Gonna Fly Now

I have a few things that keep me motivated while pursuing my passion.

Outside of my beautiful, supporting wife and pulchritudinous daughter, one of my main motivations is Rocky.

Yes, as silly as it may seem, the “Rocky” movie gives me hope, motivation, and perseverance to keep going. Here is why : (*spoiler alert. But let’s be honest, if you haven’t watched any Rocky movies, you should feel some sense of shame*)

1) Winning through losing. Alright, technically it was a draw, but Apollo retained the belt.

The original Rocky speaks volumes about the underdog. A no name prize fighter, living in the slums, gets a one in a million chance to fight the champ. Through hard work and dedication, he capitalizes on this opportunity, puts on a phenomenal show, gains respect, and the woman of his dreams. Heck, even the film itself was underfunded, and still became a huge success.

Though I’m not running for prize money, the woman of my dreams, or for respect – I would like to defy some odds and put on a show. Let’s face it; I’m no longer the spry runner from when I was 17 years old. However, through all my trials and tribulations, I have pushed hard and actually placed in my age group for many races and race series. This leads us to number 2.

2) Hard work pays off.

As Rocky trains, he rarely loses sight of his ultimate goal. He ramps up his training (as unorthodox as Mick makes it) and realizes that this could be his last opportunity to achieve greatness. Also, blasting through a slab of cow is really cool.

How this relates to me. Well, last year at this time, I was running a 5k in 23 minutes. If it wasn’t for the fact that I was coaching Track in the Spring and Cross Country in the Fall, I’m sure my winter 5k’s would have been even slower. However, this year I decided to put in the work that my body deserves. Instead of just running a few miles here and there I have tried my best to run at least 3 days a week. This is my new minimum standard and I like to make one of those a long run (+8 miles) or speed work (minimum of 1.5 miles).

Has it paid off? Absolutely! Just last weekend I ran my fastest 5k since I graduated high school – 18:59:7!

3) Be nice to others.

How’s that for a curveball? When discussing “Rocky,” not many people will focus on how affable and courteous Rock is to others. But let’s think about it; He continued to (awkwardly) pursue the girl he liked. He tried wooing her with gifts and randomly popping in to the pet store to simply say “Hi.” Then, the catch to this situation Pauly, Rocky’s good friend, is also Adriane’s older brother. Though there are some conflicts, Rock is usually the gentlemen with things, even allowing Pauly to punch him whilst giving him a watch!

Finally, there is the general population. Running through the city of brotherly love, most everyone says good morning or gives a wave as Rocky passes. It is obvious that he is no slouch and is nice to others. I mean, why else would random people wave to an arbitrary person running in the street (or maybe they are afraid that he will break their fingers. Something that he refused to do for his bookie, since the guy wouldn’t be able to work, thus not being able to make money to pay back his boss. Man, what a nice guy!) I mean, even when I wave to people to say thanks for giving me the right away at an intersection or alleyway, I’d say about only 50% wave back or acknowledge my courteous behavior.

But what this goes to show you is that if you are kind to others, they will be kind to you. The golden rule if you will. Continuing with this, I fully believe in the piece of dark chocolate candy wrapper that I received as soon as I began my first full time teaching job. It stated, “Happiness is contagious.” How this relates to motivation for running? Well, as Rocky has shown us through almost every movie, if you are kind to others, they are more likely to support you through your journey and cheer you on. As I embark on my own personal goals, I have received tons of support and have been told by numerous people that I am motivating them to achieve their own goals – to me, that is the greatest motivation.

So tell me, what motivates you?

WS #5 Stickman’s Tandem Race Re-Cap

I don’t think I like race re-caps, but I have to write about this one (mainly because my time has me on cloud 9). This race took place at Signal Knob Middle School in Strasburg, Virginia. It’s a little bit of a drive (roughly 25 minutes), but has a really cool concept --- you run tandem with a partner to compete against other pairs. After totaling the times together, you see how your team did against the rest.

With my original partner having to cancel, my adoring wife, Sara, proclaimed that she would run with me! SWEET! She isn’t into competitive running too much, but loves to run. Plus, outside of the annual Turkey Trot, I cannot recall a time when we ran a 5k together. Now we finally get to be out there, together.

With a partner and a babysitter (Thanks, Kacie!) we were off. To our dismay, the course changed from last year, making it a new route for both of us. The main reason for this change was because of ice and snow. And with the course being mostly uphill for the first two miles, we needed all the traction we could get.

Speaking of which, there weren’t too many pockets of bad footing. The only two spots that I can remember were the climb right before the first mile and the path through the woods. This is where the Winter Series aspect comes in. Fortunately, I try my best to utilize “form running.” This is especially helpful when it comes to running on hazardous surfaces and hills. Combining the two, I was able to gain on a couple runners.

*Quick derail as to what form running is. Most people, when they run utilize their calf muscles way too much. By using your quads more, shorter strides, gravity, and a good body lean it takes less effort/energy to run. Think of it as running on hot coals. It also prevents your foot from slipping out since you are catching yourself rather than propelling yourself.

At the second mile and in the woods, I decided to make a move. I was feeling good (both physically and mentally) and thought I was making good time. I was already closing in on the pack that usually beats me, but as I trudged through the snow I glanced quickly at my watch. 7:05. Uh-oh. That was nowhere near my 6:30 mark that I was shooting for. I needed to go.

As the path narrowed, I was telling others “Passing on the left.” Fortunately, I was able to slide by a couple and was back on macadam.

Hearing the breath of the runner I just passed gave me the determination to keep going. He was trying to stay with me and I was hoping that he would.  About 15 more meters of the climb and I was at the top of the hill. No more heavy breathing behind me. I was going to glance back to see if he was still there, but then I saw another runner that has led me every WS race since last year!

Today was going to be the day that I was going to get him. As I slowly gained and pondered how much was left in the race, I caught up to Shane. I told him that I was going to finish with him today. A brief exchange of words and a “Go get ‘em” from Shane, I was off and chasing the next runner.

This is where my ego got the best of me. I think if I would have kept going with a slower, longer kick I could have fared better. Instead, I met my next target and stated how I wanted to finish with him. Then, the movie moment happened. With the turn of his head and a brief smile he took off.

I did my best and stayed with Louis for 25 meters or so, but I knew I was toast. He did give me the motivation to finish faster than I anticipated though. At one point, my watch had me at 5:15 with the rest of the race cruising right around 5:20 pace. Wowzers!

Mind you, this entire time, I have paid very little attention to the total time for the race. As I turned the last corner towards the finish line I squinted to see the clock. 19:something… I could get a sub-20! Stubbornly, I continued to push myself (I can’t wait to see the photos from this race). As I crossed the line I was almost in shock. I knew my last mile was a 5:54, but wasn’t sure how I did overall. Well, according to my watch, I crossed the finish line at 19:22 (Official race time 19:24)!

WHAT?! I haven’t run that fast since high school.

After boasting to myself silently, I began talking to the other runners (that were a lot closer to me than what I thought) who made my new PR possible. Their charisma during the race and positive spirits helped give me the extra push I needed. Also, it was nice to finally finish in front or near the guys that I’ve been struggling to keep up with for the past year. Here’s to you; Shane, Mario, Louis, Alex, and other guy that I can’t remember what your name is!

Then, just as I was finally lowering my heart rate, in came why wife! Holy crap, right around 25 minutes!

She rocks by the way. Best mom and wife I could ever ask for.

fter she finished, we continued a few conversations and grabbed a few snacks. We chatted a little while longer and then, we were on our way.

Shortly after arriving home, I received the results email. Out of 249 finishers, I placed 16^th overall and the 14^th male. As for my age group (20-29), I placed 3^rd out of 8.

As for the tandem results, Team Ilnasty took 4^th out of 13. 102 team points (16^th and 86^th overall placing) and a cumulative time of 44:28!

Not a bad race!

Now, I get to spend the rest of my day having tea parties with the coolest kid in the world while watching Scooby Doo. Enjoy the rest of yours!