So the last race of 2010 is in the books! Took a road trip to Lewes, Delaware to run race number 34. This means only 16 race for 2011, with a rate of 2 runs a month I should be all set to finish up on September 24th. Even have some wiggle room for bad weather. Yes, bad weather. The last hour of my trip home was in snow.
My trip to Delaware was a good old fashioned road trip. Six and a half hours each way with nothing but Springsteen, John Prine and empty fast food bags. The trip up was on what would have been my fathers 93rd birthday. Needless to say I had a lot of time to think about him, and it was all good.
I’ve never been out to the tidewater area or the Delmarva peninsula (took me quite a while to figure out what that stood for). Also got to drive across the Cheasapeake Bay bridge and tunnel.
THIS ENTRY WAS STARTED IN DECEMBER 2010. AS YOU CAN SEE I NEVER FINISHED IT. THE RACE WAS COLD, BEAUTIFUL AND FUN, COULDN'T ASK FOR MORE. MY TIME WASN'T HORRIBLE 31.43 BUT THE FIELD WAS SMALL SO I ENDED UP 56 OUT OF 79.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Change in plans
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??
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??
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!!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Race #30
I was going to run the race angry. Right before the race I checked my email and there was a message from my broker announcing his move to yet another firm. This is the third move in about three years and, along with a huge snafu in 2009, has just exhausted me. I thought I’d channel this energy into my run and see if I could at least not embarrass myself.
While I was waiting for the race to start this young kid, probably in his early teens, was on his bike and jumped it off a curb while in pursuit of his mother. He fell off the bike while performing the maneuver and what does he do? He blamed his mother! I couldn’t help but laugh and think about the story my father repeated so many times about the kid we saw falling off his bike then turning around and kicking the bike. Whenever Pop told that story he’d laugh so hard, like it was the first time he was telling the story. At that point I decided I really didn’t have anything to be angry about, have so many good things, and people, in my life that being angry just didn’t make sense.
The change in attitude made for a very enjoyable race. In fact, considering my total lack of training I ended up with a time of 33:15 and felt pretty good throughout the run. The course was a completely flat out and back. My motivator for this race was this little boy, maybe five years old, who was running with his dad. He kept up the same steady pace the entire time until the last half mile when he put on a little heat and left me in his dust. It was amazing how he just kept moving down the street like he didn’t have a care in the world! I was so impressed with him and how his dad seemed to be so encouraging and supportive without being the over-competitive jock dad.
After the race I stopped in at the beer garden for a cold one before I needed to head to the airport. Got to chatting with an older gentleman – probably mid to late 60’s – who was a retired runner. Though he didn’t run any more, I could tell he still had a great love for the sport. He had lots of great stories to tell about his running days as well as those of his three kids. What a great way to pass a nice sunny afternoon!
While I was waiting for the race to start this young kid, probably in his early teens, was on his bike and jumped it off a curb while in pursuit of his mother. He fell off the bike while performing the maneuver and what does he do? He blamed his mother! I couldn’t help but laugh and think about the story my father repeated so many times about the kid we saw falling off his bike then turning around and kicking the bike. Whenever Pop told that story he’d laugh so hard, like it was the first time he was telling the story. At that point I decided I really didn’t have anything to be angry about, have so many good things, and people, in my life that being angry just didn’t make sense.
The change in attitude made for a very enjoyable race. In fact, considering my total lack of training I ended up with a time of 33:15 and felt pretty good throughout the run. The course was a completely flat out and back. My motivator for this race was this little boy, maybe five years old, who was running with his dad. He kept up the same steady pace the entire time until the last half mile when he put on a little heat and left me in his dust. It was amazing how he just kept moving down the street like he didn’t have a care in the world! I was so impressed with him and how his dad seemed to be so encouraging and supportive without being the over-competitive jock dad.
After the race I stopped in at the beer garden for a cold one before I needed to head to the airport. Got to chatting with an older gentleman – probably mid to late 60’s – who was a retired runner. Though he didn’t run any more, I could tell he still had a great love for the sport. He had lots of great stories to tell about his running days as well as those of his three kids. What a great way to pass a nice sunny afternoon!
Friday, October 8, 2010
The birth of final race plans
Getting ready to leave for Indianapolis for race #30. I have to laugh as I haven't run for weeks and really don't even care! Expect a slow time. I'm trying to decide whether to try and run the whole thing or to do an interval run. The course is flat so maybe I should at least try to not embarrass myself!
Last weekend was LLP 2010. Of course I had a great time in Minnesota (which I can't share with you the gentle reader). The ladies did however gave me a great idea for my last race. I'm going to "sponsor" my own race in St. Cloud, Minnesota on September 24, 2011 - "Camille's Dead Freakin' Last Race." Both a play on my T-shirt quote and the fact that the route is going to go through a couple cemeteries! I'll post more information as it develops but there will be water stops, prizes, food, beverages and entertainment at the finish line. Oh yes, and there will be a race T-Shirt.
Last weekend was LLP 2010. Of course I had a great time in Minnesota (which I can't share with you the gentle reader). The ladies did however gave me a great idea for my last race. I'm going to "sponsor" my own race in St. Cloud, Minnesota on September 24, 2011 - "Camille's Dead Freakin' Last Race." Both a play on my T-shirt quote and the fact that the route is going to go through a couple cemeteries! I'll post more information as it develops but there will be water stops, prizes, food, beverages and entertainment at the finish line. Oh yes, and there will be a race T-Shirt.
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