New Blog

Hello All,

I will soon be moving to a new blog site. You can check out a quick preview of the site here. Keep tabs as I update and be ready for a new, sleek look!

http://runlikehell50.wordpress.com/

Pittsburgh Training- Full Steam Ahead

A few weeks ago I let you know that I had started my marathon training for Pittsburgh! This week marks the official beginning of increasing my mileage and getting ready to run fast.

The last few weeks I've done less mileage and worked to do Fartleks. It was quite fun running faster and for shorter distances than I've been used to. My hips appreciate it and my lungs did too. I was pretty worried when we hit those negative temperatures in November, but things have rebounded nicely. I don't mind cold-weather running, but it still hurts the lungs when things get so cold so quickly.

This week things start to ramp up. I usually always have a day of rest and the other days of running. Most weeks I have a few days of short mileage, usually 3 or 4 miles, and a few days of medium mileage, like 5 or 6 miles. Then one day of long mileage, this week, 10 miles, which slowly increase throughout the schedule before tapering off as the race approaches. By that time, your legs and lungs should be strong enough to get you through.

Basically, I'm telling you all that marathons are not trained for by running 26 miles every day or even several times over several weeks. Marathons are things that take time to prepare for like everything else, and the result that you have on your race is a result of the work you put in. I want to share this process with you because you've supported me with your funds and because this is where the race is really run. The event itself is just weeks and weeks of effort culminating in a jog through the park.

Thank you again for your support. Even if you haven't donated, you have supported me in one way or another. I'm actually very close to my goal of $500, but things have been pretty quiet lately. I'll ask once again for your help in sending out this link for donations. If you know anyone who would like to support Autism awareness or runners, please let them know I need a few dollars. You are all wonderful!

A Glimpse at Community Organizing

Hey Folks. So this will be a very strange post. I will be taking an exam tomorrow for my community organizing course and am required to post my exam study guide on a blog. It's a strange request, but it is a requirement because we have been investigating social media techniques to organize communities and our professor asked us to interact with a blogging site.

I thought I would use this time to introduce to some of the concepts we are discussing in 'Organizing for Social and Political Action.' Enjoy!

Conflict Styles and Resolution
One of the topics we covered in our course is conflict styles. Conflict styles are important because they can inform group dynamics during community organizing efforts. They are also helpful during regular group efforts.

Informal versus Formal types of meetings 

No single style is better than another (courtesy UM Office of Student Conflict Resolution)

These three styles are forms of opportunities to transform conflict.

Strong Ties and Weak Ties

Malcolm Gladwell, an intellectual who writes for The New Yorker and often shares the stage with his massive ego, wrote a provocative article suggesting that social change cannot rely solely on social media. The main crux of his argument is that social media is great for 'weak ties' where we have loose connections with lots of people, but no real impetus to get up and DO something. This is in sharp contrast to true social movements that require 'strong ties' to others to make real change happen. 

You can read his piece titled "Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted" here. 

Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism

Community Organizing relies on an understanding of a framework of social justice that a CO will operate under. The model that we use in class requires a topic called 'Possibility' which suggests that for truly transformative work to occur, one must understand the possibilities that are out there for things we can aspire to. 

One example of possibility is a typology developed by Gosta Esping-Anderson who reviewed different types of welfare regimes and worked to classify them into the types shown below:

Image developed by Professor Larry M. Gant, adapted from Esping-Anderson, 1990

One of the biggest pieces of these models is the idea of decommodification. Commodification is the practice of turning services into commodities such as health care or access to water. In the US, these are usually seen as commodities that require funds to pay for them. In other models, the State works to decommodify such services to ensure they are provided to all residents. 

It should be noted that this typology was completed in a European-Centric model, so the examples used are typically found with Anglo-Saxon countries such as the US and Australia, and examples from continental Europe and Scandinavia. Some additional characteristics are listed below:

Structural Determinants of Health and Epigenetics

All of this leads to the idea that the way our systems are set-up actually lead to detrimental health outcomes for members of society. Structural Determinants of Health is the term used to describe the complex, integrated social structures that are responsible for health inequities. This video suggests that we can measure the impact of inequality to show how structure impacts health. 

Epigenetics is a new term I learned that describes how traumatic experiences and inequality can be passed from generation to generation. This video (the third part of a five part series) describes how an event such as September 11th can actually be passed on from generation to generation. The traumatic stress endured by a parent during certain periods is actually attached to the genes of their children. While this is true for major events, it can also endure for something such as poverty or racism, where people experience everyday trauma. These traumas are then passed to their children who then experience new health problems that are uncommon to children their age. 

All of this suggests that we should do more to impact structures, inequality, and poverty in our nation. Not only is it a human thing to do, but we are literally making ourselves sick by ignoring it. 

I hope you learned something from this. If you want more detail on any of these topics I can send more. Wish me luck on my exam!

Pittsburgh Training- Day 1

Yep, day 1 of training for Pittsburgh has arrived. For those who know a thing or two about marathons, you might recall that a typical marathon training calendar is 18 weeks long. You may also wonder if its possible that May 3 is only 18 weeks away. Well, its not possible. Its actually 26 weeks away. I am doing a bit extra for this marathon. Let me tell you why.

If you don't know yet, I'm running Pittsburgh for charity. It's the first time I've ever raced for charity before and since joining the team about 2 weeks ago, I've already raised $330 for the Run for Autism.  The organization is a great organization that does a lot of work on autism research and awareness. I also enjoy the breakdown of what different levels of funding do for the organization. While my initial goal is $500, I have my eye on the $1000 level, as it provides a research grant to a graduate student studying autism. I can relate to graduate students and $1000 would be awesome!

 To those who have already donated, thank you! Please be sure to send the link to others who might be interested in supporting my cause. To those who haven't donated, see what you can do. Even $10 would be incredibly helpful in pursuing my goal.

The other reason I'm working on a 26 week training schedule is because I want to make some big improvements on my time. I ran the Indianapolis Half-Marathon this past Saturday and found myself just 14 seconds shy of my personal record. I'm not one to toot my own horn, but my half marathon time is pretty good. I can see only two options left on the half-marathon, improve my time to see if I can start placing in the top spots, or enjoy the times I've got and relax on my half-marathons now, focusing on location, rather than time.

It seems paradoxical that running a full marathon can help the half marathon, but at this point, I'm interested in seeing if I can sustain a faster pace over 26 miles, versus only 13. I know I can run pretty fast for 13 miles, but the pace I've been running would leave me completely exhausted if I needed to do another 13. I'm trying to see if I can bring my 26 mile pace down: hence the longer training period.

26 Week Training Calendar

Today I started my training with a Fartlek. A fartlek (besides being a wonderfully juvenile word) is a speed workout designed to increase your sustained speeds. Basically, you choose a distance or time to run, and slowly increase speeds to faster than your normal. Today, I ran time for a good speed base. I would run for 2 minutes 30 seconds, with every 30 second interval slightly faster than the previous, increasing from my normal pace during the first 30 seconds to breakneck speed in the final 30 seconds. I repeated this 4 times with a 90 second light jog in between. The idea behind this is that you can start to build up speed over time. I used Active.com's suggestion for fartlek workouts.

My goal is to bring my marathon time down from 3:43 to 3:35 or better. My stretch goal is 3:30. Ultimately I want to qualify for Boston, which requires a 3:05 marathon time. I want to take baby steps though. Shaving off 40 minutes is a lot of work and runs the serious risk of injury. That is the LAST thing I want to do. Therefore, fartleks (heh) and 26 weeks of training are necessary to reduce the risk of injury and improve times.

Today was the first day of a long journey to Pittsburgh. I'll keep you posted as things progress!

Indianapolis Monumental Half-Marathon

Indianapolis Monumental Half-Marathon
Date: November 1, 2014
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Finish Time: 1:31:05
Pace: 6:58 min/mi

Indiana. State number seven. The city of Indianapolis was the setting for what turned out to be a pretty good race. I was just shy of my personal record, but I am pleased with the race as it starts the push towards the Pittsburgh Marathon. 

Pittsburgh Marathon- I need your money

Hello everyone!

Today I signed up for the Pittsburgh Marathon! For the first time, I will be running for charity:

Run for Autism

I would really appreciate if you could send some funds my way! Pittsburgh is a tough course with lots of hills, but I'm still hoping to PR!

Take a moment and donate what you can at my fundraising site:

David's Fundraising Site

Just make sure it says you're sponsoring me when you click on the 'Donate to this fundraiser' button.

Every little bit helps! Just think, if you donate just $1 for every mile I run you can fund $26 for Autism Research!

When you finish, send this site to others who can help me out. Thanks a bunch!

Photo of the Day - October 17 to October 20

Friday, October 17

Trees are on FIRE!

Saturday, October 18

Reggie the Dog- Probably the coolest dog ever.

Sunday, October 19 

Janel and I drove from Bay City, to Detroit metro airport, to Kalamazoo and back. This was all our eyes saw. 

Monday, October 20

Art installation on campus

Photo of the Day- October 15, 2014

This is one of the coolest murals I've seen. It's near the Ann Arbor bus terminal. I saw Gene Kelly from down the sidewalk and moved so that he was actually using the light pole to dance.

Singing in the Rain

Photo of the Day- October 15, 2014

Men at Work

Cleveland- Detroit's Sad Twin

It's not that I didn't like Cleveland, it's just that I didn't find it all that interesting. Here's a synopsis of our stint in the 'Forest City.'

Photo of the Day- October 14, 2014

Since writing regularly is such hard work, I thought I'd try something different. I got this idea on the day of the lunar eclipse where I snapped this photo:

Pretty cool, eh?

I thought it would be pretty neat to take a picture every day and see what happens. I'm not putting any pressure on this to be a photo that captures the day perfectly or a photo that is really artsy or even a photo that has to showcase what happened on a day. I just want to take a photo every day for a year and see what cool things come up. It gives me a chance to practice taking photos, think about something fun, and possibly remember at the last minute that I need to take a picture of something.

Rain on a leaf

Urban Running

I was talking to my good friend Selby the other day and he asked if I had continued to blog. I told him that ideas kept sloshing in my head but that nothing had made it to the computer. He made a comment that it seemed as though running and urban planning could find a good relationship and that this blog seemed a good place for it.

I thought about that and realized that he is certainly right. Without realizing it, one of the first ways I generally explore a city is by running. There are things you can see on foot that you simply do not see in a car. There is also a feeling you get on foot that doesn't exist in a car. Sometimes that feeling is good and sometimes it isn't, but either way you learn something.

As I think back on the trips I have taken, running is almost always an activity I do when I travel, and it has given me mundane, yet interesting experiences. This past summer I ran while in Arizona and experienced many different things. For one, the first day I ran, I discovered that the subdivision we were staying in had several gated communities spread throughout the area. Eventually, no matter which road I chose, I eventually hit a dead end in the form of a coded gate. What I didn't realize at the time is that this experience fits perfectly with a planning term we learned about where we have moved beyond segregation by structure, but we have physically begun to separate ourselves from people we don't wish to interact with. You can bet that this subdivision in Scottsdale is filled with affluent people who don't want the riff raff of common folk coming to their neighborhood.

The second day I ran in Scottsdale, I ran through what felt like pure desert. I was on what was labeled 93rd Street, but there was no pavement, no markers on the road, and nothing around me but cactus and mountains. In areas where the road dipped, I could no longer see the Valley of the Sun and any sign of civilization. It was somewhat liberating and somewhat scary. What is so interesting is that this is what we describe while speaking about the exurbs- the places in our country where we seek solitude. However, the fact that 93rd Street has fire hydrants placed in strategic locations informs me that the area is just waiting for the housing market to recover before exploding into a new city.

Thinking back, running has given me many experiences that I might not have without foot exploration. I can recall running in Orlando, Florida and experiencing the terror of crossing eight lane boulevards on foot or running along streets with no sidewalks surrounded by office parks or hotel complexes. The number of curb cuts with drivers who have no respect for people on foot can give a very quick perspective as to how difficult it is to live without a car. While that may seem like a choice to many of us, for some, access to a vehicle is a luxury. Cities like Orlando are not equipped to handle people who don't have access to luxuries.

I remember running in rural North Carolina and Georgia while on service trips. The south has a very different way of life and as a pasty white kid running I received many funny looks from passerby, I almost always received a wave as well and plenty of room to run without fear of collision. It is rare in Ann Arbor that I'll receive eye contact, let along space and a wave.

Running in a new place is always fun because you can discover a lot about a city or a culture in just a few short miles. A 30 minute run can tell you a lot about where you are and the people who are around you. It can inform you about the weather, the culture, and the difficulties that we face in many cities around the country. Running has a great relationship with planning indeed.

My Month as an Executive Intern

Since the beginning of June I've spent most of my Tuesdays and Thursdays here:

Buffalo Half-Marathon

Buffalo Half-Marathon
Date: May 25, 2014
Location: Buffalo, NY
Finish Time: 1:30:51
Pace: 6:56 min/mi

At Mile 5 I would have never guessed that I would successfully set a new PR on this course. Aided by the flat course, the great weather, and the encouraging racers I managed to run a great race despite the feeling I had while running.

Hot Footing it in Arizona- May Travels

And just like that another month goes flying through the books. Janel and I have been very busy in May, traveling to Arizona, Kalamazoo, Buffalo, and soon Philadelphia and New Jersey. While I have just a few moments I thought I'd get you up to speed on some of the things we're doing.

Also: we're starting a wedding blog! It won't be much so don't get too excited, but its a nice separate place to keep our thoughts in place as we work through planning for a small wedding. Take a look if you want.

Seattle Marathon

Seattle Rock n' Roll Marathon
Date: June 22, 2013
Location: Seattle, WA
Finish Time: 3:43:22
Pace: 8:32 min/mi

After training for over a year due to the cancelled race in New Jersey, I was somewhat prepared for the difficulty that the hilly Seattle course was going to present. I ended up running a race that I wasn't all that happy with, but one that became my new PR for the marathon distance. The race is literally one of the first things I did in the city of Seattle and created a memorable trip and a beautiful race. 

Toledo Half-Marathon

Toledo Owens Corning Half-Marathon
Date: April 28, 2013
Location: Toledo, OH
Finish Time: 1:32:00
Pace: 7:02 min/mi

Racing in every state is a really fun idea when you start. And with each state you get to 'add to your collection' so to speak. I can't wait for the trip to Hawaii! But, sometimes you have to stay close to home to squeeze in another state. Ohio and Michigan have a pretty heavy rivalry between states. I usually shudder when I see an Ohio plate driving on our roads, but I know they feel just as out of place as we do when we go down to the Buckeye State. To check O-H-I-O off my list, I decided to stick my toe across the border and do Toledo. Its within driving distance of home so the morning isn't too early and sometimes I forget that we ever lost the war for Toledo. The race turned out to be a good one and remains my PR on a half-marathon course.

Detroit Marathon

Detroit Marathon
Date: October 16, 2011
Location: Detroit, MI
Finish Time: 3:43:29
Pace: 8:31 min/mi

It could be that Detroit is the largest race in terms of participants that I've ever run, or maybe it's my own affinity for Detroit, but whatever it is, Detroit is my favorite marathon I've run. It was the second full marathon that I completed and I've only done one more since then, but it remains one of the best in my memory. I ran a good race on a somewhat chilly day and I fondly remember coming through certain turns, something I can't say of every race. 

Kalamazoo Half-Marathon

Kalamazoo Half-Marathon
Date: May 6, 2012
Location: Kalamazoo, MI
Finish Time: 1:49:01
Pace: 8:19 min/mi

Kalamazoo has a special place in my mind because of all the times that I spent here as an undergrad at Western Michigan University. I really love the city and the places and try not to get lost in memories every time I go. Somehow I always make new ones. When I ran the Kalamazoo Half-Marathon I was full fledged into running races and determined not to let my speed atrophy as I hunted for states I could go to. I was also beginning to gain a following in my runs and a contingency came with me to Kalamazoo in May 2012.

Catching You Up on Things You've Missed

True to form I didn't blog for a while. Sorry. I did warn you that could happen.

Let me catch you up on some of the things you missed since I last wrote. I decided to do this in a quick format so you can read more at your leisure, but in the meantime have an idea of what happened.

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Janel and I got engaged!
It was a beautiful day in April and we're really excited for everything that comes next!

Spring Break in Fantastic Seattle!
We took a well-deserved vacation in March and visited with Janel's parents.

Year One of Planning School is in the Books
I had fun. I learned stuff. I'm ready for year two and to get a J-O-B. 

I Have a Cool New Internship
I rubbed elbows with the Mayor of Detroit, Dan Gilbert (the other mayor of Detroit), Michigan Senators, members of the Michigan Economic Growth Corporation, and other people who look great in suits. 

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I think that does it for the past few months. Obviously other things happened, but I can't remember it all! (This is why you should blog regularly). May is packed with weddings, vacations, and a race in Buffalo (yes, Buffalo). Get ready!

Big Life News: Engagement

Yup. It's true. Janel and I are now engaged! We're pretty excited about it. I'm not one to tell mushy stories, but I'll fill you in on how it all went down.

My Latest Adventure

It sure is humbling to take an unpaid internship at 26 years old. I thought the days were behind me when I'd have to do something to get some kind of experience. But its good for me. I had my first day of my new internship last Monday and it was pretty incredible. It absolutely makes up for the fact that I'm not getting paid... almost.

One Short Week in the Emerald City

The University of Michigan (and really all the universities in Michigan) does this funny thing where students get a week off in late February or early March called 'Spring Break.' Its funny because its almost always still really stinking cold. This year Janel and I were lucky that our door wasn't frozen shut.

We were also lucky this year because for 'Spring Break' we hopped on a plane and flew away to Seattle to visit Janel's parents and to enjoy the Emerald City in all its splendor!