Last month I completed the marathon in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.  Before I left for the race, I wrote how I believed that the beauty of the Rockies in springtime would help sustain me through the miles.  It was more gorgeous and challenging than I had imagined. 

First the gorgeous part.  From Steamboat Springs we boarded buses for the 26.2 mile trip to a place with a clear view of a mountain meadow near Steamboat Lake framed by snow-covered peaks.  The temperature was in the 40’s, and the sun was about to rise.  When it did, one could see that the sky was clear.  The conditions were nearly perfect.  Was the feeling of euphoria a product of taking in the amazing scenery, the anticipation of the race, or early signs of hypoxic stress caused by lack of oxygen?

The course was along mountain highways.  It ran over ridges and into valleys.  At one point we could look across at the horizon and see the mountain rim some miles away.  At another, we were down where the spring thaw rushed by in clear flowing streams.  In some places, cattle ranches reminded us of the western frontier, but mostly the scene was dominated by undisturbed nature.  It provided the perfect mental escape, just as expected.

Now the challenging part.  I live at about 830 feet elevation.  The marathon started at about 8200 feet.  I arrived the day before the race.  There was no time for my cardiovascular system to acclimate to the change in oxygen levels.  I knew this would make the day a bit more challenging, but I had no idea to what extent.  In the first few miles, things seemed fairly normal.  By mile seven, I had to begin slowing down to compensate for the lack of oxygen. 

The symptoms were unique.  If I pushed the pace at all, I had trouble remembering any details of stories I was sharing with folks I was running with.  I had a feeling of disorientation and loss of equilibrium, so I slowed the pace until I felt normal.  As it turns out, I had to continue slowing the pace through the entire run.  That’s OK, it allowed me to enjoy the place that much more.

So we have another lesson learned:  If you hope to run at a pace anywhere near where you are used to running, when you travel to higher altitude, arrive days ahead.  You can do your own research to determine how many days that is, but I can tell you that one is too few.

Even though you can’t predict how your body will react to high altitudes, I can tell you that I was able to rely on my vision, enhanced by my Transitions lenses, to help guide me through the race and take in the scenic surroundings.  I can color in the state of Colorado on my marathon map.  And I have some incredible memories of the Colorado Rockies in springtime.  I call the trip a success.

As I finish preparing for the marathon this weekend in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, it is a perfect time to consider how clear vision, free from distracting glare, will make the outing so much more enjoyable and productive. 

The Rocky Mountains in springtime are an incredible sight.  That will absolutely help keep me feeling good as the miles pass.

I have found in past marathons that by paying attention to the course and the world around me, I can maintain a better pace.  It is part of the mental aspect of distance running.  If you start to fixate on your tiredness or some minor twinge, you bog down and soon find it hard to continue.  Clear, comfortable vision allows you to maintain a good connection to the outside world, which makes it much easier to keep your eye on the goal.

Some of the most beautiful places on earth are scenic trails, golf courses, parks, and wildlife areas.  It is worth the effort to get to these places.  Let’s make sure that when we get there we have the right eyewear to enjoy them to their fullest.

There are many ways to look at injuries in athletics.  Some injuries need medical attention, some don’t.  Some injuries you can play through, some require rest to heal.  Some are career-ending, and others allow a full recovery.  Some injuries are of a sudden onset, some more gradual like overuse injuries.

Let’s consider one more category of injury—the injury we use as an excuse to quit.  “I hurt my knee back in high school, so I can’t really do much anymore,” or “I threw out my back a few years ago, so I’ve pretty much had to just lay around since then.”  Shame on us. 

I tore a calf muscle in the Baton Rouge Beach Marathon a few months ago.  It happened around mile nine.  It was painful for about a quarter of a mile, and then the pain diminished by about 90 percent, so I continued on through the next 17 miles.  Had I seen the pool of blood forming in the lower half of my leg, I would have pulled off the course.  I did not, so I completed the race.

Early in the recovery period, I consulted with my family doctor and an athletic trainer.  Following their advice, I began resting and treating the leg.  I continued working other body parts in order to maintain some level of conditioning and to keep exercise in my daily and weekly schedule.  I added elliptical training, easy stair machine, and then running, until it finally healed completely.

Many injuries are from running into or tripping over something, or being hit by something coming at us.  To avoid these types of injuries, it’s critically important that we maintain mental and visual focus while participating in our favorite activities.  Good vision, free of distracting glare, is an essential part of getting the most out of our fitness activities.

If we are looking for an excuse to quit exercising, we will absolutely find one.  If we are looking for a way to continue running marathons, golfing, cycling, walking, doing calisthenics, weight lifting, or other exercise, we will find that too.  We may need to make adjustments based on our current fitness level, age, or injury status, but if we are determined, we can continue enjoying the benefits of fitness for a lifetime.

It’s tough to beat the excitement and pageantry of the Olympic Winter Games, which get underway in a couple of weeks.  I always look forward to the inspirational stories, and few are more captivating this year than the story of U.S. cross-country skier Kris Freeman.

As a marathon runner, I can appreciate the physical and mental demand of endurance sports.  And cross-country skiing takes the demand for stamina to a whole new level.  While it is certainly amazing that Kris has worked to become one of the most elite, international competitors in this very demanding sport, the fact that he has done this while managing Type 1 Diabetes makes his story even that much more inspiring.

Let’s put this in perspective.  There have been few other athletes diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes who have ever competed in endurance sports at an Olympic level, and Kris is believed to be one of the only such athletes who will compete at the Vancouver Winter Games.  Not only does Kris have to train to effectively manage energy and exertion over the course of a cross-country competition, but he also must be mindful of certain foods, continuously monitor blood glucose levels and administer insulin as needed.

Beyond the awe-inspiring passion that Kris brings to this sport, I’m looking forward to the awareness that his story will bring to the importance of effective diabetes management.  The World Health Organization projects 366 million cases of diabetes by 2030, and as an eye care professional, I’m well aware of the devastating effects diabetes can have on the eyes, sometimes leading to a loss in vision.

Unfortunately, the correlation between diabetes and eye health is not widely known.  A survey conducted by Transitions Optical, Inc. recently revealed that less than 40 percent of the population correctly identifies vision issues as possible complications of diabetes.  That is a startling figure.

If Kris Freeman has the time and ability to manage his Type 1 Diabetes amidst the endless, demanding hours of training, his story should be one of inspiration.  Anyone can more effectively manage the disease, lead a healthier life and protect their healthy vision.  As we watch Kris excel in spite of this disease, we should ask ourselves what obstacles we can overcome in our own fitness quest.

I hope Kris brings home a gold, and I hope you enjoy the sights and sounds of Kris’s inspirational story (and many more) from Vancouver!

Getting to the Baton Rouge Beach Marathon last month was an adventure.  Once I got to the event, all was well.  The race organizers were incredibly personable.  They went out of their way to make sure that everyone was well taken care of and got enough food at the pre-race expo the night before the event.  

The temperature at the start of the race was in the low 30’s and reached the high 40’s by the finish.  We started in the dim early morning at 7:00 AM.  Soon the day was clear and sunny – and thankfully with the help of my Transitions lenses adjusting to a comfortable level of darkness and working to reduce glare, they kept my eyes from getting fatigued.   The fall colors were still hanging around and reflected against the many miles of lakeshore on the course, which seemed to trigger some sort of brain chemistry that allowed me to forget how tired I was becoming.  

I ran the bulk of the race with my new friend Soph.  We spoke of a great variety of subjects that seemed monumental at the time.  Fatigue does that.  Over a couple of hours we struck up a friendship that I will value indefinitely, whether or not we meet again.  I appreciate his kindness, his candor, his drive, and the peaceful way he deals with conflict.  Not only that, the miles flew by as we visited.

During the run I had a minor problem with a calf muscle that I will share in the future.  I’m not getting old.  I just need to do more stretching – something critical for runners of all levels to keep in mind.

At the finish we were treated to alligator, gumbo, catfish, lots of other choices, and beverages.  I can’t quite do it justice, but the food was tremendous.  All the warm dishes you could want, seasoned to perfection in Louisiana style.

I am thankful that I ended up in Baton Rouge that day.  I enjoyed getting to know Soph.  The race was beautifully organized and the people were friendly and hospitable.    My wife and I truly had another adventure – one that will remain vivid in my mind.

Another state bites the dust in my quest to run a marathon in all 50 states - but not the one I intended. 

Things have an uncanny way of working out. Months ago I made plans to run the Memphis Marathon on December 5. Plane tickets, check. Hotel reservations, check. Rental car, check. The days passed and training was progressing just fine. Two weeks to the marathon, just one more detail to take care of, registration for the event. Go to the web site, navigate to the online registration section, oh no! It's full! Call the race director and he tells me "no chance" - he has already turned away 100 other slackers like me.

For a second it pops into my mind that I could run the course without being registered. This is a bad idea and would be like stealing. I would have no aid stations and no official finish. I could go as a a tourist and not run the race, which would be another bad idea and total waste of my training. My friends know that I'm going to Memphis to run a marathon and I would have nothing to report in the blog. So I check an online marathon schedule and luckily there is a marathon in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The drive is 370 miles from Memphis, should take six hours each way.

Painfully, I sit down with my wife and spill the beans, telling her something she knows all too well. I'm a slacker. Took care of so many details, but missed a small one - registering for the race. "Honey, how would you like to drive with me from Memphis to Baton Rouge, six hours? We can drive back to Memphis Saturday afternoon, do Graceland Sunday as planned."

I guess the years being married to me have paid off. She didn't even seemed surprised. She was up for the adventure, so we went and had a blast. Too bad in a way it probably serves to reinforce the slacker in me. 

I will tell you more about the weekend and the marathon itself in my next post. Until then, I look forward to hearing from any of you who have the same slackerly tendencies I have. I would love to hear of good results that have come in unpredictable ways, and also if you are an ex-slacker who has seen the light.

I wish you well in your fitness quest.  

For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, the next three months may be our greatest fitness challenge. They are full of big meals for the major holidays, devoid of early morning and evening sunlight, and in many parts of the country - frigid. 

A clear plan of attack will be needed for each of us to the start of  spring in good shape. I like to start with seasonal activities like snow shoveling, snowmobiling, and playing hockey with my boys. My sons play hockey five or six days a week, but there are only a few outings a year that include parents.  If I total up the number of days of exercise that I will get in those three categories, it will be somewhere around 30 and that will not be enough to get me to spring ready to run. 

Has anyone else noticed that in the process of having children there is a natural shift that occurs in athletics from participant to spectator? That has definitely happened to me. The other thing I have observed is that the caloric burn as a spectator is much lower.

I enjoy getting to their games to show support, but it takes a huge bite out of the day. What that means is that I will have to use a skill that I tend to shun - time management. I thought that time management ended when I finished Optometry school, but I guess not. I will need to carve out chunks of time early in the day, over lunch, and later in the evening for exercise if I hope to hit the warm days of spring in close to top shape. 

My workout plan for the winter months is to squeeze in a short run or weight lifting rather than wasting time on less valuable pursuits. 

My next step towards my marathon goal is a race in mid-December in North Carolina. I will let you know how it goes.

Keep warm.  

There is a danger in athletics of overestimating our own level of fitness. Linda is 50-pounds overweight and has never run around the block, but is confident that she's ready for a competitive marathon right now. Joe is six feet tall, 112 pounds and doesn't lift weights, but has a vision of being the new Mr. Olympia by next week. 

These are obvious examples of having a false impression of current fitness level.

Now, consider the woman who ran a fast 10K race a couple years ago, then redirected her priorities to the arrival of a new baby or a business start up. Or the guy who remembers being able to bench-press 270 pounds in college ten years ago and has in his mind, "I'm still there!"

If we fail to accurately assess our starting fitness level, progress is easily missed and we'll be disappointed because we see more failures than gains. It's dangerous - physically and mentally - to operate where we think we are - or wish we were.

If I get lazy for a few months and my training pace slips from seven minutes a mile to nine, it will bug me. If I get stuck in regret, I will do nothing and my condition will continue to deteriorate. If I stubbornly and ignorantly hold to the idea that I am still able to run seven-minute miles, I will either hurt myself or quit trying out of frustration.

There is good news. Although the front-end fitness inventory is a bit disappointing, it sets the stage for genuine improvement. By accepting that a nine-minute mile is where I am at that time, improving to eight-and-a-half becomes a reason to celebrate and keeps me motivated.

I encourage you to take an honest inventory of your current fitness level, accept it for what it is and move forward with setting milestones to help you achieve that ultimate goal. The distance from where you are to where you want to be is an exciting journey that you get to undertake.

Seeing your own improvement is rewarding and one of the keys to seeing that improvement is knowing exactly where you started! Be honest about your current abilities, and then make a plan to take you where you want to be. Put the plan into action and enjoy the results! 

My name is Dr. Steve Gander. I have been an optometrist for over 22 years and am excited to be partnering with the people at Transitions Optical. 

My goal is to a run a marathon in every state. It is a lofty goal, but I have already run 25 marathons in about a dozen states and two Canadian provinces. If I can average 3-4 marathons a year I'll be, healthy and young and 60 years of age when I achieve my goal.  

The 50-state goal, as well as the idea of partnering with Transitions, came to mind as I ran a marathon in Des Moines, Iowa last fall. It just so happens that having lenses that automatically adjust to varying lighting conditions and, that protect your eyes from UV rays, is beneficial for runners, as well as anybody else that spends time outdoors.  It also just so happens that Transitions believes that each of us should have a goal or a series of goals that we are striving for. 

I got my relationship with Transitions off to a running start - no pun intended - this past weekend as I ran the City of Trees Marathon in Boise, Idaho. It was a beautiful course along wooded trails and residential streets. The temperature was just over 40 degrees and there was a continual drizzle. The volunteers along the course were freezing, but warm and encouraging. The race was nicely organized and the hot soup at the finish line made it all worthwhile. The fine hospitality I received from my sister's family who lives in the area was an absolute bonus.

With the help of Transitions, I plan to chronicle my progress toward running a marathon in every state. I'll share with you my stories of setbacks and distractions, as well as victories and triumphs along the way.

It is my hope that you will benefit from my lessons learned. Whatever your vision may be, I challenge you to take time to flesh it out, to weigh it against your other activities to make sure it is workable and then take the steps to accomplish it. You may have already discovered that as you move toward one goal, new goals come to mind and challenge you to put your own lessons learned to good use. Sometimes it is strenuous, but it's always a blast and the payoff for achieving one, if not multiple goals, is very rewarding.