City of Oaks Marathon

Shoeless PR! - 4:18:53



I've apparantly caught the PR bug, but I think Richmond (11/14) and its hills will cure me of it. City of Oaks is no joke though. There are a lot of hills, and they kicked my ass last year. Going into this race, I was expecting to pretty much fall apart during the second half of the race.

On race morning, it felt like it was about 50-55 degrees with some steady rain. The temperature would only get lower, and the rain and wind would only increase. I think it was around 40 degrees by the time I finished.

Before I headed off the starting line, I saw Bob Dolphin. Bob created the 100 Marathon Club in the U.S. and has run over 450 marathons. He started running marathons when he was 51, and has a PR of almost exactly 3 hours. So, in my eyes, he's a celebrity. Most of the people I see as Marathon Celebrities probably think I'm crazy for thinking they are, and at least one has told me that

I started off near the 4 hour pace team, and hung with them for about half of the race. I was trying to get warm, and I also knew that we had about 4 miles of trail running just after the halfway point. I was really nervous about the trail surface, and the guy who incredulously asked if I was going to run through Umstead Forest in socks did not help.

What did help was the conversation I had with Chris and Laurie around the halfway point. They gave me quite a bit more credit than I deserved for running in bare socks. As it turned out, Laurie's brother is someone my wife knows from her graduate studies at Appalachian State. Small world.

Just before the start of the trail, there was a big aid station with a few dozen people who were really supportive people. A few commented on the socks, but I was more focused on what appeared to be a very rocky road ahead of me. And for about a tenth of a mile, I basically tip-toed through rocks and gravel. But that was it. The rest of the trail was really runable. I slowed my pace down quite a bit because I knew that I had gone out too fast.

Around mile 19, I started doing my "walk 100 paces, run 300 paces" routine, and I was leap-frogging some people. All I was thinking about was getting to the beer station that was somewhere in the 20s. It was the best beer I've ever had during a marathon.

I had my watch set on my chip time, and I didn't look at my time until about mile 23. I was under 4 hours at that point, and I started thinking about picking up my pace for another PR. It's amazing how much a positive attitude and a little socializing helped me pick up my pace. I chatted briefly with some of the people I'd been leap-frogging - asked them how their beer was or about the marathon on their shirt.

Once I hit mile 25, I knew I had a PR, but I picked it up even more. There was some grass shoulder to run on, and I used every bit I could. I sprinted through the finish line, hearing the "that guys in socks!" comments from some of the spectators that were still there. It was pretty awesome.

I have had some experiences with PRs where I have been miserable because all I did the entire race was worry about my time. It's rare for me to PR and have that post-race euphoria. The first time I felt that good after a marathon was when I ran a 3:42 in Charlotte (with shoes). The second time was just a few weeks ago in Indianapolis, and it was amazing to have that feeling again in Raleigh.

Marathons = Greatest Hobby Ever.

Indianapolis Marathon / Louisville Marathon

Indianapolis Marathon (Saturday)

Shoeless PR! - 4:22:23



Coming into this race, I was thinking "slow, slow, slow," but Indianapolis is pretty damn cold in October. It was 32 when I showed up for the race, and I was shivering uncontrollably after the 5 minute walk to the start. When I started running, I was ready to get warmed up, so I was moving.

I got some of the usual attention for running in socks at the start of the race. I talked to a guy named Brandon who was looking to qualify for Boston in his first marathon. I also met a guy who is a prime candidate for the Half Fanatics (Half Marathon Maniacs Club). He was doing the half double with Columbus the next day. The two guys I talked to at the starting line were really cool. They were interested in the sock thing, but not disingenuous or overly cheesy about it. It was a nice way to start off the run.

The runner vibe was interesting. People didn't approach me about running in socks, but I overheard a lot of "that guy's just wearing socks" comments.

There was a shit-ton of interesting people at this marathon. "Dead Guy," who was dead for 2 hours during a quadruple bypass surgery, was finishing his 50th state in his home state! I ran into a Maniac who had a hybrid tank of the Maniacs and the 50 States club. There was also a barefoot marathoner. There were several other runners I enjoyed talking to, including Mohamed (after the race) who also PR'd. And one of my favorites was the older couple who found me in line for food and asked if they could take a picture of me.

And then there was Juan "Wildman" Posada. The man who had introduced me to the Marathon Maniacs at the Red Rock Canyon Marathon (a brutal marathon that gave him less trouble than it did me). I had seen him again in Sunburst, and he was hurting then. After that race, he seemed to drop off the face of the Marathon Earth. I found him around the halfway point and ran with him for several miles. We caught up quite a bit, and I found out why he had taken so much time off from Marathoning.

The slightly slower pace we kept really helped me for my final push to the finish. Around mile 18 or 19, I sped ahead as Wildman was having some knee problems, and I didn't want to push him to go faster. I had been planning on sleeping in the truck again before Louisville, but Wildman was running Louisville as well and insisted on changing his reservation to a 2 twins room so I could actually sleep in a bed. Just a really great guy, and I enjoyed running and hanging out with him that weekend.

Back to the running, I was feeling good as I came through the aid station around mile 20. It was an aid station we had come through before, and this smart-assed kid who was handing out Gels was essentially mocking people. When I came through, he said something to the affect of "I don't believe in you guys." When I came through the second time, he offered me a Gel and made a stupid comment about how my feet must be cold. I'm not one to put up with bullshit, but I didn't have time to stop and deal with people. So, I grabbed the Gel from him and quickly threw it up in the air. It was childish, but it felt good. No, I am not ashamed.

About the same time I threw my Gel in the air, I decided to start counting the people I was passing. My goal was to pass 100 between mile 20 and the finish, and the grass shoulder really helped me out. Man, I felt like I was flying! By the time I finished, I was up to 110 (looking at the results, I passed over 150 people in the last 7 miles), and clock time at the finish was about 4:25. My Shoeless PR had been 4:24, and with my Chip Time, I was certain I had just PR'd. It was an amazing feeling. My feet were bleeding a little, and they hurt like hell, but emotionally, I was on cloud 9.

I called my wife after eating the best post-race bratwurst I've ever had, and she asked a very important question when I told her how fast I had run: "Why? Aren't you running tomorrow?" Oh yeah, so much for "slow, slow, slow."

After getting back home, I checked the results, and they had my gun time listed. After a few emails to the people in charge of timing the event, they had it figured out.


Louisville Marathon (Sunday)

4:35:04

When I went to pick up my packet for Louisville, I still had on my Indy medal, my Indy bib, and quite a bit of Indy Marathon funk. I definitely got some looks, and that was honestly half the reason I didn't change my clothes before picking up my packet.

I met up with Juan "Wildman" Posada in the lobby. He was hurting. His knee had given out on him, and he had to hobble to a 5-hour finish. He was determined to recover and run the next day though.

It was really generous of him to help me out with lodging, so I owe him some logistical support with any race he does up in my neck of the woods. I'm hoping Greenville brings back the full marathon, so we can do the Spinx/City of Oaks double and knock out both of the Carolinas for him.

I had blood blisters on my heels from running so fast in Indy. The one on my left heel was the size of a quarter, and the one on the right was about the size of a dime. I drained them the night before and the morning of Louisville, but knowing that I have #49 and #50 (marathons, not states) coming up, I opted for shoes. The Wildman was not as lucky though. His knee was in pretty bad shape, even after a few remedies from a trip to Walgreens. It looked like it was killing him, but he had to register his first DNS. He kept some souvenirs (you'll have to ask him if you want to hear the stories), and stuck around to cheer on his fellow Maniacs.

And there were a lot of Maniacs there. I saw at least 3 people wearing the Indy Marathon shirt from the day before. I also met a guy whose son goes to Appalachian State (in Boone, NC where I live). I ran into "Marathon Don" Kuhnle, the former Marine who I suprisingly have a lot in common with (I usually don't have much in common with the faster Maniacs). For some dumbass reason (I think it was just to keep good company), I decided to run with the guy (Marathon Don) who was trying to break 4 hours. I thought to myself, "I'll keep up with him for 5 miles, then fade back to my pace." But then I said outloud that I would try to keep up for 6. Swapping stories, we had peaked the interest of a woman named Rene who was also shooting for sub-4. We ran into one of Rene's friends who was doing the half, and we all shouted, "Good job!" and she replied, "You too, ladies!" The guys behind us did not let it go, so I told them she was talking to them too. It was all in good fun.

It was pretty awesome how quickly the 6 miles went by, so the 6 became 8, and 8 became 10. I tried to convince myself to push for 13.1, but there was no point. I knew I'd break down if I pushed too hard, so I did the walk run (300 paces of running for every 100 of walking) from mile 10 on.

Wearing shoes was definitely the right call. Lots of rocks and glass, and the grass shoulder was not the soft, friendly kind. Oh, and thanks to the runner who gave me a mini-snickers bar around mile 21.

This was my very first marathon, and I started getting emotional around mile 23, when I started thinking about that first race I did in 2003.

It was just an incredible weekend. My goal was to average under 5 hours for each race, and I ended up averaging under 4:30 for each. Aside from Wildman not being able to run Louisville, I can't imagine any way it could have been a better weekend.

Toronto Waterfront Marathon

4:55:54

This was one of the most memorable marathons I've ever run. I rode the Greyhound up to Toronto to run the marathon I'd promised to run with my friend and former student, Joe LaBine. We caught up quite a bit, and it was great to hang out with him again.

We got a lot of attention during the race. One guy asked me if I was a ninja. A woman arrogantly asked why I was running in just socks (but pretty much everyone else was positive). One of the volunteers called me the "Obama Sock Man." A few children who had come to watch the race with their parents asked incredulously, "Is he running in socks?" When the shirt came off, many people commented on the tattoos as well. My favorite was the cougar who threatened to chase me down because she liked my tattoos so much. I also talked to a guy from Greenville, SC who was running his 43rd marathon. He really helped pass the time.

The course and weather were amazing -most likely the best marathon weather I've ever run in. Joe was great company, and we kept an amazingly steady pace. I looked back over our 10K splits, and they were almost all at 1:11 on the dot.

We ran past Wonder Woman and a guy running in the Vibram 5 fingers/toes, and thinking we had to sprint to the finish to break 5 hours, we did, but only to find out later that we had 5 more minutes of cushion than we had thought.

My trip home may have been the most eventful thing though. Actually, just the trip from Charlotte to Boone. When I had parked my truck at the Greyhound station, I had done so in a space that didn't have "60 Minute Parking" painted in the space. It was away from the other spaces, and was clearly distinct from the rest of the parking spots. As I walked to the bus terminal, I couldn't see any sign that indicated I wasn't allowed to park there.

Of course, when I got back, my truck was gone. At 1:00 a.m., I found myself walking through a pretty sketchy part of Charlotte with my GPS, navigating myself toward the impound lot where my truck was located. On the way, I stopped to lend my phone to a woman who needed to scream obscenities at her boyfriend/ex-boyfriend.

I walked the 4 miles to the lot knowing that I'd have to wait until 9:00 a.m. to get my truck. Luckilly, the 3rd shift employee came in for something and was kind enough to help me out.

I feel a little dumb for not checking about the parking situation, but I went back to the Greyhound station to reevaluate what I could have done differently. Getting out of the car from where I was parked, especially with the lights shining from above the sign (not a light shining on the sign, but a blinding light from the roof), there was no way I would have been able to see the sign.

It would be nice to get the $160 back, but I don't see that happening. I've filed a complaint with the Greyhound HQ people, I called the Charlotte Terminal (who has not picked up after 25 calls), called 4 news stations, and 1 lawyer.

We'll see what happens, but I think it might just end up being my most expensive marathon to date.

Tupelo Marathon/ Darkside Labor Day Marathon

Tupelo Marathon (Sunday)
4:48:43



Tupelo is a neat little city. The people I came across were really friendly, and some parts of the city have sort of a "small town vibe." Its claim to fame is that Elvis Presley was born there. I went to check out the museum just so I could say I've been there. Without a doubt, the entertainment highlight of my trip was seeing Inglorious Basterds. Easilly one of the best movies I've ever seen - verry funny and very violent. I loved it!

As far as the race goes, the volunteers were great! When I picked up my packet, David gave me detailed directions to the start area. I told him I was sleeping in my truck, and he suggested parking in the 24 hour fitness center parking lot for extra security. Just very thoughtful.

During the race, I dropped off a headlamp around mile 8. I've come to assume that items left with volunteers are basically donations, so I told the guy not to sweat it if it didn't make its way back to me. After the race this guy actually tracked me down to return the headlamp.

Every volunteer who said something to me about running in socks was supportive, and I just can't say enough about how great they were.

I was expecting a lot of rocks on the course, but it wasn't too bad. I started at the back and ended up passing some people for a little while. Around mile 4, the road got really bumpy, and I had to hobble for a mile or 2. That was really the only un-runable section of the course for me. My feet felt good the entire race, and I can't say that about any other marathon I've run without shoes.

I had a lot of good conversations and interactions with people. There were a lot of Marathon Maniacs there, including two of the founding members (Hollywood and the Prez). Phil Min was there doing the same double (amazingly his first). I talked with a school administrator, Richard, from Houston for a while, and he had some interesting stories. It made the harder miles fly by. When the faster runners were headed back after the turnaround, the 3rd or 4th runner pointed to me, said hi, and gave me a high-five. That was really cool because those guys usually just zoom by, focused on whatever it is they focus on. I talked to him after the race, and I guess we have run some of the same races before. He showed me where the beer was after the race, so I was very grateful.

I talked with a few people after the race who were interested in my shoeless running. I suggested to a few of them that they try it out, and I had a few takers actually.

The emotional and physical feeling I had after the race has to be one of the best I've ever had. There was something about the mixture of friendliness with the volunteers and my fellow runners, plus knowing that I would be able to run another marathon the next day.

Darkside Labor Day Marathon (Monday)
5:22:37

Peachtree City, GA is one of the strangest places I've ever been. I don't mean it in a bad way, but it was weird. Everyone drove around in golf carts. They drive them on the roads, to the store, and pretty much everywhere but on an actual golf course. It reminded me of the movie WALL-E.

I wanted to get an early start because I had no idea how long this one was going to take me. Tom Adair showed up at about 5 am to get an extra early start. I didn't know it at the time, but he's the president of the 50 States Club. He had some pretty awesome stories before and after the race.

I started at 6 am with four ladies. One woman was running her 95th marathon, one was running her 16th, and the two others were running their 1st. So, we had a good mix of people.

I finished the first lap in about an hour. Each lap was about 5 miles with a quarter-mile out-and-back at the end. I just knocked out the out-and-backs so I wouldn't have to worry about them each time.

The course wasn't terrible, but there were several sections that were momentum killers. The ground wasn't un-runable, but it was just tough enough that I had to slow down through those sections. It seemed like every time I was getting into my zone, I ran across one of those sections. I have no complaints though. My feet are tougher now because of the rocks. And it's crazy to complain about a FREE MARATHON that comes with a medal!

So, my pace stayed pretty consistent. I ran with a guy who was wanting to break 4-hours (he started an hour earlier), and I kept pace with him for a while. I don't remember what we talked about, but it was a good conversation, and he was one of the nicest people I met that day. I stopped caring about my time, and just tried to keep a comfortable pace with people I could talk to. There weren't enough marathoners, so I found a few local residents who were just out for a jog.

Angela and Phil were also doing the double. Angela ran a 50K the day before, so she was hurting. Phil looked like he was enjoying his first double, and was pretty intrigued by all of my tattoos. He's a really good guy.

I didn't break any records, but I ran two marathons in the same pair of socks. I felt so good the next day that I rode my bike to the gym and then to work. It is completely unbelievable how good my legs feel. I'm looking at a few more doubles for this year now.

West Site 50 (53.3 Miles)

PR! - 11:08:12

Here's a breakdown of the ECR Software Corporation Youth Run. 108.5 Miles total. 20 Miles Barefoot. 55 Miles without any Shoes. 53.5 Miles with Shoes. I was almost hit by a car. I was attacked by dogs. I was heckled by a drunk driver. I stepped on a dead raccoon in my bare socks. And we raised about $5,000 for the Youth of Watauga County.

This 50-Miler was amazing. I was making really good time all day, and the parent who came out with her two kids was really motivating. They set up signs, and even had a finish line tape at the end.

Thanks to all my co-workers who did all of the fundraising. Thanks to my family for being there for the first run. Thanks to my wife for being so supportive for the last month. Thanks to all of the runners who came out. And most importanly, thanks to all of the after school kids for making this such a worthwhile cause.

What an incredible experience.