LUCKY - SATISFIED - DISAPPOINTED in Detail... Shamrock Marathon - Virginia Beach, VA

It is been a week or so since the event and the recovery is going well. My legs are still experiencing some fatigue but that is to be expected. I am slowly getting back into the swing of things but I am taking my time as I don't want to extend the fatigue in my body by jumping back in the routine too fast.

Doing this marathon was a fun experience for many different reasons. I am very lucky to have the support of Mrs. Clot Buster and Junior on everything that I do. Even when I am decked out with polka-dots from my head all the way to my socks. I also appreciate how easily people can see me and that comes in handy the most when people is out there looking to cheer me on. I need to give a HUGE THANKS to the Fenton family for their support during the race. It was incredible to be out on the course and see the Clot Buster STOP THE CLOT shirt on the side waved by Jim and his little girl, while Liz (Jim's wife) was on course doing the Half-Marathon. Look for Mr. Jim Fenton to be featured on an upcoming issue of Athlete of the Month. Once again guys, it was a pleasure to meet you in person and THANK YOU for spreading the word about blood clots and blood clotting disorders.

I am also, lucky to have the chance to finish the race running. There were times after mile 22 where I was thinking that I could walk all the way to the finish but I never did more than getting through an aid station. So, I am thrilled with the notion that I am maturing on my marathoning experience and I was able to keep it at far better than in 2008. Ironically however, this time around I was slower than last year by more than a minute... see RESULTS HERE.3:30.57 is the main reason behind my disappointment. I am both very lucky and satisfied but the disappointment lingers with me simply because I was not able to improve on my performance on last year. It is strange to feel this way but the competitor in me is driving this feeling and it is not easy to walk away from it. I trained hard put in the miles and speed work through, cold, rain, ankle deep snow and driving winds but I don't have a PR to show. And that is what makes me feel disappointed.

On the other hand, I realize that it was a HUGE challenge to go under 3:10 and I came to terms with that as I saw the 3:10 pace group speed away from me half way through Mile 16. First it was just a few feet as I was hanging on the back of the group. I was focusing on following this one guy in a blue shirt that was holding on to 2 gels on each hand (don't ask me why I remember that...). Then, Mile 17 came by and I was still on the back of the pack feeling the pain in the legs and mind screaming "let them go!". I held on all the way to Mile 18 when I finally I had to slow down and take care of my needs... get the get, drink the coke, water and gatorade... by the time I was ready to resume the 3:10 pace the pack was long gone and I was left alone to keep at it. I guess, that I am capabale of keeping the 3:10 pace for 18 Miles so I need to work on keeping that pace for another 8.2... or I just have to wait until I am 45 year old and qualify for Boston when I can use the 3:30 as my qualifying time...

Because I was alone naturally my pace dropped from what it was but I did not feel that it was too dramatic. Miles 19, 20, 21, and 22 went by and I was enjoying the sand dunes around me, the signs with jokes and trivia along the course... Did you know the new light house is 264 Feet tall? Did you know the old light house was only 90 Feet tall? How about this one "Why do we wash bath towels? After all we are clean when we use them?"... So, as you can see my mind focused on something else other than the running. But half way through Mile 22 I came face to face with "the wall" and once again the wall won slowing me down to a shuffle... I was at 3:07.45 at this point with less than four miles to go and no matter what I tried the legs did not want to go any faster. Strange sport this is... simply hard to predict how your body can react to the pounding and the exposure of such high intensity effort. I made it to the finish once again with the polka-dots on and my green shorts in honor of the irish spirit of the race. No luck of the irish for me this time but all things considered an experience that I will remember for ever.

THANKS TO ALL of you out there who once again helped in the fundraising effort. Your contribution will help in helping NATT continue spreading the word to STOP THE CLOT.

So, now it is time to concentrate on the summer and what events I will do. I am thinking about doing a half-marathon on the first part of May and see how I would do after all of these miles on my legs for trainig... is there a PR for me in the Half-Marathon distance? I will let you know if that is the case... But during the rest of the summer Ohio for sure will see its fair share of the polka-dots. I hope the Buckeye state is ready for that...

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster

LUCKY - SATISFIED - DISAPPOINTED

Stay tuned for the detailed report on the race coming up...

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster

Five Days to go...

Although I am much more relaxed this time around I am still thinking about the distance...

26.2 Miles is a LOOOOOOONG way...

Yesterday, as I was running my last track workout of the training plan (6 x 400 Meters) I realized that I need to run this workout of 5.1 Miles at least 5 more times next Sunday...

Am I ready for this?

Is it really possible that I've been training for the better part of 18 weeks to get to this point?

Will I be able to hold the pace that I need in order to beat that "Everest" of marathon somewhere under 3:10?


Am I ready to drive 9+ hours to Virginia Beach and take on this challenge?


Have you DONATED to the 2nd Annual Marathon Fundraiser TO STOP THE CLOT?


My friends the ansswer is a very simple one... YES to all but the last question.


That one is for all of you out there reading this blog to answer.


Please help NATT continue their work to educate about blood clots and blood clotting disorders all over this great nation.


Thanks for reading,


The Clot Buster

March Athlete of the Month

Spring is almost here... I am tired of the cold. It is been a long winter that does not want to go away just yet. How can we go from a high of 70 degrees one day down to 40 degrees the next...?

Let me see if I can bring some Florida heat up north as I introduce you Jennifer Gray our March Athlete of the Month with her account of a clotting incident and the come back to do the things that she loves...

"I’ve always been a woman on the move. Growing up, I was a dancer and a gymnast for nearly 20 years. Ever since, I have been an active runner and just recently have gotten into sport fishing. Being a girl on the move, moving to Miami two years ago was a dream come true. I’m 26 years old and a meteorologist at the NBC station here. Whether it’s in studio covering a severe storm, or reporting from the Keys during a hurricane, there’s so much adrenaline and the job keeps me busy – I love it! However, six weeks after moving to Miami, I was stopped dead in my tracks. I felt tired and had flu-like symptoms for nearly two weeks before doctors realized they were misdiagnosing multiple PE in my lungs. I spent the next several days in the hospital, and the next few weeks at home recovering. Doctors later discovered it was due to my birth control pills combined with what I learned I had Factor V Leiden. The combination nearly killed me. I was on coumadin for the next year, with doctor appointments nearly every week. I suffered through high anxiety over the next year, that I had never experienced before the incident. It was a daily struggle on the air, as I tried to get through a forecast sounding solid and relaxed – when my insides felt like they were sprinting. But I stayed focused and determined. I wasn’t going to let this setback slow me down. Now I am grateful for every day given to me, and every breath I take.
I was back running just six weeks after my blood clots. I ran a 5K nearly four months after the PE, and continue to run everyday. I was scared to get back into it after the incident, but I knew my fears would only defeat me. I had to learn to trust my body and pay close attention to any pain or weakness I had. Now I can run with confidence that I will be okay, as long as I take care of myself and take every change in the way I feel seriously.
I have spoken out at every opportunity given to me to tell my story and spread the word about the dangers of birth control and blood disorders. I recently did a story on the news about what happened to me to try and raise awareness. I got responses from people all across the country who had been through the same ordeal. Most of them were scared and lived with fear everyday. I always tell them to try and live as normal of a life as you can. Yes, having PE changes you, and changes your lifestyle, but you can’t let it take control of you. God has allowed us to be survivors of this, so it’s our job to spread the word of awareness and hope for prevention. I hope every female realized what she is putting in her mouth when she takes birth control. I hope to continue to educate young women with my story, and I hope to inspire others who have been through this, that life doesn’t have to stop. I feel so much stronger now and I feel smarter. I won’t let Factor V stop me from living my life and I hope it doesn’t stop you."

As Jennifer explains above there is a way to come back from a clotting incident even if your life gets turned upside down. There is always a way we just need to find the way that suits us the most. Will it be an easy road? Probably not, but it will be one that can provide you with incredible rewards.

Thank Jennifer for your willingness to share your story and your experience. I look forward to see more pictures of you catching those big fish!

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster

P.S.: If you know of someone that I should consider contacting to feature on the Athlete of the Month blogs please let me know at polka40@hotmail.com .

Mrs. Clot Buster's Domination...

This last weekend Mrs. Clot Buster showed up at the Muddy Feet Trail Run to simply dominate the race and come to the finish line with the title of women's overall champion! Checkout the results HERE. Clot Buster Junior and I cheered on Mrs. Clot Buster as much as we could to celebrate her victory at the finish line. Junior definitely had the best sit in the house...!I was very much impressed with her. I am always impressed by Mrs. Clot Buster and what she can do. Her potential is endless regardless of what she is doing triathlon, trail running, or half-marathonning. For me she is a tremendous inspiration. After everything she does for us "her Clot Buster boys" her performance is awesome to see.

HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to her on the her performance this weekend. I just hope that some of that potential can rub off on me so that I can do well in the up coming Shamrock Marathon I will be racing on the 22nd...

Speaking of this marathon here we are at the door step of the event. The taper stage of the training program has started and I am very much looking forward to the chance of racing the 26.2 Miles. I am very lucky to have had the chance to train all through the winter and be in this position. I have no idea how will I hold up this time around as this time I did not run anymore than 22 Miles at once. Perhaps that will help but who knows...

At this point the legs are feeling strong but at times I feel a large degree of fatigue but strangely it goes away once I start moving. Hey, I don't care if that is the case as long as on the 22nd I am ready to go.

If you have it in you please consider donating to the CLOT BUSTER'S MARATHON FUNDRAISER and help me and NATT continue our efforts to educate and create awareness about blood clots and blood clotting disorders.

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster

How can you cope with 23MPH winds head on?

The last long run of the training program, as I posted on my last post, turned out to be a hard one... My friend the wind did not let up and it punished me good for 21 Miles worth of running. I think that my face still recoverying from the exposure... I can't smile without feeling the burn.

So, here we go, I am at the top of my mountain of training. It is all downhill from here... the weekly mileage drops off a lot as I am beginning to taper. I need to make sure I watch how much I eat in order to stay at this weight all the way until race day. It makes a difference when you are a few pounds lighter.

I am looking forward to the challenge of the race coming up and see how fast I can conquer the 26.2 Mile challenge. Speaking of challenges, how about this one for you guys reading this blog...

Roland "The Clot Buster" Varga's 2nd Annual Marathon Fundraiser to STOP THE CLOT‏

Please click here >>> STOP THE CLOT Marathon Fundraiser if you would like to donate.

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster

Facing the Music... Well not really FACING THE WIND

Well, here I am finally my last long run of the training program, 20 Miles straight up from my work place all the way home.

I have to confess that the weather forecast is really scaring me away tomorrow... check it out below.

I do NOT like seeing that I may be facing 23MPH winds from the WEST... as half of my run is heading West. It is amazing how the wind can break you down. I thought that this only happened on the bike but it happens on the run as well. For some reason I can't focus with the wind blowing straight at me and I begin to find excuses as to why I should stop running. Once I get to that point my mind just comes up with anything that will get me to stop... and unfortunately more often than not I stop...So as part of my training tomorrow I will be working on controlling the head games and just trying to string together a nice run.

I am very much enjoying the fact that this is my last long run ahead of the marathon on March 22nd. By now, I am just hoping to improve on last year's time. The dream to make it to Boston seems to be out of my league at the moment... attempting to keep a 7:15 Mile pace will be a monumental task I am not sure I will be able to tackle. Believe me, I will give it my best shot but I don't think I have what it takes at this point to get it done... I am planning on hurting on the 22nd no question about that. The thing is, will it be enough to make it a qualifying time.

As I taper, starting tomorrow late afternoon, I hope to have enough power built in my legs to get the job done.

Stay tuned to see what happens...

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster

You too can have one of this...

If you are like me you probably use Google a great deal when dealing with web seraches, that is really the only way to search... so, if you use Google a lot, do you have an iGoogle account? Did you know that you can personlize the banner on your iGoogle's main portal?


I am asking because for a while I've been playing around with my laptop while on my "smoke breaks" and I was able to come up with a banner for your iGoogle page if you would like to participate and support NATT's quest to STOP THE CLOT. Check it out...

If you want to have this banner on your portal get in touch with me and can pass on the secret... I've tried to have Google add this banner to their list of "banner for causes". I have not checked in a while maybe they already have it up I probably need to check.

In other notes, the marathon training continues to move forward. It is amazing how much of a mental game this running long is. There is no doubt that my body is coming along nicely but mentally I am struggling when I have to run anything over 20Miles. Last weekend I got to about mile 18 and I just shut down. I need to break through and stay on par.

More and more I feel that my dreams to qualify for Boston are slipping away. I have to improve about 19 minutes from my time from last year and that is going to be a monumental task. I am sure that I can do better than the 3:29 but I don't think I will be able to get under 3:10. Stay tuned to see how it turns out. Only about 5 weeks to go and I am already nervous. What can I do? I need a pep-talk...

I hope that I can look better that in the photo above this time around. One thing is for sure, if I ever do another marathon down the road it will have to be a race either in the summer or in the fall. No more spring marathons... it is simply too cold to run effectively.

I am trying to stay focused on the marathon until March 22nd, then it is time to think about triathlon and what races I would liek to do. No question I will have a good base it is just a matter of figuring out how many Olympic distance racces and where I want to do. It is going to be difficult to improve on last year's performance where in three races I placed in the top three in my age group in each one of them.

For now I will keep on running.

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster

February Athlete of the Moth

In this case we are talking about a former athlete but nevertheless someone who is very much involved in sports today as he was during his playing days.

For this month I decided to feature someone who is very prominent in the world of baseball and someone I would love to have a pleasure to meet but it is highly unlikely that I will get chance unless I can hit homeruns over the "green monster" at a tune of one per game... can you guess who?

Let me introduce you to Mr. Terry Francona, manager of the Boston Red Sox and survivor of two Pulmonary Emolism (PE) episodes, which you know are a consequence of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) or as we know it blood clots in the veins. It is amazing to see that blood clots can strike anyone at any given time regardless of your background and curent lifestyle.

In my opinion it is very inspiring to see Mr. Francona overcome the challenges of suffering from two clotting episodes and go on to take on his job and be very successful at it.

If you are interested in learning more about Mr. Francona the following ARTICLE in ESPN THE MAGAZINE was one that I found every intersting. Of course you can also found out more about him HERE as well.

I appreciate this man's history and I take a great deal of pressure to share with you if you did not already know about him. I could not believe it when I first heard about it...

How could it be to see him someday on one of our polka-dot STOP THE CLOT shirts...? Who knows someday our paths may cross again and I can make one available for him along with some wristbands. Can you imagine the STOP THE CLOT colors during the World Series... Dreaming is soo easy...

Thanks for Reading,

The Clot Buster

Truth or Dare Jenga...

During this weekend Mrs. Clot Buster and I engaged in some rounds of Truth or Dare Jenga as we watched recorded episodes of CSI... when you have an 8 month old who is deciding to wake up around 3AM for some "early morning fun" until about 5AM you will understand why on a Saturday evening we have nothing left other than Jenga and DVR'ed shows...

So, we have this older version of Truth or Dare Jenga (the one in which the pieces have a question on them already printed... looks like the newer versions let you write a new question every time...that would be interesting) and I moved a piece that had a question that went something like this... "If you could have anything, what would it be?". Now, the first thing that came to mind was in the context of my family and I thought of good health for everyone of us. I believe that without it the road can be rough so for me good health is paramount.

Now, since I am sleep deprived, it is 8:45PM, I had one cerveza, my mind starts to wonder and I begin to think on the context of my favorite hobby triathlon... I guess that this logical thought process evolved from having the latest INSIDE TRIATHLON Magazine issue sitting on the table where I was schooling Mrs. Clot Buster in Jenga...

Earlier in the day, while Junior was napping I got the chance to take a look and some of the photography on the bikes they are showing is sensational... I believe that I caught myself drooling a time or two... So, if I could have anything, within the context of triathlon, I would definitely would go for a fancy aero machine just to see what it would feel like to ride a frame like that with deep rim racing wheels and the whole works. Additionally, I would love to race IM Championships in Kona, but if I go one step further I would also love to attempt the 24 Hours of Triathlon Race organized by adventure racer great Ian Adamson and see how far can my mind and body go.

Oh! Sounds like Junior just did some business that requires my attention...Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster

Interesting Phenomenon

This year at the Ironman World Championships in Kona I noticed something very interesting... the increase in the use of Compression Socks. I was blown away by the number I saw during the coverage of the race on NBC.

As I am getting around to read my back log of magazines I just read the Kona coverage edition of Triathlete Magazine and I saw that they counted the number of competitors that used compression socks and the number increased from 82 pairs in 2007 to 416 in 2008. Most notably women's second place finisher Yvonne Van Vierken and third place finisher Sandra Wallenhorst both had the assistance of compressions socks...

This is relevant in the blood clotting world because very often compression socks are recommended to patients as a preventive measure during long flights, after surgery recovery, and other situations that could expose the patient to potential blood clots. The theory behind the compression socks has to do with the increase in blood flow that can help prevent blood clots from forming.

I imagine that the theory behind the use of compression socks for athletes competing in a triathlon has to do with the increase in blood flow but in this case in order to keep feeding the muscles to continue doing the race and avoid or decrease the fatigue. Does this help? I can only hope that it does but I am not sure there is valuable data that can support the claim that these socks really help. I believe that the people using them are doing it because it feels good and they experience less fatigue. Then, the next question is what maker has the best design and are these options all worth your while considering regarding the compression characteristics that make all the difference with these speacial kind of socks.I am not sure if I ever get around to trying them but I am sure that people using them have plenty of good things to say about them. If you are one of those out there I would love to hear about your take on the benefits of the compression socks and if you were to recommend them to us who are still on the fence.

Well, here we are Super Bowl weekend. I don't really care about the game since my Colts are not in contention this year. But because I love an underdog story I will be pulling for the Cardinals to pull off the upset and get their first ring... The Steelers already have 5 there are only 5 fingers in one hand...

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster

Check this out...

The other day I received this email...

"Dear Natt's "Clot Buster" author,

Our editors recently reviewed your blog and have given it a 7.3 score out of (10) in the Personal Blogs category of Blogged.com.
This is quite an achievement!

We evaluated your blog based on the following criteria: Frequency of Updates, Relevance of Content, Site Design, and Writing Style.
After carefully reviewing each of these criteria, your site was given its 7.3 score."

I guess that there is people out there looking at blogs all day and giving them some sort of ranking. Looks like I am doing something right for a score of 7.3 out of 10. I think this is pretty neat. Who knew that your blog can be evaluated.

I very much appreciate the rating but this ranking means nothing if I don't get to reach people out there who can benefit form learning about blood clots and blood clotting disorders through my links to NATT's webiste www.STOPTHECLOT.org.

Let's continue spreading the word!

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster

Catching up...

Man, it is COLD out there...

Tuesday 10 Mile run Statistics...

High Temp = 16 degrees F.

4 - Layers on my upper body.

1 - Set of ear warmers.

1 - Full head mask.

2 - Sets of tights.

2 - Pair of gloves.

1 - VERY COLD NOSE and some compressed lungs...

After 18Miles indoors over the weekend because the temperature was in the single digits, I told myself that after that experience I will try everything that I can to be outside as much as I can when possible. So, last Tuesday I went out there and put down 5.75Miles outside and I finished the rest inside. At least running inside got my body and nose to warm up pretty fast...

I was reading the FIT CHICK's Blog at Bycicling Magazine (you know she participated in IM Cahmpionships in Kona this past October after winning her age group at Louisville's race) during the first part of the year and she was talking about breaking her new year's resolutions very quickly. I thought, at the time, that mine of posting more often would be no problem... but as you can see I am not doing it as often as I should. If you want an excuse I have one...! Because my last post was about January's Athlete of the month and you know as well as I do that the more exposure I can provide to these inspiring stories the better... YES! That is definitely the reason why I've fallen off my new year's promise during this first part of January.

Just returned today from a 15 Mile run from my house as we had the first HEAT WAVE of 2009 come through. We climbed up to a balmy 47 degrees and it was all I hope for... slush fest as the snow is melting and we have no choice but run through it. Needless to say I had to treat my cold feet with some nice warm water afterwords... man that felt sensational.

So, between diaper changes and watching after almost crawling Junior I continue to fit in my trainig when possible. It is been a challenge but one I take on with great pride. I have to get those STOP THE CLOT red-polka dots out there to spread the word... believe me last Saturday the people working out at my gym saw nothing but polka-dots throughout the first 10 Miles because after that I had no choice but to change my dripping wet shirt as people at the track were complaining about drops of my sweat all over the place... If you don't know this about me already you should know that I can sweat like there is no tomorrow...

I have a couple of interesting posts coming up so stay tuned!

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster

January Athlete of the Month

For this edition of Athlete of the Month we are going north of the border... Unfortunately, they have blood clots up there as well. But we don't want to talk about the bad here let's high light the good and have you meet a survivor and someone who can break you down on a bike... TARYN MONTGOMERY.

Thanks to the power of the web, she was able to find me and we have been in touch. Being noisy as I am I've asked her to tell me about her story and she has been kind enough to share with me and here I am sharing it with all of you...

"In November 2005, when I was 28 years old, I was diagnosed with my first dvt. I was articling at a large national law firm at the time and this diagnosis added even more stress to my already high stress life. After my diagnosis, I took Warfarin for 6 months. During this time, I became so afraid of the side effects of my medication (i.e. potential haemorhage) that I avoided most physical activities and my body fell into complete disrepair. When the 6 months was up, I couldn't run even a single kilometre and I was at least 15 lbs heavier than I should have been. However, getting off of the Warfarin gave me a new lease on life. I started to run again and quickly lost close to 20lbs. Even after my wedding (my other reason for getting fit), I continued to run and bike. I ran 10km races, half marathons, and finally, in December 2007, my first marathon.

My fitness goal for this year was to bike over 3000km (1900 miles). I am over halfway there. Unfortunately, last Monday I was diagnosed with another dvt. I was so upset. In one flash, I saw all of my fitness goals fall away. However, after taking some time to digest the fact that I am now facing a lifetime of anti-coagulant treatment, I have decided that I am not going to live the rest of my life in fear. After taking some time off to allow the swelling and pain to recede, I am now back on my bike (though I am not straining myself on account of the fact that the clot could still be jarred loose over the next 10 days or so). I intend to reach my goal this year (hopefully before the first snowfall) and I intend to do a triathlon and/or another marathon next year. It is also my goal to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro over the next two years.

I understand that I have to be more careful now that I am on anti-coagulant therapy, but I don't have to let my medication run my life. I was wondering if there were other people out there in my situation and, thanks to your blog, I see that there are (e.g. Cheryl Edwards). This makes me feel like I am not alone in my desire to live life to its fullest in spite of my condition. It also gives me confidence that these activities can be carried out in a safe manner that does not significantly increase the likelihood of haemorhage."

Taryn wrote the story above around August and towards the end of November she wrote this follow up email to me that put a huge smile on my face...

"Just wanted to let you know that I reached my goal of 3000Km about three weeks ago. I was going to e-mail you right after, but then I thought, since the snow is not yet sticking to the ground, that I would try for a goal that would speak to you Imperial types. So, I went for 2000 miles and hit that on Tuesday. I have just passed 2008 (2008 miles in 2008 ;) ) and I think that I may be able to hit 3500km by the end of the year as the weather is still unseasonably warm."

Not only she met her goal but put a little extra on top of it just in case! Unfortunately the snow arrived shortly thereafter and she was not able to ride outside any more and hit the 3500KM mark...

Reading Taryn's story gives me that additional push to get out and continue my training for the marathon coming up. I hope that her courage, discipline, desire, and caution drives some of you out there to get going on whatever is you want to do next. It does not have to be a marathon or 3000 Km on a bike or even a triathlon, whatever it is just get out and enjoy the beautiful world we have around us. You can return from your clotting episode and Taryn can be that inspiration that you can follow.

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster

The Year in Review

You would not believe that one of my resolutions for 2009 was to find more time to post... Going 9 days in the new year and I am just getting around to post for the first time. I think that I am failing with this resolution... what do you think? The good news is that I can only get better from here and I hope to be able to write something at least more than what I already do...

But looking back at 2008 I am very pleased to see how far we have come... where do I start?

The birth of Junior Clot Buster is/was the MOST INCREDIBLE event of my life besides marrying Mrs. Clot Buster. Both of these rank 1 and 2 in my book for sure but only one of them took place in 2008, the other I've been enjoying for the better part of 10 years!!!

Also becoming a citizen of this country was very big deal for me. I am very proud of being lucky enough to have this provilige. For so long it was just a dream and now it is here and I AM A GRINGO!

Of course spreading the word about Blood Clots and Blood Clotting Disorders continued to be the main focus for the Clot Buster and NATT's STOP THE CLOT campaign...

*** Successful fundraiser during the Clot Buster's First Ever Marathon at the Flying Pig in Cincinnati.

*** STOP THE CLOT wristbands available for everyone to purchase and wear.

*** STOP THE CLOT Technical Shirts designed and manufactured so that those of you out there willing to spread the word can also have the Clot Buster's flagship polka-dots to wear in whatever you are doing... I wear mine everywhere possible. In grocery stores is where people stop me the most... go figure.

*** Finally, came up with something useful for this blog... THE CLOT BUSTER ATHLETE OF THE MONTH series was started in June and it is rolling along very well. It is truly and honor for me to get to meet people through this medium and share the stories they are willing to share with me about their clotting incident but more importanly about their RETURN to whatever sporting activity they enjoyed doing. This reminds me, if you know of anyone that should be featured in the Athlete of the Month Series, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!!

*** Second Annual GREATER CLEVELAND TRIATHLON fundraiser raffle another success. Dear Friends in Cleveland and anyone who stopped by our booth... THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

*** Participated in 3 triathlons over the summer placing top three in my age group in every single one of them... The power of the polka-dots is helping me out!

Here are some of my training and racing totals for the year... I am crazy enough to keep a log every single day so everything that I do gets recorded and totalled... check it out:

Swim = 56,453 meters (2007 = 113,618 meters)

Bike = 1426.7 Miles (2007 = 2519.9 Miles)

Run = 960.7 Mikes (2007 = 537 Miles)

I guess that having a little one slowed me down some compared to 2007. If you ask me, I take Junior and the joy it provides without a question.

So, here it is The Clot Buster's year end review. 2009 should be GREAT FUN and I am very much looking forward to it. You know that I will be attempting my second marathon aiming to make it to Boston but for the rest of the plans I will have to keep you in the dark...

Thanks for Reading,

The Clot Buster

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

May the new year bring you all of the HAPPINESS, GOOD HEALTH, and GOOD FORTUNE you can handle!!!

2009 should be another great year for the Clot Buster and everything we are trying to do in order to spread the word about blood clots and blood clotting disorders.

THANK YOU a thousand times over for stopping by in 2008 and read about what I am doing. It has been great fun yet again this year.

Come along with me in 2009... STOP THE CLOT!!!

HAVE A WONDERFUL Holiday Season!

To all The Clot Buster Family wishes the VERY BEST in this Holiday Season!

We wish for the new year to bring you all the Happiness, Good Health, and Good Fortune you can handle.

We look forward for the new year and the challenges ahead as we continue to spread the word about blood clots and blood clotting disorders... STOP THE CLOT!!!

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster

Danish Butter Cookies

One of the treats of the this festive season is having the chance to eat things that normally I don't get to eat... Danish Butter Cookies are one of those foods... I LOVE those darn little cookies, espcially when I get to put some Nutella and/or some sort of jam on them... wow!

Of course I have to earn the right to enjoy these and there is no better way than training for a marathon. I have to say that over the last two weekends I earned my right to eat half of a giant can... well not really that much but enough to enjoy every bite I had with a nice cup coffee.

Last weekend I ran a total of 26.5 Miles broken down on a track workout for 5.5 Miles, a short tempo run of 6 Miles and finally a long of 15 Miles on Saturday. This week, I was able to hammer out a track workout of 5.0 Miles, with a tempo run of 5 Miles and a long of 17 Miles... of course it did not end up exactly that way... the short tempo run was actually 2 Miles and the long run I hammered out yesterday and it ended up being 20 Miles!

Rough going with wind and rain throughout the entire run not the best planning on my part... but I survived. Also, it is worth mentioning that I ran from work to home... ALL 20 Miles of it!!!

Enjoy those Danish Butter Cookies but make sure you earn them!

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster

December Athlete of the Month

It is hard for me to believe that this month's athlete of the month is someone who came down with blood clots a year ago last December...

If you were to see him around on his daily activities you would never think that he has protein C defficiency and therefore more prone to suffer from blood clots.

Please sit back and read on what I was able to learn about this MACHINE of an Athlete whose name is JOHN VERHEUL. Without a question another inpiring character that can help to drive and motivate the Clot Buster Nation on our continous quest to come back and rebound from a clotting episode as we chase all of our dreams and goals.

Below you will find a question and answer sequence I was able to have with John not too long ago...

Would you provide more detail for me about your story and all of the racing you do?

2008 was my 22nd year racing, the focus was on timed events instead of mass-start due to the anticoagulation meds and the safety issue. In mass-start racing (road, criterium, etc), it's more a matter of when you will crash, not if. That's normally not a big deal, except if you're on anticoagulants...in which case when you crash there's a serious risk of death. Anyway, I race primarily road, criterium, cyclo-cross, time trials...I've done some track and mtb, but probably fewer than 20 of each of those (out of a total of probably >1000 starts over 22 years).

(...the protein C defficiency) didn't get diagnosed in me until I clotted up (multiple clots in my lower leg) after a race last December. Fortunately my doctor is a personal friend (so he got me right in) as well as an athlete himself (so he understands about endurance athletes), and he sent me to get an ultrasound as a first course of action. He actually thought the swelling miht be compartment syndrome, but was covering his bases with the ultrasound.So then 2 weeks of lovenox injections twice daily, followed by the warfarin that I'm still on. I had to fly to cyclo-cross nationals while I was still injecting myself with the lovenox, it was interesting to have to do that in a hotel room with the team that I was coaching. It did suck to not be able to race myself, but racing's been mostly a hobby for a long time, coaching is my job.

How did you feel after the clot? How long did it take for your to shake off the shock of having clots discovered?

Having been an athlete pretty much all my life, I got over the shock pretty easily. I just treat it as another injury (athletes get injuries, we have to deal with them), and focus on what I need to do to "get better". Given that I'd already decided to go to law school this fall, I knew my career as a competitor was going to kind of end, so this just brought that end a little closer. I'm 41 this year, and it gets a little tougher each year to compete with younger athetes anyway.

Do you have any special inspiration to keep you at it?

Well, right now it's a bit different for me to continue to ride/train, when really I don't know that I'll race again. Racing has been the motivation for training over the last few decades, and now the focus shifts to using cycling as exercise for health and stress release. Frankly I'd prefer to mix in other sports, but many of them (running, basketball, soccer, etc) have been ruled out do to a back injury. But in my first 4 weeks of school I've managed to ride 6-8 hours per week, which I think is good for just staying healthy. It's a different mindset though, exercising to be healthy instead of to win races.

What is your favorite food?

My wife would list (for me) cinnamon rolls and beer.

What is your absolute favorite piece of gear you love to use?

I'm not really a "gear" guy, to me the stuff we use is a tool that enables us to do what we do. That said, probably the most important piece of gear I have is a powermeter, the most advantageous piece of gear is my Trek TT bike, and my favorite is my brand new JBV Coaching clothing (that's my company).

John, THANK SO MUCH for being an inspiraton! I am going to need to get some tips from you to get better with my cycling so that I can improve on my times for upcoming races. You know there is nothing better than seeing the Clot Buster Polka-Dots flying on a race course!

GOOD LUCK IN LAW SCHOOL!!!

Thanks for Reading,

The Clot Buster

Thanksgiving Day Race

Another fantastic running of the Thanksgiving Day Race for the Clot Buster Family...

10th Running for Mrs. and Mr. Clot Buster

1st Running for Clot Buster Junior... well, unoficially his second as last year he was alredy in "the oven" when the race took place.

For the Clot Buster clan we stopped the clock at a very respectable 48:43 with Junior crossing the finish line ahead of us. I really tried to beat him but I just could not get around him...It was an incredible experience to race together the entire way and cross the finish line together. We don't get to do it very often since racing together is not always an option. But this time it was and for our 10th time doing this race for sure was special.As you can see the polka-dots were once again out if full force spreading the word about blood clots and blood clotting disorders... I am not sure if this time around I was getting strange looks because of the polka-dots or because I was passing people while pushing the stroller... I did not have time to ask.

The marathon training is coming along... freezing is actually the word I would use... can I get a break in which I could have a day to run outside above 32 degrees... that would be so nice...

Tomorrow, I have 13.1 Miles to do and a high for the day of 28 degrees here. Are you kidding me?!?!?

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster