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Daddy Memory and Running in someone else's shoes
9/16/09 Daddy Memory and Running in someone else's shoes Everyone, Hope all is well and your running is going well. I have been doing well, really busy with work and the kids but still finding time to train and I am excited to get some big races in this fall. My next big race is this weekend at "The North Endurance Challenge 50 Miler" in Washington, DC ( http://www2.thenorthface.com/endurancechallenge/) and I am even a panel member for the pre-race talk the night before so that should be neat to be on the same panel as Dean Karnazas & Sam Thompson (http://www2.thenorthface.com/endurancechallenge/runclub/index.html) It should be a big challenge and fun as I have some friends also running including my boss and his son so really really cool to be a part of it and have the support of work, family and friends. In view of the 50 miler and also getting ready for the "Twin Cities Marathon" and I am planning to run 2:16-2:17 so I need to be ready, I have been working on my speed and endurance and wanted to see where I stood this past weekend. So I signed up for the Parks 1/2 marathon a terrific local 1/2 marathon that I have run for a few years now. I love the course and the running club (MCRR) that puts on the race and know if you run well on this course you are doing something right as it is on bike trail and is definitely challenging with little rolling hills and lots of tight turns. I am feeling fit and ready to go. Sunday comes around and Jennifer and I wake up early as the race starts at 7:00am and is about 30-40 mins away so the plan was to be on the road by 5:30am. Well, I was in charge of the children. I got everyone up, made some coffee and put the boys (Pierce & Grant) in the car. We leave right on time and make the race by 6:20am, plenty of time to get my number warm up and be ready to run. I go to get my race bag out of the trunk of the car and realize, oops, I don't have it. I have snacks for the kids, hats, gloves, jackets, boots, sippy cups, diapers, wipes, toys, but nothing that I need for the race (no shoes, no singlet, no socks, no hat, nothing). Well, we don't have time to go home and get my bag and of course, I am wearing my cozy The North Face Base Camp sandals but they are not going to be too fun to run 13.1 miles in. I start asking anyone that will listen, hey do you have size 11 men's shoes that you are not going to wear for the race. Everyone is looking at me like I am crazy; however, I am in luck after about 10 mins, I see a buddy from Baltimore and he has some extra Nike flats but they are men's 12, that he is deciding if he is going to wear of not. We chat and he says here use these, I will just wear the flats I have on, I say thank you and strap them on, without socks as I couldn't find an extra pair of socks. So I head to the start thinking this is going to be interesting "running in someone else's shoes". The race goes well, I run 1:08:13 for 2nd place and I felt really strong the whole race but I lost the race in the last 200-300 meters, which was disappointing. The nice thing is I only get three big blisters due to the bigger shoes and no socks. I take off my friend's shoes, feeling a little like I just went bowling and wait for my friend from Baltimore to finish. He is a tough masters runner so I don't have to wait long, I hand him back his shoes and head home with the family thinking that was cool, I know what it is like to run in someone else's shoes. Sometimes things don't go as planned but I hope that I make things work when that happens in the future like I did this past weekend. Have you ever gotten to a race without something that you needed, interested to hear your "funny stories". All the best and look forward to hearing from you. Cheers, Mike
Good luck!
Great story Mike. I think that is amazing you ran such a great race! I couldn't have made it a mile without my shoes. I love your dedication and that you made sure your kids had everything they needed. Way to go dad!
Kimberly, thank you so much. Cheers, Mike
Tricia, Thank you so much and really appreciate it. Not easy to get everyone covered but enjoy trying and we are doing our best. Pierce is really into Star Wars at the moment and we are in full on discover mode, lots of interesting conversations that spring up from the themes in those movies. Hope you are doing well. Cheers, Mike
Virginia, United States
Team Elite Running, Athletes/Active Lifestyle
Hi, I am Michael Wardian and I am a 37 year old Endurance Athlete and proud member of Powe…MORE
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