I Ran Boston!

Er, I mean I ran in Boston. Same right?

This week I was in Boston for my first site visit with a new customer. It was my first time ever visiting Boston and I LOVED it. There are so many runners! I have visited a lot of places and have never seen a place like this. There were probably more runners running in the evening in Boston than there are at a local Saturday morning 5K in Oklahoma City. Everywhere!

My week, however, didn’t start so well. I had an early morning flight that would get me to Boston in the early afternoon. I wanted to have some time to do some site seeing. It wasn’t to be. I got to the airport and realized that I had left my wallet at home. I had to drive all the way back which made me miss my original flight. I made it back to the airport, got a new flight, and discovered I had left a few more things at home. Here is a list of the stuff I forgot:

• Book to read
• Belt (to wear with my suit)
• Shave cream
• Deodorant
• Toothpaste
• Hair gel
• Face wash

As you can see, my day started off pretty bad. It ended well though. I finally got to meet Terri from Middle of the Pack Girl. We had dinner and then she helped me map out a course for my run the next morning. It turned out my hotel was 2 blocks from Boston Common and less than a mile from the Charles River. Oh, she also took me to the CVS so I could get the crap I forgot!

The next morning I had a FANTASTIC run. It was one of those runs that make you remember why you started running in the first place. I began the run at about 5:30 in the morning and it was beautiful along the river. I couldn’t believe how many runners were already outside at such an early hour.

Terri and I ran together yesterday evening and it was another wonderful run. We took it easy and talked the whole way through. The 5 miles flew by.

And now it is over. It was a great week and I can’t wait to come back. I told Terri that I will be coming back so often (it’s an important customer) that she will probably get tired of me! Doesn’t take long for that to happen…

OKC Memorial Marathon Relay Race Report

First, I should warn you that my brain is barely working this morning so most of this post is just a mix of random thoughts about the race. No real structure but I am aiming for partially coherent.

I had a great time yesterday at the OKC Memorial Marathon Relay. All of my team mates made it to their relay points with no problems. The hand offs from one team mate to another was also very smooth. I only mention this because last year, there were a lot of problems finding fellow team mates.

I ran the last leg and the worst part was the waiting. I had a good 2+ hour wait for my team mate and it was unnerving. I just wanted to run!

We decided to get there early so we could see the race start. This is actually the first time I have had the chance to be a spectator at such an event. It was really cool seeing thousands of people start running.

The only real problem I had was with the bus. the bus was to take us from the starting-line area to the last leg relay point. The route the bus took us would have to cross the race course. I am going to guess that a non-runner devised that bus route. Dumb, dumb, dumb. We get to the intersection and runners are already crossing. The bus driver said something like"we will just wait a few minutes for a break in the runners". 20 minutes later and still sitting there with no end in sight, the passengers decided to walk the half-mile to our relay point. No big deal, but it still sucked that 40 people had to cross the route where people were running, trying to dodge them as we went.

My actual run time was pretty ugly, but considering it was ridiculously windy, and most of my leg was right into the wind, I am satisfied with my results. The course, however, has pretty nice. I ran in parts of the city I had never been to before. Ran through some nice neighborhoods and the spectators were out to cheer us on. Not the biggest turnout I have seen, but still nice.

My 2 friends, the ones that did the Couch to 5k program to get ready for the relay kicked butt! Very proud of them for getting out there and running their very first race. I don't think they realized what they were getting in too, though. They weren't just running; they were racing. They literally discovered a running community yesterday--I don't think they knew it existed before the race. Now, I gotta make sure they keep it up!

HUGE number of toilets both at the start/finish and at the relay points. Also,there was a fantastic spread of food at the end of the race. It was very well organized--better so than last year if you ask me. I highly recommend this race.

Wifey is already saying she wants to run the half next year.

A Day of Regrets

Tomorrow is the 9th Annual OKC Memorial Marathon. I put together a team to run the relay. It should be a lot of fun--2 members of the team have never run a race before and and got in to running just a few months ago. It should be exciting for them. Today, though, I am regretting not training for the half marathon. I have the fever, just 3 months too late, I think. It seems like EVERYONE I know is training for a half or marathon. Some, in fact, are running this weekend. I am jealous. I want to run! Why was I so lazy when it really counted? I keep telling myself that Fall will be here before I kn0w it. In fact, the wifey and I have already signed up for the Rock N Roll San Antonio. I only have myself to blame, right? This concludes my whining for the day.

I am running the final leg of the relay tomorrow; it will be cool to be able to cross the finish line for our team. The down side is the waiting around all morning for my leg to start.

Good luck to everyone that is running this weekend!

New Shoes -- Karhu Fluid Fulcrum Ride's!

I got a new pair of running shoes the other day. This isn't news to my Facebook and Daily Mile friends, because I talked about it on both sites today. Anyway, I ordered these new shoes on Sunday--the same night I had a little talk with myself about my running commitment. I thought the shoes would help me get out of my running rut. I went with something different and ordered a pair of Karhu Fluid Fulcrum Ride's.

Ever heard of the Karhu (pronounced CAR WHO) brand? I hadn't until I saw these up on Running Warehouse. I discovered that they have been around for a long time; the company is a product of Finland and can trace its roots back to 1916. If you get a chance, read through the history of the company. There is a lot of interesting info in there. For example, do you recognize the trademark on the shoe to the right? That was their trademark; can you guess what company they sold it to? Not Nike. According to the website, they sold that trademark in the 1950's for the equivalent of 1,600 euro's and 2 bottles of whiskey. If you get a chance, head over to their website and read more about this company.

Running Warehouse got those shoes to me Tuesday and I slipped them on today. Wow, did they feel good! I will run in them for the first time tomorrow, but I can tell you that they were VERY comfortable as I wore them around the house for a couple of hours. I can't wait to try them out. A review a will follow in a couple of weeks.

Tomorrow Morning When You Wake Up....

My running has been shit lately.

I have had an excuse for everything. Working too much, not enough sleep, etc. Whatever it is, my running has really suffered. Some weeks, I was only running a couple of days a week.

On Saturday, I had a particularly crappy run around the lake. I couldn't make it all the way around without walking. That really pissed me off!

On Sunday I made a decision to recommit myself to running. I posted a message on Daily Mile about my recommitment. It was out there for all the world (or all of Daily Mile) to see. In fact, several of my fellow running-bloggers commented on it. There was no turning back.

Monday morning rolls around. I did not want to get out of bed. The thought of leaving the cozy covers for the TM made me sick. I told myself I would skip the run. Then that dumb Daily Mile note I posted popped in my head. Damn it! I was stuck. How was I going to punk out the very next day. I don't think so! I got up, hopped on that treadmill and ran 4 wonderful miles! Today I did another 3.

It felt great to do 2 days straight. It is going to feel great to hit 4 runs for the week. And another 4 runs next week. And on and on. I love knowing that when I need the motivation, it is out there.

The Time Is Now

The title almost sounds like a call to action, huh? Not so. I just meant that the time is now for me to blog. I am thinking of changing the name of the blog to "Life Working for a Start-up" and then never, ever blog again. I mean, I knew it would be busy when I took the job, but I guess I didn't fully realize what that meant. Don't get me wrong, I love the job and I LOVE staying busy, but it does wear you out. In this economy it probably isn't kosher to complain about the job, is it?

But, I am trying hard to keep up with my running. Oh so difficult, especially since it is cold and I have to rely on the treadmill, but keeping up none the less. I know this isn't the gibtown travel blog, but here is my schedule for the next few weeks: Ann Arbor, Boston (Terri I sent you the details of the trip--hopefully we can meet-up for a run), Salt Lake City, and back to Ann Arbor. Fun 4 weeks! And then...family reunion in Tennessee. Kill me now.

The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon relay is 2 weeks away. Can't wait. Should be a lot of fun!

Awesome Achievement

Wow. It has been a busy week. Spent it on a business trip to Rochester, NY. My co-worker had me at the site by 6 am and we never got off until about 6 pm. Want to know how most of the morning time was spent? Can you guess? Sitting. Waiting. Wishing. Just too exhausted to even consider a run.

But today, oh yes, today was my day to get out there. Had 2 runs today, actually. First, I did a 3 mile tempo run on the TM. Did it at a 9:09 pace. Very happy about that.

Second run was even better. Not in terms of time or distance, but better none the less. You see, 2 of my friends, Kristie and Sherri, signed up to take part in the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon which takes place at end of this month. Kristie and Sherri were not runners when they agreed to do this. But I think a team event is just what they needed to motivate them. They started the Couch to 5K program 9 weeks ago. And they stuck to it week after week. So today marked their final run--the one where they run 3 miles straight. No stopping. They have never done that before. Today was the day. I asked if I could join them to celebrate this tremendous achievement. I was honored to run with them for the 3 miles and I KNOW they are going to kick butt at the relay.

Great job Sherri and Kristie! I am so proud of you guys!