Trail Running is not your fathers road running...

In August my cousins MoMo and BTY said hey we're going to run a half marathon and they thought I should run with them. Historically, in my family, I am the runner, but MoMo has been running more lately. Well, I gave a very political answer of some sort giving no assurances then. However on Monday the 19th of this month BTY texts me and says...

"I'm going to go ahead and register for the race this Saturday...do you want me to sign you up as well?"

Realizing that he and MoMo have been training and I have not (only 1 mile during the week days and 3 each weekend day isn't training in my book), I texted back an answer of:

"actually I found out that I can't because of a wedding of my wife's in Topeka..."

I thought great, I'm out of town at a wedding, this I'll be able to get out of...then it hits me...the race is in TOPEKA! Great, now the excuse has much less credit. So he fires back:

"That's fine...you'll be missed. Just remember that all the "hiding behind your wife's skirt" banter is free game for the next time we get together."

Ok, if you're a guy, you now know that I am for sure running, no matter what happens. I can't let him challenge my manhood like that! There's no pain like the loss of a manly defeat because you were acting "girly." That just won't cut it!

So Monday I ran 4 miles, Tuesday I ran 6, Wednesday 6 again, Thursday 4, and Friday I rested.

Well, this race was a "heavy half marathon." I was at first insulted thinking that they were saying that we were running the half marathon, but in the "heavy" classification...how rude! No EJ, it's just the length, it's 14.2 miles...oh yeah like that's better, now instead of 13.1 miles it's 1.1 miles longer. I think that I'd rather be called heavy!

I have run 2 marathons before and several 10 mile races and an abundance of other shorter road races and XC races in school and after. However I didn't quite understand what this race was all about until I ran it. Think of a hiking trail in the mountains that's in a forest with really only 1 person wide, extreme up hill, and down hill; covered in leaves to make sure you don't know where all the jagged rocks are that are covering the trail. All the while making sure that you don't hit your head on the limbs that have fallen across the path that could take your head out. Ignorance is bliss!

This is the hoodie that you got for registering. Great quote.






Here is the guys that are going to run...you have MoMo's step-father-in-law at the far left, BTY, myself, and then MoMo. Oh yeah, by the way, MoMo got the piggy flu supposedly and couldn't run. But he was a great support and even was out on the course cheering us along and even ran with us for a while (mile or two). Thanks MoMo. MoMo's step-father-in-law was running the 50K...he's a REAL MAN! WOW!
They had us run up a huge hill at the start to thin us out before we would go into the 1 person wide trail. There's myself and BTY in the gray shirts and white hats. I know ladies, we match, aren't we cute! We planned it! Okay, no we didn't, but it sounded good.

Here we are on the trail running. BTY and I pretty much ran together the whole way keeping each other going. Great encouragement! Thanks BTY!

Here I am by myself. Already completely sweat thru!

There were 3 aid stations with all sorts of things to get you going. Heed drink (kind of like Gatorade), Heed gel (kind of like Gu), H2O, Coke, hard candies, burritos, rice crispy treats, etc...I know I know, that's kind of weird! But I didn't eat all that or drink all of that! Just the gel and some water and Heed drink.

Here I am finishing!

After the finish you have all the family. MoMo and his kids and wife, then BTY, his wife and kids and then me.

Here's BTY's wife and some of the kids and their signs!

Okay, so the office talks of the next subject.

Andy Bernard:

[taping his nipples] "I'm petrified of nipple chaffing. Once it starts it is a vicious circle... you have sensitive nipples, they chaff, so they become more sensitive, so they chaff more. So I take precautions."

I know all about this, however, I DID NOT take precautions! Here I am, you may not be able to see very well because of the gray color, but that shirt has two blood spots. OUCH! Lets just say the shower was full of screams! NOT FUN. Nip guards here I come!

So MoMo and BTY and I will run the Turkey trot 10 miler the week before Thanksgiving and then, I might have BTY convinced to run the OKC Memorial marathon next April. We'll see!

In honor of the season premiere of "The Office" - Grammy's Office

I've been given an incredible opportunity...to continue working for the folks in Charleston, SC...remotely...what a great idea! My alarm goes off (yes it's early and we don't have a rooster in the hen house at this point), I commute from the bedroom to the living room (routing through the bathroom and the kitchen) and I'm at work. It's a beautiful thing. My overall office is extensive and I'll show you more of it later but for now I'll show you my work space, here it is...all 20 cubit feet of it.

The scenery is nice and getting better all the time as Pop and I continue to finish out our space. I'll put pics on showing the finished space soon...okay, as soon as I can since I don't know quite when it will be completed.

Like any new work environment, adjustments have to be made...you know, for lighting, ergonomics, sounds, etc. Well...I was on the phone a while back - utilizing the speaker phone for hands-free working - when my BIT (Brilliant Information Technology) guy asked what the noise was. I realized he was hearing the washing machine waste water making its way down the outgoing sewage pipes that are currently open near my office space. Since these pipes handle all outgoing water for one entire end of the house, it isn't just the water from the washing machine I hear...

which makes me think of another office I've seen...enjoy the following video clip (thanks for supplying it, Romeo)and stop by my office sometime - I'll make you a cup of coffee or tea.