Craig's OTHER List: All the Colors of a Sad Rainbow

March brings change: winter changes to spring, clocks change by adding an hour, college hoops and it's yearly swan song of madness engulfs the nation as we change national champions, for a least one day everyone suddenly becomes Irish and this year, for me, it also will include a change of address.

For the last six years (five in my current apartment), I have been a resident of Marion, Ohio. At the end of the month, L and I will be moving about 20 miles south to Delaware. Ultimately, we wanted to move in together but Marion didn't seem to have dwellings which fit what we wanted (and needed) and we found such a place in Delaware. Back in my radio broadcasting days, I think I moved about 15 times in a ten year period throughout four different states. My joke to others who were moving around that time was if you contacted U-Haul, just float my name and you could get a discount - they knew me well. Luckily, that time of my life has since wandered off.

So some things will be a bit different, not to mention hectic, here soon. To ease this transition, I threw in some running familiarity between now and "the move". For the second consecutive year, I signed up for the St. Patrick's Day 4 Miler At Kinsale in Powell. Last year I took fifth at this event and, funny as it may be, was also a time where I was transitioning - just in a different manner. Its weird how a year can change things

The move takes place a little while after the race, but for frame of reference, Delaware is closer to the majority of the races I've been involved with in the last year. So less driving will be cool. For example, Marion to Kinsale - 42 minutes, or 33.2 miles (according to MapQuest) and Delaware to Kinsale - 19 minutes, or 11.8 miles...I'm cool with that. And most of my recent races have been in the Columbus area, so the difference between Marion and Delaware to - let's say - downtown Columbus is about 20 miles & 20 minutes. Now this isn't all about distances to and from races, obviously, but it would be a welcome change to what we have become accustomed to - see, there's that word again: change.

The dead waste toner
cartridge & it's final
resting place

As our heads spin attempting to maintain a daily regime while juggling the details of moving and cohabitating, we can only take deep breath and let it all play out. Easier said than done at times, but it is just as exciting as it is nerve racking. New place, new town, new situation but running is still my vice to keep my head on straight. This is where the St. Patrick's Day weekend race comes in - I will be running (getting my first beer free, BOOM!) and keeping my mind occupied with something other than moving.

This, though, isn't what I had in mind. On Monday of this past week, I was replacing the waste toner cartridge in our copier at work, I knocked the removed cartridge to the floor and scattering an ominous cloud of black, blue, red & purple dry ink throughout our workroom. I spent about an hour vacuuming up what looked to be Picasso's lost work, Pummeled Pugilist Face, off of the floor.

The first cleaning device I used was one of those Shark DuoClean Slim lightweight vacuums and I was happy to see it remove the rainbow of fruit flavors from the carpet, but then it began blowing the fun cloud of colorful dust out the exhaust on the backside - and into my face - adding to my misery. Option number two, an actual vacuum used by real people who make real messes because we live in reality (found in our maintenance closet), did the job. There are some remnants which could be mistaken for a hastily covered up crime scene, but I admitted to being at fault - so being annoyed by my clumsiness has been the only repercussion.

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With consecutive days of chilly weather, but tons of sun I was kind of expecting the Kinsale 4 Miler to be relatively the same - not on this St. Paddy's Day it wasn't. The temperature dropped even further followed by early morning flurries, then sleet and drizzle. I guess having weather similar to that of the Irish homeland was only fitting as the sky resembled the contents of the scattered waste toner cartridge from earlier in the week. It was a late afternoon race, so it was comforting to experience a slight warm up and everything drying out before we started, leaving us with a decent wind and overcast sky.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Newly
fallen flurries and just above
freezing

There were plenty of folks decked out in the holiday green, most dressed to simply have fun - focusing more on the atmosphere than the race. Last year at this time there were a handful of folks prepared to compete and this year looked to have fewer of those individuals. Maybe its because I'm at the top of my game now, I was still working my way up a year ago.

At the gun I stretch out my legs to get a good rhythm and along side of me is a dude in fluorescent green. At least I would be able to see him if he takes off and I'm trailing in a few minutes, I thought. I could hear a few others behind me, but that didn't last long. A little over a mile along the winding residential roads of the upscale neighborhood wrapped around a country club and the dude in the obnoxious green tails off. Within seconds, I don't even hear him (or anyone else) behind me. I pass L for the second time and hers is the only voice cutting through the chilly late winter breeze.

The course drifts off the road and onto the country club cart path. Now, in my mind, this is what Ireland would look and feel like: under a blanket of clouds with a good stiff, chilly breeze gliding along the undulating terrain of a lush green golf course still damp from early morning precipitation. Just me and the dude on the bike about 100 meters ahead of me acting as the lead pack indicator along the snake-like trail (I know, there aren't any snakes in Ireland - bear with me damn it!).

Me and fluorescent boy at 1.5 miles

The golf course rests beyond the backyards of the cookie cutter country club homes and every few minutes a few of those residents, who decided to bite the bullet and venture out into the less-than-hospitable air, would offer some encouragement. This was also a sign to me that I wasn't going to be challenged. As those words of encouragement were bellowed to me, I listened for them to echo the same sentiments to others. Those sentiments never came, or rather they were out of earshot and quite a distance behind me.

I was going at pretty good clip, I thought, so my focus was to maintain form and a decent pace. The pace bike just ahead acted as my rabbit. I wasn't going to catch up him, but did work on maybe decreasing his lead. This is something I have been practicing in order to break that 1:30 half marathon barrier - the next attempt will be at the Capital City Half Marathon on April 28th. I was 28 seconds short on my last effort.

Finishing with the roaming emcee
to the left.

Recollecting to the same race path from 2017, I push a little more to finish the last half mile on a high note. Again, it is just me and the bike in front as we come off of the cart path and onto the main drag. Wrapping around the corner lined with orange cones to the finish I see L giving me a fist pump and the race emcee is roaming along the path barking pleasantries into a cordless microphone. Just as I pass, he nonchalantly sticks out his hand and without skipping a beat we high five. Seconds later I notice the clock while reaching to stop my watch and cross the finish, I'm under 24 minutes.

To be exact, I'm at 23:39 (according to my watch) or 23:40 (says the official timer). Still, though, I'm 1:12 faster than 2017 and without being pushed or challenged. I'm handed my finisher's medal, grab some water and a banana and the finish line volunteers are like statues. Everyone is dressed to ward off the chill, but they seem to be waiting. I look back toward the finish and realize second place is still out of eyesight. The volunteers aren't frozen in place, they are simply waiting for others. Second place made his way in moments later, but 41 seconds after me.

Beer & medal - with a bottle opener!

The flood of finishers eventually arrive and L finds me. We head into the heated tent where the after party is to take place (complete with a DJ and video projectors airing the NCAA Tournament Second Round games) to grab some food and my finisher's beer. The medal was pretty cool, complete with a beer opener on the back, though using it would have to wait since this day's beer was all draft.

We stay just long enough to get warm and hear a few tunes. Ohio State was about to play Gonzaga, but I didn't want to watch it for the simple fact I didn't think it was worth my time to be disappointed. And my thinking was correct, falling behind 15-nothing. They did put in a ton of effort to take the lead in the second half, but they ran out of gas. Which is what I expected, that had been their process for the last month of the regular season. Still, though, they were supposed to be a bottom feeder this year and nearly won the the Big Ten...hard to complain. Anyway, we made it home for some crock-pot corned beef and few more celebratory beers.

We move in two weeks, the winter is over, mileage ramps up and new running routes are to be made. Don't look now, but that's summer peaking over the horizon and a whole new ballgame has arrived.

So, what comes next? Well, the Traffic Panthers and I return to The Buck Fifty - Southern Ohio's 150 Mile, 24 Hour, 10 Person Team Relay in my hometown of Chillicothe, Ohio on April 13th & 14th. We finished 18th out of 38 teams in the inaugural race and year two will have 73 teams toeing the starting line. Here's how it is described: An overnight relay race that will take you over 150 scenic and rolling miles in Southern Ohio. You will travel through several communities, run trails in 4 amazing National and State Parks and across several school campuses.

If you aren't a fan of hills, you are screwed. If you want a challenge and have the wherewithal to set fire to your lungs, disintegrate those legs, live out of a van for 24 hours while taking part in three unique routes around Ross County, then by all means - join us in 2019. All you gotta do is dig down...

MUSE - Dig Down

When hope and love has been lost

And you fall to the ground

You must find a way

When the darkness descends

And you're told it's the end

You must find a way

When God decides to look the other way

And a clown takes the throne

We must find a way

Face the firing squad

Against all the odds