Friday, April 29, 2011

Jonesboro

We are now 29 days away from the Jonesboro marathon. The Mucaks Running CLub is having some good representation. Currently, we have Team Mucka, our coed relay team consisting of Kevin Baxter, Brandon Boger, Holly Cook and Jody Hodges. I think they are going to take the coed division. Barrett Burns and James Whitaker are involved with their respective relay teams as well and should give each other some awesome competition. I think Sherry Rogers is still planning on running the 5K. Me, I am running the full marathon as an individual runner. And, after looking at the elevation chart, am still wondering what the heck I was thinking!!! Oh well, what are you gonna do? :)

Every race I run will continue to be in memory of my Mom, Mary Wise. In addition, I want to dedicate this race to the victims of the recent storms that plowed through the Midsouth. I believe the current death toll is at 318. Hard to take it all in, just by looking at the photos on the internet. Those poor people are trying to pick up the pieces when, that is all there is, pieces. Their lives completely turned upside down. Then, to top it off, a friend (On Dailymile) was struck with tragedy on Easter Sunday when his Sister's vehicle was hit by another vehicle, killing her, her husband and twin sons. I can't imagine. Never want to imagine what it would be like to go through something like that. So, again, with all that being said, I will be including them in rememberance when I run Jonesboro on May 28.

So, with all that rambling, the next time you run, run for a reason. Make it meaningful. Be safe on your runs everyone. As Ethan says, "Anyone walking beats anyone sitting. Anyone running beats anyone walking. Get out there and do it." Handle up on your fitness and enjoy life.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Weather Alert


Well, I think three days in a row is enough of dealing with the bad weather. The tornados, severe thunderstorms, high winds and flooding is enough. Some of our smaller towns, here in Arkansas, were completely devastated by the storms. Vilonia, Arkansas was completely wiped out. Rumors are, the path of destruction was 3-miles wide and 15-miles long. The levee in Pocahontas, Arkansas broke and they are flooding as we speak. Memphis is getting hammered, and suffering flooding. Northern Mississippi has been hit hard as well. Reports of flooding, deaths and other devastation continues to come in. As I said in a previous post, not sure what we did to upset Mother Nature but, WE ARE SORRY ALREADY!! Please back off.

With all that being said, we all continue on. Right now the winds are pounding our area. The temps have dropped. But, our family is safe inside our home, carrying on with our daily routine. We continue to train for upcoming events, races, etc, while others are trying to pick up the pieces and regain a normal life. Those that lost loved ones will have a longer, more complicated time recovering.

As you carry on with your daily life, please take a moment and remember those who are struggling thru these rough times here in Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee. As I continue to train for the Jonesboro Marathon, I will keep them in mind, and dedicate this race to the memory of those lost in these tragic storms.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Oz

I don't know why Mother Nature is mad at Arkansas but, we give. We're sorry!! Please let up!

Kevin and I set out for a run in some light rain today. That rain steadily got heavier. At about 1.4 miles into it, lightning started flashing in the area. We took it inside, as we didn't travel to far from the training center just in case. As we went inside, we were told that our area was undr a tornado warning. Well, call it commitment. Call it lack of common sense. We jumped on the treadmills to finish our run. As we were running, the storm intensified. Rain and hail started pounding the area. Well, at this point, I'm not going to try and beat the storm. Might as well finish my run as we ride out the storm. I knocked out a total of 7 miles all together. So, I am pleased with that. Come to find out, a tornado passed just South of us.

The run in the rain was cool. The lightning and tornado are not the idea conditions. But, we got it done. I just hope Mother Nature is done with her abuse of our area. The damage and flooding are out of control. Stay safe everyone.

Bad Weather


Well folks, we have been getting pounded by bad weather lately. Last night's storms swept across Arkansas and just hammered the entire state. One town was said to be completely wiped out. The storm that hit Wynne had winds up to 80 mph. As I came to work today, I saw many trees down. Fortunately, I did not see any damage to homes. Of course, I didn't go through the entire town. Still have to check out our home as well.

With that being said, runs outside get more and more interesting. Currently getting ready to knock out a run with Kevin B. The temps are at 74 degrees with 80% humidity. And, as I look out my window, the skies are looking threatening again. Well, the weather man did say we are expecting another round of storms tonight. Hoping they are not as bad as last night.

One thing I can say about the wind and humidity, this is definitely getting me ready for the Jonesboro Marathon on May 28. I just need to add some more hills to this training. Fortunately, I have a good buddy, Barrett, who is going to help pace me through the hills once he finishes his portion of the relay. He's the first leg so, he should be rested and waiting by the time I get there. LOL!

Well, time to start getting my mind into this run. Hope everyone stays safe out there. Watch out for the one's behind the wheels of their vehicles. You know they're not watching out for you.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Trying to make a difference


I've always wondered how I could help make a difference. I run so many miles, race in different races, and try to encourage others to join in on this fitness craze. Still, never felt that was enough. When Mom was battling heart disease, I decided to run the Little Rock marathon and chose to raise money for the American Heart Association. I set a goal of $500. Since this was my first attempt at fund raising, I didn't want to set my goal to high as I was afraid it wasn't attainable. Fortunately, I have some awesome family members and friends who donated and pushed me over my goal by $100. Now that rocks!!

Well, thanks to a good friend of mine, Tony Brake, I have found another way to help fight this dreaded disease. I am now signed up to help fight cancer. My Father-in-Law, Raymond Albrecht, passed away in June of 2006 after fighting cancer. He fought the good hard fight. Unfortunately, he lost the battle. Many of my friends have lost loved ones to cancer. Or, they currently have loved ones fighting the good hard fight.

Many of those fighting this fight would much rather be out running, as we do, than having to deal with this. So, for them, let's help find a cure for this and make the world cancer free. Please help me in this fight.

https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorreg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=442415&supId=316712605&extSiteType=1

Friday, April 22, 2011

5000 Baby

SWEET!!! I have been recording my mileage since January 2007. I ran many miles prior to this but never really tracked it. This gives me a sense of accomplishment to actually see how far I've gone. With today's 6-miler, I am now 3 miles closer to 10,000 miles. My goal is to get there faster than I did getting to 5000. It took me four years and three months to hit the first 5000. That is just under 1250 a year. I'm going to smash that over the next four years. I'm trying to average at least 1500 miles, or more, a year. Ok 10,000, you're mine!! Let's get it on. :)

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Words and stuff


This is some crazy weather right now. The wind doesn't seem to stop, and the storms keep coming through. Unfortunately, some of the local folks have had some tragic experiences. The winds picked up a double wide trailer and turned it over, killing the woman inside, and sending her husband to the hospital. Others are dealing with property damage and loss of power. Our Low component, at work, suffered some damage during last night's storm. We have been fortunate to have avoided damage so far.

One nice thing about the solitude of running is it allows you to work of the stress of daily life. In my line of work, you deal with society's undesireables. You see what they have done while in what we call the outside world. When you read some of their history, you wonder how someone could be so cruel. How someone could bring themselves to commit such a crime against their fellow man. And wonder how these criminals could think they have done nothing wrong. Almost 22 years in this business and nothing seems to amaze me anymore. But, like they told us when I first walked through the grill in Lompoc, CA.....you have to leave that stuff at work. Never take your work home to your family. So, how do you take the daily work issues and shut them off before you get home to your family? I'm one of the lucky ones I guess. I have a very supporting wife who allows me to vent to her on a daily basis. She listens to my rants, offers open opinions, or just rubs my head and tells me it will all be ok. I have an awesome wife. :)

Another way I deal with my daily stress and frustrations is to go for a run. I remember one particular run, in Texas, where I just had a really bad day. I just finished an 8-mile run and thought to myself, "Still not over it!", and turned around and ran another 4-miles. Upon finishing that run, I was tired but relaxed. The frustration was gone and I had a smile on my face again.

When I first started getting into running, I had a running partner named Matt. We worked at the prison in El Reno, OK. We would run after work and vent about the days events. By the end of the run, the frustration was gone.

I guess what I'm trying to say is running is a great stress reliever. It also helps when you have a good running partner, or an awesome spouse. I have been fortunate to have all the above. Not to mention, my awesome spouse is also my running partner now. :)

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Heating Up

Wow is it ever getting warm and humid. Not to mention there are no signs of the wind letting up anytime soon. It's been at a consistent 16 mph lately. Makes an outdoor run seem so much harder. But, with our upcoming race in Jonesboro, you have to be prepared for this type of weather. The thermometer hit at least 84 today. Humidity was up as well with the incoming storms. Yes, we are under another tornado watch until 2am.

After speaking with Kevin, who was considering making this his first full marathon, he came to the conclusion that he was going to put a relay team together for this race. Which is nice because it will bring more Muckas into the race. This race only has a full, relay and 5K. A lot of our running group are used to running the half. So, the relay allows for more Muckas.

My training for this race is going well so far. My legs are tired but, not tired like they were when going through my multiple race series at the end of last year. I am hitting between 30 and 40 miles a week. And this week I will surpass 5000 miles since Jan 1, 2007. Really excited about that.

Well, happy running everyone. Stay hydrated and injury free. :)

Monday, April 18, 2011

Boston


Just wanted to say congratulations to my Dailymile buddies Peter and Tony for kicking butt in Boston today! Awesome job to both of them. There mere fact they were able to qualify for such a race is a great accomplishment alone. Tony had to do it bald though. He crushed his fund raising goal of $5000 for cancer research. In turn, he had promised to shave his head. Then, to top it off, he had suffered a fractured tibia during his training for Boston and was advised not to run the race at all. Bowever, Tony's committment to his cause pushed him to change his training strategy and still attack this race. Some may think he was crazy for that but, I think that shows his passion and drive. We need more Tony's in the world. Thanks for sharing your experience with us Tony.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Next Rant

If you praise your abilities, and not the color of your skin, for your accomplishments, do the same for your failures.

Just something short and to the point.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Muckas

Www.muckas.com
Check it out, tell your friends. We're officially on the web. Still building but, we are open. We will be posting new shirts soon!!

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Rant of the Day

I'm really getting sick and tired of some of the folks around here, and their driving habits. I have no problem when drivers can't move over to far due to oncoming traffic but, when they refuse to slow down, that just pisses me off. My wife and I run throughout Wynne. Sidewalks are not readily available on most of the streets we run on. However, we make every attempt possible to stay as close to the side of the road as possible. The speed limit on the majority of the roads is 30 MPH. We had several vehicles exceeding that by at least 10 MPH and refusing to get over. I understand, we're pedestrians out on the road but, I promise you, hit one of us and you'll be at fault. Until they decide to put sidewalks throughout, learn to share the road. Quit being selfish idiots. In fact, join us for a run and maybe you'll learn what it's like to share the road. Ok, I'm done for now. Have a great day everyone. And for those of you who slow down, move over and do share the road, I thank you.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Heating Up

Wow!! The heat and humidity are starting to rise here in Arkansas. The Muckas met for our weekly group run. We ran at Village Creek State Park today. Eight of us all together. Only seven runners, as Mrs Weyant brought her killer Chiuahua to walk with her. Temps were in the mid 70s with 60% humidity. The wind started picking up as we were on the back part of our run. That wasn't all that of an unwelcome sight because it helped cool things down, even just a slight bit.

As we were running towards Lake Austel, Brandon was in front of Deb and I. We saw a squirrel try to take him down. One of the funniest dang things I've ever seen. The, a little further down the road, two deer ran across the road in front of us. That is one of the really cool things to see while running out there.

While reviewing the elevation chart for the Jonesboro Marathon, the park may be a great place to train. Less likely to deal with traffic out there as well. Happy running everyone.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Jonesboro

Just signed up for the inaugural Jonesboro Marathon in May. Really hoping this race does well as it will provide another race within driving distance, as well as allow more Muckas to run together. We have 53 days until race day. Guess I need to get serious about my training again. :) I've been off the last three days. Sunday was a rest day but, I went out and cut the grass. Unfortunately, during that time, something bit me. Looking like it was a brown recluse from what the doctors are saying. Even so, they aren't completely sure. So, I'm on some meds now in hopes to catch it before it gets out of control. So, I will most likely be treadmill bound for about a week until the medication is all consumed and this clears up. Don't want to be out on the road by myself and fall out. That wouldn't be good.

Oh well, still really excited about Jonesboro. Got one of our Muckas looking to make this his first full marathon as well. At least I'll have a running partner. :) Hope everyone's day is going well.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

The Fallen

They say you never forget where you were, or what you were doing, when something tramatic happens in your life. April 3, 1997, I remember exactly where I was. I was in Lompoc, CA, at the ball field in staff housing for the prison I worked at. We were practicing for a Law Enforcement tournament coming up in a couple weeks. The sirens at the Penitentiary went off. I look right at Dave Brunk and asked what day it was. He responded, "Thursday." This is not good. See, they test the siren at certain times on Fridays. It wasn't long before we had ambulnaces rolling up to the institution. Staff were responding from the reservation to the USP. That is a day I will never forget. We lost a fellow officer, SORT Brother, husband and father to a senseless act. This is the excerpt from the Officer Down Memorial Page regarding Scott.



Senior Officer Specialist Scott James Williams
United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons
U.S. Government
End of Watch: Thursday, April 3, 1997

Biographical Info
Age: 30
Tour of Duty: 4 years
Badge Number: Not available

Incident Details
Cause of Death: Stabbed
Date of Incident: Thursday, April 3, 1997
Incident Location: California
Weapon Used: Edged weapon; Shank
Suspect Info: Awaiting trial

Senior Officer Scott Williams was killed after being stabbed by an inmate with a make shift knife. Four other officers who came to Officer Williams' assistance were also stabbed by the same inmate. Officer Williams was pronounced dead at 1855 hours. The incident took place in the US Penitentiary in Lompoc, California.

The suspect was charged with Officer Williams' murder and was awaiting trial as of June 2008.

Senior Officer Williams had served with the Federal Bureau of Prisons for 4 years. He was survived by his wife and two daughters."

Poem
The Officer's stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
They hoped their shoes were shining.
Just as brightly as their brass.

"Step forward now, Officers.
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My church have you been true?"

The men squared their shoulders and
The Policeman spoke first
"No, Lord, I guess We ain't,
Because those of us who carry badges
can't always be a saint.

We've had to work most Sundays,
and at times our talk was rough,
and sometimes we've been violent,
Because the streets are tough.

The Corrections Officer then added,
But we never took a penny,
That wasn't ours to keep...
Though we worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep.

And we never passed a cry for help,
Though at times we shook with fear.
And sometimes, God forgive us,
We've wept unmanly tears.

Together they say,
We know We don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted us around
Except to calm their fear.

If you've a place for us here, Lord,
It needn't be so grand.
We never expected or had too much,
But if you don't...We'll understand.

There was silence around the throne
Where the saints had often trod.
As the Officers waited quietly,
For the judgment of their God.

"Step forward now, Officers,
You've borne your burdens well.
Come walk a beat on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in hell."


Anonymous

You are not forgotten Scott.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

The Sun Is Out

Great weather today. The Muckas met up for an early morning run. There were 9 of us out there, enjoying this beautiful weather. WE took off for our 3.5 mile flat course. Holly and Brandon led the way. Tim and James followed behind them. I hung with Deb and Sherry. Then we had a new member, Miss Kitty, joining us today. Her and John brought up the rear. Everyone did well.

After we finished our group run, I set out for the rest of what was supposed to be my 14 mile long run. The first 3.5 miles were at a 9:30 pace (roughly). Instead of running a flat course, I took on some hills throughout the Airpark road area. Those hills will definitely work one's legs. After coming out of the hill area, I ran throughout the local neighborhood. While heading East, it was uphill on a slight incline. West, of course, was downhill. THe temps kept rising so, I was feeling pretty zapped by the time I breached double digit mileage. I called it quits at 12.1 miles, since that was right at the turn for our road.

Great run, great weather, some great company for the first part of it. I finished with an overall 8:45 pace. I'll take that. No need to try and break any land speed records right now. Hope everyone else is having great weather like us.