Chad's Running Commentary

Glazed and Confused -- The Krispy Kreme Challenge Race Report

2008-01-30T10:33:00.000-05:00

The late American distance running phenom Steve Prefontaine once said, "A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts." "Pre" probably never ran an event quite like the Krispy Kreme Challenge, but it's a race that definitely puts his adage to the test.

Part race, part eating contest, the challenge is the ultimate test of gastrointestinal fortitude. Run two miles from the NC State University Belltower on Hillsborough Street to the Krispy Kreme store on Person and Peace streets in downtown Raleigh. Eat a dozen glazed doughnuts, then run two miles back to campus – all in under an hour.

Since the event combined two things I absolutely love – running and doughnuts – I joined the 3,000 other participants this past Saturday to take part in the challenge.

When I first heard of the challenge last year, it seemed like the perfect kind of quirky running event that I look for when searching the local race calendars. The Krispy Kreme Challenge became a must-run event for me on my 2008 racing schedule. And besides, the student-organized fundraising event helped raise $20,000 for the N.C. Children's Hospital, so I was doing it for the kids.

My year's worth of anticipation and excitement gave way to a case of the nerves in the days leading up to the race. As an avid runner, I figured the four miles wouldn't be a problem. Stopping in the middle to eat a dozen doughnuts? That's where the anxiety came in. How exactly do you train for an event that combines a runner's high with a sugar rush?

In preparing for my first marathon two years ago, I researched all the available information about staying properly hydrated and fueled over the course of 26.2 miles. I practiced drinking fluids and consuming energy gels on my long training runs until I knew my preparation would get me through the marathon. But there wasn't a tried and true training method for the challenge, as eating doughnuts while running isn't a technique you'll find in a copy of Runner's World.

So I showed up on Saturday confident in my legs, but uncertain about my stomach. I was more nervous prior to start of the Krispy Kreme Challenge than I had been before any of the other 52 previous road races I'd run.

At the sound of the starting gun, the mass of runners sprinted down Hillsborough Street, led to the Krispy Kreme store by – what else? – an escort from the Raleigh police. I set a leisurely pace, arriving at Krispy Kreme in a little over 20 minutes. I confidently grabbed my box of doughnuts, tossed open the lid, and was confronted by 12 innocent-looking, glazed rings of dough. A dozen Krispy Kreme glazed doughnuts contain 2,400 calories. This was carb-loading taken to a new level.

I downed my first doughnut by squeezing it into a compact mass, a technique I'd heard described as timely and efficient. This technique wasn't for me, however, so I opted for a more traditional approach – eat them one at a time, try to enjoy them and try not to think about the run back.

The first five or six went down surprisingly easy. After the first half-dozen though, I felt the mass of dough and glaze settling and growing in my midsection. With time and space running out, my bites became smaller and more laborious as my insides became larger and more expansive. It felt like a helium balloon was being blown up inside my stomach. I still don't know how I got the last three down.

After downing a bit of water, I proudly showed my empty box to a race volunteer who checked my race bib as proof that I'd completed my dozen. As I took my first feeble steps back to the Belltower, I glanced at my watch and learned that I only had about 10 minutes to make it back in order to complete the feat in under an hour. That wasn't happening. My new challenge became keeping the doughnuts down.

"Oh, I didn't need to see that!" I exclaimed just a short ways past the Krispy Kreme on the return route. I'll spare you the description, but it was the first of several such patches of pastries that were scattered (and splattered) along the road.

By design and necessity, I settled into a slower pace on my trek back to campus. Despite some rumblings, I kept the load of lard down for the two miles back, joyfully ascending the Belltower steps with an unofficial time of 1 hour and 12 minutes.

In the final analysis, I underestimated how long it would take to consume a dozen doughnuts. Mentally, I divided this race into thirds – allotting 20 minutes for the run down, 20 minutes to eat the doughnuts and 20 minutes for the run back. I was close on the running, but eating the doughnuts took me closer to half an hour.

So looking ahead to next year, I'll be eager to take 12 minutes off my finishing time to earn the coveted challenge finisher shirt. I'll just need to shave off one minute for every doughnut consumed. That's doable, right? Besides, no guts, no glory. "Pre" most certainly would agree.

See you at next year's challenge, a race that certainly puts the "nuts" in doughnuts.

For more on the Krispy Kreme Challenge visit my friend Ashely's blog, my coworker David's on-the-spot reporting, the official race Web site or search "Krispy Kreme Challenge" on YouTube for no shortage of video accounts.

Five on the Fifth

2008-01-05T14:22:00.000-05:00

Posted my first run of the New Year this morning with a 5.61 mile effort at the American Tobacco Trail....five leisurely miles on the fifth of January. It seems like forever since I had been on a run, but in reality it's only been two weeks. Still, that's the longest period of time of taken off in a while that wasn't because of an injury. I had a harder time than usual training through the holidays this year. Perhaps it's because I didn't have a January marathon staring me in the face like I've had the past two years. I think the rest was beneficial, however, and it sure felt good to get my legs back under me.

Rethinking Resolutions

2008-01-04T21:41:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! Since I've been on a blogging hiatus for three months, my resolution for 2008 is to be a better blogger. Not really, but I'll try.

I will confess, however, to getting caught up in the hype of the New Year and the symbolic "fresh start" it brings. And like many, I do like to set goals for the coming year in different areas of my life -- physical, mental, spiritual, relational, financial, etc. And like most, I tend to overdo it, get too ambitious, or focus on too many things at once.

Looking back on 2007, I met some of the goals I set 12 months ago, but fell short in others. My '07 successes include running at least one road race per month (not only did I run a race per month, I ran at least one race per week from Memorial Day to Labor Day); running at least four marathons (I ran five); running a sub 4-hour marathon (I broke 4 hours in three of the five marathons I ran in '07) and the secret goal I shared with just a few people -- to not have a single soft drink in all of '07 (and I still haven't had one four days into '08).

I fell a bit short in some other areas, like my goal to run 1,500 total miles in 2007 (I did around 1,461, still the most I've ever logged in a year). And I fell woefully short in other areas. Like my quest to read an average of a book per week last year (I only read 14), and my attempt to read straight through the Bible in year (I did make it out of Leviticus and Deuteronomy, but not out of the Old Testament).

So as I normally do this time of year, I've been thinking a lot about resolutions, but have yet to make any specific ones. And it seems that the area of life where it's most important to grow -- the spiritual arena -- is the area where it's most difficult to measure true growth. You simply can't measure spiritual growth like you measure the amount of weight lost, money saved, miles logged or books read. That's because spiritual growth has more to do with an inward attitude than outward action, which should cause us to think about the reasons for setting goals or making resolutions in the first place. What is our true motivation?

In the late 1700s, the famous American preacher and theologian Jonathan Edwards made himself a list of 70 resolutions to live by. Among them:

to do whatsoever I think to be most to God's glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration.
to never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.
to never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.
to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I.
to never speak evil of anyone.
to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.
to inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent, -- what sin I have committed, -- and wherein I have denied myself.
never to give over, nor in the least to slacken, my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.

Edwards' list looks much different than the list of resolutions one might set today. Edwards didn't pen a list of selfish pursuits to chase in his own power. Rather, his purpose was to glorify God and depend upon His strength. He knew his limitations. In the preface to his resolutions, Edwards wrote, "Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat Him by His grace to enable me to keep these resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to His will, for Christ's sake."

So as I think about what I'd like to accomplish this coming year, I'm trying to evaluate my attitude, monitor my motivation, and follow the exhortation given by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:31. "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

Chicago Marathon Race Report

2007-10-09T23:13:00.000-04:00

The 2007 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon will likely go down as one of the most memorable marathons in history, but for all the wrong reasons. By now, the heat-related havoc wreaked on the runners participting in the 30th running of this event has been well-documented.

In most years marathons, even the major ones like Chicago, Boston and New York, receive scant coverage in the mainstream press. But when a runner dies, hundreds others are treated for heat-related illnesses and the race is called off some three-and-a-half hours in, the race suddenly becomes front-page news and a lead story on CNN.

I was there in Chicago on Sunday, and it's with mixed emotions that I pen this report. I want to be proud of the fact that I was able to finish, yet be sensitive to those who didn't get that opportunity. I want to be thankful that I was not among those who suffered any ill-effects from the record-high temperatues, yet be considerate of those who did. I sympathize with those runners who reported not having water available to them at aid stations because I was able to consume ample fluid at each station to remain hydrated. Yet I also empathize with the race officials, who despite their best efforts and planning, had no control over the brutal weather conditions that ruled the day. And, of course, my heart goes out to the family of Chad Schieber, the 35-year-old Michigan native who died while running, as well as the hundreds of other runners who were treated for heat-related illnesses.

When I first registred for the Chicago Marathon in the spring the race's reputation for having a flat, fast course coupled with cool fall temperatures gave me visions of running a personal best time at the 26.2 mile distance. All that changed when I read the race-day forecast in the Chicago Tribune while eating breakfast Saturday morning at my hotel. The forecast read, "Sunday's 30th annual LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon will most likely be run under the warmest conditons ever with runners advised to guard against potential overheating, cramping or other heat-related maladies." Unfortunately, the weather man got this forecast right on all accounts.

When I woke up Sunday morning to ride the El train to the starting area downtown, the temperature was already 70 degrees at 5 a.m., three hours before the start of the race. Less than a half mile into the race, I was already working up a sweat. While watching for some of Chicago's distinctive landmarks such as the Board of Trade, the famous Chicago Theatre and the Chicago River in the early stages of the race, I was also on the lookout for temperature readings. Shortly into the race the first one I saw read 73 and another shortly thereafter read 77.

After getting the first few miles behind me, running a steady pace and staying hydrated became my orders of the day. Although the aid stations were crowded, I had no trouble getting both Gatorade and water. Some runners deeper in the pack said they didn't receive any fluids until around mile eight. After crossing the halfway point in front of the Sears Tower, I was already dreading the second half of the race with the heat bearing down. Near the United Center around mile 15 I noticed a shirt that read something to the effect of "the first third of the race is run with your legs. The second third of the race is run with your mind. The last third of the race is run with your heart." I liked the thought.

They say the real race in a marathon begins at mile 20. So how do you think I felt when I saw a temperature reading on a bank sign that read 91 degrees? Six miles to go with the sun bearing down. Where I could I ran the shade provided by the buildings that lined the streets. I'm also thankful for those spectators who provided runners with water and ice of their own accord.

After plodding along for the final six miles, I finally turned the last corner and with the finish line in sight I heard a firefighter or police officer yelling to the runners, urging them to walk, saying "The race has been cancelled." What did that mean, I wondered? Did I hear him right? Well, stubbornly I told myself I didn't run 26 miles to walk the final two-tenths. That's if you consider the pace I was going at that point actually running. So I decided to finish what I started and run the rest of the way in. And making that final turn is when I saw my first runner collapsed on the ground. Medics were tending to him, giving him water.

After crossing the finish line, other runners were dropping. "Runner down," I heard spotters repeating, prompting medical staffers to tend to the runners and get them medical attention. I hung around the finishing area for a while, getting some food and water before heading back to the train station to head back to my hotel. As I made my way back, that's when I saw the runners who were forced to stop being routed down Jackson Street to the finish area.

It wasn't until later in the day that I heard reports of Schieber's death, the 300 heat-related illnesses, and the shortages of water and Gatorade at the aid stations. From my position on the course, I saw nothing that would lead me to think that conditions were so dire out on the course. But apparently they were.

The heat issues and the cancellation of the race actually overshadowed exciting and dramatic finishes in both the men's and women's races. The men's race came down to a photo finish as Patrick Ivuti of Kenya edged Morocco's Jaouad Gharib at the finish line by five one hundredths of a second -- the closest finish in Chicago Marathon history. In the women's race, Berhane Adere of Ethiopia sprinted past the apparent winner Romania's Adriana Pirtea in the final two-tenths of a mile to claim victory.

I left Chicago with mixed emotions about the marathon. I'm thankful that I was able to finish the race, but I can't seem to take as much satisfaction in the accomplishment knowing what befell my running bretheren. One thing I've learned from participating in endurance events is that runners, particularly marathoners, share a kindred spirit. There's just something about the shared experience of putting in hours of training, logging hundreds of miles, overcoming obstacles and then going the distance on race day that creates a common bond among runners. And because of that connection, I share in those hardships that my fellow runners experienced in Chicago.

Chicago Hope

2007-10-02T22:49:00.000-04:00

With the Chicago Marathon one week away, I decided to start the final week of preparations on Sunday by squeezing in one last speed workout at the Second Empire 5K Classic in downtown Raleigh. The course for the Second Empire 5K is advertised as one of the fastest in the Triangle, and it certainly lived up to its billing on Sunday. I set a new personal best in the 5K with a time of 21 minutes, 3 seconds in the Second Empire 5K.

I hope my results in the Second Empire 5K bodes well for the Chicago Marathon. Prior to my last marathon in June, I ran a personal best in a 5K race the weekend before, and then went on to PR in the Sunburst Marathon the following weekend. Hopefully the flat, fast course in Chicago will help me take a few more minutes off my marathon PR of 3 hours, 54 minutes.

T-Minus 30 and Counting

2007-09-07T23:09:00.000-04:00

The countdown has begun. The Chicago Marathon is a mere 30 days away. Time to put in two more long training runs -- a 14 miler and a 20 miler -- and then it's taper time. It's also time to pay better attention to my diet, which has been up and down of late.

In honor of the 30th running of the Chicago Marathon, the event's official Web site is sponsoring a feature titled "30 Runners in 30 Days." From now until race day, the site will profile a different participant in this year's race. Today's spotlight is on country music artist Jo Dee Messina, who'll sing the national anthem before joining the field for the 26.2 mile run through the Windy City.

Summer of Runnin'

2007-09-03T20:22:00.000-04:00

Summer is a time for rest and relaxation. For me, the summer of 2007 was a summer of runnin' and racin'. In early June, I decided to see if I could compete in at least one road race per week for the entire summer -- from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

This crazy quest began at the Bare Bones 5K in Salisbury on Memorial Day weekend and ended this morning at the Cancer Services Labor Day 5K in Gastonia. During the 15 weekends, beginning May 26 and ending Sept. 3, I ran 19 total races in three states, in 14 North Carolina cities, in 12 North Carolina counties. The races included one mile run, 13 5Ks, one 8K, two 10Ks, one marathon and one sprint triathlon, and at some point during the streak, I set a new personal best in each distance.

I may have taken this challenge a bit too far because in some weeks, running more than one race in a single week and, on one occasion, more than one race in a single day. Early on during the streak, I ran two night-day double-headers -- traveling for a nighttime race on a Friday then returning for a morning race on Saturday. I did this during back-to-back weeks in June. Once during the streak (June 30), I ran a true double-header -- a 10K in Greensboro in the morning and a 5K in the small town of Oakboro that evening.

The streak nearly came to an end about halfway through. I had trouble finding a race during the weekend of Aug. 3, and I seriously considered not running in the Beat the Heat 5K in Winston-Salem on July 21. At the last minute, I decided to go do the race, and the following week I found a race for the weekend of Aug. 3 -- the Draper Mile in Blacksburg, Va.

In thinking back over the streak, each race brings back special memories, but the one that stands out the most is this morning's Cancer Services 5K in Gastonia -- and not just because it was the last race in the streak. At this morning's run, I got to share the experience with my longtime friend Eric, who was competing in this first race of any distance. I think it's safe to say the race exceeded his expectations.

When Eric kicked in the afterburners in the final stretch of the race, a spectator yelled, "Look at him go!" Eric cruised to a strong time of 26:42 in his first 5K. I think he caught the racing bug this morning so look out for him in the future.

As for me, I can say I've definitely become a race junkie. I don't know what kind of quirky challenge I'll come up with next. It will be weird not doing a race next weekend. After all, I already have races planned for the 15th, 23rd and 30th of September. And then the Chicago Marathon is the following week on Oct. 7. I might just have to find a race next weekend to keep the streak going just a bit longer.

Following is a summary of the races completed in the "Summer of Runnin'"

Sat., May 26, Bare Bones 5K, Salisbury, N.C., 21:32 (New 5K PR, Placed 2nd in age group)
Sat., June 2, Sunburst Marathon, South Bend, Ind., 3:54:46 (New marathon PR)
Sat., June 9, Race for the Cure 5K, Raleigh, N.C., 25:26
Fri., June 15, Tour de Kale 5K Night Run, Denton, N.C., 23:57
Sat., June 16, St. Francis of Assisi Run for Peace 5K, Raleigh, N.C., 24:55
Fri., June 22, China Grove 5K Main Street Challenge, China Grove, N.C., 22:49
Sat., June 23, Law Enforcement 5K Torch Run for Special Olympics, Selma, N.C., 22:27 (Placed 1st in age group)
Sat., June 30, Freedom Run 10K, Greensboro, N.C., 53:23
Sat., June 30, Freedom Run 5K, Oakboro, N.C., 22:28 (Placed 3rd in age group)
Wed., July 4, Kernersville Rotary July 4 5K, Kernersville, N.C., 23:08
Sat., July 7, 2007, Tri-Span 10K, Wilmington, N.C., 50:53 (New PR in 10K)
Sat., July 14, Paul Hale Memorial 5K Run, Raleigh, N.C., 24:20
Sat., July 21, Beat the Heat 5K, Winston-Salem, N.C., 23:14
Sat., July 28, Mission Man Triathlon, Burlington, N.C., 1:41:13 (Swim: 15:01; T1: 2:40; Bike: 57:43; T2: :48; Run: 25:02) New PR in Sprint Triathlon
Fri., Aug. 3, The Draper Mile, Blacksburg, Va., 5:58
Sat., Aug. 11, Hoppin' Fun Superhero Run 5K, Greensboro, N.C., 24:48
Sat., Aug. 18, Ramble Trail 8K, Troy, N.C., 39:09 (First trail race, PR in 8K, placed 2nd in age group)
Sat., Aug. 25, Run with Lions 5K, Oxford, N.C., 23:01 (Placed 2nd in age group)
Mon., Sept. 3, Cancer Services Labor Day 5K, Gastonia, N.C., 26:45

It's Still Greek to Me

2007-08-22T22:21:00.000-04:00

After a semester hiatus, I'm back in the classroom at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, where I'm taking Intro to Biblical Greek this semester. Actually, I'm retaking Intro to Biblical Greek this semester. I took this same class with the same professor on the same night of the week at the same time slot a year ago, and struggled through it. I figured I needed a refresher before jumping into the second semester of Greek, so I decided to audit the intro class this semester.

Although I was fascinated by the Greek language and had an excellent professor in Dr. David Black, I struggled to grasp some of the nuances of the language in my first attempt at Greek and consequently felt like I was treading water just to stay afloat in the class. By God's grace, however, I'm determining to work diligently and master the concepts this go round so I can use all kinds of impressive jargon in talking about Greek words like aorist passive imperative.

No Rest for the Wounded

2007-08-19T08:37:00.000-04:00

Despite the lingering soreness from yesterday's fall in the Ramble Trail 8K, I had to get out the door this morning for my weekly long run. With the Chicago Marathon seven weeks away, I'm entering the peak portion of my training program in which the distances of my weekly long runs build to the 20-mile mark. This morning, I went 16.1 miles in 2 hours, 45 minutes for an average pace of 10:14 per mile. In two weeks, I'll go 18 miles. In four I'll go 20. Then it's a three-week taper before heading to the Windy City.

Ramble Trail 8K Race Report

2007-08-18T20:29:00.000-04:00

Prior to the start of this morning's Ramble Trail 8K in Troy, N.C., race director Tim Long offered a few words of advice for the trail running novices like myself. "Road runners be sure to pick your feet up a bit more than you're accustomed to, or you might fall."

This being my first trail race, I heeded Long's advice...but still fell. Hard. It could have been worse, however. After stumbling and losing my balance earlier, I nearly face planted in some gravel before catching myself. That would have been bad.

After thinking, 'OK. That's my close call with the fall," it happened about a half mile later and about halfway into the race -- I fell on a stretch of uneven, rocky and rooted terrain. I suffered a nasty gash on my palm, some scrapes on my knees, a swollen right knee and a bruised ego. After all, why did I have to fall while running alongside Sara Neumann, an attractive young lady from Charlotte who had befriended with some words of encouragement just before the fall? Oh well. Nothing hurt but my pride.

I'm proud to say, however, that despite the fall, I brushed myself off, pulled myself back together and rambled to the finish with a personal best 8K time of 39 minutes, 9 seconds, good enough for seventh overall and second in my age group. Following the race, a fellow runner who must have witnessed "the fall" approached me and said, "Good recovery." Those words pretty much summed the race up. As the ancient Chinese proverb says, "Failure is not falling down, but refusing to get up."

Complete Results: 2007 Ramble Trail 8K

The Longest Mile

2007-08-04T00:37:00.000-04:00

Driving four hours and 233.5 miles one way is a long way to go just to run a mile. But that's exactly what I did on Friday when I made the trip from Raleigh, N.C., to Blacksburg, Va. for the 26th annual Draper Mile road race.

Crazy? Probably so, but having run at least one road race per weekend since Memorial Day, I needed to find a race to keep my streak alive. There were a couple races closer by on Saturday, but obligations during the day would prevent me from running those. The Draper Mile was only other option I found.

I set out for Blacksburg around 7 a.m. and arrived just before 11 a.m. for the 6:40 p.m. race. So what did I do all the time before the race? The Draper Mile is actually part of the annual Steppin' Out arts and crafts street festival held every summer in downtown Blacksburg. So I spent the day checking out the vendors, listening to some music by area musicians and strolling around the campus of Virginia Tech.

While visiting the town and campus, I could not help but think back to the tragic events that took place there just four months before. I had the sense that the community, while trying to move forward, is still healing from the tragedy, and that an event like the Steppin' Out festival aided in that process by bringing people from the community together.

That reflective, yet forward-looking attitude was on display in the message "We are Virginia Tech" or "We are the Hokies: We Will Prevail" that appeared on signs, in storefronts and on T-shirts throughout the town. During the festival, the Lyric, downtown Blacksburg restored, 1930s era movie theater, showed a slideshow of the events of April 16, 2007.

On campus, a memorial to the 32 victims who died in the shootings that day is still present on the campus Drillfield in front of the main administrative building, just a short distance from Norris Hall, where the incident occurred. Thirty-two stones -- each marked with the name of a victim -- were arranged in a semi-circle. Flowers, Virginia Tech flags and other items left for the victims rested among the stones. A placard among the memorial indicated the university administration's plans to erect a permanent memorial to the victims on campus in the near future.

After seeing the memorial and reflecting on the tragedy, running was, in a way, therapeutic. How blessed I am to experience life when these lives were tragically cut short. How blessed I am with the ability to run when there are many who can't. I decided just before the start of the Draper Mile to run the race all out and treat it as a time trial of sorts. I could push it hard for a mile, I told myself.

Aided, no doubt, by a downhill course, I posted my fastest ever recorded mile time, finishing in just under six minutes with a time of 5 minutes, 58 seconds. Then I made the trip back to Raleigh.

Eight hours and more than 467 miles was a long way to travel for a 5 minute, 58 second run of just one mile, but it was worth every minute.

2007 Mission Man Triathlon Race Report

2007-07-28T19:30:00.000-04:00

What a difference a year makes! That best sums up this year's Mission Man Triathlon.

Last year's Mission Man was my first try at a tri, and the lessons I learned a year ago paved the way for some significant improvements in this year's race. Marked improvements in all three disciplines and the transitions resulted in a 16-minute overall improvement in my time from last year's event.

Here's a breakdown.

THE SWIM

They say experience is the best teacher, and the old adage held true for me in the swim. A year ago, I was not prepared for the challenges of swimming in a crowd of people or in open water. Last year, I was bumped and banged around so much in the swim that I seriously contemplated dropping out early in the first leg.

This year at the start, I positioned myself on the outside of the buoys. I don't know if this was a better (i.e. less crowded) starting position, but I made a lot less contact with other swimmers during the course of the swim. (I just hope I wasn't the dude who knocked Tri-Daddy's goggles off. I don't think it was me though).

I didn't hug the buoys during the swim, and usually found myself to the far outside of the other swimmers in my group. I did manage to make the turns at the right times and keep things headed in the right direction. Locating and navigating the course by the buoys with fogged goggles was a challenge I remembered from a year ago. Still, knowing what to expect aided me tremendously today in the swim.

Overall swim time: 15:01. Last year's swim time: 19:58. Total improvement: 4 minutes, 57 seconds.

TRANSITION ONE

When you don't have to change clothes the transitions go a whole lot quicker. Last year, I swam with a pair of baggy swim trunks, wrapped a towel around me in the transition area and changed into the shorts I wore for the bike and run. You can't imagine how scared I was that I'd accidentally drop that towel and scare the world.

This year I swam with a pair of Speedo jammers, and just threw my running shorts on over top of them. Thanks to the friendly, knowledgeable staff at Inside-Out Sports for that tip that made the swim-to-bike transition much quicker and less nerve-wracking.

Overall T1 time: 2:40. Last year's T1 time: 4:03. Total improvement: 1 minute, 23 seconds.

THE BIKE

Ah, the bike. Once again, I knew the bike would be my weakest discipline. Last year, I was quite intimidated by everyone showing up with their fancy road and triathlon bikes, while I strolled up with my trusty, albeit less efficient, hybrid bike. I wasn't as intimidated this year, because I knew that would be the case once again.

I was, however, concerned about my preparation for the 15 mile ride. Quite honesty, my bike training was lacking leading up to this year's event. I build up a good base early with some long rides, but over the past couple months I rode more often, but less distance. Needless to say I was more than a tad concerned about the bike leg.

The ride got off to an ominous start when I had to stop early on to retrieve my water bottle that I dropped while trying to put it back in its holster. I shook it off and pedaled on. I did appreciate the lady who offered me some words of encouragement around mile 10. We agreed that a more efficient bike would help.

Still, I thought I was doing pretty good until I was passed by a guy riding with a flat tire. "Ever been passed by a guy with a flat tire?" he asked as he rode past. He wasn't being a jerk, and it was pretty funny. I did pass him back before the finish and completed the bike portion of the race in just under an hour. Even though the bike was still my toughest leg, it was the area in which my time improved most.

Overall bike time: 57:43. Last year's bike time: 1:03:56. Total improvement: 6 minutes, 13 seconds.

TRANSITION TWO

Last year, I changed shirts following the bike. This year I didn't, wearing the same shirt for the bike and the run. Doing so helped me cut my time in the bike-to-run transition by almost half.

Overall T2 time: :48. Last year's T2 time: 1:33. Total improvement: 45 seconds.

THE RUN

Leading up to this year's Mission Man event, I didn't do as many BRICK workouts (triathlon lingo for getting the experience of running on tired legs after biking by practicing those segments back-to-back). And yes, those legs felt like Jell-O after the bike. I was tired and spent, and the final 5K seemed daunting. After sucking down a GU energy gel, I saw a fellow runner up ahead who's shirt read "Finish Strong." That's what I decided to do. I settled into a good rhythm and pace on the out-and-back trail course and finished the run segment in 25:02, which is just a minute or so off my recent 5K times on fresh legs.

Overall run time: 25:02. Last year's run time: 27:56. Total improvement: 2 minutes, 54 seconds.

FINAL ANALYSIS AND THOUGHTS

When I finished the 2006 Mission Man Triathlon, the multi-sport event admittedly grew on me. And it grew a lot more today. But I guess a 16-minute PR will do that. Although I'm still not ready to abandon running as my primary form of endurance training, I'm definitely getting the itch to delve a bit more into triathlons. Mission Man next year is a given, and, in all likelihood, I'll be searching out some more events to "tri."

One final note. While I'm obviously excited about today's PR, it meant a lot more having my mom, dad, Aunt Pat and Uncle Jim there to share in it with me. I saw them all several times along the course today, always quick to offer an encouraging word. And although I still don't think mom and dad totally understand this running addiction I've developed, they're supportive, nonetheless. All the photos here are courtesy of Jim. (Below: Jim, Pat, mom, me.)

Overall time: 1:41:13. Last year's overall time: 1:57:24. Total overall improvement: 16 minutes, 11 seconds.

This day in history

2007-07-20T15:44:00.000-04:00

July 20th is a pretty signficant date, historically and personally. Here's a sampling of events that took place on this date.

1940: My father, Albert Charlie "A.C." Austin, is born. He's 67 today. Happy birthday, dad!

1969: Neil Armstrong made "one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind" by becoming the first person to walk on the moon.

1973: Martial artist and action movie star Bruce Lee dies amidst curious circumstances, giving rise to several conspiracy theories surrounding his death.

2002: My lifelong friend Chris Knight weds his wife Lisa in a ceremony in Calhoun, Ga. Happy anniversary, guys!

Two Wheels Are Better Than Four

2007-07-03T19:44:00.000-04:00

I haven't driven my car at all since Saturday. So far this week, I've biked to church, to work and back, and even to get a haircut. Granted, I don't live far from all of the aforementioned places, so I've only logged about 26 total miles by opting for two wheels instead of four. Still, however, that's a gallon of gas I won't have to buy and free exercise to boot. I'm enjoying this experiment in seeing how many places I can go and errands I can run by bike or on foot rather than by car.

Ironman in a Month?

2007-07-02T08:02:00.000-04:00

Anyone think I can complete an Ironman triathlon in one month's time? That's a 2.4 mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2 mile run.

Even though I'm training for the Mission Man Sprint Triathlon scheduled for later this month, ramping up my training to do an Ironman seems a little (OK a lot) ambitious and unrealistic. After all, the Mission Man is a half-mile swim, 15-mile bike ride and a 3.1-mile run.

But what about completing the cumulative Ironman distances in each discipline over the course of one month's time? I think I can do that, and I'm making that my personal fitness challenge for the month of July.

I actually got the idea while at the Freedom Run 5K in Oakboro over the weekend. A fellow runner was wearing a T-Shirt from an area YMCA which hailed "Ironman in a Month" as its fitness challenge this past April. So the idea was born.

I'm fairly confident I should be able to complete the running and swimming distances. It's the bike I'm concerned about, since I don't ride as much as I run and swim.

While 112 miles on the bike in a month seems like a lot to me -- especially since I don't ride a lot -- the distance works out to 28 miles a week, which seems do-able. So I'm taking on the "Ironman in a Month" challenge in July. I'll post updates here to track my progress and keep myself accountable.

Crazy Eights

2007-06-30T23:37:00.000-04:00

I've been rolling up the miles in June, both on foot and in the car, as I've criss-crossed the state participating in various road races. Starting with the Sunburst Marathon in South Bend, Ind., on June 2, and ending this evening with my second race of the day in Oakboro, N.C., I've completed eight, count 'em eight, running events this month. I've become a race junkie!

By scouring running calendars on the Internet and getting creative with my schedule, I was able to run at least one race on each of the five weekends in June. The past three weekends have included multiple races with a pair of Friday night/Saturday morning race doubleheaders and today's double-dip with a morning 10K and evening 5K. Along the way I've met some friendly people in the running fraternity in quaint North Carolina towns like Denton, China Grove and Oakboro.

Eight races in a single month may seem a bit extreme, but with two races already on the schedule this coming week, it looks like I'm going to continue to feed this addiction in July.

Following is a summary of my "Crazy Eight" races in June

Sat., June 2, Sunburst Marathon, South Bend, Ind., 3:54:46
Sat., June 9, Race for the Cure 5K, Raleigh, N.C., 25:26
Fri., June 15, Tour de Kale 5K Night Run, Denton, N.C., 23:57
Sat., June 16, St. Francis of Assisi Run for Peace 5K, Raleigh, N.C., 24:55
Fri., June 22, China Grove 5K Main Street Challenge, China Grove, N.C., 22:49
Sat., June 23, Law Enforcement 5K Torch Run for Special Olympics, Selma, N.C., 22:27
Sat., June 30, Freedom Run 10K, Greensboro, N.C., 53:23
Sat., June 30, Freedom Run 5K, Oakboro, N.C., 22:28

One down

2007-06-15T23:54:00.000-04:00

One down, one to go in my attempt to run races on back-to-back days this weekend. Following the two-hour drive from Denton, I arrived home in Raleigh from the Tour de Kale 5K around 11:15 p.m. I finished in 23 minutes, 57 seconds. I'll have a longer report later this weekend. Now though, I'm off to bed because in about eight hours I'll toe the line to run the second half of this weekend stunt at the inaugural St. Francis of Assisi Run for Peace 5K here in Raleigh.

Back-to-Back, Back-to-Back

2007-06-15T07:59:00.000-04:00

As much as I enjoy participating in various road races, I've reached a point in my running life where I'm looking for quirky races or something interesting to add some spice to my experiences. Like New Year's Day when I ran two races in one day, just a few hours apart. Well, over the past few days, I've created another running stunt that I'm calling "Back-to-Back, Back-to-Back." That means running races on back-to-back days on back-to-back weekends. Here's how it came about.

I had already planned on running in the inaugural St. Francis of Assisi Run for Peace this Saturday in Raleigh. I had also planned on running the Law Enforcement Torch Run next Saturday morning in Selma. But while perusing various running calendars for additional races this summer, I came across two Friday night 5Ks this weekend and next. Then I got to thinking.....why not just do them all?

So my plan is to drive to Denton, N.C., tonight to participate in the Tour de Kale 5K, drive back to Raleigh and run in the St. Francis of Assisi 5K tomorrow morning. Then next weekend, drive to China Grove after work next Friday to run in the China Grove 5K Main Street Challenge, then drive back and run in the Law Enforcement Torch Run 5K next Saturday morning in Selma.

That's a lot of driving just to run and pull off this crazy stunt, but it will certainly make for a memorable experience.

Race for the Cure Race Report

2007-06-09T11:04:00.000-04:00

Breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer among women, and one of the leading causes of cancer death. This morning, I joined 22,000 other runners and walkers who came together to fight this dreaded disease at the Susan G. Komen Triangle Race for the Cure.

The Triangle Race for the Cure is one in a series of road races held in cities around the country in an effort to raise awareness and funds to treat, prevent and eventually cure breast cancer. The event features a co-ed competive 5K, a women's and co-ed recreational run/walk, and a co-ed one-mile fun run/walk. Plus, there's a special recognition and processions for breast cancer survivors.

I used this morning's run as a way to support the fight against breast cancer and also to get in a recovery run as part of my post-marathon training from last Saturday's Sunburst Marathon in South Bend, Ind. Today's course started and finished at Meredith College, traveled along Hillsborough Street in Raleigh, back through an adjoining neighborhood, before coming back onto Hillsborough for the finish at Meredith.

The day started in anticipation of the large crowd. I was supposed to meet up with Sandra Rhyne -- an administrator at Meredith who was bringing some fellow runners I hoped to connect with before the start -- at the flagpole in front of Johnson Hall at 6 a.m. Sandra, who was participating in the walk at 9, was going to work while the competitive division got under way at 7:15. So I could meet her at 6. At least that's what she told me in an email on Friday.

So after picking up my timing chip just before 6, I made my way to Johnson Hall and sat down on a bench beside the flag pole and in front of a broken fountain that I learned later is going to take $1 million bucks to repair. I kept my eyes peeled for Sandra but didn't see her. 6:15, still no Sandra. 6:30, still no Sandra. 6:45, still no Sandra. So I stretched a bit and wandered down to the starting line around 7 a.m.

I wanted to hook up with my newfound running pals Brad Broyles and Steve Worley (who Sandra was supposed to bring with her to the flagpole at Johnson Hall) prior to the race, but no Sandra meant no Brad and Steve, so I hoped I would meet up with them on the course. I didn't see them at the start amidst the throngs of runners.

Since I was using this race as a recovery run, I started toward the back of the pack to avoid the tempation to run too fast. When the run started, I focused on keeping a steady pace, still hoping I'd see Brad or Steve. About a half mile or so into the race, I found Brad, pulled up alongside him, and ran with him for a bit. Brad said Steve was up ahead, and I told him I was going to see if I could find him.

I caught up with Steve about a half mile later around the one-mile marker. He was running at a good pace, but said he was concerned about his hamstrings since his overzealous personal trainer administered a hard leg workout on Tuesday. I settled in and ran with Steve, whose hamstring started feeling better further into the run.

In the neighborhoods we were greeted by the choir at Forest Hills Baptist Church and several spectators offering makeshift cooling stations with water hoses, water guns and lawn sprinklers. The squirts from the Super Soakers and streams from the sprinklers felt good on this hot, summer morning.

We crossed the two mile marker at the 16:10 mark, and when we merged back onto Hillsborough Street just before the three mile-mark a young girl yelled, "You are all winners, not losers!" That was all the encouragement I needed for the final stretch run.

At Steve's urging, we pushed to the finish, crossing the finish with an unoffial time of 25:32 by my watch (although the clock time displayed a bizarre reading of 26:74). We made our way through the finish area, turned in our chips, guzzled some water and picked up a goodie bag. We walked on to the flagpole at Johnson Hall, and lo and behold there was Sandra, to greet me after the race instead of before. An hour and 45 minutes late isn't too bad.

Brad joined us after he finished shortly thereafter. Kudos to Brad, who wrapped up a personal challenge of running "16 races in 16 weeks" today in the Race for the Cure. I asked him on the course what was next for him, and he replied, "Rest!"

I tried to convince Brad to make it 17 races in 17 weeks next week, since I had discovered a local 5K scheduled for next Saturday morning. He declined, saying 16 was a nice, even number. Brad's effort has inspired me to attempt a similar feat. Today was my third race in as many weeks, so another next week would make four in a row. I don't think I can match Brad's mark, but I'm going to see if I can keep the streak alive at least one more week and maybe more. Stay tuned.

Roger and Me

2007-06-08T07:38:00.000-04:00

Runners are a friendly bunch, and share a kindred spirit with one another. One of the highlights of doing road races is meeting and conversing with fellow runners at these events, be it a local 5K or a marathon several states away. During last weekend's Sunburst Marathon, I had the pleasure of meeting a nice gentleman from England named Roger Biggs, a humble man closing in on a tremendous accomplishment.

I ran alongside Roger for about a mile, beginning around the 9-mile marker. After exchanging pleasantries, our conversation turned to typical runner talk related to the course, goals for the day and other races we'd done. Turns out Roger is the chairman of the 100 Marathon Club in the U.K. and had completed a whopping 404 marathons. That wasn't a typo -- four hundred and four marathons.

Of his 400 marathons, Roger had run one on all seven continents (including Antarctica), and he is attempting to become the first person from Great Britain to run a marathon in all 50 states while living in his native England. Based on his research, Roger said other Brits had completed the 50 state marathon quest, but those individuals had lived in the U.S. during parts or all of their quest.

Roger said he simply uses many of his holidays to come to the United States and do races, sometimes doing a marathon in one state during one weekend and then traveling to another state to do another race the next weekend. Other times, he takes a long weekend, jets to the U.S., runs a race and jets back.

Roger had 44 different states down on his list (I'm assuming the Sunburst in Indiana made 45), and he said he plans to finish his 50 state quest at the Honolulu Marathon in Hawaii this December. I enjoyed sharing a mile with Roger on his journey, and I wish him well the rest of the way.

Back in the Saddle

2007-06-07T14:48:00.000-04:00

Following four days of recovery, I went on my first post-marathon run at lunchtime today, an easy 2-miler at around a 10-minute per mile pace. It felt good to get my legs back under me. Now I need to get my diet back on track. I've been partaking in some post-marathon indulgences this week in the form of pizza and ice cream.

Sunburst Marathon Race Report

2007-06-03T22:18:00.000-04:00

Outlined against a sunny, blue June sky, a marathoner ran again. In dramatic lore, his name is Phidippides. This is only his alias. His real name is Austin. He formed the crest of a South Bend cyclone which swept through the streets of that Indiana city on Saturday morning with 500 other runners to set a new personal best at the 2007 Sunburst Marathon.

OK, so it wasn't that dramatic, but venturing to what is arguably the epicenter of college football history for my sixth marathon, I couldn't help but channel my inner Grantland Rice in recounting my experience at the Sunburst race. It was Rice who penned what is considered the most famous piece of sportswriting prose (and the source of my parody above) when he dubbed the Notre Dame backfield quartet of Harry Stuhldreher, Jim Crowrey, Don Miller and Elmer Layden as "The Four Horsemen" in his account of the Fighting Irish's 13-7 victory over Army on Oct. 18, 1924.

But in the land where the legends of Fighting Irish figures like the Horsemen, Knute Rockne, George Gipp, Paul Hornung, Ara Parseghian, Tim Brown, Lou Holtz, and yes, even "Rudy" Ruettiger grow larger each autumn, and in the shadows of famous Notre Dame landmarks such as the Golden Dome, "Touchdown Jesus" and Notre Dame Stadium, I added my own memorable moment by setting a new personal marathon best in the Sunburst race, finishing in 3 hours, 54 minutes, and 46 seconds.

The race is more than a marathon. In fact, it's a town-wide running festival with a marathon, half marathon, 10K run, 5K run and 5K walk. Although there were only 525 runners in the marathon, the race was a nice break from the mega-marathons I've participated in that draw tens of thousands of runners. The entire event from the packet pick-up to the conclusion had a festive atmosphere. There weren't a lot of spectators lining the course but the ones who were out, as well as the volunteers staffing the water and aid stations were very enthusiastic.

The Sunburst Marathon is billed as a route from "the Hall of Fame to Notre Dame." The race started on the street in front of the College Football Hall of Fame in downtown South Bend, Indiana, traveled through several neighborhoods, in some of the local parks, on portions of the greenway trail and along the town's river walk before a climactic finish on the 50-yard-line inside Notre Dame stadium.

The marathon got under way at 6 a.m. and based on my early mile splits, I thought I might shatter my pervious marathon best. I consistently registered mile times under 8 minutes, 30 seconds for the first half of the race, crossing the halfway point in 1 hour, 49 minutes -- which would have been a new personal half marathon best.

As the sun rose in the morning sky, however, so did the temperature, the humidity and my mile times. By mile 19, my split times were up to more than 9 minutes per mile. They were more than 10 minutes by mile 22, and more than 11 minutes by mile 25. My legs were throbbing, but I kept plodding along, putting one foot in front of the other.

I passed the 26-mile marker with Touchdown Jesus looking down and entered the stadium for the final stretch run to the finish. With the Notre Dame Victory March fight song emanating from some loudspeakers, I felt like Rudy or one of the other members of the Fighting Irish sprinting from the locker room to the field on game day. With each step the darkness of the tunnel gave way to the sunlight shining down on the field in the expansive stadium.

Running up the far sideline, I counted down, well up actually, the distance to the finish.

He's at the 10...the 20...the 30...the 40...the 50....TOUCHDOWN AUSTIN!

Crossing the finish line actually did feel as if I'd scored a touchdown, so I struck my best Heisman Trophy pose right there at midfield.

With my official time of 3:54:46, I eclipsed my previous marathon best of 3 hours, 58, minutes, 11 seconds, by 3 minutes, 25 seconds. I placed 154th out of 525 overall, 127th out of 374 among all the male competitors and 20th out of 46 in my age group of 30-34 year old males. With the finish, Indiana became the sixth state to get checked off my list to run a marathon in all 50 states.

I guess you could say, I ran this one for the Gipper.

Bare Bones 5K Race Report

2007-05-26T20:59:00.000-04:00

Before one of the flight training sessions in Top Gun, Maverick and Goose say to one another, "I feel the need, the need for speed." That's sort of the way I felt at this morning's Bare Bones 5K in Sailsbury, N.C.

Since I'm in the final stages of tapering for next weekend's Sunburst Races Marathon in South Bend, Ind., I'm supposed to be slowing down and not speeding up. I intended to run this morning's race at a leisurely pace, just to get my race in for the month of May as part of my goal to run at least one race per month in 2007. But when I toed the line to start the race, I couldn't resist the urge to run fast when the gun sounded.

All the conditions were right for a strong run...beautiful weather and a flat course that started at Knox Middle School near downtown Salisbury, traveled along a greenway trail and briefly into a residential area before returning along the trail and finishing with a lap around the middle school's track.

I finished the day with a new 5K personal best with a time of 21:32, placing me second in my age group. My time today eclipsed my previous 5K PR set just one month ago by more than a minute (1:07 to be exact). What's more, I posted my fastest mile split ever on the first mile, clocking a 6:47 mile. My third mile was also under seven minutes at 6:56.

I think I'm beginning to enter a new phase as a runner. One where I want to push myself further eacth time to see what my full potential is. I've dabbled with some speed training earlier this year and the time gains I've made in a short time this year make me want to keep pushing to break new boundaries.

Race of Grace Race Report

2007-04-29T21:47:00.000-04:00

I hadn't heard of the Race of Grace 5K until my friend Steve Worley called me late last week and asked me if I were planning on running it. Despite coming off a 17-mile marathon training run on Saturday, I figured what the heck, and decided to run this afternoon's Race of Grace, sponsored by Edenton Street United Methodist Church.

I met up with Steve and Brad Broyles, another local runner I met through Steve, before the race. The out-and-back 3.1-mile course started on West Edenton Street in downtown Raleigh, merged with Hillsborough Street, which took us in front of NC State University for the turnaround before heading back to the church. Various bands lined the course providing a mix of encouraging praise and worship music, making this 5K reminiscent of some of the musical marathons I've done in the past. I particularly enjoyed the group that played the handbell rendition of title theme from the movie Chariots of Fire theme. (I'd be surprised if you've never heard this theme since it's now parodied in just about anything related to running, but just in case you haven't, here's a sample audio clip.

It was a beautiful spring day for a run, but with temperatures hovering near 80 degrees, it was a bit warmer weather than I like to run in. Since I was coming off the long training run on Saturday, I hadn't planned on running for speed, but the race atmosphere got the best of me. Although I didn't anticipate doing so, I finished with a personal-best 5K time of 22 minutes, 39 seconds, eclipsing my previous 5K best of 23:09 that I set on Jan. 1 of this year by 30 seconds. Steve finished just over 25 seconds, and Brad -- who ran Saturday's Country Music Marathon in Nashville, Tenn., then flew back to Raleigh in time to run the Race of Grace -- finished in 31 minutes.

The Race of Grace is a well-organized event, plus the crowd support and entertainment provided by the bands before and during the race gives it the feel of a bigger event. Plus, it's for a good cause with the proceeds going to urban ministries and other groups that address social issues such as homelessness, healthcare and hunger. Although this year was only the fourth running of the event, someone said it's quietly become one of the larger races in Raleigh. Judging by the turnout today, I believe it. I'm surprised I hadn't heard of it before this year, but it's a race I'll definitely try to add to my race calendar in the future.

Barely Made It

2007-04-18T18:05:00.000-04:00

This morning I saw a note on the Cool Running Web site that indicated the 2007 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, scheduled for October, had already reached 40,000 entrants. Since Chicago was one of the key races I had circled on the calendar for 2007, I stopped procrastinating and signed up. It's a good thing I did because by 2:47 p.m. this afternoon the race had reached it's capacity of 45,000 entrants. Looks like I was one of the last one's in.

Confirmed: Cary Road Race Was Indeed Short

2007-04-18T17:55:00.000-04:00

A message on the results page for this past weekend's 5K and 10K events as part of the Cary Road Race confirmed what the runners thought afterwards -- the course was indeed short. The following note was published along with the results.

"Timer's Note: According to Neville Wood, the state certifier and the man who measured the Cary Road Race courses, the runners in both races ran a short course. Neville should know since he ran both races."

Cary Road Race Report

2007-04-14T12:41:00.000-04:00

Of all the road races I've particpated in since taking up running five years ago, I had never competed in an event at the 10K (6.2 mile) distance. And apparently, even after running this morning's Cary Road Race I still haven't participated in a 10K.

Although the advertised distance for the race was 10K, the buzz among just about all the runners I talked to afterwards was that the course was short, perhaps by as much as a half mile or more. That's surprising since this was, after all, the 29th annual running of this event.

I knew something was amiss while tracking my mile splits on the course. My split at mile two read 6 minutes, 47 minutes. I've never sniffed a sub 7-minute mile in my life. The best mile split I've ever run in a race was 7:15, but according to my finishing time of 45 minutes, 6 seconds this morning's, ahem, 10K, I averaged 7:15 minutes per mile for the race. No way that happened.

My friend Steve Worley, who I ran with for a bit, said his finishing time was seven minutes faster than his personal 10K best. We talked to three guys who ran with Garmin Forerunner watches and each of their GPS trackers registered different distances for the course. One read 5.7 miles, another 5.8 and the the third 6.1 miles. Still short by any measure. Another guy we spoke with said a race official told him that the course was indeed short, but didn't say by how much.

Since the course was a double loop, I'm guessing the distance error was somewhere between mile one and two, which was a turnaround point on the course. Perhaps course officials didn't mark the turnaround point far enough out. I'm pretty certain this is where the course was short because this is where my megafast mile occured. My second time through my split at this point was even faster than the first -- 5 minutes, 58 seconds. There's just no way I ran a sub 7-minute mile much less a sub-6! All my other mile splits seemed pretty accurate based on my running history, pace and ability.

Despite the apparent inaccuracies on the course, I still had a good time at the Cary Road Race, and that's the main thing. The distance error won't keep me from doing the race again next year, when hopefully the 10K really is a 10K. In the meantime, however, I still need to find me a real 10K to run.

Happy Easter

2007-04-08T07:17:00.000-04:00

Matthew 28

The Resurrection

1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

5 The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

The Guards' Report

11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.' 14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

The Great Commission

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Back in the Pool

2007-03-07T18:19:00.000-05:00

I'm planning on doing the Mission Man Triathlon again this year, so I've deciced to slowly incorporate swimming back into my training regimen. I'll soon have to add cycling back in the mix as well. So today, I returned to the pool for my first swim workout in seven months. I took it easy with a 400-yard workout, consisting mostly of 25s and 50s.

While I enjoy the variety that multisport training provides, I feel like I need to be a bit smarter about it than I was while training for last year's Mission Man. Last year, I incorporated swimming and biking into my workout regimen while keeping my running mileage up near my marathon training levels. At times, however, I felt like I overdid it with the swimming and the running, which I feel contributed to some IT band troubles last summer.

This year, my plan is to once again keep my running mileage up for marathons planned for June and October, and add in swimming and biking. This year, however, I'm not going to be so gung-ho about going above and beyond the prescribed training in the tri plan I'm following. If anyone out there has any advice on building a basic sprint triathlon training plan around marathon training, I'd love to hear your advice.

February Monthly Mileage Checkin

2007-03-05T21:17:00.000-05:00

I logged 145.9 miles in February, bringing my total mileage this year to 246.5 after the first two months of 2007.

Hearts on Franklin 5K Race Report

2007-02-17T20:20:00.000-05:00

Another running goal of mine in 2007 is to run at least one road race per month. My race for February was the Hearts on Franklin 5K, held this morning in Chapel Hill, N.C. Close to 200 people braved the low 30-degree temperatures for this inaugural event, put on by the Alpha Epsilon Delta sorority at UNC to benefit the Children's Fund of North Carolina.

Running through UNC's beautiful and historic campus because it's where I spent four of the best years of my life as an undergraduate. The course started and ended at Ehringhuas Field on south campus and wound past Kenan Stadium, the Bell Tower, the Old Well and Boshamer Stadium before returning to Ehringhaus Field for the finish.

My goal was to simply run the race at a leisurely pace, but my finishing time of 25 minutes, 19 seconds -- my fourth fastest 5K time ever -- was faster than I anticipated or expected. I was surprised mostly because the 5K came on the heels of a 16-mile marathon training run earlier in the predawn morning.

January Monthly Mileage Checkin

2007-02-17T20:05:00.000-05:00

One of my goals for 2007 is to run 1,500 total miles this year. I set a goal to run 1,000 miles in 2006 and actually logged more than 1,200. So I think 1,500 in 2007 is attainable. That means I need to average 125 miles per month to hit 1,500 exactly, which translates into just under 29 miles per week.

Although this post is about two and a half weeks late, I figure I'll use my blog to chart my progress toward 1,500. (Besides, it will give me something to post at least once per month.) In January, I logged 100.6 total miles. Although that's 24.4 miles off of the 125-mile-per-month average I mentioned above, but January's lower mileage total can be attribued to the rest and recover following the P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon.

Da Bears!

2007-02-01T17:27:00.000-05:00

Although, I'm pulling for Indianapolis in Super Bowl XLI this Sunday, the Chicago Bears have certainly left their mark on popular culture over the past 20 years or so.

Who can forget the "Super Bowl Shuffle" rap video the 1985 Bears released prior to dismantling the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX?

And who can forget the Chicago "Superfans" skits on Saturday Night Live, beginning in the early 1990s? They are responsible for making "Da Bears" part of the popular lexicon.

I'm sure the Superfans wouldn't like my rooting interests for the Colts this Sunday. If they were making Super Bowl picks, their predictions would be something like, Da Bears 107, Colts -4.

Scenes from Sedona

2007-01-22T17:55:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, Jan. 13, the day before the P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon, I drove up Interstate 17 an hour and a half north of Phoenix to visit the town of Sedona, which is known for its spectacular Red Rock formations. Here's a sampling of some scenes from Sedona.

I really loved these "twin peaks." Well, "tri peaks" if you want to count the smaller formation off to the left.

Similar to making pictures in the clouds, some of the formations are given names based on objects they resemble. This one is called the "Snoopy Rock." Can you see the resemblance to Snoopy sleeping on top of his dog house?

And this one is known as the "Bell Rock."

Here's the Chapel of the Holy Cross, which appears to rise right out of the red rocks. Completed in 1956 by a pupil of renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the chapel is one of the town's main tourist stops.

The chapel is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and offers a place for prayer, reflection and panoramic views of the formations.

Photos from Phoenix

2007-01-17T12:28:00.000-05:00

Here are some photos from my weekend trip to Phoenix for the P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon, starting with a desert cactus.

Chase Field, home of Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks, located directly across the street from the Phoenix Convention Center, where I had to pick up my race number and packet before the race.

A Mountain. Literally, "A" Mountain on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe.

A familiar face in the desert. It's Herb Sendek, former North Carolina State University men's basketball coach who is in his first season coaching the Sun Devils.

Wait a minute, this is Phoenix, not Philly. But after the marathon I could yell, "Yo, Adrian! I did it!"

Didn't eat here, so I can't vouch for the restaurant's claim. The official name is Kid Chilleen's Bad Ass BBQ & Steakhouse, and it's located on exit 244 off of Interstate 17 in Arizona.

Self portrait with a cactus. I couldn't leave Arizona without getting a shot of me with a cactus. Unfortunatley, there was no one around to snap a photo, so I had to do it myself. I wanted to explore some other cacti in the area but feared there might be rattlesnakes in the brush. Couldn't risk a snake bite the day before the big race.

Check back later for another round of pictures from my day trip to Sedona, Ariz., to see some magnificent red rock formations.

P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon Race Report

2007-01-16T07:25:00.000-05:00

For much of Sunday's P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon, Phoenix's recognizable Camelback Mountain loomed in the distance on the course. For the 37,000 runners competing in the full and half marathons, the mountain stood as a symbol of reaching the summit of a remarkable athletic achievement For me, the mountain also represented a personal challenge to reach new heights by finishing the 26.2 mile race in 4 hours or less.

A sub 4-hour marathon has been a target of mine for some time, but it wasn't until I ran a personal best time at the Victory Junction Half Marathon in early December that I began to seriously consider going for the four-hour marathon mark in Phoenix. I incorporated some speedwork into my training plan and following a PR in a New Year's Resolution 5K run, I believed 4 hours in Phoenix was a realistic possibility.

To eclipse the 4-hour mark exactly, I needed to run each mile of the marathon in 9 minutes, 9 seconds. For good measure, and to build a cushion for the last few gruelling miles when pace times inevitably slow, my goal was to run at a steady 9-minute per mile pace. I logged my first mile in 9:05 and proceeded to run 14 of the next 17 miles under 9-minute goal pace.

I reached the half marathon mark in 1 hour, 55 minutes, 5 minutes ahead of the projected 4-hour pace. Over the next eight miles (miles 14-21), I increased my time cushion to nearly 6 minutes, but I knew that I would have to tap into those reserves before the race would end.

Then, over the final five miles, it hit -- the wall, and the time came to tap into those reserves. My pace slowed considerably. Mile 22 in 9:35. Mile 23 in 9:43. Mile 24 in 9:45. My legs hurt. My mind wandered and wondered, how much farther to the next mile marker? Prayers were uttered.

The last two miles were the hardest, toughest and longest. Mile 25 in 10:27. Mile 26 in 10:26. My time cushion that was once nearly 6 minutes was down to less than 2 minutes. But only two-tenths of a mile separated me from the sub 4-hour marathon finish. As I rounded the final turn at Arizona State's Sun Devil Stadium, I summoned what little energy and strength I had remaining to cross the finish line in an official time of 3 hours, 58 minutes, 11 seconds.

Following the race, I was too exhausted physically and mentally to appreciate the fact that I had scaled the 4-hour summit. The feelings of accomplishment didn't begin to sink in until the plane ride back to Raleigh yesterday. The P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon was by far my most complete race to date, from the training (adding speedwork), to my race-day strategy (maintaining a steady pace rather than going out too fast) to post-race recovery (walking and icing).

The flat course no doubt helped me reach my goal, as did the unseasonably cool (OK, downright cold) temperatures. The temperature at the start was only 32 degrees -- which I learned later was the coldest temperature on record in Phoenix in 17 years. Despite the cold, the skies were clear and sunny for the race, and temperatures reached a high in the low 50s. It was warmer back home in North Carolina (70s) over the weekend than it was in Phoenix (50s), which made me wonder, isn't this supposed to be the Valley of the Sun?

I guess I should stop trying to plan warm weather destinations for winter marathons, because the same thing happened to me at the Disney World Marathon last January. I was greeted by similar conditions there -- unseasonably cold weather for Orlando in January and a temperatures in the low 30s at the start. Hopefully, I'll get some good springtime weather for the inaugural Georgia Marathon at the end of March, which is my next step on the 50-50-50 Challenge.

Sub 4:00

2007-01-14T15:54:00.000-05:00

Logging in from my hotel in Tempe, Ariz. I'll have a complete race report and recap of my weekend in Phoenix when I return, but I wanted to let everyone know that I met my goal of finishing the P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon in less than 4 hours. My unofficial time was 3 hours, 58 minutes, 14 seconds.

Ready to Rock

2007-01-11T19:00:00.000-05:00

The training is complete, the taper is over and the bags are packed...well, almost packed. I'm boarding a plane for Phoenix, Ariz., in the morning to run in Sunday's P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon. This will make marathon four in my 50-50-50 Challenge, and my goal for the race is to finish in four hours or less, which would be a new personal best. With some speedwork under my belt, I feel ready physically and am trying to focus mentally on the goal. Projected race-day temperatures in the mid-50s should make for perfect running weather. Whether or not I break four hours, I'll have a race report when I return.

Tag! I'm it!

2007-01-08T16:52:00.000-05:00

I've been "tagged" by my good friend, Chris. Now I've got to come up with five random factoids about myself, but I don't think I can come up with a list to top Chris'. Anyway, here goes...

When I was 12 years old, I slept-walked one night and locked myself out of my parents' house.
I once appeared on a weekly televised episode of World Championship Wrestling holding a Four Horsemen sign at ringside.
My favorite television show of all-time is Sanford and Son.
I once held the Heisman Trophy that Navy quarterback Roger Staubach won in 1963.
I've attended a World Series game and an NCAA men's basketball Final Four.

I guess I have to tag some other people. I'll tag Adam and Eric.

You Never Forget Your First Time

2007-01-07T13:58:00.000-05:00

A year ago this weekend, I went the distance at the Walt Disney World Marathon for my first marathon finish. Memories of that day remain vivid. Like the unseasonably cold weather in Orlando, entering EPCOT Center on the run in the pre-dawn morning, running underneath EPCOT's iconic sphere, seeing Scott and Jennifer on Main Street U.S.A. in the Magic Kingdom, running through Cinderella's Castle, running behind the scenes on Disney property, running through the two other Disney theme parks, MGM Studios and Animal Kingdom, as well as the emotions of crossing the finish line and receiving the distinctive Mickey Mouse ear-shaped finisher's medal. All that and more certainly made the 26.2 mile effort magical.

Movie Review: "Facing the Giants"

2007-01-05T09:00:00.000-05:00

We all face giants in our lives at some time or another. Giants of fear or giants of failure. Giants of doubt or giants of depression. "Facing the Giants" is an inspirational movie about, as its title states, facing the giants in your life, whatever they may be.

The protagonist is Grant Taylor, a high school football coach suffering mounting losses on the field and off. In the midst of his struggles, Taylor turns to prayer and his faith in God to see him through his hardships, and along the way, he instills a new game plan for himself and his team that centers on glorifying God in everything -- win or lose.

"Facing the Giants" is reminsicent of other feel good sports films like "Hoosiers" and "Remember the Titans," but with a clear Christian message. The message is not surprising, however, since "Giants" was produced entirely by the staff of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga., on a budget of just $100,000. Yet the independent film has grossed $10 million since its limited national theatrical release in the fall.

When compared with big-budget Hollywood productions, "Giants" suffers some from its budgetary limitations. The acting is sometimes off in parts, but these actors weren't professionals. All of them (with the exception of a cameo of University of Georgia head football coach Mark Richt who plays himself), were, in some way, associated with Sherwood Baptist Church and the surrounding community. Some of the game sequences, however, compare favorably with Hollywood's football flicks, and in many instances, the "Giants" action scenes are more realistic.

Despite its shortcomings, "Facing the Giants" stands on its own as a movie about practically living out your faith in your everyday life. It's about honoring and trusting God in all things, and leaving the results to Him.

There's still time to catch "Giants" in theaters in select locations (The movie's Web site has searchable database for theaters still showing the film. I caught it last night at the Blue Ridge Cinema here in Raleigh.) Or if you can't find it playing in your area, "Giants" is due out on DVD on Jan. 30.

Running In The New Year

2007-01-01T20:32:00.000-05:00

I hit the ground running in 2007. Literally. At the stroke of midnight, I was competing in a 5K at the Camp Lejuene Marine Corps' base in Jacksonville, N.C. A few hours later, I did another 5K in Greensboro, N.C. Two races, one day, 10 hours apart. That's how I rang in the New Year.

Ultramarathon man Dean Karnazes' 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days quest last fall inspired me to do something out of the ordinary with my running in 2007. My idea was born when I learned of the Marine Corps' annual Resolution Run at Onslow Beach at Camp Lejeune at midnight on New Year's Eve. When I learned of the midnight run at Camp Lejeune, I had already registered for the 5K Resolution Run in Greensboro. My quirky stunt for 2007 was set. And what better day to do it than New Year's Eve and Day.

It was a beautiful night for a New Year's Eve Run. The Camp Lejeune Resolution Run took place on the shore of Onslow Beach, located on the grounds of the base. Amidst 60-degree temperatures, an ocean breeze and the sounds of waves hitting the shore, nearly 100 fellow runners ran in the New Year as 2006 gave way to 2007. A bright moon shined its light through the clouds, but the runners generated their own light with flourescent glow sticks we carried on the run. The scene looked like a swarm of oversized fireflys going up and down the beach.

I finished the run in 25 minutes flat, placing 14th out of 90 overall and second in my age group. After some refershments and the awards ceremony, I hopped in my car to make the drive back to Raleigh. I arrived home about 4 a.m., slept for about three hours then awoke to make the trek to Greensboro for my second run of the day, which started at 10 a.m at Bur-Mil Park.

Intermittent rain fell prior to the start of the run, but the skies cleared when we toed the line. Despite running 10 hours before, driving two-and-a-half hours home, sleeping three hours, and driving another hour and a half to Greensboro, I finished the second race of the day by eclipsing my previous personal best 5K time by nearly a minute, clocking a time of 23 minutes, 9 seconds. I placed 57th out of 249 overall and ninth out of 36 in my age group.

In my last post of 2006, I wrote that I didn't know how my running efforts in 2007 could top 2006, but things are certainly off to a roaring start. Happy New Year!

2006: The Year in Running

2006-12-30T19:14:00.000-05:00

Completing my first marathon (and going on to run two more), setting a handful of personal bests, finishing races with both my parents and achieving my goal to log at least 1,000 total miles were among the highlights that made 2006 my most memorable and productive running year to date.

I confess to being a bit of a numbers and stats geek, so I've put together a brief "By the Numbers" summary of my 2006 running below.

1,209: Total miles run in 2006.
1 week, 1 day, 12 hours, 54 minutes, 4 seconds: Cumulative time spent running in 2006.
10:10: Average pace per mile in 2006.
10: Total races completed in 2006 (three marathons, three half marathons, two 5Ks, one 8K, one triathlon).
4: Number of personal best race times set in 2006 (Country Music Marathon; Run the Quay 5K; Gallop and Gorge 8K; Victory Junction Half Marathon)

Honestly, I don't know how 2007 can top this year, but I already have plans to get the New Year off to an early running start. And I do mean early. Check back Jan. 1 for a summary.

Ice Water in my Veins

2006-12-09T09:27:00.000-05:00

This morning had to be one of the coldest mornings I've ever had to endure during one of my long marathon training runs. The temperature was 17 degrees when I started my 19-mile run at 5 a.m. By the time I finished roughtly three-and-a-half hours later, the temperature was still below freezing, climbing to 25 degrees. The below-freezing temperatures caused the water in my water bottles to freeze, so I had ice water on the run. I've never had that happen before.

Victory Junction Run Race Report

2006-12-03T20:58:00.000-05:00

"They probably don't have an opportunity to run, but you're running for them."

Pattie Petty, wife of NASCAR driver Kyle Petty, used those words in welcoming a gym full of runners to the inaugural Victory Junction Run this morning in Randleman, N.C. The "they" she was referring to are the campers who get to visit the Victory Junction Gang Camp.

The Victory Junction Gang Camp is a designed for children with chronic medical conditions or serious illness. The goal is to give those children a fun-filled experience at a NASCAR themed summer camp, just like able-bodied children enjoy. The inaugural Victory Junction Run half-marathon and 4.5K was planned by Kyle Petty, himself an avid runner, to raise money for the camp. I participated in the half-marathon and my mom participated in the 4.5K.

Pattie Petty's words, along with a message on abiding in Christ by NASCAR chaplian and life coach Kenny Crosswhite at a pre-race worship service, inspired me to a personal best performance in the half marathon. Coming into the race, I certainly hadn't intended to try to run for a personal best, but as I ran the words and the message made me realize how blessed I am, and how God gives me the strength to run and do something that I enjoy when there are many, many people who can't, due to physical ailments.

The race started with the national anthem, a word of prayer by Kyle Petty and the dropping of the green flag by Richard Petty. (The green flag was a subtle touch to the start of the race, and there were many other subtle references adapted from auto racing and applied to this road race. But what else would you expect from a road race sponsored by the son of stock car racing legend?)

The half marathon started at Randleman High School and traversed the rolling, rural countryside through Randleman and Randolph County. My mom and other paricipants in the 4.5K were bussed to the Victory Junction Gang camp, where the their race would begin and the half marathon would end. It didn't take me long to realize that this would be a challenging course with plenty of hills. There were plenty of uphills, but there never seemed to be any downhills.

I settled into a comfortable pace at the start of the race, and soon left Nextel Cup driver Michael Waltrip, a marathoner and supporter of the Victory Junction Gang camp, in my rearview mirror. Waltrip, I'm sure, was used to being passed, however, because this happens just about every Sunday at the NASCAR tracks.

Shortly thereafter, I saw another sight that is common on Sundays -- Kyle Petty pulled off on the side of the road. He and his wife were high-fiving runners in the early stages of the race. Actually I don't mean to poke fun at Michael Waltrip and Kyle Petty, but their collective auto racing success has been limited of late, but they are two of most personable and friendly drivers on the NASCAR circuit. And I do admire the work they've put into making the Victory Junction Gang Camp a reality.

There were no designated mile markers at the beggining of the course, so I couldn't keep my mile split times. But when I reached the seven-mile marker in 1 hour, 1 minute and 23 seconds, I began to think that maybe, just mabye, that I might be able to eclipse my personal best time in the half marathon, which was 1 hour, 57, minutes, 47 seconds, set at the 2004 Country Music Marathon in Nashville, Tenn. I began reflecting on the message about abiding in Christ, praying through and meditating on Philippians 4:13 ("I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"), and thinking about Pattie Petty's words, "They probably don't have an opportunity to run, but you're running for them." At mile eight I told myself "You're going to get a PR."

I felt a renewed sense of strength and drive with a potential personal best within reach. My split times over the final six miles were the fastest I've recorded at the end of an endurance race. Normally as fatigue sets in and the miles get slower, today I seemed to get faster. I ran mile eight in 8 minutes, 11 seconds. Mile nine in 8:34. Mile 10 in 8:10. Mile 11 in 8:32. Mile 12 in 8:09. Mile 13 (plus the extra "tenth" that makes up the 13.1 miles in a half mararathon) in 9:08. I crossed the line in 1 hour, 52 minutes, and 32 seconds, a new personal half marathon best by 5 minutes, 15 seconds.

The finish was not only special to me because of my personal best, but it was also significant because I finished in time to join my mom back on the course for the conclusion of her race. As I entered the camp for the final stretch of the half marathon, I ran past many of the particpants walking in the 4.5K. I passed a woman and did a doubletake....it was my mom. I said, "Hey, momma," waved to her and run on, knowing that I could finish and rejoin her for the finish.

After crossing the finish line, picking up my finisher's medal and some water and a Powerade, I found my mom and joined her for the homestretch of her race. Three weeks ago, I had the privilege of crossing the finish line a road race with my dad. Now, here I was getting to do the same with my mom, which was truly a blessing based the time I thought I would run and the time I thought it would take mom to do her walk, I figured she would be finished before I crossed the finish line. Instead, we got to put our arms around each other and cross together.

Kyle and Pattie Petty were at the finish line, personally thanking each and every runner and walker as they completed their respective race. I'm still beaming because of everything that transpired at today's Victory Junction Run. Personally, it will always be a memorable race for an worthy cause. I'm already looking forward to next year's race.

Running with Dad: Reidsville Turkey Trot Race Report

2006-11-11T20:17:00.000-05:00

Of all the races I've participated in and no matter how many or which ones I do in the future, I can't imagine any run being more meaningful than the Turkey Trot that I did this morning in my hometown of Reidsville, N.C. That's because I ran it with my dad.

The Turkey Trot was dad's first road race, and I'm so proud of him for finishing the 5K. He had dedicated himself over the past several weeks to train, and all of his hard work paid off. I ran alongside him for the entire course in downtown Reidsville, and gave him a big hug after we crossed the finish line.

We had utilized run/walk itervals during the race, so I didn't expect him to shift into high gear as we approached the finish line. With the finish line in sight, he left me in his tracks. Even though we finished at the very end of the field (I finished dead last), dad and I both placed received trophies for placing in our respective age groups. He finished second (out of two) in the 65-69 year old division with a time of 40 minutes, 23 seconds, and I finished third (out of three) in the 30-34 year-old divisin in 40:26. Dad's time was nearly five minutes faster than any of his 3-mile training sessions.

But today wasn't about about a finishing time, a trophy or anything else. It was about enjoying good fellowship with dad and sharing in an achievement of a goal with him. He had told me several times leading up to the race that he hoped he didn't embarrass me. He told me repeatedly that I could run ahead at my pace and just meet him at the finish. But when he committed to do the race I told him I'd run alongside him each step of the way. It was the least I could do. He's been running alongside me and encouraging me all my life. And along the way I think he realized that where you finish doesn't really matter, just as long as you finish.

Marine Corps Marathon Race Report

2006-10-30T19:06:00.000-05:00

I certainly felt proud to be an American while running a marathon through our nation’s capital on Sunday. The Marine Corps Marathon is aptly dubbed “The People’s Marathon” and “The Marathon of the Monuments.” The event certainly lived up to those descriptors as well as my own expectations.

The Marine Corps Marathon is definitely a marathon of the people, for the people and by the people. A race record 34,000 runners turned out for the 31^st annual running of the event. An estimated 120,000 spectators lined the course to offer support and encouragement along the way. About 4,000 marines and civilian volunteers provided service by offering water, aid and words of encouragement throughout the course.

To begin basking in some of the atmosphere of patriotism and pageantry that would be on display during the race, I visited some of the monuments on Saturday afternoon after picking up my race packet at the expo. In addition to the Washington Monument, the Vietnam Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial, I paid my first visit to the World War II Memorial. For dinner that evening, I attended a special pasta dinner at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, which featured performances by the Marine Corps’ Silent Drill Platoon, who carried out precisely orchestrated rifle drills with no verbal instructions, and the Marine Corps’ Leatherneck Pipe and Drums bagpipe band.

Sunday morning, I arrived at Arlington Cemetery for the race start around 5:30 a.m., and I waited out the start by watching some marines perform some last-minute race set-up, posing for a picture with a group of marines, and talking to some fellow runners. The opening ceremonies included music by the Marine Corps’ Leatherneck Pipes and Drums band, a stirring rendition of the national anthem marked by marines standing at attention, and a flyover by a military Osprey aircraft. A blast from a howitzer served as the starting gun to commence the race.

The course wound its way through Rosslyn and onto the George Washington Memorial Parkway before crossing over the Potomac River on the Francis Scott Key Bridge at mile four. After a trek through Georgetown and a jaunt down the Rock Creek Parkway and back, we entered my favorite segment of the course.

Miles 10 through 16 brought us into the National Mall and routed us past numerous monuments, memorials and landmarks. After entering the Mall from the rear of the Lincoln Memorial, and ran past the White House, the Washington Monument, the Capitol and the Jefferson Memorial. We then entered East Potomac Park and eventually crossed the 14^th Street Bridge back into Virginia. After venturing through Crystal City, we returned past the Pentagon and then to the finish at the Iwo Jima Marine Corps War Memorial.

Although my pace had started to slow in Crystal City, I hit the proverbial wall just prior to passing the Pentagon at mile 24. In my two previous marathons I have started out the race much too fast and hit the wall around mile 20. My goal for today was to run at a slow and steady pace and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Although my finishing time of 4 hours, 55 minutes, 28 seconds was considerably slower than my previous marathons, I was pleased that my stamina lasted longer than in my past 26.2 milers.

The final two-tenths of a mile were especially tough marked by a steady incline, but running uphill toward the finish in the shadow of Iwo Jima Memorial was particularly inspiring. Inspiring too were the thousands of marines who staffed the event from distributing race packets at the expo to presenting medals and aid at the finish. I truly felt humbled by these men and women because inside I felt like I should be the one serving them for the sacrifices they make to protect our liberty and freedom, which allow me to participate and enjoy an event like the Marine Corps Marathon. Their presence and service at the event was undoubtedly symbolic of the service they provide to the United States and its citizens each and every day.

So to all the marines who proved true to their motto "Semper Fidelis" (always faithful), and to all of the other individuals serving in our armed forces, I salute you. Oorah!

United by Running

2006-10-27T20:04:00.000-04:00

The training is over, the tapering is done and the waiting is almost over. The Marine Corps Marathon is Sunday. I'm getting ready to hit the rack so I can get up early in the morning to make the trip to D.C.

I love D.C. and am looking forward to running amidst the iconic buildings and monuments that represent the United States of America. With the pageantry and the spectacle that will be on display, I'm sure I'll run with a sense of patriotic pride on Sunday. And that was before I learned that one unique aspect to this year's Marine Corps Marathon is that in addition to the 30,000 runners in D.C., about 208 military personnel in Iraq are running the Marine Corps Marathon Forward -- a full 26.2 marathon half a world away. Here's an excerpt about the event from today's Washington Post.

On Sunday, several hours before 30,000 runners stand in the shadow of the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington ready to begin the Marine Corps Marathon, Marine Sgt. Chuck Trainer will set out on his first marathon in, of all places, the Iraqi desert.

Trainer is one of 208 members of the armed services stationed in the Middle East who are registered for Sunday's inaugural Marine Corps Marathon Forward at al-Asad air base, which is about 100 miles west of Baghdad. For Trainer and others, the satellite race is serving as a medium through which they can connect with loved ones in the United States, especially those who are running the Marine Corps Marathon here. Click here for full story.

Cannonball Run Half Marathon Race Report

2006-10-14T23:34:00.000-04:00

Entering a road race to practice running slow is contradictory I know, but that was my strategy for this morning's Cannonball Run Half Marathon in Greensboro, N.C. I decided to use this race as a training run for the Marine Corps Marathon which is now just a mere two weeks away.

In analyzing my prevous two marathon performances, I've realize that I've gone out too fast at the start and paid for it in the final miles. The temptation to go out fast is tough to resist....you've put in all the training, you've tapered and your legs and body feels fresh, you're adrenaline is pumping and you feed off the atmosphere, the other runners and the crowd. But the strong feeling you have at the beginning is replaced by fatigue and hitting the wall early at the end. So I figured what better way to work on going out slower and maintaining a steady pace than to practice it in a race setting.

I feel like I accomplished what I wanted to this morning by finishing in 2 hours, 23 minutes, 20 seconds for a 10:56 minute-per-mile pace. My mile splits were within seconds of each other throughout the event and I felt like I could have continued for several more miles of steady plodding. Going slow was tough, and the old pride took a hit as well by finishing dead last in my age group and 42nd from the bottom overall, but that's OK. I resisted the temptation to go fast. If I can average at an 11 minute mile pace at the Marine Corps Marathon, I'll be pleased.

The weather was cooler for this year's race, but it sure beat the steady rain from last year. The course was different as well. Much of it was run on the Lake Brandt greenway trail, which I didn't know existed. I'd also like to give a shout out to the boys and girls cross country teams at my alma mater Rockingham County Senior High School who manned the water stations and aided in direction people along the route. Thanks for giving up your Saturday morning to come out and volunteer.

Slower is Better

2006-10-07T11:40:00.000-04:00

The weekend rain broke long enough this morning for me to "sqeeze in" my 20-mile run, which was the last long run in my training plan for the Marine Corps Marathon. Now comes three weeks of tapering before the marathon on Oct. 29th.

I don't know if you ever get used to running upwards of 20 miles on a single run, but I must say I feel much better after this morning's 20-miler than in my previous ones. Probably because for the first time I stuck to running slow and steady throughout the run rather than trying to run at the same pace that I do my short and intermediate runs at during the week.

Most experts suggest doing your long runs anywhere from 45 to 90 seconds slower than your marathon pace. Lately I've been training around a 10:30 minute per mile pace. This morning my average pace was 12:44 per mile. Easily the slowest pace of any of my long runs.

Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon Race Report

2006-09-03T20:57:00.000-04:00

As late as a month ago, and as recently as a few days ago, I didn't think I'd get to run in the 2006 Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon at Virginia Beach. Between some recurring knee trouble that has kept me from running for much of the summer and Tropical Storm Ernesto's path up the East Coast this past week, I wasn't 100 percent sure until Thursday that I'd get to make the trip to Virginia Beach. But as the race commenced this morning, my body was ready and the weather was great.

When I initially signed up for the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in the spring, my goal was to break my personal best of 1 hour, 58 minutes. Given the aforementioned setback in training, my goal had to be adjusted, so I treated this morning's run as a training run as I build up for the Marine Corps Marathon in October. My new goal was to simply practice running a nice, steady pace throughout and not be so concerned with time. Based on the pace of my recent long runs that I've been doing to rebuild my base fitness levels, I figured I'd finish the half somewhere close to two-and-a-half hours. So I was quite pleased with my finishing time of 2 hours, 11 minutes and 15 seconds.

I normally don't run in sunglasses, but I'm glad I had them today. When the race commenced, we were running straight down 19th Street in downtown Virginia Beach toward the ocean and the orange sun rising over the horizon. Much of the early part of the course took us outside the downtown area, through some residential neighborhoods before bringing us back downtown for the finish.

The finished was easily the most scenic of any race I've done to date. The last 2.1 miles were run on the oceanfront boardwalk. Seeing the surf and the sun reflecting off the Atlantic Ocean as we turned the corner for the final stretch was truly an amazing sight to behold.

Overall, the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon at Virginia Beach was the most fun and the best organized race I've participated in. From the easy packet pick-up at the expo on Saturday (I walked right up with no waiting in line) to the family reunion area on the beach, this race was great. The crowd support was great throughout, as were the teams of volunteers. Although I didn't get a chance to make a go at a PR this year, this half marathon course would be a good one to go for it on. The course was extremely flat. The only hills were one the bridge going out and eventually back in to the downtown area. I'll definitely consider doing this race again, and perhaps I can make a run at a PR next year.

With all the fun I had during the race, the most special part of the weekend for me was getting to share it with my mom. She tagged along with me this weekend for support, and I even got to see her twice along the course -- once around the 9.5 mile mark and again around mile 12. I looked for her around mile 1, but the crowds were so thick I couldn't spot her.

Another positive about the event was the relative ease for spectators to get around at certain spots. My mom was able to see me at three spots along the course (miles 1, 9 and 12) by walking just two short blocks from where she started. I was genuinely concerned about how much she'd be able to move around the course, but she did well. And she said she had a good time. I did too just having her around.

50-50-50

2006-08-19T23:37:00.000-04:00

I've heard of runners who have a lifetime goal to run a marathon in all 50 states. I've read of runners who have run a marathon in all 50 states in the course of one year. But what about running 50 marathons in all 50 states in 50 consecutive days? Well, two runners are on a quest to do just that.

Sam Thompson wrapped up his quest to run 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 consecutive days in his home state of Mississippi today. Since Sam embarked on his 50-in-50-in-50 challenge to bring attention to the relief efforts still needed in the Gulf Coast, it's only fitting that Sam's final two runs took place yesterday in New Orleans and today in Mississippi, nearly one year after Hurricane Katrina struck the region.

On a similar note, ultramarathoner Dean Karnazes, who has before covered 300-plus miles on a single run, is beginning his own 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days quest in September. He's calling it the endurance 50. Since most marathons are run on weekends, Karnazes is recreating the courses of marathons in certain cities during the week, and running in some regularly scheduled marathons on the weekends. Interestingly enough, I'll get to join Karnazes on his quest. One of the regularly scheduled marathons Karnazes is running is the the Marine Corps Marathon on Oct. 29 in Washington, D.C., which I'll also be participating in.

Like Thompson and Karnazes, I have a personal goal to run a marathon in all 50 states (plus Washington, D.C.), but unlike them, I don't think I'll do it 50 consecutive days. I do, however, like their play on the number "50." So I think I'll add my own little twist. How about 50 marathons in 50 states by the time I turn 50? (Technically, it's 51 marathons in 51 states since I'm adding D.C., but 50 has a better ring to it.) That means I'll need to average three marathons a year from now till I turn 50. That sounds challenging enough for me.

Mission Man Traithlon Race Report

2006-08-18T17:45:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, July 29th, I participated in the Mission Man Triathlon at Lake Cammack Park and Marina in Burlington, N.C. It was a sprint distance event -- half mile swim, 15 mile bike and 3.1 mile run. I'd prefer to call it a "mini-Ironman." Following is a lengthy (and belated) race report, recapping my first "tri" at a triathlon.

Swim
I never thought I'd ever say that swimming is a contact sport. No amount of swimming in the pool could have prepared me for swimming in the open water with about 80 other people. I felt like I was in a washing machine on spin cycle with bodies and limbs tumbling over me all around. Getting into a rhythm with my stroke was difficult, and sighting the buoys was also a challenge. I consider myself a decent swimmer, but I seriuosly considered dropping out of the race out of frustration of getting knocked around by all the other swimmers. But I said a quick prayer and pressed on. I consider myself a decent swimmer, but I definitely underestimated how challenging the swim would be. I finished the swim in 19:58, 29th out of 41 in my age group.

Transition 1
I took a lot of time in the swim to bike transition. While most competitors wore specially-made triahtlon shorts that could be worn on all three legs of the event, I wore a regular pair of swim trunks. (This probably cost me lots of time on the swim too because of the drag my swimsuit produced...at least I can believe that, can't I?) But wearing swim trunks meant I had to change into my running shorts, so I wrapped a towel around me and changed. I was so afraid that I would drop the towel and flash everyone, but thankfully that didn't happen. Still changing shorts and putting on my socks and running shoes took up a lot of time. I spent 4 minutes, 3 seconds in the transition area, which was the second-slowest time in my age group, and the fifth slowest transition time out of a little more than 400 competitors.

Bike
My expectations on the bike were low because I knew my time would be slow. The bike I used was a hybrid that is more like a mountain bike than a road or triathlon bike, and therefore, it is wasn't as efficient as everyone else's. During the bike portion, I was getting passed by men, women, young people, old people, skinny people, fat people -- you name it and they passed me. I did pass one person on the bike leg and I felt kind of bad in doing so, because it was a girl who was riding a bike similar to mine. My bike time was 1 hour, 3 minutes and 56 seconds, slowest in my age group and sixth slowest overall.

Transition 2
Transitioning from the bike to the run didn't take as long as going from the swim to the bike. All I had to do was change shirts and rack my bike. Still, I spent a bit longer than I anticipated in the transition area, 1 minute, 33 seconds.

Run
I didn't know what to expect on the run. I had been experiencing some knee trouble in the month or so leading up the triathlon, so I hadn't done any running or other type of training for that matter in the two weeks leading up to the event. And my training had been limited in the two weeks prior to that. So, I wondered if my knee would hold up on the run. I didn't push or go for a fast pace on the run, which was a 5K, out-and-back trail course. The result, however, was better than I expected. I finished the run in 27 minutes, 56 seconds, which was right at my normal running pace. And the best part was that I didn't experience any pain.

Final Results and Analysis
My cumulative time for the event, which includes time spent in the transition areas, was 1 hour, 57 minutes, 24 seconds. I finished 39th out of 40 finishers in my age group (one dropped out after the swim so it would have been 39 out of 41), 249th out of 267 male finishers and 367th out of 421 overall.

My goal entering the event was simply to finish, and I thought I would do so in the neighborhood of 2 hours. I was pleased to check in just under that, especially since my training had been severely limited in the month leading up to the event. Honestly, I had a love-hate relationship with the training all along because I tried to keep my running at marathon training levels while adding in the swim and the bike. That just might have been too much and led to my knee trouble.

Although, I'll probably stick to running as my primary form of exercise and endurance event, the triathlon is certainly growing on me, and I think I may try to do one per year. If I do, however, I'll probably make some adjustments to the training. I'll also probably invest in a pair of triathlon shorts and maybe even look into getting a road bike eventually. All in all though, I'm glad I gave it a "tri."

Weekend Getaway

2006-07-23T20:57:00.000-04:00

East bound and down, loaded up and truckin',
We gonna do what they say can't be done.
We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there,
I'm east bound, just watch ol' "Bandit" run.

I just pulled in from a weekend jaunt reminiscent of Burt Reynolds' famous exploits in the Smokey and the Bandit films. I didn't have to pick up deliver any Coors beer or a pregnant elephant like the Bandit and Jerry Reed did in the first two movies (don't get me started on part three), but I did drive a long way in a short time.

In the past 53 hours, I drove 1,127.7 miles round trip in my black Trans Am, err Honda Accord, traveling from Raleigh, N.C., to Guntersville, Ala. The reason for the excursion was a bachelor party of sorts for my good friend Scott, who lives in Atlanta. Eight of us, including Scott, rented a cabin on the banks of a lake in Guntersville to celebrate Scott's last few weeks of singleness before he ties the knot in September.

After leaving Raleigh at 3 p.m. Friday, I pulled into the Lomart Lodge a little before midnight EST that night. The trip took me through four states -- North Carolina, Tennesssee, the northern tip of Georgia, back into Tennesse and on into Alabama. After arriving at the lodge, I joined in some high-stakes card games of Texas Hold 'Em, finally turning in for the night around 3 a.m.

On Saturday, we threw horseshoes, played more poker, threw more horseshoes, fished a bit, grilled out and shot the breeze. I got a good night's sleep Saturday night, and left the Lomart Lodge just before 11 a.m. EST this morning and pulled back into Raleigh just before 8 p.m.

Honestly, when we organized this shin-dig I had no idea I was facing a nine-hour drive, but it was well worth it to spend some time with Scott and other friends from Atlanta that I haven't seen in a while.

One thing I didn't see on the way back, however, was a runaway bride like the real Bandit stumbled upon.

"Yo, Adrian! I'm 60!"

2006-06-07T23:43:00.000-04:00

Happy belated birthday to Sylvester Stallone, who turned 60 on Sunday. Thirty years after Rocky Balboa went the distance against Apollo Creed in the original Rocky, Stallone is climbing back in the ring this December in the sixth installment of the Rocky franchise. Hearing of Stallone's 60th, coupled with the release of Rocky Balboa this winter, I remembered this scene from Airplane II: The Sequel with the Rocky XXXVIII poster in the background. Who knows, maybe Stallone will have the eye of the tiger long enough to keep Rocky around that long.

Run the Quay Race Report

2006-06-03T11:24:00.000-04:00

Off and on rain didn't put a damper on my run in this morning's Run the Quay 5k in Fuquay Varina, N.C. My goal going into the race was to set a new personal best 5k time, and I eclipsed my previous personal best in the 5k by 2 minutes, 17 seconds. I finished today's race in 24 minutes, 8 seconds, which placed me eighth out of 27 in my age group.

This morning's race also helped shake me out of a week's worth of complaceny. My training and diet weren't so good this past week, but I felt some extra motivation after the race. I'm thinking I need to mix some local 5k and 10k races every so often into my training to keep a target out there and keep my training fresh.

National Bike to Work Day

2006-05-19T07:17:00.000-04:00

May is bike month, and today is National Bike to Work Day. So I celebrated by biking to work this morning, which I hope to do more of now that the weather is warmer. And since my trusty cycle computer which tracks distance, speed, cadence, etc., tells me that my commute is only 2.59 miles, there's really no reason why I shouldn't bike to work more.

Besides living closeby, there are other benefits as well. Since I'm now training for a triathlon I need to bike more because biking is my weakest discipline. When I bike, I'll also save on gas...granted it won't be a lot but every little bit helps when gas is close to $3 a gallon. Plus, I'll be doing my part to help the environment. Above all though, it's free exercise. After all, I 've got to get to work somehow.

Just Signed Up for the Marine Corps

2006-05-17T10:51:00.000-04:00

Make that I just signed up for the Marine Corps Marathon. My third go at the 26.2-mile distance will take me to the nation's capital where I'll be among the 30,000 runners traversing the streets of D.C. to run amidst the monuments this fall. I'm already looking forward to it. Now that I'm officially registered for my next race, maybe I can get my diet back on track. I've been indulging a bit in the two and a half weeks since the Country Music Marathon.

Country Music Marathon Race Report

2006-04-30T21:10:00.000-04:00

Arrived back in Raleigh just a few hours ago, and I'm still trying to let the events of the weekend sink in. I guess the best way to sum up the Country Music Marathon is that it far exceeded my expectations -- literally.

My goal going into the race was to finish in 4 hours, 30 minutes, which would have been close to a 15 minute improvement over my finishing time in my first marathon. Going into the race, I felt like I could possibly even finish better than 4:30 -- perhaps 4:20 or 4:25 -- but didn't want to jinx myslef.

Never in my wildest dreams, however, did I think I would better my goal time of 4 hours, 30 minutes by 17 minutes, 42 seconds, but that's exactly what I did in finishing the Country Music Marathon in 4 hours, 12 minutes and 18 seconds. That's also 32 minutes and 20 seconds faster than my first marathon that I ran at Disney World just three and a half months ago.

So what do I attribute the improvement to? I believe there are several factors. At the top of the list is my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who has given me the strength and ability to run. Some of my favorite passages of Scripture are those that equate life to a race.

To remind myself of the source of my strength during the marathon, I applied a temporary tatoo of Philippians 4:13 to my wrist that I picked up from the pre-race expo from an organization called Team 413. Every time I checked my time and pace during the race, I couldn't help but see this verse. Throughout the race I meditated on this passage and prayed, especially from about mile 22 on to the finish.

Better training and preparation also played a big part in my improved time. Beginning to train for my second marathon virtually as soon as my first one was over helped me build upon the base I had already established by running faster and longer during my training runs.

I also paid stricter attention to my diet while training for Nashville than I did for Disney. With better eating habits and increased training, I toed the starting line at the Country Music Marathon close to 25 pounds lighter than I was at Disney in January. Not having to carry all that extra weight around undoubtedly was a huge factor in the improvement of my time.

I read somewhere after the Disney Marathon that every pound of body weight you lose translates into about a 3 second improvement per mile. My improvement in the Country Music Marathon lends strong support to that assesment. Based on the amount of weight I lost, my calculated improvement for the marathon should have been 32.226 minutes. My actual improvement was 32.333 minutes.

I also knew the Country Music Marathon course would be more difficult than Disney's. The Disney course was relatively flat, but Nashville is especially hilly. To prepare, I incorporated some serious hill training into my training program. When the hills in Music City got challenging I could tell myself that this is what I had trained and prepared for.

Last, but certainly not least, I attribute a large part of my improvement to the support and encouragement given to me by my family and friends. In Nashville, I had my own personal cheering section around miles 1, 3, 8, 20 and the finish thanks to Katina, Scott and Jennifer making the trip out to support me (Thanks guys!). But those of you too numerous to name who couldn't be with me in Nashville support me more than you probably realize. Your words of encouragment and affirmation help keep me motivated and believing in myself.

Country Music Marathon Random Thoughts

2006-04-30T20:24:00.000-04:00

This year, I finally got to eat a pre-race meal at the Old Spaghetti Factory, and it was worth the wait. I highly recommend the garlic cheese bread.

If you're ever in Nashville, you should definitely check out the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Among the more memorable runners I saw was a girl dressed in a Batman costume and the man I'll call "The Blue Man." He was colored from his (bald) head to toe in blue body paint, which was color matched nicely with his blue running shorts. He kept a good pace, but looked like he would have been more at home at a Tennessee Titans home game.

Oh, I almost forgot about the guy running with the large Dale Earnhardt flag emblazoned with the number "3."

The sign I spotted in the crowd that read "Fart, you'll run faster" made me chuckle. Plus, there was a repeat of my personal favorite from last year's half marathon that read "You are all Kenyans."

Speaking of Kenyans, this year marked the first time int he seven year history of the Country Music Marathon that a Kenyan didn't win. Feyisa Tusse of Ethopia won the event in a time of 2 hours, 15 minutes and 6 seconds.

As always, I enjoyed slapping high-fives with the kids who line the course with outstretched hands.

The last half of the marathon were marked some long and lonely stretches. After the half marathon and marathon routes split at mile 11, the crowd support went from lots to little. Miles 13-17, which went through an office park, and miles 21-24 went through a city park, were lonely stretches.

I was tempted to walk on two occassions during late in the race. Both times I told myself, "Don't do it," and kept running.

My split time for the first 13.1 miles of the race (1 hour, 55 minutes) was faster than my personal best in the half marathon (1 hour, 58 minutes). Subseqently, my split time for the last half of the marathon (2 hours, 16 minutes) was faster than two official half marathon-races that I've run.

Despite Katina, Scott and Jen all swearing that I looked right at them in the crowd on my way to the finish line, I don't remember see them at all. I thought I heard someone yell my name during the last tenth of a mile and I made a quick glance in that direction, but at that point, I just wanted to cross the line.

At the race expo, I signed up for the Virginia Beach Rock-n-Roll Half Marathon on Labor Day. I'm also also registered for the Phoenix Rock-n-Roll Marathon in January of '07. I'm still trying to determine which marathon I want to do this fall. In the meantime, I've got a sprint triathlon and at least one 5K I've got my sights set on.

This year marked the fourth time in the last five years that I've been to Nashville for an endurance event. In additon to this year's marathon, I've done the half-marathons there in 2002, 2004 and 2005. Although the trip is one that I've come to look forward to each year, I probably won't go back for awhile. I'll still plan on doing a marathon each spring, but I think it's time to expand my horizons and look to run some elsewhere.

Country Music Marathon By the Numbers

2006-04-30T18:45:00.000-04:00

2 -- Number of marathons I have now completed

3 -- Number of people in my personal cheering section along the course (Thanks Katina, Scott and Jen!)

4:12:18 -- My official finishing time

4:30:00 -- My fnishing time goal going into the marathon

4.5 -- Number of Power Gels I consumed during the race

7:00 a.m. CST -- Start time of the 2006 Country Music Marathon

8:32.35 -- Time of my fastest mile, mile 10

9:38 -- My average pace

10 -- My starting corral

10 -- My fastest mile (8:32.35)

11:37.48 -- Time of my slowest mile, mile 25

25 -- My slowest mile (11:37.48)

26.2 -- Distance in miles covered during the race

32:20 -- Total time improvement in minutes and seconds over my first marathon

131 -- My overall finishing place out of 348 entrants in my age group (Males 30-34)

307 -- Our room number at the Day's Inn Vanderbilt

822 -- My overall finishing place among the 2,226 male marathon entrants

1,125 -- My overall finishing place out 4,022 marathon runners

12,251 -- My offical race bib number

Sounds of Music

2006-04-27T09:18:00.000-04:00

I'm off to Nashville, Tenn., this weekend for the Country Music Marathon. Although I have one marathon under my belt already, I'm experiencing many of the same emotions that I felt leading up to my first one -- excitement, anticipation, anxeity, nervousness.

Something I've learned in the aftermath of my first marathon and in training for this one is that 26.2 miles is a long way, and you've got to respect the marathon distance. If you don't, it will bite you hard. So I guess if I wasn't excited, anxious or even a tad nervous, something would be wrong.

My training leading up to this weekend has been outstanding. I logged my last pre-marathon run this morning -- 2 miles at an easy pace on the indoor track. On the whole, my training times have been much better than my corresponding runs when training for the Walt Disney World Marathon back in January. For example, in comparing the longest runs of my two training periods, I ran 22 miles about five minutes faster than I ran just 20 miles in just a few weeks ago.

Dec. 17, 2005: 20 miles in 3:49:51 (11m 29s/mile)
April 8, 2006: 22 miles in 3:44:06 (10m 11s/mile)

Plus, I paid much better attention to my diet this time, and, as a result, I'm about 25 pounds lighter than I was in advance of the Disney marathon. Two days before the Disney marathon, I weighted 184.8. Today, two days before the Country Music Marathon, I weighed 160.2, an overall loss of 24.6 pounds.

Given my faster training times and lighter weight, I'm hoping to shave some considerable time off my finishing time from January. At Disney, I finished in 4 hours, 44 minutes and 38 seconds. My goal going in was to finish in under 5 hours. Going into Saturday, my goal is to finish in under 4 hours, 30 minutes. But of course, lots can happen over the course of 26.2 miles.

NCAA Tourney Pool Recap

2006-04-27T09:13:00.000-04:00

Well, it's a bit late, but since I teased you with providing our office's NCAA basketball tournament pool updates that only lasted for one post, I feel obliged to let you know how it all turned out. It's hard to admit, but everyone in our office lost to the Magic 8-ball.

Tourney Pool Update No. 1

2006-03-17T07:47:00.000-05:00

After day one of the NCAA Tournament, I'm tied for second place in my office pool. More importantly, however, I'm ahead of the Magic 8-ball who is tied for fifth out of the 10 participants in our pool.

The 8-ball's pick of Southern over Duke didn't come to pass, but the game was close well into the second half. My upset pick of Winthrop over Tennessee didn't pan out either, but the Volunteers won on a late basket by Dane Bradshaw.

My day one picks record was 13-16, correctly picking Duke, George Washington, LSU, Indiana, Gonzaga, Alabama, UCLA, Washington, Illinois, Wichita State, Boston College, Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Forida to win their openers. I missed on Winthrop, Syracuse (lost to Texas A&M) and Nevada (lost to Montana).

The 8-Ball's day one record was 11-5, correctly forecasting wins for George Washington, Texas A&M, LSU, Gonzaga, UCLA, Washington, Wichita State, Tennessee, Boston College, Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Florida. The 8-Ball missed on Southern, San Diego State (lost to Indiana), Marquette (lost to Alabama), Air Force (lost to Illinois) and Nevada.

Let the Games Begin

2006-03-16T10:36:00.000-05:00

Spring is my favorite time of the year . . . warmer weather, flowers blooming and the NCAA Tournament. In less than an hour, the magical, three-week ride that is March Madness begins in earnest. Last year's tournament ended with me celebrating a Tar Heel championship on Franklin Street.

I've filled out my bracket, but don't have a good feeling about any of my picks. So after making my picks, just for fun I decided to match wits the fortune-telling Magic 8-ball that we have in our office. Now I'm actually concerned about losing to the 8-ball in our office pool.

While the 8-ball picked what would be the upset of all tournament upsets in predicted 16th-seeded Southern would topple top-seeded Duke in the first round (No 16 seed has ever beaten a No. 1 seed in the history of the tournament, mind you), the 8-ball does have good picks the rest of the way.

The 8-ball's Final Four is LSU, UCLA, Connecticut and Villanova, with Connecticut beating LSU for the national championship. My Final Four picks are Duke, Kansas, Connecticut and Villanova with Connecticut beating Duke for the championship.

Along with the rest of my coworkers, I am genuinely concerned about losing to the 8-ball in this year's tournament pool. So during the course of the tournament, I'll keep you updated about where I stand with regard to the 8-ball.

Negative Split

2006-03-15T07:28:00.000-05:00

Ran eight miles this morning on my midweek intermediate run and for the first time in my running career I ran a negative split, meaning the second half of my run was faster than the first. My overall time was 1 hour, 19 minutes and 22 seconds. I did the first four miles in 40 minutes, 39 seconds and the last four in 38 minutes, 42 seconds.

On another note, this morning's run afforded me the chance to bask in the glory of God's marvelous creation. When I started my run at 5:20 this morning, I did so in the light of bright, full moon. By the time I finished, the morning sun was coming up over the horizon in an orange and purple sky. Truly spectacular and breathtaking.

Steady Improvement

2006-03-11T09:37:00.000-05:00

I'm not a fast runner, so I don't get too caught up in running faster times each time out. I am, however, particular about keeping a detailed running log where I document the distances I run and the time it takes me to run them.

While I don't get too caught up with faster times, I do like to see tangible evidence that I am showing steady improvement in my running times at specific distances. So after logging 16 miles in 2 hours, 49 minutes and 28 seconds this morning, I decided to look back and see how my time today compares with the two other occasions I've logged 16 miles. Here's what I found.

Jan. 29, 2005: 16.2 miles in 2:58:59 (11m 02s/mile pace)

Nov. 20, 2005: 16 miles in 3:04:45 (11m 32s/mile pace)

Today: 16.05 miles in 2:49:28 (10m 33s/mile pace)

Granted, each of these runs were done over different routes, but I was quite pleased to see that my average pace is a full minute faster than it was just four months ago.

Early Morning Run

2006-03-08T09:15:00.000-05:00

My midweek intermediate runs are getting too long for me to squeeze in at lunchtime, so it looks like it's back to early morning runs on Wednesdays. Ran eight miles before work this morning in 1 hour, 20 minutes and 51 seconds (10:06 average minute per mile pace).

I'm not much of a morning person, but I do feel good after getting my run in during the morning. Besides, I got to watch the sun come up while I was running. The only thing I dislike is the cold. Although the afternoons are feeling more and more like spring, the mornings still feel like winter. It was 33 when I went out the door this morning.

Trying a Tri

2006-03-02T13:35:00.000-05:00

For the past year and a half or so, I've been toying with the idea of participating in a triathlon. I love to run, I was a swimmer back in high school and still swim on occassion for cross training, and I bike some here and there. The thought of combining all three disciplines in one event has long appealed to me, and now I've decided to give a triathlon a try.

I dropped my registration for the Mission Man Triathlon in the mail today. The Mission Man Traithlon is a sprint distance, consisting of a 750 meter swim, 15 mile bike and a 5K run. It's scheduled for Saturday, July 29 at Lake Cammack Park in Burlington, N.C.

I don't really know what I'm getting myself into, but fellow blogger, veteran triathlete and former Mission Man finisher Tri-Daddy was kind enough to offer me some encouragement and helpful advice to get me started when I emailed him out of the blue. Thanks Tri-Daddy, and I enjoy your blog.

Marathon Bug

2006-03-01T19:21:00.000-05:00

After finishing your first marathon, one of two thoughts enter your head...."I'm never doing this again," or "When's the next one?"

Well, following my run at the Disney Marathon in January, I've definitely caught the marathon bug. After taking a week off, I resumed my training regimen and have set my sights on the Country Music Marathon in Nashville, Tenn. at the end of April as my next go at 26.2 miles.

After Nashville, I plan on doing some shorter, local events over the summer and then do another marathon in the fall. The fall marathons I'm considering include Baltimore, the Marine Corps, Richmond, the Outer Banks or Atlanta. If all goes well, I'm already looking ahead to possibly doing the P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in Arizona in Janurary '07.

In my running travels I've met some individuals whose goal is to run a marathon in all 50 states. That idea sounded appealing to me, and I've decided that's something I'd like to accomplish in my lifetime. I love to run, and I love to travel, so why not do both at the same time? Besides, another one of my lifetime goals is to visit all 50 states, anyway.

There are two national running clubs whose members either have already completed the 50 state circuit or are on their way. They are the 50 States Marathon Club and the 50 States and D.C. Marathon Group. Well, if I plan on doing 50 marathons, one more can't hurt. Sign me up for the 50 States and D.C.

Deep Thoughts

2006-03-01T19:14:00.000-05:00

If a blog exists, but the person who started it rarely posts, is it really a blog?

Nope, I didn't think so. So after a lengthy absence, here's to giving this blogging thing a try once again.

Went the Distance

2006-01-09T14:03:00.000-05:00

I did it! I finished the 2006 Walt Disney World Marathon, which was my first attempt at the 26.2 mile monster. I got choked up and fought back tears after I crossed the finish line to recieve my finishers' medal, and I'm still riding a wave of emotions as I reflect on this accomplishment.

Going into the race, my goal was simply to finish without walking or stopping. Although I said that I really didn't care what my time would be, I did have a secondary goal of finishing in 5 hours.

Based on my training times leading up the event, I believed my time might actually be in the neighborhood of 5:15 or even 5:30. But after giving Mickey and Minnie Mouse a high-five after the fireworks signaled the start of the race, I felt good and was running at a pace that would actually have me finishing in less than 5 hours.

I tried to temper my excitment, however, because I knew I had a long way to go, and I remembered what I felt like during and after my longest training run of 20 miles. I focused on keeping a nice steady pace. Mile 20 came and went and so did mile 21. I kept waiting to "hit the wall."

At miles 22 and 23 I could tell my pace started to slow. Then I finally "hit the wall" around the middle of mile 24. The last 2.2 miles were gruelling. My pace grew even slower, and I felt like I was merely giving the appearance of running simply because I was moving my arms in rhythm with my shuffling feet.

At the 26 mile marker on the way out of EPCOT Center, a gospel choir was singing. I mustered a little more energy to go the final 385 yards. I scanned the crowd for Scott and Jen who came down to support me but I didn't see them due to the throngs of people. I crossed the finish line in stride but didn't have the enery to raise my arms or celebrate, but when I checked my time I had finished in 4 hours, 44 minutes, and 38 seconds -- 15 minutes less than the 5 hours I wanted to make.

Well, I could go on and on about the marathon, and I'll probably do more posts about it in the coming days. But all in all, it was an exhilerating experience -- running through the four Disney theme parks, having Disney characters in costume along the course, Scott, Jen and the other spectators cheering you on, and of course, the feeling of accomplishment that comes with setting, pursuing and achieving a difficult goal.

Mile Marker 700

2005-12-22T13:22:00.000-05:00

My 2005 personal running odomoter is resting at 700 miles on the nose after my four mile run at lunchtime today. Cumulatively, it's taken me five days, one hour, 44 minutes and 55 seconds to run those 700 miles.

Returning to the Blogosphere...Again

2005-12-21T15:30:00.000-05:00

After another extended absence, let me say, first of all, that rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. I've always wanted to use that line. Anyway, the last couple weeks have been a blur with little time for blogging. So here's a brief synopsis of all the things I wanted to blog about but didn't get to...

School's out
Finished up another semester at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary last week and moved a bit closer to earning my Master's of Divinity degree. This was one of the most demanding semesters that I've ever had...LOTS of reading and writing assignments and very detailed exams. Add seminary to my full-time job and marathon training, and that pretty much fills the bulk of my calendar. So I plan to relax a bit and enjoy some down time before classes resume on Jan. 26.

Running Scared
Speaking of marathon training, I suffered a slight setback in my training about two weeks ago, but seem to have recovered. About two weeks ago, at the peak of my marathon training plan, I began experiencing some calf soreness and severe shin splints.

I had two options....push through and risk further injury or rest and try to recover. I was torn between wanting and feeling like I needed to get my runs in and fearing that if I did continue running I might not be able to run in race I had trained so long and hard for. Reluctantly, I chose the latter, and I'm glad I did.

After talking to friends and marathon vets Sam and Scott, I stopped running for two weeks trained on an elliptical machine to keep my fitness level up. While using the machine, I tried to mimic the time and distance that I would have been running, and the efforts apparently paid dividends.

I was able to pick back up where I would have been in my training schedule with no ill-effects from the calf and shin. This past Saturday, I put in a 20 miler -- my longest run ever and the longest run in my training plan. Now I'm gradually decreasing my mileage in the weeks leading up to the big race.

I lost on Jeopardy!, baby
Not me, but a former co-worker of mine did. I learned from Yuan-Kwan that James Quintong, fantasy sports producer and a former colleague of ours during our tenure at SI.com in Atlanta, was appearing on Jeopardy! so I tuned in to watch "JQ" in action.

Actually, the night I watched JQ rallied to score a victory and become a Jeopardy! champion before bowing out the next night. It was pretty interesting watching someone you know personally play the game and interact with Alex Trebek. To read JQ's reflections on his performance, here are links to Part I and Part II.

Well, that's all for now. Hopefully, I can be a little more frequent in my posts from now on.

Pat Morita: 1932-2005

2005-11-25T12:26:00.000-05:00

Just read where actor Noriyuki "Pat" Morita, whose role as Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid made "wax on, wax off" part of the popular lexicon, had died.

The Karate Kid is one of my all-time favorite movies, and Mr. Miyagi was one of my all-time favorite characters. He made me believe that if he could whip Daniel-san into a martial arts expert in a couple short months that even I could learn karate by painting houses, painting fences, sanding floors and, of course, waxing cars.

I also enjoyed Morita as Arnold on Happy Days, as well as Ah Chew in occassional appearances on my favorite television show of all-time, Sanford and Son. But I'll remember him most for his wit and wisdom as Mr. Miyagi. I've often thought of writing a tribute to Miyagi in the form of Robert Fulghum's bestseller "All I Ever Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten" titled "All I Ever Need to Know I Learned from Mr. Miyagi." Maybe one day soon I'll do that.

Below is the Associated Press' story about Morita, and be sure to check out the excellent tribute my friend Chris wrote about Morita on his blog.

Actor Pat Morita dies at 73

By TIM MOLLOY, Associated Press

LOS ANGELES - Actor Pat Morita, whose portrayal of the wise and dry-witted Mr. Miyagi in "The Karate Kid" earned him an Oscar nomination, has died. He was 73.

Morita died Thursday at his home in Las Vegas of natural causes, said his wife of 12 years, Evelyn. She said in a statement that her husband, who first rose to fame with a role on "Happy Days," had "dedicated his entire life to acting and comedy."

In 1984, he appeared in the role that would define his career and spawn countless affectionate imitations. As Kesuke Miyagi, the mentor to Ralph Macchio's "Daniel-san," he taught karate while trying to catch flies with chopsticks and offering such advice as "wax on, wax off" to guide Daniel through chores to improve his skills.

Morita said in a 1986 interview with The Associated Press he was billed as Noriyuki "Pat" Morita in the film because producer Jerry Weintraub wanted him to sound more ethnic. He said he used the billing because it was "the only name my parents gave me."

He lost the 1984 best supporting actor award to Haing S. Ngor, who appeared in "The Killing Fields."

For years, Morita played small and sometimes demeaning roles in such films as "Thoroughly Modern Millie" and TV series such as "The Odd Couple" and "Green Acres." His first breakthrough came with "Happy Days," and he followed with his own brief series, "Mr. T and Tina."

"The Karate Kid," led to three sequels, the last of which, 1994's "The Next Karate Kid," paired him with a young Hilary Swank.

Morita was prolific outside of the "Karate Kid" series as well, appearing in "Honeymoon in Vegas," "Spy Hard," "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" and "The Center of the World." He also provided the voice for a character in the Disney movie "Mulan" in 1998.

Born in northern California on June 28, 1932, the son of migrant fruit pickers, Morita spent most of his early years in the hospital with spinal tuberculosis. He later recovered only to be sent to a Japanese-American internment camp in Arizona during World War II.

"One day I was an invalid," he recalled in a 1989 AP interview. "The next day I was public enemy No. 1 being escorted to an internment camp by an FBI agent wearing a piece."

After the war, Morita's family tried to repair their finances by operating a Sacramento restaurant. It was there that Morita first tried his comedy on patrons.

Because prospects for a Japanese-American standup comic seemed poor, Morita found steady work in computers at Aerojet General. But at age 30 he entered show business full time.

"Only in America could you get away with the kind of comedy I did," he commented. "If I tried it in Japan before the war, it would have been considered blasphemy, and I would have ended in leg irons. "

Morita was to be buried at Palm Green Valley Mortuary and Cemetery.

He is survived by his wife and three daughters from a previous marriage.

Gallop and Gorge

2005-11-24T23:51:00.000-05:00

What an appropriate name for a Thanksgiving Day road race! Since I was scheduled to do a 5-miler in my marathon training plan today, I figured why not run in the Gallop and Gorge 8K, which is just a hair shy of 5 miles. (About 4.97 if you want to get technical.)

I felt pretty good about the run, finishing in 46 minutes, 52 seconds, which works out to about a 9:25-minute mile average. That's better than what my training runs have been at a similar distance. My overall place was 403 out of 593. (For complete results, click here.)

It's a good thing I ran this morning though because after I galloped I certainly gorged this evening at Thanksgiving Dinner. So after laying on turkey, ham and all the trimmings, more galloping is in my future this weekend.

Giving Thanks

2005-11-24T06:04:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite traditions is reading the Thanksgiving Day columns from veteran sportswriters like Furman Bisher of the Atlanta Journal Constitution and Ron Green Sr. of the Charlotte Observer.

Each year, these two venerable scribes eloquently count the blessings of life's simple pleasures with some sports references and humor mixed in for good measure. So on the day set aside to give thanks, I'll offer my own list in the style of Bisher and Green.

Today, I'm thankful for...

Food, clothing and shelter, for with these things the Bible says we should be content.

Parents who love me, believe in me and encourage me.

My brother, Brad and his calls and letters that I look forward to receiving each week.

Family and friends near and far, and the memories of good times shared together.

Tori and Stephanie, who can bring a smile to my face without even trying.

Football in January, basketball in March and baseball in October.

Another national basketball championship for my beloved North Carolina Tar Heels.

Parking spaces that are wide enough to pull in and open the car door.

The beach in the summer and the mountains in the fall....and for living in a state where I can enjoy both.

A good night's sleep.

Convenience stores that are open 24 hours.

A glowing "Hot Doughnuts Now" sign that lets me know it's time to fetch a dozen glazed Krispy Kremes.

Twinkling stars on a crisp, clear night.

Another Thanksgiving column from Furman and Ron. I'm already looking forward to next year's.

Those of you (namely Chris and Adam) who post comments to my blog...at least then I know that someone is reading.

Sweet 16

2005-11-20T12:51:00.000-05:00

Logged a 16-mile run this morning, which equalled the longest distance I've ever run continuously before....well, sort of. Technically, my longest is 16.2 miles, which I did all the way back on Jan. 29. Funny thing though...although I didn't run the same route, I ran 16.2 (2 hours, 58 mins, 59 secs) faster than I did 16 (3 hours, 5 mins 45 secs) this morning. Oh well...It's not about the time, but the distance.

Mile Marker 600

2005-11-16T10:18:00.000-05:00

This morning's eight-mile run put me over 600 miles for the year -- 604.9 to be exact. The training is definitely getting tougher, my times are getting slower and body is feeling achier. But alas, I press on toward 26.2.

Adrian Rogers: 1931-2005

2005-11-15T11:21:00.000-05:00

Adrian Rogers, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention and longtime pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tenn., died early this morning due to complications from double pneumonia and cancer. Although I never had the privilege to hear Rogers preach in person, he became one of my favorite preachers to listen to through his radio and television ministry, Love Worth Finding. I'll always remember Rogers' booming voice along with the passion, love for Jesus Christ and evangelistic zeal that were clearly evident in his preaching.

In the foreword to Joyce Rogers’ recently released book, “Love Worth Finding: The Life of Adrian Rogers,” Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, writes:

“Only a few times in any century does a man rise out of the ranks of the ordinary with a touch of God upon him in such a way as to change the course of human history. Further, for that man to be a man of impeccable moral standards, while possessing a pastor’s heart, remarkable alacrity, profound dedication to the work of the Savior, as well as matchless pulpit eloquence and brilliance is extraordinary.

"To say that this is exactly what God gave the world in Adrian Rogers is not an attempt to fell the oak of his humility, but only to recognize what most of us know is true in order to praise God for what he has done through him and to thank Adrian Rogers for allowing God to have the use of all his talents and abilities.”

Miles to Go

2005-11-14T12:45:00.000-05:00

With just under two months to go before my first marathon, I'm getting into the meat of my training schedule. The runs are getting longer, which means I'm having to re-adjust my schedule and habits to get them in. Saturday morning, I logged 15 miles at 4 a.m. in 35-degree weather before jetting off to class. This weekend, I've got a 16-miler on tap, which will equal the farthest distance I've ever run at one time. My training plan culminates with a 20-miler three weeks from race day. With the longer distances, reality is starting to set in regarding just how far 26.2 miles is and just how long it's going to take me to do it.

Gonna Fly Now

2005-11-02T17:54:00.000-05:00

It wasn't quite 4 a.m., and I didn't drink raw eggs, but I did feel a little bit like Rocky Balboa as I set out on a 7-mile, pre-dawn run at 5:30 this morning. The runs continue to get progressively longer on my marathon training plan. The lack of daylight in the evening now that daylight saving time is over coupled with the time it takes to get the long runs in is causing me to have to adjust my running schedule to get the runs in around work and classes. I didn't mind this morning so much. It was kind of cool running as the dark of night slowly gave way to the light of day.

Got Sith?

2005-11-02T17:43:00.000-05:00

Picked up a copy of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith on DVD yesterday. Of course, I wanted to have a copy to complete my personal collection of the Star Wars saga, but I also bought it for tons of special features, especially the deleted scenes. One scene that was cut for the theatrical release that I really wanted to see was Yoda arriving on Dagobah. It's on the DVD as well as some scenes depticting the formation of the rebellion. So far I've checked out the deleted scenes, but haven't got to the featurettes and documentaries yet. I must have patience, like Obi Wan preached. Maybe sometime in the near future when I've got 13 or 14 consecutive hours to kill, I'll watch Episodes I-VI in succession.

Thanks for the memories

2005-10-26T19:17:00.000-04:00

The Charlotte Coliseum will close its doors tonight after an exhibition game betwen the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats and the Indiana Pacers. Tom Sorenson writes a nice retrospective piece in today's Charlotte Observer about the place, and includes his list of top-10 moments in the building's short history.

Though I'm not a Charlottean, the building holds some fond memories for me as well. It's where I saw the original expansion Charlotte Hornets play several games in their first few seasons beginning in 1988. The Hornets weren't a good team and didn't win much in those days, but that's when going to an NBA game was a novelty and was still fun.

It's where I attended my first Atlantic Coast Conference basketball tournament and witnessed my beloved North Carolina Tar Heels beat Virginia in the Sunday afternoon championship game to win the 1994 conference crown. The win certainly made the ride back to Chapel Hill a sweet one.

It's where I attended the first home game for the Charlotte Sting of the WNBA in the summer of 1997. I arrived at the arena so early that day I beat the parking attendants and was interviewed for the local evening newscast.

So now a building that's not even 20 years old will sit empty on a plot of land off Tyvola Road in south Charlotte with only memories left inside. It's sad, really, because the facility is still usable. Yet just a few years after George Shinn used the building to bring the Hornets to town, he claimed he was losing money because the facility didn't have enough luxury boxes and sky suites. So he threatened to move the team unless the city built him a new uptown arena with luxury boxes and sky suites.

The city balked and Shinn eventually took the Hornets with him to New Orleans. Though I don't really care about the NBA anymore, I still hated to see Hornets go. But the NBA decided it still wanted a team in Charlotte, so it gave them one, and now the Bobcats are moving into the uptown arena that Shinn always wanted.

I'm sure the new place is nice, and I hope the Bobcats do well, but give me the old Coliseum and the original Hornets any day. Like former Observer columnist Ron Green Sr. once wrote, the old Colisuem had game.

Mile Marker 500

2005-10-20T14:29:00.000-04:00

Today's three mile run at lunch put me over the 500-mile mark for the year. Actually, I was right on the brink of 500 before today, with yesterday's six-miler bringing me to 499.9 miles in 2005. My cumulative totals for the year are:

502.9 miles
Time: 3 days, 14h 14m 44s
Avg. Pace: 10:17/mile

So even though I'm in the midst of my aforementioned assignments, I'm still making sure to get my runs in. I may fail my classes, but at least I'll be ready for my marathon.

Stressed

2005-10-14T14:56:00.000-04:00

I have an exam tomorrow, a midterm Tuesday, a midterm Thursday, several short written assigments also due Thursday and a take-home final due next Saturday. Then there's my regular job and marathon training to keep up with. Needless to say, I'll be glad when this coming week is over.

Drenched

2005-10-08T16:39:00.000-04:00

During the Cannonball Run Half-Marathon this morning, I ran past a guy building an ark and saw animals lining up in pairs. About 10 minutes before the start of the race, the heavens opened and it rained for the entire 13.1 miles. I slogged my way through though, and could feel water squishing between my toes in my water-logged shoes at times.

I finished in 2 hours, 13 minutes, and 50 seconds. I came in 276th place overall out of 362 runners and 28th out of 29 in my age group. For complete results click here. That's roughly the time I figured I'd have today since I wasn't running for a time goal and was doing the race primarily as a tune-up for my first marathon in January. Now the reality of running twice the distance of what I ran this morning is starting to set in.

Half-Marathon Flashbacks

2005-10-06T13:26:00.000-04:00

This Saturday's Cannonball Run half marathon will be the fifth half marathon I've participated in. With just two days to go before the run, I've been reflecting back on my previous halfs and what stands out to me about them.

2002 Country Music Half Marathon, Nashville, Tenn. Time: 2:20:17, Pace: 11:09. The one that started it all. My friend Scott helped me shed about 20 pounds and then encouraged me to train for a distance race with him. He did the marathon, and I did the half. Going from a non-runner to a half-marathon finisher gave me a tremendous sense of accomplishment and sent me on my way to participating in future events.

2004 Country Music Half Marathon, Nashville, Tenn. Time: 1:57:47, Pace: 8:59. Moving from Atlanta to North Carolina kept me from participating in the 2003 Country Music Half Marathon, but I came back with a vengeance in 2004. I mixed intervals and some speed work into my training and crossed the line in just under two hours. Going into the race, I thought I could finish around the two hour mark, but prior to the race Scott told me he thought I could break two hours. Again, his encouragement sent me on my way. I felt like I was in a groove the whole race. Sometimes, I still wonder how I was able to finish in 1:57, even with the mile-long hill at the end of the course. This is easily my most memorable run, and I've never come close to registering similar times in training or an event since then.

2004 DARE Fun Run, Reidsville, N.C.Time: 2:20 Just a few months after my best run, I experienced one of my most gruelling. Figuring I'd have some carryover from the Country Music Marathon, I didn't really train consistently for this local half marathon in my home county. But the fact that I didn't train as much for this one wasn't as much of a factor as was the fact that this event was more taxing mentally than physically. In stark contrast to the larger events I had run in Nashville, there were only about 20 other runners compared with thousands and only a handful of spectators along the course. (And those were my parents, nieces and cousins because the course ran right in front of my parents' house.) I found myself running much of this race by myself and discovered just how encouraging a pack of fellow runners and people cheering from the sidelines could be.

2005 Country Music Half Marathon, Nashville, Tenn. Time: 2:31:06, Pace: 11:32. My goal in 2005 was to graduate from the half to the full marathon, but some knee problems relegated me to the half marathon once again. Honestly, I took this event lightly because I knew I'd done the distance three times already. I didn't train regularly or consistently, only just enough to get by. I probably had the most enjoyable run in this event because I took a disposable camera with me during the run and interacted with the spectators more. However, I had the worst finishing time of any of the races I had participated in previously. This is when I began to suspect I really do need a new challenge and make a go at the full marathon.

Fun Run

2005-10-05T18:35:00.000-04:00

Ran the two-mile "Fun Run" which was part of NC State University's Employee Appreciation Week festivities as my final tune-up for Saturday's half marathon. Took it nice and easy in 21 minutes, 20 seconds for a 10:40 pace. I'll take it easy the next couple days and just get ready for Saturday.

Three Miler

2005-10-04T19:11:00.000-04:00

Ran a lap around Lake Johnson this evening in 29:09. After a two-miler in the morning, I'll rest until Saturday's half marathon.

Four miler

2005-10-03T18:38:00.000-04:00

Ran four miles at Lake Johnson today as I begin looking forward to Saturday's half marathon. I pushed my pace a bit more than I had been today and finished in 38:13, which works out to a 9:33 per mile average.

Fantasy Flops

2005-10-03T18:33:00.000-04:00

My fantasy sports teams aren't doing so well. I'm in the middle of the pack in my NASCAR league, and my football team is 1-3. Ironically, I finished second in my baseball league which is the sport I follow the least. I do enjoy the baseball playoffs and World Series, however, and I'll be pulling for the Boston Red Sox to repeat.

10-Mile Tune-Up

2005-10-01T18:58:00.000-04:00

Just returned from my last long run before next Saturday's Cannonball Run Half-Marathon in Greensboro, N.C. Went 10 miles in 1 hour, 50 minutes and 27 seconds, for an average pace of 11:02. I plan on getting a few shorter runs in early this coming week and stay off my feet on Thursday and Friday. The Cannonball Run will be my fifth half-marathon, but I'm not looking to run for speed or go for a personal best. Really, I just want to get the distance in and get used to being in a race environment as a staging ground for the Disney Marathon in January.

Sluggish

2005-09-30T00:27:00.000-04:00

Went on a five mile run after class tonight, and it was a struggle. I'm sure one reason is because I've also struggled with my diet all this week. Pizza, cola, burritos, Quiznos subs and some sugary sweets aren't giving my body the energy it needs to take run the distances I'm logging at an optimal level. You'd think I'd have a little better handle on my diet with my half marathon just a week and a day away. In the past when I've trained for a specific event, my diet has fallen in line with my running, but not this time. I need to stick to my mantra that "food is fuel."

Mile Marker 400

2005-09-17T20:47:00.000-04:00

My eight mile run this evening put me over the 400-mile mark for the year. So far this year I've logged 403.5 miles in 2 days, 20 hours, 49 minutes and 26 seconds. A couple of notes about today's run....

1. Running is better with music. Although I've had it for about four months, today was the first time I ran with my MP3 player. (I'm open for any songs you might think would be good on a running playlist, so if you have any suggestions leave them in the comments.)

2. I brake for snakes. My route today took me a couple laps on a wooded, paved trail around Lake Johnson. Near the end of my run I came upon what looked like a copperhead or maybe a cotton mouth slithering his way across the trail. (All I know is it wasn't a black snake). Rather than try to run by him, I decided to jog in place while he finished crossing the trail. Like Indiana Jones said, "Snakes! Why did it have to be snakes/"

Ladies, wanna get married?

2005-09-13T22:46:00.000-04:00

If you're a single woman who desperately wants to be married but is struggling to meet your soulmate, then listen up. I have a can't-miss remedy that is sure to get you down the isle to say "I do" real soon. Just go out with me a few times. Seriously.

Today I found out that Emily, a girl I went out with a few times when I first moved to Raleigh two and a half years ago, got married over the summer. That keeps alive a strange but obvious pattern in my dating life. Including Emily, the last four girls I've gone out with have married the guy they began dating right after our relationship ended.

There's Heather, a girl I dated in high school and early college, Susan, a girl I dated early in college, Sharon, a girl I dated during and immediately after college and now Emily. So ladies, if you want to get married, just go out with me a few times and then get ready to meet your soulmate. That's a better deal than eHarmony! So if I can't be Mr. Right, I'll settle for Mr. Right Before. (All insterested ladies should leave their contact info in the comments section below.)

Running Calendar

2005-09-10T21:04:00.000-04:00

Like my good friend Adam, I logged a seven mile run today as part of training for an upcoming half-marathon. Adam and his wife Kim are training for the Baltimore Half-Marathon on Oct. 15 while I'm getting ready for the Cannonball Run Half-Marathon in Greensboro, N.C., on Oct. 8. I'm using that race as a staging ground for my first full marathon attempt.

When I started this blog, I announced that I was going to make a go at this year's Country Music Marathon in Nashville, Tenn. That was before some tendinitis in my knee limited my training and relegated me to doing the half. I had hoped to run this year's Chicago Marathon, but those plans were altered when I had to stop running altogether and take some physical therapy over the summer for the aforementioned tendinitis.

Now that I've been cleared to run again, I've set my sights on my goal of completing my first marathon, having registered for the Walt Disney World Marathon in Orlando, Fla., on Jan. 8, 2006.

More Miles Saved

2005-09-04T13:25:00.000-04:00

Pedaled my way to church and back this morning for a round-trip total of 16 miles.

Miles Saved

2005-09-02T19:24:00.000-04:00

My trusty computerized odomoter on my bike informs me that I rode a grand total of 12.9 miles today, so that's 12.9 miles I didn't put on my car. My trips included a ride to work this morning, a trip to my barber this afternoon and a ride back home in the early evening.

Conserving Fuel, Saving Money, Helping the Environment

2005-09-02T07:44:00.000-04:00

In response to the spike in gas prices related to Hurricane Katrina, I've decided to start biking to work on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I made the first trek this morning. Granted I don't live far from my office (just over two miles), but every little bit helps. As my friend Trey likes to say, "little is big."

I would try to bike every day but since I drive about a half an hour to Wake Forest for evening classes at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary on Tuesday and Thursdays, it won't be feasible to bike on those days. But I am going to try to bike to places other than work when I can. This afternoon I plan to bike to my barber for a haircut. I may even start biking to church on Sundays.

In addition to conserving fuel, saving money and helping the environment, I'm also hopeful that riding regularly will whip me into better shape.