Blogathon Day Nine: Oh Boy

So the next wave of donations has come through and it looks like the Blogathon will last at least 24 days (possibly 29 days if two people who made precise promises of donations follow through). I actually need to take some time and plan out some ideas for that many updates. It's a good problem to have but, in the short term, it means I don't have anything of substance to post tonight. So, instead, I'll leave you with five random facts which I may or may not flesh out into full blog posts at a later date.

1. Jake Locker could be this generation's Ryan Leaf. To be fair, he only has trouble hitting moving targets. If the NFL would adopt Pokemon-style rules and allow for turn-based tackling, then Locker could be the best QB ever.

Blogathon Day Eight: Not Done Yet

So, before we dive into tonight's blogathon, I'd like to talk about the blogathon itself. While the Music City Half Marathon is over (and was a huge success at that), you can still donate money to Special Kids here, and it will still go to help a great cause. I'll also continue to honor any and all donations made in the blogathon. Currently, the blogathon is staying strong at 14 days of consecutive content due. Remember, you have the power to keep the streak of awesomeness going! A special thanks goes out to everyone who has made this possible. I don't want to spoil anything, but I can confirm that there will be YouTube humiliation/hilarity because of a generous donation. It'll be a while before it's up, but it will happen.

On the topic of the blogathon, my only regret is not having this idea sooner. It's been an excellent experience not only in raising money for a great cause, but also in holding me accountable for making regular updates to the oft-neglected English Muffin Power Hour. That, in turn, has led to me actually developing a following. I won't bore you with Google Stats, but I will say that I've already had over 100 unique visitors in May alone. You know, the month we are two days into. For frame of reference, I had 107 unique visitors for the entire month of March. So whether you're one of my loyal, patient readers who put up with countless "I'll update more frequently, pinky swear" posts or a new reader who has enjoyed this Golden Age of Blogging, I appreciate your patronage.

Anyways, onto today's news. Top headline is that the finish line photos from Saturday's run are finally up! There's also video of me finishing. I have to admit, I'm surprised at how I'm all business when it comes to crossing the finish line. The first thing I do as I cross the finish line is to check my watch for my time. Then I stop running altogether, because I agreed to run 13.1 miles and not one step further. Also, it's worth noting that I started that race with my name written on some packing tape so that strangers would know who the awesome guy was. I don't really know when that fell off. I suspect it might have happened some time during the haze that is miles 9.5 through 12.5. I can't remember exactly what I did during those miles, but I'm almost certain I ran them. Just don't ask for specifics like where I was or what I was wearing. My favorite picture would have to be the close up of right after crossing the finish line (3rd & 4th picture on the first full row). I did not think I could look that cool after running that over 13 miles. I have some other marathon thoughts, but I'll save them for tomorrow's blogathon. Just like in a real marathon, a blogathon is all about pacing.

But I've still got one more treat for you. After much frustration in the computer lab, I've managed to get the remastered version of my resume tape onto YouTube. A resume tape, for those of you new to the inner workings of the news industry, is my way of demonstrating that I could cut it on TV, by showing off my writing, speaking, and shooting abilities. My first few efforts were good, but there were two stand ups I couldn't tolerate any longer. The first stand up (the part of the news story where the reporter is on camera) was removed because I didn't own a microphone at the time of filming and the audio was absolutely terrible. The second stand up didn't have any technical problems, but it was shot on the morning of the midterm project and I was scrambling because my main story had fallen through. In my haste to film a stand up, I neglected to realize my zipper wasn't all the way up and my shirt was pulled through the zipper opening. It didn't matter how clever what I had to say was, that shirt/zipper thing was all people noticed! Anyways, I finally was able to reshoot and re-edit those stand ups and make a new, improved resume tape. Enjoy!

Bin Laden stole my Blogging Thunder

Well, here I was all ready to talk about my experiences with the half marathon when Bin Laden was confirmed to be dead as a doornail. I'll still talk about the marathon and post what few pictures there are, but I feel it would be negligent to ignore the issue. Some of my peers have called this one of the biggest events of the modern day, others have said that it changes nothing. While I'm not sure if it'll be one of the biggest events in modern history, it is a gargantuan event now. Even if you ignore Bin Laden's role in the leadership and organization of terrorist activity, he was still a major symbol of defiance against the United States. His continued survival as Public Enemy #1 showed the thugs and murderers of the world that there were limits to the strength of the United States military. In the words of Johnny Cash, "You can run on for a long time, sooner or later, God'll cut you down."

This look is triumph. And a little bit of agony. Mostly triumph!

Now, on the marathon side of things, I'm extremely pleased with how I did at the race yesterday. I made my share of rookie mistakes but I'll talk about that later. I have to give credit where credit is due, I hated every moment of hill training (even the downhill minutes, because they filled you with false hope) but it paid off in a big way for the Country Music Half Marathon. I actually didn't know that the hills had begun until they were almost over (my other coach, Sharon Perry, had to tell me that during the race). The only hill which was a bit daunting was the final ascent around mile 12. But I believe that was more a product of having run 12 miles than of the hill itself. The next big surprise was how well organized the finish line was. After I crossed the finish line, I was greeted by a person handing out medals, followed by a person handing out water bottles, and then a veritable grocery store of recovery snacks. I'm also pleased to announce that I beat the historic mark and was not half dead after the half marathon. I may have been 40% dead, but that's still better than half! I was also surprised by how much I recovered today. I certainly wasn't 100%, but I was able to move around all right and still managed to fit in a thirty minute bike ride today. . Even though my legs were killing me at the end, I couldn't help but smile as soon as I got my medal. Even now, it feels so unreal that I actually ran a half marathon.

The medal is so very, very cool.

Now onto the less good. I did make a series of rookie mistakes, but nothing was too crippling. First and foremost, I definitely got caught up in the adrenaline of the start of the race and ran faster than I normally would. My first mile was completed in 10:30 and I would finish with a pace of 12:20/mile. Nothing too bad, but I definitely was running at a pace I couldn't sustain. Next, I definitely should have used the bathroom right before the race even though I didn't feel like I needed it. Around mile six, I was reminded about the cost of being very well hydrated. Luckily, I'm a guy so all that I needed to take a bathroom break was a well located tree around mile 6. Unfortunately, the ladies had to wait in a line for a port-a-john that was at least 8 people deep. That detour only cost me a minute. The last mistake is a bit hard for me to pinpoint. This is because miles 8-12 have blurred together for me. I remember running them and seeing Sharon around Mile 9, but the exact locations escape me. But I digress. By this point, we had left dawn and were dealing with full-fledged day time. This meant less shade and higher temperatures on top of the fatigue of having run 8 miles already. My strict pace of run 9 minutes, walk 1 minute had slipped to run 8 minutes, walk 2 minutes. Then it slipped to 7 and 3. There was one stretch that was 6 and 4 due to a well placed series of water tables and the need to replenish electrolytes. It was hard to start running again at that point. But I didn't fold to the convenience of walking a mile or try to convince myself to rest and get back up to full strength. I persevered and I finished strong.

I sprinted all the way down the last hill and across the finish line. The easiest part of the half marathon was getting my medal right after the finish line. The hardest part was walking back to my ride. But all that is in the past now. Six months ago, I would never have thought I could do this. But now that it's over, I've achieved my goal and no one can take that away from me

Behold! The Bumper Sticker of Destiny! It was all worth it!

I did it.

I'm more than a little exhausted, so let me cut straight to the chase: I finished the half marathon in 2:42:25, which beat the goal I set for myself. I'll have pictures and more in-depth discussion tomorrow, but right now, I just want to sleep. But, as is my particular idiom, let me hit you with some random facts from the day before I go:

• Arriving at the half marathon was a truly surreal moment. I don't get nervous often, but I was blown away by the size of the race and the fact that I was actually there. Three months ago, the idea would have been too far fetched for me to dream of. But it actually happened.
• I made my share of rookie mistakes today, but nothing was too crippling. All in all, I figure it might have cost me five minutes total. I'm very pleased by that. Nobody's perfect, but it's always great to limit your mistakes.
• The one downside to the corral system of racing is that the slower people, more likely to be destroyed by the heat, have to run during the hotter part of the day. The only solution to this problem is to construct a weather control machine.
• I tried no less than four methods of electrolyte replenishment today (Gatorade, Shot Bloks, Gu Packets, and straight up Electrolyte Tablets). Tentative Ranking: 1. Shot Bloks 2. Gatorade 3. Gu Packets 4. Electrolyte Tablets.
• The finisher's medal for the half marathon is simply incredible. It actually feels like a trophy rather than a door prize.
• I didn't even notice the hilly sections of the race until the very last part. While I hated it, I have to admit, the merciless hill training really worked.
• I was surprised by how many people just walked the last three miles of the half marathon. I understand that is the point where exhaustion sets in and you just want to stop running. But when you were so close to the end , you just can't give up. That's what Cool Runnings teaches us. When your bobsled crashes, you get out and carry it across the finish line with the rest of the band of Jamaican misfits.
• True Story: Just as I was beginning the last hill, my iPod shuffled to the Rocky Theme (Gonna Fly Now by Bill Conti). Best. Shuffle. Ever.
• Most importantly, there was never any point during the race where I thought I couldn't finish.

Blogathon Day Five: Double Check

Two Brooks Ghost 3 Running Shoes: Check
Two Underamor Running Socks: Check
Track Shorts: Check
Blue Running Shirt: Check
Special Kids Singlet: Check
Two 10 oz bottles of Gatorade & Water Harness: Check
Four Shot Blok Electrolyte Cubes: Check
Three Electrolyte Tablets: Check
One Zone Bar: Check
Eight Fig Newtons: Check
Vaseline: Check
Race Number: Check
Timing Card: Check
Sunglasses: Check
Finisher's Medal: Pending

Blogathon Day Four: Get Settled In

Thanks to the most recent wave of donations, it looks like the blogathon will go on for another 6 days, bringing it to a total of 12 days in a row. For frame of reference, even if another penny is never raised for Special Kids, I will have blogged as much by mid-May as I did in all of 2010. Hurray charity! So everyone should get settled in, these daily updates will continue for a while.

The big event tonight was I carboloaded for the first time. Well, intentionally anyways. It turns out that I'm a natural at eating a bunch of Italian food. I also got my yellow Team ASK Jersey. I still can't believe the day is almost here.

Oh and there was a small NFL Draft today, but who cares about that? I know I don't. At least, I don't care about it as much as I normally care about sports (i.e. fanatically intense devotion which borders on zealotry). This is largely because the Draft isn't sports, it's kindergarten. No matter how big a mistake a team makes at the draft, Mel Kiper Jr. et al will still talk about how it's the best possible move the team could make. Think I exaggerate? Behold, Kiper's spin on JaMarcus Russell:



"Within three years, he could be one of the Top Five quarterbacks in the NFL." Or he could be a flabby codeine-addict who is widely considered to be the worst pick of the past ten years. Really, I can see how closely those two are related. And this is done for every pick all night long. Who needs competition? After all, if the team had fun making their pick, does it matter who wins? Well, it turns out it doesn't because the announcer's booth declares that every team is a winner anyways. And then they say it's now snack time. Animal crackers and juice boxes are distributed to all. If everyone cleans up their mess, they might even get to play kickball at recess.

What I'm trying to say is that the new CBA had better include a provision for ESPN providing the crowd with juice boxes and animal crackers. And maybe a few kickballs. Don't go half way on this kindergarten thing, guys.

P.S. They could probably get Peyton Manning to endorse the juice boxes and animal crackers. After all, small children are about the only demographic Manning hasn't made commercials for.