Busy Day at WDW

Tuesday was a busy, but fun day at Walt Disney World.

The day dawned as another cold morning with temps in the 30's.  That meant another day of layers to stay warm.  At least the forecast was for warming during the day and the winds were down.

Our day began at the Magic Kingdom as we had reservations to eat with Winnie the Pooh and friends at the Crystal Palace.  They always have a great selection on the buffet.  We all enjoyed the visits by Pooh, Piglet, Eyore and Tigger.  After breakfast we hit some of the attractions before the lines were too long. 

After a little rest at the hotel it was time to head to Epcot.  We had dinner reservations in Morocco and then the highlight of the night was getting to see the Candlelight Processional.  This was absolutely fantastic.  The celebrity narrator was Marlee Matlin with the assistance of an interpreter.  She did an outstanding job of telling the story of Christmas and our savior.  Seeing this done in sign language was amazing.  The choir and orchestra were wonderful and I highly recommend seeing this if you are visiting Epcot during the holidays.  

The night ended with the always awesome Illuminations.  This is a great fireworks display to end the night.

As you can see, it was a busy day.  Off to Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios today.

2011 NHL All-Star 5K

This January the NHL All-Star Game will be coming to Raleigh!  This is going to be a great way for the Caniac Nation to show how enthusiastic we can be and why we have the reputation for the loudest "house" in the NHL.

Announced earlier this week, NHL All-Star Wide Open will take place January 28-30. 

The “all-star” line-up will feature hockey’s best and a free Friday night show at the Downtown Raleigh Amphitheater from  Three Doors Down.

•NHL Fan Fair - A hockey fan festival featuring interactive games and attractions, special appearances, Hockey Hall of Fame trophy and memorabilia displays, live TV and radio broadcasts, pin trading and trading card zones, music, food, official NHL All-Star merchandise and dozens of other dynamic activities in the Raleigh Convention Center (Friday-Sunday, Jan. 28-30).

•All-Star Live at the Amphitheater: A series of free concerts featuring Three Doors Down (Friday-Saturday, Jan. 28-29).

•All-Star Streets: A street party on Fayetteville and Cabarrus Streets in the style of the popular Raleigh Wide Open spectaculars (Friday-Saturday, Jan. 28-29).

•All-Star 5K - A charity 5K run/walk through Raleigh, starting and ending at the RBC Center, to benefit the Carolina Hurricanes Kids ‘N Community Foundation (Saturday, Jan. 29 at 9:00 am).
 
The 5K is a great addition to this outstanding weekend.  I wonder if any of the all-stars will take part in this event?  I have already signed up and you can't beat a $25 entry fee with no processing fees.
 
Anyone interested can sign-up by going to http://www.ncraces.com/.
 
What a awesome way to actually showcase the name of my blog.  I am a huge Hurricane fan and love running.  Having the All-Star game and a 5K is perfect for the......Running Caniac!

Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon

This past Sunday was the inaugural running of the Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon.  Overall this was an outstanding event.  I would recommend adding this race to your 2011 race calendar.

It all started with 3 great events on Saturday.  The first event was the Coastal 5K.  My wife completed this race as I stayed on the sides cheering her on to the finish along with our two girls.  So proud of her for completing her second ever 5K.

There was even a guy who ran the 5K juggling the entire distance.  From what I understand, this guys also ran the half marathon juggling the entire distance too!  It is hard enough to run, let alone trying to juggle at the same time.

After the 5K there was a high heel run.  This was interesting as there were 15 participants.  I say participants instead of ladies because there was one guy running the race (no, it was not me).  He ended up finishing last, but he made it.  He was interviewed after the race and was asked why he entered this event.  He said it was because of a dare.  Pretty funny to see.

The final event on Saturday was a Doggie Dash.  There were many participants who ran with "man's best friend" for the 1.5 mile course. 

On to Sunday and the Mini Marathon.  The course was to take you by many landmarks at Myrtle Beach by starting at Medieval Times at Fantasy Harbor.  After crossing the Intracoastal Waterway we would make our way past Coastal Grand Mall and on to Broadway at the Beach.  After leaving Broadway we would make our way to Ocean Boulevard and finish on the brand new boardwalk on the beach.

Prior to starting the race there was an important challenge that had to be decided....what knight would get the honor of starting the race.  The only way to settle this was a duel.  There were 6 knights who battled it out with sparks flying from their swords and shields.  We eventually had a victor and it was time to pound the pavement. 

Working up the biggest hill on the course just before mile 2 on the bridge crossing the Intracoastal Waterway, you had to look up to make sure the Spirit Airlines jet was not landing on top of you in the final approach to the airport.  That took your attention away from the hill, which made the climb to the top easier.

As the miles progressed I was looking forward to seeing the family at Broadway around mile 8.  As I approached, I started looking for them and spotted them at the 8.5 mile mark.  It was great to see them and get that extra encouragement.  As I passed, my youngest daughter who is just shy of turning 2 wanted to run with me.  My wife had to stop her and as she did, she drops to her knees and starts crying saying, "daddy, wait".....too cute!

The final stretch in the race is just spectacular as you make your way down the new boardwalk.  Awesome view of the ocean on your right. 

As I came to the finish line there were a couple of great moments for me.  I was coming to the line by myself so on the loud speaker they called out my name as well as recognizing Team 413.   That was a first to actually hear my name being called out.

The second was giving Bart Yasso from Runner's World a high five as I crossed the finish line.  Bart was there all weekend and was supporting everyone.  That was so great to see that support.  In the photo below, you can see this.   

As you can see in the last photo, the finisher's medal is huge!  This is a surfboard with a shark bite.  The shark bite can actually be used as a bottle opener.  They added a large magnet to the back of the medal for anyone who wants to stick it on their refrigerator.

What a great event! 

Caniac Nation....It Is Time!

The NHL season has arrived. 

The Hurricanes open the season on Thursday in the NHL's Premiere in Helsinki, Finland against the Minnesota Wild.  This is a homecoming for  Jussi  Jokinen, Joni Pitkanen and Tuomo Ruutu.  Tuomo Ruutu played for the club team in the arena where the NHL Premiere game is being held prior to coming to North America.  In the off season he lives only a few minutes away from the arena.  After a long off season, the Hurricanes and all of you Caniacs out there should be eager to get the season started.

This year the Hurricanes are led by captain Eric Staal as he begins his first full season as the captain with the retirement of Rod Brind'Amour this summer.  I am looking for a big season from Staal.  The Canes also had a youth movement this off season and it will be interesting to see how the young guys perform.  A lot of eyes will be on first round draft pick Jeff Skinner and he has even been mentioned as a possible Calder Trophy candidate.

The Canes have also brought back a couple of veteren defensman in Joe Corvo and Anton Babchuk.  Corvo was traded to Washington at the deadline last season and Babchuk returns after a year playing in Russia.  The Canes have some youth on defense as well, but I am looking to the leadership of Tim Gleason, Joni Pitkanen and Joe Corvo to bring the young guys along. 

Last season was a difficult one for goalie Cam Ward.  He had issues with his back and then received a nasty laceration on his leg from the skate of Rick Nash that kept him out for several games.  I am looking for Cam to regain the form he had when the Canes won the Stanley Cup in 2006.

No one seems to give the Canes much of a chance this year of making the playoffs.  Well, this Caniac sees the Canes making the playoffs and contending.

We get to see this Thursday what the Canes will be bringing to the table....or should I say ice.

Let's go Canes!

My NEW 13.1 Car Decal

Since my first half marathon back in May 2008, I have had a 13.1 decal on my rear window of my car.

Last month after completing my 7th half marathon at the RnR Chicago Half, I asked my wife if she could create a new decal with her Cricut. As she started to think about it, she thought that the Destinations cartridge would be perfect since the Chicago skyline was one of the images.

Once she had this cartridge, she added it to her Gypsy and her creative mind went to work.  She took the basic Chicago image from the Destinations cartridge and added a runner image from the Sports Mania cartridge. Then she added 13.1.

All three of the images were merged together and cut out on white vinyl to create this awesome customized 13.1 decal.

Thanks honey!

God is my co-pilot!

Have you ever had one of those mornings when you couldn't find something?  I am sure we all have been there.  Today was one of those mornings for me. 

Before leaving for work today, I could not find my bible.  I searched the kitchen, the living room, and the bedroom.  It was not in any of those place.  Then I searched my car and it wasn't in there either. 

As I was driving to work this morning I kept trying to think of where I could have left it.  I remembered walking out of church last night carrying my bible to the car.  On my way to work this morning as I was sitting at a stoplight waiting to turn it hit me.  When I put my daughter in the car last night at church I sat my bible on top of the car.  Then my wife and I started talking to another couple for a few minutes.  Once we were done talking we headed home.  I realized this morning at the stoplight that I never took my bible off of the roof of the car last night.
After realizing this, I got even more upset because 1) I had left my bible on the roof of the car and 2) I had lost my favorite bible.

As I pulled into the parking lot at work this morning, I think to myself that maybe by the grace of God He kept my bible safe on the roof of my car.  As I pulled in to a parking spot and got out of my car, I immediately turned and looked at the roof of my car and started to laugh.  My bible was in the exact spot I had left it!  My bible rode on the roof of the car for approximately 10 miles at speeds of up to 45 mph and it never budged an inch.

What a great example of how strong the word of God is!

God is definitely my co-pilot!

Tanger Outlet 5K

This past Saturday, I completed the Tanger Outlet Family 5K in Myrtle Beach, SC.  This was no ordinary 5K for me this time.  This 5K had extra special meaning as this was my wife's first ever 5K.  I was looking forward to this race for a while and I was going to stay with her the entire race to help her make it through.

She was nervous and excited as the day arrived, but she definitely had one major item taken care of....her wardrobe for the race.  I just have to highlight the brand names she was wearing for the race.

Shoes - Saucony
Socks - Under Armour
Compression Pants - Nike
Running Skirt - Reebok
Shirt - Adidas

She definitely made sure she had the major brands represented. 

Here is a picture of us prior to the race.

There were 2 goals for the race.  The first was to simply finish the race and the second was to break the 45 minute mark.  She knew both were attainable and we were going to do it.  As the race started, we began with a comfortable jog and took it easy.  We would take walk breaks as needed and the run some more.  We had a good walk/run pattern going throughout the race.  The 5K course was 3 laps around the outlet shops.  As we passed by the finish area completing lap 1, we were making great time as being just under 14 minutes.  She knew the 45 minute finish could be attained.  Then after we passed the finish area, we heard clapping as the first person finished the race.  This guy was flying to finish that fast. 

After our second lap we were still making great time.  We were on pace to finish in less than 45 minutes.  I kept reassuring her that she could do it and as we rounded the final corner she was off to the races.  She left me in the dust on her way to the finish line!

Here she is crossing the finish line.  Her official time was 41:54!  She blew the 45:00 minute goal out of the water.  I was so proud of her.

A little tired after the race but I knew she felt great.  Way to go honey!

The Eagle has Landed!

On Sunday I had the opportuinity to play a round of golf at Thistle Golf Club in Sunset Beach, NC.  Lately, I do not get out on the golf course, so I was looking forward to the chance to play a round.  It had been many years since I had played at Thistle.  If you have not played there, I highly recommend it.  Great looking clubhouse and great course conditions. 

My day did not start out the best right off of the first tee on the MacKay course.  This is a par 4 with water down the left.  I hit my drive right and my second shot had the ball about a foot above my feet.  When you have this scenario, you are going to hit a hook on the shot.  It didn't help that I aided the hook by pulling it and as Bill Murray said in Caddyshack, it went right into "the lumber yard" (water for those who may be wondering what the lumber yard reference is).   Before you know it, a nice 7 was added to the card.  Nice way to start a round with a triple bogey.  I followed that up with a bogey on the next.  It was time to regroup and I started to get it back together and pared a few holes.

We came to the 7th hole which is a dogleg left par 5.  I hit a good drive down the corner on the left.  Played a 200-yard layup shot and had 110 to the hole.  For me that is an in-between yardage for  PW or SW.  I decided to playe a choked-down PW.  I put a good swing on the shot and it was tracking right at the flag.

The ball hit 6-inches from the hole, popped up and dropped staight in for an eagle 3! 

It was awesome to be able to see the ball drop into the hole and not where the bottom of the flag was blocked from a hill. 

In this first picture you can see how close the ball landed to the hole as I am repairing the pitch mark.

In this picture I am picking the ball out of the hole.

I proceeded to follow-up this eagle with a birdie on the next hole.  So, I made up for the 3 shots I lost on the first hole with this eagle and birdie.

Just goes to show that you always need to continue "digging".  Even when you have a bad hole, keep a positive attitude and put it behind you.  It is just one hole and you have plenty of chances to make it up.

Brooks Glycerin 8

After building the miles it was time to replace my Brooks Glycerin 7's. I have been running in the Glycerin 7 shoe for the past year. I do not log a ton of miles and I have gone through two pairs. After researching, I decided to stick with the Glycerin model.

I am running a 5K on Saturday, so that will be a good test. So far, the shoes feel great and I can already feel the added cushion in the heal from the Brooks DNA. Looking forward to that feel in a race.

Tomorrow it is off to the Tanger Outlets on Highway 501. This is the 2nd annual Tanger Outlet Family 5K fun run in Myrtle Beach. I will post about the race over the weekend. You can't beat a 5K at the beach. Since it is at an outlet mall, maybe I can look for some deals while running.

Good luck to all running races this weekend.

First Day of School...Part 2

Well, today starts the first day of school for the traditional calendar schools. It was obvious that was the case as I drove in to work this morning. Before I was even 1/2 mile from my home, I had already passed two school buses and kids waiting on the corner for the bus.
The traffic was also busier than normal today. That should get better as time passes, but it definitely caused for a slower commute in to the office.
 
This is not only the first day of school for the kids, it is also the first day for my wife.  She teaches math at a local high school.  As all teachers know, they love the break during the summer and I am sure she did not want to go in this morning.  I bet the snooze button was a popular choice of teachers around the country this morning.  Just 5 more minutes.....
 
I still go back to the lines from Finding Nemo.  They are so appropriate for the first day of school.  Ready to learn and get some knowledge.  As Mr. Ray sang...
 
"Oh let's name the zones, the zones, the zones.
Let's name the zones of the open sea.
There's epipelagic, mesopelagic, bathyal,abyssopelagic
All the rest are too deep for you and me to see"
 
"Oh, let's name the species, the species, the species
Let's name the species that live in the sea
There's porifera, coelenterata, hydrozoa, scyphozoa, anthozoa, ctenophora,bryozoas, three! Gastropoda, arthropoda, echinoderma, and some fish like you and me. Come on, sing with me. Oh...!

Just the girls this time. Oh, seaweed is cool. Seaweed is fun. It makes it's food with the rays of the sun...
"Oh, knowledge exploring is oh so lyrical, when you think thoughts that are empirical."

Come on, sing with me! There's porifera, coelentera, hydrozoa, scyphozoa, anthozoa,
ctenophora, bryozoas, three!

"Oh, seaweed is cool. Seaweed is fun. It makes it's food with the rays of the sun"

Have a great first day of school everyone!
 

First Day of School

Ready to learn and get some knowledge.  I can't help think about that line from Finding Nemo as my oldest starts 1st grade today.  She woke up this morning eager and ready for school.  She could not wait to get to school and start 1st grade with her friends. 

As I acted like Marlin from the movie yesterday and today, I could just hear my daughter responding just like Nemo by saying, "daaaaaaadddddddd." 

It is wonderful to see how excited she is to start school.  Even though that means the end of summer, she is ready for school.  Last week we took her to school so she could find out who her teacher is and who would be in her class.  She was really excited to see several of her classmates from kindergarten would be with her.  I am sure that will make things easier on her to having that familiarty. 

As she left the house today, she had about 800 pounds of books in her back pack.  OK, maybe it was only a few pounds, but I am sure my daughter would say it weighed a lot more.  I was waiting for her to fall backwards on to the floor, but that did not happen.

So as 1st grade begins, my daughter is ready to learn and get some knowledge.  At least she did not ask for 5 more minutes like Nemo did.

CHA Supershow

Most of my posts have revolved around running.  This is one of those posts that has absolutely nothing to do with running. 

While in Chicago I attended the CHA Supershow with my wife.  CHA stands for the Craft and Hobby Association.  This was a huge craft show in Rosemont, IL.  I don't even know if huge is the right word to describe this show.  There were 12 aisles of crafts.

My wife is a huge scrapbooker and this was right up her alley.  After I went to the RnR Chicago Expo at McCormick Place, I met back up with my wife at the show. She had met a new friend as part of the Cricut Circle and was walking around the show with her.  Wait, let me clarify....she was not walking around the show, she was only on the first aisle 1 hour in to the show opening.   I met up with her on aisle 100 at the Provocraft booth. 

I could not believe how many people were at the Provocraft booth.  It was all about the Cricut Imagine as it was unveiled during the show.  In addition to the Imagine, Provocraft also had the Cricut Cake, Cuttlebug and Yudu on display.  Why do I know so much about these Cricut products you ask?  My wife loves these products and I support her.  Plus they are pretty cool. You have to like a machine that can cut out cool items to make a cake.  Maybe one day they will make a Cricut Wood.  As a guy who likes to work on a scroll saw, that is the next best thing.  I hope Provocraft sees this comment (LOL).

Here are a few pictures from the Provocraft booth.  Now, when it was time for a drawing for some great prizes, look out.  The booth was packed with everyone hoping they would win a cartridge or maybe a Cricut Cake.  I was hoping I would win a prize to give to my wife, but no luck.  I tried!

I took some pictures as we walked around the floor.  I never knew there were so many companies out there.

One of the neat moments for me was having the opportunity to meet Robyn (My Pink Stamper).  I felt like I already knew Robyn from all of the videos I watched with my wife on her blog.  My wife had the opportunity to meet her earlier in the day and when we went by her booth, she introduced me to Robyn and Karlee (Karle Krafts).  Plus, Robyn is a runner so we were able to talk about running.  I think if Robyn knew the RnR Chicago Half marathon was on Sunday, she would have entered that race.  Maybe next time Robyn.  Great to meet you Robyn and Karlee. 

Throughout the day I joined my wife in making various crafts.  Whether it was cards or 12 x 12 scrapbook pages.  It was interesting to see the reactions when a man sat down at a table to make some crafts.  One booth in particular had to get a picture of me making a card.  Here is the picture taken at the Paper Crafts Magazine booth.

Overall, this was a great experience.  I really enjoyed spending the day at the show.  Would I go again?  Yes! 

Thanks for a great time Leigh!

Rock N Roll Chicago

On Sunday, I completed my 7th half marathon at RnR Chicago.  This was my first Rock n Roll series race and this was a great event.  I also set a new PR by finishing in 2:21.

Over 25,000 runners took part in this race.  Great race, great course, great city!

This first picture was prior to entering corral 18 at 6:00 am.  The race started at 6:30 am and I did not cross the starting line until 7:00am.  What was really neat about this wave start was each and every corral started separately.  When it was time for my corral to start, I was at the front and it felt like you were an elite runner being at the front with no one in front of you.

As I passed the Willis Tower (formerly know as the Sears Tower), the crowds began to increase.  As I arrived at the Art Institute at mile 5, the crowds were really thick as we made our way on to Michigan Avenue.  It was at this point as my wife was able to catch a few pictures as I passed by.

 

Once I reached Columbus Street and the finish line was in sight, I kicked it in a bit.  I look at the following picture and the word "determined" comes to mind.  My goal was a 2:20 finish but with .4 of a mile remaining as we rounded the Shedd Acquirium, the pace slowed and I knew 2:20 was not going to happen.

After finishing there are photo stops to have your picture taken with your finishers medal.  While getting this taken by ASI, my wife was able to get a good photo.

After finishing the race, I took the time to get one last picture with the Chicago skyline. 

 

Ready to Rock!

It is the day before the Rock n Roll Chicago half and I am ready to rock!  

On Friday I went to the expo at McCormick Place for the packet pickup.  The runner's shirt is a cool looking Brooks grey shirt with the Chicago skyline.

For the race, I am in the 18th corral.  That is right, I said 18th.  At least I am not in the last one, there are a total of 29 corrals.  I would guess once the race starts at 6:30 am that it will take me approximately 20 minutes to get to the starting line.  Reminds me of the size of the Disney Marathon.

The great part about this course is the run past some of the great Chicago landmarks.  We start and finish in Grant Park near Buckingham Fountain.  We work our way across the Chicago River, pass the Art Institute, Chicago Theater, down Michigan Avenue and by the Willis Tower.  It is still hard to call it Willis Tower...it will always be the Sears Tower to me.  Maybe I should say, "what you talkin' about Willis" as I run by there?

We work our way south and pass Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears.  Still looks like a UFO landed in the stadium to me.  We will go on an out and back stretch for a while and just before the finish, we pass the Shedd Acqurium.  Then it is on to the finish back in Grant Park.

The weather forecast looks pretty good with lows in the mid-60's and a high of 85.  Sounds great to me for running compared to the weather in NC for all of my training runs.

Are you ready to Rock?

I Think I Can....I Think I Can

As everyone knows, there is a physical side to running. Everyone has to put in the training miles in order to prepare our bodies to go the distance. Whether that is a 5K, 10K, half or full marathon.

One of the biggest hurdles to a successful race is the mental side of running. As Henry Ford described, "If you think you can do it, you're right. If you think you can't do it, you're still right". These words are so true in what they mean. Having a positive attitude and thinking "I can" gives us the motivation to push through those final miles to the finish.

Just think about the adrenaline boost we get when the finish line is in sight. We may be cramping or completely exhausted at this point, but our mind sees the goal an you instantly turn in to an "I can" thinker. The next thing you know is you have crossed the finish line and you are overcome with the joy of the accomplishment.

As I prepare for the Rock n Roll Chicago Half Marathon this Sunday, I am beginning to prepare mentally. I am visualizing the race and the goals I have in mind. As the saying goes, "seeing is believing".

I can see all of the crowd cheering each and every runner on and I have to tell you, that makes a huge difference. Each one of those spectators is saying "you can". You will not hear any negative comments. They are all helping with the positive waves to push you through.

I can see the finishing time I have in mind that I would like to achieve. If I am not able to achieve that time, it is ok as I know I will have tried and just finishing is an accomplishment.

I think I can....I think I can.....I KNOW I can!

I'm Offically Goofy Now!

Last week I posted pictures of my Disney Marathon Weekend shadow box. A friend of mine contacted me with a tremendous offer. She and her husband also ran both the half and full marathons at Disney as part of the Goofy challenge and received Goofy Medals. I had ran both the half and full marathons, but was not officially part of the Goofy challenge. Therefore, I did not receive a Goofy Medal.

She was contacting me to offer me one of their Goofy medals. I was absolutely blown away by her generosity! She let me know that her husband actually surprised her by purchasing a frame while they were at the expo during the Disney Marathon Weekend. This frame included medals from all 3 races. Since they now had 3 Goofy medals, she offered the extra one to me.

I want to take the opportunity to say thank you Steve and Melissa.

Here is the updated marathon shadow box which now includes the Goofy Medal.



Here is a close-up of the Goofy medal.

Countdown to Rock n Roll Chicago Half

Tick tock....tick tock....

Less than 3 weeks away now from the Rock n Roll Chicago half marathon. This will be my first Rock n Rock series event experience and I am really looking forward to it.



Last week I received an email with the final race instructions and to download my confirmation sheet. The race is sold out and there will be over 25,000 runners in the event. I have a predicted finish time of 2:20:00 and I am in corral 18. It will probably take 15-20 minutes once the race starts at 6:30 am on August 1 in order to actually cross the starting line. Reminds me of how it was for the Disney Marathon.

What a blessing it is having the opportunity to glorify God throughout this event via Team 413. Throughout these 13.1 miles, I will encounter many fellow runners who will see Philippians 4:13 on the back of the shirt and that will aid as motivation to them helping them pull through to the finish. Our God is an awesome God! We exist to glorify God and make disciples of all nations! I pray that Team 413 will have a large impact in Chicago.



I have not run a race since the Disney Marathon this past January, but I can still remember all of the times throughout the run where fellow runners would tell me how that verse helped them get through a difficult stretch in the race. I recall one lady at mile 24 that came up to me and said, "thank you for wearing this shirt. That verse is just what I needed to see right now to help me push through these last miles." God was truly at work at that moment.

Tick tock....tick tock!

Marathon Shadow Box

I was finally able to get around to putting my medals from the Disney Marathon Weekend in to a shadow box. I decided to go with a simple approach to what is displayed.

As you can see, both the half marathon and full marathon medals are the main focus. In the center is a copy of my finisher's certificate from the marathon. After downloading the certificate, instead of printing it as 8 1/2" x 11", I printed it at 5" x 7".

Surrounding the medals are the smaller version pins I purchased from the expo.

WinShape Camp C3

This past week our church (Wake Cross Roads Baptist Church) hosted a WinShape Camp C3. What an amazing week it was for all of the students leading the camp, the volunteers and especially all 182 children involved. This was our second year we have hosted this camp and we had 3 times as many participants this year as we did last year. What a blessing!

Here is a link to a video regarding the camp.

Our daughter attended the camp and had an awesome week. She was an Ocean Tiger Shark! Everyday when she would come home from camp, she would talk about it from the time she walked in the door until she fell asleep each night. She learned a lot about living for Christ!

WinShape Camps C3 (Camps Connecting Communities) is a one week day camp that was started by WinShape Camps in 2008. In the inaugural year, WinShape Camps had 3 C3 Teams that traveled to 9 communities around the country, going to a total of 27 cities. In 2009, WinShape Camps C3 went to 36 Communities, and in 2010, WinShape Camps C3 will travel to 45 different communities across the country.

WinShape Camps C3 combines track times such as Fastfood, Drama, Flag Football, Soccer, Painting, Crafts, etc., High energy worship, intentional bible study moments, and unbelievable recreation to provide a one-in-a-lifetime Day Camp Experience in your community.

The students that travel each week leading these camps are amazing Godly people. They are truly a wonderful blessing.

I heard several parents make comments at the Chick-Fil-A Family Fun Day on Friday that they wished they could have gone to camp. I have to agree with them.

Ocean...Ocean....Ocean.......Woooooossshhhh!

Runner Ornament

I wanted to share a runner ornament that I made out of wood. This is a silhouette of a runner that my wife (My Scrappy Journey) made for my Disney Marathon scrapbook pages shown in my previous post. What makes this ornament so unique is how creative my wife was by adding Mickey Ears to the runner. Based on the shape of the silhouette, it was the perfect size to create a wood ornament.

This first picture is a close-up view of the silhouette.



This second picture gives you and idea of the size of the ornament as I am holding it by the string. Overall the ornament is 4" tall and 4" wide at the stride of the runner.



By having the silhouette painted in all black allows for easy personalization using a paint marker.

2010 Disney Marathon Scrapbook Pages

I am able to relive the excitment from the 2010 Disney Marathon Weekend back in January all over again. My wonderful wife made these two scrapbook pages. It is funny to look at the photos and see how bundled up we were because of the weather. There were actually snow flurries falling as we made our way to the starting line for the Half Marathon. The snow flurries turned in to rain which did not help.

Then on Sunday, the wind chill was in the teens as we work up. The temp did not get much better throughout the day, but no need to complain. As one of the pages is titled, I was "Getting Goofy"!

This first page is the overall 2-page spread called "Getting Goofy". The page contains the course map for both the half and full marathon. At the expo, there was a both that had some 12x12 paper with the Goofy logo which added to the page. I am also an ambassador with Team 413. This is a running ministry dedicating to spreading the Gospel to all. I heard comments all throughout the weekend as I was running the races showing encouragement for spreading God's word. Several fellow runners took the time to tell me what an inspiration the shirt gave them as they read the verse on the back....I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me...Phillippians 4:13.



Here is the left side of the Gettin' Goofy page.



Here is the right side of the Gettin' Goofy page.



The second page is a great layout showing my accomplishment of completing my first full marathon. Hard to believe that I actually did it, but as the Disney finisher certificate states, "Congratulations on completing the most magical 26.2 miles!" I really like how this one shows my bib from the race and incorporates all of the character stops along the way where I had pictures taken. My wife added a few silhouettes of running that she slightly altered using her Gypsy. Notice anything special on top of the runner's head? The runner has his very own set of Mickey ears! That is a really cool touch.



Here is the left side of the Marathon page.



Here is the right side of the Marathon page.

Toy Story 3

Yesterday, on Father's Day, I went with the family to see Toy Story 3. Another great movie from Pixar! In the third installment of the series, Andy is going to college and the toys don't know what is going to happen to them.

This has a great storyline and we are introduced to new characters such as Lotso and Ken.

For those of you who have not seen the movie, I will not spoil it for you by telling you more about the movie.

For those of you who have seen the movie, I would like to hear your thoughts/comment on the movie?

To infinity and beyond!

VBS

It is VBS week! What a glorious time for praising God! The children attending VBS have been having a great time so far! We are rounding up questions and gettin' answers!

Need Answers? Ask God!

James 1:5

Chicago Blackhawks: Under Cover

Here is a great video of the old time Hawks and the current Hawks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qyq3VOBQzM&feature=youtube_gdata

Chicago Blackhawks Goal Song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wchH7xL4tdE&feature=youtube_gdata

Stanley Cup Champions

After 49 years of waiting, the Chicago Blackhawks are Stanley Cup Champions!

What a great and entertaining game 6. The Hawks came out strong with 17 shots in the 1st period. The refs were calling the game tight from the start and that was evident regarding some holding and interference penalties. In the 3rd period the Hawks had a 1-goal lead. You knew the Flyers were going to bring a ton if pressure. All Hawks fans were clock watching hoping somehow the time would speed up. With approximately 3 minutes left in te game the Flyers got the tying goal off of Scott Hartnell. For the remaining time in the 3rd period, the pressure continued. Antti Niemi was spectacular. He made an amazing save on Jeff Carter. That saved the game and helped get it to OT.

In OT, you just never know what will happen. Well, Patrick Kane gets the game winning goal and everyone except Kane a few others knew the puck went in. A minute or two later and the celebration was on. 2010 Stanley Cup Champions!

Jonathon Toews won the Conn Smythe as the playoff MVP. He tied the Blackhawks record for the most points in the playoffs with 29 (tied Denis Savard from 1985). Toews has had one heck of a year. Wins the gold medal with Canada in the Olympics, wins the Conn Smythe and then the Stanley Cup!

Game 6

Stanley Cup Final - Game 6 is tonight!

As Game 6 approaches, here are some points to note.

1. Pressure - the Hawks need to have the pressure they showed in Game 5 throughout Game 6.

2. Elimination - even though this is an elimination game for the Flyers, that is the mindset the Hawks must have in this game.

3. Forecheck - the Hawks need to constantly forecheck. They need to be all over the Flyers.

4. Home ice trend - this is the perfect time to break that home ice advantage. So far all games have been won by the home team.

5. Antti Niemi - enough said

This should be another great game. I expect the Flyers to come out strong at home in the 1st period. The Hawks just need to be able to withstand it. Hopefully they will and get a goal quickly to quiet the crowd.

I also need to point out a checklist for tonight.

1. White gloves
2. Hall of Fame Sport Coats
3. NHL Tablecloth
4. The Commissioner
5. A certain silver trophy 3 feet tall weighing 35 pounds
6. A team ready to hoist the cup after 49 years!

Enjoy game 6!

Let's go Blackhawks!

The Cup will be in the House

What a great comeback game by the Blackhawks after losing 2 in a row in Philly.

This, by far, was the best played game of the series by the Blackhawks. Dustin Btfuglien had his best game of the series. He was a dominant player out there. He scored a couple of big goals and delivered some crushing checks.

There was also great support from the rest of the team. I could name the entire team, but great play from Kane, Ladd, Sharp, Toews and Hossa was outstanding. Speaking of Hossa, he continues to shine. He is one heck of an all around player. Just look at the drive and determination on that play to hustle back and then he dives to get his stick in there to break up the play. Great effort!

Antti Niemi was stellar again between the pipes. The Flyers missed some point blank chances, but that happens. When they did get the shots on net, Niemi robbed them. You could just see the frustration on Mike Richards face when Niemi got the right pad on his open net chance.

Now, you will not hear me complain about officiating. The reason is they have such a tough job. I am amazed at what they can catch because if the speed if the game. We have it easier due to replays. I thought they did a good job in Game 5. They were making the right calls. Were some penalties missed, sure they were, but they were missed on both sides.

Travel arrangements are being finalized for Lord Stanley to be in the house Wednesday night. The Blackhawks will have the chance to win the cup for the first time since 1961!

I am expecting the same type of rush like we saw in game 5 to begin the game by the Blackhawks for the Flyers in game 6. They are going to bring it on their home ice to delay the celebration one more game.

I have a feeling the Blackhawks will reverse the trend in this series and win the cup on Wednesday!

Let's go Hawks!

Up For Grabs

Well, the Stanley Cup is up for grabs now. We are down to a best-of-three series now. Game 5 is Sunday night at the Madhouse on Madison. The UC will be rockin!

The Flyers played well in Game 4. The Hawks just were not generating much on the offensive end. On the defensive end a couple of mistakes and before you know, down 2 goals. On the second goal the puck was cleared from in front of the net directly up the slot to a wide open Flyer who basically saw the Grand Canyon to shoot at. Later in the game there was another defensive breakdown where a Flyer was left alone who camped out on the right post. He received a pass and had another wide open net.

Good comeback by the Hawks to make it a game. It would have been interesting if Duncan Keith was able to keep that puck in the zone to see if they could tie it with the extra attacker. As we know that did not happen and a 5-3 win by the Flyers was in the books.

Off to Game 5!

Let's go Blackhawks!

Game 4 - Stanley Cup Finals

Looking forward to game 4 tonight. It will be interesting to see how the game is called from a referees standpoint. Since game 3 there has been a ton of talk about the "calls" and "non-calls".

With any Final, you expect physical play...especially in front of the net. The battle between Pronger and Byfuglien has been fun to watch. There was a point in game 3 where Pronger cross-checked Byfuglien to the ice (which is not easy to do), then a few seconds later Byfuglien is called for slashing. Yes, he did slash and break Pronger's stick, but the cross-checked should have been called too. Just some consistancy is needed, that's all.

I am hoping Andrew Ladd is inserted in the Hawks lineup tonight. If he is, my guess is Adam Burrish will sit. Even though Kopecky replaced Ladd, he has played well, so keep him in the lineup. Getting Ladd out there will add another physical presence the Hawks can use. Right now it is just mainly Byfuglien providing that presence in front of the net. With Ladd in, now you add a second presence there on a different line. The Hawks need more traffic in front of Leighton since the point men are taking a lot of shots.

More traffic is also need in front because of the attention Hossa is drawing. Sometimes you see 2 and 3 defenders on him. When that happens, that opens lanes for the goalie to see the shots, thus more screens are needed in front of Leighton.

On the other end if the ice, Antti Niemi has been fantastic. He seems to be getting more and more comfortable as the series moves on. He continues to make stellar saves. The defense in front of Niemi has also be great in blocking shots.

I am expecting another great game tonight.

Let's go Blackhawks!

Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon

I have not posted in a while and I figured it was time to provide an update.

Last night I registered for the innagural Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon. This is going to be a great race! It wil begin at the Waccamaw are in front of Medieval Times. The course will work it's way over the Intracoastal Waterway and then to Broadway at the Beach. From there the course will head for the beach for a finish along the new boardwalk.

The finisher's medal is huge. It is asurfboard with a shark bite. They say it is 8" in length and the shark bite will work as a bottle opener. Not sure that I would want to use my medal to open a bottle, but a neat idea nonetheless.

The entry fee just increased to $70. Check it out!

www.runmyrtlebeach.com

Chicago...here I come!

Looking forward to the Rock n Roll Chicago half marathon on August 1. I grew up in Chicago and it will be great getting to run throughout downtown and by the lake shore. Just about 12 weeks away from the race at this point. Time to kick the training in to gear.

2010 Disney World Marathon Start

Here is video from the start of the 2010 Disney World Marathon!

Marathoner...Yes I am!

I am officially a marathoner!

I braved the extremely cold weather in central Florida and successfully completed the WDW Marathon this past Sunday.

This was an extremely difficult task and the weather made it that much tougher.  The alarm went off at 2:30 am to get prepared. Checked the weather to determine how many layers to wear. The temp was around 30 and the wind chill was in the 20's. It was definitely going to be a cold one.

I met up with friends in the lobby at Pop Century and we got on the bus to head to Epcot at 3:45 am. Once we arrived it was time to head to the corrals for the start. I was in corral E and part of wave 1. Everyone was ready to get started so they could get a little warmer instead of standing around.

The start was truly magical...would you expect anything less from Disney! Seeing the fireworks was great...even for 5:40 am. So we were off....

I took the time to take in all of the sights and sounds throughout the race. Great atmosphere and I cannot say enough for the awesome spectator support. You would never have known with the temperatures like they were, it was freezing out because there was tons of support. They helped push not only me, but all of the runners to the finish line.

With the freezing temps, who would have thought you would have to deal with black ice. Well, at the majority of the water stops there were plenty of slick spots. You had to be careful and the volunteers were great in warning all of the runners about the ice.

For the race I wore a Team 413 shirt. On the back on the shirt is Phillipians 4:13. This shirt provided to be an inspiration for many during the race. I had some many people that came by me during the race thanking me for the message. One person told me she was struggling in the race and when she saw the verse on my shirt, it lifted her spirit and gave her the strength to move on. God's grace and mercy was with all of us during the race.

Special shout out and congratulations to the following:

Anthony, Melissa, Steve, Nick and Kjirstin.  Congrats on those completing the Goofy Challenge and successful first marathons.  Great time getting to meet, know and hang out with you guys over the weekend.

To all of the ROTE group, you guys are awesome! What a great group! Thanks Jeff, Chris and Tracy for hanging out some on the weekend. I look forward to the next encounter.

Overall this was a great experience. It is a great feeling to know the I am a marathoner.

Disney Marathon Weather

Well, just 5 days to go now until the Disney Marathon.  It will definitely be a cold race this year.  Decisions, decisions on what to pack and plan to wear for the race.  Looks like a high right around 50, but it will be much colder during the times of the race.  Temps will be in the low to mid 30's until around the halfway point of the race.  Then they may get in to the low 40's thru the finish.  I will probably be wearing some type of long sleeve compression top under a race t-shirt.  I will probably stick with shorts for the race (at least that is the plan right now).  I will be wearing gloves and I have some hot hands to use to keep me warm while waiting for the start.

Marathon Week

It has finally arrived! Hard to believe marathon week is upon us. I am heading to WDW on Friday and when I arrived, I will be going to the expo to pick up my packet and check out all the merchandise.

On Saturday, I will probably watch the half marathon and root on my fellow ROTErs and other friends.

Then the big day is Sunday!

Mickey Medal

As the Disney Marathon slogan states, "finish with more character than when you started". Here is the marathon medal that will be waiting for all finishers. Great looking medal! I will wear this medal proudly after earning it for completing the marathon.

ROTE Running Gear

Here are the ROTE hat and visor for the marathon. I will probably chose the visor to wear during the race.

8 Days away from 1st Marathon

The countdown continues until my 1st marathon. I am looking forward to the challenge. Hard to believe it is almost here.

Happy New Year! Completed my own individual Resolution Run this morning. Distance was 4.90 miles is 53:20. Good way to start the new year. The Disney Marathon is just 9 days away now!