Anywho...for the few people that care...
2019 began with me on the verge of completing my secondary long-term running goal...100 Half Marathons (Half Marathon in all 50 States was the first...completed a couple years ago).
I began the year with 98 completed and had numbers 99 and 100 already booked.
January saw me complete Half Marathon #99 in Florida at The Best Damn Race Jacksonville (the name of the race...not my opinion).
Jackson ran a 10K at this same event and got first place in his age Group!
It was nice escaping the cold Ohio weather for a weekend. Not the most scenic course, but enjoyable, nonetheless.
While in the area, we also toured Fort Clinch...built in the 19th century!
February would be a fun month. I did the Tour de Palm Springs cycling event with my bud Kevin and his father Joe. The following day was Half Marathon #100 at the Palm Desert Half Marathon. Kevin and Joe were there along with my friends Cris and Patty. Great weather and great times!
Jackson ran a 5K here.
By doing the Cycling and Running events on back-to-back days I earned the prestigious and coveted 'Brick Award'.
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| Legendary Status |
A couple weeks later, still in February, I ran the Zion Half Marathon. The course here was beautiful but the weather was frigid! Quite the contrast from sunny California, a couple weeks prior. Temperatures at the start were around 10 degrees!
I went hiking in the park after the race and saw snow covered cactus...wild!
In March Jackson and I participated in the St. Patrick's Day 5K in Cleveland. This race set a Guinness World Record for the World's Largest Kilt Run! I ran into my friend Joe at the finish and we shot some Jameson together at the Barley House!
In April, I flew out to Vegas to run with my bud Cris on his 200th Half at the Revel Mount Charleston Half Marathon. Also bumped into my Kansas buddy Jennifer in the beer tent.
In late May I ran a local favorite...the Medina Half Marathon. This is a fun, but usually HOT race. Always have cool, bee-related medals!
Jackson and I went to California in June for our annual Father/Son trip. While there I ran the Fontana Half Marathon, Jackson ran the 5K. Met up with several running buddies here...Kevin, Cris and Rachel!
July saw Jackson and I run the final Warrior Dash. This race series would announce a month later that they had ceased operations. Sad, as this was a favorite.
I was working in upstate New York in August and found a local, Rochester-area trail race...The Black Diamond Express Half Marathon...this was a nice out-and-back race with a smaller field.
I did a Greg-cation to the Great Smoky Mountains in early September for some hiking and to run the Black Bear Double which consisted of the Great Smoky Mountains 5K and Half Marathon.
My busy September continued a week later as I ran the Zanesville Half Marathon...a nice, small town race with a few hills, nothing too bad.
The following week I traveled to Iowa to collect my trophy for running 100 Half Marathons at the meetup for the Fifty States Half Marathon Club and to run the Quad Cities Half Marathon. A good portion of this race was run in heavy rain so I couldn't fully enjoy the course.
The last weekend of September I ran 26.2 miles at the Akron Marathon, my hometown race. This was my third time running the Full Marathon here, and it never gets any easier! Still, one of the best organized larger races I've done!
In October I finally got to run one that I've had my eyes on for a couple years...the End of the Road Half Marathon in Pennsylvania. This run took place on an abandoned section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike! There was a sort of post-apocalyptic feel as we were running this course over crumbling blacktop and thru some tunnels!
In November I traveled to California where Kevin and I climbed Mount San Jacinto. This was an all day trek that climbed over 8000 feet!
Later that week Ginger and Jackson flew in and I got to run with Jackson as he completed his first Half Marathon at Revel Big Bear! Kevin joined us for this one as well.
December saw Jackson and I running a 10K at a local favorite...A Christmas Story Run. Jackson would snag an Age Group First Place award!
Later that same day Jackson and I ran a 5K thru the Christmas lights at Memorial Park in Canton at the Frosty Frolic.
As always, I wanted to run a total of 1000 miles for the year. Also, I wanted to kick up the cycling mileage this year...both of these goals were accomplished as I ran and cycled over 1000 miles each!
2020's events will obviously have an affect on my running goals, so I am just going to play it by ear and see how things go. Hopefully the world will return to some type of normal soon and we all stay healthy.
I went hiking in the park after the race and saw snow covered cactus...wild!
Also took a small detour to visit the Hoover Dam...
In March Jackson and I participated in the St. Patrick's Day 5K in Cleveland. This race set a Guinness World Record for the World's Largest Kilt Run! I ran into my friend Joe at the finish and we shot some Jameson together at the Barley House!
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| First of several shots |
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| Kilt Krew - Myself, Joe and Jackson |
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| Cris, Jennifer and meself |
In late May I ran a local favorite...the Medina Half Marathon. This is a fun, but usually HOT race. Always have cool, bee-related medals!
Jackson and I went to California in June for our annual Father/Son trip. While there I ran the Fontana Half Marathon, Jackson ran the 5K. Met up with several running buddies here...Kevin, Cris and Rachel!
 |
| Kevin, Jackson, myself, Rachel and Cris |
July saw Jackson and I run the final Warrior Dash. This race series would announce a month later that they had ceased operations. Sad, as this was a favorite.
I was working in upstate New York in August and found a local, Rochester-area trail race...The Black Diamond Express Half Marathon...this was a nice out-and-back race with a smaller field.
I did a Greg-cation to the Great Smoky Mountains in early September for some hiking and to run the Black Bear Double which consisted of the Great Smoky Mountains 5K and Half Marathon.
My busy September continued a week later as I ran the Zanesville Half Marathon...a nice, small town race with a few hills, nothing too bad.
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| Jennifer from Kansas |
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| New friends Timothy and Chris from New England |
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| Patty from California |
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| Mike from Minnesota |
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| Nicole, the club CEO |
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| How many states have we ran together? |
The last weekend of September I ran 26.2 miles at the Akron Marathon, my hometown race. This was my third time running the Full Marathon here, and it never gets any easier! Still, one of the best organized larger races I've done!
In October I finally got to run one that I've had my eyes on for a couple years...the End of the Road Half Marathon in Pennsylvania. This run took place on an abandoned section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike! There was a sort of post-apocalyptic feel as we were running this course over crumbling blacktop and thru some tunnels!
In November I traveled to California where Kevin and I climbed Mount San Jacinto. This was an all day trek that climbed over 8000 feet!
Later that week Ginger and Jackson flew in and I got to run with Jackson as he completed his first Half Marathon at Revel Big Bear! Kevin joined us for this one as well.
December saw Jackson and I running a 10K at a local favorite...A Christmas Story Run. Jackson would snag an Age Group First Place award!
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| Black Bart and random gang member |
Later that same day Jackson and I ran a 5K thru the Christmas lights at Memorial Park in Canton at the Frosty Frolic.
As always, I wanted to run a total of 1000 miles for the year. Also, I wanted to kick up the cycling mileage this year...both of these goals were accomplished as I ran and cycled over 1000 miles each!
2020's events will obviously have an affect on my running goals, so I am just going to play it by ear and see how things go. Hopefully the world will return to some type of normal soon and we all stay healthy.
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