Mar. 30 - 4.5 Miles Ran, 26 Miles Sponsored

It's late and I need to get to bed to be ready for family time on Easter (and maybe a few miles), so I will keep it short tonight.  I ran the Day Pond route with 3 laps around the pond for a total of 4.5 miles.  I couldn't get out until 7:30 pm so most of the run was done in the dark.  I was also exhausted from a crazy week (my last at Travelers) so I took it very easy.  The temps were comfortable so after a creaky start I felt pretty good.  I completed miles 318-321, which were sponsored by Vicki Pernek (318) and my brother, Jim Bresnahan (319-321).  Thanks Vicki and Jim!

The renowned West Coast attorney and former high school journalist Kendra Tanacea and I have been chatting a little about the efforts to support the Newtown families and she stepped up today by sponsoring 26 miles in honor of the 26 families.  A truly generous donation from a very kind person.  Thank you Kendra!

Today's Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

3/30

Sa

7:30p

4.5

38:45:00

8:36:40

48f

5

321.7

Mar. 29 - Day of Rest, 5 Miles Sponsored

I had to finish up about 2 days of work on my final day with Travelers, which left no time for running.  I almost went out around 7:30 pm after I finally got my office cleared out, but I decided against another run in the dark.  Instead, the plan is to get a long run in this weekend.

High school friend Sonja Wulff Gray sponsored 5 miles today.  Thanks Sonja, it's great to hear from you and thanks for supporting the cause!  You have miles 360-364, which I should reach on April 11.

I also wanted to share my email exchange with about 100 co-workers upon my exit from the company today:

After thanking my co-workers and saying good-bye, I shared my involvement with 1000 4 Chase, and stated the following:

Over the last several weeks, several people have asked for information about a cause I am supporting related to the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy.  With my time in Farmington running short, please indulge me as I provide that information here.  Steve and Becky Kowalski, high school classmates of mine, lost their son Chase in the tragedy.  I have pledged to run 1,000 miles in 2013 in honor of Chase, who loved running and actually won a kid's triathlon the summer before the incident.  I regularly enter posts in a blog in which I update my progress (I'm up to mile 317 at present).  The blog address is10004chase.blogspot.com.  While I have connected a grass roots fundraising effort to my running, please do not take this as solicitation to contribute.  My goal is to introduce people to the Kowalski's, a very special family, and convey their wish that people honor their son by making healthy lifestyle choices and sharing them with others in their community.  If you are so motivated, please take a look at the blog and consider walking, running, biking, swimming a mile or two in honor of this innocent sole.  And if you are really motivated, please enter a comment in the blog or email me at kevelshea@gmail.com to let me know about your effort.

To this, I received the following responses:

What a great cause you are running for.  I have been running the past few months as a lifestyle change.   Now every time I step onto my treadmill I will do it for Chase. 
...

Best wishes to you, your family and not least the goal of running 1000 miles. Thank you for your inspiring email I will attempt to visit the blog to find inspiration to better my health in walking and riding a bike. 
...

I’ll definitely check out the blog.  HAPPY RUNNING  - “CARPE VIEM”  (seize the road)!

Best of luck

...

Kevin – that was very moving… and yes, you may have just inspired me to get off the couch.

I wish you well in all of your future endeavors…and I am so glad that you are carrying Chase’s name on and influencing others to make better choices in his honor.

...

It was great working with you, and I wish you the best of luck in your new endeavor.  I also think what you are doing for your friends to bring awareness to their precious son is just wonderful. 

Very rewarding to read responses like these.  I have to believe this is just the positive, grass-roots response that Steve and Becky are looking for.

Mar. 28 - 3.2 MIles Ran

Squeezed a 3.2 mile run in before a 3pm meeting on Thursday.  Thursday was my second to last day on the job after 8 years at Discover Re/Travelers.  I've been trying to close out a ton of initiatives before I move on, which has put some time pressure on my running.  I was glad to get this run in, even if it caused me to sit in a meeting with wet hair and a hint of the post-workout sweat.

I felt great on this run.  I had to push the pace simply to get to the 3pm meeting on time, but I also felt ready to run right out of the gate.  I ended up running at a 7 min/mile pace, which is by far my best training run to date.  The run covered miles 315-317, sponsored by high school classmate Vicki Pernek.  Thanks Vicki, I see from your Facebook posts that you are doing a lot of running yourself.  That's great...let's all Race 4 Chase!

Today's Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

3/28

Th

2:15p

3.2

22:22:00

6:59:22

50f

9

317.2

Mar. 27 - 3.1 Miles Ran, 5 Miles Sponsored

Another packed day--attended a funeral mass for a long-time family friend in Fairfield in the morning, crushed at work in Farmington in the afternoon (trying to wrap up initiatives with 3 days before I leave for a new job), picked up food for Daddy-Daughter night (Wed is Ellie's school night) and managed to get a 3.1 mile run in, mostly in the dark.

I ran the Day Pond route from 7:30-7:55pm.  I was happy to see that the little connecting road that never has been plowed is finally passable.  I  ran pretty hard, mainly because I was hungry after getting Shea's dinner set up before my run.

I completed miles 311-314, which were sponsored by:

The Buras Family, for their son Jacob, a student at Rocky Heights Middle School in Colorado (311-12);
Megan G., Michaela F. and an Anonymous sponsor, students at Rocky Heights (313);
Vicky Pernek, a Masuk High classmate (314).

Thanks Buras Family, Megan G., Michaela F., Anonymous and Vicky for your support.

I keep forgetting to post a big thank you to Karen Reusch, a Masuk High classmate, who sponsored 5 miles by donating $50 at the Race 4 Chase event on Saturday.  Karen had to leave before I made it back to the Race 4 Chase tent but she gave her donation to Bob Terry for safekeeping, and she is now an official sponsor.  Thanks Karen!  You have miles 355-359, which I should reach around April 9.

Today's Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

3/27

W

7:30p

3.1

24:36:00

7:56:08

45f

8

314.0

Mar. 26 - An Amazing Donation!

I put in another 5.1 miles running the Batterson Lake loop plus two Stanley Park laps, and felt outstanding.  The big news, however, is the amazing donation of Jim Garrity, a long time friend and 1979 Masuk grad.  Jim donated $2,920 to the effort yesterday.  The story behind the number is as follows:

Jim is one of 8 Garrity children who grew up in Doc Garrity's house at 292 Elm St. in Monroe.  I spent much of my youth as the 9th wheel in the house, having a front row seat for all the chaos that 8 competitive, smart, wise-cracking kids bring to a home.  When Chris Garrity, class of `83, heard of my commitment to run 1,000 miles for Chase, he sponsored a bunch of miles and asked that one of them be #292 in honor of the Garrity house which sadly was knocked down for a retail building after Doc sold the place.  (It's possible that the house's demise was inevitable, however, given the intense wear and tear sustained by ol' 292 over the years!)  After I completed mile 292 on March 20th, I submitted a post about the milestone and emailed a bunch of the Garrity clan.  Yesterday, Jim responded to one of the emails with his incredibly generous donation.

Given the grass roots status of my effort, I don't have a 10004Chase coffee mug or t-shirt to give uber-donors like Jim.  However, in addition to the sincere appreciation I convey to each sponsor, I think donations of this magnitude, especially those coming from my Irish-American friends, at the very least call for a limerick.  So, here goes:

To Honor the House of Doc Garrity
After Sharing Stories of Its Jocularity,
From out of the Blue,
For ol' 292,
Came this Uncommon Act of Charity.

That's all I can muster right now--Jim, thanks so much--your kindness will be remembered when Chase's Place is open for business and bustling with families.

I covered miles 305-310 during my run on Tuesday.  These miles were sponsored by Madeline Burte Brujuha, a college friend of mine.  Thanks Madeline!  I really enjoyed these miles, definitely one of the best training runs I've had this year.

Today's Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

3/26

Tu

3:00p

5.1

37:14:00

7:18:02

46f

8

310.9

Mar. 25 - Rest Day

Good day to recharge after the emotions, travel and hours involved in the Race 4 Chase event.

Mar. 24 - 5.6 Miles Ran

Had a very lazy start to the day after The Run for the Families in Hartford and the post race activities.  I ended up staying over my Dad's house in Monroe after having dinner with the Ruels, Terry's and Kowalski's at the Terry compound in Sandy Hook (it's quite a spread).  After downing another healthy meal the next morning (eggs, bacon and ham) and the appropriate digestion time, I ran from my Dad's on Turkey Roost to the Terry's with a quick jaunt down the Chalk Hill/Sandy Hook Elementary driveway for a photo (5.6 miles total).  The weather was decent, but Fan Hill and Toddy Hill are pretty tight roads to run on, so I did a little "off-roading" when cars were coming in both directions.

I considered running back to my Dad's after visiting with Bob until he sold me on Tracy's chili--very delicious but definitely not a pre-run meal (unless you pluralize run--sorry, still in potty mode after visiting with my high school buds).

I completed miles 301-305 on this jog.  These miles were sponsored by Kevin Farkas (who has every centennial mile mark plus 1) and Christina, Scott, Pavel and Nikita Hansen (302-305).  Thanks to Kevin and the Hansen's for supporting the cause.

Today's Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

3/24

Su

12:30p

5.6

44:17:00

7:54:28

48f

7

305.8

Starting out at Dad's in Monroe

Quick Jog Down the Chalk Hill/Sandy Hook Elementary Driveway

Wood Carving on Fan Hill

The Woods Near the Terry Home in Sandy Hook (There are Wild Turkeys in There, Honest)

Mar. 23 - RACE FOR CHASE!

What an incredible event!  I attended the Run for the Families with the Race 4 Chase team yesterday.  Hundreds of supporters of the Kowalski's turned out for the event.  I had the honor of spending a lot of time with Steve and Becky; and while there were a few moments when the emotions of the day were overwhelming, it was also great to just have fun with them just enjoy being friends.

It was also great to complete the 3.1 miles with my wife Ellie and daughter Shea (11).  We burned up the course in a brisk 1 hour and 4 minutes!  Ellie and Shea ran and walked with the Ruel's (Kathleen and Emma (9)), while Greg Ruel and Bobby Terry ran with Beck and Steve.  There are a lot of great photos of the event (thanks Juli G-I borrowed the team photo from your Facebook post).  Kathy Lennon Mason was also nice enough to capture a short (at least in my mind) speech I gave about my 1,000 Miles for Chase effort and the Race4Chase team's new Million Miles 4 Chase campaign.

The Hartford Courant also did a nice article on the Race 4 Chase team which can be found at this link:

http://articles.courant.com/2013-03-23/sports/hc-sandy-hook-5k-riley-0324-20130323_1_becky-facebook-page-runners

I will supplement this post when I have more time, but I'd like to say thanks to the following old friends who I was able to catch up with at the event.  (If I left anyone out, please let me know--and sorry when I only used maiden names)

Jim McDonald

Jeff McDonald & Family

Dawn Evanko

Zina Lucas

Karen Steinbrick

Keith Sullivan

Tim Garrity

Juli Giampoalo Soracin

Michele Magus Aube

Bill Terry & Family

Kathy Lennon Mason and Scott Mason

The Ruel's

The Terry's (Bobby's family)

Beth Bresnahan McGuire & Family

I know there were others--and I will update the post a little later.  It was so great to see everyone and support the Kowalski's and other families.  Exactly the outpouring of love and support that is necessary to bring about meaningful and long lasting change.

As for as the march to 1,000 miles, I reached another milestone--300 miles!  The marker came in an odd way;  I walked most of the 3.1 miles in part because of the huge crowd but mostly to hang out with friends and family.  Those miles covered 296-298, and then I had to run (fairly hard!) to back to our hotel over the Founders Bridge in East Hartford to check out on time (0.8 miles) then 1.1 miles back to the Race for Chase gathering area to meet up with Ellie and Shea and say goodbye to friends. These last two miles brought me up to 300.  These special miles (296-300) were sponsored by Christina, Scott, Pavel and Nikita Hansen.  Thank you Hansen's, it was really a special day and I so glad to share with generous people like you.

Today's Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

3/23	Sa	10:30a	3.1	1:04:00	20:38:43	40f	1	298.3
3/23	Sa	11:50a	0.8	6:21:00	7:56:15	40f	7	299.1
3/23	Sa	12:05p	1.1	9:04:00	8:14:33	40f	7	300.2

The Kowalski's at the Race 4 Chase Tent

The Race 4 Chase Team

Mar. 22 - 3.1 Miles Ran

I got a quick 3.1 mile run in on Friday to warm up for the Run for the Families 5K on Saturday.  I was stuck at home dealing with "Appliance-gate" but managed to fit in a run around Day Pond in Colchester.  The trail around the pond is still snow-covered in spots, but imminently more passable than a few weeks ago.  Slowly but surely Spring will reclaim the running trails of Connecticut (right after next Monday's snow storm--ouch!).

My run covered miles 292-295, sponsored by Christina, Scott, Pavel and Nikita Hansen.  Thank you to the Hansens for supporting the cause!

I am posting this entry after participating in the Run for the Families in Hartford.  I will submit a separate post about that amazing event.

Today's Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

3/22

F

12:30p

3.2

24:56:00

7:47:30

40f

8

295.2

Mar. 20 - 5.1 Miles Ran; Mar. 21 - Rest Day, 5 Miles Sponsored

It's been a whirlwind this week--1) I am starting a new job on April 1, and I have been putting in a lot of hours in my current one to make sure I hand off my responsibilities in good order; 2)  I have been planning for this weekend's events, discussing logistics with Greg Rule and making my own plans to hopefully meet up with friends coming in for The Run for the Families.  3) I am dealing with a house in need of a little TLC (dishwasher-kaput; stove-oven on the blink; heating zone in kitchen-not working; kitchen sink-clogged).  Nothing like hand-washing dishes after a full day.  Oh yeah, 4) March Madness (my bracket research is turning out to be a straight waste of time--should have went with the mascot approach).

OK, enough whining--I don't want to scare away any of the faithful blog followers by using these posts for therapy!

I got in another 5.1 mile late day run on Wednesday.  It was another run in which I kinda dragged myself outside but then felt better and better as the run went on.  I did the same course as Tuesday, the Batterson Lake loop with two laps around Stanley Park.  The weather was actually pretty comfortable, with fairly low winds and temps around 40 degrees.  I guess I'm getting re-acclimated to winter weather with the problem of course being that it's now Spring.

I covered miles 287-292, sponsored by the following generous people:

Cheryl Renaud Dowd, third son (287-288);
Tom Jones (289-290);
Christina, Scott, Pavel and Nikita Hansen (291); and
Chris Garrity (292).

Thank you all for your support!  I take special note of mile 292 which Chris reserved back on Jan. 16.  292 is the street number of Chris's childhood home on Elm St. in Monroe.  Many blog followers from Monroe would recognize this address as Doc Garrity's house, which sadly has been replaced by a commercial retail property.  I spent many a day at that address--it was a pretty good set up for Doc--I would hang out with the Garrity family (Bridget, Jim, Moira, Tim, Sheila, Pete, Chris and Katie) until I would sustain some type of injury that would send me down to Doc's office.  Medical treatment aside, I have a lot of great memories of time spent at that address.

We also had another 5 miles sponsored.  Thank you Jeanette Bill-Cole, it's awesome that you are following the blog from out in Cleveland!  You have miles 350-354 which I should complete around April 7.  Thank for your generosity Jeanette.

Today's (Wed) Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

3/20

W

4:45p

5.1

39:12:00

7:41:11

40f

8

292.0

Mar. 18 - Rest Day, Mar. 19 - 5.1 Miles Ran

Took a rest day on Monday mainly because of the hectic weekend.  I almost pushed myself out to run late in the afternoon given the weather forecast for today, but I figured I'd just slosh through another sloppy run given that the accumulation was expected to be a mere 2-4 inches.

I put 5.1 miles in today by running the Batterson Lake loop with two laps around Stanley Park.  I ran late in the day (5pm) and the roads were pretty clear by then.  I felt decent but held back a bit after racing on Sunday.  I completed miles 282-286, sponsored by Cheryl Renaud-Dowd's second son (282-283) and third son (284-286).  Now, now boys, no fighting over the miles, there are plenty to go around thanks to mom's generosity.

I'm really looking forward to meeting up with the Race 4 Chase team at the Run for the Families on Saturday (Mar. 23).  If anyone needs information about the event, just post a comment here or shoot me an email.

Today's Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

3/19

Tu

5:00p

5.1

39:37:00

7:46:05

38f

7

286.9

Mar. 17 - St. Patrick's Day 5K, South Boston

GREAT run in South Boston (Southie) today.  My sister Beth ran the race and we had support from Ellie, Shea, Beth's husband Paul and their son Kevin (5).  The race is sponsored by the South Boston Boys' and Girls' club and is a fantastic event, with the streets lined with supporters (OK, a few "supporters" were more interested in getting an early start on St. Patty's festivities).  As you can see below, I wore my Race 4 Chase t-shirt and a few nice people asked about Chase and my running effort.  Also, the race director, Harry Duvall, published a link to this blog in the post race email that went out to all of the 2,000+ people registered for the race.  Great day to run and to promote the cause!

I felt strong for most of the race, but struggled a bit on the last hill after the 2 mile mark.  While I was pleasantly surprised with my time, it was a bit demoralizing to be passed at the half way point by some guy in his 20's dressed up like a Viking.  The results of the race are posted at the following link:
http://www.coolrunning.com/results/13/ma/Mar17_SouthB_set1.shtml (I came in 50th, #604).

I jogged 1.2 miles from the hotel to the race start, so I got in a total of 4.3 miles and covered miles 278-281.   Miles 278, 279 and 281 were sponsored by Cheryl Renaud Dowd's second son, and Mile 280 was sponsored by Michelle Magus-Aube.  Thanks Cheryl and Michelle--another great showing of support from Masuk alums.

Today's Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

3/17	Su	9:45a	1.2	11:02:00	9:11:40	35f	3	278.7
3/17	Su	11:00a	3.1	19:52:00	6:24:31	35f	10	281.8

Pre-Race Support from Shea

What Every Race Needs--A Gorilla Firing People Up at the Start

Celebrating with Sister Beth after the Race

Support from K2 (My Nephew Kevin Patrick McGuire)

Shea Hangin' w/ MJ at the Parade

General Parade Mayhem

Mar. 16 - 4.1 Miles Ran, 6 Miles Sponsored

I squeezed in an easy 4.1 mile run in Farmington during a very busy day yesterday (Saturday).  I took it easy because I wanted to be fresh for the St. Patrick's Day 5K in South Boston on Sunday.  I had to fit the run in between making flyers for the St. Pat's run (see below), going to Rockville to watch Shea sing in the Eastern Regional Music Festival (please indulge a proud Dad moment) and driving up to Boston to be ready for the parade the next day.

I enjoyed taking the run at a very comfortable pace.  I completed miles 274-277 which were sponsored by Cheryl Renaud Dowd's oldest son.  This fine young man's name was not provided, so I'll ask Cheryle to pass along my thanks for his generosity.  

I also received a nice email from Len Gutman who sponsored 6 more miles.  Len sponsored 6 miles (144-149) back in late January and promised to walk/run 6 miles around Central Park's perimeter in honor of Chase.  Len overcame a sinus infection and throngs of St. Patrick's Day revelers on Saturday to get his 6 miles in.  Len is participating in the Run for Families next week in Hartford as well.  Thanks's Len!  Len's new set of 6 miles will be numbers 509-511 and 812-814 (5/9 and 8/12 being his son's birthdays).  He has promised to walk/run another 6 miles for Chase, and we all hope Len is feeling 100% and the streets are a tad quieter than they were yesterday.

Today's Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

3/16

Sa

12:45p

4.1

35:12:00

8:35:07

38f

5

277.5

Flyer for St. Patrick's Day Run in South Boston

Batterson Lake w/o Snow or Ice, 1.9 Mile Mark

Eastern Regionals Music Festival - (Proud Dad Moment #1)

(Proud Dad Moment #2 - Shea is to the left of the teacher)

Mar. 15 - 4.4 Miles Ran

Excellent run yesterday (Friday).  I had a one hour window of opportunity at work from 3-4 which provided just enough time to get 4.4 miles in plus shower time.  I am starting a new job on April 1 and I don't think the office has a gym or showers, so it looks like I'll be doing more morning runs.  (Regarding the start date, yes, I'm a little worried, but it would be a pretty elaborate hoax after 3 rounds of interviews!)

I ran the Batterson Lake loop with the Stanley Park extension.  The ice is almost completely gone from the lake, and most of snow is melted from the roads.  The runs this week have been very windy, however.  I eagerly await the first 60 degree day with calm winds.  I finished miles 270-273, sponsored by Moe DeMayo & Family (270-272) and Cheryl Renaud Dowd's eldest son (273).  Moe and Cheryl are classmates of mine and Steve's.  Thanks for your support--the Class of `83 is coming up big yet again.

One interesting development--I have a family vacation to Washington DC coming up in mid April and I asked my Congressman, Joe Courtney, and Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (from Newtown's district) if they would consider meeting me for a quick photo during one of my runs on the trip.  Aids from both offices have gotten back to me and are trying to schedule a quick photo op.  I'm not sure if this will come together, if it does it will be nice to tell them about Chase and Steve and Becky's plans for Chase's Place.

Today's Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

3/15

F

3:00p

4.4

32:28:00

7:22:44

43f

7

273.4

Mar. 14 - 3.6 Miles Ran

Had to drag myself outside today, but I'm glad I did.  This time of year can be tough, with a 55 degree one day and a 35 degree day (like today) the next.  It's easier to deal with a string of cold days in January, IMHO.  I was able to get out after 4pm today and get in 3.6 miles at a comfortable pace.

I completed miles 266-269, sponsored by Moe DeMayo & Family.  Thanks Moe & Family!  I have three more miles to run for the DeMayo's, which I hope to get to tomorrow.

Today's Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

3/14

Th

4:15p

3.6

28:32:00

7:55:33

38f

7

269.0

Mar. 12 - Rest Day; Mar. 13 - 5.1 Miles Ran, 5 Miles Sponsored

Rain all day on Tuesday kept me off the roads, but I had a really strong 5.1 mile run today.  If all goes as planned, I will be doing a 5K in South Boston on Sunday, and I wanted to get in a little speed work, so I ran 2 of the 5 miles at 5K pace.  Weather was sunny in the low 50's, very nice.

I covered miles 261-265.  Miles 261-262 were the last of the 50 original miles sponsored by the Rocky Heights Middle School group (with 3 more coming in the 300's).  Celine Caliento-Wicks was the individual sponsor.  Thanks again to Celine and all the generous folks at Rocky Heights.  Miles 263-265 were sponsored by Moe DeMayo & Family.  Moe and I graduated from Masuk with Steve Kowalski in 1983.   Thanks Moe & Family, it's great to have your support.

Jana & Jeff Charles, Masuk grads of `86 (Becky's class) sponsored 5 miles today.  Thank you so much for supporting my effort and the Kowalski's.  You have miles 345-349 which I should complete around April 5th.

Today's (Mar. 13) Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

3/13

W

3:15p

5.1

38:11:00

7:29:13

52f

8

265.4

Mar. 11 - 4.2 Miles Ran, 3 Miles Sponsored

I took advantage of the time change and got out for a run around 5:45 pm yesterday (Mar. 11).  I planned to squeeze in a quick 3 miles but I felt pretty good so I stretched it to 4.2 (I will have to go out an measure it to be sure of the distance as it was a new route, but my best estimate for now is 4.2 miles).  This run covered miles 257-260, sponsored by more Rocky Heights friends, all 7th grade students:

Ava T. and Max F.(mile 257);
Emma G. and Krystal M (258);
Annonymous, Lilly R. and Chelsea G. (259); and
Skylar W., Ivanna V., Ryan H., Daniela S., Emma C. and Grace O. (260).

Many thanks to this group--the participation of so many young people from your school really touched Steve and Becky Kowalski.  Thank you for caring and reaching out.

Robynne Wildman, a high school classmate, sponsored three miles today.  Thanks Robynne!  Robynne requested miles 665, 683 and 913.  At my current pace, I will reach these miles on June 28, July 3 and September 3.  I am not entirely sure but very hopeful that I will not be looking as snow banks on these runs.

Today's Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

3/11

M

5:45p

4.2

35:25:00

8:25:57

43f

6

260.3

Mar. 10 - 8.1 Miles Ran

Another really nice day, around 50 degrees, though I got some ribbing from Tracy (Slatcher) Predrouzo, a high school friend who is enjoying mid 70's temps down in So. Florida.  I felt great today, and decided to push it a little.  I'll probably pay for it though as my daughter wants to enjoy the warm weather and play in the snow (only in New England!)

I ran the hilly 8.1 mile course around Colchester today, covering miles 249-256.  These miles were sponsored by many good people at Rocky Heights Middle School:

Olivia M and Kim Johnston, 7th grade student and Science teacher, respectfully (mile 249);
Holly Spurlin, 8th grade Social Studies teacher (250);
Deanne Boland, 8th grade PE & Health teacher (251);
Heather O'Brien, 6th grade Science teacher (252);
Kim Clumpsky & Erin Millage, Art teacher and 7th grade PE & Health teacher (253);
Kelsey Y., 7th grade student (254);
Kyle C., 7th grade student (255);
Jackson R., 7th grade student (256);

Thank you all!  I think it's terrific how so many people at Rocky Heights came together to support this cause.

Today's Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

3/10

Su

12:30p

8.1

1:01:11

7:33:13

50f

8

256.1

Over a quarter of the way to the 1,000 mile mark--thanks for all the support!

Mar. 8 - Day of Rest; Mar. 9 - 5.8 Miles Ran

Another 17 inches of snow and a busy workday kept me off the roads on Friday.  I definitely felt some withdrawal yesterday as this was the first time all year I had back to back days off from running.  Fortunately, we got our first taste of Spring today (Saturday), and I had an absolutely fantastic 5.8 mile run.  Though the snow banks made the roads a little tight in stretches, I probably enjoyed this run more than any other this year, save perhaps the Colchester Half Marathon.

I covered miles 243-248, which were sponsored by the following friends from Rocky Heights Middle School in Colorado:

Molly B., 7th grade student - mile 243,

Buffington Family for son Will - miles 244-245,

Janedis Family for son Nick - miles 246-247, and

Olivia M, 7th grade student and Kim Johnston, 7th grade science teacher - mile 248

Continuing thanks go out to this group and all the great folks at Rocky Heights.

My bout of Spring Fever continued after my run as I convinced my daughter Shea to chug down burgers with me at Five Guys and then head to Harkness Memorial Park in Waterford.  I probably gave up all the calories burned during the run, but Shea and I had a great time and are now entirely ready for a 60 degree day.

Today's (Mar. 9) Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

3/9

Sa

12:30p

5.8

44:11:00

7:37:04

50f

7

248.0

Calorie War - 5 Guys Burger v. 5 Mile Run

Spring Fever at Harkness Park

Last Snow Art of the Year...Please!

Mar. 7 - Rest (and Snow) Day - 26 Miles Sponsored

Yesterday (March 7th) was a good day for a break after my longest stretch of running (10 consecutive days) this year.  I'm hoping to get out today but the weather could be a problem--I just finished shoveling about a foot of snow from my driveway.  It will be interesting to see what the roads are like when the skies clear this afternoon.

Great news on the sponsor front--my brother Jim emailed and said that he will sponsor 26 miles.  Thanks Jim!  Jim also said that he'd like to do a road race with me and sister Beth--now we just need my Dad to lace 'em up so we have the whole Bresnahan team out there.  

A quick note about Jim's role in kicking off my running career--when I was 7 or 8, Jim and brother Pat (God rest his soul) goaded me into running what we believed to be 5 miles.  Much to my parents' chagrin, the course was simply 5 miles worth of laps around our house in Monroe.  Jim measured the distance around house (I believe with a tape measure, but possibly a yardstick) and to my recollection determined that it would take 97 laps to complete 5 miles.  (Jim would later score high 700's on his Math SAT's, so in retrospect we have confidence in his calculations).  Jim and Pat set up a water and nourishment station and recorded my time for each lap (unfortunately the time log is lost in fog of Bresnahan history).  I remember my Mom yelling out the window for me to stop after 50 laps but of course I didn't listen and somehow managed to finish.  I recall thinking how proud my older brothers must be but looking back I'm sure they were high-fiving each other and laughing about how they could get their little brother to do anything!

Thanks again Jim, you have miles 319-344.  I should approach mile 319 by the end of the month.

Mar. 6 - 4.9 Miles Ran, 2nd Fartlek

I have the day off from work today so I was able to get a 4.9 mile run in before the snowstorm is expected to hit.  Did the middle 3 miles as a fartlek, again alternating sprinting (sorta) and jogging every two telephone poles.  The winds were pretty heavy but not as bad as Monday.  Overall a good run--the fartlek breaks up the run a bit.

I completed miles 238-242, sponsored by more friends at Rocky Heights Middle School in Colorado:  The Moorehead Family for son Davis (238-239), the Spindler Family for daugher Lauren (240-241) and 7th grade student Molly B.  Thanks to all of you for sponsoring miles--what a great statement for your school and community.

Today's Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

3/6

W

12:30p

4.9

39:10:00

7:59:36

40f

8

242.2

Another round of "Find the cow" at the 2.8 mile mark.

Mar. 5 - My New Friend Chase

I suspect followers of this blog are also checking in on the Chase Kowalski Memorial Fund site and viewing the incredible photos of Chase that Becky has posted.  Chase is so expressive in these photos--intense, loving, playful, determined, HAPPY--it is so special to connect with him through these photos.  I've written before about the picture on his mass card (see below)--he has such a sweet, approving face that it's hard to think of taking a short cut or slighting someone when you keep that image in mind.  That's why the picture has been and will remain in the hub of our house (entrance to our kitchen).  If I slip up, Chase is there with that forgiving smile and offers encouragement to get back on track.  If I do something well, his smile confirms goodness of the deed.  I apologize for going a bit deep here, and I will get back to the all-important details of my 3.2 mile run today, but I feel it is important to share the power of Chase's love of life and pure spirit that emanates from these photos.  These traits motivate me and no doubt others to be better people than we were before December 14, 2012.  I also need to thank my sister Beth for pushing me to open up about these feelings--I worry about scaring people away by getting too personal, but I agree with her that it is appropriate (in the right dosage!)  Thanks Beth.

Ok, back to my comfort zone...I ran 3.2 miles at a very easy pace (perhaps saving energy for this post??)  It was really nice out--low to mid 40's and finally a reasonable wind.  I covered miles 235-237, sponsored by Lanita Davis (235-237) and the Moorehead Family (split mile 237 with Lanita).  Lanita is a teacher at Rocky Heights Middle School and the Moorehead's son Davis is a student there.  Thanks Lanita and the Moorehead Family and all of the folks at Rocky Heights.

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

3/5

Tu

3:15p

3.2

26:41:00

8:20:19

43f

5

237.3

My forever-smiling running buddy

Sunny day to run the Batterson Lake loop (2.4 mile mark)

Bright sky at the end of the run