Schedule Juggling - NH, Here I Come!

Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them... they are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight. ~Orison Swett Marden

Nearly a month has gone by, and I haven't gotten back to a regular training routine. Though I've been buried in work, I know that shouldn't be an excuse for maintaining a good exercise regimen. I commit to running a 5K as soon as I finish posting this. And continuing to train diligently until the next event.

Today I reviewed my race calendar and investigated options. Mississippi next weekend is unrealistic, not to mention too expensive (and also Easter--what was I thinking?). I also have to move Tennessee in April since there's a work meeting in CA the day before so it won't work logistically. Below are the scheduling changes I made:

• MS moved from March 2016 to September 2016 in Tupelo
• TN moved from April 2016 to April 2018
• NH moved from April 2018 to April 10, 2016

The NH race is in Newmarket, only an hour drive from Boston. The race is on Sunday, an 11:00 am start time. So much is good about this--Saturday-Monday airfare is cheaper, able to stay in Boston and eat fresh seafood, it doesn't conflict with work travel. Also, there's a jacket for racers:

Time to Buckle Down

Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat. ~Theodore Roosevelt

I've updated my tentative and upcoming pages, moved Texas to 2018. Though this winter has been mild, I haven't been keeping up my run training as I'd like, and I don't feel ready to do an event at this time. It's time to buckle down and ready myself for the Mississippi event at the end of March.  I got an email from a Minnesota run group with a recommended training schedule for beginners that I thought would be good to share:

HM Recap: Ole Man River Half, Gretna, LA, December 19, 2015

...Find out where joy resides, and give it a voice far beyond singing. For to miss the joy is to miss all. ~Robert Louis Stevenson

This was a race jammed into a busy schedule and not one for which I prepared well, but it turned out to be a good experience anyway. Race location was Gretna, across the river from downtown New Orleans. There are quaint houses lining the streets beside riverside shipping yard clutter. I went back the day after running via the ferry to take in a little more of the scenery.

While I didn't run very fast (a sluggish 2:41), other highlights from the race weekend:

• Cold, windy race day. 46 degrees at the start. Felt chilled to the bone all day long.
• Celebrated 20 year wedding anniversary in New Orleans
• Ate more cajun spices than ever in my life, including delicious Crawfish Etouffee at Pier 424 Seafood Market on Bourbon Street
• Met a runner named Katie from Rapid City, SD who is a Navy Reservist currently stationed in New Orleans--we mutually motivated each other near the end of the race

Winter Run in New Orleans

At times, our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us. ~Albert Schweitzer

The Ole Man River race is just days away. Louisiana will be the 9th state, last state for 2015. It's been a year marked by many achievements and blessings.

A week ago my son had his 4-month post-surgery follow up visit. 3-D imaging revealed no recurrence of the cyst and some bone regrowth. Wonderful news! Many prayers have been answered. We are truly blessed.

We have many things to be thankful for, including a home, cars, warm clothes, plentiful good food, and loving family and friends. In recognition that abundance should be shared, I've thought about how I can share through my goal to run 50 half marathons. I've determined that I'm going to pair my running with a campaign to feed hungry kids. Rather than collecting donations, I'll be gathering customers for services they pay each month, and each month a bill gets paid, a meal will will be donated.

Moving VA Half

Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference has never tried to fall asleep with a mosquito in the room. ~Christine Todd Whitman

Virginia will have to wait. I have lots of excuses--none of them good. This time of year, the shortened days, the time change, post-season volleyball, school and work commitments. You name it, I could use it as an excuse. The real reason: procrastination. As much as I wish I had embarked on planning the trip and registering for the race a month ago, I didn't. So now, I have to move it.

Good news is there's a trail race in Virginia in February that I can put on the calendar in 2017. Two things to do today: update race calendar and register and plan December's Louisiana trip.

HM Recap: Bellin Women's Half, Green Bay, WI, September 26, 2015 (WI#2)

It isn’t what you did in the past that will affect the present. It’s what you do in the present that will redeem the past and thereby change the future. ~Paulo Coelho, Aleph

This was my first race where runners were transported to the race start, not an out-and-back or a loop. The bus ride from the downtown hotel was convenient, though the driver needed a little help with directions. There were plenty of porta-potties at race start. The sunrise was beautiful, and though a little cool at the start, the weather was great for running, 60s with a breeze.

I had a great pace going until about mile 10. That's when I suffered my first side stitch during a race. It took the better part of two miles to work it out. Nothing helped--not walking, not stretching, not drinking water. I finished with an official time of 2:31:39. It could have been a PR had there been no side stitch.

Race positives:

• Was able to run half marathons back-to-back weekends and survive
• My dad was there for the finish
• Discovered a nice dining spot in downtown Green Bay, Angelina Italian Restaurant

Navy-Air Force Half Pics