks. But then common knowledge would point out that I don't always listen to common wisdom, or common sense for that matter. I don't beleive that I am being reckless or misguided in trying to get out and run for an hour or so 2-3 times per week, especially not after having taken it very easy for the 10 days before my first run. However, I will still take it slow and not enter any races over the next couple of weeks (be they 50k or only 5k) while I gradually bring my long run back up to 3 hours. Hopefully tomorrow will let me enjoy a relatively easy 2 hour run before my brother-in-law and his darling daughters arrive for their winter weekend adventure visit.

Which of course means that I have to finish cleaning so that I can then start...er...um...finish decorating the apartment, forget all of that email, regular mail, sorting, filing, Christmas card writing, shopping, cooking, photo editing, application submitting, and aarrrrggghhh. Man, I really do love the holidays, don't you?

I did at least get my haircut today.

It was just 14 months ago, while reading the weblog of Robert Jordan (aka James O. Rigney, Jr.), that "RunningBull's Run" was conceived of in its present scope and scale. Up until that time I had been searching for some reason, for some cause, for something bigger than myself to dedicate my running efforts towards since I had at that point achieved my original running goal: to qualify for and compete in the 111th Boston Marathon (2007). I knew that I wanted to align myself with a charitable group to make a difference in the lives of others with the financial resources that I collected as well as motivate and inspire others through the actual act of running.

Reading about Robert's (he will always be Robert to me, since that is the name he used during the half dozen occasions on which we interacted) battle against Amyloidosis, about his family, about his time in Vietnam, about the simple things in life and all of his plans for the future, brought my conceptual thoughts into focus and aligned me with a cause that already had meaning to my life and for which there exists a continuing unmet need.

At this point many people assume that I signed on to assist the Mayo Clinic or the Amyloidosis Foundation but I chose instead to dedicate my efforts to battle against a more insidious and pervasive disease; Apathy for the plight of our war veterans. I chose to align myself with the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans located in downtown Boston to help raise awareness of their proven and effective programs and services that help rehabilitate and reintegrate our homeless veterans. I wish that there was a simple and direct link associated with this choice or with my decision to undertake such a (relatively) ambitious endeavor. Nobody even blinks twice when a cancer survivor or family member of a cancer victim signs up to raise money for cancer research by running a 10k or Marathon. But when a 32 year old civilian employee of the Federal government announces that he is going to run in a series of races over the course of a year for a combined distance (350+ miles) that exceeds the sum total of his lifetime running career in support of homeless veterans...that gets a bit complicated.

And since I am not a professional writer who can tie this all together nice and neatly I am just going to lay out the key points that when taken as a whole come together, mesh, meld, and result in THIS, this ongoing experience to which I have dedicated 1 year of my life.

• My father is a disabled Vietnam veteran who now resides in the VA Medical Center located in Bedford, MA.

• My favorite author (Robert Jordan) was also a Vietnam veteran, but one who was able to effectively manage the after effects of his war experiences by channeling them through his writings.

• My best friend in high school, my college roommate, 3 of my co-workers, my cousin, my grandfather, my father-in-law, and about a dozen other people who are meaningful in my life are veterans.

• Our nation has been at war against a Terrorist organization since September 11, 2001; though you wouldn't know it based upon the coverage in the media, the urgency in Congress, or the focus of our economy and the output of our manufacturing sector.

• My middle brother celebrated his 20th birthday on September 11, 2001; while I watched on live television from the fitness center of the Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage, Alaska as a plane crashed into the North Tower.

• Over 4000 American soldiers, many of whom enlisted in response to that attack, had been killed fighting the War on Terror in Afghanistan and Iraq (now over 4730).

• My wife and I attended the NESHV Leave No One Behind Dinner & Auction while she was employed by PWC in November of 2006

• I had met and run with Dean Karnasas in Boston and Chicago during his 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days challenge, after reading his Ultramarathon Man book, and witnessed first-hand the human body's ability to overcome normally recognized limits.

• I wanted to help, not ignore, not pick and choose, and not "pay off" the homeless and the hungry people living on the streets of my city in one of the wealthiest nation's in the world. Especially those who served that nation but somehow slipped through the cracks after returning "home".

• I wanted to give back to other runners; to help them to achieve their goals while I continue to pursue my next goal.

I have learned from this experience that our limits are self imposed. We can go so far beyond what we could ever imagine if we are only willing to focus ourselves and dedicate our time and effort to achieving the goals that we establish. The keys to remember are patience, perspective, perseverance, and positive attitude.

This photo was taken the last time I saw and talked with Robert Jordan. We discussed running, languages, dining in Cambridge, and the joys of travel before he signed my German language editions of The Eye of the World and The Great Hunt. I obtained these books, and three other later volumes, to help keep me motivated on my path to self improvement through learning an additional language since I want to read my favorite stories and experience my souvenirs from Salzburg. However, my language study has taken a back-seat while I have focused on maintaining my physical condition to undertake the challenge of completing the component events of "RunningBull's Run to Honor America's Veterans".

And so now I must run, off to my track workout in preparation for this weekend's Marathon where I will continue my efforts to thank our Armed Forces personnel who continue to risk their lives in defense of an ideal, I will continue my efforts to motivate and inspire the runners who have elected to follow my guidance to achieve their own goals, and I will continue to show our veterans that they have not been forgotten.

Thank you Robert/Jim

You may be one year gone, but you are not (nor will be) forgotten.

May you always find shelter in the Memory of Light.

I can't believe that it has been nearly 2 weeks already but that is what happens when you go away for a week...you have a week of catching up to do PLUS the normal day-to-day life things waiting for you to return. And though I am nowhere near caught up yet, I don't want to let this go too much longer. In a whole chicken/egg sort of way I spent the holiday weekend participating in the Western States Training Camp (thanks to Rodale - publishers of , Montrail, and of course Greg Soderlund the Western States Endurance Run Race Director) paying tribute to the memory of those soldiers who paid the ultimate price in service to this country as part of RunningBull's Run to Honor America's Veterans in support of the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans. The Training Camp consisted of 3 days worth of trail running across 70 miles of the infamous Western States Trail that ultimately cumulate in the town of Auburn, CA.

And though I did not bring my camera along with me on these 3 runs, you can get an idea of the terrain from the photo tour (complete with topographical reference map and course profile) available at the WS100.com site. However, these photos don't quite capture the true experience of our first day spent running nearly 28 miles through a constant rain; constant if you don't include the segments spent above 5700' elevation when the precipitation was actually freezing rain mixed with snow. Strangely enough, running in and out of misty fog banks through mud and puddles, wet pine needles, poison oak, and jagged rocks on a narrow trail hugging the side of a mountain with 2000+ foot drop was an incredibly introspective experience. Though I guess I shouldn't be surprised that my mind found other things to do while I was running/hiking for 5 hours in a borderline hypothermic state.

I found myself reflecting on the experiences of my father in the jungles of Vietnam, of the early colonial militiamen in the deep forests of New England and Canada during the French-Indian War, of the soldiers both Confederate and Union in the Appalachian Mountains during the Civil War, and of soldiers in all the other conflicts great and small throughout our nation's history. I thought about how they might have felt, cold and wet and hungry, marching/running through unfamiliar lands under a constant state of anticipation and trepidation. I thought of how their simple actions helped shape the course of history in creating our nation and how that would allow me the freedom to undertake this opportunity to dwell upon these cultural ancestors of ours.

The Foresthill Bridge is the highest bridge in California, 730 feet above the valley below. I drove across this bridge twice a day traveling between my hotel and the Camp and admit to being unnerved by it each time. I ran down a slope that descended about 100' more than this bridge is high within the first 5 miles of my run...and then the real hills (down and up) began.

Fortunately(?) it only rained that first day. Our second day was bright and sunny and though a bit chilly at the start it quickly warmed into the upper 60's and 70's as we descended from the town of Foresthill to the Middle Fork of the American River on a soft yet firm trail with many many rocks and a couple of minor stream crossings. Unlike the actual 100 Mile Western States Run being held later this month, we did not get/have to ford the river. Instead we were treated to a nice 3 mile long uphill climb under the midday sun to await our 20 minute bus ride back to the base camp. By this time I had logged nearly 50 miles of running over a 26 hour period and in that time I came to realize that I am actually relatively good at downhill running. Of course the alternative being trip, fall, and probably break something (if I was lucky) I had great motivation to become a good downhill runner. The drawback to this of course is that although I minimized the negative effects on my ankles, knees, and feet (from sliding friction in my shoe), I did a tremendous disservice to my quadriceps. On the third day, Memorial Day, I was really starting to feel the cumulative effects of all of this running.

Though you wouldn't know it to look at me at the finish; because my stupid grin doesn't reflect my actual collected experiences from the previous 3 1/4 hours in which I lost the trail twice, slipped and fell for the one and only time (while going up hill), and reached true dehydration.  This last came in a revelation with about 7 miles to go as I was running through a charred and blackened meadow and with the scent of the recent wild fire strong in my nostrils and my thoughts still wandering.  My head was cold. The sun was beating down nicely on this 70-degree day, but the sweat that had been drenching me for hours was now chilling me.  That and my motor reflexes felt about 1/2 second behind where they should have been.  Fortunately, the feeling passed after a quick 20 oz of water, a Gu Roctane packet, and 5 minutes with my hat firmly planted on my head.  I made sure to take advantage of that final aid station at No Hands Bridge while savoring the scenic views before starting the final ascent 3 miles from the finish.

Thankfully the mud of Saturday became the dust of Sunday and Monday because even with my new pre-release edition Left/Right Technology PowerSox and my pair of Vasque Blurs with the sticky rubber soles it was a tough run with treacherous footing over some truly difficult terrain (trail or not).  No, that is not a tan line but a demarcation of where the poison oak stopped carressing my ankles.  Happily I can report ZERO blisters, bunions, caluses, or lost toe nails from this encounter.

Thank you again Jim Rigney for your words of inspiration and personal examples of determination and dedication which led me to enter the Essay Contest that made this experience possible.  I hope to some day form an Asha'man or Shen an Calhar running team of other like minded individuals to participate in some of the trail relay events in thanks to your contributions and in honor of your brothers-in-arms.  You are not forgotten.

And neither are the 4600 American soldiers who have died in Afghanistan and Iraq for our current War on Terror, or the hundreds of thousands who fell in service before them.  At least, not by me on this day of picnics, ballgames, white sales, and the like.

Not so surprising is that I was unable to find 10 minutes this weekend to post this update, but I am getting ahead of myself.

I have to believe that my Tempo Hill run described in my previous posting helped make a difference for the Bataan Death March Memorial Marathon because after months of training in Boston, 65-degree (and rising) temperatures, 5000 foot elevation (see attached course profile), and over 20 miles of loose rocky/sandy trails should have destroyed me. Instead, I was not only able to finish in a time just 4 seconds slower than my Boston Marathon finish from last year, but I finished 1st in my Division and in 5th place overall.

Granted, I will be lucky to finish 5,000th in my next marathon, the Boston Marathon, in just 11 days.

However, I am not going to live too far in the future when I can still savor my recent success and remember the inspirations and motivations that helped buoy me on through the incredible challenges of the course. Did I mention the near constant winds that were in our faces on the inclines? The send off we received from the former POWs who survived the Death March, the camps, the transport ships, and all of the horors that came with each and the knowledge that whatever discomfort, pain, injury, case of dehydration, or other ailment that I might suffer over the course of those 26.2 miles, it would be only a drop in the bucket compared to what they overcame. Putting things into perspective like that helped me to appreciate my accomplishment, but made me give even more credit to the teams that completed this endeavor together and those individuals who finished the event wearing full military uniforms, complete with boots and 35lb packs. Those "heavy" division participants were the reason that I went back out on the course in the full mid-day sun for 3 hours after I finished, rinsed off the sweat and grime, and ate before I finally had to drive back to El Paso for my return flight to Boston.

I am now providing links to my events and results from my campaign pledge page for those who want to follow along with my progress.

There, that wasn't too bad...it just took about twice as long as I expected it would. Now I have to run to catch up with my weekly Nike Run Club.

I have formally launched my public awareness and fundraising campaign in support of the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans in Boston. Veteran's concerns have always been on the periphery of my life since my father is a veteran of 3 tours of Vietnam who suffers from PTSD and Agent Orange related illnesses. These issues moved closer to the forefront after he had a stroke during surgery for a brain aneurism which has left him half paralyzed and in need of the services provided by the Medical Centers operated by the Veterans Administration. And I realize now that he is actually lucky to have these services and programs available to him.

Veterans make up over 25% of the homeless American population. Over 40% of these veterans suffer from psychological disorders and 35% have some sort of chemical dependancy, generally used as self-medication for their disorders and to cope with the harsh realities they find themselves in. This is not things should be and WE have the power to do something about it. These men and women stepped up and answered when this Nation called. They served, protected, and honored the United States of America and then...they were forgotten, forsaken, and ignored.

RunningBull's Run to Honor America's Veterans is actually a series of thematically related racing events intended to Honor the sacrifices made by America's Veterans in their dedicated service to keep our very society what it is today while raising awareness of the situation many of our veteran's find themselves in. The schedule of events is as follows:

I will also be participating in other events over the course of the year which are not directly associated with RunningBull's Run, such as next weekend's ING Miami Marathon where I will be a Pace Leader for participants attempting to complete the 26.2 miles in 3 hours and 30 minutes (or less).

Please visit http://www.active.com/donate/runningbull to help participate in this tribute to the service of our veterans and help fund the programs and services of the NESHV that help rehabilitate and reintegrate our homeless and unemployed veterans.