Matt Cavanaugh's Team Wounded Warrior Project

The End Doesn't End

2011-10-23T07:20:00.003+13:00

The CBS Evening News featured a spot from Sunday's upcoming 60 Minutes last night that features "Operation Proper Exit." The mission is intended to provide wounded soldiers the opportunity to meaningfully confront their wounds, both intellectually and emotionally.

This segment highlights, for me, what Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is to our soldiers ~ a crippling burden that usually has direct impact on every facet of life, especially to spouses and family members. I hope many people watch this clip and the full program, because the 310 million citizens of the United States need to see and understand what sacrifice has been borne on their behalf by an unlucky few out of the less than 1% that serve in the nation's armed forces.

Lessons on Combat Stress from World War II; the "Accumulated Blur"

2011-09-12T13:05:00.003+12:00

I've been watching the PBS documentary The War by Ken Burns, and, although not quite as good as his The Civil War, is still very well done. If The Civil War was an A+, then The War is an A-. Both are highly watchable, gripping, and informative.

In the 5th episode, "FUBAR," Burns describes the latter part of 1944 in Europe as Allied forces pushed the Germans back across France and Belgium.

By that time several units had fought in numerous engagements for several consecutive months after the June 6 invasion. Journalist Ernie Pyle (who died near Okinawa in April 1945) wrote of an "accumulated blur" that characterized soldiers and marines who had been exposed to relentless deadly combat.

Additionally, The War provides hard data: 1/4 of those evacuated from the front suffered some form of neurological or psychiatric disorder. Army planners determined that the average soldier could mentally withstand no more than 240 days of combat.

This last point is especially interesting when one considers that in the US Army, the biggest issue has been that of "dwell time," or, the time spent deployed versus the time spent at home. Most US Army units are about 1:1 (or, one year on, one year off), some are even worse than that (i.e. helicopter aviation). Admiral Mullen was talking about a goal of 1:3 and 1:4 in 2007...which never happened.

It's safe to say that the "accumulated blur" is finding its way into today's soldiers - as evidenced by the extraordinarily high suicide numbers.

September 11th, Iraq and Running

2011-09-10T07:25:00.002+12:00

I was still at senior at West Point, roughly 50 miles north of New York City on the Hudson River, on September 11^th, 2001. I was in a course on Chinese politics, about to listen to a lecture from U.S. Defense Attaché to China, when my professor turned on the television in time to watch the second tower go down. Quietly, he said that we wouldn’t hold class that day and that if anyone was interested, an informal prayer group was forming outside. Instead, I chose to dart across campus back to my room to make phone calls and send emails to family and friends.

Everything changed after that. West Point, like all military installations, went into airtight lockdown. Cadets asked relentlessly to go down to aid the recovery effort only to be channeled by the chain of command into a drive to collect socks for first line responders. Rumors surfaced of early graduation to fight in Afghanistan, as earlier classes had done in time of conflict. President George W. Bush’s commencement address included his famous “doctrine of preemption,” which those awaiting diplomas correctly interpreted to mean that war was soon coming. And so I joined one of the first units to fight in Iraq.

September 11^th and the several years following in Iraq comprise a sort of dizzy, harried few years that have taken many years for me to reflect on. My first thought about this period is that, it was, to appropriate a line, the best of times and the worst of times. I felt at many points that this was the most rewarding endeavor that I have ever been a part of. I led a group of committed, professional soldiers in a dangerous environment and held my own. Self-confidence grew. Although I’m certain there were better officers there, I think on balance my guys would say that they thought I did well given the circumstances, and that they had faith that I would do what was best for the mission and them (in that order). We helped people that had experienced the horror of a brutal, authoritarian regime and an entirely lawless society. In some moments I wish I could go back, because – when else have I mattered more to humanity than I did then?

Then, reality sets in: I’m married now with a newborn. That fact is what draws me back into remembering the negative things embedded in my psyche from that time. I took human life several times, which one never, ever forgets. We lost good people in strange ways: our unit’s first death was a tank driver that drowned when his vehicle tipped forward responding to a civilian distress call, his turret stuck in a desert stream. We lost good people that were close to me: at some point nearly every day since then three faces from the first deployment jump into my mind’s eye. My first maneuver commander was killed a few weeks in; the college classmate from another unit I saw in passing just before he was killed in action; one of my soldiers whose helicopter on the way to morale leave was shot down. Their faces are frozen in my memory and I think of them often.

The worst moment came soon after these. My younger brother’s unit was stationed a few hundred miles away, so we never had the chance to see one another. But we exchanged a couple letters, and found one another’s unit phone number and tried to arrange a phone call. It didn’t work as we were on opposite and largely variable schedules. One day after my unit had moved from Fallujah to the western desert, I was walking somewhere with some fellow officers, when a Private came to me with a message: my brother’s unit had called and that I needed to call them back “immediately.”

I asked if it was my brother himself that had called; the Private was insistent that it was his unit and not Rob. I asked if it was just a run-of-the-mill message; the Private said that it was not and he repeated the word “immediately.” I left my friends and jumped in the truck back to headquarters, all the while wondering what I would say to my Mom if the worst had happened. All I could think about was an image of myself sitting next to my brother’s flag-covered casket on a flight home to Minnesota. This was the low point of the war for me and the knot that I had in my stomach nearly doubled me over.

When I arrived, the message had indeed been ordinary and my brother and I spoke a few days later. I told him as best I could about the mistaken message, editing out (of course) the less-than-tough-guy sentimental parts.

After my second deployment, I found myself in a deep emotional valley. I lost a significant relationship, which had led me to leave the active component of the Army, and generally felt as if I had lost the concept of “fun” forever — as if my twenties had been taken from me. I looked around at my friends from home and dwelled on all that I had missed while deployed. I was alone, without a job, and felt lost. September 11^th and Iraq had broken me.

I started running. At first I ran because I could: I had a bad knee injury in college that stopped me from doing so for three years, but at the tail end of the last deployment I found I could do it again. It felt good to be out in nature, alone with my thoughts, or, from time to time, with some good music. I would run more and more until I raced my first marathon in 2006 and I was hooked. I sought new places to train, new events to sign up for, which gave me a renewed sense of energy. I got healthier physically and felt better emotionally.

There was one race in particular that I desperately wanted to enter, but didn’t have the money: the TransRockies Run, a 120-mile, 6-day stage race in the Colorado Rockies. A family friend and Air Force veteran, Tom Cocchiarella, organized some veteran-friendly businesses to sponsor me, and off I went. After finishing the race, I thought to myself: if Tom was willing to do so much for me, to help me along to get back to “normal,” why can’t I do the same for others that are worse off than I? Why can’t I help those that have both emotional and physical scars?

So I asked Tom for his help in “paying it forward,” and, on Veteran’s Day 2008, Tom and I launched “Team Minnesota Wounded Warrior Project.” We dedicated ourselves to raising money and awareness on behalf of the Wounded Warrior Project, a nationally lauded non-profit organization dedicated to honoring and empowering the most severely wounded veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. To motivate potential supporters and demonstrate solidarity with the physical challenges these wounded American heroes face daily, I have run in hundreds of miles of ultra and distance running competitions. Since we began, Team Minnesota WWP has raised just over $130,000, become the organization’s top individual fundraisers, I was named the U.S. Army’s Athlete of the Year in 2009, and Tom has expanded our local support through some generous help from the Saint Paul Vulcans. We’ve been amazed at our journey’s longevity, considering our initial goal was $25,000!

But, for me, it’s been about much more than that. Like many others, September 11^th altered the course of my life, and the new trajectory arced toward a difficult and unhappy end. Running was the catalyst that redirected it; Team Minnesota WWP augmented its growth. Both gave me renewed faith that I could have a positive impact on the world. They brought me into a community of people that continually inspired me toward my better angels and instilled a sense of hope, where hope had, for a time, become forlorn (to paraphrase General MacArthur).

I really felt like I had come full circle, when, at a Vulcan-sponsored event this past year, a young veteran who had been shot through the knee came up to Tom and I. His stiff leg produced a bobbing tilt to one side, and you could recognize his difficulty from a distance. Tom introduced him and as I shook his hand he said, “You know, sir, if it wasn’t for this, I’d have been the athlete of the year!” I jokingly shot back, “Not a chance, kid.” When he walked away, I smiled, and was proud to have had a small part to play in his post-injury confidence, knowing how difficult that transition can be. I also wondered if he really could have taken my title.

Then I started drawing up a plan to get to $200,000.

32 Army Suicides in July 2011

2011-09-07T13:15:00.002+12:00

I don't have anything interesting or unique to say on this subject, other than to respond to the bare fact that Time magazine (Aug 29, 2011) is reporting that there were 32 suspected active duty and reservist suicides recorded by the Army in July 2011. This is the "highest monthly toll on record."

This is frightening, principally because we are continuing to wind down combat operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan. One might think that as the specter of deployment decreases, so ought suicides by soldiers involved in those deployments. However, the numbers appear to be trending upward. What if they continue to go upward? How long can they continue to stay this high?

Retired LTG Jack Keane, as recorded in one of Bob Woodward's books on the Iraq War (and "Surge"), famously said to President Bush that "sometimes wars break armies." His point was important to note, in that, from time to time, a national commitment to combat necessarily pushes its ground forces past a breaking point. Wars can do this in different ways. Civil War battles often took 30% casualties. General Grant, at Shiloh, sustained more casualties in one battle than all other previous U.S. wars combined. Even more than at Waterloo ~ and there were 20 more Waterloo-equivalents to come. These more recent wars are different in that it is the grind and repetitive nature of deployments. This seems to be what is breaking the Army.

The difference, of course, is that the force now is not drafted ~ is is recycled and reused. This means the long term physical and mental health of soldiers is at a higher premium than during the Civil War, arguably ever (considering the small percentage of U.S. citizens currently serving in uniform).

We can't keep losing soldiers this way, both from a national strategic perspective and the fact that each one represents a family tragedy. That said, I'm saddened to write that I don't see the light at the end of the tunnel yet. I hope I'm wrong.

Great Naseby Water Race: 50 Miles in 7 hours, 43 minutes!

2011-09-05T14:08:00.008+12:00

So, this is what 50 miles looks like ~ a very squinty eyed, salt stained expression of semi-agony. It took about 3 hours for the blood to come back to my arms and hands, as it had become fairly settled in my legs over the past 7 hours and 43 minutes.

The time was off my goal, but still kept me in first place overall at my distance. I wanted to keep to a nice even 9 minute pace, but the record snowfall from the previous few days left the course about 1/3 covered. And, of course, that meant that when the sun came out to play (as it did that morning) ~ the snow would turn the ground into mud.

This picture and the one just below it are from just after the finish line ~ you can see the mud that's developed. So I had to come off my pace in the second half. My first half was rock solid, 3 hours, 40 minutes ~ right on my goal.

The second half, however, was a lot slower due to the mud and slick conditions. As the day progressed I eased up to run about a 4 hour, 3 minute second half (9:30s and 9:40s per mile). Although I wished I could have run a nice 7:20 overall, I'm glad that I ran as well as I did considering the conditions. Life is lived in the real world, which is full of friction and distractions; races are run that way too, and mud is a natural potential obstacle.

You can see my nice green shoes got coated ~ I had to chuck them; casualty of the day!

Also, I love this photo because you get to see my gorgeous wife smiling at my finishing in first place (or is it that she's excited that after a day of shirking my parental responsibilities, I'm finally able to take care of Grace and give her a break?).

Below are a couple more photos from the event: me passing a guy in the afternoon and Rach and a sleepy Grace at the Queenstown Airport, with the Remarkables mountain range behind them (from the Coors beer ads!).

What 50 Miles Should Feel Like...

2011-08-25T14:00:00.003+12:00

On Saturday (Friday in the US), I'll be running a 50 Miler as part of the Great Naseby Water Race. It will be a very small field ~ probably only 40 people spread across the 100k, 80k (50 mile), and 60k events. It will be miniscule compared to the event I'm accustomed to doing in late August, the TransRockies Run. Several hundred TransRockies competitors are treated like royalty from start to finish, and pay quite a bit of money for this catered service.

Naseby is, well, on the opposite end of the spectrum: just a bunch of people looking to run a very long way amongst some gorgeous scenery. As you can see at left, Naseby is in the middle of nowhere, an old mining town that is distinct only in that it is the highest elevation for a municipality in New Zealand (2000 feet, not to be confused with its counterpart in the US: Leadville at 10,200 feet). It will be colder than Wellington there but should yield less wind. We'll fly down tomorrow, and I should be on the starting line at 9am, hopefully improving on my personal best of 8 hours, 23 minutes.

The picture at left, from the finish of the Tucson Marathon in December 2008, is indicative of what I'll be feeling like at the end of the run on Saturday evening. Essentially, everything will hurt, even my teeth. My head will ache and I might have trouble sitting for more than a few minutes, and getting up from sitting is like a nightmare. My best description is to liken it to a bad fever directly after losing a fight with Bruce Lee. And that's if all goes well; sometimes it can be much worse.

I love this feeling. It feels like I've accomplished something. Like whenever Indiana Jones appears beaten, bruised...he always accompanies that image with a sort of a grin, like he knew how bad it was going to be and he did it anyways. That's how I feel when I've finished a long, slow grind like a 50 miler.

And I know there's something in that. Something special. It's not just the discipline of it; that's sort of an easy concept to fixate on. I can't put my finger on it exactly, but there are moments that have been great for my development as a person. Like the last mile of the Pikes Peak Marathon (where I fell twice) or the end of Stage 3 of last year's TransRockies Run, when I towed my partner (Paul Terranova) to the finish so hard that I nearly passed out...but we held off the team just behind us for the last three miles. Finishing a hard, physical struggle like that is, in a word, pure. It's just your own effort, entirely.

Every time I get to that point where it's really hard, before I've crossed the line, I think about the severely wounded veterans that the Wounded Warrior Project assists. I know some of them. I can only imagine that my last few miles in a 50 miler would be, well, sort of an every day thing for them. And I'm just doing it for one day. That gives me strength...enough to get across the line...to that moment of personal triumph.

7 Donors, 19 Days to 50 Miles, and my Professional Obligation

2011-08-08T13:37:00.005+12:00

I have to start with some great "100 for 200" Campaign news. We've gotten several donations over the past few weeks, and I feel compelled to pass along some thanks! MAJ Dan Hoeprich, whom I served with in Iraq, has pledged a full $1,000; Ty and Jenny Heaton, Nick and Sarah Holten, Jim Morrell, my father in law Nick and his wife Joy Viselli, and, of course, my wife Rachel and our daughter Grace Victoria (I still don't know how she got ahold of the credit card!) ~ all have sponsored me for a full mile. Each one will be a hurdle for me and it helps to know that they'll be with me.

Also, at left, you can see the 50 Miler (80kms) I'll be running in coming few weeks. This represents my qualifier for the Western States 100, so it's important! If you're interested in checking out the race, learning a little bit about what I'll be up to (it's a loop course, 8 x 10km loop...not so fun), click on the logo above to go to the race site.

The Professional Obligations of Military Officership
Having graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point on 1 June 2002, receiving my diploma from President George W. Bush moments after he gave his "doctrine of preemption" speech, the image at left (which I came across this past week) evoked a response from me. Not, however, negative, as one might expect. I just sort of looked at it and thought about what it "spoke" to me as a professional military officer. Of course, I thought about the friends and classmates that have died in Iraq (and Afghanistan), and how many of them had passed earlier than they deserved. I think the cartoonist is trying to, perhaps, comment on the fears each cadet feels when the time for college is done and the war effort calls. It is a fairly shocking image to one with personal connections to West Point (I can only imagine that my Mom wouldn't have appreciated seeing it in 2002).

Despite the cartoon's intent, I actually take pride in this image. After a lot of general personal reflection on my place in the world, I can state with certainty that I am intensely proud of my professional obligation as a military officer to the American republic. And, a principal component of that obligation, as I see it, is that I am to always be prepared to sell my life dearly in defense of the American public, or whatever other interest they see fit for me to pursue.

My favorite professor at West Point was a retired Colonel, Dr. Don Snider. He has written a great deal on officership and its vital function as a profession in the United States. Much of what Snider wrote was based on the foundations that Samuel P. Huntington laid in his book (1957?) The Soldier and the State. Huntington wrote that "The modern officer corps is a professional body, and the modern military officer, a professional man." Huntington goes on to define professionalism in three ways: expertise (distinct body of knowledge, obedient arm of the state), responsibility (to society), corporateness (professional autonomy and separate authority).

Dr. Snider followed up Huntington's work with a number of publications, including "Army Professionalism, the Military Ethic, and Officership in the 21st Century" in 1999. It is from this monograph that I quote liberally:

"The concept of service is central to a principled understanding of officership. It holds that the profession serves the American people by providing a socially useful and necessary function: defending Americans and their interests by being schooled in war and hence able to apply effectively protective violence at their request. As noted in this monograph, this meeting of a societal need creates the moral dimension of the Army's professionalism as well as the noble character of the individual officer's service to his fellow citizens. Embodied explicitly in the commission and implicitly in the unwritten contract with society, this moral obligation requires of the officer unlimited liability, including life, as well as the moral commitment always to put service before self...To the officer, self is always to be abnegated to the higher calling through the disciplined application of moral or physical courage. A self-abnegating officer has no legacy save the character and quality of his or her service...

Secondly, just as the officer's commitment to service is grounded morally in his or her obligation to society, under our form of government it is also grounded in law, both in the Constitution and in subsequent statutes. But just because the commitment has two overlapping foundations does not mean that both are to be valued equally by the officer...within an increasingly legalistic society, the officer's reaction to crisis must always to place fulfillment of moral obligation over that of the legal obligation, even at personal or professional expense. His or her role must be to do the right thing, to pursue the right outcome on behalf of those served, American society...

Third, and last, is the issue of truth. Not only must commissioned officers always revere the truth, they must also never be in fear of it....Since the truth, as well as the absence of fear about it, cements the bond of trust between officer and society, it is always to be pursued and displayed with exceptional vigor...That means as a matter of highest principal that the officer speaks 'the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth' at all times because he or she is perpetually under moral oath, upon accepting the commission."

This is my understanding/interpretation of the obligation that military officership expects of me. I understand that it is a very high standard, maybe even an ideal type or an aspiration. But it is, in fact, how I see what I am to be and the standard to meet for my behavior on society's behalf. And, one will likely note Snider's comment that addresses the Grim Reaper cartoon: "this moral obligation requires of the officer unlimited liability, including life." That concept is tough for most people to really comprehend, I think, and reflective of why less than 1% of Americans serve in the Armed Forces in the voluntary era. Snider comments on this divide:

"...application of the principles yields attitudes and behavior often at odds with those within the society the officer has chosen to serve. Does this then mean that the officer is in any manner better than those in American society? We do not believe so. It means only that the officer is different, and has unreservedly chosen to be so."

I couldn't agree more. Officership is my choice, of my own free will. Nobody has forced it upon me, and I've had plenty of opportunity to leave the military (even taking one road out). This personal choice gives me comfort and pride in the decision, which is why, in the end, the Grim Reaper cartoon doesn't bother me in the least. Because even if, as the cartoon suggests, I had shaken hands with Hades ~ I would have done so with an immense pride and satisfaction in the life I had led, in no small part due to the service I'd rendered onto the people of the United States.

"100 Miles for 200 Thousand" Campaign

2011-07-01T10:13:00.005+12:00

Going into this Independence Day weekend, I'm ready to unveil my full plans for the coming Team Minnesota WWP season. Of course, I'm only a part of our group (Tom Cocchiarella is undoubtedly the heart and the Saint Paul Vulcans are the soul, both of which are located in Minnesota). But, while being stationed in New Zealand is challenging, it does afford some opportunity to reflect on best fundraising practices and efforts going forward. I've thought about this next step for awhile, and now feel like I have a good plan to energize potential donors for the Wounded Warrior Project (click on the image below to go to their site).

Which is why I am proud to launch the "100 Miles for 200 Thousand" Campaign. What is the "100 for 200" Campaign?

Our next big fundraising hurdle is $200,000, which in these economic times will be tough to accomplish. However, we're counting on great help from the Saint Paul Vulcans. The Vulcans have generously sponsored an annual event for Team Minnesota WWP for the past three years, and each event has generated roughly $30,000 for the WWP. Over the course of the next year, Team Minnesota WWP will have another Vulcan-sponsored event that will hopefully enable us to eclipse the $160,000 mark, getting to within $40,000 of our $20,000 goal.

I will run the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run (click belt buckle at left to learn about the race) on June 23, 2012 to raise the $40,000 necessary to get Team Minnesota WWP to our $200,000 goal. I will do this by enlisting sponsors for important race checkpoints as well as individual sponsors for specific mileposts. There will be one $10,000 sponsor, two $5,000 sponsors, and ten $1,000 sponsors, all with proportionate graphic representation and acknowledgement on my competition uniform. Additionally, individuals contributing $100 can support me for a specific mile, which I will keep track of via a specially made wristband honoring these donors. Both sponsorship groups will greatly motivate me through this tough journey while at the same time making a meaningful contribution to America's severely wounded heroes.

All my sponsors will be recorded on a Donation Chart, which I will update regularly. Essentially, while training and race preparation are important to me, just as crucial will be fulfilling my goal to earn $40,000 in donations for the WWP and helping Team Minnesota WWP achieve the $200,000 mark.

Although I have competed in many multi-day stage races and long distance events, I've never run 100 miles. This will truly be a challenge, but one that I look forward to facing with Team Minnesota WWP on my side. The Wounded Warrior Project is worthy of both my sweat and your financial support, and my sincere hope is that you come to the same conclusion that I have. Click on the blue button at right to donate a "Checkpoint" or a "Milepost."

With that, the "100 for 200" Campaign has officially started! Have a Happy Independence Day!

Wellington Marathon Results and First Reflections

2011-06-20T08:35:00.003+12:00

Yesterday was the Wellington Marathon, which I finished in 2:57 (seen at left), about a 6:46/mile pace. I took the photo because the course was almost 1/4 mile too long (as the official results show me finishing in 2:59). That happens from time to time with races...you just sort of shrug it off knowing what you actually did.

That said, I got out of the marathon what I wanted: I ran consistently, better than the pace I'd hoped for, through adverse conditions (lots of rain and some high winds), and I'm healthy. It was exactly what I'd hoped for.

I wasn't specifically trained for this particular event, but it was a confidence booster. The ESPN sports writer Bill Simmons wrote last year, about LeBron James, that, "every career has a tipping point when you have to pour cement on the foundation." I see this metaphor, while inexact, is applicable to what I was shooting for yesterday. I needed to feel as though I could do a hard day's running work, and I did. I need to "pour cement," to see where I am. Because in 9 weeks, I'll be running 50 miles to qualify for the Western States 100 Endurance Run. And with the confidence to do a decent 26.2, I believe I can accomplish my objective (sub 7 hours, 30 minutes?) at the Great Naseby Water Race 50 Miler. 9 weeks to go.

Wellington Marathon; Being a New Father Changes My Perspective on the WWP

2011-06-18T06:57:00.005+12:00

Tomorrow morning, I'll be standing at or near the start line of my first real race since...last September 18th, I think. Nine months. That's an eternity to a runner that's accustomed to racing 8-10 times per year for the past 5 years. Of course, this is a race that I won't completely burn out for. I'll keep myself from pushing to the point of over extension, and, as I laid out last week, I'll just seek "healthy consistency" (which I gauge to be about a 7 minute pace).

One not so great sign is that after a beautiful spell of weather that would be perfect for a marathon, we're getting some rain and wind today and it won't be gone by tomorrow. That might slow me down a bit (wind in Wellington can be notoriously forceful, and I'll be very exposed along the course), but the chance to exert some physical energy and cross a finish line will be well worth the effort. I'll post as soon as I can how the day went.

My second topic, related to serving the Wounded Warrior Project, is how my new role as a father has changed my perspective on my role with the WWP. My wife and I went in to the hospital yesterday for our daughter's first hearing screening. Of course, I pointed out to the screener that this was my daughter's first "test," and that I was hoping for an "A" or an "A-" (the latter because she hadn't had much time to study recently due to her pressing schedule of eating, sleeping, and you know whatting).

The tiny probe went into her first ear, and the screener pressed a little button...a minute later, presto, "she's hearing very well." She repositioned the probe into the second ear...and, after a minute...took it back out and fiddled with the probe. I actually started to pay attention like a hawk at this point, to every millimeter of this woman's movement. I was worried. She put the probe back in, and this is no exaggeration: I held my breath for the minute or so until the test came back that Grace's hearing was good.

The screener went on to tell us that sometimes it takes 15 minutes to get a good result (because the ear and machine take a bit to establish the proper connection, I think). But because there was a small blip, a hiccup, of imperfection with the test (the screener cleaning the probe), I started to worry. For a hearing test. I held my breath. For a hearing test.

So what does this mean? How does this impact or change my perspective, with regards to the WWP? Frankly, it breathes life into what parents go through when they see their children hurt in such significant ways. This hearing test does not, of course, rise to that level, but it does come from the same relationship and sense of compassion for one's own child. It calls to mind the eloquent letter President Lincoln wrote to console a woman who had lost five children for the Union cause in the Civil War, reintroduced into the American consciousness in the film Saving Private Ryan. [There is disagreement over whether Lincoln's private secretary John Hay wrote the letter; and after the war it was found that the woman had only lost two of her sons ]. The letter read ~

Executive Mansion,
Washington, Nov. 21, 1864.

Dear Madam,

I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle. I feel how weak and fruitless must be any word of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save. I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.

Yours, very sincerely and respectfully,

A. Lincoln

I think that letter is perfectly worded. There is nothing that can be done for those that have been taken...except to remember the manner in which they lived their lives and to honor the cause that they ultimately sacrificed themselves for.

Which is why I've dedicated so much time and effort to supporting severely wounded soldiers. I can do more for them than I can for those that have been killed in action on the battlefield.
To the left is a chart from The Atlantic Monthly, from 2005. It doesn't fully account for Iraq and Afghanistan's casualties, but it offers enough of a sampling to support a point. That point is, simply, that our battlefield medicine and soldier protection measures (and various other factors) are sustaining life at a greater rate than in earlier American conflicts. Bottom line, we're saving a lot more people. That means, correspondingly, that there will be a great many more that will survive with much more severe injuries.

This next chart is from the Chicago Tribune and its subsidiaries. It displays the rising costs of these claims upon the Veterans Administration. And this is a point I try to illustrate whenever I speak on this topic. The VA does an excellent job with the resources it has been given. However, the rising costs associated with comprehensive veteran care imposes demands on the VA that it cannot be expected to provide ~ providing opportunities for effective non-profit organizations to fill gaps that would otherwise go uncovered (i.e. family care and adaptive athletic support).

When I run tomorrow and train the next day, and the next day, and the next day...until I complete my effort at the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run in one year...my motivation will continue to be fed by a sense of empathy for both our severely wounded veterans and their caregivers. Being a parent makes it easier to comprehend that pain, while knowing that I can never truly understand it.

6 - 12 JUNE Training Week; Stress on the Armed Forces

2011-06-12T08:26:00.004+12:00

Things have been a little spotty this past week, but I did manage 60 miles in 6 days of training. I took a few days to recover by running easy from the dual challenge of my 20 miler last Saturday and Grace's birth. But, I feel pretty good and am taking today off after a 13 miler yesterday that I ran at about a 7 minute pace through some less-than-optimal rain conditions (exacerbated by my shoes getting soaked within the first mile).

Additionally, the subtle graphics to the left indicate that I've signed up for the Wellington Marathon this coming Sunday. I don't know what the weather will be like except to say that it is fairly likely that wind will be an ingredient. I'd like to run a 7 minute pace and finish at around the 3 hour mark, but my more important goal is to run healthy and consistently (or, with an even pace, perhaps even a negative split). This is less a competition for me and more a confidence building run a little over 2 months before my 50 mile showdown (and Western States 100 qualifier). So next week you should have an update - wish me luck!

My military/WWP related post this week comes from USA Today and Gregg Zoroya, who has become an excellent source of reporting on the issues facing soldiers upon return from the battlefield. This piece from about a month ago is about the increasing stress soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan are feeling. Essentially, the more times they deploy, they exhibit exponential growth in a number of negative mental health pathologies. From 2005 - 2010, morale went down markedly, and morale is what keeps the military going. It is very difficult to convince young men in the prime of their lives that defending their country is an ideal worth the potential sacrifice of their health and lives. The paycheck is not sufficient (believe me). Morale, honor, and a sense of duty make up that important gap. That's why it is important to pay attention to dwindling morale ~ because when as a nation we lose that, we may lose the necessary few among us to guard our home and way of life.

31 MAY - 5 JUNE Training Week; My Daughter; Blue and Gold Stars

2011-06-08T13:35:00.002+12:00

This is a unique entry, one that I'm going to keep short, but for good reason. At left is a picture of my newborn daughter, Grace Victoria Cavanaugh. She was born at 1:36am on Sunday, June 5th in Wellington, New Zealand. She was 7 pounds, 2.5 ounces at birth, and you can see she had quite a bit of hair. Her mother, Rachel, is resting and both are very healthy and happy...this is...a real blessing. We're very, very lucky parents, and look forward to a lot of enjoyable difficulty (I'm certain that will make sense to all that have children).

Training wise, I was able to get in a 20 miler, at a 7:20/mile pace, before we had to go to the hospital on Saturday. That was a nice session, giving me great confidence that I'll be able to put in a full marathon effort on 19 June at the Wellington Harbour Marathon. I consider this a "next step" towards a good performance at the Naseby Water Race 50 Miler at the end of August (my qualifier for the Western States 100 next June). My weekly total for training was about 65 miles, another jump upwards. I'll likely cap training for the 50 Miler at about 80-85 miles/week. We'll see.

Also, there was a nice piece in the New York Post ~ written by a woman whose son was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Tough to understand that transition from being a "blue star" mother to a "gold star" mother...I doubt anyone could fully comprehend the magnitude of the sacrifice.

23-30 MAY Training Week; Memorial Day

2011-05-30T10:47:00.003+12:00

I'll start with the lighter, good news: I ran 17.5 miles yesterday, part of which was in an organized trail run with the Wellington Scottish. The legs are feeling strong and healthy, and although not 100%, I'm gaining confidence. It put me at about 60 miles for the week, which is another milestone. Again, I've been slowly adding miles to prepare for the 50 miler in late August. The improvements continue.

My second subject is Memorial Day. It is hard to put into words, sometimes, what it means to a person, because the range of emotions are great. Generally, the closer the loss, the more the person identifies with that soldier, sailor, airman or marine that passed away. There are three names that I carry with me all the time, that I see in my mind's eye; the feeling is significantly enhanced for Memorial Day. In fact, the very first time I came home after my first deployment to Iraq, I sat in a Memorial Day church service in which the minister chose to include a short slide show of Minnesotans that had been killed in action. It only took until, I think, the third one in the slideshow, for a face similar to one of the three that I keep with me - and I had to very quickly exit and find my way to a bathroom. It was amazing to me how violently an emotional response can surface...

I've been targeting stories related to soldier remembrance this past week, and found two that I hope you look at.

The first has its genesis in a NY Times article about General Martin Dempsey, the newly minted Army Chief of Staff that will soon be nominated to be the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. [As a side note, he was the one that conferred on me the "Army Athlete of the Year" award.] In the story, there are two paragraphs that I can identify with, and I think exemplify what nearly every soldier, sailor, airman and marine feel toward fallen friends:

On General Dempsey’s Pentagon desk is a carved wooden box, one of three made for him and his two deputy commanders of the First Armored Division after their Iraq deployment in 2003 and 2004. Inside, General Dempsey keeps laminated cards, each bearing a photograph and biographical information on one of the 122 soldiers killed in action during the 15-month mission.
Every morning, General Dempsey opens the box and selects a half-dozen cards that he carries in his pocket that day. On the box is etched “Make It Matter,” a reminder that his four-star responsibilities must serve the memory of those troops.

My second story is about an Army couple, Max and Kim Voelz - both EOD techs that served in the same unit in Iraq in 2003-2004. I won't beat around the bush: Kim died while responding to a mission that Max had to send her on (as she was nearer the bomb). The National Public Radio story includes a link to Max telling the story, in his own words, as part of a larger American audio history effort (Storycorps). It is, in a word, heartbreaking.

I'm sincerely sorry if this has been a depressing post. In my estimation, there is no way around how brutal and horrifying war is for combatants and those left behind. Deaths never end, because the memories of those deaths continue on as unseen wounds in wives, husbands, fathers, mothers, children...and that is certainly part of Memorial Day.

We are thankful for their sacrifice, honor it appropriately, but always remember that at its core is a terrible gap that can never be repaired.

9 - 22 MAY Training Week; Sacrifice and the American Public

2011-05-22T07:42:00.003+12:00

The past two weeks have gone well - 52 miles last week and just shy of 50 this week. Last Saturday I did a 15 mile run through some really tough headwinds at a 7 minute/mile pace. I'm hopeful that I can do a 20 miler this coming Sunday with the local run club, but I'm not so sure that's going to happen with our baby (Grace Victoria) being due in exactly one week (29 May!). We're excited and ready for her to breathe oxygen with the rest of humanity...Rachel (my wife) is feeling pretty ready to go. That said, I'll be sure to post a picture when it all happens. And with a 50 miler coming in 3 months you can be sure that training won't stop, no matter what the decrease in sleep brings!
The Washington Post ran a story back in early March about Marine Lt. Gen. John Kelly (the older marine pictured at left). Tom Cocchiarella tagged it at one point, and I sort of left it, but then read it about a week ago and it was so stirring that I almost cried in the library. It was very, very difficult to read, because I know the sentiment all too well. Lt. Gen. Kelly and his two sons have served 11 combat tours in the last 8 years. Even considering that marine tours are generally shorter (7 months on, 7 months off) - this is an amazing thought. 11 goodbyes.

But what created the lump in my throat was that Lt. Gen. Kelly recently lost one of those sons (he was about my age) in Afghanistan. And a family friend from recovery makes it into the story - who is a brother to my wife's sister's boyfriend (wow, that was tough to connect correctly).

Four days after his loss, Lt. Gen. Kelly gave a speech to the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA). He touched on two subjects that, I think, cut to the heart of the uniformed military's struggle with recent sacrifice. First, less than 1% of American citizens wear a uniform, and even fewer are on active duty. We are not a draft force anymore, we recycle our soldiers into and out of combat as opposed to the "once in, once out" model.

Second, the military is becoming a family business. Mine is not unlike Kelly's: my younger brother is in the Army Reserve (two yearlong deployments, same as me), and my youngest brother is currently deciding between the Air Force and the Coast Guard. These two realities make the force more insular, more segmented, and clustered. These are not necessarily negative - but easily can slip into cancerous negativity. The guardians of society will always be a little different due to their self-preference for the profession of arms (even if it's economically motivated) - but must always feel included and a part of the American society. Because when those that voluntarily defend the republic feel as though their sacrifice is not honored (or even cared for), we'll have systemic problems that will be difficult to repair.

Which is why I run, compete for, write, and support the Wounded Warrior Project - because I know that our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines deserve support for the immense burden they've shouldered on our behalf. I hope you feel the same way.

Legitimacy, Legality, Ethics and Justice - Osama bin Laden's Death

2011-05-14T06:22:00.001+12:00

It's amazing to think that Time magazine named Adolf Hitler "Person of the Year" in 1938 - I was reminded of that the other day - hence my decision to go with the Osama bin Laden (OBL) cover at right.

In reading opinion pieces the past week and a half since OBL's death, I've come across a striking number of responses with two general lines of criticism: 1. that the raid was illegal, and 2. that the killing was unethical or immoral (i.e. unarmed execution or assassination). On first glance, I generally shrug off those sorts of comments, but, over time, I've decided that I need to educate myself further on the subject and develop a fact-based opinion. So here goes:

1. Was this legitimate as a military attack?

The appropriate lens for analysis of the operation in Pakistan is that which applies to military operations. The mission was famously undertaken by 79 Navy SEALS and supported by helicopters from the U.S. Army. Even if some of the information that enabled the raid was developed by CIA and other intelligence community assets, this was clearly a military operation, run by Joint Special Operations Command (and Vice Admiral McRaven).

Therefore, this falls under Title 10 of U.S. law (governing military forces), as opposed to Title 50 (governing covert operations). There have been commentators that have suggested that as the threat has evolved, the line between purely military operations and covert actions has been blurred - however, it is clear that this particular instance was a military operation.

Most importantly, as a military operation, this operation was subject to several ethical constraints that fall under the rubric of Military necessity -

*Did the operation aid in the defeat of the enemy?
Yes: massive amount of intelligence gained, 5 computers, 10 hard drives, 100 storage devices; decapitation of the enemy's military leader; initiative seized from Al Qaeda providing leverage in Af/Pak efforts; deterrence against future terrorist leaders.

*Was the attack on a military objective?
Yes: OBL was without question the military leader of an organization that declared war, via fatwa, on the U.S. in 1996. Killed 220 in E. Africa embassy bombings, USS Cole bombing killed 17 U.S. sailors, and nearly 3,000 Americans and global citizens on September 11, 2001.

*Was the potential harm caused to civilians proportionate to the anticipated military advantage gained?
Yes: The selection of a helicopter assault as opposed to aerial bombardment using smart munitions is critical here. Bombing the target would have been justified due to OBL's status, however, it is clear that the desire for intelligence to continue efforts against Al Qaeda held sway against the low-risk option. President Obama chose the more discriminate, higher risk, higher reward option - thereby saving the lives of three of his wives and some of his children (and enabling intelligence collection from them as well). This decision is not to be understated when one considers President Jimmy Carter's failed 1980 Operation Eagle Claw - and it's disastrous failure.

All that ground work laid down, I feel ready to tackle the questions that have been raised regarding OBL's death, principally, was this legal, ethical and just?

2. Was this legal?

My first thought is that the law is always subject to challenge - lawyer's are generally trained to avoid moralistic notions of the law (hence Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes' "Bad Man" focus on material consequences). As a consequence, there will certainly be people who are poised to make an argument for the other side of the ledger. The issue is whether there is a strong case to be made for a legal operation.

The legal criticisms center on two issues, U.S. and international law. The first is, as stated above, the distinction between Title 10 and Title 50, and this analysis puts the helicopter assault in the Title 10 category. Additionally, shortly after September 11, 2001, the U.S. Congress passed the Authorization for the Use of Military Force. The resolution lets the president use "all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons" he determines aided in the 9/11 attacks. It justifies the actions in the name of self-defense, "to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against" the U.S. To go back to Justice Holmes, this falls under his "clear and present danger" doctrine. Additionally, some have said that killing OBL was an assassination, prohibited under Executive Order 11905 (result of the Church Committee). However, this executive order applies to political leaders and not military leaders. Although one could make a decent straw man's argument that OBL was a political leader (elected by who? of what?) - it is clear that his role as a military leader (making him fair game) is much more important.

The second criticism is that the raid violated international laws of sovereignty. It is true that international laws on armed conflict and provisions in the Charter of the UN generally require foreign nations to obtain consent from host nations prior to military operations on the host nations soil. There is, however, one well-recognized caveat: that the host country is both capable and willing to deal with the threat itself. Pakistan's official government policy is that it too is fighting against Al Qaeda. OBL living in the same town as Pakistan's military academy: the very definition of negligence - Res ipsa loquitor. CIA Director Panetta's statement, that Pakistan was either "incompetent" or "involved" is enough of an argument to easily meet the standard of this well-known international law.

Lastly, some have suggested that he should have been brought to justice and tried in a court of law. One argument is that, like Nuremberg, his crimes should have been put on display to the world. However, these arguments fail on scrutiny - they focus on the end without recognizing the difficulty of getting there. Is there any doubt that had OBL surrendered, walked into the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan, the U.S. would have been forced to try him legally? The Nazi's were put on trial after the war had ended and Germany had surrendered. The raid did not expressly rule out a trial - in fact - it gave trial a possibility (as opposed to air strike) had OBL fully surrendered.

3. Was this ethical?

The greatest challenge here is that OBL was unarmed. In most contexts, shooting an unarmed man would be indefensible, however, as David Axe of Danger Room points out:

"some observers have focused on whether bin Laden was armed and fought his Navy SEAL assailants. But that’s confusing covert and military actions with cases of armed self-defense by cops and civilians here at home. The situations couldn’t be more different."

This was a military operation, which took place under cover of complete darkness (requiring each SEAL to wear night vision goggles), in a foreign country (presumably with Pakistani security forces ready to respond to what might be perceived as a threat), with a helicopter down, and the principal objective was a man any reasonable person would suspect capable of self-detonation.

This last point is not to be taken lightly: going into OBL's compound must be considered a very risky operation with a very high threat level. Considering that he had money and two phone numbers stitched into his bedclothes, one can confirm suspicions that OBL had planned for being found - and it isn't a logical leap to suggest that he might have been prepared to destroy himself or his organizational documents with some sort of explosive. As such, I'm certain that the SEALs had "loose" rule of engagement - some might read that for the purpose of vengence, but, a person that understands the exigencies of military operations would understand that the value of the intelligence in the room (and for the sake of going home alive), pulling the trigger was likely a reasonable thing to do.

4. Was this justice?

The last point on ethics is to counter those that refute President Obama's statement that "justice has been done." To be sure, this action was not traditional/civilian/court of law justice as it is practiced in most of the modern world. It is not right to characterize this action in those terms - as a military operation, it stands apart.

As such, this legitimate, legal and ethical raid to eliminate OBL as a threat to the U.S. (capture or kill) and gain intelligence on the Al Qaeda network which resulted in OBLs death - does retain an element of justice. Although not specifically intended (if it were, why not select the air strike?), OBLs death is in truth, an older form of justice. His victims, from all nations and faith backgrounds, deserve this sense of justice. To deny this concept under most exceptional circumstances like this is excessively "rational." Every once in a great while, there are individuals that are not fit to live amongst humanity. Osama bin Laden was such a case. His death was legitimate, legal, ethical and just.

2 MAY - 8 MAY Training Week; Caregiver's VA Benefits

2011-05-08T07:51:00.003+12:00

51 miles this week, with a complete rest today (Sunday). So that's 51 miles in 6 days of training. And, yesterday, I did 13.1 miles, a half marathon, in 1 hour, 31 minutes, or roughly a 7 minute/mile pace. I did two strength workouts, one on Tuesday and one on Friday, again focusing on the core, hips, and quadriceps. I'm up to three sets of 4 minutes with wall sitting, a good sign that I'm getting more strength into the knee joint.

Speaking of which, I missed my acupuncture appointment this week - just too busy. With Kevin (my brother) leaving, two papers to write, and seeing the midwife with Rachel on Friday, it just wasn't in the cards. I still have pain in the joint, but not enough to keep me from running. I stretch it out post-run as much as I can, and have fairly good range of motion. I'm beginning to believe that this is a condition that will not go away, one that I'll have to manage as opposed to solve. As long as I get my daily run, I guess I'll take it.

That still leaves a lot of work to do between now and this 50 miler at the end of August. To go from being excited about running 50 miles in 6 days to being trained to run 50 miles in one stretch is no easy feat. Locally, I'm thinking about a trail race (about 12 miles) on the 29th of this month - which might not happen because that's our due date! Second, there's a road marathon here in town on, I think, 19 June. I feel confident that I could be ready to run that, but not really race it. We'll see. That's the more likely of the two options, going forward. And it would be a useful training event - running 26 miles on 19 June would be a step in the right direction for 50 miles at the end of August. Again, there's lots of work to be done between now and then!

That said, I'm very pleased to pass along that "Veteran's caregivers now eligible for VA benefits." Starting this coming week, the VA will provide financial support to caregivers for severely wounded Veterans. I can't say how grateful I am to have read that. Rachel and I attended a WWP event, well, exactly a year ago, in which one of the keynote speakers talked about the work the WWP has been doing in supporting this cause.

Headlines about successes like the caregiver support - that's why I support the Wounded Warrior Project. I'm proud to be a supporter!

All my best & Keep moving forward, Matt

25 APR - 1 MAY Training Week; "Home Fires" NY Times Series

2011-05-01T08:23:00.003+12:00

This past week shows continued development. Approximately 47 miles, including a 10 miler yesterday (at 7:30/mile pace). With today, being Sunday, off (trying to keep the Sabbath holy and, well, for family purposes). So 6 days, 47 miles, nearly an 8 mile/day average.

The broken foot still feels not quite right, but, certainly not broken anymore. I have a follow up in a couple weeks with the orthopedic doctor to confirm (via x-ray) that I haven't left myself with a stress fracture. The knee continues to make progress, albeit slow. It still hurts in its own way, but the pain is slight enough to not warrant serious attention. I'm hoping for continued improvement each week until it's just about gone entirely (but maybe that's wishful thinking).

It all adds up to this: I have 4 months until my Western States 100 (2012) qualifier at the Great Naseby Water Race 50 Miler, and then some recovery until the North Face US 50k Championships in early December. I'm hoping to get to a strong 80 miles/week by the end of July, with a few back to back Friday/Saturday runs that total 50 miles or so, leading up to Naseby. Keep your fingers crossed!

The picture at left was drawn by former artist of the US Marine Corps Michael D. Fay. He's working with the NY Times on a series about our nation's wounded...specifically, their recoveries.

NY Times series following severely wounded Marines through recovery.

It's an unabridged look at the daily grind, the steps it takes (actually, very, very small steps) to get back to some semblance of normal. Please consider reading the story, and take special note of the difficulty in just getting into the wheelchair - think of how it must be to have to go through such a struggle to get to be a mobile person. I'd compare it to having to go through an hour long hot yoga session every time you wanted to get in the car.

That's all for this week. Rachel and I are down to a month or so until Grace Victoria is born...we're getting very excited to meet her!
All my best & Keep moving forward, Matt

17-24 APR Training Week; Yoga for the Wounded and Weight Bearing for Soldiers

2011-04-25T08:41:00.004+12:00

It was, in all dimensions, a great training week for me. I did two leg strengthening workouts and visited the acupuncturist on Friday. Actually, this was a pretty tough acupuncture session in that Dr. Yan decided that I've progressed to "graduate" level: he had me sit in a chair while he put the needles in my knee. Wow. Let me just say that there are very few moments that you truly lose your breath (meeting my wife was one of them)...this easily makes that list. It was stunning, but, as with other treatment sessions, the initial pain goes away quickly and the healing process continues.

Running: 42.5 miles, including one 9 mile run! I've been careful to incrementally increase my mileage, roughly 10% per week. I'm thinking that I'll get up to about 45-ish miles this coming week. Wish me luck. I really need to be training regularly by next month...so far so good.

Now, as before, I have a couple articles that are well worth reading about wounded warrior care. They are both generated by NPR, and part of a series on the impact the wars have had on the young and wounded in America. The first is about yoga's ability to reach soldier's unable to physically take part in the activities they enjoyed previously....

Great story on yoga as part of Wounded Warrior care.

And the second is about the toll that daily-wearing of heavy combat gear takes on the body.

Impact on soldiers - weight of their gear.

In fact, and this is not at all a joke, I am 1/4 of an inch shorter now than I was before the two deployments. I was 5 foot 7.75 inches tall in 2002, and was 5 foot 7.5 inches tall in 2007...documented in my medical history. Frankly, it's not a sacrifice of any measurable comparison to what others have given...but a more extreme case/extension of the phenomenon that I experienced could have bad long term effects (serious back issues).

Both are worth the read and proper reflection...

All my best & Keep moving forward, Matt

9-16 APR Training Week; Event Notes & an Article

2011-04-17T06:59:00.002+12:00

Howdy Team WWP,
Here we go ~ I'll stick to my title, and go in order. First, the training week. Running every day now, at about a 7:30 - 8:30 pace per mile. Consistency is what I'm after, and it's starting to come about. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I've been running down to the gym and doing a series of leg/quad strengthening exercises to keep the area around the left knee and tendon intact. I'm up to 3 sets of 3:30 wall sits, so that's encouraging. On the whole, I ran roughly 36 miles this past week (up from 33.5 and 31 the past two weeks, respectively). I also visited the acupuncturist on Friday. I'm starting to think that my knee challenge is one that will never quite heal, but one that I can manage to the point of tolerability. We'll see. My biggest change though, has definitely been to modify my running form in order to take more load off the knees and shift it to the feet and calves. Speaking of which, my right foot continues to heal ~ slowly, but it's getting there. It's sort of generally sore from time to time, but nothing that would make me think that it's still fundamentally broken.

Much, much more importantly, back in Minnesota, Tom and our good friends the Saint Paul Vulcans hosted our Annual Gala/Silent Auction at the Prom Center in Oakdale. It was an amazing event. Tom put so much effort into this one...and was rewarded with a night that, on the whole, generated about $31,000 for the WWP! That means, when all is said and done, we'll be at $130,000! And we've still got many months to go until the end of the year goal of $150,000! I can't say enough about how proud I am of the place that I call home. You know, in the military, you sort of become a nomad. You move around a lot, which is sort of nice in doses (DC and Arizona were great for awhile), but hopefully you remain proud of where you came from. Thankfully, I can be. Thankfully, I have a home state in Minnesota that is kind, generous, and willing to find a way to be grateful to those who many others effectively choose to turn a blind eye to. Tom has asked me to sort of try to highlight our relationship with the Vulcans and the other local folks by referring to us a "Team Minnesota WWP" (or is it the other way around Tom?) ~ either way, he's absolutely right. This isn't Tom and I so much anymore...it's becoming more and more of a community effort. And I hope to continue to contribute, to pull my weight and share as part of a truly great group!

Last, but certainly not least, a story ~

Click on this link to USA Today story on severely wounded veterans.

I've said it before, modern medicine and science does an amazing job putting our soliders, sailors, airmen and marines back together after they've sustained horrifying injuries. But sometimes those choices aren't so easy...can you imagine, having lost one leg, having to accept the second one being cut away? Especially after having expressed that has your worst nightmare? No matter how emotionally resilient, how strong one's psychological armor ~ that scalpel would cut to the soul. And it takes organizations like our exceptional VA and it's resources...and the Wounded Warrior Project and it's array of assistance...to get a brave young American back into his life. He (and they) deserve no less.

All my best & keep moving forward, Matt

3rd Annual Fundraiser...and I'm really running again!

2011-04-04T16:02:00.003+12:00

This serves as your official invitation to Team Minnesota/WWP's Third Annual Gala! The last two years have been wildly successful, and Tom and I would love to have you with us on the 10th! The Saint Paul Vulcans have put a lot of hard work and effort into this, and have graced us with their support...we're so proud to be affiliated with a great community organization like the Vulcans!

So please come out on Sunday afternoon! I promise this will be the best bit of money you spend all year!

Also, and I'll be brief about this, but I ran 32 miles this past week...every day. The healing is progressing on schedule, and I'm so excited to get under way with this year's schedule!

See you on Sunday...

All my best & Keep moving forward, Matt

Running with regularity & planning the upcoming season

2011-03-25T06:22:00.002+13:00

I'm running daily now, about 3 miles a day, sometimes more, sometimes less. It's hard to describe what it feels like. It's been so long since I've felt that daily grind, that soreness in the calf muscle, that tightness in the leg muscles. It feels great!

But, I also have to acknowledge that it's a baby step. And, counter intuitively, it's much more work than I remember. When you've been away from that daily run for awhile (in my case, a full six months) ~ everything atrophies. I haven't gained a ton of weight or anything, I haven't "let myself go" by just sitting around and not exercising. Yet, over time, the ability to rapidly propel yourself forward, the specific set of muscles that work in concert to get you to go full speed ahead...they don't do very well at coordinating their movements.

So what I'm left with is an awkward motion. I think this is why a lot of people don't like running....because they don't do it enough to get past this ungraceful stage. They labor more than they would if they'd been efficient. So, the self fulfilling prophecy exists in running: the more you run the more you like to do it because you get better at it...the less you run the harder it is to break through the first attempts, thereby diminishing your appetite to continue.

That's the stage I'm at. I've been mixing in regular running for about two weeks now. The nearly healed broken right foot still offers some minor feedback now and again, but I'm confident that it's just small muscles/tissue around the break, not the actual bone itself. The left knee is coming along too: the pain still exists, but at this point it's just a nuisance that doesn't preclude me from a run. I've been doing strengthening exercises for it 2-3 times per week: mostly body weight exercises like wall sits and one-legged squats. And I've added plyometric jumps. It's coming along.

Lastly, I've been working on my form. When I look at photographs of my earlier races, I can clearly see that I had a tendency to sit back and strike the ground with my rearfoot. This increases the load on the knees greatly, and truly isn't the way we were meant to run. During recovery, I've read extensively on our foots natural load-bearing capability and have decided to seek out the lightest, most flexible shoes available in order to promote the safest footstrike for my body's natural movement. So, I've become a "minimalist," or, to be more accurate, discovered that I was born to be one and have decided to reacquaint myself with that human characteristic. There are several ways I "test" myself when I run, to ensure that I'm doing the right thing: getting 180 footfalls in per minute (or 30 per 10 seconds), upright posture with arms comfortably at the ribcage, slight forward lean, and, lastly, up on the toes/forefoot for each strike...this reduces the amount of strain on the knees, thereby giving me greater mechanical/structural endurance.

Ok, wow, that's a lot. I'll have to come back to that at some point later. I've got about a million things to do to prepare for the 2011 Minnesota WWP Event on April 10th! I'm excited to unveil my complete schedule for this season through June 2012 ~ be there and you'll be the first to know!

Oh, and starting next week I'll be charting my training here. Now that I've actually got something good to write about ~ real runs!

All my best & Keep moving forward, Matt

Coming back is lonely and frustrating ~ but worth it

2011-03-02T14:27:00.002+13:00

It's almost time to start running again. After shutting everything down at the end of last September, 5 full months later, I'm starting to believe that I'm close to being 100% again. It's been a long time since I've been able to say that. The acupuncture treatments with Dr. Yan have worked exceptionally well, and each time after I get off the table I feel better than the previous visit. I've now gone in to see him a total of 6 times, each visit is pretty much the same: he puts 1-2 needles in the point of greatest pain (top left corner of the left kneecap), one in the muscle that extends along my shin, and one in the longest muscle of the left quadriceps. Then I sit there, reading Time magazine, for 35 minutes or so. That's it. Frankly, I'm astounded at how well it's worked, and, reflected on the ease with which he is able to ease pain in such a non-invasive manner. I remember taking ibuprofin, 4 x 800mg/day in college! And, of course, it led me to think about severely wounded Veterans and their troubles with the various medications necessary to keep them on the road to recovery...below you'll find a link to a NY Times piece on this very subject:

Great NY Times piece on Veteran rehabilitation.

All I can say is that acupuncture has helped me with my physical rehab, which ~ is just really lonely and frustrating! I miss running with friends, outside...that's what enables me to feel a sense of personal rejuvenation...that's helped so much since returning from the desert.

Anyhow, I'm getting close. So close that I've already entered my first race for this year: the North Face 50k Trail Championships in San Francisco, on December 3. I'll race more before and after this one, but that's the starting point...

And over the next couple of weeks you'll read more about the full schedule. I've got an exciting announcement about quite an adventure, a race I've been thinking a long time about tackling, that'll really test my endurance and stamina as a person...

Lastly, over the coming two weeks, you'll read about our event in Minnesota at the beginning of April. It's time to get the word out and get people excited about this amazing event!

All my best & keep moving forward, Matt

P.S. Please put a positive thought in your mind for the people of Christchurch ~ to get hit with a second earthquake ~ it's been very similar to the mood/feeling in the US after September 11th. They've been put in a terrible situation, and pushed through with strength...

Left knee and Acupuncture: New hope from the East?

2011-02-13T07:09:00.003+13:00

I had an acupuncture treatment for my left knee on Thursday afternoon. It went well and I can't wait to get back in for my second tomorrow.

Maybe I should bring everyone up to speed on what's wrong with the knee. First, I had about 1/3 of my patella tendon removed at the end of college. I wasn't functioning properly, hadn't healed over 2 years, and was sort of like a rubber band that had lost it's elasticity. Frayed. That's how the orthopedic doctor described it, and so we went ahead with the removal. Which isn't that bad of a surgery, as we all have twice as much tendon there as we need.

From 2002-2005, my first years in the Army, I couldn't run. I had to take the alternate physical fitness test, which didn't really matter much anyways because I was deployed for so long over that time period. That's when I started to run again, more and more miles each year until last April I had the re-emergence of the pain in the top of the knee cap. Frankly, I've tried everything to get it to leave. Massage, stretching, anti-inflammatory cream, some time off. I took May and June off this past year, but recognizing that I needed to race the TransRockies Run, I allowed myself to run through the pain. A note on that ~ I'm still shocked that Paul and I finished 4th at that event. I ran 115 miles over 6 days in Colorado's mountains with a really bad patella tendon.

Which begs the question: how bad could it be if I could do that? Patella tendinopathy/tendinitis sort of saps your quad strength. It disallows you from using your quad to support the knee. In turn, you have to use other muscles to compensate. I would put most of my weight on my right leg. I could use more calf and more hamstring to stabilize each step and bound. Over time, it degrades other, surrounding muscles. When I finally decided it was time to rest the knee, after the Team WWP season was over, I could barely lower myself to sit down in a chair ~ the left leg just wouldn't allow me to do it.

So, last October I went to see a traditional sports doctor. He took xrays, gave me the diagnosis that I expected, and told me to back off running and do an eccentric knee bend (at a decline angle) twice a day for rehab. We also tried two blood injections. Essentially, he injected my left knee at the point of greatest pain (top of the left kneecap) with a large needle/syringe filled with my own blood. The idea is that the pain is in the tendon, the tendon is not functioning properly and they don't carry much, if any, blood in them. Muscles heal quickly, mostly because they carry blood. So...if you can get/force blood into the tendon, it should heal the tendon quicker.

My two injections were very uncomfortable and felt like a bad bruise to the knee for the following 3 or 4 days, both times. And, they helped only marginally. It's really hard to tell if improvement is made, as it's made so gradually. The improvements are so small...micro level, at best. I know the knee isn't as bad as it was last October. But it's still not better. It's still not the same as my right knee.

Enter acupuncture. My wife Rachel has gone many times during her ballet career for a variety of injuries. For some reason, we never really talked about it. Maybe she felt that I would be skeptical: I'm on record that chiropractors are one-trick ponies that can help some ailments, but that they claim too much success. Of course, all that really matters is that someone finds improvement, so if you go to a chiro and it goes well, that's all that matters.

I have, however, never been skeptical about acupuncture ~ I've just never been exposed to it. It's the preferred medicine of choice for 1.2 billion people, likely more, so it must have something to it. And, more importantly, if Western medicine (the sports doc) chose to treat me by stimulating blood in the tendon ~ isn't that pretty much what acupuncture would do too ~ only with a smaller, more precise needle?

So I went in (Rach came along to see how it went), and the doctor couldn't have been nicer. He had been trained in Shanghai, and teaches Tai'chi and Kung Fu here in Wellington. He placed one needle in my quad and one in my shin, along my body's "meridian." The he found the point of greatest pain in the kneecap and placed two needles there. Going in was uncomfortable, but not painful, per se. However, once they were in it wasn't painful at all. He left me to lay there with the needles in for 25 minutes, with a bio-energy (heat) lamp on the knee. When the time was up, he came in, removed the needles, rubbed the knee, and put a herbal cream on it.

I have felt a micro improvement in the knee. It's not better, to be sure, but the acupuncture doctor said that it would take three treatments. As I mentioned, I go back tomorrow for #2. I'm hopeful that there is continued improvement ~ he said he had seen this problem many times before and had had great success with the condition. We'll see next week ~ I'll post how things are going and how successful the treatment is. I've still got my skeptical eye...I won't be convinced until we're done. But hope springs eternal.

And this is something I had known about, heard about, that was successful at pain management. I won't be able to evaluate that, as I'm going for a specific treatment for a more-or-less mechanical problem, but certainly if one is successful then there's potential for the other (where there's smoke there's fire). Perhaps Western medicine could learn from the East? Western medicine has tried to quantify and assess acupuncture to little success ~ it seems that it's difficult for an apple to study an orange. Are there applications for the wider public, for veterans from war? I'll get more into that next week.

All my best & Keep moving forward, Matt

Three more weeks to the first finish line; three others coming this season

2011-02-07T06:14:00.003+13:00

Three more weeks. That's what I keep telling myself. The right foot is coming along, and the knee is nearly fully healed, so I'm treating this injury rehabilitation as my first "finish line" of the season. The first part of my year. And I'm giving myself until the beginning of March to get there. It's a good marker to transition back to training. It'll have been 10 weeks since breaking the foot, which is actually a cautious return schedule. Clearly, broken bones heal at different rates, some faster, some slower. Being that I'm young, healthy, etc., it's fair to say that I'm on the faster end of that scale. And the "average" person is fully healed in 6-8 weeks. So 10 weeks is reasonable. Considering where I'm at now (walking, not quite full range of motion, feels like a bruise), March 1st should be good.

Similarly, the knee is finally at the end. It's still noticeable, which might be what I'm just going to have to get used to considering that I've had 1/3 of that tendon removed (2002). It'll likely never have the same elasticity that my other knee has. I'm still doing my rehab exercises for it, twice a day, and they're much, much improved from 4 months ago. Again, "average" recovery time for patella tendinitis is 4-6 months, and by the beginning of March I should be right in that window.

Both of which are why I haven't been blogging as much about training. I do a lot of stationary biking, and there really isn't much to say about that. It's not horrible, but it's certainly not exciting. But it has given me a lot of time to think about what I want from this coming season and beyond: I want to focus solely on quality. In this past I've been really interested in quantity, in lots of races and lots of miles. This time I'm changing direction towards one race ~ a road marathon at the end of the calendar year. Although I can't be specific yet about what race I'll choose, I do know that's what I want. And I want to drop my personal best in the event by 8+ minutes, to under 2 hours, 30 minutes. In turn, I also want to drop my personal bests in the half marathon (to 1:10) and the 10k (to 31 minutes).

So I'll be a road racer this year. A healthy one. So, my personal racing goals for the year:

1. Stay healthy
2. Run a marathon under 2:30
3. Run a half under 1:10
4. Run a 10k under 31 minutes

Best guess as to how the year turns out...I start training in March, increasing mileage until April. In May and June I train for a late June 10k. Then, starting in July, I train in earnests for a late October half marathon and a full in early December. This schedule gives me plenty of time to build gradually, something I've never really allowed myself to do.

Until next week, All my best & Keep moving forward, Matt

Starting again, from the bottom...

2011-02-01T06:39:00.003+13:00

Wow, it seems surreal getting back on the blog when it looks so good! I admit, I haven't been excited at pdating the blog for some time. It was getting to be a nuisance as it wasn't well laid out, causing me to have to spend about twice as much time editing it as I should have. That said, now that it's formatted properly, I feel a little more motivated to plug in new information.

Like the fact that I'm continuing to support the Wounded Warrior Project via my running and racing! I just can't give it up. Frankly, it sort of grows on you over time. You feel good at your contribution, and just can't let it go. Even from New Zealand. Even with your first child, a daughter, soon to be born. Even with a full class schedule. And, unfortunately, even when injuries have taken you down for the past 5 months. As a lot of you know, I've had problems with the patella tendon in my left knee since last April/May. After completing my running schedule last year (4th overall at the TransRockies Run), I did one more race here in New Zealand (3rd overall at the Abel Tasman Coastal Classic), and decided to take some time off to heal.

That started in October. I went to see a sports doctor, who prescribed rest, rehabilitation exercises, and blood injections to the tendon in question. Slowly, over time, with a lot of hot yoga and light strengthening exercises, it's come around. So well that, on the day after Christmas (Boxing Day in NZ), I went for a jog in a local park, tripped on a root...and broke my right foot! It was a minor break, nothing serious, but tough to take. The knee wasn't fully healed, the foot was broken...what else? No joke, I've even had my fill of the painful minor stuff too: three toenails came off after the TRR and one malformed when it grew back - it was ingrown and had to get pulled. Lastly, I've just had a plantar wart on my left foot!

All that said, I'm feeling like I'm close to getting back on the horse. I'm just over 5 weeks since the broken foot, and should be fully healed around the end of February. The knee is significantly improved as well, and should be good by then as well. Right now I'm still consumed by stretching and strengthening as I can, with some biking to feel a little like I'm still getting some cardiovascular work in.

Over the next month, I'll lay out my goals for this coming running season, as well as illustrate how I'll connect them to the WWP. I expect to be back to regular run training by March 1st, and by then I'll start writing once per week...

All my best & Keep moving forward, Matt

2010-10-02T07:26:00.010+13:00

TEAM WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT FINISHES OUT THE YEAR WITH A FOURTH PLACE FINISH AT THE GORE TEX TRANSROCKIES RUN!!!

Team WWP is grateful for the generous support from Technical Management Services...

CLICK HERE TO CONTRIBUTE TO AMERICA'S SEVERELY WOUNDED HEROES!! WILL YOU BE THE ONE THAT PUTS US OVER THE $100,000 MARK?

**Below, Paul and I at the finish at TRR!!
Saturday, 2 October, 7:38am, Wellington, New Zealand ~

Hi there, Team WWP, it's been awhile, but a good finish to another successful season. We've been going for 22.5 months now, and we've raised just shy of $96,000 for America's severely wounded heroes. It's been an amazing journey, with all the high points and bottom dwelling you'd expect from an undertaking like this. I'm excited that we've gained momentum. The first year, we raised roughly $40,000, and this second year nearly $56,000. Truly this has been a labor of love for all those involved. It has not been corporate based in the least (although I'm thankful for the amazing help from Technical Management Services and Nathan Hydration) ~ it's been people based. Donations ranging from what happened to be in someone's pocket to $10 to $20 to $50. College kids gathering coins from seat cushions (that's a true story). Average folks with a spontaneous moment of compassion and generosity.

Even more so, they've given their time. The events we've put on this past two springs in Minnesota were some of the best things I've ever been associated with, in my entire life, period. The amount of time that my great fundraising partner and friend Tom Cocchiarella put in, not to mention the Saint Paul Vulcans and the rest of Cocchiarella family...so many others gave...it was astounding. I was privileged to have been a part of something so special.

I should note, I have too many people to thank specifically (it would literally take me days!), so I have to keep this short. But there is one more person I have to write about. My wife, Rachel. We met while I had just started doing this, so she's been with me nearly every step (or misstep) of the way. Most notably, she's been with me when I've been in my worst moments. The injuries. The days where I would come back from a run and go straight for the ice (literally every day for the past 5 months). She's massaged the big knots in the legs out...but more importantly, she's been at the finish lines and when I've hit bottom. I could not be who I am without her. There's no better way for me to say that. Thank you.

Tom and I have talked this over a bit, and we've decided that we'll continue Team WWP, albeit in a different form. Rachel and I are currently at an assignment in New Zealand (through June 2012), which precludes us from being around for awhile. So I'll sort of fade into the background, and Tom, assisted by the Vulcans, will take over. It looks as though the spring banquet/get together will continue as the signature event. Although we didn't make it to $100,000, I am heartened by the fact that I know that Tom and the Vulcans will in the coming months...

Oh, last thought, I'm finally taking a real injury break. The left knee just never got better, and it's going to take some time away to fully heal. I had to cancel an event in December, which I really couldn't do this past couple years, but it's finally time. Please cross your finger and/or pray for me not to have to go under the knife. It doesn't look likely, but you never know about these things.

Again, I thank you for being a part of Team WWP, and I'll never forget this experience...

All my best & Keep moving forward,
Matt

**Here's a couple recent stories...

Army Times story on Team Wounded Warrior Project

NZ Herald story on my first race here ~ finished 3rd place

**Top, rounding the last turn
after 116.95 miles!!

**Bottom, our customary post stage pushups, one for every mile of that day!!

2010-03-18T23:11:00.016+13:00

TEAM WWP PLACES 3RD AT THE GRAND ISLAND TRAIL MARATHON!!

CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT AMERICA'S WOUNDED HEROES!!

Team WWP is grateful for the support and generosity of ~

5 August 2010, Falls Church, VA ~

Rachel and I are sitting in the living room of a good friend's house (thanks Ty, Jenny & Kade!) with all our most important belongings packed and ready to drive west for the TransRockies Run. We've had quite an adventure for the past couple of weeks getting to this point, the highlight of which was last weekend's 3rd place finish at the Grand Island Trail Marathon in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan. It was, quite simply, the best natural marathon course I've ever seen. Breathtaking views of Lake Superior...and great people that were inspired to see the WWP logo.

For me, personally, it was a great day. I've been struggling with this knee injury for over 3 months now, and although it's still not 100%, it's nearly there. I still have some pain and things I can't do...but I'm working past them. I guess that's...well, when you've been volunteering for the WWP as long as I have...could it have been any other way? I knew this wasn't going to be easy...

All that said, I'm rushing to get out the door, so I have to be brief and to the point. I was to partner with Erin Delude for the TransRockies, an accomplished trail gal from Washington State and Idaho. Unfortunately, she's been hit with some family challenges ~ both her (shoulder) and her 5 year old son (throat) need surgery the week prior to the race. She won't be able to run...but, of course, she'll be in our prayers and I'm certain that all will turn out for the best. They mostly do when you're a great person like Erin is.

Erin helped me find a perfect replacement ~ Paul Terranova ~ I met him and his wife Meredith (successful ultrarunner that just knocked down the Western States 100) at last year's TRR and they've been supporting Team WWP ever since. He's an ex-Army Ranger that's spent more than a few days and nights in the field, and a very accomplished triathlete. We're going in to this one committed to finishing these long miles proudly to honor those wounded warriors that are facing similar physical challenges daily...

I'll be writing more soon, from the road...

Again, All my best & Keep moving forward, Matt

**Some pictures of Matt running at the Saint Paul Saints 4 July Game...yeah, I know they're kind of small...click on the image to bring it up in size. The one to the right is of Tom, Rachel and I on the field prior to speaking to the spectators...

CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT AMERICA'S WOUNDED HEROES!!

23 July 2010 ~

I've got a bit of a belated report from our 4 July weekend effort. I was hoping to announce a total, officially, via the blog, but I'm afraid we're a little behind. When all is said and done, and all the money is accounted for, the Saint Paul Saints and Afton Trail Race brought us to the $89,000 mark!! In 18 months, Team WWP has raised nearly $100,000...we're so thankful to the Saints for having us at the game. And, of course, Tom and I couldn't do this without the Saint Paul Vulcans. Amazing people and so generous with their time. It was a great opportunity to speak to the 9,000 fans (with a large contingent of military veterans) about severely wounded warriors from Iraq and Afghanistan.

And I'm coming to the realization that I'm nearing the end of the line for this effort. I've definitely had an amazing time doing this...but New Zealand is just too far away to continue. We've talked with the Vulcans, and they're looking at continuing on with the spring event...so it's good to know that this effort will live on past my days beating up my feet to bring interest to the WWP.

Grand Island Trail Marathon in a week, TransRockies Run, 113 miles in 6 days, in a month. My left knee is coming along, not 100%, but close. After that, a long plane ride across the Pacific...

Thank you so much for being involved enough to read about our severely wounded warriors...I was just up at Walter Reed the other day. It reminded me to focus, to keep at it.

All my best & Keep moving forward, Matt

30 June 2010 ~

All,It's been awhile since I've last written ~ things have been busy as Rachel and I prepare for our next assignment in New Zealand. You'd be amazed at how many hurdles one has to hop over to make it overseas in in the US Army. Well, on second thought, you probably wouldn't.

Big weekend ahead. My knee is at the 85% recovered mark, meaning that I can run but not really race the way I want. That said, I'll still be participating in the Afton Trail Run (in Afton State Park) on Saturday, 3 July, in the 25k distance. I finished second there last year, but am just looking to remain healthy through this one. It's an amazing event and I think the world of their Race Director, John Storkamp.

Then, on the 4th of July, Team WWP will be at the Saint Paul Saints game in a big way. There's going to be a pregame ceremony with a ceremonial flyover, some wounded veterans and combat veterans in attendance, the Saints will wear special jerseys for auction...and I'll be running during the game to earn donations...yep, you heard that right, I'll be running from the first pitch to the last out (really hoping there aren't extra innings!). Each inning, the announcer will let the crowd know how far I've gone and how much money we've raised...and, between some innings I'll even do a lap of the field. I hope we can bring in some good donations that night ~ we're so close to that $100,000 mark!

Here's the team's press release for the event ~

http://www.saintsbaseball.com/news/saintsnews/index.html?article_id=1248

Please consider coming out to the game if you can make it, or, if you can't, make a donation on our Independence Day. Every bit, even what some consider a small amount, will help us to our goal! This is one of those holidays that...well, it really reminds me what some of these special men and women give for us to have the freedom to live in such an amazing country.

Oh, and say a little prayer for my left knee. I know I am.

All my best & Keep moving forward, Matt

5 June 2010 ~

No Comrades Marathon start, or finish for Matt this year - my left knee wasn't strong enough.

I'm sitting in my living room, next to my dog Mickey, very early in the morning. It's not 5am yet, on a Saturday, my body's clock isn't quite right. I've just finished reading over what I wrote before Comrades (below), and I can't really shake the feeling of disappointment. As I want to keep my mass emailings down, I'm just going to write about it, briefly, here.

The bottom line is that I gave the knee ample time to heal. I took 5 full days of rest (no exercise) after 10 days of light work. That's about the max amount of time you can back away from running without getting too rusty. I wanted to make the call at the last possible second, as close to the competition as a I could, in order to give myself a shot. Anyhow, I knew it would be pretty dicey, as just spending more than an hour on it was stiffening it up & getting it sore. The day before, I pulled the plug. I likely couldn't have finished. What would've been worse is that finish or not, I would've been down for a long, long time after this race. And I just don't have that kind of time to sit out these events ~ I've made commitments to our wounded veterans and you to fill out these miles.

I wish I could report otherwise ~ but I'll be back as soon as possible. I've been working hard (3.5 hours yesterday) to get this leg back in proper function for the summer's events.

All my best & Keep moving forward, Matt

24 May 2010 ~

“The government gave me the means to survive; the Wounded Warrior Project gives me the means to live.”

I was able to be in attendance at the WWP’s Annual Courage Awards and Gala in New York last week – and heard those words spoken by an Iraq war veteran and double amputee, who now serves as the organization’s Director of Alumni Outreach. It was simply the most accurate and powerful description of what the WWP does.

Now, on to our update ~
It's hard to put into words what the Comrades Marathon means to me. For starters, it was one of my sources of inspiration for Team Wounded Warrior Project. In fact, if you read back to some of my first blog postings, they include the Comrades in multiple instances. For some of you that are new to Team WWP, let me briefly bring you up to speed on this amazing event. After World War I, a South African Veteran named Vic Clapham came home a different person having endured a 2,700 forced march across German East Africa as a prisoner of war. He wanted to honor his friends and "comrades" that had been killed and wounded in The Great War. So he founded a race, the first of it's kind as it became the world' first ultramarathon distance event. The race constitution states that the race is "to celebrate mankind's spirit over adversity."

You can read more on the race via the wikipedia link below, as well as on the race site run by the event’s Australian Ambassador (Mr. Bruce "Digger" Hargreaves) – you’ll find some amazing video footage there:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comrades_Marathon

http://www.mymarathonclub.com/comradestragics.html

I've wanted to do this race starting the second I read about it. And now, for Team WWP, I have the opportunity to do it. I know this is not my cup of tea, that this is not the endurance event that I'm particularly suited to excel at. I had a goal in mind (Silver Medal, under 7 hours, 30 minutes - 56 miles at an 8 minute pace) - however, I've never done anything quite like this and don't know how my body will respond to the 40th mile, the 50th mile, and the 56th mile. To compound things, I’ve had a lot of inflammation in my left knee recently, to the point that I’ve had to take the last week off. In light of that…I'm likely to slide to 8 or 9 hours (Bill Rowan Medal). We’ll see. I'm hoping for the best, planning for the worst...I just really want to get across the finish line with a (mostly) healthy body. I'm really going beyond myself in this one. I'm a little nervous, more so than most races. It’s going to be punishing just to finish and come out of it healthy on the other side of the finish line.

But I know what and who I'm running for. America's severely wounded warriors similarly face this feeling (of the unknown) - every single day. And I'm just trying to honor their sacrifice, one tough day at a time, for 300 miles. Not a day goes by that I don't read a story about the ugly statistics in our armed forces. Years and years of combat on a force that continually gets cycled back into the fight...wounds...physical and psychological...are piling up. Our military’s suicide rate is through the roof, as well as those recorded by the Veteran’s Administration.

The least I can do, and I mean, absolutely the least I can do is use the small bit of talent God and my parents gave me, for something good - to channel it's benefits to those that have greater need. If I can do that, then this challenge that I've wanted to take on for so long – will have been a success.

Check out how I’m doing at http://www.comrades.com/ - my race number is 49348.

30 May 2010 - it's going to be an amazing one!

All my best & Keep moving forward, Matt

Arlington, VA, 29 April 2010

Sometimes, it takes an event to get past a mental hurdle. In my case, it took three, random, sequential events. When I write, I'm trying to convey to you a sense of the "why" and the "how" I'm progressing through this 300 miles in 2010. You've probably noticed that my last few postings haven't been sunshines and rainbows. There are two components to what I've beend doing: the fundraising and my performance. My expectations for myself have largely been disappointing over the past month.

But something's changed. I feel better. More hopeful. Realizing more that two sub-par races are not the end of the world. And, getting back to my point, three things brought my gaze back to a motivated.

1. I saw the most amazing challenged athlete at the Boston Marathon. He was a young guy, maybe mid-20s, with some sort of birth defect in both legs that forced him to use a stablizing walker. That's not the amazing part - his legs were malformed such that he had to do the race in a sort of backwards/side shuffle. I passed him going up a hill at about mile 8 (or so), and thought to myself "this is why you're here - quit worrying about yourself!" All in one instance, I was energized to push forward. I know he wasn't one of those that will benefit from the WWP, but he's someone that is representative of the people that we're trying to help. He was amazing and proved to me that the human spirit really can do anything if given a chance. I always fall back on one of my favorite quotations from the Count of Monte Cristo, "Don't you know that anything is for sale to the man that is willing to pay the price?"

2. The second is not very happy, I'm afraid to report. The Veteran's Administration recently reported an estimated 950 veterans receiving care attempt suicide each month, and that 18 veterans (including those beyond their care) commit suicide each month. When you couple that with the suicide epidemic in the Army (our numbers have grown signifcantly, each year, for 6 years) - it terrifies me. I don't know what to say about this one. I mean, I have a lot to say, not much of it would help the problem. But it truly scares me. Primarily because I know how dark you can feel after a combat deployment. It's not every truly happy...there's feelings of regret, remorse, sadness, survivor's guilt...a sense that nothing you'll ever do will matter as much to the world as your role while deployed. They weigh heavily on the soul. I can say that, although I never really contemplated ending my life - I can see how other soldiers would in moments of irrational weakness. Anyhow, there isn't much of a point here other than to say the report shocked my system and was another reminder that we've got a long way to go as we help our wounded veterans.

3. The last is a race I did for the Army this Wednesday - the ACLI Capital Challenge. It's a charity event, for which all the proceeds go to the DC Special Olympics, a 3 mile run near the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. The Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch, Judicial Branch, and the media all put together teams of 5 - for example, I ran for Team Army Strong (our team captain was Major General McConville - the Army Chief of Legislative Liason). There were about 15 Senators there, 40 some Members of Congress...Senator John Thune just edged out Senator Scott Brown, for example. I finished 6th overall, about 16 minutes, and our team finished 2nd overall (just behind the FBI's team, very close). While there, I got to meet Meb Keflezighi - the American Silver medalist in the marathon in 2004, he won the NYC Marathon last year (first American since 1982) - it was a huge honor. We talked briefly about his recovery from Boston (he finished 4th) and he profusely thanked our Army team for our service to the nation. What a great guy...of course, we thanked him in return for bringing honors to our country for his athletic achievements.

These three things...(good things come in threes, right?) brought my mind back to the positive end of the scale. Which, frankly, is something I'll need going towards the Comrades Marathon. I've started preparation in earnest for Comrades, and I fully believe that I'll be ready to go come May 30th. I've never done something like this (56 miles, in heat, on pavement, in South Africa), but, as far as physical preparation goes, I'll be as ready as I can be. I've got some long miles ahead (90-100+ per week) that I think will pay fitness dividends next month. My original goal of a silver medal there (under 7 hours, 30 minutes, an 8 minute per mile pace) will be refined through training these next three weeks. I'll start my rest period around 16 May - and ease up as I get closer to race day.
My greatest hope is that this hard work and effort will inspire you to support America's severely wounded heroes. I promise the effort will be there, if nothing else. Please consider a donation and talk to others about doing the same!

All my best & Keep moving forward, Matt

22 April, 2010, Arlington, VA - early morning before run and work...

Good morning Team WWP, I'm sorry I haven't gotten back to you since before the Boston Marathon this past Monday. Making these trips happen on top of work can put you behind on certain things, and this is one of them. So here's the race breakdown: the event was amazing and a good experience, but I didn't perform the way I'd hoped. I progressively slowed down throughout the 26 miles...an occurrence that marathoners try to avoid at all costs. I know that part of it was a byproduct of racing a month ago, and that you're supposed to slow down post event, but it's still disheartening. I feel a lot like I did after Stage 1 of the TransRockies Run last year, when I essentially lost all the salt in my body and had to walk the last three miles of the stage. It's a huge lesson in humility, and a reminder that your body has limits, and only with hard training can you extend those limits. There are no shortcuts. A quotation I used last month in a speech in Minnesota: "Growth is slow and uncertain. It requires faith."

I still have faith that I can rebound for a good effort at Comrades next month. Quickly, I'll tell you why ~ at mile 6 or so on Monday, I saw an amazing disabled athlete. His legs had been malformed in such a way that he had to shuffle with the use of a modified cart. He was moving so slow...I just thought to myself, "if he can do what he's set out to do, then I know I can...and I'd better get going!" Our severely wounded American veterans deserve similar considerations as they move on with their lives.

Comrades is next. 56 miles to the South African coastal city - Durban. This is the 85th running of a race that was originally dedicated to veterans of "The Great War" (World War I). This will really be a challenge that I know I'm ready for, because I still have faith that with hard work, Team WWP will finish this one well!

Don't you know that anything is for sale to the man that is willing to pay the price? (Count of Monte Cristo).

All my best & Keep moving forward, Matt

**The picture below is from the NBC Washington interview I did last month...

4 April 2010, Arlington, VA ~ Easter Sunday

$81,300 raised for the Wounded Warrior Project as of today. I honestly never thought we’d go this far, have such high expectations. Sincerely. I originally thought we might eclipse $25,000. So this journey has been one where we’ve changed the bar for success quite a bit.

So I’m running in the Boston Marathon in two weeks. Yep, I’ll be competing in Boston’s 114^th running, the oldest and most prestigious marathon in the world. This is exciting for me because it enables me to take a shot at a personal record…a shot at redeeming myself after National Marathon. Now, one month post race, and in a marathon that starts at 10am ~ those are not optimal conditions for success. But I’ve got to try. And, although I think very, very highly of the Charlottesville Marathon, and would love to compete there someday, Boston is calling for me.

How could I say no? The world’s greatest marathon in April, followed by the world’s oldest and well known ultramarathon (56 miles) in May at Comrades in South Africa. Those will truly be two efforts that I won’t forget for quite some time. Frankly, if you have an extra wish or prayer, I hope you use it to bring me good health through these next few months…I’ll need it. This is heavy mileage at some big competitions, in fact, the biggest.

My strategy for this one? Well, I had a tough time with the heat at National, so I’m going to have to be careful at Boston (late start might bring some high heat). Also, it’s a deep downhill for the first 5km and I’ve got to keep it in control going out. I’d like to, ideally, get to the half in 1:17 or so ~ same gameplan as National ~ and do a better job of hanging on for the back half. Miles 17-21 are hilly (in Newton, MA), so I’ll lose a minute or two there. Not worried about that…I’ll try my best to preserve my energy in this stretch, for the last 5 miles.

Which, as always, is where the competition begins. It’s always the last 5 miles. I like to think that has a logical connection to America’s wounded heroes. My coach, George Buckheit from the Capital Area Runners, always wants me to start slow and finish fast, because it’s at the end of the race that you make the gains, where you really win. Our wounded heroes start a bit slow…but we’re helping them to finish fast…

April 19^th, Patriot’s Day in Massachusetts, the 114^th Boston Marathon, I’ll be there!

All my best and Keep moving forward, Matt

***I have to mention this ~ I’ve come across a great t-shirt company, Muze ~ you’ve got to check them out. All inspired by great lines in books, film, etc. They have awesome stuff, but most noteworthy ~ they have a line of shirts that they’ve developed directly with charitable organizations, to include the WWP. Literally, every dollar above cost to produce the shirt goes directly to the WWP (backed up by an amazingly transparent financial structure). Their featured celebrity for the WWP is Jeremy Roenick…anyhow, you’ve got to see this stuff:

http://www.muzeconnects.com/

http://store.muzeconnects.com/Wounded_Warriors_Charity_Shirt_p/m.3082.099.htm

HEAR MATT & TOM INTERVIEWED AT LENGTH ON NPR'S THE STORY WITH DICK GORDON

READ A STORY ABOUT TEAM WWP'S FIRST YEAR IN THE MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE

READ A STORY ABOUT TEAM WWP'S SECOND SEASON IN THE WOODBURY BULLETIN

Interesting article in the Washington Post about amputees from Iraq and Afghanistan...

21 March 2010, Arlington, VA, 10:42am EST

I'd like to be excited to announce this, so I'll do my best: TEAM WWP FINISHES 9TH PLACE AT NATIONAL MARATHON!!

There was my best effort at putting lipstick on a pig. I promised myself I'd move on after one day of disappointment. That makes this note, this writing, officially, my line in the sand. So here goes, I'll describe yesterday for you...

I felt good. I felt really loose going into yesterday, and was seriously expecting 2:35 or 2:36ish. A two or three minute personal record. I went out nicely, held back to what I felt would give me the strength in the second half to get there. I went through the half at 1:17:40 or so, meaning I'd just have to stay on that pace to do what I wanted to do, pace wise.

Anyhow, I fell apart in the last 10k. Those last 6 miles were slow and what dropped me to a 2:40 finish. I didn't completely seize up, but my right leg at the top of the hamstring hurt pretty bad and the inside of the knee, where the tendon meets the knee (well, it's probably not tendon, there's just a lot of stuff in there) started to cramp up...I got really hot in the sun. When Rachel and I got in the car postrace, the temperature gauge said 67 degrees ~ and the sun was really strong. I think I just overheated and it slowed me down. I can't really use that as an excuse, because everyone else on the course had to deal with the same conditions.

I'm sincerely disappointed in myself. I feel like I let a lot of people down. My Coach, George Buckheit, who's put a lot of effort into getting me ready for this race; the people in MN that gave so much to the WWP last weekend; my friend Ty Heaton, who tried to pace me in those last few miles when my legs weren't turning over fast enough...basically, everyone has been very supportive over the past year while doing this. And especially Rachel. I felt like I should have done better.

Lastly, mostly, I'm disappointed in myself. I know that I'm not always going to succeed. And I know that sometimes, losing and failing is good for me. It forces improvement in ways that success sometimes can't. But this one hurts. It feels like a lot of effort that wasn't worthwhile.

That said, I know it was worth it. I'll do better next time. In one month, I'll be racing in Charlottesville. I have a long week of recovery ahead, a week of jogging and getting my feet back under me, and then two weeks to train. I believe, if I'm healthy and the weather is good, I can do what I intended for yesterday, at Charlottesville. It's a tougher, hillier course. It's only a month away. I know these things. But I can do it. And I'll put the effort in to make it happen.

Wish me health (Luck doesn't really matter at this point).

3 weeks, 6 days to Charlottesville.

All my best & Keep moving forward, Matt

Interesting article in the Washington Post about amputees from Iraq and Afghanistan...

18 March 2010, Arlington, VA, 6:18am EST

We did it!! We pushed past our $75,000 goal this past weekend in Minnesota to just shy of $78,000 ~ and as a result we've developed a new goal: $100,000!

That said, everyone that contributed to this weekend needs a long breather. The entire Cocchiarella family, the St. Paul Vulcans, the SSP VFW, the Winter Carnival Court & Klondike Kates, John Hines from WCCO, the local Army Recruiters that did the Color Guard for us...not to mention all the donors for the silent auction. The Scottish Rite Masons in Minneapolis gave a lot, and so did Woodbury Lutheran Church's congregants. The evening was a huge success and contributed greatly to a long week in which Tom and I collected a very generous (approximate) $29,000.

I mentioned taking a break, but I don't really have one coming. I've got my first big race of the season, the National Marathon, in 2 days. In fact, I'm typing this before work on Thursday AM to get it done so I can just focus on race day. It's one thing for us to have a successful fundraising weekend, but, at the same time, I want to have success on the roads because that brings a different & important kind of recognition to Team WWP.

What do I think about the race? Well, I feel good. The bad weather really hurt some prep, but, on the other hand, maybe it kept me from overtraining. I was really concerned about pacing, going out at the right speed ~ but my Coach, George Buckheit from the Capital Area Runners, talked me down from that. He said to leave it alone and just run...that his best races happened when he wasn't too concerned about his time. And, I think I need that sort of advice, because otherwise I'd be looking at my watch all the time, and if I missed a mile split, I'd be thinking about all the people I'd failed, that support me through this long haul.

I will say this, I'm going to go out in 6 minute miles for about the first 7 miles of the race. After that, I'm not sure. My overall goal is to improve on my 2:38 personal record ~ a 2:35 seems doable, maybe even better. I'll keep you posted when I'm lying on the couch postrace and typing hurts!

Thanks for keeping tabs on Team WWP ~ we appreciate the support through the long year ~ it sustains us as we try to balance this with our work and families...

All my best & Keep moving forward,

Matt

HEAR MATT & TOM INTERVIEWED AT LENGTH ON NPR'S THE STORY WITH DICK GORDON

READ A STORY ABOUT TEAM WWP'S FIRST YEAR IN THE MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE

READ A STORY ABOUT TEAM WWP'S SECOND SEASON IN THE WOODBURY BULLETIN

2010-03-08T01:58:00.006+13:00

CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO AMERICA'S SEVERELY WOUNDED HEROES!!!

...THEN, PLEASE ACCEPT THIS INVITATION TO OUR EVENT ON 13 MARCH...

Team WWP is grateful for the support and generosity of ~

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO MATT & TOM INTERVIEWED AT LENGTH ON TEAM WWP ON NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO

CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT TEAM WWP IN THE MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE

Last thoughts ~ we're on the final countdown! 6 days to go until the big show! I've got a 5km in Minneapolis next Saturday ("Irish for a Day"), which will be not-so-great (I really don't like shorter distance races), then our annual Silent Auction in Minnesota. We've sold 500 tickets to the event so far, and have plenty of food and space for more!

Oh, and the photo below is from the Army's Athlete of the Year Award ~ General Dempsey is on the left, General Dunwoody is next to him (first female 4 star in the Army!), and the older gentleman next to me is General Sullivan (retired Chief of Staff of the Army).

Ok, gotta run, literally...see you next Saturday!

All my best & Keep moving forward, Matt

2010-02-09T10:32:00.006+13:00

(Matt receiving the award from GEN (Retired) Sullivan, GEN Dunwoody (1st female Army 4 Star General), and GEN Dempsey)

MATT WAS JUST NAMED THE ARMY'S ATHLETE OF THE YEAR THANKS TO YOUR SUPPORT OF TEAM WWP!!

CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO AMERICA'S WOUNDED HEROES!!

CLICK HERE TO LINK TO MATT & TOM ON NPR'S "THE STORY WITH DICK GORDON"

CLICK HERE TO READ A FEATURE ON TEAM WWP IN THE MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE

Team WWP is proudly affiliated with and grateful for the support of ~

1 March 2010, 5:40pm, Arlington, VA

Hey there Team WWP ~

It's been a crazy few weeks to say the least. Let me run down the events:

1. Rach and I drove all the way down to Myrtle Beach for the half marathon on 13 February only for the city to make a horrible decision to cancel the race the night before at about 11pm. It was disappointing on a lot of levels ~ so much effort and travel. And we never got the publicity from the race that we'd hoped for.

2. The one bright spot of the trip was that while driving down, we got the call that I was selected the Army's Athlete of the Year for 2009. It, of course, was a huge honor and I was really excited. It's a title that can help us find credibility with donors and sponsors, an achievement that validates all the hard work that goes into these events...

3. So, Rachel, my Dad Pete and Brother Kevin and I all made it down to Fort Lauderdale last week for the annual Association of the United States Army Winter Symposium for the award presentation. It was a great time and I met some amazing folks through AUSA (of which I'm a member of the MN GEN John Vessey Chapter) that've volunteered to help with Team WWP.

4. Not to let a trip to FL go to waste, I tacked on a race in Tampa yesterday (Gasparilla Distance Classic Half Marathon). There was an issue with the course! Talk about bad luck. Anyhow, the pace car that drives in front of the lead pack took a couple wrong turns and we ended up doing an extra half a mile, which is kind of a big deal to us crazy runners. I ended up running 13.6 miles in 1:15:41, which is about a 5:35/mile pace ~ my unofficial half marathon time should have been about 1:13 (or a tad better). It was good enough for first military finisher, second in my age group, seventh (I think) overall. Disappointing, but I'm really looking forward to the National Marathon on the 20th. I think that'll be a better day...

All that's left to say is to remind folks to come out to our 13 March event at the VFW in South Saint Paul, MN ~ it's really going to be a good time! Yes, I'm biased, but, trust me, there's going to be some great stuff there and people that you'll be glad to have met...

All my best & Keep moving forward,

Matt

8 Feb 2010, 4:40pm, Arlington, VA

Hello everybody, here we are again, new year, more races, more sweat, more work to be done, more fun to be had...I mentioned it a few months ago in one of my posts, this year is Team WWP Version 2.0. Better, smarter, faster. And that starts this Saturday in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
I'm racing in the half marathon there. Our first 13 miles of the 300 to come by this August. It's a good sized field as they've got a full marathon and a few other races. All told, we're looking at about 6,000 runners ~ a lot of great opportunities to get the Team WWP word out there.
Here's what you can expect from me, performance wise. I've been training well post-Marine Corps Marathon. No physical problems, nothing too bad. I've been in the 60-70 mile per week range, usually two early mornings on the track. My work leads me to a goal pace of 5:30/mile for the half, which equals about 1:12 total. If you go by Myrtle's history, that should put me in the top 3. Of course that depends on who shows up race day. Now, things to worry about ~ I gave blood a little over a week ago. Usually, that's not a good idea prerace, but, it was my only opportunity to give for some time considering my upcoming race schedule and the Comrades Marathon in South Africa in May (no donations for awhile after that!). The weather is also a factor. I've been on the treadmill the past three days, and it looks like I may be in for a fourth and fifth. It's really hard to replicate race conditions on the belt...
All that said, I feel confident in myself. My coach, George Buckheit from the Capital Area Runners, has really put in some hard work with me to get my times down to where they should be (and controlling my speed in the beginning of races!). I believe we can be in the top three in Myrtle and get some publicity and great press for Team Wounded Warrior Project.

I'll be adding more in postrace, next weekend, as I'm able to. Rach will be there with me to take some photographs so we can get you a view of race day. I'll also start writing about our huge event March 13th in South Saint Paul, Minnesota. A lot of people have put in a lot of time and effort to make this happen...we'd love to have you be a part of it!

All my best & Keep moving forward, Matt

2009-12-20T01:11:00.009+13:00

CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO AMERICA'S WOUNDED WARRIORS!!

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO MATT & TOM ON NPR'S "THE STORY WITH DICK GORDON"

CLICK HERE TO READ A MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE FEATURE ON TEAM WWP

Team WWP is proudly affiliated with and grateful for the support of ~

WHY SHOULD YOU SUPPORT TEAM WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT?

Thank you for taking a moment to read this important message. My name is Captain Matt Cavanaugh (U.S. Army; West Point 2002). In my two tours in Iraq, I saw fellow soldiers suffer devastating wounds, and I have watched the impact on their lives and families as they struggle to recover. On Veteran’s Day 2008, my friend & fundraising partner, Mr. Tom Cocchiarella (Air Force Veteran) and I launched “Team Wounded Warrior Project.” We dedicated ourselves to raising money and awareness on behalf of the Wounded Warrior Project, a non-profit organization whose core mission is to “honor and empower [severely] Wounded Warriors.” Since then, we’ve raised approximately $42,000, spoken to numerous audiences, received local and national press coverage, and touched millions of Americans through Team Wounded Warrior Project’s efforts. We did this primarily through endurance and ultra running events. In 2009 Team WWP pushed through 250 miles; the 2010 schedule adds up to 300 cumulative miles:

2010 Event Schedule (subject to change based on my military duties):

1. Myrtle Beach Half Marathon; 13 Miles; Myrtle Beach, SC; February 2010.

2. Irish for a Day 5km; 3 Miles; Minneapolis, MN; March 2010.

3. National Marathon; 26 Miles; Washington, DC; March 2010.

4. Charlottesville Marathon; 26 Miles; Charlottesvile, VA; April 2010.

5. Comrades Marathon; 56 Miles; Durban, South Africa; May 2010.

6. Rattlesnake Trail 50km; 31 Miles; Charleston, WV; July 2010.

7. Catoctin Mountain 50km; 31 Miles; Frederick, MD; July 2010.

8. TransRockies Run; 114 Miles; Colorado Rockies; 22-27 August 2010.

I want to help the 30,000+ Veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who have returned home without limbs, severe burns, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, by pushing beyond my physical and mental limits in their honor. During the recovery process, America’s severely wounded are pushed beyond their physical and mental limits on a daily basis, and their families fight to help them as their lives and dreams are forever changed. These individuals simply need more than the government is able to provide them, and Tom and I feel compelled to help by taking on this challenge.

So, how can you support Team WWP? Here are two ways:

1. Use the link above to our secure donation server. From here, you can contribute directly to the Wounded Warrior Project. Your donation immediately generates a receipt for tax purposes. I respectfully ask that you consider supporting me ($1 per mile) for one or more of these events. One hundred percent of your donation goes straight to the Wounded Warrior Project; there is no “middle-man.” All training, travel, and race expenses (estimated to be $5,000-$7,000) are borne by me – not your donations.

2. Attend our 2nd Annual Team Wounded Warrior Project Silent Auction (and Comrades Marathon Sendoff) on Saturday, March 13, 2010 at the South Saint Paul VFW! Last year’s event was attended by over 300 people, raised nearly $14,000, and we hope to double that amount in 2010! We will have local celebrities, a large silent auction (St. Paul Vulcan Krewe Fire Truck, golf clubs, etc.) as well as Veteran’s groups and ROTC Honor Guards present. Food and a cash bar will be available. Email Matt if you would like to purchase an advance ticket (matthew.cavanaugh@us.army.mil).

Please remember the African proverb: “If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Our support, together, can have a powerful, tangible impact on these severely wounded men and women. 2009 proved that and our 2010 season will be even greater! I humbly ask you to join with Tom and I in support of America’s severely wounded heroes and their families. They are volunteers that served bravely on our behalf, and we ask that you please help us honor them for their tremendous personal sacrifices – we must not forget them.

All Our Best & Keep Moving Forward, Matt and Tom

2009-08-21T01:06:00.011+12:00

VETERANS DAY 2009 ~ TEAM WWP, ONE YEAR!!

*MILLIONS MORE AWARE OF OUR

SEVERELY WOUNDED WARRIORS!!

*$41,533.09 RAISED!!

*AND WE'RE NOT DONE YET!!

CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT AMERICA'S WOUNDED HEROES!!

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO MATT & TOM ON NPR'S "THE STORY WITH DICK GORDON!!"

CLICK HERE TO READ A MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE FEATURE ON MATT & TOM

11 November 2009, 6:05am, Arlington, VA

Good Morning Team WWP ~

One year. I can hardly believe it. Sincerely, this has been a fast moving period of my life, to say the least. A lot of things have changed for the good...of course, I don't have the time to adequately address that, but it's something I think about often. How lucky I am, how grateful I am, how thankful I am to have been given the things that I've been given.

I'd say, that of all the things I've written about while a part of this process, thankfulness and gratefulness are the largest themes. It's from this overwhelming sense of the two that this effort was born of ~ simply put, soldiers make our lives safe to be lived as we wish. In order for that to be possible, they must feel comfortable that if something should happen to them, they will be taken care of. Our society has an obligation to do and give whatever it takes to fully assist those boys and girls that have been forever changed by their efforts to protect our country.

It's not out of pity that Tom or I have been a part of this ~ it's out of our basic sense of gratitude. Because, I think, most Veterans know that, when we look at those who have been seriously harmed in combat, it has nothing to do with how "good" or "bad" you are as a soldier. It's luck, or, fate, or, whatever you want to call it. There were moments during my time in the desert, the majority I doubt I'll ever talk about (except to Rachel), in which I sincerely believed it was my time. And it didn't happen. Some were not as fortunate as I was...so we keep working for these Heroes...we keep moving forward to help them to move forward...we're thankful for their service and stand ready to give them a hand up...

A quick update. For those of you that didn't know, I finished 26th overall (of about 21000 runners) at the Marine Corps Marathon. 2:38, about a 6 minute pace. I'm registered for the Comrades Marathon in South Africa in May, the race that inspired me to do this (read my first blog post for more on that). I'm setting up a nice schedule for the late winter/early spring to get me prepared for this huge race...we're still looking for a sponsor for that event...

We're also looking at a 3 April event in the Twin Cities, a "Rally for Team WWP/Sendoff to Comrades" ~ it should be bigger and better than last year. So keep that open on your calendars...

Find a soldier or a Veteran and say "Thank You" today. Those two words, well, sometimes, when you catch me in the right moment, they nearly bring me to tears. I'm certain they have the same impact on others...

And consider a donation to Team WWP ~ follow our link above to the secure donation site. It's easy, it's fast, and it will make a tangible impact on a severely wounded Veterans life...

All my best & Keep moving forward,

Matt

Arlington, VA 24 October 2009, 7:03am EST

Dear Team WWP,

I'm sitting on the couch next to Mickey Anthony Cavanaugh, our Boston Terrier, and thinking about starting the Marine Corps Marathon in just under 25 hours. I'm a little nervous, but I know that what will happen will happen. I've worked hard for a number of months, I've got a great support crew (Rachel, my brother Kevin, and Mickey)...the race will take care of itself. Rach has never seen me race a road marathon, and the resulting, well, pain. If you scroll down into one of my earlier posts, you'll see a picture from last year's Tucson Marathon (3rd place overall) where I look as if I'm in total agony (which I was). But it's a good pain, meaningful, fulfilling...I wish everyone could feel some of that...which is why Tom and I are seeking a way to keep this Team WWP going...

Two things have happened in the past few weeks. One, we received a wonderful donation commitment from Tom's financial advisor. Out of the blue, and substantial. Secondly, I contacted the Race Director (Aaron McConnell) about a complimentary entry for a real Wounded Warrior Team at next year's TransRockies Run ~ and he said yes. We're currently in a search to find two wounded athletes that want to take on the challenge...I have a friend that works for the US Olympic Committee (LTC Heidi Grimm) Paralympic division...we're hopeful that we can get two (we're hot on the trail of one). That's a feeling of success, of accomplishment, that is truly unique and satisfying...

One thing that I don't think is going all that well is the search for a sponsor for the Comrades Marathon. I'm at the point of no return ~ registration for first timers opens up 1 November. I'm diving in, going to do it, in the hopes that we can find someone that'll help get us to the world's oldest and largest ultramarathon ~ specifically created to honor Veterans.

If you know anyone or any business that would be interested in partnering on this endeavor, please ask them to contact me ASAP. We're doing multiple sponsorships ~ in tiered fashion: $500 level, $1000 level, title sponsor/$5000 level.

Ok, time to get back to stretching for tomorrow. I'm shooting for a 6 minute pace, or about a 2:37...we start at 8am EST, so I should be finishing about 10:37am EST...

I'll only write this once, never again, but since it's the Marine Corps Marathon, for good luck: Semper Fi!

All my best & Keep moving forward,

Matt

Arlington, VA 7 October 2009, 6:50pm EST

Dear Team WWP,

The final miles: I finished 38th overall at the TC's, in 55 minutes (a 5:30/mile pace), which was good considering that the USA Track & Field 10 Mile Championships were a part of the race...after the race, a Cocchiarella family friend escorted me over to the Elite Athlete Tent and I got to do some interviews with the press...as well as a short interview at the finish line for the crowd assembled at the finish. Great opportunitites!

As a side note, I hope you enjoy the pictures from the GORE-TEX TransRockies Run & the Twin Cities 10 Miler...

Both were amazing experiences, and ones that I won't soon forget. Rachel (my gorgeous Fiancee) and I keep talking about the TRR and how much fun we had...I can't say enough about these events...

Which is why I'm writing, why I'm posting this message. Some of you have been following Team WWP since we started, since last Veteran's Day (2008). If you go back to the beginning and look at my very first posting, I wrote that my inspiration for this effort was the Comrades Marathon in South Africa. It's the world's oldest and largest ultramarathon, 56 miles, created as a memorial to those South African soldiers that were killed in World War I. The race constitution states that the event exists "to celebrate mankind's spirit over adversity." I very badly wanted to compete in this event. This past May, I was unable to run due to my military obligations, so I ran in other events to generate interest in the Wounded Warrior Project. Now that I've completed the 250 miles in 2009...

I want to run in the Comrades Marathon on May 30th, 2010, representing the WWP. It's a serious challenge that would represent the farthest I've ever run. Further, my goal is to be a Silver medalist at the event ~ run at a sub-8 minute pace (7 hours, 30 minutes).

Here's my problem. I need a financial sponsor. Simply put, this is an expensive dream. This past year, I've run in 8 different events of varying length, each requiring significant travel, fees, food, lodging, gear...more tech shirts that you can imagine! My life has recently changed; I'm engaged. I cannot afford to do some of the things that I would do as a single person...so I need a corporate partner in this effort.

I'm opening this up to the public...I'm hopeful that someone reading this can direct me to an organization that might be open to a partnership. I'd be willing to work out logo representation, speak and write about the experience, and, well, do my best to be a good partner...everything's negotiable.

I sincerely believe this is a great vehicle for getting out the word about the great things the Wounded Warrior Project does. Considering the enormity of the event, this is truly a publicity-generating opportunity that makes for good print...

Please consider sponsoring me for the Comrades Marathon 2010 ~ it'll enable this train to keep moving along the tracks on the way to $50,000!

Feel free to contact me via email at matthew.cavanaugh@us.army.mil with suggestions!

All my best & Keep moving forward,
Matt

2 October 2009, 9:35am, Pentagon

Good Morning, Team WWP!

This is it. Two more days to my last 10 miles. I don't even know what to write. I've been pretty distracted with work (I'm trying to squeeze in this right now between assignments)...same with Tom. In fact, Tom's family had a bit of a scare ~ his new grandson, Jack, had some complications after delivery. Thankfully, the tough little guy pulled through and is on the road to joining an amazing family...

Which just brings me back to that theme - being thankful. Grateful for all that's been given to me. More than I deserve, honestly. But I'm trying to be a good steward of this great fortune (not financially, that's for sure, but other things) that I've been blessed with. Some people ascribe it to luck, others to fate. I merge all of it together with God (although I know some prefer not to) ~ no matter how you look at it ~ it's good to be alive and a part of a safe, stable, prosperous nation!

This has been a long year, and a good one. We've raised over $40,000, with your help, for a group of people, guardians, defenders of our home, that have been dealt a difficult and challenging blow. That's a good amount of money that can do a lot of great things for the Wounded Warrior Project.

Almost more importantly, so many more people are aware, have seen that logo ~ one soldier carrying another ~ than would have if we had not come together for the WWP. Every time someone made a donation, no matter how small, they were thinking, if just for a moment, about a severely wounded soldier. Every time one of you reached out to a colleague via email or a friend via text or your family via phone, and mentioned, in passing ~ "there's this guy I know that's running 250 miles..."

It all adds up. So far, to 240 miles. And the last 10, miles 241, 242...through 250...will be on Sunday, in Minnesota, my home, from the Dome to the Capitol in the TC's 10 Miler. We start at 7:05am...I should cross the University of St. Thomas (mile 5) at about 7:30 to 7:35, and then the finish at about 7:55 to 8am. Please consider coming out...I know it's early on a Sunday, but it'd be great. You can't imagine what it would mean to me...

It's really hard to stop doing this. I'm not sure I can. In fact, as I write this, I'm honestly tearing up knowing that we weren't able to get to the $50,000. I know that we did some amazing things, and I'm very proud of what all of us, together, have accomplished, but I can't help but feel a sense of loss for...money left on the table. Something else I could have done to get us over the mark. I hope I don't feel like that when I cross the finish line...I'm sure I'll just feel good...we'll see.

There are so many thank yous I need to get out...I'll start that process post race. Tom and I have talked and we're leaving the donation site up at least for the next few weeks...so no matter what, if you still want to get behind us, we'll be there...

Also, we've talked about the possibility of continuing on...so many distractions now though...more to follow...

Hope to see you Sunday! It'll be a tough, but fun race...it's the USA Track & Field National 10 Mile Championship...so there'll be a lot of talent out there...

All my best & Keep moving forward,

Matt

Breckenridge, CO

20 August 2009, 7:08am

Good Morning Team WWP ~

Final prep & training for next week's TransRockies Run is going very well. 6 days ago, Rachel picked me up from the Denver Airport and we made our way down to Colorado Springs (just over 6,000 feet). The next day I got up and did a good 16 along the Monument Creek Trail. We stayed in Colorado Springs through the weekend, long enough to see my partner, Justin Ricks, put down a 4:11 at Pike's Peak ~ good enough for 5th place overall!

Sunday afternoon Rachel and I made our way west to our little rented townhome on Sawmill Creek just off of Main Street Breckenridge. Absolutely beautiful. It's about 9,500 feet here...so the acclimation process has been going well. Typical day is a good run in the morning, Rachel (as a professional sports massage therapist) helps me stretch out the kinks post-run, then we spend the rest of the day hiking and seeing this beautiful area...

What I'm getting at is that this is truly the calm before the coming storm. I know that this race will be difficult, challenging...but above all, meaningful. My partner Tom and his son David are on their way, as well as my parents. Rachel, my amazing fiancee is here with me. My partner Justin is a motivated and exceptional athlete (with a great family that'll be there to support him). And if nothing else you can count on me giving my best effort...

Everything sets up so well for the race. But there's one thing that honestly scares me. As of this morning, we're just shy of $35,000 ~ well below our $50,000 goal with 6 weeks to go. I don't really know how to make up that gap except to just keep plugging away. If there's any way that you can talk to friends and family, to make a donation, small or large, it will be greatly appreciated. That's the only way I think this thing turns for the home team as we enter the final stretch...

Thank you for all your support ~ this is when Team WWP needs it the most!

All my best & Keep moving forward,

Matt

Oh, and check out fellow competitor Justin Mock's predictions about how the race should go next week...very interesting...looking forward to meeting this guy...

2009-08-01T23:27:00.005+12:00

CLICK HERE TO CHANGE A SEVERELY WOUNDED AMERICAN VETERAN'S LIFE!!!

1 AUGUST 2009, 7:29am

Good Morning, Team Wounded Warrior Project...thanks for checking in with us...Tom and I have a few points to update you on, so here goes:

1. Team WWP finished 10th overall at the 2009 Harrisburg Mile on July 15th. Above you'll see a photo that my amazing and gorgeous fiancee Rachel took for me...let's just say that, when all is said and done, after 250 miles of racing, that one-miler will be the most painful of all these experiences. It hurt, big time. I know that to a lot of you that's going to seem counterintuitive, but, trust me on that point...my lungs felt like they were on fire for about 30 minutes post-race...

2. You'll notice I had to punt on my Annual Birthday 30 Miler. I had some tightness in my left leg that I really didn't want to push...so I'm thinking we're going to knock that one out sometime over the next couple of weeks. It was really hard to pass that one by, but there's a much greater event coming up...

3. The TransRockies Run. My first note is that Dr. Mary Kreis won't be able to join us for the race. We're sorry she can't make it, but have been able to secure a great new teammate for what we're trying to accomplish. His name is Justin Ricks, from Pueblo West, Colorado...and he's a pretty smokin' runner. He just set course records on two tough trail runs in Colorado, is about to take on Pike's Peak in a couple weeks, and when he's not helping out the Team WWP effort is a sponsored athlete with Team Pearl Izumi/Smith (see below). Bottom line, welcome to the Team, Justin, we're excited to have you on board.

CLICK HERE TO SEE JUSTIN'S TEAM PEARL IZUMI/SMITH INFO.

4. We're in the home stretch - two months to go. I just booked our flight from DC to Minnesota for the Twin Cities 10 Miler. As of this morning, we're just over the $33,000 mark...which is quite a bit shy of our $50,000 effort. However, if there's one thing I've learned about raising money through all this, it's that there is no such thing as "steady state" - growth is exponential. When the donations start coming in, they multiply quickly.

The question is, how do we do that? The short answer is you. I sincerely need you to talk to others about this, church groups, friends, classmates...even a personal donation...maybe even a second if you can swing it.

General MacArthur once talked about being "strong enough to know when you are weak." Right now, that's where I stand. I'm starting to fade and, what's worse, I know it. For someone that's so conditioned to being the one that has the longest breaking point, that's not a comforting thought. But, the training and running, rehab and races are just about all I seem to be able to make time for anymore. Work and life have kind of overwhelmed me (and Tom) recently ~ and threatens to do more of the same moving forward, especially when I report to the Pentagon next month...

I'm still giving my best effort; I sincerely promise you that. You'll always get that out of me, and even more so out of Tom. If nothing else, we have a base level of inspiration from the severely wounded veterans, the ones we're doing this for.

This note is just to highlight our need for your help to sustain us...without you, we wouldn't be as close to our goal as we are now...and your help is what's going to get us over the finish line in two months...

All my best & keep moving forward,

Matt

P.S. The photo's below are from our fundraiser at Axel's & Prestwick Golf Club in Woodbury, MN, from this past March (Tom Cocchiarella, my partner is featured with me...the other is me speaking to the attendees).

2009-07-07T08:28:00.003+12:00

CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO AMERICA'S WOUNDED HEROES!!

6 JULY 2009

TEAM WWP FINISHES 2ND AT THE AFTON TRAIL 25K!!

Hey Everybody,

We had an amazing weekend...and I only have a few minutes to write about it...so here are the highlights:

My partner Mary Kreis and I ran in the Afton Trail 25k on Saturday, 4 July. Mary did well amongst the female competitors and I finished 2nd overall ~ the guy that beat me absolutely smoked the course record and was an amazing athlete. The race director, John Storkamp couldn't have been more welcoming to what we're doing, and even gave us a donation out of the race's profits. Considering they're a smaller race ~ John & ATR: great thanks!!

Also, we went on over to the Twins game Friday night...and the Vulcan's had myself, Mary, and my beautiful fiancee Rachel ride with them in the annual Afton 4th of July parade. It was awesome! Small town America at it's best, celebrating our independence and the rights and values we've come to cherish as a people. We rode on "Luverne," a 1932 antique fire truck they've converted into a sort of party wagon...

More to follow, that was just a quick update...thank you so much for keeping track of us! Our spirits are high as we keep plugging away at that $50,000 goal...

All my best & Keep moving forward, Matt

2009-06-14T03:49:00.002+12:00

CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO AMERICA'S WOUNDED HEROES!!

13 JUNE 2009

TEAM WWP EVENT #3: 3rd PLACE OVERALL!! (79.3 MILES DOWN)

Hello Team Wounded Warrior Project - thank you so much for checking up on what Tom & I have been up to!

For starters, to paint the picture for you, I'm typing away at the computer from my new home in Carlisle, PA (part of the reason you haven't heard from us in awhile). I've also just completed Team WWP Event #3: the Colon Cancer Prevention 5k in Harrisburg, PA. I finished 3rd overall...NOTE ~ "excuses" to follow for not winning: I was behind a recently graduated college All-American & a 2004 Olympic Marathon Trials participant...we got to know each other a bit post race and they'll be showing me around some of the local runs this summer.

A side note - I was especially grateful to have gotten through this one without any residual pain. My right leg has healed from the 50 Miler, but recently I've been doing my best to hurt it again. I sort of extended my right hip a bit while at a yoga class recently, then the other day dove for a ball playing volleyball...but, again, I'm feeling good...nothing serious...so the fun continues...

Next note: we have a big push coming for 4 July weekend in the Twin Cities and hope you can be a part of our two core events. First, on Friday, 3 July, we'll be at the Minnesota Twins game (versus the Detroit Tigers). We'll meet just before the game, the Saint Paul Vulcans will be on hand...the Twins have given us the opportunity to take in donations on the concourse & we're excited to take advantage of such a gift. So, if you can make it, we'd love to see you at the game. Just shoot myself or Tom a message ~ bring some friends, stop by, whatever you can do to get some folks to our Team WWP stand...

LINK TO THE SAINT PAUL VULCANS WEBSITE

Then, on 4 July, Team WWP (myself and my TransRockies Run partner, Dr. Mary Kreis) will be racing at the Afton Trail Run 25k. I've included a link to the race, just in case you'd like to see us in action (although, you'll get another shot on 4 October at the Twin Cities 10 Miler).

Even better though ~ we'll be at the Afton 4th of July Parade! It starts at noon - the we'll be a part of the Vulcans fire truck float! So if you're going to be around that weekend...please come and hang out with us & bring a few friends that like to carry cash!

LINK TO THE AFTON TRAIL RACE WEBSITE

Where are we, dollar-wise & last thoughts...

Tom just followed through on a couple donations, matching contributions that will, by this coming week, put us over the $31,000 mark. Which is still a long ways from $50,000...and as we still haven't seen any interest from the business community, we're relying on your reach - friends, family members, organizations that you're a part of...maybe you've sent out an email or two. Please consider sending out one more. Just refer people to the blog...hopefully that'll be enough. Maybe tell them about why this is important to you...and, to get the ball rolling, briefly, I'll tell you why this is important to me:

The school I'm in right now is wrapped up with fairly large issues about how the Army is run. One of the themes for discussion is, well, whether continuous combat rotations in Iraq and Afghanistan is "breaking" the Army (and Marine Corps). My friends from college are on their third combat tours; my brother and his wife are in Iraq right now on their second.

The anecdotal evidence is striking: this past month, I'm very sad to say, the Army sustained more deaths from suicide than combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. The years of back and forth in two very different worlds are taking their toll, mentally, on the force.

The Army will always do what the Nation asks of it, without question. Soldiers, in their role as society's guardians, truly are expendable. The hard fact is that the good of the many outweighs the needs of the few. This is something that we've chosen as a country and something that I believe in whole-heartedly. The challenge, though, is that we live in an era of a professional, all-volunteer force, in which the option to draft more soldiers does not exist. We must take care of the ones we have, as best we can.

The Wounded Warrior Project does just that - helps America's most severely wounded patriots, volunteers, soldiers, heroes - get back to where they can contribute to the country that they were absolutely prepared to give their lives for. Please, help us make this possible...

Again, thank you for taking a step beyond the yellow ribbon. This is something you can feel proud to have done as we get ready to celebrate our Independence Day...and the sacrifices of those that risked everything for such an amazing country...

Yours, Very Respectfully & Keep Moving Forward,

Matt

2009-04-19T01:52:00.004+12:00

CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO OUR NATION'S HEROES!!

Saturday, 18 APR 2009, 6:53am.

Status: we're at $28,656.60 as of this AM, nearing 60% of our $50,000 goal! Please consider talking to your friends, families, and workplaces about Team WWP...we can use all the help we can get...

Tom & I have a couple announcements and thoughts we wanted to get out there, so here goes:

First, we've amended the schedule for our remaining races. We've just received so much feedback, so much positive response from Minnesota...so we're going to bend this thing to end it in Saint Paul at the Capitol. We've spoken to the Race Director for the Twin Cities 10 Miler (part of the Twin Cities Marathon) and they've asked us to be a part of the event! As such, Team WWP has a couple of events in the Cities over the next few months, 4 July at the Afton Trail Run, and now rounding out miles 240 to 250 from Minneapolis, down Summit Avenue, all the way to the beautiful Minnesota State Capitol on 4 October...

Here's the way the event schedule has rounded out:
1. Tucson Marathon (26.2 Miles) Tucson, AZ. 7 December 2008. (COMPLETED: 3rd Place!)
2. Old Pueblo 50 Miler (50 Miles) Sonoita, AZ. 7 March 2009. (COMPLETED: 5th Place!)
3. Harrisburg Area 5K (3.1 Miles). Harrisburg, PA. 10 June 2009.
4. Afton Trail 25K (15.5 Miles) Afton, MN. 4 July 2009.
5. Harrisburg Mile (1 Mile) Harrisburg, PA. 15 July 2009.
6. Annual Birthday Run (30 Miles) Carlisle, PA. 27 July 2009.
7. TransRockies Run (114 Miles) Colorado Rockies. 23-28 August 2009.
8. Twin Cities 10 Miler (10 Miles) Saint Paul, MN. 4 October 2009.

It all adds up to 248.8 Miles ~ believe me, I've counted. And I'll make that last tiny bit happen at some point...Tom and I are thrilled to be able to finish this thing where we grew up, where our families are, because this truly has been a family & community effort.

As far as events - we're still shooting for gatherings on 4 July in Afton, Minnesota and 4 October at the Capitol in Saint Paul. More details to follow...Tom's just started work with MPR and has been extremely busy, and I'm moving from Southern Arizona to Central Pennsylvania this coming Friday...no excuses, just an explanation. We'll get our feet moving again soon though...

My last thought. As a lot of you know, my right leg took a little bit of a beating at the OP50 Miler. The IT band (connective tissue on the outside of the quad) tightened up to the point that it was affecting my knee...it hurt a lot and pretty much ground everything to a halt. I had to stop running completely for awhile, and focus 100% on rehabilitation. Really, it's like hitting the reset button. I started with one mile, half walking, half jogging. Then two. Three. And so on and so forth until two days ago, this past Thursday, I took on a 13 miler at a good clip and didn't have any pain whatsoever. It's still there, but the worst part is over and I'm nearly back to training normally. I've spent a lot of time working to get back to where I was, and a lot (a lot!) of money on sports massage therapy to heal, a lot of bags of ice applied to the right knee.

I've thought a lot about what this setback means in the context of what we're trying to do...and, although I've hated every minute of it...this is exactly what Tom & I were shooting for...overcoming injury and pain to accomplish something meaningful.

So ~ training for this upcoming summer schedule starts now.

All my best & keep moving forward,
Matt

Team WWP has a new goal: $50,000!!!

2009-03-29T02:21:00.003+13:00

CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO OUR NATION'S HEROES!!

28 MARCH 09, 6:24am.
Team WWP has a new objective - $50,000!!! I don't know how to type that without getting excited, so I'll apologize right now to the English majors in the audience that cringe at the triple exclamation point.
We had a great weekend at The Local (sponsored by the UST Law - Military Law Society) and Prestwick Golf Club (sponsored by the Mooty & Gehlen families) - in sum, we raised approximately $14,000. It's still drifting in (checks take a bit longer for verification purposes), but our grand total stands at:

$24,936.60

With another $400 spoken for, just waiting on confirmation. So we made our first hurdle. There are so many people to thank, I don't know where to start or finish. The first few to come to mind, though, by a long shot: Scot & Jessie Cocchiarella, Bobby & Jan and their wedding guests, Pat & Mike Reeves - our photojournalists, and the Winter Carnival Royalty and especially my good friends, last but not least, the St. Paul Vulcan's. Tom and I are floored by your help, your dedication, your willingness to put service beyond self. Thank you.

And now on to the next challenge. Tom and I are not into the bait & switch game, trust us, we just really didn't know how amazing you all are, which is why we're shooting for $50,000 now. So, planning-wise, back to square one! But now that we know you're out there, part of our Team WWP, we feel much better and ready to raise support for our Nation's Heroes.

Parting thoughts: we're looking at the 4 July weekend as our big, last push. What better way to celebrate America's freedom than to honor those that have sacrificed the most in it's defense?
Also, my leg needs some healing. I'm just getting back in the swing of things, but had to cancel a trip up to the Grand Canyon next weekend to stay on the mend. I'm mindful of your commitment to the WWP - I'm equally committed to you and bringing attention to this effort by performing well. I promise to do my best all the way through...and especially at the Lake Geneva Cross Country 22 Miler...

All my best & Keep moving forward,
Matt

2009-03-09T01:16:00.004+13:00

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO CONTRIBUTE TO A GREAT CAUSE AND KEEP TEAM WWP GOING STRONG!!!

Sunday, 8 March 2009, 5:19am.
We did it! The Old Pueblo 50 Miler is in the bag - and with a 5th place finish! It took 8 hours and 22 minutes...and the photo you see above was like Heaven for me. As I mentioned before, I've never run longer than 31 miles...Pike's Peak last year was a marathon distance, but straight up the mountain and back down - and that took 5 hours even. So this was a challenge to say the least. Friday night I slept about 6 hours, then ran for over 8! In fact, I'm writing this after waking up and needing some Ibuprofin...
Anyhow, I'm going to keep this short, as my mind is still kind of slow. I just wanted to share the good news with you...
And also mention that Tom, the guys at St. Thomas Law, and the St. Paul Vulcans have put on an amazing amount of work into our events on 20 & 21 March. We're really excited to have you there!

See you in a couple weeks & Keep Moving Forward,
Matt

2009-02-23T02:31:00.008+13:00

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS GREAT CAUSE!!!

Team Wounded Warrior Project makes a surprise showing at the National and Armed Forces Cross Country Championships in Derwood, MD on 7 February 2009!

22 February 2009, 6:37am.
Good morning everybody--thank you so much for checking out what Team WWP is up to. Trust me, it's been a lot. We're very excited at what we have planned.
I'll start by explaining the pictures. I was selected to represent the Army as a part of the All Army XC Team at the National/Armed Forces Championships. I was picked as an alternate, 6th guy of 6 on the Men's Team, so I found out about a week and a half in advance. And, no joke, it was my first XC race ever (in my life). But it was a great experience. I was the first Army guy to cross the line, and overall I finished in the middle of the pack (the winner was Meb Keflezighi, the Olympic Silver Medalist at the Athens games--so this was a tough pack). Of the Armed Forces runners, I ran well enough to be a very likely choice for the International Military XC Championships in December in the Ivory Coast.

As a side note, the local paper did a nice story on Team WWP and our recent events...link below:

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO READ THE SIERRA VISTA HERALD'S STORY ON TEAM WWP.

Now I should get to what we've been working on collectively...

Tom Cocchiarella & the University of St. Thomas Military Law Society (headed by John Sandy and Simeon Morbey) are hosting two events in the Twin Cities, the weekend of March 20, 2009.

Friday March 20, 2009
“The Local” (Irish Pub)
Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis
3:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Saturday March 21, 2009
Prestwick Golf Club (Ballroom)
Woodbury, MN
6:00 pm to 11:00 pm

Minimum Suggested Donation: $10

We expect to have some local celebrities at each event, we will offer Team WWP T-Shirts for sale, expect to have a silent &/or live auction for some unique “items” (Vulcan Krewe Fire Truck, Golf Clubs, etc.) and we will have Veteran’s groups and ROTC Honor Guards present. Cash bar and Appetizers will also be available.

Additionally, we've received some amazing support from a couple of groups - to include the Vulcans of Saint Paul Winter Carnival fame. We're hoping to formalize these partnerships and work towards this common goal: supporting our nation's severely wounded veterans...Please consider talking to your employer about us (direct contribution or maybe a matching contribution). We're getting great support through just this sort of query. Even if you think it won't work, it never hurts to ask, right?

Last thought. I'm going on the longest run of my life this morning, 30+ miles. My previous high was on my birthday this past July (29 miles). This will likely be my last, long training run before the Old Pueblo 50 Miler in two weeks. Honestly, this is new territory for me...I'm not worried, but definitely apprehensive. Wish me luck - I think I'll need it.

Keep Moving Forward,
Matt

2009-02-02T03:04:00.009+13:00

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO DONATE AT MATT'S SECURE TEAM WWP SITE!!!

1 February 09, 7:07am.

Big announcement to make: we have official TEAM WWP shirts (click on them to get a better look), and are ready to take orders!! Our first batch came off the screen presses this past week...we only had a few made (64) to test the waters & see what kind of interest we'll have. But they look great and those that have seen them have been pushing money my way! Special thanks goes to Lisa Timm (Tom Cocchiarella's daughter), our Graphic Designer...who labored through several late nights after putting her newborn son to bed to get these shirts to look as good as they do--thanks Lisa!
The shirts cost $30 -- they're $20 to create, and the other $10 goes to the WWP. (More on how to purchase below).

Both shirts are 100% polyester tech fabric (wash cold & hang dry and they'll last forever).

The Brooks Podium shirts, Gator color are unisex and are size XS - XXL.

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO THE BROOKS SIZING DIMENSIONS WEBSITE.

The Asics Core shirts, Golden are both male (S - XXL) and female sized (XS - XL).

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO THE ASICS WOMEN'S SIZES WEBSITE.
CLICK ON THIS LINK TO THE ASICS MEN'S SIZES WEBSITE.

So how do you order?

Send an email to matthew.cavanaugh@us.army.mil with your name, address, size & color shirt...I'll have the shirt made for you. We'll work out arrangements for delivery. If you're from Minnesota, then likely we'll deliver to you at the events we have planned on March 20 & 21...if not, we'll use the US Postal Service...

At the same time, you'll mail me a check ($30/shirt, please make the checks out to me) at:

CPT Matt Cavanaugh
4400 Busby Drive, Apt. #1147L
Sierra Vista, AZ 85635

Also, as a side note before closing, I'm running for the Army at the Armed Forces Cross-Country Championships this coming Saturday, February 7th. It's a part of the National XC Championships...so the best runners in the country will be on the course...wish me luck...I'll need it!

LINK TO THE NATIONAL XC CHAMPIONSHIPS SITE.

That's all for now--thank you so much for supporting us--we're making good progress for our severely wounded veterans due to your help! If you have any suggestions or ideas (e.g. swinging your workplace towards WWP's cause), please feel free to send them my way...

All my best & keep moving forward,
Matt

Back in the saddle, training in Bisbee, Arizona for the Old Pueblo 50 Miler.

2009-01-18T09:10:00.007+13:00

Team WWP is back in action for 2009!

Hi everybody! Happy 2009!

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO MATT'S SECURE TEAM WWP SITE!

17 JAN 2009. 1:28pm.

Good to see you checking up on how things are going. Just like everyone, post holiday break, I wasn't exactly "run fit" as my British competitors like to say. So I've been hammering away this past couple weeks to get back to where I need to be--ready to compete for the top spot at the Old Pueblo 50 Miler in early March.

Other than telling you and showing you that I'm keeping on top of things, I wanted to give you an update as to where we are and where we're going:

*Looking at changing the Ice Age Trail 50 in May. We'd split the event in two--the Lake Geneva Euro XC 22 Miler in May and the Afton Trail Run 50K in July. Both are great events that provide great opportunities to get Team WWP's word out.

*Social events: provided that the Army allows it, I'll be in Minnesota March 20-21 for some sponsored socials. The first would be on Friday, March 20th, hosted by the University of Saint Thomas Military Law Society, likely at The Local on Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis. The second would be on Saturday, March 21st, in Woodbury. Both are in early planning stages.

*Shirts! You asked, we will provide. We've just made our initial purchase of Asics Golden tech shirts & Brooks Gator Green tech shirts...should be available soon! They'll cost, ballpark, $20 each to us, and we're selling them for $30--the ten dollar profit goes directly to WWP.

Lastly, special thanks to my good friend Jason Delosreyes, pictured below (yes, ladies, he's single). He and I train together from time to time, and he volunteered to get some shots of me training...thanks Jason!

All my best & keep moving forward,

Matt

Tucson Marathon -- Team WWP Event #1 -- 3rd Place Overall!

2008-12-09T15:08:00.017+13:00

***READ POST JUST BELOW THIS EVENT UPDATE TO GET TO KNOW TEAM WWP & HOW TO GET INVOLVED***

**8 DECEMBER 2008**

Here we are, Event #1 complete, the Tucson Marathon...Team Wounded Warrior Project took 3rd Place Overall (of 1,001 finishers)! It was a perfect running day, great course, 40s to start, 50s to 60s the rest of the race...slightly overcast (for the first time in, well, probably since the beginning of time here in Arizona)...so the sun wasn't a significant drain.
The scene was perfect for a personal record...and I set one...2 hours, 42 minutes was a 4 minute PR for me!
I was in 6th place until about mile 19, and was able to drop a couple guys...and the leader (who was a good 7 minutes up at one point), had to stop with a cramp of some sort at mile 23. So that rate of attrition gave us Team WWP a 3rd place finish...here are some photos (double click on pics for a better view):

Mile 19, and I'm about to pass the 4th place runner to take over 3rd place...

This is me racing a dump truck at mile 26...

And my good friend Jason Delosreyes giving me a hand post-race...

The pain sets in...

(CPT) Monique Checuti, a friend from West Point & the Army

(CPT) Timbo Slice, a great guy and pilot
At left, Julia Gibbs and her daughter Mattox. Up & at right, Julia's husband Jeremy (another Captain & Army pilot), also with Mattox. Just above is Steve Checuti, a West Point classmate of mine, helping me get through some tight legs...

All these people, pictured above, have given to the Wounded Warrior Project with their generous donations, but additionally, and more importantly, their support helped sustain me to this 3rd Place finish...without them, the image below was not possible! Thank you guys, sincerely!

Click on this hyperlink to visit Team WWP's secure donation site!!!

2008-11-04T15:08:00.003+13:00

WHY SHOULD YOU HELP THE WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT?

Hello and thank you for taking a few minutes to read this message. For those of you who don’t already know me, my name is Matt Cavanaugh, and I am a Captain in the U.S. Army (West Point, 2002). In the two tours I served in Iraq, I saw several of my fellow American Soldiers suffer devastating wounds, and I have personally watched the resulting impact on their lives and the lives of their families as they struggle to recover. I am writing this to ask you for your help because our Nation’s most severely wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and their families desperately need our help. Over the course of the next year, I am dedicating myself to raising money for the Wounded Warrior Project, which is a non-profit organization whose core mission is to honor and empower [severely] wounded Warriors.

My goal is to participate in four physically difficult and mentally challenging “ultra” running events over the course of the next ten months. My initial inspiration for this endeavor was the Comrades Marathon in South Africa, which is the world’s oldest and largest ultra marathon. The race began in 1921 with 34 starters and 16 finishers—it was South African Veteran Vic Clapham’s effort to commemorate his comrades killed in World War I. Clapham, who himself endured a 2,700 kilometer forced march through the heat of German East Africa, wanted the memorial to be a unique test of the physical endurance of the entrants. Today, approximately 12,000 athletes run the arduous 90 kilometer course. Most importantly, the race constitution states its primary aim is to “celebrate mankind’s spirit over adversity.”

In a similar fashion, I want to help the 30,000+ Veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who have returned home with limbs lost, severe scars from burns, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), by pushing myself beyond my perceived physical and mental limits in their honor. During the recovery process, America’s Wounded Warriors are pushed beyond their physical and mental limits on a daily basis, and their families struggle to help them as all of their lives and dreams are forever changed. The most severely injured Warriors simply need more help than the government has been able to provide them, and I feel compelled to help by taking on this challenge.

Events I plan to run over the next year (subject to change based on my military duties):

Tucson Marathon (26 Miles) Tucson, AZ. 7 December 2008.
Old Pueblo 50 Miler (50 Miles) Sonoita, AZ. 7 March 2009.
Ice Age Trail 50 (60 Miles) La Grange, WI. 9 May 2009.
TransRockies Run (114 Miles) Colorado Rockies. 23-28 August 2009.

This schedule adds up to 250 cumulative miles over 9 days of competition, which will work out to just under 28 miles per day. Due to military obligations I may be forced to modify one or more of the events in which I am planning to participate, but in that unlikely event I will schedule a replacement race in order to cover the miles that I am committing to run in honor of my wounded comrades.

So, how can you help? I ask that you consider supporting me as a “Team Wounded Warrior Athlete” for one, two, three or all four of these events with donations of at least $1 a mile for each race/distance: Tucson-level ($26), Pueblo-level ($50), Ice Age-level ($60), TransRockies-level ($114), or Wounded Warrior Hero-level ($250). One hundred percent of your donation goes directly to the Wounded Warrior Project, there is no “middle-man.” All training, travel, and race expenses (estimated to be $5,000-$7,000) will come out of my pocket – not your donations. You may ask: “Why isn’t Matt just donating that amount to the WWP?” Good question. My sincere hope and belief is that my “seed money” can and will grow many times over by seeking your assistance to this important cause. Additionally, I’m reminded of the African proverb: “If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Our support, together, can make an important difference in the lives of these severely wounded men and women.

I humbly ask you to join with me in support of our Nation’s severely wounded heroes and their families. They are volunteers who have served for all Americans, and I ask that you please help me repay them in this small way for their tremendous personal sacrifices – we must not forget them.

To make your tax-deductible donation to the Wounded Warrior Project, click on the hyperlink below to get to the Wounded Warrior Project secure server. On the left hand side of the screen, you’ll see a section for “Visitors” (highlighted in red). Under “Visitors,” click on “Sponsor Participant.” The screen will prompt you for my name, just type in “Matthew Cavanaugh” - this will link you to my supporter’s page.

Donate away! Do some good! Thank you!

CPT Matt Cavanaugh’s Team Wounded Warrior Project Page.

If you happen to be receiving this via real paper copy, and not email, the above hyperlink will not work. In that case, go to www.mattcavanaugh-teamwwp.blogspot.com. You will be able to hyperlink to the donation site from here as well. Matt will publish regular updates on training and races as the year progresses.

If you have any questions regarding the Wounded Warrior Project, or difficulties completing the donation, contact me, CPT Matt Cavanaugh at matthew.cavanaugh@us.army.mil. Or contact my friend, supporter, and fellow Veteran: Mr. Tom Cocchiarella (USAF 1971 – 1975) at: tomcocch@yahoo.com.

You Can Find Further Information At The Wounded Warrior Project’s Website:

www.woundedwarriorproject.org

For Additional Information About The Running Events - Click On These Links:

http://www.tucsonmarathon.com/site3.aspx

http://www.oldpueblo50.com/

http://www.iceagetrail50.com/home.php

http://www.transrockies.com/

http://www.southafrica.info/about/sport/comrades.htm