The Medical Leader

Fans,

By request, I have posted a special picks edition of my blog. Because of my schedule, I have not been able to write my picks column for the past few weeks, and while Teddy — they call me Teddy Ballgame — Paynter has held down the fort, I thought I would do a special pigskin pickin’ segment for our loyal blog readers.

Here it goes…

I look forward to Fridays for a lot of reasons. Sure, it’s the end of the work week (I’m smiling now), but when the leaves fall it means high school football is hitting a fever pitch.

And it won’t be any hotter than over on Pond Creek where Sheldon Clark and Belfry collide in a second-round Class 3A playoff matchup.

Four weeks ago, the Pirates (8-3) secured another district title by defeating the Cardinals (7-4) 34-13 at CAM Stadium. Of course, the game was marred by a scuffle in the second quarter, which led to the suspension of three SCHS players and a pair of Belfry players.

From that point, Sheldon Clark fell apart, fumbling the ball on three consecutive plays. Belfry turned that into quick points and slammed the door shut on the Cards.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment for SCHS came the following week when Pike Central rolled into Inez and handed the Cards a 40-18 loss on senior night. To be fair, the Cardinals were without three starters due to suspensions and a hand full of other players due to injuries.

This time around, I look for a closer matchup if the Cardinals can keep their composure.

That’s a big if in this intense rivalry.

Looking back on my game notes of the first matchup, Sheldon Clark could not a) hold on to the football and b) establish any type of passing attack. The Cardinals jumped ahead early on a dive play that turned into paydirt because of a missed assignment by Belfry.

My pick: Belfry is still Belfry.

You really have to tip your hat to Prestonsburg. With an unblemished 11-0 mark, the Blackcats have turned heads all season long.

Especially mine.

Imagine a team that lost a chunk of its line, 3,000 yards in rushing and its top receiver from a year ago going undefeated? Prestonsburg sure has defied the odds.

On Friday, Middlesboro rolls into town.

What are my thoughts: Quarterback Michael Burchett is as cool as the other side of the pillow. With over 1,500 yards passing, the field general has evolved into one of the state’s best players. Equally as important, he is a great kid and student.

Last year, injuries in the backfield really kept fans from seeing what Prestonsburg can accomplish. If the Blackcats stay healthy, bring on Corbin.

My pick: Those pesky Blackcats! That’s for you Joe Chirico.

Other local teams in action include: Shelby Valley at Corbin (I just indirectly gave you my pick there); Pikeville vs. Harlan and Allen Central at Hazard, Pike Central at Mason County and Letcher Central vs. Harlan County..

Here’s how I see those games playing out:

Allen Central at Hazard: The Rebels are reeling from last week’s first-ever playoff win in its first-ever home playoff game against Pineville, 60-34.

Hazard will simply have too much. The Bulldogs’ speed will wear down the Rebels and Allen Central’s magical run will come to an end.

Hazard rolls…

Pikeville vs. Harlan: Ben Howard has brought his magic back home, and the Panthers seem to be back on track.

And the panthers’ good fortune will continue for another week.

Pikeville has speed and the wide-open playbook that has made Ben Howard so much fun to watch as a player and coach over the years.

The Panthers won’t put up 71 points like they did last week against Jenkins, but they will survive and advance.

Pike Central at Mason County: The Hawks’ first-ever playoff win and home post-season game was like watching a Johnny Martin team on the basketball court.

Actually, the game last week against Fleming County should have been moved into the gymnasium.

On a more serious note, first-year Pike Central coach John Chapman has made things right on Buckleys Creek. The hawks were really a few plays away from winning a district title.

But an undefeated Mason County team waits in the horizon.

Don’t count the Hawks out. I feel they keep things close but a miscue late could spell doom and end a great season for the Hawks.

My pick: Mason County.

Letcher Central will survive (barely) and knock off Harlan County. This should be a good one, featuring two legendary coaches in Hillard Howard and Tom Larkey.

Wow, what a slate of games.

With kickoff about 24 hours away, I can already smell the burgers and dogs cooking on the fire at CAM Stadium.

See ya at the games…and the tailgate.

CHICAGO, Ill. — Prestonsburg’s Economic Development Director Brent Graden participated in the 32^nd annual Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Oct. 11.

Graden was one of 34,792 participants who started the race and one of 33,419 people who crossed the finish line.

Graden spent one year training and ran more than 1,000 miles to prepare for the marathon—one of five major marathons in the world.

Here’s a first-person recap of his adventure:

Morning of the race

After a year of training and more than 1,000 miles under my belt, the day has finally come. I am two hours away from running my first marathon.

And it’s not just any marathon; it’s the Chicago Marathon—one of five major marathons in the world. The others are held in London, England, New York, Boston and Berlin, Germany.

There could be up to 45,000 registered runners in this race and over 1.5 million spectators along the 26.2 mile course.

It’s pretty cold this morning. The news anchor said that the temperature at the start of the race would be only 24 degrees. My body will naturally warm up after I start running, but I have to keep warm until then.

I made sure to lay out my clothes last night. I decided to wear shorts for the race and warm-up pants over them. I put on my favorite short sleeve shirt and a long-sleeve insulated zip pull-over shirt. I also put on an old cotton long-sleeve, gloves and an ear warmer.

I made sure to bring enough nutrition with me to eat during the course of the race. I will probably burn about 6,000 calories and lose about six pounds over four hours, so I have to replenish it.

When it comes to a big race, you have to go with what you know and you can’t change anything.

I like the gel packs with caffeine. I eat one of those every four miles.

The last thing I do is to place my race bib on the outside of my shorts and I head toward the train downtown. When I get to the station, there are hundreds of people there ready to get on.

My blood is pumping.

I hop on the train.

Ground Zero

If you’re familiar with downtown Chicago, the race begins and ends at Buckingham Fountain. The setup is amazing. The race is very well organized.

I registered last night, so before the race, I just have to warm up, stretch and store my post-race gear.

After checking in my change of clothes, I start talking with other people who are running the marathon. People who run know that you meet many wonderful people of all backgrounds from all different parts of the world.

I’ve met a couple from Iowa—law school students who run together for fun and exercise. I met another man from Louisville. He ran many marathons before and said Chicago is his favorite.

Another lady from Chicago said that she is running because she wants to prove to herself that if she can run a marathon, she can do anything in life. She was recently going through a divorce and was having problems with her kids. She wants to prove to herself that she has the endurance to move on.

These and many more images will stay with me as I run the course today.

Then, an announcement comes. The race will start in 20 minutes.

The start of the race will be set up as follows: the wheelchair division, followed by the Elite 100, then the Start Corral A, B, C and D, and then the “open” Corral.

Since I don’t have any previous start times, I’m in the “open” Corral. We’re packed in like cattle. That’s okay, though, because we’re keeping each other warm.

The Star Spangled Banner comes on over the speaker towers. The excitement increases with each word. When the last note is played, the crowd erupts with joy.

Everyone knows that they’ve trained hard to get this moment…they’re going to savor it.

And then, the unexpected happens.

Everyone starts stripping off their warm clothes and throwing them to the side. It seems to be a tradition here. The only way I can describe the scene is that it looks like a food fight in a cafeteria. You have to duck or get hit by a sweater. (I believe they estimated that 25,000 pieces of clothing were collected for the local shelters.)

And then, the gun goes off.

And we aren’t moving.

There are so many people moving across the starting line that it actually takes eight minutes before me and the people around me can start moving.

It’s a slow shuffle at first, then a bounce, then a good pace as we move across the start line.

I start my GPS Garmin watch and off we go on a great adventure!

Mile 1 to Mile 6.2

The thing about the race that strikes me initially is how enjoyable the crowd is.

Everyone is cheering you on. There were a lot of high-fives and homemade signs—some that are very clever. My favorite sign read, “Your feet hurt so much because you’re kicking butt!”

Some runners are dressed up, too. I’ve seen Elvis, Jesus, the Travelocity Gnome, and Captain America, among others.

The beginning of the race is unusual because I’m running slower than I thought I’d run. There are so many people that I can’t run at full speed. I can usually run this part at 8:10 a mile, but I’m running at 9:30 a mile. I know I’ll have to make up the time later.

Mile 6.2 to Mile 13.1

I’m pretty comfortable now. My breathing is right and I feel good. I’m starting to make up some time, too.

By the time I reach the 10-mile mark, I’m under 9:00 minutes a mile. They have water and Gatorade set up every 1.5 miles of the course so I don’t have to worry about hydration. Just a sip at each station will get me through the day.

It’s funny, though, because I see people stopping at trees. I guess they can’t wait for the porta-johns.

I am running through many unique neighborhoods. I see Chinatown, Hispanic neighborhoods, the soul food part of town, super-nice neighborhoods and other places. This is why I love Chicago. It has so many diverse backgrounds brought together under one name. I appreciate the snapshot of life and the culture here.

I am now making my way towards the half-way point of the race. I clock in at one hour and 54 minutes—a new record for me. My goal is to finish in less than four hours.

We’ll see if I can hold the line. As they say, the race starts at mile 20.

Mile 13.1 to Mile 19.3

I’m still feeling good, but I’m starting to see people dropping out and slowing down. It’s not helping my frame of mind.

I look down at the pair of shoes in front of me.

My times have always been good, up until mile 17. Most marathon training will take you up to a 20-mile run. So, the unknown is coming up soon. It unnerves me.

I do, however, know that you NEVER stop running, or you will stop. So, I keep on going.

My mile times are now starting to drag into the 9:30 range, which is bringing my average down. I hope I can finish sub-9:00 for the race. That would be a great accomplishment.

Suddenly, I see a lady grab a drink of water, stop, and turn into the runners. She gets violently pushed to the ground.

I know I will have to keep my eyes open to avoid this.

Mile 19.3 to Mile 26.2

I have now passed the 20-mile mark and have run farther than I have ever run before.

I feel exhilarated, but I also feel fear.

My body is telling me to stop…“You’re done.” My head is trying to coax me on. I am starting the feel the effects of running for three straight hours now. My legs are limp and my neck and shoulders are stiff. I need some relief soon.

I see someone passing out Jolly Ranchers. Wow! They never tasted so good.

I also grab some Dunkin Doughnut holes and fruit snacks. I hope it’s enough to push my energy back. I eat my last gel pack at mile 24 and look at my watch.

I’m averaging 9:05 now. I need to come in at under 9:09 to finish in under four hours. I do the math in my head. I need to run the last 5K at a 9:00 minute mile pace.

My legs are really slushy now. I am, however, rejuvenated that I’m almost there and I have a chance to come in at under my goal.

I have worked hard at this for more than a year. I dropped more than 25 pounds and my body fat went from 26 percent to just 10 percent.

Can I do it?

My legs don’t seem to be cooperating. I think I need more nutrition. I try a banana, but I spit it out. I’m afraid I’ll throw it up on the spot. Remember, this is not the time to try new things.

…Only one mile to go. I am within 30 seconds of doing well. It’s going to be a photo finish for me.

I push myself as hard as I can.

The crowd is huge now. They’re screaming at us.

I can’t stop.

Finish line

The finish line is AMAZING. It’s everything I thought it would be. I feel such exhilaration as I cross the line.

I just ran a [explicative deleted] marathon!

I look down at my watch: 4:00:46.

Arrrrrrrggggghhhhh!

Certainly, it is an accomplishment. My time is better than 75 percent of the crowd. Those 46 seconds, however, will hang over me for a while.

When we cross the finish line, we all look like extras in a zombie movie, slowly moving forward to get our food.

First, we move to the water and Gatorade zone, where we hydrate. Next, they give us solar blankets to make us warm again. Then we move to the GPS timing chip retrieval area. The units are fastened to my shoe. A volunteer removes it for me.

Finally, I move to the tables where they hand me my Finishers Medal.

It’s heavy…and it’s mine. I wear it with honor the rest of the day.

Next, we get nutrition in the form of cookies, bars, pretzels and bagels. I stretch out so I won’t have any post-race injuries.

It’s a great day. I see all the smiling faces and some tears of joy.

Less than one-half of one percent of the people in the U.S. have finished a marathon. I am now in elite company.

I change into my dry clothes and reunite with my family, who still live in Chicago. I tell them about the day and that I can’t wait to eat a 20 ounce steak.

I’ve done what I set out to do. I’m proud of myself this day.

Next year, I’ll travel to run the New York City Marathon. I can’t wait to do it all over again.

Brent Graden

Hello football fans! Belfry and Sheldon Clark is right around the corner. What’s your thoughts on the game? Can SC rebound from some serious injuries to beat the Pirates for the first time since 2006? Or will Belfry reign supreme?

What’s your thoughts.

This one should be a dandy. I’ll blog about my thoughts on the game later tonight or in the morning. I plan to debut my grading system.

See ya at the games…