Despite consuming two bottles of white wine last night, watching the I.U. basketball loss with a neighbor, my run this morning was relatively good. There were no major breathing issues or strong winds and rain, so I was able to get back to a normal 2.1-mile jaunt. This was after four days of miserable miles and many thoughts of quitting “The Streak.” After all, there’s little motivation knowing that it will officially end next Monday morning. However, I now confidently feel I can muddle through the last five mornings. The end is now in sight.
As I prepare mentally for a long stint of relative inactivity, I’m getting my financial affairs in order, along with a haircut and final tele-consult with my surgeon, Doctor Lozonschi. I’m finally learning to proper pronunciation of his name, moving on from simply Doctor L. He has a very capable team of associates to assist him on Monday morning. I still plan to use the hotel treadmill for a ceremonial final run. The days after will more than likely be a blur.
On the home front, our pool heater is two months over the warranty, so getting it repaired will put another dent in the budget, let alone the out-of-pocket costs of the hospitalization. I’ve taken a three-month leave from my weekly Chiropractor visit to save a few bucks. This afternoon, we have to plan our shore excursions for my recovery cruise in mid-March. Most are included, but there is a wine-tasting event in Argentina that has intrigued my wife and some other tours that may add to our trip expenses. We’ve all agreed that tasting the local fare will not add to our costs since we’re perfectly satisfied with the on-board restaurant options. On a positive note, I won’t have to navigate the unsteadiness of a treadmill or ship deck in rough waters to maintain my running streak. By then, the addiction of running for fifteen years straight will have likely passed. I will need to simply relax.
Before surgery, I will have to endure another I.U. basketball game, the Saturday night “Borrego Bash,” and another nerve-racking drive to Tampa. My wife and I will also have another Sunday Night Financial meeting that has wisely been on hold for several months because they typically result in a disagreement. Holiday expenses were naturally extensive and mortgage/insurance costs have predictably gone up. I want to make sure that we’re both on the same page before my costly hospital stay, assuring a peaceful recovery period. She will be at my bedside as much as possible, as she reluctantly gives up any opportunity to substitute teach for the next few weeks. I think she enjoys having the rewarding responsibility, while my needs likely will be exhausting. Five days and counting, with just a few more miserable running miles to complete!
It took every bit of resolve to complete the minimum mile this morning. I got up early, did my pushups, sit-ups and stretching, took my wife to work, and drove Tally to the dog park. She is currently curled up in my office chair, seemingly content. I could feel the absence of Tylenol in my system as old age stiffness was more pronounced than ever. I wanted to quit in that first Fassio Street stretch as a strong headwind pushed me back a step for every two strides I progressed. My plan was to run 2.1-miles, but my heart was racing. Coordination and balance were difficult, as the 1.1-mile distance I covered felt like a marathon. It looks like I’m destined to finish this 15-year running streak in misery, as I huff and puff along.
There’s an I.U. game tonight at Rutgers, and I hope the Hoosiers find the stride that I couldn’t this morning. A neighbor and Rutgers alum is coming over for some pre-game chicken pot pie and to watch the action while I wives are at book club. We’ll set our sights on a couple bottles of wine, since one of us will be the loser. Former I.U. quarterback, Michael Penix, Jr. did not set a good example of competitive play in the Washington loss to Michigan in last night’s National Championship. I send this important message to our basketball team: Don’t be like Mike!
I’m headed to Chair Yoga yet this morning, an eye doctor follow-up this afternoon, the chiropractor tomorrow, a tele-video conference with my surgeon on Thursday, and the Saturday night Borrego Bash before the drive to Tampa on Sunday. Maybe we can get in a movie, Date Night and a haircut? All of these routine activities, fun and not so fun, will come to an end on Monday as my new life begins. In the meantime, the struggle of anticipation continues.
It was Christmas Day when I posted my last story here, one of my longest stretches of inactivity since I started this blog. Everything seems out of sorts as I anticipate next week’s surgery. I finished all my pre-op tests this afternoon, after a long drive to Tampa General Hospital. This Sunday my wife and I will motor there again for her stay at the nearby Westin Waterfront. I will be in Intensive Care, much pricier accommodations. She will come back on Wednesday for her tap class and to check on Tally at Schnauzerville, returning the next day to check on my progress. I doubt that I will remember much of my time there, at least until I eventually am moved to a room. The last time I visited was well over 20-years ago, following my son’s accident. He’ll get to visit me this time.
In those two weeks since Christmas, we’ve gone to several parties, hosted some good friends, spent an afternoon at the Peace River Botanical and Sculpture Gardens, watched some movies, had a cavity fille, dined at several restaurants, entertained neighbors over cocktails, and traveled to Orlando for the Mecum Auction and Disney World. I’ve, of course, managed to get a short run in every morning despite some uncooperative weather and a lack of motivation. In stepping on the scales today, I’ve beefed up a bit, devouring all my favorites before I’m cut-off in favor of a healthy diet. Knowing that my 15-year running streak is coming to an end is discouraging, while every mile has been a chore. Winds, rain, shortness of breath, stiffness, darkness, heavy legs, and even a mechanically challenged resort center treadmill have made things difficult. I don’t really know if my breathing issues are just psychological or a factor of these heart conditions. I’m naturally hoping to feel better overall after this surgery, once the pain of a severed breastbone subsides.
I will probably use a treadmill in the middle of the night to get at least the last mile in before my 5a surgery block begins. “The Streak” will end on day #5,496, temporarily156th in the world on the U.S.R.S.A. all-time retired list. The surgical team has six-and-a-half hours reserved, but hopefully won’t need that long. The part where they stop my heart is a bit scary, and I’m glad that the anticipation will soon be over. Good drugs and bedrest will become my new routine. There will obviously be another pause in my posts until I get settled back here at home. Rehab will be determined based on the extent of the incision and how I respond. I will definitely be shirking all my duties!
I’m admittedly a bit bitter about this upcoming heart surgery. I want to feel sorry for myself and ask the question – Why Me? After all, I’ve sweated and strained all these years to keep myself in shape, and it seems all for nothing. However, my arteries were clear and weight gain controlled, even despite my reputation as the Cookie Monster. Diet has never been one of my strong points, since I eat everything in front of me, rarely close a snack bag once it’s open and ready for the trash and can’t get much satisfaction out of eating healthy vegetables. Give me ice cream, caramel, chocolate, or an Arby’s Jamocha Shake!
Outside of my parents and grandparents, who all lived long, healthy lives, I’ve never really lost someone close to me. If a friend passed away, they did so far away when they were not part of my day-to-day life. For example, I’m having trouble keeping track of the number of high school classmates that have recently died, but I haven’t seen or talked to them in years, outside of Facebook. All my cousins, aunts, nieces, nephews, kids and grandkids are present and accounted for. For this, I am very thankful.
There is at least a dozen of my neighbors and friends that are currently recovering from knee, hip, and rotator cup procedures. I’m not alone when it comes to repairs. It’s all a part of growing old, so it’s not surprising that the odds have caught up with me on having to go through major surgery, especially after proudly avoiding hospital stays all these years. I’m a little depressed, knowing that I will soon have to give up my running streak after fifteen years of strenuous strutting and go through painful rehab. This will be a new challenge.
I not currently comfortable in my sagging skin. I fight it with sit-ups, push-ups, and Chair Yoga, but I’ve gained some weight, especially after cutting my mileage back a third due to the hot summer mornings. Even though it’s cooled off a bit, I’m no longer motivated to go that extra mile. I’m also worried what will happen when the running addiction passes. Will I balloon into a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade attraction?
I’ve been advised that my diet will be forcibly changed after surgery. It’s probably best that I enjoy the Holiday trimmings before I turn into a skeleton. I’m thankful we have a pool that will be helpful in my recovery, and I won’t have to expose my scary scars to the public. I will have time for lots of reading, writing, and browning my relatively pale skin. It’s been cool of late, so I’m looking more and more like Casper the Friendly Ghost. A healthy tan, nutritious food, and swimming could turn me into an aging Greek God. I’m counting my blessings!
I spent the past two days putting together the Barbie Dreamhouse for my five-year-old granddaughter. I was glad I had plenty of time, unlike years ago when you stayed up all night trying to get things organized under the tree. I ate my own cookies rather than save them for Santa Claus. I’m worn out from having to get up early since my industrious wife is substitute teaching this week. She does all the work, but I feel guilty enough just sitting at home watching TV, and certainly don’t want to lay in bed while she gets ready. It was too dark to let the dog out or run, so I checked all my news and sports sites and finished the daily Wordle puzzle. School is closed for the next week so there will be no early morning calls or scrambling to get ready. Our dog Tally will be back in her normal routine, and no longer depressed without “Mom’s” presence.
Gifts are wrapped, just a few gift cards to buy. We had a Winter Solstice party last night and have a cookie exchange on Friday night. She’s taking a neighbor’s family on a Christmas light tour of the edition on our golf cart tonight, while I have a Blue Breaks card shop Holiday party and Trade Night on Saturday. Date Night will follow. Christmas Monday will include a brunch and the Johnston family get together in the late afternoon. I still have several days to get the Dreamhouse finished and complete some last-minute shopping. Tis The Season.
Tuesday night I joined the Rinella Street gang for a Holiday toast at the Oak and Stone in downtown Wellen Park. These are guys that I see and wave at on my daily morning run, so I’d been invited as a welcome outsider. Even though I don’t officially live on the street and am identified as part of the next-street-over Borrego Boyz, I’m as visible as any of their neighbors. After a few drinks and appetizers, I stopped at a house just down the street from us for a “Stooge-A-Thon.” We watched several “Nyuk, Nyuk, Nyuk” short films together while our wives conducted their monthly Book Club meeting nearby. Curly, Larry, and Moe were a great diversion from the traditional Holiday songs and movies.
I’m pretty sure that everyone within a mile radius, if not world wide, is now aware of my upcoming heart surgery. It’s exhausting answering questions or discussing rehab. There are two last neighborhood get-togethers before they “crack me open like Humpty Dumpty.” A New Year’s Eve progressive dinner and a Clubhouse Meet-And-Greet will certainly mean additional good-spirited curiosity about my looming hospital stay. Fortunately, we have guests from Portland, Indianapolis, and Decatur arriving next week, so they will make the time pass quickly, as I count down the days until January 15th. My running streak will end early that morning at 15-years and 17-days. (5,496 consecutive daily runs). It’s been long, strange trip!
Today was Race Day – my last 5k of this soon to expire running streak. What was the routine 3.1-mile distance just months ago was a bit of a push this morning as I finished on the warning track of Cool Today Park – the spring training home of the Atlanta Braves. It was my second Tomahawk 5k finish. I will return to 2.1 miles tomorrow, feeling a bit light- headed – one of the reasons I had cut back my mileage this past summer in anticipation of open- heart surgery. The 15-year streak will continue until January 15th, as months of recuperation will probably follow before I can start a new one. I had to laugh at myself as this now 72-year-old body slowly lumbered along the course, being passed by or never catching up to those older, younger, heavier, or even a woman limping along while wearing a boot. It took me 51-minutes to finish. Two years ago, I did it 8-minutes faster, earning my first of now two heavy medallions. At the end, I could barely pick my feet up, nearly tripping over the finish line strip at 249th out of 300 participants.
I’m not sure how a bad heart affects my breathing and performance, but something just isn’t right. I will certainly know the difference after that recovery period. It feels like a bit of a chore breathing in and out, but I may not even remember what normal was like after years of monitoring the aneurysm that may even date back to birth. I remember having trouble breathing as a child after spending weeks in a hospital oxygen tent with bronchitis. I haven’t really been sick since, but I should be in better shape after all the miles I’ve put in. I’ve noticed that the hardest part of even chair yoga is trying to synchronize air intake and output with exercise. This could be even psychological after learning about this heart issue years ago, even though I’ve had few other symptoms.
I didn’t sleep well last night, despite using Vick’s to help sooth my breathing. My wife often complains that I have some annoying breathing habits, including some occasional snoring. I was certainly wound up after watching I.U. basketball win their first BIG conference game against Maryland. It was their best performance of the season. I was also monitoring #1 Purdue in their loss at Northwestern, and still struggle with the IU-PU rivalry, despite a career connection with both schools. To add to the adrenaline, former IU quarterback, Michael Penix Jr. prevailed in a Heisman battle with Oregon. I should have been rooting for the Ducks, but I have some good memories of Penix, rare in IU football history. I remember his last second dive into the endzone pylon that gave the Hoosiers a key win against Penn State. I guess once a Hoosier always a Hoosier!
I should have been supportive of the Purdue Boilermakers last night, but I would have rooted against any team that might threaten the unbeaten season of 1976 Indiana National Champions. Their 32-0 record has now stood for 47-years as the last team to survive both the season and tournament without a loss. It’s meaningful for me to hold on to that glory for as long as possible, because all records eventually get broken, just like my streak. However, today I celebrate another successful Race Day.
On December 29, 2008, while living in Austin, Texas, I started my running streak. Today, was #5,450 without fail. The idea originated with the husband of a woman that my wife had just hired at the television station. We were having dinner and this fellow runner told me about an organization called The United States Running Streak Association (USRSA) and their website at www.runeveryday.com. I was intrigued when he recounted that on a recent business trip, he had forgotten to take his running shoes and was forced to go the distance (minimum of one mile) in his wing tips to maintain his streak. I had toyed with various streaks through the years and found satisfaction and motivation in trying to extend the timeframe of doing it daily, but nothing official.
My biggest challenge was always trying to determine which days to rest while training and struggled nearly every day with a mind game as to whether I should run or not. I had long gotten over distance challenges and needed a new approach. The idea of “just doing it” every day was appealing to me, eliminating the day of rest question, so I set a goal of one year, starting with New Year’s Day of 2009. As it turned out I couldn’t wait and began my streak a few days earlier. I would be rewarded one year later with a certificate of accomplishment and membership in the USRSA. One year led to two and soon will become fifteen.
I found that the first mile is always the toughest and just to be sure I would always extend it to at least 1.1 miles. I did not have a GPS when this started, so I wanted to be sure that I always achieved at least the minimum. Over the years it became 2.1 miles and eventually 3.1 miles daily. There were also some 10k races, as well as extensive distance training for the Hood to Coast Relay challenge in 2017. This past summer, I cut back to 2.1 miles due to the exhausting Florida heat. I estimate that during the course of this 15-year period, I’ve covered over 13,000 miles and written 323 blog posts about this journey.
However, the end of this streak and perhaps the beginning of the next one looms ahead due to heart surgery. January 15th will be my last day of this current streak with uncertainty as to when I can start again. I take my hat off to all of those that have somehow managed to go further and in most cases faster -up to more than fifty years without a day off. They’ve avoided serious injury, hospitalization, debilitating surgery, foul weather, hectic schedules, or simply forgetting to get at least a mile in every day. I was not as fortunate. For me, open heart surgery is the end of this road.
Running was a mixed bag this morning, feeling sluggish and heavy. My ear pods weren’t functioning, so without music I had little distraction from thought. With a pending surgery date of January 15th and the end of this running streak just months away, I felt fortunate to even be running at all. Today was #5,442, and by that date I will have likely progressed from “Experienced” to “Well Versed” on the USRSA site at www.runeveryday.com, having finally surpassed fifteen full years. I will need to check in for surgery at 5:30a, so there will be an early morning “finale” mile, just in case for some reason there is a delay or miracle, and the streak can continue.
January 15th will conclude 5,496 consecutive days of daily running without fail, placing me at #157 on the all-time retired list. That position will steadily fall as the 225 currently people ahead of me in longevity will eventually face the same fate. Also, the first day I miss others will begin to pass me and almost certainly someone just starting a streak that day will someday beat my total. All records are meant to be broken, even those that are not necessarily anywhere near the top, like mine. For fifteen years I’ve somehow avoided injury, severe illness, lack of motivation, and other circumstances to survive doing this arduous daily task. Ultimately, they will have to stop and start my heart to deter me.
I once thought that the whole point in running every day was to keep the weight off and avoid the doctor. Obviously, it didn’t work, so for me it apparently all just boiled down to a game of stubborn perseverance. I can’t possibly tell you the number of times that I did not want to take those first steps or nearly stopped mid-stride. Instead, I kept going, day after day, committed to that run and the next. I will surely face the depression of missing that first day, surely convinced that I will somehow be able to rise from the hospital bed and complete another day of this streak. After all, following that “last” run before surgery, I will have until just before midnight that next day to get back on my feet. Then, the next stage of depression will kick in, knowing that it truly will have ended. Am I prepared for this reality? No. Surgery sucks!
The New York Times suddenly ended my Wordle streak that had exceeded 200 straight solves. It looks like all my streaks are in jeopardy. Running is now at 5,435 consecutive days and counting, as I await a date for open heart surgery. I always seem to breathe better the day after my weekly Chair Yoga session, as I use the discipline of inhaling and exhaling during my strides. I still have no idea how this heart issue is affecting my performance physically and psychologically. Logically, I should have more energy post-surgery, perhaps to the point where I can start a new streak, as is the case with Wordle. I get the opportunity to start fresh, with now a 100% solve rate after this first puzzle. I was only at 99% in just over 600 attempts.
Tonight, I join a few of the Borrego Boyz at the British Open Pub, while the wives have a book club meeting. Mine got the day off yesterday from substitute teaching but got a call early this morning to come in for work. As a result, Tally and I were up early. She is sitting in my chair hoping for a golf cart ride, but I’m waiting for a neighbor to stop by. He’s taking a box of garage clutter that holds the original two, decorative, outdoor lights that were on each side of our garage door when we moved in 2 1/2 years ago. In an effort to help distinguish our home from the surrounding, similar models, we bought new ones. We were following the lead of the folks across the street, who boldly decided to buck the strict HOA policy of getting board approval before making changes. It became the talk of the neighborhood, with one neighbor who jokingly placed an insistent phone call, impersonating a Mr. White from the homeowner’s association. We really weren’t sure if they honestly might force him to restore the original uniform lights, so I kept my lanterns just in case. I think it’s been long enough now that they are no longer an issue, so I can safely pass them down to someone else.
Tonight begins an exhausting streak of social activities that extends through the entire weekend. We’ll be dining out or entertaining each night. School is closed next week for the Thanksgiving holiday, so we’ll both get a break. Then, we’ll celebrate with a group of friends at Flynn’s in downtown Venice for a turkey dinner, kicking off the Ho-Ho-Ho season. December will tell the tale of my heart, allowing enough time to recuperate from the surgery to make the Cross-Atlantic Viking cruise in mid-March. Life goes on while streaks may not.
I Love keeping lists and have kept a diary for the last 25-years, so it’s hard to argue the accuracy of my life data. This history is admittedly all about bragging rights, but a good way to summarize my amazing life at age 72. Hopefully, I can add to my list as time goes on. It is impossible to account for all the fine dining establishments I’ve frequented or all the movies and books that I’ve read. The countdown from a million to zero starts here:
Done at least 1,000,000 lifetime pushups.
Countless Marriott Points used.
Logged over 16,000 lifetime running miles.
Achieved 5,500+ consecutive running days.
Written over 1000 poems.
Attended over 350 Sporting events.
Purchased 340 Limoges Boxes.
Saw over 300 Concerts.
Own 275 Sherm Lollar related collectables.
Watched over 200 Broadway Musicals.
Weigh 195 pounds.
Have 210 Shohei Ohtani baseball cards for sale.
Own more than 150 pairs of cuff links.
Visited over 125 wineries and a couple distilleries.
100-Plus Toastmaster Speeches given to earn DTM.
Enjoyed 72 years of life and still counting.
49 States traveled, so far.
37 Baseball Stadiums (including Minor League).
35 Countries*
Moved 32 times.
Snow Skied at 26 Resorts.
27 visits to Disney/Universal.
Over 20 Racetracks.
15 times to Vegas.
11 times to Hawaii.
Sold ads on 10 different radio stations and 4 print publications.
Attended 9 Final Fours and 2 Maui Classics.
Only 9 cars owned, plus a snowmobile and golf cart.
Bought 8 different homes in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Texas, Oregon, and Florida.
7 Cruises (5 Ocean 2 River).
Played in 6 different organized sports but not well.
6 Continents*
6 Dogs.
5 times to Italy and France.
4 Cats.
Worked at 3 TV Stations (ran 2)
Wrote 3 Unpublished Novels.
Studied at 3 Colleges to earn Marketing B.S.
3 Grandchildren nearby.
2 Marriages.
2 Marathons.
2 Grade schools.
2 Stepdaughters.
2 Cubs World Series games.
2 White Sox World Series games.
Attended Albion College and Indiana University.
1 College World Series
Pledged 1 Fraternity (Sigma Chi)
1 Son.
0 Super Bowls.
*includes 2024 Cross-Atlantic Cruise.
