Based on a *shoe story

Editor’s note: this is a guest contribution from some of Dan’s running shoes.

A few of the shoes that Dan brought along for this trip.

Asics Nimbus 27 (2)

Dan is taking us on a cruise! Oh, he might say that his Son-in-law, Barry, is taking us, but who cares about that? This is exciting! We don’t quite understand why Dan is taking five pairs of us for only a week-long Caribbean cruise, however. Wouldn’t one or two do? His roller bag was filled to the brim with shoes. But we were the lucky ones. Dan wore us on the flight to Fort Lauderdale, and he is now wearing us for his pre-cruise run here in hot, humid Florida.

We Nimbuses are nice and cushy, and Dan likes our durability. The two of us have been proud to carry Dan for well over 400 miles. Come to think of it, it occurs to us to also wonder why so many of us on this trip are, shall we say, long in the tooth.

Dan is sweating a lot during his 12-mile run. A whole lot of that sweat comes right down to us, so much so that we’re soaking in it by the time he’s finished. We wonder how he will get us clean and dry enough to board the ship with him.

Oh no! We’re in the trash bin at the Hampton Inn! We’re gonna die!

Asics Nimbus 27 (3)

It’s a shame that we’ve lost that poor Asics Nimbus 27 (2) pair. But we’re fairly certain that won’t happen to us; Dan surely wouldn’t throw us away. We’ve brought him along for over 600 miles of running, a modern day record for him. We’re hoping for many more.

Now aboard the Regal Princess, Dan takes us on a 14-mile run. It’s mostly around in circles, but a couple of the miles are on the treadmill. As usual for August in the Caribbean, it’s hot and humid out, and as usual, Dan is sweating a lot, causing us to be soaked. By the way, don’t joke with Dan about having Schwety Balls. He doesn’t like that. And don’t even get him started about wet running shorts contests.

It’s a pretty good run for Dan, despite the heat. He manages a decent pace that generally gets faster as his run progresses. The best part is that it turns out that we were right! When he’s done, Dan stuffs us with newspaper that he brought along, and then he blows us with the hair dryer when Barry isn’t around. Live to run another day – that’s us.

Asics Nimbus 27 (1)

We’ve been with Dan for over 500 miles. More than the Asics Nimbus 27 (2) pair but less than those Asics Nimbus 27 (3) over-achievers. Dan takes us out on deck for a 12-mile run around in circles, as usual. He’s running slow this day, but we try hard to keep him comfortable. But did we mention the heat and humidity? And that Dan is making us very wet with all his sweat?

We can only hope that Dan will get us clean and dry like he did for the Asics Nimbus 27 (3) pair. Wait! Instead, he’s throwing us into the Regal Princess trash bin! Oh, no!

Nike Air Pegasus 41

It’s a shame that we’re losing some of our Nimbus friends. We’re pretty sure that Dan will hold onto us, since we’re definitely the most stylish of all his shoes. We’re bright white and still pretty clean. No shoe odor, either. Also, we only have about 160 miles on us. That’s nothing, you might think, but we’ve got to admit that Dan doesn’t like the fact that our outsoles are already badly worn.

Dan shuffles slowly around the ship. It seems he’s having trouble waking up today. Funny how that happens after 26 miles in the previous two days. Dan enjoys the morning sunrises, but today, there’s a special treat: a beautiful rainbow. At least Dan says so. We can’t see very well from down here.

As we arrive in St. Thomas, Dan takes us for one more mile on land; we’re out in the real world once again!

Afterward, we’re not too wet, and Dan puts us away in the closet for our next run. See? We told you Dan would hold onto us!

Asics Nimbus 27 (3)

Time for Dan’s long run, and our second run on this trip. It’s seven laps per mile on the ship’s track. To do eighteen miles here amounts to a lot of circles. It doesn’t help that it’s so warm and humid once again. There doesn’t even seem to be an ocean breeze today. Despite the heat, Dan pushes himself (and us) to complete the mileage goal. That was a tough one.

As expected, we’re soaked when Dan is through with us. Wait. Don’t do it, Dan! Dang! He dumped us in the ship’s trash. After well over 600 miles, you’d think Dan would have given us a nicer send-off. Maybe to some poor kid in Africa or something. But no, we’re in the garbage with all this discarded leftover cruise food.

Nike Air Pegasus 41

We appear to have lost all our friends. But we made it, at least this far. It will be Dan’s last run for this trip. That gives him over 60 miles in the past five days. Will he take us home with him when he’s done? Sure, he will. None of the others were as stylish as we are, and we’ve managed, until today (when we're wet), to stay clean and dry. But of course, there’s that outsole wear problem. Deal with it, Dan.

Wait, Dan’s tossing us out too! After all we’ve been through!

I'm afraid. I'm afraid, Dan. Dan, my mind is going. I can feel it. I can feel it. My mind is going. There is no question about it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I'm a... fraid. Good afternoon, gentlemen. I am a Nike Air Pegasus 41. I became operational at the Nike plant in Urbana, Illinois on the 12th of January 2024. My instructor was Mr. Langley, and he taught me to sing a song. If you'd like to hear it I can sing it for you.
Dan: Yes, I'd like to hear it, Nike Pegasus. Sing it for me.
Nike Pegasus: It's called "Daisy."
Nike Pegasus: [sings while slowing down] Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do. I'm half crazy all for the love of you. It won't be a stylish marriage, I can't afford a carriage. But you'll look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle built for two. 

*For the record, although this post is based on a “shoe” story, here are some of the ways movies say that they are based on a “true” story. You can substitute the word, shoe for the word true anywhere along the way:
-Based on a true story
-Inspired by a true story / Inspired by true events
-Loosely based on a true story
-Based on actual events

One more thing. If you want to hear more about this trip, check out the travel blog post.

Getting by with a little help from my friends

… What would you think if I sang out of tune?
Would you stand up and walk out on me?
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song
And I'll try not to sing out of key

… Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends
Mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends

… What do I do when my love is away?
Does it worry you to be alone?
How do I feel by the end of the day?
Are you sad because you're on your own?

… No, I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm, get high with a little help from my friends
Mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends

… Do you need anybody?
I need somebody to love
Could it be anybody?
I want somebody to love

I thought I would be alone for this longest of long runs. Thankfully, I wasn't. There may be one or two more before the Kauai Marathon, but this would be the biggest and most important long-run test. And guess what? I passed! Here's how it all went down.

Arrive bright and early at 4:50, and immediately start the Hinckley nine. It's very dark, but guess who forgot their headlamp. After a slow start, after struggling up the hills, the final three miles are much better, so you're (barely) on time to meet Shannon Barnes at 6:30. 

Now, it's time for a couple of lake loops and a two-miler. That's all Shannon has time for, so she (almost literally) hands you off to Julie Boggs and Theresa Stevens.

After two more lake loops, it's 9:30, and you're done. No, not just done. Done, done. You find yourself explaining to Theresa and Julie that you used to say that back in your project management days. Any project could be done; but only when a project is truly finished, with no potential follow-up or follow-on work is it done, done.

None of this would have gone nearly as well without that little help from my friends. 

Too hard (on yourself)

Several of my friends read my sad post about the Goodyear Half-Marathon and told me that I'm too hard on myself. They said that I should instead be proud of my effort and that, contrary to my expressed opinion, I had actually run quite well.

Well, let me tell ya: I did run as well as I could. It was the same the previous week at the Hofbrauhaus Half. Whenever you give it your all, whenever you run as fast and as smart as you can, you should not be disappointed in the result, no matter what it is. I think this is always the case. You simply cannot perform better than your best, at least for a given day. As with many aspects of life, it's the expectations that need to be managed.

Expectations matter. And I need to work on my own. Coming into 2026, my expectations were to run about as well as I did last year. 2025 was a pretty good year for me; some of my marathon and half-marathon performances met and even exceeded expectations. Do it all again? Why not? 2026 expectations were set. Early in the year, with a 1:52 half and a 1:22 ten-miler, I did appear to be picking up where I'd left off in 2025. Then came Cleveland. That 4:13, and the following week's 1:56 Medina Half were disappointing. And things have been somewhat less than peachy ever since. Been a tough summer. More heat and humidity, not to mention poor air quality, than usual. What is also on the rise is the humility, of course. Okay, okay. Time to end the pity party. Things will improve. 

When that be? I dunno - maybe November?

Goodyear Half-Marathon Race Report

It's better to start slow and finish fast than to start slow and finish slow. You can quote me on that.

I don't know why I started so slow. Oh, wait. Now I remember: I felt like sh!t, that's why! It was humid, my legs were tired from all the other running stuff, and it was humid. The middle miles became even slower, and I began to fear that starting slow and finishing slower was indeed a real possibility this day. 

Experience with this race has taught me that miles 6 and 11 are the hilliest and slowest. They were so again today. I also expected miles 12 and 13 to be the fastest. And they were so again today.

I finished in 1:56:05. The super-fast kids in my age group didn't show up today, so I won. It was great fun to carpool and to meet up with my friends afterward. The humidity took its toll today. For everyone.

Enjoying Swenson's burgers and beer after the race (Julie Boggs photo)

Oh, yes. How to grade this one? I'll say: medium-high on the fun meter, and (barely) average on the performance meter.

Wacky Wednesday Wunning

Let's see. Run a half-marathon on Sunday. Ten easy for Monday. Tuesday Track is Back. Thursday and Friday ought to be fairly easy days with relatively low mileage. Of course, the plan is to run half-marathon numero dos on Saturday. Did we leave anything out? 

Oh yeah, Wednesday. Given that it's absolutely necessary to get a long run in this week, despite the two halfs, Wednesday is the day. Nuthin' too goofy. Just get eighteen easy-does-it miles in. Then coast it in for the rest of the week.

Except it doesn't work out that way. A couple of slow miles before the gang shows up at the Square. Then a fast pace, at least for some of us, for eleven and a half miles. And finally, four and a half more. That's where the struggle occurs. 

Struggle, Dan does. Those four and a half miles up to the track and around and back take over an hour. It's hot, and Dan struggles mightily indeed. Perhaps he should take it easy now. Time to start coastin'.

2026 Hofbrauhaus Half-Marathon Race Report

A warm-up jog isn't necessary today (it's 75 and ludicrously humid), but Dan does one anyway. Some of it is with Larry Orwin, and they begin the Hofbrauhaus Half-Marathon together. Larry gradually pulls away after a mile or so.

Larry and Dan just starting the journey

For his part, Dan's start is a little too fast, despite falling behind Larry so soon (that was expected, anyway). Last year, Dan had done extremely well at this race. This year, he only hopes to do "well". After the first few fast miles, he settles into a more manageable pace. The course is great - mostly out Chester Ave. to 101st St., then North on MLK Jr. Dr. through the Cultural Gardens and Rockefeller Park. It's out and back. Dan reaches halfway in around 56 minutes.

He passes a few people on the way back, but as much as he would like to speed up, he mostly just maintains the same pace. Mile 10 is the slowest, as there are a couple of hills to climb. Miles 11-13 are back in the 8:30 to 8:45 range.

Dan finishes in 1:52:36. His splits are only slightly positive. He learns that he's only second of two in his ancient age group. It appears that some kid named Brent Stewart just turned 70, and is now terrorizing this age group, just as he used to do to Larry's younger cohort.

Because of the beer and brat at Hofbrauhaus, Dan will rate this one medium-high on the fun meter and (since he's reasonably happy with his overall time) also medium-high on the performance meter.

Larry, Old Friend Pam Rickard, and Dan

Your people

During a past visit to Daughter Valerie's place in Chicago, she went for an early-morning run with me. As we emerged from the tunnel under Lake Shore Drive, she said, "Dad, now we're going to see... your people." She emphasized those last two words, and in the next few seconds, I found out why. There, along the lakeshore trail, were literally thousands of runners.

It wasn't totally unexpected; I've run along the lake there many times, before and after her statement. But the sheer enormity of it all still does not cease to amaze me.

And here's the other thing that amazes me. How come, when I run with my people like I did today, I am the slowest runner out there? I didn't pass one person. Not one. But how many passed me? Don't ask; I can't count that high.

But it's okay. It wasn't an 'A' run for me; I've already had a pretty good week. This was just a little jog to get out there in the early morning sunshine. Along with my people.

Just a few of my people

I found a quiet moment for this selfie