Due a sharp hamstring pain last Saturday morning, I passed on running Greta Gallop's, the half marathon honoring nine time NYC Marathon Women's Champion and cancer survivor Greta Waitz.  It pained me because of the hamstring pain itself.  More importantly, I am running for cancer research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering in honor of Greta.  (We are pictured below after last year's Greta's Gallop.) 

However, I erred on the sign of caution and signed up for this morning's 20 mile Running Center training run.  I started running (not racing) at a good pace, touch wood.  After we finished the first loop of the reservoir, one of my fellow runners shouts "Howard Stern!"  I thought she was listening to a recording on her iPod of previous Howard show.  Nope, it was the real guy running with a blue running head band.

Howard was unfortunately running in the other direction.  We missed an opportunity to talk and see if I could guest host for him. 

Congratulations to Howard for his recent wedding with Beth Ostrovsky!  Good luck to Beth who will be joining me (touch wood) and about 38,000+ of our closest running friends in the NYC Marathon three weeks from tomorrow!

You know I always want to meet celebrities like Howard Stern.  However, I'm focused on the run against cancer.  Please sponsor me below at this fundraising permalink OR copy and paste the link below into a browser:

https://fredsteam.mskcc.org/fundraising/Controller?action=userHome&user_id=35640&event_id=113

Many thanks in advance for your support in these difficult economic times for a great cause.

Posted by a grateful Tank running against cancer in Central Park.

Yes, it's true, The Tank had his head shaved yesterday in Kathmandu by a professional barber, NOT Steve.  I trust Steve with my life but NOT my hair.  I am a man of my word and promised everyone on the trip that I would get my head shaved as part of my "Extreme Makeover, Nepal Edition".   

More importantly, I am running to benefit children's cancer research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Fred's Team.  If you wish to sponsor me, please use the secure Fred's Team homepage. 

Homepage:
https://fredsteam.mskcc.org/fundraising/Controller?action=userHome&user_id=35640&event_id=113

If you wish to sponsor me offline with a check, please use this donation form:

Donation Form:
https://fredsteam.mskcc.org/fundraising/Controller?action=donateForm&user_id=35640&event_id=113

which has a link to a PDF form.  Please fill in my name at the top -- many thanks in advance.

On my Fred's Team website, I have a picture of Aubrey Barr, now a 40 year old woman.  When she was a little girl, she was diagnosed with cancer and given little hope to live.  Now, she is the mother of two children and has finished 25+ marathons.  Besides my Mom, Aubrey is one of my heroines.   

You will also note a picture of Frosty the Snowman.  I included it because I dressed up as Frosty in December 2001 to cheer up my colleagues after the September 11, 2001, attacks.  My office was nine blocks south of the World Trade Center.  I was and am grateful to be alive to dress up as Frosty. 

I also used the Frosty photo as I am planning to run the North Pole Marathon in April 2009, God Willing and global climate change permitting.  (I am not a good swimmer if the ice melts.) 

The November 2, 2008, New York City and April 2009 North Pole Marathons are my two final marathons in my marathon career due to injuries. 

All donations are greatly appreciated.  No money goes to me.  All funds benefit children's cancer research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.  Please check with your accountant to double-check tax deductibility (which it should be).  Thank you very much and see you at the finish line!

Posted by a grateful Tank in Kathmandu, Nepal. 

You know you are getting older when your childhood heroes get diagnosed with cancer.  One of mine is Graig Nettles.  Graig was the reason I played third base in Little League.  His outstretched lounging catch against the Dodgers in the 1978 World Series Graig is still etched in my mind like yesterday.

Prevention and checkups are key.  Graig's brother Jim advised him to get tested as it runs in their family.  After the Father's Day Run Against Prostate Cancer in 2005, I was tested for prostate cancer and thankfully didn't have it.  The doctor told me to come back in 2010 when I turn 40, God Willing.    

Graig is going to under prostate cancer surgery on April 8 at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York according to Yankees.com and ESPN 1050 AM.  Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.  

I plan to run the NYC Marathon a fifth and final time this November, touch wood, as a member of Fred's Team raising funds for cancer research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.  I will do so in honor of the living like Graig and in memory of the passed on like Doug Stern.  

Posted by a somber Tank on the road to defeating cancer.

Hello sportsfans, this is the Tank checking in with you after running the 2007 ING NYC Marathon earlier today.  I ran it in a personal best of 4:39.  It's not a great time but am grateful given being on the mend most of the past year.  For instance, I did not run for five months after last year's NYC Marathon because of injuries to (1) gastroknemesis or the muscle that goes into the right calf, (2) water on my right knee, and (3) strained soleous muscle and tendon around my right ankle. 

This year's injuries include a slightly tore my left calf on the Japan Day on Sunday, June 2, and retore it at the Fred's Team workout on Thursday, July 12.  After a second opinion, my physical therapist Dr. Dan wanted to check for a stress fracture.  I had my first MRI in late July and it was negative thank God!  Against the advice of Linda, Steve, Kathleen, and many others, I ran this year's race even though I am 15 pounds heavier than last year BUT ran it 17 minutes faster than year.  I didn't run a great race but I ran a smart run with 26 one mile runs instead of one 26 mile run.  I walked each water stop to proper hydrate and recover my legs.  It helped me in later miles and feel better than last year thank God.  Woooo!

Speaking of later miles, I want to thank great and treasured friends like JH for showing up on 82nd and First Avenue.  Soon thereafter, Fiona ran the last 7.2 miles with me.  I also want to thank the great fans of NYC, especially those in the Boogie Down Bronx who allowed me to take the microphone at their music stage to throw down a hip-hop rhyme that I recently wrote for a colleague for a national conference.  The crowd went crazy.  As I transition out of marathon running over the next 18 months due to unbearable pain and fear of long term injury like not walking well.  I'll still do fitness running God Willing so I can tour the world with the healing power of my unique blend of music.  I don't have studio time lined up yet but you will all be invited to the album release party. 

Lastly, I want to thank Steve, Columbus Craig, Kal, JH, Aussie Rod, Buffalo Steve, LI/Vermont Bill, Maria, John the European, and everyone else who sponsored me this past weekend.  A big shout out to friend and Fred's Team Coach Antarctica Jeff.  If you still wish to sponsor me, please do so before December 15.  As I am only $775 short of my goal, any and all contributions are greatly appreciated, no monies go to me, and are tax deductible.

https://fredsteam.mskcc.org/fundraising/Controller?action=userHome&user_id=35640&event_id=53

OR

https://fredsteam.mskcc.org/fundraising/Controller?action=donateForm&user_id=35640&event_id=53

Posted by a grateful Tank on the road to beating cancer in the 2007 ING NYC Marathon.

Some of you may know that I almost drowned twice when I was 10 and 18.  Therefore, swimming in anything deeper than Jacuzzis and kiddie pools was a challenge that brought back the ultimate fear of being helpless while drowning that I pray none of you ever experience.  As Doug said about his fear of heights, "don't let your fear own you.  You own your fear."
                                                                      
Since I was "focused" on my goal of Seven (Marathon) Continents, I had to overcome my fear of swimming in deep water.  I put my floatation device around my waist and gingerly walked from the shallow to the deeper part of the pool.  I thankfully started to kind of float though my head bobbed up and down in the water.
                
Almost immediately after getting in the deeper water, I heard this sarcastic voice yell "this is your elbow and this is your *ss.  Learn the difference!."  I thought of yelling back "hey, bro, I am literally trying to keep my head above water.  And, yes, I do know my body parts," but I was too busy trying to keep my head above water.  Doug was in his element breaking in a new student, yours truly.  He didn't discriminate yelling at all students of all ages and races.  Before long, I became accustomed to other "Sternism" like "arms drive legs", "f*ck you, keep going!"
                                                   
Anyway, I worked hard and thankfully became faster than many of my lighter land only based runners.  Thanks to Doug and Dr. Dan I finished eight marathons on seven continents in 21 months.  I met many great friends like Steve, Linda, Jeff, Kal, and others all over the world.
                                               
It is often said that a pebble dropped in a pond makes a ripple affect all over the world.  Since hundreds (if not thousands) of other runners and myself will be able to run injury free for the rest our lives, we are his legacy of good health and happiness.  Doug is a boulder in the pool of life that will have a ripple effect long after we all have passed from this world.
  
Weeks before he died, I received permission from Doug to raise money for kidney cancer research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center as a member of Fred's Team.  To donate, please go to my Fred's Team webpage and click "Donate".  If this link does not appear, please copy and paste the one of these links into your browser:

 

https://fredsteam.mskcc.org/fundraising/Controller?action=donateForm&user_id=35640&event_id=53 OR

 

https://fredsteam.mskcc.org/fundraising/Controller?action=userHome&user_id=35640&event_id=53