RunSpittle

Amy Hastings – Olympian It’s my favorite time of the quadrennial: Olympic Trials time! You can have the NBA Finals, the World Series, Lord Stanley’s Cup, and yes, dare I say it, you can even have the Super Bowl. I’ll take the Olympic Track and Field Trials. Being a runner/track guy, I love a good track meet anyway, but the Olympic trials embody everything about racing. You get this one… Read More »Only One Thing Would Be Better – Oly Trials Day 1

After three easy miles in the neighborhood, it was time to bid my lovely bride a fond farewell. She would be turning left and heading home to prep herself for the coming workday and I would be off to run my way through another seven on what I affectionately call The Park Loop. The Park Loop is my fallback seven mile loop specifically for the days when I just want… Read More »The Runoff and Being Fifteen

A newly discovered Mayan calendar claims to show that the highly “reliable” doomsday date of December 21st, may be altered, if not outright cancelled. The calendar, some 1200 years old itself, appears to archaeologists to go on for roughly 7000 years. As many of you know, during my 46+ years as a runner, I have faithfully logged my miles (thanks, Coach Pingel). As 100,000 miles has come closer and closer,… Read More »Beware of the Mayan Mind Trick!

Well, I didn’t run yesterday. I had the option. I was home at 6:45 pm and had plenty of daylight left AND had a treadmill even if I didn’t. I decided to take the Calvin Coolidge approach and end the latest streak at 547 days. Nope. Not injured. Not sick. Just thought it was time to go back to zero and begin fresh. Might even take today off too!

I had three separate, similar moments on the running trail yesterday morning, each paralleling the  experience of posting on Facebook. I was running on the Cherry Creek Trail and as I approached an oncoming fellow runner I did/said what I usually do/say: “Good Morning (as I wave)!” Consider that my aerobic version of a Facebook post, my status update. I am reaching out to another human being(s). As is the… Read More »The Run Wave and The 3 Facebook Options

Today I had one of those runs. It began like any other run with me walking up the hill to reach my townhouse complex entrance (no sense starting a run in oxygen debt, thus I walk to the top). From there I was off on my newly discovered seven mile hilly loop. The morning/day was/is beautiful. Hardly a cloud in the sky, just a slight breeze from the South. One… Read More »I Can See Clearly Now. Claritin Run?

I have read stories about humans that were drawn, like zombies, into situations they best avoid. I have also heard the tales of cows walking off the edge of a cliff in a trance-like state falling helplessly into the canyon below. It is with these visions in mind, that I contemplate entry into the 2012 Bolder Boulder 10K. I can’t explain it. I’ve run this race eight or nine times… Read More »Zombies, Cows and Me

I am confessing to being highly UNmotivated about my running the last five weeks or so. Yeah, I’m still running. Hanging in at about 45 miles a week. In fact, as of this morning’s run, the consecutive day streak sits at 492. It’s getting up there. Fast becoming one of my best streaks. I’m even being consistent with my strength and core work. Motivational? Not really. I was going to… Read More »Still Here – Still Waiting…

The Olympic Marathon Trials were today and like many participants, this spectator had a difficult time staying with the race plan. The original idea was to stay busy all morning, not go anywhere near my computer and watch the delayed coverage with fresh eyes. I lost contact with the plan right from the gun. I blame Al Gore, Twitter and Runners World. I’ll take those in reverse order…. The live… Read More »Thanks Al Gore! Stick it, NBC!

Ryan Hall, the favorite While many of my Tebow-infected, Colorado brethren are anxiously awaiting Saturday nights playoff game between the Broncos and the New England Patriots, this guy is ready for the highlight of the day……… wait for it …….. the Olympic Marathon Trials. While football games are a dime a dozen, every four years the best American distance runners vie for three tickets to the Summer Olympic Games, this… Read More »Move Over Tim Tebow: Trials Marathon Predictions OR Whatever, Galen Rupp.