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.