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Changes Unveiled at Midnight (and the End of the World)

Five months ago I married the most amazing woman that I ever met and I couldn’t be happier.  Emily, I love you!

Today is also the end of the world according to Harold Camping.  No worries.  He predicted the Rapture to be on May 21 (my wedding date) and that all worked out well for me!

Today also marks the date for the big changes I have been promising for my blogging.  Everything will go live at midnight tonight.  Tomorrow morning, roll out of bed, grab your cup of coffee, flip open your laptop and pay this blog a visit… unless of course the world really does come to an end.

If so… I wish you the best of luck in the rapture!

We are running out of excuses.

When I share with people that I completed a marathon I often get the response of, "I could never do anything like that."  I certainly understand this thinking because I was there at one point.

When attempting to comprehend such a difficult goal as running 26.2 miles all at once your mind naturally rationalizes excuses as to why it can't be done.  "I'm too busy." "I have kids." "I'm too old for that." "I don't have that kind of endurance."

Enter Amber Miller and Fauja Singh

Amber Miller - 39 weeks pregnant, ran the Chicago marathon (and subsequently gave birth)
Fauja Singh - 100 years old, ran the Toronto marathon (not his first, probably not his last)

With these accomplishments, we are running out of excuses (no pun intended) not to do big things with our selves (not just running marathons either).

Change is in the air.

I should be hyping this much more but I have had a busy life outside of my blog writing.  As I havehinted at in earlier posts, I have been working on some big changes for my blog.  In less than three days the changes will be unveiled.  Changes will go live at midnight Friday night.  Coincidentally, Friday is the new date for the rapture/end of the world.  I can assure you that these two events have nothing to do with each other!

The changes are much more than just a new list of hyperlinks, countdown timer, or new gadgets/widgets added to the page.  The reader will see a fundamental shift in the nature of the blog.  Readers clicking through from Facebook will definitely want to bookmark and visit frequently.

I’m pretty excited about it.  You keep navigating back and I will keep working.

26.2 miles in brief

Brief and 26.2 miles (AKA the marathon) don’t seem like they fit in the same sentence.  I have been too busy to comment at length on the Rochester Marathon a few weeks back.  I did leave the reader at a cliffhanger… bad blogger Glen! Bad.

On the cool and comfortable morning of September 18, 2011 I ran in the Rochester Marathon.  Conditions were perfect.  It took me 4 hours, 1 minute and 36 seconds to run the 26.2 mile distance.  Among the loved ones cheering me on, I had my loving wife Emily, my supportive parents (Ron and Carol – with dog Angel tagging along) and Emily’s parents (Bill and Sue – with Brian tagging along).  Fellow runners; Pete, Brad (and girlfriend Jamie) and Chris were all there as well.

The first 2/3 of the race contained most of the emotional highs of the race.  Excitement and anxiousness pushed my mile pace down to about 8:30 to 8:45.  The final 6 miles was by far the most difficult physical activity I have ever undertaken. At the low point I laughed at the thought I had two days earlier pondering where my second marathon would be.  All I could think was, “I’m not doing this again.  This isn’t any fun at all!”

Coming into Genesee Valley Park my legs just gave out and they slowed to a walk.  “WTF!? There’s only 4 miles to go!”, I thought.  Typically on long runs you get into a rhythm.  Your legs just move naturally.  It’s kind of like breathing; you don’t have to think about it to do it.  Keeping my legs moving at a steady jog required significant amounts of thought and mental energy. At the turn onto Plymouth Avenue (about 1 mile left), I met up with Chris and told him I realized what it really felt like to be running on an empty tank.  All those other times where I thought I had no more in me… I really did.  This was a painfully evident demonstration and reminder to me that we are all capable of so much more than we think we are.  That lesson is going to stick with me.

I ran up Plymouth towards the final turn and the finish line.  It was the most amazing finish line experience I have had.  I immediately hugged my parents and wife and thanked them.  I thanked my wife especially because nearly every Saturday morning since we got married was spent with me out on a long run.

So that is my marathon experience in brief.  I have climbed my Everest.