tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15633667528981739012024-03-18T23:45:34.822-04:00Travel in Retirementscotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18328433420748963660noreply@blogger.comBlogger97125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563366752898173901.post-26634875409992845982022-09-01T07:56:00.000-04:002023-08-26T14:29:04.932-04:00<p> DONE!!!</p><p>COMPLETED!!!</p><p>FINISHED!!!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj44sB7dGqf4C2kVEoXLn9eK24PTIGDSK8AR2LHJywA0q5xNmUKtOTPszNoAvSklRK6oU3BOJLqqHL6M-ihAbU9yRwqiUTDUcDEa_V0EHxpiO-reeHfv8HmnW17zN6z07WkvPtFxMJltnRgJupdH8j8PiOi6mO8obmjpBq5kpfGJg5CSnV72bcb_To2Cg/s611/race_walking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="403" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj44sB7dGqf4C2kVEoXLn9eK24PTIGDSK8AR2LHJywA0q5xNmUKtOTPszNoAvSklRK6oU3BOJLqqHL6M-ihAbU9yRwqiUTDUcDEa_V0EHxpiO-reeHfv8HmnW17zN6z07WkvPtFxMJltnRgJupdH8j8PiOi6mO8obmjpBq5kpfGJg5CSnV72bcb_To2Cg/w264-h400/race_walking.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><p>Back in 2011 I set a goal to walk 10,000 miles and complete 100 races (mainly walking with a bit of running thrown in, usually downhill). It was just something to do. I don’t fish, I don’t golf, I walk. Plus, it also helped with waistline, and cholesterol/triglyceride levels. After completing a few races, I found I needed to have a longer-range goal. Something to keep me going, something to keep me motivated. Hence the goal.</p><p>I did reach the 10,000-mile goal in 2017 but still had a bunch of races yet to complete.</p><p>In July (2022) completed my 105th race, a 3.1-mile trail race on Sawnee Mountain in Georgia. Yes, I know that’s more than 100 – I signed up for an eight-race series of trail races. I got a discount for signing up for the series.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Race totals:</p><p>5Ks – 31<br />10Ks – 10<br />Half Marathons – 42 (favorite distance)<br />Full Marathons – 4 (least favorite distance)<br />Great Saunters – 4 (32 mile walk around Manhattan in a day)<br />Odd distance races – 14</p><p>Most of the races were in Georgia but I also got to do events in: Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Utah, and California.</p><p>A highlight for me, in 23 of the races, I got to do them with family members. I was able to do races with all three of my kids, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, and two of my grandkids. They have no idea how special that was for me. </p><p>At best, and I really mean at best, my lifelong athletic abilities would probably be considered average… at best. But as I got older a funny thing started happening. Fewer and fewer guys in my age category would show up to do these races. All a sudden, I started getting podium (1st, 2nd, or 3rd place) finishes for my age bracket. That was something that never happened before. I figured it’s always better to go out when you’re on top. For each of the races in the eight-race series I just completed, in the male 65-69 category, I had podium finishes.</p><p>I’ll continue walking, just done doing races. Time to move on to something different. </p><p>This was fun, glad I did it.</p>scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18328433420748963660noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563366752898173901.post-88685568770998676312022-03-24T07:32:00.001-04:002022-03-24T07:32:57.718-04:00Charleston Park Trail Race (Race Recap)<p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Charleston Park, Cumming, GA<br /></span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Saturday, March 5, 2022<br /></span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Race/Event #101 <br /></span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Trail Series Race #3 - 4.3 miles<br /></span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Weather - Cloudy, upper-40s</span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgAZqVudJ7fXsdX96z6tCsPVOwMMzGP0px8iFYTti9QDbHGWr3kHWfKRWQkXnbu4Jn4pvuDq8LjMkGLfjeb2z6Q5L_C_ABSJjumb1pITuwyzdCGwkR409rDQVWpmLL2e9hZswuLV1XNRdRK8CByWpegTMNcAbm_s5-QsRZ4H3yg5uOCRsgTHjVZ6f6tg=s745" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="735" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgAZqVudJ7fXsdX96z6tCsPVOwMMzGP0px8iFYTti9QDbHGWr3kHWfKRWQkXnbu4Jn4pvuDq8LjMkGLfjeb2z6Q5L_C_ABSJjumb1pITuwyzdCGwkR409rDQVWpmLL2e9hZswuLV1XNRdRK8CByWpegTMNcAbm_s5-QsRZ4H3yg5uOCRsgTHjVZ6f6tg=s320" width="316" /></a></div><br /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>I didn't plan it this way. It just happened. Typically, the days before a race are a taper. You reduce the activities that you might normally be doing. The theory is, you will have more energy for the event. Well, that's the theory. The two days prior to this race I was in the north Georgia mountains, hiking. </p><p><br /></p><p>My daughter was in town, we decided to hike to the <a href="http://hike-inn.com/" target="_blank">Hike Inn</a>. The Hike Inn had been on my list of things I wanted to do for a few years. These two days were the only ones that fit everyone's schedule. It's a 5-mile hike from Amicalola State Park to the Inn. At the Inn you get a rustic bunk for the night, and they feed you dinner and breakfast, family style. We thoroughly enjoyed doing this. So, instead of tapering before the race, I ended up doing about 10-miles, hiking. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Race Day</b></p><p>Saturday morning, I was up and on the road about 5:30 AM. It was about a 30-minute drive. Of course, had the usual, a coffee and an apple fritter on the way. </p><p><br /></p><p>The race was capped at 250 participants. The reason for this, parking. There are only so many parking places at the park. It's a nice park. Prior to this race, I didn't even know this park existed. It's on the shores of Lake Lanier. It's a great place for a hike someday in the future. Glad I learned about this place.</p><p><br /></p><p>Being early I was easily able to make my way through the porta-potties, twice. That's always a good thing before a race. They had us line up in groups according to expected speed. I lined up in the 12-minute-mile or slower group. It was the last group. I am a back-of-the-pack guy, so this was my normal place.</p><p><br /></p><p>It was a wonderful trail. There were enough rocks and roots to require me to look down more than looking ahead. That is the challenge of trail races. Steps must be figured out to prevent yourself from tripping. In road races, you can look ahead. This is not true in trail races. Face plants are always a risk if you do not make deliberate decisions on where to plant your foot. </p><p><br /></p><p>It was a good race. We did a lot of switchbacks, you always had others in your peripheral view. It was a 4.3-mile race. I overdressed for this race, had too many layers on. After the race, soaking wet from sweat, headed to my car get into some dry clothes. Your body temperature drops rapidly once you stop, I get cold pretty quick when this happens. Dry layers really do help with this rapid decrease in body temperature. As I made my way back to the finish line, they were announcing the 3rd, 2nd, 1st in the male 65-69 category. I place 1st. I was surprised. My time was 58:21, a 13:34 per mile pace. </p><p><br /></p>scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18328433420748963660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563366752898173901.post-282181050341690882022-02-18T09:28:00.003-05:002022-02-18T09:28:43.291-05:00Heritage Park Trail Run (Race Recap)<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Watkinsville, GA<br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Saturday, February 5, 2022<br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Race/Event #100 <br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Trail Series Race #2 - 2.8 miles<br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Weather - Cold, clear, about ~28 degrees (again)</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhr6VoyDP_8VtRuw_eG_W7b4N6r8IcC0sUoKv2OfKDXtE4IjAsqy7AC3M03pO4gf4sgq28b0x2ux6sXiK8l1OrpsPqaCPWHrfNLk3WYrtGrP92nbfFXbEmTkPWDFS0ilX6y3YcIFiA3eSyKWnNhNxX_uLLf-pdkAwSztFqd5tHqKuBJkCKkz8WOn04xPg=s430" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="273" data-original-width="430" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhr6VoyDP_8VtRuw_eG_W7b4N6r8IcC0sUoKv2OfKDXtE4IjAsqy7AC3M03pO4gf4sgq28b0x2ux6sXiK8l1OrpsPqaCPWHrfNLk3WYrtGrP92nbfFXbEmTkPWDFS0ilX6y3YcIFiA3eSyKWnNhNxX_uLLf-pdkAwSztFqd5tHqKuBJkCKkz8WOn04xPg=w320-h203" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">At 5:50 AM, when I got in the car to drive to Watkinsville the thermometer displayed 27 degrees. Yes, I did question why I was doing this. At some point I thought this would be a good idea. A few miles away, stopped at a QuikTrip for a coffee and an apple fritter. I tend to justify filling my stomach with simple carbs and sugar before the race. The logic, they'll be ready to be consumed quickly in the race in a few hours. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">The trail was a bout 55 miles away. There weren't too many cars on the roads yet, even fewer on the two-lane roads once I got closer to Watkinsville. Arrived at Heritage Park, a horse park, and was pleased to find ample parking. That is typically not the case on most of these trail races. The first thing I noticed when I stepped out of the car, the ground was crunching with every step I took. It had just rained for a few days and with the below freezing temperatures, there was a thin layer of ice. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">First things first, coffee and a long ride, needed to find a bathroom. What was nice, it was inside, and it was heated. Next looked for the packet pickup area, got my shirt and bib and started walking back to the car. I saw it and it made no sense whatsoever. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjaDH7EH5ENxfLaR900VxhUF4My6KVeiDoN7axjbU4uUIjVNCInZGgHVTos1ZbBwj3PR4vMi6EoRkHm6RHm3GgBQ0ctigMDeboh03kMimXHxhcJriBcQDjaaToxgsBO2o1gJ8lvzn2cQW39S_FJkiQG3P8GvXqVoahz9iTtw_PjdIswrVI6_vfffl9bbA=s871" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="842" data-original-width="871" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjaDH7EH5ENxfLaR900VxhUF4My6KVeiDoN7axjbU4uUIjVNCInZGgHVTos1ZbBwj3PR4vMi6EoRkHm6RHm3GgBQ0ctigMDeboh03kMimXHxhcJriBcQDjaaToxgsBO2o1gJ8lvzn2cQW39S_FJkiQG3P8GvXqVoahz9iTtw_PjdIswrVI6_vfffl9bbA=w320-h309" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #333333;"><br /><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">Tikiz Shaved Ice & Ice Cream! What? It's 27 degrees outside. But then it made sense, they also sell Hawaiian coffee and hot chocolate. People were lined up on the other side in line for coffee.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">About 30 minutes out from race time, started my warmup. With this old body, old bones, really can't just go from the car to the start without getting things warmed up. As I made my way around noticed something and thought, I need to get a picture of this. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvmu0XWXuJR_CjLFpZ74sQq6-zqOyfTe2Vq8DEze-M3TJ7jTg2ljeEK_CvTraypi3gI_gh7TMnTswPYiaPqjYSiHelN6236mjX8uo9NLscywRzzPkNk9RYv3MOSvnmqGgrfa-jbdFdEZSE-Pn7rosVDk6NU0WYQRwMO9Uy8QB1hSQ9zZQSj1tc9_Z4-g=s1280" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="848" data-original-width="1280" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvmu0XWXuJR_CjLFpZ74sQq6-zqOyfTe2Vq8DEze-M3TJ7jTg2ljeEK_CvTraypi3gI_gh7TMnTswPYiaPqjYSiHelN6236mjX8uo9NLscywRzzPkNk9RYv3MOSvnmqGgrfa-jbdFdEZSE-Pn7rosVDk6NU0WYQRwMO9Uy8QB1hSQ9zZQSj1tc9_Z4-g=s320" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #333333;"><br /><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">Looking east, as the sun was rising, I liked the shadows in the horse arena. With the sunup the temperature was probably in the low 30s. Still cold but you could feel the warmth of the sun. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">I found my starting corral, as usual, the last one. It makes sense for us to line up behind the faster people. There's no sense, if you're slow, to get in everyone's way up front. The race director, through a bullhorn was going over details of the trail. The one thing that stood out, we had to cross a brook just after the two-mile mark. With the rain in the previous days, it was about five feet wide. Bottom line, at least one of your feet is going to get wet. There was no other way around it. Oh well, too late to back out now. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">There were a lot of rocks, roots, hills, and switchbacks on the trail. I warmed up pretty quick. With the switchbacks I could see glimpses of what was ahead. As explained, just after two miles, I saw the people ahead of me at the brook. Although not happy about this at all, figured the best way through would be to not even break stride and get through it. When I got closer the woman in front of me, maybe 20-30 feet, just stopped at the brook. As I approached, she started explaining to me that she was just trying the figure the best way through it. As planned, I didn't break stride. Went to the left of her and plopped my right foot in the middle of the brook. The water was about four inches deep. The only saving grace, I did have an old pair of sneakers and a pair of socks in the car. Glad I had those.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">Once again, place 2nd in the male 65-69 age category. There were only two of us in that category. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">:)</span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span></p>scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18328433420748963660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563366752898173901.post-41290143218179771642022-01-31T16:41:00.002-05:002022-01-31T16:41:51.757-05:00Mayhem on the Mountain (Race Recap)<p> </p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Sawnee Mountain, GA<br /></span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Saturday, January 8, 2022<br /></span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Race/Event #99 <br /></span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Trail Series Race #1 - 3.0 miles<br /></span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Weather - Cold, clear, about 28 degrees</span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNO_tKwnzUTpMznSZVtei-V8Z_mn_9pt6IOdlSzZJAplR7CNYSST3IAtwTHAoxPH3o3bIrSSjGwvGYMedanIBeuX9__xB1OJsxwRuBPWv6ty_OCaCHFwE6U_KIw9QOa71abSlXj57bGaPk5Je05Hww82bPHtNFZwvYkmyAn-bvvzezJzRb9drk9aNS3Q=s395" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="392" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNO_tKwnzUTpMznSZVtei-V8Z_mn_9pt6IOdlSzZJAplR7CNYSST3IAtwTHAoxPH3o3bIrSSjGwvGYMedanIBeuX9__xB1OJsxwRuBPWv6ty_OCaCHFwE6U_KIw9QOa71abSlXj57bGaPk5Je05Hww82bPHtNFZwvYkmyAn-bvvzezJzRb9drk9aNS3Q=s320" width="318" /></a></div><br /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">28 degrees (F), why am I doing this? That was the main thought in my head when I woke up at 4:00 AM on the day of the race. About two months ago while looking at the Dirty Spokes </span></span><a href="http://www.dirtyspokes.com/" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;" target="_blank">website</a><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"> I noticed a Jan-Jul series of trail races. Looked interesting. Figured if I signed up for these, I'd be set for six months. I wouldn't constantly be looking for what races to do. My informal goal was to do one race a month. Having a race on the calendar keeps me motivated. So, I signed up for the series.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">It's a series of eight trail races with varying distances. After almost 100 races I've discovered that I prefer trail races over road races. Fewer people and they cost less than road races. Plus, I really like being in the woods. It was a no brainer.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">It was still dark at 7:00 AM when I arrived for packet pickup. I was surprised to see the main parking area almost full. Found one of the last parking spots and made my way over to the check-in table. They had a few portable heaters, so I hung out by those for a bit.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">Being so cold I was happy when the race started. Thy had us in corrals according to expected minutes/mile pace. I was in the last one, no surprise there. The trail was rugged, lots of rocks and roots, and the ground was frozen. Not ideal conditions. It was a good race though and a good workout. Glad I signed up for it. Given the conditions, finished with a 14:10 per mile pace. I was happy with that. Ended up placing 2nd in my age category - that was actually a surprise.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span></p>scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18328433420748963660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563366752898173901.post-43755770468022016692021-12-13T09:12:00.003-05:002021-12-13T09:12:41.116-05:00Helen Holiday 10K Trail Race (Race Recap)<p> </p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Helen, GA<br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Saturday, December 11, 2021<br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Race/Event #98 <br />10K</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"> #10<br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Weather - Very foggy, about 50 degrees, significant chance of rain</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEite04yHKGmC9w551sRnZRFLxa1Y_MKszMUNIUaPsVvAVr0LE0w5yOsUCZW3F1OdH5XBnN_RJ25nVxhWvxKLshKfQldOH-SS1dKkZSefBv0ZWD8RmqOpcgm3eHBWKjQa5rEKC2K5QAPN2fT/s1021/helen_10k_01.PNG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="246" data-original-width="1021" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEite04yHKGmC9w551sRnZRFLxa1Y_MKszMUNIUaPsVvAVr0LE0w5yOsUCZW3F1OdH5XBnN_RJ25nVxhWvxKLshKfQldOH-SS1dKkZSefBv0ZWD8RmqOpcgm3eHBWKjQa5rEKC2K5QAPN2fT/w400-h96/helen_10k_01.PNG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span><p></p><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Up early and on the road at 4:15 AM. It was a long ride to Unicoi State Park in the North Georgia Mountains. The fog was thick. It was the kind where people say you could cut it with a knife. With a stop for coffee, it was a two-hour trip. Parked in a wet, muddy field and made my way to the check-in table. It was still dark, regretted not bringing my headlamp. Note to self - always have a spare headlamp in the car.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Bears! Okay, we're in the woods in the North Georgia mountains. Of course, it's bear country. Somehow, I just tend to forget about that though. Good to be reminded.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBTlBHbHHB1XP4Y1yA1Et3vjkEE4IE1rtb2WJ4drAmrr7k6_bnK9YHMe90qazLHok29aQbLOeVUJMsMHcjUerhuPpoqXF9gbdaQxCOMCQS-ZBFQ6SaIjB6AKYVJybXyu41xfLnrPGnWlrXfMhLUTwTxWAX2RxNVDNJHXn8dmFpuoFpSedqWwh_9PHM4Q=s1206" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1169" data-original-width="1206" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBTlBHbHHB1XP4Y1yA1Et3vjkEE4IE1rtb2WJ4drAmrr7k6_bnK9YHMe90qazLHok29aQbLOeVUJMsMHcjUerhuPpoqXF9gbdaQxCOMCQS-ZBFQ6SaIjB6AKYVJybXyu41xfLnrPGnWlrXfMhLUTwTxWAX2RxNVDNJHXn8dmFpuoFpSedqWwh_9PHM4Q=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaPDoBBGbXJ45WVltXfoPDVCmuf1vbWru7l7C0Vz2IVC_UWZLQN2y4qSIKoe8PgCPB5OnpMhbWpG1wrlBh-2E14s8ZtQnxmXxU9j1B_PPw0LqnhlXhVjRpOG9z8GwMtyao8D-NftzvVSP35XHcRuaQCR9ueHmSaL9e5qsK9mLkx4FJCBZ4R7Mf7RrhIg=s975" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="975" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaPDoBBGbXJ45WVltXfoPDVCmuf1vbWru7l7C0Vz2IVC_UWZLQN2y4qSIKoe8PgCPB5OnpMhbWpG1wrlBh-2E14s8ZtQnxmXxU9j1B_PPw0LqnhlXhVjRpOG9z8GwMtyao8D-NftzvVSP35XHcRuaQCR9ueHmSaL9e5qsK9mLkx4FJCBZ4R7Mf7RrhIg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">It was a 10K and a half marathon. After the race director gave the pre-race instructions, I was thankful I didn't sign up for the half. The half included a thousand-foot elevation gain. And as hard as that would have been, probably would've been more dangerous on the way back down. The course was very wet from the previous day's rain. Glad I signed up for the 10K.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">We were off. It was very crowded at first. At about a mile or so, people (fast vs. slow) had found their place in the race. Not crowded at all after that. I switched between walking and running, mainly running on flat areas.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">This was the first race since getting a new Fitbit watch, a Charge 5. It worked great. It notifies me with vibrations as my heartrate increases/decreases. I am very heartrate focused when I do these races. When it gets too high, I immediately slow down. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Finished with a time of 1:25:23. The best part though, it didn't rain!</span></div>scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18328433420748963660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563366752898173901.post-70390463414551434822021-12-01T14:55:00.001-05:002021-12-02T08:59:15.615-05:00Lovely Rita, Meter Maid<p> </p><p>As a volunteer gig I get to be a gallery interpreter in an aquarium. We recently got a new octopus, Rita.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8MVENVlZE_b5Au6hzsGDVGJaTNQ-IDV5ooSAmF-OICyD3WwG9gRdKWoxmHrOFg4XzdX0kuuUGSrNw8YVEYh8ofdSIMNd3qv8V3y2zex2YBbT-PNv0gstNlVHQgAAVqQWJOqRjouvS-NmM/s960/rita_02.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="685" data-original-width="960" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8MVENVlZE_b5Au6hzsGDVGJaTNQ-IDV5ooSAmF-OICyD3WwG9gRdKWoxmHrOFg4XzdX0kuuUGSrNw8YVEYh8ofdSIMNd3qv8V3y2zex2YBbT-PNv0gstNlVHQgAAVqQWJOqRjouvS-NmM/s320/rita_02.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>She's almost a year old. For the first few weeks she hid most of the time. When guests asked where the octopus was, had to point to where she was hiding. The trainers told me her hiding places. This week was different though. Rita must be getting more comfortable with her new home - she was out and about for my entire shift.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMp9lghEFwXgdDRfyR08Afe77yXHBsEEDocYh7Xgrt9BHRYoguMjqVlEXHbYSE0xJVPuPAr_Q_jHAdPZNuekatvYARnpqVG5uVPJY72_ZP_L5mlLgze5ArCUV_fnndDKwgt8IntACLfbyr/s867/rita_01.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="867" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMp9lghEFwXgdDRfyR08Afe77yXHBsEEDocYh7Xgrt9BHRYoguMjqVlEXHbYSE0xJVPuPAr_Q_jHAdPZNuekatvYARnpqVG5uVPJY72_ZP_L5mlLgze5ArCUV_fnndDKwgt8IntACLfbyr/s320/rita_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>She's even socializing a bit with some of the sea stars. Not really sure who was checking out who though. What's interesting, and this happens pretty consistently, when I tell guests that her name is Rita, if one of them is from the generation I'm from, inevitably they say, "Lovely Rita, Meter Maid."</p><p> </p>scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18328433420748963660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563366752898173901.post-81430954558115994112021-11-27T08:47:00.001-05:002021-11-28T06:08:40.495-05:00Five Star Turkey Trot 10K (Race Recap)<p> </p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Johns Creek, GA<br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Thursday, November 25, 2021<br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Race/Event #97 <br />10K</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"> #9<br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Weather - low 30s at the start</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">This year, instead of doing the Atlanta Half Marathon on Thanksgiving morning, decided to switch to this race, a 10K, closer to home. I'm enjoying the 10K distance for now. Maybe I'll just stay around that distance, not sure, we'll see. The other thing, kudos to the folks at Five Star, this race was only $21. And, it's that price regardless of the distance (5K, 10K, 15K, half marathon), $21. Can't beat that. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Maybe in the future I'll consider the Atlanta Half again. But the $21 is hard to beat!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeO_-aAdgFF1H3hfRLozno5VcEo1zfvGmOYlhgw8o9lj1fbfA-snJFEhfQvGhtL80G60XJRRTJ_pOTe285QEGg4RVCstuUMNiMIMVP84mGZA6gNTHPMYb9lmERoOilQVOpeZ_FDrNPzKNi/s190/turkey_trot_10k.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="190" data-original-width="190" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeO_-aAdgFF1H3hfRLozno5VcEo1zfvGmOYlhgw8o9lj1fbfA-snJFEhfQvGhtL80G60XJRRTJ_pOTe285QEGg4RVCstuUMNiMIMVP84mGZA6gNTHPMYb9lmERoOilQVOpeZ_FDrNPzKNi/w320-h320/turkey_trot_10k.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">This was a road race through a few business parks in Johns Creek. Over 1200 people signed up for it. It was a 5K course: 5K-ers did it one time; 10K, two times; 15K, three times; half - four times plus a bit more to make 13.1 miles. Most participants did the 5K. This simply meant the first time through the course was crazy crowded. I enjoyed the second time through the course much more than the first - a lot less people. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">For most of the race had the earbuds in listening to The Piano Guys - A Family Christmas. I suppose the season has officially started. It was a good race. Finished with a time of 1:15:57, once again, with so few in the category, placed 1st in the Male 65-69 group.</span></p><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p>scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18328433420748963660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563366752898173901.post-73568211188379573422021-11-20T13:31:00.001-05:002021-11-20T13:31:15.895-05:00Chateau Elan Muscadine Vineyard Trail 5.5 Miler (Race Recap)<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Braselton, GA<br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Saturday, November 20, 2021<br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Race/Event #96 <br />5-ish Miler</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"> #2<br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Weather - clear, cold, 37 degrees when I arrived...brrrrrr</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">The main reason I wanted to do this race - it went through the vineyard at Chateau Elan. Specifically it was a muscadine grape vineyard. There really are a lot of races to pick from. More and more I'm always looking for something unique in a race. The vineyard surely qualified this one as being unique.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0-634U_xt7encNnL3L547pOROFDLrTfcvCRaGj_ZgrbvTpddLbUZgyPvNoh1JtRK9FNTecM_DYwg8kyPo2FwxgZYo3PU3RnpE4jLZIu-5ehyphenhyphenti1CgolfLcLVA2dIkjSPgD9XEcGFsInQ/s616/Chateau+Elan+T-Shirt+Design.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="616" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0-634U_xt7encNnL3L547pOROFDLrTfcvCRaGj_ZgrbvTpddLbUZgyPvNoh1JtRK9FNTecM_DYwg8kyPo2FwxgZYo3PU3RnpE4jLZIu-5ehyphenhyphenti1CgolfLcLVA2dIkjSPgD9XEcGFsInQ/w320-h251/Chateau+Elan+T-Shirt+Design.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">As usual, got there early. Picked up my bib and t-shirt. And because I was early, was able to cycle through the porta potty lines twice - always an important thing to do before any race. Once the sun was up the temperature maybe rose a few degrees, but not much.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">People were milling around, getting their bib/t-shirt, hanging out by the space heaters, pretty standard pre-race stuff. I noticed something that I'm sure I've never seen prior to a race starting - a statue of a woman stomping grapes. Had to get a picture of it. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEwJrkkIsSylPjHcAUN7EZK_cyW8KYIq7bXQ8CkTYG49PFgR7ZtTxVUdOtSrrGCsGuLR5QZ9Si1woOKasp21CL_RI5wYnAR_Tmslruz3Tps1_uDPnauxadE8XVKqzc0vYE_CxZVosad9oG/s834/chateau_elan_statue_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="587" data-original-width="834" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEwJrkkIsSylPjHcAUN7EZK_cyW8KYIq7bXQ8CkTYG49PFgR7ZtTxVUdOtSrrGCsGuLR5QZ9Si1woOKasp21CL_RI5wYnAR_Tmslruz3Tps1_uDPnauxadE8XVKqzc0vYE_CxZVosad9oG/s320/chateau_elan_statue_02.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">The Dirty Spokes race finish shoot in the background - yes this really was a unique race venue.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">The race was capped at 325 people. There was a 3.0 mile and a 5.5 mile option. I signed up for 5.5 miler. We all started out together through the vineyards. It was nice and very unique. Eventually we made our way onto one of the trails around the Chateau. It was a bit crowded with a single track narrow trail for a bit. Not a big problem for me - I'm not trying to pass too many people :) Once we split from the 3.0 mile folks there was plenty of room. It was a good race, glad I did it.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">I finished with a time of 1:12:36. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p>scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18328433420748963660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563366752898173901.post-20956903642371537882021-11-07T09:32:00.000-05:002021-11-07T09:32:37.387-05:00Covington YMCA Cheerios 10K (Race Recap)<p> </p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Covington, GA</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;" /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Saturday, November 6, 2021</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;" /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Race/Event #95</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;" /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">10K #8</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;" /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Weather - Low 40s, still dark at 7:15 AM start</span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdUKdWDn8iJaDWUlScdXc6N5g4LHrs5Eq0wxKpCLWRSQCUdFxFnNAYWBujsdkfnfhG47AjMHJjMVpoI8ekuXUeaUPkAQYg3TemcF4kmuk03Q2NIr8XT__f59N9o1cluVXULGrGJKRrU_BF/s393/cheerios-2021.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="393" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdUKdWDn8iJaDWUlScdXc6N5g4LHrs5Eq0wxKpCLWRSQCUdFxFnNAYWBujsdkfnfhG47AjMHJjMVpoI8ekuXUeaUPkAQYg3TemcF4kmuk03Q2NIr8XT__f59N9o1cluVXULGrGJKRrU_BF/s320/cheerios-2021.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">I thought my next race was going to be a trail race through a vineyard in North Georgia. However, as soon as I saw this, I wanted to do this race. </span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">"</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><i>Running in the Covington Y Cheerios Challenge helps ensure that every child can participate in Y programs like youth sports, swim lessons, and summer day camp. Your race registration fee supports the YMCA's WHY IT MATTERS Annual Campaign.</i></span></span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">" </span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">With so many races available, I don't think I would have signed up for any old race 50 miles away. This was a good cause though.</span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">The race was both a 10K and 5K. What was different, the 10K started at 7:15, the 5K at 8:30. 70 people did the 10K so there was no problem getting a parking place or using the bathroom. The 5K had 250-300 people, most of them were not there when the 10K started. It was low-key and I like that. </span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">The race course took an interesting route through a town that many people have seen on TV. The show "In the Heat of the Night" was filmed there from 1989-1995. It is a very nice little town. The course was well marked - no chance of getting lost or off course. </span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">Ended up with a time of 1:17:09, a 12:25/mile pace. 2nd place in the male 65-69 category. It was a good race, glad I signed up for it.</span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></p>scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18328433420748963660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563366752898173901.post-82240967101414290372021-10-28T08:29:00.001-04:002021-11-07T09:37:29.837-05:00Boulder Dash 10K (Race Recap)<p><br /></p><p>Cumming, GA<br />Saturday, October 16, 2021<br />Race/Event #94<br />10K #7<br />Weather - cloudy, drizzle at times, upper 60s, 90% humidity</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6rV5AQIfg7OIfaBc3ncGDXY92UwAFSj8RdoiGsFtDVvdUUDW78r_S3vLAEFSlXiKD59LrMq-9u-9LE21A5PS-torl_mqksYudeWEcIK6gOH33TazPAEJkhXb369RMhGXGG2jArRWDHp9/s949/boulder_dash3.PNG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="566" data-original-width="949" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6rV5AQIfg7OIfaBc3ncGDXY92UwAFSj8RdoiGsFtDVvdUUDW78r_S3vLAEFSlXiKD59LrMq-9u-9LE21A5PS-torl_mqksYudeWEcIK6gOH33TazPAEJkhXb369RMhGXGG2jArRWDHp9/w400-h239/boulder_dash3.PNG" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>How often do people get to go into an active rock quarry? It was the main reason for signing up for this race. It was a fun race! We spent about two miles in the quarry area. Apparently they only open it up to the public once a year - for this race. The sights were very different compared to most of the races I get to do. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" 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="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCzSc_2muSuZN4hZiQg8zaoAK7Vo3yR44-jH9ReJAjFbS1wzMFGgJXPBO8MBz8RaiHqdRkSCThvs9FwQXGe4ZdNLgpQq0mFLhEAqG508PcslzvIyXrBZ-3yS4oEyM50t8cdNXTygsEUYhI/s1012/boulder_dash_01.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="1012" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCzSc_2muSuZN4hZiQg8zaoAK7Vo3yR44-jH9ReJAjFbS1wzMFGgJXPBO8MBz8RaiHqdRkSCThvs9FwQXGe4ZdNLgpQq0mFLhEAqG508PcslzvIyXrBZ-3yS4oEyM50t8cdNXTygsEUYhI/w400-h265/boulder_dash_01.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DANGER - Open Pit Area</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJL93IQFrKnk8vrFSPmWWy93gbbiIH0rhKDFk30maEqAliG6UeN8iKizHw1Mi3Y0oLVHfXS3hNMJ8g-beoYozJkG7tN_yKV5LlCXR7OcYZ5G3HIhU2IE-ec2cAn9YiWtJgvrCFzxXraxQ/s748/boulder_dash_05.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="748" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJL93IQFrKnk8vrFSPmWWy93gbbiIH0rhKDFk30maEqAliG6UeN8iKizHw1Mi3Y0oLVHfXS3hNMJ8g-beoYozJkG7tN_yKV5LlCXR7OcYZ5G3HIhU2IE-ec2cAn9YiWtJgvrCFzxXraxQ/w400-h300/boulder_dash_05.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>We never really got close to the open pit area. They had those areas blocked off with heavy equipment and plenty of quarry employees watching us. They made sure we didn't deviate off the road areas. </p><p><br /></p><p>Just over 500 people signed up for the race. About 400 for the 5K and 100 or so for the 10K. We were together through the quarry. After the we split ways. The rest of the 10K was a series of hills. The only good part about hills is when you get to come down them. </p><p><br /></p><p>Finished with a time of 1:20:41, 12:59 per mile average. And, just like the Alien Half Marathon, once again was the only one in the male 65-69 category which put me in 1st place.</p><p><br /></p><p>Next up, a trail race in a vineyard. That should also be another interesting venue.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18328433420748963660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563366752898173901.post-33857145934307902402021-10-03T09:52:00.001-04:002021-10-28T08:27:46.707-04:00Duluth Donut Dash 5K (Race Recap)<p> </p><p>Duluth, GA<br />Sunday, September 26, 2021<br />Race/Event #93<br />5K #31<br />Weather - perfect Fall morning, clear mid 50s</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikI-L5svil58f0tL-Yz0S8hSKIHXyqs5nfEuRK0jjzQAs94gJhznmLYOa44Otn7aBuiB8dhdOkwS46zcAVUpCq7vcXTnbTFw3jhGB9khKVCGDHUEFIrKznAqNYF4hrpVrpWBgRb1KrhLid/s450/donut_dash.PNG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="450" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikI-L5svil58f0tL-Yz0S8hSKIHXyqs5nfEuRK0jjzQAs94gJhznmLYOa44Otn7aBuiB8dhdOkwS46zcAVUpCq7vcXTnbTFw3jhGB9khKVCGDHUEFIrKznAqNYF4hrpVrpWBgRb1KrhLid/w320-h210/donut_dash.PNG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>This race used to be called the Duluth Fall Festival 5K. It's always been the same route, same day (the Sunday of the Duluth Fall Festival weekend), just has a new name/sponsor now. I've done it seven times before. The race was uneventful, finished with a time of 39:21. The donut and coffee afterwards were very good! :)</p><p><br /></p><p>One of the things I really like about this race, some of the financial proceeds go for a good cause. Their website had:</p><p><span style="color: #38761d;">"We are happy to continue our support of Wellroot Family Services’ (formerly the United Methodist Children’s Home) vision of a world where every child is raised in a loving, compassionate, and nurturing home. Their Foster Care Program provides hope and healing to children who have been neglected or abused by providing loving foster homes, as well as helping children find permanent homes through reunification with their birth parents or through adoption. Wellroot Family Services serves the North Georgia community."</span></p><p><br /></p><p>Here's my prediction - this may be the very last 5K I do. It's not that it was a bad race, it was a nice race. A very festive atmosphere as it was part of the annual Fall Festival. Friendly people all around, easy going activity going on, and of course free donuts and coffee after the race. The problem, it was only a 5K, 3.1 miles. I just like longer distances. It felt like just as I was getting warmed up and in a rhythm, it was over. I know the saying, "Never say never." We'll see.</p><p><br /></p>scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18328433420748963660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563366752898173901.post-14288864009368263972021-09-27T08:19:00.002-04:002021-12-02T09:08:02.388-05:00Area 13.1 Half Marathon (Race Recap)<p>Roswell, GA<br />Saturday, September 11, 2021<br />Race/Event #92<br />Half Marathon #40<br />Weather - warm, mid 70s, night race 7:00 PM start</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggbYfaZzWcyozQePF_M9BXiHG0ewz-Frm66ul-kD_sVePiOaMsdHzqB9KCWzGP4zg7U0KviiRdokkeIs-GdMRriao0Hk_zOfGmb2ToWZ-x9Y8ivm4HyaF2BLXY0L2GxVL9GJOesD92q8c7/s382/area_13_1_half_marathon.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="382" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggbYfaZzWcyozQePF_M9BXiHG0ewz-Frm66ul-kD_sVePiOaMsdHzqB9KCWzGP4zg7U0KviiRdokkeIs-GdMRriao0Hk_zOfGmb2ToWZ-x9Y8ivm4HyaF2BLXY0L2GxVL9GJOesD92q8c7/s320/area_13_1_half_marathon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>It's been a long time since the last time I did race. Two and a half years to be exact. Retirement from work, Covid, and such. Anyway, glad to be back at it. I joined just over 1,000 people who also signed up to do the half-marathon or 5K. It was a nighttime race, my first. They strongly recommended bringing a headlamp.</p><p><br /></p><p>There was one other really odd thing about this race for me. After looking at the race participant list on their website I noticed that there were only two guys in the male 65-69 category. With the assumption that the other guy was going to run the race, all I had to was keep my walking pace fast enough to meet their cutoff times (6.5 miles by 9:00 PM (2 hours) and 10 miles by 10:00 PM (3 hours)). If I was successful, I'd place second in the category. This became my goal for the race. I don't typically place 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in any of the races I do, especially half marathons.</p><p><br /></p><p>As race time was getting near, I took my normal starting position near the back. During the national anthem, took my hat off and stood at attention. It means so much more to me to pay deep respect not only in general but specifically because this was the 20th anniversary of the 9-11 attacks. Shortly after that, we were off.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwb_s3sRFpOCNd2oNc4_VrIz7vx-xYobYkvv9ko3_GVHXZm2By16SvZMddTiuXxBR07B4df8uwhV42jaeN8NYwY92mj3Loztd0OATuyuhrhAoyKVepJiYt4ZDFfAxghJ5bskb6NkpfIPvf/s733/alien_02.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="484" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwb_s3sRFpOCNd2oNc4_VrIz7vx-xYobYkvv9ko3_GVHXZm2By16SvZMddTiuXxBR07B4df8uwhV42jaeN8NYwY92mj3Loztd0OATuyuhrhAoyKVepJiYt4ZDFfAxghJ5bskb6NkpfIPvf/w264-h400/alien_02.PNG" width="264" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Being overly aware of the cutoff times, I decided to do a little running in the first few miles. I had "fresh" legs, no knee pain. The back of the pack thinned out pretty quickly and for the majority of the race it was never crowded. Sunset was about 7:45 so darkness came quickly. At about 8:30, while on a trail in the woods, with no one else around I was extremely thankful I had a headlamp. I shut it off once just to see what it was like without light. It would have been impossible to do this section without light. A few times I thought I was lost. Didn't see anyone ahead or behind. It was a good feeling every time I came across a sign with an arrow on it (and the race logo). </p><p><br /></p><p>As the race progressed, I was really feeling the difference from doing my 12-13 mile walks during the week. Those weekly walks were easy. This was hard, races are different. I was able to make the cutoff times at mile 6.5 and 10. That was good. I would have been disappointed if I got a DNF (did not finish) on this race. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_0bBj20Fpojf4rWbO0qKxqM-q6jLDuyPgHbLQoM7zZyVB2JUeyg6nrjjLQ-82fNF64kmNhYCNQfHf0ZiVfqHZ7yTc_wMkApP-LzGHsDLunLWDo_xFuFbLWMbigD5OJbg2eT0gQ5jnQtw/s730/alien_03.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="484" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_0bBj20Fpojf4rWbO0qKxqM-q6jLDuyPgHbLQoM7zZyVB2JUeyg6nrjjLQ-82fNF64kmNhYCNQfHf0ZiVfqHZ7yTc_wMkApP-LzGHsDLunLWDo_xFuFbLWMbigD5OJbg2eT0gQ5jnQtw/w265-h400/alien_03.PNG" width="265" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the finish in the dark, exhausted</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Three hours and seven minutes after starting, I crossed the finish line. I was exhausted. My 3:07:07 time got me 1st place in the M65-69 age group. I was the only person in that category! :) It was still nice coming in first though. They gave me Alien 13.1 pint glass and a $15 gift card to the Big Peach Running Store. </p><p><br /></p><p>It was a good race.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18328433420748963660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563366752898173901.post-75384371007666741652021-01-07T06:34:00.001-05:002021-01-07T06:51:31.608-05:00Building a Fence With Branches<p>During the fall I trimmed a lot of trees in the backyard. While on a long walk one day, I came up with the idea to build a small fence with them. A fence that would help keep the leaves from blowing into the porch area.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCfwG_p0s4p2eYfrFZo3YgZlg481ALHvE9ovz9LURm_Grk1tWRvrhTgbBZV78BGiCyzf2ll2Xdsc59ATcbAI0WRxPSyzfkVAGx4M_3X4ktZbfb0803gcPFNQluJ4kM1mqDL_Ucucal1pJs/s1214/branch_fence.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1214" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCfwG_p0s4p2eYfrFZo3YgZlg481ALHvE9ovz9LURm_Grk1tWRvrhTgbBZV78BGiCyzf2ll2Xdsc59ATcbAI0WRxPSyzfkVAGx4M_3X4ktZbfb0803gcPFNQluJ4kM1mqDL_Ucucal1pJs/w400-h256/branch_fence.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>It worked! :)</p><p><br /></p><p>In case you were wondering and want to build one yourself, it's pretty easy to build a fence like this.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Frame</span></b></p><p>The first thing to decide, what material to use for the structure. I decided to use red pine fence pickets. I got them at Home Depot, 5/8" x 5.5" x 6'. They were $1.97 each. For each fence section (36" x 36"), I needed two pickets. Not too bad, $3.94 in wood cost per section, with a little bit leftover to use for the next section. Fortunately I have both a miter saw and a table saw so I was able to cut these to the sizes I needed. </p><p>First, on the miter saw, cut each picket in half, roughly 36 inches.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09H7K79GMkkD3rLgC_C8enxE1x-S1bE1MpU_kNi9Hh4pCaCLZWXqjO78rlYdrY4H8-pvyA61AxXlatWB53PcQ6C7gxX4HzIWEP2td9V-vy_3N5YAIZgTy8Awdn6gFGIvfGZ1SHM5jKZy-/s904/build_branch_fence_01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="834" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09H7K79GMkkD3rLgC_C8enxE1x-S1bE1MpU_kNi9Hh4pCaCLZWXqjO78rlYdrY4H8-pvyA61AxXlatWB53PcQ6C7gxX4HzIWEP2td9V-vy_3N5YAIZgTy8Awdn6gFGIvfGZ1SHM5jKZy-/w369-h400/build_branch_fence_01.jpg" width="369" /></a></div><br /><p>Next, each 36 inch piece had to be ripped in half on the table saw.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5uYZWireBEJHTHyOGRW3rELscpkMTEMT-MUwNdCTXnm_Xq60tX_ldLWIO0KNlJyo2nCGzaZvU_luev5JVrjNlJ1ud4MVYjv183qSpvVYTbgMb9OdJzjbdvjLzB7BwIrJDaCWUTsw9-C0N/s988/build_branch_fence_02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="880" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5uYZWireBEJHTHyOGRW3rELscpkMTEMT-MUwNdCTXnm_Xq60tX_ldLWIO0KNlJyo2nCGzaZvU_luev5JVrjNlJ1ud4MVYjv183qSpvVYTbgMb9OdJzjbdvjLzB7BwIrJDaCWUTsw9-C0N/w356-h400/build_branch_fence_02.jpg" width="356" /></a></div><br /><p>Painting is optional. I decided to paint these a dark brown.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtgt1Up1Poh5Au10EP5VuBnqI-C77j-LVi3-i_6DLwOU22CfUJVBbU1gSuZv0hjUFQMQRpv8anj_iIODHSSDJk1kGMRFoXUuCkKcVdab7RKmhdfXhRS4x202xv_Cxo5lHxsLdKRDHvd-a5/s1041/build_branch_fence_03.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1041" data-original-width="955" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtgt1Up1Poh5Au10EP5VuBnqI-C77j-LVi3-i_6DLwOU22CfUJVBbU1gSuZv0hjUFQMQRpv8anj_iIODHSSDJk1kGMRFoXUuCkKcVdab7RKmhdfXhRS4x202xv_Cxo5lHxsLdKRDHvd-a5/w368-h400/build_branch_fence_03.jpg" width="368" /></a></div><br /><p>About the saws, at a minimum you will need a miter saw or at least some way to cut your wood into 36 inch pieces. If you do not have a table saw, you do have another option. Instead of using the 6 foot pickets that need a lot of cuts, you could use 3 inch wide cedar planks. You would not have to do any ripping, thus no need for a table saw. The only downside to this approach is material cost. The cedar planks at Home Depot, 3/4" x 3" x 8' cost $8.64. For each fence section you would need three planks, $25.92. Big difference compared to the $3.94 per fence section cost with the red pine fence pickets. There are many types of wood to choose from. The main thing to keep in mind when selecting is picking one that will hold up to the weather.</p><p><br /></p><p>Next, put these together in squares and screw them together. Be sure to make sure they are square. Also, it's best to use exterior screws.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAw-VHA-o0a5OTjE3u-SoyOqxjC0hByhpagzbenyUvkLrlbzVEB1E_mb1yXzHmnu61GPmsIpIhUDoIDulWcIHfQPxaW7pCJRG6ruafz5fx3HpnIVVcBf6e08xWDuwHv7HFCgCZm-zZiBO/s949/build_branch_fence_04.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="929" data-original-width="949" height="391" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAw-VHA-o0a5OTjE3u-SoyOqxjC0hByhpagzbenyUvkLrlbzVEB1E_mb1yXzHmnu61GPmsIpIhUDoIDulWcIHfQPxaW7pCJRG6ruafz5fx3HpnIVVcBf6e08xWDuwHv7HFCgCZm-zZiBO/w400-h391/build_branch_fence_04.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>A tip my dad taught me to make sure something is square, measure the distance of opposite corners. If they're the same, it's square.</p><p>You may need to add spacers (like I did on this section) in all four corners. You will need to do this if your branches are thicker. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHRxw3uqnnWVxBIxMAmR0Bse66aeTp9tB8Bm1eJatL3w-4KwNsx7mEn7iSo5ovKzDp53550XFD15gKN3TE1avd4FOznxzEy7RYKGeROjSuW-NV40JiRClMsX8B4mHTdl7ekVxDoC9DY9ub/s1043/build_branch_fence_05.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1043" data-original-width="954" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHRxw3uqnnWVxBIxMAmR0Bse66aeTp9tB8Bm1eJatL3w-4KwNsx7mEn7iSo5ovKzDp53550XFD15gKN3TE1avd4FOznxzEy7RYKGeROjSuW-NV40JiRClMsX8B4mHTdl7ekVxDoC9DY9ub/w366-h400/build_branch_fence_05.jpg" width="366" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div><p>Final step for the frame, screw in the two side pieces. You can now see the gap where you put the branches.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAnj6U5WJC2G2dga05KsbaCIW5yVo2SXJbbnJhcHBXKH3TQK06nCGRmxdEnlvBvuM7NenWCmK6SILEAK8KrTK-uEgroAVgs0KOgTW8cCHXMrHtpGuvLRsSNg5Gze-ePIesNNbvN0nyB1cA/s951/build_branch_fence_06.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="932" data-original-width="951" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAnj6U5WJC2G2dga05KsbaCIW5yVo2SXJbbnJhcHBXKH3TQK06nCGRmxdEnlvBvuM7NenWCmK6SILEAK8KrTK-uEgroAVgs0KOgTW8cCHXMrHtpGuvLRsSNg5Gze-ePIesNNbvN0nyB1cA/w400-h393/build_branch_fence_06.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74Bk-UpGP7_HgDOw1qatPW2pHVOH-NSXj-KHqz8HtkBfcUFGlJxgCa9o3dnO708EXBWFBqp-HVb3YLNqGQfLcGVQI2S8-YDz297pGJpNWK0WJ3LJKZ18-pJo1cdNNJvHm0UaEHqEeGTlq/s945/build_branch_fence_07.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="895" data-original-width="945" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74Bk-UpGP7_HgDOw1qatPW2pHVOH-NSXj-KHqz8HtkBfcUFGlJxgCa9o3dnO708EXBWFBqp-HVb3YLNqGQfLcGVQI2S8-YDz297pGJpNWK0WJ3LJKZ18-pJo1cdNNJvHm0UaEHqEeGTlq/w400-h379/build_branch_fence_07.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>The Branches</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Working with the branches is the most fun. It's sort of like a puzzle figuring out the order in which to put them in. They all have to be cut to size. The one piece of equipment that helped significantly with this process was a vice.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEDcKeFIMS5a7YDHaR3IZ_NpdFn0IkIBU9F2ien6-JvGlaT6rPwJlQI-E0GLJCdN4iqr-rZMGW0OE0k3zNM9vzEa8l-chuIzoAa2UcORWKIkCzt_Xc_smVI3Wql4OzObddjg1eKJUamR6A/s1132/build_branch_fence_09.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1132" data-original-width="869" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEDcKeFIMS5a7YDHaR3IZ_NpdFn0IkIBU9F2ien6-JvGlaT6rPwJlQI-E0GLJCdN4iqr-rZMGW0OE0k3zNM9vzEa8l-chuIzoAa2UcORWKIkCzt_Xc_smVI3Wql4OzObddjg1eKJUamR6A/w308-h400/build_branch_fence_09.jpg" width="308" /></a></div><br /><div><br />The vice made the cutting so much easier being able to secure each branch. Once cut, you insert into the frame. There is no need to secure them.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKKElhlNVoQ69SpJVG0cxg9ciVtLER1XNxFjM_E9nC8kEUsOwN5ECvzk6Hos8Vs7W_VoOb8LWiH3krHX5cA_v4F8CNPN1wbhr3NElQA2pHkKJNpvy_DKlfK46_f_PFf6o45z4-JAWB-gV0/s1192/build_branch_fence_10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1192" data-original-width="816" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKKElhlNVoQ69SpJVG0cxg9ciVtLER1XNxFjM_E9nC8kEUsOwN5ECvzk6Hos8Vs7W_VoOb8LWiH3krHX5cA_v4F8CNPN1wbhr3NElQA2pHkKJNpvy_DKlfK46_f_PFf6o45z4-JAWB-gV0/w274-h400/build_branch_fence_10.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>One final step. Since it will be outside, in all sorts of weather, it needs to have some type of protection. I opted to put a few coats of spar urethane on them.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>A Final Note</b></div><div><br /></div><div>I was surprised how many branches I needed to build this fence. It was just over 200 individual pieces. I found myself picking up fallen branches while walking on some local trails.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18328433420748963660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563366752898173901.post-51129257853906207462020-05-23T04:08:00.000-04:002020-06-06T09:59:07.052-04:00You Can Observe a Lot by Watching<br />
Yogi Berra said that to his players in 1964 when he was managing the NY Yankees. The ball players were not paying attention to the game.<br />
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I sort of applied Yogi's wisdom to my walks at on the Suwanee Creek and Ivy Creek Greenways. I have been walking there for over 10 years now. Except for the squirrels and the deer, haven't seen much wildlife. About a week ago that all changed. We spotted the Owl at Suwanee Creek. Since then we have been observing a lot of wildlife. So Yogi was right. You can observe a lot by watching!<br />
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What we have seen in the last week:<br />
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Yogi was right!<br />
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<br />scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18328433420748963660noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563366752898173901.post-25796456552812134192020-05-16T07:25:00.000-04:002020-05-16T10:54:31.271-04:00The Owl at Suwanee Creek<br />
I was mad at myself for not bringing the camera. Most of our daily walks are on the <a href="https://www.traillink.com/trail/suwanee-creek-greenway/" target="_blank">Suwanee Creek Greenway</a>. It's about four miles long so and out & back provides us with plenty of daily steps. The one thing that has really stood out recently, the amount of wildlife we spot, pretty much every day.<br />
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Two days ago we spotted an owl perched on a branch. As we came around the corner we saw the owl descend from the branch to the creek below. Its wingspan was impressive. The owl did exactly what I see the birds in my backyard birdbath do, bathed itself. I was mad that I didn't have my camera with me. It would have been some great shots. I promised myself, tomorrow I will bring the camera.<br />
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Amazingly so, the owl was there the next day!<br />
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<br />scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18328433420748963660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563366752898173901.post-64078252209673037102019-03-03T07:54:00.004-05:002021-10-03T09:57:23.209-04:00Zion Half Marathon (Race Recap)Springdale, Utah<br />Saturday, February 23, 2019<br /><br />Half Marathon #39<br />Weather - sunny, very cold, 10 degrees F at the start<br /><br /><div><br /></div><div>
About seven or eight months ago got a text from my son about a half marathon out at Zion National Park. It's put on by an organization that does races at various Nations Parks - <a href="https://vacationraces.com/" target="_blank">Vacation Races</a>. It looked interesting. He and his wife were interested in doing this race so I said if they wanted to do it, I'd join them.<br />
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After agreeing to do the race the thoughts that went through my mind though - <b>February - winter - Utah - cold</b>. Hmmm... I am not a big fan of bitter cold, let alone doing half marathons in cold weather. However, their website listed average temperatures as 33 - 60 degrees F. That convinced me that it would not be too cold to do a half in February. <br />
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Average weather listings are funny things. They may or may not be true on the day you are there. Well, this apparently was not an average year as the temperature at the start of the race was 10 degrees F!!! It was sooooooo cold! <br />
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As typical, weeks, days, before any race, I'm always checking the weather forecast. There was no doubt in our minds, it was going to be unseasonably cold. This lead to the purchase of balaclavas, hand warmers, and thoughts of layers, layers, layers. <br />
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We had to get up very early (4:00 AM-ish) to get to the race as we were staying in an Airbnb in Orderville, about 45 miles away which included going through Zion National Park (in the dark, a very interesting drive, icy roads, a very winding road, meaning you were not going to go fast at all). We did make to the starting line which was in Virgin, UT. The race was a point-to-point race from Virgin, UT to Springdale, UT. Although the race is called Zion Half Marathon, the course was not actually in the park. The finish line was a couple hundred yards from the entrance to the park. <br />
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The other thing that was unique about this race, a point-to-point race, it was all uphill! So between the cold and going uphill the whole time, I knew I would probably not be able to finish in my self imposed (secret :) goal of three hours. No worries though, just finishing would be good enough.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Scenery was incredible!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> ~Mile 9, warmed up to about 20 degrees! </td></tr>
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Fun, senior sidebar note: Since our Airbnb was on the other side of Zion National Park, during our stay we made five trips through the park. It cost $35 each time our vehicle entered the park. However, since I purchased the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm#CP_JUMP_5088578" target="_blank">Senior Lifetime America the Beautiful Pass</a> a few years back, we did not have to pay the $35 each time, got in for 'free'. What a deal! <br />
<br /></div>scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18328433420748963660noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563366752898173901.post-48459499839759818532018-05-19T11:44:00.002-04:002021-10-03T09:57:37.570-04:00The 2018 Great Saunter <div>New York, NY<br />Saturday, May 5, 2018 <br /><br />Great Saunter #4<br />Weather - warm, sunny</div><div><br /></div><br />
Earlier this month, for number 66, did the Great Saunter. The Great Saunter is a 32 mile walk around the island of Manhattan. This is an annual event hosted by an organization known as <a href="https://shorewalkers.org/" target="_blank">Shorewalkers .</a><br />
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This was the fourth time doing the Great Saunter and also it was the second time doing it with my daughter. We had good weather, and oh boy does that make a difference! No rain :)<br />
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Since we were pre-registered, my sister and brother-in-law dropped us off at <a href="http://www.frauncestavern.com/" target="_blank">Fraunces Tavern</a> early in the morning and we were on our way. Fraunces Tavern is on the Lower Eastside of Manhattan and it is where the Great Saunter stated and finished.<br />
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Since both of us were "veteran Great Saunterers", we knew where bathrooms were, and where other important things, like a place to grab a coffee, were. So we both looked forward to getting about four miles into the GS and we'd grab a coffee, to go of course. It was part of our routine :) However, at mile four we discovered that the coffee shop was no longer there! This was not good. The coffee was definitely part of our GS experience and very anticipated. So as we continued, the ONLY thing on my mind was where can we get a coffee! Long story short, at mile 7.29 we found an Espresso Bar ant got two large lattes, to go of course :)<br />
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Okay, now we could resume enjoying the GS. And we did. It really is a great walk and a wonderful way to see New York City.<br />
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Favorite pic of the day...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">George Washington Bridge</td></tr>
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<br /><div>Not sure if I'll do this event again in the future. After seeing everything for the fourth time</div>scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18328433420748963660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563366752898173901.post-84893658076038252362018-03-24T05:10:00.001-04:002021-10-03T09:58:17.979-04:002018 Georgia Half Marathon (Race Recap)<br />
For number 73, did the 2018 Georgia Half Marathon. It's been two years since I did a half - after doing this one, I remember why it's been so long. They're hard. <br />
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I've been battling a knee problem for a few years now and even a few days before this race, I was still on the fence for switching to the 5K instead. Two things helped me decide on doing the half: a new knee brace and an absolute promise to myself that I would do no running during this race.<br />
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For once, I was true on the promise - I did no running in the race. It worked. The knee did not bother me outside of the 'normal' pain of doing these distance races. The new <a href="https://www.bauerfeind.com/b2c/Sports-Supports/Sports-Knee-Support/p/YPBF_SPK_SKNEESUP" target="_blank">knee brace</a> was great! I was very pleased with it.<br />
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The best part about the race, pretzels and ice cold chocolate milk at the finish line:<br />
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Typically do not snack on these two things together, but after the race, the combination of the salty, sweet, and cold, really hit the spot!<br />
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It was so good!!! <br />
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Time: 3:01:33<br />
Minutes/mile: 13:52<br />
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<br />scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18328433420748963660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563366752898173901.post-47635646085503882292018-03-04T06:43:00.001-05:002021-10-03T09:59:05.488-04:00Epiphany Lutheran 5K (Race Recap)<br />
For race number 72 I decided to do the Epiphany Lutheran 5K. I always prefer participating in races that benefit a cause instead of the profits going to some corporation.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Epiphany Lutheran Church will be hosting a 5K Run on </span><strong style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">March 3rd </strong><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">to raise money for our youth trip to Houston this summer. Every three years, the Lutheran Church hosts a National Youth Gathering that attracts 30,000 high school age participants from around the country. This year, participants will be aiding in recovery efforts for the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey. All race profits will go toward alleviating the cost of this trip for families of our youth.</span></span><br />
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I did not pre-register for the race so I needed to sign up when I got there. Gave them the money, got my t-shirt, and the woman said "the next race number is 238" and started to hand it to me. My brain quickly wondered if race bib 239 was available so I asked. She said "yes it is, would you like that one instead?"<br />
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I'm sure she wondered why, but didn't ask, and handed me race bib 239. For my sisters and me, there probably is no other number, in all the numbers, that has as much meaning as this one. Our dad passed away in 2007 and the number 239 immediately brings back fun, warm memories of him. Dad had a joke, that he told many, many times, typically in a BBQ restaurant or anytime baked beans were being served. He would say "you can only eat 239 of them". Which would always warrant the response "why". He would then get a gigantic grin on his face and say "because the next one is too farty"! <br />
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As usual, did a combination of walking and running in this race, always aware of heart rate. For me, no need to stay in the max heart rate range. It was a good race, well except for the uphill parts. <br />
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I ended up placing 1st in the Male 60-69 category for the race. However, there was only one person in that category! :)<br />
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<br />scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18328433420748963660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563366752898173901.post-30684052243544872332017-07-06T10:22:00.001-04:002021-10-03T09:59:30.569-04:00Ordination Rock 5K (Race Recap)<br />
July 4th, 2017 -- Ordination Rock 5K -- Tamworth, NH<br />
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If there was such a thing as Most Unique 5K Name Award, this race might have a shot at winning it. <a href="http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMECHV_Ordination_Rock_Tamworth_NH_USA" target="_blank">Ordination Rock</a>, as explained to me by my grandson, is a glacial erratic - a gigantic rock resting in an area where it just does not belong, apparently deposited there by a glacier (a very long time ago) and just left there after the glacier melted.<br />
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Anyway, this glacial erratic is where the start line was for the 5K.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 10.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">Start: </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 10.000000pt;">Ordination Rock </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 10.000000pt;">– </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 10.000000pt;">outside Tamworth Village up Cleveland Hill Road </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 10.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">Finish: </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 10.000000pt;">K.A. Brett School<br />
</span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 10.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">Course: </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 10.000000pt;">A scenic run through quaint Tamworth Village including the Remick Country Doctor Museum & Farm
(Binsack Trail), Captain Enoch Remick House, The Tamworth Historical Society, The Barnstormers Theatre, &
Cook Memorial Library; winding over the Swift River, turning by Tamworth </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 10.000000pt;">Veterans’ </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 10.000000pt;">Memorial and a long
straight final run down Rte 113 to the K.A. Brett School.<br />
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This was a wonderful, small town, local, fund raiser for the library race. There were 143 participants. One of the things that caught my attention in the first mile, while going through the Remick Country Doctor Museum & Farm were some unique spectators!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClS4unV-hJZ4d0Rf69wz5F-TR85Q6qgsRWwe1sQfCQrytlAKXIN7O0T_AkdiDt7aX2Zne4SAOGp4bBJskIl_af_Hu7Hfgk4IQLA2BODYbBtzb9BJHxiGSIRw8emOwJZ9l0QnEGz7YJC5S/s1600/ordination_rock_5k_cows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1123" data-original-width="1581" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClS4unV-hJZ4d0Rf69wz5F-TR85Q6qgsRWwe1sQfCQrytlAKXIN7O0T_AkdiDt7aX2Zne4SAOGp4bBJskIl_af_Hu7Hfgk4IQLA2BODYbBtzb9BJHxiGSIRw8emOwJZ9l0QnEGz7YJC5S/s400/ordination_rock_5k_cows.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The race ended at the school and they had my most favorite after race refreshment - watermelon! For me, on a hot summer day after race, there is nothing better than watermelon - the best!<br />
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After the race, the day's activities included a few more fun <b>4th of July</b> events:<br />
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The first was a parade through the downtown area of Tamworth, the kids loved it as they were throwing candy off of each float! But when the firetrucks came by, with their sirens blaring...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLd0AR9aB0EaoAypt4GrVJ5SsIh-bMF5Xn7fk2c0wwbtv8kQF9jOO6ZkqPpaSjuNAMV78-NEw0LGwUMC_rDAFxz69aqB36txcB1uaS86EdwZ58-Zq4D1z3OoExVHNG9OMKzYaqXrjecGnK/s1600/tamworth_parade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLd0AR9aB0EaoAypt4GrVJ5SsIh-bMF5Xn7fk2c0wwbtv8kQF9jOO6ZkqPpaSjuNAMV78-NEw0LGwUMC_rDAFxz69aqB36txcB1uaS86EdwZ58-Zq4D1z3OoExVHNG9OMKzYaqXrjecGnK/s400/tamworth_parade.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Towards the end of the parade, the Tamworth Union Hall float came by with two of my grandsons and son-in-law...<br />
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<table align="center" 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="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYajiXRx4072GMlwqn8TzcT3ddBZk7hrAEGsU9md-zuu1EbPt7kwTKvl_i0wQUADaH-NA5mqw3IALUeIJfpcenu00VyPvrwVlahIwukSSz3Sv0aYtD7p3FmePOMDE6oibKZ3H4JRqYf_8W/s1600/union_hall_pig_roast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="1178" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYajiXRx4072GMlwqn8TzcT3ddBZk7hrAEGsU9md-zuu1EbPt7kwTKvl_i0wQUADaH-NA5mqw3IALUeIJfpcenu00VyPvrwVlahIwukSSz3Sv0aYtD7p3FmePOMDE6oibKZ3H4JRqYf_8W/s400/union_hall_pig_roast.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Union Hall Pig Roast!</td></tr>
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Back at the house, the day before...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">~18 hours and they'll be ready</td></tr>
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No need to mention where we ended up later on the 4th... :)<br />
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<br />scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18328433420748963660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563366752898173901.post-66942402011882347412017-06-25T07:13:00.000-04:002017-06-25T07:13:11.847-04:00Terror Off the Nature Trail - The Trial<div style="line-height: normal;">
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(continued from: <a href="http://walkingtoretirement.blogspot.com/2017/06/terror-off-nature-trail-witness-for.html" target="_blank">Witness for the State</a>)<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Why was I nervous?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Woke up normal time on the day of the trial. Coffee. Bagel. Shower. Shave. But I was off, could feel it. Why was I actually trying to figure out what to wear? I never really try to figure out what to wear, I typically just grab anything that sort of matches, maybe. I suppose just a general feeling of uneasiness totally consumed me. I don’t know, it was just weird like no other day before. But then again I never testified against anyone in court before.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Drove up to the county courthouse and true to form, was early. Grabbed another coffee and just hung around the courthouse and observed everything that was going on. Again, I had never been down this road before. It was surreal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">I finally made my way to the ADA’s office and signed in. The ADA was not at his desk so the receptionist told me to have a seat and he’d be back shortly. Thoughts began racing through my mind of how this trial was going to unfold. The truth, I had absolutely no idea what was going to happen. Sure, just like virtually everyone else in America, I’d seen many courtroom trials on TV. But in reality, none of that seemed to fit with what I was experiencing at that moment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">The ADA showed up, dressed sharp, maybe a better description would be, dressed slick. Thoughts of used car salesman came to my mind, not sure why. This was just another day for him, no big deal. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">He took me into his office and started to explain how things were going to happen. Although I really did want to know all of this, my mind for some reason was not ready to receive it. It was similar to when the teacher spoke on a Peanuts cartoon. Wa-wa wa,wa,wa wa-wa-wa. This was just strange. He kept going on and eventually I did zone in to what he was saying. The biggest thing that stood out was, I could not stay for the trial after I testify. What? Why not? Well apparently it’s the law or at least how it works. Once I was finished testifying, I would be dismissed from the court. But I wanted to watch how all of this played out. Oh well, that was not what was going to happen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Next he started what seemed to be like “coaching”. My brain quickly started wondering is this how it’s suppose to work? Is this allowed? What if the defense attorney asks me if I was coached? What will I say? Stop already! Just stop, over thinking all of this.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">After he was through “coaching” me I asked him about the defense attorney. His answers led me to believe that these guys face each all the time in court and it is a competition, more or less, between them. I sort of got the feeling that it was feasible that these guys would actually go out for beers from time to time and each brag about their wins. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">The trial started, a little time went by and I was called to the stand.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">There I stood just like the movies, “do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth…”.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Does anyone ever answer “no” to this question?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">First up was the prosecuting attorney, that was a piece of cake. Heck, I was his witness. Kid glove questions, just the facts, he lead me through exactly what he wanted me to say. And that part was over.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Next up, the defense attorney. That was a totally different story.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">With his first question, I was so confused. This was nothing like I envisioned it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">“How old are you?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">His words were direct like a sharp shooting arrow. My brain immediately went I’m not sure where, but it definitely was not what I expected.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">So I answered “49”.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Next he asked “what do you do for a living?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Okay, okay, he was just getting preliminary info out of the way, I thought.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">I answered, “I’m a college instructor”.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">“What do you teach?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">I replied “Business Information Systems”.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Next he goes into his first line of defense but starts it with “so old professor Scott, how long were running on that incredibly hot August morning at the park?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">“Old professor Scott”, what is that all about I thought? And what was the question about how long I was running about? I still could not wrap my brain around where he was going and what he was trying to do. So I answered him honestly and said “I was only out for a 45 minute run, maybe about 30 minutes into it”. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">He said, “do you run much?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">My reply was “I’m training for a half marathon, so I run a fair amount”.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">His facial expression changed. In hindsight, especially because my hair was mostly gray (looked old) and I was running in the summertime Atlanta heat, after 30-45 minutes of running, how that heck could I process anything accurately, especially a shooting, was where he was going with this. Old, exhausted, profusely sweating was the picture I think he was trying to paint for the jury to discredit my testimony. But when I told him I was training for a half marathon, that was a surprise to him and it totally changed his game plan. It was at that point where he dropped this and moved on to another angle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Next he started asking questions about how I taught my classes at the college. He did ask numerous questions. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">I was very confused at that point. He was not asking anything about what I witnessed that day in the park. Where was he going with this? Why was he not asking about the park? My brain was swimming.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">The question that stood out the most was a leading question that went like this, “so old professor Scott, isn’t it true that before you give a test to your class, you have to cover all of the material that would be on that test”?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">What is this guy doing? That was a stupid question. It’s like asking if water is wet. So I answered the question “yes”.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">I do not recall the exact amount of time his questioning took. Time froze and time went on forever. It was surreal. Time did not exist. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">When he concluded, I was dismissed from the court. The problem was, I was wired, wired like I’d never been before. I wanted to stay and see how this whole process was going to play out. But I was not allowed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Wired. What to do, what to do? It was only about 10:00 AM, really could not go to bar and have them line up shots for me (not that I’ve ever done that, but the thought did cross my mind) so that wasn’t really an option. Instead I went to a Starbucks and knocked down shots of espresso.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">No other day of my life was like this one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Back home hours later, late in the day, I called the ADA. Actually I was hoping he’d call me, but he didn’t. I said “what happened?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">The ADA simply said, “he was found guilty”.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">This really was not a surprise given what had happened. I asked the ADA what was up with the defense attorney’s questioning of me especially the question about teaching all the material before giving a test. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">He laughed and said “he quoted you in his summation”. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">What? How? But I was a witness for the prosecution. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">He basically said “just like old professor Scott told us, you have cover all the material before you give a test, just like in this case you have to have all the facts and ladies and gentlemen, we do not have all the facts”.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">My brain went bonkers! Now I did need to those shots! On some level I actually felt violated. How could this SOB use my words to support his case? Wow! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Then the ADA went on to say, "but that’s not all". After he was found guilty, there was some stipulation that allowed sentencing to take place after a short recess. Well during that recess, the accused, who had a heart condition and took nitroglycerin pills for it, decided to consume an entire bottle of nitroglycerin pills in an attempt to commit suicide. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">They rushed him to the hospital, they pumped his stomach, he did not die. In the end, he did end up going to jail.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Justice was served.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">As I said in the very beginning of this, I cannot go by this area without hearing that gunshot in my mind.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgISm3W63U4QDY5nyCejvgDh1S6PNbMLFyTt0MEOHq0dSRaJoGmIpH69_85XNDpczwHAtOJQAtsRDmtiklcFhKJNu1yOBgM69W58KP0n_vSxwUlNiZ2DQGNLi1Er7Rh-_qlhMzMAtXjvwO_/s1600/nature_trail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1111" data-original-width="1600" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgISm3W63U4QDY5nyCejvgDh1S6PNbMLFyTt0MEOHq0dSRaJoGmIpH69_85XNDpczwHAtOJQAtsRDmtiklcFhKJNu1yOBgM69W58KP0n_vSxwUlNiZ2DQGNLi1Er7Rh-_qlhMzMAtXjvwO_/s400/nature_trail.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18328433420748963660noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563366752898173901.post-2696809230490690262017-06-17T05:22:00.000-04:002017-06-25T07:15:04.581-04:00Terror off the Nature Trail - Witness for the State<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">continued from <a href="http://walkingtoretirement.blogspot.com/2017/06/terror-off-nature-trail-crime.html" target="_blank">Terror off the Nature Trail - The Crime</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6t2E2xJ8Bn48FOiM2EaiF2zFTb0fh4QoG6O-FQssddFDi17wESamdhyphenhyphenpRs0DcL07z4kHsOwQAxgluJQqQVtC3eIHoQ3ppz7KQ7OiGnytGKBYI5qxDf8seTCWSMyhUoPsaUP5A2-lnlyP/s1600/nature_trail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1111" data-original-width="1600" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6t2E2xJ8Bn48FOiM2EaiF2zFTb0fh4QoG6O-FQssddFDi17wESamdhyphenhyphenpRs0DcL07z4kHsOwQAxgluJQqQVtC3eIHoQ3ppz7KQ7OiGnytGKBYI5qxDf8seTCWSMyhUoPsaUP5A2-lnlyP/s400/nature_trail.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">On September 25, 1789, the Congress of the United States passed
the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution granting a cluster of rights to the
accused, one of which was the right to a speedy trial. However, the
accused in this case, probably at the advice of his lawyer, waived that right
and that began a long, drawn out 15 month process. A lot can happen in 15 months.<br />
<br />
<br />
Just as the detective mentioned, I did get a follow up call on what I witnessed. The
call came from one of our Assistant District Attorneys (ADA) who filled me in
on the details of the case.<br />
<br />
<br />
As it turned out, the woman was married to the gunman but had a restraining
order against him. The man walking with her was a
coworker. Pieces of the puzzle were falling into place.<br />
<br />
<br />
They ADA also mentioned that the woman had agreed to press charges and since he
pleaded not guilty, there would be a trial at some point and I would be needed as a
witness. One other thing he mentioned, the accused had
bonded out of jail.<br />
<br />
<br />
An uneasy feeling came over me in regards to the accused bonding
out. However, I did not mention any of this to the
ADA. The ADA said he would stay in contact as the case progressed.<br />
<br />
<br />
Months went by without any word on the trial, which was fine by
me. As the time progressed though, I found that I was feeling more
and more uneasy about testifying. Thoughts of retribution, if I
testified against this guy in open court, lingered in my mind. Fear.<br />
<br />
<br />
About this time I had other thoughts on my mind totally unrelated to the
trial. The rumors of more layoffs at work were getting stronger and
more frequent. This was a punch in the gut to me as one of the main
reasons I joined Hewlett-Packard was the fact that since Bill Hewlett and David
Packard started the company in 1939, they never had a
layoff. Instead they would do an across the board 10% reduction in
pay and employees would take a day off work every other week until things
improved. I sure liked that approach.<br />
<br />
<br />
A few more months passed without any further word on the trial so I decided to
call the ADA. I asked if something happened and maybe I was off the
hook for testifying. I was hoping that was the case. The
ADA said there was a setback in the case. The woman decided she no
longer wanted to press charges. The ADA said this
happens from time to time in domestic abuse cases where the accused promises a
change, won’t do it again, is sorry, etc. The ADA said that the
state was going to bring charges against the guy specifically for, not only
carrying a gun in a government owned park, but also for firing it at
someone. I was not off the hook. He said he’d get back to me as plan “B” progressed. <br />
<br />
<br />
About a month after that I was laid off from my job at Hewlett-Packard, one of the
approximately 30,000 people who were laid off during Carly Fiorina’s reign as
the first CEO to be hired from outside the company. Just my luck.<br />
<br />
<br />
In retrospect, I suppose I did have some luck. Prior to the layoff,
I was already a part time instructor at a nearby college, teaching two
nights a week. It was sort of like a hobby to me, I enjoyed it, and
made a few bucks. Well the luck was that one of the full-time
professors in my discipline was retiring at the end of the semester and they
needed to replace him quickly. I was hired as a “term-to-term”
Instructor. That was the good news, the bad news, I took about a 50%
cut in pay. But I had a job and benefits.<br />
<br />
<br />
This extended waiting period for the trial continued with very little
communication from the ADA. I suppose this is what can happen when a
speedy trial is waived and the accused is not sitting in a jail
cell. Once again, the guy being out of jail was bothering more
and more. I started wondering if he was at the park when I went up
there for a run. My paranoia was increasing. Since I saw
him at a distance when the crime happened, I vaguely knew what he looked like. Did
he know I was going to testify against him?
Could he find out who I was? Could he look me up, maybe find
a picture of me? From time to time I would see guys at the park that
basically fit his description and wonder. Paranoia is strange thing
and I think I tended to think about the worst-case scenarios. Fear.<br />
<br />
<br />
The ADA called to let me know that the state’s case was moving along
and it would not be too long before a trial date was set. My
paranoia had gotten the best of me by that point and I told him about
it. I started dancing around the idea of not
testifying. He did not like that and was armed with a comeback,
“we’ll subpoena you”. And he went through the whole civic duty thing
too. He also said if the guy does try anything with me, they’d do
something about it. Are you kidding me? What? How?
When? What if I’m already dead
from this guy shooting me at the park? Hey, he’s already tried it
once. I did not like this at all. <br />
<br />
<br />
The new job was going well except there was one glitch. I was only a
term-to-term hire which meant they would have to re-hire me each
term. Again, a bit more luck came my way. The college did
get the approval to post this job as a full-time, permanent, tenure-track
instructor position. It was a long process but I applied,
interviewed, and was offered the tenure-track position.<br />
<br />
<br />
So there I was, almost 50, way older than the typical new hire tenure-track
instructor. After working in corporate America for the prior 25
years, I had a lot to learn about academia.<br />
<br />
<br />
One of the things I learned quickly, this tenure-track thing is a game where
they make all the rules and if you want tenure, you will conform. So
besides teaching a full load and a few extra courses (for a little bit more
money) I was coached, pushed, nudged to get my name “out there” anyway I
could. That meant getting on as many committees as I could and
pretty much volunteering for anything that came along.<br />
<br />
<br />
In the Fall semester each year the college had a Faculty Development
Day. There were no student classes on that day. Part of that day was dedicated
to presenting topics and faculty members would select which topics they wanted to
attend. Since someone had to present the topics, meaning they
research something and develop a presentation, and the fact that I was now on
that hey look at me, get your name known, tenure-track, I volunteered to
present a topic. I came up with a topic, did the research, created
the presentation, everything was good to go for my first Faculty Development
Day presentation.<br />
<br />
<br />
Shortly after that the ADA called me and told me that the trial date had been
set. And, you may have guessed it, the trial date was the same day
as the Faculty Development Day. Wonderful, just wonderful. So now this trial was causing me negative publicity
for the tenure process as I had to back out of my presentation slot. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How did I get myself into this?</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
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scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18328433420748963660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563366752898173901.post-26145410231627603792017-06-11T05:26:00.002-04:002017-06-17T05:30:08.135-04:00Terror off the Nature Trail - The Crime<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">This is a true story. It happened to me in a suburban park north of Atlanta in 2003. I can't go by the area where it happened without hearing a gunshot - in my mind...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">I was working from home for a Hewlett-Packard R&D lab out of the San Francisco Bay Area, so I had the flexibility of going to the park for a jog in the earlier part of the day. This was a good thing as Atlanta summers can be brutally hot.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">One week-day August morning, I headed to Bunten Road Park for a 45-minute run. At the time, I was training for a half-marathon, so a 45-minute run was not that big of a deal - more on that later. The park had a one mile blacktop path and a half mile trail section - the Nature Trail.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I always changed-up my route: sometimes on the blacktop path; other times on the trail in the woods; sometimes I switched directions; anything to make the run a bit more interesting. Because it was a weekday morning, there were only a few others on the path, but I noticed one couple in particular, because I had passed by them a few times earlier. They were simply walking and talking, quite normally, doing nothing out of the ordinary. I was about 30 minutes into my run when I came off the nature trail and onto the blacktop and passed the couple again. As I did so, I heard a third person calling out to get their attention, and I saw a guy in my peripheral vision. It appeared as if the three knew each other and were exchanging a friendly greeting. By the time I was about 30-40 feet past the couple, I heard it. Someone fired a gun.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The woman was screaming; the man she was with had dropped to his knees. I saw the other man moving towards the couple. Right, wrong, or indifferent, my brain pieced together that the second guy was the one with the gun.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Fear had taken over. What should I do? Stay? Go towards them - to help? Run away? Thoughts were racing through my head at lightning speed. I was scared.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">One thought came to the forefront - get to a phone and call for help. I turned and sprinted away in search of a phone. The thought of getting shot in the back was real. The gunman had seen me.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I sprinted about 100 yards and noticed a police phone box on the restroom building. Great! I was out of the line of fire by then and all I needed to do was get to that phone and report the incident. The police phone box was locked! WHAT?? I sprinted away to look for help and came to a baseball field where I saw a guy on a riding lawnmower cutting the grass. I was in luck - he had his cell phone and called 911.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At that point, my thought process got weird and more confused. What do I do now? There's a man in the park with a gun that he’s already fired. I don’t know if anyone was hit, dead, in pain, or in need of help.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I jogged to the upper parking lot where I’d parked my car, and noticed two women who had just arrived for their morning run/walk. I told them what had happened and advised them to delay their run. In hindsight, it must have been surreal for them to be standing in that quiet county park, where nothing ever happens, listening to stranger tell them this story. Shortly after that I saw multiple police cars flying into the park. I was relieved.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I don’t recall checking my heartrate, (I always ran with a heartrate monitor strapped around my chest) but I’m sure it was probably through the roof. The adrenaline rush was wild. I headed around to the front of the park, out of the line of sight from where everything took place, looking for - I’m not sure what, but I needed to know what happened. Eventually I saw a group of police officers and other people scattered around in the area where the shot was fired. The situation appeared to be under control, so I made my way over to them. I noticed the Parks & Recreation Director, whom I knew, so I asked her about the current situation. The good news was that no one was injured or killed. The gunman had actually missed, and the police had him in handcuffs. When I told her what I’d seen and heard, she immediately took me to one of the detectives.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The questions began, and the detective wrote down everything I told him. When he was through, he told me not to be surprised if I got a follow up call as a crime had been committed and I was a witness.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">continued in <a href="http://walkingtoretirement.blogspot.com/2017/06/terror-off-nature-trail-witness-for.html" target="_blank">Witness for the State</a></span><br />
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<br />scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18328433420748963660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563366752898173901.post-79570918346262565612017-06-04T07:44:00.001-04:002021-11-28T06:09:56.918-05:00Strong4Life Superhero Sprint 5K<br />
Yesterday I hopped on Marta to the Midtown Station and then headed east to Piedmont Park for the Strong4Life Superhero Sprint 5K. Joining 1,077 others for the 5th annual race/event hosted by CHOA (Children's Healthcare of Atlanta) supporting Atlanta's Strong4Life Program, which is designed to help eliminate childhood obesity. A very good cause.<br />
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As I was walking past the Flying Biscuit on 10th Street, a woman, who looked like she was in need of directions said to me "do you know where Piedmont Park is". She was dressed in race day garb so I said "are you doing the race", she said "yes". So I said "me too, we'll find it together". Her name was Marie and as we made our way to the park she told me that this was her first race in about 30-40 years. Wow! Co-workers convinced her to get out there and do this. As we got closer, heard music in the distance and a feeling of comfort came over us as good, we're in the right place and almost there. The music got louder and before long we saw the starting line, the balloons, tents, and hundreds of people getting ready for the race. I wished her luck for this, her first 5K in 30-40 years and went off to find the race day registration line.<br />
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All signed up, four safety pins, race bib on, ready to go. It did not take long to notice there were a lot of people in capes and/or dressed up as superheroes. Man, I left my cape at home! I actually have one from a race I did a year or two ago. Oh well. But this all made sense, after all "Superhero" was part of the name of this race :)<br />
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Themed races. Fun, and kids really seemed to like it too.<br />
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9:00 AM rolled around and we were off. Headed out of the park, took a right on 10th as the race course was actually on the roads around Piedmont Park. The first mile kind of sucked as it was all uphill, not really steep, but none the less, uphill. I hate hills when doing these races! I only like the downhill parts.<br />
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As we headed north on Piedmont couldn't help but hear some kids from a balcony in one of the buildings we passed.<br />
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"Hey Superman, you suck!"<br />
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"Hey Flash, is that all you got? Come on, you can go faster than that!"<br />
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Kids... However, it's probably something I would have done as kid. <br />
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Just after mile one, downhill! Yay! So although this blog is about "Walking" I have been doing a bit more running, especially in shorter races, more specifically on the downhill parts. It sort of feels like I'm cheating on my blog! Anyway, my left knee is holding up, it feels pretty good, no pain. Not sure how much running I'll do moving forward. Time will tell.<br />
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Finished the race with a time of 37:14. Once again, for me, pretty happy with that time. In my head, my goal more or less has been to finish under 40 minutes. So this is good.<br />
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It was really hot during the race so they were handing out ice cold bottles of water. It was really good! Refreshing! Made my way over to the post race goodies tables and immediately zeroed in on the watermelon. That was even better than the water. Looking around the spread noticed bananas, apples, oranges, grapes, blueberries, watermelon, and carrot sticks. Typically post race spreads include all kinds of not-so-healthy choices, of course justified by just burning off a bunch of calories. But then I remembered the theme of this race - eliminating childhood obesity. So it made sense and I am glad they did not include all of those high sugar, high fat, high calorie choices. It was the right thing to do.<br />
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The race was over for me, although they still had the Fun Run for the kids coming up, the race awards, and the best costume contest, decided to head back to the Midtown Marta Station.<br />
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Crossing over Peachtree Street came across a fun sight, the <a href="http://www.atlantahistorycenter.com/explore/destinations/margaret-mitchell-house" target="_blank">Margaret Mitchell House</a>. She referred to it as "The Dump". Of course this is where she wrote <i>Gone With the Wind</i> from the bottom floor.<br />
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<table align="center" 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="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNBN_KohkXB_FNSbOTBnr3y-dBLsaDbkcsPJyr4V99-geheeMx1H4xZ58olcALbO_FClGRkLSxzUm9-aL6_3oQ6VrOP2TVELB1T1GhrnqaD9J4B_MLeWT5MHahSCCpgI1zZPU-APRknXY5/s1600/IMG_0901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1121" data-original-width="1600" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNBN_KohkXB_FNSbOTBnr3y-dBLsaDbkcsPJyr4V99-geheeMx1H4xZ58olcALbO_FClGRkLSxzUm9-aL6_3oQ6VrOP2TVELB1T1GhrnqaD9J4B_MLeWT5MHahSCCpgI1zZPU-APRknXY5/s400/IMG_0901.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Margaret Mitchell House</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Wonder if she ever came out on that back porch to think about what she was going to write?<br />
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Postscript...<br />
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Back home, showered, checked results for official time only to discover that I placed 3rd in the male 60-64 category. Darn, I should have stayed for the race awards!<br />
<br />scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18328433420748963660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563366752898173901.post-23070720447816137552017-05-27T12:08:00.001-04:002021-11-28T06:10:20.487-05:002017 Fast Track 5K and a Dog Bite<br />
After recently being inspired to get back (and complete) this 100 race/event goal I started a few years back, did the Fast Track 5K in Duluth, GA. It is a small, local race, this was the 3rd annual. So local, I didn't even have to drive to get to it, I could just simply walk to downtown Duluth, do the race, and walk home. Easy.<br />
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Nice day, temps in the low 60s, listening to tunes with the earbuds in, walking to the race. This was nice! Walking on the sidewalk noticed a woman walking her dog coming the other way. No worries with the dog, it's on a leash, with a harness, no aggressive movements, nothing really here to be concerned with. As we got closer the women and I nodded, smiled, and said "good morning". As we passed each other with the dog in between us, all of a sudden "WHAT THE ..." the dog bites me. Brain immediately goes into overdrive - what's happening, what do I do, this is weird, end up take two more steps and fall to the ground. That blanking hurt!!!<br />
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The women appeared more upset than me, she said "he's never bitten anyone before, he never does this, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry". "Are you all right"?<br />
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So about that time I stand back up, pull up my running shorts looking to see if the dog broke the skin. It bit me in the buttocks on the left side but I could not see it, especially with my left Lazy eye. Brain really trying to figure out what to do next. I need to see this bite area to assess it - but can't. The thought comes, oh yeah, I have an iPhone, I'll just ask her to take a picture of it so I can see it. Yeah this something that you do everyday on the side pretty busy road - ask some women, who you don't even know, to take a picture of your ass while you pull up your shorts! Yeah, that's the ticket!<br />
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So I say to her "I know this is a bit weird, but could you take a picture of this so I can see it"? She says "sure".<br />
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It did break the skin but was not gushing or dripping blood. She was still in massive apologize mode. I ask about the dog's vaccines, she says all up to date so that did make me feel a little bit better. I get her name, number and that was pretty much it. <br />
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Okay, where was I, oh yeah the 5K, earbuds back in, walk to the race.<br />
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It was about a mile walk and the whole time I'm thinking, I really need to clean this. Now I'm banking on someone having a first-aid kit at the race. As luck would have, quite a few officers from the Duluth PD were at the race for traffic control so made my way over to them. One of the officers noticing me approach says "can I help you"? I said "yeah, I got bit by a dog on the way here and was wondering if you had a first-aid kit in your car with anything I could use to clean" as I pull up my shorts and show my ass to five police officers. Yeah, can this day get anymore weirder?<br />
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<table align="center" 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="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3oo6g3hmd-SZDLAN6SckH5PQc0Iq9Be1VbuLeqVNf0h10wTOHObvMAkRkmoBv3sT5v3TSuBWVj4CkMPE29DNqnMC-P0f8x1tuS5GQpPZ1u25DO0i0RBdS43PVm0qN76ywb35U51j1Pgt/s1600/duluth_pd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1112" data-original-width="1600" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3oo6g3hmd-SZDLAN6SckH5PQc0Iq9Be1VbuLeqVNf0h10wTOHObvMAkRkmoBv3sT5v3TSuBWVj4CkMPE29DNqnMC-P0f8x1tuS5GQpPZ1u25DO0i0RBdS43PVm0qN76ywb35U51j1Pgt/s400/duluth_pd.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks Duluth PD!</td></tr>
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Luckily, the rest of the race was very uneventful! We did some group warmups, headed to the starting line, and we were off.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGYj1MgfTWMyYcq_JRyXowz-lkeZfdp6XtvcGnLOMUeyJzwO72PkKpcoQuYwPYZQQkxxT9H9kfNBZ4E9C-Yyo3cMuMN_c7mMOd3gpaAOHaOk-xiy-8PM2m9agZhwiEtgexlPqp0iAOhxlb/s1600/fast_track_5k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGYj1MgfTWMyYcq_JRyXowz-lkeZfdp6XtvcGnLOMUeyJzwO72PkKpcoQuYwPYZQQkxxT9H9kfNBZ4E9C-Yyo3cMuMN_c7mMOd3gpaAOHaOk-xiy-8PM2m9agZhwiEtgexlPqp0iAOhxlb/s400/fast_track_5k.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fast Track 5K</td></tr>
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I had a good race, mixing in a little running with the walking for a 38:09 finish. About 12:18 miles, for me, that's a good day!<br />
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<br />scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18328433420748963660noreply@blogger.com4