From Start to Finish
Well it is my last post. Over all I have to say that the experience of training and running the race was fantastic. The training was easy to start. It wasn’t until we got into running over 10 miles that I really started to feel it. I started to notice my hip flexor muscles among others were getting sore and I started having problems with hydration. But after awhile my body got used to it and those pains went away. I also was able to find the best solution to my hydration issues.
The day of the race.
They had buses that transported us from the hotels to the race start. They had multiple busses to transport us all, but only one road for us all to travel on. Our bus got caught in traffic and got to the start area with only 15 minutes to go before the start. With 4000 runners all trying to get warmed up, use the restroom and do any last minute prep, this was not enough time.
Many people, not just the Crohn’s patients, needed to use the restroom. Even though they had tons of port-a-johns the lines were all so long I had to step out of line so I could start the race with my team. This left me starting the race with the urge to “go”. Talk about starting off on the wrong foot. I found it hard to concentrate on anything but the need to go and they didn’t have another bathroom break until mile 4. Frequent bathroom stops are a must for a person with Crohn’s or Short bowel, then add running a race and all that stress and it becomes an even bigger issue. I ended up stopping a total of 3 times during the race.
The course itself was a beast. It was a total of 13.1 miles, which I was ready for. But when they warned us that it was a very hilly course, I wish they would have elaborated more. I’m not sure anyone on my team was ready for all those hills. You would tackle one large hill get a tiny break and realize that you had 5 more to go. Going up wasn’t so bad, but running back down the hills was very hard on my joints. I really started to feel it in my knees when we were about 2/3 of the way through.
I started to feel like a wimp but then after the race I heard even the most hardened runners complaining about the hills. This made me feel much better.
Hydration was something that I was sure I was going to have issues with during the race. But all in all I think I did pretty well. Actually due to my camel back full of hydration fluids I was in better shape then many of the other runners. This is because the water stations ran out of Gatorade after the 3rd mile. So, all the other runners were offered only water from there on out. Water is good, but it does not replace any of the salts or sugars you lose while running.
Oddly because of my short bowel that necessitated I sip hydration fluids throughout the whole race, I was able to keep my hydration and sugar levels at a better level than most of everyone else. I also ate some shock blocks to keep my sugars up too.
I have found that individuals with Short gut need to be ready for situations like this so we are not scrambling to keep our hydration levels at base levels. We have to take control. If not for the camel back I would have been in a lot of trouble. Those of us with short gut have to be prepared, take control and take things in stride as best as we can.
Overall the experience was unbelievable. The best part was the crush at the start of the race. Imagine 4000 people all lined up, pumped up and ready to go. It was very cool experience and one I will not soon forget.
All my teammates and other runners were very supportive. There were hundreds of people there watching and cheering us on too. Even if they didn’t know you they were helpful and supportive. Often times I saw the spectators supplying water and Gatorade to the runners too.
I am so thankful to ThriveRx for all the support they gave me before, during and after the race. They supplied me with the knowledge and the tools to make this dream happen. Not only that, but they were there at the race to cheer me on and hook me up for hydration after the race. One of the nurses was also able to give me a quick check up after the race to make sure my CVL were doing well the race. It was so reassuring knowing that I had pros looking out for me. I think that gave peace of mind to not only me but to my wife Stacey too.
Having Stacey and Bailey there to run with was fantastic. We all started the race together and then split up. Then about 2/3 of the way through, Bailey and I found each other again. We both had different aches and pains that were slowing us down. We were even forced to walk up a few of the hills. Stacey finished a head of us but and Bailey and I were able to finish the race together. We were both hurting but we would allow ourselves to walk across the finish line, so we pushed each other to run to the finish line. It was a great father daughter experience.
Even though I finished the race but I am not personally satisfied with how I ran the race. So I plan on running another race. I am looking into a relay race that is 26.2 miles next summer. You run complete with 4 runners on your team, each runner runs 6.5 miles. There is also another Crohn’s race in Las Vegas that I am looking at for the fall of 2011. What ever race I try, it will be a flat one.
One thing is certain; this experience has definitely brought back the running bug that I used to have before I lost my bowel. It is good to have it back.
Thanks for following my story and cheering me on.
-Dave
HE DID IT!!!
Dave, Bailey and Stacey all ran 13.1 miles and finished the race.
Race started at 6:15am with a mass of 4,ooo runners all crossing the starting line.
Dave started near the front with Bailey. Stacey ran with her friend and Dave and Bailey were able to stay together for the whole race.
They were even able to cross the finish together.
Dave said the race went well and that the only problem he had was a sore knee.
He ran with ORS in his camelback and once he finished his nurse changed his dressing and hooked him up to some IV hydration.
It was incredible to see Dave run the race just like all the other 3,999 runners. So many times people see a diagnosis of short gut with TPN added in the equation as a terrible life changing event. It is a life changing event, but with work and determination, TPN doesn’t have to hold you back.Day Before the Race
Hi my name is Abby. I am updating the blog for Dave as he has already left Ohio and is now in Boston getting ready for the race. I will be heading to the race tomorrow to watch and cheer on Dave. I promise to take good pictures and let everyone know how he did. Until then, here is some information about the race.
The race is this Sunday, TOMORROW!!!
The race starts and ends at Prowse Farm, 5 Blue Hill River Rd, in Canton Mass. Historic Prowse Farm where the Suffolk Resolves were drafted for the first continental congress in 1774. The rolling course takes runners through the picturesque Blue Hills Reservation, which features the Great Blue Hill offering panoramic views of the entire metropolitan area from its summit, and into classic New England town of Milton. The route through town will take the runners past Milton Academy whose famous alums include TS Eliot, James Taylor and the Kennedy’s.
The race it’s self starts at 6:15 in the morning. The runners get picked up and bussed to the start at 5am! Yes, a very early start but this is a great way to avoid the heat that we have out here in Boston.
Two of the nurses that work for ThriveRx and I are going to watch the race from start to finish. The nurses are on hand just in case Dave needs any assistance during the race. They are also there to change his CVL dressing directly after the race as he will be tire, sweaty and not clean. Dave told us his dressing is usually barely still attached after running such a long distance and sweating so much.
After the race starts we will move on to the top of Great Blue Hill, mile 7. Then we move onto the finish.
There are 7 aid stations along the course which the race course passes 10 times total. There are bathrooms every mile (good to know for short bowel). Water and sports drinks at each aid station.
Dave will be running with his camel back filled with a Oral Rehydration Solution.
After the race we will all join Dave, Bailey and Stacey for the after Race BBQ.
If you would like more information about the race or to see the course map, visit: www.131marathon.com.
Dave is very excited for the race. After following his progress and training for so long I am very excited to see him finish the race that he has worked so hard to prepare for. I think that 13.1 miles is a long run, but for someone with short gut and on TPN, it is amazing and inspirational.
Good luck Dave!!!
Double Digit Training
This weekend Team Challenge moved to a new milestone, double-digit distance. Since Bailey is nursing what appears to be “shin splints” she took the weekend off. Stacey and I missed training with the team on Saturday due to a commitment. Saturday was in the mid-seventies for a high. The team practiced early (7:30 AM), and the temp was in the mid-fifties. Not bad weather.
Stacey and I made up the missed practice this morning. The temperature maxed out at 92 degrees today, and the morning temp was well above normal. We were to run 10 miles. I wore my Camel Back with ORS hydration drink. I felt great even with the warm temps. I was perspiring quite a bit after about 8 miles. Due to a concern of over doing it, Stacey and I decided to shut it down at 8 miles.
I immediately went home to change my dressing, and take a shower. On days like these, I must follow my protocol to change my dressing, and stay as sterile as possible. I can’t afford to be less than diligent about taking care of myself. This is the type of weather that can cause a central line infection, or become dehydrated. So far so good.
Hopefully, the weather is much cooler next Saturday. We run 11 miles…
One HUMP or TWO?
While training at shorter distances, I carried my Gatorade hydration drink in my hand when I ran. I always had to stop briefly when taking a drink. I tried drinking while running and I sometimes got my mustache all wet. It is kind of like rubbing your stomach and patting your head at the same time. It doesn’t always work smoothly.
I finally broke out the “Camelback” backpack. In my case, it is a “North Face” version. This is a backpack the holds up to 2.5 Liters of fluid. It is hands free as fluid can be sipped through a heavy duty tube that acts like a straw. No mess, no fuss. There is a tip on the end of the tube that you can bite, and the fluid then comes out. No drips! It is very easy to use. With the frequency of my fluid intake I can sip and run without missing a beat.
The only complaint I have is that the backpack can be quite hot on my back. A small price to pay for effectively staying hydrated.
A NECISSARY PICK ME UP
It has been stressed to the team by our trainers, Eric & Jeff, that as the miles increase the runners must take in extra calories along with our hydration fluid. Water will not suffice as a fluid during the long runs as our bodies require replacement of electrolytes, potassium, sodium, and additional calories. Sports drinks are a great resource. For me though, the more of my Gatorade recipe with 1/2 Gatorade-1/2 water, and table salt still adds quite a bit of sugar because of the higher volume of liquid I need for the long training runs.
The sugar will accelerate my digestion process and cause me to frequent the bathroom more often. I want to reduce the bathroom breaks as best possible. The best way to combat the need to go is to change my strategy for my hydration fluid. After many taste tests and trail runs. I have decided to change to the ORS (Oral Rehydration Salts) packets. ORS has the perfect combination of what I need to stay properly hydrated, without the flavoring and added sugar that comes with the sports drinks.
For the calorie replacement foods that include a combination of ingredients that provide a boost of energy while running, there is much to choose from, for the healthy distance runner that is. The two running stores near me, that I’ve become a recent regular at, carries a huge array of energy foods. Most of these food choices come in smaller packaging so that you can carry it on you during your activity. Be it running, walking, biking, hiking, etc…. Most of these foods have a good amount of sugar for energy. I found that most of the Energy Bars have nuts of some sort as one of the key ingredients. This is a great food source for energy, and calorie replacement as the nuts are high in calories due to the fat content. The nuts are also a great source of protein.
BUT, For the Crohn’s patient with short gut, the Energy Bars are not the best choice. You see, nuts are my enemy. They do not digest well, if at all. If there is any narrowing or scar tissue in what’s left of my intestinal anatomy, and I don’t chew the nuts up well enough, then I could be in big trouble. Worst case scenario, the nuts could cause another blockage. I won’t take that chance.
Here are some alternatives to the higher calorie foods.
1) Power Bar – This energy bar does have some nuts in some of the flavor options, but for the most part, they are ground up extremely fine and I don’t see them as a problem food choice. I eat half a bar at a time to avoid too much intake at one time. This brand is a great resource.
2) Sport Beans – This is a dense, high energy food that looks like jelly beans. These “jelly beans” are a combination of carbs, electrolytes, and vitamins. They are all natural. Stacey, and Bailey like this food choice. The package is small enough to keep on you while you run.
3) Clif Shot Blocks – Another dense, high energy food that is also high calorie. They are a natural boost of energy in the form of an 1″x1″x1″ block. It looks like a candy bar that you can break off six individual squares. They taste like “gummy bears”. I like this food. The natural flavors are great.
Team Vermette with Mentor Stephanie
Since my wife, Stacey, has been to just about every team practice, she decided that she would like to join Team Challenge and it’s “Race for the Cure” in Boston. She was concerned about stealing Bailey and I’s thunder since she competed in the race last year. I told her we would absolutely enjoy having her join the team. This completes Team Vermette as the whole family is now involved.
Pictured with The Vermettes is Stephanie, our mentor, who competed in Kona, Hawaii last summer. Staphanie has completed quite a few Team Challenge half marathon events and is a great mentor to follow. She is quite an inspiration.
Short Bowel Hydration Hints
As we head into the weekend, I wanted to let all my readers know about a free Webinar that my home health care company is offering next Friday June 4th at noon.
Join Us for a FREE
Educational Teleconference
“Hydration Hints for the Short Bowel Consumer”
Presented by Maria Karimbakas, RD
June 4th at 12 noon
Topics to be discussed:
- Causes of Dehydration
- Signs and Symptoms of Dehydration
- Treatment Options
- Preventing De-Hydration
- Review of Oral Re-hydration Solutions
Maria Karimbakas is a registered dietitian. She has worked at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Nutritional Restart Center in Hopkinton, MA, and currently she works as a consultant for ThriveRx. Maria has co-authored several abstracts and papers on the subject of diet and SBS.
You may access this program by phone only or via the web.
To register for this event please email Abby Brogan atabrogan@thriverx.net or call 774-270-3425.
Do as I say not as I do……
The other important aspect of our training that is hammered home at every opportunity by our trainers is calorie intake. While our bodies crave fluids, so too does our body need to replenish the calories we are losing through physical exertion. I am starving all the time!
A small breakfast gets me started before training that includes meat protein (3oz.), carbohydrate (Nature Valley Oats n’ Honey granola bar), a tablespoon of low-fat peanut butter (the best food ever invented!!), and small banana. I really do not want to eat any more before I run as it makes me feel lethargic. Usually, I will have a bowel movement before I head out, and with short gut that can leave me feeling hungry again. I will eat another granola bar on the way to training. Once training is over, there is an assortment of healthy snacks to choose from. I like to eat a banana and bagel.
The key is to take in frequent small meals. Again, as a short gut patient, this is a schedule that I have followed for 15 years. Only this time, I am pretty much grazing all the time. With my anatomy, if I eat too much at one setting, it will pass right through me with my body receiving little, or no benefit from the calories or nutrients.
You are what you eat! Make sure you make the right food choices to maintain your optimum level of performance. Incorporate lean meats, chicken, fish, pastas, low-sugar cereal or granola bars (without nuts for patients/consumers), fruits & vegetables. I try to limit my fruit & veggie intake at meals as it tends to go right through me. The rule for short gut patients is about a 1/2 cup of either per meal.
“I am not a role model”. These words were uttered by Charles Barkley, the hall-of-fame basketball player, to the parents of kids who looked up to him. While I am preaching the “you are what you eat” sermon on nutrition, the Vermette’s caved in to a craving after training a few weeks back. You see, the local root beer stand, actually called, “The Root Beer Stand“ opens every spring to a hoard a people craving the chili dogs, and homemade root beer (made in a cellar below the stand). I knew it was open and posed the lunch-time question to Stacey and Bailey. It didn’t take much coaxing to win them over.
We headed on over. After (2) chili, onion, and mustard Coneys, along with a bag of chips, and a small root beer, which tasted unbelievable!!, I paid a hefty price. I paid for the next 2 days. In the words of my late father, Don’t do as I do, do as I say!” Looking back I would do it again, but I knew what to expect after I ate what I shouldn’t have.
Inspiration
Rick is the president of the Oley Foundation, which is a non-profit foundation for patients on home Parenteral, or enteral nutrition (like me), caregivers, and medical professionals. It is a wonderful organization that provides vital news and information pertaining to long term nutritional assistance.
I heard about Rick a few years ago in one of my Oley newsletters. Rick suffered a stroke about 8 years ago and lost his ability to swallow. He cannot eat or drink by mouth. He administers nutrition directly into his stomach via a tube.
Think about what is like not to taste food, or feel refreshed by a cool drink of choice on a hot day. I can’t imagine. Rick, however, does not just survive on his tube feeding, he thrives.
I was approached this past fall to design a T-shirt for a Hike-A-Thon that Rick was embarking on. This hike was to take place in the Grand Canyon. Rim-to-rim as he called it. The distance was over 23 miles! In one day! Over extremely rough terrain. The hike was a fundraiser for the Oley Foundation.
What impressed me most was that not only was Rick taking this challenge on as a patient requiring tube feeding to survive, but he also was 67 years old. I would be impressed just with the 67 year old part. Not many healthy people that age would consider taking something on like that. And what’s more, this was not the first time Rick had accomplished the rim-to-rim hike. He had completed this challenge many times before.
I look at Rick as an incredible inspiration in that; he does not let his condition stop him from enjoying life to the fullest. He is someone who leads by example. When the going gets tough while training I will follow Rick’s lead.
Carpe Diem!
