Mother nature is apparently fed up with this baseball season just as much as I am. So much so she replaced Ohio's usual 85 degree August temperature (and electric blanket-like humidity) with a taste of fall just as preseason football began. And just like that, it suddenly became late September/early October as we watched the Pro Football Hall of Fame game and had a week's worth of 70 & 60 degree temps.

It has been odd to not only turn off the air conditioner, but to also close some windows at night because it was just too cool....in August. I'm sure a return to reality is just around the corner, but this proves Mother Nature can do what she wants, when she wants...you don't mess with her (hey, Sharknados can happen man!).

And I'm not going to complain because it does make it more comfortable to train and run without feeling like you are melting or having to peel sweat soaked clothes off like the removal of a second skin. Still, though, I really don't want to see October until...well...you know...OCTOBER.

This unexpected weather break proceeded the Columbus Half Marathon 10K + 5K on August 12th. Now, I took part in the 10K portion of this race - which shouldn't come a surprise - but there is reasoning behind, just follow along.

This was also a return to the same location as the "THE" It's NOT the Hilliard Classic Half Marathon 10K & 5K  which took place in June and was ridiculously hot & humid. We traced portions of the same route, but instead of an out and back process - the course for this race was manufactured into a loop. Which, in my opinion, is best because retracing the same route can get old and make the race seem longer, messing with your mind.

I have focused on races of 10K and shorter, to go along with my running routine, to prepare for an upcoming half marathon. I just don't want to run 13.1 miles, I want to challenge myself to do the best I can and not just be "a finisher". Working on pacing, stride and strength at shorter distances can help with what needs work at longer distances - or at least that's my thinking (I'm not a trainer, nor do I play one on tv).

Most of those long training runs have been comfortable and I'm happy with the progress, as well as how they could relate to a 1 hr 30 min.-ish half marathon. I believe I still need to work on better pacing to reach anywhere near that time frame. This is where the 10K comes into play.

This was also a bit of change. I typically attend races by myself: I warm up, run, finish, recover, people watch, then go home. This time, however, the new-ish girlfriend asked if she could come along. I don't have a problem with this, but in my thinking just going to watch isn't exactly a blast. Though, she was interested and being a sports fan in general she knew it would be a lot of waiting around with only a few handful of chances to yell at me to pick up the pace and get my a** in gear. But she was game and hanging out in midsummer next to Alum Creek, the beach, race day activities and flood wall with excellent vistas left her plenty to take in while waiting for my lankiness to finish. It would be a different, yet welcomed, change.

I was hoping there would be a few more rabbits to feed off of in order to assist with reaching a decent pace and maintaining it. And a Traffic Panther teammate from last April's The Buck Fifty 24 Hour, 150 Mile Relay was on hand, but Gary was running the half marathon portion, so assistance from him wasn't likely going to happen. Luckily, there were a couple of super fast half marathoners who led the way pulling the rest of us along.

Two of those guys disappeared almost instantaneously into the morning horizon, a third pulled up along side of me and we fed off of one another until we reached the 10k turnaround at about the 3 1/2 mile mark. This helped tremendously regarding keeping a decent pace (5:56, 6:09, 6:15, 6:16). He continues on as I high five him, reverse course and pass the remaining 10kers and half marathoners on my way back.

From this point on it was up to me to attempt keeping a decent pace and it was not easy trying to get the stragglers to understand I was heading back towards them. At times, it was like trying to part the Red Sea - except the Red Sea didn't want any part of it. I just kept my head down and watched, from my peripheral, runners & joggers dodge me at the last moment.

I was able to sort of keep myself afloat at the pace I wanted the last two miles (6:29, 6:31), but was obviously slower as I was on an island and finished the better part of five minutes ahead of the next 10k participant. My official finish time of 38:58 ended up being my second best 10k time (the PR took place at the Columbus 10K earlier this year). My Traffic Panthers teammate, Gary, finished 7th overall for the half marathon in a time of 1:26:52.

So, it has come to this - it is now all systems go for the Scioto River Run Half Marathon taking place next month. I knew I had to break the seal sooner or later. Its like the unexpected relationship that pounces when you least expect it. At first you aren't sure its something that should be cultivated (since your past relationships scream 'this has no chance to succeed!'), but the more it evolves - the more you realize it cannot be denied and you want it to happen (and it has with tremendous success thus far).

Now will this 13.1 mile albatross I have my sights set on work the same way? Or will I forever damage my relationship with running by pretending a half marathon - and one at a semi-competitive pace - is simply a matter of letting it happen?

Come September 23rd...break me open...

The Relationship - Break Me Open

The night makes promises
that daylight cannot keep…I know.
Just like the haunted dreams
that taunt me in my sleep…you know.

I can barely breathe.
Can't make a sound.
Every wall comes up
when the sun goes down

(chorus)
Break me open.
Crack the code of my emotion.
Break me open.
Cut the vein that's kept me frozen.

I'll surrender.
I've been drowning long enough.            
Break me open.
'Til my heart is bleeding love.

I see those stubborn rays
force their way through dark window shades.
Lyin' in bed I pray
The light in me escapes the same            

Gotta let it out.
I don't wanna hide
the solitary man
locked up inside

Break me open.
Crack the code of my emotion.
Break me open.
Cut the vein that's kept me frozen.

I'll surrender.
I've been drowning long enough.            
Break me open.
'Til my heart is bleeding love.

A soul awakening
that's what I'm searching for
Shine a smile in the shadows
and I'm forever yours

Break me open.
Crack the code of my emotion.
Break me open.               
Shock my body into motion.

I'll surrender.
Go ahead, invade my space.      
Break me open.
Baby, you can change my fate. 

Break me open.
Crack the code of my emotion.
Break me open
Break the spell that kept me frozen.

I surrender.
You're the one to pull me through.
Break me open.

Love me into lovin' you.

We are a little more than halfway through 2017 and July 4th weekend has come with ultimate signs of summer: grilling, cold beers, fireworks, my four year apartment anniversary (Holy crap, its been four years!) and melting your way to fun in the sun.

On July 2nd, I spent the day at Alum Creek State Park Beach swimming, catching some rays and enjoying the summer scene. Though part of that scene was interrupted for a short time. I took a picture of my view to brag to friends....sand, water, blue sky and whatnot. Then about ten minutes later, as the beach is getting more packed, this family trots in with a full table and chairs (no joke), umbrellas and - what I assume to be - their entire kitchen and plop down about 20 feet in front of me.

I sat there astounded for a few minutes before dragging my towel and bag of maybe three things far enough to the left to avoid staring at the back of their heads the rest of the afternoon. I can see bringing such things for a picnic, but they decided to set up in the middle of a crazily crowded beach. I didn't dwell on it, but I have never witnessed such a douche like beach move. At least it didn't ruin my day.

Oh, and did I mention summer is also high time for training?

Now I don't know what I do would be referred to as training, but I think it fits the bill. I still see it as just getting back into running again, but since its been nearly a year - it may have moved up a notch. I started some upper-body resistance workouts on my own, though I did so by total accident. Searching through a cabinet in the laundry room/basement of my complex, I found a resistance band/tube which apparently had been left there some time ago (as in years).

Not sure how I would use it, I played with it until I found something that made sense. I place my feet over top of the middle of the band, standing upright with my arms in the running position and holding onto the handles. Moving my arms back and forth I get the resistance right away without an exaggerated running form. I do a 300 to 400 count and I can feel it when I'm finished. I don't know if I'm being overzealous about it, but I have been able notice keeping form better on long runs which equates to more even splits. I am by no means a trainer - criminy, I'm barely a runner - but it has given me a bit of confidence boost regarding the 13.1 mile abyss I've been examining (September, stop staring at me!).

This, along with some plank exercises I've been doing nearly every morning for the last two years (and did so totally on a whim), have helped tremendously regarding core strengthening. It has also absolutely eliminated the side stitch issue I was plagued with throughout high school and a little in college. Looking into being a "real" runner again, I was wanting to add some speed workouts. Though, from past experiences, these are better conducted in a group than by yourself. To cover this base, I decided on a shorter July 4th weekend four mile race: competition, speed and some fun.

The Freedom 4 Miler on Independence Day in Lewis Center would have both the start and finish take place in the Olentangy Orange High School Football Stadium. Our route would wind through the surrounding Orange Township neighborhood. Readying myself and scanning the crowd I see a number of Columbus Running Company folks as well as a plethora of Orange High School Cross Country and Track members. At the gun, it was difficult to keep things reeled in as those freakin' high school nuts went out like bottle rockets. I half heartedly went with them, but scaled back a bit into a comfort zone along side a Columbus Running Company member who looked to be about my age.

Out front were a handful of adults who knew what they were doing, then a number of prep runners and followed by a mix of us - including me. My first mile was too fast, but I did scale back a bit so it wasn't completely crazy at 5:38. It help to be in a group of folks to avoid the overthinking. Around two miles, our group began to thin out, but just enough to be by yourself, not completely lost. The halfway point came in at 12:00 on the dot.

It was weird, I felt sort of worn out (as it was humid & sunny) but I didn't have a problem with keeping a decent pace. This, I thought, would help in future running endeavors. The 5K mark put me at 18:36 and in my crappy eyesight of a number of prep runners along with an adult or two. Though, I didn't have the urge to turn it on and try to catch them. Rather, I wanted to pick up the pace to see how much of a negative last split I could generate. I didn't catch anyone, but I did end up reeling in several of the high school dudes.

My final mile was completed in 5:55 giving me a finish, a 4 mile PR for me, of 24:35. The course was nearly completely flat, but quite winding. Keeping some of those preps in sight helped to determine direction. Before leaving, I loaded up on bananas and a variety of bagels - which is a mistake. I'm a bread person and could have eaten so much more, but I stopped after getting some cross eye looks. There, too, may have been a handful in my bag as well.....I have NO IDEA how they go there.

Hey, I'm only human.

I was happy with the results, more importantly I was satisfied my thee day old shoes worked out well. I couldn't feel the road as much since these have actual tread on them and aren't disintegrating, also I was able to focus on pace and keep it up without paying for it later. Oh, and Columbus' Channel 6 was on hand for their morning show. A college buddy of mine is a producer for the show and by total happen chance he caught me on camera from the studio. He didn't know I was going to be there, but after finding out went through the tape and discovered my finish....I do exist!

So, I'm headed to Costa Rica for vacation in eleven days and it couldn't be approaching at a better time. My upstairs neighbor, St. Rick - The Klepto, was plunging his sink the other day and like clockwork I could hear my sink gurgling and expected him to come crashing through my ceiling. Nothing came up, but it made me nervous. Returning from work that afternoon and I find both kitchen sink basins overflowed with water (along with a wonderful stench) and a pool of the run-off is covering my floor. Our new, and certainly frustrated, landlords arrived quickly to examine the mess. This time, it wasn't Rick's fault.

The building is old and main drain for the eight apartments essentially exits one iron pipe. This past weekend a whole slew of folks were here to open it up....and they found it packed with a black sludge, 30 to 40 years of drain waste.

It was replaced quickly, though once the water in my sink went down, I had the tar-like sludge remnants in my sink and it stained everything black. It took the vast majority of a jug of bleach and other cleaners (and scrubbing like my hair was on fire) to return everything to its original condition.

It makes me afraid as to what may happen when I'm gone for a week. My friends Jen & James will be checking in on my cats (Whiskey and Jameson) in my absence, though with what has taken place in the last few months I can imagine returning home to find the cats replaced with a pair of fainting goats named Rocky and Bullwinkle and somehow only I would see a problem with it.

Oh, and something fun took place in June. Back in March I told you about the interesting street corners I run past and cool down on everyday. Each run, since starting again in August 2016, my cool down turn around has been at the corner of Pleasant and State not far from my apartment. Glancing up at these street signs had helped ease the goofy thoughts regarding the odd way a relationship ended abruptly just after the start of the year, as well as general daily frustrations. They remind me to find my "pleasant state" and move beyond things of which I can't control.

Even if I haven't had a bad day or something on my mind, I made sure to peak at the crisscrossing signs as a simple reminder...that is until Friday, June 23rd. On a six-plus mile run, working on pacing for the future half marathon, I finished feeling great. It was exciting to know I could run at a 6:40 pace and still have plenty left in the tank. As I go about my cool down walk, I start hypothesizing about how that would equate to a 13.1 mile adventure. Heading north back towards my apartment and bouncing half marathon ideas in my head, I stop suddenly: something is different.

Turning to look behind me, I noticed I have walked down the street and made the turn to head back and did so without looking at the companion Pleasant and State street signs. I'm past them to the point the only one sign I can see (and read) is Pleasant. I stood there for moment before a broad smile crawled across my face. For the first time since January, January 23rd to be exact, I didn't look up and I didn't need to - I had moved far enough down a different personal path that I could let go, but let go of what? I don't know...but I could feel it.

....did I just find my pleasant state?

Doc Robinson - It’s Over

AT FIRST I WASN’T SURE IT WAS OVER 
BUT NOW I’M LEFT WITHOUT A DOUBT 

WE TRIED OUR BEST 
TO FINALLY SETTLE DOWN
AND WE ALWAYS THOUGHT SOMEDAY WE’D GET SOBER
THE LONG NIGHTS GOT THE BEST OF US 
NOW WE’RE RUNNING OUT OF LUCK 

WE KEEP ON BREAKING 
KEEP BREAKING APART 
WITH THESE CHANGES 
DEEP CHANGES OF HEART 

AND AS THE SEASONS CHANGE WE GET OLDER 
WE DRIFTED OFF INTO THE BLUE 
TRIED EVERYTHING TO LET GO OF YOU 
SOMETIMES I MISS YOUR HEAD ON MY SHOULDER 
BUT I’M STILL HERE AND YOU’RE STILL GONE 
THE SHOW IS OVER, TIME TO MOVE ON 

WE KEEP ON BREAKING 
KEEP BREAKING APART 
WITH THESE CHANGES 
DEEP CHANGES OF HEART 

NOW WE’RE WAITING FOR THE SKY TO FALL 
THE FINAL CURTAIN CALL 
YOU WALK OUT THE DOOR 
NOW IT’S OVER 
STILL SECOND GUESSING FROM THE BEDROOM FLOOR 
IT DON’T RAIN IT POURS 
WE’LL NEVER KNOW FOR SURE 
BUT IT’S OVER 

WE KEEP ON BREAKING 
KEEP BREAKING APART 
WITH THESE CHANGES 
DEEP CHANGES OF HEART

Typically, if you are coming off a lackluster performance you want to get the bad taste out of your mouth as quick as you can without being crazy impatient about it. Of course, I'm impatient and last weekend's performance in Delaware at the New Moon Quarter Marathon just annoyed me. It wasn't awful, but not what I was looking for personally.

Instead of chalking it up to one of those things, it made me more determined to make up for it. Thus, the 40th Annual Columbus 10K (something I had been looking at for awhile) was to take place the following Sunday. There may have been warning signs like "its my weekend to work", "you work THAT SUNDAY AFTERNOON", "your place of business has a major regional event headlined by Author Melody Warnick, of which your employer has been working on for six months, on that day" and "you have to drive an hour there, run the race, fight the Columbus Sunday traffic afterward - along with the hour drive return - to then shower and be at work on time". All of these warning signs were absolutely true. Would I be making things worse and causing more trouble that what it was worth?

This reminds me of one of our regulars the library. The other day, John, tried to argue with us about how much time he has to use our public computers. Each person gets three hours per day. On this day he logged on with 2 1/2 hours of the library business day left. Meaning, he would not get his three computer hours before we closed. John made his way to the front desk to express his concerns and wanted an explanation. The computers do shutdown 15 minutes before closing everyday to prevent folks from taking advantage of our closing duties and John knows this, he uses them every single day.

After explaining to John why he was getting shorted computer time (several times and not comprehending), he still had this dumbfounded look as if we were trying to pull a fast one on him. He looks at us and says in a less than happy manner, "So, I get three hours. But since you have decided to close, I'm not getting what I'm supposed to be getting, is that right?" Not wanting to argue any longer, I gave up

"Yes, John, that is correct,"

"That's what I thought," as he turns to go back up stairs - obviously satisfied with himself, "See, I went from addition to calculus. I know what I'm talkin' about."

...touche` John, touche`.

Getting back to the running thing, aren't warning signs merely strongly worded suggestions anyway? Not strong enough this time I guess ... PRESS ON!

The sold out Columbus 10K (1,000 +) would traverse portions of The Scioto Mile and downtown, in the shadow of Nationwide Arena, through the short north, past historic Goodale Park, meandering in midst of the Victorian Village & Harrison West neighborhoods, then onto the Olentangy Trail to head back to the promenade on The Scioto Mile. Great weather added to an exciting mix and as I was waiting in the corral, my The Buck Fifty Teammate - Gary - walks up. Having someone familiar to feed off of was a welcome addition.

At the horn I had to remind myself to keep in check and not take off like I wanted to, since I have a habit of wanting to blow by everyone at the beginning - tailing Gary helped. Less than 200 meters in and working my way through the crowd, from behind, some impatient jerk squirms through the small opening between the girl next to me and I. When he does, he has to then take a quick step in front of me to avoid falling or running into someone else. That step clips my left foot and I roll my ankle. "What the hell?!", I blurt out while trying to regain composure and hoping the pain in my foot subsides. The jerkoff never slowed or said anything, just pretended like it never happened. My foot was still a bit tender, but not enough to stop. Casual thoughts of speeding up and delivering a kidney punch may have crossed my mind. (My foot is still a bit tender today, the day after)

Making it back to Earth and keeping an eye on Gary, I work my way through my progressions. My legs feel good, My breathing (nose & mouth) is systematic without too much effort and I'm going at a clip that is slightly faster than I wanted - but not overwhelming. I'm also constantly reminding myself to make sure something is left in the tank for the second 5K. At the mile marker, I'm right around six minutes. Still faster than I wanted, but I was in good shape.

For the next two miles a group of us hung together, jockeying here and there but for the most part it was three women and four guys within ten to fifteen yards of each other. Around the halfway point, we began to thin out. Gary is ahead of me, but not far away and we are at just over 19 minutes (I'm 19:09) as we make the turn to head back south along the Olentangy Trail. Here I'm focusing on keeping my pacing intact and pushing just a little more - in race training is fun. I'm used to having a variety of folks kick it in during the back half of races as I don't seem to have that extra gear. Today, however, only a handful of folks found the gear I didn't have. Having studied some 10K strategy and keeping within myself was paying off.

With two miles to finish, I just wanted to maintain and avoided looking at my watch - not wanting to be disappointed if my time wasn't where I thought it should be. Exhaustion starts to creep in and Gary has distanced himself a bit, I make it a point to focus on what is directly in front of me and possibly have some sort of finishing kick. We make it back to The Scioto Mile and the finish is just above us as we have to pass it and continue south along the Scioto River for a half mile before looping up hill to return north to complete the course. I'm joined by two other exhausted runners in crossing the finish shortly thereafter.

I'm handed a finisher's medal, grab some water, a Clif Bar and a banana, then find Gary to recuperate and discuss. My watch says 38:34, but it was still "finding satellites" for a good 15 seconds after we started. Still, though, it would be a killer time for me - a PR by more than two minutes. And by PR, I mean a personal best running a 10K with other people and not just by myself training along the residential streets of Marion.

We regain ourselves and shoot the bull. I casually wonder, "Do you think we made the top five for our age group?" He squints his eyes a bit, "I don't think so." It was a fast race and the top five in each age group receive an award. "Unless the top finishers were in our age group," he says jokingly. I then let my hopes of age group placing die off.

While waiting for nearly everyone to finish to conduct the awards ceremony, Gary and I got in line to have some of the former Olympians on hand to sign some autographs. Since my nieces and nephew (ages 11, 8 and 5) have just started running, I had 2012 Olympic Finalist Bridget Franek sign one of the super cool 40th Columbus 10K commemorative posters for them. Also on hand were Butch Reynolds and Bob Schul.

Finally, the awards ceremony took place and the overall winner came in at 30:04 (He also looked like he was twelve years old). I was able to take solace in the fact that I was within nine minutes of the winner, coming in at 38:46 and good enough for 55th place. Gary finished in 38:04 and placed 49th. With the age group announcements we were surprised to discover we had made the top five for the 40 to 44 segment, finishing 3rd and 4th. For that we also received a Columbus 10K tin coffee mug. So, I guess I was able to make up for the crappy performance the weekend before.

From there I had to bypass the race after-party at Land-Grant Brewing and head home in order to go to work. Luckily, traffic wasn't so bad and I made it home in more than enough time to chill out for about an hour before heading to the library. Work was slow, but I'm glad I bit the bullet and squeezed in the race.

Looking at my running shoes, my orange New Balance, I realize I need to put them to rest. I bought them when I started running again last August and have put 536 miles on them this year alone. That doesn't count the miles put on them from August through December of 2016, so they more than likely have more than a thousand miles of wear and tear. And they look worn out with the tread now either non-existent or down to barely visible nubs, not to mention a couple of rips and tears from trail running.

Also, I will be boxing up the remnants of what was my Garmin Watch this week and send them off in order to have a refurbished version (one not being held together by paperclips and sandwich bag twist ties) sent to me in return. I will somehow live without keeping track of my mileage and time for the time being. Maybe it will make the Garmin Hall of Fame (or Shame)?!

Having raced on consecutive weekends for the first time in years, I now do not have another race in mind for the time being. It will be a welcome break, but racing is fun again and I hope to take part in another before the end of June. If not, it will likely be July. Part of me says I should slow down and not get myself into trouble, but I'm in a groove and will slow down when needed - but I'm not going to stop. Not unless I seriously have to, which isn't likely to happen anytime soon. I'm 41 and just getting started. To quote Gary, "Growing old gracefully is overrated."

Now, who wants to go get into - or cause - some trouble?

***************************************
No Trouble - The Weepies

Knocking on my door, it was trouble that I need
I figured he would fall
But he took me anyway
Always gonna pay for the kindness that you lose
For the kindness that you lose

I don't need no trouble
But sometimes trouble needs me
I don't need no trouble
But it's plain to see
I don't need no trouble
But sometimes trouble needs me
I don't need no trouble
But it's plain to see
Sometimes trouble needs me

You're the only trouble I need

It's that time of year again - like the Country Time Lemonade commercials used to refer to: the hot, muggy, lazy, spread-eagle in the front of the box fan in your underwear to fall asleep at night and wake up in a pool of your own sweat-type weather.

The last week or so has been 85 to 90 and my apartment stays cool until late afternoon when the sun hits my windows just right. I'll put in the window air conditioner before too long, but I grew up in a house with no air and lived via the box fan (as I'm doing at the moment) so I can take it for a little while. Another one of those glimpses of summers' past which continues to rear it's ugly head - frickin' poison ivy. Since birth, coming within ten yards of it or someone just mentioning it and I'm covered from head to toe in the red bubble-like rash that makes you went to scratch away every layer of dermis until you find relief or you are bleeding profusely and it starts to hurt a little.

My building's new landlords do the yard work themselves, but have a few buildings they facilitate. Hence, they don't get to do the yard work as much as they would like. I have maintained a garden, have three year-old hops bines climbing upward and have mowed the grass for our building since I moved in four years ago with my own equipment. I offered to continue to the yard work in exchange for a small, monthly rent decrease and - BOOM - they accepted. So two Friday's ago I spent the afternoon mowing, weeding and trimming all around to go along with tending to my garden and struggling hops bines.

I was feeling satisfied with myself until two days later when that damn rash appeared. It had invaded every limb, area, nook, cranny and...ahem..."crevice" on my body. Even as an (almost) adult, I have no defense against it. Thus, my routine of washing EVERYTHING I have come in contact with in those few days, soaking in Epsom Salt, dousing myself with rubbing alcohol and popping doctor prescribed Prednisone began. I have, though, one saving grace. I am astounded, and thankful, for the invention of the CLEAR version of Caladryl  and/or Calamine lotion. It is so much more conducive to avoid explaining what is wrong with you without looking like the human version of the iced animal cookies from my childhood (On the other hand, it could be a rather unique Halloween costume in the coming months...hmmm).

Over the years, I have been able to build a tolerance to the itchy sensation exuding from the rash and it can be overwhelming at times. In the last week or so, I have found that running and working out helps to keep the mind off of using yourself as a scratching post. And it dawned on me this week, if you can build a tolerance to refrain from wanting to scratch (one does trip over that wagon once in a while, bumping up against something....repeatedly...on accident....purposefully...OOOoooo feels soooo good), one can certainly build a tolerance for running through pain and your subconscious' attempts to get you to slow down, walk or stop.

With several days of avoiding ripping skin off ahead of me, I started looking for a race to get into to keep my mind occupied. Low & behold, I discovered one not too far from me and - as luck would have it - my new (refurbished) Garmin watch arrived in the mail (my at-no-cost replacement, from Garmin, for the MacGyvered version they seemed to have been impressed with). It was nice to be able to upload running stats again with Garmin Connect. For the last week or so, I have been just mapping out my routes on How Far Did I Run and posting screen shots of my distance and elevation. Not that anyone cares, but it helps to keep me motivated.

"THE" It's NOT the Hilliard Classic Half Marathon 10K & 5K was to take pace on Saturday at Alum Creek - which is not really all that near to Hilliard. This event had to be moved to Alum Creek State Park located in Lewis Center. Heavy road repair forced the event move for this year, but the move was to within 30 miles of me. And hard to complain with the location along the shores of Alum Creek, a place I frequent to get away from whatever the world throws at me. I decided on the 10K which shouldn't come a surprise, but I've been thinking hard about doing a half Marathon before the end of summer...and as soon as I  stop talking myself out of it (don't hold your breath).

Despite the informational email sent the day before stating "The forecast for race time is dry & overcast which should allow for a nice run before the heat returns mid-morning!" - which was a major lie - we knew better. Its been hot and muggy for last month. It was actually a near clear sky with the large melon ball of a sun baking everything. The heat began the moment the sun came up and with that comes Ohio's most notorious summer offering, extreme humidity.

The 5K race took off first, then they switched things up on us and sent the half marathoners second. There were a number of half marathon walkers and the next race couldn't take off until most of them reached a certain point, so we (the 10K group) had to wait a bit longer. This was frustrating in that we were antsy and ready to do, also...it was humid as hell.

Glancing around at my fellow 10Kers, there didn't seem to be many who looked all that competitive to me. I could have been wrong, but that was the impression I was getting. When we were able to take off, I could feel I was going a little too fast. I think having to wait to so long had gotten the better of me and I had no one in my peripheral. The first mile circled the large parking area just off of Alum Creek Beach before heading out to the main road. At the mile marker, I was at 5:57 - damn, I was right. Too fast, but I can slow down now and make up for it later. Once I reach the main road and turn, I glance behind me and I see.....nothing, no one for probably 15 to 20 yards. I was right again, not the most competitive race. I turn and continue on tracking down half marathoners and enjoying the great day.

We take the main road for another mile, before turning onto the Alum Creek Flood Wall and following it all the way down to Africa Road, then back again. I didn't bother looking back again, I could tell I was well ahead. So I just followed the girl pedaling the 10K pace bike in front of me, worked my way through half marathoners and practiced some different pacing techniques.

Dousing myself with water at the various stations kept me relatively cool and the back end of the flood wall was down hill, which helped. At about this time, at the 5K mark, I was around 19:14 - near identical as the Columbus 10K 3.1 mile mark from two weeks before. But shortly thereafter at the turn around, again, I didn't see a single 10Ker among the half marathoners I had passed. As a result, I played with stride and form on the return trip. It was disappointing there wasn't a bit more competition at this point which would have assisted in faster back end splits, but I was working against the heat as well. I did cross paths, eventually, with the rest of my group but they were a few minutes behind. Focusing on a possible dip in the lake post race was something I kept as an incentive to keep pushing.

The course veered off the flood wall and onto a bike path with less than a mile to go.  We wind through the woods and into the open, then along the beach to finish.

I was winded, but could have definitely used a bit more push: My finishing time: 41:32. Not bad, but my finishing time two weeks before was 38:46 - near a three minute difference. And speaking of, the second place finisher on this day was nearly three minutes behind me. I recovered quickly after downing several bottles of water, then collected a number of other bottles and handed them to finishers as they reached the end of their journey.

Now the sun is on top of us and the air is thick, so I wander over to the lake and kick off my shoes and socks. The water was cool and felt great. I waded up to about thigh high and turned around to just simply watch the rest of the finishers from the middle of the lake. Others eventually joined me, some just walked right in and simply let loose without removing any of their running gear. For me, just standing there was enough and I stood there for a good 45 minutes.

Once it was all said and done, I did make my way to the beach and use my race shirt as my blanket to catch some rays, enjoy the cool breeze and take in the great warm day and summer scene. I needed to get some color beyond the farmer's tan I've been sporting for the last month or so.

Funny how sitting on the beach watching people and families makes you reminisce about those days when you just didn't care what was going on beyond that point in time. Being a kid, having fun and enjoying summer were all that mattered. It was a joy to watch the kids there doing that exactly. I'm hoping I can get into some of this when I head to Costa Rica with the family next month. I officially bought my return ticket this week so I guess there will be no permanent living aboard anytime soon.

I have packed a ton of things into this summer already and it cracks me up its only mid-June. This is what I think is making it interesting. Instead of doing the lazy summer thing and casually "doing", I'm seeking events and places out and putting them on the calendar. Other than the remnants of damned poison ivy, I haven't had anything to complain about. WHOA, wait, check that...my upstairs neighbor, Rick - The Clepto, apparently left water running in his kitchen sink over night. I noticed some damp spots on my ceiling the night before and alerted my landlord. Then this morning, I had some pans and trash cans collecting the slow drips. Lucky for me, there is only some insignificant water damage and a small mess to clean up.  I'm told Rick essentially has destroyed the apartment above me and is being evicted. She, Alyssa the landlord, would only tell me she wouldn't let my cats live in that apartment - she wouldn't go into detail.

What makes this funny is this is the second time such things have happened in my time here. In 2014, in the same apartment, a girl ran a bath then fell asleep. It, too, over ran. That resulted in our then maintenance man having to replace my entire ceiling. If ever there were signs indicating I may need to move, I believe I've been pelted by all of them within the last few months. July fourth weekend would make it four years in this apartment and I have seen number of people come and go. Some of them you forget about over time, others you casually wonder how they are doing and/or secretly wish you could simply say hi or run into them again without any of the awkwardness that tends to come with such things. Time changes thoughts and feelings, though sometimes time just isn't enough.

If moving or looking for another job is something which needs to be done, I'm sure it (or they) will come in due time. Right now I'm going to enjoy my Summer Runnin' and see what other backwards events, fun places and interesting people I can see, find and run into. I have a sort of schedule mocked up for the coming months and I'm keeping myself grounded as much as I can.

Do you think its time we start enjoying summer like we used to do? I'm going to attempt it....hoping not to fall flat on my face (its not like haven't done that before).

Rules are made to be broken anyway, aren't they?

Air Review - Low Wishes  

I've got low wishes
but I got high hopes

I've got no wishes
now that I am whole

cause I really don't know what to ask for
anymore

dying overwhelmed by the questions
I can't ignore

I've got low wishes
but I got high hopes

I've got no whispers
but I still got hope

and lonely sinking ships will
one day make some sense

yeah

lonely sinking ships will
one day make some sense

Needing to continue setting short term goals now that the 150 mile relay has come and gone (which was my whole purpose for running again), this will be the first month to test my running wherewithal. And May is giving me some ridiculous exams.

The Columbus State Cougar 5k Challenge on Saturday, May 6th seemed like a good baby step in the post "major goal" process when I signed up for it a month ago, when we were seeing an unseasonably warm April with 70 and 80 degree temps. This month, though, has reverted to an Autumn-like state. Six days in and it hasn't reached above 60 and it has rained nearly every day.

The day before (Friday, Cinco de Mayo) was just ugly: 45, windy and a downpour nearly the entire afternoon. I'm not one to complain about the weather, but schizophrenic - out of season - weather is just annoying. Despite mother nature recovering, apparently, from too many tequila shots the night before I was prepared to move out of my running comfort zone.

My training consists of longer distances and working on pacing for them. The 3.1 mile length is faster and is more/less a distance running version of a sprint. So,I was hoping to tag along with a group of folks more comfortable with the 5k distance to help pull me along on this day. Also, getting out of my own head and simply running a decent race was among my personal challenges. I tend to think too much which can be a detriment to your entire psyche. 

Luckily, the clouds parted and we had a bright blue sky and sunshine. Still cool at around 45 degrees and a more than decent head wind, the major focus was navigating the water logged golf cart path littered with pools of water. At the starting line ready to roll, a group of Columbus State Cougar Cross Country members slide in next to me. Maybe, I thought, I can use them to pace me.

At the gun, I'm trying not to take off at light speed and work on hanging with those who have emerged to lead the group. Though, within a half-mile one of the Columbus State members moves ahead of everyone and the group I'm with seems - to me -  to be going a much slower pace than I than I'm typically comfortable with. Splashing along, I take it upon myself to move ahead to where I want to be and keep an eye on the rabbit in the Cougar uniform ahead of me.

It wasn't easy to keep my personal pace up as puddles and pools of water seemed to litter every inch of the route, but being able to see the lead runner from time to time kept my mind in place. With my shoes and socks fully waterlogged, I ignored the urge to slow down and pushed ahead.

About two and a half miles in on the ever winding course, I glance to my left to see who was relatively near me. A course official says laughingly as I pass, "You've have no one to worry about." That was good to know since the constant splashing and sloshing along the course made it near impossible to be able to tell who was behind you and how close they were. Working on stride and form, I glide through the final straight stretch and across the finished line. Winded, but not all that worn out, I think I was more frustrated with having to trudge through muck and small bodies of water for about 20 minutes.

Officially, I came in second overall - first in my age group - at 19:40. A little slower than what I had been looking for, but the shape of the course after several days of constant rain had a big impact. A good 45 seconds behind the winner, but still 46 seconds ahead of third place. The SWAG included a cool Columbus State Community College tote bag, decent racing technical t-shirt, excellent medal, a coupon for $15 off your next purchase at Columbus Running Company and a myriad of random whatnot. I did get a coupon for a free, no strings attached, personal training session coupon as well - though it will not be needed.

Happy with myself, I decided to make a pit stop on the way home. Come to find out Restoration Brew Worx in Delaware opens at 11am on Saturday and I arrive at eleven on the dot. I recommend the Double Judgement DIPA and, if they have it, the jerk rubbed grouper sandwich (it was the special on this day). It is stupid good. The bar maiden on this day just so happened to be a runner as well, so we shared some good stories before the crowd made its way in.

So, I'm still running and I'm enjoying it because I'm running for me. As Spring evolves and Summer lies in waiting, I'm planning to keep pace with various races as they become available. Next up is the New Moon Quarter Marathon on May 27th and maybe the weather will wake up by then.

And maybe, just maybe, some good things will come with it. Run On my friends...

“The soul is like a wild animal—tough, resilient, savvy, self-sufficient, and yet exceedingly shy.” ~Parker Palmer