tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53484743637971676082024-03-18T22:29:45.740-05:00Run Daddy RunMy journey into the world of running and fitness!
(Plus some other stuff when I'm feeling froggy)Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01326297749970232742noreply@blogger.comBlogger109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348474363797167608.post-19038109640083958232012-06-23T18:51:00.001-05:002012-06-23T18:51:04.605-05:00Rest DaysI know we are suppose to take them, but why is it so damn hard to take a rest day? I mean really, how much rest is there when you are constantly telling yourself you should go out for a run? That is all I did all dang day Monday. <br />
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Monday's aren't usually my rest days, but after running 3 times in 2 days during Tropical Storm Lee and fighting the wind, the conditions on Monday told me it was a rest day. But still! <br />
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I know I'm not alone in this. Many of my Dailymile friends say the same thing. This by the way, all while commenting to me that we all deserve a rest and to REST! LMAO I'll tell you this though, if my recumbent bike had been in the house and not out in the messy office, I'd have gotten some miles in on it for sure! I think I need to get that thing back in the house. Maybe that way I'll not be as stressed about taking a rest day. Who knows!<br />
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As always, remember, "Real athletes run, all others just play games"!Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01326297749970232742noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348474363797167608.post-69378408478026999762012-06-23T18:50:00.001-05:002012-06-23T18:50:19.953-05:00Blueberry Bash, ARC Santa Rosa<div class="entry-description">
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First off, many of you know that I passed out Monday and landed
hard on my butt. Pretty sure I broke or badly bruised my tailbone. Not
really anything the doc can do, so I"m just suffering through it. I'm
in marathon training, so there isn't any 'not running'. I have run
every day since it happened. I've just keep the pace slow and east. <br />
I got up early this morning and headed over to the race. I like to
get a mile warm up before my races as it loosens up the leg. Well this
morning that wasn't going to happen. I thought the race started at 8.
When I pulled up, I saw all the runners at the start. You guessed it.
The race started at 7. <br />
I had to rush to the table to get my bid number. Then back to the
car to get my shoes on. Headed to the start and forgot my bid in the
car. Off the runners went with me going back to the car to get my bid.
By the time I got to the start, I was the last runner, #61. <br />
I put my ass in gear and proceeded to work my way past runner after
runner. I was haulin ass. Of course this also meant more pounding on
my ass. About 2 1/2 miles in, I was wearing out. My pace slowed some,
but I pressed on. Passed a few more runners and eventually made it up
to 14th place overall. I took 3rd in my division. They had a crazy
division sytem and mine was 50-64. WTH? Anyway, my run time was 24:30.
However, my actual race time due to my late start was 26:20.<br />
After the race, my ass hurt like hell. Like I said, all week I had
been going slow and easy. Today I hauled ass. Literally! lol I had
to explain at least 20 times what was wrong. Geez people, pay
attention. <br />
Stuck around for the award ceremony. About 10% of the winners were
from my Monday night running club. We kicked ass today. Eventually
the butt calmed enough to be able to sit in the car and head home. Now
I'm just trying to find a comfortable position.<br />
That is all!<br />
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</div>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01326297749970232742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348474363797167608.post-87091373038601842702012-04-14T18:15:00.001-05:002012-04-14T18:15:38.828-05:00Missing in ActionI have to apologize for not keeping my blog updated. I just sorta lost my mojo I guess. I promise to try to get back at it after tomorrow's race. <br />
<br />I'll try to do a brief recap of all what's been happening since the Gate River Run on March 10th.<br />
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I have continued to battle leg/knee issues on my right leg. Not sure if it's an IT band issue or not. Did see the doc, but not really confident in the diagnoses. I'll let you know tomorrow after the Gulf Coast Half.<br />
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Til then, run strong, run hard!Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01326297749970232742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348474363797167608.post-6624871696900419242012-03-16T22:10:00.003-05:002012-03-18T12:49:10.220-05:00Gate River Run 15K<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, Gate River Run! 20,000 runners in the USA 15K Championship Run. This year was suppose to be my redemption year right? Last year I had to drop out of this race due to injury. The Monday following the race, I found out I had broke the cuboid bone in my left foot a few weeks earlier. Now trust me, I'm not saying that to show how much of a man I am. Running on a broke foot and all. No, what it shows is how being stubborn and not getting medical attention when you KNOW you should, can really side track your running. It ended up putting me out for a couple months.<br />
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So, back to the race. I have waited a year to come back to Jacksonville to run this race again. I was so excited. Unfortunately, I ended up having to come to the race by myself. (issue #1) Life does happen! I was able to go with a friend, Kimberly C. and meet up with another that lives in the area, Jennifer D., so I wasn't like 'alone' the whole time. <br />
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I got to the hotel pretty early and Kimberly and I meet up with Jennifer and we headed over to the expo to get our packet. We got our packets and then spent a little while looking around at all the vendors. As I have mentioned the last few weeks, I've been struggling with some aggravating right knee pain.(issue #2) Anyway, we stopped at a vendor that was selling compression sleeves. Of course, their's were the best on the market. Funny thing is, I had just ordered one from Tommie Cooper and it didn't arrive before I left for the run. Anyway, I figured it wouldn't hurt to have more then one, so I bought one for my knee. $54 later I had a compression sleeve for my knee. Surely, that would help me get through this race right?<br />
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Kimberly, Jennifer and I went back to the hotel to decide where were going to go eat.(issue #3) Now usually, I don't eat too much the night before a race. I have such a bad digestive system, I just don't like to take chances and mess my stomach up. Usually is the key word here. Jennifer suggested this Indian place. I have never been to one so I wasn't real sure. Since I really didn't want to argue and this pace was literally across the street from the hotel, I agreed and off we went. I ordered some Jasmine Fried Rice and the girls also ordered some rice paper rolled spring rolls. I had one of those and then dug into my meal. I must admit, it was pretty darn good. However, it wasn't long when I realized I should have followed my own advice and had something light. The 'greasy' dish upset my stomach immediately. <br />
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After our meal we headed back to the hotel and off to our respective rooms. We hadn't decided how we were getting to the start in the morning. Seems the hotel decided not to do the buses this year. The girls wanted to walk the 2 miles in the morning. I wasn't sure. I didn't want to be with out my bag. Since I didn't have my usual family there, there wasn't going to be anyone to watch it. After much thought, I decided to tell the girls I was going to leave bright and early and drive to the start. The girls didn't want to get up that early and so they walked.<br />
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I know, I know, get on with it. Well it all has meaning, I promise you. I went to bed at 10 PM Jacksonville time. That's one hour earlier then my time, Central Time. There was a small chance of storms that night and the wind was pretty strong.(issue #4) I was in a room that had a small patio. There was a door of course to this patio. Unfortunately, the freakin door to the said patio would close tight and all damn night long I heard this banging. It was constant. No sooner would I fall to sleep, it would bang and wake me up. By the time 5 AM came around I was beat. If I would have been thinking clearly, I would have put something up against it to at least keep it from banging closed. Hindsight is 20/20 right? <br />
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I got ready and headed to my car. The first thing I noticed was the wind was pretty strong.(issue #5) I wasn't looking forward to that. Anyway, I drove over to the start of the race. I got there early enough that I didn't have any problems parking. I chilled out as I usually do and the started to get ready. The girls called me around 7 and we were able to meet up around 7:30. That's when we realized that Jennifer and I has switched the bags our 'sleeves' where in. She had bought the calve sleeves. She had my knee and I had her calves. Only thing was I only brought one cuz only one knee bothered me. Get this though. Before I meet the girls, Jennifer 'checked' my sleeve at the bag check. Oh my goodness! Luckily we were able to locate it and and Jennifer was ok with having just one for her calve and I had my knee sleeve.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uo6-uDvdblU/T2P0vYdgbyI/AAAAAAAADvM/C1nz6aGSRlo/s1600/gate+river+run.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uo6-uDvdblU/T2P0vYdgbyI/AAAAAAAADvM/C1nz6aGSRlo/s320/gate+river+run.png" width="237" /></a>We were ready for the race. The girls had to go 'pee', so we said see ya at the finish and off we went. I tried to get a short warm up run in, but there were people everywhere. It was very hard to find a place to run. I decided I'd better use the restroom myself and got in a line. Once that was done, I did a bit more warm up and then decided to head to my corral. (issue #6) That is a whole nother story itself. I didn't register in time and did not get a seeded spot. So, I was in the general area and way way back. There were so many people that I couldn't even get into the corral. I soon realized I was in the second wave of runners as well. What fun! The crowed slowly moved and I was then able to get into my corral.<br />
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The first wave went off at 8:30. Then, about 5 minutes later, the second wave was sent and I was off. Man were there a lot of runners. I felt decent enough at the start. I mean my knee seemed ok. The knee sleeve seemed to be helping. I weaved and weaved around runner after runner, but I never found a clear path. I was constantly having to slow down for slower runners and move around the ones I could. To be honest, I just never felt comfortable in the whole race.(issue #7) There were a few hills here and there. Nothing real serious at first. However, there were enough to make the ole knee start to hurt. I'm not sure at what point I realized the knee wasn't going to make it once again. Maybe around 5 miles. I'm not sure. I did as I had planned and stopped at the water stops when I took water. Finally at the 6 mile, I had to rest the knee. I was so disappointed. I so wanted this to be a 'good' run. From that point on, I did what I had done the past two 6 plus mile races. I would run some and then rest the knee. Run some more and rest the knee some more. Then, around mile 8, we came to the big bridge.(issue #8) Now remember I said it was pretty windy. Well let me tell ya. This is a pretty big, long uphill bridge and the wind on that bridge was brutal! I pushed as hard as I could. Once I was at the top, I knew I only had a short ways to go. Unfortunately, it was all downhill. That, as you probably know, is ever worse for the knee. I hobbled my way to the finish and crossed the line at around 1:35 minutes. Subtrack my 5 minute delay and my time on my Garmin showed 1:30:25.<br />
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I was terribly disappointed. That was even slower then the Double Bridge 15K back in February. I made my way through the hundreds of people and headed to my car. The video above shows me finishing. Notice the 'limp' as I slowly walk off camera. At one point, my right calve cramped up on me so bad I bout hit the pavement. I got to the car and hydrated as much as I could. Got myself somewhat cleaned up a bit and then called Jennifer. There were so many people still finishing, there was no way I could make my way back to the finish. Jennifer had managed to turn around when she finished and was waiting for Kimberly. Since Kimberly wasn't suppose to finish until around 2 hours, I had some time to wait.<br />
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Begrudgingly, I agreed and we and headed to the car and back to the hotel. That was about it. The girls went to their room and I went to mine. I showered, packed my stuff up, and left for home. I was so bummed. I felt like nothing went right from start to finish with this race. I had to go alone. I ate the wrong food. I didn't sleep well. The wind was brutal. I never felt comfortable in the race. The knee freakin acted up once again. We didn't have a DM meet up. And to top it off, the girls kinda pissed me off when they wanted to 'leave' as soon as the race was over. <br />
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It's a 5 hour drive from Jacksonville to Pensacola, so I had plenty of time to think about the whole thing and get over it. Sure enough, the time helped. I mean yes, I'm still upset with how I did, but at least this time I was able to run the race and finish. So, what will next year be? It will be Gate River Run redemption part 2!! <br />
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Remember my friends, "Real athletes run, all other just play games!".Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01326297749970232742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348474363797167608.post-12521095769876660442012-03-11T11:32:00.001-05:002012-03-11T11:50:31.193-05:00Seaside Half Marathon<br />
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The Seaside Half is becoming a very popular race! Every year it fills up quickly. This year I registered in Oct to ensure I didn't have to beg for a slot and then pay through the nose like I did last year. One of the big attractions of this race, aside from the location in beautiful Seaside, Fl., is the Vera Bradley bags they give away. My daughter loves the bag and thus the begging!<br />
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We spent the night in Santa Rosa Beach and were able to arrive early Sunday morning for the race. Enjoyed meeting numerous Dailymile friends; Sang, Kevan, Kim, Jacques, and Lynne. The weather was pretty nice for a long race. Probably in the lower 50s. Maybe even upper 40s. It was a bit windy though. Other then that, it was a good day for a race.</div>
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Here are some pictures with my DM friends. </div>
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As many of you know, I have been struggling of late with a sore right knee. I didn't do any running the week before the race, but I did do some power walking on the TM with some steep inclines. How did that affect me you might ask. Well...</div>
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I started off pretty good. Was keeping a good pace around 8:25. My intention was to keep that pace until around mile 9 and them try to pick it up a bit and maybe PR. Unfortunately, that didn't work out. Around mile 5 my knee started to bother me. I walked through the water stop to give it a short rest. After I made the turn at just past mile 6, it started bothering me even more. From that point on, I went into the Galloway mode. I'd walk for a short bit and then I'd run until it started to bother me. Basically, just like I did for the Double Bridge Run a month prior. Fortunately, I was able to keep the pace pretty good while running and I soon realized I had a chance to at least beat last year's time. </div>
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Around mile 8 I noticed this young lady that I would pass when running and then she would pass me while I was resting the knee. We keep this up until around mile 11. That's when I decided to push her a bit. I noticed she was struggling and starting to slow way down. I came up along side her and encouraged her to press on. She did and her and I finished the race together. Here is a great video of our finish.</div>
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Even though I didn't PR this race, I did manage to beat last year's time! I was pretty happy with that. The young lady and I finished strong. A big thanks to my daughter's friend Megan who took the video. It was a good after party and the finishers medal was awesome. </div>
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Well, this isn't my best race report, but I'm just not feeling it today. I should have donet this last week right after the race. That said, as always my friends, remember, "Real athletes run, all others just play games"!</div>
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<br /></div>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01326297749970232742noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348474363797167608.post-32747577278759587922012-03-09T20:53:00.004-06:002012-03-09T20:55:53.584-06:00The Warm UpThe following article is from a Dailymile post by Caleb M. <br />
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<a href="http://www.dailymile.com/blog/tips-and-tricks/when-to-and-how-to-warm-up-for-better-race-performances">http://www.dailymile.com/blog/tips-and-tricks/when-to-and-how-to-warm-up-for-better-race-performances</a>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01326297749970232742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348474363797167608.post-63685848834754631392012-02-28T22:08:00.002-06:002012-02-28T22:11:45.214-06:00Run for the World Recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I really enjoy running this race. Unfortunately, last year they had a scheduling issue and it didn't happen in Feb. It ended up being held in May and I had my schedule already booked and wasn't able to run it. This year, the church got things together and held it at the usual time. Glad they did!<br />
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This was also the second time my son and I have run a race together. This one ended up being very special. The weather was pretty nice for a race. A bit on the chilly side, but not at all cold. I prefer it being this way when racing. It usually doesn't take long to warm up. By the time I finished my mile warm up, I was ready to go.<br />
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They had a good turn out as usual. Probably around 400 runners and walker. There were a number of the usual folks and it's always nice to see them on race day. The Runyon's, Aaron and Jeannie where there along with a few of my special DM friends, Kimberly Cothern, Nergis Demirbilek and Lisa Fairbanks. Another one of them was my friend Andrea Moore. Andrea has a pretty good pace, so I was set on pacing with her. I knew this time that my son Andrew was gonna be on his own and that dad was 'racing' this one! lol<br />
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The race got off on time and I initially settled in behind Andrea! Now I guess I need to maybe clarify why I was gonna 'settle' in behind Andrea. Lately, I have been struggling with my endurance. I haven't been able to hold my pace throughout my races. So I figured that if I hung with Andrea, that it would force me to hold my pace. So, that's what I was going to try to do. <br />
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After moving in and out of the crowd and around the around the kids, I was feeling pretty good. I looked at my Garmin and we were running at around a 7:30 pace. A bit fast for me, at least lately anyways, but I seemed to be handling it ok. Probably around 1/2 mile, I started to realize I was feeling pretty good. I had moved to the left of Andrea to avoid some slower runners and then I just let my pace speak for itself. I pushed on. I was actually feeling pretty damn good. But could I hold it? <br />
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This course has a few small but significant hills between mile 1.5 and 2.5. Nothing really big, but enough to make you work for it. Even so, I was able to hold a pretty good pace. With just under a mile to go, I found myself running side by side with another runner. The pace was pretty strong and together, he and keep each other motivated. When he would slow down a bit, I'd push him forward and when I would, he would do the same. <br />
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I saw Andrew after making the last turn and he was running strong. Not far behind me at all. I saw Andrea too and she was running good also. With about 1/2 mile to go, I heard these footsteps behind me and then this lady pushing past us. She was saying "come on guys, you can do it!" and off she went. I put my head down and along with the other runner, we pushed our way to the finish line. <br />
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When I saw the clock at the finish, it was still under 24 minutes. I sprinted as fast as I could, but I ended up coming in at 24:05. I just missed a sub-24. Those damn hills! LOL<br />
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2 minutes after I crossed the finish line, along came Andrew. He was sprinting with one of my running friends, Pat Roberts, to the finish. He narrowly beat him to finish at 26:06. Not a bad time at all considering the course. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Winners!</td></tr>
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One thing nice about this race is the pancake breakfast afterwards and the awards. It was no exception this year. The Runyons, Kim, Nergis, Lisa, and Andrew, Andrea and I all sat together. It ended up being the winning table. Aaron won the race as the overall winner and Jeannie was the overall female runner. Lisa took the Master Award and Andrea took 1st in her AG. I took 2nd in my AG. Dave Durbin from Dothan, Al was there. He is in my age group and pretty fast. I know when he is there, that's one ahead of me. LOL The funniest part of the awards is that Andrew didn't have a glue he won until after the whole thing was over. Since his time was not in the 'usual' winning range, none of us paid any attention during the time they were announcing awards for his age group. As we were leaving, we happened to check the times and he says to me, "what's the 'Div' mean. I said that's your age group. He says, "mine shows 1". I was like, crap, that means you won your age group. We went back in and sure enough, he won his AG. I was so proud! And very proud of this picture!<br />
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Well, that pretty much wraps up this race recap. As always my friends, remember, "Real athletes run, all other just play games"!<br />
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<br />Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01326297749970232742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348474363797167608.post-85747244341343715452012-02-26T11:59:00.001-06:002012-02-26T11:59:02.380-06:00Peanut Butter Gu ReviewTotally awesome! Where have you been all my running life?<br />
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<br />Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01326297749970232742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348474363797167608.post-65349843397276496342012-02-19T08:39:00.001-06:002012-02-19T08:49:11.036-06:00Running with PainDo you run with pain? Do you have a condition that causes you to run with constant pain? If so, read on. Maybe you have a friend that does. Again read on.<br />
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About 25 years ago I was diagnosed with a condition called "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palindromic_rheumatism">Palinddromic Rheumatism</a>". A couple years after that, I was diagnosed with "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibromyalgia">Fibromyalgia</a>". I remember thinking why me? Why do I have to suffer from a double whammy? Not fair, not fair at all. <br />
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I remember early on suffering from depilating episodes from my PR. The episodes would come on and last for 48 hours. And it could be any one joint or a combination of joints. I remember once getting attacks in both feet. Wow, that was a bad couple days. When I was finally diagnosed, I remember thinking I could kiss the doctor. Finally, I had a name for the problem and a course of action. I was put on a medication and within weeks, I was experiencing relief. Since then, I have short lasting episodes and only get major, long lasting attacks once in a blue moon.<br />
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Unfortunately, the diagnosis of Fibromyalgia didn't result in the same outcome. There is no magic pill for this condition. There is nothing they can give you to stop the pain. Yes, they have meds. Yes, the meds do help some. And yes, without the meds, I wouldn't be able to function. For that, I am grateful. But they don't eliminate the pain or the discomfort. I've lived with fibro for years. Some days are worse then others, but every day has pain associated with it. My hands and feet are the worst. Of course, that would make sense as you use them the most.<br />
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Why am I posting this you might say? Am I looking for your amazement? Am I looking for your sympathy? No!! Not at all. What I'm hopefully doing is showing you that even when you think you can't, you can. I would never, not in a million years, thought I could have become a runner. Not ever! When I first started to run, my body was killing me. My knees were in terrible pain. But I did the only thing I knew to do. I prayed! I told the Lord Jesus that this was something I really, really wanted to do and if He could find a way to help me continue, I would forever be in His debt. Within a week, the pain subsided. Within in a month, I was running without the sever knee pain and the body wasn't hurting as bad. Now I'm not saying every day is an easy day. No way! Some days I hurt all over. Some days, I simply don't want to put my body through the pain. But I do! And I almost always feel better when I'm done. <br />
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So listen, it doesn't matter what is wrong with you. If you want to run, you can. If it's not running, but something else you want to do, then just DO IT! Find a way and commit to doing it. There is nothing you can't do!<br />
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Feel free to ask me about the two conditions I mentioned above. If you, or someone you know, suffers from either of these conditions, I might be able to provide some insite.<br />
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Happy running my friends!<br />
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<br />Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01326297749970232742noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348474363797167608.post-3392943355687866362012-02-18T15:52:00.002-06:002012-02-18T17:33:24.017-06:00Missing in ActionI wanted to let you all know what I have been doing the past couple of months. Of course, I have been running. My last race post was back in mid-Dec and since then, I have run a few races.<br />
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The Pensacola Runners Association "Pensacola Beach Run" was on Jan 14th. This year they had the half as a separate event. In years past this was a 'pick your distance' race. I ran the half and was fortunate enough to set a half PR. Yay me. <br />
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I also ran the PRA Bay to Breakfast 8K Challenge trail race. This is a great local event. I highly recommend it to anyone in the local area. This year's race got a bit out of control as many people, including myself, ran a bit further then we were suppose to. In fact, when it was all over, we decided to call this the "Run Your Own Distance" Trail Challenge. No matter, it was a great event and great fun with friends. <br />
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My next run was the "We Believe in Children" run. This is a great annual event which benefits the Escambia County Schools Foundation. It was also the first time that my son Andrew and I ran a race together. He is 18 and preparing to leave for the Air Force in the coming months. He did great and we both finished in 26 minutes. <br />
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I followed that race up with the popular Double Bridge Run. The DBR is one of the most popular races in the SE. It attracts runners from all over the world. This year's race had 4000 runners. I was nursing a sore knee, actually had been for a few weeks, and it decided to give me problems during the DBR. No biggie, I still finished. You can't PR every time right? <br />
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The last race to report is the "Sweetheart Run" in Gulf Shores, Al. This was the first time I have run this race. I've wanted to in the past, just haven't ever done it. Glad I did. I ran the 10K and enjoyed a nice chilly run on the beautiful Gulf Coast.<br />
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Well, there you have it. That is where I been since I fell off the 'blog' world.Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01326297749970232742noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348474363797167608.post-41547589347247522772012-02-18T15:30:00.003-06:002012-02-18T15:30:58.896-06:00Run for the Cookies Recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today's race was all about the kids! If the race title doesn't give you a hint, then you're out of the loop big time. This was all about the Girl Scouts! More specifically, the Girl Scouts of NW Florida. The weather wasn't great, but the event was, so there was a pretty good turnout this morning. <br />
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They were holding the race at the University of West Floridas Cross Country field house. It was gonna be a 5K trail run, but apparently the kids had a pretty tough time last year, so they they only did one mile on the trail and the rest on the road. The road in this case is pretty hilly! So no easy run any way you look at it. The fun part is that you get to run through a small creek right at the beginning of the run! Nothing better! HAHA<br />
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They did the Fun Run before the 5K this time and I used that as my warm up. I have to share this story with ya. These little kids just love to run and are so excited about getting the chance to run in a 'race'. There were kids as young as 3 years old running. The fun run also has some trail running. Probably about 1/3 of the course was trails. Since this was my warm up run, I was taking it pretty easy.<br />
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About 100 yards from the finish, I noticed this little kid in front of me that was struggling a bit. He couldn't have been more then 6 or 7 years old. Little dude with classes. He was holding his stomach and pushing hard. I came up along side of him and encouraged him to push on. You could hear his parents cheering him on at the finish line. I stayed right with him all the way to the end. He did great. We both crossed the finish line at 8:26. Great job by the little man.<br />
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I also ran into one of my former students. He was at the race with his little boy Matthew who is 5. Andrew graduated in 2007 and I don't think I've seen him since. He looked great. To top it off, little Matthew took 1st in his age group. <br />
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The 5K got off right at 9:30. The weather had cleared up a bit by start time and the rain pretty much had stopped. Of course there were a number of kids running the 5K, and they took off like bullets when the race started. I wasn't looking to PR this race. I really just wanted to go out and have some fun. I keep it nice and easy on the trail part. Passed a few runners here and there. I probably was at around a 8:20 pace. My Garmin didn't start when when we took off, so I'm not sure the exact pace. Like I said, we exited the trail after the first mile and were on the road. I'm not lying when I say that UWF has some hills. WOW! It's been awhile since I ran out there and those hills were kicking my butt. I approached this race the same way I have the last couple of races. I stopped when I needed and keep the pace as high as I could when I ran. It worked out pretty good overall. I ended up finishing with a time of 25:57. I'll take that! <br />
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I enjoyed good times with my running friends and finished up with so yummy cookies!!<br />
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As always my friends, remember: 'Real athletes run, all others just play games!'. <br />
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<br />Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01326297749970232742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348474363797167608.post-21012454132705416852012-02-17T18:32:00.001-06:002012-02-17T18:32:14.633-06:00MissingI'm sorry I have been missing the last 2 months or so. Between the holidays and work and family, I just haven't taken the time to keep this blog up. <br />
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I promise to get back into it. I'll post a recap of the races I have run since my last recap and whatever else might be going on.Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01326297749970232742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348474363797167608.post-36317093886658269132011-12-26T15:38:00.002-06:002011-12-26T15:38:40.841-06:00Men are Happier (not running related)<div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="background: white; color: #4100c2; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">SOME DAYS ARE DIAMONDS...SOME DAYS ARE STONES..</span></i></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">WHY MEN ARE SELDOM DEPRESSED:<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">Men Are Just Happier People --<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">What do you expect from such simple creatures?<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">Your last name stays put..<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">The garage is all yours.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">Wedding plans take care of themselves.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">Chocolate is just another snack.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">You can be President.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">You can never be pregnant.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">You can wear NO shirt to a water park.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">Car mechanics tell you the truth.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">The world is your urinal..<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">You never have to drive to another gas station restroom<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">because this one is just too icky.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">Same work, more pay.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">Wrinkles add character.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">One mood all the time.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">You know stuff about tanks.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">You can open all your own jars.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">If someone forgets to invite you,<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">He or she can still be your friend.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">Three pairs of shoes are more than enough..<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">You almost never have strap problems in public.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes..<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">Everything on your face stays its original color..<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">You only have to shave your face and neck.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">You can play with toys all your life.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">One wallet and one pair of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
shoes -- one color for all seasons.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look..<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">You can 'do' your nails with a pocket knife.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">On December 24 in 25 minutes.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">No wonder men are happier.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">Send this to the women who can handle it<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">And to the men who will enjoy reading it.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <b><span style="background: white;">Men Are Just Happier People</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <b><span style="background: white;">NICKNAMES</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">·<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>If Sheila, Candy and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Sheila, Candy and Sarah.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">·<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>If Mike, Dave and John go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Bubba and Wildman .<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <b><span style="background: white;">EATING OUT</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">·<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and John will each throw in $20, even though it's only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back..<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">·<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <b><span style="background: white;">MONEY</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">·<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">·<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need but it's on sale.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <b><span style="background: white;">BATHROOMS</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">·<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">·<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these items.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <b><span style="background: white;">ARGUMENTS</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">·<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>A woman has the last word in any argument.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">·<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <b><span style="background: white;">FUTURE</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">·<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">·<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <b><span style="background: white;">MARRIAGE</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">·<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">·<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, but she does.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <b><span style="background: white;">DRESSING UP</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">·<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the trash, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">·<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <b><span style="background: white;">NATURAL</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">·<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed..<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">·<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Women somehow deteriorate during the night.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">OFFSPRING<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">·<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favorite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">·<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house..<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">THOUGHT FOR THE DAY<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">A married man should forget his mistakes. There's no use in two people remembering the same thing!<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /> <span style="background: white;">SO,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>send this to the women who have a sense of humor and who can handle it ....<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and to the men who will enjoy reading it..<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01326297749970232742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348474363797167608.post-52651107209708965882011-12-25T22:07:00.000-06:002011-12-25T22:07:35.333-06:00Guest Blog Post<i>I was asked by my Dailymile, Facebook, and Google + friend Jennifer Luitwieler to do a guest article for her blog about "Why I Run". I hesitated at first, but then thought why not. I have a pretty decent story. For your reading pleasure, here is the original article.</i><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">Why I Run</div><div class="MsoNormal">Jennifer asked me to share with you all why I run. Though we’ve never actually met, Jennifer and I ‘friends’ on Dailymile and Google + and now Facebook. I enjoy following her posts on DM and reading her writings.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Unlike many people I see posting on Dailymile, this whole thing called running was foreign to me. I was never an athlete before running. As a youth, I grew up on a farm and sports weren’t something I had the pleasure of pursuing. I remember one year trying to go out for track. I participated in shot-put and discus. I eventually had to quite as my only transportation was my horse. Yes, you heard correctly, my horse. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Anyway, how did running come into my life? In order to tell you, I have to give you some background. I was in the Air Force for 22 years. I remember once back in the late 70s trying to take up running as a fitness routine. It didn’t ‘take’. I was able to run/walk my annual fitness 1.5 mile test every year and that was it. Back in 2006, I was surprised by an early Christmas present. On Dec 14<sup>th</sup>, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. At 49 years old, I was devastated. After sitting down with my family and considering all my options, I finally settled on a complete prostatectomy. At my fairly young age, it seems like the only logical option. On July 16<sup>th</sup> (yes, 6 months later), I underwent the procedure. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Now how does that relate to running? Well, during my lengthy recover time, I put on a considerable amount of weight. In fact, I ballooned up to 250lbs. Considering I should weigh around 190lbs, I was extremely overweight; however, I was limited in what I could do. My body had to heal. The prostatectomy is a pretty invasive procedure. I won’t get into everything, but let’s just say there were things that had to get better before I could strain or exert myself in a number of ways. In January of 2009, a year and a half post surgery, I decided to test the body. I went to a gym and asked if I could try things out. If my body cooperated, I’d join. Well it did, so I joined. I was 50 years old!</div><div class="MsoNormal">After a month of going to the gym, my son approached me about running with him. He had played freshman football in the fall and wanted to stay in shape. I was starting to feel good about myself and thought why not. Why not give this thing called running a shot. The next morning, we got up at 5am. We did our stretching and then headed out. I no sooner got around the corner and I had to stop. Seriously, I couldn’t make it around the corner to my neighbor’s house without having to stop? Anyway, I keep going and probably stopped 3 or 4 more times before finally stopping back at the house. How far was my first run? One mile! Yep, one whole mile! </div><div class="MsoNormal">We did this a few more times that week until my son’s football coach told him he was an offensive player and he didn’t want him running. Well, there went my running partner. By then, however, I was beginning to think to myself that I could do this thing called running. For the next couple weeks, I continued to run this one mile. I was very determined. In fact, during this time, my work started a “Fitness Challenge” and I decided to join up.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I kept up the running and before long I was able to run the whole mile without stopping. Before I knew it, I was venturing out to other streets. I remember at one point, my knees really started to bother me. I wondered whether I was going to be able to continue. I was really getting into this running thing and I seriously didn’t want to stop. So what did I do? Well duh, I prayed! Yep, I prayed to the Lord to let me continue running. And He did! Before I knew it, I was able to remove all those silly braces I was wearing. I even went out and had my gait analyzed and bought a good pair of running shoes. I was slowly becoming a runner. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Over the next few months my running continued to progress. When the end of the school came in late May, I was lucky enough to win the “Fitness Challenge”. I had gone from 250lbs down to 203lbs! At that point, I was probably running around 15 to 20 miles a week. I was officially addicted. I remember being at a restaurant one night with my wife and her looking at me and saying “you’re thinking about running aren’t you?” I asked how she knew and she said my body wouldn’t stop moving. At that point I knew I WAS a runner! </div><div class="MsoNormal">The only thing missing by this time was running a race. I don’t remember who it was that suggested I run a 5K, but in Oct 09 I signed up for and ran my first 5K race. Like they say, the rest is history. I have run almost 100 different distance races since then. I have my first full marathon scheduled for Sep 2012. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Why do I run? <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">I run to be healthy, I run to be fit, I run because I can! I AM a runner!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01326297749970232742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348474363797167608.post-6256568110165293072011-12-23T16:53:00.000-06:002011-12-23T16:53:09.214-06:00Fat Burning WorkoutsWhat is better: cardio, resistance, or cardio with resistance? <br />
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<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-greenfield/fat-burning_b_1154259.html?ref=health-and-fitness&ir=Health%20and%20Fitness">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-greenfield/fat-burning_b_1154259.html?ref=health-and-fitness&ir=Health%20and%20Fitness</a>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01326297749970232742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348474363797167608.post-70392731421985281432011-12-23T16:51:00.000-06:002011-12-23T16:51:49.917-06:00Running Terms Made Sexier?This a good read. <br />
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<a href="http://www.runaddicts.net/start-to-run/nerdy-running-terms-made-sexier">http://www.runaddicts.net/start-to-run/nerdy-running-terms-made-sexier</a> <br />
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Thanks to my DM friend Jason for posting this on his blog.Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01326297749970232742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348474363797167608.post-32494576468919576052011-12-20T09:21:00.002-06:002011-12-20T09:21:33.782-06:00Pace CalculatorRunner's World simple pace calculator.<br />
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<a href="http://www.runnersworld.com/cda/pacecalculator/0,7823,s6-238-277-398-0,00.html">http://www.runnersworld.com/cda/pacecalculator/0,7823,s6-238-277-398-0,00.html</a>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01326297749970232742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348474363797167608.post-39141071759908395602011-12-20T09:19:00.000-06:002011-12-20T09:19:30.211-06:00Heart RateIt is important to keep tabs on your heart rate, however, in order to do that, you need to some baseline information. There are many websites that can help you determine that. I found this one and thought it had the basics.<br />
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<a href="http://www.cchs.net/health/health-info/docs/0900/0984.asp?index=5508">http://www.cchs.net/health/health-info/docs/0900/0984.asp?index=5508</a>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01326297749970232742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348474363797167608.post-87997020863256262652011-12-18T14:31:00.003-06:002011-12-18T14:36:07.196-06:00Make it to the Line Recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s-zAFWU_NMw/TuysjKzZTYI/AAAAAAAACvI/rCYHg2Gb05c/s1600/PicasaSync" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s-zAFWU_NMw/TuysjKzZTYI/AAAAAAAACvI/rCYHg2Gb05c/s320/PicasaSync" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best Race Shirt Ever!</td></tr>
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I look forward to this race every year. You never quite know what the weather will end up bring on race day. I had been watching the weatherman the last few days and it looked like it had a chance of being a nice day. There was a 20% chance of rain though. <br />
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This race has a start time of 10AM. Something I appreciate since I live about an hour away from the race. Got up early and headed out to be there around 8:30. As you know if you read my race reports, you know I like being to my races early. Anyway, it was a bit overcast when I headed out. In fact, I think I noticed a little bit of sprinkling, but as anyone who lives in Florida near the beaches knows, the weather in one place has little effect on the weather in another. It was a bit chilly, but the weather ended up being perfect for morning run. The sun even came up right at start time.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V2krRZLJa4Y/Tuzo6-SG9mI/AAAAAAAACww/bexVauzAhBI/s1600/PicasaSync" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V2krRZLJa4Y/Tuzo6-SG9mI/AAAAAAAACww/bexVauzAhBI/s320/PicasaSync" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, Kelly, Griffin, Patrick, and Teresa</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We had a Dailymile meet-up at the race too. I got to meet Kelly M. and Griffin P. for the first time. Both great people. I just love my DM friends. Also made 3 new running friends. Patrick Willi and his wife Teresa Hess and Anna Hallex. Patrick and Teresa are both PRA members and in our Grand Prix (which I run). Anna, I come to find out is one of the areas best runners. I though I had heard that name before. I hope to have all 3 of them on DM pretty soon.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M2z7GK-MFfY/TuzpGlUDwTI/AAAAAAAACw4/GMdnKpdUGyI/s1600/PicasaSync" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M2z7GK-MFfY/TuzpGlUDwTI/AAAAAAAACw4/GMdnKpdUGyI/s320/PicasaSync" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2nd AG</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Anyway, on with the race. I knew as soon as I got up, that my hamstring was, or could be, a problem. That really bummed me out since I usually do well at this race. 1st in AG the past 2 years. I didn't feel real confident that I was going to be able to "run". I even told Kelly that I would hang back with her and run at her pace. The race got off without any problems. I was hanging back with Kelly. Now I had skipped my usual warm-up run because of the sore hammy, so essentially, this was the first test of the leg. To my surprise, it wasn't bothering me much at all. I stayed back at a slow pace for about 3 or 4 minutes, but then found myself slowing picking up the pace and passing people. I say Patrick and Teresa up ahead and set my sights on them. By the time I reached them, I was feeling fine. I pushed on past them and settled into a pace around 7:50. I continued to pass runner after runner until around the 2 1/2 mile point were I came up on a young lady I had been trying to catch. She was beginning to struggle a bit so I told her to press on. She stayed with me until about 3 1/4 miles and then dropped back. There was one more person in front that I wanted to catch, but by then my legs were tired and I was starting to 'feel' the hamstring. It wasn't bad, but it prevented me from pushing hard to the finish. I ended up about 40 seconds behind the guy with a finishing time of 31:35. About a minute slower then last year. Considering I wasn't even sure I was going to be able to run, I was elated. The time resulted in 3rd in my age group, but 2nd for awards since the first guy won the Grand Master award. Not too bad!<br />
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The DM crew and our new friends Patrick and Teresa hung out for the awards and we were fortunate that 3 of us were able to place. I have to say, this ended up being one of my best race experiences ever. Funny how the company can change how you feel! Thanks guys!!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XHlwu3ImHv4/Tuzowk7O-KI/AAAAAAAACwo/kzb00fHT2f0/s1600/PicasaSync" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XHlwu3ImHv4/Tuzowk7O-KI/AAAAAAAACwo/kzb00fHT2f0/s320/PicasaSync" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kelly and I</td></tr>
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Well my friends, as always, remember, "Real athletes run! All others just play games!"<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01326297749970232742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348474363797167608.post-16025617141212747422011-12-15T21:27:00.001-06:002011-12-15T21:29:32.259-06:00StretchingHere is a great link regarding stretching!<br />
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<a href="http://wpblogs.runningtimes.com/blogs/performancepodcasts/2011/08/active-isolated-flexibility-with-phil-wharton/">http://wpblogs.runningtimes.com/blogs/performancepodcasts/2011/08/active-isolated-flexibility-with-phil-wharton/</a> <br />
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I tried some of these and they really worked.Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01326297749970232742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348474363797167608.post-77031364652076862942011-12-10T12:00:00.000-06:002011-12-10T12:00:24.793-06:00PRA Cross Country Trail Run RecapI could do an entire blog just on my job these past few months! My goodness! The life of a school technology coordinator!<br />
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Anyway, I'm here and I want to talk briefly about my last race. The PRA (Pensacola Runners Association) Cross Country Train Run put on by the University of West Florida Cross Country team. For me, this is the first trail race of the season. One of my favorite races. As with most trail races, at least around here, there aren't many people that run this race. Usually around 50 runners. This time was no different. <br />
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It was a brisk morning with the temps somewhere in the mid to high 40s. Perfect for a run actually. Did my usual mile warm and then waited patiently for the race to start. I thought I noticed more 'little' people then usual (kids) for this race, so I wanted to be sure to get up front. I don't usually take off like a rocket, so I had to be sure to get some distance between me and the kids. If you have ever run with young kids, you know why!<br />
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The race starts in a small field and then heads up into the woods after about 75 to 90 yards. I managed to get in front of most of the kids, but not all. Once we got in the woods, I found myself behind a young boy and his mom. Lisa F. (from Dailymile and a local friend of mine) was in front of me and the son and mom in front of her. Our pace was slowed way down. I didn't check my Garmin because on a trail run, you want to keep your eyes on the trail. Nothing worse then taking a tumble on a trail run (which btw, I have done a few times). At one point, Lisa managed to dart past them. The path narrowed quickly, so there wasn't time for me to get past them as well. I had to wait a minute or two more before the path opened up enough for me to get past. Once pace them, I settled into a pretty good pace. This course is a steady up hill for 3/4 of a mile. Then you get a nice steep downhill that goes past the original point of entry. We then loop back up the hill for the second loop. The second loop is longer and has a pretty steep uphill. By the time I reached this point, I was plum tired! Legs were definitely burning. I have to admit, I slowed to a walk a couple of times going up the last big climb. The nice thing about that last hill is that you get to go down. I relished the downhill. It gave me a chance to make up some of the time I lost on the uphill. I got to the original point of entry and then there was another 100 yards to the finish. I pushed myself as best I could on some worn out legs. I crossed the finish line at at time of 25:13. Not too bad. You never know how it is going to go on a trail run. Some say you can usually expect a minute or more slower time on a trial then on a road race. My time would indicate that is true.<br />
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The after party was nice. The UWF cross country team does a great job with the help of the PRA. It was a good time spent socializing with the local runners and meeting new people. I actually got to know the mom and her son that were in front of me at the start pretty well. She is one of the leaders in our Grand Prix series which I manage. Her and I are now friends on Facebook. That is one of the things I love about running, the people. I am constantly meeting new runners and making new friends. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIPeKxmdCthelCt5m9zeDo6tfYYxLpMlR4WstPyEYWdkl-oT9ao-w3qS85kpiceLg8sP83f4SBoQaSmm1-B6-7tY_0vlGGV5y6TAYpTOowf69U_2HtWxTQkPKLk2lXLPKAb51Mz1_HA1Q/s1600/ScreenShot184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIPeKxmdCthelCt5m9zeDo6tfYYxLpMlR4WstPyEYWdkl-oT9ao-w3qS85kpiceLg8sP83f4SBoQaSmm1-B6-7tY_0vlGGV5y6TAYpTOowf69U_2HtWxTQkPKLk2lXLPKAb51Mz1_HA1Q/s320/ScreenShot184.jpg" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and a pretty girl! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>Anyway, I digress. The awards were wonderful as always. I wasn't sure how my time would fair. I didn't notice who was in my age group and on a trail run, it's hard to see who is in front of you. Lisa ended up taking Grand Master, my new friend Angela took 1st in her AG and her son took 2nd. Numerous other friends did well in their age groups also. Me, well, I ended up taking 3rd in my AG. No idea who the guy was the took first, but the guy that took 2nd is one of my major challengers. <br />
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All in all, another fun,successful race! As always my friends, remember, "Real athletes run, all others just play games"!Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01326297749970232742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348474363797167608.post-34151501876429685912011-12-03T21:41:00.000-06:002011-12-03T21:41:07.188-06:00Pensacola Beach Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis - 28 NovOne of my favorite races of the year. One that is very special to me. As a sufferer of 2 arthritic conditions, I appreciate all the the Arthritis Foundation does. This is also my first 10K of the racing season. There have been years where the weather was a bear for this race. Not this year. The weather was about perfect. Perfect for the beach anyway. If you have read my race reports before, you know that the wind on these beach runs can be brutal. It might not have been brutal this year, but the winds were pretty strong still. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_JVpYqP5n0k/TtEiE0Df3JI/AAAAAAAACfQ/UWPte62a2JU/s1600/PicasaSync" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_JVpYqP5n0k/TtEiE0Df3JI/AAAAAAAACfQ/UWPte62a2JU/s320/PicasaSync" width="240" /></a></div><br />
The race got off on time at 7:30. Since this was a 10K, I wanted to keep my pace around an 8 min mile. I managed to keep this going until about the the 5th mile. The winds had kicked my butt! I usually don't stop on a 10K, but I did on this one. And not once, but twice. This ended up being one of my worse 10K ever. The worst one in a couple of years for sure. I'm sure it didn't help that I had just ran a hard 5K only 2 days earlier. Anyway, I finished at 53:25. Good enough for 3rd place in my age group. That was a complete surprise. However, I was benefited by 2 of the runners in my age group winning the Master and Grand Master awards. Hey, I'll take it! LOLSteve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01326297749970232742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348474363797167608.post-1307984296248768702011-12-03T20:25:00.002-06:002011-12-03T20:47:27.211-06:00Pensacola Beach Turkey Trot Recap - 26 Nov<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KHmoSUsYmrs/Ts6y5tCuntI/AAAAAAAACfQ/0iu1yfA8dTU/s1600/PicasaSync" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KHmoSUsYmrs/Ts6y5tCuntI/AAAAAAAACfQ/0iu1yfA8dTU/s320/PicasaSync" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first #1 Race!</td></tr>
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Nothing better then to run a race Thanksgiving morning. Good way to pre-burn some calories. This was the first ever beach Turkey Trot. They were rasing funds for "Communities Caring for Christmas". Participants were also asked to bring one new toy for "Toys for Tots". Both very good causes! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rq9_2DQIf_M/Ts6yrHfz32I/AAAAAAAACfQ/WTr7LM1_GpI/s1600/PicasaSync" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rq9_2DQIf_M/Ts6yrHfz32I/AAAAAAAACfQ/WTr7LM1_GpI/s320/PicasaSync" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marianne C from Dailymile</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I also got to meet another local Dailymile member. Marianne C. stopped by to congratulate all the runners she knew that were running the race. <br />
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Interesting note. There is another Turkey Trot at Seville, downtown Pensacola. I heard rumor that some attorney was upset with this group for naming their race a turkey trot. I say whatever, this area is big enough for two turkey trots. Even more so considering this one was actually on Thanksgiving day and at a totaly different location. That said, let's get to the race.<br />
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The race had a late start time of 8:30 which I appreciated. I was glad not to have to get up too early on Thanksgiving morning. Since this was a first time ever run for this group, I was curious to see how things would go.<br />
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First off, they only expected about 50 to 75 runners. By race start time, they had closer to 300. That should tell you right there how things might go. They had no official time keepers and that usually means trouble. The race off on time. They have lots of races at the beach and they used one of the usual routes. They only problem was they started at the wrong place and ended up making the route a tad short. Not a really biggie.<br />
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The weather was really nice, except we had a pretty strong wind East/South wind. It had to be gusting over 20 MPH at times. There were times when it felt like I wasn't even moving. Pretty normal actually for the beach. Seems every race they have there, the wind is killer.<br />
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Wind and all, I finished with a pretty good time of 24:01. Not a PR, but a dang good pace nonetheless. Here's where the part about being a first time race comes into play. After hanging out and congratulating many of the finishers as I always do, I made my way to where the awards were taking place. I walked over to the table and noticed there were not many awards there. Come to find out, they had the age groups set at 10 year intervals and not 5. I hate that! And, and here's the kicker, they were only awarding awards to the winner of each age group and not the top 3. And yes, there is more. They stopped at 50 and awarded a winner in a 50+ age group. Needless to say, I was pissed. Why diss on the old people you know? Oh and they didn't have a Master, Grand Master, or Senior Grand Master award either. What really made me mad was that I ran a fast race and would have done pretty good in my age group had it been a 'normal' race. Oh well, maybe they'll do better next time if they do it again. If they make some changes, I'll be there with bells on. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j1ypsESz8ew/Ts6xzOmfB-I/AAAAAAAACfQ/wm23nlEUDMQ/s1600/PicasaSync" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j1ypsESz8ew/Ts6xzOmfB-I/AAAAAAAACfQ/wm23nlEUDMQ/s320/PicasaSync" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The turkey after I told him he was going in the over!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Oh, I forgot to mention that I got a picture with the turkey too. Yeah I know he looks more like a chicken, but hey, what can you say, he tried.<br />
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As always my friends, remember, "Real athletes run, all others just play games!"Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01326297749970232742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348474363797167608.post-492207340091680072011-11-30T20:28:00.001-06:002011-11-30T20:28:41.231-06:00Sorry!I have not posted in a bit over a week. Work has simply nuts! I have been running and have been racing. I'll post recaps of both my races in the next couple days!Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01326297749970232742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348474363797167608.post-19510451340383426982011-11-21T19:01:00.001-06:002011-11-21T19:39:26.236-06:00Seeds of Hope 5K Community Walk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zc4uWd3uOhs/TsrziMsHhRI/AAAAAAAACJQ/snqTJ-CHYd0/s1600/PicasaSyncLite" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zc4uWd3uOhs/TsrziMsHhRI/AAAAAAAACJQ/snqTJ-CHYd0/s1600/PicasaSyncLite" /></a></div><br />
This walk was held to honor all those that have lost their lives to suicide and to bring awareness about depression. We walked in honor of our son Brandon who lost his life to suicide on May 27, 2009. We miss him terribly! The weather was terrible! It started to rain as soon as we got there. That really affected the number of people that showed up. I honestly thought they would have had a big crowd. <br />
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They did a pretty good job with the event. Like the title says, it was suppose to be a 5K walk. They ended up stopping at 2 1/2 miles. I'm sure the rain was the cause. We walked as a family and in honor of Brandon!<br />
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That's was what the event was all about anyway! We love you Brandon!Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01326297749970232742noreply@blogger.com2