M-Cubed for 9.9.2013

M-Cubed (Monday Morning Musings) for September Ninth, Two Thousand Thirteen...a random smattering of thoughts that end up here on Monday morning.

- First off, a very good morning to you on this September 9, 2013. Hard to believe that in two days, we check off 12 years since we were attacked on 9/11/2001. As you, I’m sure, I remember where I was back then. I was fresh out of the Navy (the first time!) and living in Colorado Springs. I had a great job with a view of Pikes Peak and had just arrived at work when a colleague asked if I heard what had happened. Of course, the rest of the day was barely productive as we huddled around a tiny TV in the break room. Much has happened in this country since and in my life since that day. I hope Americans never forget that day and teach the next generation about it, why it happened, and how this country responded.

- Lately, I’ve been taking a new way to work a few days during the week which takes me by a local coffee roaster in Kent, Ohio, called Bent Tree Coffee Roasters. It’s your classic startup: college grads love coffee. College grads have a dream and rent a retail location and put it all on the line. College grads get a huge grassroots following and never say quit and never give up. That’s Bent Tree. Being in Kent State University’s backyard, they actually got on campus and are served as part of the university’s food program and are appearing in some higher end local grocery stores, on the menu at some local eateries, and in the recipes of other locally-owned startups like the hugely successful “Popped!” popcorn shop down the street. They roast their own beans, too, which you know as soon as you open your car door in the morning as that aroma fills the air. Inside, they have no “drip machines” or “coffee makers.” Every cup of joe in the morning is made via French Press. Highly labor intensive but as one of the owners told me a week ago, that’s the only way you truly taste every part of the coffee and can experience it.  Bring your own cup and chop 25 cents off making a tall cup of joe only a buck fifty. Seriously…can it get any better than this?! Supporting a local company, enjoying the BEST cup of coffee in Kent, and heck, just breathing in the aroma of roasting coffee beans in the morning is awesome. Here’s the roaster just inside their front door and a few 1lb bags of their beans. I highly recommend you check them out.

- Playing on the whole clean coffee concept, a friend forwarded this article to me from the Minimalist. I follow his page on Facebook and highly recommend the quick read. In a nutshell, the author is writing from a little coffee shop in Cincinnati where the shop owners have stripped away all of the clutter and “stuff” and focused simply on great coffee. The author once littered his joe with lots of cream and sweetener until the shop owner convinced him to forego the foreign additives so he could truly taste the coffee like the owner intended and so meticulously chose. Like wine, coffee takes on the characteristics of where it was grown, the climate, the soil it was nourished by, and other surroundings. What the author found was, after getting over the initial bitter taste, was a truly astounding cup of yumminess. He really could taste all of the characteristics as intended. Such is life, isn’t it? If we’d just strip away the junk…the stuff…the drama of the world and focus on what truly matters, we’d be so much happier. To truly live is to give, in my opinion. Giving…it’s that thing that while uncomfortable at first, returns its fruits in many ways and often intangible, priceless ones. So the next time you spend extra on your cup of joe or visit that special coffee shop, consider tasting it as it was intended and perhaps do the same in your life…free of all the junk additives the world throws at you.

- I had the pleasure of being at the promotion and reading of the Oath of a fellow Naval Officer this past Friday aboard the World War II submarine, USS Cod, which is berthed between the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and Burke Lakefront Airport. It was a simple ceremony with only a few of his close friends in attendance, his wife and two kids, and a few of his fellow shipmates (e.g.: me). He was a Lieutenant like me but on this day put on Lieutenant Commander, or for those of you who know Army, Air Force, and Marine ranks, it’s the same as a Major. It was a beautiful day and here, his little 6 year old girl took off his Lieutenant shoulder boards and replaced them with his Lieutenant Commander shoulder boards. (see below) Pretty awesome way to celebrate the day, wouldn’t you agree?! I look forward to doing something similar in a few years.

- I have never played 18 holes of golf. Heck, I’ve never played 9 but this past Saturday, the mens’ group at church had a golf outing and 8 men signed up. I teamed up with a now good friend and golfer for the past 10 years who shared his clubs with me, ironically made for someone 6’2”. I had a great time! The consensus was that I had a really natural swing but I still sank about 3 balls in the pond over those 18 holes. My favorite club, no doubt, was the 9 iron. I kept cranking line drives further than should’ve been possible with that selection. Great day, great fellowship and great sausage sandwiches at lunch! I even shot par on one hole. Mostly double-bogies, though. Here’s my favorite photo of the day and one that the guys got a great kick out of watching me take it…nearly on my stomach on the putting green being the picture-taking-geek I am.

- Just before the aforementioned golf outing, I went out for a run. 20 miles later, I still felt that all-out 5K race effort from Labor Day. Weary but strong, I maintained a smooth, steady pace sans walking and finished faster than when I began at a 9:03 pace. I was wearing my Garmin which I don’t normally wear because I was going every which way during the run with no plan. Seriously…I didn’t decide on the 20 miles until mile 17.5!  Each turn was decided on while I was out there and I just ran in silence. No podcasts or music. No plan. No interruptions. No running partner. The most shocking highlight of the run? Not one single picture snapped. True. :) With Sunday off, only 3.1 miles on Monday, and low miles the rest of the week, I still accumulated a decent 48.1 miles for the week. Quite happy with that.

- Speaking of running, it's less than 5 weeks until the Trilogy. Our 2nd sleeping bag arrived and a few other accessories are en route. We just need to set up camp in the backyard to make sure we have everything we need and we're good to go. I got the big, descriptive e-mail from the race director this week with all of the nitty-gritty details. They all seem extremely organized and excited all the same. They decided to go cup-less at this race and are instead giving folks a collapsable cup. Honestly, I have zero issues with that. I'll be carrying two 20oz bottles on my back and only ever need a cup if I'm going to down some Pepsi or Coke for a jolt. I may or may not take that cup along just for that. I'll decide when I see it. So, I'm pumped. Absolutely ready to tackle an event like none other I have done before. My biggest concern is not my ability to cover the distance. It's how I'll feel on Day #2 after running a mountain 50K the day prior...and staring down a 50 miler on those tired legs. Absolutely no doubt: the key to this is to BE SMART and TAKE IT EASY on Day #1. The goal is not to crush that 50K. The goal is to finish steady, strong, injury-free, and not physically destroyed. Gotta be smart. (I didn't mention sane...no one truly sane would do this...right?!)

- To close out today, I'd like to share the sunset outside my front door a few nights ago. Every time I see one of these, I think of 2011 when I was in Afghanistan. Why? Because we never had ANY color at all in the sky and most certainly not during sunrises or sunsets. Nothing glorious and beautiful like this. Just that makes me stare at our beautiful skies much longer than before. I like to say these kind of sunsets are God's "exclamation point" on the day. He is quite the artist, ya know. Enjoy!!!

Have a great week, everyone, and Run Happy!

Race Report: Cleveland Oktoberfest 5K Bier Run

So it's been since I was a 20-something since I raced...seriously raced a 5K. Back in the late 90s, I'd head to downtown Norfolk, Virginia and do speedwork with the crowd from the only specialty running store in the area, Running Etc., and was introduced to speedwork sessions like "Yasso 800s," ladder runs, tempo runs, fartleks, etc. I ran all kinds of 5Ks, 10Ks, 1 mile races, etc. Those were the days when I knew no better...e.g. not a clue what ultra-running nor trail running was. :-) Jump ahead to my "year of the 40" and I run because I love it, enjoy it, and truly embody the commonly heard phrase "Run Happy." If I don't enjoy it, then I probably won't do it. However, curiosity and an invite from a good friend, Nicole, had me consider a Labor Day 5K. Back in the late 90s, I ran a 19:41 5K. That's somewhere around a 6min, 21sec average pace. That's my PR, I believe. (personal record) In this current day, I don't do those speed workouts anymore but instead just "run hard" time and again when I feel like it, charge a hill here and there and just have fun with it. But, I thought "heck, why not give a 5K a try and race it...just to get a good feel of where I am and then we'll call it quits." So the planning began: a 20min flat finish equates to 6:26 per mile. I can run the Navy's physical fitness test of 1.5 miles in under 9min so I know I can hold my own in the very short term but double that distance up on an unknown course...hmmm. Probably not. Those Navy efforts are ALL OUT. So I set my sights on that 20min finish. My plan: hit mile 1 within 5 seconds of 6:26 and if I do, hold that (while suffering) for the 2nd mile. If I could, I could just lay it all out there during mile 3 and get my sub-20 minute finish.

Race morning, it was super humid and cloudy. We made the 1 hour drive to the east of Cleveland to the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds and met up with Nicole and her family. Great conversation and laughter filled the time until it was race time. I warmed up (so as not to hurt myself later) and was sweating profusely immediately. Yep...thick as mud. I don't breathe mud well. Luckily, it was chip-timed so the crowded "cattle start" wouldn't matter as long as I could break free after crossing the start. I made my way to near the front and was ready. The buzzer sounded and we were off. We immediately made a right turn out of the fairgrounds, I high-fived my 10-year-old and into the local community near Baldwin Wallace College we went. Lots and LOTS of turns on this course and one hill. That basically sums it up...and a bunch of runners who lack courtesy and have no problem running into you when the road is wide open. Luckily, I'm a big guy so it's like a Yugo running into a Mack truck for them. I stay the course, they bounce off. I ran the tangents on the turns like a good racer does and at Mile 1, I nailed it: 6min, 25sec. I was surprised! That hill was in Mile 1 so I was sure I was done right there but hills tend to be my strong suit so I was encouraged and empowered on. I was definitely not loving life at this point but I sucked it up and pushed to mile 2. (these are the longest miles known to man, by the way) As I crossed mile 2, I looked at my old Garmin and hit the split button: 6:45. UGH!!!! I seriously thought I had sped up and expected to see something like 6:20. Well, I knew now that only if I ran the 3rd mile in crazy fast time would I crack 20 minutes. Let me tell ya...that wasn't happening! I promised myself to leave it all out there and I was...lungburner, for sure. To try and distract myself from the longest mile in history, I actually broke out in song. Imagine an old-school version of Amazing Grace being sung by me...who cannot sing...outloud. Yea, that was my distraction. I figured "hey, why not add in a little worship while I'm out here?!", right?! That sorta-kinda helped and soon, we were approaching the fairgrounds again. I sure wasn't speeding up but was hanging in there the best I could. I was even telling runners around me "Great job!" but not a one returned the call. Hey, I'm a trail runner. We talk to each other. Well, I talk to them, in this case. They weren't trail runners.

Approaching the end, I knew I had to put on a good show. Heck, my little girls and wife were there with the camera ready. Gotta represent! I saw that digital clock moving and approaching the 21 minute mark and really tried to get under it. Unfortunately, it just wasn't enough even for that. 21 minutes and 4 seconds! I ended up averaging 6:48 per mile. That last mile wasn't slow by any means but it sure wasn't as zippy as mile 1. I had nothing left and left it all out there. I turned the corner at the finish and hit the ground. That soft grass was all too inviting for me and I became one with it.

Regardless of the finish time, I felt good because I gave it all I had.

So there you have it, folks. My first 5K in over a decade and NO desire for another one anytime soon! I'd say my second success of the day was not injuring myself. Pushing one's self hard like that without the proper training can easily invite an injury. Post-race and the morning after, I was good to go. No issues...just felt the effort a bit in muscles not commonly used. :) It's all good. The final stats put me at:

• 7th of 41 in the 40-44 age group
• 53 of 815 total finishers
• Top 6.5% percentile

Like the farmer tells Babe in the movie "Babe": "That'll do, Pig."

Here's a very short picture montage of photos at the finish. Go Team Red, White and Blue!

Yesterday, I took my girl, Bristol, out for a gentle, rolling 6 miles through the country. I was a bit beat down from the 5K effort but all in all, all systems were good! Bristol, on the other hand, suffered that last mile. My intent was 7 miles but I knew by the looks of her tongue hanging at Mile 3, it was best to cut the run a tad bit short.

So that's it, friends. Fun, yes. Last 5K for a very long while? Yes. Pretty happy and thankful for my finish...not too shabby for a long distance, slow, goofy-looking ultra-runner.

Run Happy, friends!

M-Cubed for 9.2.2013

M-Cubed (Monday Morning Musings) for September Second, Two Thousand Thirteen...a random smattering of thoughts that end up here on Monday morning.

- Happy Labor Day 2013! With the arrival of September, so marks the official end of Summer 2013. This year's summer was starkly different than 2012 but still great and as usual, seemed to go quicker than the last. Typically, I run a 5 mile race in Akron today (the Labor of Love Run) but am taking a break from it this year and instead, am going to try my luck at a 5K. I haven't run a 5K in many, many years but it's time to find out what I can do over the super-short 3.1 mile distance at the Cleveland Oktoberfest at Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds. Race time: 11am with a chance of rain and temps in the mid-70s.

- Wide smattering of news bits this Labor Day. Thankfully, the Miley Cyrus headlines are nearly gone and instead are being replaced by news from the White House as our president seeks a congressional blessing to bomb Syria due to the use of chemical weapons against its own people. I posted a long post on Facebook back on August 30th to try and help folks think objectively about the whole situation over there from geography to politics to the religious history of the area. Then, I uncovered a most excellent summary of Syria and its history. I highly encourage you to read this so you can best understand Syria, its past, present, and future. Here's the link. So if you voted for and/or support our current president, do you agree with his recommendation to attack Syria? Before you answer that, read that article. You'll be much better informed afterwards.

- So far, ZERO miles for September! That's OK, though. I had to give my legs some rest yesterday so I can give today's 5K my all. Before that, though, I had a great trail run last Friday down on the Buckeye Trail in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. I hit the trail around Noon when it was humid and in the mid-80s. Yea, I was asking for punishment but it was worth it. SO much yellow on the trails right now and super dry conditions.

- Are you a Brooks Running fan? If so, don't snooze past their semi-annual blowout sale. With the introduction of September, they have marked down a ton of gear between 30-40% off. From shoes to apparel, the time is now to stock up. My wife's wish-list order just arrived on Saturday so we already had our "Christmas in August with Brooks". She has been doing so great lately so I was thrilled to place that order for her. Click here!

- Yesterday, I had the opportunity to share my life with my church family via what's known as a testimony. Not all know what that is but basically, it's when someone tells their story up until present day. My pastor told me to take about 10-15min but it ended up being 27 minutes long! I made an outline to keep myself on track and from what I've heard, it went well and I stayed on point. I'll say this: if you ever say to yourself after hearing someone's dramatic testimony "I wish I had a testimony to give" ... stand by! I once said that but after living through the past 2 years, I have one. I do hope at least someone who heard can be helped through what I said or encouraged to keep persevering and not give up. For your entertainment, here is one of six photos I put up on the screen. I'm guessing late 70's for this photo. "That boy" just looks happy, doesn't he?!

- There once was this tree...once. This tree, about 15 feet from our house was struck by lightning about a decade ago but lived on and still got its leaves every year so we let it be. However, over the past year, one side of it really began to rot and as it did, it made me scared that during a wind storm one day, it could come down. Being about 3 feet wide at its base and towering high above our home, we decided it needed to come down on our terms...instead of during a storm in whatever direction it wanted. It was threatening two homes. I posted the plea on Facebook for references for businesses to take it down and within the hour, men from my church rogered up and within a week, 5 men showed up last Wednesday to bring this big boy down. Today, all the wood is gone, the hundreds of hickory nuts are cleaned up (I paid my girls a buck a bucket to do it!) and nothing but a stump remains. I was blown away by the selfless giving up of these mens' evening to help us out and honestly, risk being part of a tree coming down in the wrong direction and destroying a house. It went perfectly and I couldn't ask for more!

Pieced-together anchor to coax it in the right direction

Dave who was our expert lumberjack

Success! One man's brother heats his home with a wood burner. Perfect!

Nightfall and success. Thanks, Men of Passion!

 - To wrap up today and if you have the time for a smile and a chuckle, here is something that'll give you both. I grew up playing piano, my youngest plays now, and I love just hearing the sound of this amazing instrument. Add in some comedy and its the perfect Monday wakeup call. Enjoy!

Have a great week, everyone, and Run Happy!

End of Month Report: August 2013

It is the norm that I run 160-180 miles per month throughout the year. I don't ever have a monthly goal or even a weekly goal, for that matter. This month, though, was filled with more opportunities to go long more often, a 10-day challenge where I hit my 100-mile goal and an unscheduled 50K race last Saturday. Put those things together and I just wrapped up my highest mileage month...ever. 223.3 miles were sealed and delivered after this morning's 7 mile, 100 PERCENT humidity run through the country. It was a pretty good week, too. After last Saturday's 3rd fastest 50K, I ran a recovery 10 the following day, took 2 days off then ran each day following including a half marathon on the trails of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park yesterday. 46.7 miles since Sunday and still feeling strong, except for the thick, humid beatdown this morning.

Pure Flow 2 pair #4. Cool colors, eh?!

I'm also at 380 miles on my 3rd pair of Pure Flow 2's. Since it seems like 400 miles is the magic number for me on those shoes (and many stores tell folks 250 miles), it was time to bring out pair #4 today and break them in before a last-minute decision to race this Monday...Labor Day. So there is this 5K up in Cleveland as part of the Oktoberfest that is taking place on the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds. An entry gets me 2 tickets to the Oktoberfest afterwards so it's a win-win! I've been wanting all year to run a 5K to see what I can do. My PR (personal record) in the 5K distance is something like 19:41, set over 10-12 years ago. I have NO CLUE what I'm capable of in that super-short distance...but I'd LOVE to go below 20 minutes. An exact 20min finish equates to 6min, 26sec per mile average. Given a crowded start, I'm sure, that's going to be difficult. However, I'm not the person who pays a 5K entry fee to jog to the finish. I have every intention of running as smartly as possible and giving it everything I have. It WILL be a lung-burner, for sure...and I see no other way to approach it. If I can cross the 1 mile point within a few seconds of 6:30, I'm confident I'll be able to do it. If I'm stupid and am closer to 6min, I'm dumb...period. Once it is spent in a short race like that, there is no getting it back. If you want to know how I did, come back here around Noon on Monday and check my Twitter feed to the right. I'll tweet my results there after the finish. Race starts at 11am.

Leaning forward, September will be a month of maintenance, staying injury-free, and getting some long back-to-back runs in. The West Virginia Trilogy is getting larger in the distance. Only 6 weeks to go until a stage event of 50 kilometers, 50 miles, and 13.1 miles...Friday thru Sunday...in the mountains...surrounded by fall foliage. I.can't.wait.

For now, it's family time. Labor Day 2013 weekend is in full swing and we're ready to enjoy it.

Run Happy, friends!

M-Cubed for 8.26.2013

M-Cubed (Monday Morning Musings) for August Twenty-Sixth, Two Thousand Thirteen...a random smattering of thoughts that end up here on Monday morning.

- Welcome to the last week of August 2013. In our home, the "seasons" of life switch as school buses begin to roll again, homework becomes the norm, and bedtimes for the kids actually matter. On the good side, I will welcome the re-introduction of 'routine' back into our lives.

- To homeschool or not to homeschool...that has been the question. Much more than me, my wife has investigated this path heavily. There have been days where we were totally sold on it then others in the polar opposite direction. Ironically, our kids have literally begged us to homeschool them. In the end, they are heading back to public school...at least for now. We continue to do the best we can and make the most wisdom-filled decisions we can and hopefully, we are on the right path. I'm sure the option will be revisited again as well as alternative schooling options but for now, it's back to the buildings where their mom and dad once roamed the halls, too.

- So my 24th ultra marathon is a wrap and compounding that with my 27 marathons, that brings my "grand" total of a 'marathon or longer' to 51. One thing I didn't want to waste yesterday morning was a decent length recovery run. In October when I run the Trilogy, I need to run two ultras back to back. As I woke up yesterday, I felt groggy, sore, and not wanting to run. However, I insisted (to myself) I would and to stay the course. True to history, I was perfectly fine. I headed out and zero soreness actually was present. If anything, my left calf was sore due to the charlie horse I got while writing my race report! I ended up running my favorite 10 mile hilly route through the country and was pretty fast in parts where I stopped paying attention to pace. Even better was that I got through 3 podcasts from James MacDonald which I've been wanting to do. It was a beautiful, cool sunrise run. I captured this photo around mile 2. I always look for this white horse along my route.

- See the MTV Music Awards last night? We cut the cable a year ago so I did not and I wouldn't watch it, regardless. But, the social media feed was buzzing this morning with Miley Cyrus' performance. Isn't seeing her these days like watching a complete disaster in the making...in slow motion? Once the innocent Disney girl and now? Sex, skin, and zero self-respect of any kind. Trainwreck. Here's one of many headlines from last night. I know it's too much to ask but it would be great if someone close to her that knows better would step in and reign her in.

- I got my funnel cake. I got my sausage sandwich. The 2013 county fair is a rap. Thursday was kids' day so all kids got in free. We got an all-day ride pass for our kids and my wife and I tag-teamed morning and night to maximize the number of rides they could enjoy. It was a great time and I especially enjoyed watching them on the ferris wheel. Giggling, having fun, and just being sisters. Nothing can buy that! We stayed until around 9pm when both girls took one final ride: back to the big wheel where they squeezed into one seat with their grandpa. Not too sure they'll fit next year!

That's them...one row up from center. :)

- Speaking of "fitting"... never mind. That word and what I observed from the youth of today at the fairgrounds is an interesting combination. Gone are the days of acid-washed jeans, 80s hair, and pegged jeans. I once again received my annual culture shock at the fair. "Where are you moms and dads? Do you even care? Do you even know?" Maybe we should talk about homeschooling again...

- Thoughts and plans now turn fully to October when I'll challenge the West Virginia Trilogy. I'm not entirely sure how to best train for this as I think my entire game plan that weekend should be: 1) Keep my head screwed on straight. (that's debatable considering I already signed up for this event!); 2) Don't get injured between now and then.; 3) Don't get injured during the race. 4) Do some "tired" training runs to simulate the stages.; 5) Set up camp in our backyard to make sure we have everything we need to live out there for 3 days in a tent. 6) For real this time: no more racing until the Trilogy! :)

- If you hear a boom today, that's our 3' in diameter tree crashing to the ground in our backyard. Rotting on one side, it's height, width, and power worry me every time a heavy storm rolls in, especially given its proximity to our home. Hopefully by days end, it'll be firewood and the house un-touched. Here's to a tight winch pulling it in the correct direction, little to no wind, and safety for all!

Have a great week, everyone, and Run Happy!

Race Report: Moebius-Green Monster Trail 50K

So the plan was no ultra-marathons until mid-October when I head to the mountains of West Virginia...in fact, no racing at all in the month of August. Well, that all changed when yesterday, I just "felt" like running a 50K. Just so happens, that a local one that I hadn't done before was today and the weather was looking really good.

I contacted the race director, Stephen Godale to see if was too late to get in and it wasn't. Same entry fee as well. So after work yesterday, I went to packet pickup at Sunny Lake Park in Aurora, OH and dropped off my check and registration form signing my life away. I had never talked to Stephen before, a well-accomplished (and fast) ultra-runner who lives a few miles away from the park. As soon as I walked into the boathouse at the park and saw the old-school pencil-n-paper scoring system for split and finishing times, I knew I was in the right place. I love ultras that are pure, simple, low-cost, and put on a quality event that takes care of the runners. No need for all the fluff like big races and marathons...keep it simple. So simple is this race that Stephen hand-made the finishers awards. Take a tree limb, slice it up like zucchini slices, draw some art and attach it to the sanded "slice" and BAM! ... finishers award. My first impression upon leaving the park yesterday was very good. It was beautiful there and I was anxious to see a new area to me...only 30min from my house, too.

After my ritualistic race morning routine of espresso and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, I headed out to Sunny Lake Park. It was a cool-n-crisp 52F out and the dew coated everything and the mist was rising from every lake I passed. Mr. Moon was still high up in the sky and would keep us company for the morning hours until he set late morning.

Sunrise over Sunny Lake

Arriving at the park, familiar faces were already swarming and I readied my new UltrAspire pack. I have found over the last few ultras that I really, really like my hands free. Before, I always carried one handheld during races and wore a Nathan single-bottle waist-pack. Gone are the days when I'd wear a water bladder on my back. I found that it really wears on my shoulders so I no longer use them. The UltrAspire Impulse pack is unique in a few ways. For one, there is no buckle across my mid-section which is actually common on other UltrAspire packs...to minimize chafing and the pressure from the buckle. Instead, it hooks flat near my left hip bone. Also, the two bottles move independent of each other in the back as my hips move back and forth when I run. That makes it a snugger fit and hopefully less chafing. In this photo of me post-race, you can see what I mean. They are held together by a D-ring of sorts and also has bungie cord back there for storing a light jacket. There are also a few storage areas around the waist. Anyway, after one adjustment about a mile into the race, it was perfect and remained perfect all day. I love it...and loved having plenty of fluids at all times at my disposal thus cutting way down on aid station stops.

After a super quick brief by Stephen at 6:55am, we were off and running at 7am over a newly paved hiking trail. We didn't stay on there long and before you knew it, we were in the woods. This race is five 10K (6.2 mile) loops...equaling 50 kilometers or 31.2 miles. My plan was to really take it easy and run the first loop slowest then negative split every loop thereafter. I did just that...for the first three loops. Things were going well! During that 4th loop, I wouldn't say that the wheels came off but I did slow a bit. The previous loops were 61 to 62 minutes in length and that 4th loop brought me in around 68 minutes. No big deal, though...I knew I was going to still have a great time and I wasn't having any physical issues of any kind...just tired.

The course is probably one of the easier 50Ks I've done. No giant hills but a few that warrant a fast-paced hike up them vs. running them. Most of the course is in the woods over single track trail with lots of roots and the occasional rock. The course is rolling with gentle climbs and descents. From time to time, we popped out of the woods onto grassy plains and footing got a little tricky. Underneath that grass, the ground wasn't level quite often so care had to be taken to not twist an ankle. We also hopped up on the asphalt trail a few times that circles the lake before diving right back into the woods a short time later. It is certainly a very runnable and fast course. It would be a mess with lots of rain but we're in a stretch right now of little rain so the course was bone dry...even cracked, often.

During the 5th loop, I got my mojo back but I did walk a few times to chat with a few people. The infamous Fred Davis was out there today and I tell ya what, Fred is funny! He is a super-accomplished ultra-runner that has long ago retired out of Cleveland. It was great to talk to him but I'm pretty sure he had no clue who he was talking to. I also talked to another friend who was running her longest run EVER today. She was doing 3 loops and if memory serves me right, her longest run before today was a 25K (15.6 miles) and 3 loops today gave her 18.6. Way to go, Celeste!!!

In the end, I finished in 5 hours, 37 minutes, 35 seconds and couldn't be happier. The temperature had risen to 77F and not a spec of a cloud in the sky. That's 2 hours and 15 minutes faster than my 50K of Misery in mid-July! I'll take it! At the finish, Stephen handed me my sweet finishers award and after chatting with another fellow runner for a bit, I hit the road. Of course, I had to capture a few photos before that. Gotta document, ya know! I loved the course and park so much that I'm going to take my family out there tonight to walk around the lake and have a picnic-dinner on a few blankets. It is really nice and very well maintained by the county.

So yea...I didn't plan on this race. I just "felt" like running one and am so glad I did. Stephen put on a fabulous race and he had a great team of volunteers like Dan B.'s team that headed up the aid station exactly one half of the way around the loop. There isn't a thing I'd change and not a complaint do I have. I loved it. I especially like I how I feel after race...except for my taste buds. I tried to enjoy a few guacomole chips and my favorite red pepper hummus and everything tasted wrong! I just need to give it a few more hours and keep my water intake up.

I highly recommend this race for the first-timer and veterans alike. To Stephen...THANK YOU!!! I'm very thankful I had the opportunity to run your race this year and meet you. You can be sure that you'll see me again.

PHOTO FINISH! Photo courtesy of fellow 50K finisher, George Themelis

Run Happy, friends!!

M-Cubed for 8.19.2013

M-Cubed (Monday Morning Musings) for August Nineteenth, Two Thousand Thirteen...a random smattering of thoughts that end up here on Monday morning.

- I debated whether to post or not to post today. Some days, I feel like I don't have much to say and others, I feel like I could talk/type forever. Today is the former.

- It was a weekend of zero miles. Instead, I enjoyed sleeping in and doing some hiking with my kids. Back on Saturday, we headed down to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and enjoyed breakfast at Fisher's Cafe and Pub right along the Cuyahoga River. They only serve breakfast on the weekends and back a few years, it was a staple for me post-long runs in the CVNP. It was great to share it with them and laugh a little in the early morning hours. Awesome breakfast, too.

- Shortly after our breakfast, we headed to the gorgeous Brandywine Falls and hiked the short loop to end at the Falls, themselves. Along the way, due to little rain as of late, we spent quite a bit of time in the creek bed downstream of the Falls. I took a lot of great photos using different shutter speeds which I've shared at the end of today's post. I've also posted my favorites at Arms Up and Out Photography.

- May I be blunt for a moment? Well of course, I can. It's my blog! Unlike the lynching I would take on Facebook, I'd like to just state something for the record. I believe in Jesus Christ. I don't only believe that He died, was crucified, and rose again, but I believe He lives today and leads me intimately on a daily basis. I do not subscribe to any "universe" that controls anything. I believe that He created the universe (God, that is) and has perfectly knit everything together. I also believe that the Bible is the perfect, spoken Word of God. It is not missing anything and needs nothing added to it. It has everything we need to live and live for Him. I say all this because I think it gets lost in the translation quite often. Online on Facebook and Twitter, for example, I believe living a life REAL and TRANSPARENT. I don't believe in Bible-thumping and hitting people over the head with my "beliefs." Do I think they are absolute? Yes. Do I recognize that many will disagree? Yep. MANY have broken all ties with me under the banner of "intolerance" which is the ultimate in irony. I've blogged about it countless times, stomped my foot about it, and preached to the choir that I'm very tolerant of all...I really am. Tolerance, though, does NOT mean I agree, condone, or support whatever "it" might be. Those who blast me in the name of intolerance are the king of hypocrites as they embody the very intolerance they preach against.

So yes, I am a Christian. Yes, I follow Christ above all else. I do my very best (failing often) at living the life I am called to live and always will. I wish those who call themselves Christians the world over would do the same and let their actions speaker louder than the words which they DON'T speak nor live out. We are in a serious moral decline in this country and we simply must step up. Service over self or self over service....do we serve others or serve ourselves? We are a country of self-service and it doesn't ever seem to stop getting worse. We must turn that around! {soap box end} :-)

- T minus 4 days and counting until my annual Amish funnel cake at the county fair! WOOT! Bring on the powdered sugar and artery-clogging carbohydrates. Gimmee some "fair fries" and a fat sausage sandwich with grilled peppers, too, please.

- Dr. James MacDonald is a pastor/leader/author who is well-known in this country and around the world. His daily radio show/podcast, Walk in the Word, is very well-known and is really good...and raw. Often, he hits you right between the eyes where you need it. Over the past week or more, he's been talking about promises. With so much "yuck" in this world, it's easy to lose sight of what we can actually count on. Turning to absolute truth and promises is a way to make it for me. This recent series couldn't be more timely as I've really been having some tough times as of late. The series is called "Always True" and can be listened to here.

- Almost the end yet no talk about running?! Say it isn't so. Not about me today, though. I want to give a huge shout-out to my bride and one of our best friends who ran with her this past Saturday at the Biggest Loser Half Marathon. They both set personal records and did AWESOME! They also both recently drank the "Brooks Pure Project" Kool-Aid and are running in Pure Cadence shoes. So proud of them both for setting their goals and not only crossing the finish line but crushing their own records. One must have the courage to start in order to finish. Kudos to them for awhile back for having the courage...now the sweet flavor of success. "Great job, ladies!!!"

- Moving forward for me: the big one on the horizon is the West Virginia Trilogy in mid-October. Camping, mountains, and away from civilization. I can't wait but I've got some work to do beforehand. I need to get back to the trails soon and get my trail legs back and spend several hours out there getting my head wrapped around the challenge. I have zero doubt of my ability to do it but I just need to get ready.

- I guess I did have a few things to say, eh?! I guess so. Well, here are a few of my favorite photos from the weekend. Click on any one for a full screen view. Enjoy!

:-))))

Some camera fun.

Have a great week, everyone and Run Happy!

Challenge #2 Complete: 102 miles

Finally. As I laid in bed last night only moments away from being dead to the world, my wife asked me: "So, are you going to take Wednesday off?" I answered with a resounding "Yes." but followed on with "...but I could easily keep going at this point." It's true. For the past 3 to 4 days, I've woken up "feeling" the tiredness in my legs but in every instance, once I got running, they (and me, for that matter) came alive and I ran fast and strong. I'd love to truly understand what it is that I have been feeling every morning as I got up out of bed before my first step. Is it purely mental or physical or a combination of the two? Clearly, there is nothing wrong with me but psychologically, I swear my body is telling me "Don't run again today." yet when I do, I'm "all systems go!" But yes, I could easily continue on but like I established the rules 10 days ago, a goal/challenge is finite and has an end...and I have reached it. 20, 6 and 4 on day 2, 7, 10, 9, 14, 11, 7, 7 and 7 today.

In the end, I've run 102 miles over the past 10 days. The last 3 days were all low mileage but yesterday, I wanted double. I really did. In the first 7 days, I had my highest one-week mileage ever and did drink one full gallon of water every day but one. That one day, I was stuck inside a building unexpectedly for the majority of the day and my jug of water was in the car. There was no way to get caught up by the time I got back to it. As for the clean eating part of my challenge, I did "OK." There were a few slip-ups but no matter how many times I "suggested" to my wife we should visit Outback Steakhouse, she held strong and we never did. She has really become an awesome cook using so many fresh, new ingredients. I've eaten well! So, to sum up this challenge, I've learned some things:

• I'm glad I did it. There were days where I did NOT want to run. Nope. I wanted to sleep but as always, I was thankful that I got out there because in the end, I was the benefactor and better because of it.
• I'm capable of more than what I think. This challenge is cheesy to some and daunting to others. For me, I saw it as a clear challenge and expected it to be more difficult than I found it to be.
• No one but me really cares about what I run every day or any challenge I set for myself. This challenge was for me...just me. One soul on this planet and no one else.
• People are watching. Like Challenge #1, another person spoke up mid-challenge and let me know she saw my first challenge and made up her own. This week, she was doing Challenge #2, a challenge to get her out there again and begin running. Couch vs. Running. For her, the running (and her!) is winning and along with that, she is doing something for HERSELF and no one else. Little stories like this give me the fuel to keep going. I have to wonder if anyone else challenged themselves and didn't tell me.
• When you run everyday, you don't miss the shooting stars, sunrises, downpours, or anything. You get it all.
• If I truly wanted to lose weight, I have no idea how I'd do it. For many days in the past year, I've had huge calorie deficits in my days, burning hundreds upon hundreds more calories than I took in yet I never lose anything more than a pound or two. For me, the tell-tale is my Navy uniforms. All but one are made of unforgiving polyester that is very unforgiving. Either you fit in them or you don't. They are a great measure of where I'm at physically. So, like most people, I believe for "myself" that I need to lose 20-30 pounds but honestly, I haven't a clue how to do it. Others disagree but what I see in the mirror certainly could stand to lose. No matter, I'm going to keep running because I don't run to look a certain way or to lose weight. If I do, I do...if I don't, well....I don't. Run on...
• The body continues to amaze me with its ability to recover. Period.
• Poor shoes. One thing this challenge has shown me is that folks who run like this all of the time have got to spend a boatload of cash on shoes. I am getting about 400 miles on a pair of Brooks Pure Flows. I just cracked the 300 mile point on my 3rd pair of Pure Flows yesterday and I feel like I just got them. I did get my 4th pair recently and they are ready and waiting to be run in...but dang, I'd go through a pair every 5-6 weeks at this pace if I kept it up.
• Back to the shoes. I'm still a 6'3", 200lb guy running in minimal shoes...and they hold up to all of my beatings yet show little to no wear whatsoever. Well done, Brooks...well done at building a phenomenal shoe and one that keeps me running happy and injury free. (My wife LOVES her brand new Pure Cadence, too...her first Pure Project shoe.)

So what's next? A rest day, that's what!!! No racing or bib numbers this month and for the month of September except for the last weekend at the Akron Half Marathon. The next big race for me is mid-October at the West Virginia Trilogy. While I don't see "Challenge #3" in my near future, I do plan on some long, several-hour runs to mimic the Trilogy that are back-to-back over 3 days. I also need to get my camping stuff out and build our campsite to make sure we're ready to tackle the mountains once the leaves begin to change. :-)

But before I go...

Final Thoughts

As I headed out this morning on my "Finish Line Run" under the stars and slightly muggy conditions, many of my thoughts turned to Mrs. "Smith" who I would run by this morning around mile 100.5 of my 102 miles. For the past couple of years, I've been taking Mrs. Smith's paper up to her house for her when I run by and occasionally on a Friday, if late enough, her empty trash cans. Mrs. Smith taught me in Wednesday night Bible school over 30 years ago and still does today, I do believe, for the current generation. She lost her husband a few years back so she lives alone. She has a beautiful smile and I love to "sneak" her paper up to her banister before she wakes up in the morning. Occasionally, her big picture window will have the blinds pulled and I'll wave good morning. From time to time, she'll see me on the road as she is driving and slow to say "Hello" and "Thank you." She even wrote me a note a few months back thanking me for helping a "little 'ol lady" out. :-) So this morning, I really hoped the paper would be out. This little act has brought me so much joy, it's a bit weird to me...but it's true. The best days are the long runs when I take her paper to her early then see it gone later, knowing she's been out there to get it and thought "Nick's been here already!" I smile every time. Some day, as she is up there in years, these days will end and I will be really sad and will greatly miss her. So today as I turned the corner, having just passed the 100 mile point, I looked for her paper but saw none. I fumbled for my phone to turn on the flashlight app since it was still dark yet nothing. "Darnit!!!" The paper lady hadn't  been by yet. "Now Mrs. Smith will think I didn't run today," I thought. "But I did...and I really wanted to take your paper to you!" Totally bummed out, I kept on running. 

The biopic movie about Steve Jobs is about to be released. The founder of Apple is idolized by many so this is a highly anticipated movie about his story and legacy. I say this because our lives are NOT about us. They are about the imprint we leave behind us...our legacy. We will not be remembered about how many miles we run, how many "WOD's" we do, how much we lift, how much money we made...we'll be remembered for the lasting impact we made...or didn't make. Who do we make smile? Who do we encourage? Who do we lift up? What will people say when our ticket gets punched and we walk no more? Kindness. It matters. It may cost nothing, something, or a lot...but it matters. I encourage you today to do something for someone other than yourself and do it again tomorrow...and then keep it up. My little challenge means nothing in this world and few people will ever know about it. But picking up Mrs. Smith's paper? She knows. I know. She smiles. I smile. She is blessed. I am blessed. Life is better because of it...and it's but one more very good reason to get out and run.

Run Happy, friends.

M-Cubed for 8.12.2013

M-Cubed (Monday Morning Musings) for August Twelfth, Two Thousand Thirteen...a random smattering of thoughts that end up here on Monday morning.

- I.am.beat! I am more than ready for a day off as I near the end of my 10-day challenge. Thinking back to Jamie Summerlin's run across America last year in 100 days where he averaged over 34 miles a DAY, I am in more awe than ever. Just amazing. Today is Day #9. This morning, I rocked out 7 miles with shooting stars and cool/moist air. The tally sits at 95 miles. Clearly, I'm in easy striking distance of my 100 mile, 10-day goal so Challenge #2 will certainly be met in less than 24 hours from now! So far, the days have been as follows: 20, 6 and 4 on day 2, 7, 10, 9, 14, 11, 7 and 7 today. Tired but injury free! (looking forward to REST on Wednesday!)

- A great weekend is now history. We spent it partially with extended family catching up on "life" in general and also taking the final steps in joining our new church family. Yesterday, we were presented to the church and gave a brief testimony about ourselves and introduced our family. It is great to finally be a part of a church family that is so real and authentic. "Shiny, plastic people" we are not! We are very thankful for where we find ourselves right now and what the future holds.

- I know many people look at me and call me crazy. But seriously, when you look at the photo below, do you need more reason to get out there? This was the sunrise on Saturday morning. Out of my 11 miles, I did the first 4 with my wife and we watched the sunrise together while listening to the birds waking up. Just beautiful and full of glory.

- Flag football. Ugh! I am a runner. Just that and nothing more. Over 20 years ago when I was in high school, I marched in the band and ran the 400 as a freshman. Outside of that, I did nothing in sports. On Friday (after running 14 in the pouring rain), I met up with about 11 Navy sailors for an hour of flag football. It was the first time I had met any of them and boy did I get my tail handed to me! Running for hours is one thing but football is quite another. Add in slippery grass due to the rain and I did the best I could and quickly was in need of shower #2. It was great to be out on a wet field playing football with fellow active duty sailors...and to be one of them. :-))))

- Lunges. I used to be a stretcher but now I run and do nothing else post-run. I'm against stretching cold muscles pre-run but stretching post-run is advisable yet I don't do it. This past week, I read David Willey's editor note in Runner's World (read it here) and one thing he does is lunges. This past week post-run I have begun doing them from the tip of my driveway to the end at the completion of the run to stretch out muscles I NEVER stretch out. In the past, I always pull a muscle when I do lunges because I do them cold. Now, everything is heated up and I'm feeling good so far. I recommend reading his note for some tips and humor, too! It's in the front of the Runner's World that just arrived in mailboxes this past week. I'm also wearing my Road ID religiously now...just in case.

- Texting and Driving. I will admit that I do it. My opinion is that most do...not all, but most do. Over the weekend, a friend was in an accident and posted the following 34min documentary on texting and driving. My family and I sat down and watched it Saturday. As I said to my family and I say to you, the reader, now: I promise not to text and drive...and that includes Facebook and Twitter. Eyes on the road from now on. I implore you to take the 34min and watch it yourself.

- Can you believe it's almost halfway through August already?! The Fall stuff is already out at the stores and school is already in session in different parts of the country. Another two weeks for us, though.  Too fast....too fast. But first, I will get my annual funnel cake at the county fair. Next week!

- To close out today, I'd like to officially give the "Welcome!" shout out to my wife and her new pair of Brooks Pure Cadence...the stability shoe from the Pure Project line. In the true nature of fun, I conducted the first meeting of the Pure Project Anonymous shoes and snapped a photo. :-))) She is doing super good at running and will be running another half marathon this weekend. "Keep rocking it out, Babe!"

Have a great week, everyone, and RUN HAPPY!