The 100

This is not about the TV show for those of you who did a google search for "the 100". This post is about a lot of things, mostly related to running but not necessarily all. The post title "the 100" is related to having completed my 100th marathon in 2017 and I will get to that in a bit. It's been since May that I have written a post and frankly I miss writing. Its been a tumultuous year and yet I still find running my road to sanity through it all. I won't get into my political angst and will save that for Twitter as the cesspool becomes murkier and smellier than ever. I'll internalize the professional challenges after yet another acquisition brought down one of the best companies and teams that I have worked for. And personally, I just try to do the right thing in all circumstances.

I have enjoyed the variety of running this year; different distances, trail and road, forests and cities. I haven't run well in marathons, been OK on the trails, but have faired quite well in half-marathons. And yes, I reached a major milestone in completing marathon 100. I never really set out to run 100 marathons, frankly never thought about it until after completing running a marathon in all 50 states and DC in 2015. Kauai was marathon 89 and the completion of all 50 states and it put me to the test. Read the story here. Running for me has been: set a goal, achieve a goal, evaluate new goals, repeat. Once I finished the 50 states and was so close to 100 marathons, that became my new goal. Two years and 11 marathons later, marathon 100 was in the books. Again, more about that in a bit.

The singlet and the bib

Racing in 2017

Race	Date	Distance	Result
Lakeside Trail Race, NC	1/14/2017	15M	3:03:01
Salem Lake Frosty Trail 25K, NC	1/21/2017	25K	2:27:40
Race 13.1 Wilmington, NC	2/19/2017	Half Marathon	1:59:24
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Trail Half, NC	2/25/2017	Half Marathon	2:31:41
Tobacco Road Half Marathon, NC	3/19/2017	Half Marathon	1:56:42
Raleigh Rock n Roll Marathon, NC	4/2/2017	Marathon	4:33:02
Western Maryland Rail Trail Half, MD	4/9/2017	Half Marathon	1:55:08
Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon, OH	5/7/2017	Marathon	4:38:17
Sioux Falls Marathon, SD	9/10/2017	Marathon	5:17:17
Steamtown Marathon, PA	10/8/2017	Marathon	5:29:48
Baltimore Marathon, MD	10/21/2017	Marathon	5:14:36
Skinny Turkey Half, NC	11/23/2017	Half Marathon	1:57:25
Race 13.1 Durham, NC	12/9/2017	Half Marathon	CANC

In 2017, I completed 12 events, 3 trail races (2 technical trails), 10 road races, 5 half marathons and 5 marathons. Over the past few years, I have observed some interesting trends but also things I have known from past experiences. Plainly, I train better in the winter and run better in the spring. It's much worse training in the summer heat and humidity which affects September/October races, then November/December races seem to be better. It's somewhat obvious because runners generally like it cooler/colder for training and races. The heat and humidity are oppressive in North Carolina and getting long runs in during July - September is quite difficult.

The Winter

Lakeside Trail Race

This was a nice low key event in the woods around Lake Townsend. The trails are lightly technical. This was my first trail race in awhile so I was stepping a bit gingerly over the roots and rocks. They have an 8 and 15-mile course.

Looks like an ultra

The trail got more technical

Salem Lake Frosty 50K/25K

This is a well-done race and features a 4 loop 50K, two-loop 25K and a relay. It is also totally runnable on a wide crushed gravel trail with some greenway. Its well-supported and a beautiful venue. I've run both the 50K and 25K. Shawn visited and ran a great 25K as well.

Love this sight before a trail race

Wilmington Race 13.1

This is part of the RACE 13.1 series, generally a good series of races, particularly the North Carolina ones. This course is pancake flat and fast. I paced with the 2-hour group for about 11.5 miles and slightly went ahead to finish about 30 seconds under 2 hours. Cindy completed her first 10K. I was really proud of her!

Cindy's first 10K finish!

Squeaking in under 2 hours

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (WTF) Trail Half Marathon

I enjoyed this half on a technical trail with two small river crossings, almost knee deep water. The race was postponed a few minutes due to a horrid rain/thunderstorm, yes, even in February, and the temperature was near 70.

Waggin' Wild 5K

This is one of my favorite events having participated in it the last two years. Casey has run it in about a 9:45 minute pace. More importantly, he has won largest dog participating two years in a row.  This year Gabby and Cindy ran as well. So, it was a family affair.

Our running family

Mama and Gabby finishing!

Daddy and Casey finishing!

Good boy! Who loves ya?

Tobacco Road Half Marathon

Arguably my favorite event of the year, not because what I did, but because Cindy completed her first half marathon and I was so proud of her for the training, the excitement, how well she did, everything about it. Frankly, it was a glorious day. You can read about it all here.

Ring the bell baby doll!

Two half marathon finishers!

The Spring

Raleigh Rock n Roll Marathon

Oddly, this marathon was my best of the year. Its a difficult course, unrelenting hills but my racing prior helped build strength and endurance, particularly on the trails and then speed in the two half marathons.  Although I am not a huge fan o Rock n Roll events, this one is well-done. Although we live just 20 minutes from Raleigh, we stayed the weekend in Raleigh and had a good time visiting the Museum of Natural History, Crankarm Brewery and some downtown restaurants.

If I had a child

Yep, that's a mess of a course!

Crankarm Brewery day before Rock n Roll!

Visiting Museum of Natural History

Sir Walter Raleigh deck out for Rock n Roll!

Start running toward the Capitol!

Welcome to Raleigh

Shining bright!

Thumbs up at the finish!

Red Hat Amphitheatre

Western Maryland Rail Trail Half Marathon

Only a week after Raleigh, I ran a fine half marathon on a cold but beautiful day in April. Being in Hancock, MD, Shawn ran this one as well. He blazed the course. Its an out and back course on the rail trail.

Brothers in arms and two great finishes.

Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon

 It's quite the party atmosphere with this running festival and its a fun course with plenty of spectators. It was my 4th pig and ran an OK time relative to what I would run the rest of the year. The rest of the family also did some event from the kid's runs to the 5K.

After Cincinnati, I had my sights set on marathon 100. I wasn't sure beginning the year when or even if I would get to 100 in 2017. I looked and looked at schedules to see how I could get this done. If planned correctly, I could make Baltimore my 100th marathon and since I have run all 16 previous Baltimore marathons, it being sort of local to my hometown in Maryland, and a nice party atmosphere, I figured out a schedule to get me there. Then, I asked the marketing VP at Corrigan sports to help me secure bib 100 to commemorate the accomplishment. I was able to have bib 50 running my 50th marathon on my 50th birthday in New Orleans and also to have Bib 50 finishing my 50th state in Hawaii. Bib 100 would be a nice addition to the family.

Charlie, Becky, and Bree at the 5K start

The twins and me high-fiving runners who happened to be Bree!

A family affair finish - Grandma finished too but she's taking the picture!

Korrey, Jaxon, and Bree at the Reds' stadium

Piglet dash Jaxon, Korrey and Charlie

Jaxon and Korrey with their medals

The big boy's race - at the start with Cynthia

Attention!

26.2 miles makes one thirsty for beer!

The Summer Safari

In between all the running, we went to Africa on Safari - a trip of a lifetime still etched in our minds. It was a two-week safari in Tanzania - Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti - for Cindy's 60th birthday in June. It deserves not only a post but a book. I did make two short movies and need to finish a third. Tarangire movie. Ngorongoro movie. There are 4,000 pictures. Here are just a few.

When you think of an African sunset!

Selfie with elephants?

This fellow was none too happy!

Love this shot of the wildebeest

King and queen of the grassland!

Poser!

Home away from home

On the prowl

Monkey see monkey do!

A family affair

He didn't roar, only growled!

Here's to ya, my friend!

Wildebeest with no purpose in mind!

Sunset in Tarangire

Hey Babs!

Just please let me sleep in this tree!

Maasai

Waiting for dinner

Yawn!

Cheetahs not to be preyed upon but looking for prey

It's a long way down to drink water

These tusks are mine, not yours!

eye for an eye

pride on  the watch

The Fall

The problem with early fall marathons is doing the training through the heat and humidity of summer, especially in North Carolina. I don't do well running in humidity. As much as I made the effort to get longer quality runs in, it was just abysmal. I knew that these next couple of marathons were going to suffer, more likely I was going to suffer and suffer I did. I was hoping to use Sioux Falls and Steamtown as my long runs focusing on Baltimore for a better time. It just didn't pan out that way.

Sioux Falls Marathon

I was quite pleased with the entire Sioux Falls experience from visiting the city to running the marathon. The falls are absolutely amazing which is a must to visit but the course runs through the area as well. Its a mix of roads and greenway trails has an indoor start/finish, and a hotel adjacent to the expo and start/finish. The weather was warmer than normal but less humidity. It was comfortable but without the good long runs in the summer, I struggled after mile 19. The only downside was that there was no food or beverage left when I finished, just water.

Sioux Falls in Sioux Falls

Our names, and every other runner's name on this truck!

Start/Finish indoors

All ready for a 5K

Running through Sioux Falls

Crossing the Big Sioux River

Crossing the Big Sioux river 23 miles away

Finally but no food and beverage left!

Two finishers!

Pretty on pretty!

Steamtown Marathon

I have wanted to do this marathon in Scranton, PA for some time but it never worked out. Both Cindy and I have a lot of history, separately, in this area of the country so it was fun going back to visit. Although this year's race was only two weeks before Baltimore, I thought that it would be another good long run. Steamtown has a net elevation drop of 944 feet and reading the reports, the course can do a number on your quads. Its a point to point course and requires a bus ride up the mountain to the start but the finish and bus pickup are in the center of Scranton and near hotels. It was raining for the entire bus ride and right up until the cannon. However, the staging is in a high school so everyone was kept dry. Now, for the weather. You would think Scranton, the first week of October would be nice and cool. Nope, not this year. It was the steamiest Steamtown in the history of the race, 70 at the 7 AM start, very humid and near 80 with the sun at the finish. It was an ugly day for me. I felt done at about mile 9, not good in a marathon. It was in my bottom 5 marathons time-wise. I must say, the spread of food at the end was the best I've seen. Its a really well-organized event with a really funny assistant race director.

Yes, we attended a Paranormal Conference at the Hotel

What would Steamtown be without steam locomotives?

Steamtown National Historic Park

Electric trolly ide from the national historic site

Black bear was seen from the electric trolly

Built on the John Oliver Show and sent to Scranton - too funny!

The black and white

Finally to the finish - fantastic food!

Looking for Cynthia Anne

You talkin' to me?

Cindy's house once upon a time in Clarks Summit

A neighbor Cindy ran into at a diner who was a child when she lived in Clarks Summit

Baltimore Marathon

...which brings me to my 100th marathon, 99 marathons since Baltimore 2001, the inaugural, and with my first being in New York City, 1994, an even 100 marathons. Of course, I have also completed 8 ultras so for the 26.2+ mile distance, the total is 108.

Why Baltimore? Throughout my 17 year adventure, not including my first NYC marathon, Baltimore has been a staple on my marathon calendar having run all 17.  I have had some great Baltimore marathons (3:47:33 in 2006) and some horrible ones (5:14:36 in 2017), It has always been a festive event, hence, why it is called the Baltimore Running Festival. Corrigan Sports always does a great job every year tweaking the event to make it better. This year was probably the most drastic moving the finish line to Pratt Street and the celebration village to the inner harbor. There have always been course tweaks. Another reason I chose Baltimore was it being in my home state and my father being born in Baltimore. I was also able to secure bib number 100 working with the VP of Marketing at Corrigan. It was very much appreciated that he was able to secure that number.

The weekend started with our traditional lunch at Pratt Street Alehouse, this year with Shawn and Rene. They have great food and cask conditioned ales and outdoor seating. It's a nice way to start the weekend. The expo was its normal medium size and held across the street at the convention center. It was nice to see the bib number given to me. The volunteer giving it to me said, "that's a nice round number." I said, "yeah, for my 100th marathon..." People sometimes give you the "dog look" where their head cocks to one side when you say things like this. We walked around the harbor a bit after the expo, chilled int he room and then had dinner at Sotto Sopra.

The weather, unfortunately, looked like it was going to be warm again, 60's and 70's. That again didn't bode well for me. I wore my new North America 100 club singlet and after pinning on bib 100, it brought the reality to what I had accomplished. Wearing the singlet lead to a lot of conversations during the run. Many other runners asked how many I had run and telling them that today was my 100th and showing them bib 100, they let out big congratulations, amazement, astonishment, craziness. It was the most people I had spoken to while running a marathon over my last 99. From that perspective, it made for a great day.

From an actual running perspective, I ran really well through the first half running 2:07 but I just couldn't hold it together past mile 18 or so. I saw Cindy at mile 9 and Cindy, Rene and Shawn at mile 13. I think I was still on track for a 4:30 finish through 20 miles. I was skeptical that the finish would not be as cool as finishing between Camden Yards and Ravens stadium. I was wrong. I enjoyed running down Pratt street to the finish. The last two miles are mostly downhill to finish at the inner harbor. Cindy greeted me as she always does and we hung out at the promenade for a bit exploring the new set-up. Later that evening we celebrated with a nice meal at Capital Grille. Frankly, it was a bit anti-climactic. I've always imagined big parties, sharing running stories with friends, celebrations but that has never been me. Yes, there have been some nice blog posts about my adventures, Facebook kudos, etc but never the true celebration of running all these events. I will change that by doing something with my medals, bibs, mementos, and blog posts. Its been a great adventure and its not over yet. Hopefully, I can still do these kinds of things until my heart says, "no more."

Thank you, Chris Tomlinson, for securing bib 100 for me!

The Baltimore skyline

Thank you, Shawn and Rene, for being there for my 100th!

And of course Cynthia Anne for my 100th and last 50 marathons!!

Dinosaurs are not extinct in Baltimore!

Start

Mile 8.75 and still running strong!

Cool crab shell medal

Mayor of Baltimore - Photo Op!

The lights of the inner harbor

Rejoice, finally, 100 marathons!

Skinny Turkey Half Marathon

With the awful fall marathons, time-wise, I really wasn't sure how Skinny Turkey was going to go. It's a challenging, hilly course and I was going to be happy with a 2:05, even a 2;10. It was not to be. It was much better than I anticipated due to some fine pacing. Over the past couple of years, I have paced in half marathons with the 2-hour groups and generally have been able to finish 1 to 5 minutes faster than 2 hours. It's the one distance that I still feel fairly confident in. I wasn't planning on running with the pace group at Skinny Turkey. I just happened to be around them, felt pretty good running with them and stayed with them for the first 4 miles. Then I decided to move ahead a bit, much earlier than normal. as I did, a young lady, who turned out to be 22, went with me. Without saying a word, but knowing we were running together and pacing off of one another, we ran the next five miles at an average pace of about 8:38. I really didn't think I could keep the pace at times but we sort of drove one another to the pace. But, at mile 9, I fell back a bit and lost her pace. I still maintained a decent pace on the remaining 4 miles of hills and finished in 1:57:25. I was so happy with that run. It validated my hot weather issues since the temperature that day was in the 30s and 40s. I saw the young lady after the finish and we chatted a bit. She finished in 1:54:53 and she said that I was a really good pacer. But truly, it went both ways, we were good pacers to each other. The ironic thing in this finish is that I got 2nd in my age group out of 15, only my 2nd age group award and first in a half marathon. The irony was in the fact that since I never win age group awards, I left before the awards were announced. Maybe I should start sticking around!

Fine run on Turkey Day!

Race 13.1 Durham

I was really looking forward to this race since I hadn't broken 2 hours on this course yet. It has its hills but nothing harder than Skinny Turkey. However, due to "winter precipitation", the event was canceled. I put that in quotes because it means something different here in North Carolina.

What's Next?

So that's my year in running. For 15 years, I was trying to get to all 50 states and DC marathons and then for two more years trying to get to 100 marathons. Missions complete! Now what? first, I am free to run what and when I want except for running the Baltimore marathon every year. I may go to the 10 provinces in Canada. I have one and considering Ottawa this year. I may go for 100 half marathons. I have 39. How about another trip around the states? I have 15. How about 2 more ultras to get to 10? How about different distances? 100K, 100 miles, 24 hours, 12 hours? How about international besides Canada? How about a coaching certificate from RRCA? How about pacing? How about volunteering at races? How about working with new runners? How about a food truck called Runners Thoughts or In The Moment Running serving up light food and beverage at races or training areas? How about writing a kids book on running?

Geez, I guess there is still a lot to do!

The Power of Negative Thinking

You have always been told, even as a child, think positive and positive things will happen. So why would I title a blog post about the power of negative thinking? Many runners know the answer. To go negative in the second half of a race is the optimal way to run a race. Going negative means running the second half faster than the first.  I am not talking about sandbagging the first half and then blistering the second. I'm talking about running the prefect race where you are minutes or even seconds faster in the second half. It is the best feeling particularly if you plan it or even better if you just feel it happening. The challenge of the course can also have an impact but I have seen and even ran a negative split myself where the second part of the course was more difficult than the first. Frankly, it is a difficult thing to do, at least for me, because I have always had a tendency to go out too fast, even after 97 marathons, its a challenge to run that negative split marathon. I do better in half marathons because it takes me about 4-6 miles to warm-up, even after a pre-race warm-up!

My nephew Shawn Doub ran a negative split at the Baltimore marathon in 2016, on a course famous for its difficulty in the second half due to the hilly miles from16-23. He even received a pair of New Balance shoes on Strava for running that negative split.

I ran 4 (3 consecutive) races this year in negative splits, three half marathons and a full and they were of the perfect kind.  In the first half marathon in Wilmington, NC, I paced with the 2 hour group through 11 miles and then finished in 1:59:24, a 36 second negative split. At the Tobacco Road half marathon, I ran 59 minutes out to the turn-around and then 57 minutes back finishing in 1:56:42. Then at the Raleigh Rock n Roll full marathon, on a challenging, hilly course, I ran 2:17 for the first half and 2:16 for the second finishing in 4:33:02. And, at the Western Maryland Rail Trail half marathon, I ran a 2 minute negative split finishing in 1:55:08.  All 4 of these races felt the best to me this year so far.  In contrast, I didn't have a great Flying Pig even where the second half of the Pig is the fastest. I ran 2:09 in the first half and 2:29 in the second, not a good showing. If I was around 2:15 in the first half, I may have been under 4:30, instead of 4:38.

I know, these times aren't the fastest but are relative to where I am these days at age 57. And, no matter your age or your pace, the power of negative thinking still applies. It should be the goal of every runner, elite, mid-packer, back of the pack. There is a feeling of success in negative splits run well.  Think NEGATIVE and your experience will be POSITIVE!

Ring the Bell: Cindy's First Half Marathon

The bell is to be rung after running a PR, BQ or a first time accomplishment like finishing the half or full marathon, heck maybe for any reason that a runner wants.  Cindy rang it after her amazing first time finish of a half-marathon, 13.1 miles and nearly 30,000 steps later in the Tobacco Road Half-Marathon.

Ring the Bell

I have written before that some of my happiest times in running have been those when I see the joy others experience in this amazing sport. Cindy has done two first time events this year, a 10K in Wilmington and the half-marathon just a few miles from our house on the American Tobacco Trail.  From the first time I suggested it to her, she never resisted. She wanted to do it.

So, lets set the stage of how all of this went down.  In early December she had a full shoulder replacement. Of all of the replacements, it is believed that the shoulder is the most difficult recovery. Since her shoulder replacement she has lost nearly 20 pounds, always good to be lighter as a runner/walker. She also has had two full hip replacements. So how then does someone run/walk 13.1 miles in a race, not just by dong a lollygag walk? In Wilmington I ran along side a lady with one prosthetic leg which I also find astonishing. In many ways its a mindset, a can-do, no-excuses attitude allowing the mind to control the body and not allowing the body to be the lazy self it wants to be. Its easy when you are a natural runner, young and hardly know what aches and pains are yet. It is not so easy as you age, have bionic limbs/joints and a metabolism like a turtle in hibernation.  Its not so easy when you like being comfortable. Its not so easy to do the work and training day in and day out to even get to race day.

Cindy did it all and she never complained. She adapted. We figured out how to combat the issues with her feet. We figured out the right clothing for the roller-coaster type weather we experienced this year in North Carolina. She worked on balancing the amount and timing of the walking and running she could do. We tried different shoes to find out what worked best. We figured out how to keep the tendon in her shoulder replacement arm from aching. Then came the actual miles. One has to put in the miles to finish the distance.  First we always do two dog walks a day mostly because giant Casey won't go without one always standing at the door in the morning and evening. After the morning walk I do my running and Cindy does her fast walking/running. Then throughout the day she gets all of her additional steps/miles in never missing a 10,000 step day. However, the weekends were where the real work was done. Since we live near the course, we were able to train on most of it.  I would do my 10 mile runs while she did her 6+ mile training walk/runs.  In February she got real-world race experience  by doing the 10K in Wilmington. I could see the joy in her face that day knowing she completed a new, longer distance and it was great training for the half.  Then it was time for a 10 mile training walk/run. Since I had done a trail half (WTF in Gibsonville) the day before, I did this 10 miler with her and frankly I found walk/running 10 miles harder than running it.  We did this training on miles 3-8 of the half marathon course. Most of the course is on crushed stone which has a different feel than the pavement so it was good to have her train on this portion.  However, the start/finish is 2.5 miles  each way on road and is more challenging due to the hills.  Two weeks before the race, we did this stretch, 2.5 miles to the trail and 2.5 miles back. Overall, she trained on 90% of the course. Training on the course obviously gives you experience on how to run it but sometimes knowing what is to come plays with your psyche.

Packet Pick-up

OK, so training is done and its time for taper and race day. I asked her if she wanted me to come back to find her after I finished and she said no that she wanted to bring it home herself. I told her we would probably see each other on the course at my mile 7.5 and her 4.5.

Race Day

Since we didn't have parking passes (register early if you want them) we needed to shuttle from NetApp to the start/finish line which meant a 3:45 AM alarm, on the bus by 5:00 AM and waiting 90 minutes for the start at 7:00 AM.  The weather was perfect, 45 degrees at the start and ended up partly sunny.  This race draws thousands of runners and has become one of the premier races in the triangle so it is a bit crowded.

Shuttle Ride

We started and finished at the USA baseball complex. I wanted to run with the 2 hour pace group so we  lined up around them.  Once we started, Cindy joined her pace and off we went.  It felt amazing starting a race together at this distance. I was so proud of her even getting to the starting line. We knew she could walk a 3:30 but by cutting a minute off of each mile, it was possible to get to 3:15 so her stretch goal became 3:15, about 15 minutes per mile.

I felt great staying with the two hour pace group. Once we turned around I knew I would be seeing Cindy soon.  Well, it was sooner than I thought. She was doing fantastic and ahead of the 3 hour pacer. I first thought, ut oh, she may have went out too fast, a common mistake that I still make.  After I saw her it motivated me to turn the second half into a negative split. I was at 59 minutes at the 6.65 mile turnaround. My splits from mile 10 on were 8:45, 8:34 and 8:24 finishing the second half in 57 minutes for a 1:56:42.

Now it was time to cheer Cindy (and other runners) into the finish. It was really fun seeing all of the half-marathoners finishing and cheering them on. I also got to see the top 20 marathoners finish including the winners separated by 1 second.

Smiling all the Way

Alas, here comes my girl, just over 3 hours with 600 meters to go. She gave it her all as I ran in front to get some video and then waited behind the finish barrier to watch her finish in 3:06. She has been at nearly all of my finishes, standing and waiting behind those same barriers and now it was my turn. I could not have been more proud of her. After her first hip replacement, we did a 100 mile bike ride on the C&O canal over two days. After her second hip replacement we climbed a very steep mountain in Alaska, and now after her shoulder replacement, she finished her first half marathon.

This is who she is, a strong, persevering, can-do, no excuses, bring-it-on type person.  Remember the bell? She rang it and rang it loudly. The joy in her race pictures tells the entire story of her journey, the story of "yes I can, yes I will"  Ring the bell people and ring it loudly!

...and Half Marathon

Our Start and Finish Line

Bionic Woman

Lined Up To Start

Chillin' Before Her Race

Off We Go

Running With a Smile

1/4 Mile From Finish

Finish Time

Smile and Two Thumbs Up Crossing the Finish

Done and Happy

Ring the Bell!!

Our Rewards

Little Wins

I've been thinking about this post for a few months. It stemmed from a bad (more like mediocre) half marathon that I raced in Durham back in December. I had some really strong half marathons last year, the fastest being at the Historic Hillsborough Half in 1:55:44. I ran 4 consecutive sub-2 half marathons after posting 3 consecutive over-2 half's the previous year. In Durham, on a pretty hilly course, I posted a 2:02:45 but the majority of the race was a struggle just to keep it around 2 hours. I thought I would pace with hte 2 hour group but could only maintain that for the first 4 miles. I slowly fell back into 9:30 or so pace. However, in the last 2 miles, I raced the others around me including a woman who was keeping up with me on the hills. I finally felt energized to race to the finish and did so finishing ahead of her and some others who I was going head to head with in the final stretch.

Later that day while enjoying a brew with my nephew Shawn who also ran the half in a great time of 1:39:47, I realized that I must find the little wins in all my runs, that the big wins are likely to be few and far between as I continue to age. A big win for me in the half is sub-2 hours, a top 5 finish in my age group, an overall well-run race.  In the full marathon, these days, it might be sub-4:30 or an outside goal of sub-4:20.  Heck, even a finish in the marathon might be considered a big win these days as I approach my 100th marathon this year.

So, what was the little win in Durham? It was how I finished, the last two miles where I put it out there, truly raced on the course set out before me, through to the finish. It was a satisfying finish. I didn't give up at the end although I was having a challenging day. The first 4 miles were a struggle to just maintain a 9 minute pace. Miles 4-11 were holding-on miles to get through the meat of the race. But miles 11 -13.1 were racing miles.

So, each run I do, racing or not, I look for the little wins. At some point what I take from the little wins will end up being a big win. This has likely been true over my running years but more evident now with age. It has certainly been true at the marathon distance.  Achieving finishes at 95 marathons hasn't come easy but I've learned with each and reaching 100 finishes this year will be the big win.

I've run quite a few races this year so far, 3 on trail and 1 on road. Since times are slower on trail runs, I had to look for the little wins in them and there are many. This year I have used trail runs for building strength, not to mention loving being free in the forest with silence, the focus needed, the calmness, and the challenge of hilly, uneven terrain.

I have run two Trivium racing events, the Lakeside Trail Race which I wrote about previously and the Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (affectionately known as the WTF) half marathon. Both have been on trail.  I finished the WTF in 2:31 which is about 30-35 minutes off my normal road half marathon. However, the WTF was hilly, had a knee deep stream crossing twice and started at 2:30 in the afternoon in 70 degree weather just after a 10 minute rain deluge. The little win there was my finish related to my age. I realized that there were only 21 runners older than me out of the 266 that finished, however I finished before 122 runners coming in 144th. To me, that is a little win.

Another little win was walking a 10 mile training walk the day after WTF with Cynthia Anne training for her first half marathon coming up on March 19. That little win was seeing her determination to get this done, her excitement to having gone 10 miles and her anticipation to finish all 13.1 in a few weeks. The little wins can come from other people and motivate me just as much. I could cite example after example where this is true including seeing my nephew Shawn return to running and racing after losing 70 pounds. These are big wins for them and little wins for me.

Today I turned 57, now in the middle of my racing age group. I'll continue to find the little wins in myself and others. The same is true in life. It is not always going to be about the big win because they don't come as often as we would like. Its all about the little wins that we look at and say, "yeah, there is something good in that!"

Unsteady - Lakeside Trail Race

My last post was for the Madison Marathon and our adventure with David to find Rosie, a kitten to replace his cat Goofy, who died of old age. So, it's been two months.  Last year I generally wrote when I had a race to write about and there were some good ones and some staples. This year, I'm going to try and write more as I venture toward my 100th marathon.  I'm also running more half-marathons and other types of events and distances. It will be fun writing about those journeys as  well.

I also usually start the year with a reflection on the previous year and a look into the new year. One of my favorite things to do is to plan a year of running, more specifically races. Its been more difficult because of how much I have slowed down. I can't blame it all on age because there are some changes I could make in training and diet that would help me trim seconds, maybe even a minutes off of my pace in some events.  I'm still hanging tough in the half marathons with four of the five half marathons last year under 2 hours. I ran 1:58, 1:56, 1:55, 1:56 and 2:02. Those times thrill me to no end. Likely, I will do more half marathons when I no longer enjoy the full distance.

So why unsteady? I titled this post Unsteady because I ran a trail run for the first time in years. It even been a couple of years since I've been on a single path trail, one with roots and small climbs where I needed to focus for much of the time.  I ran the Lakeside Trail Race put on by Trivium at Bryan Park near Lake Townsend. Since I hadn't a great start to running in the new year and hadn't been on trails for some tine, I was a bit nervous and really didn't decide to go to the race until the morning of the race. The distance was 15 miles and I hadn't run more than a half marathon since Madison where I ran the marathon.

The race is small and friendly as it seemed a lot of people knew each other. It is one thing I regret in all my running years that I never got involved all that much in a running community. Yes, I'm a Marathon maniac, a 50-Stater and have met some friends through those communities but not a local running community. Anyway, the Lakeside race had an 8 mile race and a 15 mile race. There were only 51 finishers in the 15 mile and 113 in the 8 mile race. There is a cap of 200 runners. It is run on a series of trails on the Greensboro Watershed Trail System; Osprey, Peninsula and Blue Heron trails some of which, I believe, are part of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.

I am big on logistics for races. If I have to be more anxious about the logistics of getting to a race, parking, packet pick-up than the actual running of a race, I will likely not run the race.  This is not the case with Lakeside. They stage it at the Bryan Park Soccer Complex with plenty of parking right next to packet pick-up and the start/finish line, have heated indoor bathrooms and no traffic issues. Its just a great all-around set-up.

All racers start at the same time. After a loop around the parking lot to spread runners out, we ventured onto the first trail. There was some slop on the initial entry to the trail downhill but really was no big deal, just had to remain steady. Once downhill the trail was in really good shape even after the snow/sleet storm from the week earlier. The temperature was perfect as well being in the 40's and cloudy skies. It helps to have cloudy skies for a trail run since the shadows on sunny days create mirages for where roots/rocks may or may not be.

I followed a pack of runners for the first 4 miles. Not knowing who was an 8 mile runner or a 15 mile runner, I just ran. We were running 10:45's on what is the most difficult part of the course. Without having run on trails for awhile, I was a bit unsteady but, like riding a bicycle, I got the feel of the uneven ground, traversing the roots, making myself broader like a running back trying to remain in balance. I stayed upright and really didn't have any trips.  It was the most technical section with the most hills. We also would have to run this section back to the finish.  At mile 4, the 8 milers turned around and ran back over the same section in reverse. It was then that I realized there were not many 15 mile runners. When I got to the 4 mile mark, I turned onto a road to cross to another trail.  Frankly, I wasn't sure I was making the right turn because there was NOBODY as far as the eye could see in front of me and since it was a road I could see a good quarter mile. I did see a policeman so I figured I was going the right way. Then, a couple came up behind me and passed me when I stopped to pull my Zensah sleeves up over my knees. Back onto another trail.  This was less technical but being a mountain bike trail had some serious humps. We were on this trail for the next 3.5 miles with beautiful views of the lake from the hardwood forest. Ironically, it was on this less technical trail that I tripped on a root and fell. Like I said earlier, trail running is about focus and I lost focus as I was turning off my GoPro. I went down pretty hard on my left arm/shoulder/knee. But I got up and kept moving while the pain wore off. I was then back to normal pace.

I followed the couple and another guy on this section of the course. Eventually, I lost sight of the couple but was still following the guy. We crossed another bridge between the lakes onto another trail. There was another aid station at mile 7.5 and I high-fived a little girl who was helping with her parents. I carried a water bottle since the aid stations were a bit spread out.  I also had two cookies. Onto the next trail for another 3.5 miles that followed the perimeter of the lake, where in some places, you were right at the edge of the water. This was slightly more technical than the trail I had just run on but still not like the first 4 miles, which would be my last 4 miles. After the first 4 miles and when I didn't have other runners on my heels, I decided to try out my new GoPRO Hero Black. I had mixed results with it, primarily because of getting it turned on and off at the wrong times. I got some decent footage but not what I had hoped. I did trip a couple of more times but didn't fall.

I finally reached the last aid station which was the 4 mile turn-around for the 8 mile runners. I was still feeling pretty decent. I slowed but continued to run the entire time. At the aid station was a girl in a Unicorn outfit. Trail runs seem to be fun like this. The runners and volunteers are generally characters, in a good way of course.  I knew the last 4 miles would be difficult on tired legs. There were more hills, it was more technical, stone steps, a small stream crossing, and the uphill that had the muck. But, I knew it was to the finish.  I did trip and fall one more time. It wasn't as terrible as the first so I just got up and kept running. Also during the previous section, I passed the guy in front of me which was a good feeling. Of course, I later found out he was 67. If only I could be doing this when I am 67.

I got to the finish just as the awards were being given out. It said on their website that age groups would be given to the top 3. After I finished in 3:03, I stood around waiting for my age group.  They gave the top 2 and I later found out that I was 3rd (our of 4) but I guess because they were already giving out awards and I had just crossed, they didn't get my time. Its just my luck.

As unsteady as I was, I really enjoyed my time on the trails and registered for their trail half marathon, Whisky, Tango, Foxtrot. There is something serene, relaxed and tough at the same time doing a trail race.

Start of the Race

Down the Muck

Finish