This is just a test.

 

Say isn’t so ! However, it is with a heavy heart that I have made my final decision. It wasn’t easy but knowingly that I have made the right decision. It is time for me to retire with the blogging. I have to say that the last three years of blogging was quite a challenge for me. I have to move on with so many new and exciting things in my life. This is the final #147 Post. Looking back to when I started with my running back in the summer of 2005, I have started to record my mile on January 1, 2006.

My highlight…

• Completed 6 marathons
• 1 Marathon – DNF
• 8 Half Marathons
• close to reaching 6,000 miles and predicting this will happen next month.

My CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT of all was doing the fundraising. I am still speechless to this very day of YOU who have contributed to the fundraising. You have made this happen. Thank you for raising a total of ….

The people at the Epilepsy Foundation of Eastern Pennsylvania are so grateful to all of you who have contributed to my fundraising. I couldn’t have done it without you guys! Thanks so much!

With my closing statement: Listen up, keep doing whatever you have been doing all along. Keep running. Keep cycling. Keep swimming. Stay in shape. You have my words: I am going to keep running until I croak. I will still be signing up for different marathons. I am going to keep running in dedication of my brother and for the million of people with Epilepsy.

So long…. Go on, KEEP RUNNING !

According to dictionary.com …

A ghost has been defined as the soul of a dead person, a disembodied spirit imagined, usually as a vague, shadowy or evanescent form, as wandering among or haunting living persons.

Hmmm… I have to admit. I went out and brought a new running shoes today.

Brooks Ghost 2….

 

When I put on the shoes, I’ve felt some cold air surrounding my body. Hmmm.. some kind of cold transformation in my body. I think it was Roger Bannister’s spirit. After trying five or six different shoes, I think this is the one where I will go out like Roger Bannister.

Let’s see what this killer shoes will do for me !

To all runners and non-runners out there, I wanted to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.

Simply put.... Fall is my favorite time of the year. Simply breathtaking. Serenity. Peaceful. Relaxing. I put on my running shoes this morning. I ran 15 miles. I didn't even want to think about time. All I wanted to see the beauty the world has to offer. At the end of the run, I have taken 75 pictures. It was a tough choice to make. I have picked out the top 10 pictures that I took along the way. Enjoy the pictures. Sit back and drink up your Pumpkin Latte.

Before I go any further, I wanted to tell you guys how much I appreciated your terrific help with the contribution to the Epilepsy Foundation of Eastern Pennsylvania. The total is $1,320.00 !!! Wooooooo!!! You have no idea how thrilled I was to see this !!! I'm loving it !!! THANK YOU SO MUCH !!!

Ok, it's time for me to spill the beans ! It is not exactly the kind of news I want to deliver. All I can tell you that it was a heart-wrenching experience for me. I had to swallow a bitter pill. This was my first DNF. I would never dream in a million year to see a DNF in my record book. I had to bail out. With all due respect, I was ready to go. I was mentally, physically and emotionally ready for the game.

• Arrived safe and sound in Newport last Friday.
• I had a very romantic dinner with my wife at 22 Bowens Wine Bar & Grille. It was sensational. It was a welcome "parental" break for me and my wife. If you ever go to Newport, I would highly recommend you to go. I had filet mignon and a couple glass of red wine. J. Lohrs Cabernet Sauvignon ! Just SENSATIONAL !
• Stayed at Hyatt Hotel on Goat Island with a remarkable view of the Narragansett Bay and the Newport Bridge.
• Rested fully on Saturday with a very short 3 miles run. The weather was phenomenal on Saturday. Sunny, partly cloudy, 50 degrees ! Glued to Weather Channel about the upcoming Nor'easter storm.
• My wife and I had a terrific dinner at Pasta Beach. Kathy and I had gnocchi and pizza. Outstanding ! A perfect pre-race meal !
• Woke up at 3 a.m. with lots of nervousness and excitement.
• Open the curtain and it looks like a washing machine.
  
• My first word of the day... %^&*^%$#@(*&^ !!!
• Torrential downpour, high wind and chilly at the starting line.
• Wore short, one technical t-shirt, rain jacket & cap
• Approximately 3,500 to 4,000 runners. It seemed smaller to me.
  
• At the start of the race, it was tight packed especially on Thames Street.
• Less wind while running in the neighborhood but more wind by the coastline.
• Started out very slowly in the beginning as part of my strategy.
• Wind was very STRONG (20-40 mph) while running through Ocean Drive State Park, Goose Neck Cove and Sheep Point Cove. (see map below)
• Rain came down heavy at times. Rain came sideway at some point. Lots of headwind, sideway, and back.
• Started to shiver at the start of 10 miles. Trying to run harder to stay warm but I was 1,000% soaked. I hate chilly rain. Don't get me wrong, I love running if the temperature is like in the 60's or the 70's. BUT NOT IN THE 40'S WITH WIND CHILL FACTORS IN THE 30'S.
  
• My grade for running outfit in the rain: F-
• It was kind of weird. My nose was running like a faucet. I wasn't sure if it was the pouring rain that makes my nose act like a overflowed gutter or the rain has filled up my nasal cavity. Just weird sensation of having a miniature Niagara Fall under my nose.
  
• Made a critical decision on whether to continue another 2 hours in downpouring chilly rain or bail out. For my own health, I bailed out!
• The minute after I bailed out, tears came streaming down. I have put so much training into this !
  
• I had a tearful reunion with my wife and felt that I have made the right decision to bail out.
  
• There will always be another marathon.
  

To be honest with you guys, I was crushed. I have put a lot of effort into my training for the past several months for this big event. I have worked my ass off !!! Period. I was truly looking forward to this. My hat off to those runners who have braved those "miserable" elements and got the job done. I have tremendous respect for those who have completed the half and full marathon.

Before I go, I was reading a little bit of Providence Sunday Journal newspaper before the race. I was kind of impressed. I have made a beeline to the weather section of the newspaper. I was kind of surprised to see a cool feature in the weather section. It has running index and I think it should be in every newspaper around the country. It is pretty neat. It combines the current temperature, air quality, UV index, wind speed, humdity and past weather condition to provide a scale showing the overall quality for running outside. Pretty cool !!! Look below...


To me: “Success isn't how far you got, but the distance you traveled from where you started.”

Before I leave for Rhode Island, I wanted to tell you guys how much I appreciated your TERRIFIC generosity. It is so unbelievable. I am such in AWE with the fundraising. With two days left to go till Amica Newport Marathon, you have pitched in an unbelievable $1,300 dollars for the Epilepsy Foundation. To be honest with all of you, I didn't think it was going to get this far. You have made it happen and I THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. I am quite emotional about it. Very emotional ! Thanks to all the names below that have contributed to the Epilepsy Foundation.