tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24340645663458880462024-03-13T02:58:00.602-04:00Walking TomTom Farnam's efforts to become a racewalker & distance cyclist.
<p>With help from Team in Training's coaches, while raising money for leukemia and lymphoma research.</p>Walking Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341793566285791490noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2434064566345888046.post-81685489472972447042012-10-24T16:33:00.000-04:002012-10-24T16:33:10.975-04:00HERE WE GO AGAIN<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My previous post is titled "successful fall season" and that's true but a bit premature. We have ONE more race this season, on Sunday of this week at home in DC. We will be doing it with our TNT friends although not officially part of the "Team" for this event.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Marine Corps Marathon includes a 10K (6.2 mile) event which basically uses the last part of the MCM course. Starts on The Mall behind the American History Museum, goes almost to the Capitol, then back to 14th Street and across "the bridge" to Virginia. The bridge is infamous for those doing the MCM, as they <strong>must</strong> reach that point (about mile 20) no later than 5:10 after the starting gun. That is a pace of 15:22.5 minutes per mile if you start at the front of the 30,000 runners, or even less if you start at the back. If you do not "beat the bridge" you will be loaded on a bus and taken to the start, not allowed to finish and get a finisher's medal. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having done the MCM as my last Full Marathon in 2010, can tell you that bridge is a real challenge, especially at age 65 suffering from a gout attack from mile 12 through the end of the 26.2 miles. The big yellow bus was directly behind me, but I did beat the bridge & earn my MCM finisher's medal. In other words, even an aging racewalker can successfully complete the Marine Corps Marathon. <grin></grin></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This year my race is only a 10K and while that is longer than many people will ever do it seems short after the Nike Half Marathon on October 14th. Not nearly as many hills either, although the last .2 of the MCM course is uphill. Your first time facing that it can be a bit demoralizing but the road is lined with civilian and Marine Corps spectators cheering you into the finish, making it seem much less daunting than it might be otherwise.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">NEXT SEASON</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #990000;">We are planning some 2013 events already. There will be an inaugural Nike Women's Half Marathon in DC on April 28, 2013 and both Naomi and I are already signed up for it with Team in Training. So you can look forward to a fundraising appeal soon. Or if you just can't wait, you can use my TNT fundraising site to contribute right now <!--StartFragment --></span><a eudora="autourl" href="http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/nikewhlf13/tfarnam"><span style="color: #990000;">http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/nikewhlf13/tfarnam</span></a><span style="color: #990000;"> contributions are always cheerfully accepted and acknowledged quickly. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shortly after the Nike Half we will be setting off on a new adventure with Jenny Hadfield and John Bingham - the Danube River Marathon Cruise. Starting from Budapest, we'll travel the river on board the AMA Dolce, a small enough ship that our group will be about half of the passengers. Stops in Bratislava, Slovakia; Vienna, Austria; Durnstein then bicycle the Wachau Valley to Melk, Austria; Linz, Austria; Passau, Germany; and finish in Vilshofen, Germany. Time to brush up on my Deutsch.</span><br />
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Walking Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341793566285791490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2434064566345888046.post-71503540941380147102012-10-18T07:44:00.002-04:002012-10-18T09:03:48.746-04:00Successful Fall 2012 Season!<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy to report a successful Fall 2012 season of healthy endurance events. Also proud to report over $5000 raised so far this year via TNT for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. There is one event - the Marine Corps Marathon 10K on November 28th, but at this point it's reasonable to assume completion of that one without problems. Less Marathon activity this year due to knee issues, but Dr. Branche did a nice job of refurbishing the original equipment so now other than minor arthritis pains all is working well. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In 2012 added distance cycling to my repertoire and completed a 40 mile ride near Moab, UT on 9/22 and the Seagull Metric Century (100 km or 62.5 miles) near Salisbury, MD on 10/6. Was asked how long I've been cycling, said "Over 50 years" and remembered getting my first new bike for 8th birthday in 1953. Followed cycle events with Half Marathon in San Francisco at the Nike Women's Marathon on 10/14. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Set a new Personal Record at Nike - slowest Half Marathon since I started doing them in 2005. NOT a complaint, only a statement of fact. Actually feel good about just being able to finish Nike after painful knee issues earlier in the year. Training will get the racewalk speed back, after all I'm only 67! We have a new Nike Women's Half Marathon coming to DC on April 28, 2013 and of course we'll be doing it with TNT. The Race Director is a friend and always puts on a good event so this will be a great way to show our friends from around the country some good news out of Washington. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interesting year with a Noblesville High School 50th reunion for my class of 1962, and this weekend will be reunion of my Phi Delta Theta pledge class at Butler University. Some classmates are much less active, we have lost a few to Vietnam war and other causes, but several are still going and doing a lot of things. Lots of grandchildren pictures and stories at reunion. Don't know if any others are racewalking marathons but at least one NHS classmate (Mick Donoff) is doing lots of cycling.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Short post for now, all family are doing well. Miss my sister Fran, will be lots of conversation about her this weekend with Phi Delt friends and at wedding of Nick Wright. He's the son of my first cousin Mary Wright, and is being married in Carmel, IN. Will visit Mom at Crownland Cemetery on Saturday, maybe have a drink to catch up. Miss her too!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial;">Will get some pictures linked but time to sign off now and get ready for flight to St. Louis. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial;">Tom</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />Walking Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341793566285791490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2434064566345888046.post-34114464481830355562012-09-18T08:03:00.000-04:002012-09-18T08:10:53.315-04:00Cancer Does Not Quit So Why Should We?<!--StartFragment --><span style="color: maroon;">Cancer just never seems to quit. No matter how hard we try to many people are sick and dying because of this pervasive disease. The point of this message is to get your help in the battle. By supporting my participation in Team In Training you help advance the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society mission:<b> </b></span><b><span style="color: green;">"</span></b><span style="color: green;">Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families." <b>Your contribution is needed NOW to help in this battle.<br /><br />
</b></span><span style="color: maroon;">You don't even have to leave your keyboard, just click on my TNT web site at </span><a eudora="autourl" href="http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/nikesf12/tfarnam">http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/nikesf12/tfarnam</a><span style="color: maroon;"> and make a generous contribution using the secure link. They'll send you an email receipt for your tax records. Or if you prefer, send a check to me at the mailing address below (payable to Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) and I'll make sure you get a receipt from LLS for the charitable contribution and it is credited toward my personal goal.<br /><br />
Now is important to me personally as I've made a commitment to raise $5000 this year and am late in meeting that goal. Had enough medical issues this year to give me all the excuses needed to become a full-fledged couch potato. Had problems with my knees last fall which made walking and climbing the stairs in our four story townhouse a challenge. Having been very active as a racewalker it seemed like a reasonable idea to try cycling as a lower-impact sport. My medical issues pale by comparison with what our friends with cancers face so are not enough of an excuse for me to not be out on the trails and getting some exercise. Being 67 is no excuse either <b>cancer does not quit</b> so neither should I.<br /><br />
Doing two TNT events this year: Metric Century (62.5 miles) cycle ride at the <a href="http://www.seagullcentury.org/satridedetails.html">Seagull Century</a> on October 6 with my bride Naomi Morales - nice way to celebrate our 11th wedding anniversary! One week later it will be time for my 8th Nike Women's Marathon on October 14, while Naomi does her 9th outing at that event. In addition to those TNT events I'll do a shorter ride of 40 miles at Moab, Utah while Naomi does a Century - too many steep hills for my fresh knee for a <a href="http://www.skinnytireevents.com/page.cfm?pageid=20063">Moab</a> Century for me. <br /><br />
Oh yeah - those medical issues. Cycling seemed to be working fine as a new sport until April 7 - about 9 miles into a 56 mile training ride my right knee gave up and made me "limping Tom". End result - May 22 Dr. George C. Branche, III did arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn meniscus. After three weeks of intensive physical therapy at Jackson Clinic in Alexandria, I got permission to resume cycling. Now it's almost four months later and I'm back to racewalking as well. Slower on foot but will still finish that Nike Half after those bicycle rides. <br /><br />
My Honored Teammates are a list of survivors and unfortunately some who were less successful in their battle with blood cancers. The survivors for whom I ride & racewalk include Bob Raleigh and Caleb Schneck about whom I told you so much last year, a Noblesville High School classmate Gary Cox, and Jay Mershon of our cycle team who is so fast I only see him at the start or finish. We have lost victims like Joe Gleason, Bob Campbell, and too many others who succumbed but we can honor their memory by helping raise money to cure blood cancers.<br /><br />
Honor also goes to <b>you</b> for making donations to support LLS and fight cancer. We personally hope the blood cancer developments will lead to cures for other cancers like the pancreatic cancer which claimed my father and sister, my mother's only brother, as well as Naomi's mother and step-father. We ride and racewalk with TNT because LLS has done so well at helping find cures, but always remember our lost family members.<br /><br />
<b>Please make a donation! By supporting my participation in Team In Training you help Bob, Caleb and advance LLS's mission.</b> You don't even have to leave your keyboard, just click on my TNT web site at </span><a eudora="autourl" href="http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/nikesf12/tfarnam">http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/nikesf12/tfarnam</a><span style="color: maroon;"> and make your donation using the secure link. They'll send you an email receipt for your tax records. Or if you prefer, send a check to me at either of the mailing addresses below and I'll make sure you get a receipt from LLS for the charitable contribution.<br /><br />
Be sure to check my <a href="http://www.walkingtom.blogspot.com/">blog</a> for progress reports. Thanks for your support!<br /><br />
Walking & Cycling Tom<br /><br />
ps: If your employer has a "matching gift" program, let me know and we'll work through the details with you, it's a great way to increase your help.</span> <br />
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Checks payable to Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, mail to: Thomas C. Farnam, 703 Hawkins Way, Alexandria, VA 22314Walking Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341793566285791490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2434064566345888046.post-25502579129357793582012-09-03T22:26:00.002-04:002012-09-03T22:26:58.860-04:00Walking Tom is a BAD BLOGGER<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh my goodness, my face should be very red about my failure to post to my own blog. Been having too much fun commenting on other people's blogs, posting on Facebook and other stuff. So now it's over a year later and time for catching up. Going to do this in sort of a chronological outline just to cover all the ground. Please - any questions or comments either post here or drop me a note. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">May 15, 2011 Marine Corps Marathon Relay - 6.55 mile in 1:36.06 (2d leg including "Hospital Hill")</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">June 4, 2011 Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon – 3:22.17 (Course included 2.5+ miles of unannounced gravel, not a good surface for racing flats.)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">June 19, 2011 Dash 4 Dad - 4 miler with a stop to tie a necktie - 58:07.2</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">September 10, 2011 Arlington 9-11 Memorial 5K - 42:51.3</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">September 24- October 1, 2011 Marathon di Tuscany, including short events in Florence, Lucca, Pisa, Siena, Prato. WONDERFUL trip. Lots of photos for later. Twisted knee on mountain trail last day, will tell you more about the results.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">October 16, 2011 - Nike Women's Marathon - Half Marathon in San Francisco, CA. Finished slower than hoped but finished. Right knee a bit sore but no big deal. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were scheduled to do Marine Corps 10K two weeks after Nike but after picking up bibs and shirts it was pretty clear my knee was not doing well so decided to skip the 10K. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieFSPFnq85cY3yrBbnkTx3gSETLWrdGooOuQngvJMJ2q0zbrK8gTMqwmtybT8J4SnGbTncCQAKNe6Rj81czwU3YWYAqrhAOX_F01FSImcvwF___hX9y1gTDZIr2T1akhgJULz3-lMZIA/s1600/SantaMyBike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieFSPFnq85cY3yrBbnkTx3gSETLWrdGooOuQngvJMJ2q0zbrK8gTMqwmtybT8J4SnGbTncCQAKNe6Rj81czwU3YWYAqrhAOX_F01FSImcvwF___hX9y1gTDZIr2T1akhgJULz3-lMZIA/s200/SantaMyBike.jpg" width="76" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieFSPFnq85cY3yrBbnkTx3gSETLWrdGooOuQngvJMJ2q0zbrK8gTMqwmtybT8J4SnGbTncCQAKNe6Rj81czwU3YWYAqrhAOX_F01FSImcvwF___hX9y1gTDZIr2T1akhgJULz3-lMZIA/s1600/SantaMyBike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Had been spending a lot of time with Naomi and the TNT bike team, started looking at possibly buying a new bicycle. Mentioned it to Ed Cosgrove, one of the bike coaches and he offered to loan me a bike. So, bought some special shoes & pedals (the shoes clip onto the pedals, but for reasons lost to me are called "clipless pedals"). Tried Ed's bike for a couple of weeks and it worked very nicely. End result was early Christmas present from Naomi - she paid for 1/2 of my new bike. Aluminum frame Felt Z85, Shimano 105 deraiullers & brakes, compact cassette. Decided the extra cost of carbon fiber was a waste of money until I lose 30 pounds. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During the Marathon di Tuscany we had met great folks who were living in Geneva, Switzerland (Jeff & Michelle Kinzbach with their charming daughter Katie) while Jeff worked as a Nestle brand manager. They invited us to come stay with them and ride the Cyclotour du Leman (in English - bicycle tour around Lake Geneva). A once in a lifetime offer which we gleefully accepted. OK, how to get my 1945 model boby ready for this 120 mile ride? Team in Training was starting training for their "Summer Season"in January, so we arranged to join the Team even though we were not planning to ride with them (they were training for Lake Tahoe or Fletcher Flyer rides in May). </span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All was progressing nicely - had worked up to a 62 mile training ride but then only nine miles into the ride my right knee said NOOO! ! Made arrangements to see an orthopaedic surgeon. That "twisted knee" from Tuscany turned out to be "torn lateral meniscus" - repairable with arthroscopic surgery but not going away without help. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Good news is the surgery was done May 22, it is now September 3 a nd the cycling and racewalking are going fine. Knee hurts a little but after several weeks of physical therapy it functions just fine. Have now done 53 miles in training and based on Dr. Branche's orders am NOT going to ride Moab Century this year, but will do Seagull Metric Century. Too many hills at Moab so will save it for another time. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Naomi is doing the Moab Century ride on 9/22 so I'll be going along, only doing the flat and easy 40 mile "River Portal Cruise". Then 10/6 for the Seagull Metric Century in Salisbury, MD, followed on 10/14 by San Francisco's Nike Women's Marathon Half Marathon, capped off with Marine Corps Marathon 10K on 10/28. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Time to end this "catch up session". Will come back and fill in more details but this makes me feel less guilty about directing people to my blog.</span> <br />
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Walking Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341793566285791490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2434064566345888046.post-77783237722013069512011-04-29T13:12:00.003-04:002011-04-29T14:36:50.831-04:00Back to Nike Women's Marathon<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#993399;">April 28, 2011 - learned my luck did not bring a lottery entry for the 2011 Nike Women's Half Marathon, so signed on for my 7th Nike Women's Marathon appearance with Team in Training. Have actually been there for all of the NWM events, but the first year was as "Support Crew" for Naomi's first effort doing a Marathon. Have now done five Fulls at Nike and one Half, so guess that makes me a veteran. <grin>We are going back for the eighth time to the Nike Women's Marathon - October 16, 2011, a couple of weeks after we do the </span><a href="http://www.marathondituscany.com/" target="_blank" a5_="0"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#993399;">Marathon di Tuscany</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#993399;">. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#993399;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#993399;">4 weeks earlier Naomi will be riding 100 miles with TNT in the </span></span><a href="http://skinnytireevents.com/content/section/12/30/" target="_blank" a5_="0"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#993399;">Moab Century</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#993399;"> Tour with me along as support/mechanic. After the Nike we return to Virginia, where we'll racewalk the Marine Corps Marathon 10K on October 30. The 10K uses the last 6.2 miles of the MCM course, finishing at the Iwo Jima Memorial. You may recall last year's MCM was my last full marathon. "Beat the Bridge" and finished, but enough is enough<grin></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#993399;">Again this year I am raising money for LLS, adding my efforts to the $1 Billion raised for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society since TNT was created 22 years ago. Some of that money has gone to help my friend Bob Raleigh in his battle with AML or acute myelogenous leukemia. Not long ago we were not sure about Bob's prognosis, by May of 2010 he was well enough to be back in the courtroom and now he's going strong.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#993399;">The other reason I keep doing this is a young man named Caleb Schneck, who turned 6 in February of this year (he is pictured above in the yellow "TNT gear"). He is also a leukemia survivor, having been diagnosed at age 3. Caleb is a very active boy who seems to be able to take the ongoing medical issues with amazing grace, as do his parents and family.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#993399;">Bob and Caleb are survivors instead of statistics thanks to research funded by your TNT contributions. The treatment programs both of them participate in are funded in part by the Leuekemia and Lymphoma Society, the parent of TNT. Bob's done with active treatment and is putting his life back together again, thanks to your help. Caleb's medical attention is currently more active than Bob's but his Mom says in about a year his active treatments should be complete.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#993399;">Bob and Caleb are what we at TNT call "Honored Teammate" - the ones who are fighting the blood cancers in person. Ohers involved with TNT are people like me who get out and do these endurance events because they are "fun". Yes, there is hard work involved, but when the race is finished, it's fun.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#993399;">Your contribution to this LLS fundraising is the best possible way to help support treatment for Bob, Caleb and all the others who are fighting blood cancers. We don't have a cure yet, but the survival rates are improving every year, thanks in large part to the money donated by friends of TNT. In fact Dr. Kwak, whose work has been funded by LLS, is on the 2010 Time100 list in recognition of his work with cancer vaccines.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#993399;">Please - take the time now to make a donation! By supporting my participation in Team In Training you help patients like Bob & Caleb and advance LLS's mission. Use this </span></span><a href="http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/nikesf11/tfarnam"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#993399;">link</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#993399;"> to contribute by credit card, or send a check to me in Alexandria and I'll be sure it's properly credited on the TNT records and you get a tax receipt.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#993399;">Want to join us for the MCM10K? Great way to see the fun of the MCM, and it's only 6.2 miles. Just use this </span></span><a href="http://www.marinemarathon.com/MCM_Weekend/MCM10K.htm" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#993399;">link</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#993399;"> to register, but get there soon as they limit it to 10,000 people.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#993399;">Thanks for your support! Cash goes to TNT but your friendship is priceless.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#993399;">"Walking Tom" Farnam</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#993399;"></span><br /></span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;color:#993399;">ps - Purple for this post - the TNT color, also the color of my pancreatic cancer lapel ribbon.</span>Walking Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341793566285791490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2434064566345888046.post-62931615181929234212011-04-10T11:54:00.004-04:002011-04-10T13:00:14.652-04:00Bulldog Pride & Determination<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWpUCXMKP4ewPeVYYX8fPtMrVwsF6U4rrP8yp1A51KWhKArM2PrnJW662XL-DY3RJZl9R2TKg0fLoVKuKzbJWh1-Bz1VVLUlHmiyKq-K62H5OSP4UO4zgq6X35_lHFtRSqepZEcnVrDg/s1600/National-Championship-Runner-Up-Email-Banner.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 143px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593990736439861762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWpUCXMKP4ewPeVYYX8fPtMrVwsF6U4rrP8yp1A51KWhKArM2PrnJW662XL-DY3RJZl9R2TKg0fLoVKuKzbJWh1-Bz1VVLUlHmiyKq-K62H5OSP4UO4zgq6X35_lHFtRSqepZEcnVrDg/s400/National-Championship-Runner-Up-Email-Banner.jpg" /></a> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#000099;">Yes, it says runner-up, again and we are <strong>mighty</strong> proud of our Bulldogs! Butler is the only Indiana school to ever go to the final game two years in a row, and based on a quick glance at the NCAA </span><a href="http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/ncaa-tournament/history/yearbyyear"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#000099;">history</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#000099;"> it looks like you have to go back to the late 60's/early 70's UCLA teams to find any school repeating in the final game more than two years in a row. </span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#000099;"></span><br /><div></div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#660000;">Alright, this blog is supposed to be about my racewalking, so let's return to that topic. After finishing the Marine Corps Marathon last fall, I've been doing some shorter events over the past few months. Not giving up on Half Marathons, will be doing The Virginia Wine Country Half on June 4th, which is an inaugural event. In the meantime, here's a quick list just to bring it all up to date:</span> <br /><ul><br /><li><span style="color:#660000;">November 20, 2010 Cranberry Crawl 5k – 41:04 =PR </span></li><br /><li><span style="color:#660000;">February 13, 2011 Love the Run You’re With 5K – 43:26 (bronchial asthma) </span></li><br /><li><span style="color:#660000;">February 19, 2011 GW Birthday 10K - 89:00.01 (into 50mph wind gusts on 1st half)</span></li><br /><li><span style="color:#660000;">March 12, 2011 4 Courts 4 Miler - 58:08 </span></li><br /><li><span style="color:#660000;">March 26, 2011 National Marathon ½ Marathon Relay – 5 Miles in 1:09:000 </span></li><br /><li><span style="color:#660000;">April 1, 2011 Crystal City Friday 5K #1 – about 43:22 </span></li><br /><li><span style="color:#660000;">April 8, 2011 Crystal City Friday 5K #2 – about 47:11.7in cold rain </span></li><br /><li><span style="color:#660000;">April 10, 2011 GW Parkway Classic 5K – 40.31 = PR</span></li></ul><br /><p><span style="color:#660000;"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Naomi is spending a good deal of time on the bicycle, even got herself a new Trek Madone 4.7 to go faster more easily. Neat bike, carbon fiber frame and weighs very little. My contribution to this process has been a really nice indoor </span><a href="http://www.kurtkinetic.com/road-machine-p-198-l-en.html"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">trainer</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"> which she uses with her older bike just to avoid installing and removing the new one. Also have modified the car bike rack to fit more closely with the new Trek bike. Can't say enough good things about our </span><a href="http://www.birdautomotive.com/index.html"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Bird Automotive </span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">bike rack. It took about an hour to install the first time, but just as </span><a href="http://www.birdautomotive.com/Bike%20Rack%20Audi%20A4.htm"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">advertised</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"> it's very easy to install and remove without any tools. Naomi can walk into the garage, install the rack and put the bike in place in less than 5 minutes with no tools, and you can still use the trunk of the car. Great investment, if Sam Bird makes one for your car it's worth considering. He even makes versions to carry golf bags, skis, snowboards and luggage.</span></span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Walking Tom</span></p>Walking Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341793566285791490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2434064566345888046.post-59170563134949513352011-03-29T17:54:00.005-04:002011-03-29T18:11:50.098-04:00Memories<span style="font-size:180%;color:#3366ff;"><strong>BULLDOGS</strong></span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIINLCcLO-nKGDdDnjmxXTlMiZgU7jLIFD1siDl46D3y6HmdQBTyLlKdts5-qb2UsbIX-PXI7t4WbuYEtcm2F3GSFmk1N2ooZMxccRX6of0TL_S1f0WM4fNFPT4UroTURlt10j5B2Alg/s1600/Final-4-Email-Banner.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 143px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589625042531746450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIINLCcLO-nKGDdDnjmxXTlMiZgU7jLIFD1siDl46D3y6HmdQBTyLlKdts5-qb2UsbIX-PXI7t4WbuYEtcm2F3GSFmk1N2ooZMxccRX6of0TL_S1f0WM4fNFPT4UroTURlt10j5B2Alg/s400/Final-4-Email-Banner.jpg" /></a> <br /><div><span style="color:#3366ff;">It really is fun to watch the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament when your alma mater is doing well, and when they are giving us good close games to enjoy watching. Now have my friends telling me I should be making bets in Vegas. Don't have any idea how to do that, no intent to learn but it sure is fun to see the Butler Bulldogs in the Final Four two years in a row. </span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#3366ff;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#3366ff;">Lots of fun as well to hear people talk about Butler having a good basketball team as something new. The Bulldogs have been good at the game for as long as I can remember, which is getting to be a long time since I was in the class of 1966, my sister was in the class of 1962, and my mother was in the class of 1933 (and got a Masters in Education there in the '50s). My father, my uncle, a couple of cousins also went to school there. Good place for an education, not terribly expensive "back in the day", still not expensive compared to a lot of schools. </span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#3366ff;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#3366ff;">Also been having fun recently with Facebook, seems my Noblesville High School class of 1962 has a Facebook page and is putting together a 50th reunion for next year. Hard to believe, don't feel that old but the calendar says it's true. Guess having two new lenses in my eyes to fix the cataracts maybe says something about age as well, not to mention the silver hair. </span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#3366ff;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#3366ff;">"Silver hair" brings back memories of a conversation with my sister Fran. I said my hair was silver, she looked at me and said "Brother, your hair is <strong>gray</strong>". I looked at her and said "Honey, if your hair is blond mine is silver!" End of that line of conversation. Miss her, would love to share the Butler games with her. Sure they are watching from heaven, wonder if they get cold beer?</span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#3366ff;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#3366ff;">Enough of this, need to update for this year's racewalking. No, will do that another day. For now just going to savor the memories.</span></div>Walking Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341793566285791490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2434064566345888046.post-15235162105657452332011-03-16T08:24:00.006-04:002011-03-16T08:51:03.754-04:002010 Season Completed SuccessfullyIt's been too long since my last post on this blog so let's get caught up a bit. My 2010 racewalking year is complete, and was reasonably successful. <div><div><br /><div>Thank you, on my own behalf and especially for my honored teammates Caleb and Bob. The best news is they are both doing extremely well in their battle with blood cancer. As his mother says "In a nutshell, Caleb is FABULOUS! and during this season of thanks we are truly thankful to be able to report that! We are also grateful and thankful to all of you for your continued support of our family through this very long journey. " Bob Raleigh is back actively at work, and having a great time with the lovely lady Noelle. The contributions you have made to TNT have helped!<br /></div><div> </div><div>My 2010 Marathon season was a little bit less successful than the basketball team of my alma mater. The Butler Bulldogs Men's Basketball team wound up nearly winning it all. What a wonderful series of games to watch, and think about how proud my whole family would have been. My sister, mother, father, uncle, aunt and a couple of cousins were also Butler alums, so if there was a party in heaven to watch the NCAA Basketball Finals, they were cheering loudly.<br /></div><div> </div><div>Like Butler my own fall marathon season was not quite what we hoped, but respectable finishes when all things are considered. Nike Women’s Marathon (NWM) was a Half Marathon for me this year after five years of the Full Marathon at NWM. Gee, the Half is as much fun as the full, but only half the distance. The part of the Full <a href="http://nikerunning.nike.com/nikeplus/us/v2/en_US/pdf/Nike_Womens_Marathon_2010_Course_map.pdf">course</a> not used for the Half seems to be interminable. No intent to offend SFSU alums, but the four miles of the course around Lake Merced is boring, even with the Ghirardelli chocolate at mile 22. Besides, on the Half course we got the same chocolates at mile 12.<br /></div><div> </div><div>My race went very well other than a visit by an old friend – gout. First diagnosed 15 years ago, had bothered me only occasionally for the past five years, but hit me during the NWM. If you are doing an endurance event on foot you want nothing to change your gait, and have no doubt, gout will change your gait. Still managed to finish, despite painful right ankle and leg. </div><div><br /> </div><div>About the time we finished the half the sun just plain disappeared from sight and it began raining and blowing, more reasons not to be doing the full. Naomi had finished ahead of me, and she and her sister Ruth Behling were waiting for me at the finish line. Welcome sight, to put it mildly. Collected another Tiffany sterling necklace, then headed on through the finish area to find some food, and catching up with Naomi and Ruth.<br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYvOPg-TY9t_Tw-v7sPQuc9tIa1W8nfI1GyeY4iqQK7WPVx2IyCRFARzpfi5bip3G29Kc4CsDQD47E9r87VRvSJgkDPq6U3iv2yrgDpxjaQd1364tam99QsozIWx_oVUK4_HyVf7Anpg/s1600/SDC10069.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 166px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 125px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584655597816891698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYvOPg-TY9t_Tw-v7sPQuc9tIa1W8nfI1GyeY4iqQK7WPVx2IyCRFARzpfi5bip3G29Kc4CsDQD47E9r87VRvSJgkDPq6U3iv2yrgDpxjaQd1364tam99QsozIWx_oVUK4_HyVf7Anpg/s200/SDC10069.jpg" /></a>Even in the TNT welcome tent with heaters it was windy and cold enough to make us shiver, so we left soon after we finished and got some pictures. Actually back to the hotel and in a warm shower by the time I would have finished the Full. Enjoyed lunch and a tour of <a href="http://www.sfmoma.org/">SFMOMA</a>, just around the corner from our hotel. </div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><div>We finished our west coast stay with two days in Healdsburg, Sonoma County. Wonderful small town with wineries in every direction. You can check my blog for those details, and use this<a href="http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=646557837506%3A1753051933&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharer"> link </a>to see more photos from this year's NWM trip.<br /></div><br /><div>Marine Corps Marathon is a race I've watched for the past five years, either touring with the coaches or doing the 10K to be at the finish. Since it’s done almost in our back yard, and this year was going to be two weeks after NWM instead of one, the lure of one more Full Marathon was irresistible. Having gone to Quantico Marine Base in March for the “Run to Register 10K”, my entry was guaranteed for a race which sold out - 30,000 entries plus 10,000 for the 10K.<br /></div><br /><div>MCM was not a TNT race for me, but our Fall Season TNT training included both the NWM and MCM so we all trained together, getting psyched up to "Beat the Bridge", which is MCM slang for finishing the first 20 miles of the <a href="http://www.marinemarathon.com/Assets/Maps/2010+MCM+course.pdf">course</a> within 5:15 of "gun time". After a nice tour of the Nation's Capital, we use the 14th Street Bridge to cross the Potomac. The bridge carries I-395 into the District, so can only be closed for a limited time, and if you don't Beat the Bridge you must ride to the finish in a bus, and you will not get the finisher's medal.<br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7-uVTXX_mKbasTIBTHxEp0zMXFNli0PNzeRu61dz8bx8iqBVOzfyTzgwVKoOgn5B60YHCqsE1xaYYjZtGflLFjWTZYJc2edqKY6NwtkVOP39D2p5scLd2Y3eITIJqWEjbXN8yMrbEaQ/s1600/Finisher+Medals.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 131px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 161px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584657703203554226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7-uVTXX_mKbasTIBTHxEp0zMXFNli0PNzeRu61dz8bx8iqBVOzfyTzgwVKoOgn5B60YHCqsE1xaYYjZtGflLFjWTZYJc2edqKY6NwtkVOP39D2p5scLd2Y3eITIJqWEjbXN8yMrbEaQ/s200/Finisher+Medals.jpg" /></a><br /><div>The extra challenge is presented by the size of the starting field, which takes over 1/2 an hour after gun time for the last starters to finish. Gout was going to make it very tough for me to Beat the Bridge if starting from the back, so my choice was starting from the front. Just move to the side and stay out of the way of the "gazelles" and there will be no problem. Actually worked quite nicely other than some bruises on my arms from folks passing, sure those were accidents. In any event, my approach worked well enough to earn a finisher's medal. </div><br /><div>MCM 2010 is my last full marathon, unless by some miracle I qualify for Boston or New York. Not likely so now I'm going to focus on improving my form and speed while doing Half Marathon and shorter races. Still out there, and it's still both fun and really good for me. Besides, the Half Marathon is about 99.9% as much fun as the Full, and less than half the strain on my aging body.</div><div> </div><div>Thanks for all your support. Almost reached my fundraising goal for this year, but did manage to raise nearly $4,000 to help fight blood cancers, bringing my personal total to over $40,000. Our National Capital Area TNT chapter raised over $1.5 million dollars for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in this Fall Season alone. That's part of the $1 Billion dollars raised by TNT in the past 21 years. Lots of help for patients and families. If you have not contributed and would like to do so, mail a check to my home address payable to "Leukemia and Lymphoma Society", and I'll be sure the check gets credited to my fundraising account.</div></div></div>Walking Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341793566285791490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2434064566345888046.post-79231000534050920072010-07-27T10:23:00.012-04:002010-07-27T11:13:24.096-04:00Contribution from Bob<span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#660000;">Have to step away from the usual “training report” which is overdue, and tell you about something special which happened yesterday. Opened my email to find a contribution to my TNT account from Robert Raleigh! To help you understand what a big deal that is, at this time last year Bob was moving from Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis to the rehabilitation center, where he was learning to walk again. We were all delighted with his progress, but also wondered whether he was ever going to be able to return to work as a trial attorney, his dog Charley, and all the other joys of his life.<br /><br />HE’S BAAACK! June 2, 2010 we had dinner at Trattoria Marcella, with Bob walking across Pernod<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPcA0YFnG6GRsD_6iO3O1S6DDf_KV2QvnUfEUv-oBWyUJtXuDKteJmhI9SAWqvKRwDTfgtPZUfk8g88TY30SY-bYwNWzmURdkVVeiLo-7SmIcxfMd0o6JVLB7vhHW4pp-qLPn9pcaAw/s1600/Bob_Noelle_1_062210.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 176px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 122px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498600348850619394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPcA0YFnG6GRsD_6iO3O1S6DDf_KV2QvnUfEUv-oBWyUJtXuDKteJmhI9SAWqvKRwDTfgtPZUfk8g88TY30SY-bYwNWzmURdkVVeiLo-7SmIcxfMd0o6JVLB7vhHW4pp-qLPn9pcaAw/s200/Bob_Noelle_1_062210.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-NkYCqM-wORdQDFi1kZmlWiMoSRRxFg6HHh_uE4YNMGFZIW25U_3Y6ZQrDK5pFsB-V_NJXZLLXdUGFE9pcyUgQlO3OJXT6zWycvG3NN1WPpL3T1MeNYNuta85WhMmfNMrXRqHiu07Ug/s1600/Bob_Noelle_1_062210.jpg"></a> Street into the restaurant with the lovely Noelle on his arm. No walker, no cane, just a pretty girl. What a wonderful change from less than a year before, when on July 8, 2009 he got his first “real meal” from Trattoria Marcella which I carried into Barnes Hospital for him. As you can tell from the photo, he and Noelle had a wonderful evening, and were truly a joy to watch. No offense to Bob, but she's vivacious and pretty enough to be fun for any man to watch!<br /><br />Now, about that training report. Let me assure you the heat and humidity of Washington, DC and Saint Louis, MO are essentially equal. And neither makes <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCV9dSHK53gm9lI4oafm8SqeRUj8XjM3O2P_R-u2FELPjQi6GVe_l6R4EyTIVEbVxB-Bx8nquepyYxYRAdscnOfPr2E04w8dNCm04s1OryVMguBtNVobc1AtgWDxbvhFNVF3iu8rRSuw/s1600/IMG00085-20100722-0658.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 138px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 136px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498601141165543202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCV9dSHK53gm9lI4oafm8SqeRUj8XjM3O2P_R-u2FELPjQi6GVe_l6R4EyTIVEbVxB-Bx8nquepyYxYRAdscnOfPr2E04w8dNCm04s1OryVMguBtNVobc1AtgWDxbvhFNVF3iu8rRSuw/s200/IMG00085-20100722-0658.jpg" /></a>training more pleasant. One must search for small bright spots in the process, such as this scene along the Mt. Vernon Trail near our home in Alexandria. By the same token, last Saturday morning on the W&OD trail near Vienna, VA was so hot we actually cut our routine a bit short. Scheduled for 10 miles, we stopped after 8 with temp above 90 and humidity close behind the sun became too much to tolerate. That was at 9:00am! My training times are on target, but my heart rate was above 150 for virtually all the 8th mile, and it just was not worth the risk to continue for two more miles of training. Did get back out on Sunday for a couple of miles. </span></span><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#660000;">Our projected schedule of fall events is changing a bit due to my scheduled cataract surgery for the right eye, which will be done September 9 by my god friend and fine surgeon Frank Catanzaro in St. Louis. That means we'll miss the Wilson Bridge Inaugural Half Marathon as competitors, serving as volunteers instead. While it might be OK for me to do the 1/2, it seems a bit risky signing up for that level of exertion only 10 days after eye surgery. BTW, the left eye is working just great after the February cataract operation, so I'm really looking forward to having clear vision in both eyes again. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#660000;">Naomi is not training with the racewalking team this year, instead is off on her bicycle each Saturday as she trains for the “Seagull Century”, a 100 mile bike ride in Salisbury, Maryland on October 9. The month of October is going to be very busy for the two of us - 10/9 is Seagull Century, 10/17 in San Francisco for Nike Women’s ½ Marathon, 10/24 Naomi does the Army 10 Miler, 10/31 I’m doing 26.2 miles of Marine Corps Marathon while she does the MCM 10K. We don’t expect to be very active the first week of November.</span> </span></p>Walking Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341793566285791490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2434064566345888046.post-83589483993132318892010-04-24T10:45:00.003-04:002011-01-17T06:29:20.236-05:002010 EventsHaving done a couple of short (5K events) since the <a href="http://www.cimcruise.com/">CIMC</a>, and realizing it's been far too long since this blog was updated, thought I could at least post a list of the events Naomi and I have planned for the rest of this year. Must say the Easter weekend "short event" had an extra element of fun, as my daughter Rachel and her daughter Katie got to run one of the <a href="http://www.crystalrun5kfridays.com/">Crystal Run 5k Friday</a> races with me. They were faster, but we all had a great time.<br /><br />Oh, and besides the short events I went down to Quantico, VA for the Marine Corps "<a href="http://www.marinecorpshistorichalf.com/Left_Nav/MCM_Event_Series_460/Run_To_Register_10K.htm">Run to Register 10K</a>" on March 27th. Did not get a medal, but did get a guaranteed entry for the <a href="http://www.marinemarathon.com/">Marine Corps Marathon </a>on October 31st. Having decided five Nike Full Marathons was enough, and with the schedule changed so there are two weeks between Nike and MCM, this looks like a great year to do the big event in our backyard and I'll be training to "Make the Bridge". Will be doing the 1/2 Marathon at Nike with TNT (get ready for fundraising appeals), then MCM on my own.<br /><br />For those not familiar with "MCM slang", "the Bridge" is the 14th St bridge across the Potomac, which as a major highway bridge (I-395 & US 1) can only be kept closed for a limited time. That means if you don't get to mile 20 in 5 hours, you will be "swept off the course" and taken to the finish in a bus. No challenge for the 20-something runners, a little bit of a workout for some of us older folks.<br /><br />Most of the shorter events are put on by <a href="http://www.runpacers.com/">Pacers </a>(we are both having fun serving as "Pacers Ambassadors") for which we may be volunteers or may be doing the events. We have not yet registered for the Wilson Bridge Inaugural or Run To Victory, have to see how other things work out. Otherwise, this will give you a good idea of our future races.<br /><br />TCF & NMM 2010 Events - both doing these except as noted:<br /><br />4/25 - GW ParkwayClassic - 10 miler <a href="http://www.gwparkwayclassic.com/">http://www.gwparkwayclassic.com/</a><br />5/2 - Brain Tumor 5K "Race for Hope" (Freedom Plaza - Naomi's trainer's benefit)<br />5/5 - Great Strides (NMM says a simple after-work slow walk)<br />5/9 - Pacer's Mother Day "Running Festival" NMM-1/2M TCF-1/4M <a href="http://www.pacersrunningfestival.com/">http://www.pacersrunningfestival.com/</a><br />5/16- <a href="http://www.marinecorpshistorichalf.com/">Marine Corps Half </a>in Fredericksburg (TCF only)<br />6/6 - Zooma Annapolis 1/2M (TCF might back off to 10K, see how it feels after MCHalf) <a href="http://races.zoomarun.com/annapolis/race_details.php">http://races.zoomarun.com/annapolis/race_details.php</a><br />6/19 - Pan-Can "<a href="http://pancan.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=335424">Purple Stride DC</a>" - Freedom Plaza (Naomi part of organizing team, with both of us having lost family members to pancreatic cancer, this has lots of meaning)<br />7/3 - Independence Day 5000 - Fairfax <a href="http://www.independence5000.com/">http://www.independence5000.com/</a><br />7/24 - Crystal City Twilighter 5K <a href="http://www.crystalcitytwilighter.com/">http://www.crystalcitytwilighter.com/</a><br />8/28-29 24 Hours of Booty bicycle ride (NMM, maybe TCF) <a href="http://www.24hoursofbooty.org/site/PageServer">http://www.24hoursofbooty.org/site/PageServer</a><br />9/19 - Wilson Bridge inaugural 1/2 M - <a href="http://www.wilsonbridgehalf.com/">http://www.wilsonbridgehalf.com/</a><br />9/25 - Clarendon Day 10K <a href="http://www.clarendondayrun.com/">http://www.clarendondayrun.com/</a><br />10/9 - <a href="http://www.seagullcentury.org/">Seagull Century</a> bicycle ride (NMM riding for TNT) TCF as mechanic<br />10/17 - Nike 1/2 M (TCF & NMM)<br />10/24 - Army 10-Miler (NMM)<br />10/31 - Marine Corps Marathon (TCF) & 10K (NMM)<br />12/12- Run to Victory <a href="http://www.runtovictory.org/details.html">http://www.runtovictory.org/details.html</a><br /><br />See you on the trails - that's where we'll be spending a <strong>lot</strong> of time.Walking Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341793566285791490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2434064566345888046.post-56907684113774764482010-02-22T18:09:00.012-05:002010-02-25T20:59:34.820-05:00Caribbean Islands Marathon Cruise 2010<span style="color:#3366ff;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;">Caribbean Islands Marathon Cruise<br />2/6 to 2/13/2010 - Tom Farnam’s Journal</span> </span><br /><div align="justify"><span style="color:#3366ff;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Many more photos can be seen in this </span><a href="http://adobe.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=d4oq73e.35k7lt9m&x=0&y=-6dtdbv&localeid=en_US"><span style="font-size:85%;">Kodak Gallery</span></a><br /></span><br /><span style="color:#660000;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQRr6SYEdnPSg0_8ugNCikkgz0TD6g2Y_4W3Kd9y1CLO1ZMnzOlqlS0zRMFoRJnllXIwJQw2UUVho0Ai5SQB5kyPwjLsSFbaAN4OD3AdG11Yzwd4SDYAJxCW7tPzdYdsDu6MKdS1UVWQ/s1600-h/IMG00012-20100210-1033.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 102px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 126px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441536726279109938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQRr6SYEdnPSg0_8ugNCikkgz0TD6g2Y_4W3Kd9y1CLO1ZMnzOlqlS0zRMFoRJnllXIwJQw2UUVho0Ai5SQB5kyPwjLsSFbaAN4OD3AdG11Yzwd4SDYAJxCW7tPzdYdsDu6MKdS1UVWQ/s200/IMG00012-20100210-1033.jpg" /></a>This saga begins in August of 2009, when Naomi sent me an email with the subject “Birthday Idea” reading:</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">“Any interest in doing John's Caribbean Cruise for your birthday? Interesting way to put new skills from Dave's clinic to play! Let me know and I'll register us - early birthday present?”</span> <span style="color:#660000;">Lest you think Naomi does not plan ahead, this was 6 months and two days before my 65th birthday.<br /><br />Duly registered for the trip, in October 2009 I made reservations on Spirit Airlines for a non-stop flight from Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA) to Fort Lauderdale International Airport (FLL) to arrive FLL at 12:30 on 2/6/10, giving us plenty of time to get to our cruise ship.<br /><br />On 2/2/10 Naomi sent me an email about the snow storm expected to hit the DC area on Friday the 5th, suggesting we change the flight to 2/5. Found Spirit had a 4:40 departure on Friday, so we booked it, then contacted our friends Russ and Betty Gaudreau, who had asked us to come stay with them on our way through Ft. Lauderdale. They confirmed their generous offer was still open, and we planned to join them for dinner and the night of the 5th. By Wednesday afternoon (2/3/10) the storm prediction was getting more severe, and we started talking about changing our flight to Friday morning, but Naomi needed to be in the office on Friday. (There had been a lot of turmoil in her office that week, and as VP of HR she needed to be present.)<br /><br />I flew into DCA on 2/4, then took the train to Baltimore for some IRS meetings going on there on the 4th and 5th. En route to Baltimore I had an email exchange with Naomi about whether we should try to leave earlier on the 5th. Her office was going to follow federal “liberal leave policy” that morning and close at Noon, so she felt she could be away after all. By the time I got to Baltimore and was able to get online at 4:45pm on the 4th, the earlier flights on Spirit were no longer available. By the time I got home that evening, there were no alternatives to get out of DCA on the 5th, on any airline. No matter, we were going on this trip, both because of my birthday and because she’d had several tough weeks in the office and needed to get away.<br /><br /><strong>Friday the 5th</strong> we arose at home to a gray and lowering sky, which actually smelled like a storm. The TV news was telling us Amtrak was closed and it was not looking good at any DC area airports. By the time we got in a cab at Noon, the first scattered flakes were beginning to fall. At DCA there was no one at the Spirit counter, so we waited. 30 minutes later, still no one and I got on the phone with their reservations department. After finally getting a connection to a supervisor, the story became there would not be anyone from Spirit at the airport, all their flights were canceled and the staff had gone home. As Naomi listened to my end of the conversation, she got on the phone with US Air and found a flight out of Charlotte at 8:00am on 2/6 which would get us to FLL by 10:00am. We left the Spirit counter, got my laptop going to reserve the US Air flight while she called Hertz for a rental car.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfCe3884013MCTS9lNGsnleOFcwjvLRphjGV7meX_wvR_ma1mNP8vWAZ2X7p4KqsVu1m7fhW8ccYUov6zTPvyQduy7qyR-m8lPfkIYUZaAZgkFf-q3n22OuM4ZEaMv8qaRO02yYNHjg/s1600-h/IMG00004-20100205-1555.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 246px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 178px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441531336975647186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfCe3884013MCTS9lNGsnleOFcwjvLRphjGV7meX_wvR_ma1mNP8vWAZ2X7p4KqsVu1m7fhW8ccYUov6zTPvyQduy7qyR-m8lPfkIYUZaAZgkFf-q3n22OuM4ZEaMv8qaRO02yYNHjg/s320/IMG00004-20100205-1555.jpg" /></a>By 2:00pm on 2/5 we were in a Toyota Camry headed through the snowstorm to Charlotte. Naomi drove the first leg in the “daylight”, through snow and sleet. Dave Morales had been called and was online giving us traffic and weather projections as we headed out of town. Tom sat there sending emails to friends and family about our situation, one of whom said<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"> "Amazing how you managed to find a solution without sitting in the air port whining...".</span></span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><grin></span>The snow/sleet/freezing rain continued until we were south of Richmond, but by the time we got to Peterburg it was rain, which continued all the way to Charlotte. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvach-p0Eji4KbmVpIyHihgy3Sq0I8dM2kJIM46Jj3kGVBotv22T9v4IA6ktqV9odqAPEnCowX8Ku5fOnvn2iQ7gbPHthZGcjJTv0Kntn4WhKg4Er_W4qtqWqXK-4fx9TByRctwVzekg/s1600-h/IMG00005-20100205-2214.jpg"></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjvFFxEEj4owBWMcTeESdin-eNXivzyTakcihe9XvQ1vR0yiVqiLUnJOkFis7XTEPhQTnjwNZyYafhX74yU-OQL_FqrG3KOu2f4z6kBLuYBLd-ei9E5g5STv35hqS5RZrKUdwKFb3sYw/s1600-h/IMG00005-20100205-2214.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 92px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 98px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441532359399629666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjvFFxEEj4owBWMcTeESdin-eNXivzyTakcihe9XvQ1vR0yiVqiLUnJOkFis7XTEPhQTnjwNZyYafhX74yU-OQL_FqrG3KOu2f4z6kBLuYBLd-ei9E5g5STv35hqS5RZrKUdwKFb3sYw/s320/IMG00005-20100205-2214.jpg" /></a>Only a bit the worse for wear, in Charlotte we first found the Hertz return location, thanks to the “free” GPS unit in the Camry, then doubled back to a hotel we passed on the way there. Actually caught about six hours of sleep after a coach’s nightmare of a pre-race meal - generic cheese puffs, beer, beef stick and Cadbury crème eggs.<br /><br /><strong>5:30am on Saturday 2/6/10</strong> we were on our way back to the Hertz counter, reaching the airport on their shuttle by about 6:00am. Must say US Air was doing a great job of dealing with a full Charlotte terminal, with “all hands on deck” at the ticket counters to deal with the extra load from flights canceled the day before. Our flight departed on time with every seat filled, many of the occupants wearing Saints or Colts jerseys, hats and other paraphernalia as they headed to the Super Bowl in Miami.<br /><br />Betty and Russ Gaudreau picked us up at the airport, then gave us a brief tour of Ft. Lauderdale before taking us to lunch at a lovely beach club near their condo. Lunch completed, we went off to the Cruise Ship Terminal. Betty was forced to get out of the car at the gate because she had neglected to bring the photo ID required by TSA rules for anyone entering the Terminal. Actually boarding the Eurodam was smooth as good Dutch chocolate.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFsbctQEBpE-S947t8SejFHqnXdr_7ldo2udPYVjeIl_CWvAxXOGg47CW_TrEH4sPHYZ9Ou8ddjBOR7YC288fc7YVUQuC2FpAaAMOVfQFEfkI44hvbv_KOEb4EYoHjSBzXdZOQ3sNi3w/s1600-h/CIMC+logo+n280168448582_7985.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 158px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 111px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441543087994968114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFsbctQEBpE-S947t8SejFHqnXdr_7ldo2udPYVjeIl_CWvAxXOGg47CW_TrEH4sPHYZ9Ou8ddjBOR7YC288fc7YVUQuC2FpAaAMOVfQFEfkI44hvbv_KOEb4EYoHjSBzXdZOQ3sNi3w/s320/CIMC+logo+n280168448582_7985.jpg" /></a>Found John Bingham & Jenny Hadfield, along with our cruise companions. 61 had made it, there were two couples who were not as lucky as we at making emergency changes. (They were from Pennsylvania, wound up catching up with us in San Juan, one of the options we considered.) Dinner on the Eurodam, a nightcap in the Crow’s Nest bar, and early to bed.<br /><br /><strong>Sunday the 7th</strong> we met for a “pre-race briefing” at 7:00am, then off to the Promenade Deck where we had special permission for those of our group so inclined to run on the deck, which has large signs posted forbidding that activity. Three miles on the Promenade deck required 9 laps, and we were eligible for prizes if we were able to finish within plus or minus 15 seconds of the time we predicted for ourselves. Tom was 6.3 seconds faster than his predicted time, Naomi was 1.5 minutes faster than her forecast (and a lot faster than Tom).<br /><br />The balance of Sunday was spent in a very low key and easy-going day. The evening wound up with us watching part of the Super Bowl via ESPN satellite link to the ship. They even put the “Ship’s Theater” to work as a projection room - talk about a big screen. Fortunately it was also on the TV set in our stateroom, so we retired with the sleep timer set. Actually wound up staying awake for the finish, which meant it was quite a game since neither of us is a big football fan.<br /><br /><strong>Monday the 8th</strong> - another mandatory pre-race briefing at 7:00am as we had breakfast, followed by debarkation on Grand Turk about 8:00am. John and Jenny had arranged for us to be the first ones off the ship, even ahead of the dedicated shoppers. A set of Toyota buses were waiting to take us out to the Lighthouse, on the far end of the island from the cruise terminal. (These buses were the same type we rode on in Bhutan & Nepal, clearly a very functional vehicle.)<br /><br />What a wonderful way to really see an island! There is not much elevation change on Grand<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9YH2c5YvbY5kKVRMFgTCYhowXCh0LjXPHwT5rGimdytRLgjyNfPWAo-A3RUEnuxN2niFeG8w5TIA3MhqsWIQ09bxMsZOfUMipPYkPa-Asy8PSqGqrpjf5G_UIFBjad7OjRsXPoAYkYQ/s1600-h/IMG_3034.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 147px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 211px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441213436095399730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9YH2c5YvbY5kKVRMFgTCYhowXCh0LjXPHwT5rGimdytRLgjyNfPWAo-A3RUEnuxN2niFeG8w5TIA3MhqsWIQ09bxMsZOfUMipPYkPa-Asy8PSqGqrpjf5G_UIFBjad7OjRsXPoAYkYQ/s320/IMG_3034.jpg" /></a> Turk (about 90 feet), and they really got hit hard by hurricane Ike in 2008, but it’s a lovely place. Sort of glad we got there this year, they are about to construct a 600 room resort hotel (about 10 times the number of rooms now available) which is sure to make big changes in the island. The only reason it’s not already under construction is their need to finish building the new hospital to replace the one destroyed by Ike. We went from the lighthouse on the north end of the island, through Cockburn Town then back to the cruise terminal, about 8 miles and 2 hours, really interesting to see the island up close. We even had a water stop - two local ladies with water bottles in their car who met us at least twice - plus police protection including our own motorcycle escort and ambulance that cruised back and forth along the road.<br /><br />Back on board the Eurodam for some relaxation before dinner followed by a drink in the “Crow’s Nest”, the very classy lounge on the top deck at the very front of the ship. Not too late though, we have another “stage” of the Marathon the next day in San Juan.<br /><br /><strong>Tuesday the 9th</strong> we get a leisurely start with time for breakfast before our “Mandatory Pre-Race Briefing” at 11:00, then time to watch the ship come into the harbor at San Juan, which is a lovely sight. Once again our group is allowed to be off the ship even ahead of the shoppers (some of whom seemed a bit irritated) and off we go on a “Great Race” tour of Viejo San Juan. Jenny had put together maps and clues describing nine locations we were to find, then take a picture at each of them. Of course, she did a masterful job of giving us a complete tour of Old San Juan as we completed the course, most of us completely ignoring our watches/times and just having fun seeing the city.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpFV4t0gsUGCz5NLKIMFMl6Ugp1rD0HCNG6y3Xp3JC7CH0nMMdiY35wLzqUPQKONwPf5PoSyTZz2qfW_33n11yT5E77Vd_Fro84O1J1zZxh5Rpo_38BXCC4VaU1TGGIz4uxA3E2dOlLQ/s1600-h/IMG_3133.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 131px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 158px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441539852600422162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpFV4t0gsUGCz5NLKIMFMl6Ugp1rD0HCNG6y3Xp3JC7CH0nMMdiY35wLzqUPQKONwPf5PoSyTZz2qfW_33n11yT5E77Vd_Fro84O1J1zZxh5Rpo_38BXCC4VaU1TGGIz4uxA3E2dOlLQ/s200/IMG_3133.JPG" /></a>One of our personal stops along the way back to the ship was a spice shop (great gifts) where we asked the clerk if she had a restaurant suggestion for good “local food”. She did indeed, and since the ship was not departing until 10:30, John, Jenny and eight others decided to join us. It took about a half mile walk back up the hill into the old town to find La Fonda del Jibarito, http://www.eljibaritopr.com/ but the end result was an outstanding meal at a very reasonable price. Plantain tamales with pork filling, cassava root, little salad and a “tres leches” (three milk) cake. Good local beer, some hot sauce which brought tears to our eyes (even a Penguin who claimed no sauce is too hot) and a fun evening.<br /><br /><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiycLVdM9B0OlFjyhjvGW5PNM1cdpM8cFenv3hPpQ_CPfIcl5rWXFljxkuR5cAXe5ALhzgg5tAgcWNmPhdx0XeOXK45Subi1VPI2V0OKar5rBmXV5LFflpG7NDwFojEUbKF_gnEvZKdZw/s1600-h/IMG_3178.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 175px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 128px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441212378148803730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiycLVdM9B0OlFjyhjvGW5PNM1cdpM8cFenv3hPpQ_CPfIcl5rWXFljxkuR5cAXe5ALhzgg5tAgcWNmPhdx0XeOXK45Subi1VPI2V0OKar5rBmXV5LFflpG7NDwFojEUbKF_gnEvZKdZw/s200/IMG_3178.jpg" /></a>Wednesday the 10th</strong> we awakened looking at St. Thomas, USVI. Up early for 7:00am briefing, then down to the gangway to be the first ones off the ship. Clamber aboard local jitneys for a drive to Magen’s Bay, where we gather on the beach for instructions from Jenny. She takes off ahead of us (chalk in hand to be sure our course is marked) as we go up the hills. Highest point on our tour was Peterborg Point, which is about 400 feet above the ocean, and it felt like it was uphill both ways. But oh my goodness what views, as the road ran along the spine of the island with lovely homes on both sides overlooking the ocean. Not to mention flowering cactii, bougainvillea, and other lovely foliage. Once again while others were just getting started on their shopping we got to really see the island.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWaqyHzzRwO5YeTYya5yoa7nez8zH8LvVDrwKNwtMa4jVE75jsAZ3bA1JFIs42qmm1VfaHpqMMIu48IOVqvISIy2pSmdcj1SC5Feb6fAgM2p357VHvlo0tlYHaVb0KoyKkKXl1TDFGBw/s1600-h/IMG00014-20100210-1211.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 113px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 139px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441535345023189874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWaqyHzzRwO5YeTYya5yoa7nez8zH8LvVDrwKNwtMa4jVE75jsAZ3bA1JFIs42qmm1VfaHpqMMIu48IOVqvISIy2pSmdcj1SC5Feb6fAgM2p357VHvlo0tlYHaVb0KoyKkKXl1TDFGBw/s320/IMG00014-20100210-1211.jpg" /></a>Finished the 6ish mile loop back on the beach, and even though it was not yet Noon, the cold beer was too inviting to pass up (a Margarita for Naomi to carry into the surf). Buses back to Charlotte Amelie, some shopping and then lunch at “Cuzzin’s”, which makes a really nifty rum punch, along with some great conch in creole sauce.<br /><br />After shopping long enough to locate some studs for my formal shirt (the ones I brought were falling out of the buttonholes) and a gold penguin charm, Naomi caught a cab back to the ship while I searched for a “jump ring” to attach the new penguin to her racing charm bracelet. Found the jump ring, then wound up walking an extra 1½ miles back to the ship. No problem, “no hurry mon”, interesting view of the town. After dinner that evening Naomi retired but I decided to try my hand at karaoke, just for fun, and was invited to the “finals”. <grin><br /><br /><strong>Thursday the 11th</strong> we are at sea all day, so no “run briefing”, only a stretch and core exercise session on the top of the ship led by Coach Jenny. The rest of the day was “take it easy” time, which cost Naomi a sun burn. Seems that after using loads of sunscreen on the islands she thought it would be OK to simply sit in a deck chair on the top deck without covering. It worked out fine, she was wearing a blue dress that night and was very patriotic. Made a lovely contrast with my white dinner jacket, about which I got several compliments from people who saw me in the karaoke finals before dinner.<br /><br /><strong>Friday the 12th,</strong> another 7:00am run briefing, then we were on the first tender when the ship anchored off Half Moon Cay. Based on John & Jenny’s visit a year ago the folks from Holland America had marked out a “running trail” of about 2.6 miles, covering most of the island. (The GPS unit on my Garmin said the island was named “Little Solomon’s Island, maybe Holland America changed the name when they took ownership.) Fun event, followed up with an hour or so in a “clamshell” on the beach to keep out of the sun.<br /><br />Back on board the Eurodam, ready to depart, but there was a problem. The anchor chain had “fouled” and could not be pulled up into the ship. This meant we had some 400 feet of chain/cable/anchor hanging from the ship, which made it impossible to even consider going back to Florida. They finally resolved the issue by cutting the anchor chain, letting it drop into the relatively shallow waters off Bermuda, so it would only cost about $300,000 to recover and reinstall it instead of paying $600,000 for a replacement. My suspicion is someone’s career at HAL will go less well due to the incident, but we may never know.<br /><br />We do know the ship was delayed several hours getting back to Ft. Lauderdale, so we had to revise our travel arrangements for the return to DCA. Finally wound up on an American Airlines flight from Miami to DCA, and since I fly AA almost every week we were able to upgrade to 1st and have a very relaxed supper flight home. Arrived home about four hours later than originally scheduled to find huge snowbanks along the nicely plowed streets in our subdivision. Thanks to our friend Nicole Harris who had been staying with Princess and Pinky, the driveway and stairs were even cleared.<br /><br />What a trip, and now home to sleep in our own bed, celebrating my 65th by falling asleep in the arms of my lovely and thoughtful wife. If only the room would stop moving, which it finally did a couple of days later as our inner ears realized we were back on dry land to stay.<br /><br /><strong>Did we enjoy it?</strong> ABSOLUTELY A BLAST! So much fun we have seriously discussed whether we could manage the Great Alaska Maritime Marathon with John & Jenny in July. Another week on ship - up the Windward Passage to Alaska. Might not be able to make that trip this year but both of us are really high on doing another trip with John & Jenny in the future.<br /><br /><em>Favorite event:</em> Magen’s Bay. After those hills, we’d like to think we don’t have to train hills at all leading up to Nike in San Francisco. Nice in theory, but we know better.<br /><br /><em>Most fun & educational event:</em> the Great Race across Old San Juan.<br /><br /><em>Most revealing event:</em> Grand Turk, an island in recovery. </span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="color:#660000;"></span></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify">ps Cataract Surgery<br /><br />Some of you, including those who were on the CIMC outing, may have heard I was scheduled for <a href="http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/cataracts.htm">cataract</a> surgery soon after the cruise. It’s now done, and even one day “post op” it seems to have been a complete success. My friend, ophthalmologist since 1989 and surgeon (Frank J. Catanzaro, Jr. MD FACS of St. Louis) did the work, and after examining me the next morning said all looks good. I can honestly say there was no pain, even though I was conscious for the procedure.<br /><br />It was interesting to see the shadows of the tools Frank was using inside my eye. Nothing visible in the usual sense as it was all behind the lens. Doing several kinds of eye drops for a few days to ward off infections and such, but no pain from those either. Will be going back to Dr. Frank next week, then again in a couple of weeks for new prescription measurements. We selected a fixed lens for distance vision so reading glasses will still be needed for the left eye, with full prescription for the right. Of course we fully expect to be doing comparable surgery in the right eye in the future when the cataract forming there gets denser.<br /><br />Dr. Frank says the cataracts are more or less to be expected,with age but can be slowed down a lot if you wear your sunglasses – the biggest factor is UV radiation. I wonder if many years spent in fluorescent-lit offices are a factor, but it does not really matter. I do recall my mother had cataracts removed 35 or more years ago before the lens implant technology was not available so she wound up with “pop bottle bottom” glasses. Implants are much better.<br /><br />Most fun was going to dinner last night at Trattoria Marcella, my favorite restaurant in the world. It’s always a great meal, but the large YES on my forehead made for lots of fun conversations with Chef Steve Komorek, brother and maitre ‘d Jamie Komorek, and the staff. Having Brian Stujenske there to celebrate his birthday and mine (9 days apart) and be my driver made it even better.<br /></div><div align="justify"><br />See you soon – better than ever! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPgOyF0Ebyj3TRLN5XrpfBld9fFkQmde_rAOJfymrQJhYWKHd5v6Rzmt3uIaqvdBdOfdSZvakVS9z63k8Qgr3G-6Ij6F08iPlnjkWDBXQzayRdCCQRiMYTdMKqfNrUpYi3Iqjutj2KA/s1600-h/IMG00020-20100224-1411.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442364409032605506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPgOyF0Ebyj3TRLN5XrpfBld9fFkQmde_rAOJfymrQJhYWKHd5v6Rzmt3uIaqvdBdOfdSZvakVS9z63k8Qgr3G-6Ij6F08iPlnjkWDBXQzayRdCCQRiMYTdMKqfNrUpYi3Iqjutj2KA/s320/IMG00020-20100224-1411.jpg" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div>Walking Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341793566285791490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2434064566345888046.post-65810634357426007032009-10-27T17:54:00.004-04:002009-10-28T08:45:56.277-04:00Marine Corps Marathon 10K<div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#660000;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4Gs1LIfQ1jHSmvvd7AoQzHDYzWmbBMr_m_FLA2rzvcj5Ph0d2ypKEINZ_NusZmmL90171PHGa4eIUNr6sW_cVz5PVGZjg0BS9fPZ7y5z5GlU5f5ekv8rpwp8dd7u2Ehy2TfQsrMiVA/s1600-h/IMG_0331.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Nr8a3jYt1Xw9ZApWlZNx3Ldf-Po12rY-zA7gdQGpT4oQ8UcS6N4j7hZyCpCXirmyoH7mFOyGpthLlaDed_HUzXuzdRoFhZ-Lcdar4C3_iRNdxPt1ECDvDhTB-2udBxpiarj8gGH_6A/s1600-h/MCM10Kstart.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397625501499559906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Nr8a3jYt1Xw9ZApWlZNx3Ldf-Po12rY-zA7gdQGpT4oQ8UcS6N4j7hZyCpCXirmyoH7mFOyGpthLlaDed_HUzXuzdRoFhZ-Lcdar4C3_iRNdxPt1ECDvDhTB-2udBxpiarj8gGH_6A/s200/MCM10Kstart.jpg" /></a>October 25, 2009 was a "faith restored" sort of day - did the 10K at the Marine Corps Marathon in a Personal Record time. 1:25:04 may not seem fast if you are a runner, to this racewalker it felt good.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#660000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#660000;">It also means I can consider last weekend's Nike as a small stumble in my progress. Now it's time to rest a bit, then prepare for a five day "World Class Racewalking Camp", in an effort to learn how to do this better. Having a t-shirt made up that reads like this:</span><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#009900;">Front</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#3333ff;">Faster than I used to be</span><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#3333ff;">Slower than I want to be</span><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">Still trying</span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#33cc00;">Back</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">You Are </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">Following a</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">Racewalker</span></div><br /><br /><div align="left"></div></div>Walking Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341793566285791490noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2434064566345888046.post-80333128364150453672009-10-20T22:45:00.009-04:002009-11-04T09:59:44.090-05:00Nike Full Marathon 10/18/2009<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWkZjjUu_0oMPw2ZuyyBwKOoCIgCnSt6WqO8GFgJtV2tldcPwzPqdkuPQFQ8eW_jy_TmNSai5cS5h7IH7ZzPc19hUXcBiU7pF1EjCu7cTlPfm5S4igb3x7mBwCBjXl5m0xxJJfoiAmw/s1600-h/MVI_3114_0001.jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#660000;">Even though my finishing time in my last Nike Full Marathon was 30 minutes slower than I had hoped for, it was a good weekend, good day and good race. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#660000;">I learned several things, among them there are some bodily functions one cannot completely control/predict, and that having black bean soup for lunch Friday, followed by risotto for dinner, then tamales with frijoles refritos on Saturday morning, chili for lunch, and pasta dinner may create a problem. <span style="font-size:100%;">(As John Bingham said in a post-race conversation - "<strong>Tom</strong>, you are <strong>not </strong>in your twenties any more, you can't eat like that".)</span> So as you could see from a detailed mileage chart, my time for mile 3 is over 10 minutes too long. Fortunately, there is a McDonalds at that point on the course, which made cleaning up a lot easier than a "blue room" or porta-john, but it was still unpleasant and time consuming.</span> </div><div><br /> </div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#660000;">About two hours after what we can call the "frijoles incident" another "Nike first" occured for me - got a short video clip shot by our friend John Park. Not sure exactly where this was taken but think it was about mile 12 or so based on the traffic. As you can see by then I was just having fun and doing the race.</span></div><div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='317' height='252' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxuxzp-IqM1-9b8143Euc8_UPQUo0jwxhMc7M8N96NCeeR1WMidsiRC5_RZta55LlDFo3F7B1saIGXxIZqnYA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#660000;">In the cold light of the days after the race, it looks like a personal record might have still been possible if I'd made up a lot of time in the next 12 <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBlvtdrFOrc4n-wm0X8sNgzccwjESpFULPJSeJa8RvzJYfKRFLzUc-R7N91vh0setA5xoMy00B_WcLJHrtKttFwgd_5HrLBVHJpc0BloKMxKg0JoJgeWR53Irqbl771nXi9xMwu25bfg/s1600-h/MVI_3114_0001.jpg"></a>miles or so, but that did not happen, so the PR did not happen. I realized there was not going to be a PR by about mile 12, and sort of "cruised" from there to the finish. The good news is I'm OK with that, having decided before the start that my goal was to complete five Nike Full Marathons before my 65th birthday, and that has been accomplished. There will not be another Nike Full for me in the future, I've met my goal. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#660000;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPHRwldfl4CfuuOixpTD_v-KTMgo5YsBaatPacHjgbGiryIC_6pAwudNLIKBl7bIIERXDI9usgWsh13ybZz1YUHN_mXZjaDDKvg1b8fVlZfLMXKdgB0zKuHhqKNYX6W6-L4fzRpB8Cg/s1600-h/NikeFinish2009.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 178px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 236px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398066200983889794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPHRwldfl4CfuuOixpTD_v-KTMgo5YsBaatPacHjgbGiryIC_6pAwudNLIKBl7bIIERXDI9usgWsh13ybZz1YUHN_mXZjaDDKvg1b8fVlZfLMXKdgB0zKuHhqKNYX6W6-L4fzRpB8Cg/s200/NikeFinish2009.jpg" /></a><strong>Not</strong> giving up racewalking, going off to a five day Dave McGovern training camp in November. Simply have concluded that the Half Marathon is just as much fun and a lot less taxing on the body.If nothing else doing the Half at next year's Nike will give me the chance to try keeping up with my beautiful wife (who set her own PR doing the Half Marathon this year) and see how the first five or six miles of the course look in the daylight. (I've started at 5:30 each year, so it's not daytime until about six miles into the event.)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#660000;"></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#660000;">Thanks for all your support! Be watching for reports from the Marine Corps Marathon 10K (we do it as a recovery walk) and the racewalking camp. Following those is a "Turkey Trot" with our granddaughter, and the Carribean Cruise Marathon with John Bingham in February, which ends on 2/13/2010, my 65th birthday.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="color:#660000;">If you are curious about detailed results from Nike, go to</span> <a href="http://raceresults.eternaltiming.com/index.cfm/20091018_Nike_Womens_Marathon.htm">http://raceresults.eternaltiming.com/index.cfm/20091018_Nike_Womens_Marathon.htm</a></span></div>Walking Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341793566285791490noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2434064566345888046.post-18459541232313516342009-10-20T22:26:00.003-04:002009-10-20T22:36:04.035-04:002009 Marathon des Deux-Rives Levis/Quebec Demi-Marathon Marche<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#660000;">OK, for those who <span style="font-size:100%;">(like me)</span> don't speak a lot of French, that says "2009 Marathon of the Two Banks Levis/Quebec Walking Half Marathon". We went to Quebec City, Quebec, Canada for another racewalking event with our friend Alice Till on August 30, 2009. She won first place among walkers in her age group while Naomi and I were a bit slower but had a great time. Complete details can be viewed at </span><a href="http://www.sportstats.ca/display-results.php?lang=eng&racecode=45416">http://www.sportstats.ca/display-results.php?lang=eng&racecode=45416</a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#660000;">Quebec City is lovely, much like a French town. Gee, that's in fact what it is, the oldest French city on the North American continent. The good news is the people are all very polite, and actually encourage you to attempt using your high school French, and not making fun of how bad it is this many years later.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#660000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;color:#660000;">Really a <strong>neat </strong>weekend and <strong>fun</strong> race - worth considering if you want something a little different.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;color:#660000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#660000;">Tom</span>Walking Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341793566285791490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2434064566345888046.post-58426445309219220992009-08-05T07:13:00.004-04:002009-08-05T07:53:58.483-04:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">TRAINING</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Getting ready to do yet another Nike Women's Marathon is sometimes fun. Then there are the summer mornings when you get up to 75 degrees and 75% humidity at 0500, knowing the temperature will be even higher when you start your training walk at 0700. Last Saturday was one of those days, but Naomi and I got out and did twelve miles with our friends from the National Capital Area Team in Training Chapter. Personally, by the finish there was not a dry piece of clothing on my body - and it had not rained. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:180%;color:#660000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:18px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:180%;color:#660000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:18px;">This Saturday we are doing "track training", which is an important part of racewalking training in order to increase your speed. My target is 400 meters (1/4 mile) in 3:00 minutes. Have come close at 3:03, but would like to get it down a bit more to a 12 minute per mile pace. Given the expected heat and humidity this weekend, it may or may not happen, but we just keep trying. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:180%;color:#660000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:18px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:180%;color:#660000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:18px;">Part of my regular training regimen, in addition to "long miles" most weekends, is "speed work" doing 8x400 sets. That means 400 meters 8 times, with a 2:00 rest between each one. Coach & friend Jacque Carter has me doing those with targets of 3:17, 2x 3:13, 2x 3:10, 3:06, 3:03 & 2:58. Try it some time, it's a nice workout. I don't have easy access to a high school track in St. Louis, so do my repeats on the nearly one mile of flat, straight and uncrowded sidewalk along the riverfront below the Arch. Pretty spot where one can do up to 800 meters without a turn.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:180%;color:#660000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:18px;">CONTRIBUTION TIME</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Speaking of Team in Training - please consider the following as an unabashed plug for you to make a contribution to my fundraising account. Since you are reading this blog, you may have already contributed and if so I thank you again. </span></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">If you have not yet made your contribution for 2009, please do so now! </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Just click on my TNT web site at </span></span></span><a href="http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/nikesf09/tfarnam" eudora="autourl"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3366FF;">http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/nikesf09/tfarnam</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> and make your donation using the secure link. It's tax deductible, but more important helps save lives. My friend Bob Raleigh is still alive today because of a research program funded in part by LLS. By the way, he is recovering nicely, learning to walk again after three months in hospital.</span></span></span></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">COMING EVENTS - we have one race scheduled before the October 18th Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco. On August 30th Naomi, our friend Alice Till and I are going to be doing the Quebec City Half Marathon (or more correctly stated "Marathon des Deux Rives SSQ-Lévis/Québec". Naomi has never been to Quebec, it's been at least 25 years since I was there last, and it looked like a fun event. We'll spend a couple of extra days touring the area, and some friends who have done the race in the past said it's a good one. The challenge will be to not eat too much good French food before the race. After the race - les bon temps roulez!</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:180%;color:#660000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:18px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:180%;color:#660000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:18px;">After the Quebec event it's back to training. We will have "tapered off" our long miles before 8/30, then build back up to 20 miles on 9/26 before tapering again before the Nike. The idea is to train the body, not wear it out.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:180%;color:#660000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:18px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:180%;color:#660000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:18px;">OK, enough for now - just<b> please</b> make a contribution.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:180%;color:#660000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:18px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:180%;color:#660000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:18px;">Tom 8/5/09</span></span></div>Walking Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341793566285791490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2434064566345888046.post-84956091468388373122009-05-31T07:00:00.005-04:002011-04-29T13:07:36.530-04:00Tom's Racewalking History at 4/29/2010<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;color:#990000;"><b><br /><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span">T</span><span class="Apple-style-span">CF Racewalking History as of April 29, 2010</span></div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span">October, 2004 - Naomi finishes five months of training and completes Nike Women’s Marathon</span></div><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></div><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span">1.</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">April 30, 2005 </span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Nashville, TN Country Music ½ Marathon – 3:17:10 = 15:03 “Trained” on my own for 2 months - managed to complete it. Not fast, but finish.</span></div><br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span">2.</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">August 7, 2005</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Chicago Distance Classic ½ Marathon – 3:09:06 = 14:26</span></div><br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span">3.</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">September 4, 2005</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Virginia Beach R&R ½ Marathon – 3:13:53 = 14:48</span></div><br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span">I.</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">October 23, 2005</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Nike Women’s Marathon – 6:50:24 = 15:39 Major back spasms from mile 20 onward, but finished.</span></div><br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span">4.</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">January 15, 2006</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Phoenix - P.F. Chang ½ Marathon – 3:21:13 = 15:21</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span></div><br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span">5.</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">March 12, 2006</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Tucson - Arizona Distance Classic – 3:17:14 = 15:03</span></div><br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span">6.</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">April 9, 2006</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">St. Louis ½ Marathon – 3:13:22 = 14:46</span></div><br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span">7.</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">May 7, 2006</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Cincinnati - Flying Pig ½ Marathon – 3:22:31 = 15:27</span></div><br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span">8.</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">September 3, 2006</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Virginia Beach R&R ½ Marathon – 3:13:53 = 14:48</span></div><br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span">II</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">October 22, 2006</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Nike Women’s Marathon – 6:34:40 = 15:03</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span></div><br /><br /><div><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">October 29, 2006</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Marine Corps Marathon 10K – 1:25:45 = 13:50</span></div><br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span">9.</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">January 21, 2007</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Carlsbad, CA ½ Marathon – 3:18:39 = 15:10</span></div><br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span">10.</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">May 6, 2007</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Vancouver, BC BMO Bank ½ – 3:10:16 = 14:31</span></div><br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span">11.</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">July 15, 2007</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Carneros Wine Country ½ – 3:11:02 = 14:35</span></div><br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span">III</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">October 21, 2007</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Nike Women’s Marathon – 6:35:19 = 15:05</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span></div><br /><br /><div><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">October 28, 2007</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Marine Corps Marathon 10K – 1:26:00 13:52</span></div><br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span">12.</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">May 18, 2008</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Marine Corps ½ Marathon - 3:21:50 = 15:24</span></div><br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span">13.</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">May 31, 2008 </span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Zooma Annapolis Women’s ½ Marathon – 3:18:19 - 15:08</span></div><br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span">14.</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">August 10, 2008</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Chicago Distance Classic ½ Marathon – 3:03:22 - 14:00 Course measurement error +.1668 miles, “chip time 3:06" not correct</span></div><br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span">IV</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">October 19, 2008</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Nike Women’s Marathon – 6:30 = 14:53</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span></div><br /><br /><div><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">October 26, 2008</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Marine Corps Marathon 10K – 1:26:28 = 13:57</span></div><br /><br /><div><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">November 9, 2008 </span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Veteran’s Day 10K – 1:25:45 = 13:50</span></div><br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span">15.</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">November 15, 2008</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Richmond, VA ½ Marathon – 3:13:36 = 14:36</span></div><br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span">16.</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">January 18, 2009</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Bermuda Challenge ½ Marathon – 3:20:05 = 15:16 1mi Friday, 10K Saturday</span></div><br /><br /><div><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">February 14, 2009</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">GW Birthday 10K – 1:28:02 = 14:12</span></div><br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span">17.</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">April 18, 2009</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Dismal Swamp Stomp ½ Marathon DNF back spasms @ 11</span></div><br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span">18.</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">May 17, 2009</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Marine Corps Historic Half - 3:08:16</span></div><br /><br /><div><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">May 30, 2009</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Zooma Annapolis 10K - 1:26:22</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span></div><br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span">19.</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">August 30, 2009</span><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Marathon des Deux-Rives Levis/Quebec Demi-Marathon Marche (Quebec City Half Marathon) - 3:08:07.24 = 14:21.62 </span></div><br /><br /><div>V October 18, 2009 Nike Women's Marathon -- 6:57:09 (see Blog for details)</div><br /><br /><div>October 25, 2009 Markine Corps Marathon 10K - 1:25:04.4 = 13:30 = <em>PR </em></div><em><br /><div><br />VI February 13, 2010 Caribbean Islands Marathon Cruise - see Blog re "staged marathon"<br /></div><br /><div>March 27, 2010 Marine Corps Run to Register 10K - Quantico - 1:23:57.92 = 13:32.56<br /></div><br /><div>20. May 16, 2010 Marine Corps Historic Half - 3:20:40 - see Blog<br /></div><br /><div>June 6, 2010 Zooma Annapolis 10K - 1:33.49<br /></div><br /><div>21. October 17, 2010 Nike Women’s Marathon – 3:18:43<br /></div><br /><div>VII November 1, 2010 Marine Corps Marathon – 7:00:28 - last Full Marathon<br /></div><br /><div>November 20, 2010 Cranberry Crawl 5k – 41:04 =PR<br /></div><br /><div>February 13, 2011 Love the Run You’re With 5K – 43:26 (bronchial asthma)<br /></div><br /><div>February 19, 2011 GW Birthday 10K - 89:00.01 (into 50mph wind gusts on 1st half)<br /></div><br /><div>March 12, 2011 4 Courts 4 Miler - 58:08<br /></div><br /><div>March 26, 2011 National Marathon ½ Marathon Relay – 5 Miles in 1:09:000<br /></div><br /><div>April 1, 2011 Crystal City Friday 5K #1 – 43:22<br /></div><br /><div>April 8, 2011 Crystal City Friday 5K #2 – 43:10 in cold rain<br /></div><br /><div>April 10, 2011 GW Parkway Classic 5K – 40.31 = PR<br /></div><br /><div>April 15, 2011 Crystal City Friday 5K#3 – 42.10<br /></div><br /><div>April 22, 2011 Crystal City Friday 5K#4 – 42:01 = PR for that course/event<br /></div></em></b></span>Walking Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341793566285791490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2434064566345888046.post-39999544113541610622009-05-29T15:58:00.002-04:002009-05-29T16:14:03.636-04:00<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#660000;">OK, we did it. No sunburns, no frostbite <span style="font-size:100%;">(closer to the latter than the former) </span>and more than a little soggy, but we did it. Friend Kevin could not do the event, but was at the finish line to greet us and take pictures.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#660000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#660000;">All the NOVA walkers finished. Naomi and I started more or less next to Marni Matyac, behind Jacque, Carol Day, Linda Schwartzstein, Cathy ??, Paula McNichols, Virginia Ukaegbu. Naomi and I passed the others before the first turn, then my good wife took off like a scalded rabbit and left me to my own devices. She finished ahead of me, I was in turn ahead of the others mentioned above. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#660000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#660000;">By mile 3 no one doing the race had a dry place left on their body, and all feet were squishing with every step. But we all finished, and other than being cold <span style="font-size:100%;">(60 is fine if you're moving, but lousy with a 15mph wind, wet clothes, no mylar blankets and no shelter)</span> everyone seemed fine. If you want to know details, the results are available </span><a href="http://results.active.com/pages/stats.jsp?rsID=78270" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#660000;">http://results.active.com/pages/stats.jsp?rsID=78270</span></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#660000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#660000;">They ran out of XL men's shirts <span style="font-size:100%;">(you can just imagine how delighted I was to be told at 4:00 pm that we should simply have gotten there earlier).</span> However, instead of coming back completely empty-handed, after me making a little fuss they managed to find size XL shirts which look identical to the standard issue, except ours say "Volunteer" on the right sleever instead of "Competitor". Figured that was a lot better than nothing. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#660000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#660000;">Then there were the mis-measured miles, and the final straw, noted above, of no mylar blankets at the end on a cold windy day. Seems they only ordered 3000 mylars, despite claiming the race was going to be 9000 strong, and actually having almost 7000 entries. Can imagine the nice email I'm going to send the Deputy Director who got us our "Volunteer" shirts? They ask for comments, right? And she gave me her biz card with title and email address, so guess I'll have to prove the adage "if you don't want my opinion, don't ask".</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"></span><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><strong>Near or beyond 60?<br /></strong></span><span style="color:#cc33cc;"><strong> T<br />GEEZE </strong></span></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><span style="color:#cc33cc;"> A<br /> M<br /></span><span style="color:#66ff99;">Old is just a word!</span></strong> </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span> </div><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;color:#660000;">Racewalking to save lives. Donate at</span> <a href="http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/nikesf09/tfarnam" eudora="autourl">http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/nikesf09/tfarnam</a> </span></span>Walking Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341793566285791490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2434064566345888046.post-58543745782526129862009-05-29T14:47:00.007-04:002009-05-29T15:29:23.111-04:00Dismal Swamp Stomp 2009<div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#660000;">April 18, 2009 found us headed for Chesapeake, VA for a Half Marathon called "The Dismal Swamp Stomp". Selected this one for several reasons: not too far away (about 3 hour drive); flat course; met our friend Alice Till's need for an April event (she is doing a Half per month in honor of her 65th); interesting name & website outlook on doing a Half; and gave me a chance to visit "The Great Dismal Swamp", home of Francis Marion, aka "The Swamp Fox" during the Revolutionary War. </span><br /><br /><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#660000;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#660000;">If nothing else my experience at this event taught me some lessons (CORE), and gave me a reminder of my appreciation for friends and TNT. The best short description is my email report from the event:</span><br /></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#3366ff;">TCF notes - the times from the Kale Running system confirm the times on my Garmin, and it’s clear all was going exactly according to plan through mile 6, then began “coming apart” from there. Not sure what caused my back to “spasm”, but one of our group was told after the event that when seen just after mile 6 it was clear I was in trouble, with spine at about a 15-20 angle to the left. Will have to check photos from web site when posted, they may help identify when and why. When Alice and I passed Naomi after “turn around” (about mile 6.75 or so) she called out “you are leaning”, so it was obvious by then.By mile 9 it was clear simply finishing was going to be a challenge, with at least one of the medical units offering help between there and mile 10.5. Just past mile 11 we came to a complete stop. (Alice had very kindly slowed down and stayed with me, and shortly before that Naomi had caught up to us). Someone suggested calling Mike Goode (who was at the finish line) and having him send the medics down course for me, which we did. Medics took me to finish area, told me to walk across finish line unless I wanted them to carry me in. Don’t deserve it, but was given a “finisher’s medal”. Feels very strange, first time to ever DNF an endurance event. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#3366ff;"><br />Why? Not sure yet, suspect part was result of 5+ hour drive to event in cramped seating position in back seat (spine kept in unnatural position due to being unable to sit up straight). Other contributing factors may have been insufficient warmup and stretch before event. Know I must focus on a 4 letter word in order to avoid this problem and improve performance. CORE</span></div><div></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#660000;">The event itself had about 1000 entrants, of which 75 or so were signed up as walkers, plus another 100 or so doing a 1/2 mile "Cub Run". Neat course, going out and back along the Dismal Swamp Canal along a two-lane road which was closed for the event, with farms on one side and the canal and swamp on the other. Almost perfect weather, mid-50s to start going up to mid-70s by the finish.</span><br /><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#660000;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoWOJW5O-iHOanE7uhawp1hErwbPsfWdbO_UNnA0nWll-L3nviFqdC4LcuhcnJMr2_fD6bQINV9aNxa4T4XyVk-FintX09gIg-iFbFnx-Ch4YvUZupV2CfiWSM2Kf6xrQvsl-SGoy0mg/s1600-h/SwampFlowers.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341329115350798546" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 153px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 125px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoWOJW5O-iHOanE7uhawp1hErwbPsfWdbO_UNnA0nWll-L3nviFqdC4LcuhcnJMr2_fD6bQINV9aNxa4T4XyVk-FintX09gIg-iFbFnx-Ch4YvUZupV2CfiWSM2Kf6xrQvsl-SGoy0mg/s200/SwampFlowers.jpg" border="0" /></a>Virtually no elevation changes on the course, and most of it shady with trees leafing out, some blooming plants, overall a lovely "country side" setting for this event. The organizers also include some walkers, so for those registered as "1/2 Marathon Walk", there was a special "W" bib to be pinned on so you could be recognized by the "judges". They weren't judging for perfect form, but if you wore a "W" and were seen running, your time would be included with the runners, not the walkers.</span> </div><div><br /> </div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#660000;">More important than those details is the effect of friends and team mates. First, there were five of<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizXVVezIfZENPsrQu7RfvuKY4auQ0WsDevgE2XjC4tQyjYwrdGQc5EsZkP6AA79AmN_pUIPV2YcBY0PpaI9fPUf5dcde6YXcpVA4fRjh1iU9cWOfSz52scpDIsdHGslBpoIINexY8Wsw/s1600-h/IMG_2012.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341328481938886066" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizXVVezIfZENPsrQu7RfvuKY4auQ0WsDevgE2XjC4tQyjYwrdGQc5EsZkP6AA79AmN_pUIPV2YcBY0PpaI9fPUf5dcde6YXcpVA4fRjh1iU9cWOfSz52scpDIsdHGslBpoIINexY8Wsw/s200/IMG_2012.jpg" border="0" /></a> us doing the Dismal Swamp Stomp, which is a lovely smaller event. We all have gotten to know one another through TNT, and this event looked like (and was) one which would be relatively easy to get to and fun to share. We followed our usual practice of wearing TNT gear (singlet for me, green hat for Alice, etc.) and enjoyed all the "Go Team" greetings from other TNTers on the course. Some were in TNT shirts/hats, many were not but still greeted us with "Go Team". Another part of the team aspect was the pure joy of being out for the day with others who we have come to know.</span><br /><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#660000;">I'd been training fairly rigorously for this event, and Alice was ready to serve as my mentor, cheering and prodding me on to my target finish of 3:00. We started out right on pace, not too fast but not too slow, and began bringing our average down to the desired level for the desired overall time. Everything seemed to be working well, but for reasons which I can't fully explain, my back started "acting up" and by mile 7 was in "spasm", causing me to be unable to stand up straight. Between the turn around and mile 7 we had seen Naomi going the other way, so knew she was not far behind, and a bit behind her we saw Peggy Goode, who told us Mike had problems at the start and turned back about mile 2. </span><br /><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#660000;">Here's where the Team part appears in an even more direct and personal way. Despite my urging her to go ahead and do her own race, Alice slowed down and stayed with me as I kept going slower and slower, barely able to keep my feet moving. Soon Naomi caught up with us, and she too slowed down so the three of us were walking at my increasingly slower pace. By mile 10 my speed was down to about 20 min/mile, and getting slower. Finally about mile 11.3 I could not go any more, and tried to tell Naomi and Alice to go ahead. Instead they stayed with me, and one of them finally said "you have Michael's cell phone number, call and ask him to send out the medics for you?". </span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#660000;"></span><br /> </div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#660000;">Got Michael on the phone, he was within a few feet of the medics, went over and I could hear them telling him they were on the way. About that time Peggy caught up with Naomi, Alice and me, which I reported to Michael and he said "good, she's having blister problems, glad the other ladies are there with her". Paramedics load me into the SUV (sitting, thank you) and the ladies resume while I get a ride to the finish line. The paramedics tell me my choice is to walk across the line to the medical tent, or they will carry me. I walk, get handed a "finisher's medal" I don't deserve, and go straight to medical tent with one of the paramedics at my side. </span><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#660000;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#660000;">Tell the med staff I need an ice pack and some ibuprofen, they give me both and a cot to lie down<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkSdiagcN62UNpz6fOJowSRF21ZSrOwoXef5Yk0DLfoZtent5uQ-tUMrKruDVypvOoqQeg6p02LOyQ2u7BnClHS3UKxkC57YFqKVCE_cduPIvLAtALfOn2bzYipBS3s4Z5zhSPrzZ3rw/s1600-h/IMG_2016.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341327677406804274" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 205px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 134px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkSdiagcN62UNpz6fOJowSRF21ZSrOwoXef5Yk0DLfoZtent5uQ-tUMrKruDVypvOoqQeg6p02LOyQ2u7BnClHS3UKxkC57YFqKVCE_cduPIvLAtALfOn2bzYipBS3s4Z5zhSPrzZ3rw/s200/IMG_2016.jpg" border="0" /></a> on. Within about 20 minutes I'm able to get up and move around, and wind up catching photos of our three ladies coming across the finish line. As Michael put it "thank goodness for team mates, it all worked out fine in the end". We are all ready to go back for this event next year, for me personally just to prove I can manage it. By the way, the accommodations were great in a five month old Hyatt Place with a couple of nice places to eat within easy walking distance and very friendly folks. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#660000;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#660000;">You should put this event on your personal calendar to join us next year - think the date is Saturday, April 17th. Naomi, Alice and I talked on the way home about how much fun it would have been to share this weekend with other friends, and the hotel was nice enough to warrant staying another night. 24 hours later I was a bit sore, but overall not too bad. Peggy reported blister problem was a function of wrong socks, and Michael and I are about to start a "biggest loser" contest of our own. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#660000;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#660000;">Alice is off to another event next month (Zooma, if memory serves). Naomi, Alice and I are now planning another "out of the country" event, the Quebec City Half Marathon on August 30, 2009. Then of course we'll all three be on hand for Nike in Nov., and we'll plan on following that up with "the usual" MCM 10K for a recovery walk.Now for those core exercises - have to get ready for the Marine Corps Half Marathon on May 17th, then Zooma 10K on May 31st, not to mention Fall Season and the Nike Marathon. </span></div></div></div></div></div>Walking Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341793566285791490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2434064566345888046.post-31809698411789502422009-01-25T12:13:00.018-05:002009-02-07T17:21:51.066-05:00BERMUDA TRIANGLE CHALLENGE<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;">Bermuda for a race? Naomi picked up a flyer for the event at the Baltimore marathon expo <span style="font-size:100%;">(where she raced and I played spectator/support)</span>. We started talking with our NOVA racewalking friend Alice Till, and wound up signing up in mid-October. Part of the early sign-up was an attraction open only to 400 - the "Bermuda Triangle Challenge", which would lead to a special medal and t-shirt "if you survive the Bermuda Triangle". Extra incentives were giving Alice her January event (she is memorializing her 65th birthday by doing a Half Marathon each month) and a weekend in Bermuda, which none of us had ever visited before. Not to mention a nice smaller race instead of the Disney or PF Chang mega-events with their thousands of runners and walkers. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;">We arrived Friday after a short hop to Philadelphia and a two-hour flight to Bermuda. Our Marathon Tours package included transport to the Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel, with a driver who gave us our first taste of the welcoming and pleasant Bermudan culture, along with a chance to get acquainted with some of the folks we would be seeing at our events for the next few days. </span><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;">First event of the Triangle Challenge was a one-miler on Front Street (main street in Hamilton), and it involved a lot more than just our marathon group. Our people went first, with 166 signed </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiijAc4SV7t1zfJDTvgoaqAU2onlX12CjNOv9bnRcEBrBHqgT4s8rb11zal2WuYjLF0G8MPFVsVX_ynNmW-5jv85lgtVJ35zvG5KXeZToOErSpsfK0-_VShKBd3YgtY5w1J9zKIhv-T9Q/s1600-h/IMG_1679.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295294416021237714" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 179px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 124px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiijAc4SV7t1zfJDTvgoaqAU2onlX12CjNOv9bnRcEBrBHqgT4s8rb11zal2WuYjLF0G8MPFVsVX_ynNmW-5jv85lgtVJ35zvG5KXeZToOErSpsfK0-_VShKBd3YgtY5w1J9zKIhv-T9Q/s200/IMG_1679.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;">up for the Half Marathon Challenge, and 29 for the Full Marathon Challenge out of a total of 438 who did the marathon events. We were followed by myriad classes of local runners, including school boys and girls from the primary, middle and secondary levels, as well as local elite runners and other classes. A real festival, with many local parents/friends of the kids as well as many other people, tourist and local folks, sitting in rest</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqCd2ke1-oiWJyvuXrdr7_oj3m1VajAFcoFP5Qzdj2KvMB7VhXEgJLebTLtoNYaPlXoUuHy2-bsWaqFKDB699sl2Dw0z8gsOYQKN2jvddwX9d6v_E1zHjxug4SHt9eJBUuIy25arpwBg/s1600-h/IMG_1724.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295291081874854770" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 137px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 152px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqCd2ke1-oiWJyvuXrdr7_oj3m1VajAFcoFP5Qzdj2KvMB7VhXEgJLebTLtoNYaPlXoUuHy2-bsWaqFKDB699sl2Dw0z8gsOYQKN2jvddwX9d6v_E1zHjxug4SHt9eJBUuIy25arpwBg/s200/IMG_1724.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;">aurants and bars along Front Street cheering people on for the many heats run by the many classes. My time was slowed significantly by not knowing that in local parlance this traffic officer shelter was called a "birdcage", so when they said turn around at the birdcage, I kept going for another couple of blocks as everyone else in my heat was a runner and they were all gone, due in part to my starting at the back of the pack from force of habit. Yes, in the daylight with me standing in the middle maybe it's a birdcage, but at night on a street I've only walked once, it really was confusing. (grin)<grin><br /><br />We had a nice dinner and a couple of pints of Guiness at the "Pickled Onion" on Front Street, went back out to find the races still going, followed by awards ceremonies. Can you say local fun? </span><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;">Saturday's 10K race did not start until 10:00, so I took advantage of the full break</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYtQZklqaQ5q1kNeTajKGVymWt-kCs0b-QAB4HFIyk2TV0cfdWu29DaZnHcGwgxGoUDqhq_P1rJiGN6sW0KxXmsB6pQ9ta0C3i5dekpNrDDeev9OBRcj_cZl8dJtXrbEeSr-34_mTrPQ/s1600-h/IMG_1686.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295295567560577714" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 129px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 101px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYtQZklqaQ5q1kNeTajKGVymWt-kCs0b-QAB4HFIyk2TV0cfdWu29DaZnHcGwgxGoUDqhq_P1rJiGN6sW0KxXmsB6pQ9ta0C3i5dekpNrDDeev9OBRcj_cZl8dJtXrbEeSr-34_mTrPQ/s200/IMG_1686.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;">fast offered by the Princess before the three of us caught a cab to the Sports Centre where the event was to begin and end. It was rainy but fortunately not especially cold (about 50 degrees) so even with the wind we agreed the weather was nothing compared to the 20 degrees we left behind in DC area. Not to mention the crowds flooding into DC for the Obama inagural festivities.</span></div><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;">Delightful scenery on Saturday morning as we toured the <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcLleEuu6pJSho2a9GD8z40rTZxxw-GN-yJaMcobx36S27ZoArOrwDei7wL_6zv2sFlF970HvEm3LE07Wc_DrJaWdAkZ2M-pV7qz4jfzucfT_YV3VQWjlWqj7cEuAO80-mNq9yvMJIzg/s1600-h/IMG_4040.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295304904046937634" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 162px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 97px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcLleEuu6pJSho2a9GD8z40rTZxxw-GN-yJaMcobx36S27ZoArOrwDei7wL_6zv2sFlF970HvEm3LE07Wc_DrJaWdAkZ2M-pV7qz4jfzucfT_YV3VQWjlWqj7cEuAO80-mNq9yvMJIzg/s200/IMG_4040.JPG" border="0" /></span></a>island, </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0frF_ISQ_UQ0_zcG5vVscB0PPNyWfSPrS4yzUMEILpDMCemucP16mjEc7u0B8sljB8W9vWy-uH0DuN-abwVtboR3u1ViL9Fuxia9YjyZvQ6yrWsfTYy8Ugwq7ldZrXqoeAqEGEu2gEA/s1600-h/Tom_in_FlattsVillage.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295317887613709410" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 114px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 125px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0frF_ISQ_UQ0_zcG5vVscB0PPNyWfSPrS4yzUMEILpDMCemucP16mjEc7u0B8sljB8W9vWy-uH0DuN-abwVtboR3u1ViL9Fuxia9YjyZvQ6yrWsfTYy8Ugwq7ldZrXqoeAqEGEu2gEA/s200/Tom_in_FlattsVillage.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;">up close and personal. It takes a bit of getting used to doing a race when you are sharing the road with vehicle traffic. No real problems, just not the most common situation. Of course our feet were just as wet as all other parts of our bodies, since at times there were virtual rivers flowing down the roads as we strode up.<br /></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;">Despite the puddles which looked like small lakes, we kept going through <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_fJKmFTFpfR_KEaBFjxY83C2nEPzKWoiorjm5raavQSsVtITJCqkCAtyHKt1tbRrA5pgmBRLqj6q_Etd0-bznwr83SsjwhbH8u3s1NfPw6dS1G4_Ac84XjqcW29zFteDb7eRVFcD8A/s1600-h/IMG_4041.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295318954297273714" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 85px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 119px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_fJKmFTFpfR_KEaBFjxY83C2nEPzKWoiorjm5raavQSsVtITJCqkCAtyHKt1tbRrA5pgmBRLqj6q_Etd0-bznwr83SsjwhbH8u3s1NfPw6dS1G4_Ac84XjqcW29zFteDb7eRVFcD8A/s200/IMG_4041.JPG" border="0" /></span></a>the rain to the finish line, where my wife Naomi and I finished holding hands, much to the delight of the announcer and photographer at the finish line. My purple singlet seems to have drawn the photographer's attention even while we were waiting to start the 10K. Here's a link to the <a href="http://www.bermudasportsnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_expose&Itemid=92">official photo site</a>, <span style="font-size:100%;">we are recognizable in #055 and 005</span></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;"></span><br /><br /><br /><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGQveiNWjeHaz-pClvcTJ8QuG7UqzspVecgQ9aawPe7bwUow9ZC7EKxVc-AwbfPRNppB4ywEBAS-w815Db-_fwH2kFVZEKgefgbQkKok5C_y92lwBUKWHQ40edgTSraHdqcVEas-apA/s1600-h/IMG_4048.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295297311128444834" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 140px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 105px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGQveiNWjeHaz-pClvcTJ8QuG7UqzspVecgQ9aawPe7bwUow9ZC7EKxVc-AwbfPRNppB4ywEBAS-w815Db-_fwH2kFVZEKgefgbQkKok5C_y92lwBUKWHQ40edgTSraHdqcVEas-apA/s200/IMG_4048.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;">By the time we finished the weather had of course cleared nicely, so we could at least enjoy the music provided by the organizers. We were wet through and through, but it was fun. Another short taxi ride back to the Princess, which was made funnier when Alice said something about the Custis Trail, and the couple with whom we were sharing the cab asked if she meant the one in Arlington, VA. Turns out they are from the DC area and knew the trail well.</span></div><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;">Back at the Princess, an unusual opportunity presented itself. Seems Samuel </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCT2ACcwLss7A4up9eNtzz6YQgybg-60WLTT6bwjjguTAF50F09EEgDwBbnXSfXMseVAw1Clhro9VyT7Mw75X6W0wQdyR0ntJBRgNsDCRC8ZhgDPAm8LHtxPhXgHd4pBZ9rF5oDy9YcQ/s1600-h/Tom_Mark.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295301107601233362" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 135px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 89px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCT2ACcwLss7A4up9eNtzz6YQgybg-60WLTT6bwjjguTAF50F09EEgDwBbnXSfXMseVAw1Clhro9VyT7Mw75X6W0wQdyR0ntJBRgNsDCRC8ZhgDPAm8LHtxPhXgHd4pBZ9rF5oDy9YcQ/s200/Tom_Mark.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;">Langhorne Clemens, also known as Mark Twain, was a regular visitor to the Princess. They have memorialized this with a statue which gave me a chance to imagine being able to to sit and talk with Samuel Clemens. Wouldn't that be a fascinating opportunity?<br /></span><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;">We took advantage of the nice weather on Saturday afternoon for a little tourist time, including the whale tail fountain on Front Street, a ferry ride over to Dockyard (old Navy port) and other attractions. Nice way to spend a little time before the Pasta Party, which featured some really good food. We had a couple of unusual things happen. One was a lovely lady approaching me saying "Are you the Khatmandu guy?". It was John Bingham's wife Jenny Hadfield, who was leading 76 people from Chicago Endurance Sports for the weekend. The other unique event was sitting at a table with several of the young runners from Kenya and their coach. They are all college students in the US, several at Texas Tech, doing the Bermuda event (and winning, one was 1st in the Half). Closest I'll ever be to winning a half marathon.<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFBfnuyyaExty0ydTFwWeHi3brOu6H1m3MQUVss2m-9nSqwzw2L0fFCVU7QSz0__MnzTwhBTks6thjhM4kRot40a4QvFn8hCHHNugHGge-UMGeEqCkeihGpBWLGyE7Y_eCfRdeSGiKg/s1600-h/IMG_1711.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295333624262219650" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 157px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 107px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFBfnuyyaExty0ydTFwWeHi3brOu6H1m3MQUVss2m-9nSqwzw2L0fFCVU7QSz0__MnzTwhBTks6thjhM4kRot40a4QvFn8hCHHNugHGge-UMGeEqCkeihGpBWLGyE7Y_eCfRdeSGiKg/s200/IMG_1711.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;">Sunday dawned bright, clear and sunny, temperature </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdbF5iespvBZPyfAvPQlfm9uDc4Qzd-6SjcLM8gTO9cLLzy_Pd5B_rC5BpQIqJnjejguwWmSmtZuVg9xZILw6zSsph3hTbtG6AIufGFobWbwJSb9DGolUZDEEgkBAmmBoDRTCzs9Hq_Q/s1600-h/BermudaTrio.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295335817101100994" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 128px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 143px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdbF5iespvBZPyfAvPQlfm9uDc4Qzd-6SjcLM8gTO9cLLzy_Pd5B_rC5BpQIqJnjejguwWmSmtZuVg9xZILw6zSsph3hTbtG6AIufGFobWbwJSb9DGolUZDEEgkBAmmBoDRTCzs9Hq_Q/s200/BermudaTrio.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;">about 60 degrees, giving us wonderful weather for the Half Marathon. It really was fun, not flat but nothing outrageous in terms of hills. Times are not fast, Saturday due to rain, Sunday because we wound up having a great time. In addition to getting Alice and Naomi to slow down a bit for me, we also spent time stopping for pictures and visits with the locals on several occasions. </span></div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;">We were not first, nor last, but we definitely had a great time and enjoyed the island. May go back again, the smaller (362 in the Half, 76 in the Full) race field, change of scenery and culture. It's certainly a race worth considering, as the cost and time is not much different than going to Phoenix, Carlsbad or other races. </span><br /><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;"><a href="http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=d4oq73e.3himaose&x=0&y=uzavx5&localeid=en_US">Here is a photo gallery - enjoy. </a></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;"></span> </div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;"></span> </div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;">Tom</span><br /></div><div align="justify"></div><br /><br /><div align="justify">All three NOVA walkers "survived the Bermuda Triangle"! Times below are "gun times", using a chip at end - no chip reader at the start line.<br />Alice Till - - Total 4:55:03<br />1 Mile 11:48<br />10K 1:23:10<br />1/2 Mrthn 3:20:05<br />Naomi Morales - - Total 4:58:35<br />1Mile 11:26<br />10K 1:27:04<br />1/2 Mrthn 3:20:05<br />Tom Farnam - - Total 5:00:55<br />1 Mile 13:45 (got lost on the unmarked course)<br />10K 1:27:04<br />1/2 Mrthn 3:20:05 </div>Walking Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341793566285791490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2434064566345888046.post-61873786418529924532008-12-10T09:44:00.004-05:002008-12-10T10:41:18.773-05:00Richmond, VA Half Marathon 11/15/08<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;">Our friend John Phillips has been talking about the Richmond Half Marathon, and convinced us we should join him. After all, Dave, Rhonda and David Morales live just outside Richmond so we can stay at their house, right? (They are thankful sanity won out and we stayed in a hotel, they would not have enjoyed having us get up at 5 on Saturday to leave for a race.) Post-race we exchanged a series of email messages with our Coach and friend Jacque Carter, and they sort of tell the story better than just my words, so they are shown below. Tom</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;"></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;">TCF to Jacque, Naomi and John Phillips, 11/15/08 6:44pm</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;">Jacque, we had a nice race, the three of us did it together and finished together. Not our fastest, but still a fun day. Better weather than we expected, no rain and by the finish we even had sunshine. The "official" finish line photos should be great fun, as we had David Matthew between me and Naomi, with John on her other side. Dave and Rhonda Morales may have gotten some photos, here's hoping they share them with us.OK, here's the times, in the usual format of time, Garmin distance, "adjusted" pace per mile<br />1 - 15:23 1.02 15:04 (stop for Naomi to remove jacket caused me to miss mile mark)<br />2 - 14:25 .99 14:33<br />3 - 14:19 1.00<br />4 - 14:13 1.03 13:48<br />5 - 14:14 1.01 14:05<br />6 - 14:11 .98 14:28<br />7 - 14:18 .99 14:26<br />8 - 14:19 .99 14:27<br />9 - 11:24 .80 14:25 (Mile marker was .2 off correct location)<br />10-17:32 1.20 14:36 (Extra distance was correction of #9 in course markings)<br />11-15:36 1.01 15:26 (Naomi shoelace)<br />12-16:17 1.01 16:07 WALL<br />13-15:40 1.01 15:30<br />.1 - 1:40 .12 13:53 Total 3:13:39 13.16 milesWe had FUN, and isn't that at least as important as PR? BTW, if Richmond accepts wheel chairs for their Half, we agreed this would be a GREAT race for Tony in his wheelchair. Very flat course, he would have no hill problems at all. Tom</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;"></span><br /><br /><br />Naomi <span style="font-size:85%;">"reply all"</span> 7:24am 11/16/08<br /><br /><br />OK - let's be totally honest. We started out amid a clustered pack of run/walk/saunterers - John had a little delay joining us but put in a fast Mile #1 and caught us shortly. It would have been miserable to do the race without him - since Tom and I went to Richmond to enjoy the race with John. As for me, I started at a usual early-race pace 14:15 ish, felt pretty good, plus stops for taking off jacket and replacing #. But as we went around the track of the Richmond Athletic field by The Diamond (about mile 3.5), I started into one long Bite Me Race (this was NOT a race with a Bite Me Mile, it lasted for at least 6 miles). But I thought if we could keep up the same pace, we'd at least have a good time, not a PR of any kind, but not bad. The neighborhoods were really pretty with Fall leaves, a really nice course, a few residents (this is not a race for large neighborhood groups out - that's Baltimore) and very nice homes; and I stayed just a half step in front of the guys "just 'cause" - at least until my shoe lace got really tight about mile 9 or so and I stopped briefly to loosen it.<br /><br />By that time, I had gone through all the excuses I could think of why this was the world's second worst event ever (second only to the Chicago Distance Classic in 2007). Let's see: 2 glasses of wine Friday eve, not a full night's sleep that night, a very clear hope that the 100% rain would not only come true but that the threatened thunderstorms would call the race - I was really hoping for this all the way to the start - so the mental prep was nowhere to be found, having to wear the race shirt because I forgot to pack a well-worn shirt, not stretching before the race, having a really tough workout with my trainer Friday who focused on the glutes and quads, changing the order of my race snacks and Gatorade sips, and I am sure I have forgotten some of my excuses/observations.<br /><br />But the guys were so sweet and decided they'd pull me through. So we smiled for all the photographers as a trio of crazy AARP-eligible walkers and wandered at what felt like a 20-minute mile pace! Mile 12 was an "Oh My Goodness" mile, I cannot believe it is a 16+ minute mile because I thought I could have watched a whole episode of Food Network Challenge during that mile. Then we saw Dave and David Matthew at the top of a tiny rise and David Matthew jumped out into the road to do the race! Between two gentleman and a grandson - I had a GREAT last 1/2 mile.<br /><br />So the bottomline is I had a really bad race, had a pair of gentlemen so sweet to pull me through and cross the line together and have achieved an objective: getting my grandson to think "doing a race is really cool." Now he wants to do "the whole 13 miles with you Grandma." That's a few years off.<br /><br />Anyway - thank you BIG TIME to my husband and our friend! (And Brittney and I are going to talk tomorrow AM - no more major core workouts right before an event.)<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;"></span><br /><br /><br /><p><span style="color:#3366ff;">John Phillips <span style="font-size:85%;">"reply all"</span> 1:06pm 11/16/08<br />Now along comes John to weigh in. John started out with a big morning from south of hell- i notice my wonderful new water belt - the yellow rain jacket (My dog left my belt back in Arlington for me and the rain coat held keys, bottle of water, gels, etc). John sat in traffic for 40 minutes waiting to get off the exit - after telling my friends which exit to take I took another one - bad move. and of course, this is after leaving my bibb at Josie's place and then going back to get it. I had a bibb for a Marine Capt which worked out fine - he was there waiting for me as I ran up. When I got to the ups trucks, the race had already started and yes I missed the mats. I ran as fast as I could b/c I missed the mat and made record time... well it could have been that way... but instead I caught up with my friends - and I was so happy for that. I have not been working out much the last two weeks - dumb move on my part!! among many.. but it turned out to be a good day with good friends and I was glad I caught up with them twice (once at the beginning and the second when I had to hit the porta Johns) - i would say that it was a great weather day and agree with Tom - yes this would be a great half for Tony!To me doing this with my friends far outweighed any pR - especially since I had to run all the way to the end since I really missed the first mat - BIG deal but it does give us a fun story to tell for a long time... shall we tell it in mixed company??I got the medal, the t shirt, a respectable time per my GPS of 3:09:54 and distance of 13.19 - hmm. oh well..but most important - I enjoyed fellowship of my friends... and it was cool to be with grandson and grandparents whose faces beamed with delight..a nice massage free afterwards helped too the 8 k would be nice recovery next yr for some and half for others - have an informal alumni party!</span></p><br /><br /><p align="center"><span style="color:#990000;"><span style="font-family:arial;">There was an extra benefit from this race - at least some of us now have an "official logo" for use with our racewalking correspondence.</span><br /></span><span style="color:#3366ff;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><strong><span style="color:#33cc00;">Near or beyond 60?</span></strong><br /></span><span style="color:#cc33cc;">T</span></span><strong><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cc33cc;"><br /></span><span style="color:#cc33cc;"><span style="font-family:arial;">GEEZE<br />A<br />M<br /></span></strong></span><span style="color:#66ff99;"><strong><span style="font-family:arial;color:#33cc00;">Old is just a word!</span></strong> </span></span></p><br /><br /><p align="left"><span style="color:#3366ff;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#660000;">The evolution of the logo was described in the following email exchange with Alice Till, another racewalking friend who has persuaded us to join her in Bermuda for the "Bermuda Triangle" on January 16/17/18, 2009.</span> </span></span></p><br /><br /><p align="left"><span style="color:#3366ff;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#660000;">Our mascots:</span> </span><a href="http://www.geezecats.com/" eudora="autourl"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#3366ff;">http://www.geezecats.com/</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#3366ff;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:0;"><span style="font-size:0;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#009900;">GeezeCats (geez kats) n. Slang 1 Some cool old guys. 2 Aging hipsters, hepcats. </span></span></span></p><br /><br /><p align="left"><span style="color:#3366ff;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#990000;">How did this all get started? (Alice, remember you asked)</span></span></span></p><br /><br /><p align="left"><span style="color:#3366ff;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#990000;">Someplace about mile 10 of the 11/15/08 Richmond Half Marathon, as Naomi, John Phillips and I were pushing, pulling and prodding one another to keep going, the name occurred to me, and I told Naomi she was walking with Team Geezer. (Referring then, now and until time immemorial solely to John and myself, it never occurring to me to apply any such sobriquet to my lovely wife.) The name seemed somehow even more appropriate yesterday when I saw this photo, which Naomi had taken about mile 8 or 9 of the Richmond Half. </span></span></span></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278181730340415458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJZpyVOy9lALCuHjiN_iKrXbGUcMrGRD79TOxk-pYvK29UUX6zNtMCcKrNP2suJwjreMuFDLutLQYpIA6WOLpILhcSxaAi1Eely_zy06zK29qGZQrDq6jfVKtfcofbpHpthAJZlf0cQ/s320/IMG_3500.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p align="left"><span style="color:#3366ff;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#990000;"></span></span></span></p><br /><p align="left"><span style="color:#3366ff;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#990000;">We even became featured in a video at that race, perhaps the cinematic debut of Team Geeze, admittedly due solely to our being with Naomi. </span><a href="http://davemorales.org/2008/11/david-and-the-richmond-marathon/" eudora="autourl"><span style="font-family:arial;">http://davemorales.org/2008/11/david-and-the-richmond-marathon/</span></a></span></span></p><p>More to come, but that's enough foolishness for this morning.</p><p align="center"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#660000;">Near or beyond 60?</span><br /><span style="color:#33ff33;"><strong>T<br />GEEZE<br />A<br />M</strong></span> </span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#660000;">Old is just a word!</span><br /></p></span><p align="left"><span style="color:#3366ff;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#66ff99;"></span><br /></p></span><p><br /></p>Walking Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341793566285791490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2434064566345888046.post-75039972428086267362008-12-10T09:18:00.003-05:002008-12-10T09:51:18.452-05:00Veteran's Day 10K 9 November 2008<div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#990000;">The date for this 10K happened to coincide with World Run Day, so Naomi signed us up for this event, as World Run Day is something she has gotten involved with, in part as a "team building" item for the employees of PhRMA, where she is VP of Human Resources. Fine with me, must admit being at the point where a 10K is more or less some speed work, so why not.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#990000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#990000;">Race day found Naomi having some physical issues, so she took me over to the Washington Memorial and dropped me off with instructions to call her from the Metro on my way home. Nice day, and to say the course is flat and fast would be a <strong>considerable</strong> understatement. The biggest elevation change is about 10 feet, with the entire event being done in Potomac Park, including around the end of Hains Point and back. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#990000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#990000;">No pictures, but I did take about 40 seconds off my MCM 10K time and set a new PR for the 6.2 mile distance of 1:25:51. OK, not super fast for a racewalker, let alone a runner, but it's getting better. <grin></span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.runday.com/">http://www.runday.com/</a> "The event is intended to promote the sport of running and charitable giving on one special day each year. Started with just 100 runners worldwide, runners connected and impacted their communities in a positive way. As a result, World Run Day was the only event celebrated simultaneously around the globe by people of all backgrounds, faiths, nationalities, and benefitted their favorite charity. "</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#990000;">ps - here's one picture from a training walk earlier that week.</span> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278173953922639922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3aK9DGDVw0pJ9hZWF4ecWNQLCn3GgMqIads4KYQchWNZ6Ho9w6lxolbkDm5sKgTVq-8BVo7TrTBRGSV0uGmZeY6XOjMOZPaW8RGaX8ac0dSLev_m5HyA1kVwo_khQeXhG9c3QmKvgQ/s320/IMG00244.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div></div>Walking Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341793566285791490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2434064566345888046.post-23304347345389792402008-12-10T08:58:00.006-05:002008-12-10T09:18:33.925-05:00Marine Corps 10K October 26, 2008<span style="font-family:arial;color:#990000;">Took at look at my blog site this morning and realized there's no posts since Nike 2008. Here's the first, from our "recovery walk" the following week at the Marine Corps Marathon. We started doing this three years ago, now have a number of other Nike veterans joining us. One of the best parts is that because we have race bibs, we can be in the finish area when the TNT folks we've been training with since May cross the finish line. This year's event had an extra added attraction in the person of Melony Gilbert, Naomi's assistant, who was doing her first-ever endurance event. So, instead of Naomi and I doing the 10K together, I took off with our friend John Phillips to try for a PR time, and Naomi joined Melony.<br /></span><div></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#990000;">We both won! John and I both got a PR. Melony and Naomi had a great time, and Melony got her first medal presented by a handsome young Marine. Big fun.</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhuJX5fNllYXQ-UnB39xCBVvrcRrfMEKlx9rffFPad_tzpKuOPnktUxfX5Sw4P5s8bIgQGNG1wWsfnm4oyPPe_XYxfhP59Vfmjxk-fb3hLY1VKHs_lS0XCErpUU6iJWCP640G94Pfcw/s1600-h/Melony's+Medal.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#990000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278162948481112466" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 178px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 143px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhuJX5fNllYXQ-UnB39xCBVvrcRrfMEKlx9rffFPad_tzpKuOPnktUxfX5Sw4P5s8bIgQGNG1wWsfnm4oyPPe_XYxfhP59Vfmjxk-fb3hLY1VKHs_lS0XCErpUU6iJWCP640G94Pfcw/s200/Melony's+Medal.jpg" border="0" /></span></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi3G3bat5guDHQGxYjevz8rFHKkuU3KtiE2MQPkq5ac79XdgrXY2IbISDvsNkUpgIEbYobE7vYCrQCuZTvET18556vhfxRx3brq3G1mEN-vUotOuWQ_rJcwGtIB4njmN1a9taF0uJ6sQ/s1600-h/Melony's+Finish2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278164403184556274" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 178px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 128px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi3G3bat5guDHQGxYjevz8rFHKkuU3KtiE2MQPkq5ac79XdgrXY2IbISDvsNkUpgIEbYobE7vYCrQCuZTvET18556vhfxRx3brq3G1mEN-vUotOuWQ_rJcwGtIB4njmN1a9taF0uJ6sQ/s200/Melony's+Finish2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>Walking Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341793566285791490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2434064566345888046.post-18477132511804682422008-10-22T11:35:00.019-04:002008-10-26T13:51:51.917-04:00Nike Women's Marathon 10/19/2008Sunday morning, 3:00am Pacific Time and the alarm is buzzing. Time for Naomi and me to get up and get moving, the bus departs for the start line at 4:30 and we need to be ready by 4:15. The good news is we have only been in San Francisco for two days and kept our bodies more or less on Eastern time. Nice day on Saturday, breakfast from the "Primavera" kitchen set up at the Farmer's Market behind the Ferry Terminal Building - <strong>outstanding</strong> food. Then I hopped on BART for a visit with some Porsche friends at EASY in Emeryville (Thanks to Jim Breazale and Ron LaDow for the rides from/to BART stations), capping the day with a TNT Pasta Party. Having gone to bed about 8:00 the night before the Sunday morning hour is not quite as beastly as it sounds. Almost, but not quite.<br /><br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5nnRun2gZ_YjcM2q-9J24NxH4iIw8sv_5Z7WV98w3MvEIdmrnZ5AX8gHdPyqkOC7utF3d1k_dmxs2x0Ta8VCyjT5HRAhEIrnxhdq6a4m0GSX-F8D8YeggMCYlRNRUkF-FKkkWtjUCqw/s1600-h/IMG_1455.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260029179104707106" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 137px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 92px" height="128" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5nnRun2gZ_YjcM2q-9J24NxH4iIw8sv_5Z7WV98w3MvEIdmrnZ5AX8gHdPyqkOC7utF3d1k_dmxs2x0Ta8VCyjT5HRAhEIrnxhdq6a4m0GSX-F8D8YeggMCYlRNRUkF-FKkkWtjUCqw/s200/IMG_1455.jpg" width="170" border="0" /></a>Up and dressed quickly, then I'm off to the Denny's a block away from our Fisherman's Wharf Hilton hotel. It's an easy way to get a real breakfast before a long day using lots of calories (about 2926 calories burned during the race). Back for a team photo before we board the bus for Union Square and our 5:30 start time.<br /></div><div></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiBOU-4VMXqbRax4yW5p-RCnhBpr4Gz55Jnew0LuHLpDBWxGFPoRNVyel-iKL6He3FM6S0WJq81KKsLtfQhx5LAXnYFtzbtTKcULzMmKzMGtpNR_ZVsjARgEzldfGZq3qOVueMRGcxQ/s1600-h/IMG_1456.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260043202339877218" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="110" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiBOU-4VMXqbRax4yW5p-RCnhBpr4Gz55Jnew0LuHLpDBWxGFPoRNVyel-iKL6He3FM6S0WJq81KKsLtfQhx5LAXnYFtzbtTKcULzMmKzMGtpNR_ZVsjARgEzldfGZq3qOVueMRGcxQ/s200/IMG_1456.jpg" width="151" border="0" /></a>It's dark out there at 5:30 am, and with about a 10mph wind off the bay, and air temperature below 50, not exactly a warm and cozy place to wait for the starting gun. Temperature feels almost right for a penguin - and guess who turned up at the Start Corral? None other than our friend John "The Penguin" Bingham, there to wish us all well and support his friends. Somehow despite the hour and the chill we all manage to smile for the camera once more before the start. </div><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdM2CnRkWk0L4BAP0mk2Za_CxNSMgLL0VkJHNO4k4qY4XMSuuOsm1KqmpKyWJdEsd1PknBPNYQoutjvvqapLl_eFwpvWup4Hao8qvrNBUPJ0yo8hzjUpm2m4kXEJpX5W6QfltCQw7M9w/s1600-h/GoldenGateDawn.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260033007759928802" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 194px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 93px" height="78" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdM2CnRkWk0L4BAP0mk2Za_CxNSMgLL0VkJHNO4k4qY4XMSuuOsm1KqmpKyWJdEsd1PknBPNYQoutjvvqapLl_eFwpvWup4Hao8qvrNBUPJ0yo8hzjUpm2m4kXEJpX5W6QfltCQw7M9w/s200/GoldenGateDawn.jpg" width="182" border="0" /></a>The course is very scenic, with dawn just breaking as we pass the base of the Golden Gate bridge, then turn to go up Lincoln Blvd. over the Presidio. Our route rises from 30 feet above sea level to 240 feet over about 1.25 miles, but they keep telling us "we don't use any cable car hills". </div><div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxRZ5pcLG7VpDskDGtI85qSzY_4Il5R5lzSCHnqHqw_Z2kgiVeT1C7RWgFsiHo8ZZ9RxVnNdSKm80RGFrRyf9LrB5N6_ckp-TlnKZ9RdvyICcnpDJCf_TSGAsqKznqYOuddyqmiY_4zA/s1600-h/SanFrancisco2006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260043766892680402" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="110" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxRZ5pcLG7VpDskDGtI85qSzY_4Il5R5lzSCHnqHqw_Z2kgiVeT1C7RWgFsiHo8ZZ9RxVnNdSKm80RGFrRyf9LrB5N6_ckp-TlnKZ9RdvyICcnpDJCf_TSGAsqKznqYOuddyqmiY_4zA/s200/SanFrancisco2006.jpg" width="80" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div>Across the Presidio heights we go, passing Robin William's house, winding our way up and down then over to Seal Rocks, past a very small coffee shop which reminds me of a Harry Chapin lyric "It was an early morning bar-room" from his song "A Better Place to Be"). Then we go by the Cliff House restaurant and down the hill onto the Great Highway, where we can see the finish line tents. The bad news is we are only at mile 10, and have to turn in to Golden Gate Park. </div><div><br /></div><div>Through GGP, all the way back (and up) to the art museum, with the Half Marathon course cutting off before mile 12. <em>Why am I doing the full instead of the half?</em> Turn around at the art museum and go back towards the Pacific, with the Half Marathon course rejoining about 1/2 mile before we exit GGP. They turn right to their finish line about .2 miles away, we have another 10 miles to go. I ask one of the course marshalls if the left turn is for the fully certifiable and he just laughs. <em>There must be some good reason I'm doing the full instead of the half?</em> </div><div><br /></div><div>The Full Marathon course turns South on the Great Highway, past the Zoo, 3 miles or so around Lake Merced, then back up the Great Highway. No pictures, this part of the course is pretty boring until we come back onto the highway, by which time one is usually brain dead and has forgotten they even own a camera. By some supreme mental effort it seems to me my goal is perhaps within my grasp, but to attain it I absolutely must move faster. Trust me, after 18 or so miles on the course, your ability to do math is lower than a 3 year old's, but somehow I figured it out.</div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260042154879308834" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 88px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 125px" height="164" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWDLPsVhlvsKjfCc07fkXxOocS_1ZsBJrVrVQeDArOCG3JdRmcZzUSEnCVfwajdN9C9dXYvChyphenhyphenlcUuJ8wCmCQOkJJzDv-H0L0A9RmShXsQ5k8ZfB8pgiuA5jpxbEeyiYRpbmvcBU_jQg/s200/Naomi_Alice_Gloria_Nike2008.jpg" width="103" border="0" />Finish line is literally in sight (you can see the tops of the tents for over a mile) and I managed to work up enough energy to make the last mile my fastest mile. Met my goal of finishing in <strong>6 hours and 30 minutes</strong>. My first time in 2005 was 6:50, so it's getting better. There to welcome me is our friendly Penguin, John Bingham. Nice to see a friend at the finish, thanks for all your support John. Just to make it easier on your eyes, here's a finish line photo of Naomi getting her Tiffany sterling medal from the firemen at the finish. We all get the same medal, but we don't equally appreciate the delivery method.</div><div><br /></div><div>We (the 4000 TNT walkers and runners doing the Nike Full and Half Marathon) raised <strong>$18 million</strong> for leukemia and lymphoma research from this event. Even got a nice write-up for some of our folks in the San Francisco paper on Monday morning. <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/20/BAH413KMD3.DTL" eudora="autourl"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/20/BAH413KMD3.DTL</span></a></div><div></div><div>Here's a link to photos by Naomi and I during the weekend. <a href="http://adobe.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=d4oq73e.6mafb412&x=0&y=1ogxjt&localeid=en_US"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://adobe.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=d4oq73e.6mafb412&x=0&y=1ogxjt&localeid=en_US</span></a> </div></div></div></div></div><br /><br />Tom<br /><span style="color:#660000;">- Faster than I was, slower than I hope to be if I ever do a Full Marathon again.</span>Walking Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341793566285791490noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2434064566345888046.post-78486468637789382602008-08-27T18:45:00.008-04:002008-08-27T19:34:14.732-04:00Chicago Distance Classic - August 10, 2008August 8th found Naomi and I traveling again for the Chicago Distance Classic Half Marathon. The good news is we finished, earning ourselves another "Big Honkin' Penguin Medal" as race organizer John "The Penguin" Bingham calls them. Best news is that for all of us wondering if Naomi has recovered from her Kathmandu infection, the answer is a resounding YES. <div><div><div></div><br /><div>Naomi set a new personal best, beating her old Half Marathon time by over five minutes (and me by about the same amount) while I also notched a personal record for the Half Marathon of 3:03:00. For comparison, that was seven minutes faster than my time at this same race last year, and is an average of 14:00 per mile. This was due in part to fabulous weather, with a start temperature of about 65, rising to mid-70's by the time we finished the lovely course along the Lake Michigan shore. <br /><br />We flew up to Chicago on Friday, and after giving John Bingham a special shirt on Saturday<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2FP66_Ekm8l32qsvwbC55jqOnvVLaI-J57NhfoMByb-X7ERP1_xHCFLnxk9-TguOCFUbdh3aJEM6AS8UFfEbbgIlyATGY_tSbmlTuN5Kv6Z7nDGMEC3Mo5_9Ezyuj0_K2Bi5sZ1XPQ/s1600-h/Penguins.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239342581789424898" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 181px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 123px" height="102" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2FP66_Ekm8l32qsvwbC55jqOnvVLaI-J57NhfoMByb-X7ERP1_xHCFLnxk9-TguOCFUbdh3aJEM6AS8UFfEbbgIlyATGY_tSbmlTuN5Kv6Z7nDGMEC3Mo5_9Ezyuj0_K2Bi5sZ1XPQ/s200/Penguins.jpg" width="181" border="0" /></a> morning we had made for him in Kathmandu, took off for another Chicago Architecture Association tour, this time by Segway. Very intriguing machines, and after a couple of hours we were both pretty comfortable driving them. Not quite as relaxing as sitting in a chair (legs tense, probably mostly due to nerves and inexperience) but less strenuous than walking.<br /></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJYs7NyXcs9Mg4tnXrlTeWMVakDpQeRIFr_3-ldEePABc-btbK_HObGdeMPqOg2zRvYb-ydDPpBrJVqvBDq9TIf-LXxhocCgylvevX5zIAO64aj2PYJjNLBvzmLuhL8phOM9vTVbL_WA/s1600-h/IMG_1123.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239343812812216930" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 85px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 124px" height="181" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJYs7NyXcs9Mg4tnXrlTeWMVakDpQeRIFr_3-ldEePABc-btbK_HObGdeMPqOg2zRvYb-ydDPpBrJVqvBDq9TIf-LXxhocCgylvevX5zIAO64aj2PYJjNLBvzmLuhL8phOM9vTVbL_WA/s200/IMG_1123.jpg" width="121" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>The race finish line again featured John Bingham in the middle of the course just before the line to greet us by name, thanking us very publicly for the shirt.<br /><br /></div><br /><div>Just to remind me and you of why we are doing this, on Saturday August 16th <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT9GNCKFe_It1WLajf7QJ5ENDQpBZ7UgjPGJ784ogEUFjlBlF37os44p3FQuIBe8rI2LZp0Byq2gvsmGU-0tODv2SquiHmM5Axvek8YqPdXGU-S8Ww3zpm4dAZ55EWl3d2Mp0XFeWoPg/s1600-h/PeggyGweb.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239336317465598338" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 104px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 122px" height="163" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT9GNCKFe_It1WLajf7QJ5ENDQpBZ7UgjPGJ784ogEUFjlBlF37os44p3FQuIBe8rI2LZp0Byq2gvsmGU-0tODv2SquiHmM5Axvek8YqPdXGU-S8Ww3zpm4dAZ55EWl3d2Mp0XFeWoPg/s200/PeggyGweb.jpg" width="103" border="0" /></a>Peggy Goode and her husband Michael were at our morning TNT training session with great news. Peggy has responded so well to her new chemo-therapy treatments her doctors believe she will be in full remission soon. She thanked us, but the real thanks has to go to all those who contribute to TNT, since their money helps finance the research for these new and better treatments to keep the lovely lady pictured below gracing us with her presence. </div><br /><br /><div></div><div>Now it's back to training for the Nike Marathon in October. Just did 16 miles on Saturday (8/23) near DC with our TNT group. The temperature was reasonable, but oh my, the humidity. Lose a few pounds and it might be easier, we'll see how the diet works.Speaking of the Nike Marathon - if you have not yet contributed to my TNT fund-raising account (all funds go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society) you can contribute right now on my secure web site at <a href="http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/nikesf08/tfarnam" eudora="autourl">http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/nikesf08/tfarnam</a> . </div><div><span style="color:#990000;">My goal for this year is $7000 , and I still need your help getting there. For those who have already contributed, my heartfelt thanks.<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3366ff;">For those wondering if it's time - <strong>YES</strong> it's time.</span></div><br /><div></div><div>Want another reason to help? How about Caleb, who has b<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjstdNZdiStUCfhJ6D0tKfAji300YnfhgXhEtatyNGQleNyj0yq5vzMS7kGoo9_dS51CuCyncERisAZFuYSQslvyahTJIyk71z1fKLkgqe7SdT212cjRMSKwD6qFwWU7iDby4oNO6rQ/s1600-h/calebWeb.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239337127225764082" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 119px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 135px" height="142" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjstdNZdiStUCfhJ6D0tKfAji300YnfhgXhEtatyNGQleNyj0yq5vzMS7kGoo9_dS51CuCyncERisAZFuYSQslvyahTJIyk71z1fKLkgqe7SdT212cjRMSKwD6qFwWU7iDby4oNO6rQ/s200/calebWeb.bmp" width="101" border="0" /></a>een diagnosed with leukemia and is getting treatments at Johns Hopkins about once a week. </div></div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Walking Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341793566285791490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2434064566345888046.post-79500141704710385322008-06-02T17:45:00.000-04:002008-12-11T15:15:14.726-05:00Zooma Annapolis Half Marathon<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;color:#660000;">This was our second "Inaugural Event" this year, and turned out to be a very nice smaller event. Pretty course, starting at the Navy/Marine Corps Stadium, going past the Naval Academy, across the Severn River, out the Baltimore-Annapolis Road, then onto a "rail trail" on the roadbed of the <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTWpH0vHWa03azioV1V-ysvVW-9n6ZXz1Kc3sAdNsySYLyoCK84tAfwhl2w4Hm_rU8_wxmtlCMKmGtNsPfsOV0FfS_t54XBCFAHWEgmgf397PlZFMMi22CAd6qIAJLCVXq5sneo-hohg/s1600-h/IMG_0779.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210784012097493634" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 275px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 158px" height="267" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTWpH0vHWa03azioV1V-ysvVW-9n6ZXz1Kc3sAdNsySYLyoCK84tAfwhl2w4Hm_rU8_wxmtlCMKmGtNsPfsOV0FfS_t54XBCFAHWEgmgf397PlZFMMi22CAd6qIAJLCVXq5sneo-hohg/s400/IMG_0779.jpg" width="368" border="0" /></a>Baltimore-Annapolis Railway. Several miles on the B-A Trail, then back-track to end at State Park before recrossing the Severn.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;color:#660000;">Course map at</span> <a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/md/annapolis/209549241453" eudora="autourl">http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/md/annapolis/209549241453</a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;color:#660000;">Photos are at</span> <a href="http://adobe.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=d4oq73e.93kipfre&x=0&y=-ieqda5&localeid=en_US">http://adobe.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=d4oq73e.93kipfre&x=0&y=-ieqda5&localeid=en_US</a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;color:#660000;">More detailed description of the event is best summarized by this email sent to my coach via Blackberry while Naomi was driving home:</span><br />Coach, there is a lot of good to be said for the Zooma event today.<br />1st - Naomi had a good race <span style="color:#660000;">(We were concerned about her endurance after her hospital stay in Nepal.)</span><br />2d - I proved to myself that going 5 weeks with no training, then doing the MC<span style="font-size:85%;">half</span>M & following that 2 weeks later with a Zooma Half Marathon is not the way to have great times. The good news there is that you don'thave to give me the lecture about it.<br />3d - Naomi was willing to slow down for me.<br />4th - The course was .14 miles longer than the advertised 13.1 <span style="color:#660000;">(Event chair assures me it's USATF certified as 13.1 miles, so my Garmin must be reading long.)</span><br />5th -Wearing a TNT singlet with your name on it results in lots of encouragement, especially <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5zHksapIt3RYAdVipjiBWj0bB0vBpxVuxJj779ktFSBhFVPh-TZAzbOQIpYvBetKfjaI7NmqagPGAqCO2fp8aDxhcFGVAuza0e5iOtdUHh6O5-vUTtJvb_6ELmQWZ9XSyhyphenhyphenlGiUDYg/s1600-h/IMG_0781.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210784194239345650" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="115" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5zHksapIt3RYAdVipjiBWj0bB0vBpxVuxJj779ktFSBhFVPh-TZAzbOQIpYvBetKfjaI7NmqagPGAqCO2fp8aDxhcFGVAuza0e5iOtdUHh6O5-vUTtJvb_6ELmQWZ9XSyhyphenhyphenlGiUDYg/s200/IMG_0781.jpg" width="178" border="0" /></a>from the TNT Baltimore Chapter water stop crew.<br />6th - We still managed some decent if not wonderful times, on a prettycourse, at a nice & well run smaller event.<br /><br />In other words, we both recommend it for next year.<br /><br />Tom & Naomi<br /><br />Sunny, 70deg, 90%humid, C shoes<br />1-15:14 1.04mi. 14:42pace<br />2-15:06 1.02mi. 14:47pace<br />3-15:06 .97mi. 15:34pace<br />4-15.11. 1.03mi. 14:48pace<br />5-15:10. 1.01mi. 15:03pace<br />6-14:50. 1.00<br />7-14:48. 1.00<br />8-15:43. 1.01 15:30pace - &removing rock from shoe<br />9/10-30:19. 2:0015:09pace<br />11-15:10. 1:00<br />12-15:13. 1.02 14:54pace<br />13-14:45. 1.02. pace14:32 <strong><span style="color:#660000;">Got the negative split</span></strong><br />13.1-1:38<br /><br />Total 3:18:19 13.24miWalking Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341793566285791490noreply@blogger.com1