Everyone needs a "Papa"

Whenever I meet someone new, I wonder why that person has crossed my path and becomes a part of my journey.  Twenty or so years ago, our paths crossed with Sue and Wynn.  Liked them from the start!  We share a love of running, enjoyment of Patriots football games, and just being in each other’s company.  Through the years, we’ve been a part of countless parties, football gatherings, running events, important family moments, and endless days at the beach.  What we hadn’t counted on when we gained such wonderful friends was that we also gained a “Papa”.

Papa is Wynn’s dad.  This man welcomed us into his family with hugs, with stories, with generosity, with kindness, and with a hearty laugh.  Whenever we arrived at a family event, he smiled broadly and welcomed us as he’d welcome the rest of his family.  When they lived in Jacksonville, he insisted we use their car and their house while we were there.  We even had our very own “height measurement line” drawn on the garage wall, next to the other family members’ height measurements.

Papa passed last night.  It’s never enough time.  There are never enough smiles or hugs or stories to be told.  Everyone should have a Papa, whether by blood or by friendship, to show them the value of family, laughter, and love.  I know this is exactly why he was part of my journey.

Thank you Papa, I’ve got a special place in my heart and memories just for you. 

How do YOU respond when things don’t go according to plan?

It’s easy to respond positively when things go according to plan.  The race you want to PR at; and you do.  Perfect weather for your vacation; and it happens.  It’s when things don’t go according to plan that the response speaks volumes about the person or the organization.

I’ve been running somewhere around 20 years.  That’s 20 years of running clothes, running shoes, and miscellaneous running accessories.  I’ve been a loyal Asics customer for that same period.  I did try a random New Balance and a Saucony shoe, but the Asics just fit.  So, I stayed with what worked for me.  Back in August, I ordered my next pair of shoes, but due to some pretty low mileage (and throw a state relocation from NH to FL in the mix), I really wasn’t covering the mileage I usually would. 

Over the last couple weeks, I noticed part of my shoe seemed to be separating.  What?  First, I hadn’t been running a ton of trails or rocky areas and generally, I hadn’t been hammering my shoes like I have in the past.  What gives?  In no time, the separation grew into a 1-inch sized hole!

With only about 200 miles on my shoes, I knew this wasn’t normal.  So, I jumped onto Asics’ website, easily found their ‘warranty claim’ link, and filed a claim.  I needed to include some photos and a receipt, but the process was very easy.  Within a very short time, I received an email:

The process to order my new shoes with the promotion code was also quick and easy.  Now, I’m excitedly awaiting my new shoes, being shipped in 2 days with free shipping.  The easy warranty process, the fast response, and the fantastic customer service makes me not only want to continue using their products, but also makes me want to share how great they are.  

Well done Asics!  And just in time for my registration for another race....:)

Expect the unexpected - Caloosahatchee Ultra

Last spring when we moved to southwest Florida, I found the Caloosahatchee Ultra and decided it would be a great goal race to keep me moving.  Within a drivable distance, its three 10.5-mile loop course sounded like a perfect opportunity to play on the trails on a Saturday in December.

I put together a standard training calendar and set out to train for the 50K distance I hadn’t run since Ghost Train (30) back in October 2017.  I quickly realized the heat and humidity of southwest Florida was no joke.  Scott and I slogged through many training runs, but I struggled with sticking with it. 

Team Smedz!

In July, our friends Brad and Jenelle were lured decided to register for this race.  Brad was ready to tackle the ultra-distance and Jenelle was ready to tackle a new long distance.  A fun long weekend began to take shape that would include carbo loading, running, and celebrating.  This is also when Caloosahatchee Ultra was fondly nicknamed the Hootchie Cootchie Ultra.

Race day morning felt oddly comfortable, with a light shower early on, lots of cloud cover, and a refreshing breeze.  The forecast warned that would be short lived, so we came armed with all the fluids, all the salt tabs, and all the attitude to cover a hot 50K.

Although Scott and I scoped out the trails about a month prior, we only covered about half of the trails.   The portion of the trails we didn’t cover were the hardest portion.  There turned out to be lots of ups and downs, with a healthy number of switchbacks.  At one point, I had to use my hands to steady myself on the steepest climb.  Yes, I said climb.  In Florida. 

Team Action Jackson

I expected it to be warm, but with everyone telling me “It’ll cool off and be beautiful”, I wasn’t quite expecting humid mid-80’s on December 1st.  I also expected this run to be hard.  Remember the difficult training cycle previously mentioned?  Yeah, nothing like feeling undertrained for a 50K.  There’s no avoiding that level of ouch.

I hoped I wouldn’t see any scary wildlife and although there was a rattlesnake sighting (quickly relocated by a park ranger), I only saw one other snake sunning himself on the trail.  I tip toed right by him.  After the first four miles, I essentially ran this race solo.  I enjoyed the peaceful trails, but I don’t know what I would’ve done had I come across the rattlesnake on my own.  EEEK!

One of these is real.....

Award time!

The four of us set out with our goals and left it all out there at Caloosahatchee.  Brad nailed his first 50K distance and Jenelle rocked her distance PR with 21 miles for the day.  And Scott?  He killed it, placing 3^rd overall and top master finisher!  One of the beautifully handmade awards I had been drooling over at the start of the race was now coming home with Scott.  Me?  I finished with tears in my eyes.  Physically, I was ill prepared for the distance and the course.  Mentally, I felt like I broke through a mental wall that had slowly been building over the last two years.  I’m thrilled with my day.

Expect the unexpected at Caloosahatchee Ultra!  The race director and team put on a great race!  I highly recommend it – whether the 50K or the 25K option.  There’s no way to get lost and there’s a very generous time cut-off.  And as hot as it felt when we were running in the fields, we had significant tree cover during much of the course.   They offered maximum food, beverage, fun, and personalized attention.  Brad’s day was made when a volunteer had a coffee waiting for him the next time he came into the aid station!  And how many race directors sign your friends in and immediately recognize them as “Hey, it’s New Hampshire!”

Caloosahatchee Cheers!