Craig's OTHER List: July 2019

After eight straight days of rain, summer officially arrived and it went from wet & mild to HOT the moment June 21st rolled around. It was a welcomed blessing for several areas flooded by swollen creeks, rivers and lakes.

I caught this bass at East Harbor State
Park. Though I'm throwing it back, it
looks like I either frightened it out
of the water or we are competing in
a face-making challenge.

L & I had planned a weekend camping trip to Lake Erie and East Harbor State Park a few weeks before and she was getting more frustrated as the weekend drew closer with no relief from the rain expected. Luckily, two days before were to leave the forecast gods made sure the Book of Genesis prophecy was put to rest and scrapped plans for construction of Ark II. We squeezed in a run before we drove north and, of course, I slipped on the last remnant of mud left on our street from the previous week's persistent sky vomit on an otherwise clear, hot, humid and dry day.

Attempting to be cool about it, I popped right back up and continue on. The SUV turning the same direction next to me, who witnessed my near face plant fiasco, asked if I was okay as he rolled by. I motion behind me and through a frustrated smile force out a facetious, "I think there's some mud back there?"

Out of the corner of my eye I see him shake his head in agreement, "Oh yeah, I've done that too." Good, at least I only looked sort of foolish. The next three miles were painful as my knees, elbows, forearms and wrists ached. So I started summer 2019 with road rash & bruises, not to mention the resistance band I use for strength training (the one I found in the basement of my old apartment) snapped in half. Luckily, it didn't smack the bejesus out of me like the giant rubber band it is - so I have reverted to the free weights some former neighbors were going to throw in the trash before I rescued them years ago. With that said, along with oncoming scars, July would be filled with shorter, fast races. These would include the Freedom 4 Miler on July 4th morning (a race I ran two years ago), the Diabetes Dash 5K on July 7th (a race hosted by a CRC Westerville Teammate) and the CRC Mile Dash as my quest for a sub-5:00 mile continues.

At the Freedom 4 Miler two years ago I finished 17th on an 84 degree morning and, funny as it may be, this took place the day after I met L and we went out for the first time. This is how the race is described: Join us for this holiday family favorite event! The Freedom 4 Miler coincides with the two day Olentangy Summer Bash. Bring the whole family and run or walk the 4 mile race or kids run, on July 4th, then stick around for the parade! The race benefits Honor Flight Columbus and winds through the neighborhood surrounding Olentangy Orange High School with the start & finish taking place inside Orange's Pioneer Stadium.

We were lucky enough to have an overcast sky with a dense fog to protect us from the overbearing sun for the entire length of the race, but we still had 100% humidity. Also, we had to endure the local FOX affiliate do a quick segment for their morning show before starting. The dude choreographed the entire thing, but I was annoyed. He was just doing his job and yes, it isn't all about me - I get it, but don't mess with my race day mojo. Oh, and this dude had way to much energy for someone running around in skinny jeans and screaming at the camera without the benefit of alcoholic beverages.

From the outset a few college and high school kids took off like it was a sprint. I attempted to say within myself and hang back a bit with the high schoolers who were less adamant about beating everyone. A CRC Elite Member Jack Schlabig drifts by and the group of high schoolers begins to fan out with a handful of college age runners continuing to outrun the world.

The high school group I'm running with are way to chatty for my taste. One of them seems to alert to everyone (continuously) that those in the lead, who continue to get further and further away, don't know this isn't a mile or two mile race. Another yells every so often to onlookers to say, "Hi". At mile one I'm at 5:33, not too fast and the mostly downhill stretch of the course is a big help.

The group thins out and the talky-talkerson has fallen back, much to my delight. I'm tagging behind three teens whom I expect to drift away from soon as we navigate a winding residential area with a bit of an incline. Mile two comes in at 6:05 and two of the high schoolers have moved ahead. I'm trailing just behind the third teen and right around the mile three marker he, too, begins to distance himself. Mile three is 6:03 and the final mile is at a slight decline.

Me following the breakfast Club

I have been able to hear folks cheer for a dude behind me along the way, but I can't tell how far back he is and I haven't had an opportunity to glance. Though, I am proud at this point that I haven't been passed. I pick it up a bit and realize I'm not going to catch the kid in front me as we wind back onto the school's campus. Around the middle school to the high school and into Pioneer Stadium, I glance to my left just enough to see I have a decent lead on my trailer, but I need to pick it up.

The final 100 meters is on the track in front of the stands in opposite direction of what would be a standard 100 meters. I surprised myself by putting in more of kick than I'm used to, which more than likely came from noticing the clock and seeing I'm near a four mile PR. I wasn't passed and stopped my watch at the line at 23:39. Though, the official race time had me at 23:40 which technically equals my four mile PR. Still, I will accept my watch time. My last mile was 5:54 and I finished 11th overall. The ages of the top ten: 20, 21, 26, 16, 18, 17, 17, 18, 17, 16 - they were followed by myself (43) and the dude behind me (46). It seems the older I get, the faster the younger folks get - but they aren't completely running away.

By the time we left the fog had burned off, the clouds were gone and it was blue sky with full Independence Day sun. At home, L and I stopped at Fresh Start Cafe & Bakery for PR pastries before our own backyard cookout and finished the day at a neighbor's backyard soiree.

Just three days after the Independence Day four miler was the Diabetes Dash 5K, a product of CRC Westerville Teammate Jeff Washburn & family. This is their race description:
“Ryan more than likely has Type 1 Diabetes.” These were the words spoken to us by our pediatrician on July 23, 2018.

Now here we are, nine months after his diagnosis, rocking our new normal. I am not trying to act like it has been a breeze, because to be honest, it has been a roller coaster of ups and downs, many sleepless nights, sleeping on his floor, waking up in the middle of the night to test his glucose levels, waking up to give him juice when his blood glucose is low, waking up to give him insulin when his blood glucose is high, and waking up to just make sure he is alive. Yes, I do that more than I should admit. This disease is one that sucks, but at the same time, makes me thankful this is what we were given. I count my blessings as I remind myself, it could be worse.

From the moment we entered into the Type 1 family, we knew it was our mission to help spread awareness, give hope to those dealing with the disease and to fight for a cure. We are very lucky for the support we have received from JDRF and want to do our part in giving back. We hope you can join us on July 7th for the inaugural Diabetes Dash 5K run/walk. The proceeds from the race will go to JDRF. Together we hope to someday, find a cure!

The Washburn family created such a buzz with the event, some Columbus area media took off with the story. Of course, hanging out with Jeff and others every week for our CRC Tuesday Night Track session meant that many of us would join in to assist and have some fun. Maybe we, as a team, we could push each other enough to get over the 18:00 barrier a few of us have been grasping for the last year or two. And not to mention some good-natured ribbing for the next few Tuesday track workouts. Even better, a post race party would take place nearby at The Draft Room.

Similar to the Independence Day 4 miler, this day would also start with a cloudy sky but that changed quickly as the race start moved closer. It was slightly cooler, but minimal. The field was a smattering of age groups along with a large contingent of CRC Westerville Teammates. If one didn't know any better you'd think it was a regular CRC Tuesday Night Track practice. At the gun I'm up front with CRC John, mostly because no one else wanted to be. I think I surprised him by not flying out the gate, rather I hung near him (as I did at the Columbus 10k last month).

A quarter mile in and a high school kid drifts by us and John follows, I then follow them. I can hear the footsteps of those behind me, but I continue on as the kid & John stretch their lead. At mile one I'm at 5:35 and haven't lost the leaders. Navigating the bike trail around the Westerville Sports Complex and Heritage Park we dodge wet and muddy sections left over from recent massive rains. I soon see John over take the kid and mile two comes in at 6:11.

Finishing the Diabetes Dash 5k

I'm beginning to gain on the teen and John stretches his lead as we make the return trip. As we go under the N. Cleveland Avenue Bridge a second time, I hear footsteps from behind again. A moment later I notice CRC Teammate Ken come up on my left. To counter, I'm close enough to the teen to attempt a pass, but just as I try to dart around he pushes forward. I fall back behind him and he stretches his lead as I, too, push forward. I don't see Ken anymore, but I can still hear him.

Keeping pace I cruise through the finish and stop my watch and see 16:53, of which I wanted to be ecstatic about if it weren't for the distance covered indicating 2.9 miles. Don't get me wrong, I was satisfied with I was wanting to do but the race distance measurement was off. And it just wasn't me, everyone else had the relative same distance covered as well. I did, however, earn a third place finish and the 40-plus year old CRC Westerville contingent took five of the top six places.

As for L, she finished in 22:56 which would have put her on pace for a 5k personal record. This included a 32nd place finish and an age group victory. We finished the morning by grabbing some breakfast on the way home and eating it at a picnic table at Shale Hollow Park. We declined the post race party due to L having a city rec softball game later in the day and we needed to crash for awhile. Sooner or later I will be able to tout a sub-18:00 5k, but I'm getting ever so close.

Another milestone I've been working on is that 5:00 mile benchmark and a week later came the CRC Mile Dash again. If memory serves, my best mile in high school was 4:41. I doubt I will be reaching that anytime soon, but it would be fun to see how close I could get. Here we would start on Liggett Road before turning on Perimeter Drive and finish back at CRC's Dublin location in Avery Square - a flat, fast course. I can get in a 5:20 to 5:30 mile by myself, but running with a group of folks who have a faster pace and are more used to running a sub five mile would be of great assistance.

This, of course, would require being prepared for the all out effort in order to complete this mission and not crash somewhere in the middle. I would be joining Traffic Panther Teammate Gary in this quest. Last year, Gary was just short of that elusive 5-minute mark. Maybe this year, a team effort could push the both of us over the top.

Here's how Columbus Running Company describes the event: We're closing out year number fifteen for the CRC, and it's time to party! This celebration is as much about you as it is the CRC, so we hope you can join us. Be sure to sign up for the proper heat based on your age (elite runners in the first heat, youth in The Donut Experiment Kids Dash, and 6:00-minute mile pace and slower in the third). This will help us keep the evening moving quickly. July 13th

Having spent this year the working on speed with the CRC Tuesday Night Track folks, the training is there. What needs work are the focus and day-of mental capacity for an all-out mile. Funny, a look at last year's results show Gary, fellow CRC-Westerville Teammates John & Seth and I finished within eight seconds of one another. We'd like to lessen that gap, not to mention move up in the standings a bit. I was 37th and 6th in my age group in 2018.

I had to work on this day so I left Marion about 3pm and drove the hour or so down just in time to grab my bib number from L, who went down early to pick it up, loosen up some and jet to the start line. Just like the year before, we had a sunny drenched clear sky and temperature around 90. To make the event a bit less crowded, they decided to separate the men's & women's races with the men going first. As the start time moved closer, all of us were packed like sardines and I believe the sardines would have smelled a bit better. Imagine 90 dudes in singlets standing in a close knit crowd outside in full sun and perspiring a river. Before I began to gag & dry-heave, thankfully, the countdown began.

The mile dash - a flat, paved 5,280 feet of
sweltering asphalt

Along with several CRC Westerville Teammates, we take off and right then John takes off like he's been shot out of a cannon. I couldn't help but think I was going too slow, but John was just going faster then we expected. It was a little rough the first quarter mile before everyone began to separate. Finding a clear lane to navigate was less than stellar.

As we began to thin out I'm ignoring my surroundings and focusing more on my mechanics. Running, essentially, a distance sprint isn't something I've made a habit of doing since college. I'm used to glancing at my watch for mile splits, but other than starting it I'm paying no attention whatsoever. Having made it onto Perimeter Drive, I'm holding steady as there isn't much movement in regard to passing and being passed.

Right then I hear a spectator bellow, "Let's Go Gary! Just a quarter mile to go!" Thinking that has to be Gary, my teammate, I glance to my right and sure enough it is - though at the same time what the well-wisher said quickly sinks in. A quarter mile?! - My eyes dart forward and holy crap, there it is- the finish! It's amazing at how fast things go by when you are used to running longer, more endurance focused races.

At that moment I crank up the pace, ignoring the feeling that I may be kicking a bit yearly, and pull in behind Gary. We are weaving in and around folks, picking off the slower (or slowing) competitors. My lungs are on fire and, like those high school mile races of yore, I can no longer feel my legs. I'm moving them, but they are numb and rubber-like. The finish I didn't have in me last year, is now at full throttle.

Seconds away from finishing

A few faster folks are staying just ahead, but like a predator you notice those you are gaining on and use them as your motivation to push beyond what you feel you can do. One of these is a high schooler dressed as his school's mascot (there were several in the race) and we are at about 100 meters to go. I can only feel what I would describe as a "fuzziness" in my legs, similar to the after effect of a pinched nerve. Thinking I'll be damned if I lose to this kid wearing what looks to be a devil costume, I pull even with Gary and we pass on opposite sides of the teen and we hit the finish at nearly the same time.

I stop my watch and stick out my hands to catch myself and to dodge other finishers who have come to an abrupt stop. Near hyperventilation, I struggle to grab water from a race volunteer and slowly begin putting out the inferno taking place in my chest. Sucking air, I glance to my wrist and I see 4:52.3 - no freakin' way, I obliterated that 5:00 mark monstrosity! I drift over to Gary, who is also searching for oxygen, and we congratulate one another. Teammates John, Marcus, Gary and I ending up finishing within two seconds of one another with John and Marcus just ahead us.

Upon further investigation, Gary discovered that he and I had finished with the exact official time of 4:53.7. Though, Gary was less than enthused that the results placed me ahead of him despite our identical times. Thus, some good-natured ribbing ensued. Overall, I finished 34th and third in my age group with the overall winner coming in at 4:18. We (Gary, his wife Holly, L and I) decided to celebrate by visiting nearby Random Precision Brewing, an all wild and sour beer brewery.

Myself, L, Holly and Gary at Random Precision Brewing

While there, two women were at a table diagonal from us. I could see them glance in our direction every so often, but largely paid no attention to them. Moments later as they headed for the door they asked Jason (the owner/brewer) if they needed to bus their own table. He let them know he would do it and thanked them for their time, but once they made it out the door you notice their table consisted of two full flights beers and few singles still sitting there largely untouched. A few were obviously still just as full as they were when poured. I'm confused, horrified and disgusted as twelve 4.5 ounce pours are about to be poured down the drain.

I look back to the bar and see Jason headed walking our way with a look of disappointment. He turns towards us, "This hurts my heart."

"Did they not know what they were ordering?", I asked.

"They said they wanted to try all of our sours"

At about this time the Uber they called for picked them up from the parking lot.
"On their behalf, I want to apologize for that ridiculousness", I said to Jason as he goes about trashing samples of his excellent work.

We ordered, and ate, food from the pizza place across the street before the four of us decided to go bowling. Just as we headed out Jason hands me some logoed glassware, "We follow each other on Twitter & Instagram," he says, "I appreciate the support." Awesome, Jason is a cool dude and his brewery is quite excellent. I recommend a stop the next time you find yourself in Columbus. Despite what took place Saturday late afternoon, his beer is a must try. It made destroying the mile that much more satisfying.

So, the electric blanket-like humidity of Ohio summer is going strong and, similar to the summers of yore, we are dragging along as L and I attempt to cover all the bases leading up to our late August officialdom (not to mention a half marathon in Akron - the Goodyear Half Marathon on Aug. 10th - to break things up a bit...and sweat a little). Under six weeks away and you know you are definitely an adult when one of the wedding gifts is the addition of a second refrigerator which has been placed in our basement and is now harboring our wedding beer. It arrived last week and I check on it everyday as if it were a child or new pet - Oh, the possibilities!

The closer the big day gets, the further away it all seems...a union during the hottest month of the year in the midst of what has felt like a season of solar flare eruptions...phew...

😎...refreshments, anyone?

Remo Drive - "Around the Sun"

I awoke in the cleanest bed sheets on earth

In the dreaded morning the air felt like a curse

Behind the counter with the drawer we organize the bills

In the early of the morning, took the car for a fill

What’s the date? I can’t remember.

It all just blends together

Spinning around the sun until we burn up.

In the lines between traffic, familiar and clean.

In the hands of the headrest, I nearly fell asleep.

Constant push of conditioned air dries my face and skin.

I got distracted just chewing on my pen.