2014 – Runs, PR’s, Celebs, Concerts, Tacos & Sexiness (Mostly in Photos)

Welp, we’ve dun it. Anuther trip around the sun. Looking back, 2014 was a pretty decent year. Let’s take a peek at a few hightlights, shall we?

It kicked off with a BANG! In January I ran the Disney World Dopey & Goofy Challenge. That’s 4 straight days, 4 straight races.

The 6 Dopey Challenge Medals.

Day 1 – Thursday – 5k (3.1 miles)

Medal 1/6 gotten!

Day 2 – Friday – 10k (6.2 miles)

Medal 2/6 got.

Day 3 – Saturday – Half Marathon (13.1 miles)

Medals 3/6 got.

Day 4 – Sunday – Full Marathon (26.2 miles)

Medals 6/6 (includes Dopey & Goofy bonus medals)

All in all, it was a magical 48.6 miles.

Running at Epcot, waving to my fans.

Included in the weekend was the Kids’ Race, where the soon to be 5 year old rocked it!

Medals for everyone!

Oh, and did I mention my sis and ma also did the Dopey?

At Magic Kingdom with our medals.

Shortly afterwards though, I was going for a run, tripped, felled, and Nancy Kerriganed my own knee.

Put me out of commission for a little while.

I was able to eventually get active again by doing a lot of yoga in a retail store.

Cat, cow, what difference does it make?

I really think yoga is important for everyone – including runners. So I do a lot of it. And besides…

#NotCreepyatAll

Another part of my cross training is lifting weights. And besides…

Dumbells make you smart…and sexy.

I also like to mix up my runs with track work. And besides…

Track work makes you sexy. Here’s the proof!

Trail runs are also great. And besides…

#truth #obviously

Eventually my knee felt better and I got back on the roads with some of my fave people. Like Thursday Night Social Runners.

TNSR, Representin

And also my crazy early morning elfen crew.

They like to run at like 5am. They cray cray.

I also made a few Luke’s Locker social trail runs.

Run trails, eat pancakes. Repeat.

And the White Rock Running Co-op, who really helped me to become a better runner this year.

WRRC. Good runners.

To help fuel my workouts, I ate lots of tacos. Lots.

Legit, son!

In between training, I also got to see some of my fave bands…like at this FREE concert – The Killers!

About 30 rows deep, my mouth a gasp with excitement.

And the Old 97’s.

Seen this band countless times.

And I was super thrilled to see the traveling Broadway show, based on the movie – Once!

And I got to make my annual Jimmy Buffett concert experience…TWICE!

JB concert #1. Just call me Front Row Joe.

JB concert #2. Things get wild at the tailgate parties…trust me!

I also got to hangout on stage during a Graceland Ninjaz concert.

On stage open mouth selfie.

As well as Pentatonix.

I liked to imagine they were all cheering for me (they may have been).

They were amongst the Celebs that got to hang out with me this year.

They asked me to join the group based on some of my youtube karaoke videos.

And my model friend Brooke Becker.

She’s kewl.

And long time friend, fashion blogger, and TV host, Hilary Kennedy.

We had to wear our shades because of the flashes from the paparazzi.

And all around media star, and long long time friend, Ashley Kamrath.

At the Emmy’s. We didn’t win this year, but we’ll get again next year!

And I made another video with friend & TV host, Emily Reppert.

On the set with my actor friends.

And I made a new BFF when I interviewed Olympic gold medalist, Jennie Finch.

See, told ya we were new BFF’s.

And my Dallas Half Marathon Champion friend, Logan Sherman.

Logan, Me, Patrick. Mustachioed.

And model/actor buddy, Shane Land.

We have played brothers in two movies. Can you see the resemblance?

And a Dallas Cowboy – Charles Haley.

A couple of legends.

Anyways, back to running. I ran a bunch of races. Starting with Abby’s Run 5k, where I won my age group!

Yay! I got a photo with Abby (who the race is named for) and her mom. Ann photobombed us.

Then came the Rock the Block 10k. New PR – 46:00!

And we’re off! -Photo from Dallasnews.com

During the months of Texas heat, it was really hot, so I only ran a few unofficial races. Like the Boston Marathon virtual run.

And the America, F**k Yeah 4th of July 10k.

Censored Bling

And the TNSR Beer Mile.

This was a bad idea.

Then came the Fall. Autumn is always a time of change. For us, a big change was the boy starting kindergarten. Where does the time go???

He’s grown about 5 times his size. Based on that growth rate, I figure he’ll be about 80 feet tall by his 20’s.

I even volunteered to coach his soccer team. That was a lot of fun!

Landsharks on three!

And the little girl just keeps growing too!

Stop looking at me swan.

Fall also saw a lot of PR changes. Starting with the Oktoberfest 5k – 21:33. When you PR, you have to celebrate…

They love me.

Next up was the Dallas Mavericks 5k. Another PR!

The Mavs Dancers asked to have their photo taken with me. I obliged.

Speaking of which, my brother ran his first half marathon this fall! And my dad is running his first half in January 2015!

Dad, Bro, Me at an FC Dallas game this fall.

The next PR to fall was at the Dallas 13.1 – 1:42:59!

Bottle opener medal.

Next was the annual Halloween fun run.

Our costumed group.

One sad change was that we lost our oldest doggy this fall. She was such a great pup.

sweet Bailey girl

But in happier times, I set another PR at the North Texas Turkey Trot 5k 20:04. Bummer was the course being .1 miles short.

Stop looking at me turkey.

Next up was the Rudolph Run 5k. And yet another PR – officially 21:29, but my watch had the course being long. According to it I came across at 20:50-something. Either way, I got 2nd in my age group!

Last year’s race was cancelled due to ice. So I got two medals!

The final race of 2014 was the Dallas Half marathon. No PR this day, but still got my 2nd fastest half – 1:45:01.

Big state, little medal.

And as part of the Dallas Marathon festivities, I got to meet MEB!!!!!!

Me n Meb

The end of the year was spent with friends and family for the holidays.

Looking back, it was a pretty good year. Lots of tacos, shows, good times, and running. In fact, I went over 1,200 miles on my feet. I even surpassed 5,000 miles total with my Nike+ watch – starting when I got it a few years ago.

5 g’s over the past few years.

Here’s hoping 2015 will be even better! Happy New Year, y’all!

Today’s only question: What’s your top 2014 highlight?

Mavs 5k Recap – Great Race, Great Party & Brushes with Fame!

What a whirlwind! My head is still spinning. So much happened, so much fun at the the Mavs Run This Town 5k.

The Mavs Dancers asked to take a photo with me, I obliged, and taught them to ‘leg pop’.

This race took place at 7:00 pm outside the home of the Dallas Mavericks – American Airlines Center. One advantage: they let us use the restrooms inside (instead of the normal race porta-potties).

The scene of the time.

This course ran around downtown Dallas after dark. I hadn’t run a night race in a long time, but luckily my morning runs are in the dark, so I was used to having to use my night-vision.

Not a bad view.

Unfortunately there were a few sprinklers going off along the course, which left some slippery spots on the roads. There were also a few little hills, and it was surprisingly windy…but not too bad.

The course was mostly spetcator-free, save for some people yelling at us from their apartments and a section with Mavs entertainers. That said, I still had a lot of fun and even ran within one second of my PR that I set last month.

They had laptops where you could look up your time. Very convenient.

I felt pretty good this race. I made SURE to reign it in at the start. I wanted to run a negative split, or at least even splits, and I came close. Roughly – 6:53, 7:01, 6:58. Good enough for a 21:34 finish and 4th in my age group – one freakin person from a medal…Ahh well. It was also good enough to be the 54th finisher out of 1,900 ~ I’ll take that!

We also had a bunch of bananas friends running this race. It was great hanging out with them at the post race party!

Some friends.

And look, more friends, including fellow blogger from Marathon State of Mind…

Some other friends.

The post race party was awesome – all the free beer you could drink, food trucks, and a concert by Old 97’s!!!!

Front row selfie!

Rock on!

Rockin’ Rhett!

 

I didn’t get a pic with my face, but here’s my back. Some say it’s my best side anyways.

Run Free!

After the show, we even got to hang out with the band for a little while. Such great dudes!

Even the lead singer was cool enough to hang out with fans.

In summary, it was a super fun event, and we all had great runs and a great time! Bonus – each runner gets a ticket to a Mavericks game…score!!!

#MFFL

But now I gotta rest up – I have a half marathon in the morning!!! Woot woot!

How bout you? Any recent night races? Bump into any celebs recently? Who’s also racing this weekend?

-Scott

Mavs Run This Town 5k Preview

This Thursday evening I’m running the Mavs Run This Town 5k. Even though it’s on a random school night, I’m really excited for this race. It combines a lot of things I love.

First off, y’all know that I love to run. I want to run all the miles. This race will add another 3.1 to that.

At a recent race. Givin that finish line the ole stink eye.

2nd off, I’m a huge Dallas Mavericks fan. And your race entry also gets you a ticket to an upcoming game!!

I became a fan of the Mavs when I was growing up in Ohio and they drafted a player from my home state. I’ve followed them ever since…through the bad times and good. The best times being when they won the NBA championship in 2011.

Pic I took immediately after they won. Yes, I watched the game in my retro jersey.

I really really really hope they’ll have the Larry O’brien Trophy on hand. I’d love to get a picture with it. Because after a lifetime of fandom failure following the Cleveland Browns and Indians, the Dallas Mavs World Championship is my pro sports highlight.

On the court after a recent game. Dirk is peeking out of my shirt.

Unfortunately, the team is playing a game in Louisiana the same time as this race, so there probably won’t be any of the players hangin around. I’m sure they’ll have mascots and dancers and alumni and such…and that’s cool. If it’s anything like all the effort they put into the game experience, it will be a lot of fun!

Someday though I’d really love to get a pic with Dirk Nowitzki. I came close at an FC Dallas match he was at. I got an autograph and snapped a pic of him signing it, but couldn’t get a selfie because of the crowd.

A basketball star signing a soccer program.

Third off, the post race party features a racers-only beer garden & concert by Old 97’s!!! I’m a huge fan of this band. I’ve seen them several times and they always bring a lot of energy to their shows. If you ever need a full throttle song to add to your running playlist, might I suggest their hit *Timebomb. It will put a giddy in your up.

His moves and shakes make him sweat about as much as a runner.

I’ve been lucky enough to meet the band a few times. Solid dudes. The lead singer – Rhett Miller – is also a popular topic of discussion amongst my lady friends – they describe him as “dreamy”.

Apparently I wear that hat a lot.

In summary, at this race I get to run, I get a Mavs ticket, I get free beer, & I get an Old 97’s concert. For the win!

#MFFL

How bout you? Does your fav sports team hold a race? Should I wear that old jersey on the course? Any memorable post-race concerts?

-Scott

*Warning – Click that link only if you’re prepared to have your face melt.

More Miles & Smiles, More Races & Faces

It was time to get in one last weekend of miles in before my next half marathon.

So Friday I knocked out a quick 4 miler – pretty uneventful.

Saturday I banged out 14 miles. This run I met up with the White Rock Running Co-op, and a long time run bud…

My friend Ann. We ran. I ran with Ann.

My bud and I hadn’t run together in a while, and so we chatted the (exactly) 2 hours we were running. I was pretty pleased, because even with the chatting we still were able to hold an 8:30 per mile pace. I’m hoping that’s a good sign for this weekend’s race where I really want to claim a PR.

It was also good that I ran there because part of the race is going through the same part of town as this training run.

Afterwards we had tacos…naturally.

How can it be butt burnin if it’s only medium heat?

Then it was on to the boy’s soccer game. Sadly, my coaching didn’t lead us to a win this week.

Go Landsharks!

On Sunday I met up with some friends for a trail run. We cranked out another 6 miles.

We forgot to take a pic, so here’s an old one of mostly the same folks.

We were either on a squiggly trail, or drunk..or both.

Afterwards it was on to yoga. Aaaaand my legs were done.

The rest of the weekend saw us visiting the pumpkin patch. Though it didn’t seem quite right when it is 85 degrees out.

What else, what else..oh yeah, I signed up for a 2^nd race this week!!! Two days before the 13.1, I’m running a 3.1. It’s the inaugural Mavs Run This Town 5k. Woot woot!

Boom.

This event combines a lot of stuff I love – running, the Mavericks, and The Old 97’s. I’ll preview this race soon, but for now, just know that I’m super happy fun time pumped!

How bout you? Exhausting weekend much? Any good topics to talk about on long runs with friends? Git yo pumkins yet? Good idea to race less than 48 hrs before another race?

-Scott

Music to Run By

OK, so I’ve been out of the on-line world, and the running world, the past nearly two weeks.  In my soccer game back then I did something to my ribs, so I took a few days off to heal.  THEN I got sick for the first time in as long as I can remember – probably first sick day since 2006.  I’m sure there’s been a couple here and there, but maybe not.  The reason I remember it so clearly is that it was pneumonia – and it was nasty!  If you can avoid getting that, then take my advice and do so!

Sorry I couldn’t get any closer than two feet away for a picture during this performance.

Anyway, this time around it wasn’t pneumonia, but I had a fever and low energy, etc.  So I took some time to get better.  Right before I got sick though, I went to see the Old 97’s perform.  If you haven’t seen them, they are FUN!  You might remember them as the band Jennifer Anniston and Vince Vaughn kept talking about in “The Breakup”.  In fact, one of the times I met their lead singer, Rhett Miller, he told me the writers of that movie had been listening to their music the entire scripting process.

Told ya that I’ve met ’em. Stop doubting me.

I can’t even count how many times I’ve been to their shows, but if you are not familiar with their music, I’ve got at least one song of theirs you need to add to your running playlist.  It’s called Time Bomb and it is PURE energy!  Below is a live performance of it that should give you an idea, despite the less than stellar audio quality.  Note the sweatiness of Rhett…a staple of his high octane shows!

Fun fact…I don’t know who took that video and posted it on YouTube, but it is a coincidence that the venue (Newport Music Hall – Columbus, OH) is indeed the exact same place I saw my first ever concert way back when.  Care to guess who it was?  I’ll give you a hint, his initials are Weird Al Yankovic.

I don’t know if any of Weird Al’s music would help me run.  Will have to go through my old cassettes to find out.

Peace out internet!