Get to Goal | TooTallFritz

Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that everyone is on average approximately six steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person on Earth, so that a chain of, “a friend of a friend” statements can be made, on average, to connect any two people in six steps or fewer.

Today was the day for the Virtual Run/Walk for Sherry Arnold. Running communities throughout the world sponsored virtual run/walks to honor Sherry, a “fallen” runner, and all of the other runners who have left their homes to go for a run and never returned. I think each time we hear a story of a runner who has gone missing it cuts to each of our soul’s. I usually remember the names of these individuals for years, if not forever, after the fact. I find the six degrees of separation reference to be true in most instances and this time most of us need even fewer “degrees” as many of us are connected to Sherry thru her cousin Beth at Shut Up + Run. We may not know Beth personally but we know her “on-line”. We may not have known Sherry personally but we knew her thru the stories which Beth took the time to share.

So today, we did the only thing that we could possibly do…..we ran. Here is the group that showed up in single degree temps today to run. I only wish I could say that our static temp was indeed 6 degrees, but the truth of the matter is that it was 8 degrees at the start with a “feels like” temp of -2. The wind was howling and viscous so we grabbed a quick pic and took off running! From back: Kim, Susan, Kerry, Jenny, Kathy, Brian, Lori (middlish in purple), Stacy (Lori’s hubby!!), & CrazyBoyDon. Front: Joe, Meg (Jeni’s 11 year-old – middlish in black), Aby (my 10 year-old), Jeni – Sparkalish Roar, & Melissa.

As we were moving toward the trial, I also gave some brief safety tips. I will highlight them here in case nobody could hear me with the howling wind.

Run with a friend or a group when possible.
Carry a pepper spray or something to defend yourself if necessary. I like the PersonalSavers.com Wrist Saver. At $12.95, it’s definitely a good deal in my opinion. I ordered the small but its a tight fit on me. I did that though so that Aby can also use it.
Run without music or just use one ear bud with music at low volume if you must have it.
Pay attention to your surroundings at all times.
Make eye contact with the people you meet and the drivers of the cars that pass you up.
If you are running on the road, run against traffic. It’s the law and it allows you to see what is coming at you. React appropriately and don’t be afraid to dive in the ditch if necessary. I step off the road ALL THE TIME. I do not trust that cars see me. Plus, as soon as I see a car, I immediately look behind me to see if one is coming from the other direction, which will inhibit the oncoming driver from moving over to give me more room.
Don’t take a ride from strangers.
If at all possible carry your cell phone with you in case you have an emergency. I know today’s cell phones are usually big and bulky ~~so we can surf the web~~ so I had to purchase a spi-belt to carry mine.

I also use knucklelights (see above) at night and ALWAYS run in clothing that is VERY reflective and has multiple reflective accents. Always assume that cars/drivers/people CAN’T see you!
Tell a family member (or leave a note!) your running route but also inform them that the route may change if the situation changes. I always leave the house with a plan but frequently change it up due to circumstances: something that makes me feel uncomfortable, a wild animal, the wind, the traffic patterns, etc. So make sure the family knows the “intended” route but also have them be aware that ~~shit~~ things happen and a route is never written in stone ~~at least for me~~.
Trust your instincts. If it feels wrong, then it is wrong and it’s your responsiblity to change the situation.

So today, we ran for Sherry, no moment of silence or quiet reflection, just a quick safety check and then the joy of running. May Sherry and all the other “gone missing” runners feel our joy today and take comfort in our remembrance of them doing their favorite thing, regardless of the weather.

And of course, Michael wanted to participate too but with the weather, there was no way that I was taking him out in the jogger. So we grabbed a photo with him once we got home. And some of our friends who joined virtually who were not able to be in Frankfort, IL today. Angela from sunny Florida. Lynn who is local but couldn’t make it out with us today. Several of our F’N Running Club members were racing today and couldn’t join us in person but still ran with Sherry’s bib on their back’s. From left: Amanda – Get to Goal, Kelly – Running Kellometers, Gennie & Maggie – MagMileRunner:

Did you get in any miles for you OR Sherry today? If so, link up some pics for us!

Any safety tips that I missed? If so, please share.

Happy SAFE Running, Amanda – TooTallFritz amanda@tootallfritz.com

As I drove away from the Running For Kicks fun run last night, I was so giddy, I felt like a kid at Christmas. The excitement lasted the entire 45 minute ride home and thru the remainder of the evening. I was totally high off the run. I actually wondered if the feeling was the “runners high” that people talk about but I’m quite certain I have never personally experienced. The reason does not matter, just let it suffice to say this was the most “fun” I have had on a run in a very, very long time. And that’s saying quite a bit because I actually like to run and find it enjoyable most of the time.

The fun run participants were so numberous, many didn’t even make the picture but here are the ones who bothered to stand still for the 2 seconds for Gail to snap the photo. I’m in the back, just right of middle in the red shirt with the HUGE reflective log in the middle.

Good to know that the reflectivity of my Athleta Hopkinton Top is no joke. Don’t say that you didn’t see me coming!

After the group photo, most of these people took off in a sprint but the F’N Running Club people were awaiting the arrival of MagMileRunner (Maggie) so this gave me an opportunity to grab a few photos. Me & Gail….yes, I often cut myself off. I need a ~~cell phone~~ photog class.

FNRC Runners, minus MagMileRunner: Aurelia, Kate, Running (Kell)ometers – Kelly, Get to Goal – Amanda, Joe, & Me:

Then Maggie arrived and we were off and running. Apparently we ran thru “the hills” of Ishnala but it was dark and so much fun that I didn’t realize there were many hills. I did notice an occasional downhill because of the downward momentum. Not sure if we ran up those hills or not. We might possibly have been running faster than some might consider fun and I secretly knew that I was sabotaging today’s speed workout ~~on the dreadmill~~ but I was having so much fun it was hard to ~~give a damn~~ care. On the miles where my watch beeped and I knew we didn’t have “many” stops, we were right between 8:40 and 8:44. Take that Ishnala!

One might say the RFK runners invaded the Ishnala subdivision in a similar manner as to how children invade a neighborhood at Halloween. There were runners EVERYWHERE. Most of the runners had blinking lights and/or reflective wear. Even though it was dark, we were very visible and you could see runners at almost every intersection. None of us really knew the route so there was a lot of running, stopping, and jumping on the back of a passing group. Then we would pass our “leaders” just to get to an new intersection and again stop to “discuss” the route and/or await an approaching group for direction. It was quite an adventure and so much fun! I’m so happy that I finally made it ~~on time~~ out for a RFK Fun Run!

When we returned to the store, we were greeted by the smell of chili with all the fixings ~~and lot s of smelly runners~~. The Mizuno Rep was also in the house and brought shoes for everyone to try during their fun run, then they raffled off 2 pair of shoes! No, I didn’t win but I was hoping I would! Here is a look at the store with everyone eating and awaiting the raffle:

I encourage you to make it a point to get to Running For Kicks for one of these awesome group runs. There were paces from walk, run/walk to really fast people. Monday nights at 6pm, rain or shine!

Happy Running! Amanda – TooTallFritz amanda@tootallfritz.com