Mercedes Marathon

It is time for the second of three Marathons. It has been hard to train for the Mercedes with the cold and wet weather. I didn't think I was ever going to defrost from the St. Judes Marathon but the frost bite is gone and it is time to run another 26.2.

The longest run I have done over the past two months was 13.1 miles on a treadmill which was torture. I did get a chance to run in the Pensacola, FL Double Bridge 15k with some friends as part of my training. Thanks to Eric, Truck, Misty, and Christy for a great time and fun run. It was a terrific event and much warmer than the St. Judes and probably the Mercedes coming up this weekend.

Thanks again to everyone who has supported me since the start of this adventure. A very big thank you to my friends and family. Chris Mayfield has done an excellent job through this whole process of keeping me going. Please continue to spread awareness and encourage everyone you know to make a donation as we are about half way to our goal.

St. Judes Marathon

In less than 48 hours I will hope to have crossed the St. Judes Marathon finish line. Time has really flown by. It seems like just yesterday I started running for this event. Training has been great when the weather cooperated. I have run up to 18 miles in 3 hours so I feel fairly confident my first Marathon will be a success. Thanks to everyone for their support and motovation. We have our logo and shirts for this race thanks to Matt Scott and John Stone at Children's Hospital. Let me know what you think.

Is it November Already?!?!

Run, Run, Run, get shin splints, Run, Run, Run, get a cold, Run, Run, Run.
Well, that was a quick summary of how my training has gone. Shin Splints are still mildly affecting my runs. As of last week, I came down with a nasty head cold. I'm still having trouble finally get rid of it.

So with all the little setbacks I have had during my training I have looked into marathon running without proper training. I came up with a run-walk-run ratio. The plan for Kate and I is to run 4 miles, 1 minute walk, 4 mile run, 1 minute walk, etc. Hopefully, this will not be too hard. What am I talking about, it is a marathon. It is going to be difficult.

We are headed to Auburn this weekend. Yeap, we are going to the game. Surprised?!?! We are going to take Kate's father, Mike, to the game as well. Should be a good time. Seeing family means a lot to Kate and I.

Sorry I have not posted as frequently over the past month. I want to thank everyone for the continued support for Parkers Pride. We are going to start this journey in about month. Can't wait!

Til next time!!!!

We keep running but I got a new toy...

Hello everyone,

I have been running fairly well recently. Weather has been very rainy and cool. My shins are still hurting but I'm icing them down every-now-and-then. Last week, I got two runs in at 7.5 miles and two more at 4 miles. This week, has gotten off to a slow start but I hope by the end of the weekend I can get a 9 miler.

So on to my new toy I mentioned in the title. Kate got me the Nike Sportband. Great gift for the somewhat competitive runner that wears nike shoes. It tracks your time, pace and mileage. It is not completely accurate but it does give you something to base your runs on.

Recently, we had a trip to Knoxville last weekend. We got to hang out with an old friend or two and cheer for the Auburn Tigers. We had a blast. Next Auburn game is going to be Nov. 7th. War Eagle.

Finally, I want to thank everyone who has donated to Parkers Pride. If you do not know, I run around Vanderbilt hospital just about everyday. Seeing families taking a break, getting some fresh air reminds me why I'm running.

Take Care!

Matt and Kate Scott

It finally stopped raining so Chris Mayfield and I could get in a long run. We went to Lakeshore last night and ran about 13 miles in two hours. Very good run but it was not easy. You have a lot of time to ponder during long runs and couldn't help but wonder why marathons had to be 26.2 miles long!

Checking in with updates from Nashville

Hello everyone!

Just filling you guys in with a few new updates since my last post. I did get shin splints and oh how they have been painful. I have never had shin splints before in my life and I hope I will never get them again.

Kate and I also got new shoes! Shin splints are slowly going away, mileage is going up. It is about time. I'm working on getting my runs plugged into a website, map my run, for viewers to look at. Until then, I run after work during the workdays and parks over the weekend. I work near Vanderbilt and Belmont which allows me to run on sidewalks. Weekend park runs involve greenways around Nashville. This is a runner friendly city that is for sure.

Weather has been decent. It was awesome here for awhile. Mild, no humidity but that has all changed recently. Rainy, lets just say we are making up for the drought we had last year.

Kate had her 27th B-day, Sept. 21st. Happy Birthday honey!!!! I got her the running shoes and Beatles Rockband. She loves it!

We have been to Auburn twice to see the Auburn Tigers play. Our latest trip was a very memorable one, the WVU game. We had about 4" of rain come down right before the game started. It made sitting in the stadium soaking wet horrible but Auburn made up for it. We are 3-0! War Eagle!!

Finally, I thought I would leave you guys something to associate with me while I run. Here are my top five running song I have on my IPOD:

1) Welcome to the Jungle - Guns and Roses
2) Send the Pain Below - Chevelle
3) Oil and Water - Incubus
4) The State of Massachusetts - Dropkick Murphy
5) Dig - Incubus

I also want to keep thanking everyone for their support! This is coming together so nicely and I'm very excited for that first run!!! Dec. 5th here we come!

Post from our Mother, Parker's Nana

Wow! Just one week and Parker’s Pride has already raised $550 for Children’s Hospital and Pastoral Care. Thank you, everyone!

This is Parker’s Nana. I am 55 years old and anyone who knows me, knows I am not an athlete or a fitness freak. I prefer cooking, eating, reading and painting to more active pursuits. But when Bryan and Matt put together Parker’s Pride, I signed on right away. I can’t run the St. Jude’s, but I can walk. I can’t finish a marathon, but I can finish a 5 or 10 K. I will do it for our precious Parker, for my sons Bryan and Matt, and for Children’s Hospital and their Pastoral Care Department.
Pastoral Care stayed close beside us during Parker’s three days in intensive care at Children’s. They listened to us, wept with us, comforted us. When Bryan mentioned that he wished there was music for Parker, a CD player and sweet children’s CD’s appeared in his crib. When Bryan mentioned baptism, a christening in ICU was arranged. When he asked about organ donation, they helped us understand what needed to be done. While the doctor gave us the terrible news that Parker was gone, they held our hands and prayed with us.

These wonderful ministers are on staff at Children’s 24-hours a day, 7 days a week to help families (many from out of town) cope with their children’s illnesses and injuries. We want to make sure the support and comfort of Pastoral Care at Children’s Hospital will be there for all families who arrive at Children’s Hospital with their little ones. We know they will need it.

So, I am walking about 40 minutes a day, 5 days a week right now to get ready for the St. Jude’s. When I am tempted to sit down in front of the tv, I think about Parker and I put on my walking shoes. When that little voice in my head says 30 minutes walking is good enough, I think about the families who are sitting outside of ICU at Children’s and I keep going. The good news is I am enjoying walking and feeling stronger every day. I hope you’ll follow the journey of Parker’s Pride. I hope you can donate to Children’s Hospital and Pastoral Care.