tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18415728720904043962024-03-13T11:13:35.503-07:00Doug Runs 365Running should be fun. If it isn't, you're doing it wrong.Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270813381411749788noreply@blogger.comBlogger512125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841572872090404396.post-38467948041030342872017-12-28T20:58:00.001-08:002018-01-02T20:05:34.443-08:00Making sense of my Year of Halfs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nYZjK-Uz_e4/WkWzB5FNZnI/AAAAAAAAWvU/Z4Woq1XXJJMot3RfuKt5NIOHDiSLmWFRQCLcBGAs/s1600/2017%2Bin%2Breview.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="129" data-original-width="389" height="106" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nYZjK-Uz_e4/WkWzB5FNZnI/AAAAAAAAWvU/Z4Woq1XXJJMot3RfuKt5NIOHDiSLmWFRQCLcBGAs/s320/2017%2Bin%2Breview.png" width="320" /></a></div>
I've been thinking about how to sum up the year, trying to figure out what running a half-marathon a month for the whole year has meant, or accomplished... or not.<br />
<br />
In fact, this thinking started the night before the last half in Kiawah SC (post for that race is <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/12/december-half-kiawah-island-half-kiawah.html" target="_blank">here</a>) when my friend and hostess Robin asked me straight up "So... what did you get out of it?"<br />
<br />
What did I get out of it?<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7UdzywdABQw/WkXMxtIE3pI/AAAAAAAAWxw/Hea8MuewOIMoM2h2qvwWKQz2KcpXcBDcACKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_0139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7UdzywdABQw/WkXMxtIE3pI/AAAAAAAAWxw/Hea8MuewOIMoM2h2qvwWKQz2KcpXcBDcACKgBGAs/s320/IMG_0139.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Other than a shit-load of medals</div>
<br />
When the idea for this quest came to me, I'd just run my first semi-serious 5k in ages.<br />
<br />
Before that race, I'd barely been able to run a mile. For me, as a formerly pretty fast dude, and still a guy who identifies as being a "runner", that was pretty humiliating.<br />
<br />
So, I set a goal (the 5K), set a training schedule, and knocked it out. And if felt fantastic.<br />
<br />
I wanted to keep things rollin', so I needed another goal... that's when I came up with a half a month, with a stretch goal of running them all in under 2 hours.<br />
<br />
In my head, it was challenging, a little scary even, but also a sure-fire way to go from semi-fit to rockin' fit. I've always loved the half-marathon distance, there are loads of them, I could travel a bit, and I'd end the year with a ton of hardware, feeling awesome, and maybe some abs.<br />
<br />
And that was pretty much how it went down... for a while.<br />
<br />
I kept to my 3 runs a week, ramped up my long runs, stretched a lot. The January half went well (even though I missed my time goal, but only because I started behind a jillion people... I was cruising really well after the first 4 miles). February was faster, and March even faster.<br />
<br />
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Gasparilla: One of my fav pix from the year</div>
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even though it looks like a palm tree</div>
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is growing out of my head.</div>
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Things were going well... I was getting more comfortable with the distance, my training was steady, I was dropping weight, end even the Indiana winter weather wasn't horrible.<br />
<br />
April's half was on my home course with perfect conditions, and looking back, my best race... I still wasn't as fast as I wanted to be, but I felt strong, confident, and like I could <i>race</i> the race a little. After that one, I felt as though I'd really accomplished something.<br />
<br />
And then... I got complacent. Two-hour halfs were coming easy. Too easy. I wasn't scared of failing any more.<br />
<br />
Then, I got lazy. My training got inconsistent. My races got worse. For the May race I showed up unprepared, June was a disaster because I hadn't run a step in the heat, July was a slow slog.<br />
<br />
I justified my poor training with "Hey, I'm running a half a month! I can't train consistently. Race a half... a week to recover... a week to get back in the groove... week to train... week of taper... race again."<br />
<br />
But that was kinda bullshit. I wasn't <i>racing</i> those halfs. They were long training runs. There was absolutely no reason to not train between races.<br />
<br />
The truth is, I'd lost sight of the real goal... to feel good, fit, and fast again. The 12 halfs were supposed to be my path to <i>that.</i> <i>That</i> was the real goal.<br />
<br />
August, a trail half, was challenging in new ways, and it scared me enough to train for it, but that was the last one, really... September I had heat as an excuse again... October I ran ok.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DHO-h4KHO20/WkxWXAAhQfI/AAAAAAAAWzI/g6H67CPx38ErjJGY3BiLrfn9PhllcKZdACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DHO-h4KHO20/WkxWXAAhQfI/AAAAAAAAWzI/g6H67CPx38ErjJGY3BiLrfn9PhllcKZdACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_9236.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We even got to hang with Purdue Pete at October's half.</div>
<br />
November was supposed to be my "A" race, the one I'd targeted for my best performance. It was a bit of a fluke, but I did run pretty well... no idea why... perfect conditions helped I'm sure, and the autumn boost after summer heat and humidity. It certainly wasn't from quality training.<br />
<br />
And December was a slog... not only because of the stomach distress, but also because I'd barely run a step in a month, hadn't stretched either, and by now had picked back up the weight I'd dropped earlier in the year.<br />
<br />
Every half after April was an accomplishment, and I'd celebrate each one, even the shitty ones, but they rang hollow.<br />
<br />
Even in those last 2 miles of number twelve, hoping to distract my mind from my roiling gut, I tried to find some emotion, some sense of completion, of accomplishment.<br />
<br />
It wasn't there...<br />
<br />
I knew that I'd taken a short cut. I'd met the letter of the goal, but not the intent.<br />
<br />
In hindsight, after the April race, while I was sitting in Brockway Pub with Jen, feeling that real sense of accomplishment, I should have reset my goal right there... challenged my self to do more, to chart a revised path that would get me to where I truly wanted to be.<br />
<br />
Here's why that didn't happen...<br />
<br />
When running a half, I divided into 4 parts... the first 4 miles are where I sort myself out, try to get comfortable, and hopefully get past the "What the hell am I doing this for?" freak out. The next part is getting to 8 miles... that's well past half way, "downhill" to the finish, but those miles can be a slog to get through.... I need to keep my wits about me, not do anything stupid. The next part is getting to mile 10... and after 10, it's just a 5 K to go... if things are ok at 10, I know I'll be fine, and I can open things up a bit if I want.<br />
<br />
I approached the year of halfs just like a half... and in April, I felt like I had no business starting my kick... I still had a long way to go.<br />
<br />
Kinda makes sense... but it's totally wrong.<br />
<br />
Races are about planning, conserving, pressing when you can, saving just enough at the beginning so you can finish strong.<br />
<br />
A racing <i>season</i> is about cycles... pushing for a while... peaking.. recovering... and repeating those cycles every 3-6 months.<br />
<br />
The same fear I feel (and I think most of us feel) in a race when I'm reluctant to go fast, worried I'll end up bonking, had bled into my race cycle thinking. I was too afraid to raise the bar... too worried I'd bonk. I thought I needed to cruise until I got to 10.<br />
<br />
But without raising the bar, knowing I could knock out a 2 hour half with no training, there was no challenge. It almost became a game... let's see how little training I can get away with and still finish a half.<br />
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So... I find myself with 12 kick-ass medals, 11 shirts (still can't find the Zionsville one), a few dozen horrible race photos.<br />
<br />
And some fun memories, like...<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m3kq4G3SA5Q/WkWznKZivJI/AAAAAAAAWvY/SsgHRyqjsmARbh9Z9ODAOCi_b8TZVk3ogCKgBGAs/s1600/PhotoPass_Visiting_runDisney_396316354524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m3kq4G3SA5Q/WkWznKZivJI/AAAAAAAAWvY/SsgHRyqjsmARbh9Z9ODAOCi_b8TZVk3ogCKgBGAs/s320/PhotoPass_Visiting_runDisney_396316354524.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
running with Yoda as Luke Skywalker through Disneyland for the <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/01/january-half-rundisney-and-star-wars.html" target="_blank">Star Wars half</a>, and<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rKkS0rnAQDY/WkWz7zx0dkI/AAAAAAAAWvk/tfkgQMpyT8cyey3kbQggdXJOFdPN48CfQCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_8490.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rKkS0rnAQDY/WkWz7zx0dkI/AAAAAAAAWvk/tfkgQMpyT8cyey3kbQggdXJOFdPN48CfQCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_8490.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
margarita's, and Dali, and killing time at the beach bar with Jen at <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/03/february-half-gasparilla-in-tampa.html" target="_blank">Gasparilla</a> in St. Pete, and<br />
<br />
that dude who told us "200 meters to go" a good third of a mile from the finish at <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/03/march-half-sam-costa.html" target="_blank">Sam Costa</a>, and<br />
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finishing 3 minutes faster than I'd expected at <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/04/april-half-carmel-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">Carmel</a>, and<br />
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finally getting to cross the bridges over the reservoir at <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/05/may-half-geist-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">Geist</a>, and<br />
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my buddy Jay giving me water when I was wilting and Jen taking care of me at <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/06/june-half-punishments-of-zionsville.html" target="_blank">Zionsville</a>, and<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3E8wpAqnelo/WkW01letckI/AAAAAAAAWvw/EQXtHrQVxN8kVoJJcZoEX-DJeMsGftmRwCKgBGAs/s1600/Chicago%2Bbeer%2Band%2Bmedal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3E8wpAqnelo/WkW01letckI/AAAAAAAAWvw/EQXtHrQVxN8kVoJJcZoEX-DJeMsGftmRwCKgBGAs/s320/Chicago%2Bbeer%2Band%2Bmedal.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
running over the river on one of those steel drawbridges you can see through at <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/07/july-half-rock-n-roll-chicago.html" target="_blank">Chicago Rock n Roll</a>, and<br />
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the knee deep water crossing and seeing Jen next to the (empty!?!) finishers beer keg at the <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/08/august-half-viking-dash-in-muncie-in.html" target="_blank">Viking</a>, and<br />
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the overheated guy doing the drunk man walk before mile 8 at <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/10/september-half-mill-race-columbus-in.html" target="_blank">Mill Run Half</a> in Columbus, and<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hR2dTNYPA0w/WkxWhLW0hjI/AAAAAAAAWzQ/5FtaqKgnIMctB_oYpkywTMqqKBkQHRdMwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hR2dTNYPA0w/WkxWhLW0hjI/AAAAAAAAWzQ/5FtaqKgnIMctB_oYpkywTMqqKBkQHRdMwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_9245.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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running the campus, butt dialing my sister 19 times, and post-race beers at Harry's with Jen at <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/10/october-half-purdue-boilermaker-half-in.html" target="_blank">Purdue</a>, and<br />
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riding the shoulder of the 2-hour pacer for a few hundred yards, and then accelerating away at <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/11/november-half-monumental-half-in.html" target="_blank">Monumental</a>, and<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0iY2AkTGrIo/WkW18OLHg6I/AAAAAAAAWwA/ha1-NuDtKy8OnUs5OaIdxwmwgPzb_SbDQCKgBGAs/s1600/0057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0iY2AkTGrIo/WkW18OLHg6I/AAAAAAAAWwA/ha1-NuDtKy8OnUs5OaIdxwmwgPzb_SbDQCKgBGAs/s320/0057.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
running with Bill and hanging with Jen and Robin and drinking bourbon and wine and beer and eating like fools after <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/12/december-half-kiawah-island-half-kiawah.html" target="_blank">Kiawah</a>...<br />
<br />
All of those memories are awesome, and that's not lost on me.<br />
<br />
And neither is how fortunate I am to be able to run at all, to finish even one half-marathon, let alone twelve.<br />
<br />
But I also find myself far short of the fitness, and far above the weight, and not anywhere near the level of "feeling good" that I'd thought those races would steer me to. Not their fault, all mine.<br />
<br />
Not sure what my goal will be for next year. I'll still run, maybe target a race a month. And those races won't be, in and of themselves, the goal. (And they sure as fuck won't all be half-marathons.)<br />
<br />
Somehow I need to quantify and measure "feeling good"... I guessing there is yoga involved... and free weights. I'm open to suggestions.<br />
<br />
Thank you for following this quest and for your comments and good wishes. My readers are the best (and scientifically proven to be good looking with high IQs).<br />
<br />
Until next year...<br />
<br />
Good running,<br />
Doug<br />
<br />
<b>Ratings of the 12 halfs</b>:<br />
Best course: Gasparilla - gorgeous view of the bay for most of the way.<br />
Worst course: Tie:<br />
Zionsville - the 2-loop half could be a nice one-loop 10K<br />
Sam Costa - 1000 tight turns, paths with low hanging limbs, curb jumping... uhg<br />
Best medal: Star Wars - looks just like the one's Luke and Han get in New Hope<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W-HiFUFFwsQ/WkXHdfspRyI/AAAAAAAAWxE/7H2dj43u5As4QPuyIcXfgV0Cr0UO8dKQACLcBGAs/s1600/Star-Wars-New-Hope-Chewbacca-Medal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="600" height="168" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W-HiFUFFwsQ/WkXHdfspRyI/AAAAAAAAWxE/7H2dj43u5As4QPuyIcXfgV0Cr0UO8dKQACLcBGAs/s320/Star-Wars-New-Hope-Chewbacca-Medal.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Worst medal: Zionsville - phoned it in<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tTaDuW-Ki7A/WkXHp1ahC5I/AAAAAAAAWxI/RTs77V5_EeQa8sYCcJkfifnmuytgjdJ3ACKgBGAs/s1600/Shirt_Medal_Number.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tTaDuW-Ki7A/WkXHp1ahC5I/AAAAAAAAWxI/RTs77V5_EeQa8sYCcJkfifnmuytgjdJ3ACKgBGAs/s200/Shirt_Medal_Number.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Best shirt: Kiawah - technical hoodie? Yup!<br />
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Worst shirt: Chicago - boring<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qEgRW-dSlOs/WkXJrPdIdOI/AAAAAAAAWxg/SnMnToQneC8nzGUNrIY1BszOrhbgfU9YQCKgBGAs/s1600/Chicago%2BMedal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qEgRW-dSlOs/WkXJrPdIdOI/AAAAAAAAWxg/SnMnToQneC8nzGUNrIY1BszOrhbgfU9YQCKgBGAs/s320/Chicago%2BMedal.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
Best organized: Chicago - huge event, ran like clockwork<br />
Best overall: Gasparilla - it's at the top of the list of ones I'd do again, and not just for the warm weather - well run, great course, great venue.<br />
<br />
PS - If you've enjoyed this series, that makes me happy, and please consider sharing it with others. And, I'd love to hear your thoughts, comments, whatever, whenever. If you want to keep tabs, you can follow me on twitter (@DougRun365) or subscribe to get posts via email (I don't get your email address, and wouldn't bother you even if I did), or just bookmark the site.Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270813381411749788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841572872090404396.post-5250523961352821742017-12-19T18:09:00.001-08:002017-12-19T18:14:33.127-08:00December Half: Kiawah Island Half, Kiawah Island SC<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ValP4fLiUGg/WjdLkrCyEKI/AAAAAAAAWBU/CujyHwFxYlMcYMzaQnZTT1zMiYpNx-fVgCKgBGAs/s1600/KiawahLogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="448" height="166" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ValP4fLiUGg/WjdLkrCyEKI/AAAAAAAAWBU/CujyHwFxYlMcYMzaQnZTT1zMiYpNx-fVgCKgBGAs/s200/KiawahLogo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">If you’re planning a trip to Charleston SC, you’ll wanna drop me a note.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I go there a lot.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I know lots of great places to eat and drink and see, but mostly, you’ll want to know what to pack.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">For some reason, the travel gods have conspired with the weather gods to ensure that it’s unseasonably cold, and usually rainy, whenever I visit Chucktown.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">As you'd guess, this trip was no exception.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">For the race, the Kiawah Half on Kiawah Island not far from Charleston, and last in my quest for a half every month this year, it was nearly ideal...if you were running. 41, overcast. It was windy too but we were protected from the wind by trees and huge houses.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">For a December mini-vacation in one of the great cities of the world, it was decidedly not ideal.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Don’t get me wrong, we had a TON of fun. Our hosts, our dear friends Bill and Robin, shuttled is around the city for food and drinks and art and more drinks. It just wasn’t in shorts and sunscreen. Winter coats and <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bumbershoot" target="_blank">umbrellas</a> were the dress for those days.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">As for the actual race, I was surprised at how big it was. Lots of people, most of them in line with us to get to the field where you had the option of parking your car or getting it stuck in the sloppy mud. We chose to park, but it looked like people were pretty evenly split.</span><br />
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"Welcome to Kiawah... you're gonna sit here a while."</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Time was ticking down to the start time and I didn’t have my number yet. We boarded a nice coach bus for the final leg to the starting line so I could get my packet. But as a twist, the coach inexplicably dropped us about a half-mile from the start.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I kept my shit together for a bit, but with just 20 min before the gun, and not knowing where the hell I was supposed to go, I broke into a panic jog.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I do no the building, just has everyone was leaving it for the corrals. Does no my best impression of a trout in spawn, I surprised, pissed off, and maneuvered around a few hundred people before finding the tables and getting my number and shirt.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">After the small miracle of them running smack into Jen and Robin, I dumped my gear with them, and they pointed me toward Bill, who was already in the corral, calm and a cucumber. Cool...cool as a cucumber. But also calm. Which was good because I needed a calming influence to help me dial down my freak out.</span><br />
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Start blow-up thingy</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">But, I’d made it, with a good 2 minutes to spare. All I had to do was cruise through 13.1 miles one more time. No problem.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">The gun goes off, we cross the starting line, and uh-oh...we have a problem.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Within maybe 100 strides, I could feel my stomach. That digestive miracle that I usually don't feel, don’t even think about, especially on a run, and never in a race, was making a statement. It was not happy.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">It was not happy at all.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">It felt as though someone had slipped a small cannon ball, or perhaps a car jack, into there. And running was helping.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Even now I’m not sure what was wrong. Was it the protein bar (which I’ve eaten before several races with no problem)? The OJ? The 90 minutes in the car? The stress of the close call getting my number? Maybe it was the potpourri of all of that.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KnaTrsouvwc/Wjm3S_W4T8I/AAAAAAAAWEo/sZ5aeshYZgMGGeVZKzwAHHs_B9GpjSUSACKgBGAs/s1600/0082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KnaTrsouvwc/Wjm3S_W4T8I/AAAAAAAAWEo/sZ5aeshYZgMGGeVZKzwAHHs_B9GpjSUSACKgBGAs/s320/0082.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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This is me not feeling well at all</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">It really didn’t matter. It just was. But surely it’ll pass...right? Right?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Nope. It was settled in for the ride.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Thankfully, for the first time all year, I had a running buddy. Bill was like a machine, mile after mile...actually kilometer after kilometer. Bill likes to track is progress in Ks to get more regular feedback. Which is kinda brilliant.</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-obt6RPIH4hg/Wjm5cm7TekI/AAAAAAAAWE0/D6lz1Ohm28EHc4L7LbTdTfjTDKXei-C4QCKgBGAs/s1600/0057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-obt6RPIH4hg/Wjm5cm7TekI/AAAAAAAAWE0/D6lz1Ohm28EHc4L7LbTdTfjTDKXei-C4QCKgBGAs/s320/0057.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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Bill, and me pretending all's well</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I told Bill I wasn’t feeling well, and I just camped on his shoulder. I apologized for not being my usually chatty running partner...all my attention was focused squarely on getting to the finish before whatever was in me decided to rocket out, front door, back door, or new door Alien style.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">My last half of the quest wasn’t the victory lap I’d hoped. It was a serious effort. My time doesn’t make it look like it was, but it really was a difficult 2 hours and 5 minutes.</span><br />
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Sometimes you have to remind</div>
the crowd to cheer for you<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">And without Bill, it might have been 2:15.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">In case I haven’t made it clear, I felt terrible. Had I not had Bill’s steady pace to copy, and his shoulder to ride when I felt especially bad, I’d have walked...a lot.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Jen and Robin made a point of finding us at a few points along the course, which serves as a momentary boost to my mood, and a micro-boost to my pace (a guy always speeds up when his girlfriend is watching).</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8i9LKhbNkMs/WjnHevjBZXI/AAAAAAAAWiM/nZoNNeyDbZE6RnZ9dPNUorm1F_VeAXEOQCKgBGAs/s1600/0047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8i9LKhbNkMs/WjnHevjBZXI/AAAAAAAAWiM/nZoNNeyDbZE6RnZ9dPNUorm1F_VeAXEOQCKgBGAs/s320/0047.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">The after race party looked great... beer, a big buffet, live music. I forced myself to drink part of a celebratory beer, but soon I was chilled to the bone. My lips were turning blue like a 7 yr old who really should get out of the pool for a bit.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">So we got back to the car, did not get stuck in the mud, and soon I was defrosting in the shower.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">An hour or so after that, my tummy returned to normal. We went out for a bite. And a drink. And another drink. And then back to the warmth and coziness of Chateau Howard.</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NuQHyv0I3-0/Wjm7E-pO1NI/AAAAAAAAWFI/zqZOosUIJzAxU26JfY4b0Ridfs_M1TVPwCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_1519.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NuQHyv0I3-0/Wjm7E-pO1NI/AAAAAAAAWFI/zqZOosUIJzAxU26JfY4b0Ridfs_M1TVPwCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_1519.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I registered for this race a year earlier. Thanks to my Charleston friend, bad ass sailor, and unfairly fast runner Craig. He told me how fun and flat and fast it was. And I dreamed of a victory lap and victory celebration on a beautiful island, in shorts, ignoring the risk of sunburn.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Oh plans...you fickle fuckers, you.</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NoOJ-TcmMf0/Wjm6frJ2qHI/AAAAAAAAWFA/zrEwWU_WlDgpBtSTTsUZudGeVFu4IXU1gCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_1515.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NoOJ-TcmMf0/Wjm6frJ2qHI/AAAAAAAAWFA/zrEwWU_WlDgpBtSTTsUZudGeVFu4IXU1gCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_1515.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Craig's in the middle, looking like he finish<br />
about 35 minutes before we did.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Still, though the weather wasn’t great, and my race was soured by my stomach, I can’t think of a better group of people I’d rather stand around shivering with and toasting completing 12 half marathons </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_336991002" style="background-color: white; border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204 , 204 , 204); font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">in 12 months</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Thanks go out to Craig for convincing me to run Kiawah, and for the tip that got me in for $40. I've already registered for 2018, and I've been assured that it's <i>never</i> cold on Kiawah race weekend... at least not 2 years in a row.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Special thanks to Bill and Robin for the hospitality, food, drink, laughs, drinks, friendship, more drinks, and introducing us to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7Pk1jcaLDI" target="_blank">Albert Finney musical version of A Christmas Carol.</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8FqjIGFXJa8/Wjm70FUPo_I/AAAAAAAAWFY/axX-E_VisiMrsiAkDMnSxinVz0AK-hbGwCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_1520.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8FqjIGFXJa8/Wjm70FUPo_I/AAAAAAAAWFY/axX-E_VisiMrsiAkDMnSxinVz0AK-hbGwCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_1520.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Bloody Mary and/or Mimosa bar</div>
at Paige's<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">And special-est thanks to Jen for making the trip, and putting up the cold windy rain, and finding me before the start, and looking after me at the finish, and generally being awesome.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">And thanks also to Charleston, and the sun, for taking mercy on us before we left, and giving us one gorgeous afternoon.</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m_b_gU6xUuo/Wjm7sVbTGrI/AAAAAAAAWFU/WAglw6hQgcEFo68j77WAtBSlce5coaOMQCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_0033.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m_b_gU6xUuo/Wjm7sVbTGrI/AAAAAAAAWFU/WAglw6hQgcEFo68j77WAtBSlce5coaOMQCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_0033.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div>
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We had Windjammer to ourselves</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hxrXy9GERio/WjnE66S-B7I/AAAAAAAAWhw/k9m6-geIDkUa66vlOr6hlytx-QnnZ2SpACKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_0032.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="1600" height="268" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hxrXy9GERio/WjnE66S-B7I/AAAAAAAAWhw/k9m6-geIDkUa66vlOr6hlytx-QnnZ2SpACKgBGAs/s640/IMG_0032.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div>
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Sand. Sun. Ocean.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">So...that’s 12. I’ll post a summary, look back, what-the-hell-should-I-make-of-this-year-of-halfs entry before the end of the year.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Until then...</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Good running,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Doug</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bcxJ5PuNw5g/WjnAidzLp_I/AAAAAAAAWaA/lX07Q846PwU4r1QtKETYtt27TtvPkEH_QCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_0114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bcxJ5PuNw5g/WjnAidzLp_I/AAAAAAAAWaA/lX07Q846PwU4r1QtKETYtt27TtvPkEH_QCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_0114.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Hooded tech shirt... pretty bad ass</div>
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If you'd like to catch up on the year in halfs so far, here are links:<br />
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<li>Jan: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/01/january-half-rundisney-and-star-wars.html" target="_blank">runDisney StarWars half</a> at Disneyland</li>
<li>Feb: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/03/february-half-gasparilla-in-tampa.html" target="_blank">Gasparilla Half</a> in Tampa FL</li>
<li>Mar: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/03/march-half-sam-costa.html" target="_blank">Sam Costa Half</a> in Carmel IN</li>
<li>Apr: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/04/april-half-carmel-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">Carmel Half</a> in Carmel IN</li>
<li>May: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/05/may-half-geist-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">Geist Half</a> in Fishers IN</li>
<li>Jun: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/06/june-half-punishments-of-zionsville.html" target="_blank">Zionsville Half</a> in Zionsville, IN</li>
<li>Jul: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/07/july-half-rock-n-roll-chicago.html" target="_blank">Rock 'n' Roll</a> in Chicago, IL</li>
<li>Aug: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/08/august-half-viking-dash-in-muncie-in.html" target="_blank">Viking Dash Trail Half</a> in Muncie, IN</li>
<li>Sep: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/10/september-half-mill-race-columbus-in.html" target="_blank">Mill Race Half</a> in Columbus, IN</li>
<li>Oct: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/10/october-half-purdue-boilermaker-half-in.html" target="_blank">Purdue Boilermaker Half</a> in West Lafayette, IN</li>
<li>Nov: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/11/november-half-monumental-half-in.html" target="_blank">Monumental Half</a> in Indianapolis, IN</li>
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Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270813381411749788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841572872090404396.post-81240614624811047662017-11-19T12:04:00.003-08:002017-11-22T08:47:09.314-08:00November Half: Monumental Half in Indianapolis, IN<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PaOhJD6GkbE/WhWpyg6rvkI/AAAAAAAAVr0/Kqi9sE2yY58xdwpF7BMAWk0zEQ5JcTWkwCLcBGAs/s1600/Monumental-logo-half.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="400" height="192" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PaOhJD6GkbE/WhWpyg6rvkI/AAAAAAAAVr0/Kqi9sE2yY58xdwpF7BMAWk0zEQ5JcTWkwCLcBGAs/s320/Monumental-logo-half.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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I knew this race was a mistake.... right up until it wasn't.<br />
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The November chapter of the Half-A-Month saga for 2017 was the Monumental. In it's 10th year, this was the first time I've run it.<br />
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"Why?" you ask? "Why have you not partaken in a pretty big city event so close to home?"<br />
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Uhxxck... I don't know. The course looks boring. It grown too big. It's a hassle.<br />
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Case in point... I made the mistake of driving to packet pickup even though it was only a mile from my office. Why drive? Because I left before the mad rush at 5:00 and I wanted to get home fast.<br />
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Big mistake... I was actually just in time for the 4:30 mad rush, and traffic was a joke, and parking was impossible and I know that Indy is a small city but I hadn't planned for this!<br />
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I spent 40 driving in loops before I got into a parking garage. 10 min walk to the expo from the car. 7 minutes in the expo. 10 minute walk back. 15 minutes to get out of the damn garage!<br />
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Yes, I know I could have used bike share. That occurred to me much later.<br />
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Anyway... lots of people. Corrals packed.<br />
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And there was this guy...<br />
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Yes, you're very gangsta...</div>
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The first few miles, the interesting ones, were jam packed with people, which was mostly my fault because I started at the back of my corral. But once it the jam opened up a bit, I put it into high gear and took of like a...<br />
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Uh-oh... no high gear... something was wrong.<br />
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I'd spent 3 miles going WAY slower than I'd planned, and couldn't seem to get myself going any faster. I was stuck. I knew this race was a mistake.<br />
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Then, to rub it in... the 2:00 pace group passed me.<br />
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Well, fuck...<br />
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But then, a long dormant racing gene from the good ol' days perked up. The long lost DNA was saying "Oh HELL no!".<br />
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I took a few longer strides and got onto the shoulder of the 2:00 pacer. I was going to hang with her no matter what.<br />
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But then... only about a quarter mile later... it happened...<br />
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I felt fucking good.<br />
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Home stretch of #11<br />
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I slowly pulled away. My splits fell. I was making up time, by handfuls.<br />
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The last 10 miles were easily the best I've run all year. I was pushing but under control. It almost felt like I was racing again.<br />
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1:56:43<br />
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Sure, the perfect weather helped (high 40s, overcast, light breeze). I sure can't marked it up to good training. It was just a good day all around... except for my right nipple.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Cv3qwqthyyU/WhWF7DPeUYI/AAAAAAAAVrc/ryDVeDpcjBE0-tpmI2GbEaEQXuwFYAt_QCKgBGAs/s1600/740186_265868687_XLarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1072" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Cv3qwqthyyU/WhWF7DPeUYI/AAAAAAAAVrc/ryDVeDpcjBE0-tpmI2GbEaEQXuwFYAt_QCKgBGAs/s320/740186_265868687_XLarge.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
Badge of honor, maybe?<br />
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Good running<br />
Doug<br />
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If you'd like to catch up on the year in halfs so far, here are links:<br />
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<li>Jan: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/01/january-half-rundisney-and-star-wars.html" target="_blank">runDisney StarWars half</a> at Disneyland</li>
<li>Feb: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/03/february-half-gasparilla-in-tampa.html" target="_blank">Gasparilla Half</a> in Tampa FL</li>
<li>Mar: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/03/march-half-sam-costa.html" target="_blank">Sam Costa Half</a> in Carmel IN</li>
<li>Apr: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/04/april-half-carmel-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">Carmel Half</a> in Carmel IN</li>
<li>May: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/05/may-half-geist-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">Geist Half</a> in Fishers IN</li>
<li>Jun: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/06/june-half-punishments-of-zionsville.html" target="_blank">Zionsville Half</a> in Zionsville, IN</li>
<li>Jul: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/07/july-half-rock-n-roll-chicago.html" target="_blank">Rock 'n' Roll</a> in Chicago, IL</li>
<li>Aug: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/08/august-half-viking-dash-in-muncie-in.html" target="_blank">Viking Dash Trail Half</a> in Muncie, IN</li>
<li>Sep: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/10/september-half-mill-race-columbus-in.html" target="_blank">Mill Race Half</a> in Columbus, IN</li>
<li>Oct: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/10/october-half-purdue-boilermaker-half-in.html" target="_blank">Purdue Boilermaker Half</a> in West Lafayette, IN</li>
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<span style="font-family: "times";">Next up, the last one of the year, Kiawah Half in Kiawah SC</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times";">Bonus: Fun story about the number... after the race I showered and changed at one our offices downtown. When I got home, I couldn't find my number. No big deal to most people, but I have every race bib I've worn since college. I tore the car apart, tore the house apart... nothing. I had to have left it in shower room. With my OCD flaming out of my ass, I drove all the way back downtown, went the the shower room and there it was... a clear floor. Not in the trash, not in the hall. "I know! I must have swept it up with my towel!", I said with my index finger raised in the customary "Ah-ha!" pose. I was very proud of myself for figuring that out. I was not proud of myself when I was pulling out all of the dirty towels in the shower area... 15... 20 maybe... many still damp. WTF was I doing? I gave up.. mostly... I still looked under every cabinet and piece of furniture, and re-traced my route to where my car had been parked. Dejected, I walked to my car from the passenger side. On a whim I opened the passenger door.. .and there it was... in the slot between the seat and the door. I was at the same time relieve to see it there, and a little frightened at the control that thing had on me... yikes...</span><br />
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Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270813381411749788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841572872090404396.post-69855801902285572652017-10-30T18:14:00.002-07:002017-10-30T18:14:24.057-07:00October Half: Purdue Boilermaker Half in West Lafayette, IN<div>
Number 10 on my half-a-month journey was on and around the campus from whence I matriculated, the <a href="http://purduehalf.com/index.html" target="_blank">Purdue Boilermaker Half</a> in West Lafayette, IN.</div>
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Purdue's campus is nice. The weather was cool-ish. </div>
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The only snag, I'd forgotten to bring my GPS watch, which meant I had to run with my phone. I don't like running with my phone, even with my fancy phone holder waist thingy. And I had my other, non-GPSy FitBit that syncs with my phone so I could at least keep track of my splits, but still... it's a pain.</div>
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But, I brought Jen, also a Boiler grad, with me for moral support.</div>
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And we made a friend!</div>
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We ran into Purdue Pete on the way to the start!</div>
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The crowd was considerably larger than I'd expected... way bigger than <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/10/september-half-mill-race-columbus-in.html" target="_blank">last month's half in Columbus</a>. Quite a few students, or VERY recent grads... let's just say plenty of people way younger than me.<br />
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And there was this guy...<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AFx7ZJIG3N0/Wfe9d7_BfsI/AAAAAAAAVEU/UUhjGDm4G8YN2SiModFrdfwWxAsnJBtAwCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_9237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AFx7ZJIG3N0/Wfe9d7_BfsI/AAAAAAAAVEU/UUhjGDm4G8YN2SiModFrdfwWxAsnJBtAwCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_9237.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I'm gonna guess he's making a boiler.<br />Just a guess.</div>
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I lined up behind this woman, who I'm gonna go ahead and assume is named Amy, though I didn't ask...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Amy(?)</span></td></tr>
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I did however high-five her because she was running her 100th half! Pretty cool. She ran with a friend, who was not running her 100th half. I wondered if that other woman felt insecure about her measly half tally, but again, I didn't ask.<br />
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The gun went off, I fumbled a bit with my Fitbit and phone to get them synced and working, and then it went pretty... uneventful.</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BoBp17Sp6dQ/WffMW1WjTyI/AAAAAAAAVFU/c5MtVF_6gTMAD9q7KRe3aA_SQbX3HhhYACKgBGAs/s1600/unnamed%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BoBp17Sp6dQ/WffMW1WjTyI/AAAAAAAAVFU/c5MtVF_6gTMAD9q7KRe3aA_SQbX3HhhYACKgBGAs/s320/unnamed%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Me running uneventfully</div>
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Well, ok... now that I think about it...it wasn't completely uneventful.</div>
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Somewhere around half way, my FitBit went all vibratey on me... it was telling me that my sister Deborah was calling. "Uhg... why now? Why in the middle of a damn race?! She's so clueless..."</div>
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Then she called again!</div>
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And again!!</div>
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And then another number called me a few times. "Does she think she can fool me with the ol' 'Call From Another Number' trick?"</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Eventually she stopped calling and I went along my merry way.</span></div>
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I ran a comfortable, steady pace. The hills didn't bother me. I didn't wilt in the heat because there really wasn't any. I finished strong-ish and broke 2 hours by a minute and a half.</div>
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Requisite finish line photo.</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">After the finish I went for my phone to see if Deborah had left a message, only to find my phone dead. "That's weird..."</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">We took the long way back to the Union hotel, oooh-ing and ahhh-ing at the changes to the campus. What used to be a grid of brick buildings and asphalt streets is really lovely now.</span></div>
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Think your University is cool?</div>
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Neil Armstrong's moon boot print.<br />(Drops the microphone.)</div>
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Eventually we got back to the room, I plugged my phone in and took a shower.</div>
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And then I saw this...</div>
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My shame... let me explain...</div>
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So... remember when I said I didn't have my GPS watch, so I had to use my other FitBit and my phone in the fancy phone holder waist thingy?</div>
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And remember when I said I fumbled at the start with my phone to get the Non-GPSy FitBit to sync?</div>
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Yeah, so apparently I didn't quite get the phone turned off either... when I put it back into the fancy phone holder waist thingy.</div>
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And... apparently... while I was running, I kinda sorta butt-dialed my sister.</div>
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19 times.</div>
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She did leave a message one of those times she called. I rather frantic message that went something like "I can't hear you when you call. I'm working in the food truck at the IU game. I hope you're ok... call me please to let me know you're ok. Ok?"</div>
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That was after 7 calls.</div>
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I butt-dialed her TWELVE MORE TIMES.</div>
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After I stopped laughing, which took a considrable amount of time, I tried to apologize...</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TSSm0j9H9yg/Wfe9dzM2viI/AAAAAAAAVEU/diWcLqwa334x-EupQgNihwbHxWcLehJGACKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_9255.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TSSm0j9H9yg/Wfe9dzM2viI/AAAAAAAAVEU/diWcLqwa334x-EupQgNihwbHxWcLehJGACKgBGAs/s640/IMG_9255.PNG" width="358" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Oh, and those calls from the strange number? They were from the fine people she was working with in the food truck at IU. The ones who were also terrified I was barely able to press my sister's speed-dial and unable to speak because I was losing consciousness while having a heart attack in a ditch somewhere. They were considering packing up the food truck and leaving the IU football game to try, somehow, to rescue me. When they heard I was ok, they sent their best wishes...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jrf0r4S2Jg8/WffF6OtsFNI/AAAAAAAAVEw/DmuR5W2CycMx1tTPqLXwnPXKLyE3he7UQCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_0809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jrf0r4S2Jg8/WffF6OtsFNI/AAAAAAAAVEw/DmuR5W2CycMx1tTPqLXwnPXKLyE3he7UQCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_0809.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
We laughed some more.<br />
<br />
Then we went to Harry's and had victory beers and burgers. And laughed even more.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sL4N6NXlw7w/Wfe9dxe9Y6I/AAAAAAAAVEU/Yr_WgUXnHKMTDRFrrqrFfhzVgbpWgpyYwCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_9245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sL4N6NXlw7w/Wfe9dxe9Y6I/AAAAAAAAVEU/Yr_WgUXnHKMTDRFrrqrFfhzVgbpWgpyYwCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_9245.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
So... finished under 2 hours, hung with Purdue Pete and Harry's Chocolate Shop, touched base with my sister... a pretty good half.<br />
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qZqqdSzFh-o/Wfe7R0sriGI/AAAAAAAAVEI/0_kmYZ-t3LYCFb0PNRDfIKtAc4bYLjcIQCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_9286.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qZqqdSzFh-o/Wfe7R0sriGI/AAAAAAAAVEI/0_kmYZ-t3LYCFb0PNRDfIKtAc4bYLjcIQCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_9286.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Boiler right the hell up!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Good running,<br />
Doug<br />
<br />
If you'd like to catch up on the year in halfs so far, here are links:<br />
<br />
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ol style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<li>Jan: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/01/january-half-rundisney-and-star-wars.html" target="_blank">runDisney StarWars half</a> at Disneyland</li>
<li>Feb: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/03/february-half-gasparilla-in-tampa.html" target="_blank">Gasparilla Half</a> in Tampa FL</li>
<li>Mar: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/03/march-half-sam-costa.html" target="_blank">Sam Costa Half</a> in Carmel IN</li>
<li>Apr: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/04/april-half-carmel-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">Carmel Half</a> in Carmel IN</li>
<li>May: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/05/may-half-geist-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">Geist Half</a> in Fishers IN</li>
<li>Jun: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/06/june-half-punishments-of-zionsville.html" target="_blank">Zionsville Half</a> in Zionsville, IN</li>
<li>Jul: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/07/july-half-rock-n-roll-chicago.html" target="_blank">Rock 'n' Roll</a> in Chicago, IL</li>
<li>Aug:<span> </span><a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/08/august-half-viking-dash-in-muncie-in.html" target="_blank">Viking Dash Trail Half</a><span> </span>in Muncie, IN</li>
<li>Sep: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/10/september-half-mill-race-columbus-in.html" target="_blank">Mill Race Half</a> in Columbus, IN</li>
</ol>
<div>
Next up is the Monumental Half in downtown Indianapolis</div>
Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270813381411749788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841572872090404396.post-17100192166812633822017-10-09T17:36:00.000-07:002017-10-09T17:36:47.991-07:00September Half: Mill Race, Columbus, IN<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/qjZJW3IqcabxqnteNfcrcTiVEKF4lolmo16sjzmwkRjlMHjqIEGfIaNyIbNq15ZmTzojfw=s400" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/qjZJW3IqcabxqnteNfcrcTiVEKF4lolmo16sjzmwkRjlMHjqIEGfIaNyIbNq15ZmTzojfw=s400" /></a></div>
<br />
September races are supposed to be more temperate, right? Even cool... crisp perhaps? They're supposed to be the reward for surviving the heat and humidity and general misery of summer running.<br />
<br />
The the Mill Race Half in Columbus Indiana, a lovely mid-sized race in a wonderful city brimming with architectural masterpieces (<a href="https://columbus.in.us/guide-to-the-architecture/" target="_blank">I'm serious</a>) and #9 on my half a month for 2017, was a scorcher. Warm, humid, nary a puff of wind, and a sun that I'm pretty sure chose this day to get back at us for the mocking it took during eclipse-mania.<br />
<br />
I knew before I'd left home at 4 (f'in!) 30 in the morning that it was going to be too warm to try anything, so I knew going in that this was a well appointed training run. So, I took it nice and easy and smart.<br />
<br />
The first 4 miles were not only the best of the course, touring the downtown, many of the aforementioned architectural works, and Mill Race park, which couldn't be lovelier. And because the sun had yet to peek over the trees, the pace was smooth and easy.<br />
<br />
The second 8 miles were not as scenic, but thanks to a mostly sun-at-your-back course that looped around an enormous Cummins Engine plant ("They're the title sponsor Bob, if they want us to run around the perimeter of their parking lot, we're gonna do it."), my pace only dropped a little as the air got hotter.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/9OW6xZq_8DP74IHaVOOy3rldu8C4k6TgqgIghHqtXXdfMHKzCrjf3b0BMZqDvO4mqB9YLw=s400" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/9OW6xZq_8DP74IHaVOOy3rldu8C4k6TgqgIghHqtXXdfMHKzCrjf3b0BMZqDvO4mqB9YLw=s400" /></a><br />Exiting a covered bridge in Mill Race Park</div>
<br />
Then... 8.5.<br />
<br />
I know it was 8.5 because I looked at my GPS watch when I turned to corner.<br />
<br />
I looked at my watch because I was wondering just exactly how far I had left.<br />
<br />
I was wondering how much was left because I didn't want to end up like the guy I'd just passed.<br />
<br />
The guy I'd just passed was walking, but not well... he was drunk walking.. at mile 8.5. He was NOT doing well. His long sleeve shirt (event shirt, so you know he was a newbie) was soaked through and his eyes weren't sharp.<br />
<br />
I pulled up next to him and asked if he was ok. He clearly wasn't, but insisted he was good and started running again.<br />
<br />
He ran out ahead of me. Maybe he was ok.<br />
<br />
A couple minutes later I came up on him again. Drunk walking, again.<br />
<br />
This time I wasn't going to take no for an answer. I stopped to walk with him and started to tell him that I was going to walk with him to the next water stop. Before I'd finished my sentence another guy came along side...<br />
<br />
Me: "Are you with him."<br />
Dude: "No. He's just my friend." (ok, I didn't mean "with him".. yeesh, relax)<br />
Me:"He's in bad shape man."<br />
<br />
The friend dude grabbed our drunk-walking guy's phone from his hand. "What's your password!"<br />
<br />
We were almost at the rest stop. I knew he was in good hands.<br />
<br />
So it was time for me to get to running again... but I didn't.<br />
<br />
Something in my head said "Nope, I think we're done here."<br />
<br />
Maybe it was seeing drunk waling guy. Maybe it was a flashback to my June half in Zionsville when I let the heat get the best of me.<br />
<br />
Or maybe it was me listening to my body...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8yO9Na0UNiw/WdwONyQBqyI/AAAAAAAAU4I/a5hYROOw_WgJq8Ef3yTC-aUDUlLAsgWPwCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-10-09%2Bat%2B8.01.43%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="245" data-original-width="105" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8yO9Na0UNiw/WdwONyQBqyI/AAAAAAAAU4I/a5hYROOw_WgJq8Ef3yTC-aUDUlLAsgWPwCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-10-09%2Bat%2B8.01.43%2BPM.png" /></a></div>
The blue is a trace from my GPS watch of my pace. The red is my heart rate. Look at those spikes just before I slowed down. Those spikes were the start of what could have been a very bad day. That was my body over-heating.<br />
<br />
I didn't "feel" it, not really, but I did feel something... something not right.<br />
<br />
It was that quiet, almost silent "ahem" that your body gives you when something is starting to tilt, the signal too often we ignore, or worse don't even hear or feel.<br />
<br />
[Note: To be clear, I didn't see that heart rate trace, not until 2 days later when I pulled it off of my watch.]<br />
<br />
But at that moment I felt something, something had changed.<br />
<br />
As I walked through the rest of the water stop, I literally told myself "I don't want to end up like drunk-walking guy."<br />
<br />
I decided I was going to end the long run portion of this workout and do 3x 1-mile intervals with recovery walks in between, that would feature copious amounts of fluids, and get me to the finish.<br />
<br />
And it actually worked out great. I got in a good workout and felt great. My time sucked, but I didn't care.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N7nUROIAncY/WdwTN2OU2FI/AAAAAAAAU4Y/I70hk1z05fgN6jja_f9mWsPKHv1Gp0jkwCKgBGAs/s1600/File_000.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N7nUROIAncY/WdwTN2OU2FI/AAAAAAAAU4Y/I70hk1z05fgN6jja_f9mWsPKHv1Gp0jkwCKgBGAs/s320/File_000.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
I poured water on my head in my finish photo*, walked to my car, changed from wet to dry clothes in the parking garage (!!) and drove home safely in time to take lunch to my son.<br />
<br />
Part of running is pushing ourselves, extending our limits, and sometimes competing against others. But above all, running is about tuning in, connecting to our bodies in the most intimate way.<br />
<br />
Our bodies are smart.<br />
<br />
Listen to what your body is telling you.<br />
<br />
Good running,<br />
Doug<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
PS. I think Dwight Schrute may have moved from Scranton PA to Columbus IN...</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VMI3LeIllpQ/WdwTZ0ctetI/AAAAAAAAU4c/iW8hJKxxurEWJ7IEJO6PB-rIYC8M2G9sgCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_9226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VMI3LeIllpQ/WdwTZ0ctetI/AAAAAAAAU4c/iW8hJKxxurEWJ7IEJO6PB-rIYC8M2G9sgCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_9226.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />Race packet swag...<br />from Schrute Farms?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />If you'd like to catch up on the year in halfs so far, here are links:</div>
<ol>
<li>Jan: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/01/january-half-rundisney-and-star-wars.html" target="_blank">runDisney StarWars half</a> at Disneyland</li>
<li>Feb: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/03/february-half-gasparilla-in-tampa.html" target="_blank">Gasparilla Half</a> in Tampa FL</li>
<li>Mar: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/03/march-half-sam-costa.html" target="_blank">Sam Costa Half</a> in Carmel IN</li>
<li>Apr: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/04/april-half-carmel-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">Carmel Half</a> in Carmel IN</li>
<li>May: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/05/may-half-geist-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">Geist Half</a> in Fishers IN</li>
<li>Jun: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/06/june-half-punishments-of-zionsville.html" target="_blank">Zionsville Half</a> in Zionsville, IN</li>
<li>Jul: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/07/july-half-rock-n-roll-chicago.html" target="_blank">Rock 'n' Roll</a> in Chicago, IL</li>
<li>Aug: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/08/august-half-viking-dash-in-muncie-in.html" target="_blank">Viking Dash Trail Half</a> in Muncie, IN</li>
</ol>
<div>
Next up, Boilermaker Half on the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN (my alma mater, thank you very much).</div>
<br />
*Note: A bottle of water feels considerably colder on your head and neck than it does in your hand.Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270813381411749788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841572872090404396.post-35739270695607119942017-08-29T19:01:00.002-07:002017-08-29T20:38:45.612-07:00August Half: Viking Dash in Muncie, IN<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-znbnAb-3uqw/WaYK54G4jQI/AAAAAAAAUA8/JS66r62R7d8aXHd2LPJSuDa6bQUzrjnagCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_9046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-znbnAb-3uqw/WaYK54G4jQI/AAAAAAAAUA8/JS66r62R7d8aXHd2LPJSuDa6bQUzrjnagCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_9046.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
If there is an exact opposite of the Chicago Rock 'n' Roll Half I did last month, it is probably the Viking Dash Trail Half I did this month. Other than the distance, and the planet on which the races took place, and I suppose my name in the results, they have nothing else in common.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pxzfnBpYfsM/WaYcPcxwX9I/AAAAAAAAUB8/lZAQjokx41wK7Cuc53GXFL8MqnGlT_SwQCKgBGAs/s1600/Start_BadAss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="642" data-original-width="960" height="214" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pxzfnBpYfsM/WaYcPcxwX9I/AAAAAAAAUB8/lZAQjokx41wK7Cuc53GXFL8MqnGlT_SwQCKgBGAs/s320/Start_BadAss.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's hard to look cool with a headlamp, but I'm pretty sure I pulled it off.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<div>
The Viking Dash is a trail race.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Run at night. In the dark.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
With 19 finishers. The winner barely broke 2 hours.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There were no bands. No spectators aside from the brave few at the start/finish.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f7jnq-9f8F8/WaYUCAkAnYI/AAAAAAAAUBs/il5QstMVllMF4CC47w3WS8qA7yOS9rW4wCKgBGAs/s1600/Jen_Chloe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f7jnq-9f8F8/WaYUCAkAnYI/AAAAAAAAUBs/il5QstMVllMF4CC47w3WS8qA7yOS9rW4wCKgBGAs/s320/Jen_Chloe.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jen and Chloe were two of those brave spectators.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Not a single Elvis spotted in Muncie, but there were about 15 Viking LARPers.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_JF3-03vwqg/WaYMRyteGSI/AAAAAAAAUBQ/8RwUQe_rj7AAwpXHRAGGL0TkyUegX62_wCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_9054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_JF3-03vwqg/WaYMRyteGSI/AAAAAAAAUBQ/8RwUQe_rj7AAwpXHRAGGL0TkyUegX62_wCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_9054.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8SNWuJW200Y/WaYMR4FOYLI/AAAAAAAAUBQ/SMt45OsbMlszGdwgJXWi3_MxRmUAjxhxwCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_9051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8SNWuJW200Y/WaYMR4FOYLI/AAAAAAAAUBQ/SMt45OsbMlszGdwgJXWi3_MxRmUAjxhxwCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_9051.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lwZDKFmCtAo/WaYTrtb6WZI/AAAAAAAAUBo/NiMwsOQvQbA6FfLLgqV5kpeSg_wz1HBfgCKgBGAs/s1600/WarPaint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lwZDKFmCtAo/WaYTrtb6WZI/AAAAAAAAUBo/NiMwsOQvQbA6FfLLgqV5kpeSg_wz1HBfgCKgBGAs/s320/WarPaint.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
In Chicago we crossed the river, on a bridge, like babies. In Muncie, we crossed part of a lake... no bridge.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RA52sB05Swo/WaYLAk-VU2I/AAAAAAAAUBA/dmIYZLboVgYaHe64Mqx83Tz3izD82SlYgCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_9057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RA52sB05Swo/WaYLAk-VU2I/AAAAAAAAUBA/dmIYZLboVgYaHe64Mqx83Tz3izD82SlYgCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_9057.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">About 30 feet across, maybe 40, knee deep, not too cold</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Chicago had peppy millennial MCs getting us "pumped" at the start. The Viking had Eric warning us of horse droppings on the course. He also suggested that the best time to turn on our headlamps was when we couldn't see anything. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2Qk0T9tnU30/WaYL2MEK6zI/AAAAAAAAUBM/4bWFEiPwez4G5yULq_bJ2oJbrdGXQfsEQCKgBGAs/s1600/Eric.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2Qk0T9tnU30/WaYL2MEK6zI/AAAAAAAAUBM/4bWFEiPwez4G5yULq_bJ2oJbrdGXQfsEQCKgBGAs/s320/Eric.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eric - Race director and "MC"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
I fell twice. Once hard. Once really, really hard.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I was off course once for about 0.2 miles.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I let/made a guy pass me at the 11 mile mark, knowing I was probably giving up an age group award (I was) just to have the trail to myself.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I finished 9th, 2:23:18.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gUQcTrIeNF0/WaYS_DhBxlI/AAAAAAAAUBg/xgwQpKqbOtkc0_6tqAmjJXYD0S5jFc1gQCKgBGAs/s1600/FInish%2Bwith%2BJen1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gUQcTrIeNF0/WaYS_DhBxlI/AAAAAAAAUBg/xgwQpKqbOtkc0_6tqAmjJXYD0S5jFc1gQCKgBGAs/s320/FInish%2Bwith%2BJen1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
Chicago was a good race for me, right when I needed it. Big race, big city, big crowd.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Muncie was a harder race, and a longer race, but it was also just exactly what I needed.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I was super anxious about this race. Before this month I hadn't run trails in years, and even then, my training runs hadn't gone particularly well, and bonus, since it started at 8pm, I had all day to think about how unprepared I was for the race.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Trail running is so unlike running on roads. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Trails are hard. You can't keep any momentum... it's up and down, left and right... all broken rhythm.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You really don't know what the course will throw at you. Even a trail you've run a hundred times is different <i>every</i> time. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's a challenge. It's primal. It's real. It makes you feel alive, aware, connected to the Earth.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's slow. It's hard. It's peaceful. It's quiet. It's alone. It's natural. It's scary if you think about it too much. It's addictive. It's pure.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's the best way I know to learn how to be truly present, to achieve that state of here and now and nothing fucking else.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If your mind wanders too far from the trail for too long, it'll be brought right back... right at that moment when you fall on your face.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Those 2 falls of mine? I fell the first time looked at my watch, third mile... I looked for half a second... just a peek... and wham, rock grabbed my toe, heels of my hands collected bits of gravel. Too far, for too long. Second fall, mile 12, I wished a fellow runner well as we passed... didn't quite catch what she said... tried to process it... didn't get my foot fall right... wham! hard to the ground on my shoulder. Too far, too long...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But I needed this... I wanted it... to be reminded of, reminded <i>how</i> to focus... to find that level of hyper-presence again.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Crossing water up to your knees, or trudging up a steep, gravely hill, or darting left and right as the trail twitches this way and that... your mind is beautifully consumed with the present. Time doesn't mean anything. Pace isn't in your mind at all. How far you have to go doesn't even occur to you. Your brain is busy, focused on where to place your next foot fall among the ruts and rocks and roots... there's no capacity for anything else.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now... add darkness, and a headlamp... your entire world is tree trunks that border a thin line of dirt that bisects an ellipse of light that extends maybe 15 feet ahead. That is all you see, all you know, all that matters.<br />
<br />
5 1/2 days before this race I drove 562 miles round trip to see 2 minutes and 28 seconds of a total eclipse of the sun. I've never felt as aware of my place in the cosmos. This race, though, helped me feel more aware of my connection to my time, and place, and planet.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
While I was training for this race, after a rough, hot, long but not as long as planned trail run, I sat with a stranger at a picnic table.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
He ate his lunch. I changed my shoes.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
He was retired, I'm guessing late 60s early 70s, training with a heavy pack for a long walk, the Camino Trail in Spain. I told him how poorly my run had gone that day, how I was obsessing about the heat, how hard the trail was, and how far I had to go. He reminded me "It's all about being where you are... step by step... 'I'm here... I'm running here... no where else matters.'"</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I was in that zone in Muncie. And I look forward to finding "here" again, out on some other trail, very soon.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uLGzkanNNZ4/WaYLRkGSSAI/AAAAAAAAUBE/z3Gan7Ed29klrhNHjdYYlA-bIgbI5NnegCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_9058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uLGzkanNNZ4/WaYLRkGSSAI/AAAAAAAAUBE/z3Gan7Ed29klrhNHjdYYlA-bIgbI5NnegCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_9058.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty cool medal - a Ulfberht sward</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Good running,</div>
<div>
Doug</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
PS - The beer was gone when I finished... damn 5k LARPers drank it all... fuckers.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
PSS - Beer supply aside, I highly recommend the <a href="https://vikingdashtrailrun.com/" target="_blank">Viking Dash</a> series. Well run, good "trail runner" vibe. Check it out. If there's one in your area give it a try.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
If you'd like to catch up on the year in halfs so far, here are links:</div>
<ol>
<li>Jan: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/01/january-half-rundisney-and-star-wars.html" target="_blank">runDisney StarWars half</a> at Disneyland</li>
<li>Feb: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/03/february-half-gasparilla-in-tampa.html" target="_blank">Gasparilla Half</a> in Tampa FL</li>
<li>Mar: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/03/march-half-sam-costa.html" target="_blank">Sam Costa Half</a> in Carmel IN</li>
<li>Apr: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/04/april-half-carmel-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">Carmel Half</a> in Carmel IN</li>
<li>May: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/05/may-half-geist-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">Geist Half</a> in Fishers IN</li>
<li>Jun: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/06/june-half-punishments-of-zionsville.html" target="_blank">Zionsville Half</a> in Zionsville, IN</li>
<li>Jul: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/07/july-half-rock-n-roll-chicago.html" target="_blank">Rock 'n' Roll</a> in Chicago, IL</li>
</ol>
Next month Mill Race Half in Columbus, IN.</div>
</div>
Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270813381411749788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841572872090404396.post-86260700944962069932017-07-24T19:02:00.002-07:002017-07-24T19:07:16.722-07:00July Half: Rock 'n' Roll Chicago<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ddJmioc522w/WXafuvspFLI/AAAAAAAATmI/_9_K89_siBgrm0Sssnx2lXOLHm0i-yRxACKgBGAs/s1600/691744_259760787_XLarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ddJmioc522w/WXafuvspFLI/AAAAAAAATmI/_9_K89_siBgrm0Sssnx2lXOLHm0i-yRxACKgBGAs/s320/691744_259760787_XLarge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
July's Half-Marathon... Chicago's Rock 'n' Roll Half.<br />
<br />
After a string on races close to home, I wanted to hit the road.<br />
<br />
The idea was to drag my youngest along, head up Saturday, hit the expo, play in the city a bit, have a nice dinner, run early Sunday, brunch it up, and get home. Good plan!<br />
<br />
Yeah, not so much.<br />
<br />
The boy had a thing pop-up that ate up Saturday, so we got to the city about 9pm... just in time for a movie and bed.<br />
<br />
I woke to a humid, but remarkably temperate, and not-so-windy city.<br />
<br />
And, to a shit-ton of people. I had no idea this was such a big race.<br />
<br />
Luckily, it was insanely well run.<br />
<br />
For example... let's consider about the start:<br />
<ul>
<li>Super helpful and cheerful people to help runners who arrive too late for the expo and have to pick up their number at the start.</li>
<li>Plenty of well marked corals</li>
<li>Lots of room to get to your coral - too many races neglect that detail and get traffic jams on sidewalks between shrubs and fencing as people try to get to their spot</li>
<li>Extra space in the corals so you don't spend those last few minutes crotch to butt</li>
<li>Wave starts just a minute a part - runDisney space the waves 10 minutes apart, so the last wave stood around for an hour... I know, because I was in that last wave.</li>
<li>Decent sound system with not-really-annoying-at-all MC keeping us entertained</li>
</ul>
All of this produced a relaxed, easy, uncrowded, and timely start.<br />
<br />
Once running, my GPS warned me that my pace over the first few miles was a kinda quick, too quick for a guy trying to take things easy, so I made a point to pull in the reins and slow down.<br />
<br />
Hold that thought...<br />
<br />
Some may remember from my February post, that I don't generally trust mile markers in races. These markers were way-the-hell off... by a tenth or more. WTF RnR?!?<br />
<br />
Well... umm... Turns out, in the big city, where you can barely see the sky and the satellite signals bounce around the tall buildings, you can't really trust your GPS, either.<br />
<br />
Yeah... GPS was, in fact the one that was way-the-hell off. Sorry about the outburst RnR.<br />
<br />
So, I wasn't going nearly as fast as I'd thought in those early miles. That means that when I'd "backed off so I don't set some kind of record by accident", I was actually going from kinda slow to really slow...some might call it pokey.<br />
<br />
But, as it turned out, may have been for the best anyway.<br />
<br />
The miles clicked off, and I felt really good. Especially considering the disaster of last month. So I just kept poking along.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UrzfTpKqpvQ/WXafBxdbmcI/AAAAAAAATmA/q-2L-VGx5C0OPwKlplV-APTFbwfKz6dRQCKgBGAs/s1600/691744_259677650_XLarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1063" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UrzfTpKqpvQ/WXafBxdbmcI/AAAAAAAATmA/q-2L-VGx5C0OPwKlplV-APTFbwfKz6dRQCKgBGAs/s320/691744_259677650_XLarge.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, poking along.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I saw two Elvises... Elvi... running with each other. One was barefoot, and carried a blow-up guitar.<br />
<br />
We also crossed the river, once via one of the draw bridges that is just steel grate... so you could see through it... to the river... why the fuck down there. Some people freaked out and jumped to the sidewalk. I freaked out too, but decided to lean into it.<br />
<br />
The race was just crowded enough that I always had lots of people around me, but roomy enough that I never felt crowded. It was like going to a movie and having just enough people to make it feel like a big deal, but not so many that you couldn't have an empty buffer-seat next to you for your jacket.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6nw8KAFJ-Kw/WXaf32BbCcI/AAAAAAAATmM/m_c3Olgz7eM6b8jkkjVA3JSlmoNme2gqgCKgBGAs/s1600/691744_259761060_XLarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6nw8KAFJ-Kw/WXaf32BbCcI/AAAAAAAATmM/m_c3Olgz7eM6b8jkkjVA3JSlmoNme2gqgCKgBGAs/s320/691744_259761060_XLarge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
At mile 8.5 came the only knock I have on the whole race... the half-mile up, half-mile back U-turn. As someone who as designed a course or two, I know they are sometimes a necessary evil to get the distant right in a world of actual streets and neighborhoods and physics, but... for fuck's sake... a 1-mile U-turn is just not cool.<br />
<br />
I forgot and forgave pretty quick because just after the end of that shitty mile was the 10-mile mark, and the turn north, toward the finish, along the Lakeshore.<br />
<br />
Three lightly rolling miles over overpasses and on on-ramps, and the apparently obligatory trip under McCormick Place, we were in sight of the finish.<br />
<br />
Eventually, I crossed it.<br />
<br />
I say eventually because I was slow. Really slow... second slowest half ever for me.<br />
<br />
But... I did finish. And not only did I finish, but I enjoyed the tiniest sweet redemption from last month's debacle... I didn't walk a single damn step.<br />
<br />
Heat? Humidity? Woefully underwhelming training? Not a problem... as long as you don't mind this taking a while...<br />
<br />
There was free (crappy) beer...<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-geHkx3spOF8/WXaeQ_b1-HI/AAAAAAAATl0/ttg5BdxbqDcM-1Fy90rLSXfcA9hMQjlGQCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_8933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-geHkx3spOF8/WXaeQ_b1-HI/AAAAAAAATl0/ttg5BdxbqDcM-1Fy90rLSXfcA9hMQjlGQCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_8933.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">They gave out what seemed to be</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">water in these clever Michelob Ultra cans.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The medal is great.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_QGZXEHewHE/WXagrMwyVsI/AAAAAAAATmQ/J2JRoDX5mFEI-TjNGmDN_IA9KD0Bty4JwCKgBGAs/s1600/691744_259760927_XLarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_QGZXEHewHE/WXagrMwyVsI/AAAAAAAATmQ/J2JRoDX5mFEI-TjNGmDN_IA9KD0Bty4JwCKgBGAs/s320/691744_259760927_XLarge.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The medal has the "Bean" on it. Pretty cool!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
There was even a festival with a funk band, but I opted for the short walk to the hotel, to wake up my son, and head to a lovely brunch.<br />
<br />
I've come to accept that these summer halfs are gonna be slow. Hopefully they'll make me faster in the fall.<br />
<br />
Real quick... I have to comment on the Rock 'n' Roll series. I remember their first event 20 years ago, in San Diego I think. As I recall, it didn't go great. Since then, I'd always considered them as "Facebook events" - overpriced, underwhelming, big medal, no class.<br />
<br />
I was dead wrong. These guys put on a fantastic event. I've run many big races and I've never seen one more smoothly and professionally run. And the staff was probably the best I've ever seen... friendly, well-trained, enthusiastic, genuine. RnR is as good as runDisney at about half the price. I'm a convert, and a fan.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qd1AP6d1KGU/WXaeErw8g_I/AAAAAAAATlw/-jP_IVyIVVMYTCW2bXfPGBsEEPlx2Bc5QCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_8934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qd1AP6d1KGU/WXaeErw8g_I/AAAAAAAATlw/-jP_IVyIVVMYTCW2bXfPGBsEEPlx2Bc5QCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_8934.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium;">
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
If you'd like to catch up on the year in halfs so far, here are links:</div>
<ol>
<li>Jan: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/01/january-half-rundisney-and-star-wars.html" target="_blank">runDisney StarWars half</a> at Disneyland</li>
<li>Feb: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/03/february-half-gasparilla-in-tampa.html" target="_blank">Gasparilla Half</a> in Tampa FL</li>
<li>Mar: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/03/march-half-sam-costa.html" target="_blank">Sam Costa Half</a> in Carmel IN</li>
<li>Apr: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/04/april-half-carmel-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">Carmel Half</a> in Carmel IN</li>
<li>May: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/05/may-half-geist-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">Geist Half</a> in Fishers IN</li>
<li>Jun: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/06/june-half-punishments-of-zionsville.html" target="_blank">Zionsville Half</a> in Zionsville, IN</li>
</ol>
Next month I hit the trails in Muncie, IN.<br />
<br />
Good running!<br />
Doug<br />
<br />
<br />Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270813381411749788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841572872090404396.post-37098559338745740522017-06-19T14:21:00.001-07:002017-06-19T14:23:52.821-07:00June Half: The Punishments of ZionsvilleJune's edition of my 2017 Half Marathon a month quest was a small race in Zionsville, IN.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-34xlTWFVXbA/WUhAHjzKP3I/AAAAAAAATIU/hl4l74uQU14-dvdh7Outalv2gJDKAqB3gCLcBGAs/s1600/Zville.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-34xlTWFVXbA/WUhAHjzKP3I/AAAAAAAATIU/hl4l74uQU14-dvdh7Outalv2gJDKAqB3gCLcBGAs/s1600/Zville.jpeg" /></a></div>
<br />
It's an old school race with nice low key vibe. It starts and ends on Main Street, the bricked street in the insanely quite downtown. Normally, Zionsville is relaxing and pleasant. But not so much this day...<br />
<br />
And the word for this day was "punishment".<br />
<br />
I was punished for a number of running sins on this otherwise lovely Sunday.<br />
<br />
<b>Sin #1, Sloth</b> - Since the May half (write-up link below if you're curious), I'd run exactly one day...June 7th, <a href="https://globalrunningday.org/" target="_blank">Global Running Day</a>. Yep, it took a global proclamation to get me out for a run... a 4 miler. Had it not been for that holiday, I might not have run at all.<br />
<br />
I can blame work, or the weekend lost to the Indianapolis 500 (a day bigger than Christmas in our family), but in reality, I've been lazy. Slothy.<br />
<br />
Turns out, to run a half a month you need to train a little. In the back of my head I think I was counting on the races to keep me in shape. Didn't exactly go down that way.<br />
<br />
So on race day I was lethargic. The legs had no pop. I knew right away it was going to be a slow day.<br />
<br />
<b>Sin #2, Disrespect for Ra</b> - Not only had I not trained, but that lack of training meant I hadn't acclimated even a tiny bit to the warmer temperatures or bright, warm sun.<br />
<br />
Sometime, when you're out running on a sunny day with a heart-rate monitor, check your heart rate in the sun versus in the shade. In the sun, it'll jump right up, without picking up the pace or any perceived additional excursion.<br />
<br />
What happens is you're circulatory system kicks into double duty, not only feeding your muscles, but cooling your body. Your heart starts beating more to send extra blood to the capillaries in your skin to help cool it. That's blood that's NOT feeding your muscles. You can quickly start to feel fatigued.<br />
<br />
The only way to avoid that feeling is to slow down, or to acclimate. Given a 2-4 weeks of training in the warmer temps and sun, your body will adapt. More capillaries are built near the surface of your skin to make cooling more efficient, your sweat glads expand to hold more water, which also helps with cooling, and your legs will develop more capillaries, too, so they can get their fuel more efficiently.<br />
<br />
So, after a few weeks, you'll be more or less adapted to the heat. And the real bonus comes in the fall, when your body is all geared up for heat, and the temps fall. It's like having a jet engine in your butt!<br />
<br />
<b>Sin #3, Hubris</b> - I spent most of Saturday, the day before the race, resting and drinking lots of water.<br />
<br />
Just kidding! I spent Saturday representing my company and many friends in the Pride parade in Indianapolis, and then hanging out at the festival after. It was super fun, but it left me dehydrated and leg weary.<br />
<br />
The course for this race was well configured to punish me for all of these sins. The two-loop course was demoralizing... coming through a hard section on the first loop, you knew you'd have to face it again with another 6 miles on your legs.<br />
<br />
About a third of the loop was in bright sunshine. That same third had the toughest hills. That's a one-two punch that is bad enough to face once. Twice is just no fun at all.<br />
<br />
Another third of the loop was flat rail-trail with shade. That came as a welcome respite... just enough to make me think that the second loop wouldn't kill me.<br />
<br />
The rest was a little rolly, a little sunny, somewhere between the extremes of the other thirds.<br />
<br />
The first loop was reasonable, but slow. The second loop started pretty positively, but that didn't last long.<br />
<br />
I managed 9.5 miles before the wheels fell off.<br />
<br />
This wasn't a mental break, or lack of toughness. Oh, for sure, I've had plenty of those. But this was a problem of physiology. My body wasn't ready for this race, these conditions, and it was throwing in the towel.<br />
<br />
So, against every command from my brain, my body decided we were going to walk.<br />
<br />
We were in the bright sun, past the worst of the hills, but my systems were all in the red zone. I knew that if I didn't listen to my body, I was going to turn a slow day into a very bad day. So, walk I did.<br />
<br />
To my great surprise and relief, a good friend was along the course spectating with his family. (Apparently there isn't much to do in Zionsville on a Sunday morning.) He gave me a bottle of water, a bottle of water that I desperately needed. Did I mention that the water stops were handing out water in those tiny Dixie cups that could pass as thimbles?<br />
<br />
I drank the water, made it to the shade, and after about 2 miles of walk-jog that was mostly walk, I recovered enough to cruise it in.<br />
<br />
Slowest. Half. Ever... at least for me.<br />
<br />
At the finish, I was a mess. Hand on knees, sweating but cold, not thinking or talking very well.<br />
<br />
Thankfully, Jeni, my GF, was there at the finish. She tended to me, fetched me water, held my banana (hey now... I mean an <i>actual</i> banana). She knew when not to ask me questions... let me stop mid-babble without asking if I was ok... found me some salt... and generally kept me company. Without here I probably would have found a shady corner to cry in.<br />
<br />
After maybe 45 minutes, I was ok enough to head home.<br />
<br />
So, lessons learned... re-learned, like we so often have to do.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>You need to stay hydrated, so if they are giving you water an ounce at a time, stop and drink a few.</li>
<li>Acclimate to the conditions you live in. Be patient and let your body adjust.</li>
<li>You should probably run a few training runs before a half-marathon.</li>
<li>Find yourself someone awesome to keep you safe if/when you forget these lessons.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Half way through the year. I hope these get easier, like the miles seem a little easier after you're past halfway in a race... unless you bonk.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Next up for July, Rock-n-Roll Half in Chicago. I promise I will get some runs in, runs in the sun.</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L7vt23ICKRA/WT2ovkjWkeI/AAAAAAAATEU/qAY4g6e3UO0xzxN3jbqKfose0Nd1-EkegCKgB/s1600/Shirt_Medal_Number.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L7vt23ICKRA/WT2ovkjWkeI/AAAAAAAATEU/qAY4g6e3UO0xzxN3jbqKfose0Nd1-EkegCKgB/s320/Shirt_Medal_Number.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One good thing, if I'd fallen over upside-down,<br />
my number would have been the same.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
If you'd like to catch up on the year in halfs so far, here are links:</div>
<ol>
<li>Jan: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/01/january-half-rundisney-and-star-wars.html" target="_blank">runDisney StarWars half</a> at Disneyland</li>
<li>Feb: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/03/february-half-gasparilla-in-tampa.html" target="_blank">Gasparilla Half</a> in Tampa FL</li>
<li>Mar: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/03/march-half-sam-costa.html" target="_blank">Sam Costa Half</a> in Carmel IN</li>
<li>Apr: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/04/april-half-carmel-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">Carmel Half</a> in Carmel IN</li>
<li>May: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/05/may-half-geist-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">Geist Half</a> in Fishers IN</li>
</ol>
<div>
Good Running!</div>
<div>
Doug</div>
Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270813381411749788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841572872090404396.post-91521202522866970342017-05-29T14:00:00.000-07:002017-06-11T13:25:50.313-07:00May Half: Geist Half-marathon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZMQbG4YxlIA/WSyLCm8wGxI/AAAAAAAASW4/fJ-8Ni2V4CMRDVy5vLoWiqaoOpB8XGmmQCKgB/s1600/Geist-Anniversary-Logo-Update.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1236" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZMQbG4YxlIA/WSyLCm8wGxI/AAAAAAAASW4/fJ-8Ni2V4CMRDVy5vLoWiqaoOpB8XGmmQCKgB/s200/Geist-Anniversary-Logo-Update.jpg" width="154" /></a></div>
For number 5 in my half-marathon-a-month quest, I selected the 10th <a href="http://geisthalf.com/" target="_blank">Geist Half-Marathon</a> in Noblesville, IN, completing the Hamilton Country Trifecta that I just made up (Sam Costa, Carmel, Geist).<br />
<br />
"Why Geist?" you may ask. "Why not the Mini*?"<br />
<br />
I've done the mini... so many times. I'd never done Geist.<br />
<br />
Besides, Geist was on my birthday!<br />
<br />
So began a series of poor decisions that led to my second slowest half so far this year.<br />
<br />
Running a half on my birthday really did seem like a good idea, a great way to celebrate a life well lived, and to kick-off yet another great year.<br />
<br />
Problem was, I didn't think it through.<br />
<br />
Had I thought it through I would have realized that to run this particular half on my birthday, I would have to get up up at 5:30am... on my birthday.<br />
<br />
So I signed up. And I got up. At 5:30. That was after staying up, playing Mario Cart, waiting for my son to get off work... you know, the usual way to kick off a birthday weekend.<br />
<br />
Once up, though seriously too soon, I slipped into my race duds, pulled on my shoes, and lumbered out the door for the 30 minute drive to the race.<br />
<br />
Parking for Geist is, uhm... how can I put this delicately?... a pain in the ass.<br />
<br />
There's zero parking near the start. As I got into the area, with cars darting all over the place looking for a spot, I dove into the first open place I saw.<br />
<br />
As I got out, and pinned on my number, I looked around for some sign of the start. There wasn't one, nothing, other than a thin stream of people in shorts all walking in the same direction, like ants to some unseen discarded apple core.<br />
<br />
Turned out to be just under a mile, a chilly, overcast, windy mile, from the start. Great conditions for running, not so great for walking, especially when dressed for, you know, a run.<br />
<br />
Having joined the parade, trekking to where I had to assume the start was, I saw dozens of parking spots WAY closer than a mile from the start. I didn't so much mind the walk, <i>that</i> walk, but it filled me with a bit of dread thinking about walking all this way back after the race, sweaty, cold, and tired.<br />
<br />
With the start finally in sight, I thought it'd be good to jog a bit, get the blood flowing.<br />
<br />
The first step of that jog made it was clear I'd made yet another poor decision, this one 2 days earlier.<br />
<br />
While in Palo Alto for work, I got to cover one of the classic Silicon Valley running routes, the Stanford Radio Telescope loop, and by loop, I mean steep, punishing, long climb and brutal descent. My quads, and my glutes, were fried after the run, and not much better this race morning.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4dpV_exanRw/WSIAinD3ypI/AAAAAAAASTs/dihwfIK_pUkAOcHCPRIWyciKTMdRP1lQgCKgB/s1600/IMG_8758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4dpV_exanRw/WSIAinD3ypI/AAAAAAAASTs/dihwfIK_pUkAOcHCPRIWyciKTMdRP1lQgCKgB/s320/IMG_8758.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stanford Radio Telescope, and me. I'm on the right</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Immediately, seriously... at that very moment, I knew that running under 2 hours on this hilly (for Central Indiana) course, was not gonna happen. I did not have the legs for it. Those legs were back in Palo Alto.<br />
<br />
And I was ok with that... I would easily trade a meaningless goal for an epic, gorgeous run, any time.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eZL_0tl7o4M/WSIEVOxexoI/AAAAAAAASUQ/cl1hIirOJKIGcMnUZG8DFWlDQWzMaMLaACLcB/s1600/IMG_8753.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eZL_0tl7o4M/WSIEVOxexoI/AAAAAAAASUQ/cl1hIirOJKIGcMnUZG8DFWlDQWzMaMLaACLcB/s400/IMG_8753.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Palo Alto from the tippy top.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So it was clear... this race was not gonna be a race, it was gonna be a training run. Cool by me.<br />
<br />
One thing I did get right was fluids. I drank a good amount of water on the way to the race, so I was topped off. Actually a bit overflowing. So I had to hit the "Blue Brigade"... the row of porta-potties. A short line, quick whiz, and I was set.<br />
<br />
I found my corral, tried to stretched my quads. They laughed at me. Before I knew it the race was on.<br />
<br />
About a mile in, I realized the last, and perhaps my biggest mistake in preparing for this race.<br />
<br />
Those paying very close attention may know what that mistake was. Here are a couple hints:<br />
- I woke up at 5:30a, threw on my clothes and left...<br />
- I popped into the porta-john for a quick whiz...<br />
<br />
See anything missing?...<br />
<br />
It was very apparent at mile uno that I should have taken time for a "numero dos".<br />
<br />
I had 12.1 miles head of me with lots of rolling hills, and just as much cheek clinching. "At least it would be a good glute workout", I thought.<br />
<br />
The course was lovely... rolling, scenic, with 4 crossings of the Geist Reservoir. And so many beautiful homes.<br />
<br />
Trudging up one hill there was a gorgeous stone house, big without looking huge, perfect lawn and landscaping. "I wonder what kind of people live in a house like this", I thought to myself. And then, there they were... the family, who lives there, in their driveway, cheering us on. Turns out, the kind of people who live there are portly and not terribly attractive, but very supportive. Damn nice house, too.<br />
<br />
Throughout the race, my fellow runners were quiet. Like <i>really</i> quiet. Back in the old days when I was fast, it was quiet, panting not chatting. But now that I'm further back in the pack, I've grown accustomed to a little small talk. Not today. Maybe it was the hills.<br />
<br />
Despite my poor training, ridiculous run just 2 days before, and extra ballast on board, I was running smooth and consistent. My splits: 5K 9:22 pace, 10K 9:22, 10-mile 9:24<br />
<br />
With the last hills behind me, stepping onto the last bridge, the finish in sight - not super close, but in sight - I cruised in, feeling pretty damn good. I smiled for a photographer, flashing him a 5 on one hand a 2 on the other... 52 and running (reasonably) strong!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pgt9sMfEEeM/WSyLL48nQNI/AAAAAAAASW8/4lMVFRVcsa4T6Z1K9EWjB8IOQ8tv1DaggCKgB/s1600/Geist1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pgt9sMfEEeM/WSyLL48nQNI/AAAAAAAASW8/4lMVFRVcsa4T6Z1K9EWjB8IOQ8tv1DaggCKgB/s320/Geist1.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flashing 52 at the finish.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Turns out, I thought, it was a great way to start my birthday.<br />
<br />
Finishing in 2:02:44, average pace 9:23, it wasn't a great race. But it was a pretty damn good training run, so I'll take it.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J7sXL5hGcxo/WSyLc3zM5wI/AAAAAAAASXA/aUJ5nG5VZiAo3XLunHIKd15BB629S2H7gCKgB/s1600/Geist3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1069" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J7sXL5hGcxo/WSyLc3zM5wI/AAAAAAAASXA/aUJ5nG5VZiAo3XLunHIKd15BB629S2H7gCKgB/s320/Geist3.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
But, there was one last poor decision about to become apparent... after getting my medal, banana, and water. My biggest mistake was leaving my ID and cash in my car, a good mile walk from the beer tent.<br />
<br />
Next up, Zionsville Half... a 2-lapper. Should be interesting. Hopefully I'll get up a couple minutes earlier to accommodate my "system".<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IdA_wduoR8U/WSICTq7nw-I/AAAAAAAASUE/fw1ezIGjTn4RMNExIVYk7H5j7d6fSU7MgCKgB/s1600/IMG_8772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IdA_wduoR8U/WSICTq7nw-I/AAAAAAAASUE/fw1ezIGjTn4RMNExIVYk7H5j7d6fSU7MgCKgB/s320/IMG_8772.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice medal, sailboats on the ribbon.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
If you'd like to catch up on the year in halfs so far, here are links:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ol>
<li>Jan: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/01/january-half-rundisney-and-star-wars.html" target="_blank">runDisney StarWars half</a> at Disneyland</li>
<li>Feb: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/03/february-half-gasparilla-in-tampa.html" target="_blank">Gasparilla Half</a> in Tampa FL</li>
<li>Mar: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/03/march-half-sam-costa.html" target="_blank">Sam Costa Half</a> in Carmel IN</li>
<li>Apr: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/04/april-half-carmel-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">Carmel Half</a> in Carmel IN</li>
</ol>
Good running,<br />
Doug<br />
<br />
* The Mini, for those not from Central Indiana, is the 500 Festival Mini-marathon, at one time the largest half in the country.Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270813381411749788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841572872090404396.post-78726237428539432532017-04-30T19:48:00.001-07:002017-06-11T13:25:21.055-07:00April Half: Carmel Half-marathon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NiRLBmusXIU/WQZPIRGkvoI/AAAAAAAASSA/h9PZLOBjci8nOcjp4Bd7G5xXO0tN74LIwCLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-04-30%2Bat%2B4.54.05%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NiRLBmusXIU/WQZPIRGkvoI/AAAAAAAASSA/h9PZLOBjci8nOcjp4Bd7G5xXO0tN74LIwCLcB/s200/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-04-30%2Bat%2B4.54.05%2BPM.png" width="183" /></a></div>
You: Why on earth did you pick a half marathon in Carmel Indiana of all places for the April slot in your nutty 2017 Half-a-Month quest?<br />
<br />
Me: Didn't you hear? Carmel Indiana was just declared the <a href="https://www.niche.com/places-to-live/rankings/places/best-places-to-live/" target="_blank">Best place to live in America</a>.<br />
<br />
You: Bullshit.<br />
<br />
Me: No seriously... click that link up there. <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwio__Cq_MzTAhUs2oMKHW33AIcQFggnMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indystar.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2F2017%2F04%2F19%2Fcarmel-indiana-ranked-best-place-live-america-country-hamilton-county-indianapolis-suburbs%2F100639402%2F&usg=AFQjCNF2A3Ii1ZZhb0Q4t_gIsxnbi4aR7g&sig2=n9XblMTLxkW_p-cEqM5V-Q" target="_blank">Or this one</a>.<br />
<br />
You: Niche.com? What the hell is Niche.com? And how much did Carmel pay Niche.com?<br />
<br />
Me: Wow... you're cranky today.<br />
<br />
Besides, <a href="http://www.carmelmarathon.com/pages/home" target="_blank">Carmel Half Marathon (run in conjunction with the equally great Carmel Marathon)</a> is a fantastic event. It has a big-time race experience but in a small town.<br />
<br />
And not just any town... my town. The course wraps around my neighborhood.<br />
<br />
And even better, I walked to the start... in 7 minutes. How often do you get to have a start and finish a race just a short walk from your front door? Some people walked farther that I did just to get to their car, and still had to drive home.<br />
<br />
The day was perfect... 40s at the start (and finish), overcast, light winds. I just doesn't get any better.<br />
<br />
And the course is a nice one... rolling, flowing. The kind of course that, unlike <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/03/march-half-sam-costa.html" target="_blank">last month's course</a>, let's you find a groove and cruise. When that happens, when things are feeling better, just generally going better, when you aren't full of dread of the hundred tight turns to come, your mind can wonder. And that can be entertaining.<br />
<br />
In the first couple miles, I invented toss-a-way long sleeve shirts for those races, like this one, when it's a little chilly standing around the start, and for the first mile or two. You'd pick one up at the expo for $3, wear it until you got warm enough, and then toss it to the side of the course. Later, the vendor could sweep the course, retrieve the shirts, and donate them.<br />
<br />
By mile four I realized that that is what old race shirts are for... but still, the gears were turning!<br />
<br />
A little later I came up behind a guy wearing a shirt he got from the expo, one that has every runner who entered the race printed on the back.<br />
<br />
I asked him if he'd mind holding still for a minute so I could find my name.<br />
<br />
He didn't think that was nearly as funny as I did. Like not at all. I guess he wasn't having as good of a day as I was.<br />
<br />
When I got to the 8-mile mark, I was on very familiar ground. I'd run this part of the course, the last 5 miles of the half, a few times already this season for training. The last time, just 2 weeks before the race, it didn't go so well. In fact, it was pretty much a disaster.<br />
<br />
That day, for the first time since September, I aborted a training run. And for no good reason. I just quit. I wasn't feeling particularly bad, nothing hurt, and I wasn't sick. I just failed mentally.<br />
<br />
My brain, actually my mind, not my brain, just shut the whole thing down.<br />
<br />
It wasn't a good day.<br />
<br />
But race day was.<br />
<br />
I felt way better at mile 8 than I did at any time during that aborted training run. In fact, I was having fun!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xYZDX7qTMrI/WQH2AgkBNbI/AAAAAAAASQk/BztQJ6heoS05vnWN--R18elsSfrVvHmKwCPcB/s1600/FRP_1646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xYZDX7qTMrI/WQH2AgkBNbI/AAAAAAAASQk/BztQJ6heoS05vnWN--R18elsSfrVvHmKwCPcB/s320/FRP_1646.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Looking pretty happy on the</div>
trail between miles 8 and 9<br />
<br />
<br />
A short time after, as I was scaling the longest hill* on the course, a quote, from a corporate wellness program of all things, came to mind:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Exercise should be a celebration of what your body can do, not punishment for what you ate.</blockquote>
That started a new train of thoughts...<br />
<br />
No shit! Look what my body can do! Sure, I'm not as fast as I used to be, but this bag of water and protein has been kicking around this rock for half a century, and it can still cruise a half marathon... a half marathon every damn month. Pretty remarkable!<br />
<br />
Then I thought how ironic it would be if I'd dropped dead right then.<br />
<br />
And how sad it would be that only I'd get the joke.<br />
<br />
Up that last "hill", just passed 11 miles, I passed a woman. Her phone rang, or sang, some pop tune. As she fumbled for it in her little gear pouch, I semi-scolded her, "Don't you dare answer that, you're kinda busy."<br />
<br />
"It might be a cheerer-onner", she said.<br />
<br />
After a few more seconds of probing her pouch, slowing, but not breaking stride, she found the wailing little thing, "Nope. Uhg! I don't even recognize the number... and I broke a damn nail."<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VHn3RO1Cp9U/WQJG0ReOwaI/AAAAAAAASQ4/5Acep_0fSIcRAvfDmPJ6_7ffNrtUX1UbgCPcB/s1600/DSC_1410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VHn3RO1Cp9U/WQJG0ReOwaI/AAAAAAAASQ4/5Acep_0fSIcRAvfDmPJ6_7ffNrtUX1UbgCPcB/s320/DSC_1410.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Just past the Fountain Round-a-Bout</div>
<br />
We passed 12 miles on Main street. I don't if I subconsciously read it on a sign board or if it simply popped into my oxygen-deprived brain, but I started to wonder why "Quesadilla" wasn't spanish for "What's the deal?"<br />
<br />
Then, the last turn, and the finish. 1:56:15<br />
<br />
I've been faster, way faster, back in the day, but it's been a while. And, I haven't had that much fun in a half for a long time.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9Ks0UELDvvo/WQN_alFBktI/AAAAAAAASRg/-UJGzeHmIxU1KZDyHYoVjUXWLbwEidycACPcB/s1600/3199_VG5761782C00-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9Ks0UELDvvo/WQN_alFBktI/AAAAAAAASRg/-UJGzeHmIxU1KZDyHYoVjUXWLbwEidycACPcB/s320/3199_VG5761782C00-2.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<br />
The finish area was filled with, and I promise I am not making this up, teen beauty contests. With sashes!<br />
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They were cold, but they were cheery, and smiling, and genuinely nice. Only in Carmel, IN... best place to live in America!<br />
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I got a really nice medal from one pageant teen, a space blanket from another, and from another a serious bounty in an easy to carry, pre-packed goodie bag. Perfect for a fumble-free, short walk home.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9_bjgX9RjWc/WP08z0oaNiI/AAAAAAAASPk/3wFcgmu1MCk6wFBJ3AhC3DraAwPczKgFgCPcB/s1600/File_001.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9_bjgX9RjWc/WP08z0oaNiI/AAAAAAAASPk/3wFcgmu1MCk6wFBJ3AhC3DraAwPczKgFgCPcB/s320/File_001.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Nice haul from the goodie bag</div>
<br />
But, before I walked home, I hung out at the finish line for a bit to watch other finishers. My favorite was Janice. It was Janice's 100th half-marathon. She had a support crew, some on the sidelines and some running by her side as she trotted in, arms raised, fists pumping, with a smile that warmed the whole finish shoot.<br />
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"Look what her body can do!", I thought, "Celebrate that shit, Janice!"<br />
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You: Good for her! That's pretty awesome. Are you gonna do 100 halfs?<br />
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Me: Easy cowboy... one quest at a time. Next month, Geist Half-marathon.<br />
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If you'd like to catch up on the year in halfs so far, here are links:</div>
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</div>
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<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Jan: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/01/january-half-rundisney-and-star-wars.html" target="_blank">runDisney StarWars half</a> at Disneyland</li>
<li>Feb: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/03/february-half-gasparilla-in-tampa.html" target="_blank">Gasparilla Half</a> in Tampa FL</li>
<li>Mar: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/03/march-half-sam-costa.html" target="_blank">Sam Costa Half</a> in Carmel IN</li>
</ol>
Good running,<br />
Doug<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M0k5kiRZ3QA/WQZN1DYs0xI/AAAAAAAASR4/Z38xrUtoMXQrL7U3s6iM7uosvvw1l88nwCPcB/s1600/File_000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M0k5kiRZ3QA/WQZN1DYs0xI/AAAAAAAASR4/Z38xrUtoMXQrL7U3s6iM7uosvvw1l88nwCPcB/s320/File_000.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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*Carmel Indiana doesn't have any real hills. We flat-landers call any incline more than a degree or two a "hill".Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270813381411749788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841572872090404396.post-77038381823022322672017-03-31T17:10:00.001-07:002017-06-11T13:24:49.591-07:00March Half: Sam Costa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6OuDVyM19cs/WNf6flJNQeI/AAAAAAAASN8/VEk70axDBow5OW7PK4k80Y-2J_6-e7_1ACLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-03-26%2Bat%2B1.05.45%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6OuDVyM19cs/WNf6flJNQeI/AAAAAAAASN8/VEk70axDBow5OW7PK4k80Y-2J_6-e7_1ACLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-03-26%2Bat%2B1.05.45%2BPM.png" /></a></div>
If you like the twists and turns of running on suburban neighborhood streets, you'd love the Sam Costa Half... and, there is something seriously wrong with you.<br />
<br />
For my March half, 3rd of twelve planned for the year, I chose one close to home, and dear to my local running community: The 48th <a href="http://www.samcosta.com/">Sam Costa Half Marathon</a>.<br />
<br />
This race has been around for ever, a staple of Central Indiana running. It's named in memory of a Chicago Police Department detective who used to drive 200 miles to train with his Carmel, IN based running buddies. (You can read a more complete history <a href="http://www.samcosta.com/history.html">here</a>.)<br />
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The Costa is well run, has a nice local feel, is not too big, and not too small. Big enough that you feel like you're running a half marathon, small enough you can find a parking spot 20 minutes before the start.<br />
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Given that the race is traditionally late winter or early spring, the weather can be hit or miss, but this year, it was 50-ish, and the threatened rain never showed.<br />
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The only thing not great about the Sam Costa... is the course.<br />
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<a href="http://www.samcosta.com/images/2017CostaHalfMarathonMap.pdf" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_stEK7hFqhI/WNf6f9BgjVI/AAAAAAAASOA/pBmNADiK7LYFrooatEv_ZbwVN4NhPC5zACLcB/s200/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-03-26%2Bat%2B1.06.14%2BPM.png" width="158" /></a></div>
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(Click to see the course in a new window.)</div>
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The course makes extensive use of nearby (lovely) neighborhoods. The first 3 miles is typical Indiana suburbia with lots of tight turns, some "multi-use trail", which is essentially a double-wide asphalt sidewalk, and some short stretches of decent road. With just 470 finishers, it wasn't crowded, but negotiating the turns and the transitions from trail to street and back kept you on your toes.<br />
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Miles 3 through 8 are the only miles not in suburbia. There were some decent stretches where you could get into a groove. Unfortunately, this year, those stretches seemed to always be dead into the wind. The northern most extent of the course was especially brutal... a long, straight, rolling beat into a stiff wind on a road frequented by gravel trucks and the accompanying ultra-fine dust sand-blasting your eyeballs.<br />
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From mile 8 to the finish, it was all twisty, turny neighborhood streets. I felt like I was constantly turning, or preparing to turn.<br />
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On tired legs, 5 miles from the finish, you don't want to think about tangents and curbs and manholes and sewer inlets... you want your mind to drift off to a happy place, you want to fall into a groove and let those miles pass.<br />
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It might not seem like a big deal, but with every change in direction, you lose forward momentum. I'm not making that up, it's physics. And with every turn you have to work to regain that lost momentum. And there were so... many... turns.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YHznNWssEVM/WNqOh2vrq0I/AAAAAAAASOc/i20gF4PijnQcH5h9WQkEMUD0D2bP4JOjgCPcB/s1600/SamCosta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YHznNWssEVM/WNqOh2vrq0I/AAAAAAAASOc/i20gF4PijnQcH5h9WQkEMUD0D2bP4JOjgCPcB/s320/SamCosta.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
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Somewhere between miles 9 and 11, I questioned why on earth I'm running these stupid half marathons. I was not having fun.<br />
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Eventually we popped out of one of the anonymous neighborhoods into the street that lead to the church, the church perched high on a hill, the same hill where the finish line was. Finally, the end was imaginable.<br />
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Coming toward me, taking the course the wrong way, presumably on a cool down (uhg, I hate it when people trot by on their cool down when I haven't finished yet, especially when they are young, and thin, and have great hair), was a young man who urged me on, "looking good, just 200 meters".<br />
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I wished I'd stopped right there, turned around, and officially declared bullshit, right to his face. We were AT LEAST 600 meters out. Probably 800. This young, fast, thin dude with great hair was either being WAY too patronizing to those of us still running, thinking somehow that if we thought we were only 200m out it was going to keep us from quitting. Or, maybe he was EXCEPTIONALLY bad at judging distance. Or perhaps both. To survive what must have been 23,000 turns and sand-blasted retinas only to be insulted and/or unfathomably misled by all that hair... it was just too much.<br />
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Fueled by self-righteous disdain I trudged up the stupid twisty (of course) hill to the stupid church parking lot and crossed the stupid finish line: 1:59:33. Again, inconsequentially under 2 stupid hours.<br />
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And then... I started to dry heave.<br />
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I was dry heaving as if it were the second phase of some disturbing duathlon, one in which I'd given up A LOT of ground in the 13 mile run leg and was determined to make it all up in the dry heave leg.<br />
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I haven't horked up nothing like this is ages. No idea why, but it was happening, and it was happening violently. So much so that twice... in two separate heaving episodes times just a few seconds apart... I was pretty sure I was going to pass out, because, you know, I was vomiting air, not inhaling it. This was some serious heaving.<br />
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Eventually, miraculously, it stopped... the tunnel vision cleared... I was ok to walk. I forced down a banana and a cookie, got my medal, and drove just 10 minutes home.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mShGtaGPXSo/WT2nBYkTLuI/AAAAAAAATDk/jEidmI7lLuYIONOUp-Piwxj0R29uMrBDwCLcB/s1600/EA02A7E3-23E0-4A67-AC3E-5704778B48F7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mShGtaGPXSo/WT2nBYkTLuI/AAAAAAAATDk/jEidmI7lLuYIONOUp-Piwxj0R29uMrBDwCLcB/s320/EA02A7E3-23E0-4A67-AC3E-5704778B48F7.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I love the idea of the Sam Costa. It's local running at its best. It's inexpensive, it's close to my home, the people are fantastic, the hosting church is a perfect venue, and hell, they even have actual Gatorade at the water stops. I'm glad I ran it again. But it'll be awhile before I'm back. I'll have to be in the kind of shape where I'm not counting miles-to-go in my head, when I can just run, and flow carelessly around all those stupid corners.<br />
<br />
Next up, Carmel Half.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
If you'd like to catch up on the year in halfs so far, here are links:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Jan: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/01/january-half-rundisney-and-star-wars.html" target="_blank">runDisney StarWars half</a> at Disneyland</li>
<li>Feb: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/03/february-half-gasparilla-in-tampa.html" target="_blank">Gasparilla Half</a> in Tampa FL</li>
</ol>
Good running,<br />
DougDoughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270813381411749788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841572872090404396.post-21015533877739738052017-03-02T17:45:00.001-08:002017-11-19T11:10:45.707-08:00February Half: Gasparilla in Tampa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-paZtZsG3ALg/WhHXKbE_voI/AAAAAAAAVpU/p1if1p_zYoomDECzTeBzft_QoayBR_NxACKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_8452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-paZtZsG3ALg/WhHXKbE_voI/AAAAAAAAVpU/p1if1p_zYoomDECzTeBzft_QoayBR_NxACKgBGAs/s320/IMG_8452.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The take-away from half-marathon 2 of 12 for the year, the Gasparilla Half Marathon in Tampa: Mile markers are big fat liars. Always.</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-f92091d2-91ba-04e4-e97a-3598939e0c74" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6,482 humans joined me in the dark early morning for the 6am start, wandering the streets of downtown Tampa, toward the starting line. And, is usually the case around a bunch of runners, these were super nice humans… everyone I saw was happy and cheerful and glad to be awake and walking around in the dark. </span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WWYjtdhDtDA/WLXQm8sHWaI/AAAAAAAASJY/dQYyHsSmZqgdOcQzBTF1-u40APxr_qs2ACPcB/s1600/623387_248272997_XLarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WWYjtdhDtDA/WLXQm8sHWaI/AAAAAAAASJY/dQYyHsSmZqgdOcQzBTF1-u40APxr_qs2ACPcB/s320/623387_248272997_XLarge.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
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Sleepy? Maybe a little hungover?</div>
The real question is why were the<br />
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photogs taking pictures this early</div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When the audio for the national anthem failed, the participants, unprompted, totally organically, started singing the anthem a cappella. It was NOT a particularly beautiful rendition, especially at that super high “rocket's red glare” bit, but insanely cool nonetheless. That’s the kind of people I was hanging around with. In the dark.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once started, I could tell I was going out a bit fast. I was within myself, but it sure felt like I was going out a bit too fast.</span></div>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maybe it’s just me, but have you ever noticed that running in the dark feels A LOT faster than it really is? When my GPS blipped the Mile 1 alarm, I was WAY slow. S’ok, I thought, no worries… first mile is always a little wonky. Mile 2 will be better.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But it wasn’t. Still slow.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was a little crowded. It was dark, really dark, like can’t-see-the-road-under-your-feet dark in some places. I’d flown in just the afternoon before, had a few margarita’s the night before. All or any of those could be slowing me down. Or maybe it just wasn’t my best day.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I saw the GF, who braved chilly* winds to watch for me at the only spot that had any spectators to speak of, just after the 5-mile mark. While collecting my high-five from her, and told her “I’m slow today.” </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By then I was pretty much resigned to the fact that I wasn’t going to run under 2-hours (my soft-goal for these races this year). Just not my day. I settled into a groove and tried to enjoy the scenery.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JYqjFwImEys/WLXQfXF8q2I/AAAAAAAASJY/rfg2MhTAKG0tlZVs23VIRJGdhTsYAxUkwCPcB/s1600/623387_248412055_XLarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JYqjFwImEys/WLXQfXF8q2I/AAAAAAAASJY/rfg2MhTAKG0tlZVs23VIRJGdhTsYAxUkwCPcB/s320/623387_248412055_XLarge.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With some fuzzy recall of the course map and a little math, I realized that the rest of the race was 4 miles out, 4 miles back. I’m not a fan of out and back, but this one, along Bayshore, which (no surprise) was along the shore, of the bay, was gorgeous, especially at sunrise.</span></div>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I saw </span><a href="https://marathonmeb.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Meb Keflezighi</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, US distance stud and 2004 Olympic Marathon silver medalist fly by, heading the other way on the back side of the out-and-back, in 3rd place. I yelled “Go Meb”, but he didn’t seem to notice. He did continue to go, though, so, who knows.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Key revelation: I’d hit every water stop up to 8 miles, and there had been a water stop pretty much every mile. If I kept this up, I was definitely going to pee my pants.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After the U-turn at 9 miles, I started back with the math, counting back from 2-hours, dividing my miles left. And, critically, I started doubting my GPS, which seemed to always think it was at a mile mark before the mile marker.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ok, I know… mile markers are notoriously inaccurate, but these weren’t just dropped off from a truck that morning. There were lines painted on the street. Real lines, with labels. It REALLY looked like someone had actually measured this time, taken care to be accurate.</span></div>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Plus, there have been plenty of times when my GPS watch has gone off the rails, seeming to be way long, or way short. (I usually blame it on a satellite signal bounce off a building.)</span></div>
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<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, I started discounting the mile-by-mile alerts from the GPS and focusing on the markers. As you'll see, not my smartest move. Maybe it was the margaritas...</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H6Pq2cWjFlk/WLXQgC7WnoI/AAAAAAAASJY/MhF_Uh9hJRcElQtm2U7YIfRAUchn3qi8ACPcB/s1600/623387_248411829_XLarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H6Pq2cWjFlk/WLXQgC7WnoI/AAAAAAAASJY/MhF_Uh9hJRcElQtm2U7YIfRAUchn3qi8ACPcB/s320/623387_248411829_XLarge.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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This lady did NOT want my photo taken</div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Those mile markers were telling me consistently that I wasn’t going to beat 2hrs . At 9 miles. And at 10 miles. And 11. I was running a decent pace, but I wasn’t going to make up the time I’d lost in those first few miles without pressing the pace.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And, I just wasn’t going to press. I’d promised myself that I wouldn’t, not until I was strong enough to survive a “race” without injury. So, I cruised.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The scenery got even better on the return leg as the city was in view across the bay, and more importantly, was getting closer.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A little more math, because what else did I have to do, and I figured that if I was at mile 12 with 10 minutes to spare, I’d have a chance.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mile 12 marker came... nope, 30 seconds over. Oh well… now I know for sure.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, I just kept cruising, feeling just a little superior for not getting sucked into racing to a time.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mile 13 marker: 1:59:00</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wait, what?!? I had a minute to cover 1/10th of a mile. How can that be?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Easy… </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Mile markers are big fat liars. Always. </b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I picked up the pace just a touch. Barely pressing, just a tad, for the last 60 seconds.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Checked the watch about half way… no problem… three quarters… yep, I can even back off a bit… </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A7EL3qICOr0/WLXQirDFwAI/AAAAAAAASJY/yOzoykEdnH041YAO4FY0SFDI3xA0_n7MwCPcB/s1600/623387_248378787_XLarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A7EL3qICOr0/WLXQirDFwAI/AAAAAAAASJY/yOzoykEdnH041YAO4FY0SFDI3xA0_n7MwCPcB/s320/623387_248378787_XLarge.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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Don't you hate when they</div>
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get you checking your watch?</div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At the line I stopped my watch…. 1:59:58...</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You’d think I’d thrust a fist into the air in triumph, right? After all, I’d just pulled "victory" from the clutches of defeat.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nope, no fist in the air, not even a fist pump, nor a self-congratulatory "yes"... I started to laugh. I’m not talking a little chuckle to myself, I laughed out loud. People heard me. People looked at me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I suppose I should have been thrilled, but I just wasn’t. Why?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Because in that exact moment it was clear to me how ridiculous that time was.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I beat 2 hours, my cruise-pace, minimum soft-goal, by 2 seconds.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Big fucking deal.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Don’t get me wrong… there are time barriers that are super important to us, that take us out of our comfort zones, that push us to new levels of fitness and confidence. For many, finishing a half in 2 hours is a huge accomplishment, and I get that.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">People train hard and race hard to meet times, and that’s important to them. But let’s be real here… that’s not what this was. This was a cruise, and bad mile markers, and a slight change of pace over 58 seconds. For what? What does 2 seconds, over 2 hrs, finishing in the middle of the pack, mean?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If I’d finished in 2:00:02, would that have been any different? Really? Would it have been easier? Would I be less sore the next day?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If I’d had one less margarita on Saturday night, would I have run 1:59:56? Would that have felt different?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If someone had stumbled and I’d stopped to help, would a 2:00:15 be a bad result?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Race times are interesting, and, when looked at with a firm fuzzy-vision-inducing squint, can give you a rough idea as to how you are progressing, but let’s not obsess. Plus or minus two seconds, ten seconds, 30 seconds, over 13 miles, they’re all pretty much the same thing.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Post race snacks were plentiful. The GF walked me back to the room. We went to the post-race party, scarfed some BBQ. There were maybe 15 people there. I’m sure it filled out, but we had a beach, and more margaritas, to get to.</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uUptvzXLHr0/WLR0kui6ogI/AAAAAAAASHk/y8TbzH_1gd81yri3_mtzSHgGl4K02LtAgCPcB/s1600/IMG_8480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="151" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uUptvzXLHr0/WLR0kui6ogI/AAAAAAAASHk/y8TbzH_1gd81yri3_mtzSHgGl4K02LtAgCPcB/s400/IMG_8480.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Next up, an oldie but a goodie, and close to home, the </span><a href="http://www.samcosta.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sam Costa Half</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></div>
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If you'd like to catch up on the year in halfs so far, here are links:</div>
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<li>Jan: <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2017/01/january-half-rundisney-and-star-wars.html" target="_blank">runDisney StarWars half</a> at Disneyland</li>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Good running,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Doug</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1lZb1cfNvZs/WLR0POBZgII/AAAAAAAASHk/mWSuxHGpNBQBGDdX9jDjf9R70eJeeticwCPcB/s1600/IMG_8486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1lZb1cfNvZs/WLR0POBZgII/AAAAAAAASHk/mWSuxHGpNBQBGDdX9jDjf9R70eJeeticwCPcB/s320/IMG_8486.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">*”Chilly” is relative… it was way colder in Indiana</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6uDr8ITnG44/WLR2uQqZohI/AAAAAAAASH0/EOHTFKwSQAsocVZ4KtxYH0Wt-UJQ0aRvQCPcB/s1600/IMG_8489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6uDr8ITnG44/WLR2uQqZohI/AAAAAAAASH0/EOHTFKwSQAsocVZ4KtxYH0Wt-UJQ0aRvQCPcB/s320/IMG_8489.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Indy top, Tampa bottom... duh...</div>
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Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270813381411749788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841572872090404396.post-23492414763899951542017-01-24T12:05:00.001-08:002017-01-25T06:50:49.084-08:00January Half: runDisney and Star Wars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2WfEB3PZiGk/WIexL-gv_kI/AAAAAAAASAE/N3sgpmWzOBMCzU0-Nk97IpSOjoh_R497gCLcB/s1600/Chewy%2BStarwars%2Bhalf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2WfEB3PZiGk/WIexL-gv_kI/AAAAAAAASAE/N3sgpmWzOBMCzU0-Nk97IpSOjoh_R497gCLcB/s400/Chewy%2BStarwars%2Bhalf.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">RunDisney may be a cult. That may not be a bad thing, but it definitely may be a thing.</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-7c6a5521-d1d3-4c9e-62ab-c81f0391faef" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">StarWars? Definitely a cult. My membership card says so, right on the back.*</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">For those unaware, </span><a href="https://goo.gl/oqNCyE" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">runDisney</a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> organizes several Disney themed events, often entire weekends, all focused on running. It brings many, and by “many” I mean metric shit loads, of people to Disney properties for various runs, all of which include running within the Disney parks for some of the race.</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oZXp3Ry6XPo/WIelMjATAbI/AAAAAAAAR_U/-0EEzYJcMBwuEIMAk8IShAqliUxkr389QCLcB/s1600/LightSideHalfLogo2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="110" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oZXp3Ry6XPo/WIelMjATAbI/AAAAAAAAR_U/-0EEzYJcMBwuEIMAk8IShAqliUxkr389QCLcB/s200/LightSideHalfLogo2.png" width="200" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I chose, for my first of 12 half-marathons in 2017, the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://goo.gl/Q85ISW" target="_blank">StarWars Half Marathon - The Light Side</a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA. I wanted 1) a big event to kick off my year and 2) a race that I could get excited about, and would stay excited about, as I trained for my first half in years. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I certainly got a race I could be excited about. Being a typical, almost trite example of a StarWars fan, I loved the theme. And, thanks to the custom of costumes in RunDisney events, I got to pretend to be Luke Skywalker, in training on Dagobah, with Yoda. In public.</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BeV4ZsEdQQI/WIePz6yGYlI/AAAAAAAAR-Y/qicpLLWNg8MhJp54xNsUpDCmozo8-4-5wCPcB/s1600/E2C44CEA-1DC4-45A1-9955-82C9A84960DB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BeV4ZsEdQQI/WIePz6yGYlI/AAAAAAAAR-Y/qicpLLWNg8MhJp54xNsUpDCmozo8-4-5wCPcB/s320/E2C44CEA-1DC4-45A1-9955-82C9A84960DB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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"Uncanny" is the word you're looking for, pretty sure.</div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I also got a big event. The half on Sunday had 12,400 finishers. The weekend also included a 5K on Friday and a Saturday 10K as well as the “Rebel’s Challenge”, which requires runners to complete the 10K and the Half. For this accomplishment, they get a special medal, along with medals from the individual races. And that might be where the problems start...</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Before I get too philosophical, let me state straight up… the StarWars Half-Marathon was a great event. There were some Disney touches, Disney moments that I’d just never get anywhere else.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The expo was decent sized with the usual suspects of vendors selling an equal mix of necessities and crappy gizmos, and there was an equal-sized Disney/StarWars area, complete with an official merchandise store that itself had managed, minded, down-and back-and-down again Disney-style queues, marked with masking tape on the floor, going in (to manage how many people were in the official merchandise area), and coming out (so you could wait in line to pay for your official merchandise).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The race-custom bib came with pins, of course… 4 pins… in their own tiny zip-lock bag. Somewhere there was a room full of people sealing up exactly 4 safety pins into individual zip-lock bags. Super nice, though wholly unnecessary, touch. But runDisney doesn’t shy away from unnecessary touches.</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nZkgDXolA_s/WIeQOIERxXI/AAAAAAAAR-Y/1NTLIVEjESUbFT7zxU_tAOSb8wbL_bg3wCPcB/s1600/IMG_8373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nZkgDXolA_s/WIeQOIERxXI/AAAAAAAAR-Y/1NTLIVEjESUbFT7zxU_tAOSb8wbL_bg3wCPcB/s320/IMG_8373.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Bib, with the zip-lock bag with exactly 4 pins.</div>
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<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On race morning, I walked from my lovely, though a bit farther away than I’d thought, AirBnB to the race, costumed up like a boss...</span></div>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Starting in Corral J, the last, and largest corral, coupled with use of wave starts, my race didn’t actually start until 6:30. So I wasn’t in a big hurry to get to the race right at the scheduled 5:30 start. When I got on Disney property, I was practically alone, looking a little lost most of the time. At one point, a Disney cast member directed me “Right this way Master Skywalker”.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(long awkward pause while your blogger composes himself)</span></div>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That was a moment… it raised goosebumps on my arms, sent a tingle down my spine. Go ahead, call me a dork, I don’t care. It was awesome. But that’s what Disney does. They give you those moments, moments that take you out of your normal life, just for a second, and into a magical life. And you kinda love them for it. They’re pretty brilliant that way.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I turned to look back at the cast member after getting my shit together, “Hey man, thanks. And you can call me Luke.”</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fsxtmsQSeVM/WIeQCbk971I/AAAAAAAAR-Y/1JfD2sHnD4g9re2IAz3tPxGoL69vCB9vgCPcB/s1600/IMG_8379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fsxtmsQSeVM/WIeQCbk971I/AAAAAAAAR-Y/1JfD2sHnD4g9re2IAz3tPxGoL69vCB9vgCPcB/s200/IMG_8379.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anything Disney generally means lots and lots of people, and that leads to people management. RunDisney has a very strict policy toward corral assignment (which seeing the number of people running, and how narrow the course is in the park, I totally get), and, this being my first race longer than 5K in many months, I didn’t have a qualifying “seeding” race. So, that “J” on my bib meant I had to start at the back... the way back… the back of the bus… the back of the last bus kind of back, of lots of lots of people. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Picture to right is from the front of Corral J which vanishes in the distance.) </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Still, it was a gorgeous morning in southern California with a mass of StarWars geeks and runners… my kinda people.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After a good half-mile walk, I had plenty of opportunity to get to know my corral-mates. The vast majority of people in Corral J were young (20s), lots of couples, lots of family groups, well over half in costume. These folks weren’t the normal last corral people who would be walking the 13.1 miles, perhaps stopping for a coffee along the race course. Most of these were people like me who didn’t have a seed time.</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7vmYH-7AkCM/WIePss-apjI/AAAAAAAAR-Y/4kCO6sWyjCY5M-6dhRd7ijGVVdExRsjmQCPcB/s1600/IMG_8381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7vmYH-7AkCM/WIePss-apjI/AAAAAAAAR-Y/4kCO6sWyjCY5M-6dhRd7ijGVVdExRsjmQCPcB/s320/IMG_8381.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Yoda was pretty chill in Corral J.</div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Disney rarely leaves you bored, and, as nature abhors a vacuum, Disney abhors silence. The hour until my start passed quickly thanks to the video screens and constant narration/interviews/hype-you-up talk from a couple of MCs. And as every wave took off, it was to the StarWars fanfare. Can you hear the StarWars fanfare too many times? For me, no... It made me smile every time.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XaFA5wnNw7c/WIeQ-qYHbcI/AAAAAAAAR-g/Cjqfk1MGGzwpXAOdE4FLc46QiDHIlR2xwCPcB/s1600/IMG_8383.MOV" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XaFA5wnNw7c/WIeQ-qYHbcI/AAAAAAAAR-g/Cjqfk1MGGzwpXAOdE4FLc46QiDHIlR2xwCPcB/s320/IMG_8383.MOV" width="320" /></a></div>
Short video of the show before Corral J start<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The start was, unsurprisingly, crowded. The route went almost immediately into the park, where the course was narrow. As we wound this way and that, I dodged scores of walkers. There was one group of 5-7 girls who thought it would be a good idea to walk side-by-side holding hands, I guess so they wouldn’t lose each other. I suppose it worked, but they created a monstrous traffic jam behind them.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first 4.5 miles was in and around the parks, often behind the scenes (“back stage”). The first real park scene we saw was the spectacular Cars venue Radiator Springs, in California Adventure. The perfectly scaled faux red rock with the backdrop of a just-blue sky from a not-quite-risen sun, was gorgeous. I knew it was fake, but still… it was jaw-dropping.</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_vPxgxAAKq0/WIelMrWwriI/AAAAAAAAR_Y/vCNiHIDnX74DdlFc3S9wUMaXkemMUpE9gCEw/s1600/disney-california-adventure-RadiatorSprings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_vPxgxAAKq0/WIelMrWwriI/AAAAAAAAR_Y/vCNiHIDnX74DdlFc3S9wUMaXkemMUpE9gCEw/s400/disney-california-adventure-RadiatorSprings.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Radiotor Springs</div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The rest of the park section was ok. Super crowded, super slow. Lots of convenient restrooms was a huge bonus to which I availed myself (It was a long wait, after all). At several points I passed runners that had stopped and queued up to get a photo taken with a character. You don’t get that a other races. I’ve seen people stop for photos during races… “Yard of Bricks” at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the Mini, one popular example, but waiting in line… during a race?!? Only at Disney. Oh, and super bonus... I managed to fake out the course marshals to snag a fountain, in Disneyland, during the race!</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-901uOV-fo94/WIeOr2XFP4I/AAAAAAAAR-Y/ItDMx4WexgMRzZ-7uD6hy3ZCFYnF4TsPQCPcB/s1600/Fountain_Mickey_Toontown.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-901uOV-fo94/WIeOr2XFP4I/AAAAAAAAR-Y/ItDMx4WexgMRzZ-7uD6hy3ZCFYnF4TsPQCPcB/s320/Fountain_Mickey_Toontown.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Mickey's Fountain in Toontown</div>
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<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Exiting the park, it was like any other big city race. City streets blocked off, masses of people moving along them. I was able to speed up a bit, but there seemed to always be people to dodge. And the crowd was quiet… to quiet. I’ve spent time at the back of the pack in large races before, and found lots of chatter and laughs and fun people there. Not this day, though. Not sure why.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R37cOXBCq4M/WIi6Rjkpz4I/AAAAAAAASBY/4Mmhhjg8vkYzlYZEvf7BQYd3AgNshe-hACPcB/s1600/PhotoPass_Visiting_runDisney_396316354534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R37cOXBCq4M/WIi6Rjkpz4I/AAAAAAAASBY/4Mmhhjg8vkYzlYZEvf7BQYd3AgNshe-hACPcB/s320/PhotoPass_Visiting_runDisney_396316354534.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My favorite bit of entertainment along the course was a group of Cos-players, people in serious costumes (think Comic-Con) lining the course at about the 8-mile mark. There were a couple dozen Stormtroopers, rebel pilots, a Darth Vader, some Jedi, and a couple cars that had been decked out to look like X-wing fighters.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-waoZd7Tt_A4/WIeoCMlErsI/AAAAAAAAR_k/xnapkD6YcrcWeQ-LDYoi6YvzL6OsaemTgCLcB/s1600/IMG_8404.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-waoZd7Tt_A4/WIeoCMlErsI/AAAAAAAAR_k/xnapkD6YcrcWeQ-LDYoi6YvzL6OsaemTgCLcB/s320/IMG_8404.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once back on Disney property, the finish line was way better than average, and the last quarter-mile or so was again scored by the StarWars theme. Still wasn’t sick of it. At the finish you got your insanely high-quality medal, water, Powerade, and another first for me, an individual, sealed snack box. Somewhere there was a room full of people, mayube next to the room with the safety pin people, packing and sealing an ass-load of snack boxes with excellent post-run snacks.</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4bcmt28pGf0/WIeP6luggDI/AAAAAAAAR-Y/MrjnEaKSZGAQW2Br_MP7P2HjyHE6WsapwCPcB/s1600/IMG_8394.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4bcmt28pGf0/WIeP6luggDI/AAAAAAAAR-Y/MrjnEaKSZGAQW2Br_MP7P2HjyHE6WsapwCPcB/s320/IMG_8394.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1x-tOxcFgo8/WIeQH9JMthI/AAAAAAAAR-Y/MisKXpzK0AUItGKw9y6UVEf2NzJGbZwZQCPcB/s1600/IMG_8395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1x-tOxcFgo8/WIeQH9JMthI/AAAAAAAAR-Y/MisKXpzK0AUItGKw9y6UVEf2NzJGbZwZQCPcB/s320/IMG_8395.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The post-race entertainment consisting of long lines for more photo ops, and a screen showing the finish line cam, I opted for an early exit, only to find myself having been funneled to the entrance to the parks. Again, Disney is NOT stupid.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zw5fSnV0gJQ/WIi6RArfwQI/AAAAAAAASBU/NqbR3HgzL-Y__ayZeLmk0OPxdVdVSUpQgCPcB/s1600/PhotoPass_Visiting_runDisney_396316354524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zw5fSnV0gJQ/WIi6RArfwQI/AAAAAAAASBU/NqbR3HgzL-Y__ayZeLmk0OPxdVdVSUpQgCPcB/s320/PhotoPass_Visiting_runDisney_396316354524.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I gave Yoda the medal... he earned it.</td></tr>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Back on track, exiting the Disney properties, I heard someone say “Congratulations, Luke!” Glancing over my shoulder, I recognized that that had come from the same cast member who’d made my day by calling me “Master Skywalker” a few hours earlier. Again, Disney deals in moments… moments that make you feel connected, moments that you remember, “magical moments” I would imagine they call them.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It took me a good 15 minutes to find my way back out and on a course to my AirBnB. A shower, and a walk back to the park, and I was happy to pay $119 for a day at Disney. What I didn’t know was that it was a “peak” day at Disney, in no small part thanks to the aforementioned ass-load of runners. The park was packed, claustrophobic at times. Between 11:30a and 5:30p, I made it to 4 rides. I’d hoped to grab some dinner and a beer (celebrating a post-race drinkation from Dryuary), but every restaurant had a long line, every bar was standing room only. With 2 Fast-passes in hand for 9:30p, knowing that, as tired as I was, I’d have no chance making it that late, I walked back to the AirBnB, a little less happy that I’d paid $119… for 4 rides.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Still, a great first half for the year. Disney doesn't mess around. They don’t screw up. But, you pay for all of that attention to detail, maybe more than it’s worth. The registration for the half, including all fees) was $197.21… for a half-marathon. The most expensive half I’ve ever seen, by a factor of 2x. On top of that was air, lodging, food. (Just FYI, my AirBnB, a lovely private suite, was $80/night. I don’t think you can get towels for that in a Disney property hotel).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">So... back to runDisney.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">These folks put on great events. Unique events that offer experiences you can’t get anywhere else. These events, coupled with the millions of Disney fans, attract countless new runners to our community. But at a tremendous price, monetary and perhaps physically.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">RunDisney, like the rest of Disney, is fantastic at creating demand out of thin air. They create a sense of “must have” like no one else. For runDisney, they offer challenges that pair- or triple- or quad-up events. By registering for and completing challenges, you get additional, special medals.</span></div>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">These medals are the “crack” that runDisney deals.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LHkTaIdjPOA/WIehbr-ixDI/AAAAAAAAR_Q/PqTYvZEbxfMtMdXB1L1TC7oUefqdBZFmgCPcB/s1600/Star%2BWars%2BMedals%2B-%2Brundisney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LHkTaIdjPOA/WIehbr-ixDI/AAAAAAAAR_Q/PqTYvZEbxfMtMdXB1L1TC7oUefqdBZFmgCPcB/s320/Star%2BWars%2BMedals%2B-%2Brundisney.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2016 StarWars Half Light Side medals</td></tr>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Early registration for next year’s StarWars half (before fees and taxes) is $185. The 10K is $120. The aforementioned Rebel Challenge, which includes both the half and the 10K, is $330. You pay an ADDITIONAL $25 to complete in two events. I’ve been racing a long time, and I’ve never seen fees higher for combined events than when priced separately. The medal is nice, but not worth $25. And this is the tip of the iceberg.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is a </span><a href="https://www.rundisney.com/coast-to-coast-race-challenge/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Coast-to-Coast</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> medal for people who run events in Florida and California, and a special Kessel Run medal (a badass Millennium Falcon) for those who run both StarWars halfs (Light Side and Dark Side), again, in Florida and California. At Disney World there’s the Goofy (Half and Full marathon back-to-back) for $360 and the Dopey (5K, 10K, half, full on consecutive days) for $500. Let that sink in… $500 in race fees is a busy year’s worth of races. (</span><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Note also that these events have full sponsorship, meaning more money in the runDisney cash drawer)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NrExXKceA_k/WIepT5SY1TI/AAAAAAAAR_s/bptYQEOASPk6LK4PIIh5w6L7cxvKpb2uQCLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-01-24%2Bat%2B2.21.17%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NrExXKceA_k/WIepT5SY1TI/AAAAAAAAR_s/bptYQEOASPk6LK4PIIh5w6L7cxvKpb2uQCLcB/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-01-24%2Bat%2B2.21.17%2BPM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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2017 Disney Marathon Weekend early registration fees.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">People are doing these. People are paying these fees. I saw lots of people wearing multiple medals. And, as these events span nights, many people are spending nights in (expensive) Disney resorts. Again, Disney's really good at generating revenue.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But, there's also this... in the short time I hung around the finish area after the 10K, I saw several people with Rebel Challenge bibs walking with ice on both knees. These same people were very likely on the starting line for the half the next day. They had no business running a half if they were icing knees the day before. They were being driven by a challenge they weren’t prepared for, and by a reward that they were overcharged for, but felt compelled to possess. Disney casts a spell, creates a desire to possess, regardless of cost, like no one else.</span></div>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I love that runDisney has brought more people into our running community.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I don’t like that they charge insane prices for these events, but they have LOTS of people paying those prices, so who am I to judge them, or begrudge their success.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">More importantly, though, I don’t like that runDisney lures these newbie runners into events that could be harmful to their running career. These new runners are entranced by the bling, thanks to the Disney spell, but they don’t know that they aren’t prepared for the challenges.</span></div>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">RunDisney isn’t going anywhere, it’s way too successful, and, frankly, it's doing way more good than ill for our community of runners. Still, a little advice...</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To those new runners who have started with runDisney... first, welcome! We're glad to have you as a part of our community. Second, I ask you to run (and volunteer at) some races in your area. Experience the “magic” of your local running community. Further, consider running challenges with great caution. Remember, you get to run in the parks even if you only run one event. And sound knees, and hips, and feet are way more valuable than any medal.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To runDisney, thank you for expanding our running community, but please do so responsibly. I ask that you post cautionary warnings on challenges with recommended weekly training mileage minimums and training programs specific for the challenges. And if a medic is putting ice on a challenge runner’s knees, maybe they advise them to sit out the rest of the challenge.</span></div>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And, runDisney, as a member of our community, I’d love to see you give back to it. It would be great if you would donate a reasonable portion of your more than ample proceeds to youth running programs, like </span><a href="https://goo.gl/0wVwBC" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Girls On The Run</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Donating to <a href="https://goo.gl/po5k1s">Back on My Feet</a>, and other running related non-profits would be a nice move, too. Or better yet, use some Disney magic to create a Disney youth running foundation that takes running programs into underserved neighborhoods.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Finally, to not-so-new members of our running community, give runDisney a shot, once. It’s expensive. It’s crowded. It’s fun. It’s extremely well run. And it’ll be the highest quality medal in your collection. But, don’t get addicted to the crack. It’s still just a race. Oh, and be damn sure to have a seed time.</span></div>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Next up, Gasparilla in Tampa, FL.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Good running,</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Doug</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">* I</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">n the spirit of full disclosure, I am a Star Wars fanboy. I am not a Disney fan, but not a hater either. I get what they do, it's just not something that gets me excited, or even interested, really. Nothing against Disney, or Disney fans... props to The Mouse.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270813381411749788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841572872090404396.post-71644787929530025052017-01-01T12:07:00.001-08:002017-01-01T12:07:30.963-08:00Half a monthNo, I don't mean 15 days.<br />
<br />
Or two weeks.<br />
<br />
I mean a half marathon, every month, in 2017. That's my goal, or more like project, for the year.<br />
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<br /></div>
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DuOS5LDQxxI/WGldbXONZGI/AAAAAAAARuc/Sr4tYWQMIOE7LbS50y58bvIpwssmOpzNwCLcB/s1600/131_decal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DuOS5LDQxxI/WGldbXONZGI/AAAAAAAARuc/Sr4tYWQMIOE7LbS50y58bvIpwssmOpzNwCLcB/s200/131_decal.jpg" width="200" /></a>I haven't made a big deal about it, but I've been back at regular running for a few months. I've had several failed reboots, but this one seems to be sticking.<br />
<br />
I don't know exactly what got me going, it may have just been a little extra time between projects at work. Being in a great, supportive relationship has certainly helped, too. Regardless, on September 1st, I started running regularly, with the motivational goal of running a 9min/mile 5K in October.<br />
<br />
When I started, I could barely run a mile without stopping to walk.<br />
<br />
And I was slow. Like 11 min/mile slow.*<br />
<br />
So my goal of running 3.1 miles with an average of 9 minute miles was daunting.<br />
<br />
It was also humbling. Me of not that long ago would have been ashamed of me now - slow, out of shape, carrying too much weight, and looking at 9min/mile as a goal?! "That's a cool down pace, not a race pace! What have you done to us?"<br />
<br />
That embarrassment made it even harder to get out for a run, a run that I knew I wouldn't be proud of.<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O2EuP7ASsBo/WGle76xUCRI/AAAAAAAARus/VGeuOdZxh7sFs5pfdqiROqgmKDCtvsAmQCLcB/s1600/LittleX.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O2EuP7ASsBo/WGle76xUCRI/AAAAAAAARus/VGeuOdZxh7sFs5pfdqiROqgmKDCtvsAmQCLcB/s1600/LittleX.jpg" /></a><br />
At some point, though, you have to decide to keep sliding down that slope, or turn around and make the slog back up and out.<br />
<br />
I set a plan, 3 runs a week, and stuck to it. That's key kids... make your plan realistic for you, one you can stick to.<br />
<br />
On October 29th, I destroyed my goal for the 5K (8:22 pace).<br />
<br />
In less than 2 months, with consistency, and little else really, I was was able to get back to a level that I could be proud of.<br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ot6L1yLAbfc/WGldbV4kM_I/AAAAAAAARuY/0QZrK7nvbkkZnarWw7orSdO8YZgxhzAqQCLcB/s1600/HWY12.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ot6L1yLAbfc/WGldbV4kM_I/AAAAAAAARuY/0QZrK7nvbkkZnarWw7orSdO8YZgxhzAqQCLcB/s200/HWY12.png" width="200" /></a><br />
That may be the lesson here... we don't have to be star athletes. We don't have to have super-human pace or endurance. If you can knock out 3 miles a few times a week, you're doing great, way better than the vast majority of Americans.<br />
<br />
After the 5K, I thought about my next step. Now I was fit enough that I could enter a 5K, or a 5-miler, or even a 10K any weekend, and that was fantastic. I sure as hell didn't have the appetite for another marathon. But, I wanted to go up another notch or two. What I really wanted was to be in the kind of shape where could run a half-marathon whenever I wanted.<br />
<br />
So, that's where the Half a Month came from. I'm still only running 3 times a week, for the most part. I started in November. I've been ramping up the length of my weekend run slowly... I did 12 on Christmas day. And I've been scouring race calendars for halfs - exciting ones, interesting ones, cheap ones.<br />
<br />
The halfs I've registered for so far should be on the right side of the page. (I'm not sure what'll happen if your reading on a phone.) I decided I needed an exciting one in January just to make sure I stayed motivated. I picked the StarWars Half at Disneyland. Geeky, I know, but I'll be honest, I'm super excited for this one... and may even run in costume. (Bonus points to the reader who guesses the costume in the comments... no cheating if I've already told you.)<br />
<br />
In February I travel to Tampa because I don't want to freeze my nards off, but after that I'm trying to keep the races local, though I have a fun one near Charleston scheduled for the last one, as a celebration I guess. I'm trying not to add any additional pressure of performance goals, though I'd love to keep them under 2 hrs... we'll see. It's not about pace, at least not for a while. And I'm assuming there will be many photo ops at the StarWars Half. (Chewy, say "Cheese").<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mYnmh3uOfP0/WGlhWRteFJI/AAAAAAAARu4/Oj8PJTaWJy8PQCVHo6CGq0BciaHkZtGhQCLcB/s1600/Chewy%2BStarwars%2Bhalf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mYnmh3uOfP0/WGlhWRteFJI/AAAAAAAARu4/Oj8PJTaWJy8PQCVHo6CGq0BciaHkZtGhQCLcB/s400/Chewy%2BStarwars%2Bhalf.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
So... that's the deal. A half a month. Should be fun.<br />
<br />
Good running,<br />
Doug<br />
<br />
*I hate talking about pace. 11 min/mile is fast for some people, and that's awesome. I only put numbers in here to show the relative difference between where I was and what I was shooting for. So don't let anyone tell you you're slow, especially me.Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270813381411749788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841572872090404396.post-75235656689665630722016-12-30T14:26:00.002-08:002016-12-30T14:26:18.661-08:00Crossing the RavenelCharleston South Carolina is one of my favorite places to visit. I've been there 3 times in the last 13 months. I have dear friends there, transplants from Indiana, who are not only super fun, but also super generous and welcoming and willing to host me when I visit.<br />
<br />
As much as I love to visit them, I also love the Charleston vibe. The food, the history, the ships... it is intoxicating. I also love the Ravenel Bridge.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4547bwXhg38/WGarwQA9BJI/AAAAAAAARrk/fHj9wW8Umvc1nSEKisnKVWZfecK-7Pz7gCLcB/s1600/IMG_8184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4547bwXhg38/WGarwQA9BJI/AAAAAAAARrk/fHj9wW8Umvc1nSEKisnKVWZfecK-7Pz7gCLcB/s400/IMG_8184.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I won't bore you with the <a href="https://goo.gl/uv4ybc" target="_blank">history of the bridge</a>, <a href="https://goo.gl/x03hUN" target="_blank">how it was built</a>, or any other of my usual lecturing because, though I often forget myself, this is a running blog.<br />
<br />
It's enough to say that the bridge is an iconic piece of the Charleston landscape. So much so that when I tell people of my visits to the city, they ask if I've run over the bridge. Not what restaurants I made it to, or what interesting people I met, what history I saw, or if I got to sail. Always the bridge.<br />
<br />
I've run the city a few times and love it. But I'd never really considered running the bridge. I think mostly because I was usually in the city, and running the bridge would require a kinda silly over-and-back... crossing just for the sake of crossing.<br />
<br />
On Thanksgiving weekend, however, 3 events cam together to offer a natural opportunity to run the Ravenel.<br />
<br />
First, I needed to get a 10-miler in over the weekend.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fL9sVaQ5Ggg/WGaxlm8PgiI/AAAAAAAARr0/T5ezdBAFx6A-Jx0DDoz8Km04iEySig36wCLcB/s1600/BeachHouse.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fL9sVaQ5Ggg/WGaxlm8PgiI/AAAAAAAARr0/T5ezdBAFx6A-Jx0DDoz8Km04iEySig36wCLcB/s200/BeachHouse.jpeg" width="200" /></a>Second, completely by chance, rather than staying at my friends' house, we all dog- and house-sat for friends of theirs on Sullivan's Island. Roughing it in a few-million-dollar beach house is how my friends roll.<br />
<br />
<br />
Third, we were slated to crew a sailboat race on Saturday.<br />
<br />
Combining these I had a reason to run from Sullivan's Island to Charleston, over the Ravenel.<br />
<br />
So, early-ish on Saturday morning I left the beach house and made it as far as across the street. I hadn't visited the beach yet, and since it was our last day house-sitting, I figured it was my last chance.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p8HsdQgNXss/WGaxm63f6oI/AAAAAAAARsY/nOY2DXjAWQ8MlI37o2AI7b45eYyfVFomACEw/s1600/Sullivan%2527sBeach.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p8HsdQgNXss/WGaxm63f6oI/AAAAAAAARsY/nOY2DXjAWQ8MlI37o2AI7b45eYyfVFomACEw/s400/Sullivan%2527sBeach.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Beach.</div>
<br />
It was lovely, but I had a long way to go and I was kinda in a pinch for time, so a couple pix and I was gone.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V3zp0Kq7GR0/WGa3IR2LvGI/AAAAAAAARs0/Xl1RtAC-BpIg-KVqK6ArZT8eJZML7F6jgCLcB/s1600/IMG_8165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V3zp0Kq7GR0/WGa3IR2LvGI/AAAAAAAARs0/Xl1RtAC-BpIg-KVqK6ArZT8eJZML7F6jgCLcB/s320/IMG_8165.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />That's the bridge, way off in the distance...</div>
<br />
<br />
I ran pretty much the entire length of Sullivan's Island, but I didn't take the time to notice anything. I was trying to get into a rhythm, going over my route in my head, and I was just a touch hung over. Just a touch. So I didn't even think to look for any of the cool sites like the <a href="https://goo.gl/Cg7hbS" target="_blank">Edgar Allan Poe library</a> that's a converted bunker. I just plowed through the island.<br />
<br />
To get from Sullivan's island to the mainland (Mount Pleasant), you take a "connector" with is, I think, southern for "long, straight, flat except for one drawbridge, road over swap land, consistently with a stiff head wind.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IF_5xHOtF7w/WGaxlzKm2JI/AAAAAAAARso/k4HJk2YVA_gj6dk73sh3b9rLOFJIEWb5gCEw/s1600/ConnectorPano.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IF_5xHOtF7w/WGaxlzKm2JI/AAAAAAAARso/k4HJk2YVA_gj6dk73sh3b9rLOFJIEWb5gCEw/s400/ConnectorPano.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Connector pano... this is the most interesting bit.</div>
<br />
<br />
It was nice, for about 2 minutes... of a 20 minute crossing. But, there was an unusual, uhm... thing on the connector...<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zkkXbFoZwHg/WGaxmdYjvkI/AAAAAAAARso/chBIZePNAXovY7u1oZwBgOAktTMjaeeFwCEw/s1600/PossumRIP.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zkkXbFoZwHg/WGaxmdYjvkI/AAAAAAAARso/chBIZePNAXovY7u1oZwBgOAktTMjaeeFwCEw/s400/PossumRIP.jpeg" width="300" /></a><br />Possum with memorial</div>
<br />
Yes, that's a possum. A dead possum. With flowers, an offering of Oreo's, a vigil candle, and a note. The note says:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"To our friend! You were a great mom!!! #BlackFriday shoping accidend. Sorry little Opossum friend"</blockquote>
<br />
Uhm... 3 things...<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Creepy as hell</li>
<li>also very sweet, little kids honoring the poor beast</li>
<li>are we using hashtags in memorial notes now?</li>
</ol>
<br />
<br />
A little shutter to shake off the heebie-jeebies and I was back on my way.<br />
<br />
After the connector, on a long stretch to the base of the bridge, I realized that in my hurry to get going, I'd forgotten to take on water. I like a good pint glass full before I head out. I realized it because it was hot, and sunny, and I was really thirsty. I'd survive, but I wasn't enjoying it.<br />
<br />
A few more minutes cursing my thirst, and a few more minutes deeper into Mount Pleasant, I was pretty deep into suburbia. There were way more cars, the occasional street to cross, a running store with a water cooler set outside, a restaurant that smelled of... WAIT! What?! What was that last thing...<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qf-HAnZpXqA/WGaxnbnkQDI/AAAAAAAARso/7Ky6pHX8TfQr2pks3KI3xPuUP6gNonG3QCEw/s1600/WaterStop.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qf-HAnZpXqA/WGaxnbnkQDI/AAAAAAAARso/7Ky6pHX8TfQr2pks3KI3xPuUP6gNonG3QCEw/s320/WaterStop.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Sweet baby Poseidon!... Water!</div>
I know lots of running stores serve our community on weekends with a simple cooler of water, but this one was right when and where I needed it! Next time I'm in town, I'll be stopping by <a href="https://goo.gl/v1AfQF" target="_blank">Blue Sky Endurance</a> to stock up on some gear... you totally should, too.<br />
<br />
Properly hydrated, at about mile 7, I made it to the Ravenel. It's... longer than it looks...<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ippewo-MfJM/WGaxnXulJHI/AAAAAAAARso/j7A5qk8NTSw11w4shyaNREZzbvC7XCMjQCEw/s1600/TwotoGo.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ippewo-MfJM/WGaxnXulJHI/AAAAAAAARso/j7A5qk8NTSw11w4shyaNREZzbvC7XCMjQCEw/s320/TwotoGo.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
But it is a spectacular run. The pedestrian way is wide and clean. And there were WAY more people out for a bridge walk than I'd expected.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mPVbA9hWfUc/WGaxmj5Hx_I/AAAAAAAARso/DSWSZjITj0MTecRpJEGp2_F9iRjIMEUcgCEw/s1600/RavenelCables.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mPVbA9hWfUc/WGaxmj5Hx_I/AAAAAAAARso/DSWSZjITj0MTecRpJEGp2_F9iRjIMEUcgCEw/s320/RavenelCables.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br />
The up hill is about half of that 2.5 miles, leveling out the closer you are to the midpoint. And the view is gorgeous.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q8ilGwEIrbU/WGaxmp8K_7I/AAAAAAAARso/qOCiPaDMB5UwxBNWZjH-inrSCHUcTO0HgCEw/s1600/RavenelPano.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q8ilGwEIrbU/WGaxmp8K_7I/AAAAAAAARso/qOCiPaDMB5UwxBNWZjH-inrSCHUcTO0HgCEw/s400/RavenelPano.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This little pano doesn't do the view from the midpoint justice.</div>
<br />
The down-slope into downtown Charleston is, and I apologize for the pun, a little anticlimactic. With the Copper River behind you, your view is pretty much industrial shoreline. But that's to be expected. Charleston is a busy sea port. The breeze also picked up as the wind was funneled down, and I got pelted with tiny bits of stone that were tossed into the air by passing cars. That only lasted a couple minutes, though, and soon I was headed down Bay Street. I picked up the pace for the last half mile or so.<br />
<br />
When my GPS clicked over to 10 miles. Feeling immensely proud of myself (I hadn't run 10 miles at once in ages), I had little time to congratulate myself. I needed to get to the sailboat for the race! But first I needed food. I normally don't like to eat after a long run, but with a sail ahead of me, I knew I had to eat now, or it would be hours before I had a chance.<br />
<br />
Just before I stopped, I'd passed East Bay Deli. I doubled-back to there, got a breakfast burrito (B+) and an OJ, and got moving again.<br />
<br />
I had 14 minutes to find, and than catch the water taxi.<br />
<br />
Yes, that's a real thing.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J71EZx6BcHQ/WGaxnmeZrtI/AAAAAAAARso/BXz5lbgW7DwJsGEpDl8uxujDGm9r14TkQCEw/s1600/WaterTaxi.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J71EZx6BcHQ/WGaxnmeZrtI/AAAAAAAARso/BXz5lbgW7DwJsGEpDl8uxujDGm9r14TkQCEw/s400/WaterTaxi.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Aboard the water taxi.</div>
<br />
For a few dollars, a boat takes you across the harbor. Or you can buy an all-day pass and ride back and forth.<br />
<br />
As you can see from the picture everyone was bundled up. It was pretty chilly on the water, especially in running shorts and a running shirt. Luckily, it was a short ride, even with the intermediate stop at the stern of the USS Yorktown.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WuJ6qmxMuU8/WGaxluffP8I/AAAAAAAARso/12mnb4EPb_YJZ-fDnfeOTk6ldJH6xH4kQCEw/s1600/Carrier.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WuJ6qmxMuU8/WGaxluffP8I/AAAAAAAARso/12mnb4EPb_YJZ-fDnfeOTk6ldJH6xH4kQCEw/s400/Carrier.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
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USS Yorktown, a retired aircraft carrier.<br />I highly recommend the tour.</div>
<br />
During the stop I chatted with the first mate on the taxi. She knew the boat I was going to be sailing on. She knew the captain. She also knew my friends... had dog sat for them even. Charleston is a small town... that's easy to forget sometimes.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I made it to the dock just as my friends and sister and sister-in-law arrived. We sailed, we raced, I learned a ton about flying a spinnaker. The only casualty was a brand new Sperry shoe. Not mine, another crew member's, thought there is a 50% that my foot knocked it off his foot while we were tacking.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S4mnSLZPA2w/WGaxlgLAjKI/AAAAAAAARso/wl9RP_UhsZADnt6qQk8HN_Dg0ptCH8uLgCEw/s1600/Celadon.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S4mnSLZPA2w/WGaxlgLAjKI/AAAAAAAARso/wl9RP_UhsZADnt6qQk8HN_Dg0ptCH8uLgCEw/s400/Celadon.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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SV Celadon </div>
<br />
Crossing the bridge was a thrill... way more fun than I'd expected. And I have to admit, that every time I see the bridge now, I think to myself (and sometimes say out loud) I ran across that bridge.<br />
<br />
After the sail, we went back to the beach house, I showered, and we ate and drank at Poe's Tavern.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GnBeJT3Hc-k/WGbe4jgwVsI/AAAAAAAARtE/T1YS1aK7h143X1b3WIR8A7lb4IvPpJuYACLcB/s1600/PoesTavern.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GnBeJT3Hc-k/WGbe4jgwVsI/AAAAAAAARtE/T1YS1aK7h143X1b3WIR8A7lb4IvPpJuYACLcB/s400/PoesTavern.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Thanks to the Howard's, and Deb and Laura, and to Capt. Steve for letting us sail with him and his crew. I can't wait to go back!<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ydfqj31WfGk/WGaxmKcPbgI/AAAAAAAARso/D96LpnnzZzEUJTqzjklxjP3AVkDlsQHzACEw/s1600/Crew.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ydfqj31WfGk/WGaxmKcPbgI/AAAAAAAARso/D96LpnnzZzEUJTqzjklxjP3AVkDlsQHzACEw/s400/Crew.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Laura, Deb, Robin Howard, and me.<br />Bill was doing something we probably should have been helping him with.</div>
<br />
Good running,<br />
DougDoughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270813381411749788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841572872090404396.post-86717543264517118962016-10-31T06:20:00.000-07:002016-10-31T06:20:12.249-07:00Trail goodness<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zSV2Nn63Izk/WBOSKf0t8tI/AAAAAAAAMSs/Fh6G9RU3abswonJHyGwm7Rduhv6vpfcKwCLcB/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zSV2Nn63Izk/WBOSKf0t8tI/AAAAAAAAMSs/Fh6G9RU3abswonJHyGwm7Rduhv6vpfcKwCLcB/s320/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="240" /></a>My running renaissance got a huge boost from a squiggly brown line on the ground.<br />
<br />
While on a short over night stay on the boat...<br />
<br />
Huh? Oh, I didn't tell you I have a boat now? Sorry... yeah, kinda crazy. I'm learning to sail.<br />
<br />
What?! No, I don't even play the lottery. Trust me, it's not a big, fancy boat.* But it is a sail boat, and, well, it's fun and I'm learning something new.<br />
<br />
So anyway... after a lovely night on the boat, I geared up for a quick run on some trails that I'd heard were close by. They were close by, and they were glorious!<br />
<br />
Sure, I missed them the first try. And sure I ended up running an extra 2 miles or so, but tuh-otally worth it.<br />
<br />
Seriously, a decent trail does wonders for one's mood. There's just something about running among trees, lots and lots of trees, to reconnect you to yourself, and your planet, and why you run at all.<br />
<br />
And the zenned out experience of following a narrow band of dirt, letting it take you through its carless, sidewalkless, completely traffic light free world, not really sure where it's leading you, not really able to see vary far ahead of you at all, takes you to a place, a very different place than running on roads or paved urban paths.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--jTZAXF7AUo/WBOSYXhMYsI/AAAAAAAAMSw/knNxwVA2-W8m6TIzGr-7A9DGOH3-TCmdACLcB/s1600/IMG_8100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--jTZAXF7AUo/WBOSYXhMYsI/AAAAAAAAMSw/knNxwVA2-W8m6TIzGr-7A9DGOH3-TCmdACLcB/s320/IMG_8100.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Maybe it's all of the chlorophyl in the air. Maybe instincts that our species honed for a tens of thousands of years, dulled by the straight lines of cities and the firm sole of shoes, are awakened. Maybe it's just different.<br />
<br />
Regardless, trail runs make me happy.<br />
<br />
Good running,<br />
Doug<br />
<br />
*Here she is:<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jMTr40Z8fyU/WBOSYYY1DvI/AAAAAAAAMS0/SbK0AoF4h4AM28HqoH3zZyUYPMIBlxUvgCLcB/s1600/IMG_7704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jMTr40Z8fyU/WBOSYYY1DvI/AAAAAAAAMS0/SbK0AoF4h4AM28HqoH3zZyUYPMIBlxUvgCLcB/s320/IMG_7704.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270813381411749788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841572872090404396.post-17860110461411338842016-10-21T19:13:00.001-07:002016-10-21T19:16:18.255-07:00I've got a feeling...... a feeling deep inside, oh yeah!<br />
<br />
I'm not running very fast. I'm not running particularly far.<br />
<br />
But, when I had to miss a couple runs this week, I got that feeling... aching... for a run.<br />
<br />
For those who don't know what I'm talking about, it's a nervous, anxious, firm request from your body, "Please, please get a run in. Soon."<br />
<br />
It's a sure sign that your running has turned from drudgery, to habit. And I mean "habit" in the sense of an addiction. A good addiction. It's your body and mind craving what they know is good for for them.<br />
<br />
I haven't had that deep craving for a run in a very long time. The recipe, apparently, is about 7 weeks of a rock solid schedule. For me, it was 21 runs... Tu, Th, Su... some ok, some horrible, none brilliant.<br />
<br />
But performance isn't the thing.<br />
<br />
The thing is returning to running... for real.<br />
<br />
Good running,<br />
Doug<br />
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Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270813381411749788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841572872090404396.post-45577988817990923352016-09-26T17:57:00.003-07:002016-09-26T17:57:47.539-07:00What I really miss<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v7AvqS58TV8/V-m9bmqxxKI/AAAAAAAAMAE/pob9OqoIeHkV7X0Pi8dm5KXIo2Mv31FlQCLcB/s1600/easy_run.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v7AvqS58TV8/V-m9bmqxxKI/AAAAAAAAMAE/pob9OqoIeHkV7X0Pi8dm5KXIo2Mv31FlQCLcB/s400/easy_run.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Re-re-re-re-re-starting my running, and I miss is how easy it used to be.<br />
<br />
I don't miss being fast. Pace doesn't really concern me that much. My vanity misses the slight build and narrow waste. But deep down, I don't miss that stuff.<br />
<br />
I miss being able to fall out of bed, early, and run. A brisk, refreshing 7.5 miler before work is a fabulous start to a day.<br />
<br />
I miss runs when I wasn't consumed with thoughts about how shitty I feel, when running cleared my head of doubt and subversion, rather than fuel them.<br />
<br />
What I miss most is being lost in the run.<br />
<br />
Last weekend, on Sunday, was a 5K training run. I was pleased that I ran the entire 5K... no walking, no stops. Damn that sounds pathetic. Me 5 years ago would be aghast.<br />
<br />
The course I ran was a few miles from my house. As I was driving back... hell, even as I was driving to the run, I looked at the sidewalk and remembered training runs along that very path, long morning runs during which I'd sleepwalk through a 5K, not noticing the houses or cars or anything... just covering mindlessly distance.<br />
<br />
In those days, I would look to the horizon, to a point way off... and soon later I was at that point, without effort, with no noticeable passing of time. I was there, having previously been back there.<br />
<br />
Then, a run was an escape to a peaceful place, not a workout, or a task.<br />
<br />
To run that easy requires endurance, strength, aerobic fitness, and form that allow you to move smoothly, and to get lost in it, without distraction.<br />
<br />
They are also hard earned, and easily squandered.<br />
<br />
Sunday, I had ever brief moments of effortless running, thanks entirely to the memory, and contemplation, of easy running, and what it meant, and how I could explain it. And, how I could regain it for myself.<br />
<br />
Again, the moments were brief, leaving more work to do, more running to do...<br />
<br />
Good running,<br />
DougDoughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270813381411749788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841572872090404396.post-37644161499486331202016-09-14T10:13:00.002-07:002016-09-14T16:12:09.429-07:00Running with the Fab 4<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fw3SA36bz-Y/V9mAaVQsEpI/AAAAAAAAL1k/00BohMAr4sk_ftPxMjr8tE-OvvjrhAnagCLcB/s1600/beatles-running.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fw3SA36bz-Y/V9mAaVQsEpI/AAAAAAAAL1k/00BohMAr4sk_ftPxMjr8tE-OvvjrhAnagCLcB/s320/beatles-running.jpg" width="320" /></a>I'm still not sure why, but the other day, for a good 3 miles, I was running with the Beatles.<br />
<br />
Ok, not the actual Beatles. But you knew that. Running with the actual Beatles would be pretty hard to pull off.*<br />
<br />
But still, from the first steps of the run, I was giving myself a bit of a pep talk, out loud, quietly, in the voices of the skinny ties, black boots, mop-topped, 1965 Beatles.<br />
<br />
Ok, again, not actually <i>all</i> of the Beatles. I've never been able to do George. I like to think he was running with us though, being characteristically quiet.<br />
<br />
Why the Beatles? No clue. What's with the pep talk? Beats me. That's never happened before. And it just kept going. We talked about pace, which side of the street would offer the most shade, and how strange it was that I was talking like the Beatles.<br />
<br />
The run was unspectacular. But, it was fun. And fun has been missing from my running for a few months.<br />
<br />
Running in general has been missing for a few months. And I think one of the reasons it's been missing is because it hadn't been much fun.<br />
<br />
Maybe that's why the lads ran along with me... to entertain me a bit, to keep it light, and to remind me to have fun. And maybe to gave me something to write about, which I needed as much as a fun run.<br />
<br />
Yeah, let's go with that, and not signs of schizophrenia. Or a brain tumor.<br />
<br />
Good running,<br />
Doug<br />
<br />
*Though not completely out of the realm of possibility... if I had a time machine. To wit, check out <a href="https://goo.gl/hZT9BX" target="_blank">this article about the lads running a relay race</a> against members of the their crew while filming Help! (found looking for pictures of running Beatles).<br />
<br />
Also, this:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zmcZNsNdmjQ/V9nZI0h6q1I/AAAAAAAAL10/B0NfYXPMIVwoasym-x1mopII0jlc00q-QCLcB/s1600/a-hair-history-of-the-beatles-7190-1279638206-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zmcZNsNdmjQ/V9nZI0h6q1I/AAAAAAAAL10/B0NfYXPMIVwoasym-x1mopII0jlc00q-QCLcB/s320/a-hair-history-of-the-beatles-7190-1279638206-19.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/rebeccae/a-hair-history-of-the-beatles"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">https://www.buzzfeed.com/rebeccae/a-hair-history-of-the-beatles</span></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270813381411749788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841572872090404396.post-85237833684463154912015-03-06T08:26:00.002-08:002015-03-06T09:18:17.110-08:00Winter in Indiana<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GI1zVj5BNGw/VPnJgIJyiJI/AAAAAAAAFFw/5aii8znXo6M/s1600/MacBookPro%2BDock.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GI1zVj5BNGw/VPnJgIJyiJI/AAAAAAAAFFw/5aii8znXo6M/s1600/MacBookPro%2BDock.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
As I type this, cold air is spilling over the edge of my laptop, an invisible waterfall, onto my fingers.<br />
<br />
The durable, renewable, and insanely stylish aluminum was super-chilled overnight in the trunk of my car.<br />
<br />
The fan in the computer turned on as soon as it booted up, not to cool it, but to get some warm air in and heat it up.<br />
<br />
I have been in love with the great state of Indiana all my life, but I'm starting to believe that this may be an abusive relationship.<br />
<br />
Eight inches of snow forced me into a parking garage for my Sunday run.<br />
<br />
Think about that for a minute... running, a long run, in an underground garage.<br />
<br />
Tuesday brought warmer temperatures, but also rain. With the ground frozen, the rain and the snow that it melted had no where to go. So what the day before passed as reasonable places to walk were turned into small canals, 3 inches deep in watery slush.<br />
<br />
By Thursday the temps fell hard. Today, any travel outside, by car or by foot, is a concert of cracking ice, each "pop" reminding you that you are in a place not hospitable to human life.<br />
<br />
I have a half-marathon in 15 days that I am in no way prepared for, and I have no where to train that isn't soul-sucking or limb-threatening.<br />
<br />
A few hundred years ago, some brave people set off West looking for a better life. Those without the means for a new wagon, bought used, and paid the price. When their wagon broke down, on pool table flat ground, they were forced to settle down in what would become Indiana.<br />
<br />
That's the only scenario I can imagine to explain why people chose to live here.<br />
<br />
I long for Indiana spring, the lovely season between the ridiculously gray, cold, dreary winter and the oppressive humidity and high pollen counts... all 4 days of it.<br />
<br />
Good running,<br />
DougDoughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270813381411749788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841572872090404396.post-72543487411246187962015-01-28T18:27:00.001-08:002015-01-28T18:27:34.943-08:00Trail Dreams<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://l2.yimg.com/sk/3411/3627197119_5888d44c59_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://l2.yimg.com/sk/3411/3627197119_5888d44c59_z.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three Lakes Trail blaze<br />image from <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAYQjB0&url=http%3A%2F%2Freallygoingplaces.blogspot.com%2F2014%2F02%2Findiana-365-diamante-blanco.html&ei=RJDJVKu6I8KPyATkpoHYCg&bvm=bv.84607526,d.cGU&psig=AFQjCNE2eoL_s-DxqTM4Vuabd94lKNLW7A&ust=1422582194707067">reallygoingplaces.blogspot.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'd been dreaming, literally dreaming, of running along a narrow, wooded trail in the middle of winter, in the middle of nowhere, for weeks.<br />
<br />
In the dreams single-track trail draws out in front of me. I can only see maybe 80 yards of it, and it swishes just a bit left and right. It's lined with trees too tall to measure, too numerous to count, too think to see very far. It's quiet except for my foot falls and my breath.<br />
<br />
This vision wasn't just at night. Idle time during the day took me back there, deep in nature, far from the world.<br />
<br />
It was as if there was a string looped around my heart, tugging, gently, but incessantly, pulling me to a place with hills and trees, lots of hills and lots of trees.<br />
<br />
My genes, my lineage as a human, my primal instincts to run were telling me what I needed.<br />
<br />
I needed to get lost in the woods.<br />
<br />
Last Saturday, though I had no right to think I was fit for a 10 mile tough-ass trail run, I really didn't care.<br />
<br />
The girl, the dog, and I headed to Morgan-Monroe State Forest and hit the Three Lakes Trail.<br />
<br />
The run was a slog. A slow, lung rupturing, leg mutilating slog.<br />
<br />
And it was glorious!<br />
<br />
The sun shone bright though the wind was plenty cold. We took wrong turns, we crossed countless streams, we climbed endless hills, and we trudged our way through an ugly mile of muddy slop. (Why, oh why did I ignore that detour?)<br />
<br />
The girl and I finished with salty faces and mud caked shoes and spattered legs. The dog seemed disappointed at stopping.<br />
<br />
We were sore, and exhausted, and thrilled to have done it, and that it was over.<br />
<br />
The three of us did little else for the rest of the weekend but watch movies in front of the fire... a fitting reward for surviving such a harrowing adventure.<br />
<br />
As I think about that run, I can feel that string tugging again, calling me back.<br />
<br />
Can you feel the string looped around your heart? Where is it pulling you?<br />
<br />
Good running,<br />
DougDoughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270813381411749788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841572872090404396.post-68148805970038182022015-01-18T19:54:00.001-08:002015-01-18T19:54:40.275-08:001,500,000 StepsMy step tracker's app often sends me messages.<br />
<br />
Two or three times a day it will tell me how many steps I've racked up so far. Occasionally it will send me a challenge to try to motivate me to move more. And for some reason, it seems very concerned when my band hasn't synced recently. The app is a little needy.<br />
<br />
I notice most of these messages, but I have to admit, they usually don't get more than a glance.<br />
<br />
Today, though, it sent me one that made me stop in my tracks...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D4v1xak3U1w/VLx5YQ_TYgI/AAAAAAAAE-M/FKQRgKGo3nw/s1600/IMG_3861.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D4v1xak3U1w/VLx5YQ_TYgI/AAAAAAAAE-M/FKQRgKGo3nw/s1600/IMG_3861.PNG" height="103" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Holy. Shit!<br />
<br />
That number... 1,5000,000!<br />
<br />
It was world-rocking... 1.5 Million steps, in less than a year.<br />
<br />
I'm a math major. I have a really good idea of what one million is. It's a whole hell of a lot. Seriously, it's an assload.<br />
<br />
And I moved 1.5 Million steps... without really trying. That boggles my fucking mind.<br />
<br />
Ok, those of you who have done the math already know that my average is only 5000 steps a day, half what is recommended. Those of you who are getting your 10K steps a day are hitting over 3 Million a year.<br />
<br />
But that's not the point, really.<br />
<br />
My body, which is way past its warranty period, has remained more or less upright for 1.5 Million repetitions of walking, or running, without any real wear.<br />
<br />
In 301 days.<br />
<br />
That is remarkable. To think that my knees, hips, all of those little muscles and bones in my feet, have survived, unscathed, from well over 1,000,000 repetitions of the walking gait. Seriously... remarkable.<br />
<br />
I feel very fortunate.<br />
<br />
And it sure as hell makes me think... How many steps have I taken in my life? How many do I have left?<br />
<br />
We move way more than we think we do.<br />
<br />
We rely on our bodies way more than we are aware.<br />
<br />
Imagine for a second, that it's not mine, but your knees and ankles and tendons and muscles and tissues moving that many times, supporting your weight, taking the shock, maintaining balance, moving you forward.<br />
<br />
Now imagine that with every step, there is pain. Just a little pain, but pain nonetheless.<br />
<br />
What if you had to feel that pain over 1,000,000 times a year? That's 3000 times a day.<br />
<br />
Can you think of any pain small enough that you could bare it over 3000 times a day, 187 times per hour, about every 3 seconds you are awake? Neither can I.<br />
<br />
If that were me, I'm pretty sure I'd move as little as possible.<br />
<br />
And I can promise you, I'd be a royal pain in the ass to be around if I couldn't move across the surface of the planet as I pleased.<br />
<br />
Take good care of your body. Stretch, workout, cross-train, keep/get your weight under control. Back off when you have pain. See a sports doc if it doesn't get better.<br />
<br />
We have millions and millions of steps ahead of us. Let's make sure we get each and every one.<br />
<br />
Good running!<br />
DougDoughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270813381411749788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841572872090404396.post-27938204227636579862015-01-13T16:14:00.003-08:002015-01-13T16:14:43.121-08:00Throwing a FitbitI own a fitness tracker... a Jawbone Up24.<div>
<a href="http://pactifysoftware.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/fitness-trackers1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://pactifysoftware.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/fitness-trackers1.jpg" height="196" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
Oh sure, it stopped working for a week. And, yes it's my second one after my first bought the farm. [Jawbone promptly replaced it.]</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But I confess, I do love the damn thing.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Lots of people must love them... they're everywhere. They've become the new fitness vanity fashion accessory. Kinda like Livestrong bracelets 10 years ago, but way more expensive. Pretty much the same people wearing them, though.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I've found that not everyone is as fond of their tracker as I am. In fact, I think they are becoming the newest appliance of disdain, much like the maligned bathroom scale.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I've seen people visibly upset, at their tracker, because their step count was low for the day.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I know someone who bought a tracker, and didn't like the step counts it was reporting. So, she went and bought a different one, wore them both, and kept the one that recorded the slightly higher number of steps.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
One day a running buddy threw his step tracker into the woods with a Yop! of frustration. A woman in the same office was beating his step count by mall walking.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Blaming, yelling at, or chucking your tracker is, well, kinda crazy.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's a tool.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's doing its job.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's not the tracker's fault you spent too much time on your butt. Blame, yell at, but please don't chuck, yourself.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You bought the thing to do exactly what it's doing. Let it do it and quit bitching about the results.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I see my tracker as a polite, innocent well meaning nagger. It reminds me that I didn't run or walk enough to justify a snack.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It taps me on the shoulder (by vibrating on my wrist) if I've been sitting too long, urging me to get up, stretch my legs, maybe take a lap around the office.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It watches me in a not-at-all creepy way while I sleep and, in the morning, tells me how much and how well I slept.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It reminds me to try to get in more steps tomorrow and to go to bed a little earlier.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And then it goes back to counting... sometimes counting nothing... but that's its fault.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Good running,</div>
<div>
Doug</div>
Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270813381411749788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841572872090404396.post-32760330961721149202014-09-19T14:32:00.003-07:002014-09-19T14:32:44.694-07:00Fear is a Liar<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TbM6EuEoe4Y/VBydJTkrEhI/AAAAAAAAE7c/ZrunCs6C2Fo/s1600/fear_is_a_liar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TbM6EuEoe4Y/VBydJTkrEhI/AAAAAAAAE7c/ZrunCs6C2Fo/s1600/fear_is_a_liar.jpg" height="158" width="200" /></a>I've been thinking a lot about fear lately.<br />
<br />
I've been thinking about what I'm afraid of.<br />
<br />
Snakes, mostly. Not much else.<br />
<br />
But being afraid of something isn't really fear.<br />
<br />
Fear is anxiety over what might happen.<br />
<br />
Fear is our reaction to thinking into the future and imagining bad things happening.<br />
<br />
Fear is literally a figment of our imagination.<br />
<br />
Fear keeps many people from running.<br />
<br />
Whenever I talk to people about running, people who aren't themselves runners, they can rattle of a several reasons why they don't run. It usually starts with some knee thing. Then stuff about breathing, shin splints, ankles, their back, neck, hip, or hamstring. And there's the traffic, busy schedules, heat, cold, sun, dark, rain, snow and unicorns.<br />
<br />
The truth is that they are, at that moment, imagining all of the things that could possibly, just maybe might, go wrong, and using those bits of dark make-believe to justify not running.<br />
<br />
That is fear at work.<br />
<br />
It's the same fear that keeps people from dancing*, singing, and trying something new. It's what keeps way too many people from having fun, seizing the damn day, and living a life that will put a grin on your face that the mortician won't be able to take off.<br />
<br />
What if we thought about running the way we think about eating?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YLUun4IPyXE/VBydKeFW2KI/AAAAAAAAE7k/TLD-SFDrjA4/s1600/Brownies_BoroughMarket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YLUun4IPyXE/VBydKeFW2KI/AAAAAAAAE7k/TLD-SFDrjA4/s1600/Brownies_BoroughMarket.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
When most of us see a box of donuts, or my personal favorite food fantasy, a never ending plate of fudge brownies, we imagine how delicious they will be, how creamy and yummy and sugary and good they will taste.<br />
<br />
We don't think about the sugar rush and crash. We don't think about the empty calories that end up on our thighs. We don't think about the plaque building up in our veins. We don't think about the bad things that could... actually, will happen. We only see the upside.<br />
<br />
Why don't we think like that about running?<br />
<br />
Why don't we imagine the feeling of calm we'd have or how warm and loose we'd be after a run. Why don't we think about how much better our quality of life would be if our blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight were down. Why don't we imagine the peaceful experience of our rhythmic footfalls, our steady breathing, and the joy of being out, experiencing our world?<br />
<br />
Our early ancestors needed to eat fatty, sugar foods when they could be found, which for them was rare, so we evolved to crave them. I can see how that makes sense.<br />
<br />
But I also believe that we evolved to be great runners, and we know that running is good for us. And it feels good!<br />
<br />
Why don't we crave it?<br />
<br />
I know.. some of us do, those of us who have run right over those early fears and have reaped the benefits of a running lifestyle, including brownies.<br />
<br />
But the vast majority of people fear running.<br />
<br />
We're a weird species.<br />
<br />
Good running,<br />
DougDoughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270813381411749788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841572872090404396.post-68183529962465564892014-08-12T18:28:00.001-07:002014-09-19T14:46:33.993-07:00Mizuno Baton<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GmtPlziNqoc/U-q6C5EdtUI/AAAAAAAAE2s/CnJgnHuoQyA/s1600/IMG_2802.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GmtPlziNqoc/U-q6C5EdtUI/AAAAAAAAE2s/CnJgnHuoQyA/s1600/IMG_2802.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a>The good folks at <a href="http://www.mizunousa.com/running" target="_blank">Mizuno running</a> have a new advertising campaign: "What if everybody ran?"<br />
<br />
I'm not sure its a very good marketing strategy, but it's a helluva concept.<br />
<br />
Imagining a world where everyone, and I mean everyone, was a runner, starts to blow your mind.<br />
<br />
Everybody would be happier, healthier, nicer, easier going, more productive, better in bed, and they'd sleep better afterward.<br />
<br />
What I love about this idea is that it has the same vibe as John Lennon's Imagine. It's a concept that is absurd, but so damn appealing, and hopeful, that you start to actually think about it as if it were possible.<br />
<br />
The problem with the campaign is that a running shoe company is preaching to the choir. I don't know that they will sell more shoes with it.<br />
<br />
But they sure as hell will sell more shoes with one of their programs that is part of "What if everybody ran?", and that's the fucking brilliant <a href="https://ifeverybodyran.com/" target="_blank">Mizuno Baton</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://ifeverybodyran.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GHTnvIg-wJQ/U-q50dAjTpI/AAAAAAAAE2k/z9UcGh2bczQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-08-12+at+9.04.22+PM.png" height="224" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Click image to learn more and to get the app.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Here's the deal:<br />
1) You download an app to your phone.<br />
2) For one week, you run as many miles as you can with the app counting your miles.<br />
3) Mizuno donates $1 per mile to <a href="http://www.backonmyfeet.org/" target="_blank">Back on My Feet</a>, a national non-profit that uses running to help homeless people re-establish their lives. (I am an <a href="http://dougrun365.blogspot.com/2011/06/back-on-my-feet.html" target="_blank">ardent supporter of BoMF</a>).<br />
4) After your week, you pass the baton to someone else - they get to run with a greater purpose, BoMF gets more awareness, and more money.<br />
<br />
See? Fucking brilliant!<br />
<br />
How do I know this will sell more shoes, because I am going to buy a pair of Mizunos to support this effort. I can't even runic Mizuno's! Too narrow. But I'm going to buy some anyway... expense ones. This is the type of marketing that makes me want to like a company, want to support it. It beats the shit out of "Just Do It".<br />
<br />
I'm also going to run my ass off for a week. And then I'm going to challenge someone else to do the same.<br />
<br />
I want to talk more about "What If Everybody Ran?", but for now, I leave you with one of the slogans for the campaign:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Running is powerful enough to transform everyone.</blockquote>
<br />
And it takes just one person at a time, one mile at a time.<br />
<br />
<b>Update 9/19/2014</b>: Mizuno Baton has ended. It raised over $87,000 for Back on my Feet. At $1 per mile, that's 3 times around the Earth. How cool!<br />
<br />
Good running,<br />
DougDoughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270813381411749788noreply@blogger.com0