AN UNLIKELY MARATHON FINISH LINE PHOTO

Me in a marathon finish line photo with the clock reading "3:06:39"? True! Unfortunately, this clock is counting down from 10:00:00. I'm tired, so the "Rest Of The Story" will have to wait!

R.U.T.S. THIS WEEKEND

I inadvertently missed the race deadline and will NOT be participating in the Bob Potts Marathon this year.

So, I've replaced it with the Run Under The Stars (R.U.T.S.) Ten Hour Endurance Run. I'll be trying to complete about 53 laps around a half-mile race track in Paducah, KY. Instead of driving 500 miles this weekend, I'll be driving 1200 miles. I'm seriously considering making a run for the 50 States Marathon Club as a finisher. There are fewer marathons in Kentucky, so it's probably a good thing it'll be out of the way if I'm successful.

21 WEEKS

Twenty-one straight weeks of using Nintendo's Wii Fit every day!


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PARK-TO-PARK HALF-MARATHON PHOTO

I purchased the above photo from Scott Higdon Photography. It cost $15.99 to get, which seems steep to me, but photographers have to make a living, too.

24 HOURS AROUND THE LAKE

I registered for The 24 Hours Around The Lake Marathon to be run starting at 7 p.m. on July 24th, 2009 in Wakefield, MA. The event as a marathon, a 12-hour ultramarathon, and a 24-hour ultramarathon, so I'll be one of the "short-timers".

PRODUCT REVIEW: PACETAT

I purchased a temporary tattoo from pacetat.com to use before last weekend's half marathon. I thought the idea was somewhat ingenious, and, at $2.99 + shipping, they're reasonably priced.

Part of the way through the race, the Pacetat started to come off. In the latter stages of the race, the times were practically gone.



I'm not sure what happened. I applied it three hours before the race, following the video instructions on their site.

I'll probably email the photo to them and see what they have to say. As of now, I can't exactly recommend it for races longer than five miles.

UPDATE: I've heard back from PaceTat.com. I must be rubbing my arm against the side of my shirt, abrading the tattoo. This sounds reasonable, as my sides, unfortunately, stick out more than most runners. They're going to refund my money AND send me another to try it again. That's more than fair in my book. This time, I'm going to try shaving the lateral aspect of my forearm and apply it there. It will also be more visible there. So ... if you're not really fat, this product may work well for you. If I receive my replacement before Saturday, I'll try it out at the Bob Potts Heritage Rail Trail Marathon.

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20 WEEKS!

Only six more weeks until I reach 6 months straight!


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300 HOURS

I achieved 300 hours on Wii Fit today.








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LOTTERY FOR THE NYC MARATHON

Well, I did it. I applied to enter the lottery for a spot in the NYC Marathon. It costs $11 (non-refundable) to enter it. If you don't get a spot for three years in a row, you're guaranteed a spot the fourth year, so I should get a shot by 2012.

This is a very expensive race to enter ... nearly $200!




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HOT AND HILLY

The Park-To-Park Half Marathon was hotter and hillier than I'd hoped for. Still, I managed to meet my goal. My time was 2:20:52. Thanks to my running companion, Jane, for helping me through the final 7-8 miles. I started off running with someone aiming for 2:00:00 and I crashed and burned around mile marker 5. Heat and humidity nearly did me in.

I wasn't impressed with the course ... it was relatively bland and featureless. There were very few spectators. Most of the course wasn't closed to traffic and the locals showed little regard for runners, driving WAY too fast and WAY too close for comfort. This is a recipe for disaster.


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UP NEXT:

The Park-To-Park Half Marathon is tomorrow in Waynesboro, VA. I'm shooting for 2:30:00, but the weather forecast looks unfavorably warm.


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19 WEEKS!

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275 HOURS

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ANOTHER 5K ... NO PR, BUT LESSON LEARNED

I had never run in a race that featured chip-timing at the end, but not at the beginning. I found this out after giving up three minutes to the field before crossing the line. I guess it's for lazy race directors who don't want to be hassled by finish lines and don't care about giving "the rest of the field" a fair time. Lesson learned.

Anyway, even taking into account the "headstart" I gave away, it wouldn't have been a personal record (29:03 or 32:03). I brought my mascot, a leopard, along for the ride. Man, it was hot! Temps were in the low 80s. Thankfully, there were 3 water stations. I know this will sound ungrateful, but if you're working the water station, either leave your infant at home or set up a crib for them. Don't try pass out water while holding the baby. It didn't work well.

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5K UPCOMING THIS WEEKEND

There's a 5K in Roanoke, VA this week. I had looked a longer road race, but 5Ks are the only things going on close by. It has some crazy start time, like 4PM. The high for race day is in the 80s. Since I didn't pre-register andq I'm feeling rather fatigued, I might just skip it.

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18 WEEKS

Today, I completed week 18, no missed days!


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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

Well, I've managed to achieve many of my goals before my 46th birthday. I've lost 50 pounds, significantly improved my fitness level, and completed a marathon. I'm looking forward to my 47th birthday. What will I accomplish in the coming year?

50 POUNDS DOWN, 50 TO GO!

I finally made down to 236.3 pounds this morning. I weighed 286.6 pounds on January 17th, 2009.

Done...

My first marathon!
Final time: 5:38:38.


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Finish

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Gregory Mays tracking update from finish

Gregory Mays - finish at 5:38:37

25 mile

Sorry for the blur. There was a GU station late in the race. It was sticky stuff that made a mess. Some must have made it onto the camera lens.


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24 mile

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23 mile

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22 mile

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21 mile

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Gregory Mays tracking update from 19.7mi

Gregory Mays - 19.7mi at 4:13:23; expect finish at 12:22 PM

20 mile

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19 mile

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Cincy

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18 mile

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17 mile

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Gregory Mays tracking update from half

Gregory Mays - half at 2:48:58; expect finish at 12:23 PM

16 mile

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15 mile

Oops!


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14 mile

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13 mile

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12 mile

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11 mile

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10 mile

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9 mile

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8 mile

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Gregory Mays tracking update from 6.8mi

Gregory Mays - 6.8mi at 1:29:01; expect finish at 12:28 PM

7 mile

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6 mile

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5 mile

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4 mile

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3 mile

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1 Mile

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30 minutes to go

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RACE PHOTOS

The race starts at 6:30AM tomorrow, less than 8 hours away. I plan to take photos documenting my progress along the course, but if weather threatens I may have to modify my plans. The forecast is for cool weather, 40s-50s, for most of the race, with rain coming hours after the start.

DON'T FORGET TO REFRESH THE PAGE TO SEE THE LATEST PHOTOS!

HEALTH & FITNESS EXPO

The Wii was featured prominently in this display. I wonder how many others train exclusively on the Wii? Probably none.








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