Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Movember, CHARLIE, looking stuipd, fund raising, cancer
Not sure if the current header photo will remain there for long but I really dig the image. It was taken by Chrys Rynearson (check him out - he does great work!) for Charlie Magazine. You see, the publisher (and editor) Caroline Nuttall did a piece on a group of us who were growing mustaches for charity – or recognizing Movember. Basically the idea is, you grow a mustache for the month of November – hence the name (it began in Australia and they spell it “moustache” down under – and when people ask you why you look so ridiculous, you explain how you are raising money for cancer research; all the funds raised benefit the LIVESTRONG Foundation and the Prostate Cancer Foundation. We ended up raising just shy of $600 – not bad – but there’s still time to donate! If you’d like to help put a face to men’s cancers, you can visit this link to see photos of the team, learn about our mission and donate to a worthy cause.
I think I’m going to stop blogging about my marathon plans. It seems that when I identify and begin training for a marathon, and subsequently blog about it, I never end up completing the training or actual running in the marathon. I’m done!
Instead, I think I am going to turn my blog into a more open forum where I am not confined to just writing about training and running. There are many other things I am interested in that I think other people will find interesting to read about. I work on a decommissioned aircraft carrier (I have a porthole for an office window!). I am a self- diagnosed supertaster – someone who experiences taste with far greater intensity than the average person. I love to cook but love to eat even more – hence the reason I run so much. And I think I can be pretty funny, but most of the time it’s not on purpose.
So in the coming weeks, expect an overhaul of the blog, both in looks and content. Stay tuned….
Filed under: Uncategorized
Had two pretty ho-hum runs last week - a 4.5 miler over the bridge and a 3 miler downtown – but Saturday was the real treat. Me and my buddy Lou (and about 4,000 of our closest friends) ran Race for the Cure on Daniel Island on Saturday. It, indeed, was a great cause and great run – very inspirational; I’ve never been more pleased to pay $30 to run.
I must admit, though, I had to pee so badly that I took a detour when I saw home construction and found a port-a-john only to emerge to see three guys in line waiting to get in – necessity is the mother of invention (or, in my case, improvisation).
And the kicker…I came in a whopping 773 out of 2554! Hey, 773 doesn’t sound great but I think my time might be the best I’ve ever run a 5K – 27:02 … not bad, huh?
Looking forward to going home this weekend and running Ocean Isle Beach, NC. May try to hit up Folly on Saturday too before we head up – honk if you see me!
New songs to add to the playlist….
I’m really digging Phoenix this week – especially Lisztomania, 1901 and Lasso.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: country music marathon, history, Jacksonville, music, playlist, return, sprint marathon, training
….but it’s clear that any loyal readers I once (might have) had are certainly not following me anymore …. so I will just have to begin again. It’s my own fault for not updating regularly but (in case you wanted some back story) it all started ….. <wavy lines transition you back to a brisk winter day in Charleston> in the winter of 2008…..
Many of my coworkers had completed, or were training, in marathons so I inherited the bug and decided that I would run the Country Music Marathon in Nashville in April ‘09. I had had some knee and back issues before deciding to train but I thought those were well under control so I developed a training schedule and began my training. Everything was going swimmingly until, one Friday in February during week 8 (1/2 way through the training) on a long run, I irritated an old back injury so badly that I had to suspend training for a few weeks. Unfortunately, I got too far behind in my training schedule and wasn’t ready for the marathon in April when the time came around.
I have since run in a 5K or two but nothing serious…until now. I have lit the torch once more and have decided to train for a half-marathon in Jacksonville, FL in December – gonna ease my way back into it. It’s really a precursor to a sprint marathon I want to do in April in Wilmington, NC but, simple fact is, I need to get in better shape. So I’ll be chronicling my training on my blog beginning this week – official training doesnt begin for another week or two – and throw in a couple of other fun things. Yes, most of my posts, for now, will be focused on running, training and what I run into (not literally … hopefully), but I also tend to ramble and bring other aspects of my life into my posts. If you aren’t reading enough about my training, drop me a line and tell me. If you want more inconsequential rants, let me know – those are fun and easy.
Each week I am also going to provide a couple of songs you may (or may not) have on your iPod that I find conducive to working out/running to. I’ll have an ongoing “playlist” I’ll continue to add to that you can refer to – let me know what you think and if you have any recommendations – BY ALL MEANS – send them my way!
NEW SONGS FOR YOUR PLAYLIST…
Beck – Timebomb
Spoon – I Turn My Camera On
Entrain – Anyway
So I realize this isn’t necessarily my running blog anymore but Heather Solos found a photo of me at Charleston i5K where I came in #126 out of 452, 8:10 minute mile – not bad, eh?
Alright everyone … even though the marathon is over, I would like to continue writing this blog but that would require changing format. What could I write about, review, provide commentary on, etc.? What would you want to read? I have a handful of good ideas so far but want your input. Weigh in. Please!
So I realize it’s about 2 months late, but don’t they say “better late than never”? I got slack posting to the blog, primarily since I was injured and the whole premise of the blog – My First Marathon – wasn’t going to happen. That being said, I find myself with more time on my hands and want to begin again but I know I will have to earn my readers back, so …. I thought I’d give you all what I promised – the one thing from my previous blog that seemed to gain the most attention – The Ultimate Playlist!
I want to thank everyone who sent in music for my iPod playlist – you didn’t disappoint. And there were quite a few artists/songs I never considered. I wanted to compile everyone’s suggestions into one list and post it so everyone could benefit from my friends’/readers’ variety of good taste. NOTE: I’m going to include my existing playlist too.
Without further ado, I give you ………….. THE ULTIMATE PLAYLIST I realize these may not be the actual names to the songs but it’s what pops up on my iPod – they’re close enough you can find them.
- Say Hey – Michael Franti and Spreahead
- Anyway – Entrain
- Here It Goes Again – O.K. Go
- Cobrastyle – Teddybears
- I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor – Arctic Monkeys
- The One – Foo Fighters
- All My Life – Foo Fighters
- Best of You – Foo Fighters
- Hero – Foo Fighters
- Come Alive – Foo Fighters
- Erase/Replace – Foo Fighters
- Let it Die – Foo Fighters
- The Pretender – Foo Fighters
- Shotgun – Jr. Walker
- Black Betty – Spiderbait
- Dashboard – Modest Mouse
- Take Your Momma – Scissor Sisters
- Bonafide Lovin’ – Chrome
- No Handlebars – Flobots
- Feel Good Inc. – Gorillaz
- Super Bad – James Brown
- Papas Got a Brand New Bag – James Brown
- Hard to Handle – Angela Hacker ft. Zack Hacker
- Speedballin’ – Outkast ft. Cee Lo
- Flathead – The Fratellis
- Make Damn Sure – Taking Back Sunday
- TKO – Le Tigre
- There’s a Good Reason – Panic! at the Disco
- It’s Time to Dance – Panic! at the Disco
- I Write Sins Not Tragedies – Panic! at the Disco
- But Its Better If You Do – Panic! at the Disco
- Take Me Out – Franz Ferdinand
- Temperature – Sean Paul
- Hey Mamma – Black Eyed Peas
- Pump It Up – Black Eyed Peas
- Mas Que Nada – Black Eyed Peas
- Do or Die – Dropkick Murpheys
- Club Foot – Kasabian
- Shake – Ying Yang Twins
- Ecstacy – Rusted Root
- Martyr – Rusted Root
- Molly’s Chambers – Kings of Leon
- Arizona – Kings of Leon
- Sex on Fire – Kings of Leon
- Someone Like You – Kings of Leon
- M79 – Vampire Weekend
- A Punk – Vampire Weekend
- Free Ride – Edgar Winter Group
- Show Me What You Got – Jay Z
- Jenny Was a Friend of Mine – The Killers
- Sell Out – Reel Big Fish
- Dakota – Stereophonics
- That’s Not My Name – The Ting Tings
- Trouble Maker – Weezer
- Pork and Beans – Weezer
- Icky Thump – The White Stripes
- Seven Nation Army – The White Stripes
Any more suggestions?
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Folly Beach, inside run, long run, mapping, pads of my feet
I want to first apologize that I haven’t written in more than a week – I am a little ashamed and have a confession…. I skipped my long run last week. Excuses aside, I feel its a little too early to have already skipped a long run but hey, its done and I’ve spent this week seeking penance.
I’ve done well this week – right on track with my schedule. My six mile on Wednesday was pretty rotten as I had to run it in the gym – and, for me, that’s just too far to run and never go anywhere – its an experience that’s void of any sense of accomplishment.
Yesterday, I ran Folly again for my long run – 12 miles. I really enjoy running the island because it reminds me of home (Ocean Isle) and there are such interesting homes to observe. Folly is unlike any other beach I’ve ever experienced – very unpretentious and laid back. You can stand in front of a multi-million dollar home and look to the adjacent lot to see a charming almost-shack. I also noticed there is a lot of art on/around the homes which may exist other places but I have never noticed. I began at the East end, ran past the gate toward the lighthouse, turned around and began my trek to the West end. Once I made it to the County Park (as far as you can travel by foot on the West end) I stopped a moment, stretched grabbed some water at the fountains there and began making my way back. I guess I cheated again a little because, accoring to www.runningmap.com, it’s only about 11.25 miles – but that’s close enough for me. The pads of my feet began hurting pretty badly – any suggestions on what to do?
I took off Friday to head out of town but probably won’t leave until after lunch so I can get my long run in before I leave – any suggestions on a good 13 miler in Charleston?
Filed under: Uncategorized
Last call for songs to be considered for the most awesomest playlist ever! Respond to this post with the songs, artists, albums you listen to to get pumped up and ready to run or work out.
I will compile a list of all of the suggestions and post them later this week.
I am trying to beef up my playlist (soon I will be running for hours on end!) and wanted to solicit advise from my blog readers and friends….
WHAT DO YOU RUN/EXERCISE TO? Bands … songs … albums … Let me know. I need some new tunes! Leave your comments please!
