Running Through the Ages

Age is relative. At least, that’s the conclusion I’ve reached – and mind you, I’m not just talking about MY age. In relative terms, our nation is pretty new – around 233 years, in fact. It is also one of the oldest continuing democracies in the world and non-native communities have been around since the early 1600s. However, having lived in Europe for a number of years, that is still pretty new; it was not unusual to see communities that could trace their origins back to the first millennium after Christ. So what does this have to do with running? A couple of our recent runs have been back east in areas where these earliest communities were established. Delaware in November was one of these and such was the case with our most recent run, the B&A (Baltimore & Annapolis) Trail Run in Severna Park, MD. Both Baltimore and Annapolis trace their origins back into the early 1600s – as do a number of small hamlets on Maryland’s “Eastern Shore” of the Chesapeake Bay. This trip provided us the opportunity to step back in time again – this time into early American history. Although I had been to Baltimore many times – and thoroughly enjoyed Camden Yards, the Inner Harbor, and the National Aquarium, I had never spent any time in Fell's Point (old historic district) or visited Mount Vernon (heart of Baltimore's cultural community, large memorial to George Washington, Peadbody Institute, grand Hotels, and affluent city residences) or the oldest Catholic Cathedral in the Americas. Nor had I spent time on the Easther Shore to visit a very interesting Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, or historical Easton, both of which boast homes and businesses from the 1600s, not to mention a Third Haven (Quaker) meetinghouse that is the oldest frame meetinghouse in the country. Strolling along some of these streets was like walking through a museum. You won’t see these houses on the websites flaunting America’s most expensive residences, but they exude a rich heritage and attest to a bygone era, while capturing and preserving some of its history. We enjoyed our historical tour, but it was capped by a very current lunch at The Town Dock in St. Michael’s which, without a doubt, ranks as one of the best seafood dinners we have ever had.

The race itself was run along the old railroad grade which had been the Baltimore & Annapolis line – now a running, walking and biking path through the forests and suburbs between Washington, DC and Baltimore. It was a pleasant course, although not unusually scenic. The elevation changes were moderate and the race was pretty well-supported – notwithstanding the snow that fell the night before the race, making some of the wooden bridges quite slick and still snow covered. Otherwise, the trail was wet, with a few puddles, but generally free of snow. We feared this would finally be one of those races where we would, of necessity, run in pretty bad weather – but fortunately, it did not rain or snow during the race. It was chilly, but not windy – and we were grateful for the conditions that we knew could have been far worse. Karen and I both ran races pretty typical of our recent performance – perhaps a few minutes slower due to conditions – and we were impressed by a strong field that included the US Naval Academy Marathon Team and a large contingent of runners from the Annapolis Striders Running Club. All in all it was a good race and an interesting trip – State #29 in our quest for 50.

Post-race thanks to Jennifer for watching Rachel over our weekend in Maryland. It always feels strange when she isn’t with us, but we enjoyed our time together and appreciated knowing she was in good hands. And should you be waiting for my “race wisdom”, don’t forget to let history teach its lessons. (Because in this case, my deepest thoughts were actually BEFORE the race and consisted of self-talk basically designed to convince me that running in the cold and snow REALLY wouldn’t be all that bad. NOT!

Running Back in Time (Reprise)

Although we recently went through our semiannual ritual of moving our clocks forward, the last two races have done just the opposite – to some extent turning back time. Our February race was actually in Birmingham, Alabama, but a good part of our trip was spent in Huntsville. It was a great opportunity to visit with some old friends and see what 25 intervening years have done to the city. In the latter case, it was obvious that Huntsville has continued to grow and prosper – without sacrificing its heritage. On a more personal note, we checked to see if Dacia’s mortal point of origin was still there (it was, although we couldn’t find the commemorative plaque we expected to see); we drove by Chafee School, where both Alan and Emily began their formal education; and wanted to pay our respects to the fateful spot where Emily learned her first physics lesson about height, distance and falling objects – not to mention the frailty of small arm bones (the park was still there, but the slide was not). We had a good visit to the Space and Rocket Center (vastly expanded) – and even caught an IMAX movie. Later, we drove past our town home (Willowbrook) and first home (Randall Rd), then through some new subdivisions, where it was obvious the “home” owners have done VERY well, but the homes were no more impressive than those going on 200 years old in the historic district of beautifully preserved, southern-style manors. The city also now boasts a prospering research and business park, but the lake and the geese (yes, the ones that Alan and Emily were petrified of) were still downtown, providing the setting for the Von Braun Civic Center. In Cullman, we visited the Ave Maria Grotto, the handiwork of a monk over 40 years, who built the world's landmarks in miniature.

We stayed a couple of nights with Mo and Martha Brooks – friends from the “Huntsville Era”. Both are doing well; Mo is still immersed in politics; Martha is now teaching middle school math; and Rachel (who, we learned, also runs marathons) is married with an 18-month old daughter. Besides politics, Mo has burnished his skills on the ping pong table. Although I expected to get beat, I didn’t necessarily expect to get annihilated – and that was with him playing left-handed! (I took some consolation knowing he plays at the state championship level.) Also had dinner with Paul Todd and Wendy, who have lived in Huntsville several years; Paul and I grew up as neighbors in Logan.

As for the race and Birmingham – both were good. In Birmingham we visited Vulcan Park, which commemorates Birmingham’s industrial and iron-producing heritage, with the largest iron statue in the world. We also visited several sites of significance from the civil rights era – which we ran by again during the race. Although I wouldn’t classify much of Birmingham’s downtown as particularly scenic, the race was well-supported, there was a pretty large field, the race expo and post-race food were really good (what’s not to like about a full BBQ sandwich lunch??), and the finisher’s medal (a Mercedes Benz emblem from the main sponsor) is one of our favorites. One section of the race went through some older, historic homes – which was a course highlight. As for results, I was happy with them. Since this was only my second race since the hamstring injury, I wanted to ensure things were back to normal, so started a bit conservatively. However, by the end I was more confident and finished very strongly – and reasonably satisfied that The Thoughtful Runner is fully back and in stride.

As for deep or particularly noteworthy thoughts (was I ever OUT of stride….purely a rhetorical question, mind you) – I’m not sure I had any (anyone surprised?). However, there were some impressions left from this race worth sharing. One has to do with our civil rights heritage. Having lived through much of that era, I remember it being an often tumultuous and divisive time and, in many respects, not one we should be too proud of. However, much progress has been made and many people risked a lot to bring that about. Taking a few minutes to visit some sites in Birmingham was a good idea – and I would recommend any such sites when you are in a location where that is possible. The second impression concerns preserving our past. It is a fact that the years take their toll on what we remember and how we remember it. I believe it is also true that the past, in large measure, has made us who we are today. Although we can’t and shouldn’t relive it, we certainly need to continue to pull and learn from it. And efforts to preserve it – however difficult – should not be neglected or postponed – as there will not always be a tomorrow. Once and awhile, it’s a good thing to Run Back in Time.

Running My Roots

There is an old saying that “criminals always return to the scene of their crimes”. I have no idea how much truth there is in that – and it isn’t a perfect fit for this situation, but it’s catchy and certainly has its application. Perhaps more fitting – "at some point in time, people always return to their roots". And so our January race was, in many respects, a trip home.

Exactly 55 years, to the day, before our race on January 25th, I had my humble(?) beginnings in Oceanside, California. The race was in Carlsbad – a stone’s throw south on Interstate 5 – and to bring things full circle, we actually stayed on Camp Pendleton – where I allegedly entered the world – with virtually no hair, a Dad in Japan, and two older sisters already plotting how to get their brother in trouble and to ensure he would receive nothing even remotely resembling preferential treatment for as long as they had anything to say about it.

Notwithstanding that start, I still have memories of living in Oceanside as a 6 and 7-year old, such as first grade at Mission Elementary, our yard and hill, where we went to church, where Dad worked on base, where the Pendleton rodeo took place – and we tried to return to several of them during our trip back - to include both homes we lived in, photographed showing three generations! Oceanside has changed dramatically in the intervening 50 years – but it was a nice trip down a Memory Lane.

The trip was particularly noteworthy since Emily, Jared and “the boys” joined us. We stayed in some cinder block houses on a beach recreation area– but took advantage of our location to visit the San Diego Zoo and Sea World – and spend an hour or two on the beach behind our houses. It wasn’t really warm enough for much beach time, but we thoroughly enjoyed the zoo and Sea World and the weather cooperated.

As for the race – it was a good one. Probably about 9 of the miles were right along the Pacific Ocean and very pretty. The weather was just about perfect to run in – and the course nearly flat. It would have been a great course to try for a PR – but my objective was much less ambitious. Having just come off the hamstring injury, I was more interested in seeing how it responded and whether I would be ready for all 13.1 miles. As a result, I started at a very measured pace. When I felt myself settling in and feeling okay, I picked it up and actually ran with Karen almost the entire race. We finished together and it was great actually having some fans in the spectators; Emily, Jared, Rachel and the boys were all near the finish line to cheer us home – and they actually even saw us after we had passed them and were finishing! (So much for the pictures!)

Another highlight of the weekend was a visit with a cousin of Karen’s Mom and his wife in San Diego (Walter and Hilde). He is nearly 90 and still fit as a fiddle and they are a very cute couple. Rachel got to see actual oranges and lemons growing on their trees and was quite impressed. To top off the weekend, Karen and Emily made me a great dinner for my birthday and on the last day of the trip, we celebrated Rachel’s birthday together with breakfast at IHOP.

All in all, an excellent, fun weekend and visit and a great race for our 27^th State. It was very encouraging to run without the hamstring acting up and if there is any “thoughtful” message in here, it is that we ALL have roots. In large measure – sometimes far more than we acknowledge – they mold who we are and dramatically impact where we are headed. In my case, I can only be thankful for my roots and for family today that reminds me of the importance of those roots into the future.

A Running Stop

“It ain’t over until the fat lady sings.” It may not be the classiest or most refined of expressions, but most people have heard it and know exactly what it means. Three weeks ago In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, I was reminded just how much truth there is in that little nugget. Heading for my best time since I started running half-marathons again just over two years ago – and finally, completely breaking through that psychological 8-minute mile barrier I’ve been working on for a year – I was in the stretch run, picking up the pace for the last half mile. It was as sure as it gets – with a pace of near 7:50 on the horizon – and a new “post-50” PR. When it popped. I’m still not exactly sure what it was – most likely because of the fear of knowing – but the “pop” was a sharp pain in the back of my upper left thigh that stopped me dead in my tracks. Thinking it might be a cramp, I tried stretching it out, then walking it off, but nothing helped. I was unable to run on it – period. I was finally able to walk/hobble my way to the finish line – and even finish with a respectable time due to the previous 12.5+ miles – but the PR was gone – replaced by considerable anxiety about what had happened and the longer-term consequences. And of course the reminder – it isn’t over until it is over.

Initially, my disappointment (and frustration) at not achieving the goal was pretty high….in fact REAL high. However, as I got past the moment, there were even things to be grateful for. At least the injury occurred near the very end of the race. Had it happened much sooner, I most likely would not have finished the race – and there wouldn’t be two Louisiana medals hanging on that peg. It also appears the injury might not be as serious as I had initially feared. I finally decided to check some sports medicine literature and it is, more than likely, a Grade 2 hamstring strain or pull. Although there is still considerable recovery time, only the more serious Grade 3 likely requires surgical repair. If I can manage to do the right things – and keep from doing the wrong (or premature) things – hopefully I’ll be able to participate in our next scheduled race in late January.
As for other race comments – the course was a pretty nice one. It started next to the Louisiana State University (LSU) campus on a pretty lake, wound through several neighborhoods, some campus areas, sorority row( quite impressive along the lake), along the lakeshore for several miles, through some VERY impressive areas with estate-like homes/plantations, and ended back where we began. It was a flat, fast course – with weather pretty well-suited for running. It was chilly, but not TOO cold, generally sunny (but often shaded), little or no wind, and no precipitation. Perfect PR conditions……..sigh.

As for the rest of the trip, it was interesting and enjoyable. We spent a day and a half in New Orleans, including the French Quarter, hurricane-damaged areas and some good food – to include some wonderful Po Boy sandwiches and a Cajun meal at Mulates. We spent part of a morning driving through the Lower Ninth Ward – one of the hardest hit areas by Katrina. It was still VERY depressing. I would estimate that, at most, maybe 20% of the houses are inhabited; most are boarded up, visibly vacant or just plain gone. We only saw one school that was open (most obviously closed); most businesses were closed and there was just very little sign of recovery or reconstruction efforts. Although Baton Rouge wasn’t the liveliest spot we have visited recently, it was certainly better off and offered a number of things well worth seeing…and eating. These included both the Old Statehouse and the current Capitol – both very unique in architectural design and features. The former looked like a castle or fortress from the outside with a multi-colored, glass dome that was very impressive. The new Statehouse looked more like an office skyscraper, but the interior was equally impressive with a Great Hall, beautifully appointed legislative chambers, and an exhibit marking the spot where former State Governor and Senator Huey Long was shot – a most interesting note in a most interesting state history, replete with corruption and intrigue. There was also an observation deck on the Capitol – about 20 stories up – that provided a good view of the city, the Mississippi River and about as far as you could see across the State – since there were virtually NO hills, mounds or even undulations in sight! Between New Orleans and Baton Rouge we also stopped at a couple of very impressive southern plantations….and, of course, enjoyed another great meal.
We look back on the past year and are a bit amazed at our running results! We checked off 17 States – and each one was also a unique and worthwhile trip. We took full advantage of Carl’s Southwest Airlines Companion Pass. As we look forward to 2009, we suspect there will be a more reasonable number of races. We also recognize how richly we have been blessed to make our quest possible. We thank all those who have helped us on our way – watching and taking care of Rachel, traveling with us or meeting us, or just providing motivation. At the risk of forgetting someone, special thanks to Karen’s Mom and sister (Kathy), Jen, Emily, Sarah and several Race Directors and LDS church members who were just super in supporting us along the way. Thanks for helping us have a great running year. Twenty-six down; 24 to go!

Running the First!

Do you have a collection of State Quarters? Do you remember the first one that came out in the series? Do you recall it being Massachusetts? I hope not, because it was actually Delaware – and with our race on the 22nd of November we not only achieved the milestone of 50% of the States, we ran in our first State, Delaware, which was first to ratify the Constitution. As part of our trip, we visited the original building and locations (in Dover) where the signers met to start our Union. Interestingly enough it was a tavern – not the least atypical for the era. It was an impressive, but small complex of buildings from the 1700s (some now restored), to include plaques, monuments and the village green – looking much like it did well over 200 years ago.

As for our race, it was at Rehoboth Beach, located where the Atlantic Ocean and the Delaware Bay intersect. It started along the town boardwalk (obviously quite a tourist mecca in the summer), then proceeded through the town, along a running trail through a forest preserve, past fields and wetlands, past Delaware’s first settlement (Lewes – where there were also some interesting old buildings) to a State Park at Cape Henlopen. Since the race was actually a two-person marathon relay, Cape Henlopen is where Karen handed me the “baton” (our timing chip). I then ran much of the same route in reverse – ending where we began on the boardwalk.

Although our 25th race together it was our first with a bonafide taste of winter! As we ate dinner the night before, we looked out the window onto quite a snow squall. It had also snowed much of the way down from Philadelphia earlier that evening. Luckily, race morning broke with crystal clear skies, but quite windy, cold (probably around 30) and some slick/snowy spots – esp. at the race start along the boardwalk. The wind kept our times a bit slower, but all in all it was a really nice race, a fairly scenic course and – of major importance to us – had a GREAT post race food spread (drinks, mini-burgers, veggie burgers, salads, pancakes, syrups, baked beans, pulled pork, and mac & cheese)! Luckily, the food was in a big tent where it was at least warmer. It was really good and we had some great visits with other runners. The race organizers were a couple that ran the local running store. They were also great – and we patronized them with a new pair of shoes for Karen. On the way back to the airport we stopped in Wilmington to visit the original home and black powder manufacturing site of E.I. DuPont. Interesting complex and, of course, quite a history as one of the titans of U.S. manufacturing.

My thoughts during this trip weren’t so much tied to running’s life lessons, but rather the origin of our nation and ideals. Running (and walking) where our founding fathers lived, talked about democracy, and met to set in motion the most significant experiment in the history of man was humbling and impressive. Indeed, we owe them a huge debt of gratitude – along with an equally huge obligation to ensure the continuing success of those ideals and that great experiment. It was great to Run the First! (Picture key, where not obvious: 2 - Old Statehouse in foreground, new Statehouse in background; 3 - oldest home in Lewes, information plaque is #5; 10 - DuPont mansion/home; 11 - Rehoboth Beach after a successful run!)