4:09:44 into the 3rd Wave

Some people wake up on Monday mornings

Barring maelstrom and red flare warnings

With no explosion and no surprises

Perform a series of exercises

Andrew Bird, Simple x from the album Armchair Apocrypha

"After you've run 26 miles you're not going to stop there." 
Bill Iffrig, 3 meters from the finish line.

At 4 hours, 9 minutes and 44 seconds into the third wave 78 year old Bill Iffrig was steps away from completing his 3rd Boston Marathon when the first of two bombs detonated.  The concussive force knocked him off his feet and rendered him temporarily deaf.  As he lay crumpled, stunned on Boylston Street he attempted to make sense of the incomprehensible.  He saw the second bomb explode and his mind seized. He was immediately surrounded by police and race officials. As he lay on the pavement a volunteer helped him to his feet and offered him a wheel chair. Bill declined the chair and crossed the line on wobbly legs with ears ringing.  He then walked another 6 blocks to his hotel.    

A reporter later asked Bill why he declined the wheelchair to which he replied "After you've run 26 miles you're not going to stop there."

At 4:09:44 into the third wave chaos erupted and terror seized Boston. This is the exact instant that smart phones world wide lit up, including mine.  This is the nano-second that social media sites flooded the airwaves.  This is when the images of dismembered bodies and blood pouring flashed world wide.  We saw the chaos and the insanity... we saw it all in internet real time.

Of all the images from this tragic event this is the one that continues to haunts me. I am drawn to the fluorescent yellow police vests and the bright red of Bill's singlet. The vibrant colours show strength and yet they are contrasted with incredible vulnerability.  The wisp of Bill's grey hair, his age, the faded white line, the multi-national flags blowing stiff from the blast, the smoke, the chaos. 

But it's the wisp of hair that is the focal point.  I carried a blurry image of this photograph on my long run this morning. The wisp of hair. The red singlet.  The thinness of body. Legs buckling. Crumpled body. The incredible pragmatism of Bill's words ... you're not going to stop there... as if to challenge the evil head on.  A wisp of hair. A wisp of fate.  A wisp of humanity. 

Life is but a wisp.

I received an email from a friend at the finish line. He witnessed the carnage and the insanity in technicolor. He paraphrased Jack Layton's final words to our beloved nation... love is stronger than hate...  In the context of the evil abounding the words cause my eyes to brim with tears. It seems abundantly appropriate to repeat the words here in their entirety. 

My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic.
And we'll change the world.

Yes friends, it's a good day to be alive, but it is also sad.  Let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic on this day and on all days. 

When will you run today?

Mike

We are with you Boston

An unbelievable, awful day. It started out so beautifully. Pure joy on so many faces. Then this thing of evil. I am struggling to comprehend. My friends are all safe, although some families have lost loved ones. Such pure evil. All of Boston is in shock. But I know this: love is stronger than hate.

Bill Dieh-Jones, 4.15.13

I had just passed 0.2 miles to go on Bolylston. I heard and saw the first blast but I thought it was a celebratory fireworks thing. The second was a block closer. Now a little scary (but I was SO close to the finish line. Then, police, ambulances, fire trucks, black SUV's and men in uniform with automatic rifles. I'm from Canada. Now it was getting scary. I could smell the smoke. I went into the Mandarin Hotel to use the restroom. They closed Boylston with baracades from along the sidewalks. Then they sent us out of the hotel into the mall. Then into the street. Thankfully I met my wife (by LUCK!!). We could not get to our hotel which was blocked off. I was in wet running clothes! We got around a back street and convinced them to let us in through the basement.  I didn't start shaking until I heard how many people were injured or killed. I haven't stopped shaking yet.
Bob Steinberg, 4.15.13

We are deeply saddened at the news coming from Boston today. Our thoughts and prayers are with the City of Boston and everyone affected by this tragedy
City Park Runners, 4.15.13

Oh my God! TWO explosions at the finish line of Boston marathon! Saw a photo of several runners down with police everywhere and quite a bit of blood where several runners were down. Still trying to find out some details. Very scary situation.

Gary Gobiel, 4.15.13

Vivian?  How is Vivian?
Michael Bennett, 4.15.13

Jake, Tim and I were waiting for Vivian at the family area a block away when the explosion happened.  I had crossed the finish line about 30 minutes before the explosion and made my way to the family area where Jake and Tim were waiting.  A few minutes later Kevin arrived just after the bombs went off.  He had finished five minutes before the blast and saw the smoke from the explosion.  The noise was terrifying especially after hearing the second blast.  After five minutes they cleared the streets for emergency vehicles. I had not heard from Vivian and she was due any minute so I was very worried. Later I learned that she had been stopped at mile 25.9.  She had fallen off her pace goal to stretch and walk a bit.  Had she kept on pace as planned it might have been terrible.  Thanks for thinking of us.
David Cormie, 4.15.13

We're all sitting here in a bar and just hugging each other.
Vivian Rachlis, 4.15.13

By attacking the marathon community, you're picking a fight with some of the most resilant, peaceful people on earth.  We are strong as individuals, but even stronger as a united running community.
Jean-Paul Bedard, 4.15.13

The images of evil are beyond human comprehension. We flood the airwaves with hope and love.  We are with you Boston.

We take some measure of comfort knowing our Manitoban runners and their families are safe and yet we mourn for the dead, the maimed, and the loss of innocence. 

With tears brimming and with a heavy heart I say to you friends, it is a good day to be alive.

Mike

Gerald Boulet

David Cormie

Gordon Dalling

Doug DeJong

Bill Diehl-Jones

Kevin Donnelly

Brian Drummond

Jake Fehr

Fiona Fleming

Randy Gabel

Cathey Gornick

Marlis Jabs

Ray Jones

Mark Lawall

Justin Mangin

Mike McGovern

Peter Pazerniuk

John Power

Vivian Rachlis

David Ranta

Melanie Sifton

Marcel Sorin

Bob Steinberg

Tim Turner

David Watt

Julie Whelen

Running San Antonio

Last week I had the good fortune of running in San Antonio, Texas.  I left on the Wednesday and returned late Sunday night.  I managed three little runs; 6 miles, 7, miles and then on Sunday, 15 miles. I was attending a national conference in this, the Home of the Alamo.

The first little run, 6 miles, was out the front door of the hotel and onto the river trail. The trail hugs the banks of the San Antoni River and meanders through the heart of the city. It's congested and touristy but very pretty.  Shops and restaurants line the trail and it's thick with pedestrians.  I saw the odd runner but truly, as gorgeous as it is, it's not the best place to run because of the crowds.  The river walk branches off into several directions so it's easy to get spun around.  You're also well below street level so there are virtually no reference points. I made my way back to the Hyatt showered and returned to the area where I discovered Springer, a local beer with a bit of a bite.  

The second little run was away from the crowds.  I planned 6 mile route that led out of the downtown area.  I planned a circle route but I managed to get myself lost.  It was all fine until I found myself under this huge freeway with roadways zigging and zagging about 20 feet overhead.  The area was a little run down and I must say I was feeling a little unsafe.  

The third little run was the most pleasant. I was well fuelled from the previous evening's meal and I managed to convince the front desk to extend my check-out to noon. I left the hotel after a mediocre Starbucks coffee (does Starbucks serve anything but mediocre?).  I ran from city centre to the San Antonio Zoo, met up with some local runners and had a nice chat.  I was out of water so one of them gave me chilled bottle of water; nice that.  I ran through a forested area and over a bridge.  A man flagged me down to chat about my Minneapolis Marathon tee-shirt.  He was from Wisconsin and was feeling a little homesick. 

Watching the clock I realized I better head on back to the hotel.  I passed by the San Antonio School of Art so I had to detour to see it up close... stunning. I realized I had about 45 minutes to spare so I ran beyond my hotel into the wealthy end of San An.  Back on the river trail which is now the back yard of zillion dollar gated condo developments.  I ran and I ran.  I just did not want to stop.  Finally I ran out of trail.  There was a group on bicycles so I chatted. I asked how to get back to the hotel and they gave me a couple of options.  I asked if the lived in the area and they chuckled and replied they were housekeepers for several different homes in the area.  

Back at the hotel just before noon, showered, packed, sitting on the patio of my favourite restaurant with a very chilled Springer, thinking yes, it is indeed a good day to be alive.. all pumped up on vitamin D.

Back in Winnipeg I ran 22 miles today on dry pavement with warm sun and I was strong right to the finish. The Ottawa Marathon is about 40 days away and it don't seem so scary anymore.

It's a good day to be alive.

Mike

Running the Alamo

I told my wife that I've been slacking on the blog writing lately.  She said I was just being blazy I did have the good fortune of running in San Antonio Texas for 5 days last week.  I promise I will blog it, but man, I'm busy.. and, truth be told,  a little blazy.  

You all be good and know that you're wonderful folks, all of you.  You might not realize it because of your life circumstance, but believe me, it's a good day to be alive.

:)  Mike

My Running Brain

Memory really defines who we are. Without memory we have no past, without our memory we cannot plan for the future, and it really helps us appreciate the moment. 

Dr. Gary Small, UCLA Centre for Memory and Aging

This is my office brain.

This is my running brain.

I watched CBC's  Doc Zone, Now Where Did I Put My Memory and it got me thinking of loved ones.

When I run I recognize that my brain is stimulated and considerably more aware of the moment than when I am sedentary.  While running my brain allows me to peek into the future and consider life's options with astonishing clarity.  While running I think of past events, of relationships, of possibilities, of hopes, of successes and failures. I make connections to events and the connections give meaning.  My running brain is different than my office brain.  My office brain is rationale, linear, sequential and locked in formality. My running brain by comparison is vibrant, free, receptive, colourful, and multi-dimensional. 

The question shouldn't be why do you run?... that's easy, we run because it makes us happy. The real question is why does running make us happy?  That question is more complex and requires deeper thinking. A big part of why running makes me happy is because it stimulates my brain and projects images that I would never see while sedentary.  My running brain makes me happy because of the colours I see and the textures I feel.  Running brings clarity to the nuances of life. My running brain makes me happy because of the answers it provides and the questions it raises. My running brain heightens my awareness of myself in this moment.  

This morning while running ... my brain locks into the crunching of the ice underfoot. It is a metronome to my heart.  The hoar frost, so stunningly gorgeous, soothes all worries ... how can there be problems with hoar frost so close, so thick, so intricate?  My brain negotiates winding trails and icy patches, calculating and adapting, knowing when to slow, when to go.  It's hyper-tuned to the moment.  But I ramble.

Hoar Frost, March 29

My loved ones?  There is a family person in my life with cancer.  She connects my brain to my past with tenderness and love.  She firmly anchors me to the present with pride and devotion.  This person, this loved one with cancer with months to live, she prepare me for my future with grace, and dignity.  

I run because it makes me happy.  Running makes me happy because it floods my brain with memories.  My running brain connects me with loved ones and delivers me to simpler times. Running plants me in the present and provides moments of brilliance, of clairvoyance.  My running brain fills me with joy. 

So friends remember, it's a good day to be alive.

When will you run today?

Mike

Enough With the Whining!

I've had thousands of problems in my life, most of which never actually happened.

Mark Twain

"Stop your whining"

Twain had it right. The problems we experience are mostly in our head. They exist as worries, dread, fear, and anxiousness.  Some problems are big, and painful and they're in your face, I get that, but most of the problems that plague us are simply figments of our imagination. They worm their way through our brain and lodge themselves snuggly and firmly.  Left unchallenged they lead to defeatist attitudes and they have the potential to change our life's trajectory.  

This morning .. actually, let's back up a bit... last evening I was dreading today's 16 mile run.  The weather is lousy and more snow is on the way. Treacherously jagged ice lines the sidewalks and snowdrifts tall as bungalows make me feel insignificant. The wind is relentless and causes the skin on my knuckles to crack and bleed. I seem to be frozen in a block of prehistoric time. All of this is breaking my running spirit.  

The problem is that I'm sick and tired of the cold and I want to run in warm weather. This is a problem that I can't control. It's lodged in my brain, but it's not real. Sure the cold is real enough, but big deal, it's cold, get over it. Instead of thinking about how fortunate I am, how healthy I am, how I have nothing to complain about, I choose to whine. Instead of thinking about people with real problems, people whose lives are devastated by illness or by loss, I choose to whine.  The whining doesn't make it warmer, it doesn't make me feel better, but I continue to whine like a baby.  These thoughts we have, they steep in our brain in a compote of negative energy.

I pulled on my shoes this morning and layered up with a little vaseline on my cheekbones and headed outside, solemnly, reluctantly for a 16 mile run... Okay, let's get this dance over with ... Within minutes I find my stride. I feel my body warming on the cold dark street and I listen to the rhythmic sound of my feet on the pavement. I sense the presence of my heart, strong and surging with life force. My breathing is calm and my legs pump hard as if forever young.  And I feel wonderful and full of joy as I run down cold dark streets with snow piled high and the wind in my face. These streets, the same streets that moments before existed in my mind with dread and forebode, are now soft and inviting.

I hooked up with some pals at mile three, and ran ten with them, and then another three home for 16. Home, with steamed hot chocolate, a warm fire blazing, and a soft bed awaiting.  Happiness and life in abundance.  Thoughts of goodness firmly planted in my mind.

So dear reader, if you have a problem, think.  Is this a real problem or is it a figment of your imagination? If it's the latter shake it off and slip on the sneakers.   

You know it friends, it's a good day to be alive.

Mike

A gift from my baby brudda

When I woke up this morning 
rainbows filled the sky
Yes I woke up this morning
rainbows filled the sky
Telling me, everything's going to be alright

Rainbow by G.Love from the album, Lemonade

I had a nice little 3.5 miles slow dance this afternoon that lifted my spirits. Not that they needed lifting, but the top-off was nice, sort of like an extra slice of strawberry rhubarb pie on a July evening ...  don't need it, but mmm, it sure tastes good. I've been sidelined this week because of a minor calf injury, a residual injury actually, the same one that keeps haunting me several times a year. My amazing massage therapist worked some powerful magic over two intense sessions this week and it has paid off. I will run 10 miles tomorrow. My schedule calls for 14.5 miles but that would be crazy, right? I better stick to 10 slow ones.

(By the way, maybe we should keep my 10 mile run a secret from my amazing massage therapist. She would not be amused!  So if you know her, mom's the word, right? ;>)

My brother gifted me an album this morning from iTunes. It just appeared in my inbox like magic. He says I need a new play list and it arrived just in time for my run. It's nice receiving a gift out of the blue when it's least expected. It brings a pang of joy. The tunes are nice, great actually, but the thought behind the tunes brings a glow. The album? G. Love, Lemonade... it's hip, it's hop ... it is what I am not... and I love it. If you saw me run today I would have been grooving down the trails all funked out and lost to the world (do the kids still use funked out... did any kids, ever?). Nice that.

Did you hear that the race committee cancelled the United Nations sponsored Gaza Marathon scheduled for April 10 because the ruling Hamas movement refused to allow women to run alongside men?  Gaza has been under the control of Hamas since 2007. 807 people had registered for the run, 385 women and 422 men. Another 1,600 boys and girls were registered to participate in the event. The decision to cancel the race was taken after the ruling Islamist movement refused to backdown over the issue of men and women running together.  The Hamas issued this statement of regret:

We regret this decision to cancel the marathon but we don't want men and women running together.  We don't want any women running uncovered. 

A United Nations spokesperson  said:

It is frustrating for us, we are disappointed and we are sad but we cannot accept the conditions from [Hamas] – to accept this would be to go against the principles of the UN on equality and women's rights.


I'm thinking the Hamas movement should check out G. Love's Lemonade and chill a bit.  Kudos to the race committee for cancelling the event rather having a men only race.  

It's a good day to be alive, alive and free from intolerant Hamas ideology.

Mike

(source for Gaza Marathon story: Globe and Mail, March 6 and The Age World)

Numbers

One, two, three, four
Tell me that you love me more
Sleepless long nights
That is what my youth was for

1,2,3,4 by Feist from the album, The Reminder

So, maybe it is true, maybe we do get faster with age.  I have plotted the completion times of 24 of the 25 half-marathons that I have run since 2005 (I omitted the 2009 DNF). I converted the times into minutes and omitted seconds (e.g. a time of 1 hour, 58 minutes, 17 seconds was converted to 118 minutes). Interestingly, the peaks represent the hypo-half marathon times which are traditionally slower due to the elements. The valleys are fall and spring races on dry pavement.  I then had the program calculate a mathematical trend represented by the black line.  Clearly the trend shows a general decline in time meaning, I'm getting faster! At this rate I'll be running a 1:30 half-mary by the time I'm 90!

My calf is presently tight like a banjo string so I pulled out of this morning's long run and opted for a second coffee instead. This proves empirically that not only am I getting faster as I age, I'm getting smarter too!

It's a great day to be alive, cuddled up around the fire listening to a sweet playlist on a lazy Sunday morning.

Mike

Hypothermic Half Marathon 2013

Everything is moving so fast
I am unlimited
Everything is moving so fast
I am unlimited

Everything is Moving So Fast, Great Lake Swimmers, 
from the album Lost Channels

Egads, what a smashing day for a run, not a  PB smashing day, but smashing nevertheless.     I gave it my all and I had nothing left when I crossed the line.  The course burned it all up and it was good... like it should.

At mile 11 my watch showed 18 minutes remained for a sub-two hour.  I turned to the young couple following me and told them we had to scoot in at an 8:45 pace if we were to see the south end of a two hour race.  One mile across open tall grass prairie with full-frontal wind and another through the bush.  We walked the big hill to conserve energy. I mumbled through frozen lips that it would be hard and then off again.

Legs pumping, heart pounding, lungs burning, face ablaze in focus, mind screaming. We rounded that last little 90 degree turn, over the log bridge, toward the line.  An arm flew up and a voice yelled.. this way Mike, I veered back on course toward the shoot (I would have missed it entirely).  A glance at the clock, a moment of disappointment.. 2 hours, 30 seconds.  

A lovely volunteer holds me steady and says good job and places a very pretty medal around my neck.  I turned to the couple following me, and apologized for not getting the the sub-two that I had promised.  They smiled, a beautiful young smile... a pretty face and a kind voice.. all bundled up, chest heaving... "that's alright" she said... "it's a PB for me" and laughed an infectious laugh.  We shook hands and parted.

Never to be seen again.

Two hour and 30 seconds of running makes for a lot of thinking.  Thoughts zoom in and out of focus.  Can't seem to sustain thought for more than several consecutive seconds. They're all scattered and vibrant with colour and texture... like an old tv with rabbit ears... signals fade in and fade out.... moments of clarity, moments of fuzz...constantly changing the channel, seeking reception, reception to my soul, to my heart, searching for vibes, none found, but I still search, hoping... I run to get out of my head and into my heart* 

Good thoughts of my son.. leaving for Waterloo Ontario University on a full scholarship, Department of Mathematics... pride.. intense swelling pride. I savour these thoughts and let them soak into my brain causing shivers of euphoria.  He's had a hard year so this is good for his spirit.

Thoughts of Bob about 3 minutes behind me in mukluks... how can he possibly be running 13 miles after just last week running 21 hours and tying for 7th place in the Actif Epica 130 kilometer ultra marathon?  Grit and spirit, that's Bob.. with a large side of humility.

Thoughts of times that have passed and times that await.

Thoughts of work... erase, reboot, defrag... zap...work thoughts gone!

Thoughts of running goals and commitments.  Ottawa Full Marathon, May 26, training starts tomorrow... no rest for the unsettled.

Thoughts that cause joy.

Thoughts that cause sadness.

Thoughts that cause frustration.

Thoughts that search for meaning.

Thoughts that propel and give hope.

Thoughts void of answers.

Just thoughts.

Well friends.. especially the young man who approached me at breakfast this morning and asked if I was Mike from See Mike Run and then proceed to compliment the content... I wish you light feet and clear thoughts.  You are unlimited.

It's a smashing day to be alive.

Mike

* from a Spoken Word poet whose name escapes me momentarily.  Come back for updated information.   

How To Run in -40 and Not Die.

It's been a tad chilly in Winnipeg lately.  Only the die-hards find the beauty in running in extreme cold weather.  We're runners, not to be mistaken for joggers. Joggers have a more casual approach toward running. Perhaps they're more sane?

My record cold weather run is 10 miles in - 50 degrees Celsius with Bernie, Lori, and Jason.  We ran 5 miles outbound, stopped, and returned into the wind.  It was chilly but we were dressed properly and lived to tell the story. We four will forever have this memory and that's so special. The trick is in the layering folks, that and knowing your limits.  

I had a sexy dude lined up to model the long johns below, but his wife pulled the plug. Sorry, you'll just have to use your imagination.

In extreme cold (-35 or colder) I know I need five upper layers and 4 lower layers to stave off the frost.  Note that no layer is cotton... it's true, cotton really is rotten when it comes to running.  It retains moisture and freezes and you die.  Technical gear has come way down in price and it's available at most good sports stores.  I get most of my running gear at Mountain Equipment Coop (MEC) because of the value, high quality, low prices.. love it!

My base layer is light weight MEC long-johns top and bottom.  Mine are polyester so they're not the best quality but they do the trick.  I intend to upgrade to merino wool but they're a little pricey.  I'll be looking for a sale any day now.  

The next layer is pretty crucial.  I wear two pairs of insulated undies overtop of my long johns.  The first pair is a technical briefs with an insulated layer where it matters most.  The second layer is a boxer style technical undies, again with a protective layer over the mid-section to protect the groin area.  It's important to protect this area especially if you're a young man planning a family!

Three layers on the bottom.

My second upper layer is a technical light weight MEC turtle neck that fits snugly.  It has a zillion little pockets on the inside that traps air and sheds sweat.  I like it so much I bought two.  I can wear this top for a variety of weather conditions.

Two upper layers.

The tootsies are toasty with these socks.  They're heavy weight wool sock that fit snug so they don't bunch up.  I sometime put a thin pair of socks under these but only for the coldest weather.  I love these socks and I wish I purchased 6 pair. Trouble is, I can't remember where I picked them up.

Blaze DeFeet socks... love em!

I sometimes place a trip of duct tape over my shoes to add a thin layer of protection.  I don't do this often, but it is another option to consider when planning my gear for a early morning run in -40.

Merino wool is the best.  It's light weight, warm, sheds sweat, and doesn't hold the stink like the black MEC turtle neck above. It's also fit long so it covers my rear. Speaking of rears, this is one part of the body that is almost impossible to keep warm.  If I'm going to chill, it'll always start in my rear and move to my belly.  

This will make my third upper layer.

Next up is this ugly orange brute, but it's warm and mid-weight.  It has a half front zipper so I can shed heat by zipping it down.  It fits snug and has another million or so tiny pockets on the inside that trap air.  It's a technical design so it does a pretty good job of shedding unwanted sweat.  This is my standby upper layer.  It configures to many different weather condition.  On warmer days I will use this as an outer layer with a thin inner layer.  It's very versatile and pretty affordable at MEC.

My fourth upper layer.

And finally, the fifth upper layer, a Saucony runner's jacket from City Park Runners. It's expensive, but I'm worth it, right?  Having tried on about a dozen I finally settled on this one.  It's deceivingly warm for such a light weight jacket.  It has a half-moon flap that covers the rear end but it doesn't flap in the wind like those standard nylon runner jackets.  It fits snug but not tight.  The two zippered pockets allow me to stash my gloves if I'm over heating.

My fifth upper layer.

Gloves and hats.  I have a million configurations of gloves and mitts.  In super cold I wear a light weight pair of technical gloves under a slightly heavier glove.  My hands warm up pretty quickly so I often stash the gloves in my pocket after a few miles.  I wear a balaclava and a hat.  I have two balaclavas; warm and insanely warm. The insanely warm balaclava is a wrap-around design that attaches with velcro behind the head.  It made from neoprene and has a cut-out flap for the nose and a hole for the mouth.  It's amazingly warm and I use it when the wind is straight in my face.

And finally, my Pearl Izumi winter running pants from City Park Runners.  They are absolutely the best running pants I have ever worn.  They are expensive, but worth every penny.

ooowooooooo, let's go for a run!

My Annie, she's such a sweet heart.

It's a good day to be alive. Stay warm, but for heaven's sake, get off the tread mill and get on the trails.  Tell 'em Mike sent you.

:) Mike