Planning on walking 5-6 miles tonight on TM while DW is at chorus. Monday is usually an SRD, but I've done this walking thing in the past and it went well. 12 people are now signed up for the 48hr Sole Challenge. man are we nuts.

Nice game last night. Atlanta's Kyle Shanahan (offensive coordinator) blew it with his play calling. When they were in field goal range 2 different times, he called for back to back passing plays and both times had a sack and a holding penalty. Brady is amazing.

QOTD: Best advice you ever got from John M, or best story you have about him?   My dad was killed in a car crash in 2002.  I posted something in RWOL about not wanting to run my marathon which was 1 week after he died.  John sent me a long e-mail full of scripture and kind words and told me to call him anytime I needed some fatherly wisdom.  It meant a lot to me that he took the time to do that, and yes, I did go out and run the Harrisburg marathon crying off and on the last few miles.

I had some hamstring/gastroc tightness pop up at the end of Saturday's run. Sort of weird, we had ran about 12-13 miles and I was feeling good, then we took a walk break on the pavement for 1/2 mile on the road into Hopewell. Started to run after that and had some tightness in the hammy out of the blue. Sigh. Always something with me these days.

Anyway, no run today, but some planet of fitness action after work. I did get in a slow jogging 8 on the trails yesterday at Green Lane and as long as I kept the pace slow the hammie seemed ok. Some extra days off this week.

QOTD: Never met or interacted with John outside these forums. I enjoyed his stories, poems almost, and photos that he posted here. And of course his articles in ultrarunning. I can't think of any specific advice other than to appreciate the outdoors and the world around us. I did click back to the early pages of this forum and read a few posts today.

SRD today.

qotd: I always liked his posts and photos.  He would ask me about ships every once in a while, he liked to know about the ones passing through the Sound.

It was raining this morning so I didn't get up..I may run after work but highly unlikely.  I will go to the gym at lunch but no TM, just weights

QOTD:  I got pissed off at John because he made some comments about my poor grammar in a post.  I basically told him to screw himself and don't read my post since the incorrect grammar was too disturbing for him.  He than reached out an PM me.  He stroke a nerve because my Mom use to correct my letters to home  (yes, letters..long distance was expensive then) and put them on the fridge for when I visited.  John and I made up and always had that special connection.

I pulled John's book out to finish and saw this...some I know who they are and some I forgot.  Like I didn't realize Sandy was slowdown.

Changed my schedule around so I could run on trails today in honor of John.

qotd: I met John through RWOL before I came here. There's nothing specific that I could point to, but he always had a word of encouragement. That was very important to me as I began training for ultras on my own and no longer had a coach to guide me.

 

QOTD:  I got pissed off at John because he made some comments about my poor grammar in a post.  I basically told him to screw himself and don't read my post since the incorrect grammar was too disturbing for him.  He than reached out an PM me.  He stroke a nerve because my Mom use to correct my letters to home  (yes, letters..long distance was expensive then) and put them on the fridge for when I visited.  John and I made up and always had that special connection.

 

 

I never correct you, because I know it's because you are one of the last people on earth still using an iPhone 4.

Plus I get a kick out of all the "mike's" you do.

I remember when he was a Grammar Nazi.  I think someone else also called him out about that on the RWOL forum.

 

QOTD: In 2012, John was working the Damnation aid station at Rocky Raccoon. It was my first 100 mile event. The weather was horrendous. My feet were literally bleeding, and somewhere around mile 75 I had done something to my knee. By the last loop, I could still walk quite fast (or so it seemed to me), but running was really not happening. I made it back to Damnation as the sky was turning pink. I should have been there at least two hours sooner in my mind. But in a 100 mile run, like life, you do the best you can with what the circumstances are and get there as best you can. At some point, you're just thankful to still be in the game. Anyway, John was the first person I remember seeing at that stop, mile 94. With a big grin, he said "Congratulations, Burke!!" He was genuinely happy to see me finish, even though I had six miles left. That has stuck with me ever since that day. Many things are burned into my memory from that event; I think most of them are accurate. But I know that one is. I didn't get to see him after the race, but we did stay in touch, even swapped some books. I sent him "Illumination in the Flatwoods", a story about Joe Hutto raising a brood of wild turkeys in northern Florida. And we chatted/messaged back and forth about RCW's (Red Cockaded Woodpeckers) aka the "Indian Hen" and Barred Owls from time to time. I am so happy I got to personally meet him.

 

Also, He and I talked about that congratulatory remark at a later date. He said his smile was directly related to the grin I had when I came into the aid station. At that point, I knew I had it, but I don't remember smiling until I saw his smile. So, I don't know who smiled first.

Awesome story. Amazing how a king word, gesture or  a smile of encouragement can turn a day / race around.