TeamCindy

On Monday I will be running the Boston marathon. I am dedicating my effort to the memory of Cindy Sherwin, a New York triathlete and runner, who died at the age of 33 from a ruptured brain aneurysm.

The Boston Marathon will be my third TeamCindy event. I finished the Arizona Ironman, raising nearly $15,000, two years ago. Then last year I raised another $3,000 at Ironman Lake Placid. This year I hope to raise $2,000 at the Boston marathon.

To support my effort and help raise funding and awareness for brain aneurysms, please visit

my webpage at TeamCindy. Any and all donations are welcome. No amount is too small or insignificant. All monies raised will go the Brain Aneurysm Foundation. Donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.

If you want to find out more about brain aneurysms and their symptoms, please visit this page. Here you can learn more about a disorder that affects 1 in 50 people and often leads to death and disability. You will also learn that there are often warning signs that may help you prevent an acute incident.

Visit TeamCindy on Facebook.

Lake Placid, Ironman USA

It is official, the Brain Aneurysm Foundation has five slots for Ironman USA, Lake Placid, 2009. Here is your chance to enter an event that is sold out, and do something for a good cause at the same time.

The slots will be available to anyone who is willing to raise funding for the foundation. The slots are in honor of Cindy Lynn Sherwin, who died of a brain aneurysm, while training for Ironman Lake Placid. Anyone purchasing a slot will have a chance to compete as part of Cindy's team.

One mile run

Lot's of good news today. First it appears the Brain Aneurysm Foundation will get slots for Ironman Lake Placid. That is just super. Second, the ergomo problem is resolved. The seller agreed to cancel the sale and I returned the items.

When it comes to my calf muscle, it still hurts and is quite stiff but I was able to run a mile (slowly) on the treadmill today. It is a first step. I also pedaled for about 45 minutes on a stationary bike. While doing all this I got another glimpse at "people in the gym."

Our club has a pretty nice gym that is fairly low key. They do not try to sell stuff and other than a vending machine, they don't have anything for sale. The majority of the members are geriatric and their use of the facilities is largely confined to the hot tub and a brief dip in the pool. But there are some younger adults as well. Even some teens.

The ones that do venture into the gym usually leave within 20 minutes. In that time, they do some "cardio," some weights, and a lot of socializing. They also read books, talk on cell phones, listen to their iPods, and watch TV. Needless to say, their workouts are anything but. A bit of easy walking, some soft pedaling while reading a book, or a bit of dancing around on the ellipticals.

Today I ran a mile at 5.5 mph and I am sure that was the most intense exercise in the whole room. Nobody in that room even breaks a sweat, and that includes many young people in their 20's and 30's. Nobody does any cardio workout at intensity, and nobody sticks to it for longer than 15 minutes. Most spend more time adjusting the settings than actually working out.

Nearly all come in fully dressed, and they leave likewise. There is little need for a shower although I am sure they all spend hours wasting water. I am not sure why these people come to the gym. Maybe it is a religious experience of sorts?

10.5 mile run

Ran 10.5 miles in the hills today. A nice loop through Montclair and up Shepherd Canyon. A good 1,000 ft of climbing I would think.

Weather was fantastic, upper sixties to low seventies by the end. Sunshine, clear skies, great visibility, a perfect day. 

I believe my conditioning is very good now. I can run pretty hard and feel great afterwards. My only (very minor) complaint is some soreness in my right calf and achilles but it does not seem to be getting worse.

The key issue now is to stay healthy and avoid injury. That is easier said than done. For some mysterious reason, one of my kids always gets sick a week or so before my big races. Last night, my youngest had a mild stomach flu but it seems OK now. I am just keeping my fingers crossed.

The fundraiser is going pretty well too. We have 89 contributors so far and are close to $6.5K raised. I hope we can surpass a 100 and get to $10K before the race, but donations appear to have slowed considerably. Maybe the economy is getting to people? Or maybe everyone is holding of until the very end. Some people who pledged have not yet paid in so there is some more to come -at least in theory.

Corporate sponsor

We're getting a corporate sponsor for the Ironman Fundraiser. Vitaminwater will support our effort to raise awareness for Brain Aneurysms.

Despite having two prominent senators, who were victims of aneurysms, Joe Biden and Arlen Specter, the Foundation has had the hardest time raising money to combat this killer.

Did you know that more people die of brain aneurysms, an almost completely preventable cause, than die of AIDS ? The number of victims of brain aneurysms and related vascular malformations is higher than the number of Leukemia deaths, the seventh cancer killer in the US! And despite all that there is little or no Federal funding for Aneurysm research.

Fundraiser

After eight iron-distance events, I will do my first fundraiser for charity. On November 23, 2008, I will compete in Ironman Arizona in honor of Cindy Sherwin, a triathlete who lost her life to a ruptured brain aneurysm while training for Ironman Lake Placid. In the process I will try to raise awareness and funds for the Brain Aneurysm Foundation, a charity, based in Hanover, MA.

My donor page is at

IM Fundraiser

IM Arizona 2008 will be my third IM in Tempe.