25 Solo Miles, Race Advice, & Yoga Pal

First off, congrats to everyone who raced this weekend! In particular, I had a ton of friends (including my sister) at the Chicago Marathon. Looks like everyone had a great time…I’m guessing it’s due to my advice I gave them…

Took this pic at a marathon in New Orleans the other year. It’s still relevant today.

As for me, I don’t have a race for two weeks, so I’m still getting ready. I got up on Saturday for my long run and it was raining…back to bed it is! When I woke up a second time, the rain was gone, but so was my group I was meant to run with. I had to do 15 miles by my lonesome.

Just me, my shoes, and my thoughts…scary!

I’ll tell you what, it’s much more of a mental struggle to run these distances by yourself. The miles don’t fly by like when you’re having conversations with folks. But that will make us stronger come race day, right?

On Sunday I got up to go run trails, but my running co-horts were either out of town or sick, so once again I was on my own. I ended up going 7-8 miles. For you math majors, that’s a good 22-23 for the weekend. If you include the 3 I ran on Friday, then that’s even more (I wasn’t a math major).

Afterwards it was on to power yoga.

I’m in there somewhere. Hint: I’m a dude.

And speaking of running and yoga…my run/yoga buddy moved to NYC over the weekend.

That’s her (in pink) and other friends at a recent race.

She’s going to be working in fitness, and will be a yoga instructor. Livin the dream in the Big Apple. We had a going away happy hour.

Is any city nicknamed the “Big Grapple”? There should be.

So there you have it, another exhausting weekend. Fun, but busy.

How bout you? Did you race or have friends race? Ever long run by yourself? Is it really okay to poop your pants?

-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

Bucket List Running: New York Edition

So today is 9/11.  Seems like every year the anniversary doesn’t get any less remembered.  But obviously it will.  Especially the younger generations who weren’t alive or were very young when it happened.  There is a group of firefighters that are trying to do something about that.  And as a video producer, I was honored to be part by making the video below.  Watch it if you get a chance, I’m pretty proud.  We shot it in NYC and Texas.  I also edited and wrote the script.  Spent some time on it to make it right.

Anyway, when I was in New York shooting some of the video in this project (the original video was for another project by FireRescue Magazine…they were kind enough to grant permission to use it in this project), I got to check off a bucket list run – Central Park.

What had happened was I met up with some friends who live there.  They like to run too.  They took me to a local running store that had a social run going on one Saturday morning.  It was awesome.  The hosts were very cool and laid back.  They gave us distance options (I chose the 5 miler) and we were off.  I didn’t know where we’d be running, but to my delight, we went to Central Park and through some of the trails there.  It. Was. Awesome.

We ran past weddings, tourists, sun bathers, an actual road race, monuments, hot dog stands, everything you could imagine.  The miles seemed like NOTHING.  I think I had a smile the whole run.

Brooklyn in da house! Selfie while crossing the bridge (not on the run).

Anyways, after the run it was the same as any other run – swap run stories and get breakfast.  Yes!

I’ve been to NYC a few times, but this was the first time to go on a run there, and threw the park no less!  If you ever get a chance, go for it.  This time of year we are all reminded what a magical place New York is, and running there is no less magical.