Posts

Showing posts from March, 2014

Thank You For Being A Friend

Image
I remember slogging around the North Coast 24, on it’s .9-mile track.   It was the race that I wanted to hit my first 75 miler.   I would have to go around that track 84 times.   Yeah…monotonous.   After running for about 12 hours, evening was descending.   A runner approached me, “Do you have anyone to spend the night with?”   In any other context, this would be absolutely inappropriate, but on this course, it was just his way of looking for someone to talk to while we went around, and around, and around.   He needed a friend. He was a very nice man, but was obviously struggling with the race.   He had suffered a stroke that left him with major holes in his memory and with speech deficits.   We spent hours talking about his recovery and obstacles that he has had to overcome. His finish line was at 50 miles, and he thanked me for the company and said, “If you ever want to run the HAT race, you let me know.   I’m one of the race directors.   We fill up quickly, but you’ve always go

DC Rock and Roll Marathon---Even Does It

Image
I arrived in DC the day before the race.   A leisurely walk around Arlington National Cemetery helped me to cement my goal for this race.    I would run it strong, run it focused and be a metronome.   I wanted to prove to myself that I could run by perceived exertion (no watch) and maintain a steady pace over the entire 26.2.    If I could do it, it would prove to me that my training was on track.   I didn’t care what the pace was that I held; that would have to depend on the day, the crowd, the course, my diet, my training and of course Mother Nature.   I just wanted to cross the line with whatever stride I had at the start.   Even 10k splits—here I come. I got to the start line and I had a heavy case of   ‘I miss my kids’.   I ran the half marathon with my son and his friend last year, and I couldn’t help but feel the void created by his absence this year.   Dang broken leg!    A quick call home, and my daughter saying our favorite catch phrase,   “You are brave.   You are smart