tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17531104765015977092024-03-20T03:12:06.807-07:00life according to stevie b...Steve Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12769651120101417002noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1753110476501597709.post-4191605658032490912013-04-08T16:57:00.004-07:002013-04-12T13:04:47.430-07:00Some old, some new, life goes on...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">An individuals story is made up of their experiences. Places they've been, things they've seen, people they've met. Life is about experiencing different things. About stepping outside your realm of experiences and learning about others, their cultures, and their beliefs. For me, March was filled with that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those of you that don’t know, my
girlfriend is Irish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am
not, yet for the first time I had the opportunity to
take part in her family’s celebrations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>First came the Feast of St. Patrick, or St. Patrick’s Day, for those
that are more familiar with that name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well, my girlfriend’s family celebrates a little bit differently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, we drank some beers (well not me) and ate
some corn beef.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, we sang Irish songs
and danced Irish jigs (well not me).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes,
we listened to bag pipes and drums.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
yes, all those things were glorious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But they celebrate by marching in a parade. The Union County St. Patrick’s Day
Parade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> A real parade w</span>ith bag pipers and drummers,
firemen and police officers, and city and county officials. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were jokes and laughs and good times had by all. I think I fit in for the most part. I wore green, acted jolly and strolled along with everyone else in proper marching order tyring to look like I knew what I was doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Not quite sure if it worked, but I'll practice for next year.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A few weeks later I got my first Easter basket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Filled with Easter Eggs, chocolate goodies,
jelly beans, and other assorted candies it was a diabetics dream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In all seriousness, it was fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Had a great brunch and spent a great day with
Meg's family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From watching the kiddos go bonkers, falling and crashing all
over the place to find every single egg that was hidden to the endless sugar high we all felt, it was a real Easter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kind of reminded me of the afikoman search we
used to do as kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those of you
that don’t know, that’s when the parents hide a piece of matzah and send the
kids searching for the hidden treasure, normally for a reward of 5 dollars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Either way, it was a</span> far cry from my normal Easter celebration
of cleaning my apartment and ordering Chinese food, but a fun experience nonetheless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">All the while I had the pleasure of another PICC
line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The beginning of the year was a
bit rough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> On and off, </span>I experienced all the normal
symptoms of a CF exacerbation – lung function decrease, sputum production
increase, lack of energy, shortness of breath, etc. – the list goes on and on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either way, I was not feeling great
and with spring right around the corner the decision was made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My left arm would once again become a
prisoner of the PICC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>IV medications
every 12 hours; increased treatments and nebulizers; more sleep and rest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A quick "tune up" and everything was back to normal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it the most fun way to spend two weeks?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is
it worth it so I can feel better and get back to the living the life I
love?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I’m back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Energy is back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bad jokes are back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Solid runs are back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And just in time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Racing season is here. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First up is the Dick’s Sporting Goods half marathon in
Pittsburgh followed 7 weeks later by the San Francisco Marathon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throw a sprint triathlon and a 5-mile race in
there and you have a nice 8 week stretch of races.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So for now, head is high.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Goals are set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can’t think of a better way to celebrate
life!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Steve Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12769651120101417002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1753110476501597709.post-72602913447537174362013-03-11T17:50:00.000-07:002013-04-09T07:54:00.007-07:00The power to inspireOne of the most surreal things to hear someone say is that you motivate or inspire them. That you are the reason they have the power to wake up in the morning and run. That every time they go through something tough in life they think of you and they find the strength to get through it. That someone considers you their hero. <br />
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This past week I was able to hear that. I had a wonderful opportunity to tell my story. To give the rest of the world a peek into what I go through, what I deal with, and what I overcome every single day of my life. I was able to show what living with a chronic illness is like; what my daily routine consists of; the pills, the nebulizers, and the machinery. A peek into how I try my best to balance a full-time job, managing two chronic illnesses, and still finding time to do what I love - RUN. A peek into the mindset of what it's like to live and fight and battle every single day for every single breath. A peek into the mindset of what it's like to not know what the future holds; to not plan for the long-term; to not take anything for granted. A peek into my life. <br />
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At this point in time my video has close to 80,000 views. I've received emails and notes from my closest friends, from people I haven't spoken to in over 20 years, and from people I've never met. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that this video would spread like this. Never did I imagine to hear the things I've heard from people. Never did I imagine that Cory Booker would post it on his Facebook page, that Business Insider would call this the "story that will inspire you to do anything," that hundreds of my friends would repost, and that people I've never met would comment and be inspired. Never did I imagine that what I do on a daily basis, what I consider normal, would drive and motivate and inspire people to be their best. Never did I imagine that I can have that impact on so many people. <br />
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And it's amazing what you learn. As I said in the video I run because I love it. I run because it puts me in my happy place and brings a smile to my face. I run because it gives me a sense of freedom. Free from CF. Free from work. Free from everyone and everything. I learned that I love to run more and more each day. I learned that I can continue to do anything and everything. I learned, once again, that there is nothing in this world that can stop me. As long as you want something and you have the drive, motivation, and determination that you can do anything. I've learned and accepted that you don't have to be the best. I'm not going to win every race. I'm not even going to come close, but I learned that at the end of the day you don't have to be the best, you just have to be your best. And with that there are no limits.<br />
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the twitter: @LungsontherunSB<br />
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<a href="http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/category/index.jsp?categoryId=20154356&ab=ACR1_ASpot_RunFor" target="_blank">Click here to watch the full video</a>Steve Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12769651120101417002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1753110476501597709.post-32846225986553836122012-10-05T06:18:00.001-07:002012-10-24T20:03:38.482-07:00What the marathon means to me...Whenever I tell people that I run marathons they normally respond with one of three words. I'm either crazy, nuts, or insane. It's been nearly 11 months since I last crossed the finish line of a marathon, but here I am once again staring down the barrel of 26.2 miles. A journey that will not only take me through the streets of Chicago, but a journey that will once again push my body and mind to see what I'm made of. To see if I have enough determination, fight, and grit to overcome the challenges of the marathon and complete what only 0.5 percent of the US population will ever do. To see if I can mentally, physically, and emotionally sustain the demands of moving my legs for 3.5-4 hours. Just like life, the marathon is a roller coaster. There will be ups and downs and highs and lows. I will feel great at times and awful at other times. I will smile and I will cry. So to some of you this may seem crazy. This may seem like something only people who are nuts or insane do. But to me, the marathon is so much more. For some, it's to pursue a dream, or cross something off the bucket list, or to prove to themselves they still "got it." For me, the marathon is a celebration.<br />
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For a long time, I had a hard time finding one word to describe what the marathon means to me. I had all the feelings, all the emotions and all the intangibles, but I couldn't find one word to sum it all up. Last weekend I had the opportunity to see a friend of mine, Jerry Cahill, speak and he used the word "celebration" when describing what it was like to run and finish a 10K just 3-months after receiving a new pair of lungs. After thinking about it for a few days I realized the word he uses is perfect.<br />
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You see, for a young man who has Cystic Fibrosis, a chronic, progressive lung disease that's exactly what the marathon is. It's a celebration. A celebration that at the age of 28 my lungs still work. A celebration that my lungs are still strong enough to carry me 26.2 miles. A celebration of how hard I work. A celebration that I continue to not only beat, but crush the odds.<br />
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And if celebrating life or the fact that my lungs are still this strong to run marathons makes me crazy, nuts or insane then yes, I am crazy. I am nuts. I am insane. We all celebrate life in different ways. This is how I celebrate.Steve Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12769651120101417002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1753110476501597709.post-47533266295434287682012-07-16T18:49:00.000-07:002012-07-17T16:15:08.132-07:00I have a new addiction...Every now and then I feel it's important to reflect. Take a look around, have conversations with your friends and assess what's going on. And every time I do that I realize I am luckier and luckier. Whether it's sitting down at a wedding and seeing that instead of wedding favors a donation has been made to the Boomer Esiason Foundation, or calling anyone of my friends to have them talk me through something that is bothering me, or putting up with me and my bad jokes for an entire weekend - 12+ hours in a car and 9+ hours on a bike - I realize I'm extremely fortunate for the people in my life.<br />
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Something else you should know about me. When it comes to physical activity I don't really understand moderation. The smart thing would have been to started with a shorter distance, but there's really no fun in that. I like a challenge. I like pushing myself mentally and physically. I like to see what I'm made of.
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So onto the point of today's post. My bicycle. Long story short. In February of this year I committed to the Seacoast Safari, a 2-day 150 mile bicycle ride up and down the coast of Maine to benefit CF, with some of the folks from Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Yes, I'd had a few adult beverages at the time and no I did not own a bicycle nor had I ever ridden one seriously in my life. But it sounded like fun so why not. Naturally the first thing I did was start to convince my friends to join me. I called my dear friend, Jacqueline, who I knew had a bike at the time and who's always up for anything to join me on this adventure. She then convinced one of her friends (who's my friend now too) Martha Ann. I also knew Matt would probably buy a bike and join as well. He loves stuff like this too. Then Ernie bought a bicycle a couple weeks ago and signed up last Monday. With no proper training, quality time spent on the bicycle, or even a real concept of what 150 miles was going to feel like we were on our way. I mean, I literally bought clip less pedals and cleats last Thursday and "clipped in" for the first time Saturday morning before setting off on the first 75 miles. Who needs practice with new cleats anyways.
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And we had a blast. Yes, it was challenging and grueling at times. Yes, we spent 9+ hours on a bicycle in two days. Yes, we spent an additional 12-13 hours in a car. Yes, we ate more peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in 2 days than the past 3 years combined. Yes, we took a lot of Advil and Tylenol. Yes, we all used Tiger Balm at some point in the day. Yes, it was painful to sit down at my desk this morning. But, in the end it was completely worth it. We had a blast. We told stories and bad jokes (mostly me with the bad jokes). We made new friends, especially the folks from Vertex who are absolutely amazing and genuine and cool people. We became better friends. We stopped and took pictures. And let me tell you, there's really nothing better than a quiet country road early on the weekend morning with nothing but your friends, the smell of the nearby ocean and our bicycles. And that's why I had so much fun. Because I got to spend quality time with quality people. I got to see a part of the country in a way that most people don't get to - on a bicycle. And yes, I absolutely loved it. And yes, I cannot wait to get back out there on the road!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVlNhv8ak-ltTycREYjoySAddPOwiTIJQBi4PQsDyh6nn14qIvlL9ejyES98WP3UibqWLmx_EK3bGbpWJvbg5b9Hq8OEj81OZbznP5LmCrYnktrrBN0u4_vbIXR9QM39LDRVVCRm7vyp8g/s1600/Seacoast+Safari+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVlNhv8ak-ltTycREYjoySAddPOwiTIJQBi4PQsDyh6nn14qIvlL9ejyES98WP3UibqWLmx_EK3bGbpWJvbg5b9Hq8OEj81OZbznP5LmCrYnktrrBN0u4_vbIXR9QM39LDRVVCRm7vyp8g/s320/Seacoast+Safari+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finish Line Day 2 - Done and Done</td></tr>
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<br />Steve Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12769651120101417002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1753110476501597709.post-60169510879739019592012-05-14T07:55:00.000-07:002012-05-14T08:00:04.412-07:00Friends make everything better...Throughout life there are many questions we often ask ourselves. Are we happy? Are we satisfied with what we are doing? Do we feel fulfilled? Is what we have in life is enough? Well, recently I think I found the key to what makes me happy. Yes, I'm happy because I'm able to wake up and smile every day. Yes, I'm happy because I'm healthy. Yes, I'm happy because I can run, play soccer, and do everything else I love. But that's not what makes the happiest. What makes me feel on top of the world is knowing that I have such amazing friends and family to share life with. I realized that without friends, the special moments wouldn't be as special. The celebrations wouldn't be as celebratory. The advice, dinners and nights out wouldn't be as fun and memorable. Without them, life wouldn't be as great.
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Normally in life you have one or two people that you can count on. But not me. I have many friends that are truly amazing, remarkable individuals. The type of friends that would do anything for me. Friends who would take time out of their own busy lives to organize or attend a fundraiser, train and run a marathon with me and Team Boomer, go to a movie with me instead of the bar, visit me in the hospital when I'm sick, stand up for me when I'm feeling down, pick up the phone to tell me I inspired them today, or even just have a conversation to make sure my head is in the right place. Those are the types of people I have in my life. I probably don't tell them enough, but I really do appreciate everything. Big and little. And I cannot thank them enough for everything they do.
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As I always say, they are the reason, the inspiration that drives me. The reason I wake up in the morning and do my treatments. The reason I fundraise. The reason I fight. The reason I cry every time I run the NYC marathon. The reason I do what I do. Without them it wouldn't be the same. There wouldn't be anyone to celebrate life with. Anyone to enjoy a casual dinner with. Anyone to share my thoughts, feelings, emotions and perspective with. Anyone to share my successes. My failures. It wouldn't be as fun. It wouldn't be worth it. And for that I'm forever grateful.
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So with that said, whether you have one good friend or a hundred, don't take any of them for granted. Make one another smile. Enjoy each other's company. Cherish the relationship. Because at the end of the day, friends make everything better!Steve Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12769651120101417002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1753110476501597709.post-13468394218562531542012-02-26T17:05:00.002-08:002012-02-26T17:16:09.400-08:00The future is bright indeed...Welp, back at it. Realize it's been a while, but I thought this would be a nice time to write again. I want to share some thoughts based on recent accomplishments in the CF world as well as some of this past week's events. Living with a few chronic illnesses you kind of live with what I like to call hopeful skepticism. You're hopeful that treatments and cures will come along, but also skeptical that someone will unearth a medical miracle at the same time. You see, for the first 27 years of my life there were advancements in care that made life easier or fought off bacteria in a different way, but nothing that ever really changed the way we fight CF. That was until earlier this year when a completely different kind of drug was approved. I won't go into too much detail about how it works, but it's called Kalydeco and essentially it attacks the faulty gene and helps improve the function of a defective protein in CF patients with a specific genetic mutation (there are many). Click this link if that doesn't make any sense: http://www.cff.org/treatments/Therapies/Kalydeco/. They explain it better than I do and no, I don't have this mutation, but it's a huge and exciting step in the right direction. Vertex is working on developing medications for other genetic mutations.<br />
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So to this past week....on Monday, I was invited to "Kick for a Cure" a fundraising event that the Stack Family and CFF had organized with the New York Red Bulls training staff. It was organized because Jacqueline, the youngest of the Stack children, has CF and is an avid soccer player. I too have CF and am an avid soccer player so I was thrilled when the invitation was extended to me. I didn't really know what to expect. I figured I'd go, kick the ball around, say hi to the family and then go home, but what I got was much more. It was great to see Jacqueline out there on the soccer field running, competing, having fun and smiling - just being a kid. Even though we are years apart we both know how hard it is to take care of yourself manage CF and to see someone that age with such strength and courage and determination was truly inspiring. Then I spoke to her parents. Looking back at my life, I don't really remember when I realized that CF didn't only effect me, but also my entire family and we were going to beat it together, but it took less than 1 minute for me to realize how involved and strong her parents are as well. Fundraising and making people aware and doing everything in their power to help make Jacqueline's life easier. It also reminded me a lot of my family and how lucky I am to have them in my life. Truly, truly a great couple hours and a really committed and inspiring family and story. <br />
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And then last night I attended the annual BEF Celebration of Life Gala. The event was absolutely fabulous and I could talk about it for a very long time, but I want to share one part of the evening with you. My friend Kevin, who also ran the marathon this past year and has CF, and I were chatting about running and how we were feeling when this gentlemen behind us asked how our FEV1 is impacted during training. Now, this is a pretty clinical question so my initial response was, "Are you a doctor?" His said, "I'm Eric Olson, the CF Program Leader at Vertex" - the same company that is working so hard to make our lives easier. A normal reaction might have been "thank you" or a handshake, but instead I gave him a hug. Yea, maybe a bit overzealous considering I'd just met him, but this man is working tirelessly to make mine, Kevin's and many others lives easier. So I thought a hug was appropriate. Anyways, we chatted for an hour or so with him and another gentleman from Vertex, Ian Smith, and what made the conversation even more remarkable was how much they actually cared and how passionate they were about their work. How it was more than just their job. How badly they want to make our lives easier. How truly engrained they are in finding more solutions like Kalydeco and how they aren't going to stop until they do. Really a breath of fresh air (pun intended). Thank you. <br />
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And As most of you know, the CF community is fairly small. We rely on fundraising and donations and awareness and research to drive things forward. It's really a collaborative effort and it's amazing to see the dedication and hard work of so many people from so many different backgrounds from different companies working together to find a cure. This is what gives me hope. This is what allows me to really think about the future long-term and not think what if? This is what will one day make my life and the lives of easier a whole lot easier. So for now all I can say is thank you and that I'll continue to do my part! <br />
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And on a side note, a big congratulations to Jerry Cahill and Kevin Dwyer on their awards last night at the gala. Two outstanding and inspirational individuals. They truly are role models and very deserving of last night's awards.Steve Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12769651120101417002noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1753110476501597709.post-33140040376162404792011-12-21T08:56:00.000-08:002011-12-21T19:53:06.251-08:00The significance of my 28th....So haven't blogged in a while. About a month I think. And well, today's topic isn't the most uplifting, but it's real. It's something I don't think I've ever shared with anyone and I'm not really sure why I'm sitting here typing and now sharing this with whoever reads my blog. This is something one would probably share with a therapist or loved one first, but I guess writing is my form of therapy. And I guess I'm getting more comfortable with sharing as I get older. I don't know. I wish I did. Either way, here goes nothing...<br />
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For most I would imagine that 28 isn't the most celebrated birthday. You've officially entered your "late 20's," your 10-year high school reunion is right around the corner, and are that much closer to the 30. For me, the number 28 is a bit different. 28 was the number that was associated with death when it first became a reality. I was 10 or so when I read that the median life expectancy for someone with CF was 28. I was 10 years old and scared and petrified that my life was almost half over. How could I die so soon? I hadn't even had a chance to live yet. My parents and doctors tried to explain to me that median is an average, but I was 10. I heard "death" and I heard "28" and I thought I was going to die in 18 years. Then one of my childhood friend's brother who also had CF passed away. He was 17, maybe 18 years old. That's when it hit. Death was real. I had a serious lung disease and I too might die young. Very frightening thought for a 10-year old to try to cope with, but that was reality. Learning life's tough lessons at a young age became the norm. <br />
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Most people say thanks once-a-year around Thanksgiving. Not the case for me. I'm thankful for every day. For all the things in my life, big and small. I'm thankful that I can wake up and smile and take a deep breath. Thankful that I can go to work (most days). Thankful that I can spend time with my mom, dad and brother and all the other amazing people in my life. Thankful that I get to celebrate marathons, birthdays and everything else with such a good group of human beings. Thankful that I can live. Thankful that I've had the opportunity to accomplish many great and cool things in my first 28 years of life. To be quite honest, I think I've experienced and learned more in 28 years than most learn in a lifetime. The older I get the more fortunate I feel I am and the more I appreciate everything and everyone in my life. But most of all I appreciate time. It's the most precious thing we have in this world. Don't waste any of it. Here's to another 28 great years!!!Steve Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12769651120101417002noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1753110476501597709.post-16407286593582289562011-11-15T17:53:00.000-08:002011-11-15T17:55:14.587-08:007 days without running makes one weak....Haha...see what I did there? Pretty funny. Thanks. Anyways, I have decided to keep blogging even though the marathon is over. I really do enjoy writing so I've decided to keep going.<br />
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The first week after the marathon is very weird. You spend so much time and dedicate so much energy to train for 4-5 months and then all of a sudden it's over. You cross the finish line with such an emotional high, an incredible sense of self-accomplishment like you just conquered the world and then all of a sudden there's nothing but time. The time you would have spent in the morning or evening training is now empty. Yes, I was looking forward to relaxing for a week and getting my legs back, but I kind of felt lost. Like a part of me was missing. What was I going to fill my time after work and on the weekends? How was I going to relieve stress? Where was I going to go to get away from the world? Running is my escape and without it I don't really know what to do. Well, I still don't and I don't know if anything will ever replace it. However, I did find things to do to fill the time. I read two books, caught up on all the TV shows I'd missed and spent an inordinate amount of time on the couch. And yes, it felt good and was something I was looking forward to for a couple weeks. <br />
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And now I look back at the journey. At the time I spent training, the times I spent at home on a Friday night, the mornings when I wanted to smack the alarm clock when I go back to sleep, the runs I did when I was hacking up mucus every 2 minutes, the runs where I felt free in every essence of the word. <br />
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I remember a conversation I had with a friend back in October. We'd just finished our 20-miler training run, the longest in the training plan, and were sitting down to our post-run feast. We talked about how we couldn't wait until the marathon was over and we'd have some normalcy back in our lives. How we wouldn't have to wake up at 6 in the morning to get in a 6-mile run before work, how we could go out on a Friday night and have a couple drinks without thinking about a long run on a Saturday morning, and how we could just go out and run and not think about training. And you know what? It was all worth it. Every single mile of training, every Friday night spent at home and every time I trained and pushed it even though I didn't want to. It was all worth it.<br />
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Yes, I'm looking forward to some down time to relax and spend with my family and friends over the next couple months. And yes, I'm really looking forward to getting back out there and running and competing. And yes, I'm already planning for the next marathon because for me, training and running marathons is something I enjoy. It's something I consider normal.Steve Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12769651120101417002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1753110476501597709.post-20244232970099189602011-11-07T10:53:00.000-08:002011-11-07T10:55:24.440-08:00The aftermath of the marathon....and why i'm luckier than youNormally the day after the marathon I write about how lucky and fortunate I am. Yes, I still plan on doing that, but before I get there I learned a very important lesson yesterday that I want to share. I finished the marathon in 3 hours and 52 minutes, a new personal best for NYC. Was I satisfied? No. I'm a competitive, driven and stubborn person who had a goal in mind and didn't reach it. At this point, I was ready to lock myself in a room and sulk and be pissed off for a week. Think about how the first twenty miles were the best I've ever run and then all of a sudden I hit the wall and the cramps came and my legs just locked up. Analyze my nutrition plan. Think about how I needed to take in more electrolytes and carbs earlier in the race. Think about why the same plan that had worked in the past had let me down today. <br />
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Then as the day ended, I had a conversation with one of my dear friends. She could tell that I was disappointed and asked me why I'm so hard on myself. To be quite honest, I have no idea. I always expect greatness. That's just how I am. Then she looked at me and said, "Steve, you always talk about how you run cause you can and because you enjoy it. You did something great today and don't let anything take away from the experience." She then told me that everyone is in awe and inspired by what I do and the person I am regardless of my marathon time. And that's about the time when I lost it and the emotions of the day took over. Because I realized how lucky I am to have so many great people in my life who truly care about me and not where I finish in the marathon.<br />
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So that nicely leads into my message for the day....Why I'm luckier than you. We can argue if you want, but after yesterday I doubt you'd win.<br />
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I consider myself lucky pretty much everyday. I’m lucky I can wake up in the morning and take a deep breath. I’m lucky I can go to work, run, play soccer and pretty much anything else I want to do. I’m lucky CF hasn’t taken it’s toll on me. I’m lucky because I’ve always had great doctors who’ve treated me as an individual and not just another person with CF. They’ve always put me first and not let their medical judgment interfere with my goals and dreams and what I want to accomplish in life. <br />
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However, I’m MOST lucky because of everyone that’s part of my life – my amazing support system. My family, friends, and colleagues are always nothing but supportive, compassionate, loving and caring. I’ve accomplished many things in my life. Yesterday, for the third straight year, was one of them. What makes it even better was seeing my friends and family along the course and knowing everyone else had me in their thoughts. I’ve had my ups and downs, my spells of sickness, my IVs and hospitalizations and throughout it all there have always been people by my side. It’s truly, truly amazing to know that I always have people they’re for me. I wish I could verbalize how I feel, but there are simply no words. For now, I’m just going to say thank you. Thank you for letting me part of your life. Thank you for inspiring for me. Thank you for giving me a kick in the ass when I need it. Thank you for listening to me. Thank you for being caring and loving and supportive. Thank you for standing by my side through everything. Without you, these accomplishments would mean nothing. Most importantly, thank you for being you. <br />
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And on a final note, congratulations to my mother, my friends and everyone else on Team Boomer for a successful marathon Sunday!Steve Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12769651120101417002noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1753110476501597709.post-34297525298230030012011-11-05T17:39:00.000-07:002011-11-05T17:39:11.446-07:0026.2 in the AMWell, it's finally here. The culmination of 4 months of training. All the early morning, late evening, and long weekend runs will finally pay off. In about 12 hours I'll be arriving on Staten Island for what will seem like the longest 3 hours of my life. The time where you sit around and just wait to start running. I'll be anxious, I'll be nervous, and I'll be really excited. I'll be surrounded by 40,000 people, but completely off in my own world. I'll be focused, concentrating and picturing the race. I'll be running the greatest race in the world - the NYC marathon.<br />
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On a side note, we also had a nice dinner with some of the members of Team Boomer this evening. It's really amazing to see so many people come together from different walks of life for one reason. Everyone in the room had their own connection to CF. Whether they have it, one of their children, nieces, or nephews have it or just someone they care about has it I'm truly grateful for everything these folks have done and will continue to do. They've sacrificed and dedicated their time and efforts to train and raise money and wear the Team Boomer t-shirts. Words do not even do justice to how I feel. <br />
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With that said, I hope all my friends running have a good race and those drinking think of me when they crack that first beer. See ya at the bar afterwards!!!Steve Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12769651120101417002noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1753110476501597709.post-64051570577299244292011-11-04T18:56:00.000-07:002011-11-04T19:03:25.292-07:00The inner workings of Stevie B...So I’ve run 408 miles in the past 16 weeks. Let’s say I run between an 8 and 8.5-minute mile. That means I’ve spent about 55 hours in the past 4 months running. A good majority of it solo. The good news for me is that I actually enjoy spending time by myself. I’m the type of person who doesn’t find it painful to be alone. In fact, I quite enjoy the hour or two or three I get to be alone and run. It gives me an opportunity to escape and think and daydream and reflect. A lot has gone through my mind in the past 4 months. So to build on Monday’s note, this is what goes through my mind.<br />
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Sometimes I think of very serious things. I think of how lucky I am to be healthy and have strong, functioning lungs. I think of others who have CF and hope that the ones who are sick and need new lungs get them. I think of my friends who have gotten a second chance at life and how happy I am for them. I think of how important it is to live in the moment and take advantage of your opportunities and to take chances. <br />
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Sometimes I try to figure out how I’m going to balance a full-time job, two chronic illnesses, an active social life (I’m pretty popular) and training for a marathon. I think of my family and friends and colleagues and how great they are. How they are always by my side whenever I need them. Whether it’s to just talk, or bring me a meal when I’m sick, go to a movie on Friday night instead of the bar, take time out there day to call and see how the doctor’s appointment, or to run a marathon with me when I ask they’re always there. <br />
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Sometimes I think of not so serious things. I wonder why the grown men in the park are playing with swords. However, they probably wonder why I’m running multiple 6-mile laps. I envy the little kids playing soccer. How carefree and uncomplicated their lives are. Sometimes I stare at the skyline of Manhattan and how pretty the lights are or about laying on the beach in the Caribbean. I think of the bad jokes I told earlier in the day and laugh to myself or the pizza and milk shake or root beer float that I’m going to eat once I’m done running. <br />
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Sometimes I don’t think at all. Sometimes I start running and completely forget I’m running and two hours later I’m done. Sometimes I just sing along to the music for two hours. Sometimes I just think about nothing and run. <br />
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As you can see, a lot goes through my mind. Some serious, some not so serious. Either way, each run is unique. Each run is special. Each run means something different to me.Steve Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12769651120101417002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1753110476501597709.post-42536900719910811502011-11-03T13:39:00.000-07:002011-11-03T13:39:30.454-07:00My mom's running a marathon...Back in February of this year, the Bells were having a nice family dinner and the topic of the NYC marathon came up. I was telling my parents and brother how much I loved it and what a great experience it was. I then looked at my mom and told her that she should run it. She glared back at me with the "Stephen, are you serious look?" and said she'd think about it. I said, "Why not?" Two minutes later, she caved and said if I wanted to her run that she'd run. I told her of course I want her to run, but I want her to want to run. She nodded in agreement. So here we are, 8 months later, 2 days away from the NYC marathon and half of the Bell family will be lacing up their running shoes come Sunday morning. That's what makes this year even more special. In addition to my many friends who have decided to join me on this 26.2 mile stroll through this great city, my mother, Mrs. Sally Bell will see first-hand what it's like to run a marathon. <br />
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For as long as I can remember my mom (and my dad and brother too, but this about mom) has been my number #1 fan, advocate, and supporter. My mom has been there with me through everything. She's someone I can count on, talk to and lean on (except the one time she told me to take the bus home after 7 days in the hospital...she eventually picked me up). She means the world to me and I am forever grateful for everything she has done and continues to do for me. <br />
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It's been a very fun and exciting 8 months watching her train and get ready for Sunday. She ran her first race in nearly 15 years, a 10K, over the summer and followed it up with a half-marathon in September. I could not be more proud and can't to see her cross the finish line.Steve Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12769651120101417002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1753110476501597709.post-28009450702817830582011-11-02T16:37:00.000-07:002011-11-02T16:37:04.977-07:00My journey to the starting line...They often say that getting to the starting line of the marathon is more difficult than the marathon itself. Training is intense and there's always a chance something can go wrong or you can get hurt and miss out on the big day. Each person has his or her journey to get to the starting line. This is mine.<br />
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Training started out pretty normally. July and August went by as planned and I was pretty happy with how I was progressing. September came around and things continued according to plan. I had signed up for two half-marathons in order to get myself in the race environment and to gauge how my training was going. I ran the first half-marathon on September 17th and finished with a new personal best, 1 hour and 36 minutes. A week later, I ran the second half-marathon and things didn't go as I'd hoped. I couldn't run more than a quarter mile without coughing. I was bringing up more mucus than I had in the recent past. I couldn't take a deep breath or catch my breath. In the span of a week I'd gone from running my fastest half-marathon to picking up a pretty nasty lung infection and not being able to breath and run and function the way I wanted. <br />
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After talking with my doctor we decided to go straight to IVs to just take care of what was going on in my lungs. And yes, some of you may be thinking why don't I just skip this marathon and take care of myself. Well, quite honestly that wasn’t an option and didn’t even come up in conversation. My doctor, nurses, family and friends all know how important running is to me and that it would take a small army to keep me off Staten Island the first Sunday in November.<br />
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I spent the first three weeks of October with a PICC line in my arm with the objective of getting healthy so I could go back to living the life I’m used to living. I took a week off work and 10 days or so off from training, did the IVs, slept, increased my treatments and got the rest I needed physically and mentally in order to get myself back to where I need to be. <br />
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As for now, my lungs are working, I can breathe easily and I'm healthy. I am four days away from running my 5th full-marathon. I feel lucky and fortunate that I get to experience all the it has to offer. The energy, the crowd, and the emotions you feel the days leading up to the race, the race itself and the jubilation of crossing the finish line. Each marathon is truly an amazing experience in it's own and I can't wait to see what Sunday has to bring.Steve Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12769651120101417002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1753110476501597709.post-51610795210883574532011-10-31T17:26:00.000-07:002011-10-31T17:26:55.886-07:00I made a blog! Here goes nothing....So my first post. Here goes nothing....<br />
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With the NYC marathon right around the corner (6 days away!!), it's once again time for me to share. With the persistence of some very good friends I decided to start a blog to share some of my thoughts and what goes on in my life. What goes through my mind while I'm running and what I learn, experience and think about.<br />
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When I tell people that I've run just over 400 miles over the past 4 months to prepare for the marathon, they often wonder if I get bored. How do you run for so long? What do I think about? Well, in a nut shell, here's what goes through my head. Sometimes I think about life and very serious things. Sometimes I don't think at all. Sometimes I stay very focused and concentrate on my breathing. Sometimes I get completely lost in my surroundings. Sometimes I sing along to the music. Sometimes I listen to what's going on around me and hear nothing. Each run is a unique and different experience. That's what makes it so special to me. <br />
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Beginning on Wednesday I'm going to post a different note each evening. A little bit of a glimpse of what goes on in the mind of Stephen Bell when he's running. <br />
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Enjoy!Steve Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12769651120101417002noreply@blogger.com0