Face of Asacol

I have been very fortunate this year to have the Asacol brand sponsor my athletic season. At all my races I will be wearing a jersey with the Asacol logo on it. In my first race a few individuals asked me about Asacol and I met another UC patient, as posted in an earlier blog [link]. This will hopefully spread awareness of UC and inspire other UC patients to keep an active lifestyle. Additionally, the Asacol brand will be donating money to an organization (such as CCFA) based as a per-mile amount during my competitions this year, ~$15,000! We have also started an achievement award for inspiring UC patients, family/friends of patients, and health care providers. This will be announced later in the year.

Working with the Asacol brand on these initiatives has provided me with an extraordinary opportunity that patients of any disease would love to have. I have been able to meet the individuals who work behind the Asacol brand. Not knowing what to expect I was pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere that I encountered. The faces of Asacol were all very friendly and have fostered a family-like environment in which they accepted me with open arms. What I found most comforting is the true interest in, and care for, the UC patient that was possessed by all members of the Asacol family. It was the furthest thing from the 'big-pharma' conception of a money-hungry business turning a profit from a patients need. Instead, they wanted to understand the experience of UC patients with the desire to improve that experience in any way possible. They were also excited to pursue opportunities that spread awareness about UC and make dealing with UC easier. Check out the Asacol.com website to learn more about UC, other UC patients, and initiatives that the Asacol brand are undertaking.

Dave Zucconi 5k - mile 509

This past weekend I decided to run a local 5k road race. A week earlier I ran into my former track coach and he suggested I run in a race that he was organizing. Knowing his personality I perceived this as a "lets see what you have" dare. This was only one of the reasons I had to do this race.

A second reason was that the race was a memorial run for Dave Zucconi, a former athletic director at Brown University, who lost his battle with cancer five years ago. I may not have known it at the time, but Dave's commitment to providing opportunity to athletes from 'disadvantaged' backgrounds was a pertinent reason I was able to make the decision to come to Brown University as an undergraduate (a decision that has now shaped my life). I did not know him well, but always enjoyed his welcoming face in the hallway. Honoring him in this race was my pleasure.

Yet another reason I could not refuse the race was that my wife, Noi, had recently started doing 5km races and wanted me to do this race with her. Thus, began the first race we did together.

Before the race began my former coach heckled me continuously that I had to keep running after 400m or that I could not use blocks at the start. For most former sprinters the thought of a 5km race is of an ultradistance run, so I guess his comments were not too unexpected.

I learned one important thing from the race: a single 5km is much different that a 5km run as part of a triathlon...you actually need to race the entire distance! No conserving energy. I pushed myself to a finishing time of 18:16 winning my age group and the alumni division (much to the shock of my former coach who later asked if I still run). My wife got a personal best by nearly a minute (26:56) and beat many Brown lacrosse and football athletes (a great achievement as my wife had not really ran until this past year). My daughter Jai loved watching the finish and cheering 'go mommy!'

This was truly an enjoyable race and an excellent family experience.

Crohn's and Colitis Blogs - mile 486

I have recently started a new blog page. The new blog, Crohn's and Colitis Blogs, is meant to be a collection of online resources for patients, their family and friends to visit and navigate with ease. This will not replace this blog, but just serve as a supplimental site to be used as a tool. Check it out, give comments and tell me of other online resources that I should post!

Wrentham Duathlon - mile 478

Wow! I let a whole month go by without posting...the days just fly by and I have already began my racing season!

The season started off great at the Wrentham Duathon in Wrentham, MA. It was a 65-degree partly cloudy morning; you couldn't ask for better conditions (not even any wind). In short, it was a great start to the season as I finished 3 minutes ahead of my target time and took 4th place in my age group. My total time was 1 hour, 5 minutes and 21 seconds for the 3 mile run, 11 mile bike, 2 mile run race.

Not only was this the first race of my season, it was a first in many other aspects. Most notably it was my first race wearing a jersey with the Asacol logo as they have kindly sponsored me for the season and will be partnering with me on a fundraising campaign to raise money for UC awareness and research (as I will discuss further in a later post). Most exciting was that a few people actually commented and asked about Asacol and UC and even one spectator had UC and also takes Asacol. I felt like I was already spreading awareness, even if it was on a small scale!

It was also my first race doing a shoe-less transition (my cycling shoes were on my bike and instead of changing shoes in transition I changed while cycling). I had not had the chance to practice this, but I decide this race would be a valuable practice opportunity so I decided to just try it. Surprisingly, it went well and I never really thought I would get into an accident (my biggest fear). I did have to adjust my shoes mid-race, but overall I probably saved time.

I used a time-trial helmet for the first time as well. I do not know if it actually made a difference, but regardless, I felt fast.

Overall, it was a great race to start the season and I look forward to the racing season and, particularly, racing for Asacol.