Hike: The Jump-Off

This hike wasn't too intense, but at least moderately strenuous.  The NC-TN state line ran through this section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  This was my final hike before the big race.  We had some snow/hail/who knows what along the way, but the weather mostly held out.  It was pretty cold at times, however.  The ''jump-off,'' which is supposed to be a great view, was clouded by the fog.  If you ever go here, a little FYI: there are indoor bathrooms.  A lot of places we go don't have any, so it's always a nice perk.  Enjoy some pictures and video.  :)

I saw Joey Gladstone!

A few counties over, we have a great performing arts center.  I found out that Dave Coulier (Joey Gladstone) would be performing and knew I had to go.  I had a great time and enjoyed my 4th row seat.  He looked about the same as he did on Full House, just less hair than he had in some episodes...remember that mullet-like hairdo? It was hilarious and mostly clean.  I recommend seeing him if you ever have the chance.

Butter Gap, Cat Gap and Art Loeb Hike

Now that training is over, I'm trying to hike more regularly.  This past weekend, we headed out to Pisgah National Forest.  We passed by Looking Glass Falls on the way.  We caught a peak of the falls through the trees on our hike.  However, the falls are also very visible from the road.  We hiked Butter Gap, Cat Gap and the Art Loeb trail.  We were told that this would be more strenous than usual.  That it was, my friends.  Along with the incline at times, we were also challenged by the slippery leaves.  I took a few spills, but nothing serious.  Our total distance was about 8.5 miles.  The weather was great and lunch wasn't half-bad either.  Thanks for the cookies, Randy! :)

 

 

 

My 2013 OBX Marathon

After three months of training, I headed for my annual OBX weekend.  This was my third marathon and all have been at the OBX.  They put on a great race and the swag (AKA bling bling) is always impressive.  I arrived in Raleigh on Thursday and made a leisurely trip east on Friday.  I visited wonderful co-workers from my last job.  I stopped by my hotel when I arrived and then went to the race expo.  Afterwards, I enjoyed a meal at Barefoot Bernies with some Greenville friends and their spouse.

On Saturday morning, all three of us ran the OBX 8k.  When done with the marathon, it's called the Blackbeard Challenge.  I didn't pr, but that wasn't our goal that day.  We didn't want to overdo it with a big race the next day.  It was primarily a trail race.  Some areas were a bit too soft, but it was a better surface for our knees.  Donna led the way and Tony and I finished not long after.  Donna's husband, Ricky, ran the 5k and was 1st in his age group.  That afternoon, I rested and also ventured out for a few things.  One of them was Jockey's Ridge, which I hadn't been to before.  On Saturday night, Oakmont Runners for Bo had its annual spaghetti dinner.  Craig put together a video of ORuBo over the years and it was a lot of fun to watch.

I got up dark and early at 4:30 on Sunday morning.  After loading the car, I met Tony and Leslie to drop my car in Manteo.  Then we left for Kitty Hawk to go to the start.  I was excited to find real bathrooms at the place where we got out.  They were out by the school's ballfields (it was port-a-john's at the starting line, but any bathroom is welcome).  We met up with a few others at the start, including Deyna.  This was her 1st marathon.  We stretched, ate gummy bears and geared up to start.  I dressed in  layers and then left a bag with the UPS guys.  They provide ''gear service'' for the race.

Donna, Tony and I ran until mile 5 and took a walk break.  The same was true until mile 10.  Somewhere between then and 13, I walked a bit.  Once, I'd slightly turned my foot, but no serious problems.  We made it to the 13 marker within the amount of time we'd hoped.  We got separated somewhere in there but met back up.  Part of the first half was in the woods.  It was challenging at times, but was good for my knees.  They didn't hurt too much, but it was welcome anyway.  Somewhere around 14, we were getting farther apart.  When I knew there wasn't a way to catch up, I decided to take it a little easier, with a slower pace and more walk breaks.  I tried not to make the breaks too often, but running some, walking a minute or so (more like or so....).  The miles went by pretty quickly, surprisingly.  Every fluid station was a welcome sight (as long as you don't swallow water down your windpipe).  I was very excited to make it to the road leading to the bridge.  It's not a super short road and the peak is a beast, but I knew that it was the beginning of the end.  I made it over the peak.  I didn't ''kill it,'' as we say, but I sure injured it ;).  As I kept running towards Manteo, a friend came to help me run it in.  God bless his little heart.  That made all the difference.  The route into downtown didn't seem nearly as long.  Before I knew it, we had reached mile 26.  I only had .2 left to go.  Right before the final turn, he let me go and I headed for the finish.  It was great to see familiar faces on the way.  Crossing the finish was the greatest feeling and that's why I run crazy long distances.   My final time was 5:14:53 and I was excited to have set a new PR (personal record).

This race did involve a mental struggle (more than it was physically), but running is a mental sport. Shortly after finishing, my doubts of running next year's full started vanishing.  A tiny part of me wonders about doing it again, but the rest of me wants to do it.  Training and running the race are hard work and time consuming, but are so worth it.  I love the feeling of accomplishment, particularly crossing the finish line.  I want to thank everyone for the kind words and hugs.  My Oakmont buddies and other Greenville friends have been so wonderful.  Enjoy the pictures! I will soon add some of the super cool race swag. :)

Post-marathon photo...yes, we are smiling and those are real smiles

Group picture after our annual supper

Post-8k photo

8k+ Marathon Swag

 

Apple Harvest Festival

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer hiking

 

I squeezed a hike into marathon training.  It had been a while since I'd joined the group.  It was a long day, but the views were really good.  There was also an ample supply of blueberries.  We had a good-sized group that day and ran into lots of other hikers.  Enjoy the view!

 

 

THIRD DAY!

I decided to see if my favorite band would be touring.  As luck would have it, they would be playing about 50 minutes away! I had seen Third Day three times and definitely wanted to see them again.  It was a sold-out concert and they put on a great show.  I had a decent seat.  It was a little ways back, but still on the main floor and I could see pretty well.  At concerts like this, it's common for child sponsorship to be promoted.  Third Day partners with World Vision.  It was something I'd thought about (and they offered some incentives ;), so I decided to go for it.  I am now sponsoring a 10-year old girl from Zambia.  She has nine siblings, likes to play with dolls, helps babysit at home and likes math.  As Anderson gets older, I would love for him to participate with me.  I look forward to getting my packet and learning more about this little girl.  I left the concert with a few photos, an autographed CD and an amazing memory.  Can't wait to see them again! :)  

 

 

Mac Powell...whoo!

My autographed CD

Waterfall Scoping

 

I was heading out to Franklin for a concert, so I went a little farther and checked out some waterfalls.  These are some of the prettiest and best known in our area.  I saw Dry, Bridal Veil and Cullasaja Falls.  Dry Falls has its name because you can walk under it.  Bridal Veil has a small, dainty flow.  The attraction is being able to drive under it.  Cullasaja Falls has a more gradual drop and flow.  You can't get very close to Cullasaja, but it's very pretty from a distance. 

 

 

Dry Falls

 

 

Bridal Veil Falls

B

 

 

Cullasaja Falls