David Ian's Home

Pain & reward - a thoroughly satisfying half marathon run to break the chill...

...certainly not any kind of record run, but at age 60+ to have the best time in over two years, all the while fighting the crampies - wonderful...

...even more, on a frozen Spring morn, fresh off Mother Nature's wicked snow dump, thoroughly hopeful of better things to spend a couple of hours in the company of fellow crazies...

...braving and blasting thru the chill...

Crazy wonderful trio of half marathons completed on a steamy morning in beautiful Savannah...

Started very cautiously this morning - just ran the Philadelphia Rock & Roll Half a week ago, and Brooklyn three weeks before that, plus racing organizers were warning of dangerous conditions because of the heat...

...felt like running in a steamroom at the start - foggy and very humid...

...then that burned off and temps soared over 80...

...but after a few miles I knew I was strong, let myself go and really enjoyed this wonderful setting...

...and even bettered my times from those other two!

Last leg of an excellent Fall adventure: Savannah Rock & Roll Half Marathon...

My daughter says I am crazy - she and I ran the Brooklyn R&R Half three and a half weeks ago, and I ran the Philly R&R Half just last Saturday - so yes, maybe - Savannah this weekend will make three halfs in less than a month - but such great visits and adventures go w it!

My daughter and I had a wonderful, long chat while we toured Brooklyn - such exceptionally long time w her, is awesome - and was just part of a great weekend in New York.

Then Philly - what a fun start to Halloween - thousands of runners in costume - I found a shirt with running skeleton, complete w sneakers - and began the run in between a butterfly and a slice of pizza! Crazy, indeed!

And now the third "leg": a wonderful long weekend in a B&B in beautiful Savannah - w just one more lil Half on Saturday morning.

My crazy wonderful half marathon series continues - gear in place for the Halloween Philly R&R Half - plus a bonus for running Brooklyn!

A but nutty, yes maybe, but that is the nature running, especially at long distances.

Nothing is more serene than the closely bunched runners just prior to the start of a half or full marathon - they get and share the zany magic of it all.

Pictured is my official “stuff” - bib, timing strip & tee - for this year’s running of the Philadelphia Rock & Roll Half Marathon, which take place this Saturday morning - Halloween!

Also in the pic is the special running shirt, with the running skeleton, that I plan to wear…

…and also, a bonus, the special Brooklyn-Philly hoodie it received today along with the official gear…

… just ran the Brooklyn R&R Half three weeks ago…

 …and in one more week, the Savannah R&R Half - boooo - crazy fun!

 

In between half marathons - a few pics from the last & one from the next...

 

We make excellent adventures

out of these runs -

here's the Empire State Building

last weekend,

before

 

and after

a storm,

the night

before

running a

Half in

Brooklyn.

 

 

 

 

 

Here our beloved Peanut

wearing my medal from that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here my shirt for the next one, in Philadelphia,

right on Halloween!

 

- boo.

What's a baseball nut to do in the playoffs when his team isn't in it? Cheer for a past team of course! #phillies #orioles #pirates #yankees #mets(ugh)

One benefit of having lived in multiple places, having "lived & dyed" for several home teams, is that if one - or more - is out, there are other choices.

It's challenging this year - the #phillies, current home team, had the worst record in baseball...

The #orioles - one home team while growing up and and for whom my mom & dad continued as diehard fans - they at least offered some hope during this season, but didn't make the playoffs either...

My very first team, from the land of my birth, New York City, the mighty #yankees - they have already been eliminated...

Then there are the #pirates - lived in the great city of Pittsburgh for many years, loved it & the team & even got married there - but they are already in trouble in tonite's elimination game...

That would leave the #mets - they are indeed also from nyc - had a wonderful aunt who would take me to many of their games (she was from Brooklyn and had been a loyal #dodgers fan) - have had close family in New York forever, to this day - but, I just don't know...

LA ???!!!

ent from my iPhone

Nothing says mellow like a glass of merlot + a full dose of endorphins, and oh yeah, a medals - all before 10 am...

... A beautiful setting in the vinyards of the Cape May Winery - for the "Run the Vineyards 5k", on a beautiful September morning.

A fun run, topped off by a first place medal for my age group - please, no questions about how many exactly in that group - just a very satisfying time for a run that felt great.

And what a great post-party - good wine & company all around!

What says Fall like a 65 mile bike ride plus three half marathons? Plus a 5k or two, and maybe a frozen 5 miler…

A bit nutty, yes, maybe a lot, but it will add spice to pumpkins and cider and all of that.

 

First is a lil 5k in beautiful Cape May - a Run the Vineyards event centered at the Cape May Winery - lovely.  Kicks off the season this weekend at a favorite spot of ours during the summer - we get to run for our wine this time.

 

Then, the next weekend, instead of traveling to Harrisburg for business meetings the old fashion way, a few of us will bike there to raise money and awareness for a good cause - not as glamorous as the various bike-to-the-shore rides, but a way to make sure we fall asleep over the following days during the conference.

 

Then, the real highlights - three Halfs in the Rock ’n' Roll series - Brooklyn, Philly (on Halloween! - boo!), and Savannah.  I get to run with my favorite partner, my daughter (ran two Boston Fulls together) in Brooklyn, have a frightful fun on Halloween, then enjoy a great B&B in a wonderful town with my wife, and run, too!

 

And oh yes, the medals - one for each Half, plus, as I understand it, a bonus one for doing so many during the same year.

 

And finally, probably a 5k Turkey Burner on Black Friday and a 5m run on the first Sunday in December - whew and whoa - will sure be ready for wassail and egg nog by then!!!

Our gift to ourselves - an example of why we run....

This lovely view along the Chester Valley Trail came courtesy of an early morning run.

Halfway thru an eight mile run, surrounded by scenery like this, it was time to take a picture to share.

On this gorgeous, clear, low humidity July day, the trail was full of walkers, runners and bikers making the most of.

Truly a gift.....

A treat to be cheering the Broad Street Run this year......

......A gorgeous first Sunday in May, an estimated 40k+ runners, and memories of seven participations as a runner in this beautiful 10 mile event made playing the role of cheerleader a thrill.

Always an exciting time is the start - pictured here are the fully primed runners all set to go.

Perfect for us on the sideline - this sunny day with an eventual high temp near 80 would surely test many of the runners.

A particular joy to be warm this was since it never got above freezing for a half marathon in which I took part just a few weeks ago in another part of Philadelphia.