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Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Marine Corps Marathon, recap and thank you!

Marine Corps Marathon, recap and thank you!

First, I want to thank my family and friends for always being so supportive during my running endeavors. It's not easy on you sometimes and I really appreciate what you do and how you do it. For the readers of this blog, thanks for reading and I hope to keep you engaged.

Let's get to the recap. I raised just short of $1,700 for the Diabetes in Action team. Thanks to each of you who donated your hard earned money to this cause. It will really help!

Next, thanks to each of you who gave me a song to run to. I will elaborate more on what I did during the race later this week.

The race was fantastic for a number of reasons. I loved being with my family. We laughed and learned together. Washington DC is beautiful and there is so much history. The holocaust museum taught us so much about how to love and forgive. My son was moved by the "Daniel" exhibit.

My race was a bit challenging. I struggled with cramps at mile 14 and it slowed me down a bit more than I would like. However, I learned so much about how to prepare for a race, cross training and just to "stay in" a race for the duration.

If I am privileged to run it again, I will run it differently. One aspect I underestimated was the beginning "hills". WOW. They were a bit challenging. Looking back, I went too hard early. The weather had an impact and I could have hydrated a bit better.

The marines were simply amazing. The crowds were so supportive. I loved running to the Iwo Jima memorial.

All of this was great, but from miles 11-14 I was struck by something amazing. On the sides of the road, military killed in action were pictured. The "Wear Blue: Run to Remember" organization held US Flags along the road. This is a section of the run where crowds are thin. The impact this made on me was HUGE. WOW- WOW. I had tears in my eyes.

Lastly, my favorite moments involved my son running the kids race. He made me so proud showing his leadership and courage. He earned his first medal. It's amazing to see him grow. I love him so much.


Thursday, October 23, 2014
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Cool Advice Part 1

Cool Advice Part 1

Trust in the training, trust in the nutrition, trust in your foundation, trust in the Spirit. God speed, Jim. - Tom Weitz
This is from Tom Weitz, who is someone that I think is amazing. Tom is a great friend. He is an amazing person, a killer endurance athlete and a wonderful professional. Consider this advice taken! WOO HOO and OORAH!

Image Source: Marine Corps Marathon Facebook Page
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
T Minus 5 days and counting...

T Minus 5 days and counting...

I am so excited and I am READY! It's taken me a few days longer to get around the corner mentally, but I am finally in a great spot. Today, I completed my last big run before race day. It went well and helped me get in the zone. A flood of emotions are hitting me with race day coming so fast. It's a special race because of my Dad and late Uncle Sonny. They will both be there in spirit. My Dad was a marine and my Uncle Sonny was the most talented Huey helicopter pilot in Vietnam. They are both talking to everyone in heaven about our family event.

Uncle Sonny's son (my cousin) Clarence Dunagan is running this race too. I love my cousin dearly and it's going to be fun to see him rock this race to oblivion. His Dad will be so proud. I leave you with two cool things: a picture and a video from one of my favorite bands (RUSH). The video is about "launching" the space shuttle. SO COOL! I love the real audio from NASA. ENJOY!

 Countdown:

Thursday, October 16, 2014
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Chicago Marathon- Get ready

Chicago Marathon- Get ready

Yes! Congratulations for all of my friends who have trained for the Chicago marathon. Remember this, you are trained and ready to go. All you have to do is run the race, celebrate the crowds, endure the high and low parts of the race and earn the finish line.

For you first time marathon runners, each of you will feel amazing at the end of the race. I read an article from a runner who said we can be at our "worst" sometimes at the finish line. Let me clarify what is meant by that. You will likely be greeted by your friends and family. They will be so excited for you and your finish. Remember to thank them, give them a hug, high five, kiss, etc. You ran the race, but they are the reason you were successful in the journey.

Just to pump you guys up, check this picture.



Image source:
http://www.annarbor.com/health/ann-arbor-marathon---come-see-us-run/

Monday, October 6, 2014
Take me to....

Take me to....

Won't you take me to, taper town! Holy smokes, I never thought it would get here. I am talking about the taper. I love taper time and dislike it. It's a weird feeling to dislike not running as much. I will still be running heavy though. My Nike Plus program still has some big runs left in it. 16 at the end of this week, which is not a slam dunk:)

I have a number of friends who are entering race week for the Chicago Marathon. I wish all of you a fun race week. You are getting ready for the biggest test and party of your running life. I love Chicago, but more on that later. Perhaps I should dedicate all week to writing about Chicago in your honor? What do you think?

YAHOOOOOOOOOO!



Image source:
http://running.competitor.com/2011/10/news/watch-the-chicago-marathon-live-online_39353


Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Playlists- YAHOOO!

Playlists- YAHOOO!

As many of you know, I like to listen to music while running. This marathon season, I have used Spotify extensively. It allows me to make lists on the fly. This is good and bad. Good for the short term, but now I need to start narrowing it down. YIKES!

One other big thing, I ask my friends and family to specify a song or two for me to "dedicate" to them during the race. I use the songs from mile 18 through the end. No matter what the song is, I love it and it powers me through.

Heads up to think about a song or two. If you want to specify the song on Facebook, Twitter or the blogger, that would be cool...or you can direct message me too.

If you are reading this, I would be honored to run to your song. :)

Can you believe we are almost there?

#OORAH


Image source:
https://press.spotify.com/no/2013/01/22/logotype/


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