Nice Guys Finish Last

Something I've come to realize...

In a large number of situations, nice guys really do finish last.  If you are one who is willing to make sacrifices for the good of the whole, when others are not, then you will be expected to make sacrifices when others are not.

If you put the needs and wants of others ahead of your own.  Then there will be many people out there who will take advantage of your kindness and expect you to put their wants and needs ahead of your own, while refusing to repay in kind.

I've realized that once you no longer have anything to give or anything to contribute to those people, then their "friendship" or "relationship" with you changes, or disappears all together.

This realization makes it very difficult not to be cynical.  This realization makes it difficult to be willing to open up and put yourself out there for anyone.  This realization makes it difficult for you to "do the right thing".  After all, if you're gonna get screwed more often than not for "doing the right thing" then why do it?

Guarded keeps you from getting hurt.  Guarded keeps you from getting screwed.  But I have to keep believing that guarded will also keep you from finding that person, however scarce, who may actually appreciate and give back in kind.

So I'll get over it, I'll move on, and I'll keep trying not to be too cynical.

Who Says Decorating is Only for Christmas?

Success!!! Well...mostly

Well, I completed the Columbus Half Marathon today and accomplished two of the three goals I had set for myself.

The funny part was that the goal I did not achieve was Goal #1, which is usually the easiest of the three goals.  That goal was to run the entire half marathon.  I did not do that.  At the 12.27 mile mark I did have to stop and walk.  When I stopped, my legs were so rubbery that they almost didn't hold me up.  For about 100 yards I think I looked like a new born foal trying to learn to walk...legs wobbly and barely able to move forward. 

I walked for 5 minutes, which was probably about 1/4 to 1/3 of a mile.  I did get back to running after that, which took me up the two steepest hills of the course (High St. to Nationwide) and then (Nationwide to Front).  After that, it was down hill to the finish line.

Goals #2 and #3 were time goals.  Goal #2 was to beat my last half marathon time of just over 2:28 and goal #3 was to run a personal best time, which would be mean running faster than 2:19.  I finished with a time of 2:16:29.  So overall I'm very happy with the results.

Two other friends from work were running also, so once I got through the post-run area I headed back on the course to meet up with them.  It didn't take me very long to find them, and I walked with them for about 1/4-1/2 mile as they finished up. 

Kristin, our HR rep at the police department, was running her first half marathon, and Linda, one of our records clerks at the department, was running again after finishing the half marathon a year ago.  They both were looking really good coming in to the finish and having a good time running together. 

Kristin's daughter seems to think that Kristin had an aneurysm since she was voluntarily heading to downtown Columbus on a cold October morning to run 13 miles.

Next for me is the Las Vegas half marathon.  I will not be setting any goals for that run, as it is going to be used as a training run for the Myrtle Beach Marathon, which I'll be running in February.  So Las Vegas will be run for training and fun.

After finishing up this morning, I headed home and took a nap.  A post run nap is the BEST kind of nap.  Slept like a baby!!

Columbus Half Marathon and Completing My New Years Resolution

In January I resolved to run the CapCity Half Marathon in May and the Columbus Half Marathon in October.  I accomplished part one of that goal, and on Sunday I will finish out my commitment.

Anyone wishing to track my time or track me on the course can receive a text message on their phone when I start (sometime after 7:30am on Sunday), when I cross the 10K (6.2 mile) mark, and when I finish.  To find out how go to http://www.columbusmarathon.com/faq   It will explain where to go to register for RTRT.com    Or...if I set it up correctly, you can get those same split times by following me on twitter @cburky911

A couple other friends/co-workers will also be running that day.  One of our records clerks here at the police department (Linda Richey) and our HR rep (Kristin Maier) will also be running.  I'm going to try and set up to receive their times too, so I can keep track of where they are on the course.

This run will be a fun atmosphere.  The last time I ran Columbus I ran the full marathon.  The first half had a lot of spectators out on the course and plenty of cheering and entertainment along the course, so I'm looking forward to the atmosphere.

Revisiting the Taper

I've started my taper in order to prepare for the Columbus Half Marathon, which is now less than two weeks away.  I've set my goals:

Goal #1 - Run the entire half marathon with no walking breaks.  In a couple of my training runs to prepare I very much felt like walking.  However, I was able to work through that, which will hopefully give me a little preparation to work through those rough times and continue running in the middle of Columbus Half.

Goal #2 - Finish with a better time than the half marathon that I ran in August.  I ran that half marathon in a little over 2:28, averaging about 11:15 per mile.  Most of my training runs since that time have seen my per mile speed decrease, and if I accomplish goal #1, then accomplishing goal #2 should follow suit.

Goal #3 - My current personal best time for a half marathon is 2:19:20.  In order to beat that time I would have to run better than a 10:36 per mile pace for the entire half marathon.  My last long training run was a 10 mile run on Sept. 22.  For that 10 miles I averaged 10:29 per mile.  If I can maintain that for an additional 3.1 miles then I will achieve Goal #3.

Another thing that should help in this regard is that I have lost a little more weight since running my last half marathon.  In May I ran the Cap City Half Marathon at about 315-320 pounds.  In August I weighed in at 273 pounds the week prior to that run.  As of last Sunday I'm down to 260 pounds.  Obviously carrying around less weight, combined with the fact that I've been training continuously since February, has helped my times get faster.

After completing the Columbus Half Marathon, I will start my training for the Myrtle Beach Marathon in February.  I am scheduled for another half marathon prior to that, but will use that as my long training run for that week.  My long run that week is supposed to be 12 miles...I'll, of course, but running a little over 13 that weekend.

I wasn't sure if I would ever try to run a full marathon again, but wanted that challenge, at least one more time.  I'm doing something a little different with the full marathon also, not training to handle it as a run/walk like I did my last two marathons.  I will be training to run the full marathon.  Not sure I'll be able to accomplish that, but will start off training that way.  After that marathon I'll evaluate if I want to run another marathon, or stick to half marathons as my long runs.  

NYC and Tunnel to Towers Run

This past weekend I took a trip to New York City to do a little sight seeing and participate in the Stephen Sillers Tunnel to Towers Run.  I had participated in this run in 2008 and 2009.  I registered for the run again in 2010 and 2011, but did not make it to New York those years.  So I was happy to get back to New York for the event this year.

In 2008 I flew in to New York and stayed at a hotel in Manhattan.  While convenient, it was a tad bit more expensive to pay for a plane ticket, plus pay for the cost of a hotel room in Manhattan.  The following year I drove with some friends and stayed in Seacaucus, NJ.  A much less expensive alternative.  We were able to stay at a hotel that was just as nice, but not as expensive, and the NJ Transit system has a bus that picks up right across the street from the hotel and will take you in to the city for less than $4.00 each way.

I drove out early Friday morning, taking I-70 most of the way.  It seemed like most of I-70 in the state of Pennsylvania was under construction, but the drive wasn't too bad and the construction didn't slow traffic down too badly.  The scenery was much better on I-80 coming back though, with a lot more trees and driving through some "mountains" at this time of year was much more colorful.

I got to the hotel, grabbed some lunch down the street at Chili's, then took a nap.

On Saturday I took my trip in to the City to pick up my stuff for the race and take in a little sight seeing.  After getting off the bus at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in midtown Manhattan, I walked in to Times Square and took in some of the sights there.

Then I jumped on the subway and headed south to the lower end in order to pick up my race stuff.  While I was there I was able to get a good view of the Freedom Towers, the towers being built to replace the twin towers of the World Trade Center.  Last time I was in New York the scaffolding at just cleared ground level; now they are nearly finished.

After picking up my race packet I walked through Battery Park and made my way back to the South Ferry area, where I caught the subway back to midtown.  I took in the sights around Times Square.  All of 6th Ave. was closed down for a street fair, so I walked that area, checking out all the vendors.  Most of the vendors were selling the same thing on every block, but occasionally I'd find something a little different.

I also went to the "Top of the Rock", the upper levels of Rockefeller Center.  This time I actually found that there are three observation levels at the top...I had only taken advantage of two levels last time I was there. I was able to get some good pictures of New York from the Top of the Rock.

After checking out the street fair and going to the Top of the Rock, I took the studio tour of NBC Studios.  Since NBC studios are copyrighted, they do not allow any photos on the tour.  So this was the best I could do there.

It was a neat tour though.  I was able to see the studio where Brian Williams broadcasts the news, as well as the studios for Rock Center and Saturday Night Live.  I knew getting in to see Saturday Night Live was difficult, but found out just how difficult.  They hold a ticket lottery once a year in August for tickets to the show...that's it.  If you don't get them then, which is extremely unlikely, then the chance of getting in to see the show live is even more remote.  You can get in line to get standby tickets.  The week prior to my trip people started camping outside the studio on Tuesday evening hoping to get tickets to the show Saturday.  After finding out just how small the studio is and how little you can actually see if you're in the studio, I'll watch the show from home.

On Sunday I headed in to the run.  For those of you who have not heard the story...here's a brief history of the Tunnel to Towers Run.  On Sept. 11, 2001, FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller was off duty, on his way to meet his brothers for a round of golf, when he heard about the attacks on the World Trade Center.  Siller went to his firehouse, grabbed his gear and headed towards Manhattan.

  He was unable to enter the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, so he parked his truck on the roadway, grabbed his 75 pounds of fire gear and ran through the tunnel.  He was last seen alive in the area of Liberty and West streets.  Siller died in the collapse of the towers, leaving behind a wife and five children.  The Siller family started the Tunnel to Towers run the following year and have teamed up with several different charities to raise funds for children who lose parents in tragedies such as 9/11, injured and fallen soldiers and more.  The run re-traces the footsteps of firefighter Siller, starting in Brooklyn and running through the Brooklyn Battery tunnel.  As you come out of the tunnel on the Manhattan side the streets are lines with West Point Cadets holding American Flags as well as FDNY firefighters holding banners for each of the 343 firemen killed that day.

This year there were over 30,000 runners participating in the run.

After running through the tunnel the runners and walkers head run through the Battery Park Esplanade along the Hudson River.  A boat from the FDNY sits in the Hudson with its water cannons going as the runners go through the area.

The past two times I've participated in the run it has been cloudy and rainy.  As you can see from the pictures, it was a beautiful day for the run this year.  Because the tunnel is very humid, it felt great coming out the Manhattan side in to the nice cool autumn air on such a beautiful, sunny day.

I made my way home on Monday and am back to work on Tuesday.  I was thinking about trying to take a comp day today, but after looking at the schedule, I didn't want to take a comp day and cause one of my co-workers to miss out on time he has said he so dearly needs in order to work on some issues he has to deal with.  He was given time on Tuesday to work on those issues, but would have had to cover radio instead if I took the day off.  So I came in to work....and HE comp'ed off.