A Post-race Flower Arrangement from my Friend, Hedy

Race Day Richmond!

That's me on race day with 7,000 other half marathoners.  Met the Good Race team at Centenary United Methodist for a pre-race picture and check in.  Then over to Broad Street for the start of the race.

How was it?  I felt great for the first three or four miles.  I thought my pace was even and I didn't get tempted to go too fast.

Bryan Park is where I felt thrown off.  Miles 6 & 7 were here and the pavement was old and broken - not good for Vibrams-wearing runners (of which there were very few).

Through the neighborhoods north of I-64 I could tell that I was wearing down a little.  I was using my arms more to help maintain my pace.  The long stretch down Brook Road felt long, but I was getting confident that I would finish and I was not experiencing much pain from my 8-mile toe.

Miles 12 & 13 were excruciating.  The toe really acted up in the last mile and I had to grind out the ending.  But I did it.  Came in to the finish line at 2 hours 23 minutes - a record I'll try to beat on Dec.3 at the Seaside Half Marathon in Wachapreague.

All in all it has been a wonderful year.  I don't think I'm really a runner, but I have enjoyed the challenge, appreciated the support from friends and colleagues, and I've given myself something to build on in the future.  After the Seaside I think I'll hibernate in the gym, do some boxing, and start up again in earnest in February.  A full marathon seems unlikely.  But who knows?  If I get my toe sorted out and stick to a training plan, I could be back at the RIC next year for the whole enchilada.

Afterwards with my medal.  Yes, they gave a medal to the 4,000th person across the line.

Meeting up with the Good Race team

Check-in day at the Arthur Ashe Center in Richmond.  Got my number with my name, (seen here), then traded it in for a half marathon number.  It's a little overwhelming seeing so many people here, but I feel ready and the weather looks to be perfect.

Rooming with my colleague Tim Tate.  Ate dinner with the rest of the Good Race crew who have been my Facebook companions all year.  A great pasta dinner at the United Methodist Center in Glen Allen.

Then off to bed.

A Final Run on Assateague

To the beach - quiet and wonderful in the autumn.

4.63 miles
53:03

New Strides on the Milton Ames

A final long run before the big race.  Did the Milton Ames with the Holly Grove extension.  Felt particularly good in the last 3 miles.  New running style really making a difference.  I feel strong and ready for Richmond.

9.5 miles
1:24:39

Holly Grove & Home

A very good run.  My pace is picking up.  A new article by Christopher McDougall in the New York Times called "The Once & Future Way to Run" has me adjusting my stride to be more vertical. 

The Once and Future Way to Run

Ran the basic Holly Grove in what must be record time.

5.21 miles
47:17

Homestretch

A pace run to move me back into full training mode. Over to Seaside Rd. in Nassawadox.  Back down Rogers Dr to Holly Grove.  First mile was excruciating.  My left Achilles tendon is very painful.  But I settled in during mile 2 and ignored every shortcut home.  A good run.

7.52 miles
1:16:10

On the Beach

Beach running - just keeping myself moving enough to say I'm still a runner.

6.25 miles
1:05:00

Home from the Holy Land

A jog on the beach at Assateague.  Back from the trip and feeling better.  Now pretty certain that I won't be trying the full marathon.

6 miles
1:06:00

A Run Through Hell

Or Gehenna, as it is called in numerous references in the Bible.  The valley below the Old City which was a dump in ancient times.

My last run in Jerusalem and I decided to try some hills.  Again it was early.  5:30.  I headed downhill into the Valley of Hinnom, where human sacrifices took place in ancient times.  Down, down, down to where it intersected with the Kidron Valley.

This was the most out of place I felt on my whole trip.  I was skirting an Arab neighborhood, off of the main road, running up a path that took me through Jewish and Christian tombs at the base of the Mount of Olives.  And I felt very out of sorts.  But I ran on.

Up the hill to my Gethsemane garden - my favorite place of the trip.  Then back across, up through the Lion's Gate and across the Old City, this time exploring the Christian quarter a little more.  Back out the Jaffa Gate and to the hotel.

about 5.5 miles (with steep hills!)
1:09:12

Up to the Promenade

The view from the Promenade on a southern hill overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem.

At 5:30 in the morning you don't get a view like this.  It's too dark.  But I enjoyed the run up here.  It had rained the night before and the pavement was still wet.

A tense Friday night in the city.  Palestinian leader Abbas and Israeli PM Netanyahu had presented dueling speeches at the UN.  22,000 extra Israeli soldiers were on the streets, just in case.  But the Sabbath morning was peaceful.

I ran down past the windmill and took a right turn this time.  Up through the Peace Forest which has a nice, gradually sloping pathway up to the Promenade.  It was lonely and peaceful as the name suggests.  Then back down the streets and through another park to the south of the hotel.

About 4.5 miles
51:15
easy run

My Own Private Gethsemane

This morning it became familiar.  I left the hotel at 5:30 and ran down past the windmill to the street below the southern walls.  Tried to take a shortcut up the hill but two dogs met me and I let them have the space.

Around the city to a garden on the Mount of Olives.  Let's call it Gethsemane.  I did.  Olive trees on white limestone.  A rock too perfectly-sized and placed to be THE rock at which Jesus prayed, but I knelt there anyway for morning prayers.  The rising sun lit the Dome of the Rock and the eastern walls of the Old City.  It was pure and lonesome.  Indelible.

Back across the Kidron Valley and once again through the Lion's Gate, up the Via Dolorosa.  Wandered over to the Jewish Quarter and got lost in the warren.  Emerged on a roof top to see churches, minarets, and synagogues all around.  Then home to the hotel.  I know the way now.

about 4.5 miles
1:10:00
easy run

I Hear Jerusalem Bells Ringing

I was never more grateful for my running program than when I went to Jerusalem.  To run through the streets of the city in the early morning hours was transcendent.

Left the King Solomon Hotel west of the Old City about 5:30 am and ran through the park across the street.  Past something that looked like Jesus' tomb, but there are lots of things that look like Jesus' tomb here.

Up to the walls of the Old City - much like the medieval walls I got to know in York, only with white stone.  Down the southern walls past workers lining up for buses.  Bells were ringing in the Christian Quarter.  The call to prayer from the minarets.

Around to the eastern side where I ran through an Arab graveyard right against the walls - above which was the Temple Mount.  I wondered if it might be disrespectful to run there so I walked a ways.

Went into the Old City through the Lion's Gate.  Coming out were people in Arab dress - men and women headed to prayers or work.  I felt very self-conscious in my Northampton Co. Parks & Rec T-shirt, my gray shorts, and blue headband.  But I kept running.

I was on the Via Dolorosa (above).  Shopkeepers were opening doors for the day.  A baker with the kitchen open to the street making sesame bread.  Narrow passageways everywhere.  Stones smoothed to fine polish by pilgrim feet.  And I mostly had the place to myself.

Up the steps on an uphill stretch I prayed the breath prayer: Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

Out the Jaffa Gate.  Back to the hotel  2,000 years and more in less than an hour's run.

about 4 miles
50:36
easy run

Getting Ready for the Trip

At this point I was preparing for a 9-day trip to Jerusalem.  I was really looking forward to running there.

A long run to get ready.

6.5 miles
1:15:00

Assateague - It's Good for What Ails You

Pace run on the beach at Assateague with the tourists.

6.2 miles
1:16:00

Bells Neck

This was a heroic attempt to get back into the distance running and a shot at a full marathon.  I left Exmore and headed out the Willis Wharf Road.  It was a beautiful summer afternoon.  I was feeling good.  Turned on the Seaside Rd going north and went up to Bells Neck Road.  People were out mowing lawns.  The traffic was light.  Out to Bells Neck and then turned to come back.

It got rough once I got back to Rt. 13 and tried to head back into Exmore.  13 is not a good road to run on and my toe was giving me fits.  I limped back into town but was glad to have done the distance.

11.17 miles
2:34:43
Long Run

Holly Grove Modified

It's basically running the Holly Grove route in reverse.  Out Wellington Neck, over past the winery, down by the horses, around the field, down the dirt road, then back by the cemeteries.

4.34 miles
49:24
reported feeling awesome

Wardtown Odyssey

A last effort to see if I could put in marathon distances.  Up Bayside Rd. to Exmore.  Down past Broadwater school.  A misguided adventure through the fields and emerging in Wardtown where I had to call Suzanne to pick me up because of time constraints.

On this run I picked up the worst case of poison ivy I've had in many a year.

7.97 miles
2:00:06

Holly Grove Again

Holly Grove is the baseline for all other runs.

4.42 miles
48:01

Beach Running Becomes the Rule

With my running schedule slipping, beach running became the rule.  Another good Assateague run.

7.31 miles
1:32:42

The Joy of Bare Feet

Back in the sand on Assateague with the tide going out, things could not have been better.  A joyful run.

6.59 miles
1:19:31

Bay to Sea Trial

At this stage I was beginning to wonder if I would be able to do a full marathon.  Another painful run after about 6 miles.  I found that when I stopped and let my right foot dangle for a minute, I would regain good feeling for another mile or so, but it was not comfortable.

Bay to sea route.
7.54 miles
1:47:22

Burton's Bay By Night

Nighttime is really the best time to run in this summer heat and Burton's Bay is a great place to do it.  I ran this loop around 9 PM after parking down on the beach.  The loop through Locustville was deserted.  The air was cool.  The bugs down.  The only obstacle was my toe, which was now becoming a persistent problem.  This may have been the last run in the Komodos.  I switched back to the black Vibrams following this with only marginally better success.

4.95 miles
56:33

Blast Furnace by Night - Texas version

I really hoped to do a lot of running in Dallas while I was teaching there.  But the heat was incredible and the options for running not great.  I did get out one night around 10 PM to try the White Rock Lake trails.  But they are poorly lit, poorly marked and my toe was killing me.  I love Dallas, but it's not a great place to run.

4.76 miles

1:02:29

Blast Furnace by Morning - Oklahoma Version

Staying with my cousin in Muskogee, Oklahoma.  They've got a great new trail system running through the city along old rail lines.  Of course it was also 100 degrees at 6 am when I went running, headed for a high of 106.  Blast furnace conditions.  My cousin left me a strategically placed water bottle along the route, bless her heart.  Limped back to her house.  Toe issues still showing up with the komodos - beginning to wonder about the sizing of those shoes.

Really liked seeing the city this way, though.  Feels like I really went there.

5.34 miles
1:09:50

Summer Run

A long run.  A good one.

6.27 miles
1:05:59

Holly Grove by Starlight

There's some magic to the tomato fields by starlight.  There's got to be some pesticides, too, but we'll concentrate on the magic.  The Holly Grove route takes me right through the fields, first on a dirt road and then on a trail along the fields.  I think this was the night I made the run in real darkness.  Just me and the moon.  And hordes of bats.  And pesticides.

4.37 miles
47:38

Lumbering into Summer

I'm catching up on entries here so I'm trying to recreate what was going on from my running records.  This was another day at the beach, only the foot issues were getting really troublesome.  It was also getting pretty hot.  Who knew?

Assateague
4.76 miles
1:05:24
ouch!

Coast to Coast

A vicious run. You remember the old commercial when a guy sticks his arm into a clear container filled with mosquitoes to prove how effective his repellent was? Yeah, that was me. Except it wasn't just my arm an I didn't have on any repellent.

Tomorrow is the day my official training regimen for the marathon is supposed to begin. So this evening I went out under threatening skies and did the coast to coast run (Franktown to Brownsville and back). The Nature Conservancy trail in Brownsville is a mosquito mosh pit. I was surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses and they were sucking the life out of me. So I ran with perseverance the race set before me. I just wish I'd've also run with Deet.

Good news - I got 8.25 miles in.
Bad news - my index toe on the right foot was acting up pretty badly, forcing me to walk about 2 miles of that. Can't figure out what's going on there. It didn't start until about 4 miles in and when I let it rest for a minute it seem to be ok, I was wearing the Komodo's.

8.25 miles
1:43

Beachgoers have no peripheral vision

Out on Assateague for a short jaunt. Despite threatening skies it was filled with vacationers. I started at the south end of the parking lots and ran south but quickly found that the whole island south of the lots has now been roped off. So I ran north, dodging seagoers who can only travel east-west and who are oblivious to north-south traffic. Once I got north of the lots it was a nice run with a receding tide.

4.04 miles
43:26

Toe woe on the Milton Ames

The index toe on my right foot is starting to flare up on distance runs. Today it was the Milton Ames. Halfway down Milyton Ames my toe started to hurt. I mixed walking and running the rest of th way.

Yes, I had on the Komodo's.

6 miles
1:14

Closing Out Beach Week

Last run at the beach.  Difficult.  Starting to lose my focus.

4.14 miles
54:20

Nags Head Again

Another beach run - this one with an unfavorable tide.  I'm realizing now that when the tide is coming in the slopes are steeper and the sand softer.

3.64 miles
44:25

Nags Head South

First good run of vacation at Nags Head, NC.  Down the beach past the new pier and the beach reclamation project.  Good sand.  Good legs.  A great run.  And I didn't lose my wife this time!

5.34 miles
1:02:43

Running at Camp Occohannock

I like running out from Camp Occohannock on the Bay.  The roads are uncrowded, the trees dense and the landscape interesting.  Went to pick up my daughter from camp and while she was at her round-up meeting I ran out Scarborough Neck.  Got caught in a big thunderstorm coming back in, but it felt good.

In my Komodos.

4.5 miles
47:11

Home from the Hills, Back to the Beach

After the hills of Roanoke it was back to the Assateague Beach.  Crowds really starting to fill up the place.  But my eyes were on the prize.

3.8 miles
37:25

Running With My Buds

A new thing at Annual Conference - a group run organized by Steve Jones and Allie Rosner, the leaders of The Good Race initiative.  We left from the Roanoke Civic Center early on a fine summer morning and split into two groups - one walking and one running.  It was refreshing to share stories, to know I could hang in with the group and to experience some social time while running.  I like the solitude of running, but this was good.  And I learned things.

I felt great and I was breaking in my new Komodo Vibrams that I got in Roanoke.  We ran along Tim Tate's urban trails.

5.38 miles
57:25

The Hills of Roanoke

So I ventured into the hills around Roanoke as I went to a 4-day conference of United Methodists in Virginia.  My colleague, Tim Tate, loves running here and put me on to the urban trails around the city.  I checked in at my hotel near the airport and ran across the shopping mall parking lot to find a trailhead.  Once I was on it the city disappeared behind trees and I met people walking and running along the creek.

Oh, yes, there were also hills!  But I felt good.  Vibrams were working fine and I was beginning to imagine that I might be able to do this whole thing without real shoes.

5 miles
54:37
I noted that I felt awesome.

Beach Bounce Back

Bounced back with a good run on Assateague.  This was near the peak of my feeling good before the toe issues started cropping up.

4.56 miles
54:35

So Bad I Can't Remember

I don't remember what made this run so bad, but my notes tell me it was bad.  Joel graduated from high school.  I went for a long run.  And it was not pretty.

6 miles
1:15:02

Around the Block

An easy run around the block.  Feeling good.

2.59 miles
27:38

Holly Grove Becoming Routine

Around the Holly Grove loop.  Feeling good.

4.25 miles
45 minutes

Metompkin Island Biathlon

Did the kayak/run biathlon thing again today. Beautiful, low humidity, 80-degree day so I set out for Parker's Creek Landing and took the short jaunt over to Metompkin Island (about 2 miles out). The island is growing more substantial these days. It has sometimes had large washover areas, but it is developing more substantial dunes with dune grass cover. The beach is really wide in many places. I'm liking this island.

Ran down to the tip and back, then north and back for an hour long run. You can see how much the island has shifted by comparing my run route (in blue) to the white outline of the island that Google has (from a few years ago, I'd imagine). I didn't run out into the water as it seems to show.

Saw a few small sea turtles. Kept my distance from the nesting birds. (Like Smith, during this time of the year the island is closed for most of its length above the high tide line.) But loved, loved, loved this day.

4 miles paddling
5.6 miles running
1 hour run

Pony Up for Assateague

Got out to the beach at Assateague for a short run. Ran into these girls just north of the parking area. They didn't make very good running partners. (One rolled in the sand on her back soon after this photo.) But not something you see every day.

The tally today:
29 min.
2.7 miles

Wellington Neck and Back

Did a straight run out Wellington Neck as far as the big curve. Very humid day. A taste of what summer will be like. But I waited until 7 PM to go and enjoyed the setting sun.

Wearing my Vibrams more often now - including today. I'm finding that it works better to do the whole run on the hard surface. My stride changes too much when I alternate between the shoulder and the road. Plus the grass is growing now so the shoulder is not as attractive. I'm slower in these shoes, though. My pace has been getting worse.

But the ITB problems seem to be gone. Second toe on my right foot is a little strained but otherwise I'm feeling pretty good these days.

4.77 miles
55:15

Mountain Mama Mia!

Enjoyed the hills of Pipestem State Park in West Virginia until I decided to run one today. We're here for a family reunion. Yesterday we did a long hike from the bottom of the Bluestone Canyon to the top. Picked up a stray German Shepherd along the way who did most of the hike with us.

Today I went down the hill and back up on a short run. Only they don't make hills like this on the Eastern Shore. But I did the whole run and felt pretty good at the end. All in Vibrams. Now country roads, take me home to the place I belong - the flatlands!

3.46 miles
36:45

Holly Grove By Morning

Got in an early morning run before we headed off to West Virginia for the Memorial Day weekend. Did the Holly Grove loop in my Vibrams. Felt a little lightheaded at one point and had to walk it out. Early morning is not my favorite time and allergy season is not my favorite season. But I do love that run.

4.25 miles
51:40

Quick and the Dead Again

A quick run around the block today, including the cemeteries. The back cemetery has a lot of soft ground in it, plus weeds that get between your toes when you're wearing Vibrams.

2.65 miles
29:08

Holly Grove in May

Did the Holly Grove run today since I couldn't do my usual Monday at Assateague run.

4.25 miles
47:42

Cross Peninsula in the Rain

Bay to Sea again, though I didn't make it all the way to the observation stand this time due to time constraints. It was dark and spitting rain at times, but I felt good. Knee is getting better, perhaps due to ITB strap. I did wear shoes today.

6.62 miles
1:16:23

Picking Up the Pace

Time to start getting serious about this. I've missed too many runs. Just around the block today in my Vibrams. Did not feel too well at the end. ITB is iffy.

2.42 miles
27:06

Assateague South

Back to the beach. Ran south first as far as the area where the beach is now closed for the birds. Everything felt pretty good. My pace was good. And it's the beach!

4.65 miles
49:38

Late Night Run with Guest Host Tim Tate

At a conference in Richmond with one of the other participants in this Richmond marathon challenge, Tim Tate. After the evening session we took a run through his old haunts on far West Broad Street. I didn't know suburban streets could be as quiet at night as the Shore but they were. Great run. Gave me some confidence that I might be able to hang with this crew. And I got to know Tim better.

All in Vibrams. Knee is borderline but OK.

6 miles
1:07:36

Smith Island Biathlon

The weather is getting just right for this biathlon stuff. Kayaked across the shallow bay behind Smith Island at the southern end of Virginia's Eastern Shore. A little windy and choppy going out, but once I arrived the beach was great.

Ran 5.3 miles from the southern tip of the island north. (The island is closed for the season, BTW. If you go, you have to stay by the water's edge. The better to protect our mating and nesting birds. So the signs say.)

About a half-mile in to the run I found this beached sailboat. Evidently ran aground last week. Besides the boat I saw pelicans, oystercatchers, gulls, willets, egrets and more.

Misjudged the tide going back. At low tide you can walk across most of this bay. And that's what I had to do for about a half-mile. The laughing gulls were surely mocking me when they called out as I trudged by dragging the kayak.

But a great day.

6 miles by water.

5.3 by land.

1 hr 4 min. of running.

Assateague in May

Back to the beach with my new ITB strap. Seemed to help for about 3.5 miles. But as the tide came back in I had to run on a slope more & it started to act up. Felt pretty good all in all.

4.5 miles
55 minutes (45 running)

OBX

Down in the Outer Banks to do a wedding. First time back out for a long run in awhile. Tried for 1 hr & 20 min but my left ITB was only good for 1 hr & 10 min. Good run even if I did lose my wife. (She eventually returned.).

8.3 miles
1 hr 42 min (about 1:15 running)

The Winds of Assateague

Finally some warm weather! I got back out to the beach at Assateague (south end this time). Low tide so plenty of flat beach, but it was very windy. Went north first which gave me a wind-assisted boost. Coming back was not too bad. And did I mention that it's finally warm?

The left heel bruise acted up a little and my left leg ITB threatened to flare up near the end - but I managed well.

Spent a lot of time on Chincoteague following due to a major accident on the causeway.

1 hr. 4 min.
5.8 miles

Quick and the Dead Revisited

Great run today doing a modified Holly Grove route - reversed and with the last leg coming back down by the cemeteries into Franktown. Also included runs around both cemeteries. Wore the vibrams and my knees didn't hurt. Though I did have one hard heel strike near the end that left me with a small bruise.

45:12
4.34 miles

North Assateague Blues

What is it they call this kind of run these days? An epic fail? 8 1/2 minutes of freezing on the north end of Assateague Island (near Ocean City, MD). Downside - I couldn't feel my feet. Upside - I had the beach to myself!

8:16
.7 mile

Vibrams

Did the Holly Grove circuit today wearing Vibrams. ITB did not act up. I'm beginning to think the shoes may be the problem.

4.3 miles
43:45 min

The Third Mile

Ran a modified Holly Grove route today. At the cutoff in the field I went straight, turned up by some trees just before hitting Wellington Neck Rd. Skirted the trees, did a short stretch on Wellington Neck, then down past the vineyard and the horses, back into the Nottingham's field. Back down Holly Groce Rd, right turn by the cemeteries and back to Franktown.

Discovered this week that I have a thing called an IT band and it's acting up in my left leg. Had to stop a few times when it got tight.

I have also discovered that the first 2 miles are always the hardest. It's like taking a trip with a recalcitrant child.
Me: Come on, let's go!

My body: I don't wanna. It's a long way.

Me: It''s 5 miles. 6 at the most. You've done that before.

Body: It's cold.

Me: You won't feel it in 3 minutes. Besides it's 45 degrees. Not cold cold.

Body: (grumbles silently for a mile)

Body: there's a shortcut home coming up.

Me: We don't need to take it.

Body: you're running further than the plan says to.

Me: we're trying out a new route. And it's only an extra mile.

Body: I have to go to the bathroom.

Me: you just went to the bathroom.

Body: it's number 2 this time.

Me: O. My. Gosh. You are such a pain. There's some woods over there if you really need to go.

Body: I don't really need to go.

Me: good

Body: Yes, I do. Stop now.

Me: if you still need to go when we get to the woods we'll stop there.

We didn't need to stop and by mile 3 I was incarnate again - no longer a slave to an artificial mind/body split. Given all that, I'm going to start with the third mile from now on.

5.5 miles
1 hour 1 min.

Return to Holly Grove

4.4 miles around the neighborhood on the Holly Grove loop. Added a run through the Franktown cemetery.

4.4 miles
48:22 minutes

The Hills of Orange

Spending a few days with my parents in Orange. Today was the day for my long run. They have these things here called hills. Killer. The first one almost ate my lunch. But I persevered and did a loop that took me through old haunts and new developments.

Best song of the day - Norah Jones singing "Broken" which includes the line - "He may move slow, but that don't mean he's going nowhere."
So true. So true.

6.77 miles
1 hr 19 min.

Assateague Run

No encounters with Arctic visitors today. A cold wind and some spitting rain. The few people I met looked at my bare feet and said, "Aren't you cold?" I wasn't. But I couldn't feel my feet anyway. Maybe by November I'll be able to run the marathon barefoot like some Kenyan champion.

The verdict:
5.5 miles
58 minutes
Pace is getting better

Cedar Island Biathlon

This is the beginning point of the Cedar Island Biathlon. It's not an official event - just my concoction combining kayaking (which I feel relatively comfortable with) and running (which I do not). And since this is the Eastern Shore, there are some unique possibilities for such a combination.

So here's the trip: Roughly 3 miles from Burton Shore across the bay to the northern end of Cedar Island, one of our coastal barrier islands. Run south down the deserted beach and back 8 miles. Then kayak back across Burton Bay another 3 miles. You do it and there's no reward - just the satisfaction of knowing your training program is taking full advantage of the unique geography of Virginia's Eastern Shore.

It was chilly and a little bit windy as I set out, but the bay itself was almost "slick cam" as they say over here. Easy paddling at high tide. I got to the island in under an hour. Changed into running gear and started off down the beach.

I knew there was a beached boat near the south end so I pushed further than I would have given my goal time (1 hr. 10 min.). Eventually I saw the boat (the Laura J.) in the distance. As I approached I saw a strange lumpy thing up on the edge of the small dunes. I wasn't wearing my glasses and thought it was a sack of potatoes washed up on shore. But when I got about 4 feet away, it moved. I had disturbed a harp seal, normally at home in the Arctic, but ranging down this way more and more.



I don't know who was more scared - the seal or me. It lumbered out to the waves (about 100 yards) while I took this video. It stopped a couple of times to catch its breath, then disappeared smoothly into the ocean.

Final tally:
miles running- 7.9
time (with a stop for seal and photos) - 1:26

Some other pictures from the day:

Holly Grove 4-miler

Since I went east on Friday, for today's easy run I went west. Down to the AME church in Middletown. To the big curve on Wardtown Rd, then straight down the dirt road to Holly Grove. Around the field where they were fertilizing. Up through the trees to the horses. By the vineyard. Down to Wellington Neck Road and back home.

Time 45:50
Distance 4.23 miles

Assateague Beach Run

The beach at Assateague is one of my favorite places to run. The sand is generally hard-packed and the further south you go, the wider the beach gets. Once I ran around the southern tip just as the sun was sinking over the water of Chincoteague Inlet and then ran back to see a brilliant full moon rise over the Atlantic.

Not quite so transcendent today, but still fun. The map shows my route.
5 miles
54 minutes
Pace run

Bay to Sea and Back

Two runs on a treadmill this week. Time to get back out with the return of springlike weather. So it was off on a 8.5 mile run.

One of the things about living on a thin peninsula between the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean is that you can run across it and back in that distance. So that's what I did. I left my house in Franktown right at the head of Meetinghouse Creek (a tidal arm of the Bay) and ran through Nasswadox to Brownsville, headquarters of the Nature Conservancy on the Eastern Shore, with a path to Hog Island Bay , a back bay off the ocean. Then I ran back.

Crossing the peninsular divide Rt. 13 was not much fun, but the path through Brownsville is a great place to run. Tall trees of a mature seaside hardwood forest on either side of the shell road. The road breaks out on a marsh where an eagle pair nests. A group of dead, salt-blasted pines has turned stark white like some alabaster pillars. At the end of the trail there is a small observation deck. Ran up the stairs. Nodded at the view across the bay. Then turned and ran back.

8.6 miles
1 hr 30 min

We're on the way.

Running the Milton Ames

OK, if we're going to do this, it's time to get serious. Run Coach Pro (yes, there's an app for this) tells me that if Friday is going to be my weekly long run day, then today, t-minus 20 weeks before race training, I should be doing 1 hour and 10 minutes of running. The fact that the wind is gusting up to 40 mph makes no difference. The sun is out. Spring feels possible. We're on the road running the Milton Ames circuit.

What's the Milton Ames circuit? Franktown to Hare Valley on Bayside Rd. Milton Ames Rd (hence the name) from end to end. Left on Wardtown back to Franktown with a detour through the Franktown Cemetery, where my perverse brain starts reciting the part of the Apostle's Creed about Jesus' return to judge the quick and the dead. Wind was only an issue on Milton Ames. It actually helped me on the homestretch.

The particulars?
Distance: 6 miles
Time: 1 hr 8 min
The verdict: slow but steady gets me to Richmond

What Have I Done?!

I wake up to an email telling me I have paid $70 to enter the Richmond Marathon. Wait, I really did that last night?

My race nickname, which they will apparently print on my number, is Shorebird 1.

Running to Richmond

Late on a Thursday night I make the decision - I will register for the Richmond (VA) Marathon, November 11, 2011. It's all part of a challenge to Virginia United Methodist clergy made by one of our running-minded District Superintendents, Steve Jones. I'm a swimmer, not a runner. (And a lover, not a fighter, btw). But I have tasted the runner's high a couple of times. And the flat Eastern Shore is a great place to run. So here begins the log of the journey.