Birthday and Country Music

What a week. It started with the Twins' 3rd birthday and ended 9 hours into the Country Music marathon. In between there were lots of smiles, happy kids, taxi rides, waiting in airports, standing in the expo and announcing. Oh, and driving home. It worked like this: Jenny and I flew to Virginia for the Birthday. Jenny flew back to Chicago, then drove to Nashville. I flew to Nashville then drove home. Got it?

I'd like to thank everyone who has emailed me about running and statins. I've got another appointment tomorrow to talk to a cardiologist about it. Seems like it's a bigger issue than I imagined. I hope that my experience will help others.

My running, while still not back to where I want it to be, shows hints of returning to normal. After an entire year of NOT being able to run as far or as fast as I want to [and trust me, that's NOT very fast] there are moments when I feel like I'm really running again. It may sound stubborn, but I'm going too keep experimenting with statins until I find the one that allows me to be an athlete AND lowers my numbers.

And, not to complain [but I will] it's RAINY and COLD again today. Jenny and I ran together and got in 4 miles, but I was grumpy the whole way.

Waddle on.

Birthdays and the Trials

This was a weekend off, and I made the most of it. Friday was Jenny's birthday, and we celebrated by going car shopping. That may not sound like much of a birthday, but when your life is as hectic as ours is, being able to take a day to just go out and drive cars is a treat.

Not that we're anywhere close to buying a car. Far from it. But, there are some interesting new models that have caught Jenny's imagination and I NEVER need to be asked twice to go look at cool, new, cars.

Sunday the twins [two of my three grandchildren for you new folks] turned three. My, how they have grown. Siena is chatting up a storm and - what's scary - is that I understand what she's talking about. She's "large and in charge" most of the time to the alternating joy and frustration of her twin brother Hunter and her "little" brother, Ray. It was a large gathering which included, for the first time, some of "their" friends from "school'. They're way past the baby stage now. They have friends.

Sunday was also the Women's Olympic Marathon Trials in Boston. No shock that Deena Kastor won, in what ended up being a pretty good race. But, the sentimental favorite was 50 year-old Joan Benoit running her last marathon and trying to break 2:50. And she did. 2:49 and change. Joanie, as she is universally referred to, is a wonderful, gracious, and kind person who deserves all of the accolades that the sport can heap upon her.

A few days with the twins and then it's off to Nashville and the Country Music Marathon. I lived near Nashville for 8 years and so this race is always a homecoming for me. I'm sure I'll bump into some old friends. It's a good feeing.

Waddle on, friends.

John

The Last Three-Layer Run

This past weekend was our 5th Capital City Half Marathon and Commit to be Fit 5K in Columbus, Ohio. It's a great race, that has really taken hold with the runners and walkers in and around central Ohio. We were told that we couldn't register more than 5,000 people - BUT WE CHEATED - and registered nearly 5,200. It's one of the best "hometown" races in the country.

Today's run was - I hope - the last "three-layer" run of the season. You know? A base layer, a half-zip mid layer, and a running jacket. 3 layers! IN MID APRIL. The temperatures are suppose to go up beginning tomorrow so I have my fingers crossed that I'm done with bundling up like it's December. It's just time. Time to leave tights in the closet. Time to put the jackets away. Time to worry more about BodyGlide and less about frostbite!

Spring, of course, means in addition to running I'll be able to get out the BMW and ride. Someone asked about the KIND of bike, and it's a - for those of you interested - a BMW R1150R. It's not fancy, but it's reliable. And that's more important to me than anything else because I tend to keep bikes for a LONG time. My R75/6 I kept for 18 years. My K75S I kept for 10. I might have kept it longer but the running and traveling made riding almost impossible and I couldn't stand to see a wonderful bike like that sit in the garage.

Which reminds me, I'm working on a column for next January that I'm calling "Use it or Lose it". And yes, the publication deadlines are that far ahead that I'm thinking about a January 2009 column in March of 2008. The point is that our bodies, like any machine, needs to be used. It took me a long time to understand that.

Time to move.

John

Spring Training

AT LAST!

This has been the longest, most gloomy, winter I can ever remember. I love Chicago in the winter. I'm a seasonal guy. I love the cold and snow and bitterness of winter. It makes me appreciate spring. But this year has been over the top. Enough is enough.

This weekend was the first decent weekend that I can remember. I'm sure there was one, probably back in October! Saturday Jenny and I dug the motorcycles out of the garage, fired them up, and rode for the first time since November.

Sunday, we were able to run at Waterfall Glenn, a park just outside the city, in SHORTS. I honestly can't remember the last time I ran in shorts at home.

Big week this week. THE U.S. Army Band [including my son, Terry] is doing a 3-day tour of central Illinois, including a performance Thursday at Millikin University in Decatur. Jenny and I will make the drive down and hear the performance and then head right for Columbus, Ohio.

The Capital City Half Marathon is this Saturday and I couldn't be more excited. This will be the largest field we've ever had. The event has grown into an anchor for the central Ohio running community and we're beginning to see folks coming in from all over the region. It will be a good time.

Later this month is off to the Country Music marathon, but I'll tell you more about that later.

See you on the streets.

John