Course Preview

Today we previewed the Half Marathon course, driving all the way from Kitty Hawk Woods Road down to Old Nags Head Woods Road, the unpaved end of the course from from Mile 10 to Mile 12.5:

It is pocked with potholes and, more of a concern, patched in places with rough gravel which will provide difficult to maneuver.  

Then we parked and walked the final half-mile over the sand dunes on the mulch path, and the final dizzying descent down off that big dune into the parking lot of the YMCA.  We could not decide whether it was a help to remember this part of the course, which I have run now six times including the full marathons, or merely intimidating.  But I think in retrospect it will prove a help.  It is always good to be reminded of the challenges which lie ahead.

Final Countdown

We have been here for a little over a week, and this week is the "final countdown" to the half marathon, which I am realizing increasingly as I think about it that I want to run really, really well.  After all, I spent some cold days in Highlands this winter preparing for this, even though it was weeks and months away.  Goals are still important to me as a runner, and I will be thinking about those cold days this winter - like the time I stopped midway through my run in the Highland Hiker on that windy, snowy day to buy (on credit) a balaclava, and the day when I cut short an especially snowy run because the roads were simply getting to slippery.

Meanwhile, the amazing Dave Cockman seems to be in Raleigh this morning according to his live tracking link:

Only 200 or so miles to go, Dave!  13.1 miles on Sunday will seem like nothing considering how far this man has run.

Shaking Off Stiff Legs

Here we are at the Outer Banks, preparing to run the Flying Pirate Half Marathon on April 19.  My ten-mile run on Friday went well; although I had originally intended to go 12 miles, my legs felt plenty fatigued after only 10 miles.  But it was that good fatigue, all the stiffness done, all the little aches and pains and "niggles" - even the tight hamstring and that vaguely-documented ghost in the background called "piriformis syndrome" appearing to dissolve over the long miles.

This morning, after traveling 550 miles with my legs pretty much locked into a single position, and taking only a few breaks along the way, I feel like an old man, sore all over, my knees and my hips aching in places they do not ache when I run.  This is an understanding that comes time and time again to the distance runner:  activity is good for us, inactivity is just the opposite.  We are designed to be in motion, to be covering ground, to be moving and living and breathing.  Such a simple concept!  But it is a lesson forgotten by so many former athletes who have slid down the slippery slope from mere paunchiness to obesity, or those many men and women who do not even know what it is like to be strong and flexible - the young men and women we saw when we stopped along the road who looked as if they had never done any type of physical activity at all.  What a waste!

This morning I know that after running a few miles, the stiffness will slide away behind me.  Thank God for this wonderful gift of running and fitness.

Dave Cockman: Running Across the State of North Carolina in 12 Days

This week, I sent this e-mail to local members of the Highlands Roadrunners Club:

"Some of you may have heard about Dave Cockman from Mayor Taylor in the past day or two.  Dave lives in Cary, NC, and he contacted us both several weeks ago about an incredible running feat he is about to undertake – running across the entire state of North Carolina in 12 days.  He will be starting at the Tennessee border just west of Murphy on April 4, and he will be finishing at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head, averaging 50 miles per day.  He is doing this as a fundraiser for wounded veterans.

Dave has a website you will want to check out that gives all of the details of his run:  http://murphytomanteo.org/run-across-north-carolina.  The website has a live tracking link so you can track his progress as he makes this epic journey. 

Dave will be leaving Hayesville on Sunday morning, coming through Franklin and on up the Gorge Road and into Highlands on Sunday, April 5, at about 6:00 p.m., and Mayor Taylor will be planning on meeting him at the parking area next to the Lake Sequoyah Dam.  Dave will be running alone, carrying everything he needs with him, and running about 12-minute miles.  Everyone who would like to meet Dave and run with him should check the live tracking link – the plan is to meet at Town Hall about 30 minutes before his estimated arrival.  Runners can carpool to the Sequoyah Dam and wait for him to arrive.  The Highlands Police Department will provide an escort into Town.  The Mayor has arranged for complimentary accommodations at OEI – it is really generous of them to do this on the busy Easter weekend.  He will then proceed to the Ugly Dog for dinner.  Everyone is invited and encouraged to dine with him (Dutch treat).  He will share with those present how they can donate to the Intrepid Fallen Warrior Fund.

On Monday morning Dave will meet the Mayor at Town Hall at around 8:30 a.m. as he begins the next leg of his journey, so this is a good opportunity to meet him and run with him if you can’t make it on Sunday evening.  The Mayor says there will be a signing of a proclamation in support of his run for wounded warriors, and after the signing he will run with him to the town limits as he continues on to Brevard.  The Mayor says that a car will be available at the town limits for the return to town hall, but he adds that "real runners will simply turn around and run back."  For those who don’t know, by the way:  Dave Cockman is a “real runner.”  Dave contacted me earlier this week and told me, “My training has gone well and I have completed two marathons and two 50-mile races in the past couple of weeks in preparation.  My legs are feeling strong and I feel now that I will be able to cover the entire distance in a little over 12 days.”

You can reach the Mayor at 828-506-3138 for more information.  As it happens, I will not be here to meet Dave because Martha and I are headed to the Outer Banks to run the Flying Pirate Half Marathon on April 19.  I told Dave we would plan to meet him when he arrives in Nags Head at Jennette’s Pier on April 15 or 16.  When I told him this, he said he was planning on running the half marathon, too – three days after running a 600-mile warm-up.  My plan is to locate Dave at the race, stay right behind him, and hopefully stay with him for as long as I can, probably about a half-mile.

Please don’t miss this opportunity to meet an incredible runner who is also running for a great cause.  Tell your running friends and your veteran friends about him, and give him a good Highlands welcome from our running club and entire community."

That is indeed an amazing and inspirational feat, and I am looking forward to meeting Dave in Nags Head and running the Flying Pirate with him!

 Dave Cockman

 

Remodeling

We are in the midst of remodeling out kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room, which explains why this blog has not been as regular as it has been n the past.  Long hours of hard work result in tired backs and sore muscles, but also in weight loss - good cross-training.

As part of the project, we removed all of our cabinets, and at one point there was absolutely nothing in the kitchen except the upper cabinets.  Now we are putting it all back again.  It occurs to me that this is similar to physical training, both weight training and running:  we tear ourselves down, and then we build back strength again.  We can remodel more than our kitchens if we are willing to do the work.