Week 15 - "Four Days on Planet Steve"

(SPECIAL NOTE:  This entry is five days late because there was a lot going on in my life.  According to my brother Phil, life is always in motion on "Planet Steve."  The following is an autobiographical account of four awesome days in words and pictures.)


"When you wake in the morning, have a smile on your face, enthusiasm in your voice, joy in your heart, and faith in your soul." - Dick Beardsley

I got hammered by life last week but all in good fun.  I felt like a whirling dervish at times as the week unfolded.  In addition to my running schedule of 50 miles for the week, there was:

• Preparing and presiding over the Summit Athletic Running Club (SARC) board meeting,
• Working for the wonderful folks at Peoples Bank,
• Picking up Dick Beardsley and Phil Hailer from Hopkins on Thursday and getting them to where they needed to be, (Which by the way was a lot of fun),
• Attending the Akron Marathon VIP reception on Thursday evening,
• All week was spent getting ready for the Friday morning Akron Canton Regional Foodbank breakfast that I was chairing presented by the running club,
• Helping staff the SARC booth at the Akron Marathon Expo for most of the day with Dick,
• Playing music at the two mile mark cheer station for the marathon at 7:00 a.m on Saturday,
• Going to the 6.75 mile and later the 11.75 mile marks to cheer and get pictures of friends and loved ones,
• Visiting briefly at the marathon finish line and then get Dick back to the house to clean up and then off to the airport,
• Getting a seven mile run in on Saturday afternoon in the metro park near Hopkins Airport after I dropped Dick off to catch his plane,
• Going out to Applebees for dinner with Phil and The Boss,
• Getting up Sunday morning and do a 20 mile run.

Am I missing anything?  Oh yes I did.  I missed my son Alex proposing to his girlfriend when he finished his first marathon.  There was other stuff but the above list is enough.  I felt like this guy:

It would be superfluous to put into words what can be said in pictures, so here's Thursday through Sunday with less words and more of your thoughts:

Putting signs out Thursday morning:

Phil and Dick, who became best friends within about 30 seconds of meeting each other. This is after lunch on Thursday at Winking Lizard in Peninsula, Ohio. Dick was blown away by the beauty of the lock and trail:

A visit to the Lindsonator's branch of Peoples Bank in Munroe Falls. This is what trouble looks like:

From the breakfast on Friday at Canal Park in Akron overlooking the Akron Marathon finish line with Dick with Karissa DiVincenzo, SARC member and events planner for Brouse McDowell in first picture.  Tracy Finn and Melodie Sams, SARC members in the second photo, and Paula "Bz" and Jane Wolfe, SARC members in third:

The on the field race general Brian Polen, Akron Marathon Race Director:

Three greats in their own right at the Summit Athletic Running Club expo booth, Olympic Gold Medal Winner Frank Shorter, SARC member Judge Linda Teodosio, with Dick:

Anne Bitong, executive director of the Akron Marathon stops by the SARC booth:

Linda Nahrstedt and Sara Drew, SARC members, with possibly the "World's Funniest Human Being," Rob Klein and Dick at the SARC expo booth:

Chillin' with the boys at the SARC expo booth:

Three inspirational giants together, Dick, Dre, and Zeke:

Ginny Hoffman, SARC member and the wife of my good friend Dr. Mike Hoffman who is the official oral surgeon of WeezersandGeezer.blogspot.com. Photo was taken in the Expo lobby. Ginny is a Boston qualifier and like The Boss is to me, Ginny plays "The Road Runner" to Mike's role as "The Coyote" on the roads. "Beep! Beep!":

Lunch with Dick and Phil, and who did we run into? None other than Father Norm. Two legends in human motivation together at The Lockview Restaurant in Downtown Akron.:

Phil and Dick hanging with DEVO after lunch figuring out how to deal with problems as they come along. "Whip it good!":

Saturday morning at 5:30 a.m. with Phil, The Boss (TB), and Dick:

Saturday morning at 7:10 a.m:

Ed Sturkey, an officially adopted Hailer brother at the two mile music stop. Ed drove all the way to Hingham, Massachusetts to be at my dad's wake and funeral in January 2014. I love this guy.  A true friend. He truly is, my brother.:

Here come the leaders at guess which mile mark:

My running coach, close friend and backbone of the behind the scenes workings of SARC, David Cooper:

Dick Beardsley at 2.0 miles running the half. In the words of Warren Zevon, "An excitable boy they all said.":

Cheri Crum, a dear friend from Buckeye Gym, on her way to a blistering first leg performance for the PEBO ROCKS relay team:

Becky Ryba waving at two miles.  She's a solid and consistant runner from a family that means a lot to me:

Michelle Gessler-Rodriguez who was part of a Galloway group I joined years ago:

SARC member Paula "Bz." stopping by the aid station. Always smiling!:

SARC member Bonnie Calcei at 11.75 miles. Solid runner.  Determined. A true athlete.:

Family concert buddy, habitual positive person, SARC member, and six time Boston qualifier Tracy Finn looking strong at 11.75 miles:

Dick waving at 11.75 as he blows by with his surgically repaired legs.  To quote Darth Vader, "Most Impressive!":

The Boss on the right in blue on her way to a 2:05:11 according to marathon records for the half marathon:

Youngest son Alex at 11.75 miles running his first marathon:

Phil, "Mr. 70 Marathons" Hailer, looking old school with his cotton blend old school Red Sox t-shirt:

Your humble host hamming it up for Chuck Armao and his camera at Canal Park while waiting on Dick and TB.  Every year I wear a Jim Brown jersey out of respect for the greatest football player of all-time:

SARC member Paul Organ after running a half marathon and volunteering late into the night in helping to set up the starting line. Then he comes back three hours before the race to help some more before he ran. This what a first class person looks like.:

Champions to me, Dick and TB:

Two of the classiest people you will ever meet, Jeannine and Steve Marks co-founders of the marathon at the finish line.  They will be the first to tell you that it takes everybody to pull the Rubber City Series off, but let's be honest, it started with these two:

Away from the stadium finish, Dick and SARC member and long time marathoner Ralph Lowery who was working behind the scenes to help clean up while others are enjoying the festivities at Canal Park.  It's an example of the dedication of any Akron Marathon race volunteer:

Alex the and Heather, the future "Mrs. Alex." She hears Jason Aldean.  He hears Teddy Pendergrass. Together they are great!

Alex and Heather with their favorite player "Tom Brady?":

Nephew and uncle as marathon finishers:

Where I spent seven miles on my Saturday afternoon on Valley Parkway near Cleveland Hopkins Airport:

Below is the text I sent to Alex while on the trail, not realizing he still had two miles to go when he read it.  I called him when I was done with my run.  He told me that my words helped him get through the last two miles. I cried after we ended the call. Here is the text:

"I am incredibly prod of you. This is YOUR moment. Color me proud of you. Love, Pops"

Sent from my IPhone

"Sunday Selfie"on a 20 miler at about thirteen miles into the distance on Kent to Silver Lake trail.  Any rumors that I stopped at my friend's Dairy Queen store on Fishcreek Road in Stow to get a small twist cone dipped in chocolate at the fifteen mile mark.......are true.  Once an Uncle Cookie, always an Uncle Cookie.  

I was inspired by all in Akron, and I will take my mental images of all and their energy with me to Columbus on the 18th.  What I'll remember most when the miles hurt is this message of hope and positivity expressed by Dick Beardsley to Melodie Sams' in his "Duel in the Sun" book that I opened today's offering with:

Well there you have it.  A Thursday through Sunday look at the story of "Planet Steve." It was a great place to be in the Universe. Now its time to return to earth.  Fine by me.  I've got a marathon to run in about two weeks.  I'm bringing all of you with me in my heart when I run.