Episode 59: Mark Guyer - The Summer of Speed

Episodes

May 31

Mark Guyer qualified for Boston at 23, waited 15 years to go, and is now faster at 40 than he was in high school, with pro runner Scott Fauble as his coach.

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About this episode

Mark Guyer is one of the fastest and friendliest runners in the Fishers Running Club, and a friend calls him the happy runner. He ran his first marathon at the Cleveland Towpath Marathon in 2005 at age 23, then took years to get serious again. Since 2020 he has broken 3 hours, broken 2:30 at the Carmel Marathon, won the open Monumental Mile, and started working with pro runner Scott Fauble.

We talk about pacing his wife Michelle through her first Boston Marathon, his wild 2022 that included a broken collarbone and his dad's triple bypass surgery, and winning a Run 317 race the night of that surgery. Mark also shares how he adopted his two sons, how his oldest son Teddy's cerebral palsy led him to First Steps, and how he helped that program recover millions of dollars in denied claims. And yes, we talk about the running details at their wedding.

In this episode, we discuss

Pacing Michelle through her first Boston Marathon and getting knocked into a trash can at mile 24
Switching from middle school football to cross country and track
Ultimate frisbee and the Little 50 at Indiana University
Qualifying for Boston at his first marathon, the Cleveland Towpath Marathon, at 23
Taking 15 years to finally run Boston
Breaking 3 hours at the Napa Valley Marathon in March 2020
How reading Inside a Marathon led to Scott Fauble coaching him
Breaking his collarbone on a night bike ride three months before Monumental
Running a 4-minute PR at a windy 2022 Monumental Marathon
Breaking 2:30 and finishing fourth at the 2023 Carmel Marathon
The Run 317 series, the Monumental Mile, and the summer of speed
Adopting his sons Teddy and Luca through open adoption
How First Steps helped Teddy and how Mark helped it recoup millions
Winning a Run 317 race the night of his dad's triple bypass surgery
Race bibs as centerpieces and medals as favors at his wedding

Chapters

Intro
Pacing a first Boston Marathon
From the offensive line to cross country
College, ultimate frisbee, and the Little 50
A Boston qualifier at his first marathon
Chasing Boston again for 15 years
Running camp and coaching himself
Getting coached by Scott Fauble
A broken collarbone and a windy Monumental
Breaking 2:30 and racing Houston
Run 317 and the summer of speed
Adoption, Teddy, and First Steps
Winning a race on his dad's surgery day
A running-themed wedding
Mantra and next finish lines

Mentioned in this episode

Races: Boston Marathon, Cleveland Towpath Marathon, Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, Chicago Marathon, Napa Valley Marathon, Carmel Marathon, Houston Marathon, Berlin Marathon, Monumental Mile, Run 317 series, Full Mo, Fair on the Square Half Marathon, Little 50, Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon, Wolfstock 5K
Organizations and charities: Fishers Running Club, Athletic Annex, First Steps (Indiana), Adoption Support Center, Indiana Elite, Hoka, Nike, Puma
Other: Inside a Marathon by Scott Fauble, Scott Fauble, Molly Seidel, Conner Mantz, Inches to Miles film by Athletic Brewing, Boston Betty's, VDOT, Pen and Paces, Nike Vaporfly

Previous guests mentioned

Related episodes

Frequently asked

Who coaches Mark Guyer?

Mark Guyer, a Fishers, Indiana marathoner, has been coached by professional runner Scott Fauble since October 2022 after reading Fauble's book Inside a Marathon.

When did Mark Guyer break 2:30 in the marathon?

Mark Guyer broke 2 hours 30 minutes for the first time at the 2023 Carmel Marathon, where he finished fourth with a negative split, about three years after first breaking 3 hours at the Napa Valley Marathon.

What is First Steps in Indiana?

First Steps is Indiana's early intervention program for children from birth to age three; Mark Guyer's son Teddy, who has cerebral palsy, received services through it, and Mark later helped the program recoup millions of dollars in denied insurance claims.

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Transcript

This transcript was generated automatically, so it may contain errors.

Welcome to finish lines and milestones with Allie brettnacker incredible stories and tales of triumphs with everyday people achieving their goals and fitness. This podcast brought to you by Athlete Bouquets. Celebrate finish lines and. Milestones of the people that you love by visiting athletebouquets.com. Hello and welcome to Episode 59. This is Allie Brettnacker. Happy belated Global Running Day, everybody. I'm sure most of you celebrated. Hopefully you got a chance to except for me to be my mom. Hi mom. I did celebrate by running on the treadmill earlier in the day. I actually procrastinated and it got really hot. And so I decided to go in my basement in the air conditioning instead of braving the elements.

And then I had FOMO when everybody was at the Athletic Annex Global Running Day party, which if you're not familiar with Athletic Annex, they're a local running store here in the Indy area. So I was bummed. Hopefully next year I'll get to go to that. But I did golf in the rain instead, so there's that. I also had a chance this last weekend to spectate for the full MO, which is an ultra marathon that starts at the beginning of the Monon Trail, which is in Sheridan IN and then goes all the way downtown Indianapolis. So it's a 50 K 31.1 miles. This year they've grown to have about 100 runners or so.

And I talked to Mark Geyer, who's this week's guest, about whether or not he was cheering. And he was at the Monon Center with the Fishers Running Club. So I took my girls out in a wagon and we ended up cheering for a lot of my friends and people that I'd actually finally met for the first time. So shout out to everybody who finished the race, but also some of my previous podcast guests, Nate Spangle. I got to see Christy D, Sarah Stewart, Ashley, who's on my Ragnar team for this September. Eileen Poor didn't run the race, but she was out there sharing some miles with Danya.

And I got to meet Sarah Kane for the first time. Vince, a previous guest, was out there cheering with the run club as well. And it was really fun to be in that environment. It really made me want to sign up for the race next year. I really wanted to do it this year, but you know, by the time I was really excited about doing it, it was too late to to train. So someday I also got to meet Drew, who is part of the Fishers Run Club and listens to this. So thanks, Drew. I appreciate your support and it was nice to meet you.

But yeah, how much fun to be able to get my girls to come out as well. I just love getting them involved in something I love so much. So we made signs. I gave them the small karaoke machine, which is a mistake. They started calling Mark Poopy Daddy or something like that. So sorry about that Mark. But it was all in good fun. And Michelle, Mark's wife was there as well. She is mentioned quite a bit in this episode. And then Sarah Farney also, I did not see there. I don't remember what she was doing, but Mark talks about her in this episode too. So when he talks about Sarah, that's Sarah Farney.

And then one more thing before I switch back to Mark. If you have not yet gone to YouTube and watched Inches to Miles with previous guest Timmy Howard, go do that. It's 70 minutes. It is so inspiring. It'll make you want to sign up for an Ironman, which it kind of made me want to, which I never in a million years would have ever thought that I would say. Certainly not something I'll do when my kids are young probably. But man, it was such a good film. Again, it was created by Athletic Brewing, so go check that out. Do it this weekend, you will not regret it.

Sadly, you cannot watch it on the Peloton treadmill or bike because it has to be YouTube TV, which is just dumb. So anyway, OK, but back to mark, this week's guest, Mark Geyer. Super fast, super kind. I really enjoyed getting a chance to finally get to know him and we talked about so much in this episode. Once I am done recording this intro, we'll see if it breaks the record for being the longest. So for those of you out on the long run today, you are welcome. Enjoy all of these awesome stories from from Mark. So we talked about this year's Boston Marathon that he went to with his wife and Sarah Farney.

We talk about kind of how he got into running growing up, how he ended up getting into marathoning. We talk about several of the races he's done, how he came to be coached by pro runner Scott Foble. You know, his crazy year that was 2022. You're not even going to believe what he went through and what he accomplished in the year 2022. And we talk about the summer of speed and Run Three Run seven races that are getting ready to start. His involvement in an organization called First Steps, which he came to know through the adoption of his oldest son, Teddy. So Mark actually helped them recoup millions of dollars, which is just so cool.

A huge props to Mark for for helping them out. What a cool accomplishment that's not running related. And then we talk about his wedding to Michelle, which just took place this year, and the running details they incorporated, which I could nerd out about and brainstorm about ways to incorporate running in weddings all day long. It's so cool what they did. And then we talk about types of awards that we've both gotten because I know Mark has won a lot more stuff than I have. So I was curious if he had ever gotten anything random as an award. So you'll have to let us know how you think Mark did at the end of this episode in terms of using all his words.

You'll hear more about what we mean if you make it to the end. Also, if you do love this podcast or this particular episode, please rate review. I never tell you to do that. So if you could just if you listen, go do that for me. Thank you. And please, please enjoy this episode with Mark Geyer. OK. Mark Geyer, welcome. Thank you. You're not as scary in person as I imagined, which I told you a couple of weeks ago, whenever that was. Yeah, we're standing at the minute. You're like, well, I'd like to invite you on the podcast, but you seem scary. And so I was glad Sarah and Kelly and whoever else.

I mean, I don't think I'm smiling a lot on Instagram too, so I can't seem too too scary. I don't know. I think it's just this elusiveness of how talented you are and how fast you are and that you, I see pictures of you like breaking finish line tape and I'm like, he scares me. Well, yeah, not not scary, but it's good. It's good to just, yeah, share, share that with people and and not yeah, you don't have to be scared by people running fast. I think that's one of the main things about the running club that I've been in recently is just, hey, let's go out and run like it.

It doesn't. We're not racing today, so it's fine. Yeah, yeah, that's so. Yeah, it's good. Everyone says you are so nice and Vince calls you the happy. Runner, he said. It's our point. I wore my shirt. Oh yeah, I'm. Good to go. That is nice. And then it was, we were in Boston for Michelle's ran her first, first marathon. We met a guy there and we're talking to him. He's like, well, what are you doing? It's like, well, I'm, I'm pacing, I'm, I'm going to hang out today. And he's like, well, what, what time do you run? And I told him he's like, oh, well, you seem a lot less uptight than most people that run that fast.

And I'm like, well, thank you. I, that's the greatest compliment. That's the greatest compliment from I'm really happy about it. Thank you. Like it's, I just want to have fun doing it. Yeah, it was really fun to track you guys. So you, Sarah and Michelle were all just like in this little and I didn't know that was the plan. You know, going in, you'd probably share it perhaps before that. It was, but I just when I was tracking everyone, I noticed you guys all stuck together. That had to be a really fun experience. It was fun. There was a group of about six of us early, so we had a big group and again, I was there taking videos of the start and just hyping them up.

And there's a a place in Boston called Boston Betty's. OK, I've never heard of. That it's a retirement home in Hopkinton and so instead of going to the big outdoor athletes village, you can go to the spot. It's through like friends of a friend's and you go in and there's this 80 year old woman Betty, and they have snacks and everything laid out. It's inside the like Community Center. She'll play her accordion and her piano, but you can go hang out there. So you kind of like it's, it's a it's a little secret spot. I've run Boston three Times Now and never been out inside out out in the main area.

Just one was a COVID year and then got invited to go to Boston Betty's because I had the connection. And so it's, it's a nice little spot. So you're in there just like talking up, having people on fun, get in the group together. So a lot of the fishers folks that ran it met there beforehand. And then we started then we, we made it yeah, through, through about 10K. And then people, different people, started saying yeah. That's impressive. 10K together. Yeah, yeah. So that so that was good. And Sarah and Michelle and I were together for a little longer and that, you know, it's a whole different experience.

The start is so crowded, you're going downhill and it's just packed in And so trying to weave in and out, give people water. It was hot. And were you the water boy? I was the water boy. So, so, so I'm running, asking what's going on? I'm running over to the table, I'm grabbing like 4 cups of water at a time. Like people are trying to hand them to me and I'm like, no, someone over just like, you know, sticking my full hand on the table, picking them up, running back over to the group, you know, handing them out. And then if they don't want them, I'm like opening up the water bottle I'm carrying and pour, filling it back in on the run and going.

So we got something, something on the move. So with Waterboy and like trying to createspace and run back and forth if there was ice and just help out. But I did. The craziest thing was we're getting to the end and it's mile 24. I run ahead to get one of the tables and I, I stopped. There's like a table on my left table on my right trash can and all the empty cups behind me. So I kind of tuck into that spot, grab some water and I turn to look for Michelle. As I turn to look I'm stepping back and this woman comes at me full speed and instead of like going left she goes right into my chest and I'm like mid foot rotation shoves me over into the trash can of water cups, knocks me over and I just start laughing.

I'm like what? And then she sprints off. So I hope I hope she got a personal Rep whatever she was going for that day. I hope she. Got. Didn't even that just kind of like shove me over and I took off. And so then I pop up Michelle's like, are you OK? I'm like, I don't know, like, let's finish. Like let's just finish out. Yeah, what just happened? I just got pushed over in the middle of the Boston Marathon. So trying trying to help people. So that was. If I accidentally ran into somebody, I would be mortified and I'd be like, I'm so sorry, but she was like, no.

She was just ready for a fight. I know she was ready to be done. I was like, all right, I'm sorry. So. Well, it was from a distance, quite the day in terms of heat. Yeah, it was. It got warm early. It was about we talked about being there for a great time, but not a fast time. So we definitely had a great time, made the call to pivot at maybe 10-11 miles, like let's let's start walking the water stops and enjoying it because we want to have fun. And not feel. Yeah, like, you want to die. Yeah. And I want to hit the wall and be in that, like forced March to the finish.

But we did. It was funny. We got to the the end and we're coming up doing, you know, the turn right on Hereford, left on Boylston. And so Michelle's getting fired up. I'm like, well, let's go. You got the finish line. She starts picking it up and running and we get about halfway and she's like this, she's kind of cranking. I'm like, you're moving fast. Like we got a little bit to go. And then she looks at me and she's like, all right, we got a little bit to go. Can we slow down? I'm like, yeah, we can slow down. So we can we can go full speed across the finish.

Line. I can imagine feeling that pull as you're getting. Yeah, as soon as you get there, yeah. You're like, OK. And the crowd, I mean, it's all packed. So I mean, it's just a great finish line experience. And I and I've done the same thing at the Monumental Marathon. Fisher sets up the tent kind of right there in that those last turns. And I've had a couple times where I've come through and they start cheering and going nuts and I start to pick it up and immediately cramp up and I'm like, I need to not fall over and walk in on the finish. Like it's too, too exciting.

I'm not ready to go like all out here for this last. Yeah, I'm trying to picture what there's maybe like 800 meters at that point. So it's. Yeah, you're like, I got this. Still got. But no, a little bit, yeah. Anything you've been nursing for the last? Like 10 days comes back. Yeah, yeah, for sure. Oh my gosh. Well, what an exciting experience. So it's been fun. So it's been fun. Running with Sarah first Boston and Michele's first Boston. Yes, you really were like. Yeah, like I was just there. I was like, whatever you guys want to do, We'll we'll go out. We wanted to go to the the Puma run because Michelle is a huge Molly Seidel fan.

So we we got up that morning. The run was at 8. She's like, I want to be there early to check in. Like we didn't sign up or register. So we went to the spot and talk to the Puma reps. So again, it's fine. Just come back. You're good. Like you didn't, you didn't pay for the breakfast afterwards, the meet and greet, but just come, we'll get you in. So we walked over to the Fairmont Hotel. We're all the pros stay to hang out for an hour. So we're hanging out there in the lobby just waiting. We see Connor Mance. He comes out and he's got like a Nike run he's going to, but he stops and says hi and actually is super nice.

You know, ask Michelle. We're like, this is her first Boston Marathon. He's like, oh, he's like, well, what did people tell you about the hills? And she said, well, I've had people tell me both like, not to worry about them. They're not that bad or, hey, they're really going to beat you up. So he kind of laughed. He's like, yeah, I heard the same thing too. And I thought they weren't going to be a big deal. But last year I, they really came back to bite me. And I got past in the end. So he was just really nice and like chatting and talking about her race and his race together.

And then we went out and went to the Puma Run and Molly Seidel was there and Dakota was there and Michelle was wearing a Molly shirt. Yeah, I saw that picture. Yeah. And we're trying to meet him. Like everyone's there trying to meet him. Same thing, like any kind of meet up like that. And they're inside the restaurant bar where we're at. And she's like, I want to get a picture. I want to get a picture. And like as soon as we get close, they're like, all right, Nope, she's got to go. So Molly goes out of back door and we go out the front to like start the group run.

So we kind of come up and turn the corner and walk 5 feet and then I'm always right there again. And so I'm like Michelle, she's like, what? She's just annoyed that she couldn't get a picture. And I'm like, I'm like right here. She said what? She turns and looks and when she looks, Molly turns and looks and sees her shirt and is like, hey, like come get like, hey, that's my quote, let's get a picture. So it turned out great. So that was fun. And then yeah, those shops and the whole like runner party is a great experience. So I go back and forth between wanting to go and just take in that weekend and not worry about the race.

And I'd said before like I don't want to race it again. I don't want to race it again but then walking around. Seeing all the people and all the elites, you're like I. Really. Yeah, this is fun. Like everything's good shape, It's fine. It's just such a great event. So yeah, it was great. It was fun and, and having the group, I mean, there were probably four or five people from the Fishers running club, another five or six people from just in the, in the area. And then there's a group of guys that I call them the Elite hype Squad. So that, that's her name.

There's, there's three guys, the elite hype, the Elite hype squad. They I met him at Fair on the Square half marathon OK in 20/20/20. Where is that? Marathon out in Danville on the West side. OK. Yeah, yeah, I did know that. And so we'd run that race and they had finished. We'd finished first, second and third in that race. And I didn't know. I'm once from West Virginia, once from Michigan. But after that, like, we just talked and we're texting pictures and met him at the beer tent afterwards. And now we've stayed in touch for this whole time. So we talk and cheer each other on.

I've seen him in Boston, I've seen him at Carmel, different spots. And everyone has their ups and downs. And the guy in Michigan, he has work that brings him down here. So we've met up a few times, but we've got a little like group chat going, like always check in and like seeing how everyone's doing. The one guy just ran Bayshore and had a great time. Oh. Awesome, So that's a. Good. So it's a good little squad, a good little. It moved from like Strava, like encouragement, actually just. Now we're friends. Yeah. Yeah. So wait, who? OK. What was the first, second, third? Did you win?

I didn't, I was third, third and so now I I've been really lucky. I've improved a lot over the last four years. So there's they're always laugh and joke. They're like, whatever, whatever you're on, like, you know, you got got to give it a secret. Yeah. I'm like, oh, yeah, yeah. Keep take. A nap. Keep it up. Yeah. So, yeah. So, yeah, they were I I was the last one of that one. So now, so now I've been like, all right. And the guy that was second, he's the one who lives in Michigan, Earnest. He was wearing like basketball shorts. So I was going. I was like, I can't, I can't believe you beat me in basketball shorts.

Like I got to come back and like really push. So yeah. Like I was just disrespectful. Like we got, we got to go. Does he still wear basketball? Shorts. No, he's got, I think it was just yeah, yeah. Just. That was just that day. Danville, IN Yeah, shout out to Danville Family Dentistry, that's my best. Friend. Yeah, practice. Yeah, so I ran a 5K out there. I don't think it was the same event, though. Yeah, because it was small. It was like a livestock something. I made the awards and so there's like a pig on the and I was like, I'm going to get that.

Did you get it? Actually, because it was so small, because there's like 10 people. There, yeah, there's the fair on the square, it's a half and they added a full for a while. That was the year they added the full because there were no, no marathons there. Everything was cancelled. And so some people use it as their virtual Boston and turn around again. So it's, I mean, it's what you expect for West Indianapolis, just a lot of open fields, a little bit of rolling at the end. But the worst is you can give Todd Oliver a hard time about the end of the end of it is that you come out and the last half mile, you go down this hill and make a hairpin right back up it, you know, in that worst spot where you're like, yeah, I just want to finish.

I wish I want to be done. And it's. Yeah, no. Got to go right back up. Yeah, right, right by just. Just mean if you don't know it's coming. Yes. Like once you've done it, at least you can mentally prepare for. That I don't know. I haven't been back. I can't. I can't do that again. That's so funny. Oh gosh, what good stories, Boston. I will get there someday. I will. I, I think so. I was listening, yeah. I, I mean, I so, so my background a little bit. I, I ran in, in high school and like, I got it, I got into running. I decided I was going to do football in middle school.

So I got on the football team in middle school. And at the time. Are you from here? I'm from Columbus, IN, so it's just an hour. SI was on the football team and I don't, not particularly fast. I thought, you know, not speedy and but I had hit puberty earlier, so I was like one of the bigger guys. So I was the center. So I was on the offensive line in middle school. So, so, so yeah. So I'm on the offensive line. But then every time we'd get in trouble or have to run laps, I'd finish near the front. And so about like, you know, halfway through the season, the coaches like, you know what?

I, I think you should try cross country and track instead of football. And I was like, you know what? I, I think I will like I, I really didn't, but one of as like everyone was doing football, so I signed up. I can picture. That, but I didn't and I was just, I was like, yeah, you know, you're right. I'm not really like, I don't really love being on the offensive line and just like just that it wasn't fun. And so I made the switch, ran all through middle school and high school, you know, nothing special. Like was fine. We had some success as a as a team, you know, finally made it the the big goals making at the state and made it in a relay like senior year.

And then went to IU and was going to maybe do the little little 500 at IU. Got into the ultimate frisbee team there instead. And so played like Club Ultimate for a while and then just shifted to way more beer runs than morning runs and just got out of it. Wait, what is ultimate frisbee? So it's kind of like soccer with the Frisbee. OK, so it's because I picture it's not frisbee golf. That's different. Yeah. Yeah. So, so you got two teams. You kind of throw it to each other. You can take three steps and you have to throw it. So you're kind of passing it up and down the field.

You can make long throws like down the field and the kicks to score in the end zone. So it's it's a little bit like soccer frisbee. I would be so bad at that. Yeah, it's it's good for like runner. You're like, all right, well, I just running the whole time. So if you got the endurance. You can just suck at throwing. Yeah, you got to work. But that that's I, I didn't get to handle the they're they're, they're called handlers. Like they're like the point guards. So they touch, they touch the disc way more often than anyone else. You're just like I can run. Yeah, I'm, I'm going long or playing defense or whatever, just like basketball.

Like I got, I got cut from the elementary school basketball team, but my dad's still mad about that. He thought it was I was like, well, we didn't we weren't from Indiana. We moved here. I never touched a basketball. And so like I've never, you know, I I was in the right spot when I finally got into cross country intro. But yeah, I went to IU and ran there just for fun. Like, you know, sign up for a race now and again, have some friends with do do something. They did do a little 50 there for a couple of years and that was a running version of the little 505 hundred.

Yeah. So we had a little. 500's a bike race for people who most people who listen to this are local, however people who aren't little 500 we've talked about before but it's a bike race. Is it 500 lap? No, it's not 500 laps. I think it's. Heavy lot. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's. About 500 miles and two. Two. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it's a little fifty was a fifty mile run. Miles. Yeah, but it was picturing K. Yeah. Yeah, 50 miles, but it was a team of four people. OK. So, so we made-up a team of kind of independent, you know, we had, we had our kind of club team that we competed for intramurals in.

So it was always US against the frat and and we're ready to go. So US against the Greeks. So we had our our are a nemesis and we're racing little 50 and had fun doing that. But then we didn't we didn't get the win. They beat us. We we beat him on the qualifying day and by the we got beat by the fray. Yeah. So we got him back on the ultimate frisbee. But on little 50 they came through on the day and and and took the win for this late. So it was. It was. Tough. So you still think about. That yeah, it was.

It was, it was. It was rough. But then after I graduated, I was like, I'm going to run a marathon. And then I wasn't. I wasn't, I hadn't gotten a full time job yet. I was kind of hanging around Bloomington. I was working at the footwear section of Dick's Sporting Goods. OK, so I was down, down at Dick's Sporting Goods, helped open the Bloomington store, was working at Footwear. You know, thought I was going to coach cross country and track and teach English somewhere, but I was like, well, I'm going to wait and see. Oh, like somewhere in the. World. Yeah, just yeah. And I was like, I'm going to do this time working retail and training for the marathon.

So I ran my first marathon in 2005. I was 23. The Cleveland Towpath Marathon, which is out in this beautiful spot. Cleveland gets like a bad rap, but their park system is amazing. They call it the Emerald Necklace. And it's just this whole park system that goes around the city. And this towpath is like the towpath down at Broad Ripple, right? Used to, you've got the canal, and so it's kind of crushed gravel and pathways. So I ran my first marathon there. How did you choose that? My parents lived in Cleveland. Utah, OK, that makes a lot of sense because I'm like out of all the 1st.

All the first ones, yeah. Why'd you pick that? My parents, My parents were there. And my dad's like, you should do this because he loved her on the trail. Are they still in Cleveland? No, they're bad. They moved to Fishers really four years ago at the start of the pandemic. So it's like they they moved and two weeks later the world shut down. So we like moved him in, like helped him settle, and then we're like passing him through to the door. Oh my gosh, how weird. Yeah, but it's great. They live close now and are a big piece of helping with running and and all the things we do.

Their favorite is like every Saturday morning they'll come and and hang out with the boys. I got two boys that are 8 and six, and so they have grandparent time on Saturday morning while we're off doing our long runs, so it's great. So yeah, I picked the Cleveland Marathon 'cause it was by my parents. The Towpath Marathon is. It all on a towpath. Yeah, yeah, it's all. So it's all kind of like Monon or Towpath like so it's all that kind of mix. So really scenic. Not a not a lot of fans, not a lot of spectators. I can. Imagine and I ran. Well, I ran 3 hours and 5 minutes.

So it was enough at the time. It was enough for me to qualify for Boston. Which is, yeah, that age, that's amazing. And it was. How old would you have been? Then I was 23. Wow. And when I was running the race, I was running it with some older guys. I thought they were really old the time they were four. They're they're younger than I am now. And I was with them through like 16 miles and about then I got, it was my first one. I was like, right, it's time to go. And so I took off and I was like, I got this, like, I'll be fine.

I'm going to break 3 hours. Like I'm ready, I'm ready. And they both passed me with a mile to go. And I was like, Oh no, like they they're like got you kid. You don't know what you're doing. I have no idea. But yeah, I qualify for Boston. And I was like, well, that was fun. Like I did it. And my dad's like, this is great. Like are you going to go? I'm like, I don't know, like I kind of want to go with some friends. I'm like, I'm like, I've got a bunch of friends that ran. We'll, we'll go sometime soon and that sometime soon turned into 15 years eventually.

Wow, so it took. Oh my gosh, you have to just be like, but you didn't know. I didn't know at the time, I didn't understand. Everyone was still talking. They're like, you know, people are still in shape. I'm like, look, you guys, we'll we'll go, we'll get a group, let's qualify like I want to go and we'll have a good time and run it together. 15 years. And it took 15 years for me to re qualify for other people I knew to get back in and I'd be ready to go. Yeah. So. Wow, that's that's funny. So that was kind of like the start of that first, first season of running, got into it and then finished up in Bloomington and moved to Indy and got a job with Adidas at their They have a screen printing facility and a warehouse on the east side of town.

So the time they were printing all the NFLNBA football jersey, Yeah. So you'd like watch the game and whoever won or whoever played, well, you're like, all right, we're going to have orders for, you know, some more painting jerseys coming in. Let's go. And so it was up in Indy. Decided to go back and go to grad school in the evening and just really kind of, you know, got out of shape hanging out. Yeah, working. Working. Grad. School just busy. And from there it was finally. So that was, you know, I finished grad school in 2011. OK. At that point, I was trying to, I'd run occasionally.

I in the middle of grad school, I decided I was going to run every day for a year. I had never done that. There was, it was big when I was growing up on our high school team. There are people that were all, all about the consecutive days and it was something that I just never, never did. So I decided I was going to do that in grad school and I got, I got through a year, I raced monumental kind of in the middle of that and really blew up. That was in 2000 and nine. And again, it was one other thought, all right, I'm going to go back.

This is it. It's I'm going. To Is that your next race after Cleveland? That was my next marathon yeah, and and I was like I'm going to go back. I'm going to do this I'll qualify again. And it was one where got about two mile 1718, you know, hadn't fueled or what whatever it was, you know, hit hit that wall that that you got to figure out. Everyone, everyone knows it's come in and you know it at a monumental that part of the race is through new fields and the IMA. And I just remember walking through there and thinking if if anyone I know drives by right now, I'll get a ride back down.

Like I didn't want to. I didn't want to finish. I had no pride. I was like, I just want to be the I, but I eventually kind of shuffled my way to the to the finish line and I was like, alright, that that was tough. And you probably still finish faster than most people would. Yeah, I mean, it's fine. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So yeah, as mopy as I was, people would say, right, just just be quiet. So no, but I, you know, yeah. And it's all about like your individual. I think that's what's like with so many folks. It's like you just got to be happy about where you're at in your own, like your own.

Journey, yeah, it's all relative. Yeah, for you. That sucks for some people at the PR, and it's the same for any. Yeah, my, my goal was to run 40 minutes faster than that. So like whatever your goal was like yeah, yeah, yeah. It was a long time. People were like, where are you at? I'm like, I'm coming. Tracking was good back then. So it's like we're so yeah. So that was 2009. I ran it again with some friends a few years later in 2013. And that one, you know, his, his goal was just to break 4 hours. So we were out just having fun. It was close.

We had to kick in the last mile and, and racing and we were in and 3:59. Oh, here we go and got it and got it done. And so then it was after that in 2017, I kind of said over like, all right, we're going to, we're going to get serious about this. Like we're, we're going to qualify for Boston and it's going to happen. We got into Chicago and we were running and both in shape and been training. It's when I first got on to Strava. He, he lived in, he was in, he was in Chicago, and then he moved to Seattle during the middle of the training block.

And I was still in Indy. So we're using it to just motivate each other and check on your training runs and, you know, get on, get on Strava and look, say, all right, well, did you do 20? 17 When was Strava? First, I think just a few years before that yeah, OK. And so we joined and got ready for Chicago and similar store. We were together through probably about 15 miles and I could tell he, he was starting to kind of drag. We, we run a lot of races together And, and every other year we'd we'd rotate and when one of us would ever feel off, start to drift back, the other one could tell and would look back and just kind of point at the ground and get like, hey, you have to get back up here.

Yeah. And that usually would work for a mile or two. And then you, you you'd be. Do you know you were? Cooked. I'm good, I'm out. If you're the one in the front pointing, you're like, all right, well, I got this win and bragging rights for the day like he's he's gone. So that kind of started to happen to us at the Chicago race. I said, well, I feel, I still feel really good, man. I'm, I'm going to go. He's like, do it. He's like, you got this. So again, I take off this is again early, like 16 and run another few miles and then get into Chinatown.

I think that's like 1819 ish for Chicago and start to just hit the wall and you know, slow down, slow down, find my way in. You know, I, I finish 10-15 minutes slower than I needed than we needed to to qualify for Boston. Turn around and I'm waiting for him at the finish line. He comes 5 minutes later and like you could see us. He's just like ready to celebrate, 'cause last you saw. Oh, you were I, I left. 10 miles ago and and he's like, I was like. No, and you're like. No, sorry. I let us down. So that was, that was 2017. And then three years after that same kind of thing.

This is the spring of 20 and we'd signed up for the Napa Marathon. So we were going out to Napa in shape, ready to go. I had just been focused and steady. I had just kind of met a few people in the Fishers area, hadn't really connected with anyone to run with. Still kind of training on my own a lot. And we got out there and it was the first time we'd use a pacer. So he was in good shape. I was in good shape. We found the three hour pacer. We're like, let's stick with this guy. And everyone says an app was nice because it's downhill, which it is.

Net, downhill, net downhill. Yeah. But it's very rolling at the start. So you're kind of rolling like who put, who put these hills here? What's going on? And so we were together this time all the way through 20 miles. And when you get to mile 20, the pacer was real good the whole way. He's like, all right, we got an uphill, you know, hey, just back off 1015 seconds for this mile. Don't worry about it, we'll make it up. Hey, here's where we're at. We're tracking, you know, like just right on pace. But you get to mile 20 and you're on that last hill and he's like, all right, when you get to the top of this, it's all downhill from here.

So you can either stay with me or kind of go and take off. And so I was like, I'm feeling good. Yeah. This time as a recurring theme, I just can't get impatient. So. But this time, thankfully, it was mile 20 instead of 16, right? And so I managed to run all the way. And that was the the first time I broke in three hours in the marathon. So that was, yeah, March of 2020. March of 2020. I was in Nappa in February of 20. 20 really yeah. And it it was it was it was gorgeous out there so, but and yeah, there wasn't anything.

This was March 1st so we jeez, yeah, yeah. So it it seemed pretty normal. 2 weeks later I was on a work trip and everything stopped and then we were. On a trip. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was flying back through JFK and yeah, everyone just, you know, stopped, was sitting far away. No one was, it was just really, it was that night after all the Big 10 games, India games had stopped. So really, right when I was like, yeah, shoot, this is like, let me get home. Yeah, but we, but I, I finished. He came in two minutes behind me. He had qualified. So we both qualified.

We're all all ready to go and, and ready to like, right. We're going to run in Boston in 21. It didn't quite work out that way, but it was it was a good feeling. So that's kind of where I got got back into that feeling of all right, hey, I broke 3 hours for the first time. This is This is good. Yeah, now I can. What's next? I was like, all right, I did that. That felt good. And I think you talked about it recently, that feeling of, you know, when when you train for a marathon versus just jump into it. I've I've been lucky over the last four years.

I finished and I'm like, you know what I I could have done? Like I, I think I got more in me. I I don't know whether it's 10 seconds or 10 minutes, Yeah, but but I've I've got more in me. And how were you? How do you train? Do you train with a coach or you coach yourself? I oh, no, you, you. Scott Foble's your coach. Yeah, which is cool. Yeah, it's really cool. So. So I coached myself for about two years. I, like I said, I was into it in high school and even in college I worked at a running like a summer running camp.

So I'd go and this camp, it was a little different. It was called Pavo running camps and some people heard it was in Indiana and they really liked high mileage, which wasn't, wasn't great for everyone. It would really scare people off. And it was a lot in high school, I think. But the, the really good thing that took that I took away from that camp is just the positive attitude, mindset, learning about running. It's really kind of unique because you go to this camp setting and you'd get up, you'd run three times a day, but and camp, but in between that it was more of a classroom setting.

So run by these coaches and teachers kind of talking about the science of running, like what happens when you run as your heart gets bigger and stronger and you gain more capillaries and expand. And so they they're cheating us to high school or so you have right high schoolers out there. They're on summer break taking notes and and doing things about hundreds of kids out there running. And so, but it was really intense that they had some of the aspects of kind of like stoicism as well too, and a Spartan lifestyle. Some of the same stuff you hear about today with Kenyan athletes, Like, hey, you're going out, you're going to run, you're going to eat and sleep and train.

You're going to do your own dishes and just kind of like remove all the distractions and talk about that. So really impactful as a kid, like thinking about that and really even just, you know, hard work, showing up on time, showing up early, bringing a positive attitude, that's all stuff that's free that you can bring to the table. And whether you apply that to your career or any kind of physical endeavor, athletic activity you're into, you know, it's been really beneficial at that point. But yeah. And then just science of, you know, doing the long runs, here's what an easy run is. Here's tempo work.

So I kind of structure my own training for two years, yeah. Yeah, that's really cool. Does that still exist today, that camp? It doesn't exist anymore. The coaching teacher that ran it, he retired and moved out. That one of the camps was called Pavo West and it would start in right around South Bend and you get the biggest camp it was on. Then it was like there were eighty kids for this Pavo W camp. Now some of the ones that went, there's one that went to Michigan, Pavo North, and it had probably like 203 hundred kids. Jeez, so this was a big. It it was big and it would you'd stay in one spot, you'd have a campground ever be in their tents in a big shelter?

Yeah. So you're out sleeping in tents. You got to take turns, cook in and clean in and like it it was a it was a very like, yeah, if you're into camping, it's great. But they're people that like, yeah, people that hated it. It was, it was not glamping at all, but the, the Pavo W version started in South Bend and you spent two weeks and you basically you drove out to Estes Park in Colorado. And so you camp out there and then you drove up to Yellowstone and camp out in Wyoming, go to Cody, WY and take in a rodeo. And you know, you go and you go to Cody because there was a laundromat.

So you have all these kids like walk, walk this that was the halfway point and then turn around and and come back to Indiana at the end of the two week camp. That's pretty cool. The the place out in Wyoming was at the base of this mountain. It's called Dead Indian Mountain and it's 8% grade, 88 miles up. And so you camp at the base of this mountain for three days, do these runs and then they have this big run up this mountain. And and that's where the founder of the camp, he moved out to Wyoming. He loved the just seeing. So he moved out there.

Yeah. So he's out there there. So no, no more of those camps. So now there's there's other the so he. Couldn't just like have it start there and then in Indiana? You know, switch it around. Yeah, I think he's ready to be retired. So yeah, but yeah. Because he would go straight from teaching to like, running these camps all summer. Yeah. So. So I volunteered at those for like I'd, I'd show up at a couple of those camps each summer as an assistant coach and work there and thought, you know, this'll be great. I'm going to go in and teach and coach at high school somewhere, so.

Didn't you have that as a nickname? Pabo. Yeah, Pabo. Yeah, Yeah, that was my. I saw that because I wore the, I wore the short shirts that I use. OK. And so people just were like, what's that? They just started calling you that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's funny. So I just stuck for a while. But so I coached myself, and I'd always admired Scott Foble. Yeah. I mean just like not only. People who don't know who he is, like I know. Somewhat, yeah. So, so Scott's a, Scott's a pro runner. He ran for Hoka for a long time. He's been the first American finisher at, at Boston and New York and just a great like racer.

And I love his his attitude because he's more, he still has fun with it as well, too. So he ran for Hoka, He runs for Nike now and had a a strong collegiate career. He finished fourth at the Olympic trials in the 10,000 back back in 2016. And so and then he's been, he's been working to move to the marathon since then. But he wrote a book called Inside a Marathon and it was about his kind of transition from collegiate running and the 10K to his first like. Big, big debut where he ran really well and, and finished it in the New York marathon. So it's, you know, it's a it's a typical book, some of those training pages about like here, here's the workouts, here's what we're doing.

But then it's different because it's switches between him and his coach of the time. So you so you read a chapter from his coach about like, here's my thoughts on the week, here's what happened and then you read Scott's take on the week and what happened. So, so it goes, it goes back and forth. And then Scott's funny. So like the book's more light, light hearted and, you know, making jokes about how miserable he feels running 110 miles a week and doing these races and just just has a good, just a good vibe to it that makes it, you know, you see how much work and how hard he works.

I've been also still able to just like reflect and kind of have some fun with it and then be honest too about how miserable he feels sometimes or how he deals with, hey, is he ready for this? How can he do it? So I'd read that book as part of, you know, one of I found it, read it and it was good. As I was going through my own marathon training, I was like, I like, I like this guy. I'm going to follow his career. So I kept tabs on him. And then it was October of 2022. He just posted on Twitter, Hey, I'm going to coach.

Got some spots open. Go go to this page and sign up if you're interested. Oh my gosh. Yeah. And so, yeah, I, I heard about it. Michelle actually found it. She she, she was a fan too, had like notifications set up. So he posted and she's like, oh, here's here's what he said. She had notifications. Set up for any time, he tweeted. Yeah, 'cause he's 'cause he's, she's good. She's she's dialing all that stuff. So, so she's, so she's like, hey, go, go check it out. Go sign up. And so I went and signed up. And so he's been my coach for the last two years.

Wow. Is he expensive? I mean, like I said, a couple 100, like a hundred, a hundred, a little more than $100 a month. That's it. Yeah. So not, not crazy, I think. Yeah. So when they do monthly packages, there's other packages you can do where you get more like one-on-one time. But it's a roster of him, another former pro Nike runner named Andrew Bumbalow and another former Nike pro runner named Chris Derrick. And so they're high gear running and all three of them coach and they've got kind of here's like 5K10K packages you can buy or like here's personal coaching and everything. So so yeah, so we just run through them and but it's been great.

I mean really, he uses V dot as a that's. What my coach, Rachel. Uses. Yeah. So, so nice. Yeah, it's really nice. So everything goes through there. And then either tech text or e-mail, kind of. Here's where we're at, here's what's going on. But it was funny when I started working with him because it was October 22. I was geared up for the Monumental Marathon in November of 22. Was that the wind? Wind One. That was the very windy one. Yeah, the very wind. The only time I've run the full there. And that was I had started to get more just being consistent. So this this monumental in 22 was the 1st elite elite field I've gotten to participate in.

OK, so tell people how that works 'cause I don't know. So, so you basically on most race websites, you go and they'll have a page that just says, you know, Elite FAQ. And so you go into the page and they've got kind of different tiers on each race and, and it depends on the race and it says, you know, for if you've run this time for your age group, you can get kind of like, you know, Tier 1 pricing. If you've run faster, you get a free entry, or if you run even faster than that, you get a complimentary entry, access to a warm up area, and you can get kind of the pro water bottles and stations and support on the course.

So it really kind of depends on the race. Yeah, but you just go to the site and you go around the registration page and it's kind of just like a table laid out that says if you've run this time, go in e-mail the race coordinator. And so for Monumental, I think, I think, I think Matt, you. Look at me like I might. Know yeah we were on the. Board, but I don't know all the all the details. So I'm like. Yeah, so. So there's a guy, Matt Iverson I. Do know that, Matt? Yeah, yeah. So, so you, you e-mail and like here is my time, you know, and you apply and, and some races are like, Yep, you hit the time you're in some.

It's like, well, e-mail us and we'll let you know, you know, if you're good, if you're good enough to, to make a cut. Yeah. So I had, this was the first time I'd I'd hit the time. I was good. I had a qualifying time. So I emailed Monumental. I was like, this is, this is my first like elite field. Like I'm pumped. Like I'm going to do this. I've been, this is like something that 20 years ago, if you told me this is where I was going to be, I've been like, there's there's no way. Yeah. Because one of the things that I'm most proud of is like, I'm faster now as a 40 year old than I was in high school.

It's so weird, isn't? It yeah, it's, it's so weird and it's just been, it's just been fun. Although my mom's like, where was this when we were looking at colleges? Like what? What? Couldn't you have like that would have been helpful if you could have gotten a scholarship. Thanks a lot, mom. So, so I got into the elite field. I'm starting to train for that and this is the August of 22. So just kind of starting the training block in in great shape, kind of feeling really good. I'm like this, this is going to be this is going to be a fun year. And then I decide to go on the night ride, which is a a bike event in Indy.

So, so so there's this event that starts starts downtown Indy. It's really cool. You get hundreds of bikes. Everyone puts like LE DS and lights and dresses up and you kind of ride from downtown Indy out to the velodrome out by Marion University. There's like a bike track. Oh, I've never heard that word. Is that a bike? That's the bike. The bike turn for you. The velodrome. Yeah. So it's out there. So they do races there and everything, but you kind of ride out there and then ride back downtown. But it's all at night. So I was doing that casual ride, having fun, but then I was going down a hill by the zoo and not not really paying as much attention as I should have been and reaching back and I crashed.

I flipped over my handlebars, crashed my bike and broke my collarbone. Yeah, yeah. Oh, no, I mean, I I hit the ground right away and I was like, this, this isn't right. Like I hit my hit my shoulders like that. That didn't feel right. But my head was wearing my helmet and was like, OK, like, yeah, thank, thank. I'm wearing my helmet and I pop right up and everyone's like around me, like, are you OK? Are you OK? Like, yeah, I think I'm fine. I think I'm fine. Let me get my bike. Let me get out of the way. This. Is a race where you like drink a couple beers before you go to the.

Night ride. It's not, it's not a race. It's just like a casual, like fun ride. People are playing music and having fun and yeah, I, I managed to wreck my bike doing that so. And yeah. And, and so I'm there, I'm sitting like by myself at, at midnight, Michelle's there. She's on the ride and we get up, I'm kind of walk, I get to the side, I'm like, I think I can ride back. We're over by the zoo and we got to get back downtown and she's like, she's like, there's no way. She's like, are you OK? I'm like, I broke my collarbone. Like I'm I'm sure I broke.

It I'm pretty sure. But but I think I can ride back. She's like, no, So she she says give me the keys. She's like, I'm going to get the car. Just sit here and we'll get you to the emergency. Room and it's dark at what time? Yeah, this is like 12:30. Oh, yeah, yeah. And so I'm. And then I'm hanging out at the Speedway, just sitting there with my bike, like on the on the West side of downtown Indy. Yeah, people are coming up like, what are you doing? And I can't turn. I can't. I can't get into my pocket or do anything. I'm really just like sitting there.

Like still kind of I'm. Sure, there was no one else around to stay with you. Yeah, I mean it. The people asked. And we're like, no, we're fine. Well. You should have had. Somebody, I should have somebody stay. So, yeah, but I just sat there. You know, there's some groups that were, that came up and I don't know what was going on. It was shady. But I just, you know, I can't look. I'll just look over this way. But, you know, eventually I got to the, the, the ER and had to wait another just like 2-3 hours sitting there to get to get my X-ray just 'cause there was only one X-ray tech.

And as soon as we got in, I'm like, I think I broke my collarbone and just like, you sure, my, yeah, I'm, I'm really sure. So took the X15 minutes later, like, Yep, it's official. Here's some painkillers, here's a sling. And then go see a specialist later and I was like, why have I been here for four hours and the sling, the sling, they didn't give me the sling till the end. That's that's a game changer when when you even. Sitting. There just at yeah. 'Cause you have no drugs, you have no sling. They gave me a little bit to start, but then they're like, all right, here's the serious stuff.

So yeah, it was here's. Some Tylenol, yeah. And then? But so this is, this is August and the race is in November. And so I go see the doctor and I'm like, well, what are my, I'm looking up doing research. I'm like, what are my options? You know, I don't want to just let it sit like I they're like, well, you can let it sit. It'll take three to four months to heal. I'm like, no, like I got to start running again. Yeah. And I have a friend that works in the medical field and kind of sells some of the same stuff that go go in for broken bones like screws and plates.

OK. So you're like, you can do something. He's he's like, well, I recommend he's like go see Forte Orthopedics up in Carmel. There's this guy doctor up there. He works on the Colts and Purdue and everything. Go go meet with him. So I go meet and I'm like, here's the deal. Like I want to, I want to start, I need to start running again. And they're like, yeah, well, we can, we can do surgery and probably in three to four weeks, you can be running again. I'm like, all right. And he and he said that after surgery, you can start biking as much as you want.

He's like, but based on you, you should probably ride indoor. Like don't, don't, don't go back on your bike. You're going to need to go on an indoor bike. OK, thanks. Thanks. I got, I got, I don't have a good bike handle. I got. So I said, all right, let's do it. And so I had surgery Labor Day weekend. And then by the end of September, you know, I'm going in, They're check in. They're like, yeah, you're clear to do some minimal running again. I'm like, well, what's that mean? Like just, you know, just a little bit of running. Go test it out. For me a little bit of running is.

And, and I, I took it, I took it and, and ran with it. I was like, right, like, well, I'm going to jog 30 minutes a day like that felt OK. And you know, I came back the next week. He's like, everything still looks good. Can you run for me on the treadmill? I want to make sure you're not carrying your arm funny or anything. And I'm like, Yep, I'm, I'm good. Like, so let's go. So then I went and kind of got back in the normal training right at the end of September, trained up, got enough long runs. Yeah, got a month. And then race day comes and you got those winds like it's it's a little warm and then you've got the 20 mile an hour winds blowing N blowing N up Meridian for that last stretch of monumental.

And you said you ran that? One right, I did. It's the first time I've done the full Yeah, and it was. I laughed when I turned on Meridian. I was fully expecting that right, 'cause you know it's going to be bad. And it was comical. Everyone's kind of trying to make their strategy before the race, like how hard can you run to run N for the first half and still still like use the wind and not so and it worked out. I think I just was like so set on kind of coming through it. It been a big year. You know, I'd gotten divorced earlier in the year.

My dad had a triple bypass surgery. I broke my collarbone. Like, you know, I was coming back for this race. Like he's. So hard here. Yeah, it was. I was like I'm doing this and so ran and ran another. I ran a 4 minute PR, had a great day and was just like, you know, you. Ran a 4 minute PR that day. Yeah, yeah. That's awesome. So it was good. Was in a good group early with some folks and just helped. And then, yeah, there was a guy at the end, we traded a few miles into the wind and he helped out. And so, but yeah, it was a good, it was a good capstone, just like a a tough year.

It was big so. How does that work trading off miles with someone? Are there words spoken or do you just kind of know? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'd say, you know, whenever you're in a race with anybody and if if you find those groups, whether it's an official pacer or someone like, you know, don't, don't be shy about about asking, especially as you get going. You kind of get that sense of like, and sometimes it's funny. It's like, well, who who's with me? That's annoying me because they're they're always passing me around, passing the back like, right. You either find a race buddy or you find someone who's like.

Driving you nuts. Yeah, who's driving you nuts? Or I had a guy once at Fort Bend who smelled really bad. And you're like and. I'm like I just need you to get away from me Sir and go shower or where deodorant. Michelle and I ran a race and we had, I was pacing her and helping her and we had a woman just like come right in between us. Like at first I was like, am I hearing footsteps? What's going on? And it's obvious because I'm, I'm carrying her water bottle and like handing her stuff back and forth. And this woman is like just right up in the middle in between.

Like can can you please give us some like like I'm happy if you want. To hang out behind us, but like, yeah, just right up. Not in the middle and eventually she passed and was gone, but it took took a few miles to I was like what what is happening here? Like we're we're trying to we're we're focused on we're at the end of the marathon. It's. Like breach, crosses are like holding. Hands in front of her or something. You know, like, hey, lady, yeah, that's the time where I might, I would say something. I think at that point, like or like just make it even more.

I'm like Sprint up and like get away. But you don't have that much energy at that point to like do anything. Yeah, this was the last last 10. Ki was like, yeah, just. But I would say, yeah, whenever you're in a race, you feel feel comfortable, like finding and asking someone. So yeah, you come up and I had found this guy and he's just like, all right, I'm going to lead for a mile. I said all right, like I'll tuck in behind so. And I think not only does it help you from if you're the one drafting it behind, but a lot of times and for a lot of races, I, I don't know if you found this, that if you're helping someone else, it can help take your mind like you.

1000% it's a great distraction and you have a purpose. Yes. So you're like, I have to do this for her? Yes, yeah. So, so I think that that really worked out. And so it's always fun to find people that you can work with and help, help that way. That's cool. So that was a big help. But all that. So, so all that was happening in 22. And so I had started talking to Scott Foble in October. And so so it's just like, hey, I'm like, he's like, do you want any help on this monumental training plan? I said, you know what? Yeah, I broke my collarbone.

I can't imagine he's like reading. This e-mail, yeah, I've been training myself like we only have four weeks. I'm like, how about I erase this and then we'll start after that and be ready to go. And then he, his first kind of full coaching that he did for me was leading up to Carmel in 23. And that was, that was a great, great race. Great, great day. I had had a great race there. I, I broke 2 hours and 30 minutes for the first time, finished fourth at Carmel. It was a, it was the best I'd ever felt at a finish line. I I had been someone that can always cramped up that last four or five miles hamstring would give out or something, like something where you kind of starting to shuffle or like I got to slow down or it's going to be worse.

So this was the first race where I felt good. I ran, I ran a negative split. So big thing. Yeah. So, so running that for my second-half of the whole marathon faster was just a great, great feeling. So that was the first build with him. And so I've been working with him since. Yeah, breaking 2:30, Yeah. It was, yeah, if you would have told me right, I broke 3 hours for the first time and March of 2020 and then I broke 2:30 in April of of 2020, Yeah. That's mind blowing, but it just, I think it goes to show and I'm a broken record on this topic, but like coaches and like just, or just doing things the right way.

Like there's so much, you know, information out there now. I feel like people, if they really have the motivation, can coach themselves, but I feel like a coach. I don't know. It just has helped me tremendously in doing the right things and also just having more confidence in myself than I do, like, you know, or just the accountability and wanting to make my coach proud. Especially imagine if your coach is Scott Foble. Yeah, like I want to make him proud. Well, it was great. We so, so that was exciting. And then I ran Houston this past January and ran another PR came in, finished in the Top 40 Houston and was the 4th, 4th master.

So that was good. I was, I want so I really wanted the podium spot, but I I just so close. It's harder when you're racing for those masters positions because you're basically just like looking for Gray hair. You're like, right, wait, is this, is this an old guy or not? I can't tell. Like it's just like a normal age group. You're just trying to like. Excuse me, how old are you? Yeah. Is this a teenager or No? OK, all right. I need to pass him. But yeah, I ran really well at Houston. I'd gone to Berlin the previous fall. I didn't didn't have a great, great race, had a great time.

I went to Oktoberfest afterwards and and, but and then ran Houston, erased it and ran a even larger negative split. So I ran the first half of Houston in an hour 15 and then finished in an hour 1328. So and it was a lot of fun with the group and just chasing people down the whole way. So as soon as I finished the race and got to my phone, Scott had just had sent a bunch of like exclamation points and like, this is so good, dude. It was the most like the most. That was good. I did a good job, so it felt good. That's so cool.

But it's been, it's been fun, just kind of I've been steady and, and you talked about coaching and really that progression from over the last four years. It's really just the consistency. I think going from, Hey, I, I want to run, you know, I want to average 40 miles a week this year. And not, not every week has to be perfect, not everything has to be great, but that's where I want to get to. It's all right. I want to average 50 a week this year and kind of just making sure that you're getting it in and it's OK to I'm a big proponent of taking, taking a week or two off for a while for the first two years until I start working with Scott, I was only running six days a week and was kind of I'd make sure to to run.

I do my long run on Saturday and, and do a workout mostly, so running long and hard. And Sunday I take off and just relax and, you know, spend time with the family and catch up and then kind of Monday come around again. I'm like, right, I took a break. Like I'm excited to get back out the door to start the week again. And that that was just helpful mentally and, and making sure, all right, I can get back out just a little bit at a time. Yeah, yeah. And yeah, having a coach has been great and it's been fun. I coached a few people around here and it's been fun.

Oh, I didn't realize you did that. Are you official? I mean, I, I you. Certified Mark. I'm not, I'm not certified so, so watch out. Yeah, like so, but I. Feel like you have? Yeah, yeah. So yeah, I've I've thought about getting a certification, but it just kind of, you know, word of word of mouth, someones like, Oh well, Mark was my coach, check it out. So had some athletes run Boston qualifiers and PR's at at Carmel this year. And. And so it's so it's a lot, it's fun. It's a small, small group and same kind of thing. Just help in like talk through it and help people.

I think, not, not think about being consistent, right. So as you're trying to plan out your week and your life and everything else, what am I, what am I supposed to do? What, what do I want to fit in? What makes it fun for me? Because that's a big thing that it's been so much fun racing and I and, and running and, and having, having the goals, but also making sure to appreciate it because it it, you never know when. It, it could be your, your last run or your, your fastest run or whatever, whatever it is. So I don't think that's been a big important thing about really improving and and and making time for it over the last last couple years.

And then I've also seen you doing a lot of the run 317 races, which for anybody who's not local, we have a series of what is it? It's not four. It's more than. That five races. Five races and they're not 5K's, they're 3.17 miles. They're they're very annoyingly not 5K. It's very it's cute for marketing purposes. I understand. So yeah, but for, yeah, 5K purposes not, which is why you have to do them, all right? But I've seen you racing those and winning those. And do you do a lot of shorter distance too or do you just do those ones typically? I'll I'll race the run 31 sevens and they're just so much fun.

It's different. I think that's some of what having that appreciation and kind of getting out of the marathon training grind. Otherwise you're just kind of you know it. It's hard work when let me go to another long run. So we kind of, we always joke about the talk about the summer of speed in our in our Fishers run club group. So like, hey, let's go somewhere in speed. So go out, race the run, run 317 events, Monumental Mile has been great. That that's one of my favorite events. I was lucky enough I won the open event there in 20/22. It was, yeah, it was, it was great.

Huge, huge PR for me at the time. And just a great kind of that's where my mom started giving me a hard time about like, well, why aren't you this fast? 20 years. Ago, yeah. What time did you run? I ran 424, yeah. Yeah, it was great. I ran 424. I beat a teammate from Indiana Elite who I'd never beaten ever. So, So it was good. So he's been beating me since high school, so. I was like, so you're like, it's my. Turn. This is good. So and so doing that stuff is fun. I'm going to run the the mile again this year. That's June 22nd.

June 22nd now. 5K as well. Big festival. Sign up dog run still. Yep, still the dog run that is One of my favorite parts about it too is watching those dogs. Yeah, we're going to just. Love being out there. We're going to do the Wolfstock 5K in Fishers. It's in August. So OK, I've never done that. Oh my gosh, my dog, he runs still. He's 10, but he's still He ran 10 miles with my father-in-law recently. All right. Is he going to be down there on June, June 22nd or? So because I like to bring the girls and my husband having our dog too, my husband would just like, I imagine asking him, hey, can we bring Doug too?

And the look I would get in response, like it's hard enough to be like, hey, I'm going to go volunteer at 6:00 AM. Can you get the girls out of bed, get them ready, get them out the door and be downtown by this time? It's already it's a hard it's. That's that's a lot. But it's it's become our kind of family run event of the year, which I just for me, as somebody who loves running so much, I love it. It's our I wonder this year, our three-year old. I don't push in a running stroller really much. I guess I have like in a little thing up at the lake occasionally, but I'm like, is she ready to like attempt to run miles really far?

But my oldest ran when she was like, she must have been three or four. So I'm kind of like, we'll see. I mean, 'cause it it's a run walk anyway, you know, So it'd be fun. That's my my boys. They did the they call it the Liger Mile for Hamilton Southeastern School District. So you have the Hamilton Southeastern Royals and the Fishers Tigers. So like they have the the Liger Mile Liger and it's up for all the elementary kids. So they did that for the first time in the fall. They had a lot of fun. They ran, did a run, walk. You know, they had a great time doing it.

You know, we're halfway through the the oldest Teddy, he's he's got CP. And so it's really palsy, OK. And so he wore orthotics like Forrest Gump style when he was little, like like had to learn to walk and has got a lot of stuff that he's worked through and done. So we're we're going where the back of the pack and but he's having a blast and he's like, I'm ready to go. I want to do more of this. I'm like, well, that's great. But we need to finish like we need to get off this course because the 3rd and 4th graders are coming after. Like I, I, I appreciate if you want to be an ultra guy that that's fine.

Like, but we, we got to finish this mile and get out of people's way before, before we do anything else. So that's cute. So that's fun. But I didn't think about bringing them to the mile. Could could be fun They've done. It's nice because they do it not all at once, so you can participate in multiple things. And so I volunteered. The first year we had the 5K was last year. And so I just at the last minute was like, oh, I can run the 5K and be done before my family gets here. So I did, I snuck in and saw, I tried to see how what I could do what.

I can't remember how fast or what I ran it in, but it was fun. Like I, I don't love 5 KS because I feel like it's harder than running 1/2 marathon or a marathon to like put it all out there. But I haven't done that very many times so. I I like, I like the run through one sevens like, but it is that that kind of you're going hard for the the whole time, but they do a great job the the party set up and kind of celebration atmosphere afterwards. And just you talked about with monumental mile being able to see the rest of the races.

So it's so much fun. It's one of the that feeling of, you know, finishing your race and going back out and cheering for your friends and, and, and just being excited because, you know, like, all right, so and so this is their goal for today or Hey, they look good. Like, you know, you know, they didn't run a personal best or anything, but they had a huge smile on their face passing people or they were out high five and having a great time. Like I love that aspect of it coming out and supporting people and just like, yeah, making it fun for for everybody, whatever, whatever pace they're running or whatever their choice is for the day.

Yeah, I want to talk about your boys some more. So eight and six and you adopted both of them? Yeah, but both boys are adopted. They're they're not related. We went through an agency in Broad Ripple called the Adoption Support Center, and their philosophy is really about open adoption. So you go and kind of go through, get the home visits, get checked, checked out to make sure that you know, you've got a place to be great to raise children. So it's like a whole like interview process almost. And then you make kind of booklet about yourself, like here's here's, here's the home, here's grandparents, here's what we like to do, hobbies and everything.

And that gets put out. And then they have birth moms come in and kind of look through these and kind of pick families. So my oldest, he was born in the NICU at downtown at Methodist Methodist in early December of 2015. And then I didn't meet him until New Year's Eve. So he was in the, he was in the NICU for three weeks. And they were kind of trying to figure out if his birth mom was going to be able to take him home or not. Like she didn't know up until like I got the call, talked through it and was like, hey, come down and and meet him so.

How long was the process up until that point? It took about six months from deciding, filling out the paperwork, and they said it can take anywhere from, you know, the average is 9 months to which is yeah. Ironically. To, to, you know, two years. And so, but there's some other folks that I knew that went through the same agency at the same time and they were faster, like three to four months. So it was really kind of you just didn't, didn't know. And it's it's interesting like right with the typical pregnancy, you're like, all right, well, here's. We got this much time. Here's what I think and, and and so you're just like on on call like, well, it could happen at at any point.

How do you want to set that up? So yeah, it was great. But he was born at 32 weeks and his name name's Teddy. He, you know, weighed weighed less than 3 lbs was just like tiny less than. Three. Yeah, yeah, he, he was small and had has has cerebral palsy. So he had a little brain, brain bleed in, in Euro and came out and the craziest thing, you know, were there and talking to the nurses and had been kind of working towards this. And one of the nurse nurses, you know, went back and was like, you know, you, you can give him back if you want to.

And I was like what what, what are you talking about? What? Because like. Like she said. That yes, yes. And I was like I. Feel like you're shouldn't be allowed to say? That no, I, I could I tell like, I don't know, like what we we had. There were other nurses 'cause he spent another week or two after I met him upstairs that were fantastic. Like went back and donated and helped and did thing. But this one was just like, you know, you know, you know, this kid might have some health issues like you, you can give him back if you want. I was like, this is this is inside.

You're just meeting there, holding this baby, like trying to figure out, Yeah. Absolutely not. This is my son. And so he's dealt with a lot and, and so one of the things that, you know, he has has been in occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, like feeding, like he didn't have like the right side of his face isn't as as strong as his left. So really kind of getting him to use his mouth and tongue and jaw like he he was such a drooly, like even more so. Yeah. Yeah, Ted was a mess. And so you get the big, like, his whole face would be chapped in the winter and like, we got to figure it out.

Yeah. We, I, I'd take him, you know, I'd take time off work to go and, and drive him to this great instrument called Feeding Friends where you go on and they're working really just to teach him to eat. And so you think about like how basic that is for you. Like, yeah, when you're hungry, you're like, I, I just want to eat. Like don't think about it. But for him, it was something that he had to work at and learn and really work work towards. And then he had to wear orthotics. So like he didn't, wasn't walking really kind of like hyperextended his knees. And so by the time he started walking, I kind of call you like a little pirate walk because it looked like a peg leg because he'd kind of swing it out straight.

Yeah, Yeah. So he's great. Now, if you, if you'd see him now, you know, unless like I'm pointing stuff out or whatever, you can tell. And, and a big reason for that, yeah, is, is First Steps in Indiana. And so that's, that's a program that I, that I got involved with kind of after he was through the program. But what First Steps is, is they're focused on children zero to three. So if, if you have a child that age, you know, you should go in, see your regular doctor and if they are looking at the milestones and say, hey, we've got some concerns like, you know, you're not walking or talking or, you know, this test says that they'll have first steps come out and coordinate and then they'll do a different level of exam.

So they don't do just walking help, they do everything. I thought it was just. For walking, yeah. So they they'll, they'll help with walking, they'll help with speech, they'll help with anything kind of like life skills or anything, any of those. Milestones that they're not hitting. Anything that they're not hitting, they've got experts that come out. And the great thing about them is that they come to you. Oh, so you know, working with families throughout Indiana is that you go and they come to your house, they do the assessment, they come back. Here's what we recommend. Here are the providers in your area. They can go to your daycare.

So right, so they go to Ted's daycare or they like, you know, they come, come to the house depending on if he was there. And then even like they were trying to do virtual stuff when he was still in it through the pandemic. So, so it was a great service. And really the studies show that the more, the more work you do in that zero to three, the better life outcome. You have to really help someone go from, Hey, this person could need help and assist assistance their entire life to hey, they're fully functioning out on their own and, and where where you want them to be.

So they were great. And, and I've come back and volunteer with them because throughout this, you kind of go through these sessions and you know, you're getting the the bills or whatever it is and they were sending out to some collection agency. So, so you get the insurance back and it'd be ridiculous. Like I don't know what this like what? What are these chart like? What is happening here? God, that's I feel like that with any medical anything it's like what is going. On and so the paperwork kept stacking up and I'd call out like, well what how much how much do I actually owe?

And they're like, well we're not we're not really sure, but this is what you're supposed to pay. I'm like, well none of this makes sense with what the other things you sent me and they're like what are you talking about? Like, well here's this form that says that says I owe, you know, 2 grand. This says form says I owe 10 grand and then like then it's pending from insurance. I'm like, what is happening here? Well, we can't really help you unless you get insurance on the phone. I'm like, all right, well, let's get insurance on the phone. And so you're on this like joint call and they're like, well, we're not sure if it's covered or not.

I'm like, well, why isn't it covered? Well, we don't know where it happened. Well, what do you mean you don't know where it happened? It says it, it happened at his daycare. Well, we're not sure. Can we go through? Absolutely. If that if that's what takes cover. Yeah. Like what we have to do on the phone. So then I get on the phone and. It's like. It's the claims and the insurance and they're like, all right, well, we're going to read this claim number and then read the location. So I'm on the phone for 45 minutes with this person saying claim 456, you know, daycare claim 789, daycare 1011, like the same thing for four.

I'm like, what? This is ridiculous. Like this is what it takes for you to cover the fact that like you, this address is written on the paper. So I kind of fire off some emails. I'm like, listen, look, I went to grad school, you know, I've got a job that allows me some flexibility. You know, I've got, I only had one, one son at the time. Like, I can waste my time on the phone with these people, but I can't imagine other kids like that in central IN that need services that, you know, you don't have the flexibility to waste an hour on the phone and you're getting a bill that says, yeah, I can't pay anything.

So because going through all this, so I called and they went first steps. Then like I was talking to the director, hey, this is ridiculous. She's like, thank you for reaching out, appreciate your passion. I came back, they got on the phone and realized that they had been getting like denied for millions of dollars of claims because of this stuff. And so they went back and refiled everything and, and, and recouped all that money, got the benefit millions. Of. Dollars to be able to help help then fund again all the therapists and the advisors that they need to be able to help and help other kids.

Indiana, because that's the whole thing, is trying to match up people with all these kids. They've got a backlog of kids that. That need the. Services need the services, yeah, and and trying to find people that want to do it so. I mean, I'm sorry, but like that director, Yeah, she thought you should she It's a lot of money on the. Table Yeah, yeah, it was she she had just come in so she she'd come in she was new and I and immediately. Well, you made her look good. Yeah. So she came in and was like, hey, please come volunteer. And I helped him, was on the board for a while helping and just trying to like navigate what that looked like, but really impactful.

So that's Ted. Ted, that's my oldest. So he's doing great Now. He's he's just today's his last day of second grade. Yeah, I can't believe you came here today. Yeah, I told you that's like what he's he's doing great. He's got, we got our picture. He's ready to go. You know, I got a water day. I I went and helped with field day yesterday. So it was Oh. Of course. That's awesome. And then Luca, he's he's 6 so also adopted same agency. So so came back two years later and said they're going to go through the same process, filled out the paperwork, got the pictures, went out, went out to the profile and then got a call.

Hey, this birth mom is interested in reaching out. Luke actually has four or five half siblings. And so but that weren't ready for for another and and so it's open. So we have stayed in touch with. That's what I was going to ask if because I thought it was open meant both sides are open so they can see who you are and you also then. Yes, yeah. So you you do the and then you can decide like the agency is nice because they coordinate stuff at first. They say, all right, look, this is a different. This is kind of awkward. Yeah. Yeah. You know, this is something you've never like most families have never been through.

You haven't seen this. So you can come to our agency. The birth parents will come bring bring the kids can hang out and meet and then if you're comfortable, exchange its information. You can agree like how much you interact, what you share, what you don't share. So Luca's birth mom moved away and is in a different state, so we don't hear from her as much. But his birth dad lives in the area and so every couple months get together and get to see. And so I think it'll just be, yeah, it'll be really great when he's older to help, you know, he, he'll have less, less questions and you know, from medical stuff and all those things like what's in the family.

So again, way different than I ever had like thought about what my family would look like as you're growing up. But it's been been amazing and being able to help and just like getting, getting them the support they need and, and having, having support from everybody and, and, and the love from, you know, multiple families, you know, now, now Michelle's in our lives and she's a second grade, was a second grade teacher or principal now. She's a principal, Yeah. Did I know that? I don't know. She. I don't think I did. That's cool. Yeah, so she's been great. Of an elementary school, you said? It's an online program.

Online program. Yeah, so she has actually K through 12. Holy moly. Yeah, So it's in. It's in the Warren, the Warren Township. OK. So down there with Warren and everything so. But yeah, she taught 2nd grade. So it's been a big help with Ted this year. And yes, as Luke is getting ready, so but yeah, having everyone in a lot of their lives, the loved one was helping them out has has been been good. That's. Really good. Did you choose adoption because you couldn't have children? Yeah, for for whatever reason it's just a undiagnosed fertility. No specific thing, just after trying for a certain. Period.

How long? Did you try? It was three or four years. And so it was just like, you know, adoption, you know, they said the average is 9 to 12 months. Like, let's do it, let's do it. So that's really cool. And that's really cool how you got involved in first steps. That's crazy. I have my youngest who is now 3, actually even Sydney, my oldest, she didn't walk until after she was one. And then Sloan didn't walk till she was 18 months. And it was like we're going to 18 month check up. And I'm like, we're going to, we're going to go to first steps.

I just know the doctor's going to be like, but I also knew she was really close to it. And so we got in the pediatrician's office and she's like, oh, yeah, she's fine. Just give it. Just give her a little bit more. She's like, almost got it. But I'd heard of it, you know, 'cause you're like, oh, you know, of course every parent wants their kid to be like, perfect. But obviously that's not the reality. No it was good. I had a Co worker that had used first steps and so I'd I'd never heard of it and then she had great things to say about it and then the pediatrician recommended it.

So and I think that's the big thing, just getting it out there and getting that help for people and those services. So you think about the example of why it's so important to zero to three. It's kind of like the example of stuff you learn as a kid. You're like, I wish my parents would have, you know, made me take music lessons or or maybe do a foreign language because when you're a kid, you just like absorb it all and then no problem. Yeah, know it so. Yeah, yeah, as I'm like on day, I'm in the two hundreds again on Duolingo. For Spanish, that's good.

Yeah, I try, but it's. It's tough. Yeah. I I worked in Central America for a few years. Oh, you did? Yeah. When was that? From I had a job 2017 to 2022 where there were factories in Honduras and Nicaragua, in El Salvador and got to go down to Panama City, Panama. That's where the Under Armour office was down there. So we would again make NFL jerseys NBA jerseys short. Shirts printing like on the side, like selling to their black market. That's my picture. Yes, sometimes that did. That did happen. But yeah, I did the same thing. I tried to pick up Duolingo, but it was I said I'm going to go down and spend time.

But down there, you're not really in Honduras. We're in a factory town. So you're flying in, you're getting bussed to the hotel, bus to the factory. Yeah, you're not. And that's really it. And in the hotel, they mostly speak English, And in the factory, most everyone that you're interacting with does. And so it's kind of frustrating. You're like, well, I'm working on this. Like, can we, can you guys? Yeah, I just want to listen. And I was like, no, sorry, so, but I haven't. Your Duolingo streak is way better than mine. Mine's well, I, I lost it after being doing it for a year and then so then I took a break because I was so sad, 'cause like, who cares about your Duolingo streak?

Me. I was like, I can't believe I broke my streak. How am I ever going to get back there? And then I finally, I finally started again, 'cause I'm like, well, I'm never going to get back there if I don't start again. So I attempt to practice at My husband gets so embarrassed when I try to practice that like El. Rodeo doesn't say. Does anyone else like? El Rodeo. I have this wonderful woman who she comes to clean every couple of weeks. She's from Venezuela. She's become like a friend and so I'll like, it's like Spanglish basically. But I will try my best and I'll like ask her how to say certain things and you know, whatever.

And then we go to back. We went to Mexico in February and and so then I try to practice, you know, when I'm couple tequila's in, I feel a lot more comfortable. Yeah, it's good. Yeah, and do a pretty good job. I wanted to ask you about your your dad's triple bypass surgery and his health issues that he's gone through because I can't believe that you not only ran but won a race on a very stressful day for your family. So yeah, what the heck. Yes, so that was that summer of 22 and that was run 317. So I had to run the first race in Speedway and won.

And that was June and that was great. It was my first run 317 I've ever done. It was fun. And you won and, and it's the right level. It was, it's the right level of, of competition, like the a mix. And I, I tell people, no matter what pace or whatever you do, it's great because there's enough people at the front that you can chase and work on if you want to go fast. And then or at any point, if you want to go work on your PR in the middle, it's it's a great time. Yeah, or people. Just walk and then have have beer at the end and party.

So yeah, so I'd won that first one on Speedway. My dad had gotten a blood test, you know, back in the spring. And they're like, well, we're not really sure. Like your calcium levels are up, but let's, let's see what happens. And so we kept waiting to see a specialist. And so kind of then finally at the right around that June time frame, you went back in there like, Nope, you're, you're like 70% blocked to two arteries. You're going to need to get triple bypass surgery in the next couple. Yeah, we're like, what, like, 'cause he got this original test months ago and they're like, we'll just take it easy.

Like just don't, don't do anything stressful and try to like eat a little healthier. And you're like, yeah. So three months go by and they're like, Nope, you need to get in and get surgery ready to go. Like what? What is happening? And so we're looking at this schedule and they're like, all right, you know, his surgery is going to be on July 12th, I think it was. It's like, well, great. Like I'll go in. I'll spend the day in there with my mom. Like when she's waiting, she'll she'll, she won't pay by herself. We'll be ready to go and be there for dad's surgery.

And then this races the next day. I was like, it's fine. Like whatever. Like there's plenty of time. Then this is the Monday that week they get a call and like, hey, there's an emergency heart surgery that has to happen. So your dad's being pushed back a day. And I'm like, oh, I'm like, OK, like, you know what, we're going to be there for dad. Like it's fine. Like it's just a race. And my parents come back. They're like, we want you to run the race again. Like you've been talking about winning this race. We want you to run the race. I'm like, well, I I don't know, like, what's dad's surgery schedule?

Like, like what's happening? Like, well, we'll figure it out. Like, well, you sure? Like the race is at 7:00 at night. Like he's scheduled to go on at 10. It'll be fine. Like, like, just go, go and win the race for dad, Like, OK. And so I'm like, Are you sure? Like, yeah, I'm like, all right, well, I need to be there and I need to get back to the hospital afterwards. They kind of lay it out and they're like, all right, your dad will go in, he'll have surgery. And I don't know if you've ever had anyone your family have. My mom had back surgery last December.

But but he, he kind of goes in and for the heart, they're like, all right, there's a board kind of with lights. It's like, all right, you know, we've, we've started the surgery. Oh right, like the status of. Yeah, he he's, he's not doing his heart stop pumping on its own. It's on the machine, all right. We're doing the surgery. Oh. That's very detailed. Yeah, it was surgery, all right. Surgery's done. All right. He's still on the machine. Hey, he's back, back on his own. And so they said you go, you can go spend, spend the after I got in, saw dad before we went in, Mom and I hung out in the waiting room watching the board, making sure, you know, everything's going well.

I've got my like, duffel bag or running stuff. And they said, all right, you should have a window like because he's going to come out, so we'll get the green light. You should have just enough time. I was going to have Michelle came and pick me up actually to help and drive me to the race. And she'll just don't have to worry about because I had to get back afterwards because I wanted to see him. So it's like, you're going to have a window of he's going to come out of surgery. It's going to take him for a couple hours to get off the anesthesia war and like wake up and then he'll be awake for a little bit and then he'll basically just pass back everything exhausted.

And that's really what happened. You know, the surgery went, I sat with my mom. She's like, all right, go change, go do the race. And it's the fastest 5K I've ever ran. Still. I was just like dead, dead set. Yeah, it went out really hard. There's there's like some high school kid, another guy that I took a couple races and everyone took it out hard. And we got to the first mile and I was like, that was fast. I was like, right, I got to go again and we're getting it was. Like under 5? What was that? Yeah, it was under five. Yeah, it was like it was like 455.

And I guess it's faster than I've ever gone out and the high school kid starts to drop back. Me, this other guy are together through about a mile and a half. And I was like, I got to press. Like, I'm not slowing down. Like I'm going to win this. Like just thinking about my dad, You got to win this for I want I'm win this for dad. We get in, we go through and actually I see Vince, who you talked to a few weeks ago, He's at the water stop. So he's cheering. He's like, all right, I got a little pump from Vince and kind of get there and then get to that last mile.

I was like, all right, you know what, one mile to go, just this is it. It's only 5 minutes. You gotta just be tough for 5 minutes and get the win for dad just. Be tough for 5 minutes. And got got in and got got it done and yeah, I was just like who? And so that's that's the fastest around. And and it's, it is funny because I was, was running just all out and you're like, did, did I run a 5K PRI? Don't know because I ran 3.17 instead. So you're like, what's, what's the watch say? Like where am I? Like how fast did I go?

And I made sure to to flat flash the the heart heart sign. I saw that picture. Coming across, yeah, it was a great picture to have and finished and got to go back and be like talk, talk to Dad and like how you doing? He was great. Surgery went really well. Yes. He was like, did you end like what was going on? Like, yeah, that I won. So it's great. So it was a really special day and it just kind of and those the series has been fun anyways. And so I got to keep keep doing them. Yeah, that's really. Fun, although I'm annoyed they got rid of that specific race the Lawrence won.

They're moving to 16 Tech this year, so it was just nice 'cause it was. I had that memory there, yeah. Yeah. And it was closest to selfishly, it was closest to fishers too, as you're. Driving around. So was it in the park? It it starts at not by the park, kind of closer to Triton brewing down there. Just just EI don't. Know why I asked? Because I don't know anything so. But for other people who might know things. It goes, it goes past the park. We're not into the park. OK, OK. Oh man, that's really special. Yeah, so it was good, a great, great memory to have and great to have like when it and and just be able to to celebrate with dad.

So it's really special and he's doing well now. He's doing well. He he actually, it's been a stretch. He broke his ankle in 20/20/16. Oh, that was before. And then he, he had surgery and that was like in the summer. So he was on crutches and like lost the summer, like just like healing it didn't feel right. So he got a second opinion, had surgery again in 2017 and we broke it was lost summer again on crutches. And then after that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. And so I had to go through he. Had cancer. Yes. And so went through and had to fight prostate cancer and repeat that and then the triple bypass two years ago.

So it's been like a stretch. I mean, it's just. Been. Unstoppable. So, so he's gone. So he's, he's feeling like himself. It's been 2 years. He's got to check up. And then like, you know, he comes out and walks to the club occasionally and is working on it. And, and my mom, I mean, she's been a trooper through all of that helping. And then, you know, he had that triple bypass surgery. This is all in 22. I broke my collarbone like so this is July, he has a surgery, it's middle of August. He's cleared for like activity and driving again. I break my collarbone and she's like, what are you guys doing?

Like, And then a month later my, my granddad hurt her dad is still alive and he like hits himself with a, a sledgehammer like on his leg and like cuts it open And she's like what? Like he was fine. He ended up being fine. But that day it happened, she's like, I don't know what is all you guys are just going to have to sit inside like I'm done with all of you. Like can can you guys just stay healthy? Can you just, can we get some bubbles? Quit these men. Quit it so but but. God bless your mom. Yeah, yes, wow. So, and she's got to deal with two, two little rambunctious boys in that.

Too. So. Yeah. So my goodness. So that was a stretch. Yeah. So, but yeah, Dad, Dad's healthy now. So trying to figure out what he wants to get back back into and and move in and kind of just keep keeping his heart heart healthy. You got to go run these marathons with Michael Hartnagel. Do you know his story? No, I don't know. That's OK. So Michael's dad passed away in September of last year from prostate cancer. And he had, before his dad passed away, made a commitment to run across the state of Indiana for his dad. Well, unfortunately, his dad passed and he had had it all planned.

And so he went, went with it. He so he two days after his dad died, ran across the state of Indiana in honor of his dad. And now every month so far this year, he's run a marathon around a Cancer Center. And so marathon number six is June. Shoot, sorry, Michael, 15th, June 15th, I think coming up. So it's typically a Saturday and it's IU Cancer Center West. I don't know where that is, but anyway, so they just do these like loops around a Cancer Center. So he'll have a random mix of people show up. I went to the last one 'cause it was in Carmel and it's just so incredible.

So he, he, you talked to him, he's on one of the earlier. Population yeah, OK earlier episodes I'll send that to you I'll. Have to find it. And then, yeah, 'cause there's an event in Cleveland, Race for the place is what it was called. And it was like a cancer like survivors group that my dad went to and kind of really just was great to have people to talk to and help him coming through it. And so we'd run that race and they had done a virtual a few times. But I've been trying to figure out kind of what, what else to do locally to just kind of give back and support.

And and so I have to I have to connect. There, that would be really cool. And then your, your dad could come out and walk too, because yeah, Michael's mom comes to all of them and she, she's out there doing some laughs occasionally and. I'm sure if you're just doing it by yourself around the hospital then have having people come. Out having people come out is and it's getting it seems anyway like getting bigger and bigger each time the more people find out about it and people just show like people who don't even know him show up and it's just it's so special I. Love it.

Thanks. Yeah, for sure. OK, We've got a we've, I could talk to you for three hours. Mark, this is ridiculous. I want to hear about the wedding because you were so kind. You brought me one of the medals that you had at your wedding, which is just so cool that you had these made because I was going to ask you about how the heck you got these made. Yeah, well, it's through. It's like a it's really a Christmas ornament that you can get custom made. So, so Michelle found it online. So it's like a little a custom site. So we got them made as the wedding favor.

So, so it was your seating assignment as the and the favor. So what we had done was figure out the guest list and what we had for our centerpieces were race bibs that were important to us. So I talked about that race for the place in Cleveland for prostate cancer. Well, that was my parents table. So we had a race number there for that. And then Michele's family is from Louisville on our big Kentucky Derby fans and we'd run the Derby Festival mini. So we had a Derby Festival mini number on her parents. Table. And then like she had a boss who's from Germany and so we had the Berlin number and put it on there.

So we had tried to like theme people's tables, but we had the bib numbers as the centerpieces and your table number. So as opposed to walking and you're at table one. You're at table 12379. Yeah, you're for you. It's like. 24. Or something. That's yeah, Michelle was joking. She's like, alright, well, my bib number says 33,868 and you've got bib bib 19. Yeah, like exactly spread about. It's fine. It's. Fine. And so we made we made those tables and then and decided that we were going to like Michelle had done all the research and was like, alright, what, what what's the right level of running theme that we want to fit in?

That's. The stuff I mean, it's like. She's like, there are people that were like full out with finish lines and start lines and like, you know, Gatorade bottles for their centerpieces and everything. She's like, I want, I want to dial it back a little bit, but I I want to acknowledge like how we met through the running club and, and, and everything. So we had the the bib numbers, which looked, looked great and then, yeah, those favors. So we print it out and put put people's table numbers on the back since you got you got your medal for showing up for the for the wedding.

So it was good. So that's such a cool idea. And you ran the morning of your wedding. Ran the morning of the wedding, did. You do like an organized thing with your guests or did you just run with Michelle? We had, we have two, two great friends that were the the guy Luke, he officiated the wedding and then Rachel was we didn't have a wedding party, but for all intensive purposes, Rachel was like the the wedding products. She was it. So so we ran with them so that Luke and Rachel Ebuyer so and then another friend of ours, Daniel Stubbs, who he's the one that actually when I broke 3 hours for the first time back in 2020, I'd met Dan through Fishers Running Club and he just done the same thing so.

I think I follow him on Instagram, probably I don't. Know if I've met him, he's, he's won the 8 hour endurance race and, and he, he came and we're we're kind of the same and he's like, you know what I think I can run 2:45 for a marathon and I was like, all right, let's let's go. And that's really what kind of we were both in the Fishers running club. He was flexible and like would always show up early mornings. I'd always run early, try to get my workouts in before the boys were awake so I'd be back and I wouldn't have to interrupt the day.

And he would get up early and show up. And we put in a ton of miles together and broke 245 together in Monumental at the the same year. We we tried in the spring of 21 at Carmel and then took another six months and then did it in the in the fall of 21 at Monumental and in the same race. So, so that's the group that were there for the morning of the wedding. You know, they had got Michelle like a veil and a white, some white stuff and some like bride and groom socks and they got me like a little like bow tie and everything.

So it's, we ran that morning, just a small, small group run. Yeah. So it was fun. So no. But we did get, after we got our formal photos done at the wedding, we went and we'd brought shoes and so we changed into running shoes and went with the photographer and got some shots kind of run up and down in the suit, in the wedding dress, I think, I think Michelle had shared. On I've. Seen them that's so good. So that was so that was it was a lot of fun. We were kind of cause the photographer's like, well, what do you guys want? That's like, do you want to go to the spot?

You know, you're staying at bottle works, You want to go there like, well, I don't know what what means a lot to us down here. And there's a picture I have from one of the run three one sevens where I'm running down Mass Ave. and the shot is like this. You see the South force tower and everything behind us and like the street. It's a great, great shot. That was Gareth Wolford from athletic annex took that. He shows up and take he takes great photos and always and I know I'm from I worked at Annex for a while back when it was. Tim and Timmy man, it's good to know the the good photographers.

Yeah, so we kind of looked at that for us, like we love that photo. Like how do we recreate that for a wedding? So she's like really special. So yeah, so there's. A bride and groom in the middle of a street wearing your tire and people are like what in the hell? It was good, yeah. We had a lot, a lot of cheers and Hawks and ways people are excited. For us, I bet that's so cool. But it it it, it turned out great. So did you run down the aisle or did she run down the aisle rather? Yeah. The finish line at the end of the aisle.

She breaks the tape. Yeah, we didn't have any tape. That was good. Oh. Yeah, tape going out. I mean, there's just like all kinds of crazy stuff you could do. Yeah. But we, we do have our SO at our house, we've got a big PR wall. So kind of there's pictures of really kind of from like mile to marathon each of our PRS. OK, so we printed out like a picture from each race. It's hanging up. And then the the big, you know, kind of like you've done you're you're. I just got a shrine. It's a shrine. It's, it's great. Like I, I never thought and, and she was like, no, we're doing it.

And so we have all the shelves and all the all the medals hung up and photos from the races and other like. And all your random awards stuff I I wanted to know yeah for the most random award you've received because I have a pirate's booty inflatable boat that I wanted our 4th of July race at the lake. And it is so weird and it's every time I blow it up for the kids, I'm like, this is so funny. That's a great. I've just got random typical like. Typical like mugs and glasses. And the winter night trail run at Eagle Creek, Michelle and I have both won that race, which is cool, which is fine.

And so we have you get little coasters for that. So let's get those. So those are nothing. I like the inflatable prize. That's good. Right. I got an inflatable pirates booty boat. I got an inflatable watermelon popsicle to go with it. And then there was something else I forget, but it was just like this smorgasbord of random. Like some people got like baskets of flowers. Like it was amazing though, 'cause you're like, this is, I mean, it's something I actually use versus, I mean, although don't get me. Wrong. I would love. Something to put on the. Wall, too. So we we've been doing a beer mile for the last three years with kind of a small group of the Fishers running clubs.

We need to come up with some better prizes for that. Right. Yeah. Get. A little creative crazy. I don't know, but I'll think about it. There's got to be. I mean, yeah, people have seen one like one pies that races. I mean, it's just. I've got I've gotten a pie like at a Thanksgiving race before. That was good. Felt like you were contributing. Yeah, to Thanksgiving. You're like, look, I've, I've, I've won this pie. And there used to be a race out at Eagle Creek called the Outback Scramble. Oh, it's, it's, they tried to bring it back last year, but it was on the West side of Eagle Creek.

Five mile race, I think, But it was really through the woods, so there was sort of a path, but then there were also just ribbons to mark the course. So you'd come out and your legs would be all cut up and scraped and it would kind of go off. You'd there'd be sections where you'd have to use a rope to go up the hill. But then they'd put hats and like inflatables out there, and if you got one and carried it with you to the finish line, you got 15 or 30 seconds off your time. Oh, that's fun. So that's fun to have a little bit like.

Somebody's carrying like 8 hats in an inflatable. Yeah, I've got so I've got a Viking helmet from that. That's cool, I like that. Huh. That's so interesting. OK, Mark, I have to ask you the end of the podcast questions, alright? Because this might be the longest episode. Ever which? Is great no it's good though I feel like people are out on a run listening to this so it's fine because people you know and people I. Know are running. I feel like we only covered half the things anyway so it. Was good. I think we only did. It's like whole holy crap. I was joking with Michelle that I had a boss that I work for and she once told me that sometimes I talk like there's a limit on words.

Like I don't give back. I don't give a lot of back story and everything. So it's a joke that like, you know, both Michelle and Daniel were like, Hey, you got to make sure and like try to give some more context and do better. So also we'll let people vote, you know, as they, as they, as this comes out to see if if I actually did I. Think you did a wonderful job as somebody who wouldn't have thought I feel the same way. It's it's somebody once told me a former boss of mine, it was like make your words matter. So like don't waste all that Like don't waste words.

Make your say, say what you mean to say and that's it. So I, I don't know, I've always kind of taken that to heart and, and just want to be respectful of people's time and not like, you know, because I've got some friends or relatives that just drone on and you're like, oh, OK, so I don't know those things combined, I feel like I'm kind of similar. Yeah, finding that balance is, is was important. But I'm like, I'm just like, this is the, this is the point like. This is Yeah. Yeah. We'll see. Everyone, let us know how marked it. Yeah. OK. So do you listen to music when you run?

I don't listen. I figured you fast fast. People, I mean, I like in a race, if like something comes on, it's always fun to celebrate and sing. And Michelle was joking the only time she got annoyed with me while I was pacing Boston. As the only time, yeah, right. The only time that she she really had to, the only time that she had to say something to me was when I was singing along and, and she's like trying to turn around so. She's like trying to stay alive and you're like. That that's enough. Yeah, so do you have a? So what is your favorite running mantra?

Yeah, I, I think like this is this is your chance for today is really meaningful. You think about, you know, when you're a kid, how fast time or how slow time goes by. You know, it takes forever to be able to get to that last five minutes of school or whatever it is. And then as you get older, right, everything speeds up. Well, if you want to really slow down time as adult, go run as hard as you can and then you're like this, 30 seconds is never going to be over. What a good Yeah, well said. So just as you're thinking about that out there, like this is your chance for the day.

Like it, it's hard. You know, you're hurting. I think, you know, I've had people joke in the club like I hate it. You're you're out there running like it's got to be so easy. I'm like, no, it is, it is hard. Like whatever pace you're at, running as hard as you can is difficult. So just that's it. I think it's part of why I got into running as more as you know, right, everyone, the pandemic happened, you kind of felt like, you know, I, I don't have control over things. And this was a sense to like have control, own your effort, own everything that's going on and be able to do it.

So, and Michelle would say too, that she's really into enneagrams. So because I'm an Enneagram 8, I like to have control over things. That's a big thing. That's my, my, my, my deepest fear is not not being able to. Control So do you like flying in an airplane? I, I'm fine with flying in an airplane. I'm OK with that. But yeah, I, I really do like the sense of like your own, you own the work you put in the, the what you get out of running and, and how you know that effort and, and your ability to be consistent and, and get joy out of it is all intrinsic.

And so that's something that really, really meaningful to me that I try to think about during races. Yeah, that's so funny to think about. Hey, you want to slow down time? Yeah. Or just get on a treadmill. Yes, get on a treadmill. Yeah, and time will stop. You're like, this is going backwards. This is the longest. Yeah, it well, it's so windy today, I might do my workout on the treadmill, but it's like 9 miles. So just watch a good movie. I feel like you got you got a great. I love my treadmill. OK. And so then what's your next finish line or milestone? Yeah, my next finish line will be Monumental Mile.

OK. So gearing up for that, I really, I ran that time two years ago, 4/24 and I was 39. The 40 to 45 record for Masters is 4/22. Crushing it, you're going to crush it. So I, I'd like to kind of take, take a take a chance at that. We'll see how, how training's been going well and, but you never know. So I'm looking forward to that at the end of June. So how do you prepare for going all out in a mile? Do you actually go all out in a mile before you do it? I'll do some different. I'll do some shorter harder efforts like 800.

I won't, I won't do a mile. Yeah, I won't do a full mile. But I I raced one back in indoor coming off the Houston Marathon and it felt strong and ran well. Not not as fast as I needed to yet, but do some more specific 304 hundred, 800 type type of work at that pace that I need to. So we'll see how it goes from there. So two years ago, the course would have been straight shot. This was the first year they. Changed it. OK, good, Good. Because I was going to ask you how you feel about the change. Yeah. It it's been good.

Yeah, the the straight shot is really cool. It's cool for speed for sure. But I understand it needed to be loop to be record eligible. Oh yeah, you can't. I didn't realize. That somebody probably told me that. Sorry. It didn't count before. OK, it's nice to to be a little closer to the start. Like the logistics of it, especially as I mentioned with the children and like trying to get to the start quickly. So it's it's not bad. I think you just got to watch out those turns like anywhere. You just got to be careful coming around. So it's just a great event. So that's my next finish line.

And then, you know, next milestone for me will be I'm going to race Chicago in the in the fall. So I've done Chicago twice, OK, Both times on my birthday. Oh. Yeah, I forgot to mention that the Vaporfly cake that your Did your mom make that for you? Yeah, so cool. And Vaporfly it was. Yeah. So Vaporfly cake. And then I wore a hey, it's my birthday. Yeah, I saw that. That was great. So, so much, a lot. That's great. But I'm going to run Chicago not on my birthday for the first time this year. So. But it's my first time ever up in the American Development Program section for that.

Yeah. What is that? So it's kind of like that sub elite cast. So you have the pro pros up in the front and you've got this group of people that are either. American development? That's a weird name. Yeah, they, it had a name before that. I forget what it was, they changed it, but it's, you know, so you've got people that are trying to qualify for the Olympic trials whenever that standard gets reset again and kind of like just below that level. And so I qualified as a master and I was like, I want to be up there on the start, like jugging out. There's another guy on our team that ran up there last year.

So that'll be a big, big milestone is doing, doing my my fall marathon. Now, where will your birthday fall in proximity to the race? It'll be five days before this time, so. Making sure this is my birthday was five years. Ago I keep I keep saying I'm going to wear that I've got that singlet and I keep offering it to people like just wear it like it doesn't even matter if it's your birthday, who cares? It's so much fun, so fun. And when you get up, when people, when you come up and fans are cheering and you come up behind groups and everyone's like looking around, trying to like, the people you're running with are looking around, like, how does everyone know this person, like, what's going on?

And then they see your shirt. Right. OK, now. Now I do that, Yeah. Have you seen the video of the guy who's like looking up people's names by their bib numbers in real time? It's hilarious because he'll be like, go Jennifer and she'll be like looking at him. Like how in the heck do you know my name? But you know, you could see him coming and he just type it in the results and like, find people's names. But yeah, definitely a pro tip for anybody at a race, like having your name on your shirt or a friend of mine has a company called Pen and Paces and she makes those little bib things where you can put your name on it.

So smart. She was set up at boss. She had a little like she did. We went by SO. Yeah. Oh, that's so nice. Oh man, this has been so nice getting to know. You. Yeah, Hopefully I'm less. So easy to talk to. Yeah, I'm not scared anymore and I I will see you at the mile. Are you going to come out and cheer for the full MO at all? Yeah, I'll be at, I'll be at the Monon Center aid station, Fishers Run Club and we even talked about the club stuff, but they're going to come and do a a big aid station there. Yeah, that's what Vince.

Vince told me that I'm thinking about just taking the girls out and come in somewhere. So maybe I'll. Yeah, we're it's right there. At the Monon Center. Would be easy 106 or whatever that yeah. So yeah, yeah, be great. Hopefully see you out there. Yeah, well, good luck to everybody who's running the full MO. Yeah, it's, I don't know. I haven't looked at the weather. I was like, I don't know, I I'm not racing so I haven't checked the weather 10 times. I just got got to show up and. Show up and hand out some stuff. We'll see. Oh, cool. Well, thanks for doing this, Mark.

Yeah, thanks for the invite. Absolutely. And thank you to everybody who's listened and happy running happy. Running. Unhappy, unhappy. Yay. All right, cool. That was great.

Ally Brettnacher