My wife (Roxanne) got me a subscription to Runners World magazine when I signed up for my first 5K. One of my first issues had an article on the ten coolest marathons. The Green Bay Marathon made the list, and I decided I wanted to do it. As I ran further my reading habits changed too. I wanted to learn more about running and started reading books.

I can’t name my favorite book on running. On a Cold Clear Day: The Buddy Edelin Story might be it. Hal Higdon tells us about Edelin, a great marathon runner during the early ’60s. Edelin trained in England and wrote letters back and forth to his coach in the U.S. We forget the pre-email era. Kathrine Switzer’s Marathon Woman tells Switzer’s story from having the race director at Boston trying to throw her off the course to getting a women’s marathon into the 1984 Olympics. Amby Burfoot’s Runner’s Guide to the Meaning of Life puts running into perspective. Amby’s chapter on heroes is my favorite chapter in any book.

I had the opportunity to ask Amby a few questions recently. Following is our interview.

ME: How does reading help the recreational athlete?

AMBY: I think inspiration is the biggest benefit. You can learn that you are not alone. There are many others facing, and beating, the challenges you encounter.

ME: What type of book to you prefer?

AMBY: When i was young, I wanted to read about other young, fast runners. Now at 64, I prefer scientific articles about the health and medical benefits of regular exercise programs.

ME: What about the Internet?

Amby: The Internet has changed everything for runners. Now there are hundreds of ways for runners to be in touch with each other, share with each other and encourage each other. That’s incredibly helpful.

Learn more about it by reading. Knowledge is power and motivation. Also, be sure to join the Facebook group Truckin’ Runners. It is hard to exercise on the roadJeff Clark is a trucker, a grandfather and an eight-time marathon (26.2 miles) finisher. He is dedicated to helping truckers improve their health through better habits. Contact him at marathontrucker@yahoo.com or http://www.twitter.com/marathontrucker.. Get all the help you can.

This post currently has no responses.

The most frustrating thing about trucking is the waste of time.  Shippers and consignees seem to gleefully waste it. Our time has no value to them. They often treat the drivers like we have no value. Since our time has no value to them they don’t mind wasting it. Sometimes it seems like some of them seem to enjoy it.

I had one of those last week in Melrose Park, Ill. It was on a Friday morning about 11:30. Dispatch sent me directly from a consignee in Villa Park about 10 miles away. When I arrived they informed me that my appointment was not until 2:30 in the afternoon. There was only one other trucker there, and they were loading drop trailers.  Leaving Chicago at 3:30 instead of 1:00 means all kinds of traffic. I found myself saying “PLEASE,” but the young woman was having none of it. We were their customer buying their pallets, but still I got “maybe we can get you in at 1:30”  ”OK, I’ll be back before then.”  At least I would beat the afternoon rush.

It takes me less than 5 minutes to get my bike off of my truck and on the road. I was off in search of the Prairie Path.  It is an old railroad right of way that was turned into a trail when I was just a kid. It took me less than 10 minutes, and I was on it. The trail runs almost straight west of the city through the western suburbs. It runs parallel to North Avenue about 1-2 miles south of it.  I had to cross it every day when I walked to Glenbard West High School.

With every mile I felt the word “slave” being washed from my forehead. So often those people in shipping and receiving relish the power they have over us. Getting out and doing something for ourselves gives us back the power. It makes me feel as though my time belongs to me.

One of the excuses I hear is “I don’t have the time.”  Every one of us has had their time wasted waiting at a dock. Take that time back if they don’t need you there do something. A 30-minute walk is a good way not to let them waste your time.

This post currently has no responses.

Truckin’ Runners is a Facebook group with a goal of helping people in the industry improve their health. The group is not exclusive to runners. Truckin’ Runners includes walkers, bicyclists and tri-athletes.

I walk as well as run. My bicycle goes with me on the truck. Ideas are freely debated on the site. Tell us what has worked for you and maybe you can help someone else. Someone else may know something that will help you.

Trucking radio is full of drivers complaining about the lack of camaraderie. We don’t have three or four trucks pulling off the side of the road to help a broken down trucker. Technology has changed our sense of community. It is likely that the driver has contacted his company via satellite. Either that, or there is a picture of a radiator low on coolant appearing on his instrument panel. Welcome to 2010! Things have changed.

Runners have a sense of community. We exchange information as we line up to start. Communication can avoid a traffic jam. There are people there that plan on running faster than 10 mph. Others will go less than 4 mph. If the 4 mph people line up in front it creates a traffic jam. Communication lessens the problem.

After the race we talk to each other. We sit around shaking hands and swapping stories. Runners do this over a bottle of water the way truckers do over a cup of coffee. We exchange training ideas the way truckers may have exchanged routing ideas. Routing may be computerized now, but we have a lot of other things to talk about. Wouldn’t it be cool to talk about a great place we found to ride our bike, walk or run?

Community is about unifying for a common goal. The health of our nation’s drivers is not good. I believe that it is the number one issue facing us. Truckin’ Runners is a technology-based community trying to improve our health issues. Along the way we are rebuilding a sense of community. The old way isn’t coming back. It is time to embrace the new way.

Visit the Truckin’ Runners Facebook page at http://www.tinyurl.com/truckinrunners. You can also meet Jeff Clark at the Great American Trucking Show’s Fit for the Road booth.

Jeff Clark is a trucker, a grandfather and an eight-time marathon (26.2 miles) finisher. He is dedicated to helping truckers improve their health through better habits. Contact him at marathontrucker@yahoo.com or http://www.twitter.com/marathontrucker.

This post currently has no responses.

This was my first race back from my heart problem. Almost every athlete my age (51) has had to come back from an ailment or two. My plan was to try to treat this like any other injury. Listen to my body. When the body tells you to back off, back off.

The Troutman Duathlon is an annual event in my hometown. The race consists of a 2.5k run a 15k bike ride, then a repeat of the 2.5k run. Due to construction in downtown Kewaunee, Wisc., they had to move the start up to the local high school. Because of this the run portion might run a tenth of a mile or so longer. The good news is that we had a large enough parking lot for everyone and inside bathrooms. In my mind that is a positive trade.

I am one of those runners who sets up everything the night before. Shoes, shirt and socks must be laid out and ready. Because this included a bike portion I would make up a bottle of Gatorade the night before and put it in the freezer. This way I would not have to stop for hydration, and by the time the run was over the fluid would be nice and cold. I forgot it at home. Pre-race was typical. There were a lot of people there that I knew from previous races. I was pleased to see my friend Mike Bors there. Mike guides visually impaired runners.  He had a runner there (Kathy) whom I had not met before. Then we discussed how fast we planned on running and tried to line up accordingly. It is tradition to let the faster runners line up in front. Lining us old folks in front creates a traffic jam.

The bike leg would be my stronger portion this year. My cardiologist banned me from running for 48 days after the marathon, and I had only started back last week. The road course was very familiar to me. It ran through the Kewaunee River valley. There would be three really good hills along the course. I had been up and down those hills a hundred times.  While some bikers could not make it up the hills on the bike, I could. So I was pretty good until the last run. I just was not in good enough shape. By the time I was half way through it I had to take a walk break. In total I took three short walk breaks, but I made it. Nine minutes slower than last year, but 60 days ago I couldn’t walk a mile. I’ll take this.

The highlight of the day came when they were announcing the awards. Kathy won her division. Her group had just left a few minutes earlier. I took off running towards the parking lot hoping to find them. They were putting their bikes away when I did.

“Kathy, you won your division, they have a medal for you,” I said.

“What?”

“You won your division. You get a medal.”

She may still be smiling. That is what local events should be all about.

This post currently has one response.

We did the Green Bay 1.5 mile walk on Saturday. There were 12 participants. It was 12 more than last year, but about half what I expected. I had been a little down over the low turnout. The walk itself was an excellent time. It was along the Fox River on Green Bay’s boardwalk. With that few people it left plenty of time to shake every hand and thank everyone for coming.

On Sunday I just got a 20 minute-walk in. There were 600 miles to drive, and I wanted to get going. Monday had 3 stops. There would be one left over for Tuesday in Charlotte, N.C. The day started off badly with the first customer taking 2.5 hours to unload. That made it impossible to be on time. It makes for a stressful day when you are late for your stops. They came off OK, and I headed to Charlotte. When I got to Charlotte I had trouble finding a place to park, and the consignee did not allow overnight parking. It took a while before I found a place to park. I was stressed out. It was a hot summer North Carolina day, and a driver from Wisconsin finds that just too hot.

What the heck, I took the bike off the truck and went for a ride. When I interviewed Jasmine Jordan, the thing I took from it was when I asked her if she ever did not feel like running. She said no. I don’t have that. Sometimes it feels like it is a struggle just to lace up my shoes or put my bike together. Once I get going everything changes.  What changes most is my attitude. By the time I rode my six miles today, I felt great. It always seems to go that way. There are times when I am psyched to get out and do something, maybe half the time. I do feel better every time when I get it done.

My feelings about the walk changed, too. There are a few things I can do differently.  Wouldn’t it be cool to do it at night? There is a very successful parade of trucks through downtown Green Bay on Friday night. What if we coordinated the two events?  It amazes me how a 30-minute bike ride can change so much. And that’s just my mind. Just think of what it is doing for my heart.

This post currently has no responses.

For several weeks I have been looking forward to riding a trail in Austin, Minn. The trail is right across the street from the truck stop at exit 179 on interstate 90. It looked great. It is black topped with actual lane striping. There is a bridge built over the interstate. You would figure that building a bridge like that would cost a small fortune, and they would only do that for a longer trail. But then that would be applying logic to government.

The trail ended shortly after I crossed the bridge. So I headed back toward the truckstop. The trail continues behind the truckstop and heads west towards Wisconsin, so I gave that a shot. It ended within a half mile of the truckstop. It was early, and I wanted to finish off my 10-hour break with a ride. I kept going straight on the road the trail dead ended into. I prefer trails, but I do feel safe riding on most country roads, especially if I am wearing a bright colored shirt.

Then that road dead ended within a half mile. Here’s the good thing. There was a sign for the Jay C. Hormel Nature Preserve.  I rode over to check it out. Wow! It is beautiful there. The Jay C. Hormel Nature Preserve is 507 acres of forest with trails marked and unmarked running through it. They do not allow bike riding inside the preserve. There is a bike rack in the parking lot. Then get off and take a hike. The Hormel family was nice enough to give us not just spam, but this preserve. We can respect their wishes.

The park reminded me of my grandmother. When I was little, she would take me birding with her to the Morton Arboretum near Lisle, Ill. We would spend hours there hiking the trails, and she taught me about the different trees, and we would watch for birds. Even though the arboretum was in an urban setting you could get lost in nature. The Hormel Nature Preserve is the same way. When you wander closer to I-90 the whine of the interstate will interrupt the sounds of nature. Then as you head further away from the highway nature takes over. All that you hear are natural sounds. Birds are chirping away and almost everywhere that I went you could hear water running. The sounds and smells of nature take me as far away from the truck as I can get.

So if you ever find yourself in Austin, Minn., check it out. From the driveway of the truckstop to the park entrance is about 4,000 feet. I am looking forward to going there in winter and taking my cross-country skis with me. Just keep looking and let me know of your discoveries.

Jeff Clark is a trucker, a grandfather and an eight-time marathon (26.2 miles) finisher. He is dedicated to helping truckers improve their health through better habits. You can contact him at marathontrucker@yahoo.com.

This post currently has no responses.

I had two great rides on the fat-tire bike this week. One was a rural 15-miler out of West Salem, Wisc. The other was an urban 20-miler through Minneapolis. They were both on trails that I had seen and had been intending to ride for a long time. Neither one disappointed.

There is a Cenex truck stop in West Salem, Wisc. (I-90 exit 12). Across the street is the La Crosse River State Trail. This trail connects the Great River (Mississippi) Trail to the famous Elroy Sparta Trail. To ride on the trail takes a pass, which can be bought at the truckstop. The daily pass is $4. The annual pass is $20. These passes are good on all Wisconsin’s state trails. To hike or run the trail is free. I rode the trail from West Salem to the Great River Trail near La Crosse. The round trip was 15 miles. The trail itself is crushed limestone and runs between I-90 and the La Crosse River. Occasionally it will give you views of either one. Most of the trail tunnels through trees. That gives me that alone-in-the-woods feeling.

If you are ever on a load that allows you to take a 34-hour restart, this is a great place to do it. There is a small Wisconsin town to enjoy right there in West Salem. La Crosse is a bigger city that is less than an hour bike ride away. If you do head east Sparta recognizes itself as the biking capitol of America. That connects you with the mother of all rail trails, Elroy Sparta. The Elroy Sparta Trail boasts three long tunnels. You will want to bring a light with you. I have ridden the length of the trail twice. It is a fave trail. There is a point in one of the tunnels where you can’t see the light at either end. The floor is slippery, so don’t ride in them — get off and walk. I-90 provides a practical alternative to I-94. Instead of taking I-94 though the twin cities you can take I-90 and U.S. 52. As a side note, it avoids the scales if you are westbound.

If you ever have a long unload in the Minneapolis area get on the Midtown Greenway trail. I started out at the Super Valu in Hopkins, Minn., and headed east towards the cities. The trail system in the Minneapolis area is just plain awesome. Midtown Greenway runs below grade along the rail line. Many trails spur off or it. The fact that it is below grade allows you to ride under the streets instead of crossing them giving you an uninterrupted ride.

If you know of any awesome rides near truck parking, let me know. We are trying to compile a guide for truckers to use. In the meantime, keep searching. There is fun in discovery, and you might just get a little healthier while you look.

Jeff Clark is a trucker, a grandfather and an eight-time marathon (26.2 miles) finisher. He is dedicated to helping truckers improve their health through better habits. You can contact him at marathontrucker@yahoo.com.

This post currently has no responses.

Since my heart problem 48 days ago I have followed doctor’s orders and not run. He told me that I could bike or walk, just not run. There are days when I fought back the urge to run and almost laced up the shoes. I got so far as to pull them out from under the bunk and put them on my feet. Never did run though. Bicycling has proven to be a nice alternative, but running is what I want to do.

The day finally came, and it was time to run. I had an idea of what to expect. Other people have had injury layoffs before me. They have written about their experiences. In my mind I knew that I could not just take off and run as if I had not missed any time. My plan was to run 20 minutes at 10 minute pace. My fear was that 5 minutes in I would be too tired to continue. My hope was that I would get to 20 minutes and just keep going.  My expectation was that in 2 miles I would be exhausted. Then I climbed on the treadmill at the local gym and did a brisk 7 minute walk with a pace building to from 3.5-4.2 mph. The walk was over, and it was time.

I stopped the treadmill for a second and took a drink of water. Then it was time to start. I immediately set the treadmill to 6 mph. It reminded me of the first time I ran almost 5 years ago. That time I could not hold that pace for more than 5 minutes, or half a mile. Less than a minute into the run I felt a little tired. It was more nerves than anything physical. I half expected that and kept going. Ten minutes later I was passing the first mile and feeling pretty good. It was time to turn it up a notch to 6.1. A little less than 10 minutes later I passed the two mile marker and coasted in with a 2.1 mile run in just under 21 minutes.

It felt great. I am a runner again. Five minutes later I was suppressing the urge to climb back on the treadmill and do another mile.  As much as I want to come back fast I know that it isn’t smart. Take it easy I have to tell myself. At least I can call myself a runner again. I underestimated how good that makes me feel. I want to tell the world that I AM A RUNNER!

Jeff Clark is a trucker, a grandfather and an eight-time marathon (26.2 miles) finisher. He is dedicated to helping truckers improve their health through better habits. You can contact him at marathontrucker@yahoo.com.

This post currently has no responses.

Marathon-running trucker looking on bright side after a health-related setback

On May 16, I was ready to run the Green Bay Marathon. While I worked hard, on the long runs I was still getting more tired than I should. The first five miles went fine that morning. The pace was about a minute slow, but I felt fine. By mile six I was feeling more tired than I should. I let my pace group go during the eighth mile. At mile 10, I decided this was not my day. I phoned my wife and informed her that I would just walk back to Lambeau Field.

My wife, Roxanne, is an EMT. She insisted that I go to the hospital to get checked out. We went. My blood pressure was 179/98. They put nitro under my tongue, and it brought my blood pressure down. They took an EKG. Everything looked fine. They took my blood. When they take your blood they are looking for elevated levels of a substance called troponin, which may indicate a heart attack. My third blood test came back with elevated troponin levels, and the doctor told me I had a heart attack.

The cardiologist came in and talked to me. We were going to do an angiogram first thing the next morning. He told me I would probably never run again. I argued. We would discuss it again during the angiogram. The angiogram is amazing. The patient is awake during the whole process. The cardiologist was showing me what was happening the whole time. My heart is incredibly healthy. It was not a heart attack. My main arteries all have less than 5 percent blockage. The problem was occurring in two small diagonal arteries that were both 60-70 percent blocked. What happens is that after prolonged activity these arteries can constrict blood flow. That is what was happening to me. He said that I would have had a heart attack years ago if I was not a runner.

My marathon career is over. It is disappointing. I’ll get over it. My runs will be limited to 5 miles. I am thankful for modern technology that can show me exactly what is going on. I am thankful for Roxanne. I have so much to be thankful for.

This post currently has no responses.