***Saturday Spotlight*** Name: Mike Josiah, Age: 59, Marriage Status: Married 32 years, Occupation: Technical Director at Uninet Imaging in Yaphank. Originally from Levittown. No children, 4 cats. Current town is North Patchogue. My other Hobby besides running is Woodturning. (I make bowls/vases/platters etc. out of firewood)
As it has been said before, this is a bit on the scary side, but here goes.
I started running in HS but not by choice. I wanted to play soccer and baseball. The track coach told the other coaches I was to run track only as that’s what my three older brothers had done. At the time you didn’t argue things like that so I ran. I was never very good, but I was always there. My best cross country race back then was I think in either 1976 or 77 at Van Cortland Park. It was an invitational meet and was pouring out with crazy winds. I had track spikes on and charged up the very muddy hills to the point I actually did pretty good. I don’t remember the time I had but I remember being very happy with it. After HS I joined the Air Force and served for 5 years. I ran once a year for the PT test and that was it. I didn’t run again until 1987. I stayed active, but no running. Then my Brothers (2) decided to run the Long Island Half Marathon and asked me if I wanted to run with them. “Sure I said, why not? How hard could it be??? Did I mention I started smoking in 1978?
I finished, but I’ll leave the details for “What was I thinking! ) I ran the NYS park summer series, Islip town series and I ran the LI half in 1988 and also finished but was having problems multiple medical issues. I’d stopped smoking in early 1988 so that helped and I pressed through another year or so but eventually they took a toll and I stopped. Fast forward to 2016. My Wife has a nasty nerve disease and I take her for treatments in NJ a few times a year. They run roughly ½ day so I have a few hours to kill. For a years, I’d head over to Palisades Park and hike up trails. There is one where you start from the parking lot at the river and climb a few hundred feet of stairs. I would always get winded about ½ up and rest a few minutes. That year I made it 20 feet maybe? That scared me. I need to be in good health to help my Wife, so I made a vow to myself to get off my butt. My medical issues are still present but diagnosed now and under control. (Nothing really major).
SO… I started running in the fall of 2016. Strangely enough I enjoyed it! For the first time in my life I was having fun running! I ran all through the winter regardless of the weather and signed up for the NYC Half. Race time I felt great and made it through the park in around 55 minutes. I was relaxed and really enjoying it. Coming out of the park just before Times Square I was looking all around and stepped into a pot hole. My right quad immediately lit up. I tried to stretch it but that didn’t help. If I’m nothing else I’m slightly stubborn/determined so I pressed on. I figured out a way to sort of swing my leg and hobbled along. So I ran the first 10k in about 55 minutes and finished the race at 3 hours 13 minutes… I went into the medical tent to get stretched before catching a train home and they had me sit until someone was available. I felt ok at that point, the pain wasn’t too bad. A poor PT came over to me and directed me to a table. When I stood up I immediately went right down. I fell right on top of her. She was amazing she must have seen this coming as she was ready and held me up, got me to a table. I couldn’t put any weight on my leg at all. Long story short, they put me in a wheel chair and wheeled me to the ER a few blocks away. The chair didn’t have feet so I held my leg up with my left leg.
A few hours later and I went from thinking I tore my quad, (Initial DR’s thoughts), to actually having a series of micro tears. No running for a few months. I had to go in and out of my house on my butt (Steps) for a few weeks. Slowly I started running again but it was a few months later before I could go more than a mile.
Last year I ran the Long Island half and then the Suffolk County half. For the Long Island half I was determined to run the entire race with no stopping at all, not even for water. That was my goal. It was warm that year and I was hot with too many layers, but didn’t stop (Stubborn/determined again ). I finished in 2:13. For the Suffolk CHS half My goal was to finish under 2 hours. Sounds doable right? Nope! I crossed the 10 mile point at under 1:30 Perfect! I was ahead of the pacers! I was right where I wanted to be! Well… About 10 feet past the 10 mile water stop both my legs cramped up like I’ve never ever experienced. I could walk/shuffle but it was hard and I had no idea what was wrong. I tried but finished in 2:03. Sooo close! Afterwards I was waiting for some friends/family to finish and just kept moving. The cramps were still there both legs they didn’t diminish at all. Once gathered, everyone decided to eat lunch at a local restaurant and I went in/sat down. We had some hot wings that were very spicy. Shortly afterwards I carefully stood up and to my surprise no cramps! Not even a twinge! After lots of research and speaking with people, I think I was badly dehydrated. The spices helped relieve the cramps, and I probably drank 3-4 pints of water then too. Live and learn!
I ran the hills for the first time after seeing an article in Newsday. I’d seen many of you at various races but really didn’t know what the slogan meant as far as, well the hills! I contacted Lou and after a few weeks of life getting in the way finally ran the hills! I loved it! It took me a bit to learn how to run them though. My calves afterwards for a few days were killing me. (I was holding myself back on the downhills). I posted this on our group and had lots of helpful hints thanks for that!
When I’m not running for the last 32 years I’ve worked for a company that used to mainly involved in remanufacturing toner cartridges used in laser printers and copiers. I write how to articles on how to remanufacture them every month for industry magazines around the world and a lot of my travels in the past was going to trade shows teaching the technology. That industry has been collapsing due to cheap Chinese clones so about 7 years ago we took our toner expertise and started a company that makes printers that do T-Shirt transfers of all types and also short run roll to roll label printers. This new business is thriving and I should be good until I want to retire. Well OK I want to now so when I CAN retire
Hey if anyone is in the Neighborhood this weekend, I have a booth at the Gallery North Art show. I’m sort of across the street from the gallery. There are some really amazing artists there and well worth a walk through if you have time.
I think that’s enough for now. More to follow on “what was I thinking”