mattw

Still raining. Started at 4:30 am, and I wasn't able to go back to sleep. It is in the low 30s, but not below freezing, so just the cold rain. I wimped out on biking to work. I can still claim I'm getting over the stomach flu that hit me Monday night and knocked me out for two days. Drove to work yesterday too as I really didn't have enough strength to ride. Just as well as I had to pick up my race packet for tomorrow's half marathon. I am one of the two-hour pace group leaders. Running buddy Tim is the other. We, along with another buddy who has since moved away, were, and kind of still are, known as the BARFers. Fitting, given my week of nausea. In the tent, the volunteers were well organized and remember to give me my bonus PACER t-shirt. A couple more of these and I'll have enough to form my own Indianapolis basketball team. They have extra shirts and hoodies from previous years for sale: $5 each. A good deal for a quality hoodie. I consider getting one each for the kids, but then the guy tells me their credit card machine is down. When I do carry cash, it disappears quickly. I think the RD just needs to donate those if they don't sell. Next stop - lunch. I call my wife en route. She and kids are watching a movie. She had some of the same stomach problems I did, but a little less intense. We're hoping the kids escape it altogether. The girls have a dance performance next weekend which requires a mandatory all day rehearsal tomorrow. I'll drop them off on my way to the race. Panera - Baja Mac & Cheese ordered on the touch screen, spy a couple of fellas vacating a table by the fireplace, claim it with a blinking pager, wet jacket and gloves and get some water. Next to me is that long table with grandparents, a couple of moms and three grandchildren. They speak of snowy days when they lived in Maryland. Mom tells her daughter about her snow boots that are like the daughter's horse riding boots. "No we can't go riding today. It's too cold and wet for the horses." I ate my carbohydrated food and checked social media, news headlines, and email. Then I downloaded some Christmas music. I've never listened to any one full album from Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Now with these online music subscriptions, I can try almost anything out there. Back to work (okay, maybe write a quick bloop first). Weather forecast says it is supposed to stop raining before the 8am race start and even warm up to above 40 degrees. I kinda hope so. Thinking about running in cold rain for two hours is enough to make me barf.

The holidays are good time for rest and a break from regularly scheduled runs. At least that's what I'm telling myself.

Sounds like you got a good number of adventures in this year too! I hope the winter isn't too harsh.

Bummer. Good that you got the right fit. But as these things go, you know next year's model will be all wrong.

If the kids ever run more than 3 miles at a time and build some endurance they may be smoking me.

Donuts were the main motivation to finish early and get to the front of the line.

Sweet that you could pull off that kind of speed! And with a questionable stomach too.

Hmm, maybe I'll get one for the half marathon pacing gig.

My last bloop was a collection of what I saw while spectating the marathon spectators. I had a pretty good view as I ran the 26.2 miles through and around downtown Charlotte. Training was half-hearted. I didn't put in sufficient weekly miles nor was I consistent at speed work. With everything else going on in life, I was somewhat apathetic about it too. I combined that with a cold 3 days before and a fairly consistent 15 - 20mph wind on race day. To ensure a painful day, I started with the 3:15 pace group who started running 7:10 - 7:15 minutes per mile instead of the 7:25 required for that time. I hit the half in about 1:37, which is right on for a 3:15, but I had already been slowing down and averaging out the "going out too fast" miles. My pace stayed below 8 or low 8s until mile 20 when I slowed to 8:45. From there a few 9 minute miles and a 10:10 on the uphill of mile 26 brought my overall time to 3:34:40. Not the time I hoped for. Not a bad time. Not a BQ. But I completed marathon number 9 and number 5 for Charlotte. Local is easy and cheap I guess. I didn't run again until Thanksgiving day. Turkey Trot time! My wife's sister and her kids came down. I did about a half-mile warm-up, but had no expectations. My son (18) and one of his cousins (15) were smack talking each other before the race. After some traffic dodging I settled into a decent pace around 6:40 for the first mile. I caught my son and he stayed with me for a while. Mile 2 was mostly uphill, slowing me to 6:55. We had both caught the cousin and were all three together for a bit. Mile 3 started downhill so I picked up the pace, leaving the boys. They both went out a bit too fast and were struggling with the distance. Finish time was about 20:30. The boys were only 10 and 15 seconds behind me, with the cousin beating my son. Other family members walked and even did some course cutting I hear. Shameful. I'll let the race director know and ban them for next year. Around 2,000 participated in the low budget fundraising event with no bibs, no awards, no t-shirts, and no official results. But they had donuts! I am a 2 hour pace group leader for a local half on the 14th. Last Saturday was a course preview, so running buddy Tim (the other pace lead) and I ran the course and discussed marathon woes (he also ran Charlotte) and what's next. We averaged 8:25 and I was feeling sore and tired after, having mostly taken off the previous 2 weeks. The desire to get up and run before work has all but disappeared. I ran 4 miles yesterday morning, but silenced the alarm today. Cold and dark are just not as much fun to me these days. For now, I prefer to watch Christmas movies, Disney Plus movies, and the occasional football or basketball game.

That is a good idea. I have been concerned that people may mistake me for a player on that team. "You're a Pacer?!? Can I have your autograph?"

I tend to discard the ugly ones. I have a couple that have "PACER" in large letters on the back. Does that confuse folks if I wear it to the gym or while biking?

Great stuff! Kudos to you and your wife for braving the elements and for recognizing the conditions can be miserable and beautiful at the same time.

Why are all the single quotes getting extra spaces around them? Or don't you see it too?

Quite the trip there. But where's the pic of Ollie?

I wanted to!