The Running Thread - 2019

[Miranda]

I eat my hot dogs with ketchup, sweet relish, and chopped onions if they are available.

 

[Sanchez]

I don't know if anyone has been following the story of Dr. Frank Meza, but he was officially DQ'd from the 2019 L.A. Marathon.

https://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-la-marathon-dq-frank-meza-20190701-story.html
https://nypost.com/2019/07/02/la-marathon-disqualifies-70-runner-for-alleged-cheating/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/spor...athon-says-he-cheated/?utm_term=.1eebae69af3d
I know that some don't agree with the tactics and efforts some websites utilize to out suspected cheaters (and the ultimate pile-ons that inevitably follow), but Dr. Meza appears to have been cheating for quite some time and at the highest level. He has been posting world record marathon times (sub 3 hours) for the 70-74 age group.

He was previously DQ'd from a few other marathons and at some point L.A. organizers suggested that he run with a marker to verify his times. That did not happen for some reason but the evidence against him at L.A. 2019 is overwhelming and includes photos, video and an unbelievable 5k split during the marathon which would have been a world record on its own.

This has now called into question all of his previous times. Too much to go into here but those results are going to be reviewed. Dr. Meza maintains that he has not cheated. There is a lengthy thread on Let's Run about this (be prepared to lose many hours diving into this) and, of course, Marathon Investigation has several posts on this.

 

[dis_or_dat]

I've been following and it's very interesting. I understand Derek only calls those out who are egregious and take away from others (age group awards) or use it to boost their social media profile (Johnny Manziel's wife). I think with Meza, he's been cheating for years and was very sophisticated knowing when to hit the timing mats and photogs at appropriate intervals. He probably would have gotten away with it had he not decided to break the world record. There were just so many red flags (DQ twice at CIM leading to a ban and not contesting, skipping LAM when they became suspicious and asked him to race it with a runner, etc). He seems very well respected in his community and coaches at a high school. What would persuade him to cheat for so many years, running bonkers times, bragging about them in his physician profile, and then deciding to be the world record holder ... I just don't understand the hubris. But I never understand cheats, especially serial cheats.

 

[Kazrak]

QOTD: With the 4th of July falling on a Thursday, who is getting a long weekend? Do you only have the 4th off and have to go back to work Friday? What are your plans and any fun running events?

I've got Friday off, but my older kids are working Thursday/Friday/Saturday at the local theme park. The 4th is generally their busiest day of the year.

Running - just normal training runs. I may go longer on Thursday because I have the time.

 

[DIS-OH]

ATTQOTD: I not only have Thursday and Friday off, I have the whole month of July off! (Trade off—I do not get vacation days the other 11 months, so I have to use 2 of 3 personal days to do a runDisney race.)

DH and I ran again today...that’s two whole runs this week! We ran early this morning but it was still hot and humid! #backontrack

 

[camaker]

Wow, it’s easy to fall behind on this thread! It has been an absolute whirlwind the last couple of days with an impromptu road trip to and from Ohio that I’ll go into in another post later. At any rate...

ATTQOTD: Officially, I only get Thursday the 4th off. I had already planned to take Wednesday and Friday off to make a long weekend of it when the Ohio road trip came up. As a result, I had to take Monday and Tuesday off so now I have the whole week off!

 

[roxymama]

aaaaand I'm getting another cold. uuuuuggggghhhhhhh
I just had to vent here. All I want is a solid month of healthy to get feeling back to somewhat normal running-wise and back on routine. Kiddo going to three different summer camp places in a row probably isn't helping. Gonna light a Ditka prayer candle for myself as my motivation isn't working enough to make this scratchy throat go away.

I'll just keep reminding myself this is another temp blip and not a horrible injury.

Thanks for listening to my Ted Talk on feeling sorry for myself.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

I just don't understand the hubris. But I never understand cheats, especially serial cheats.

I sure cheaters think it benefits them, but does it really and truthfully? I have non runner friends who support, encourage me, and ask to see my medals. I completely believe they would think less of me if I had cheated my way to those medals because that would invalidate everything I say about the life lessons I learn from endurance running.

I'm in no danger of setting any kind of record anytime soon. I also know at the end of the day that I truly finished every single race I entered. I may be slow, but I know I finished all the miles of each race. While it's rarely a runners high, that feeling of accomplishment I feel at the end of every race is real and no one can ever take it away from me because I know that I did it.

Gonna light a Ditka prayer candle for myself as my motivation isn't working enough to make this scratchy throat go away.

Maybe go for some mini Ditka prayer candles driving a bus too. (Yes, I love that old SNL skit).

June miles: 7.1

I knew June would be a skewed month. Between going to Disneyland at the beginning of the month and a business seminar at the end, I knew June miles would be down. But that didn't account for the nasty summer cold that I came down with shortly after getting back from Disneyland. That cancelled a second short trip to Disneyland to see my brother's family and took me out of commission for 2+ weeks.

Hoping that I can get over the final vestiges of the cold this week, but I am back to running and really want to surpass June mileage this week.

 

[camaker]

What a crazy couple of days! When I last reported in, we were driving from NC to OH to meet a puppy DW had met online and was on the verge of falling in love with through pictures and videos from the breeder. We got to their house around 4:00 and met the puppy and her brother.

The puppy immediately charged into DW’s arms and got right up into her face. It was over. I thought the brother was a really nice dog, but didn’t give it too much thought as he was already spoken for. DW was thrilled as we went to dinner and the hotel for the evening. I made the mistake of admitting that I was still down, as her puppy was a square peg to the round hole in my heart.

DW started texting the breeder about the boy unbeknownst to me and was told that he might, in fact, be available. We picked up DWs puppy the next morning and headed home. About 45 minutes down the road, the breeder texted and asked if we could wait until noon to hear whether the boy’s owner would back out, and that she had decided that another puppy she had held out of the litter for show might be better as a pet. So we turned around and headed back to her house.

When we got there, the girl turned out to be a beautiful red brindle girl. We went into the yard with her, DWs pup and the brother and she immediately came over and crawled up into my lap. She would run off to play, then come back to me for attention. The boy just wanted to be the boss of his sisters. The last of my defenses crumbled and we headed home with two girls. I’ve never had a dog of my own. I’ve always been a cat person and accessory to dog person DW. I guess things change.

We had to go back to the store to get another carrier and supplies for puppy #2 just to get her home. It was a late night getting back last night and it’s been a nutso day today. It’s a huge transition from a single dog household to a two puppy household. All. The. Energy. I’m still not sure what we’ve gotten ourselves into, but I think it’s going to be fun! Owen is far from forgotten and is still a big presence missing in our lives, but it’s a step forward.

TL;DR: Went to Ohio to get a puppy, came home with two. Oh, crap, what have we done!

Family Portrait:


DW and Bella:


Sydney And Me:


Is anyone else having trouble with pics refusing to upload in portrait orientation? I’d love to get that to stop happening!!!

 

[rteetz]

Is anyone else having trouble with pics refusing to upload in portrait orientation? I’d love to get that to stop happening!!!

Yeah its a thing right now.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

It’s a huge transition from a single dog household to a two puppy household. All. The. Energy. I’m still not sure what we’ve gotten ourselves into, but I think it’s going to be fun! Owen is far from forgotten and is still a big presence missing in our lives, but it’s a step forward.

My parents adopted a puppy in 1996. He lived a very happy life until he passed away from old age in 2012. Now almost 7 years later, he is still referred to as Uncle Lucky by my nephews and nieces that were born after he passed away and never knew him.

About 6 months or so after he passed, my parents adopted a boy puppy and a few months after that, they adopted his little sister. Adopting a new dog/puppy shortly after the previous one has gone to doggy heaven does not mean by any stretch of the imagination that the previous dogs are ever forgotten.

 

[garneska]

@camaker they are adorable. They won’t replace Owen, they will just make your heart bigger to love 3 dogs. I have to admit you are going to have a lot of snoring going on in your house .

 

[camaker]

@camaker they are adorable. They won’t replace Owen, they will just make your heart bigger to love 3 dogs. I have to admit you are going to have a lot of snoring going on in your house .

Thanks! We love the sound of bulldogs snoring! Now if I could just leverage that bigger heart into a higher VO2Max!

 

[LdyStormy76]

@camaker It would not be surprising if Owen helps out his new sisters...or eventually you catch one of them doing something he did. There are times that that I am positive I still hear Iso, so if one night you think you hear three part snoring just know he is there.

 

[Dis5150]

@camaker my heart is melting! Such cute puppy love! We got our beagle puppy before we lost my Spock, but we knew it was a matter of time before we lost him. Having Posey didn't make losing Spock better and she didn't take his place in my heart, but she made it easier and she has her own spot. I saw it posted somewhere, don't remember where, that every pet you ever have has a space in your heart and the best thing you can hope for is to have every piece of your heart filled up by the time you die. Or something like that! Congratulations on the two beautiful fur babies!

 

[Slogger]

Congrats @camaker on the TWO additions to your family. Double puppy love, what could be better?!!!

 

[Jules76126]

@camaker congrats on the new puppies. They are adorable.

 

[Chaitali]

@camaker They are both so cute! From your description, it sounds like it was meant to be that these two would join your family

 

[roxymama]

@camaker congrats on your new furbabies! I hope they bring you as much joy as you will surely bring them.

PS puppyposts are my favorite posts

 

[run.minnie.miles]

What an exciting turn of events @camaker !
Have you named them yet?