Nov. 10th, 2007 Richmond Marathon

The Richmond Marathon was celebrating its 30th time this year and the theme was 1978.

I was trying to think back to that time in my life and came back with what an important time it was for me. Back then I was a Teamster working the night shift in a Grocery warehouse. I was fortunate enough to have almost tripled my income in two years just by being paid union wages. But I was restless and decided to talk to Arden Forehand, the Director of Warehousing& Tranportation about a plan I was kicking around.

"I would like to quit, but I need you to hire me back right away as a part-timer."

"You will be earning only 50 % as a Part-timer!"

"I know, but my plan is to work 2 1/2 shifts per week while I go to college and work full-time in the summers."

"You are a single parent with 2 preschoolers and you want to go to college and give up your seniority and full-time wages?"

"I know it is risky, but I have the full support of my family and now I just need your word."

"You got it!"

So a year later I started college and changed my and my children's life forever.

Arden became one of my greatest mentors and an advocate for me through the years.

I registered quite late for this marathon, so I had to stay at a hotel by the Airport instead of near the starting line downtown. So I got up early and drove to get a parking spot close to the finish line and found a city lot. I noticed the lot has a $5 charge that you fold the bill and stick into the slot.

All I had was a twenty, so I see two women getting out of their car and I jump out of mine waving my $20 bill and asking if they could help me out. They looked at each other then one said "I'll do it". I go, "You, uh, don't understand, I only need change."

They say this is the friendliest marathon in the USA and I started to believe it!

We had rain the night before, so the streets were wet and the temp was about 38. But the mood was great as we got into our corrals for the start of this race through this great city that was the capital of the Confederacy.

The first 4-5 miles was flat and everyone was having a great time. Out of everyone's windows is playing "Jessie's Girl."

The group is about is about 3,500 strong and the sky remained clouded as we toured through cobble streets and past monuments to the Civil War (all facing North so as not leave an impression of retreating).

"I want a woman like that, Jessie's girl!"

Music is everywhere and always the same song too. How great is that!

The crowds are the largest I can remember and at mile 7 there are so many people the runners have only about 4 feet wide to run through roaring crowds. It was awesome.

Then at mile 15 everything changed. We took a left turn onto a bridge over the James River and we were hit with a constant 20-30 MPH wind right in our faces. It was one of those that hit over your right eye and makes your head hurt like you ate ice cream too fast. The wind is relentless, there was no protection and the bridge is long and lonely. No spectators out on this stretch. The bridge goes for almost 2 miles. Everyone went silent and all you could hear was the wind and feet hitting the bridge deck. I look ahead and can not believe how everyone just buckled down and kept fighting their way through this challenge. No one gave up and in the end everyone had a story to tell about the damn bridge.

At mile 20 the crowds are all yelling,

"Way to go George"

"Keep it up George!"

"You are the greatest George!"

"You Da Man George!"

I look over my left shoulder and saw the legend that was George. Note to self, get large sign with my name on it to wear on my chest for the next race and become a legend.

"I want woman like that, why can’t I have a woman like that, Jessie's girl a hu, hu."

That song stayed with me day and night for 10 days after the race! Not the best of 1978 by any means.

The finish is all down hill. At about mile 25 I had hopes of finishing with a good time. At mile 26 I commanded my rubber legs to give 110%.

I broke my own record by 2 minutes and strolled over to the food tent to eat cold pizza. It never warmed up that day and it probably didn't get warmer than 45 degrees all day. The most popular tent was the one with the coffee.

The distance we travel in 29 years is amazing. And to realize today that I can do these marathons in spite of my constant, inexcusable ways of sabotaging my work life.

For example, last year our team decided to get our boss a "Make Over" for Christmas. I went along with it, but for some reason had to make a comment in February about the "Make Over" not “taking” and about how we should have gone for the "Complete Overhaul" instead of the "Tune Up."

Why do I do these career limiting things? Recently we outsourced our help desk to India and in doing so, most of my users now depend on me to open up Problem Tickets since they are frustrated with the language barrier. But for some reason, when I open these tickets and knowing full well that English is a second language to them, I talk in riddles.

"We are hitting Rock Bottom here and we're in a Real Pickle. So I hope I'm not Barking Up the Wrong Tree here, but we need this fixed Lickty-Split! I could Kick My Self for not calling sooner, but it wasn’t totally Out of Wack until recently. But rests assure, we will work with the Help Desk Tooth & Nail and that’s nothing to Sneeze At. Once you fix this everything will be Hunky Dory. Any way, that’s the Whole Nine Yards, let me know when it is fixed.”

Sometimes the reaction was silence, other times they just hung up. I don’t know why I give these people a hard time. They work hard for their thirty-nine cents a day wages.

I have something to work on during the non-racing months this winter and will report back next spring on my progress.

Greater Hartford Marathon, Oct. 13, 2007

I raise my leg and rest my heal on the base of the fence outside my apartment. It is time to stretch after a nice training run. My mind wonders and I end up looking at my knee and notice an old scar. I think I got that one while riding a bike as a kid and the scar on my shin is worse only because I wouldn't let it heal.

Those were the days when you ran out the front door first thing on a summer morning to go find some buddies to play with. We lived in town, yet our street was gravel and was the cause of my
knee scar. Back then you fell off your bike, tumbled and picked up the bike and went back to it, otherwise you would been left behind. So much was spontaneous fun, just going from one thing to the next and most of the time staying out of trouble.

But one winter day I was with my brother Mark exploring along the river and since it is so much easier to walk on the frozen river than bushwhacking, we walked on the river. All of a sudden Mark goes through the ice, only to his calves, so being a good brother, I laughed so hard I couldn't talk, "Man mom is going to kill you!" Then to rub it in, I showed him exactly what he did while tears of laughter fell across my cheeks. Well, of course I broke through the ice and went even deeper, about knee deep so all that cold water went right into my rubber boots. Then it was Mark's turn to laugh, and he really enjoyed himself as folks could hear him laughing from miles around. Can't remember if we got yelled at, but I remember my feet were really cold by the time we sneaked back home.

During this training run I came upon a deer on the trail and she just kept on the trail running ahead of me 20-25 feet, looking back at me every once in awhile to check on me. After about 300 yards she ran off. You don't get that watching ESPN or "Desperate Housewives", for awhile I experienced the fun of my youth. Of course, the next curve in the trail reminded me of the adult world I live in as I see a sign next to the pond that says "No Swimming Allowed, Violators will be prosecuted." I can imagine a guy asking the other guy in the slammer, "What are you in for?", "Three to five for Swimming with intent to Cannon Ball."

The Greater Hartford Marathon is a fairly large marathon with about 3,500 runners between the full and the half. As I drove the 110 miles to Hartford on Friday, we had high winds and showers, but by race time it was a clear morning of about 40 degrees with a light wind. So everyone showed up for a fairly easy course through Hartford, CT streets. At about mile 7 you head out on a long loop that you end up turning around at about mile 12. Half way through you see the Elite runners going the other way - man are they fast. They will be at the finish line this day an hour and 30 minutes before me or when I hit mile 16 they are all done (26.2).

Soon it will be against the rules to run with headphones, so I tried going without them. It was good since I got to experience more of the race.

At mile 17 a lady looked at me and said, "I am dead from the waist down!" For a moment I thought it was someone I used to date, but it wasn't and I just told her to walk, but if she stops she won't be able to start up again and that would be the end of it. What she experienced is really just bad race management. When it comes to a marathon, you pace yourself regardless of the excitement of the starting line, otherwise you hit the wall and it is a terrible place to be - with still 9 miles to go, I don't know if she finished or not. But I have been where she has been and you feel helpless.

As usual, at the 26 mile marker, I turn it on. Of course by then that doesn't mean much, but you are giving it your all. One young guy didn't appreciate my sprinting up behind him and kicked my but - he wasn't going to let some old guy beat him. Maybe I am also getting better, not just older since once again I broke my best time - if only by 2 minutes, it was great!

When we are young and before we get all caught up in the Crap, we had fun most of the time. We would just go out and would be unafraid to try something new - we were told we could do anything. I remember seeing in my son David's eyes the excitement of going to Cub Scouts for the first time. And really that starts the process of going from carefree to careful. Peer pressure of criticisms and put downs that kids are so damn good at take their toll. David took a lot during that time period, more than most because he wore his heart on his sleeve, but he pushed beyond that.

Today David is the great father and husband I could only wish to be and in his professional life people compete to work in his store. Through it all, he never lost track of playing and having fun and it makes him the "one" people want to be with and that is a great achievement we all would be proud of.

Clarence Demar Marathon, Sept. 30th, 2007

I was standing in front of the oven ready to vacuum it out after finishing with the toaster and I still had to vacuum the fridge. The thing is, I can do all three without taking a step. At the time, I am in the middle of my"heavy" cleaning cycle because this month had a "P" in it and that is how I know to do the Deep Apartment Cleaning Tasks.

And I got to thinking about what people talk about when they mention a "mid-life crisis". I figure I should get to it before my sons start in with theirs. Maybe I can reserve a Harley for next Thursday and return it by Sunday after going "hog wild" all weekend, I could put this thing in the done column.

Well as you can imagine, I didn't do the "mid-life crisis" thing because I had to run. After recovering from the ill-fated Jay Mountain Challenge Catastrophe I decided to go back to the simpler time of a simple marathon.

The Clarence Demar Marathon is in honor of the only person to win the Boston Marathon 7 times. After his running days were over, he moved to Keene, NH to teach at the State College. This marathon has only one sponsor(Peerless Insurance), the budget for the last 15 years hasn't changed and the shirt you get has no advertising. This is not typical, as most marathons have large number of sponsors that show up on the race shirts and it starts resembling what NASCAR racers wear.

This race had 250 runners for the marathon (the only race distance), was simple (no porta potties on the course - none) and was a point-to-point marathon.

The race Director tried to tell us 3 times about the lady that used to volunteer to man water station #3 for the last 30 years - he couldn't finish without breaking down, but I think we got the idea.

Guest speaker Holly Keoster at the dinner was a veteran that lost the use of her legs back in 1991 and has since completed 69 marathons in a wheelchair when she is not teaching high school. Her topic was "Obstacles". You can go around, over, through or give up, it is all up to you. She chose not to give up.

Point-to-point means you get up early (5:30 AM), get on a bus and ride to the starting line. At this time of the year it is just starting to cool off and more than a few of us were surprised by the 37 degree temperature that we had to endure outside for an hour before the start.This was what I was looking for - a true runner's marathon put on by people that love the sport. The gun went off so we all stopped talking and started running down hill. What a gorgeous first 6-7 miles of New England forests that have leaves changing and falling as we run by bubbling brooks.

Everyone is in good spirits and I talk with people that were at the Portland Marathon when I was or the Philadelphia Marathon or that damn Jay thing. At the first water stop, I get rid of my sweatshirt and I feel good.

It turns out to be a great day for running as we turn into the campus of Keene State College and run up through the shoot to the finish line. On this day 15 of us finish within 2 minutes of each other and I get my best time ever at 3:58 and come in 99th place (no award!). Driving home after spending too much time talking with other runners, I listen to the radio, where I can pick up stations from 5 different states -that's New England for you and I feel good. I think back about the"mid-life" crisis thing and the "obstacles" we all have and I wonder how you can make it through all the things that get thrown at us. This week I lost my ex-father in-law that I knew for over 20 years, yet I gained a brand new granddaughter and maybe, like it or not, that is what mid-life is all about.

Big Sur Marathon 2007

Running News
May 3rd, 2007
Big Sur International Marathon April 29th, 2007
As we sat on the dark, cold curb waiting for the start of the race we passed the time talking about running. A police officer from Las Vegas asked me what makes me do these marathons over and over again. I think he knows, after all it is his second one, but I tell him my thoughts anyway. "It is the standing and waiting in a group while wearing a garbage bag to keep warm, it is the sound of the gun that says it's time to go, it is the releasing of the doves at the start and of course it is crossing the finish line." Something tells me there are other, deeper reasons, but I couldn't find the words right then.

At 6:45 AM we start running down a hill on a Redwood treed road at the start of the 2007 Big Sur Marathon. The day starts perfect, at about 50 degrees, no wind and low clouds, what a day. It already has been a long day since we had to be ready for the bus at 3:25 AM that took us to the starting line.

Hills, hills and more hills
Everyone is talking and having a great time running down hill for the first, crowded miles. About 5,000 start this race and today most will finish. As we breakaway from the protection of the trees it becomes very windy. It is strange to sweat and shiver at the same time. At mile 5 we run past a herd of cows, they see us and join the race from their side of the fence. Can you believe the cows are running faster than we are?
Two cows stay back and have their own kind of happy time. I guess it is true California cows are happy cows!
There are distractions from the constant running. This is the first time I have run a marathon where people are stopping and picking flowers and taking pictures. Maybe it’s California or maybe it is that beautiful. You usually don’t run this race for the fastest time.

Are you ready for Hurricane Point?
In mile nine you round a corner and start to hear the low pounding sound of 8 Tiki drummers. You can also look left and see the hill – it’s a good idea not to look. As hills come, this is a big one – some 500 feet elevation change in 2 miles. But I knew this was there and I am as ready as ever.


Hurricane Point is over 5 times higher and 5 times longer than the more famous Heart Break Hill from the Boston Marathon. You don’t look up, you just keep plugging along slowing to a more of a shuffle than a run or jog. I keep thinking about what Vegas had asked me this morning – why do I do this, again and again? Then all of a sudden, a small, simple sign announces that you are at Hurricane Point and the worst is over. I am treated with a two mile down hill – seems fair after two miles up hill.
The Scenery continues
Hurricane Point is the half way mark of the race. Though the hills continue (there are 17 hills in the second half), they are not as severe as the one just finished. And the views are almost unbelievably gorgeous. As I run and look to my left, I say again and again “oh my god”, it is that beautiful!
The End is in Sight
At mile 25 there is what they call D Minor hill at D Major time. I am at a point where I am mumbling almost continuously, “enough with the hills already”, and this bugger comes along. It is the same size as the Heartbreak Hill in Boston at about 90 feet elevation and only a half-mile, but it takes all I got to climb the damn thing.
But that is it; it’s all down hill from there. I finish. Amazingly, at least to me, I time out within 3 minutes of 5 other marathons I have run. If you wanted to see me cross the finish line, all you need to do is come there within a 5-minute range and you would be guaranteed to see me.
My thoughts come back to Vegas’s question and I think I know. I think running is natural when we get scared and some of us need to run away sometimes. For me, I have been running away from what my life was and what it had become that ended up lasting 8 marathons. But now I finally believe I am running to something instead of away. This marathon was a year from when my divorce was final in 2006 and now I can move forward and start running toward something that may be the best part ever and may be standing right in front of me at the finish line.

Running News Aug. 3rd, 2007

Jay Mountain Marathon July 28th, 2007
Once a year I like to do a Marathon that is not related to trying to go faster. Last year I tried the “Hairy Gorilla Half Marathon” and decided another Trail Marathon is just what I need.
For my 10th Marathon, I signed up for the Jay Mountain Challenge Run in April and began training by including trails.

I am lucky in that there is the Blue Hills Reservation just 15 running minutes from my apartment. It is odd to be running in an urban area one minute and the next you are in the woods, but that is exactly how it works here in Quincy, MA.

What I noticed immediately was how friendly everyone is when you see him or her out on the trails. Without exception everyone wanted to talk and visit.

But also, I found odd things happening out in the woods. For example, I kept having squirrels running up to me and across my path. This was confusing and a little dangerous. Then it hit me! Every time I go out into the woods, I stop first for an OJ, put the change in my pocket and go back to running. Well the noise from my change sounds like a mating call to a squirrel. I know this because when I was 12 I used to go out to the Three Hills (3 miles south of town) to hunt squirrels (I know, how could I possible kill a cute little squirrel – I pretended they were cats). My uncle had told me to carry to half dollars out to the woods and click them together to attract the squirrels and it worked. My friend Dave Parish and me would walk right through town with our 22 rifles on our way out to the Three Hills – probably can’t do that anymore.

Back to the training. I solved the squirrel issue and started to really enjoy the woods by seeing deer and hawks and ponds while running. It was great until the time I forgot the bug spray. I was out running the pipeline road and turned off to the deep, dark woods and soon found my self-slapping my head, cussing and running like a lunatic to try and get away from the biting flies. It was awful until I escaped the woods and got out into the open urban concrete of safety. The next thing I see is a guy slapping his head, cussing and running down the sidewalk like a lunatic. I come up to the guys the lunatic had come from and asked them what was up and they said the guy was trying to explain what would happen if we pulled out of Iraq. Well, I could understand his pain.

Friday Night Before the Race

I drive the 4-½ hours up to northern Vermont to the town of Jay. The town is within 12 miles of Canada. Many people at the local restaurant that night spoke French. Sometimes they would be speaking English, look at me and switch to French and then laugh. Not sure what that was about, but I smiled back and say “merci beaucoup”.

I pick up my racing packet and find out the race has been extended to 33 miles from the 30.9 I was expecting. I can see what I got myself into and it is scary, especially the part of the waiver that talks about possible death.

Race Day

The race is scheduled to start at 8 AM. All runners are required to be there ahead of time to hear Dan tells us what to expect. He informs us that since the race is longer this year, we get 6 hours to get to Aid Station 5 (about 19 miles).

With a Trail Race you use the Aid Stations(AS) to determine distances. There are no mile markers at all. This race has 8 AS.

The race starts and off we go up the grass hill in a knotted bunch. Man, these people are in good shape, not just some of them, all of them look like they just got out of Boot Camp. What was I thinking?

Soon we hit our first "technical" area. Here the slope is severe enough to require ropes and we scramble up. I made it without too many falls. Next, we hit the first of many brooks. Running in water where sometimes you can't see exactly how your foot will land creates some anxiety and often, at least for me, a dive or a fall backwards. I end up in the water and off my feet too much. The moss above the water line is slippery and the sunken trees below are also slippery causing the dives and falls. Today I will run over 5 miles in brooks. It takes me over an hour to get to AS 1 (4 miles).

At AS 2, we start the run up the mountain portion of the race. We will go up 2,100 feet in less than 2 miles. It is tough going and at the top is AS 3 and 9 miles of the race is over. I think the run down the mountain is tougher than going up.

Finally I get to AS 4 with all this mud. I can't believe how good Dan is in coming up with just the perfect mud. The kind that sucks your legs up to your knee and won't let go without at least 3 swear words.

But I need to keep going since I need to make it to AS 5 before the 6 hour cutoff (which I thought would be easy). I make it with 45 minutes to spare and 19 miles of this damn thing is over. I still have over a Half Marathon to go.

More water and more mud and this stretch is only 4.4 miles but takes me over 90 minutes to traverse. At the end, just before AS 6 you cross a river using a rope. This is nice since I finally get off my feet for a while as I pull my floating self across the river and hit AS 6.

At this point I have been running and climbing and clawing my way through the woods for 8 hours and I still have 9 miles to go. I have little run left in me. Evan, a teacher from New Jersey that I had been running with for frickin hours pulls away. I tell him I'll catch him later, but know better. My running for that day is over. I am going to walk.

That damn Dan finally gives me some road to run on. This is the first time all day that I took a step and nothing underneath my shoe moved. It was awesome to get traction. Of course, nature thought that was good time for a thunderstorm and the skies opened and I watched as new rivers were created. I figure getting hit by lightning would allow me to lay down for awhile.

A guy stops his car next to me and says, "How much fawtha you got?" I translate it and show him I have a number on my shorts that means I am out there on purpose. He thought that was funny. I swear he was the same guy that played the mailman in the movie "On Golden Pond", but at that point I was not coherent.

I hit AS 7, the last place to eat potatoes with salt and I mumble how much farther and get 5 miles as a response.

I hit AS 8 and she offers me water. I tell her I might be the last one out there. I look at her and say "mud?" and she nods. She also says it is a 45 minute walk to the finish line.

The worst mud hole in the world ahead and for fun, the biting flies are out. I slap my head, swear and try to run. I have been a lunatic for hours already.

And then, just like magic, you come out of the woods to a grassy area. There are people out there and they are cheering. Go around the bend and down the hill you started on and the finish line.

I grab my medal after 10 hours and 45 minutes and I am tired. This was harder than 2 marathons in one day.

One last look at the mountain on Sunday as I turn to head back to Quincy.

The Learnings

I have found that you can sign up for something that can kill you, they'll let you.

The days that followed were extremely painful. I could not walk down stairs. I had to go down backwards, that is the only way you can do it. I have never felt such physical pain in my life. The recovery will take weeks instead of days. I now have real respect for these people that can do these things - they are in a different league than me. For stamina, the power walk for 12 hours at a time. They run through grass at night to learn to run without seeing where there foot will fall - and learn to trust that your ankles will adjust properly and instantly.

Everyone was great, the runners liked to talk and help (I needed some) and the volunteers were great. I don't think I'll do it again. And if I did, I would trim an hour or an hour and a half off.