Tag: Achilles

16 Weeks Until The NYC Marathon, But…

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July 13, 2025

***

Well, this is a strange and unique feeling for me.  The NYC marathon is 16 weeks away and today would be the start of my marathon training season.

But I’m not training for marathons any longer.  

My most recent marathon last January was my last marathon.  

As I completed the Dopey Challenge in Walt Disney World in January, I determined that my marathon days were over.  My reasons for retiring from marathoning are legion.  I’ll touch on some of them below, but I have written a lot about that on these pages before.

The following are some of my scattered thoughts as I break away from the 16-week training period for the NYC – a ritual I followed for the better part of a quarter-century:

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YOU CAN DO MORE!

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Last January, I completed the Dopey Challenge at Walt Disney World, 48.6 miles of races over four days ending with the WDW Marathon. It was awesome!

After the race, I continued running, but I also couldn’t ignore discomfort that became very real pain in my left Achilles tendon. (I had surgery on my right Achilles in 2020.) I visited my doctor who shut me down from running and began a rehab program to heal the pain (a small tear) in my Achilles. I stopped running in mid-to-late March. I didn’t run at all in April. And, until today, May 24, I hadn’t run in May.

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Now Available: 365.2: Going the Distance, A Runner’s Journey

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My newest book, 365.2: Going the Distance, A Runner’s Journey is now available for pre-order:

“It’s easy to make a New Year’s resolution. It’s much more difficult to fulfill it. Dr. Paul Semendinger, a 53-year-old father of three, an average runner (who runs about one marathon a year), an author, and a school principal, decided to run every single day for an entire year. That was his New Year’s Resolution. This is the story of his quest to do what, for him, seemed to be the impossible. There were no off-days, no chances to take it easy. He made a promise to himself to run every day in 2022. He worked to achieve that goal as one of the biggest parts of his life changed radically. This is his tale of running. It’s also the story of a year in his life.

Join Dr. Sem as he pushes ever forward. This is a story of motivation, of drive, of success, and even failure. The insights, the humor, the reflection, and the emotion that is part of this true tale is one that should motivate and inspire others to set their own goals for themselves and find ways to achieve them letting nothing get in the way of reaching a goal, no matter how unreasonable it might seem to others.

We all have goals, this book will help you reach yours!”

Reaching, Failing, Reaching Again

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I am a marathoner.

In less then three weeks, I’ll be running the New York City Marathon. This will be my 25th lifetime Marathon and my 10th New York.

I have always said that I will run forever.

Nothing has ever stopped me before. A torn Achilles? Nope. Stress factures? Nope. Other aches and pains and the like? Nope.

I just kept moving forward. (I did have surgery to repair the Achilles, but got right back at it afterword.)

Nothing ever stopped me… except… me.

Nothing ever stopped me, until I did. Or, better said, until I almost did.

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Too Far?

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One of my favorite quotes comes from T.S. Eliot. It reads, “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”

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TOMORROW!!!

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Tomorrow is the New York City Marathon.

I just completed my 16-week training period with a slow and easy 2.80 mile run. That run put me at 680 total miles for the 16 weeks. I averaged 42.5 miles a week for that entire period.

I’m in my mid-fifties, but those 680 miles were the most I ever ran in any training period. My previous high came way back in 2007 as I trained for the Marine Corps Marathon. I did 674 miles in training that year.

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250 Consecutive Days!

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“One day I won’t believe I was able to do this, but right know I do believe – and because of that I am going to keep on going.” – Me

***

A number of years ago, I had a great idea. I had decided that was going to run every single day for an entire calendar year. That was 2017. Full of desire, focus, determination, and commitment, I made it all the way to January 4.

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24,901

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Well, I did it. Finally. Amazingly. I did it.

Quick quiz, what is the significance of 24,901?

Before I give you the answer, I need to go back to the beginning… at least the beginning of when I began to keep track of such trivial things, 1992.

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#44 On The 44th Thinking About #44

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My favorite football memory of all-time is of my favorite football player of all-time running and running and running in Super Bowl XVII.

I’m talking about John Riggins and his amazing performance against the Miami Dolphins that day.

In that game, John Riggins carried the ball 38 times for 166 yards, and one touchdown. That touchdown came on his famous fourth down run where he broke through the defense and ran 43 yards for the score. It’s my favorite football moment of all time.

One day I’d like to meet John Riggins and thank him for that memory. I replay that game in my mind often. Never have I enjoyed such happiness watching a football game.

John Riggins wore uniform #44

***

Today is the 44th day of the year.

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1,000 Miles!

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2016 was a long time ago.

I was still in my forties, barely, by most measures, but I was still there.  I turned 48 that year.
2016 was the last year that I was able to accumulate 1,000 running miles in a calendar year.  In the immediate years before 2016, I started breaking down, started having multiple running injuries. 

But, still I ran.  On and on.  As I always hope to.

After reaching 1,000 miles in 2016, I was unable to make that mark again.  I pushed my body as best I could.  I still worked out every day, or almost every day, but I couldn’t maintain high mileage weeks or months.  

And, in January 2020, almost two years ago now, I went under the knife to repair the tears in my right Achilles tendon.  (The tears in my tendon had led to the tears in my eyes as I pushed and tried to struggle through an injury that just wasn’t going to heal on its own.)

I have chronicled the surgery and its aftermath on these pages time and again.  

The surgery went well.  The physical therapy went well.  And I found myself getting stronger and stronger, day by day, week by week, and month by month.

Well, today I reached a milestone.  A big milestone.  Huge, if you ask me.

Today, after I ran a nice solid (and somewhat fast for me) seven-miler (57:44), I once again reached the thousand-mile mark.  2021 has been a success.  It’s been a great success.  Huge, if you ask me.
It’s funny, I never had any doubt that I’d eventually get back and be the runner I used to be.  I’m not there yet.  I’m older and slower.  I might never be as fast as I used to be again.  (And that’s okay.)  But I still want to be the guy that can run and run and run some more.

I want to be the guy that can reach 1,000 miles (and more) year after year after year.  

I don’t ever want to stop.

I believe that in life we have to find ways, many ways, to push ourselves.  We have to always strive to be more than we were and better than we are.  

I took a big step back today.

I rejoined the thousand-mile club.

It’s great.  And I feel great.

I can’t wait to see what 2022 brings.
***
(I’ll be working on a running book in 2022 that will be a completely original, motivational, and fun.  Stay tuned!)