No Goal Time, But I Got A PR

For months I trained for the Iron Horse Half Marathon with the goal in mind of hitting a sub-2. On the surface, it seemed doable. I mean, what's a measly 5 minutes 14 seconds, right?

But we're talking about shaving 24 seconds off per mile.

I am happy to report I gave it my all. I'm confident in knowing I did my best.

Unfortunately, my best on this day did not result in a sub-2. However, my time of 2:04:20 did give me a course PR and a half marathon PR, and I'll gladly take that any day of the week.

StrideBox: The Next Big Thing In Running?

Don't you love contests? I do, especially when it comes to free running gear.

(Hopefully, one day I will be able to hold a contest giveaway or two. I love sharing the wealth, just need to find some of that wealth to share. :) )

A couple weeks ago, I saw a tweet from Rebecca (@complexmomruns) about a giveaway on her blog - Complex Mom. She was giving away one free StrideBox, so my interested was difficult piqued and I entered the fray. Never in my wildest dreams did I really think I'd win.

But I did!

I was pleasantly surprised when I got an email from Rebecca letting me know I had won. I couldn't wait to check out StrideBox. And yesterday, my prize came in the mail.

Mark Rucker's Journey: From Couch Potato to Triathlete

Mark after the 2012 Iron Horse Half Marathon

I've been thinking for some time to mix in some guest posts. I've been fortunate to get to know some amazing people through Twitter, DailyMile and the blogsosphere, that I want to share their stories as well.

Finally, I'm adding guest posts, and I could not think of a more perfect person to feature - Mark Rucker.

I met Mark through DailyMile and then got to meet him in person as we ran the Iron Horse Half Marathon in October of 2012 - his first half marathon. His upbeat, positive and encouraging personality you see online is exactly what you get when you meet him in real life.

Over the past couple years, Mark has been waging the Battle of the Bulge, and he is winning as he's gone from a couch potato to a soon-to-be Ironman! His story is so compelling, he was recently featured on CNN.com.

So without any further ado, here's Mark in his own words:

My Finish Line

Saucony has this great promotion going on right now called "Find Your Strong."

The concept of the program is pretty simple: what is your strong? What do you find your strength? What motivates you? In other words, where do you find your strong?

This is a pretty great promotion in and of itself. But since Dorothy Beal - a Twitter running friend, is one of the faces and voices behind the project, I'm an even bigger fan. Saucony didn't hype this promotion with a bunch of superstars and high-priced athletes. They used real runners from all walks of life and backgrounds. I highly recommend you check out Dorothy's blog and story.

But I'm getting a bit of subject here. (What? Me ramble? As if ...) This week's "Find Your Strong" asked for people to share photos of their finish line - where you finish your run. The photos range for the typical photo of someone's home to finish-line photos. Others are a different take such as a couch, a person's favorite post-run beverage and their kids.

My View From The Sidelines

My bride after her first 5K with some bling!

Saturday was a fun day for me. If you are DailyMile and/or Facebook friends with me or follow me on Twitter, you know I was a wee bit excited Saturday morning as my bride was about to run her first 5K.

When I sent the following post/tweet out - "Today is my bride's first-ever 5K. Don't know who's more excited - me or her. :) #runchat," one of the responses I got back was: "I'm going to say you :)."

Not going to lie, I was thrilled to have my bride of nearly 15 years join the running ranks with me. It's great when you find a partner in life. It's wonderful when you find a good running buddy. But words can not describe how awesome it is to have a your life partner as a running buddy.

Granted, Genople and I run at different paces, and she's not yet ready to log the miles I do on a regular basis. Yet, I don't mind slowing my pace to run with her and tack on a few extra miles with you. Also, my lovely bride noted she liked running with me because it pushed her to try harder and go faster than she otherwise would. Besides, time spent getting fit together is time well spent in my humble opinion.

Taking Time To Say Thanks

Nearly four weeks ago, I completed my first marathon. Running is an individual sport, but there is no way I made across the finish line without the help, support and encouragement of others.

It was an amazing journey. Of course, the race is still fresh in my memory, but I believe the 2012 Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon will go down as one of my all-time favorite races. And why wouldn't it be? It was my first marathon! I had a truly amazing experience, and I'm ready for more.

But before I get too far away from completing my first and before I begin focusing on my next race adventure, I want to take a moment to take those who helped me get across the finish line. I realize it's impossible for me to name each and every one of you all, and I don't even want to try to list all who were there for me during the journey. There are so many of you I know I would leave someone out. It's inevitable.

You Might Be A Runner If ...

This has been done before, and it'll be done again.

But after longing to write a new post, I thought I'd add my own. Nothing real thought provoking, just a little fun here on a cold winter's day.

So without a further ado ...

You might be a runner if ...

My 2012 Running Goals

Another year has come and gone, and 2012 is quickly underway.

2011 was an amazing year for me. I can't believe all that I was able to accomplish running-wise. From running over 1,250 miles in the year to becoming a half fanatic to posting not one but three sub-2:15 half marathon times, let's just say I impressed myself.

I am not a fan of the 'New Year Resolution.' Resolutions always seem to easy to break as if it's an ideal to strive for. I really liked what one of my new Twitter follows called her list: a Bucket List for 2012.

But I won't steal her name. Rather, I'll go with goals.

I like using the term goals for a couple of reasons. First, a goal is something to shoot for, something which might appear daunting can be attainable. Secondly, viewing these as goals is enough motivation in and of itself to make me want to work hard to check it off my list.

2011: My Year In Running

Man, what a year!

Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought I'd take to running like I have.

2011 was my first-full year as a runner, and it was a good year to say the least. I set out the year with four goals and reached all but one. (The last remaining will be crossed off the list in the coming months, however.)

I've got a long list of goals for 2012. But before I share those with you, I want to take a moment to look back at the year that was 2011.

C'mon! Let's Race! ... Virtually

Looking for a fun race to participate in? Well, you are in luck because I've found the one for you!

Last week, fellow runner and blogger Doug Cassaro posted he was holding a Twitter Road Race!

If you're like me, it can be difficult to find a race to run in January. Oh, there are races out there, but you usually have to travel, and the cost of registration fees plus travel can add up ... quickly.

Enter Doug's #TwitterRoadRace!

Nothing Like the Running Family

Some of my SID Running Family

When I picked up running and eventually the 'bug,' I didn't have an inkling of what I was in store for.

I thought I knew what it was all about. After all, I've been involved in sports my entire life. Heck, my entire 17-year professional career has revolved around athletics either as a member of the sports media or as a sports information director.

I was even on the track team in high school, although I competed in field events only tossing the discus and shot put.

Sports is my life. So, one would think I knew what to expect when I became a 'runner.'