MCM 2017: Guest Blog : Beth Solomon

Editors Note: 

Every now and then , you run across something or someone who deserves a shoutout. This week happens to be one of those times. This is a guest blog by my friend, Beth. I first met her in March in Ashville on the roads at Biltmore half. We instantly started chatting and got to know each other.As soon as she informed me she was doing this race, I was ALL IN to make sure anything she had questions about training or anything I was there to try to get her answers , or be support. This past weekend was the race... Without further ado, I will let her take over and tell the story : 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, I’m not going to lie, I’m excited that I get to do a featured blogpost on the 2017 Marine Corps Marathon. I’m guessing many of you don’t know me, so, I’m Beth- I’m a former downhill ski racer, and a hail from Boston, MA, and currently I live in South Carolina. I met John at the Biltmore half marathon last March in Asheville, NC. He was fidgeting with his shoes, I was beyond alone and we were both wearing the same shirt. He pulled me to a GIANT PR (like 17 minute or something like that), and we’ve been in touch since then. I’m a PhD student at Clemson University. My area of focus is Educational Leadership, and within that I look at Athletic Leadership. I work doing research, and in the Athletic Academic Services department at Clemson. So, I’m a bit busy. Despite that, I got an email last April about running the Marine Corps Marathon on a charity bib for Team Red White and Blue (RWB). I texted John, something crazy got in my head about being the 1% that will have a PhD (because I refuse to not finish), and then the small percentage of those who have marathoned. I realize that most say it is also 1%, but I’m not sure the exact number, but I figured if I was going to do one, I could do both. So, after talking with John, and my friend Kara, who ended up coaching me, I decided to throw my name in the hat.


Since then, it’s been a long training road, lots of tears, stress, and just overall things happening in my life (I won’t bore you with details), but I had this goal that I was going to finish, and I made it happen. Enough about the background though. My boyfriend, Jacob, and I flew from South Carolina to D.C. I am such a lucky gal, I have an extremely supportive group of people in my life, and I feel so lucky that not only Jacob, but my parents (who flew in from Boston) were in D.C. last weekend to watch me and cheer me on. 

We got to DC on Friday, Jacob, my mom, and I went to the expo while my dad napped. where My mother made sure she had a sign for me, and some cowbells, because my ski racing cowbells were at my apartment. We took photos (naturally), and walked around.

After the expo adventure, we met up with my dad for dinner, where we spent a lot of time laughing, and planning our Saturday. We landed on sleeping in, and then meeting up in D.C. for lunch, followed by dinner with my parents, and my dad’s fraternity brother X. Saturday we visited the White House, and the Holocaust Museum, napped, and had a great dinner. Jacob and I left early so I could get ready for bed, got everything organized, and I fell asleep while he watched football. 

Sunday morning was early. I woke up before my alarm clock, made my oatmeal with the coffee maker, and headed out to meet my pre-scheduled Uber. Got to the start, and met up with some other RWB Eagles, and just let it all sink in. I stripped off my sweats with 5 minutes to the start, and then boom, 10-minute delay so a band could finish setting up and get out of the road. I shook if off like ski race delay, and just focused on the end goal. I took off, probably faster than I needed too, and promptly slowed because of an issue on the outside of my calf. At mile 8 or 9 things finally started to feel good, and I ran into my parents, Jacob, and X. I grabbed another packet of Honey Stinger gummies from them, and proceeded on. 

Things were going, and then we got to the blue mile. This was something I knew was going to be emotional- I had submitted my friend’s name to honor him, (1LT Dimitri A. DelCastillo), and I started to sniffle as we got closer to the date he was killed in action. I had strangers hold my hands, and as I knelt to say hi to his photo, they rubbed my back, we picked up, continued, and were carried on through the cheers of those carrying the flags honoring the soldiers we have lost. In addition to honoring Del, I ran with my friend Taylor Allen Force’s name on my back, and on a bracelet on my wrist. Both are West Point graduates, and were taken from us too soon. Taylor was killed by a terrorist in Israel while on a trip with his MBA program, and Del was killed in action, while calling for more support for his soldiers. 

The rest of the race went. My stomach soured, and I did my best to keep going. When I ran into my family again, Jacob could see that I was not doing well, and he ran (well walk/jog) across the bridge with me. He was a great support, and I dropped him back off with my parents and X at mile 23 or so, which I am sure he was happy about, as he really wasn’t in running clothes, and had just eaten a fried chicken sandwich with my dad before hopping on the course with me. That’s true love. I tried to not beat myself up about the time, as honestly, I wasn’t happy with it. My feet hurt, I could feel blisters on my feet getting bigger, and my stomach was angry. I finally got to the last little bit of the race- I met up with a coach from another team, and he was walking/running with me. He finally got me to understand that I shouldn’t beat myself up. For those of you who don’t know, I’m a recovering perfectionist, and I was upset about how things were going. He finally got me to realize that I balanced everything, and just helped me get to the finish line. I don’t even know his name, but he made it in a few of my photos (wearing a winter hat at 86 degrees out), so huge shout out to him. He carried me to where my family was, (you can see me looking over to them in the photo) who then pushed me up that last hill, where I got some sweet finish line air time, being announced that I was a finisher of the Marine Corps Marathon. Everything hurt. I was so happy, I cried- you can see tears in my eyes in some finish photos, and I slowly made my way to get my stuff. It’s honestly still a blur to me. I really don’t know how I did it all, and my body held up, because honestly two days after, I came down with a nasty case of strep throat, so thank you to my body for holding up long enough for me to finish. 

       

Finishing with a work in progress behind me. Pretty much how I see myself as a runner- a work in progress. So that’s my story- I refuse to focus on my time because I met my original goal of finishing. I’m not sure what my next move is. I’m still waiting on finish photos with my family, but this will have to do for now. It was a blur, it was painful, it was emotional, and it was LONG. But I did it- and I’m just going to ride that feeling for a little bit longer. 

Thanks to John for the support along the way, and letting me post a celeb post in his blog, Kara for the training plans, Jacob and my family for the love and support, and I’m going to thank myself, for realizing that what I did was enough for this first go around. It’s a great race for those wondering, and I’ll see what my next steps are!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Editors Closing Thoughts: 

Goodness gracious. Now if that don't inspire you , you need to go check to make sure your alive! Seriously, what a warrior this woman is ! Amazing Job!!!

Beth, I know I have said it before, and I'll say it again publicly : You are a ROCK.STAR! Anyone who can balance getting your PHD, Life, and the riggors of Marathon Training deserves all the regognition and glory ! I am so stinking proud of you! I knew the day I met you in Ashville, you were destined to join that marathon club. It's just something about people you could tell. I knew right off, this girl has the guts to do this. Thank you for letting me ride this rollercoaster with you . All those late night talks of getting out of your head worked! See what happens when you just go! You amaze yourself! I have never been prouder of you! I can't wait to see what the future holds ! One day, were gonna get to share the roads again, and I am almost willing to bet that when we do , chances are it will probably be 26.2 . 

HOORAH! And MISSION. ACCOMPLISHED!

To my readers: 

Thank you for taking time to stop by and check this out. A little out of the ordinary, but like I stated earlier, when I find someone or something that deserves a space to write , then by golly , I am gonna let them have their moment! Thank you all for your continued support. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Race Report & Honest Review 

(Editors Note: Normally, I do not do these type of blogs. You all are used to and VERY Supportive of my normal race reviews, which means the world to me. So thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Occasionally though, things strike me as something to avoid. At the very end of this, you will find a 100% honest race review from me. If you do not want to read it, that is no big deal. But I want to provide my honest opinion of this race this year.) 

This weekend was IT! FINALLY ! Time for my Fall "A" race. The 4 Bridges Half Marathon. I had a BLAST last year as I ran this for my last long run leading into taper for the Marine Corps Marathon. When it came time to pick a fall "A" race, this race was a no brainer for me. It would be this race. I could go spend time with my sister & her husband & really enjoy my time. 

I left Saturday Afternoon after getting some last min pt in, and got on the road. Saturday was packet pickup. I grabbed my stuff , browsed through the thrown together expo (more on this later), and got out of there. I then grabbed my shoes and stuff and did my shakeout run. I felt great. I was solid as a rock with tempo and I knew I was ready to rock & Roll. It was all hands on deck time. 

After packet pickup & shakeout, I had some time to kill before seeing a special screening of the Barkley's Marathon movie & then yes, getting to meet race Director, Gary "Laz" Cantrell. I had seen the movie before, but before a race, it was heck of an encouraging and inspiring thing to see. Even cooler after that was getting a Q&A time with Laz. That stands out as something I won't forget. But, the highlight, for me, after the film & Q&A was being able to meet Laz. As soon as I asked him for a picture, he was like HELL YEA! So, I got to take a picture with him. This guy is as cool as they come & just like myself, a Redneck. He was so fun to talk to and just hang with . 

After this was over, I then made my way over to my sisters house for some dinner & to turn in for the night after watching a little football. Tomorrow was to be the day. Finally, I was going to take my 2:30 and make it mine. 

Race Day : 

I woke up early to get dressed and get taped up, and to get there early. I am one that likes to be 90 min early AT LEAST to my features. It allows me to park, clear my head, get ready , and drop my bag , and warm up. I do better this way. So , it was an early day. Once I got breakfast eat, which for those of you who are interested in my nutrition, was a big peice of baked chicken, with salt, pepper, garlic , and onion, some rice, and some veggies, I headed over. Once over, I found my rwb people and hung out with them till the marathon left at 7 am. Then I had to get ready in earnest.

I warmed up by walking briskly. Ideally, I would have liked to have done a little jog to get the hr up, but I wanted to try to find the 2:30 pace team and get ready. I finally found them in line. They told us that we would try to keep around a 11 min mile to be able to pull it back around water stops and hills. This was to be a little faster than I wanted, but I had my watch setup for my goal in case I needed to drop. Pretty soon, it was SHOW TIME. 

The weather was muggy and sticky. It was going to take all of the stars aligning to do this, but I was so confident. By the time we climbed up the first hill, i knew we were cooking, but I didn't want to see my goal time fly by that fast. So I hung with them. The first mile was MOVING at a 10:15 pace. WAY TO FAST. I was like , its early race adreniline, in a min or so it will drop down. But, it never did. They kept this tempo , and I knew , I couldn't hang this way. So, I pulled it back and let them go up the road. They gave me an evil glare like are you not coming, but I just started running my race , and my race alone. This was 1.5 miles in. 

By mile 4 my body was beginning to fight me. This was NOT how this was supposed to work. I remained calm. By mile 6, I knew, 2:30 was gone. It hurt, and I took a few min to think over how I can make this a good day, and to keep myslef going. So, I was like, OK, just a PR would be cool. So, I adjusted my watch and started running that as best as I could. However, my body continued to fight me. I am not sure if it was heat, hydration, or just wasn't my day. But I continued on. 

By right around mile 8, I had to have a real long talk with myself. It looked like a general PR was not going to happen, and I really had to work through a dark moment. I then remembered I love to help others, and set out to find me someone to pace in. As it was supposed to be, I pulled up next to a girl and we started talking. She was just trying to hang on as I was. I was like , I am just trying to find someone to help out, so lets do this. This actually turned out to be the saving moment in this race to making it a good day out. 

We were chatting about everything. We would run walk as our bodies needed it. We made a pact that if one of us was ready, we could fly, but we would generally hang out and get through this. Come to find out, she knows a few of my best friends from the Pride of the Southland Marching band at Tennessee, so we had a awsome chat about that. 

Around mile 10 we hit UTC Campus on the greenway. That was a spirit booster because I knew where we were and this would soon be over. Might  I add, I was in pretty bad agony right now. I had cramps and all going on and was hanging on. Normally I can pace with the best of them around 3 hours, but for some reason, my body was fighting me. It was just not my day, and I was STRUGGLING. 

What should have been mile 10.5, we knew something was wrong,because we passed mile 11 sign in the bushes. It was WAY too soon. We both checked our watches and devices, and knew this isn't good. But we were determined. 

We hit the bridge, and it was like I was done. She took off , but kept turning back to encourage me. This was the first time I laid eyes on my sister and her husband. I was in a real spot of difficulty and was just hanging on . I finally caught my friend about that time, and felt ok. But every stride I took, I felt my calves pulse and knot up. This was the same thing that happens in a marathon. I had to work through it. I knew my girl was going to pr, and that had been my focus for over an hour. 

She flew down the hill, and I had nothing. not a thing. I legged it out and managed to finish. Here are some of the pictures from the closing moments of the race. You can clearly see how bad I was hurting. LOL!

Finally , it was over & done! 2:30 didn't happen. 2:40 didn't happen. A PR didn't happen. But I was fine. What I did do, after catching up with the girl once I located her after the race, was find out that was a 17 min PR I pulled her too. That was a W in my book. So a good day . The race , as I would later find out, and will discuss more in a few moments, was .6 too short. So, even if I had PR, I couldn't have counted it, because it was short course. Then, I find out the marathon is over a mile too long. Like I said, more on that later. 

I texted and spoke with coach and we would discuss through various communications over the next few hours what had happened , and what could have been done differently, and things of that nature. I would also ask a question , that would in turn, determine my goal for my next race ;) We now have a plan for that as well. 

I met up with my sister and her husband and got this lovely shot of us. In front of the rhino/bull. Well, because, honestly, it fit. LOL! The race had been full of it. LOL!

After this , I finally cooled down and got some food. It was not up to par with last year, at all. Again, more in a bit. But I ate, and it was good. Then I headed back to my sisters house to eat lunch, shower , cool down, and get home. I needed a NAP! LOL!

So yes, this didn't go as planned. At all. But this was still a good day. I was able to help someone to a MASSIVE PR, and to me, if I couldn't hit my goals, I wanted to help someone hit theirs. Period. Also, It was extremely good to get to see family. That is always a huge plus. To have them show up for my races is always motivating. Always. 

In 2 weeks, I will be re-lining up for another go at 2:30 . My focus now is recovery and proper nutrition to get my body healed back up and ready to push this again. Frankly, I can't wait. Things just didn't line up this time, and it's OK. That is part of this sport. It can humble you so quick. It just is what it is. I will leave it at that. 

So, back to work we go. Time to get going again. 

(for those of you wanting the honest race review , it will be below this conclusion. ) 

So, until I talk to you all again in probably 2 weeks time..... 

From One "Idiot" to another- 

John 

IRC #2148 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HONEST RACE REVIEW 

Please understand, I don't do things like this. But when something needs to be brought to attention, or needs to be avoided, especially something that cost money, like this, I am going to let my readers know. 

Last year, I found this race as a shakedown before MCM. It was great. Amazing food, amazing swag, amazing post race, pre race, all of it. Beautiful run, full length. But this year was so much different. 

The Half was .6 too short & the Marathon was 1.22 miles too long. This not only hurts the athletes, it hurts their times. Some may loose a BQ over this. This is NOT the first time this has happend. This is the 2nd time in 3 years this has happened. This is not cool. 

Then the parking. After charging us a 100 bucks to run, they charged us 35 more for parking AT THE PARK that should have been FREE. Again. 

The T shirts were a fiasco. instead of a bad ass looking shirt, we get a last second tossed together plain tshirt with a logo due to vendor errors. No offer to make all this up. the ones that bought a extra shirt get the correct shirt mailed to them. This should have been the way it was with all of them. Period. No questions. I know tons of people were mad about this going in . The rest was the tipping point. 

The next thing is the medals. The Full and the 5k had enormus , Race specific medals. The Half, had a generic medal that was re-used from a 5k, with a sticker on it. Just ridiculous. They could give us a UNIQUE one like last year. 

The towels that we got from last year were not there this year. It was hot and humid. I was expecting a towel to wipe off with. Nothing. Absolutely nuts. 

Pacers: Last year I ran with them. They were amazing. Certified at their pace and really good. Actually learned a lot and found a love for it from them. Had their certs on display last year at the expo. This year , not so much. Horrible. Running 10 min miles on 11:25 goal pace is ridiculous. Instead of asking if I am ok when I drop, they glare like you can't hang? I am like really? I understand that this is a chance you take, and I learned a lesson, but at the same time, I really expected more out of the pacers. 

Then the post race food was AWFUL! Last year we got to make our own waffles This year we were served waffle sticks, and had to ask for more. Then the sausage was vegan sausage. I ate it because I was starving and was looking forward to this , but it was disapointing at best. 

The post race stretch tent was 30 deep with 10 therapist. I could get this 100% and honestly I expected that. 

What got me the most fired up was a combination of all of this for the price we  paid. We expect and pay for a full length race and expect great swag. and good food. we got shafted on the shirts, the medals, and the food. The experience of a great run was had, don't get me wrong, but when its all is put together it leaves a sour taste. 

2 out of 3 years in INEXCUSABLE for a short/long course. Period. That indicates a history. They announced it on facebook late yesterday afternoon, and at last check there were over 200 comments most of them not real happy. 

Would I recommend this race? Going into this race, yes absolutely. After all the issues this year, and knowing it happend year before last, I would probably not. 

I know I probably won't go back next year until its guaranteed that its fixed. They have said we should get an email about some kind of offer, but I am not sure I want to chance it again. I had a great time, but the race was just really not that well handled this year all told. If I do go back, it would be to see family. That would be a priority. 

If your looking for a East Tennessee fall run , I suggest checking out the Chikamagua Battlefield race. I haven't done it, but have read about it, and it sounds like a top notch race. 

Again, sorry for all the negatives here , but I just wanted to let you all know that this might be something to steer clear of. 

John 

Cross Knox 15K Shakeout

This past Sunday, I had the chance to get back on the starting line for another race this year. This was the Cross Knox 15K It was a point to point race from The Morningside Park back to Bearden Elementary school via the greenways. As fate would have it , I have seen these roads more than a few times. 

The weather was not desirable. Muggy , Rainy, humid. MOIST. All of it. But what had to be done had to be done. This was the last chance to make sure all systems were go before Next weekends A RACE. 

Started out hot. Wanted to turn a hard mile or 2. Then the heat really set in. It got so bad I took off my hat and threw it in my pocket. When the cold win blew in , it felt great. But during the heat, when it was raining, holy crap dude. It was miserable. 

By about mile 4 or 5, I was done. I managed to press on 1 more mile, and caught up with a girl I had been yo-yoing the whole way. Once i caught up with her, that was it. I was 10k into the race, and knew I would make the time cut, so I went ahead and just walked it in. 

Never have I been so glad to be in. I was hurting ALL OVER. Everything was sore, tight, and just brutal. But, the run was in the books, and that is all that it needed to be. It was feet time. 

Now, to rest, and prepare for the A RACE next weekend. I have worked so hard to get here. 230, your day with the devil is coming. Prepare to meet your maker. 

Until Next time- 

John 

IRC # 2148 

Augusta 70.3 2017: Through the Eyes of a Sherpa

L to R: Brooke Leigh , Heather Cribbs. Myself, Coach Rebecca Adamson; Sarah Cook

This past weekend, I had the honor and privilege of heading down the road to Augusta, Georgia to the Augusta 70.3 Iron-man race . I was going to be a Sherpa for the weekend. I wouldn't be racing, but I would be there for moral support and in case trouble arose. I would be on the sidelines watching, & tracking at the same time. More importantly, I would FINALLY be getting to meet some of my KREndruance teammates whom I have talked with forever and now finally get the chance to meet a few. 

I got in late Friday night after enjoying a baseball game. Saturday, I met up with the team. It was instant mojo. Like , we all knew each other. We do because we are so supportive through thick and thin. But to get to meet these folks face to face adds a different element too it. I love it. 

We went to dinner and literally sat and talked for 3 solid hours. Like family. We are a family. It was beautiful. Finally just getting to sit and talk and talk about life, ups and downs of training, etc, was just frankly , BEAUTIFUL! That's the best way I know to describe it. 

After dinner we split up , and made plans to meet back up on Sunday at the athlete village to watch our athletes take on the course. 

Sunday came early. Once we got down there the intensity was already there , but so was the excitement. We had our first teammate go out with one of the charity waves and then the others soon followed. Once our teammate was in the water, we booked it a mile and a quarter down the road to transition. For this race, there was 1 transition area for both swim to bike and bike to run. We were able to get a spot right on the rail to see our teammates , all of them come out of the water.  During the swim, I was actively tracking the athletes on the app, and then posting updates to our team page. In no way did I have much free time. I was right there keeping an eye out for our athletes, or watching trackers. We were yelling and cheering. We then moved over to the bike exit to watch them come out and head out of town on a bike ride. 

Once we cheered on everyone, we headed back downtown, to grab some food, and then to setup for the run. It was probably about 2 hours after we got downtown that we finally saw our first teammate , Coach Rebecca. She looked PHENOMENAL! We exchanged a few words, then me and Brooke split. She went over to check in on one of our other athletes, while I held the fort down and kept an eye on trackers. This would be the way things would work for the rest of the afternoon as we kept an eye on our team . We were positioned in a spot where we got to see each one on the course at least twice. and were between both sides of the run where we could run and check on them if needed. 

It was about 230 or 3 when Coach Rebecca made it down the finish shute. So proud. We were then joined by her for the rest of the afternoon. It made watching each teammate come in more and more emotional. You sit there and you watch these athletes lay there heart and soul out there. Us Athletes go through so much training, and so many sacrifices , and just to see so many get the reward, its very VERY Emotional. It leaves you speechless in many cases. It really does. 

I was able to sit and talk with the team after everyone had crossed the line. They all made it safe and sound. It was PHENOMENAL! 

One thing I can say about the weekend is the fact this did make me more interested in Tri's and the work that goes into them. I am not saying now or later, but it is something to look at. 

I did wind up taking a ton of pictures. You can follow this link to see some of those. https://www.facebook.com/john.rausin/media_set?set=a.10207764525709595.1073741849.1787389770&type=3&pnref=story

Overall I can't put into words the amount of love and pride in this team. Its beyond anything I have ever come across and I couldn't be prouder to be a part of this team. 

In closing, I want to thank Rebecca, Heather, Sarah, Brooke, & Scott for allowing me to run around with them all weekend. It made this a truly memorable 1st Triathlon experience and one I will never forget. Getting to meet everyone was truly the icing on the cake this weekend. I know I have said it before but this is the BEST. TEAM. EVER.

- John - 

8k Race: The trip of a lifetime

This past Saturday night was one of these events that is rare, but its a LOAD of fun. The Pigeon Forge Midnight 8K. So about 5 miles of racing. Going into this , I was coming off a big build and on a Recovery week. This had been the most intense 2 weeks I have had in a long time. So, I was ready for this race. I went into this cautiously optimistic. Coach had been on vacation the week before, so I was kinda left to my own devices on how to run this race. But I knew my limitations. I had decided about Wednesday of last week I was gonna try to run this at the speed that it would take to PR the half in Chattanooga in October. This would give me a good feel for about 1/2 of the race. Saturday Morning, I sat down and figured up the time, adjusted it a tad, and then set the pacer on the watch for that so I would know where I was. If I fell behind, it was OK, but my goal was to go lite it up and see what the old wheels could do. 

I had spent Saturday with friends out doing somethings that I enjoy that help me relax. The trip up to the race site was about a 90 min drive. Once I got there, I had about 80 min to kill. So, I got up there, got my bib and shirt, and then honestly, just laid low. Trying to just relax and enjoy things. 

The race site was the strip in Pigeon Forge. Right in the middle. Flat and Fast. Little to no elevation change. It lended itself to what was about to happen. 

As we lined up , I felt really good. Very calm and relaxed which is a rare thing for me. I am normally a very adrenaline driven runner, but for some reason, my body was relaxed. After the anthem, i put in my earphones, and instantly, as soon as the first sound of metal hit my ears, it was go time. I locked in right away, and I could tell it standing there that it was going to be a good run. How good, I didn't really know, but I was really relaxed and ready to roll. 

As we set out, my thought was, NOT TO QUICK. Hard, steady, but not to quick. The first mile really went fast, and I was like OK , throttle back and just run your race. Enjoy this. It was a blissful night out and I was locked on.   

Mile 2 came and went and 3. I realized about 2.5 in how steady I was, and how great I felt. Instantly I was like, I am on a good pace here. Hold what you have. Keep doing this. Your fine. Honestly, this was the BEST I have felt during a race. Period.

We finally made the turn at 3.5 to line up for the finish, and I still hadn't stopped running since the gun. When I caught sight of the finish line, I kicked . I honestly amazed myself I still had my kick left. When I crossed the stripe, the clock read 56 Min or so. But, when I got my official results, it was 55:26.

I had done it. A sub 1 hour 5 miler and even better, about 2.5 to 3 min quicker than I had planned to go. It just came from relaxing and letting my body work and enjoying myself. No pressure, and it REALLY showed Saturday. I texted coach and we were both EXTREMELY happy and proud of things. I then got my stuff and headed home as it was already well after 1 am. 

Looking back, I honestly do believe this was the best I have EVER run in 3 years. Things finally came together. Its all a product of how hard I have worked and wanted this. One things for sure, come October, I am taking that 2:30 out behind the woodshed for the half. That time don't stand a chance. 

So, now, its back to the grindstone. Sure I am tickled with this. But, there is still time to get BETTER before its time to taper for the fall fun that I have planned. And trust me, its going to be an INSANELY busy fall once it gets here. Were looking at 6 races and maybe 7 still yet to come this year. 

So , until I talk to you all next time ...... 

From one "Idiot" to another- 

John 
-IRC #2148- 

July 4th

So, after about 3.5 hours of sleep, I got back up at 5:15 am for a 2nd go around at a 5K. This time I was headed to Sweetwater for the race. This was a dead flat out and back along main street. I ate my normal chicken, rice , and veggies, and got ready and headed out. 

I got there super early, grabbed my stuff, and dozed off . Then I woke up and stretched and got ready. We were racing the storm system that was moving in , and personally I hoped it rained. 

As we left out, it began to sprinkle. YES! So off we went. Instantly , the adrenline hit, and I was right back to where I left off. I felt great, even on so little rest. Its like my body knew what I was doing. HA!

After about a mile, I finally warmed up and was good to go. Several times I knew I was flirting with a PR, but that wasn't the goal. Its so fun when you just relax and let go and let your ablity shine. It really is a LOT of fun. 

Mile 2 came and went and I was just having a ball. I knew I was strong so I really hammered it the last mile. 

When I came into sight of the finish , i knew I had beaten my time from Last Night! Talk about FIRED. UP. Man, the consitencey, the momentum, all on my side now. And I loved it. I texted coach uber excited and just happy as could be. 

So, yes, that is 2 5k's within 12 hours. The 2nd faster than the first. The whole key was getting off my feet as soon as I could after the first one and doing all the right things to recover. To say I am happy is an understatement. What a weekend. What a couple races. 

So , now , its back to work. I have some seriously awesome fall goals I am working twoards, and I am going to use this momentum to keep rolling forward. Consistency is key. May have another race coming up , not sure as of this writing. But whatever it is, you can follow here. So, back to work !!!

Until next time 

From one "Idiot" to another- 

John 

IRC #2148

STRONG A.F.

  

So, here we are again. This time , I am back for more 5K fun. This past Monday, I ran what has become a traditional race for me, the Pilot Fireball Moonlight 5K. Coming in, the plan was to just run it and have fun. Now, coming in from the last few runs I have had, I had some good solid runs. Momentum was building. Now I wanted to really shove that sucker hard and get this thing rolling top speed. I always try to set a personal goal that is fun for me. Mine for this race was to run my guts out , and then just see where it went. I was going to go off feel. 

I had to work Monday , a short shift, as this was a night race which is so neat. I ate at my parents, and left super early. I got there, and got my stuff, and laid low. Just hung out and kept calm. I then got ready. I actually felt realllly good that night. 

The course was a out and back on Neyland Drive, along the river, which is a beautiful and senic run . 

During the anthem, I took some deep breaths and then we were set. I started near the front as I wanted to focus on hard sustaned effort. 

I came out, and immediatley the legs were like lets go! I let them. I just went into cruze. I started looking over the water, and just kinda forgot about life and just escaped reality. (Side note, thats what running is to me and why I love it, its a 100% reality escape) . 

Before I realized it , I had turned in a 9 min hard effort. I needed a breather so I slowed momentailry , and then resumed this hard pace. Throughout the race, there were some light rollers, but it was nothing like I traine on , so this was awsome. I continued what I had been doing. 

By Mile 2.5 I was Winded a.F. But I knew, keep digging. I also spotted a girl from RWB running with the flag. She was ahead of me, but I was determined to catch her. I kept yo-yoing back and forth. Eventually by mile 3  I caught her and passed her. That was big. Since I am a KING at starting WAY 2 FAST!

Coming down the final straight, man I was hurting. I kept telling myself BITE DOWN! I was also yelling some choice words, as in the final 100 yards or so, i was going to Keep DIGGING! 

Finally- I crossed the line. I was near puking. It was mid 80's out. I was drenched. Then they give me WARM WATER! NOOOOO! I ran to the truck to get MY WATER and BCAA's Out and to text coach once I got my breath. 

My exact words were , I feel strong AF right now. Part of that was adrenline, part was how pleased I was . I then stayed for awards as I had run in the clydesdale division and wanted to see if I got lucky. Nope. Oh well. 

I then got home as quick as I could and got off my feet as there was more to come. * hint hint* I took a shower, ate, and then tried to get a nap in... 

Stay tuned for the continuation. 

Until Next Time- 
From One "Idiot" to another- 

John 
IRC # 2148