Rope Swings and Curious Bikers

Yesterday Brendan and I got in 20 miles with the B.O.B.'s and Chucks. This was Brendan's first long run with the stroller and although I can't speak for him, I think he was impressed by how easy they are to push and maneuver.

The highlight of the run for both of us I think was the rope swing over Rapid Creek at mile 14. The temperature was starting to get hot and taking a wild swing into Rapid Creek is just what the doctor ordered.

We also had a chance to meet a really nice guy on the trail, Ken. Ken stopped us and asked what the deal is...us pushing big strollers along, loaded with drybags, tents, water, etc. Even though we get a lot of looks on runs or can hear people say, "There's no baby in the stroller!", this is the first time someone has stopped us on the run and asked what we are up to. Ken was in somewhat of a hurry because his daughter was on bike ahead of him and was waiting for him to across the street, but he said he would check out the website. Ken, thanks for the questions and thanks for checking out the site.

Better run,

Nolan

A Sight To See...


This morning I ran to work, 17.1 mile from my front door to my office door. I left at 4:30AM long before the sun came up. About 4 miles into the run I looked behind me, back towards Rapid City, and was surprised by the sight I saw. No wonder why so many people are pulled towards ultra-running! What else gets you on the road at 4:30AM to see something like this besides long-hual trucking?

Thanks for everyones posts on the Guestbook, it is fun to see people are following this Chemo Is Harder Journey and are now part of this adventure with us. If you haven't signed in yet, what are you waiting for?

Run long and strong,

Nolan

Relay for Life

Hello folks~

I wanted to share with you our experience with the Relay for Life that was held on the 8th of June. Nolan and I were extremely excited about this opportunity because it was ouf first of many speaking engagements. We were also quite nervous because we did not know what to expect for a crowd and we needed to look legitimate for our first appearance! We went over some topics each of us would cover and kept it short and sweet.

Another hurdle to overcome was the fact we did not have any shirts made up, so I went to a friend that owns Master Awards & Embroidery in town and she only had a couple of hours to get some cool shirts and our logo embroidered on the shirts for our first event. I was a nervous wreck since I knew these shirts would be key to help launching "Chemo IS Harder" in the public eye. I was extremely impressed by the quality of work and the timeliness. Thank you Marilynn!!

Nolan and I met with Patty Neumiller, the regional coordinator for the American Cancer Society and she got us on stage for folks to see. All went very well and people did ask us about our run and me, my wife Jonette, Nolan, and his fiancee Kaylee walked around the track to check out all of the hundreds of luminaries that were out on the inner part of the track to honor those people that have battled cancer or are currently battling it! It really puts things into perspective...

Those of us that don't have cancer cannot imagine what it must be like, and both Nolan and I have seen what cancer can do to a person and is why the "Chemo IS Harder" slogan is so perfect!! Even when you may be in the dumps, having a bad hair day, cannot seem to do anything right, just got into a fender-bender, or whatever misfortune that may have occured, CHEMO IS HARDER no matter how you look at it.

Cancer is a terrible monster that seems to affect everyone we come across in some manner. That is why Nolan and I are on a crusade to pour our hearts and souls into this cancer research campaign, and why we know it is going to be a huge success!! We cannot do it without you... Your help will be vital to our success. So please, do what you can. Visit our "How can I help?" page and send in your tax deductable donation to the address listed. Together we all can fight this!!!

Thank you,

Take care and happy running!!

BRENDAN~

A short-long run!

This 4th of July morning I went out for a 20 miler with the B.O.B. and had a blast. I loaded the stroller with everything I thought I would be using on the actual across the state run (minus a few little things) and it was a really cool feeling knowing how self-sufficient you really can be. It's the same feeling I get on every mountaineering trip or backpacking trip I do!


With me I had my sleeping bag, a tent, cloths, 1 gallon of water, first-aid kit, food, digital camera, water bottles, mp3 player, GPS unit, and a small portable ham radio (in case the "stuff" hit the fan...still cell phone-less and loving it!) .


I left the house at 4:30AM and for the first 8 miles it felt like I was fighting the B.O.B.. IT would fade one way and I would fight it back over and end up over correcting it and then I'd have t fight it back the other way. Over and over and over this happened. Then, about 8 miles into the run, it just started to click. I was getting the hang of turning the B.O.B. and making it hold a track on a straight line. Miles 8-20 were amazing. There were times when it felt like BOB was running himself, it took almost no energy to maintain its speed and it was staying on the course I desired with almost no help. That is when I started to realize just how cool being this independent on a long run will be (429 miles worth)!


The purpose of the run was just to experiment with how the BOB handles, how hills affect it, how the slope of the highway affects it, etc. After 8 miles all the bugs were worked out for this run and it was almost effortless. I ran the 20 miles in just under 3 hours, averaging just under 9 minute miles, including all the walking/running/screwing around with the BOB/and photos. A far cry from my normal 6:30 training pace for long runs but good practice nonetheless for an ultramarathon I will be running in August and the Chemo Is Harder run in May '08.


Run long and strong,


Nolan