My First 10 Miler Since 2012

In 2012, I ran the Soldier Field 10 for the third consecutive year. It was a wonderful experience as I lowered my personal best for the ten mile distance. Unfortunately, it was not until later that I learned my official time was not as fast as I had guessed. My guide was not wearing a watch so I was not sure of my mile splits or overall time. I just knew I had run faster than the two previous attempts at the distance. I discovered that my official time was 1:39:55. Since that day, I have improved my training and race day performances. The credit goes to the lovely and talented, Jenna Parker who taught me to run to and through pain. With Jenna’s help I have qualified for the Boston Marathon each of the last five times I have run 26.2 miles. I have been able to call myself the Mideast Regional Champion each of the last two years. I have had the great honor of winning the USA National Championship for Paratriathlon and representing the United States at the Grand Finals in London.

Tomorrow, I will toe the start line at the Live Grit Lakefront Ten Miler. It will be the first time I will run in this event while being my first ten mile race since 2012. I am looking forward to the opportunity to smash through that personal best time in order to set a new standard for myself. I do not know by how much faster I will finish, but I know I have the training, ability, and confidence to run ten miles faster than I ever have.

Jenna has prepared me as only she can. Ryan Nord, who guided me at the Bank Of America Shamrock Shuffle at the end of March, has agreed to be my eyes once more. I am excited to run along side Ryan again. I will be wearing the orange racing kit provided by Gary Mills and Dave Lewis‘ Pinnacle Performance Company. I look forward to building upon the experience from the Shamrock Shuffle as I race myself into tip top fighting shape for the 2015 season.

Starting 2015 By Shuffling

It was a wild up and down season in 2014 which began with my running the Boston Marathon along side the beautiful and talented, Jen Pfaff. 2014 concluded with my running my fifth consecutive Chicago Marathon. This time along side two beautiful fast women, Wendy Jaehn and Erica Alansari.

On Sunday, March 29, I will toe the start for my first race of 2015. It will be my first since October’s 26.2. Once again, it will be a Bank Of America event. The Shamrock Shuffle 8K. Special thanks to the beautiful and fabulous, Caroline Gaynor for introducing me to a wonderful elite marathoner and Ironman triathlete, Ryan Nord, who will be my eyes for the 8K. Ryan and I managed to get a couple training runs in together. I feel confident trusting him with my life. I believe he is confident for the challenge of guiding.

I spent most of last season training and racing through injuries. I am excited to be toeing the start line tomorrow in good health. Thank you to my friend, the amazing, lovely, wonderful, Jenna Parker for once again preparing me for my race. I am happy to enter another season with her as my coach. She is simply, the best! After all, she took a back of the pack finisher and turned me into a multiple Boston Marathon qualifier, a USA National Champion in Paratriathlon, and a member of Team USA World squad.

Thank you to the great folks at Pinnacle Performance Company for agreeing to once again sponsor me for the 2015 marathon and triathlon season. I am so grateful to Gary Mills who provided the steady hand when I wrote my first four plays as a student in his Playwright For The Actor class and who, as cofounder/co-CEO believed so much in me that he offered me the opportunity to offer Pinnacle sponsorship.

There is a long and fun season awaiting me. I am looking forward to getting started along side Ryan Nord. I do not know how fast I can run or how the weather will be, but I know when I run that course, I will be happy to be doing what I love. Running.

Pinnacle Performance believes in me, Jenna Parker has prepared me, Reliv International fuels my nutrition, and now it is time to take my spot along side a fabulous person to guide me. Good luck to my friends racing in the event. I am looking forward to see if the magnificent, Tera Moody will once again shine while running faster than everyone else. Good luck to the inspiring, Michelle Mirzoian, into whom I ran today. I hope you, my reader, will join me on this season’s journey to where it may lead me. Together, we can make memories to last a lifetime.

Dare2Tri Presents Paratriathlon Development Series

This week, USA Triathlon announced a partnership between USA Paratriathlon and Dare2Tri Paratriathlon Club. USA Paratriathlon is a program which is a part of the overall USA Triathlon family. Dare2Tri is a Chicago based club which serves to promote and provide opportunities for injured military veterans, adults and children with physical disabilities, and those with visual impairments to compete in the sport of triathlon while inspiring people in their communities and abroad. The announced partnership is for a development race series which will be made up of four triathlon events during the 2015 season. Up and coming paratriathletes will have a chance to compete for monetary prizes to be offered by Dare2Tri.

For the official press release as well as more information on the organizations presenting this development series, please log on to the following site.

Laura Sturm In Same Time, Next Year

Several years after graduating college, I researched acting schools. I found one in Chicago in which I was interested because one of the instructors had recently received her MFA from the same university from which I graduated. Although that was not the ultimate reason to attend that school, I thought it fun to have that kind of a connection as I prepared to throw myself into a world with which I had very little to no experience. I made an appointment to meet with one of the artistic directors and instructors, Ted Hoerl, but before the date arrived, I happened to attend a party where I had a conversation with one of the then CEOs of the school, Dave Lewis. Dave said he noticed I was to have an interview with Ted the following week and wanted to talk to me about my goals, ideas, and questions. Knowing I was inexperienced with acting classes, he suggested I meet with instructor, director, and actress, Laura Sturm. If Laura felt comfortable working with me, I could sign up for her Beginning Scene Study class. Dave figured Laura and I could bond over having attended the same university at about the same time. Sure enough, Laura was magnificent. She taught me so much and was exactly what I needed to help me grow as a person and artist. I can not begin to say how much work and effort Laura put into tearing down my emotional and physical defense walls one brick at a time. She fully understood all the barriers I placed to defend myself from the world after losing my sight. She made sure to provide me a safe environment in which to experiment and learn. She knew when to be understanding and go easy on me as well as knowing when to push me and demand more from me. As I made more and more breakthroughs as I advanced through the program, others took notice. By the time I completed my time at the school, Ted Hoerl praised me for being willing to stick it out and challenge myself. He said that by the time I had finished, I had put myself in a position to be on the verge of being an artist. All I had to do was take the leap and dive into the water. Ted said it was obvious that the work Laura did with me was making a difference. Three years after I first met Laura Sturm to see if she would want me in her class, she attended a performance of a play I had written and in which I was starring at Chicago's Prop THTR. It was such an emotional night for both of us. I finally had the opportunity to show Laura what I could do on a professional theater stage. She finally had a chance to watch her effort pay off by watching me "go for it" in front of a live audience and critics.

Laura has remained one of my dear friends. This beautiful, talented, amazing woman will always have a place in my heart. I will always cheer for her continued success. I will always find myself learning and growing as an artist and person through knowing and observing Laura. She is currently starring in a production of Bernard Slade's award winning Same Time, Next Year at the Skokie Theater. Performances run Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through February 22. General admission tickets are $28. Discounts are available for students and seniors.

Here is a theater review from Evanston Now:


You can get tickets at the following site:

A Perpetual State Of Awe

Growing up, I loved allowing my mind to take me to lands and worlds beyond that which I had experienced. I enjoyed putting pen or pencil to paper and writing allowing my creativity to control my hand. In high school then college, I was able to continue writing stories. Some times, I would do it for an assignment. Other times, it was merely for my own pleasure. After I wrote a few plays and screenplays, I tried to write a novel. For some reason it did not feel comfortable to me. I had always enjoyed creating short stories, but those too did not flow out of me as easily as they previously had. A few years ago, I rediscovered the ability and pleasure of crafting short pros. I credit the lovely and talented, Jen Knox. I have been beyond lucky that a talented writer and instructor has become my friend. She has so graciously offered me advice and critique which meant so much to me that I have written several additional pieces as a result of her feedback.

Jen Knox has a piece entitled A Perpetual State Of Awe which you can read by activating the following link. If you do not know her work, please take the time to familiarize yourself with her work. You will be glad you did.

Dare2Tri Athlete Profile: Israel Antonio

After running my first marathon in 2010, I was told of a new paratriathlon club set to begin operating in the Chicagoland area in 2011. At the time, I had competed in two triathlons, both in New York, and I wanted to race in more. After reading about one of the founders, army veteran, Melissa Stockwell who has the distinction of being the first US woman in history to be wounded in combat, I immediately informed Keri Serota that I wanted to be involved especially because this would mean I could meet Melissa. Never did I dream she would become a great friend. I have met some great athletes who have gone on to be some very special individuals in my life. Many of those individuals are mentioned in this blog post which appears on the Dare2Tri Paratriathlon Club site today. Please take a moment to read Dare2Tri's Athlete Profile on Israel Antonio. I hope you will learn something new, fun, or interesting about me.

Dancing With Boulder Stars

In August 2013, I was set to race at the Chicago Triathlon which was hosting the Mideast Regional Championships in the sport of Paratriathlon. One day prior to the race, my friend, Ironman triathlete, set to guide me informed me he was injured and would not be able to guide me for the race. He posted a note on Facebook where one of his friends, Lore Ambrose, who was working the Chicago Triathlon expo read it and immediately walked over to the Newton Running Booth to ask the Ironman triathlete, Don Reichelt, if he could step in to help a gentleman named Israel Antonio. Although he had never guided, he said yes. The next day, he helped me to my first Mideast East Regional title and since then, Don has remained one of my dearest friends.

On Tuesday, January, 27, Don Reichelt will take part in a charity event, Dancing with Boulder Stars to benefit YWCA of Boulder, Co. Just as the TV show, dance instructors are paired with local celebrities to entertain, compete, and fundraise. The event benefits You Women Children All of us, an organization working for human rights, empowering women and girls, and eliminating racism.

I hope you, my reader, will take the time to visit the following links and donate to Don's worthy cause and to learn more about YWCA. If you are in the Boulder area, purchase tickets and attend this wonderful function. Vote for Don who is a great representative for Newton Running, a splendid athlete, and a fantastic person.

To donate to Don, please log on to:


For more on the organization, please visit: