26.2 and Beyond

Written on the Wall

2010-01-01T13:14:00.003-05:00

I heard stories about Moses in the desert
And I wondered if the years he'd spent there
Were anything like mine
'Cause he ran trying to escape
The consequences of mistakes he made
Never knew You loved him all the while

And You called his name

And I wish You still spoke through burning bushes
And I wish You still wrote on blocks of stone
'Cause the sound of this world's deafening
And I'm having a hard time listening
And I wish Your will was still written on the wall

Todd Agnew - Written on the Wall

It's a new year starting a new decade but it is the same old world - for now. The world is deafening for sure as the media focuses only on negativity and hatred that is rampant throughout our day. In many ways, the media is a torch that lights the fuse. If the headlines were bulging with love, smiles, dance and song - all metaphors for what is good - would we be any better off? Maybe the newshounds that want to make a name for themselves would not do it out of hatred but out of goodness. Has the world listened to the last 10 years with the downfall of greed, pride and selfishness - just as God says?

I've been to the desert in the last 10 years and I have learned. If the world doesn't learn, the downfall will be greater. God still loves us even when we try to escape. He lifts us up to make us better. He calls upon us to do greater things. He speaks to us in different ways - burning bushes? blocks of stones? - maybe not. But, written on the wall? Yes, maybe. It is up to us if we listen; if we turn the volume down on our deafening world and turn it up for God. Let us not be just another brick in the wall but a brick upon which God has written.

I run to turn down the world. It is a time of solitude, prayer, God, smiles for others, a howdy here and a good morning there, a new melody in life, a chat with the animals, new dreams and endless possibilities, a tap dance through nature, friends I didn't know I had, and a finish just to look forward to a new start. It's Joy Unspeakable as is God.

A Happy and Joyous New Year is wished for all!

P.S. Runner unknown of the Marathon Des Sables - 6 day marathon (151 miles) across Sahara Desert in Morocco

Observations from the Trail - Winter Edition

2009-12-16T06:44:00.001-05:00

It is Winter and now Runners Mecca - AKA Manasquan Reservoir Trail - is barren. The trail is hard. The trees naked. The cold wind appears to swirl from every direction. It is now home to the hard core folks who just plain love the outdoors no matter what the temperature. Back in the summer I wrote about my observations on the trail and now I would like to share some more as winter is introducing itself to New Jersey. I also have labeled people. We all have labels in some way - good and bad. Any labels below are not meant to be bad just as a way to identify characters within an observation.

• Camouflage bicycle guy - I've seen this guy in the summer and he appears to always be wearing camouflage while riding his bicycle. In the summer it worked because he blended in with the trees - worked for what I don't know. In the winter, he is no longer camouflaged since there are no leaves or greenish brown vegetation. He now needs to wear grays and blacks.

• Dog walker shorts guy - At first glance, this guy looks like a tourist. He has binoculars around his neck, a walking stick, shorts on and a dog by his side. The two days I saw him the temperature was in the 20s. I can run in shorts when the temperature is 35 but he was walking. I admire this guy though. He was friendly always saying hi. He was with man's best friend, his dog. He was exercising using his walking stick to go further down the trail. With his binoculars, he was paying attention to life's detail.

• Running dog guy - This guy runs with his dog but it looks like his dog paces him. They are both fleet on their feet. However, when a dog's gotta go, he's gotta go! So I am running down the trail, see the guy stop and move to the side with the dog. You know how dogs are. When they have to poop, they look sheepish, turn some away from you and squat. Then they turn their head slightly back, tongue kind of hanging out (he was running, mind you) with this dual expression of "hey, look at me now!" and "I'm a little embarrassed by this" and do their thing. It was funny to watch especially making up things the dog and runner guy were thinking.

• Doggie play dates - As you see, there seems to be a theme here which lead me to initially believe that dog walkers were hardier than runners because on the really cold days, there were more dog walkers than runners. Each day I see four women walking 5 dogs in a group which appears to be a doggie play date. The dogs know and look forward to the arrival of the others and the women talk to them about their little buddies. The tails wag and the excitement is evident. Wouldn't it be nice if people enjoyed seeing each other like the way dogs do - no expectations, just the love of being together. I also saw another group of women with their dogs on another day which begged the question, "why are there no guys walking dogs in play groups." So to not insult women or men, I will keep my thoughts on that to myself.

• Do ducks' asses ever get cold? Yes, I know, they have feathers but that water has to be really cold.

• Hatless guy - When the temperatures were in the low 20s, I saw an older guy who needed to be wearing a hat. Oddly enough, I saw the same guy a few days later when the temperature was in the high 40s wearing ear muffs. Maybe his ears were numb when it was 20 so he couldn't feel them anyway.

• Nature and friendliness - I still proclaim that the people who frequent the Manasquan Reservoir are the friendliest in New Jersey. New Jersey needs friendly people and I have seemed to have found a place where the congregate. I believe that the beauty of the reservoir brings out good feelings in people - being in nature, outside of their home, outside of their office, exercised and energized, being with their dog buddies, other runners, walkers and camouflaged bicyclists. Nature is the best of what God has made, the purity of it all, the beauty, the elements of sunshine and snow. I need the four seasons to experience it all - new life in the spring,, summer swelter, fall foliage and the dormancy and rest in winter just to start the cycle again in spring.

I hardly mentioned runners here but they did appear again on Saturday and Sunday. Generally winter runners are the hard-core runners that make running a lifestyle. The freshness of a winter run is incomparable to the rest of the year - the quiet solitude, cold air that makes the tongue tingle, the views through the naked forest - all capped off with a cup of hot chocolate with those tiny little marshmallows in it. Now that is a run worth having!

Runners Like Us

2009-11-09T17:07:00.002-05:00

I take off time to time
With those crazy friends of mine
Head out on the road
With legs we run

We burn up the road in any marathon
Blend in with the masses
Just us friends
And we roll

Runners like us sure do have fun
Racin' the wind, chasin' the sun
Take the long way 'round back to square one
Today we're just outlaws out on the run
There'll be no regrets, no worries and such
For runners like us

I have friends in marathons that I don't know I have. I am a friend to runners in marathons that they don't know they have. It is the beauty of the sport especially for those of us that run marathons regularly. The bastardized words above to Cowboys Like Us show this sense of belonging and fellowship. We are all crazy to some degree - running marathons on consecutive days, consecutive weeks, a few times a month interspersed with a 50 or 100 mile fun run. We'll run any marathon, not just the check-it-off-life's-list, rock 'n' roller. We run marathons that are smaller than 5Ks, without pacers and without fans. We have each other. We pace together, we chat, learn a few things about one another and move on - and we roll.

We always have fun - what wind? Rain? It's just water, put me on your ass, I don't care, water doesn't care. There is always sun on marathon day - a day of brilliant rays of hope and friendship, the passion of the run. Sometimes, they take us out 26 miles and drop us off - "run back", they say. Other times, we run in a circle - 26.2 miles resulting in net-0 miles gained. Other times they tease us. Let's take them close to the finish line at mile 8, 13 and 18 and then torture them with, "you're almost there!" Hills must be strategically placed - "you think you got this? think again!" All along, your friends are there. We are just marathon outlaws out on a run, renegades, pirates and gypsies, a band on the run. Our only regret is not being able to run "that" marathon because I want to run "this" marathon. Our worries are gone for those brief few hours. We are with our friends, those who pull us along, encourage us, laugh with us, many of whom we do not know but will afterwards. Running is my friend. The marathon is my friend. Both are always there for me - kick my butt when I need it, give me exuberant joy when I least expect it. Fellow runners, thanks for being my friend also.

Theory of a Dead Runner

2009-10-11T14:46:00.001-04:00

My heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the 23 year old runner who died yesterday in the Baltimore Marathon. WBAL TV said that he collapsed around the 23 mile mark. A resident tried to help him until the medical crew got there. He later died at the hospital with a core body temperature of 107.

Some of the greatest runners in the world have died while running - Jim Fixx and more recently Ryan Shay in the Olympic Marathon Trials. I am sure there have been many others of all abilities. In essence, I am sure I have a better chance dying in an accident on the New Jersey Turnpike than while running. I don't mean for this to be a morbid entry but more about life. The energy and life around a running festival with 20,000 runners and 200,000 spectators abounds and reverberates throughout the entire city. With so much life why does one have to die? One can theorize and contemplate this forever.

One who believes in God knows that God has a plan; He is in control of life and death. He also puts life into perspective. Today, as I was walking on a serene, peaceful trail enjoying the fall weather, breaking up the lactic acid in my legs and working out the slight soreness, He also reminded me of my mortality. I thought about the runner who died yesterday. I theorize that he went into the marathon well-trained, happy with a full, bright life in front of him, looking to celebrate his accomplishment with family and friends. He never crossed the finish line but his journey in both running and life may have been memorable up to that fateful moment. Although we all want to get to the finish, we need to make sure that we make the most of the journey. At any time the journey can end. It is cliché but live life to the fullest with those people who allow you to do so and by doing those things that make you smile, have a positive energy, and give you life.

The life of this runner will be carried on by his friends and family. I suspect that they will run again in his memory and honor potentially helping others in the process. In many regards, I believe this is God's way to expand the life of one in death. Again, my thoughts and prayers are with them.

God's plan will determine life and death. When I die, I hope that it is while running. But God, I do ask that if I die while running, that I do so after crossing the finish line of a marathon. I have never had a DNF in a marathon and I would hate for my first one to be because I died.

Observations From the Trail

2009-08-01T11:12:00.008-04:00

When running for a few hours on a 5 mile loop trail (15 miles) you get to observe a lot especially when you pass the same people and sites multiple times. I have written about the Mecca a few times before - you know, the one where the Osprey nests are. In a way it reminds me of when I used to run in Central Park, NYC every morning. the faces and paces became familiar. Although Central Park just didn't seem as friendly or was it me that wasn't as friendly?

The heat and humidity broke slightly today and even the slightest change made for a better run. I wasn't any dryer in the end but it was a solid run. So, as I made my way around the lake perimeter multiple times, I made a few observations and asked a few questions:

Who scoops the horse poop from the wooden bridge and why does the horse go in the same spot on the same bridge? For some reason I find trails (like Assimpink) that allow horses.

Pony tails have a cadence to them (not that I would know from my own.) Even in marathons, you can become hypnotized by the bouncing or swinging of pony tails. Maybe my previous blog entry should have been called Asses, pony tails and elbows! BTW, this is a unisex observation.

Youngins run faster than oldins. It appears that one of the college or high school cross country or track teams workout on the trail. Both boys and girls fly! But I wondered, will they run 50 marathons by the time they are 50? Longevity matters!

Do dogs like to run? I am thinking some do and some don't because some are being dragged by their owners and some owners are being dragged by their dogs. What kills me are the dogs about the size of rats that have to take a thousand steps for one stride by their owners. I saw a guy with a miniature Dachshund today and the dogs legs were like the pistons in an 800 HP NASCAR engine.

Mecca is a place for everyone: runners (fast and slow), walkers, bike riders, hikers, boaters, fisherman, weight-challenged, food-challenged, mentally-challenged (that would be all of us), half-naked and fully-clothed; the greyhound club, boy scouts, old and young. People are friendly - hardly anyone passes without a hello, good morning, How ya doin' (OK it is NJ.)

Its a familiar place - kind of like Cheers - without Norm sitting at the end of the bar. I'm starting to know faces although not names since you pass them in a split second. I suspect, someday, I will know some names too.

Groups and solos - Runners have preferences as to whether they run in a group or run solo. Personally, I like the peace and pace of running by myself. Although, I will pace off of others if I can keep up with them. The groups of runners have conversations going. I prefer a conversation with myself. I have enough conversation with others during the week.

Going back to the horse poop - I never see dog poop. I guess that is good and people pick up the poop in those little plastic bags. Can you image doing that for a horse? You would need those giant plastic grocery bags. Can you imagine taking a cat on a run like a dog? First, the cat would stop dead in its tracks and stare for no good reason. Then, on a trail run, they would want to climb the trees. And finally, they would scare the daylights out of all the dogs!

Well, that is enough of observations for now. I am sure I will have more random thoughts over time.

Asses and Elbows

2009-07-03T10:00:00.007-04:00

...as we were watching Sugarland perfrom on Saturday night in Philadelphia...the song Down to Mississippi included the lyrics:

Hammer down,
here we go Runnin' for the riverboat
All you're gonna see are asses and elbows

...but isn't this all we see as runners in races? ... asses and elbows... and actually, it's not that bad of a sight...

I just hammered down 10 miles at the Manasquan Mecca and although I say "hammered" in jest of the lyrics, I really did pick it up the last 5 miles and hammered! I rode my bike to Mecca all of about 2.2 miles, ran 10 miles and rode back. The people who go to this Mecca seem to be the nicest people in New Jersey. Nearly every runner, walker and rider says hi or acknowledges your existence in some way even if it is "on your left..." The views of the reservoir can be stared at for hours with the calmness and peace of an early morning dew just sitting on the foliage waiting for the Sun to adopt the droplets back into their home. The Osprey nests are still perched high in the naked trees that are protected by the still water of the reservoir. What a great view these sea birds have.

Anyway, what started with asses and elbows ends with calmness and silence. The next time you run a race, think of these lyrics!

Badlands

2009-06-19T21:55:00.003-04:00

I believe in the faith that could save me.
I believe in the hope and I pray that some day it
Will raise me above these
Badlands...

It is ironic that the Badlands in South Dakota are called Badlands when they are so beautiful - genuinely bizarre, enticing to the imagination, and awe inspiring with creativity. Luckily the marathon didn't traverse the jagged edges of the volcanic remnants of Earth's formation millions of years ago. Instead the marathoners got to experience the contrasting pastoral and dark greens of the Black Hills National Forrest on a Rails to Trails converted path meandering around mountains, babbling brooks, and horse and cattle pastures. We started in Rochford, a dilapidated little town where the town Church's bathroom facilities was an outhouse. It was quaint and somewhat perfectly simple in this world of complexities. People ask why I would go to South Dakota to run 26.2 miles. There is no better way to experience an area than by running through it feeling the changing earth under your feet, meeting locals who come up to cheer and volunteer to hand you a cup of water during the brief second of visitation, and exploring an area where you might never be otherwise. Visiting South Dakota was a pleasant surprise being able to see the majesty of Mt. Rushmore, the Black Hills, Badlands, Wall Drug, Minuteman Missile National Site, Chapel in the Hills, the famous (and infamous) western town of Deadwood home to the marathon, Wild Bill Hiccok and Calamity Jane. I stayed in Sturgis, destination of the famous Motorcycle Rally being held for the 69th time this August. Oh yes, I did run the marathon on the George S. Michelson Trail. What I didn't realize and never even thought to consider was that the marathon is run at about 6000 feet of altitude with the first 13 miles uphill cresting at mile 13 and then dropping 1500 feet to Deadwood. The first 5 miles were a real struggle but later acclimated and ran the second half slightly faster than the first. I was happy with 4:08 bearing in mind the slight altitude and stopping to take pictures. So, the Badlands really turned out to be the Goodlands. Maybe there is a lesson to be learned that the Badlands are necessary to find the Goodlands.

The Pack - three weeks prior to the Deadwood Marathon, I ran in Green Bay. Although I seemed to really never find Green Bay, I found what I was looking for in the home to the oldest NFL football stadium in the country and to one of the original professional football teams in the country - the Green Bay Packers. The great Vince Lombardi haunts the venue to make you feel like your best is not good enough meaning you can always go beyond your best and make it something special. For me, the marathon in Green Bay was special. It was my 7th fastest marathon and maybe the most comfortable in years. I ran 3:50 with an even split pacing with the 3:50 pace group (mostly because I forgot my watch.) I toured Lambeau field and visited the Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame the day before. The history and greatness of the the franchise, players and coaches just make you want to put forth your greatest effort, especially the last quarter mile when lapping the interior of Lambeau field to the cheers of fans. For me, I can't figure out any other reason to go to Green Bay and I noticed that the dairy cows in Wisconsin are quite lazy.

It has been 6 months and 9 marathons in 9 different states. I have also reached 30 different states in my quest to run a marathon in each U.S. state. My next marathon/ultra will be my 50th and I plan/hope to get to my 50th marathon in New Orleans on my 50th Birthday in February. I need to run 6 more between now and then. It is a wonderful way to see different parts of the country - the Badlands as a good example.

21 Days, 2 Marathons and a Half-Marathon

2009-05-20T20:03:00.002-04:00

These are the races I ran since I last wrote the night before the Kentucky Derby marathon. The three events could not have been any different from one another.

The running of the roses turned into the wilting of the roses. It just so happened that the east experienced summer-like temperatures and humidity the weekend of the Kentucky Derby Marathon. If there is one prominent enemy of the marathoner, it is temperature and humidly. When I boarded the bus to the start at 5:15 AM, the temperature was already 71 degrees and by the time the Kentucky Derby bugler bugled, it was in the high 70s. Most of the race was run with temperatures between 80 and 85. It was miserable. I have never seen so many people walk in a marathon but they would have put themselves at risk if they tried any harder. Over 30 runners were taken to the hospital and another 120 treated along the course. Water was plentiful but being in plastic bottles did little to quench thirst or cool the runner. I ended up walking much of the last 5 or so miles just to get to the finish. My time suffered from my previous 3 sub-4 hour marathons to a dismal 4:45. However, the highlights happened the day before while touring the Louisville Slugger Museum, Churchill Downs and visiting the Kentucky Derby Hall of Fame.

One week later Shawn and I ventured to Frederick Maryland to run the first half of the Maryland Double, the Frederick half-marathon. Shawn had been training hard and this was one of his first events after a lay-off. The temperatures were good although rain was expected. We ran a great race with each other, pacing each other to the finish with a negative split done in thirds to a finish time of 1:51:56. It felt great and we were both excited at the finish.

Now, here I sit in Milwaukee the day after the Green Bay Marathon, my 28th state. Although there are some very good marathons in Wisconsin, Green bay was chosen due to the venue. Everything was held at Lambeau field, home to the Green Bay Packers and the oldest NFL stadium in the league. Upon Arriving I went to the expo which was held in the Lambeau field Atrium. Once I secured all my “running stuff” I signed up for the Lambeau field tour and Packers Hall of Fame. Just like in Kentucky, these were going to be the highlights of the trip. Both were fantastic and I learned a lot about the history of Lambeau and the Packers. On marathon morning I awoke to a perfect day with temperatures in the 40s and brilliant sunshine (of course, there is no sunshine when I awake most days.) The temperature was 30 degrees different from Louisville and perfect marathon temperatures. The start and finish lines were at Lambeau with one lap around the field inside Lambeau at mile 26. What a spectacular feeling with all of the history there. As I was walking to the start, I realized that I had forgotton my watch. OK, I thought, I will just run by feel, not a big deal. The race started with a prayer from the local bishop, a nice touch prior to the start. As the race director yelled “start”, the entire field of half-marathoners, marathoners and relay runners started their journey. I felt a little fast at the start and knew I needed to drop back a bit. I hooked up with the 3:50 pace group and decided to hang with them as long as I could. At the very least, one of them will have a watch. It turns out that I ran with them nearly the whole marathon, pacing with Craig and another 10 runners most of the way. My right calf froze at around mile 24 but a short stretch helped. Entering Lambeau just gave me the chills passing over some of the same original stone that Vince Lombardi, Bart Starr, Bret Favre and countless others passed over. Running the lap and looking to the bowl of bleachers (all seats in Lambeau are bleachers which reminded me of Notre dame’s stadium.) and what it would feel like on game day. Around the final end zone, spectators were cheering and high-fiving as we ran down the sideline back through the Packer tunnel to the finish. My net time of 3:50:36 was my 7th best marathon and best since the same weekend in 2007. Physically, I felt great after finishing, like I was just out for a Sunday “drive” something I had always liked to do with my parents as a kid. Although my Sunday “drives” are now about the same distance, they are done on foot but have that same relaxing feeling to them. I am off to South Dakota in three weeks – to the Badlands.

Post script: I ran nearly a perfect marathon in Green Bay, 7th best overall and best in two years running 3:50:36. I will write more about this soon.

Run For the Roses

2009-04-24T18:19:00.002-04:00

When most people hear “run for the roses”, they think of one thing, the Kentucky Derby, the greatest horse race in the world. I’m heading to this same venue, Louisville, in the air as I write, to also run for the roses in the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon. The marathon is the week before the real Kentucky Derby but the same day when racing starts at Churchill Downs, home to the famous race. Sure, they could have us drink mint juleps before the marathon and make us trek 26.2 miles in the deep dirt and sand around the famed track but they have spared us this challenge. But, at mile 9, we do enter Churchill Downs for a lap around the infield to soak in all the history of the great event, to envision and imagine the charm of the southern gals displaying their spring attire and fanciful hats along with the gentleman whose timepieces fall to their sides, tucked in their vest pockets anxiously awaiting post time. It is high stakes racing and the beginning of the elusive Triple Crown – the opportunity for the horse, jockey, owner and trainer to go down in history or to live in infamy as a one-race wonder.

On May 2nd the Kentucky Derby will be run and when watching it, I will know that I also gave it my best around the historical track. There will be no red roses at the end or mint juleps at the beginning (maybe afterwards) but there will be the feeling that I experienced a hundred thrty-fve years of history in a few minutes of running. Marathons are not only about running but to experience the destination. It doesn’t have to be something as grand as the Kentucky Derby. It can be just as interesting and rewarding visiting small venues like Gilsum, NH, Piney Point, MD or Schroon Lake, NY. Small town charm and big city energy both play handsomely in American culture.

While in Louisville, I plan to visit Louisville Slugger factory and museum just as I toured CNN and the aquarium in Atlanta four weeks earlier during the ING Georgia Marathon. The Atlanta race had unrelenting hills which I never complain about but they were a challenge in colder windy conditions. The start, with 13,000 half-marathoners was extremely crowded, almost claustrophobic and I was happy to see them depart at mile 7. I very rarely chat for prolonged periods of time during a run but at mile 7, I hooked up with a guy training for an ironman and we ran together and chatted for the next 13 miles. At mile 20, which is where the race begins, I knew that I was really close to making the finish in less than 4 hours. I picked up the pace a bit but the hills continued to take their toll and I cramped at mile 24. The home stretch was tough but toughness is what the marathon is about. I finished in 3:59:25 just barely making it but happy to do so.

We are on our descent. I need to look for Big Brown, the giant Louisville Slugger bat and Churchill Downs and get ready to run for the roses.

A Runner's Marathon

2009-03-28T12:00:00.004-04:00

The Lower Potomac River Marathon was the smallest marathon that I have run. There were 155 finishers. It is a runner's marathon. I certainly have nothing against runners/walkers of all abilities taking part in any running event. In actuality, our society needs more of this. I am a mid-pack runner myself. However, there was something intimate about the LPRM. There was no hoopla, no rock 'n roll, no spectators, no goodie bags, no event merchandise, no bus rides to the start and no $19 pictures for purchase (volunteers took photos and posted to a Flikr site.) It was a marathon for runners who love to run, who love the purity of the sport. This is not to say that these folks are elite runners but more to say that they are committed runners (or maybe runners who should be committed!) Running a marathon is not a checklist item, it is a way of life for most of them, marathoners who see each other on the "circuit." They are people who have made friends running, get to share stories, and discuss the best and worst of marathons. Many of them are marathon maniacs and 50 staters. I had more chats and interactions during this marathon of 155 than I did during Phoenix's Rock 'n' Roll whose numbers were in the 35,000 range. The other difference in intimacy of the marathon is in directorship. Obviously, in the larger marathons the race director cannot respond with a personal message to each runner. Even in some of the smaller marathons, this doesn't happen. I was surprised to see a personal greeting and even an exchange of emails with the Race Director of the LPRM. During registration and post-race, she even remembered my name. Most of my favorite marathons have been smaller, intimate races held in tiny towns typically with great community support sometimes more than in the big cities. The views and courses have been genuinely wonderful as well. The LPRM was no different with views of the wispy inlets of the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. The post-race buffet of pasta, salad and desserts prepared by the Paul Hall Center, Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship, Piney Point, MD was the best meal I have had after a marathon. A couple of my other favorite small marathons are the Adirondack Distance Festival in Lake Schroon, NY, Clarence Demar in Gilsum-Keene, NH and Cape Cod, MA. The LPRM will be added to this list. I don't mean to downplay the larger marathons because there is great energy and fantastic participation at these events even in poor economic times. I read an article in Runner's World that running appears to be recession-proof. The numbers have not appeared to have decreased with races still closing out to capacity. Whether the race is small, medium or large there is an uplift in the economy in and around the venue. When running in Birmingham, AL the restaurants that had been slow prior to the marathon had to put on extra staff during marathon weekend. Not only is there an uplift in the economy but I notice a genuine uplift in people's spirits during these events - the smiles, the laughter, the struggles, the joy of finishing. Maybe this is why the movie "The Spirit of the Marathon" is so appropriately titled.

So, now I sit in Atlanta Georgia amidst thunder and lightning awaiting the start of the ING Georgia Marathon tomorrow, my 6th this year, 27th state and 40th marathon overall and on my way to my 50th marathon on my 50th birthday at the Mardi Gras Marathon in New Orleans next February. The weather is going to pass and tomorrow will be another perfect day for running 26.2 miles with a spirited group of runners, volunteers and spectators. Yes, this is a big city marathon but the spirit still lives in the runners, organizers and sponsors whose money benefits multiple charities.

Faith and Doubt

2009-02-21T18:24:00.001-05:00

If you haven’t read John Ortberg, you should. His books are full of life teachings in the context of the bible, great philosophers and theologians alike. His current book, Faith and Doubt “takes an honest look at the misgivings and uncertainties that often obscure our view of God”.

This blog is not about religion or God yet my running life is somewhat governed by faith and doubt. John Ortberg asks, “What if the most important word is the one in the middle?” He argues that the very nature of faith requires the presence of uncertainty and doubt could actually strengthen our relationship with God.

So, you may be asking yourself what this has to do with running. I have wondered over the last 10 years why I have been so attracted to the marathon and beyond distance. Why have I run 43 marathons and ultras since 2001? Why have I run 4 marathons in the first 6 weeks of 2009? Why have I registered for 24 hour run in July? While reading his book, it has dawned on me - Faith and Doubt.

To run so many marathons and ultras (better known to me as “multras”), you need faith in yourself, others and in God. You not only need faith while running but while training and while recovering - allowing your body to be torn down and subsequently built up before it is ultimately destroyed by the multra. God was the chief architect of our bodies and gave it the ability to continuously get stronger through training and recovery. You toe the starting line with faith, peace and presence. Look around you and see the joy and anxious energy of others all permeating through faith. I say one last prayer of peace to allow the energy to leave my body for those in need. I must exhaust it all. There is no reason to leave any behind. It must be left on the course and transcend to others.

However, the beauty of the multra is in its doubt and uncertainty. For most distances up through the marathon, not finishing doesn’t enter the mind. But in a marathon or ultra, because of the distance, being beyond what the mind and body was designed for, uncertainty and doubt is very real. If it was a certainty, you would no longer need faith. I don’t need faith to run a 5K. I need faith to run a marathon or a 50 miler or for 24 hours. Even elite runners need the same faith and generally thank God after their runs. This uncertainty and doubt keeps me running marathon after marathon – the doubt of finishing, the uncertainty of time, the doubt of my physical being, the struggle with my thoughts. Faith must win out and it is much better to live with faith than doubt. It is much stronger and just generally a better way to live – a better way to run. Maybe through my faith is why I have finished every marathon that I have started. Maybe through faith is why I just ran under 4 hours (3:57) again for the first time in 18 months and in my 4th marathon in 6 weeks. Maybe through faith is why I am still alive. In the worst economic times of our lifetime, maybe we need faith.

I will continue to stretch my faith AND doubt with running the most multras I have ever run in one year. That faith will benefit others as well as my running this year is dedicated to charitable causes for each step I move forward a donation will be made.

Faith and Doubt – Faith is a footbridge that you don’t know will hold you up over the chasm until you are forced to walk out onto it. – Nicholas Wolterstorff

…and John 20:27

Then He said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."

The Price You Pay

2009-02-02T20:42:00.012-05:00

You make up your mind, you choose the chance you take

You “run” to where the highway ends and the desert breaks

Out on to an open road you “run” until the day

You learn to sleep at night with the price you pay

It has been a month and three marathons later since I have written. The chance I took was to run 3 marathons in 22 days – so trivial. There isn’t much chance in running, not like in life itself. The only chance I was taking in running 3 marathons in 22 days was basically not finishing one of them although 26.2 miles isn’t that far and can be walked by nearly anyone. Of course, there is a price to pay when maximizing your effort usually through mental and physical pain. I could certainly die running but then again I have more of a chance dying in a car accident than running 26.2 miles. So, where really is the chance? Chance in life is much different because the price you pay affects everyone around you. So, for us hardcore runners, do we run so that we can sleep at night with the chances taken – the price to be paid? Were the hills of Mississippi, the desert of Arizona and the jagged coastal beaches of California a metaphor for the twists and turns, ups and downs that life bestows upon us? Will God ever help with the price you pay?

Now with their hands held high, they reached out for the open skies

And in one last breath they built the roads they'd “run” to their death

”Running” on through the night, unable to break away

From the restless pull of the price you pay

In three marathons, I ran with nearly 35,000 other people. They all reached for something more. They let he sky be the limit. Did they find what they were looking for? Were they able to break away? Did they find life or did they run to their death? Are they still paying the price? My guess is that all of these runners are better off for their effort.

Oh, the price you pay, oh, the price you pay

Now you can't “run” away from the price you pay

No matter how many marathons there are, ultras of 50 miles, 100 miles, you can’t run away from the price you pay. Does it mean that you should stop? When you run, you sometimes know what you are running from but you never know what you are running to – who the person is when you get there. But, there is still a price to pay.

Now they'd come so far and they'd waited so long

Just to end up caught in a dream where everything goes wrong

Where the dark of night holds back the light of the day

And you've gotta stand and fight for the price you pay

As in the marathon, like life, you never know when it will go wrong. The clouds will darken and the light of day will shorten until it disappears like the miles behind. But everyone keeps moving forward and fights gallantly for the price you pay to get to the finish just to start again.

Oh, the price you pay, oh, the price you pay

Now you can't “run” away from the price you pay

Do you remember the story of the promised land

How he crossed the desert sands

And could not enter the chosen land

On the banks of the river he stayed

To face the price you pay

The Promised Land lies ahead of you with every step and every mile across the desert, along the coast, up and down the hills of life. The chosen land can be entered whenever you would like if you face the price you pay. You don’t have to stay on the banks of the river. Getting to the other side comes with a price. The Promised Land is waiting.

So let the “race” start, you better run you little wild heart

You can run through all the nights and all the days

But just across the county line, a stranger passing through put up a sign

That counts the men fallen away to the price you pay, and before the end of the day,

I'm gonna tear it down and throw it away

The starting line is where it begins, the journey to the far reaches of life, never stopping and always moving forward – running wild with heart. You will see others falter and fall away to the price you pay. Before it’s over, don’t let anyone bring you down with them. Run your own race, throw away the sign and finish life, find the joy and finish the distance with the price you pay.

Now some say forget the past, and some say don't look back
But for every breath you take well buddy you leave a track

Learn from the past, from the last mile ran or the last breath we just taken. The track is treacherous and not looking back makes looking forward a more difficult journey. The price you pay is by not looking backward. The price you pay is by not looking forward. The price you pay.

The Finish Line

2008-12-29T20:04:00.006-05:00

A magic trick makes the world disappear

The skies are dark, they're dark but they're clear

A distant motorcade and suddenly there's joy

The cold and ticker tape blurs all my senses numb

It's like the finish line where everything just ends

I'm done with this, I'm counting to ten

Brightest lights, running to them

I feel like I am watching everything from space

And in a minute I'll hear my name and I'll wake

I think the finish line's a good place we could start

Modified from Snow Patrol's The Finish Line

“I’m the official timekeeper and you have 3 minutes and 49 seconds to get to the finish line.” I just turned the corner and could see the glaring lights off in the distance. After 49 ½ miles, it comes down to running ½ mile in 3 minutes and 49 seconds. The man in the truck who proclaims to be the timekeeper is on my right and my nephew doing his best to pace me for the last ½ mile is on my left. “Mike, you got it, c’mon man, you got it!” Have you ever tried running ½ mile in 3 minutes 49 seconds after going 49 ½ miles?

I came back to the 2008 JFK to seek revenge. Although I had finished the 2006 race with nearly an hour to spare, I posted a DNF in 2007 by not making the cutoff time at Taylor’s Landing being 6 minutes late to the 38.6 mile aid station. The JFK is generally more of a mental test than a physical one, at least for me. The Marathon of Madness on the C&O canal towpath appears to be never-ending with a slight gradient of climb of no more than 3% for the entire 26 mile segment. The 8 miles of roads at the end over a gently rolling terrain almost feels good if it were not for the previous 42 miles. The Appalachian Trail for the first 16 miles requires focus and is so varied that it appears to go by quickly.

The world disappeared on the canal, especially for us back-of-the-pack runners. It became dark and lonely but the mission was clear – to finish. After mile 42, the sky was dark, the surroundings dark, and the world dark but the magic trick was not complete. Disappearing was not an option although who would know? Runner Disappears at Mile 44 in JFK50! Of course, if I am going to run 44 miles, I am certainly going to get to the finish before disappearing. I also have a feeling that Shawn would have come looking for me.

“I’m the official timekeeper and you have 3 minutes and 49 seconds to get to the finish line.” I keep hearing this repeated in my mind. I saw the motorcade off in the distance with the bright, glaring lights leading me to the finish like a beam of “light” leading me to heaven. Even with sub-freezing temperatures, I could only feel the warmth of those waiting. I could only imagine a ticker tape awaiting me. I was numb to the pain running on a cushion of air. The countdown continues, “one minute and 50 seconds”. Nothing changes as the finish line appears to move further away with each step. The lights are brighter and voices louder, “one minute and 30 seconds”. I am still a quarter mile to the finish. I never slow but never think. I just run. I try. I give it my best. “One minute... 30 seconds!” I’m counting to ten, brightest lights, running to them, nobody moves. “10, 9, 8…” but I am 100 meters away and even a world-class sprinter may not be able to run those 100 meters in less than 10 seconds. “7, 6, 5, 4…” and it is evident that I will not make the finish line cutoff. I’m done with this. I feel like I am watching everything from space. “3, 2, 1… The JFK 50 is officially over, thanks for coming out and see you in 2009!” What? I still have 30 meters to run. Ten seconds later, I cross the finish line in an unofficial finishing time of 12 hours and 10 seconds. And in a minute I'll hear my name and I'll wake. Do I want to? I look back to a million places where I squandered 10 seconds or maybe I should have just tried harder throughout. Whatever the case, the lesson has been learned and isn’t that the essence of doing better in life, failing and learning from it but continuing to move forward? I think the finish line's a good place we could start!

Spirit of the Storm

2008-11-19T18:54:00.003-05:00

There’s a spirit of a storm in my soul
A restlessness that I can’t seem to tame
Thunder and lightning follow everywhere I go
There’s a spirit of a storm in my soul.

I can't seem to write on here as consistently as I want. Sometimes I want to write but don't want others to read so I don't write. I keep it in my soul and between God and me. I have run two marathons since the last time I have written and now on the verge of my 3rd 50 mile run of the year. I am seeking revenge on the JFK which I did not finish last year. Not finishing has been like a spirit of a storm - just one of many in my soul. I can't tame the restlessness and need to get back out on the road and trail to feel alive, to experience the emotional and physical pain in hopes of taming the restless lion. Marathons help but ultras take me beyond my reasonable limits. I am at sea and the storm rages. A vessel out of control.

There’s a hurricane that’s raging through my blood
I can’t find a way to calm the sea
Maybe I’ll find someday the waters aren’t so rushed
Right now they’ve got the best of me
And oh, it’s been a long, long time
Since I had real peace of mind
So I’m just going to "run" right here
"On" this old "mountain trail" till this storm rolls by.

Running brings me peace of mind. The blood rushing through my body with each accelerated heartbeat is a category 5, yet is as calm as the morning of the first, unspoiled winter snow. How absurdly opposing! I would run the trail forever if it was enough time for the storm to roll by.

Oh, maybe it’s just the way I am
Maybe I won’t ever change
So I’m just going to "run" right here
"On" this old "canal" and just soak up the rain.

The run will be over and I will still be the same but changed for those brief 11 hours. I'll run right here, where I am, with the sun, wind, and cold with the rest of the named storms. Few people in their right minds would run 50 miles, let alone 100 miles. I am not in my right mind and it won't ever change.

There’s a spirit of a storm in my soul
Every time I think it’s gone away
Dark clouds gather, that old wind begins to blow
The sun’s going to shine someday I hope
There’s a spirit of a storm in my soul, in my soul.

I will wait for the sun to shine and for God to shed his light. The storm will still rage, never to be diminished for the run that could be or should have been. "It" is in my soul, in my soul.

A Prophet Said...

2008-09-09T05:51:00.001-04:00

You shall go out in joy
And be led back in peace;
The mountains and the hills before you
Shall burst into song,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

These were the last words that I had read prior to running the 25K of the Turkey Swamp races. I had an awful summer of running but continued to persevere through the struggles of a hamstring issue, decrease in motivation, summer weather and generally just not feeling great. I did run a couple of races and felt like they went alright although my expectations were not great. I ran the Belmar 5 miler in about 39 minutes on a sun-drenched beach day at the shore. Prior to my family reunion, I ran a respectable sub-23 minute 5K in Hagerstown with my nephew Shawn and his friend Tony. Of course, the hamstring issue at the time reared its ugly head but I finished in good shape.

I posted a DNF at last year’s Turkey Swamp 50K, my first DNF, and I knew that I was in no shape to run the 50K or even the 20 miler this year. I even questioned running the 25K, on trails no less, where muscles are used differently and my hamstring might be more prone to injury. Vacation was the week prior in North Carolina and although I ran some, they were not great runs. I could have given up running very easily this summer – but I didn’t.

I got back late on Saturday the day before Turkey Swamp. Although not pre-registered, I was committed to getting up early Sunday morning and making the effort to run the 25K. It was a perfect August morning with low humidity and temperatures in the high 60’s – one condition right. Before I left I read the passage above in a book that I had been reading. It was so appropriate because that is the way I always viewed my running – except this past summer. It was a reminder as to why I do this – go out in joy and be led back in peace. Although I have experienced it the opposite way also – go out in peace and be led back in joy. Maybe life should be approached this way. Of course, this is the intent of these prophetic thoughts but it took faith in running the Turkey Swamp 25K with these words lingering in my mind to fully understand it. We need to find the joy and the peace in each day no matter how and what we traverse in life. We need to find the Dee Dah Day moments, however few and however small.

I had a great 25K experience and for that brief period from when I read those words to arriving at the park with all of the other runners, lining up for the start, running 6 - 2 ½ mile tree-lined, soft, sandy, pine-needled, root-laden trail loops in 2 hours 19 minutes I rediscovered the peace and joy of running – maybe even the peace and joy in life, however difficult at times it is to find.

For What It's Worth

2008-07-02T10:00:00.003-04:00

For what its worth
A nickel’s just a nickel son
Your pleasure calms your pain
Its gonna hurt
You’re out on the road
You’re an old horse "runnin’" along
Shakin’ all the miles been "run"
Hard and mean
Through the valley of shadows
Wickedness unravels

It has been a struggle lately - the slowness, the pain - out on the road. It hurts but my pleasure calms my pain or with pleasure comes the pain. Either way, what I get from running outweighs the struggles. I'm now an old horse runnin' along! The good news is that I am still runnin'. I have run many miles over the years getting close to the circumference of the earth and my body still accepts the pain yet my mind is numb with pleasure. I have run through the valley of shadows, the wickedness of life unraveled. Running has also been there as a friend to me without judgement but not without humility. Bill Rodgers said, "the marathon can humble you." As a friend should be able to do as well, running can humble you. Sometimes you need kicked in the seat of the pants, reprimanded, beaten down, broken - stroked, encouraged. Running does this for me. Running is what defines me for better or worse. It makes me the person I am. Each of us are different. I deal with life through running.

With one touch
Water turns to rust
But tell me
Who is there to trust, anymore
You're fallen fast
You’re rock hittin’ glass
Runnin’ from your shattered past

In Running, you run to and from. It should be opposite of the way it is - running from finish to start instead of start to finish. The finish is is really the end of something but the beginning of a journey to a new start. The journey allows us to learn from the shattered past -fallin' fast - rock hittin' glass. The water is turning to rust so I need softened and conditioned. I need that one touch of God upon my shoulder to help me.

A nickel is just a nickel but for what it's worth, it still has value. Running is valuable to me. It keeps me alive.

If We Faint Not

2008-05-06T06:55:00.005-04:00

And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due reason we shall reap, if we faint not. Galations 6:9

As long as we are trying our best and giving our all we will be rewarded as long as we don't give up. I didn't give up during the 26.2 mile jaunt in Providence. I knew it would not be my best run due to the slow long distance training for two 50 milers earlier in the year and a 50 miler just 4 weeks ago. Of course, this is what I tell myself. In essence, I need to drop two hands-full of pounds and do some more tempo and lactic threshold training to get the combination of speed and endurance back, if at all possible, now being 48. I will say that a truly run marathon is as close to perfection in running as it is possible. Obviously, speed and endurance are relative to our abilities but when we combine both, to the best of our abilities, where it takes our bodies and mind to our limits and slightly beyond, it is though we transcend ourselves. We leave our mind and bodies behind and let the soul find its spirit. This doesn't happen with every marathon. It is the beauty and challenge of the distance. But when perfection is attained, which I have only experienced a handful of times out of the 32 marathons I have run, we indeed reap.

Providence, for an inaugural marathon, was decent but a little rough around the edges. The course was challenging with its hilly (rolling) terrain, although fair. I didn't faint and felt like I didn't give up. Although not great, I finished in the best time that I could on this day and I really couldn't ask for more. I strive to find my soul and I get closest to it when running - right or wrong.

Morning Glory

2008-05-03T08:56:00.004-04:00

After my rant last night I suspect this entry will be a bit more calm. I just got back from a sight-seeing tour of Providence - well sort of. My tour consisted of about a 3.5 mile easy warm-up run prior to tomorrow. Not only does a run like this get your body a bit more in tune for the 26.2 miles tomorrow, but more importantly, it allows some of the extremely negative thoughts bleed from your mind. A run always seems to do that. Many mornings I wake to "what's the use..." but a run always brings me back to life. Without disappointment, it did today. I first ran up to the Rhode Island state capitol. I am usually fascinated by the architecture of such buildings certainly more than what actually occurs inside (see last night's entry.) The buildings look as though they are sculpted, carved or whittled and they are generally old. After running around the state capitol, I followed Dorrance Ave. down through Providence to where the finish of the marathon will be tomorrow - quaint streets and buildings surround the finish along with some streets made of brick. The Providence River runs through the city so I made my way over to the river. I love a series of bridges that cross a river running through a city. There is something calming about them and the water they cross. So off I go over one of the bridges to main street and low and behold found a running store called Rhode Runner - excellent! After taking a picture of the "Old Stone Bank" I finish my loop with a cup of Joe and maple scone from Starbucks. It should be an interesting run tomorrow as the course appears to be a bit hilly or rolling depending on how you look at it. Now the rain appears to be a factor too but I can't argue with what God provides. I just know that a bad day of running is still better than a good day at work.

Why...

2008-05-02T22:34:00.005-04:00

(this entry is nothing like my others but some days, you just have to go off!) ...is running 26 or 50 miles so much easier than the effort required yet not recognized in the corporate world? Is it maybe because YOU appreciate the effort that YOU put into training to get YOU to the finish where no one in the corporate world appreciates or notices anything that you do? Why is it that the person who doesn't threaten to quit but works wholeheartedly for the organization in humility is left behind? Someday the lack of respect for the employees in a company will bring a company down and I hope that it is a hard lesson to learn. OK, enough on the corporate rant. I am in Povidence Rhode Island (why is it an island?) waiting to run the Providence Marathon on Sunday. It is my first marathon since December and in some ways looking forward to it although I am more trained for 50 milers (i.e. slow longer distance.) I do know the physcal and mental pain of a marathon or 50 miles is still nothing compared to the strife of corporate america. Of course, I still need some way to give Exon-Mobile their 10 billion dollars in profit and provide the funding for war in the era of bushonomics. Maybe it should be called waronomics or oilonomics. Oil, Mr. Bush and our illustrious members of congress is the battleground of terror. While Hillary and Barack call each other names and fight with golden gloves with mouths that need to be washed out with soap, Mr. McCain sits back in his lazy-boy and watches the blood-bath. They are all the same. There are not two parties. There is one - the Political Party that continues to rip apart the core of America. What does this have to do with anything? Nothing, just a rant that started at 6:15 this morning when I realized that 3 1/2 years of coporate giving has been returned by a corporate shafting. Why is this on a running blog? Because I only have running blogs and I am sitting here pondering the "why run" question again. Why run? Because it is easy and simple and hard all at the same time and you get out of it what you put into it - not true in the coporate world!

End is Here

2008-04-30T08:00:00.004-04:00

Endless days
We search for one we hold inside
So hard to find
Luck turns
Will the fallen ever reach within
And rise again
For the rest of my life
I will find the answers
That were always here
I will find the meaning this time
I will fight the end
Till the end is here

AlterBridge

Sunday I will be back on the marathon trek which will take me to Providence, RI for their innaugural Cox Sports Marathon. Rhode island will be my 21st state and 32nd marathon after a winter of two 50 milers. Many of us runners run to search for the one we hold inside. Each run, no matter the distance, but specifically longer runs where we have the time to ponder, look for answers with the right questions take us on a journey of self-discovery. Each run helps us fight to the end till the end is here. It gives us time with our personal Jesus always searching for the meaning hoping to always rise from our brokeness. The run is no longer about time. It is about destiny.

Freak

2008-02-21T12:47:00.004-05:00

Searching for things I can't see
Mountains in front of me
No nothing will conquer my existence
Fear will not discover my brain

Days of the New

It is one thing to find what you are looking for but another to search for things that can't be seen. In some ways, this is what running affords us, a way to search for what can't be seen - possibilities, potential and hope. It is why it is hard to explain to the mortal sedentary types the joy that comes from running. I find that the longer the distance, the more evident these truths become. We runners hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable (OK, Thomas Jefferson's original line in the Declaration of Independence can be applied to running also!)

As I start to prepare a schedule for mararthons to get myself to the half way point of 50 states this year, my mind is still on my attempt at a 100 mile ultra in April. The last two lines of the song above will need to be embedded in my heart, soul and mind. They are true for everyone, those taking their first step to a running lifestyle or those running their first 5K, first marathon or first ultra. Even for us more experienced, we need to keep the same mindset. The word fear is used 366 times in the bible (not that I counted) and is one of the biggest demobilizers of doing anything and everything in life. We must have faith in God and in ourselves to conquer fear not just in running but in life.

As for marathons, Providence, RI has a new marathon this year and is the only marathon in RI (unless Breakers is still around) so I better pounce on that one to pick up RI in May. I hope to run Deadwood-Mickelson in June which is supposedly a beautiful trail marathon on the Deadwood-Mickelson trail near Rapid City, SD. Of course, I will run Baltimore in October making it the 8th straight year on my quest for 25. I am still evaluating others for September, October and November. I also hope to run the JFK 50 mile again to redeem myself from last year's DNF. I have learned some good lessons from my two DNF ultras last year. I am not an ultra freak yet but still a marathon manic.

Who You'd Be Today

2007-11-08T05:41:00.001-05:00

Sunny days seem to hurt the most
Wear the pain like a heavy coat
I feel you everywhere I go
I see your smile, I see your face
I hear you laughing in the rain
Still can't believe you're gone
It ain't fair you died too young
Like a story that had just begun
The death tore the pages all away
God knows how I miss you
All the hell that I've been through
Just knowing no one could take your place
Sometimes I wonder who you'd be today

Who You'd Be Today - Kenny Chesney

For those who knew Ryan Shay (and I was not one of them except knowing him through running magazines), these words will have a piercing impact on them. For any of us who have lost people to death too early in our or their lives, these words will have an imprint on our hearts or others who were not even given the opportunities at life we sometimes wonder. Ryan Shay died doing what he loved, running. He was not out for a casual easy run. He was running the Olympic marathon trials for a place on the U.S. team in Beijing, something he had dreamed of and trained for all his life. God took him too early but in doing so, you might just see an American winner in Beijing at the marathon distance in 2008. Ryan will be with the U.S. Olympic hopefuls through their training and their gold medal run. To all of Ryan's family, friends and new wife Alicia, the running community's deepest sympathy is offered to you all.

There are few deaths in running events. Recently there have been two; in the Chicago marathon and the Olympic trials. Although Ryan was well-known, both made headlines. I can't tell you the name of the man who died in Chicago but I do know that the same words apply for those who knew and loved him. I also also pray to God that when He believes that my race has ended, that I am taken while running expending the energy of the body and mind, transferring energy to those who need it more, to have those born who may not be otherwise. I also pray that I get to cross the finish line so I can proclaim as Jesus did, "It is Finished" (John 19:30) as His last words on the cross. It should be up to God to know when "It is Finished" and up to God through Jesus to guide us to the finish line. Don't let people wonder who you'd be today, show them today who you are because, unlike the running race, we never know how close the finish line is.

Beauty of the Cape...

2007-11-02T20:40:00.001-04:00

There is no better way to see the beauty of Cape Cod than running 26.2 miles around it. The views of Nantucket sound were eye candy and worth the price of admission. This is the Norbsk Lighthouse around mile 22. This picture was taken just about 15 minutes after sunrise the day after the marathon.

It looks like I am the only runner in the marathon but there were over 1000 marathoners and another 190 relay runners on a rolling course throughout Falmouth.

Another view of the Norbsk Lighthouse the day before the marathon. It was an overcast misty day but is shown in whole other essence.

Alter and the Door

2007-10-28T07:21:00.001-04:00

Careless, I am reckless
I'm a wrong way traveling, slowly unraveling shell of a man
Burnt out, I'm so numb now
That the fire's just an ember way down in the corner of my cold, cold heart
Lord, this time I'll make it right
Here at the altar I lay my life
Your kingdom come but my will was done
My heart is broken...

Casting Crowns

As I sit here awaiting the start of the Cape Cod Marathon, less than an hour away, I ponder the music that randomly selects itself from my ipod. Today, I will not take any music with me for the 42 Kilometers. The course is quite beautiful and I don't want to spoil the meditative state of the journey. I drove the course yesterday traversing a rolling, hilly course that was formed 11,000 years ago by a glacier. Some of the hills are results of that glacial activity. There is also 5 miles worth of beautiful seashore running past the Norbsk lighthouse along side the Nantucket sound. Sitting at the seashore yesterday let me ponder how fragile life is yet how God has formed a plan for it all. The weather is perfect with temperatures in the 50's and gloriously sunny day. I hope to enjoy the journey as I watch my clock to make sure I am running slow enough to enjoy the day. Yet, I need to feel the exertion and the mental and physical challenge to release the strength from my body for those who need it more than me. Off I go....

Just Outside of Heaven (A Good Country Mile)

2007-06-05T19:37:00.001-04:00

The bouncin’ off the walls
The waitin’ in the streets
The take it for granted and then some
It’s safe to assume there ain’t enough room
If everyone wants to get near
There’s a deafening silence and everything stops
To find its own promise and balance
The rush is still coming but miles away
To find its own crossings and paths
So where do you go when you close your eyes
Where do you go when you sleep?
There’s a white picket fence and a house on the hill
From there I can see the lights
I’m just outside of heaven
A good country mile…
…

Kevn Kinney – A Good Country Mile

There is something haunting yet beautiful about these lyrics. After listening to the entire song over and over I believe that I know what he was writing about which really has nothing to do with running or marathons (but what song does?)? However, for some odd reason, they are easy for me to relate to a marathon, life (and even death).

The start of a marathon is a very anxious time. You don’t know what the next several hours will bring. There is a nervous energy yet, for me, a peaceful calmness. I have found peace at the starting line waiting for the mass of human energy to move me forward. The start of a marathon is very crowded with little room to stand let alone run. You can feel people bouncin’ off the walls still chatting to anyone who will listen. When the gun goes off, there is a deafening silence, a single-mindedness of the task at hand and a focus. Although everyone is moving, it feels like everything stops and your mind enters another dimension. There is a promise that you will be a better person at the end (or in the end), cleansed and balanced at least for a little while. The “rush” is when you must dig deeper to keep moving forward when your body or mind wants to quit. The “rush” can be when you are at the finish completely cleansed, exhausted and free. You wait for the “rush” to occur but you know its miles away and the journeys, crossings and paths will help you find the way. To me, running a marathon is like closing my eyes and going to sleep, I am still alive but at a sub-conscience peace yet dying a little being in perfect harmony and state. I’m close to heaven. I can see the lights. God is with me. I’m just outside of heaven, a good country mile.

Life is an anxious time. You feel the past; you live in the present and hope for the future. With life, you don’t know what the next day will bring but giving your life to God will allow you to be at peace, peace with the past, a serenity of present and peace for the future. I’m just outside of heaven, a good country mile.

Delaware 5/20/07 - 3:45:50; Sunburst 6/2/07 - 3:55:29

My "City" of Ruins

2007-05-10T19:59:00.001-04:00

There is a blood red circle
On the cold dark ground
And the rain is falling down
The church door's thrown open
I can hear the organ's song
But the congregation's gone
My city of ruins
My city of ruins

Now with these hands,
I pray Lord
With these hands,
I pray for the strength, Lord
With these hands,
I pray for the faith, Lord
We pray for your love, Lord
We pray for the lost, Lord
We pray for this world, Lord
We pray for the strength, Lord
We pray for the strength, Lord

Come on
Come on, rise up

Bruce Springsteen, My City of Ruins

3:44:45, a personal best marathon in New Jersey on my 25th marathon! I wanted to be happy about it but it seemed so trivial, certainly not diminishing all of the hard work that all of the other marathoners put in to get to the finish line.

If you wonder how I come up with ideas for my blog entries, the ideas present themselves through song and then I relate that song to both running and life. I never used to listen to music on the run and I still take a break from it sometimes but I now realize that I can find deeper meaning in music and in life by listening and relating.

Bruce supposedly wrote My City of Ruins about Asbury Park after it crumbled and tumbled from its heyday. However, I also think he wrote it about life and the struggles that people go through where they feel like their “life” is in ruins. While I was listening, I thought about how many people felt that their “life” was in ruins; families of soldiers who have died in war, the innocent people of Iraq and Darfur just trying to live another day, families and friends of those massacred at VT, those in Kansas who saw their town completely decimated. All of us at some point in our lives see our “city” of ruins to one extent or another. It doesn’t have to be so extreme but if we feel like it is in ruins, then it is so. What Bruce also wrote about was his faith in the Lord and his prayer for the strength to rise up beyond the “city” of ruins not only beyond our own “city” but for the “cities” around the world – the people of this world who feel that their “city” is in ruins.

At some point during a marathon, we also feel as if we are in ruins, that we can’t continue, the physical and mental pain so great that it might be easier to give up. At that point, we draw upon the strength of the Lord to help us through and to help those around us through. I always ask God to take all of the strength from me in the marathon and give it to those in need – those who feel that their “city” is in ruins – to totally exhaust me and expend all of the energy from my body and mind and give it to someone who needs it most or can use it at that very point in time – someone not in the marathon but someone who needs strength in life. The beauty of the marathon is that it leaves you totally exhausted and spent physically and mentally. To me, that feeling is God taking the strength from me and giving it to someone else in need. It is one reason why I run marathons.

Peace Within

2007-04-28T08:27:00.001-04:00

For ye shall go out with joy, and be led fourth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Isaiah 55:12

Tomorrow will be my 25th marathon. I have not approached most marathons with peace. However, this year, I have stood at the starting line of the Houston and Little Rock marathons in peace. I gave the days to God and asked Him to to let me proceed forward in peace and joy; what will be, will be; whether I keeled over and died or I ran a Boston Qualifying time. Tomorrow, I will go out and run with joy to the best of my abilities and to the best that my current training will allow, but leave the journey and results to Him. This is my peace.

The New Jersey Marathon will not include mountains, have very few hills and not have many trees. The marathon itself, no matter where run, always has mountains with peaks and valleys; the times you feel great and the times you feel awful. The "hill" is the 26.2 miles themselves and it gets steeper and steeper as the miles progress. Tomorrow, instead of the trees clapping their hands, the crash of the cold ocean waves onto the hardened sand will be the clap of the hands to offer praise to each runner for their will, perseverance and endurance.

My sister lost her husband this week and I ask God to grant her and their family peace as Eddie begins his new life with God.

As difficult as it sometimes is, go out in life with joy and be led forth with peace. Life is a marathon.

Praise You in This Storm

2007-03-14T05:59:00.001-04:00

(Casting Crowns)

And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

The marathon is the perfect storm. The storm takes place internally, externally, physically and mentally. It is concentrated in those 26.2 miles from the first step beyond the start to the last step at the finish. Some could argue that the storm starts months earlier during training and intensifies throughout the marathon. Since I run so many marathons a year, the storm to me takes place during those 26.2 miles. What does the storm consist of? The storm internally relates to the functioning of the body itself – the physiology to be exact. Did I eat enough carbohydrates and hydrate well enough to stockpile the glycogen stores? Will my digestive system work efficiently? If and when will it shut down? Will my breathing and lung capacity be right? Will my heart handle the stress that I ask to be placed upon it? These questions relate to the internal storm and can be minimized through training. However, no training completely calms this storm. The external storm relates to the conditions, most of which are out of your control. By picking a particular marathon at a particular time of year and in a particular place you can attempt to control the external storm but not entirely. The weather is what it is and you get what you get on marathon day and you don’t complain. All courses are different and some will give you a storm of challenges from hills to concrete from potholes of the urban jungle to potholes of Mother Nature (trails).

The physical demands of the storm emerge when the battle with the internal storm starts to become lost. The body passes through so many stages during a marathon. In essence, it is like the weather. If you don’t like how you are feeling, wait awhile and it will change. Unfortunately, the converse is also true. You may feel amazing physically but that too may change for the worse as a “thunderstorm” approaches with lightning, hail, rain and wind. What happens when you have a summer rain storm with the sun shining? A rainbow appears and it is beautiful. The colors are vibrant and it appears to lead nowhere and somewhere at the same time. This is the essence of the marathon’s physical storm. The mental storm may be the most difficult to weather. The mind can be a human’s worst enemy yet be one’s most supportive friend. The mind must “manage” all the other storms while enduring its own storm. I would argue that weathering the marathon storm is an exercise in mental perseverance and extending the calm before the storm throughout the marathon. The mind will allow you to drown or help you survive and this IS under your control.

I have approached my last two marathons (Houston and 2 weeks ago, Little Rock) with peace and relaxation. It is not to say that I don’t encounter the storm. I know that the storm will come all the same. However, by praising God in the storm, the calm and relaxed feelings I feel before the marathon (the calm before the storm) helps me weather the storm through Him.

I lift my eyes unto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth

The marathon is such a metaphor for life – life is also a storm. I don’t mean to minimize the intense storms that we encounter in life by comparing it to a marathon but it is representative of what we encounter in life. We must look to God to weather the storm of life. Although you may barely hear His whisper, He is with you always. He knows what you need to weather the storm. Learning this, I have a different approach to the marathon as well as life.

I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to You
and raised me up again
my strength is almost gone how can I carry on
if I can't find You
and as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away

Start of the Running Season?

2007-02-28T06:09:00.001-05:00

The start of the running season is almost here.

This was the first line from a recent newsletter that I received from ZombieRunner. I don't know about you but for me, the start of the running season was when I took my first few strides many years ago and won't end until I take my last breath.

"Run" By Faith

2007-01-18T19:33:00.001-05:00

Would I believe you when you would say
Your hand will guide my every way
Will I receive the words
You say Every moment of every day

Well I will “run” by faith
Even when I cannot see it
Well because this broken road
Prepares Your will for me
Help me to win my endless fears
You've been so faithful for all my years
With the one breath You make me new
Your grace covers all I do

Jeremy Camp – Walk by Faith

It is impossible to go into a marathon without faith – faith in God to help guide you, complete faith in yourself and faith from others. Faith is not only needed on the day of the marathon but every day, every minute and every mile leading up to those 26.2 miles. It is also impossible to go through life without this same faith. Let Him in and He will help guide you. Let yourself in and you will find your way. Let others in to support you. Your fears will disappear.

It was marathon time again as I headed off to Houston to run my 26th marathon and beyond (ultrathon) in my 15th state. The ultrathon is my contentment, comfort and peace. Ask any veteran ultrathon runner where they find their peace and they will surely say that it is during the extended time and many miles of running. It is where I feel close to God, myself and others, yet, in a solitary way. It is where I feel safe. It is my community where I know every runner yet none at all. Because of my new found faith, the Houston Marathon was one of my most fearless marathons. I was calm and relaxed at the start putting my faith in all I have asked and done. God had already helped with the weather and now it was up to us to make the most of it. With 18,000 runners, there were just as many reasons and stories to be running that day. In fact, the philanthropic nature of the Houston Marathon is branded as a “Reason to Run” allowing fundraising for many of Houston’s local charities as well as some national charities.

During the marathon, I let my thoughts and eyes drift around the pack of runners and even to the spectators lining the streets waiting for their runner to pass by and spend a few seconds with them. Undoubtedly, these are the people that put faith in them, who encourage them, who believe in them. The great thing about most spectators is that they not only put faith in their runner but every runner who passes by. The bibs for the Houston Marathon not only identified us by number but also by first name. I didn’t know anyone personally in Houston; however, I heard my name called more times than I could count being offered words of encouragement and signs of faith.

I do believe that many of the spectators look out onto the course wishing that they were making this journey through the urban jungle. It may inspire many to do just this and if not 26.2 miles maybe 1 mile or 3.1 miles. I sometimes believe it is harder being a spectator or volunteer than it is a runner. The volunteers work for most of the marathon encouraging and helping the runners in so many ways. It is truly a marathon for them as they work throughout the weekend to make the marathon successful. Another group of individuals who have their work cut out for them are the police. I usually thank them since they spend hours on end to keep us safe from impatient drivers.

Until I needed focus on getting through the later miles, I consciously made an effort to glance around the pack of runners around me. Of course, you only get to see the back or sides of everyone but you can always feel their presence. I thought about all the reasons people were running, all they have done to get to this point on this day and if they would ever do it again. I noticed runners running alone, runners trying to strike up conversations to distract their minds from the miles and pain and groups of runners running for a cause. At some point you settle into a pace and you run with others around that pace. I settled into a strong pace after 5 miles but noticed another runner at about the same pace. We seemed to push each other for the next 15 miles but staying juxtaposed for most of the time. We never glanced at one another and never said a word but we knew that we were helping one another. At one point I moved ahead during a water stop and thought that I had lost this person so I was back to pacing myself. To my surprise, this person passed me at mile 25 never saying a word and never looking back but I would like to believe that it was runners helping each other to get the most out of their ability.

The only way to run a marathon is to “Run by Faith” and the only way to get through life is to “Walk by Faith”. As I take more breaths searching for a way to make me new, either running or walking, it will be through faith.

Brighter Days

2006-11-23T07:30:00.001-05:00

If I live till I die, will I be justly rewarded
If I sleep till I wake, will I remember the dream
If I lie to myself, will I have something to believe in
If I face my fears, will I know what they mean

Long for brighter days far behind me
Before my life was just a haze
When love was still inside me

If I find myself, tell me will I lose me to others
If I hang my head, will I feel the spirit of my mother
If I bury my face, will I uncover the truth
If I slow my pace, will the past gain on me

I was wrong to a degree. The JFK 50 Mile was not a matter of life and death. Life itself is a matter of life and death. The JFK 50 mile was a "fun" adventure and a wonderful way to spend 11 hours and 8 minutes. I learned a lot about running 50 miles but I learned more about what comes from running 50 miles. I learned what it means to have friends and family. I learned more about the ultra-running community. When one person falls, five stop to see if they are not injured. I learned about defying age - not mine but others' who are much older. I learned about the intricacies of the physiology of the body before during and after such an event. I also learned that most people, runners and non-runners alike, cannot comprehend running 50 miles. I learned to have a faith in God or I should say a continuing faith in God. I learned that I WANT to run more ultras but also that a truly run marathon is equally rewarding. I learned that life is not just about running. I learned that anyone can "run" 50 miles but a small minutia of people ever will. I learned that there are much harder things in life. I learned that as much as I was alone, I wasn't. I learned that each step forward moves you forward. I learned that it might be harder to crew than to run. I learned that the start is much more exciting than the finish. At the start, the journey lies ahead of you but it lies behind you at the finish and the enjoyment is in the journey. I learned to learn. There is much more and as I continue to reflect, I will continue to share.

The Essence

2006-11-17T08:49:00.001-05:00

…In an ultra, the limits of the body and mind are pushed to a point where you don’t know if you will live or die. The physiology of the body, and thus God, will determine this. The mind knows that this is a distinct possibility yet it continues to wage war on the body. The body rebels but the mind constantly recalibrates itself to comfort the body in any way possible. The pain does not lessen but the mind compensates as to how it reacts to the pain. The pain can actually be moved around so it is not so pronounced in any particular area. Pain has to be isolated for this reason. Comprehensive pain cannot become so overwhelming that it deters forward progress. In essence, the ultra is a perfect dichotomous event. You are doing good for your mind and body yet putting yourself at risk in doing so. It is being active in an inactive world.

The ulra is whole-heartedly respected yet approached with ease; yet this is not to be confused with it being easy. It is something that I WANT to do and not what I HAVE to do or what someone is telling me to do. I WANT to go out and run this far. I WANT to feel the pain. I WANT to be challenged mentally and physically for no other reason than to feel alive and put myself on the edge.

Tomorrow is the JFK 50 Miler and my first ultra beyond the 50K. Afterwards, maybe my thoughts will be different but somehow, I don’t so…

Who Is This Person

2006-11-07T19:40:00.001-05:00

"... Perhaps the genius of ultra running is its supreme lack of utility. It makes no sense in a world of space ships and supercomputers to run vast distances on foot. There is no money in it and no fame, frequently not even the approval of peers. But as poets, apostles and philosophers have insisted from the dawn of time, there is more to life than logic and common sense. The ultra runners know this instinctively. And they know something else that is lost on the sedentary. They understand, perhaps better than anyone that the doors to the spirit will swing open with physical effort. In running such long and taxing distances they answer a call from the deepest realms of their being -- a call that asks who they are ..."

David Blaikie
Owner/Operator of www.ultramarathonworld.com

As I prepare for the JFK 50 Miler in two weeks, a venture (or shall I say "adventure") into uncharted territory, this quote continues to weigh on my mind. I would not so naievely beleive that after two 50K's that I am even remotely an ultrarunner. I guess the promise to find out "who I am" compels me to challenge this distance. Maybe I have already determined that I don't like who I am and the 50 miler will help me find another person. Will it be this 50 miler, another or maybe even a 100 miler? Is it not in the miles at all? When will I find that person?

In Me

2006-11-02T18:59:00.001-05:00

'Cause when I'm weak, You make me strong
When I'm blind you shine Your light on me
'Cause I'll never get by living on my own ability
How refreshing to know You don't need me
How amazing to find that you want me
So I'll stand on Your Truth, and I'll fight with Your Strength
Until You bring the victory, by the power of Christ in me

Casting Crowns - In Me

The Detroit FreePress/FlagStar Bank marathon was my 8th marathon/ultra of 2006. It was also my 4th marathon/ultra in the last 43 days. The Under Armour Baltimore marathon, just two weeks prior to Detroit, was a personal best with Detroit being my 3rd best. The 4 marathons/ultras in the last 6 weeks were run in 4 different states including Missouri, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Michigan. The 4 marathons/ultras ran in the spring were in Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio and West Virginia. I qualified for both silver and gold Marathon Maniac status. Not only was my personal best on a challenging course, but it was also the first and only marathon where I ran under 9 minutes every mile of the marathon ranging from 8:23 to 8:58 averaging 8:41. I also realize that these efforts still make me a quarter-pack to mid-pack runner. I am proud of the accomplishments but argue that they are nothing special.

In Detroit, I ran past a young man sitting in his wheel chair. As I casually glided by, I got tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat. For that brief moment, his blank stare allowed me to permeate his mind and feel inside his heart. How nice it would be if he could be out there running like the rest of us. That image reappeared throughout the marathon. How lucky I was to be doing what I was doing.

I argue that my accomplishments are nothing special because of the stories of others who overcome tremendous challenges are more inspiring than anything that I could ever do: the people who overcame addictions of smoking, drugs and alcohol; people who participate in the physically challenged divisions; people who have lost 50, 100, 150 pounds and turned a sedentary lifestyle into something active; people who have suffered from abuse and intolerance; people who have fought diseases like cancer and have won or are winning; people who have felt premature loss of those close to them; people who have been depressed and suicidal; people who have felt depleted of life. The reasons for running, stories of those runners and the examples of success can go on forever. These are the people that are doing something special – not me. I would also argue that people in general, not just runners, who have overcome these challenges, are much more courageous and brave than I have ever been. Although I believe that running or an active lifestyle changes an outlook on life, I believe it is more important to have a passion for something. Passion is what drives life whether it is for the people in your life, the work that your do, the beliefs that you have, the hobbies that you pursue, whatever it is, find the passion.

I find myself running for the strength of others. With each run and especially challenging and taxing runs like marathons and ultras, I ask God to take the strength that I am expelling from my mind and body and give it to those in need. This was the purpose of my nine marathons/ultras in 2006. People are dealing with much more in life than trying to get through 3, 5, 10, 13, 26, 31, 50 or 100 miles. Obviously, I am not diminishing the challenges and accomplishments of those who do because many of those who do are doing it to overcome the external challenges in life. However, as existential as it sounds, I hope that my strength is shared among others – runners and non-runners alike – and that God does take the strength coming from my mind and body and gives it to those in need.

Running Up That Hill

2006-10-05T16:47:00.001-04:00

If I only could,
I’d be running up that hill.
If I only could,
I’d be running up that hill.
It doesn’t hurt me.

Do you want to feel how it feels?
Do you want to know that it doesn’t hurt me?
Do you want to hear about the deal that I’m making?
You, it’s you and me.

And if I only could,
I'd make a deal with God,
And I'd get him to swap our places,
Be running up that “trail”,
Be running up that hill,
Be running up that building.
If I only could, oh...

Kate Bush – Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)

I run, in some cases, to hurt emotionally and physically, especially at the longer distances, surpassing 20 miles. What people do not realize is that hurting emotionally and physically on a run is a million times easier than what we experience in life. In essence, hurt during running makes you feel alive. I read in all the Running magazines about the importance of recovery – taking a day off for every mile raced. My recovery is my next run because it is on my next run where I am at peace and in recovery. Recovery is not sitting around waiting for all the tears in the micro fibers of my muscles to heal. I do believe in active recovery. I understand that my body can only take so much and that optimal running can only occur when properly trained and recovered. However, I know that I will never win a race and the chances of ever winning an age group award are slim so even when I am in optimal condition, there is no winning as known traditionally. But, do I win? Yes, I win because of my own personal reason for running. To me, running is about the experiences, comfort, solitude, community and stressing the mind and body beyond what is normal or what is generally accepted as normal. It is simplistic in a sense. I run against me, the course, the conditions and, yes, time. Does time even matter? I am not as obsessed about time as I used to be. Maybe this comes with age when you know the days of overall PRs are gone. However, I am an analytical person and time, distance, elevation and conditions are easily analyzed. But, this is not the essence of my running any longer. It is purely about the experience and the non-tangible attributes of perseverance and endurance. Except for weather conditions and course, running is entirely in my control. I decide how fast and how far to go. I decide what I take from it. I decide whether I quit or continue (although I have never quit a race.) Sometimes I don’t decide what I get from it – what I take from it, yes, but not necessarily what I get from it. This is so because I seem to always get something new out of every experience.

I ran my 2nd 50K this past weekend and because of a wrong turn, I actually ran further than the advertised distance, completing about 32 miles. Running up that hill; the steep 300 foot hill at miles 11 and 19. This is an out and back course so once the hill was navigated at mile 11, you needed to be mentally prepared to do it all over again at mile 19. I know 300 feet does not sound like much but this was 300 feet at a 14% grade. How many steep, rocky hills do we have to climb in life? How many out and backs are there where we know that there will always be another climb, another mental and physical challenge? With experience, perseverance, and resolve, we can make it up those hills and eventually even “run” up them. We all have our hills and if I only could, I’d make a deal with God and I’d get Him to swap our places. In many cases, I know that running seems trivial to the hills that we climb in life. I also know, from having a running life, that running not only helps us climb the hills but to also navigate life in general. Compared to the hills in life, this hill overlooking Blue Marsh Lake was easy and thus my point, it doesn’t hurt me. Do you want to know how it feels?

And if I only could,
I'd make a deal with God,
And I'd get him to swap our places

Soulshine

2006-09-23T13:15:00.001-04:00

When you cant find the light
That guides you through a cloudy day
When the stars ain’t shinin’ bright
And you feel like you’ve lost your way
When the candle lights of home
Burn so very far away
Well you got to let your soul shine
Just like my daddy used to say

He used to say soul shine
Its better than sunshine
Its better than moonshine
Damn sure better than rain

Hey now people don’t mind
We all get this way sometimes
Got to let your soul shine
Shine till the break of day

Warren Haynes - Soulshine

The etchings upon our soul are permanent, never to be erased. No matter who we are, there will always be good and bad etchings. Our challenge is to allow the good etchings to shine while we learn from the bad etchings. As in life, the marathon is a soul-searching experience. Some days, things just don’t go as planned. The pain intensifies both mentally and physically. Quitting starts to enter the mind and the body says “stop the madness” and the mind says “maybe I will.” This is when the soul-searching begins. It is when we look to what is etched, from simple scratches to deep ruts – the good and the bad upon the soul. But, to continue, we must let the soul shine. Sometimes, what we find may not yet be an etching, but a dream, hope or vision for a future etching.

It is when the light appears dim; the clouds cover us in darkness, the stars faded where we are not able to find our way that we have to let our soul shine How many times in life and the marathon has this been true? How many times have we had to find our heart and soul to continue? We use our experiences that have left lasting etchings and impressions upon our soul. Sometimes, the finish line appears so far away that we lose sight on how to get there. Faintly burning candles barely light the darkness. How do we find our way through the darkness? We have to let our soul shine.

My Daddy said little so I had to find out for myself that I had to let the soul shine. I do believe my Mom let her soul shine. I suspect I have learned the lesson late in life and maybe not until I started running and pondering more what is true of one’s soul. I will even go as far as saying that maybe not until this song (Soulshine) did I start pondering it. I don’t think I have learned how to do this yet although I see it can be done. The soul shine is truly better than the glare and heat of the sunshine, the afterglow of the moonshine (and even better than the drinkable moonshine), and certainly better than the dreariness of a cold, wet rain. One can’t control the sun, moon and rain but they can control the etchings upon their souls and how to use them – good and bed – to make the soul shine and help in finding a lit path. We ALL do get this way sometimes. The more we turn to the etchings of the soul, use the good ones and learn from the bad ones, the better able we are to let the soul shine.

I suspect this is the way explorers like Lewis & Clark progressed on their expeditions and journeys through life – by letting their soul shine. In 1804, Lewis and Clark were commissioned by Thomas Jefferson to find a way from the Missouri River in St. Charles, MO to the Pacific Ocean. It was the ultimate ultra event of more than 7,000 miles (out and back) and lasted more than 2 years. I’m sure Lewis & Clark had to continually let their soul shine to be successful in their journey. So why bring up Lewis and Clark in this context?

The Lewis & Clark marathon in St. Charles, MO was my 20th marathon. It also happened to be my 4th worst marathon. The temperature and humidity were high, the course a bit monotonous being a double loop with two slight out and backs, and a body and mind feeling a bit broken. After mile 15, it hurt both mentally and physically. The bad etchings appeared to have taken control, doubts of finishing (even wanting to finish) filled my mind and the body was broken. For gosh sakes, this is just a marathon, 26.2 miles. It is not a life situation. I think the reason I enjoy running marathons (and beyond) is because they are easier than life. I had once read a mantra by an ultra runner that he continually repeated as a reminder, “Relentless Forward Progress.” As in the marathon, it is in life, “Relentless Forward Progress.” So, how would I get through the last 11 miles? By letting the soul shine and relentless forward progress with one foot in front of the other, I got to the finish and to me the finish is the start of something new. On this day, I felt the heat and humidity of the sunshine, I even saw the moonshine prior to the start and for the entire last mile it poured rain.

He used to say soul shine
It’s better than sunshine
It’s better than moonshine
Damn sure better than rain

The soul shine was better than all three. Learn from the run, let the soul shine in life.

The Rising

2006-08-17T17:56:00.001-04:00

Can't see nothin' in front of me
Can't see nothin' coming up behind
I make my way through this darkness
I can't feel nothing but this chain that binds me
Lost track of how far I've gone
How far I've gone, how high I've climbed
On my back's a sixty pound stone
On my shoulder a half mile line

Bruce Springsteen - The Rising

Some of my best races (runs) have come when there were few expectations of doing well. I toe the starting line relaxed with little anxiety. It is a matter of what will be, will be. The Turkey Swamp races were this past weekend. They are a series of races run on a 2 ½ mile loop of single path trail (runner on your left!), sandy, gravel road and grass. The distances are 10 miles, 25K, 20 miles and 50K. In the Spring, I had planned on running 50K but as summer progressed and after I finished my 4th marathon/ultra in 4 months (June), I eased up on the mileage and wasn’t fairing too well with some of my runs in the Summer, so I decided to run 20 miles at Turkey Swamp. I figured that I wasn’t prepared to run 20 miles but it might be the catalyst that was needed to get my fall marathon training season jump-started. Twenty miles is 8 - 2 ½ mile loops, the most I have ever run on a loop course. I wasn’t sure what to expect since on loop courses, I sometimes get that “Oh no, not another one” syndrome. I was also a little concerned about the ligaments in my one ankle on the rooty trail section of the course. Starting in a controlled, easy-paced manner is something that cannot be stressed enough in longer distance running. I always say, “Let the race (run) come to you”. Each time this has happened to me, I have had one of my best runs. Starting this way, I let the faster runners go. Early on, it was a bit difficult running on the trail because we were bunched up and seeing a few feet out onto the trail is important to navigate the roots and stumps. As the race progressed I found myself more alone on the trail sometimes not seeing a runner in front of me (am I going the right way?). I saw nothing coming up behind. Entering the shaded trail, it felt like I was finding my way through the darkness. How many times in life do we feel this way – nothing in front, nothing behind making our way through the darkness? Yet we keep moving forward, the trail ever changing yet still the same. The trail was my favorite part of the course – calm and comfortable yet needing focus. You cannot shuffle on a trail or you will find yourself nose-planted into the dirt (as I saw runners before me – 4 times). Of course, a trail run is not a trail run without a nose-plant! I got to experience the trail 8 times and each time it was more serene and my pace steadily improved with each lap producing a negative split. Through the darkness on the trail, there is a chain that binds. That chain is running. In essence, all the runners on the course and specifically the trail were bound by the chain, each a link with a common desire, a unique motivation and a strength not to be broken. At some point you do lose track of how far you have gone – how far you have gone in miles, in time and in laps. It doesn’t matter anymore; what matters are the feelings and experiences of the event, the camaraderie of the other runners, and time alone. Part of the beauty of running is that you can be part of this chain yet be in your own world at the same time. As the race goes on, the sixty pound stone usually gets heavier and the half mile line has more drag. It never happened to me at Turkey Swamp. With each lap, I was stronger, more focused, relaxed and calm. I ran a negative split running the last 10 miles 4 minutes faster than the first and finishing in 3 hours 21 seconds at a 9:01 pace. It also capped off a 66 mile week, the most miles for a week in my running life. Sometimes the unexpected happens when there are no expectations, when you let the race, let life come to you, through the darkness, not knowing how far you’ve gone, with a chain that binds.

"Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." -Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer and poet

Is There Anybody Out There?

2006-08-07T21:54:00.001-04:00

Is there anybody out there?
Is there anybody out there?
Is there anybody out there?
Is there anybody out there?

Help Me

2006-07-11T20:19:00.001-04:00

Lord, Help me “run”
Another mile, just one more mile;
I'm tired of “runnin'” all alone.

Lord, Help me smile
Another smile, just one more smile;
You know I just can't make it on my own.

I never thought I needed help before;
I thought that I could get by - by myself.
Now I know I just can't take it any more.
With a humble heart, on bended knee,
I'm beggin' You, please, Help Me.

Come down from Your golden
throne to me, to lowly me;
I need to feel the touch of Your tender hand.

Remove the chains of darkness
Let me see, Lord let me see;
Just where I fit into your master plan.

Johnny Cash – Help Me – American V

I am starting to enjoy the marathons that allow me to dig into some of the history as to where the marathon takes place. This was very much the case for the Hatfield-McCoy Marathon held in the feud country of Williamson, WV and Pike County, KY. I won’t rehash the stories here since much is written about the country’s most famous family feud. Before I made the 550 mile drive to Williamson, I thought that I should at least learn a little bit about the area and the feud. It was quite fascinating but also very brutal and lasted for many years. I am sure those years of intense fear brought many in the families to ask, “Please, help me” or “help our family.”

I felt that this song captured not only how we marathoners cry out for help during the marathon but how the families of the Hatfields and McCoys cried out for help during this brutal period. I don’t mean to disrespect the feud and those that died by comparing it to a marathon but in many ways, the marathon is a feud between mind and body. In many ways we look to a higher power, whether it is in God, the Lord, some one else or ourselves to get us through a grueling 26.2 miles. We cry out, not only in the marathon but in our lives, “Please help me”. We can only get help and accept help if we ask and are willing to accept it.

Most of us think we can get by – by ourselves. We can’t - so we take one mile at a time, just one more mile. As tired as we are, we reach deeper – our body battles the mind, the mind is in conflict with the body. We are humbled by the marathon – humbled by life and on bended knee find the strength to carry on. This is the beauty of the marathon, the beauty of life – finding the strength, finding the power to go one more mile and seeing the finish line as a new starting line. Take a tender hand and let someone help you to the finish, like they are pulling you along. The chains of darkness are then removed and our eyes are opened just for the asking.

The Hatfield & McCoy marathon was challenging – over Black mountain, running alone much of the way (unless you asked for help!), the off-road trail, a swinging bridge, warmer temperatures and rolling hills. Just as in life - full of challenges. But if you ask for help, you shall receive and the journey and the finish line is much better than a DNF. None of us want a DNF in a marathon nor do we want one in life. Just ask.

All The Road Running

2006-06-04T14:57:00.001-04:00

Hundreds of miles our vagabond heels
Clocked up beneath the clouds
They’re counting down to show time
When we do it for real with the crowds
Marathon miles are owing, but they don’t come for free
And they don’t give you any for pain
But if it’s all for nothing
All the road running has been in vain

The gun goes off like cannon fire
And thunder off the wall
There are runners all around
And each one is giving his all
But this is my piper, this is my drum
So you’ll never hear me complain
And if it’s all for nothing
All the road running has been in vain

All the road running
All the road running

Well if you’re inclined to go up against the wall
It can only be hard and high
And those who don’t like the danger soon
Find something different to try
And when there is only soreness in your legs
And an echo down memory lane
Then if it’s all for nothing
All the road running has been in vain

All the road running
All the road running

The emotions are high, the tears start to flow
The finish line is in sight, an amazing day
A heartfelt night, calm and relaxed
Arm in arm, hand in hand
I know it is not the last

The show’s packing up, I sit and I watch
The carnival leaving town
There’s no pretending that I’m not a fool
For running around and around

Like the pictures we keep of our old wall of death
What it’s like to run in the rain
But if it’s all for nothing
All the road running, it’s been in vain

I've twenty six miles of Cleveland sky
Clocked up beneath the sun
And I’m still your man for the running
For as long as there's running allowed
There’ll be a runner and there’ll be a wall
As long as the dream remains
And if it’s all for nothing
All the road running it’s been in vain

All the road running
All the road running

Don't let if be in vain!

I couldn't let this song go without being adapted to the marathon, specifically my experience at the Cleveland Marathon.

Adapted from All the Roadrunning - Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris

The Road and the Radio

2006-05-11T19:38:00.001-04:00

Ain't nothing out here but me, the road, and the radio
Lookin' for an exit, and a song that I might know
Countin' down the memories, addin' up the miles
Searching for a feeling, that I ain't felt in a while.

Clarity and inspiration
Happiness is a destination, that's hard to find
It may take some time
In my mind there's something more
And I’ll open up a brand new door
And find the strength to close the ones I left behind
I'll get there leaning on some friends I know
The road and the radio.

One can sometimes feel alone in a marathon. Some prefer it that way. Some like leaning on their friends. I ran the NJ Marathon on April 30 and it was my first road marathon and extended time on the road since December. Most of my running this year has been on trails preparing for the 50K HAT run in March. My only long run between the HAT run and the marathon was run on a canal path and not a road surface. So, there I was, out there on the road with the radio (ipod really but times have changed!). Although there were another 4,500 people out there, it still felt like it was just me, the road and the radio. My running playlist for the day was Bruce (remember, I was running at the Jersey Shore). I knew all the songs and the only exits I was looking for was a porta potty and the finish. I eventually found both. Exiting the course for a porta potty can be quite strategic because you want to minimize time but maximize volume. Trees and bushes work well for men but not so much for women although I have seen it done. The final exit or the marathon finish is the ultimate goal. I know for many of us runners, time is important but I contest that finishing a marathon is still the ultimate goal, regardless of time. It is unlike any other race. I don’t go into a 5K, 10K, 10 milers or half marathon wondering if I will finish. I know that I will and I will finish them running. However, the beauty of the marathon is that there is no certainty of finishing even for the elites (see Paula Radcliffe in the Olympic Marathon). This is where our memories come into play. New Jersey was my 17th marathon and the memories of past marathons were forever present. I counted down the memories and used my experiences to get me through while adding up the miles. I continually searched for that one feeling where I knew my entire body was in synch including my mind where the movement was natural and flowing yet focused. These feelings are sometimes only felt in races and some only in specific distances like the marathon. The feelings bring clarity and inspiration, clarity of life, inspiring to yourself, those runners around you and the “fans” on the curb. Happiness is what we are looking for in a 3, 4, 5 or 6-hour journey. It takes time and is the destination we seek to find. We know we won’t find it in 6 hours maybe not in 6 days or 6 years, maybe not in 30 or 40 or 50 years but it is the destination that we seek to find. We always look for something more and in our mind we believe there is more. But is there? When will we know when we have arrived at our destination? Is it at the finish line? Should there be a finish line? Should we always strive for something more, not materialistically, but in life in general. If the finish line of a marathon is happiness, why do I and many others continue to run them? I don’t necessarily find happiness in the finish line. I find it in the journey, not only of the day, but of the months and years of running and preparing. However, during the journey, we do need to lean on some friends and most of those friends are the “running community” in general. In a marathon or ultra, they are those runners who are out on the course or trail with you. They are the “fans” along the route, the animals or trees on the trails. They are those who encourage and support you. They (the friends) are those things and people that get you through not only to the finish but to the next starting line. Sometimes, your friends are just the road and the radio. Sometimes we runners have more comfort in the road and the radio than we do in the 4,500 others we are running with. It was a beautiful day at the Jersey Shore, the ocean capping with 6-foot waves against a bright blue sky – a journey of another 26.2 miles completed.

Carry My Cross

2006-04-09T17:38:00.001-04:00

So I'll carry my cross
And I'll carry the shame
To the end of the road
Through the struggle and pain
And I'll do it for love
No, it won't be in vain
Yes, I'll carry my cross
And I'll carry the shame

I have been without words but not without running since December 31. Maybe it is because I can't put the first few months of the year into words. I won't try at this point. As an update on my running, I completed my first ultra marathon in March, a 50K trail run through Susquehanna State Forest in Maryland. It is a wonderful venue for a 31 mile stroll on the trails. It was not without struggle and pain as I twisted an ankle on a rock that jutted out on one of the rockier, downhill portions of trail. Unfortunately, this was at mile 6. I was ready to pack it in for the day but I still had 9 miles back to the mid-point start/finish (this is a 15 mile double loop course) and at least 4 miles to the aid station not to mention, that if I did continue, I still had 25 miles of trail running over the same terrain to the finish. I have turned this ankle 2 other times on trail runs and just hoped that I could get through 31 miles without doing it again. I struggled down to a flat road area where I could run a little more normal. I hooked up with a guy named Tim from the local running club and we chatted about turned ankles and the babbling brook beside us. It helped having someone to chat with until reaching the aid station. I took 3 Ibuprofen, ate some Oreos and a banana at the aid station and continued on. The last portion of the loop back to the start/finish has the highest climbs. I was overcompensating for my ankle by using more of my right leg so that leg was certainly getting worn out. The climbs were easier than the descents as my left ankle could only take so much weight bearing activity. I got back to the start/finish, changed shirts, gloves and put on a knit hat, ate some more Oreos, a banana and went potty. As much as I wanted to quit earlier, I now felt like quitting was not an option. I could have easily packed it in but something kept me on the course - to go back out on a sprained ankle and do it all over again on the same terrain. I actually looked forward to running through the cold streams thinking that the cold, however brief, would be good for the ankle. I knew that I would not be close to a decent time but also knew that navigating the trail carefully, running where I could, and walking where I needed to would get me to the finish. For some reason, I actually felt better on the second loop maybe because I was committed (or maybe it was because I should have been committed); maybe because I knew it was only one more lap; maybe it was the hat (only awarded to finishers) at the finish; maybe it was because I have never DNFed in a race; maybe it was because I knew what the finish symbolized; maybe it was because I knew what the journey symbolized; maybe it was because of all the training effort and sacrifice; maybe it was because there are worse things in this world than running in a beautiful forest even with a sprained ankle; maybe because I knew that the effort would not be in vain; and maybe, just maybe it was for love. Whatever it was, I kept going just like we all have to do in life. It doesn't matter how fast or how slow my time of 6 hours and 50 minutes was, what matters is that I endured and persevered and pressed forward - relentless forward progress - to a finish line filled with joy and smiles, wonderment and amazement - 143.

Ultra runs of 50K, 100K and 100 miles symbolize the journey through life. Most if not all of these are on trails, many mountainous, many treacherous - in essence just like life. We navigate the obstacles the best we can, sometimes we fall, sometimes we sprain an ankle, sometimes we are on the edge yet with others we find the beauty of the trail, the mountains and streams, lakes, the meditative quietness, the support and camaraderie. Never is it perfect even for the elite runners, there are always struggles, some worse than others. It is about the journey and finding ways to get up after a fall, walk after a sprained ankle, and bounce back after a failure just as in life. In essence, we all carry the cross and sacrifice ourselves in many ways and it is never in vain.

One Last Breath

2005-12-31T18:10:00.001-05:00

I'm looking down now that it's over
Reflecting on all of my mistakes
I thought I found the road to somewhere
Somewhere in His grace
I cried out heaven save me
But I'm down to one last breath
And with it let me say
Let me say

For the last 13 years I have made it a point to run on the last day of the year and race on the first day of the year.

The last day of the year is a day of reflection so it has to be a slightly longer run. If you can reflect on your year in a 3 mile run, then you need to pack a little more into your year. I ran 11 miles at a moderate pace. The way I felt during the run was much the same of how I felt during the year in running. I had some decent races but poor marathon performances. Mostly my running has been a bit of a struggle physically. The mind is still there but sometimes the mind is a bit overzealous in its thoughts. I do know what I need to do to get better or back to where I was in 2004 which brings me to tomorrow, or the first day of the year. I have run the Hamilton Hangover 5 miler (and various other distances due to weather)on New Year's Day for the last 13 years. This is the race that starts the year in the right direction. What better way to begin a year than with a race? This is where I get to look forward, to feel the hard effort, to think about what I want to accomplish and to think about the adjustments I need to make to achieve.

You cannot rest on your running laurels from years past. Running is humbling and just when you think you have it figured out, it taps you on the shoulder and says, "not so fast! (hah, literally)" Running is truly one of the greatest gifts because you must only use your mind, heart, soul and body. The adjustments must come from one of these. You can't buy a bigger driver, a swifter bike, nor a bat made of space age material. Running is you and the road (or trail) and whatever needs changed, they must come from within.

As I came down to one last breath in 2005, light snow falling onto the decaying leaves of winter, thousands of birds chirping, drowning out the air filling up and escaping from my lungs, I realized that the real reflection was truly looking at myself, what I need to change and what I have learned.

Happy New Year with a healthy and prosperous 2006!

How Bad Do you Want It? - St. Jude Memphis Marathon

2005-12-12T06:42:00.001-05:00

When I'm here on this highway
Breathing diesel smoke
Running hard for hours
Trying to make that Memphis show
People always ask me
"Son what does it take
To reach out and touch your dreams?"
To them I always say

Are you hungry?
Are you thirsty?
Is it a fire that burns you up inside?
How bad do you want it?
How bad do you need it?
Are you eating, sleeping, dreaming
With that one thing on your mind?
How bad do you want it?
How bad do you need it?
Cause if you want it all
You've got to lay it all out on the line 143

Making the Memphis Show - The Memphis show was not seeing the Rolling Stones. Yes, they were in Memphis this past weekend and staying in the very same hotel where I stayed - the famous Peabody with the Peabody ducks. I even saw Mick, Keith and Charlie arrive and walk through the lobby. It still wasn't the show. Elvis lived in Memphis, birthplace of rock 'n roll, and as the locals say he still LIVES in Memphis but he wasn't the show either. Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis (funny how you don't have to use his last name) all recorded at Sun Records in Memphis but the show wasn't at Sun either. The show started on Beale street, home to some of the greatest blues musicians ever - but they weren't the show either on this day. The show was the St. Jude Memphis Marathon - my 16th marathon and the 10th state where I have completed a marathon. The marathon, any marathon is the show.

I picked the Memphis marathon because I truly love the south, love the blues, love Barbecue and love beer. It also has a great tradition of giving to St. Jude's Children's hospital. The weekend was truly excellent and so what I had to run 26.2 miles. I arrived just as the Peabody ducks were making their way to the fountain for their workday - honestly, I don't get the duck thing but people love it and for many people there that was the show. I headed off to the expo on the Trolley. The expo was pretty small but manageable. I did get a nice Nike dri-fit hat for registering early. The shirts were long sleeve and had a great colored collage of scenes from Beale Street. I bought a plain gray shirt with Marathon Freak across the front. I figured that since I just joined Marathon Maniacs that marathon freak applied also. I walked back and noticed how dead the city was on a Friday afternoon. I actually wondered if it was a holiday. I stopped at BB Kings and had a barbecue and a doggie style from Flying Dog Brewery - carbs and water, right? The rest of the day and evening I just hung out and waited for the show to begin – anticipation – pin the number, tie the chip, synch the GPS, lay out the clothes.

The Show

If you read my Baltimore Marathon report you know it was not a pretty scene and this marathon was just 7 weeks after Baltimore (I know Maniacs, 7 weeks doesn’t even qualify me as a maniac – maybe a freak!) I felt that I managed the 7 weeks pretty well getting in two more 20 milers and some decent tempo runs.

The starter sounded like Larry the Cable Guy and I loved it – much better than hearing NJ accents! The weather was questionable, 50% chance of rain and potential thunderstorms but decent temperatures in the high 40’s and low 50’s. The rain never came and it remained cool and overcast yet a little windy. To me, the day was nearly perfect weather-wise.

The course was considered “rolling hills” but I much prefer this kind of course. The first half was very fast allowing your muscles to work, rest, recover and work again. I felt that I managed the first half quite well. My goal as always was to break 4 hours but I felt like I needed to manage the pace better and to run between 43-45 minutes for each 5 miles. At 5 miles I was at 43:36 and 10 miles at 1:27 – perfect. The best part is that I didn’t feel like I ran 10 miles at all – where did those 10 miles go? – this is a good sign. At the half-marathon mark we split from the half marathon runners who finished in Autozone Park. Our half-marathon split was back on famous Beale Street. I felt as if someone was running with me – I know Elvis lives but I don’t think it was him. The song referenced in this entry played on my Shuffle and I started singing it out loud – “how bad do you want it?” – the ultimate conversational pace. Beale Street was lined with spectators as if all the great blues players were there for a homecoming concert. I hit the half at 1:53 and was still feeling good – good energy, good pace. I did know that mile 14 started a climb for 4-5 miles similarly to the Baltimore course. The climb was gradual but it seemed to last forever. I still hit mile 15 in 2:11. My next goal was to get to mile 20 under 3 hours. The stretches were very long and straight at this point and I started to feel the toll of the climb, albeit gradual, was taking on my legs and time. I always feel like if I get to mile 20 under 3 hours, I give myself a chance. I get to mile 20 in 2:58 which is still under my goal but slower over those last 5 miles. Once I got to 20 miles, my quads were fried from the earlier down hills and the lactic acid had taken over. I always liken the pain in my quads to someone taking a steal pipe and beating them raw with each step. It is actually a bit more piercing than that but in a strange way it makes you feel alive. I tried to hang in the best I could but I got slower and slower – my mid-section hurt, my quads were fried, and also had some dizziness probably from low blood sugar although I had done Gu and sports drink. At this point it was survival and getting to the finish which I did in 4:19 - an awful 10K but I finished my 10th state and had improved from the debacle of Baltimore. I also got to 20 miles under 3 hours. I always try to find the positives in a marathon! However, all I could think of was the quote, “Anyone can run 20 miles, it is the next 6.2 that count!” The finish was as if I was playing center field for the Memphis Redbirds. We entered the stadium in center field and ran around the warning path to the 3rd base dugout. The warning path was so soft and there were spectators cheering from the stands. I would love to see the Baltimore marathon finish in Camden yards or down the center of the Ravens’ stadium. I heard my name and town called with a southern draw over the loudspeaker as I was entering the final stretch. There is always someone to greet you at the end of a marathon, someone waiting to share your accomplishments. Memphis was no different. Another show was over.

Go Faster

2005-11-14T20:23:00.001-05:00

You can’t stop
Or I might pass ya
If you slow down
I’ll out last ya
But when you’re down
You won’t find me laughing
Just one question I might ask ya
It might sound like a disaster
Can you make this thing go faster?

Ahhh, the feeling of a well-run 20 miler where the last mile is run faster than the first! I decided to do something this weekend that I haven't done in my 12 years of running. I listened to music while running outside. I am somewhat of a purist when it comes to running. I run outside in all weather, all year long listening to the sounds of nature. Although I still prefer this and will run most of my runs this way, I needed to change my approach to some runs. I typically don't have a problem with motivation. I run 6 days, 40-50 miles a week, 20 or so races a year and 2-3 marathons a year. However, I am finding that as I age, I need a softer surface once in awhile and some jammin' tunes to keep my legs pumping like the cylinders of a 600 HP engine. I wish! Since the Baltimore marathon debacle, half of my runs have been on a treadmill which provides for some excellent tempo runs. While the tempo runs and hill workouts have been beneficial, I learned that listening to music while driving through these training sessions on the treadmill have been just as beneficial.

I ran two long runs the previous two Saturdays, 20 milers each, the first without music and the second with music. I found that I decreased my time by nearly 20 minutes on the run with music. I ran a negative split, training run at a pace of 9:33. The music helped me get through the run. Look, spending 3 1/2 hours with myself running is a tedious task. I can only talk to myself so much and what I have to say is hardly interesting. I have an up-tempo playlist of some great classic and current rock, alternative and hip-hop much of it having the word "run" or "running" in the lyrics or some other motivational element like "I'm a believer."

When I see I have to make a change to improve something, I will make the effort to be better even if it means adjusting my purist thoughts. I want to improve and will find ways to make those improvements. If it doesn't work, I'll try something else. The only failure is the failure to try and to keep trying.

I'm not saying music will make you a better runner. It will not replace training and talent but it may help training become easier, fun or focused. I think it helped me maintain pace which is very important on long runs and to top that, it helped me maintain a faster pace. I often ask, "how can I make this thing go faster?" I guess I will find out in my next marathon!

Look Heart, No Hands

2005-11-07T20:23:00.001-05:00

Took a little time to get up to speed
To find the confidence and strength I'd need
To just let go and reach for the sky
You know, sometimes it felt as if I could fly
No doubts, no fears

If you were lucky enough to watch the NYC marathon, I suspect that you could relate these lyrics to the way Paul Tergat ran this race. Yes, the marathon is a race to these runners! Tactically, he ran an amazing race just sitting in the pack waiting until the others defected. Henrik Ramala and Meb Keflezighi stayed closer to the front of the 17 runner pack. After 17 miles Ramala, turned a 4:22 mile. Yes, that is 4 minutes 22 seconds after 17 miles! Tergat and Kaflezighi joined Ramala for the surge where I'm sure they felt as if they could fly. Running shoulder to shoulder, there appeared to be no doubts nor any fears. The closest finish in marathon history resulted, Ramala lying on the pavement, Meb limping underneath the clock and Tergat looking like he just finished a moderate training run.

The marathon is magical and is such a reflection on life. Like everything it takes a little time to get up to speed. You pace, get a feel for the road ahead of you, explore your mind and body, and proceed with caution. With more running and more life experiences you gain confidence and strength which allows you to go beyond what you thought possible. At some point you let go and know that the sky is the limit - in life as well as that elusive personal best. It then feels as if you are flying, beyond the ground and adrift on cloud nine. It is when doubts and fears do not exist. In many ways the journey is much more rewarding than the end result. We learn much more about ourselves and others during the journey. The end result is our gauge - how we must adjust the journey going forward, what we have learned and how we apply what we have learned for a better result. Sometimes we must go beyond reason and act out of desire - run with heart, live with heart. This is the essence of running - the essence of life. Look heart, no hands!

On The Run - Baltimore Marathon

2005-10-24T06:48:00.001-04:00

On The Run

a why did i do it, a why did i do it
i asked myself a hundred times and then i start to cry
its up to my neck now im runnin like a dog
i can't remember how it started
but its too late to turn back the clock
i gotta keep on and on and on and on

The marathon is unique to say the least. Just when you think you have the beast tamed, it turns on you, attacks like a rabid animal, destroys like a wildfire, and makes you eat humble pie. I like to consider myself a veteran marathoner having completed 15 marathons. Certainly I am not a beginner but I am starting to doubt the validity of being a veteran. No matter how good your training might be leading to the marathon, you “get what you get” on marathon day and whatever you get, most of it you cannot control. This is where you are truly tested. Your best races do not test you physically and mentally. The ones that challenge you the most are the ones where there is struggle, where you need to compensate for some deficiency, where you know you will not perform your best. These races are the hardest yet we learn the most from them. They help us improve more than any others. They “make” us analyze the results, our training, and every aspect of our race. They make us doubt ourselves. In some cases, they make us feel sorry for ourselves – a loser, a failure. But, in nearly all cases, they make us mentally and physically stronger. It is a matter of our attitude toward the event. We are more determined to tame the beast, more determined to douse the flames of the wildfire, and say “no” to the high calorie humble pie.

It took me 10 years and 9 marathons to finally break 4 hours in the marathon. After a very dismal NYC marathon in 2003, I realized that I needed to train differently. Although this NYC marathon was run only two weeks after a marathon PR in Baltimore, I knew that with proper training I could get below 4 hours. In 2004, I broke through and ran 5 consecutive sub-4 hour marathons, highly consistent times between 3:48 and 3:57. The final 3 marathons were run within a 4 month span. This is when I thought I was the “marathon whisperer”. I finally knew how I needed to train for and run the marathon to consistently break 4 hours. I understood the mental aspects both in training and during the marathon. Well, I thought I did. Obviously, all our times are relative. There are many people who run faster times than me and many who run slower but our goals are all relative to our individual running capabilities. What is common among all of us is this thing called the marathon. It doesn’t care who you are (see Paula Radcliffe, 2004 Olympics), how fast or slow you are, where you run, who you run with, how prepared you are – it just doesn’t care!

It is now the Baltimore Marathon 2005. This is my 5th consecutive Baltimore running each marathon since the inaugural in 2001. My goal is to continue to run the Baltimore marathon for 25 consecutive years which will make me 66 years old when I complete my 25th (got to have goals!) There are 59 of us who have run all 5 Baltimore marathons.

My training was decent. I will confess that it was not great but it certainly was not awful. My peak mileage during my “monster month” was 50-53 miles. I had trained consistently over a 4 month period increasing mileage and long runs up to my taper period, this after an active racing month of June. I ran 5 long runs of 18-21 miles and 4 long weekends (Saturday/Sunday combined) of 30-33 miles. Hill workouts and tempo runs were part of my training regimen. I ran two half-marathon up-tempo races – Philadelphia Distance Run and Jersey Shore). The Jersey Shore was only two weeks prior to the marathon and I did run a faster pace than I had planned but it felt comfortable. I tapered well for 3 weeks and felt refreshed during the last week as I had during the previous five marathons. My legs were sorer over the last year than they had been before. This concerned me a bit but then my half marathon races, leading up to the marathon, were solid and I recovered quickly from them. I was confident that with the rest and tapering my legs were going to be fine for the marathon.

I always believe and mentally prepare myself that, “you get what you get” on marathon day. Most of what you can control is over and done with. Marathon day forces you to think on your feet, literally, and to make appropriate adjustments. It is these tweaks and adjustments that get you to the finish. In some cases, none of the adjustments and tweaks matter. It is just not your day and typically you know it early. Sometimes you can point to the reasons – I didn’t do this, didn’t do that, and should have done this – sometimes you can’t.

The Baltimore Marathon was more of the latter. I just can’t point to the reasons for this highly disappointing marathon which makes it all the more difficult to analyze. The weather was a little warm (65 degrees and sunny at start) but I would not say that this was the main reason for the poor run. Normally, I start a marathon too fast. However, I have been better with my starts in the last 5 marathons. I went out running 8:30’s which was just about 5 seconds faster than my goal pace. I was consistent through 8 miles and then I noticed my pace slowed by 25 seconds on an easy part of the course. My legs felt worn and quads sore but this was way too early for this to happen. Once I got to the halfway point in 1:53 I knew that it was not my day. Although my time was decent (1:49 last year), I knew that I could not run the second half in less than two hours. My legs continued to feel like the build-up of lactic acid had taken over. I even considered quitting since I was close to the hotel. I have never DNFed in a race and wasn’t about to here since this was my 5th consecutive Baltimore Marathon. I also knew that the toughest part of the marathon was ahead of me – the long, uphill climb from mile marker 16 through mile 23. It was also a point where the course becomes more crowded with the half-marathoners (not that this really mattered to me on this day!) I kept running and thought of how I might get through this with something positive. I had been running the entire time so I thought that I would continue to run the entire marathon no matter how slow I ran it. My stride was terribly short. My quads felt like someone had beaten them with a bat. I never aerobically felt bad because I hadn’t run fast enough. I ran through mile 22 and then walked about 200 meters and then walked an additional ½ mile or so through the last 4 miles just to give my legs a rest and to stretch a bit. The challenge and struggle mentally and physically when it’s a horrible day is severe. It appeared that I wasn’t even in Baltimore this weekend. I didn’t enjoy the course, the people around me, or the scenery. I just persevered spending much of my time looking at the road and wondering what had happened and if I would do this (run a marathon) again especially since I was already registered to run in just 7 weeks in the St. Jude Memphis Marathon. It turned out that I ran my 4th worst marathon, 4:37, but the difference with this one is that I don’t know why it was so bad. I just know that the marathon is a beast, untamable, wild, unpredictable – one marathon will be gentle, the next ferocious. This is what makes the marathon the ultimate running distance.

It has been a week to allow for some analysis, mentally get my focus back and figure out how I move forward. I ran 30 miles this week, nice easy runs on some nice cool days. My legs still felt sore, not from the marathon per se but the way they have felt all year. I ran 5 marathons last year, 3 in 4 months and 2 in 3 months, all between 3:48 (Baltimore) and 3:57 (Las Vegas). I wondered what the difference was and then I realized what it might have been. Much of last year, since I was commuting into NYC, I ran on the treadmill during the week and ran my long and medium runs outdoors. The treadmill provided for a softer surface and may have saved my legs some. All of my training this year has been on the roads except for an occasional trail run. Could this be the difference? I’m older so saving my legs a bit with recovery days and softer surfaces seems to be important. I guess I will see since I purchased a Pacemaster treadmill this weekend. I’ll save my legs a bit.

Now, how do I approach Memphis? I am now looking at Baltimore as a long training run since my pace was that of a training run. I will use the remaining 6 weeks until the marathon as a recovery/training/taper session. I will run some on the treadmill to save my legs, throw in a long run or two and continue with my hill training. I will taper for two weeks with the same intensity but fewer miles. Then on Memphis marathon day, “I’ll get what I’ll get!” and deal with the beast it is.

Marathon

2005-10-12T06:56:00.001-04:00

"Marathoning provides you with a unique challenge. It pushes your body to its limits, but above all, it challenges you to come to terms with yourself, your fears and your strengths. Through the process you gain a deeper knowledge of yourself, if you are prepared to look" - Gary Elliott, Allison Roe's Coach

It has been nearly a month since I have written here. I intend to write here at least once a week but the time just seems to slip away.

The Baltimore Marathon is Saturday, my 5th consecutive Baltimore since its inaugural back in 2001. This is also my 15th marathon overall so this is somewhat of a milestone. I will also run a marathon in my 10th state this year.

I decided to deploy a bit of a different strategy leading up to Baltimore. I combined my 5 long runs (18-21 milers) with some up-tempo half-marathon races. My long runs as well as some specific workouts were on hills as the Baltimore marathon has an uphill climb in miles 16-22.

On September 18 I ran the Philadelphia Distance run, my first PDR and certainly not my last. I enjoyed this race quite a bit - excellent course, support and organization, except for the crappy EAS drink offered at aid stations. My time was respectable for a tempo run being 1:47:11. I felt best after the first 4 miles as I seemed find a relaxed pace. This is a large race with 8500 finishers (which is actually bigger than Baltimore). I wanted to feel the crowds and take the time to find my stride in the mass of runners. It just so happened that Deanna Kastor broke the women's American record of 21 years held by Joan Benoit Samuelson. Overall, it was an good day and I got exactly what I wanted out of it.

Two weeks later on October 2 I ran the Jersey Shore Half Marathon. I went into this race for it to truly be a tempo run at or near marathon pace. This may have been a mistake but I felt great and pushed the temp running a 1:44:55. I also ran a negative split in the second half which is quite rare for me but something I have always strived for. This is a double loop course so it is a bit more conducive to a negative split. It was a warm day but I fueled perfectly with both Gu and water. After mile 7, I just seemed to have a nice pace locked in as I passed nearly 20 or so runners in the last half. Every once in a while you get races like this where everything just clicks. This is my second race like this in 2005. I ran a 1:16 10-miler back in March that was just as perfect as this one. The common denominator in both that I went into each race with relaxed with little expectation. I just wanted to run a nice relaxed pace. Doing this for the start, as opposed to my normal quick-start and die approach (habit), appeared to be the right formula. Of course, everyone says to start off with a slower pace but I can never seem to get it done. In these two races, I did just that and got it done!

It is now marathon time and it has been 10 months since my last one. Frank Shorter told Kenny More in Sports Illustrated "You have to forget your last marathon before you run another, Your mind knows what's coming." Have I forgotten about Las Vegas? I never forget about the experience but I don't remember the pain which I suspect is a good thing. I know the pain will come both mentally and physically but the idea is delay it as long as possible. Do I dare make a prediction on time? I certainly have a time-goal but I don't have an expectation. My PR (Baltimore last year) is 3:48:01 so I am hoping to be around 3:45. Being under 3:45 would make for a great day! Of course, as I age, getting to the finish line and embellishing the experience is really what it is all about. This doesn't mean that I don't go out and run my best race. I always do. During the marathon last year, I repeated to myself, "leave everything out on the course." That is the way I run - I leave everything out on the course!

Thousand Miles From Nowhere

2005-09-15T20:39:00.001-04:00

"I'm a thousand miles from nowhere,
Time don't matter to me.
'Cause I'm a thousand miles from nowhere,
And there's no place I wanna be."

Every run takes you here - a thousand miles from nowhere! When I am lost in a run, I am lost from life for a little while. Although I am lost, I notice more of the little things on my runs. I notice more of my surroundings. I notice when sheep are looking at me. I ran the other morning and just about a quarter of a mile from my house, I heard a bell, looked and saw a sheep raising his head to catch a glimpse of me running by. Now, you have to understand that I live in New Jersey and although sheep obviously exist here, they are not in abundance. The simple sight of a sheep watching me run just made the morning worthwhile. A little further down the road were his buddies, grazing in the front yard of their neighbors house, no fence, just grazing and providing mowing services (good thing because the people who live in this house don't see to own a mower!) They all stared at me and frankly I waved just to say good morning. The sun was just inching above the horizon with a crisp blue sky as a backdrop. At the next corner were my horse friends. Since they were both near the fence, I decided to make a stop to say hello. They were a little hesitant at first but after a minute and a little coaxing, they visited and I petted them. I am sure they were looking for a little more than just a petting - maybe next time. On the rest of the run I saw two dogs and 3 deer. How many people who don't run even notice these things - the little things that make you realize there is more to life?

My marathon training in general has been good - not fantastic, not horrible, just good. However, I do feel that I will peak at the right time. I am putting in 50-55 miles a week, have done 4 long runs of 18-21 miles with one more scheduled, 4 weekends of 30-33 miles and have a few half marathon tempo races to have fun with. Baltimore is just 4 weeks away. I can't believe it has been a year already. This, being my 5th Baltimore marathon and 15th marathon overall, I'm getting excited to be toeing the starting line again but more excited crossing the finish line. At that point I will be a thousand miles from nowhere and no place I wanna be!

Gimme Three Steps

2005-08-27T19:24:00.001-04:00

’won’t you give me three steps,
Gimme three steps mister,
Gimme three steps towards the door?
Gimme three steps
Gimme three steps mister,
And you’ll never see me no more.’

The first steps out the door are always the hardest! A body at rest wants to stay at rest while a body in motion will continue in motion. I love my runs but some mornings bring those feelings of wanting a day off, staying in bed or just having a morning coffee. I know however, that once I get a few steps into the run, I'm glad I'm out the door and pounding the pavement. Just three steps, those are all I need and you might never see me no more!

It has been a couple of weeks again since writing. I was on vacation in St. John, USVI. I usually don't run much on vacation using it as a rest and recovery week. However, vacation fell a bit late into my marathon training. I figured I should at least keep up my fitness level and try hard not to lose anything. I didn't feel I needed to gain, just not lose anything. I ran everyday averaging about 3 miles a day but on some nice steep hills which actually may have helped me gain some leg strength if today's run is any indication. More on that in a minute. Baltimore has a climb starting at mile 16 - 22. I beleive I will be prepared well for it this year as I have been doing hill work and running my long runs over hills. St. John has hot as usual but not any worse than the garden state. The island, in general, is not too conducive to running. Certainly, by the looks I was getting, they were not too use to seeing many runenrs out and about. They do ahve a wonderful race that runs 8 miles (8 TUFF Miles) from Cruz Bay to Coral Bay. It climbs 1300 feet in about 4 miles. and then back down to sea level. Running on vacation helps the beers, steak, key lime pie and fish digest better!

The other detail on running there was that I did it everyday. I ended up running 11 days in a row including 3 once I was back. I took a recovery day on Friday so that I would be better for my long run on Saturday. It worked! I ran a nice 20-miler at 1:30 over my marathon pace. This was my second long run (first one was 18 miles) but first 20 miler. I got through 11 miles without realizing I had run them. It wasn't until another 4 miles where I felt my legs breaking down a bit. I talked to myself for the last 1 1/2 miles to get through the 20 but I did it!

I will run 10 miles tomorrow and then go play a round of golf. Hmmm, I suspect this makes for a pretty active weekend - 30 miles and a round of golf.

Like I said, gimme three steps out the door and I'm on my way. I just never know if I am coming back!

Round Here

2005-08-11T06:00:00.001-04:00

Step out the front door like a ghost into the fog
Where no one notices the contrast of white on white
And in between the moon and you the angels get a better view
Of the crumbling difference between wrong and right
I “run” in the air between the rain through myself and back again
Where? I don’t know

I ventured out into the mist of some of the highest humidity cast upon us this summer. The white, thick fog provided an eerie backdrop for a run where breathing was going to be more daunting than the first snorkel breath taken under water. I could not see more than 20-30 feet in front of me so it was a bit like running blind through a cumulous cloud. Maybe it was what running would be like in heaven although I hope they have softer surfaces to run on than the road – like the cloud itself. Of course, what would you push off of to generate the equal and opposite reaction? Or, would it just feel like you were running mentally without any physical exertion? Could I run a sub-3 marathon then?

Anyway, there was plenty of physical exertion on these runs. When I first started writing this I had run one day where it was like this. In my procrastination (or more like finding time) of not getting this posted, I found myself a “ghost into a fog” again about a week later. However, the runs were different. The first run was tough but I seemed to find an up-tempo pace that I could drive through to the end of the run (5 miles). I did not fare as well on the second run – still getting through the 5 miles but feeling like I had to cut the thickness with a knife like a baby having to break through the embryonic sack trying to find a breath of fresh oxygen. Each day is different. Each run is different. Some days you can breath, some days it’s a little tougher – in life as in running.

Some days, we are a ghost where no one notices. Running is a bit like this where the contrast of white on white is us being able to stay inside ourselves, have the freedom to think, disappear for a little while, and be non-existent in the world. We find ourselves imagining this place called heaven, where the angels get a better view of our life and death; helping us find what we need to find. Sometimes we don’t know where we are running. We “run” in the air between the rain through ourselves and back again with every run. We sometimes find ourselves; sometimes lose our way but no matter, we keep on running.

Wave On Wave

2005-08-02T21:39:00.001-04:00

Mile upon Mile I got no direction.
We’re all playing the same game
We’re all looking for redemption
Just afraid to say the name

"marathon"...that's the name and the game and I don't need any direction, I just need to run mile upon mile! I can't believe I have not written an entry for two weeks. How does time slip by so quickly? Not writing isn't because I am not running. To the contrary, I have put in some excellent miles over the last couple of weeks, although a bit difficult with the humidity, they have been excellent! Difficult miles make future ones easier.

I started an entry called "Round Here" which I will still publish because of the oddity of the morning, running in such thick, wet humidity. It is worth describing. The song "round here" starts with "I step out the front door like a ghost into a fog..." It was so appropriate for that morning. I will finish the entry and post it.

Last week was a very good training week totaling 47 miles, inclusive of a 18 miler over 3 hours with a follow-up 9 mile slight tempo/slight fartlek on the boardwalk in Belmar. I needed both the accumulation of time spent running and the individual long run to gain some confidence in training. I will continue the 3 hour runs over the next 8 weeks along with hill work and tempo runs.

Summer is an interesting time to train because of the humidity and heat. The fall brings welcome relief and easier running all leading up to marathon season. I am so looking forward to the Baltimore Marathon, my 15th marathon. It has been since January that I ventured out on a 26.2 mile trek, the last one being in Las Vegas. I miss the marathon when I have not run one in awhile. I believe it was Frank Shorter who said, "You can't run your next marathon until you forget about your previous one." I needed the time after Las Vegas which was my 3rd in 4 months and 5th last year. Although I never forget, I have become motiviated to train for and run the next. I don't forget because I learn from those experiences...how else would I improve?

We all look for redemption from the previous or I should say improvement from the previous so mile after mile, I have no direction but I do have intention!

Running on Empty

2005-07-16T15:34:00.001-04:00

Running on - running on empty
Running on - running blind
Running on - running into the sun
But I'm running behind

Every once in awhile I feel depleted of energy with running and being out on the road or trail. For so many, the energy in life also feels depleted. Life in so many ways is like running, a microchasm of our life experiences - the ups and downs, the desire to be better, the disappointment when we are not, the effort, the rest and recovery, the passion, what we can control and what we can't. However, our running, like our lives, is ours and we can affect it however we want. If we want to run better, we need to run more - if we want to live better, we need to live more.

It is time to start training for fall marathons. I have established my base and now beginning to execute on a plan to prepare myself mentally and physically for the distance. Baltimore will be my 15th marathon and my 5th consecutive Baltimore Marathon. The beauty of the marathon is that you need to train yourself for each and every one. You can't just wake up one morning as say, "Hey, I think I will run a marathon tomorrow!" It is an arduous process that each marathoner generally loves and despises at the same time - a love/hate realtionship if you will. It is similar to life as it takes substantial effort to get one to the finish. In life, like training for and running a marathon, I am generally running into the sun, running blind, running behind and certainly running on empty. The body and mind responds to this and as long as you nourish both, they will get you to finish. You might have to go a little ways on empty but that is our struggle within when the body and mind do not agree - the body says stop, your killing me but the mind says, don't stop you can do it, what's a little pain and effort. OK, in some cases it is a lot of pain. Sometimes it is the mind that goes while your body still wants to run and live. "That which does not kill me only makes me stronger." That is what training and adversity is all about in life and running the marathon - it makes us stronger. It allows us to go further with less pain. It allows us to run on empty, sometimes blind but we find the finish and then look for the next starting line.

On the Road Again

2005-07-05T21:48:00.001-04:00

On the road again
Goin' places that I've never been
Seein' things that I may never see again,
And I can't wait to get on the road again.

It has been a 10 days of experiences. I grew up 65 miles from Washington DC and have never gotten to visit the city, the sights, the museums, memorials or the roads. The best way to visit a city and explore is to run it. It makes it much more worthwhile when you are finding your way running from one point to another. I was in Washington on business so my running was limited to the early morning. During this week, one needed to run in the morning anyway because of the thick, stifling heat and humidity. My first visit to the national mall took me up 12th street past the Department of Agriculture to the mall. I ran east to the Capitol and then back west past the museums and Smithsonian towards the Washington Monument. My Dad is registered at the World War II memorial so I found my way to the memorial. It is a very touching tribute to a generation of heroes. I walked around it in the ironic silence of waterfalls. I made my way past the reflecting pool to the Jefferson Memorial, around the memorial to the tidal basin and then out to the Lincoln Memorial before finding my way thought the Woodrow Wilson arches and back the my hotel, the Mandarin oriental. It was a 75 minute visit to the heart of DC. It was one of those runs that won't be forgotten, one that sticks in your mind along with so many other thoughts. I ran the mall the remaining days in Washington which never really got old.

Upon returning home, I decided to to make a 4-day 40 mile trek of hard running to determine where I was beginning my marathon training. Baltimore is in October and it is time to start easing into the long runs. I have done some good speedwork in the form of races but now I need to combine the speedwork with endurance training. My first day was a 13.5 miler in the middle of the day with the temperature approaching 82 degrees of heat and sun running from Belmar NJ to Manasquan, NJ and back. Much of it was on the boardwalk which provides a nice cushion for the legs. I made out fine and was happy with the run in general. The second day was a recovery 6.5 miler, easy with a measured stride just to clear some of the lactic acid. The third day was one of my favorite runs - a 14 mile run that combined road and trail. This run consisted of 5 miles to the trail, 4 miles on a rolling, quiet trail that I have written about before here (Sounds of Silence), and a 5 mile return trip. I felt great throughout although my goal was to remain on my feet as long as I could and get to 34 miles for 3 days. At the same time, I knew I had a race (10K) scheduled for the 4th day giving me my 40 miles in 4 days and a great start to my marathon training. I went into the race with few expectations. I had 34 miles on my legs and a few beers in me from a July 4th party. I started off slow with an 8 minute mile (always intending to do this) but I let the race come to me and ran a negative split and a very fast last mile. It appears when I have little expectations and go into a race relaxed finding a nice easy pace to start, I run a better race. There was more to this day than just the race but it was the race that lets one feel like they want to be On the Road Again.

Runnin' Down a Dream

2005-06-20T21:13:00.001-04:00

Yeah runnin' down a dream
That never would come to me
Workin' on a mystery, goin' wherever it leads
I'm runnin' down a dream

Running allows you to dream and then lets you chase that dream to whereever it leads. In your mind it appears within reach; with each step and breath, it is closer. You run a bit harder, faster and further to reach it. It is almost within your grasp. You reach deeper when you are fatiqued thinking you can't go anymore - certainly not faster, but you find that inner spiirit to pull you through. The inner spirit can take many forms - a person, a thought, an experience, but something that we can hold onto to to get to the finish and sometimes to the dream.

Racing is very much like this. Finishing is sometimes hard but if you know that there is a reward at the end it drives you harder to the finish and allows you to get through the rough times. You draw your energy from everywhere imaginable both mentally and physically. Your thoughts change, your legs stride differently, your arms help drive your legs, your breathing becomes a well-defined cadence, you look to find that one face in the crowd that gives you that last bit of assurance - the finish is in reach.

I raced twice this weekend. The George Sheehan Classic, a 5 miler dominated by Kenyans over the years but better known for its comunity spirit and charity. If you do not know who George Sheehan is, you should. He is one of the most profound philosophers as it relates to running that there has ever been. The race is held in his honor after he died of cancer several years ago. Forty of his family members ran in the race. I ran 36:45 finished 225 out of 1738 and 30th out of 193 in my age group. Overall, it was a good race.

On Sunday I ran Run For Dad 5K on father's day. I ran 21:55, good enough for 71 out of 458 and 9th in my age group. My Dad died at the age of 60 due to lung cancer as he was a smoker. I figure that for evevery breath that he couldn't take in his life, I have been able to take as a runner. I was able to pick that one face out in the crowd that got me to the finish - to see a smile at the end.

Even if your dreams are a mystery, even to you, keep running and you will find them. They will become more clear, within sight and reachable. You may find them in places where you might never look or in people who have touched you in ways you thought not possible.

Happy Father's Day Dad!

Pickin' Wildflowers

2005-06-17T10:02:00.001-04:00

Whatcha say we go pickin' wildflowers?
Got a spot way back in the woods.
Sneak away for a couple of hours,
You and me, pickin' wildflowers.

Trying to convince beginning runners what they need to do to be successful and injury-free in the sport is a difficult proposition. I’m not defining success here as winning races or age group awards. I define success in running by having an active, healthy running life where you get both mental and physical satisfaction from running day-in and day-out, where is becomes part of your lifestyle and a welcomed one, not one of drudgery. I also define success by what one can take from running and apply to life.

So many beginners want to go out and run too fast, too far, and sometimes just too much. When the runs aren’t fast enough, far enough or just plain “enough”, they get frustrated and end up stopping without ever giving it a chance. Sometimes I hear about the little aches and pains – well this hurts and that hurts. Truly, what hurts more is a sedentary lifestyle. Sitting in my chair is worse on my back than running. Yes, runners do need to listen to their bodies for more serious injuries or fatigue that can lead to injuries. However, for me, running cures all ills. If I have a backache, headache, foot ache, depressed, or stressed running stops it – sometimes for just that short time while running and sometimes for good or until the next time.

So what’s my point in all this? Just go out and move – run a little, walk a little, run some more and stop and pick some wildflowers, talk to a horse then run a little more and enjoy the body in motion and exploring both nature and yourself. For beginners and veterans alike, take the time to enjoy the experience. A few entries ago I spoke of stopping to pet and talk to a horse. I smile at deer and rabbits, I jump so I don’t step on a snake, I pick a wildflower that I have never seen, and I smell the newly blossomed honeysuckle – all of these things on my runs.

All said, I am serious about my running also. I like to compete (mostly against my own times) so I do train and do focus and work hard when I need to. Not every runner has to do this. To be a runner, you just need to run and sometimes go pickin’ wildflowers.

A Day At The Races

2005-06-11T13:05:00.001-04:00

June is an interesting time to race for those of us who live through the four seasons. This is especially true when the temperature and humidity go from spring-like to mid-summer in what seems like overnight. I think to get the Varieties of Running Experience though, a runner must experience running in all conditions and in all the seasons. I do have days in the middle of February where I wake up and wish I lived in San Diego or one of the other best running weather citiies that just came out in Runner's World but then I come to my senses and realize the variety of conditions and experiences that I am fortunate to have as a runner in the Northeast. These conditions and experiences make me a better runner. My body and mental outlook adapts accordingly and I expect more or less from the season. Each season and each condition is a different experience. Even running in the rain during the seasons is different. As runners, we get to experience life and nature in their truest forms. I am not saying you can't expereince these things as a non-runner or another kind of athelete but I don't believe it is as complete.

It takes the body a few weeks to transition from low humidity and cooler temperatures to high humidity and downright hot temperatures. I have a few runs in the humidity this year but today was the first race that pushed the limit. The body will adapt - it always does and helping it along never hurts.

I ran the Princeton Fete 10K race today. It was hot and humid even at 8:00 AM. As always, I might have started a bit fast running the first mile in 6:57. I hung in there as long as I could with the weather. I sweated and I tried to drink (except the race organizers decided to give shot glass sizes of water in plastic cups and if you don't know what this means, someday you will!) and worked my way through the course. One saving grace was that most of the course was tree-lined and had plenty of shade. The downhills were slight so I could increase my stride without jamming my feet and knees into the road surface. The hills flirted with the flat and downhill surfaces but were not really a problem. I hit the 5K in 23 minutes so I certainly ran a positive split finishing in 47:51. I was nearly 2 minutes slower in the second half which I think is a lot in a 10K. I've tried working on more even splits and starting a bit easier but I guess I still didn't get it done today. The finish was on a soft spongy track at Princeton University. I love track finishes mostly because that is what I used to be - a 200 meter sprinter. When I hit the track - I go back!

Thus, a day at the races! One gratifying thing I did after the race was went back out to the track and cheered on the remaining runners. This was probably as gratifying as running. I love the people who believe they are not runners but are out there making the effort and in doing so are REALLY runners! Those runners are the ones who drive the sport and drive the motivation for so many of us as runners.

Happy Running!

This ain't No Thinkin' Thing

2005-05-30T19:49:00.001-04:00

This ain't no thinkin` thing, right brain, left brain. It goes a little deeper than that...

You might not be a regular reader of this blog (not too many people are!) but if you do venture out to read it every once in awhile, you might notice that I get a bit philosophical in my writing. However, I always bring it back to my running. Typically my runs give me that time to think, theorize, philosophize or just plain vegitate. A hard training run doesn't afford this free thought. That was my run on Saturday. I went out to run a hard 10 mile tempo run where I wanted to push the pace for at least half the run. When pushing the pace, the focus is on running - form, breathing, adapting, arms, turnover. It becomes relaxed and natural at a point but I am still in a focused, race-pace zone - a focused, race-pace zone "ain't no thinkin' thing"! Thus, you won't get any philosophy or meaning of life in this entry.

The first couple of miles were for warm-up - easy 8:45 pace and then I kicked into a 5 mile 15K-pace tempo run around 7:30-7:45 . I know for you speed demons out there that your warm-up might be in the 7:30's! I pushed the pace both up and down the hills. To me, rolling terrain is the best for training and racing. Your muscles get to rest as the terrain changes. I think it is much better than running on flat surfaces. Using the same muscles over and over again for a long period of time fatigues them. Of course, one might like a flat 5K or 10K where there is more interest in flat-out speed but I will take a rolling course anyday for any distance over a 10 miles. I am sure the elites and locally competitive runners will disagree since they actually have a shot at winning!

Anyway, I brought it home after the tempo portion at a medium pace and then cooled down in the last mile. I need these hard workouts when I am going through race withdrawal. I do at least two harder workouts a week - one typically hill repeats. I love the hills! As Frank Shorter said, "Hills are speedwork in disguise". The other hard workout is usually a tempo or fartlek run.

Hard training runs - This ain't No Thinkin' Thing!

Horse With No Name

2005-05-26T20:26:00.001-04:00

On the first part of the journey, I was looking at all the life, There were plants and birds and rocks and things. Each part of the journey while running is about life. It is not just the life around you but the life within you. In many ways the life within is experienced by touching and seeing the life around you. As I was running a nice, easy 10 miler this week, I stopped to experience life. Millstone is known for its many horse farms. Whenever I see a horse standing by a fence, who seemingly does not understand why someone is running without being hit by a whip or spurred in the ribs, I stop to pet and chat. At about mile 3, there (s)he was, a horse with no name just waiting for an explanation. Friendly and nosey I petted her and chatted about running. It wasn't Mister Ed so he didn't talk back but he seemed to understand. No matter, it was a moment when I got to share my life with the life around me. It makes you glad you are alive but makes you equally happy that there is life outside of your own to share it with.

Against the Wind

2005-05-20T17:04:00.001-04:00

Against the wind, I keep running against the wind, I'm older now, but I keep runnin' aginst the wind... I always feel obligated to write when I run in the rain. Today, I just happened to be running against the wind on a cold, wet, rainy day. It was an uncomfortable but easy 5-miler. I don't run well in the afternoon or early evening. Add the rain and wind and an easy day turns into a hard day. I do like to stress my body and mind on days like this though. I know that at some race, sometime in the future, it's going to be a crappy day with wind, cold and rain. When it occurs, I'm going to know how it feels and know how to run in it. That is the beauty of doing hard things - most of your other experiences feel easy or at least easier.

I see few people out in the rain, let alone runners, and I am sure the drivers in their cars are thinking, "what an ass, out running in this kind of weather!", yet secretly wishing that they were running or at least in the shape to run in this kind of weather. Maybe I will motivate someone someday. If that happens, I hope we can wave to one another while we're both out running against the wind.

The Sounds of Slience

2005-05-15T17:14:00.001-04:00

Sometimes I just need to get away from human noise. When I refer to human noise, I mean, noises that are the direct result of humans - voices, cars, hammers, jets, phones, etc. I turn to the sounds of silence or as close to silence as I can get. I find this silence on the trails. The only things "human" about the trails are related to me - the rhythm of my breathing, the pitter patter of my shoes hitting the stones, sand, and roots. You can open up your ears on the trail - the birds chirping and flirting with one another, the little creatures rustling through the brush, the wind playing the leaves, creating nature's white noise. All playing at once like nature's symphony.

This run was special. I ran 5 miles to the trail and spent the next 4 miles at nature's concert and then 5 miles back. It was a solid 14 miler with a rythm like I was the conductor of the symphony. I picked up the pace once I came off the trail. The roads are still rurual at that point but there is human noise. My last 5 miles were much faster than my first 9 miles. I don't run many negative splits, if any, but I am finding that a good relaxing, easy start affords me a strong, well-paced, energizing finish. I just now need to remember this for races!

Overall, I had a solid 3 days of weekend running putting in 25 miles for 3 days and 40 for the week. The most encouraging aspect was that each of the 3 weekend days was strong and relaxed. That is how I like to run, strong and relaxed.

The body as well as the mind need the sounds of silence every once in awhile. When mine do, I head for the trails!

The Trees

2005-05-11T20:15:00.001-04:00

The Trees has always been one of my favorite songs by Rush. As I was running on a gorgeous morning this week, I turned into a tunnel of trees, better known as “skook hollow” - well at least to me it is. It is a dark, spooky, narrow road at night. When driving on it, if you turn off your headlights you will see nothing but dark in front of you, not even your hand, thus the name “skook hollow”.

Anyway, the morning was crisp for a May morning, 37 degrees with a clear sky yet a fog meandering through the low lying areas, over ponds and filling in the newly sprouting leaves of the trees. It was eerie in a sense. As the sun rose and glared at each of my strides, it created a lightshow somewhat like at a rock concert – the fog, the beams of sun highlighting the performer. Each twist and turn on the road presented a different scene. Trees, newly sowed fields, and ponds each had their own personality or relationship with the fog.

It was a normal, medium-paced 5-miler except the beauty of the morning was more daunting. I couldn’t help but look around, hardly knowing I was running. This particular route is a down and back. After the turn, I head up a slight hill, over the crest and back down the other side. Typically, my pace picks up here as my body is warmed and used to the pace. Once I finish the decline, I turn into “skook hollow”.

This is where it hit me. The Trees embraced me! The new blossoms welcomed me home like they missed seeing me run beneath them. The fog was lifting and the sun was rising but The Trees were closing in on me. They now had a personality all their own. This is when the song, “The Trees” hit me. “The maples formed a union and demanded equal rights, the oaks are just too lofty, we will make them give us light.” It was a hug from nature, just me and The Trees!

Recovering the Satellites

2005-04-29T20:07:00.001-04:00

Maybe you have noticed. Of course, there are probably so few of you reading my entries here that no one has noticed. Anyway, I have started titling my entries after the names of songs or albums. Now, if you are under the age of 25, you might not know what an album is. An album is a vinyl disc with lots of grooves that produces exceptional static with words and music strewn throughout. On this disc is a collection of songs. “Ah!” you say, “it is like a CD”! Yes, it is like a CD.

Now that we have the basics out of the way, I have decided to title the entry after a song or CD, and think about my running experience in terms of that title. Usually the title comes to me while running. Some of the more recent entries were named after Kenny Chesney songs. This one is named after a Counting Crows CD. So what does Recovering the Satellites have to do with running?

As I was running on Wednesday, I thought to myself, “I feel really good and my legs feel like they have recovered from the weekend”. The weekend included the Runner’s World Half Marathon (see Living Here in Allentown). There are general rules of thumb about recovery after racing. One idea is to allow one easy day of running for each mile run in the race. Some people take a couple of full days off. I tend to take the next day off and then ease into running until my body tells me that it feels good and I can set my sights on training for another race. However, feeling good and being recovered are not necessarily one in the same. This is where the satellites come into play.

During my run on Wednesday, the reasoning behind this entry and the subsequent titling of it in reference to a song or album went like this:

“Hey, I feel like I have recovered. I feel great today! Hmmm, but I know that all those little muscle fibers have not recovered. All those torn little cylindrical multinucleate cells composed of myofibrils (OK, I didn’t really think that) are like little disparate satellites dancing around under my skin trying to find protein to rebuild themselves. It must be a false recovery under the glycogen store guise. I need to recover the satellites. Hey, that’s the name of a Counting Crows album (Hah, kids these days don’t even know what albums are). I think that will be my next entry on my blog”.

The mind of a runner sure works in strange ways. We carry on conversations with ourselves. When running alone, how else can we run at conversational pace? Maybe I should title my next entry Talking Heads!

Living Here in Allentown

2005-04-27T06:33:00.001-04:00

Maybe the title of Billy Joel's song should be "Running Here in Allentown"! I've run the Runner's World Half Marathon 4 of the last 5 years. It is one of my favorite races. It is not only the race itself and the great organization by the Lehigh Valley Road Runners (LVRR) organization, but there is always a great motivational speaker and wonderful host at the pasta dinner. The host is always Bart Yasso from Runner's world. Bart's love for the running community and humor always brings out the best emotions in the runners. This year, Sarah Reinertsen, one of Runner's World's heros from their December issue was the guest speaker. I won't go into the details but Sarah runs using a mechanical leg and has completed 7 marathons and participated in the Ironman triathalon in Hawaii. With her dream and belief in herself alive, she will be finishing the Ironman in 2005. She also ran the Runner's World Half Marathon this past Sunday. Her themes, as she was discussing her life, were believing and dreaming - to not give up, to keep reaching, keep working. I must admit, I did revisit her words while running the race on Sunday. I need to keep visiting with them as I try to qualify for Boston.

My run was just alright. I never quite dialed into the groove of the course - as beautiful as it is. The race went as my running has been going since January after the Las Vegas Marathon - a bit of a struggle. I rushed the first two miles getting through the crowds, finally settled into my pace and then raced with sporadic splits in the second half of the race. Everything felt a little tight, a little off-kilter, although my legs felt strong for the most part. I finally crossed the line at 1:46:59 about 4 1/2 minutes off my time from the previous year. However, I always look for good news in a race or at least ways to improve. Since I just turned 45, this race and each subsequent race at a new distance is an age-group PR! That's the good news!

The beauty of running is that we all win when we go out and participate in a race. No matter how I run, I truly feel like I have accomplished something. I rarely get that feeling elsewhere. The other winners are the charities that get supported by these races. The Lehigh Valley Road Runners organization has a great charity support program. The supporting community, runners, volunteers, not to mention Runner's World Magazine, give their time, effort and money to make this race one of the best organized, genuine and generous races being staged. One of my favorite activities is the Kids Races. The determination, exhaustion and eventual smiles on their faces upon finishing says it all about the running experience.

Although I might not be "Living in Allentown" anytime soon (although it looks like a nice place to live) I will always be "Running in Allentown" in the Runner's World Half Marathon. I must also say, If ever I could get a job at Runner's World, I'd move! :)

Somewhere in the Sun

2005-04-14T06:48:00.001-04:00

Spring and sunshine has finally found its way to the Garden State. Over the last week, each run has had a backdrop of pure blue sky and bright sunshine even at 6:30 in the morning. The weekend runs went as planned with a hard 15 miler on Saturday and an easy 5 miler on Sunday. I like to test myself a bit a couple of weeks before a race which will be the Runner's World Half Marathon April 24. I am not sure I will go 1:42 but believe I can go under 1:45. No matter what the time, the joy will be just running it. It has great race organization by Lehigh Valley Running Club and Runner's World.

This week has brought the same weather although a bit cooler. Early morning runs have been in the 30's but still with the bright sunshine; shorts are still in order. While running over the hills and through the woods, I thought to myself, no matter where I am running, I am "somewhere in the sun". Sunshine in general just makes for a more pleasant day but when you get to see the sun rise on a nice brisk run, it is something special.

On your next run with the sun beating down on you, think of how lucky you are to be running "somewhere in the sun"!

Be As You Are

2005-04-08T06:17:00.001-04:00

It has been two weeks since I have blogged but it hasn't been two weeks since I have run. I was "being as I am" in St. John on vacation for a week and adjusting to being back to reality for a week. In St. John, you can truly "be as you are" as opposed to being who you have to be. Running in St. John is a challenge due to the 45 degree (not kidding) hills (up and down), no shoulders, and drivers not used to having runners around. I always run a couple of days and take the challenge - especially the 4 mile trek from Gallows to the Westin that provides panoramic views of the Caribbean and St. Thomas. The hills are brutal but it is worth the hike. I always like seeing the goats and sheep along the way too - living their simple life. The runs always help me control (not) my food and drink intake or at least make me feel better about it.

I ran and worked out enough to ease into a week of good running as I prepare for the Runner's World Half Marathon. I have run 20 miles this week and will run another 20 over the weekend.

Running also allows us to "Be as we are". You can be wherever you want and whover you want on your runs. In some cases it is where dreams are born out of thought or possibly even where they die out of reason. I am me on my runs. I am not a corporate leutenant. I am not a puppet. I run voluntarily and freely. What else in life truly allows you to "be as you are"?

The Good Stuff

2005-03-25T05:53:00.001-05:00

I'm typically out the door running at 6:30 a.m. With the sun rising earlier and the temperatures starting to rise, the morning presents the essence of running or "the good stuff". There is a perfection to the morning. Everything is still except for the birds chirping waiting to be fed, the deer ending their evening of activity, the cocks crowing letting the farmers know it is time to sow the fields and the sun rising up over the hills. Yes, although I live in NJ running out the door of my house affords me of "the good stuff".

I have had a decent couple of weeks of running with a good medium run of 15 miles last Sunday, short tempo runs and a couple of hill workouts. Next up will be the Runner's World 1/2 marathon in late April. It will be a family affair running with my niece and nephew.

However, it is time for vacation and the beauty of St. John which provides "the good stuff" in a whole different way!

St. Paddy's

2005-03-14T18:57:00.001-05:00

Call it the luck of the Irish...the running of the green...but whatever it was, it wasn't expected. I haven't had a good 5 weeks of running. It has actually been a bit difficult to explain but it has been hard pushing anything more than 6 miles and any pace better than 9 minutes. I did get a couple of back to back 10 milers at an acceptable pace of 8:26 but in general it has been a struggle.

I signed up for the St. Paddy's 10 miler a few weeks back, after the LV marathon. I have run it before and last year was a master's PR for me at 1:17:55. I even contemplated not going yesterday because I really didn't know if it was going to be a fun time. The weather was perfect at about 42 dgrees and sunny. I told my myself to get out there, expect nothing and just have an enjoyable run.

I toed the line very relaxed and just waiting for the start. I was really expecting to be in the neighborhodd of 8:25's and just hoping to get in under 1:25. Well, I started out at about 7:40 pace and never let go of it keeping a consistent strong pace averaging 7:37 for the entire 10 miles. I really felt great! I beat last year's master's PR by 90 seconds coming in at 1:16:26. Truly, I was shocked and still not sure how it happened. Maybe I let my body heal for the last 5 weeks; maybe I approached it very relaxed, maybe it was the luck of the Irish. Whatever it was, it gave me some much needed confidence. It's funny how running can do that, just when you need it, it gives once more, something back to you!

Songs About Rain

2005-03-08T08:23:00.001-05:00

Yesterday felt like a taste of spring. Today it is raw again! It was 43 degrees when I got out the door at 7:00 AM but it was raining - the more I ran, the harder the rain got. There is something about running in the rain that feels good - maybe it is just mingling with the elements, flirting with mother nature, dancing with the raindrops. Today, maybe it was just being able to wear shorts yet having cold, wet, numbing legs. Whatever it was, it felt pretty good!

Twin 10's

2005-03-07T06:22:00.001-05:00

Sometimes your mind and body is disconnected. My mind wants to run....run races, run marathons, run long and far. My body has not cooperated over the last month barely running anything under a 9 minute pace. On Saturday, I left it up to the body asking it to perform if it wanted to run another marathon in Cleveland in May. In order to say yes, it had to run a 10-miler under 9 minute pace. It responded with a resounding yes and an 8:26 pace. On Sunday, I went back out for another 10-miler and also felt decent. Sometimes, the body and mind need reconciled.

Do Something

2005-03-03T18:43:00.001-05:00

With my running not going so great these days, I have decided that if I don't run I need to do something. I have wanted to get back into strength training for a little while. I figure it is a good time to start a program and then as my running comes around to integrate the two. The key is to "do something" everyday for the body!

Listen to the Body

2005-02-27T13:39:00.001-05:00

Geaorge Sheehan once said to listen to the body. It would tell you when it needed rest, was injured, or was ready to go. For a month, after the LV Marathon and my 5th marathon within a year, my body has been telling me to rest. I still have the motivation to get out on the road, still have the motivation to race but my body is telling me something differently. The energy in my legs and aerobic capacity seems different, different than it has in the last 4 years. I ran 8 miles today after 6 miles each of the last two days. I was registered for a half marathon and decided not to run based on how I have been feeling...thought I would go out for 10 but after 3 miles I cut it to 8 miles never getting under 9:15 per mile.

I'll listen a little longer but I hope the body starts talking back in more of a positive manner. I would like to run the Cleveland Marathon in May but my body is going to have to tell me that it is OK.

Lake Michigan

2005-02-22T01:14:00.001-05:00

I'm in Chicago and decided to run by the lake today. All I can say is to be careful of the concrete walkway around the outside of the museum with invisible ice. I almost took a dip in the icey cold waters of Lake Michigan! The 5 miles were good though!

The Good News

2005-02-19T16:33:00.001-05:00

Remind me that if I ever complain about the 25 mph headwind at the Las Vegas Marathon, that it could have been in 16 degree weather with a windchill of 9 degrees. Today, I ran my longest run since the marathon, 10.5 miles. However, it seemed that it did not matter which direction I was running, that I was always running into a headwind. It was 16 degrees so the windchill was about 9 degrees. During the run I thought about Las Vegas Marathon and running into that stuff headwind much of the way. I suspect it would have been much more interesting if it was 16 degrees instead of 52 degrees.

It did feel good to be on the road for an hour and half running for the joy of it with no watch and no time constraints. Its got me in the mood now to train again. On February 27, I will be running the E. Murray Todd Half Marathon, then possibly the Chambersburg Half Marathon in March and the Runner's World Half Marathon in April. I have a hotel for the Cleveland Marathon in May but have not committed with registration or air. I am already registered for my 5th consecutive Baltimore Marathon in October. I also realized today that I ran 3 marathons from October - January - not that I didn't realize it when I was doing it!

Finally - A good couple of runs!

2005-02-16T21:24:00.001-05:00

It has been 2 1/2 weeks since the Las Vegas marathon and my 5th in the last year. Speaking of the 5th in the last year, a guy that was riding on the bus to the start of the LV marathon was running his 4th in 4 weeks and he was 60, so what am I complaining about.

Anyway, it took me a couple of weeks to re-adjust to some decent running. I had a cold, started a new job with a new routine, and had just run a marathon. Just yesterday and today, I had a couple of decent 5 milers and have run the last 5 of 6 days. Being closer to home with my new job, I can now run in the wonderful rural area of Millstone in the morning instead of concrete haven of New York City.

I am still contemplating running Cleveland in May. I think I should but my body needs convinced!!

Dichotomy

2005-02-09T07:06:00.001-05:00

The marathon is a dichotomy - it will be one of the hardest yet easiest things you will do in your life.

First Recovery

2005-02-05T13:33:00.001-05:00

After taking 5 days off for recovery from the Las Vegas Marathon, I got back out on the road today. It's was a great feeling hitting the pavement again for an easy 6 miler. I am also now unemployed - on purpose - as my last day with Medidata was Friday and my first day with Clinphone is Monday. Hah! Enough about work - it's time to prepare for Cleveland Rocks 'n Runs Marathon!

Las Vegas Marathon

2005-02-03T09:19:00.001-05:00

There is so much to write about related to running the Las Vegas Marathon this past weekend. There is little focus on the marathon in Las Vegas because there is so much else out there. It felt like we were getting everything else in and just happened to have to run a marathon in the desert - it was truly in the desert with wonderful stiff headwinds. My nephew Shawn and I also did Las Vegas in support of Operation Marathon supporting the Victory Junction Gang camp for terminally or chronically ill children. This camp was founded by NASCAR's Kyle Petty and family in memory of his son Adam who died in a practice lap in New Hampshire. We signed up for a package where most of the proceeds went to the camp but we did get to meet Michael Waltrip and Kyle Petty. We also got to attend a benefit concert by Hootie and the Blowfish which also had other NASCAR drivers in attendance like Jeff Gordon and Robbie Gordon. I know marathoning and NASCAR appear to be strange bedfellows but my nephew and I love both and this was a great opportunity. Michael and Kyle ran the marathon and did great. However, the biggest victory was the $1 million dollars raised by Michael for the camp. I am considering running all future marathons for this camp. I will post more about the marathon and weekend on runnersthoughts.com.

Eating, Drinking, Sleeping and A Little Running

2005-01-25T15:24:00.001-05:00

This is not what you think! It is taper week and I spend most of my preparation by eating (high complex carb, a little protein to continue the healing), drinking (lots of water), sleeping (at least 8 hours) and actually doing little running. These are the things that work well for me the week prior to the marathon. I feel a bit heavy on race morning but it helps a ton at mile 20!! I also like to run on the treadmill the week before (or a soft surface) to do what I can to not induce damage on the legs.

I will run 3 5-milers this week and then take a 26.2 mile jaunt through the desert!

Storm Trak

2005-01-22T11:45:00.001-05:00

It's coming! 12 - 18 inches of snow with the potential for 20 inches. I did get a nice brisk 8 miler in this morning in about 10 degree weather. There is something fantastic about running in temperatures between 0 and 20. I believe it is the clean, crisp air that feels as refreshing as an ice cold water (or beer) after a run in the summer.

One week to go until Las Vegas - 26.2 miles of running in the high desert. This will be the highest elevation (3200 ft) that I have run. It does drop to 2700 ft on the strip. In NJ, my normal run elevations range from 150 ft to about 300 ft.

The weather is also looking good (of course, any weather outside of 20 inches of snow is looking good) with a 40 degree start and a 55 - 60 degree finish - perfect marathon weather.

Discipline Not to Run

2005-01-21T08:52:00.001-05:00

For days that are deemed recovery or complete rest days, spend the time you would be running reading about running!

Tapering to me is having the discipline NOT to run or NOT to train. To me, it is one of the hardest parts of marathon training especially the week leading up to the marathon. Las Vegas Marathon in 10 days!

19 and 2

2005-01-20T07:18:00.001-05:00

Its 19 degrees and 2 inches of snow...what a beautiful morning for a 10 miler! At least there is no wind!

It was such a beautiful, clear, crisp run this morning! I would much rather run in this than when the temperature pushes 90 degrees with 100% humidity. Your body warms and you can layer clothes until you reach that springlike temperature. It is not possible to do this in the summer - your body never cools.

I also noticed something about the way I run. I wrote a piece on my Runners' Thoughts website related to footprints in the snow. I experienced the same thing today. It was a light dusting of snow so my footprints left fossil-like impressions in the snow as did another runner's on my return jaunt. With mine, I could tell that my right foot slightly overpronates and turns a bit outward. I haven't noticed it before but may explain my bout with Plantar Facitis over the last year.

11 Degrees

2005-01-18T07:22:00.001-05:00

I know that this is warm compared to the -54 degrees in Embarrass, MN, but it is still going to be a cold 5 miler this morning!

OK, so I am back! The wind chill was posted at -1 degree! It is such a nice feeling when the wind turns to your back and the Sun is beating down on you from the front. Today was also one of those days where you can taste the salt from the roads from the tiny bit of snow we had over the weekend. As the wind kicks up, the salt powders your lips with just a spray similar to being at the Ocean. Maybe this is one way to get through the run - to feel as though you are basking in the Sun with an ocean breeze pushing aside the palms and hugging your body.

I never complain about the cold when running because I know that there are other runners crazier than I running in this weather everyday! Hello Fargo! Hello Bar Harbor! At least we get a reprieve here on the east with an occasional 50 or 60 degree day!

Taper Time

2005-01-16T21:21:00.001-05:00

Final Preparations for Las Vegas Marathon!

Trails and Tales

2005-01-16T20:43:00.001-05:00

When trail running in a secluded forrest, have you ever felt like you were in the movie the Blair Witch Project?