I am thankful for what running provides

As I sat at my Thanksgiving table surrounded by my family, I knew I had so much to be thankful for.  Since this is a blog about my running life, I wanted to reflect on what I am thankful for about running.  The one thing that has remained consistent in my life is my running.  No matter where my life takes me, the people, places and circumstances vary.  The through line of my life is running and training.  As you know, I run in different cities and climates.  I run short and long distances.  I train hard at times and take time off when I need to let my body recover.  I always have different goals with each running adventure I embark on.  But every time I head out – I know that I am doing something I love.

Throughout the 34 years I have been running, I see that this sport changes, pushes and challenges me.  No matter the outcome of a training run or race, I know that running also rewards me. Best of all, running allows me to be healthy and to live my life to its fullest.  I like to say this Jewish blessing each day when I get done with my training:

Blessed are You, our God, Spirit of the World, who wisely formed the human body. You created it with openings here and vessels there. You know well that should even one of these stay opened, or one of those stay closed, we could not long survive. Blessed are You, Healer of all flesh, who makes the wonders of creation.

Here are the things running provides me and that makes me thankful that it is an intricate part of my life:

• Running forces me to push myself beyond my limits.  To grow, I must embrace discomfort.  My training runs and schedules put me in uncomfortable situations.  As I push myself, I am a bit uncomfortable and scared.  I still wonder at times whether or not I will be able to complete my training run or race distance. But running has proved to me that I can push further than I ever imagined.  I now know that when I am in a state of discomfort I am growing and ultimately can achieve my greatest potential.  My life is better because it is led with a healthy balance of comfort and adventure.
• Running allows me to always feel like myself no matter where I am.  I have run in all 50 states, Italy, Poland, The Czech Republic, Germany, Canada and Puerto Rico.  Running has helped me feel like myself with each change in my life because of the consistency it brings.  Running is my anchor.  I wake up most days and regardless of the pressure and pain in my life I know that when I am out on the road running, I feel happy, free, and like me.
• Running allows me to be out in nature.  Even though I run on the treadmill to get in specific training goals, I am much happier when I am outside.  No matter where I run, when I am in the outdoors, I can observe the wonderful and beautiful world I live in.  I find that I get excited when I am running in a different environment.  While I am running, I enjoy the trees, animals, the stars, sun, clouds or the rare rain shower.  I use this time to contemplate and become one with nature.  I feel lucky to have the opportunity to get to know all of this because of running.  I have vowed to never take the world’s beauty for granted.
• Running provides me strong connections with others.  I have found that my running bonds me with so many people. Running provides a connection with other runners that feels unbreakable.  I have shared many experiences with family and friends finding that it helps to develop a deep connection with each of them.  It is a time and place that only we know and have experienced together.  When I am out on the road or in a race, I find  that just sharing a smile or wave from a fellow runner is all the encouragement I need to keep going.  
• Running helps me solve problems at work and in my life.  I am not sure how many problems I have solved on a run but there are many.  I have come up with ideas for my blog, discovered a compromise for a seemingly unsolvable problem, ways to rework my schedule to fit in both work and personal commitments, or simply deciding how to handle a difficult situation.  Running gives me the quiet time I need to be able to gather my thoughts.  Some of my best ideas have come during my runs.
• Running helps me reduce stress and anger.  Running has been the healthiest stress reliever I have ever found.  When I find myself so stressed or angry, I know the best option to eliminate the feeling is to stop and go for a run.  Those runs give me the time to de-stress and calm down.  I have never returned from a run not feeling calmer and more focused.  My friends and family can tell when I have not had a chance to get in a run.  My mood is visibly different.  Running has simply made me generally calmer.
• Running has allowed me to see new places from the ground level.  I travel a lot for my job meaning that I have the chance to run wherever I am.  All I need is my pair of running shoes and a run mapping app.  The app allows me to find a route that matches my training schedule.  I have discovered unique places on a run that I never would have had the chance to experience like the John Lennon Wall in Prague.  Running in new or familiar places is my favorite way to get a feel for the local area and culture.  I also travel to races to experience new adventures with my running team.  It is just a great excuse to get out and see the world on foot.
• Finally and importantly, running helps me maintain my health and get stronger.  Of course, running provides me with endorphins.  But more importantly it helps make my body stronger and protects me from illness.  Running makes my legs and immune system stronger.  I can see that my muscles gain strength during speed/tempo workouts and long runs.  My mind benefits as well.  My running provides me with a way to build myself both physically and mentally.  As I get older this aspect becomes more and more important.

I am sure if I thought about it a little longer there would be many more reasons that I am thankful to have found this lifelong passion.  After 34 years on the road, running and I are inseparable.  Running has helped to shape me into a better person.  I have found that I am more thoughtful.  I strive to be more considerate, compassionate and accepting of others and their points of view.  It forces me to face my worst characteristics head on.  It feeds my obsessive-compulsive disorder allowing me to not be as obsessive in other parts of my life.  Meeting so many other runners who share my passion has taught me gratitude for being a part of the running community.  The fact that I am alive, healthy and loved each and every day make my life rich beyond compare.

Run on my friends.

Oct 21 – 8.30 miles (1:13:11, 8:49 pace) – Tempo Run
Oct 22 – 5.10 miles (55:42, 10:56 pace) – Hill Repeats
Oct 24 – 3.13 miles (26:05, 8:20 pace)
Oct 25 – 5.10 miles (43:44, 8:33 pace)
Oct 26 – 7.10 miles (1:03:27, 8:56 pace)
Oct 27 – 3.10 miles (26:25, 8:31 pace)
Oct 28 – 6.30 miles (53:34, 8:30 pace) – Speed Work
Oct 29 – 5.10 miles (56:03, 11:00 pace) – Hill Repeats
Oct 31 – 5.10 miles (46:30, 9:07 pace)
Nov 1 – 8.30 miles (1:13:08, 8:49 pace) – Tempo Run
Nov 2 – 8.10 miles (1:14:33, 9:12 pace)
Nov 3 – 8.30 miles (1:18:11, 9:25 pace)
Nov 4 – 5.20 miles (1:00:35, 11:39 pace) – Hill Repeats
Nov 5 – 6.30 miles (53:26, 8:29 pace) – Speed Work
Nov 7 – 8.30 miles (1:12:33, 8:44 pace) – Tempo Run
Nov 8 – 4.10 miles (38:02, 9:17 pace)
Nov 9 – 7.10 miles (1:05:55, 9:17 pace)
Nov 10 – 8.40 miles (1:16:14, 9:05 pace)
Nov 11 – 5.10 miles (56:40, 11:05 pace) – Hill Repeats
Nov 12 – 6.30 miles (53:19, 8:27 pace) – Speed Work
Nov 16 – 8.10 miles (1:16:21, 9:26 pace)
Nov 17– 8.30 miles (1:17:34, 9:21 pace)
Nov 18 – 6.30 miles (1:03:59, 10:30 pace) – Hill Repeats
Nov 19 – 6.30 miles (53:07, 8:26 pace) – Speed Work
Nov 21 – 8.50 miles (1:14:56, 8:49 pace) – Tempo Run
Nov 22 – 5.20 miles (47:54, 9:13 pace)
Nov 23 – 7.50 miles (1:13:39, 9:49 pace)
Nov 24 – 8.30 miles (1:18:28, 9:27 pace)
Nov 25– 5.20 miles (56:30, 10:52 pace) – Hill Repeats
Nov 26 – 7.30 miles (1:03:12, 8:39 pace) – Speed Work
Nov 28 – 7.50 miles (1:10:44, 9:26 pace)
Nov 29 – 9.50 miles (1:24:43, 8:55 pace) – Tempo Run
Nov 30 – 7.50 miles (1:10:43, 9:26 pace)
Dec 1 – 7.50 miles (1:09:50, 9:19 pace)

Total Miles:  226.83 miles
2019 Total Miles:  1,537.30 miles

Time, Holiness and Leading an Extraordinary Life

I was reminded by my father that I had not posted a blog in over a month.  I have had numerous thoughts about what to write.  I just couldn’t seem to find the time to sit down and write.  I have had some major changes at work, the Jewish High Holidays and I am taking a class at my Temple most Sundays.  Regardless, I enjoy the writing process.  I just need to set aside the time and be more disciplined.  It dawned on me that I have been having to submit journal entries as part of my class assignments.  I decided to share one with you.

Since it was recently the High Holidays where Jews focus on the process of teshuvah (repentance), whereby a Jew admits to sins, asks for forgiveness, and resolves not to repeat the sins in the future, I wanted to share my journal from this week. Recognizing the psychological difficulty of self-examination and personal change, our rabbis instituted a 40-day period whose intensity increases toward its culmination on Yom Kippur, a day devoted entirely to fasting and repentance.   Our assignment for our journal was to write about how we mark time, define holiness and what is ordinary and extraordinary in our lives.  It was a tough assignment but what better way to reflect on where we have come up short this past year.

During the 40 days leading up to Yom Kippur, I reflect on the year I have lived.  I imagine that each year moves along in a predictable, linear fashion.  But that is not true when it comes to being Jewish.  If I look at the secular calendar, months and days are the same each year.  But in my Jewish life, the calendar is always changing.  All our holidays seem to come at unexpected moments and places on the calendar.  I sometimes find myself forgetting that a holiday is coming as they move around on the secular calendar.  They are seemingly out-of-sync with my secular life.

But in truth time is fluid.  So, I mark time in two ways.  First, I mark time using the marriage of the secular and Jewish calendars.  I focus on the secular calendar for work and my everyday life to know what is coming next.  The secular calendar allows me to schedule my training runs and other events in my life.  At the same time, I track my time based on the Jewish calendar.  As each holiday approaches and I look at the Jewish calendar, I am reminded that I am part of something bigger – the Jewish people.  And the holidays bring back a lot of memories and hopes in an accordioned knot of the past, present, and future.

Second, I see time in my children.  If I were to wake up and never look in a mirror, I would never feel like I am any older or different than I was at 17.  Sure, I have had a lot of experiences over the years.  But they seem to all compress into one continuous timeline.  It is only when I see my kids that I truly see how much time has passed.  My son’s 10th High School Reunion is next year, and he is getting married.  My daughter is now a professional tenant rep broker in the same real estate business I am in.  Yet it seems like only yesterday when I started my real estate career at Taco Bell. 

When I think about marking time, I always go back to one of my favorite quotes, ““Time is relative. In human life, time is experience. The faster you archive a significant experience to your memory, the more you live in the same clock time. In physics, experience is represented by the distance traveled, and this entire thing is called the Relativity of Time. I want to age and die through archiving my experiences, not watching my biological clock. Please don't waste my clock time with mediocrity and egotism, let me use it towards service to others.” (Alper Mazun).  The only thing I would change in this quote is to say that I want to age and die after living my life experiences to their fullest and leaving the world in a better condition than when I came into it.

If I am going to leave this world better than I found it, I should strive to lead a holy life.  During my conversion classes, I was taught that the Hebrew word kadosh translates to “holy” and comes from a term meaning “separate.”  Perhaps that is the way the Jews in the past viewed being holy.  A holy Jew kept himself separate from the profane or sins of others.  I would like to think that what holy really means is connection with others.  Leading a life focused on social ethics.  Finding ways to help those who are less fortunate than me.  The Torah tells us to befriend others.  “You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you yourselves were strangers in the land of Egypt" and “You too must befriend the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt”.  Living an ethical life is one step on the path to holiness.  If we are truly created in God’s image, then I believe we should strive to reach higher in our daily lives.  We should strive to always do right when faced with dilemmas.  When we are intentional in acknowledging the depth of beauty in the world we live in and truly connect to others in a meaningful and helpful way then maybe we are more like the God that resides within us.  That is what being holy means to me.

If I am a holy person, I must be able to separate the ordinary and extraordinary in my life.  After much contemplation, I have come to the realization that I must find the extraordinary in the ordinary yet seemingly mundane things in my life.  What do I mean?  It’s simple.  When things are not necessarily going the way I want them to go, I try to find something in the process that is going well.  In this way I can be gratified and be more present in the moment.  Thus, truly experiencing the world around me.  I want to be fully engaged in what I am experiencing and try to find something awesome about it.  If I go out for a training run in the morning and can’t seem to get into the pace or head space I need to be in to complete the scheduled effort, I simply look around me and enjoy the fact that I can still run outside in a beautiful place.  I can enjoy the fact that my body is allowing me to be on the road running.

When I was younger, I always felt that I was just leading an ordinary life.   I would work hard, spend time with my family, watch TV, maybe go to the movies, etc.  I believed that I was not going to leave a mark on this world.  As I have aged, I realized that everyone lives extraordinary lives.  I just had to change my point of view.  I must pay attention to the good things in life and simply be grateful for what I have, rather than wish for more money or a nicer car or six pack abs.  Once I started to practice gratitude in my daily life, I started to see that I am leading an extraordinary life and that I am leaving my mark on the world through all the family and friends who I share my life with.

Sept 9 – 5.10 miles (1:02:51, 12:21 pace) – Hill Repeats
Sept 13 – 3.10 miles (28:14, 9:06 pace)
Sept 14 – 5.10 miles (49:56, 9:47 pace)
Sept 15 – 7.30 miles (1:09:36, 9:32 pace)
Sept 16 – 4.10 miles (51:08, 12:29 pace) – Hill Repeats
Sept 19 – 4.10 miles (38:59, 9:30 pace)
Sept 20 – 3.40 miles (32:01, 9:01 pace)
Sept 22 – 4.50 miles (42:00, 9:20 pace)
Sept 23 – 4.50 miles (55:34, 12:21 pace) – Hill Repeats
Sept 24 – 4.10 miles (39:23, 9:37 pace)
Sept 26 – 3.10 miles (27:10, 8:46 pace)
Sept 28 – 7.10 miles (1:07:41, 9:32 pace)
Sept 29 – 7.40 miles (1:10:18, 9:30 pace)
Sept 30 – 5.20 miles (1:00:14, 11:35 pace) – Hill Repeats
Oct 1 – 6.30 miles (53:35, 8:30 pace) – Speed Work
Oct 3 – 3.50 miles (32:00, 9:07 pace)
Oct 4 – 4.20 miles (39:46, 9:28 pace)
Oct 6 – 10.40 miles (1:35:48, 9:13 pace)
Oct 7 – 6.10 miles (1:07:28, 11:04 pace) – Hill Repeats
Oct 8 – 6.20 miles (53:20, 8:36 pace) – Speed Work
Oct 10 – 7.70 miles (1:08:11, 8:51 pace) – Tempo Run
Oct 11 – 4.20 miles (33:18, 9:09 pace)
Oct 12 – 7.10 miles (1:06:29, 9:22 pace)
Oct 13 – 7.50 miles (1:08:43, 9:10 pace)
Oct 14 – 5.10 miles (56:45, 11:08 pace) – Hill Repeats
Oct 15 – 6.30 miles (53:19, 8:27 pace) – Speed Work
Oct 17 – 8.30 miles (1:13:14, 8:49 pace) – Tempo Run
Oct 18 – 4.10 miles (37:03, 9:02 pace)
Oct 19 – 6.20 miles (54:36, 8:48 pace)
Oct 20 – 7.10 miles (1:04:52, 9:08 pace)

Total Miles:  168.40 miles
2019 Total Miles:  1,310.47 miles

The Aging Runner

On September 1, I turned 58 years old.  As I headed out for my run that morning, I started to reflect on all the miles I have logged since starting my running life over 30 years ago back in Watauga, TX.  Gone are the days when would roll out of bed throw on my running shoes and head out the door knowing I could log any number of miles with no problem.  Nowadays I spend the first mile just making sure everything is still working.  I check those niggling pains to make sure they are just normal aches and not harbinger of a potential injury.  I use the first mile to get myself back into the groove, heart-rate up to a sustainable level and stretch out those tight leg muscles.  Even though it feels slow, I know it will lead to a much better feeling in the middle part of my run as I cruise to the final mile.

What I am proud of is the fact that I am still able to get in a hard/easy training pattern each week.  I still log a speed session and a tempo run almost every week.  The only difference from when I was a younger runner is that if I start a hard workout and it doesn’t feel right or that I can complete it, I back off and just finish the mileage I had planned.  This mindset allows me to still run quality hard efforts that build my confidence as I prepare for my races.  Even if I don’t complete every workout as planned, I have found that I get more bang for my effort if I have had to ease off on occasion.   Plus, I have stayed injury free for most of my running life which not all of my runner friends can say.

I know that slowing down as I get older is inevitable.  Since I was never a sub-8 minute runner when I was younger, I am content to still be able to run a sub-30 5K race at my age.  I don’t compare myself to my youthful past.  Instead I try to accept the phenomenon of slowing down with age.  I choose to live in the moment and be content with the runner I am today.  I run now for the experience rather than the bragging rights of running a fast race.  It makes all my training and races much more enjoyable.  The upside is that I am never disappointed when I finish a race.

Running has allowed me to stay active in other aspects of my life.  Running has helped me to remain cognitively agile.  Not only do I spend time training my body, I continue to train my mind.  I try to remain positive, optimistic and hopeful each day.  It is not an easy task and I am not always successful at it.  But it does allow me to remind myself daily that running is a gift that I can still enjoy.  I need to remind myself to continue to nurture, savor and celebrate the fact that I can get out on the road each day.  Isn’t that all I can ask for as I approach my 60th year on this planet?

“The race is not always to the swift, but to those who keep on running.”  Run because you can and finish because you want to.  See you out on the roads!

July 29 – 4.10 miles (46:27, 11:20 pace) – Hill Repeats
July 30 – 3.50 miles (27:32, 7:52 pace) – Mile Repeats
Aug 1 – 5.10 miles (49:58, 9:48 pace)
Aug 2 – 5.10 miles (43:07, 8:27 pace) – Tempo Run
Aug 3 – 7.10 miles (1:10:51, 9:59 pace)
Aug 4 – 3.11 miles (27:45, 8:56 pace)
Aug 5 – 4.10 miles (37:01, 9:02 pace)
Aug 6 – 3.50 miles (27:33, 7:52 pace) – Mile Repeats
Aug 8 – 8.30 miles (1:14:08, 8:56 pace) – Tempo Run
Aug 9 – 4.13 miles (37:26, 9:04 pace)
Aug 10 – 7.50 miles (1:10:43, 9:26 pace)
Aug 11 – 7.70 miles (1:11:56, 9:21 pace)
Aug 12 – 4.50 miles (41:57, 9:20 pace)
Aug 13 – 6.70 miles (57:27, 8:34 pace) – Mile Repeats
Aug 15 – 3.10 miles (33:18, 10:45 pace)
Aug 18 – 3.20 miles (30:36, 9:34 pace)
Aug 20 – 4.10 miles (41:35, 10:08 pace)
Aug 22 – 7.50 miles (1:04:25, 8:35 pace) – Tempo Run
Aug 23 – 4.50 miles (42:24, 9:25 pace)
Aug 24 – 7.20 miles (1:10:17, 9:46 pace)
Aug 25 – 8.30 miles (1:19:07, 9:32 pace)
Aug 26 – 4.50 miles (53:45, 11:57 pace) – Hill Repeats
Aug 27 – 6.70 miles (57:27, 8:34 pace) – Speed Work
Aug 29 – 8.30 miles (1:12:54, 8:47 pace) – Tempo Run
Aug 31 – 8.10 miles (1:18:23, 9:41 pace)
Sept 1 – 8.30 miles (1:09:00, 8:30 pace)
Sept 2 – 5.10 miles (58:41, 11:30 pace) – Hill Repeats
Sept 3 – 7.20 miles (1:03:33, 8:50 pace) – Mile Repeats
Sept 5 – 8.30 miles (1:11:13, 8:35 pace) – Tempo Run
Sept 6 – 4.20 miles (39:54, 9:33 pace)
Sept 7 – 7.20 miles (1:09:15, 9:37 pace)
Sept 8 – 8.26 miles (1:19:17, 9:36 pace)

Total Miles:  188.40 miles
2019 Total Miles:  973.67 miles

2019 Reebock Ragnar Northwest Passage Relay Race Report

The Penguins invaded Seattle on July 11th for the Ragnar Northwest Passage.  This time our team was made up of all runners from the commercial real estate profession.  We have all worked together in some way or another over the last 20 years.  The 12 runners were made up of brokers, developers and retailers.  While we all have our profession in common, what really brought us together was our love of the sport of running.  We had 2 new Penguins for this race which allowed us to fill out the team with all real estate professionals.  This team had runners from Arizona, Colorado, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas.

As usual, we all met at the airport car rental counter.  We had to get one of the vans transferred over to another runner because Jason had missed his flight and would not be getting in until very late.  We split up into our assigned vans and headed out.  We had to drive up to Bellingham, WA where we would be spending the night.  It would take us just under 2 hours to get to the hotel.  My van was pretty hungryso before we stopped off at Sprouts to get some food for the race, we stopped of near the University of Washington to grab a bite.

I suggested we grab a quick lunch at Ivar’s.  I always stop into Ivar’s when I am in Seattle.  Sometimes, it is just to grab a bowl of clam chowder at the airport.  If you haven’t heard of Ivar’s,  I think it is one of Seattle's best quick service seafood restaurants and has been in business since 1941.  I believe that they have some of the best clam chowder anywhere.  The group ordered  fish & chips plus clam chowder.  Everyone seemed to love it.  After we had finished, we headed up to Sprouts.

After we grabbed all of the food we would need for the race plus a cheap Styrofoam cooler at Fred Meyer, we headed up to the hotel.  We got to the hotel at about 4:30 p.m.  We had dinner reservations at 7:00 pm.  We all dropped our bags in our rooms and met back at the hotel bar to grab a beer while we waited for Van 1 to arrive at the hotel.  They finally arrived at about 6:00 p.m.  They dropped their bags had a beer with us and then we got a shuttle to dinner.

We had reservations at Boundary Bay Brewery and Bistro.  It has been in business since 1995.  They are located in a restored historic 1922 warehouse in Downtown Bellingham, across from the Saturday Farmer’s Market.  They had a deck for outdoor dining but it was too crowded for us to get our table for 12 outside.  So we decided to just eat in the bistro.  The food, conversation and beer was excellent.  We didn’t stay too late because our start time was at 8:00 a.m. and we all wanted to get a good night’s rest.  We did get word that Jason was on his flight and would make it.  He wouldn’t get much rest.  But since he was in Van 2 he could grab some shut-eye while Van 1 was running their first legs.

We all met in the lobby at 6:00 a.m. to get last minute instructions for the race.  We loaded up the vans and headed out to the starting line in Blaine, WA.  It only took us 20 minutes to get to Peace Arch Park where the starting line was located.  The starting line was in the park.  It is an international park consisting of Peace Arch Historical State Park in Washington and Peace Arch Provincial Park in Canada. The park straddles the international boundary between the United States and Canada at the extreme western end of the main contiguous section of the two countries' border, where it reaches Semiahmoo Bay of Puget Sound.  The most famous feature is the Peace Arch.  While Van 2 (my van) explored the park and took pictures, Van 1 did their safety briefing.  When we gathered back together we had about an hour until our start time.

Finally, they called the 8:00 a.m. teams to come over to the starting line.  Leslie was going to be our first runner.  Ragnar runs very organized races.  As planned, the runners lined up with about 10 minutes to go.  The gun went off right at 8:00 a.m. and our team was officially on the run.  We had decorated our vans while we waited.  Once Leslie was on the road, we all split up into our respective vans.  Van 1 headed to the exchange where they would meet Leslie.  Our Van, headed into Blaine to grab some breakfast before we headed to Exchange 6 where I would take the slap bracelet from Rae and head out for my first leg.  We had about 5 hours to wait.

We decided to grab breakfast at Over Easy.  It is a chain but they have good food.  The best part was that it was literally 1 mile from Exchange 6.  Since I was going to have to run first, I had a light breakfast of waffle dogs and eggs.  It was perfect and not to heavy.  Once we had all eaten and paid up, we headed over to Bellingham High School and  Exchange 6.

When we got to the exchange, we gathered all of our safety gear and headed over to check in.  It takes about 15 minutes to check in and watch the safety video.  It is a really corny video and I have seen it at least 10 different times.  So I didn’t pay much attention to it.  Once we finished, we hung around the van.  Some of us napped while we waited to hear from Van 1.  It was starting to get warm for Seattle as we waited.  I decided to switch out of my running t-shirt and into a singlet.  I figured it would be better in the heat than a full t-shirt.

We finally got word that Rae was on the road.  She had a hard 6.5 miler.  I had about an hour to stretch and get ready for my shortest leg of the race.  I had an “easy” 3.8 miler.  The temperature was 73o and sunny.  The problem for me was it was 57% humidity.  It wasn’t too warm for me as I had been training in the Arizona heat but it is a dry heat.  I decided to still take the first ¼ mile a little slow to see how it would feel.  I wanted to nail a 9 minute pace for this leg to save some energy for my long late night leg.  Rae came into the exchange at 12:05 p.m. and handed me the slap bracelet and I was off on my first leg.  Finally!

Leg 7 is a beautiful run once you get off the city streets.  I exited the high school’s field and headed to the turn onto State St.  At the 1 ¼ mile mark, the course turns onto South Bay trail that was well shaded which helped reduce the heat a bit as I ran.  This would be the trail I ran almost to the end of the leg.  This trail is the closest trail to Bellingham Bay.  It is basically a flat gravel-road pathway following the waterline from Bellingham, through Boulevard Park into the Fairhaven District.  This district is known for its 19th-century architecture.

As I approached the 2 ½ mile mark, the trail turned and I ran out into Boulevard Park.  I could see all of Bellingham Bay now.  What a beautiful site.  There were people everywhere enjoying the park.  This made running a little difficult as I had to dodge a few children.  But the view along the waterfront was worth it.  There was a slight breeze making it a little cooler despite the clear sunny skies.  I was glad I chose to run in a singlet.

At the 2 ¾ mile mark, the trail switches to a boardwalk over the bay.  I had to stop and take a couple of pictures.  How often do you get to run over water especially if you are from the desert.  The boardwalk is about ½ mile long.  As I approached the end and the turn to head to the exchange, I found that there was a short but relatively steep grade.  The hill was only about 2/10 of a mile and crushed it.  I finally leveled off at the top and started to push myself to get to the exchange.

I ran along 10th St. looking for Larabee Ave. which is the final turn to the finish.  I looked at my watch and found I was slightly off my pace.  I pushed a little harder.  I finally saw the exchange at the Hillcrest Church.  I slapped the bracelet onto Randy’s wrist and he was off and running.  The leg was actually 3.84 miles.  I had finished in 34:57.  That was a 9:06 per mile pace.  Not too bad given I stopped to take in the scenery and grab a few photos.  I cooled down as we headed to the next exchange.  Now I needed to just focus on my big run that would happen sometime around midnight.

Gordon was runner 12 and when he finally pulled in to exchange 12 at Burlington-Edison High School our team was only about 20 minutes behind our predicted time.  It was a little after 7 p.m. and we were all pretty hungry.  Van 1 only had about 33 miles of running before handing it back over to us.  We decided to just grab some pizza and beer so we could grab some shut eye before we had to go again.  When we had finished dinner, we headed to Exchange 18 at La Conner High School.  I grabbed my sleeping bag and headed into the gym to find a quiet place in the gym to grab a short nap.

At 11:30 p.m. we got the text telling us that Rae was out on the road.  I gathered up all of my things and packed them back into the van.  After downing a Bing Energy drink, I put on all of my reflective gear and knuckle lights and headed over to the exchange to wait.  It was pretty crowded at the exchange.  I waited there with Jason and Randy for Rae to come in.  Sure enough just past midnight they called our team number and I saw Rae coming in.  She handed off to me and I was off and running at 12:05 a.m.   We were now only about 15 minutes off pace.

This was going to be a tough run.  I had had very little sleep in the past 48 hours.  Leg 19 of the race is a 10.5 mile run.  The first 1 ½ miles was through the town of La Conner which was relatively flat.  Then I finally made it to the Rainbow Bridge that lead me over the Swinomish Channel into the Swinomish Reservation.  The next 10 miles would be through the reservation.  As I ran, I saw very few other runners along the route.  This made it a very solitary run with no lights on the road except for my knuckle lights.  I love night runs because it is just you and your thoughts.  It is a very peaceful and meditative run.  With the lack of other runners it was definitely peaceful.

What I didn’t expect was the number of hills along this route.  There was a 200’ elevation gain between mile 2 and 3.  Another 120’ of gain at mile 6.5.  And one last ½ mile hill at mile 9.  I pushed myself up and over these hills but it was hurting my pace.  When I was approaching mile 9, I misread the signs Ragnar had posted.  I kept running straight.  Then I heard another runner call out to me and pointed to where I should have turned right.  I thanked her as I caught up to her.  That is the one great thing about these races, the teams and runners really support each other.

The last 1 ½ miles had 2 turns which I didn’t miss.  Then the last mile is downhill and really helped me out as I was starting to fade.  Finally I saw the final U-turn under Memorial Highway.  At that point I had only ¼ mile left.  I picked up my pace and pulled into the exchange at the Swinomish Casino & Lodge.  I was soaked in sweat and ready to rest.  It wasn’t until later that I realized why the run was so tough.  Even though the temperature was 59o the humidity had risen to 82%.  At home the humidity is almost never higher than 20%.  No wonder it seemed harder than I expected.  I looked at my watch and found I had run 10.53 miles in 1:39:28 – a 9:27 per mile pace.  Slower than I wanted.  But I was happy with my overall effort.

The rest of Van 2’s runs went really well and we were able to maintain the 15 minute gap between goal and actual total time.  We handed the bracelet off to Van 1 at 6:20 a.m.  Leslie was off and running.  We decided to grab a shower before finding a place to lay down and cat nap.  Van 1 again only had about 35 miles of running to do.  In this race, Van 1 runs around 94 miles of the 200 mile race.  With only 35 miles of running, we would only have about 4 hours before we started our final legs.

At 10:00 a.m, we got the text saying that Rae was on her way to the exchange at Coupeville High School.  I had actually slept about 3 hours before waking up to get ready.  When the text came in I was already grabbing my energy drink and getting ready to go.  Van 1 pulled into the exchange and we all hung out at the exchange waiting for Rae.  She came running in right at 10:24 a.m. and I was off on my final leg – Leg 21.  I was going to redeem myself on this last 6.4 miler.

I left the exchange locking into a pretty quick pace.  I knew I had a downhill for the first 1 ½ miles.  It would take me down to Ebey’s Landing and the waterfront.  I had read that the run would be through Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve.  It is a historic district preserving an unbroken historical record of Puget Sound’s exploration and settlement from the 19th century to the present.   The first part of the run was past some of the historic farms still in use on Whidbey Island.  When I reached the waterfront, I knew the hardest part of the run was just ahead.  I had a 200’ elevation gain ahead of me before the gradual downhill to the exchange.

I attacked the hill as I left the waterfront.  My goal was to push myself to come in at a sub-9 minute pace.  I was definitely tired and my legs felt really heavy.  Despite that fact, I was able to conquer the hill.  When I crested the hill and started the gradual downhill portion of the leg.  I started to feel good as I passed the 5 mile mark.  I knew I only had about 1 ½ miles to go.  I pressed on.  I could see the exchange in the distance.  I pushed to the end and handed off to Randy spent.  I had run 6.4 miles in 56:02 a blistering 8:46 per mile pace!  Man did that feel good.

The rest of our runners kept pushing themselves.  It was starting to heat up as the day wore on.  We finally put our last runner out on the road.  Gordon was a champ.  We headed to the finish line where we met the rest of the team.  Van 1 had been hanging out at a broker friend of ours’ cabin on Whidbey eating freshly caught Dungeness crab and drinking beer and wine.  Gordon pulled into the finish line just after 4 p.m. and we ran across the finish line as a team.  We had finished the race in 32 hours 9 minutes and 2 seconds which was a 9:39 per mile pace.  Our goal was to finish in 31 hours and 46 minutes (9:32 pace).  Not too bad in comparison.  Password Penguin had placed 72 out of 187 Mixed Open Teams and 191 out of 430 teams.

After receiving our medals, we headed over to the cabin where there was a pile of crab, plenty of beer and wine waiting for us.  In all the relays I have run, I have to say that this was the best recovery meal I have ever had.  Not only that, we had a chance to shower and relax with a beautiful view of the bay.  Not to mention getting to hang out with some of my best friends basking in the glow of our accomplishment.  I was personally happy with my result.  I had covered 20.77 miles of this race.  My total running time was 3:10:27.  This was a 9:10 per mile pace.  My predicted time was a 9 minute pace so I can’t complain.   The team had done really well overall.

I am sure that this is not the last relay I will run with this team.  I don’t know when we will do the next one or where we will choose to go.  The Penguins have really bonded as a team.  And even though some of the runners switch out, I am always amazed at how much fun we have out there.  Sure there is a lack of sleep, nutrition and a lot of tough miles but it wouldn’t be as satisfying when we cross the finish line if it weren’t for those things.

I will close with a quote from one of my favorite runner/authors – John Bingham.

“Suddenly, when the run itself is the goal, there are no more bad runs. Suddenly it doesn’t matter if we don’t finish within our goal time—or don’t finish at all. What matters is that we tried, that we enjoyed the process. What matters is that we got out there.” ― from No Need for Speed: A Beginner's Guide to the Joy of Running

July 8 – 4.00 miles (44:25, 11:07 pace) – Hill Repeats
July 9 – 6.40 miles (1:26:36, 8:25 pace) – Tempo Run
July 10 – 3.10 miles (27:32, 8:53 pace)
July 11 – 1.50 miles (13:28, 8:59 pace)
July 12 – 3.84 miles (34:57, 9:06 pace) – Ragnar Pacific Northwest Passage Leg 7
July 13 – 10.53 miles (1:39:28, 9:27 pace) – Ragnar Pacific Northwest Passage Leg 19
July 13 – 6.40 miles (56:02, 8:46 pace) – Ragnar Pacific Northwest Passage Leg 31
July 18 – 3.10 miles (28:08, 9:05 pace)
July 19 – 3.10 miles (26:39, 8:36 pace)
July 20 – 3.10 miles (30:24, 9:49 pace) – Albuquerque, NM
July 21 – 3.10 miles (27:51, 9:00 pace) – Albuquerque, NM
July 22 – 3.10 miles (29:28, 9:31 pace) – Santa Fe, NM
July 23 – 3.10 miles (27:55, 9:01 pace) – Santa Fe, NM
July 25 – 3.10 miles (27:37, 8:54 pace) – Santa Fe, NM
July 26 – 3.10 miles (27:17, 8:48 pace) – Santa Fe, NM
July 27 – 4.10 miles (38:16, 9:20 pace) – Santa Fe, NM
July 28 – 6.20 miles (58:47, 9:29 pace)

Total Miles:  74.27 miles
2019 Total Miles:  785.27 miles

Am I happy?

A while back, I was talking with my sister on the phone.  I was telling her about my experience running the Dopey Challenge.  She said, “you are always smiling in your pictures and seem to be genuinely having fun in your life.”  I thought to myself, “is that an illusion or am I really happy overall in my life?”  I would say that true happiness isn't always something large or thrilling.  Instead it is really the small things in life that lead to happiness.  For me those small things include a full moon shining on me in the early morning, a smile on the faces of family and friends who I love and the ability to go out and challenge myself both physically and mentally each and every day.  Those things are what bring a smile to my face.  These everyday little joys, all lined up are what make me truly happy and help to give me the purpose by which I lead my life. 

Running has been a huge part of my life since 1985.  It is the one thing that I do each day for myself.  It allows me to perpetually improve myself physically and is one of the keys of my success.  I train to keep myself mentally alert and prepare for the day ahead.  At the same time, I take pride in getting better and better each week.  I have found that by constantly finding new challenges in racing that I can still find joy in each and every day I am still able to run and race.  Surprisingly this pursuit of constant improvement has allowed me to conquer each challenge I put in front of me and not just in running.  Each thing that I am able to complete whether it is meeting my goals or not is still fulfilling and adds to my happiness.

By not taking life too seriously, I am able to enjoy where I am on my life’s journey.  I never get offended easily.  I try not to over-analyze or complicate matters.  Plus I am the first one to laugh at my own faults and mistakes.  I try to tell those around me that life is too short to be so serious all the time.  I have found that if you can find the humor in any situation there is nothing that can bring you down.  As Mark Twain said, “Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand.” 

It is not always easy to see the good in everything.  Therefore I strive not to live for tomorrow but for today.  More importantly I don’t like to rehash bad things that happened in the past.  Each day I get up and go for a run.  It doesn’t matter what happened on my run yesterday or the day before.  Each day is a new opportunity, a new chapter and another chance to have a great run.  I told my sister during our conversation that I really try to live in the now.  I have found that this allows me to get the most enjoyment out of every moment.

I strive to say yes to new things.  I never shy away from new opportunities, challenges, races or anything that may seem like it could be new and unique experience.  As I said, life’s simply too short.  If life’s too short then I have to avoid letting things get me down.  I try to never take anything for granted.  I know that I am far from perfect and need to recognize that I never will be perfect.  This allows me to look back on almost every race I have run and say that it was simply a moment in time.  And while not every run is perfect, just completing the race is an accomplishment in itself.  With that knowledge, I can appreciate where I am.  By being able to make peace with where I am, each day of my life feels much more peaceful, rewarding, and satisfying.

As I sat down to write this piece, I was reminded of one of the most unusual churches in the world - Our Lady of the Conception of the Capuchins.  If I ever get a chance to visit Rome, I plan to visit this church which is known for its over 4,000 skeletons of friars.   It is said that these skeletons should not be seen as something dark and morbid but as a reminder of our own mortality.  It is a visual and physical reminder that life is short.  In the church there is a quote that translates as “What you are now, we once were; what we are now, you shall be.”  For me this is a reminder of why I strive each day to make the best of what comes my way.  It reminds me that one day I will be accountable before God for all that I have done.  Therefore, it makes no sense to waste the precious time that has been allotted to me.  I must try to use my time to do good, to love others and try to be happy.

As I get up each day and go out for my morning training run, I find ask myself the question – “Am I making a difference? Am I doing all that I can to help others? Am I a good man?”  I know I will never know the true answer to these questions.  However, I do know that happiness and meaning in my life will only have meaning if I make it so. 

June 3 – 5.48 miles (1:02:15, 11:22 pace) – Hill Repeats
June 4 – 3.10 miles (26:08, 8:26 pace) – Speed Work
June 5 – 1.50 miles (13:06, 8:44 pace)
June 6 – 8.70 miles (1:13:21, 8:26 pace) – Tempo Run
June 7 – 5.10 miles (45:53, 9:00 pace)
June 8 – 10.10 miles (1:32:20, 9:09 pace)
June 9 – 9.30 miles (1:26:07, 9:16 pace)
June 10 – 5.00 miles (56:49, 10:22 pace) – Hill Repeats
June 11 – 6.30 miles (53:16, 8:27 pace) – Speed Work
June 12 – 1.10 miles (10:24, 9:28 pace)
June 13 – 5.10 miles (44:34, 8:44 pace) – Tempo Run
June 14 – 5.10 miles (46:54, 9:12 pace)
June 15 – 10.10 miles (1:33:04, 9:13 pace) – Speed Work
June 16 – 9.30 miles (1:26:43, 9:19 pace)
June 17 – 5.10 miles (50:53, 9:58 pace)
June 18 – 3.10 miles (23:19, 7:31 pace) – Speed Work
June 19 – 1.10 miles (9:15, 8:24 pace)
June 20 – 5.10 miles (40:51, 8:01 pace) – Tempo Run
June 21 – 4.10 miles (38:28, 9:23 pace)
June 22 – 10.10 miles (1:35:46, 9:29 pace)
June 23 – 7.50 miles (1:09:11, 9:13 pace)
June 24 – 4.30 miles (47:12, 10:59 pace) – Hill Repeats
June 25 – 6.30 miles (53:14, 8:27 pace) – Speed Work
June 26 – 2.00 miles (17:50, 8:55 pace)
June 27 – 8.30 miles (1:10:50, 8:32 pace) – Tempo Run
June 28 – 2.10 miles (18:03, 8:36 pace)
June 29 – 10.50 miles (1:38:01, 9:20 pace)
June 30 – 9.30 miles (1:27:35, 9:25 pace)
July 1 – 4.50 miles (49:49, 11:05 pace) – Hill Repeats
July 2 – 6.40 miles (53:52, 8:25 pace) – Speed Work
July 3 – 2.00 miles (8:16, 9:09 pace) – Hill Repeats
July 4 – 5.10 miles (44:28, 8:43 pace)
July 5 – 8.30 miles (1:10:41, 8:31 pace) – Tempo Run
July 6 – 8.10 miles (1:15:33, 9:20 pace)
July 7 – 8.40 miles (1:17:47, 9:16 pace)

Total Miles:  206.98 miles
2019 Total Miles:  711.10 miles

Don't Let Your Training Break You

As a lot of runners do, I read Runner’s World magazine every month.  It is a great magazine that provides helpful tips, expert advice and articles about other runners that benefit runners at all levels.  I have learned so much about proper training techniques reading this magazine.  The June issue was mostly dedicated to their #RWRunstreak challenge which they do twice a year.  Once from Memorial Day to July 4 and then from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day.  I decided to challenge myself this year to complete the summer run streak.  This is going to be part of my training for the Reebok Ragnar Northwest Passage relay I am running in July.

I train year round so that I can race when I want to and to stay in good shape health wise.  I can be a bit obsessive about my training and need to remind myself that some days are good days and some are not.  I read an article by Jenn Movold in this month’s Runner’s World that spoke to me with regard to training.  I want to share a portion of it here with you.

"…when the training really starts to mount, we sometimes need to take a step back from the plan and the pressure to maintain a positive focus.  Being firmly connected to a goal is a strong motivator that helps us stay committed to training programs.  But that doesn’t change the fact that we are human and need a break from the intensity to stay energized, mentally and physically, for the hard work required.

So think of training plans less like a blueprint and more like a recipe.  In a perfect world, we’d follow the recipe precisely down to every last grain of salt.  But there are times when you just don’t have red wine vinegar in the pantry and you need to improvise.

The same goes for your training plan.  We’d all love to nail every single workout and maximize every minute of a recovery day, but successful training requires a balance between emotional, mental and physical tolls.  It’s essential to find a way to cope with the extra stress from training while still managing your already demanding workload outside of running.  That’s where the fun comes in and the magic starts to happen.  Don’t forget that your training is there to help you, not break you."

This is so perfectly explained.  It took me years to learn that sometimes I just need to take a day off.  If I am feeling unmotivated in my training, I know that it means that I am not in the right mental state to train properly.  I simply change my plan that day to something really easy or I skip the day altogether.  Missing one day of training in a long schedule will have absolutely no effect on my performance in my goal race.  Take it from me, improvisation has helped me get through some tough mental challenges when I am ramping up my mileage getting ready for a marathon or relay.

While I know that it is  important to complete my scheduled workouts as they were intended, I give myself the leeway to not necessarily execute them to perfection.  There are times when executing my workouts to the very letter is a bad idea.  I have learned (the hard way) that my training plans are intended to help me predict how I will do in the race I signed up for.  These workouts represent what I should do if everything in my life goes perfectly as planned.  The plan does not anticipate days when I am not on my game or have come back really late from a business trip.  Obviously nothing goes perfectly all the way through a training plan.  Movold is telling us that it is very important that despite what the written page says we need to listen to what our body is telling us and make adjustments as necessary.

I hope that you take this to heart.  None of us want to have an injury that will prevent us from running altogether.  It is a huge part of my life and I am sure yours.  Therefore it is critical that you never forget the last sentence of the quoted article, “…your training is there to help you, not break you.”  If you give yourself a break when things aren’t going as planned, you will find that you will reduce injuries and never lose your love of the sport.  Most importantly, I’m sure you will find your magic out there on the road.

May 21 – 3.10 miles (23:16, 7:30 pace) – Speed Work
May 23 – 8.30 miles (1:10:48, 8:32 pace) – Tempo Run
May 24 – 4.10 miles (37:44, 9:13 pace)
May 25 – 9.10 miles (1:21:50, 9:00 pace)
May 26 – 9.30 miles (1:25:23, 9:11 pace)
May 27 – 5.75 miles (1:02:23, 10:51 pace) – Hill Repeats
May 28 – 6.34 miles (53:29, 8:26 pace) – Speed Work
May 29 – 1.00 miles (9:14, 9:14 pace)
May 30 – 8.70 miles (1:13:54, 8:30 pace) – Tempo Run
May 31 – 5.10 miles (45:35, 8:56 pace)
June 1 – 9.20 miles (1:25:21, 9:16 pace)
June 2 – 9.30 miles (1:26:17, 9:17 pace)

Total Miles:  79.29 miles
2019 Total Miles:  684.12 miles

Ragnar Pacific Northwest - July 12-13, 2019

I didn’t realize how long it has been since I posted to my blog.  Since I don’t have that may followers, I guess it isn’t that big of a deal.  I have been busy the past few months pursuing my other passion – community theater.  I had the privilege of playing the part of Fagin in Desert Stages Theater’s “Oliver!”  I got to check off another dream role from my bucket list.  While I didn’t have a chance to write anything while I was doing the show, I was still keeping up with my training.  Which is a good thing since my relay team has signed up for another Ragnar relay this summer.  We are going to run the Reebok Ragnar Northwest Passage.

This race is one I have been eyeing for some time.  As I am sure you can tell, I prefer to run races in beautiful places.  Northwest Passage is going to be another one of those races.  This particular relay begins near the Canadian border in the city of Blaine, WA and will have our team run past the glacial Cascade and Olympic Mountain ranges, Deception Pass and the Puget Sound.  This route will be mostly flat, with some hills.  I am hoping that we will be able to run a fast relay.

Having been to Seattle for work many times, I know that we will be seeing iconic landmarks, friendly locals and most exciting some of the most breathtaking coastal views.  Everything I read about this race says that the Pacific Northwest scenery lives up to its famous reputation.  It is the perfect time of year to run in this area as we will be able to enjoy the vibrant fireweed blossoms, fruit stands and picturesque farms along the way.  Except for the potential for rain the temperatures will be in the high 70’s during the day and high 50’s overnight.  Perfect running temperatures.

It is said that this race takes the runners to where the forest meets the sea, and leaves them breathless from the not only the runs but the scenic views.  The race finishes at Langley, WA on Whidbey Island.  Whidbey Island is the largest of the islands composing Island County, Washington.  It is a place I have always wanted to visit when I have been in Seattle.  The island’s rugged terrain spans beaches, hills and farmland.  On its northwest tip, Deception Pass State Park offers clifftop views, forest trails and freshwater lakes. To the south, Fort Casey Historical State Park is home to a lighthouse and gun battery. The coastal towns of Oak Harbor, Coupeville and Langley have boutiques, cafes and galleries.  I am hoping that I will be able to have a chance to explore some or all of this after we cross the finish line.

I will be in Van 2 and Runner #7.  I will be running legs 7, 19 and 31.  This will mean I am covering roughly 20.7 miles.  My first leg starts in Bellingham, WA at Bellingham High School.  Bellingham is a popular tourist destination known for its easy access to outdoor recreation in the San Juan Islands and North Cascades.  I will have a clear view of Mount Baker as I head out for an easy 3.8 mile run.  I finish the leg at Hillcrest Chapel which is in the Fairhaven neighborhood of Bellingham.  Most of this leg runs along the waterfront of Bellingham Bay and past Boulevard Park.  This should be a beautiful run early in the day.

My second leg starts at La Conner Middle School in La Conner, WA.  I will be running 10.5 miles.  This leg is rated very hard.  This is probably because of the distance.  It takes me out across the Rainbow Bridge.  The bridge connects Fidalgo Island and La Conner, crossing the Swinomish Channel in Skagit County, Washington.  It is a deck arch bridge made of steel, built in 1957, with a total length of 797 feet.  After crossing the bridge most of the run is in the Swinomish Reservation.  The reservation was established in 1855 by the Treaty of Port Elliott.  The leg finishes at the Swinomish Casino in Anacortes, WA.   

My final leg starts in Coupeville, WA at Coupeville High School.  This high school serves the central portion of Whidbey Island.  I will head south for 6.4 miles.  The leg is rated hard and I am not sure why.  I finish on the side of a road in what looks like a farm in southern Coupeville.  I am sure I will be relieved to be done at that point.  But we will have 5 more legs to go before making it to the finish line at Whitby Island Fairgrounds.

I love these races and hope that I can keep running them until I can run no more.  What I am most looking forward to is being in the Van with 5 of my good friends laughing all the way.  Funny things always happen during relays when you aren’t running.  In reality, and to the non-runner, they probably aren’t all that funny.  But to 6 people who have been running/driving/going non-stop pretty much anything is funny.  Or downright hysterical.  I have about 8 more weeks of training before heading north to run in my 14th adventure relay race.  They have all been great experiences and allowed me to make some really great friends along the way.  I just need to focus on my training and drop a few pounds so I can rock this relay.

Feb 11 – 4.10 miles (45:14, 11:02 pace) – Hill Repeats
Feb 12 – 6.30 miles (54:49, 8:42 pace) – Speed Work
Feb 14 – 8.30 miles (1:11:27, 8:37 pace) – Tempo Run
Feb 15 – 4.10 miles (37:28, 9:06 pace)
Feb 16 – 8.10 miles (1:15:48, 9:21 pace)
Feb 17 – 8.30 miles (1:16:09, 9:10 pace)
Feb 18 – 5.10 miles (45:38, 8:57 pace)
Feb 19 – 6.30 miles (54:10, 8:36 pace) – Speed Work
Feb 21 – 7.30 miles (1:02:49, 8:36 pace) – Tempo Run
Feb 22 – 3.20 miles (28:20, 8:51 pace)
Feb 23 – 8.11 miles (1:17:30, 9:34 pace)
Feb 24 – 7.30 miles (1:08:07, 9:20 pace)
Feb 25 – 4.70 miles (1:04:40, 10:28 pace) – Hill Repeats
Feb 26 – 6.30 miles (53:49, 8:33 pace) – Speed Work
Feb 27 – 4.10 miles (32:52, 8:01 pace) – Tempo Run
Mar 2 – 7.70 miles (1:13:47, 9:35 pace)
Mar 3 – 7.40 miles (1:07:36, 9:08 pace)
Mar 4 – 4.70 miles (49:26, 10:31 pace) – Hill Repeats
Mar 5 – 6.30 miles (53:48, 8:32 pace) – Speed Work
Mar 7 – 8.40 miles (1:11:40, 8:32 pace) – Tempo Run
Mar 9 – 9.10 miles (1:25:06, 9:21 pace)
Mar 10 – 8.30 miles (1:17:21, 9:19 pace)
Mar 11 – 4.50 miles (48:56, 10:53 pace) – Hill Repeats
Mar 12 – 6.30 miles (53:52, 8:33 pace) – Speed Work
Mar 14 – 8.40 miles (1:11:34, 8:31 pace) – Tempo Run
Mar 15 – 5.10 miles (47:04, 9:13 pace)
Mar 16 – 7.30 miles (1:07:42, 9:16 pace)
Mar 17 – 4.70 miles (49:26, 10:31 pace) – Hill Repeats
Mar 19 – 3.10 miles (30:40, 9:54 pace) – Florence, Italy
Mar 21 – 3.50 miles (33:33, 9:35 pace) – Florence, Italy
Mar 23 – 7.10 miles (1:04:33, 9:06 pace)
Mar 24 – 8.30 miles (1:16:53, 9:16 pace)
Mar 25 – 4.50 miles (49:31, 11:00 pace) – Hill Repeats
Mar 26 – 6.30 miles (53:44, 8:32 pace) – Speed Work
Mar 29 – 4.50 miles (1:11:40, 9:26 pace)
Mar 30 – 6.60 miles (1:01:16, 9:17 pace)
Mar 31 – 8.30 miles (01:17:40, 9:21 pace)
Apr 1 – 4.50 miles (52:41, 11:32 pace) – Hill Repeats
Apr 7 – 4.10 miles (36:18, 8:50 pace)
Apr 8 – 4.10 miles (46:08, 11:15 pace) – Hill Repeats
Apr 9 – 6.30 miles (53:37, 8:311 pace) – Speed Work
Apr 11 – 3.10 miles (25:03, 8:05 pace)
Apr 12 – 4.10 miles (35:27, 8:39 pace)
Apr 13 – 5.10 miles (46:32, 9:08 pace)
Apr 15 – 4.10 miles (45:10, 11:01 pace) – Hill Repeats
Apr 16 – 6.30 miles (53:37, 8:31 pace) – Speed Work
Apr 18 – 8.30 miles (1:10:44, 8:31 pace) – Tempo Run
Apr 19 – 4.10 miles (37:44, 9:12 pace)
Apr 20 – 7.10 miles (1:04:31, 9:05 pace)
Apr 22 – 5.10 miles (55:59, 10:59 pace) – Hill Repeats
Apr 23 – 6.30 miles (53:34, 8:30 pace) – Speed Work
Apr 25 – 3.10 miles (35:47, 11:33 pace)
Apr 28 – 4.10 miles (36:55, 9:00 pace)
Apr 29 – 3.50 miles (40:14, 11:30 pace) – Hill Repeats
Apr 30 – 5.30 miles (43:29, 8:22 pace) – Speed Work
May 2 – 6.70 miles (55:41, 8:19 pace) – Tempo Run
May 3 – 4.10 miles (36:46, 8:58 pace)
May 6 – 3.50 miles (39:55, 11:25 pace) – Hill Repeats
May 7 – 5.20 miles (43:28, 9:05 pace) – Speed Work
May 9 – 4.10 miles (37:54, 9:15 pace)
May 10 – 5.10 miles (54:31, 10:41 pace)
May 11 – 7.10 miles (35:47, 8:54 pace)
May 12 – 7.30 miles (1:06:22, 9:05 pace)
May 13 – 4.50 miles (48:34, 10:48 pace) – Hill Repeats
May 14 – 6.30 miles (53:14, 8:27 pace) – Speed Work
May 16 – 8.30 miles (1:10:52, 8:32 pace) – Tempo Run
May 17 – 4.10 miles (36:11, 8:50 pace)
May 18 – 7.10 miles (1:08:11, 9:36 pace)
May 19 – 4.10 miles (36:37, 8:56 pace)

Total Miles:  398.11 miles
2019 Total Miles:  604.83 miles

The Dopey Challenge Race Reports - WDW Marathon

After completing three of the four races in the Dopey Challenge, I was starting to get nervous about the marathon.  I knew that I could run the distance no matter how slow.  But the fact that Disney has sweepers that pull you off the course if you can’t get across the finish line in under 7 hours was worrying me.  Mara’s boyfriend told me not to worry about it.  He felt I would have no issues with completing the race in under 7 hours.  I went to bed Saturday night with a lot of nerves and had a restless night of sleep.

Mara had graciously agreed to get up early and drive me over to the starting line area so I could sleep in.  Despite the fact that I woke up several times during the night I felt pretty good when I woke up at 4:15 to get ready for the race.  I was planning to wear a Dopey hat and ears for this final race.  Unfortunately the weather was going to be a lot warmer after the sun came up.  I decided to ditch that plan and just run with my 48.6 headband.  I was still in a shirt and shorts that matched Dopey’s clothing colors.  I figure that was good enough.

Mara got to the Swan at 4:45 am and we headed over to Epcot.  The traffic wasn’t too bad at all.  She pulled up and let me out.  We planned to meet at the finish line.  I started the long walk over to the starting line corrals.  Again I was going to be in Corral H which was the very last one.  This didn’t help my nerves at all.  When I finally got into the corral at about 5:15 am, I pushed my way as far up as I could so I would be in the very back.  I knew to get going at my cadence of 2 miles of running to 2/10 of a mile walk break, I was going to have to weave in and out of a lot of walkers.

As expected the race started right on time.  I simply sat there on the ground listening to my Grateful Dead Podcast and waited.  Finally at 6:00 am a guy nudged me and said we were moving.  So I got up and started to slowly walk towards the starting line.  It was really crowded in the corral.  We finally pushed our way to the front and at 6:13 am the gun went off and I was finally “running”.  Now it was going to be mind over matter for the next several hours.

I ran the first 2 miles dodging all of the people who were walking from the very beginning of the race.  As I approached the 1.5 mile mark, I noticed that Captain Hook was there for a meet and greet.  How could I pass up that opportunity.  The line was short since I was in the last corral.  After getting a great photo I took off again.  When the 2 mile mark came up, I decided to run another mile since I had a brief rest when I met Captain Hook.  As I ran the 3rd mile, I took the chance to meet Star-Lord as well.  Surprisingly I was easily averaging a 10 minute pace.  I knew I would slow down as the race went on but my nerves were starting to subside.

Since I was feeling good, I kept up with my run/walk program.  I ran through the Magic Kingdom parking lot along the same path as the Half Marathon.  I passed the Contemporary Hotel while passing many runners and walkers.  At this point it dawned on me that running a race with no pressure to hit a certain time goal was allowing me to just enjoy the experience.  We made the turn into the crowds outside the Magic Kingdom’s entrance and then into the park.  The sun was finally up and there were a ton of spectators along Main Street cheering us on.  That was a great motivator.

The marathon route is exactly the same as the half marathon route through the Magic Kingdom.  I enjoyed running through the castle again.  The crowds were much bigger this time.  After passing by Splash Mountain the course takes you out through a back stage area.  As I made it into this area, I saw that they had four of the villains next to a parade float.  I decided to stop and get my picture taken.  I met Jafar, the Evil Queen (again), Dr. Facilier and Judge Claude Frollo.  The line was pretty long but it was worth it.  I took off again and exited the park onto Floridian Way.

I took another short walk break.  I remembered this part of the route from the half marathon.  It is not too exciting.  I saw more characters along the way but just wanted to keep going.  The temperatures were starting to rise and the sun was beating down on us.  Though it wasn’t too hot,  I didn’t want to run so slow that I would still be out there when it was in the 70s.  I passed mile 10 on Bear Island Road and noticed that over the last 3 miles I had been averaging about 9:45 per mile.  The course is very flat so it is easy to feel like you are not running too hard when in fact you are cruising at a pretty good pace.

Just past mile 10 the course takes a turn to the west onto Western Way.  I did not recall this part of the route from my study of the course.  This part of the race basically takes you out a mile and then you turn back east and run the same route back.  It is a 2 mile stretch of nothing to see but other runners on the opposite side of the road.  I just locked in and focused on getting to the half way mark to see how I was doing for time.

I finally made it back to Bear Island Road and turned right to head towards Animal Kingdom.  This was the part of the course I was looking forward to as it is my favorite park.  It also happens to be where Mara works.  There were some really cool sights along the path to get to the backstage area.  You can see the Nautilus, a Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride Car and a Snow White Ride car.  Once I turned into the back stage area onto Conservation Road, I met a couple of small donkeys.  One had a shirt on that said, “0 horse power.”  The other had his picture taken with me.

I was really feeling good at this point.  I stopped for a quick picture with Rafiki near the train station.  I finally passed the
half way mark.  I looked down at my watch and  saw I was at 2:26:51.  At that moment all of the pressure and nerves fell away.  I knew I could finish this race and not get swept up.  As I entered the park there was Timon all by himself.  I gave him a hug and had my picture taken with him.  I was feeling so excited to be running through the park that I ran the 14th mile right at a 9 minute pace.

The exit from Animal Kingdom takes you out behind Dinosaur (the ride) and around the park’s parking lot.  Then onto Osceola Parkway for miles 15 through 17.  I was starting to get heated up a bit.  This part of the course is not very exciting either as there is a lot of road construction on the street.  I did get a chance to get my picture with Pluto who was just hanging out on the side of the road.  As I passed mile 17, I saw the turn that would take us up a hill to ESPN World
of Sports.

The hill was surprisingly easy for me.  I guess that the hills I run in my neighborhood here in Scottsdale had me well prepared.  At mile 18 I finally turned into the ESPN sports complex.  As we entered the area, they had put out some kiddie pools with wet sponges floating in them.  I grabbed one and washed my face and neck.  The cool water really helped rejuvenate me.  The only problem with this part of the course is that the pathways through the complex are very narrow.  I had a hard time keeping up a good running pace.

As I was approaching the turn that would take me to the baseball complex where the Atlanta Braves play their spring training games, I saw a pace group in front of me.  When I reached them I saw that it was the Jeff Galloway 5:30 pace group.  Since I couldn’t get up to any speed despite the fact that I was feeling really good at mile 19, I hung with them.  They were running a 3 minute run and 1 minute walk cadence.  It was nice to just take it easy in this very crowded part of the course.  When we left the baseball field, we were finally out of the narrowest part and heading back to Victory Way which would be the final exit from ESPN.

I finally made it out of ESPN and onto Victory Way and started heading north again.  The road was much wider and I could spread out.  I stayed with the Galloway pace team until I passed the 21 mile marker.  I looked at my watch and saw that I was at 3:51:00 with only 5.2 miles to go.  I felt I could potentially come in under 5 hours but didn’t want to press it.  Besides I didn’t know what characters I might want to stop and say hello to along the way.

I made the turn back onto Osceola Parkway and could see the backside of Hollywood Studios.  The Tower of Terror was easy to find.  To get up onto World Drive again, I had to run up a pretty good little hill of an on-ramp.  As I was running up, I noticed a Green Army Man shouting encouraging things at the runners.  I wanted to grab a picture of him.  When I stopped to take his picture, he noticed me and yelled, “You can’t stop!  There is no lolly gagging in this race!  Move! Move! Move!”  I laughed and started running again down the ramp onto World Drive and passed mile 22.

The next mile took me north on World Drive and another hill at an off ramp.  As I got to the top of the hill, I made the turn onto Buena Vista Dr.  I was finally going to get into Hollywood Studios.  As I was approaching the back stage area and mile 23, I saw the Incredibles.  I had to stop and pose with them since I was having an incredible race.
After a short wait, I got my picture and started to run again.  At this point I was mostly running just on the adrenaline.  The crowds were huge and their cheering really gave me a boost as I ran down Hollywood Boulevard and
out the front gate.

I then crossed under Buena Vista Drive and the course took me along the water front between the Swan Hotel and the Boardwalk.  I passed mile 24 and was running really well.  I was at 4:25:24 and having a blast.  The crowd along the Boardwalk was not as big as I thought.  I guess it was because it was getting late in the race.  I ran around the board walk and got to the bridge that would take me back into Epcot Center.  I had less than 2 miles to go.  All I could think about was that I was going to finish and with a huge smile on my face!

As I entered the park, there were people along the route with chocolate candy.  I grabbed a couple and munched them down.  They tasted so good.  I passed the 25 mile marker and found a great spot to take a selfie with Spaceship Earth.  At this point, I didn’t care about time.  I was feeling strong and excited and proud all at the same time.  I rounded the Word Showcase getting cheers of encouragement from the spectators and made my way to Spaceship Earth and the last part of the race.

When I got to Spaceship Earth, I decided to stop and have the professional photographer take my picture.  I wanted a record of how I looked after completing over 47 miles of running over the last 4 days.  I gave her a big thumbs up and then turned around and headed towards the finish line.

I am not sure I can adequately describe the feeling as I rounded the corner and could see the finish line.  Sure I had crossed it 3 times so far but this time was going to be special.  I ran hard the last 2/10 of a mile and as I was approaching the finish line, I started to yell incoherently.  I had trained hard over the 16 weeks prior to race day.  I had put in the time and I was reaching my goal.  I was crossing the finish line with a huge grin and injury free.  What a feeling of
accomplishment!
I finished the race in 5:04:45.  I could have come in under 5 hours - but why.  It was never about the time on the clock.  It was really all about the physical and mental challenge.  I know that 4,674 people completed the Dopey Challenge this year.  Yet it takes nothing away from my feeling of accomplishment.  I am obviously not alone in taking on the challenge and ultimately conquering it.  However, the medals were spectacular.  Because I finished the Dopey Challenge  I traveled home
with 6 amazing medals – one for each of the four races plus the medal for the Goofy Challenge and one for completing Dopey.  All I can say is that Dopey was an AMAZING experience and I am glad I signed up for it and was able to race part of it with my daughter. It is a weekend I will never forget.  If you are a long time runner and want a challenge, I hope you too have the chance to run it.

Feb 4 – 4.10 miles (44:50, 9:08 pace)
Feb 5 – 6.30 miles (54:49, 8:42 pace) – Speed Work
Feb 7 – 7.30 miles (1:04:40, 8:52 pace) – Tempo Run
Feb 9 – 13.18 miles (2:28:19, 11:15 pace) – Sprouts Mesa-PHX Half Marathon

Total Miles:  30.88 miles
2019 Total Miles:  206.72 miles