This was the year. MY year. Lakefront Marathon followed by the Chicago Marathon the next weekend. My chance to qualify for the Marathon Maniacs and run one of the majors. But Chicago...Chicago! Registration opened and I was ready. However the site was having problems and kept kicking me off. The organizers suspended the registration with only 15,000 spots remaining. For two weeks the site was down. Two weeks! Today was the day designated for the update. At 3 p.m., when they said they would make their announcement, I was ready again. But Chicago...Chicago! Chicago decided to "be fair" and wait another week to reopen registration. Here's the kicker though, runners will be chosen based by lottery. Ugh! Chicago! I will enter the lottery next week. At least I don't have to pay to enter the lottery. By Tuesday, March 12, I should know whether or not I made the cut. Commence impatience.
Chicago... [shake my fist]
Wednesday
Life is Messy
As I've already posted, I'm in a new department at work. The man who's job I filled will officially retire on Friday. Today he sent out his farewell email in which he wrote, "As I look over the years, I've come to the realization that in spite of the challenges, at times life is a marvelous adventure isn't it!"
His statement has stuck with me all day today. This man is the most eccentric, goofy man I have happened to meet. His oddities are legendary in this new group of mine. Any comparisons of me to him may take the tone of me being the improvement, but the group truly seems endeared to the spacey, groovy guy who used to occupy my cube. And while I'm not in any hurry to mimic all of his unique ways, he hit the nail on the head with his observations about life.
Life is messy. It's complicated. It's a knock-down, drag-out dance that sends you crying to your Momma at times. But I would rather have danced than sat any of it out. It's about saying "hell yeah!" and trusting your instinct. That's what makes it an adventure. Adventures aren't about knowing where you'll end up, they're about discovering who you are.
His statement has stuck with me all day today. This man is the most eccentric, goofy man I have happened to meet. His oddities are legendary in this new group of mine. Any comparisons of me to him may take the tone of me being the improvement, but the group truly seems endeared to the spacey, groovy guy who used to occupy my cube. And while I'm not in any hurry to mimic all of his unique ways, he hit the nail on the head with his observations about life.
Life is messy. It's complicated. It's a knock-down, drag-out dance that sends you crying to your Momma at times. But I would rather have danced than sat any of it out. It's about saying "hell yeah!" and trusting your instinct. That's what makes it an adventure. Adventures aren't about knowing where you'll end up, they're about discovering who you are.
Tuesday
The Dreadmill
Three miles on the treadmill (AKA dreadmill) today was more mentally challenging than 10 miles outside on Saturday. What do I think about on the treadmill? Fractions. I think about fractions. My treadmill has an oval "lap" for each quarter mile. I ran three miles so that is 12 laps. After each lap, I made a mental note of how far I had run. If the fraction needed to be reduced, I reduced accordingly. See how maddening a run on the "dreadmill" can be?! Fractions!!! I don't even like math!
I did spend some time thinking about the snow that was falling outside and how much I enjoyed watching it at lunch today. But the monotony of a run on the treadmill got to me and back to fractions I went. I would have much rather dwelled on my thoughts of a lunch break in the snow, but maybe I would have been felt too serene, lost focus, and eventually have fallen off the treadmill. I'll wait until bedtime to enjoy those peaceful thoughts. :)
I did spend some time thinking about the snow that was falling outside and how much I enjoyed watching it at lunch today. But the monotony of a run on the treadmill got to me and back to fractions I went. I would have much rather dwelled on my thoughts of a lunch break in the snow, but maybe I would have been felt too serene, lost focus, and eventually have fallen off the treadmill. I'll wait until bedtime to enjoy those peaceful thoughts. :)
Saturday
Thinking Place
"Your thinking place
Your brain's an energy drain.
Seriously, those three pounds of flesh hog 20 percent of your body's energy.
See, outer space goes way out forever but maybe inner space goes way in, too. Have you ever reached way back in your noggin and found a new conclusion, wild idea, or crazy thought? Back beyond your brain's borders are big dreams twisting and turning...just waiting to let themselves out.
Your thinking place is where you go to nurture wild fires in your heart.
And maybe you dream in the shower, maybe you imagine in the car, maybe you wonder in the mirror, maybe you think in Myanmar. But wherever it is, wherever you go, wherever you sizzle, wherever you flow, well that thinking place is somewhere that helps you buzz and burn and become a little bit more
Awesome!"
- The Calendar of Awesome
I was recently asked if I thought I was built for long distance running and why I didn't prefer to run the shorter races and work on increasing my speed. I responded that I was lazy and liked sticking to long distance instead of short and fast(er). Yes, I acknowledge how backwards this sounds. I didn't really put together my preference for long runs until Saturday's 10 mile run:
Running is my thinking place
Like the Friday's entry from the calendar of awesome, my "inner space goes way in". Way, way in for this superhero. "I'm worried I would get bored on a long run," was the follow up response. "Not me," I said. "There's a whole lot going on up here," indicating my noggin, "you have no idea."
I do my best thinking on a run. It's a very zen-like task for me. In my normal brain, I am very stream of consciousness. Running can straighten my thoughts if needed, or it can be a very conducive activity for letting my thoughts flow freely. In my 1:48:12 10 mile run this past weekend, that leaves a lot of time for dwelling in my thinking place. Here's a brief summary of how I occupy myself in an endurance run...
First third of the run:
I start of with a "systems check". How do my legs and knee feel? How is the pace? What is the appropriate pace for this distance? A very important word of advice for running. Do not increase your weekly mileage by more than 10%. If you do, you risk injuring yourself. This is running 101. That being said, I have chosen to ignore this rule. Instead, I registered for a half marathon that is in 3 Saturdays from now. So what do I do? I jump right in and tell myself it will be fine. Because of this, today's "system check" was really important. I had to consciously slow my pace down versus what I run for 3 miles. Of course, this focused thinking only took the first few minutes of the run so I was back to free thinking.
It was snowy outside. But I refuse to run 10 miles on a treadmill or, as it should be named, the dreadmill. So I opted for outside. I also opted for my obnoxiously bright pink running fleece. And a good thing, too, because not all of the sidewalks were clear. I decided during the first 3.333(repeating) miles that this run was becoming a combination of Frogger and Pac-man. Frogger because I had to run on the street for a large portion of my mileage and I chose a four lane road that is a major truck route. Because I'm smart. It was like Pac-man because I would run down a driveway to get to the road, but then turn back up another driveway to go back to the sidewalks when they cleared up. The only differences were that I didn't get smushed like a frog, and I didn't eat any yellow dots or get chased by ghosts.
I also pondered if the makers of Star Wars Episode 1 got the sound of the pod racers by listening to traffic. Some of the vans that passed me sounded like pod racers. Can you imagine that is your job? "I listen to things for a living." Huh. Sound engineers...they must be very tuned in (hilarious pun intended) to the sounds around them.
I thoroughly enjoyed the snow flurries as well. There was enough softly falling to be pretty and serene (minus the cars speeding past) without blinding me and making conditions more hazardous.
In the middle third of the run, I hit my stride. At this point, I'm critiquing the drivers in the cars passing by me. By this time I've given up playing Pac-man and was sticking to my Frogger game. I was running toward the oncoming traffic and trying to stay as close to the curb as possible and concentrate on not slipping, tripping, or otherwise falling into traffic. As cars approached, I would guess whether or not the driver would move over the lane or not. I would say it ended up about 50/50. The irony is that when I'm the driver, I get annoyed that people will run on the street when there's a sidewalk available. However, while there was technically a sidewalk available, it was not consistently cleared by the residents. Therefore, while I was doing the very thing as a runner that annoys me as a driver, I have determined that I will receive a free pass in this case due to the shoveling neglect of the area residents. Or, in simpler terms, I should always have the right of way whether I'm the runner or the driver. No? You don't agree?
I was also starting to feel a little hungry. Fortunately I had found shot block packages before I left for my run. At the halfway point I ate half of the shot blocks. Shot blocks are made by Cliff and are, to date, my favorite mid-run energy boost. (SuperJulia endorsed!) I have been getting the black cherry with caffeine. I like the chewiness of them and feel they are the gentlest on my GI system. (TMI!)
The final third of a long run (any run more than 6 miles) is spent thinking about food. I ate the other half of the pack of shot blocks and pondered... What am I going to eat when I get home? How soon after I finish will I be ready to eat? Can I eat and stretch at the same time?
Answer: Peanut butter and honey on cinnamon raisin bread right away after getting home and I ate it so fast I just waited the nanosecond to begin stretching.
So there it is folks, a little peek into my brain while I run. Frankly, I left a lot out but I've found that most people, myself included, can only manage small doses of all that happens up inside my brain. Besides, some of my dreams and imaginings are best left to my thinking place. ;)
Your brain's an energy drain.
Seriously, those three pounds of flesh hog 20 percent of your body's energy.
See, outer space goes way out forever but maybe inner space goes way in, too. Have you ever reached way back in your noggin and found a new conclusion, wild idea, or crazy thought? Back beyond your brain's borders are big dreams twisting and turning...just waiting to let themselves out.
Your thinking place is where you go to nurture wild fires in your heart.
And maybe you dream in the shower, maybe you imagine in the car, maybe you wonder in the mirror, maybe you think in Myanmar. But wherever it is, wherever you go, wherever you sizzle, wherever you flow, well that thinking place is somewhere that helps you buzz and burn and become a little bit more
Awesome!"
- The Calendar of Awesome
I was recently asked if I thought I was built for long distance running and why I didn't prefer to run the shorter races and work on increasing my speed. I responded that I was lazy and liked sticking to long distance instead of short and fast(er). Yes, I acknowledge how backwards this sounds. I didn't really put together my preference for long runs until Saturday's 10 mile run:
Running is my thinking place
Like the Friday's entry from the calendar of awesome, my "inner space goes way in". Way, way in for this superhero. "I'm worried I would get bored on a long run," was the follow up response. "Not me," I said. "There's a whole lot going on up here," indicating my noggin, "you have no idea."
I do my best thinking on a run. It's a very zen-like task for me. In my normal brain, I am very stream of consciousness. Running can straighten my thoughts if needed, or it can be a very conducive activity for letting my thoughts flow freely. In my 1:48:12 10 mile run this past weekend, that leaves a lot of time for dwelling in my thinking place. Here's a brief summary of how I occupy myself in an endurance run...
First third of the run:
I start of with a "systems check". How do my legs and knee feel? How is the pace? What is the appropriate pace for this distance? A very important word of advice for running. Do not increase your weekly mileage by more than 10%. If you do, you risk injuring yourself. This is running 101. That being said, I have chosen to ignore this rule. Instead, I registered for a half marathon that is in 3 Saturdays from now. So what do I do? I jump right in and tell myself it will be fine. Because of this, today's "system check" was really important. I had to consciously slow my pace down versus what I run for 3 miles. Of course, this focused thinking only took the first few minutes of the run so I was back to free thinking.
It was snowy outside. But I refuse to run 10 miles on a treadmill or, as it should be named, the dreadmill. So I opted for outside. I also opted for my obnoxiously bright pink running fleece. And a good thing, too, because not all of the sidewalks were clear. I decided during the first 3.333(repeating) miles that this run was becoming a combination of Frogger and Pac-man. Frogger because I had to run on the street for a large portion of my mileage and I chose a four lane road that is a major truck route. Because I'm smart. It was like Pac-man because I would run down a driveway to get to the road, but then turn back up another driveway to go back to the sidewalks when they cleared up. The only differences were that I didn't get smushed like a frog, and I didn't eat any yellow dots or get chased by ghosts.
I also pondered if the makers of Star Wars Episode 1 got the sound of the pod racers by listening to traffic. Some of the vans that passed me sounded like pod racers. Can you imagine that is your job? "I listen to things for a living." Huh. Sound engineers...they must be very tuned in (hilarious pun intended) to the sounds around them.
I thoroughly enjoyed the snow flurries as well. There was enough softly falling to be pretty and serene (minus the cars speeding past) without blinding me and making conditions more hazardous.
In the middle third of the run, I hit my stride. At this point, I'm critiquing the drivers in the cars passing by me. By this time I've given up playing Pac-man and was sticking to my Frogger game. I was running toward the oncoming traffic and trying to stay as close to the curb as possible and concentrate on not slipping, tripping, or otherwise falling into traffic. As cars approached, I would guess whether or not the driver would move over the lane or not. I would say it ended up about 50/50. The irony is that when I'm the driver, I get annoyed that people will run on the street when there's a sidewalk available. However, while there was technically a sidewalk available, it was not consistently cleared by the residents. Therefore, while I was doing the very thing as a runner that annoys me as a driver, I have determined that I will receive a free pass in this case due to the shoveling neglect of the area residents. Or, in simpler terms, I should always have the right of way whether I'm the runner or the driver. No? You don't agree?
I was also starting to feel a little hungry. Fortunately I had found shot block packages before I left for my run. At the halfway point I ate half of the shot blocks. Shot blocks are made by Cliff and are, to date, my favorite mid-run energy boost. (SuperJulia endorsed!) I have been getting the black cherry with caffeine. I like the chewiness of them and feel they are the gentlest on my GI system. (TMI!)
The final third of a long run (any run more than 6 miles) is spent thinking about food. I ate the other half of the pack of shot blocks and pondered... What am I going to eat when I get home? How soon after I finish will I be ready to eat? Can I eat and stretch at the same time?
Answer: Peanut butter and honey on cinnamon raisin bread right away after getting home and I ate it so fast I just waited the nanosecond to begin stretching.
So there it is folks, a little peek into my brain while I run. Frankly, I left a lot out but I've found that most people, myself included, can only manage small doses of all that happens up inside my brain. Besides, some of my dreams and imaginings are best left to my thinking place. ;)
Current Running Song
Imagine Dragons "On Top of the World"
I like this band. A lot. Many of their songs have been running through my head recently because I've been listening to their album daily. "On Top of the World" has been a good motivator during a run. :)
Speaking of...time to get to today's run.
Happy Saturday!
I like this band. A lot. Many of their songs have been running through my head recently because I've been listening to their album daily. "On Top of the World" has been a good motivator during a run. :)
Speaking of...time to get to today's run.
Happy Saturday!
Tuesday
Farewell, Emerald Isle
I have returned from my last trip to Ireland, at least for the foreseeable future. I've also started my new job. I'm still at the same company but am working in a new department, one that will not be sending me anywhere, let alone to Ireland. Having already accepted the position prior to my trip, I count myself fortunate for one last adventure in the Emerald Isle. To say I will miss Ireland and the friends I've made there, would be an understatement. In only four short trips, Ireland became my home away from home. I was beginning to think I was born in the wrong country, I felt that comfortable during my time there. Not one to mope, I was determined to make the most of my final trip. And what adventure wouldn't be complete without running?
"That friendly nod between strangers out doing the same thing
Gliding down the bike path on a Saturday morning, you whip by somebody peddling in the opposite direction and give each other a nod. For a moment it's like, 'Hey, we're both doing the same thing. Let's be friends for a second.'
Also applies to seeing someone driving the same car as you, walking their dog past you on Sunday morning, or squeezing the melon beside you in the grocery store.
Awesome!"
- The Book of Awesome, by Neil Pasricha
I have experienced that friendly nod while running both at home and abroad. It's that instant kinship forged through the shared goal, the common struggle and eventual victory that running brings. My goal in this last trip to Ireland was to have my second international race. And I'm happy to report that I was able to achieve this goal. Ireland loves running. There seem to be a variety of running clubs one can join and with whom one can train. And these running clubs get together for chip timed runs practically every weekend, sometimes raising money for charity as they were in the run I found, sometimes just to get out there and have a race. The race I ran was a 5 mile, nice and flat run in a nearby national park. Arriving the day of the race was a little intimidating. While it's awesome that there are so many running clubs, it can be daunting to show up and be surrounded by serious runners...really, really serious runners...ready to go out there and race. They all have their game face on and they all know each other. And then there's me. It's not that they're unfriendly, it's more my shyness of inserting myself into a group of running friends. Fortunately for me, I was not destined to run this race alone. Like the quote above says, there is an instant connection between people doing the same thing. Or even waiting to do the same thing.
It was a chilly day and I was waiting for the race to start. I had stretched some, but was mainly trying to stay warm while people watching. As I said before, there seemed to be a plethora of serious runner types. Then I saw tight-white-shirt-and-shorts guy walk by me. I stopped my shivering and stared. Is this guy for real? I thought. "Haha! He's going commando!" Instant Running Buddy next to me said. And there it was, connection. Instant Running Buddy, AKA Kent, and I laughed about Tight White's choice of clothing. I didn't want to believe he was commando in those white shorts, but then he turned around... Yep. Kent was correct. By this point my shoulders were shaking from trying to suppress laughter.
While we continued to wait for the race to start, and avert our eyes from Tight White, Kent and I chatted. My spirits lifted considerably because it had been a while since I'd had someone with whom to wait. But the experience was that much better after the race started because we also ran together. Well, I ran with him. He was faster than me, but a good motivator for me to push my pace a little bit. We talked more for the first couple of miles, with my part of the conversation dwindling as I tried to keep the pace. Because I pushed my pace, the run was more mentally challenging. But my running buddy was able to talk me through the mental game of running. Thanks to him, I finished strong with sub-10 minute miles.
Including that race, I was only able to run 4 times during my trip. I squeezed in a 6 mile run, a 30 minute run, and a 30 minute-turned-1 hour, 53 min run. The story with that last one...
It rained a lot on this trip to Ireland. My previous three trips have not had too much rain because Ireland loves me. This trip, it rained a lot. Because Ireland loves me and was crying that this was my final trip. At least that's the story I'm sticking with. So when the rain lessened, I ran. I was out for a 30 minute run before meeting my coworker, Dan, for dinner. About a mile from the hotel, there's a marina walk that is a popular running spot. As I ran to the marina walk, I happened to run into (pun intended) David, an Irish coworker. I made him jump when I said hello because I was probably the very last person he thought he'd see as he took his dogs out for a run. He told me of a 6-mile loop nearby. The weather was actually nice so I though, why not. Well, I'll tell you why not...turning a 3 mile run into a 6 mile run into an 11 mile run...that's why not. :) First, I went the wrong way and ended up passing David again. "You decided not to run the 6?" he asked. "I thought I was..." I responded. He redirected me and off I went. Again. The run was lovely. Along the path were trees covered in thick, green vines. Old stone bridges made archways through which to run. The path was busy with the bustle of other runners, bikers, and walkers. And then it happened...the path split into three directions. And, instead of taking the route that most of the people were taking, I diverted. At first I thought I was doing okay. Sure, it was a residential area, but there were signs for Black Rock Castle. I knew how to get back to the hotel from Black Rock Castle because I had run there earlier in the week. But the signs were confusing. Two signs literally pointed in opposite directions. I must have chosen the wrong way, because I never did find the castle. I took several turns thinking it would wind it's way around, but always I found more residential areas and would need to double back. Finally, an hour into my run, I thought, I just need to go back the way I came. Not having run with identification or money, I thought it would not be in my best interests to get lost. I wasn't above asking a stranger for a ride to the hotel, but I was stubborn. My legs got me out this far, they would get me home. Poor Dan. Waiting for me that whole time. I did make it back to the hotel and was considerably hungry when it was all said and done. Dan let me choose the location for dinner. I said I just wanted a big burger and fries. I chowed down my whole dinner in the messy, shameless glory that only comes after awesomeness of a long run.
"Goodbyes stink" - Michael Scott, The Office
Leaving work on my last day in Ireland was rough. My Irish sister, Leana, and I have so much fun. Lots of laughter and soul lifting times. As the day was nearly done, I realized that was it. I promised myself I wouldn't cry but then Leana teared up as we hugged. That did it for me. I didn't cry my eyes out, but there was definitely some sadness on my part. I am thankful for this age of technology which allows me to stay in contact with people, no matter what the distance.
As far as I know, this trip was the last of my Ireland adventures. At least for work. But my running adventures are far from over. There a new races to run. New places to explore. I treasure the memories and the friendships from past adventures. And I look forward to adding to both in the future.
"That friendly nod between strangers out doing the same thing
Gliding down the bike path on a Saturday morning, you whip by somebody peddling in the opposite direction and give each other a nod. For a moment it's like, 'Hey, we're both doing the same thing. Let's be friends for a second.'
Also applies to seeing someone driving the same car as you, walking their dog past you on Sunday morning, or squeezing the melon beside you in the grocery store.
Awesome!"
- The Book of Awesome, by Neil Pasricha
I have experienced that friendly nod while running both at home and abroad. It's that instant kinship forged through the shared goal, the common struggle and eventual victory that running brings. My goal in this last trip to Ireland was to have my second international race. And I'm happy to report that I was able to achieve this goal. Ireland loves running. There seem to be a variety of running clubs one can join and with whom one can train. And these running clubs get together for chip timed runs practically every weekend, sometimes raising money for charity as they were in the run I found, sometimes just to get out there and have a race. The race I ran was a 5 mile, nice and flat run in a nearby national park. Arriving the day of the race was a little intimidating. While it's awesome that there are so many running clubs, it can be daunting to show up and be surrounded by serious runners...really, really serious runners...ready to go out there and race. They all have their game face on and they all know each other. And then there's me. It's not that they're unfriendly, it's more my shyness of inserting myself into a group of running friends. Fortunately for me, I was not destined to run this race alone. Like the quote above says, there is an instant connection between people doing the same thing. Or even waiting to do the same thing.
It was a chilly day and I was waiting for the race to start. I had stretched some, but was mainly trying to stay warm while people watching. As I said before, there seemed to be a plethora of serious runner types. Then I saw tight-white-shirt-and-shorts guy walk by me. I stopped my shivering and stared. Is this guy for real? I thought. "Haha! He's going commando!" Instant Running Buddy next to me said. And there it was, connection. Instant Running Buddy, AKA Kent, and I laughed about Tight White's choice of clothing. I didn't want to believe he was commando in those white shorts, but then he turned around... Yep. Kent was correct. By this point my shoulders were shaking from trying to suppress laughter.
While we continued to wait for the race to start, and avert our eyes from Tight White, Kent and I chatted. My spirits lifted considerably because it had been a while since I'd had someone with whom to wait. But the experience was that much better after the race started because we also ran together. Well, I ran with him. He was faster than me, but a good motivator for me to push my pace a little bit. We talked more for the first couple of miles, with my part of the conversation dwindling as I tried to keep the pace. Because I pushed my pace, the run was more mentally challenging. But my running buddy was able to talk me through the mental game of running. Thanks to him, I finished strong with sub-10 minute miles.
Including that race, I was only able to run 4 times during my trip. I squeezed in a 6 mile run, a 30 minute run, and a 30 minute-turned-1 hour, 53 min run. The story with that last one...
It rained a lot on this trip to Ireland. My previous three trips have not had too much rain because Ireland loves me. This trip, it rained a lot. Because Ireland loves me and was crying that this was my final trip. At least that's the story I'm sticking with. So when the rain lessened, I ran. I was out for a 30 minute run before meeting my coworker, Dan, for dinner. About a mile from the hotel, there's a marina walk that is a popular running spot. As I ran to the marina walk, I happened to run into (pun intended) David, an Irish coworker. I made him jump when I said hello because I was probably the very last person he thought he'd see as he took his dogs out for a run. He told me of a 6-mile loop nearby. The weather was actually nice so I though, why not. Well, I'll tell you why not...turning a 3 mile run into a 6 mile run into an 11 mile run...that's why not. :) First, I went the wrong way and ended up passing David again. "You decided not to run the 6?" he asked. "I thought I was..." I responded. He redirected me and off I went. Again. The run was lovely. Along the path were trees covered in thick, green vines. Old stone bridges made archways through which to run. The path was busy with the bustle of other runners, bikers, and walkers. And then it happened...the path split into three directions. And, instead of taking the route that most of the people were taking, I diverted. At first I thought I was doing okay. Sure, it was a residential area, but there were signs for Black Rock Castle. I knew how to get back to the hotel from Black Rock Castle because I had run there earlier in the week. But the signs were confusing. Two signs literally pointed in opposite directions. I must have chosen the wrong way, because I never did find the castle. I took several turns thinking it would wind it's way around, but always I found more residential areas and would need to double back. Finally, an hour into my run, I thought, I just need to go back the way I came. Not having run with identification or money, I thought it would not be in my best interests to get lost. I wasn't above asking a stranger for a ride to the hotel, but I was stubborn. My legs got me out this far, they would get me home. Poor Dan. Waiting for me that whole time. I did make it back to the hotel and was considerably hungry when it was all said and done. Dan let me choose the location for dinner. I said I just wanted a big burger and fries. I chowed down my whole dinner in the messy, shameless glory that only comes after awesomeness of a long run.
"Goodbyes stink" - Michael Scott, The Office
Leaving work on my last day in Ireland was rough. My Irish sister, Leana, and I have so much fun. Lots of laughter and soul lifting times. As the day was nearly done, I realized that was it. I promised myself I wouldn't cry but then Leana teared up as we hugged. That did it for me. I didn't cry my eyes out, but there was definitely some sadness on my part. I am thankful for this age of technology which allows me to stay in contact with people, no matter what the distance.
As far as I know, this trip was the last of my Ireland adventures. At least for work. But my running adventures are far from over. There a new races to run. New places to explore. I treasure the memories and the friendships from past adventures. And I look forward to adding to both in the future.
Thursday
Wednesday
Running Quote to which I can relate
"We run, not because we think it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help ourselves. The more restricted our society and work become, the more necessary it will be to find some outlet for this craving for freedom. No one can say, 'You must not run faster than this, or jump higher than that.' The human spirit is indomitable."
Sir Roger Bannister, first runner to run a sub-4 minute mile
Sir Roger Bannister, first runner to run a sub-4 minute mile
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