Mikie’s Year End Review-2007

Like many low quality magazines, newsletters or other public forums of self-indulgence, The Mikie, Half Marathoner blog has some year end thoughts and observations to share after a year of running from the mental health community.

I ran 13 half marathons this year. With that came some highs and lows, some good and some bad, some sky-scraping moments and some near-to-the-ground moments, some elevated moments and some flat moments, some lofty and some stumpy moments, some soaring and some crashing moments….. ok, I’ll stop. Sorry.

My Favorite Race in 2007:
It has to be the San Francisco Half Marathon. Perfect temperature, great setting, a chance to run over the Golden Gate Bridge and an opportunity to be with Cameron (his law school load has made it hard to spend anytime with him).

The Story I had the most fun writing in the Blog this year:
It’s the San Francisco Marathon, again. I had a belly laugh with Cameron as this story started to unfold in my sarcastic and twisted mind. The poor, pathetic “bridge phobic” runner I wrote about still ranks as one of my favorite running memories of the year. It was all true (at least the discussion that occurred behind me in corral three-he really did have a phobia).

Second Place: The Boyd Lake Half Marathon even though it might have smacked of heresy to some of you, I had a ball re-writing the first few verses of Genesis. Hey, God gave me this odd sense of humor!

Third Place: The Denver Half Marathon as I dealt with the definition of stupid and had to sort out my disdain for one of my fourth grade teachers, Mrs. Mona Grant. She really is a great teacher but I cannot stand being around her! ;-)

Worst race:
Victorville River Walk Half Marathon, by far. Summer heat, no water on the latter part of the course made this race, the race from Hades!

Best “Natural Scenery” Race:
It’s a tie. SF and Silver Strand Half Marathon in San Diego. It’s all about the ocean for this beach bum and surfer boy. In my dieing days, just get me to the ocean for a whiff of sea spray and I might get an extra couple of minutes of life.

Best “Human Scenery” Race:
The OC Half Marathon in Newport Beach, California, of course, where all the beautiful people live and an area known as the “Plastic Bible Belt.” Why is it a plastic bible belt? Lots of mega churches, lots of money and LOTS of plastic surgeons and botox.

Most Inspirational Race:
The Eisenhower Half Marathon in Kansas, by far. Running where Ike was born and raised was very special. As I ran, I often wondered if he walked, ran or biked the path I was running on. We owe so much to him as a military and political leader.

Number of sightings of Nurse Ratched this past year:
Actually I saw her at every race. That is why I keep running. I DO NOT want to go back to the ward!

Number of racial slurs flung my way because I am Lebanese:
Only one. That was at the Victorville race when I got on my camel to head back to the coast for a dip in the ocean.

Number of Greek God or “Grand Munier” references used to describe me in the “comments” section of the blog:
About two, I think, by Kim F. Kim does not wear her corrective lenses any more.

Number of Greek God references used to describe me in my dreams or during my frequent hallucinations:
That would be 48 to date (and counting). I sometimes forget to take my medication resulting in delusions of grandeur.

Number of times I have offended people with my blog entries:
This is probably too numerous to count. I apologize. Just block my e-mails as SPAM.

Number of calories burnt at most of the races:
Best guess is about 1,950 per race. Boy, am I glad they serve food at the end of these races. There is nothing better than a dry bagel and a cup of warm Gatorade at the end of 13.1 grueling miles (ha!). I wish the Lebanese community would sponsor a race and serve grape leaves, Kibbi and Baklava at the end of the race!!! Hey, Uncle Joe and Aunt Louise, do you want to sponsor that idea?

Number of people I prayed for during the races:
About 70 very special people! BTW: Our dear sweet student at JA, Shania (who had the liver transplant) is doing pretty well!

Total miles run this year in training and races:
I ran 851 miles this year. That resulted in 141 hours, 59 minutes and 8 seconds of galloping on pavement, treadmills or dirt. That is almost six, twenty-four hour days of running or three and a half work weeks based on a 40 hour work week (who does that anymore?). Whew, but why do I do this????

Forrest Gump can say it for me…. “For no particular reason I just kept on going. I ran clear to the ocean (actually, 851 miles only gets me to Baker, CA just outside the Mohave Desert, about 180 miles from Costa Mesa, CA where I grew up). And when I got there, I figured, since I'd gone this far, I might as well turn around, and just keep on going.”

I guess I will do the same.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!