Shine like Gold, Buzz like a Bee

I remember like it was yesterday, my first race, and how nervous I was and how scared I was to fail.  But I didn't and in fact I realized that running is pretty simple and that it took me to a place that no one could tarnish, no one could cloud.  The only thing that has changed through my running is that I lost the sense of fear.  With more than 12,000 miles on my sometimes tired feet I miss the feeling of pre-race butterflies.  I keep telling myself that when I finally sign up for my 100 miler that I will have more butterflies than a summer flower garden.  Tonight something happened.

I'm not sure if this is nervousness, anxiousness, or dare I say a butterfly but I have a different feeling about this Saturday's race.  This weekend I am running Freedom's Run Marathon http://freedomsrun.org/Default.aspx and it's got all the makings of a memorable race.  The weather should be nice, low 50's with a slight chance of rain.  The course has a net elevation loss and a lot of the run is on crushed gravel not to mention that it is a small race (the marathon has a field of 500).  This weekend and this course may help me hit one of my most chased goals, to run a sub four hour marathon.  If it's going to happen I have no better chance than this weekend and absolutely no excuses.

But in all honesty if I leave everything I have out on the course and fall short I won't be heartbroken.  I won't be heartbroken because I will have more opportunities and that's one thing I love about running and my life is that opportunities are always to be found.  But guarantee this, if I cross that finish line with a time of 3:59:59 I will have a smile that won't wipe off.  This weekend I plan on shining like gold and buzzing like a bee...


"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream" - C.S. Lewis

But you ain't got no legs Lieutenant Dan!

With my first race of the fall less than two weeks away I finally got new shoes.  As you may expect legs are very important to running and the key to a healthy set of legs is a good pair of shoes.  Many of you know I spend a couple nights a week moonlighting as a modern day Al Bundy at Charm City Run Annapolis http://www.charmcityrun.com/annapolis . If you can't find me sniffing new shoes in the back or fitting new runners with awesome kicks you'll find me trying new wheels on my feet.  I've been running in shoes called Newtons for the last year or so and love them for many different reasons.  My new Newtons came in last week so I am expecting my tired legs to start feeling fresh any day now.

On a separate note I've noticed a lot of excuses in today's society.  I see it everywhere, in the news, sports, social media, the list goes on.  Today when I was running I was tired and thought more about hitting the red stop button on the treadmill almost as many times as my feet hit the belt, but I didn't.  I try to live my life the best I can without regret and most importantly without excuses.  To me excuses are an easy cop out.  But I have found myself thinking lately about why so many people make excuses.  Is it because it's the easy way out?  And I also find that most of the time there is no legitimacy behind an excuse. 

To me life without excuses is fresh, free, and  unassuming.  It's easy. 


"He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else." - Benjamin Franklin

Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?

9-11 is a day I will never forget, a day all of us never will.  I wasn't running, it wasn't a part of my life.  I was working with my father building a small guest house on a secluded lot in South County.  It was a quiet day with nothing more than the noises of our hammers and saws.  We received a phone call telling us that the World Trade Center had been struck by a plane.  For the next several hours our hammers laid where they were dropped and my dad and I sat on the porch listening to the radio.  It's day I will never forget.  Our nation was punched right in the gut, innocent lives were lost, and my father and I had conversations that will stick in my head until the day I die.

It's hard to believe that tomorrow will mark the ten year anniversary of such a horrible event.  Normally I can find a way to illustrate some type of correlation between events and my running, not with this one.  It still makes me numb. 

Tomorrow I plan on commemorating 9-11 by running a 10 miler through my neighborhood.  Without trying I know I will reflect on how this event has changed my life, my outlook, and our country.  I will be reminded of what I have and how grateful I am to have that chance.  I will be reminded of how happy I am to be an American and that I can freely run through my town.  I will be reminded that as much as people bitch and complain that WE are offered opportunities like no other place. 

Make tomorrow count.

Life is Like a Roller Coaster Baby....

So the lyrics may be a little different and in fact I prefer "life" as to "love", it's more appropriate.  Labor Day weekend has come and gone and it's memories will be tucked away in my little pee brain for a long time.  It was filled with running, friends, beer, and some good 'ol fashioned thrill rides.

I got an early start Saturday morning and was hoping to get a 20 miler in but settled for 17ish.  Remember it's quality not quantity.  The run itself was good, I was in great company and even got to see a few old TNT friends.  Other than dearly needing new shoes and feeling a little beat up from pounding the pavement rather than shuffling along dirt trails it was a nice run, I think I am starting to get the hang of this running stuff.

I think it's only fitting that my summer ended on a roller coaster, literally.  And what I find interesting is that either standing or sitting all roller coasters start and stop on a fairly level surface.  This is no different than life's experiences nor running.  Whether you are toeing up to a start line or preparing for a difficult decision it's really no different than a  roller coaster.  There will be twists and turns, moments of laughter, moments of fear but in the end if you ride it out you will find yourself on that level surface.  To me it all makes sense.  Some coasters are longer than others, some may be steeper, some may be faster.  Do you sit in the front or back?  Do you play it safe and grab a middle seat or do you throw your hands up and let the wind hit you in the face and enjoy the ride? 

So as I sit here at my desk  I can almost feel my hair blowing in the wind and can barely keep my arms to my side.  I can't wait for my races to get here, I'm excited for life's surprises, and am completely convinced that there will always be a level ground.