Another lunch run today, and the last veterans’ related race for the year.  I love these races.  The medals are generally patriotically themed, and support causes for groups that I can really get behind.

It’s so incredibly warm around Da Lou right now.  Today, it was about 50°, which made for an incredibly foggy day.  When I went out, there was still plenty of fog, and this crazy springlike feel to the air.  It’s no wonder that there’s some potential this weekend for severe weather.

The Greenway awaited, though, and I had to go out and put it to good use.  Once again, all my kilometer splits were below ten minutes each, and I ended up with a great run.  I know I’ve said it before, but it still amazes me when I think of how far I’ve come this year.  Fifty minutes for my 5k’s had been a goal for so long, and now, it’s a pretty regular occurrence.

So as the year winds down, I’m beginning to reflect on an epic year of running, thanking those around me for the support, and God for the continued good health that allows me to keep putting my feet on the trail.

This race benefitted The Fisher House Foundation.

Race Course

Today, I ran my 70th race this year.  I simply cannot believe how far I’ve come this year.  I’ve run over 250 miles this year, worn out a pair shoes, run nine destination races in five states (and drove just over 6000 miles to run those!)… This has been a big year.

The Run for Bacon 5K is a race put together by the Pathetic Runners Group, which was founded by David Johndrow.  He’s a cancer warrior, putting a good face on it, and still out there running.  Truly inspirational to those of us that have had The C-Word in our lives.

Today’s race was a return to my regular route on the Greenway.  It’s not unusual for me to struggle a bit after a destination race.  Between all the driving miles, and this time, the cold damp weather in Cleveland, I get the life sucked out of me for a few days.  In fact, I wanted to run yesterday.  The spirit was willing, but the body said “NO WAY!”  🙂

So last night, as I lay my head down to sleep, I committed to running today.  I even told Darla that I wanted to run in my half-sleep stupor.  She’s awfully nice to put up with the thoughts of running shoes in my head.  This morning, I reaffirmed that I was definitely gonna run.

And Mother Nature made it easy.  The weather is amazing — mid 50s, and sunny.

And run the Greenway I did (and Yoda, I am, apparently).  I didn’t break any land speed records, but it felt so very good to be back out there, despite the struggle to get my motor going at the beginning.  Part of that could be the strong headwind I was facing on the westbound trek.  On the way back, the expected tailwind I thought would help my speed dissipated, and I was left with just my clunky old legs to motor me down the trail.

And once again, I was in under my target time, and felt great afterwards.

Maybe there’s a future for me with this running thing after all!  🙂

This race benefitted ZERO Cancer – The End of Prostate Cancer.

Race Course

Ya know, I’m really digging my “running lifestyle.”  My runs are getting more comfortable and predictable, and I’m finding it’s a great way to work through stress and challenges, while doing something good for me.  Cool.

I’m also enjoying that what I’m doing is helping others.  I know that my little races alone aren’t rocking the world, but with enough other folks running them too, these races are making a difference here and there, and that’s another great reason to run.

I’d been waiting for this beautiful medal to come from Get Fit for Bling for a while, and while I was in Philly, it arrived.  Given the global events of the last few days, it seemed very appropriate to take on this race.

We’re in the midst of a multi-day deluge of rain in Da Lou.  Today, I think the prognosticators are expecting about 3″ of rain.  Knowing that the forecast for Tulsa this weekend is for rain, I figured it made sense to get my Hokas and wicking socks on the trail, and see how they did with very wet conditions.

I’d been watching the radar this morning, waiting for a nice long stretch of rain, and finally the next wave started to make its way through.  (Silly, eh?)  When I dropped in at the Greenway, it was drizzling.  I started running, inspired by the great run I’d had in Philly, and trudged down the trail.

The rain was gentle for the first half of the course, and I made pretty good time.  Typically, I’ll have some Sport Beans around the halfway point, but today, I decided to try a pack of Gu Energy Chews.  They were good enough, but I was still tasting them after I got home from the race, which wasn’t something I was expecting.  That’s why I only experiment at home!

With about a kilometer to go, the wind and rain really picked up… and I totally loved it.  There’s just something energizing to me when the rain falls, and I can’t imagine better running conditions.  Now, when it rains in Tulsa this weekend, it’s gonna be much colder, but I knew I needed to get some wet running miles in before I got down there.

In short, it was a great run, and a great way to escape the state of world for a brief bit of time, as well as continue preparing for Tulsa this weekend.

This race benefitted the American Red Cross.

Race Course

Friday, I took on another canine-centric virtual race, the Doggy Dashers 5K.  It’s hard for me to avoid a race that benefits dogs, cancer or veteran causes.  Or is patriotic in nature.  Or has a cool medal.

Every run right now is gearing up for the biggest two weeks on my race calendar, with the Rocky Balboa 5K coming up in Philly next weekend, and the Route 66 5K and half marathon the weekend after that.  And as is typical right before big races, I struggle to get out on the course.  I don’t want to hurt any body part that would keep me from running, and I start having self-doubts about the races to come.  Silly, stupid Colin tricks.

Lunchtime Friday was brilliant — blue skies, and perfect temps in the 50s.  I couldn’t have asked for a better day to get out.  It was my intent to just take it easy, and simply put some miles in to stay ready for the big races to come.  And basically, that’s what I did, spending about half my time at a trot, and the other half at a fast walk.  These are foundational runs for me, because I see the results of all my training this year.  Last year, I was painfully striving for 5km times under fifty minutes.  Now, that’s pretty regular, without really having to try very hard to do it.  It’s a huge difference mentally for me, since almost every time I run, I beat the goals that I’ve held for so long.

There are more runs to come over the next week leading up to the long drive to Philly on Thursday night, and I can only hope they go as well as this one!

This race benefitted the Northwest Boxer Rescue.

Race Course

Last night, I just wanted to walk.  It was the end of a successful beginning to the week (nothing too convoluted about the time in that phrase, eh?), and I wanted to get my new Hoka’s a little more broken in… and it was lovely outside.  Mid-60s… in November?   In Da Lou?  Well, you get the picture.  And, I had the next to last Patriot’s Day racing medals in hand, and needed to earn it.

Unfortunately, I hadn’t really thought about the time change very hard.  There’s a lesson in this, yet to come.

I got into my running clothes, and hit the Greenway around 4:30pm.  I saw that the sun was low, just sitting atop the ridge west of us, but I figured I had plenty of time.  I was really wrong.

Now, part of that was my own doing.  Since I was headed west to start, I had sunglasses on.  I didn’t bring my regular glasses on the trail, and so after the the little golden orb did a big fat plop! below the ridgeline, things got really dark.  Quickly.  Without my sunglasses, things weren’t so dark, but without any glasses, I was like a drunken monkey out there on the trail.

I made a quick decision to turn around at Highway 109 — usually my quarter-distance point — and try to finish the 5km nearer to the lights of the shopping center that starts my path on the trail.

In short order, I was back  where the Jeep was parked, and discovered I was only about 2.8km into the walk.  I needed clicks, and I needed them quick as darkness had truly fallen.  Palpably.  Noticeably.  I think I could even hear it.  🙂

Now, bear in mind I passed the Jeep.  I coulda stopped and gotten my regular glasses… but that never crossed my mind.  So like a blind man, I toddled up the other end of the Greenway to the footbridge, every now and then, taking my sunglasses off so I could see the distance on my Garmin.

Oddly enough, I had a bad case of monkey butt going on — chafing of a kind I hadn’t had since switching to wicking underwear for my running.  And it was starting to be evident that I might not make 5km before the dark and my backside conspired against achieving my distance.

I got back to where the Jeep was parked.  My backside had stopped barking, and I saw that I was sitting a little over 4.5km.  It seemed like a waste not to finish the distance out, so I set out to circle the storefronts to get my mileage.

Note that I was passing the Jeep a SECOND time, and didn’t get out of my sunglasses.

A full lap around the buildings, and I found myself back at the Jeep again, and with about 4.85km on my Garmin.  I headed back up the trail for a quick little walk to finish out the distance.

Again, you should note that I was back at the Jeep for the THIRD time, and didn’t think to doff my sunglasses.

I crawled up the trail the short distance I needed, and got back to the Jeep in the dark of sunset coming almost an hour earlier… and still wearing my sunglasses.  Triumphantly, I changed into my regular glasses and pointed the Jeep toward home.

So, lessons?  Sure, there were lessons.

First, if I’m gonna go running after work this time of year, I need to make sure I get to the Greenway right at 4pm to give myself a fighting chance of finishing while I can still see.

Second, for after work runs right now, I should carry my regular glasses with me so I can change before I become that crazy old man in sunglasses after dark who can’t walk a straight line.

And lastly, when presented with an opportunity to change gear by passing my parking space… DO IT!  🙂

Race Course

Yesterday was such a beautiful day for a run.  At lunchtime, it was
in the low 50s, and the sun was shining brightly.  Perfect!

I’d really just set out to run at a medium pace, and get some miles in.  My big weekend in Tulsa is just a few weeks off, and I knew more short runs would help me be ready.  I had no idea what kind of run I was about to encounter.

I got to the Greenway, stretched out, and ran up to the trail.  Somehow, things just felt right.  I breezed through the first kilometer,  and got to the little plateau pretty quick.  When the beginning of the downhill slope on the backside of the big hill came, I really opened it up toward Highway 109.  It felt like I’d found a gear I’d never found before.

And that’s the way the whole run went.  I kept looking at my time, kicking hard, and was beginning to realize something special was going on.  If I really pushed hard, it looked like I could finish under 45 minutes, which would be a first.  For the last half kilometer, I ran like I was trying to beat the clock, and I did!

To put this in perspective, I had a 45:33 at the Mo’ Cowbell 5K, which was a really flat course, and a PR for me, beating a time from the Greenway from a couple of years ago.  This time, I finished 5K in 44:43, on that same hilly Greenway course.  That’s a PR, kids, and my second one in the 5K this month.

October is apparently my month to run!

This race benefitted the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America.

Race Course

I’ve needed to get this virtual race done for a couple of days, but reveling in the glory of my conquest of the Cowbell on Sunday, I slacked.  So sue me.

I went out today to just walk and recover, and as it ends up, take a new path on the Greenway.  Over the summer, I’ve been largely doing my stuff on the south side of the Greenway.  Today, I took to the north side of it.

The nice thing about the northern leg is that there’s very little vehicle traffic that crosses it.  There’s only one big intersection, and one little one.  This is great, as it keeps me focused on the path ahead of me, and keeps me from having to look over my shoulder for cars.

The downside is that it’s hilly.  Much more so than the southern trail only a couple hundred feet away.  Nonetheless, I had a great walk, and explored parts of the trail that I’ve never been on before.  In fact, some of what I explored today will probably be a big part of some longer distances in the future.

Today’s race benefitted the American Heart Association.

Race Course