Mara the Wonder Puppy

Mara the Wonder Puppy joined us for 14 miles
of our long run on February 16, 2014. She is in the middle left
of the photo behind Maureen.

You often hear stories about pets that do amazing things, but I don't recall ever seeing something like that first-hand. Well, not until this past Sunday during our long run getting ready for the Shamrock full marathon on March  16. 

We were scheduled to run 21 or 22 miles that day as part of our marathon training. Although it was in the mid-20's when we started at 6:30am, the conditions were otherwise nice. When we got to about Mile 6, we were greeted by two dogs. One was a mature, white Shepherd mix and the other a cute fluffy Golden Lab puppy that appeared to be about seven months old. They started to run along the side of the road with us. We kept hoping they would turn back, but they continued along undeterred. The puppy seemed to be following the Shepherd (she must know what she's doing), casting a glance backward every so often.

As the distance between their home and our location continued to increase, they showed no interest in turning back. We were worried about them, because there were occasional vehicles and we did not want one of them to be hit. We even tried to call Animal Control, but, on a Sunday morning, no one was picking up the phone. Also, neither of the dogs had any tags that would have allowed us to call their owner. Finally, at about five miles from their home, the Shepherd lost interest and took off after something else. Not the puppy. She continued to be our companion. While we took the occasional drink from a hydration bottle, she stopped, now and again, at a puddle to hydrate herself. I nicknamed her "Mara" (short for Marathon), because she had no quit in her.

We kept an eye on her and made sure she was not in the street. She kept pace with one of our runners, Maureen, who was out for her first 20-mile run. We finally made it back to our starting point with Mara close behind. When Maureen stopped at her car, Mara laid down, completely exhausted. She had completed a 14-mile long run. Maureen scooped her up and put her in the SUV. She was tired, but happy. Maureen returned her to the spot where the dogs had joined us and found the owner. I suspect that Mara spent the better part of the rest of Sunday recovering from her long run. 

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!

Cornerstone Striders - Running in Suffolk

A devoted group of Cornerstone Striders out for a Dismal Swamp
run in January, 2013

This month I will mark two years running with the Cornerstone Striders in Suffolk. I wanted to take a little time to talk about how this group changed everything for me when it comes to running.

In December, 2011, I had been running only about three months, having started as part of my quest to drop the massive amount of weight I had accumulated by age 49. I had reached a point where I was dismayed by the way I felt, looked and where I was physically, on the cusp of turning 50. I had made myself a promise that my gift to myself for my 50th birthday would be a new, healthier me but I had a long way to go. By September, 2011, I had already dropped about 80 pounds, but still had 50 to go and my doctor had cleared me to run.

Running with Cornerstone in Carrollton

For the first three months of running, I started slowly.  On my first runs, I was barely able to run a quarter mile without stopping. I worked myself up to running the entire length of my 5-mile walking route. Running was doing great things, but I was running alone. At a Christmas party, I chanced upon another friend, who knew I had been running and asked if I had heard about a new running group that had formed in Suffolk. I told her I had not, but got the details. I woke up the next morning to run and looked up Cornerstone. As it turned out, they had a group run that morning at Hillpoint. I thought, "what the heck, I'll show up and, if I hate it, I won't go back."


Andrea started the Cornerstone Striders after moving
down from Michigan with her family. The group now
boasts a membership of over 100 runners

Well, I showed up for that Sunday morning run two years ago and I have not looked back (figuratively, of course). Running with a group, and this group, in particular, has made all the difference. Along the way, I have met some of the most motivated people I have ever known (thanks Andrea!). I have also achieved goals I never dreamed possible, like running my first half and then full marathons at age 50. I have shared the experience of running a 200-mile relay across Virginia and completed my first triathlon. I am now training for my first ultra marathon. I am convinced that much, if not all, of these things may never have happened or, if they did, would have happened much more slowly without Cornerstone.

Cornerstone travelled to Richmond for the Monument Avenue 10K

In the end, I would say, that running with a group has motivated me to be a better and more accomplished runner. I hope that I can pass that inspiration on to other new runners. Sometimes a group makes all the difference.

Our Cornerstone Century team completed the Colonial 200 Relay running
over 200 miles across Virginia

A Cold And Windy Marathon - Shamrock 2013

Well, the Shamrock Marathon is now history and it's one I will remember for a number of reasons, not the least of which was the weather. It was COLD!! I had been looking at the long range forecasts for weeks and had pretty much figured that we were looking at temperatures in the mid-40's, which proved to be the case. The big question mark had been the chance of rain. The weather gurus had gone back and forth all week, first predicting rain, then backing off and then predicting it again. In the end, it came close to raining, but (with the exception of a few drops) it did not rain during the race. The wind was another matter. From the time I got out of my car in the parking deck on Sunday morning, I knew we were in for wind. In fact, I added some gear to help deal with the wind chill. The wind was particularly brutal along the Boardwalk between Miles 10.5 and 11.5 and coming back through Fort Story between Miles 20 and 22.

The other memorable thing about the 2013 Shamrock Marathon was a nice PR. I was able to slice 15 minutes off my time from the Richmond Marathon in November of last year. I set my goal of running average 10 minute miles and managed to have all of my mile splits under 10 minutes for a finish at 4:20:18. Not bad given the unfavorable conditions.

The Shamrock Marathon course is mostly a flat course with a couple of exceptions. The most notable is during the first half where you go out and back over the Rudee Inlet Bridge. This amounts to a freeway overpass, so not a terrible hill to contend with and, fortunately, is during the first half of the race when you are better able to deal with it. The other "hill" occurs during the second half of the race between Miles 16 and 19 as you approach the West Gate to Fort Story. However, this is a pretty gradual hill and you don't really feel it. The photo of me is Mile 18 going up that "hill."

 As I mentioned, the real obstacle this year was the cold wind off the Ocean. Now, anyone who has been to the Virginia Beach Oceanfront know that the wind blows most of the time. On marathon morning, it was blowing particularly hard and combined with the temperatures in the low 40's made for a chilling experience. While I geared up, I saw plenty of runners in tank tops and shorts and I couldn't help but think - what do they know that I don't? I'm still not sure.

When the race was done, I was not only tired but bone-chilling cold. I picked up my swag and headed for a warm car. No post would be complete without a tip of the hat to the J&A Racing folks. They put on great races and, with the exception of the weather, this year's Shamrock was another success. They really have their act down and they do it right.

It's Shamrock Weekend!

Not so long ago, it seemed like Shamrock was a distant point on the horizon. No longer. This is the weekend. We have had some beautiful weather this week, but it looks as though we may be in for some less than ideal race weather. The forecast for Saturday is mid-60's with a chance of showers in the afternoon, so the kids doing the Final Mile (including my daughter) and the 8K'ers should be okay. Things get a bit more dicey come Sunday with highs only in the upper 40's and a better chance of showers.  One of the things I have learned about running races is that you can't change the weather, so there is no reason to obsess about it. Just dress appropriately, show up and run.

Our Cornerstone Striders running group in Suffolk is going to have a pretty good showing for Shamrock. At last count, we had 22 people doing at least one of the Shamrock races. I think the majority are doing the half marathon and only two or three of us are doing the full.  Not a bad turnout. I think for 2012, we only had less than 10. Everyone has trained hard and I hope to hear about some new PR's at Shamrock!

The Fitness Expo is today and tomorrow, so I will probably go by there today and pickup race packets for myself and my daughter.  I hope that everyone participating has a great race and an enjoyable weekend.