Focus

The little update on the results of the Brooklyn half Marathon.  Of the 27,410 people who finished the Brooklyn half I finished 27,403rd. I personally knew three of the people who technically finish behind me. My average pace was 21 minutes and 40 seconds per mile, which is still two minutes per mile faster than I ran a whole mile a month ago. Below are some of my favorite photos that I found on Facebook. 

This was just after the 13 mile mark. Just after I turned onto the boardwalk and was joined by so many of my teammates. They said I was like Rocky going for a run and being followed by all the kids in Philadelphia. But I wasn't focused on what was behind me, I was busy changing gears from running to walking.

Just after I crossed the finish line being greeted by Peter Chaccia of the New York City Road Runners Club. He has been the guy who make sure everything goes right on race day. That was kinda my old job.

Getting my medal. Just like the 27,402 people before me and the seven people after me.

And then the photo ops quickly began. Peter grabbed me and brought over Michael Capiraso, the CEO of the roadrunners club. I don't have the pictures but someone walked over to me and had me pose with them who I'm told was a state assemblyman and then the community board leader wanted to have a picture with me.

And on the entire course I was continually being filmed by my friend Josh. I'm not sure if he's making a documentary about me for some sort of short story with me as the star.

I didn't shed a tear. Although I thought I would. Now when I saw the finish or even when I got that medal. I was ready to, but I was to focus on not falling down. I almost choked up a little this morning when I met a bunch of my GBS friends and they congratulated me. Some of them saw my Facebook status the morning of the race. 

 For everyone who helped me up.
For everyone who could not get up.

Above this line was written the day after the race

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Below this line was written the day before the race

On this date two years ago, I couldn't tell you what hospital I was in without checking my records.

On this date one year ago, people applauded me because I could stand up and rotate myself 360° without holding onto anything.

Last week, I could not hold back my emotions when I told a room full of GBS survivors that I would be participating in the Brooklyn Half Marathon

It's been hard to focus lately. And when I say lately, I mean for the past two years. Guillain-Barré syndrome... Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy.. Acute motor axonal neuropathy... They are all conditions that affect the motor nerves. But who's to say what's going on in my brain. Maybe this peripheral neuropathy has nothing to do with my cognitive function. Or maybe I'm still recovering from all the shit that happened to me in the past two years. Maybe I have PTSD, but I don't have the time to find out. Sometimes, I find it hard to maintain a sustained thought. Sometimes and having a conversation and I forget what word I'm about to say. I told this to my neurologist and she suggested actual sleeping pills. Yeah maybe I'm a little better, but I'm still a little bit out of whack upstairs.

Whatever, the day after tomorrow on the be running completing the Brooklyn half Marathon. I'm will walk I half a mile to the starting line and then I'm gonna walk around the Brooklyn Museum / Botanic Garden then around Prospect Park and then all the way to Coney Island. 13.1 miles. It will happen. My training hasn't been much. Last week I covered 10 miles into chunks on Thursday. And a week before I completed a 6.2 mile race. I'm pretty confident I'll get to that finish line. I'm not thinking about the start, I'm not even thinking about the finish line. I'm focusing on that park bench that's going to be 10 or 20 feet from the finish line. All I keep thinking about is crossing that finish line and getting to that bench and crying like a baby.... Yeah, I'm focusing on that moment where I could let it all out.

I think a man enough to admit that since May 7, 2014 I have been no more than three deep breaths from completely losing it. And by losing it I mean having an out of body temper tantrum or crying fit that I'm afraid would never end. That's where my focus has been going. It's taken a great deal of mental energy to just keep my head on straight. Okay, just saying that made me feel little better.

If you want to keep track of me you can use this app you don't even have to know my bib number just type in my name. Michael Ring, or you can go on Facebook and follow my two friends arre going to chaperone me for the whole race, Nicoletta Nerangis and Josh Pesin.

By the way, this is at least the 13th time I'll be running the Brooklyn half Marathon. I say at least because I'm sure I was a bandit more than once. In 2013 I actually managed one of the water stations. I was supposed to do it again in 2014 but I vaguely remember answering the phone and saying "I am in intensive care you have to find someone else to do this." You can also read about me in last Sunday's daily news.

So it looks like it's going to rain on Saturday. Fine! Let it Reign O'er Me!



I don't sing out loud very much. But on those rare occasions where you can be alone in a park in New York City, when it's pouring raining, I would look up at the sky and sing the chorus.