Prince William and Princess Catherine

Britian's Prince William and his wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, left, wave as they leave Westminster Abbey at the Royal Wedding in London Friday, April 29, 2011.
Associated Press Photo by Alastair Grant

Britain's Prince William and his wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge stand outside of Westminster Abbey after their Royal Wedding in London Friday, April, 29, 2011.
Associated Press Photo by Martin Meissner

Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey, London, during their wedding service, Friday April 29, 2011.
Associated Press Photo by Anthony Devlin

Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton exchange rings in front of the Archbishop of Canterbury at Westminster Abbey, London, Friday April 29, 2011.
Associated Press Photo by Dominic Lipinski

Royal Wedding

I am looking forward to the royal wedding between Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton Friday. I know a lot of people aren't into it, but I am.

I am a total nerd. I have already set my DVR to record coverage from BBC America and NBC. I'm sure they will both show most of the same images, but I still want both. I always need something to watch while running on the treadmill. The BBC America coverage will be live and commercial free. Which will be nice. I won't have to pick up the remote and fast forward through the commercials.

Mike

Happy 37th birthday to my husband.
I love the first photo.

Books read in 2011

The Laughing Corpse, Laurell K. Hamilton
Circus of the Damned, Laurell K. Hamilton
The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: The Fury and Dark Reunion, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Nightfall, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries: Origins, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries: Bloodlust, L.J. Smith
Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner, Dean Karnazes
The Kennedy Detail, Gerald Blaine with Lisa McCubbin
The Kennedy Assassination: 24 Hours After, Steven M Gillon
50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathon in 50 Days, Dean Karnazes
The Brotherhood: A Precinct 11 Novel, Jerry B. Jenkins
127 Hours, Aron Ralston
JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters, James W. Douglass
My Life on the Run, Bart Yasso
On the Trail of the JFK Assassins, Dick Russell
Run!: 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss, Dean Karnazes
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Steig Larsson
Second Wind: One Woman's Midlife Quest to Run Seven Marathons on Seven Continents, Cami Ostman
The Scarpetta Factor, Patricia Cornwell
Dual in the Sun: Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley and America's Greatest Marathon, John Brant
Born to Run, Christopher McDougall
Iron Heart, Brian Boyle
Running With Joy: My Daily Journey to the Marathon, Ryan Hall

Currently Reading: Scarpetta, Patricia Cornwell
Up Next: Predator, Patrica Cornewll

Glass City Half Marathon

Sharing a couple of photos from the Glass City Half Marathon from April 17, 2011 in Toledo, Ohio. I finished the half marathon with my best time ever at 1:56:53. A huge improvement by almost seven minutes from my previous half marathon, the Detroit Free Press Half Marathon, from October 2010.

Photo Credit: PBS Sports Photography

Random things

The end of Lent is near. Only one more hurdle standing in our way before Easter. Good Friday is today and I will be fasting again. I really hope I fast better today then I did on Ash Wednesday. I ate too much food and really felt bad. All of the meals that we eat on a fasting day are supposed to add up to one meal. I'm really going to stick with it today.

It will be a challenge again today. I will be running after work. I won't be running a marathon like I did on Ash Wednesday, but it will be a run of 15 miles. After my run, I hope just to have a banana or a protein drink for lunch. Both of those items aren't big. By the time I eat something small for dinner, everything I ate for the day will add up to one meal.

Over the last couple of weeks, I have been eating too much food. I do run a lot of miles and I get hungry. That has been leading to overeating and I have gained a few pounds. I know I will be able to lose those pounds I gained by watching my food intake. I need to get back on track and stop eating everything in sight.

My plan was to run the trails today. I think I might be ditching that plan. The weather is calling for showers and temperatures in the 40s. Yes, I'm a cold weather wimp. It was in the 50s yesterday and I was wearing my winter coat and a hat. And I was still cold. If it rains on race day, I will still run the race. I paid money to do it and I don't like wasting money. I still have time next week to make it out to the trail to get in a final practice run before next Saturday's race.

Trails

My next race is April 30. It is not a road race, it is a trail race. I'm running the Road Ends 5 mile trail run. To prepare for the race, I need to get back on the trails and run.

My hope is to get back on the trail in town this week. But I don't know if it will happen because of the weather. There are thunderstorms predicted a couple of days this week. Later this week, there are a couple of possibilities to run on the trails. Friday is looking good. The forecast is supposed to be mostly cloudy and 50°.

Books read in 2011

The Laughing Corpse, Laurell K. Hamilton
Circus of the Damned, Laurell K. Hamilton
The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: The Fury and Dark Reunion, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Nightfall, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries: Origins, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries: Bloodlust, L.J. Smith
Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner, Dean Karnazes
The Kennedy Detail, Gerald Blaine with Lisa McCubbin
The Kennedy Assassination: 24 Hours After, Steven M Gillon
50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathon in 50 Days, Dean Karnazes
The Brotherhood: A Precinct 11 Novel, Jerry B. Jenkins
127 Hours, Aron Ralston
JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters, James W. Douglass
My Life on the Run, Bart Yasso
On the Trail of the JFK Assassins, Dick Russell
Run!: 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss, Dean Karnazes
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Steig Larsson
Second Wind: One Woman's Midlife Quest to Run Seven Marathons on Seven Continents, Cami Ostman
The Scarpetta Factor, Patricia Cornwell
Dual in the Sun: Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley and America's Greatest Marathon, John Brant
Born to Run, Christopher McDougall
Iron Heart, Brian Boyle

Currently Reading: Running With Joy: My Daily Journey to the Marathon, Ryan Hall
Up Next: Scarpetta, Patricia Cornwell

Boston Marathon

The 115th Boston Marathon took place on Monday. I was bummed because I couldn't watch it. One of the reasons I couldn't watch it is because I was running at the time and the other reason is I don't have the Universal Sports channel. I could have watched it on the Internet through universalsports.com, but I really didn't want to pay to watch it.

After finishing my run, I checked twitter to see who won the race. I read that Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya ran the fastest marathon in history, finishing in 2:03:02. Ryan Hall had a great race. Hall became the fastest American in history with his fourth place time of 2:04:53.

On the women's side Rochester Hills, Michigan Desiree Davila finished second to Caroline Kilel. Kilel won the marathon in 2:22:36 and Davila ran 2:22:38. With that time, Davila became the third-fastest American woman in history behind Deena Kastor and Joan Benoit Samuelson. Fellow American Kara Goucher finished fifth with a personal best of 2:24:52.

Like I mentioned before, I didn't see the Boston Marathon because I was running. I turned on SportsCenter to catch a replay. I was extremely disappointed in what I saw. SportsCenter spent a total of 20-30 seconds talking about the Boston Marathon. And to top it off, they only showed highlights on the men's race. I guess the women's race, that was extremely close, didn't matter. I watched ESPN news later that evening and they actually showed highlights of the men's and women's wheelchair and the elite men and women. I finally got to see the end of the women's race and it was very exciting.

I wish ESPN would broadcast the Boston Marathon. In the area where I live, Universal Sports is not even offered. The Boston Marathon is a special event that many people are interested in. It should be shown on a station that most of the people in the area receive.

Photo Credits:
Photo of Mutai: Associated Press/Charles Krupa
Photo of Hall: Associated Press/Steven Senne
Photo of Davila: Associated Press/Michael Dwyer

Glass City Half Marathon

I wasn't nervous the entire weekend over the half marathon. If I was going to get a new personal record, it would happen. If I didn't get a PR, I knew I would have plenty more chances to get it.

The morning of the race, it was cold and very windy. I didn't know how the wind would affect my race. When I crossed the start line, I just ran the same pace as everyone around me. I didn't look at my watch until crossing the first mile. It read: 9:02. I thought to myself that was slow. But really it wasn't. I maintained that pace for basically the entire half marathon.

I knew when I crossed seven miles in 62 minutes I was going to get my PR. I just knew I had to keep running at the same pace. After running 11 miles, I looked at my watch to see the time. It read: 1:48. I told myself that if I happen to slow down to a 10 minute mile, I would still finish under two hours.

I hesitated looking at my watch near the finish. I didn't know if my time was where I wanted it to be. Before running into the Glass Bowl, I peaked at my watch. I couldn't believe it read 1:55. I was so happy. I wanted the best time possible, so I sprinted to the finish and crossed the line at 1:56:53. I beat my previous PR by almost 7 minutes.

I liked the course. It was nice and flat. I enjoyed running through the Ottawa Hills neighborhood and on the Metroparks paths. I'm thinking that Glass City will be the first marathon I run in 2012.

Weekend plans

So much to do this weekend. I've been waiting for this weekend since Sunday.

Our plans for Friday include a trip to Cabela's. Cabela's is a The North Face dealer and I want to check out the running clothes. I'm sure I'll find some clothing that I like. Hopefully it won't be too expensive. After checking out some clothes, my husband and I plan to see The Conspirator. It is directed by Robert Redford and it is about Mary Surratt, the female co-conspirator charged in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. After the movie, we will be eating dinner at Don Pablo's.

On Saturday, we will be traveling to Toledo to pick up my bib for the Glass City Half Marathon. Hit the expo and go eat some pasta for dinner. Sunday morning I will be toeing the line for my first half marathon on the year. I really hope I can run a sub-two hour half. That is my goal. If I fail to reach it Sunday, I will try again when I run my second half Memorial Day weekend.

The Kennedys

The Kennedys miniseries ended Sunday on ReelzChannel. I watched all eight parts and liked it. I love to read or watch anything about the Kennedys. The Kennedy's are just a fascinating family. Growing up privileged, having three family members hold positions in government and the many tragedies that pledged the family make for an excellent story.

As much as I enjoyed the miniseries, the critics didn't. Some critics said that there was "no chemistry between Katie Holmes and Greg Kinnear." That "it's not very believable." And the miniseries is "woefully bad." I thought that Barry Pepper played the role of Bobby Kennedy very well. I thought he looked like and sounded like Bobby. I also liked Tom Wilkinson playing Joe Kennedy. Wilkinson acted the part wonderfully. After all of the books I've read about the family, I thought it was a great portrayal.

Running camps

I didn't run cross country in high school. The reason I didn't run cross country is because it wasn't offered as a sport. Cross Country was offered as a sport in the early 2000's, long after I graduated.

During the summer before the cross country season, the runners usually go to a camp. At these camps, the runners work on fundamentals, proper mechanics and gain valuable race experience. Now I think that sounds like fun. I would love to have a coach watch me run and tell me if I need to make corrections on my form. Most of the running camps that are offered are only for high school students. I don't fit into that category any more. I'm an adult, but I want to get better.

There are camps out there for adults and I've been using Google to find them. I'm unable to attend any camps this year, but I would love to attend one in the future. I'm sure there are more camps/retreats for adults but these are the ones that I found.

ZAP Fitness Adult Running Camps is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina between Boone and Blowing Rock. This year they are offering five camps. Starting in June, the have a Women's Mini Camp, in July Bear Week and Adult Running Vacation Camp. A marathon prep mini camp in August and an End of Summer Camp in September.

Mammoth Track Project has an adult running camp in September. I would love to attend it, but it is very expensive. The cost is $2,999. Some of the camp details are running twice a day on different terrains, eating organic and locally grown food, proper running development, bio mechanical efficiency, goal launching, body maintenance, nutrition and eating dinner with local Olympians.

Jeff Galloway Running Camps/Running Retreats has many locations which are nice. He has a camps in Vail, Colorado; Blue Mountain Beach, Florida; Lake Tahoe; Athens, Greece; Florence and Rome, Italy and Carmel, California.

Craftsbury Running Camps is located in Craftsbury Common, Vermont and this running camp is for runners of every level and age.

This isn't a camp, but an awesome training run that I want to do someday. The Western States Endurance Run has schedule training runs on the last 70 miles of the trail. These training runs are to help runners and newcomers to the event to get accustomed to the trail and the conditions on race day. The best part is you don't have to be a Western States runner to participate.

Books read in 2011

he Laughing Corpse, Laurell K. Hamilton
Circus of the Damned, Laurell K. Hamilton
The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: The Fury and Dark Reunion, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Nightfall, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries: Origins, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries: Bloodlust, L.J. Smith
Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner, Dean Karnazes
The Kennedy Detail, Gerald Blaine with Lisa McCubbin
The Kennedy Assassination: 24 Hours After, Steven M Gillon
50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathon in 50 Days, Dean Karnazes
The Brotherhood: A Precinct 11 Novel, Jerry B. Jenkins
127 Hours, Aron Ralston
JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters, James W. Douglass
My Life on the Run, Bart Yasso
On the Trail of the JFK Assassins, Dick Russell
Run!: 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss, Dean Karnazes
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Steig Larsson
Second Wind: One Woman's Midlife Quest to Run Seven Marathons on Seven Continents, Cami Ostman
The Scarpetta Factor, Patricia Cornwell
Dual in the Sun: Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley and America's Greatest Marathon, John Brant
Born to Run, Christopher McDougall

Currently Reading: Iron Heart, Brian Boyle
Up Next: Scarpetta, Patricia Cornwell

Dad

John Wayne Clark
April 10, 1942 - August 15, 1998

I can't believe you have been gone for 13 years. Where has the time gone? It doesn't seem like it has been that long. Your 69th birthday was Sunday. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about you and miss you.

A running life

I read Dean Karnazes' book, 50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days -- and How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance! and loved it. I watched the documentary about the Endurance 50, UltraMarathon Man: 50 Marathons - 50 States - 50 Days, and loved that as well. Watching Dean or reading his books inspire me to push myself to be a better runner. If you asked me last year if I ever wanted to run a marathon or beyond, I would have told you that I didn't have the desire to do it and I didn't have the time to train for it.

Back in January, something inside of me changed. I thought I was perfectly happy running half marathons. After reading an article in Running Times about New Year's resolutions, that is where I got the idea to start running 100 mile weeks. I thought I would try to run 100 mile weeks maybe a couple of times a year. That didn't last very long. After my first 100 mile week, I wanted to do it again. And I have. I have run 100 mile weeks nine times this year. For the next two weeks, I won't be doing that. I need to taper for a couple of races.

Another thing that changed was I wanted to run longer. Usually the marathon is the next step up after running half marathons. I basically skipped the marathon and signed up for a 50K. Not one, but two this year. I am ready for my next challenge. I have definitely put in the miles, I know I will be able to finish. My goal is to hopefully jump up to a 50 mile race in 2012. It all depends on how I do in this year's 50K.

I love running so much, I sometimes wish it was my job. I would love to be able to do what Dean is doing right now. He is running 3000 miles for 75 days straight in Run Across America. Run Across America was designed to inspire Americans to get up, get active and get healthy. I would love to wake up every morning and run in a different location and state. I know it would make me happy. Until then, I will have to settle for my 2-5 hour daily runs.

Can Lake 50K

I decided to enter a race over the weekend while talking with my husband. I will be running the Can Lake 50K in Canandaigua, New York on October 8, 2011. Besides going there to run in the race, we will be arriving early in New York for some day trips to other cities nearby.

What drew me to this 50K was that it is a road ultra and is mostly flat and friendly to first-time ultra runners. According to the website, there are a couple of climbs and hills. My first ultra will be run two weeks before at Dances With Dirt in Hell, Michigan. DWD isn't a flat course and its on trails. It will be difficult, but rewarding. I think I will be up to the challenge of running two 50Ks within two weeks of each other. I'm looking forward to it. I know I'll be walking a huge hill on this course. If I walk more along the way, that is fine. I'm just looking forward to participating in this wonderful race.

Top Photo: South End of Canandaigua Lake
Bottom picture: Map of the 50 mile and 50K course

Final two

It wasn't the ending I hoped for. At least the women's basketball final was closer then the men's final. Texas A&M Aggies defeated Notre Dame Fighting Irish 76-70 to win the national championship Tuesday.

I enjoyed watching the women's tournament this year. Before it started, I thought Connecticut and Stanford would be playing for the national championship. We were all wrong. It was great seeing two teams that nobody really expected to be playing for the championship.

Photo Credit: Associated Press/Mark Duncan

Books read in 2011

The Laughing Corpse, Laurell K. Hamilton
Circus of the Damned, Laurell K. Hamilton
The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: The Fury and Dark Reunion, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Nightfall, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries: Origins, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries: Bloodlust, L.J. Smith
Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner, Dean Karnazes
The Kennedy Detail, Gerald Blaine with Lisa McCubbin
The Kennedy Assassination: 24 Hours After, Steven M Gillon
50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathon in 50 Days, Dean Karnazes
The Brotherhood: A Precinct 11 Novel, Jerry B. Jenkins
127 Hours, Aron Ralston
JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters, James W. Douglass
My Life on the Run, Bart Yasso
On the Trail of the JFK Assassins, Dick Russell
Run!: 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss, Dean Karnazes
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Steig Larsson
Second Wind: One Woman's Midlife Quest to Run Seven Marathons on Seven Continents, Cami Ostman
The Scarpetta Factor, Patricia Cornwell

Currently Reading: Dual in the Sun: Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley and America's Greatest Marathon, John Brant
Up Next: Scarpetta, Patricia Cornwell

Iron Heart

While reading the current issue of TrailRunner magazine, I came across a wonderful article about Brian Boyle. Brian was driving home from swim practice in 2004, when he was in a car crash. He was flown to a shock-trauma hospital and he had lost sixty percent of his blood, his heart moved across his chest, his organs and pelvis were pulverized and was placed in a medically-induced coma. After all that happened to Brian, he ended up making a comeback. Three and a half years after his crash, Brian was an Ironman finisher in Kona, Hawaii.

In the article Boyle said that since he finished an Ironman, why not try ultra running? Boyle finished the JFK 50 Mile last November in 9:50. This coming July, Boyle will be taking on a 100 mile trail race.

If that isn't an amazing story, I don't know what is. Brian wrote a book about this experience. The book is called Iron Heart: The True Story of How I Came Back from the Dead. I ordered the book online over the weekend. I can't wait to read it.

Random things

I'm so disappointed. Thursday night was the one night only showing of My Run in movie theaters across the country. I really wanted to go to see it, but I couldn't. I had to work. My Run is the story of Terry Hitchcock losing his wife to breast cancer and raising three children. He wanted to bring attention to the difficult lives of singe parents. Hitchcock ran 75 marathons on 75 consecutive days. How incredible. It took me years to see Spirit of the Marathon. I hope it doesn't take years before I see documentary. I really hope it will be offered on Netflix.

After a long layoff, I finally ran some intervals Wednesday. I incorporated them into my 13.1 mile run. For the first four miles, I did 8x400m. The last two miles, I threw down 4x100m. I decided to try to do some speed work once a week. Ever since gas prices climbed, I haven't been joining my track club for Tuesday night workouts. I miss running with the group, but it is too expensive to keep filling up my car. Especially when I saw gas was $3.65 a gallon. I have the discipline to run over 100 miles by myself every week, I need to have the discipline to do speed work by myself also.

I photographed my first track meet of the year Wednesday. Its spring and March and that meant the weather was awful. The temperature was in the high 30s, but it was windy. The wind made it very cold just to be standing outside. I was wearing a sweatshirt, a hat and my winter coat but I was still cold. When I photograph events, it is hard for me to wear gloves and work. Gloves are bulky and it is hard to shoot and take notes. I went without gloves for the entire track meet. The track meet lasted about three hours. But I shouldn't complain, I wasn't wearing a track uniform and running in the cold like the kids were. I'm just happy that the track season has started. Warmer weather will be on the way.

The University of Toledo is about 35 minutes south of my home. The Toledo Rockets women's basketball team will be playing in the WNIT championship game Saturday at their home, Savage Arena, at 3 p.m. against the University of Southern California. The Rockets defeated UNC-Charlotte 83-60 in the WNIT semifinal Wednesday to advance to the final. Hope the Lady Rockets can pull off the win.

The Final Four

It isn't the final four that I hoped for, but that is alright.

The women's basketball final four will be played on Sunday. The first game of the night is Stanford vs Texas A&M. I was really hoping Baylor would have beat A&M on Tuesday, but no dice. Baylor couldn't defeat Texas A&M Aggies for a fourth straight time. The Aggies defeated Baylor 58-46 and earned their first trip to the final four. I hope Stanford can get the win and head back to the final next Tuesday.

The second game of the evening is Notre Dame vs Connecticut. A Big East match up. Notre Dame has played Connecticut twice this year. Both games ending in defeat. Notre Dame played Connecticut in the Big East Tournament final and lost by 9. I'm hoping for a different outcome for the Irish Sunday.

I would like to see Notre Dame play Stanford in the women's final, but I don't know if that will happen. It will probably be another showdown between Connecticut and Stanford. That game wouldn't be bad to watch. Whatever happens I will watch the final.

Ultras

I'm always looking for my next race. I scour running websites a couple of times a week looking for a race close to my house. I have even been looking for marathons this year. But I think that boat has passed. All of the marathons I've looked at wouldn't fit into my schedule. So 2012 will be the year I run my first marathon.

Besides marathons, I have been looking at ultra marathons. I'm running my first ultra, a 50K, on September 24 in Hell, Michigan. It is apart of the Dances with Dirt series. I know I will be very sore and tired after that unbelievable trail run. It will be hard, but I'm expecting that.

Two weeks after DWD is a 50K and 50 mile ultra marathon called Can Lake. It is the 9th annual race around Canandaigua Lake in western New York. The run is a point-to-point on a mostly flat course. It is a race that I want to do. I just don't know how I will feel after DWD. I should probably hold off on signing up for this race in October and save it for next year. But it just sounds so fun. If I don't run it this year, I will definitely have it on my race calendar next year. Already on my calendar next year, besides my first marathon, is the Chicago Lakefront 50K.

Books read in 2011

The Laughing Corpse, Laurell K. Hamilton
Circus of the Damned, Laurell K. Hamilton
The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: The Fury and Dark Reunion, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Nightfall, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries: Origins, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries: Bloodlust, L.J. Smith
Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner, Dean Karnazes
The Kennedy Detail, Gerald Blaine with Lisa McCubbin
The Kennedy Assassination: 24 Hours After, Steven M Gillon
50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathon in 50 Days, Dean Karnazes
The Brotherhood: A Precinct 11 Novel, Jerry B. Jenkins
127 Hours, Aron Ralston
JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters, James W. Douglass
My Life on the Run, Bart Yasso
On the Trail of the JFK Assassins, Dick Russell
Run!: 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss, Dean Karnazes
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Steig Larsson
Second Wind: One Woman's Midlife Quest to Run Seven Marathons on Seven Continents, Cami Ostman

Currently Reading: The Scarpetta Factor, Patricia Cornwell
Up Next: Scarpetta, Patricia Cornwell

Elite Eight

The field for the women's basketball championship elite eight is set.

Two games will be played Monday night. The first game of the evening is Notre Dame vs Tennessee. The second game will be Gonzaga vs Stanford. I would love to see Notre Dame and Gonzaga win. Notre Dame hasn't been to a Final Four since 2001 when they won the national championship. Gonzaga has never been to a Final Four. These games on Monday will be tough for both teams. They are facing a pair of great teams with plenty of experience playing in elite eight games.

The other two games will be played Tuesday night. The first game of the night is Duke vs Connecticut. These two teams met in the regular season in January. And it wasn't too good for Duke. Connecticut defeated Duke 87-51. I hope this time around the game will be closer and Duke can play more competitively. The second game of the night is Texas A&M vs Baylor. This will be the fourth time this season that the Big 12 opponents meet. Baylor won all three previous meetings by small margins. I hope Baylor can beat them again and make it to the Final Four in Indianapolis.


Photo Credit for Notre Dame: Associated Press/Al Behrman

Photo Credit for Duke: Associated Press/Gerry Broome

Sweet Sixteen

There are so many basketball games that I'm looking forward to watching. Of course they are women's basketball games. The women's basketball Sweet Sixteen games take place Saturday and Sunday. In every match up, I have my favorites.

In the Spokane region, its Stanford vs. North Carolina and Gonzaga vs. Louisville Saturday. I'm been a fan of the Gonzaga team for a couple of years. Last year, Tiffanie Shives, a player from Michigan was apart of the team. I followed her career. When she was a high school player, I saw her play in person many times. Shives was a wonderful basketball player. Now she has graduated. This year's team is lead by senior Courtney Vandersloot. Vandersloot became the first player in Division I history, women or men, to score over 2000 points and have 1000 assists in their career. I watched their second round game and she is a phenomenal player. I hope the Zags can keep going.

In the Stanford/North Carolina match up, I would like to see Stanford win. I don't have a good reason for picking them. You could call me a typical Duke fan. I'm not a fan of North Carolina. So it wouldn't hurt my feelings to see them lose against Stanford.

In the Dayton region, Tennessee plays Ohio State and Oklahoma plays Notre Dame Saturday. In the first game of the day, I would like to see Tennessee beat Ohio State. Usually I root for Big Ten teams to win. Not this time. I like Tennessee's style of play. They are gritty, tough and do what needs to be done to win. I hope Tennessee can keep up their high intensity play to win.

In the other game, Oklahoma vs Notre Dame. I hope the Irish can pull this off. Notre Dame has a couple of players that I like. Brittany Mallory and Devereaux Peters are my favorite players on this team. Mallory is a feisty player that will do anything to help her team. Peters is a great post player. Hopefully she can stay out of foul trouble and stay on the court.

On Sunday there are more great games. In the Philadelphia region is Connecticut vs Georgetown and Duke vs DePaul. Connecticut will be playing Big East rival Georgetown for a third time. The previous two times they played Connecticut won by close margins. I hope Georgetown can play them tough, but I want Connecticut to win. In the other game of Duke vs DePaul, I want Duke to win. I'm a Duke fan and I would love to see them in the Elite Eight. They have a tough challenge against a good DePaul team. I hope Duke's Jasmine Thomas can lead them to a win.

In the final region of Dallas, its Baylor vs Green Bay and Georgia vs Texas A&M. I want Baylor to beat Green Bay. It should be a great game. I hope Baylor will be able to hit their 3s and be able to use Brittney Griner as much as possible. I want to see Baylor win because besides Griner, I want to see Melissa Jones keep playing. Jones is such an amazing player. She sacrifices her body for every play. Finally in the Georgia/Texas A&M game, it would be nice to see Georgia win. But I think A&M will pull out the win. If A&M wins, they could possibly meet Baylor for a fourth time this season. Baylor is 3-0 against them this year, but all three games were really close. But we have to wait and see how Sunday's games go.

Fine weekend for US runners

If you didn't know. I love running. I love to run and I love to watch and read about elite athletes running. This past weekend was so great for elite running.

The weekend started with the Oregon Preview at Hayward Field in Eugene on Saturday. Some of my favorite track athletes had a great day at the Oregon Preview. Geena Gall, former University of Michigan runner who now runs with the Oregon Track Club, won the women's 1500 meter run in 4:18.12. Nicole Blood, another OTC runner, finished third in 4:26.80. In the women's 2000 meter steeplechase, Bridget Franek, former Penn State athlete who is also with the OTC, won in 6:25.31.

After running 32 miles on Sunday, I watched the replay of the 2011 NYC Half Marathon. Both the men's and women's races were exciting. Especially the finishes. Galen Rupp had a wonderful debut in the half marathon. During the race, Rupp clipped Peter Kamais and both of them fell. He was so close to the win, but ultimately finished third. Britain's Mo Farah, Rupp's training partner in Oregon, won the half marathon by outsprinting the New York City Marathon 2010 champion Gebre Gabremariam in the final 200 meters to finish in 1:00.23. Gebremariam was second with a time of 1:00.25 and Rupp third in 1:00.30. Caroline Rotich of Kenyan won the NYC Half Marathon in 1:08.52. The 2010 NYC Marathon winner Edna Kiplagat finished second in 1:09.0 and Kara Goucher finished third in 1:09.03.

Also on Sunday was the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Punta Umbria, Spain. Vivian Jepkemoi Cheruiyot of Kenya won the 8K race in 24:58, Linet Chepkwemio Masa, also from Kenya, finished second in 25:07. Shalane Flanagan of the United States finished third in 25:10. Flanagan became the first non-African born medalist in the even since 2004. With Flanagan's third place finish and the finishes of fellow Americans Molly Huddle (17th), Magdalena Lewy-Bouler (18th), Blake Russell (20th), Alisa McKaig (28th) and Lisa Koll (40th) the United States finished third as a team with 57 points. Kenya and Ethiopia were first and second.

In the junior girls 6K race at the World Cross Country Championships, Stanford bound Aisling Cuffe finished 17th in 20:15 and University of Washington's Katie Flood finished 19th in 20:17. Can't wait to see Cuffe and Flood battle it out on the PAC-10 course this fall. Should be some exciting races to come.

Photo Credit: Associated Press/Juan Jose Ubeda

Books read in 2011

The Laughing Corpse, Laurell K. Hamilton
Circus of the Damned, Laurell K. Hamilton
The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: The Fury and Dark Reunion, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Nightfall, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries: Origins, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries: Bloodlust, L.J. Smith
Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner, Dean Karnazes
The Kennedy Detail, Gerald Blaine with Lisa McCubbin
The Kennedy Assassination: 24 Hours After, Steven M Gillon
50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathon in 50 Days, Dean Karnazes
The Brotherhood: A Precinct 11 Novel, Jerry B. Jenkins
127 Hours, Aron Ralston
JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters, James W. Douglass
My Life on the Run, Bart Yasso
On the Trail of the JFK Assassins, Dick Russell
Run!: 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss, Dean Karnazes
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Steig Larsson

Currently Reading: Second Wind, Cami Ostman
Up Next: Scarpetta, Patricia Cornwell

Duke vs Michigan

I really didn't want this third round game played. The reason is I like both teams. I'm been a Michigan fan forever. When Michigan started having their down years, I started following another team. And that team was the Duke Blue Devils.

I was not a fan of Duke in 1992. I didn't like them at all. Michigan had the Fab Five and I wanted them to win it all. I was disappointed when Michigan came up short again Duke 71-51 in the 1992 National Championship.

What really turned me onto Duke, besides Michigan being in a slump, was Coach Mike Krzyzweski. He can turn any group of players into winners. He always stresses hard work, defense and team work.

Michigan and Duke faced off in the third round Sunday. Watching the game, I cheered for both teams. I complemented both teams when they had great plays and said things like, "horrible pass." Michigan grabbed a Nolan Smith rebound with 8.7 seconds left and drove down the court. Michigan was trailing Duke 73-71. Darius Morris pushed the ball downcourt and shot a jumper in the lane with two seconds left. The ball bounced off the back of the rim and Nolan Smith grabbed the rebound to end the game. I was happy that Duke won and will move on the Sweet 16. I was disappointed that Michigan lost such a close game to Duke and give Coach Krzyzweski his 900th win. Why did they have to be in the same bracket? GRRR!

I hope Michigan can make another run in the tournament next year. They have many players coming back, so all of the pieces are already in place. Duke will lose Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith to graduation. But they have plenty of players returning also. I hope both squads will have great seasons in 2012.


Photo Credit: Associated Press/Bob Leverone

125.4

I just had the best running week of my life. For the first time ever I ran 125.4 miles in one week. Wow. It is something I really didn't plan. It just happened.

I had a great week with runs of 22, 26.2, 20.1, 12, 13 and 32 miles. I loaded up my mileage earlier in the week because I was unsure of how much free time I would have. Monday night, I photographed a boys regional semifinal basketball game. Tuesday night, I photographed a girls quarterfinal basketball game and Thursday, I photographed a girls semifinal basketball game. All of the basketball games were out of the county. That meant I had longer drive times to all the games. I was really disappointed on Thursday. The local running group held an impromptu St. Patrick's Day 5 mile run. I really wanted to run that. I couldn't. Like I said, I had to photograph a basketball game. The game was in East Lansing at Michigan State's Breslin Center. On Friday, I kept my run shorter because I knew on Sunday I would really be running long.

I started my long run Sunday around 5 a.m. My goal at the start of the run was 32 miles. The week before I ran 31.1 miles, so I knew I would be able to run 32 without any issues. And I did. The only issues I had during the run was I had to stop twice. Both stops in the run were for a bathroom break. Other then that, my legs felt really good. I probably could have run for a couple more miles. I plan to keep increasing my mileage on Sundays. My ultimate goal is to run in 50 and 100 mile races. I think I'm on the right path to reach those goals.

Random things

I watched the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships Wednesday on ESPN 2. During the women's mile run, a certain runner caught my eye. Besides my favorite runner from Oregon, Jordan Hasay, it was Duke's Kate Van Buskirk. Van Buskirk finished second in the mile behind Hasay. She was back in sixth place during the race. With two laps to go, she started to move towards the front. With 100 meters to go, Van Buskirk charged toward the front and finished behind Hasay by seven tenths with the time of 4:33.71. I thought she ran a wonderful race and her blue streak in her hair reminded me of Anna (Willard) Pierce. I liked it and her colorful socks.

It has been a very busy week at work. I traveled to a nearby college in the next county over on Monday to photograph a boys regional semifinal basketball game. I traveled out of county to photograph a girls quarterfinal basketball game Tuesday. And on Thursday, I traveled to Michigan State's Breslin Center in East Lansing to photograph a girls semifinal basketball game. So much travel in one week, late nights and not enough time sleeping. I'm really looking forward to the end of the winter sports season. It ends next week. There is one boys basketball team still alive in the state tournament. They will be playing in a state quarterfinal game Tuesday evening.

Photo Credit: Associated Press

Jordan Hasay

The NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships took place over the weekend in College Station, Texas. I didn't watch the event live on the internet, I was waiting for the ESPN broadcast delay on Wednesday.

One of my favorite college runners, Jordan Hasay from the University of Oregon Ducks, won two individual titles. Hasay won the mile and the 3,000 meter run. In the mile, Hasay won in a time of 4:33.01. That was a new PR for her and she broke the school record which stood for 29 years. In the 3,000, she out kicked Shelia Reid of Villanova to win in 9:13.71.

Hasay also helped the Ducks score points in the Distance Medley Relay. The DMR is a 1200m, 400m, 800m and 1600m. Hasay anchored the Duck team but finished second to the DMR team from Villanova. Villanova won in 10:52.52. Oregon finished in 10:52.90.

The Oregon women's team won the team title with a total of 67 points. Second-place Texas finished with 38 points.

Photo Credit: Bob Levey/Associated Press

Selection Sunday/Monday

I'm a fan of college basketball. My favorite teams on the men's side are Michigan and Duke. My favorite women's teams are Michigan, Duke, Baylor, Connecticut, Tennessee, Iowa and Michigan State. On Sunday and Monday was the selection shows for the NCAA tournament.

Men: I'm glad that Duke was seeded #1 in the west division. The Blue Devils play Friday at 3 p.m. against #16 Hampton. Michigan is also in the west division. Michigan will be playing Tennessee Friday at 12:30 p.m. If Michigan and Duke win their opening round games, they will play each other in the second round. Boo. Not fair because I like both teams.

Women: UConn, Baylor and Tennessee were all named #1 seeds. Duke was picked as a #2 seed in the same region as UConn. On Saturday, Duke will face Tennessee-Martin, Iowa will face Gonzaga and Tennessee will play Stetson. Sunday's games that I will be watching are UConn against #16 Hartford, Michigan State plays University of Northern Iowa and Baylor vs. Prairie View. I'm sure that all of these teams won't have any problems getting by their first opponent.

I'm a little sad that Michigan women didn't make the field. They did beat Ohio State twice, but they had some very bad losses against Minnesota twice (GRR!) and Illinois. Michigan will face Eastern Michigan Thursday.

Books read in 2011

The Laughing Corpse, Laurell K. Hamilton
Circus of the Damned, Laurell K. Hamilton
The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: The Fury and Dark Reunion, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Nightfall, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries: Origins, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries: Bloodlust, L.J. Smith
Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner, Dean Karnazes
The Kennedy Detail, Gerald Blaine with Lisa McCubbin
The Kennedy Assassination: 24 Hours After, Steven M Gillon
50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathon in 50 Days, Dean Karnazes
The Brotherhood: A Precinct 11 Novel, Jerry B. Jenkins
127 Hours, Aron Ralston
JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters, James W. Douglass
My Life on the Run, Bart Yasso
On the Trail of the JFK Assassins, Dick Russell

Currently Reading: Run!: 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss, Dean Karnazes
Up Next: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Steig Larsson

Miles run in 2011

Following Sunday's run of 31.1 miles, I have run over 1000 miles for 2011. I can't believe I achieved the thousand mark already. It took me until June last year to reach 1000 miles.

At the beginning of the year, I didn't expect to be running over 100 miles every week. For my New Year's Resolutions, I stated that I wanted to work towards that and maybe do a 100 mile week once a month. Once I hit 100 miles for the first time, it was really special. I was very proud of myself. I continue to run 100 mile weeks because I love it. I have told my husband that I want to become an ultra marathon runner. I want to someday run 50 and 100 mile races. It is not something everyone can do. But I feel I can do it. I know I have the endurance to do it.

2011: 1021.6
2010: 360.5
2009: 189.1
2008: 210.5
2007: 96
2006: 102
2005: 84.1
2004: 58.7

Random things

Today is a short work day for me. I only need to work five hours and I'm done. It is really nice because I need a break. I spent most of the day and evening at The Palace of Auburn Hills photographing state individual wrestling finals last Saturday. The finals themselves took a long time and the drive home also took a long time. It rained all day then switched over to snow. Driving conditions weren't the greatest. But some drivers thought so. Passed a few of them stuck in ditches. Besides that long day, this week I traveled to two out of county girls basketball games. Both evenings I got to bed later then normal. But like the trooper I am, I got up the next morning at the same time for work: 4 a.m. I'm looking forward to relaxing and getting more sleep. Since I don't have any games to shoot this weekend, I can do exactly that.

My sister told me last night that I'm too skinny. I don't think that I am. Over the last few months people have commented on how I look. They always ask how much weight I have lost, which is 80 pounds. The next question is do you want to lose any more? I do want to lose another 10 pounds. When I tell them that they usually ask why? Most people tell me that I look great and that I don't need to lose anymore. I would like to be another 10 pounds lighter because I know it will help with my running. If I weigh less, I hope I can run a little faster and lower my PRs again. I just want to run as fast as I can.

I will be watching so much college basketball today. I mentioned that I like the conference tournaments last week. Starting at noon, I'm be watching the Baylor vs Kansas State women's game. At 2 p.m., Michigan vs Illinois men's basketball and tonight at 7 p.m. Duke vs Maryland.

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday is the start of Lent. It is also a day of fasting. Usually I have no problems fasting, but I did this year.

I had to photograph a basketball game out of the county Tuesday. The round trip to and from the game was 130 miles. I like to run twice on Tuesdays. I run in the morning when I get home from work. Then I run again later in the day. I planned on running long Wednesday since I had to work Tuesday night.

I took a banana and a protein bar to work with me on Wednesday morning. I ate both of those before 7: 30 a.m. After I left work, I got on my treadmill for a long run. I decided to run a marathon. I don't know if running a marathon was a smart idea. When I hit 16 miles, I really felt like stopping. I told myself to run to 18 miles. Once I got to 18 miles, I told myself to run to 22 miles. When I reached 22 miles, I knew I would be able to run the last four miles. When I was doubting myself, it was because I didn't know if I could make it on a empty stomach. I did.

After running, I had a glass of water with a protein mix. That filled me up for about an hour. I was hungry. I couldn't deny myself any longer. I broke down and ate some food. But not too much. I ate a small cinnamon raisin bagel, a handful of raisins and a banana. I know that those healthy snacks will carry me through until dinner.

I know I ate more food then I should have on Ash Wednesday. I couldn't help it. I'm always really hungry after running long distances. I'll be sure to fast better on Good Friday. I won't plan on running a marathon that day.

Books read in 2011

Besides reading the usual books about John F. Kennedy and his assassination and vampires, I've been reading books about running. If you didn't know, I love to run. I run over 100 miles a week. I'm really enjoying reading the running books because they me inspire to keep running and to be the best I can.

The Laughing Corpse, Laurell K. Hamilton
Circus of the Damned, Laurell K. Hamilton
The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: The Fury and Dark Reunion, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Nightfall, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries: Origins, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries: Bloodlust, L.J. Smith
Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner, Dean Karnazes
The Kennedy Detail, Gerald Blaine with Lisa McCubbin
The Kennedy Assassination: 24 Hours After, Steven M Gillon
50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathon in 50 Days, Dean Karnazes
The Brotherhood: A Precinct 11 Novel, Jerry B. Jenkins
127 Hours, Aron Ralston
JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters, James W. Douglass
My Life on the Run, Bart Yasso

Currently Reading: On the Trail of the JFK Assassins, Dick Russell
Up Next: Run!: 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss, Dean Karnazes

Lent

After thinking about it for a while, I have decided what I'm giving up for Lent 2011. I will be giving up buying snacks at the grocery store.

Usually every Saturday morning I go to the grocery store. Certain items always find their way into my shopping cart. These items are oatmeal raisin cookies, cornbread and Town House Flipsides crackers. They are not bad items, but I can't seem to control myself around them. When I open the package, I can't stop. I could eat an entire package in one sitting, which isn't too good.

Since losing 80 pounds since last October, I have been maintaining my weight. Some days it goes up, but it usually comes back down. My ultimate goal is lose another 10 pounds. I really want to to weigh a certain amount for the first time in my life. If I am always stuffing my face with these delicious snacks, I'll never get there.

My house will be empty of these items starting on Wednesday. I know I'll miss them, but it is for my own good. I hope with giving up the snacks I can lose a couple of more pounds. Many years ago I gave up pop (that is what we call it in the Midwest). After Lent was over I never went back to drinking it. Sometimes if my husband has a pop, I'll take a sip or two. But I don't have the desire to drink a whole bottle. I don't know if I will feel that way about these items. It would be nice to lose the constant craving of eating the cookies, cornbread and crackers. Maybe after Lent it will be like how it is with pop, a small taste that can satisfy me.

ABC's

(A) Age: 31
(B) Bed Size: Queen
(C) Chore You Really Dislike: Cleaning my house.
(D) Dogs. Two German Shepherds: Blitzkrieg and Kelly.
(E) Essential Start Your Day Item: A banana and Kellogg's Protein Bar.
(F) Favorite Color: Green.
(G) Gold or Silver? I really like silver, but my rings are gold.
(H) Height: 5'6"
(I) Instruments You Play: None. I never took piano class or was in the band like my brothers and sisters.
(J) Job Title: Photographer & photo technician.
(K) Kids: No children
(L) Live: Adrian
(M) Mom's Name: Mary
(N) Nicknames: D, D-Red, Delo, Honey, Mitten.
(O) Overnight Hospital Stays? None
(P) Pet Peeve: People who drive under the speed limit.
(Q) Quote from a Movie: "Bad language makes for bad feelings." RoboCop 2
(R) Right or Left Handed? Right
(S) Siblings: Two brothers and four sisters.
(T) Time You Wake Up? Mondays-Fridays: 4:00 am; Saturday-Sunday: sometime after 5 am.
(U) Underwear: Yes.
(V) Vegetable You Dislike: Asparagus.
(W) What Makes You Run Late: Nothing. I'm early to everything. I can't stand being late.
(X) X-Rays: Only at the dentist.
(Y) Yummy Food You Make: Enchiladas.
(Z) Zoo, Favorite Animal: Tigers.

Ragnar Relay Series

This is the best week ever! I was excited to open up my email this week to see that I had an invite to join a Ragnar Relay Team for the Chicago Relay. Of course I accepted. How many opportunities does one person get to run in something this cool?

The relay is June 10-11 and it starts in Madison, Wisconsin and ends in Chicago. One of my teammates is Krista. I met her a couple of years ago at some friends' wedding in Ohio. This time I will be able to talk to her more then 30 seconds.

I'm really looking forward to the challenge of running this overnight relay. It is something different and 2011 for me is all about doing something new. I'll be running with a new group of people, visiting a state that I have never been before, Wisconsin, and running a relay of 197 miles. It should be very fun!

Conference tournaments

I'm really excited. Most of the women's college basketball conference tournaments start today. I'll be stuck to my TV like glue watching these games. If I can't watch a game live, it will be recorded on my DVR to watch at a later time.

The conference tournaments I'll be watching are the Big Ten, ACC, Big 12 and Big East. In those conferences, there are many teams that I like and hope that they do well. Besides enjoying women's basketball, I'll be excited when the men's conference tournaments start as well.

Who doesn't like the start of March Madness?

Books read in 2011

The Laughing Corpse, Laurell K. Hamilton
Circus of the Damned, Laurell K. Hamilton
The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: The Fury and Dark Reunion, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Nightfall, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries: Origins, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries: Bloodlust, L.J. Smith
Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner, Dean Karnazes
The Kennedy Detail, Gerald Blaine with Lisa McCubbin
The Kennedy Assassination: 24 Hours After, Steven M Gillon
50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathon in 50 Days, Dean Karnazes
The Brotherhood: A Precinct 11 Novel, Jerry B. Jenkins
127 Hours, Aron Ralston

Currently Reading: JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters, James W. Douglass
Up Next: My Life on the Run, Bart Yasso

Run Across America

I recently found out who Dean Karnazes was. I found his books when I decided that I wanted to start running ultras. He has become an inspiration to me. I hope that someday I can follow in his footsteps and run 50M and 100M races.

This past Friday Dean started his new adventure, Run Across America. Karnazes is running across America to inspire people to get up, get active and get healthy. Karnazes said in an interview," I thought it would be a great challenge but I'm trying to motivate and inspire kids, actually." Just reading both of his books inspired me. I want to become an ultra runner. I want to be able to run 50 miles or 100 miles all at once. I will continue to work toward my new goals until I reach them.

I will be watching Karnazes' progress over the next 12 weeks from the interactive map on Map My Run. I wish I could actually join him by running a 5K along the way. On April 21, Karnazes will be running in Springfield, Ohio. That is three hours south of where I live. Too far to drive to run just a 5K and miss work. Maybe sometime in the future when he does another event like this I can get my opportunity.