2019 Year in Review
Whether you think astronomically or
mathematically like I do, we are in the twilight of a new decade and sometimes
you just have to take a good hard whack at the hornet’s nest, then take cover and
see what happens.
It’s a fact, I’m not a trained journalist or
writer. But as I reflect upon the adventures I had, the obstacles
I faced, and lessons I learned along the way, I write my annual review from the
gut, because everyone knows that one thing engineers aren’t short of are
opinions. This is mine.
This “tradition” of analyzing my
running year has become something I look forward to because no matter how many
difficulties, struggles, ups, downs or curveballs I’ve faced throughout the
year, it always amazes me how they’ve helped me grow and become a better person
in the end.
At times, despite having a cacophony
of thoughts whirring around in my head, I find it hard as I sit down to write a
blog review there is only white noise to match the blank computer screen in
front of me. Although it may be easier
said than done, I just need to reach out and stop that whirring clatter and
begin tapping those lettered keys on my keyboard.
Every year may have different themes
but the one thing that I’ve noticed is consistent since I started this annual
tradition is the personal growth I’ve achieved. I almost can’t believe
how my story has unfolded over the years and what I’ve managed to accomplish,
but by having a record of what it has taken to complete my 50-state goal has
kept me humble. With a whole lot of miles of smiles, pleasures and
disappointments, how do I fit all the years of running around the country into
concise presentations? Mission:
impossible.
My aim in sharing my story is not to
brag or boast, but hopefully, to serve as an inspiration to others. My goals may be somewhat extreme or lofty by
typical standards, but most often I am able to attain them, and not without the
normal number of bumps or roadblocks I expect to encounter. I come across
problems and setbacks just like anyone else, but I keep a good attitude and try
to make the most from what I’ve been blessed with, and most importantly, to be
happy.
I’ve accepted the fact that I'm not
as fast as I once was and I fear that I may never be again. These negative views consumed me for much of the
past years, and sometimes led me astray from my love of running. This
brings me to a few goals I set for 2019.
Goal #1. Run for fun! I did not set any particular time or mileage goals for running this year. As any runner could attest, finishing a marathon with a great time is a wonderful feeling, but with so many marathons over the past few years, a part of me got burned out, logging fewer and fewer miles. I guess I didn't realize just how tired I was until nagging niggles forced me to take occasional breaks. Maybe I took running too seriously, always chasing that next PR, BQ or some specific finish time. I found myself becoming disappointed as I crossed the finish line with another disastrous time, and I lost sight of why I loved running in the first place.
Goal #1. Run for fun! I did not set any particular time or mileage goals for running this year. As any runner could attest, finishing a marathon with a great time is a wonderful feeling, but with so many marathons over the past few years, a part of me got burned out, logging fewer and fewer miles. I guess I didn't realize just how tired I was until nagging niggles forced me to take occasional breaks. Maybe I took running too seriously, always chasing that next PR, BQ or some specific finish time. I found myself becoming disappointed as I crossed the finish line with another disastrous time, and I lost sight of why I loved running in the first place.
Sometimes one doesn’t realize how
much you miss something until you take a much-needed break. I promised
myself to slow down and to run races with no fear of my finish time (except
pacing responsibilities). It’s only a
set of numbers that don’t mean much in the big scheme of things. As my 50-state quest concludes, I am ready to
get back to running local half marathons and stuffing my closet with more
t-shirts and various pieces of swag.
Goal #1 met.
Goal #2. Continue to stay focused. Even “cutting back” to seven marathons and
four half marathons, I continued to stay focused on my 50-state quest. It's been an awesome journey crisscrossing
the country, seeing amazing sights and meeting some incredible people. Now that it’s over, it’s time to rest,
recover, reset and adjust to ordinary life, and figure out where my next
marathon starting line will lie. Goal #2
met.
Goal #3. Find and run a marathon in the state of
Tennessee. Although I checked off
Tennessee with the 2016 Chattanooga Marathon with the best of intentions, an
inadvertent layout error produced a 0.28-mile discrepancy in the marathon
distance (not in my favor) causing the marathon to not count towards my
official total.
When I enter an event, I tend to
follow the rules. I didn’t cheat
Chattanooga, because I didn’t know of the error beforehand, but I cannot escape
the fact that I did not run the full distance.
Unless I desired to become a non-certified 50-Stater, I had to find and
run another qualifying marathon in Tennessee.
Although not my number one choice, the convenient timing and locale of
the Mockingbird Marathon afforded me the opportunity to officially check off the
state of Tennessee. Goal #3 met.
Goal #4. Finish my fifty-state quest by the end of the
year. Coinciding with Mockingbird, North
Carolina’s incredible New River Marathon was the capstone project of my running
education and fifty-state mission.
Thanks to the incredible staff and volunteers, my journey, and crowning
achievement, concluded in June. A
quasi-double marathon weekend complete.
When my 50-state venture began, I
could not see the ending of my path as it was yet untrodden and beset with
perils unknown. I had faith in the Lord
to go out with courage, not knowing where I would go, but knowing His hand
would lead me to all my destinations.
Goal #4 met.
During the course of the year, my
training lacked any indication of consistency. A part of me wasn’t motivated and a part of me
wasn’t adjusting to the demands of work and “racecations.” Time slipped up on me and I struggled to
maintain any traction with my training.
I began 2019 with a flight to New
Orleans and a short road trip to the Alabama shore with the annual running of
the Big Beach Marathon, serving as a do-over state from an ill-ridden
performance in 2014 with Mobile’s First Light Marathon.
From there, my travels pointed me up
the Eastern Seaboard to Connecticut and Massachusetts before returning to
Nevada for another do-over state intended to overthrow my ET Midnight Marathon
experience. A final swing through the
states of Ohio, Tennessee and North Carolina rounded out my travels, and
wrapping up my 50-state certification in June.
The glow of June appeared to
overshadow the balance of the year. From
the highest high as I crossed the finish line in New River, my euphoria seemed
to have plummeted as the second half of the year unfolded. In addition to overcoming the inconvenience
of intramuscular issues and some tendonitis, my training lagged for most of the
second half of the year and, sadly, I didn’t feel as if I had anything to look
forward to any longer. But in the long
run, it was essential to rest and recover.
I resumed training as July approached and as much as my legs would allow
to prepare for my half marathon pacing commitments.
Overall, I would have to grade my
running year as satisfactory. I will
never complain even when it’s an okay running year. Every day I can lace up my running shoes and
head out on the road is a good thing. Running is truly a blessing and it
means so much to me. It brings back my
smile when it seems to be hiding behind a frown, sadness or angst. Running is my stress-reliever and I hope to
never take it for granted.
I equate running
to be like a good friend. Running has
been there for me through good times and bad; the highs and the lows. Running is there to help me through rough times.
Running is there when I require a
much-needed confidence boost. At times,
running has helped my own mental health and that is why I think it means so
much.
Running has
given me moments of joy and elation. Running
has made me leave my comfort zone and has led me to travel the country to find
that special zone that only runners know about.
I am grateful for what running has brought and taught me. Lately, not running like I used to in my
earlier years is like gradually losing contact with someone I have been close
to for many years – and it’s hard. I
feel like a bad friend of running and I fear one of these days I won’t be able
to refer to myself as a runner any more.
Running is an
addiction, and an obsession. To me it is
an obsession with seeing the entire world, one race and one adventure at a
time. It is an obsession with being
in-tune to my body that I can compete giving everything it has, and be awed by
what it can do. It is challenging, and
sometimes it feels more challenging than anything else in this world. Sometimes it means running on the edge of your
mind’s limits, balancing them with those of your body. But, I’ve proven that every step is worth it
in the end.
Following
a known path will lead one to an expected destination; but, over the years I sought
to blaze new paths taking me to new destinations. Not surprisingly, the journey turned out to
be more exploratory than I could fathom.
As the 2019 calendar commenced, I began to see the light at the end of
the tunnel and I certainly looked forward to emerging from that tunnel bringing
an end my trailblazing throughout our country’s fruited plains. Recapping my 2019 journey:
Where the white sand beaches meet the surf of the gulf coast, the Big Beach Marathon ushered in the new year brimming with southern hospitality. The sugar-like sand of Gulf Shores attracts vacationers from around the country, so it’s only fitting to stage a marathon to show off the beauty of the gulf coast! With tons of pre and post-race fun at The Hangout, the marathon takes runners through some beautiful scenery as it winds through the paved trail system of Gulf State Park before finishing the last three miles along Beach Blvd with some intermittent views of the Gulf of Mexico. In addition to being my best finishing time of the year, it was also one of my most memorable trips. There’s only one rule to remember when in the area – don’t torment the venomous snakes or feed the alligators.
Connecticut – Savin Rock Marathon, West Haven, 5:04:35
Good things sometimes come in small packages. Overall, a good marathon; but, there’s room for some improvements. The beauty of coastal Connecticut’s Long Island Sound wasn’t enough to overshadow negotiating West Haven’s dreaded hills – two times! After the first 13.1-mile loop, spectators and even law enforcement appeared to abandon the scene, and course markings in some places were difficult to spot. Advice? Remember course landmarks throughout the first loop to avoid getting lost or veering off-course the second time around. While race organizers decided to incorporate every hill in West Haven into the course, perhaps redesign the course consisting of a single lap of hills combined with an out-and-back run along the sound’s shoreline. Just a thought.
Massachusetts – Cheap Marathon, Salisbury, 4:57:07
Many words explain this marathoning experience in northern Massachusetts – cheap, reasonable, economical, to name a few. And, the Cheap Marathon certainly doesn’t disappoint. As the name implies, organizers do spare expenses which is why the entry fee is only $26.20, cut that in half for the half marathon. I came into the marathon with little expectation of swag, food or entertainment. With six laps of a 4.36-mile loop in and around an RV campground parking lot, overcoming boredom is just as difficult as running the same lap six times. To keep my sanity, I kept my focus on my path like a bloodhound tracing a scent. As the finisher’s ribbon clearly exemplifies, all I got after running a full marathon was a cheap green ribbon, reminiscent of an honorable mention ribbon from elementary school. Look on the bright side, it certainly doesn’t put additional stresses on my medal rack, but dangles proudly for all to bear witness of one of my crowning achievements.
Nevada – REVEL Mt. Charleston Marathon, Las Vegas, 5:09:05
Located in the Spring Mountains
National Recreation Area northwest of Las Vegas, Mt. Charleston dominates the
western horizon and is one of Nevada’s foremost winter and summer recreation
destinations. REVEL races are definitely
unique and they promise fast and scenic downhill marathons to help maximize one’s
chances for a PR or BQ. They seek to take
full advantage of the time athletes spend running in canyons, forests,
state/national parks, etc. But, they can,
and usually do, wreak havoc on a runner’s legs if not adequately prepared. Following a long early morning bus ride to a
mountainous resort lodge up above the snow line nearing 8000 feet, runners
stored up as much potential energy as possible for a 26-mile trek back down the
hill to Las Vegas. As runners transformed
that potential energy into kinetic energy, beautiful canyons and desert
landscape views forfeit any wearisomeness to vanish into the cool thin air. In late April, desert temperatures can and do
exceed eighty degrees. With zero shade,
high temperatures and arduous downhill running, finishing this marathon is a
difficult endeavor, but great post-race fare abounds for those who endure and cross
the finish line.
Another pig sooie cheer! For some reason, just the name “Flying Pig” summons runners from all over America to assemble in Cincinnati for some fun and entertainment. Without a doubt, it’s popular and generally garners a cult-like following for some runners. The course leads runners across the Ohio River for a brief run into Northern Kentucky and throughout various parks and neighborhoods of Cincinnati finishing along the famed waterfront between The Great American Ballpark and Paul Brown Stadium. Although hills reign in runners for most of the day, the crowds, spectators and aura make this such a wonderful event. The expertly organized race brings runners together for a weekend of fun, food, games and entertainment. The uniquely crafted finisher’s medal hangs proudly on my medal rack.
Tennessee – Mockingbird Marathon, Erwin, 5:44:44
Whenever I hear about a road race being cut short, I
think of Rosie Ruiz, who notoriously cut into the final mile of the 1980 Boston
Marathon in her bid to capture the women’s title. In the end, she got caught. This inaugural event sponsored by the Road to
50 Multi-distance Running Club, served as a substitute for the Chattanooga
Marathon, a racecourse inadvertently cut short, but by human error – a
misplaced traffic cone set by a well-intentioned person. At first, I was skeptical in the days leading
into Mockingbird if there would be enough entrants. But I’m glad I stuck with my positive attitude
and completed the marathon’s full distance, albeit not a good day for me. The running field consisted of only thirteen
participants (both marathon and 50K distances) on an out-and-back 1.1-mile
segment of Erwin’s Linear Trail as runners must complete each segment 24 times. Because of the small field of runners, I
ultimately took home a second-place overall trophy. I never win or even come close to placing in
my age group, but to place second overall without even trying, I was thrilled,
nevertheless.
State No. 50!! The unpredictable Appalachian weather certainly threw in a monkey wrench and a memorable way to bring finality to my 50-state quest. Tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, an early morning run in rural Ashe County is a relaxing way to escape the mental overload of the superfluities of life, even in heavy rain. The course begins in the small hamlet of Fleetwood located north northeast of Boone. The day commenced with periods of tropical-like rain showers in the midst of Christmas tree farms and green rolling pasture land. The rain and the not-so-ideal weather were not enough to dampen my spirits or rob my enjoyment with a run in a beautiful setting. Hills abound, and the final three miles include a muddy cross-country trek through a wooded copse of hardwood trees and dense understory culminating with a half-mile steep ascent, all geared to test a runner’s fitness. The New River Marathon course is amazing and is unquestionably one of my top three marathons in my repertoire.
Race Stats:
Half Marathons
Run: 4 (running as pace leader)
Napa Valley
Half Marathon, Napa, CA – 2:13:31
(2:10 pace leader) *
Humboldt Bay
Half Marathon, Eureka, CA – 2:14:25
(2:15 pace leader)
Two Cities Half
Marathon (Clovis), Fresno, CA – 2:08:18
(2:10 pace leader)
Bakersfield
Half Marathon, Bakersfield, CA – 2:10:00
(2:10 pace leader)
* Ran with a painful and nagging hamstring injury, but did the best I
could.
Marathons Run:
7 (Four new states)
Fastest: 4:31:24 (Big Beach Marathon, Gulf Shores, AL)
Slowest: 5:44:44 (Mockingbird Marathon, Erwin, TN)
Average: 5:06:46 Standard deviation: 0:21:52 Median: 5:05:11
Fastest: 4:31:24 (Big Beach Marathon, Gulf Shores, AL)
Slowest: 5:44:44 (Mockingbird Marathon, Erwin, TN)
Average: 5:06:46 Standard deviation: 0:21:52 Median: 5:05:11
Number of
fellow marathon runners: 6,522
Largest race: 3,874 (Flying Pig Marathon)
Smallest race: 13 (Mockingbird Marathon)
Largest race: 3,874 (Flying Pig Marathon)
Smallest race: 13 (Mockingbird Marathon)
Fifty-state
quest average through 50 states: 4:54:28
Standard
deviation: 0:22:20
Median finish
time: 4:56:52
All-time
marathon average to date (through 71 races):
4:51:32
Standard
deviation: 0:28:58
Median finish
time: 4:54:09
Number of days
since first marathon and final marathon of 2019: 6,796
Mileage Stats:
Total miles run
in 2019: 741.50
Race miles run in 2019: 239.3 (including marathon and half marathon)
Average half marathon pace: 10:02
Race miles run in 2019: 239.3 (including marathon and half marathon)
Average half marathon pace: 10:02
Average marathon
pace: 11:42
Best Medal of
2019: That’s a tough decision since medal designs
and creative appearances seem to improve with each passing year. It
essentially boils down to the home-crafted design of the New River Marathon,
with 1920s era wood paneling; to the swinish charm of Cincinnati’s Flying Pig;
to the gulf shore motif of Big Beach Alabama.
Drum roll…I really have to give it to New River. The beautiful scenery of northwest North
Carolina, the amiable and good-natured people, the kindness and thoughtfulness
of the race director (which I did convey to him), the course layout and the
fact that who wants to finish their quest on an easy note, wins out with a huge
margin.
For the half
marathon, the Bakersfield Half takes the prize.
The unique medal symbolizes the legacy Buck Owens, Merle Haggard and
Dwight Yoakam left on the City of Bakersfield, the perpetual sound of the
Bakersfield beat and the guitar makers of bygone days.
Worst Medal of
2019: I can’t really find one that I truly dislike
all that much. Oh, yes, I can. The
Cheap Marathon finisher’s ribbon. It’s
certainly unique and a first for me; but as its name implies, expect nothing in
return for your hard-earned efforts.
Enough said! It still earns a distinguished
place on my medal rack, though.
For the half
marathon distance, after the Napa Valley medal, I would have to give the least
amount of kudos to this years’ Fresno’s Two Cities half marathon. In prior years, medal designs focused on the event’s
autumnal theme, but the 2019 medal depicts Old Town Clovis’ Water Tank and
Uptown Fresno’s skyline instead – signature features of the two cities – but organizers
should keep the original theme.
 |
| "Ya reckon we meet up at the Longbranch Matthew?" |
There you have
it, a quick and dirty summary of my year – nothing too special – with the
exception of finishing my nationwide quest and a second-place finish trophy –
but no records set, no accolades, or monetary winnings. The year was enough to keep me busy, feeling
good and out of trouble. My 2019 average marathon finishing time of 5:05:46
was 2:10 faster than last years’ average time.
 |
| Festus Statue at 430 Pollasky Avenue, Clovis |
Final thoughts
Calendar year 2019
brought about many things. First and foremost, it brought about the unexplainable
feeling surging through my body as I finished my fiftieth state. Also, it brought about remembrance, redemption,
vindication, fortitude and a personal victory. It brought about improving
what is working, and what’s not; fixing what is holding us back, and letting
go, and changing focus on what matters. At this time last year, I didn’t
think I could possibly top last year’s excitement and thrill. But
somehow, I managed to do it. Even though I wasn’t completely successful,
I felt more alive this year as I scampered up muddy trails, ascended
substantial hills, barreled down through canyons and deserts, pounded over scorching
pavement and writhed my way through tropical-like rain showers.
Perhaps facing
a difficult run, or defeat for that matter, gave each finish line an extra jolt
of gratification and fulfillment. I always expected that I would finish each
and every race no matter what, and that was evident as I crossed final finish
line in North Carolina.
I have been
running for a long time now and running means so much to me: my solace, my
sanity, my health, my fitness, but writing running blogs is somewhat of a new
addition to it that appears to be a nice fit.
I don’t think I have many readers but the few comments I do have always
been supportive and at times given a much-needed boost. I don’t want the end of my 50-state quest to
be my last memory of running and I want my blogs about my running adventures to
continue. I hope, really hope, that I
can be back in touch with my friend “running” like I used to be.
And so, with a
thick mix of emotions, I bid farewell to 2019 and I look to 2020 with a buzzing
mix of eagerness, trepidation and ambition. Though my plans aren’t
completely monumented in stone, I hope that whatever path I may blaze, I will
share it with fleet-footed travelers of all dispositions, from starry-eyed
newcomers to the ragged veterans. We’re
all searching for the same thing, so we might as well enjoy the company.
These are the
thoughts of this long-in-the-tooth engineer.
Now that I’ve stepped right in it by completing my trailblazing, I shall
continue to do so again. Happy 2020 to
you all.
“Strive not to
be a success, but rather to be of value.” – Albert Einstein
As always, onward and upward.
