My issues with procrastination have caused problems once again. I didn't book the flight to Maryland in time so the price just got outrageous. I've now decided to run in Delaware next week - and drive the 6.5 hours to get there. I'm not a big driving fan but I think this will be a pretty drive once I get north of Norfolk and along the Delaware coastline. Flying into Delaware proved to be a challenge as I don't think there is an airport in the entire state, so just decided I'd road trip this one. Wish Rachel D. were feeling better as it would be nice to have a co-pilot for the drive.
I've finally gotten back into training and have to say it feels good to hit the streets again. I just wish I were a more disciplined person. I'm thinking of joining a new gym this coming year when my Y membership expires. There is a place called Crossfit Durham that will really help you personalize your training for specific needs. Maybe I'll check them out on my run today.
I've started serious planning for Camille's DFL Run on September 24, 2011. Made an unbelievable score from Liz F. and Dalton L. on the "trophy drive." I've also contacted a band about performing at the after party, waiting for their response. I'll keep you posted as plans come together - have to build the buzz!
Happy belated Thanksgiving to everyone! Don't get caught up in the Christmas spending madness. Take the time you would spend shopping in the malls and and instead spend it with your friends and family hanging out together or hey, how about going on a run??
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Race #33
Boycott Missouri NOW!!
Demand the restoration of gender equality!
Okay I really don’t mean it but the race directors probably think I do. When I was picking up my shirt and bib number I noticed a rack of timing chips and said to the gal, “shouldn’t I get a timing chip?” “No” she responded, “those are only for the men.” “What!?!?” I screeched with a smile on my face, “Only the men get chip timed? What’s up with that?” The poor young gal doing the registration must have gotten that reaction every time a woman registered as I got a wry smile and a recommendation to go talk to the race director.
The truth came out at the start line. The race management team owns 200 timing chips. If a race needs more than 200, they rent them. However, the race organizer didn’t tell race management until a few days before the race that they would need 350 chips, too late for the race manager to get the additional 150 chips. So they flipped a coin and decided that the men would get the chips. And as the race manager said: “Like I told my wife, no matter which gender wins the coin toss, we’re going to lose.” Oh well, these things happen and this is only the second year of this particular race. They’ll get it right next year – or the boycott continues!
Entrance to the first tunnel.
Inside the cave before the race started
My signature wave at the beginnin of the race.
Headed into the cave.
End of the race and still have the wave going!
It's over!!
The race was held in old sand mine. The sand was queried to use for the production of glass. When the mine shut down a guy bought the cave and rents it out as a storage space, – I saw boats, earth moving equipment and an ambulance – a venue for events, among other things. There was a wrestling ring set up near the entrance – Cage Matches in the Cave!! I see WWE in their future, would make for good television!
The race was a hoot. My official time was 38:48 but it felt like an hour! Too bad I haven’t been living in Florida lately as I would have been able to train on the soft sand of Siesta Beach and maybe done a bit better. The first hurdle was getting my eyes to adjust to the dark interior of the cave after standing outside in the bright sun waiting for the race to start. After a few feet of concrete at the very entrance of the cave we plunged into soft sand. The course was a double loop but in all honestly I got so disoriented that I have no recollection of repeating the route! At one point we ran through water which resulted in the sand sticking to our shoes – nothing like running in a pair of cement boots!
Checking off race #33
Demand the restoration of gender equality!
Okay I really don’t mean it but the race directors probably think I do. When I was picking up my shirt and bib number I noticed a rack of timing chips and said to the gal, “shouldn’t I get a timing chip?” “No” she responded, “those are only for the men.” “What!?!?” I screeched with a smile on my face, “Only the men get chip timed? What’s up with that?” The poor young gal doing the registration must have gotten that reaction every time a woman registered as I got a wry smile and a recommendation to go talk to the race director.The truth came out at the start line. The race management team owns 200 timing chips. If a race needs more than 200, they rent them. However, the race organizer didn’t tell race management until a few days before the race that they would need 350 chips, too late for the race manager to get the additional 150 chips. So they flipped a coin and decided that the men would get the chips. And as the race manager said: “Like I told my wife, no matter which gender wins the coin toss, we’re going to lose.” Oh well, these things happen and this is only the second year of this particular race. They’ll get it right next year – or the boycott continues!
Entrance to the first tunnel.Inside the cave before the race startedMy signature wave at the beginnin of the race.Headed into the cave.End of the race and still have the wave going! It's over!!The race was held in old sand mine. The sand was queried to use for the production of glass. When the mine shut down a guy bought the cave and rents it out as a storage space, – I saw boats, earth moving equipment and an ambulance – a venue for events, among other things. There was a wrestling ring set up near the entrance – Cage Matches in the Cave!! I see WWE in their future, would make for good television!
The race was a hoot. My official time was 38:48 but it felt like an hour! Too bad I haven’t been living in Florida lately as I would have been able to train on the soft sand of Siesta Beach and maybe done a bit better. The first hurdle was getting my eyes to adjust to the dark interior of the cave after standing outside in the bright sun waiting for the race to start. After a few feet of concrete at the very entrance of the cave we plunged into soft sand. The course was a double loop but in all honestly I got so disoriented that I have no recollection of repeating the route! At one point we ran through water which resulted in the sand sticking to our shoes – nothing like running in a pair of cement boots!
Checking off race #33 Team Camille this race consisted of my friend Julie L. She lives with her husband Todd and boys Will and Dalton right outside St. Louis. First thing she did upon my arrival Friday was take me to a local winery for lunch, Chandler Hill Winery (www.chandlerhillvineyards.com). I had a glass of the Savage Norton – a robust red with a fierce personality and oak overtones (okay that’s a crock of shit but I just can’t help making fun of all the wine snobs out there). We capped the night out with some great carbo loading at Rich and Charlie’s – I had the toasted ravioli with marinara sauce. 
Both Julie’s boys were laid up with sports related injuries so couldn’t run with me but hopefully they’ll be in top shape next year. I think they would have a blast running this race. 
Monday, November 15, 2010
Race #32
You can’t make a left turn in New Jersey. I just wanted to pass along that friendly little tidbit of information in case anyone is planning a trip there soon,. I spent far more time trying to get myself in and out of the town of Burlington, NJ than I did running in it! Crazy! But to help me keep my cool as I got caught in the traffic circles, I kept the Sirrus radio on station “E Street Rock.”
The race was at Doane Academy (http://www.doaneacademy.com) to benefit their community service fund. Small race, less than 200 runners but nicely put on. The course was open so we did have to contend with a bit of car traffic and running on sidewalks but all in all a nicely put on race. Almost a mile of the course was along the banks of the Delaware River which was nice as there was still some color on the trees and birds flying about. We were also blessed with some unseasonably warm weather so I was able to run in just shorts and a t-shirt.
Speaking of t-shirts, no one asked me about my shirt or even commented on it. Maybe the people of New Jersey aren’t as curious as people in other parts of the country.
My time wasn’t too embarrassing – 33:43 but I definitely have to get back into training if I want to have respectable times for my last 18 races. Dylan asks me every day: “Did you run?” and so far I’ve had to keep telling him no. I need to shock him tomorrow with a resounding “Yes I did!” I also want to get him out walking once a week so that he can complete the Nebraska 5K in April.
The race was at Doane Academy (http://www.doaneacademy.com) to benefit their community service fund. Small race, less than 200 runners but nicely put on. The course was open so we did have to contend with a bit of car traffic and running on sidewalks but all in all a nicely put on race. Almost a mile of the course was along the banks of the Delaware River which was nice as there was still some color on the trees and birds flying about. We were also blessed with some unseasonably warm weather so I was able to run in just shorts and a t-shirt.
Speaking of t-shirts, no one asked me about my shirt or even commented on it. Maybe the people of New Jersey aren’t as curious as people in other parts of the country.
My time wasn’t too embarrassing – 33:43 but I definitely have to get back into training if I want to have respectable times for my last 18 races. Dylan asks me every day: “Did you run?” and so far I’ve had to keep telling him no. I need to shock him tomorrow with a resounding “Yes I did!” I also want to get him out walking once a week so that he can complete the Nebraska 5K in April.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Race #31
Sorry for the long delay in getting this posted. I’ve been in Egypt and Jordan for the last three weeks and didn’t get this posting done before leaving. Been spending time on camels and climbing Mt. Sinai instead of running! 
Illinois was definitely an experience. The race took place within a giant corn maze. Before the race I climbed up the three story observation tower to check out the course and watch the starting runners. Because the rows were no more than two bodies wide, there wasn’t a group start, instead a runner started every 5 seconds. We had to submit our average time before the race so that we could be lined up in order of our relative speed. Consequently I didn’t get started for almost an hour after the first runner started. Hell, I watched the first runners finish and still hadn’t started!
The weather couldn’t have been better, a bit on the chilly side but by the time my number was called it was fine to run in shorts and a t-shirt. I confess to being a bit nervous about this run as I’ve heard so many stories about kids getting lost in corn fields and not being found for days. I could just imagine that happening to me so when I started I tired to keep the lady who started right in front on me in my sight. It worked for a while but then she took off to catch up with her kids. Fortunately the course was well marked and I did pass a few other people along the way. But I did realize how easy it would be to get lost in a corn field. I thought that I’d always be able to see the observation tower but the stalks were too high on most of the route. The only way I had any sense of direction was the location of the sun.
The craziest part about this is that I ran a PR – 29:22! Craig of course immediately jumped to the conclusion that the course was short! I have to say it doesn’t make sense to me either as I had not been running very much before the race and with all those turns to slow me down……… But hey, it’s in the record books! My first mile was 8:43!
Check out the Jordanian bagpiper and me in Jarash, Jordan! Who would have thought I'd find a bagpiper in Jordan!!
Illinois was definitely an experience. The race took place within a giant corn maze. Before the race I climbed up the three story observation tower to check out the course and watch the starting runners. Because the rows were no more than two bodies wide, there wasn’t a group start, instead a runner started every 5 seconds. We had to submit our average time before the race so that we could be lined up in order of our relative speed. Consequently I didn’t get started for almost an hour after the first runner started. Hell, I watched the first runners finish and still hadn’t started!The weather couldn’t have been better, a bit on the chilly side but by the time my number was called it was fine to run in shorts and a t-shirt. I confess to being a bit nervous about this run as I’ve heard so many stories about kids getting lost in corn fields and not being found for days. I could just imagine that happening to me so when I started I tired to keep the lady who started right in front on me in my sight. It worked for a while but then she took off to catch up with her kids. Fortunately the course was well marked and I did pass a few other people along the way. But I did realize how easy it would be to get lost in a corn field. I thought that I’d always be able to see the observation tower but the stalks were too high on most of the route. The only way I had any sense of direction was the location of the sun.
The craziest part about this is that I ran a PR – 29:22! Craig of course immediately jumped to the conclusion that the course was short! I have to say it doesn’t make sense to me either as I had not been running very much before the race and with all those turns to slow me down……… But hey, it’s in the record books! My first mile was 8:43!
Check out the Jordanian bagpiper and me in Jarash, Jordan! Who would have thought I'd find a bagpiper in Jordan!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
