Who Can Run a Family?

Have you ever wondered if you are really succeeding at what you do? Or if what you are doing is even making a difference? Or whether you really even have any idea about what you are SUPPOSED to be doing....let alone any inkling of how to do it...or how to do it well? (Do you really think you can run a family?!) If you haven't had those thoughts, then I am envious. If you have, then perhaps we share that feeling occasionally (or, in fact, frequently) - although maybe for different duties and responsibilities.

When it comes to work and my duties there, I have always had a certain amount of confidence in myself and my abilities. When it comes to being a Dad.......well - that is a different story altogether. Maybe the oft-used axiom is appropriate here: "You can fool some of the kids some of the time; you can fool all of the kids some of the time; but you can't fool all of the kids all of the time." The operative word here is probably "fool". However, every once and awhile (sort of like that train ride Emily described in a recent blog about her marriage - the one from Pres. Hinckley, I believe) you get that glimpse between the peaks, that view through the trees, that reflection on still waters, or that awe-inspiring sunset - and you have that sudden rush of gratitude and insight. You still know you fall awfully short of expectations - but just for a moment you realize just how wonderful a family can be and that maybe.....just maybe, a few of the things you did (or didn't do) may have turned out all right.

I guess I had one of those moments recently for Father's Day - and I just needed to say thanks to some wonderful kids who made it such a memorable occasion. First, to return home - after multiple weekends on the road - to find a finished play set in the backyard - that was pretty awesome. Many thanks to Joe for working with me to get it started (and Dacia for moral support) - and double thanks to Alan and Jen (and Buggy and Topher) - but particularly Alan - for finishing the project. It looks great; Rachel loves it; and Dad loves it being out there finished! (I was already imagining her going through the entire summer using the slide propped up on the deck!)

Then there was the dinner. Since we were out of town on Father's Day, all the kids and families (with one notable exception - ahem) were over for a great dinner and even better evening with the family - which I have come to particularly love and look forward to. (By the way, I highly recommend the book Buggy gave me: The Dark Summit by Nick Heil - a fascinating book about Mt. Everest's history and a particularly troubling year on the mountain in 2006.)

It didn't end there. After I returned from another trip, Dacia invited me over, primarily to get the promised Father's Day gift. I suspected some small item they had ordered, but not arrived in time. I was in for a surprise. It was a beautiful book (I mean.....with me on the cover....would there be any other way to describe it??).....about Me! Obviously, an enormous amount of time, effort, energy and coordination had gone into this - and I love it! Many, many thanks to all of you for all you put into having this for me and for the things your wrote - and especially to Emily and Dacia for, no doubt, countless hours of designing, making layouts....and who knows what else that is part of such a project. I really appreciate it.

It is not that this year was any particular revelation - but it certainly reinforced what I already knew; I have a wonderful family, great and gifted kids, and have been blessed in unimaginable ways. Thank you.

So....for whoever thinks they can "run a family" - think again!

Slower Runnings!

Okay - so we didn't exactly look or perform like the Jamaican Bobsled team - but we did finish and managed to consume a reasonable quantity of food at the post-race "party" - what else matters?? We think we have stumbled onto our racing/running motto: "We run; therefore we eat." Or - phrased another way - "We run so we can eat!" Either way - you get the message. And we continue to be puzzled by Rachel's general lack of interest in eating; she certainly did NOT inherit that from her parents.

Anyway, probably not the norm to have two posts so close together, but that is what happens when we schedule races on consecutive weekends - our last run taking us to the Connecticut coastline (Long Island Sound) at Jennings Beach in Fairfield - probably about 45 minutes to an hour from New York City. The Fairfield Road Race had been billed as a flat and fast course - the site of several US half-marathon championships - and got very good reviews, to include an endorsement from the Race Director we met in New Hampshire in May, who had previously lived there, participated in the race, and ultimately provided us the contact for a friend of hers whose family watched Rachel during the race. I guess the course billing wasn't entirely inaccurate - just not quite the WHOLE truth. It was indeed flat - for the first two miles and the last two - and perhaps even fast - for the first two (because by the end, fast really wasn't an option); however, the rest of the course was quite challenging with several significant hills and a few others. That was coupled with East Coast heat and humidity - a combination which I have not learned to run in very well. Notwithstanding it wasn't a fast course, it was a very scenic course. Several miles of it were along the beach or coast/harbor area, and at least half of it was through some beautiful residential areas - large estates, colonial mansions - and all of it was through Connecticut greenery. We certainly don't regret the race selection - but came home with additional appreciation for our hill training and perhaps a commitment to do a bit more running in the heat.

All in all, the trip to Connecticut was a fun one. We managed to get two tickets to Fenway Park, so spent one day going to Boston and back - with the highlight being the Red Sox game on Friday night - what a storied history and a place we had both wanted to go. One other very impressive sight in Boston was the worldwide Christian Science HQ and "cathedral"; we were too late to go in, but it reminded me of Italy! Also visited the grounds of the Coast Guard Academy in New London; spent some time in the historic and picturesque seaport town of Mystic (early Julia Roberts debut in Mystic Pizza); spent a morning in Hartford exploring downtown and the Capitol; and then after the race did a little "spying" on the rich and famous. Western Connecticut on the edges of NYC is quite renowned as a money haven. We got some tips on drives to take through some particularly well-heeled country areas, and we were not disappointed. (And you can probably imagine where this idea originated - although I didn't put up too much resistance.) Certainly some beautiful estates, chateaus, mansions, etc. Also visited the campus of Yale University that evening in New Haven - quite impressive - esp. considering I had even applied to attend Law School there!

And what thoughts might I share from this race? I think what struck me most is flexibility and the fact that adhering to a relatively rigid training regimen doesn't necessarily prepare you for every eventuality. Based on what I had read - and my training - I actually thought this might be a race candidate for a PR. It turned out to be far from that - and not because I hadn't trained, but because the conditions under which I had trained weren't optimal for this environment. I guess the message there is to know who your "adversary" is - or your challenge - and prepare accordingly. Be flexible - condition yourself appropriately. I think there is a lesson in that the extends far beyond running.

Seventeen down - 33 to go!

Running in Paradise?

At this point, I suppose we can only surmise what heaven may look like, but if it looks something like the area in which we ran our mid-June half-marathon, I wouldn't be at all surprised. (Actually, I might be surprised to even be able to find out at some point in the future, but in the meantime, I'll continue to imagine.)

I suspect many of you who might read this have been to Estes Park, Colorado, but having been there probably at least a half dozen times, I would be ready to go back again next week. What a beautiful setting! The Colorado Rockies nearly surround the city, with Long's Peak majestically standing watch to the South, forested hillsides, lakes, endless blue skies, and, of course, enough streets and roads to let people run (in our case) 13.1 miles. (And the marathoners - those lucky devils - got to enjoy the scenery twice as far!) This race (which we ran on the 15th of June), is billed as the highest paved marathon in the world - so many people find the elevation (between 7500 and 8000') a bit daunting for a long run, but hey - it gets you closer to heaven....especially when people feel like they can't breathe anymore!

This was not a race for any personal best times; in fact, Karen and I ran this race together the entire way - which is something we have never done before, as Karen has never been willing to slow down enough to run with me! It was, literally, a nice change of pace - and a great race.

As for the deep thoughts - which must, of necessity, be part of any such endeavor - I can only remind everyone to soak it all in. More often than we realize, we are encompassed by indescribable and unimaginable beauty - because we pass through it too quickly, too distracted, too focused on other things, or just plain too indifferent or without paying attention. In this case, I had over two hours - and just tried to soak it all in - and I believe, at least to some extent, that I succeeded. Sometimes, there is good counsel in just a few words: Slow down, smell the roses, look for the good and the beautiful; no doubt, it will be there.

Running One for the Gipper

Nearing exhaustion he conquered the final hill - struggling to breathe at the top as he entered the final straightaways....and then around the stadium calling on every last ounce of strength as the sun beat down to sap the last reserves of energy. And yet - with extreme courage - he rounded the final bend, overcoming fatigue to accelerate into the tunnel of no return - suddenly to be met by the Fight Song of the Fighting Irish - as he burst into the light of Notre Dame stadium - where thousands of fans rose to their feet to see and acclaim the triumphant finish at the 50-Yard line!
Okay - perhaps a SLIGHT exaggeration - maybe there were only a couple of dozen fans in the stadium - but we did finish there to the strains of the Notre Dame fight song. And maybe it wasn't quite THAT dramatic - but it was pretty warm and I was getting tired! And we'll say it was for the Gipper - his ghosts certainly still roam the sidelines. In any event, half marathon #15 is in the books - the Sunburst Hall of Fame (College Football) to Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. Unfortunately, the finish was definitely the highlight. South Bend was really not very impressive - a tired, old mid-western city in need of some lipo or a face lift - and even the campus of Notre Dame wasn't what I would have expected (instead of old buildings shrouded in ivy, almost all of the buildings looked new and although distinctive in their architecture, not particularly impressive). The race logistics and course markings were similarly a bit short of expectations - but hey - we enjoyed it anyway. Certainly no best times in the warmth and humidity, but there were some very scenic sections of the course along the river and through one or two impressive neighborhoods. It was also nice to have Karen's Mom along to help us with Rachel - and we enjoyed the road trip over from Chicago and back.
And what might have been the lessons learned or running thoughts from South Bend? I think they centered around unfulfilled expectations again - but coupled with how we can begin making excuses for our performance very early on. First there was the warmth and humidity; how can anyone really run well in that? Second, there was a shortage of volunteers at one of the first fluid stations, meaning I wasn't able to grab a drink early in the race; who can run a best time without the proper hydration? Thirdly, there weren't mile markers or elapsed time signs along the half-marathon course; how can we know how we are doing and properly pace ourselves in their absence? There is probably a positive and right answer to each of those questions and circumstances, but it is far easier to let them accumulate towards a solid excuse for not quite measuring up to what might have been and perhaps even should have been.
Winners don't need excuses! Perhaps that one came from the Gipper.

Not Running a Movie Show!

Okay - perhaps an explanation and correction from my last post where I reference "Where's Bob" (for Emily and anyone else who may have the same question). As all of you, no doubt, know - you are NOT dealing with a movie buff, a celebrity stalker or a pop culture whiz here. In fact, I may be about as far from that personality type as is possible to be! So...."Where's Bob" should actually have been "What About Bob", which is a movie from 1991 (that I believe I actually saw, believe it or not) starring Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss - where Bob, if my memory serves me correctly, was a counselor or psychologist who almost stalked his patient who was trying to get away on a family vacation on Lake Winnipesaukee. Thus the connection to the area we were in....right there where Bob was hanging out and ensuring vacationers had a particularly good time! I think the movie had its moments and was pretty funny - but then again, what do I know about movies?!

Running to Find Where Bob Is!

Indeed Bob had his own set of problems in "Where's Bob", but Lake Winnipesaukee would seem to be a great place to take just about ANY problem and work on a solution. Alton Bay on Lake Winnipesaukee (rhythmically and delightfully pronounced by Rachel throughout our trip) was the site of our most recent run - the Big Lake Half-Marathon on Saturday the 10th of May. Most of the run was along the lake - although hardly level - and it was a picturesque setting in the middle of New Hampshire's Lake District. Beautifully green, significant "Eastern" hills (okay - even mountains), dozens of lakes (to include Squam Lake - setting for "On Golden Pond"), New England village charm and covered bridges all contributed to make this a memorable trip. Neither of us set any records on the race (although Karen had her second best time and I had probably a top 4 time), but since neither of us had really ever spent any time in the State it was a great opportunity and it did not disappoint. The afternoon of the race we thought we still had enough energy to climb Mt. Major - for which the trailhead was only a couple of minutes from our Motel. We learned that many of the Eastern trails were developed before the concept of switchbacks was refined - if you want to go up....then head up! It was steep and strenuous in places (esp. after a race and with Rachel ensuring the quads were worked extensively), but the view from the top was pretty spectacular. We were also able to spend a day in the White Mountains - to include hiking the Flume Gorge and Arethusa Falls along a very scenic 100-mile loop. All in all, an excellent trip, a very good run, and a greater appreciation for one of the smallest States. We also met some great people - to include the race co-directors and a daughter who helped us with Rachel. We recommend putting New Hampshire on your list of places to go!
As for deep thoughts - I might just have a few - related to the course we ran. The outbound portion of the race had some fairly long, sustained grades - and they were into the prevailing breeze. It made for some tough running - but I kept thinking I would benefit from this same layout in reverse - sustained downhills with a tailwind.....esp. as fatigue was starting to set in. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way. At the turnaround, we took a loop down to and along the lake shore - and lost all of the gained elevation in one short, steep downhill, followed by more rolling hills before we connected back to the original route - for a level 2-mile finish. It was disappointing - esp. psychologically....and I couldn't help but wonder how often we psyche ourselves out when we really don't need to. We all develop expectations - whether realistic or not - and then when those aren't met our performance usually suffers until we put things back into perspective. The message? I guess we need to be careful with our expectations, remain flexible, and find and enjoy the good along the way instead of wondering what might have been or how things could and should have been better. Indeed, the loop along the lake was probably the most scenic part of the course - but not nearly as appreciated as it should have been - when exactly that appreciation could have more than made up for a missed expectation.
So - we never found Bob - but we found a beautiful and charming area well worth a visit!

(Oh, and by the way, 14 down, 36 to go!)

Country Running

What would running be like without a little country once and awhile? And a little country is what we got last weekend with the Country Music Marathon and Half Marathon in Nashville, Tennessee. However, we weren't alone in that little country runnin - we shared the event with 30,000 other runners, not to mention hundreds, if not thousands, of race volunteers and workers. In terms of the number of runners, it was the largest race I have ever participated in (Virginia Beach last Fall had around 20,000) - and for Karen, only her Chicago Marathon had a few more runners. However, notwithstanding the numbers, it was a very nice race and another excellent weekend - this time shared with Karen's Mom and two of her brothers (Dave and Tom) who drove down from Illinois to join us. Dave ran the Half with us, Tom ran the full marathon (I believe his 17th on his quest for 50), and Karen's Mom watched Rachel during the race. All in all, it worked out nicely.

I suspect most of you are rather bored with race details - but give some thought to putting on a race with this many people. Quite a logistics nightmare - but one they handled pretty well. Admittedly, things were spread out at both the start and finish, but I guess that is to be expected with these numbers. They also utilized the "corral start" or "wave start", meaning everyone was assigned a "corral" of about 1,000 people, based on their estimated completion time. The corrals were released every couple of minutes to reduce initial congestion. Worked pretty well, except that the elite runners were almost finished with the race when the last corral or two was released to start!

We had some good meals together and enjoyed wandering around Nashville. Our only regret is perhaps not taking advantage of the area to see and do more with country music. We didn't make it to the free concert on the night of the race, nor did we make it to the Grand 'Ol Opry. However, the morning before the race we walked up and down one of Nashville's main drags - every other store was a club with live country music. Interesting sounds all around! The race also featured country music groups at intervals along the route. Unfortunately, I think they ended up with fewer than planned due to the rain which continued right up until the start time, but the groups that were out were good and lent encouragement on the persistent hills! Nothing really spectacular about the course, but it is rightlty noted for NOT being flat! (Notwithstanding the topography, I had my best half-marathon time since starting to run these again 18 months ago - a 1:43:40! I'm not completely convinced the course wasn't a bit "short" in places - but I'll take it and count it- to include finishing 26th out of 627 men in my 50-54 age group!)

So - did I have any deep runner's thoughts during the race? I doubt there were any that would merit me publishing a book - but perhaps there were one or two. Many of the races we run are pretty small and don't have much in the way of crowds or fan support. This was one of the exceptions. There were definitely times along the route when a bit of encouragement was very welcome - even from total strangers. There were quite a few along the way in this race. I appreciated that and it made me wonder how often we pass up the chance to provide that same type of encouragement to someone - whether someone just passing by that would appreciate it - or someone we know, work with, love or otherwise - that really needs it, somewhat expects it, would definitely be helped by it, but sometimes may wait a lot longer to get it than they should have to....or in some cases may never get it. In most cases, these people will never ask - but I hope we are perceptive or intuitive enough to recognize them and take advantage of our opportunities. I doubt it would ever be harmful - even if not drastically needed - but on the other hand - someone just may really need it - and we may be the person along the route who can provide it.

Thirteen down - 37 to go!