Obviously, I have had a break in my blog posting! So for those of you that have felt lost without them over the last two weeks, the wait is over!
Nature has taken its toll on me the last two weeks! Two weeks ago today, I woke up from a great night sleep in Tampa, Florida, overlooking the convention center where I would begin the day! The day went perfect! Picked up my number for the Gasparilla marathon, saw the expo, got a little jog in, ate some lunch, took a nap, relaxed, went to dinner, and got to bed early. Although, throughout Saturday I kept one eye on the weather forecast and unfortunately, for once the weather report was spot on.
With a front that came in to Tampa, came the wind and rain! The race began at 6AM, usually scheduled to beat the heat, which would not be the issue of the day. At the start, the wind, although there was some protection from surrounding buildings, was in full effect. By time we made it through mile six, it did not seem as though there was any hiding from the sustained 20 mph winds. Regardless of the conditions, I was feeling good and strong through the half way mark. I had run my race plan and was on track as we crossed the 13 mile marker and onto Bayshore Drive. The appropriately named boulevard exposed you to the bay and left you without any shelter from the weather. The gusting wind blew right through my inexperienced mind!
As I saw the wind alter my running and as the rain began, I found myself laughing and commiserating with nearby runners. They’d say, “This is ridiculous!” and I’d respond with a nod and say, “Brutal.” My pace had fallen off greatly once on Bayshore and I began to rethink my strategy. It became, keep moving and finish the race, whereas, experience, might have told me to shut up and run. Soaking wet and wind battered I trudged along, finding humor in asking the volunteers at the water station, “Is it supposed to rain today?” At first they’d look at me like I needed medical help, then they’d realize that I was joking and we’d share a quick laugh as I started by to my journey. It wasn’t until I heard screaming ahead at mile 24, that I began to snap out of the ‘Oh, woe is me’ funk. They had bussed hundreds of school kids to the mile marker and not one of them seemed to care that it was windy or rainy; in fact it seemed to invigorate them. They screamed as if standing out in those conditions screaming made them more confident and strong, as if to say, “The weather is not stopping us, how ‘bout you?”
I snapped out of the dreary funk and found my stride as the screams faded behind me. A second wind of sorts, I found the untapped energy that my inexperience held back. I finished the race to scattered applause and the random shout of “Strong Finish!” I in fact did finish strong and walked away with a new found confidence of pushing through mentally! Although, the race did not adhere to my plan I was very pleased!
Little did I know that the end of the race would be the beginning of another. I got a shower and was eating lunch when I found out that due to weather in Atlanta my flight home had been cancelled. With the possibility of not getting a flight until Tuesday, I climbed in a rental car with another Athenian and headed north. With over six inches of snow on the ground around me, I finally pulled in my driveway at 2AM Monday morning. With good fortune, the snow having shut down the area I was able to relax with the family and recover a bit, but not for long.
That night at 3:45AM, my wife woke me with the news that her water broke, some ten weeks before it should have. We raced (drove very carefully through the snow) to the hospital, where we remained for the next week. My son, Cade Mac Wiedower was born at 2:26AM, Saturday, March 7th. He weighed 3lbs 9.9oz and was 16.5in long. He and his mother are doing quite well, although he will remain in the hospital for several weeks.
So my recovery has been low on physical activity and sleep, but at least I did not have to convince myself to not push myself too hard! And now I have a third reason to commit myself to my health.
Nature has taken its toll on me the last two weeks! Two weeks ago today, I woke up from a great night sleep in Tampa, Florida, overlooking the convention center where I would begin the day! The day went perfect! Picked up my number for the Gasparilla marathon, saw the expo, got a little jog in, ate some lunch, took a nap, relaxed, went to dinner, and got to bed early. Although, throughout Saturday I kept one eye on the weather forecast and unfortunately, for once the weather report was spot on.
With a front that came in to Tampa, came the wind and rain! The race began at 6AM, usually scheduled to beat the heat, which would not be the issue of the day. At the start, the wind, although there was some protection from surrounding buildings, was in full effect. By time we made it through mile six, it did not seem as though there was any hiding from the sustained 20 mph winds. Regardless of the conditions, I was feeling good and strong through the half way mark. I had run my race plan and was on track as we crossed the 13 mile marker and onto Bayshore Drive. The appropriately named boulevard exposed you to the bay and left you without any shelter from the weather. The gusting wind blew right through my inexperienced mind!
As I saw the wind alter my running and as the rain began, I found myself laughing and commiserating with nearby runners. They’d say, “This is ridiculous!” and I’d respond with a nod and say, “Brutal.” My pace had fallen off greatly once on Bayshore and I began to rethink my strategy. It became, keep moving and finish the race, whereas, experience, might have told me to shut up and run. Soaking wet and wind battered I trudged along, finding humor in asking the volunteers at the water station, “Is it supposed to rain today?” At first they’d look at me like I needed medical help, then they’d realize that I was joking and we’d share a quick laugh as I started by to my journey. It wasn’t until I heard screaming ahead at mile 24, that I began to snap out of the ‘Oh, woe is me’ funk. They had bussed hundreds of school kids to the mile marker and not one of them seemed to care that it was windy or rainy; in fact it seemed to invigorate them. They screamed as if standing out in those conditions screaming made them more confident and strong, as if to say, “The weather is not stopping us, how ‘bout you?”
I snapped out of the dreary funk and found my stride as the screams faded behind me. A second wind of sorts, I found the untapped energy that my inexperience held back. I finished the race to scattered applause and the random shout of “Strong Finish!” I in fact did finish strong and walked away with a new found confidence of pushing through mentally! Although, the race did not adhere to my plan I was very pleased!
Little did I know that the end of the race would be the beginning of another. I got a shower and was eating lunch when I found out that due to weather in Atlanta my flight home had been cancelled. With the possibility of not getting a flight until Tuesday, I climbed in a rental car with another Athenian and headed north. With over six inches of snow on the ground around me, I finally pulled in my driveway at 2AM Monday morning. With good fortune, the snow having shut down the area I was able to relax with the family and recover a bit, but not for long.
That night at 3:45AM, my wife woke me with the news that her water broke, some ten weeks before it should have. We raced (drove very carefully through the snow) to the hospital, where we remained for the next week. My son, Cade Mac Wiedower was born at 2:26AM, Saturday, March 7th. He weighed 3lbs 9.9oz and was 16.5in long. He and his mother are doing quite well, although he will remain in the hospital for several weeks.
So my recovery has been low on physical activity and sleep, but at least I did not have to convince myself to not push myself too hard! And now I have a third reason to commit myself to my health.
