Northeast Ohio 24-Hour (NEO24) VOLUNTEER Report

Everyone loves Larry Orwin. He's just that kind of huggable guy. This was the case before he began race directing the Northeast Ohio 24-Hour Run (NEO24) last year, and even more so now. This year's event was similar to last year's: an unqualified masterpiece. Larry did a superb job of ensuring this success. The runners were well taken care of, and they appreciated it immensely. I think Larry has a job for life.

There were some great and inspiring performances. Even though it was unseasonably hot once again this year, many of the runners did just fine despite that. There were several course records and numerous 100-mile finishers. Each runner had a story, and they were all worth hearing and knowing. One runner traveled from Mongolia just to participate.

I was happy to help. It wasn't too much during the year - only a few odds and ends to help Larry out. Two days before the race, Larry and I shopped for food items at Costco. On the day before the race, I helped load the truck. I worked at the Volunteer table most of the day on race day and night. I did get a short break to visit family at home and later for a 2 1/2 hour nighttime nap. Cleaning up, loading, and unloading the truck after the race was tough after the dearth of sleep. Luckily, we did have some help for that.

As much as I enjoyed helping out, watching the inspiring performances, and kibitzing with running friends, I asked Larry to not count on me for next year. Losing that sleep and all the lifting is tough for an old guy like me. Not only that, but we may have travel plans for this time of year in 2026. Next year's event is in good hands with Larry and (the rest of) his crew.

Troy Orwin (Larry's son), Dan, and Larry

To tell more of the NEO24 story, here is the email Larry sent to the runners:

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Don't cry  because it's over, smile because it happened 

Hello NEO 24/12 peeps,

We hope you are recovering well from our fun filled weekend together!

We've thanked all our fabulous volunteers and sponsors, so this email is aimed squarely at you and your crew. It's rather lengthy, so make yourself comfortable:

Thank you all for supporting our event in its second year! 

Our race committee worked super hard, incorporated feedback from last year and tried to put on a world class 24 and 12 hour event. 

The goal was to help you all go as far as you possibly could. Our apologies for the weather, as it is the one thing we cannot control. 

We thought moving the event out two weeks and into October would bring cooler temps than 2025, but that wasn't in the cards. 

The heat obviously affects running performance. Despite the heat we witnessed many astounding performances and you ALL SHOULD BE VERY PROUD of your accomplishments!

We hope you had fun, accomplished your goal(s), saw old friends, and maybe made some new friends.

Here is some of the data from the event, that we thought you might be interested in:

12 Hour Data (wasn't held in 2025)

• Number of runners: 26
• New Male course record: 69.72 mi - Isaac Barnes
• New Female course record: 51.79 mi - Alicia Belmont
• Oldest runner: 74 - Nica Shields
• Youngest runner: 35 - Jordan Houghton
• Average age: 52.5
• Total miles run by all runners: 1,051.8
• Average miles per runner = 40.4 mi
• Number of people who achieved 50 miles = 9

24 Hour Data

• Number of runners: 58
• New Male course record: 139.4 - Alec Cline
• New Female course record: 112.5 - Laurie Dymond
• Oldest runner: 83 - Michael Haviland
• Youngest runner: 26 - Joseph Brett
• Average age: 50.6
• Total miles run by all runners: 3,547.2
• Average miles per runner = 61.2 mi
• Number of people who achieved 50 miles = 41
• Number of people who achieved 100 miles = 11 
• Percent of runners who acquired 100 mile buckle = 19% 

There were so many cool stories behind each of our runners, but Batbold Ichinkhorloo from Mongolia really stands out. 

He had never been to America before, he and his wife travelled 6,300 miles to run our race and returned to Mongolia on Monday with his only

purpose to travel that far was to run the NEO24! Neither he nor his wife spoke any English. They would facetime with their daughter in Germany 

to translate since she speaks English as well as Mongolian. He texted me after the event, and using Google translate we could communicate.

He said "Great tournament, great country, great people". Read that over three times!

Maybe our world could be a little more united if we all ran together for 12 or 24 hours!

Batbold Ichinkhorloo and his wife with the Mongolian flag

We have most of our bills paid or at least accounted for and I'm really happy to share with you that we generated over $7500 of "profit" that will 

be dispersed as follows:

• 90% to Run to Share
• 10% to Friends of Breakthrough Schools
• $300 to Medina County Park system (for use of the beautiful park)

We thank you for leaving the park cleaner than when we found it and for cleaning up your campsites!

I started a Google photo album with all the photos I took and it can be viewed as well as added to here:2025NEO24 photos. Also, our fabulous race photographer: Stuart Siegfried will have

his official race photos posted on Facebook within the next week or so...keep an eye out for these beauties!

Our FB site has been active for all to see so I would encourage everyone to continue to post your pictures, race reports and comments. 

There were a few of you who weren't around to pick up your Awards - I will send out a separate email with instructions on how to do that later today.

Nothing is perfect, so we would love your feedback as that is the only way we can make the event even better in 2026. Please feel free to respond to this email if you

have actionable feedback for us.

Mark your calendars for October 3-4 , 2026 so that we can see you and maybe some of your running friends who haven't run our event before can experience everything that the NEO24 has to offer.

Thank you again, and recover well!

Sincerely,

Larry Orwin

I do. I did. I'm done.

My wife and I are involved with someone going through a divorce, to the extent that we're hosting the divorce party. We were looking for appropriate (read: cheeky) gifts, but it was too late to get hold of them in time. Instead, we labeled existing bottles of wine with some of the slogans we saw and I printed out. One of the cleaner ones was, "I do. I did. I'm done."

I do. I did. I'm done is the way I felt after today's 21-miler. This long run was similar to others that I've done in recent months. I had company for a good part of it (Katherine Kinsey and Shannon Barnes, my usual partners in crime), but (also as usual) I did the final part alone. I averaged under ten minutes per mile (only just), and I finished strong.

That's all good, but it would have been nice to run just a couple of miles more. But I was tired. It wasn't gonna happen. I do. I did. I'm done sums it up.

Run a lot

My book, Run a lot, has been published. It is now available on Amazon. 

Here is the description:

Like the Mile, the Marathon is a race with a name. Dan Horvath has been fascinated and intimidated ever since he first became aware of it. The event has transcended its original athletic meaning to become a broader cultural symbol. The concept of a marathon implies dedication, perseverance, and the willingness to push through obstacles until the finish line is reached.

This book will first describe how we all got here, and how and why the Marathon came to be an event at all. Secondly, it will examine how Dan got where he is today (such as it is). This will include a few tales of his personal journey. Finally, this book will attempt to answer, How will you get there? Dan will provide his take on training and preparation, drawing on references to books and articles (including some of his own), and will offer experience-based recommendations.

Ya so today my t-shirt was stolen

A shirt theft occurred at the track today. After everyone else left, I completed my run, and my Green Jewell shirt was gone. Missing. Filched. Pilfered. Purloined. In its place was a Lighthouse run shirt. 

I have no idea who would do such a dastardly deed, but a person of interest has been identified. A shirt exchange may occur at Wednesday's run. I hope that Ella Sunday will bring her human (Chadwick) for the run.

Oh, yes, the run. The Yasso workout went well. I managed to do all ten under my four-minute standard. But only just. I still have a ways to go. 

2025 Akron Half-Marathon Race Report

The Akron Marathon and Half allows relay team runners to double as individual participants as long as they run the first relay leg. The thing is, you hand off to the second leg runner and just keep going. Just when you've had enough and feel like quitting, you keep on keepin' on. That was me. That was I. That was the author of this post.

L to R: Four-fifths of our team before the start - Michelle Wolff, Me, Shannon Barnes, Debbie Hicks

 

That first leg had been seven miles. My official time up to that point was 59:50, or 8:33 pace. I had been hoping for slightly faster. You see, after a bunch of half-marathons in the low one-fifties, I'd finally me my sub-one-fifty goal at Hofbräuhaus with a 1:47 in August. My goal today was to at least break 1:50 again to prove that that other race wasn't a fluke. To accomplish that, I ought to be around ten seconds per mile faster.

But now, I am beginning to think that it was indeed a fluke. I hand off to Katherine Kinsey. As planned, we more or less stay together from this point on. It's still tough, but my pace improves a little. It is so very good to have this companionship. It makes the miles go by much better. Much much better. We talk a bit, but mostly, it's just huffing and puffing. At least for me. I did enjoy hearing Katherine's bib story. She had arrived for her leg with her bib but no pins. Not to worry, though. Resourceful Katherine had a sewing kit! You never know when you'll need one of those. So, she sat in her car and sewed her bib onto her shirt.

We run a few miles, then out and back on the "Y" bridge, and it's finally time for Katherine to hand off to teammate Debbie Hicks. We half-marathoners peel off and head down to the finish. Oh, wait. Did I say, down? Sorry, I meant DOWN! I am sprinting now, but unfortunately, it is too little, too late. 

My finish time is 1:50:51. That's not too awful, but it doesn't quite meet my expectations. My expectations also (nowadays) include finishing at the top of my ancient age group. That doesn't happen either. My arch-nemesis, Michael Juppe, and another seventy-plus person, Randy Barkacs are well ahead of me.

The good news is that our Everybody's doing it team did extremely well. Besides me and Katherine, it included Michelle Wolff, Debbie Hicks, and Captain Extraordinaire Shannon Barnes. Although the results initially indicated that our team had finished when I crossed the line for the Half (for a world record), all was corrected when the computer figured out that everyone else was still going.

The other good news is that I got to see and hobnob with gobs of running friends, new and old. This event is always tons of fun!

I think I need to be skinnier. I gained weight as a result of some of my recent travels, but that usually comes off fairly quickly. It didn't this time because (I think) of the creatine I've been taking. That's it, now. I'm swearing off the stuff, at least for a while. Maybe forever.

After the finish: Solo Marathoner extraordinaire Julie Boggs, Dan, Shannon, and Michelle

P.S. One more thing. Whenever I think about teamwork, I'm reminded of this little scene from The Untouchables. 

Forever 21

21 miles on Lester today. I was even able to run miles 18, 19, and 20 at about marathon pace (sub-9-minute miles). I tell anyone who will listen that this is a good thing to do. It's too hard to run all 20-ish miles at marathon pace (except, hopefully, during the race itself). But if you can at least finish your training run at that pace, then you're on your way.

So, am I on my way, you ask? Not quite. 

Forever 21 is a chain of stores that sell clothing and other fashion accessories. I believe that they target their marketing toward people who are somewhat older than 21, but who would like to stop time to appear younger. And that was me today: stopping time to appear (in my case) faster. You see, I stopped my watch for the places Lester Rail Trail intersects with the road, but also, near the end, after every mile, to catch my breath.

Yes, I am on the upswing, but I still have a way to go. You might say that "I have promises to keep, / And miles to go before I sleep."

vertically challenged

Two of my four wounds (the others are my elbow and the other knee). The blood looks awful, but it ain't really that bad.

The term, vertically challenged is regarded as a euphemism for being short in height. But I am here to tell you that it can have an alternative meaning as well. Vertically challenged can just as well mean not very good at remaining vertical. That's me: pretty good at being horizontal, not so great at becoming vertical. Did you know that gravity is a contributing factor in nearly 93 percent of all accidents involving a fall?

I chose one of my all-time favorite falling areas today: Lake Medina. We run there early every Wednesday morning. There's a lower paved trail and an upper unpaved one along the lake. The thing is, that lovely, smooth paved trail ain't so smooth. The roots from nearby trees cause ridges across the asphalt as well as small volcano-like mounds. They're all difficult to see in the darkness. 

Smart people choose not to join these runs. After today's fall (my third one here), I may finally be getting smarter, too. In fact, my wounds are smarting even now.

165

That's my weight as of this morning, and I'm not at all happy about it. After keeping the number mostly under 160 for a couple of years, it crept up on me after our June/July Alaska trip this year. But the kicker was the creatine. It caused some further weight gain and bloating. I'm still going to give it more time, but I can't help worrying that my formerly lithe, girlish figure may be gone for good.

What does it do to my running, you ask? I must say that although I'm bigger, I may also be a little bit stronger. At least, I feel that way. To be a little more specific, Sunday's Hinckley Hustle was my best in a while, and today's Yasso workout worked out.

So, all is not lost. Especially in terms of weight.

The Shadow knows

"The Shadow knows" is a famous catchphrase from the old-time radio drama The Shadow, posing the question, "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?". The saying also refers to the Jungian psychological concept of the "shadow," which represents the hidden, often denied aspects of one's personality.

L to R: Shadows of Theresa Wright, Julie Boggs, Dan Horvath (Julie smiled for the photo)

You may be wondering what this has to do with running. It was a cool, clear mid-September Sunday morning. That means Hinckley, and it means an intrepid bunch of Hinckley Harriers were on hand to handle the hilly 9-mile loop. By the time we finished, the sun was beginning to rise, and it was time to run a 3-mile circuit of the un-lake. (It's an un-lake because it's currently under construction and is, at the moment, more of a river.)

Also by this time, we were more than a little bit tired. Julie Boggs indicated that even her shadow looked tired. Theresa Wright and I agreed that ours weren't doing so great, either. Watching our long, tired-looking shadows kept us entertained as we made it around and back.

Jogging through Georgia (and Armenia)

We visited Armenia and Georgia, and I did a tiny bit of running. I tried to get out for at least one jog in every location. The key word here is, ‘jog’.

Yerevan, Armenia

Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia, and we were smack dab in the middle of it. My jog was around some squares and pedestrian walking areas. It wasn’t bad.

Goris, Armenia

Goris is in the Southern part of Armenia. I ran down into this quaint town, then back up. I managed to not get too very lost.

Dilijan, Armenia

Dilijan is a quaint mountain resort village. It was very vertical, so this was my slowest jog yet. I went down, then up on the busy road. Then up and down some more on much quieter mountain roads. A bunch of small puppies followed me until they got tired. Mom didn’t seem to mind.

Tbilisi, Georgia (Part 1)

It was a rainy night as the lights went out, and Georgia was on my mind, when the Devil went down there. Bustling Tbilisi is the largest city. It was tough to get across several busy streets to get to the riverside walking trail, but I managed. The Kura River flows through the middle of town, and although traffic was rushing by, the trail was good for running. I went across the famous Pedestrian Peace Bridge, past the statue of Ronald Reagan, and then North on one side and back South on the other. There were dozens of ladies sweeping and raking the sidewalks of fallen leaves and other debris. They were wearing orange reflective vests just like mine. Maybe they thought I was one of them. It turned out to be a nice 5-miler, the best outdoor run yet on this trip.

Kura River in Tbilisi

Another Tbilisi trot wasn’t quite so spectacular. I went South along the river this time, but wandered away from that trail a little to continue through a small park. That’s where the German Shepherd decided to adopt me. He followed me all around town, until I returned to the hotel. Normally, this would upset me, but it’s normal life around here. Yes, Dan abides.

Tevali, Georgia

There are not as many loose dogs here. But there are enough. I did five on the hotel dreadmill, then a couple more on the medieval roads in this small town. I found a soccer field to run around a little; that part was nice.

Tbilisi, Georgia (Part 2)

We returned to Tbilisi for a couple more days, and I finally got a decent run done. Ten miles along the river, at a decent pace. That completed my overseas running in a nice way, although both the mileage and intensity have been much less than usual. When I return, look out!

Okay, I get it. You want to learn more about our trip to Armenia and Georgia. If so, check out our travel blog post.

Peer Pressure

"C'mon," I'll say. "Everybody's doing it." That's about as sophisticated as it gets when I'm applying peer pressure to my running friends. Sometimes, it works. But I did not like it when Julie Boggs turned the tables the other day and applied peer pressure back at me. "You said you wanted to do two Hinckley loops, so are you gonna do it Sunday?" She asked. She may as well have added (with a Dirty-Harry accent), "Well, are you, punk?" "Wait," I said. "I'm the peer-pressure-er. I'm never the peer pressure-ee!" But my protest went nowhere. I was hooked. 

Now, it's time to get going on the adventure. Theresa Wright is starting with Julie and me, but is only doing one loop. It's warm and humid as always. We chat for a while until the first hill takes its terrible toll. It gets quiet as we transition from running to walking. Eventually, we can run again. Our pace matches the constantly rolling terrain.

Traffic is heavier than usual. A Jeep goes by a little too fast. A quarter-mile later, we see the vehicle off the road and into a ditch with some weeds. We ask if the driver is okay, and they say they are. They are on the phone, asking for help. As we resume running, we see a police cruiser heading over, presumably to help the driver.

That was tough. We finish that first nine-mile loop covered with sweat. It's time for Theresa to go home, and also for Julie and me to begin loop number two. It hurts. What hurts, you ask? Everything. I'm still feeling Friday's long run on Lester. That had gone well, about the same as last week's long, loping Lester run. Today, not so much. Maybe I need more than one day between long runs? Hmm. I'll have to think about that.

Julie, Dan, and Theresa between loops

Traffic is worse now. The sun is higher and hotter. Julie and I are both tired. But at least we're moving forward. Surprisingly, the car had already been removed from the ditch and was gone. We're both feeling sort of gone ourselves. We finally get past Effie and over to the downhill section of Kellogg Road and Route 606. We're gonna make it!

Second surprise: Loop 2 was nearly the same pace as Loop 1. I'm grateful that Julie peer-pressured me into this. But I'd never admit that to her.

Long on Lester, August 2025 Edition

It's quite probable that two of the most common words in the post titles are "Lester" and "long." It therefore makes sense that they would be used together for many a post. This is one of them.

It's Friday, and my friends and I had decided that today would be the day of a long run for this weekend. Works for me. Oh, it may be tough to run 18 miles after sitting in the car for six hours (driving home from Chicago), but it may work out. Or, it may not.

After ingesting plenty of caffeine, I am able to keep up with the early (5:00 AM) group. A few folks join and leave, but the pace actually gets even faster as the run goes on. My Clif Bloks and hydration drink appear to help, but it's mostly the good company that makes the run successful. 

Yes, successful. We complete the run in less than three hours, although there were a few stops. I'm always happy when I am able to keep up with everyone, and today, I can.

Selfies by the shore in Chi-town

We were in Chicago to visit our daughter Valerie, so of course I had to run along the lakeshore. It was as cool as ever, even on this warm morning. The sun was rising, and thousands of runners, bikers, and swimmers were about. But mostly runners. You know, my people.

Anticipating a pretty sunrise, I brought my phone. I wound up taking photos of the sunrise itself, the stunning city scenery, other runners, and, of course, myself in the way of selfies. I decided to include only one of the latter ones here. That's enough for anybody. But you will see a few of the others as well. What a great place to run.

Creatine

According to my AI overview, creatine supplementation can enhance athletic performance, particularly in activities requiring short bursts of high-intensity power, like sprinting and weightlifting. It works by increasing the amount of phosphocreatine in muscles, which helps in the rapid regeneration of ATP, the primary energy currency of cells. This leads to improved strength, power, and work capacity during exercise, as well as faster recovery between intense bouts of activity. Even though my activity does not require short bursts of high-intensity power, this article informs me that there may be benefits for distance runners. I thought I'd give it a try. What could go wrong?

One side-effect is bloating and/or water-weight gain. Now that I've been taking the stuff for a week, I can testify that I've been hit with this one. I have been feeling like crap, and this could have been a factor in Saturday's less-than-stellar race. 

I'm hoping that the bloating will subside after a few more days. If not, I'll have to quit the experiment.

Goodyear Half Marathon Race Report

 

The Goodyear Half Marathon has it all: hills, heat, humidity, and a good dose of humility. This is not to mention heavy legs. Even though it's a fabulous event, I have to say that for me, they can't all be gems.

I carpool with veteran Akron Marathon Series runners Julie Boggs and Theresa Wright after a 5:00 A.M. meetup. Prior day packet pickup, day of race parking, crowded and narrow start, and other logistics make participation in this race a complicated matter. Julie and Theresa know the ropes. Fortunately, the race starts early, given the warm and humid conditions, which are only going to worsen with the sunrise.

Julie, Dan, and Theresa just before the start

The start at the Proving Grounds is unique and spectacular. Although the road is narrow, the waves make things go smoothly. I begin too fast, just as I did at last week's race. I don't expect to run as fast; I just want to hold my own. The humidity takes its toll early on, and I slow a little bit more for each mile split. 

By the time I reach the middle miles, I start to slow down even more, and I become discouraged. Michael Juppe, who is in my age group, passes me and pulls away. At the halfway point, my time is about 56 minutes. That is slower than last week, but not downright awful. If only I could duplicate it for the second half, I'll feel like the run was semi-successful, even without an age-group win.

It's getting warmer, and the sun is beating down on me. I slow down even more going up hills (of which there are many), but I manage to pick the pace back up heading back down. I take a gel at mile 9, and it does the trick. Mile 11 is slow because it's uphill, but 10, 12, and 13 are some of my best of the day.

Just before the finish line, I spot Michael Juppe up ahead of me. Can I catch him? The final quarter-mile is downhill, so you betcha. He had beaten me by seconds at the Erie Marathon last year, but this time I pass him just before we cross the line. The results show that my 1:52:22 is just seconds ahead of his time.

It's a full five minutes slower than Hofbrauhaus, but with the AG win, I'll call it semi-successful. And the burgers and beer with Julie and Theresa (at 8:40 A.M.) made it all the more fun.

History of the Half

I've run a lot of half-marathons, but I've done more marathons. Here is a list, but it's not complete. I am sure that I missed a bunch from the time I lived in Michigan. 

My latest one, Hofbrauhaus, is the best in 8 years.

2025 Hofbrauhaus Cleveland Half Marathon Race Report

When I was living in Michigan, one of the state's best runners once told me that in order to run fast, you have to start fast. This went against my usual mantra of start slow, then ease up. But it worked for him, and perhaps even a bit for me on a few occasions. But not lately. Definitely not lately. After telling my friends (who sometimes actually listen to me) that my goal was to break 1:50 for a half-marathon this year, I provided this recent update: yes, the weather should be good for the Hofbrauhaus Half, but I am just not feeling it. I'm not at my sharpest point right now. I'll just try for something approaching that goal, and hopefully get it done once I'm in better shape.

I see some friends before the start, and it's all good. Once the race begins, all my easy-does-it plans go out the window. This is typical, but I'm probably starting too fast. Still, I'm feeling fine, so why not go with my fast friend's advice? 

Egads. The first mile split is under eight minutes. That's not just a little too fast; it's much too fast. I ease up a little, because that all-out speed is just too all-out. The next few miles, heading East on Euclid Avenue, are at a low eight-minute pace. Even that is still too fast. I can't maintain it, can I? Eventually, we head down to Cleveland's Cultural Gardens. I always like running down here, and I'm still doing well, but will I still be able to still run fast when I have to head back up to Euclid?

Coming back through the Start/Finish area at Mile 1

Halfway goes by in 52 or 53 minutes, and I'm still scared. Chadwick Sunday comes up from behind and runs with me for a while. He had been helping to pace Ladd Clifford and had been sent up ahead to determine if it was truly me that they had been following. It was. The turnaround is at Mile 7, and I get to see Ladd and Chadwick, as well as several other friends. 

And then comes the dreaded Mile 9. This is the hill I'd been worried about - it takes us back up to Euclid Avenue, and it seems to go on forever. Although it's my slowest mile of the day at 8:24, it's still not bad. The next couple of miles are back in the low eight-minute range. Chadwick chases me down and passes me in the final miles as he often does. I wonder where Ladd is, and then I see him directly in back of me as I finish. Those guys started way behind me, so they actually had better gun times.

At the finish, I also see Larry Orwin, who had run much faster, as usual. His son Troy, and several old and new friends also did well. The celebratory beer and brat sure taste good.

It was a good day for all, and a lot of fun. But now that I have achieved my sub-1:50 goal, what the heck do I do now?

High Humility

Humility levels are high once again today. It's all very uncomfortable. You might even say, stifling. I'm almost to the point of taking a day off from running. Think I will? Nah.

Call it the summer doldrums. It starts with the weigh-in: 163 &!^*$# pounds! I'm not sure, but I think that's the most in, like, years. Then, I get to the track and I realize that I can't breathe the thick, cut-it-with-a-knife air. It's pretty much the same as it's been for days and days now.

Some of my friends are doing some workout or another, while others are just running in circles. I start running circles as well, but then realize why I'm here: to do something, anything, of substance. I try to get up to speed. It's not easy.

I wind up with five 800s. That's not as good as ten (my usual goal number and what I did last week), but it's better than zero. 

Come to think of it, I suppose we can say that about all of my running in the past couple of weeks: better than nothing.

Barely.

Today's "run"

I was going to meet some friends for a group run today, but we decided to cancel due to rain. At some point, the rain appeared to be subsiding, so I went out for a few miles in the hood on my own. I got wet; it wasn't pretty. And I moved slowly. You could hardly even call it a run. That's why I put the word in quotes.

Yesterday's "run" wasn't quite so bad. My friends and I stayed together for nearly 15 miles in and around Chippewa Lake, before they all had to leave. At that point, I only needed 3 more to make it up to 18 miles for the day. That's when my run became a "run". It was slow, but not as bad as today's "run".

I can only hope that tomorrow's run or "run" will be better.