Vacation/Destination Run - SUCCESS!!

Well, back now from California and I will say it was the best vacation I've had in a long time.  The opportunity to travel to a place where I had once lived, to see what has changed and what has stayed the same, was amazing, so much fun, and very relaxing.

I'll split this blog entry in to two parts, first the vacation part, then the destination run part.

For the vacation, I was able to head out west on the 12th.  I got through the flights just fine, but I will give some credit to Meredith and the rest of the flight crew from Southwest who handled the flight from Chicago to Los Angeles.  They had to deal with several rude passengers, most of whom couldn't understand the basic instructions they'd been given time and time again.  The fact that most of the rules enforced by flight crews are not rules they just make up on the fly, seems to be lost on a lot of people, or at least the people on that flight.  But I got in to San Francisco fine, got my bags and got the rental car just fine.  I had to laugh at them offering "50% off" an upgrade, then after I turned it down ended up getting a free upgrade because they were out of the size car I had originally reserved.

I got down to Monterey without too much hassle, although one of the roads my Garmin had me travelling was filled with a lot of twists, turns, hills, hairpin turns and drivers who were much more comfortable driving those roads than this half blind, out of state driver in the dark was.  But I made it ok, got in to my hotel and settled for the evening.

My first day I spent some time just looking around the Fisherman's Wharf/Cannery Row area of Monterey.  When I was stationed there back in the mid-80's, I would spend a lot of my free time in this area.  It was fun going back to Fisherman's Wharf.  So much of it was just how I remembered it.  Tourist shops selling trinkets, candy stores and some restaurants.  At the end of the wharf were the sea lions staking out their spots to lay around all day.

Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey

Harbor Seals taking in some sun in Monterey

Cannery Row has changed some, new parking garages where parking lots used to exist, new shops in the buildings and a few new buildings where none used to exist.  The biggest change to the area for me though, was the recreation path that runs from Fisherman's Wharf to Cannery Row, and on down the coast through Pacific Grove.

This building is how I originally found Cannery Row back in 1985.  Today it's a movie theater, but back then it had a huge carousel inside and was filled with shops and restaurants.

I also took the time on Thursday to go get a roast beef sandwich from Compagno's Deli.  It sits just a couple of blocks from the Defense Language Institute.  When I was stationed there I would walk to Compagno's every Monday during football season, get a roast beef on french flat bread with mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato and pickle.  I would take that back to the barraks and watch Monday Night Football.  So, there was no way I was going to go to Monterey and not get one of those sandwiches.  It was every bit as good as I remember it being!!

On Friday I had the opportunity to get a tour of the Defense Language Institute.  It was great being back on the facility again.  I went in to the building where I used to spend my days in class, drove by my old barracks and also saw some of the newer buildings that have gone up over the last 30 years.  I met the head of the German Dept., who informed me that my instructor from 30 years ago had just retired the previous year and was still living in the same place he lived back then.  I thought several times about looking him up, but decided he probably wouldn't remember one of the thousands of students he's had over the years, so I never made the call.

 

Three sections of the Berlin Wall now reside at the Defense Language Institute-Foreign Language Center at The Presidio of Monterey, CA

This was the classroom I spent 8 months in learning to speak German.  The building is now home to the Arabic Languages and this room is now an office.

On Saturday I went on a whale watching trip and saw some amazing sites.  For me that was definitely a "bucket list" moment.  I was able to get some great video and pictures.

Dolphins following along side as we headed out for some whale watching

Video of sea lions and hump back whales feeding

I spent most of my time in Monterey just travelling up and down the coast line and admiring the beauty of the area.  It really was a beautiful trip!

Part of the rocky Pacific coastline in Carmel, CA

Took a drive down the Pacific Coast Highway from Monterey to Big Sur on Sunday

This roadway is part of the Big Sur Marathon course, held in April





Enjoying the scenery along 17 Mile Drive

As for the Big Sur Half Marathon held on the Sunday of the trip.

For my running friends, if you're not aware, the Big Sur Half Marathon is not part of the Big Sur Marathon.  Although both events are put on by the same organization, they are two completely separate events, in different places, at different times of the year.

The Big Sur Half Marathon starts and ends near the Fisherman's Wharf area of Monterey.  It is, without a doubt, the most beautiful course I've run for any event.  After circling through downtown Monterey, the course head south through the Cannery Row area and in to Pacific Grove, then turns and comes back up the coast line.

The entertainment along the course is great, with everything from bands, to cheerleaders to kodo drummers.  The course was well manned and well maintained throughout and the entire race experience was very well organized.

Challenges on the course....well it was, what I would describe as a "rolling course".  A lot of hills, but no hills that were too terrible to deal with.  There were a couple of steep hills, but those were short lived.  I would say to just make sure you do some hill work if you want to run this event, but it is nothing like the hills in Nashville or Lexington.  The only other challenge would be the wind.  Running along the coast, there did seem to be a wind significant enough to tire out runners who tried to hard to fight against it or weren't prepared for it.  But the beauty of the course outweighed any challenges.  I had an amazing week that lived up to my expectations.

Back to the Land of the Living

I found some humor in my "Time Hop" entry I saw the other day.  Time Hop is an app that looks back on social media at things that someone posted a year ago, two years ago, three or more years ago on that date.  Just over a year ago I posted a link to my blog entry, which discussed the changes at work, our move from Dublin Communications to the Northwest Regional Emergency Communications Center (NRECC).  I also wrote about the fact that I would be moving to third shift for 2014 because the days off would allow me to do more of the races I wanted to do this year.  I can't deny that I have been able to do a lot of races this year.  So far in 2014 I've added eight states to the number of out of state races I've run.  I was able to run races in Arizona, Tennessee, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, New Jersey, Virginia and Maryland.  A couple of those races were even ones that I was able to run as "last minute" registrations.  Six of those states were not races I had planned on running this year, but the timing worked out well.  I will add one more state in a couple of weeks when I travel to Monterey, CA for the Big Sur Half Marathon.  I'll travel to Florida the following week for year #2 of the Space Coast Half Marathon medal challenge.

But moving to night shift had another affect.  In September 2013 I ran the Philadelphia Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in a personal best time of 1:57.  Less than a year later I ran the Virginia Beach Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in 2:43.  Moving to nights, I've been eating things I shouldn't eat, not running as much as I should have been running and you can see what it did to my race times.

I have gotten a little better over the last couple of months.  Since August I've been teamed up with Brett through the IRun4 Sibling program.  Dedicating my runs to him and knowing that he and his family are cheering me on and following my running has helped me to refocus a bit.  I'm already starting to see the results of that focus.

The next step though is getting back to a normal schedule, or as normal a schedule as one can have when working in public safety.  So next year I will return to first shift.  Having Brett out there to dedicate my runs to, being back to a little bit better sleep pattern and eating pattern, and refocusing my running efforts should bring my race times back to where they were in 2013, or at least close to that.  

I'm glad that the increase in my race times didn't discourage me in my running and I'm glad that the races still continue to be fun.  I am very much looking forward to the two trips I have planned in November.  I get to travel back to Monterey, CA and see places I haven't seen in nearly 30 years as well as having the opportunity to see what all has changed out there in 30 years.  I will do some site seeing that I should have done 30 years ago, but didn't and I will add state #21 to my quest to run a race in all 50 states.  Then I'll head down to Florida.  I'll collect the second medal in the five year dedication to the Space Shuttle program, I'll visit the Kennedy Space Center, on the way back I'll stop and visit an Army buddy and his family in North Carolina and I'll enjoy a little break and some time away.

The week after I run the Space Coast Half Marathon I will be heading up to Cleveland for the Christmas Story 5K.  That race runs from downtown Cleveland to the Christmas Story House, complete with Leg Lamp in window!

The races and traveling will continue next year also.  In March I'm registered to run the Publix Georgia Half Marathon in Atlanta.  My IRun4 buddy Brett lives close to Atlanta, so I'll have the opportunity to finally meet him and his family in person.  Brett's mom has told him that he can take a day off school while I'm in town so that we have an opportunity to spend some time together and do some fun things around Atlanta.  That race will give me state #22.

State #23 will come in April when I run the Oklahoma City Memorial Half Marathon.  2015 will mark the 20th anniversary of the bombing of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City where so many people, including 18 children, were killed.  The site of the building is now home to a Memorial and Museum and funds raised from the race help to support those.  Having had the opportunity to hear some first hand experiences from one of the public safety workers who was on duty that day, I'm interested to be in the area and see more of this tragic part of our history.

Tentatively, I also have plans to run races in Washington and Texas in 2015.  That, of course, may change, but that's my plan as of right now.  I've registered to run the Cap City Half Marathon here in Columbus in May, and I plan to go back to Florida in November, 2015 for year #3 in the Space Coast Marathon medal series.

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.