Well, I must admit that I was a little concerned. In the last 9 runs, I had only had 2 when I ran under 8 minutes per mile. Granted, I was sick and didn't run for 8 days during that time but the time frame also coincided with using a new pair of shoes (Brooks GTS 7). Still, it's been a very long time when I had run more than one run a month that was slower than 7:59 mpm, so I couldn't figure what was going on. Was my age catching up with me -- I'm almost 53? Had my runs with others who run a bit slower reset my natural pace? Was it just taking extraordinarily long to recover from my cold? Was I over-training?
While I still don't know why and I may run more slowly tomorrow, it was reassuring today to hit 7:44 mpm.
Random thoughts today:
1. It's great to hear the birds at 5:00 am.
2. The flowering trees are pretty even in the moonlight.
3. Drivers in Richmond's West End (Short Pump) seem unusually polite. Yesterday was the first time in almost 2 years that anyone has even hooted at me. The vast majority of drivers see me and give me plenty of room.
4. There are some traffic lights that seem to get farther away the more I run toward them.
5. Why can't my wife and I get a clear word from God about a decision we're trying to make? How patient will those who are waiting for us to make the decision be? Is the lack of a clear word really a clear word that we should just continue with things as they are?
6. It's only 6° warmer today than yesterday. It's odd that it feels much warmer. (When I got home, I found out that the temperature had actually risen by 3° while I was running. In contrast to dropping 2-3°, as on the last several mornings, I guess the difference was really more like 8-9°.
Run well,
Bob
11 April 2007
03 April 2007
I Love the Spring
After 8 days of no running, it was so good to be out this morning. It was probably the easiest 10k run I've ever done. Yes, you can see from my log that I ran more slowly and I'm sure that was a major contributor to the ease. But, a lot of it was just being out again. A HUGE part of the joy was that it's springtime. Now, I couldn't see the evidences of spring even though there was a full moon. However, I could hear them -- the birds were serenading everybody who cared to listen. It was great. God is so good!
The only downside of running again after 8 days? I'm a bit sore but that will pass.
Live and run well,
Bob
The only downside of running again after 8 days? I'm a bit sore but that will pass.
Live and run well,
Bob
30 March 2007
Out of the Race
Well, I was looking forward to running the Ukrop's Monument Ave 10K tomorrow and was ready to break 50 minutes along with a friend. Then, Sunday night I started getting a cold and running a low-grade fever. Surely, the fever will go away by Wednesday or so and I can run. -- I kept telling myself. Thursday, I was still 
having a bit of fever so I went to the doctor. He says, Just a cold and the fever isn't unusual. But, his very strong advice is not to run. Today, Friday, I agree. Still coughing, still have and off-and-on fever. Bummer! We'll help our daughter move, but no running. After 5 straight days without a run, I am so ready. Maybe in another couple of days.
Today, I collected my t-shirt and other gear -- hey, I paid the fee -- and it was sad. Another day.
Good luck to all who do run.
Bob
having a bit of fever so I went to the doctor. He says, Just a cold and the fever isn't unusual. But, his very strong advice is not to run. Today, Friday, I agree. Still coughing, still have and off-and-on fever. Bummer! We'll help our daughter move, but no running. After 5 straight days without a run, I am so ready. Maybe in another couple of days.Today, I collected my t-shirt and other gear -- hey, I paid the fee -- and it was sad. Another day.
Good luck to all who do run.
Bob
25 March 2007
4,000 Miles!
Reached a milestone this past week. I wasn't paying attention but realized today, while filling out my running log, that I had passed 4,000 miles of running since July 2003. It happened on Thursday. Whew! That's a lot of miles.
Run well, y'all,
Bob
Run well, y'all,
Bob
24 March 2007
Prep Run #2 for Richmond 10K
Ran the second prep run for the Richmond 10K next week. We were slow today. My friend had been fighting a cold all week and was still not feeling great. I had run 7.3 miles yesterday and my legs were tired. Still, with all those factors, we did fine.
This was my second run in a new pair of shoes -- Brook GTS7 with MoGo. The reviews for the GTS7 have been really good, talking about how cushioned they are, etc. I would disagree. I've run in a pair of GTS5, two GTS6, a pair of ASR (based on the GTS4), and now the GTS7. The ASR are the hardest (i.e., least cushioned) but kept my feet warmer on cold days, the GTS5 were the longest lasting (we'll see about the GTS7), and the GTS6/7 had the best cushioning (still not great).
Still, I like the Etonics Jepara SC shoes that I've
just quit using -- they're more cushioned than any of the Brooks, they've lasted longer than any running shoes I've had in the last 4 years (613 miles), and they have a wider toebox (I could wear a regular width and didn't have to buy 2E). So, I think I'll wear the GTS7 until they wear out (until early to mid-July) and then go back to the Etonics.
Run well, y'all,
Bob
This was my second run in a new pair of shoes -- Brook GTS7 with MoGo. The reviews for the GTS7 have been really good, talking about how cushioned they are, etc. I would disagree. I've run in a pair of GTS5, two GTS6, a pair of ASR (based on the GTS4), and now the GTS7. The ASR are the hardest (i.e., least cushioned) but kept my feet warmer on cold days, the GTS5 were the longest lasting (we'll see about the GTS7), and the GTS6/7 had the best cushioning (still not great).Still, I like the Etonics Jepara SC shoes that I've
just quit using -- they're more cushioned than any of the Brooks, they've lasted longer than any running shoes I've had in the last 4 years (613 miles), and they have a wider toebox (I could wear a regular width and didn't have to buy 2E). So, I think I'll wear the GTS7 until they wear out (until early to mid-July) and then go back to the Etonics.Run well, y'all,
Bob
17 March 2007
The Real Saint Patrick
I'm not a Catholic but there is a tiny trace of Irish blood in my veins. And, yes, I did wear green today, though not while I was running. Someone clued me in on this article and I found it interesting to read the real story behind the man:
The St. Patrick You Never Knew
Run well, y'all,
Bob
PS -- Earlier today, I ran with a friend at a slightly slower pace than I normally run. Maybe it was the luck of the Irish (I don't put any stock at all in luck), but I felt like I could have run a lot longer.
The St. Patrick You Never Knew
Run well, y'all,
Bob
PS -- Earlier today, I ran with a friend at a slightly slower pace than I normally run. Maybe it was the luck of the Irish (I don't put any stock at all in luck), but I felt like I could have run a lot longer.
Prep Run #1 for Richmond 10K
I do like running with someone else -- not all the time, mind you, but more often than I get to do. A friend and I are running the Richmond 10K together in 2 weeks. We hadn't run together before, so we decided to run a 10K+/- this morning just to see how it went. It was chilly, but I actually like that except for the fact that I don' t talk very well when my face has been exposed to 32° for several minutes -- that made communication a little tricky. You know, lots of What did you say?
We did 6.5 miles at a pace of 8.015 mpm. If gMap-Pedometer gave me a good read on the distance, we'll make our goal for the 10K of sub-50 minutes -- a PB for my friend and a PB-baseline for me (since I've never run a 10K race before, 2 hours would, technically, be a PB for me). Hey, we won't be the fastest on Monument Avenue that day, but for a couple of 50+ year olds, we'll do all right.
If you're running that race, we'll see you there.
Bob
Richmond, VA
We did 6.5 miles at a pace of 8.015 mpm. If gMap-Pedometer gave me a good read on the distance, we'll make our goal for the 10K of sub-50 minutes -- a PB for my friend and a PB-baseline for me (since I've never run a 10K race before, 2 hours would, technically, be a PB for me). Hey, we won't be the fastest on Monument Avenue that day, but for a couple of 50+ year olds, we'll do all right.
If you're running that race, we'll see you there.
Bob
Richmond, VA
10 March 2007
Longest Run to Date -- Lots of Time to Think
11.938 miles -- I am tired! This is the longest I've ever run. The first 6 miles took 46:54 and the last 5.9 took 47:31 so I maintained a fairly consistent pace throughout -- averaged 7:54 mpm. I don't watch my watch while I run so I was really surprised at my pace. If someone had asked, I would have guessed about 8:15 mpm because it felt slow.
My mental song for this run was You Are God Alone. As I ran, the passage from Romans 7:14-25 where Paul talks about his own inability to follow the law kept rolling around in my mind -- I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me ... Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God -- through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Rom 7:15-18a, 24b-25a). No matter what others see from the outside, I know that my inner self is fighting this same war. There is no reason, within me, for God to use me. But He does! He grants me righteousness, justifies me, and redeems me:
Therefore no-one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:20-24)
My prayer for myself is that the righteousness that has been declared for me would become reality in my thoughts and attitudes and actions and words.
Pretty weighty for a run -- but, 12 miles gives one a long time to think.
Run well, y'all,
Bob
My mental song for this run was You Are God Alone. As I ran, the passage from Romans 7:14-25 where Paul talks about his own inability to follow the law kept rolling around in my mind -- I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me ... Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God -- through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Rom 7:15-18a, 24b-25a). No matter what others see from the outside, I know that my inner self is fighting this same war. There is no reason, within me, for God to use me. But He does! He grants me righteousness, justifies me, and redeems me:
Therefore no-one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:20-24)
My prayer for myself is that the righteousness that has been declared for me would become reality in my thoughts and attitudes and actions and words.
Pretty weighty for a run -- but, 12 miles gives one a long time to think.
Run well, y'all,
Bob
06 March 2007
High Altitude, Again
Just returned from a 2-week trip to Kenya. Didn't run as much as I would have liked but did get in 6 days -- 3 in Nairobi and 3 in Tigoni. Man, the Tigoni was hard!! 7,500 feet above sea level is pretty thin air. But, the last day, I ran 4.3 miles at 8:10 mpm but the hills made for sore hips. It was absolutely perfect weather -- about 55°, no wind, no rain, no dogs.
Tonight, I became 1 of about 22,000 to sign up for the Richmond Monument Ave 10K at the end of March. This will be only my 2nd race since high school. A friend wants to break 50 minutes, so we'll run together. Should be fun if we don't get trampled by the crowds -- last year, the Monument Ave 10K was the largest 10K in the US.
Run well, y'all,
Bob
Tonight, I became 1 of about 22,000 to sign up for the Richmond Monument Ave 10K at the end of March. This will be only my 2nd race since high school. A friend wants to break 50 minutes, so we'll run together. Should be fun if we don't get trampled by the crowds -- last year, the Monument Ave 10K was the largest 10K in the US.
Run well, y'all,
Bob
15 February 2007
I'm a Real Runner Now
I'm a real runner now -- I must be because I have the scars to prove it. :) I've been running regularly for just over 3 1/2 years and tripped/fell for the first time this morning.
I had to cross a 4-lane road as a part of my route. Nothing new -- it's pretty hard to run more than a short distance without crossing a road here. As I approached the road, I saw a car coming from the left. No problem because I could just turn left and run against traffic until I could cross safely. When the car passed, I headed across, had to cross the median, looked right to be sure nothing was coming from the other direction, and looked back ahead to see that I was about to tangle with another runner coming from my left (it was dark and I think each of us surprised the other). We dodged each other quite easily and I started stepping up over the curb onto the sidewalk. Suddenly, I pitched forward and my knees met the curb and my hands (gloved) met the sidewalk. As I fell, I felt that my foot had caught on something and heard whatever it was move -- it sounded like a piece of plywood.
I hopped right up and ran on -- my knees hurt but I only had a half mile remaining. Funny enough, I actually felt energized. Boy, it hurt, though. I got back and found that my running pants are now ventilated on one knee. I'll have some bruises but so far am not too sore.
Otherwise, it was a pretty decent (though cold) run.
Run well, y'all,
Bob
I had to cross a 4-lane road as a part of my route. Nothing new -- it's pretty hard to run more than a short distance without crossing a road here. As I approached the road, I saw a car coming from the left. No problem because I could just turn left and run against traffic until I could cross safely. When the car passed, I headed across, had to cross the median, looked right to be sure nothing was coming from the other direction, and looked back ahead to see that I was about to tangle with another runner coming from my left (it was dark and I think each of us surprised the other). We dodged each other quite easily and I started stepping up over the curb onto the sidewalk. Suddenly, I pitched forward and my knees met the curb and my hands (gloved) met the sidewalk. As I fell, I felt that my foot had caught on something and heard whatever it was move -- it sounded like a piece of plywood.
I hopped right up and ran on -- my knees hurt but I only had a half mile remaining. Funny enough, I actually felt energized. Boy, it hurt, though. I got back and found that my running pants are now ventilated on one knee. I'll have some bruises but so far am not too sore.
Otherwise, it was a pretty decent (though cold) run.
Run well, y'all,
Bob
10 February 2007
Running Log
Somehow or another, all of the information on my Palm PDA was erased this week. Arghhh! It's certainly not a crushing blow, but I lost some information that was important to me. Because I had been lax in syncing my PDA to my computer, I lost a fair amount of my daily running log (greatest loss) as well as some calendar changes, a couple of updated contact files, some reminder notes about books I wanted to read and movies I wanted to rent, and some sermon notes that were imbedded in my Palm Bible (almost equal to the running log loss -- see below). Almost as bad, I'm having trouble restoring the information I do have back to the PDA -- I'm working on figuring out that problem.
Some of those things will be recovered in my human memory over time or they aren't important enough to expend any energy trying to remember/recover -- books and movies, for instance. While it would be the spiritual thing to say that the sermon notes are more important than the running log, I don't think there were any real faith-shaping thoughts recorded over the last 2-3 months, so the loss isn't really profound. But, the running log had details that I'll never remember -- no way I'll remember the times or the routes that I ran. I can probably recover the key elements. For instance, at the end of 2006, I did a post on this blog that summarized my running for 2006. So, I have the total miles run for the year and can recover the gross number of miles I've run since beginning in 2003.
I decided that I needed to rethink how I keep my running log. I like advancing technology and had been looking for a good use for Google's Docs and Spreadsheets. My running log seemed to be a good candidate -- while I'm in the US, I have great internet access so speed is not really an issue and Google's archives provide a fairly reasonable assurance that my log won't simply get lost. So, let's try it! Then, in the process of trying it, I wondered if, since I'm creating an online spreadsheet, it would also be possible to have that spreadsheet show up on this blog. Kumbe! (Swahili interjection of surprise -- roughly, Wow!) It is quite possible.
So, here it is -- my running log for all the world to see (including my daily weight so you can see my struggle with that -- being fully aware that at 5'10" and currently weighing in the upper-170's, that won't seem like a struggle to many people -- but, I want to be down to 170, full stop).
BTW, the mid-teens is cold for running. For me, 14° must be about the coldest for running with a long-sleeved running shirt and sweatshirt. I tried running with a fleece the other day when it was 16° and that was a tiny bit too warm. Today, at 14° and a sweatshirt, I was a tiny bit too cool.
Enough! I'm rambling now. Run well, y'all.
Bob
Richmond
Some of those things will be recovered in my human memory over time or they aren't important enough to expend any energy trying to remember/recover -- books and movies, for instance. While it would be the spiritual thing to say that the sermon notes are more important than the running log, I don't think there were any real faith-shaping thoughts recorded over the last 2-3 months, so the loss isn't really profound. But, the running log had details that I'll never remember -- no way I'll remember the times or the routes that I ran. I can probably recover the key elements. For instance, at the end of 2006, I did a post on this blog that summarized my running for 2006. So, I have the total miles run for the year and can recover the gross number of miles I've run since beginning in 2003.
I decided that I needed to rethink how I keep my running log. I like advancing technology and had been looking for a good use for Google's Docs and Spreadsheets. My running log seemed to be a good candidate -- while I'm in the US, I have great internet access so speed is not really an issue and Google's archives provide a fairly reasonable assurance that my log won't simply get lost. So, let's try it! Then, in the process of trying it, I wondered if, since I'm creating an online spreadsheet, it would also be possible to have that spreadsheet show up on this blog. Kumbe! (Swahili interjection of surprise -- roughly, Wow!) It is quite possible.
So, here it is -- my running log for all the world to see (including my daily weight so you can see my struggle with that -- being fully aware that at 5'10" and currently weighing in the upper-170's, that won't seem like a struggle to many people -- but, I want to be down to 170, full stop).
BTW, the mid-teens is cold for running. For me, 14° must be about the coldest for running with a long-sleeved running shirt and sweatshirt. I tried running with a fleece the other day when it was 16° and that was a tiny bit too warm. Today, at 14° and a sweatshirt, I was a tiny bit too cool.
Enough! I'm rambling now. Run well, y'all.
Bob
Richmond
04 February 2007
Running With Friends
Normally, I run by myself. I don't know any folks around here who want to run 5-6 miles at 5:30 AM. Last week though, I flew to Ontario, California for a meeting of our mission organization's board of Trustees. Several of my co-workers who flew out are also runners. Because of our schedule, we could run at 6:00 AM. So, Tuesday, 3 of us headed out. Since we all normally run at different paces, we stayed together for the first loop and then split up -- one went back to the hotel and 2 of us did another lap.
I've found that running with others always makes the run easier. But, running the first lap about 01:15 mpm slower than normal made the whole run easier. It was great! Thanks, Bob and Lonnie.
Tuesday night, we agreed to go again Wednesday morning. Just as I pulled my shoes on, I realized it was raining. This is "sunny" Southern California -- it can't rain! I headed to the lobby where Lonnie and Matt were waiting for me -- Bob was smarter than the rest of us and stayed in his room. We decided we didn't want to pack wet shoes the next morning to go back to Richmond, so we headed to the fitness room to run on the dreadmills. Wouldn't you know it -- they were all being used. Shoot! We're dressed, it's S Calif, let's go in the rain.
The rain wasn't bad but the street drainage was awful and we had some monster puddles. The first one I stepped in was a shocker because the water was COLD! Still, a good run -- slow first 3 miles and a normal last 3 miles.
For the curious, here was my route the second day. Those who only did 3.1 miles turned back to the hotel at just before the 3 mile mark:
DoubleTree Ontario Airport Hotel
Run well, y'all,
Bob
I've found that running with others always makes the run easier. But, running the first lap about 01:15 mpm slower than normal made the whole run easier. It was great! Thanks, Bob and Lonnie.
Tuesday night, we agreed to go again Wednesday morning. Just as I pulled my shoes on, I realized it was raining. This is "sunny" Southern California -- it can't rain! I headed to the lobby where Lonnie and Matt were waiting for me -- Bob was smarter than the rest of us and stayed in his room. We decided we didn't want to pack wet shoes the next morning to go back to Richmond, so we headed to the fitness room to run on the dreadmills. Wouldn't you know it -- they were all being used. Shoot! We're dressed, it's S Calif, let's go in the rain.
The rain wasn't bad but the street drainage was awful and we had some monster puddles. The first one I stepped in was a shocker because the water was COLD! Still, a good run -- slow first 3 miles and a normal last 3 miles.
For the curious, here was my route the second day. Those who only did 3.1 miles turned back to the hotel at just before the 3 mile mark:
DoubleTree Ontario Airport Hotel
Run well, y'all,
Bob
15 January 2007
Addicted!
Well, today I feel like I'm a confirmed running addict. I didn't sleep well at all last night -- had weird dreams and kept waking up. So, I decided I could take a day off. Wrong choice! I have been groggy all day long -- not really sleepy-groggy but just couldn't shake the sleep dust. I should have foregone the last 30 minutes of nonsleep-sleep and hit the road.
My running journey has been interesting. Of course, there were the first few weeks when I was just simply out of shape and I had to push through that. Then, I began to lose weight fairly quickly, one of my initial reasons for getting back to running. At that point and for the next year, I really liked the results of running but didn't like running.
I hurt my knee at the one year point (ran too hard, too quickly when I was too heavy and using, as I later decided, wornout shoes) and had to quit until I had a meniscectomy (arthroscopic) at 14 months. During the time when I couldn't run and then while I was building back up, I realized how much I missed running. Once I got back to running, I realized that I really liked running.
The one day last week when I didn't run, I felt groggy. Then today I felt groggy. So, I've moved from like to need! I guess that's what I get after 3.5 years and 3700 miles. If I'm going to be addicted to something, there are a whole lot of things worse than running.
Run well, y'all,
Bob
Richmond, VA
My running journey has been interesting. Of course, there were the first few weeks when I was just simply out of shape and I had to push through that. Then, I began to lose weight fairly quickly, one of my initial reasons for getting back to running. At that point and for the next year, I really liked the results of running but didn't like running.
I hurt my knee at the one year point (ran too hard, too quickly when I was too heavy and using, as I later decided, wornout shoes) and had to quit until I had a meniscectomy (arthroscopic) at 14 months. During the time when I couldn't run and then while I was building back up, I realized how much I missed running. Once I got back to running, I realized that I really liked running.
The one day last week when I didn't run, I felt groggy. Then today I felt groggy. So, I've moved from like to need! I guess that's what I get after 3.5 years and 3700 miles. If I'm going to be addicted to something, there are a whole lot of things worse than running.
Run well, y'all,
Bob
Richmond, VA
03 January 2007
Starting Spiritual Conversations, Part 2
I wanted to do a brief follow-up on my post of 2-Dec. We did invite our closest neighbors to our house for some "getting-to-know-you" time and a time to share the story of the birth of Jesus using candles. Unfortunately, only one couple came. Well, I say "unfortunately", but I shouldn't say that because I don't, yet, know what God had in mind.
Even though there were only 5 of us, this couple readily agreed for us to go ahead with our plans. We didn't want to embarrass them because there were so few of us and telling the story this way entails singing Christmas carols -- some folks just don't like to sing (imagine?). Anyway, it went well. It is our prayer that this will open the door to further conversations about Christ and spiritual things.
Bob
Even though there were only 5 of us, this couple readily agreed for us to go ahead with our plans. We didn't want to embarrass them because there were so few of us and telling the story this way entails singing Christmas carols -- some folks just don't like to sing (imagine?). Anyway, it went well. It is our prayer that this will open the door to further conversations about Christ and spiritual things.
Bob
01 January 2007
31 December 2006
It's About the Cross
On Christmas Eve, I attended the evening worship service with my parents and most of my brothers, sisters and their families. We participated in the Lord's Supper as a family. It was pretty moving.
One interesting element of the service was a short worship video featuring a song by a group that was new to me, Go Fish. I don't think I fully agree with the theme of the song -- that Christmas is all about the end of the story, Christ's death on the cross. Christ's death is the most important event but His birth is extremely important. God incarnate is an incredible thing. Christ gave up His glory to accommodate himself to us -- He became one of us, He stooped to our level, He spoke our language, He lived our lives! I'm sure we could discuss that topic (the importance of the incarnation versus substitutionary death) for a long, long time. The video is thought provoking -- enjoy and think:
Happy New Year,
Bob
One interesting element of the service was a short worship video featuring a song by a group that was new to me, Go Fish. I don't think I fully agree with the theme of the song -- that Christmas is all about the end of the story, Christ's death on the cross. Christ's death is the most important event but His birth is extremely important. God incarnate is an incredible thing. Christ gave up His glory to accommodate himself to us -- He became one of us, He stooped to our level, He spoke our language, He lived our lives! I'm sure we could discuss that topic (the importance of the incarnation versus substitutionary death) for a long, long time. The video is thought provoking -- enjoy and think:
Happy New Year,
Bob
End of Year
In the past 2 weeks, I and my family have driven 3000+ miles. We attended a wedding in Little Rock, AR; we visited some long-time friends in Alexandria, LA; we ate supper with my brother and his family in Norcross, GA; we had Christmas Eve and day with my family in Greenville, SC; and we had Christmas night and a few days with my wife's family in Columbia, SC. It was a long trip but great fun. In those 2 weeks, I ran in 4 different states (AR, LA, SC, and VA). I had hoped to run the Big Dam Bridge in Little Rock but it rained that day.
Here is running review for 2006 -- trivia:
Miles Run: 1,364.4
Number of Runs: 218 (includes 2 elliptical workouts)
Longest Run: 10.39 miles @ 7:56 mpm, 30-Dec-06 (yesterday)
Fastest Run: Greenville, SC Candlelight Run for Hope, 24-Jun-06, 5km @ 7:12 mpm
Shoes: 1 pair Brooks Adrenaline GTS5, 1 pair Brooks Adrenaline ASR, 2 pair Brooks Adrenaline GTS6, 1 pair Etonic Jepara SC (current)
States: VA, SC, FL, TN, AR, LA, TX, NM
Countries: USA, Rep. of South Africa, Zambia, Madagascar, Kenya, Dem. Rep. of Congo
Favorite Run: Probably the trail at Harrison Bay State Park in Harrison, TN
Most Exotic Run: Toliara, Madagascar
Most Fun Run: Christmas Lights Run, 5.3 miles, Richmond, VA -- group fun run to see lights
Worst Run: 4 miles on the treadmill on 22-Dec-06!!
Enough trivia. I hope your running in 2006 was as satisfying for you as mine was for me.
Run well,
Bob A
Here is running review for 2006 -- trivia:
Miles Run: 1,364.4
Number of Runs: 218 (includes 2 elliptical workouts)
Longest Run: 10.39 miles @ 7:56 mpm, 30-Dec-06 (yesterday)
Fastest Run: Greenville, SC Candlelight Run for Hope, 24-Jun-06, 5km @ 7:12 mpm
Shoes: 1 pair Brooks Adrenaline GTS5, 1 pair Brooks Adrenaline ASR, 2 pair Brooks Adrenaline GTS6, 1 pair Etonic Jepara SC (current)
States: VA, SC, FL, TN, AR, LA, TX, NM
Countries: USA, Rep. of South Africa, Zambia, Madagascar, Kenya, Dem. Rep. of Congo
Favorite Run: Probably the trail at Harrison Bay State Park in Harrison, TN
Most Exotic Run: Toliara, Madagascar
Most Fun Run: Christmas Lights Run, 5.3 miles, Richmond, VA -- group fun run to see lights
Worst Run: 4 miles on the treadmill on 22-Dec-06!!
Enough trivia. I hope your running in 2006 was as satisfying for you as mine was for me.
Run well,
Bob A
05 December 2006
Holiday Lights Run
Over the weekend, I found out that one of the local running shops had planned a couple of 5.3 mile night runs this week -- going through neighbourhoods to see the holiday lights. It's a runner's twist on an old Christmas tradition. I had a meeting in D.C. today but got back in plenty of time. I was glad because I can't run Thursday night for the second run.
It was cold -- somewhere close to 32°. But, it was fun to run with a group. There were about 8 of us and one dog in the front pack of 7-8 minutes per mile runners. The dog was so excited about running and showed us all up -- he looked like he was walking briskly. The sky was clear and the moon was almost full, so it was a really pretty night. And the houses were decorated nicely.
The distraction of running with and talking to others while running was good. I ran faster than I've run in months -- depending on exactly how long the run was, I finished in 7:20 - 7:24 minutes per mile. It was a really fun run.
Run well, y'all,
Bob
It was cold -- somewhere close to 32°. But, it was fun to run with a group. There were about 8 of us and one dog in the front pack of 7-8 minutes per mile runners. The dog was so excited about running and showed us all up -- he looked like he was walking briskly. The sky was clear and the moon was almost full, so it was a really pretty night. And the houses were decorated nicely.
The distraction of running with and talking to others while running was good. I ran faster than I've run in months -- depending on exactly how long the run was, I finished in 7:20 - 7:24 minutes per mile. It was a really fun run.
Run well, y'all,
Bob
02 December 2006
Starting Spiritual Conversations
As I've said before, running is not a time, for me, when I do a lot of thinking. Mostly, I seem to be focused on whether or not I'll actually make it back home before dying.
Today, though, was a little different. It was a gorgeous morning. I slept in a bit and headed out at about 8:10 -- it was a crisp 35° and the sun was shining. Enough of a breeze to keep me cool (yes, even at 35° I needed to keep cool) I took a route (5.2 miles) that I hadn't run in a long time and it goes around a small lake.
Yesterday, while we had a prayer time with the new missionaries to our region who are in orientation, one of them prayed for us that we would find ways to do missions/minister to our neighbours. America is such a private place that we've found it hard to even get opportunities for spiritual conversations with the people whose houses we can see from our front porch.
I had been mulling over an idea for a few days and was thinking about it while running. As a way to simply open the door for these kinds of conversations, we are considering inviting the closest neighbours to the house for refreshments and a "modern" presentation of the traditional Christmas story, the birth of Christ. We would use candles to represent the characters. We would light each candle as that character comes "on stage" (Mary, Joseph, shepherds, angels, Jesus, wise men) and sing a Christmas carol at each point. Then, as each character leaves the stage (wise men return home, shepherds go back to their sheep, Mary and Joseph die), their candle would be snuffed out until only Jesus, the light of the world, remains lit. It's simple yet very powerful and almost completely non-threatening to nominal or non-believers.
As I ran, I thought and prayed about that and just became convinced that it was worth trying to arrange. Linda and I talked about it when I got back and she agreed. So, we're going to try to make it happen with about 12 of our neighbours. Let's see if we can pull it off (putting it here, might be just the "pressure" we need).
Run well,
Bob
Today, though, was a little different. It was a gorgeous morning. I slept in a bit and headed out at about 8:10 -- it was a crisp 35° and the sun was shining. Enough of a breeze to keep me cool (yes, even at 35° I needed to keep cool) I took a route (5.2 miles) that I hadn't run in a long time and it goes around a small lake.
Yesterday, while we had a prayer time with the new missionaries to our region who are in orientation, one of them prayed for us that we would find ways to do missions/minister to our neighbours. America is such a private place that we've found it hard to even get opportunities for spiritual conversations with the people whose houses we can see from our front porch.
I had been mulling over an idea for a few days and was thinking about it while running. As a way to simply open the door for these kinds of conversations, we are considering inviting the closest neighbours to the house for refreshments and a "modern" presentation of the traditional Christmas story, the birth of Christ. We would use candles to represent the characters. We would light each candle as that character comes "on stage" (Mary, Joseph, shepherds, angels, Jesus, wise men) and sing a Christmas carol at each point. Then, as each character leaves the stage (wise men return home, shepherds go back to their sheep, Mary and Joseph die), their candle would be snuffed out until only Jesus, the light of the world, remains lit. It's simple yet very powerful and almost completely non-threatening to nominal or non-believers.
As I ran, I thought and prayed about that and just became convinced that it was worth trying to arrange. Linda and I talked about it when I got back and she agreed. So, we're going to try to make it happen with about 12 of our neighbours. Let's see if we can pull it off (putting it here, might be just the "pressure" we need).
Run well,
Bob
01 December 2006
No Choice ... Gotta Run
I knew that rain was predicted for this morning but was hoping it would hold off until 6 AM or so. Headed out the door about 5:05 so I could get back before it rained. As usual, I unlocked the door, walked out, and pulled it shut behind me. Stepped off the porch and find that it's sprinkling just a bit. Decision time ... run in the rain (it's 66°, so not too bad unless the bottom drops out) or head to the dreadmill at the YMCA? As I'm pondering, the wind picks up and the rain gets a bit harder. That's makes the decision easy -- I'll go to the Y.
I turn around to go back to get my DL, Y card, and keys and ... for the first time in 18 months, I've locked myself out of the house!! Unbelievable! Everybody else is asleep. Now, what do I do -- run in the rain, sit on the porch for an hour and read the paper until somebody wakes up, or wake everybody up? The last option would have resulted in some serious moaning and groaning and I really don't want to miss my run, so off I go. Fortunately, it only sprinkled a bit. It was so warm and humid that the little bit of rain felt good.
Turned out to be a decent run -- 7.5 miles in about 59 minutes. When I got back, someone was awake to let me in. It's provided several people with a laugh today and that's a good thing. All's well that ends well.
Recent history: I managed 3 runs over the Thanksgiving holiday -- 2 of 7+ miles and another of about 5.7, so the holiday feasting didn't go to [my] waist.
Y'all run well,
Bob
I turn around to go back to get my DL, Y card, and keys and ... for the first time in 18 months, I've locked myself out of the house!! Unbelievable! Everybody else is asleep. Now, what do I do -- run in the rain, sit on the porch for an hour and read the paper until somebody wakes up, or wake everybody up? The last option would have resulted in some serious moaning and groaning and I really don't want to miss my run, so off I go. Fortunately, it only sprinkled a bit. It was so warm and humid that the little bit of rain felt good.
Turned out to be a decent run -- 7.5 miles in about 59 minutes. When I got back, someone was awake to let me in. It's provided several people with a laugh today and that's a good thing. All's well that ends well.
Recent history: I managed 3 runs over the Thanksgiving holiday -- 2 of 7+ miles and another of about 5.7, so the holiday feasting didn't go to [my] waist.
Y'all run well,
Bob
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