Former alcoholic Steve White finds redemption in faith, running

Formerly homeless, alcoholic Orlando man tries to qualify for Boston Marathon

I thought you would find this interesting so I will pass it onto you.

The original article can be found here: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/health/fitness/os-homeless-marathoner-20101119,0,3971493,full.story
By Kate Santich, Orlando Sentinel on 9:45 p.m. EST, November 20, 2010

Steve White trains recently at Orlando's Howard Middle School for his first marathon. He was trying to get his life together at Orlando Union Rescue Mission last year and joined a program called "Stepping Onward," which helps people make changes through running". (RED HUBER/ORLANDO SENTINEL / November 9, 2010)




"The sun is not yet up when Steve White arrives at the Howard Middle School track near downtown Orlando. He has just put in 12 hours on the graveyard shift for a linen service, but before he sleeps he must train. Soon the 43-year-old is running half-mile repeats like clockwork, a chiseled, solitary figure in the dawn.

His first marathon is a week away, and White is determined to run fast enough to qualify for the most prestigious road race in the nation: the Boston Marathon.

For any runner, making it to Boston is an accomplishment worthy of lifelong bragging rights. For Steve White, it would be a Cinderella story.

Until two years ago, he was homeless, a longtime alcoholic and a 20-year smoker who hadn't run since his high-school-football days.

"I felt like I've been a loser all my life," he said recently. "This gives me a chance to prove to myself, my family, the people I've let down, people that knew me as the old person I was — this gives me a chance to let them know I've changed."

But White might have never made it to a starting line without a 39-year-old woman named Claire Grove, a doctor and marathoner herself, who is trying to change the way people feel about themselves by helping them to run.

In January 2009, she started a nonprofit called Stepping Onward, initially for men and women in homeless shelters and later for teens in foster homes.

"Negative self-talk is so common," Grove said. "I had such a passion for running, and I loved the lessons it had taught me, especially about being able to overcome that voice in your head that says you just can't do it, that it's too much and you should give up. I wanted to inspire others to overcome that same voice."

Steve White was one of her first recruits.

'I was just kind of lost'

White grew up in tiny Rustburg, Va., where he ran for two things: his football coach and his wrestling team. The latter had a 5-mile trek up a nearby mountain, and White can remember the feeling of his lungs straining, his legs churning and the sweat running down his body.

He loved it.

Despite his middle-class upbringing and loving parents, he had a haunting sense of not particularly belonging anywhere. It didn't help that he was an only child and that the neighborhood crowd bullied him for his shyness. By age 12, he had already started drinking to fit in.

It would only get worse as he left school and tried to make a living.

"I was just kind of lost out in the world," he said. "Everyplace I was looking, I couldn't get fulfillment."

At first, he went to trade school to become a welder. But he wound up working everything from fast-food gigs to shipyards to oil fields in New Mexico.

In his 20s, he also started smoking.

By his early 40s, he hadn't much to show for his life. He had never married, never stuck with any particular career path, never saved any money. He was drinking frequently and working at a Taco Bell when his hours were cut and he could no longer pay his rent. Again he moved on, this time to Orlando, and landed first at the Salvation Army.

One night, he heard some men talking about the Orlando Union Rescue Mission only a few blocks away.

"They was talking about the program and how it made them go to church and stuff like that, and they was downing it," White said. "But I thought: 'That's exactly what I need.' "

'He'd just run in circles'

From the day he joined the Rescue Mission's discipleship program in March 2009, White gave up drinking and smoking. To make sure he wasn't tempted, he started exercising, giving his body a high from endorphins rather than nicotine and alcohol. But disciples are not allowed to leave the premises for the first 60 days — a way of keeping them out of trouble.

Brad Sefter, then a resident himself, watched baffled as White did lap after lap around a tiny parking lot.

"He'd just run in circles, and then he'd go up and down these two flights of stairs for, like, an hour," Sefter said. "So I asked him if he wanted to come running with me, and he jumped at the chance."

Sefter was a runner himself, and because he was one of the senior residents, he was able to get permission to take White off the property for runs.

"I had been running six to eight months already," Sefter said, "and from Day One couldn't keep up with him. His endurance is phenomenal."

At the same time, Grove, medical director for a string of weight-loss clinics, had launched Stepping Onward, a name she took from the proverb she had first heard on a medical mission to Africa: The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

She recruited Sefter, who recruited White. From the beginning, Grove knew that White was special. While everyone else labored, he seemed to be comfortable. When he wasn't running, White was quiet. But when they trained, he and Grove would have long conversations about faith. Too, he was remarkably disciplined and eager to push himself.

For their first 5-kilometer road race — the Track Shack Celebration of Running — the group arrived about a minute after the starting gun fired. White was unfazed. He simply shot ahead through the crowd, passing hundreds of runners to finish in a respectable 22 minutes and 33 seconds.

His next 5K race, he ran 19:32. Then, recruited by Grove to join a 191-mile relay run across the state in November 2009, White faced his biggest challenge ever: running 22 miles, broken up into three segments.

He ran the final stretch looking as effortless as he had the first. The whole team joined him for the sprint to the finish line, cheering.

"At the end, it was a whole different Steve," Grove said. "He was the man. I knew we had to set a bigger goal for him."

'You have to want it'

Late last year, they settled on the Space Coast Marathon, a fast course in Brevard County. This year, the race is Nov. 28.

Soon after, White got a job at the linen service — and quickly got promoted. Twice.

His work ethic was becoming legendary. After his all-night shifts on Fridays, he would ride the bus back downtown, then ride his bike to meet the group for a Saturday morning workout.

Grove decided to hire a coach for him, and Stepping Onward paid his entry fees and travel costs. White kept working harder. He saved money, bought a car and, in September, moved out of the mission and rented a studio apartment. And, still, he kept training, often on his own because of his work schedule.

"He is an ideal student," said his coach, Bill Wenner, who has worked with hundreds of marathoners. "He'll do what you tell him to do and will give 100 percent of his ability to it. … I thought it would be a cool story if we could get him to qualify for Boston — but I would never have taken him on if we didn't think he was capable. I would have just told Claire we were barking up the wrong tree."

About 20,000 runners from around the world qualify each year for the Boston Marathon — held the third Monday in April — the only U.S. marathon that requires entrants to run a qualifying time. For men in White's age group, it is no slower than three hours, 20 minutes, a target White can reasonably expect to hit. But as Wenner points out, a lot of things can go wrong in 26.2 miles, many of them beyond a runner's control.

"It's not by any means a gimme," he said.

If White is nervous, he doesn't show it. He talks about the race with the same calm demeanor his friends say he always has. And when he runs, he prays, thanking God for his blessings and reciting biblical verses that bring him comfort.

Next weekend in Brevard will be no different.

"You have to work. You have to want it," he said. "But I'll let God guide my footsteps."

-By Kate Santich, Orlando Sentinel on 9:45 p.m. EST, November 20, 2010

The Hills Have Names – Clermont Cycling Training

Cycling Tip: If the hills have names you are in for a tough ride.

On Saturday I went to do hill training in Clermont.  This area of Florida is known as the toughest place in FL to ride. 

Buckhill

 When you think of Florida you think of flat land cycling but there is a place in Florida where the hills have names. This area is called Clermont.  The hills in Clermont have names like, “The Wall”,  “Buckhill”, “Sugerloaf”, “North Ridge” “Ambulance Hill” and “Grassy Lake” and they are tough for even the best cyclist.

Angel after Sugerloaf

There is a race in this area called the Horrible 100 (http://www.horrible-hundred.com/).  It is a very challenging ride that draws thousands of participants from around the country.  It is a great race but it is tough by all standards.

My Saturday training ride was a portion of the Horrible 100.  It included the toughest hills on the route.  Angel, James and I battled the hills and we did wonderful. It was a great ride and we had a really fun time.  “The Wall” and “Sugerloaf” were tough but all of us made it up without having to get off the bikes.  Not bad for our first time.

In the middle of the ride we stopped at the best bakery I have ever seen.  It is called Yalaha Bakery. I had a "cranberry walnut sour cream cookie."  If they served espresso I would have never left.  This place is awesome.  The breads were huge and looked tasty. 

At the top of Sugerloaf one of the homeowners is really nice and leaves out water for the cyclists.

Bottom of Sugerloaf

Top of Sugerloaf

Any ride that begins and ends at an Irish pub is a GREAT ride in my books.  After the ride I had myself a good meal and some beer.  They had Left Hand Milk Stout on a nitro tap and I needed to replace the carbs I burned so I had me a pint. Yum!!

Irish Pub

My Grub

Below is the data for some of the hills in the Clermont area.


The Wall (135' elevation gain, 18% slope, 0.21 miles)
Buckhills (223' elevation gain, 11% slope, 2.5 miles)
Sugarloaf (312' elevation gain, 14% slope, 0.73 miles
North Ridge (164' elevation gain, 12% slope, 0.6 miles)


(credit to:  Women Talk Sports and Americas Roof 

My Garmin elevation readings (click to enlarge)

I wore my climbing jersey

Cycling Groups and Rides in the Orlando / Central Florida Area

Cycling Groups and Rides in the Orlando / Central Florida Area

Many people have been asking me about local area rides and groups so I decided to make a quick post.  Below are the groups and ride lists for the Central FL area (Orange, Seminole, Osceola, etc).

Hal Downings Newsletter:

Hal Downings is a local attorney who publishes a weekly email newsletter about rides in nearly all the counties in the central FL area.  His newsletter is AWESOME and he does a great job.  This is THE source for cycling rides in this area.  You will need to email him here to get onto the mailing list.  Register for his newsletter now!! An old example of his newsletter can be found here.

Florida Freewheelers

This is a great cycling group!!  I am currently a member of this group. Their ride schedule can be found here.  They always publish the distance and the speed with their rides so you can find one that fits your skill and ability.  They are also known to be prompt so be on time.  They are very social, friendly and inviting group.  They have riders at every level.  Even though they say on some rides "don't be afraid to be dropped". I have never seen anyone get dropped on any level ride they conduct so don't let that waver you.  They also publish the contact information of the ride leader if you have questions.  Everyone I have contacted has been prompt at answering my questions.

Armada Racing 
I am not familiar with this group but they appear to be out of the Orlando area.  They have a nice list of rides with the various groups in the area.  Click here and then click on Rides (located on top of the page).  If you know anything about this group please post a comment about them.

Seminole Cyclists

I have never rode with this group so I know nothing about them.  Their ride list can be found here. If you know anything about this group please post a comment about them.

Eastside Cycling Club
I know nothing about this group.  I have seen them on rides but I have never rode with them.  Their rides can be found here or here. If you know anything about this group please post a comment about them.

Windermere Roadies
Caution: if you do not consider yourself a GREAT rider don't bother showing up for their rides.  They will drop you like its hot in seconds.  These guys are good, darn good!  Their routes are tough and great.  Their Sunday rides are described as "whether you are a beginner or an experienced racer, the Sunday ride has something for you." That is a load of manure.  They are all A+ level riders on that ride and will drop you within the first 6 miles.  They also state "Marsh Road is always very fast and it's usually where the group will break up into several packs of different skilled riders"  Translation: "that is when your sorry butt will be dropped and lost".  The last ride I did with them I was dropped on Marsh Road and my 55 mile ride became 75 miles because we got lost.  This was another "Lost Boys" experience I will have to share with you one day.  Bonnie thought I was dead and she wanted to kill me when I showed up late to the house.  Angel and I were on the back of milk cartons for weeks.  Also bring bread crumbs because if you are not familiar with the area their maps are useless.  Every street has two names and some of the names they give you are not the names on the signs at the turns (example: Semoran aka SR436).  They were also not very social (at least not to us).  Not one person said hi to us and they did not hand out route maps.  Maybe they are nicer once they know you and you prove you can hang with them.  One day I hope to be at their ability. If you are REALLY FAST this is the group for you.  A list of their rides can be found here.


Local Bike Trails and Maps can be found here and at TrailLink.Com.

Local Cycling Events can be found here

Another list of rides can be found here. 


I may have miss some local groups.  If so, let me know and I will add them to this list.

Lucky’s Lake Swim / Lake Cane “Enter the Food Chain”

Lucky’s Lake Swim / Lake Cane  “Enter the Food Chain”

http://www.luckyslakeswim.com/

If you live in the central Florida area (Orlando) you probably know about Lucky’s Lake Swim.  It’s a great place to go and practice your open water swimming.   If you do not know about the swim the video below is a GREAT summary of what Lucky’s Lake Swim is all about.  It’s about swimming, training, learning, friendship and fun.



Lucky is a great and generous man.  He opens up his house everyday (but Sunday) for swimmers (usually 50 to 150) to swim the lake behind his house in Orlando, FL.  He provides swag to those swimmers who reach milestones.  He provides you with bathrooms and showers to use.  He even lets you sign the wall of his huge and extremely pretty house.  And he does this all for FREE.  He also helps out the Lake Cane Restoration Society and the local YMCA.  AND he also trains special needs kids to swim!



The swim is help on Lake Cane and is about 1000m long.  Swimmers swim at their own risk.  This is an open water swim with wild creatures, no lifeguards and the lake is very deep.  It’s “entering the food” chain. You can swim as many times as you like but the average is 1 to 4 laps. 

Several records have been set on this lake. The longest open water lake swim (82 Kilometers swimming non-stop for nearly 30 hours) and 50 swimmers did a 100K relay that lasted nearly two days of swimming, setting an RHR world record.(http://www.luckyslakeswim.com/world_record_attempt_at_aquatica.htm)

Brud, the oldest swimmer to ever swim the lake was a 92 year old man. I was there the day he completed this.  He looked great and he looked like he could do even more laps when he was done.  He was one of about six swimmers over the age of 70 who swam the lake that day.

Even a dog named Digger swims the WHOLE distance.  Digger is my arch enemy.  He and I are both neck to neck on the total number of crossings.  I want to be on the 100K club before Digger.  Digger currently has around 28 crossings (28000m).  BTW Diggers swims faster than most of the swimmers.


Lucky also has a great and unusual sense of humor.  Review the FAQ section to see a sampling of his humor (http://www.luckyslakeswim.com/#FAQs_Lake_Cane_Swim_)  He walks around in a Speedo, an Australian hat and a large cane with snakes on it.  He has placed statues of alligators at the beach entrance.  He also created a video about the Lake Cane piranhas (see video above).

Lucky also holds the Guinness World Record for the Largest Yo-Yo Collection (http://www.yo-yos.net/).  His photo was in the Gold 50th anniversary Guinness book.  He even has a Wikipedia page about him (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucky_Meisenheimer)


If you are ever in the Orlando area I would highly suggest coming out to the lake to swim it at least once.  It is a great place to train and a great experience. 


Lucky is a great guy and I try to thank him every time I am out on the lake.  Thank you Lucky!

BTW If you are interested I swim at Lucky's lake every Saturday and usually do 2-3 laps.  Currently, I have completed around 29 crossing and am still neck and neck with Digger the dog.