DC Marathon 26.2 List

Today was a great day...My 2nd Marathon went so much better than the 1st one..Cutting 38 minutes off of my PB...It was amazing to see the 250,000+ spectators cheer all of us runners along..Definitely recommend putting your name on the front of your shirt like I did today...Cannot tell you how uplifting it was as I ran the streets of DC hearing my name called...Even more inspiring was when spectators called out for Team Hole in the Wall..Everytime this happened I could not help but think of the children that I helped raise money for so that they could go to camp..

A big shout out to my support team here..Tim and Pops...They were able to get to a number of different locations and cheer me on, and it was a huge boost...Also, Tim and Pops provided us with some great pictures from the day that was...

So without further ado the Top 26.2 List from DC..in no particular order..

1. Meeting the Team Hole in the Wall folks was amazing..The participants that raised money through their participation in this race, raised $50,000...Picture below of the Team...

2. Seeing places that I have dreamed of seeing: JFK Gravesite, National Archives, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, just to the name a few..

3. Spending some QT with Pops and Tim..Tim has helped so much with my transformation and it was great having him here to support me in the race...Pops was a trooper as we dragged him all over DC..Thanks Guys..Love yah...

4. The Navy Lodge to Anacostia Bus Ride...Quite the experience, both during the day and late at night...

5. Seeing the Wounded Warriors competing in the marathon...These Heroes are truly that..In a time and age when we call many heroes...these young men and women showed true grit and determination..Anytime that I even considered stopping to walk or pity my own pain, I saw these folks and kept going...Thank you for serving our country..You truly are HEROES!!!

6. Port-A-Potties are my savior...Lets just say that I had some stomach issues during the race..This definately added about 3-5 minutes to my time, however it may have been avoidable...My pre-race dinner on Saturday night was Pasta...Which is good..what may have been the mistake was getting it from Dominoes...

7. The Floor of the Rosslyn Train Station..After the race we headed to the Rosslyn train station so that we could head back to the Navy Lodge..20 minutes later I am standing in line and have a horrible feeling that I am either going to pass out or hurl..Took a straight line to the wall, slid down and planted my ass right there...Good ole' Pops headed out and got me a Soda so I could get some Sugar in my sytem...20 minutes later...Good to go..

8. Marine Corps Marathon Organizers...What a great event...My only heartache..Need more port-a-potties...Long lines that could have been shortened with a few additional here and there..

9. Iwo Jima Memorial...What a great place to finish a race...

10. 4:08...My finishing time...All the way up until 3:45 into the race I thought I had the chance to reach my 4 hour goal...The last 3 miles were pretty brutal, but brutal in a good way..I could not quit..I would not allow myself to quit...

11. The tree outside the Jefferson Memorial..Damn thing almost knocked my ass out...No kidding...If I did not have my hat on, I think you would have seen some stiches in my head for the race..

12. Feeling like I actually belong...At the last marathon I still felt like a chubby guy who did not necessarily fit in with the runners...Now I feel like a runner who used to be heavy...I love it...

13. Seeing my college Buddy Matt Anderson...Had not seen him since Vanessa and I's wedding day...There was a time in college when we did some crazy things..It was great reminiscing on these and sharing our new stories...

14. The Marine Corps Marathon Medal..The thing is huge and FLASHY...My very own Bling...Cannot wait for Emma to put it on..

15. Lincoln Memorial Section of the race...People were ten deep all around the memorial...Folks were screaming and shouting the names of their runners...I saw so many signs...It was absolutely amazing...Also was amazing to see all fo the children cheering on their Moms and Dads..Could not help but think of Emma and Camden and Vanessa everytime I saw this happen.

16. The support of all of my friends either through phone calls, cards or on Face Book wishing me well wishes for the race..It truly meant alot and helped me carry on through the race....Everytime I thought about my time, or stopping etc...you all were on my minds...Felt like if I stopped I would be letting you all down...

17. Other competitors...I met so many cool people the last few days..Either at the race or the expo, or even on the train...I love hearing others stories...It is inspiring helps keep the flame lit to continue to compete and get better...

18. Meeting Kathrine Switzer and Roger Robinson...We all meet people in life that you hope live up to your expectations...Both not only lived up to my exectation, the actually exceeded them..They were more than willing to share stories, give advise, and sign my copies of their books..If you have not done so already, I highly recommend Kathrine's "Marathon Woman" You will love it...Whether you are a man or woman...

19. DC is an amzing City...So much history...So much to do, and I only touched on a fraction of what I actually hoped to see...Guess you can mark that on the future calendar for a Family Vacation..Though I will tell you...It is a hard city to travel with small children...Understand all of the safety and security measures...actually I encourage them...but they make them tough for families with small children..Just my two cents...Research the places you want to go before going..Can no longer do things on vacation that are spontanious...

20. One of the best conversations of the weekend...We are looking at all of the monuments, and Dad says don't they have one for Washington...Ummm...Dad, the Washington Monument..What he meant was a statue, but it was funny...at least to us it was...

21. Mitch Albom's latest book Have a Little Faith...Like his previous books Tuesdays with Morrie, The Five People you Meet in Heaven, and For One More Day...This one is Amazing and like Tuesdays is a True Story...I read it on the plane out here..and highly recommend it...

22. Listening to the Iowa game last night with Pops and Tim...Sure I would have loved to watch it, but we decided it was a better idea to listen to it and hit the hay a little early the night before the Race...Would have loved to had a picture of the three of u jumping into the air when we heard the TD on the last play of the game against MSU...Side note...we are sitting here in the Navy Lodge as I type this and the new BCS rankings just came out...Tim is not a big fan of Jesse Palmer right now...Hahahahaha...

23. It is exactly 1.65 miles from the Navy Lodge to the Front Gate..Why do I know that...Well I did my training runs to the gate after our first night here...Why? Well our first night here the cabbie dropped us off at the front gate and told us he could not drive in...LIAR, LIAR, Pants on Fire....1.65 miles later with our suitcases, we are on the front step of the Navy Lodge...

24. Nip Guards and Glide...This stuff saves nipples and delicate areas...Also...who would of thunk it...Losing weight also cuts down on the chaffing..Going into the shower after the race today I was scared...Usually there are some screams etc. as the water hits the chaffed areas...Not today...TMI? Maybe...but it does work...

25. The next task..Yep, I already have some plans...and yes Vanessa knows...They are: Seattle Half-Marathon..Going for a PB(Officially)....and the Eugene Marathon the first Weekend in May...This was my first marathon...Now it will be my first marathon under 4 hours...

26.2 My wife...Vanessa has been such a huge support in my life and the last 4 months have been no different...I know how lucky that I am to have such an amazing woman in my life to call my wife and more importantly my friend, and the love of my life...The only thing that would have made this weekend better was to have Vanessa and the kids here...Love you babe..

In conclusion a big hsout out to all of you...I love you all and cannot wait to share some of these experiences in person...GO HAWKS....More pictures of the weekend can be found on Facebook..

The Celebratory Beer....Double Dead Guy Ale....

Quite a Journey....

The dictionary defines a journey as "The Act of Traveling from one place to another, a trip...A process or course likened to traveling, a passage..."

Absolutely without a doubt, that is what this has been and will continue to be..

On February 6th, 2006, 3 years and 8 months ago, I started my journey from an overweight, scared that I may die an early death. yet confident person, to one that is now completely comfortable in his own skin, and God willing will live a long and prosperous life both Mentally and Physically...and On October 25th, 2009, I will hit a major milestone on this continuing journey. I will be runnning the Marine Corps Marathon, my 2nd Marathon...but my first with a goal other than finishing, in mind.."To break the 4 hour barrier.."

So why all the deepness for todays Blog..Well, today I completed my last Long run of the training process, and September was the last time I blogged...Have I really been that busy...Yes I have, but for the first time in my life, I stayed on my plans, physically...

So as I was saying today I ran my last distance run before the race next Sunday..It was only an 8 miler..Only an 8 miler, Geez, back when I was training for my 1st marathon even 8 seemed long...Not anymore, and I love that feeling...Finished the run in just under 1 hour and 10 minutes..and felt really good afterwards...My right ankle felt a little weak, however that is ok..becaue I just completed my training plan and got through it with little to no significant injuries...KNOCK ON WOOD...I still have 3 smaller runs this week...

Grand Total for all of my miles since the training began on July 13th....434 miles...Holy S#$%..

There are so many people that have been involved since Day 1.....

My Wife...Vanessa has been my rock throughout all of this...She puts up with alot of shit from me..I cannot be charming all of the time:) She is flexible when I need to run and she always knows what to say, even if it pisses me off to motivate me just a little more...

My Coach...Little Brother Tim...Man this guys is amazing...2 Ironmans down and he is still going...Him and his wife Lori are having their first kid in December, a boy, and I can hardly wait...Why? Because then we can have something else in common...Early in the training process, I gave him a call and said "Tim, I need help with my eating" From then on, he has helped me, supported me, and just listened...and I love him for that...He will be in DC with me this weekend, and I hope I make him half as proud as he has made me...

Co-Workers and Friends: Both in Japan and in Washington...I fully believe that the reason people do not succeed in changing their lifestyles is because they do not get those around them involved..Tell everyone...Ask everyone for help..Shoot...my co-workers and friends would not let me look at a doughnut, let alone eat it..and they would heep praise and compliments on me when I started to drop the pounds...We all need that...IF you say you do not, YOU ARE LYING...We all need a compliment here and there...It motivates us...Be honest, when you start dropping the pounds, and someone says to you, WOW you really look good today...Do you frown and start crying because you hate it...Hell to the no....You smile, say thank you, and in your head say Hell yes I do...

People I do not even know on the street that looked at me funny: I now realize that I was a big man..Really I did not know it when I was...Seriously I did not...and thats scary...I look back at pictures now and am embarrased...Was I athletic..yeah, could I do my job...yes? Did I look like I may have a heart attack when I did do these things...YES I DID...One of my good buddies in Japan once said to Vanessa as he was sitting on the bench during a B-Ball game and I was on the court..."Is Chris supposed to be that color?" Yikes...and yet it took another year before I started to do something about it..

My Grandpa Friedl(who passed a few years ago)-Who I often think about on my long runs, because, though I loved him so much, he used to give me the most crap about my weight..I know he can see me now and is proud of me..but it would feel really good to say.Ha look at me now...I am expecting some special look downs from Heaven Grandpa, and one of your special prayers like at Christmas next week as I get to the Starting line...

and of course my Parents: My work ethic comes from them and they always let me TRY new things..Because of that, I am still trying new things...

So here we are 1 week from the start of another point along this journey...Everyday has new challenges, new barriers to be broken and new temptations on the horizon...Do I eat that candy bar, do I drink that soda....or do I stay on task....I try to stay on task...

Below are some pictures from this continuing Journey...Thank you to all of you who have told me that I inspire you through my work and breakthroughs...You are also my inspiration...

3 Weeks and a GOAL MET....

So I went on my blog this morning and realized that I had not updated it in three weeks...Many reasons for that. 1 being that I do not have access to my pictures from three weeks ago, because they are currently trying to be restored by the Geek Squad in Kentucky.....

3 Week Recap:

The last weekend in August I flew to Louisville, Kentucky and supported little brother Tim as he competed in the Ironman Louisville event. This was an amazing weekend that I got to share with close friends and family. Any of you that have never been to an Ironman event...I highly recommend it...It can be an overwhelming experience for all involved...Tim finished the race, and his family and friends could not be prouder of him...to get its ample due, check out Tim's Blog for the full story...www.triathlontim.blogspot.com

While in Louisville, my dedication to the Marine Corps Marathon became very apparent..Just because I was in another state, time zone, etc. during training, my long run did not go away. In fact this was going to be the longest run of my training thus far...20 miles. So the day before the race(Saturday) I woke up at 5:00 a.m. and headed out for a darkened run, in an unfamiliar location...

Here's a recap of that run:

1) While stretching in the Hotel Parking Lot, solicited by a prostitute for a good time.

2) Within the 2nd mile of the run I had crossed the bridge from Louisville, Kentucky into Indiana. 2 states, 1 run...impressive.

3) The next few miles were brutal...the plan was to run out 10 miles and then come back the same way...

4) Running besides a cemetary at 5:30 in the morning, is a tad scary, though it does naturally make you run faster.

5) Was almost hit by a car...at least 5 times...Felt like I was playing chicken in the dark...Granted it did not help that I only had a foots worth of shoulder to work with.

6) 3+ hours later I was back in Louisville, having completed my run and was now prepared to cheer on Tim the following day.

The next week, was a great week of running till I hit the 16 mile long run..Just a week earlier I was in Louisville running 20 with little ot no pain...Now here I was a week later and struggling, physically and mentally to get through a 16 miler...It did not help that the entire run was done in a drizzling rain...and it did not help that the night before I had spent 4 hours on my feet watching the Huskis play the LSU tigers in their opening game of the 2009 College Football Season..

I called Vanessa at mile 13 to get picked up, and fortunately she had to say no, because the kids were napping...Thats all I needed to kick my ass into gear the final 3 miles...They sucked...but that was because it was now down pouring..I was getting hit from the top and the bottom by rain...IT was tough, but the 16 were done..

The folloiwng week was easy...3-7 mile runs followed by a long run of only 7...This was a nice break all the way around...On my 7 mile long run, I was at a Leadership Weekend, so I teamed up with a Triathlete in the class to run it with...I was a tad nervous..Could I hang with him, or would I seem like a turtle...I did all right and we had a very enjoyable run..Who knew that I could actually carry on a conversation while runnning.

Now we are up to the present day...Yesterday, my commitment to training was in high gear...As my little brother told me yesterday, you are now the crazy one of the family...I arose at 4 a.m. and headed out on my 20 miler....Ugh...It rained the entire time...what the hell....Mentally it takes a little bit out of you, but then you think, If I can do it now at 4 in the morning in the rain, I will be able to do it rain or shine on race day...or at least thats what I think...The run was pretty uneventful...sure I had the typical mental fights...stop, Go, finish, run, walk etc.

The biggest heart stopper though was the Coyote that decided to pop out of the woods about 50 yars in front of me and run back in..I am really glad he did...Almost needed an extra pair of undies...

After the run, I was picked up by my loving/supportive/amazing wife and we both hustled to get me ready for the Huskies vs USC football game...I showered etc. while Vanessa packed the bag...By 0900 I was in Bremerton meeting Chris W and getting ready to walk on the ferry...Oops...the ferry is broke..so we had to wait till 1015 to head on the next ferry to Seattle...

7 hours later, Chris and I were down on the field celebrating the Huskies, historic and miraculous win over the #3 team in the country...

What a day, and when I got home Vanessa and the kids had a great card waiting for me...telling me how great my training is and how proud they are of me....for meeting my goals...I love them so much, and they have been so supportive...

What goals, or at this point GOAL....That yesteday I weighed in at 200 POUNDS.....Back in February of 2007, I weighed close to 300 pounds...Today I write this, knowing I weigh 200 pounds...lower than I have been in over 17 years....Where there is a will there is a way....

Thank you Mr. Miyagi

Today I woke up at 4:30 a.m and hit snooze on the ole' cell phone Alarm Clock only to have it ring 5 minutes later...Internally, I told myself, you need to get up, you need to do this...Fighting the urge to go back to sleep I ventured out for my 18 mile training run...The running plan called for a 10:23 average pace...I instead averaged 10:09..I think I could have stayed below 10, however the last few miles had some pretty steep hills and my legs were killing me. Overall very happy with the run...and I have to throw some love to Mr. Miyagi...yes that Mr. Miyagi..Danielsan's teacher, coach, mentor...well actually it is not really to him, but it sounds cooler...In the Karate Kid I, when Daniel begins his quest to become the Karate Champion, there is a great song...OK a great 80's song..OK, I think it was a great 80's song..."You're the Best" by Joe "Bean" Esposito.

As Daniel is kicking A#$ and taking names this song is blaring in the background...I loved it, always have...Well I finally found it on Itunes, and for the first time, put it into my playlist for my runs...It did not play once, twice or even three times...yep four times...and everytime I could hear Danielsan yelling " We did it Mr. Miyagi, we did it." Almost choked up...ok maybe not...ok maybe...

Another really cool thing that happened on this mornings run was seeing a Bald Eagle fly up and land about 40 feet in front of me...Tried to get my cell phone out and take a pic...It just was too quick...

In conclusion I have included a few pics...turn away if you do not want to see me without my shirt on...I will understand...Just wanted folks to see the progression of my weight loss..Have also included a pic from 2+ years ago when I started this endeavor...It has been tough and there have been ups and downs...but I am happy to report today that I weighed in at 209....a pound lighter than my Senior Year of HS Football...Have a great week everyone, and for those that are fighting the battle..keep fighting on...as Mr. Esposito say's "You're the Best"

Pushing 300 Pounds...Yikes...

209 Pounds...and feeling great..

One of my 3 biggest fans..."Daddy your belly is going away"

Hell Yeah that Felt Good....

October 25th seems a long way in the distance, but I know that it will be here before I know it...and after tonights run I can hardly wait. Tonight I had a 7 miler...Going into it, I felt really good..I am back into the routine this week after being at residence camp last week...Weights, Cardio, Running and Eating Right all clicking as smoothly as I could possibly want.

Then came tonights run...With a time of 1:00:02 I was amazed..I have never run that distance that fast...Sure to you speed demons out there 8:50 min miles may not seem like much...but to this guy...I am ECSTATIC...

Baby Brother was right...as the weight drops the speed will pick up, the endurance will get better, and I will feel like a NEW MAN!!!!

YES I DO!!!!

Just took a look back at my scrapbooks...Senior Year Football..Media Guide...I weighed 210...I weighed in tonight...because I wanted to...at 213.....For all of you like myself, that have doubted themselves...Find the courage to start, because when you do, you will not be able to describe the joy you feel to anybody...Believe me..I have tried...

Finally please do not forget that for the Marine Corps Marathon, I am running for Team Hole in the Wall...you can click on the following link and donate right online...Once clicking on the link, click on the Support Chris Section and the rest is pretty self explanatory...Thank you..
http://www.teamholeinthewall.org/netcommunity/manwichmantorunningman

Operation Purple Camp and Husky Picture Day

Check out the link to the Family Blog...Did not want to repeat everything I already did there...

http://kasparekfamily.blogspot.com/2009/08/operation-purple-camp-and-picture-day.html

Possibly the Best Morning Ever....

This morning, I woke up at 5 a.m. and prepared myself for the 14 mile run....I had set out all of my necessary items the night before, and slept on the couch...This way I do not disturb Vanessa or the kids when I am getting up at the butt crack of dawn for my run.

When the alarm went off at 5 a.m., I won't lie it was hard to get up...The temp outside was a ton cooler then it has been so your mind starts playing tricks with you..Am I going to be warm enough at the begining of the run? Do I have everything I need? Will I have enough water? to name a few...

So after going through my usual routine, I hit the road at 5:30 a.m. My route was great...no traffic, hmmm, wonder why...Oh yeah its 5:30 in the morning...The first 4.25 miles were awesome...they are a part of my usual route, so I know it like the back of my hand...The next 3 miles were the brutal ones...Straight up hill..Not a quick hill...Nope a pain in the ass long one...It felt good, but you cannot help but look up and say "am I there yet".

After the big hill it was pretty easy from there...Sure you fight the mental fatigue, but everything was flowing very nicely...At mile 9 I entered the base and started running towards one of my School-Age Programs...Why? Because I was starting to run a little low on water and did not want to short myself on the last 4 hours...After refueling at the center, I had 2 more miles to go....

I then left the base at mile 12...2 more to go...Feeling really good...but definitely getting fatigued..A couple of small hill climbs later and I was to the end of my 14 mile adventure...The time I was supposed to do was 10:21 miles...I instead averaged 10:14...A few months ago this would have discouraged me...Now...not at all..I am sticking to my training program and this is what it said to do...Plus take out the mother #$%^&* Hill and who knows..

So after my long run, I did my usual...strip down and weigh in for the week...I was very excited about this...Last week I had weighed in at 234 after 9+ days on the new "Body for Life" nutrition plan...The only problem with that was I had no idea what I started at....Which is no big deal...I guestimate that I started somewhere between 240 and 250....I did start right after a vacation...

So I stepped on the scale, held my breath(this absolutely does nothing), and looked down as the electronic scale as it calculated how much I weighed...Come on, Come on....and then it happened...224...HOLY @#$%%....I stepped on and off the scale three more times just to make sure it was right...Even had Vanessa look at it...even though it was probably hard to do, considering she was probably distracted by her naked husband(yes, I put that visual in your head)....224, I have not been this low since before we left Japan and I am only 5 pounds away from being the lowest I have been since...Wait for it....Senior Year in HS....

So how could my day possibly get any better....Well we then went to Church...Nope that did not make my day better(no offense), but rather it was the next stop on the Kasparek Morning Plan that did the deed...OLD NAVY....We walked in, only because they were having a 30% Sale and I picked out some shirts....DAMN, the one I really liked was not available in a XL....So I asked the Old Navy worker Kristen if they had another...She said they did, but not sure where I would find it....Thanks...She then stated that they run big and I may want to try a Large....Right...a Large...are you kidding me...I am not sure I even wore a Large in HS...Then I thought what the hell...we will try it out....Went to the fitting room and tried it on.....

WOW...It actually fit...and it looked really good...To make sure that I was not hallucinating I walked into the main store and asked Vanessa and her mom(Yep...Linda is out visiting...)..They said it looked really good...I then stated I know, and it is a LARGE....

So now I had to change the sizes of the other shirts I had picked out....Who knew...Sure not me...Then we went to pay...There was Kristen at the register...She asked if it fit alright and I said..yeah suprisingly...She then made my day even better...."Well I was surprised that you needed an XL, you do not look like an XL person" IF Vanessa was not there I think I would have kissed her....

So now we are home and I have a smile from ear to ear...You that have either struggled with weight or are struggling with weight know these feelings...You know how good it feels to have a morning like this...Well guess what....if you are struggling, hopefully this will serve as some sort of inspiration that WE ALL CAN DO THIS!!!!!

Have a great day....PS: Thank you COACH TIM....