Believe it or not I haven't been running since last Sunday. I'm getting restless and my breathing's about back to normal so I think it's time to get out on the road. I jumped into X Train today and fared well though I could tell I'd been off for two weeks.
Now I'm looking for a pair of shoes. I'm incredibly overdue for a new pair but I'm having a hard time deciding. Any input from the peanut gallery would be welcome, as long as it's helpful.
Not sure if another post will come before Thursday so I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving. Katie and I are running a 5K Thursday morning and I'm looking forward to running with her.
Until then...
Ryan
Monday, November 22, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
No Running at the State Fair
Apparently this never got posted. Enjoy!
Day 55: 5 miles.
Yesterday and today I felt the first twinges of my body saying "Hey. We need to talk about this running thing." I'm not sure if 5 miles of running or 5 miles of walking at the State Fair are to blame.
I love the Fair. The smells, lights, sounds and people combine to create something that I've yet to find anywhere else. My fair traditions, through the years:
Now my wife and I go after sunset when the lights are especially bright and the crowd is decidedly younger. I still insist upon seeing cows and seeing the silversmith at the Village of Yesteryear (who happens to be a family friend) but the real focus of our efforts and where most, if not all, of our money goes is the food.
We have our favorites, our just-can't-leave-without's: Al's Fries, NC State Howling Cow ice cream, italian sausage with peppers and onions. Every year we try to add something that's new. One year we braved the fried candy bar and discovered it wasn't nearly as scary as the name suggested. Last year we searched high and low for chocolate covered bacon but couldn't find it. This year we found it with a little help from the NC State Fair app (there truly is an app for everything). Believe it or not, Katie wanted the chocolate covered bacon more than I did. Unfortunately for her it didn't rise to the expectations. I thought it was good enough to finish so I did.
Another great find this year was the Gobblin' Gourmet. Funnel cakes like you've never heard or seen and my wife chooses the plain old regular funnel cake. Take note because I think this might be the first time she's ever turned down the chance to eat something called "Chocolate Obsession. A big bonus at this stand was discovering its owners and operators are Robin Smith and Adrian West, long time friends and supporters of Camp Kanata. A pleasant surprise to say the least!
Did I mention I ran 5 miles yesterday? We all need our releases and moments of indulgence.
Ryan
Day 55: 5 miles.
Yesterday and today I felt the first twinges of my body saying "Hey. We need to talk about this running thing." I'm not sure if 5 miles of running or 5 miles of walking at the State Fair are to blame.
I love the Fair. The smells, lights, sounds and people combine to create something that I've yet to find anywhere else. My fair traditions, through the years:
- Walking through the livestock buildings
- The Village of Yesteryear
- Walking the midway
- Watching the fireworks.
- Visiting the creepy-yet-awe-inspiring animatronic Smokey the Bear
- Lumberjack competitions
- Games and rides
- Food
Now my wife and I go after sunset when the lights are especially bright and the crowd is decidedly younger. I still insist upon seeing cows and seeing the silversmith at the Village of Yesteryear (who happens to be a family friend) but the real focus of our efforts and where most, if not all, of our money goes is the food.
We have our favorites, our just-can't-leave-without's: Al's Fries, NC State Howling Cow ice cream, italian sausage with peppers and onions. Every year we try to add something that's new. One year we braved the fried candy bar and discovered it wasn't nearly as scary as the name suggested. Last year we searched high and low for chocolate covered bacon but couldn't find it. This year we found it with a little help from the NC State Fair app (there truly is an app for everything). Believe it or not, Katie wanted the chocolate covered bacon more than I did. Unfortunately for her it didn't rise to the expectations. I thought it was good enough to finish so I did.
Another great find this year was the Gobblin' Gourmet. Funnel cakes like you've never heard or seen and my wife chooses the plain old regular funnel cake. Take note because I think this might be the first time she's ever turned down the chance to eat something called "Chocolate Obsession. A big bonus at this stand was discovering its owners and operators are Robin Smith and Adrian West, long time friends and supporters of Camp Kanata. A pleasant surprise to say the least!
Did I mention I ran 5 miles yesterday? We all need our releases and moments of indulgence.
Ryan
The road goes ever on and on...
Day 78: 1 mile.
Day 79: 1 mile.
Day 80: 2 miles.
Day 81: 1 mile.
It's getting colder outside and our house is starting to smell of winter. Warm air pours out of the vents with the faint hint of smoke from dust collected since spring. The smell of food seems to hang around longer as light dishes turn to heavier fare for the longer nights. The sky is a pale grey today and it feels cold despite the fact that I have not ventured outside.
For almost three months I've run at least a mile every day. I started this whole endeavor in order to break out of a rut I feared would ruin me and it worked. Each mile showed me I could change, that the path ahead of me would be what I made of it and it need not make me. I've driven my wife crazy, been through mud, rain and a half marathon in the last 3 months and I would change not a thing. But, even wonderful things must shift and transform as time marches on.
I haven't ventured outside today because I feel like crap. My body aches, my throat is scratchy, my head and chest are congested and I spent most of last night in a tossing, turning, semi-sleep in which the Independent Weekly was somehow involved in an elaborate plan to alleviate my symptoms through a series of safe-houses and helpful families. Believe me, it doesn't make any more sense to me than it does to you.
So, in answer to all the people who inquired "What do you do if you're sick?" when I started this streak, I now have the answer. I end it. I've brought up the idea of running a quick mile two or three times today and this is the conversation which transpires:
Me: I think I can run a mile today.
Body: [incredulously] Really?
Me: Yeah, I think so. I'm feeling much better and the fresh air would feel good.
Body: OK. If you want to spend another feverish night with dreams where you're Richard Nixon in 1970s Chile eating pork and avocado sandwhiches that's a great idea.
Me: ...That's what might happen?
Body: Yes. That or you'll think your pillow is a giant rancid marshmallow and you'll eat it with salt and vinegar.
Me: OK, no mile today.
So the streak comes to an end. I don't intend to quit running or writing but the overall impetus for both will shift. I think it's time. With winter in the air it's time to make some changes of my own. I plan to start training for my second half marathon in January and another mud run seems to be in the cards as well. The drive, motivation and spirit remain the same, the vehicle, the process must change.
"The road goes ever on and on, down from the door where it began." -J.R.R. Tolkein
Ryan
Day 79: 1 mile.
Day 80: 2 miles.
Day 81: 1 mile.
It's getting colder outside and our house is starting to smell of winter. Warm air pours out of the vents with the faint hint of smoke from dust collected since spring. The smell of food seems to hang around longer as light dishes turn to heavier fare for the longer nights. The sky is a pale grey today and it feels cold despite the fact that I have not ventured outside.
For almost three months I've run at least a mile every day. I started this whole endeavor in order to break out of a rut I feared would ruin me and it worked. Each mile showed me I could change, that the path ahead of me would be what I made of it and it need not make me. I've driven my wife crazy, been through mud, rain and a half marathon in the last 3 months and I would change not a thing. But, even wonderful things must shift and transform as time marches on.
I haven't ventured outside today because I feel like crap. My body aches, my throat is scratchy, my head and chest are congested and I spent most of last night in a tossing, turning, semi-sleep in which the Independent Weekly was somehow involved in an elaborate plan to alleviate my symptoms through a series of safe-houses and helpful families. Believe me, it doesn't make any more sense to me than it does to you.
So, in answer to all the people who inquired "What do you do if you're sick?" when I started this streak, I now have the answer. I end it. I've brought up the idea of running a quick mile two or three times today and this is the conversation which transpires:
Me: I think I can run a mile today.
Body: [incredulously] Really?
Me: Yeah, I think so. I'm feeling much better and the fresh air would feel good.
Body: OK. If you want to spend another feverish night with dreams where you're Richard Nixon in 1970s Chile eating pork and avocado sandwhiches that's a great idea.
Me: ...That's what might happen?
Body: Yes. That or you'll think your pillow is a giant rancid marshmallow and you'll eat it with salt and vinegar.
Me: OK, no mile today.
So the streak comes to an end. I don't intend to quit running or writing but the overall impetus for both will shift. I think it's time. With winter in the air it's time to make some changes of my own. I plan to start training for my second half marathon in January and another mud run seems to be in the cards as well. The drive, motivation and spirit remain the same, the vehicle, the process must change.
"The road goes ever on and on, down from the door where it began." -J.R.R. Tolkein
Ryan
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Red and Yellow, Black and White...Jesus Loves the Runners of the World
Day 76: 1 mile.
Day 77: 3.5 miles.
Getting out the front door and heading out for a run without regard to time or distance was amazing. I loved training for a half marathon but I missed the freedom of running for its own sake. Yesterday was a return to that freedom and it felt good.
I wish I'd had a camera during the half marathon last weekend. The sights around downtown Raleigh were great but the people around me were even more interesting. A collection of 3,200 people will inevitably include some crazies and the City of Oaks was no exception. What struck me most in the first two miles was the diversity of the collected crowd. Senior citizens and high school students. Men and women. Every ethnicity and race. All levels of physical fitness. I'd always considered the marathon crowd to be incredibly fit and zealously serious. Instead I encountered a group more akin to one I'd see at the mall or at the movies.
The mass of humanity at the start of the race made me take another look at this sport I've jumped into. I grew up playing tee-ball and soccer and I never excelled in either. Tee-ball exists because of kids like me: slow, uncoordinated, severely lacking in motivation. Despite the tailored fit of the sport I still managed to whiff the stationary ball. Though I grew up and gained some coordination and competitive spirit, I struggled to find the drive to practice and improve my skills outside of practice. Soccer was fun but it didn't make me want to change my habits. Running held a different appeal. No fancy equipment needed other than a pair of shoes. Roads, sidewalks and trails weave through the landscape to the point where we no longer see them. No balls, bats or goals to worry about. No one yelling "USE YOUR CHEST!" during a run.
I'm hard pressed to think of a more egalitarian sport. Anyone can play, all you have to do is start. Hell people aren't even using shoes anymore. You can wear what you want, sing to yourself along the way, swing your feet out at odd angles, huff and puff yourself up a hill and all that matters is that you're moving forward. There can and will be pain and even some disappointment along the way but that happens even when you're standing still.
As I'm writing this I'm hearing a part of me--the cynical, grumpy-old-man part--screaming "This is so cliche! So cloying! Can't you think of anything original to say? This is drivel." I have to admit he's right. I could poke fun at the ridiculous outfits and insane rituals people go through for the sport. I could lament the watering down of competition and rail against the "everyone gets a medal" mentality.
There are, however, thousands of others doing just that. I'd rather lift up the hopeful aspects of something I've come to enjoy and love rather than break it down with the feeble hope that someone cares about my thoughts. So I'll keep running and I look forward to seeing every aspect of humanity on display in the miles to come.
Ryan
Day 77: 3.5 miles.
Getting out the front door and heading out for a run without regard to time or distance was amazing. I loved training for a half marathon but I missed the freedom of running for its own sake. Yesterday was a return to that freedom and it felt good.
I wish I'd had a camera during the half marathon last weekend. The sights around downtown Raleigh were great but the people around me were even more interesting. A collection of 3,200 people will inevitably include some crazies and the City of Oaks was no exception. What struck me most in the first two miles was the diversity of the collected crowd. Senior citizens and high school students. Men and women. Every ethnicity and race. All levels of physical fitness. I'd always considered the marathon crowd to be incredibly fit and zealously serious. Instead I encountered a group more akin to one I'd see at the mall or at the movies.
The mass of humanity at the start of the race made me take another look at this sport I've jumped into. I grew up playing tee-ball and soccer and I never excelled in either. Tee-ball exists because of kids like me: slow, uncoordinated, severely lacking in motivation. Despite the tailored fit of the sport I still managed to whiff the stationary ball. Though I grew up and gained some coordination and competitive spirit, I struggled to find the drive to practice and improve my skills outside of practice. Soccer was fun but it didn't make me want to change my habits. Running held a different appeal. No fancy equipment needed other than a pair of shoes. Roads, sidewalks and trails weave through the landscape to the point where we no longer see them. No balls, bats or goals to worry about. No one yelling "USE YOUR CHEST!" during a run.
I'm hard pressed to think of a more egalitarian sport. Anyone can play, all you have to do is start. Hell people aren't even using shoes anymore. You can wear what you want, sing to yourself along the way, swing your feet out at odd angles, huff and puff yourself up a hill and all that matters is that you're moving forward. There can and will be pain and even some disappointment along the way but that happens even when you're standing still.
As I'm writing this I'm hearing a part of me--the cynical, grumpy-old-man part--screaming "This is so cliche! So cloying! Can't you think of anything original to say? This is drivel." I have to admit he's right. I could poke fun at the ridiculous outfits and insane rituals people go through for the sport. I could lament the watering down of competition and rail against the "everyone gets a medal" mentality.
There are, however, thousands of others doing just that. I'd rather lift up the hopeful aspects of something I've come to enjoy and love rather than break it down with the feeble hope that someone cares about my thoughts. So I'll keep running and I look forward to seeing every aspect of humanity on display in the miles to come.
Ryan
Monday, November 8, 2010
First Half Marathon: Complete.
Day 72: 1 mile.
Day 73: 1 mile.
Day 74: 13.1 miles. Time: 1:56:47. Pace: 8:55.
Day 75: 1 mile.
Short but sweet today. I finished and with a much better time than anticipated. Couldn't be happier and I'm very thankful for Katie, my mom and my dad who made it that much easier.
Big shout out to all the Go To Hell Mel team members that ran and cheered as well. I've written about Ted's story before and I was so thankful to be a part of such an awesome group. Please consider donating to the Melanoma Research Foundation after you check out the story.
I want to write in detail about my experience but it's going to take some time. Seems to be something I (and everyone else) lack these days.
'Til then.
Ryan
Day 73: 1 mile.
Day 74: 13.1 miles. Time: 1:56:47. Pace: 8:55.
Day 75: 1 mile.
Big shout out to all the Go To Hell Mel team members that ran and cheered as well. I've written about Ted's story before and I was so thankful to be a part of such an awesome group. Please consider donating to the Melanoma Research Foundation after you check out the story.
I want to write in detail about my experience but it's going to take some time. Seems to be something I (and everyone else) lack these days.
'Til then.
Ryan
Friday, November 5, 2010
The Final Countdown
Day 62: 5 miles.
Day 63: 3 miles.
Day 64: 5 miles.
Day 65: 1 mile.
Day 66: 1 mile.
Day 67: 10 miles.
Day 68: 1 mile.
Day 69: 1 mile. Gave blood.
Day 70: 3 miles.
Day 71: 2 miles.
Clearly I've been gone from this for some time. Life caught up to Katie and me and we've been keeping our heads down while we get things where they need to be. The house was a mess, report cards needed to be written and I built a bookshelf out of wood I salvaged from Camp Kanata. While I love writing and I like keeping everyone informed via this blog, other things took precedence.
At 7AM Sunday morning I'll take off for 13.1 miles of pure joy, adrenaline and, some would say, stupidity. I'm hoping the forecast temperature of 33 degrees is of by 10 or 15 but I'm going to be out there with a smile on my face and butterflies in my stomach regardless. One mile today, one mile Saturday and I'll be good to go.
After Sunday I'm hoping to get back to a more regular schedule of updates. As I said before, I've got some thoughts bouncing around and I need to get them out of my head before something gets broken.
And now, cue the music...
Ryan
Day 63: 3 miles.
Day 64: 5 miles.
Day 65: 1 mile.
Day 66: 1 mile.
Day 67: 10 miles.
Day 68: 1 mile.
Day 69: 1 mile. Gave blood.
Day 70: 3 miles.
Day 71: 2 miles.
Clearly I've been gone from this for some time. Life caught up to Katie and me and we've been keeping our heads down while we get things where they need to be. The house was a mess, report cards needed to be written and I built a bookshelf out of wood I salvaged from Camp Kanata. While I love writing and I like keeping everyone informed via this blog, other things took precedence.
At 7AM Sunday morning I'll take off for 13.1 miles of pure joy, adrenaline and, some would say, stupidity. I'm hoping the forecast temperature of 33 degrees is of by 10 or 15 but I'm going to be out there with a smile on my face and butterflies in my stomach regardless. One mile today, one mile Saturday and I'll be good to go.
After Sunday I'm hoping to get back to a more regular schedule of updates. As I said before, I've got some thoughts bouncing around and I need to get them out of my head before something gets broken.
And now, cue the music...
Ryan
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