Bob Reflects on Running 50 Marathons

Completing 50 marathons was a goal I set three years ago. I thought this kind of commitment and effort would demonstrate my strong desire to raise money for treatments and a cure for NF. I wanted “to be the change I wish to see in the world.” I have been raising money as a member of the NF Endurance team since 2000. (This was back when we were wearing green running singlets instead of the sporty, sleek, neon yellow ones we have now.) I needed to raise the bar higher to keep my donors attention and interest. I took a cue from Shakespeare, who wrote:

Then marvel not, thou great and complete man,
That all the Greeks begin to worship Ajax;
Since things in motion sooner catch the eye
Than what not stirs

I decided that I would set a goal of running 50 marathons and raising $50,000 to catch the eye of my donors. I do RUNFOR A REASON. Go to: www.504NF.com (smile here) and you will see several of my reasons.

For every marathon, I paced myself, finished strong, and never forgot that it’s not the speed but the purpose of the journey. This really kept me motivated and helped me to avoid a running injury. I also want to say that for every single marathon I picked up the pace at mile 20 or 22 , felt the warmth of God’s smile, experienced an almost overwhelming sense of freedom and joy, and an intense emotion of feeling alive. I thought I was the happiest person in the world! Yet there were some times during the run when the lives of my NF heroes came to mind. I thought of their struggles and pain living with NF, and I literally cried. If someone asked me my finish time, I would have to say, ”Well, it could have been better, but I stopped a few times to shed some tears.”

Having now achieved my goal, I will candidly say that I’m elated, or let’s say relieved and grateful for the gift of running and the gift of my health. I also find myself thinking, “What’s next?” I certainly want to keep running until a cure is found, and after that will want to raise money to make NF treatments affordable. The answer? My running never ends!

Well, marathon 51 was last weekend at the Surf City Marathon so only 49 to go for 100. Woo Hoo!

Bob Skold
Team Development

It’s gO Time — Meet Lesley O

Lesley Oslica knows first hand the uncertainty that NF brings as her daughter Katie has NF1. Lesley and her entire family participate on the NF Endurance Team. From biking across America to rallying runners in Little Rock, the Oslica’s work hard to spread awareness about NF. In 2010 Lesley served as team captain for two events in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Mardi Gras Marathon and the Little Rock Marathon.

Meet Lesley

Lesley and Connie Oslica participate in multiple NF Endurance Events each year in support of their daughter Katie.

How many races you have done? 11 half marathons, 4 full marathons, and coached at seven NFET events.

What is your race mantra? If the kids have to endure living with NF, I can endure to the finish line; run/walk/crawl…whatever it takes!

Favorite postrun meal: Pizza and some bubbly liquid carb replacements

What does Endurance mean to you? Endurance…just as Webster’s might say…the ability to continue despite adverse conditions; bearing pain, hardships. The true witness of endurance is seen in so many of the heroes living with NF. Kids enduring chemo, parents enduring watching their child suffer through every MRI, blood tests, wearing back braces, surgeries, rehab, etc. And, the ultimate endurance…people with NF facing the end of their journey with bravery and determination, to leave a legacy for those who come behind them. They endure – and leave a permanent impression on our hearts. The compassionate people on the NF Endurance Team endure different struggles…blisters, fatigue, muscle cramps, torn muscles, tendons, etc. But, we endure so that all those who suffer with NF might have a brighter future. If we can’t do the research, we can hopefully at least fund it and raise awareness of NF to help gain support.

What is on your must do race list? If I have one thing on my must do list…it would be to get a team together for RAAM so that my husband could ride RAAM (and me be a crew member). Participating in RAAM in any capacity was an incredible experience. I don’t know if it’s the sleep deprivation or witnessing our riders hammering those pedals for over 3,000 miles (or a combo of both)…but whatever the case, RAAM is truly representative of Endurance! If we are talking race as in marathons, NYC [Marathon] is one that I’m going to have to experience one of these days; the crowd, the city, the other runners…I can’t imagine the feeling of being a part of something so big.

How to Fuel Your Next Ride

by: Robert Panzera

Learning to carry and consume food while training may improve performance (and mood). The off-season is a good time to learn how much to consume and how often you need to consume proper calories to ensure you are maximizing your training potential.

Glycogen Depletion On-The-Go

Your body needs muscle glycogen to function properly through the entire exercise period. This graph depicts how various fuels are used to attain 100 percent of your energy when exercising:

As you can see muscle glycogen (yellow) starts off providing nearly 50 percent of your fuel at time zero and is almost depleted after four hours. It is important to note that the exercise bout depicted is 70 percent of VO2 Max, which many of us would consider a “recovery” pace. Note that you can substitute the energy loss from depleted glycogen with carbohydrate ingestion (red).

Cyclists can fend off a “bonk” (i.e., a severe depletion in available energy stores, which adversely affects performances) by simply cruising and eating. This may be more difficult at high intensities, or when out for more than four hours of endurance. In these instances, you have to “train yourself to eat” before exercise, during exercise and after exercise.

The following are tips to ensure you are consuming the proper calories at the proper times. Adhering to these tips require commitment, foresight, and a willingness to experiment and learn.

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