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Saturday, July 19, 2025
Top Tips for Running a Marathon Next Week!

Top Tips for Running a Marathon Next Week!

 One of my friends, who is awesome, is running his first marathon next weekend. I talked to him yesterday and promised to send him my top 5 or so tips for next weekend. There are more, but this is a quick list. 

1. Enjoy every mile and don't wish the experience away. Throughout my running career, I would run a big race and say "I have 10 miles left"....didn't work as well as I have this fun mile in front of me, "I am going to enjoy this one ahead of me". 

2. Walk through the water stations. Take your time here and enjoy the water. It can get slippery, so be cautious. 

3. Expect things to get off course or difficult. Before the race, you will likely have a plan, and then the race happens. You will struggle, it's part of the joy. Don't sweat it when things don't go as planned. Expect it. 

4. The race is a celebration of you, your training, and the courage it takes to toe the line. There is a reason why it's so challenging, but YOU stepped up, told the world you were going to do this and now you get to celebrate all of it. 

5. Just finish. My good friend Lynn Breithaupt always said, "Finishing a marathon is a mindset." She was so correct. No matter what, just finish the race and enjoy it. You are trained, have fun, and finish! 


To our friend, go out, have fun, say positive things like "when I finish", believe in you, and most of all....take it all in. It's a fun experience that will define you. Enjoy it all! 



Image Source: https://www.musement.com/us/san-francisco/golden-gate-bridge-v/

Sunday, May 25, 2025
Excited to start back up!

Excited to start back up!

 I'm excited to start back up with distance training. I will be running the Benefit Classic Half Marathon on September 13th! Over the next couple of months, I will keep you updated on my training progress. Some of the products I'm excited to test, wear, or consume. 

  • Tailwind for hydration 
  • Ascent Protein Powder for muscle 
  • Jocko Greens for nutrition 
  • Zensah Compression socks 
  • Brooks or Asics this round for training 

My goal is to finish the race, lose 10 more lbs, and focus on eating cleaner. 



Sunday, September 18, 2022
Benefit Classic: Renewed focus, big day, gratitude abounds

Benefit Classic: Renewed focus, big day, gratitude abounds

 Yesterday, I ran the benefit classic 5K in Dubuque with Nile. We challenged each other to use our Garmin watches and the Garmin training app. I must say the results were fantastic. Nile came in 1st in his age group and I came in 3rd in my age group. I beat my time goal by 5 minutes. A few things to share with you about this journey:

1. Nile had me go through his pre-race stretching for cross country, it was awesome! 

2. We prayed by the war memorial in Dubuque. It was an incredibly grounding experience to stand above the tile dedicated to my father-in-law, Willis Christ (a.k.a. Biffy). He earned a purple heart and I could feel his presence with us. We looked at all the names and offered up positive thoughts for the families of the fallen soldiers. 

3. We ran a great race. Nile torched it and beat my finishing time by over 10 minutes. Nile has turned into a fantastic distance runner and I was so happy the entire race. I dedicated this race to Fletcher, who is related to Roy Higgins III (I know him as Higginized). Fletcher passed away recently. I have never met Roy, but his son plays for the Iowa Hawkeyes. I feel a special connection with Roy through Twitter. He has similar energy and I love his positivity. Roy is a great example of a husband and father. 

4. During my training, I only missed one training run. This was the key to my race result. Garmin's training program is EXCELLENT! 

5. There was a young lady who was in 6th grade. She finished the race and displayed a ton of courage. She was crying at the end of the race. She is an inspiration! My son talked to her about being in the same exact spot years ago. He said "stick with it, train for the next one even more and you will enjoy so much success". 


Great lesson. Thank you for the gift of running. Thank you for taking the time to read this! To Curt and all of the amazing Mississippi Valley Runners Association volunteers, THANK YOU!  To all who sponsored the race, THANK YOU! 



Sunday, November 15, 2020
Never let someone steal your joy, it's yours!

Never let someone steal your joy, it's yours!

 A few weeks ago, I had a familiar exchange with an acquaintance. Running brings me joy and a sense of accomplishment, most of the time. My physical appearance is not like the typical runner. That doesn't define me. I have been fortunate to finish 8 marathons. 

My old friend asked me this: are you still running? 

Me: Yes!

Old friend: can you imagine running a full marathon? 

Me: Yes, I have run 8. 

Old friend: Really? Are you sure? 

Me: I am sure of it, started running over 12 years ago. It brings me a ton of joy. 

Old friend: But what about your back and knees? 

Me: What about them? They have never been better and did I tell you that I just turned 50. 

Old friend: Huh, I thought with your weight that it would be impossible to run that far and for that long. 


Interesting to say the least. One lesson here, don't judge a book by its cover. Heavy people run. They can have fun doing it. They can be successful too. They can experience joy of the run. 

This was marathon #6. Pure joy. 

See you at the finish line. My goal is to finish 10 full marathons. They are grueling. They teach you so many things. They beat you up mentally and physically. They teach you how to experience joy. 

Don't let anyone ever steal it from you. :)


   

Saturday, May 2, 2020
Summer Challenge: Race Across Tennessee!

Summer Challenge: Race Across Tennessee!

Sorry it's been a long time. I am back. During this quarantine, I have some interesting goals. Next up, I will be running across the State of Tennessee virtually!

1,000Kilometers -OR- 621 Miles

It translates to 5.20 Miles a day and ends on August 31, 2020. I look forward to this challenge and will keep myself in check. I look forward to learning and having fun on this mission!

  • Stretching
  • Nutrition
  • Consistency
  • Discipline
  • Sleep

As Jocko Willink would say, "Discipline Equals Freedom"
#getsome
Some other local runners are doing this too, cheer them on!
https://www.facebook.com/jeffery.tschiggfrie
Jeff is doing the race!!!!
https://runsignup.com/Race/TheGreatVirtualRaceAcrossTennessee1000K/Page/tracking

Sunday, March 8, 2020
Lilly Jo: Thank you for teaching me!

Lilly Jo: Thank you for teaching me!

Three years ago, I was lucky enough to push a chariot through Aynsley's Angels. Thank you Chad Darter for asking me to do this and for pushing me! I was able to meet Lilly Jo, we spent two + hours running a difficult course with Shannon and Greg Wrobleski. I was moderately trained for the race and as expected, struggled. Here are the lessons Lilly Jo taught me:

Sisters ROCK! Check out those medals!

She taught me that friends are the BEST, even if you don't see them as often as you would like!


Lilly Jo taught me to finish, not complain, be generous, and to celebrate the journey. 
By the way, I always loved the way you smiled at me. 
Rest in peace, sweet angel! 
You were always my favorite! 





Sunday, May 5, 2019
The Joy of the Journey!

The Joy of the Journey!

The CRANDIC race was amazing. It was hilly, difficult and I learned a TON! Here's a summary:
I learned how to finish in difficulty circumstances. 
I learned how to race with different gear. It was the first time I have ever "raced" with my Brooks coat. It worked, but I learned about some details for next race. 
I learned how to help others out, including myself. 
I fueled well, but hydrated poorly. This manifested in the form of cramps. UGH. 
I raced for my little buddy JP, Curt Ehlinger, the orange army, the military serving, the military who served, my family and my friends. 
During training, I had some nagging issues. I figured out how to heal during training. Not an easy task. About three weeks before the race, I thought about withdrawing. It took some creativity to stick with it. 
I read "Can't Hurt Me" while in training. It helped me on race day. 
I thought about @jockowillink and how to focus on the mission. I played a few of his videos to remind myself of the sacrifice. 
On race day, I shined brightly. I met some new friends. Nicole and Lisa. They are finishers too! 
Next week, I will share my modifications for the next race. Perhaps, I will announce where and when for marathon #8. 

Thank you all for the amazing support. Especially my wife and son. They put up with the craziness of training and race day. 








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