Thank you, everyone!

I'd like to offer a special thanks to everyone who has donated so far. We are over 25% of the way there! I would also like to thank everyone for their work helping to spread the word. Really, all of your support means a lot to me and my family. I still have several more fund raising ideas in the works and my training is going well (albeit somewhat slower than I had hoped). Keep checking back and thanks again!

Anthropological Evidence of Distance Running

Here's a summary of some anthropological research I've heard talked about that might be of interested to runners:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/11/041123163757.htm

What do you think? Have we evolved to be long distance runners?

All I know is that I can take Casey, the border collie, in a 10 mile run, but he has me easily at short distances.

Walking an ultramarathon

I'm still taking it slow as my knee recovers and I wait for my doctors appointment. Here's my revelation though. Last weekend, I was taking a walk with my wife, who walks much faster than I do. Being the geek that I am, I had my GPS with me and started timing how fast she walked. Without me slowing her down, she was moving at 14 minute miles--not bad for a stroll!

So, I looked up some information on powerwalking (aka fitness walking or race walking) and took a shot at walking 5 miles today. Here was the cool part--no ITB pain. Not only that, but be modifying my form, I was able to move pretty regularly at 12 to 13 minute miles and elevate my heart rate to 70%-75% of max (yes, I really am that much of a geek). This is important because maintaining a heart rate of 70%-80% will yield some aerobic benefits (i.e. keep me from getting out of shape) and even 13 minute miles are plenty fast enough to finish a 50 mile run under the cut off. In fact, to make the cut off I only need to do 15 minute miles.

Don't get me wrong. I like to run and would like to finish the race well under the cut off, but I would rather go slow than injure myself. I think it also highlights the important point that walking is an important part of completing an ultramarathon and warrants, perhaps, practice in itself. I think walking gets a bad wrap despite its usefulness in terms of recovery, pacing, injury prevention, and just getting across the finish line. For more information about walking check the links below:

Walk the Walk from Trailrunner Magazine

Walk Breaks? from Jeff Galloway, the guru of walking/running

Email update

My email is back up and functioning. Sorry for the delay. Please feel free to send me email at fundraising@thomaswallace.org.

Lupus

Despite the fact that I've dedicated my run and, frankly, at least as much time as I have spent training to raising money for the Lupus Foundation of America, I have not yet had a post about it. Part of this is because I believe many people feel inundated by stories about things that they should contribute to. It's part of the information age that we live in. So, while I try not to bring it up on a regular basis for strategic reasons, it is worth mentioning. A lot of diseases get attention. They should. Below is some information about Lupus. Pay attention to the demographic. Someone you know has Lupus. They are probably embarrassed to tell you. You probably wouldn't know what it was or what it meant even it they told you. If you haven't donated, please think about doing so. At the very least, send this to someone you know.

This text comes from the Lupus Foundation Website:

"Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can affect various parts of the body, including the skin, joints, heart, lungs, blood, kidneys and brain. Normally the body's immune system makes proteins called antibodies, to protect the body against viruses, bacteria, and other foreign materials. These foreign materials are called antigens.

In an autoimmune disorder like lupus, the immune system cannot tell the difference between foreign substances and its own cells and tissues. The immune system then makes antibodies directed against itself. These antibodies -- called "auto-antibodies" (auto means 'self') -- cause inflammation, pain and damage in various parts of the body.

Inflammation is considered the primary feature of lupus. Inflammation, which in Latin means "set on fire," is characterized by pain, heat, redness, swelling and loss of function, either on the inside or on the outside of the body (or both).

For most people, lupus is a mild disease affecting only a few organs. For others, it may cause serious and even life-threatening problems. Although epidemiological data on lupus is limited, studies suggest that more than 16,000 Americans develop lupus each year.

The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) estimates between 1.5 - 2 million Americans have a form of lupus, but the actual number may be higher. More than 90 percent of people with lupus are women. Symptoms and diagnosis occur most often when women are in their child-bearing years, between the ages of 15 and 45.

In the United States, lupus is more common in African Americans, Latinos, Asians, and Native Americans than in Caucasians."

P.S. Happy Father's Day! Dad, you are cew (cew=slang for cool).