Warm, Happy Thoughts

Due to the polar vortex that has gripped WI, I have decided to turn my attention to memories of warmer days ... in late June ... during our honeymoon in Belize. (This is even more appropriate as this past Sunday was our six month anniversary.)

Our first stay in Belize was on Caye Caulker, a small island off the coast.

We chose Caye Caulker for a couple reasons. First, it is small and we read that no cars (only golf carts) are allowed. Second, it lacked the hustle and bustle of San Pedro, a larger island further north. Also, the unofficial motto of the island is: Go Slow.

There is not much to the island. There is one main area with shops and some places to eat. There are also a bunch of scuba diving/snorkeling/boating outfits for the tourists.

The main drag on the island, after a rain storm.

The food was amazing. Obviously, there was a lot of fresh seafood and we tried to eat as much of it as possible. Also, the other big attraction on the island are the watering holes ... and there a bunch of them. Rum punch and other Caribbean drinks galore ... with happy hours that seem to last all day.
There are a few hotels on the island. Fortunately, we found an Air B&B that was located off the beaten path on the southern part of the island, but only a 10 minute walk from the main drag.

The Hummingbirds. We stayed in the one on the right.

The place was amazing. The woman and her husband who owned them were nothing short of delightful and super friendly. It had air conditioning and all the amenities we could have hoped for to make our stay even more relaxing.

Selfie before the storm.

While on the island, we did not do much. We had planned to go snorkeling once and maybe do a boat trip of some sort a second day, but the weather did not cooperate completely. We only managed to go snorkeling, which I'll talk about in next week's post.

New Challenge

This year, there will be no Wisconsin Run Challenge. In fact, last year, we scrapped the challenge once I signed up for the Green Bay Marathon.

This year, there is a different challenge of sorts. This one involves our waistlines.

Since I stopped running on a regular basis, the waistline has grown and the pounds have returned. On May 12, about a week before the Green Bay Marathon, I bottomed out at 176.2. According to my most recent adventure on the scale, the digits now tell me I am fast approaching 190!

It might be a bit of a reach, but I would love to be able to work myself down to about 170 by the time the Green Bay Marathon (May 21)! That is nearly 20 pounds in about five short months!

I have been thinking about this ... running without 20 extra pounds! Pick up two ten pound dumbbells, jog or walk around your block. Once home, put the dumbbells down and run that same route. What a difference! (I'm not 100% sure this is the perfect analogy, but I like to think of it this way.) Such a difference that I am very keen on the idea of losing the weight.

What does this mean?

The first 10 should not be that hard. If we cut out most the delicious sweets we have been eating and reduce our sugar intake, I'm sure we'll see quick results. The challenging part becomes the next 10 pounds.

The next 10, to go from about 180 to 170, will involve healthier meals, smaller portions, and an insane amount of self control. Jody and I have talked about establishing weekly meal plans for dinner ... and sticking to the plans. Fortunately, we do not eat out that often, so cutting back on "easy" or "fun" dinners should not be that hard (at least for me, Jody may find it more challenging because of all her travelling during her busy season). I would also like to include "cheat" days or "guilt-free" dinners. That is, a night where we do go out and order that burger with the egg on top or buy a pizza from Sendick's. But these days must kept to a minimum.

Now that I am trying to return to this blog with some regularity, I may post updates on this new challenge. Hopefully, it will be my way to guilt myself into eating better and exercising more ... so I can brag to the few of you that I set a tough goal and accomplished it!

The Runner Returns ... Sort of...

Like my running, this blog has been neglect for several months. Quite a bit has happened these past several months. In September, there was a two-and-half week trip to China (no running there) and school started. Add to this, cooler, darker mornings and the motivation to run has fallen completely by the wayside.

Sure, I've had the occasional run, anywhere from 3-6 miles, but nothing done consistently. On Thanksgiving, I ran 4.0 mile race in Akron, OH (though my watch said it was only 3.8 miles), but that has been the one bright spot so far.

It is time to get back at it! The waistline is trending in the wrong direction. I have already started to plant my 2017 carrots.

A few weeks ago, I signed up for the Door County Half Marathon. This will be the third year in a row  I run this race. It is a great atmosphere and wonderful course.

I have my work cut out for me this year. Last year, my goal was to run a sub-2 hour race. I did that, finishing in 1:57:24. Ideally, I would like to run this next race as close to 1:50:00 as possible.

What this means is that I need to get off my butt in the mornings and start logging miles. I'm not talking 9 or 12 miles here and there, but regular runs of 4, 5, or 6 miles would do the body good. I need to establish a base that way, when the calendar turns to 2017, I can pick up a solid training routine and not have my body hate me for harder workouts.

Like last year, after Door County, I will also intend to run the Green Bay Marathon. I am absolutely determined to run the race under 5 hours. I was very close last year (5:03:01) but was not happy with the run -- too much walking. I have come to the conclusion that I need a more complete workout regiment that involves extra exercises -- strength training, plyometrics, and yoga -- along with all the running.

Planting the carrots are the first step. The next step is digging deep and running on those dark, cold, and windy mornings. The time to start reaching for those 2017 goals is now!

Belize

For our honeymoon, Jody and I went to Belize for two weeks.

Several factors went into this decision. We had originally considered Portugal or Croatia but could not justify the cost. We also considered other Caribbean destinations such as the Bahamas, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, and Puerto Rico, but knowing that we wanted the trip to be two-weeks, none of these islands seemed large enough for our tastes.

Then Jody's uncle Jim introduced us to Belize. The more we heard and read about it, the more we liked it.

Belize is the only English-speaking country in Central America. It is easily accessible from the States. There are islands and lots of beaches. There is jungle adventure and Mayan ruins in the interior. In short, it had everything what we were looking for in a honeymoon/vacation.

From the "Go Slow" island of Caye Caulker, to the jungle area south of San Ignacio, to the Mayan ruins at Tikal in Guatemala, and back to the coastal resort area of Hopkins; during the next several weeks I will share some of our experiences from Belize.

Wedding Bells

Wow, it has been a few weeks since I created a post. It has been a hectic, but wonderful past few weeks, so you will have to forgive me for the silence. Only recently have I started running again, but for these next few posts, I don't want to talk about those miles.

The big news is (as most of you know ... because you were there), Jody and I got married!

We were married on a perfect day at a park north of Milwaukee. The park was on a bluff that overlooked Lake Michigan.

The reception was one big party with lots of laughs, a few tears of happiness, a bunch of dancing dancing, and just plain fun.

It was amazing to share the day with so many wonderful friends and family who traveled from near and far to celebrate our special occasion.

Green Bay Marathon

I wish I could say that I ran as strong of a race as the one I recently ran in Door County. It didn't happen. With this post, I wish I could say that I paced myself properly at the start and increased my pace as the race progressed. It didn't happen. With this post, I wish I could say that I ran all 26.2 miles without stopping. It didn't happen. With this post, I wish I could say that I broke the 5-hour barrier. It didn't happen.

Despite all these "misses," I'm not hanging my head. My official time of 5:03:01 was just a tick faster than my time in Chicago last October (5:04:36). I felt stronger for Green Bay than I did for Chicago and had a more enjoyable run. So what happened?

On Saturday afternoon, I drove to Green Bay. Unlike last year, Jody was unable to join me for this marathon because of a scheduling conflict. My first stop was Lambeau Field where I picked up my race packet. 

It is hard to tell, but in the bottom center is the marathon expo at Lambeau.

After that, I checked into the hotel, rested for a couple hours, and then headed to dinner. The latter would be at Grazies, where I had two servings of bread, a small bowl of chicken and rice soup, and an enormous plate of spaghetti. Yes, I may have taken "carb loading" to an extreme.

On Sunday, the alarm went off at 4:30 AM. I hit the snooze button once but slid out of bed at 4:45. I was out the door by 6:00 AM and at Lambeau Field ten minutes later.

The race started at 7:00 AM, so I had some time to kill and spent most of it sitting on a curb watching the runners warm up, take photos, and chat with friends and family. I walked around the grounds a little bit and did some light stretching but nothing like I would have had this been a 5K race.

By 7:00 AM, the corrals were mostly full. This race had about 8,000 total runners, but this included the half-marathoners. For the marathon, there were 1289 men and 1290 women.

In the corral, waiting for the race to start.

I started in corral/wave D, at roughly the 12:00 min/mi pace area. However, as soon as we started, I moved up and approached the 11:26 min/mi pace group (which is a 5 hour finish). I would regret this decision later.

The course is flat. Chicago Marathon flat. It winds through friendly neighborhoods, follows the Fox River Trail for about six miles, does a lap around City Stadium at mile 18 (where the Packers played from 1925-1956), and culminates with a lap around the grass at Lambeau Field.

Like Chicago last October, I started out strong. Too strong. Despite being more more mindful of my pace in the early miles, I still let my ego get the better of me. Instead of hanging back with the 12:00 min/mi pace ground for the first half of the race, I pushed myself to keep within eye shot of the 4:45 finish group (a 10:52 min/mi pace). Ideally, I would have hung with the 5:00 hour pace group, but I quickly found the pace leader to be too annoying to tolerate for any extended period of time. This group used a combination of walking and running with their commander-in-chief barking out orders ("and we're walking at a brisk pace..." or "and we are running ... but don't push it"). Besides, one of my goals was to run the whole race (water stations being the exception).

Instead, I ran ahead of this group but behind the 4:45 group for the first 15 miles. But soon after we crossed the halfway point, I started to slow. I watched as the 4:45 group disappeared around a corner, never to be seen again. 

By mile 20, my quads and hips were begging me to stop running. There was a growing soreness in my lower-right back, and I was fighting a slight side stitch on my right side. Also, my stomach did not feel the greatest. At mile 22, I could run no further and started to walk.

Who would have thought that a run in Green Bay on May 22 would be on one of the warmest days of the year so far? Well, it was. From the first step until the last one, there was not a single cloud in the sky and by the mid-race point, the temperatures were approaching the lower-70s. As the course weaved its way through the neighborhoods, there were stretches of shade, but there were also stretches of intense sun exposure.

I have always struggled running when the sky is completely clear and the sun beaming down on me. Unless it is 40 degrees or cooler, I get frustrated at the relentless rays and lose focus. I start to slouch and cower away from that bright shining star, which causes my running form to collapse. When this happens, every mile feels like 5 miles and all I want to do is curl up into a ball and take a nap under a shady tree. This is what happened on Sunday. Miles 22-26.2 were a complete struggle -- mental and physical.

By mile 22, I heard the booming voice of the 5:00 hour group leader. I had lost the 6 minute cushion I had built up from earlier in the race. I managed to keep ahead of the 5:00 hour group until about mile 24. For a few fleeting steps, I thought I could keep pace with the few runners still remaining in the group. Nope. They soon disappeared around a corner.

The final 2.2 miles were a blur. I did manage to run all the way around Lambeau Field before succumbing to a few walking steps less than 100 yards from the finish line. A final push let me run the last 50 or so yards to the finish line.

Overall, this was not my best race nor was it my worst one. I felt better and stronger than the Chicago marathon. As I write this, a day after the marathon, my legs are not nearly as sore as they were the morning after Chicago. This leads me to believe that my inability to run for longer stretches was more mental than physical.

There is much more work to be done for me to break the 5-hour mark. I will try again next year. Where and when, I don't know yet, but after running two marathons in 70 and 80 degree temperatures, a marathon in Alaska doesn't sound so bad.

Post-race selfie. It's kind of a part-smile, part-grimace, part-squint. 

And then there was one...

One week to go before the Green Bay Marathon.

What's my plan this week? Fortunately, I have enough grading on my plate to keep me busy and distracted. But there will be a few miles here and there.

On Saturday, I ran my last "long" run before the marathon ... a wonderful 8 miles. Instead of running these miles as fast as I could to get them over with, I ran the 8 miles at my projected marathon pace -- somewhere between 10:30 min/mi and 11:00 min/mi. I admit, it is often difficult to govern myself to run at this pace. I imagine it will be even harder in Green Bay when the adrenaline is flowing for those first few miles. For the most part, I did okay with the 8 miles, but there were a couple quicker miles which might get me in trouble on Sunday.

On Monday morning, I ran 3 miles at my marathon pace. On Tuesday, I will run another 3 miles (also at my marathon pace). And on Wednesday, it will be 2 miles. Thursday and Friday will be rest days. On Saturday morning, before I drive to Green Bay, I will run 2 miles to get out some nervous jitters and remind the legs what they have in store for them on Sunday.

The other big component for this week is my diet. Almost everyone has heard of carb loading before a long run, which mean a big plate of pasta the night before the race.

Although I intend to have a hearty meal the night before the race, I have read in a couple places where carb loading should begin a few days before the race. I'm not going to drastically change my eating habits this week -- now is not a good time to mess with the diet -- but starting on Wednesday, I am going to reduce my fiber intake and increase the amount of carbs I eat. This will probably mean more oatmeal for breakfast, followed by a bagel for a morning snack. I will also incorporate rice and rolls for dinner. I have no idea if these subtle changes will make any difference, but I'll be perfectly happy if they have a placebo effect.

And then there are elements that are beyond my control, namely Mother Nature...

Several weeks ago, as a cold spell gripped Milwaukee, I joked that there would be ice and snow in Green Bay for the marathon. I as write this and look at the forecast for Sunday, I could only wish for cooler temperatures. The forecast as of Monday is not looking ideal for a race:

The race starts at 7 AM, so it will not be too bad for the first half of the race, but the relentless sun may take its toll by mile 20. I must remember to pack the sunscreen and a hat. I am toast if I forget either of them.

For the few of you who read this post, you may track my progress during the race. To do this, visit this website: http://www.cellcomgreenbaymarathon.com/track-your-runner/#/tracker/R7EHP63L. My bib number will be 1545.

Door County Half-Marathon Revisited

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the progress I had made with my training. This past weekend was a true test of this training as Jody and I returned to Door Country for the Door County Half-Marathon and Nicolet Bay 5K.

This was our second visit Emphraim, WI for these races. I wrote about last year's experience in a July post titled "It's Supposed to Be Fun, Right?" In that post, I relived my unfortunate experience of crashing into the proverbial wall at the 12 mile mark:

I watched in vain as the 10:15 pacers, with whom I had started the race, disappeared around the bend. I kept shaking my head. Frustrated is putting it kindly.

I walked for a half mile before mustering the energy to run the last half mile. I ignored my watch. I tried to enjoy the moment as I crossed the finish line.

Despite the crash, I still had a PR for my half-marathon time, finishing in 2:11:45. Not bad knowing that when I registered for the event I thought 2:30:00 would be okay.

What a difference a year makes.

This time, the wall did not stop me and I set a new PR for my half-marathon time and shaved nearly 15 minutes off of last year's race time.

Unlike last year, this year, I started with the 9:05 pacers (these are one or two runners that typically hold signs with the mile per hour pace (or in some cases the projected finish time) on them for most or all of the entire race). My goal was to start with the 9:05 pace group and then work my way up to the 9:00 min/mi pace group.

Pacers (not Door County).

One of the challenges of running with pace groups is that they are typically congested with runners. For someone, like myself, who likes to run in a bit of space, these are not the ideal spots to be in. Where most runners run behind the pace group, I found the ideal location was in front of them. I could maintain my pace by listening to the pacers talk (and they talked non-stop while I was with them) or I could see their shadows.

I ran with this pace group for about the first 5 miles, until we reached the first climb, at which, I picked up my pace and left them behind me ... never to see them again on this run. Alas, they served me well by keeping me from burning out the first few miles like I did last year.

The rest of the race was fairly smooth sailing. At the half-way point, I was at roughly 0:57:00 ... well under my goal for a sub-2:00 hour race. I had a few moments when my knees started to bother me but I chose to run through this discomfort rather than stop and stretch them like I have done on long runs in Milwaukee. Despite the slight discomfort in my knees, I felt strong and relaxed.

At mile 11, I met up with Jody and she ran with me for a short bit. Her timing was perfect as we had our picture taken by a race photographer.

 

Then I reached mile 12 ... my nemesis point last year. I only smiled this year as I had no thoughts to slow down and start walking. In fact, I was even able to give the camera guy a thumbs up during this stretch.

It was also at mile 12 where I first noticed the 9:00 min/mi pace group! Once I caught up with them, I ran with them for a few minutes before deciding that I had more left in my tank and could pass them. It was not long before I could no longer hear their voices.

Where last year the final 1.1 miles seemed to take forever to arrive, this year, I found myself quickly approaching the finish line. One final burst of energy led to a quasi-sprint across the finish line: 1:57:25!

There is no doubt in my mind that training for the Green Bay Marathon resulted in the success of this race. Had I been focused solely on this run, I probably would have picked a training regiment that was not as rigorous. Alas, while I am very proud of my accomplishment, I know I still have one more big race to go as the Green Bay Marathon looms in two weeks.

As for Door County, Jody and I have already discussed returning next year. The challenge, however, becomes setting a new goal. This year's goal was a relatively easy target -- a sub-2:00 hour race. Aiming for a 1:49:00 would be wonderful but this might be a stretch given that this about an 8:18 min/mi pace, which would require a level of training dedication that I'm not sure I can commit to, especially during the winter months. A 1:55:00 might be much more realistic as it would be an 8:46 min/mi pace. We'll see. For now, I need to turn my attention to two final weeks of preparation runs before Green Bay.

Famous Last Words

In last week's post, I wrote that "The wall shall not stop me." Well, I must eat these words. On Sunday, the wall did stop me. In fact, I crashed into the wall like I have never crashed before.

The goal for Sunday was 24 miles. A couple weeks ago, I ran probably the strongest 22 miles I have ever run.

I was confident after running a strong 22 miles that 24 miles would not be a problem. Last week's 13-miler only further boosted my confidence.

I was really looking forward to this run. I started to carb load in the middle of the week. I had my route all planned. And, for the first time in forever, the weather was going to be awesome -- clear skies and warm ... maybe too warm.

At about 8 AM, Jody and I left the house. She joined me for the fist three miles. Once I left her side, the next nine miles were uneventful. I had to stop and stretch a couple times, but nothing that I had not done on previous runs.

At the 12.5 mile mark, I met up with Jody again who provided me another bottle of water and filled up my two little 9-ounce bottles (one is a diluted mixture of Gatorade and water) that I carry in my running belt. By this point, my pace had slowed.

The cloudless day and warmer temperature -- nearly 70 degrees by the halfway point -- was starting to take its toll. Also, Jody noticed that I had only drank less than half of each of my two bottles of water. But I pushed on, ready for the second half of my run.

Soon after leaving Jody, I noticed that I was having a hard time swallowing -- an indicator that I was becoming dehydrated. The inevitable was about to happen.

At mile 14.3 I briefly stopped. I couldn't explain it other than the body just said "I need a break." I relented but after a couple minutes, I started shuffling my feet again. I could not say I was out of the woods, but I felt good knowing that my break was not a long one. A mile later was a different story. At the 15.4 mile, the body could run no more. My legs felt like they were in concrete and there was no energy to keep them turning.

Although I had intended to run a few miles further South, I decided to turn around and make my way back home. After walking for a little bit, I tried to run again. Nope. Not happening. A few tenths of a mile later, I raised the white flag and acknowledged that I was in for a long walk home (at the point I stopped, I was over 8 miles from the house).

I then decided to do what I have never done before: I called Jody and asked for a lift home.

So, what happened? Simple: dehydration. How do I know? Two numbers: 181.8 and 172.4. Prior to my run, I weighed 181.8 pounds. After I got home, I weighed 172.4! Yes, I lost nearly ten pounds in just over 17 miles. Not good. The lack of water in my system meant that my body struggled to handle the sugar that I consumed in the form of the two GUs and diluted Gatorade. In short, my stomach was not happy.

It is amazing what a difference warmer weather makes when running. One might think that a clear day and Spring temperatures would be a welcome change for running. I beg to differ. I'm not saying that I would like it to snow again, but I already miss running in 40 degrees.

Next week, I am schedule to run 13 miles and the week after that I have one more 20-mile run before the marathon. I will use these last two long runs to work on my hydration so I can avoid another situation where I must raise the white flag.

Results

A few weeks ago, I wrote about my decreasing waistline as a positive sign of my training for the Green Bay Marathon. In fact, since that post, I have crossed the 180 threshold and had more days below 180 than above it. This week, I want to write about another type of result...

In March 2015, I ran my first 13.1 miles as I prepared for Door County. It was a grind of a run.

I remember by the end of the run, I could barely hold myself upright and my feet were shuffling along the ground as I inched my way to what seemed like an impossible distance.

Then there was Door County in May of that year...

By no means a bad race, but as I have written about before, I hit the wall hard during the last mile and had to walk. My time was more of the benefit of going out too hard rather than running a smart race.

Four months later, I ran a very smart Madison min-marathon...

This was slower than Door County because I paced myself so much better. I was much happier with the result of this run than the Door County race simply because I did not burn myself out in the early miles and felt strong for the entire race.

Prior to the Chicago Marathon, I would run 13.1 miles one more time but this was more of a leisurely long-run than an attempt to set any records. Alas, the run felt solid and I was officially set for Chicago.

Since the Chicago Marathon, I did not run 13 miles again until this past February, where I decided to run a hard 13.1 and see if I could improve on my time, which I did...

 

In less than a year, I managed to knock 7 minutes off my time and improve my pace by nearly 30 seconds per mile. Obviously, this is nothing to be disappointed about.

A few days ago, however, I looked at the goals I had set for myself at the beginning of the year. One of these goals was to run a half-marathon in 2:05:00.

This past Sunday, I decided to see where I was at in terms of my half-marathon time and my goal.

From the start, I pushed myself. I wanted to run a comfortably hard "race" with the goal being anything below a 9:30 min/mi pace, but ideally I wanted to get as close to a 9:00 min/mi pace as possible.

I could not have been any happier with the results:

For the first time, I ran a sub-2-hour half-marathon! This is even more surprising knowing that I had to stop twice to stretch my quads in order to alleviate pain in my knees (something the guy at the running store says is due to a "muscle imbalance"). In the process of this run, I set several PRs:

As Door County Half and the Green Bay Marathon approach, what I have taken away from this training cycle is that the body can endure more than I thought it could handle. Sure, I am stronger this year than last and the cooler temperatures have allowed me to pick up the pace without worrying about dehydration, but I am more prepared now to run through that wall. During my training, I have sought to push myself even when the legs grow tired and the body asks for a break. The wall shall not stop me. Even with the 13.1 mile run this past weekend, I had a couple moments where I felt myself slowing down but managed to dig deep and pick up the pace. Training for a big race can be frustrating and difficult to do because it requires so much time, effort, and self-motivation, but seeing results makes it all worth the effort.

Waistline

Last year, as I prepared for the Chicago marathon, my goal was to lose 5-10 pounds and reduce my weight to about 180. Although I did not reach this goal, I was close. At the time of the marathon, I was about 183. Even following Chicago, I kept at it and tried to reach the 180 mark. In early December, I dipped to one of my lowest weights at 181.4. Then Christmas happened ... and a week-long vacation to Florida. On January 8th, I peaked at 190.6 thanks to a diet of Christmas cookies, fudge, and beer. Yes, that is a quick 10 pounds in about a month!

In late February, there was a noticeable downward trend in the weight once I signed up for the Green Bay marathon (2/12/16) and the weekly miles started to accumulate.

I made a couple minor adjustments to my diet. I cut down on the size of my lunches. Prior to February, I was eating a hearty sandwich usually with a side of pretzels. Now, I am down to a cup of yogurt and a piece of string cheese. I have also reduced my alcohol consumption (blasphemy, I know). I've only had a few beers and couple glasses of wine since early February. Finally, I reduce my sugar intake. I still sneak in the occasional piece of candy, but Jody and I have drastically cut back on our post-dinner dessert.

These changes have paid off. On March 11th, I touched 180.8. The weight jumped a little bit after Jody and I went wedding cake testing.

One of the places from which we cake tested how to cancel our in-person appointment. She gave us this instead.

Once we finished the cake and I cranked out two weeks where I averaged 30 miles, the weight is as low has it has ever been. Today, after my 13.1 mile run, I weighed in at 178.6. Sure, I was dehydrated and had nothing in my stomach, but let's not get caught up in the details....

Overall, I'm not frustrated that I gained the weight during my off-season, that is to be expected. I enjoyed myself during the holidays and while on vacation. What is surprising is that it did not take a drastic change in the diet for the pounds to return and it has taken has taken nearly three months to kick the pounds back out the door.

The Long Run

This past weekend, a friend, whom I have not seen in ten years, and his wife visited from out of town. During their visit, we started talking about running. Many years ago, he ran a couple marathons but commented that he got extremely bored with the distance. He asked me how I coped with the long runs. This is not a new question. Jody has asked me on several occasions what I think about when I am running long distances.

I really do not have a good answer for the question. To sum it all up in a few words, I would have to say "a little bit of everything" comes and goes as the miles accumulate.

For example, yesterday, I ran 17 miles.

I cannot recall half of what went through my head during the 3 hours it took me to run the route. I know I thought about school and upcoming tasks that I should do while on Spring Break. I know I thought how to respond to a reviewer's comments of an article that a colleague submitted for publication. I know I thought a couple students who recently emailed me. I know I thought a little bit about the wedding and task that still need to be done. I know I think about Jody. I know I thought about needing to do laundry at some point when I got home, despite knowing that I would be very tired and weary. I know I thought about the Green Bay Marathon and what it would take to run all 26.2 miles without stopping.

But other thoughts focused more on the current situation. I was thinking about traffic, always cognizant of needing to move to the curb or run on the sidewalk. Fortunately, the morning after the time change, there was very little. I know I thought about my route and where to turn next. I know I thought about the odds of catching certain green lights or needing to halt my progress at a red light. I know I thought about the distance and how far I still had to go. I tried to not think this very thought. I know I tried to tell myself to minimize looking at my watch to check the distance and my pace. I know I tried to relax myself on several occasions as my legs grew tired. I know I tried to tell myself to run by feel. I know I repeatedly said that my pace was irrelevant and that my overall time did not matter. I know I cursed a few times when my knees started to hurt less than halfway through the run.

Last year, when I was training for the Chicago Marathon, I had two 20-mile long runs that were not fun experiences. I was flat out miserable at times. In hindsight, I tried to run these long runs too fast and crashed before I know what hit me. Today, I focused on not worrying about my time or pace ... at least that is what I thought I kept telling myself. In fact, as my knees started to scream at me, I did something that I would never have thought to do last year, I told myself to stop and stretch, which I did on 9 different occasions during the run. It paid off. After each brief stretching session (about a minute or so), my knees returned to normal and I felt loose again -- I was able to start running without angst flowing through the body. I know I felt relieved after these short stops. I was able to enjoy the run ... the rain did not bother me ... my thoughts did not stop me; they propelled me as I made my final push to the 17 mile marker.

Memories and Horses

For this post, I am going to take a break from talking about running and focus on something completely different...

I teach at the School of Information Studies (SOIS) program at the University Wisconsin - Milwaukee. I teach classes pertaining to archives and records and information management.

In some of the weekly conversations with my students, we discuss issues related to memory, history, and cultural identity.

Let me put it another way. The few of you who read this blog most likely have digital cameras. What happens with all those photos that you take during your vacation, of your kids, or while you are out on the town with friends? Do you put them on Facebook, on another site like Picasa or Flickr, and/or do you download them to your computer? Regardless of what you do, what would happen if your computer crashes and you have no backup? Although highly unlikely, what would happen if Facebook or Flickr were to shut their doors tomorrow? What are the consequences of losing those pictures?

Yes, we would be devastated. It sucks. We might shed a few tears, but what are we losing? A good friend of mine once wrote that documents, such as photographs and emails, are touchstones, or triggers to memory. We look at the photograph or email and we recall the events that were transpiring at the moment that scene was captured. So, by losing those photographs, we potentially lose some of our connections to the past. With digital information, we can create a million different touchstones seemingly in an instance, but in the blink of an eye, these triggers may be lost forever.

However, I now wonder if we are too busy creating triggers that we believe will help us remember and, in a sense, this will be detrimental to our memory.

Look at the following picture. What do you see?

I'm sure we have all encountered this at concerts or sporting events, where the majority of people seem to be staring at their phones, trying to record the action, rather than watching the action. I would also guess that several of us have all been guilty of doing this as well. I sure am.

An astute reader of the magazine made a very interesting comment about this cover, saying "In looking at your cover, I couldn't help but wonder how many of the people pictured are going to someday wish they had a memory of actually seeing American Pharaoh cross the finish line instead of looking at their cellphones."

Several years ago, when I was living in Vancouver, a good friend of mine visited me for a week. Of course, he brought his digital camera. Unfortunately, during his visit, his camera "died." Panic set in and, obviously, he was upset, thinking that he had lost all the pictures he had taken to that point, not to mention hundreds of other images that he had yet to back up from the memory card. As we climbed over some rocks on Pender Island, I remarked that while the pictures would be nice, they can never do justice to how you remember the event or place. (On a happy note, my friend was able to recover all the pictures from the camera.)

Not Pender Island. Apparently, I did not take any scenic photos from that trip. This image is from the ferry coming back to Vancouver, BC from the Sunshine Coast.

Despite our ability to seemingly record every second of our lives, even if we did so, would we vividly and accurately remember these experiences? In short, I want to spend more time enjoying the scenery with my own two eyes, nose, and ears and less time worrying if the scene is in focus on my camera. The experience will be much more memorable.