Baby, It's Cold Outside!

Well, not compared to the mid-west or northeast, but for NC, it is pretty brisk... It is certainly not the coldest temperatures that I have run in but it was a bit numbing for a couple of miles.  The coldest has been a straight temperature of -3 and wind chill of -15.  I left very little of my skin exposed.  I find the cold temperatures exhilarating, refreshing and comfortable.  I would much rather run in cold weather than hot, humid heat.  Running in cold temperatures just takes some adjustment in clothes and you can be pretty precise with the right layering.  In hot, humid weather, you can run naked (maybe you, but not me!) and still not get the relief.

Today was Day 3 of my streak.  It's still nothing to write home about but it's a start and if anything, it promotes consistency.  

Day 2

Yes, not very original with the title of the post but some days, there is just not a connection between a post and a run. I am thinking of trying to streak (no, not the naked kind!) this year so Day 2 means I have run two days in a row.  OK, its not very impressive yet, but I haven't missed a day!  I ran 4 miles today on the roads of Parkwood in South Durham. 

I am going to adopt a charity this year for running.  For each mile I run, I will donate $x to that charity.  I feel like I haven't given back as much as I have wanted.  Why do it through running?  It keeps me motivated to run knowing that each mile means something to someone else, my effort and their gain.  Sure, I can just donate without doing anything but it makes it too easy.  In most cases, the people on the receiving end of the donations have been through and continue to endure hard times and in some cases life-threatening situations.  While running, I can equate (not in the true sense of equate) the struggle in my mind with each step while running to the massively difficult steps that these folks take everyday.  I have yet to decide on the charity but will decide soon.  Maybe I shall found a new organization called RACE (Runners Adopting Charities Endure).

2014

Here we are on the first day of 2014...Although I am not a huge fan of New Year's Day, I am a fan of a new start.  Running in 2013 was just OK and I'm thinking that it was just OK because of my weight gain.  I remained healthy and uninjured but the extra weight took its toll on my lower back, hips and sciatic nerve.  I was still able to run 6 marathons and 2 ultras.  If you take into account age-graded times, I ran one of my best marathon times in Kansas (4:13) but age-graded to 3:41.  I am sure that the younger folks won't look at age-graded times with much interest, hah, until they age themselves and their times slow.  I was quite happy with that time pacing with a couple of gal pacers (4:10) that stayed on pace throughout.  However, the rest of my runs were just downright hobbling.  I was able to add 3 more states to my collection of marathons states leaving only 5 to go.  The mountains-to-sea 50k was the toughest run of the year, moderately technical single-path trail in a beautiful setting of Falls Lake near Raleigh.  So what has to happen this year?  I need to drop about 15-20 pounds, do more tempo/speed work, stay on the hills, do more local races at shorter distances, and keep up the motivation.  Oh, I also want to write more here, publish some more artful pictures done by Cindy, maybe even do more with the local running community.  Its a New Year and all is possible again.

What Was Your Time?

As a runner and specifically a marathon runner, there are two questions that I always get. "What was your time and have you run Boston?"  I guess if I was a great or even a good marathon runner, I wouldn't mind the questions.  I am 53 years old and any "fast" times that I once knew are well behind me.  Certainly, I still want to run decent times, wear a watch and still record my times. But I know, as should every other runner, that there will be faster times and slower times than ours.  I was a sprinter in the good ol' days of high school - 100 and 200 meters.  I was fast enough to win city and conference championships and qualify for states - ah, those fast twitch muscles.  But, there isn't much call for 53 year-old sprinters these days.  So, some people, mostly fast, fair-weather runners may ask, "why do you run at all?"  Does Ryan Hall enjoy running as much as I do?  I doubt it.  He holds the American record and has won the Olympic Trials and placed in top 10 of some of the world's major marathons.  He's dropped out of the last few marathons due to injury and hasn't completed a marathon since 2011.  If this is the price to pay for being fast, I will stay with my 10 minute pace and enjoy the sport.  Participating in running events and specifically marathons are joyous occasions.  Look around you at your next event and see the smiling faces, the joy, and the community of runners and their "fans".  I challenge you to find that much joy, of that many people, at once, anywhere else.  It's not about the time, its about the joy.  If one can't find the joy, even for those who may win age group awards or win races outright then there may need a re-evaluation of the purpose.  Of course, if you are making a living at it, then it is work anyway.  I am not opposed of fast times or those who run them and I would certainly love to run my PR again, but I just don't think that it should be all about the time.

As for Boston, I have heard others say that you are not a "true" marathoner until you run Boston because of the strict qualifying standards, again based on age and time.  I understand the mystique of Boston and believe me I would love to qualify for Boston.  With my PR I was about 30 seconds per mile off a Boston Qualifier.  Now as I age, I just need to outlast the standard - maybe when I am 90? Hah!  However, I believe that I have contributed more to the marathoning community with my support of the 72 marathons that I have ran than the one-time qualifier and one-time Boston runner.  I am also sure that I would not finish last in the Boston marathon because I didn't qualify for it.  Maybe the BAA will eventually add number of marathons completed to the list of qualifying, say 50 or 100 for a one-time exemption.  Somehow, I doubt it.  I would love to run it once.  A few years ago, I tried to run it through charity but was denied by the group.

Please don't think I hold a disdain for fast times and those who qualify for Boston.  I hold both in high regard.  I would certainly love to run my qualifying standard and subsequently run Boston.  What I am saying is that this sport is not all about time, not all about Boston, but about a joyous community of runners and their supporters and a worthwhile lifestyle of health, fitness, support and camaraderie.

It's a "Concrete" Jungle Out There

It's great to get off the road and onto single path trails!  The unevenness of the surface, roots and rocks,  that makes you use different muscles; the closed-in feeling of the trees, bushes and vegetation that make you feel like you are being hugged with with every step; and the quiet moments where you can actually hear yourself breathe and heart beat.  I've fallen a few times on trails but have never been injured by a fall.  I have sprained an ankle a few times, once while running a 50K and only 6 miles into the run.  Yes, I finished on a rainbow colored ankle!  Friday, in Las Vegas, I ran the urban jungle full of concrete, steps, noise and smells, treeless but without humidity (had to be something positive!)  About 8 miles into a run from the MGM Grand to Downtown and back, I tripped on uneven sidewalk and went down hard onto the concrete.  My football days trained me well - hit and roll!  Actually, to be more specific, it was called the monkey drill, hit and roll, while two other guys are jumping over you, alternating, as you jump over them.  There were no scrapes but a slightly bruised hip, nothing to keep me from finishing the run.  That's what trail runners do, get up and finish the run!

"I gotta pee..."

As a runner, I have been asked many times while running the roads for directions.  Some answers are easy, others are, "you can't get there from here", and still others make me think, "how did you get here in the first place if you want to go there?" I have also had other unique experiences while running.  In one instance while running through a neighborhood a dog decided to visit with me.  He didn't seem to pose a threat but the owner was perturbed that the dog ventured from the porch out to the road which was probably about 50 feet.  The dog paid no attention to the owner when calling him.  So, she yells to me, "can you run up near the porch so that he can follow you?"  As any neighborly runner, I gladly obliged and sure enough the dog followed me to the porch where the owner could take him inside the house.

Yesterday, while running, a pick-up truck pulled up along side me.  The driver, a woman, startled me a bit as I was listening to some tunes.  She said, "Sorry, is there a gas station or convenience store around here?  Would I go right or left?".  We were not close to much but if she really was looking for a convenience store, I could get her to one not far away.  However, it didn't have gas.  I said, "Well, there is not much around here, what exactly are you looking for, food or gas?"  She said, in a sweet Carolina accent, "I gotta pee..."  I didn't expect her to say that and my first thought was to have her follow me home, about 1.5 miles away.  Then, after negotiating my thoughts and getting my bearings, both from her response and where we were, I said, "oh geez, there is a Cruzers about 3 miles away which will have bathroom, gas and food, take a left and then a right and follow it to Cruzers."  Funny thing is, that should have been my first thought.  It was just a funny exchange and one of those runner things.  I guess people think that since you are a runner out running on the roads, you are likely to know the area.  Who better to ask?

JoyRun

One of the recent series at New Hope Church was titled Joyride.  Pastor Benji is always phenomenal bringing the teachings in the Bible to life.  I won't go into the series because you can watch it on your own and I won't go into the biblical connotations because this is a blog about running.  But, it got me thinking about the joy that I get out of running.  I also believe that it's not just me.  With every run and at every race you will see runners struggle but in the end and at most times during the run you will see joy in their faces.

I haven't written for awhile mostly because of time constraints.  Ha, I say that but quite honestly, I have enough time to write.  I get joy out of writing here as well, maybe because I'm writing about running.  Although, I seem to get joy out of writing about anything, even proposals in my work.

So far, I have had a joyful year of running capped off by a wonderful weekend running in Vancouver, Washington.  As much as I enjoy running in solitude - my way of getting away from it all - I still enjoy running with others, especially family.

I have run 3 marathons and 2 ultras in the last 6 months.  I wrote a entry in January about the Frosty 50 where I was accompanied by my nephew Shawn and crewed by Cindy.  It was a wonderful event and you can read the details on the blog.  I love running with Shawn because we have some great conversation and help each other along the way - well until the end when he turns the heat up and finishes ahead of me!  Cindy is at every race and quite frankly, without her, I would not get through many races in the joyful spirit that I have.

Next up was The Instant Classic, a trail marathon in Pocahontas State Park in Virginia.  It is a relatively easy trail marathon, as far as trail races go.  My niece Shelli was our host for the weekend and she ran the half-marathon.  The half was on the more difficult portion of the course which also happened to be the second half of the marathon course.  Not only did we both run, but Doug, her husband, their dear friends Chris and Karen, and Cindy volunteered at an aid station on the course.  First, I must say, aid station volunteers and our supporters/crew/cheerers, whatever you want to call them, have it rough.  It takes a lot of stamina to do that hours on end or be waiting at the finish line. I'd rather be running.  Again, it was a joyful day and we capped it off with a St. Patrick's day party at Shelli's house.  Oh, I ran an unrespectable time of 5:04.

Next was the Mountains-to-Sea 50K at Falls Lake in Raleigh.  I am not sure what I was thinking running a 50K two weeks prior to a marathon.  If it was an easy 50K, OK, maybe.  This, at least for me, was no easy 50K.  It was all trail and moderately technical in spots with shorter, steeper hills, both up and down (it was an out and back course).  However, it was beautiful around Falls Lake on a perfect sun drenched day with beautiful blue sky yet covered by a canopy of trees.  If you can't find joy in being outside, whether you are running a hard 50K or boating on the lake, then you just might not have any joy in you at all.  It's the longest it ever took me to run a 50K, 7:25, but what better way is there to spend 7 hours and 25 minutes?  OK, now you are conjuring up 101 better ways in your mind to spend 7 hours and 25 minutes.  As hard as it was, it was pure joy especially crossing the finish line and seeing Cindy still waiting for me.  She was even able to drive home, do some work and come back for me!  For all of that, I got an empty pint glass.  I fill that pint glass every now and then with a good ale and remember that day, that exhaustion, yet pure joy! At the end I made the comment, "Why can't I be like normal men and be on a boat on a lake instead of running 31 miles around it?"  Right?

So now that I completed that 50K, it was time to recover to run a marathon in my 43rd state, Kansas.  Truly I didn't know what to expect but I felt like I recovered well.  I also believe and tweeted, "If you want to do something hard, do something harder and the hard thing will feel easy!".    Well, I just did something hard, so lets see if this marathon will feel easier.  My marathons haven't been great over the last two years anyway.  Life gets in the way sometimes and having run 70 marathons since 2001, you just can't always be on, not to mention the inevitable aging process.  The Garmin marathon in Olathe was well organized, starting and finishing at Garmin Headquarters (oh, and we learned that the name came from the two founders, Gary and Min).  The theme revolves around the Oz.  So, when Cindy and I arrived we went to see the movie Oz, the Great and Powerful.  How fun!  The next joyful event was a panel discussion with Scott Jurek, one of the best, if not the best ultra runners of all time, Josh Cox, the American 50K record holder and elite marathoner, and Dez Davila, an Olympian, who holds the American record at the Boston Marathon.  It's great to hear the elites' view on running as a profession.  I was most enamoured with Scott Jurek and his book Eat & Run opens his personal and running life up to the public.  Marathon morning was brisk and sunny, just perfection.  The Oz balloon was at the starting line and there were plenty of Dorothy's, witches and scarecrows - even a Toto.  I ran my best in two years pacing with the 4:10 ladies through 23 miles and finishing in 4:13.  The consistent pace through 23 miles was pure joy.

This brings us to this past weekend in Vancouver.  With a tough month of May with work travel and moving, I just couldn't get the quality of runs in that I would have liked prior to another marathon.  Washington was state 44 and I chose Vancouver because of its proximity to Portland which is where Cindy's son and fiance live.  We could get a visit in and I could get another state.  On Saturday, I got over my social-phobia and decided to do the shake-out run with Bart Yasso and another 10 runners.  I must say, it was one of the most joyful experiences I have had as a runner.  It was an easy 3 miles of good running conversation.  Bart and I spoke about World Vision, the Christian organization that does so much good in the world for the impoverished.  He supports two children in South Africa while my two girls are in Brazil.  He got to meet his boy and girl when he ran the Comrades marathon (56 miles) a year ago. 


 I chatted with a guy who ran Comrades two years in a row - the up course and the down course.  Another runner and his wife were from Houston and we spoke about some of our favorite marathons.  At 10 AM came the Freedom 5K.  This may have been another one of my most joyful moments in running - the four of us, Calvin, Jenn, Cindy and me all running the 5K together.  It was the together piece that created all of the joy, starting, running and finishing together.  Cindy did remarkable finishing 4th in her age group.  Now, Jenn and Cindy are engaged in a 5K program to get better.  Isn't that what all of us runners strive for?  To get better? 

It was such a fun time!  Calvin, Cindy's son has been training for his first marathon, Light at the End of the Tunnel, held in July.  I am a firm believer in running multiple marathons leading up to a a goal race, at least for us non-elites.  It grooves you, it gets you into a race mindset, they are supported, and again, its a joyful thing to do.  I think Cindy talked Calvin into doing this marathon as a training run more than Calvin wanted to do it.  However, running 3:21 is not a training run to me; it would be a dream come true.  Calvin ran a masterful time and I am sure that there was pure joy throughout that run and especially when crossing the finish line.  First, it truly was a training run and will give him supreme confidence in the next one.  Secondly, his Mom was there to see his first one.  My Mom was at my first distance race ever in 1993, a 5K but she never got to see me at the finish line of a marathon - more importantly, I never got to see her.  Thirdly, his fiance was there.  And finally, it was a freakin' 3:21!  As for me, I ran decently with a little hamstring tightness and cramping at mile 21.  But overall, I has pretty happy with 4:18.  And there was beer at the end - how joyful is that!?

So, you see, the joy comes with every step, whether it is during an early morning casual run, a hard training run, a marathon, a 5K, an ultra, seeing others run, running with others, writing about running - whatever - have yourself a JoyRun!