Hi everybody. Hope you are all doing well in these remarkable times.Six months into the 2020 Pandemic and nobody knows when if ever we will live our lives the way we used to. Being a member of a more vulnerable group despite the higher risk of the virus consequences has its plus side. Am grateful that in many ways the risk of infection is lower than if was younger. No longer needing to work means there is no fear of losing that income or getting infected going to or from and during. The lack of job stress helps to keep resistance in tact. Our daughters living on the same island willingly purchase needed essential items, which for the most part eliminates the need to travel anywhere.
My world has shrunk and grown. Bought an electronic piano along with the Scott Houston learning method and can now play way better than did 60 years ago. Thanks to Betty, Becca, Deborah and Ray food has never been as enjoyable. Despite often burning 4000 or more calories a day have not lost an ounce. My "gutter" palate remains but is much more enlightened. Appreciation for Betty, family, faith is also heightened. The rest of this post has some pictures with narrative centered on running.
Captions are below each photo.
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| Typical appetizer tray put out before the main meal thanks Becca and Deb |
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| sisters |
A recent article by Jonathan Beverly in the blog The Podium Runner describes what running means to him and advises all runners to do the same. Like him I too have gone for a run as soon as possible when losing out on a job promotion and getting word of family illness. In addition to providing solace moving my feet faster than normal has sparked creativity. I have composed poems, retirement farewells, wedding toasts, and memorial messages while on the run.
The sheer exhilaration of running though is what keeps me the most motivated to keep at it. That does not mean am jumping for joy the whole time while pounding the pavement but it does mean there are plenty of moments when feel like doing so. Such as: taking the baton to catch up and pass competitors on the way to winning elementary school spring day relays; my Dad letting me beat him in every foot race ever did with each other; running a four mile relay leg in 27 minutes 38 years ago; 1980 Honolulu marathon personal best alongside army and best friend; jogging on a Taipei roof top with father in law in his 98th year; finishing last half of a 10k at age 68 strong with my son in law; niece joining in for central park stretch of NYC; running every step of 2019 Phoenix marathon despite severe leg cramps; weekly training with a blind comedian. Those runs and many others produced cherished memories that get more golden each passing year.
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| 1952 |
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| da Generals day after personal bests HNL 1980 marathon |
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| NYC 2015 |
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| Kolekole pass |
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| PHX hanging on |
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| GungGung wearing his flying tigers hat and 100th birthday outfit |
My running has been on a roll as have averaged 30 miles a week and more for the past few years. After Phoenix I concentrated on 800 meter training for a month or so which led to high hamstring tendinitis. When finished recovery from that embarked on a schedule to do the Kagoshima marathon 3/1/2020. Betty and I both had air tickets but the virus hit and we wavered whether to go and then the race was cancelled. Afterwards did a few easy weeks and started another schedule for a 9/13 marathon in the northwest. Have finished that schedule and done tons of runs including 53 over two hours since mid May with 21 outings between 182 and 240 minutes. Weekly time and mileage the past four months has averaged over 9 hours with an estimated 46 to 65 miles and biggest week at 14 hours and 5 minutes. That northwest race has been cancelled too so now planning to boost the quality as shoot for 12/13 Honolulu. More than likely that also will not happen. Am more or less at that point that it doesn't really matter if do any more races or not. The goal of such being out there is a great motivating factor in and of itself.
Regardless am way slower than used to be but whenever can finish a race or complete a hard workout no matter what the time is reward enough. There are outliers my age who are still swift, but with each passing month it seems am slower than the one before. It takes way more effort too to age grade out close to what used to do. For Phoenix I had never trained so many hours or done near as many long runs in my life yet 5:21 time was still one hour and 46 minutes slower than personal best. So, these days I pay more attention to minutes than time and am more than pleased when end a day or a week or a month with more minutes ran than the one previous.
The sensation of leaving both feet from the ground although not a tangible memory like the those mentioned is just as powerful a motivator to keep at it. I have not been able to pinpoint nor do I want to know when the elusive floating feeling occurs, but when it does it is glorious. Maybe best can describe it is to imagine running as fast as a speeding train but with no pain or suffering while scenery all around moves swiftly. Is like walking on air.
Am forever grateful.
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| all of us December 2019 |
Bonus information for those who may want a little more detail follows.
Studies show that runners on average lose about 1.1% of their peak fitness each year. For myself that is exactly what has happened as my easy pace is now around 11 and a half minutes a mile and used to at 8 to 8 and a half. The same is true for race times too except for when mustered a mile test in 6:58 in 2011 when was 27 years past peak fitness year of 1983. Given the percentage loss standard should have come in at around 9 minutes on that test. Proof that there is hope that some of aging consequences can be mitigated if train, eat and rest properly. Alas, though as to these days my mile time is much more than 11% slower from 10 years back. Too much rice, bread, pie, cake, cereal and so on.
A few years ago a couple of MRI's showed that had arthritis in foot and knee.Sports doctors suggested to consider surgery. They also recommended to decrease or stop altogether running, and to forget doing marathons. It was painful just to walk a half mile. Forward to present day which resulted in the week of 8/09/2020 running a total of 636 minutes and the day after hit that mark going at it for 4 hours via a 3 hour run in the am which included 60 minutes fast finish and another hour mid afternoon.
Father in law Colonel Lee (he was made a General posthumously) became a runner after retiring from his military life which included piloting over 300 missions kept at it till near the end. His determination to keep running as long as possible remains my number one inspiration to get out the door.
Stat Bio:
1971 - Army mile test with combat boots when 22 years old - 6:10
1977 - Honolulu Marathon - 3:58
1980 - Honolulu Marathon - 3:35
1983- Four mile relay leg - 27:00
1988 - Honolulu Marathon - 4:08 - near triangle park as was wobbling so a trail angel forced me to stop and drink a can of bud which gave the energy to get up and over diamond head hill to the finish.
2011 - Mile test on track - 6:58
2015 - New York Marathon - 6:21 - hamstring and cramp issues so walked off and on from the 6 mile mark. Despite lack of consistent training that year due to injuries and the time result NYC remains the most enjoyable race of my life.
2016 - Honolulu Marathon - DNF - A comedian and I both developed severe foot problems
2018 - 10K Kolekole Pass- 1:06 got the second place age division medal - there were only 3 of us
2019 - Phoenix Marathon - 5:21
2020 - Kaneohe Marine 21 day run and walk mileage challenge - second place with 229 miles accrued. Most participants stopped reporting after a few days but I didn't stop till got to 19.
2020 - July - November completion of 20 consecutive 500 plus weekly running minutes 13 of which averaged eleven hours or more.
2020 - August 30 and 31 - two day total of 556 minutes for 36.4 miles of running
2020- August ran for 252 miles over 52 hours and 48 minutes for the Run Super Express August mileage accumulation event. All miles gpsed and ended up with 302 (walking miles of 52 counted toward total), and first place in age division group of which there was one participant. But also came in 2nd out of 54 total participants and received a 100% ranking which is the super human category due to being 71! If had been 40 years younger with same mileage total ranking would have been like 60% if that high. Age has its benefits!
2020 - November 22 ran 30 miles + via 6 hours and 17 minutes. Took a hour and a half break after the first 4 hours. In addition walked going to and from the field for the first set and did a short hike after the second.
2020/2021 - Averaged 50 miles for 52 weeks in a row from July 2020 through June 2021. Lost 15 lbs in the process. During which time did 6 virtual marathons plus the two mileage accumulation events noted earlier.
For the full calendar years 2020 and 2021 ran over 900 hours with logs showing that averaged 42 miles a week.
2022 - 10 day 100K challenge. Reached 73.5 miles in 18 hours and 42 minutes done via multiple sessions which started at 5 am on 2/28 and finished at 6:32 am on Sunday 3/5,
2023 -5k with son in laws early May, first place age group there were only 2 of us. time 31:55 first mile was 13 minutes we were at the back of the pack, the last mile was 7:55 which for a 73 years old at that was good.
Next up - by the end of 2024 hope to have run 10000 miles during the pandemic era. As of September 3 have 500 or so miles left to go to get there. Did another virtual on 9/1 which consisted of 246 minutes running and another 2 hours or so interspersed with walking and running. Registered close to six hours of vigorous exercise and 28 miles on watch.
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