Half Marathon Blog Post #92

Chevron Houston Half Marathon, Houston, TX, January 14, 2024

Race #92

On January 14th, 2024, I ran the Chevron Houston Half Marathon on a chilly but sunny day. It was about 40 degrees at the beginning of the race, but I always prefer cooler to warmer weather when doing a half marathon! My time was 2:25:55, which is my best time ever in a non-virtual half marathon and my knee actually held up pretty well! I had my patella supports on and since Biofreeze has become my new friend, I actually carried a spray can with me so I could use it throughout the race (I did look a little funny with my belt with water holders that carried my Biofreeze can instead! I competed with over 20,000 other racers but I definitely had some tunnel vision that day. I spent much of the race thinking about everyone who helped me get through the last 7 months and how grateful I was for all of the love and support I have received; sort of like Mikie’s prayer list that he used to do for his half marathons. So I decided that for this blog, I would thank them, because I know that I could not have gotten through all of this without all of them. I know that I am extremely lucky to have such a wonderful support system!

My Family: My mom, my sister, my brother, my sister-in-law, and my nephews—they were all there for me in various ways, sometimes in ways I never knew I needed. You might think that as a grown up, you don’t need your mom in the same ways that you did when you were younger, but when something like this happens, you definitely do. My sister made sure that I was never alone in the weeks following Mikie’s death and has been there for me ever since. My brother was the rock and stepped in to keep running the family business and fill the void from Mike being gone. My sister-in-law was always there to help me and my nephews were such great supports. And of course, my sweet Bailey and Gracie—even though they also lost their beloved daddy, they never cease to be there to give me love, puppy kisses, and eternal emotional support. In the midst of my grief, I also feel very blessed ♥️

My Friends: I feel very blessed to have so many amazing friends, near and far. JJ, Michelle, Tam, Barbie, Aimee and many others, were so supportive in the days and weeks after Mikie’s death, helped me with his service in July and were there for it as well, and have been there for me ever since. I can’t thank you all enough for EVERYTHING! I love you all!

Mikie’s Family and Friends: I am so grateful for Mikie’s Lebanese family in California. He loved them dearly (as do I) and getting to visit them has been the best. Aunt Louise and Uncle Joe, Lori, Loretta and all of Mikie’s cousins, thank you! And I have been so amazed at the outpouring of love I have received from Mikie’s friends, former staff members, students, and parents. I knew how much he was loved and how many lives he impacted, but all of the beautiful messages, notes and cards I received has truly warmed my heart. And everyone who continues to check in on me—I am so grateful!

Last But Not Least, My Guardian Angel: Even though Mikie is gone, I can’t complete this list without him. In my early days of loss and grief, I felt such despair over losing him and didn’t know how I would go on without him by my side. I will always carry my grief with me and I still have many days where I grieve deeply, cry, get upset, and feel so bereft because I am missing my person. But I am working to take the happiness and love that we had together and the beautiful memories we shared and carry it alongside the grief. I feel so blessed that I had 25 incredible years with the love of my life. I feel so blessed that I had the most amazing best friend. I feel so blessed that I was loved deeply by such a wonderful man. And I feel so blessed that I found my soulmate and the person who completed me. So very blessed ♥️

My next race is February 18, the Ascension Austin Half Marathon!

San Antonio Rock n Roll Half Marathon, San Antonio, TX, December 3, 2023

Race #91

San Antonio Rock n Roll Half Marathon

I apologize for my tardiness in writing and posting this blog, but I will admit that it was because of an injury that I sustained during my last half marathon in November. I tweaked my knee and have been struggling with training and some pain in the knee that has a previous injury and has plagued me for years. I was feeling pretty dejected and worried that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with my goal for reaching 100 half marathons by Mikie’s next birthday in September. The goal means that I basically have to run one half marathon a month. Running and training has been what has sustained me during the last 6-7 months since Mikie left me. It has kept me sane, it has kept me from staying in bed all day and keeping the covers pulled over my head, it has kept me from drowning in a sea of grief. So, I went into the race on December 3rd resolute that I would finish the race, even if I had to walk the entire 13.1 miles. It actually went better than I thought it would, although I still have knee pain and am seeing a sports ortho at the beginning of January. So, fingers crossed that I can get some answers and relief so that I can keep marching toward Mikie’s goal! But I knew this would be a tough race because of my injury, The weather couldn’t have been more perfect, it was cold at the beginning, but not so cold that it was miserable. And there was cloud cover for most of the race. My time wasn’t my fastest, but not too bad considering (2:31:48). I managed to run a lot of it and without too much pain, thanks to the BioFreeze stations along the way! I think that was my Mikie angel that sent those to me. And as always, Mikie was running beside me the entire way!

But after the race, as I was feeling sorry for myself, I remembered all of the injuries and obstacles that Mike dealt with in his half marathon journey—two back surgeries, open heart surgery, plus multiple injuries with his feet, quads, tearing his IT band, and the list goes on. So, I realized that although I need to be smart about not pushing it too much, if Mikie were here, he would be telling me, “Suck it up Nancy!” He would tell me to stop feeling sad about it and figure out how to make it work despite an aching knee. So, I decided to listen to my wise and persevering husband who never let an injury stop him! I have scaled back my training (since I am suspecting that part of the issue is overtraining), I bought a Peleton so that I can train without the impact on my knee and I am seeing a sports ortho to hopefully get some answers. So, we shall see. 

My next race is the Houston Chevron Half Marathon on January 14th. If you get a chance, send me some good mojo that day, I will probably need it! 

Stars and Stripes Half Marathon, Houston, TX, November 16, 2023

Race #90

On November 16, 2023 I completed a virtual half marathon at Memorial Park in Houston. It was in honor of the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation, which provides college scholarships and educational counseling to military children who have lost a parent in the line of duty. What a wonderful cause that would have been very close to Mikie’s heart! 

I had decided that since it was a week before Thanksgiving, I would spend the race thinking about all of the things that I was thankful for related to Mikie and the 25 years we had together. So many wonderful thoughts and memories flooded my mind during the 2 hours, 25 minutes and 9 seconds that it took me to complete that race. And then after the race, I decided to write down some of the many beautiful memories and thought I would share some of them, so here goes…

Mile 1: Meeting in Arkansas in the computer lab and doing donuts in the parking lot, eating late night Cheetos and accidentally driving to Oklahoma and starting a 25 year relationship

Mile 2: Getting to work with Mikie for a year, opening the Core Knowledge office in Colorado and having a blast together

Mile 3: We started out early on getting to eat at some fabulous restaurants in different cities—and always ordering two desserts, that became a tradition for us—one of our favorites was the Penrose Room at the Broadmoor and their table side Ceasar salad

Mile 4: Many camping trips in Colorado—our favorite place to go was Chalk Creek near the Collegiate Peaks, and especially going with our sweet Bella

Mile 5: Geocaching all over Colorado and in other states when we would travel—it was always an adventure and took us to some places that we would have never ventured to otherwise (you will find geocaches that each one of us placed up near St. Mary’s Glacier)

Mile 6: Getting Bella and watching Mikie turn into a dog person and love our girlie little pup more than he loved most people (even though he would always laugh about her little pony tail), and then getting Bailey and Gracie, and he loved them fiercely

Mile 7: Getting to travel for work together and go to the Core Knowledge National Conference for many years and get to go places like Orlando, FL, Boston, MA, Washington, DC, Anaheim, CA, Nashville, TN (and getting to go to Disney World and Disneyland together)

Mile 8: Taking a two week road trip one summer and going to Colorado (3 National Parks), New Mexico, Arizona (Grand Canyon North Rim) and Utah (4 National Parks)—one of our favorite trips

Mile 9: Going to baseball games together—we got to go to quite a few different ballparks, but our favorite was always Coors Field to watch the Rockies

Mile 10: Working out and running together, especially at Washington Park in Denver and Memorial Park in Houston and getting to run several half marathons together

Mile 11: Many, many trips to the beach together in the last five years—even though it wasn’t Mikie’s beloved Pacific Ocean, he still enjoyed his salt water therapy and we loved going to the beach and enjoying it with our girls

Mile 12: So many amazing trips and vacations together, here are some of the highlights—Philadelphia, Minneapolis, London, Mount Rushmore, Sedona, Santa Fe (many times), many whitewater rafting trips, Yellowstone NP, Grand Tetons, Jackson Hole, New York City, Grand Canyon South Rim, Biloxi with the Shihloxi Squad, all over California (with several special trips to San Francisco), Hawaii, road trip from Houston to California, many trips to see the Joseph clan in California, Moab, Chicago, a cruise to Cozumel, Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Haiti, and many more

Mile 13: Getting married and becoming one in one of the most beautiful places in the world, Fiji—it was definitely a dream trip for us ♥️

We had so many plans for more memories and more trips, but these will have to sustain me for a lifetime…I loved making every memory with my sweet husband!

Next race is December 3rd, the San Antonio Rock n Roll Half Marathon, until then I will keep Marathoning for Mikie!

Houston Half Marathon, Houston, TX, October 29, 2023

Race #89

On October 29, 2023, I ran the Houston Half Marathon on a balmy and humid Texas morning. I ran my best time ever, 2:28:23, and I definitely give credit to my sweet guardian angel. I also wore the shirt designed in Mikie’s honor and I will wear it during every half marathon I run for him (I think it turned out really well). You can see the front in my picture and on the back, I have included what it looks like. I used the logo that Mikie created when he ran his first 50 half marathons and I modified it. A few days after the race marked 5 months since I lost my sweet husband and on that day, I wrote a letter to Mikie and told him some about the race, so I decided to share that letter as my blog post for this race (I did take out a few parts that I did not want to share). I miss Mikie so much and in some ways, it seems like it was just yesterday and in some ways, it seems like it was more than 5 months ago, but I guess that is normal. My next half marathon will be some time during mid-November and it will be a virtual half marathon. My next in person half marathon is December 3rd, 2023, the San Antonio Rock n Roll Half Marathon, which Mikie and I got to do together.

My dear sweet Mikie,

It is November 2nd and that means it has been 5 months since you left me. I can’t put into words how much I miss you, every second of every hour of every day. I do think I am getting a little better each day at living with the grief I feel, but I know that I will always carry that grief with me, for the rest of my life. I am trying to figure out how to carry that grief and not feel sad all the time. You used to say that to grieve deeply is to have loved deeply. Well, I sure know how deeply we loved each other so I guess this is the price that I have to pay for that love. And I know that I wouldn’t take back any of the love that we shared. I do know that my running and training for your half marathons has been one of the main things that has kept me sane. I sure hope you can hear me when I talk to you while I’m running. This last Sunday, I ran my first real half marathon in your honor and it would have been #89 for you. It went down streets that we used to drive along all the time and it went just a few blocks away from our house. I felt you with me the entire race. But something was a little different this time. Normally, when I am training, I picture you along my route, standing at the side of the trail or along the golf course. When it is a particularly tough spot, I picture you encouraging me to get to you and it always helps motivate me. But during this race, I saw you running beside me. You stayed with me through all 13.1 miles. Thanks for being with me, I could feel your presence and your spirit and most of all, your love. Please continue to be with me, especially when I am running. I will keep running in your honor and I will keep loving you just as much. I love, adore and cherish you and I will forever. 

All my love always,

Holly

Heart to Heart International Half Marathon, Houston, TX, September 19, 2023

Race #88

On September 19, 2023, Mikie’s 74th birthday, I ran 13.1 miles in fairly steamy conditions in Houston at Memorial Park to complete a virtual half marathon. This would have been #88 for Mikie (it is #14 for me). This race was run to benefit Heart to Heart International, which helps to improve access to health care all over the world. I have really only been training for about 2 months, but I have had some heavenly inspiration in my training. And the goal of finishing Mikie’s half marathons has definitely helped me survive the last 4.5 months. In previous blog posts, Mikie had been sharing “13.1 Reasons Why I Run Half Marathons” and he only got through #11. And although he won’t be able to finish his reasons, I thought I would share the 13.1 Reasons Why I Run Half Marathons. 

But mine are pretty simple… 

Reason #1: Mikie 

Reason #2: Mikie 

Reason #3: Mikie 

Reason #4: Mikie 

Reason #5: Mikie 

Reason #6: Mikie 

Reason #7: Mikie 

Reason #8: Mikie 

Reason #9: Mikie 

Reason #10: Mikie 

Reason #11: Mikie 

Reason #12: Mikie 

Reason #13: Mikie 

Reason #.1: Mikie 

The suddenness of Mikie’s passing and trying to deal with the shock and grief has been something that I wasn’t sure how I would deal with, but training and working to complete 13 half marathons in Mikie’s honor and to help him reach his goal of 100 Half Marathons by his 75th birthday has been something that has truly helped me survive. My training and running has been my therapy…I picture Mikie there with me, he cheers me on wherever I am running and I have lots of good conversations with him. And by training in the morning, I get to watch the sun come up, which helps remind me that Mikie would want me to keep going, that the sun will keep coming up every day, and that when I feel the sun shining down on me, I can feel Mikie smiling and still loving me. I am still trying to figure out how to live without him, and I am not sure I ever will completely, but the best I can do right now is to try and wake up each day and honor Mikie in everything I do. I hope I always make him proud. 

Next half marathon (#89) is October 29th, the Houston Half Marathon. It will go just a few blocks past our house in Houston. I definitely know Mikie will be with me every step of the way!

God Save the Queen Half Marathon, Houston, Texas, October 22, 2022

 Race Number 87

After a six-month hiatus from running, I started training again, in September, and culminated that training today by completing 13.1 miles in the “God Save the Queen” Virtual Half Marathon. A pretty cool medal and some nice juicy blisters were my reward! Frankly, it was pure grit that got me to the finish line today, as a few weeks of training really does not prepare you well for even a slow race.

I did my slow 13.1 miles at Memorial Park, in Houston, in honor of an extraordinary lady whom I admired. The proceeds from the race go to the HALO Trust, a favorite charity of the royal family. The Trust helps countries recover after conflict. Clearing landmines, to save lives, is at the heart of what they do. They work with communities that are too often forgotten once the fighting has ended.

Now, reason number 11 of “13.1 Reasons Why I Run Half Marathons”

The Streets are OURS! Getting to run in the middle of the street is contrary to what my mom taught me when I was growing up. She never liked us playing baseball or skate boarding in the street. Cul-de-sacs did not exist in my childhood days or at least in my neighborhood. Yet, think about it: I don’t have to look both ways and don’t have to obey traffic lights. And ..... I get to thank the cop for keeping me safe from the Little Old Lady From Pasadena (or people like Robin Korac, one of my parents at Jefferson Academy that use to AIM her big SUV at me as I tried to direct cars during drop-off and pickup from school).

Have you ever tried to get around a city when there is a race going on? It is worse than trying to get home at rush hour in LA or Houston. You might as well park the car and take a nap or read a book. The road blocks, at a race, are set up to protect the runners, and our friends in blue make it very difficult for you when you are trying to make your quick visit it Dunkin Donuts. I suspect your pleading and crying with the police officer, will get you nowhere. Your lust for that 12-grams of saturated fat (and that is the average), will not get in the way of the kind officer risking the chance you will run over Mikie the Half Marathoner. After all, Mikie needs to make it to 100 half marathons by his 75th birthday in September of 2024.

Post script: It just dawned on me, that if you tell the cop that you are heading to the donut shop, he may have empathy for you and let you through..... hmmmmm. There may be a flaw in my logic. Aristotle would have been disappointed in me.

Ventura Half Marathon, Ventura, California, February 27, 2022

Race #86

Today I ran my 86th half marathon in Ventura, California. I enjoyed some special time with my beloved Uncle, Aunt and cousins.  I love and miss them so very much and especially our banter. 

As in most races, there is a loneliness as you exert yourself, yet there is also a bond to hundreds of other runners. It is highly diluted, by comparison, with the bond that binds men in combat, but it is there, as the element of combat is there. Now…….

Katy Half Marathon

Reason #10 of “13.1 Reasons Why I Run Half Marathons”

“I get to slightly excel at something I did not think I could do!”

I started my resolute running career in the fall of 1966 with the cross country team during my senior year of high school in preparation for the track and field season in the spring. I was not on the team but Coach Strain (That was his name, I am NOT KIDDING) allowed me to run with the team. Coach ran us from Estancia High School in Costa Mesa down to the Santa Ana River jetties in Newport Beach, California (8 miles, round trip). This occurred every other day. We ran on a sandy and difficult trail that runs along the Santa Ana River which flows into the Pacific Ocean.

Then, a few years later (1970) I got the “opportunity,” in the US Army, to run with a full pack and loaded M14 or M16 weapon at Fort Ord, California. Without a trace of rancor, I would admit, training for the Infantry required me to dig deep into the reserves of my young manhood to absorb the punishment. We ran, almost every day, to the beaches in Monterey (about five miles, one way, in thick sand) to practice our marksmanship on the rifle ranges set up at the beach. During this portion of our training, I volunteered to run at the rear of the Company with two other men (we were known as the Three Musketeers). We were required to make sure no man was left behind by literally picking them up and dragging them to the rifle range if they should collapse or dropped out of the running formation due to exhaustion. Those runs to the rifle range still secure a place in my repertory of nightmares.

Both of these early experiences taught me the concept of mind over body as well as what it means to run (and serve) a team or fighting unit. I also began to become keenly aware of what the human body was capable of and I developed a deep appreciation for the incredible machine that Almighty God has crafted.

I did not run a lot after those years. Yet, at age 56, my son, Cameron, invited me to a small race in Denver (the fall of 2005) to raise money for cancer research. Although I almost died that day on the short three mile dirt trail, my running juices were re-ignited and my desire to get back into running shape took over my mind and soul. I made the effort to do something again, that I did not think I could do again.

I have been blessed (let us therefore rejoice) to be able to continue this trek, but more importantly, I have learned that I can usually succeed at something if I do not let my mind ambush me and truly believe, “We can do this!” 

Next race? Gosh, I don’t know. The big enemy (I suppose this is a matter of temperament. So, more safely: MY big enemy) is the heat of the summer months. I really dislike running in the temperatures that cause your blood to bubble. Notwithstanding, number 87 is on the horizon. Until then..... Blessings!

 

Katy Half Marathon, Katy, Texas, February 12, 2022

 Number 85

Houston Half, January 2022

Today I ran and jogged the Katy Half Marathon in Katy, Texas, a small city just to the west of Houston. It was a pleasantly cold day but tolerable! 

Now, reason #9, "Why I Run Half Marathons"

Breakfast the morning of and the Lunch (and the shower) after the race. 

My favorite race breakfast is: oatmeal, a banana and eight ounces of water. I know that does not beat Eggs Benedict at Katheryn’s Bakery in Wash Park in Denver, but it sustains me through most of the race. THEN.... the HUGE payoff is after the race. I can eat ANYTHING I WANT because I just burnt 2,000,000 calories for two and a half plus hours and no one is going to get in the way of me and a pint of Haagen Dazs Coconut/Pineapple Ice Cream.

I pause to remark: I exercise total disregard for the amount of sugar and fat I consume after a race. Now, granted, my trigicerides tend to skip to the top of the chart and into the dangerous level, but it’s only for a half a day, .......... I think...... Actually, I hope.

And then the SHOWER....In twenty minutes, I am as fresh as a newborn, sitting at my table, writing this blog and rattling on and on with a mug of fresh Arbuckle Mexicali coffee by my side. But after a while, I am pari passu with my readers’ wandering attention, and I finally run out of creative energy and I post my longwinded missive for reasons unknown, unknowable, and uninteresting.

Next race? Ventura Half Marathon in Southern California on February 27th. I have got to rest these legs, lungs and heart! I LOVE running near the Pacific Ocean!!!

 

Aramco Houston Half Marathon, January 16, 2022

 Number 84

I ran my 84th half marathon today on a cold day in Houston, with 27,000 easily jaded running colleagues. Happily, the sun did not excrete its heat upon me, and the weather was perfect for running oodles of miles. I really pondered not running this race because I had not trained suitably for it (the holidays got in the way). Suffice to say….. I withstood the urge to bow out (in fact, I ran my fastest time since heart surgery)....... which leads me to share with you Reason #8 of “The 13.1 Reasons Why I Run Half Marathons.”

Reason #8: BECAUSE I CAN AND IT IS DOABLE.

It is the human way to exert oneself, every now and again, in eccentric enterprises (even with congestive heart failure). I have chosen running (and golf and drawing and woodcarving and etc., etc.). When running, I generally experience that blend of elation, excitement, and apprehension one feels when heading out onto the road for a long passage. We humans often think in minutes, even half minutes, and an hour at the most.  Yet, time loses its meaning when I am running. You just run, and run, and watch the sun or moon descend ever so slowly, and the stars in steady rotation, and the path rushing alongside, creating that comfortable, cozy companionship....... you and the road......traveling in the same direction. It is a pleasurable experience difficult to surpass, UNLESS you elect to reminisce about the day the gates opened and you left prison a free man.  So, I will continue jogging and running, because I can (and it is doable) until the day they lower me down or put me in the furnace.

PS: The pictures are of my last race in San Antonio in December.

San Antonio Rock & Roll Half Marathon, San Antonio, Texas, December 5, 2021

 Number 83

Today I ran my 83rd half marathon with 15,000 other runners in the very hilly Rock and Roll Half Marathon in San Antonio, Texas. The hills were BRUTAL!!! 

San Antonio has four military bases in town and portions of the race honors fallen military personnel along the route with their pictures. I had some difficulty breathing during the race as I went through periods of convulsive sobbing as I tried to touch each sign and ask for a blessing on the fallen hero as well as their families! Lives cut short for freedom for you and I. So many have died in my lifetime so that I might live freely! Humbling.

Now ...... Reason #7 for “Why I Run Half Marathons:”
I EARN a tee shirt which will become a part of a quilt showing off my accomplishments. Some years ago, a few of my teachers at Jefferson Academy, asked for my first 25 shirts and presented me, weeks later, with a beautiful quilt! (See the attached picture). This is one of my most treasured possessions..... developed by staff members whom I adore and the quilt reminds me of 14 years of my professional life that can only be described as AWESOME! My running exploits may be prominent in this quilt, but to me, what is most prominent, when I gaze at the quilt, is the the love and bond the staff had with one another and our families, which helped make JA a huge success!

Jefferson Academy was one of the first charter schools in Colorado (est. 1994) and I was the lucky founding Principal. My staff and I had a huge calling and task to produce the very best educational program for our parents and students under some significant political opposition. We did not fail in our task and to this day, JA is one of the highest performing schools in the state of Colorado! I will ALWAYS be a proud Jaguar!