Lost Another Friend - Foggy the Cat

For 2 months I have been taking care of my parent's cat, Foggy, a very frail (20+ years old) calico. Well, for the past few days I have not seen her anywhere - not in the house - not outside. Last time I saw her she looked really tired and very "old." My fear is she has wandered off to put herself to rest. I have searched the entire house in hope of finding her sleeping in some remote corner, but no luck. I talked to a few cat people and both have assured me that cats do have a sense when their time is near and tend to find a safe, quiet spot to go...though I am still keeping an eye out just in case. Anyway, we miss her and glad she had a great life.
TTFN

Newtown 5K

Finally...after all my years living in Anderson Township, I ran the Newtown 5K. What the hell took so long? I have no idea. But this morning was a beautiful day and I woke up inspired. And with little time to spare, I threw on my running gear, grabbed a $20 from the petty cash jar and high-tailed it down the street to register, and I am so glad I did.

My race report: Fast course. After registering, I had about 30 minutes to warm up among the 600+ other participants. Walking around the starting area, I started to feel really old, as I realized most of the participants were middle and high-school cross-country runners putting in some needed speed work for the up-coming season. I was fine with that..
.
I felt pretty good gearing up for the start. After the gun, we made our way. Less than 7 minutes later, I heard the 1 mile volunteer blurt out, "6:50."
Now, I usually don't take off this fast, but this was great. "Was that the FIRST mile?" I asked the old man running next to me.

OK, so the first mile is basically down hill, but it was great inspiration to keep it going strong. I finished just a tad over 22 minutes and was very pleased with the results...8min/mile is my usual standard!

Ok then...TTFN

Ultra Wannabes-Visit Mt. Airy Forest

I admire ultrarunners. The stories I read always involve high levels of comraderie, cool equipment, intense situations, and an awesome post-race social atmosphere. In my running career, I have run 5 marathons, 3 halfs and numerous 5 and 10 k's, yet I have never taken on the challenge of an ultra.

Reason? I believe it's partly due to geography. Trail running in my part of the world did not blossom until recently, and those who had an interest had to travel to another zip code to experience a great trail. Eventually, Cincinnati runners discovered local parks that could provide a decent trail running experience, Mt Airy Forest and East Fork Lake are two good examples.

Over the last few weekends, I have made the 30 minute commute to Mt. Airy for some nice 10 mile trail runs and have really enjoyed the adventure of cruising along the single-track route, dodging root and rock, trying not to sheer an ankle or take a tumble. The experience is serene, quiet and tough! The goal: The Stone Steps 50K in October.

The race is several loops through the rolling park trails, with one major climb per loop up a huge and steep hill of stone steps. It is not pretty! But...it is a nice view once you reach the top.
Anyway, if all goes well over the next few months, I will take the plunge and give the Stone Steps a try. Wish me luck, because I know if I complete one of these things, I'll be itching for another.
TTFN

Michigan is Dog Country!

Summer vacation was a little touch and go for me this year as I spent the first few days horizontal with a sinus infection; but it eventually passed. Courage was finally able to make his first trip to the UP. He had a great time playing in the water and just hanging out. He's getting on in years, so he moved kind of slow, but none-the-less, we were glad he joined us. This photo shows Maura and Courage at a beach east of Cedarville towards DeTour. The water was a balmy 60+ degrees. OUCH! 

Ouch! My IT Band hurts!

I'm stretching and taking Ibuprofin...but I know it's going to take some time to get this back to normal. Rats!
I've been doing some easy runs, but after about three miles, it tends to flare back up. It's a frustrating process but it will get better.
That's where I am now...
TTFN
A

Lost Another Friend

I got to know Matt Schaefer when I started dating Maura. He was her next-door neighbor. When I was browsing through the photos posted on his Caring Bridge site, I came across this one and immediately recognized the hair as the classic Matt look. That is how I remember him best, and will continue to remember him. Wonderful guy...

Matt passed away, peacefully with family at his side, on Tuesday evening (yesterday) from cancer.

Fun Memorial Day!

It's a rare treat when the VA Speidels visit us in Cincinnati. We took total advantage of their presence this Memorial Day weekend when we headed down to Coney Island t take in a few rides. Here are the three cousins ready to roll! We spent a few hours takin in the rides and eating some fine food...the Montgomery Inn Combo meal was a big hit...NOT! Poor Rusty had some issues with one of the rides, but we all survived, puke-free!
Looking forward to another get-together soon!
TTFN,
Andy

My First Official Trail Race!

The shoes say it all! Well, it wasn't an ultra, but I went on my first trail race on Sunday, and I have to admit, that was the most invigorating run I have been on in quite some time. T-Shirt courtesy of my bro and sis-in-law.
The race was a short 5.5 miler through the beautiful and rugged trails of Mt. Airy forest on the west side of Cincinnati. What I really enjoyed was the focus I had to maintain throughout the run. It kept my mind off the distance and time, and more on the technical aspects, such as the roots and rocks. And that was good, since I spent the previous night at a graduation pary for my friends daughter. Too much "carbo loading," if you know what I mean.
I felt totally in the element, and that was a great feeling. This race was part of a trail run series put on by our local running store, Ronckers Running Spot.
The trail was mostly single-track, which made it difficult to pass others, so time-wise, I had to maintain an 8:50 pace or so. The winner completed in just over 6:00/mile! Egad!

Another Successful Semester!

YES! Another great semester at NKU. I was hoping for at least a B, but LOOK at this!! WOO HOO! It's party-time!

Ok, I'm done.

Bye

We have a house-guest!

Penny (left), our very friendly neighborhood lab is staying with us for a few weeks while her parents are in Spain. Not only is she as sweet as she looks, but Courage has taken a liking to her! After an initial scuffle, Courage established his role as the dominant alpha, and the rest just fell into place. During the day while we are at work and school, the two remain in the house, and so far, no major accidents.
We'll miss her when she has to leave!
Until next time....

The Flying Pig - DONE DEAL!!

Well, 4 hours and 20minutes later, with several blisters in "toe", I have ended the day with another Flying Pig under my belt. It's been 9 years since I last ran a marathon, and I totally forgot how painful they can be, but all-in-all, it was a great experience.
Last night, I was dreadfully nervous. After an anxious night at my brother-in-laws for dinner, I had an equally nervous night's sleep, if that's what one would call it. Maura and I woke at 4:30 this morning to begin our adventure. She was walking the half and I had opted into the full marathon. The crowd was huge...11,000+ runners and walkers graced the starting line. At 6:45, the race was on.
The course winds through northern Kentucky and re-enters Cincinnati to begin a long, steep climb, reaching the top at around mile 9. The half marathoners take a left and head home, while the full marathoners begin their journey by heading right and through Hyde Park, Mariemont, and back downtown. I was feeling good and running comfortably, but in the back of my mind, I kept remembering that my training leading up to this point had not been optimal. With 17 miles to go, there were doubts that I would finish this thing.
Thank god for the crowds! They managed to pull me through some tough areas. Miles 23-26 are on a relatively flat, unpopulated area, and with full sun and rising temperatures, my feet were blistered and very sore. I had to walk several times during this leg, but once we reached the downtown area, I was able to "sprint" to the finish.
Photos to come, but overall, it was a great marathon!

Photo is courtesy of The Cincinnati Enquirer.

Some Wacky Runner Observations

As I prep for the pig, there have been some funny things that I have noticed about my habits that I am sure many others have experienced:
1. Tops of Gel packets are littered about my house and car
2. The smell of sweaty running clothes doesn't bother me as much.
3. If my water bottle doesn't have a colored fluid in it, something isn't right.
4. Socks have taken on a new importance in my daily routine.
5. If I forget to wear my running watch, it's a bad day.
6. Polyester has become a favorite fabric...ouch!
7. I know what NUUN is!
8. I find myself stretching all the time.
9. Searching for running videos on YouTube has become a habit.

There are more, I'm sure! Add yours!
Andy

THREE DAYS TILL PIGGY

Egad...am I ready? I don't believe I put in enough miles on the road to kick butt, but hopefully enough to squeeze through with a respectable time. I went for a short run yesterday, and was all achy, so I hope that is not a predictor of things to come.Weather is looking great, however!

Spring is in the Air!

Alas, after many years of no blooms, the pink dogwood has managed to produce. This tree is 1 of 3 that managed to survive. The white one just to the left of this is just about ready to explode with blossoms. Photo to follow!
And speaking of pink, I think I am ready for the Flying Pig Marathon next weekend. I failed my sister-in-law, Sophie's advice to get in another 20 miler, but I did manage 13 last week. With the crowds and other runners as motivation, I am hoping for a decent race. The 13 miler was not without pain, however. My feet were pretty sore following that run. I picked up some new Asics road shoes yesterday, and that is going to help!
If all goes well on May 4, then perhaps the Highlands Sky ultra in early June will be my first! Later!

The GA 5K

Hanley, Abby( Hanley's buddy) and I had a thrilling time at the Guardian Angels School first 5k race. The weather was cool and windy, but despite that, the girls came in under 29 minutes and I rallied at the end for a 22:05. The girls were clearly tired afterwards...may have been due to the previous night's sleepover, but it was great to introduce the girls to an organized running event. Schweet!

The Flying Pig is near...

I've paid my money...now I have to perform. Ack! I went for a 17 miler today, with the intention of doing a 20 miler. My mind said 20 but there were two appendages that said, "no way!" at 17. In spite of the missing three miles, I feel confident that I'll be able to work through the 26.2 without too much discomfort. I am now beginning the tapering process and am looking forward to a good race; I would love to come in under 4 hours.
Maura is also participating in this year's event. She will be walking the half-marathon, with her friend Mei Mei, for the first time.
Pigs fly!!
Ta ta!

Training Blahs–yuch!

Ever have one of those training runs where nothing is in synch? Well, today was one of those days. We had beautiful weather today, high of about 60, full of sunshine. So why not go for a nice trail run? So I did. I made my way to Withrow Nature Preserve, a nice 1.8 mile loop through field and forest, but unfortunately, the cards were not in my favor. I started out OK, but less than a mile into a planned 8 miler, my lunch decided to pay me another visit. 8 miles turned into a mere 3. OUCH! Anyway, with tired legs and a bloated belly, I chalked it up as one of those days where nothing was working for me. Diet? Not enough rest? I don't know for sure, but I am hoping for better training tomorrow.

Running with ECHO

The ECHO Running Club is a nice group of folks who really show a passion for the sport, and today I was glad to be part of this morning's Catch Me run at Lunken Playfield. The concept was simple: Have a staggered start based on one's anticipated finish time. Slower runner start first, fast follow, so at the end, we all finish at the same time. The photos show the group at the finish and as they wander back to their cars amid the eerie fog. Thanks to Doug Maxwell for organizing this event!

Spring is (NOT) Here!

Update from the Speidels...this last weekend, we experienced the largest storm in 10 years, and it came in the form of many inches of snow. Just when we thought the winter was behind us, 10+ inches of white stuff came hammering down on us. It started on Friday night and kept on coming through Saturday. And while it stalled the roads for a bit, the dogs, including our house guest, Auggie, had a great time. Warm weather is predicted for next week and I will finally be able to get in a long training run (15 miles) in preparation for the Flying Pig the first week of May.

Training for the Pig

Training for the Flying Pig Marathon always gets difficult this time of year due to the cold, snowy weather; motivation is hard to come by these days. But, I have started to work more long runs into my training schedule and am feeling strong and relatively pain-free. With just over 2-months to go, I am on track for a good race, and while I would love to incorporate more trail runs into the routine, it's been so muddy around here, the running is hazardous...don't want to risk some freak accident if I can help it.
Maura and her buddy, Mei Mei are planning to walk the half.
Anyway, we are looking forward to a great day!