 Like to read? Like to run? Join in on Cecilia on the Run's Read, Run, & Rant Book Club! I read an article on Runner's World this week about an awesome group of runners in New York who started a book club called The Long Run Book Club. I thought it was genius! How awesome to mix the enjoyment of reading with fitness?! Book worms unite! Let's do it! So here's the gist of the Read, Run, & Rant Book Club:
It's that easy! Since this is the first one, I'm suggesting the following books that are great contenders! Please vote for our inaugural book club reading! Which one shall it be? We will have members suggest books for the 2nd event and vote. For book summaries, please see below. The Winner the Whole Country Needs To Read (Right Now): Redeployment By Phil Klay
This "stunning, often brutal collection of stories that critically examine the complexities of war and the wounds inflicted both on the front lines and at home," won the National Book Award for fiction—an honor often considered the writers' writing award, or the most artistic of the national prizes. Phil Klay's spare, unflinching prose reflects his previous career as a U.S. Marine Corps veteran serving in Iraq. A fierce and heart-rending read. The Finalist Too Compelling to Put Down: Station Eleven By Emily St. John Mandel Though this novel begins with the death of a 51-year-old actor during a performance of King Lear, it quickly flips into a bleak, mysterious future in which most of the world has been killed off by a pandemic flu. Two young people, who nowplay instruments and act in the productions of a theatrical caravan called Traveling Symphony, walk from ad hoc town to ad hoc town, dodging doomsday cults and bandits, clinging to a certain comic book written by the actor's ex-wife—the last link to the civilization that vanished when they were almost too young to remember it. A finalist for the National Book Award, this imaginative, dazzling read is so eerily timely that it both terrifies and seduces. The Winner That Will Make You Weep: Part love story and part survival story, this novel, about an Australian doctor who endured Japanese POW camps but remained haunted by his affair with his uncle's wife, is the kind of sweeping epic classic we all long for. This year it won the England's Man Booker Prize and instantly swept on the best-sellers lists. Our advice: After page 70, be prepared to cancel the rest of your life—there is no stopping 'til the end.
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"Pushing your body past what you thought it was capable of is easy. the hard part is pushing yourself even further...past what your mind wants to let you. That's what ultra running is all about - introducing you to a self you've never known." - Rex Pace  Photo credit: Tim Waz The night before the race, I didn't go to bed until after midnight. I was a big ball of nerves trying to figure out what exactly to pack and also calming the demons inside of my head that were screaming and taunting me - causing me to become extremely anxious about this race. I had never run a 24-hour ultra before and the last time I stayed up for a solid 24 hours was probably over 24 years ago back when I was in middle school. My night owl days have been long gone as it's become a habit to hit the hay at around 10:00 PM with my sound machine on meditation mode as I'm misting my pillows down with chamomile and lavender oils. Yawning at around 11:30, I finally finished packing my big plastic Rubbermaid tub with extra pairs of socks, shoes, running gear, headlamps, fuel, and pretty much everything under the sun and hit the sheets...only to lie there with my eyes wide open just thinking about the feat of running a 24-hour ultra. Jacy came and picked me up around 6:00 AM on Saturday morning and we were off to Delirium, located in Ridgeland, SC, less than an hour away from Savannah. As we got to the site and parked, we saw the bustling "tent city" lining the beginning of the course. These tents of all shapes and sizes were filled with runners and spectators preparing for the race - everyone smiling...and shivering. It was a cold, frosty morning! The Delirium beanies and blankets we received as race swag came in very handy! I couldn't believe there were folks who actually camped out in the bitter cold the night before. It was frigid! We located our Moms Run This Town (MRTT) crew and started unpacking our gear in our tents. As we got closer to start time, all the participants gathered around for a group photo at the Start line. Tim Waz, Race Director for Lowcountry Ultras (who puts on Delirium), made a few announcements - one being that this would be the final Delirium race. There were several moans of dismay audible in the crowd, but Tim explained his reasoning. Family commitments come first and besides, he wants his time to run some ultras as well. Who can fault that? Once the general announcements were made, we were off to tackle cycles of the same 1.7-mile trail around the R&M Plantation - for the next 6, 12, and 24 hours. Although cold and frosty, it was perfect weather conditions for a long endurance run. As we started our journey at precisely 8:00 AM, the trails led us around a lake that greeted us with the morning dew, the fog gently lifting from it as we passed by. It was going to be a great day for a long, long run. I began the race with a few MRTT ladies, Jacy, Katie, and Lindsay, and played around with my GoPro. After a few laps, we all parted ways with our own miles in mind. I love running with a pack, but with ultra races, I have come to really treasure my moments of solitude. I think that's the beauty of ultras, it has become something spiritual for me - granted, this is the third one I've ever done. When I'm alone on the trail, I am far away from my daily routine and life. With my eyes closed, I start inhaling the gentle breeze and exhale all my doubts and any negative energy I may have stored. My mind starts to wander and I begin to think about things I've inadvertently put on my mind's backburner. I also start thinking about my mom and look for her. I find her in the breeze blowing through the strands of my hair and I hold my hands out to my side and embrace her. Shortly after that, my friend Ann, ran up beside me to tell me that a song popped up on her playlist. The song was about angels and it was playing as I ran past her. She shared with me that in that moment, she knew my mom was with me. It was so thoughtful that she would divulge this with me. It meant so much and my heart was happy. As I ran through the start/finish chute and back through the tent city, spectators cheered us on. Dan Hernandez had set up his tent and I went to look for my prayer flags he made for my mom and I. Another thoughtful and heartfelt gesture! He's got a 150-miler he's going to accomplish in April along the Coastal Greenway from St. Marys to Hutchinson Island. Kudos! As the day went on and the 6-hour was over, I still felt great. I had some minor hip pains and took some Aleve just in case. I didn't want to start dwelling on any discomfort so early on in the run. Larry and Wesley Wilson came out for support. Wesley had made some delicious energy bars for me. I devoured one and Larry joined me on the trails for some laps. He was so excited about his earlier PR at the Tybee Critz 10K and half marathon. So proud of him! We've come a long way! As it neared dinner time, I reassured him that he could leave me and thanked him for running some laps with me. I greatly appreciated the company. Then the 12-hour was done and I was still in good spirits, just short of 50 miles. The sun was setting and Tim announced that we needed to have our headlamps on (a huge thank you to Chris and Melissa Ramsey for loaning them to me). Dan joined me on a lap and I got to hear about what he's got planned for the Savannah Grit. I'm still too chicken to do it. As we get back to the finish/start chute, I see my fellow CREWbie, Chris Letsinger, waiting for me. How thoughtful! Sometimes I just want to cry thinking about how supportive runners are! He had also done the entire Tybee race and shared his PR with me. He's such a strong runner and I love how quickly we've bonded. We shared laughs around the course and the night sky turned pitch black - although it was a beautiful starry night. Once Chris left, I headed out to do some laps on my own. I realized this would be my first lap in the darkness....and then I quickly figured out just how afraid I am of the dark. I needed to see a headlamp in my sights so I would run enough to catch up to a light and so it went on and on for the rest of the night. As this point, it's just me and the frogs croaking and the occasional rustling of the trees. Run Cecilia! And then my eyelids started getting heavier and heavier by the minute. What time was it? 2:00 in the morning? 3:00? Nope...it was about 11:30 or midnight. The Blerch came to visit me...whispering and singing lullabies in my ear, "You've worked so hard today. It's nighty-night time. Rockabye Cilia on the treetop...when the wind blows...the cradle will rock." Or the Blerch may have actually been Tim stoking this amazing campfire as it lured my weakling self to the warmth. Hahaha! Damn it Blerch - you win! I fell asleep - curled up in an uncomfortable ball and wrapped in my Delirium blanket...freezing my ass off...in Dawn's front passenger seat - that I couldn't figure out how to recline. She tried to wake me up around 3:00 and told me I wasn't having it as I was making strange grunting noises. Then she came back around 6:00 , warmed up the car, and told me the sun was going to rise in about an hour and we should walk a few laps before the race was over at 8:00. I agreed and we went to pick up Ann and Tony to finish the race. We had some great conversations over chocolate cake. Tony and I talked about perception; Ann and I discussed the emotional roller coaster of running an ultra; and Dawn shared her story about the infamous incident of her "rolling stones" on the mountainside at the Pistol 100 :) My husband, Michael, joined me on the last lap as I recounted the journey of my first 24-hour. I ran through the finish line with Tim and the group of finishers before me - all smiling - as he gave me the biggest congratulatory hug and hung my medal around my neck. I had finished my first 24-hour with 57 miles in the books. Would I do another 24-hour run again? You bet! I want to be able to stay awake longer for the next one!  Dan Hernandez made these prayer flags for me   My GoPro pic of Jacy, Katie, and Lindsey  Me and Jacy Photo credit: Stephanie Moore  Photo credit: Stephanie Moore  Finished! Thanks Tim Waz for a great race! Photo credit: Dan Hernandez  Michael joined me on my last lap Photo credit: Dan Hernandez  Thanks Dawn for all the support! Photo credit: Dan Hernandez  Do you ever have those times when you're drinking some form of alcohol - whether it's wine, beer, or liquor - and you hit that "I am invincible" stage where you're not quite drunk yet, but you're definitely beyond buzzed? That's where I was at when I decided to sign up for the Delirium 24-Hour Ultra. I remember it clear as day now. It was my Thanksgiving break and I was sitting in a cabin in Hiawasee, GA, enjoying several glasses of red wine, reading statuses on Facebook when someone started a thread regarding signing up for Delirium. Delirium is a 6-, 12-, or 24-hour run along a 1.7-mile loop in the woods in Ridgeland, SC and is put on by Tim Waz's Lowcountry Ultras. All these Facebook comments had me hyped up about this crazy race and before I knew it, I pulled out my credit card and registered. The next day I woke up with a realization that I am terrified of the dark and I'm going to be in the woods. Will there be other runners near me on the course so I'll feel safe? Also - the last time I stayed up an entire 24 hours was when I was in middle school, during summer break, chugging down can after can of Mountain Dew and watching MTV music video countdowns, Headbangers Ball, MTV Raps, re-runs of the Grind, and Beavis & Butthead. Who is going to entertain me for a solid 24 hours and do I need to pack some Mountain Dew?!
I've been nervous about this damn race since the day after I signed up for it. I've been asking what I think are stupid questions, like - do I need to pack a sleeping bag? Oh wait, I have to stay up for the entire 24 hours? We don't get to take naps? Huh? What...the...hell...was I THINKING?! I haven't packed yet. I do, however, have a list of what to pack, which I'll tackle tomorrow. I think packing is making me more anxious than the race itself. It's Thursday night and the race weekend is finally here. My nerves are better. After weeks of fretting and letting my anxiety take over, I've decided - eh - just go with it. Do what you can do. See what you can do - maybe I'll surprise myself. Last year, I did 50 miles in 11.5 hours at Chase the Sun so I know I have the ability to do 50. I guess my only goal is to surpass 50 and see just how much I can get accomplished in 24 hours. I know I won't hit 100 since this will be my first long distance run (and already a PR in the books), but I'd love to see just how many I can crank out because one day I'm going to get a damn belt buckle and finish my tattoo (I saved a spot on my tattoo for "100"). At least this will give me an idea of what to expect for when I do try and get a 100-miler accomplished. So, here we go! I'll report to you all how I feel once this race is under my belt. Good night! |
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If you look up the idiom "on-the-run", it means to constantly travel or moving from place to place. Welcome to my life! I get asked the question - "Do you ever sleep?" at least once a week. The truth is - I am always on the run. My weeks are filled with work, training runs, dropping kids off to school and extra curricular activities, traveling out-of-town for races and soccer games, theatre rehearsals, civic duties - you name it. In addition to being an avid runner, I'm a happily married wife, mother of two, an actress, singer, a Fleet Feet CREW coach, and work full time as the Marketing Manager for Thomas & Hutton Engineering Co. I love being on the run! Archives
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