Go, baby, go!

Sometimes you get the motivation you need when you need it. Sometimes it’s right in front of you, sometimes it comes in via text. Words of encouragement are great motivation. They came when I needed them this morning.

Frankly, I was feeling a little down and I headed out on an intentionally long run in hopes of getting good and run-high to counter that. Of course I didn’t want it to go haywire, so I balanced it out with my Matchbox Sads playlist (a collection of typically melancholy Matchbox Twenty songs). I knew I needed the run, though, and that’s what’s important. I headed north. Within a block I was determined to head to the lake again, only this time I would follow the trail out and back, which would give me close to 13 miles. I believe it came to 12.5.

So the encouragement arrived about 4.5 miles in, at my first water break. That’s right, first water break. I did stop for a drink a second time. You’ll understand the significance in a bit. Juiced now, I kept right on going. Crossing the earthen dam at the west end of the lake I was passed by my high school driver’s ed instructor Gary Wagher on a bicycle. Caught up with him at the end of the trail and turned right around to head home. No rest. It was my desire to complete the run without any bouts of walking.

Stopped at the water fountain again and even snapped a pic for proof of my hydration efforts. Good boy!

The temperature was rising and I was feeling it. When I finally hit Broad Street it became a struggle. But I was determined not to walk. If I started I might not get back to running. And in a lazy way, I just didn’t want to walk the rest of the way home. Ironic, I know.

I zig-zagged a bit through neighborhoods where I figured to find more shade from trees close to the street. Still, I was losing steam. Approaching the final mile, I slowed to a walk for the length of one house. A block later I was walking again. Then running after a block. Then I was walking again. That’s OK. I needed the break so I accepted it. I was beat. So when I hit First Presbyterian Church, my church, I ducked inside for a drink and a little cooling – even though my apartment was just a block and a half away.

That’s when it hit me: dehydration. I got a swig from the fountain and lay down on the mat just inside the door. Shubie and Lynne came to check on me. I asked for more water – a tumbler full. Shubie went for it. Lynne brought me cool, wet paper towels for my head. Still I was feeling extremely fatigued. Then it got worse. My arms were tingling, and my tongue. I felt light-headed and a little nauseous.

“Do you want to go to the ER?” Shubie asked.

“No.” It’ll pass, I thought.

But it wasn’t passing.

“I’m taking you to the ER,” Shubie declared.

“OK.” The fight had left me.

That was at 10:27 a.m.

Shubie has fun with the dry-erase board.

Two liters of sodium chloride solution and six hours later and I was good as new. Shubie, great pal that he is, stayed with me the whole time. Even brought me potato chips, cookies and a Sprite for some real rejuvenation. We had a lot of laughs, too. The best was when my nurse, Chris Sweborg, told us some of the funny incidents he’s seen in the ER. Consider the woman who arrived in a panic over her son’s strangely discolored skin. Chris wasn’t on the case, but he was there. Another nurse examined the poor boy and asked the mother, “Has your son been eating Cheetos?” Yes, he had. Oh my! Is there a connection? “Ma’am, your son has a case of Cheeto hands.”

My problem was a little more legit. Dr. Gucci’s diagnosis: “Heat exhaustion and extreme dehydration.”  

Today's Stats

Temp: 75-88 degrees F

Distance: 12.5 miles

Weekly Total: 18.5 miles

Treasure: None.

iPod Playlist (shuffle)

If You’re Gone

Hand Me Down

Bright Lights

Rest Stop

Unwell

Bent

Long Day

The Burn

Girl Like That

Back 2 Good

Kody

You Won’t Be Mine

A Successful First

So, I ran my first 10K race today. And, like my first 5K I even placed! Unlike my first 5K there were others in my age division – men’s 40-49. The 5K age divisions are in five-year increments, which I think is better odds. I will say I think the older age divisions are as competitive or more competitive than the younger groups. More of those middle-age folks have been running for a long time than are newbies like me. Or so I like to think.

Some ponytail inspiration.

I’ve been training for this race, building up my mileage on everyday runs (twice or thrice weekly). But I made the poor decision to go out last night and do a little drinking and dancing. The upside of that is that I found a cute little plush puppy in a parking lot. You can read all about the race experience in The Register-Mail this Sunday and at Galesburg.com.

The exciting part of the day, besides placing third in my first-ever 10K race, was that I was joined by my lovely daughter Amanda. She texted this morning at 6, about the time my alarm was going off, and asked about the race starting point and time. I thought she’d decided to come cheer me on. Ha, what an ego. She’d decided to run her first 5K. Spur-of-the-moment decision brought on by lack of sleep and boredom. What’s with college kids today? Well, she could have done far worse things.

I was happy to have her join me and my running partner for the race. We had a good time together before and after. Once the starting gun sounded I was off and in my own little world. I picked a ponytail – a trio actually – once I’d found my pace and I just kept running. The motivation was enough to keep me going without a walk lapse and I finished in 56:14, good enough for third place. Color me a happy runner. I mean, a happy guy who runs.

Finished 28th overall in the 10K -
middle of the pack.

Today's Stats

Temp: 73 degrees F

Distance: 6.2 miles

Weekly Total: 17.4 miles

Treasure: Intestinal fortitude.

iPod Playlist (Running playlist, plus two)

Broken – Lifehouse

Catch My Disease – Ben Lee

Distance – Ryan McCullough

Heartbreak Warfare – John Mayer

I Will Follow You Into the Dark – Death Cab for Cutie

I Will Possess Your Heart – Death Cab for Cutie

Just Like a Pill – Pink

Smooth – Santana (Feat. Rob Thomas)

Time and Time Again – Counting Crows

We Will Not Be Lovers – The Waterboys

Sink or Float – Aberdeen

Shoot to Thrill – AC/DC (Great song to finish strong)

A little Change Up last night at the RR Days
Prairie Players Beer Garden.

Uphill Both Ways

Today was training day. I joined my running friend Carmen for the Summer Virtual Run sponsored by Toni and her Running, Loving, Living blog. I didn’t grasp the concept when I agreed to do the virtual run, but it’s pretty simple. You sign up to run a 5K or 10K, and in essence compete against others who run and submit their entries. The competition as I understand it isn’t a matter of time vs. time, but you rack multiple entries, or chances, for prizes that will be given away in a random drawing of entrants.

Chasing shadows...

So, anyhoo… Carmen and I agreed it would be fun to bike out to her country running spot northeast of town. I see from her blog that she went farther than I did, but she’s a tougher, more experienced runner than I am, so she gets no sympathy from me on this one. I must admit, though, I expected a route closer to town. Even so, it was a beautiful ride out country roads among the cornfields and pastures of Knox County. I realize I should venture forth more often, just to take in the countryside.

The ride out and back totaled about 12 miles (trusting Carmen’s calculations of 6.3 miles out and 5.85 miles back, along a slightly different route). Add 6.2 miles of running the rolling hills of Knox County farmland and that was a pretty grueling workout for a guy like me. I continue to claim I am not a runner. Call it a defense mechanism: should I actually identify as a runner, somebody might expect more of me.

I called this training day because, while I’ve run this distance before – and longer just last week – I wanted to do a solid 10K checkup run before this weekend’s DickBlick Art Materials Railroad Days Run. I’ve done the 5K the past two years. I’ve done a few other 5K races and ran the Bix 7 last summer, so I know I can do the distance. Still, I’ve not done a 10K race. As I’ve said before, I’m not in it to win it. I run with the sole goal of finishing alive. I always strive to achieve my best time (which I did at my last 5K), but otherwise I set no goals. But, would it be exciting to place in my age division? Hells yeah! I placed first in my division in my first ever 5K two years ago. Granted I was the only one in my division, but still. I thought it was respectable.

So, too, was today’s 10K time, I thought. Carmen said she clocked herself at 58:24 and guessed that I arrived 10 seconds later. Now, understand, I slowed her down. She doubled back a couple of times when I slowed to a walk and urged me to get back to running pace. I walked on four occasions, I think. All after cresting a hill. How is it the hills were always going up, never down? OK, there were downhill jaunts now and again, but they always seemed less than the corresponding uphills. I don’t get that. I thought that was strictly a humorous ploy of our grandparents to make us feel inadequate and whiny. 

Carmen in the distance. We paced closely
most of the time, but I lagged at times.

Well, whiny fit me today. I was exhausted by those hills. But the warmth of the sun, the smell of the corn and the barking of farm dogs was great. I finished at a run and managed to bike back into town. My time, just a little behind Carmen’s, was within my pace expectations, so I was not displeased. And as Carmen pointed out, the hills are different from the flats in town. The race Saturday should be better.

Today's Stats

Temp: 80 degrees F

Distance: 6.2 miles

Treasure: Nothing, I was totally focused on running today.

iPod Playlist (shuffle)

One Lonely Night – REO Speedwagon

Distance – Ryan McCullough

Two of a Kind, Workin’ on a Full House – Garth Brooks

Don’t Panic – Coldplay

Everything is Comin’ Down – Bo Ramsey

Arizona Skies – Los Lobos

(There’ll Be) Peace in the Valley – Johnny Cash

Hymn 43 – Jethro Tull

The Night is Still Young – Billy Joel

Careless Whisper – Wham!

Tell Me What You See – The Beatles

I’ve Had Enough – Lyle Lovett

Virgin State of Mind – K’s Choice

Over the Hills andFar Away – Led Zeppelin

Levelland – James McMurtry

Baby Come on Home – Led Zeppelin

Alright Guy – Todd Snider

Yo, Adrian, I did it!

Not sure what it is I did, though. I’ve written before that waiting 24 hours to write about a run is self-defeating. The inspiration is lost. I’m still pumped about my longest run ever yesterday, but some of the juice is gone. It doesn’t help that initial calculations were skewed and a final measurement that is likely more accurate than those early attempts is jilting me of a mile I had hoped for. 

Geese in Lincoln Park caused a bit of a road block. These
are in the grass, but the road was full of 'em, too!

I set out Thursday morning to do another long run. At first I thought I might just duplicate Tuesday’s route, maybe see if I could find anything new that might have been lost in the two days since. But that idea quickly faded. I was inspired to head to Lake Storey instead. I’ve missed the first two Wednesday morning runs of the summer and I miss that place. In addition to running the path through the park and woods I have fond memories of walks with friends and nearly being arrested there just a week ago (OK, we were merely warned to be out of the park by midnight in the future after we were caught 15 minutes past curfew – luckily our names cleared the records check and we were released).

Bittersweet sight: Yea, recycling! Boo,
unread newspapers!

I knew it would be my longest run ever as soon as I decided to do the lake trail. That route, out and back from my apartment, is actually 12.6 miles (7.6 miles from here to the trail head, 5 miles out and back on the trail). I glitched it by not exactly going out and back. I looped the lake, which somehow is slightly shorter than the trail, which, east end to west end, is just over 2.5 miles one way). South Lake Storey Road back to Lincoln Park is shorter – or so MapMyRun tells me. I see it now.

The disappointment is that I thought at first I had done the equivalent of a half marathon. Proof to myself that I could have run the first ever Galesburg Half Marathon Express earlier this month instead of the 5K. I have no regrets in my choice then. And I am certain I could do it next year (assuming my body is still in good condition). It’s just a little letdown to discover the miles didn’t add up as I’d first thought.

Still, I made running friends proud and myself, too. Not boastful pride, though I suppose I am boasting a little, but pride in recognizing an inner strength I didn’t know I possessed. That’s a great feeling, a confidence-builder. It pays to push your limits sometimes, put yourself to the test to see just what you can do with a little determination. Just as Rocky.

Tiger lilies are my favorites. And they're
everywhere along my routes.

Today's Stats

Temp: 70 degrees F (82 at the end)

Distance: 12 miles

Weekly Total: 20 miles

Treasure: 21 cans.

iPod Playlist (shuffle)

You Keep Me Hangin’On – Kim Wilde

Tin Man – The Avett Brothers

Thing Called Love – Bonnie Raitt

(I’ve Had) The Timeof My Life – Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes

Come On In My Kitchen – Steve Miller Band

Shoot to Thrill – AC/DC (Yeah, same video from a week ago but I LOVE it)

Daria – Cake

The Walls Came Down – The Call

I Never Told You – Colbie Caillat

Send ‘Em Back – The Foremen

Rip This Joint (Live) – The Rolling Stones

Time and Time Again – Counting Crows

Part of Your Own – John Gorka

Life Uncommon – Jewel

Like a Hurricane – Neil Young

Fire in the Hole – Steely Dan

Running to Stand Still – U2

Elected (featuring Rob Zombie and Slash) – Alice Cooper

Fisherman’s Blues – The Waterboys

Red Dress – James McMurtry

More Than a Feeling – Boston

The Ballad of Billythe Kid – Billy Joel

Highway Patrolman – Bruce Springsteen

You’re the Inspiration – Chicago

4:37 A.M. (Arabs with Knives & West German Skies) – Roger Waters

Lucky Star – Madonna

I’m Afraid of Americans – David Bowie

Worried – Michael Been

For the Love of a Princess – James Horner

The Bag Runner

I wonder sometimes if people talk about me. I don’t seek fame or recognition as some local “celebrity” in the vein of the “Waving Lady” or the late Anthony Rodich. But I wonder if I’m known around town. 

Tire iron frenzy.

“Hey, there’s the “Bag Runner.” “Have you seen that guy that runs with the grocery bag?” “What’s he got in the bag?”

My eldest daughter’s boyfriend once commented he had seen me running “with your groceries.” I know the exact day to which he was referring. I had two bags that day – cleared 87 cans! Do some folks look around for my dog, assuming the bag must be filled with puppy poo?

Honestly, I don’t care what people think. If I was worried about their perceptions of the guy who runs and picks up stuff, I wouldn’t do it, and I sure as hell wouldn’t write about it. And really it’s kind of neat to think that somebody might have thought it interesting enough to note to a friend, “Hey, have you seen that guy who runs and carries a bag of God-knows-what? What’s with that?”

Story of the day

Red and blue lights flashed and the cruiser’s siren chirped a warning. Nobody move, it said. Nobody listened.

The tire iron, choice of car thieves and alley toughs of yesteryear, clanged and clattered as Brian dropped it to the pavement. He wouldn’t need it now that the police had arrived. The two punks who had been threatening him bolted. Why is unclear. Being in the middle of the long bridge carrying County Highway 10 over the BNSF classification yard, escape would prove difficult. That and the fact that the police car was blocking their Chevy Lumina from going anywhere.

Brian’s assailants were apprehended quickly and then the questions began…

This Bud's for me.

Meanwhile, across town, Rich and Zach were ambling along the sidewalk, swilling Budweiser from cans not so discreetly disguised as soft drinks. They weren’t disguised at all, point of fact, except that the festive Budweiser cans in red, white and blue for the approaching Fourth of July holiday kind of resembled Pepsi, or so they thought. Two cans down, they reached into the plastic grocery bag for another beverage and found just one can remaining. They had swiped four from the fridge at Zach’s house, so what happened to the fourth beer?

They never did notice the slit in the bottom of the bag, as they discarded it as soon as they came up with just one beer and an empty sack. They agreed to split the last brew and continued on their way, never realizing one full beer lay sadly in the grass by the road not 10 feet away.

And that’s how I ended up with an unopened can of beer and a classic tire iron today.

Today's Stats

Temp: 59 degrees F

Distance: 8 miles

Treasure: 3 pennies; 1 pair gloves; 1 full beer (Budweiser); 1 tire iron; 1 pink shop rag; 37 cans.

Smoke billows from the fire at the former
Willis Steel plant at Ferris Place.

 iPod Playlist (shuffle)

Say You Love Me (live) – Fleetwood Mac

Virgin State of Mind – K’s Choice

Innocence Maintained – Jewel

Sometimes You Can’t Make it On Your Own – U2

The Red Strokes – Garth Brooks

Two of a Kind, Workin’ On a Full House – Garth Brooks

Beautiful – Christina Aguilera

Keep Me In Your Heart – Jorge Calderon

Mr. Roboto – Styx

History Will Teach Us Nothing – Sting

One Moment in Time – Whitney Houston

Pursuance – John Coltrane

Rock Me Amadeus – Falco

Sink or Float – Aberdeen

Rosanna – Toto

Watching the Wheels – John Lennon

Mystify – INXS

I Wouldn’t Want to Be Like You – Alan Parsons Project

You’re the Inspiration – Chicago

Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey – The Beatles

So What – Miles Davis (Try this video for something different)

Nothin’ but iTrouble

What is it about technology that we take it for granted until it doesn’t work, then we treat it like the evil it really is? Work is rolling along at the speed of success and accomplishment, then WHAM, BANG, KERPLUNK! The stupid program freezes or crashes. Suddenly you’re cursing its existence, never mind that it makes newspaper work so much easier (in some ways it’s more work, too) than it was in the days of hot type.

My iPod was the culprit today. Usually I wear my Nano (first generation oldie) for running; it’s small and easy to use. But I was inspired to listen to a particular playlist this morning and I needed to load it onto the Pod. I plugged the Nano in, deleted one playlist to make room for the new one, and dragged the substitute to the Rob’s iPod space in iTunes. Coolio, I was ready to go. Or so I thought.

When I went to set up the playlist at the start so all I’d have to do when I hit the sidewalk would be push Play, the playlist wasn’t there. What the hell? Back to the laptop. Repeat. Looks good. Playlist shows under Rob’s iPod. Click on it. No songs listed. Repeat. Ditto. What the hell?!

Fine! So I stripped the case off my iPod Touch and crammed it into my mp3 player armband case and headed out the door. But the iTrouble wasn’t over. The silly rotating screen thwarted my attempts to hit Play on the touchscreen so I had to take it off my arm to start the music. But wait, there’s more. In a bit of a funk last night I had been listening to some songs on repeat. I’d pick a tune and play it half a dozen times or so. Then another. Well, it was still on Repeat 1 when I set off on my run, so as I hit Academy Street near Knox College and “January” by The Usual ended, it started all over again. Drat! Stop, fix, move on.

Finally I was on track musically and settled in at a comfortable pace and continued my random route. Within a block a glint of shiny metal caught my eye in the gutter and I backpedaled to check it out. I knew instinctively it was a ring. I was at once disappointed and relieved to discover it was a child’s toy, the cheap kind from a gumball machine. I stuck it on my right pinky and continued. Half a block later I picked up a work glove – leather with orange nylon. The real prize came on the W.C. Jackson Bridge from Third to Fourth Street over the BNSF yards.

We’ll see how the shirt cleans up. It appears to have a couple of faded patches on the back, so it won’t likely see a night out on the town unless it’s under a jacket. Still, it’s a nice Aeropostale button-front  Henley. So how did it come to be balled up under the handrail on the western approach to the bridge? Here’s an idea:

It was a warm night for early June. Too warm for a long-sleeve shirt. The sun had set hours ago, the waning moon now climbed toward its zenith. But the air was still and the heat hadn’t dissipated. Sherry stripped off the Henley and slung it over her shoulder. He’d get a thrill seeing her standing at the door in her camisole. He didn’t know she was coming over – she liked to surprise him sometimes, keep him on his toes.

As it would happen, Jill was the one kept on her toes. She had just made the bridge when she heard it.

Woof! Woof! WOOF! No yipper, it was a big dog. Then she heard the skitter of its nails on pavement and the hah-hah-hah of panting as it raced to catch her. This bugger wasn’t chained!

Jill bolted. The approach was a significant grade, but her legs remembered their track heritage and surged uphill. Her arms pumped to drive her legs harder in hopes of outdistancing the dog in pursuit. The hanging Henley flew off her shoulder and landed three paces in her wake.

Whoooeeet! “Hey!”

The shrill whistle and hoarse shout stopped Bruiser in his tracks. But not Jill. She sprinted across the bridge and didn’t slow until she reached Mike’s front door two blocks beyond. He was indeed thrilled to see her in her sweat-soaked cami, out of breath and hair frazzled.

Dirty Sock stayed where it lay, out of
respect for its individuality. After all,
I don't know if it might be locomotin'
to the Holy City or someplace.

Today's Stats

Temp: 77 degrees F (82 at the end of the run)

Distance: 4.3 miles

Weekly Total: 8.8 miles

Treasure: 1 leather Boss work glove (right hand); 1 Aeropostale button-front girl’s Henley, blue, medium; 1 MasterCard debit card; 8 cans.

iPod Playlist (Mix for a friend)

January – The Usual

Detox Mansion – Warren Zevon

Short Skirt/LongJacket – Cake (Love this video!)

Reality – Newsboys (Funny song with meaning.)

Shame – The Avett Brothers

The New Love Song – Joshua James

Hang – Matchbox 20

Down to Earth – Peter Gabriel

The Man Who Couldn’tCry – Louden Wainwright III

Give it Time – Eric Lindell

Wednesday’s Stats (June 6)

Temp: 70 degrees F

Distance: 4.5 miles

Treasure: 1 black and white striped headband; 1 Camel cigarette pack; 5 cans.

iPod Playlist (KGHS mix, second half)

Wrapped Around YourFinger – The Police

Caught Up In You - .38 Special

Somebody’s Baby – Jackson Browne

More Than a Feeling – Boston

Time for Me to Fly – REO Speedwagon

Rosanna – Toto

Mr. Roboto – Styx

Owner of a Loney Heart – Yes

Hungry Like the Wolf – Duran Duran (This one's special, check it out.)

Tom Sawyer - Rush