I’m off to run 13 miles, Now I’m back!
The Lincoln Memorial Half Marathon starts in an hour and a half. I thought about live-blogging the race, with updates on the quarter mile, but wireless is sporadic along the course and I may have found carrying the laptop to be cumbersome.
This may be the last transmission you get from me.
UPDATE
We finished the race! Every last stinkin’ mile. Thanks to everyone (John, Nancy) for their well wishes and everyone else (Jeff) for questioning our sanity. There may be pictures and comments to follow. I’m in quite a bit of pain here, people.
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You’re running 13 miles on purpose?
Anonymous Communist | Apr 5, 2008 | Reply
Congratulations! You got a great day for a run.
nancy | Apr 5, 2008 | Reply
Hope you had a good run, Dan. As Nancy says, you couldn’t have asked for a nicer day.
John | Apr 5, 2008 | Reply
Good for you!!! One word: ICE. Ice those legs like there’s no tomorrow. Oh, and ibuprofen. And get lots of sleep in the next few weeks. Your immune system takes a hit when you train for distance races.
Can’t wait to hear more about the agony and the ecstasy!
Kath | Apr 6, 2008 | Reply
Kath,
I’ve been on ibuprofen since right after the race, but haven’t used ice yet. Sleep? I made the mistake of going to a trivia night last night and didn’t get to bed until after midnight. We did win, however.
I saw Brian on the course. He called me Mr. Naumovich. He’s not nearly young enough to make me feel old. Besides, I finished several minutes ahead of him.
I have a newspaper column due tomorrow. If I can put it together, it will be on my half marathon experience. Otherwise I’ll just turn in what I already wrote and blog the half marathon here.
Dan
Dan | Apr 6, 2008 | Reply
Um…I think Brian is my age (if I’m correct about who Brian and Kath are) and therefore he is most certainly young enough to properly avoid casual first name exchanges with his elders. Or perhaps your first name simply escaped him, but knowing the correct pronunciation of Naumovich, even without the first name, would hold him in higher esteem than the cop out “chief” of “pal”.
That said, congratulations again on finishing the race and for beating that young whippersnapper.
nancy | Apr 6, 2008 | Reply
Nancy,
Brian knows my first name, all right. He was just trying to get into my head and make me feel old. It didn’t work, although I’m sure he’s in better shape today than I am.
Thanks for commenting,
Dan
Dan | Apr 6, 2008 | Reply
I was next to, in front of, or behind “Mr. Naumovich” the whole way and was very impressed by the dedication and effort he put forth during training and on race day. It WAS an awesome day for a run and his dad came out to the finish line, so that was really cool. Dan finished mere second (s) before me and then we went to Sammy’s for our victory beer(s)! That works much better than ibuprofen.
Tammy | Apr 7, 2008 | Reply
Mr Naumovich - great job on the race! I was merely respecting my elders when I called you out by last name on the course. Yes, you did finish ahead of me, and congratulations on that. I could say that you did so due to my lack of training for the race, but I’ll allow you to bask in the glory of your victory. ;o) I’ll try to remember the chief or pal that Nancy mentioned above next time. Or perhaps an obligatory ’sir’.
Honestly, it had been such a long time since I had seen you, I don’t think it clicked that it was you until we were almost past each other. So I just yelled out the first thing that popped into my head, which happened to be ‘Mr Naumovich’. No attempt at psyching you out or anything that clever, unfortunately.
And yes, I’m feeling great. Going to the gym tomorrow morning in fact, for a short run and some squats.
Seriously, great job at the race! Perhaps I’ll see you at the next local race, as I blow by you! ;o)
Brian
Brian | Apr 7, 2008 | Reply
Well, Brian, I didn’t want to make excuses for my poor performance (that nonetheless exceeded yours), but it just so happened that the race was scheduled for the day after the annual meeting of my vodka aficionado’s club. A night out with a group of thirsty Russian expatriates tends to take its toil on the old digestive system, not to mention the delirium tremens that inevitably follow.
And, damn the luck, I had inadvertently signed-on to a waffle eating contest the morning of the race. I didn’t win, of course, but still managed to put down a respectable 23 Belgian waffles slathered thick with real butter. Again, no excuses, but I was carrying a bit of extra weight throughout the course.
Regardless, Brian, I’m sure your youth would have won the day had I not donated a kidney in an emergency procedure just ten minutes before the race started. It was something I felt I had to do and I credit the sudden decrease in body weight with shaving minutes off my time.
You should be proud of your time, though.
Dan
Dan | Apr 7, 2008 | Reply
Touche’! See you at the next race.
Brian | Apr 8, 2008 | Reply
Dan,
After the rush of completing a half marathon, has the running bug got you contemplating Chicago this Fall - the big 26.2? I’ve been trying to decide if I’m going to do it this year or not.
Brian | Apr 8, 2008 | Reply
I think last Saturday convinced me that I couldn’t run a marathon. My legs hurt so bad and on the final mile I was certain that they were going to totally cramp up and I would be left lying on the road in a heap of agony.
I really like the idea of training for and running a marathon, I just don’t know that I could do it, and if I could, I don’t know if I want to deal with the aftermath.
But, who knows. Maybe I’ll change my mind.
Dan | Apr 8, 2008 | Reply
It’s a big commitment, but I think if you put your mind to doing it, you could. I’ve had some of the worst leg cramps in my life during and after the marathons I’ve run. Once I had to go to the ER for muscle relaxers and fluids at my sister and wife’s urging. And ask my sister about the bananas sometime - she’ll know what I mean. But nothing beats the challenge of 26.2, and seeing those balloons and crossing that finish line. If you decide to do it, I’ll be rooting for you. If not, you did the half and that is something to be proud of!
Brian | Apr 8, 2008 | Reply
I KNOW you could do a marathon!
Tammy | Apr 8, 2008 | Reply
I agree with Tammy!
Does anyone recognize this man?
http://www.fotojack.com/photo/?race=1042&cat=Unknown-Men&sel=241&sid=89aceeb28a96d5bcd0266e4ff5f3138c
Brian | Apr 9, 2008 | Reply
Thanks for not wearing those tiny speedo-like running shorts Dan. We appreciate it.
M.B. | Apr 10, 2008 | Reply
If you want to do a marathon, you can. It’s 90 percent mental, and those last 6 miles…ALL mental. The body follows the mind at that point cuz it’s got nothin’ else to go on.
Kath | Apr 12, 2008 | Reply