ACHIEVEMENT

As I ran through the infamous crossroads in Coral Bay last week and within 1/10 of a mile from the finish line and on my way to completing my 5th consecutive 8 Tuff Miles Road Race I could not help but feel an overwhelming sense of achievement for myself and all the other runners who passed this otherwise sleepy intersection on the east side of this volcanic wonder we have all come to know as St. John. The Crossroads are many in life and have to be dealt with in a host of ways in order to maintain a sense of balance and well being. Learning how to run this race properly to maximize your full potential is much trickier than other road races. We ascend 1400 vertical feet in the first 5.5 miles and peak at 999 feet and the temperatures are usually in the low 80's with typically high tropical humidity. I personally will lose 5 pounds minimal on this run in training and a little more when I race it. There are 12 water stations and it is one of the best organized races I have ever run. We  must then run back down to sea level and if you are not trained properly your Quads will hurt for days on end. Down hill running is not as easy as it appears to be, especially if you want to gain speed on your decent.  This years field was as diverse as ever and it simply amazes me how many kids, my 9 year old son included, his second one, run or walk this race. They really bring a special element to the field, right along side the Elite runners who burn up Centerline Road.

This year some old business had to be attended to. The amazing Zuber/Lilly rivalry was back on and in full swing after a hiatus last year from the previous 3 years, when 6 time course champion Jeremy Zuber did not attend the race and was living off Island, and Court Lilly found himself facing even stiffer competition in Thomas Chorney who last year not only won the race but took 3:09 minutes off of Zubers previous course record of 49:35 set in 2009. All eyes were on Jeremy, hometown hero and all around nice guy as the runners lined up this year. Ironically this year Chorny was unable to attend. That however did not deter the resolve of one Cristoher Reis who not only won this years race but beat Chorny's course record  by 26 seconds bringing it down to an amazing 46:00 flat and shaving 56 seconds off of his  2010 time that awarded him second place last year even with beating Zubers course record by 2:39 minutes ! Court Lilly finished in second place this year and it was the first time he beat his rival Zuber who finished 3rd. Congratulations Chris, that was some bar setting this year and food for thought for next years event. Last years  #3 runner was not present due to an injury and quite arguably the future Dark Horse of this event to watch out for in the coming years. Brian "Wookie"  Shonenbarger was missed also and at 26 and just coming off a 2:30 Marathon Victory looming at  6'4" and legs to his shoulders could very well be this races champion one day. He is also part of the "Cincy Posse" led up by the amazing Brad Dunlevy, an accomplished runner himself and 5 time competitor  here in the 8TM who is responsible for the emergence of this running posse coming to St. John for the last 5 years,  and taking 7 of the top 10 places in the field this year. His Love affair with one Jack Daniels seems to only enhance his running prowess as he finished 9th overall this year! Thank you Brad for keeping us locals "On our toes" and for not bringing any "Cincy Posse" runners down to St. John in my age group!!

Local runner Ruth Ann David did her magic once again and was the overall female winner with a time of 57:39, winning the race 3 out of the last 4 years as she was noticeably absent from last years race. 11 year old running prodigy Evan "Lil Pre" Jones ran an amazing 1:02:13 this year and is inching closer and closer to the "One Hour Club". He took another 4 minutes off of last years time and I use to try to use him as a pacer in our group "Tune up" runs here on St. John. Not in the last 2-3 years  however as he is well out of sight in the first few minutes of these runs. He will undoubtedly become a top 10 finisher in the next few years and will become the youngest member ever of the "One Hour Club" either next year or the following. He has a slew of College Scholarship $$$ set aside as he wins his age group every year. 8TM donates $4600 in College Scholarships every year to the winners of the 3 age groups, both male and female in the under 18 categories. I have donated to that fund on several different occasions. Anyone wanting to help with the Scholarships can contact Race director Peter Alter at the 8TM website.  Evan and 40 other kids 12 and under finished this incredibly grueling course. By the way, after the race all the kids are playing and running around and exerting tons of energy while the adults feel like they just got hit with a sledge hammer! 82 year old Yelma Pullen and two 5 year olds, Zach Edwards and Arjuna Morris also rounded out the finishers at this years 15th anniversary Run.

My personal run this year was more than I could have hoped for. Us runner are a very funny and ofttimes a whiny bunch and tend to complain about our times and training and our injuries and analyze it all WAY too much! Guilty as charged, as I felt under trained and did not do the Speedwork that is required to make us faster runners. I am often a LSD runner and just like to go out and enjoy myself and LSD will do that for me almost every time. I also realize I am getting older, but something deep down inside me keeps telling me I have not peaked yet with my times and I was made aware of that as I had a much better time than I anticipated, although not a PR (personal Record) it more than met my expectations for the day and I finished in the top 100 for the 4th year in a row and also placed in the top 3 in my age group for the 4th year in a row.  Having run the race now back to back with my son is also very special. He ran the last 2 years and both years after I finished I went back up the mountain to meet him and finish the race with him. I was called a "Showoff" at least a dozen times out loud by other races as went back up to meet him but I will take the jokes and a few serious harangues any day to have that experiences with him. Next Year I will Don a large Camera and take Pictures on the way back up and I can be called a Paparazzi instead of a showoff, the lessor of two evils or not? This race that I did on a whim 5 years ago to challenge my self  turned me into a year round full time runner the moment I crossed the finish line and I have been running an average of 5 days a week ever since. It has been transformational in my life to say the least.

What propels 1000 people to register and several hundred more to volunteer every year is really what the race is all about. Yes, I made a lot of times and rivalry's and placement here but the true nature of this unique sporting event is laid out within the realm of the community and the support so selflessly given to each years event. Achievement can not always be measured and it surely cannot always be seen in the everyday activities of all the participants and volunteers who make Race Day here so very special. It is the mixture of toil and the love of Karma Yoga that people practice either consciously or not. It is the sleepless nights long before the race that the Race committee must endure and it is the culmination of souls who share a Love for the community and the sport of running itself. The work for next years race has already begun in the physical sense and in the metaphysical sense. People are already talking about next year with great zeal and Peter Alter, the race director is making plans as you read this to insure you not only enjoy the run but walk away from it with a sense of awe and respect, respect not only for the event itself, but for yourself for participating on the many levels it take to pull this off every year. The next time you see a runner moving their body across the roads or trails remember how much it takes for that individual to enjoy a positive experience on any given race day anywhere in the world. It may takes a village to raise a child and but it also takes achievement to complete the journey, one that is much longer than 8.38 miles. Be Well All and if you are a runner, Run Free!

DELUGE

As I ran here this afternoon I was inundated with transitional thoughts that seemed to blend perfectly with the shifting terrain and landscape. The magnitude of rain that has fallen here on this Volcanic Wonder that is St. John the past 3 days has been spectacular, and as I ran a pairing of sorts occurred. Nature was carving out a path through the ravines and guts that we do not get to witness very often unless one goes out in the torrential downpours. In order for the rains to descend downward towards the Seas they must shift the earth and change its facade. I am feeling something evolve in me the last few months and know that I have big changes on my horizons both at my business and within. As I propelled my self up and down these hills on these roads for 8 miles today in the pouring rain I felt positioned to move in a different direction, just as the water all around me was doing, roaring at times and taking back the roads and trails that belong to her, not us. I had to change paths and footing, be keenly alert to traffic, and slow down some to stay focused and balanced both within and without. Always having to be aware of my surroundings in order to understand that this run today was different on so many levels.

I have been Self  Employed for nearly 35 years now and have already worked more hours than the average American does up to their retirement years and I promised myself something when I turned 50 over 4 years ago, that being I would slow it all down, and I did just that when I turned 50. I am semi-retired and work as little as possible. My business has suffered immensely because of that decision and my follow through on it, while simultaneously carving out a new direction for my life and my approach to it on a daily basis. Some forces are so strong, like tumultuous ravines flowing with rain water and carving out their path, that it is wise to just follow and listen than to fight and resist. Everyday when I run it becomes clearer and clearer what direction I need to take both in my training for foot races and my course in Life. One area is winding down and the other is just beginning. Becoming a stronger, wiser and intuitive endurance athlete is another goal I have set for myself and will begin to push myself harder and into other arenas of training and competing. I will be a better Father for it that is certain. Sharing wisdom as a parent is not always easy or well received but we do it nonetheless in hopes we can help our children along the rocky road of Life. Today being Fathers Day left me to ponder a lot. I am a Father and a Son and being such shows me just how much shifting occurs as time passes and Nature methodically carves its path.

In closing tonight I want to thank my friends and family for accepting me for who I am and the utter changeling that I am. Good Night.  Be Well and Run Free!

RENEWAL

Recomposing our strengths and stamina as runners after we have lapsed is one of the harder aspects of this sport for me. It seems that March gives me the most difficulties, partly due to the busiest time of the year here on St. John, but also due to circumstances at times that are completely out of my control. I ran 5 times this week, my norm, for the first time since the 8 Tuff Miles race on Feb 27th. 5 times a week is my standard and it defines and sets the approval factor in my running. When I stray to less than that I start to question myself as to commitment and resolve. It's the proving ground for me that sets my self defined standard of excellence and approval. It renews me when I have strayed and it sets the course to begin to push myself to the next level. Every runner need structure and a schedule to adhere to in order to stay focused. When we set a benchmark for our own caliber of talent we then begin to achive the desired results and beyond.

I have dealt with 2 serious issues this month thus far, neither specifically running related, but nonetheless troublesome to my running. One involved the well being of my Son and his school and classmates and the other the unexpected death of my Brother. Both pulled hard at me of course and both were powerful enough to propel me off course, a runners nightmare! I ran a 10K last summer where I was heading for a sub 45 minute run, an elusive goal for a 53 year old of my talent, and missed it by 7 seconds because I went physically slightly off course during the run and it cost me the sub 45 minute run. Being pulled from our center usually always results in a compromised outcome. It seems to drain something out of me that at times is difficult to recapture. The renewal, when it does occur is a splendid feeling and is most welcomed. It is at times slow to return, but we must never give up nor can we let it interfere with the fact that we are runners. "I am a runner" and in this simple phrase I define in myself and to the world that nothing will ever come between me and the roads and trails, nothing!  When I am flaying I always know that I will rebound, always, but I am never quite sure when. Life cruelest moments are often right around the corner and they elude no one. They are unbiased and often overwhelming. They can make or break us on many levels and they are at times as unforgiving as Cat 5 hurricane or the heart attack my Brother died of last week. It is paramount to me as a runner to simply run through them and stay the course until the seas subside. Next week I feel confident I will also log 5 days of running, possible even 6, and I will then know I have broken out of my mental funk and the renewal has taken full hold and the course will be set to achieve some personal best racing times this summer and beyond.

Renewal is like water at the oasis in the desert after a long trek or better yet the water at the end of a hard run 10K race where you do not even want to slow or deal with water stops. Renewal restores the Guts that is essential to a runners passion and the fodder that fuels the journey. Renewal is life's redemption and answers the age old question of "Why" and it always gives us the knowledge that "This Too Shall Pass" As I write this I want to go on another run today, perhaps at sunset, even though I ran this morning. This feeling is what makes me know that these temporary setbacks are just that, and Life in it's infinite beauty and cruelty will test anyone's resolve and make us stronger as we carry the experiences and pass them along to our children. It is my greatest hope that I can pass some knowledge onto my children to make their lives and the lives of others a little better. It is a work in progress of course and the renewal always helps me along the way. Thanx and Be Well.

COMPLETION

What occurs to me most in running races is the never ending lust to do our best. It is driven inside most of us by our own self propelled vision of how good we can be. It knaws away at you as a constant reminder that there is something inside of us all that simple will not allow a shody performance to prevail. Yesterday's 8 Tuff Miles race was one such instance. In completing the course, and having the pleasure of watching my 8 year old son finish the race also, I realized that in the moment of completion we take the next step forward. The moment of crossing the finish line strengthens the resolve of not only all participants, but their friends, family and others who cross paths with them.

This years run was not a stellar one for me, I felt off before the first mile and struggled to climb hills that I owned in my training. I was very nervous and anxious at the start, as I am at any race I do, but as I began to run I could tell something was off. As I ponder what happened I am reminded of other races that I simply aced and went beyond what I thought I could do. No runner ever really want to have slower times of course, but it is a simple fact of running and racing. Regardless of the reasons for a slower run than anticipated, the fact remains that in any shortcoming in life the opportunity to improve becomes more prevalent and presents itself to us as if to say "ok, now what?" What we do with that gift of sorts varies greatly and make many of us better people and stronger runners. In completing the lesson of a race or run we then get to move on and take the next step or opportunity. It is up to each and every one of us to determine what that will be.

My legs were sore today as I did over 12 miles. The course was 8.38 miles of pure hell at the pace I tried to run and eventually ran. I do not ever run that fast in training. My time was good enough for a 3rd place finish in my age group this year. It was slower than the year before and that bothers me but also reminds me that this is like anything else in life, you never really know what to expect until you are in the midst of it all. As I ran and was being passed by runners I outpaced last year I began to feel despondent but in the end I realized I was only 2 minutes off the year before and it was actually a good day after all. After finishing the race I walked up the hill 2 miles and met up with my 8 year old son and we walked and ran back down to the finish line. He was awesome and really surprised me at how fast he can run down those hills in short spurts. I got to run down the finisher chute twice yesterday, and the second time with him was a blast as we both sprinted towards the finish line and me ducking out at the last 20 feet or so and letting him cross and get his medal. It was his first 8 Tuff Miles race and he was still full of energy after the race playing with all his friends at the finish line. So many kids do this race every year and learn lessons they do not even know they are learning. Learning while having fun is "Child's Play" plain and simple.

This race also taught me about the evolution of certain people and of the race itself. I have had the fortune of running 4 of these in a row now and it is simply awe inspiring to watch everyone finish and accomplish, in many cases, something they never thought they could or would do. I really feel lives are changed for the better out there on the course and that moments of utter clarity are achived for many as a result of their accomplishments. This event has grown to encompass way more than a road race for St. John. I have witnessed all the twist and turns over the years not only on the course but in the nature of the race itself. We now have a new champion and new levels are being set by runners who simply defy human limitations and show us all how good we can be when we are dedicated and focused. A new course record was set, shattering the old one by over 3 minutes and a new breed of runners is emerging from the hills of St. John on race day. We will all need to be ready next year if we are to stay competitive as the field simply gets faster every year, thus challenging us to be better at all we do. Running lessons are always all around us and show us how to deal with life at large.

The road to any race ends at some point in time. Completion is put into motion when we cross the finish line and is then propelled into our daily lives. We then disperse our success on the course into other avenues of living and life. All runners know that running is a Metaphor for life, and that in our accomplishments we build bridges and in our failures we rebuild that which becomes broken. Yesterdays race was way more than a road race and puts forth the premise that growth and change occur no matter what we do. The evolution of the 8TM's show us that nothing remains stagnate and "All Things Must Pass"

If you are a runner I feel a kinship with you and wish you Godspeed and if you have never run I can assure you if you start it will change you life for the better. It is really a powerful activity that goes way beyond a fit body. See you all at the finish line next year! Be Well