The marathon run, and it's unique distance of 26.2 miles, is taken from the pages of Greek history. In 490 BC, a Greek solider named Phiddepiddes ran from Marathon to Athens, approximately 26 miles, to announce the defeat of the Persian army. Upon arriving in Athens, he had just enough time to shout "Niki!" (Victory!) …
Month: October 2018
Gear Factor: Marathon Edition
The 15th Annual Grand Rapids Marathon is Sunday. I love the Grand Rapids races. "Marathon Don" Kern and his team of volunteers put on an incredibly fun and efficient festival of races every single year. I've run the marathon and half-marathon two times each: '14 and '15 for the full, '16 and '17 for the half. …
Summer Days Are Gone
I like all the seasons. As LCD Soundsystem once said, "there's advantages to each." But, I'm sure I'm not blowing anyone's mind by saying that summer is inherently awesome. Especially Michigan summer. It's my favorite time to train; partially due to my teaching schedule (or lack-thereof), and partially due to those sunny days, hot temps, and the lakes, …
Pittsburgh. Part Two.
I woke up on May 3rd, 2015, put on a pot of coffee, and paced around the small kitchen, brimming with nervous energy. I quickly killed the pot by myself and swallowed a few sips of water, failing to recognize the preposterous hydration imbalance I'd just subjected myself to. For those of you keeping score at home, …
A Running Life 