ALMOST Made it

Ok, so I have a confession.  Ever since I got the idea to train for a marathon, there has been one goal on my three plus year list that has gone by the wayside, Spartanburg's Turkey Day 8k...I had planned to get on it good and hit it in 2008, however one of my nasty ankle injuries.  Postpone by a year to 2009 when the IT band injury took me down.  While I have hit the other goals to this point, the 2010 Turkey Day 8k is still on the table (no pun intended), and last week thanks to the help of Vitamin C drops, Zinc lozenges, Hot Tea, and some Rock and Rye to boot, kicked the start of a cold.  Only sickness and injury will keep me out and I have dodged the sickness the only thing that can keep me from the goal is an injury, which brings me to this past weekend.  For whatever reason the Home Owners Association of my neighborhood decided this Saturday was the time for speedbumps to be installed.  Why is this significant?  Well in college on a run I tripped over a speedbump (and injured myself rather badly) and well have had trouble at times staying on my feet and was thinking that  this improvement is the latest in a line of set backs.  Well I guess if I watch VERY closely and run in bubble wrap I should be fine

D

Paris Mountain 11k-2010

My first trail run since the 'comeback' began in earnest in July 2009 and the longest race I have attempted...ever, I think I saw this was a 7.2 miler, up the side of Paris Mountain and back down to put it briefly, and it was a learning experience if nothing else, start at 8am with the 30 degree temps (found it odd someone would ask if the race was bumped back an hour for cold...no it wasn't).  I had heard how nasty the almost mile long hill of Sulphur Springs Trail was so I figured I would train on the area 'hills'.  Sulphur springs made them look like anthills.  Anywho, at 8 the start was ON and after running for a little while on the roads it was on to Mountain Creek trail and the fun begins and after a half mile I learned lesson 1.  Wear your glasses on the trail run so I can see where the roots are, learned after oh about the 20th near trip.  I was purposely taking it slow to gas it up the hill I knew was coming, the turn came and the cross of the parking lot to Sulphur Springs and the immenint torture to come, for a while not so bad, until passing the reservoir and the beating began, after a while the group that had collected was sucking wind (and our pride) and started walking/jogging to the top of the hill then started running again.  After a brief stay on Kanuga, it was on to downhill Sulphur Springs/Mountain Creek (with my right ankle having decided to give out) to push toward the finish and after being quick and cautious I pass the pavilion and start to push a little and prepare for the finish, heading up the small hill near the finish I had told myself to hit it at, well 100 yards from the finish...wipeout!  I pick myself up and push it in at 1:06:19, beat up and proud of my time...prouder still Sunday when I find I finished SECOND in my age group.  The race was great and fun and beat me up, but I will be back for the new date in May 2011.

Hello November!

November is here and I could not be happier!  Outside of my son's birthday on the 27th, there is not much there can be said nice about October, yes the leaves are changing and fall is in the air, but that is about all that is good about October.  We all had a stomach virus, the yearly audit falls in October where most everyone here acts like the sky is falling which gets me a small bit stressed.  Not to mention we celebrate a holiday of death at the end of the month, and encourage each other to 'dress up' as scary as possible and go beg for candy.   But now the calender has turned (thankfully) to November, where we start slowing down, taking things easier, the leaves are still falling and it is nice out side.  Also, I have the Paris Mountain 11k and the Thanksgiving 8k to look forward too, and that is just about it.  Plus my favorite holiday of Thanksgiving occurs.   So Hello November, Paris Mountain I look forward to this weekend.  Thankgiving I can't wait until the 8k and the masses of food afterward.

D

My 2010 Running Review (thus far)

Yeah I know we have just north of 2 months to go in 2010, but it is time to look at progress made toward the goal of the 2013 Myrtle Beach Marathon, this year I was hoping to make it to doing a 10k with the half-marathon in sight for  2011.  So far so good, I was hoping for a sub-20 5k, I came close at the Run Downtown (Greenville) in January doing a 20:12, after staying in the 20 minute range, I did get the reminder from Sherry..'well you ARE 33..'   But after a relatively un-challenging Boy Scout 5k with a 20:50 and winning my age group, it was time to up distance.   June was the wonderful Sunrise 8k in Simpsonville which I surprised myself by knocking down a 34:18 (aiming for a 36 minute time), July was the Gaffney PeachFest 10k, which was a good bit disorganized but if you did your homework and studied the course you were in good shape, knocked down a 42:23 (hoping for a 45 minute time) and that got me a second place in my age group.  I will be upping mileage (again) in a week and a half when I trek to Paris Mountain for the 11k (7.2 miles), gulp, I have changed training routes to get my mileage in while also doing hills in the run to prepare for 1100+ foot elevation gain!  I am hoping for an 1:05 time, then have to haul it back to Spartanburg for Michael's award celebration (but not before enjoying some Stax pancakes, a signature of this race).  Finally I will end my 2010 racing with the Thanksgiving day 8k in Spartanburg, I have wanted to do event since I started re-training in 2008, however injury forced me out last year, so I want this one, and do good on it...bad.

I have been pleased with my progress thus far, but as the immortal Jerry Reed reminded us "We got a long way to go and a short time to get there.  I'm eastbound just watch ol' Bandit run."

Sorry couldn't resist a Smokey and the Bandit Reference

Just call me Bandit,

D

Fine the coach for criticizing refs and Happy seventh Michael!

Upon my gazing of espn.com, I found the headline of Coach Childers of Minnesota fined for criticizing the refs (really he had time to do that post-game after throwing Favre under the bus) which as an Upward Soccer referee can we fine coaches and parents who decide to step out of the circle of affirmation (check that out on http://www.upward.org/)?  I am not painting all parents and coaches with a broad brush, 95% of the parents and coaches are very kind, affirming people who get the whole Upward message of sharing Christ on the playing field and teach kids soccer all in one, however you get the bums who criticize your every call and interpretation of the rules, so as a referee how do I deal with it?

1. The yellers usually are losing the game and want something-this was the case when I had a coach run acroos the field to fuss at my calling and a moment later grab the back of my shirt, funny thing then happened, no I didn't bend to him, his team tied the game and he well was quiet.

2. Explain your calls if you think a coach would have an issue, at least they know what you saw and why you did/didn't call something.

3. Let it ride, if you have kids you develop thick skin and chances are if you referee anything half will think you are great and half will think you are a bum...such is life, just think Congress would kill for that kind of ranking.

4. When you do mess up, after the game be a man and apologize.  In our culture the words I''m sorry go a long way. 

5. Before and after games do not be afraid to shake hands with the coaches and be friendly before and after the game.

just a few tips....

I would be remiss if on this day I didn't say Happy 7th Birthday Michael! 

D

Who am I?

I am Dan Steadman and I live in God's Country...commonly refered to as Upstate, SC and hour from the mountains.  Have two boys (currently, third child a due in April).  Go to Southside Baptist where I am currently on the Budget and Finance team (translation I have no friends), and promised to less this year, but I now teach third grade boys on Sunday night ( I have never had any inkling to teach kids, but God had other plans!), and for this season referree three soccer games for first-third grade boys a Saturday.  It's a good way to do speedwork training for my marathon I plan to do in 2013 and watch my kid's soccer game all in one.  I am a runner, hiker, outdoorsy type who loves going to Mount Mitchell and doing things that people say diabetics can't do. 

I am married to Sherry Steadman who homeschools our first grader, keeps our 22 month old at home and puts up with my stuff...speaking of the 22 month old, he is my mellow child who is my mini-me, oh yeah he does get upset with me at night if I don't sing the jammy song (it is a take off on Bob Marley's 'Jammin') 

Finally, I am a huge Chicago Cubs (baseball) fan- I watch games at work. Atlanta Falcon's fan (NFL), Georgia Bulldogs fan, and while not quite back into basketball, have been known to cheer for the Charlotte Bobcats.  I have tried to brainwash my son with limited success, he does cheer for the Dawgs, Falcons, Colts, Clemson, and the Atlanta Braves.  He is also a rabid Denny Hamlin fan...I prefer Smoke.

That should be it.

Dan