Phoenix Marathon 2014: Made me cry, again.

Coming up on Mile 22, this year I was determined to LEAVE NO DOUBT!

I had an absolutely fantastic time in Arizona last week.  I got to see my Aunt and Uncle in Bullhead City and do some gambling, met up with any number of friends including my former colleague Rebecca(although next time bring your hot single friend Mandy.  I'm still single you know.), my former neighbors Everett and Wanda who just celebrated their 40th anniversary!, my dear friends Nancy and Pete, got to hang out with my brother Jeff, stayed with my good friends Doug and Kristin, and my old running mate, Gregg, got to see my parents, visited my old neighborhood, met with my Friday morning St. Pat's group, went to Mass by Fr. Eric, ran on the trails, climbed Camelback Mountain., saw some spring training baseball, enjoyed the warm weather and sun, and oh yeah, there was that marathon at the end of the trip....

Circling back to exactly a year ago last weekend, I ran my very first marathon, the Phoenix Marathon, and anyone that has read my blog or knows me, you know that didn't go exactly as planned.  I wish I could say that I wasn't obsessed with how it went down, but it had indeed affected me over the last year.  So I vowed to return to the Phoenix Marathon in 2014, to have a better experience and run like I had always hoped.  The 2014 Phoenix Marathon, as coined by my good friend Bacon, was to be StuDemption!

After the race last year.  I had Earned the Bird, but it hurt.  Close up reveals an actual tear in my right eye.  Not good times.

I got into to Phoenix on Saturday and stepping off that plane and seeing and feeling the sunshine was glorious!  I then drove the 3-4 hours to Bullhead City and stayed at my Uncle Al and Aunt Rae's for a few days.  I love to gamble and Al and I went right over to the Aquarius and planted ourselves in the Sports Book.  Although my bets were horrible, he had a great weekend, so I was pleased to have brought him some luck.  I got to do one of my favorite runs, a 6.5 miler up and down the hills by their place and Rae made me one of her famous burritos as well.  It was  great start to my trip and I then headed down to the Valley of the Sun.

I stayed with my friend Gregg, who I met running when I lived in Scottsdale.  He and I became regular running partners, every Wednesday night at Papago Park in Tempe.  As well as many other times.  Gregg is also a local, born and raised in Phoenix, so he has been a tremendous friend and asset for helping me to navigate my way while living there.  Knowing I was eating a controlled diet that week, he took me to a Vegan restaurant by his place.  I'd never been to one before and I had the Kung Pao Chicken bowl.  I have to admit the chicken tasted pretty legit, I was shocked.  But a big thanks to Gregg for his hospitality and continued friendship.

Gregg and I remembering our Papago Park runs.  Good times.

Part of my plan for the marathon was to have a great week of vacation ahead of time so that no matter what happened with the race, I knew that I had a great trip.  So far it was working out very nicely and with my brother Jeff flying into town for a work conference, coincidentally, I knew the week would only get better.  I met up with Jeff and we had a great dinner Wednesday night before meeting up with my friends Doug and Kristin, who had acquired a party suite for the Cubs-Diamondbacks spring training game on Thursday, the very first game at the new Cubs facility in Mesa.  It was fantastic!  Being a VIP is certainly the way to go.  Great seats, all the food and drink you can consume and great friends, the only negative being I couldn't really eat all that I wanted too, but it was still awesome.

Being a VIP is really the only way to go.

Studenka Brothers taking in some spring training!

Thursday my parents got into town from Las Vegas and we all met up and had a great dinner at Majerle's, because, well, I shouldn't have to explain it to anyone reading this by now(Hint: Fire Up).  Friday morning I joined Doug and the Men's Group I belonged to with him at the Wildflower Bakery in Scottsdale.  Everyone showed up; Sammy, Matt, Mike, Bill, Robin and Doug, and it was great seeing them all again.  This group had a tremendous influence on my life last year as I struggled through my divorce and life at that point.  It was quite meaningful at the end of our time when Doug said a prayer and they all prayed thanking me for being able to join them that day and for strength and health for the race on Saturday.  Doug lives by the mantra, Leave No Doubt.  He has even created red bracelets and I've been wearing one every day since and trying to live my life that way in all aspects.  Thanks to everyone in the group.  I still vow to be back permanently someday.

Leave No Doubt in all aspects of life!

Friday morning my parents and I went to one of my favorite restaurants, Butters, for breakfast.  Apparently Joe Biden came in just after us, seriously.  Then Jeff and I climbed Camelback Mountain and then Friday night, my parents, brother and Doug and Kristin all went to the All-American Sports Bar in Fountain Hills.  For my last meal, if you will, I ate some mac and cheese and grilled asparagus.  I then stayed with Doug and Kristin that night.  I really was thankful to their hospitality because I've stayed with them before and I thought the familiarity of their house beat a hotel any day and I wanted as much normalcy as I could leading up to the race.  I had to get up at 3:00 a.m. on Saturday, so around 9:00 p.m. I tried to go to bed.  It was difficult but around 10:00 p.m. or so I fell asleep and was able to get a solid 4+ hours before the wake up call.  All week long the forecast for Saturday had been rain, but not just sprinkles, a downpour of an inch and a half.  There wasn't anything I could do, so I wasn't stressed about it.  Running in rain, no problem, but a torrential downpour, ugh.  When I woke up at 3:00 I could hear it raining.  I was about 20 miles away from the course, so I was hopeful it would either end before race time or maybe not be raining at all in Mesa.

A new pre-marathon ritual; Climbing the Camel. Shouldn't I be resting or something?!?!

With Doug the night before.  Thanks again to you and Kristin for letting me stay over!  After we took this photo we realized we were photobombed by Jesus.  I took that as a good sign.

Just like last year, I had to drive to the finish line and board a bus to be taken to the start in the Usery Mountains.  It wasn't raining at all so far and when I got to the drop off, I had an hour and a half to kill.  It wasn't as bad as I thought though, as the anticipation is usually a killer for me.  But I talked to some other runners, read my secret weapon book, and before you knew it, they were sounding the horn for us to walk out to the road.  As all 3K of us were lining up on the road, with about 10 minutes until the gun, that's when the rain decided to appear.  It came very quickly and pelted everyone as we all stood there shaking and cold and ready to just get started.  Not a fun way to start any run, but nothing you can do.  My goal was to go out with the 3:15 pace group for as long as I could and then hang on for dear life at the end.  I wasn't really sure I could run a 3:15, but I was desperate to break 3:30 and figured that was my best chance.  Turned out the pacer, Derek,  was the same guy that I tried to pace with last year.  He is an incredible pacer, so I knew I'd be in good shape sticking with him as long as I could.

My secret weapon.  My parents found this in an antique store.  Notice where the marathon takes place.  I read this ahead of time to keep me calm, relaxed and to try and have some fun.  I didn't get any weird looks from anyone either.

When they finally shot the gun at 6:30 a.m. and sent us off, the first mile or so was really just spent trying to not knock someone over or get knocked over.  But after we made the first road turn, people started to separate into groups.  And as an added bonus it stopped raining, but it still looked horribly threatening so who knew what was ahead.  I felt great the first few miles, as I imagined I would.  I fully expected the first half+ to go really well, then I'd see what would happen.  But this year as a real added bonus my parents, Jeff and Doug were all going to be at multiple spots along the course to cheer me on.  First spot, right at Mile 4.  I had told them ahead of time, that I was going to run with the pacer and that I would guarantee to be at Mile 4 right at 7:00 a.m.  As we were getting close I started looking for them and right at the corner, just like we planned, there they were.  It felt awesome!  This was my 20th road race and besides my parents coming to the marathon last year and only being able to be in one spot, I have never had anyone at any race I've run be there to cheer me on.  What made it even better is that they turned this race into a true spectator sport, at least for me.  They were cheering wildly, Jeff made a sign, and taking pictures and video, I ran by and slapped five with all of them, it really was a lift.

My Pit Crew Doug, Jeff, Dad (my mom took the photo), The sign Jeff made is an inside joke between he and I.  It definitely made me laugh when I ran by.

Right after Mile 4 you do the only uphill on the course, Thunder Mountain.  However, after living in Seattle this last year and running the disturbingly unfriendly hills there, this became a piece of cake.  I guess the struggling and cursing of the hills I ran everyday, finally paid off.  Thank goodness.  The next few miles went really well as I was right with the pace group.  There were maybe 6-8 people trying to stick with the 3:15 for now.  I talked to a number of them, amazing all you learn about someone in a really short time and then you never see them again.  But you have to do whatever you can out there to get yourself through.  After running by Mile 4 and my crew being so excited and voiceful, a number of the other runners made mention of how cool that was and how lucky I was and they were 100% right!  As we turned down McDowell and were heading towards the Boeing plant, the plan was I would see them again around Mile 11 or so.  When we got close, I ask Derek(Pace runner) if I could carry the 3:15 sign when we went by and he was fully on board.  So as we got close and I could see Doug's bright yellow jacket and hear him yelling, I took hold of the sign and ran by them all, feeling very strong and confident, slapped high fives and got yet another lift.  All of the runners around me were laughing and happy for me.  As marathoners, any lift you get feels incredible and those that didn't have anyone out there for them, we'll I've been there and the support was making a difference without question.  Although for the record I told all the people in our pack that if you can tell me that you hate scUM, I will be sure to have my group cheer for you as well.  They all laughed and goes to prove, once again, that hating scUm pays dividends.

I can now officially say that I have been a marathon pacer!

High fives all around!  Feeling great at 11.5!

Last year about this time is when the leg issues really kicked in for me.  However, today I was feeling really good so far but I thought of that as I passed the point in the race last year where my legs locked up, I just thought to myself, keep going you're already ahead of last year and every mile after that, I said the same thing. I was still with the 3:15 group and as we turned onto Brown Rd. I knew this was going to be a tough stretch.  At this point we'd run 15.5 miles, so you are already fatigued. You run 4 miles down Brown, a very straight road, with it being blocked for traffic, there is absolutely no one around so you have to dig deep as you try to work to the end of it and to Mile 20.  As part of my plan, knowing this would be tough, I had my crew scheduled to be at Mile 20 and so without question, the thought of them being at the end of the road helped spur me on.  I was starting to feel it, but still on pace, hopeful to see them up ahead and get that lift.  It had never rained again since the starting line, but it had stayed cloudy and kept the sun from beating, which was fantastic.  By this time I really didn't need my gloves or removable sleeves.  Knowing I'd see everyone up ahead, I took them off, wadded them in a ball and carried them with plans to drop it off as I ran by.  Since it had rained at the beginning and I had, obviously, sweated a great deal by this point, it was basically a giant, 5 pound ball of sweat I was running with in my hands.  Eager to unload it, I started looking for them as I neared the end of Brown Rd. and turned left onto Mesa.  They were nowhere around.  Did I miss them?  Impossible, but maybe they were up ahead.  Ran to Mile 21, still not there, so I proceed to throw my sleeves/gloves sweatball off to the side of the road.  Whoever found it, I hope you had some purel.  At this point  I was still feeling okay, but I had slipped off the 3:15 pace, not by much, but I could tell I was slowing down.  Figuring I wouldn't see my supporters until the end, I knew I was going to have to dig deep to finish this race.  Plus I always knew the last 10K would be the toughest.  As they say, anyone can run 20 miles, the last 6.2 is what makes you a marathoner.

Somewhere around 22-24, feeling slow, but still confident.

I was starting to feel fatigued and knowing I was falling off pace was somewhat discomforting.  Not terrible, but disappointing.  However, the night before my friend Jon Laing, aka Bacon, had texted me and wished me good luck and he also said to have fun out there, run your own race, don't worry about the results.  I cannot tell you how many people have told me that before, but for some reason Bacon telling me that, it resonated and as I was struggling the last few miles, I really kept thinking back to that.  Slipping off the pace last year, killed me mentally, but he was right, I needed to just do my own thing and be proud of it.  As I was getting closer and could see the Mile 22 flag up ahead,  I could hear someone screaming and it sounded like my name.  Keep in mind at this point of a marathon your mind is really shot, so you aren't exactly in tune with what's going on around you.  But as I got literally right up to the flag, there was Doug, Jeff and my parents, cheering wildly.  It honestly was almost like a mirage as I ran by.  But, wow, was it ever a great feeling!  It definitely kept me going and as I got near Mile 24 I heard it again but assumed there was no way, I had to be imagining things, but there they were at Mile 24 cheering wildly again!  I can't even begin to describe how that felt and how much that made a difference.  With only 2.2 miles to go there was no way I was going to crack this time.  As I got close to Mile 25, they drove by in Doug's car, purely by coincidence, but literally right up next to me.  Turns out they couldn't get near Mile 20 like we planned so they found some other spots to be.  Lucky me!  As I hit Mile 25 at the water/aid station, I took some water but they were also handing out red licorice sticks.  I'd never seen that before at a race, but figured it was for the instant sugar rush, as your body can really use it by then. I took one figuring the chewing, albeit difficult, would be a good distraction as I ran the last mile and it was.

As I turned onto Alma School Road, with less than a mile to go, I was tired for sure, but not beaten.  I made the final turn into the Mesa Riverview Mall complex with 1/2 mile left.  I knew I was going to make it, but what would my time be?  I knew I was way off pace from 3:15 but had I held on to break 3:30? I wasn't sure  but when I got to the final straightaway I could see the finish line and the giant digital clock and it said 3:27:10, I knew I was going to make it. I knew I was slow, but I felt like a million dollars and as I ran the last 1/10th of a mile and crossed the finish line, I raised my arms in victory because I truly felt like I had run the race the way I wanted and this time it worked out as well.  StuDemption had indeed happened as I officially crossed in 3:27:44 and in 199th place out of 3K.

Last year when I was finished, my legs were a wreck and I couldn't wait to sit down.  On this day, I certainly didn't want to run another few miles, but I was so hyped and although fatigued for sure, I just was too excited.  As I was going through the finish chutes, I saw my crew and ran over to them, gave them all a hug and told them how much they inspired me and how much of a difference they had made.  It was great.  They were all just as excited for me and I cannot tell you how great of a feeling that was and how I will never forget that moment.

Right after finishing with Doug, still in the runners chute.  I don't look too bad for having just run for 3 1/2 hours.

Afterwards I went back to my parents hotel and sat in the hot tub for about an hour, getting my core temperature back up and soaking my legs.  I had some soreness in my quads, but nothing major.  After a brief rest in the hotel, we all went out to one of my favorite places, the Blue 32 Sports Bar, near my old place in Scottsdale.  A few other friends joined us and it was a fantastic way to celebrate not only the race, but a great week, just like I had hoped.

My Dad at the Detroit Marathon in 1979.  He held the family record for 35 years.  I may have beat his time, but he'll always be #1!

As I look back on everything it really is no surprise to me that I ran my best race, the race of my life, when I had my family and friends there to support me.  Sure I had to do the training to even make it possible but as I had learned before, a marathon is just a long, long race and even if you are in physical shape to do it, there are a ton of variables.  So having support all week and especially that day, well there is No Doubt that made a huge difference.  I am truly blessed to have so many people in my life supporting me and there for me.  The last few years have been difficult to accept that I've needed extra help, more than I ever did before, but how lucky for me, that it's even an option.  Did I really need this race to turn out this way for StuDemption?  No, because I already have awesome parents, siblings and friends and that is far more important than any race and realizing that and having such a tremendous week with everyone really put that into focus for me.  A big THANK YOU to everyone who wished me good luck or even thought it, everything helps out there and I am truly blessed to have so many supportive people in my life. However, just between you and me, I sure am glad the race turned out like it did, tears again, but this time tears of joy.   

FOREVER FIRED UP!



With my parents at the after party at my favorite place!  StuDemption!

2014: StuDemption!

StuDemption!

Ever wondered what it feels like to run a marathon? This about sums it up.

As I mentioned I have signed up to run the Phoenix Marathon again, this time on Saturday, March 1.  Upon sharing this with my friend Bacon and him knowing that my experience last year left something to be desired, he responded "Does that mean 2014 is the Year of StuDemption?!?!?!"  I thought that was brilliant and more importantly, maybe he was onto something.

The photo above is literally seconds after crossing the finish line at the Vancouver Marathon last June.  Right before I expunged everything that was in my body.  Clearly I was exhausted, nauseous, tired, you name it.  After running the Phoenix Marathon last March, I felt awful, but for other reasons.  But maybe this picture serves as a catalyst for 2014 for me.  Clearly 2013 was not the best year of my life in so many ways, but then again, lots of good things happened as well.  But maybe that's just every year of our lives, some things good, some not so good.

But that being said, I have started my training for Phoenix and I am going to do all I can to have a much better experience this time.  I still enjoy running on a regular basis, but I'll let you in on a little secret that most runner's share.  Yes, I do enjoy running, but there are many, many days regularly that I can't seem to get motivated or that I don't really want to run.  However, I force myself to do so and having a marathon on my schedule helps because you don't run a marathon by running a few days or weeks ahead of time, it takes a lot of training.  So knowing I can't run the marathon in March if I don't run in December helps motivate me on a regular basis.  But on the days that it's tough to start or even still tough after a mile or two, there has NEVER been a time that when I finished that I wasn't happy that I did make myself do it.  I always feel great and it's never as bad as you make it out to be at the onset.

So 2014 will be the Year of StuDemption.  First the marathon, of course professionally and maybe even the wonderful world of dating.  Yippee! 


Gooey Ducks?!?!? What?

A giant.......mollusk, yeah that's right, a mollusk.

In the Capitol city of Olympia, Washington sits tiny Evergreen College.  By most standards it's your garden variety small, private liberal arts college.  However, they have one distinguishing factor that sets them apart from everyone else, their mascot.  The Geo Duck(phonetically pronounced Gooey Duck), a mollusk, but lets face it,look at that picture above, it clearly has overtones of something else.  And I wish I was making this up, but their school fight song is as follows:

Go, Geoducks go,
Through the mud and the sand,
let’s go.
Siphon high, squirt it out,
swivel all about,
let it all hang out.
Go, Geoducks go,
Stretch your necks when the tide
is low
Siphon high, squirt it out,
swivel all about,
let it all hang out.

Very, very, interesting to say the least.  You can see if all for yourself if you want on their website.

So I'm still not sure what any of this means other than I guess the folks at Evergreen College have a sense of humor.  I suppose that makes sense because their most famous alumnus is none other than Michael Richards.  Somehow that seems appropriate.  Welcome to the Capitol City!

Most Famous GeoDuck, Dr. Martin Van Norstrand, aka Michael Richards.

Salt Lake City Revisited

Tons of kids....must be in Utah

Over Thanksgiving I was fortunate enough to a take a road trip with my Cousin Matt to visit my brother Jeff and his wife Rebecca.  It was a short, but great trip to a former hometown and since Matt had never really been there, I played tour guide.

The Utah Capitol building stands high atop downtown Salt Lake City.

The Capitol was under construction the whole time I lived in Salt Lake, so it was nice to see it standing tall and complete.  It sits atop a hill on the north part of town overlooking the valley.  I've visited most of our state capitols, this is definitely one of the best for many reasons.

The Olympic Torch still standing proudly and lit since 2002.

We then toured the University of Utah campus, where I worked, and since it was Thanksgiving weekend and school was out, we easily made our way around campus and toured some of the buildings as well. The U really has a nice campus nestled in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains and it was completely revitalized during the 2002 Winter Olympics.  Still talked about as the most prosperous Winter Olympics in Olympic History, they used a number of the campus facilities, building the Olympic Village Housing on campus, which then became student housing, refurbishing the football stadium for opening and closing ceremonies and many other things.  All in the all the University benefited greatly and the torch still burns every day outside the football stadium.  Matt, having worked in Higher Education as well, was very impressed with the University, the city and the surroundings.   It is a great University and Salt Lake City may not be for everyone, but I will always think fondly of my time there.

We then went to the only Czech Brewpub that I am aware of anywhere, The Bohemian Brewery, and had some great Czech cuisine and local brews.  We then had a fantastic Thanksgiving meal with Jeff and Rebecca and it was very nice to be able to spend the holiday with family.  A short trip back home, but another great one. Thanks again Jeff and Rebecca and Shelby too!


Brothers Studenka, celebrating Thanksgiving together 2 years in a row.  Let's go for three!

The Studenka Family Legacy: Donuts and Coffee

Tim Horton's, they should give me free coffee for life!

When my great-great Grandfather, Anthony, and his son, my great Grandfather, John, first came to America from the Czech Republic at the turn of the century, they landed in Pittsburgh and worked in a factory or a mine, no is exactly sure.  But at some point early on they had the chance to come to Michigan because there was  a Sugar Beet factory that was looking for people that could speak both Czech and English and so they made their way to Owosso, Michigan, about 30 miles NE of Lansing and proceeded to plant the Studenka legacy.  My parents both grew up in Owosso and since my grandparents lived their whole lives there, I spent many a weekend in Owosso and the legacy, if you will, that my family has in this relatively small town ran deep.

Years later after I graduated from college and was working in downtown Lansing, I bought my first home in Owosso as it was a relatively easy commute and I thought it would be nice to keep the family name in town. Working in politics at the time, I found my way to the Mayor of Owosso and got myself on the city Planning Commission and he then asked me to be on the City Council.  I was only in my 20's at this point, so it was pretty interesting being in the meetings and having city business in front of me to vote on and truly make some decisions that would impact the city for years and years.  One of the most contentious issues that came before us was the potential of Tim Horton's, a Canadian coffee chain store.  Keep in mind this is long before the Starbucks proliferation nationwide.  They wanted to put the store right on Main St. next to a church in a spot that once held the birthplace home of Thomas Dewey.  Seems like a no brainer right?  I mean how could this be a bad thing.  Well the church was adamantly against it and proceeded to rally all of their members and brought them all to all the planning commission and council meetings to speak out against Tim Horton's coming to town.  Seems their main issue was that the drive-through would be open 24 hours and they thought there would be too much potential for vandalism and such with their church right next to them.  Well every time we voted on anything we voted alphabetically and that meant I was always last.  The Council had 7 members so that meant I was always the deciding vote.  Normally that wasn't a big deal because the Council tended to vote unanimously on almost everything, but every once in a while it fell to me.  In  this case after listening to a hundred church patrons, ministers and such all give pleas to not bring Tim Horton's to town it came to a vote.  In talking with Council members ahead of time we seem to be split on the issue.  In fact the Mayor, who personally asked me to join the Council, was against it saying the traffic on Main St. was already busy enough and having another turning point would be too much.  So what to do.  Well that night it was a full house and the Mayor always gave everyone that wanted to speak a chance to do so and after hours of people giving their two cents it came time to vote.  We went around the table starting with the Mayor: No-Yes-No-Yes-No-Yes leaving it tied 3-3 and me as the deciding vote.  The room was packed, people were on edge and I proceeded to vote YES.  It was not received well.  But as a member of the Council you always have to vote for what you think is best and in this case I saw value in a new restaurant in town for various reasons. I eventually moved before the Tim Horton's was built, but I did pave the way for it and thus the legacy of coffee I left behind.

I bring all this up because my cousin Matt, who grew up in Owosso, was just back in town and the Tim Horton's still stands proudly downtown some 15+ years later.  So I guess my vote was right and even though it's hardly anything major in the grand scheme of things, I guess my legacy will always be bringing a coffee shop to Owosso.  Ironically I now live in the coffee capital of the world, Seattle, so somehow this all came full circle I guess.

Although, somehow I'm not so sure this was the reason my ancestors moved here.  Dah!


J Dubbs!!!

J.W. Sexton High School

I grew up in Lansing, Michigan and attended J.W.Sexton High School, a large very urban high school right in the heart of downtown Lansing.  Sexton was known for a few things, one is that Magic Johnson literally lived a few blocks from Sexton and wanted to attend because we historically have a great basketball program, but at that time they wanted to integrate our crosstown rival high school, Everett, so we lost out having arguably one of the greatest basketball players in history and they subsequently won the state title. However, Sexton was also known for being literally across the street from a General Motors Plant, Fisher Body, where they made Cadillacs, amongst other cars and the whole school was known for great sports teams, the Big Reds and affectionately known as J Dubbs, a play on J.W.  Since I graduated the plant has closed and people moved out to the suburbs en masse, Sexton's enrollment has gone from 2500 when I was a student to about 600 students now.  Quite a change for sure and Lansing as a result of the GM downturn has suffered as well. Interestingly enough a former Sexton student who is now an author, Ted McClelland, has written a book and in the foreword his description of attending Sexton and living in Lansing was very reminiscent to me.  Our experiences were not identical as he was there a few years before me, but I found it a great description of being a Big Red and a Lansingite.  If you have time I encourage to read the following excerpt:

Nothing but Blue Skies

In this he mentions being on the Track team and since it's my blog I will say that I too ran track at Sexton and we won the State Title two years in a row.  As a member of those teams I'd like to think I helped make the difference, but then again it probably had more to do with the future Olympic Hurdler/Sprinter and various future Collegiate sprinters on the team rather than the small white kid that ran the 2 mile.  But hey, this is my blog and I was a 2 time State Champion so lets focus on me!

The Sexton track with Fisher Body looming over. The auto workers would often sit atop the building watching various sporting events at the stadium.

Cactus Chip New Countries Update

In Japan they seem to be chanting, "We want more Cactus Chip!!!!!"

New countries continue to find their way to my blog.  Still not sure how or why but we've been through that.  Now I just need to find a way to make that payoff or something.  Hmmmm.  At any rate, Cactus Chip would like to welcome new readers from the following countries:

Bangladesh, Turkey, Japan

In addition to all of the others that have found their way here, that makes for readers from 24 countries outside the United States that seem to either enjoy reading this blog or don't, either way they keep coming back.  I do accept gifts, so send some accordingly.  Thanks for reading, I think.



This is Chris' Brain

Chris' Brain, where are the running and football sections?

A few months ago when I was taking a trip to Phoenix, I had to get up at 2:30 a.m. in order to make it to the airport from my 5:00 a.m. flight.  Mentioning that I was hit with the invariable line, "Guess you're going to have to set your alarm early that morning" to which I replied, "No, I'll just set my inner clock to wake up on time".  You see I have never needed an alarm clock, I just seemingly can will myself to wake up at whatever time I need.  It's worked for 40 years, so no need to change anything now.  However, saying that I was hit with the following:

"What? That makes no sense.  You just tell your brain to wake up?" , which spawned into:
"Hello, this is Chris' Brain, it's time to get up" and with that the voice of my brain was born and I have been taunted with this in all aspects of life. It does seem to work for most occasions:

"We're going to lunch, doess Chris' brain want something?"
"I need that report done, can you tell your brain?"
"Hi, this is Chris' Brain it's time to run"
"This is Chris' Brain:  Football, Football, Running, Football."

So the jokes are endless, good thing I can take a joke, I think.  But it is rather amusing and although I thought  it might only play out a few days, it stuck and now that monotone, deep voice of my brain taunts me regularly.  Sweet. 

Hey, Chris' Brain, enough!


Good Luck Cousin Matt!!!!

Who'd want to live here?!?!?!?!

Upon moving to Seattle I was able to reconnect with my Cousin Matt, who lived here on Vashon Island, a place I've discussed in previous blogs. We hadn't seen each other in nearly 10 years but when I got here he helped me move into my place, he took me around town, showed me the ins and outs of Seattle and parts of Washington and really was a great friend and it was very cool that we were able to seamlessly reconnect after so many years.

Recently he was offered the position of a lifetime at the University of Florida, where he got all of his degrees and where he lived for 18 years of his life.  So around Christmas he packed up and headed back to Florida.  I am truly happy for him because he really wanted to go back to Florida and I'm glad this opportunity came about for him. I wish you all the best Cuz!  You now have given me a good reason to visit Florida again and I will forever thank you for your hospitality in Washington.  Still not sure why you'd want to trade the gray and rain for palm trees, beaches and sunshine?  You will be missed and that leaves Cousin Todd and I to navigate Washington on our own.  Yikes.

This proves without a doubt that sometimes nice guys can finish first!  Can I be next please, although I guess that would mean I'd have to be nice.  Oh well.

Me and cousin Matt at the Burby 5K/10K on Vashon Island.
 

 StuDEMPTION!!!!!

(Ab)Normalities of a Runner

Getting hit by a car, that's normal. Right?!?!?

 Last month I took a trip to Phoenix..............hold on, I'm basking in the memories of actual sunshine and warmth..............sitting in my row was a woman with a cast on her leg.  Turns out she had run a 1/2 Marathon and somewhere around Mile 9 or 10 she says she broke something in her foot, but she finished the race before seeking treatment.  I didn't think anything of it as that seemed normal to me.  In relaying that story I was met with a face of abject horror.  That made me stop and think about all the things that have happened to me while I've been running and that maybe to most people it isn't that normal after all, so I thought I would share some of my trials and tribulations, complete with commissioned stick figure artwork.  I didn't do these drawings, even these are too sophisticated for my abilities, but the artist I asked to do them is way more talented than stick figures, so they'd rather I not mention them specifically, as this isn't their best work.  However, I think they are fantastic so I'm making them available for purchase and I'll even sign them!  Think of the $1.50 I can make for charity!

So I have officially signed up to run the Phoenix Marathon again, this time it will be held on March 1, 2014. After running the marathon last spring, I have really kept up in marathon training ever since.  I wasn't sure when it was over how I would react, running is still fairly new for me, it's not even been 2 full years that I've been at it so hardcore. But a combination of the first marathon not going how I hoped and also enjoying running every day, I have, for the most part, stayed in marathon shape. Being just over 2 months away, I'll have to pick up my training and eating habits a bit from here on out, but it also got me to thinking about some of the things that happened along the way and in sharing them with friends, I realized, again, maybe I'm not that normal.

Anyone that runs or bikes a lot can probably relate but that's still a small percentage of people, so when I mentioned that I'd been hit by a car a number of times running, I thought nothing of it, but quickly realized how crazy that actually sounds when saying it out loud.  You see I run on the sidewalks and shoulder of the road all the time so invariably things are bound to happen. However, I am probably the most conscientious runner there is, I dress in bright colors and I'm always on the look out for cars, bikes, animals, anything that might be in my way or potentially dangerous.  But sometimes people are not paying attention in their cars or they pull out over the sidewalk without looking and as it happens I've been bumped a few times, thankfully nothing serious.  As I type this it happened again this morning. Oh well.

Falling in a ditch is not fun.

I did however have a few instances of minor injuries; one when I fell in a ditch and another time when I cartwheeled downhill.  When running one morning in the absolute pitch darkness on a country road, a road I've run down hundreds of times, it was early in the morning, maybe 5:30, so very little traffic and I was running down the middle of the road and when a car appeared I would move over to the side of the road.  Well as the headlights of a car shone behind me, I moved over to the shoulder, but took one step to many and proceeded to fall into a 4-5 foot ditch, twisting my body as a I fell thereby deeply scraping my legs, torso, chest and hands as I fell.  Needless to say, I was not pleased, it hurt.  I was bloody, cold(only about 30 degrees outside) and I still had 3 miles to go.  So what to do, only to get up and run back home.  Although when I got back I realized how much damage had been done, but again, just some cuts and wounds, nothing serious.  When I went into work that morning I was still bleeding, unbeknownst to me, from my hands and got blood all over the floor.  As I was sitting in an 8 a.m. meeting that morning my boss said to me, "Chris you do realize you are bleeding all over the place, right?". Good times.

When running down a steep hill, it's important to pay full attention.  Oops.

As for the cartwheel, I was running down a very steep graded hill, 12%, and I made the mistake of trying to do something with my iPod thereby taking my eyes off the sidewalk and I invariably hit a pronounced crack with my toe which sent me flying literally into a cartwheel on the sidewalk. I ripped all my clothes and even my water bottle was all beat to shreds and I laid on the sidewalk in the fetal position for a few minutes.  More embarrassed than anything, thankfully no cars were around, but I was only about 9 miles into a 17 mile loop run so the only thing I could do was run back home.  My knee was bleeding profusely the whole way, but what could I do?  The quickest way home was to run, so that's what I did.  Besides it was only cuts and scrapes.  Thankfully.  But in relaying those stories, again, I was looked at in horror and told that's "not normal".  I suppose I have to agree looking back, but it is what it is, I didn't think anything of it.  Maybe it's just a weird runner's thing or maybe I am just abnormal.  Wait, don't answer that yet.

I honestly can't even do a cartwheel on my own, but I guess I have it in me.

Broken, bloodied and needing help.  Good thing I only had 8 miles left to run.  Mommy!

I've also seen any number of deer while running, including being quasi-stalked by a buck one morning.  I've come across coyotes, foxes, raccoons and the occasional angry dog, however a few squirts out of my water bottle at their face and they have all relented. Thankfully I have not had any mountain lions, cougars or bears in sight, all of which are apparently well within the areas I run on a regular basis.   However, the worst is coming across roadkill; more importantly coming across them in the dark of night so you are not even aware of it until it's too late.  I  have stepped on a dead bird and a possum and I've seen countless dead deer, squirrels, a coyote and numerous other things.  Can't wait to see what happens next.

Chased by dog, sure, but still waiting for that cougar!

Recently I did a long run in subzero temperatures and my hat, gloves, jacket and water bottle all froze, literally.  About an hour in, my water bottle became nothing more than a block of ice that I got to carry the rest of the way.  I kept hearing cracking in my ear and soon realized it was ice forming on my hat.  It was pitch black when I started, so when daybreak finally came, I could see my gloves and jacket had ice on them.  However, internally I was not cold as I was properly dressed, but when I was done and took off my hat, it was more like a helmet as it was frozen solid.  I didn't think much of it, but then again apparently my barometer of normal is a little different.  On the flip side I was visiting my Uncle Al in Bullhead City, AZ last summer and it happened to be 119 degrees and they were having a heat advisory.  Seriously, in a place that gets to 115 regularly in the summer, they were also having a heat advisory.  Silly me, I decided to do a 6 mile run on the hills by his place.  I only got about 4 and I had to stop and walk the rest of the way.  As I was walking a car stopped and asked if I was all right and I was, but his actual quote: "I saw you running, then stopped to get gas,  I figured you were either an incredible athlete to be out in this or just crazy."  I like to think I'm the first, but I think I've proven I'm the latter.  Nuts.

All is all, as I look back it's been a fun ride.  I have really come to love running and one of my favorite things to do on the weekend is wake up early(about 5 a.m.) and do a long run, 15-20 miles, then go out to breakfast.  I love the isolation, being out at daybreak, the solitude, stillness, the views of the mountains and Lake Sammamish and each day that I run it helps me get started off on a positive note.  I know what you are thinking, how shocking that I am single.  I know, seriously, who's not into a running obsessed, abnormal man?  But I am very much looking forward to running the Phoenix Marathon again.  Last time it was my first marathon ever and I think I did put too much pressure on myself.  I am hopeful for a better experience this time, but there are always so many variables with a race that long, so I do understand I cannot control everything, except my own experience and reaction.  My parents will be out in Arizona again to watch and maybe even a few of my Arizona friends will be there as well. So maybe what we've learned after all of this is that I am not normal.  I guess I can accept that, but its not like I'm from Portland or something.  I enjoy running and all that it has and continues to lead me too.  I have many more stories, not suited for print, and I'll be anxious to see what happens next.  Besides being normal is overrated!

Stay safe out there on the roads and as always, FIRE UP!

Touchdown Jesus

Touchdown Jesus, looming over ND Stadium. And in Arizona too?

So I was offered the chance to spend a weekend hanging out with friends, watching a ton of football, gambling, betting, and partying.  Sounds like another epic Vegas weekend, right?  Well it was epic but not in Las Vegas, this time it was even better as I was at a secret mountain lair in Northern Arizona with the absolute ultimate man cave.  I mean, I certainly wasn't going to Portland.

To fully appreciate this story, we have start in late January of this year when I first met my friend, Doug Hatfield.  It may have been the absolute lowest point of my life, I was just recently divorced, after a long and painful process through the court systems of Wisconsin(I will forever hate all things WI, screw the Badgers and the Packers and cheese, well on second thought I still like cheese I guess but going forward I'll eat California cheese only), I was alone, still fairly new to Scottsdale, my days consisted of waking up and running many, many miles, going to work and then either walking many more miles or working out at Orange.  Needless to say it was not a great time, nor was I in great spirits and I certainly wasn't at my most personable.  Knowing that I was in need of some type of change, whatever it may be, I decided to go to a men's group breakfast at my church, St. Patrick's in Scottsdale.  Not being overly religious, I attend mass on Sunday's but that's about it, I never would have done anything like this breakfast before, but for whatever the reasons I felt like maybe I needed to go.  So that Saturday morning I went and the first person I met was Doug.  We hit it off immediately, as he is from the Midwest(South Bend, IN) loves football and sports and we seemed to have a lot in common.  After the breakfast we went our separate ways, didn't share our contact info or anything, just went on with life, we are men after all and we are not always great at these things.  About 2 months later it was the weekend of my birthday.  I had done the Phoenix Marathon a few weeks earlier and if you read my blog then you know that didn't go as expected, coupled with everything else going on in my life, things were still personally challenging.  Then I saw that St. Pat's was going to have another Men's group breakfast on Saturday, so I thought maybe I should go again.  I mean it was my birthday weekend and I realized it was literally going to be the first time in my life that I would spend my birthday alone.  Not that I ever have made a big deal about my birthday but I guess everything was compounding for me and I was feeling very down.  So I went to the breakfast again and the first person I saw was Doug.  We instantly reconnected as though we'd been friends forever.  It was very cool and after the breakfast Doug said that his family was in town and asked me to join them for dinner on Sunday, my actual birthday, of course he had no way of knowing that.  So I gladly accepted the offer and the next day I met he and his wife, Kristin and his dad and younger brother at Zipp's Sports bar in Scottsdale where we watched NCAA tourney games and had a great time together.  I'm not sure even to this day if I ever told Doug that it was my birthday that day, but I know I'll never forget that when I may have been at my absolute lowest, he and Kristin invited me into their life without any hesitation and it actually turned out to be about the best way I could have spent my birthday and also the real start of a new chapter in my life.  After that day all sorts of things started changing for me, all for the better.  I joined a Friday men's group through the church, with Doug and about 6 other guys and it suddenly seemed liked everything was getting better in my life. I'd met new friends, had a better outlook and just felt happier.  So recently I got to thinking as to why this happened this way; was it just random luck, timing, coincidence, God's doing, was it because I finally made myself open to changing, why didn't we exchange our contact info the first time, and what if my last name had been McCoy would Doug have shot me instead?  Well, whatever the reasons, ever since that day Doug and I have become fast friends, as though we've known each other for years.  Sometimes I guess its better to just accept the way things happen and there is truly no need to analyze them.

Arizona Beauty, mountains, fountains and sunshine.

 Only a few months later I had the job opportunity in Seattle in front of me and it was no easy decision to leave Scottsdale behind and the friends I had just gotten to know to move to a whole new city to start over again.  But the opportunity was too much to pass up and I packed my stuff and left, but not before Doug said to me, "Buddy, go to Seattle, we'll be friends no matter what and besides I'll just give you an excuse to come back to Scottsdale someday".  When I got to Washington I certainly wasn't sure that we'd be able to really stay close friends.  Being 2000 miles away, Doug's work schedule has him travelling literally 100% of the time, all of my new job/life changes, but it was never an issue.  With email and cell phones and such I'm not sure a week has gone by that Doug and I haven't connected one way or another.  We soon realized how much more we had in common, we both love Guns and Roses, like to run, views on life and politics and one ultimate thing, a hatred of scUM.  Not many people can understand that but when you grow up in the Midwest, it just happens.  We could both be mature adults now and move past it, but why not embrace it?!?!  Some could construe that as childish, unhealthy, stupid and guess what, I agree, but it's much more fun this way.  So don't you think it might have been strategic that I planned to head back to Arizona to hang with Doug during the football season?  So despite an atypically awesome October in Seattle I headed down to my old home state of Arizona to have some fun. 

Pure blue sky, bright sun; must be in Arizona!

The weather has been fantastic in Seattle this year and even late this fall, until I stepped off the plane in Phoenix.  There is no more blue sky, bright sun and perfect temps with no humidity than an Arizona fall.  Quickly my thoughts of Seattle subsided.  Sigh.  Doug and Kristin picked me up and we headed out to a sports bar to take in the the Thursday night game and meet up with another friend from St. Pat's, Sammy.  We had a great time and the results of the game were profitable.  Friday morning we headed up north to the secret man cave in the sky.  I will not reveal the location, maybe it was because I was blindfolded on the way up or maybe it's because if the location was actually known it would become too frequently visited, thus it would lose its mystique. So lets just say we headed north into the mountains.  At this point I should mention that purely, hypothetically speaking, sometimes people could conceivably place a bet, or 100, on football games.  If you've read my blog, you know I have a fountain of absolutely useless knowledge pertaining to football and that many times in Vegas I have made any number of bets, testing said knowledge.  Well here in remote Northern Arizona there are no casinos to make such bets, but sometimes these things are possible in....other ways.  So let's just pretend that maybe, there was some juice on the games including last nights, tonight's and all day Saturday.  Maybe one other thing Doug and I have in common.  Hypothetically speaking.  Well the Friday night game, UCF +13 at Louisville was too ripe for the pickings and a bet, or should I say, if one made a bet on UCF they may have done well.  So Friday was good but lets face it, Saturday was the main event, 50+ games of action,  a man cave filled with TVs , a kegerator, full bar, shuffleboard table, pool table and any number of other sports related accoutrement much of it related to Doug's Holy Trinity: Notre Dame, the Detroit Red Wings and Miller Lite.  Trust me, any one would be blown away with this setup.

Mogollon Rim on the way up to the Lair.

We'll make this quick and just say that watching that many games, and potentially having action on many of them, makes for quite an experience. However, it was a GREAT day, in any number of ways.  We saw Notre Dame beat USC, albeit in ugly fashion, MSU win, in even uglier fashion, and Texas State take down Georgia State.  Wait, who? Why?  Well if  one was to want to bet on games, the opponents don't matter and let's just say Texas State did what they were supposed to.  Which brings me to a great story.  Every Saturday you can usually find me at home watching a ton of football on my own.  Doug is often in South Bend or elsewhere at a game, if not watching and regularly we speak on Saturdays during the games about what's taking place that day and recently he called me from the stadium during halftime of the Notre Dame game and we had the following exchange:

Doug:  Buddy I'm in the stadium and I'm having a hard time getting some scores.

Me:  What do you need?

Doug:  FIU-UAB

Me:  (pausing) You know some people might say it's a problem when one is betting on Florida International and University of Alabama-Birmingham.  I mean there are probably 100 people in this world that even know that game is going on.  Then again, I'm not sure what's worse that a bet was made on this game or that of all the people in the world you knew that you could call me and I would know the answer.  Hmmmm.  Let's move on.  By the way, UAB covered.

Doug:  Cool. Thanks.

So imagine that times 100 on Saturday.  A gambler's dream.  Hypothetically speaking of course.  Although I should also relay that Kristin may be the most patient woman in the world to put up with all of this and now I was here actually fueling the fire.  At one point Doug ask me an innocuous question about which UCF players made it in the NFL.  As I immediately rattled off a myriad of names and all their stats/info I saw Kristin look at me with a look that purely let me know how disturbed an individual I am that I would know such useless info so effortlessly.  I found it all hilarious, I am who I am, good or bad I guess.   But then again, she taught elementary school kids for nearly 20 years, so she's used to dealing with childish and strange behavior.  Thanks for putting up with me Kristin!

Doug, Kristin, Sammy and me having fun in Fountain Hills.

It was a fun Saturday ending with a number of people coming over that night, because any time you are at the Hatfield's a party eventually ensues.  Florida State blew out Clemson, UNLV covered vs. Fresno State and Utah-Arizona fell the right way too, if you were into that kind of thing.  $$$  But what's with all this bonding over football and gambling?  Well I have given it some thought and I have a theory that God created football so that men could actually talk to each other.  Bear with me.  Yes, we watched a ton of football and in many people's eyes that could be a waste of time, but we not only enjoyed it, interspersed between the action we actually talk about personal things.  Maybe not in the way woman would like us to, but for men, it works for us.  So whatever works right?  I mean Doug knows about as much about me as anyone and most of that came about by watching some kind of game and mixing it in.  It's easier, more comfortable that way so why analyze it any more than that.  It's why when I was on a date recently(a Saturday mind you!) Doug called me, as he usually does, again from the Notre Dame game and I put him on the phone with my date, let's keep her anonymity(she may be mortified if she reads any of this) and call her the Chippette, I know Doug and he told her all sorts of great things about me and he only knew that from us hanging out and not necessarily talking in that sense but watching sports and man talking.  But I trusted him and it seemed to work.  As for why I answered the phone on a date, let me say that I alerted the Chippette ahead of time that I would likely be getting a call and if I didn't take it, my phone may not stop ringing and besides I knew Doug would talk to her and help me out because let's face it, the women aren't exactly lining up for an over 40, divorced, broken and flawed man obsessed with football and morbidly obsessed with running; I need all the help I can get. 

Back to the weekend.  Sunday morning we headed back down to the Valley, got in a good run and went to mass at St. Pat's  and I saw a few other friends as well and then we went out to a sports bar and I  met up with another friend of mine, Gregg, who I met.....wait for it.....running.  Shocking I know.  But Gregg and I used to run together every Wednesday in Tempe at Papago Park behind the zoo.  I miss those runs and the bar hops afterwards, including an epic 11 miler we did last year on Halloween.  Good times.  It was great catching up with him, I know we'll stay friends as well however long I'm in Seattle.

Gregg and I remembering that Halloween Run around Tempe in 2012.

The whole trip was a success and it was a wonderful return to my old hometown.  It was as great as I remember and hanging out with Doug and Kristin and everyone else really made me feel good about my life, something that had not been easy to do the last few years.  I have been fortunate this last year to have made trips to Salt Lake City to see my brother Jeff, to Michigan to see my friend John Eloff, my parents and other friends, and now to Scottsdale to see Doug and Kristin and others.  None of those trips would have been possible without the help of them and others.  In what has been undoubtedly the toughest year of my life, I have been blessed to not only have great family and friends by my side, but also new friends have become an important part of my life.  All of the good things that have happened to me this last year started in Scottsdale and I will forever have great thoughts associated with my time there.  It was the start of a new chapter in my life, but it's certainly not the last one.  New people have entered my life and I was finally open enough to let them in all the while maintaining the great relationships I had already been so fortunate to have.  Which ultimately reminds me of the expression, You can judge a person by the company they keep, well if that is indeed true, then I guess there is only one thing to say; I'm awesome!

Touchdown Jesus Indeed!  Thanks again Doug, Kristin and every one else.  Fire Up!

High atop Phoenix, Forever Fired Up! Anyone got the line on Tulsa-Tulane?

Fired Up Randomness

Marathon #3, It's a Wrap.

Trust me, no one looks their best after just having run 26.2 miles.

Last Sunday I ran the Skagit Flats Marathon in Burlington, WA, which is about an hour north of Seattle.  It was not Boston friendly, at least for me.  Monday, September 9 was the last official day to qualify for the 2014 Boston Marathon so I thought I would give it one more shot.  Here's a brief recap.

I ran the Vancouver Marathon in mid June, took a little time off, then pretty much stayed in marathon training mode thinking I may want to give  Boston one last try because I still feel like I have the ability to qualify within me, call that naivete or false bravado or whatever you want, but I feel like I can do it, even though my previous results have proven otherwise.  I didn't tell anyone that I was going to run the race, I wanted to have a clear mind, not think about it at all and really just wake up and do it.  So Sunday morning I got up at 4 a.m., prepared myself and drove to Burlington for the race.  When I got there and checked in they gave me a rules sheet that said "No iPods" because the course was on roads open to traffic.  I was not pleased, but what could I do at that point.  The course was relatively flat and was an out and back; meaning we would in essence run 13.1 miles northwest of Burlington, turn around and come back the same way.  Not ideal, especially with the roads being open for cars, but again, it was what it was.  I was going to go for my Boston time of 3:15, that was why I was running this race so there was no reason to hold back.  I went out really hard and felt really good for the first 10 miles or so, then the humidity really started kicking in.  Turns out it was literally 100% humidity and the sun was shining bright and got to 80 degrees.  After only a few miles I was completely drenched in sweat and uncomfortable, but nothing you can do about it but keep going. The next 5-8 miles weren't too bad, I was missing my iPod by about now as we were on country roads with virtually no spectators, running through farm land, no funny signs, quite isolating.  Around Mile 20 I knew I was slipping off pace but tried to stay strong, but I was really starting to hit the wall. Around Mile 22 I knew I had 4.2 miles left and I used to run a 4.2 mile loop around my neighborhood that I called my Tillman Loop based on the Tillman Race I ran last spring.  That gave me life, but for only about a minute.   At a certain point for everyone in a marathon your brain is just shot and I remember thinking, "all right 4.2 to go, Tillman, you got this", then all of sudden I felt like I got hit by a truck.  I could hardly see straight, I couldn't run straight, every step I took felt like I was stomping into the ground, my mind was completely gone, it was brutal, so I had to walk at points and eventually this last stretch destroyed any respectable time I was going to attain, certainly not Boston and I ended up finishing yet again, just like before, time-wise.  But I was okay with it because I went out hard and went for the qualification, I wouldn't have done it any different.  A marathon is just a long ways and you can feel great, awesome in fact, at points, but eventually you hit the wall and have to try to grind through.  My cousin Matt came to the finish and sat with me in the grass afterwards while I recovered and then we went to eat somewhere, but I'm not entirely sure where as I was still kind of out of it. At one point my friend John Eloff called me, not knowing I was running a marathon that day, he said I was babbling incoherently and he was right.  Funny now, actually it was kind of funny then too.  After a few hours I was fine both mentally and physically, some soreness but hardly anything noteworthy.  In the end I did what I could, it just wasn't meant to be for me this year.  But I will not give up, I really believe I have a 3:15 in me and I am going to keep trying including running the Seattle Marathon on December 1.  I'm still Fired Up!




Meanwhile back in Portland...

LARPing.  Not a woman in sight.  Coincidence?

Wait this isn't in Portland, it's in Seattle?!?!  Oh no.

When my friend Kevin visited recently and we had our adventures around Seattle, at one point we went to Gas Works Park on North Lake Union.  A great spot to get a view of the downtown Seattle skyline, watch the float planes take off and land, view the floating houses, watch the Duck Boats carrying tourists float by, lay in the sun, and Kevin got some great pictures.  Well as we were walking back to the car, behind the Pavilion we came upon this.  LARPing.  If you're not familiar with the term, lucky you, but it stands for Live Action Role Playing and is basically a bunch of people that try to act out their fantasy worlds in full costume.  It is every bit as stunning, awkward, disturbing and hilarious(although not to them) as you can imagine.  I found it completely comical as one guy was trying to teach another guy the proper technique for dispensing his weapon.  Think about that for a second.  Proper technique for a FAKE BATTLE!  Not sure technique is very important for your pretend storming of the Fantasyland castle, Knights of the Dork Table.  I suppose since Microsoft is based here and we have lots of other techno geeks we may be prone to this type of activity, you know by the kind of guys that were actually excited about this year being the 25th Anniversary of Willow and couldn't wait to the get the new Blu-Ray version with extras.  Definitely not my type of thing.  We moved on quickly, but only after a few laughs.  Make that many laughs because you know there's nothing better on a hot summer day then putting on your fake suit of armor and having a pretend battle with your Renaissance fair friends, with proper technique of course.  Nice work LARPers.  Good luck in mom's basement.



Yeehaw, it's Rodeo Time!

8 seconds doesn't seem too daunting, until you see these bulls up close!

10 gallon hats, boots and spurs and belt buckles the size of the Wimbledon trophy; yep, it's Rodeo Week and I got to take part for many, many, many days.  Well not really that many, but more than I hads ever envisioned I would in my life.  Seems that Ellensburg, WA, also known as Rodeo City, is a stop on the National Rodeo Tour and I had to, or should I say, got the pleasure of,  hosting clients there for the weekend.  It was definitely a new experience for me as I've not only never been to a rodeo, I've hardly been to anything that would be even quasi similar.  So with my own preconceived notions I went forth to the Gold Buckle Club at the Kittitas County Fairgrounds and proceeded to learn all that I could have ever wanted to know and witness regarding a rodeo.  The big Super Bowl of Rodeos, if you will, takes place in Las Vegas every year and I was familiar with that as I have some cousins that are way into it and go every year and my Uncle Al, who lives near Las Vegas has told me all about how big it is.  For you city folk, like me, think March Madness, but for cowboys.  From what I understand the Ellensburg Rodeo is the last big stop before Vegas where the cowboys can qualify for their respective events, so the rodeo tends to draw all the top names, thus making this a big deal.  The good news was that we were in the Gold Buckle Club and therefore in the VIP area, ostensibly, so we could sit out of the sun, were close to action and had all the food and drink one could want.  After watching the bucking broncos, the barrel runs, calf roping, and a contest that involved trying to milk a running cow, it was time for the main event, bull riding.  Again, I know nothing about this, but even if you're not all that into it, sitting that close to these snarling, angry bulls and watching the cowboys try to ride them for at least 8 seconds, which is required to get a score, it was exciting.  The scoring, however, seemed to remind me of Olympics in that you have to stay on for 8 seconds but beyond that how the judges determine how to score each ride seemed subjective.  Although there didn't not appear to be any Eastern European Bloc judges from what I could tell at least, but there was definitely controversy.  In between each event was the fabled Rodeo Clowns, hilarious by any standard, except for anyone that has a standard.  Well that may be a bit harsh, but it was clearly pratfall humor for the masses.  Kenny Bania would be proud, I wasn't.  At any rate after 5 days of rodeo I'd seen enough, one day would have been plenty.  I definitely learned how much of a city slicker that I apparently am.  But if I have to go again, and in all likelihood I will, I still won't be wearing any chaps.  Giddy up.




Battle of the Basement

SafeCo Field, a beautiful stadium, but not so beautiful baseball.

I had the chance to take in a Seattle Mariners baseball game the other night at SafeCo Field.  The weather was perfect, our seats were very good(as you can see above), it was a great summer night to watch the second to last place Mariners take on the last place Houston Astros.  Thus it was going to be a pillow fight for futility and neither team disappointed.

My cousin Matt and his friends go to Mariners games fairly regularly and they asked me to join them, so I did.  When I first got to Washington I went to a game the first or second night I was here for work, but the weather was lousy and the Mariners got hammered right out of the gate and it was not a great experience, so I was happy to go again and hope for a better time.  Well both teams have struggled all season, although at one point Seattle was threatening to be at least a .500 team,  but their play the last month has taken away that hope, while the Astros have been awful from Day One.  So the game was lousy, neither team could get a hit, although at the same time, neither team's pitcher looked dominant, it was clearly a battle of last place teams.  However in the 7th inning a newly called up Mariner hit his first career home run giving them the lead heading into the 8th, 3-2.  Seattle's Charlie Furbush pitched a solid 8th leading to the Mariners turning to their closer who proceeded to not close out the game, but rather give up 4 runs.  Houston, not to be outdone, nearly gave it back away in the bottom of the ninth but eventually held on to win 6-4.  Not great baseball for the electric crowd of maybe 5K.  However, SafeCo Field is fantastic!  The views throughout the park are great, the concourses and food selections are tremendous and of course they have a million IPA's for your choosing, although SafeCo also has the highest beer prices in MLB, sweet!

As we were watching the game my friend Doug texted me about the Monday Night Football game going on at that moment and I told him I was at the baseball game, to which he replied:

"Didn't anyone tell you baseball season ended Aug. 30 when the football season began?!?!?"

Great point Doug.  Baseball, you're done, now let's get back to the pigskin.




Spartans that can actually score and win!

MSU vs. Louisville? Not quite.

When I was trying to find a place to live here in Metro Seattle I went east of town and as I was driving to my new place I went right by the high school that is a mere stone's throw away, Skyline High School.  The reason it stuck out, they have a big sign out front of the school with the Spartan head, the same one and the same colors that Michigan State uses.  Having grown up in the shadow of Sparty, I took this as a good omen. But as I was soon to learn, these are not your George Perles smash mouth, always close but never quite there, Spartans.  The Skyline Spartans are a powerhouse.   Seems the school has only been around about 15 years and in that time they have won 7 state titles in the state's largest division, including 6 in the last 8 years.  Running a high octane spread offense, these Spartans are a true dominant force and have had the #1 rated high school QB for the last 6 years in a row.  Clearly they don't have the same problems MSU does in scoring points, maybe State could learn a thing or two from these kids.  At any rate, as cool as it is that the Spartans are in my backyard I then found out that the other state power is Bellevue HS. Bellevue is in the next division and they have won state titles 10 of last 12 years.  Their nickname, the Wolverines and they use the same colors and logo as scUM.  I found this all completely fascinating. There must be former scUM and MSU people in this area to have made this happen.  They are both completely dominant, so much so that since they are in different divisions there has been talk of a +1 game after the state championships the last few years because they both destroy their own divisions and yet, don't get to face each other.  At any rate, I think it's great that I moved to a new state and yet I can still cheer for the Spartans and completely hate the Wolverines even though I'm 3,000 miles away from Michigan. More importantly it's nice for once in my life to see Spartan football as the dominant force.  Go Green and Screw the Blue!



Seattle Desert?

Palm Trees, where am I again?

If you've never been to Seattle, no matter where you are from, the first thing you will notice when you get off the plane and step outside is how green everything is and how there are so many trees and such.  I guess all of that rain counts for something.  But when I went to Vashon Island to visit my cousin Matt for the first time after moving here, we went to a local pizza place and outside the restaurant I did a double take and noticed that there were two palm trees.   At first I felt like my mind was playing tricks on me.  I mean coming from Arizona there were palm trees everywhere so it wasn't anything new for me to see some, but here in Seattle and not in the desert?  Turns out here in Seattle, because we rarely get any snow and it rarely gets below freezing, there are certain types of palm trees that live and thrive here.  They may look a bit different than the your typical tropical palms, but seeing them made me feel more at home.  Spartans, palm trees, is Seattle trying to make me feel my roots or something?



The History of Cactus Chip

If you are, or ever have been, a Chippewa then you are Forever Fired Up!

I have had a few people ask me why the name of my blog is "Cactus Chip" and what does that mean, so here is the story.

I went to college at Central Michigan University and I often think about how that period in time was some of the greatest moments of my life.  I made life long friends, won a national championship and had about as much fun as anyone can have in college while still actually going to class and getting their degree.  CMU's nickname is the Chippewas, based on the Chippewa Indian Tribe whose land that area of the state once dominated. Thus for nearly 100 years the chant of Fire Up Chips! has been heard at any CMU sporting event or really any kind of CMU event for that matter.  It is our alma mater rallying cry, if you will.   Anytime you see someone wearing CMU clothing  a mere shout of "Fire Up" in their direction will undoubtedly be well received.  When I started this blog I was living in Arizona and since I am a "Chip" I came up with the name Cactus Chip.  Now that I live in Seattle I suppose I could change it to SeaChip or something like that, but I plan to leave it just as it is.  But Fire Up! has become something I live by and say quite often.  In fact when I went to the Space Needle for the first time I was wearing a CMU shirt and two fellow Chips recognized the logo and we had a nice chat as they were visiting from Ft. Lauderdale, FL.  Nationwide Chips!

For all my road races I write "Fire Up" in red ink on my arms, a way for me to see and feel some inspiration as the race gets difficult.  I am a Chip for life and I say that proudly.  I grew up in Lansing, also went to Michigan State and still have great affinity for all things Sparty, but I am and always will be first and foremost a Chip and Forever Fired Up!

Marathon war paint, I am always Fired Up!

Thanks again for stopping by.  There is plenty more ahead including an epic night with Trucker Todd, that I am still debating about posting but ultimately will, and an upcoming trip back to Scottsdale, can't wait for that! Stay tuned.