Lupus Foundation of America Blog

Well, I still haven't had time to get that video up and running. We're actually going to be at home this weekend so hopefully I'll have time to get that done. I did want to note that the Lupus Foundation of America was kind enough to make note of my efforts on their blog. Check it out here. Thanks!

Total donations

Well, the video is part way edited and I've started working on thank you cards for everyone who has been so critical to my success last weekend. I would like to give you all the final total for donations raised:

$4,345 for the Lupus Foundation of America

That is pretty damn awesome. I can't thank all of you enough for your help in raising this money for such an important cause. While we didn't quite reach our goal, we came really close. Although it makes me wonder what it would take to get over $5,000. I just looked on google maps and it is just over 100 miles from Saginaw Valley State University to Eastern Michigan University...

(Please note that the donations page will remain active until October 15.)

Official Results

The official results from the race are posted. Check them out here.

I placed 28th out of 66. Not bad! That's in the top half. My official time, captured perfectly in the photo, was 9:30:24.

Ultramarathon photos

The start is scary, but my peeps are there.

Going strong in the beginning

Refueling with my crew

Hey, this is getting tiring...

Hey Dad, where's the stroller?

Thanks to Grandpa Thomas for the photos! I'm still working on editing the video, but hope to have it posted by this weekend. I also have some donations that people gave me that I still need to add to the total. I can't thank all of you enough for your contributions to this important cause. We raised, pardon me, a sh*t ton of money for the Lupus Foundation of America. Once I get myself organized, I'll do the drawing for the prizes too. Stay tuned--there's more to see and read!

I did it!

The real time blogging didn't work out since cell phone reception in Manistee National Forest left something to be desired. I also haven't gotten around to blogging since I've been feeling a bit tired because...

I successfully ran 50 miles on Saturday!

I'll post more details, including photos and video, when I have a little more time. I just wanted to make sure that I gave everyone who has been waiting to hear results gets an update. My final time was 9 hours 30 minutes and 24 seconds. That's well under my goal time! I also placed 28th over all! I don't know the total number of runners since there were still people finishing when we left, but I think it is somewhere around 80 or 90. Thanks to everyone for your support--it helped me get through the tough spots!

On my way!

Well, we're leaving in a few short hours for the race. We'll spend the night in a hotel and then bright and early at 7:30 AM we start. The weather couldn't be better. Last that I heard it will be in the 50s, which is just about perfect for me.

Check in to the blog tomorrow! Holli is going to try and send updates from her cell phone so, assuming we can get reception, we'll have some real time updates.

Thanks again to everyone for all of your support!

50 mile checklist

Yeah, I'm a geek so I made a spreadsheet of my stuff. While a relational database might also have been in order, it's been a busy week. :) The plan is for Holli to meet me at least at miles 12.5, 25, and 37.5 with a bag of essentials. There are aid stations every 3 to 4 miles, which will allow me to refill my water bottle and get food in between. Stuff I might need will be in the car unless I really need it. Anything I might be missing?

Thought for the day...

"Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired. When you were younger the mind could make you dance all night, and the body was never tired...You've always got to make the mind take over and keep going."

- George S. Patton

Weekly Statistics

Well, I forgot to charge my Forerunner this week and, since I'm tapering, didn't bother charging it until today. Consequently, my total mileage is an estimate and I don't have any heart rate information.

Total mileage: 35 miles

Together, we have raised over $4,000 and we have one week to go! I have one check in my office and a few more verbal commitments for donations too. This is quite an impressive figure and I want to both thank those of you who have donated and thank those of you who have asked others to donate. This is an important cause and I couldn't have gotten where I have without all of your help.

Along those lines, I received another email this week from someone with lupus. It is a good reminder to me as to why I am doing this and wish her all the luck in the future.

Finally, I talked with the Mike Watson, the athletic director at SVSU, and he asked me if they could recognize my run between quarters at the October 13th football game against Michigan Tech. Not only is that very cool, but I think it will be a good opportunity to educate the SVSU community about lupus.

Big shoes to fill

Sure, they may be big shoes to fill, but I suspect that this aspiring runner will one day be able to fill them. Seriously, Elliott carried these shoes out from the bedroom and put them on without any prompting from me. I just walked into the room and he was standing there in a pair of my running shoes. Now that's cute.

Ultramarathon radio interview

For those of you who weren't able to tune in for the radio broadcast this morning, I'm posting an mp3 file that you can listen to. The interview was only about 5 minutes and I'm very happy with how it went. Click here to listen to the interview (note that it is about 4.5 megs so it might take a little while to download or stream depending on your connection.)

Also, if you are interested in making a donation with a check, you can write checks out to the "Lupus Foundation of America" and send them to me at Brian Thomas, EN 269, 7400 Bay Road, University Center, MI 48710. I'll compile all of the checks and send them together to the Lupus Foundation after the race. Thanks again for all of your support!

Newsradio 1250 AM interview

More press for lupus! I'm being interviewed early tomorrow morning for a prerecorded interview that will be played on Newsradio 1250 AM! You can listen to it on the internet from here. I'll post when I have more details.

Also, on a side note I had a request that I accept donations through paypal. I'm going to see what I can get set up. Stay tuned and thanks to everyone for their support so far!

Weekly Statistics

It was my first official week of tapering and resting up for the race. I feel a little guilty not running so much, but it also has me realizing how much of the summer I spent trotting around town. Still, the timing of everything couldn't be better since last week was our first week of classes. Holli made reservations last week for our hotel in Manistee. There's no turning back now. I'm starting to try and eat more carbs. I hear that the night before carb-loading doesn't really work and its something that you need to build up over time. Less than two weeks to go!

Here are my stats (not as interesting as the last few weeks!):

Total mileage: 25 miles
Long run: 10 miles
Average pace: 9:47 minutes/mile
Average heart rate: 151 beats/minute