Tag: run

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Running Chicago

By Ralph —

There are a lot of ways to celebrate your birthday, and running a marathon probably isn’t at the top of most people’s list. But it is mine! And getting to run in the 40th annual Chicago Marathon was such a gift. The event staff did an amazing job of keeping everything safe and organized.  The spectator support throughout the course was amazing. It was great to see so many enthusiastic people out supporting their loved ones and everyone else.

This race was particularly special to me because Elizabeth and both of our kids were there to share the weekend and the whole race experience. In fact, the three of them ran in the 5K race the day before the marathon. What great memories I have of the three days we had together in Chicago!

Elizabeth and the kids are very experienced race spectators and they take supporting me during a race to the next level. In Chicago, they managed to log 11 miles themselves on race day tracking me around the course. Through some very careful strategizing (and tracking on Find My Friends, Strava and the race app), they saw me at miles 1, 3, 13, 17 and 25. Each time I saw them I got a little energy boost and pep in my step.

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Post-race birthday celebration at Ema in Chicago
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Excited to see my family at mile 3.
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Very excited to spot my family along the race course.

My philosophy is any time you get across the finish line in a race it’s a success. As I was running through the dog miles of 15-20 I was reflecting on how fortunate I am to have the physical capability and opportunity to do these races.  That being said, I did not make my time goal and that’s a little disappointing, but I am not letting that take away from the overall experience and the joy of the day.  I am blessed to have such a wonderful and supportive family. I acknowledge not everyone has that and I am grateful.

My time? 4:03:38. I came in 11,943 out of 43,000 finishers.

Here is the great thing about the situation: it’s on to the next event.  This weekend, I am doing the Meals on Wheels Charity Bike Ride and in November, I’ll run the Las Vegas Rock n Roll Half Marathon. I’m doing the Rock n Roll Half as a fundraiser for Augie’s Quest and the fight against ALS. 

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Count Down to Chicago Marathon

By Ralph

With just six days to go until the Chicago Marathon, the countdown to race day has started.  I completed my longest training run two weeks ago — a 20 miler.  That’s a milestone that always feels good to hit.

I’ve backed off on the miles the last two weekends. I’ve done two 10-mile runs and have crossed trained with several long bike rides. We did a fun family run in Santa Monica last week, that included a set of stairs.

Santa Monica 9.17Overall, I feel ready. I had a high hamstring strain on my left side for  three weeks that was bothersome, but not enough to miss workouts.  I backed off my pace to help it heal, which is a small sacrifice to keep training. In the past, I’ve sometimes overdone it trying to do too much to heal it. I’ve learned through experience that I just need to be patient and dial it back a bit. That strategy definitely paid off this year.

I’m really looking forward to this year’s race in my “big city marathon” tour. It turns out both kids will be going on the trip, which is super fun. I’m excited that I’ll be able to share my birthday and the race with them and Elizabeth.

A few other pre-race logistical items we took care of included double checking all our travel arrangements, downloading the official race app, and reviewing the course map and elevation.

These last two weeks, I have focused on my diet and hydration as well as rest and recovery while keeping myself sharp. The trick is doing that while not losing fitness. I’m looking forward to getting to the starting line with a bunch of other enthusiastic runners. We’ll see how the day goes!

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Running through Las Vegas

By Ralph

I recently had to travel to Las Vegas for a work trip. It’s always tricky to keep the workout patterns intact while traveling, but with some planning and commitment it’s possible. 

When I get to a new city, I prepare for a morning run by first going on Google Maps and seeing what points of interest are within three miles of wherever I am staying.  I always look first for a bike path, major park, or trail system in the area.  That can take a lot of the guess work out of an unknown location. I also look to see if there are any major districts on the map. For example, a district I always enjoy in any city is the Arts District. There is one in Las Vegas just off the north end of the strip. There is always great graffiti art in those areas and usually some cool buildings to see. If you look up the city’s art district you will get the whole history of the area as well as the main points of interest.

I did that this time in Las Vegas because I can only run up and down the strip so many times.  For me, it’s important to try and see something new everyIMG_1456

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time I go to a city.  Here are a few of the pictures I took running around the “18b” or 18 Blocks Art District of Las Vegas. Just a sample of what you can see when you adventure outside in a new location.