Busy Running Season

Well, after a little bit of time with a few races scattered here and there, I'm entering in to a busy race season.  This morning I ran a race in western Maryland.  The Great Allegany 15K Run.  The first five miles of the race were all downhill, which made for a nice run.  In addition to that, the temperature was great!  A nice cool morning that never really heated up much, so it stayed comfortable for the entire run.  And if that wasn't enough, running through the mountains of western Maryland in early autumn made for some beautiful scenery!  The pictures I took with my cell phone on the way down the mountain didn't do justice to the beautiful fall colors that surrounded us on all sides.

Prior to the race I also took a trip on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad.  The train left from Cumberland, MD, where I was staying, and traveled up the mountain to Frostburg, MD.  There was a 90 minute layover for people to check out the town, then it headed back down the mountain and back to Cumberland.  Once again, I don't think my pictures did justice to the colors that I saw on the trip.

My taper starts this week in preparation for my next half marathon, but I will be running one more race between now and then.  On Saturday I'll be running the "Maria's Miles 3 Mile Race" here in Columbus.  Maria's Miles benefits the Maria Tiberi Foundation, which was started to bring awareness to the issues of distracted driving.  Last year, Maria Tiberi, the daughter of local sports anchor Dom Tiberi, was killed in an automobile accident when she ran in to the back of a semi truck that was stopped on the freeway.  The Tiberi's have since made it their mission to bring awareness to the dangers of distracted driving.

The following weekend is, of course, the Nationwide Children's Hospital Half Marathon.  My only goal/expectation for this race is that I do much better than I did in Virginia Beach.  I do plan to take a little more time to recognize all the children that are honored each mile and to recognize the children in the Angel's Mile.

Then, a few weeks later, I head out for the race that I'm looking forward to the most this year.  The Big Sur Half Marathon in Monterey, CA.  As I've said before, this race will be more about the trip back to Monterey than it will be about the race.  However, the race will also give me an opportunity to see some of the area and remember the fun I had while I was stationed there nearly 30 years ago.

Two weeks after that I will travel down to Florida for my second year running the Space Coast Half Marathon, picking up my second medal from that series.  Because of all the travelling I've done I have been able to book my hotels for the Florida trip using my HHonors points, so I don't have to pay for my hotel rooms for that trip.

One week later I'll head up to Cleveland where I'll be running the Christmas Story 5K.  This run starts in downtown Cleveland and runs to the house used in The Christmas Story movie.  That house is now a museum dedicated to the movie.

With my run this morning, I have now run races in 20 different states.  California will make 21.  In March I'm scheduled to run the Georgia Half Marathon (#22) and in April the Oklahoma City Memorial Half Marathon (#23).

My "quest for 50" went a lot further in 2014 than I expected it to.  Many of the new states I raced in this year were "last minute" races.  Times when I found myself with a free weekend, or the ability to get an extra day or two off for a long weekend and make the trip.  Now that I've pretty much raced in those states that are within a few hours drive from home, I expect that those new out of state races will have to be scheduled more in advance, and I really don't expect to knock out as many states in future years as I did in 2014.

Post by The Mito Life - Living Life As Zebras & Butterflies.

Too Much or Too Little?

All throughout this last week circumstances have come up in the lives of people I know that have made me want to sit down and start typing in my blog.  But on each occasion I would sit down, and the words just wouldn't come.  I didn't know what to say, or what I wanted to say seemed almost inadequate.

Those things that came to mind were both positive and not so positive.  While I want to be a positive person, I think it's also important to be realistic.  And while I want to be realistic, I don't want to focus so much on the negative that I forget that positive things are happening.  And while I don't want to be too negative, I want to let those that have been dealt a rough hand know that I am not trying to minimize what they're dealing with.

So, that being said, a phrase from a class I was in last week comes to mind, "It is what it is....until it ain't."

I can only say that those in my life who are struggling with whatever they're struggling with are in my thoughts and prayers.  While I believe in the "power of positivity" (I know...it's not even a thing), I believe more in the "power of negativity."  I don't think positive thoughts necessarily heal, but I do think they can hold off the negative side effects of ... well, whatever.  I also believe that negativity can speed up decline of one's health if that person is dealing with a health issue.

That may not make much sense, and I know it's a little muddled in how I presented it, but really this is my blog, and as long as I understand what I'm saying then that's really all that matters... ;-)

So basically I will say this, to my mother, father and sister, who are all dealing with health issues, I love you all and you are in my thoughts and prayers.

To my "I Run 4 Buddy" Brett, you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers, and I'll remember your toughness and bravery every time I hit the road for a run.

To Pastor Jay, I pray for your mother to recover from her stroke and for you and your family to find strength in a difficult time.

To 115 who, as I type this is probably being prepped for surgery, you too are in my prayers, especially today, but always as you move forward in your fight.

To Mollie and her daughter, to 125, and to so many other people who have entered my life and are dealing with things they'd surely rather not be dealing with, I'm thinking about you, I'm praying for you, and I'll do what I can to keep it positive.

Having said all that....don't you think a spelling bee would be more entertaining if the contestants had to say "to the" between each letter of their word?

Not a Good Run - But a Good Time

Well, over the last couple of weeks I've checked off a couple more states in my quest to run a race in all 50 states.  New Jersey and Virginia are both done.  Last weekend I ran the Virginia Beach Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon.

I've been a fan of the Rock 'n' Roll Marathons that are put on by a company called "The Competitor Group".  They do a really good job of putting on an event that appeals to runners of all capabilities and speeds and really work to make the entire experience a fun one.  In the case of Virginia Beach, I'll be honest and say that I had more fun attending the expo than I did actually running the race.

Now when I say in the title to this blog that it was a "Good Time" I'm not referring to the time it took me to run the half marathon.  As a matter of fact, this was my worst half marathon time in over two years.  I came no where close to accomplishing any of the three goals I had set for this race.  The weather was very hot and humid.  I can only remember running one race in hotter, stickier weather, and that race was 3.1...NOT 13.1!  However, the Competitor Group, as well as the residents in Virginia Beach who came out to watch the race, did a good job of supplying enough water, gatorade, cold sponges and other treats, to keep runners as cool and hydrated as they could.  It didn't make running in that weather any more pleasurable, but it allowed me to actually finish the race.

Now combine the weather with what I will loosely call my "training schedule" this year, and I did not have a good race.

With all of that in mind, I've already decided that, in all likelihood, I will be going back to day shift next year.  Although I've adjusted well on nights, that adjustment has come at a price.  That "price" has been that my training for runs has suffered.  I can make all the excuses in the world, but the fact is, I just am better at sticking to my schedule when I'm working day time hours and not adjusting to sleeping different hours on the weekends.

But I don't want to leave the impression that I did not enjoy my trip to Virginia Beach.  I didn't do everything that I had originally planned, but I did get out and do a little site seeing while I was in Virginia.  In addition to getting to the Virginia Aquarium, I also enjoyed the runners expo, and actually attended that both days.  For someone of my ability to be able to sit, listen to, and have conversations with Olympic God Medalists and other accomplished athletes is something you really can't find in any other sport. The running community is different however.  I've run races with World Record Holders and Olympic Medalists.  No, I won't pretend that I'm "in their league". I can't keep up with them on the course, nor would I try.  But I can say I've run the course with them, been in the race with them.  You can't do that in other sports, and that's one of the things that makes running so much for fun for me.

(With 1972 Olympic Marathon Gold Medalist Frank Shorter)

(With author and columnist John Bingham)

(With Olympic Medalist and 2014 Boston Marathon Winner Meb Keflezighi)

With that being said, there's something else that makes running even more enjoyable.  While I can say I've run the course that Olympic Gold Medalist Frank Shorter ran, I also get to say that I ran with friends, I met new people and we had a good time.  Running with friends will always mean more, and bring me more joy than I can find doing other things.  It's also helped me meet new friends, and running friends are like no other friends in the world.  I've run the same course as Steph, Jan, Kristin, Jeff, Jen, Ben and so many others.

(With Jan & Steph after my first race)

(With Steph after we had finished running in Myrtle Beach)

(With a different Steph just before we ran the Cap City Half Marathon)

 

(With Kristin just before her first Half Marathon)

 (With Chip, Dale and Pluto after the Disney World Half Marathon)

(With Chad, Christy and Sara before the Tunnel to Towers Run in NYC)

(With Jeff, Jen and others from the WCUCC running group after running the Hoover Hustle)

#18 Done - #19 Upcoming

Well, I took some much needed time away from work last week and headed east for a short runcation.  I went to Morris Plains, NJ and ran the Share the Care 5K to benefit Habitat for Humanity of Morris County NJ.

Morristown, NJ was a location where Gen. Washington and his Army wintered one year during the Revolutionary War, so I went to the Wright Mansion where Washington stayed and explored some of that area.

I also took a day to take the train in to New York City.  This was my fourth trip to NYC.  I saw a few of the sites that I've seen on previous trips, but also took the opportunity to see some things and go some places where I hadn't on my previous trips.

I went to the Empire State Building.  I will say that there is a lot of waiting involved in making it up to the 86th floor observation deck of the Empire State Building.  It was also a little bit expensive.  It's one of those..."I can now say I've done it." moments, but for the money the view from Top of the Rock is just as good and costs less.  But, now I can say that I've visited the Empire State Building.  I also walked around Central Park, which I hadn't done in any of my previous visits.  It was an enjoyable visit to the city, and I was glad I went.  However, I will say that, not being one for crowds, the streets of NYC seem to be more and more crowded each time I go.  While I don't think I'd skip an opportunity to go back if I'm in the area again, I don't know that I'd go out of my way to plan a trip there in the future.

I'm back at work for a week, plus twelve hours of overtime and a doctors appointment this week, before heading to Virginia Beach for a few days and the Rock 'n' Roll Virginia Beach Half Marathon.  That will be my 19th state to run a race and my second race for my IRun4 Sibling Hero Brett.

Upcoming Running 4

Some of you may have noticed on my Facebook that I'm involved in a group call IRun4.  I noticed a post about this group on a friend's facebook page and checked it out.  The IRun4 organization started by joining runners with people who are unable to run themselves.  Recently the group branched out and added an IRun4 Sibling group.  The idea behind the sibling group is to match runners with the siblings of kids who have disabilities.  Sometimes the siblings can miss out on things and are more supportive of their families than anyone their age should have to be at that point.  The siblings group allows the siblings to have their own runner, who focuses on supporting them and running for them.

I was matched a couple of weeks ago with a young man named Brett.  Brett's younger sister was diagnosed last year with mitochondrial disease and, according to his mother, has been the "rock of the family."  At 10 years old it amazes me that Brett could step in that role, a role that no 10 year old should have to step in to.  But in getting to know Brett and his family, it doesn't surprise me.  He's an amazing young man who has obviously been raised by two amazing parents.  I have to admit that I think I'm getting more out of this match than Brett is.  He and his family inspire me, and I hope to continue to get to know Brett and his family for many years to come.

Now I should say, that you don't have to be a runner to join this group.  If you are active in any way you can sign up to be matched.  There's no cost to join, no "registration fee" or "initial cost".  The only cost is a little bit of your time.  Taking the time to post updates to your buddy and getting to know him or her.  If you're interested please go to http://www.whoirun4.com to find out more.  Also, if you have a child who might benefit from being teamed up with a runner, check it out.

On a different topic, I'm finally getting a little bit more time off.  My last weekend off was the first part of July.  I was able to find a few days in the coming week when I could take some comp time and extend my weekend, so I'll be off work Mon-Fri this week.  The plan is to head out to Morris Plains, NJ where I'll run the Share the Care 5K on Thursday evening.  This will be state #18 in my quest to run a race in all 50 states.  Then, the following week I will run state #19 when I head to Virginia Beach for the Virginia Beach Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon.  I plan to do a little site-seeing both in the NJ area and the VA area while I'm there.

In the past I would set 3 goals every time I ran a half marathon.  During my run this morning I thought it might be a good time to start doing that again.  My running speed and endurance took a little hit this year, so in trying to get that back I thought I'd try and get back to the basics.

Goal #1 - Or my "I should be able to accomplish this" goal  is to finish with an 11::00 per mile pace, which would mean a final time of 2:24:12 or better.  That would be the slowest half marathon I've run in the last two years, but that's ok; like I said earlier...back to the basics.

Goal #2 - Or my "If I'm feeling good I might be able to hit this goal" would be to finish with a 10:20 per mile pace, which would give me a time of  2:15:27 or better.  I'm basing that pace on my long run this morning.  I was able to maintain that pace for almost 9 miles, so this is definitely doable.

Goal #3 - Or my "If the stars and planets align" goal would be to finish with a 10:00 per mile pace or better.  This would mean finishing in 2:11:00 or better.  I finished my last half marathon close to that time, but with the hit my speed and endurance have taken lately, I think this would only happen if everything goes just perfect.

I'm hoping that I will be able to bring back my goal of breaking the 2:00:00 mark sometime next year.  I accomplished it once and believe I can do it again, but it's going to take some time and training.

So, in addition to NJ and VA coming up this month, I've got a 5 Mile run scheduled here in Columbus in September, the Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Half Marathon in October, and the Big Sur Half Marathon in Monterey, CA and the Space Coast Half Marathon in Cocoa, FL scheduled for November.  After getting matched up with Brett I signed up to run the Publix Georgia Half Marathon in Atlanta come March.  I'll work on the remainder of the 2015 running schedule after vacation bids are done later this fall.

Just Some Thoughts

Because after all...isn't that really what keeping a blog is all about?  At least for me it is.  A little bit of informing friends of family of what I'm up to, and a little bit of just airing my thoughts.

I have found myself recently looking forward to one trip this year a little more than any of my other trips that I've taken in the past, or any others I have planned for the future.  In November I will be flying out to Monterey, CA to run the Big Sur Half Marathon.  Interesting thing about the Big Sur Half Marathon is that it does not take place in Big Sur, CA.  It takes place in Monterey.  OK...well maybe it's NOT that interesting.
While I am looking forward to the race, I'm looking forward more to being back in Monterey.  I left Monterey 28 years ago after being stationed at a military school there for nine months.  It was a nice place to be stationed.  The school overlooked Monterey Bay, I walked would regularly walk down to Cannery Row and Fisherman's Wharf or in to Pacific Grove.  But being young and stupid, I really didn't take advantage of being stationed there for nine months.  There were so many other things I could have, and should have done while I was there.  So I'm getting a second chance.  I've already started planning.  The plane tickets have been purchased, the hotel room and rental car reserved.

In the mid-1980's, when I was stationed there, the school was pretty much an "open" base, meaning anyone could drive through without being stopped or showing any type of identification.  The world being what it is now, gates have been constructed at the school, and military ID is required to gain access.  I've started making arrangements with the president of the Alumni Association for the school to be able to get access to the base while I'm there and take a tour.  I've purchased my ticket to take a whale watching tour while I'm there.  I'm hoping to drive out to Big Sur and drive along US Rt. 1, a very beautiful coastal roadway (ironically where the Big Sur Marathon is run each April).  I also want to check out some of the areas I frequented when I was stationed there, see some of the local sites that I didn't take advantage of then and really explore the area.  That will be a lot to try to fit in during a relatively short amount of time.  So I'm already thinking about planning another trip to the Monterey area next year.  To do that means taking longer to get in some of those out of state races that I want to get in.  But I can play it by ear to some extent.  See how much I actually accomplish in November, and decide then if I want to make another trip back to California for more.

Not a bad thing to have to worry about though.  Where to take vacations.  Running is my excuse for travelling, and as much fun as the running is, seeing parts of the country that I wouldn't have otherwise is really what I enjoy most.

At the end of this year I should have 31 more states to visit for races.  A few of them are states I've visited in the past, when I was much younger.  However, most are states that I've never really seen.  Maybe I've driven through, but rarely did I check out what sites they had to offer.  Now I'll see them.  I'll go see the bigger tourist attractions and I'll stop at the little "hole in the wall" museums and sites along the way.  I'll see the country and run the races.  Some of the races will have thousands of people running, some will have less than 100.  Each will have its own unique story and most will provide me with opportunities to see places I would not otherwise have seen.

And now for something totally different....

Weekend Trip

I had an opportunity to take a little weekend trip to Illinois.  For those who aren't aware, my "weekend" is Thursday & Friday.  Depending on how my sleep schedule works out, I can sometimes turn my weekends in to three-day weekends without taking extra time off work.  I get off work Thursday morning and, if I'm not working overtime, don't have to be back to work until Saturday evening.

This schedule worked out well for me this past weekend, allowing me to take an out of state trip, add state #17 to my goal of running a race in all 50 states, and get in a little site-seeing.  I was then able to make it back home on Saturday in enough time to get a few hour sleep before heading back to work Saturday evening.

On Thursday, after getting off work I headed home and was able to get a short nap.  I got my suitcase packed and got on the road just before noon.  Even though it was a little early, I couldn't help but notice that the Ohio State Highway Patrol was very active Thursday, with more troopers patrolling the roadways than I've ever noticed before.  I got to Bloomington, Illinois Thursday afternoon and located the running store where I needed to pick up my race packet.  As I made my way to the hotel I realized that there didn't seem to be much to do in Bloomington, and started to wonder if I'd be heading back to Columbus after my race on Friday morning.

I found the hotel easily and got checked in with no problems.  The Hampton Inn was nice, quick to get checked in to and well maintained.  Given my travel experiences this past year, I was happy to see this Hampton Inn was more to the quality I had been accustomed to from Hampton Inn.

On Independence Day I woke up in time to grab a quick breakfast at the hotel and head to the Miller Park Zoo in Bloomington for the start of the Park 2 Park 5 Miler.  The weather was great running weather.  Not too hot, which can obviously be an issue when running in July.  The race went from Miller Park in Bloomington to The Corn Crib, a minor league ball park, in Normal, Illinois.  It was a nice route, the rolling hills along the route made it just challenging enough to push you without being completely ridiculous with hills.  I was happy with my finish, grabbed a couple snacks then took the bus back to the start area and headed back to the hotel.

Even though I was back early I was happy to see that housekeeping had already been to my room.  I hate never knowing when they're going to come through in case I want to take a nap or just relax for a while.  I got cleaned up and tried to decide if I wanted to go ahead and check out a day early to head home.  I went to the front desk and asked the clerk what things there were to do in the area.  You know it's bad when the hotel clerk can't come up with much.  She did have a visitor's guide though, and I was able to find some things that looked interesting.  Not in Bloomington, but not so far away that I would be on the road too much.  

Realizing at that point how close I was to Springfield, Illinois, I made a call and found out that the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library was open, even on the holiday.  I made the trip down to Springfield and was not disappointed with my choice.  A display was set up across the street from the museum featuring items from the Steven Spielberg movie "Lincoln".  Several of the costumes worn by the actors and some of the props and sets were in the display.  It was interesting to see and hear how much preparation was made by the actors, costume designers and set designers to try and make everything as authentic as possible for the movie.  

I then went across to the museum. They had several displays and presentations set up in museum, and for someone who enjoys history as much as I do, it made for a very enjoyable visit.  

I also made my way over to the Old Capital Building.  Now a museum, it used to be the home to all the state offices for the State of Illinois.  A presentation by an actor portraying Civil War General John A. Logan was taking place while I was there, and I was able to catch most of that and hear some very interesting stories about his life, his role in the war and his political life after the war.

Overall a very successful trip, and the fact that I could do it in a weekend was a bonus.  

For now my next running trip is scheduled for late August when I head to Virginia Beach for another Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon and state number #18.