Don't Stop Running.

Blanket of Snow

2012-01-28T20:19:00.000-05:00

Running Blind

2012-01-26T23:47:00.000-05:00

Tonight's run was awesome. I parked at Pine Lane and ran out-and-back to Boston Store for 8 miles. I started at 6, so I had to use my headlamp from the start. From the first few steps on the trail, I knew it would be a slopfest! There was a steady mist of rain which made it really foggy out. It would've been good to have a handheld light tonight since it was difficult to see very far ahead of me with the headlamp. It was like a car when you turn your brights on when it's foggy out. Plus every time I breathed, my view was blocked even more. However I needed my light on so I wouldn't trip. I pointed it down so I could see my next step and any roots ahead of me. It helped that I have run this route many times and can visualize in my head the entire trail, almost every root and rock. It was a little nerve-racking not being able to see into the woods and I had this thought in my head that I'd run into a deer or coyote. That thought came and pass quickly though since I had to concentrate on each step. It amazes me how few times I trip with all the roots and turns along the way. I think it's a combination of knowing the trail, calculating where to land before each step, running "light" on my feet and just plain luck. It's almost like a dance. At night you get in a trance and forget about the mileage. It always seems like you're running fast since you have no scenery to judge your speed by. I think I do run faster at night though because I'm more relaxed, yet more focused.

Along the way, I encountered a pack of deer that were laying down on the ground until I disturbed them. They were probably just as surprised as I was and thinking "what the hell is he doing out here?". A mile and a half further down, I heard a noise ahead of me on the trail. I shut off my light so I could see better further ahead. I saw three guys in regular clothes, which really surprised me. I was just glad it wasn't an animal. I told them I thought they were deer and they joked that they're just friendly bears. I meant to ask if they were training for anything on the way back, but never saw them again.

As I got closer to finishing my run, I was headed down the big hill right before the stream crossing. I saw a bunch of headlamps coming up the trail towards me. After saying hi to them, I then realized it was Thursday and it was the Crooked River Trail group run. Looks like I wasn't the only crazy out tonight. However, instead of going to Boston Store, they turned down Initiation Hill back to Peninsula.

I finished the run, changed clothes and hopped in my car. What a great run! Nothing compares to that feeling of being tired, yet energized from a grueling workout. I tried to keep the pace up and worked twice as hard to do so due to the mud. I try not to let the weather conditions affect if I'll run, especially the condition of the trail. Every time I've decided to go for a run (particularly at Pine Lane) when it's wet, rainy and muddy, I've never regretted it once.

No Time Like Now

2012-01-23T23:07:00.002-05:00

Tonight I drove over to the Happy Days parking lot at 5:30 and ran a couple loops around the Boston Run trail for 7 miles. The trails were muddy and there were some big gusts of wind throughout the run. Some portions of the trail were drier than others, but the muddiest portions were tough to get a good stride in.

After running 4 miles total last week and not logging consistent mileage week-to-week, I decided I better start my serious training now if I wanted to run a good time at Forget the PR in April. I've become more comfortable with mixing strength training and swimming in with running. The two side activities seem to be helping the main event: my running.

Is this winter?

2012-01-05T18:00:00.000-05:00

Tonight I went for a 10-mile run from Boston Store to Snowville Rd and back. The trails were in awful shape and it was a blast! The combination of snow and warm weather recently melting it left the trails extremely muddy. I wore shorts and felt warm the entire run. Only my feet got numb from constantly being submerged in water, but even that didn't last too long. The sky was clear and the moon was almost bright enough to turn off the headlamp. I had a good time out there. It was one of those runs where you forget you are running. The constant attention required on each step made it interesting. When I got to the stream crossing about a quarter of the way into the run, I found the water was too high and thin ice hung from the banks making it almost impossible to cross without getting my feet wet. I didn't want to turn around so I found a fallen tree further upstream that stretched across the stream. I sat on it and slowly inched my way across. I finished the run in about 2 hours and was pleased with the effort despite the rough conditions.

2011 URINEO - 50 Miles

2011-12-17T20:36:00.000-05:00

With another year coming to a close, this could only mean one thing - NEO Trail's annual URINEO FA at Mill Creek Park. I usually try to make this event every year and have gone the last 3 out of 5 years with the following results:

2007 - 50K - 8:18
2008 - 50K - 7:35
2009 - MHM - 20 laps

I was feeling ambitious this year after knocking off one of NEO Trail's challenges a month ago - Gate28x2 at Slim Pickins. My goal this year at URINEO was to accomplish the other challenge - 50 miles. This would be a new distance record for me since the farthest I've gone up to this point has been 50K.

I just recently bought my first pair of trail running shoes and really like them. I got the same kind my brother wears, Brooks Cascadia. I've had many pairs of Nike Pegasus, so I really like the Brooks since they are just as light as the Nikes, but have a tougher foot plate to protect from rocks and roots. A tough shoe sole has never been a big worry for me doing 50Ks, but after today I realized how much of a difference it can make for longer distances.

So back to URINEO....I went to bed early Friday night and set my alarm for 2 AM. I left my apartment in Akron at 3 and got started at the Old Log Cabin at 4 o'clock. I only saw one person there, but ran into Bob, Jim, Todd and a couple others as I was headed out. I started counter-clockwise around the park.

The URINEO loop is the same as YUT-C except we skip the Lake Newport section and only run to the Mill for 7.75 miles. If you're trying for the 50 mile finish, you add the Lily Pond section plus Big Bear for about 8.33 per loop.

My legs felt good the first loop. It was cool running through the park so early in the morning, especially seeing the waterfall at the Mill with more water than usual rushing over it. The trails were in good condition with only a couple icy spots on the boardwalk and mud in a couple places.

For aid, I had 2 Cliff Bars, 2 packs of Shot Blocks, a foot long Subway spicy Italian sub, salt tablets, and a gallon of Gatorade. I'm starting to get smarter with ultras as far as what to pack for aid. Salt tablets made a huge difference today. Even though it was cold out, I'm sure I was losing a lot of electrolytes. It only takes one bad calf cramping experience (Laurel 50K last Spring) to wise up and prevent it from happening next time.

The second loop was pretty uneventful. When I got back to my car for the 3rd loop, I met two people from Pittsburgh, Cindy and Jeff. Cindy had been to the park last year for URINEO, but this was Jeff's first adventure in Youngstown. Cindy asked if I could show them the trail, so I ran with them for the 3rd loop. My legs were starting to feel the miles at this point.

The 4th and 5th loops are a little bit of a blur. Bits I can remember include:

Seeing Brian, Rich and Paul at the Monkey Hills attempting the MHM
Me sitting on the trail on the ridge by the log cabin during the 4th loop exhausted and massaging my calves as Taylor Sowers came by finishing his 2nd loop.
Slim Jim telling me the 4th loop is the toughest mentally since you know you have 2 left after.
Running hurt just as much as walking, so I ran as much as I could to get done faster.
Hitting my head pretty hard on a fallen tree across the Monkey Trail and almost doing it a second time the next loop.
Running with Cindy and Jeff on the 5th loop. They really pulled me along and prevented me from having a really slow loop.

As I got back to the cabin before starting my 6th and final loop, the party was in full force. I knew I had to get in and out of there since it was full of excuses to throw in the towel (food, warmth, refreshments). Bill Losey said to me, "Get what you need and get going. Don't get caught up in this bullshit." He was right, but in my head I knew if I made it to this point, there was no quitting. It was either stop at 4 loops or finish the whole enchilada. A 5 loop finish would've meant nothing, or close to it.

So I started off counter-clockwise again, pumped up from the encouragement of the runners at the cabin. I ran for about 30 seconds, stopped, then realized I was going to be doing way more walking than running this loop. Each time after starting back up from the log cabin, my calves really ached due to sitting down. Most times they got "better" after a mile or so. However on this 6th loop, I can't say they really got better. The good thing, I thought, was that you can only hurt so much and then you start to forget about it. Or maybe just get used to it.

I ran into Cam Baker and Lloyd Thomas near Big Bear. Cam was also finishing his last loop of the 50 miler. I started singing "The Final Countdown" by Europe, he told me he did a 1-up and ran an extra MH, we exchanged words of encouragement, and were on our way.

When I got to the Monkey Hills, Rich was still at it. He was just coming down the hill towards the road as I was starting up, so I walked the trail in one direction with him. He was on his 23rd loop en route to a record setting 30 loops!

I could feel the finish nearing closer as I arrived at the Stone Bridge trail. I couldn't believe what I was about to accomplish today. All the effort and struggle throughout the day was becoming worth it for this moment of finishing.

I finished in 12:15. Exhausted and relieved, I changed clothes and then walked into the cabin to a loud applause.

What a great day! I think it's awesome our club has events like these. It really feels like an extended family. Each person seems to truly care about each other's accomplishments and encouraging each other along the way.

Below are my approximate splits I wrote down after each loop. All the splits, except the first, include time stopped at the cabin refueling.

1 - 1:35 - 11:24/mile

2 - 1:45 - 12:36/mile

3 - 2:00 - 14:24/mile

4 - 2:14 - 16:05/mile

5 - 2:16 - 16:19/mile

6 - 2:25 - 17:24/mile

2011 Warren Turkey Trot

2011-11-24T20:56:00.000-05:00

Brian, Jamie and I continued the tradition today of running the Warren Turkey Trot at the Kent Trumbull branch. I always look forward to this race and was glad that I was healthy to run it this year. I thought about taking it easy and enjoying it this year, but that idea faded quickly as I know how hard it is not to race it!

We got there around 9 AM and the 2 miler was going on. The 5 mile race was set for a 10 o'clock start, so we got in a warmup after saying hi to many familiar faces. It didn't take long to spot Shubi, who was in from Colorado and fresh off a 10,000 ft run out there the same day as Slim Pickins.

The weather was perfect and the crowd was large as usual. Ted Rupe gave a pre-race prayer and then sounded the siren to start the race. I felt pretty relaxed despite the tough 50K last weekend. There was a slight wind on the way out and way back, but nothing too strong. I finished with a 33:45. Jamie won her age group and Brian had a good race also.

Afterward, we followed tradition and had dinner at my parents house. My mom cooked a great meal with turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn bread, biscuits, cranberry jello, apple sauce in the crock pot, salad and pumpkin pie.

I have so much to be thankful for and this day is always a great remember of those things!

Slim Pickins 2011

2011-11-19T20:36:00.000-05:00

This year I decided to join the shenanigans at Laurel Highlands for the annual NEO Trail member-only Slim Pickins event. The event lasts from Friday night to Sunday and this year we stayed at the Yough Plaza Hotel in Ohiopyle. The stated goal was to run a 50K from the start of the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail out to mile 8 and back twice for a total elevation gain of 7,400 ft!

On Friday, I drove up to Hudson with Brian to meet Lloyd Thomas and carpool over to PA. We left around 3:30 and it took about 3-3.5 hours. Some people had already arrived in Ohiopyle and planned on getting some extra miles in. My plan was to try and run only the 50K on Saturday. If I bailed out early, I would do some extra on Sunday.

When we got there, we parked at the Falls City Restaurant & Pub and there inside was a table full of NEO Trail members greeting us including Jim & Eric Harris, Cam Baker, Paul Lefelhocz, Kimba, Chris Kalie, and Bruce "The Moose" McMurray. Later, Wild Bill, Tara Schweitzer and Allison Holko joined us. The night was filled with good beer, delicious food and plenty of interesting discussions.

After eating, we all went back to our quarters and tipped back a few more. We snapped this fairly normal photo of us at the hotel and posted to Facebook to show the world what true club companionship really is!

We ended up getting to bed after midnight. The planned start time was at 8 o'clock. Cam had to get done early, so he started at 6. Jim also joined him to get a couple hours of running in before the official start.

My sister showed up about 10 minutes beforehand, as well as a few other people that didn't spend the night. We walked down to the gate at the start of the trail, took a few group photos and were off.

Instantly within the first quarter mile, the trail heads skyward. There are three main hills to the mile 8 marker, each with their own difficulty. The first one isn't overly steep, but continually inclines until a little bit after 2.5. It also has some pretty technical rocky footing. The next hill goes from mile 3.5 to 4.5, crests, then zig zags downward on some switchbacks. Finally, the grand finale from mile 6 to 8 climbs about 1200 ft. This last one seems to go on forever.

I was feeling pretty good during most of the first out-and-back. No major issues and aches which was good. I wanted to take the first loop easy and push it the second if I had the energy. The main goal was to finish.

After the first loop, Brian and I went to the market to grab a bite to eat. We both got burgers and fries. I knew it would be tough starting the second loop after this, but the extra fuel was a huge help. After a half hour or so, we headed back out. We saw Wild Bill, Tara and Allison at the gate. We egged them to try for another loop, but weren't able to entice them. We headed up the trail a few steps and saw the Moose coming at us. He was also done. So, Brian and I were bringing up the rear since my sister and the crew she was running with were only going three more miles out and back.

It took a little while to get back in the groove since we had the burger on our stomachs. The sun was slowly starting to head to the western horizon. Brian and I wanted to at least make it to the turnaround before we needed to use our headlamps.

We saw Lloyd and Rich as well as Jim and Kim on the way out. At the overlook near mile 8, we snapped a few photos and headed back. We had to turn on our lights with about 5 miles to go. The darkness slowed us down quite a bit, but we had a few nice streaks of running especially when Brian had his headphones on!

The excitement grew as we continued to clip off the miles. My legs ached a bit, but it really didn't bother me since they had been even before we started the second loop.

Finally, we made it back to the mile 0 gate! We gave each other high fives and walked to the pub. As we entered, we got a round of applause. It's always a great feeling to accomplish something you're not sure about when you first start. This was my second 50K this year......my first being the actual Laurel Highlands 50K race!

This year has been filled with more injury downtime than running and races, but today made the rest and cross training worthwhile! This event has me itching for more miles...

The Magic Moment

2011-11-13T12:13:00.001-05:00

“You have to take risks”- he said.

“We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen.

“Every day, God gives us the sun–and also one moment in which we have the ability to change everything that makes us unhappy.
“Every day, we try to pretend that we haven’t perceived that moment, that it doesn’t exist–that today is the same as yesterday and will be the same as tomorrow.

But if people really pay attention to their everyday lives, they will discover that magic moment.

It may arrive in the instant when we are doing something mundane, like putting our front-door key in the lock.
It may lie hidden in the quiet that follows the lunch hour or in the thousand and one things that all seem the same to us.

But that moment exists–a moment when all the power of the stars becomes a part of us and enables us to perform miracles.”

-Paulo Coelho

West Branch Night Run

2011-11-09T17:57:00.000-05:00

Tonight I met Jim Harris and Todd Hanks at 6:30 at the boat dock parking lot for a night run. We started on the Lake Trail, crossed Cable Line Rd, ran the trails on the other side, and then finished on the expert trail. Before crossing Cable Line Rd, we walked down to the family cemetery to check out the witch's grave. No screams heard tonight!

It was a perfect night for a run. A nice breeze, actually feeling warm at times, and a partly cloudy sky that gave way to a bright full moon. We still needed our headlamps, but I looked around a few times and was surprised how bright it was out.

I really enjoy night runs. A trail route you run all the time during the day looks totally different at night. It's easy to get in a trance and forget you're physically exerting yourself. The pace always seems faster than what it is.

Group night runs are even more enjoyable. It's like sitting around a campfire telling stories except you're running and the glowing light is your headlamp. A lot of people get depressed when the clock turns back and it gets dark earlier. I've learned to accept it better and not let it ruin my workouts. Each season provides a different adventure and a different challenge. I do wish winter was shorter, but it makes us appreciate Spring that much more. If it wasn't for the challenges in life, we would take the simple things for granted.

Double 12

2011-11-07T00:58:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I went for a run at Mill Creek with Brian. The weather was gorgeous with clear blue skies and nice temps near 60. We ran a big loop counterclockwise around all three lakes starting from the Rose Garden. By the wetlands, we saw a bald eagle. I had never seen one in person, much less in MCP! It's wingspan was amazing as it flew away. We ended the day with 12 miles.

So today the weather was still good and I still had some running fever in me. I got out of work early, but knew this was post- move the clock back an hour. Ugh! I was glad for the extra hour of sleep, but now it gets dark at 5:30. I grabbed the headlamp and headed out as quickly as possible.

I ran from Boston Store to Snowville Rd. then did two more miles on the Towpath. I made it to Snowville without my light on, but had to turn it on after to avoid tripping on the leaf-covered roots. I saw plenty of deer out on the trail staring at me. I always enjoy night runs. There's something about being all alone in the woods with just the creatures and the moon that is very calming. I only saw one other person out there and he was doing the same route as me.

2011 Youngstown Peace Race

2011-10-23T00:35:00.000-04:00

Well I finally signed up for the Youngstown Peace Race this year. I've always wanted to run this one since it goes through one of my favorite places to run - Mill Creek Park. They changed the course this year making it a point-to-point run from Kirkmere Elementary school and ending in the usual finish area at Federal Plaza in downtown Y-town.

I caught a bus from downtown to the start line. This guy I was talking to in line for the bus happened to be my high school English teacher's son. At the school I saw a bunch of familiar faces including Tim McNeil, Terry McCluskey and Stacy Sowers. I walked to the start line with Stacy then worked my way toward the front. I definitely wasn't conditioned very well for this race so I just had two goals: enjoy the scenery and run under 7 min/mile.

The course had some nice rolling hills, but nothing too steep. We ran down to the Mill and worked our way back to the Old Log Cabin and on to downtown. On my way back to the city, I talked to a real nice Warren runner named Walter I've known from running around Warren and going to the Mocha House. He's real upbeat, so I enjoyed his company and conversation through the huffing and puffing. I told him I forgot how quick these short road races were.

I ended up finishing in 42:34 (6:52 pace) and was very pleased. The finish line was great with a live band and tons of post-race food including Dunkin' Donuts! At the finish I also saw Dan Kuzma who was cheering on his wife who ran today.

I would definitely recommend this race to anyone and plan on hopefully doing it again next year. The course is beautiful and Ted Rupe does a great job directing such a large race with over 1200 runners.

2011-10-13T21:26:00.000-04:00

"A giant oak is only a little nut that held its ground..."

Skydiving

2011-10-08T11:31:00.002-04:00

Today I drove to Middletown, OH to go skydiving! I bought a coupon on LivingSocial for Start Skydiving a year ago and it expired on the 11th, so it was now or wait another 6 months or so.

I got to the airstrip at 9 AM to fill out papers, watch a video and get suited up. Around 10:30 or so, we boarded the plane to climb up to 13,000 ft. The guy I was going tandem with was pretty cool. He had a Fu Manchu style moustache and had made over 6,000 jumps in his life. Before we went up, he already had 4 under his belt for the day!

As the plane kept climbing higher and higher, I was getting more nervous, thinking WHAT AM I DOING!? I got the photo/video package, so the video guys were in the plane with us trying to ease our nerves. My videographer told me that not going to church today was the worst possible day in your life not to haha!

When we finally got up to altitude, I was the first to go. My instructor connected my harness to him and gave me a few instructions. We inched towards the open door and looked down. My legs were a little locked, but on the count of three, we were gone!

The fall lasted 50 seconds, but seemed to go really fast. The wind was so intense that it was hard to realize how high you were. After giving a thumbs up, yawning, and giving some gang signs to the videographer, my instructor pulled the rip cord.

Things calmed down quickly and we floated slowly towards our landing spot. After the parachute deployed, my instructor told me it was twisted. So, he had me put my arms out so the wind would push us around like a swing. It didn't take long and it was untangled. He told me after that happens 1 in about 100 and one time he had to actually cut the parachute away and use the backup because the guy he was with locked up and wasn't able to follow instructions.

The ride down lasted about 4 minutes. My instructor told me what to do for the landing - lift my legs up, point my toes and we'll land on our butts. As we were landing, I gave the videographer a high-five. We made a soft landing and that was that. I had gone skydiving!! My instructor told me, you now have more takeoffs in a plane than landings :)

Poem

2011-10-06T00:43:00.004-04:00

Go unto life like a bull to the streets.
Leave no rock unturned or path untraveled.
The winner in life is not the first to the destination.
In contrast, the golden prize is not making it past first, stuck smelling the roses.
Regrets are opportunities in the present.
There is no blueprint, just a blank sheet of paper.
God gives you a box full of a thousand colored crayons.
Find your passion and draw your Picasso.
If you have but one regret,
Regret there was no time to sign your name
For you were busy drawing more roses.

The Cure All

2011-09-27T21:46:00.002-04:00

After a really busy day of work, it was great to get out for a run at the Cuyahoga Valley. I hit heavy traffic on Rt. 8 from an accident and started wondering if this was a good idea. I took a detour around the accident and finally got to the Happy Days parking lot.

The run started out slow and sluggish. I felt like I was moving backwards and even the flats were a struggle. The temperature felt great, nice and cool, but I still worked up a sweat.

I started with a 3.5 mile loop on the Boston Run trail. After finishing that, I headed towards the ledges and Kendall Lake, did a No Frills loop around the hills, then jumped on the Salt Run trail for a 3.5 mile loop. I finished with 13 miles.

I was glad I had decided to run today since I felt great afterward. All the thoughts and stress from the workday vanished into the woods. Even though I've experienced it many, many times before, it always amazes me how a run can fix just about anything. I can't remember one run that I've finished and regretted. Whether it's 90 degrees or 20, raining or snowing, there's always an adventure out there to free your mind, especially on trails. It doesn't always happen, but when you can get in a rhythmn and forget that you're even running, the miles just fly by.

Akron Marathon Relay

2011-09-24T22:04:00.002-04:00

This morning I woke up to run in the Akron Marathon Relay. I joined a team at work and would be the 3rd leg - 6.3 miles. The race started at 7 AM and I tossed around the idea of running from my apartment 5 miles to the start, running my leg, then running back. I was glad I decided not to since I didn't get to bed till midnight and it probably wouldn't have been smart anyway since my mileage hasn't gotten too high yet.

I started at Brown St, which is right by the Akron football stadium. I started out like a bat out of hell, but settled into a pace. My leg didn't have to many extreme hills and the part on the Towpath was nice. I handed off the wristband to the next member at Sand Run Metropark and took the bus back downtown to watch the finish.

Our team finished in 3:49. We definitely had much room for improvement since some of our handoffs took 5 minutes or so to find the next member. We weren't going for any world record, so everyone was happy. I was hoping to see my time, but unfortunately one of the chips didn't register at the end of the 2nd leg. Oh well!

2011-09-06T20:20:00.002-04:00

"Too often we are scared. Scared of what we might not be able to do. Scared of what people might think if we tried. We let our fears stand in the way of our hopes.

We say no when we want to say yes. We sit quietly when we want to scream. And we shout with the others, when we should keep our mouths shut. Why? After all, we do only go around once. There’s really no time to be afraid.

So stop. Try something you’ve never tried. Risk it. Enter a triathlon. Write a letter to the editor. Demand a raise. Call winners at the toughest court. Throw away your television. Bicycle across the United States. Try bobsledding. Try anything. Speak out against the designated hitter. Travel to a country where you don’t speak the language. Patent something. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. JUST DO IT.”

-Barry Sanders, 1992

Mile Swim

2011-07-12T19:42:00.003-04:00

Tonight at the Munroe Falls Metropark, I swam a mile in the lake. The lap lane is 250 yards, so it's definitely a lot more enjoyable than doing flip turns every 25 meters in a pool. I felt great tonight and really strong. I'm starting to really enjoy this cross training and hope to get a bike this weekend so I can start doing that also. I think that will help a lot with nagging injuries I've had with my quads and IT Band. The biking should also strengthen my calves pretty well, so that will be good for trail running and hills.

The Alchemist

2011-07-07T21:46:00.006-04:00

I just finished reading The Alchemist for the second time. Both times I've read it, I felt inspired. The book is about following your dream, your "Personal Legend". A story about a shepherd who follows his dream, this book tells about the ups and downs and struggles of following your true calling in life.

I enjoy it because it reinforces what I feel a lot of people forget about in life. And that is, you only live once and you only get one shot at chasing your dreams. I feel like I've seen a lot of people who aren't necessarily unhappy, but they have a hole, big or small, in their life. That hole is the thought that they passed up following their Personal Legend whether it be traveling around the world or following a certain career path. They've fallen into a daily routine in life and feel it's too late and too risky to do what they truly want to do. The Alchemist tells how fulfilling your Personal Legend isn't easy, but if you pay attention and put your trust in a higher being, you will be given signs and direction.

The book mentions four obstacles that stand in our way to confronting and fulfilling our dream. They are:

Impossible. We are told as a child and onward that what we want to do is impossible.
Love. We know what we want to do, but are afraid to hurt those we love.
Fear. We fear the defeats that will meet us on our path.
Not worthy. We renounce our joy and conquest when we finally arrive at our goal.

Throughout the entire book, there are many good lessons, words of wisdom and encouragement. However, I really enjoyed this little story right at the beginning of the text:

The Alchemist knew the legend of Narcissus, a youth who knelt daily beside a lake to contemplate his own beauty. He was so fascinated by himself that, one morning, he fell into the lake and drowned. At the spot where he fell, a flower was born, which was called the Narcissus.
But this was not how the author of the book ended the story.
He said that when Narcissus died, the goddesses of the forest appeared and found the lake, which had been fresh water, transformed into a lake of salty tears.
"Why do you weep?" the goddesses asked.
"I weep for Narcissus," the lake replied.
"Ah, it is no surprise that you weep for Narcissus," they said, "for though we always pursued him in the forest, you alone could contemplate his beauty close at hand."
"But...was Narcissus beautiful?" the lake asked.
"Who better than you to know that?" the goddesses said in wonder, "After all, it was by your banks that he knelt each day to contemplate himself!"
The lake was silent for some time. Finally, it said:
"I weep for Naricssus, but I never noticed that Narcissus was beautiful. I weep because, each time he knelt beside my banks, I could see, in the depths of his eyes, my own beauty reflected."

Realize your beauty and potential, follow your dreams, and stay resilient in your quest.

LHHT 50K

2011-06-12T16:52:00.006-04:00

This weekend, I drove over to Ohiopyle to run the Laurel Highlands 50K. This was my first race since last Fall when I injured my IT band and my 2nd official ultra, my first being YUT-C in '09. My sister was also running the 50K and Brian was doing the 77 miler. The longer distance is usually only 70 miles, but due to a bridge out over the turnpike, an additional 7 mile detour was needed. This was the last year for it.

I met Jim Harris, Tim End (Jim's cousin), Eric Harris, Eric's friend Nick, Lloyd Thomas, Brian and Jamie on Friday. Jim got two rooms at the Lodge at Chalk Hill about 20 minutes from the start line in Ohiopyle. I got there an hour before them, so I drove to Ohiopyle to see the waterfall and natural waterslide. This was my first time around this area and I thought it was beautiful.
On Saturday morning, Jamie, Eric, Nick and I woke up at 6 o'clock. The 50K started at 8 and the 77 at 5:30. Jim was also doing the 50K, but took the other guys down to the start for the 77 and hung around till the 50K start. Jim had also dropped a car off at the finish line on Friday, so that made things a lot easier for us since the race is a point-to-point.

We got to the start line around 7:15 and checked-in. About 15 minutes before the start, I decided I better hit the restroom. There was a line, so I got out of there 3 minutes before start time! As I was coming out, I dropped my Nathan handheld water bottle and the top of it broke. I wasn't too worried though since I had my camelback.

Rick Freeman gave a pre-race prayer, then countdown the last few seconds to the start, and we were off! This was my first time on these trails, so other than looking at elevation profiles of the course, I didn't know what to expect. I made a quick dash for the front of the pack at the start because the trail is single-track and hard to pass someone on.

It wasn't long before everyone was walking....even the lead guys! I knew these hills must be for real if they were walking already. The first 8 miles or so has 3 giant hills. The final one lasts a couple miles. The trail was pretty technical in the beginning and had some muddy and wet parts. You really had to watch your footing and every step. One slip could turn into a badly sprained ankle or a nasty tumble down steep stairs.

It was a relief getting to the first aid station around mile 12. I planned on getting in and out of each aid station as quick as possible since you can waste a lot of time here. I started out with Cameback Elixir in my hyrdation pack and refilled with Gatorade at the aid station. I had a few stomach cramps in the first 3 miles that luckily went away. Not sure if it was the Elixir mix, since I hadn't tried it before race day, or something else. I also had 2 packs of GU Chomps and a gel pack.

I was feeling great after the hills. Jim, Eric and Nick ran together for a good portion of the race and I yo-yo'd back and forth with them multiple times during the race. I tried to make up lost time walking the uphills by taking the downhills fast.

Between miles 12-19 is when things started getting tough. I was doing a pretty good job hydrating, but learned that salt pills would've been a good investment. I figured the sodium in the gatorade and Elixir would be enough, but not the case when you're sweating a storm on a humid day with giant hills facing you. I felt sluggish and walked a good part after losing sight of Jim and the boys around mile 15.

I couldn't believe the climb when I got to miles 18-19. It felt harder than the first three hills since it was more than half way into the race and my legs were feeling beat. The incline had steps at some points. I stopped half way and sat down on a log thinking that finishing with anything under 7:30 would be a miracle.

I finally made it the mile 19 aid station. There I got my camelback refilled and ate as many saltine crackers as I could. After 5 minutes of being there, Jamie came strolling in. It was great seeing her! We stayed for a little while longer then left together.

From 19 to the mile 26 aid station, we mixed in walking and running. I was now finding it a whole lot easier running when I had someone to get my mind off of it. My calves started cramping during this part of the race and felt like they could pull at any moment. I had to change my stride and not kick back as much. I also knew that I had to watch every step because if I tripped it would be game over.

Unfortunately, I tripped. Over a rock or a stump or something. Jamie was running in front. I instantly fell to the ground and let out a loud yell. I layed there and held my calf until it stopped pulling. It had locked up into a ball, so I started massaging it. I was pretty worried though because this could've meant walking to the finish for me. Some guy a little ways back heard my yell and asked if he could help any.

Luckily, I was able to continue running and walking and made it to the mile 26 aid station. The guy there gave me two salt tablets and I ate some potatoes with salt. Jamie and I refilled our packs halfway with a gatorade/water mix and got on our way. As we were leaving, it made both of us feel good when these cyclists, decked out with jerseys looking like they just got back from the Tour De France, said something. One of them said, "So you guys have already done a marathon?! That's awesome." They all looked shocked and wished us good luck.

I was pretty happy we only had 5 miles left, but knew these wouldn't be easy. Every so often, one of my calves started to pull slightly. I ran very gingerly hoping nothing major would happen. I knew we still had a pretty hefty climb ahead of us around mile 28 near Seven Springs.

The views from the top of the hills at Seven Springs were amazing. You could see the huge slopes and houses on the side of the hills. There was also a lake at the top where people were paddling and kayaking in. I imagine they use this in the winter to make snow.

After finally making it up the big climb and within a couple miles to go, we could smell the finish line. We ran into Jim and Eric in the last couple miles. When I made the last turn to the finish, I asked "Where's the finish?!?" Whoever's cruel idea it was, you had to pass the finish and make one last (small) loop around the parking lot. I crossed the line in 6:43.

Munroe Falls Metropark

2011-06-07T22:00:00.001-04:00

Today I drove over to Munroe Falls Metropark to get a few laps of swimming in. I went here a few times last year and swam with Courtney and Brandon Russell when they were training for a tri. This year I decided to get a summer pass that lasts till August. It was only $30 for Summit County residents so not too bad.

They had part of the lap lane in the lake blocked off, so it was a little bit shorter. I asked the lifeguard and he figured it was probably about 100-125 meters. I went 10 lengths and called it a day. I wasn't pushing it too hard, but it felt surprisingly easy swimming those laps. It's a little harder than a pool staying in a straight line since you can't see in front of you unless you pick your head up. I have a tri in mind up on Lake Erie that Dan Bellinger mentioned to me a couple days ago. I figure biking will be the unknown for me, but I do wonder about the swim. I've never swam next to a whole bunch of people before and not to mention it will be in a bigger, deeper lake with waves...hmmm

MCP Run

2011-06-05T13:00:00.000-04:00

This morning I went to the Lily Pond at Mill Creek Park. I planned on running the big YUT-C loop around the entire park which is 11.75 miles. I ran the loop clockwise to get the majority of the hills out of the way (Stone Bridge trail, Monkey Hills).

I started at 9 AM and the temperature was already heating up. I brought along my handheld water bottle and filled it up 2 times at the Covered Bridge. I'm not usually a good hot weather runner, but today I felt great! This was my last long run before the Laurel 50k next weekend and was a good confidence booster.

I'm still reading Born to Run and I got to a section of it where they're explaining studies done comparing expensive cushioned shoes, cheap less cushioned ones and barefoot running. I was surprised when they specifically mentioned the Nike Pegasus. I've had over 10 pairs of these and have been pretty pleased with them. However since reading this book, I'm realizing my once- or twice-a-year injuries I tend to get are exactly what they mention in the book - either Achilles, planter, or knee issues. I might try switching up shoes after this pair and see how it works out.

Run Downtown

2011-06-01T20:45:00.002-04:00

About the same time last year, I mapped out a run from my apartment to downtown Akron. Ok, well it wasn't hard to map out - the directions are take South Main St North into Akron. I planned on going for a run after work today, but after logging onto Facebook and seeing it was National Running Day, I decided to do something extra.

The run into Akron is about 10 miles. The temperature was about the same as last year: 80. The buildings, concrete and asphalt intensify the heat and any bit of shade is welcomed. I brought my handheld water bottle, but that was definitely not enough. I thought of walking into the FirstEnergy building and filling it back up with water, but seeing I had no shirt on and a bandanna I passed :)

Somewhere on the way back, I got a second wind. My lips were really dry, but I felt in a rhythm running. On the last turn into my apartment complex, this outdoorsy-looking couple in a Jeep Wrangler with the top down smiled at me. I wasn't sure if they thought I was crazy or what, but I gave them a thumbs up and a goofy smile. They smiled even bigger.

I'd be lying if I said I don't like being out there on a hot day like today busting it while others are in an air-conditioned car or that I don't like getting funny looks. I definitely prefer the trails over the road most any day, but every once in awhile I like to take a stroll through the city.

No Frills, Just Hills FA

2011-05-28T21:05:00.003-04:00

Today a bunch of runners met for the 4th annual No Frills, Just Hills FA. I've done it every year and was glad I didn't have to miss it due to some recent Achilles aches. This FA starts at Pine Hallow and does a 2-mile loop around the Kendall Hills area. Runners see how many loops they can do in the 6-hour time limit (or 12-hour option if you had your Wheaties).

My brother, sister and I all got in 8 loops for 16 miles. I was very happy with this and felt I got some good hill work in for Laurel. Everyone had a great time as always. It seems like every year I always meet some new runners. This year I met some friendly people from Michigan. I ran a lot of the day with this guy named Kevin. He was preparing to complete the ultra grand slam this summer. This consists of the Wasatch in Utah, Western States in California, Vermont in uh...Vermont, and Leadville in Colorado - all 100 milers. The 100 mile distance still amazes me, but I've become somewhat immune to the shock of the distance just because I know so many people that have completed it. However, doing 4 100 milers in one summer is just insane. Best of luck to him.

I also ran an easy couple laps with Cyrus Taylor. He was taking it slow because he was opting for the 12-hour option, the only person to do the full thing this year (and any of the prior 3 years as far as I can remember).

Another new face I met was Jerry Williamson. It was great talking with him for a few laps. He also signed up for Laurel, but is doing the 77 mile race.

There were also many others I ran with along the way that made the day enjoyable. It's cool seeing the progression of this event that started from an idea that Brian and I had during a run one day through Kendall. It's turned into a nice event that I look forward to every year. Sometimes you don't need any frills, just good friends.

Born To Run

2011-05-24T20:17:00.002-04:00

My dad had let me borrow a friend's copy of Born To Run awhile back and it had just been sitting in my apartment for the past few months. Last week, I met someone at the Crooked River Trail Runners group run that was wearing Vibrams. Soooo, I decided to read the book which is about a Tribe in the remote regions of Mexico who are super ultrarunners that run barefoot. I got to this excerpt (which is mentioned in reference to a man's attempt to get members of the Tribe to run organized races such as Leadville) in the book and really liked it, so I thought I would share it...

When Ken (Colorado miner and creator of the Leadville Trail 100) met Aron Ralston, the rock climber who sawed off his own hand with the chipped blade of a multitool after getting pinned by a boulder, Ken made an astonishing offer: if Aron ever wanted to run Leadville, he wouldn't have to pay. Ken's invitation stunned everyone who heard about it. The defending champ has to pay his way back into the race. Heroic grand master Ed Williams still has to pay. Ken has to pay. But Aron got a free ride - and why?

"He's the essence of Leadville," Ken said. "We've got a motto here - you're tougher than you think you are, and you can do more than you think you can. Guy like Aron, he shows the rest of us what we can do if we dig deep."

You might think poor Aron had already suffered enough, but little more than a year after his accident, he took Ken up on the offer. New prosthetic swinging by his side, Aron made it to the finish under the thirty-hour cutoff and went home with a silver belt buckle, thereby stating better than Ken ever could what it takes to toe the line at Leadville: You don't have to be fast. But you'd better be fearless.

Back-to-back

2011-05-15T21:44:00.006-04:00

After getting in some good mileage yesterday, I decided to go on another long run today. Before the run, I drove over to Vertical Runner to get a handheld water bottle. I tried a few on and decided to get the Nathan 10oz one for $10. I've been meaning to get one of these because every time I go on a longer run, I always wish I had something to drink. The 10-12 mile distance, for me, is too short to wear a camelback, but long enough to get dehydrated. Even when I've done 50k races, it seems that distance is short enough for me to be "stupid" about rehydrating and refueling. I'm able to finish the distance, but would probably finish feeling a lot stronger if I properly refueled. I'm starting to finally see the importance of staying fueled during longer runs. The more I test it out now, the smarter I'll be in the future.

Anyway, I drove over to Pine Lane from Vertical Runner and started my run there. I had no doubt this would be another muddy run; the first few steps were a clear sign.

I ended up running to Snowville Rd for 18 miles. I started the run with gatorade in my water bottle and refilled it twice with water at Boston Store. I finished the run tired, but feeling great about the effort and back-to-back long runs I got in. This run gave me 43 miles for the week! By far the highest weekly mileage I've had in a long time.

Happy Days Run

2011-05-14T21:27:00.004-04:00

My sister was in town this weekend from Pittsburgh, so we met at Happy Days to go for a run. The sky was cloudy, but it wasn't raining for once and the temperature felt pretty comfortable. We started out on the ledges trail, then did Pine Grove. From there we ran a loop around Kendall Hills, then did the Salt Run Trail. We figured we probably got in about 11 miles. With all the mud and hills, we got a good workout in. We've been getting a lot of rain, but both of us couldn't believe how green everything was. It almost looked fake!

Afterward Jamie and I went to the Winking Lizard in Peninsula for some food out on the deck. For all the pics of the run click here.

Brecksville Reservation

2011-05-05T21:12:00.003-04:00

Find Your Passion

2011-05-04T23:05:00.007-04:00

Tonight I went on a run from Boston Store to Snowville Rd and back for 10 miles. This run always seems challenging no matter how well trained I am. It was especially difficult today with the muddy trail conditions. I got out of work a little late today and really didn't feel like running. I forced myself to drive out to the CVNP and was glad I did. The hardest part of a run for me is usually deciding to do it.

I was thinking today during my run how odd it is that something so exhausting and taxing on the body can be so rewarding. I'm fortunate to have been exposed to running at an early age. It's something that offers so many adventures and opportunities and can teach so many lessons.

I always laugh when I tell someone, who doesn't run, the distances I go. They always give the same crazy look. I guess they give that look because they couldn't imagine running that far. I don't take pride so much in the distances I run, but in the dedication and consistency it takes to do it.

Whatever your passion is, give it your all. It's amazing what can be accomplished by never giving up. If you need proof, just watch the news....10 years and we caught bin Laden. Things worth having or accomplishing rarely come easy.

Towpath - Manchester Rd

2011-05-03T20:51:00.004-04:00

I knew that the Towpath had been expanded through downtown Akron a couple years ago, but I didn't realize that the bike path went so close to my apartment. I had noticed a path while driving past the Manchester Rd exit off of 224, so today I went for a run there.

The weather in Ohio has been cloudy and rainy and today was right on par. I still wore shorts, but had gloves and a hat for the first part of the run. I went north towards downtown Akron. I think it's always cool trying out new trails and paths. The scenery and wildlife was actually pretty interesting, but signs of the city were never too far away. The path went past a couple of industries including the water plant. This section was old and rusty looking and had a couple railroad bridges over top.

Further down, the path went across Summit Lake which is right next to I-76. They had a sign that explained how back when they were using the Ohio-Erie Canal, the lake had shores that were too shallow and swampy to allow for a path along the canal to be built. To fix this, they took over 12,000 dump trucks of mud from the lake and built a floating path above the water. The current path also floats above the water and gives a cool feeling when running over it since you're surrounded by water.

The neighborhoods around Akron aren't the best or safest, but I enjoyed the new adventure. I couldn't make it all the way to downtown Akron since they were building a bridge, but I got about 6 miles in today.

Mud

2011-04-25T21:35:00.004-04:00

What an awesome run tonight! I did my usual Pine Lane to Boston Store route. This is definitely one of my favorite routes to run because it includes many hills, a couple stream crossings and beautiful scenery.

Right from the start, the trail was a mess! With all the rain we've been getting, the streams were filled to the max and there were huge puddles everywhere along the trail. I ran a pretty fast pace surprisingly, despite the bad conditions. I think I run faster in the rain and mud because it gets my mind off running. Whether or not it was actually a fast pace didn't really matter to me though. I was getting in a great workout since every step was a struggle. I only saw one other runner while I was out there. I told him "perfect trail conditions huh?" and he said "doesn't get much better than this!"

Easter Egg Hunt

2011-04-21T23:28:00.007-04:00

Tonight I went to the Crooked River Trail Runner's Easter Egg Hunt Run. They got over a hundred people for the run this year with a lot of familiar faces in the crowd. We did a short 5 mile loop starting from Lock 29, going up towards Pine Lane and coming back on the Towpath. I met a few new people during the run that were really nice. The trails were a little muddy but not too bad.

After the run, everyone met at the Winking Lizard for some food, beers and a raffle sponsored by Vertical Runner. During the run, we picked up an easter egg filled with chocolate and jelly beans. On the egg was a number for the raffle. My number was called at the end, so I got a t-shrit. I had a fun time tonight and will probably make it a point to go to more of these runs. Running with other people sure makes runs more fun and go by faster.

When It Rains, It Pours

2011-04-19T22:59:00.004-04:00

Tonight I met my friend Sara, who goes to Kent, for a run at Pine Lane at 5 o'clock. Sara's an awesome athlete. She's a duathlete/runner/cyclist/mountain biker... you name it.

It was cloudy and drizzling outside. I knew there was a chance for some storms tonight, but I hadn't checked the radar. A couple miles into our run, it started pouring, hard! There was some thunder followed by some flashes of lightening. It's been awhile since I've run in a big downpour, and it was fun! The trails were beyond muddy. It looked more like a river than a trail. We decided to turn around right before the big downhill to Boston Store.

On our way back, all the stream crossings were rushing with water. It was a great time and it didn't feel like we ran as far as we did.

Miles and miles

2011-04-14T17:36:00.003-04:00

Tonight I headed over to Boston Store to do a long run. I planned on doing at least 10 and up to 20 depending on how I felt. I started out to Snowville Rd to do the first 10 miles. The weather was great - pretty warm and blue sky. I had shorts and a t-shirt on which is awesome after a long winter. When I got back to my car at Boston, I felt pretty good and saw the time was a little after 6 o'clock. So I got something to drink and headed out towards Pine Lane.

About two miles into that out-and-back, I saw two familiar faces - Moose and Slim Jim! I ran with them for a little while then continued on trying to beat the sunset. It ended up that I had plenty of light still available when I finished...guess I'm still in winter mode!

The way back from Pine Lane to Boston was a little rough. I had not brought my camelback since it needed cleaning. My mouth was getting pretty dry and my legs and calfs were becoming pretty tired. I really had to pay attention not to trip over any roots. I finally made it back to my car and was glad to be done! Not sure if this was the smartest thing to do coming back from my injury, but it felt good. I plan on swimming the next few days and giving my legs some rest.

Portage Lakes

2011-04-12T22:45:00.003-04:00

Beautiful rainbow and sunset on the lakes tonight...

Kent Campus Loop

2011-04-11T23:01:00.003-04:00

Tonight I ran my classic 4-mile loop around Kent campus that I used to run when I went there. It's a fun loop with a few hills, a lot of nice views of the grounds, and plenty of cars and college kids to keep the run interesting. After the run, I lifted with my legs in the rec and then swam 16 laps in the pool.

Three Rivers Heritage Trail

2011-04-09T22:08:00.002-04:00

After work on Friday, I drove over to my sister's apartment in Shadyside in Pittsburgh to visit. We went and saw the movie Source Code on Friday night. It stars Jake Gyllenhaal and we both thought it was a great movie that kept your attention the whole time. It was one of those movies that kept you thinking and could have multiple meanings. Afterward, we went to Dave & Busters for some appetizers and air hockey!

The next morning, we went on an 11-mile run on the Three Rivers Heritage Trail down to PNC Park and Heinz Field. This trail has multiple sections, but the part we caught was a couple miles from Jamie's apartment. It was a nice route along the river and gave a great view of the city and bridges along the way.

PS - Hi Melissa

Run, Swim, Burger

2011-04-07T20:07:00.002-04:00

After work today, I drove to Pine Lane and ran 7.5 miles out to Boston Store and back. Along the way I saw Wild Bill, Steve Hawthorne and Greg Murray. From there, I drove to the Kent Rec Center and swam 16 laps in the pool and went in the jacuzzi. Afterward to balance it all out, I got a burger at Five Guys. Mmm...

Mill Creek Park

2011-04-03T21:21:00.008-04:00

For the second Sunday in a row, I ran a big YUT-C loop around Mill Creek Park. The loop is 11.75 miles and has plenty of hills throughout. I got up early today and started my run again at the wetlands at 6:30.

I've always thought it was so peaceful waking up before everyone else, before the sun rises and starting a run. The only thing breaking the silence is a few birds. It's also cool to see the different colors as the sun rises. I like bringing my camera because the scenery never looks quite the same each time.

I started out counter-clockwise around the lakes towards Shields Rd. When I got to the Monkey Hills, I saw someone running them. There's a good chance whenever I see someone that it's a NEO Trail member. My guess was Dan Kuzma and for the second weekend in a row it was him, doing hill repeats. He's going to be tough as nails if he keeps those workouts up. We talked some then continued on with our runs.

I felt great on my run today. My breathing is still a little heavy at times, but I'm pretty happy with my progress so far. I have to continue being careful not to come back too hard, but I'm getting excited for my fall race(s).

As far as races I have in mind... I'm looking at running one or more of the following: Pikes Peak Ascent, Columbus Marathon and Akron half or full marathon. The plan is to get in killer shape and tear it up. I would also like to get a new PR in the marathon (under 3:05) since they lowered the Boston qualifying times by 5 minutes.

Dream

2011-03-31T23:07:00.002-04:00

"Don't ever let somebody tell you... You can't do something, You got a dream... You gotta protect it. People can't do somethin' themselves, they wanna tell you you can't do it. If you want somethin', go get it. Period."

New Pegasus

2011-03-21T21:19:00.001-04:00

I wanted to get a run in during my vacation, but the sun and beach got the best of me. So tonight I drove over to Happy Days and did a 5 mile run. I wore my new pair of Pegasus, my 12th pair I've owned. They felt good right out of the box as usual!

Florida Spring Break Trip

2011-03-20T20:43:00.002-04:00

This past week I took a Spring Break trip down to Florida with my friend Samantha. It was a last minute decision, so we chose to drive down since we couldn't find any flights for a reasonable price.

We left Sunday morning bright and early at 5 AM. The plan was to spend 2 nights at Clearwater Beach, 1 night in downtown Tampa, and the rest of the trip at her uncle's place in Orlando. The furthest I've driven before this was 6 hours to Washington, D.c. This trip would be around 18 hours to Clearwater, 16.5 hours back up to Ohio from Orlando, plus any driving within Florida.

We made pretty good time, only stopping 3 or 4 times for food and gas. We arrived in Clearwater around 10:30 and checked into our hotel. It was a nice little place with a pool and a nice view of the ocean and beach.

On Monday, we spent the day at the beach. It had the best sand I have ever seen. It was very soft and white just like a sandbox. The temperature of the Gulf was pretty cool, but I still went in for a swim. One of the highlights was seeing a couple dolphins swimming close to shore right past this lady.

Later that night, Sam and I met up with a good friend I graduated high school with that recently moved down to Tampa. His ex-gf was also down visiting so all of us got some food at a Carrabbas near his apartment.

The next day we drove down to St. Pete Beach. We spent a good part of the day there and grabbed some lunch in downtown St. Petersburg. From there we drove up to Tampa to check in at the downtown Embassy Suites. I always enjoy staying at Embassy's since they have a happy hour at night and a great breakfast in the morning.

On Wednesday, we spent the day at Busch Gardens Tampa. We rode all the rollercoasters including my favorite, Sheikra, which includes a 90 degree drop. The park also has African animals in it including giraffes, elephants, kangaroos, flamingos, rhinos, and crocs.

From there we drove to her Uncle Drew's place in Orlando. They live on a lake just south of Orlando and have a beautiful house and view of the lake. He is an airline pilot for American and his wife, Jill, is a stewardess. When we got there, Jill was there, but he was still flying back from a flight from Paris to Miami. The next day she leaving and doing the same trip to Paris as him.

We took it easy on Thursday and Friday and hung out at their pool. Just being out in the sun was entertaining enough for us cloudy, cold weather Ohio folk.

On Thursday night, Drew took us to a friend's house for a St. Patty's Day party. They had Reubens and Irish beer. We had a great time talking to all the people there.

On Friday, I mentioned to Sam about going to the Orlando Magic game against the Denver Nuggets. I figured we would get cheap nosebleed seats. However, her uncle had a friend who had courtside season tickets right behind the Magic's bench. Score!

The game was awesome and probably a once in a lifetime experience. We were only two rows behind the players and could literally touch Dwight Howard. It was cool seeing NBA action that close and how tall the players actually are. Before the game, they had a dinner buffet, at half time they had desserts, and after the game there was more food out. We couldn't have asked for a better game. It ended with the Magic making a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer. After the game, we went to a few clubs and bars in downtown Orlando.

On Saturday, we drove over to Cocoa Beach only about an hour away. We laid in the sun there till 3:30, then drove to Cape Canaveral to check out the NASA Visitor Center.

The last day of the trip, we were going to start back to Ohio around 5 AM. However, Drew easily convinced us to go on a tour of the lakes in his boat. So at 7 AM, Drew, Jill who had just gotten back from Paris, Sam and I headed out on the water with a bottle of champagne :)

There are 4 lakes total and all are connected by canals. The homes around the lakes were beautiful and huge! The lakes have alligators in them, but we didn't run into any luckily.

After the boat ride, we said goodbye and got on the road around 8 o'clock. We both had a great time and were glad to getaway for a week.

Click here for more pictures from the trip.

Pine Lane Again

2011-03-06T22:11:00.004-05:00

Slop. Mud. Water. No pain in knee. Tons of deer. Whole lot of fun!

Pics of the run.

Back On Trail

2011-03-01T21:49:00.005-05:00

Today after work, I drove over to the CVNP to run one of my favorite runs: Pine Lane to Boston Store. This is an 8-mile run and includes so many varying surfaces, inclines and scenery. I've run it so many times that I know the trail inside and out. I find it easier on the way back from Boston Store to Pine Lane, but both directions offer some pretty decent climbs.

The trail today was quite a mess from all the rain, snow and changing temperatures we've had. For the most part, it wasn't very icy. Some sections had some slick mud, but overall there were just a ton of puddles along the way. Once I got my shoes and legs dirty, it was fun running through all the muck.

You could tell a lot of water had been flowing along the creek about a mile into the run from the Pine Lane parking lot. Brush and deadwood were scattered all about. Two big sections of trail I saw had collapsed into the creek. When I got to the water crossing, only a couple stepping stones were peaking out of the water. With no way to stay dry, I just walked across getting my feet wet. The temperature outside was in the mid-30s, so it wasn't too bad out. I had shorts and a long sleeve shirt on.

The best part of this run was that my knee felt great! I didn't bank much money on the few runs I had on the Towpath since those were pretty controlled and flat. Today's run was the complete opposite. I was slipping around everywhere, landing hard on my "bad" knee, and pushing off of it. Early in the run, I could feel some tightness in my IT Band, but this went away after a mile or so. As long as I can continue to finish runs with no worsening pain, I think this early tightness during runs will go away as my fitness gets better.

As far as my fitness right now, I felt relatively good during the run. When I got back to my car, I was more whipped than I used to be just doing an 8 mile run, but Pine Lane to Boston has always been a tough workout since I tend to run it hard when by myself. I think all the swimming while I was injured helped keep my fitness up. My breathing felt fine during the run; it was mostly my legs that felt tired.

Ahhhhh feels good to be back on the trails.....

Snowshoeing at Pine Hallow

2011-02-26T15:41:00.006-05:00

This afternoon I took a half day and went over to Pine Hallow at the CVNP to go snowshoeing with Dan Bellinger and Brian. The big snowfall we got this morning made for perfect conditions. The snow was heavy, yet very powdery so walking through it was fun. We made a big loop around the Kendall Hills area and got in 3.3 miles in 2 hours.

Afterward, Dan, Brian and I got a bite to eat at the Winking Lizard. Pulled pork sandwich and a Sierra Nevada Bigfoot hit the spot. From there, Brian and I went to the Happy Days Lodge to listen to Andrew Skurka's presentation about his 176-day, 4,680-mile Alaska-Yukon Expedition. We went last year and, as always, it was very interesting. They got a record crowd this year since word must have spread. The place was packed with over 250 people.

After the presentation, we went back to the Winking Lizard and enjoyed a few drinks with Andrew.

Click here for photos of our snowshoeing today.

Lock 29

2011-02-24T20:26:00.004-05:00

I drove to Lock 29 tonight for a run on the Towpath. I didn't know how far I was going to go, but ended up cutting it short at 2 miles. I felt some aching in my knee during the first mile, but it went away for the second. I probably could have kept going, but still playing it safe. Beautiful night in the CVNP with some light fog and partly melted snow on the Towpath. I wore shorts for the run and felt fine.

Ohio

2011-02-23T23:33:00.003-05:00

I've lived in Ohio my whole life and am used to the snow and bad drivers. I expect winter to last until April every year, despite what the groundhog says, so that every year I'm happy if it ends earlier. I realize that there is not barbed wire around the state and that I can leave at anytime. I enjoy the four seasons even if winter does seem to last longer. I've learned to like the cold winter mornings and crisp fresh air especially when doing a 20 miler.

The grass is always greener on the other side, unless you learn to open your eyes and look around. I've always thought it would be cool to live somewhere else, but then realized a place just becomes another place the longer you've been there. For example, I'm from Warren and have never been to the National Packard Musuem. I've been to Cleveland many times, but have never been to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I live in Akron and have never been to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. We have a Great Lake and a beautiful National Park right in our backyard. We are one of the few places where lake effect snow occurs...lucky us right? Well at least we don't live on a fault line and fear earthquakes or live in Florida and fear hurricanes.

It's easy to take for granted the treasures you have right at home. Take a moment each day and remind yourself of this.

Swimming

2011-02-22T20:24:00.002-05:00

Tonight I swam 1.5 miles in the pool at the Kent Rec Center. This is the farthest I've ever gone and I was surprised how well I felt. The pool is 25 meters, so that's 96 lengths. After I got past the first half mile, I got in a groove. I definitely could have kept going, but decided that was good for tonight. Plus I was getting a little bored.

During the summer last year, I swam a few times at Munroe Falls Metropark. They have a nice lake with a long lap lane roped off. Season passes, which go from May to August, are only $25 for Summit County residents. The length of the lake makes it a lot better than doing flipturns every 25 meters. Although, it is definitely harder - small waves, can't push off a pool wall every lap, and harder to stay in a straight line since you can't see in front of you unless you lift your head out of the water.

Getting Back Into It

2011-02-21T23:51:00.005-05:00

This past week I went on two runs totaling 10 miles, swam half a mile and lifted. The highlight of the week was making it past 2 miles without my knee hurting.

On Tuesday, I did my longest run since August - 4 miles, yes I said August. I ran on the Towpath to avoid any hills or uneven ground. However, the Towpath wasn't melted yet despite warmer temperatures and the surface was pretty uneven.

So Saturday morning, I tried a bit further running 6 miles on the Towpath, starting at the Boston Store again. This time the path was a bit icier from the snow melting then freezing again. I was able to run on the sides for most of the run without slipping. Again my knee felt good.

After a big injury, you always feel paranoid about every little ache and pain. These runs were different, however. I felt that the slight discomfort was just from lack of training. I think it's crucial for me to continue to strengthen my quads and core as well as mix in swimming. Swimming really interests me anyway and is a great workout. I've gotten to the point where I feel l could swim a couple miles in the pool fairly easy. In the Spring, I hope to buy a bike and get into cycling.

I don't think I'm completely out of the woods yet with this injury, but I've learned a lot from it. You aren't invincible no matter how old or young you are and what races you've done. There's a reason endurance athletes are considered the toughest athletes out there. They train. They train hard. Training is tough and no one likes to feel pain or discomfort. Accomplishing a big goal doesn't happen from one big effort on race day. It happens from a bunch of great efforts during the weeks and months beforehand. Race day is just the day you showcase your training.

Anywho, that's enough rambling for now. I haven't posted in awhile so I had a bit more to say. Moral of the story: Don't be an idiot and train.

Snowshoeing at Kendall Lake

2011-01-08T15:45:00.004-05:00

I met Brian and Maria Cala at 10 o'clock this morning at the Kendall Lake Winter Sports Center to go snowshoeing. We hiked around on- and off-piste for about 2 hours. Great time and great workout! Click here for pics from today.

Kent State Rec Center

2011-01-06T23:00:00.001-05:00

Tonight I met my parents at Guido's Restaurant in Ravenna. We've gone here a few times and really like the food. My dad and I both got lasagna which they make really well. After we were done eating, I drove over to Kent State's Rec Center and got a semester membership which goes from January to early May. I swam 20 laps tonight then relaxed in the hot tub. I'm pretty excited to get a lot of lap workouts in during the cold months as well as lift and get my quads and legs stronger.

Laps

2010-12-20T20:41:00.003-05:00

I went to the Medina Community Rec Center tonight and swam half a mile. I split the first 24 laps into intervals of 4 laps. I swam each group as fast as I could then cooled down with the remaining 8 laps.

New Snowshoes

2010-12-17T20:30:00.005-05:00

After work today, I met Dan Bellinger and my brother at Kendall Hills to go snowshoeing. Both Brian and I had just bought Atlas 925 snowshoes for $100 and wanted to try them out. Dan and Brian had already gone an hour. We walked around the Kendall area for another hour. I thought the new snowshoes worked great!

I'm Alive

2010-11-26T13:54:00.002-05:00

I haven't posted much lately, actually in two whole months! But then again, I haven't been running much either. The last time I ran any significant distance was more than two months ago when I did a 50K with Brian and Kirk Harrison from Pine Lane to Brecksville and back. Ever since then, my IT Band has been hurting. Even though I finished that 50K strong, it was still a stupid thing to do with hardly any training.

During my time not running, I have been swimming laps every once in awhile at the Medina Community Rec Center. I usually do 1/2 to a mile in the pool. I've also been stretching a lot and using the foam roller. When I was at Clarion, I used the foam roller a few times in the athletic trainers' office and it seemed to work really well. So I bought a giant one from Second Sole for about $25. Pretty pricey for a piece of styrofoam, but I figure it should last a lifetime.

So my only running goal right now is to get healthy. I hope to be able to run a loop of URINEO coming up in December since that's always a tradition. I would like to get completely healthy by January and be able to start training for a Spring mararthon (probably Cleveland) and get a new marathon PR. I'm also thinking about getting a semester membership at the Kent Rec Center from January to May and mix swimming and lifting in with my running. Kent is 10 minutes closer than Medina from my place in Akron so I could go a lot more often.

Beer and Hike

2010-09-19T23:42:00.000-04:00

This afternoon my brother, parents and I met my sister at the North Country Brewing Co. for food and drinks. This was my first time here and the atmosphere was great. The inside had wood everywhere including carved wooden doors, beam supports, and bar. We ate outside on their backyard patio which had a nice stone wall with an outdoor fireplace. I got a couple beers and the The Leroy Brown burger which had BBQ sauce, sugar-glazed peppercorn bacon, onions, and American cheese....delicious!!

Afterward, Brian, Jamie and I went for a hike at Moraine State Park just 15-20 minutes south of the brewery. We parked at the Marina and hiked on the North Country Trail and some mountain bike trails. We got a good 2 hours in and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. All three of us agreed we needed to visit this park again for a run.

6th Annual YUT-C

2010-09-18T20:42:00.003-04:00

(photo by Nick Billock)

I signed up for the Youngstown Ultra Trail Classic again this year, but decided not to run it since my IT band has been hurting. Instead I helped out at the log cabin aid station at the start/finish line, refilling water bottles and handing out drinks. I had a great time helping other trail runners reach their goal. I realized how much a few words of encouragement can help someone when a runner finished and thanked me for pushing him along out of the aid station and telling him to do another loop. Click to see results and photos from today.

Poem

2010-09-11T00:29:00.005-04:00

People come and people go

Life is short, don't say it's so
Do your work, do your chores
Not today for there is more
Love your brother, love your neighbor
Fill your belly and always savor
The joys of life and sound of nature
Yesterday was once a today
So live for today before it goes away.

Long May You Run

2010-09-04T23:41:00.001-04:00

Today Brian and I drove to Pine Lane to run a 50K to Brecksville. We waited in the parking lot till a little after 8 in case anyone showed up then headed out. The day was perfect, cool temps with a nice breeze. At the Boston Store, we met up with Kirk Harrison who planned to go to Brecksville with us. I've only run once with Kirk a year ago and had a fun time running with him today.

When we got to the halfway point, we stopped at Heinen's grocery store to get lunch. On the way back before Snowville Road, Dan Bellinger met up with us to run back to Pine Lane. I felt great the entire run and feel confident about my training 2 weeks before YUT-C.

Run on!

Enjoy...

Treadmill Incline Workout

2010-08-31T22:42:00.004-04:00

Tonight I did one of my brother's signature incline workouts on the treadmill. I walked 3.3 miles at 15% incline and 3.5 speed for 30 min then 2 miles at 11% incline and 4 speed for another 30 min. A couple days ago Tom Jennings graciously switched me from the 50K to the 100K at Oil Creek. I wanted to get a 50 mile qualifier in, so I can enter the MMT lottery this December. I can't wait for the challenge!

Towpath 20

2010-08-29T19:48:00.002-04:00

This morning, my friend Marc and I met bright and early at 7 AM at the Boston Store to go for a 20 mile run on the Towpath. He's training for the Columbus Marathon in October and I'm getting ready for YUT-C, Akron half, and Oil Creek.

It was nice and cool when we started and never got very hot during our run. First we ran North to mile marker 21. We then came back to the Boston Store and headed South to mile marker 31. Marc had been getting some good training in and I've been slacking a bit so I was unsure how my body would handle the distance and pace.

I felt pretty good for the first half. My calves got a little tight before the turnaround. We both needed to use the restroom, but decided not to stop since we knew it would be hard to start back up again and get in a rhythm.

As each mile passed on the way back, I progressively felt worse and worse. Near mile marker 29, we got some water at an aid station for the Buckeye Half going on this morning.

As we got to Lock 29, I told Marc that I was going to stop to get a drink of water. I split off the Towpath, but thought about this decision quickly. I knew I would go slow if I didn't have someone to push me and my muscles would tighten up if I stopped. So, I quickly turned back onto the Towpath and sprinted back up with Marc.

We finished the day's run in 2:30 (7:30/mile). I was spent! Afterward, we went to Fischer's for an omlette and a beer!

YUT-C Loop

2010-08-14T23:27:00.000-04:00

Jamie and I drove to Mill Creek Park this morning and ran a big YUT-C loop around all three lakes for 12 miles. The humid air made us both pretty tired. On our way back, we did a stream crossing by the dam at Pioneer Pavilion.

Pine Lane to Boston Store

2010-08-10T21:00:00.003-04:00

Jamie and I drove over to Pine Lane tonight for an 8 mile run to Boston Store. Same old story, hot and humid out! I wore a bandanna to catch the sweat. On our way to Pine Lane, we saw Jim Christ running in the opposite direction. Once we got to the Boston Store, we were about to leave and Kellie Truesdell came out of the restroom. She was running Pine Lane also so we all ran together. Kellie stayed with us for about a mile and then took off. She was moving at a good pace and Jamie and I were content with taking it easy in the heat, so we walked most of the hills back to our car. Below is a butterfly we saw before our run.

3 Musicks and a Bellinger

2010-08-09T20:28:00.000-04:00

Tonight Jamie, Brian and I planned on meeting at Happy Days at 6:30 for a run. Jamie is on break right now from grad school at Pitt and visiting for awhile in Warren. When I got to the parking lot, I saw Dan Bellinger would be joining us also.

We headed out on the main trail and turned left to go around the ledges. After a mile or so, Brian bolted off trail and into the woods. We did some off-piste running for awhile and ended up back on the trails on the other side of the ledges. We kept up a quick pace despite the high humidity and ended up with 4 miles. We were all drenched in sweat, but it felt great to get a good workout in.

Afterwards, Brian, Jamie, and I met our parents at the Winking Lizard in Peninsula for dinner on the patio.

BR 100 - Happy Days Aid Station

2010-08-01T04:00:00.002-04:00

This evening Brian and I drove over to Cuyahoga Falls to park his car at the Burning River 100 mile race finish line. Tonight he was going to be pacing Mike Keller from Happy Days to the finish or a few miles over 50K.

We got to Happy Days around 7 and saw a lot of familiar faces since this was a NEO Trail sponsored aid station. This always seems to be a favorite stop for runners at 64 miles in. There was plenty of good food and music playing.

Mike showed up a little after 11 looking pretty tired. He took his shoes off and we helped him put Dr. Sholl's inserts in. Mike relaxed for a bit, then Brian and him were off.

All of us broke down the aid station as the midnight cutoff time for Happy Days approached. Jim Harris went out to sweep the course with Rich Vrbonic, who had been sweeping most the day. I got changed into running clothes and caught up with them to get some miles in.

We ran with a girl named Jennifer from Canada from the Pine Grove trail to Kendall Lake. She was in great spirits and had a good attitude. When we ran into Brian at Kendall Lake, I knew Mike wasn't doing well. Jim and Rich stayed with Mike and I kept running with Jennifer. She told me about HURT 100 in Hawaii which sounded extremely difficult. She also said there was another runner with them from Canada who was trying to beat her own record of the most 100s in a year. This year she was going for 30!!!

After a few miles, Brian ran up behind us. He was running to the Pine Hallow aid station to let them know Mike was done. So I joined him and both of us ran quickly to the aid station. They were surprised to see two runners running up the hill at them, but soon figured out we were pacers.

Brian and I rode with Gailanne (also from Canada) to pick up Mike. We talked shortly to Mike and Jim, then Brian and I headed back to Happy Days where my car was parked.

It was 2 AM when we got back to my and around 4 by the time I hit the sack. I had a fun time helping at the aid station and running in the wee hours of the morning in the Cuyahoga Valley. Congrats to all the participants of the Burning River 100 this year!

New Nike Aurrs

2010-07-26T21:00:00.001-04:00

I stopped by Vertical Runner after work today to pick up a new pair of Nike Air Pegasus I ordered last week. These shoes are great! This is my 11th pair and they always feel comfortable right out of the box.

So from Vertical Runner, I drove over to Happy Days to go for a run. I ran to Kendall Lake and did a No Frills loop around the hills and back to my car for 6 miles. My right leg hurt a bit on the shin from bruising it yesterday during the kayak incident. Having had two stress fractures in the past, the slight discomfort by the bone made me nervous, but I feel pretty confident it is only a bruise.

First Time Kayaking

2010-07-25T13:00:00.007-04:00

Dan Bellinger, Beth Miller and I met today at 41° North Coastal Kayak Adventures in Lakewood to go kayaking. I've been wanting to try it all summer long. This morning it rained a bit, but stopped by the time we got going.

We started from the 41 North Yak Shack and headed up the Cuyahoga River to Lake Erie. I did well on the calm river, but I could tell it wouldn't take much to flip one of these with the little experience I had.

When we got to the mouth of the river, I knew we would be in for quite an adventure. The waves from the lake were a little intimidating at first. We paddled around and out a bit further into the lake. The waves were 1-2 feet, but quickly grew to 3 feet. The big waves really rocked the kayak and were a little much for a beginner.

In the distance, I saw Beth in the water. Earlier she had said she might go swimming, but I knew something was wrong when she was holding her paddle in the air and her kayak was flipped. She got hit by a big wave on the side and turned over. Dan and I paddled over there and tried to help her get back in to no avail. The best thing she could do now was swim back to shore. I took her paddle and Dan tried to drag her kayak, but this is a pretty tough task.

Dan paddled back to the Yak Shack for help and I paddled around to see Beth made it to shore. My boat was getting more and more unstable as more water got in from the increasing size of the waves. Just then, a wave hit the front of my boat and turned me over.

By now, a family who lived on the lake was helping us get ashore. I dragged my kayak to the dock and doggy paddled back. The one lady called 911 and a coast guard had arrived to make sure everything was alright. An officer also came in a car and ended up giving us a ride back to the Yak Shack.

Beth and I were a little shaken up, but mostly just tired! It's amazing how tiring it is swimming in a rough lake. The workers from 41 North went out to get our kayaks. One was on the dock and the other, along with a paddle, was still in the lake getting washed ashore. We found out later that luckily no damage was done.

I learned a few lessons about the danger of kayaking, especially on Lake Erie where conditions can change quickly. Despite the mishap, I had a great time today and plan to go again in the future.

Check out photos from today here.

Pine Lane Run

2010-07-19T22:00:00.003-04:00

Tonight Brian and I met at 5 for a run starting from Pine Lane. Brian had already run 10.5 miles ealier this morning with Dan Bellinger, but decided to tough it out for another one. We kept the pace pretty easy and walked many of the hills. I drank a lot of water from a gallon jug on my way to the run, so I felt pretty hydrated despite the oppressive conditions. We ran to the Boston Store and back and ended up with 8 miles total.

I haven't been running consistently lately, but plan to start this week. With YUT-C 50K, Akron half, and Oil Creek 50K creeping closer, I would like to be in great shape for all three and have a chance to get some new PR's.

Goo Goo Dolls & Switchfoot

2010-07-17T22:00:00.002-04:00

Tonight a few of us drove up to Cleveland for the Goo Goo Dolls & Switchfoot concert at Tower City Amphlitheater. We had bought tickets online during their one-day special for only $10! I had a great time and enojoyed listening to the Goo Goo Dolls play many of their hits from the 90s. The venue isn't my favorite acoustically and we stood the whole time, but hey, it was only 10 bucks.

Akron 10

2010-07-11T21:00:00.002-04:00

I haven't been running much the past week due to the intense heat , so tonight I decided to run from my apartment to downtown Akron. I looped around behind my apartments on Turkeyfoot Rd. to S Main St. then took that all the way to Akron. The first tenth mile is a little busy with traffic, but there's sidewalks for the rest of the way.

As I neared downtown, I saw on a building it was still 81 degrees after 7 o'clock! Plus the humidity and extra heat from the concrete, asphalt and buildings made it even worse. When I got back and mapped it out online, I was pleased to see I had done 10 miles. I haven't run the roads for a long time and now I see why. It sure makes you appreciate the trails!

Family Run

2010-07-10T16:30:00.001-04:00

This weekend, Jamie and her boyfriend Dave visited from Pittsburgh. This morning we met Brian for a trail run at Happy Days. All four of us are running Oil Creek this fall - Jamie, Dave and I running the 50k and Brian doing the 100 mile race.

Dave had never been to the CVNP, so we showed him the Ledges Trail, Ice Box cave, and the Kendall Lake area. The temperature wasn't too bad in the shade, but when we got out in the open at Kendall all of us were soaked in sweat! We ended up with 6 miles.

Pine Lane Night Run

2010-07-02T22:00:00.000-04:00

Tonight I planned on meeting Shaun Pope at 8:15 at Pine Lane to run to Boston Store and back. When I got there, there was a green car with a BT50K sticker on the back that looked like his. I thought maybe he went out and did some extra before. So I waited about 15 minutes and still no Shaun. I decided to start running and maybe catch up to him if he had already left.

I ran a good pace out to the Boston Store. As I got closer to the turnaround, still no Shaun. I started running back and up the huge hill when I see Shaun running down with his dog. He got out of work late and I missed him at Pine Lane by 5 or 10 minutes!

So the three of us ran back, not walking any hills. By myself I would've been dead running all these hills, but tonight it felt easy. It was nice and cool out and we both had our headlamps on. He told me about his 100 mile race at Mohican and all the highs and lows you go through. I enjoyed listening to all the advice he had from his first 100 and mistakes he learned from.

Carlos Jones at Howe Meadow

2010-06-30T23:00:00.002-04:00

I met a bunch of people over at Howe Meadow tonight for the free Carlos Jones concert which was rescheduled from earlier this month. It was a perfect night out with cool temps. After, we went to the Winking Lizard for some drinks.

Frazee House to Viaduct Park

2010-06-26T23:00:00.004-04:00

My brother, Greg Murray, and I met at the Frazee House this morning at 9:00 for a 16 mile run. Bob Drake also showed up, so it was nice meeting and running with him.

We took the Buckeye Trail 8 miles northeast to Bedford, past the Egbert Pavilion, and to Viaduct Park. At the viaduct, Bob, Brian and I crossed the stream and went through the tunnel. The water wasn't very high, but still moving quickly through the viaduct. Greg told us he would meet us on the otherside, but we couldn't find him and decided to head back thinking he might have already left.

The heat was starting to tire us out on the way back, so we did a mixture of walking and running. I had a good time out there and enjoyed seeing some new parts of the Buckeye Trail I've never run on.

Click here to view all the pictures from today's run.

It's Getting Hot In Here

2010-06-22T23:00:00.003-04:00

Tonight Brian and I planned on meeting at Happy Days at 6:30 for a run. I got off work early today so I drove over to Pine Lane at 5 to get some extra miles in. I ran to the Boston Store then took the Towpath back to my car for 7 miles. It was 85 degrees outside and very humid. I was beat! I turned on the air condition in my car full blast and drank some Gatorade. It turned out to be a good idea not to take the Buckeye Trail back for 8 miles because I would've really cut it close to 6:30. I had 15 minutes to relax before heading down the road to Happy Days.

I then headed over to meet Brian. We ran 5 miles there which gave me 12 total for the day. I was exhausted afterwards, but happy to get the distance in on such a tough day.

Father's Day MCP Run

2010-06-20T13:00:00.001-04:00

This morning I woke up at 7 and drove over to the Lily Pond at Mill Creek Park to go for a run with Taylor and Kyrsti Sowers at 8. I was still a little tired from my long run on Friday, so I didn't plan on doing too much today. We ended up running a loop to the steel bridge. It was nice to get the run done early and beat the heat. This run gave me 38 miles for the week so hopefully I can build on that next week.

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!

18 Miles

2010-06-18T20:00:00.001-04:00

Today was a beautiful day so I decided to take a half day at work. I went over to my brother's pool to relax for the afternoon. After that around 3:30, I went for a run starting at Pine Lane. The plan was to go to Snowville Rd and back for 18 miles. Once I got to Boston Store, I ran with a couple guys my age from Medina and southern Texas. We ran to Blue Hen Falls then split from there.

At every stream crossing, I poured water over my head and soaked my bandanna. The heat was starting to wear on me, especially since I was stupid and didn't bring any water or fuel along.

It wasn't until I got back to Boston Store when I really started feeling pooped. My legs felt pretty tired and I could tell I was low on hydration and salt. I ran for a bit, but after tripping on a root and falling hard, I decided to walk the rest back.

I finally made it back to my car and was thrilled to be done. The first 14 miles were good training physically and the last 4 were good mentally. I would've rather not crashed, but it should help me later for Oil Creek if things get tough. Good lesson learned - Always bring fuel for a long trail run.

Keep Up

2010-06-14T21:06:00.002-04:00

After work, I went for a run over at Firestone Metropark. I was half-thinking of running down Main St. into downtown Akron, about 4 miles, but I decided to leave that for another day since it was really humid out and the Metropark scenery would be much better.

I didn't have a set distance I wanted to do and definitely did not plan on pushing it. However, right when I crossed Main St and got into the park, this guy, probably in his lower 40s, was turning the corner about to head up the big hills at Firestone. I said hi to him and then realized he wasn't walking up the huge hill. So I decided to hang with him and have him push me along. He told me he had some arthritis in his feet, but he was moving pretty good. I ran and talked with him for a loop around the park (about 2 miles) and then split off to do the hills again.

Halfway through the second loop, I caught up to a younger runner who looked like he was in high school. I was feeling good and passed him, but heard his footsteps following behind. We ran for half a loop and pushed each other along. He was a senior at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary training for his final cross country season. He had big goals this year of dropping his PR by a couple minutes and getting into the 17s.

We finally split off and I headed back home. I was sweating like a pig and exhausted, but it felt great! It's amazing how much faster you can run when running with someone else.

Mill Creek Park

2010-06-13T11:00:00.000-04:00

This morning I drove over to the Lily Pond parking lot at Mill Creek Park to go for a run. I started at 8:30 and decided to do an 8 mile YUT-C loop. Even though it was pretty humid out, it was great to be back on home ground. Click here for all the pictures from today's run.

The Moose is Loose

2010-06-10T23:54:00.003-04:00

Right after work today, I quickly got changed and drove over to Pine Hallow parking lot. Joe Novicky (aka Moose) and my brother met at Happy Days at 4:45, so I planned on meeting up with them. We ran some on the Salt Run Trail then back to their cars for about 5.5 total (for me). Afterward, we stopped by the Winking Lizard in Peninsula for some brewskies and food.

Pine Lane Group Run

2010-06-02T23:00:00.000-04:00

Tonight I met Shaun Pope, Bob Clark and my brother at Pine Lane for a run. I knew this would be a quick one with Shaun there. We had a good time on the trail tonight and finished 8 miles in about 1:26. Shaun and I sprinted the last section of Pine Lane back to our cars. It's amazing how easy a fast pace feels when you run with someone else who pushes it.

Afterward, Brian and I stopped by the Winking Lizard in Peninsula for a beer. We both got a Sierra Nevada Torpedo and sat outside on the deck.

No Frills, Just Hills FA

2010-05-29T19:41:00.000-04:00

This morning Kyrsti Sowers and I drove over to Pine Hallow for the annual No Frills, Just Hills FA. Neither of us planned on running many loops and ended up with 3 (6 miles). Each year there are more and more people. There was a record 31 this year, plus a new course record of 17 loops (34 miles) set by Bob Pokorny.

Click here for results and photos.

MMT 100 Pacing

2010-05-16T11:02:00.000-04:00

This year my brother Brian was taking another crack at the MMT 100 mile race after timing out last year. He faced epic conditions in 2009 and seemed extremely focused this year. Leading up to the race, he was 48th on the wait list, but moved his way up to a spot in this year's race as others dropped out.

I wanted to help pace him for a portion of the race this year and get a view of the course, so we decided Moose (Joe Novicky) would pace from Camp Roosevelt (63.1) to the Picnic Area (86.9) and I would pick up the last 15 miles to the finish.

I drove down Saturday morning at 8 o'clock and arrived at around 2. I was happy to spot Moose pretty quickly since I really had no clue where their tent was located. We talked for a bit and then decided to head out and fill my car up with gas and familiarize myself with the course some.
Moose showed me where the Picnic Area and Visitor Center aid stations were and possible places to park. It was good we did this because everything would look different once it got dark out.

We then drove back to camp and I napped for a few hours. I took a hike down to this lake near our tent that Moose told me about. It was beautiful and very serene.

When I got back to the tent, Moose was getting his stuff together to pace and we headed to Camp Roosevelt around 8. We gave ourselves plenty of time before Brian would arrive there. As we were waiting, we talked to Tanya Cady and saw many local runners come through including Bob Combs, Bill Losey, and Dave Peterman (with his pacer Lloyd Thomas).

Brian came in soon after Bill around 11:00. He was looking pretty fresh and in good spirits! It was good to see him come in 4 hours ahead of the cutoff time. He quickly got some fuel and was on his way with Moose.

After they left, I went back to camp to try and catch a few ZZZ's. I figured I wouldn't have to arrive at the Visitor Center until 4 o'clock. I ended up not getting very much sleep, but it was good to relax.

Before long, it was time to head out. On my drive down, it started raining a bit. Luckily there was no lightening and the rain didn't last long or become too heavy. I parked at Sonny's Restaurant across from the Picnic Area and hiked to the Visitor Center. I laid down for awhile and took a little nap thinking Brian hadn't come through yet. I began to wonder when it started getting light out, though, and asked an aid station worker. He said Brian had already been through just before 4 AM, just minutes before I got there!

So I headed back to the Picnic Area and waited there for him. I took up camp right by the trail because I really didn't want to miss him here! At 8 AM, Moose and Brian came down the trail. They both had a rough night on Kern's Mountain, so Moose was glad I was there to pace.

The last 15 miles included many boulder fields and a couple climbs. This was my first encounter with VA rocks and man, they are aren't joking about these rocks! I had my cell phone with me to give updates to people. My parents and sister both called, so I put them on speaker and they cheered on Brian as he gingerly danced around the many rocks going downhill.

We eventually got to the last trail section leading to the finish. I sprinted ahead of Brian to get a finish line photo. He came in at 32:53:13 and finished the toughest 100 east of the Mississippi! I'm proud of him for coming back this year and conquering some unfinished business. Click here to view the pictures I took from the weekend.

Tree Farm Loop

2010-05-06T10:18:00.000-04:00

This evening, I drove to Lock 29 to meet up with the Crooked River Trail Runners group. About 25-30 runners showed up including a lot of familar faces. We ran a loop around the Tree Farm Trail and came back. The temperature felt great. The whole run we joked about it being a race and for the last mile or two we picked up the pace and had a dead-sprint to the finish :) Afterward, we went to the Winking Lizard to enjoy beer, food and company.

Chippewa Creek

2010-04-30T23:28:00.003-04:00

I drove over to the Brecksville Reservation after work today and did a few miles on the trails, some hill climbing and some water trekking. It was a beautiful day with temperatures reaching the mid-80s and sunny.

Everett Rd Covered Bridge

2010-04-29T23:25:00.000-04:00

Ran some hills tonight by the Covered Bridge with Wild Bill, Tara Schweitzer and my brother.

2010 Boston Marathon

2010-04-19T21:40:00.014-04:00

On Friday evening, my parents and I flew out from Pittsburgh to Boston for the 2010 Boston Marathon. I was happy to be able to make the trip out knowing I would be able to start the race because just 7 weeks ago I sprained my ankle really badly! It was a stupid mistake, but hindsight is 20/20 right?

My ankle swelled up like a balloon and ended up getting black and blue all the way up to my calf. I iced it religiously for weeks and just waited. I swam a few times at the Medina Rec Center to keep some fitness up. After 3 weeks of rest, I was able to jog a couple miles slowly. My ankle felt great, but my calf and leg got pretty tight and sore quickly, not to mention I felt totally out of breath.

Flash forward 2 weeks to the marathon and I was actually back on the trails able to run a few longer runs over 10 miles. At this point, I felt pretty confident I would be able to toe the line in Hopkinton.

We landed in Boston around 8 o'clock or so. We booked a few nights at the same hotel we stayed at last time. After dropping our luggage off, we quickly got back on the subway and headed to the North End to each get a cannoli we'd been craving at Mike's Pastry shop. The best cannolis I've ever had!

On Saturday, we stopped by the expo to pick up my number and walk around. The Boston Marathon has a great expo with tons of giveaways, promotions and famous runners signing autographs. I was able to get my picture with Khalid Khannouchi, the current American marathon record holder. On Sunday, we walked some on the Freedom Trail and then took the subway out to Harvard. Sunday evening, we met some friends at the North End for some pasta.

The weather was miserable with rain both Saturday and Sunday, but we still enjoyed ourselves! All I cared about was that the forecast for race day held - partly cloudy, high 55, low 45.

I didn't get much sleep the night before the race, but that's always common. We headed down to the Boston Commons at 6 to catch a bus to the start line in Hopkinton. I love the buzz and anticipation of all the runners down there. Some running it for the first time and others seasoned veterans.

I sat next to this guy from Long Island, NY and talked to him for most the ride down. We shared stories about past races, future goals, and strategy for today. This is one of my favorite parts of Boston is being able to meet so many different people.

We arrived at Athlete's Village 2 hours before the race. I found a comfy spot in the grass and hung out. I was smart this year and brought a tarp to sit on, as well as warm clothes and some food.

Before I knew it, we were headed down to the start line which is about a mile away. Of course I had to take a leak from all the nerves and excitement. I looked for somewhere hidden in the woods or behind a dumpster since most the johns had big lines, but scratched that idea when I saw a cop writing up a runner for going in the woods...haha busted! As I was waiting in line, the national anthem played and a couple fighter jets flew overhead. The guy behind me was from Canada, but sang our anthem with more enthusiasm than most Americans do.

I quickly ran over to the 4th starting corral and within about 10 minutes the gun was off! This year it only took 2 or 3 minutes to actually cross the start line. The beginning of the race is downhill, so you really have to watch how fast you go. After about 7 or 8 miles, I got talking to this guy and he said we were running 3:15 finishing pace. Way faster than I wanted to go, so I backed it down a lot. My plan was to enjoy the race and finish somewhere between 3:30 and 3:45.

During the first 11 miles, I had to use a restroom to go #2 two times! Other than that, the race went pretty smoothly. The highlight of the race is always Wellesley College, an all-girl's school at mile 12. You can hear the cheering from half a mile back and the girls line up for kisses. I got a few then pressed on.

My legs had started feeling tired early around mile 7, but they never got to terribly bad for the entire race. After Wellesley College, I ran with this guy who had a "Wellesely Alumni" shirt on. I had a blast pumping up the crowd with him and giving high fives to the spectators. This kept me going faster than I would've by myself for about 4 miles.

Around mile 16/17, the Newton hills begin. My first time at Boston in 2008, these hills killed me. This time I took it easier up them and felt stronger. I didn't have to walk at all and passed a bunch of people. Before I knew it, I had crested the infamous Heartbreak Hill at mile 20. It seemed like nothing this year!

The last stretch of the race is very enjoyable, downhill and tons of drunk college kids going crazy. This year, I made sure to yell and high five them as much as possible. It's amazing how loud they get when they see someone who is feeling good this late in the race, or at least acting like it :)

Fenway soon came up and I knew there was about a mile left till the finish. The crowds really thicken up, especially with the Red Sox game going on. As I turned the corner onto Boylston St, I got the same feeling I got in 2008...goosebumps, a couple watery eyes and a realization of how awesome this race is.

I finished in 3:45:15.

I will most likely do this race again sometime in the future, but would also like to try out other marathons and races. I feel so thankful to be able to take part in such a great event, especially this year when even making the finish line was a big question mark.

To view all my pictures from the race, click here.

Last Long Run

2010-04-11T14:25:00.003-04:00

This morning I planned on getting one last long run in before Boston. I drove over to Pine Lane and ran the BT to Boston Store. I then added 6 miles on the Towpath before taking the short way back to Pine Lane through Peninsula and up the brick road. This gave me a total of 13 miles.

There were a lot of people out today due to the nice weather. It started out cool, but got pretty warm in the sun. I talked to this lady running on the Towpath named Marilyn and ran with her for a couple miles. She said she was running the Cleveland Marathon.

Next week the plan is to taper with a week till Boston. I probably won't back it down as much as I usually do since my training never got very intense due to my ankle sprain injury.

Spring is here!

2010-04-05T22:00:00.001-04:00

Tonight I drove over to Lock 29 around 6:00 to go for a longer run. I decided to run past the Winking Lizard, up the brick road to Pine Lane, then ran Pine Lane to the Boston Store. From there I ran 4 extra miles on the Towpath, then took the Towpath back to Lock 29 for 11 miles total. I tried to run most of the hills on the Buckeye Trail and picked up the pace on the Towpath for a few miles. There were alot of runners and cyclists out today enjoying the beautiful weather.

Easter Egg 10

2010-04-03T14:30:00.005-04:00

Me, Jamie, Brian and Mike

This weekend my sister Jamie came up from Pittsburgh to visit. This morning we drove over to the Cuyahoga Valley around 8 o'clock to go for a run. The plan was to meet Brian and others at the Brecksville Stables. However, we got lost for a bit. We ended up driving down Snowville Rd where the BT crosses and happened to see Brian and Mike Keller headed down the trail. I honked and Jamie and I parked quickly and caught up with them.

Brian jumping down into the stream

The weather was beautiful today!! The sun was shining and temps were in the upper 70s. There were alot of runners out on the trails today taking part in the Easter Egg 20 mile group run which officially started at 6:30 this morning at Boston Store.

ATTENTION! FORWARD MARCH! All of us paving the way for the Admiral Nick Billock to pass through :)

I haven't seen Mike in awhile so it was good to catch up! We had a great time joking and goofing off on the trails. We turned around at the Brecksville Stables. Jamie and I split off at Snowville Rd. for 10 miles while Brian and Mike continued back to Boston Store for 20 miles.

We saw alot of Garter snakes today!

Click here for more pictures from today's run.

April Fools Day Run

2010-04-01T22:00:00.003-04:00

Brian and I met at 6:30 at the Happy Days parking lot. We ran the ledges trail to the Pine Grove Loop, then did a loop around Kendall Lake for 7 miles. We were both tired and sweating alot since we weren't used to the warm weather. Felt great though!!

To view all the pictures from our run tonight click here.

Glass Harp Concert

2010-03-27T22:07:00.001-04:00

Tonight my parents, my brother Brian and I drove to Youngstown to see Glass Harp play at the DeYor Auditorium. Glass Harp was a popular Youngstown group in the 70s and features lead guitarist Phil Keaggy, who is ranked in the top 25 guitarists in the world! Urban legend has it that Jimi Hendrix cited Phil as the greatest guitarist in the world. Below are some videos from the concert.

Towpath & Oil Creek 50K Signup

2010-03-23T20:57:00.005-04:00

After work today, I drove over to the Boston Store and ran 4 miles on the Towpath between Mile 21-23. I felt pretty out of breath and my Achilles tendon was a little tight.

Today I also signed up for the Oil Creek 50K in October. I've only run in the park once and loved the scenery and views! Last year I went to watch my brother and sister run the 50-miler and 50K, respectively. I am really looking to taking part in the race this year! Tom Jennings, the race director, does a great job running the race and everyone seemed to have a great time.

Back Running Again!

2010-03-22T23:00:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday, I ran for the first time since I sprained my ankle exactly 3 weeks ago. I asked Dr. Shah on Vertical Runner's message board for advice. He told me the swelling can last for months, but that I could run before then as long as the pain didn't hinder my form and the pain was 3/10 or less. I drove out to Portage Lakes State Park and ran a mile out to the lake on the main road and a mile back. My calf muscle got tight throughout the run, probably from not running much, but the ankle felt surprisingly well!

So today I ran another 2 mile run doing a loop around the neighborhood across from my apartment. I ran a little faster than I probably should have, but the ankle felt good again. In the next day or so, I plan on stepping it up a bit to 4 miles and see how I do.

Swimming

2010-03-16T20:00:00.003-04:00

After work, I drove over to the Medina Community Rec Center to swim. I've never gone over a half mile, so tonight I went the distance for a mile (64 laps). I tried to pace myself better this time and felt good for most of the swim. The swelling on my ankle has gone down considerably, but it is still a little stiff. I can't wait until it heals since the weather is getting nice!

Sprained Ankle

2010-03-01T23:38:00.000-05:00

Saturday morning, Brian and I met at Pine Lane for a potential 50K run. We started down the Buckeye Trail and got to the stream crossing about a mile and half into the run. The temperature was right around freezing, so the stream was not frozen across. Patches of it were frozen with thin ice, but the majority of it was flowing. We ran down stream to look for a good crossing but could not find one. So, we came back to the trail and I decided to try and sprint across the stream. I thought it was shallow enough to attempt it. Before I knew it, I was laying in the stream, pants soaked in water! Brian looked over and could not believe it. I hurried up and got out on the other side. As I was walking, I realized I had sprained my ankle pretty badly and felt a bit dizzy from the shock. I laid down on the ground for a bit to regain my senses. Brian then crossed the stream and we were on our way. I knew if I kept moving it might not tighten up. However as we got closer to Boston Store, I knew I would not be going any further and decided to turn around. I took the Towpath back through Peninsula and back up the brick road to Pine Lane. Brian continued on toward Brecksville.

I got home and took a look at my ankle. It was very swollen and bruised up to a little below my calf. I relaxed for a bit then drove to Heinen's grocery store to meet up with Brian and have a bite to eat. He was glad to have a ride back since he probably would've been out till past sunset to finish the full 50K due to all the snow.

So after work today, I made an appointment at a local orthopedic sports medicine doctor to get x-rays and see if I had broken or fractured anything. He found no broken bones and ruled it a pretty good sprain. Now I'll have to wait and see how it heals to see if I'm ready for Boston in a month and a half. If Boston rolls around and I feel any pain, I definitely won't run in the race and risk a recurring injury.

Click here for photos I took during the run.

Towpath - 20 Miles

2010-02-21T15:53:00.006-05:00

This morning I started my run at Boston Store at 7:30. The plan was to go 20 miles. I haven't been doing great marathon training and haven't done a long run more than 13 or 14 miles, so I figured today was the day since Boston is fast approaching.

There were a lot of people out today enjoying the warmer temperature. I started out north and ran to mile marker 14. I had to turn around since the Towpath was closed due to construction. So I headed back to Boston Store and repeated a mile on the way back. I then ran to mile marker 23 and back to Boston Store for 20 total.

I felt pretty good today considering this was my first real long run. I deliberately slowed down today since I always go too fast on long runs. Afterward, I enjoyed a nice juicy Blue Shroom burger and a beer at the Winking Lizard.

Happy Days - 5 Mile Run

2010-02-19T18:00:00.000-05:00

Quail Hallow State Park/Hartville

2010-02-13T14:24:00.005-05:00

Today I drove out to Quail Hallow State Park, which is in Hartville, and went for a 9.5 mile run on the country roads. I mapped out a route on Gmaps Pedometer and just wrote down the road names so I would remember where to turn on my run!

When I started out, I thought "Man, what am I doing out here?". It was cold, windy, and snowing a bit. After about 3 miles though I was into it and enjoying the nice country scenery, minus the cow manure truck that passed me :)

Snowshoeing

2010-02-07T17:00:00.005-05:00

This weekend I had planned on running the Dirty Dog 10K race at Mosquito Lake and a long run at the Cuyahoga Valley on Sunday. Both these plans were scratched since we got about 10 inches of snow Friday into Saturday. So instead of running today, I decided to join Brandon Russell, Courtney Baker, Gavin White and my brother to go snowshoeing.

I was excited since I have never gone before. You can rent snowshoes for only $5 for the whole day at the Kendall Lake Sports Center. We headed out towards Kendall Hills. From here we went off-piste to who knows where. We headed away from Kendall Lake for quite awhile until we decided we better make our way back.

We ended making a big loop and finding the Salt Run trail. I had a great time clomping through the snow. We slid down and climbed up many hills. The snowshoes made walking pretty easy. I'm already looking forward to our next adventure, which could be soon since we're supposed to get another storm this week.

Click here to view all the pictures I took today.

Wolf...err...Fox Moon

2010-01-29T23:00:00.002-05:00

Tonight in the night sky was what they call a Wolf Moon. This is a full moon that occurs in January. I decided to do a run after work starting at Pine Lane and running to Boston Store for 8 miles. The sky was clear, the ground was white, and it was cold as hell!! During my run, the temperature dipped down to single digits near 8 degrees. However once I got moving, I warmed up quickly.

On my way out, I saw plenty of deer scurrying about. At about a half mile until the Pine Lane section, I saw a dog-like animal run across the trail. I thought it was a husky at first, but then saw it was a fox!! It looked at me from about 35 yards away, then ran away into the woods. Very cool! The CVNP Association had taken the photo above last Wednesday when a fox was outside of their office. The one I saw tonight looked very similar to this one.

The rest of the run went by pretty fast. I was glad I brought my headlamp since I started after 5 o'clock and it was now getting dark. The moon was huge and had a cool orange tint when it was close to the horizon. I probably could have navigated without a light due to the moonlight. I picked up the pace on the way back and felt great finishing.