New Year, New Goals

At the end of each year as I look back over the year and the goals that I set I ask myself,
1. Did I meet all my goals? If not why?
2. What are my goals for 2019?
3. Did I volunteer time in support of other runners?
4. What was the high point of my running year?
5. What was the low point?

The answer to no. 1 is no I did not meet all my goals. The reason why is listed below.
Two of the major races that I had been accepted into for 2018 was the Imogene Pass Run and the New York City Marathon.

Training had gone well for the Imogene Pass Run. I had done several high altitude runs to prepare for the altitude and the course. On the day of the race within a very short distance I began to develop cramps in my quad muscles. I knew this wasn't dehydration or an electrolyte imbalance so I continued on thinking the situation would improve. The course steepened, my quad cramps intensified and my pace slowed which caused me to stop about 5 miles into the race.

After waiting about a week for recovery I began my training for the New York City Marathon. Had scheduled a 17 mile run but at 13 miles my quads cramped to the point that I could not run any longer.

During the next 2 weeks I was able to do 15 mile runs but was shorter than the distance that was scheduled. At this point I knew that I would not be able to run the mileage that was needed for running a marathon so I notified New York Road Runners that I would not be running.

During the next several months I went through appointments with my medical doctor for all types of blood work, had x-rays and MRI done of spine and met with a spine specialist, met with my chiropractor, had sports massage done on my quads, and began using an inversion table.

The result of all of this? The cramping was a neurological issues and I am now making adjustments in how and how often I train to hopefully be back to 100% early in 2019.

The answer to no. 2 is that I have only set 2 goals at this point:
1. As I just mentioned I want to get back to 100% so that I can continue to run on a regular basis.
2. I plan to run the 50th Anniversary of the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta on July 4, 2019, which will be the 26th time I have run that race.
3. Depending on how well no. 1 goes will determine if I add more races to my schedule.

The answer to no. 3 is that as a coach I organized and coached a group of beginner/intermediate walkers and runners to prepare for the Bolder Boulder 10K on Memorial Day. This was a FREE program sponsored by the Boulder Road Runners.

I also worked as a Course Marshall on the day of the Bolder Boulder 10K.

The answer to no. 4 would have to be seeing the accomplishments of the walkers/runners that I coached for the Bolder Boulder, many setting new personal records and reaching time goals that they didn't think were possible when training started.

The answer to no. 5 would have to be my frustration of having a DNF (Did Not Finish) at the Imogene Pass run, only the 2nd DNF I have ever had in over 325 races.

Final Thoughts
I will finish the year with almost 21,000 miles of recorded running since 1990. I went to a film during the summer about a 3100 Mile race and there was a panel discussion afterwards. One of the speakers on the panel was Noah Droddy, who is an ultra-distance runner but qualified to compete in the Olympic Trials for Rio at the 10K distance. He competed at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon against some of the best in the US for a shot at the Olympic Team. He did not make the team so he was asked about the experience or any disappointment, he said "At least I was on the Big Stage."

What the future holds for my running remains to be seen, but with over 325 races run, over 21,000 miles run, some accolades and awards, seeing some beautiful places, meeting some extraordinary people, and enjoying good health, like Noah, "At least I was on the stage."

What Running 20,000 Miles Has Given To Me

HEALTH

In the late 80s I had a demanding job, I had too much stress in my life, I was eating too much of the Southern food I had grown up with and was carrying extra weight and I was smoking, a habit I had picked up in school. One night after dinner I had chest pains radiating up into my neck, the classic signs of a heart attack. Luckily I lived just a couple of miles from the hospital so my wife drove me there.

After arriving at the hospital and having an EKG test, that was sent to the staff cardiologist, he called the hospital to tell them I had not had a heart attack but to put me into CCU for a couple of days to watch me and run further tests. A few days later I was released with no other symptoms.

A few days after that I met with the cardiologist to talk about what had happened. He stated again that I did not have a heart attack but that I did have certain risk factors, like the ones stated above, and his job was to keep me from having a heart attack. I told him I had done some running in the past and could I maybe start again. Before he would agree he felt that I needed to submit to a Max Treadmill Test. A few days later I took the test, got a clean bill of health, and a clearance from the doctor that I could begin running, but to start slow.

So my running career began. At first I just ran occasionally, not thinking about keeping track of my mileage but just running for health. It should not be required to mention that I quit smoking, lost weight and began running on a more regular schedule.

I ran my first race on July 28, 1989 the Life College Run For Life 5K. I didn't record my time but I do remember how hard it was. I continued to train and the following year in May 1990 I began keeping training logs of my running and racing. I learned early on that you needed to keep track of what you were doing so that you would know what worked and what didn't. Also it was helpful to go back into a past training for an event and see how you compared now.

FRIENDSHIP

As I ran more and raced more I began to make friends. I joined the Atlanta Track Club and the Chattahoochee Road Runners. I have so many wonderful memories with these groups, the Ekiden Relay, the bus trips to run the Hogpen Hill Climb, gathering together after the Peachtree Road Race, planning and working the Chattahoochee Road Runners 10K Race, traveling together out of state for races, and the monthly club meetings and weekly group runs.

Some of my friends from a mid-week run.

Hog Pen Bus Trip

Great fun with these friends at Cades Cove, TN

As a result of my running a couple of years ago I was contacted by a high school classmate, Kayward Davis, who had just moved back into the area and wanted to get together. We met and initially did a power hike together then I wrote a training plan for him to train to run a 5K event with his family.

One of my most memorable friendships was with Jim Sheadel, whom I will talk about later.

So many good friends and good times together.

But my biggest thrill was running the Peachtree Road Race with my son, Clint.

Since I have moved to Colorado I am beginning to make some new friends.

EXPERIENCES

RUNNING WITH THE LEGENDS

Because of running I have had the opportunity to run with some of the legends of running, Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers and Dick Beardsley. 

A group run with Dick Beardsley

I have had the opportunity to meet and spent time with others great runners including Adam Goucher, Pete Pfitzinger and Benji Durden. 

Had an opportunity to meet and listen to Sister Marion "The Running Nun", a very funny talk.

Running also connected me with Scott Rigsby, who I later coached for running a couple of Boston Marathons.

EXPERIENCES

CHARITY/VOLUNTEER

As is the case for a lot of runners, after I had been running for a number of years, gradually increasing the distance of the races, I heard from my dentist, who happened to be one of the coaches, about the Team In Training Program that was being started in Atlanta and the plan to run the Big Sur Marathon in 1995. 

Since I had an interest in running my first marathon, and since I knew that his daughter had died of leukemia, I knew this would be an opportunity to raise money for research and to run with a purpose.

I eventually raised funds and ran in several marathons in support of TNT and later became one of the mentor coaches.

As part of the TNT program you could run in honor of a leukemia patient. I ran in honor of Michele Champion, a leukemia survivor. When I met with her she gave me her favorite Lion King finger puppet, which I still have.

During the training for my first Big Sur is when I met and became friends with Jim Sheadel who I had mentioned earlier. We did most of our runs together and became good friends. On the day of the race we ran together until we reached the Bixby Bridge at the half-marathon point (see picture-that's Jim just off my left shoulder) at that point we each ran our own pace to the finish.

Jim and I trained together for many years, traveled to races and spent time with each other. Sadly in 2007 Jim died of a heart attack. So in 2015, the 20th Anniversary of us running Big Sur together, I ran Big Sur again and dedicated the race to Jim.

As I mentioned earlier the Chattahoochee Road Runners staged a 10K race each year. After the race a part of the proceeds would be donated to a particular charity. One year after the race we decided to donate money to a wheelchair tennis program that one of our members was involved with. On the day we had planned to make the award it turned out to be the National Wheelchair Tennis Championship.

I went to the event with the club president to make the award. After the presentation almost all of the athletes there stopped by to thank us for the contribution and commented that it surprised them that a running club would do this. Our club member who was involved with the program came to me afterwards and asked if I would come the next weekend and help. He said they had many participants but few volunteers. I said I would come and help.

The next Saturday I had to do an 18 mile run that didn't go very well. When I arrived at the tennis center I was complaining to a friend about the bad run I had that morning. As the young kids began to arrive and as I began working with some of them, shagging balls or tossing balls for them to hit, I realized I had nothing to complain about, this was their life every day. I promised myself that day that I would never ever complain about a bad run or race again.

The program was held for 6 weeks every spring and fall and I continued to volunteer for several years.

Because of my association with the wheelchair tennis program I was noticed by Blaze Sports, an organization that was formed after the 1996 Paralympics in Atlanta. They approached me about helping with their track & field program.

I worked with their athletes for several years including coaching athletes for the 2007 USA Paralympic Track & Field National Championships held in Marietta, GA. Several who went on to the University of Illinois that has outstanding wheelchair programs in basketball and track & field.

This was some of the most rewarding coaching that I have ever done and was inspired by their grit and determination.

Because of my association with Blaze Sports the Shepard Spinal Center in 2009 asked me to work with a group of Egyptian athletes that Blaze Sports was bringing to the Roosevelt Rehabilitation Center in Warm Springs, GA. It was an amazing experience, not only because of the exposure to their culture but to work with a gold medal athlete from Egypt. I made many friends during that week, some that I am still connected to on Facebook.

COACHING

I kind of backed into coaching, as I ran more and became better at running and starting having some success I began getting questions from others about how to train. I decided that if I was going to give advice I had better know what I was talking about. 

I started a process that took several years to accomplish. I went back to school, I read almost every book ever written by almost every famous coach, I traveled to Albuquerque to test for my first running certification, I spent a week at James Madison University in VA to test for my USA Track & Field Level 2 Certification, I spent a week at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs to test for my Elite Level 1 USA Cycling Certification, spent 3 days in Clermont, FL for my USA Triathlon Certification, along with CPR and First Aid Certifications and testing by the American Sport Education Program and an Associate Member of the American College of Sports Medicine.

All of this exposed me to some exceptional athletes. I have athletes that have competed on the National, World and International level with some success. But some of my most satisfying coaching has been with new athletes just getting started or with athletes that keep setting higher and higher goals.

One of those athlete is Kacie Darden. I had been coaching her husband George in cycling when I first met with Kacie. She had done minimal running and wanted to get into triathlons. It would take another long blog just to cover what she accomplished between 2010 and 2013 but here are some of the highlights:

2010- Set Personal Best times at almost every running distance she competed. 

Completed her 1st Ironman Distance race in Louisville, KY on 8/29/10

Was 1st Overall Female and set new course record by 8:40 at the Tashka Trail 50K

2011- Competed as a sponsored athlete for REV 3, a triathlon team.

Completed 3 Ironman Distance races with the final event in Cozumel and cutting her finish time from her 1st Ironman a year earlier by 1:07:41.

2012- Finished the Florida Double Iron Distance Race as 3rd Female and 5th Overall in 28:48:06

Competed in several REV 3 triathlons

Competed in a 200 Mile RAAM (Race Across America) Challenge Race and finished 1st Female.

2013 - RAAM (Race Across America) 3000 Miles -

With teammate Dani Grabol they broke the 2 Person Female World Record. 

8 days 2 hours 35 minutes

What is not mentioned is all the dozens of other events in cycling, running, triathlon and swimming that she accomplished in these 3 years. 

TRAVEL

I have run 11 marathons to date and all but one have been outside of Georgia. This has taken me to some beautiful places.

I have traveled all around the South to races and have seen some unique and interesting locations. 

RACES

Although I have run over 320 races there are certain ones that stand out for different reasons, some for the course, some for the difficulty, some for the scenery. These are my favorites:

Big Sur Marathon - As I mentioned before I have run this race 3 times and to me it is one of the most beautiful courses.

Avenue of the Giants Marathon - Humbolt Redwoods State Park - The trees are incredible and awe inspiring.

Marine Corp Marathon - This is one of my favorites because of all the history that you run past.
And for the young athletes that I ran the race with.

Pikes Peak Ascent- Manitou Springs, CO - This is a grueling race (13.32 mi 7815 ft of elev. gain) and a test of ability, but I might run it again next year.

Monument Valley Half-marathon - So much sand but so much beauty and such a spiritual place to run.

The other marathons that I ran in beautiful locations:

Chicago - 1996

Vermont City Marathon - Burlington - 1999

Atlanta Marathon - 2000

Walt Disney World Marathon - 2000 & 2001

Wineglass Marathon - Corning, NY - 2002

AWARDS/RECOGNITION

Although I have had success at many races for different distances there are a few that mean the most to me because of the effort it took.

2015 - USA Track & Field 10K Colorado State Championship - 1st Age Group 65-69

2016 - USA Track & Field 10K Colorado State Championship - 2nd Age Group 70-74

2017 - USA Track & Field 5K Cross Country Colorado State Championship - 3rd Age Group 70-79

2016- USA Track & Field Phidippides Gold Award

As a member of the Chattahoochee Roads Runners for many years I was given several awards:

the President's Award in 2000, 2002 & 2006 and the Service to the Club Award in 2001.

RUNNING INJURIES

I have been extremely lucky and resilient in the fact that I have had very few running injuries. Some issues with plantar fascia, some issues with shinsplints, some issues with Morton's neuroma but the only serious running injury I suffered is that I did one time develop a stress fracture in my pelvis as I was marathon training. A few months off, a slow comeback and no issue since.

So what is the biggest thing that running 20,000 miles has given me? Patience and goal setting.

A goal without a plan is just a wish.

There are no shortcuts.

You get out what you put in.

The last miles are always the longest.

Running is a social sport, the best miles run are with friends.

On an out and back run the wind will always be a headwind.

Hard runs make for harder runners.

If you think you can, or you think you can't, you're probably right.

I will finish with my favorite quote from my favorite president:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man

who points out how the strong man(woman) stumbled, 
or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. 

The credit belongs to the man(woman) who is actually in the arena;

whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;

who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again;
who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions,
and spends himself(herself) in a worthy cause;

who, at best, knows in the triumph of high achievement, 
and who at the worst, if he(she) fails, at least fails while daring greatly, 
so that his(her) place shall never be with those cold and timid souls

who know neither victory nor defeat.”

---Theodore Roosevelt---

20,000 Miles of Running Stories

These posts are a recap of what I have posted on my Facebook page over the last several months as I recount some of running adventures.

(1)   O Canada!

As I am closing in on 20,000 miles of running over the next few weeks I will post stories here and on Coach Will's Athletes FB page about epic runs or races, interesting people I have met or unique coaching experiences.

I will start with one titled; "O Canada" 

In March 2004 as the club coach of the Chattahoochee Road Runners I was the contact point when someone, usually from out of town, emailed the club about locations to run. I received an email from an athlete from Canada that was training for a marathon and was coming to Georgia for a conference and was looking for a good place to run.

I responded back and asked her how far she was needing to run. When she responded back I not only told her where was a good place to run, but that I would get a few of us to come and run with her so she wouldn't have to run alone.

So on 3-21-2004 a few of us, male & female, met up with her at Cochran Shoals and ran together.

Do you remember Tracey Sullivan ?

(2) Clarence May

Story #2 in Epic Runs, Rides & Adventures. Closing in on the 20,000 mile mark.

There is a belief in Eastern Philosphy that as long as someone speaks your name out loud your spirit will live on for eternity. So today's story is about a dear friend of mine Clarence W. May Jr. who sadly passed many years ago by a stroke at a too young age.

Clarence and I ran many races together.

Clarence was a fixture at numerous events as a volunteer for the Atlanta Track Club, so many in fact that he was awarded the Community Service award by the ATC in 2000. After he passed away the ATC renamed the Community Service Award to the Clarence W. May Jr. Community Service Award in 2001 and it is still awarded by the ATC to the outstanding volunteer each year.

Clarence was also an avid cyclists and always encourged others to ride. For about 8 months each year he would seek out used bikes that he would store in a warehouse. Then for a couple of months he and dozens of volunteers would repair, rebuild, and if needed, repaint the bikes so that at Christmas he would see that these bikes found their way to children who would not have an opportunity to own a bike otherwise. For several years after his death others continued to carry on this tradition.

As runners we often find money as we are running. My friend Clarence was an avid runner and cyclist and would also pick-up money he found but he was more deligent than me because he kept ledgers of what he found, when he found it and if he was running or riding.

Since I moved to Colorado it is harder to find money on the road because of the snowplows, but occasionally I do. No matter where I am when I find money, as I pick it up I say outloud, "Clarence, buddy, how are you doing?'

During my 12 mile run this morning I found 2 pennies within a short distance and I spoke to Clarence each time. I truly believe that the money I found this morning was "Pennies from Heaven"

(3) Hogpen & Bobbie

As I close in on 20,000 miles of running with only 236 miles to go, another running story.

First let me describe the Hogpen Hill Climb Race that takes place in Helen, GA each January. In 1992 this was a 10.74 mile race that started in downtown Helen and ran to the top of Hogpen Gap with over 2500 ft. of elevation gain. The real leg killer of the race happens between miles 7 and 9 where the road grade is over 12%.

I was just getting back into running coming off of a hip injury and had been training with a very fast female runner, Bobbie Inginito. She had a good chance of winning the race but knew the section between 7 and 9 would be a struggle to keep up a faster pace. Since I was not planning to run the race but was going to be there to support friends who were running, Bobbie asked me if I would pace her in the 7-9 mile section.

Once the race started we drove up the mountain to the 7 mile mark and I got out. We had estimated the time it would take Bobbie to reach the 7 mile mark so a little before that time I started down the mountain to do a warm-up. I had gone about 3/4 mile when I saw the male leader coming up the mountain. I turned around and started jogging back up to the 7 mile mark. Just before I got there one of the others yelled at me, "Will, here comes Bobbie!"

I started running so that I would be at pace by the time she caught me, but she zoomed by. I yelled out to her to slow for me to catch up. She was on a strong pace and I knew I couldn't hold that for 2 miles at 12% grade. I looked over my shoulder and didn't see another female within sight so I got her to slow down for a minute. Once I had my legs under me we picked up the pace again.

As we were approaching the 9 mile mark I told Bobbie I wasn't sure how much longer I could pace her. She said she felt strong and it was okay. I stayed with her for about a quarter of a mile past the 9 mile mark where the course takes a very slight downhill before it kicks up again to the finish. I ran a total of 3.74 miles but felt like I had run the full race.

This is where my memory has failed me, and long before online result tracking, but I believe that Bobbie won the female title. Someone from the old CRR group might be able to confirm.

That's Bobbie on my right in the attached photo.

The picture is from the 1992 Georgia Long Distance Relay but I posted it to show who Bobbie was.

(4) GA Long Distance Relay

Another story as I close in on 20,000 miles running, just 251.55 miles away. This is a long story but I think you will enjoy.

When I began running it was for health reasons. Like many of my generation when we got out of school we hung out in bars, ate too much good southern fried foods and didn't get enough exercise. So when I began running I never thought about actually running races.

As the years past and I made friends with other runners, the idea of running races began to interest me. I will talk later about all the Peachtree Road Races I have run (24 so far) but the race I want to tell you about is the Georgia Long Distance Relay Race. A 125 mile race through the North GA mountains, beginning and ending in Helen, GA.

The race conisted of 8 person teams and each runner had to run 3 legs of approximately 5 miles each for a total of 15 miles. Each team had a name and our's was "The Magnificent 7 Plus One."

There were 2 support vehicles, my son Clint had just recently got his drivers license so he was one of the drivers. The first runner started the race then the other runners and the 2 support vehicles went ahead to the exchange point. When the runner arrived they would touch hands with the waiting runner and that runner would leave, followed by one of the support vehicles. The 2nd vehicle would pick-up the finishing runners then procede to the next check point. This leapfrog action continued until each runner had run their 3 legs.

This would be just another running story except for 2 big issues. There was close to a hundred teams and since all the roads were 2 lane through the mountains and some of the race would be run at night, you couldn't have everyone start at the same time. To decide when a team would start they used a unique system. The first teams would start at 10:00 AM and then every 15 minutes (memory might be wrong) the next team would start. To determine your team's start time when you registered you supplied the 10K finish time for each of the runners on the team and the total time was used for placement, which meant that slower teams would start first and faster teams would start later with the hope that all teams would be finished by a certain time the next day.

As I said the first team went off at 10:00 AM but because we had good runners with fast 10K times we didn't start the race until 4:00 PM.

I was the 2nd runner on the relay. By the time I had started my 2nd leg of the run it had gotten dark so I was running with a flashlight (this was before all the new running headlamps had been developed). The support vehicle pulled up beside me as I was running and asked if I needed anything. I had been climbing a hill for what seemed like a long time so I asked them to drive to the top of the hill so I could see where the climb ended. A BIG MISTAKE!!! I watched as the red taillights climbed and climbed until they were just little dots before they stopped. I wouldn't do that again.

Each support vehicle had 4 runners, one of which would switch off as driver, except for the vehicle my son was driving. When we stopped at a store to use the bathroom as I was getting out my foot got tangled in the straps of a backpack and I slightly pulled my right hamstring. I limped around for awhile before we left and when we got to the next exchange point for one of our runners, I didn't know it but the others had been talking about who could run my last leg, which by the way was a 7 mile leg up the climb toward the visitor center on Blood Mountain, where the Appalachian crosses.

When it came my turn to run I told them I would do the leg, if I had an issue then someone else could finish the climb. It started raining and I put on a rain jacket but within a mile I took it off and handed it to the support vehicle because I was sweating so much that I was wetter with it on. Keep in mind this was June in GA and 100% humidity coming down. As I progressed up the climb the batteries in my flashlight died just before sunrise.

I finished my leg and handed off to the next runner to finish the climb to the visitor center. After he had reached the peak and started down we pulled up beside him and asked if he needed anything. He said he would wait until he reached the top. We told him YOU ARE RUNNING DOWNHILL!!! This was his last leg of the race and was definitly totally spent.

We went on with each runner finishing their last leg and we placed 1st in our division of Mixed Masters in a time of 16 hours 39 minutes 21 seconds.

(5) Disney

As I close in on 20,000 miles of running (251.36 miles to go/ i.e. math correction) another running story.

In 2001 I was running the Walt Disney World Marathon on January 7th. Normally that time of year you would have a low temperature in Orlando of 48 degrees and a high temperature of 61 degrees, almost perfect weather for a marathon.

Because they close the roads into and around the park for the first few milesof the race they want you in the staging area a couple of hours before the start which is at 5:30 AM which means you are there at the coolest/coldest time of day.

In 2001 Orlando set a record low for January 7th at 32 degrees and with a slight wind the wind chill was in the teens. There are a few tents at the start for dropping running bags that you will want at the finish but with over 8000 marathon runners and a few thousand additional runners in the half-marathon and the 10K there is not enough room for everyone to get out of the cold.

As we got closer to the start time there were some runners who were already beginning to suffer from hypothermia. The medical people became so concerned that more than an hour before the race start they handed out the mylar space blankets that they normally give you at the finish of a race.

If you have ever seen a documentary of the Emperor Penguins in Antarctica they group together and the ones on the outside of the group occasionally moved to the inside and those on the inside move to the outside so that no one penguin is left totally in the cold. This is what we practiced until time to walk to the start.

Here we were at 5:00 AM all wrapped in space blankets walking to the start line. When it was time to start the race everyone took off the space blankets and tossed them aside, but most, including myself, kept on the warm-up clothing that we had been wearing under the space blankets that would normally be tossed aside at the start.

I wore this clothing through the first 5 miles before it had become wet with sweat. After I had discarded my warm-ups I immediately starting looking at other clothes that had been dropped as I ran along and wondered if any of it was dry and if it would fit !!

As you approach the half-marathon point there is a place where the half-marathon runners turn left and head to the finish about a mile away and the marathoners continue on straight. As I was approaching this area there was an argument going on between my brain and my body trying to decide to make that left turn or continue on.

About 50 yards past this turn was a timing mat. I forced myself to run past the turn and across the timing mat so now I am committed. It's either finish the marathon or stop and be recorded as a DNF (Did Not Finish) in the results.

I can tell you that it did eventually warm-up but I had spent so many calories just trying to stay warm that those last 13.1 miles turned out to be some of the toughest I have ever run.

(6) Ron & Lady

As I close in on 20,000 miles of running, only 237.46 miles to go, another running story.

In 1995 when I ran the Big Sur Marathon for the first time I was with a group from the Leukemia Society. One morning at breakfast as several of us were sitting together a very good looking woman walked up to the table and thanked Ron for his assistance the night before and stated that she was so embarrassed about what had happened. Ron said no problem and glad he could help. She turned and walked away.

There was no way we were going to let that lay and not know what had happened, so we pressed Ron to explain.

He said about 1:00 AM someone knocked at his door and when he opened it there was a woman standing there wrapped in just a bath towel. She quickly explained that she had opened the door to place a room service tray in the hall and when she bent over she lost her balance and stepped into the hall and the door closed behind her. Now she was locked out.

She asked Ron if she could use his room phone to call the desk and get someone to come and unlock her door. Ron agreed and let her come in and make the call. He said he stood at the door and waited until he saw the staff coming with a key to unlock the door so she wouldn't have to stand in the hall wrapped in just a towel.

They unlocked the door and she went to her room. We told Ron that we didn't believe his story and that he had maybe provided other assistance.

After breakfast the 3 of us who had shared breakfast with Ron decided to pull a crank on him. We dressed in just a towel and went to his room and knocked on the door and when he answered we asked if he could help us because we had been locked out of our rooms.

Ron got a kick out of this and as you can see in the attached picture he even joined in the fun.

(7) Chicago Marathon

As I close in on 20,000 miles of running, only 196.71 miles to go, another running story.

On Sunday I watched the Chicago Marathon and saw Galen Rupp win the men's race, setting a new personal best and the first American to win the race in 15 years.

I also saw Jordan Hasay, running her 2nd marathon, finish 3rd in the women's race, setting a new personal best and becoming the second fastest American woman in history.

In 1996 I was one of the mentor coaches for the Leukemia Society and took 33 runners to Chicago to run the marathon. I also ran the race that year.

Watching the marathon on Sunday it brought back many memories as I remembered running through the different neighborhoods, but a comment by one of the commentators of the race is what triggered this memory. He stated that the course at Chicago is almost "pancake flat", and that is correct.

While training the runners for Chicago we laid out courses around Atlanta that started in Buckhead. Some of these courses would head west and included areas around Peachtree Battle and Mt Paran Road. One of these courses included an area around the Atlanta Water Works off of Mt. Paran Road with some really long and steep hills. These runs were usually in the 20 mile range.

After one of these hot, humid runs in September one of the runners asked me, "Coach, why are we running these brutal hills when Chicago is flat except for the bridges?" My response was that when they reached the 20 mile mark in the marathon where a lot of runners hit "the wall" they would realize they had felt worse than that in training. 

We had perfect marathon weather the morning of the race, 40 degrees and no wind !! I am happy to report that all of the runners finished and many, myself included ran a personal best.

(8) William’s Run (Gail Devers)

As I close in on 20,000 miles running, only 179 miles to go, another running story.

During my time as a runner I have run in hundreds of races. As time passed and I trained harder I was able to achieve some success.

One of the perks is that in later years I have been able to run with some of the legends of running including Frank Shorter (1972 Olympic Marathon Gold Medalist, 1976 Olympic Marathon Silver Medalist), Bill Rodgers (4 time winner of both the New York City Marathon and the Boston Marathon), Dick Beardsley, famous for his "Duel In The Sun" with Alberto Salazar at the 1982 Boston Marathon where they ran shoulder to shoulder for almost all of the 26.2 miles until Alberto was able to pull away in the last 100 meters and beat Beardsley by 2 seconds!!! 2:08:51 to 2:08:53.

There were certain races that I would run on more than one occasion where I would have some success, one of those was the William's Run 5K, dedicated to a young boy who died of brain cancer. In 2003 I placed 3rd in my age group and went back in 2004 and placed 3rd in my age group again. What makes the award in 2004 special is who awarded the plaque to me, Gail Devers (1996 Olympic Gold Medalist in the 100m and the 4x100m)

(9) High School  Race

As I close in on 20,000 miles of running, with only 171.79 miles to go, another running story.

I have been certified by USA Track & Field during each Olympiad to be a USA Track & Field Official. I have volunteered to work events at high school, college and post-collegiate events. I have been witness to many outstanding and even record accomplishments. But the most inspiring race I ever watched was between 2 young high school girls.

At the high school level track and field events cover a wide range but almost all high school meets end with what is know as a "distance medley relay". This is a team building event because it takes athletes from different distances and puts them together as a team. There are 4 runners on the team and each runs a different distance, this allows athletes that normally only compete in a single distance to be a part of a team.

The race consists of a 1200 meter, 400 meter, 800 meter and 1600 meter distance run in that order. I was working a high school event between 2 high schools in Cobb County, GA and all the other events had ended so I was free to watch the last race. As each one of the distances was run the lead changed based on which school had the best runners for each distance.

By the time the race entered the 1600 meter distance it was clear who would challenge for the win. As each team's runner crossed the finish the size of the field grew smaller based on who still had laps to run. As the last 3 runners approached the line, one of them had run her last lap but the other 2 continued on past the finish line for their last lap.

By now everyone in the stadium was watching these 2 young women run stride for stride down the back straight and into turn #3. As they rounded turn #4 with only 100 meters to go it didn't matter the position in which they finished, the winner had been determined, their finish would have no bearing on the race results. But in their mind it was still a race and I saw one of the best races I have ever witnessed as these 2 ran their hearts out to the finish line. The spectators rewarded their effort with the longest and loudest reaction to any event of the day.

This is what sport teaches, drive, determination, respect for the other competitors, goal setting, and always doing your best, no matter if you will finish first ...or last.

(10) Twisted Ankle

As I close in on 20,000 miles of running, with only 141.96 miles to go, another running story.

As I mentioned before there are a few races that I ran more than once, some of these were really hard courses and a real challenge. One of these was the Twisted Ankle Half-marathon that was run in the Sloppy Floyd State Park outside of Summerville, GA.

I had known some runners who had done this so I decided to take on the challenge. Before I ran the race the first time I went onto the race website to get some info on the course. The race director was named Becky and on the course profile there were comments about "is this Becky's Bluff?" (See attached photo).

As you can see the race starts and runs up the side of the mountain until you reach the crest then you run up and down along the ridgeline to a turn-around then back to a point where you drop off the ridge and back to the finish.

The race is run in May so the weather can be hot & humid. I ran this race 3 times, 2006 (3rd Age Group), 2008 (2nd Age Group) & 2011 (2nd Age Group). The race I want to tell you about is 2006.

We made our way around the lake, through the campground and started up the ridge. I was with a group that included two Army Rangers. As we struggled up the trail toward the ridge someone told us that the incline at that point was 28% grade. Oh my aching quads!!! When we finally crested the ridge and turned left we had a slight downhill to recover.

During the ensuing miles there were about 5 of us running together. The 2 army guys in the lead. As we went into the downhills we would string out slightly, but then regroup on the uphills, we were kind of like a "slinky". When we reached the turn-around point at about 6 miles we were still running together.

As we retraced out route back along the ridge we continued to spread, then gather back together. When we reached the last water stop just before you drop off the ridge, the 2 army guys and myself grabbed a quick drink then started down the trail. The others who had been running with us lagged behind and we didn't see them until the finish.

The trail off of the ridge was very steep and the 3 of us were using gravity to our advantage. These guys were flying and I was just trying to hold on. I was so close behind them that I couldn't see the trail so I just watched the footsteps of the guy in front of me and put my foot where I saw him put his foot.

There is a place on the route that going up you pass by a waterfall and on the return the trail down from the ridge connects back to the main trail at that point. As we rounded a bend in the trail I heard the army guy in the front call out, "Oh $hit" then jump up. Since we couldn't see what he saw the army guy in front of me and then me we both jumped as well. When we landed I saw that we had just jumped over a very wet and muddy section at the trail junction. Since we were on a steep downhill and really booking it if we had landed in the mud we would have been on our asses and in a pile!!

We continued down the trail until we reached a junction and saw one of the course arrows pointing off to the right, at this point we were pretty much alone. Since this was my first time running this race, and I later found out their first time running the race we followed the arrow. We started up a fairly steep hill for some distance until we saw a runner heading down the hill back toward us yelling, "this is not the course!!!"

We turned around and headed back down to the trail junction and one of the army guys took a misstep and twisted his ankle. I asked if he was okay and he said to go on. His buddy stayed with him, so the other runner and myself continued back to the trail junction where we had taken a wrong turn.

By the time we got back to the trail junction there were other runners running past so we followed them and got back on the proper trail. Found out later that the sign had fallen off the tree and landed pointing in the wrong direction.

The race finishes with you running across a bridge that crosses the lake, and when I finished I was totally spent. Determined later that we had run about an extra one quarter mile, but I was still able to finish 3rd in my Age Group.

When I came back in 2008 & 2011 I knew the course so I didn't make that mistake again, and knowing how I needed to train for that particular course I placed 2nd in my Age Group the next 2 times I ran the race.

Not too long after I finished the race the 2 army guys came in and I went over and told them thanks for "pulling the train" today because I know it was what helped me to have a good race and that I knew that I would not have finished before them if one of them had not had a misstep.

The race "medals" were hand made by a local artist, see attached.

(11) Monument Valley

As I close in on 20,000 miles of running (only 111.55 miles to go) another running story.

I have been posting stories about epic runs, races and adventures and have shared my experiences of running in some of the most beautiful places in America, I ran the Big Sur Marathon in 1995, 1996 & 2015, I ran the Avenue of the Giants Marathon held in the Humboldt Redwoods State Park in 2016, but probably the most moving and spiritual race I have ever run was the Monument Valley Half-marathon I ran in March 2017.

I had traveled through the area in 2013 as one of the coaches and part of the crew for Dani Grabol & Kacie Darden when they broke the 2 Person Female Record during the Race Across America (RAAM). Traveling through the area just after sunrise was a very moving experience. The changing colors of the rock formations and driving up "Forrest Gump Hill" was a real treat.

When I found out about the race in the fall of 2016 and read about the details I knew I had to run this race. It is held on the Navajo Indian Reservation located in northern Arizona in Monument Valley.

I traveled to the area with my friend Pat from Georgia who had come to go with me to the race. We arrived at Monument Valley the night before the race for me to pick up my race number and to attend a blessing ceremony and a native dance (see video). Because there is Cherokee blood in my family I felt a connection to what I was watching and understanding the meaning of the ceremony. The night ended with a Navajo prayer to keep all runners safe during the race the next day.

We arrived before dawn to cloudy conditions and 40 degrees.

I studied the course info and knew that since it was a "valley" and with the eons of time that had worn down the "monuments" there would be loose sand. I knew that I would need to wear gaiters (cloth covers that attach to your shoes and bind tightly around your ankle to keep out the sand) but I never imagined that there would be so much loose sand!! It was like trying to run in a sandbox!!

The race starts with a descent off the plateau down into the valley (see course profile). As you proceed you run past and around the red sandstone cliffs. (see photos). You cannot run through this area and not feel the magnitude and the spiritual significance of this place to the Navajo people. We were running through areas where tourists are usually not allowed to travel. One of our water stops was at a Hogan of one of the tribe members (see photo).

As we continued on there were climbs and descents as we ran around the main rock formation known as Sentinel Mesa for the final climb out of the valley back up to the plateau. The sand on this climb was so deep that you would take a step forward and slide halfway back, this really saps your energy. At the top of the climb there is still 3+ miles to go and lots of ups and downs and lots of loose and deep sand.

When I crossed the finish line I had my friend Pat and two other friends from GA, Stan and Tracie, who had traveled up from their camp 5 hours away to be there at the finish. I walked over to the fence and said, "I have just one thing to say, DAMN !!".

After the race results were posted I discovered that I had finished 4 minutes behind the first place finisher in my age group (who had passed me on one of the sandy climbs in the last couple of miles) but 34 and 42 minutes ahead of 3rd & 4th place.

This was one of the toughest races I have run even though it was only 13.1 miles long, but it was also one of the most inspiring.

(12) Total  Races

As I close in on 20,000 miles of running (with 95.55 miles to go) another running story.

I have been asked on occasion how many races I have run since I began tracking my running miles since May 1990. As I have mentioned before I'm not sure how many miles I had run before I started keeping running logs, but I had only run in one 5K race before that time.

I went through all of my running logs yesterday and counted the races I have run since 1990. Below is the list broken down by distance:

5K - 101
4 mile - 3
5 mile - 3
10K - 92
15K - 28
10 Mile - 19
17K (11 mi) - 13
Half-marathon - 32
Marathon - 11
Odd Distance (3 mi to 11 mi) - 19
Total - 321 races
I did not run any races in 1993 & 2013.
In 2013 I was focused on coaching Kacie Darden for the Race Across America (RAAM) where she and Dani Grabol broke the 2 Person Female Record for the 3000 mile race.

I am running a 5K Cross Country Race tomorrow and plan to come to Georgia in July to run my 25th, and probably my last, Peachtree Road Race.

I have a few big races on my radar for next year but not sure how many races I will do after 2018.

This list is only for running and does not include cycling races or rides or triathlons that I raced.

Just a little note to all who think they are too old to exercise, yesterday at the Highlands Ranch Turkey Day 5K here in Colorado, 97 year old (legally blind) Bob McAdam set a new world record for the distance in the 95+ age category. The fitness coordinator from the retirement home where he lives served as his guide runner.

McAdams said to him, it's not about the world record or the recognition, it's about getting exercise and living each day to the fullest.

That's my mantra as well.