Snow Won’t Let Me Run…Me Hate Snow!

I just ain’t been myself lately. Last week I was sick and  so I had to miss some runs. This past week the weather really went south and so I had to miss some runs. Needless to say, I wasn’t jumping with joy.

Before I go further, you should know that I grew up in Ohio. So I’ve had my fill of cold yucky snowy winters. Been there, run that…

One time in high school the newspaper photog caught our track team training in the ever-present cold (I’m the one with the bandana face)

Now I wasn’t completely all humbug about it, mind you. In fact, we did take the opportunity to teach the kids how to make snowballs and snowangels.

Any time you can add violence to an activity, the boy will like it.

She looks about as thrilled as I was.

But after the novelty wore off (about 45 minutes), the kids were over the cold wet stuff as much as I was. But that didn’t make it go away. Nope, freezing temps kept the roads icy. I can’t run on ice. It was so bad, that they had to cancel a big race over the weekend…kind of. The Cowtown 5k, 10k, 13.1, 26.2, & Ultra was scheduled to go down, but they had to cancel all but the 13.1 due to icy roads. Bummer.

Yuck.

I did however, make it to yoga class. I was one of a handful who braved the elements. I saw a running friend in class, and we talked about how we both felt ill from not being able to run. I get it ~ if you are used to doing something every day, and then suddenly stop for a couple weeks, you’re going to feel off.

I feel like I’m about to go cray cray. I’m not missing another day. I don’t care what’s out there, I’m hitting the roads.

In the mean time, I’ve been comforting myself the best way I know how. With tacos…

Vegetarian tacos will warm me up.

We do what we gotta do, right?

How bout you? Weather, illness, etc. affect your workouts lately? Love or Hate the snow/cold? Who else is thankful for tacos in desperate times like these?

-Scott

Sad Stuff, Happy Stuff, & Runspiration

Sad stuff: Today in the States is always a one for reflection. It’s 9/11. That was a sad day. Made even sadder through the fact that at the time I was a producer for a network that made training videos for first responders. I knew a lot of firefighters very well.

Years ago at a shoot. I had to get geared up for safety (and for fun).

Happy stuff: Many years later I was flown to NYC by a firefighter friend to make a video about the 10 year anniversary of 9/11. That was an amazing experience. We got to meet some great people from NYFD and shooting some cool stuff around the city.

Brooklyn in da house. Takin it to the bridge.

Fast forward a couple years and I got to produce another video about 9/11. I was also able to incorporate footage we shot in NYC. I’m really proud of this video (it even won an Emmy). Give it a watch if you have a few minutes HERE.

More sad stuff: I just learned that a old friend from high school has passed away from cancer.

He was a senior when I was a freshman. I always looked up to him because he was like all-state or something in Track, Cross Country, and Swimming. I also thought of him a lot because his freshman year of college he had an unfortunate incident which left him as a quadriplegic.

Brad

Happy stuff: It never slowed him down. He was always living life to the fullest and inspiring others. You can read his obituary HERE.

He would even come to our high school track meets in his wheelchair and cheer for us. Can you imagine a former champion runner, who was just permanently assigned to a wheelchair, instead of retreating from watching others run, but rather seeking them out?!? Amazing.

Some of my HS friends have been going on tribute runs this week and making makeshift memorials.

From a friend’s Facebook page.

I have many forms of inspiration, but to this day, there was nothing more of a “runspiration” than seeing him sitting behind the fence yelling encouragement. I still think about that on runs sometimes.

Me in high school.

OK, I hope I balanced enough happy stuff in with the sad. If not, then here’s a bunch of gifs of dudes getting hit in the privates: Enjoy (only if you’re immature).

How bout you? Do you love NYC? Any runspiration stories? Did I balance the sad/happy enough?

-Scott

Man Panties & My New Teen Runnin Besties

After I saw the last crazy search term that lead to my blog, I decided to check those stats a little more regularly.  Welp, I got another one…or, make that two.

I’m pretty sure I’ve only written posts on 50% of those topics.

I swear I keep my blog totes SFW, so I’m not sure how these types of blue searches end up at me.  I swear, I’m innocent! 😉

Anyhoodle, I’m pretty sure the one looking for nude runners came across my blog because of THIS POST.  But I don’t think whoever came upon my blog looking for man-panties found what they were looking for.  Sorry bro.

In other news…Apparently school is getting ready to start round these parts.  I know because I saw some youngins on my mornin runs this week.

In my part of town, I’m lucky if I see ONE running sole (see what I did there).  But when I arrived at my usual park the other day, I was excited to see a bunch of people out running!  And as I got closer to them, I realized they were a high school co-ed cross country team out for a training run.  Hey kids, I ran CC and track in high school too!  See?!?

TBT.

I was running ‘upstream’ on the trail, so I passed by the entire team.  At first I was a little worried that they’d think of me as the creepy old guy.  They’d be right.  But a curious thing happened….a few of them said their hellos to me, and then a couple gals said, “Nice job!”

It took me off guard.  But when I regained my composure, I said the same thing to the next HS runners I passed.  They replied, “Thanks, you too!”

I no longer weep for the future.*  The youth are alright alright alright.**

Our interactions left me with a feeling of having some new besties.  And I know this will get me future weird search results to my blog, but yes, they are teens.

So I was very excited on this morning’s run when I came to the park and saw all the cars and water bottles.  “Yes, my friends are here!”  Unfortunately, they were already off in the distance and I never caught up to them.  I wonder if they missed me too.

How bout you?  Ever get a running lift when you come across others?  Did you run in H.S.?  Are you here because you need man-panties?

-Scott

*Bonus points if you get this movie reference.

**Triple bonus points if you get this one.

Back on (the) Track

Yesterday I got in another track workout.  Does anyone else get a little nervous before doing these?  Kind of like before a race?  I think it’s because I know it’s going to hurt.

Anyway, I did some 400’s with a 200 jog in between each one.  I’ve been running each between 80-90 seconds.  Granted, I’m not going 100% on these repeats, but still that’s a far cry from high school when I ran them averaging around 55 seconds per.  Ahh well, that’s the sweet bird of youth for you.

Anyone want to go to the Prom with me?

Maybe if I stay consistent with my track workouts, I’ll start creepin my times back down towards my high school self.  Anywhoodle, it was super windy again.  Sustained 20mph winds with gusts a lot stronger.  So half the track I was running straight into a wind wall.

The flag is holding on for dear life.

After I finished my 400’s, I decided to reward myself.  Here’s how:  I ran two more laps, jogging the 200 into the wind, and then sprinting the 200 with the wind at my back.  Some might call this cheating, but it was my reward, and it felt good to go short and fast!!!

Hello 400, we meet again.

How bout you?  Anyone else ever reward themselves after a tough workout with a little ‘cheating’ run?  Do you ever compare your olden days times with current ones?  Anyone else a lil nervous before track work?

-Scott

Boston Marathon – Possible?

You have to be fast as a unicorn to qualify.

At last night’s social run we had a few speedy people, including several Boston Marathon runners.  I got to talking to some of them after the run.  They were all talking how they got in the 2014 race as registration was open this past week.  But not just anyone can register, you have to run a qualifying race and time first.  I said how I’d like to run it, but would probably have to go through a charity registration as I can’t run a 3:10 marathon yet.  Yet.  That was the key word, and they jumped all over it.  My one friend told me it took her 6 marathons before she finally qualified.  My other friend, a local elite runner named Logan Sherman, told me that they would get me there.  Here’s a pic of Logan as he was featured in this month’s Competitor Magazine:

He’s fast.

This gave me some hope and inspiration, but the numbers don’t lie.  I’d have to run a 3:10 marathon to qualify.  That’s 7:15 minute miles.  I can run faster than 7:15 miles now, but during a 3.1 mile race, not a 26.2 mile race.

Anyways, I want to try at some point.  I wouldn’t mind going the charity route, but I’d have to raise a LOT of money.  Thousands of dollars.  And I’d kind of like to be able to get there on my own too.  I’d have to get really serious about improving endurance and speed.  I used to be a lot faster (in high school), but can I get back to close to that conditioning?  As one of my other elite running buddies told me on the track one day – Yes you can.

Smokin’ fools in the 400 in high school.

I still have those track shoes at home (autographed by former world record holder Butch Reynolds on the right outside heel – check it out, eagle eye).  Maybe I need to lace them back up.  Maybe I should get the same haircut too, yeah, that was probably the secret to my speed.

Anyone else have dreams of Boston?