Sunday, June 8, 2014

For Keir and Bernie!

The last Delhi Dedicated run of the year! This one has to be dedicated to Keir and Bernie, my faithful running buddies. Ted also belongs in this entry, but he got his dedicated run already.

These guys have been my rock during my training for Grandma's Marathon this year. They could easily be running it with me because they've run as many miles as I have. In fact, I usually end up following them, so it's safe to say that they would be ready for race day.

Sadly, Keir and Ted are leaving Delhi this year, so this run is my last with them for now. I'll miss you guys.

This morning's run was a surprising twist in my multi-year training program. Last year, my final Delhi run was in the Ridge, and so it was this morning. I didn't plan to end the year the same way, but since Bernie and I offered Keir the choice of routes the day before and vetoed him, we knew we owed it to him that morning. He looked at us with such disdain when we announced the wrong shoes. But sweet justice! Ted also has a pair of "Ridge shoes." Once congregated at the Gate, Ted ran back to his apartment to change and we set out.

There's not too much that would stand out in a dramatic, exciting blog post about this run. No dead bodies in the woods, no missing pirate ship, no flux capacitor. So instead of an action-packed summary, I'll opt for a mushy love letter to my friends:

Guys, thanks for:

  1. Time well-spent. We always spend our runs chatting and laughing. It's pretty amazing how often I'm smiling during a grueling workout.
  2. Being a great decompressor. This year has been stressful and having these runs has been a blessing.
  3. Challenging me. Bernie created a course in the Ridge, but when we all run together, we don't compete. That said, the competition has been fierce this year on the courses that we run and like good friends should do, these guys push me to my limits.
  4. The bonding experience. The shared memories that we have from countless runs has created an incredible number of in-jokes, anecdotes, close-calls and stories that will always connect us, regardless of friends that move away. For years hence, I'm sure I tell tales of Ted's fear of monkeys, and Keir's willingness to run straight into a pack of them. And I get to look forward to more runs with Bernie in August and beyond!
  5. Sharing my passion. You guys all think the same way about running that I do. It's a chance to get out and explore, it's a way to stay fit, it's a chance to hang out...You get excited about MapMyRun statistics, crazy routes and talking about it all ad naseum. If it wasn't for you guys, I'm sure my wife would have shut me up long ago. As it is, I know I talk to her about this stuff too much, but she humors me.

Thank for everything.

Love,
jason



Obligatory blog entry pieces below, with one extra.

Did I say we don't compete when we run together? I didn't mean that.



This run belongs to Keir and Bernie!

I'm dedicating runs to raise money for a campship in memory of our friend Ty Taylor at YMCA Camp Miller. Click here or here to donate. Please make sure you choose the Ty Taylor Campship option. And please let me know if you've made a donation so I can thank you!



RUN STATS:
Distance - 4.94 miles
Time - 39:11
Soundtrack - The Band, Greatest Hits. (Nice woods music!)


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