Meg's Miles - A Tribute

Some images require no explanation. There are no words that elevate the meaning. This is one such image.

Meg's Miles - What's Best About Running

A rather remarkable thing happened yesterday. Tens of thousands of people laced up their running shoes and went out to run miles in honor of a person most had never met and a week before had never heard of. The people I am talking about, of course, are members of the running community and the person they honored was Meg Menzies. I was one of them. Sadly, I never knew Meg and never ran with her, but celebrating her life was really important to me.

In case you missed it, last Monday, Meg went on a morning run in Richmond. She was an accomplished runner training for the Boston Marathon. She never came back from her run. Her life was taken from her by the senseless act of a drunk driver. She left behind a husband and three children. More of the story can be found here. In a split second, the world was changed for the worst.

Almost any runner can tell you stories of close calls with cars or trucks operated by careless drivers more concerned with texting or talking than devoting attention to the operation of a 4000 pound piece of metal hurdling down the road. Fortunately, most of those close calls are just that. We hurl a few expletives, but we come back from the run. Meg never came back.

Cornerstone Striders running Miles for Meg at
Windsor Castle Park in Smithfield

It would be even more tragic if that was the end of the story. Fortunately, it was not. Some very devoted folks in Richmond organized #megsmiles to honor Meg. They also set up a Facebook page. They asked the members of the running community to dedicate their miles on January 18 to Meg. To do what she could no longer do. Although I saw various figures, the number of people was over 80,000 runners from around the world. Some ran in freezing cold and others in staggering heat. Some ran two miles and some ran twenty miles. They ran in the United States, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Australia. Our running group had 16 show up in Smithfield, Virginia. Simply amazing.

Everyone wore the MegsMiles bib on our run yesterday morning

In my short time as a runner, I have met some truly amazing people. People who inspire me to push myself to achieve more and to live better. For me, that is what is best about running. It is a community of devoted people, who brave the elements and encourage one another to dream of what can be. It is a community that is poorer for the loss of Meg, but one that celebrates her life and who she was.

Looking Forward at 2014

Okay, enough with the nostalgia about looking back and thinking about what HAS BEEN DONE. It's a new year with new challenges and it's time to focus on what I want to accomplish in the coming year.

Mile 19 at the 2013 Shamrock Marathon

I want to continue to push myself on my running. Although I can generally sustain a solid sub-9 minute mile pace, I need to find ways to get the lead out. If I am going to have any hope of breaking a 4-hour marathon, I have got to get my mile splits down. Following the 2013 Shamrock, I noticed that they have been creeping back up and I need to reverse that trend. That means dropping my holiday weight and eating healthier in 2014.  I have a notoriously bad sweet tooth and portion control issues.

Our Cornerstone Marine Corps Marathon Team at the start line.

Speedwork is critical. Our Cornerstone group has been doing speedwork on Thursday mornings and I need to keep that going. I am not a fast runner, but that workout pushes my limits and, boy, do I need some pushing. I was complaining one morning that speedwork really hurts and my friend, Amy, was not hearing it. Her comment: "it's supposed to hurt!" I won't forget that. Thanks Amy!

Cornerstone Striders "Speedwork" Thursday

Although I try to rotate my workouts between running, spinning or cycling and swimming, I have completely neglected weight work and flexibility. During both the Marine Corps marathon and the Seashore 50K, I noticed discomfort in my upper legs and hips. While running is great for the muscle tone in my legs, it does little or nothing for the upper legs. Lately, I have been doing some weight work on my legs and that seems to help. I have never been a big yoga fan, but I need to rethink that. While endurance is important, so is flexibility.

On the cycling front, I want to maintain my endurance on long rides. The Cap2Cap Century pushed me in 2013 and I need to keep from backsliding. I want to do the Tour de Cure Century this spring and one more century before the year is out. I love my bike and my wife got me a Camelback for Christmas that I am looking forward to using. Hopefully, we will get some more mild days this winter that permit a ride.

Ready for my first sprint tri

I remain an aspiring triathlete. I completed my first sprint in August, so I am not a complete rookie, but I have yet to do an open water swim. That needs to get done this year. I am planning on doing the Smithfield Sprint in April, but that is a pool swim. That means, I need to find either another sprint or an Olympic that gets me out of the comfort of the pool. I have heard good things about the Patriot, but I just need to find the right open water race.

Well, I clearly have my work cut out for me in 2014. I am not sure that I will achieve all of these goals, but I hope to make a dent. I turn 52 this month and I want to celebrate that by working toward a stronger and more fit me. The bar is set higher and I'm not sure I can clear this height, but I'm sure going to try!

A Look Back at 2013

First ride of 2013

As 2013 draws to a close, it seems only right to take a look back at the highs and lows of the past year. This year has been a difficult one for our family. In March, we lost Courtney's dad and Anne's "Pop".  We all miss him terribly. Losing a parent is really hard. I lost my dad in 1998 and I miss him every day.

On the professional front, I will be moving to a new law firm after 25 years in Norfolk. The nice thing is that I will be in Suffolk and only five minutes from home. No more tunnels! Sometimes change is difficult, but I am excited about the move and practicing with a great group of folks here in Suffolk.

Cap2Cap Century Ride in Richmond

On the running front, 2013 has been a year of many PR's and firsts for me. At the beginning of the year, I set the goal of running 1500 miles by the end of the year. I met that goal at the end of October and just recently crossed the 1800 mile barrier. If I throw in my cycling miles, my total mileage for 2013 is over 4400 miles. Guess I will have to raise the bar to 2000 miles for 2014.

Cornerstone Striders at the Marine Corps Marathon

I had PR's in the half marathon in San Antonio in January (1:57:40), the 14K at Virginia Is For Lovers in February (1:12:15), the full marathon at Shamrock in March (4:20:18) and the 10K at Monument Avenue in March (53:01). I also ran in my first Marine Corps Marathon in October. On the other side of the equation, I had a very disappointing race at the Crawling Crab Half Marathon because of the warm day. I finished my first ultra marathon at the Seashore Nature Trail 50K last weekend, although my time was much slower than I had hoped. I also competed in my first century ride at the Cap2Cap in May, my second ride at the MS 150 and my first triathlon in August in Goochland. Our Cornerstone Century team also completed the Colonial 200-mile Relay in September.

On the whole, not a bad year. I have been blessed to have the support and love of my family and to surround myself with great runners and cyclists, who don't accept excuses and won't let you fail. Like they say, it's the company you keep!

Our Cornerstone Century team at the Colonial 200 Relay

My first tri at the Goochland Sprint Triathlon

So, what's in store for 2014? Well, I still have my eye on trimming my full marathon time down toward that 4 hour mark. Also, for the past two years, I have wanted to ride in the Tour de Cure Century ride, but have not been able to make it work. I hope that 2014 will see that happen. I also want to try a triathlon that includes an open water swim. I am planning to do the Smithfield Sprint in April, along with some tri rookies from Cornerstone and some from my old firm. 2014 is looking like a challenging year for me. But, then again, I like a good challenge. Happy New Year to you and yours!