Eight Years Old

Hard to believe, but our twin grandsons are eight years old today.  What a journey it's been.  Now they are in second grade, reading and doing multiplication and generally enjoying life.

From Family-General

It is a real gift they live a mere 10 minute drive away.  Our son is midway through nursing school.  His deployments as a US Army medic have prepared him well.  His wife holds a significant teaching appointment in the manufacturing section of our local community college.  They love these two guys and their little sister...it's a true blessing to have them near and to enjoy warm relationships with all five of them.

Thanks for enjoying this with me.

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Race Report: AFC Half Marathon 2011

ORN: 13.1 miles, 1:54:47, 8:46/mile

The Quick Summary

Wow, what a fun weekend in San Diego! We had huge fun running America's Finest City Half Marathon, and even more fun with family. On a perfect day to run, I had my quickest HM time in three years.

The Gory (and Pictorial) Details

A trip to San Diego from Indiana for a long weekend means a lot of early mornings. I was out the door at 4am on Friday morning and, despite a flight cancellation causing me to fly from Indy to Houston to Denver to San Diego, I got there just a little after lunch. My sister picked me up and we got to visit a wonderful agency where she volunteers in San Diego, The Tomorrow Project, which gives many job skills to underpriveleged women. It was terrific to see how my big sis was contributing in her retirement.

Her oldest son, John, is technically my nephew but we are way more like brothers. He picked me up late afternoon and we headed to the expo to get our bibs. Walking in, a strange, impish idea hit me. I asked someone "Just where are the bibs for the elite runners?" She pointed, we walked over and I explained to the volunteer that I was hoping to just stand there, that this was as close as I'd ever be to elite status. She grinned and said, "Shoot, why don't you just hold one?"

"Elite" runners?

And so we did! It seems the #2 had already been picked up, but #1 and #3 seemed just fine for us!! We got photographic proof of our brief touch with world-class status.

From there, John, a two-time veteran of the AFC HM, drove me over the last half of the race. This proved very useful on race day, as the course gradually climbed in the 11th mile, then found a long steep up-hill grind over the last two miles.

We then headed to enjoy an evening of Major League Baseball. We went to Petco Park to watch the titanic struggle between the Florida Marlins and San Diego Padres. Since both teams were at the bottom of the National League East and West, it seemed only logical to wear a Cubs jersey to represent the bottom of the National League Central.

At PETCO Park

Thanks for StubHub, we got terrific deals on seats just 6 rows from the field right at third base. We were so close to the field, we could analyze whether the container in the right hip pocket of third-base umpire Tony Randazzo was a tin of snuff or a small package of sunflower seeds. (During the middle of the 5th, we confirmed it was the seeds, fortunately). John and I love baseball and we were able to get so close and analyze all the ins and outs of a tight, 4-3 Padre win. It was probably the most enjoyable major league game I've ever attended.

Saturday was a relaxing day with my sister and brother-in-law, capped off with a great pasta dinner and long conversation with John and his wife. We hit the hay early because Sunday was going to be a long day.

And so it was. The alarm went off at 3:30am, John and I headed to Balboa Park just before 4 and were on one of the 106 bus loads of runners hauled from the finish line to the start point at Point Loma at 4:40am. At the Point by 5am, we had two hours before the 7am start. And this time was sweet. It was dark and we found a quiet spot overlooking San Diego Bay. The cool quiet was a terrifically pleasant experience. As the sun rose, the marine layer kept the temps right at 60F for the entire 2 hours of the race...perfect running weather. At the right time, we did a short warm up run, and walked to the start grid, positioning ourselves about a third of the way back from the front. Despite our very ordinary four-digit numbers, we were ready to go.




At the start

The race started on time, we crossed the finish line two minutes after the gun sounded and the race was on. John and I wanted to run the race fairly hard, so had decided to try to hold to 8:40 miles, run together through mile 10 and then see how we felt for the final uphill climb. The first two miles were rolling, then we had a nearly two mile run downhill. The course then flattened out and we settled into a rhythm. We hit the 10K mat together in 52:41, a pace of 8:30, feeling good. With the early downhill, we were pleased with this pace.

The 10K mat

We turned onto Harbor Island and ran the "T" section of the course, emerging at mile 8. We shared some M&Ms, stayed hydrated and kept moving. It was terrific.

At about this time, far ahead us, a 23 year-old Kenyan, Weldon Kirui, won the race in a blistering 1:03:18. Why was he so fast? Take a close look at his bib number:

The Winner #3

Yes, he wore Bib #3. If you zoom in on the original photograph, you can actually see John's fingerprints still on the corners of the bib. The inspiration was unquestionably the difference on race day. John is truly linked to running greatness, yet, in humility, did not want to detract from Mr. Kiruri's moment in the sun and so hung back in the pack.

Meanwhile, back on the course, we kept rolling along. Just before the 10 mile marker, though, I noticed John was rolling better than I was. We chatted about it and I sent him on his way with an encouraging fist bump. I watched him pull away steadily, looking strong. He kept a very strong pace, motoring up the two hilly miles in 8:13 and 8:11!

John finishing

John finished in 1:51:07. Breaking that down, from the 10K mat to the finish, he ran at an 8:29 pace. Wow...8:30/mile for first 10K of the race which had a big downhill, then 8:29 for the final 6.9 miles with a 2 mile grind uphill. That's an awesome finish and great pacing.

After John moved ahead, I hit one of those half-mile or so patches where I had to re-calibrate and reorient, both in mind and body. That seemed to help and then the hills began. The same two miles mentioned above took me 9:55 and 9:40, respectively. Such is the advantage John has by being able to train regularly on hills while I live in a remarkably flat area. That hill was just plain tough but I did run it without walking.

One of the most amazing experiences of this race for me occurred at the top of the hill, as we turned off the climb and onto the mostly flat final half mile in Balboa Park. I suddenly felt like I was accelerating...it's hard to explain but it was almost like coming out of a slingshot. I looked at my Garmin and saw a pace of 7:45 and it felt fine.

Joe near finish

I pushed hard to the finish, hitting the line at 1:54:47. I had wanted to go under 1:55 and had 13 seconds to spare. My pace after the 10K mat slowed to 9:00/mile but that's just the way it was on the hill.

John found me shortly after I crossed the finish line and we had a most wonderful time reliving the race. We hung out for 30 minutes or so, enjoying the entire atmosphere, even with our humble, four-digit bib numbers intact.

Afterwards

The rest of the day Sunday was more family. My sister, BIL and I joined John and his wife, daughters and boyfriends for supper on their new patio. What rich time together! It ended too quickly...up at 4am on Monday to catch a 6:30am flight home.

On reflection, the weekend was simply marvelous. It also says much. The baseball was perfect. The run was awesome. But, ultimately, baseball (like the Cubs) fades. Eventually I won't be able to run. Yet my family will always be there. And quality of the time with them eclipsed all the other terrific experiences of the weekend. Thanks, to all of you for your hospitality!

Persevere. Especially with your family.



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Launched

As long-time running pal Michelle recently reported, sending a son off to military service is quite a parental moment.

Thursday, our youngest son Matt headed east, where he begins his Army active duty service next Wednesday at Ft. Lee, Virginia. It was time. And it was also a poignant moment, to give him a hug and see him drive off.



We felt no different than any parent, in any generation, has felt in seeing offspring head out to serve. If I'm not willing to let my kid serve, why should I expect every other parent to have his/her kid serve? It's a key question to me, as a parent, as a citizen.



So, off he went. A moment of joy and pride and realization that all three of our sons are now "launched".

Persevere.


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Commissioned. Graduated. Amazing

Off topic this post, yet really not for those of you long-time blog readers.

A week ago Sunday, May 8, was one of those days you remember. Our youngest son, Matt, finished his four years at Wheaton College, with quite a flourish.

As a high schooler, Matt decided he wanted to pursue being a part of the US Army. He worked towards and won an ROTC scholarship to Wheaton. He spent four amazing years growing in stature, understanding and leadership. All of that was culminated when he took his oath of office and became a Second Lieutenant. It was a very special moment.

Swearing In

The ceremony also included the traditional "First Salute", the first time an enlisted man or woman salutes the newly-minted officer. Matt asked his brother, our oldest son David, to offer the first salute. David, even though out of the Army for 2+ years now, dug out his dress uniform with full sergeant stripes and offered the salute.

After the commissioning at noon, Matt and his 10 fellow new officers had to hustle across campus to line up for commencement at 3pm. The 600 undergrads filled the stage and the event had all the pomp expected of such an occasion.

Commencement Stage

Matt graduated Magna Cum Laude, which was a marvelous honor as well. Gretchen, David and I sat there with truly thankful hearts; the match for Matt of this school was absolutely perfect. He grew so much through it.

After commencement, we got together; the smiles are genuine.

Afterwards

The only tough part of the day was that our third son, Nathan, was unable to get time off from his job in Portland to join us, despite his best efforts. We included him on several phone calls anyway. David's wife Susan was with us on Saturday but she had to drive back home early Sunday morning as the college where she teaches had its own commencement.

If you'd like to see more photos of our weekend, I've posted about 17 pix here.

Be glad with us. It's been an amazing thing and now three sons all through college and moving on to their lives. We love each of them and are grateful for the gifts and skills they each bring to their worlds.

And each of them continue to persevere. As do we.

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Tapering into Football

ORN #1: 11.7 miles, 2:01:40, R6/W1, 10:24/mile
ORN #2: 0.25 miles, no time, all run, lots of chatter

The beautiful fall weather continues. My first long run of the taper was useful and thought provoking on Saturday (but that's not unusual). During the taper, I'm trying to follow the concept of shortening the mileage but keeping the intensity. With temps in the upper 50s, that was not hard to do. I used a 6/1 and kept the HR up...I was pleased with a sub 10:30pace. The legs were stiff-ish throughout, probably from 23 last Saturday. Interestingly, around mile 8, the legs were neither more nor less stiff than in the early miles, so I pushed the pace with no ill effect. After one day off last week, I go back to the usual schedule this week. I may well run a local 10K race next Saturday as a final "tune up" before Chicago on Oct 10.

My second run of the day was a treat and perhaps the first of many. We had our grandkids over all day. When I returned from my outing, I asked the three of them "Who wants to go for a run?" Young Nathan jumped up and so out we went. I said "Let's see if we can run all the way around the block without walking!" He was game. And off we went...a steady jog and we made it. What a treat! Hope we get to do that more.

On the beautiful fall afternoon, I then took both boys on an outing I often took my own sons on when they were little. With Purdue playing at home, we went down to see the fourth quarter. It's a great value with little kids...no traffic, park for free, walk in for free, find an empty seat (plenty of those available, sadly, for Purdue football this season) and enjoy the sun, the crowd and a box of popcorn, if not the game (yeah, Toledo beat the Boilers; a win for the MAC, Darrell!).

Drew, Joe, Nathan

A good day, all the way around. I'm blessed and thankful.

Persevere.


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Great week in Bermuda

We got home around midnight Saturday from a terrific week in Bermuda. Relaxing, great conversation, saw some wonderful things while we were there. Bermuda is quite a unique place, a fascinating combination of British, American, Caribbean and a touch of African cultures that defies description. The people were contagiously friendly and polite...we were quite taken by the place.

If you'd like to see some of our photos, here's what I uploaded.

Run? Yeah, I got to run. The roads are very narrow, tight and twisty, so I was pleased to find the Bermuda Railway Trail available not far from where we stayed. I did all my running there and shot a video one day...enjoy.



It was a great way to celebrate our 35th Wedding Anniversary. While we were there, we decided another 35 would be a fine idea.



Persevere. It makes for both good running and a good marriage.


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Big-Race Goodie Bags Lead to Fun Pix

ORN (Sat): 14.0 miles, R3/W1, 2:24:26, 10:19/mile

After my truncated "long" run last week, I hoped to have a more positive long-ish run yesterday, 2 weeks ahead of the Illinois Marathon. I walked out the door committed to 12 miles, hoping though to do 14 if the strained upper right calf cooperated.

On a perfect, sun-swept, cool spring morning, it was fabulous to simply be out. Since the plan is to run a 1/1 run/walk in the marathon, I wanted to run a 3/1 for training, while keeping the same run pace I intend to use on race day, 9:12/mile.

It worked. The pace felt fine. Better was the news about the right calf. Around mile 4, it mentioned to me "Hey, I'm still here!" But, it never got louder. Just a bit of a minor whine from the back seat which never got worse. This could be the story on race day... it was good to experience and know it is manageable.

But, I digress.

When John and I ran the Honda Los Angeles Marathon four weeks ago, we got, as usual, a full goodie bag at registration. It had the usual mishmash of local race notices, pain relievers, restaurant deals and odd nutritional drinks. Most funny, though, was a complimentary Sweatband emblazoned with the 2010 US Census logo. I guess the tax dollars were worth it for the publicity, but it seemed odd to John and me.

I did have the idea it would make a fun gift for my twin, six-year old grandsons, so John happily donated his to the cause. I gave it to the boys last week and they gladly posed for grandpa to take a photo.




Then, as two kindergarten boys are wont to do, Drew looped behind Nathan and they began to wrestle, leading to this epic image.




Which then raises the Census Question of the Day; Just how do they count two-headed boys?

I guess if you are a Census worker, you just shrug your shoulders and persevere.


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Thinking, Running. Running, Thinking

ORN: 24.0 miles, R1/W1, 4:47:55, 12:00/mile

At work late Friday afternoon, a colleage popped into my office. She had read this blog recently, noting I was now a "sponsored runner". She's preparing for a half-marathon this spring and had some shoe questions. She then asked about my prep for the Los Angeles Marathon. I noted this weekend, three weeks ahead of race day, was the time for the last long run. How long? she asked and then grimaced when I replied "23." She then asked me a very perceptive question.

"So, Joe, just what do you think about on such a long run?"

That is one of the best questions I've ever been asked about running. I stumbled a bit when talking with her. Yet, as I set out this morning, I decided to catalog just what I did think about. And several categories emerged.

Not surprisingly, I thought about running quite a bit. With a marathon only three week away, I played out the various preparations remaining, travel not the least of them. I also thought about the run/walk strategy. Once more, I used a one minute run, one minute walk plan for today's long run. Amazing...it hits a heart-rate zone which lets me feel like I can just go and go. The first 14 miles of the run was largely on snow and slush from the overnight flurries, which is not efficient. Nevertheless, the 1/1 worked great. No pain, no niggles, no nothing. Just running.

I also thought a lot about both family and work. There are a lot of situations in both. What do I do? Or not do? Who do I write? Who do I phone? Who do I leave alone? I find the long weekend runs often allow me enough time to truly process ambiguous situations more fully. Yet, I often can't get into those topics for a good hour or so after getting started.

Speaking of snow, I thought a lot today about just how to describe the bleakness of Indiana in late February. The 1/2" of overnight snow on top of gritty piles of snow from bigger storms earlier in the month reminded me of something, but just what? Then it hit me. It was like going to a wedding ceremony at which you know both families have some significant dysfunctions. They dress up nicely but you can see some of the ugliness still peeking through.

Better to just show some photos, though. I've told you before about the fields I run through...here they are on a really grey, overcast winter day.

Corn Field


Running Path

The running path here had drifted shut pretty well. The only place to run had been packed down but resembled a single-track, heavily-rooted trail run much more than the broad asphalt sitting underneath it.

Soybean Field

And here's my favorite soybean field. Dry, cold, silent.

All these photos are color, folks. This is just how grey it can get here. My wife and I have often speculated that the length and colorless-ness of winter is one reason high school and college basketball are so popular in the Midwest. It simply offers people a wonderful diversion from the toughness of the outdoors. I noted to publish photos of the same scenes in May...the contrast is fantastic.

I thought a lot about wisdom today. Not a common topic, but I think about it. Simply put, wisdom is proper application of knowledge. How do I learn wisdom? How do I assess it in my own life?

I though about, ached with and prayed for a good friend with whom we used to work. His wife lost a two-year battle with cancer a week ago. Today was her memorial service. What was he feeling? How was he doing? Now a widower at age 55, how was the grief working out? How can I support him? A man of faith, John is nevertheless struggling in knowing the hope God offers on one hand while facing very real loss on the other. I simply ached for him.

As the run ended, I shifted back to thinking about running. The 1/1 worked well, really well. And an idea. As the Garmin said I hit mile 22.8, I decided to run continuously the rest of the way. And so I did. The last 1.2 miles came in at a 10:22 pace, the fastest pace of the day. Better, it felt very comfortable. I ended the run feeling well prepared for Los Angeles. Assuming, of course, there is no snow on the ground there.

So that's what I thought about for nearly 5 hours. Some things noble, some mundane, but mostly useful. And that's what good questions do...they make us think more deeply.

Persevere. And think well.


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A Good Week Running

ORN: 9 miles total, with 5K time trial at 27:13

With the holidays over, the shoulder inflammation subsiding and single digits giving way to "balmy weather" in the 20s, running hit a nice rhythm this past week, a flow it hasn't had for a month or so.

A week ago Saturday, I managed 16.5 miles on very cold, snow-covered streets. During the week, I got in my usual 3 runs. Today's plan called for 9 miles with a 5K time trial built in. It was leaden-grey overcast but warm enough to run in shorts. The time trial was reasonable, with all 3 miles at 8:43. Starting to feel like I'm actually getting set for the LA Marathon.

None of this beats simple gifts, though. Our almost-six year old grandsons are really starting to grasp this whole business of reading. Drew made this for me last week.



He made a heart to let me know he loved me, he said. And his drawing of me has everything I need; a mustache, a smile, five fingers on both hands and a belly button.

That's something I can persevere with.

Merry Christmas...at Three Levels

It is unusual for me to buy any photos from big races. Yet, when Brightroom made an offer for a digital greeting card this week, I took it. It is amazing to me how just one simple photo captures so much.



In this photo, I'm about 130m from the finish line at the Sunburst Marathon last June in South Bend, Indiana. Just outside Notre Dame Stadium, I have no recollection of the photographer (for reasons I will explain) though I obviously saw him.

This photo moves me, for three reasons.

First, it just shows the joy of running. While mile 24 had been really tough for me in this warm-day race, I recovered and was feeling awesome as I came to the end of the marathon. I was aware of the setting and absorbing all I could at the conclusion of nearly 5 hours of running. The smile is sincere, the enthusiasm real. It got even more exuberant when I got on the field. I'm deeply grateful to be able to run and, yeah, it shows.

Second, the location was profound. Many of you know my Dad played football at Notre Dame in the 1930s. The shirt I am wearing has his photo on the back and, symbolically, the races at Notre Dame are a way for me to honor him. I can share, in a small way at the same spot, some of his athletic achievements. I wish we could talk about this marathoning thing...as a big, burly football guy, I'm sure he would laugh and laugh, yet be fascinated and proud.

Amazingly, 42 years ago in the fall of 1967, I was at nearly the same spot. Here I am, as a High School Freshman, with my Dad and younger sister Anne before a Notre Dame football game. I guess Mom had the camera...I'm sorry she's not in the photo with us.



That was a memorable trip. We got out of school, drove the 600+ miles from Nebraska to South Bend to watch the Irish play Southern Cal and their newly-famous running back, OJ Simpson. Dad was in his glory all weekend, showing us around, giving us his take on that famous place.

So, no, I didn't see the photographer on race day this June. Instead, I was deep in thought and appreciation of Dad as I ran...it was nearly overwhelming.

As it is this Christmas week. After a year-long battle with cancer, Dad died on Christmas Eve in 1993. It's hard to believe that was sixteen years ago now. Yet all he modeled and taught my sisters and me lives on and lives strong. And each Christmas since, my thoughts go especially to him.

Third, the photo has the Notre Dame Library in the background with the famous mural well known to football fans. On one hand, it is cool to be photographed with a wonderful campus landmark, almost as well known as the Golden Dome.

The mural has deeper significance than just being "Touchdown Jesus" however. As a follower of Christ, it surprised and moved me to be photographed beneath this image. Jesus has his arms raised in a posture which both honors God and welcomes others. I pray my life might do both, in whatever ways possible.

Merry Christmas to you. Thanks for your friendship as we all persevere.

Back from vacation, learning an old lesson

ORN: 9.4 miles total, with 7 x 1 mile repeats, average 8:56 (but averages are deceiving)

You'd think I would have learned this by now. But apparently not.

Hydration matters.

Running last week on vacation in northern Wisconsin was awesome. The cool temperatures, dry air, beautiful woods to run through, stress-free atmosphere all worked together to make a great week. I ran hard, felt good, enjoyed every step.

And, as often happens, I somehow thought that what had happened would continue to happen.

When we got home Saturday night, we were greeted with a classic set of the "Indiana Ninety-fives"... 95 degrees with 95% humidity. Out the door at 7am this morning, it was already 76 with very high humidity. The schedule called for 7 one-mile repeats. I decided, with the heat, to be happy with 8:45s.

The real problem, though, was I decided to not take any water with me. Shoot, I figured, it would "only" be about 9 miles total and, shoot, I didn't need much water in Wisconsin and, shoot, I don't really want to put on my water belt, because shoot, I don't like how tight I have to cinch it up around my waist to keep it from bouncing.

Shoot.

It all worked fine through the first four intervals. All within 4 seconds of each other at 8:41. Felt good. My shirt was drenched in sweat, though, and it was just awful outside. The fifth interval slid to 8:59 and the last two were a real struggle, at 9:17 and 9:36, respectively.

Worse, I hurt like crazy. My feel, my hips, my quads all ached, in a way they haven't in a long time. This is, for me, one indication of dehydration...somehow the joints are less "lubricated." I drank about five glasses of water in 45 minutes once I got home; I had clear evidence that in that "mere" 9 mile run, I indeed had dehydrated.

You'd think I would know better. Perhaps it's good to relearn this on a non-race, short day out.

I'm gonna counteract this by wearing the belt on each of my runs now...even the short ones, while it is still this humid...which will be through much of September. It also makes me wonder if I shouldn't investigate a non-waist-oriented water device.

Enough on this, though. We had a fabulous vacation and here are a couple of photos of the fam.

The Fam, at Schoolhouse Beach
Here we all are, at a favorite spot. I'm in the back. From the left, is son Matt, son David, his wife Susan and my wife. Drew had the "binocular eyes", then Nathan and young Miss B. It was awesome to spend a full week together.

G and me
My lovely wife and me on a fire tower. In the background is Lake Michigan and, on the horizon, Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Yeah, the sky was really that blue.

Vacation or no, do persevere. And drink plenty of water...do as I say, not as I do!!

On vacation in Door County, Wisconsin

It was not clear to me what was different. I was running on rural roads of Door County, Wisconsin Sunday, our first full day here on a week's vacation. I was a full 8 miles into my 10 mile training run and had not yet put my finger on it. What was different??

Then, like a very wet towel, I realized the difference. No Humidity!! What a concept! On this small penninsula, the "Thumb of Wisconsin", thrust out into Lake Michgan 150 miles north of Milwaukee, we had finally escaped the Gulf of Mexico's influentce. A perfect blue sky, breeze from the northwest, blowing dry Canadian air was a treat. And, despite the temperature in the low 70s, I was running hard and was not soaking wet. No sweat in my eyes, no sticky shirt, no dripping wet hair, no shorts looking like I had just been swimming. It was a beautiful thing.

Yeah, we're on vacation and it is a real treat. We are here with two of our three sons (Nathan was unable to get here from Portland for a full week...we miss him), plus David's wife and three munchkins. We're sharing a rented house for a week and it has been fun. The running has been nice...I always remind myself that it is good to do hills once in a while. The dry air is a welcome relief from the mugginess of Indiana.

But the best part is being together. Relaxing, playing with the little ones, (the twins 5 1/2 and Miss B being 3), reading, doing many crossword puzzles, walking to the beach, hiking, geocaching and, best of all, out for ice cream every night after dinner. My wife and I are humbled and amazed by the mere chance to do something like this. We're thankful.

Adding icing to the cake... I got back from my five miler this morning (Tuesday) and twins Drew and Nathan were playing outside. "You guys want to go running with Grandpa?" They grinned... and off we went. We ran maybe 400m or so along a side street. And Grandpa got a great reminder.

Running should just be fun.

An overnight shower had left several puddles in the street. What to little boys want to do with puddles?? I joined them and the three of us clomped and splashed through all the puddles we could find, laughing all the way. We came to a small clearing in the woods and there was a young doe. We stopped and whispered (big challenge for 5 year olds) and watched her watch us. We ran some more and then went home.

That's what running can me. No GPS required to splash puddles. No on-line running log necessary to be surprised by nature. Best to not even have a clock when connecting with children. All good, folks, all good.

Here are a few snapshots of an outing we had on Monday.

with sons David and Matt
with her Dad looking on, I help Miss B learn to putt
Miss B looks at flowers while the twins play mini golf


Persevere.

Animal Husbandry

ORN: Tuesday--5.1 miles, R3/W1

We just returned from a three-day mini-vacation to South Haven, Michigan, celebrating our 34th wedding anniversary. This little vacation spot, long an escape destination for Chicago residents tired of the summer heat, is right on Lake Michigan and has the usual sets of shops, restaurants and sun-catcher emporiums. Yet, this trip also gave us some surprises.

It started on Monday when we went to our car, parked in a city lot, and noted, one car over, this tricked-out customized Cooper Mini with a giant can of Red Bull Cola on the back.



Had to have a photo...my blogging mind was already whirring. At that point, much to our surprise, up walked the drivers of the car, the Red Bull Girls.



So what kind of a summer job is this? I ask. "Oh, we just go where people are and hang out and talk about Red Bull" said one of them. Sure beats flipping burgers, I suggested. "Well, yes, but it's really a very important public relations job. And it was an extensive interview process," she intoned seriously. So, maybe it was. They gave me a free can of Red Bull out of the car's built-in ice chest. Later, my wife dryly suggested that being a Highly Attractive Female Person was probably also part of the job requirements.

Later, Monday, we went out for some ice cream at a famous South Haven parlor. Dominating the roof line was a big Blue Cow.



Given what we'd seen so far that day, we got thinking; If a Red Bull and a Blue Cow got together, to what would they give birth? And, later that evening, in a shop window, we saw the "offspring."





It was fun to be away, to talk, to read, to run, to relax, to celebrate. And we were reminded of the joy of such deep companionship Tuesday evening. Standing on the end of the pier in Lake Michigan, watching the sunset, I noticed a young couple doing the same, oblivious to all others around them.



May they enjoy a long, wonderful life together as we have.

Persevere.

Race Report: Sunburst Marathon

ORN;  26.2 miles, R2/W1, 4:46:41, 10:57/mile

 

Quick Summary

 

In my first marathon on this course after running the HM the last four years, the experience was just as enjoyable, only much more demanding.  The race went very much as planned, though miles 24 and 25 were tough, with some nausea and a battle with rising temps.  I beat my target by just over 2 minutes and had a very quick recovery, post race.  Several surprising emotional adjustments made for some good memories.  

 

Gory Details

 

Pre-race.  Along with local running buddy Tony, we drove to South Bend late Friday afternoon, got our bibs, found an Olive Garden and then basked in the lap of luxury at Motel Six, a marvelous experience once we convinced the front desk we really did want towels and washcloths and promised not to steal them.  After the usual pre-race night's sleep (i.e. waking up every hour to see if a) the alarm was still set and b) if it had sounded yet), we got up at 4am, grabbed Tony his needed big cup of coffee and were downtown at the College Football Hall of Fame by 5:15am.  The early temperatures were wonderfully in the mid 50s and the sun wasn't up yet.  The 600ish marathon runners assembled and off we went, right on schedule at 6am. All the other races went off later, so it was only marathoners in our pack.

 

The Race.  The first half of the course followed the same route as the half marathon I've run four times now.  I realized I knew the course well when at one point in a neighborhood, I was looking for the yard signs in the house I knew housed an Active Democrat Issues-Oriented Voting Person.  Surely there's a better use for my brain cells.  

 

My plan was to run the same splits I shot for at the Illinois Marathon in April.  I ran a 2/1 run/walk sequence, shooting for 10:53 miles through mile 19, rising to 11:20/mile to the finish.  Given I had perfect weather in the 40s/50s in April, I felt if I could hold the same pace in warmer, more humid conditions today it would represent progress.  By mile 5, I was 1:30 ahead of pace and held that edge pretty much through 18.

 

With such a small field, the pack thinned quickly and I was able to enjoy a long run largely by myself.  The run/walk thing, of course, gave me plenty of back and forth with pretty much the same folks for most of the race and, at the back of the pack, the mood was jaunty and humorous. 

 

At mile 11, the marathon route took a right where the HMers would take a left...we went on a long out and back to add 13.1 to the course.  The route generally wound along the St. Joe River to the south and east, finally concluding in a serpentine turn-around sequence in a local park, where we ended up sharing space with the local Organic Gardener''s association.  I suspect there was some scheduling confusion.  Finally, by mile 18, we were heading back to the stadium.  My pace was steady and I still felt pretty good.

 

Near the 3:30 time mark, I had the first half of a Gu, which I try to take at the bottom of each hour.  For some reason I don't know yet, it didn't sit too well.  I didn't take the second half of it and for the rest of the race had this nauseous feeling.  I've had this before and have observed the one thing NOT to do is to quit drinking water.  So I kept up the hydration, even though the stomach was churny.  Amazingly, I held the pace through mile 23, when I was a full 3:30 ahead of projected pace. 

 

Miles 24 and 25 were tough, though.  The course was back in a commercial district at this point coupled with a long uphill grind.  The temperature was into the mid/upper 70s and the sun was hot.  Those two splits were the slowest of the day at 12:47 and 12:05, respectively.  As usual, the marathon becomes mental at these spots. 

 

Yet, hitting the mile 25 marker was a boost.  We turned a corner, had a perfect view of the sun reflecting off of Notre Dame's famous Golden Dome. My thoughts shifted to my Dad and his studies at ND in the 1930s.  I thought of his constant effort and just started smiling.  I ran the rest of the way.

 

The drama builds on this course as the route approaches ND Stadium from the south (past the poorly-named Mendoza School of Business...my baseball sense just goes nuts at that moniker) and then loops to the tunnel on the North end of the stadium.  What a rush to go down that tunnel and onto the very famous football turn of Notre Dame.  The finish was emotional for me.  And marathon number 12 was done.  The official time was 4:46:41, 2:09 better than my calculated finish time. 

 

Post Race.  I still felt somewhat nauseous.  Tony, who ran a 3:58, was waiting for me, though he wasn't feeling too great either.  I got a welcome ice-cold towel to drape on my head when I rediscovered the famous Sunburst Popsicles.  They were the perfect fix for the nausea. I just walked and ate about 5 Popsicles and, seriously, in about 7 minutes I felt fine again.  Got the heart rate back down, got some fluids and sugars and I was OK again. Tony and I headed out, showered and made the two-hour drive home, discussing issues of corporate decision making now that the Government owns General Motors. 

 

There were the usual funny and odd quirks during this race.  I may write about them later.  There were also five distinct emotional moments for me today, four of which really surprised me.  I will write about those at some point. 

 

A good day.  The pace was one that simply called for perseverance.  And it worked.  Thanks for listening. 

 

 

Long Term Running Goal

ORN: 7.0 miles, 1:09:17, R3/W1, 9:54/mile, pain free

Goals are important. And not just vague conceptual thoughts about targets. Many studies have shown that the liklihood of achieving anything is significantly improved with a specific, written goal.

I remember discovering this fact early in my undergraduate studies. I was fascinated by how a clearly-stated, written goal tended to focus the mind, clarify choices and lead to achieving important things. Shoot, I even got engaged after I set a specific goal to improve my social life during the fall of 1974 (but that's a different story and I'd need to have Gretchen tell her side as well).

So, it's probably no surprise I have a long-term goal in running. When I started the second-era of my running career in 2004, I realized I needed a long-term goal to add direction far beyond the short-term and annual list of races to be run. Sometime in 2005, it geled for me. I remember telling Darrell about this goal during our first December marathon meet up in 2006 but I've never posted it here. And in the lull between races for me, this seemed like a good time.

My long-term running goal is to run a race of at least a half-marathon distance on the weekend when each of my twin grandsons get married.

Why such a goal? Well, it gives some life and visual punch to my desire to keep moving and active deep into my life. Let's do the math (hey, I'm a Purdue engineer and I always do the math) and see what this means.

Next week, Drew and Nathan turn 5. Last fall, I turned 55. If they get married in their early-to-mid 20s, I'll be in my early 70s on their wedding days. And, yeah, I'd like to still be running then. I see a good number of men in their 70s at races. Can I be one of them?

The implication of this goal on my day-to-day running is clear. It causes me to pay attention to staying injury-free. It causes me to not get too uptight about inevitable ups and downs of races or training. If illness strikes, it gives focus to any recorery efforts. I didn't put a time goal on my race; but I did say "run". I need a lot of consistency to get to this goal. This adds motivation to keep moving in our extreme midwest weather.

Being a very visual goal, it also adds a strong emotional pull. I can sure make a picture of getting a Saturday morning race in, showering, and heading to a wedding in the afternoon. And the visual, emotional tug is one measure of a useful goal.

Will it happen?? I have no idea. Will Drew and/or Nathan cooperate? Well, this is my goal, not theirs, so there is no pressure on them. I must say, though, I hope their musical taste improves by the time they plan the reception.



I think about this goal a bit during almost every run I make. And it came home in a fascinating way yesterday. We attended the wedding of the daughter of long-time friends yesterday. As family friends, they invited our son, daughter-in-law and their three munchkins as well. When we got to the ceremony, it worked out that the twins sat with Gretchen and me. Well, you can imagine the task of keeping two inquisitive 5 year-olds quiet during the solemnity of a wedding ceremony but it worked. At one point, Drew whispered to Gretchen "Grandma, someday I'm going to get married and then you can be my daughter." Huh?? Well, it made sense to him.

Yet, it was kind of mind-boggling to sit with these two little boys, fast-forwarding 15-20 years and imagine them marrying, much as I hit rewind remembering this bride's birth 22 years ago and seeing her now. That time will go quickly. And, if I can keep in shape, I'll be around to enjoy it.

And will I make it to their little sister's wedding too??


Persevere. In the short and long term.

Christmas Eve, 2008

December 24 surprises me every year. I never quite know what to expect.

Late on Christmas Eve, 1993, my Dad died after a year-long battle with colon cancer. We were close. Even though he lived well for nearly 78 years, it was hard to grasp then that he was gone. And it is still hard to grasp, at some level. Over the years, I’ve noted it wasn’t the huge, profound conversations we had sitting in his pickup on our Nebraska farm I miss; we had many of them and he died with us in a marvelously wonderful relationship, nothing left to say. Rather, what I miss is just picking up the phone and talking about what’s going on, anything from understanding corn price movement to unusual comments by some distant relative to Notre Dame football.

This year, my own feelings are better than normal. Grateful for Dad and all he taught me by word and example. I feel that gratitude with my sons in adulthood and three grandkids growing oh-so-rapidly. Plus friends have recent pains. A Christmas letter yesterday brought news of the untimely death of a friend late this fall. Jenny wrote of her father-in-law’s death last week. All these things hurt. Even in the presence of the good relationships each had.

As we celebrate the birth of Christ this evening, my mind goes to my Dad. And it also goes to all of those who have someone missing. I hope and pray that space can be filled with thoughts of Emmanuel, God with us.

Merry Christmas. I’m grateful for all of my running friends!!

Thanksgiving Day, 2008

ORN: 5.1 miles, R7/W1, 48:49, 9:35/mile

Thanksgiving happened at our house this year. Wonderfully, we had our entire family together. Matt is home from college, reading more Shakespere and catching up on sleep. Nathan is in from Portland, enjoying his hometown. He's become quite the accomplished cook; here are some action photos of Nathan making an apple pie for the family celebration.

Our three grandkids are a hoot. They are at such fun ages, with the twins almost 5 and Berneice now 2 1/2.

Nathan

Drew

Berneice

With Gretchen's folks in attendance, we had the unique privilege of four generations around the table. This is also the first Thanksgiving in five years that David has been with us. As we saw many tributes to the troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world today, we were both grateful that he is now home and identified with the very real ache of those families with soldiers far away.

Four generations, together.


We have much to be thankful for. Not the least of which is this wonderful, extended running community. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday.

And keep on persevering.

Chicago Weekend

ORN: Sunday; 7 miles total, with 5x1 mile intervals at 8:29

As I walked in the door Sunday afternoon from a run in 36F drizzle and wind, I laughed. My wife, who is used to such odd behavior, waited for the punch line. "You know," I quipped "most people wouldn't believe you could actually be comfortable when running in such weather." She's heard this before and gave me the benefit of the doubt.

The weather was a key thing this weekend, as the first really lousy winter weather rolled through. We had spent the weekend in Chicago, visiting son Matt who is now a sophomore at Wheaton Colleage for Parent's Weekend. It was great to see Matt in his element. He showed us much of the campus, many classrooms and the ROTC facility. We took a bunch of his buddies from the dorm out to dinner on Friday. As Matt wryly observed "Dad, no college kid ever turns down free pizza." Yeah, that has never changed.

I must aplogize to Waddler, as the trip put me in her backyard, yet I didn't call. I simply didn't have any idea what my schedule would be and, as it turns out, the weather was pretty nasty. Perhaps another time we'll connect and run the DuPage trail system.

It was great to see Matt. Having just turned 20, he's rapidly turning into a confident young man. Hard to believe our youngest is at this stage of life, yet it is very gratifying. And, on the Veteran's Day, I'm proud to have a fine young man like this preparing to take a leadership role in the Army.



Persevere.

Go Long and Get Home

ORN: 22.3 miles, 4:03:11, R3/W1, 10:55/mile

In a quest to settle whether or not to run a 6 hour trail race in three weeks, I set out to do a long run this morning. Since I needed to be home by 10am, I was out the door at 5:15am and got it in.

I was astounded, frankly. I settled into a groove and just stayed there. After 3 hours, I felt great. As I approached 4 hours, I still felt fine. After I got home, the Garmin’s tale was encouraging. The pace of almost all 66 three-minute run sequences were in the upper 9’s per mile, even the last ones. Steady. Enjoyable. What a gift to be able to just walk out my front door and run. I don’t take it lightly and feel for my pals who are sidelined currently.

So, I’m on for the DINO 360 Minute Trail Race on July 5 (or, as we say in Indiana, cinco de Julio). If I finish, it will be a number of firsts for me; my first ultra, my longest trail race ever (previous high…13 miles), my first long run in heat. So much for the mantra of “nothing new on race day.” Therefore, I’m asking for nutritional advice, please.

I tried to practice fluid and food today…please let me know if I’m on the right track for race day:

• Fluids. I drank 50 oz of half-strength Gatorade during the run today and another 20 oz immediately afterwards. I had evidence (three times, actually) I was not dehydrated. It was humid today and the temp ran from 68F at the start to 78F at the end.
  
  
• Gu. I had a Gu at 1:20, 2:20 and 3:15 after I started. I’ve discovered if I eat half a pack, wait about 5 minutes and eat the other half that it sits better on the stomach.
  
  
• Crackers. I packed a bunch of Wheat Thins in the little front pocket of my fuel belt and ate 3-6 per hour, one at a time during walk breaks. My thought was the salt was helpful, as well as a few carbs.

So, veteran trail ultra runners, what advice would you give me, the newbie, to prepare fluids and food for a six hour trail run in the heat?? I’d really welcome your comment on what I did this morning and what I’ve forgotten.

But, why did I have to be home by 10am?? Because at 11am, we gathered to celebrate the 2nd birthday of our granddaughter Berneice! Hard to believe it was two full years ago she was born…and what a two years it has been. Susan, David and I had a chance to have a good hug over that fact during the party. The little gal is quite a cutie…she has a sweet spirit, is starting to talk well and loves to be with the extended family.

Rejoice with us. And persevere.

Revenge of the Humidity plus odds and ends

ORN: 6.7 miles, 1:13:07, R2/W1, 10:55/mile

Summer came onto the Midwest with a vengeance this week and, as is my usual habit, it took me completely by surprise. Friday morning had temps in the upper 70s at 5:15am with 95% humidity and I wondered why I felt so lousy. This should not sneak up on me, but it seems to have done so. Once again, I drag out the small towel to carry, the big towel to stash at the end and use water on every run, not just the long ones.

This morning’s run was also hot but had a treat. We spent the weekend in St Louis with Gretchen’s brother and wife. They live near the famous green space in the city, Forest Park, a 1,300 acre point of beauty. The Park has parallel running/walking and bike paths around its circumference. I did one wonderful lap this morning which was a solid 6 miles around the Park. It was so cool to see new things on the run. Parts of my route today were along the path I took just over two years ago when I ran the St. Louis Marathon, the first marathon in this era of my running. I backed the pace off to a very easy 2/1 R/W and it held up fine, despite the 85 degrees, 90% humidity.

I’m truly wondering at this point if I’ll be set for a 6 hour trail run four weeks from yesterday. It could be every bit as hot and humid on July 5 in southern Indiana. I have a 22 miler scheduled for this Saturday…that will tell me more.

A few more unrelated items:

If you like Dave Berry, you will likely enjoy reading my nephew John’s very funny write-up of the non-running events of last weekends trip to South Bend. You can find it here on our family blog. Lots of photos and will give you a glimpse into our extended family.

What is Joe doing? I’ve had fun lately with Twitter. If you haven’t heard of it, it is a simple way to link people, asking the question “What are you doing?” which you answer in 140 characters or less. Very much “micro blogging.” I added my last five entries to the sidebar of this blog. Or you can follow me here.

Final race photos Not everyone gets to charge onto the field at Notre Dame stadium…John and I were able to do so…it is still a rush.



Persevere.