I came, I saw...

...I conquered the Blue Line.  Half of it at least.

Finished.  My wife and I did it.  What a good time, great weather and fantastic people.  Cu dos to all the runners, volunteers, event organizers and family members.

It all started Friday night when my wife and I hosted a small gathering of about 27 people for a pasta party.  Shared our stories, talked strategy and trash talk too.  It was truly a fun evening of excitement and anticipation.  After it was all said and done everybody went home to rest up for the race.  We were in bed and out by 9:30 that night.

RACE DAY!

I can't sleep for the life of me the day before the race or any race for that matter.  The alarm is supposed to go off at 4:30 am, and needless to say I was up at 3:50.  I just sat there trying to get what rest I could before the alarm goes off.  Up and at'em....

Only a few seconds left before we departed for our Coral's, so we ended up getting one final photo together.  I could not be more proud of her than I was that morning.  Then there's this crew...

These are the boys.  Some of the best men I've had the opportunity to be around.  Oh and there were some pre race antics.  Not for certain if it was fatigue being early in the morning, or just letting off some excitement.  This went on for some time.  Four of us ran the Half and two others were a part of the same Relay Team. 

I committed back in the spring to run a sub 1:40:00 for the 13.1 mile race.  I felt good the closer I got to race day, but still the butterfly's were there.  This group, albeit great guys, are very competitive too.  I promised them I would beat them.  A promise I couldn't back down from now.  We decided to hang out close to one another before the race started in the same Coral and then...we were on our own.  That didn't last to long.  I was about 50 yards from the start, looked back at the boys...winked and told them I'd see them at the finish!  So I took off and never looked back.  OK, I looked back a couple of times.  My first goal was to get off to a fast start and hit the 2nd mile marker at 15:40.  I liked the pace I was going.  The second goal was to be under an hour at the 8 mile marker.  Bad part, I never saw it!  I flipped out a bit and fear set in.  I must have completely missed it because where I thought I was...I wasn't.  I made it to the 9 mile market and noticed I was a 1:08:22 and started doing the math from my actual race time and had to subtract 44 seconds.  Right on pace.

At 9 miles you enter Akron University.  After that, only 2 hills left.  Cross the "Y" Bridge one more time, up hill at 11, find the flag at mile 12 and turn it on for 1.1 miles.  Between miles 12 and 13 I saw my buddy's wife.  She was cheering us all on, and I looked at her and asked, "Am I still beating Jamey?!"  Her response, "Yes."  That's all I needed to hear and I emptied the tank and ran all out.  This is the final turn before entering the Canal Park Baseball Stadium.

Nobody was going to pass me at this point.  All I kept thinking about before I turned toward the finish line was that clock better not be at 1:39:50, or I was in big trouble.  I turned the corner, looked at the clock and it read 1:38:02.  For the next 100 yards, my emotions got the best of me.  I was going to do it.  I did it.

I finished at 1:38:32, and 7:31 per mile pace.  I shattered my goal.  Hands on my knees, a lump in my throat, I just kept saying, "I did it.  I just freakin' did it."  I set the goal, I busted my tail for 4 months getting up at 4:30 am, and I did it.  I've never run this fast for that long in my 38 years on this earth.  I saw my wife waiting for me.  I was so proud of her too.  She ran her fastest time and furthest distance.  She did great.  We had a blast doing this together, and now she's been bitten by the bug.  We are already looking forward to the Chocolate Run in November.  Anyway, back to Saturday.  Everything was perfect.  The race, the weather and the friends.  I did beat my friend like I told him I would months ago.  I'll remind him again today.  For now, we all worked hard and we all did great:

What a fun summer.  What a way to cap off a season for me.  Next, the 15K and 4 miler in November then back to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in April!  Maybe a destination run in the fall of 2015....huh,...maybe?  

Thanks to those that ran with me, those that routed for all of us and those that knew I...WE were all capable of accomplishing more!

God Bless you all!

Coach Bill

This is it!

Tomorrow.

What I've been training for all summer long.  What I've committed to doing since spring.  It all comes down to these final hours.  Yes, its only 13.1 miles that I've committed to.  But like I tell my kids when they play sports.  

"Play fast.  Play hard.  Leave it there."

I will practice what I preach tomorrow morning.  My wife will run her first one, running the 1st leg of the Relay.  I've watched her work harder than she ever has before.  I have several friends that are doing this with us too.  Many have trained just as long, if not longer, and just has hard, if not harder.  I'm routing for them!  Then we get these!

More to come from our pre race pasta party and after the run!

Pray for us all.  We'll need it.  

God Bless,

Coach Bill

Less than 10 Days

Back in the Spring I made such a big deal about the Pro Football HOF and the swag that was given out that I'm not doing the Akron Marathon any justice.  Needless to say, the race is less than 2 weeks away and I'm getting excited.  I've been training relentlessly and have been setting myself up to achieve my goal of beating 1:40;00.  Its been difficult but as early as this past weekend I set a goal for myself to run 8 miles in less than an hour.

To set this up, our church running crew met at the towpath in Barberton.  My goal during the Half Marathon is to run the first 8 to 9 miles at a 7:30 pace.  This is aggressive for me since I've never done that before.  Ever.  If I can go 8 to 9 at that pace I can then slow my pace to something more manageable for the last 4 to 5 miles around 7:45 to 7:50 and reach my goal.  The towpath isn't as hilly as running through my little town, but 8 miles is still 8 miles.  I have been building up to this run, did some speed training and intervals through the summer and running distance at my desired pace at or around 7:30 per mile pace.  Last week I told my crew I was going to try and go fast and wanted to break 1 hour for 8 miles.  Well, I did it.  First time I ever ran 8 miles in under an hour.  I finished at 59:51 (time to spare too).  I felt great afterward too.  That feeling that you are so 'jacked' up that you can keep going to the next one too.

The time is quickly approaching and the best part is that my wife signed up to run the 1st leg of the Relay.  We'll get to hang out at the start and at the finish.  I honestly think I'm more excited for her to run than she is.  I'm pray that this gets her so excited that she is going to want to run the half next year.  I'm not going to say anything until after the race and the experience.  Then I'll hold her to it.  I'm sneaky like that.

Anyway, we do get some cool stuff this year plus a bonus for the Marathon Runners and Half Marathon Runners...SOCKS!  Wearing the blue socks this fall and winter with pride!

I like the blue men's Half shirt.  It goes so well with all my other black and blue shirts.

 By the way, I'm not sure if you hear, but LeBron James is back.

I can't wait to post pictures from the Freshwater Fit Club Pasta Dinner the night before, pre race and post race pictures.  Stay tune, stay true and stay strong.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 - Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

God bless,
Coach Bill

How big is big?

I've always been a big fan of Toad The Wet Sprocket.  There is a line in their song "Butterflies" that every time I hear it, I always get to thinking.  It goes:  "...weird when you get so close to something that BIG you can't see anything at all..."

Have you ever been a part of something bigger than you think it is at the time?  I can't think if I have, but about a week ago it happened to both of my kids.  I don't think they realized how special that situation or that moment really was.

My wife's sister and her husband treated us by taking the kids to dinner and overnight.  They went to a local restaurant in Cuyahoga Falls, OH.  It was a friends pub that was newly opening and there just so happen to be a special guest there.

Both my kids had the opportunity to meet an Olympic Gold Medalist.  Tim Mack the 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist in the Pole Vault just so happen to be there.  I'm sure it was planned some how but my kids had no idea.  That doesn't seem like much, especially to them at the time.  Meeting Tim Mack is one thing.  Getting your picture taken with him is something else.  Getting to put his gold medal around your neck and holding it for all to see...well now that is something entirely different.

I'm not going to lie, but that is such a cool moment that I was and kind of and still am a tad jealous.  An Olympic Gold Medal around your neck.  I had to ask questions!

What did you think? - "Cool!  He was really nice."
What was it like holding the medal? - "Cool! It was heavy"
Was it motivating (I'm asking an 8 and 5 year old to answer this)? - "Yes."  (their facial expressions told me that they had no idea what I meant by that.)
Did you get an autograph? - "A what?"

Big sigh.  Oh well.  What an awesome moment for these two.  One day they may look back on this and it may actually hit them what a rare moment this is for most people in the world.  Maybe one day.

Best of luck to Tim Mack and thank you greatly for taking your time to be a part of my kids lives.

God Bless,
Coach Bill

My reason for being

My baby girls birthday is tomorrow.  Both of my children mean more to me than anything that this world can provide. 

 

I always prayed that this precious little thing would turn into a free spirited, strong willed, athletic, smart and loving little girl. Ok, I lied a little...the 'strong willed' comment I am regretting. She is still more than I could ever imagine that I would be blessed with. And I wouldn’t change a thing.



 

Happy Birthday honey.  May God continue to bless you and guide you for many years to come.  Your mom and I love you dearly.