As I promised in my last post, I am ready to go over the goals I set for myself in 2013. I sat down and cleared a good half an hour for research.
Step 1: Find the post showing my 2013 goals
Well.. It turns out I didn't write one...
I did, however, write a post of the races I was going to do in 2013. Aside from not completing an Olympic triathlon, I ran every race I had planned. Booyah!!
Enough talking about 2013. That crappy year is crap. It's over. Done. Why revisit it? We move FORWARD!
My marathon training started today. 4 miles. Boom. Nailed it. It was pretty chilly. Single digit wind chill when yesterday it was in the 40s/50s. It wasn't too bad, actually. I sweat a little less in the Arctic Vortex, but not by much. After my run I did the usual "walk up to my wife and try to hug or kiss her and she gives me a disgusted look". Classic Aimee. What usually follows is a trip to the shower and this time my youngest daughter came up, gave me a hug, and put her head on me. I asked my oldest for a hug "eww stinky!" while waiving her hand in front of her nose. At least Addison loves me. Pretty bold statement from a kid who pooped in her pants no more than a year ago...
Let's put down a goal that I can look back at in 2015! I have the normal hopes of running a better marathon and getting better at swimming. Throw in there wanting to do some local races and meet some fellow runners/triathletes in the area. Those are all well and good but there's been something on my mind lately.
I want to be a better father.
In Donald Miller's "To Own a Dragon" he writes about living fatherless. I didn't live fatherless until I was 17 but I felt the pain. One part is about the kids of the father comparing their fatherless, or damaged father relationship, to their relationship with God. It makes sense. God is referenced as the father many times throughout the Bible so what word would hit you the hardest after living a life without proper fathering? I look at my few years as a father and I feel like I'm doing alright. Most of the time I have no idea what I'm doing, which is supposedly what parenting is all about, but I still think there's room for improvement. I know that no one is perfect but there could be less training runs when I could be spending time with my wife and kids. I could be more patient and not jump from 1 to 10 on the drop of a hat (or the throw of a toy). I could turn off the TV or get away from the computer/phone to read or color with my girls. I could not skip going to church to do a race. I could be a better husband to my wife. I could be in the Bible more and I could be a better spiritual leader of my home.
I say "I could" on all of those items. In 2015 I will look back and say "I did". Keep me accountable. If you have a goal, and you want accountability, I'll do the same for you.
Thank you for reading. Let's kick 2014's arse.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Cleaning Off The Dust
Pheeeeww!
Life's been pretty distracting lately.
Bought a van
Went to Ohio for Thanksgiving
Transmission goes out in van
Being sick
Not running
Sitting at car dealership
Sitting at car dealership
Not running
Sitting at car dealership
Questioning every decision I've made this year
Sitting at car dealership
Finally having working vehicle
Not running
Thinking about running
Working overtime
Not running
There's a rundown for you.
Our trip to Ohio was a blast. There was snow, family, friends, fun, turkey, a 5k, my birthday, and more fun. Some of the highs were spending Thanksgiving with my mom, going to lunch with Jermaine, my wife getting me Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The Worlds End on blu-ray (and a blu-ray player to actually be able to watch them), and the turkey trot. The only low was the transmission going out in the van a few hours from home. After I shut the van off and started it back up I was able to drive without much issue (except going up hill).
Back to the highs, specifically the turkey trot. It was down right frigid. In the teens, without the wind chill (my beard had persperationcicles). I made a mental note to pack my hat and gloves, which means I forgot to bring them. Physical notes trump mental notes every time. I bought a winter hat (and Darth Vader goblet) and my friend Adam was gracious enough to let me borrow a pair of gloves that didn't seem to work until a mile and a half in. I'm talking completely numb fingers.
 |
| Adam "I wear running tights without shorts over them" Buttacavoli |
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| Bryce "Running next to a guy he doesn't know but is wearing almost the exact same thing minus the gloves" York |
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| James "On the far left, killin' it all day every day" Monroe |
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| Scott "Lovin' the hat and sunglasses combo" Suarez |
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| Thomas "I'm getting beat by someone dressed as a turkey" Costello |
I did some marathon training prep and found out that my training plan starts January 6th for the April 27th Hall of Fame Marathon, in Canton. This frightens me a little bit. I want to make this my best marathon yet, but that alone isn't motivating me. I could sit here and blame the stress of the past couple months, not knowing the area that well, or living on a busier street as reasons why I'm not running. So I will!
Just kidding.
I don't know where my motivation has gone. It's about time I find it again though. I've asked some running co-workers if they want to meet up. That's always kept me accountable in the past, mostly.
The bike didn't make it's way back to Ohio. There wasn't as much room as I had hoped. We have family coming down for Christmas next week and I asked if they could bring the bike. Unfortunately, they have a new car and don't want to scratch it. Which I completely understand. I'd be pretty perturbed if I scratched up my new(ish) scion xB. Unless a bike falls from the sky I don't see myself doing any triathlons next year so right now this marathon is all I've got to look forward to, race wise. With our higher cost of living and the addition of a car payment I don't foresee any changes to my upcoming race schedule.
Looking WAY ahead to 2015 I'll be running on one of the legs of Daren Wendell's run across the United States. Doing 100 marathons in 100 days. It'll most likely be the second to last run but we haven't firmly decided. If you want to read more about Daren's run click on the links to the top right. Run Daren Run is the name you want.
I'm already starting to think about my next blog post. It's going to review my 2013 goals and how many were accomplished. The thought of looking at my 2013 goals frightens me. My gut is telling me I didn't do too hot.
We'll see soon....
Thanks for reading! Maybe I'll make this blogging thing a regularly scheduled event!?
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
My First Marathon!!*
Hello!
You may or may not know this, but I live in Richmond, Virginia.
If you didn't know that you probably don't know that I used to live in Canton, Ohio.
If you didn't know the first part, but knew the second, then you may know me personally and decided to finally click that link I share on my Facebook periodically.
If you didn't know either of those things this may be your first time visiting my blog. In that case, WELCOME!
If you knew both of those first two things than I'm sorry for putting you through all that.
Just trying to catch everyone up.
Well, since I moved to Richmond I've noticed something: It's an active city. A day doesn't go by that I don't see someone running or cycling. They also put on a swell marathon each year. By the time I knew this, and was moving to Richmond, it cost 110 bucks to run a half marathon. WOAH! I'm way too cheap for that...
The price afforded me the opportunity of volunteering. Since I've started running races I've thought of volunteering. Even going so far as to sign up to volunteer for the first Canton Marathon (which I then ended up running because I couldn't miss my city's first marathon). When I got the job in Richmond the thought of volunteering was still fresh on my mind. Then one fateful Sunday had me at a new church for the first time. I talked to one of the friendly church volunteers and I asked what they do in the community. He told me they volunteer at the Richmond Marathon. Wooooaaaah! Perfecto!
So with all that said, the Richmond Marathon was this past Saturday. I was there holding down mile 16.6 with my fellow Wave RVA peeps. The plan for Saturday was to set up a stage for the worship band to play and set up a water station to hydrate some runners. All week the weatherman called for a beautiful race day!
It rained...
Lots...
When it wasn't raining, it was a gentle mist. Just enough to electrocute someone playing an electric guitar. With that in mind, we turned into a water stop and the worship team members were able to rearrange their trailer.
Side note: All of the contents of the Sunday service are in the trailer because we are currently renting a hall each week. I knew they rented the place (which is funny because the location is actually called The Place) but I didn't know they unloaded and loaded a truck each week. The set up is pretty involved too: screens, sound boards, stages, lights, and even the kids room equipment.
Being that I'm a sub-par seasoned marathoner I felt like I was prepared for the water stop duties. I helped with the logistics of the set up and helped teach some good cup holding methods. We also had some good free child labor volunteering from some of the kids who came with their parents! They filled the cups and handed them to the runners.
The first pack of 3 runners was a sight to see. They were moving! I've seen fast runners on TV but never in person. Wow. They're much faster than me. About 20 people in we had our first taker of h2o and it didn't slow down for a few hours.
I've always tried my best to thank volunteers at races (or if you're at the later part of the race I'll grunt something incoherently that I think is me saying thank you). Honestly, because it's the right thing to do. They took time out of their lives to come out and help. While I'm being honest, I'll also say that I didn't think volunteering was that tough before Saturday. I was wrong. Would I say it's as tough as being one of the runners? No. I will say that after the race I was POOPED. I have a new respect for the people on the sidelines.
A couple hours in I was tired of saying the same motivating phrases like "you've got this!" and "you're in the single digits!" and I started personalizing it. The bibs had runner's names on them, so I would call out to everyone individually. I even gave water to someone named Jesus. It was much funnier sharing this with fellow believers, for obvious reasons. Towards the end someone confessed to me that they first wondered how I knew so many people on the course, ha. I did know one person, a co-worker of mine. Her goal was to beat Oprah's marathon time of 4:29 and she was only about 9 minutes off. Not too shabby though!
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| Good times had by all. Middle right is me showing a 3 year old how it's done! |
On the way home I was immediately in traffic. Since I don't know the city all that well it took me an hour and a half to get home. Live and learn.
I'm going back to Ohio at the end of this week for the rest of November. Stoked to see all our friends and family. Feels like it's been forever.
Till next time!
*My first marathon volunteering
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Rabble-rousing
Hello all.
It's been a while since I've felt the blogging bug.
I share a lot of what I'm doing on Facebook (if I think it's funny) but there's a lot you may not know about me.
Here are a few things that went down since my last blog post:
-I've actually run! I have 7 miles down this week (last Sunday and Tuesday). I haven't done any exercise since Wednesday though. A nasty head cold and foot pain kept me indoors. Also, on Wednesday, I got word of a weight loss competition starting Monday in my new department. It sounds disgusting and cheap but I haven't watched what I've been eating AT ALL. It's definitely not a good feeling. Tomorrow starts my journey to avenge my 1% loss.
About weight loss. Since about June I haven't been logging any food or exercise. Around that time I was close to 40 lbs down for the year. Right now I'm at 29 lbs down for the year. Considering all the changes in life, and not eating great, I'm happy with only being 10 lbs in the hole. Before finding out about this competition I was logging all of my food and exercise for the week. I can flip the eating right and working out switch at this season of life.
-We're as settled in as we're going to be. We have a second vehicle (2007 Nissan Quest mini van). We've gotten into a church community. We've even had guests over!! We're having another couple come over this upcoming weekend.
-Having no obligations (or friends) has brought my family closer together. Every weekend we've gone out and done things as a family. A few weeks back we went apple picking.
Went to the park.
And yesterday we went to a park that also had a kids petting zoo and nature observatory.
It's been a while since I've felt the blogging bug.
I share a lot of what I'm doing on Facebook (if I think it's funny) but there's a lot you may not know about me.
Here are a few things that went down since my last blog post:
-I've actually run! I have 7 miles down this week (last Sunday and Tuesday). I haven't done any exercise since Wednesday though. A nasty head cold and foot pain kept me indoors. Also, on Wednesday, I got word of a weight loss competition starting Monday in my new department. It sounds disgusting and cheap but I haven't watched what I've been eating AT ALL. It's definitely not a good feeling. Tomorrow starts my journey to avenge my 1% loss.
About weight loss. Since about June I haven't been logging any food or exercise. Around that time I was close to 40 lbs down for the year. Right now I'm at 29 lbs down for the year. Considering all the changes in life, and not eating great, I'm happy with only being 10 lbs in the hole. Before finding out about this competition I was logging all of my food and exercise for the week. I can flip the eating right and working out switch at this season of life.
-We're as settled in as we're going to be. We have a second vehicle (2007 Nissan Quest mini van). We've gotten into a church community. We've even had guests over!! We're having another couple come over this upcoming weekend.
-Having no obligations (or friends) has brought my family closer together. Every weekend we've gone out and done things as a family. A few weeks back we went apple picking.
Went to the park.
And yesterday we went to a park that also had a kids petting zoo and nature observatory.
 |
| My wife is a talented photographer |
We go almost everywhere together. I've had a couple toddler tantrums while taking the kids to the store with me but the good has outweighed the bad.
-I went on a historical trolley tour of Richmond with my department. The city is rich with history, especially the Civil War. The losing side of the Civil War. Northerners RUUUULE!!
ANYWAY
With the limited facts I remembered I took Aimee down Monument ave last night to show her the monuments. All Confederate heroes (and Arthur Ashe). It's an awesome street. Million dollar homes and trees shadow the street.
-I'm volunteering at the Richmond Marathon this upcoming weekend with Wave Church. We're going to be on mile 17 cheering and giving out water. This will be my first race volunteering. I'm extremely excited. It'll be interesting seeing it from the other side.
-Lastly, we've started to meet people. We thought it would happen eventually but that doesn't happen. You have to go out there and make connections. Once we stopped being sick, we had a couple over from our church, who also happen to be the pastors of the church. This upcoming weekend another couple from church is coming over. One of the hopes I had is that we could find a church with people who can be real with us. We aren't in the mindset of replacing High Mill or our friends. Heck no. People from Ohio can't get rid of me that easily. We just want to have good friends here. Friends that make it hard moving back to Ohio one day.
Now that we're settled I think I'll blog a little more regularly. Especially with running associated events like the volunteering coming up. We're also going to be in Ohio two weeks from today (Wooo!!)
Have a good one everybody!
-I went on a historical trolley tour of Richmond with my department. The city is rich with history, especially the Civil War. The losing side of the Civil War. Northerners RUUUULE!!
ANYWAY
With the limited facts I remembered I took Aimee down Monument ave last night to show her the monuments. All Confederate heroes (and Arthur Ashe). It's an awesome street. Million dollar homes and trees shadow the street.
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| Photo from tourfrog.com Just as impressive on the road level |
-I'm volunteering at the Richmond Marathon this upcoming weekend with Wave Church. We're going to be on mile 17 cheering and giving out water. This will be my first race volunteering. I'm extremely excited. It'll be interesting seeing it from the other side.
-Lastly, we've started to meet people. We thought it would happen eventually but that doesn't happen. You have to go out there and make connections. Once we stopped being sick, we had a couple over from our church, who also happen to be the pastors of the church. This upcoming weekend another couple from church is coming over. One of the hopes I had is that we could find a church with people who can be real with us. We aren't in the mindset of replacing High Mill or our friends. Heck no. People from Ohio can't get rid of me that easily. We just want to have good friends here. Friends that make it hard moving back to Ohio one day.
Now that we're settled I think I'll blog a little more regularly. Especially with running associated events like the volunteering coming up. We're also going to be in Ohio two weeks from today (Wooo!!)
Have a good one everybody!
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow
Welcome back.
First things first. The last time I'll talk about the moving process from Ohio to Virginia: The going away party.
My wife and I belong to an amazing church body, full of authentic people, that we genuinely enjoy being around. On top of all that we have a family that supports us in everything we do. This made the move even more difficult. Having a going away party wasn't to say goodbye for the last time, or an excuse to get gifts (thanks to all those who did give us gifts, even though we told everyone it was not necessary). We wanted to spend time with our family and friends because that's what we like to do. The turn out was great. More than I expected. The weather was also great. We filled our church's coffee mill area and a good majority of the picnic tables outdoors. Members of our church, other friends who don't attend our church, and family all came with food and we had a pot luck style hang out session. It was an all around good time. Eating, joking, chasing kids, saying our see ya laters, and a good amount of emotion. It was a great, yet kinda sad, event.
We've started going to a different church and are starting to meet new people but the friendships we have had over our years in Ohio will not soon fade away. Once we have a more reliable car we'll be making trips a plenty.
OK, that's it about the move. I promise..ish.
I'm back to running! My first run since the Akron Marathon! A nice 3.16 mile run around my new neighborhood. I also restarted my use of the Nike running system (with my iPhone instead of the watch that I sold earlier this year) Welp, that's it for the recap...
OK a bit of a let down, in terms of blogging recaps, but the run felt good. While I may have only run once over the past couple weeks, I've accomplished some logistical running/tri goals:
1. Visit a local running store.
To complete this task I went to a store called Lucky Foot. Lucky Foot was brought to my attention by a new co-worker of mine. A fellow marathoner. She's completed a couple and is running the Marine Corps marathon this month and the Richmond marathon next month. Yikes! She's admitted to me that she's always busy but if you start talking about running it all goes out the window. We've had a few good conversations about running styles and our race histories in the few short weeks I've worked in Richmond.
The store has a Facebook page that you should check out. They occasionally give out running shoes if you share their photos. One thing I knew about going into my visit is that they give away finisher magnets for all race distances. The only catch is you have to show them your bib/medal/finisher shirt, which really isn't a catch at all because I've been wearing my Akron marathon jacket pretty much everyday.
It was a good 20 minute drive to get to the store but it was worth the trip (since driving from Ohio to Virginia all car rides feel extremely short). I brought my oldest, Savannah, with me. Much to my delight they had an area full of kids toys so parents can freely spend their money. In Lucky Foot I also fulfilled another logistics goal:
2. Buy reflective gear.
I live close to a main road and the only sustainable runs are along said road. To get to the sidewalks I need to run on a busy ish road's shoulder. I bought a couple reflective arm straps and picked up my 26.2 magnet. The sales associate also had answers to my questions regarding the release of the new Nike Structure 17 and that the Nike Lunar Glide and Structure are about the same shoe except the Structure is mostly at specialty running stores and the Lunar Glide is at the bigger stores. BTW, I love the finisher magnet..
3. Find Tri stores
There are a lot of Tri shops/training groups in this area. I stopped at a shop near my townhouse called Endorphin Fitness. It's an extremely nice shop with great equipment. Computerized bike trainers, bike fitting, endless pool (with camera equipment to record your form), personalized training, weight training equipment. In other words, it's way too expensive for me. If I had the money I'd absolutely pay to get the training but I'm not that hardcore (and I'm po). I'm definitely a recreational triathlete.
4. Join a running/tri club
At Endorphin Fitness I talked to the knowledgeable staff about the Richmond Triathlon Club. It's a group for other recreationals, and competitive triathletes I'm sure, to come together and enjoy the sport. Membership was 40 for the first year and 30 annually. Price was right down my alley so I joined. Plus you get a lot of local discounts at shops. Hazzzah!! Now if I only had a bike....
5. Get a bike
Haven't gotten one yet. That should be fulfilled when I go back to Ohio. My buddy Bryce is selling me his old road/converted to tri bike (that I had used from April till the move).
6. Find a local marathon.
This one has been tough. I want to find a close marathon for early next year but the only one within an hour is the Richmond marathon and that's in November. Being in Canton was great because they have their own marathon (seems like they have 5 million of them), Akron has one, and of course, Cleveland has one.
I've scoured many sites and even thought of doing a rock and roll series race. I THOUGHT of it. I can't bring myself to do it though. Call me an elitist but I like running races put on locally (even if they have huge sponsorships ala Chicago Marathon). I really like big races put on by non-profits (see: Akron Marathon). I'm leaning towards the Shamrock Marathon in VA Beach in March. I'm still registered for the Hall of Fame marathon in Canton at the end of April but I don't know if I'm going to do it. It'll be on the same day as the Richmond Tri Club sprint triathlon. Decisions decisions... After March I'm going to focus on triathlons and possibly do the Richmond Marathon at the end of the year. Book end my 2014 schedule with Marathons and do the Williamsburg Rev 3 Olympic Tri in the middle.
Well. That's enough out of me.
Thanks for reading.
Maybe I'll actually have a few more runs to talk about next time!
First things first. The last time I'll talk about the moving process from Ohio to Virginia: The going away party.
My wife and I belong to an amazing church body, full of authentic people, that we genuinely enjoy being around. On top of all that we have a family that supports us in everything we do. This made the move even more difficult. Having a going away party wasn't to say goodbye for the last time, or an excuse to get gifts (thanks to all those who did give us gifts, even though we told everyone it was not necessary). We wanted to spend time with our family and friends because that's what we like to do. The turn out was great. More than I expected. The weather was also great. We filled our church's coffee mill area and a good majority of the picnic tables outdoors. Members of our church, other friends who don't attend our church, and family all came with food and we had a pot luck style hang out session. It was an all around good time. Eating, joking, chasing kids, saying our see ya laters, and a good amount of emotion. It was a great, yet kinda sad, event.
We've started going to a different church and are starting to meet new people but the friendships we have had over our years in Ohio will not soon fade away. Once we have a more reliable car we'll be making trips a plenty.
OK, that's it about the move. I promise..ish.
I'm back to running! My first run since the Akron Marathon! A nice 3.16 mile run around my new neighborhood. I also restarted my use of the Nike running system (with my iPhone instead of the watch that I sold earlier this year) Welp, that's it for the recap...
OK a bit of a let down, in terms of blogging recaps, but the run felt good. While I may have only run once over the past couple weeks, I've accomplished some logistical running/tri goals:
1. Visit a local running store.
To complete this task I went to a store called Lucky Foot. Lucky Foot was brought to my attention by a new co-worker of mine. A fellow marathoner. She's completed a couple and is running the Marine Corps marathon this month and the Richmond marathon next month. Yikes! She's admitted to me that she's always busy but if you start talking about running it all goes out the window. We've had a few good conversations about running styles and our race histories in the few short weeks I've worked in Richmond.
The store has a Facebook page that you should check out. They occasionally give out running shoes if you share their photos. One thing I knew about going into my visit is that they give away finisher magnets for all race distances. The only catch is you have to show them your bib/medal/finisher shirt, which really isn't a catch at all because I've been wearing my Akron marathon jacket pretty much everyday.
It was a good 20 minute drive to get to the store but it was worth the trip (since driving from Ohio to Virginia all car rides feel extremely short). I brought my oldest, Savannah, with me. Much to my delight they had an area full of kids toys so parents can freely spend their money. In Lucky Foot I also fulfilled another logistics goal:
2. Buy reflective gear.
I live close to a main road and the only sustainable runs are along said road. To get to the sidewalks I need to run on a busy ish road's shoulder. I bought a couple reflective arm straps and picked up my 26.2 magnet. The sales associate also had answers to my questions regarding the release of the new Nike Structure 17 and that the Nike Lunar Glide and Structure are about the same shoe except the Structure is mostly at specialty running stores and the Lunar Glide is at the bigger stores. BTW, I love the finisher magnet..
 |
| Not my car. Took this pic from their Facebook page. The Irish in me is definitely smiling |
There are a lot of Tri shops/training groups in this area. I stopped at a shop near my townhouse called Endorphin Fitness. It's an extremely nice shop with great equipment. Computerized bike trainers, bike fitting, endless pool (with camera equipment to record your form), personalized training, weight training equipment. In other words, it's way too expensive for me. If I had the money I'd absolutely pay to get the training but I'm not that hardcore (and I'm po). I'm definitely a recreational triathlete.
4. Join a running/tri club
At Endorphin Fitness I talked to the knowledgeable staff about the Richmond Triathlon Club. It's a group for other recreationals, and competitive triathletes I'm sure, to come together and enjoy the sport. Membership was 40 for the first year and 30 annually. Price was right down my alley so I joined. Plus you get a lot of local discounts at shops. Hazzzah!! Now if I only had a bike....
5. Get a bike
Haven't gotten one yet. That should be fulfilled when I go back to Ohio. My buddy Bryce is selling me his old road/converted to tri bike (that I had used from April till the move).
6. Find a local marathon.
This one has been tough. I want to find a close marathon for early next year but the only one within an hour is the Richmond marathon and that's in November. Being in Canton was great because they have their own marathon (seems like they have 5 million of them), Akron has one, and of course, Cleveland has one.
I've scoured many sites and even thought of doing a rock and roll series race. I THOUGHT of it. I can't bring myself to do it though. Call me an elitist but I like running races put on locally (even if they have huge sponsorships ala Chicago Marathon). I really like big races put on by non-profits (see: Akron Marathon). I'm leaning towards the Shamrock Marathon in VA Beach in March. I'm still registered for the Hall of Fame marathon in Canton at the end of April but I don't know if I'm going to do it. It'll be on the same day as the Richmond Tri Club sprint triathlon. Decisions decisions... After March I'm going to focus on triathlons and possibly do the Richmond Marathon at the end of the year. Book end my 2014 schedule with Marathons and do the Williamsburg Rev 3 Olympic Tri in the middle.
Well. That's enough out of me.
Thanks for reading.
Maybe I'll actually have a few more runs to talk about next time!
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Moving Story
Hello!
Welcome back!
It's been a quiet couple months on my blog. Not without good reason though. To sum things up: have a new job in Virginia, moved there, ran a marathon.
Bloggers aren't really around to sum things up though. So here's the longer version...
Before the Akron marathon recap, I last left you with news of a new job, two states away, in Richmond, Virginia. A week after getting offered the job my father-in-law and myself took a one day road trip to find a place to live...
But before all that, the wifey and I did some research online, found a place, filled out an application, and paid them to hold a unit. Soon after we took those steps we found an apartment review site. The past tenants did not give it a glorious review. D'oh. We went back online to scour all the townhomes and apartments that Richmond had to offer. Searching for that diamond in the rough. Many stressful days of thinking we found a place, only to find that no one has enjoyed living there. Aimee alerted me to a place that had great reviews and was only ten dollars more than what we'd pay at the location that we already applied to. She asked me if I wanted to see the reviews. I did not. The search had gone on long enough. If it was good enough for her it was more than good enough for me.
Which brings us back to the trip. In an 8 hour drive we didn't have much silence (may have had one too many caffeinated beverages). It was a quality drive down. I was driving down and he would be driving back (he drove to the West Virginia line and I took back over (Thank youuuuuuu Starbucks!!)). We arrived at the newest place we liked and they gave us a tour. Bingo! The townhouse was a go. So for those who are playing along at home, here's a recap: 8 hour drive to look at 1 townhouse for about 20 minutes...
One trip to Applebee's and Wal Mart and we were back on the road. Ohio bound!
Thursday came and it was time to load the truck. My new position would be starting the upcoming Monday (between the 14th and 19th I didn't run once). Thanks to my friends Adam, Brian, Derek, Austin, and Jermaine chipping in it took us no time to pack the truck. Due to the size of the truck we had to get rid of our love-seat and an extra dresser.
The following morning (at 3:30 AM) I drove the truck, all of our "treasures", and our towed car down to Virginia. Since my wife can't drive on the highway she opted to stay with the girls at her parents for the week. The trip down was uneventful. There was no CD player or tape deck (to use my iPod tape plug in) so I had some good quiet time and time flipping through country stations trying to find good music.
I arrived in VA and I had the task of unloading the truck by my lonesome. Leading up to this moment I told myself it wouldn't be too bad. I mean, I had a dolly. I can do this. Merrrrrrp.
Unloading that truck suuuuuucked. Early in the unloading I texted my wifey and told her I didn't want to do it. The thought of torching everything and driving to Ohio had crossed my mind. The dressers were towards the back, and ended up being the toughest part of the move. I couldn't get them with the dolly so I managed to get them upstairs. Not of my own strength. I hadn't eaten much on the drive. I dragged the heaviest of the two dressers up the stairs one stair at a time. Towards the top of the stairs I was getting confident. Overly confident. "I can move it up two stairs!". Bad move. I cleared the first and part way through the second I lost the strength. It started to slip. I envisioned the entire dresser crashing to the floor and into hundreds of pieces. Adrenaline kicked in and I managed to save it at the last second. Think of Sylvester Stallone in Cliffhanger. My hope is that you haven't seen that movie to get the reference...
Saving that dresser and putting it in our room pumped me up. After that there's nothing much to report.
That night I went to BW3 and ate like a king. An exhausted king. The only items I unpacked that night were the bed comforter and pillows.
Saturday I did some more unpacking and dropped off the moving truck. The 20 something leasing office worker, Logan, followed me to the drop off site and drove me back (where were ya when I was unpacking?!?) Apart from the brief convo with Logan I hadn't had much human interaction over the weekend. I was already drained from unloading and not talking to people made it worse. I sat around thinking about all the stuff I had to do.
Sunday I made my way to a local church. A couple of our friends (who live a couple hours away near Norfolk, VA) told us that their church had a satellite campus in Richmond. I imagined a big thousand person congregation. When I walked in I quickly saw that I was way off base. Everyone was uber friendly. I stuck out like an NBA all star at a lollipop guild meeting. Speaking with human beings, who were not myself, put me on cloud nine. Side note: Aimee, the girls, and I went back to Wave RVA this morning and it was still good. People had remembered me and I even remembered a few of their names. Score!
There isn't much else to this story. I went to work the week that followed and ran a marathon that Saturday. My family and I are now in Richmond. Everyone has been sick at one point or another this week (except me) but we're still excited for the future. We also have a new TV. So that's something.
Now onto the running portion of my blog. I haven't run since the marathon!! I'm planning on getting out there to start the week off right.
Next post I'll go into the final moving related post. That one will be about the going away party that followed the marathon. I'll also hopefully have some current news about running I've done in the great state of Virginia!
Till next time!
Welcome back!
It's been a quiet couple months on my blog. Not without good reason though. To sum things up: have a new job in Virginia, moved there, ran a marathon.
Bloggers aren't really around to sum things up though. So here's the longer version...
Before the Akron marathon recap, I last left you with news of a new job, two states away, in Richmond, Virginia. A week after getting offered the job my father-in-law and myself took a one day road trip to find a place to live...
But before all that, the wifey and I did some research online, found a place, filled out an application, and paid them to hold a unit. Soon after we took those steps we found an apartment review site. The past tenants did not give it a glorious review. D'oh. We went back online to scour all the townhomes and apartments that Richmond had to offer. Searching for that diamond in the rough. Many stressful days of thinking we found a place, only to find that no one has enjoyed living there. Aimee alerted me to a place that had great reviews and was only ten dollars more than what we'd pay at the location that we already applied to. She asked me if I wanted to see the reviews. I did not. The search had gone on long enough. If it was good enough for her it was more than good enough for me.
Which brings us back to the trip. In an 8 hour drive we didn't have much silence (may have had one too many caffeinated beverages). It was a quality drive down. I was driving down and he would be driving back (he drove to the West Virginia line and I took back over (Thank youuuuuuu Starbucks!!)). We arrived at the newest place we liked and they gave us a tour. Bingo! The townhouse was a go. So for those who are playing along at home, here's a recap: 8 hour drive to look at 1 townhouse for about 20 minutes...
One trip to Applebee's and Wal Mart and we were back on the road. Ohio bound!
Thursday came and it was time to load the truck. My new position would be starting the upcoming Monday (between the 14th and 19th I didn't run once). Thanks to my friends Adam, Brian, Derek, Austin, and Jermaine chipping in it took us no time to pack the truck. Due to the size of the truck we had to get rid of our love-seat and an extra dresser.
 |
| All held by a little blue rope. Nothing moved! |
.JPG) |
| Driving the hills of WV and VA is nothing short of beautiful.. Just don't stop in WV... |
Unloading that truck suuuuuucked. Early in the unloading I texted my wifey and told her I didn't want to do it. The thought of torching everything and driving to Ohio had crossed my mind. The dressers were towards the back, and ended up being the toughest part of the move. I couldn't get them with the dolly so I managed to get them upstairs. Not of my own strength. I hadn't eaten much on the drive. I dragged the heaviest of the two dressers up the stairs one stair at a time. Towards the top of the stairs I was getting confident. Overly confident. "I can move it up two stairs!". Bad move. I cleared the first and part way through the second I lost the strength. It started to slip. I envisioned the entire dresser crashing to the floor and into hundreds of pieces. Adrenaline kicked in and I managed to save it at the last second. Think of Sylvester Stallone in Cliffhanger. My hope is that you haven't seen that movie to get the reference...
Saving that dresser and putting it in our room pumped me up. After that there's nothing much to report.
 |
| Only goal was getting the stuff off the truck. Took me a while to get the place livable |
Saturday I did some more unpacking and dropped off the moving truck. The 20 something leasing office worker, Logan, followed me to the drop off site and drove me back (where were ya when I was unpacking?!?) Apart from the brief convo with Logan I hadn't had much human interaction over the weekend. I was already drained from unloading and not talking to people made it worse. I sat around thinking about all the stuff I had to do.
Sunday I made my way to a local church. A couple of our friends (who live a couple hours away near Norfolk, VA) told us that their church had a satellite campus in Richmond. I imagined a big thousand person congregation. When I walked in I quickly saw that I was way off base. Everyone was uber friendly. I stuck out like an NBA all star at a lollipop guild meeting. Speaking with human beings, who were not myself, put me on cloud nine. Side note: Aimee, the girls, and I went back to Wave RVA this morning and it was still good. People had remembered me and I even remembered a few of their names. Score!
There isn't much else to this story. I went to work the week that followed and ran a marathon that Saturday. My family and I are now in Richmond. Everyone has been sick at one point or another this week (except me) but we're still excited for the future. We also have a new TV. So that's something.
Now onto the running portion of my blog. I haven't run since the marathon!! I'm planning on getting out there to start the week off right.
Next post I'll go into the final moving related post. That one will be about the going away party that followed the marathon. I'll also hopefully have some current news about running I've done in the great state of Virginia!
Till next time!
Monday, September 30, 2013
Meep Meep
Hello all!
Welcome back to my blog. A lot has been going on in the past 22 days (since my last post). I'm going to have another post about the move in a couple days. I'm going to use this post to talk about the Akron "road runner" Marathon, since thepain memory is still fresh.
I drove in from Virginia Friday starting at 3:30 in the AM. After some gas and potty stops I found myself back in Canton, Ohio. It had only been a week since I was on those same roads but it felt like forever. No attempt was made to improve conditions of said roads..
But I digress!
I met my friend Joey for lunch and we caught up. After that I made my way to my old office to pick up my new laptop (which was shipped to my old office because?). From there it was time to do some expo-in! I wouldn't make the trip alone. James "product of science" Monroe, Adam, and Bryce came along for the ride. It was cool being with fellow runners at the expo. In the past I had gone with my wife, my wife and her sister, and Savannah. They weren't too impressed. We serpentined the expo floor, stickers were purchased, tri bikes were drooled on (Bryce and Adam), and running swag was picked up. The awesome thing about Akron is they don't give their full marathoners shirts. Oh no!! They give Brooks running jackets! Another cool attraction the expo had was a car with every participants name on it:
After the expo I made my way to my in-laws to see my wife and girls. It had been a LONG week away from them, which I said I will get into the move and that week in my next post. Be patient!
I hadn't run in the past couple weeks (and only a few other times the couple weeks before that) so I wasn't confident about the race. At the expo I saw something on Facebook about staying positive and positive things will happen (while Adam and Bryce were drooling). With that in mind I started to say positive things about the race, my performance specifically. I started to believe in myself.
The same guys I went to the expo with were also going to be my dinner partners for the evening. The four of us, family in tow, had a pasta dinner. Yum yum. I was looking forward to the race...
Saturday morning came quickly and I met up with the rest of the high mill runners (and Adam).
Before we knew it the horn blew and we were off. 2013 Akron Marathon was a go.
My plan was to bring down my pace and try to sustain it as long as possible. Everything was going good the first 8 miles. I didn't see anyone on the course that I knew. My wife and fam would be coming later to see me finish. Everyone else had family with them but I was in the back of the pack so they had moved on to see their loved ones by the time I passed. At mile 8 someone said my name. It was Scott Radcliff! Scott and I had been running partners for the past couple years. Actually, the first time I recreationally ran outdoors was with Scott. It was a frigid February morning. The temperature was 10 degrees (not including wind chill). I was wearing shorts. I kid you not, shorts!
Anyway!
He had finished the second portion of the relay (Akron has the largest relay in the country: FACT) and waited for me. We ran the next couple miles together. We got to catch up about my move and his recent return from Colorado with other leaders from High Mill. Aside from friend and running partner, Scott is also one of the small group leaders at our church. Aimee and I were in his group. Before the pack of runners headed out of downtown Akron Scott broke off. Having him wait for me and run is a testament to his character. Hard to find friends like that. I was now back to running by myself.
Or so I thought! Right before the halfway mark Adam's wife Erin shouted my name and ran with me a hundred yards or so. When she headed back I made a restroom stop and was back on course. Not for long though...
The wheels fell off between miles 14 and 15. My legs had no strength. I was in some good pain. At one point a spectator yelled out "you're looking great!!" to which I replied "that's debatable!". I got a couple laughs out of that one. I'll take it.
For the next 10 miles I would run for 20-30 yards until my muscles spazzed to the point of almost buckling. It was mostly my calf muscles but every now and then my quads would join in the fun. It was evoking a range of emotions. At first it angered me. I would stop and clench my fists or rip my hat off and smack it against something. Later on it made me upset. I wasn't going to be quitting though.
There was one mistake I have to mention in regards to my race prep. I had the wrong shorts. The pair I brought had built in spandex under the shorts, but it didn't have the positive effects because they were older and stretched. I wear it under my shorts to avoid chaffing. With that said, I chaffed. Badly. To the point that I stopped at an aide station for Vaseline (and a couple tylenol because I thought it would help my muscles).
I was looking forward to the last couple miles because they were predominantly down hill. Going up or down hill actually helped my muscles from spazzing. On the final downhill my left leg locked up. Total pirate peg leg situation. I still ran.
I'm not trying to make myself sound courageous or strong to fight through the pain. The reason I was in pain was because I had been an idiot for the month leading up to the race. Not running is a horrible way to train for a marathon! The last few miles I thought to myself "I hope they still have medals left"...
The finish line was on a baseball field. Before I turned into the field I stopped to stretch. Pride is a silly thing, people. I had to make sure I ran the whole length of the stadium and across the finish line without stopping.
I heard Bryce yelling, and probably the rest of my friends and family, but I didn't look for them. Eyes on the finish. If I made eye contact I would have lost it. After crossing the finish I had a little trouble breathing, which was helped by first aid volunteer. Aside from that, and complete exhaustion, there wasn't much to report in the finish area.
They did have some medals left though:
I soon caught up with those who waited for me. James, his wife Ranita, Kayla (who ran the half), and her husband Cory watched me finish but had to leave before talking with me. Hearing this blew my mind. They had finished between 3-4 hours before I crossed the finish and still waited!!
After pictures were taken and gear was unchecked my wife, father-in-law and I made our way to his car. I got into the backseat and every muscle starting at my quads down to my feet freaked out. It will go down as the single most painful experience in my life (since I can't birth children). I am not exaggerating, ask my wife. I wanted to ball my eyes out but I was too dehydrated.
It's been 2 days since the race and I'm still in a good amount of pain. I can't keep my legs in the same position for long or they stay that way. I'm looking forward to my next marathon. Redemption will be sweet.
The other High Millers/Active:Water runners did great:
James ran his first half at 1:37.
Kayla ran her first half, on two bad knees, at 1:54 or so
Duane ran his half at just over 2 hours
Adam ran his first full under 4 hours
Bryce ran his first full just over 4 hours
I'm stoked for everyone's accomplishments. Akron knows how to put on a good race! I will run it again someday. Maybe even all 26.2 miles of it!
Thanks for reading!
Welcome back to my blog. A lot has been going on in the past 22 days (since my last post). I'm going to have another post about the move in a couple days. I'm going to use this post to talk about the Akron "road runner" Marathon, since the
I drove in from Virginia Friday starting at 3:30 in the AM. After some gas and potty stops I found myself back in Canton, Ohio. It had only been a week since I was on those same roads but it felt like forever. No attempt was made to improve conditions of said roads..
But I digress!
I met my friend Joey for lunch and we caught up. After that I made my way to my old office to pick up my new laptop (which was shipped to my old office because?). From there it was time to do some expo-in! I wouldn't make the trip alone. James "product of science" Monroe, Adam, and Bryce came along for the ride. It was cool being with fellow runners at the expo. In the past I had gone with my wife, my wife and her sister, and Savannah. They weren't too impressed. We serpentined the expo floor, stickers were purchased, tri bikes were drooled on (Bryce and Adam), and running swag was picked up. The awesome thing about Akron is they don't give their full marathoners shirts. Oh no!! They give Brooks running jackets! Another cool attraction the expo had was a car with every participants name on it:
 |
| Hey! I know him! |
I hadn't run in the past couple weeks (and only a few other times the couple weeks before that) so I wasn't confident about the race. At the expo I saw something on Facebook about staying positive and positive things will happen (while Adam and Bryce were drooling). With that in mind I started to say positive things about the race, my performance specifically. I started to believe in myself.
 |
| Personalized bib name, and the blog name "running for h2o" compliments of my friend Matt Regimbal |
Saturday morning came quickly and I met up with the rest of the high mill runners (and Adam).
 |
| Running is fun!! |
My plan was to bring down my pace and try to sustain it as long as possible. Everything was going good the first 8 miles. I didn't see anyone on the course that I knew. My wife and fam would be coming later to see me finish. Everyone else had family with them but I was in the back of the pack so they had moved on to see their loved ones by the time I passed. At mile 8 someone said my name. It was Scott Radcliff! Scott and I had been running partners for the past couple years. Actually, the first time I recreationally ran outdoors was with Scott. It was a frigid February morning. The temperature was 10 degrees (not including wind chill). I was wearing shorts. I kid you not, shorts!
Anyway!
He had finished the second portion of the relay (Akron has the largest relay in the country: FACT) and waited for me. We ran the next couple miles together. We got to catch up about my move and his recent return from Colorado with other leaders from High Mill. Aside from friend and running partner, Scott is also one of the small group leaders at our church. Aimee and I were in his group. Before the pack of runners headed out of downtown Akron Scott broke off. Having him wait for me and run is a testament to his character. Hard to find friends like that. I was now back to running by myself.
Or so I thought! Right before the halfway mark Adam's wife Erin shouted my name and ran with me a hundred yards or so. When she headed back I made a restroom stop and was back on course. Not for long though...
The wheels fell off between miles 14 and 15. My legs had no strength. I was in some good pain. At one point a spectator yelled out "you're looking great!!" to which I replied "that's debatable!". I got a couple laughs out of that one. I'll take it.
For the next 10 miles I would run for 20-30 yards until my muscles spazzed to the point of almost buckling. It was mostly my calf muscles but every now and then my quads would join in the fun. It was evoking a range of emotions. At first it angered me. I would stop and clench my fists or rip my hat off and smack it against something. Later on it made me upset. I wasn't going to be quitting though.
There was one mistake I have to mention in regards to my race prep. I had the wrong shorts. The pair I brought had built in spandex under the shorts, but it didn't have the positive effects because they were older and stretched. I wear it under my shorts to avoid chaffing. With that said, I chaffed. Badly. To the point that I stopped at an aide station for Vaseline (and a couple tylenol because I thought it would help my muscles).
I was looking forward to the last couple miles because they were predominantly down hill. Going up or down hill actually helped my muscles from spazzing. On the final downhill my left leg locked up. Total pirate peg leg situation. I still ran.
I'm not trying to make myself sound courageous or strong to fight through the pain. The reason I was in pain was because I had been an idiot for the month leading up to the race. Not running is a horrible way to train for a marathon! The last few miles I thought to myself "I hope they still have medals left"...
The finish line was on a baseball field. Before I turned into the field I stopped to stretch. Pride is a silly thing, people. I had to make sure I ran the whole length of the stadium and across the finish line without stopping.
 |
| I made it! |
I heard Bryce yelling, and probably the rest of my friends and family, but I didn't look for them. Eyes on the finish. If I made eye contact I would have lost it. After crossing the finish I had a little trouble breathing, which was helped by first aid volunteer. Aside from that, and complete exhaustion, there wasn't much to report in the finish area.
 |
| Hyperventilating! |
 |
| They also gave towels as finisher gifts |
I soon caught up with those who waited for me. James, his wife Ranita, Kayla (who ran the half), and her husband Cory watched me finish but had to leave before talking with me. Hearing this blew my mind. They had finished between 3-4 hours before I crossed the finish and still waited!!
 |
| Fellow marathoners Bryce and Adam. |
 |
| My wife is thinking "Oh god.. he's touching me..." |
It's been 2 days since the race and I'm still in a good amount of pain. I can't keep my legs in the same position for long or they stay that way. I'm looking forward to my next marathon. Redemption will be sweet.
The other High Millers/Active:Water runners did great:
James ran his first half at 1:37.
Kayla ran her first half, on two bad knees, at 1:54 or so
Duane ran his half at just over 2 hours
Adam ran his first full under 4 hours
Bryce ran his first full just over 4 hours
I'm stoked for everyone's accomplishments. Akron knows how to put on a good race! I will run it again someday. Maybe even all 26.2 miles of it!
Thanks for reading!
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