Feb. 28 Week: Stray Dogs, Runaway Taxis and a HoJo's....4 Days In Bucharest

Heading into this week was difficult for me, as I knew I would be missing a team run the last weekend of February, as I ended up having to travel for work. I've come to depend on these longer training runs, which really set up the following weekday runs and I now hate to miss them. I also miss the chance to interact and get advice from DFMC teammates and Jack Fultz who is very approachable (as a former Boston Marathon Winner and our coach).

In any case this week, I had to go to Bucharest, Romania for business and would have to stay through the weekend. I was regretting the trip due to the above and beyond the terrorist warnings, a bad weather pattern and prospect of a pilot's strike in Paris, I knew the 7 hour time difference would be murder and it would be hard for me to find time to do my running.

Nevertheless on Tuesday night, I took off from Newark (had to front end the trip in NJ for another customer) and made my way through Paris (CDG) with a 4 hour layover and on to Otopeni Airport north of Bucharest, where I landed at 14:15 local time (7:15AM EST). My first good surprise was the wait in passport/customs was unbelievably short. Compared to going to London or Paris where hour long lines and painful inquisitions are endured, getting into Romania was relatively easy. A couple bored questions from the government agent, and I was handed my passport and waved into the country in less than a minute. (My host Bogdan later told me "that is because more people are trying to get out of Romania than IN").

As I headed off in the airport cab to the Howard Johnson's Grand Plaza (go figure, I fly halfway around the world to stay in a Ho Jo's what a flashback!!), I was amazed at what a unique place Bucharest is - with a mix of medieval, Western modern and then the massive concrete government structures from the Communist regime as you come into the city center. The other good surprise was that the Romanians spoke very good English, which kept me from embarrassing myself having to try to speak the Romanian language.

I made sure to ask the cab driver where I might be able to go run, and was directed to two city parks - Cismigiu and the second around Lake Herestrau about 6 km north. With the time difference and a heavy meeting schedule, I knew I would have to be lucky to get these in.

As fate would have it, the weather would not cooperate during the week and the roads being a bit treacherous - mysterious sinkholes in sidewalks, stray dogs, and heavy city traffic, I was forced to get my workouts in on the treadmill at the Ho Jo's fitness center. Finally, as the weekend approached, and the weather cleared a bit, I made the trek via subway up to Lake Herestrau and it was worth the wait. Had a nice run there with a few stray dogs trailing along, about 9 miles for 2 laps around a very picturesque lake. It felt good to be outside. Sunday AM came quick and with the time difference, I just stayed up all night, I left Bucharest and began my trip home. Even though it took 16 hours, with some delays due to weather, it was good to be home though I did enjoy Romania a lot.

On the fundraising front this week, SPECIAL THANKS go out to my niece Brianna Fitzpatrick (in memory of Grandma), Stacy Clark from GIPS (in memory of her grandfather Charlie Rolla), and good friends Kim and Gary Brown, Paul Trask, and Debbie O'Connor for their support of DFMC and my run.

Feb 22 Week - Halfway There ....

This week was another good week, both in terms of donations and the training, so that is good. I was able to map a good 5-6 mile loop that has a couple hills so it's good training during the week. I've been using the longer DFMC team runs to ratchet up my during the week distance and this has worked pretty well. Running longer distances on the weekend has helped my weekly distance runs immeasurably, as I thought it would. I finished this week with a 13 mile training run (halfway there... I had that Bon Jovi song in my head the whole last half of the race "Livin On A Prayer"). Another good week for donations and I'd like to personally thank Andrew Bronneck, Michael Graham, Maureen & Kevin Wright, Tom Packo, Deborah Sullivan (one of the most giving people I know..), Kathy Holtzman-Goldblatt (Mom's next door neighbor and a great friend to Mom through the years). You guys are the best and I appreciate it. We're getting there folks!!

Feb 15 Week - It Wasn't Pretty, But It Was Functional...

.... Resisting the urge to make a bad joke "...like my first girlfriend..", the week was still pretty good but I need to do better. It was tough to find time to run but I managed 3 outdoor days and one of those was a good 90 minute run (I'm very focused on getting increased time in runs and of course distance, but having a good effort for the entire time) and I concluded with a DFMC team run on the Lexington bike path at 10 miles, which I was proud of, as I hadn't gone that distance yet. I'm starting to feel fit and even as I'm tired or have muscle aches, the time to get to the first plateau (that's the point where lungs stop burning and the pain stops and the body gives up trying to make you quit) is quicker. I actually enjoy running, maybe it's a case of "there's a joy in being mad that only madmen know" but it is very satisfying because for me, it is very hard. I wasn't born with a "runner's physique" but I'm getting there. I'm going to do every DFMC team run from here on out and I hope to join my personal hero Gerry B at a pace where I might come in some time shortly after him. I found a pretty cool site I'll share called www.mapmyrun.com. Pretty much you put in a zip code and it pops up with running routes in the general area. Very cool. Of course there's a premium (paid) version which is way cooler, but you probably knew that.

On fundraising front, I would like to thank Joyce Kim and Jan Linden from my company (GIPS - Global IP Solutions) and a high school classmate Dianne Belamarich for their donations. I'm sending a batch of letters out and I may do a fundraiser in early April in the Hopkinton area probably (how noncommittal is that - nice job Tom). Thanks to all who have supported, I run for all of you and in memory of your people too!!

Feb 8 Week and the "real" Survival Shuffle....

There are times in running when the pursuit is effortless, you glide along, bearly breathing, and you hardly feel your feet touch the pavement. Unfortunately, for me, these times are few and far between. Usually, I am winded, my feet and heels ache and both quads and calves burning and I pound along, trying to reach the small milestones I set for myself. The next hilltop, a telephone pole, run for a solid hour, etc. You fall into a pace and you just grind or gut it out.

For those that aren't familiar with the term, the "Survival Shuffle" is a euphemism for what you do when your body has given out, when cramps set in and you don't think you have anything left. It is of course a very strong parallel to the fight our loved ones have had and continue to have against the horrible disease of cancer. It's what I witnessed my mom do when she was in pain and I heard how my wife's Aunt Ruth persevered through so many difficult cycles. And so many (TOO MANY) more. I want to end the survival shuffle for everyone who has had to endure it, and so no one else will ever have to. Anyway, that's what this is all about.

On the running front - had a decent week, concluded running a 5K race in Lowell. My son Kenny (he of the effortlessly gliding through life - oh to be 14 again) kicked my butt and ran his PR, as did a good friend of our family, Karen Tierney. I survival shuffled after going out too fast on my first mile. Going to punish myself a little this week to make up for it.

On the donation front - Thank you to Colleen Connearney-Scheibner (and her lovely husband Ned Schneibley) for a donation, as well as my friend Mike Spofford for their donations this week.

ONWARD AND UPWARD!! Our link again is http://www.runDFMC.org/2010/tomf - ALL DONATIONS LARGE AND SMALL ARE APPRECIATED!!

Almost $1500 and Counting....

I felt really good running this week, finally the body seems to be shifting gears and going along with the plan, which is great. It will be important as the miles increase and I suspect I will need to go to 2 a day kind of workouts with longer runs escalating to get to the right mileage.

On the donations front, things are going great and I was happy to get a matching donation from Q-Logic Corporation (my friend Roland's company) and I guess I'll go ahead and ask IF YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE *AND* your company has matching donations, please put in for a match as you contribute. (I'm not very good at this fundraising thing, am I?)

One additional new donations to report for the week, from my good friend and high school teammate Steve Pitts (Thanks Rocko!!) I'm thinking of doing a fundraiser either up in the Merrimack Valley or Hopkinton/Westborough area - any suggestions?

Thanks to all for your support and thoughts