Ladd's 5K

Ladd Clifford has had weekly 5K races from his house for the past couple of summers. I finally made it to one of them. The reason I haven't gone earlier is that I'm fairly worthless as an evening runner. Oh, you say? Just evening?  I do believe that it's a good idea to race often, even in a relaxed and fun setting with friends. I think it's a great opportunity to improve.

There were around twelve of us at Ladd's place. At 6:00 PM, we did a one-mile warmup before returning to his house to start the main event. We went south on Ryan Road a short distance before turning into a subdivision. At the end of that road, we entered onto the Chippewa Trail, an all-purpose asphalt trail that took us further south, all the way to Chippewa Road, which we crossed over and continued on for a couple hundred more yards into the woods. It all adds up to a shady, accurate, gently downhill 5K course.

It was a warm June evening. I was out of breath right from the start, forcing me to moderate my pace just a little. That worked. For a while. I ran fairly well for the first half, but slowed further in the second. I finished in the lower tier of the group with a time of 25:31. 

I'm not disappointed. Not thrilled, but not disappointed. Next time, I'll try to improve on this.

The Gang after the run at Ladd's place   photo credit: Ladd Clifford

Healthy, wealthy, and wise, my foot

"Healthy, wealthy, and wise" is a well-known idiom that emphasizes a fulfilling and successful life that encompasses physical, financial, and mental well-being. It's not just about having riches; it's about possessing the wisdom to make sound judgments, manage finances responsibly, and prioritize health. The more complete saying, "early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise," attributed to Benjamin Franklin, also reflects this idea, emphasizing the importance of good habits and discipline for overall success. 

Back in the early years of Earth's formation when I was young, my friends and I would negate a sentence or phrase by adding the words "my foot" to the end of it. By and by, I got older and the words were changed to "my ass" before (to the best of my knowledge) leaving the lexicon entirely. 

Now, we have the complete picture. Most who know me believe it when I say that the early to bed and early to rise part applies. So much so, that I ought to be the healthiest, wealthiest, and wisest bloke around. But am I? My foot.

Yes, my foot. It's acting up again. It hasn't been right since my Achilles Tendonitis surgery four years ago. Don't get me wrong. I'm still glad I did it. Since my recovery, I've been able to run again, mostly pain-free. But due to the lasting nerve damage, my right foot has been numb. This has caused other problems, including strange pains and injuries. For the past month, swelling and toe pain have increased. I don't think it's slowed me down much. Yet. 

Recently, I began volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. It's hard work for an old guy like me, but it's also rewarding, and I'm happy to do it. But being on my feet for hours and working hard in the heat is not working out so well for that right foot. Now, besides the numbness, there's swelling as well.

For today's volunteer gig, the swelling was particularly bad. I'm sure that waking up at 2:19 AM to run eight miles on the mill before meeting friends to run ten more at Lake Medina was not a factor here. Hey, I really wanted to get a long run in today. I didn't really intend to wake up quite so early, but it was a case of, I'm awake, I may as well run longer. All this before starting work at the build site at 8:30 AM. So no, it wasn't the running, just the H for H physical labor that's causing the problems.

My foot.

Schedule This!

The half-marathon and marathon schedule is set for the second half of 2025. I don't usually plan this far ahead. But think of all the money I saved with early pricing. Of course, if I miss any of the races, all those savings will go down the drain. Naturally, the worst thing that could happen is for me to get injured and miss more than one of them. I'd better start doing daily prayers and sacrifices to the knee, hip, and ankle gods.

• August 2: Hofbräuhaus Cleveland Half-Marathon
• August 8: Goodyear Half-Marathon
• September 27: Akron Half-Marathon and Team Relay (both)
• October 4-5: Northeast Ohio 24-Hour Run (as a volunteer)
• October 19: Columbus Marathon (overnight stay)
• November 2: Veterans Marathon in Blairsville, PA (overnight stay)
• November 23: Fall Classic Half-Marathon
• November 30: Buckeye Woods 25K/50K (probably the 25K)
• December 27: Brunswick Marathon

One more thing: if I do complete all of these, I will have run seven half-marathons for the year. That would be the most ever. The five full marathons is not; it's fairly typical.

Highland Hornet Dash 5K Race Report

Looking back, I think my biggest problem was that I wore all red to an all-green race. 

25:27, 26:19, 26:53. Those are my times from 2023, 2024, and this year. This year's pace was slower than that for the recent Medina Half-Marathon. I would be disturbed by this trend if I truly gave a piece of excrement. What excuses do I have, you ask?

• First, thanks for asking. It rained the entire time. I'm sure that slowed me down some. Yeah. Sure.
• The grass was high. The race takes runners around several grassy areas, and those were not so recently mowed.
• I been running a lot lately. Maybe I should've tapered for this.
• My friends were there, and we all had a bunch of fun. You can't have fun and run well, can you?

I mentioned the fun factor. This is a friendly community race to benefit Highland Schools. There are gobs of kids and lots of family fun stuff going on. My friend Julie Boggs is the de facto race director. She has taken over from Theresa Wright, who continues to help. What's not to like?

Tale of two tremendous training trots

Last week: It's Friday, and for the five millionth time, it's Lester Rail Trail. The weather is great, and I had been having a wonderful time running with my friends. Until they all left. Now I'm alone with six miles to go. 75% of the time, I slow way down at this point and struggle mightily to get up to the required mileage. Today, that number is 18 miles. And today, for a change, I manage to not slow down; I complete the run in an excellent (for me) time of 2:54. 

This week: It's Friday, and for the five million and oneth time, it's Lester Rail Trail. The weather is not so great (the humidity is extremely high), and yet I had once again been having a wonderful time running with my friends. Until they all left. Now, I'm once again alone with six miles to go. There's a better chance than last week that I might struggle mightily to get up to the required 18 miles. Yet today, like last week, I once again manage to not slow down; I complete the run in an excellent (for me) time of 2:56. Yeah, that's 2 minutes slower, but given the difficult conditions, I'll take it. What other choice is there?

I'm not sure what's going on here. It's a good thing, but it probably won't last.

Sign-in, sign-out

Dan's friends, especially Katherine Kinsey, seem to get a kick out of my sign-in, sign-out list. Here's the deal.

Debbie wakes up early (but not as early as Dan) and wonders, Where is Dan? Of course, she knows that he's out running, but where, with whom, and when will he be back? Voila, the Dan Horvath sign-in, sign-out list. Dan got the idea from his friends, Larry and Christine Orwin, who both run and needed to let each other know where they were. Ironically, Dan recently learned that Larry and Christine no longer use a list. They now have a whiteboard instead. Perhaps it's time for Dan to catch up with the times.

Quickie Race Report

No, this is not a race report that's a Quickie. This is a report about a Quickie race. What exactly is a Quickie, you ask? Well, take it from me: don't google it. It's something my female running friends in particular have been asking for. Why me, I ask them back? I suppose they feel that if Dan doesn't do a Quickie, a Quickie doesn't get done. To be a little more specific, in this context, a Quickie is a two-mile prediction run. We Medina County Road Runners used to do one every year at Roscoe Ewing Park on Memorial Day. 

Dan decided to organize a 2025 Quickie at the last minute. Five brave two-legged runners and one four-legged one showed up. This is not to mention an intrepid race timer. The runners predicted their times and placed their watches in the holding box. Unlike the practice in years past, no money was put down.

Quickie Start

It was quite the exciting race, and it lived up to its name. The fastest runner was Marko Dravenstott, who dragged Alan Davenstott to victory as the first two-legged finisher. But Dan, yes, Dan, was the overall Grand Champion. His predicted time: 18:00. His actual time: 18:00. Now, every day for the rest of his running life, Dan will lament not putting money into a pot.

Ladd Clifford, Chip Jenkins, Harold Dravenstott, Alan Dravenstott, Theresa Wright, Dan Horvath, Marko Dravenstott (not shown)

2025 Medina Half Marathon Race Report

It's a race where everyone knows your name. Mine, at least. I'm not sure why this is; maybe it's because I've walked the Earth a few years too long.

I get by with a bit of help from my friends. L to R: Chadwick Sunday, Maureen Oblander, Julie Boggs, Christy Gnat, Frank Dwyer, Sharon Sibilski, Harold Dravenstott, Dan Horvath, Katherine Kinsey. Photo: Julie Boggs

Christy Gnat, Sharon Sibilski, Chadwick Sunday, and I start close to the 1:55 pace group. This seems aggressive to me, considering that the Cleveland Marathon was only six days ago. I had only been hoping to run this race at about a 9-minute-per-mile pace like last week. I'd be happy with anything just under two hours today.

For some goofy reason, the pace seems slow. After a couple of miles, Chadwick and I move ahead of the rest of the group. I thought I was old enough to know better. I'm not. Chadwick is running smoothly and having a ball. I am just huffing and puffing. "Tell me another story," I ask between huffs, knowing full well that I'm usually the one doing all the talking.

Somehow, I manage to continue to cling to my friend until he spots Ella on the side of the road at mile 11.5. Ella does her jump-hug. Chadwick stops for it, and I can finally get ahead of him a little. Of course, he catches and passes me - the cheerleader did her job to inspire him.

Like last year, Chadwick pulls further ahead during the final wonderful downhill mile.

I finish in 1:52. This is much better than expected. I'm sure it's my fastest on this course.

All of my friends gather again at the finish. I love seeing them all. This, This is as good as running can get.

Mychart

Like numbers? I do.

MyChart is known as an online tool used for medical communication, billing, and data. The Mychart I'm referring to here is that of my marathon times. A friend asked how my recent time compares with others over the years, both recent and not so recent. It was my kind of question.

Marathon Times by Age

I'm not particularly fond of that upward trend. 

Here's some more data: 

• Average time for my first 100 Marathons (1978-2013): 3:21 ((3:18 if you throw out the two slow trail marathons))
• Average time for my most recent 32 Marathons (2013-Present): 4:07
• Average time for all 132 Marathons (1978-Present): 3:32

My good side

2025 Cleveland Marathon Race Report

It's time for The Long Walk. I have managed to finish the Cleveland Marathon, then attempted to have a celebratory beer, and now I am walking back to my car. This walk, all one mile of it, is long and arduous. Not quite as long and arduous as the marathon, but I can't say that I'm enjoying it.

My finishing time was 3:56. That's about par for me these days. I haven't beaten 3:55 in a very long time, but I can still go sub-four on a good day, like today. My time is faster than I've done at this race in a few years. We experienced hot weather in many instances, but today was nearly perfect. Oh, there was some wind, but it was from the Northwest and mostly at our backs for the final miles. I also won my age group, which is due to the dearth of older, faster runners.

I would like to be able to say that it felt good to run so well. But it didn't, so I can't. My splits were even, but those last few miles were Tough with a capital T. I should be happy to finish at all, and even to have made it to the start. My right big toe had been acting up. Luckily, I soaked it and taped it, and it wasn't a factor today.

One final thought. In two years, they will be celebrating the 50th running of this race. I was there for the first one, and for twenty-something others. I plan to be there in 2027. Maybe 2026 as well.

I can't walk

I'm in the car, driving to the RTA parking area, where I'll catch the Rapid Transit that will take me downtown. That's when I first notice that my right foot hurts. This is the one that is always numb due to the Achilles Tendonitis surgery four years ago. That numbness has led to other problems, especially around my big toe. And it's my big toe that hurts the most right now.

Once on the train, I take my shoe off and rub my foot a little. It's a relief, but when I arrive at Tower City, the shoe has to go back on so that I can walk down to the Convention Center. Now, it hurts even more, and I can hardly walk. I wander around the Expo, pick up my shirt and bib, and then walk back to Tower City. 

As soon as I'm back on the train, I take my shoe off. Again, it's a relief. But again, I've got to get it back on to walk to my car once I arrive back at Puritas Station. By now, I can hardly walk at all. After stumbling into the car, I remove my shoe again for the ride home.

At home, I soak it for most of the afternoon and evening. I determine that my big toe is infected. It's painful, reddish, and enlarged, so I suppose that's what's wrong. I put antibiotic cream on and bandage it up for the night. I'm not sure what could have caused such a thing. Wish I knew. 

It isn't lost on me that if I can't walk, running 26 miles on Sunday may be difficult. It's also not lost on me that I've been posting positive thoughts lately, jokingly asking things like, what could go wrong? Well, I've found something.

Will I make it to the starting line? I'm workin' on it.

Nasty tow porn

Dearth of excuses

The Cleveland Marathon is now only a short couple of days away. Today, I ran with friends on Lester Rail Trail, and I cut the run short at only six miles. Although I had some slightly challenging runs last week, this week has been taper-city. As already posted, I could be doing more, I just don't want to. The weather looks like it will be favorable on Sunday. 

Of course, the question is, what can and will go wrong? I wish I knew. I suppose my biggest concerns are my weight (it could be lower), and my long run distances (they could have been longer). We shall see. 

I just don't want to.

During Friday night's race, I kept thinking: I could catch Sharon Sibilski, but I just don't want to. Of course, I didn't. But it was fun anyway. In fact, 'fun' was in the name. Last week's speedwork went well, but it was fairly all-out. Today's speedwork was also good, but this time, I could have done more (more speed, more reps). But, thought I, I just don't want to. 

Regarding this Sunday's Cleveland Marathon, the weather looks like it will be favorable. I hope to have a good race. The reason is that I just want to.

Run4Fun race report and other stories

26 minutes and change. Not my fastest 5K. But here's the good news: it went better than last year, it came sandwiched between twelve-mile runs that morning and the next one, and, best of all, it's done. Since I can't remember the last time I ran twice in a day or even in an afternoon or evening, I was out of my comfort zone. It's good to get out of one's comfort zone, now, isn't it?

And those twelve-milers? Not too awful. The funny thing about running a lot like this is that although none of the runs were at what I'd call top speed for the day, they were still pretty good. I guess I'll take them.

Cleveland is now less than a week away. I suppose I should think about tapering.

Somebody stop me

"I can't help myself; I'm just fast."

"This is easy-peasy"

"I could do more. I just don't want to."

"I could run faster. I just don't want to."

"Somebody stop me."

Such is the self-talk heard from Dan this morning. Oh, he wasn't saying this stuff out loud, mind you. But he was thinking it.

Seems funny, right? Well, guess what? It really works. It did today. In what will likely be the final full Yasso workout before Cleveland (a week and a half away), Dan finally got all of his 800s below the four-minute barrier. This doesn't necessarily mean that Dan will go sub-4-hours in Cleveland (there are plenty of other factors in the mix), but it does mean that he can. And (the converse is important) if he could not do the workout, you could bet that he couldn't run the race in the goal time.

I hear that rain a-comin'

Amidst all the miles in recent days and weeks has been the nearly ever-present rain. Yesterday's 20 miles (mostly with Julie Boggs) were pretty darn soggy. Other recent runs have been wet as well. The good thing, however, is that they did get done. Now, there are two weeks left before the Cleveland Marathon, and I am almost where I want to be. I've done several long runs, and they've mostly gone fairly well. 

Yet to do: some more speedwork, including at least one Yasso workout.

Julie Boggs, Sharon Sibilski, Shannon Barnes, Theresa Wright, and some old guy during a recent Hinckley run

Not Half-Yassed

It's Tuesday, time for track. A Half-Yasso is done, and everyone else is leaving. Now, Dan is all alone. Just him and the track. And a second Half-Yasso. 

Last week, Dan did only a Half-Yasso, so this week it's time to get serious. Yes, it will be a full Yasso, or bust. Most likely, the latter. 

Had you asked, Dan would have said that all of the 800s need to be under four minutes in order to indicate readiness for a possible sub-four-hour marathon. Cleveland, you see, is less than a month away. But things aren't going quite as well as that. Some of the 800s had been over four, and others had been under. That trend continues for this second set of five. At least he finishes strong.

Dan's average? 3:59. He still has a way to go. Hey, here's an idea: more Yassos!

Never been closer

The business manager asks the project manager about the status of the project and when it will be completed. "Never been closer {{to being done}}," comes the smart@ss answer. And so it is {{also}} with Dan's race fitness. He has never - at least in the past few weeks - been closer to being in tip-top race shape. Based on Dan's last post about a long run, things were beginning to look somewhat not-so-great. But Dan has since started to claw his way back.

It started with an eighteen-miler on the Towpath with Larry Orwin last Thursday. The pretty-good pace caused Friday's run to be not-so-great. But Saturday's seven was okay, and then came today.

Today's route is the newly completed Brunswick Marathon course. Dan arrives at 5:45 and runs his first 6.55-mile loop. Luckily, Rick Roman had shown up and run with him for part of it. That kept Dan honest. The second loop is with Sharon Sibilski and Julie Boggs. These two keep Dan even more honest. Now comes the most honest part of all: the third 1/4-marathon loop. This time, it's only Sharon and Dan. 

Guess what? It goes okay. Surprisingly, they pick up the pace some more, and Dan winds up with a decent long run. He and Sharon even go one more mile around the lake so that Dan can call the run a 20-miler.

Cleveland is three weeks away. Is Dan ready? That's unclear, but he's definitely never been closer.

dol·drums

Doldrums is defined as a spell of listlessness or despondency. When capitalized, it can also refer to a part of the ocean near the equator abounding in calms, squalls, and light shifting winds. The latter definition surely gave rise to the former. And that's the state that I've been in for the past few days. Or should I say, decades? Hard to say, but I sure felt like I didn't have much mojo for my past few runs.

It was the same today, except worse. And worse yet, it was Tuesday, and time for Tuesday Track. Not in the least what my lazy body had in mind. 

Time for running friends to the rescue. This is also known as peer pressure to the rescue. Anyway, I had to get moving. Everyone else was doing it. The workout was only a half-yassed Yasso, five eight-hundreds, rather than the ten that's required in order to call it a full Yasso. A Half-Yasso is better than no Yasso, so I'll take the win today.

Zone 1.2

The multi-heart-rate-zone approach to training is quite popular. Here is one typical description of the different zones:

Zone 1 (recovery/easy)	55%-65% HR max	Used to get your body moving with minimal stress and exertion. This zone might be used for an easy training day, warming up or cooling down.
Zone 2 (aerobic/base)	65%-75% HR max	Used for longer training sessions, you can sustain this basic-effort zone for many miles, yet still chitchat a little bit with your workout partner.
Zone 3 (tempo)	80%-85% HR max	This is a zone where you push the pace to build up speed and strength; conversation is reduced to single words.
Zone 4 (lactate threshold)	85%-88% HR max	In this zone your body is processing its maximum amount of lactic acid as a fuel source; above this level, lactic acid builds up too quickly to be processed and fatigues muscles; training in this zone helps your body develop efficiency when you're operating at your maximum sustainable pace.
Zone 5 (anaerobic)	90% HR max and above	This maximum speed zone (think closing kick in a race) trains the neuromuscular system—your body learns how to recruit additional muscle fibers and how to fire muscles more effectively.

The percentage of HR Max can be determined using various wearable products, physically checking heart rate the old-fashioned way, or by perceived effort as I do. Modern approaches often recommend spending 60 to 85 percent of your training in Zone 2. When Zone 1 is mentioned at all, it's usually lumped in with Zone 2, often resulting in an even greater amount of time in these easy zones. The time spent in higher zones becomes progressively smaller.

I am firmly in favor of employing a large amount of Zone 2 training. For me, the percentage is probably on the order of 80%, but it can be higher or lower depending on where I'm at in my training cycle. Here's the thing about my Zone 2 training: a lot of it is about as slow as you can go. In fact, my Zone 2 should probably be reclassified as Zone 1. Or maybe, it's something in-between.

But closer to 1 than 2. Maybe about 1.2.

I'm NOT shuffling. And don't call me Shirley.

Surely you're shuffling, Dan tells himself. His retort is, of course, I'm NOT shuffling. And don't call me Shirley. It's a lie. Shuffling is as shuffling does.

Today's Good Friday Lester Rail Trail run had begun fairly well. Dan had been joined by around ten of his best friends, several of whom had run with him for twelve miles. Too bad Dan still had six more to go. On some occasions, Dan manages to continue running well even after everyone else leaves. Today is not one of those days. 

Dan's pace becomes slower and slower. By mile 15, he's barely moving forward. He takes a gel in hopes that it will help him get through the final three miles. Three ain't so bad, right? Anyone can do three. And the gel ought to help. Or will it?

~ Brief Interlude: My First Time ~

Remember your first time? Of course, you do; everyone does. Mine occurred in the early 1990s. The occasion was the Detroit Free Press Marathon. It was late in the race, and I needed a pick-me-up, something to see myself through to the finish. Lo and behold, some volunteer hands me a gel packet. It was probably Gu, since there weren't so many different brands at the time. I wasn't sure what to do with it, but I soon figured out that you tear off the top and shoot the stuff down your throat, followed by some water. And guess what? It worked! My pace improved enough for me to finish strong and have myself a pretty good race.

~ End Interlude ~

But would a gel work its magic when Dan is this far gone? There have been times when it didn't. As the shuffling gets progressively worse, Dan begins to understand that today, nothing at all is going to work. 

He does manage to get eighteen miles in, but only twelve of them were decent. Not a very good Good Friday run. 

2025 Towpath Half-Marathon Race Report

Ooey Gooey. Indecisive Dan's gloved fingers are sticking together. The gel that he'd been holding had unexpectedly opened, and now it's a mess. Not to waste valuable gel - you guessed it - Indecisive Dan licks some off the gloves before wiping the rest on his shorts. Now he's even more of a mess. 

Why is this incident significant, you ask? It probably isn't, but it does mark the time and place (about mile 8.5) when Indecisive Dan realizes that he may not achieve his 'A' goal of sub-1:50 at today's Towpath Half-Marathon. And why, you also ask, is Dan being referred to as 'Indecisive Dan?' Because even though he'd registered for this race, he had almost skipped it, nearly opting instead for a group run with friends in Medina. Yesterday, he changed his mind for the last time, and drove to Cleveland to pick up his bib and shirt. Sorry, Medina friends.

Dan doesn't usually over-dress for races, but he did for this one. Early morning temperatures were in the low 30s, but as the sun rose, it warmed up quickly. The race takes place in the Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation, starting in Cuyahoga Heights. After the first screaming downhill mile, the course takes runners onto the towpath, which is entirely paved here in the North. It's not entirely flat, either; there are some hills, including two high foot-bridges. But what a beautiful Spring morning!

Dan abides. He didn't consider himself in very good shape (to the point that he almost didn't start), so he had only been hoping to break two hours today. Dan's stated goal for the year is to break one hour and fifty minutes in a half. That hasn't happened in a while, and it wouldn't, he reckoned, happen today. Until, that is, that he determined that he was running quite well; faster than expected.

How fast, you ask? It's hard to tell. The race mile markers are off, and Dan's Garmin watch is slightly haywire as well, possibly because of the woody, windy valley course. Let's just say that he hit halfway between 55 and 56 minutes. That's on the order of around 8:30 per mile.

Now, at mile 8.5, runners get to the Rockside Road aid station and turn back towards the finish line. Dan takes his time to ingest a gel, but he had grabbed a couple of others. One went into his pocket, but the other is now all over the darn place. Dan slows some more to get himself back together. The episode most likely doesn't cost Dan all that much time, but he now understands something that he should have done earlier: that he ain't gonna do a 1:49 or better today.

Dan tries to pick up the pace, but the two footbridges, traversed for the second time, slow him down some more. The final two and a half miles are flatter. He hits mile ten with a time of about 1:26, and then runs the final 5K in about 26 minutes. He crosses the finish line in 1:52. He wins his age group, and the award, a photo print of Cleveland from the Cuyahoga River, is pretty cool.

Uncancel

When you cancel your scheduled appearance for a run, then change your mind and actually attend, that's an uncanceling. I think more than one person did this today. The one that I'm sure of is Michelle Kelly-Daum. Frank Dwyer has been known to be on the fence for some runs as well, and he was a maybe for this one as well, but I'm not sure whether he officially canceled and uncanceled. Let's go ahead and add him to that latter category (the uncancelers) anyway, just because he deserves it. Chadwick and Ella Sunday and Sharon Sibilski were very solid maybe-attendees. It turned out that all those listed, and even yours truly, did indeed make it to Hinckley to start today's run.

There was a good reason to cancel today. The weather was particularly nasty. For anyone who would listen, I stated that thirties and rain is not high on my list of favorite running conditions. But once we got moving, things didn't seem quite so bad, especially as the rain and cold wind subsided. Or maybe we were simply lost in conversation and no longer noticed how miserable we all were.

As folks were leaving, I jogged around for another mile. That's when the rain resumed. Along with some sleet and freezing rain, just for fun.

Running Out West, March, 2025

The Lady Adventurer and the Old Geezer spent a couple of weeks visiting national parks in the Southwest. Here’s a brief story about Mr. Geezer’s running during the trip. There wasn’t a lot of it, since we were quite busy and always on the move. The runs were outside the parks, since that’s where we were staying. The exception was Big Bend National Park, where we stayed at the park lodge in the middle of everything.

In order to visit White Sands National Park, we stayed in Las Cruces, NM. I did a little four-mile jog there, but I didn’t do such a great job of finding a good running location. I was mostly on main roads, and the traffic began to build as my run progressed. I’m sure there are nice places to run here, but I just didn’t find them.

In Big Bend N.P., the location was stunning: it was in a basin, surrounded by the Chisos Mountains. There’s only one road, and I ran on it, stopping at times to enjoy the dark skies. I ran up and down a couple of more times in order to get us started on the Lost Mine Trail Hike. Everything was vertical. And slow. With all the jogging and hiking, I did spend over seven hours on my feet that day. Good ultra training for this former ultra runner.

So far on this trip, most of my runs have been “runs.” By that I mean just shuffles. But in Roswell (en route to Great Sand Dunes N.P.), what began as a “run” turned into a real run. I’d been looking for a track at New Mexico Military Institute. I found one, but it was locked up as tight as a drum. But there was another one across the street. Remember cinder tracks? Me neither. But this was similar, except it was dirt and sand rather than cinders, and it was ½-mile, rather than 440 yards. A few circuits later, I was really running. Too bad I only had time for five miles.

Alamosa, Colorado, is the town closest to Great Sand Dunes National Park, so that’s where we stayed for a couple of nights. It’s the home of Adams State University, nationally known for being cross-country champions. Little wonder – the elevation is above 7,500 feet. In the nearby park, it’s above 8,000. Also no wonder that my run here was not all that fantabulous. I did eventually get into a rhythm, although the whole 3 miles were still pretty slow. It was unexpectedly nice however - I found some great trails along the Rio Grande River.

Sunrise during Alamosa run

Alamosa run

I made another pleasant discovery in Montrose. There is a series of trails along the Uncompahgre River, and they start just down the street from the Fairfield Inn that we were inhabiting. Even though I stayed on the main paved trails, I still managed to get a little bit lost a few miles South. There are some nice parks here, and it turns out to be a nice place to run.

Uncompahgre River

In Cortez, Colorado, I started my run on the hotel treadmill. This wasn't a whole lot of fun, but at least I got 5 miles in. Then, it was time to go outside for another 5. Or so I hoped. I wound up running so darn slow that I only managed 4. So I continued to be unable to get up to ten miles. Oh well. Nice sunrise, anyway.

Finding myself on a roll (not as in running well, but in finding good places to run), I found a nice trail to explore in Show Low, Arizona. Once again, it was cool and the elevation was a factor, but there was a nice sunrise. Once again, I ran slow and not very far (four miles), but I enjoyed it.

Our last stop was Albuquerque. After warming up on the hotel mill, I ventured out into the cold. This time, I didn't find any place wonderful in which to run, but the area around the University of New Mexico and some nearby neighborhoods were okay enough. I didn't get lost too much, but if I did, I would have been able to say, "I knew I shoulda taken that left turn at Albuquerque." That's a Bugs Bunny slogan - he would say that whenever he became lost. This turned out to be my only double-digit-mileage run of the trip. Even so, it was as slow as the rest of them.

For the trip, I managed to run in each and every location. Unfortunately, I didn't run very well or very much. Blame it on the elevation. Or perhaps sloth, my favorite deadly sin. Upon returning home, I'll have some getting-back-into-shape to do.

 For the real story about the trip, check out the travel blog post about it.

Permission to fail

The original title for this post was gonna be, Monday Madness: Mindless Moronic Miles. That's because after five and a half miles in Roscoe Ewing Park with my running companions, Debbie Hicks and Shannon Barnes, our runner Dan found himself alone with nowhere to go except the track for enough additional miles to make it at least to double digits. 

Sometimes, Dan is able to gather himself together when his friends leave. Sometimes, he is able to eek out a not-so-bad run, whether on the boring old track or someplace else. This actually happened on Lester Rail Trail last Friday. The friends got done and left, and Dan managed to actually pick up the pace a little and complete a pretty-decent long run. Some days are good ones, others, not so much.

As he was trying hard to run in circles, it occurred to Dan that he was moving slower and slower, and that he was simply unable to get even as many as ten miles in this day. That would constitute a failure, for the distance was the main thing this time around. (The total ended up as nine.) It also occurred to Dan that once in a while, it's okay to have a stinker of a run. Failure happens.

The best a runner can do is to manage his or her failures. Manage them in such a way that they occur during runs that are less important than others. Others would include races and more important workouts. A stinker on a Monday morning training run isn't so concerning. So long as one bounces back. That's giving oneself permission to fail.

And bounce-back is Dan's middle name.

This one was better

After complaining so much about returning to run in March, and after a couple of awful days on the mill, it was time to venture out again for a medium-to-long run with friends in Hinckley. Catching up with my peeps Julie Boggs and Theresa Wright was good. Really good. That didn't make the hills any easier. But it was still good. Now, after a much-needed day off tomorrow, it will be time to hit the ground running next week.

It's happening again

For four of the past five years, I spent up to two winter months in Florida. The trips were good, and I ran a lot while I was there. I even successfully ran some races, including marathons. When I returned home each time, I thought I would hit the ground running; I would build on my fitness even further in the comfort of my home and all that goes with it. But each time, I didn't.

March can be a b!tch, and that goes for each of these returns. Including this latest one. I've now ventured out for four runs, and not one of them have been what I wanted and expected. Having said that, two of the runs were with friends, so that part was nice.

Regarding hitting that ground running: never fear. Tomorrow is another day.

Pandering to those panning my running in the Panama Panhandle

Here are the stories of my running whilst in Panama City Beach, Florida in 2025. You are guaranteed to like some or even all of them. Or your money back.

Tupelo

Hey, we're not far from Elvis Presley's Birthplace, I think as I take a gander at Google Maps before heading out. We're staying here as part of our trip South for the Winter. We had just attended a Memorial Service that took us a little out of our way. After a little over a mile, I reach the site. There is a museum, a church, a chapel, a reflecting pond and overlook, and of course the (tiny) house itself. There are also plenty of signs about the man himself. I can't read them because of the darkness, and I am wondering if it's okay to be here at all. But no one else is around, so I suppose it doesn't matter. Later on, I take Debbie there to walk around a little bit more.

Elvis' Birthplace in Tupelo

2024 New Year's Eve Ball Drop 5K Run/Walk Race Report

Here's a short race report for a short race. I've done the PCB Mardi Gras 5K race here at Frank Brown Park a couple of times. This race is absolutely the same, except for the date. It's very low-key, but lots of fun. Unfortunately, I cannot say that I have a successful final run of 2024. The first mile is okay, but then they go downhill from there. My ridiculously slow time is 26:47. Blech.

2025 First Run

It's not only my first run in the new year, it's also my first run from the Days Inn Panama City Beach. We're trying this new place out; it's a ways away from the old one, Beachside Resort. I head West, toward Pier Park, site of last night's New Year's celebration. I think, hey, maybe I'll find something worthwhile amongst the debris and litter. And guess what? I do! I find three quarters, a dime, and a nickel. Not only that, I find a new trail in Aaron Bessant Park, adjacent to Pier Park. It's only a mile or so long, but it's quiet and peaceful. Most of the rest of the ten-miler is not. Front Beach Road is as lousy a place to run here as it is ten miles to the West. And the run itself is pretty darn slow. Oh well.

The walls were built to keep you in

This was the ominous line good-guy Yul Brynner delivered to bad-guy Eli Wallach (who had laughed and said the walls wouldn't keep him and his band of bandits out) in The Magnificent Seven. I'm reminded of this as I arrive at the Arnold High School track only to find almost all the gates closed and locked. Keen readers will note the word, almost. I find an entrance closer to the school, and this gets me closer to the track, but not within the inner fence which is also closed up. This fence is jumpable, but I stay on the outside of it for a couple of miles. I am hoping that once school is back in session, they will reopen all the gates to the public.

Although (like yesterday's) this run isn't among my very best, something good happens: I discover the all-purpose trail to the North of the school. It seems to run both East and West, and I go East to explore some more. It turns out to be a very nice ten-miler. Next time, I'll try going West.

36 F Degrees

Oh, you thought the F stands for Fahrenheit? Ha! This is Florida, and it's not supposed to be 36 F Degrees! Especially when it was supposed to only go down to 46 degrees. Good thing I brought a second shirt for this double-loop jog around Panama City Beach Conservation Park. It's not so bad once I get moving. When the sun rises, it actually begins to feel somewhat warm.

Conservation Park remains my favorite place to run here in PCB. There are miles and miles of trails, but I do most of my running on the outer 'orange' loop; it's 9 1/2 miles. Today, like many of my runs here, I'm doing the loop twice for my long run.

Sunrise in Conservation Park

The run starts really slow. It's not surprising, coming only six days after the Brunswick Marathon. But (and it's a Big But) I have another one in four weeks. I'd better be getting into shape. After the first circuit, I regroup and get moving on the second 9.5. This goes much better. Much better. Afterward, I look up how today's run compares to other times on this loop. There's a little history here; see below (near the end of this post) for the entire list. Yes, today's second loop stands up fairly well. There's hope.

Do you feel lucky, Punk?

Here's the exact quote: "Uh uh. I know what you're thinking. 'Did he fire six shots or only five?' Well to tell you the truth in all this excitement I kinda lost track myself. But being this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world and would blow your head clean off, you've gotta ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?"

It occurs to me today because I'm doing my Yasso workout - first of the year - and I am not entirely sure whether it's been nine or ten half-mile intervals that I've now completed. Although I'm fairly sure that I've done ten, I would hate to get done only to find out that I was one short. So, I suppose I should do one additional one before I get back to the Days Inn. This one is my slowest, but the rest had gotten progressively faster, especially after I'd turned around at halfway on Thomas Drive and finally had the wind at my back. After I finish, I examine the date. You guessed it. It turned out to be eleven. The 800s are slow by most of my usual standards - about 4:12 on average. But there's one good thing: they're done.

This run out and back East on Front Beach and Thomas is probably a keeper. We will see if the traffic gets worse on weekdays.

Gayle's Trails

At 4.66 miles into my run, the trail comes to an abrupt end, and there's no place else to go but back the way I came. Dang. I'm trying to map out another ten-mile course, and this comes up just a bit short. It's okay; I can add on some more in the Breakfast Point Subdivision. I can also see if the trail picks up again and goes further East on the opposite side (it doesn't). This new course is still good, but now it's not quite as simple as I'd hoped.

I've run many a mile on Gayle's Trails, but this is a new (at least to me) 1.5-mile section. It's nice while it lasts. It may link up to more of the other trails in the future, but it's difficult to tell where the trails go by looking at google maps. The trails are named for former PCB Mayor Gayle Oberst. The trail system continues to expand and now includes many miles of asphalt and paved pathways. 

Remember how I was complaining when the temperature went as low as 36F? Well now that it's been 30 to 32 for my last few runs, I'd give anything to have it as warm as 36 again. I wind up running a lot in the subdivision and finish with 11 miles in all. This route is another keeper.

To the nines

It had been my fervent wish to finish this second loop of the Conservation Park 9.5-mile course with three consecutive sub-nine-minute miles. I'd managed to get the first one just under nine minutes, but with the strong headwind, it's not happening for this second-last mile. Why nine minutes, you ask? Because to achieve my marathon goal, I need to run the miles at about that pace. Even though this is the end of a long run, it should not be so difficult. Alas, it is; this mile slips to slower than nine. Hey, maybe I can sort of make it up by running a fast final mile. Yeah, that's the ticket. Even though the wind is still strong, I do get under nine again. My average for the final three is less than nine, but I still need to do better.

If you were to ask why can't I run sub-nine-minute miles, the answer is simple: because I can't run sub-ten-minute miles. Even that is a chore. Oh well, maybe things will improve.

Another Conservation Park Sunrise

Me and my Conservation Park Trail

Fool's Errand

The watch notified me that I'd run one mile in between the time that my foot caught the root or rock or whatever and me making contact with the ground. This, on the smoothest possible part of the Conservation Park trail system. It was dark, however, so that was a factor. Soldiering on, I encounter mud, more than expected. What to do? Change plans. Get thee to Gayle's Trails.

Now headed East on the trails, I come face to face with the end of the line. I'd been searching and hoping for a way to continue eastward, even though I knew the answer - that I'd reach the point beyond which, there be dragons. There be dragons is an ancient way of denoting in maps a place where there is danger, or an unknown place, a place to be explored. And that's what happens 4.7 miles away from Conservation Park. So yes, this was the errand, and I was the fool. On the way back, I do some dipsy-doodling around Frank Brown Park as well as a final two miles in Conservation Park.

The result was this: a long run, but not as stellar as the previous two. Guess I'll have to accept it.

Please Mr. Custer

That famous day in history the men of the 7th Cavalry went riding on

And from the rear a voice was heard

A brave young man with a trembling word rang loud and clear

What am I doin' here?

Please Mr. Custer, I don't wanna go
Hey, Mr. Custer, please don't make me go
I had a dream last night about the comin' fight
Somebody yelled "attack!"
And there I stood with a arrow in my back

The song goes on from there. It's pretty much what I sing to myself each and every one of these cold mornings. So far, I've only not made it out once. But that may change soon; colder than ever weather is on its way, along with some freezing rain, ice, and snow.

How it's boding

Since you asked how things have been boding, I'll try to provide some sort of answer. Things are boding fairly well, thank you. It's twelve days before the Tallahassee Marathon, and that means it's time for my fourth and final long training run. I was gonna wait another day or two, but today's cold will be less awful than tomorrow's. Two of the other runs were decent, but the one I did last week was not quite so fantabulous. I'll settle for decent today.

The pretty-good boding began a few days ago when I attempted yet another Yasso workout. Although I still didn't reach my goal of running all ten 800s in under four minutes, I did manage to at least average four minutes for the bunch as I finished strong.

The trails in Conservation Park are in decent shape today. I had been thinking that the muddy areas would be frozen solid. They aren't, but footing is okay nonetheless. And did I mention the cold? It was right around freezing with a stiff wind. Some things are good when they're stiff; wind isn't one of them. Also, ahead of today's coming precipitation, there's a flake here and there.

I run the first 9.5-mile loop in 1:42, and the second one in 1:25 and change. It comes out to exactly 9 minutes per mile. It's not a course PR, but it does compare favorably with most of my other runs here. Now, it's time for a nap. 

Extra Crunchy

It's only been one day since that last long run and so I hadn't planned to get a whole lot of miles in. I am only able to make it a mile. That's it. You see, there's ice and snow everywhere. The snow on the beach is extremely crunchy, making footing difficult. After some back and forth, I go out to the road, where the footing is even worse due to the solid ice. Almost no cars are about, but this running on ice is crazy. I head back inside. Where it's dry and warm.

That's snow, not sand

Nice sunrise though

Coulda been a contender

It's a dress rehearsal of sorts, at least in terms of the shoes. One week out from Tallahassee, it's a Yasso extravaganza at Frank Brown Park. It's also my first time in these new Saucony Endorphin Pro 4 supershoes that I'll be wearing next week. It's still cold but not quite as bad as it's been, as I wind around and around the park. Most of the 800s are around a big grassy area on a 3/4-mile loop. My times are nearly all around 3:50. Just what I wanted.

For my final interval, I choose to head North to Gayles Trails. This last one is fine, and it's time to shuffle back into the park. That's when I see a gaggle of runners as well as some course markings. Yup, there's a race here that I wasn't aware of - a low-key 5K, 10K, 15K, and Half-Marathon. I hang around to watch them get going and then ask the Race Director what the heck is going on. The group is called "US Road Running," and they put these races on once a month. 

Had I known about this one, I would have done the Half here instead of the intervals. I briefly consider something shorter, like their 5K. But no. I am too exhausted to attempt any further running or racing at all. If I had been able to participate, I coulda been a contender. Here's the entire Terry Malloy (portrayed by Marlon Brando) quote from On the Waterfront:  "You don't understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let's face it."

Later, I sign up for the February Flavor of this half-marathon, called the PCB Luau races.

Form Fartlek

Form fartlek is like fartlek but with some form thrown in. Structure might be a better word than form. But there is no better word than fartlek. The idea is that you run half of each mile at an up-tempo pace (not all-out), whilst also concentrating on your running form. The other half of each mile can be easy. Regular fartlek is less structured - you just run fast when you feel like it (which is like almost never for me). I used to do a lot of form fartlek, but for some reason, I stopped. Today, more or less on a whim (I did want to do something of substance), it becomes form fartlek day.

During the ten-mile run out and back on Thomas Drive, I start doing the first half of each mile in a bit slower than four minutes, and the second half slower and easier. As mentioned, I also try to concentrate on my form during the faster running. It goes pretty good; generally getting faster as the run progresses. I even manage to run the final two half-mile segments in under four minutes. I'm reasonably happy with the result.

I'm not quite so reasonably happy to hear about the weather for this Sunday's race: low of 47, high of 74. It will probably be mostly in the 60s during the race. This, after I've been running in the 20s and 30s all month long. I'll muddle through, somehow.

The 2025 Tallahassee Marathon

I did it. The race report is posted separately. But in case you are lazy and don't wanna go there, here's a pic.

Tallahassee Marathon

Recovery Run

I suppose you can call this a "run." I have a friend who puts quotes around the word, "run," to imply that it wasn't much of one. Today's endeavor would qualify for those quotes. It's just a slow shuffle, but it's better than yesterday's "run." I manage to explore some new areas - a subdivision west of Richard Jackson Blvd. Not Breakfast Point; this one is South of the PCB Parkway. Circling around and through and back brings me up to six and a half miles. Not too bad for a post-marathon Tuesday.

By the way, I do have another race to prepare for: the US Road Running (Luau) race at Frank Brown Park, which I mentioned above. It's on the 22nd, two and a half weeks away. I'd better get in shape.

Getting Stronger Every Day

Yeah, just like the Chicago song. I'm back up to ten-milers mostly every day, and the pace, although still slow, is indeed improving. That doesn't stop a guy from passing and running by me like I'm standing still down the road. As he moves on, I notice that he doesn't appear to be moving all that fast; it looks like he's in slow-jog mode. I try to keep pace. But I can't. I just can't.  

It will be at least another week or so before I'm truly back to where I was before the marathon. That's okay. I'll just have to swallow my pride a little more. Whilst trying not to choke on it.

Taking a zero

There was a tornado and severe thunderstorm warning the other day. So severe that our phones went crazy just as I was waking up to run. I thought about waiting it out and running at least a little bit an hour or two later, but the T-storms didn't abate till the afternoon. It was only my second zero of the year. I even ran a mile the day of the snow and ice. Zeros are fine, so long as your overall mileage doesn't suffer too much. Mine might if I have to take another one tomorrow since more storms are expected. Today's goal is 13. That will bring me up to 60 for the week; 70 if I can do that easy 10 tomorrow that will happen only if the weather gods cooperate.

Today's 13 is sort of like last weekend's 13: excruciatingly slow. I get over to Frank Brown Park, do a few loop-de-loops, then head home via Gayles Trails. Things got a teensy bit better as I went on, but overall, it wasn't one of my finer moments.

Ironically, I'll be running yet a third 13-milder again next weekend: the aforementioned US Road Running (Luau) Half-Marathon race at Frank Brown Park. I hope the third one's a charm.

They Paved Paradise

Let's say, for example, that you want to get your run in, even though there are severe thunderstorm warnings. Let's further speculate that the rain that had begun as a light sideways drizzle in the wind, is now coming down in sideways buckets. You don't want to venture too far from the Days Inn since you would then have more trouble getting back as the weather continues to get worse. What to do?

You head toward the Bay County Pier parking lot. It's about a quarter-mile long and it's only a half-mile away. Then you do loop-de-loops around it as well as one of the other huge parking lots nearby. Now the rain gets harder and harder. The water on the roads and parking lots is suddenly ankle-deep. The lightning and thunder are getting closer. A car pulls up next to you in the parking lot and the driver asks if you need help to get out of the extreme elements. You say that you're okay, but clearly, you're not. You head back and call it a run. 4.5 miles. Not 10, but not nothing.

The 2025 PCB Luau Half-Marathon

Like the TM a few weeks ago, I did it. The race report is posted separately. But in case you are lazy and don't wanna go there, here's a pic. 

PCB Luau Half-Marathon

The realm of possibility

Don't stop, I tell myself. Just keep going, and keep the pace under nine minutes per mile. If you want to average nine MPM and you run some of your early miles a bit slower than that, you had better run some of your latter miles faster. At least, I think so. Someone, please check my math.

I am doing just that, running just slightly faster and faster, although I'm not sure whether it will be enough. With a few miles to go, I determine that it's still within the realm of possibility that I can finish my run with a better than nine-minute average pace for this second loop. Then, at mile 8 ... I stop. 

I am at Conservation Park for the final time of this trip. I'm doing my (faster) second of two 9.5-mile loops. I don't usually stop in the middle of a run unless there is a good reason to do so. Today's reason is certainly a good one: I'm tired. Dead tired.

Hey, maybe I can gather myself and finish the final 1.5 miles at about 8:30 pace - that would get me to my goal. Yes, it's still in the realm of possibility. All I have to do is do it.

Except that I don't. I had stopped because I was tired, and now, when I start running again, I'm still tired. I don't come anywhere close to the fast pace I need. It doesn't help that it has gotten warm and sunny. Or that I've gotten back to running often and sometimes intensely. Overall, I think it's been a pretty decent long run. Just not quite a top-tier one.

All of my PCB Conservation Park runs

I've got about two more runs to go here before we go home. I probably won't bother to post anything about them. I'll just finish by saying that it's been a good two months of running, mostly around ten miles a day. Now, back to Ohio.

2025 PCB Luau Half-Marathon Race Report

My stated goal for 2025 is to run a half-marathon under one hour, and fifty minutes. It's been years and years, but I came close a couple of times in 2024. Am I in that kind of shape today for the Panama City Beach Luau Half-Marathon? It's doubtful, but perhaps I can come close. I would like to at least keep my mile splits close to the 8:30 range.

This race is part of a series put on by US Road Running. It's held monthly at nearby Frank Brown Park, where I learned about it during last month's event. US Road Running puts on hundreds of similar events around the country. There are about forty of us at the start. All but four of us are doing shorter races: 5K, 10K, and 15K. All are multiple out-and-back loops; the Half-Marathon consists of six back-and-forth segments.

Pre-race photo

The start around the lake - I am in yellow

I learn of my competitors during the first segment; there's a man and a woman ahead of me and a woman behind me when we reach the turn-around. But wait. This turning point should have come at around 1.1 miles in order for the course distance to total close to 13.1. But it doesn't; it comes at around 0.9 miles. Doing some quick math, I determine that the entire race is going to be short. Very short. Extremely short. 

After a slightly slower first mile, I settle down into a decent pace. After yet another mile or two, my splits begin to dip to around 8:30. Just where I want them. The weather is absolutely perfect: the temperature is rising through the 40s and into the 50s, and it's bright and sunny with not too much wind. I come and go, come and go. Did I mention that the course is going to be way short? I still wonder what's going on.

Debbie, aka the Lady Adventurer, has taken her walk around the park, and I now see her as I complete some of the later segments. She's taking tons of pictures of me running along the lake and the all-purpose trail (known as Gayles Trails) that we run on. It's nice to see her. Eventually, those running the shorter events finish their running.

Coming in for one of the final laps

As much as I try, I don't seem to be able to make up much ground on the two people in front of me. I'm coming in for the completion of my fifth loop as the leader is heading back out. "Good job," I say, "Last one!" "No, two more," he says. This is a little disturbing. As much as I wanted to do a complete half-marathon today, my brain had become wrapped around the idea that I only had only one lap / two miles to go. Never mind that I'm only around nine miles now. I try to confirm everything with the race officials at the start/finish. They tell me that I only have one loop to go.

Now, I don't know what the heck is going on. I guess I should take their word for it. I manage to pick up my pace a tiny bit, and now I close in on the second-place person. I pass her with less than a quarter-mile to go, "Good job," I say. She tells me that her knee is killing her. All I can say is, "Take care." 

I will call this my finishing-up photo, but it is really somewhere in the middle

The three of us are done, and the fourth is also approaching. The race officials confirm that that's it. My finish time is 1:33:15 (although for some reason, my official time is 1:36) for exactly 11 miles. Been a REAL long time since I've done a half-marathon that fast. I only wish all my half-marathons could be 11 miles long. Lady A. is there to congratulate me. There's a finish medal, but nothing for second-place male, first old guy, or even last-place male. Oh well.

After gathering myself back together, I run 2.1 more miles in about 18 minutes in order to say that I ran an entire half-marathon today. Adding the two times, I guess my 13.1-mile mark is 1:51. 

2025 Tallahassee Marathon Race Report

It's Groundhog Day, and sure enough, I've been through this before - twice, in fact. Out the door at 3:30 AM CST, drive 2 hours on dark Florida rural roads, arrive at the parking garage midway between the start and finish at 6:30 AM EST - in plenty of time to get to the start and be ready for the 7:30 start. So far, so good. Now, just walk/jog 0.6 miles on Pensacola Street, and Bob's your Uncle, the starting line will be right there. Except it isn't. I've come about a mile, and there's no starting line. In fact, this area looks an awful lot like the general vicinity of the finish. I went the wrong way. Now it's a mile back, plus that original 0.6-mile distance to the start, and it's no longer a walk/jog; it's a run. Quite a warmup.

The hilliness of the first half of the race (on city streets) always seems to astound me. But then, it's Groundhog Day; I've been here before. I reach halfway in just under 1:59, and now it's time to get serious. The second half is flat; it's around a lake and out and back on a bike trail. I would like to keep these mile splits more steady at just under nine minutes. I usually do manage to run the second half of this race fairly well. 

Making my usual face at mile 8.5

The mile splits are indeed pretty good (but then, it's Groundhog Day). Until they aren't. Miles 14 through 20 were all under nine minutes as my 20-mile split is under three hours. But the weather, which had been quite nice, gets warmer, my left hip begins to ache, and I simply get very tired. Consequentially, I slow down some. It would have been nice to beat the 3:55 time that I've done here before (remember, it's Groundhog Day), but now I just want to beat four hours. Can I do it?

The wheels don't come completely off, and somehow, I do. I cross the finish line in 3:57. I win my age group as well. That's good, since this is an RRCA Championship race this year. But those last six miles were pretty darn tough. When does this get easier?

It feels good to finish

Some additional thoughts. This seemed like a lot of work. I am happy with the result, but maybe it could have been a little bit better. I take what I can get these days. There were only 299 marathoners, but thousands in the half and the relay. After the half/full split occurred, it got extremely lonely. But that was okay. Volunteers and organization are as good as it gets for a race of this size. I wish it wasn't quite so far from where we stay. All in all, it's a really good race. I'll come back if I can.