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• » Joe Stowell

Joe Stowell

South Elgin, IL
Total Raised: $21,388.00

1. Tell us about yourself and your family?
I have an awesome wife, we have been married 16 years. I have 4 kids, ages 10, 8, 3, 1. I have been working full time at HBC for 10 years. I enjoy sports, good food, and the Cubs ... do those things go together?

2. Have you ever done a half or full marathon before?
Yes, I have done 2 half marathons the Music City in Nashville, and the Indy-Mini in Indianapolis. I have done the Chicago Marathon once before, in 2002.

3. What are your biggest challenges for this race and what is your goal?
The biggest challenges for the race will be getting all the training in, and fighting my sore knees. When I ran the marathon in 2002, I weighed 170lbs. and my time was 3:53. Right now I am at 200lbs, and I am taking all kinds of healthy supplements to help get me ready to run this marathon and build up strength in my training. My favorite supplement is Mona Vie (because it tastes so good, and provides me with tons of antioxidants from the Acai berry, as well as natural glucosamine to minimize inflammation). Since I will be running this at a totally different weight, I hope to finish around the 4:30 mark, which is a bit over 10 minute miles.

4. How did you know Mitch?
Through the church basketball league, I should also note that the last year we played together our team was league champs. Mitch was an awesome competitor and athlete, we had a blast on the team. He was great at firing us up and keeping our team playing hard.

5. Why are you doing this race for MSF?
Because I believe in the causes the MSF supports, I want to run it for Mitch. I know how pumped he would be about the new gymnasium. I have so much respect for the Swaback’s and their love for Christ. It is an honor to raise funds and run for this cause.

Journal

November Update  •  Thursday, November 01, 2007

1. Would you or are you planning on running this distance again?
I do not think I will run this distance again.  This is the second time I have done a marathon, and I think it will be my last.  I think I can have fun racing some half marathons and triathlons of shorter distance, and staying in general fitness.  The amount of time a marathon takes in training, as well as the physical strain may make it my last one!

2. Explain what it was like to run on the hottest day in the Chicago Marathon 30 year history?
It was like being on a treadmill in a hot sauna for 5 hours.  I think the CIA should adopt this as some kind of interrogation method ;)

Seriously, it was pretty rough.  I am thankful the Lord protected us all and helped us to finish safely.  I had no shortage of fluids on the course like some reported, but even with large intake of gel packs and fluids your energy gets expended early and heavily just trying to stay cool.

3. Lastly please write something to each of your sponsors, it can be a thank you, share a verse, something from your heart.
I want to thank all my sponsors.  Without you, I could not have been so motivated and driven to train and finish the race.  I would think of and pray for you often on training runs.  Knowing we had such a big group behind our effort was just amazing.  I also want to thank Bob and the MSF.  The coordination and logistics of supporting the runners was fantastic.  The email updates, the website, the constant encouragement- are all examples of how the MSF strives towards excellence in everything it does.  One of my sponsors emailed me the day before we ran, reminding me of the verse “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.  It was the hardest marathon to finish in the 30 yr history of the Chicago Marathon, and we all finished.  That is something to be proud of.  Thank you MSF for letting me be a part of it!

October Update  •  Monday, October 01, 2007

1. Please tell us how many months you have been training for this race and if you have your training totals please share.  (include running & biking mileage and any other cross training you have done)
-Wow….ummm…a lot?  5 months and 450 miles I am approximating between what my training plan says and cross training.  I am sure I missed a few workouts, but that is roughly a total.  I can’t believe how much that is!  No wonder I lost weight and feel like I have been working so hard.  Wow.

2. Tell us what you’ll be doing the Saturday before the race?
-Believe it or not, I have a staff picnic to go to during the day Saturday, and then I will be picking up my race packet and having a big pasta dinner at Maggiano’s!  Then…hopefully it is feet up and watching Sportscenter or a Cub’s playoff game ;)

3. The race is almost here, please share your thoughts about the endless hours of training, your sacrifices and what this has done to impact or even change your life?
-  It has been great, hard work- but great.  It has been a big sacrifice.  A great stress reliever.  I am excited and nervous for the big day.  Many thanks to all my supporters, donors, prayers, and my family for giving me the time to do this!  I am so proud of the Foundation and all the runners, that we can make our goal.  I am trusting the Lord for a great race day and no injuries, lots of finishers.

September Update  •  Wednesday, August 29, 2007

1. Share with us your workout schedule for August?
I did a long run today, 18 miles.  I am doing 2 or 3 pace runs during the week, typically the total of miles during the week equals my long run on the weekend.  My long runs by weekend I think now go 13-19-12-20.

2. How are you holding up physically and mentally?
I am holding up pretty good.  For me the key to endurance training is all about training your body to operate efficiently and quickly at a low heart rate.  I am not quite where I want to be, but I am making progress.  It helps me to get a system and then tweak it a little.  I am not too hard on myself, in fact last week I just flat out missed an 8 miler on Wednesday.  No worries, just get back out there for 5 miles quicker pace on Thursday and then hunker down for the 18 miles LSD (long slow distance) on Saturday.  So far knees and legs good and I think I have lost 12 pounds so far ;)

3. Athlete’s Journal:  Please make this your journal for the month of August and share with us everything and anything you would like?

August is flying by.  Ministry at the church is very busy, and we are opening a few new campuses this fall.  God is good, and I am trying to keep up!  I am starting to get excited about the race, as the long runs are piling up and the fall is getting closer.  I am looking forward to a great race day, and a fun time with everyone Saturday night before the race.  I am still trying to get more pledges, I really want to get above $10,000.  I am so pleased to be doing the race again, and I think that is because of the Mitchell Swaback Foundation.  I have so much respect for Bob, and I want to be a part of what he is doing in blessing others.  Pray for all of us, running can be hard on the human body and spirit!  Pray for health, safety, lots of pledges, and a great weather injury free race day in October.

August Update  •  Monday, August 06, 2007

1. What makes you keep going on a day when you just aren’t having a good run or training day?
Two things come to mind:  All the support and encouragement people have given me.  That is first and foremost.  The people who are praying for me, the people who have pledged me.  The second thing is fear I will not finish!  I have run the marathon before and if you are not trained up, you will pay.  That is really not a debatable point.  I know three guys who tried to run it without training and one did not finish, and the other two ended up having knee surgery.

2. What things are you doing to prepare physically and mentally for the marathon?
I am (in addition to all the training runs!) trying to stay hydrated all the time.  I am staying positive in my mental approach to the longer runs, and that helps.

3. In what ways are your family or friends helping support you while training?
My wife is very supportive, and encouraging.  She makes the time to get my runs in, and she is cooking some really great and healthy meals to keep me fueled!  My running loop often takes me past friends and family homes, and it is great to see people out working in their yard encourage me on my way.

Is there anyone in particular that helps motivate you?

4. Athletes Journal:
Training is going great, I had a serious setback about 4 weeks ago.  I pulled my hamstring playing softball, and that put my training behind.  I am still behind in my long runs, but feel very little pain now which is great.  I ran 11 miles last weekend and will bump to 14 this weekend.  I am turning the corner.  Also just this week I am starting to get some improvement in my mile splits, without raising my heart rate past an aerobic level.  This is great news, as it means my body is beginning to adapt to endurance training without using up my short term energy supplies.

July Update  •  Monday, July 02, 2007

1. With three months remaining before your race what’s going through your mind?
Right now, I am feeling pretty good.  It is time to dial into the training and make it a priority.  The runs are starting to feel a bit easier, and so far my knees are doing great!  I am fired up to run it, but right now it seems like it is a long way away. 

2. What is your training schedule for the month of July?
My training schedule pretty much consists of two or three shorter runs of various intensities during the week, and then a long slow run on the weekends.  I have the advantage of quite a bit of training experience, so I am feeling confident that I will be prepared.  My primary training tool right now is staying very aerobic using a heart rate monitor.  Over time your body will learn to adapt and be faster at an aerobic level, and this results in being prepared for long distance events.  It is a bit painful at first, and I feel very slow.  But I know from experience that if I want to have anything in the tank at mile 23, I need to stay as aerobic as possible.  I also know that nutrition is important while you are putting your body under stress.  So I am definitely trying to cut out extra sugars, or any refined sugars.  I am also trying to stay on target with hydration, mineral recovery drinks, multivitamins, a high antioxidant diet, and some glucosimine for joint health.  Sounds complicated but its really pretty simple. So far so good!  I am feeling very confident about my target time of 4:30 at this point.

3. What is your long run up to?
My long run is going to be 9 miles this Saturday.  For a run of this length, I will probably take three or four 1-minute walking breaks, and during those walks I will eat a PowerGel, and drink some water.  I will use this method during the marathon as well. 

4. Athletes Journal:
When I get running and training like this, it usually gives me more time to think out there on the roads and paths.  My grandfather passed away just the other day, and so I was kind of remembering a lot of things about him while running today.  His life verses are Isaiah 58:10,11.  It was so important to him to serve others, and to reach out to the needs of those around him.  He believed that and lived that.  I want to be that kind of person too.  I know the Swaback Foundation is living out those verses as well with all of the projects that are going on that will bless so many people.

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